Complaint Review: The Southwestern Company - Nashville Tennessee

 I will personally contact all of these politicians you claim owe their success to the SouthWestern company and report back here with their admissions. I highly doubt that they will praise this company for the way they treat these foreign, Eastern European students! We do NOT live in the pre-1970's era anymore! These poor kids are sold a bill of goods that is absolutely no good! SHAME on you for promoting such a company that takes such horrible advantage of vulnerable young people! How about YOU send your young adult child to Moldova to sell books! My daughter in Spokane just had a young girl from Slovakia come to her house asking for a place to live. She hadn't eaten in days! And she hadn't sold any of her worthless books that we don't want or need! You must be a LIBERAL idiot!

I believe the person writing the complaint about "slave labor" probably believes she/he is representing everyone who has ever sold but in fact this is not correct.  I have met with and followed many foreign students who have come to this country, many from Estonia.  Not all of them are successful and yes, it's expensive to come to this country but it's more expensive to go to college.  Now I'm a great believer in higher education but just because one goes to college and even graudates does not mean they got out of that expereince what others did.  Fact is, what one gets out of anything is so often the result of what they put into it. 

I sold for seven summers while married and putting my way through a private school.  I graduated without a penny of debt and I owe that all to making enough in the summer where not only did I not have to borrow money, my wife was able to also not work and stay home with our two young sons.  

There are always many sides to each story and certainly the students discussed possibly were not right for the job.   It's not a cult however and there is no reason to insult the thousands upon thousands of students who went through the Southwestern Program.  

I know one man running for Governor of Oklahoma now, likely to be elected, who credits his summers selling with a major part of his success credited to his summer with Southwestern.  In addition various successul religious leaders, Max Lucado, Jim Garlow, Wayne Dehoney, John Claypool, and hundreds of others credit selling during the summers as a major if not the major part of thier successes since.  I know our Attorny General, Jeff Session sold as did Rick Perry, former governor of Texas.  

It simply is a summer job that has had many successes and failures like any other job.

 I paid my way through college working for Southwestern. I recruited many students over several summers and not all did well, for sure, but most did very well. Those of us who actually did work hard were able to pay for our education and finished with no debt. I did not want to be a slave to debt. Few actually work over 68 hours and no one works on Sunday. I gained a great deal of understanding how to manage my attitude, overcome discouragement as well as how to lead others. I count those summers as worth far more than my formal education in preparing me for life.

How many decades ago did you work for the South Western Company?  These kids go way beyond "hard work"!  I would simply suggest that you send one of your children to Slovakia to sell Educational materials.  It would not be much different of a situation to what these kids from Eastern Europe face while trying to see an unwanted item here in the US.  It has been several years now that I had MANY of these kids staying at my home...we just talk to a few now every year.  I am sure the same story they tell us is just a fabrication.  Right...

I recently sold books with The Southwestern Company and I am American. So it's definitely not foreign slave labor. It's also what allowed me to pay my way through 4 years of school and graduate with my class. Anyone who has worked commission (see: some of the richest people in the world) knows that you onky get paid if you go to work. Sitting under a tree, or in the house of a random person, crying about how hard it is to hear no isn't considered working.

It's silly to think that by not putting in any effort you'll get paid. In most jobs that just gets you fired, the difference is that we are independent contractors so we can't technically get fired. 

I am currently working door to door selling the southwestern products. Yes it really is a lot of work about 13hrs and you aren't guaranteed getting your money back BUT, all of that was told to me before i even signed up. I'm from Bulgaria and i got contacted at my universiity About this summer program. I went to the full presentation and then talked with the manager. She told me it was going to be really hard work 12-13hrs a day, i would hear 95% NO, she told me about all those cold showers and execs and other stuff like that. You see you know everything before you agree to it. And then when people come to the states and start actually doing it they figure out it's really not for them.

Now personally, i and every other person that   came with my group (abot 70 people) had an already arranged host family. Another thing i don't know why so many people are afraid of it as you claim but no one is watching you while you work. If you don't want to work 12 hours you can just sit and stare at the sky all day long nobody is there to stop you and there is certainly no way for anyone to find out. You aren't being watched. The cold showers - no one is MAKING you take them it's just some form of a small ritual or something like that i personally don't like it and i don't do it no one can make me do it. And if you dont want to perform an exec feel free to just make 2 steps back and not participate.

