Lies the Perfume Scammers Tell

As I've mentioned in previous posts, the perfume scammers tend to lie - a lot. They don't seem to believe in the sanctity of the truth and they don't have any qualms about deceiving people who want to work for them. I've told you that I worked for Marvin Seay, Heather Cline and Joe Manor at Southwest Marketing (now A.T.R. Management) but further research suggests that the same lies are told at World Perfume distribution centers all over the U.S. Following are just a few of the lies they tell you.

It's an office job.

Most of the advertisements run in the paper are for office jobs - clerical, administrative, managerial, etc. This is a lie. The "job" actually consists of walking all over your town every day, trying to sell perfume and cologne from a duffle bag that you must lug around with you.

You'll make $40,000 per year.

This is actually illegal, but they do it all the time. During orientation you will probably be told that you will make forty grand a year, but this is a perfume scam lie. What you make will depend on what you sell, and you will be paid in cash rather than in a paycheck. This might sound great, but most people I worked with sold an average of one bottle per day (between $2 and $7).

The job comes with full benefits.

If you want benefits, you pay for them, and only if you buy your own office. There aren't any benefits available during training at all.

The company pays for road trips.

Once you start working for the perfume scammers, you'll be told about road trips. In addition to working around town Monday through Friday, they'll also want you to spend Saturday and Sunday in another town (up to eight hours away) peddling perfume and cologne there. They say that they will pay for your hotel and food, but you'll find out once you arrive that you must pay for it.

More Later...Stay Tuned

What is World Perfume, Inc.?

World Perfume, Inc. is a corporation headquartered in Carrollton, TX, which is just outside of Dallas. It is owned and operated by Johnny Whitworth and is a multi-level marketing scam.

Why do you speak out against World Perfume?

I've declared a personal vendetta against World Perfume because they manipulate people on a daily basis. They tell lies in order to line their pockets and they produce sub-standard products with which no one is satisfied. World Perfume is dangerous to this entire country, and someone needs to tell the truth.

How does World Perfume operate?

World Perfume operates through distribution centers, which are run by independent contractors. Each distribution center runs weekly ads in the local paper advertising "office" and "administrative" jobs in order to attract young and naive individuals. Once they have groups of people in their offices, they begin what they call a "training program". During this program, each of the distributors have to walk all over their city or town, trying to sell rendition (i.e. fake) perfume and cologne out of (their own) duffle bags. They are paid in cash at the end of the day if they manage to sell any bottles. After six weeks to six months of "training", the distributor has the option to open his or her own office (with their own money). The cycle continues.

Why do you say that it's a multi-level marketing scam?

Simple: because it is. A multi-level marketing scam can only operate until it runs itself out. World Perfume distribution centers only continue to make money as long as people answer their ads. Eventually, no one else will answer their ads, and they will have to move on. It isn't a stable business model, and they lie in order to get people to work for them.

What else do World Perfume distribution centers lie about?

The list is endless (look for more information in a later post). One of the big lies is that they tell their recruits that they have a business license that allows them to sell product on the streets. They have no such license, and if you are caught peddling perfume business-to-business, you can be given a ticket or taken to jail. It's happened, so don't think it can't happen to you.

Why are you writing about World Perfume on a blog?

Because they shut down my website, as they have done to others who wish to speak the truth.

Houston Chronicle Continues to Run Ads

Ever since I worked for Southwest Marketing (a Houston perfume scam), I have been trying to get the Houston Chronicle to take their classified ads out of the newspaper. A hostile takeover would have been easier. The first time I called, I spoke to a gentleman who told me that my call was the fiftieth received, and that he would be launching his own investigation into the unethical business practices of Southwest Marketing (now A.T.R. Management).

That was almost two years ago. Since then, the only response I can get from the Chronicle is an automatically generated e-mail which advises readers to be cautious about answering employment ads. Let's recap:

I've explained to them over and over again that they are purporting a pyramid marketing scam, yet they seen unconcerned.

This blog is intended to raise awareness of the pyramid marketing scam that is going on in Houston - as well as all over the country. Young, naive individuals answer ads in their local paper which claim to have office/admin positions available. They come in for an interview and are subsequently drawn into a horrendous vortex of lies and deceit.

The offices of which I am familiar are:

• Southwest Marketing & Promotions (Heather Cline, Marvin Seay, Joe Manor
• Midsouth Promotions (Marvin Seay, Heather Cline)
• A.T.R. Management (Marvin Seay, Heather Cline)
• Protege Management (unknown)

If you find an advertisement for any of these companies, don't answer it.