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I too was mislead by R.L. Stevens. I wish it wasn't true because I think of myself as a pretty smart person. I started my job search approximately 2 years ago. I first got to RLS by a Career Builder posting of a position for an SVP of Sales and Marketing. When I viewed the post, it was the ad for RLS and I thought maybe I could use REAL help since I was not successful to that point on my own.
In my meeting with the sales consultant, I was told of their success rate (98% placed). I was told they would rework my resume with the key words properly placed to get my resume traction even with the automated resume systems used by many of the top firms to screen applications to find the right people. I was told that they have access to jobs that are not ever or seldom posted and subsequently to people at high levels who where the decision-makers for hires. I was also told that THEY would market me to the unlisted postings and give me access to their prior placements of RLS, giving me access that is not had by other job seekers. Sounds pretty good, doesn't it?
Then came the initial fee - $6, 800. I couldn't afford that at the time but said that I would stay in touch while I tried to put the funds together. Then came the second offer - $5, 500. Then a third $4, 475 and finally, a buy it now and final offer of $3, 475. That is when it happened. I bought the services based on getting all of the services provided for $6, 800 for now only $3, 500. That was great...how smart I am to have waited.
I wrote a check for the entire amount and was assigned a representative to help me. He hadn't been there long but was an HR guy that had worked for multi-million dollar firms. He seemed to know his stuff as well and I had no complaint with him. However, when I explained that I was promised all of these services listed above, he could offer only a nervous looking smile in response. To his credit, he did not try to excuse the sales devises used to allure me. He actually seemed visibly upset that they did that. Like I said...he is new to RLS and maybe doesn't know all of the things they do to bring in clients. I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt; one time.
I thought that based on his vast experience, though not giving me what was promised, could likely help me find a position commensurate with my 25 + years executive and operations experience. Further, I had already paid for the services in advance and felt as though they should at least be given an opportunity to help me in my career.
The personality tests only confirmed what I already knew about myself. The wants and needs assessment in reference to my job search only confirmed what I already knew about that as well. So far, no assistance is being offered. Then came the resume re-write. OK, this was an improvement over my prior resume...at least it looks better. This is a service that can be done for $200 to $400 almost everywhere.
One problem though, after posting the new resume...no more calls than I had with my crappy one. (Still not getting the help I paid for) So, here we are 5 months later and not one call for an interview. While my resume clearly looks better (I think), no one else seems to think so.
I am currently in conversations with a Customer Service person after talking with the SVP of RLS in northern Ohio, but I have little hope of getting the refund I asked for or the services as promised at the point of sale.
This story is much more involved than what I have written herein but it is the cliff notes, which sound a lot like many of the complaints registered on this site dating back some as far as 10 years.
Here is what I am preparing to do...I wish to compile all of the complaints from the past five years specifically and have them merged into a possible single action against this firm and others that operate like it. After we have this comprised I will bring the information to my attorney, who I already have on retainer, and file an action in behalf of us all. I believe that the strength of the case here is in the numbers.
If you don't think that RLS should be able to walk away without recompense for their fraudulant actions, join the fight to stop this shameless conduct. Recent history has shown that many corporate entities are taking advantage of the little guy with impunity. I don't know what the outcome will be but look at the all of the others just found on this site...we all have one thing in common: we needed a job and we got taken.
Let's send a message to these scam artists that we will not just lay down and take a loss. Please respond ASAP as we want to get this going.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
I agree. This has been my experience as well.
Has anyone had any luck getting refunds from RLS?
Does anyone else feel as though RL Stevens mislead or failed to live up to their promises of services?
I paid over $ 4, 000 to RL Stevens back in early 2009 and still without a job.
What action can be taken for their misrepresentations?
I have an initial appointment with them next week and made the decision before I called them that I wouldn't pay any money upfront. So, maybe I'll cancel my appointment. I can rework my resume on my own and the only help I needed was to break out of the legal profession. That seems like something they obviously aren't able to help with. Thanks for the warnings. I'll continue to go it on my own.