Are they making a profit off of us ? Ofcourse they are who isn't making a profit of the people working for him. All southwestern does is provide you with an opportunity what you do with it is up to you. But alot of people are making pretty good profits it's all pretty much just up to you. Oh i almost forgot to mention there is a pretty big group of americans doing the same thing it's not just Europeans or eastern block and if you could please not refer to those countries as eastern block i would appreciate it let history stay in the past there is no soviet union anymore. If you have any questions, opinions or just thoughts of what i said feel free to reply and i will answer. 

Best wishes ... From me

"I felt the individual referring to the company as a cult was doing so without doing much research but was simply going off what she/he was being told by the students she came across."   

Your comment is ignorant; using vast assumptions on half vast data! As a matter of fact I had several Southwest students this year come to me, as I have had many since I wrote to the Ripoff report.  In the past 5 years they have ALL said the same thing.  I AM please to say however, that I have found real jobs for many of these kids over the years.  Even though they are specfically told NOT to come near my house, I find them everywhere--every summer, and because most of my friends and all of my FACEBOOK friends are made aware of the pending arrivial of these poor students in May, they have an uncanny way of finding me :-)

If you haven't noticed a LOT has changed since the 1970's!  Then, I still had milk delivered to my home, the man who sharpened my knives came knocking at my door 3 times a year, Girl Scouts did not sit in front of grocery stores but went door to door and we did buy Encyclodedia's from the door to door salesman.  This is not the 1970's!  And if YOU did your research on the definition of a Cult, there would be absloutely NO argument, foolish or otherwise that these young, naive college students display all the markers for being involved in a cult.  I hear the same story over and over again, year after year.  As a matter of fact, this year one girl read my dissertation on the SouthWestern company and looked at me sadly and said, "Yes, yes this is what we must do...this is what we are told to do..."  I told her she DIDN'T have to take a cold shower and she said, "Yes, we do!"  I let her take a 10 minute HOT shower at my house and shave her legs!  She begged me NOT to tell anyone, especially her manager that she did that!  When I drove her home, she MADE me drop her off a block away so that no one say her! Not a cult?  Ok...

As far as research is concerned, I went as far back into the SouthWestern Company to know that the founder was also a proponent and a heavy influencer in the United States in the Pre-Tribulation movement. How's that for research!

I suggest that YOU personally take one of these kids into your house for the summer so that you can witness first hand what these poor kids must endure, when they actually could be here having a normal job--working 8 hours a day and making 3 times the money while also experiencing the American way of life...NOT slaving away, 6 days a week, going door to door, getting harrassed, trying to sell a product that AMERICANS do not want or need!  How about you just type in:  Kids selling school books door to door and see what comes up.  The SouthWestern Company is putting these kid's lives in danger because Americans do not trust ANYONE coming to their door!   One day one of these innocent young college students is going to get hurt because people are worried about the saftey of THEIR children!

http://hanfordsentinel.com/news/local/crime/door-to-door-child-trafficking-claims-raise-concerns/article_52f2b89c-15bb-11e3-b3b1-001a4bcf887a.html

I will start off by saying I have not worked for The Southwestern Company since 1972 but have been around many students over the years since who have worked.  There are always two sides to every story, at least two sides.  I felt the individual referring to the company as a cult was doing so without doing much research but was simply going off what she/he was being told by the students she came across.

I have known students from other countries who have done quiet well selling and have learned a great deal from the experience and returned to this country more than once to do the same.  So, their story might should be told as well.

The Southwestern Company has been around since 1855 and I am positive there have been those who have had bad experiences with the company or someone in the company.  That simply is to be expected as they have thousands who have sold.  

What I learned selling door to door was to me, more valuable that my college education and I cannot express in words how valuable the experience was.  Southwestern is not the only company that has people selling door to door.  I believe there can be many life skills that can be learned and communications is just one of them.  Learning about oneself in how to overcome discouragement is priceless I feel.  If one lives long enough and tried to accomplish anything in life there will always be those moments of discouragement.  Learning to work through and around those times is as I said, priceless.

