- Report: #5670
Complaint Review: Merrill Adams - Conshohocken Pennsylvania
-
Author Not Confirmed
Why?
Merrill Adams
100 Four Falls Corp Center, Suite 305 Conshohocken, 19428 Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
Phone:
877.828.7089
Web:
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MERRILL ADAMS is not who they represent themselves to be. Hold on to your money! *REBUTTAL BBB reports no unsatisfied claims against Merrill-Adams *UPDATE client satisfied. Ripoff Report got their attention *REBUTTAL owner responds *EDitor's Comment *UPDATE ..Merrill out of business
*0: MERRILL ADAMS is not who they represent themselves to be. Hold on to your money CFO, COO, and CEO candidates. They have no unadvertised jobs or access to hiring authorities at the executive search level. Are they part of an HR scam? You be the judge.
*REBUTTAL Individual responds: Call me if you have a question
*REBUTTAL Individual responds: Call me if you have a question
*0:
*0:
*0:
*0: Merrill Adams is out of business! ..BBB still gives blessing on Merrill Adams
*Consumer Comment: Merril-Adams
*0: The Better Business Bureau reports no unsatisfied claims against Merrill-Adams Associates.
*0: We feel we serve a purpose, that we help others achieve a balance in their lives between home and work.
*0: The management of Merrill-Adams Associates has not only addressed to my satisfaction all of the issues I had with policies in existence at the time, but has convinced me of its sincerity in a manner that warrants my continued association with them.
I paid Merrill Adams the sum of $10,800 in July, 2000 in exchange for what I was told was the inside track to "un-advertised jobs", their "connections", and their assistance in putting me in front of individuals who had "hiring authority" at the CFO or greater level.
Actually, it started with my phone call. After a few minutes of query where they still couldn't tell me if they were a retained search firm or employee paid counseling firm, the lady who asnwered it said "It sounds like you don't know what you really want to do and need assistance in the area....", thereby setting the hook to an enormously costly and disappointing experience with Merrill Adams.
Since their Conshohocken, PA office was approximately 2 miles from my house, I visited with them there. During the course of our initial consultation, I was provided with a binder of recommendation letters of "satisfied customers", handed a news article for a recently hired CEO for a local company (not placed by Merrill Adams) and was told "You could be their CFO". I found it amusing that my meeting with them that should have taken 30 minutes was dragged over several hours - they wanted me to spend time in the conference room reading "thank you letters" from what appeared to be "satisified" customers. I felt like I was back in my college frat days, trying to be "hot-boxed" into pledging a particular fraternity.
Why did I do it? Sign with them? Because they promised me connections to CFO hiring authorities. Naturally, I asked for them to provide me with two or three telephone numbers of satisfied clients at my compensatory level, but I never received any response to my request. They said they would provide the information I requested at a later date.
Imagine my dismay when, upon signing my contract and writing upon it "Time is of the essence", I learned I was assigned to a counseler in their Parsippany, NJ office, approximately 3-4 hours away. The explanation I was provided was that the individual who made all the representations to me was just involved in "selling" and other counselors were involved in "counseling". And this fellow in Parsippany was more experienced for individuals at my level. So much for trust, eh?
At the end of this July, my contract with Merrill Adams is having its one year anniversary. I have mailed out over 6,000 resumes, had a dozen or so interviews (none of whom were sourced by Merrill Adams), and had a few other meetings with Merrill Adams(where I had to initiate the contact and ask "What's going on with my search?").
During these telephone conferences with Merrill Adams, I heard the story for the third time from the same counselor about a fellow who went to a convention in the north east and hired two college students to slide his resume under the door of each hotel room at the convention site. I was also encouraged for the fourth time to join organizations and "network", attend industry conferences (at $1200 a pop, plus travel and hotel), and to list my resume wherever I could on the Internet because there appeared to be a move within the HR departments to a reliance on that area. Of course, I had already done this Internet thing nearly a year before and determined that such an approach is largely disfunctional.
The botom line? Merrill Adams provided me with no "unadvertised jobs", provided me with no introductions to "decision-makers with CFO hiring responsibility", and, in short, did little more than take my money in exchange for writing a resume - which I subsequently revised. $10,800 for a resume writing service? You've got to be kidding me!
What I found interesting is that Merrill Adams changed it's advertising from jobs that were in the $75,000 - $500,000 range (their ad at the time I retained them) and increased the size of the carrot to jobs that were in the $75,000 - $750,000 range in approximately May, 2001.
So I called the Conshohocken, PA office and asked them how many CFO's, COO's, or CEO's they placed since I retained their services. They said they didn't have the information available at the time. I asked them to get back to me with it so I could determine whether there was a problem with me or with their assistance. Obviously, if they placed 30 CFO's during the last 12 months, then I would be first to acknowledge that perhaps my skill set was the problem. Alternatively, if they placed 2 CFO's during the last 12 months, then Merrill Adams representations and their business model was likely at fault.
In a humerous twist, I sent a "CFO Wanted" bit of gallows humor to their Conshohocken, PA office, and was contacted via email by one of their career counselors who had worked with them during the last six months saying to the effect that this is exactly the kind of disappointment that using Merrill Adams avoids and would I like to come in to their office for a "free consultation?"
This is their email they sent to me on June 5, 2001, approximately 10 months after I had signed over a check for $10,800:
"Mr. Peterson, I enjoyed receiving your resume. You are a spendid advertisement for our firm - we are a personal career marketing company serving senior level executie clients who routinely experienced who you have gone through with the Internet. We've successfully marketed more than 9,000 of them into significantly higher levels of income and responsibility. I circulated your resme to the senior management staff and, after a good laugh, they asked me to contact you to arrange a mutually agreeable time for you to come in for a preliminary discussion. It would be approximately 1 1/2 hours long, dealing with appraising your experience, assessing your goals, and exploring whether Merrill-Adams Associates can successfully assist in your career search. I look forward to hearing from you shortly."
I thought it hilariously funny that individuals at their Conshohocken, PA office didn't know I was already a client.
This is my reply, also on June 5, 2001:
"I'm glad you enjoyed the bit of gallows humor. The irony of this entire process is that I have been a Merrill-Adams client since July 28, 2000 and am nearly 11 months into my CFO search. Only July 28, 2001, my "Executive Marketing Program" with Merrill-Adams will be having its one-year birthday! And THAT should probably be an embarrassment to your firm."
They have asked me on occassion to visit their Parsippany, NJ office to get names and addresses out of a book they have there which is not available at the local Pennsylvania office. I've declined simply because this information is readily available on-line and they don't appear to have invested in the technology or the subscriptions that permit their offices to share these resources. Frankly, I'm not up for a 7 hour round-trip just to talk to a career counselor when the office I signed up with is 5 minutes away.
It's been a severe disappointment dealing with them. Never in my life have I spent so much time with so little in the way of results. I've probably put in 800-900 man hours this past year in my CFO search and, frankly, if they've put in more than 2% of that time on my behalf as they initially re-wrote my resume, I would be surprised. Their office is totally geared to selling resume writing services under the guise of "unadvertised jobs", "our connections", "career counseling services", "executive marketing programs", and other blather designed to lead you to believe that they can get you the executive level job you're looking for.
I often wonder what the graph of their placements would look like if the compensatory values were plotted on a graph during the last 12 months. Although they advertise a $75,000 - $750,000 salary range, my guess is that vast majority of placements occur UNDER $100,000, at the lower end of the scale. But if you just looked at the range they advertise, you'd think the middle of their placements was at $375,000 or thereabouts. Shame on me.
At the end of July 2001, my $10,800 contract is having its one year anniversary and I'm not one iota closer to getting the job for which I'm searching. Approximately three weeks ago, I asked them for specific names of individuals who had hiring authority at the CFO level, and I haven't received a thing. However, they did ask for 10 copies of my resume so they could "pass them around" their office in Parsippany and get some feedback from their counselors. I also received a print-out of a job ad to which I had already applied several months earlier.
The best that I can do for you is let you know they have failed miserably in their commitment to me. BEWARE. WHILE ANYTHING MAY BE PROMISED BY THEM IN AN EFFORT TO GET YOU TO PART WITH YOUR MONEY, NOTHING GOOD MAY COME FROM IT. They have NEVER taken the initiative to call me to inquire about "how are things coming along", or, alternatively, "Hey, we know the head of a company who is looking for a CFO and wants to talk with you". In fact, when I phone them, I've had a difficult time getting through the gatekeeper to my counselor until I tell them I'm a Merrill Adams client.
It's quite possible that you're better off without their limited assistance, whatever the state of your current job search.
I have a three inch thick file on Merrill Adams. I also have a five foot high stack of resumes and emails to various jobs using the Merrill Adams approach. The stack would be nearly twice as high if I followed their recently suggested advice of paying to have my resume broadcasted (spammed) to several thousand email addresses. I didn't agree to the strategy because I believe the practice of spamming resumes is one of the things that have clogged up virtual HR departments to the point of becoming just another file in an "in-box".
Please don't make the same mistake that I did. I guess I was vulnerable and prone to giving the other party the benefit of the doubt. I'd like to caution you from stepping off the edge of the abyss into their "executive marketing program." My experience has led me to believe that they "market" absolutely nothing on behalf of a candidate.
On the anniversary date of my contract, I'm asking for my money back. The fact that I wrote "Time is of the essence" on the contract nearly one year ago is going to have to force them to return it to me. Initially, they suggested the search could take anywhere from three to five months. We're on the cusp of quadrupling their lower estimate.
This is just my opinion on the matter. Thank you for taking the time to read it.
Click here to read other Rip Off Reports on Merrill Adams Associates
Actually, it started with my phone call. After a few minutes of query where they still couldn't tell me if they were a retained search firm or employee paid counseling firm, the lady who asnwered it said "It sounds like you don't know what you really want to do and need assistance in the area....", thereby setting the hook to an enormously costly and disappointing experience with Merrill Adams.
Since their Conshohocken, PA office was approximately 2 miles from my house, I visited with them there. During the course of our initial consultation, I was provided with a binder of recommendation letters of "satisfied customers", handed a news article for a recently hired CEO for a local company (not placed by Merrill Adams) and was told "You could be their CFO". I found it amusing that my meeting with them that should have taken 30 minutes was dragged over several hours - they wanted me to spend time in the conference room reading "thank you letters" from what appeared to be "satisified" customers. I felt like I was back in my college frat days, trying to be "hot-boxed" into pledging a particular fraternity.
Why did I do it? Sign with them? Because they promised me connections to CFO hiring authorities. Naturally, I asked for them to provide me with two or three telephone numbers of satisfied clients at my compensatory level, but I never received any response to my request. They said they would provide the information I requested at a later date.
