Rocky Mountain Promotions, Scentura Creations World Perfume ripoff Another Fragrance Scam Lakewood Colorado

TWO ILLINOIS ATTORNEY GENERAL ARTICLES:
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ATTORNEY GENERAL OF ILLINOIS BRINGS SUIT AGAINST WORLD PERFUME DISTRIBUTOR

MADIGAN FILES LAWSUIT AGAINST COOK COUNTY COMPANY THAT LURES POTENTIAL EMPLOYEES WITH FALSE PROMISES

TWO MEDIA ARTICLES:
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PERFUME SALESWOMAN: BOSS WANTED MENAGE A TROIS

SCENTS OF DECEPTION: TO BUY OR NOT TO BUY

More on World Perfume / Scentura:
http://ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff36647.htm
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Attorney General of Illinois brings suit against World Perfume distributor
Chicago Daily Herald July 31, 2003, Thursday

www.ag.state.il.us/pressroom/2003_07/073003.html

In these times of rising unemployment, Gil Fergus, the chief of the attorney general's consumer fraud division, warned people to check out companies before entering contracts with them.

As prosecutors announced the suit against Best Gourmet, they also announced a filing against a Schaumburg firm accused of promising people managerial positions, then making them sell perfume on the street.

Prosecutors say Archie Penson, managing Executive Design of Schaumburg, promised a managerial position to a Streamwood woman, Gina Romano, for sales of World Perfume imitation fragrances.

Instead, prosecutors said Romano, as part of her "training," was forced to sell perfume on the street and in shopping mall parking lots. Though company officials maintained they were "marketing" and not selling, prosecutors said, police ticketed Romano and others for failing to have a license to sell.

The company's telephone line was "being checked for trouble" Tuesday.

In each case, prosecutors asked for restitution, a permanent injunction against the defendants, and penalties of up to $100,000.

http://www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/pressroom/2003_07/073003.html

.The second case filed today names Archie M. Penson individually and d/b/a as Executive Design, 1205 Remington Road, Suite M, in Schaumburg, for violating state consumer laws by advertising "management" positions for a line of imitation fragrances manufactured by World Perfume, Inc. Executive Design is not incorporated nor is it registered with the state.

According to Madigan's complaint, Penson has placed classified ads in newspapers since December 2002 seeking applicants for salaried branch managers. Applicants, including a Streamwood woman who complained to Madigan's office, were told they would be paid during training. However, after a few days, trainees were paired up and told they must "market" products on the street and in mall parking lots as part of their training. According to the complaint, several trainees were ticketed by local police for not having a business license to sell products even though Penson said the activity was legal because it was only "marketing."

Although the defendant interviewed the Streamwood consumer for an alleged job, he failed to tell her that she would be required to sell products, and he led her to believe she would be paid during a training period that was to last between 10 and 13 weeks. A $50 ticket she received for peddling in mid-December from the Schaumburg Police was later dismissed. At the time the consumer filed a complaint with Madigan's office, Executive Design had not paid her for the training period.

Madigan's suit seeks a permanent injunction against Penson, a civil penalty of $50,000 and an additional penalty of $50,000 if the court finds the acts were committed with intent to defraud. The suit also seeks restitution and costs. Assistant Attorney General Janice Parker is handling this case for Madigan's Consumer Fraud Bureau.

MADIGAN FILES LAWSUIT AGAINST COOK COUNTY COMPANY THAT LURES POTENTIAL EMPLOYEES WITH FALSE PROMISES
http://www.ag.state.il.us/pressroom/2004_04/20040414b.html

Chicago - Attorney General Lisa Madigan today filed charges against a Lombard-based business that lured job seekers with false promises of extensive training, steady paychecks and managerial positions only to send the employees out on the street to sell knock-off fragrances.

Madigan's complaint - filed in Cook County Circuit Court - charges International Management, Inc., with multiple violations of the Illinois Consumer Fraud Act. The company, which operates out of an office in Lombard, is an independent distributor of imitation designer perfumes manufactured by World Perfume, Inc.

