tewlive
New Member
I began working for a sub-contractor for a multi-billion dollar company in early
December 2007. I heard about them from a friend who had met someone named Paul,
he said that they were in Iowa from Florida, North Carolina and others to help
with the growing demand of business here. When I started I was told that I
would only need 2 weeks of unpaid training and could then run my own route and
was guaranteed $1,000/week if completed 21 jobs. I was also told that its
"easy" to make $1,000 and with custom work I will make closer to $2,000/week.
So needless to say it sounded very good. When I started I was being trained by
Paul who I figured was with the same contractor as I, after training with him
for less then 1 week I was told to go with someone else. After the 2 weeks was
up, I asked if I could get my own route, (in the mean time Paul had left, the
"supervisor" had said that things were not working out for him here and he had
to leave??) when asked if I could get my own route they told me that I had to
train another 4 weeks?? no pay?? When I asked why, they told me their company
is on a 6 week training period, I was told it's because the pay is 6 weeks out
for jobs completed. They said that Paul was lying to me so he could have more
people doing his jobs for free while he made the money. Obviously I was not ever
going to have my own route in 2 weeks.
I told them that I would be willing to continue working if they could pay me an
amount for training. Fred (manager) agreed on $250/week for the last 2 weeks of
the 6. During that time I was shuffled around from tech to tech, whoever had
the longest route, I ended up working an average of 65-80 hours a week. At the
end of the first week I asked for the first check of $250... Fred said that he
was going to pay me $500 at the end of next week, I was really starting to get
uneasy about the entire situation by now, but I decided to wait out the next
week because I loved the job and was giving them the benefit of the doubt. At
the end of the 6 weeks, I asked for my money, when I asked Fred, he acted like
he never saw me before, he even said "do I know you"... I left before things got
out of hand, needless to say I was more then upset. So it's obvious that their
intention was to hoax people with 1-2,000 dollars a week just to get them to
complete jobs for free, clever but completely unethical! By that time it had
been over 3 months since I had received paycheck from anywhere.
Because I had the training and LOVED the job I started looking locally for work
with the same type business, I found a company that was another sub-contractor
that worked out of a local office here in Des Moines. I talked to Dan, I told
Dan about the situation with the previous company and told him that I really
want to work in this field but I need money. Dan agreed to pay me $500 for the
first 2 weeks. He told me that he was going to Minnesota and that I would be
working with Jason. I worked that 2 weeks, I called Dan to see how I was
getting paid and he said that since I didn't work "with him" that he couldn't pay
me the money!!?? Can't even began to tell you how pissed I was, but...kept my
cool and told him very nicely to take a long walk. He said that he was really
sorry for the miscommunication and didn't want to lose me. He told me that he
wanted to make things right and offered me the initial kit to start working on
my
own worth around $500 plus pay me the $500 that was owed previously.
Needless to say I should have ran away! But it had now been going on 4 months
without any money and bills were stacking up. I told him that if he would put
what
was discussed, in writing I would continue. That way I would have a leg to
stand on if
I needed to take him to court. I felt with that in hand I was sure I was going
to
make it through this mess if I was persistent and that everything was going to
be
alright. Well jokes on me, when the date that was agreed upon came I did not
receive my check and tried to call Dan. I finally got in touch with him the
next evening, he said that he was sick and wasn't taking calls from anyone...I
told him I want my money right now! He told me to drive to his house and pick
up the check, I told him I didn't even have enough money to put gas in my truck
to run a route let alone come to him to get the money that he owed me! He
told me that he would fill up my truck if I came to him. When I picked him up
he looked as healthy as I?? I filled up my truck
and Dan proceeded to write 2 checks?? 1 for the difference of the fuel, which he
told me he was going pay for?? the
other for $250, he told me not to cash them till next Wednesday... I told him
"no
I'm cashing these Monday morning" I was so pissed by this time that I didn't
even want to get into it, I couldn't even see straight, I just drove him home
told him to get out and have a route ready for me tomorrow.
When I got to the bank to cash the checks I noticed that the check that was
written with the fuel cost subtracted was $120... 250+120=370 ... my trailblazer
did not take $130 to fill up!! When I called him on this he said he told me he
didn't have enough money to pay me the full amount and I was to get the other
$70 from Jason, one of the employees?? Point being the contract that he signed
and dated was late in payment and was not the full amount.
This has created MAJOR issues in almost every area of my life! I now owe child
support over a thousand dollars, I'm behind on almost every bill.
By this time I had traded my car that was paid off and bought a new truck with a
$303.00 payment for work, tools for work, clothing for work and now I am left
with nothing.
I finally found a job that I was passionate about and it broke me...I have
had to borrow money from friends and family just to stay afloat.