Imagine my dismay when, upon signing my contract and writing upon it "Time is of the essence", I learned I was assigned to a counseler in their Parsippany, NJ office, approximately 3-4 hours away. The explanation I was provided was that the individual who made all the representations to me was just involved in "selling" and other counselors were involved in "counseling". And this fellow in Parsippany was more experienced for individuals at my level. So much for trust, eh?
At the end of this July, my contract with Merrill Adams is having its one year anniversary. I have mailed out over 6,000 resumes, had a dozen or so interviews (none of whom were sourced by Merrill Adams), and had a few other meetings with Merrill Adams(where I had to initiate the contact and ask "What's going on with my search?").
During these telephone conferences with Merrill Adams, I heard the story for the third time from the same counselor about a fellow who went to a convention in the north east and hired two college students to slide his resume under the door of each hotel room at the convention site. I was also encouraged for the fourth time to join organizations and "network", attend industry conferences (at $1200 a pop, plus travel and hotel), and to list my resume wherever I could on the Internet because there appeared to be a move within the HR departments to a reliance on that area. Of course, I had already done this Internet thing nearly a year before and determined that such an approach is largely disfunctional.
The botom line? Merrill Adams provided me with no "unadvertised jobs", provided me with no introductions to "decision-makers with CFO hiring responsibility", and, in short, did little more than take my money in exchange for writing a resume - which I subsequently revised. $10,800 for a resume writing service? You've got to be kidding me!
What I found interesting is that Merrill Adams changed it's advertising from jobs that were in the $75,000 - $500,000 range (their ad at the time I retained them) and increased the size of the carrot to jobs that were in the $75,000 - $750,000 range in approximately May, 2001.
So I called the Conshohocken, PA office and asked them how many CFO's, COO's, or CEO's they placed since I retained their services. They said they didn't have the information available at the time. I asked them to get back to me with it so I could determine whether there was a problem with me or with their assistance. Obviously, if they placed 30 CFO's during the last 12 months, then I would be first to acknowledge that perhaps my skill set was the problem. Alternatively, if they placed 2 CFO's during the last 12 months, then Merrill Adams representations and their business model was likely at fault.
In a humerous twist, I sent a "CFO Wanted" bit of gallows humor to their Conshohocken, PA office, and was contacted via email by one of their career counselors who had worked with them during the last six months saying to the effect that this is exactly the kind of disappointment that using Merrill Adams avoids and would I like to come in to their office for a "free consultation?"
This is their email they sent to me on June 5, 2001, approximately 10 months after I had signed over a check for $10,800:
"Mr. Peterson, I enjoyed receiving your resume. You are a spendid advertisement for our firm - we are a personal career marketing company serving senior level executie clients who routinely experienced who you have gone through with the Internet. We've successfully marketed more than 9,000 of them into significantly higher levels of income and responsibility. I circulated your resme to the senior management staff and, after a good laugh, they asked me to contact you to arrange a mutually agreeable time for you to come in for a preliminary discussion. It would be approximately 1 1/2 hours long, dealing with appraising your experience, assessing your goals, and exploring whether Merrill-Adams Associates can successfully assist in your career search. I look forward to hearing from you shortly."
I thought it hilariously funny that individuals at their Conshohocken, PA office didn't know I was already a client.
This is my reply, also on June 5, 2001:
"I'm glad you enjoyed the bit of gallows humor. The irony of this entire process is that I have been a Merrill-Adams client since July 28, 2000 and am nearly 11 months into my CFO search. Only July 28, 2001, my "Executive Marketing Program" with Merrill-Adams will be having its one-year birthday! And THAT should probably be an embarrassment to your firm."
They have asked me on occassion to visit their Parsippany, NJ office to get names and addresses out of a book they have there which is not available at the local Pennsylvania office. I've declined simply because this information is readily available on-line and they don't appear to have invested in the technology or the subscriptions that permit their offices to share these resources. Frankly, I'm not up for a 7 hour round-trip just to talk to a career counselor when the office I signed up with is 5 minutes away.
It's been a severe disappointment dealing with them. Never in my life have I spent so much time with so little in the way of results. I've probably put in 800-900 man hours this past year in my CFO search and, frankly, if they've put in more than 2% of that time on my behalf as they initially re-wrote my resume, I would be surprised. Their office is totally geared to selling resume writing services under the guise of "unadvertised jobs", "our connections", "career counseling services", "executive marketing programs", and other blather designed to lead you to believe that they can get you the executive level job you're looking for.
I often wonder what the graph of their placements would look like if the compensatory values were plotted on a graph during the last 12 months. Although they advertise a $75,000 - $750,000 salary range, my guess is that vast majority of placements occur UNDER $100,000, at the lower end of the scale. But if you just looked at the range they advertise, you'd think the middle of their placements was at $375,000 or thereabouts. Shame on me.
At the end of July 2001, my $10,800 contract is having its one year anniversary and I'm not one iota closer to getting the job for which I'm searching. Approximately three weeks ago, I asked them for specific names of individuals who had hiring authority at the CFO level, and I haven't received a thing. However, they did ask for 10 copies of my resume so they could "pass them around" their office in Parsippany and get some feedback from their counselors. I also received a print-out of a job ad to which I had already applied several months earlier.
The best that I can do for you is let you know they have failed miserably in their commitment to me. BEWARE. WHILE ANYTHING MAY BE PROMISED BY THEM IN AN EFFORT TO GET YOU TO PART WITH YOUR MONEY, NOTHING GOOD MAY COME FROM IT. They have NEVER taken the initiative to call me to inquire about "how are things coming along", or, alternatively, "Hey, we know the head of a company who is looking for a CFO and wants to talk with you". In fact, when I phone them, I've had a difficult time getting through the gatekeeper to my counselor until I tell them I'm a Merrill Adams client.
It's quite possible that you're better off without their limited assistance, whatever the state of your current job search.
I have a three inch thick file on Merrill Adams. I also have a five foot high stack of resumes and emails to various jobs using the Merrill Adams approach. The stack would be nearly twice as high if I followed their recently suggested advice of paying to have my resume broadcasted (spammed) to several thousand email addresses. I didn't agree to the strategy because I believe the practice of spamming resumes is one of the things that have clogged up virtual HR departments to the point of becoming just another file in an "in-box".
Please don't make the same mistake that I did. I guess I was vulnerable and prone to giving the other party the benefit of the doubt. I'd like to caution you from stepping off the edge of the abyss into their "executive marketing program." My experience has led me to believe that they "market" absolutely nothing on behalf of a candidate.
On the anniversary date of my contract, I'm asking for my money back. The fact that I wrote "Time is of the essence" on the contract nearly one year ago is going to have to force them to return it to me. Initially, they suggested the search could take anywhere from three to five months. We're on the cusp of quadrupling their lower estimate.
This is just my opinion on the matter. Thank you for taking the time to read it.
Click here to read other Rip Off Reports on Merrill Adams Associates
11 Updates & Rebuttals
Merrill Adams is out of business! ..BBB still gives blessing on Merrill Adams
#20
Thu, May 16, 2002
A newsreporter from the ABC affiliate here in Philadelphia interviewed me yesterday as well as another disgruntled Merrill Adams candidate. Charlie Timmins, the head of Merrill Adams in Pennsylvania, declined to be photographed or interviewed for TV, but said, I am a victim too!. They showed pictures of Merrill's vacated offices with everything unplugged and piles of paper randomly stacked around office space that appeared to be vacated in haste. It was on the 11:00 news after the lead story about a mentally deranged bomber/formerly electrician (how'd you like to have your house wired by THAT guy?).
Thanks to the Ripoff Report, consumers now know the rest of the story. Don't EVER take a post down. Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it.
I received half a dozen emails from other disgruntled consumers Merrill had ripped off and left swinging in the wind.
Many thanks from a grateful consumer.
[email protected]
#30
Wed, May 08, 2002
The clean, all issues resolved report was hard for me to believe. It wasn't that hard for me to believe that Merrill Adams went out of business on April 12, 2002. The announcement I received is included in this report.
Yet the Better Business Bureau's on-line reports dated May 6, 2002 fail to mention this important detail. Is this an isolated incident like the defense attorneys for Arthur Andersen would have you believe occurred in the Enron debacle? Perhaps it could be, but I am doubtful.
Somehow, you have to place the context of what occurred at Merrill Adams within the BBB's involvement in other debacles that have cost consumers millions of dollars.
What actually occurred at Merrill Adams may never see the light of day or be fully known. When four offices have been shuttered and a variety of records scattered about three different states, it can be easier to recover the personal effects of survivors at a calamity that had a definitive ground zero than become embroiled in a who done it? finger-pointing exercise that crosses multiple state lines.
Whatever is left for claimants to recover appears to be tightly zipped behind the offices of a legal firm and a corporate firewall designed to limit the reach of disgruntled corporate creditors. It's not the destination (bankruptcy) or the apparent lack of any ability to recover disputed claims that make this an interesting but woeful story. It's the winding journey I took to discover that Merrill Adams was out of business and just like many other disgruntled consumers, have been left swinging in the wind.
In January 2002, Charlie Timmins from Merrill Adams negotiated a settlement with me in exchange for the repayment of the sum of $5,400, or half of the $10,800 I paid Merrill Adams in July 2000 for access to unadvertised CFO jobs, their connections, and individuals with alleged CFO hiring authority.
Without dwelling on my past experience with Merrill Adams (which is well documented on this web site), I agreed to accept a monetary settlement. Charlie wanted to personally make things right. I wanted my money back. Both of us wanted to get on with our lives. I'm sure that during the eighteen month period prior to that settlement agreement, there were times when Merrill Adams wished they never took my money and delivered little comparable value in return. There isn't a day that goes by where I wish I never heard of the company Merrill Adams.
The settlement payments were due on the 20th of each month, commencing January 20, 2002. Although there were ten scheduled payments, I only received the first three. All of the three payments I received were late. I had to call their Parsippany office at 400 Lanidex Plaza, Parsippany, New Jersey 07054 (oddly enough, the same address as the Better Business Bureau serving Northern New Jersey) several times each month in order to get a check issued. In my opinion, Merrill Adams just wasn't overly concerned about keeping their written business agreements.
On April 25, 2002, I made my customary where's my check phone call to Merrill Adams in Parsippany, New Jersey. I was routed to their general voicemail box and left a message. That same date, I sent an email to [email protected] requesting my check. They declined to return my call or respond to my email.
On April 28, 2002, I called again, leaving a similar message inquiring about the late payment. They declined to return my call.
On April 30, 2002, I called Charlie Timmins at the Conshohocken, Pennsylvania Merrill Adams office and left a similar message. I also called their Parsippany, NJ office and left another message. Much to my delight, the extension I entered routed me to the voicemail box of my long-deceased counselor (God rest his soul). Evidently, if you have a post-mortem mailbox, you've never really left the firm. I called Parsippany a second time and although their voicemail system dutifully recorded my message, they declined to return my call.
