Vector marketing-- Big scam

MarMan - did you not read Stellaaa's post?:

"applicants were asked to take notes on the ridiculous sales pitch about the knives. so i had to write down "cuts through pennies, never gets dull" for hours."

As for the complaints: if you would read them you would see that many of the people complaining did actually go out and "work" after the unpaid training sessions. Some for as much as 3 to 6 months and more.

As for the so called interview: there is no interviewing going on. It's just a Rah Rah sales pitch to get them excited enough to come back to the next session where you get them to buy the knives. Again, an interview is where you weed out applicants by asking them questions to determine if someone is a fit for your position. You take everyone who walks through the door as long as they have $150 dollars.

I don't know why Marman is still arguing with you F-Bomb. Its pretty amusing to watch.
Though I would like to know what this so-called muti-million dollar company you claim to work for is.
You complain about Vector not being upfront about things and then you go and give us this vague ambiguous comparison to an unnamed company. (which is not that much different from my walmart comparison you so willingly shot down) Please, do elaborate. :)

Hi Jessica - it is rather amusing isn't it. As for your question: You know it's not wise to give out personal information over the Internet.

I guess you'll just have to trust me when I say I work for a "normal" company. Believe me, I was not comparing where I work to Vector as that would be a bit of a stretch . . . for Vector.

When I commented on your Wal-Mart analogy, I was merely pointing out the fact that you were trying to divert attention away from Vector by bringing up another company which also has a poor reputation.

haha! I'm not going back to that argument.

And as for you working for this nameless company, I don't believe you. Your constant and prompt replies on this forum tell me you have nothing better to do than check this forum constantly, and if you're doing it on company time then that just tells us what kind of person you are. ;)

and, since I know you're going to go here, I do not have a job at the moment, being a student so, yes, I can constantly reply to these posts. But at least I don't claim to :)

That's okay if you don't believe me. I won't hold it against you. I don't need to check this forum constantly thanks to the automatic email function.

And no, I was not going to ask you about your job but thanks for the info. I rather envy you for not having to work while going to school. I never had the luxury, so good luck to you!

Why aren't you with Vector anymore?

Well, my manager defaulted on the office rent and got fired pretty much so the office in my city was out of commission for a while. They sent a new manager to restart the branch and I was offered a position as assistant manager, but after selling over $10,000 worth of knives I got a little tired of it. Plus I go to school in a different city now, where i don't believe there is an office at all.

My previous manager was inept, but I'm pretty sure the new guy is doing a better job.

Hmmmm?? Sounds pretty typical . . .

I'm sorry you lost your job though.

Jessica Biggs in Chattanooga, Tennessee said: Well, my manager defaulted on the office rent and got fired pretty much so the office in my city was out of commission for a while. They sent a new manager to restart the branch and I was offered a position as assistant manager, but after selling over $10,000 worth of knives I got a little tired of it. Plus I go to school in a different city now, where i don't believe there is an office at all.

My previous manager was inept, but I'm pretty sure the new guy is doing a better job.

Actually the new manager in Chattanooga is doing a wonderful job. They are one of the top offices in the nation. I also just reply as if it's an email if anyone was wondering. And she didn't lose her job, she could have kept doing it. The great thing is that there doesn't have to be an office in the area. The reason I'm still doing this Jessica is because I would like people to see what I have to say. I don't like for people trying to do research being ill-informed by people who know little to nothing about the company. Those people that "worked" for 3-6 months were upset because it does require WORK. I'm sorry but someone has to work in order to get paid. That actually makes some sense doesn't it? The program is simple, no doubt, and it's been around since 1949. Yes Vector has been around only since 1981 but they have sold it the same way and used the same programs for 59 years. Vector was also just recognized as the Buffalo State University Career Center's employee of the Year. Here's a quote from the article: "We have had a long-standing relationship with the Buffalo office of Vector Marketing,' said Lisa August, Associate Director of the school’s career center. 'The students who have become Vector sales reps are taking away skills that serve them well in future careers."

You guys are right though, huge scam.

MarMan wrote - "Those people that "worked" for 3-6 months were upset because it does require WORK."

And how do you know that?? How do you know it was not for all the reasons people have been posting complaints on this and many other websites?

And how does Lisa August at the Buffalo State University Career Center know that the Reps are learning skills for future careers? Did she go through the training herself? Is she a Rep? NO - it's because that's what your Campus Relations person TOLD her in the interview for the article.

Maybe someone should email her the petition . . .

F-Bomb in Los Angeles, California said: MarMan wrote - "Those people that "worked" for 3-6 months were upset because it does require WORK."

And how do you know that?? How do you know it was not for all the reasons people have been posting complaints on this and many other websites?

And how does Lisa August at the Buffalo State University Career Center know that the Reps are learning skills for future careers? Did she go through the training herself? Is she a Rep? NO - it's because that's what your Campus Relations person TOLD her in the interview for the article.

Maybe someone should email her the petition . . .

I'm assuming that as a career center lady she probably tries to help her graduates and students find careers and internships and knows that it is better for them to have something like Vector on the resume. I'm sure she knows that not everyone does well with Vector but that people still gain very valuable business skills. Just today I was eating lunch with very successful alumni from my college who were so impressed by what I am doing this summer. They told me that when I am out of college I will have no problem getting a job because they said people with the "sales savvy" or communications skills are highly sought after. They said that EVERYBODY wants them right now. Oh, those are the skills that every rep is taught in that UNPAID training seminar that you keep talking about and those UNPAID meetings that you go on about and even further at the conferences that you have to PAY to go to. Wow, a great job right out of college sounds pretty sweet to spend a couple hours each week UNPAID better my skills. Oh, the best place to develop those skills are on the demonstrations which you do get paid A LOT for. I'm guessing that Lisa August took all of that into account...

MarMan - I'm sure you run a well maintained office because you obviously care a lot about Vector and you at least sound like you care about whether your Reps are successful or not. I would bet that most of the things I've read about are happening in other offices. You also have a lot of persistence and energy and that will definitely pay off for you in the future.

I guess the issue I had is that there is so much negative press about Vector out there and you (and Jessica) were the only one who was defending it. You have admitted that Vector has had its problem with Managers and lawsuits in other areas. As we have discussed, this is a issue with almost every company.

You have to admit though that it's pretty interesting to see this many people up in arms over a sales position. Of course there are going to be people who fail. Hey, it's sales. I've done it and got out of it because I did not like it. (Although I never had to pay for sample kits and the training was paid for)

Anyway, I would hope that Vector would be more upfront about what it is they are offering and I would just caution people to really check things out before you jump into something.

Very good. I agree, for once, with pretty much everything that you said. Truly though, I can tell you that most offices are run correctly. The legal problems are one thing and there really haven't been many, but as far as the other problems people had it was mostly because the job was in sales. We probably make it sound great because I truly believe that it is a great opportunity for anyone, even more so a college student. We are not trying to "trick" anyone into getting a job. Why would we want someone who is not going to do it right and is not going to have a positive attitude? Will they do anyone any good? Absolutely not. One of the keys to selling something is enthusiasm. We probably make the job sound great because we can't hide the enthusiasm, but I seriously doubt that is a bad attribute. Also, I do agree that everyone should do research but I don't agree that looking at blogs is the best way to do research on a company. I think you can at least agree that most people who have a problem with this company didn't even go through the full training and try a demonstration.

Yes, I know the current Chattanooga office is doing well, I know who the manager is and he's proven he is capable of managing an office.

And I didn't get fired, I'm still contracted with Vector. I chose to stop coming into the office before my manager was let go.

Actually one of my previous customers contacted me just last week and wanted to order another knife, so I wrote up the order and made commission off of it.

If you read back through the almost 1000 comments on this forum you'll see we aren't the only ones who have nice things to say about Vector. And most of the people on here have never actually worked for Vector, so they don't have much to go on besides other people's opinions, which, you should know, F-Bomb, aren't always right.

I mean, if I went right now and interviewed and a company that sells insurance, then posted a forum topic that claimed it was a scam, who would you think had a better idea about the company's practices, me or someone who's worked there for one or two years?

Yes, I'm sure and have read that the majority of people who weren't happy really were scared off before getting any real experience with Vector.

At the end of the day, we do live in a capitalist society so I have to give some credit to any company (and person) doing what they need to do to survive and be successful.

Ultimately, the best research may not be blogs but word of mouth from those you know and trust. And if you don't have any of those (sad), then check it out for yourself but be cautious. How's that?

I hope you guys didn't take any of this too personally. (Maybe I would though if someone was criticizing where I worked) It was a nice little distraction from my daily duties at my cushy Health Care job (for Jessica - heh heh) which I really do have.

I do wish you both good luck!!

and MarMan - if anyone were to ask me about Vector in Warsaw, Indiana, I would have to give you a good reference . . .

I appreciate that. I really do. I wish you the best as well and no I didn't take any of it too personally. I do care a lot about the company and the programs that I represent but most importantly the people. That's why I do this. And I do agree that one should do their research. That's the reason I get on things like this because I want them to have a good idea and a balanced perspective. I am by far not the only manager that thinks this way but maybe one of the only managers who does this because I know how people think and I really do care. I hope that everyone who needs a job would at least go to the interview and judge the manager for yourself. If you are in the midwest, I know all of those managers personally and I know they all feel the same way I do. The offices you hear about are the ones that, just like sales reps, lose their enthusiasm. It is too bad when that happens but it isn't a scam by any means. Thanks guys, it's been fun and I hope that anyone who actually takes time to read our bantering back and forth got something out of it.

Same here - take care!

It is unfortunate to see so many people who have been disillusioned with our company. I have been with Vector long enough to become an Assistant Manager am receiving college credit for my efforts and have won both money for school and an awesome experience which will set me apart for my future career. Unfortunately if you are going to work for Vector you do have to work just like any other real job and it is sad that some people most of which have not completed training (which by the way is free) and most of the time were not accepted into the program seem to feel the need to thrash our company. Our company is based in Olean New York and has been in business since 1981 now if we were a scam do you really think we would have over 15 million customers all of whom have been personally recommended. And what scam is actually required by well respected universities such as Purdue and Illinois State where Cutco is actually a part of their marketing program. Now as to the $168 that we ask for this is a security deposit which is fully refundable which simply insures that if someone does walk off with the $509 worth of Cutco we provide them with that we are not completely in the red however, if at any time, after two weeks or two years, the representative decides they are done selling cutco they can return the kit and they will receive their deposit back in full. If anyone has any questions I encourage you to respond to this and I will answer as promptly as my schedule will allow.

piperkcmo in Saint Louis, Missouri said: It is unfortunate to see so many people who have been disillusioned with our company. I have been with Vector long enough to become an Assistant Manager am receiving college credit for my efforts and have won both money for school and an awesome experience which will set me apart for my future career. Unfortunately if you are going to work for Vector you do have to work just like any other real job and it is sad that some people most of which have not completed training (which by the way is free) and most of the time were not accepted into the program seem to feel the need to thrash our company. Our company is based in Olean New York and has been in business since 1981 now if we were a scam do you really think we would have over 15 million customers all of whom have been personally recommended. And what scam is actually required by well respected universities such as Purdue and Illinois State where Cutco is actually a part of their marketing program. Now as to the $168 that we ask for this is a security deposit which is fully refundable which simply insures that if someone does walk off with the $509 worth of Cutco we provide them with that we are not completely in the red however, if at any time, after two weeks or two years, the representative decides they are done selling cutco they can return the kit and they will receive their deposit back in full. If anyone has any questions I encourage you to respond to this and I will answer as promptly as my schedule will allow.

Now you've got me curious...do you work out of the St. Louis office? If so, I'm jealous of who you get to work with all the time. I hope you count yourself as fortunate.

The only disagreement I have with you Marman is that my own personal experience with the company is opposite what you say. Where I got hired, there were groups being hired every week. Also, MOST not all but MOST were only able to sell a few hundred like I was able too. Some were in neighborhoods where they could sell huge amounts. However, most of the people couldn't sell the product because customers did not have kitchen cutlery at the top of the "spend money on this list".

Also, you are doing exactly what the managers did where I got taken on. If the rep isn't selling, then its the reps fault, and they are lazy. In truth it is more than likely, that people live in rich neighborhoods, poor neighborhoods, and there are stupid, gullible idiots, and smart, realistic people. I only know poor people, so are you telling me that the reason I could not make money at this was because I was lazy or that the people I know are in hard times and knives are not a good value judgement. Alot of the people that I got hired with, were in similar situations and knew similar groups of people.

The reality is that NOBODY has cutlery at the top of the "spend money on this list" that's why we SHOW them how bad their stuff is and how much they will benefit from owning Cutco. How many appointments did you do per week with the qualified customers? Because the reality also is that people who are married, ages 30-60, have kids, and own a house will almost always buy SOMETHING no matter how "poor" they are, because they have a better value in the product. It's your job not to prejudge their situation. I would be willing to bet that most of those people have some craftsman tools...the only difference between us and craftsman is that you use Cutlery way more often. The average order is just over 200. That's like 70 a month for 3 months and they have the knives their whole lives. 70 a month is less than 3 a day. College students could afford that. Someone who makes significantly more could as well, the rep just needs to make sure that they are following the program. Trust me I understand. I'm from a small town and my dad told me the same stuff you are but I was able to do just fine. I have a little bit smaller average order size but I also worked harder and still did better than almost everyone else. Everyone can afford something if you just break it down like you're supposed to. That's why the managers always say that it is the reps fault. We teach you how to be successful. But with an attitude of "no one is going to buy" no one ever will.

MarMan in Warsaw, Indiana said: Now you've got me curious...do you work out of the St. Louis office? If so, I'm jealous of who you get to work with all the time. I hope you count yourself as fortunate.

I do work in the St. Louis West office (the pilot) and I know that I am lucky for getting to work as one of Justin Donald's AMs and seeing people like Kirk, Katie Fingerhut and Nick Najar on a weekly basis. That is why I try to post on these sites to let people know that just because some people have had bad experiences doesnt mean that that is the norm.

piperkcmo in Saint Louis, Missouri said: I do work in the St. Louis West office (the pilot) and I know that I am lucky for getting to work as one of Justin Donald's AMs and seeing people like Kirk, Katie Fingerhut and Nick Najar on a weekly basis. That is why I try to post on these sites to let people know that just because some people have had bad experiences doesnt mean that that is the norm.

Yeah, I believe that in the fall another branch manager from Indiana and I are going to come out and do some cross training in your office. I'm really looking forward to it.

MarMan in Warsaw, Indiana said: Now you've got me curious...do you work out of the St. Louis office? If so, I'm jealous of who you get to work with all the time. I hope you count yourself as fortunate.

You should count yourself as fortunate too warsaw, your dvm is amazing. So is mine :-) Midwest represent.

Coth_X in Tennessee said: The only disagreement I have with you Marman is that my own personal experience with the company is opposite what you say. Where I got hired, there were groups being hired every week. Also, MOST not all but MOST were only able to sell a few hundred like I was able too. Some were in neighborhoods where they could sell huge amounts. However, most of the people couldn't sell the product because customers did not have kitchen cutlery at the top of the "spend money on this list".

Also, you are doing exactly what the managers did where I got taken on. If the rep isn't selling, then its the reps fault, and they are lazy. In truth it is more than likely, that people live in rich neighborhoods, poor neighborhoods, and there are stupid, gullible idiots, and smart, realistic people. I only know poor people, so are you telling me that the reason I could not make money at this was because I was lazy or that the people I know are in hard times and knives are not a good value judgement. Alot of the people that I got hired with, were in similar situations and knew similar groups of people.

This is a sales job. In most sales positions, the limitations you have could be real but they are most likely your own. Trust me, I know sales can be difficult but if you're not finding the leads or customers who will buy from you, then you need to do something else to find them.

Successful Sales Reps make things happen, they do not wait for it to come to them. Whether you're selling vacuum cleaners, used cars or cutlery, there is a way to make it happen.

Be enthusiastic about what you are selling and try some other tactics. Talk to your manager, I'm sure he or she will have some ideas. If that doesn't work, try something else.

valentine in Ohio, Ohio said: You should count yourself as fortunate too warsaw, your dvm is amazing. So is mine :-) Midwest represent.

I definitely do, and yours is too for sure.

F-Bomb in Los Angeles, California said: This is a sales job. In most sales positions, the limitations you have could be real but they are most likely your own. Trust me, I know sales can be difficult but if you're not finding the leads or customers who will buy from you, then you need to do something else to find them.

Successful Sales Reps make things happen, they do not wait for it to come to them. Whether you're selling vacuum cleaners, used cars or cutlery, there is a way to make it happen.

Be enthusiastic about what you are selling and try some other tactics. Talk to your manager, I'm sure he or she will have some ideas. If that doesn't work, try something else.

I'm going to go on record and say that I love the new F-Bomb.

MarMan - I was probably your toughest customer and you didn't back down. After all, sales is all about overcoming objections, right?

F-Bomb in Los Angeles, California said: MarMan - I was probably your toughest customer and you didn't back down. After all, sales is all about overcoming objections, right?

I wouldn't call you a customer...although if you wanted some cutco I'd be more than happy to hook you up. Yes, you were very skeptical and yes that is what sales is about. If there are no more objections, it is pretty tough to argue, or in the case of sales, not purchase.

I am speechless right now.

Jessica Biggs in Chattanooga, Tennessee said: I am speechless right now.

That's okay Jessica. MarMan and I have come to an agreement that people should check things out for themselves while at the same time being cautious.

The goal of a company is to survive and thrive and although some may not have a good experience, it does not mean that others won't succeed.

Jessica Biggs in Chattanooga, Tennessee said: I am speechless right now.

hahaha...a salesperson speechless? Maybe that's why you decided not to stay with the company :) Only kidding...

The problem is not that they didn't want to buy it, the problem is that they wanted to spend money on things they deemed more important. Following the program didn't work with my friends and family because they didn't WANT the knives. Oh and don't tell me I was prejudging. They ALL liked the knives, but they were not going to spend money on them with gas as high as it is and with the rise in food prices. My family and friends were weren't going to buy knives because buying knives didn't actually put food on the table or make them feel better about the house they were living in. They were all qualified too.

Coth_X in Tennessee said: The problem is not that they didn't want to buy it, the problem is that they wanted to spend money on things they deemed more important. Following the program didn't work with my friends and family because they didn't WANT the knives. Oh and don't tell me I was prejudging. They ALL liked the knives, but they were not going to spend money on them with gas as high as it is and with the rise in food prices. My family and friends were weren't going to buy knives because buying knives didn't actually put food on the table or make them feel better about the house they were living in. They were all qualified too.

You need to find a way to turn their 'want' into a need. Each customer is different and your job is to find out how to accomplish this. Again, check with your manager.

You mentioned the high cost of gas and food prices. I would show some empathy by agreeing with them. Tell them that you're feeling the pinch as well.

One idea is to remind them that gas and food are perishable and once they use them up, they are gone. Unlike the product that you are offering which they will own for life.

If you were to calculate the cost of the knives over the years they will own them, it would probably come out to mere pennies per day.

And I wouldn't prejudge any customer. Treat them how you would want to be treated. You have to win them over. People will buy from people they like, trust or feel they have a connection with.

If they still won't budge, get them to buy 1 knife so they can try it for themsleves. And then call on them again in a month when hopefully gas and food prices have gone down.

And if they still won't budge, ask them for 5 names and numbers of people who would be interested.

When all else fails, open the phonebook and cold call . . .

F-Bomb in Los Angeles, California said: That's okay Jessica. MarMan and I have come to an agreement that people should check things out for themselves while at the same time being cautious.

The goal of a company is to survive and thrive and although some may not have a good experience, it does not mean that others won't succeed.

Indeed. I have an interview with a company that sounds similar to Vector tomorrow. I'm going to be much more cautious than I was when I first interviewed with Vector, but if it hadn't been for my experience with Vector I doubt they would have called me in the first place :)

F-Bomb in Los Angeles, California said: You need to find a way to turn their 'want' into a need. Each customer is different and your job is to find out how to accomplish this. Again, check with your manager.

You mentioned the high cost of gas and food prices. I would show some empathy by agreeing with them. Tell them that you're feeling the pinch as well.

One idea is to remind them that gas and food are perishable and once they use them up, they are gone. Unlike the product that you are offering which they will own for life.

If you were to calculate the cost of the knives over the years they will own them, it would probably come out to mere pennies per day.

And I wouldn't prejudge any customer. Treat them how you would want to be treated. You have to win them over. People will buy from people they like, trust or feel they have a connection with.

If they still won't budge, get them to buy 1 knife so they can try it for themsleves. And then call on them again in a month when hopefully gas and food prices have gone down.

And if they still won't budge, ask them for 5 names and numbers of people who would be interested.

When all else fails, open the phonebook and cold call . . .

Are you sure you don't need a job F-bomb? Or some extra cash? I could hook you up with the manager closest to you...I think you could do very well. LOL. Sales before might not have been your thing but I doubt the product was as good.

I received this letter from Vector in the mail today. I read through it and noticed a few things that were a bit out of place. The most-forth one that I will mention is the lack of explanation of what you would be doing for this company, and the amount of pay that you would be earning. It comes off as a reasonable common-folk job notice and blah blah and so forth. But the thing that you must realize is that companies who make honest money and only have room for "Immediate openings" do not need to send out mail notifying people of those openings. I go by the rule of, "if you didn't send for it, the company is trying to bone you. So all and all I believe that this in fact may not be a scam, but more of an exploitation of innocent naivety. It is true that some people may make a good amount of money, but those are people that have many doors to knock on. the real exploitation comes when they set up offices in small-town Iowa, like mine which only carries its 3,000 people. the final word is, It may not be a scam, but it may be a scam, in the end it is a way for the fat-cats that sit atop vector or any other corporation to make a good deal of money by cutting the corners of information, and reeling in employees who have about 1/300 chance of doing well. we shouldn't call it a scam, for now I'll call it something less demeaning but as ill-informing as the company itself, I will call it a stroodle

p.s.-I'm sure being the receptionist of a rep company doesn't really apply to those who have been stroodled as reps, so people who aren't applying for the receptionist job should ignore receptionist posts

i too went like an idiot to the "interview" because i was intrigued by the base pay: $16/hr. and oh my god the "office" was so small, everything was fold up(i.e. chairs and tables). they had a all kinds of horrible erasable charts stating past sales, they were so old the washable marker's color stained the entire board. the place had a funky smell, i thought it was me then realized it wasn't...and for the interviewees, there was some totally overqualified individuals..i couldn't even explain. and there was a chick who brought her mom and 5 kids...and this one dude who went over board with the dressing and wore a three piece suit...initially we all thought it would be more professional like. no, no,no. big misconception, the "office" was a suite located in a big, old , run down building AT the very end of the hallway. seriously, i thought i was going to be murdered. and its pretty much like the episode off "king of the hill" when peggy got scammed. no i didnt pay out and i don't plan on doing so.umm...what else, oh of course i got accepted "on to the team"...and my orientation is scheduled for today Thursday June 12 at 5959 westheimer rd houston tx from 1 to 7... the "district manager" is supposedly Tina alderich she lives on 1853 sul ross st apartment 2...its a scam people and i plan on reporting it to everybody and everybody. i'll advertise that shiottt!! word of mouth...

All the posts on here that are PRO-Vector all sound like scripted responses directly from thier website

metallaura in Eagle River, Wisconsin said: All the posts on here that are PRO-Vector all sound like scripted responses directly from thier website

Actually that's exactly what I am. I'm a robot that responds based on the questions that come up on the forum. It probably sounds like the website because the website is very upfront. It's a good place to get information about the job and about the company.

It's interesting how all the people who are saying Vector is a scam are people who never attended the interview or did not get hired.

"Vector is just like any other scam and blah blah blah! I didn't go to the interview because I would've thrown knives in their faces! Then I would've gone to jail but that's besides the point!"

-or-

"I didn't get hired by Vector...which is why I'm now going to point out all of their faults, even if I'm bsing 95% of it!"

I worked there for 3 months and easily made 6k by selling a product that actually works. I had approximately 6 appointments a day and I scheduled them any time that I wanted. Each appointment was 30 to 60 minutes. It's a great starting job if you're motivated and have any sort of work ethic. Or if you work hard, which is something you rarely find nowadays.

And if the reason why it was a good job for me was because of the branch, then I guess you guys just had bad managers.

Or you are selling to naive people who need something less important to spend their money on. Did you ever think that not everybody can sell these knives because there may be a great deal out there in the general public who are not going to buy knives from a salesman? Oh wait that's right, anytime someone claims that Vector didn't work for them it was because they were lazy. That is not the only reason.

Also, if you think about it, Vector can fix this misinformation real quick. They should stop recruiting young people right out of school or in college. They should stop recruiting every single person that comes through that door every week. However, it appears that Vector likes the headache.

I will start with this comment: I get a kick out of this forum. I believe everyone is entitled to their opinion. With that said, I also believe everyone should come to the table with educated answers from the people who know, not people's assumptions.
The people who are convinced that Vector is a scam are, unfortunately, simply misinformed. But, they are entitled to their opinion. I applaud the people who do work for Vector, those who have stopped by to let everyone know that Vector is not a scam. I know some of these managers. They are good, honest people, who do their jobs well. Marman, A huge congratulations for changing minds about us. You've gone above and beyond the call of duty.
To answer the question before it comes up, yes, I do proudly work for Vector. I've been with Vector for a few years now. I was not scammed in any way, shape, or form. I have been well taken care of by all of the managers. As a Sales Rep, I loved my job. Yes, it was hard, sales jobs are, and not everyone is cut out for it. As a manager, I was up front and honest with every applicant who came through my door. I have a different role with Vector now, and I do help applicants get to the interviews. We allow the managers to do their job and give the applicants all of the information that they'll need to make an informed decision. No one is forcing them to do anything, nor are we "hiding anything".
I'm sure this is a post most people will ignore here, because they most likely are looking for negativity. Knowing the company and managers as I do, if anyone has a legitimate question, please ask. I will do what I can to give you an honest answer.

Ok, erlo, here's a question: how many kids are you (from "your company") going to scam by the time you're all done? Pathetic, if you ask me.

Oh, and here's some more: man up and answer them if you can.

1. a 90-minute interview?? WTF?
2. I'm actually *instructed* to wear my best clothes by some secretary? In today's world, that's an expectation, not a requirement.
3. Hmmm... fill out a tiny application online with 75 words answering a *yes or no question* and 10 words for hobbies?
4. Could the "informational" website get any broader? Could the application get any shorter?
5. "I will DO WHAT I CAN to give you an honest answer" is what you stated. What does that mean? You will TRY to give us an honest answer? Is this a challenge for you and "your company" since you need to TRY to be honest?
6. "A legitimate question"? Define that. How can you possibly even have the word "legitimate" in your vocabulary, when you know the "company" you're trying to defend (weakly I might add) is anything but?
7. Did you actually start a sentence with BUT and then put a comma after it?
8. You know what a vector is, don't you? In terms of physics? It's an arrow that has a magnitude and direction. Everyone in Vector and their Pyramid Scheme can ride the vector (the physics one) that points directly to hell. Do not pass GO, do not collect $200, or maybe you will collect it from unsuspecting teens living a rathole of our present economy, trying to get a real job.

After all this? Seriously, man, I can't even take you and anything Vector says seriously.

Thank god for my parents that love me.

Oh, while I'm letting pathetic Vector heads roll, let's try "MarMan" or "MarChild" on for size!

He states:
"It isn't the manager's fault or vector's fault if they don't listen or think that they are smarter than a company that has been doing this for 59 years. That's another point. 59 YEARS! That's how long the company has been doing this. You guys are right, I'm sure that this an elaborate 59 year scam that has made thousands of people successful and has helped many people through college. You're right. It must be a scam....seriously, give me a break."

That's funny, MarMan, when I got my letter, it said you're company was "internationally established in 1981". That shows the credibility of Vector through your superficial logic.

1. 2008-59 = 1949 I did the math for you, since you, a MANAGER OF A "SALES COMPANY", apparently can't even do math.
2. I like how you were complaining about F-Bomb's credibility, since apparently you have none!

Your letter is pretty pathetic. You actually INVITED people to apply? Never heard of a business like that.

[sarcasm] But you must be such a personable business, right? [/sarcasm]

Oh, and by the way, résumé is spelled like this. Your "company" spells it "resumé". Real companies would check for spelling errors. Are you familiar with Ramon Rouse? Apparently, his signature, an official business signature I might add, is just RR. Nothing else. A little suspicious.

As for my story, I decided to humor these Vector idiots by applying and then calling. I heard some random guy say "dude, I'm sorry, all of our secretaries are busy right now, I can hear them talking away next to me, they'll call in like 20-30 minutes!"

This is what makes me laugh because you people are so stupid. There was no noise in the background except an echo of his voice, and then the secretary calls me two minutes later, excited to give me all the details. She knew nothing about Vector when I asked her, and then she parroted the vague website.

I read through, and I would even like to make fun of people who profess to be not Vector-oriented. Stick with me, folks, I get to make more fun of Vector! It's so easy!

Let's look at this young, uninformed man and dissect his argument piece by piece to see if you can find his credibility:
"I am looking at vector from a non-biased point of view."

All right, "non-biased" is not a word: it's actually "unbiased," but I'll give you credit since I want to see both opinions.

"I understand where people think it's a scam because of the DEPOSIT that is required for the sample kit to sell the knives, but if you look at it from the company's point of view, you have to realize that people will take off with the sample kit if it's given for free. Just incase you don't realize what a deposit is, it's 100% refundable."

Ok, so the company points are here... good so far, in case is two words... We actually do know what a deposit is, but thanks for your lack of wit. Yawn.

"That is why I believe that the "nay" sayers are just people who are either ignorant or people who are disgruntled because they stunk at the job."

1. "why I believe" That's usually what a person with a BIASED opinion would say.
2. Making fun of people who disapprove of Vector in a generalized manner... hmmm, that sounds even more biased. This contradiction certainly would not let a logical person believe what you say. I guess this is why Vector supporters believe you.
3. I certainly didn't see any qualifiers in there. Did anyone else see the other side, the side *against* Vector? I thought so.

Could you find any credibility? I couldn't. That makes two of us!

Wow, how am I supposed to respond to that all with one post? Let's see if I can dissect it a little bit, and I'll try to make sure that my grammar is flawless as apparently that matters on forums such as these. I didn't realize I was writing a term paper again.

Alcas, which is the company that makes Cutco, has been around since 1949. When they first started they were a small enough company to run everything, including the marketing of the product. But by 1981, they had grown quite large and has lost efficiency in the marketing department so they created a subsidiary called Vector in charge of selling the product. They still had the same programs and Cutco has been sold in the same way since 1949. Congratulations, your math was correct. Your research, however, was lacking.

As far as the letter is concerned, wow. Many companies will put ads in newspapers, on bulletin boards, on websites, and everywhere else. If you are looking to hire, and it is worth it, why not send out letters to potential employees? If they don't need a job, they throw it away. If they do need a job they will call us instead of someone else. Resume can be spelled either with the grave accent marks or without. Or with one on only second e. This is according to Dictionary.com. I wouldn't want you to take my unqualified word for it. More to come but I have to go for now.

Ok, the signature argument is ridiculous. People sign their names in all kinds of different ways. Sometimes it's legible, other times it isn't and sometimes it just looks like initials. I'm sorry if you haven't been out in the world enough to see that but it's true and that was by far one of your worst arguments. What's funny is that you are the exactly like every other uninformed person writing on forums such as these. Did you even go to the interview to learn about the company or did you simply figure that because we are getting lots of calls and doing our best to accommodate everyone that we were a scam? She probably didn't tell you much about the company because that is what the internet and the interview are for. The receptionist is supposed to do as good as she can to get the interested applicants spots for interviews that work for them.

Also, I will defend erlo a little bit here. If you expect perfect grammar go somewhere else. Second, I know that he/she is very busy and doesn't have time to check this all the time, hence the "I will do what I can." Anyone looking for something negative or shady in that would of course find it but I'm sure that's what they meant.

The 90 minute interview makes a lot of sense. It's amazing that everyone complains that we aren't up front and also complains about the 90 minute interview. It's 90 minutes to explain everything about the position, see if you would have a chance at doing well, and make sure that you don't have any questions. Yes, it takes 90 minutes but so what? If you go to any fast food restaurant it will take at least 40 or 50. This offers much better pay and resume experience and you are doing something you don't know much about as opposed to flipping burgers which you "know" how to do.

Legitimate questions would be questions about the company or the job rather than questions about why he put a comma next to but or "do you know what a vector is". This is also because erlo probably doesn't want to deal with such crap because it doesn't matter. He/She is simply trying to clear up misconceptions not humor people on the forum. Legitimate is a word and it is therefore in his vocabulary. Did you have to look up the word legitimate?

A vector in physics has magnitude and direction...this also makes sense. Vector has grown every year since they started. That's a pretty cool thing to say about a company.

Finally, no one is perfect Michael and I would suggest you check some grammar yourself. Just a cursory glance for mistakes led me to this sentence:

"After all this? Seriously, man, I can't even take you and anything Vector says seriously."
--Last time I checked sentences must contain a verb. "After all this?" doesn't contain a verb. There should be no comma after "seriously and your "and" should obviously be an or. If you are using grammar as a preface for credibility I suggest you not even listen to yourself. Here's another favorite:

"Could you find any credibility? I couldn't. That makes two of us!"
--If you couldn't find any credibility that makes one of you unless you are somehow two people. If you were referring to the people who read this, obviously more than one other person is going to read it so, assuming they don't find this "credibility", there would be more than two of you. Any way you look at it you are wrong.

I will end by saying this: If you looked through my 3 pages worth of posts and found 1 thing (the years the company has been in business) wrong other than my "credibility" I'd say that's pretty good. I clearly stated that I'm a manager with the company which gives me credibility with the company and I've been upfront with everyone else. Please stop insulting people for no good reason and with nothing to back it up. I'm glad that your parents love you. It is great to have family support but I also suggest that you become a man and do some LEGITIMATE research yourself when looking for a job. Chances are your family knows nothing about Vector or the practices and I'm sorry that they influenced your decision with our company. My parents care a lot about me and because they do they trusted me to make the right decisions, I'm glad that they did because I'm now developing a killer resume, yes I spelled it "resume", and earning a lot of money to put me through college. After college I will have a great job, whether it is with Vector or with someone else. I plan on using Vector as a stepping stone but I'm obviously very happy with the company. Maybe that's biased but who cares? You are getting the opinion of someone who knows about the company and not someone who "researched" on blogs. If you would like to do some research please go to www.vectormarketing.com and you will find that it is very thorough and the opposite of vague.

Please refute what I have to say. This could be more fun than discussing with F-bomb...