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Finding paperwork on The Landers Group in Oregon is not easy.
As with any outfit doing business in the city of Tigard, The Landers Group is required to take out a business license.
So far, it hasn’t done so, at least not under that name.
Instead, the company is operating under a newly formed title, BMF Global Inc., which did register at the state level in January.
After several back-and-forth exchanges to nail down a business license in Tigard, with Marcovic giving her assurance that the process had been completed, a city employee confirmed that BMF Global did take out a license on Wednesday — shortly after being contacted by The Times.
According to the license, the company employs only two people.
Marcovic, who comes across as polite and accommodating, paints a starkly different picture of the events that transpired with Lugar.
For one, she points out that Lugar did sign the waiver, agreeing to spend an eight-hour shift learning about the business.
“She signed the waiver, I have it, so it’s not like she was mistreated or anything,” Marcovic said. “It’s an interview. It’s not like she was employed here.”
“It’s all voluntary,” she said, adding that she even offered Lugar money to compensate her for the lost time and contacted Lugar later to offer assistance in finding her a different job.
Lugar refused the offers, instead interpreting them as bribes to keep her quiet about the experience.
Marcovic said her company has a three-stage interview process, a construct built on the understanding that door-to-door sales solicitation is not for everyone. Given the high drop-out rate, the question, then, is why prospective employees would be transported so far from the office, asked not to bring their cell phones and then not offered a ride back when the job doesn’t pan out.
At times Marcovic gave different time frames for how long the company has been in Tigard, anywhere from six weeks to three weeks. She uses expressions such as “business-to-business,” “grassroots sales,” “events,” and “direct sales” to describe the operation, buzzwords that mimic the The Landers Group’s Web site and gloss over the less-attractive mantle of door-to-door solicitation.
Peter Shepherd, the deputy attorney general in Oregon, said his agency is assembling a list of some of the legally questionable activities in the state that could potentially be resolved through legislative action.
One of those activities deals with a tactic used by solicitation firms to overstate the benefit of their products and whether that tactic infiltrates all levels of the industry, including employee recruitment.
“We tried to look at the question, why would it be that somebody going door-to-door would try to overstate the benefits of their product,” Shepherd said. “As we looked at those, sometimes it looked to us that, well, maybe sometimes what happens here is the crew… is under pressure from their employer to go out and make these sales.”
One problem, he said, is that there is very little in the way of complaints filed with the state Department of Justice from employees who have worked with solicitation companies, a fact the companies use to their benefit to promote their good standings in the business world.
Elizabeth Mazzara, the legislative and communication director for the Oregon Department of Labor and Industry, similarly said her agency sees few complaints, a fact she chocks up to the typically vulnerable groups — young, desperate, chronically unemployed — who fall into such work.
“The things is, I think we decided to get going on this legislative concept because these concerns have been raised, but there are no live bodies,” Mazzara said.
With a tumbling economy and the sporadic return of relatively young veterans from overseas service, the net cast by such companies could yield more would-be workers.
In Lugar’s case, because she was never officially an employee, Mazzara said the bureau has little leverage to get involved.
Though the state Bureau of Labor and Industries has regulations in place to protect minors who are employed with solicitation firms, including requiring those firms to register with the bureau, there is nothing that addresses adults in the trade, or trade practices. Nor is there likely to be anytime soon, Shepherd said.
“The problem is, when you go to the Legislature with an argument for change in the law, you have to be armed with the evidence of the harm that you’re trying to address,” he said. Right now, that evidence is scant.
Lugar, who has filed a complaint with the bureau, said she is now awaiting orders to ship out for a one-year tour in Afghanistan, though she would prefer Iraq.
“That’s why I moved all my stuff back to Oregon in the first place,” she said. “I need a job in the meantime.”
She also said she is considering a civil action against the company.
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To Redman:
Your probably also the type of guy that thinks once a woman says stop to intercourse, you have 5 seconds before it is considered rape.
(email verified)
Fri, May 02, 2008 at 05:29 AM
To Redman,
i hope you enjoy your freedoms this country guarantees you such as the "freedom of speach". your rude and obnoxious comment makes clear that this young lady has more guts in her little finger (ie: speaking out and not staying quiet when something is wrong)than you could ever hope for!
I,for one, am glad there are young people out there that are willing to do this. And I would also like to thank Ms. Lugar for her willingness to serve her country!
(email verified)
Fri, May 02, 2008 at 05:48 AM
Redman:
We see people taking advantage of people from all walks of life and according to you all is well and done. I take it from your comments you would be one of those taking advantage of others. I'm glad that this young lady is fighting back no-one should have to be left stranded from their home no matter what they may have signed. This company should be investigated and shut down for taking people away from their homes under the pretense that it is for a job interview, clearly they wanted a days work for nothing. And I for one am in awe that she is going to battle and represnting this wonderful country of ours.
(email verified)
Fri, May 02, 2008 at 07:11 AM
*facepalm*
More proof that reading the comments here is a complete waste of time.