Despite failing to receive a single reply to my messages, I didn't rush to judgment. It was possible, I thought, that all members of the firm were attending some Executive Counseling Industry Conference, perhaps on a Princess Cruise Line or at an island destination resort in an effort to improve their quality of their deliverables.
On May 1, 2002, I called Merrill's Parsippany office and left a message on extension 106. I also called Charlie Timmins at Merrill's Conshohocken office and left a message. Calls to each office went unreturned.
On May 2, 2002, I called and left a message in the general voicemail box for the Conshohocken office. I also called Parsippany and left a message on extension 107. I also sent an email to Charlie Timmins as well. They declined to return my calls or respond to my email. I thought of driving to their Conshohocken office the following day.
Imagine my dismay to receive a cryptic email the following morning on Thursday, May 2, 2002 from Friend of the Consumer. It went like this:
Mr. Peterson: Merrill has gone out of business. The whole gang and your guy has opened a new business as:
Personal Marketing Associates ( PMA )
900 E. 8th Ave. Suite 300
King of Prussia, Pa 19406
No phone # yet. Check Sunday Inquirer. their e-mail is [email protected] [email protected]
Friend of the Consumer
Well, if I was undecided before, this was all it took to knock me off the fence rail. It certainly explained why no one answered the phone in either of the two offices that I called. Yet they had all of my relevant contact information. I wondered why I hadn't heard about the move.
I took a spontaneous drive the next morning over to their new offices where they evidently shared space in an executive suite-type office arrangement. As I parked my car I noticed a red SUV with CONSTABLE emblazoned across the rear window pull into the handicapped parking. A stout older gentleman worked his way from behind the driving wheel to the front door. As I stepped into the elevator I asked him if he was looking for anyone who formerly worked for Merrill Adams.
You work for Merrill Adams?
No. I'm a customer. I just discovered they closed their offices and a group of former employees opened a new one here.
How much did they owe you?
Well, since they defaulted on their note, at least $3,780. If you count what I paid them less what they paid me, it's $9,180. Of course, that doesn't pay me a nickel for over 900 hours of my time that's been flushed down the porcelain potty or my out-of-pocket expenses.
Hey, hold the elevator door. I'll go up with you.
The two of us were asked if we wanted coffee and we declined. He flashed a badge and said he had something to deliver to Charles Timmins. After about 10 minutes, the constable came out, told me they couldn't find Charlie, but he delivered whatever he had to deliver to an employee that worked with the man. He wished me Good luck!
An employee came out and briefly chatted with me.
They fired us all!
What are you talking about?
They came in and fired us all. Merrill Adams doesn't exist anymore.
Well, I'm not surprised that it only took a puff of wind to knock down a house of cards. I'm not at all sure that Merrill Adams had a business model that really delivered value to its customers. But my deal was with Charlie. He said over four months ago he was going to personally make it right. This is his chance. I didn't add that it was his last chance.
Five minutes later, I was in Charlie's office and after another five minutes, he walked in and closed the door. Out of respect for Charlie (I've got to be the dumbest rock in the field), I won't go into a blow-by-blow of the conversation. The gist of it was that a proposed executive buy-out involving four executives became an executive buy-out involving two executives which morphed into a You're all fired. You have two hours to clean out your desks.
That action must have marked the end of whatever negotiating leverage they thought they had in acquiring the assets or the outstanding stock of Merrill Adams. It probably ruined their weekend plans as well.
Since other claimants probably want to hear the official version of the story, here it is:
The Estate of Grant Shannon announced the closing of Superior Executive Outplacement of PA d.b.a. Merrill-Adams Associates.
Since the death of Grant W, Shannon, the Estate continued operations of all of its offices, while actively engaged in trying to sell the corporation to myself and a team of internal managers. The Estate abruptly terminated negotiations with the management team on Thursday April 11, 2002.
The Estate then announced without warning the closure of the PA office on Friday April 12, 2002 at 3 PM. The Estate fired dismissed management, the entire staff and me at the same time. Since then, the Estate has not communicated with me directly at all. The Estate has not announced its intentions relative to its obligations stemming from nearly 4 years of business operations in PA.
Last week, I was asked by the Estate to compile a list of outstanding client-related obligations that warrant their attention and action. I've listed below for you specific contact information relative to your desire to collect the outstanding balance of your refund. Please keep me posted as to your situation.
On Monday April 29, 2002, the entire staff and I opened as Personal Marketing Associates, LLC to perform similar career transition services for professionals and executives in the Tri-State area. I intend to extend to specific Merrill-Adams Associates clients some degree of on-going consulting advice and guidance should the Estate choose not to provide some measure of continued services for the active clients associated with the PA office. I've been advised not to have direct dealings with former Merrill-Adams clients. So, I am in discussion with the Estate to gain approval to offer my services. My staff feels a moral obligation to assist those Merrill-Adams clients still in need of our help. My staff wants to do the right thing. I am fortunate enough to be working with such dedicated professionals.
I'd welcome the opportunity to continue my association with you. Please call me at 610. 768. 2800 so we can arrange a time to meet. If I'm unavailable, Connie Ashton can set up a good time for us to meet.
Charlie
Contact Info:
I suggest you contact the Estate immediately, given the nature of this occurrence and its impact on your search. You may choose to request of the Estate either: 1. On-going services to fulfill the specifics of your Agreement, or 2. A full refund of the balance of your fee so you may seek services elsewhere.
I believe the widow of Grant Shannon, Johanna Curran Shannon to be a compassionate person, and potentially very understanding of your circumstances.
The following is the contact information you requested:
Johanna C. Shannon, Administratrix
The Estate of Grant W. Shannon
Business Address
400 Lanidex Plaza
Parsippany, NJ 07054
Voice: 973. 884. 2833
FAX: 973. 884. 0135
Email: [email protected]
I believe the law firm engaged to advise the Estate is Lum, Danzis, Drasco, Positan and Kleinberg. My understanding that legal advice to the Estate relative to Item 2 above would emanate from the legal professional in charge of the Estate's affairs:
Dennis J. Drasco
Lum, Danzis, Drasco, Positan and Kleinberg
103 Eisenhower Parkway
Roseland, NJ 07068
Voice: 973. 228. 6770
FAX: 973. 403. 9021
Email:
Please keep me posted as to your situation.
Now I'm the first to understand that entrepreneurial businesses can be risky, that there are no guarantees of success, and that this is a really, really tough job market. And I'm as rightly concerned about possibly injury to anyone or any firm unjustly accused as I am about being an office doormat.
But there were a few things that troubled me after I left my meeting:
1. The furniture and computers in the new office looked remarkably similar to stuff that I had seen in the Merrill Adams Conshohocken office.
2. I learned that Personal Marketing Associates LLC was formed in May, 2001.
You mean to say you formed this company in May, 2001, knew there was a possibility you may be leaving and in January 2002 negotiated with me to settle with Merrill Adams and yourself at reduced amounts without disclosing to me that you and the rest of the staff were contemplating leaving to start a competing business?
No, it was just a parachute-type thing. You know, just in case whatever Grant and I had didn't work out, I needed a Plan B ready to go
3. The law firm Lum, Danzis, Drasco, Positan and Kleinberg to which I was directed from the follow-on firm (PMA) to file my subsequent claim for damages from the predecessor firm (Superior Executive Outplacements, Inc. dba Merrill Adams) and its related parties was the same firm that threatened to sue me on behalf of Merrill Adams when I filed my first Rip-off Report. Personally, I felt as if I had just been shown the door to the showers at Buchenwald and been encouraged to step right in. Should anyone be surprised that I'm not overly optimistic about any results?
While I pondered my alternatives, I recalled that California had a three strikes and you're out policy with respect to some state-wide program. Having three chances to get it right wasn't a bad idea. It reduced the strain on already limited system resources while giving multiple opportunities for one to demonstrate that another's point of view was incorrect.
So I recalled the pitches and counted up the strikes.
The first strike occurred when Charlie Timmins led me to believe Merrill Adams had access to unadvertised jobs and individuals with CFO hiring authority when in fact, they did not.
The second strike occurred when our joint efforts failed to produce any results during an eighteen month process that commenced approximately in July, 2000. I've used the term joint loosely. Actually, the efforts and related expenses, which were exclusively mine, took me on interviews through eight different states. It's still my opinion that the folks at Merrill Adams did nothing beyond assist in writing a resume.
The third strike occurred by failing to disclose We're all thinking about bailing to our Plan B corporation while negotiating in bad faith an agreement that was in default from the date of its first scheduled payment.
But there's a fourth and fifth strike as well. That's where I have to believe I have given the gang every benefit of the doubt for them to address my grievance.
Strike four occurred when they shuttered their offices, left me dangling in the wind, and failed to notify me that they had moved largely with the same staff to a new location. Only after I received the cryptic email from Friend of the Consumer did I finally understand what had occurred. Thanks, Friend, whomever you are.
The fifth strike occurred when they declined to call me today as promised last Friday. It's Tuesday 6:00 pm and I've been here all day. Although I can't be certain, I'm guessing their serving-sized plate is full of post-mortem issues requiring their immediate attention.
The new company, Personal Marketing Associates LLC, currently staffed by former members of Superior Executive Outplacement of PA, previously doing business as Merrill Adams Associates had already been in their new space for 15 days by the time I located them.
By then, even the paint was dry.
That's when I decided to call my Better Business Bureau. After all, they're the consumer's front line when it comes to protecting against fraudulent business practices, right?
On May 6, 2002, I called the BBB in Northern New Jersey at 973.581.1313 and became trapped in a voice mail Bermuda Triangle. I left a message for Jesse Mataea, inquiring about Merrill Adams and he declined to return my phone call. After visiting www.parsippany.bbb.org , I sent a follow-on email to [email protected] and they declined to respond as of this date.
On May 7, 2002, I again called the BBB in Northern New Jersey, was prompted to enter the phone number for Merrill Adams and received a digital consumer report. Merrill Adams started business in May of 1987, was classified under Employment Agencies, and all complaints have been addressed promptly. Obviously, no one there took the time to stroll down the hall to see if they were still in business.
On May 6, 2002, I called the BBB of Southern New Jersey at 609.588.0808. After listening to melodic 40's swing music for approximately five minutes, Joan advised me that they were classified as No-file. She went on to explain that somebody inquired about them, the BBB then sent Merrill Adams a standard request for information (and, presumably a fee), but no one replied to their request. The information available on www.trenton.bbb.org appeared to confirm her remarks.
