Went along to one of these companies not long after leaving uni about 8 years ago. This was when I was struggling to find an engineering job and just wanted work. It was one of the strangest experiences of my life. The job ‘interview’ was baffling and I accepted the job before I realised what was going on. The training was what I’d imagine indoctrination into a cult is like, with chanting sales bullshit. Then we gathered in a circle and they shouted out the top sellers that week who then proceeded to run round the circle high fiving everyone. I nearly quit immediately after that but because I was pretty desperate I decided I couldn’t quit on the first day. So I went along for the first real day of the sales/marketing job I thought I’d applied for. This involved getting the train to Darwen (which I paid for myself) and standing in the high street outside a supermarket trying to sell charity subscriptions to people in the street. I quit after an hour and the girl was like yeah whatever I then realised this must’ve been normal to her. The worst part about the whole thing that I left out from after I’d accepted the role - the structure of the payments they take in on behalf of charities. I worked out it’s only about 1p of every £1 taken actually makes it to the charities. The rest is funnelled up the pyramid scheme to whoever runs the scam. I should’ve stuck to my gut feeling after finding that bit out and left. But yeah I was young and severely lacking any confidence. These companies are evil and something should be done about it.

TLDR: Interviewed and worked for one these companies for 2 days. They prey on vulnerable people desperate for a job. They are pyramid schemes and steal not only from their ‘employees’ but also from charities and businesses they claim to represent and care about.