This company likes to spam users from Craig's list even if the users or company has selected to not be contacted by third party services. This is what is so wrong, they have a policy of terms that they wish to have users abide by but they feel above the others by disregarding these terms themselves when they visit websites.
They lure unsuspecting people to pay for their services when they try to obtain business illegitimately.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
I did not find that to be the case. You have to read their policies. They are a job board compilation site that does all the leg work and posts legitimate jobs that they have found on other places on the web. Plus, they have employers who post their jobs on the site. I personally use their service and have gotten several contract jobs through Virtual Vocations.
Debbie
We don't need a compilation site. Their website is absolutely a scam and your money is wasted by using this website. I'll be surprised if they aren't sued at some point.
I have used VV for over 2 years now and have never been scammed. I am willing to pay the $6.99 fee for them to do all the hours of researching jobs instead of me. I can not say one bad think about VV, it has been a great help to me.
its actually $15.99 a month now I believe. Most of the jobs I have responded to were closed or did not exist.
$15.99 amigo
I am an employer who has posted my job on Craigslist, this company has taken our ad with out permission and posted it and withheld vital information for applicants. Please do not spend your money on this website, and if you have ask them for it back, if they will not give it to you report them as fraud to your banking institution!
This is a website built by people who only want your money, not to help you actually find a job. Please re-consider paying for this website.
I completely agree with the post from madismommy07. I too posted a job opportunity on craigslist recently and have been receiving resumes from people who are not qualified for the position simply because they saw what VirtualVocation chose to post and not the correct full list of required skills. They are wasting your time and making you pay for it. For those who posted that they think this is saving them time, think again. You are being charged for jobs that you can a.) find yourself for free and b.) sending out resumes to potential employers without getting all of the facts on the job first. I wouldn't even be surprised to find out that all of the supposedly 'good' reviews for them are actually the owners of the site just trying to drum up good press.
Horrible scam! Stay away from Virtual Vocations!
madismommy07 and ConcernedJobPoster:
You have no idea what you're talking about. I have been a paying member of Virtual Vocations for over a year now. They provide a job compilation service. They list a review of the position BUT if you are a PAYING member (which is the only way you can apply for the jobs) then you see the entire job description that employers post. They aren't misleading anyone. If you're not getting qualified applicants consider rewording your post.
The reason I defend them is because I already have one part time job and two children. I don't have the time to sift through all the job posting out there looking for freelance positions. I pay a small service fee (which costs WAY less than my time) and I get access to legit job postings. Do you have any idea how many Craigslist scams are out there? Virtual Vocations sifts through all of that and provides me with legit jobs. They are worth every penny.
I am considering trying this do you actually work from home and can you trust if they say that? Almost all the pay looks negotiable is that what you did?
To Madi and Concernedjobposter,
I'm sorry that you were upset about your listing showing up on our board. Our service provides listings for our users that will take them to the original job posting, wherever that may have been posted, so, users do view the original jobs. We are a compilation service, which is what our members pay for, our service allows them to save hours of research time by locating legitimate telecommute job listings for them from all over the Internet. We also provide much more than job listings for our members. They also receive a professional resume enhancement, access to an additional work at home company list with over 500 companies that are friendly to telecommuting, access to an online portfolio builder and a copy of our ebook, The Telecommuting Handbook. I do appreciate your concern, and it helps a lot to have people looking out for each other!
Just this morning, I purchased a membership with them and already I am cancelling it. I hope they honor their money back guarantee. As a Recruiter, I should have known better than to buy into a site like this one. I usually do my homework on a company/service before purchasing something, but in my defense it was early in the morning and I hadn't yet had my first cup of coffee when I hit the "buy now" button on paypal. Upon further exploring their actual job postings though, I knew I had made a mistake. Why? Well, for a couple of reasons actually...
1.) This service is really not a service at all. It is just a scraper site like Indeed.com, except Indeed provides more results. Not to mention Indeed and others like it are FREE!
2.) Very limited search results and most of the ones that came up were just staffing companies, not direct employers.
3.) The jobs and companies listed are NOT exclusive to virtual vocations. The fact that they will go through and list jobs but then BLOCK and HIDE the names of the employers/companies until you purchase their "membership" is simply misleading and unethical. Why? Because this Virtual Vocations does not have any exclusive rights to list or agreements with the companies whose jobs and names they are dangling out there as bait. Those listings are easily accessible to any and all job seekers elsewhere.