On May 6, 2002, I called the BBB of Metropolitan New York City at 212.533.6200. A recording advised me that they wanted a $3 fee for processing the request that would be charged to my credit card. However, they offered a no-cost alternative if I went to their web site. The BBB web site at www.newyork.bbb.org reported that Merrill Adams had been in business since January 1, 1987 and the BBB opened a file on them on January 1, 1991. The site further explained:
This firm is not an employment agency. Therefore this firm cannot actively seek employment for clients. Its services are limited to advising clients on such topics as resumes and interviewing techniques.
In August 1997, the Bureau requested proof that individuals had obtained employment through the firm's assistance.
The Bureau was able to verify that individuals obtained employment through this firm's assistance.
Total number of complaints processed by the BBB in the last 36 months: 2.
The BBB web site report failed to mention that Merrill Adams is out of business.
On May 6, 2002, I called the BBB of Eastern Pennsylvania at 215.985.9313. Mrs. Williams kindly advised me that at this time, neither Merrill Adams or Superior Executive Outplacement, Inc. were members. However, both entities had been members from 1998 to August 2001.
I visited their web site on May 7, 2002 @ www.easternpa.bbb.org and noted the customer experience record for Merrill Adams:
Our file experience shows that this company has a satisfactory record with the Bureau. To qualify for a "Satisfactory Record" at the BBB, a company must be in business for at least one year, properly handle matters referred to it by the Bureau, be free from an unusual volume or pattern of complaints, and be free of serious law enforcement actions involving its marketplace conduct. In addition, the Bureau must have a clear understanding of the company's business. The company resolved all complaints presented to it by the Bureau. The company has responded to complaints by handling service issues, by resolving contract disputes and by addressing product concerns.
The BBB web site and Ms. Williams both failed to report that Merrill Adams is out of business. The web site also disclosed the related entities Atlantic Regional Collection Agency and Superior Executive Outplacements.
Could it be possible that the BBB is blameless in this debacle? In my opinion that could hardly be so.
I recall seeing in July 2000 and again in January 2002 a nicely presented container full of BBB cards on an executive desk in the Merrill Adams office. As a consumer, the presence of the cards alone led me to believe the BBB stood fully behind Merrill Adams, Superior Executive Outplacements, and Atlantic Regional Collection Agency.
As a consumer who was taken to the cleaners by Merrill Adams, I am deeply troubled. I am also challenged to believe that I am one of perhaps only three or four individuals within a three state region who filed complaints against this enterprise before it closed.
I am further conflicted upon weighing a generous albeit dubious offer for continued executive counseling services from Personal Marketing Associates while having had a front row seat as their predecessor entity whiffed five critical pitches in a row.
Their time at the plate on my behalf cost them nothing. It cost me upwards of $15,000 were I to value my 900+ hours of time at zero. While it is true the new enterprise now operates under a different name, address, and set of contact numbers, the individuals are largely the same from the Merrill Adams organization that failed to perform over a period nearly two years in duration.
I so badly want to give them a sixth chance. But my sixth sense tells me I have to draw the line somewhere. Common sense supports my decision. If I had any horse sense, I would have put them out to pasture a long time ago.
That's just my opinion on the matter.
STOP! ..before you think about using the Better Business Bureau (BBB)... CLICK HERE to see how other consumers were victimized by the BBB's false or misleading information. Don't be fooled! It has been reported, when there are thousands of complaints and other investigations underway by authorities, the BBB has no choice but to finally give an UNsatisfactory rating to a BBB member business that is paying the BBB big membership fees every year. When a business is reported that is NOT a BBB member, BBB files WILL more likely show an UNsatisfactory rating, then reportedly shake down that company to become a member of the BBB. One positive thing about the BBB is, either way, if a business has an unsatisfactory rating with the BBB, you can be sure, the business is bad. But what about all those BBB member businesses that had complaints filed against them? Consumers never get to hear about them. What about the BBB advertising to the public? Is this a false and misleading perception they are giving about consumer confidence when dealing with a business? Click here to understand more of what consumers and business alike are saying about the BBB. You decide. ..Remember. The BBB membership is not earned, it's paid for!
#40
Wed, May 08, 2002
The clean, all issues resolved report was hard for me to believe. It wasn't that hard for me to believe that Merrill Adams went out of business on April 12, 2002. The announcement I received is included in this report.
Yet the Better Business Bureau's on-line reports dated May 6, 2002 fail to mention this important detail. Is this an isolated incident like the defense attorneys for Arthur Andersen would have you believe occurred in the Enron debacle? Perhaps it could be, but I am doubtful.
Somehow, you have to place the context of what occurred at Merrill Adams within the BBB's involvement in other debacles that have cost consumers millions of dollars.
What actually occurred at Merrill Adams may never see the light of day or be fully known. When four offices have been shuttered and a variety of records scattered about three different states, it can be easier to recover the personal effects of survivors at a calamity that had a definitive ground zero than become embroiled in a who done it? finger-pointing exercise that crosses multiple state lines.
Whatever is left for claimants to recover appears to be tightly zipped behind the offices of a legal firm and a corporate firewall designed to limit the reach of disgruntled corporate creditors. It's not the destination (bankruptcy) or the apparent lack of any ability to recover disputed claims that make this an interesting but woeful story. It's the winding journey I took to discover that Merrill Adams was out of business and just like many other disgruntled consumers, have been left swinging in the wind.
In January 2002, Charlie Timmins from Merrill Adams negotiated a settlement with me in exchange for the repayment of the sum of $5,400, or half of the $10,800 I paid Merrill Adams in July 2000 for access to unadvertised CFO jobs, their connections, and individuals with alleged CFO hiring authority.
Without dwelling on my past experience with Merrill Adams (which is well documented on this web site), I agreed to accept a monetary settlement. Charlie wanted to personally make things right. I wanted my money back. Both of us wanted to get on with our lives. I'm sure that during the eighteen month period prior to that settlement agreement, there were times when Merrill Adams wished they never took my money and delivered little comparable value in return. There isn't a day that goes by where I wish I never heard of the company Merrill Adams.
The settlement payments were due on the 20th of each month, commencing January 20, 2002. Although there were ten scheduled payments, I only received the first three. All of the three payments I received were late. I had to call their Parsippany office at 400 Lanidex Plaza, Parsippany, New Jersey 07054 (oddly enough, the same address as the Better Business Bureau serving Northern New Jersey) several times each month in order to get a check issued. In my opinion, Merrill Adams just wasn't overly concerned about keeping their written business agreements.
On April 25, 2002, I made my customary where's my check phone call to Merrill Adams in Parsippany, New Jersey. I was routed to their general voicemail box and left a message. That same date, I sent an email to [email protected] requesting my check. They declined to return my call or respond to my email.
On April 28, 2002, I called again, leaving a similar message inquiring about the late payment. They declined to return my call.
On April 30, 2002, I called Charlie Timmins at the Conshohocken, Pennsylvania Merrill Adams office and left a similar message. I also called their Parsippany, NJ office and left another message. Much to my delight, the extension I entered routed me to the voicemail box of my long-deceased counselor (God rest his soul). Evidently, if you have a post-mortem mailbox, you've never really left the firm. I called Parsippany a second time and although their voicemail system dutifully recorded my message, they declined to return my call.
Despite failing to receive a single reply to my messages, I didn't rush to judgment. It was possible, I thought, that all members of the firm were attending some Executive Counseling Industry Conference, perhaps on a Princess Cruise Line or at an island destination resort in an effort to improve their quality of their deliverables.
On May 1, 2002, I called Merrill's Parsippany office and left a message on extension 106. I also called Charlie Timmins at Merrill's Conshohocken office and left a message. Calls to each office went unreturned.
On May 2, 2002, I called and left a message in the general voicemail box for the Conshohocken office. I also called Parsippany and left a message on extension 107. I also sent an email to Charlie Timmins as well. They declined to return my calls or respond to my email. I thought of driving to their Conshohocken office the following day.
Imagine my dismay to receive a cryptic email the following morning on Thursday, May 2, 2002 from Friend of the Consumer. It went like this:
Mr. Peterson: Merrill has gone out of business. The whole gang and your guy has opened a new business as:
Personal Marketing Associates ( PMA )
900 E. 8th Ave. Suite 300
King of Prussia, Pa 19406
No phone # yet. Check Sunday Inquirer. their e-mail is [email protected] [email protected]
Friend of the Consumer
Well, if I was undecided before, this was all it took to knock me off the fence rail. It certainly explained why no one answered the phone in either of the two offices that I called. Yet they had all of my relevant contact information. I wondered why I hadn't heard about the move.
I took a spontaneous drive the next morning over to their new offices where they evidently shared space in an executive suite-type office arrangement. As I parked my car I noticed a red SUV with CONSTABLE emblazoned across the rear window pull into the handicapped parking. A stout older gentleman worked his way from behind the driving wheel to the front door. As I stepped into the elevator I asked him if he was looking for anyone who formerly worked for Merrill Adams.
You work for Merrill Adams?
No. I'm a customer. I just discovered they closed their offices and a group of former employees opened a new one here.
How much did they owe you?
Well, since they defaulted on their note, at least $3,780. If you count what I paid them less what they paid me, it's $9,180. Of course, that doesn't pay me a nickel for over 900 hours of my time that's been flushed down the porcelain potty or my out-of-pocket expenses.
Hey, hold the elevator door. I'll go up with you.
The two of us were asked if we wanted coffee and we declined. He flashed a badge and said he had something to deliver to Charles Timmins. After about 10 minutes, the constable came out, told me they couldn't find Charlie, but he delivered whatever he had to deliver to an employee that worked with the man. He wished me Good luck!
An employee came out and briefly chatted with me.
They fired us all!
What are you talking about?
They came in and fired us all. Merrill Adams doesn't exist anymore.
Well, I'm not surprised that it only took a puff of wind to knock down a house of cards. I'm not at all sure that Merrill Adams had a business model that really delivered value to its customers. But my deal was with Charlie. He said over four months ago he was going to personally make it right. This is his chance. I didn't add that it was his last chance.
Five minutes later, I was in Charlie's office and after another five minutes, he walked in and closed the door. Out of respect for Charlie (I've got to be the dumbest rock in the field), I won't go into a blow-by-blow of the conversation. The gist of it was that a proposed executive buy-out involving four executives became an executive buy-out involving two executives which morphed into a You're all fired. You have two hours to clean out your desks.
That action must have marked the end of whatever negotiating leverage they thought they had in acquiring the assets or the outstanding stock of Merrill Adams. It probably ruined their weekend plans as well.
Since other claimants probably want to hear the official version of the story, here it is:
The Estate of Grant Shannon announced the closing of Superior Executive Outplacement of PA d.b.a. Merrill-Adams Associates.
