Palmetto Marketing, Inc ripoff scam

I am an ex-employee of PMI. I started working there in April of '03. I found out about the job by an add in the paper...it read that I could travel the U.S. and make $400-$600 a week and there would be other young people ages 18-25. I was unhappy with where my life was going around here so I decided that I would try it out. Ten minutes after I got in the car the "manager" that picked me up was passing around a marijuana pipe to the other new hires. When I got to the hotel I met the other "crew members". 18-25?!?! It's more like 16-40. They train you for 2 weeks in which you recieve $20 a day or depending on the cash flow, maybe less. After your 2 weeks they figure you should know the business, most pick it up...some don't. The people that don't, get treated like shit!!! Since you are "independent contractors" they cannot fire you, they TRY to make you "fold" (quit). I was employed by them for approx. 4 months...I was very unhappy by everything in the business. The bosses make it sound like it is such a positive job and there is no job better. When in fact, I have never hated any of my co-workers or bosses as much as I hated the ones on crew. Most of the things you will read on this site is true, yes at the hotel there is a lot of drugs, sex, and violence. But when the kids come knockin on your door don't yell at them it isn't their fault they are pushy. If you don't sell so many magazines in a day the bosses will treat you like you are garbage. So the kids' sanity depends on your purchashes. And, as someone else stated you DO have to wait 90-120 days for the magazines to start coming. They don't just appear in the mailbox the day after you place the order. Thank you for your time. And remember don't discriminate the kids for the bosses being jerks.

I worked for this company back in 1998. This job is very dangerous, most of the people are running away from something and have no place to go. These people are told to put them selves in dangerous situations in order to make a sale. I knew a girl who got slipped the date rape drug...she woke up in the bushes with no pants. The company response was to not talk about it because it was negitive. The cops were never called, they gave the girl one day off. I was propositioned on a daily basis, threated, and almost taken against my will once by people who's doors I knocked on. The company really does sell magazines but if you pay in cash you are not likely to get them. Vinny, Bonnie, all of you should be ashamed of the way you exploit young people to make a buck!!!!

I am sincerely bothered by the reports I have read on this site. More than most the reports say that people got there checks or money back before they ever had the opportunity to receive the magazines. As someone who has worked for PMI I know for certain that people do get their subscriptions. I am sure that there are "shady" people in the business, but the people I worked for were cool. A guy named Sean hired me and I traveled extensively and saw many sites. The trips are real I know. There are things that go on while youre with the crew that may be "questionable" for some people but you aren't FORCED to be there, you can leave ANYTIME. No one made any false promises to me, no one ever treated me like garbage, and not just me all the people on my crews. When I was ready to go back home for awhile my crew paid for my ticket. I think this company is getting a bad rap. I had the experience of a lifetime. As far as sales go...do you think that the guy selling you your car is being COMPLETELY honest...get real, why do you think is called a SALE. P.S. I sold SUBSCRIPTIONS not PRESCRIPTIONS.

I was with this company for the greater part of the 2002 year. When you read in the ad in the newspaper that travel and hotel is furnished and return is guaranteed, that is true. After working for PMI for a month I had to go home because my best friend was having a baby. My manager paid for my ticket home. I returned to work two months later, and without any out-of pocket expense. I also left twice more and returned once. Every time, my ticket was paid for by them. There are some of the crews within the company that may have shady goings on, but the crew I worked for was not. I know for a fact that the trip these kids speak of is true, because one of the guys I worked with won a trip to Porta Viara Mexico. Another of the guys I worked with has gotten the $1000 cash bonus numerous times, and never comes in below 10th place in the contest for the trip. You shouldn't be so quick to cancel your order just because you have a bad feeling or you read some of these bull shit reports.

I wish that I would've checked out this company sooner so that I could've cancelled my check before these criminals had a chance to cash it. I'm dissapointed that this happened and I will not be so welcoming to anyone else coming to my door. I pray that people get whats coming to them, this is a real sin!

I am an ex- employee of Palmetto Marketing Inc. I began workin for them in April of 2003. I had read an ad in the paper in the classifieds under the help wanted. I was going through some stress so I decided that I would get away from it all and traveling and meeting new people would definitely be my cure to happiness.

Well I would have rather stayed home and dealt with what I was going through before I went for this job if I only knew then what I know now. When I first went to the job I thought this is great I can get around state to state for free and whenever you wanna go home they pay for it.

I was a terrible sales person so to speak. I came home with maybe only 4 a day or less, I had a couple high days but my low days were occuring more and more and on those low days I would be treated fouly. I met alot of friends on Mag-crew thats what we called it.

I didnt have an idea that I was doin anything illegal or else I wouldnt of put my self in that situation.

My first sick day I was feelin like I was going to die, I had a pulsating migraine and it was the worse. I had asked if it would be possible to take the day off seeing that I was not in the condition to work. They sent me home back to New York from Conneticut, my friend also left for court reasons but she planned on coming back.

I wanted to come back too because I had met this really nice guy there and I liked him alot too much to leave and not think about it. I ended up comin back and things got worse, if I had a bad day or a family emergency came up it was an ultimatum between your family and the job, it ws becoming ridiculous.

I got sick of the abuse and my boyfriends who I had met there cared about me more then the job and was willin to take me back to his hometown with him. My boyfriend went to the Manager and told him he was leaving and takin me with him they drove us to the port authority and one of the crew supervisors gave my boyfriends the envelope and when she left we had found there was only one ticket in there and it was his.

I had signed a contract sayin that if I wanted to leave they had to pay for it. I was devastated, here I was stranded in Cleveland, Ohio with no ticket and no moey for food we had nothing. I had to call my grandmother and have her read her credit card number over the phone for a ticket to go to New Jersey with my boyfriend. They brainwash those kids that ocme to your doors, and its not there faults, its the managers and the owners. I didnt know that we were rip offs nobody told me that these people didnt get there magazines, I dont have the heart to scam people I have more heart than anybody. After I found out it was all scam I started thinkin about all the nice people who helped me out and bought a magazine and the people who let me in there homes and served me something to drink or a snack. The Mag-crew is mentally abusing and physically...If you did not sell what they wanted you to sell, they would have somebody beat you up. Of course nobody touched me cause I wouldn't stand for it.

While I was there, there are nights I was hungry and had no money, I was mentally abused by the verbal abuse and bringing down by the managers and whoever else was a Mag zombie, I was sexually harassed and when I wanted to complain about it Im the one who got chewed out for it because the kid that harassed me help me get good business that day, but does that mean he can put his hands on me?

I got stranded in another state god who knows how long of a bus ride from where Im from.I still have nightmares about the job and the people there it was like a cult and it is the worse job that you could ever imagine cause they work you constantly from 7 in the morning till like 9 at night running around in different areas.

Remember we were brainwashed most of us did not know about the scams. I am glad I left and now 2 of my good friends moved back from the crew and we are so happy that we left and we are free no managers to run our lives.