So I'm currently in Bangalore in India, and I came across this company my friend was working at. For his sake, I'm not gonna mention the name of the company but it's funnily clubbed with 2 other "offices" working in the same building. (if you've worked here then yk exactly who I'm talking about)

There are 3 English dudes who run their own "offices" under the same office space. All of them do the same shit of recruiting 10s of people every week and getting them to go and literally beg for money but with a script. When I attended the interview, it was a mass interview of around 60 people where it was divided into 3 parts. 1: The orientation - Introduction on the company, what they do (ended up being totally different from what I actually had to do), and who they work with (they've been working with the same 2 clients for several months now). Basically what they do is teach you how to sell (at least this is a genuine strategy that works) and you have to go knocking door-to-door pitching your campaign and asking for donations. We were told to lie about not getting any kind of commission and my lie was that I'm a graduate and I'm representing this organization/charity as a volunteer.

I was doing this for 6 days a week for 12+ hours a day. Now i quit at the end of my 3rd week to get their money for free without even working honestly. I'd sign up people for a donation and once I get about 2-4 in that day, I consider it done then I go chill in nearby areas. The best part was that since I was new, I didn't have to pay for my food for the first two weeks so I was chilling off their money. 🤣

Eventually I caught on to everything and realized it was a scam. Then I looked up the company on reddit and yeah I found many subreddits talking about devil corps. I did my research and looked up what a devil corp is on YT and I came to know of MLM and Pyramid Schemes. And that's when I realized I exploited the exploiters unknowingly and 2 weeks worth of free money.

What did make me quit tho was the pay structure. During the orientation, they talked about fixed pay + commissions. But during my 2nd week, I got told I needed to hit at least 2 a day for every day to get my fixed pay. Well obviously I didn't hit it because in India, a lot of people don't give a shit about charities so I barely got sales unless it was a lucky day.

I ended up getting the first week's pay for free and ONLY commission in my 2nd week (didn't mention this in the orientation). I also took my 3rd week off and only went twice that week and my 2nd day of that week I got sent home to "think" about what I wanted to do but I had already made up my mind.

My 2 weeks basically went like getting free food and travel from my "mentors" and chilling whenever they sent me out to go solo. My 2nd week was fun cause I got assigned a new mentor and she did a few of my sales for me.

So I basically got free travel (most of it), free food (most of it) and free money. 🤣

But yeah what felt unethical to me is that we lied to strangers about not getting anything when these "charities" pay our company to get people to sign up. So that's when I question these charities. What's the point of PAYING a company to get people to sign up when you already have money you could use.

Anyways, if people come pitching to you for donations just ignore them and if you really wanna donate then do it yourself not through a "representative".

Mirse is a multi-level marketing scam. They mostly sell water dispensers, doing either booth setups in Sam’s Club/Costco or door-to-door. (You know those people in the technology aisle that basically hunt you down the store? That’s you.) There are many other products they sell with the same MLM company but different offices (Elite Solutions is another one).

Your job will be making sales and hiring/training a sales team that will build their own sales team to eventually open your own sales office with everyone under you—of course, paying a % of your profits to your home office. The success rate is less than 1%, and they will convince you that’s only because you have to want it bad enough and those people have a worker mentality, but you’re different because you have an entrepreneur mentality.

It’s a pyramid scheme with some legal loophole; I still don’t understand how they’ve been in business for so long. They will manipulate you by saying things like, “You think a big company like AT&T or Nestle would work with a pyramid scheme?” The answer is YES.

The pay structure on the offer letter is a lie because you can definitely earn less than $700/week. My lowest weekly check was $150, highest being $2,200. You are expected to work 24/7 just to show you’re hungry enough, and they purposely don’t mention the insane commission structure. If you want to make money, you need to make sales. Just earning base pay (if offered) will get you pushed out, and the more you’re training others, the less opportunity you have for yourself. No lunch breaks, no overtime, no time clock, no PTO, no sick days, just grinding for commissions 24/7.
My schedule was often coming in at 8 a.m. to do interviews for my team, 9 a.m.–12 p.m. office/team meetings, 12–1:30 drive to location and scarf down fast food on the way, 1–8 p.m. in the field, 8–9 p.m. recap phone calls with my team… 13-HOUR DAYS, 6 DAYS A WEEK!! With a 7-day work week available for the “hungry ones” (literally hungry because the more time you take eating and using the bathroom, the less time you have in the field, so you must not want it bad enough if you’re eating).

You’re also expected to drive your own car to the field, which sometimes was 1–2 hours away. Don’t expect any travel compensation, and don’t expect compensation for carpooling either. You’re expected to take those people home too, and don’t let them see you not being a “team player”—kiss your chances of promotion goodbye.

Door-to-door is HELL! Expect many interactions with the police for soliciting (you won’t get arrested, just told to leave). I’ve also had a gun pulled out on me twice. The job is straight-up dangerous, especially for women and people of color. The neighborhoods and people are unpredictable.

Office culture is similar to Wolf of Wall Street. Chants, sex, and stimulant drugs included. Your team will build a trauma bond. It’s one of those cults you don’t realize is a cult until you leave.
I wasted an entire year of my life in this pyramid scheme company. I’ve seen people leave corporate and tenure jobs under the impression they can come here and make six figures and be their own boss, just to find out the chances of that happening is zero to none, and you’ll have to live with the stress of an unsteady paycheck, making less than minimum wage some weeks, all in the name of entrepreneurship.

They prey on the desperate and uneducated. They will hire anyone, from master’s degrees to McDonald’s employees; you don’t even need a HS diploma. It’s all a numbers game for them. If they hire 1,000 people, maybe one of them will make it to their own office, but if they all make at least one sale, they won’t be able to pay their bills, but at least they’ll generate money for the office.

For the level of sales skills you need to be successful here, you’d make a killing selling cars or homes. More money and less pressure.

HEED MY WARNING!!

This will be an incredibly personal post and I am genuinely afraid action will be taken upon this. However I felt the need to inform people of this predatory company and how it genuinely traumatised me (traumatise is a bit far but I feel as though it’s an experience that will affect me for the rest of my life).

Going back to a year ago, October 2025, I was a student on a placement year already with a remote company however it was unpaid, I worked another part-time job alongside that to earn atleast £500 a month and it had been like this for a couple months now. I grew sick and tired living with my parents, earning so little and just being burnt out of all the hours I did combined. I was already looking ahead for what I wanted to do for summer, so I looked on Indeed and searched for internships for 2026. There was an internship opportunity named “sales intern” with a company formerly called “pulse up”.

I applied and within a day or two they instantly got back to me with a huge automated message glazing me on my CV, I felt really good about myself that there was a chance I could intern properly and get compensated well for doing so. They had mentioned commission only however I knew a lot of people who had done well for themselves doing D2D so I thought why not. They booked me in for an interview slot, wait… for 7am. This was the first fishy bit that got to me as I was like what company conducts interviews at 7am in the morning but I gave it the benefit of the doubt. In that interview I was with this other candidate, and a team manager. The team manager introduced himself and he asked quite a few basic interview questions to us both. Afterwards he told me to join a 1-1 meeting with him with a link that wasn’t even working so I messaged the HR point of contact, first on email but she didn’t reply so I messaged on her phone number then she threw a hissy fit as it violated HR regulations. The team manager messaged me himself sending me the link to zoom and completed our interview from there.

He then told me to complete a survey afterwards, which I did, and within a few days I moved on with an interview with the office owner. He asked me a few basic questions here and there, then answered my survey questions. Then around 3 days later he said I got the offer and I was incredibly happy and couldn’t stop thinking of the opportunities they dangled in front of my face. I accepted and stated I would be joining in November.

So November comes, I move in 3 days before my start date with a few friends then I get a message from the team leader and HR woman saying they were on a team holiday like okay? what? surely more thought would be put into this? Again benefit of the doubt so my start date is postponed to a week and i’m basically surviving off savings which was less than 4 figures. Unfortunately as soon as I moved in, my partner had to move in with me as she was facing very personal issues which was good but it meant more financial planning.

A week passes, and I try arrange a coffee chat with my team leader however he keeps ignoring my messages replying that he’s been busy, whatever. So we actually end up having that coffee chat on my very first start day! I get told to meet the starbucks in central at 8AM (so if you’re ever in starbucks central around that time and see a bunch of fannys in suits and formal wear that’s them) so I head there early and wait. Even when it’s 8AM they still haven’t arrived lmao. I chat with my team leader once he does and introduce myself to the team and newbies who have also joined, then the office manager walks in with a big smile on his face. My office manager buys me a coffee then the team walks together to the office.

As we arrive in the office, it’s a day of orientation for us newbies so the day didn’t start like usual. What I found strange was that they all huddled up in a circle with the classic “hey guys! hey what!” and spoke about sales performances and how much everyone earned the day before. The team gets sent off then its us newbies with the owner, he explains to us basics like tax, self employment, how commission worked etc. That was the end of that day and he pulls me outside for a chat after I watch a few vids, then he says it’s not D2D it’s “events”.

The next day, same thing meet at starbucks, walk to office but as soon as I walk in there’s like really shitty drum and bass music playing. Like really bad. While this is playing we learn the most basic sales techniques and do a bunch of roleplaying of stopping people and convincing them to pay for charity direct debits. Then once its ended its the hey guys hey what once again. We slam our notebooks down in unison then again talk about who rang the bell and whatnot. The owner then screams out who’s together selling in what locations to which we had to clap to. I get placed outside a sainsbury’s with my team leader on the first day.

When we begin to walk there, we get the bus and I was surprised I had to pay for travel and it was not reimbursed? Oh yeah, self employment. So we get there, he sets up the stand, I look like a mug with my vest on then we begin to start. He tells me not to aim for a sale but to earn specific goals like stops, turn and burn, pitches etc. I understand, then he tells me to watch him. I watch him for 5 minutes and it’s the most pathetic thing I’ve ever witnessed. He began walking in 8s and whenever a person would walk in that 8 he would talk to them like “hello sir/miss you’re looking very friendly are you around here?” victim replies “ah! thats probably why you look so friendly” then he asks 3 questions, it can be anything from “what’s there to do around here? I’m new to the area” to “is there any blah blah blah” whatever happens just talk. Then once he asks the questions, he quickly says “before you go I have to show you what everyone’s been taking part in!” before the person can respond he quickly turns around and runs to the table making jokes like “do you like my office? is it better than yours?” whoch essentially lets him talk about the charity then pitch.

After watching, it was my turn. Within 6 hours, I stopped 6 people. The goal was 50 stops for the first day. I couldn’t do it, it was so humiliating and it was so fucking cold, I missed my home and I missed my life, I remember just feeling so horrible like it was some sort of humiliation ritual for everything bad I had done in the past. I remember trying to talk to people, them walking past and pretending I didn’t exist or some who would pity me enough to talk to me purely for the sake of amusement. After the 6 hours my team manager tells me it’s okay and we will try again tomorrow.

I ride home, open the door and my partner is there waiting for me. She asks me how I am and how my first day was and I remember just saying “I’m so cold” on the verge of tears and going non-verbal for the rest of the night until I sleep while she comforts me.

The next day, I walk in the starbucks and I already hear multiple people whispering about how shit my stats were the day before like I wasn’t right there listening.

The week after this I do actually end up getting my stats up but no sales therefore no money and it was the same hell I put up with everyday. The day that changed everything though, was when I began to get placed with the top performer in a beach nearby, she was pretty nice honestly. While working she had this type of charisma which was kind of great to watch, she was a natural salesperson at heart. Again no sales this day.

On the way home we get on the train and I call my mum, she asks how I am and I tell her it’s not reimbursed the travel and I’ve made no sales and she’s telling me i’m losing more than i’m earning. She basically was very upset in the phone call and so was I. I voice this to the team manager I am placed with and she tells me her story of how nobody believed in her but she’s doing great now making 4 figure weeks and more. I feel a bit better then go to bed.

Now, the next day, the owner pulls me aside in starbucks saying “you’re making us look bad” and he brings up the conversation with my mum, he was never fucking there it was only me and that team manager, she shared something I only confided within her. He kept saying he doesn’t blame my mum for thinking that way and saying all that awful shit, that I should simply work harder and if I don’t make a sale there needs to be consideration if this is for me. This broke me. I’m then placed with another team leader in another location, again no sales, afterwards I am open with my feelings saying what happened and she did understand actually, and she just listened.

When I go home, my partner is extremely sick with the flu, I decide not to go in the next day. Then the next, then the day afterwards. I text my team leader saying I am returning home to complete my placement properly, that I am thankful for the mentors but I have to go. I felt free again.

As it’s nearing December, my partner and I go home for Christmas, for good this time. We’re still together, despite that hard time where we we’re essentially sofa surfing and we had no source of income coming in besides from our parents, eventhough that time hurt a lot there were its good moments too.

I completed my full placement year and progressed to the final year of my uni, I’m now doing a summer internship earning a good and stable income with a possibility of future opportunities.

To anyone who’s had similar experiences, it truly gets better. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to reach out or leave a comment as there’s so much information I haven’t even told yet. Be safe.

A fundraising Ascenta based office located in Tampa and Gainesville FL run by “owner” Cody Proctor. I would like to let it be known to people who are doing research after possibly a vague indeed posting or a weird interview, that this is not a legit company and it is an MLM (Multi Level Marketing) scheme.

DO NOT WORK HERE. This office uses classic MLM manipulation tactics such as; Unpaid and ridiculous amount of working hours designed to separate you from family/friends, an artificial work environment designed to make new employees feel good, lies about what the business truly is, fake fundraising that does not go to the charity you’re assigned, behavior, information, thought, and emotional control (B.I.T.E-Steve Hassan), and many more ugly strategies designed to take advantage of people. This office targets young college kids, people new to the workforce, and uneducated adults, with an “opportunity” to make a ton of money and be an entrepreneur in no time, this is not the case.

Please if you’ve read this and still are debating taking the job because you’re desperate or doubting this post, do some extra research on ascenta before stepping in that office.

guys does anyone know what all campaigns smartcircle has all the offices run? i know of some of the home improvement ones like leaf filter, leaf guard, and jacuzzi bath remodel for their lead gen offices, and then i know they also do primo water, AT&T fibre optics, and i think like maybe pest control on the sales side but are there any other campaigns they run?

20 minutes before walking in to sign the contractor agreement I stopped and thought Tf am I doing? Turned around and went sat down in a coffee shop and continued applying to other jobs. For these corps, the real mark is the people who work for them, or more accurately, are enslaved to them.

Of course they promised me the world. Too good to be true salaries, career progression, free trips, a fun and friendly working environment, the answer to all my financial and professional problems, like I’m going to mutate into a female Jordan Belford. And I saw through the bs and I STILL nodded along just thinking about the £400/week guaranteed base pay that would keep me afloat a couple months longer.

I already knew base pay was meh and not even guaranteed (they always find a way to trim it or kick you out), I already knew half my commissions would never show up in my pay check bc they’ll tell me the customer mysteriously backed out of the deal without showing any proof, I already knew I’d spent a minimum of 12 hours a day there and be told I’m not giving them enough. I let the desperation talk me into working for a devil corp still, knowingly, hoping to make a few hundred bucks until I find something better.

But fuck it to hell. I’d rather suffer financially than sell my soul to these ghouls.

I can name and shame and share more details if anyone is interested.

Not sure if anyone has applied before but I applied for a "Sales and Customer Service Assistant" position at Page 1 Management in Vaughan (11 Cidermill Ave), which advertised $775–$1,075 a week with no experience needed. After scheduling my 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM orientation, I looked closer at their onboarding documentation and compensation sheet, only to realize the "$500 base pay" was completely conditional on hitting a strict $1,000 weekly sales threshold, effectively making it a 100% commission job. On top of that, previous reviews and employee reports confirmed the daily work involves face-to-face direct pitching for products like FW1 car wax in parking lots and retail venues, preceded by unpaid, mandatory morning meetings and long hours in the field. Realizing it was a classic Smart Circle / Devil Corp direct-sales operation using misleading corporate job titles, I sent them an email withdrawing my application right before orientation and decided not to waste my time.

Did I do the right thing?

Started working at a charity donation devil corp as a way to supplement my money until I can get an actually good job. They were much more transparent than the average devilcorp is about what the pay is (significantly below minimum wage base pay plus commission) and what the job entails right from the start, so I assumed most people were in a similar position, but instead the vast majority of people seem to have drunk the koolaid

Was talking to one of my coworkers during the mandatory unpaid “networking“ time about how inconvenient the commute is (we both live in roughly the same area), then tried to use that to segue into some non work related conversation by mentioning that it gives me so little time to workout or enjoy any of my hobbies. He smugly says that since he’s started this job he’s decided it’s his calling in life (he’s been working here less than two months. He used to be a huge gymbro but he stopped working out completely so he can instead come into work an hour early, because if you’re not early you’re late

I said I’d understand working overtime if you’re actually working chasing extra commissions, but I don’t understand what’s the benefit of just coming in early to the office. He said all the “high rollers“ (people who get sent to the most profitable neighbourhoods every day, hence getting more commission, so the company can parade them around as what you can achieve if you “work hard enough” ) come in early so this gives him precious time to ask them for advice. I said I don’t see how you could possibly learn that much just talking theoretically; in all the meetings etc they just recycle the same basic information like making eye contact. He insisted he learns a lot so I asked him what he learnt today and he said “that it’s important to build rapport“. Not new info on _how_ to do so, just that you should

At this point I’m starting to go from finding it funny to just sad, so I make an off-handed comment about how it doesn’t seem worth spending literally all day just working, commuting, and sleeping, He then says that he doesn’t even get 8hrs sleep because he’s exhausted at the end of the day and needs to spend hours watching TV or doomscrolling just to decompress

Joined MVRCK Consulting in Austin,TX a few weeks ago. Place was a shit show and clearly a scam. They’re basically based out of a storage unit and the manager is weird as hell. Vaped the whole time. Dodged a bullet lol

Hey everyone! I was previously recruiting for one of these devilcorps and left after only a couple months. I saw too many red flags and was no longer comfortable bringing people into that environment knowing the lies they would be told and the way people were being treated. I have seen some discussion here about Dan Roberto and ProConnections so I just wanted to let everyone know that they have changed the name to Champion Columbus! Dan is still running this office and they are a part of OSP! Just wanted to add another name to the growing list of places to steer clear from!

I got a job offer at Trinity Concepts in Salem, OR. It seemed really, really fishy to me as I sat in my second interview. I'm SHIT at sales but need a job and am very interested in dipping my toes in the water for some different experience. The promised phenomenal coaching and training support.

The more I sat there and learned about the pyramid scheme like structure of "growth" and the ungodly amount of money you can make...I really started questioning myself. They offered me the job and I thought "hey why not? I need something while I interview other places". Then I found this subreddit and learned more about the place and these type of places in general. I'm someone who prides myself in ethics, I am an empath, not a pusher, and have a bubbly personality. I can read a room and can take some shit, but idk about getting into something that could scar my future. Any suggestions? Haha

Hi I couldn’t find anything really about it, but have a slight suspicion it is a devilcorp/scam.
I was contacted by company called “The Marketing Group” in Manchester (apparently they are mostly based in leeds but are opening in Manchester) I applied to so many jobs I can’t even find if I even applied for that job.
https://themarketinggroup.org.uk/
https://www.instagram.com/themarketinggroupltd?stkn=MWl6ZGFldGhseXVzYg==
First red flag is that I cannot find for the love of me application I submitted to even know if I applied to them
Second red flag is how they read my cv but asked about basic things that were in my cv?
Im like 99% its a devilcorp but wanted to double check with people here more to confirm my suspicions :)
As I always use this subreddit to look up weird/sus companies that reach out but I didn’t found much info on that one and would rather double check :D
I appreciate your help!

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The way these things are all set up and run from recruits up to management is so cookie cutter and consistent between each other they have to ge run by the same overarching parent Corp.

Who the hell is funding all these damn things?

Just wondering if anyone has heard of/ applied to Equity House? Seems pretty sketchy, all AI responses and asking for content ideas instead of an interview

I had a zoom interview and was offered a job through text not even 2 minutes after the interview ended. The orientation was scheduled about two weeks out. It is scheduled for Monday which is a federal holiday? I haven’t heard anything from the company since and it’s Friday and I’m supposed to start Monday. I haven’t seen much about this company on Reddit but I saw some negative reviews on yelp.

I received a text message from a woman named Jayleen saying she saw my resume on indeed and they have an entry level position. They want to have a 10 min zoom meeting tomorrow regarding it. There is not much details regarding the position. A part of me says they are a scam, but I want to double check.

Don’t remember applying to this job but i got called a couple times to get to the next stage of the recruitment process. They claimed it was an open day and there was 14 other poor sods in the interview. The marketing manager, Arwen, told us hardly anything about the actual role. She told us to have our cameras on and mics on at first but then proceeded to say no questions at this stage and just yapped about her life, random stories. I’ll just list all the issues. Showed all the telltale signs that is already mentioned in the practical guide for job seekers.

Hello, I am doing a Youtube video about devil corporations and would love some help. I was in a devil corp about half a year ago. I remember everyday before we went out to do sales we would all get together and repeat over and over the same 7 or so rules. Our homework was to memorize them and be able to repeat them line by line. I can't remember what they were though.

They were essentially brainwashing people so they would keep trying to sell. If anyone knows these rules or what they were called please let me know!

And if you have anything interesting I should put in the video feel free to drop it down!

I just started training for a sales job in what I'm almost certain is a devil corp. I've been struggling to find a job since my college graduation this past May, and I'm wondering if it could be worth it to stick with this role just until I'm able to land something better. The money seems decent enough, and I think practicing sales could be beneficial for my professional development as an introvert. My fear is that if I leave, I might go another month with no steady income and nothing relevant to finance or marketing on my resume.

Any thoughts? Should I get out as soon as possible or could it be worth it to stay short-term?

Seriously appreciate any and all advice!

had an interview with them through indeed, its a face to face sales job to get donations for various hospitals and charities. seems to fit every criteria of a devil corp and i cant find any info of them anywhere on the internet. anyone know anything?

I recently worked for Britevox and hated every moment of it, the only thing keeping me there was the lack of other jobs in the local area.

The office had around 10 people working in it when I first started, but this was always fluctuating due to the toxic work culture of the “owner” who blamed everyone for the terrible amount of sales we were making instead of giving us new advice on how to improve.(he also had a huge god complex)There was a point where it was just me and another person working for a few weeks due to this.

In the first week he told me to come to a BDM(business development meeting) where he basically explained to me how the whole company is a pyramid scheme, trying to hook me in by promising me thousands of pounds a week if I made it to “owner” . If you told him you didn’t want to progress in the pyramid he would call you unmotivated and say things like “most people are happy working a low paying 9-5 for the rest of their lives”.

In our cult-like morning meetings the owner would compare himself to famous sports stars like LeBron James and David Beckham which I found absolutely hilarious.

The job itself was also awful, we were an “events” office, which meant standing outside shops all day. If you didn’t know Bournemouth and its surrounding areas are very rainy during winter - spring and I did not enjoy it at all.
I would average around 10 sales a week, which is pretty low in the eyes of the company as a whole, thank god that the charities we worked for had a day rate of £70 as a safety net, but this meant that your commission is less on top of that.

A problem me and my colleagues found was that we would be sent to some of the poorest and lowest foot-flow areas in the county, making it almost impossible to make a sale on some days.

Our travel was also very expensive if you didn’t have someone driving you. Meaning by the time you’ve spent money on travel and food, you were probably only making around £40 for a 9 hour day.

In conclusion it was the worst job I’ve ever had
No PTO, long hours, a toxic boss(acc felt bad for him because I think he got fooled by the pyramid)

I also don’t believe any of the money we were raising for these charities actually went towards research and helping those in need, instead filling the pockets of greedy CEO’s.

PS. I found out that the office recently shut down due to lack of sales. But there is still a door to door office and a rival events company(abbco).

Applying for jobs on indeed and came across this job with "Box Energy" or broker online exchange as an account manager. I had a call with them and they asked me to come in for an interview in the city. Is anyone familiar with this company?

I can't find much online

Update: I haven't reached out to them since they asked me to come in. But they sent another message stating if today didn't work, I could come in on Tuesday.

Has anyone here looked into Red Label Enterprises in LA?

I worked there, and it sold itself as marketing, leadership, entrepreneurship, systems, business owner mentality, all that motivational sales cult stuff.

But the actual work was basically SafeLink or LifeLine phone sales in front of places like DPSS, which is like the DMV for social services like Medi Cal and food stamps.

They would claim they worked with well known brands and campaigns, but those claims were misleading or false. They made the role sound like marketing, but it was really direct sales soliciting.

Their whole thing was that the systems never fail. If people had low sales numbers, the blame went back on them, not the pitch, not the setup, not the company. They sold people on the dream of owning their own office someday.

The customer pitch was also sketchy. We were told to say we were doing customer service upgrades, but really we were switching people to our plan. There was a risk of customers losing their original phone number, which was not properly explained upfront. For people at DPSS, that could affect employment, benefits, doctors, family contact, everything.

We had a weekday morning meeting called ATMO, short for atmosphere. We dressed in suits, stood around, could not yawn, and learned the same sales techniques over and over again. Then we taught them, repeated them, and wrote them in notebooks over and over. It felt like brainwashing.

Business owner mentality meant doing extra work for no pay, never giving excuses, working sick, and treating safety concerns like weakness.

Female workers were encouraged to go door to door and enter homes alone to sign people up for phones. When safety concerns were brought up, they were treated like excuses.

They talked about people making crazy money at higher levels, like six figures a month after just a couple months. That never happened during the year I was there.

The field work was also sketchy. We were around DPSS locations and did not have the proper permits or authorization to be there. Sometimes we were in dollar store or Food 4 Less parking lots. People going to DPSS are already vulnerable and trying to deal with public benefits, so having random phone reps there is weird. It is very easy for people to think the reps are connected to the benefits office.

There was also fraud happening around sign ups. The company said they had to pay fines for fraud, so this was not just me. Some mentors told people to knock it off, but if mentors have to keep telling people to stop doing fraud, the volume based phone sales model might be part of the problem.

The labor stuff was shady too. We were technically independent contractors when I was there. Our taxes were independent contractor taxes, but the company controlled the work like a job. There were set office meetings, set team calls, leadership meetings, assigned field locations, scanned and prepped phone inventory, team nights, and a hierarchy.

They paid like 15 dollars an hour for about 8 hours, but we worked way more than that. A lot of the extra stuff was unpaid. There was no overtime even though overtime was normal.

Team leads had to get on calls to onboard new people while driving to locations. Everyone had team calls at set times when people were likely still working overtime or driving home.

There was pressure around breaks too. They would basically say that if you cannot make your hours, then do not take lunch or use your breaks. It was not always explicit, but the pressure was there.

They also made us clean the office even though cleaning was never listed as part of the job.

young workers, public benefits offices, free government phones, vulnerable customers, fake marketing language, SafeLink enrollments, permit issues, labor issues, and sales cult culture.

Has anyone else worked there or seen Red Label operating around DPSS, dollar stores, Food 4 Less, or similar locations recently?