Ripoff Report Needs Your Help!
X  |  CLOSE
Report: #1138199

Complaint Review: UGK Advertising - Houston Texas

  • Submitted:
  • Updated:
  • Reported By: Anonymous — Houston Texas
  • Author Not Confirmed What's this?
  • Why?
  • UGK Advertising 10190 Katy Freeway Suite 555 Houston, Texas USA

Show customers why they should trust your business over your competitors...

Is this
Report about YOU
listed on other sites?
Those sites steal
Ripoff Report's
content.
We can get those
removed for you!
Find out more here.
How to fix
Ripoff Report
If your business is
willing to make a
commitment to
customer satisfaction
Click here now..

There are so many things wrong with this "company" that I don't even know where to begin. This place should be shut down. It is the closest thing to a cult (an illegal one at that) I have ever come into contact with.

To start with, please be aware that this place functions under SEVERAL different names. UGK Advertising is the one I got roped into, but they also answer as BTC Marketing Group, and Lone Star Something (I heard the receptionist answer the phone using at least three different names.) I had applied to both BTC and UGK, unaware of the connection, and thankfully realized that BTC was a total scam thanks to this website. So you can imagine how I felt when I went to my interview with UGK and saw "BTC Marketing" and "Texas Marketing Consultants" written on the door. I almost walked away, but I had already driven an hour to get to my initial interview, so I figured I would give it a shot. 

The entire process, to anyone with any experience in the professional world whatsoever, should seem a little off. You get a call from a cell phone with a non-Texas area code (Connecticut, I think), followed by instant and automated text messages and emails. This seemed odd. I checked out the website countless times and still had no clue whatsoever what exactly the company did. They use lots of vague language and claim to be a "marketing firm" that serves Fortune 500 companies and does all these wonderful things. However, you'll notice that every aspect of the website seems to be addressing potential applicants, not the so-called Fortune 500 companies they claim to serve. Another red flag.

I waited in an office with about four other people while I filled out a "First Interview Form." All the while, the secretary is making phone calls about every five minutes saying the same thing: "This is Madison from BTC/UGK/Lone Star Marketing. We received your resume and I just had a few questions and wanted to set up an interview." Another red flag. I even made a comment to her about it and she said, "Don't tell anyone I told you this, but they pretty much hire everybody." At this point I blame my own stupidity for continuing this ridiculous process. My interview was an hour later than its scheduled time, I was interviewed for about ten minutes which consisted mostly of the manager (Sergio) drawing a chart of how quickly you can advance. He never asked where I went to school, what I studied, etc. When I asked direct questions about pay, salary, training, and what EXACTLY my job responsibilities would be, he gave either extremely vague and completely dishonest descriptions or told me I would have all my questions answered during my second interview the next day. 

Again, at this point I can only blame myself for continuing because I knew how suspicious this was. However I couldn't find any kind of scam reports about UGK and only one for BTC so in the back of my mind in my desperate job search, I thought I might be being too skeptical. I was wrong. I drove back the next day for my second "interview" which wasn't actually an interview at all. Instead, I saw some familiar faces that had also returned. We waited about 45 minutes while the entire office blasted hip hop music and shouted and chanted weird things in the conference room, then were teamed up with our "trainers", crammed ourselves into a car, and went to Sonic to eat. I thought it was odd that I had to pay for my own meal. My trainer talked about doing drugs the majority of the time, and then I find out that HE is the one leading a "business trip" the following week and how he was going to get "turned up" with all the weed and alcohol he wouold be bringing. While at Sonic, he even approached some kid that looked like he was sixteen trying to convince him to apply for the job.

