| As many others who've reported this so called credit card services leader as a total and complete SCAM and DISHONEST, MISREPRESENTING company, I too wish I'd been aware of this site and the many, numerous reports hereon, of how misrepresenting this company, Certified Payment Processing (AKA: Summit Merchant Solutions, Transtech Merchant Group, TMG, SMS and more, I'm told) in fact is. I too, as an unemployed individual, having worked as an account manager for a very large communications conglomerate, in the wireless two way industry, after being laid off was looking for a way to get off of unemployment as soon as possible. When I saw this job posting, almost a year ago, in late January of 2010, for an outside sales representative, I followed up on it sending my contact information and resume through the jobsite. I was contacted almost immediately and within 24 hours, after much pressure to just "give it a shot, what have you to lose", found myself on a webinar training session on Feb. 2, 2010, which was very lacking in any real training on any equipment, services, or lease agreements and contracts, which is what I was to be selling for this company. I was told at the end of the webinar, to expect to hear from my "team leader" the next day, with my first WARM LEADS, to get out there and meet and sell to. I was excited to start this process......at the time. I quickly learned, that the so called WARM LEADS were not that at all. I also quickly learned why the training webinar was so lacking. I was told by my 'team leader', to call him from every appointment and get him on the phone with the potential client, so he could "close the deals", for me, to get me going. Well, upon going to my first three appointments on day one, the potential customers did not even know I was coming! They did not want me in their businesses, because they already had credit card services and were not interested in changing and had told this to the person who had called them, trying to set the appointment with them. Apparently, the inside "appointment setter/sales telemarketers, or whatever they are" set the appointments anyway! This turned out to be the case on more than 70% of the calls I tried to make, on these so called "set appointments". On the other 30% of the appointments, the results were much the same, with some 20% of those businesses not even existing when I got there (FOR LEASE signs in windows!) and the other 10% did not have the person working there that I was given as a point of contact, for several months, or a year at times! I was rapidly discovering that I'd been duped! In addition to the above, on the couple of occassions I actually did get in front of someone who'd listen to what I had to say, which was rare and far and few between (like a said, a couple in one week!), I would call in to my team leader as instructed to, only to either get a busy signal repeatedly, or be left on hold for several minutes, while sitting in front of the customer looking like a complete and utter fool!!!! Very unprofessional and a complete embarrassment to me, against my honesty and integrity. However, even given all of the above, I wanted to give this at least a week, hoping for the tide to turn and give this company a chance to prove my thinking otherwise. I was sorely mistaken. I continued to pour out my own money in gas, travel time and cell phone use, which as an unemployed person for some time, prior to starting this 'attempt to make a living again', was not doable for long. I had no income from this company at all, in the way of a base salary, draw against commissions, or reimbursed expenses. I simply could not afford to keep 'trying to make money' at the rate this was going. After one week of laying out money on behalf of this company in an effort to sell their products and services, with no return on 'my investment' at all, meaning NO INCOME, I had to walk away from it. Here's the kicker. I NEVER considered this a job at all! How can you, when you're not being paid, rather SPENDING money to do it!?? However, being unemployed and with the requirement for collecting unemployment, when I did not report this company as being my "employer", for the one week I tried it, I later (some 7 months later) received word from the EDD in my state that my benefits were not only being cut off, but that they'd overpaid me, for the entire 7 months plus, since this one week period and I now OWE my state's EDD overpayments of benefits, in the amount of some $17,000.00!!!!!! I am livid and have filed an appeal, with the EDD here in my state, but don't hold out much hope of winning it, due to their view point. I wish now that I'd posted something here much, much earlier, but just wanted to "let this go" as a bad experience. However, NOW, that I am going through all this battle over my unemployment benefits and the overpayment thereof, I felt compelled to WARN OTHERS of this unscrupulous company. If there are any others out there, that have experienced this same thing, as I know there are, from all the other complaints I've seen here and elsewhere, please reply here, with your thoughts and comments. If you're an attorney, who is considering any action on behalf of some here who've complained, please let me know. ANY INFORMATION I can obtain, substantiating my 'story' on this company may very well help me in my situation with the EDD (Employment Development Dept.) I am now facing here in my state. These people have caused me extreme financial hardship and it needs to be remedied, or at least let be known to anyone else, before it happens to them/YOU too!! Be VERY, VERY careful when trying to do any type of outside sales on commission only, for any company, especially a credit card services company and especially THIS company!! This company is a TOTAL SCAM!!! STAY AWAY!!! |