(email verified)
Fri, May 02, 2008 at 09:53 AM
To the Trib:
This is embarassing to have to point out, but "crys foul" should be CRIES FOUL!!!!
(email verified)
Mon, May 05, 2008 at 12:46 AM
I had this exact experience happen to me about 5 years ago, only I ended up stranded in Milwaukie OR after a couple hours of going door to door with some guy. After we got yelled for the third of fourth time by people with "no solicitors" signs on their doors, (the guy justified it by saying we weren't really selling anything since they were coupons) I bailed out and took a bus back to Tigard.
They prey on suckers like me who were desperate for a job in a bad economy with hopes of "management opportunities" and "Fortune 500" companies. I have to admit though as sleazy as it was, the guy did tell me we were going to Milwaukie and when I told him I was done he did offer to get me a ride back...in six hours.
(email verified)
Mon, May 05, 2008 at 02:25 AM
"Kim J"","alison"","Linda", do you have comments about this story or just the people who post about it?
Alison, What did your comment have to do about anything pertinent to this story. It was an out of place, ignorant rant!
(email verified)
Mon, May 05, 2008 at 02:57 AM
I had about the same experience about 10 years ago. I'm just lucky I was taken to an area I knew. The only way I was able to get them to take me back to my car was threatening that I could call the police from my parents' house that we were three blocks away from.
(email verified)
Mon, May 05, 2008 at 06:09 AM
These outfits should be put out of business, as they habe no redeeming value at all. What I don't understand however, is why Ms. Lugar passed up the money/housing the Navy would afford her to come home temporarily? Perhaps Ms. Lugar isn't in the same category, but so many yound people fresh out of high school, college or the military, think the world owes them a living.
(email verified)
Mon, May 05, 2008 at 06:31 AM
Just wondering, does the military help veterans find jobs?
(email verified)
Mon, May 05, 2008 at 07:03 AM
droppin someone off in another state? cmon. how unproffesional and unsafe. I'm glad nothing happened to lugar because of the stupid decision this company made. No transportation?, No money?, No phone? just drop her off. that was not smart and I hope they pay for this serious mistake so it never happens to anyone else. good luck Lugar, I'm on your side.
And as far as you go Johnathan Redman you're a moron and your mother knows it!
(email verified)
Mon, May 05, 2008 at 11:07 AM
Ashton - glad ur ok. You should wipe the floor with them. I certainly wouldn't let them get away with that. Nobody should be forced to endure that type of treatment especially in America. That's a bunch of CRAP!
And a comment to that Redman guy -- well, I actually have no comment due to the fact that it doesn't sound like he has a great deal of intelligence.
Rock on!!!!!
(email verified)
Mon, May 05, 2008 at 11:57 AM
WOW!!! Let me get this right. The woman was offered a job. She signed a waiver saying that she was going to be going on an upaid interview. Then once she is out in the field with whomever this man is doing the interview she has a change of heart. Since this man obviously works on commission he needs to spend as much time out working as possiable. She then wanted him too take time out to cater to some individual who does not want work. I dont know...but somewhere this story does not add up I would love to talk to the owner of this BMF global inc. I am sure that the actuall story of what happened is not as extream as this young woman makes it out to be. And furthermore whoever is responsiable for the comparasion to rape you are out of you might. Getting left in vancouver the closest possiable washington city to a sexual assualt is a gross analogy and maybe you should just take the foot out of the mouth and go for a walk with someone it would be put to better use.
(email verified)
Mon, May 05, 2008 at 03:51 PM
Obviously this story is mainly Lugar's side who is an adult and signed a waiver this was a voluntary, unpaid interview to learn more about BMF Global. And instead of learning about what the company was about and what the position was, she immediately prejudged a situation. Obviously sales is not for everybody so it is understandable that she did not want to go further, but to completely blame the company and cause a ruckus, shows this is a young girl who knows very little about the business world. I obviously have complete respect for her in serving our country, but she probably has a lot to learn about what it takes to work her way up in a company in the business world.
(email verified)
Tue, May 06, 2008 at 04:10 PM
Soooo, I'm guessing that the people who are on the companies side with their comments, must either work for them, or work for/own a similar company.
The only negative I have for the victim is that any company that asked that I leave my cell when in the field would be greeted by the sight of my backside as I walk away... most likely while executing a salute.
(email verified)
Wed, May 07, 2008 at 04:42 AM
Okay, as far as the people who think this is okay, you need to put your self in her shoes. Think about it this way if they said they wanted to take you on an 8 hour unpaid interview to see if you fit in and you leave your cell phone in your car in tigard and you have no money and they drop you in seattle, or better yet lets say they take you to Canada, and then they left you, how would you feel about it then? You have no cell phone, no money no way to get home. Just because it was "simply" washing doenst mean anything. Also if she was a young kid who had no family in the area say she was still living near her active base with no one to call she would most likely still be stuck in a city and area she did not know. So all i can say is that she needs to take every possible action against this company cival and criminal look up the ORS and RWS codes and you could get a Kidnap 2 charge and really strong case for corceion. I hope that this piece of crap company learns their lesson, and i can tell you that the Military wont be to happy either.