After lunch, we arrive at a gated apartment complex with a huge sign that says "NO SOLICITING." I asked him about it and he said, "Yeah, sometimes the cops come. You just have to lie and say that you're informing customers of construction work that AT&T is doing in the area." Yes, a TOTAL LIE. It is amazing what brainwashing can do to these people that seemed to have no problem lying and manipulating me, customers, and the police. We manage to get in after a while because another car pulled up, he drops a scared girl off, says "good luck", and we leave and proceed to go to a neighborhood where we park, and do nothing but go door to door (making three rounds at least), trying to convince people to get AT&T U-Verse. He even presented himself as the "Account Manager at AT&T." I was shocked. We spent about six hours there, got ONE sale from an elderly woman who seemed too confused to know what was going on, then left , picked up the girl from the apartments, who was left COMPLETELY ALONE with no way out and no vehicle that entire time, and returned for my "third interview." Not only was what they did ILLEGAL (Does "No Soliciting" mean nothing to them?) but it is DANGEROUS. What if someone had hurt that girl? What if she had an emergency and needed to get out? Completely unacceptable.

It gets interesting here. I was asked to fill out a "Third Interview" Questionnaire which includes a question about when you can start. I was 95% sure that this was a total scam and waste of time, but not wanting to completely eliminate it for fear that that 5% was me being too skeptical, I said I could start the following week. Any real and respectable company would have no problem with this. However, my trainer pulls me to the side (ALL the trainers did this to the applicants by the way - it's all planned to manipulate peole into starting immediately and convincing them their position is that important) and tells me that if I can't start tomorrow that might be a make-or-break thing and that the managers weren't even going to consier giving me a third interview since they had already interviewed and hired seven other people that day. I was so pressured that I just said, "Sure, tomorrow is fine." I was then promptly given a third interview, similar to the first. The only real answer I got was that it is 100% commission, followed by some spiel about how in no time I'll be an owner making $10,000 a week, etc. I was offered the job, but obviously didn't take it. To be honest, I was just curious what the hell these guys would have to say for themselves.

I am glad I went through the entire process, though, for the sake of anyone that is thinking about applying. Please do not even THINK about going to the first interview, or applying at all for that matter. From the second you walk in the door, they will start their cult-like brainwashing on you. Hell, they almost got ME, and I'd like to think I'm a pretty smart guy. They have loud parties where they chant and play games and blast music before and after they do their door-to-door "field work", go bowling or do karaoke or something like that every Thursday for "Team Night", and truly have everyone convinced that they are working for a fantastic company. They don't realize that this upward mobility will come to an abrupt end, the firm will be discovered for what it is, relocate, and change their names. They JUST moved from Connecticut to Houston, for example, and took some of the staff (including my trainer) with them. These brainwashed people are uprooting their lives for a company that in my opinion, is basically a pyramid scheme. But EVERY PERSON there has these Stepford Wife smiles and overly energetic attitudes about the company because they truly believe it is legitimate. It is terrible. 

To anyone considering applying: PLEASE take this warning. If you have been a victim of this company, SPEAK UP and let people know what this place is all about. You won't get ANY marketing or advertising experience. You will knock on doors, work twelve hour days, and then move up where your job is to lure in people like myself and try to brainwash them too. DON'T let them get away with it.

This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 04/11/2014 06:26 PM and is a permanent record located here: https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ugk-advertising/houston-texas-77043/ugk-advertising-btc-marketing-group-deceptive-dishonest-unprofessional-cult-like-atm-1138199. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year. Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report. READ: Foreign websites steal our content

Search for additional reports

If you would like to see more Rip-off Reports on this company/individual, search here:

Report & Rebuttal
Respond to this report!
What's this?
Also a victim?
What's this?
Repair Your Reputation!
What's this?

Updates & Rebuttals

REBUTTALS & REPLIES:
2Author
5Consumer
0Employee/Owner

#7 UPDATE EX-employee responds

Deceptive Practices

AUTHOR: Anonymous - ()

POSTED: Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Upon doing my research I found out what lies Sergio and Antoine are really about both are unethical and brainwashed losers that believe in what they preach. They'll never amount to anything more then someone's pawn. These companies just change their names or relocate and continue try to evade reality. When you practice deceptive ways it will eventually catch up to you. Your lifestyles are far from what you make it out to be. Continue to chase your pyramid scheme dreams. As for the readers who are researching save yourself the Gas and find a real career.

