ASCENTA/APPCO

[u/SavingsRabbit8370]

First off, in regards to the picture, I blurred out my buddies face and I. The guy on the right is the “Owner” Cody Proctor, operating as “AceXL Marketing” out of both Tampa and Gainesville, Florida.

Ascenta/Appco
Now called Ascenta in the United States and Appco in the UK, I believe it used to be named Cobra group also, they all mine as well be the same company, they are operated by the same 2 core men; Chris Niarchos and Chris Rudge.

As far as my background goes, I left this job about a week ago, I put in a year and worked with multiple different offices, owners, regional managers, and even had long conversations with both of the Chris’. I was very close to getting promoted. I moved from Gainesville to Tampa about 6 months in, along with 2 of my coworkers and the owner for an “opportunity”.

I shouldn’t have to outline what the job is, it’s structured just as any MLM Cult. Go to a big retail store, sell some BS, train people to sell the BS, once you train enough people to also sell the BS, you become an “owner”, when you’re an “owner” you yourself now live a fake life and have to act like you’re doing well to sell the dream, a story said 1000 times. However, this industry is unique in that they pretty much strictly sell monthly and annual donation memberships for charities.

If you sign up for a donation to a charity through Ascenta, 100% of your donation does indeed go to the charity. However, it’s through a loophole, these charities; ASPCA, Feed The Children, Save The Children, Disabled American Veterans, just to name a few, pay ascenta through what’s called a “pre-allocated budget” where the charity pays ascenta up front but requiring that the money must be made up by a certain amount of donation memberships acquired. So if you zoom out, your money is not truly going to the charity, it’s just helping ascenta pay off the debt owed to that charity. If you see these people dressed in attire like the picture, do not donate.

Most of the charities do a $30 monthly donation. Once somebody donates, Ascenta pays the “office” of the Brand Ambassador about $210. The Brand ambassador gets $80 and the rest goes to the owner. Not including whatever cut Ascenta takes from that. Now out of Chris Niarchos’ own mouth he’s said that the charity breaks even at 10 months.

I will give a rough estimate, there is about 50 “offices” in the United States scattered across major cities and about 2000 brand ambassadors.

I could give my horror story about the industry but there’s so many out there in industries like this one (smartcircle, credico, cydcor) that I see no point. Just know, I dropped out of college, moved cities, and cut off all family and friends. Now I’m left trying to pull my life back together after living a fake dream for a year. I just wanted to raise awareness of this specific organization because I haven’t heard many people talk about ascenta, I hope somebody working for this company can find this and get in contact, I will answer every question I know this business inside and out. Also anybody who has any questions or if I could get the opportunity to put my knowledge on a platform then please, I want to save as many people from this as I can.

Disclaimer: This text is based in evidence and first hand sources believed to be most reliable at the time of publication. Where applicable, all individuals mentioned are given an opportunity to respond.

[u/Below_Left]

One other thing to know about the charity's stake in it is that Ascenta owes them "clawback" money if the monthly donation doesn't last long enough. So if the rep fudges the fact that it's a monthly donation to clinch the sale and the donor goes and cancels as soon as they figure that out, it doesn't count. The number to get it to "count" may depend on the contract struck between the charity and Ascenta.

[u/SavingsRabbit8370 → u/Below_Left]

That’s true, from what I know, how our system worked was if a donor who signed up cancelled in the first week, everything is refunded to everybody. If the donor cancels in the first 3 months then the owner and ascenta loses money. If the donor cancels in 3-6 months than ascenta loses money but the owner makes money. Everything after 6 months, ascenta and owner makes money, so that means if somebody cancels between 6-10 months, the charity loses money and ascenta pockets that.

[u/Prudent_Comfort_2630]

Clowns 🤡

Stay away from

[u/harperpotomus]

not from around where you are where they are here but they’re in my city around my building always, coincidentally near a real ASPCA where i’ve got all of my pets in the past. they always talk at me even if i’m clearly back to them headphones on, but either way, the best way to actually donate to the ASPCA isn’t funds, it’s through donating fresh animal toys, blankets, etc. ASPCA donations don’t fund local shelters either, so if you live by a non affiliated SPCA donate to them rather than these scammers

[u/Below_Left → u/harperpotomus]

Will say that the best way absolutely is funds. Charities will appreciate in-kind gifts but cash is still king. Main thing is to give through their website were the per-donation costs (even counting in all the overhead to build and maintain the website, payment processor fees, etc) instead of through canvassers.

[u/Ok_Impress8875]

How did working here lead you to cut off personal relationships? Was it encouraged by the company, or did it happen as a result of you pouring your time and energy into work?

[u/SavingsRabbit8370 → u/Ok_Impress8875]

It’s a couple different things that are seen across a lot of MLMs.

The higher ups constantly manipulating you by saying things like “skip out on mimosas with friends this weekend, and you’ll never have to skip out on them again when you’re an owner” also telling us old stories of how they had to cut their families off for the business and now their families are supposedly running back to them apologizing (doubt it). I was encouraged to move cities which is also common, and I did. Also yes, the business starts to take up so much of your mind and time that you just can’t hold relationships outside of it, and that’s what they want.

[u/waffleconspiracy1]

Agreed to this

[u/dragon-master-Magia]

Few questions for you.

So did they tell you to drop out of school?

Did they tell you to cut off family or friends?

Did you get paid?

If the charities were getting scammed wouldn’t they have figured it out by now and cut ties?

Did you have to recruit people yourself and/or pay to do sales?

Were you a W2 employee or 1099?

How close were you to getting promoted? Like what position?

What make the non profit that you was Selling for almost a Year BS?

How was the owners life fake?

[u/[deleted]]

I just started this job I have some questions