I listened to Mark Cuban talk about his experience selling door to door.  While he did not sell for Southwestern, I did understand why he has such a passion for what he learned.

Jim Potts

NW Arkansas

Can someone please explain how this company is any different than any sales company or MLA out there? (ie) A lot of hype, promises of fantastic rewards and money to be made, mandatory sales meetings and quotas, but mostly a lot of hard work?  

Whether it is cosmetics, knife sets, vacuums, water treatment systems, books or security systems, the approach is the same!  First, if you don't want sales people coming to your door have it posted!  Second, if you are genuinely concerned about these kids and their circumstances, do what you are already doing and help them out. However, none of what has been posted makes this company a "scam" or a "rip off".  

I purchased a set of books from a young woman from Latvia.  I don't really need the program, but purchased them mainly to help this young woman out.  I am in a position to do so and am very well versed on the world of commissioned sales.  Everyone certainly will not have the same experience, but this young woman was friendly and I knew she was working hard to maintain her contract.  She indicated some of the guidelines that she was working under as well.  Certainly not ideal, but not exactly slave labor either.  

The truth is that they do have the "opportunity" to make a lot of money and they do have the "opportunity" to travel.  Anyone in sales has the same "opportunity".  You may not agree with this business model, but it is widely prevalent and does not constitute slave labor, brainwashing or a scam.  If there is abuse going on, then it should be investigated.  When you consider how many college students do this type of work over the summer as well as for many other companies, you can be sure there are going to be some problems, but for others, it is a great experience.  

 How do I get in touch with you?  I can help several complaints.  If you have a contact  at the state department , I would love to have it.

For all you people seeing the type of slavery and brainwashing these foreign kids are going through and are helping them--GOD BLESS YOU!!  They can stay here on their Visa if they secure another job that falls into the requirements.  This way they can actually make money to take home and can recoop the thousands of $ they spent to get here in the first place. This is a good site with the same information as in the original post  http://youbyte.com/SWC.html  you can send an email through that site :-) I get several emails from people who worked with the SW company 20-30 and even 40 years ago--AMERICANS who were selling door to door on AMERICAN soil.  

They tell me what a WONDERFUL experience they had selling for this company and how it instilled such GREAT character qualities in them.  Yeah OK, how about you send YOUR DAUGHTER'S OR SON'S to Albania, Solvokia or Moldova to sell Books door to door!!!  This is not the 1950's, 60's, 70's or 80's.  I don't see any American kids selling school books door to door and there is a good reason for that!  This is the ultimate of outsourcing from an American company that CLAIMS to be ALL AMERICAN!

If you get the opportunity to host one of these brave kids and can rescue them, call the TV stations and let them know that these kids are NOT walking around trying to abduct young children as that is what has been happening in Spokane, Wa. with news broadcasts and their local forum.  Set the story straight.

 Hi

I came across a group of kids from Eastern Europe.  One girl came to my door begging for a place to live. This girl moved on to another city, but I still helped the two other girls.   Was a large group sharing a hotel room about 5 mixed boys and girls.  The girls were working sun up to sun down.  Waking up at 0559 to take a cold shower and returning about 10 pm.  One of the girls eventualy quit.  She was forced out of my house without my knowledge.  I wasn't home and couldn't prevent it.  The reason she had to leave because it would be to hard on the other girl who was still working.  I'm thankful she was safe with another family.  Later I came across another girl who was being sent to another city because she wasn't doing so well.  She left and returned in a few weeks and agreed to have her stay in my home. 

The other girl basically told me, it won't be long she will quit and return home.  She was working in an area I felt unsafe.  Going door to door selling books in high heat, humidity and a bike.  The first night she got a ride home from a stranger.  I had to put a stop to it.  I got her to agree to a pick up point and she would be in a safe place before dark.  She was very emotional and I could see the sadness in her eyes.  Failure is not an option for these kids.  This girl begged for one more week to prove her self.  It was one o two days later,  the girl was throwing up from heat exhaust and she was convinced to quit the program. 

