Vector Marketing, a sister company of Cutco Cutlery, a high end cutlery company, has been hiring youths on mass as “independent contractors”. This loophole has allowed the company to escape many legal liabilities while greatly maximizing its profits. Students yearning for a summer job are scammed into believing that Vector will help them earn fast cash on a flexible schedule. Unfortunately, Vector forces its contractors to attend unpaid training sessions and to purchase a $150 display unit. In fact, many believe that Vector will assist in their sales, but in truth, Vector neither compensates for travel expenses nor helps in scheduling appointments with potential clients. As a result, many contractors end up selling products to their friends and families in order to recuperate the cost of their initial investment.
Not only has Vector’s unethical business tactics received vast negative criticism on many internet sources, but it has also produced the student group Students Against Vector Exploitation, which sole purpose is to prevent youth from being deceived. However, no matter how bad Vector is portrayed, students still flock to the company in hopes of successfully selling over priced kitchen knives.
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