Wife is being scammed - I think... Help!

[bb2112]

Has Anyone Used Team Decades to Find a Job?

I'm not sure if my wife is being scammed. Someone called her (red flag) from Team Decades based on her resume on the internet and said they could work with her to find an executive position. My wife does have very good skills, but they want her to pay $9K (red flag) to help her reconfigure her resume and they will get her in touch with "the right" people for jobs. She has made 6 figures in the past, so not too crazy, but her current job offers have been a lot less than that since she changed careers 3 years ago and is now getting back into IT where all her experience is.

I checked BBB - No record (Good or bad)
They had member of NY City Chamber of Commerce on their website - Checked it and they are a member
They had member of San Francisco Chamber of Commerce on their website - Checked it and they are a member

I have always gone under the philosophy that a recruiting firm would get their fees from the hiring company, not the jobseeker. This is not sitting well with me, but wife wants to do it.

[Moliere]

I will help with her résumé for only $7995.95.

[LordMortis]

I have always gone under the philosophy that a recruiting firm would get their fees from the hiring company, not the jobseeker.

Always this.

http://www2.techtalkhawke.com/news/is-t ... com-a-scam

Looks like Internet presence has only been around since last May and the guy who built the company has no presence other than PR presence

https://www.google.com/search?q=Ron+Norman+teamdecades

Everything about the CEO is hoopla created by the same prfirms posing paid advertising as news.

I won't say it'll be like attending a seminar to flip homes but reading everything I can from this six month old firm, they sound like a seminar to flip homes.

[McNutt]

Never heard of them. That is ridiculous though. Professional resume help costs a couple hundred dollars, not a Kia.

Stay away from them.

[LawBeefaroni]

Do not do. And tell them to stop calling.

[MonkeyFinger]

It doesn't seem to be a scam, just a different (and expensive) approach to getting a "high level executive" job for an "exclusive and elite group of professionals". Their FAQ notes they work without being reimbursed by the hiring company, which is why the fee is all on you. Also stumbled across this article: Ron Norman, Team Decades CEO, Forms a Staff of Specialists to Represent Executives if that helps at all.

[LordMortis]

It doesn't seem to be a scam, just a different (and expensive) approach to getting a "high level executive" job for an "exclusive and elite group of professionals". Their FAQ notes they work without being reimbursed by the hiring company, which is why the fee is all on you. Also stumbled across this article: Ron Norman, Team Decades CEO, Forms a Staff of Specialists to Represent Executives if that helps at all.

In all of the about us and testimonials, not a single mention of another business they've placed with. Again, I won't say it's flipping homes seminar but it sure sounds like flipping homes seminar.

[Scuzz]

Last time my wife looked for a Coding job online she got lots of responses like that, only I don't remember any wanting that kind of money. It was usually just promises and a couple hundred bucks. She did get responses from some legit companies that actually sent job prospects her way but none actually fit what she wanted.

While what your wife got may not be a scam, it is surely insane.

[LawBeefaroni]

Their FAQ notes they work without being reimbursed by the hiring company, which is why the fee is all on you.

Probably because reputable employers are willing to pay for the service and already have established head hinting firms.

I mean aside from the quality of work these guys may or may not do, you have to wonder who they're representing on the hiring side. Getting in touch with the "right people" sounds like they just have an email spam list or something.

If the wife is really wanting to pursue, she should ask them for references. Both employers and hired execs. And then vet those references.

[GreenGoo]

Has Anyone Used Team Decades to Find a Job?

I'm not sure if my wife is being scammed. Someone called her (red flag) from Team Decades based on her resume on the internet and said they could work with her to find an executive position. My wife does have very good skills, but they want her to pay $9K (red flag) to help her reconfigure her resume and they will get her in touch with "the right" people for jobs. She has made 6 figures in the past, so not too crazy, but her current job offers have been a lot less than that since she changed careers 3 years ago and is now getting back into IT where all her experience is.

I checked BBB - No record (Good or bad)
They had member of NY City Chamber of Commerce on their website - Checked it and they are a member
They had member of San Francisco Chamber of Commerce on their website - Checked it and they are a member

I have always gone under the philosophy that a recruiting firm would get their fees from the hiring company, not the jobseeker. This is not sitting well with me, but wife wants to do it.

A stranger cold calls you and asks you for nine thousand dollars in exchange for which they might be able to get you a job with some unnamed entity at a later date.

How is this even a consideration? I mean, I understand that in desperate times people will cling to anything that gives them hope, but my god...

[Holman]

It doesn't seem to be a scam, just a different (and expensive) approach to getting a "high level executive" job for an "exclusive and elite group of professionals". Their FAQ notes they work without being reimbursed by the hiring company, which is why the fee is all on you. Also stumbled across this article: Ron Norman, Team Decades CEO, Forms a Staff of Specialists to Represent Executives if that helps at all.

That's weird. I believe a reputable headhunter gets its fee from the employer, not from the jobseeker.

The jobseeker is the product, the employer is the customer, not the other way around. At least that's how it is supposed to work. A good headhunter gets a reputation for hunting good heads.

This sounds a lot like literary agents that charge aspiring writers a fee to promise to get them published. That is never the legitimate model, and it is always a scam.

[AWS260]

Also stumbled across this article: Ron Norman, Team Decades CEO, Forms a Staff of Specialists to Represent Executives if that helps at all.

That is not an article, that is a press release.

I would not touch this with a 10 foot pole.

[Anonymous Bosch]

A stranger cold calls you and asks you for nine thousand dollars in exchange for which they might be able to get you a job with some unnamed entity at a later date.

How is this even a consideration? I mean, I understand that in desperate times people will cling to anything that gives them hope, but my god...

'
Amen.

Trust your instincts; this sounds as bent as a nine-dollar note.

[Fitzy]

Sounds a lot like Trump University, for what it's worth.

[DD*]

I resent the snide comments re: seminars on flipping homes, as I will have you know that I’m joining an exclusive team using a system developed by a cable television show star to flip properties - and the system is ideally suited to <insert local area name> market conditions. You suckers are just jealous - between this and my windfall for helping that oil minister move those unclaimed funds I’m gonna be rich!


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[Grifman]

They want $9k with no guarantee they find your wife a position and that she is hired? Why are you even asking if this makes sense? The only way I'd consider this is if I only pay the fee if/when I am hired.

[Grifman]

Interesting info here:

http://www2.techtalkhawke.com/news/is-t ... com-a-scam

[Jeff V]

Recruiters are paid by the hiring company. Any that charge the candidates are double dipping at best, scamming at worst. I've never once heard of a recruiter who was so reliably good that they were worth the candidate paying. Some, I assume, have enough connections to place people, but chances are there are opportunities to get these jobs without having to pay, either directly or through more legitimate recruiters.

[bb2112]

This is exactly where my head is at but my wife keeps saying things like "have you read the reviews on their website?" "They are going to put me in touch with references" etc. I keep saying that is not proof. However, she is so gung-ho and happy at this prospect that it was making me doubt myself. I do want her to be happy, but I can't see how this is not a scam. Thanks for all the input!

[GreenGoo]

Tell her that no company is going to hire an executive that is so easily taken in by such an obvious scam.

Seriously, that was my first thought when I read your OP. I'm like "yeah, I want to work for an executive who falls for a re-wrapped Nigerian Prince scam. Her judgement must be awesome".

I don't mean to be so harsh, but you telling us that she is totally excited about the deal is disconcerting to say the least.

Even if (and that's a mighty big if) it's not a complete scam, all the risk is on the potential employee with neither the employer nor the headhunter having any stake in it whatsoever. The last thing I want to do is give someone thousands of dollars with no recourse when they shrug and tell me it didn't pan out, sorry, and walk away.

[Freyland]

I'm on my way to the pharmacy to pick up a script for my wife that we finally got authorized through the insurance, but at a very high copay. I'm reluctant to spend $100 for something that might not work or might not be tolerated. I sure as hell wouldn't drop $9000 on it under those circumstances.

[The Meal]

This is exactly where my head is at but my wife keeps saying things like "have you read the reviews on their website?"

No I haven't. Have you read the reviews not on their website?

[Remus West]

I resent the snide comments re: seminars on flipping homes, as I will have you know that I’m joining an exclusive team using a system developed by a cable television show star to flip properties - and the system is ideally suited to <insert local area name> market conditions. You suckers are just jealous - between this and my windfall for helping that oil minister move those unclaimed funds I’m gonna be rich!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm actually interested in flipping houses but have never attended a seminar because of the scam element. I figure if I ever get close to actually wanting to do it the first step is to find out how to become a licensed contractor and realtor (or partner with those people). Beyond that I have no interest in paying to hear the trade "secrets" shared at those things.

as to the OP, don't do it. As has already been covered there are way way way too many red flags here.

[stessier]

I resent the snide comments re: seminars on flipping homes, as I will have you know that I’m joining an exclusive team using a system developed by a cable television show star to flip properties - and the system is ideally suited to <insert local area name> market conditions. You suckers are just jealous - between this and my windfall for helping that oil minister move those unclaimed funds I’m gonna be rich!

I'm actually interested in flipping houses but have never attended a seminar because of the scam element. I figure if I ever get close to actually wanting to do it the first step is to find out how to become a licensed contractor and realtor (or partner with those people). Beyond that I have no interest in paying to hear the trade "secrets" shared at those things.

I can't tell if you are taking him seriously or not. If you are, I think your sarcasm meter might need adjustment.

[Grifman]

This is exactly where my head is at but my wife keeps saying things like "have you read the reviews on their website?" "They are going to put me in touch with references" etc. I keep saying that is not proof. However, she is so gung-ho and happy at this prospect that it was making me doubt myself. I do want her to be happy, but I can't see how this is not a scam. Thanks for all the input!

And I would ask her how she knows those reviews are real?

[Remus West]

I resent the snide comments re: seminars on flipping homes, as I will have you know that I’m joining an exclusive team using a system developed by a cable television show star to flip properties - and the system is ideally suited to <insert local area name> market conditions. You suckers are just jealous - between this and my windfall for helping that oil minister move those unclaimed funds I’m gonna be rich!

I'm actually interested in flipping houses but have never attended a seminar because of the scam element. I figure if I ever get close to actually wanting to do it the first step is to find out how to become a licensed contractor and realtor (or partner with those people). Beyond that I have no interest in paying to hear the trade "secrets" shared at those things.

I can't tell if you are taking him seriously or not. If you are, I think your sarcasm meter might need adjustment.

I wasn't taking him seriously but I was being serious about myself. If I thought for a second that those seminars had even a minute worth of good information crammed into their multi-hour time frame I'd probably attend just to pick that piece out.

[McNutt]

This is exactly where my head is at but my wife keeps saying things like "have you read the reviews on their website?"

No I haven't. Have you read the reviews not on their website?

That's exactly what you should tell her. Here, give me her email. I'll tell her.

[Moliere]

Give me her phone number and I will reduce my resume assistance from $7995 to $6995. But this deal only lasts for the next 45 minutes.

[gilraen]

But hey, you can go work for Team Decades as their pushy salesperson!