"Job seekers reading these ads in major Chicago-area newspapers had no reason to believe that the opportunities touted in the ads are essentially false," Madigan said. "Unfortunately, once they are reeled in, they learn the jobs basically involve hawking fake perfume on the street."

Madigan's complaint alleges that instead of looking to hire full-time, salaried managers as their ads claim, International Management actually wants independent contractors who would be paid only on commission and essentially work for themselves.

According to Madigan's complaint, International Management has placed advertisements in Chicago-area newspapers, including the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times and Daily Herald. The ads claim the company is hiring for management positions and is willing to train applicants. Job applicants allegedly also were told that the advertised position, full-time branch manager, is a salaried position.

Once they were hired, the job applicants allegedly entered a training program in which they were told to go out and find a location to "market" the World Perfume product. The applicants then discovered that they were independent contractors, receiving only a commission, and not salaried employees as promised in the ads, according to Madigan's suit.

Moreover, according to the complaint, International Management never informed the applicants of the legal requirements on independent contractors. For instance, independent contractors who sell merchandise from a non-fixed location must comply with the provisions of the Illinois Transient Merchants Act, which requires vendors to obtain municipal permits. Additionally, independent contractors who are selling products must collect and pay sales tax, as required under the Illinois Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. International Management allegedly never told the applicants about these clear legal requirements.

Madigan's complaint charges International Management with violations of the Consumer Fraud Act for misrepresenting the nature of jobs offered by the company, failing to provide trainees with full-time, salaried positions or paid management training as promised, and failing to notify the independent contractors of the applicable state and municipal laws.

Madigan's suit seeks to prohibit the company from engaging in any further activity that violates the Consumer Fraud Act. In addition, Madigan is seeking an order requiring International Management to pay restitution and court costs, civil penalties of $50,000 for each violation of the Act and additional penalties of $50,000 for each violation that the court finds the defendant committed with intent to defraud.

Assistant Attorney General Janice Parker is handling the case for Madigan's Consumer Fraud Bureau.
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SCENTS OF DECEPTION: TO BUY OR NOT TO BUY
Report on World Perfume

http://www.newsnet5.com/specialassignment/1040015/detail.html

Ron Regan Finds Out The True Scent
POSTED: 5:43 p.m. EST November 2, 2001

CLEVELAND -- Brett McCoy, a former salesman: Smell that one, this is Freedom by Tommy Hilfiger.

Ron Regan: Brett McCoy claims this was his "sales pitch" to dozens of women.
See, I was just selling them at the show for 60 bucks and I need to unload them.

Regan: McCoy claims he convinced women they were buying expensive designer fragrances--the real thing...for the half the price. In fact, they were expensive knock-offs.

McCoy: From there, we can make up any lie, any story to make the sale. And if I asked if this is the real thing you say--"its the real thing.

Regan: McCoy worked for a company that placed these ads that began running last summer. So we decided to answer one of them.

Regan: Is it perfume? I've heard of, is it sold in department stores?

McCoy: Yes, we carry anything from like Versace, to Liz Clairborne to what else --Polo.

Regan: On another day, dozens of young people, trusting those ads, fill a room in this office labeled "International Management." Listen to exactly what they're told.
Seminar sound: Same ingredients, mixed the same way, without the same cost.

Regan: The company behind those fragrances is headquartered 1,300 miles away...deep in the heart of Texas.
World Perfume...I recently bought some perfume from a guy pumping gas...this is the real white diamonds right...yes...do many people know that they sell them in different bottles, oh yea, I mean we get it all from the manufacturers we use them in fragrance show that's what we do.
Chic Enterprises is home to World Perfume Inc., a company founded by J.D. Whitworth, a Dallas businessman, who now lives in this million and a half dollar home.
Small compared to the home he recently sold.

