West Work At Home Agent MISREPRESENTATION OF EARNINGS EXPECTATIONS ripoff Omaha Nebraska

Hi, I just started working for West this week as an at home agent. I can say that it's about what I expected. On their contractor site (you have to complete certification to read it) they have the average hourly rate of their contractors listed at around $6.72.

I've been working just for the week, and I'd say that I'm active around 30 - 40 minutes per hour worked, so I'm guessing I'm pretty close to that average.

On another note, they track your performance based on a lot of factors, and they rate you at 1 or 2. 1 is better, you get a higher call priority when you are rated 1 (meaning more busy time). I'm figuring you get to that rating by meeting the goal percentages listed in your performance.

All in all I'd say it's better than flipping burgers.

You are correct that it is in the contract. The contract that I did not read thoroughly enough before signing. My fault, definitely! However after investing a considerable chunk of time for training and certification BEFORE ever seeing a contract I feel it was blatantly misrepresentative that WEST does not make this key aspect of employment with them known and clear up front. It is now clear to me why they do not supply this information to begin with. I think that is because a good percentage of interested applicants like myself would not be interested. I did understand clearly that I would be paid by the minute and that I would be an independent contractor and was fine with that. As I stated in my Rip-off Report, since work schedules were slated in 30 or 60 minute increments I easily assumed that it would be a matter of seconds, not minutes between calls. I appreciate your advice and will do more research on this in the area you suggested.

Although I don't work for West any longer, I did work for them for a time before finding another company. It states in the independent contractor agreement that you signed how they paid. It's not an hourly wage - it's per minute of talk time.

There are a number of virtual call centers out there -- I work for 2 of them and support myself very well on them working from home. Granted, some days are slower than others but they all operate on minute of talk time for payment. There are maybe one or two who offer an hourly wage but the work is not steady.

I left West as I got a higher per minute rate from another call center.

It's obvious you're new to the legitimate work at home industry. We are all independent contractors, pay our own taxes and get paid in the same way. I don't think you were mislead -- I think you just didn't read the contract thoroughly.

I have friends who still work for West and average $500 every two weeks for part time work, which, working from home is not bad. I average $1500 every two weeks between my two virtual call centers and that's working 50 hours one week, and about 25 the next. I work 9 out of the 15 days in an invoice cycle, and do just fine. That gives me six days per cycle to play. It's like having 3 day weekends every week. The downside, as with any self-owned business, are no paid holidays, sick days or vacations and covering your own health insurance. Besides that, I love having my own business and working on my terms.

If you're serious about working from home, check out some of the many work at home mom forums out there -- they'll point you in the right direction.

I'm so glad to have left the going to work every day scene. I make more now working from home, and have the freedom and independence I never had going to a job every day.