Synergy Management Scentura Creations Scam, Scareingly identical to all the other reports, and a major dissapointment. San Jose California

On Wednesday January 2, 2013, I was looking for job on Craigslist. Around 9 am, I came across a job posting that stated ASST MANAGER/RECEPTIONIST. MUST LOVE MONEY AND MUSIC. NO EXP NECESSARY, TRAINING WILL BE AVAILABLE.

Of course, just like anyone else, I applied for the position. However, there was no name of a company nor an application to fill out, nor an email address to email. The job posting just said to call (301) 278-7169. At 9:26 am, I called the number and I spoke to a guy named Gary. He asked me if I was calling in reference to the job posting on Craigslist, I replied saying yes. He immediately scheduled me for an appointment at 3. He gave me the office address which was 8700 Central Avenue, Landover, MD 20785. He never asked for any documentation, nor did he describe what the company was.

When I went to the interview, I took a copy of my resume just to be on the safe side. As soon as I entered the office, it seemed to be brand new but yet still under construction. There were mainly females there and I began to question the "asst. manager" position. I got curious and asked if the other girls were there for the same interview, they said they were there to apply for the receptionist position. I asked if they had seen the same "must love music" job post on Craigslist like I had, they said no. Again, I was a bit uneasy but stayed in the office since I had nothing to lose.

When it was time for my interview, Gary called me into his office along with another girl. He told us that we were each entitled to an individual interview but since they had "more applicants" than they had expected, he was forced to interview both of us at the same time. I personally never saw that many applicants there that day. As Gary looked over my resume, he was impressed and proceeded to ask me a series of questions. As for the other girl, who didn't have a resume, Gary just asked her for her previous work history. Again, he never told us the name of the company.

He explained what each position (asst. manager and receptionist) entitles, how much it pays, and hours we would work. I was applying for asst. manager, and the girl was applying for receptionist. He introduced himself as Gary Lubin and his partners Early Gaynor and Merlange Rene. After that, he told us that they were a distribution company that just moved to the DC area from Jacksonville, FL. He then told me that he and his partners were going to go over the all the applicants and choose the best ones and that he would call me between 5:30 and p.m. to let me know if I had gotten the position.

I left the office half-excited, half-anxious. I was surprised my interview went somewhat well and I was just waiting for the phone call now. Around p.m. that evening, I received a phone call from Gary. He told me they were impressed with my resume and I had earned my 2nd interview which was scheduled on Saturday January 5, 2013 at 12 noon. I was told to dress sharp and to bring a notebook and pen. I was so excited I got a 2nd interview.

Come Saturday, I arrive at the office once again. I saw a few people I saw at the first interview, plus some new faces. This time it wasn't a one-on-one interview, it was a group interview of about 15-20 people. After we all got situated, Gary gave us a little more information about the company without being too specific.

He told us the following:
-The name of the company Selah Management, and who they work for: Scentura Creations.
-Two websites www.synergyexpansion.com and www.lifemanagement1.com.
-The founder, Larry Hahn.
-The company is the biggest international distributor of fragrances in the United States for 37 years and still running.
-We were all there for the same position of Entry Level Management and that no experience was necessary since they were going to train us for that.
-Training was scheduled to last 6-8 weeks.
-There are 4 phases in the training program and we were to be ranked by badges.
-Each phase were to last 2 weeks.
-Branch managers were guaranteed 30k/year just to start.
-Gary has been in the company for 3 years, and Early for 5.
-Everyone must go through training.
-In 1986, the Supreme Court ruled it is perfectly fine to duplicate fragrances as long as it's all natural, in favor of Mark Lacery.
-They were looking to open 25 new locations in the DC Metropolitan area.

They had us write down notes as much as possible. This didn't seem like an interview at all, more like a seminar. After everything was over, Gary told us we were all accepted and that we would have to go to orientation at the same office that following Monday January 7 at 12 noon and to bring our notebooks and pen from this point forward. Once I left, I was so excited, I called my family and friends to let them know I just got hired. Everything was fine at the time and I didn't really think much of the company.

Yesterday, I walk go into the office, and we are introduced to Earley Gaynor, he tells us he and his partners all went through training in Middlesex, NJ. He then introduced Merlange Rene, who had just arrived back in town the night before. She was the one who was going to give the orientation. She told us that by the end of the training program, we were going to choose who our business partners were going to be. She had us take notes on Job vs Career, Employee vs Employer, etc. She told us to eliminate negativity. "Always keep our blinders on, just like horses do at the races".

She told us even if we're having a bad day, she didn't want us coming into the office with a bad attitude, and to "fake it til you make it". She had us do a "attitude check" where we had to jump out of our seat and yell, who knows what for. She had us do another exercise where she gave us examples on how our day could go bad, and all we had to say was "GREAT! NO PROBLEM". She had us describe our good quality, bad quality, and confidence level in front of the whole group. She explained what each badge level in the training program meant.

1. FNP- Friendly New Person
2. Trainee
3. Trainer
4. Senior Trainer
5. Manager
6. Senior Manager
7. Executive Manager

She explained how all of their fragrances cost $30 and how their own version of brand name fragrances are different from the ones you would find in department stores. They explained to us how we would receive payment, by cash, money order, checks (personal and/or business), and how they now accept credit cards. I didn't know why she was explaining all this in just the orientation when we haven't even had our own office yet, let alone started training. She then passed out a packet of the company and the brand name perfume/colognes they carry. She told us to study the packet and to be in the office the following morning at 9am sharp so we could start training. At this point, I was starting to question the company, but didn't really do much about it.

Last night, when I got home, my partner asked me if I had googled the company, I replied saying no. They opened the computer and they showed me all these articles of the company on www.ripoffreport.com dating back to 2006. I found this article http://www.ripoffreport.com/cross-border-scams/synergy-management-s/synergy-management-scentura-cr-7bm36.htm where a guy named Noah was bashing to company for its lies and fake promises. I read the whole page and was shocked. Everything the people were saying about the company was EXACTLY what I was experiencing in the office. Earley Gaynor, the trainer at the office I was going to, commented AGAINST those opposing the company and its beliefs. I even saw some testimonials on ex employees that worked for the company. They told the truth about the company and what it REALLY does to it's "managers".

I was so speechless. I didn't know what to think. This morning I decided NOT to go back to the office but to report the business. They only personal information they have of me is my social security number, which is why I am writing this. I DO NOT WANT ANYONE TO GO THROUGH THE SAME!

Designers International is for real.  Don't let these silly complaints from a few bad apples keep you from giving it a shot.

LMFAO YES DESIGNER INTERNATIONAL IS A REAL WHOLESALE  DISTRIBUTOR OF SCENTURA  HORSE PISS IN A BOTTLE KNOCK OFF PERFUME...ALL THESE COMPLAINTS ARE NOT SILLY THEY ARE FROM THOSE THAT WASTED THERE TIME AND ENERGY FROM YOU BLOOD SUCKING LIARS..ONLY YOU ARE THE FEW APPLES HERE DEFENDING THIS SCAM  ,YOU ARE THE BRAINWASHED PROMOTERS WANTING SALES FROM NEW RECRUIT'S FRIENDS AND FAMILY BEFORE THEY GET SMART AND "BLOW OUT"

They have a great training program, the industry is proven, and it's a fun business.

IF PEDDLING HORSE PISS IN A BOTTLE PERFUME .DODGING COPS AND SECURITY GUARDS.AND LIEING TO OTHERS AS YOUR TRYING TO MOTIVATE THEM .. IS GREAT TRAINING IN A FUN BUSINESS IN A PROVEN INDUSTRY ,YOU ARE F UCKED IN THE HEAD....


They'll never ask you for any money, there's no sign-up fees, and you'll even make some money while you're learning.  And once you're done with training, you get a shot at being the boss.


YOU ONLY GIVE ABOUT 12 HOURS A DAY 7 DAYS A WEEK WITH BARELY ENOUGH COMPENSATION OF COMMISSION TO FEED YOURSELF AND PUT GAS IN YOUR CAR TO SELL MORE HORSE PISS IN A BOTTLE..THIS WHOLE BULLS**T ABOUT YOUR OFFICE MAKES ME SICK....IF YOU LEARN TO LIE AND DECEIT OTHERS  WELL ENOUGH YOU WILL GET BOTTLES OF HORSE PISS IN A BOTTLE PERFUME TO GET OTHERS TO PEDDLE.....THATS IT NO SALARY EVER,JUST COMMISSION....EVERYBODY GETS A PIECE..LAME a*s PYRAMID SCHEME....IT ALL BOILS DOWN TO THIS  REAL SIMPLE....LARRY HAHN GETS ABOUT 10 DOLLARS A BOTTLE THAT COSTS HIM ABOUT .25 CENTS TO MANUFACTURE...YOU DO THE MATH THIS IS THE TOP OF THIS PYRAMID SCHEME ...A NEW RECRUIT WAS TOLD TO CHARGE$25. A BOTTLE BACK IN 1994....ALSO FACT NOT EVEN 1% SUCCEED AT SCENTURA CREATIONS BLAH BLAH OR THE MANY 100,S OF WHOLESALERS ,DEFF NAME JUST LOWER LEVEL OF PYRAMID SCHEME...

You won't find that in too many other places.

Unfortunately, it seems theres a lot of negativity and
false information circulating the internet regarding Scentura, and I think its
based mostly on peoples misunderstanding of the Scentura Opportunity. I
thought Id post something brief that would help make things clear.



First of all, Scentura Creations is a manufacturer and supplier of rendition
fragrances. They distribute their product line to Independent Wholesale
Business owners throughout the U.S. and have been in business for more than 35
years. Theyre unique in that they provide merchandise without any capital
outlay to these Independent Wholesale Distributors, meaning they dont pay
Scentura until after theyve sold the merchandise. This is key because it
removes a huge barrier of entry into business Inventory costs.



Second, the sales model used by most independent businesses that sell
Scenturas products is that of Direct Selling. Its a business to business,
face-to-face sales strategy that has worked for over 35 years. Its not
glamorous, and its probably not for everyone, but it just works.



Last, and most importantly, Scentura doesn't ask you to invest any money, it's
not a franchise, it's not a pyramid or multi-level marketing business, there's
nothing to purchase, there are no sign-up fees. The only thing required from
you is your time and hard work, and youll get a chance to run your own
business. How many companies out there are willing to offer that?



It probably sounds too good to be true, but it makes sense when you understand
Scentura's incentive: It's a Win-Win scenario for everyone. You get a chance to
own your own business, and Scentura gains a new customer, which means more
volume. If Scentura only dealt with individuals who had hundreds of thousands
of dollars to invest, they'd be waiting a long time,

especially in this economy. So they're willing to take all the financial risk.



Again, this is not for everyone, but the opportunity is definitely real, and
many owners have gone on to make six-figure incomes running their own
businesses that sell Scentura's products.

Please visit the following website dedicated to new business owners that
answered the ad and started just like everyone else: www.RookieOwners.com



If youd like to read more about Scentura Creations, please visit the following
sites:



www.ScenturaCreations.com

www.TruthAboutScenturaCreations.com

www.Larry-Hahn.com



If you have any further complaints, please direct them to
pr@scenturacreations.com



Thank you.

Good job, Noah. Scentura is a scourge out here in Colorado as well, and I have used the same articles you reproduced here to inform people what they are getting into.

Remember, all we have to do is wait these people out, if they don't lose all their money first, they lose all credibility and are unable to keep cycling the lie. Thanks again for posting!

Hi I'm Noah I came across Scentura years ago and have since moved on to a real job with decent pay and great benefits. I have a lot of hobbies one of which is exposing Scenutra for what it is. I did a lot of research and here it is. I tried pressing owners for answers and Owner Earley Gaynor gave me some. Since then he has been posting his same story along with some extremely negative personal attacks over and over to rebut against hard evidence. The sad part is he's really convinced that Scentura is the only way he can make decent money.

So in return I will post my research. Below are descriptions on how Scentura operates, as well as accounts of some of the worst Scentura experiences I could find. If you have questions or would like to get involved feel free to email me at noah2314@yahoo.com

Introduction
Scentura Creations, Inc. is a multi-national fragrance distribution company based in Atlanta, Georgia. On the surface, Scentura is an upstanding wholesale distribution company with few marks on their public record. They have no complaints filed against them specifically in the records of the Better Business Bureau. They generate income through distribution of "rendition fragrances," i.e. generic versions of perfumes and colognes. They have little to no contact with the end consumers of their products or the agents who sell them. The BBB classifies Scentura as a "Business Opp-Multi-Level Selling Company."

In spite of their well-polished public appearance, the day-to-day business of Scentura is quite different. The corporation may tout glossy pamphlets advertising over-satisfied customers and ecstatic employees, but those who have done real business with this company sing a far different tune. In the words of the BBB, "One method used by the independent distributors to recruit salespeople is the placement of classified advertisements in the employment section under the heading of 'Management'. Potential employees should understand these advertised openings are typically sales positions in which fragrances must be sold by working as an independent salesperson. As a matter of general information, a seller is not an actual employee of the distributor and therefore would be responsible for securing the proper business licenses before selling and would also be responsible for paying all applicable taxes to the various governmental agencies. Lastly, do not rely on verbal promises and get all details regarding an employment opportunity in writing." (1) As for the quality of their products, they are only as good as cheap imitation perfume can be.

Direct Marketing
Scentura employs a "Direct Marketing" (also known as "Direct Selling") business model. This model is used with moderate success by many other companies such as Amway ( www.amway.com), CutCo Cutlery through their marketing business Vector Marketing (www.cutco.com), and Mary Kay Cosmetics (www.marykay.com). Anytime a late-night television commercial announcer enthusiastically announces that "you too can get rich quick by owning your own business!" the company in question is most likely employing the Direct Marketing model. Evidence of this can be seen on Scentura's website, "One of the first questions a new person asks, and one of the hardest ideas to initially accept, is 'Is it really possible for me to own my own business?' The answer is 'Absolutely, yes!' This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be in business for yourself. If you're average, odds are you will never have another chance to earn a six-figure income, become financially secure and be able to define and control your own destiny-while having fun and being able to enjoy life!" (2).

Whereas most consumer-related companies have two or three levels of distribution: from factory to warehouse to store to consumer, the Direct Marketing model instead inserts an unspecified number of middlemen into the pipeline. Each level adds little to no value to the product and serves only as a link in the distribution chain. In order to make a profit, each middleman must take a portion of the proceeds of the final sale of the product to the consumer. Because of this increased overhead, these companies will never fully be able to compete with conventional companies catering to the demands of the consumer. They can, however, generate a small number of wealthy individuals supported by the hard and mostly unpaid work of those at the bottom of the pyramid.

The model itself, while not the most efficient way of running a business, is not unethical. By definition, only a small fraction of those at the bottom doing the real work will ever rise up the ladder regardless of how hard they work. That said, there are a number of companies who employ this model responsibly and an equal number of individuals who are willing to take the chance. It is, however, the physical incarnation of Kill-or-be-Killed capitalism, one which rewards greed and selfishness with a smile and a handshake so long as the person above you gets his full cut of the profit. America was not built on this type of capitalism.
For more information on Direct Marketing, consult the Direct Marketing Association at www.the-dma.org.

The Separation of Business Conundrum
In many systems of organized crime -- or at least those published in books and movies -- law enforcement must overcome the distance those at the top put between themselves and the dirty work. For the bosses of these organizations, the crimes are committed on their order, but not by their hand, and thus their public images remain clean. This system of "buffering" muddies the legal waters and requires prosecutors to jump through hoops to cut off the organization's head.
This same model is employed by the Scentura version of Direct Marketing. In the words of Mike Regas, legal counsel for Scentura, "Scentura is located only in Atlanta, Georgia and is in the business of bottling its line of perfume which is sold to distributors around the world." (5). This is an oversimplification if there ever was one. This makes no mention of selling bottles of perfume door-to-door; recruiting young, naive individuals by the dozen and telling them to sell these products to their parents and grandparents; or asking employees to go weeks without pay. Scentura officers Larry Hahn and Robert Hasty sit comfortably at the top of the organization and do not concern themselves with these day-to-day problems. The dirty work is delegated to local distributors, who are on their own liability if they commit fraud or extortion in their own greedy quest to climb the pyramid. These distributors long for the day when they too can avoid getting their hands dirty are able to turn a blind eye to the unethical acts that line their pockets with so many filthy dollar bills. Those at the top recline poolside in Las Vegas casinos while millions of clueless new recruits are just waiting to sacrifice their time and money to contribute to the executive's success.

Scentura executives believe they are above reproach, content in their knowledge that they had the right stuff to make it to the top and that they worked hard enough to deserve the good life. What the little guys do is their business. To again quote Regas, "Scentura has no way of controlling [local distributor's] method of selling perfume or hiring its employees. Scentura simply sells its products to those groups for resale/distribution to the public. If, in fact, their hiring and employment practices are offensive or even illegal, Scentura has no knowledge of same.

Certainly, Scentura does not condone illegal activity. However, Scentura does not have any control over these alleged practices by entities or persons unrelated to Scentura." Unrelated? Scentura will gladly take their profits, but will run scared when it comes to their accountability.

The Scentura Business Model
First a disclaimer: as stated in the previous section, Scentura itself does not sell to consumers and makes sure to keep a great legal distance between itself and the local distributors to minimize liability. It would be possible, theoretically, to open up a store in a local mall to sell only Scentura products. While this idea would float like a rock, Scentura would no doubt accept the sales outside of its traditional business model. However, most -- if not all -- of Scentura products are sold through Direct Marketing. Every step in the process and every level in the pyramid are meticulously scripted. Scentura produces reams of handbooks, pamphlets, posters, and other propaganda to "assist" local distributors in training new recruits to peddle their perfume. All this literature is designed to keep would-be defectors in line, keeping their tunnel-vision focused tightly on the huge dollar bills at the end of the long road to success.

