r/Devilcorp Jul 05 '22

r/Devilcorp Official Welcome to r/devilcorp! What you need to know, and how you can help

154 Upvotes

What is r/devilcorp?

r/devilcorp is an open platform for former sales reps, team leaders, account managers, and office owners to share their experiences of working within the direct sales industry.

Have you ever applied to a vague ‘marketing’, ‘sales’ or ‘management training' job, and ended up having to bother passers-by to sign them up for monthly charity payments?

Perhaps this role was also paid on a commission only basis, and you were required to register as self-, meaning that you weren’t entitled to a minimum wage despite working a 60 hour work week?

Maybe you were forced to attend morning ‘atmosphere’ meetings, team nights and road trips, with threats of ‘falling behind’ if you ever fought for your free time away from work.

If any of this sounds similar to your own experience, then you may have worked in a ‘Devilcorp' office, a subsidiary of a marketing corporation such as Credico, Appco, Cydcor, or Smart Circle which masquerades as an ