The Landers Group - Kelly Advertising - The Jane Landers Foundation SCAM Misleading Employment Ads Management Training Program?!?! Don't Be Fooled Like I Was, These People Are No Better Than Criminals Sherman Oaks California

I feel so stupid now that I finally got away from this company! Please beware, and learn from my sad tale.

I answered an ad on Monster for a Sports and Entertainment Marketing, Management Training position with The Landers Group. I was contacted immediately and set up an interview the next day. So far so good, I had been looking for work for 6 months and this sounded great. My interview with the Assistant Manager lasted all of 5 minutes. He was very friendly and really "pitched" the company to me. I was asked to come back for a second interview to see a day in the life. I was told to dress professionally but to wear comfortable shoes. That should have been a red flag but I ignored it.

I showed up the next morning all excited about this "opportunity" and found 15 other excited individuals there for their day in the life. After waiting over half an hour a huge group of people poured out of a room where there was loud music playing. Another red flag but who cares, right? I was introduced to "the top girl in the office" and we were on our way.

We met up with another girl downstairs and we all got in a car and went off to an "event". Now my thinking of an event is lots of people in a hall or a special gathering for businesses. Well this was setting up a table ala Girl Scout Cookies" outside a big box store to stop people and sell them our product. The products I found out range from coupons to restaurant, sporting events to high end make-up. Call me crazy but people shopping at a Kmart or Sams Club aren't going to spend money on make-up that costs $50 - $100! Another red flag?!?

At lunch the business was explained to me and this is where they "hook" you. I was guaranteed that I would be making $600 a week and if I didn't they would help me to make sure that I did. Sounds good! I was told that within 6 to 8 months I would "own" my own office anywhere in the world I want to go. Sounds great! I was hooked.

I was given the opportunity to have the 3rd interview and yes I was offered the "job". I took it since I had no other offers and it really sounded good, so what if I feel like a Girl Scout selling cookies, it shouldn't be that hard.

Well long story needs to be shortened. The events program was such a bust that they discontinued it. I was then assigned to sell Dodger tickets. It sounded good until I was put out on the street selling them door to door. Some of the areas I was sent were in the worst part of the city. I was actually told by some of the people I met door to door that it was dangerous for me to be out there alone. Another red flag?

It didn't really hit me that I was only making $30 - $60 a day, barely enough to pay for gas (I had to pay my own expenses) or that I had suffered heat stroke from walking in the blistering heat for 8+ hours. What finally got my attention was the day that they had a "no return" policy on the tickets. If you don't sell them, you have to buy them at the regular price. I ended up working all day and then owing the company money!!!!!

The so called leaders were no help and the amount of "Training" I got was nil! What is really interesting to me is the number of people that come and go from this place, a vitrual revolving door. The revolving door was mentioned in a leaders meeting one night when the Assistant Manager let everyone (leaders) have it for not being back on time and that they weren't "hooking" people into the business because the "atmosphere" had no excitement. In anotrher leaders meeting the owner, Matt Kelly, screamed at everyone and said he didn't care what they had to do, he wanted his money!!! So much for having a great attitude.

I finally got it and made the decision to leave and so did many other leaders and distributors and first day starts. BEWARE!!! Don't waste your time even interviewing with these people. Don't waste months or weeks trying to make the system work. Don't buy into the promise that this business is better during a bad economy. The only person making any money is Matt Kelly and it is at all the "employees" expense. They don't care about the people working for them, they only care about money for themselves.

They should and probably will end up being closed down but don't be fooled. They will just change the name and be back duping people again.

Anonymous
Los Angeles, California
U.S.A.