In spite of the fact that instructions come from the top of the organization, legally Scentura cannot be held liable for any actions taken by the local companies. Unlike franchises like McDonald's or Wendy's, where the parent corporation is responsible for the actions of the independent owners of their businesses, Scentura remains aloof, far removed from the businesses that actually sell their products. Currently, no state of federal legislation exists to hold Scentura accountable for the actions executed by the local companies, even if the companies are operating on order from Scentura. It should not surprise the reader that this is yet another manipulation of the American justice system.

The overall business model is very simple: recruit people to sell perfume. Those who sell enough will be asked to open their own distribution company, at which point the employee registers their business with the state and leases office space. The more bottles of perfume they push through the pipeline, the higher they rise, from district manager to regional manager and beyond.

The core of the business is in these local distribution companies. Once an employee has risen to the level of owning their own distribution company, this independently owned and operated company will dedicate a certain amount of their budget to advertise job openings in newspapers and other forms of media. The newspaper ads usually reflect a desperate need for managers. They often stress that no training is necessary and that the applicant enjoy a fun, non-serious work environment in order to attract a younger demographic. Phrases like "Sports Minded" and "Music Oriented" are often used, even though the business has nothing to do with music or sports.

Asst. Mgr/Mgr Trainee
**ATTENTION**
I NEED PEOPLE!
Expand. Co. needs staff.
Serious $$$ working w/
non-serious people.
Must like music & fun.
Call So & So: 555/555-5555

This company was later exposed as a Scentura distribution company.
These job postings serve as the only advertisement most of these companies need, and many do not sponsor any other form of ads beyond job postings. These advertisements are essential to keeping a steady flow of new applicants. With an attrition rate of 90% per week (only 10 out of every 100 applicants stay on past one week, according to some former managers), this constant flow is essential to keeping the business running. If a distribution center neglects to run these ads for even a week, the flow of people is cut off and the center's sales are impacted for about 5 weeks due to not having the cash-generating "Friends and Family" sales from trainees (6).

While managers are free to post whatever help-wanted ads they please, they are given a list of tried-and-true ads to run in local newspapers. They are told not only what section to advertise but what days the ads should be run. If the company runs the same ad during all the days of the week, people reading the paper will start to catch on and, more importantly, the newspaper editors will get suspicious. Many newspapers will not run ads from direct-marketing companies in the "General Employment" section. They are relegated to the much less-often perused "Sales" or "Business Opportunity" sections. To avoid this, managers are instructed to tell newspapers to get creative with their business descriptions (something they will have to do time and time again) and say "cosmetic distribution." They are told never to mention the words "sales" or "independent contractors" or "training to run ones own business." The ads include phony names to allow the company to track which ads are generating the highest responses. Likewise, the companies invest in multiple phone lines; not to handle a large volume of calls, but to have the ability to publish many different phone numbers in different ads to avoid suspicion (7).

Everyone who responds to these ads is invited to an "interview." In this interview, a fast-talking company manager will promise anything from management positions in charge of other employees to 401(k) plans to paid vacations; anything to keep the applicant's eyes glossed over so they don't ask what the true nature of the job is. The most common theme in these interviews is "management." Since most people want to be in charge of other people, this stimulates the most positive response from the applicant while keeping questions to a minimum. Occasionally the interviewer will toss out fake programs and acronyms while discussing "benefits" to assess the applicant's knowledge of the business world. The whole purpose is to confuse the applicant into thinking that they have stumbled onto a terrific opportunity, one so great that they have benefits he or she hasn't even heard of before! At the end, the applicant is almost always told they have "made the cut" and are instructed to dress their best to come to the "second interview" in a few days. In the first interview, the applicant (unless they are savvy enough to ask the question themselves) is never told what the job is or what a typical work day will be like.

At the second interview -- in reality it is not an interview at all -- all of the applicants (15 - 20 people, on average) gather together and are finally told a little bit more about what they will actually be doing to make a buck. Somewhere between the promises of free Las Vegas vacations and expensive new cars, it is explained that they will be selling perfume, and that their "management"position means only that they will "manage themselves." Anyone who sticks around after this exposure to the truth will then enter the system, be asked to purchase a seller's kit (which is itself a quick sale for the managers of the distribution company), and are promised they are on the road to success.

Many of these companies claim they are "new to the area" or "opening new branches." This will deter anyone from asking why a business which has been in the area for years would need to hire employees by the score. In reality, this process of indoctrination is the true sales pitch of the company, rather than the selling of perfume bottles. Therefore every aspect of the process must be scripted and rehearsed to ensure that all questions are answered before asked, and those not to be asked remain unsaid.

From a former employee: "They charge $27 per bottle. If they have at least 20 people sell 50 bottles every month they would make a net profit of $13,500. Even after the trainees take there cut the company makes a little over $11,000. That is a lot of money to be making a month and if you quit they can hire 20 more people and make more money."

It is very possible that the next step constitutes the majority of sales generated by the company. There is even an acronym for it in Scentura-speak: FFAR. It stands for "Friends, Family, and Relatives." This is who the employee is supposed to "practice" selling on. This is the cornerstone of the scam perpetrated by many Direct Marketing companies. The newbie salesman must first practice the pitch to their parents and grandparents, and since many of them tend to be teenagers or early 20-year-olds, the relatives usually buy something out of love or pity. What grandparent doesn't want to support their grandchild's ventures? This results in a few quick sales for the company from people who otherwise would have never purchased the product on its merit alone. After these FFAR sales the vast majority of workers realize that this isn't a real job at all, and quit. This resignation does no damage to the company, however. The company has already made a few bucks without any payout, and there's already another sucker just waiting to fill the vacated position.

This initial "warm market" phase of the applicant process is perhaps where most of the earnings of the company take place. Since the business is so decentralized there is no way of looking at the overall flow of capital; any statement made about earnings is only an estimate. Many Direct Marketing businesses require (or at least strongly suggest) that new applicants purchase "sales kits." These result in quick sales for the company, adding again to the bottom line of the local distributor. In reality, job applicants are not being considered for employment, there are being used as customers.

Beyond the activity described here, the company is comprised of warehouses, managers, middlemen, people transporting boxes upon boxes of perfume in the trunks of cars, and other mundane operations. There most likely are no big sales contracts, no mergers or acquisitions, no research and development, no product advertising, none of the honest income generating activities that a normal American business engages in.

People who do this for a living
"You tell [applicants] that they can do it if they make enough sacrifice, burn bridges with their family and friends who try to talk them out of it (in effect, alienating them from everyone but other people in the perfume business), Put the blinders on taking all focus away from any 'Pre Scentura' values/priorities and they can be successful" (3) says Mike Barrick, a former employee with 10 years experience in the company. The system is designed to give both the applicants and current participants a sort of tunnel-vision to avoid outside information that invariably dissuades them from continuing selling perfume. While the managers are guilty of repeating this propaganda to new applicants, they too receive a constant flow of "inspiration" from their superiors, keeping them focused on the money and not applicant's best interests.

For the "successful" people in this business, their lives must be ruled by greed. They are trained to rationalize their own immoral actions by dismissing those who fail as somehow not having the business-savvy that they obviously have, when in fact the only savvy they do have is the ability to scam kids into effectively stealing money from their parents and grandparents. Many of those who succeed only see good money for a very short period of time, and as with all pyramid-structured organizations, the money eventually filters to the top tiers, leaving the rest to wonder what happened to the last 5 years of their lives.

Those who have been sold into their system often display a visceral reaction when confronted with the truth of the business. Statements like "I am 20 yrs. old and I went through the training in 4 weeks and I know make 1,000's of dollars legally so just because you couldn't do it doesn't mean you have to get pissed off. People have tried to stop us before and it didn't work so you might as well stop because you are wasting your time" (4) lend support to the idea that any criticism of the business model is to be dealt with quickly and harshly by management. New recruits are trained to ignore the advice of their parents and friends and to believe that any information outside of the Scentura-approved material will be an obstacle in their road to success. Those who choose to realize the true nature of the business and leave are described as "weak" and without the skills to make it in the cut-throat business world. These are very important and powerful psychological operations, critical to the success of the business.

For each one of the thousands of horror stories you hear, Scentura advocators will be happy to provide glossy booklets of the many millionaires who worked up through the system. But where are the publications of people who sank life savings into these companies because of promises of the good life, only to be kicked to the curb when times got tough? Hard work alone does not a successful businessmen make. It takes a lot of work to rob a bank, but are the thieves to be called "good businessmen?"

Conclusion
The bottom line is Don't fall into the trap! Scentura and it's distributors, while they may operate within the letter of the law, do so at the expense of their own morals and ethics. They rationalize deception in the name of greed, and excuse dishonesty in the name of high sales figures. Thousands of people have been lied to, cheated, robbed, threatened, even extorted and sexually harassed by companies claiming to give people the opportunity to live the American Dream. With a combined effort, these companies can be put out of business and Scentura held accountable for their actions. The truth is, you can succeed in the United States, running your own business and being your own boss; and you don't need a dishonest corporation to tell you how to do it.


PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU BUY ANYTHING FROM OR CONTINUE WORKING WITH SCENTURA!!! IT'S A SCAM!
IF YOU MEET SOMEONE SELLING THIS: Please do NOT buy anything from this SCAM COMPANY! They sell cheap rendition cologne door-to-door, and if you ever meet one of these salespeople DO NOT PURCHASE THE PRODUCT! It's a fake, and countless hopeful teenagers are being fooled into peddling this stuff! Only by cutting off the flow of buyers and salespeople can it be stopped!

FOR THOSE INVOLVED: I assume by now that you have been told that this is a 'perfume distribution company'. Distribution in this case means 'walking the streets trying to sell perfume for pennies a day'. DO NOT CONTINUE WITH SCENTURA. Tell everyone in your 'class' who will listen the truth - Scentura is a losing battle that will leave you broke!

The 'Management' title you have is nothing but a name - you are not 'managing' anyone. The way the office is making money right now is by having you drop bottles for 29.00 in FFAR (Friends, Family & Relatives). The office keeps 19, you take 10.00. THIS WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN. On the street, you will have to push the bottles for 11.00 to 19.00 to make your quota, and will have NO CASH. The office makes it's money on 'Friends and Family' - meaning yours.

Everything you have heard thusfar is scripted. The phone interview, the first meeting, and the second 'group' interview. Scam tactics such as 'fear of loss' are taught, and used on you to not only hook you in, but to get you excited about being broke for the entire time you are with this office. LARRY HAHN DID NOT CALL THE OFFICE TO START A CONTEST. This is another scam by the owners to suck as much cash out of you as possible before realizing that you are being taken for a ride.

The 'paid business trips' are a lie, as well. Called a Satellite, you basically go to another city and get rid of as many bottles as you can in a weekend. You have to pay for the hotel room by working insane hours and selling 'room bottles' - bottles that are supposed to pay for the room. All it does is take money out of your pocket, so in truth you pay for it on your own.

They define 'Job' as Just Over Broke. I guarantee that you will never be as broke as you will be with this 'company'. Fox 2 News in Detroit did an expose on Scentura, and reported exactly what I am telling you now. This is a pyramid scam (even though they tell you it's not. PLEASE OPEN YOUR EYES), and the fat rolls of cash you might see in the hands of the 'owner' are nothing but bill money. They toss it in front of you so you think they are wealthy and successful. Chances are that the office is going broke, because statistically you can't keep up mass volumes of sales in one area for that long. Most offices have a 1-year lifespan, and when the office goes down, you will receive NO SUPPORT FROM SCENTURA. You will be working 16-hour days just to make a few dollars.
There are other setbacks, as well:

The second you join Scentura, your name is red-flagged by the IRS. There is no accurate way to keep track of your earnings, and the IRS has been severely cracking down on Scentura 'Distribution Center' owners.

There are lawsuits being filed against these 'distribution centers' as we speak. The false advertising and stupid promises made by them have preyed on young people for far too long, and finally someone is doing something to stop it.

Police officers DO NOT TOLERATE solicitation on the streets. Business-to-business is a gray area in law enforcement, and if you are found selling (I know you are told not to use that word, but that's what you're doing!) on the street, you will be ticketed and possibly arrested. County and City ordinances vary on this topic, and it would do you good to check with the laws of your city. Your office owners need you to make street sales, so they will not warn you about possible consequences.
Please realize before it's too late that this is a scam. Learn from countless others who have fallen victim. Why do you think the company website has no contact information? Because of all the complaints they would be getting! The reason the Better Business Bureau has no information on 'Scentura' is because the corporation makes no claims to the offices, and therefore cannot be legally tied to its practices. It's another scam tactic to keep you feeling safe, since you will have trouble finding information on the individual offices. Especially since they have such a short lifespan, and complaints can take up to a year to be investigated.
PLEASE MAKE COPIES OF THIS AND GIVE IT TO EVERYONE IN THE CLASS! Warn people you know not to buy the products, and help us bring this scam down! You can be successful without this, and will be happy you walked out the door.

from http://dcregistry.com/forums/employment/messages/6112.html
Name: Mike Barrick
E-Mail: KidsChairs@yahoo.com
Date/Time: November 06, 2001 at 9:44 AM
Subject: I was a regional manager with Scentura Creations for 10 years....I know all the Good, Bad & the Ugly.
In Reply to: DO NOT WORK FOR SCENTURA CREATIONS PERFUME! It's a scam! posted by Maida on April 25, 2001 at 3:21 PM
I can tell you, from the perspective of someone who ran a distribution center, and had numerous offices beneath me........... everything you would want to know about this "opportunity". I am not a basher and really not all that biased........I just know enough that I now do something else.

Scentura's real opportunity is for you to learn the direct sales game ( an invaluable lesson btw ), and once you are ready in the eyes of your office manager, Scentura will consign you about $3000 worth of perfume ( which costs Larry Hahn about $300-$400) so you can start your own business, recruiting and training people to do the same. That's it!! That is the golden opportunity that you have been promised.

You will at that point take all the same risks of any other entrepeneur.......including signing your name on the lease for an office space, spending money on advertising before making a dime, etc...
Can you make money doing this?? Absolutely. I made over $1,000,000 doing exactly what I just described.

Will you learn a lot in the process?? Absolutely!

Here is the problem.....Not many people would warm up to the idea of selling stuff on the street while virtually going broke (more on this later), so the recruiting office owners have to make it sound extremely appealing. If they described it factually (like I have above), they couldn't recruit enough people to stay afloat. They pitch the opportunity to all the recruits just like the sales people pitch the perfume to people on the streets. This is where the ethical boundary gets crossed. You have to put your own good before the well being of anybody else in order to be successful in this setting. Most that walk through the doors for an interview will never make a dime doing the perfume business, but you (as an office owner) don't make any money telling new recruits the truth. You tell them all that they can do it if they make enough sacrifice, burn bridges with their family and friends who try to talk them out of it (in effect, alienating them from everyone but other people in the perfume business), Put the blinders on taking all focus away from any "Pre Scentura" values/priorities and they can be successful.

Please understand as you read this.........I was the guy telling you all this. Everytime I think of that time of my life, I am filled with shame and regret rather than pride. Yes, I was successful in that business but it was at the expense of others. Good people quit working for me (financially they had no choice), and I shunned them. That was what I was taught. Anyone that did Scentura for any period of time know the saying.." The weak fall by the wayside, while the strong survive". The lack of morals is what you can expect from your experience with Scentura Creations. Nobody cares about you.

I learned a lot of things while I did that business but I learned some of my most valuable lessons after leaving the company. Business does NOT come before family. You can't achieve success at the expense of others without it eventually coming back to bite you in the arse. Most importantly, money is NOT the most important thing. It can make things more comfortable but in the end, your cars, jewelry, houses, etc... don't mean a thing. Things you buy with money only provide short term happiness which always goes away. The joy I derive from my wife, children, family and friends is long lasting and more important than any of the superficial BS.

Any Scentura owners that stumble upon this post will surely rationalize that I sold out for a low income/non stressful lifestyle but you would only be half right. The businesses I am now involved in make me the kind of income I only experienced during seldom "highs" with Scentura, while only requiring 25-30 hours a week. More importantly, the people that work for me make good money and can believe what I tell them.

Hope this helps some of you understand what it is you are contemplating. Good Luck to all.


Ian Zeaman http://seniors-site.com/fraud/2940.html
I've read a lot of these postings; some are well written and some sound like people just blowing off some steam.

I was involved with this "business" for seven years beginning right after college graduation. I'm embarrassed that I did it for so long, but I was hooked and kept at it thinking surely I would start making good money after all of this time and effort. Don't get me wrong, there were good times and bad times, but after all of it, including being a "regional manager" with seven offices beneath me, I left with $507 in my pocket. Luckily I didn't have any debt and it didn't take long to bounce back.

I'm not writing this to tell my story, just to give the straight story for those of you considering this "opportunity". Here are a few things anyone should fully understand before "taking advantage of this opportunity":

1. Understand that you are not being hired and you will never receive a paycheck. On your first day you will fill out an "independent contractor agreement". They will explain this to you in a creative way, glossing over the details. What it means is this: the only way you make money in "the training program" is commission from the bottles you sell. They have told you this in a creative way, but most new "trainees" do not realize this until their 3rd or 4th day. By that time you've been in so many arguments with your friends and family about this business that you don't want to quit due to your pride. (It's better to get out now if you didn't realize this).

Remember they told you that there are different phases to the training program: marketing, training, management, admin? This way it doesn't sound like you'll be selling on the streets during the entire training. You will, and this is the only way you'll make money during the training program.

