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VIII Marketing

Updated by user Sep 18, 2014

UPDATE: As expected VIII marketing changed their name, they are now "Gold Rush 1849." Location: 300 Hamilton Ave in White Plains on the 4th Floor. Again please do not waste your time.

I am not letting up on these people.

Pyramid schemes are illegal, and have been around for century do not fall for it. The best way to take them down is public knowledge!

Original review Sep 17, 2011

VIII Marketing in White Plains, NY is currently posting for Entry Level jobs. I recently applied to an add for an Account Manager position.

A manager got back to me almost instantly and I set up an interview. When I went to the interview I felt an uneasy feeling, as the name of the Company was not listed in the building registry, the manager had told me simply to come up the 4th floor. When I got there the sign on the door, was printed from a computer, and hung with a piece of masking tape "VIII Marketing". I felt skeptical, but as a recent college grad, desperate to begin an Entry Level job in the Communication Field.

I proceeded. From the looks of the interior of the office, everything looked fine. I went through the first brief interview, with a "Ken Doll" type, Colgate smile manager, who talked about the Company more then he did myself. He told me about the growth opportunities and how they supported the 'marketing" and "promotions" of top names like Verizon Fios, and Visa Mastercard, Growth opportunities seemed very attractive to me,because at this point in my life it was an absolute front runner in my career search.

He concluded the interview, stating he would be giving candidates a call after 4pm, whom he wanted to come in for a second interview. I left the office, and was actually excited. At around 4:30 that night I did get a call, and a 2nd interview. Mind you I come from about an hour away from where their office is, and had to pay hefty train fare, yet I called sick out of my current job and went to the second interview.

I started to sense something was not right, the moment I stepped into the office that second day. First, I looked around and noted that the candidates waiting around, where very "shady" looking in appearance. I was told to wear 'corporate" attire, and was dressed as such, coming from a Corporate environment in the past. However, I looked around at a bunch of men with four o'clock shadow, woman with wrinkled shirts, and clearly people who had no clue.

From one look I thought 'These people can't be on their 2nd interview". I asked a woman next to me, with the yellowed white collared shirt, and she proudly announced that indeed she was on her 2nd interview. It wasn't long before I was called into the office of the hiring manager, and I was introduced to an "Account Manager' i was told I would be shadowing him for the day. I have to say he was an extremely nice, well spoken, well dressed man.

I thought, okay maybe this is legit. However, we then proceeded to go downstairs and into a car, this is when again I felt a little on edge. The car was a Mercedez driven by again, another Account Manager whom I was told was "retraining" I noticed that his 'Verizon Fios" folder was extremely unorganized and he himself was simply unkempt. My first thought was "Really?

this guy?" I started asking questions about the position, but the Account Manager seemed to divert the topics by asking me what I knew about "marketing". We finally arrived at our chosen destination, and I followed the Two Men into a small business. The Account Manager knocked on the door and announced "I'm Verizon here to check your bill' The confused store owner stated " I don't have Verizon". The Account Manager almost in que when into a sales pitch about why he should have Verizon and how much money he could save him.

The store owner finally agreed to sign an application even though he was still undecided and I think he only agreed so that we would "go away". We proceeded to take each buisness from one side of the street, to the other, and see how many we could trick into changing over to Verizon Fios. I still was on the fence to how legit this was, and over lunch began asking some more questions. Thats when the Account Manager whipped out a "Pyramid' Type scheme, explaining that if I took a work hard/play hard approach I'd for sure, become a Manager in no time.

I have to admit I did like this idea, and then he started talking about the 100% commission based salary. Which I knew was very very shady especially because I recently had interviewed with a Company for an Account Manager position who had offered a base salary on top of the Commission which is usually how it works in a legit company. I was promised that in my first week or so I"d make 400-600 and buy my third week, into my first few month be making over 1000 a week. I asked how long their training period was an I was told 3 days which again I thought was extremely skeptical.

Finally, we went back to the office, where I filled out a brief Q&A about my experience, and I was called into the office and instantly offered a position. The entire train ride home I thought...something is up...this can't be that easy, and what type of place only pays commission? I was up half the night when I remembered somthing the account manager had mumbled to me, and that was "we are affiliated with a company called Cydcor" I typed into Google "Cydcor" and the word Scam, an instantly found people with similar experience, who were given false promises, and basically starve to death. They were not reimbursed for gas money and travel expenses when the job requires that you drive from door to door.

I took one step further and googled the name of the Manager, whom I had interviewed with, and found numerous posts about young entry level professionals he had scammed, when he worked under the name Luxe Marketing . I sent an email 6 oclock saturday morning denying the position and linking him to the various complaint webstites his PR person should get on pretty quickly. I am very hurt, angry and frustrated, I spent a lot of money and excitement preparing myself for my interviews, and traveling to the Company. The only way you can be successful here is a 'Get rich, quick' type attitude.

If you are willing to make it through the "entry level" stage, and make a few sales, pocket some quick change and advance to the assistant manager role where you become the conman who hires unexpecting graduates to do your "dirty work" then I guess you could probably see a six figure salary as promised to you. However I ask..what happens to Cydcor when verizon catches on to the fact that their account managers are basically any desperate person, with experience or not, being hired to go door to door, with ruffled shirts, ketchup stains, and tags still left on their discounted thrift store suit? They will change their name yet again?

