My wife and I were scammed by a company on LinkedIn, presuming to offer executive job placement services that were never provided.
Short description: One of the company’s principles contacted my wife via LinkedIn and offered job placement services, and as both my wife and I are looking for our next career move, we were interested.
We reviewed their website and did an extensive search on the web for a potential scam or bad reviews and didn’t find any red flags. The company offered a complete package for about $800 per person, including extensive unlisted job search, preceded by resume update and LinkedIn profile update. The contract had a 30-day unconditional refund for all services if we were not satisfied. My wife and I both signed up.
Once we signed up, we started the resume work, where we basically did most of the work by filling out extensive forms, that were then used to create our own resumes and the resumes were then used to update the LinkedIn profile.
This process took well beyond the 30 days (due to delays on their part), and we missed the refund deadline. I had to complete my own LinkedIn profile update due to a significant delay in response from the company as well. Hereafter the company started to ignore us, didn’t attend scheduled meetings, then didn’t respond when we e-mailed them. They strung us along for an additional two months by getting back to us, a couple times per month or so, with some promises of having job opportunities ready for us, and getting started with interview prep. After about three months we gave up and sent the two principals of the company an e-mail to get our money back, minus the value of a basic resume and LinkedIn update. We told them that if they didn’t intend to give us restitution we would pursue other options, in which the Better Business Bureau, Federal Trade Commision, and LinkedIn reporting were some of them. We have not heard from them since; They have not replied to our e-mail, and have instead decided to remove us as connections and to block us on LinkedIn.
In the process of researching the company to report them to the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), we discovered that they previously used another company name and an address in an undeveloped lot in Columbia, SC. We found out that the address where we sent our check to is a small residential home with absolutely no connection to the company or its principals. Which may mean that they have someone collecting the checks at that address on their behalf. This company is a scam, and never intended to live up to the contract nor deliver on the job placement services offered. We have reported them to the BBB and the FTC, and these complaints are both in progress.
For your reference I have identified the company and the principals below:
The company we contracted with:
Career Development Services International (CDSI)
http://cdsintl.net/
CDSI was previously Career Developmoent Services, LLC (CDS) before changing its name to CDSI.
Jones & Company LLC Reviews
My wife and I were scammed by a company on LinkedIn, presuming to offer executive job placement services that were never provided.
Short description: One of the company’s principles contacted my wife via LinkedIn and offered job placement services, and as both my wife and I are looking for our next career move, we were interested.
We reviewed their website and did an extensive search on the web for a potential scam or bad reviews and didn’t find any red flags. The company offered a complete package for about $800 per person, including extensive unlisted job search, preceded by resume update and LinkedIn profile update. The contract had a 30-day unconditional refund for all services if we were not satisfied. My wife and I both signed up.
Once we signed up, we started the resume work, where we basically did most of the work by filling out extensive forms, that were then used to create our own resumes and the resumes were then used to update the LinkedIn profile.
This process took well beyond the 30 days (due to delays on their part), and we missed the refund deadline. I had to complete my own LinkedIn profile update due to a significant delay in response from the company as well. Hereafter the company started to ignore us, didn’t attend scheduled meetings, then didn’t respond when we e-mailed them. They strung us along for an additional two months by getting back to us, a couple times per month or so, with some promises of having job opportunities ready for us, and getting started with interview prep. After about three months we gave up and sent the two principals of the company an e-mail to get our money back, minus the value of a basic resume and LinkedIn update. We told them that if they didn’t intend to give us restitution we would pursue other options, in which the Better Business Bureau, Federal Trade Commision, and LinkedIn reporting were some of them. We have not heard from them since; They have not replied to our e-mail, and have instead decided to remove us as connections and to block us on LinkedIn.
In the process of researching the company to report them to the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), we discovered that they previously used another company name and an address in an undeveloped lot in Columbia, SC. We found out that the address where we sent our check to is a small residential home with absolutely no connection to the company or its principals. Which may mean that they have someone collecting the checks at that address on their behalf. This company is a scam, and never intended to live up to the contract nor deliver on the job placement services offered. We have reported them to the BBB and the FTC, and these complaints are both in progress.
For your reference I have identified the company and the principals below:
The company we contracted with:
Career Development Services International (CDSI)
http://cdsintl.net/
CDSI was previously Career Developmoent Services, LLC (CDS) before changing its name to CDSI.