There are 4 companies that have an address matching 10190 Katy Fwy Ste 555 Houston, TX 77043-5259.

The companies are Eventful Appreciation Inc, Btc Marketing Group Inc, Ugk Advertising Inc, and Carrera Concepts Inc.

 
EVENTFUL APPRECIATION, INC.
 
TEXAS CORPORATION
 
Address:   10190 Katy Fwy Ste 555
Houston, TX 77043-5259
 
Address Types:   Principal
 
Registered Agent:   Wesley Morgan
 
Filing Date:   January 18, 2012
 
File Number:   0801536512
BTC MARKETING GROUP, INC.
 
TEXAS CORPORATION
 
Address:   10190 Katy Fwy Ste 555
Houston, TX 77043-5259
 
Address Types:   Principal
 
Registered Agent:   Douglas Ascher
 
Filing Date:   November 06, 2012
 
File Number:   0801680248
 
 
 
UGK ADVERTISING, INC.
 
TEXAS CORPORATION
 
Address:   10190 Katy Fwy Ste 555
Houston, TX 77043-5259
 
Address Types:   Principal
 
Registered Agent:   Antoine Bell
 
Filing Date:   December 02, 2013
 
File Number:   0801891305
CARRERA CONCEPTS, INC.
 
TEXAS CORPORATION
 
Address:   10190 Katy Fwy Ste 555
Houston, TX 77043-5259
 
Address Types:   Principal and Registered Agent
 
Registered Agent:   Sergio Delrosso
 
Filing Date:   June 03, 2014
 
File Number:   0802001955
Respond to this report!
What's this?

#6 UPDATE Employee ..inside information

Antoine Bell UGK SEX CULT

AUTHOR: Anonymous - ()

POSTED: Friday, August 08, 2014

Editor’s Note:  We thank our users for considering Ripoff Report as a source for information and providing warnings to the general public.  That being said, sometimes, after a review of the text, our team will determined that the content filed by an author appears to be serious in nature and therefore questionable and, as such, the Report is placed on HOLD for further investigations prior to publishing or is otherwise flagged after publication and is placed into a Review Bin.  If and when Reports are flagged for these types of issues, especially when there are specific serious criminal allegations, we may, as we did here, try to follow up with the Author of the Report to obtain more information.  Our Terms of Service require that information posted be truthful and not defamatory and we are in no position to determine what information is true or false.  We understand that allegations made by an author may very well be true, and we respect an author’s right to Free Speech, but in order for the information to be published once it has been flagged, or for the information to be later (((REDACTED))) once flagged after prior publication, Ripoff Report may ask the author to provide some form of explanation or documentation to support their position.  Depending on the circumstances, if the author fails to timely provide adequate notification, at the sole discretion of Ripoff Report, the Report may be considered “incomplete” and may not be approved or may be (((REDACTED))) to remove the serious allegations from the Report.  Redactions below may be due to the author’s failure to adhere to our Terms of Service and/or because the author failed to timely respond with an appropriate response to our inquiry.

 

Everything said about this company is true it is a cult a sex cult. I worked there and recently quit, because I wasn't making any money and this company had no integrity. My manager/ trainer name is Antoine Charles Bell.(((REDACTED))) I decide to do more research because of this and found out that Antoine bell did this same scam of a company in NYC but the name of the company back then was BBB conglomerate and Polaris ! 

Not only that I found out the he succeed in his use of his position to impregnate one of his employees and he left her for another employee where he is hiding from having to pay child support.

GO FIGURE!!!! 

My adivce RUN and don't sign any contracts with they people they use you person info for fraudulent activties.

 

 

Respond to this report!
What's this?

