Hidden camera uncovers exploitation and pressure-selling at direct sales firm

Today we expose the disgraceful inner workings of a direct sales firm in Cardiff whose workers go door to door trying to persuade people to set up direct debits to established UK charities.
Working undercover and wearing a hidden camera, we can reveal behaviour which has left one of those charities appalled, an MP shocked, a fundraising firm describing the footage as “unbelievable” and a regulator saying it is assessing our evidence.
After months of research, our investigation can now reveal:
- Lies and pressure-selling on doorsteps to get people to sign up to direct debit payments to charities
A pensioner having to insist four times that she doesn’t want to sign up before a sales rep stops persisting
- An attempt to sign up another elderly woman who is clearly confused and giving answers that do not correspond to the seller’s questions.
- New recruits being told to “trick” people in doorstep pitches for charity sign-ups
- Job adverts with empty promises of minimum salaries placed by a sales operation that falsely claims to have represented household-name firms
- New starters being advised to spend less time with their families
- An "appalled" charity will investigate every donation as a result of our footage.
Read the full story here: www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wa...

[@benlomas1490]

Expose cults at all cost

[@alikryeziu5894]

I actually worked this kind of job same charities too (NDCS). I quit after 2 hours into the job. They make you pay for your own travel (£10 + a day). Everyone’s trying to manipulate eachother with fake energy and constantly brain washing eachother . It’s literally like a cult . They lied about pay too and everything else completely bad

[@m1szn38]

Was it national death children society and where was your company/branch based may I ask?

[@alikryeziu5894]

@@m1szn38 yes it is the national death children society and i do remember they would have 2 companies working in one building. one is swan marketing.

[@Jesus420.69]

An NDCS canvasser came to my door the other week, I just said no thank you out my window. He came back later and stood at my door for ages tapping away on a tablet.

[@Marksm50]

Its funny cus the directors think they are some next Jordan Belfort and then they get whats coming to them 😂.

[@drussell12000]

Incredible piece of reporting, well done.

[@OpalWanderer]

They are such scum bags. Preying on vulnerable members of society on all sides, whether it's the kids they employ or the people they con into signing up. When the chuggers turn up in our street we need to chase them off, look after our neighbours. And the charities that have signed up with places like vantage know full what will be happening and the tactics involved, they ain't as innocent as they're making out, not sorry for what's happened just sorry they've been caught

[@charlieverity5405]

Nice bit of old-fashioned investigative journalism.

[@karl5641]

Glossing over the fact the company (a charity that "helps" people" is facilitating this. This is why I refuse to give money to charities.

[@markrichardson3566]

It's a MLM cult, unfortunately these are everywhere 🙂

[@ganm345]

Excellent journalism. Never give to chuggers; find a local charity that you know does good work and donate to them what you can. Never give into pressure tactics

[@Finggy]

Iv had a scumbag at my door the other day after telling him im not ready to make any commitments at the moment due to financial issues the guy says to me i wasted his time lol, told him you knocked on my door your wasting my time.

[@Cheese1111-b1y]

You'd be amazed how many of these types of companies exist. And the tactics and pay is the same for all of them. Just go on indeed, you'll see loads that usually start with the words 'no experience necessary and immediate starts'. And its not just charity based campaigns, but also window companies, animal charities, home improvements, tele comms, everything you can think of

[@allways28]

I went for a job interview at a place like this and they hid the nature of the job. On my first day I bailed so quick

[@matthewgallacher9131]

i actually used to work for one of these style ‘companies’ based out of nottingham, i now know they are out of business, but maybe a coincidence, i dont know, but even down to the cafe nero for the interview its all identical. very predatory and would love to see this wiped off job ad sites, if they have no way of getting people in, they will wither away. they know exactly what to say and promise to on board people who dont know better.

[@joshparker1517]

Goldstream or emora?

[@matthewgallacher9131]

@@joshparker1517 neither, it was called epiphany promotions, they had another office upstairs but the name escapes me mate

[@CEOInsightsChannel]

It’s called devilcorp their are thousands in the Uk. Massive MLM network.

[@CEOInsightsChannel]

KZbin slave circle

[@zsoltjonas4910]

"HEY GUYS! HEY WHAT?"

[@IamJacobstanley]

Wicked bit of journalism these guys need closing down

[@bradleymilton9372]

Shocking

[@broski7111]

this journalist is sick! 🔥

[@Jmaster009]

Great journalism

[@nichola9164]

That man half way through is an absolute horror bag.

[@tcpatg3041]

I worked for this exact company for nearly a year, most of the people were nice but really takes a toll on your mental health (and bank account lol)

[@theenzoreviewer526]

great journalism

[@balance3201]

Sue them

[@HM-fu9qq]

Mr Jamal you know. As another Asian, I'm not surprised...

[@phillnewton740]

No way, I swear I was nearly suckered into a job like this, after seeing this video, I'm so glad I backed out, seems that they follow similar practices. And likewise, they couldn't give a straight answer as to how much my basic rate of pay would be.

[@G00N3YC4NG]

This is definitely some of the scummiest behavior I've seen any "company" indulge in. Door to door sales is not in itself a scam, but when you do it like these people it is.

[@F0ll0wTheWh1teRabbit]

People should note that not all companies are like this, I work for a very similar company however there is no pressure selling, signing up vulnerable people is completely forbidden and they pay you a standard fee for making people aware of the brand even if you dont get sales which actually works out to being a lot more then most jobs pay and people can choose to go commission only and they get extra commission from what they sell. Everyone there loves their job and the CEO is completely transparent and easy to talk to.

[@XavierPersuades]

Yeah same here. I'm based in a leeds office doing british red cross Residntial and I love this job lol. 500-1000 a week lol

[@whey583]

r u still working there? what part of the training program r u at?@@XavierPersuades

[@robyou8511]

100% Same here man. We do use persuasion tactics but are very transparent about our fundraising; in the end it is a net positive and we put money into charities pockets. Plus we have a basic pay as well as transparent commission and anyone who puts in a little effort will easily make a liveable wage. If you aren't good at the job they just hand ya the basic pay and then fire you, it's really all about what you produce, and what you bring to the table. We're all getting paid, the charities getting paid, and people are helping out, and the only questionable thing we do is use persuasion tactics; which is what sales is all about, plus every one uses persuasion in day-to-day life, it's human nature, what matters is using it for good outcomes and intentions; we're not persuading people to buy crap they don't use, we're literally using this power to make life-changing impacts on the lives of the unfortunate. On the flip side; there are so many schemes going on in door-to-door stuff, so many bad people like these companies, it really sucks how they disgraced our name.

[@kieranb7047]

​@@robyou8511it's a charity tho. People give to charity believing their donations are going towards the cause that the charity is set up for, not for people like you to pay your rent. I have worked for a charity in the past and I will never donate to another charity again. The majority of all donations just go towards making the CEO very rich and paying vultures like you. None of you give a toss about the cause the charity was set up for in the first place.

[@robyou8511]

@@kieranb7047 I see your point, and I used to think like you, however all of the financial statements are public for charities. A lot of charities have 80 cents to the dollar go directly to the cause. 12 cents to admin, 8 cents to fundraisers etc. Now I'll address your next objection before you even say it: "Okay well even if 80 cents to the dollar go to the cause, 20 cents go to other ppl who don't deserve it; making them rich, so it's bad!" Well think of it this way, if it was 100 cents to the dollar, then nobody would be running the show and nobody would be bringing in money. People need money to survive. So yes you can say I made $72,000 this year off of money people "meant" to donate, but I also raised $800k that directly went into the cause, and helped the needy, and if it wasn't for me; they wouldn't have had surplus of 800k in funds to use, think of how many hundreds more people I helped as well as myself. So should I just quit this job and get another profession, being detrimental to hundreds of needy people? Or should I raise funds for them and take a cut for myself? Even if I didn't give a toss about the charity; my actions had a net positive on people's lives. Would you rather someone who gave a toss about you but was a net negative on your life? We have to use logic here, capitalism is in everything whether we like it or not, what matters is the results!

[@LostInTheFold]

There are Credico sub-companies doing this in every city in the country, it's absolutely infuriating because by design it's impossible to shut down. Every time I look for a new job I spot a bunch of their misleading adverts talking about a "football mindset" and sure enough I spot another sub-company with a dodgy vague website, all doing door to door and city center sales or charity sign ups. I'm at the stage where if someone knocks on my door to try to sign me up for a charity, I ask them who sent them, look up their site whilst I'm talking to them and then warn them they've not going to get paid what's been promised and they're likely working under the Credico umbrella without even knowing it. Every time you out or investigate the companies, those specific sub-companies shut down but the bigger umbrella just keeps going, because the whole reason they're instructed to make their own companies, is to legally protect the larger group (and the people running them get to play pretend that they're entrepreneurs)

[@CEOInsightsChannel]

It’s called devilcorp

[@michaeljames87]

I remember doing a job like this in Cardiff for a day. Many years ago. Never again. They are pricks

[@manny9992]

I recently just fell for a similar firm commission only pay quit after 2 days very similar to this set up here literally an identical set up

[@grafito4438]

The solicitor says "looks like you're losing out" on your earnings. Because that's as far as they will go when it comes to self-employed the government washes their hands of it - you are on your own.

[@skycolour1]

Jamal.... good old Welsh name 😂😂

[@kelseywhitlatch173]

11:37 it was a typo. They really meant 40.00 to 65.00£ a week

[@alexmousley7213]

Nice investigation- funny how much the scammers who run the company talked at the start and how little when confronted! The sort of pressure sales tactics used, if used on me are likely to result in a bucket of cold water, or, more legally, me just filming them- you know it's dodgy when a salesperson won't go on camera! I detest this sort of exploitation- both of the "self employed" workers who get no pay and of the vulnerable people they try to get to hand over money. If approached by a "chugger" in the street- I am likely to be extremely rude, but, I'd imagine it'd be quite effective to start recording them with my phone- on facebook live!