Should I go after the main company or the sub-contractor?
December 2007. I heard about them from a friend who had met someone named Paul,
he said that they were in Iowa from Florida, North Carolina and others to help
with the growing demand of business here. When I started I was told that I
would only need 2 weeks of unpaid training and could then run my own route and
was guaranteed $1,000/week if completed 21 jobs. I was also told that its
"easy" to make $1,000 and with custom work I will make closer to $2,000/week.
So needless to say it sounded very good. When I started I was being trained by
Paul who I figured was with the same contractor as I, after training with him
for less then 1 week I was told to go with someone else. After the 2 weeks was
up, I asked if I could get my own route, (in the mean time Paul had left, the
"supervisor" had said that things were not working out for him here and he had
to leave??) when asked if I could get my own route they told me that I had to
train another 4 weeks?? no pay?? When I asked why, they told me their company
is on a 6 week training period, I was told it's because the pay is 6 weeks out
for jobs completed. They said that Paul was lying to me so he could have more
people doing his jobs for free while he made the money. Obviously I was not ever
going to have my own route in 2 weeks.
I told them that I would be willing to continue working if they could pay me an
amount for training. Fred (manager) agreed on $250/week for the last 2 weeks of
the 6. During that time I was shuffled around from tech to tech, whoever had
the longest route, I ended up working an average of 65-80 hours a week. At the
end of the first week I asked for the first check of $250... Fred said that he
was going to pay me $500 at the end of next week, I was really starting to get
uneasy about the entire situation by now, but I decided to wait out the next
week because I loved the job and was giving them the benefit of the doubt. At
the end of the 6 weeks, I asked for my money, when I asked Fred, he acted like
he never saw me before, he even said "do I know you"... I left before things got
out of hand, needless to say I was more then upset. So it's obvious that their
intention was to hoax people with 1-2,000 dollars a week just to get them to
complete jobs for free, clever but completely unethical! By that time it had
been over 3 months since I had received paycheck from anywhere.
Because I had the training and LOVED the job I started looking locally for work
with the same type business, I found a company that was another sub-contractor
that worked out of a local office here in Des Moines. I talked to Dan, I told
Dan about the situation with the previous company and told him that I really
want to work in this field but I need money. Dan agreed to pay me $500 for the
first 2 weeks. He told me that he was going to Minnesota and that I would be
working with Jason. I worked that 2 weeks, I called Dan to see how I was
getting paid and he said that since I didn't work "with him" that he couldn't pay
me the money!!?? Can't even began to tell you how pissed I was, but...kept my
cool and told him very nicely to take a long walk. He said that he was really
sorry for the miscommunication and didn't want to lose me. He told me that he
wanted to make things right and offered me the initial kit to start working on
my
own worth around $500 plus pay me the $500 that was owed previously.
Needless to say I should have ran away! But it had now been going on 4 months
without any money and bills were stacking up. I told him that if he would put
what
was discussed, in writing I would continue. That way I would have a leg to
stand on if
I needed to take him to court. I felt with that in hand I was sure I was going
to
make it through this mess if I was persistent and that everything was going to
be
alright. Well jokes on me, when the date that was agreed upon came I did not
receive my check and tried to call Dan. I finally got in touch with him the
next evening, he said that he was sick and wasn't taking calls from anyone...I
told him I want my money right now! He told me to drive to his house and pick
up the check, I told him I didn't even have enough money to put gas in my truck
to run a route let alone come to him to get the money that he owed me! He
told me that he would fill up my truck if I came to him. When I picked him up
he looked as healthy as I?? I filled up my truck
and Dan proceeded to write 2 checks?? 1 for the difference of the fuel, which he
told me he was going pay for?? the
other for $250, he told me not to cash them till next Wednesday... I told him
"no
I'm cashing these Monday morning" I was so pissed by this time that I didn't
even want to get into it, I couldn't even see straight, I just drove him home
told him to get out and have a route ready for me tomorrow.
When I got to the bank to cash the checks I noticed that the check that was
written with the fuel cost subtracted was $120... 250+120=370 ... my trailblazer
did not take $130 to fill up!! When I called him on this he said he told me he
didn't have enough money to pay me the full amount and I was to get the other
$70 from Jason, one of the employees?? Point being the contract that he signed
and dated was late in payment and was not the full amount.
This has created MAJOR issues in almost every area of my life! I now owe child
support over a thousand dollars, I'm behind on almost every bill.
By this time I had traded my car that was paid off and bought a new truck with a
$303.00 payment for work, tools for work, clothing for work and now I am left
with nothing.
I finally found a job that I was passionate about and it broke me...I have
had to borrow money from friends and family just to stay afloat.
Should I go after the main company or the sub-contractor?
