Atlantic Coast Media Group - Prime World Syndicate Unethical Hiring Practices Internet

Freelance Writers, Watch Your Back. I did a Google search for Prime World Syndicate and came across the scathing report about them here. I don't want to accuse them of doing anything illegal, but unethical hiring practices? You betcha. Read on. I am a freelance medical writer working from home on various telecommuting projects for major clients. In December, 2008 I responded to a craigslist ad seeking a contract medical writer for a position described as lasting "approximately 3 months." The pay was decent and the topics seemed of interest to me so I applied for the position. The company's name was not given.

A few days later I received an email from X, a senior proofreader at "Atlantic Coast Media Group," telling me I'd made it through the first round in their selection process and inviting me to complete two sample reviews of a given diet product. I happily did so. A couple of weeks later X emailed me offering me the position which I gladly accepted the 3-month position. My uncertainty about my work schedule beyond 3 months seemed to worry X, and I asked whether the advertised 3-month timeframe had changed? X explained in so many words that the 3-month work period described in the ad was effectively untrue, that this was just their "trial period" for new employees but that they hoped (apparently demanded) that writers stay on longer, and that some of their stable of writers had worked for them for years. Terrific but this dishonesty with the ad listing was a bait and switch of sorts. The fact that I wasn't 100% positive about my schedule after 3 months caused a noticeable shift in X's tone and enthusiasm for having hired me. Mind you this was *after* I had completed the interview process, been offered the job, and had happily accepted the job.

Next I was emailed two forms, a W9 and a standard nondisclosure agreement, and asked to fax them back to a 310 (Los Angeles) area code. Strange that a company with Atlantic in its title is located on the West Coast, I thought. But such forms are standard operating procedure and I completed them the way I always do: filled in the W9 (a PDF file) in Adobe and signed it using the widely accepted and highly secure Verisign digital signature method. It's as legally binding as a hand-written signature.

I then read the nondisclosure agreement (a Word document) and saw that it didn't pertain to my supposed employer Atlantic Coast Media Group but to *Prime World Syndicate* in the British Virgin Islands. I found this odd. Who exactly was hiring me? The plot thickened: I Googled X's name and found X's personal website only to learn that X's own area code is in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Now I'm dealing with two company names and 3 locations; California, South Dakota and the British Virgin Islands. This entire organization is apparently made up of full time, long term freelancers (with no benefits which is a huge cost savings to them; freelance gigs are by nature short-term; they usually pay well but don't include benefits; these people's plan seems to be to hire freelancers as though they're full time, long term employees but still offer them no benefits).

I completed the Word nondisclosure agreement and also signed this one electronically--by typing in my signature and the date. (Silly mistake on my part? Maybe so, but SO easy for them to have rectified with me by writing a friendly email to say thanks for the effort but we don't accept digital signatures, can you please fax hand-signed hard copies? I would have been happy to comply). I faxed off the forms electronically using an online fax service as I normally do.

A day later I got a rather annoyed email from X telling me the faxes were not acceptable because I had merely typed my name in the signature lines (even regarding the PDF, X seemed oddly unfamiliar with the concept of a digital signature which is in wide use these days). To make matters more confusing one of the digits was missing from my SSN on the W9 I submitted. I can only attribute it to a fax error but it was easily resolvable. Instead though it just added to X's suspicious tone and sarcastic question about whether I had "a problem" they needed to know about. I'm not sure what X was implying (that I'm an illegal immigrant without an SSN? that I didn't want to complete a W9 to evade taxes? No idea but my new boss's accusing, mildly defamatory tone was patently unprofessional and discourteous). I explained to X my good faith intention with the electronic signatures and offered to fax traditionally signed hard copies to them.

[At this point I also said to my girlfriend, "Watch. I guarantee you they aren't going to hire me now. It's not the paperwork, they're mad about the 3 months thing."]

A day later I received a terse email from X indeed rescinding their offer to hire me! I could only laugh. This is the first time in my career as a professional writer that I have been [fired? dehired?] over a simple paperwork error after having accepted the position and before I had even done any work. I was flabbergasted and wrote back asking for some explanation for this unusual, discourteous and unprofessional, dare I say cagey and suspicious, behavior after all the time and hard work I had put into getting the position. Was it simply because of the signature mixup? Hard to believe. I also asked if X could please tell me the city and state in which Atlantic Coast Media Group is located. To date I have not received a response. You can judge for yourself and view our entire email exchange at http://watchyourback.weebly.com .

I know this posting has been more of a warning to freelance writers than to consumers but it nonetheless reinforces that this is one strange company being run with unethical methods. The hall of mirrors keeps on going. My Google search also turned up info that Prime World Syndicate is fronted by the site TheMensChoice.com which claims to have been created by a bunch of anonymous, well-meaning frat boys from "a major university" in California but gives their full operating address in the British Virgin Islands. Not sure why a bunch of nice young men need to remain anonymous and set up an offshore corporation but there you go - http://www.aboutus.org/TheMensChoice.com . The only Atlantic Coast Media Group I found online is a sporting goods consultant based in Virginia. http://www.manta.com/coms2/dnbcompany_0c6bjc Is this also them?

ps During the interview process the writing samples I was asked to write were a positive review and a negative review of the same diet product. X said this was so they could get a sense of my writing style. Nothing strange about that but after reading the posting here I suspect it was because I wouldn't be writing my sincere opinions of any products; they'd probably be *telling* me whether to write a positive or negative review of a product.

Bocephus
Salem, Virginia
U.S.A.