In my opionion she was set up for failure.  If she quits than its her responsibilty to get home and so on.  I told the other girl who happens to be a manager that the other girl its not going any where.  OMG the guilt trips.  I called the consulate office for help and guidance along with southwestern.   Basically southwestern did nothing to help this girl in my opionion forced to quit and the consulate office wouldn't do much except tell me she has to be out of the country in 30 days.  I did recieve a call from an employee from southwestern wanting to speak to the girl that quit.  In her language, this man told her she has to leave my house because it was making it to hard for the other girl to work. 

The hell they will.  I called Southwestern back and explained what just happened and told them to leave this girl alone and she is not leaving my house until its time for her to go home.   I spoke with customs and border patrol seeking information on the J1 visa.  Its bad news.    These kids come here homeless.  Work like slaves and on a starvation diet.  Their budget is minimal.    I have so much to say but need help.  I know the state department needs more complaints before they step in.   I paid  the cost to change the girls ticket and had to buy an extra segiment.  She is home safe now

I am so happy to hear that you SAVED one of these poor kids from the Southwestern company.  I am the original poster who helped many of these kids a few years ago.  And although they still come into our town they are told NOT to come to my home.  Our local news station did a report on these kids and portrayed them as child predators because these kids asked where families with young children lived!!!  OMG it is these poor foreign students who are the victims in this.  Please contact me at (((ROR redacted)))  I have contacts at the State department but they just need more evidence to NAIL this company!  Thank you for helping!  Please put something in the subject line that will let me know it is from you and NOT the SW co. harrassing me

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I totally feel sorry for these kids I was given a similar story as well. I felt so sorry for this kid I broke down and bought $200 bucks worth of books and two months later they still aren't here. I called the company and asked for a refund and they refused. They advised I have to wait a few more weeks, and they will send them. I was charged on June 17th and it is Aug 21st. They will not even refund me for materials I do not even have!

I do not know what to do besides call my cc company. So furious with this company!

Hello All, I just wanted to let you know that you have a few mistakes in your entire article, but especially in your math. 

80 hours a week, plus Sundays=88 hrs. wk
15 weeks of summer
1,320 work hours
Gross profit of $7,944.00
Net Profit $40%=$3,177.60
Hourly wage=$2.40 
Minus $100 week living expensive=$1,677.60
Your take home is $1,677.60

this makes no sense for several reasons:
1. we don't work a 15 week summer. I don't know a single first year student that has worked more than 12 weeks. (80x12=960 hours)
2. Our Sunday meeting are about 2 hours of meetings and then activities like white water rafting, paintballing and skydiving in the afternoons. I wouldn't exactly call that work. So I work 80 hours per week during the summer. Oh and is it written down for students I can provide proof of that if you would like. 
3. Gross profit is profit AFTER the company has taken out the 60%. Gross profit is BEFORE expenses though. Does that make sense. So the student who made a PROFIT of 7,944.00 had RETAIL SALES of 7,944/40%=19,860
4. The average student has expenses during the summer is between$ 2,500-3,500 during the summer. (Students who have cars generally pay more, but they can write off mileage per diem on taxes). Therefore 7944-2500=5,444 or 7944-3500=4444. Which is more than double of a normal college job. 
5. Their hourly wage is 7944/960=$8.28. No matter what kind of business you are running you have expenses, even if you live at home. 

I agree whole-heartedly with this person's report.  Last summer, a young man came to my door and gave me the speech and I ended up buying a set of books from him.  For what it's worth, the books are excellent in quality but I do believe I was deceived in the price.  I don't believe it was the boys fault.  

This summer, a cheerful 18 year old girl from Estonia came to my door.  I sadly told her I had already purchased the books but that I would purchase a supplementary set of small books and CDs.  I invited her in and filled out the papers.  I offered her water since I noticed how very hot it was.  As time passed, I saw how she became more uncomfortable with the time spent at my house.  Now I realize it was because she wasn't "allowed" to spend too much time in one place.  She asked if I had or knew of anyone who was willing to lend a car for her to use.  At the time, all she had was a bicycle.  She rode at least 20 or more miles a day around South Carolina with up to and over 100F heat.  Her lunch was in a basket, always hot from being on the bike all day.  I gave her a few things, one being a back to keep her lunch cool.  I felt terrible as she left my house. I hated letting her walk away.  Later that day, there was a terrible storm.  I asked my husband if I could call the girl and have her come back out of the storm.  He sadly told me no. (I tend to collect strays of all kinds.)  I cried very hard and at about 9pm, there was a knock on the door and there she was.  She was soaking wet. She asked if I could give her a ride to the house she stayed at since it was so late and it was many miles away.  I brought her in for dinner and then drover her home.  During dinner, she told us of all that she had been through.  I took her home where she stayed with another girl, from Latvia, who worked with Southwestern. The family hosting them is very nice and they hated what the company was doing but we feel like our hands are tied.