You made a good decision, because they simply will not help you find a job. They "give you all the tools" and supposedly help "prepare you to market yourself", but they do absolutely nothing to help you locate jobs or be an advocate for you. I had better luck with independent agents, because they were interested in getting fees for matching you up with employers (and the employer paid the fee, not the job seeker). I have had more luck going it on my own, but still looking for a job after several months. Do not waste your money.
To the poster who wrote on 1-15-10: Have you taken any legal action or gotten any advice from a lawyer about this? We'd like to know if we have any possible recourse. I feel I was basically scammed out of thousands of dollars which I absolutely could not afford to lose on a worthless pursuit such as RLS. Please send an update.
I too was sucked in at a desperate time. Their promises lie right on that fine line between legal and misrepresentation. I did get an excellent resume and some good career and interview advice from my rep, however it was too much money for the value I received. My mistake and I steer anyone away from them if asked my opinion. These people are very slick and polished and know how to operate on the very edge of legality!
Wow, I'm glad I looked this up before I took any action. THANKS for your posts. RLS just sent me a bunch of paperwork to complete and send back. When I spoke to the person yesterday, he was aloof about the fees. I will definitely not be giving them any money!
Wow! They're still at it. I was called today after seeing a position on careerbuilder in which RLS advertised. The consultant offered the same services however no fee was mentioned. They want me to complete all of this paperwork and talk at the appointed time in a few days. I guess that's when I'll hear what the cost is. However based on the above information, I will not be keeping this appointment and therefore waisting my time. Thanks!
To any professional seeking help in finding a great job;
Please DO NOT USE RL STEVENS. You will get nothing for your time and your money. As a 27 year professional leader and executive, hiring RL Stevens was the biggest mistake I have ever made. It is the worst decision I have ever made. DO NOT BELIEVE THEIR GUARANTEE! They will not refund a penny of your hard earned money. They will hide behind their contract, which does state quietly, that they will do nothing for you. Yes. That is what it says. Please read it carefully. Their sale reps are very good at working on your fears and they will create expectations in your mind, which seem quite reasonable for any person in a job search situation. But once you cut your check, you are on your own.
Initially, you will spend many hours recreating your professional history in order to provide your rep with your strengths and weaknesses, which is a fine idea. But don't expect them to read it. My history is military and airline aviation, yet their consummate conclusion was to market me as a "Plant Manager." Where did that come from? Also, their resume service is average. You will do better with other sources that are inexpensive or free. I still had to make many corrections to their work. Also, if you need several different resumes, don't ask them to do more than one for you; you will end up doing them yourself.
Another major tactic they will pull on you is that they will bombard you with statistics on how very few professionals find good jobs through the internet. Very convincing. Yet, the essence of their whole "marketing strategy" is for you to do just that: go on the internet yourself and find your own job. THEY DO NOT HAVE A NETWORK THAT IS HARDLY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT IS ALREADY AVAILABLE. The meat of their grand marketing plan is for you to go to LinkedIN and some other public/social sites and market yourself. RL Stevens will not make any contacts for you nor will they connect you directly in any way. You are on your own. You just paid them to cheer you on as you muddle through the social networking sites. No business contacts, no inside track, no calls, no interviews, no offers. I'ts been 4 months now of realizing I wasted $7K. How embarassing. To be accurate, what you get for $7K is a nice DVD with helpful interview tips and potential questions and good ways to be prepared. You get access to what is essentially an on-line version of the DVD, which has good information on job search strategy and tactics. This information is available elsewhere and might be worth a couple of hundred bucks. You also get access to their "Spot Opportunities" website, which they want you to think is a treasure trove of unpublished job opportunities. It is not. It is only an e-version of some business articles; it does not even come close to being a job board. Likewise, they have a repository of most government contracts awarded. Seems like good information, but it is just a complicated listing. You are on your own to figure how to break down this data and find an opportunity that exists within this listing for you.
I can go on and on. Please heed my warning. You are where I was; full of hope, optimism and expectations. If you open your wallet for RL Stevens, you will still be without a job and you will have a lot less money. If I can help just one person avoid my errors, I will feel absolved. As a veteran, please don't feel that they won't stick it to you, too. Your money is all they care about. I wish you the best on your job search. RL Stevens WILL set you back in time and in money. Please do not use them. Thanks. Dec 23, 2010. Ron.