Like I said, I hope they stand by their money-back guarantee.
I am legitimately trying to find a virtual ob because of chronic migraines. I am a veteran and computer savvy. Where do I look? I have been searching for about a year and everything I try for locating something legitimate has been a fail.
I'm hoping someone answers your question soon. I, too, am in need of a telecommuting job. My last job I got lucky with, but they are going through a bankruptcy and I got laid off.
Any luck? I have been looking for a telecommuting job for a while now also.
The best I have found so far is FlexJobs. There are some remote and telecommute positions, but you have to use the advanced search to identify those that are at the level of virtualization that you wish to have.
becky, thank you. I haven't fallen for the 'pay-to-play' scam vv's is running mostly because my instinct tells me, if I have to Pay to Earn, it's not a Job its a Lottery...and we all know the Lottery is Gambling, not a career!
I thank you because you point out a few very important issues to include but not limited to: "It is just a scraper site" (which should read "scrapper" - but I'll let the typo go in lieu of this being important info.) - What you also mention is an example of a FREE website that does the EXACT same work, has BETTER results and does not require anyone to JOIN with a PAID membership!
2. The fact that the majority of their listings are staffing agencies. You KNOW those agencies PAY VV's to post those listings then "members" have to pay to apply!? Again, NOT a job if one has to pay for it!
3. Non-Exclusive Listings: Again, I have found nearly every listing on VV's website to also be listed through a free job board and was able to apply directly to those companies without having to PAY a single dime of my already limited funds!
What bugs me, really gets under my skin is how VV's REQUIRES paid membership from job seekers, knowing full well those job seekers are already strapped and most likely disparate and they totally take advantage of that fact!
DISGUSTING!
It is an unregulated business. Unlike Used Car Salesmen, there is no enforcement for the fraudulent job boards. Just because you "need" a telecommuting job won't change the outcome. Jobs are very rare in the last few years. The trend according to the US Dept of Labor is less pay, less benefits, and less full time for 5 years in a row.
Most of these "good" so-called job sites keep recycling the same old jobs. They need the Internet traffic for advertisement. In Denver, there are about a dozen jobs that keep recycling over the last three years.
But, it helps justify the Federal Reserve Board's claim that there are all these "un-fulfilled" jobs so they can justify their actions.
So much for the junk on the "good" ones. Then there is all the total scams. They want your personal information as if it is being used for a credit card application. And, many times there is no position, it is just that they are using your information to get your credit card applied for.
My company is Virtually Innovative Services LLC and we are affiliated with Arise.com where we work from home doing call center work with companies like Staples, Home Depot, Intuit, Comcast etc. You do have to pay 7.95 background fee to get started and this can be part-time work or full-time you decide. I actually train all of my Client support Professionals.
My company is Virtually Innovative Services LLC and we are affiliated with Arise.com where we work from home doing call center work with companies like Staples, Home Depot, Intuit, Comcast etc. You do have to pay 7.95 background fee to get started and this can be part-time work or full-time you decide. I actually train all of my Client support Professionals.
Reply
@becky
Hi Becky - do you happen to be a creative recruiter? I'm looking for work! here's my portfolio: http://kaypergraphics.com/ my email is mk@stam-art.com. Thanks! Mary Kay Stam
so how do I join your company and start working from home
You are mistaken. The correct terms are scraping and scraper:
https://www.google.com/search?q=web+scraper+or+scrapper&oq=web+scraper+or+scrapper&aqs=chrome..69i57.4318j0j7&client=ms-android-hms-tmobile-us&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8
Scrapper is a word but with an unrelated meaning:
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/scrapper
I know a company that will hire you based on a independent business owner for telecommuting jobs it is a legitimate job they pay hourly wages and it just had to pay an assessment fee technology fee.if you want to email me I can show you the legitimate website my email addresses andareMitchell5@Gmail.com just like any job that you do at home you must have the proper hardware like high-speed Internet headsets are required and the proper computer or desktop no laptops.I am sponsored by someone through this job website to be showing me jobs that corporation companies are referring to find work for other clients like myself. you can work with Disney, Carnival cruises, Comcast and many other major corporations like this it is a legitimate business because currently I'm working on it
"What bugs me, really gets under my skin is how VV's REQUIRES paid membership from job seekers, knowing full well those job seekers are already strapped and most likely DISPARATE." Did you mean desperate? :-)? I couldn't resist, lol. Since you're such a know it all.