Also, since you are not an employee of the "distribution center" or Scentura Creations, you're on your own as far as solicitor's licenses, taxes, and liability. They will tell you that you don't need a license. Call your commissioner of revenue's office, I'll bet they say differently. If you read the fine print in the paperwork they'll have you sign (consignment agreement, independent contractor's agreement) you'll see that all of this is stated there.
Once you progress through training and you get toward the end they'll have you "stay in the office for the day". This will seem like a real treat. They'll have you answer phones and interview people just like you were interviewed, and at the end of the day you've made no money because you weren't out on the street selling bottles. Most offices do not hire a receptionist, they just get free labor from the people in the training program.

2. They have mentioned "running a satellite office" or "going on a satellite" or "going on a road trip" or "fun car". Here's what this entails: 3 to 6 of the people in the training program will load up their car(s) with cases of perfume and drive to an area 2-4 hours away. Your "leader" will tell everyone where to work and you will work until dinner, try to score a free pizza from somewhere, then work until midnight or so selling in parking lots, etc. You will then drive around until you can find the cheapest hotel (if you're lucky and you don't just sleep in the car) and all pile in, turn in the money for your sales, split the cost of the room, and try to get a couple of hours of sleep. Oh, if there are females and males you'll still all be together. Hopefully you're not with a couple hooking up.

In the morning you may or may not go to breakfast (depending on if anyone made any money the day before) and you'll hit the streets again. This will go on for however many days were designated unless you run totally out of money and have to return.

***If nothing else understand this: If you drive you may or may not get reimbursed for gas. It will depend on how much was sold while you are away. You are not an employee, you're an independent contractor therefore you have no legal recourse. Also, if you "lend" money to someone with you who didn't sell enough to eat understand that you will never see that money again. That person will return owing a lot of money to the people who did sell on the trip and will quit when they return because in addition to this debt they also have no money for their personal bills.

3. However they have creatively explained you will get your office, and specifically the money for your office, understand this: You will receive 125 bottles (more or less, the amount changes but the principle does not) which you (and possibly a partner) will need to sell and turn in ALL OF THE MONEY for (meaning no commission during that time) in order to pay for your office start up. You see, when they say they will give you all of the money they mean they will give you bottles to sell and you get to use that money to open your office.

If you complete this task you will personally sign a lease (most likely a sub-lease from a former "owner" who failed/ quit, etc.). You are now personally totally liable for the full term of this lease whether you are in business here selling Scentura Creations perfumes or not. You will also sign a consignment agreement with Scentura stating (among other things) that you are simply a consignee, not an employee. That Scentura is not liable for any of your actions. That the perfumes are fakes and you will not say they are not fakes. You get the drift I hope.
You will also need to obtain a business license. They will explain to you how to creatively explain to the commissioner of revenue in your town what type of business you're involved in. Believe me if you say that you'll be selling renditions of designer fragrances through independent contractors you will not get a business license. You'll say that you are a "wholesaler of consumer products to businesses". If they don't ask many more questions you'll get your license.

Scentura Creations will send you your "opening order". This used to be 300 bottles, but the amount may have changed. You will be required to send a payment weekly by cashier's check to Scentura for whatever bottles were sold the week before. This is indeed a good deal. You only pay for what was sold out of your distribution center.

It gets tricky when you don't sell much, though, because they won't send you any more merchandise. I'm not sure what the minimum is now but it used to be 125 bottles/ week. If a distribution center sold less than 125 bottles / week for two weeks in a row Scentura told the "promoting owner" to go pick up all of the merchandise and "retrain" the owners. If you quit at this point you are still personally liable for the office lease, any bills incurred (newspaper ads, electric bill, phone bill, etc.).

Now they'll teach you how to run creative ads for "your sales staff". Guess what? There is no sales staff. You will now be recruiting people for the "Scentura Opportunity" just like you were recruited. You now get to run interviews where you creatively explain to people how to get their own office. You get to send them out to FFAAR, satellites, etc.

You will collect money from the people in YOUR training program for the bottles they have sold. You will first take out Scentura's part (used to be $9.00 per bottle, I think it's $10.00 now). You'll get a cashier's check and send that off overnight to Scentura.

Now you'll pay whatever bills were incurred in this order of priority: Newspaper ads (have to get people in to sell for you). Telephone (can't get them in without answering the phone). Rent. Misc. If there is any money left (doubtful) you can pay yourself, but they will tell you not to, you'd better keep it for future bills. You obviously learned how to sell in training, and in the beginning guess who is training your people and leading satellites from your office? YOU! This will be your income during the first few months of running your own office. You now understand why your promoting owner (or his or her "right hand") still goes out in the field. They told you they really like it or that they like to train their own people. The truth is they're trying to keep their car. Unless you're in a unique situation with one of the top 5 offices who indeed are making money. That's a whole story of its own. If this is the case then ask how long their "promotions" have been in business. If the office that is trying to recruit you has been there for 5+ years, why don't they have offices they've trained who have been around that long? What happened to the offices they opened 5 years ago?

I hope I have lent some insight into what this "business" really is. So many people get sucked in with mistaken ideas of what they will be doing. I am simply trying to help people who do not wish to sell on the streets and work for straight commission to avoid this. I know this because I was the spin-master for a long time. I did make good money when I went on satellites; I could sell this perfume better than most. I can't believe now where I would go to sell it, though. Parts of town where now I wouldn't get out of the car, let alone hang out in the parking lots and try to sell fake perfume for commission!

If you're doubtful on what I have written please print it off and show it to your "branch manager" or whatever they call themselves these days. They will probably tell you that I must be a "weak piece of s***" "blowout" or whatever else they say now when someone leaves the business. Seven years of this I think I really gave "my opportunity a chance". Also, call the commissioner of revenue and ask what kind of business the office you're interviewing with is. Call the better business bureau. Oh, best yet, call Scentura and ask them about THEIR office in your town. Ask what their business agreement is with them. Then call the newspaper who printed the ad you answered and explain to them what this company is really recruiting (not hiring) for.

The last straw for me was a meeting where my partner and I, who were barely paying our bills, were at a national meeting and sitting at the head table with Larry. He stated that all of the people at the front table were making at least $150,000 per year. I didn't make that much in 7 years, let alone one! It made me wonder how many of the others at the front table were just like us, faking it until we make it. At that same meeting Larry held an "owner's breakfast" before the big "rah-rah rally" In the "owner's only breakfast" he said "this is the only legal pyramid in America". In the rally, about an hour later he stated "this is not a pyramid". Hmmmm.

I couldn't consciously keep scamming people week after week. Some would quit a good job to start this thinking they would make at least $30,000/ year when I in reality knew that only 1 in about 200 would even open their own office, and few would make a profit once they opened. Each week we would have 20-50 people start, and be down to 3-10 by the following week.
I hope by writing this I can redeem some of the harm I caused in the people who I recruited who went bankrupt, got divorced, lost their homes, neglected their children, etc.
God Bless and Good Luck to all of you.


Mr. Miller - http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/scentura-creations-c64752.html
I had a bad feeling from the start about this company, but I ended up going to the 1st and 2nd interview just because I was desperate for a job. they make it seem like it's a dream job- you get to have your own office, hire people, etc. and that we would be making tons of money (during training too).

So I go to the orientation and then the day after that- and everybody is heading out to sell, sell, sell. I thought ok-- maybe we're going to some special sight just for this one day to try and sell the products. But we ended up going business to business. My 2nd day of selling- a police officer actually gave me a ticket for soliciting. I go back to the office and they said- oh, we'll take care of it, and then they crumbled it up and threw the ticket away.

It seemed like I was one of the few people that worked there who actually drove, because I was the one who always had to drive around to each business place. And because I'm too nice for my own good, I also bought lunch for one of the people too, since they had no money.

It wasn't until the third day of selling that I looked up the company's name online and found ALL these things about how it is a huge scam and blah blah blah. That very next day- I went to the office and confronted them about the articles I read.

One of the managers told me that they saw those articles too when they first started-- and how I shouldn't listen to people that make less money than me...

seriously? Did he seriously just say that?

Let's just say I quit that day.

A few weeks later, I realized that my court date for the soliciting ticket was in a couple days, so I called up the office and asked if they took care of the ticket yet... and they said not yet. And that they were going to send a letter out at the end of the week. They told me that they would take care of that ticket right away and then maybe 3 weeks later- and they still didn't do anything about it.

I plan on going to court tomorrow and telling them about how big of a scam the company really is and end this once and for all.
Comment by Und
Hi I have been brainwashed by this company from the beginning. I started working for a office in Jacksonville, Florida. They made it say it is a 5-8 week training course, with a performance based salary. Truth is if you don't sell, you don't make any money. During the orientation they told us to keep quiet and not to ask any questions. They will make things sound like a field of roses, when really it is a bush of thorns. They tell you that you will have Sunday's off and the usual hours are from 8:30 to 6:30. The truth is they lie about that. You go on trips out of town about 2 to 3 times a week. Each time you comeback at 2 to 3 in the morning and you have to be back to the office at 8. So in average you are pulling 18 to 24 hour shifts and they don't care how it affects you physically. They will tell you that it is mental and that everyone who says something negative about the company is stupid and will be begging you for a job one day. Now it is the other way around. This company makes one think that they will do so much for themselves, but really it is for the company. I did not have one day off nor a decent night of sleep in weeks. Some of the people in the office would just drink a monster and they would be alright for the day. This company messes up your appetite, sleep schedule, bank account, and your health. Because THEY DO NOT CARE ABOUT YOU. THEY JUST WANT YOU TO SELL THEIR COLONGE AND PERFUME.


Elona in Vegas
BEWARE of D.V.A aka Diva Enterprises. Antoinette finally got her own office so beware. I was scammed out of my money, personal belongings, and time.

It starts when you answer an ad in the Las Vegas Review Journal, with an ad that says 'We need friendly, youthful minded for fast paced fun office, No experience neccecary, Mgmt opportunity 40k a year' and theres several ads, but the wording is slightly different in some of them. They have you come in for an interview on Mon and tell you to bring a notepad and pen.

When you come in, they bring you into a rundown room with a writing board on the wall, and theres about 30 or so folding chairs. After 20min of waiting, Damon will usually come in (unless she has Moss, Antoinette, or Chantell come in) He will give a speech with pointers of how to get the job, like to be attentive, take good notes, ect...

Hester Hernandez will then come in and give a pitch about how she doesn't care about resumes, criminal records, race, gender, lack of experience, and so on, 'because everyone needs a chance'. She will claim that you will be in your own office in 2-4 weeks time but usually no longer than 6 weeks, and that she studied Respiratory Therapy at Harvard University and was always broke, and the lies will just keep going from there.

Then after her speech she will say that she will now choose the people who she is going to accept and will call 3 to 5 people at a time making sure to separate them. When they get to the front they will tell you to come in the next day. When you show up the next day, everyone from day1 is there except the people who already figured out its a scam.

She will then give another speech, talk about Larry Hahn, Scentura Creations, all the money she makes, and promises you the same. She does something called FFAR (family, friends, acquaintances, relatives) that's where she gives you a list of knock-off perfume's without the merchandise, wanting you to sell these items to your family & friends for $25 a bottle, and the person that sells the most will receive a bonus.

She says this exercise is to 'weed out the flakes' when you are ready to leave she will give you a time frame to call her later that same evening to tell her how many items you've sold, to see if you won the contest. On wed when you come in a lot of the people who were there the day before aren't there, except some new faces that weren't there the first two days. These new people come in hyper, and introducing themselves to everyone, this day in her office is called 'training day'.

They set all the 'FNP's'(friendly new people) in groups with at least one 'Old Dog'(someone who has been there for a week or more) those are all the new faces you may notice. They keep all the FNP's from talking to each other so that they won't 'blow out'(want to leave) Hester will give another small speech and tell you that this is another test to weed out more flakes, as well as also saying that what you will be doing for training day is not what you are really there for, it's just so you can train your own people when you get your own office.

They start calling people into her private office one by one, while one of her people is keeping everyone else's attention. When you go into her office she tells you what a great job you've done with FFAR and gives you money ( $5 for every bottle you sold for FFAR) because the bottles are really only $20 instead of the $25 she had you charge your family & friends, so you will learn how to make money when you peddle the perfume on the streets of Las Vegas, she calls it a 'hustle' (overcharging for the perfume).

After every one gets done receiving the money, they bring out boxes of perfume and team everyone up to go out to sell her merchandise. The first stop when going out on training day is usually a fast food restaurant to eat, after that's done, they will pull in to every drive way, parking lot, and places of business, to have you sell the merchandise, their favorite places are Wal-Mart, shopping centers, gas stations, grocery store parking lots, ect... until someone that works at these places of business kicks them out, and threatens to call the police, for soliciting.

When you come back they do chants and give appraises for the FNP's who sold at least one bottle. On Thursday they have you go out again and do the same thing as the day before (if you even go back) Friday again the same thing, but they throw another task your way. Hester comes in telling everyone what a great job they've done that week, and to keep it up, so they can 'ring the bell' on Saturday (FNP's at least 7 bottles between Fri & Sat--Old Dogs at least 12 bottles)

When you come in on Saturday all the people who sold the goal amount get to ring the bell, and then sends all the FNP's home while the old dogs go soliciting perfume. The following Monday all the FNP's become Old Dogs and have to go out and keep selling perfume (meanwhile never getting paid other than a few extra dollars you make when overcharging people to whom you've sold bottles of perfume on the street)

On Tuesday before a new arrival of eager people show up to get a job, all the old & new old dogs hide out, in another office waiting for Damon to get done with his speech, so they can go in and introduce themselves & keep the new FNP's from talking to each other. After Hester gives her speech to all the new FNP's she has all of the old dogs walk down with the FNP's so they won't commiserate with each other & 'blow each other out' This cycle of people continues through the weeks.

The longer you are there, the more things aren't what they seem. They make you stay out late hours of the night into morning until you sell the goal amount of bottles, drive your own vehicle with other people crammed into them not receiving any income or gas money & then taking everyone home at the end of the night even if they all live in very different parts of town, and that's if everyone sold their goal amount, because if you don't Hester will have someone call you for her or at times she will call personally (if she's not busy shopping at Cristian Dior or gambling the money you made for her) and threaten to fire you so you don't get your office, and make the kind of money she does.

After 2-3 weeks of being there, you will endure verbal abuse, still no pay out, more fake promises, theft, getting arrested for soliciting, wearing your vehicle thin, lies, having people turn on you, more verbal abuse not only by Hester but old dogs as well, and it goes on and on. She will try to keep you going by telling you that she's looking for an office to put you in, so you can make the same 6 figure a year income like her, and have all the things other people dream of. I was there for 4 months trying to make a dream come true but instead got caught up in a nightmare.

I finally left DVA after all the verbal abuse became unbearable, I couldn't afford to feed myself, still no office even after I did a 50club(selling at least 50 bottles in a week) No paycheck, almost getting raped because I was forced to stay out and sell my bottles till I sold them all, using my personal vehicle till it broke down, seeing and hearing about purse snatching, stealing wallets from drunk guys at bars, ect... and she kept those people around, some of the people involved in these thefts are still there or might even have their own office.

By the way I sold 8 FFAR bottles to my mother, since she wanted to make me happy, because I was stupid enough to believe Hester Hernandez and the fake opportunity she promised, and never received the merchandise or my money back. When I went back to try to claim the merchandise they kept playing games with me and telling me that they didn't owe me anything, or to come back another day, this went on for months so I finally gave up.

My mother kept asking about those bottles of perfume, up until one month before she died of cancer. The only reason this woman is still ripping people off is because when the Better Business Bureau shows up because of a rip off claim, they only stick around for her speech she gives on a Monday, as well as the very careful words she uses so it doesn't sound like a scam. The only reason I know this information is because I heard it right out of the horse's mouth herself, she has a great attorney that helps prevent her from getting caught.

The only way to stop this woman is for someone from the Better Business Bureau to go in undercover and stay that way for a couple of months, but that will never happen. The scary thing is that she's not the only office scam in Las Vegas, her previous assistant Antoinette has now opened up a new location in Vegas, and there's more in other states. Hester Hernandez's brother also has an office scam.

Also there is one similar to it but has nothing to do with Hester Hernandez, his name is Billy, and he places his ads in the paper with 'FREE BEER' as the headline, but at least his perfumes are real.

I hope my story will help someone that is considering joining Scentura Creations, Hester Hernandez and her circus, or free beer Billy.

Amy Knowles from Milford, Connecticut
Here is my long but truthful story about RTR Management, aka: Scentura Creations:

I recently moved to CT from Vermont 2 weeks ago. Life down here is incredibly different. After sending my resume to MANY places, I never got a call back. I saw this add in the paper for a receptionist needed immediately for busy office, so I called on it. I was asked to come in for an interview.

I went into the office the next day, the music was BLARING, there were about 8-10 other people my age there waiting to be interviewed. We waited for a long time then we were called in 2-3 people at a time. I sat there with 2 other women the one to my right had 22 years experience in the business field. The woman interviewing us, Sharease, acted like a crack addict - a smile PLASTERED on her face the entire time, trying to make the company sound great and fun to work for. She asked each of us if we were 'happy or married' and 'do you have any children?' (Both questions are completely illegal to ask during an interview). That interview was a joke. They had no way of telling who really qualified for the position. Not only that, but I had applied for a receptionist position and they were telling me I seemed like 'management material'. I was to wait for a call back for a second interview.

That night I got the call and I got the second interview! I was totally excited and couldn't believe it. The next day, I show up, music blaring again, and waited forever with about 20 other young people. To my astonishment, the woman with 22 years experience wasn't there! So finally, the manager (Sharease) pulled all of us into the meeting room, told us that the 'Regional Manager' (Brian Page) was coming in to do this interview (which wasn't an interview AT ALL) and that he liked 2 words: s**t and GREAT. Brian Page came in. There were 26 of us remaining from the supposed '296 applicants'. Honestly, it felt good to be one of those 26, I felt pretty special to still be there.