(email verified)
Thu, May 08, 2008 at 11:36 AM
This is an example of poor business practice at an all time low. Ms. Lugar entered the interview process with a firm that fronted itself as a mainstream marketer to large corporations. She was not hired, not in a provisional period, she was interviewing. When you interview for a company, you are not an employee and are not legally obligated to work regardless of any waiver signed. Ms. Lugar was instructed to travel with a current employee of the firm to her second interview. She was led to believe that she was meeting with the firm’s upper management. This is a normal step in the second interview process of reputable businesses. Unfortunately for Ms. Lugar, the firm misrepresented the nature of their business and their interview process. The firm’s employee took Ms. Lugar thirty miles from home before disclosing the true nature of his firm’s business. At that time Ms. Lugar fully realized that the firm had misrepresented themselves to her and that she was not going to be meeting upper management for a second interview nor would she be selling to large corporations. She was asked to sell to residential areas door-to-door. Ms. Lugar has every right to decide not to work for this firm, she is not their employee. Furthermore, since this firm and its employees take part in this misguided type of illegal “free labor”, they must also be prepared to acknowledge that not every perspective interviewee is going to go along with their line of bull.
I hope that there is a lawsuit brought to this company and others like it to force them to be more forthright with their intentions and if the firm provides transportation to any location, for any reason, they must also provide transportation home within a reasonable amount of time. Eight hours is not a reasonable amount of time.
Ms. Lugar, I appreciate your willingness to serve our country and I wish you the best. You’ve learned your lesson – now it’s time they learned theirs.
(email verified)
Sat, May 10, 2008 at 04:05 AM
obviously Ms. lugar is starved for attention as The BMF global team does work directly with fortune 500 companies. Why would they take a girl with no experience to meet with corp ceo's. I highly doubt she was forced to leave her cell phone in her car, that is rediculous.If you ask me Lugar is nothing more than a drama queen and needs to do some growing up. I have respect for the military but if all she learned there was how to be a child, obviously they didnt DO Their job.
(email verified)
Sat, May 10, 2008 at 05:22 AM
"seriously/come on..."
You must like selling door to door. Go back to work now. Hurry along. The world is waiting to shut the door in your face!
(email verified)
Sun, May 11, 2008 at 09:45 AM
Okay,
I have been reading this story for a while. This has absolutlly nothing with accepting a job or trying to get a free ride. It has to do with this, a company misrepresents themselves to lure you in, then takes you to a different State (no matter if it's 1 mile or a 1000 miles) to conduct their business. When you find out what the real buisness is, then say no. What is supposed to happen you liberal responders???
At least I would think they would take Ms Lugar back to where they took her from nothing less. If you don't agree then come work for me. My interview last a full week without pay (CAUSE YOU SIGNED A WAIVER SAYING SO) and after the week if I decide that you are not right for my company you won't get hired. Then I will get more applicants to do the same, and in the mean time I don't have to pay a DAMN cent because you all would have signed waivers. So if any of you went to school and actually paid attention, you would realize what a great buisness man I am, YOU WORK FOR FREE, I GET ALL THE MONEY, YOU ARE NEVER HIRED!!!!!!!!
WHAT A GREAT PLAN, AND IF IT WERE LEGAL THEIR WOULD BE SO MANY INVESTORS. MY BUISNESS WOULD BE A FORTUNE 500.
Do you idiots get this or not??? If not that is because in my opinion you all will amount to absolutely nothing. So sit back and wait for your government check to arrive! They seem to send it to anyone these days.
Again I would like to say this has nothing to do with getting a free ride, or that someone owes something to Ms Lugar, If you read the story she was offered monies to compensate her for being left in another State or help finding a job. Which in my mind thought is the same as a BRIBE to keep you mouth shut. IN MY DAYS IT WAS CALLED HUSH MONEY!!!!
(email verified)
Sun, May 11, 2008 at 03:27 PM
She didn't have bus fare? Didn't she know that when she opted to be dropped off in Vancouver? I wonder what she did with the $18,000 a year the taxpayers gave her. There's nowhere to spend it in Iraq. How many years was she in? Three years would amount to over $50,000. When I was in the Army, a made $1,800 a year and had money in my pocket when they dropped me off in Times Square. What's she going to advise the Fortune 500 -- to not use coupons?
(email verified)
Fri, May 16, 2008 at 01:56 AM
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Re: Desperate job seekers taken for a ride?
Kidnapping??? Pleasessee......get a dose of common sense and take a reality check. You're an adult and you signed a waiver. Personally I think you ought to consider a career at somewhere like 7-11 or Plaid Pantry.
"Johnathan Redman"
(email verified)
Thu, May 01, 2008 at 04:38 AM