Complaint Review: Phillips/Carlyle International (Aka WWS Enterprises Inc.) Bernard-Haldane - Irvine, CA Dallas, TX California

I entered into a good faith agreement with Phillips/Carlyle International (PCI) in 1998 that in the endgame cost me a contracted $4150.00, plus expenses used to sue them for research and court costs. My active relationship with this organization (March 1998 - June 1998) works out to a little more than $1000 a month. Not bad for them!!! Though I won my small claims case in Orange County, CA, I did not have the resources to pursue them for collection. Hopefully, this website is the begining of a forum that can enable stringent legislative regulations on these types of businesses. However, my contempt for them continues and with results of 9/11/01 (downsizing, right-sizing, etc) I do not want another person to fall victim to their scams. Listed below are actual letters I sent to the PCI organization. They are entact with the exception of my personal information. With one exception, I never received any feedback from this organization regarding their position. Unfortunately, I do not have a scanner to enter the response from PCI's counsel but capsulized, there response was I was not going to get my fees returned. If you are currently dealing with a PCI type organization save some time and ensure you see their business license with their DBA information. This may save you some headaches trying to research their organization and serve them summons to appear in small claims court. If you are considering doing business with a "fee required employment service" read the many testimonials listed within this website. August 24, 1998 Phillips/Carlyle International Attn: Mr. Mark Beninga 2601 Main Street, Suite 280, Irvine, CA 92714 Dear Mr. Beninga, I am writing to express my concern and dissatisfaction with the services promised but not provided by the Irvine location of PCI. I agreed to the contract terms and paid $4150 (negotiated March 20, 1998) on March 14. 1998. My understanding of the PCI organization is their services help clients define and locate positions that enable financial and professional growth. Perhaps Mr. Caldwell's mission statement for PCI and the actual business practices of the Irvine location are no longer compatible. Mr. Robert Lupo was my career consultant. During our last meeting in late May 1998 or early June 1998, I explained to Mr. Lupo I would be involved with a critical production cycle at my place of employment and extremely busy for a few weeks. Mr. Lupo said that was not a problem but to keep in touch and let him know when I was available to begin working together on my first campaign. After two weeks, I called (I need to retrieve my telephone statements to verify exact dates and times) to check in with Mr. Lupo. A PCI staff member informed me that Mr. Lupo was on campus. I asked that Mr. Lupo return my call. This telephone conversation of being on campus continued for a few weeks until a PCI staffer informed me that Mr. Lupo was no longer with the PCI organization. In late July 1998, I spoke with Barbara Stampton and she informed me that Mr. Lupo's clients would now be hers. I scheduled an office visit on August 7, 1998. Unfortunately, I was out of town and had to reschedule for the next week. Ms. Stampton left a message on my answering machine stating that she also was unable to make the August 7, 1998 meeting. On August 11, 1998, my wife received a telephone call from Ms. Stampton stating she had medical problems and would be out of the office and unable to meet that week. Nothing else was mentioned. Mr. Beninga, I have left telephone messages for you to return my calls but to no avail. I am now extremely concerned about your organization's non-performance regarding my contract. I would appreciate an answer or explanation of the following: a. If a client's career counselor is no longer with your organization is there a PCI in-house procedure to notify the client of this change and the replacement? b. If a client's new career counselor is not available will PCI make available a substitute counselor so a client can begin / continue their campaign? c. What is the procedure for returning client telephone calls? d. If there is no improvement of services at the Irvine location who may I contact at the Dallas, Texas headquarters? Mr. Beninga, I came to your organization in good faith and hopefully will continue to do so. However, I am rapidly losing confidence in your organization. Sincerely, August 31, 1998 Phillips / Carlyle International Attn: Mr. James A. Caldwell, Chairman of the Board 12770 Colt Road, Suite 1050 Dallas, Texas 75251 Dear Mr. Caldwell, Enclosed is a letter that was sent to the PCI office located in Irvine, California. This letter was written after numerous attempts to contact the staff (in particular, Mr. Mark Beninga and Ms. Barbara Stampton) proved futile. In the past month and a half I have left numerous messages with the answering service to please have the Irvine staff contact me. Finally, I left a message last Friday (August 28, 1998) to schedule a meeting for today between 1:30pm and 2:30 pm. The intent of this meeting was to rectify the total lack of professionalism and non-performance of the Irvine office regarding the contracted client services. When I reached the PCI office in Irvine, California at 2:00PM I found a posted letter that PCI ceased operations at this location and to contact an 800 number (800 222-0760) for further assistance. I dialed the 800 number and the operator did not even announce the organization name. I had