Hi Angie, I am interested in signing up with your company. When I googled Virtually Innovative Services LLC, it did not come up as such. Can you please help? Thanks, Deb
These scammers have been taking money out of my bank account for a year or more! My fault for not getting on it sooner, but holy cow. I'm so mad!
Judith,
I hate to hear that you have also been ripped off by this "service". IMPORTANT: Do NOT count that money from your bank account as gone yet! Do what I did - call the 800 number listed on your bank's website or on the back of your debit card ASAP and tell them that you are disputing the charges all the way back to the first month of their "auto-debiting" your account. You will be reimbursed and they will be investigated and reported for poor business practices. Also, report them to any and all BBB divisions that deal with virtual transactions and online businesses. Do NOT roll over and take it up the "you-know-where". We must all stand by and support each other when it comes to this type of practice. You have my support! Feel free to contact me if you need help determining who or where to call to rectify this situation.
Just a quick piece of advice to "Virtual Vocations" and "jobhunter1" - GET REAL. You can spin your "services" however you want but it won't make it any less of a scam. Why? Well, I'm glad you asked! Because they are NOT your jobs to post and you do NOT have ANY exclusivity agreement from the companies you list as bait and claim to have exclusive access to charge people to view. And please save the "we provide a service" speech. It simply is false advertising and if you keep it up it won't be long before you are sued by the companies you claim to have "exclusive" jobs through. I am just shocked you have gotten away with it this long! You might want to consider becoming Realtors and just charging people to view homes that are already for sale and listed or copying the ads in local papers and charging double for people to read them from you. Wait, I probably should stop before I have to charge you for "access" to view this post!
Here is my experience with this company. I recently noticed an opportunity for employment in my area that I was qualified for and this led me to subscribe. I bookmarked the posting so I would not lose it. Once I subscribed I searched for the position. It was not there. As a matter of fact, there were not positions available in my area. I immediately went to chat and they stated that the position was more than 30 days old. I felt that was a little shysty. I was lured in by a potential position that was not even available. On the other hand though, when speaking to chat associate concerning this I was given a complete refund. So who knows, but I will probably not use them again on the account that I was misled in the first place.
Thanks! But, Indeed and many of the rest are the same.
If our government has any competency, they could easily set up something to report this fraud.
But, like the "no call list", our government can't actually perform.
It is not going to change. We have been conditioned not to complain.
Wash your hands with soap after using any of these "job" sites.
As in "real-time", legitimate personnel agencies, executive search firms, etc. are all PAID BY THE EMPLOYER. The same can be said of any website, virtual or not. Any company, virtual or not asking you to pay a fee is pretty much a scam, or at the very least, lacking scruples. Take a look at Elance's policy, which charges the client a percentage. There is a premium for extended services, however, one can use the services adequately. As a Researcher/Recruiter, I immediately noticed the same ad's from Craigslist and LinkedIn. Someone needs to take legal action.
This place is a total scam! They make promises of "resume enhancement services" then when it doesn't happen they say "Oh, it's a partner company, you can contact them if you want." They have no comment on what their service is for, anyone with half decent internet skills can research and find these jobs. The chat person asked twice for my information and then was rude, and snotty when I said I already gave you that information. Total waste. Here is the company contact information if you want to complain: Owner Laura Spawn, 9450 SW Gemini Dr, ECM # 26125, Beaverton, OR 97008 Fax [protected]. This is supposedly the ONLY way you can get a complaint to the actual company of Virtual Vocations.
There were some really interesting looking positions, but you cannot get much information without subscribing. So, I did. Only to find out that every one of the positions was expired, except one. That one was posted as an online adjunct job, which it is not. It is part online/part in classroom. I cancelled my subscription immediately.
I joined and cancelled before the end of my subscription. Only to check my paypal which I don't do often for I don't use it often to see four more charges from Virtual Vocations. One a week for a month. I already cancelled by sending an email to the address given for cancellations. What would one call this? A mistake in charging me weekly for a month on something cancelled prior to expiration date? I even got an acknowledgement of my cancellation from Virtual Vocations and still they charged and charged. If not a scam it is something else that I spread the work about and worked with Paypal to get all charges reversed even the first one that was legit. Their bad...
