So, every so often, someone plasters my car with little stickers advertising some kind of “earn $$$” thing. “If you have an extra 8-12 hours per week and desire to earn an extra $8000-1,000 a month”.
I got one of them to call me back. Melissa (at 651-636-6628) works for “Maverick Applied Concepts”. They may or may not be registered with the secretary of state; I show a “MAC international”, but I don’t think that’s the same one. (There could be more than one.) Their web site (which is mostly defunct) is at the most obvious name.
What do they sell?
Fake drugs. Here’s the core of their pitch:
“60,000 - 140,000 Americans will die this year from adverse reactions to FDA-approved over-the-counter and prescription drugs?”
You get the idea.
Anyway, Melissa got sort of snippy about how I was wasting her time, but apparently she has enough time to put little stickers on everybody’s cars. Poor baby. I gotta find out whether that’s actually illegal, or just really annoying. (I’d file a BBB complaint for grins and giggles, but contrary to their claim, they are not discernably registered.)
Comments [archived]
From: Kristen
Date: 2007-06-11 15:30:51 -0500
I got a call from “Maverick applied concepts” asking me to come in for a job interview. Strangely, I dont remember sending a resume out to them. Anyways I had a strange feeling when the interviewer (who conducts an interview by phone?!) could not really explain what the business does or who the clients are. They are apparently located in the basement of an industrial park building in a suburb outside of minneapolis.
What a joke. I feel bad for people who get sucked into these stupid pyramid schemes. I wonder if these people believe the same line of BS they are serving.
From: Gretchen Harrington
Date: 2007-06-20 08:18:11 -0500
I received a message on my home phone which stated that my phone number showed up on their caller ID. I have call blocking so I knew when he called me by name that this was a bunch of crap. The caller, Blake Johnson (651-204-0163) indicated that I was probably callnig in regards to part-time or full-time employment. I went to the Maverick Applied Concepts website which didn’t explain anything about the company. I too feel awful for those people fall for this scam!
I provided Blake’s phone number above. Since he had no problem leaving it with my answering service I assumed he wouldn’t mind me sharing his number with everyone.
From: Bryn
Date: 2007-12-03 14:20:45 -0600
I got a call from a Kelly at MAC (651-636-5597) stating similarly that she heard I was interested in a job. poor saps. I don’t want pyramid schemes nor door to door nor whatever the sales scheme may be.
From: Laura
Date: 2008-03-03 20:53:16 -0600
I just got a call and I asked where they got my information from. Ryan Neece couldnt say. Anyway, he gave me this sketchy webite and a gmail email address.
Suffice to say, it was total crap. My fiance dragged me out of the bogus deal immediately.
Don’t go to their info meetings, especially if it is in a run down warehouse building.
From: David
Date: 2008-06-12 00:57:49 -0500
I have an addition to the above comments and the other 2 found with this phone #. I rec’d a ph call and a guy name David left a message w/ my daughter about a job opening. I’ve been looking for work and figure they pick it from monster or something. I spoke to David and was really vague about the company what it does but said come in, if I like it we’ll start the application process. OK, so I made and appointment for the following Tues and Google the ph # and found what’s already here. I decide to go anyway; David called on Monday to be sure I would be going. I arrived a few minutes late and there were about 25 people there sitting down and waiting for the speaker, whose name was David also and been with the comp [MAC] for years and was talking so fast [so no one could take notes and really understand what was being said] My 1st thought about this it was like an Amway or Shaklee presentation, been to many of both and always thinking I wasted my time. But this is what I really picked up on; the speaker let it “slip” out “Oh and it can help diabetics so they don’t have to take any more insulin! I’m a diabetic and was listing now, I’ve heard these claims before. From that moment to the ending he stated how it can help diabetics more than 6 times and also added other health issues, “helps lower your blood pressure, heart problems, ADD & ADHD. The program ended and the pitch do you want to earn money earn so much work so many hours etc….. When someone would sign up someone then rang a giant cow bell. About 4 people signed right away, $163 to just join. I got up and wanted to talk to the speaker, I asked about the diabetes, I said that I know at least 25 people where I work who might be interested in the product but I needed to know which ones. At the point he back tracked and said well it’ll help you lower your insulin intake and they can’t say that it would cure me but maybe help me keep it lower. He then shared about a woman who worked there whose [this is for those people who understand a little about diabetics blood sugar] blood sugar had been at 398 and she started drinking the Genesis and her blood sugar went down to 93. [Side note, the Genesis is “100% juice” couldn’t find the carb & sugar % on the bottle} I shared with him, that’s nice but when my blood sugar gets that HI, there are several things I can do to lower it w/o having to drink juice. I then shared with him those items. He then left me, excused himself and had someone showed me a health book about diabetes and what it is, natural herbs to help control it and vitamin’s. I was a little frustrated, this poor gentleman that I was given to, a young college student, had to listen to me whine that I’ve had diabetes for over 40years and I’ve been fortunate with my original equipment still thanks to the Lord! I excused my self and went fishing. The real name of the mother company is Symmetry Direct. www.symmetrydirect.com
Sorry to ramble on, but thought you might get a little more information.