to verify that this number is related to the PCI organization. I was informed that the Irvine, California office had ceased operations and some staff will be transferred to the San Diego, California office. Please let me know if Mr. Beninga and Ms. Stampton are transferred to the San Diego, California office so I can contact the FBI (my check was negotiated by your organization in New York) or at least make the local media aware so they have a record of PCI business practices. This operator said a representative from PCI will be contacting me soon. Mr. Caldwell, after my experiences with your organization I certainly will not hold my breath and expect any form of professionalism or even the basest of courtesy. Mr. Caldwell, I no longer any have confidence in your organization or your staff. In your mission statement you state: Phillips/Carlyle International exists to empower our clients for success by providing the very best techniques, state of the art technology and providing the personal touch. Mr. Caldwell, your staff did not even provide the simple courtesy of a letter or even a state of the art telephone call to inform me of changes that have a direct impact on the campaign we were to begin compiling. Add to that no one notified me of the failure of the Irvine, California office. Mr. Caldwell, I came to do business with your organization in good faith. This good faith has not been reciprocal and in fact your Irvine, California staff has been negligent and a gross example of non-performance for this industry. I demand that my fees of $4150 be returned to me as quickly as possible. Mr. Caldwell, I can assure you I am not going away until my funds are returned. Sincerely, October 27, 1998 Phillips / Carlyle International Attn: Mr. Neil Levitt 12770 Coit Rd., Suite 1050 Dallas, TX 75251 Dear Mr. Levitt, I received your letter dated October 16, 1998 and after careful consideration am giving PCI until November 10, 1998 to return my fees. If I do not receive my fees by that date I will initiate small claims proceedings against your organization. It is obvious the failure of your Irvine office and the lack of any active notification to me (remember, I had to go to the shuttered office to discover they were no longer operational) is in clear dispute with my contract and for that matter an overt contradiction of the PCI mission statement. You told me yourself that you were going to handle my account and address my concerns. In previous written communications with your organization, (written to Mr. Caldwell, with a copy of the letter written to Mr. Beninga) I specifically asked for explanations of PCI's lack of performance. There were four questions, in particular, that are still unanswered. a. If a client's career counselor is no longer with your organization is there a PCI in-house procedure to notify the client of this change and the replacement? b. If a client's new career counselor is not available will PCI make available a substitute counselor so a client can begin / continue their campaign? c. What is the procedure for returning client telephone calls? d. If there is no improvement of services from the Irvine location who may I contact at the Dallas, Texas headquarters? Since you have carefully investigated into this matter, you must be aware that I originally contacted Haldane on February 17, 1998, via facsimile and telephone to inquire about using their services. Ms. Green (could be Ms. Geene) recommended I use PCI and that I speak with Mr. Beninga because the Irvine office was closer to my Fullerton, California home than Haldane's Los Angeles or Torrance offices. You have implied that PCI's services are not location specific but it is obvious the failure of the Irvine facility to provide services dispute your statement. PCI failed to provide client services locally. In fact, they would not even return my calls (Believe me, I have documentation to corroborate every single telephone call and letter). Mr. Levitt, in a previous conversation you said if I chose to take my claim to court that PCI might declare bankruptcy and we all would lose. After what I went through with the Irvine office why would I risk dealing with another PCI office if this organization is so financially unstable? Mr. Levitt, when I spoke to the F.B.I. duty agent on August 24, 1998, regarding the PCI organization he said, it only takes one person to get the ball rolling. If PCI does declare bankruptcy be assured I will begin contacting the business section editors of the Los Angeles Times, Orange County Register, San Diego Union, and Dallas and Ft. Worth newspapers to inform them of my experiences with your organization. Maybe a detailed article can prevent someone else from making the same mistake. Mr. Levitt, this is not a personal issue with you. I have worked too hard earning a living. Add to that I have never dealt with a more negligent organization. Hopefully, you can right this wrong by returning my fees. If not, I will see you or a PCI representative in court. Sincerely, In closing, these organizations prey on those who have ambitions and aspire to improve their situations. They may imply or infer anything with their sales tactics but their performance is overtly suspect. Please beware!!!! Mike Orange County, California Click here to all the others who have been victimized by Bernard Haldane Associates">Click here to read other Rip Off Reports on Bernard Haldane Associates

CLICK HERE, You must read this!! ..Financial Post Article LINK - Haldane not up to the job ..exposing this company for what it really is - a huge scam