After this 3 hour 2nd interview, Brian and Sharease were pulling people out of the room to tell us if we got the job or not. I was pulled by Sharease with another applicant, Melissa. She told us we had both gotten the job!!! I was so happy I almost cried! So I got in my car and felt completely elated, speeding to go see my mother-in-law at work to tell her the fantastic news! It was honestly one of the most happiest days of my life. They told us to come back on Monday for training, which would last 8-12 weeks and then we would get the keys to our very own office.

When I went in on Monday, everything seemed okay. Again, the music was blasting in the waiting room, and in the meeting room. We waited in the meeting room for about 15-20 minutes. Sharease and Brian gave a 4 hours speech about the company, didn't give us a single break (I'm a smoker), so we were all sitting there on folding chairs, my a*s was KILLING me, etc. Brian claimed that most of us would probably not be returning, that we would 'blow out' and that's okay because those people are weak anyway, and that's not who he wants to work for his company. (Little did I know, those people who 'blew out' weren't weak at all, they were SMART and had caught on to the scam).

At the end of the day, Brian said there was this biiig contest going on for all the new people for that night. Whoever sold the most bottles of perfume to friends and family and relatives (FAFAR is what they call it), would win $500 cash the next morning. I went home feeling like s**t because I don't have any friends or family down here, I just moved here! So I was begging my other half to help me out since this is his hometown! He didn't know what to do... didn't want to help at all... (later I found out he already KNEW it was a scam but didn't want to hurt my feelings by telling me).

So I went into the office the next morning 'knowing' somebody got that $500 and knew I was about to be jealous. What they failed to mention the day before was that we had to get our group total of bottles (105 bottles) and THEN the top seller would get the $500. What bullshit. The entire group did 4 BOTTLES. I didn't feel like such an a*s anymore.

The trainers came in and wrote on the board questions, at the top it said 'Ice Breakers'. I don't know about anyone else, but I have a HUGE problem standing up in front of a group speaking. Nonetheless, I get up and answer their stupid questions. Can you BELIEVE one of the questions you were REQUIRED to answer was: 'What was your most embarrassing moment during sex?' I couldn't believe I had to tell that s**t to 10 other people. We did another meeting that morning for 3 hours or so, then they told us we were to go 'into the field and drop some bottles' with our trainers. WHAT FUN... We're supposed to be management in training and you got us looking like fools in streets, parking lots, shopping centers, plazas, etc.. trying to sell your knock off perfume? My trainer had us going everywhere bugging everyone. 'Hey let me ask you a quick question, what's your favorite kind of perfume/cologne?' It was a skit, pretty much... everything scripted, an answer for anything. We were supposed to approach these people and spray their wrists before they even got a chance to say no!

We did this for 5 hours that day, went back to the office, I had sold nothing. My trainer gave me 1 of his sales so I wasn't the only one who didn't sell anything.

*Keep in mind, from day 1, they begin to COMPLETELY brainwash you, from the loud music, to the screaming and yelling and dances and cheers and 'Beeee Motivated' and 'Have a good attitude'.. etc. They have all this little rules: When you walk through the door in the morning, you are required to SCREAM 'GOOOOD MORNING', and if you don't, someone will walk you out and you do it again till you get it right. Another one is when 1 of us went up to do ice breakers, everyone else had to say 'HIIII AMY' (Waving their arm from left to right, then clap, and throw your hands to one side saying 'woooo'. This company is almost identical to a cult. It's amazing how brainwashed I was. I'm a shy girl, quiet, and I fell for this s**t HARD. Oh and if you didn't do these little cheers/songs with the group, even if you forget the cheer or something, they MAKE YOU STAND IN FRONT OF THE ROOM FACING THE GROUP AND MAKE YOU DO IT BY YOURSELF!

Still, I hung in there because that's what Brian said to do - to not be weak. And yet there was another contest, that I couldn't win, going on that night as well.

To cut to the chase a bit, this happened for four days. Thursday night I went out with my mother-in-law to have a drink and she mentioned that my new job was scam. She felt like s**t telling me and I felt like a d**n fool, I was so heart-broken. I started to walk out of the bar, her and her friend came after me and explained exactly how it was a scam. I felt sooo bad because I had made my fianc stay home from his job because we didn't have daycare yet. After hearing what they had to say about it being a scam, I went home and just cried. I looked up Scentura Creations online and couldn't believe everything I found. Every story, IDENTICAL to mine. They prey on the weak, young, and naive.

At first I was hurt, then I became enraged and decided to do something about it. I have been looking up all the horror stories on this company from ex-employees, FBI reports, IRS reports, News reports, a Dateline special on this company, anything I can find and I'm bringing the information to the others in the group, and anyone else there going in for an interview. I have e-mailed the local news reporter, and the CT Post (local newspaper) and soon to call the police and state's attorney. I even went as far as finding Brian Page on myspace.com and e mailing him letting him know I knew all about the scam. This is his myspace
address: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=79226256

And here is the e mail I send to him:

You must enjoy scamming young people, if that's what you've been doing with your life for the last 13 years. It's pretty sad what you put people through, giving them false hopes, making them feel like their dreams could come true. The people who drop out of your little training program aren't WEAK, they're SMART, they've figured you out. It's pretty f**king sick what you and hundreds of other people do on a daily basis. Your whole company is being investigated.. it has been for years. Aside from being completely immoral, the company will shut down eventually.

You may want to check out some interesting s**t I found:

http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff166511.htm
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff101289.htm
http://ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff210720.htm
http://ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff203120.htm
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff191616.htm

These are just a FEW that I have read. There are THOUSANDS of people who have written about their experiences with your company. Everything you have said has been scripted and you're GOOD at what you do. Of course, you've HAD 13 years to practice. Everyone's experience is the same, no matter what office they apply at. People will find out you are fake, if I have to stand outside and warn them before they go into your office. You might want to think about moving. AGAIN.

AND HERE IS THE E MAIL HE SENT BACK TO ME!

YOU ARE A FAT, UGLY, DICUSTING PIECE OF s**t.!!!!! YOU CANT EVEN LOOK AT ME IN THE EYES WHEN I SPEAK TO YOU!!! YOU ARE WEAK!! YOU DIDNT EVEN HAVE THE BALLS TO CALL ME OR SEE ME FACE TO FACE WHEN YOU DECIDED TO GIVE UP ON YOURSELF!!!! most overweight people do not have much self discipline, self esteem, or self confidence. you obviously fit into that catagory. Im actually glad that y

Ok. So I went to the 2nd interview and I was told about this site and the interviewer was right. I don't see any solid evidence about these people cheating anyone. I feel like I'm on crazy pills! I was told, that I would manage an office after I completed training. I was told, I would have to learn how to sell perfume person to person and business to business. I was told, I wouldn't make much during training and I'm not concerned with it either because as far I understand, I'm getting an office for me to run w/o paying for it. Why is everyone all about getting something for nothing? I haven't been asked for money and I haven't been misled. The ad was a little vague so I did what most people should probably do and I asked. They told me I could start from the bottom and work my way up to running an office. They said they would teach me how to do all aspects of the business. The interviewer was this big guy who really seemed like he had nothing to hide. He pretty much laid it all out for us and it's very clear that I'm going to have to roll up my sleeves and get to work. I'm glad he was up front about all of this because I see now the truth.

Over 500 complaints but 95% of them are something like the one above. "I thought it was too good to be true so I researched it and I found this site. Thank God I got out of this scam." I only could find 2 reports that actually had people with legitimate complaints. The rest were all people who never even started with company. It's kind of like that whole Apple CEO, Steve Jobs was dead hoax. Everyone believed it because 1 person said so. That's just not very smart. Where is the proof?

I'm going to give this an honest shot. I better get my office. But until they start asking me for money and they stop being up front with me I'm going to work my butt off. C'mon. I haven't seen any lies yet. I'm ready to EARN my way up. Not act like I'm owed something.

About time Earley, thanks for finally giving us some answers. From your response it looks like you might be an exception to the many Scentura owners that fit into these numerous reports. It is nice to know that some owners are more honest than others. To answer your question anyone could make that kind of money selling anything not just Scentura products. I'm not bitter, I was just trying to get honest answers and it took a lot longer than it should have.

By the way I do have a fulltime job, I'm Director of Human Resources for a nonprofit organization in Downtown Chicago. We help people who are underskilled or underemployed to receive job training and ultimately job placement. From the looks of your response you could really use some writing courses. I mean you misspelled the word know! I learned how to spell know in elementary school.

I'm not broke and I don't spend all day on the internet making these posts. The whole point of my posts was to address the deception. Sales aren't for everyone, people who don't want to work in sales don't want to work in sales, so naturally they quit when they find out how much sales are involved before any management aspects are involved.

While your office may not function this way the vast majority do. I'm not giving this even close to my best effort, in order to give it my best I'd have to stand outside offices handing out factual literature about the company and get local government officials involved but I simply don't have that much free time. I have a fulltime job, I practice martial arts, I help my friends throw parties & bar events and volunteer for political campaigns when elections are coming up. This is just a side hobby and to be honest its fun causing a stir.