#5 Consumer Comment

LOL @ Madison

AUTHOR: Giselle - ()

POSTED: Wednesday, July 09, 2014

Madison, are you hungry for eating crow??? LOL!  Before you advise another person to consult a dictionary,  you need to consult that dictionary first.

The correct word is 'lose' (not loose) and following (not fllowing).

In addition, you seem unable to determine when and where a comma is needed in a sentence. Please, get some assistance with that as well. Until such time, you might want to avoid calling others a moron.

Respond to this report!
What's this?

#4 General Comment

Speaking of a Dictionary-How loose is your goose?

AUTHOR: Anonymous - ()

POSTED: Monday, May 19, 2014

This report is the absolute truth and just because "Madison" is in denial about being pimped out going door to door on the streets of Houston. UGK Advertising should not misrepresent the company culture and lie to others. However, seeing how Madison is not even intelligent enough herself and used her word "loose" out of context we'll say it's safe to say that that's the caliber of people y'all deem fit to work with, "less educated."

(Even though Madison and Sergio will probably lie when you ask or avoid the question)

The three most important questions to ask when you call are as followed:

1. Is this door to door? 

2. Is this 100% commission?

3. Are there benefits?

Everyone who works there will lie to your face anyway about a "bigger picture" and how this is the best opportunity for "everyone." My best advice that I can give you is seriously don't waste your time. Although, everyone is nice and seems down to earth and cool. It is all just a facade to lure more people in the door. It is a very sick cycle of unfortunate brainwashing for those who work there. Hey afterall if you tell yourself something over and over again you'll believe it's the truth yourself.

Good luck, to anyone who feeds into their BS and for those of you who work there currently; good luck chasing a dream and wasting the next key important years of your life. When you should be out there maybe getting an education-Madison or even seeking out better opportunity that will ultimately make you so much happier. Because the truth is that in the long run those $200 paychecks and working all those hours is not worth the time away from the ones who truly care and love you. The most important thing in life is to find something that will make you flourish and bring out the best person in you. An opportunity of a lifetime can be found just not in this one and it's best to know when to forego an opportunity based on a lie.

Respond to this report!
What's this?

#3 Author of original report

"Opportunity of a Lifetime"

AUTHOR: Anonymous - ()

POSTED: Friday, May 02, 2014

"Missing out on an opportunity of a lifetime" - hahaha. I'm sorry, this gets me every time. I laugh, but it's really  not funny. Just sad, blatant lies. Good luck, folks. There's a reason that you search "UGK Advertising" on Google and the SECOND link is to this very website. Google even pre-predicts "scam" when you start to type in "BTC Marketing" or "UGK Advertising." Funny - all the RESPECTABLE and HONEST jobs I've applied for and received legitimate responses from have nothing like this come up. Hmm. Come on guys. Be patient, ignore places like this, Blue Sky Endeavors, Vector Marketing, etc. SCAM. SCAM. SCAM. I know it's tempting to jump at the first thing you get (and trust me, you'll get an offer from them in NO time - there's a reason for that). But please -  Don't be a Madison. Be my guest and apply. But you will learn the hard way. (Hence the turnover rate and the desperate yet pathetic re-posting of job openings on job boards on a DAILY basis.) Don't believe me? Try it out yourself. And if anybody is interested in joining me in seeking to expose this place even further, respond here and I'll contact you about different methods we can go about to bring this place down. I have some connections that can aid in that process. For Houston's sake, UGK, go back to Connecticut. You came to the wrong city.

Respond to this report!
What's this?

