Last night I was sitting on my porch, enjoying the balmy November evening, when a weary young man trudged up my driveway. I'd had encounters with these young people before -- the spiel is they are "turning their lives around" and "learning skills" by selling magazines. I know a little about the business, and I refuse to buy from them. Something about the young man's weariness moved me, though.
I invited the young man to sit a spell on the porch, and went inside to get a few dollars and a glass of water. We talked for a while. The young man was from Illinois and had seen a poster advertising the magazine crew opportunity, promising income of up to $300.00/week and an opportunity to travel the country. It sounded pretty good to a poor kid. But he said the life was hard and if he didn't make his sales quota, "bad things" happened. I was working up to asking him if he wanted out of the business when the police stopped by. By the end of the discussion, there were six officers and three patrol cars. I have to say, the lead officer had a highly aggressive interview technique with both the young man and me.
The police deal with the problem by addressing the individuals going door-to-door, because usually they do not have the proper licenses. The young man mentioned they were based in a hotel the next county over, so there was a limit on what the officers could do. But I wish there was some way to put the magazine crews out of business for good. The magazine industry can and should do more, as Craig Malisow points out in the Houston Press investigative report.
On any given day, an estimated 50,000 young people are traversing the country, many of them working under substandard and dangerous conditions. Their lack of life experience makes it difficult for many of them to look after their own best interests.
In 2001, Sen. Herb Kohl (Wisc) introduced federal legislation to regulate the traveling sales crew industry. National Field Selling Association (NFSA), the industry association, successfully lobbied to have the bill quashed.
Resources for Magazine Crew workers who want to get out
Travelling Magazine Crews--This site is dedicated to helping individuals who have or are currently selling magazines/soap for traveling crews. It is meant to share stories and hopefully help those who feel they were abused by the companies who hired them. It is also intended to help those who are currently selling to get home if they want to.
Travelling Sales Crews: Dedicated to presenting the violent, destructive, greedy and criminal acts that have turned the Traveling Sales Industry into a National Tragedy.
Parent Watch: A clearinghouse for information on child and youth labor abuse in the traveling door-to-door sales crew industry.
Investigative Reports on the Travelling Sales Crew Industry
- Houston Press July 15 2008 What Magazine Publishers Don't Want You to Know about Door-to-Door Magazine Sales
- New York Times, February 21, 2007 a For Youth, Grim Tour on Magazine Crew
- Portland Tribune August 8, 2006 Subscription for Disaster, Part I: Magazine Crews Ensnare Young and Vulnerable
- Portland Tribune August 10 2006: Subscription for Disaster, Part II: A Trio of Shady Owners that Employ Magazine Crews
- Portland Tribune August 10, 2006: Daughter's Death Sets Off Father's Crusade
- Portland Tribune August 11, 2006: Industry Complaints Aren't New
- Washington Post, August 18, 2005 Police Warn of Door-to-Door Magazine Scam
Other Online Sources about Youth Traveling Sales Crews
- Edumacation: Youth Field Sales Alert
- Edumacation: Magazine Sales Scams
- Rip-Off Report: Integrity Sales
One of the only times I have ever felt scared in my own home was at the hands of a traveling magazine salesman. At the time, I was a SAHM and my kids were very young. When the doorbell rang, I opened up the door and was greeted quite affably by this salesman, a big burly guy with what seemed to be a very ready smile.
After he went through his spiel, I told him that I couldn't afford to buy anything. That's when it turned ugly. He started berating me for letting me go through his sales pitch and not stopping him. Then a series of f*****g b***h and actual threats to me started spewing. As I closed the door, I told him that I was calling the police.
Then, he started kicking my door and continued to yell more obscenities. When I called 911 and confirmed my address, I was told that the police were already on their way because apparently this guy had done the same thing at a couple of other houses!
His transportation must have been nearby because when the police came by, they were not able to apprehend him. For a long time afterwards, I was pretty shook up.
Posted by: ms_teacher | Sunday, November 30, 2008 at 12:21 PM
im sitting in a cheap motel in New Orleans right now, stuck. Because I was promised an amazing oppurtunity to travel, and make a lot of money. So far I've made nothing, and deicided to quit this morning when I realized I was getting nowhere and my "comfort period" (which is basically getting 20 dollars a day to live off of) was over as well so I would be living without any income in a place completely foreign to me. I had to call my mom up and beg for a ticket home, which she was happy to oblige because she warned me of these things and I just wouldn't listen. I haven't seen any beatings or anything from managers, but I did see a guy sent home for not working because he had pneumonia and a 102 degree fever. He's dealing with that on a bus from New Orleans to Pittsburg tonight...