Since the death of Grant W, Shannon, the Estate continued operations of all of its offices, while actively engaged in trying to sell the corporation to myself and a team of internal managers. The Estate abruptly terminated negotiations with the management team on Thursday April 11, 2002.
The Estate then announced without warning the closure of the PA office on Friday April 12, 2002 at 3 PM. The Estate fired dismissed management, the entire staff and me at the same time. Since then, the Estate has not communicated with me directly at all. The Estate has not announced its intentions relative to its obligations stemming from nearly 4 years of business operations in PA.
Last week, I was asked by the Estate to compile a list of outstanding client-related obligations that warrant their attention and action. I've listed below for you specific contact information relative to your desire to collect the outstanding balance of your refund. Please keep me posted as to your situation.
On Monday April 29, 2002, the entire staff and I opened as Personal Marketing Associates, LLC to perform similar career transition services for professionals and executives in the Tri-State area. I intend to extend to specific Merrill-Adams Associates clients some degree of on-going consulting advice and guidance should the Estate choose not to provide some measure of continued services for the active clients associated with the PA office. I've been advised not to have direct dealings with former Merrill-Adams clients. So, I am in discussion with the Estate to gain approval to offer my services. My staff feels a moral obligation to assist those Merrill-Adams clients still in need of our help. My staff wants to do the right thing. I am fortunate enough to be working with such dedicated professionals.
I'd welcome the opportunity to continue my association with you. Please call me at 610. 768. 2800 so we can arrange a time to meet. If I'm unavailable, Connie Ashton can set up a good time for us to meet.
Charlie
Contact Info:
I suggest you contact the Estate immediately, given the nature of this occurrence and its impact on your search. You may choose to request of the Estate either: 1. On-going services to fulfill the specifics of your Agreement, or 2. A full refund of the balance of your fee so you may seek services elsewhere.
I believe the widow of Grant Shannon, Johanna Curran Shannon to be a compassionate person, and potentially very understanding of your circumstances.
The following is the contact information you requested:
Johanna C. Shannon, Administratrix
The Estate of Grant W. Shannon
Business Address
400 Lanidex Plaza
Parsippany, NJ 07054
Voice: 973. 884. 2833
FAX: 973. 884. 0135
Email: [email protected]
I believe the law firm engaged to advise the Estate is Lum, Danzis, Drasco, Positan and Kleinberg. My understanding that legal advice to the Estate relative to Item 2 above would emanate from the legal professional in charge of the Estate's affairs:
Dennis J. Drasco
Lum, Danzis, Drasco, Positan and Kleinberg
103 Eisenhower Parkway
Roseland, NJ 07068
Voice: 973. 228. 6770
FAX: 973. 403. 9021
Email:
Please keep me posted as to your situation.
Now I'm the first to understand that entrepreneurial businesses can be risky, that there are no guarantees of success, and that this is a really, really tough job market. And I'm as rightly concerned about possibly injury to anyone or any firm unjustly accused as I am about being an office doormat.
But there were a few things that troubled me after I left my meeting:
1. The furniture and computers in the new office looked remarkably similar to stuff that I had seen in the Merrill Adams Conshohocken office.
2. I learned that Personal Marketing Associates LLC was formed in May, 2001.
You mean to say you formed this company in May, 2001, knew there was a possibility you may be leaving and in January 2002 negotiated with me to settle with Merrill Adams and yourself at reduced amounts without disclosing to me that you and the rest of the staff were contemplating leaving to start a competing business?
No, it was just a parachute-type thing. You know, just in case whatever Grant and I had didn't work out, I needed a Plan B ready to go
3. The law firm Lum, Danzis, Drasco, Positan and Kleinberg to which I was directed from the follow-on firm (PMA) to file my subsequent claim for damages from the predecessor firm (Superior Executive Outplacements, Inc. dba Merrill Adams) and its related parties was the same firm that threatened to sue me on behalf of Merrill Adams when I filed my first Rip-off Report. Personally, I felt as if I had just been shown the door to the showers at Buchenwald and been encouraged to step right in. Should anyone be surprised that I'm not overly optimistic about any results?
While I pondered my alternatives, I recalled that California had a three strikes and you're out policy with respect to some state-wide program. Having three chances to get it right wasn't a bad idea. It reduced the strain on already limited system resources while giving multiple opportunities for one to demonstrate that another's point of view was incorrect.
So I recalled the pitches and counted up the strikes.
The first strike occurred when Charlie Timmins led me to believe Merrill Adams had access to unadvertised jobs and individuals with CFO hiring authority when in fact, they did not.
The second strike occurred when our joint efforts failed to produce any results during an eighteen month process that commenced approximately in July, 2000. I've used the term joint loosely. Actually, the efforts and related expenses, which were exclusively mine, took me on interviews through eight different states. It's still my opinion that the folks at Merrill Adams did nothing beyond assist in writing a resume.
The third strike occurred by failing to disclose We're all thinking about bailing to our Plan B corporation while negotiating in bad faith an agreement that was in default from the date of its first scheduled payment.
But there's a fourth and fifth strike as well. That's where I have to believe I have given the gang every benefit of the doubt for them to address my grievance.
Strike four occurred when they shuttered their offices, left me dangling in the wind, and failed to notify me that they had moved largely with the same staff to a new location. Only after I received the cryptic email from Friend of the Consumer did I finally understand what had occurred. Thanks, Friend, whomever you are.
The fifth strike occurred when they declined to call me today as promised last Friday. It's Tuesday 6:00 pm and I've been here all day. Although I can't be certain, I'm guessing their serving-sized plate is full of post-mortem issues requiring their immediate attention.
The new company, Personal Marketing Associates LLC, currently staffed by former members of Superior Executive Outplacement of PA, previously doing business as Merrill Adams Associates had already been in their new space for 15 days by the time I located them.
By then, even the paint was dry.
That's when I decided to call my Better Business Bureau. After all, they're the consumer's front line when it comes to protecting against fraudulent business practices, right?
On May 6, 2002, I called the BBB in Northern New Jersey at 973.581.1313 and became trapped in a voice mail Bermuda Triangle. I left a message for Jesse Mataea, inquiring about Merrill Adams and he declined to return my phone call. After visiting www.parsippany.bbb.org , I sent a follow-on email to [email protected] and they declined to respond as of this date.
On May 7, 2002, I again called the BBB in Northern New Jersey, was prompted to enter the phone number for Merrill Adams and received a digital consumer report. Merrill Adams started business in May of 1987, was classified under Employment Agencies, and all complaints have been addressed promptly. Obviously, no one there took the time to stroll down the hall to see if they were still in business.
On May 6, 2002, I called the BBB of Southern New Jersey at 609.588.0808. After listening to melodic 40's swing music for approximately five minutes, Joan advised me that they were classified as No-file. She went on to explain that somebody inquired about them, the BBB then sent Merrill Adams a standard request for information (and, presumably a fee), but no one replied to their request. The information available on www.trenton.bbb.org appeared to confirm her remarks.
On May 6, 2002, I called the BBB of Metropolitan New York City at 212.533.6200. A recording advised me that they wanted a $3 fee for processing the request that would be charged to my credit card. However, they offered a no-cost alternative if I went to their web site. The BBB web site at www.newyork.bbb.org reported that Merrill Adams had been in business since January 1, 1987 and the BBB opened a file on them on January 1, 1991. The site further explained:
This firm is not an employment agency. Therefore this firm cannot actively seek employment for clients. Its services are limited to advising clients on such topics as resumes and interviewing techniques.
In August 1997, the Bureau requested proof that individuals had obtained employment through the firm's assistance.
The Bureau was able to verify that individuals obtained employment through this firm's assistance.
Total number of complaints processed by the BBB in the last 36 months: 2.
The BBB web site report failed to mention that Merrill Adams is out of business.
On May 6, 2002, I called the BBB of Eastern Pennsylvania at 215.985.9313. Mrs. Williams kindly advised me that at this time, neither Merrill Adams or Superior Executive Outplacement, Inc. were members. However, both entities had been members from 1998 to August 2001.
I visited their web site on May 7, 2002 @ www.easternpa.bbb.org and noted the customer experience record for Merrill Adams:
Our file experience shows that this company has a satisfactory record with the Bureau. To qualify for a "Satisfactory Record" at the BBB, a company must be in business for at least one year, properly handle matters referred to it by the Bureau, be free from an unusual volume or pattern of complaints, and be free of serious law enforcement actions involving its marketplace conduct. In addition, the Bureau must have a clear understanding of the company's business. The company resolved all complaints presented to it by the Bureau. The company has responded to complaints by handling service issues, by resolving contract disputes and by addressing product concerns.
The BBB web site and Ms. Williams both failed to report that Merrill Adams is out of business. The web site also disclosed the related entities Atlantic Regional Collection Agency and Superior Executive Outplacements.
Could it be possible that the BBB is blameless in this debacle? In my opinion that could hardly be so.
I recall seeing in July 2000 and again in January 2002 a nicely presented container full of BBB cards on an executive desk in the Merrill Adams office. As a consumer, the presence of the cards alone led me to believe the BBB stood fully behind Merrill Adams, Superior Executive Outplacements, and Atlantic Regional Collection Agency.
As a consumer who was taken to the cleaners by Merrill Adams, I am deeply troubled. I am also challenged to believe that I am one of perhaps only three or four individuals within a three state region who filed complaints against this enterprise before it closed.
I am further conflicted upon weighing a generous albeit dubious offer for continued executive counseling services from Personal Marketing Associates while having had a front row seat as their predecessor entity whiffed five critical pitches in a row.
Their time at the plate on my behalf cost them nothing. It cost me upwards of $15,000 were I to value my 900+ hours of time at zero. While it is true the new enterprise now operates under a different name, address, and set of contact numbers, the individuals are largely the same from the Merrill Adams organization that failed to perform over a period nearly two years in duration.
I so badly want to give them a sixth chance. But my sixth sense tells me I have to draw the line somewhere. Common sense supports my decision. If I had any horse sense, I would have put them out to pasture a long time ago.
That's just my opinion on the matter.
STOP! ..before you think about using the Better Business Bureau (BBB)... CLICK HERE to see how other consumers were victimized by the BBB's false or misleading information. Don't be fooled! It has been reported, when there are thousands of complaints and other investigations underway by authorities, the BBB has no choice but to finally give an UNsatisfactory rating to a BBB member business that is paying the BBB big membership fees every year. When a business is reported that is NOT a BBB member, BBB files WILL more likely show an UNsatisfactory rating, then reportedly shake down that company to become a member of the BBB. One positive thing about the BBB is, either way, if a business has an unsatisfactory rating with the BBB, you can be sure, the business is bad. But what about all those BBB member businesses that had complaints filed against them? Consumers never get to hear about them. What about the BBB advertising to the public? Is this a false and misleading perception they are giving about consumer confidence when dealing with a business? Click here to understand more of what consumers and business alike are saying about the BBB. You decide. ..Remember. The BBB membership is not earned, it's paid for!