From: David
Date: 2008-06-12 00:59:34 -0500
I have an addition to the above comments and the other 2 found with this phone #. I rec’d a ph call and a guy name David left a message w/ my daughter about a job opening. I’ve been looking for work and figure they pick it from monster or something. I spoke to David and was really vague about the company what it does but said come in, if I like it we’ll start the application process. OK, so I made and appointment for the following Tues and Google the ph # and found what’s already here. I decide to go anyway; David called on Monday to be sure I would be going. I arrived a few minutes late and there were about 25 people there sitting down and waiting for the speaker, whose name was David also and been with the comp [MAC] for years and was talking so fast [so no one could take notes and really understand what was being said] My 1st thought about this it was like an Amway or Shaklee presentation, been to many of both and always thinking I wasted my time. But this is what I really picked up on; the speaker let it “slip” out “Oh and it can help diabetics so they don’t have to take any more insulin! I’m a diabetic and was listing now, I’ve heard these claims before. From that moment to the ending he stated how it can help diabetics more than 6 times and also added other health issues, “helps lower your blood pressure, heart problems, ADD & ADHD. The program ended and the pitch do you want to earn money earn so much work so many hours etc….. When someone would sign up someone then rang a giant cow bell. About 4 people signed right away, $163 to just join. I got up and wanted to talk to the speaker, I asked about the diabetes, I said that I know at least 25 people where I work who might be interested in the product but I needed to know which ones. At the point he back tracked and said well it’ll help you lower your insulin intake and they can’t say that it would cure me but maybe help me keep it lower. He then shared about a woman who worked there whose [this is for those people who understand a little about diabetics blood sugar] blood sugar had been at 398 and she started drinking the Genesis and her blood sugar went down to 93. [Side note, the Genesis is “100% juice” couldn’t find the carb & sugar % on the bottle} I shared with him, that’s nice but when my blood sugar gets that HI, there are several things I can do to lower it w/o having to drink juice. I then shared with him those items. He then left me, excused himself and had someone showed me a health book about diabetes and what it is, natural herbs to help control it and vitamin’s. I was a little frustrated, this poor gentleman that I was given to, a young college student, had to listen to me whine that I’ve had diabetes for over 40years and I’ve been fortunate with my original equipment still thanks to the Lord! I excused my self and went fishing. The real name of the mother company is Symmetry Direct. www.symmetrydirect.com
Sorry to ramble on, but thought you might get a little more information.
From: free money?
Date: 2008-06-30 14:12:58 -0500
163$ just to join?
sweet
whats stopping my from quitting after i get that $
From: Emily
Date: 2008-07-27 14:02:03 -0500
I have received more than one call from this company here in Michigan. They appear to have several offices in Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing, and Pontiac.
Each time, they call they ask if I am looking for “full or part time employment” and that they are an international health and wellness company.
When I ask how and where they get my name and number, mysteriously no one seems to know. I have even gone so far as to cuss out the last person on the phone and they hung up on me.
There’s not a lot of information out there about this company, but all signs point to a scam or pyramid scheme. The parent company is Symmetry Direct, but that is the only information that I can get.