[@Youcanttouchmyhandle]

Awesome job. Wales Online You Tube Channel People can place a “ do not knock ”sign on their properties any sales ,religious or charities can then be prosecuted. This helps to keep people at home in their communities safe. Sell you goods from your own homes or set up a stand in the community public areas after registering with your councils. People need to be safe in their homes. Do not door knock on others homes to push your agendas. If you have a reputable product people will be more than happy to buy from your home. Hopefully the Authorities have successfully ended this cult practice. #survivngcultstoolkit

[@liamgerrard2246]

Fantastic journalism

[@sarahlamb2333]

I had someone being a pushy sod trying to blag me into buying broadband I don't need any I have a feeling it's same scenario

[@MonkDave666]

There's only one tactic if people like this knock your door, and that's straight up tell them to fuck off. What's even more frustrating nowadays is that a lot of us work from home permanently, so when these twats knock and you're in the middle of a meeting / talking to colleagues on Slack, or just deep in work so you can be done for the day, it just completely throws you off. Literally don't even give them a chance - "I'm in a meeting with my boss on Skype right this minute" and slam the door in their face usually does it.

[@beckymesterhazi4624]

Great idea!

[@michaelmckitten8146]

Work from home lol

[@MonkDave666]

@@michaelmckitten8146 Been doing it for 15+ years, it's great.

[@alexmousley7213]

Or, start recording them with your phone- saying you are doing research on illegal pressure sales tactics!

[@user-qt8ch4bj3t]

Work from homer thinks door knockers are bad 😂 u both suck

[@maurreese]

I was involved in one of these scams here in America and it’s so similar! I was in my early twenties and barely earned anything. This is not the exception of the rule but the norm with these organizations.

[@roberthughes9527]

What a load of liars, would make good MPs

[@TheNicerookiE]

6:02 wtf is this 🤣

[@karnak50]

Never give to charities as those at the top get rich and very little filters down

[@user-lp3uu9ir4h]

Tossers

[@luther-pd5uy]

Sounds like the cobra group

[@markdavids2511]

This is a racket &I had 2 knocking on my door yesterday & I wasn’t a Twat to them, but they got no bank details from me either. But I know they’re shtick inside out too. I never contribute to big charity businesses, they have CEOs on 6 figure salaries. If you want to donate find a small good Cause local to you & give to them. Never give to these con men.

[@markrichardson3566]

Looks like smart circle aka devil corp🍏

[@HermeticSuperstars]

This is a poorly ran team and scripts. He did sign up people 24 hours before. Did you sign paperwork saying the per donation pay to the representative. Hr said tou could work your own hours. We do choose who to do business with.

[@Monette7812]

Organized cult like jobs with an organized gangstalking feel to it

[@beckymesterhazi4624]

Well done! Amazing 😂

[@thereader6667]

Seller: Are you a miss, mrs, Princess, Queen? Confused Pensioner: Who’s that? These people are a disease.

[@seanevans1928]

U have to got to go to family first professionals in Cardiff on cathedral road, it’s so dodgy in there and very cult like

[@Lordofsxm]

Watching this triggered such severe anxiety in me. I once worked for an office in East London called Tofkae and Omg those people were extremely evil! Absolute worst work experience of my life! Your treated like an absolute animal! If your reading this DONT work for those people! Your only paid via commission and next to nothing, F those wicked people

[@joshparker1517]

I actually enjoyed my time working for one of these companies yes it was stressful but if you made enough sales you could make decent money

[@Only1Kizz]

@@joshparker1517So why did you quit?

[@Lordofsxm]

@@joshparker1517 so why didn’t you stay ?

[@maxdee9223]

Lost your attitude

[@Lordofsxm]

@@maxdee9223 The only thing I lost working for those people was too much brain cells, they encourage you to lie to innocent people in order to scam them into signing up to spend their money so that you can get a commission. They teach you tactics to trick people into signing and tell you to keep a fake smile on your face while your doing it. I work at a wonderful job now and can sleep better at night so I’m good thanks I’ll keep that fake attitude they wanted me to have lost as hell 👍🏻

[@Anonymous.sk786]

Look into the Newcastle office called glass promotions next. The name formally was known as Board Ltd. Matthew Vella being the manager.

[@Sxoppii]

All apart of the same gig

[@Tomwenn]

There's loads of employers like this, just like the people who try to sell you credit cards in various locations.

[@avocadofever6850]

This is kind of a misleading video as not all sale companies are like this. Many offer an hourly wage on top of commisions for donations made. Some offer up to 50$ - 75$ per donation that you make ane you can easily do 3 donations a day if done properly.

[@striderwhiston9897]

I think one of these guys came to my door last year.

[@sb_2378]

“We’re like the wolf of Wall Street” 🤦‍♂️

[@G00N3YC4NG]

Deuces! 🚶

[@beckymesterhazi4624]

Wolf of Wall Street my ARSE! 😂

[@lemonlimelukey]

thank capitalism.