#50
Wed, May 08, 2002
The clean, all issues resolved report was hard for me to believe. It wasn't that hard for me to believe that Merrill Adams went out of business on April 12, 2002. The announcement I received is included in this report.
Yet the Better Business Bureau's on-line reports dated May 6, 2002 fail to mention this important detail. Is this an isolated incident like the defense attorneys for Arthur Andersen would have you believe occurred in the Enron debacle? Perhaps it could be, but I am doubtful.
Somehow, you have to place the context of what occurred at Merrill Adams within the BBB's involvement in other debacles that have cost consumers millions of dollars.
What actually occurred at Merrill Adams may never see the light of day or be fully known. When four offices have been shuttered and a variety of records scattered about three different states, it can be easier to recover the personal effects of survivors at a calamity that had a definitive ground zero than become embroiled in a who done it? finger-pointing exercise that crosses multiple state lines.
Whatever is left for claimants to recover appears to be tightly zipped behind the offices of a legal firm and a corporate firewall designed to limit the reach of disgruntled corporate creditors. It's not the destination (bankruptcy) or the apparent lack of any ability to recover disputed claims that make this an interesting but woeful story. It's the winding journey I took to discover that Merrill Adams was out of business and just like many other disgruntled consumers, have been left swinging in the wind.
In January 2002, Charlie Timmins from Merrill Adams negotiated a settlement with me in exchange for the repayment of the sum of $5,400, or half of the $10,800 I paid Merrill Adams in July 2000 for access to unadvertised CFO jobs, their connections, and individuals with alleged CFO hiring authority.
Without dwelling on my past experience with Merrill Adams (which is well documented on this web site), I agreed to accept a monetary settlement. Charlie wanted to personally make things right. I wanted my money back. Both of us wanted to get on with our lives. I'm sure that during the eighteen month period prior to that settlement agreement, there were times when Merrill Adams wished they never took my money and delivered little comparable value in return. There isn't a day that goes by where I wish I never heard of the company Merrill Adams.
The settlement payments were due on the 20th of each month, commencing January 20, 2002. Although there were ten scheduled payments, I only received the first three. All of the three payments I received were late. I had to call their Parsippany office at 400 Lanidex Plaza, Parsippany, New Jersey 07054 (oddly enough, the same address as the Better Business Bureau serving Northern New Jersey) several times each month in order to get a check issued. In my opinion, Merrill Adams just wasn't overly concerned about keeping their written business agreements.
On April 25, 2002, I made my customary where's my check phone call to Merrill Adams in Parsippany, New Jersey. I was routed to their general voicemail box and left a message. That same date, I sent an email to [email protected] requesting my check. They declined to return my call or respond to my email.
On April 28, 2002, I called again, leaving a similar message inquiring about the late payment. They declined to return my call.
On April 30, 2002, I called Charlie Timmins at the Conshohocken, Pennsylvania Merrill Adams office and left a similar message. I also called their Parsippany, NJ office and left another message. Much to my delight, the extension I entered routed me to the voicemail box of my long-deceased counselor (God rest his soul). Evidently, if you have a post-mortem mailbox, you've never really left the firm. I called Parsippany a second time and although their voicemail system dutifully recorded my message, they declined to return my call.
Despite failing to receive a single reply to my messages, I didn't rush to judgment. It was possible, I thought, that all members of the firm were attending some Executive Counseling Industry Conference, perhaps on a Princess Cruise Line or at an island destination resort in an effort to improve their quality of their deliverables.
On May 1, 2002, I called Merrill's Parsippany office and left a message on extension 106. I also called Charlie Timmins at Merrill's Conshohocken office and left a message. Calls to each office went unreturned.
On May 2, 2002, I called and left a message in the general voicemail box for the Conshohocken office. I also called Parsippany and left a message on extension 107. I also sent an email to Charlie Timmins as well. They declined to return my calls or respond to my email. I thought of driving to their Conshohocken office the following day.
Imagine my dismay to receive a cryptic email the following morning on Thursday, May 2, 2002 from Friend of the Consumer. It went like this:
Mr. Peterson: Merrill has gone out of business. The whole gang and your guy has opened a new business as:
Personal Marketing Associates ( PMA )
900 E. 8th Ave. Suite 300
King of Prussia, Pa 19406
No phone # yet. Check Sunday Inquirer. their e-mail is [email protected] [email protected]
Friend of the Consumer
Well, if I was undecided before, this was all it took to knock me off the fence rail. It certainly explained why no one answered the phone in either of the two offices that I called. Yet they had all of my relevant contact information. I wondered why I hadn't heard about the move.
I took a spontaneous drive the next morning over to their new offices where they evidently shared space in an executive suite-type office arrangement. As I parked my car I noticed a red SUV with CONSTABLE emblazoned across the rear window pull into the handicapped parking. A stout older gentleman worked his way from behind the driving wheel to the front door. As I stepped into the elevator I asked him if he was looking for anyone who formerly worked for Merrill Adams.
You work for Merrill Adams?
No. I'm a customer. I just discovered they closed their offices and a group of former employees opened a new one here.
How much did they owe you?
Well, since they defaulted on their note, at least $3,780. If you count what I paid them less what they paid me, it's $9,180. Of course, that doesn't pay me a nickel for over 900 hours of my time that's been flushed down the porcelain potty or my out-of-pocket expenses.
Hey, hold the elevator door. I'll go up with you.
The two of us were asked if we wanted coffee and we declined. He flashed a badge and said he had something to deliver to Charles Timmins. After about 10 minutes, the constable came out, told me they couldn't find Charlie, but he delivered whatever he had to deliver to an employee that worked with the man. He wished me Good luck!
An employee came out and briefly chatted with me.
They fired us all!
What are you talking about?
They came in and fired us all. Merrill Adams doesn't exist anymore.
Well, I'm not surprised that it only took a puff of wind to knock down a house of cards. I'm not at all sure that Merrill Adams had a business model that really delivered value to its customers. But my deal was with Charlie. He said over four months ago he was going to personally make it right. This is his chance. I didn't add that it was his last chance.
Five minutes later, I was in Charlie's office and after another five minutes, he walked in and closed the door. Out of respect for Charlie (I've got to be the dumbest rock in the field), I won't go into a blow-by-blow of the conversation. The gist of it was that a proposed executive buy-out involving four executives became an executive buy-out involving two executives which morphed into a You're all fired. You have two hours to clean out your desks.
That action must have marked the end of whatever negotiating leverage they thought they had in acquiring the assets or the outstanding stock of Merrill Adams. It probably ruined their weekend plans as well.
Since other claimants probably want to hear the official version of the story, here it is:
The Estate of Grant Shannon announced the closing of Superior Executive Outplacement of PA d.b.a. Merrill-Adams Associates.
Since the death of Grant W, Shannon, the Estate continued operations of all of its offices, while actively engaged in trying to sell the corporation to myself and a team of internal managers. The Estate abruptly terminated negotiations with the management team on Thursday April 11, 2002.
The Estate then announced without warning the closure of the PA office on Friday April 12, 2002 at 3 PM. The Estate fired dismissed management, the entire staff and me at the same time. Since then, the Estate has not communicated with me directly at all. The Estate has not announced its intentions relative to its obligations stemming from nearly 4 years of business operations in PA.
Last week, I was asked by the Estate to compile a list of outstanding client-related obligations that warrant their attention and action. I've listed below for you specific contact information relative to your desire to collect the outstanding balance of your refund. Please keep me posted as to your situation.
On Monday April 29, 2002, the entire staff and I opened as Personal Marketing Associates, LLC to perform similar career transition services for professionals and executives in the Tri-State area. I intend to extend to specific Merrill-Adams Associates clients some degree of on-going consulting advice and guidance should the Estate choose not to provide some measure of continued services for the active clients associated with the PA office. I've been advised not to have direct dealings with former Merrill-Adams clients. So, I am in discussion with the Estate to gain approval to offer my services. My staff feels a moral obligation to assist those Merrill-Adams clients still in need of our help. My staff wants to do the right thing. I am fortunate enough to be working with such dedicated professionals.
I'd welcome the opportunity to continue my association with you. Please call me at 610. 768. 2800 so we can arrange a time to meet. If I'm unavailable, Connie Ashton can set up a good time for us to meet.
Charlie
Contact Info:
I suggest you contact the Estate immediately, given the nature of this occurrence and its impact on your search. You may choose to request of the Estate either: 1. On-going services to fulfill the specifics of your Agreement, or 2. A full refund of the balance of your fee so you may seek services elsewhere.
I believe the widow of Grant Shannon, Johanna Curran Shannon to be a compassionate person, and potentially very understanding of your circumstances.
The following is the contact information you requested:
Johanna C. Shannon, Administratrix
The Estate of Grant W. Shannon
Business Address
400 Lanidex Plaza
Parsippany, NJ 07054
Voice: 973. 884. 2833
FAX: 973. 884. 0135
Email: [email protected]
I believe the law firm engaged to advise the Estate is Lum, Danzis, Drasco, Positan and Kleinberg. My understanding that legal advice to the Estate relative to Item 2 above would emanate from the legal professional in charge of the Estate's affairs:
Dennis J. Drasco
Lum, Danzis, Drasco, Positan and Kleinberg
103 Eisenhower Parkway
Roseland, NJ 07068
Voice: 973. 228. 6770
FAX: 973. 403. 9021
Email:
Please keep me posted as to your situation.
Now I'm the first to understand that entrepreneurial businesses can be risky, that there are no guarantees of success, and that this is a really, really tough job market. And I'm as rightly concerned about possibly injury to anyone or any firm unjustly accused as I am about being an office doormat.
But there were a few things that troubled me after I left my meeting:
1. The furniture and computers in the new office looked remarkably similar to stuff that I had seen in the Merrill Adams Conshohocken office.
2. I learned that Personal Marketing Associates LLC was formed in May, 2001.
You mean to say you formed this company in May, 2001, knew there was a possibility you may be leaving and in January 2002 negotiated with me to settle with Merrill Adams and yourself at reduced amounts without disclosing to me that you and the rest of the staff were contemplating leaving to start a competing business?
No, it was just a parachute-type thing. You know, just in case whatever Grant and I had didn't work out, I needed a Plan B ready to go
3. The law firm Lum, Danzis, Drasco, Positan and Kleinberg to which I was directed from the follow-on firm (PMA) to file my subsequent claim for damages from the predecessor firm (Superior Executive Outplacements, Inc. dba Merrill Adams) and its related parties was the same firm that threatened to sue me on behalf of Merrill Adams when I filed my first Rip-off Report. Personally, I felt as if I had just been shown the door to the showers at Buchenwald and been encouraged to step right in. Should anyone be surprised that I'm not overly optimistic about any results?
