The Truth About Vector Marketing Group

A Summer Job That's Not All It's Cracked Up to Be

Over the summer, I found I wasn’t getting quite the hours I had hoped for at my job, so therefore I started looking for a second job. One day I received a letter in the mail from The Vector Marketing Group. They were offering me, and probably thousands of other students, a summer job opportunity. They never actually stated what the job was in the letter, but did give about 10 bulleted items as to why it was so great to work for the company. They talked about how great the pay was, however they never actually stated the rate of pay. They discussed how the hours were flexible and there was great opportunity to advance. After, some digging on the web, I discovered that working for Vector Marketing Group, is about the last job I would possibly want.

For years, Vector Marketing has been targeting students in the United States in Canada to sell Cutco kitchen knives with demonstrations in private individual’s homes. Students are encourages to at first sell to their family and friends who generally feel like they have an obligation to at least listen to the sales pitch. After that, students must rely on referrals which are often very difficult to get, since very few people will allow strangers in to their home and give them a sales pitch on a set of knives that costs hundreds of dollars. “It’s hard to explain to people how they’re supposed to spend $1,600 on kitchen knives,” said University of Winnipeg student, Chris Richard to the Manitoban.

Vector has been accused of using deceptive practices to lure students in to the job. An ex-manager at vector, referring to himself only as Trevor stated “one whole day of my training was dedicated to providing some quick and easy ways to find recruits. Such as: vague ads, music, rejection applications, reps posing as new applicants, eye contact, luring college kids due to money and flexible schedule. The single most biggest physiological lesson was this pure and simple: MAKE THE KIDS FEEL SPECIAL. Make them think they are the only qualified people for the job.”