Or maybe they will *** enough people, that they will be able to actually afford a real sign to put up on their door. In White Plains they are called " VIII Marketing" BEWARE BEWARE BEWARE

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68 comments
Guest

They switched buildings at the beginning of the year, they go by Richard Allen now. If you get a call please reject it.

It's nearly slavery. 12 hour work days, you pay your own gas, mileage, car wear and tear, food, sometimes even airfare. They brainwash you to think its ok and that there's light at the end of the tunnel, there really isn't. They promise you an office if you just work hard enough, but they fail to mention that most of the new offices they open up do not make it past the first year.

Please beware. You will be paying them to work there.

Guest

Also go by name of "Team Hudson or Richard Allen Inc. All are linked to each other.

Not a good place to work. Anyone with a real education should stay away from here

Guest

Beware: This company now goes by the name "Gold Rush 1849." They are still at 300 Hamilton Ave in White Plains on the 4th Floor. I went there for an interview several months ago.

Other than the name change, everything else is still the same. I wish I hadn't wasted my time or my money (I paid $20 for parking during the "second interview.")

Guest

This place runs an ILLEGAL Pyramid Scam. This is ILLEGAL in the USA and eventually everyone involved will be prosecuted and this place will be shut down.

I worked here for over a year; they stole a year of my life. I made barely any money. They kept saying do not worry the money will start coming and to work harder.

They pull the same thing on everyone during the interview process which really is only a TWO time process, but they pretend its a THREE time process; eventually if you ever make it to being a manager you will be a part of this dream shattering process.

The hire rate here is 99.99%, as long as you know how to speak the job is yours. The goal is for the mangers to hire as many people as possible so they can make ILLEGAL money through you. They brain wash you for a few weeks tell you things will improve, but they never do and once you see that you are too deep to quit and think you will become a manager soon and should just sweat it out. The sad part is the harder you work and the better you do the longer it takes to become a manager because if you make money for them going door to door they will keep you in the field for as long as possible.

If you have a college education, do you really want to be going door to door soliciting some verizon scam and let me remind you they do not pay for your travels. (you may lose money)

It is a huge redflag when they tell you your working solely on commission and promise you will make a ton of money and that you give a % to your boss (any dodo should see right through this and decline the job on the spot) however some people like myself get tricked, but most do not. Every day in the shady office is just people interviewing that is the illusion it is all people interviewing. Most people will quit within a week when they see what is going on.

They have different companies and offices set up in NY and CT, do not be surprised if they switch office buildings on you.

Please do not get trapped like I did.

I can not wait till these dirtballs get taken down by the police.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-579731

Someone needs to put an end to this!

Guest

It's amazing that so many people have posted the same complaint about this company since 2011! Everyone who posted is a lifesaver.

I too almost went and upon researching the company I stumbled on this site. God bless you all!

Guest

I had the exact same thing happen to me today. I got an e-mail from them and although I never applied directly to their firm, I did JUST post my resume on Career Builder yesterday.

I was also excited to have an interview scheduled so soon and I thought it was a little weird that my educational experience did not at all match their criteria for the job. The girl who called me was "Dana" and she seemed really sweet and legit. She asked where I was coming from and if it would be a problem to get to their office in White Plains. When I told her where I lived, she remarked that her boyfriend lived in a town near mine so she sounded like she could relate to me.

We had a short conversation about traffic and she even said "if you're running a few mins late because of bridge traffic or construction, we totally understand just let us know" which to me seemed too good to be true. No interviewer has ever told me it's ok to be running late, we even expect it! I was interviewed years ago by a company called "Vector" who were a pyramid scheme as well door to door selling knives or something like that and I was afraid that this was going to be the same type of thing. It is very discouraging as someone with a master's to find that people are trying to lure us in under false pretenses and I definately do not want to be associated with anyone scaming innocent people like myself.

I'm so glad that I googled it and if they were to have me come back for the second interview, I probably wouldn't go especially if I was told I had to be there all day and if I did go and was told to go into a car with two strange men, that would be a 911 call on my part.

I watch too much CSI to go along with that ****. :p Thank you for posting about this disgusting organization.

Guest

I literally just got off the phone with them. Thanks so much for this post.

I will be cancelling my interview with them immediately!

I am already involved in sales -- a friend of mine invited me to a meeting and they gave a great speech about making money quickly blah blah blah.

I got excited and got caught up and now I hate it! I can't deal with that again!

Guest

thanks for sharing your story. now i don't have to drive an hour and waste my time.

they had called me earlier and set up an interview for tomorrow. i don't remember applying to the them either.

Guest

Thanks a lot for this post!! I just got a call today morning from this cheerful rep and she scheduled an interview for me tomorrow itself.

I was like.. wow I've go so many rejections, so to get an interview with the manager, sounded awesome. I didn't remember applying to their company, but I applied to so many places so I wasn't sure if it was because I didn't remember. Anyways to I googled the site to know about the details and the job description, and after the first search, the rest were all scam, scam scam..

and I read all of them.. And I'm so glad I did.. I'm not wasting any gas money (even though i stay just 20 mins away) for this.

A few months ago I got a call from this other company Aflac and they called me for an interview..

and when I reached there there was about 20 ppl seated in a room, and a lady basically took a class on the company and this was also commision based, and she was showing how lucrative it is to work that way.. blah blah blah.. and there was no interview.. and then later they called for an interview..

btu I didn't go..

cos it just wasn't right..

Anyways I'm sorry about the bad experience that many people had, but talking about it helps others.. So thanks a lot, I'm very grateful!

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