While I pondered my alternatives, I recalled that California had a three strikes and you're out policy with respect to some state-wide program. Having three chances to get it right wasn't a bad idea. It reduced the strain on already limited system resources while giving multiple opportunities for one to demonstrate that another's point of view was incorrect.
So I recalled the pitches and counted up the strikes.
The first strike occurred when Charlie Timmins led me to believe Merrill Adams had access to unadvertised jobs and individuals with CFO hiring authority when in fact, they did not.
The second strike occurred when our joint efforts failed to produce any results during an eighteen month process that commenced approximately in July, 2000. I've used the term joint loosely. Actually, the efforts and related expenses, which were exclusively mine, took me on interviews through eight different states. It's still my opinion that the folks at Merrill Adams did nothing beyond assist in writing a resume.
The third strike occurred by failing to disclose We're all thinking about bailing to our Plan B corporation while negotiating in bad faith an agreement that was in default from the date of its first scheduled payment.
But there's a fourth and fifth strike as well. That's where I have to believe I have given the gang every benefit of the doubt for them to address my grievance.
Strike four occurred when they shuttered their offices, left me dangling in the wind, and failed to notify me that they had moved largely with the same staff to a new location. Only after I received the cryptic email from Friend of the Consumer did I finally understand what had occurred. Thanks, Friend, whomever you are.
The fifth strike occurred when they declined to call me today as promised last Friday. It's Tuesday 6:00 pm and I've been here all day. Although I can't be certain, I'm guessing their serving-sized plate is full of post-mortem issues requiring their immediate attention.
The new company, Personal Marketing Associates LLC, currently staffed by former members of Superior Executive Outplacement of PA, previously doing business as Merrill Adams Associates had already been in their new space for 15 days by the time I located them.
By then, even the paint was dry.
That's when I decided to call my Better Business Bureau. After all, they're the consumer's front line when it comes to protecting against fraudulent business practices, right?
On May 6, 2002, I called the BBB in Northern New Jersey at 973.581.1313 and became trapped in a voice mail Bermuda Triangle. I left a message for Jesse Mataea, inquiring about Merrill Adams and he declined to return my phone call. After visiting www.parsippany.bbb.org , I sent a follow-on email to [email protected] and they declined to respond as of this date.
On May 7, 2002, I again called the BBB in Northern New Jersey, was prompted to enter the phone number for Merrill Adams and received a digital consumer report. Merrill Adams started business in May of 1987, was classified under Employment Agencies, and all complaints have been addressed promptly. Obviously, no one there took the time to stroll down the hall to see if they were still in business.
On May 6, 2002, I called the BBB of Southern New Jersey at 609.588.0808. After listening to melodic 40's swing music for approximately five minutes, Joan advised me that they were classified as No-file. She went on to explain that somebody inquired about them, the BBB then sent Merrill Adams a standard request for information (and, presumably a fee), but no one replied to their request. The information available on www.trenton.bbb.org appeared to confirm her remarks.
On May 6, 2002, I called the BBB of Metropolitan New York City at 212.533.6200. A recording advised me that they wanted a $3 fee for processing the request that would be charged to my credit card. However, they offered a no-cost alternative if I went to their web site. The BBB web site at www.newyork.bbb.org reported that Merrill Adams had been in business since January 1, 1987 and the BBB opened a file on them on January 1, 1991. The site further explained:
This firm is not an employment agency. Therefore this firm cannot actively seek employment for clients. Its services are limited to advising clients on such topics as resumes and interviewing techniques.
In August 1997, the Bureau requested proof that individuals had obtained employment through the firm's assistance.
The Bureau was able to verify that individuals obtained employment through this firm's assistance.
Total number of complaints processed by the BBB in the last 36 months: 2.
The BBB web site report failed to mention that Merrill Adams is out of business.
On May 6, 2002, I called the BBB of Eastern Pennsylvania at 215.985.9313. Mrs. Williams kindly advised me that at this time, neither Merrill Adams or Superior Executive Outplacement, Inc. were members. However, both entities had been members from 1998 to August 2001.
I visited their web site on May 7, 2002 @ www.easternpa.bbb.org and noted the customer experience record for Merrill Adams:
Our file experience shows that this company has a satisfactory record with the Bureau. To qualify for a "Satisfactory Record" at the BBB, a company must be in business for at least one year, properly handle matters referred to it by the Bureau, be free from an unusual volume or pattern of complaints, and be free of serious law enforcement actions involving its marketplace conduct. In addition, the Bureau must have a clear understanding of the company's business. The company resolved all complaints presented to it by the Bureau. The company has responded to complaints by handling service issues, by resolving contract disputes and by addressing product concerns.
The BBB web site and Ms. Williams both failed to report that Merrill Adams is out of business. The web site also disclosed the related entities Atlantic Regional Collection Agency and Superior Executive Outplacements.
Could it be possible that the BBB is blameless in this debacle? In my opinion that could hardly be so.
I recall seeing in July 2000 and again in January 2002 a nicely presented container full of BBB cards on an executive desk in the Merrill Adams office. As a consumer, the presence of the cards alone led me to believe the BBB stood fully behind Merrill Adams, Superior Executive Outplacements, and Atlantic Regional Collection Agency.
As a consumer who was taken to the cleaners by Merrill Adams, I am deeply troubled. I am also challenged to believe that I am one of perhaps only three or four individuals within a three state region who filed complaints against this enterprise before it closed.
I am further conflicted upon weighing a generous albeit dubious offer for continued executive counseling services from Personal Marketing Associates while having had a front row seat as their predecessor entity whiffed five critical pitches in a row.
Their time at the plate on my behalf cost them nothing. It cost me upwards of $15,000 were I to value my 900+ hours of time at zero. While it is true the new enterprise now operates under a different name, address, and set of contact numbers, the individuals are largely the same from the Merrill Adams organization that failed to perform over a period nearly two years in duration.
I so badly want to give them a sixth chance. But my sixth sense tells me I have to draw the line somewhere. Common sense supports my decision. If I had any horse sense, I would have put them out to pasture a long time ago.
That's just my opinion on the matter.
STOP! ..before you think about using the Better Business Bureau (BBB)... CLICK HERE to see how other consumers were victimized by the BBB's false or misleading information. Don't be fooled! It has been reported, when there are thousands of complaints and other investigations underway by authorities, the BBB has no choice but to finally give an UNsatisfactory rating to a BBB member business that is paying the BBB big membership fees every year. When a business is reported that is NOT a BBB member, BBB files WILL more likely show an UNsatisfactory rating, then reportedly shake down that company to become a member of the BBB. One positive thing about the BBB is, either way, if a business has an unsatisfactory rating with the BBB, you can be sure, the business is bad. But what about all those BBB member businesses that had complaints filed against them? Consumers never get to hear about them. What about the BBB advertising to the public? Is this a false and misleading perception they are giving about consumer confidence when dealing with a business? Click here to understand more of what consumers and business alike are saying about the BBB. You decide. ..Remember. The BBB membership is not earned, it's paid for!
Larry
Overland Park,Kansas,
Merril-Adams
#6Consumer Comment
Fri, February 22, 2002
It sounds like this man should never have reported to BBB, I think he was looking for a forum to gain additional attention to exert pressure for services from Merril-Adams. This is not what I consider this site set up to accomplish, as I think he used the site to get his own agenda accomplished. There are many of us are the real targets of scams and frauds,real and not imaginary. We do not wish to use this site to promote a job, but to end computer fraud. We would like to see these absolute frauds ended. Promising wealth with no real expectations of such and taking poor people's money for such claims has to stop. The only way is for people to communicate. The minute you get a fraudulent offer, report it. To BBB or any news group bulletin board you subscribe.
Mark
Wayne,Pennsylvania,
Call me if you have a question
#7REBUTTAL Individual responds
Wed, February 20, 2002
If you have any questions regarding Merrill-Adams, you can file a consumer comment below and I will respond.
Merrill Adams and I settled our differences in January 2002 and it is NOT the same operation these days that led me to posting on the Rip Off Report.
I would be happy to share my experience with you and reaffirm your personal choice of Merrill-Adams as a career advisor.
Mark A. P.
Mark
Wayne,Pennsylvania,
Call me if you have a question
#8REBUTTAL Individual responds
Wed, February 20, 2002
If you have any questions regarding Merrill-Adams, you can file a consumer comment below and I will respond.
Merrill Adams and I settled our differences in January 2002 and it is NOT the same operation these days that led me to posting on the Rip Off Report.
I would be happy to share my experience with you and reaffirm your personal choice of Merrill-Adams as a career advisor.
Mark A. P.
We feel we serve a purpose, that we help others achieve a balance in their lives between home and work.
#90
Thu, February 07, 2002
----- Original Message -----
From: [email protected]
To:
Sent: Wednesday, February 06, 2002 4:37 PM
Subject: Re: Merrill Adams (Employment services)
MERRILL-ADAMS ASSOCIATES
400 Lanidex Plaza Parsippany, New Jersey 07054
973-884-2833 Fax: 973-884-0135
Email: [email protected]
To: RipOffReport.com
From: James F. Marken
Executive Vice President
Merrill Adams HQ.
Parsippany, NJ
I truly want to believe that you are a wonderful resource for consumers who have been "ripped off". I also believe that you have an awesome power which, when misused, even unintentionally, can be devastating to innocent people who should be protected.
Our organization has 31 wonderful people, many of whom have been here for many years. We have always taken pride in the meaningful work we do. We feel we serve a purpose, that we help others achieve a balance in their lives between home and work. These people have included Presidents, General Managers, functional Vice Presidents and senior Managers from manufacturing and service sectors, as well as scientist, attorneys, human resources and finance executives, and professionals from education, government and the military.
Many of those we help are corporate refugees from downsizing who only followed the methods of the past and found themselves scared, unemployed, thought of as old in the marketplace, with outdated skills. Rather than giving them a way to remain vital, their companies helped to make them disposable. In today's very difficult job market, these companies only offer them a cookie-cutter outplacement service for a few weeks or a few months.
To engineer our futures, to be able to change jobs at will, to move into this whole new world of technology and global competition did not come with instructions from prior generations or educators.
Three thousand people come through our doors every year. Out of those three thousand, we can only service three hundred paying clients. For the other twenty-seven hundred, we spend a few hours giving a one-on-one workshop. With our high level of intuitiveness and expertise in job change and career
management, we help them to move from the problem side to the solution with the best "do it yourself" program available. We have never charged those people one dollar, and they have numbered into the thousands each year.
