Nov 28, 2010 Katherine Franson
ASM advertises itself in online classifieds as a headhunting and recruitment organization. With claims of many jobs available in "your" area among other claims, this company has scammed many consumers out of a large amount of money. ASM is located in Los Angeles, CA, and this article will include eye-witness testimonies from former telemarketers of the same company.
ASM Charges Outrageous FeesOne of the first red flags is that, although ASM is represented as a headhunting and recruitment company, it charges the job seekers fees instead of charging the companies these job seekers could be placed with. Every reputable recruitment agency charges the companies they recruit for. They do not charge the employees they recruit.
Right off the bat, they as for a fee of $27 +sh for materials and registration to their job listings. What they gloss over in their telemarketing script is that not only will you be charged the initial fee of $27, you will also be charged for a "training book" in order to take a test to put you in a priority position to be seen by employers. Altogether, the first initial fee comes to approximately $100, most of which they will not inform you of during your registration phone call. The book you will receive is full of general common sense knowledge in sales and the "test" you take will not do anything to help you get a job. There will be more on the "jobs" available later in the article. On top of the initial fees, they also gloss over the fact that you will be charged $20 a month in order to have access to these job listings.
On the plus side, they do have a refund policy. However, be warned that once you are signed up, you may have an incredibly difficult time getting anyone to speak with you until their "30 money back guarantee" is over.
The "Job Listings" OverviewOne of the biggest scams ASM is guilty of are the "jobs" they provide in their listings. Their classfieds are pulled straight from the top ranking job search engines they advertise on themselves. Essentially, the consumer is being charged for a service they can use for free elsewhere. Also, the "test" you have the "opportunity" to pay for in order to put you in a position of priority does not actually do anything to help you in your paid search for gainful employment. You are much better off doing your own search in the classifieds and most likely finding a much better position without paying a penny.
Some of the Finer Points of the Scam
- The have high claims of providing the consumer with interviews in the first week of registration, however no legitimate recruiting company will make any promises so grand.
- They do not ask for a resume, thus making the first point even more of a farce.
- They claim to provide constant contact via phone and e-mail. However, most reviewers will say otherwise. Most notable is that they will only contact you to ensure that they have your credit card number correct in the system in order to charge you their fees.
- NO REPUTABLE COMPANY will ask for fees for employment with the exception of business start up fees such as Avon, Scentsy, etc. In that case you are charged for an actual product.
- Their fast talking, scripted telemarketers will talk the consumer in circles without actually answering questions directly. They have even been known to hang up the phone when it is pointed out that it is a scam during their sales pitch.
- There are many posts on various scam watch message boards from "anonymous" from "Los Angeles" claiming that ASM has a minimum of a "B" rating with the BBB when in fact they have a rating of "F" due to massive consumer complaints against the company for their fraudulent business practices.
Testimonials from Irate Consumers
"Do not sign up for this service! It is the biggest waste of your money. I originally found them through monster or careerbuilder. They claim they can place you in the best pharmaceutical, marketing, and sales positions. It's true that every few weeks they send you an email with possible job matches for you, but the job matches are almost always identical to the ones that monster and careerbuilder send weekly. You are basically paying a monthly fee for what you can get through monster and careerbuilder for FREE."
http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/american-sales-network-asn-c368325.html
"When I first began, I paid it thinking it would be an investment. Then they set you up with a website where you spend hours filling out questions that you THINK future employers will see (but they wont...), and then you wait for them to call you with job opportunities. Seeing as they get paid monthly rather than only if they get you a job (like REAL recruiters) do you think they are going to hurry up and find what you are looking for? NOOOOO NOT AT ALL! I promise you this is a scam. Run as fast as you can when you see this name. It looks so professional, and the website is even a bit impressive... but thats ALL it is"
There are many other testimonials and reviews from other scammed consumers on many scam postings and even under reviews and comments on sites such as Monster and CareerBuilders on the ASM job posting itself. Use Google to search for more scam reviews of this less than reputable company. Remember, when looking for work, always do your research and do not pay to get paid. Do not allow yourself to be scammed by sites such as ASM.
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