Thank you Mr. Gaynor my work here is finally done.

First of all let me introduce myself my name is Earley Gaynor alot has changed since my above post. I been open in my own office for about 3 months so I can only talk what I have experienced with the company Im not anyone amazing I just stuck with the company threw thick and thin. I Have just won the Rising Star award for my office we have went straight from nothing to the #4 office in the country. We are the #1 office on the east coast when it comes to rookies. Jasmine, and Terika are my partners and we are going to become the rookies of the year just from working hard and just dong the business correctly by being honest with people and telling the truth and Im not going to stop Now with this guy Noah who is above me with his little post that he keeps on posting every where so ill answer the questions he keeps asking but even when I do answer the questions at the end of the day it wont change anything about the company in his mind and the only thing he can do is write negitive s**t on the internet because he is bitter that he is broke with no job Lol Noah why dont you have a job? If u did have a job you wouldnt have time to be posting stuff on the internet all day. You Blow out's are funny you got nothing better to do then type on the internet but ill answer these small questions This is how my office does it


1.You asked why dont we give sales permits right ? First of all I give all of my car leaders[ which since u are a blow out u dont no what im talking about] the people who lead the cars have a sales permit for each car. Its licensed from p.g county legislation I had to get 12 of them all $100 a piece so that sales permit thing is a lie I dont no what rob and ricki did when u were there in chicago but let it go that was a while ago why are u so bitter lol ur funny blowout.
2.u asked why do we hold ffaar contest if were not going to really going to give out the money right. Easy I heard the same thing when I was in training and i seen so many people complaining about the contest that I was like when I get open Im not going to do that. Which means in my office we dont do a ffaar contest because we dont want people to think that we made it to the top by cheating or tricking people we do everything legit bottle for bottle. { i firgured the only way to change something is from within rather than bitching and complaining and thats what I did I got open and I run my office diffrently .
3.u asked y do we post ad's for recp- asst manager, this is also easy this is another thing that each individual owner can or cant do . Which I chose to do it diffrently and if u dont believe me come to dc and check out the washington post. My ad say's ELM entry level managers must love , money , music and fun no exp required
4.u asked why do we lie about how much u will make. I tell my people that they will make $100-250 a wk while they are in my training program and I promise them that if they work hard that they will get the same opportunity that I got where they can run their own office I am not any better than anyone I just wasnt weak like u noah I dont quit anything that I start all the company ever did was give me everything they said they would and whats funny is people like u are so quick to call this a scam but all they do is promise u an office and answer the question do u actually get an office in the end and then answer is yes ? Me and you both no that u actually get an office because in your ad u said that owners said they dont make no money lol no thats some funny s**t I made 11 thousand dollars last month and I am no better than anybody , I am 22 years old , a young black male and I am making this money legally/ Noah so go get a job cause u arent strong enough to run an office.Just to throw out some numbers real quick we sold 808 bottles last week we broke the rookie record right[ oh and check the record if u think Im lieing. We make $10 oer bottle so right there is 8080 dollars that week right there yeah we got to split the money but my business is still pulling in $8000 a wk in a recession most companys are folding and we are expanding were else can a young black man make that kind of money legally ? ANSWER MY QUESTION NOAH ? DONT U HERE ME TALKING TO U , U BLOW OUT ANSWER ME . I AM ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS BECAUSE IM TAKING OUT TIME MY DAY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS SO ALL I WANT IS ANSWERS LOL CUASE I NO U ARE ON THE COMPUTER RIGHT NOW TALKING ABOUT SCENTURA CAUSE YOUR OBSESSED WITH US UR JUST MAD THAT U WAS TO WEAK TO MAKE IT .
5.I dont promise company vacations again your judging scentura threw a blow outs point of view and your not noticing that we are all in diffrent org. we dont do that , this is the schott division we tell them the only way your going on a company trip is when u are an owner. By the way the company trip is Jun 19 2009 South Beach We are staying at the Hard Rocke Hotel Holl@
6.we call u names because u make me laugh noah u are really giving it your best shot at trying to stop people from working for us which is fine. Im not quiting for nobody its to much money to be made and its fun. I cant compare this to a job this is the most fun I have ever had in life @ 22 six figures aint nothing better. But really noah let it go stop writing neg stuff about the company u seem obsessed with rob- ricki and me and u dont even no me lol your probaly a nerd.
7.last question was why is there so many reports against the company.

First of all you have never seen anything up here about Earley or Selah Management thats the name of my business because we do things right in Lanham Md. Thats why we are going to be the rookies of the year cause we do right by the business and and by the people who come threw our doors. Most people stories are all the same they stayed for a couple of days and they quit and now there complaining about how the company didnt work for them well for 1 they said it will be a 6- 8 wk program and most of the people quit before 2nd interview. Ladies and gentleman kisa of all Ages The person Im talking to name is Noah he went threw a training program i chicago and he quit so he is asking questions and judging the company from a quitters perspective so if u are thinking about joining the company then talk to a real owner. Believe me I was not a scentura supporter at first but I wasnt negitive because i didnt no enough to be neg. So I wanted to see if I was really going to get an office and if I was , then I swore that I would give mstions or comments about scentura call me 301 577 6694 office number and 240 286 7471 how real is that I am an owner and Im leaving my name and number on the internet only for people who really want to no info or have questions or wanna no if it is real or whatever the case is NOAh I answered all your little questions so what are u going to b***h and complain about now about how rob and ricki scammed u give it a brake. the real definiton of scam is success comes after merching. I love the business and I love all the Owners thank you Larry Hohn for the opp. thank you donny and holly Ill make u proud Ill do the business correct I swear Peace and blessings see you guys at the top.
Thank You

As I have with other Scentura insiders trying to justify their pyramid scheme tactics. I ask you for some honest answers.

1. Why do you send people out to sell on the streets without sales permits? You know it's illegal but you send people out anyway! When they get a ticket or a court date do you help them?

2. Why do you hold contests for large cash prizes and fail to deliver? You know it's true, you tell people that the ones who sell the most during FFAAR will get a generous cash prize (in my case $750) and lie to them the next day saying the group as a whole didn't sell enough.


3. Why do you post ads for receptionists and office help when that's not what the job entails? And don't try to tell me that you only advertise for management because you know that's BS.

4. Why do you lie about how much people will make during training? You tell people they can make hundreds a week but they don't. I've read countless accounts from people who worked for a Scentura branch for months and took home little to nothing. I even read accounts from owners that said the majority of what you make pays for the office and advertisements and you take home little to nothing in the end.

5. Why do you promise company vacations when you're really just making people sell in other towns? You know you make them pay for everything themselves and I'm sure you're familiar with the term room bottle.

6. Why do you call people such mindless, unprofessional and immature names like weak piece of s**t if they don't play into your deception? Earley you may remember calling me a f**king idiot for posting facts because you had no real response or intelligent answer for me


7. If this isn't a scam as you two continue to claim. Why are there so many reports against this company? Also, why did the Better Business Bureau and an Illinois State ruling call Scentrua a multi-level selling company? Don't try saying that Ford, McDonalds and Wal-Mart have complaints against them too! These companies are at least upfront about their job duties, they pay their employees a steady paycheck and they don't try selling to random people in parking lots without the proper permits.

8. How do you sleep at night? This is a question of conscious so don't go bragging about how expensive your house, bed or car are because it's all from dirty money no matter how you look at it. I really don't understand how you guys live with yourselves by taking advantage of so many young professionals that are just trying to get ahead.

I'm confused...what is your arguement?

I understand that you are a combat vet. I must first tell you how proud and honored I am for your service to your country. Thank You for protecting our freedoms that many take for granted. My cousin, who is more like a brother to me, served 8+ years in the Army as an Arabic interogator. He was deployed to Afghanistan once and Iraq twice. I'm grateful for every day that I can hear his voice. My Granddad also served and was in the Navy during WWII. He worked sonar aboard many of the submarines in the South Pacific and was personally responsible for locating (and in turn, destroying) the majority of the opposition's submarine fleet. That being said, allow me to steer this discussion back on course.

I seem to be unable to determine the point of your report, other than the fact that you are simply saying...

'Yeah! What they said! It's a scam!'

In your final sentence you comment on the rotation of managers at the front desk, your exact words being... "...the managers were rotating for spots in place at the front desk in the waiting aera, that should have been my first warning..."

Based on that statement, you did one of two things during your tenure at Synergy Management, or both.

1. You were unable to make it past your first day, the day of observation, where you simply shadow your trainer as they explain/demonstrate the proper way to work in the field.

2. You did not take notes or even pay attention during your second day of training where the Training Process is broken down and explained in detail.

The reason I say this is because had you made it to Wednesday, you would have discovered that as you progress through the training program, you are required to work the front desk for a specific amount of time. Due to there only being one position available at the front desk, and several people in need of meeting that requirement, you will notice that there is a rotation for the front desk.

I find it interesting you feel that if a company doesn't have the same receptionist day after day after day that it is assumed to be a 'scam'.

I welcome any/all questions, comments, concerns regarding this topic.