AM Connections, Alexandria's Marketing Company, Alexandria's Marketing Services, DO NOT Work for them. They lie, deceive & mislead. You do the work then they don't pay what they say. South Bend Indiana

I was contacted by Cheri McDowell, an employee of the company, to do some merchandising work for them. I talked to Cheri about the wages and if I would be paid drive time and mileage since the stores were quite a distance from me. Cheri told me that I would be paid $12.00 per hour for in store time, $12.00 per hour for drive time, and $12.00 per 50 miles that I drove. I agreed to do the work for them since they pay drive time and mileage as it was the only way I could do it without it costing me more money than I made.

On May 5, 2009, I worked at three different stores in two different towns for a total of 5.0 hrs Drive Time, 221 miles, 6.17 hours Store Time. On May 7, 2009, I worked at two different stores in two different towns for a total of 3.5 hours Drive Time, 181 miles, 7.0 hours Store Time. This gave me a grand total of 8.5 hours Drive Time, 402 miles, 13.17 hours Store Time. At the end of each day I faxed them my time sheet for each store signed by myself and the team leader. Each time sheet included my in store time, my mileage for the day and my drive time for the day.

I completed the work that I was hired for quickly, efficiently and above standards.

According to their pay schedule, you usually get paid a month and a half after the work has been completed. The week I should have received my check I called Cheri several times but kept getting a fax machine. On Friday of that week I found a phone number on the company's website and talked to Tony Maichen. I explained the situation and asked why I hadn't received a check yet. He explained that the payroll lady was out of town but he looked in the drawer and then explained to me that my check had "slipped under the drawer" and had not gotten mailed out.

The following week I received my check but it was only for the amount of $158.04 (my in store time only). I called Tony Maichen again to find out why the drive time and mileage weren't on there and he was upset because he hadn't authorized it. Drive time and mileage have to be approved by him before it can be offered to the merchandiser he said. He said he'd check into it and call me back. When I finally spoke to him again at the end of that week he said that I would have to contact Cheri as the discrepancy in my check was between her and I.

I called Cheri several different times to find out why my mileage and drive time weren't included. Cheri explained that the payroll lady was on vacation so she would have to wait until the payroll lady returned a week later to find out why my check was wrong. After another week of calling her and re-sending her my hours, mileage and drive time (at her request) I finally received another check but it was only for $36.00 and they owed me $198.48.
After calling Cheri several times, I also called the company again and I spoke to the owner.

I explained everything to her and she passed me on to Steve Miller, someone who was below her in the chain of command. I explained it to him and he said he'd check into it. I called Cheri again and she said that the second email I sent her of my hours, drive time and mileage said I only had 221 miles reported so that is why my check was only for $36.00. (I simply and clearly broke everything down in that email about what my drive time, mileage and in store time was so there wasn't any reason why she should have gotten it wrong.)

She then started to tell me that they don't pay both drive time and mileage, just one or the other. She also said that they only pay $12.00 per 60 miles (not 50 like she originally told me). I proceeded to remind her of the conversation we had originally about the drive time and mileage and the fact that I would never have accepted the job if it didn't pay both because I would lose money driving that many miles.

She told me that she was told to make it worth my while when she hired me so she would see what she could do. She asked me to re-send the information of my drive time, mileage, and in store time for both days again. (This will be the third time that she has asked me to re-send it to her). In this email I broke everything down step by step and figure by figure of what I had worked, miles I had drove, and the time it took me to drive there.

I also broke down each of the figures for those including subtracting each of the two payments out of the totals and giving them the final total that was still owed to me. I even highlighted the important parts so it would be easier for them to find since they had problems in the past getting it right. I sent Cheri this email on July 9, 2009. I then realized that I had payrolls email, a second alternate email for the lady in payroll, and an alternate email for Cheri. So I sent this email out again to all of these emails plus Tony's email as well. This was on July 27, 2009.

I have called Cheri's number every day and left messages plus sent emails to her and the company but have not heard from anyone. No one has returned my calls or returned my emails. I am still owed $162.48 for the work I did for them on May 5th and 7th 2009.

DO NOT work for this company as they do not pay you what they tell you, and then you get the run around when you try to get your money from them. They pass the buck, deceive and mislead you, and then ultimately ignore your phone calls and emails.

Lora
Bertrand, Nebraska
U.S.A.