As far as the pathetic excuse for a walk-in closet motel rooms they have us staying in, theres 4-5 to a room. so 2 or 3 people are sleeping on the floor in each one. While in these, I experienced fights, drug use, and various other vulgar incidents in which I joined up with this to get away from..
I was trained to lie my way into a sale. And as an Alabamian I was raised to be honest. The job wasn't by any means honest. Had I made a dime doing this, I would've felt terrible taking it. Anyways, I just wanted to put in a little of my experience. If you have any questions, feel free to email me at seth256@gmail.com, or myspace.com/seth256hxc.
Thanks for the vent!
-Seth256
Posted by: Seth Hunt | Sunday, February 21, 2010 at 11:30 AM
I feel for you, dude. I was in your position twenty years ago when I signed up with William "Bill" Gillespie's SUCCESS EXPRESS magazine selling crew.
It's all mind control and emotional abuse. That's how guys like Gillespie maintain control. I was fortunate never to witness actual violence while I was there, but the lifestyle is still criminal.
I think you should assume that the customers you sell to aren't getting their products. That's how these guys can actually afford to keep these businesses running.
You're a tool in a scam. The owners of these crews are making big bucks off of your efforts. Get out as soon as you can.
Posted by: Jeff Frederick | Monday, August 16, 2010 at 02:12 PM
I was apart of a sales crew and I never liked the experience. From it all I got was the grudge of actually taking part in such a scheme. Oh by the way the spiels are all too fake because many of the citizens know who we were and what we did.
Some people defend it like it's a good thing when in fact what this blog says is all true except I am not the young person in question. There is violence and all sorts of things that would make a parent cry, a child squeal, and a lawyer get pissed about.
Now that people say that it's not all true need to wake up. There are people who get out lucky and unscathed but not many people can get out because they owe this or in fear of what is going to happen to their "savings" they earned and what not.
The fact is that the kids are getting scammed by it all too. Not one person is going to do things about it because when they do such it's already too late. The target changes staff and names and stuff. Your kid could be in Idaho one day and heading to Michigan the next. By the time you try to get him he maybe dead or in someplace he doesn't want to be at.
I left because I hated the lifestyle of my peers were doing in front of me. I may not be a completely straight edge person but it's appalling to see all these people risk their lives by a sale. The only thing they don't know is that there are good people that would be able to get them out if they get out now and not later.
Posted by: Rob Armstead | Monday, August 01, 2011 at 05:18 PM
They were in Nashville TN a few years back at the days in on Murfreesboro Road. I responded to their ads. Fortunately I was 23 at the time & had already "lived enough" to know that when the bosses are cussing out kids in a back room while I was being "interviewed" that it was a bad deal. Hope those guys made it out okay.
Posted by: AC | Tuesday, August 30, 2011 at 06:09 PM
I have edited this comment to remove the telephone number but to provide the same level of information the commenter shared.
A person named Kristin, using this phone number is recruiting youth for door-to-door sales through Craigslist in a number of locales (170, according to the commenter below). Sample ad copy (phone numbers redacted)
Just found it interesting... is all.
Posted by: AC | Tuesday, August 30, 2011 at 06:21 PM
About 8 years ago i took one of these job im from indiana and ended up in Charlotte NC i was there about 72 hours i got beat for refusing to sign papers i was giving like most kids i was just gonna sign em like the comment above said we got 20 a day to live on so i bought a case of beer and started reading the papers work the sign on Bonus they give you is a credit amount so say u get 3,000 well that starts dissapearing for everything the 20 a day the motel the transport all comes off that 3,000 and when its gone and u haven't sold anything u owe that company after reading that i was ready to leave instead i confronted the guy his name was Brandon not sure on last name but i got it made my way to the nearest phone booth and cops did nothing like the guy above i too had to ask for a ride home and the weird thing about it while i was at the bus station they came there still wanting thoses papers signed so if anyone is thinking about this just stay away thatnks
Posted by: Tim Prater | Saturday, November 05, 2011 at 12:23 AM