#2 Author of original report

Give Me a Break

AUTHOR: Anonymous - ()

POSTED: Friday, May 02, 2014

Ok, sure, everybody go give it a try!! I promise you, if you're idiotic enough to fall for the total B.S. that this company is, then I guess you're the perfect candidate for this job that takes advantage of desperate and misinformed people (i.e. this Madison girl who is obviously just as brainwashed as everybody else there. She's the one who told me "everybody gets hired" by the way) - Not to mention, why is this job on job boards 24/7??? Why did "Madison" not address in her rebuttal the countless illegal things I witnessed during my "training"? Work HARD for your money? What a joke. There's no justification for breaking the law. They are DESPERATE for people like Madison (who, is a receptionist, mind you, and probably has no clue what the actual job of an "Account Executive" (HA! That title still kills me) entails. You are not an Account Executive. You are a door-to-door salesman that nobody can stand. And if you try applying for another job in the future once this one eventually crumbles (and it will, I promise - all pyramid schemes do), any other legitimate compay will laugh at you for putting a title like "Account Executive" on a resume with UGK/BTC Marketing. Sorry, the cat's out of the bag and any credible business knows that these types of places are a total joke. My last two interviewers told me so themselves, and laughed hysterically when I told them they offered me a job. And now I landed a 75K a year job doing productive, honest work for an extremely reputable company. At BTC/UGK, You are that guy ringing doorbells telling deliberate lies that everybody hates. On a side note, Madison, I have worked two full-time management jobs while simultaneously graduating from a prestigious university with a high GPA in English and Business (so trust me honey, I don't need to look up the definition of a "cult" - you're just one step away from it but too blind to see it sadly), and I KNOW hard work. Of course none of you actually LOOKED at my resume so you wouldn't know that. My interviewer didn't even know I had a college degree after I produced three copies of my resume. So Madison, please don't question my work ethic or intelligence. After all, readers, I'm sure all the bosses just gave Madison a nice little script to write a rebuttal for this. (My trainer, an African American guy whose name I can't recall, told me they do this himself) Very sad. I'd like to see Madison uproot her life to go to another (but same) company halfway across the country once everyone figures out that UGK/BTC/Whatever is the pyramid scheme that it is. I'm sure she'll be singing a different tune then. I feel sorry for the employees here. Do your research. Look up "pyramid schemes" and "MLM" (especially MLM) and you'll see that companies like this exist all over the place with turnover rates in the upper 90 percentages. They uproot, change names, move to another city, and the cycle continues. Peronsally, I'd love to get the FBI involved in this. I can't count how many illegal practices I noticed (and documented, for that fact) during my day of "training," which mostly involved my trainer talking about drugs and how to cheat a drug test and lie to consumers. In short, don't waste your time. Or do - and maybe we can get this place out of Houston and into some other random city where they can recruit a whole new set of naive college grads to take advantage of. It's your call. But if you DID get a college degree, and have any common sense whatsoever, join me in taking this place down. I've seen it ruin too many people's lives. For more details, look up BTC Marketing in Houston on RipoffReport for more details (Keep in mind it's the same company). If that doesn't convince you, be my guest and apply for the job (which you will surely get - they hire everyone, right, Madison?), ring some cowbells after a worthless 12 hour day spent lying to strangers (and cops) about the work you do. Very rewarding, I'm sure. Can't wait to see you all go down, and trust me, you will. And now maybe you can open up a third shithole office in Maine this time. Kudos.

Respond to this report!
What's this?

#1 General Comment

Grow up. Learn how to WORK for your money

AUTHOR: Madison - ()

POSTED: Thursday, April 24, 2014

I can assure you all that the companies listed are NOT a scam. Speaking from personal experience it was an awesome work environment, and VERY professional. You need to go find a dictionary and look up the correct meaning of the word cult, because you're obviously confused. I say if someone would like to find out more information find out personally instead of listening to the false accusations from less successful people.  Fllowing the opinions of others could ultimately cause you to loose out on the opportunity of a life time and make you come off as a complete moron. 

Respond to this report!
What's this?
Featured Reports

Advertisers above have met our
strict standards for business conduct.

X
What do hackers,
questionable attorneys and
fake court orders have in common?
...Dishonest Reputation Management Investigates Reputation Repair
Free speech rights compromised

WATCH News
Segment Now