Thank you, to all those who have posted. You saved me time and money by warning me in advance of a foolhardy purchase. I am always skeptical when it comes to paid subscriptions like the one listed on VV, and the testimonials sounded like a late night tv ad thus prompting me to search this site. Buyer beware is what comes to mind.
I've been victimized by these frauds.
Then REPORT THEM!
A one sentence long statement without ANY detail?
I'm sorry if you have been a victim of VirtualVocations' scam. Be sure to report them as fraud to your bank, report them to the Better Business Bureau as well as any other means you have utilized for your subscription.
Thank you all for your input! I was considering joining but am going to learn vicariously through your experiences. I was scammed once before by a site similar to this. They had the nerve to call me on the phone and basically laugh at my stupidity and poor decision of signing up with them since they had a no refund policy. I think I'll pass on this one too.
Scam, scam, scam! They claim to have telecommute jobs. However, you can find these jobs on other sites / the original sites and THERE IS NO MENTION OF VIRTUAL WORK!
Almost bought into this. I thought it was too good to be true. Any tips on how to find LEGITIMATE jobs that this agency boasts of?
Go to www.flexjobs.com instead. You have to pay, but it's legit.
This company is a fraud! Companies such as Monster.com and Craigslist accept job postings by employers WITH their permission and respect the companies privacy. We have posted ads on both Monster and Craigslist withholding email addresses for a reason. This company went on to these sites and stole our information, then must have looked at our website and obtained our customer support email address which is what they are providing to applicants. We DO NOT accept applications at our customer service email address and will tell applicants to follow the directions on the ad. Well, these poor paying job seekers are following directions but, they are not the correct directions. So they are being charged to apply for jobs that they could apply for free on Monster or Craigslist and they are not even getting their applications to the correct person! This is totally crooked. Please pass this information on to anyone you know and keep people away from this site!
I am a freelance writer and I have had similar experience with VV, but I don't consider it a scam. They are open about that fact that they are a compiler. They are open about the fact that jobs are posted for 30 days, so I check the age of the listing before I join to apply. I have landed a couple of gigs from their leads though no doubt I could have found them elsewhere, but for $12/mo is it worth my time or yours to search? I join for a month when I see a position in which I have interest and on occasion have renewed for a second month as warranted. They have always honored my cancellation with no hassle. They do resume review, but not as timely as they say.
Good to know. Comments being true or not, its sounds about right. There are too many job boards that allow you to filter and search your interest 'remote', 'virtual', or 'telecommute' buzzwords. You won't need to pay the few rare job boards that request payment up front.
Coming from a Headhunter this is a great idea. Dice, Ziprecruiter and Indeed do the same thing but charge the company. Companies don't and complain about the charges. It's a sourcing tool for them. Now look at it this way. People hire personal assistance to do their shopping for them. Well why can't I hire VV to shop for me for a job? I constantly have job seekers willing to pay me to find them a job. Now a days it's a full time JOB to find a Job. People hire me to build a resume for them when they can do it them selves. Is that wrong. Life cost money...deal with it.
Glad I checked this site before giving VV my money. TGF freedom of speech!
I was reading the VV text regarding their policies, recommendations for resumes an cover sheets when the "owner" did suggest looking up VV on Google. Thank goodness I did! I have recently had to go on disability. I am an RN with my degree, but am not able to work in the hospital or home health arena any longer. But need to do something from home to make some extra money. I was checking on performing chart reviews-something I have experience in. Anyway, thank you all for your candor. I am sorry to you all who have been "bamboozled" by this company.
I am wondering why this company has a B+ BBB rating-maybe some folks they have bamboozled need to complain to the BBB so there is an accurate rating out there from a respected source. I think I used them a long time ago with no success & most of the reviews I find are indeed negative. I was about to try them again, based on the BBB rating, but these reviews seem like a huge red flag to me-most concerning is their failure to cancel when told & having to fight to get money back. I would try a month but if I cancel & they do not respect that then a problem ensues that I do not wish to have! I am suspect of the auto renew with all these payment options as if you bought a mo. at a higher price than a 6 mo. subscription would be per mo.-you would not expect it to renew-yes they say they auto renew, but if you miss that you are then screwed-this seems like an under-handed tactic that would reflect the rest of the business. That is unfortunate.
I was scammed too, and at a cost of $15.99 a month. I've tried emailing them to cancel the service, which they did, but they're still charging me. I have disputed the charges with my credit card company. And most of their postings were bogus. I was very unhappy. Even more now that I'm still being charged for crap.