Regan: Hawking perfume brought Whitworth the sweet smell of success. In the early 90s, he bought this home now valued at $3.5 million.
It's a company, this father says, recruited his daughter through newspaper ads.
Richard Whitney: They can't have a pager, a beeper, can't call home during the middle of the week or during the day.

Regan: Richard Whitney complained to the Better Business Bureau.

Whitney: My wife and her family compared it with a religious cult, it was like they were brainwashing.

Regan: At the time, World Perfume denied any wrongdoing, saying it's "proud of the quality of its work and ethical business practices."

But when we wanted to ask a few questions inside their Dallas headquarters...this guy blocked the hallway.

Regan: Is there any reason why you won't talk with us? And remember the company representative you first saw in our undercover video? Regan: This is International Management, we're part of a larger company called World Perfume. When we caught up with him...the story changed.

Regan: Who do you work for?

Rep: It's my company.

Regan: Oh, it your company.

Rep: What is World Perfume?

They are one of the distributors--is that who supplies you--yes, they are one of my suppliers and I am asking you to leave my office right now.

Regan: Even the sales force ran for cover.

Regan: Do you tell people it's the real fragrance.

I have no comment.

Regan: Why won't you speak about it.

Rep: Because I'm very busy and I'm off somewhere right now.

Regan: And customers who bought Brett McCoy's sales pitch say they wasted their money.
Diane DiCarlo, a customer: It's like $28 a bottle for watered down ...nothing.

Regan: Finally, we found job applicants, lured by huge incomes.

Rep: And our top range managers making $75 to $85 thousand dollars a year. Managing new locations.

Regan: Right now, the company is undergoing a $10 million expansion plan to open ten new offices.

Left only....with a "training" office.

Regan: Do you pay these people anything?

Rep: Yeah, they get paid off their sales.

Regan: They don't get paid a salary?

Rep: No.

Regan: An office with plenty of free time.

International Management insists it tells its sales force that the fragrances that they sell are renditions only and not the real thing. The company declined an opportunity for an on-camera interview to fully discuss its sales practices.

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PERFUME SALESWOMAN: BOSS WANTED MENAGE A TROIS
One Perfume Called 'Sex In A Bottle'

POSTED: 12:12 p.m. EST November 13, 2001

CLEVELAND -- She was recruited for a sales job, but a Cleveland woman is telling an outrageous story of sex on the job, NewsChannel5's Ron Regan reported.

Last week, WEWS told you about a company that lures young people with the promise of big salaries. Read part one.

The earlier report got official's attention, but lurid stories of a menage a trois are surfacing.

The Ohio Attorney General's office is reviewing a report to determine potential actions against International Management and World Perfume.

"It's called sex in a bottle," said Lauren Busek, 18.

WEWS reported that when Busek watched the undercover report, some ugly memories resurfaced. She said she was often told to wear short skirts, flirt or even take off her shirt.

Like a former salesperson WEWS interviewed for part one, Busek claims that she convinced customers that they were buying expensive designer fragrances.
Video

Her Boss Wanted Sex
Busek said that she too convinced customers that they were buying expensive designer fragrances for half price.

Busek added that she was told to target men.

"We always told them it was sex in a bottle, the panty dropper," said Busek.

WEWS reported that Busek, like many other young people, reported to work at the International Management office.

Inside, sales recruits are told that they are in management positions, who make between $75,000 to $85,000 a year.

"I never got paid," Busek said.

WEWS said that Busek was two weeks away from marrying her fiance when she was asked to have sex with a manager.

"She told me, that he really wanted to have sex with me," she said, adding that a female and male manager wanted a threesome.

WEWS tried to speak with International Management, but was asked to leave.

In addition, NewsChannel5 tried to talk with World Perfume, based in Dallas, but no one would talk. Regan was told, however, that there would be an investigation.

As a result of our investigation, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Bill Mason said that his office will begin investigating the business practices we uncovered.