I had the exact same experience, right down to the FEE amount ! About 3 years into this waste of money, I had to console myself by saying, well, at least it was a tax deduction :(
I didn't even get that great "resume re-write" that you did ! The representative who worked with me was a former social worker...and she pulled up someone else's resume and plugged in MY information...it was ghastly. I had to keep asking for the password to get access to their silly web content and purported job leads. They used to advertise in the Boston Globe daily almost, and now, I have not seen one advertisement for them in 2 years. These ads promised you the moon AND the stars.
I wanted to investigate other job opportunities as well, because, while I am in the legal profession, I am also a trained professional artist...I was inquiring about advancing my knowledge base by taking a program in advanced web design, learning the newest web coding & programs, etc. Guess what, I was told to "forget it, that field is DEAD, don't waste your time or money going back to school for that, it's gone" ...well, during the past 3-4 years since that stellar advice, what do I see as one of the job fields with the most promise for expansion? yes, you guessed it, Web Design, and all things computer and internet related. Had I gone back to school THEN, I would most likely be working in the field now, before that market crash happened...at least I'd be able to get free lance gigs.
I feel like I was completely ripped off, and this was the R.L. Stevens place in Waltham, MA. Don't even get me started on those "tests" they have you do...I was actually told, "well, you fall in a grey area, and the best advice to you would be to just find some kind of job you can "tolerate" and then just pursue what you really want to do as a hobby" ...wow huh? $3K for that advice. I also know a few other professionals who went there and had negative experiences. Here's another piece of advice my representative gave me (she was a woman), "you'd do better to sign up for Match.com and find yourself a sugar daddy to support you, it would be easier". ...nice huh ? This advice to a woman with advanced degrees (yes, plural).
My advice? read all these experiences from the people above, and then realize that as job seekers in this kind of difficult market, we are now easy PREY for these kinds of places. I lost a lot of time, money and self esteem by going there, it was for me, a very negative experience and then some. Buyer beware.
Lee
My experience was very similar to that of the author's... unfulfilled promises and a lot of ditching and dodging. Spent $3475 for a one-year guaranteed placement, and the office in Indianapolis abruptly closed without any forwarding information. I obtained only three of my promised five formal sessions. I've placed calls to other RLS offices around the country, and learned that at least some of them, if not ALL of them, shut their doors effective January 31st. Now what?
I had the same experience as the poster above and was told the company was closing. I have been "working" with them for a year with absolutely no results. In fact I gave up on them and when I went with my own methods actually landed a 2nd interview with a company and foudn out now I am finalist for the position. I wrote Randolph Stevens a letter, to be mailed -certifed return receipt tomorrow. I asked for a full refund and stated exactly why. If no answer, or no refund I will be bringing this to the Attorney General's Office of NJ ( where I live), MA and OH ( where I first made contact with RL Stevens and sent my money).
I wish I would have found this website a month ago. I contracted with RLS in the middle of January and just recently, received the first draft of my resume. I found out today, from my consultant, that RLS is officially closed. So, 2 weeks into my contract, and the Independence office closed their doors? And I am just finding out today, not even a full month since i contracted with them? BS! I will definitely be following one posters recommendations and sending a certified letter, as well as seeking legal recourse.
I agree with everything I have read about RL Stevens. I too was promised the world, but received nothing. I have filed three complaints so far with the BBB, Ohio Attorney General and my credit card company. Two of them have been denied, I am still waiting for a response from the AG. If anybody has any luck getting their funds back, please let us know.
I was also scammed by this company. They lure you in by lowering the fee until they trap desperate job seekers. I paid them $3, 375, and am alternatively sad and angry about not being smarter about this. They did nothing but waste my time. Sean Hanna was the snake who pulled me in with his sales gimmicks. David Perry was my first "consultant"... he left the company shortly after, and was replaced by Larry Morris as my new career advisor. I hope all three liars and everyone else involved with this deceptive company personally & financially answer for this con.