We provide a very expensive resource on a shared cost basis. Our clients pay a small fraction of what it costs to create our service. They each receive our proportionate best effort. Our fee is received as our service is rendered. The service is front-loaded. We realized when we began this service that we could not operate on a contingency basis.
We teach our clients how to launch a successful marketing campaign. The materials this requires are crafted before launch. Our process is accelerated. Essentially we have a power launch into the market. We enable clients to have swift, comprehensive coverage of their available market. Normally within ten days, a new client is fully immersed in the market.
We make ourselves part of the solution for our clients' career- related challenges. Our fees are more than reasonable for the valuable service we provide. By comparison, recruiters who work on contingency charge 30% to 35% of annual income plus expenses associated with the search. This is simply not practical for our clients.
We charge the lowest feasible amount required to maintain our high standard of service. Each one of our employees knows he or she could earn more in Corporate America with their extensive credentials. Almost all of us are over fifty, and some in our sixties and even seventies. We have excellent work ethic, good morals, and are extremely knowledgeable in our field. We
strive to treat others fairly and with respect, just as we wish to be treated. Our children and grandchildren are proud of us.
Many of our clients and friends have contacted us upon hearing of this report. They have volunteered and given us permission to use their correspondence to refute this complaint. We declined because we felt that Mr. Peterson had presented, in honest terms, a situation that happened to him from his perspective.
An illness of one of our most revered and trusted staff members resulted in a behavioral change that put him and the client in conflict, each believing he was right. Upon the death of our colleague and friend, we realized this situation was not the result of an unreasonable client, and sought immediately to make amends. Mr. Peterson graciously accepted our amends and,
rather than take back the full refund we offered, chose to continue working with us in a well-engineered campaign.
Both the client and our company believe this terrible complaint was an isolated incident. However, its continued appearance on your web site may cause people who need our help desperately to be afraid to deal with us, whether they are the 2700 non-paying per year or the 300 who do become clients each year. We believe that by-product is not the original intention of your web site.
Both Mr. Peterson and Merrill Adams fervently wish this complaint to be removed as an act of fairness and decency. At the very least, we both ask that this message precede the complaint.
In our fifteen years, it has been rare that we have ended up in the black. We have all the attributes of a non-profit organization. This complaint, if allowed to remain on your site, may result in our closing. This would be such a shameful epitaph for the life's work of over thirty dedicated, giving
professionals and their families.
We can forward you hundreds of testimonials from the many clients with whom we have worked, and who will attest to our character and capabilities. Please advise us as to how you will handle this matter. We request that you consider our point of view since both Mr. Peterson and Merrill Adams believe this can cause damage to the lives of many innocent people. We believe is totally contrary to the stated mission of your web site.
Respectfully,
James F. Marken
Merrill Adams
Mr. Peterson's message sent to me regarding the above.
Jim, there's nothing I can add to the letter that would state your case in a more genuine and compelling manner. It's my sincere hope that upon reading your correspondence, they make a "best corporate governance" decision that revises their perpetual posting policy and removes all material once disagreements have been resolved to the satisfaction of
those involved.
If there's any additional assistance you require, including but not limited to any additional letters to them directly from me, please do not hesitate to call upon me.
Mark A. Peterson
EDitor's Comment to the above REBUTTAL
As it states on our home page, Rip-off Reports are not removed. Ever. If we did remove Rip-off Reports every time a business finally decided to rectify the wrong they did, we would be no better than the Better Business Bureau, BBB. Merrill-Adams, even though you might not think you did something wrong, obviously the consumer who filed this Rip-off Report feels you did.
Merrill-Adams, you had your say. Now consumers can make their own decision after reading this Rip-off Report and your REBUTTAL. Consumers now know what to look out for. You Merrill-Adams now know what not to do, to avoid these events from happening again.
[email protected]
The management of Merrill-Adams Associates has not only addressed to my satisfaction all of the issues I had with policies in existence at the time, but has convinced me of its sincerity in a manner that warrants my continued association with them.
#100
Tue, January 15, 2002
They filed the following rebuttal to the above Rip-Off Report:
Their email: [email protected]
Their relationship to the company: Consumer Suggestion
Rebuttal:
Client Satisfied.
The management of Merrill-Adams Associates has not only addressed to my satisfaction all of the issues I had with policies in existence at the time, but has convinced me of its sincerity in a manner that warrants my continued association with them.
There's nothing that makes your life more difficult than an employee who disagrees with your point of view when it comes to the matter of customer service. Yes, the customer does come first. In fact, the customer's point of view is probably the only thing that matters in the top ten spots on the list, and anything below number ten just doesn't matter at all.
Fortunately these days, Merrill-Adams also agrees.
It wasn't the Internet that changed their minds, although my posting on "The Ripoff Report" certainly got their attention. That posting led to the discovery by the President of the firm that the contents of my file, together with all of my relevant correspondence to them, was unfortunately tucked away in the briefcases of the individual responsible for my campaign and his legal advisor and never saw the light of day. Business savvy individuals recognize the welfare of every business depends on the quality of products or services it provides to their customers. Not coincidentally, the ability to immediately redress customer grievances without the threat of unwarranted legal intervention is also pivotal.
The owners of Merrill-Adams were both apologetic and horrified when they realized that issues related to the progress of my executive marketing program had not received the benefit of an independent peer review process and had instead been improperly delivered to a legal venue. The fact that a customer didn't have a clear line of communication straight to the top
of the firm distressed many who work at Merrill-Adams, to the point where the company immediately made long overdue changes to their customer service policy and peer review process.
Business at Merrill-Adams may never be the same as I once knew it. I can thank the willingness of many at Merrill-Adams to adopt best business practices when it came to customer service.
Whatever remarks you've heard from me in the past regarding Merrill-Adams, you can close the book on them for the year that just ended December 31, 2001. Merrill-Adams recently offered to refund my entire $10,800 fee in an effort to redress the heavy-handed treatment I received from a single employee who is no longer with the firm.
As a customer, I was speechless. What can you say when someone offers to give your money back if you're not satisfied? Well, you can take the money, or you can ask yourself why you signed with Merrill-Adams in the first place. I did a little of both.
I signed up with Merrill-Adams because of Charlie Timmins. While he didn' t pummel me during our initial interview, he took off the kid gloves when frankly assessing my prospects. An honest discourse is fundamental to any counseling relationship. While it's no fun to have your box tipped over, Charlie did it in a way that convinced me to retain Merrill Adams and him
personally. I trusted Charlie Timmins then and for what it's worth, I still do. Much to my misfortune - and theirs as well, the company policies at the time handed me over to another member of his staff with whom I had no introduction or for that matter, any confidence. According to Charlie, the potential of a client working with an ineffective counselor just isn't going to happen again on his watch. And all customer service issues are going to be addressed by an independent peer review process.
I believe him. And that's why I've agreed to work with Charlie going forward without requiring Merrill Adams to return my entire fee.
Where do things go from here? Well, I understand that items posted here stay in this public forum until either the Universe stops expanding or the Internet collapses under the weight of its own intentions. But I felt it important to amend my initial post with the caveat that Merrill-Adams has not only addressed to my satisfaction all of the issues I had with policies in existence at the time, but has convinced me of its sincerity
in a manner that warrants my continued association with them.
These days, I take nothing on faith. Who can do so after the tragic events of September 11? But I'm willing to do the heavy lifting on my part and I expect Merrill-Adams to follow through on their commitment to delivering fanatical customer service going forward.
It's a hurdle that I expect them to make. If they fall short of their own expectations, I'll be the first to tell you about it.
The Better Business Bureau reports no unsatisfied claims against Merrill-Adams Associates.
#110
Wed, January 09, 2002
They filed the following rebuttal to the above Rip-Off Report:
Their email: [email protected]
Their name: Charles Timmins
Their phone number: 610-828-7089
Their relationship to the company: Owner
Rebuttal:
January 8, 2002
The Better Business Bureau reports no unsatisfied claims against Merrill-Adams Associates.
Merrill-Adams Associates has agreed to an amicable resolution of all the elements inherent in the complaint of our client. (Our Policy of Confidentiality demands that I withhold the identity of our client, the details of our understanding and the particulars of his complaint.)
I am Charles Timmins, President of the Merrill-Adams Associates. I met with our client for 90 minutes on Friday December 21, 2001. We discussed the circumstances that provoked his complaint: his perception of a heavy-handed approach taken by our legal counsel relative to information he posted on the Internet stemming from his frustration with the ineffectiveness of his search efforts. It was concluded that this affair
was a misunderstanding between our client and a senior member of the firm who is no longer associated with Merrill-Adams Associates.
The firm has moved quickly to address to our client's satisfaction all of the issues he had with the policies at the time. The firm is delighted that our client has accepted our offer to continue his association with the firm so as to receive those services for which he contracted originally. We intend to apply our joint ideas and energies into creating success for the client.
Our client intends to post a favorable "rebuttal" on this Internet site. Our management contends that the original posting disparages the firm, and is in no way representative of the firm's business practices.
Our record of service speaks for itself: The Better Business Bureau reports no unsatisfied claims against the company. As a matter of policy, Merrill-Adams has never sued a client in its history. Our commitment to providing exemplary client service lies at the center of addressing this complaint.
Merrill-Adams Associates has operated successfully since 1987, serving over 9,000 clients (mostly senior level people). Consultants in our firm average more than 15 years experience doing our highly specialized career consulting work. In job searching, we know what works and what does not. Our clients attain high responsibility and income in industries and
locations they prefer. Over all the years and through the many thousands of campaigns we have guided, our firm maintains a policy of providing service to clients and former clients who need our help. We are here to help and gain our self-esteem from positive impacts we have on career progress, as well as the high standard of living enjoyed by families of our many successful clients. We conduct our practice with integrity and
high ethics.
Please contact me to learn more of our client successes.
Charles J. Timmins, Jr.
President
610-828-7089
[email protected]
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
STOP! ..before you think about using the Better Business Bureau (BBB)... click here to see how other consumers were victimized by the BBB's false or misleading information. Don't be fooled! When there are thousands of complaints and other investigations underway by authorities, the BBB has no choice but to finally give an UNsatisfactory rating to a BBB member business that is paying the BBB big membership fees every year. When a business is reported that is NOT a BBB member, BBB files WILL more likely show an UNsatisfactory rating, then reportedly shake down that company to become a member of the BBB. One positive thing about the BBB is, either way, if a business has an unsatisfactory rating wi
MERRILL ADAMS is not who they represent themselves to be. Hold on to your money CFO, COO, and CEO candidates. They have no unadvertised jobs or access to hiring authorities at the executive search level. Are they part of an HR scam? You be the judge.
#120
Mon, July 09, 2001