I'm confused. How in the world do they have a 4 star rating on the BBB website?
I was emailed by Beyond.com about a Virtual position for which I was extremely qualified. When I clicked on the apply button it brought me to the virtual vocations site, when I realized I had to pay in order to apply, I checked the actual employers site for the position and it was not there. I have since emailed the Head of HR at the company the supposed position was from to confirm if it is a real job or not. I will let you know once she replies.
I cannot believe this company is still in business!
There are legitimate complaints going back YEARS! Everything from: expired listings to repeated charges to subscribers well after cancellation.
This is a SCAM Website!
Think about it, if you have to PAY to even view the full listing: ITS A SCAM! You do NOT have to Pay to Apply for ANY actual, legitimate JOB! EVER!
If you're so lazy and stupid to say "They do all the work for me so I don't have to" Is just foolish! (Not to mention the poster who said that was actually a VirtualVocations.com employee pretending to be a job applicant! DISGRACEFUL PRACTICES!
THINK: If you have to PAY to Subscribe as a JOBSEEKER - Its a SCAM! - it is what is known as "PAY-TO-PLAY!" Look it up the term if you're unfamiliar!
I know, being unemployed or under-employed is an awful place to be. No one actually enjoys being out of work and we get desperate. We want a "magic bullet" to solve our situation. We're human and in that we are susceptible to unscrupulous scammers who are more than happy to exploit our needs for their own gain.
Fellow Jobseekers please be careful out there. Its a crazy, dangerous world we live in and even moreso when we're desperate. Before clicking that "subscribe" button, do a little research. It may cost you a little time but in the long run it will save you so much more.
Remember: If you have to PAY to apply for WORK, it's not a JOB it IS a SCAM!
It is a broker. If the recruiters do not think that a broker can supply you with quality candidates then, ignore it. No one points the gun on your head and force you to pay. It is your very own urges to know as many candidates. It is not a scam but a broker. If you have tried and it does not work then just don't dwell on it. VV works for my friends who are software developers but not for me. It depends on types of jobs and many more. If your company have more than 30 requirements and must-have qualifications then it is the problem of the company. Your company needs to prioritize and be specific with what important and what are not. The company nowadays do not make an effort to transfer knowledge. Many job seekers are tired of recruiters who come with a long list of experience and knowledge required (my real life experience are..looking for one with MBA preferably in finance and also with Computer Science degree preferably Master's or PhD and also 10 years of experience in xxxx project management...plus knowledge for ALL the tools used...but for a role of xxxx project manager (a 6 month contract, renewable)...whao.. looking for a unicorn!). Then after the resume check, an online test for IQ, math, English followed by 12 interviews just to say..oh you are not strong at this. We have got enough from recruiters and hiring managers. So if recruiters think VV is a hassle then just ignore it. But I can say what you are going through cannot compare to what the job seekers have to go through these days. You make it hard. Then job boards are everwhere to ease the pain of job seekers. We all have to swallow it!
Kay has the last but best comment on this whole thread! :D
Seriously, what you said is a hundred-percent true. Companies these days make it damn near impossible for any job applicant to get a job with the endless specialized requirements. It's like they're looking to hire perfect robots and don't take the entire person and transferable skills into consideration. It's a wonder anyone gets a job anymore. As for these remote job search sites, I did pay for FlexJobs as it seems like most of the jobs are legit, but the problem is that many of them can also be found on other (free) sites, so there are probably way too many people applying because doesn't everyone want a virtual job? You hear about these people who find a job within 1-2 weeks on FJ but they seem like the exception rather than the rule. Most jobs I never hear back from, and if you don't jump on them the second you see the ad you're usually out of luck. But FJ will keep ads published far beyond 30 days even when they may no longer be available, making you think you have a chance when you probably don't. As for VV I can't say, I had signed up once for the free version but it's useless because once you find something you're forced to pay to apply. Though you have to pay for FJ too so I don't know what the big deal is.
You obviously did not thoroughly read my comment. take a chill pill. you think you're the only one here who can't afford to pay for a job search site? you're preaching to the choir! apparently you never heard of all the free job search sites out there? there are a ton! obviously some companies will charge for their services - if you can't afford it, then don't pay for it! not everything in life is free, but there are plenty that are free so focus on those.