 About a month later, I received a call that my books were ready and could she deliver them.  She came over and I discovered she was moving to a nearby city where her brother also worked for Southwestern.  This left the other girl completely alone.  The Latvian girl stayed and talked to us. She told us everything.  All that the person says above is EXACTLY what she has described to me.  The two girls were dropped off and told they must go door to door until they found a place to stay.  I am amazed at the complete lack of responsibility Southwest Company takes for these people.  Putting two young women, 18 and 20, on the street going door to door looking for shelter not just unsafe but unnacceptable.  She said it was the first time in her life, after three days with no luck, that she sat down on the roadside and cried.  

Luckily, they found a family who was good and safe.  Then began exactly as printed above.  Every day, working from 6am until 9pm.  Any deviation caused panic in the girls.  They considered themselves lucky to have bicycles to use for their mile upon mile journey each day.  

Thankfully, the girl from Latvia broke free.  It was not easy for her.  It has been less than a week and they still harrass her.  They keep filling her head with lies and threats.  I asked her one day, how many days had it been since she stopped and she said, "two work days and one meeting day."  My mouth dropped to see she was so indoctrinated that she thought of time in terms of the company.  They told her of all that she would see in the U.S.  I asked her.  I said, "You haven't really seen anything have you?".  She said to me with genuine goodness, no sarcasm, "I have seen doors, many doors. Oh, and there are some very beautiful doors in America."   Really!  I took her to Dunkin Donuts and she was amazed. She just commented on the colors and how beautiful they were.  She is so grateful for every opportunity she has.  She is an amazing girl and has never complained for a second about what she has gone through.  Now she hopes to go back and stop others from joining.  I am so happy to help her free herself from her bonds.  

The important thing to realize is that these people don't know what they are getting into!  It is NOT a matter for immigration.  They are here legally under work visas they buy with their own money.  It absolutely IS a matter for the labor department.  This has been going on based on ideals starting from the civil war according to Southwest Company website.  

These kids/young adults are promised money, seeing the US and the reality is that they are unwittingly acting as slaves for this company.  It reminds me very much of bootcamp.  They are broken down and built up with ideas of money and seeing the world.  I work for two party based companies, kind of like Tupperware where you have to have parties to sell things and then you have to get people from the parties to have more parties.  It is very similar.  When I was signed I was told I would make so much money, have time to myself and all with just a few hours a week.  Now I know it is possible to make money in these because I know the women who do.  First, you must successfully recruit many people who recruit many people.  The more you grow under you to do the work, the more you make.  Also, you have to dedicate a significant part of your entire life to the business.  They say we are independent contractors, just like these kids but that's just so the company doesn't have to legally be responsible.  I didn't make any money.  i ended up in the negative just like the people who work for Southwestern Company.  The difference is that I am old enough to know better and these kids are not only young but even though many speak english rather well, I don't think they understand what they get into.  

I will spend every day I have with her, helping her detox her brain from the company and I will do whatever I can to continue to fight against this company.  She said that they go to the younger schools like high school and promise a prize if they can list five or more names with numbers.  That is how she was contacted.  We have to get information out so it can stop.  Two similar companies are under investigation with the US Dept. of Labor.  I don't know what we have to do to get them to look at The Southwest Company.  If anyone has helpful info on what can be done to stop this, please post.  The original poster is right. I will stand and verify all she said as true from the mouth of a lovely, 20 year old Latvian girl who decided she had had enough of being used.  Please help them if you can and pass on these stories so more people are aware.  Thank you.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (a division of the Department of Homeland Security.)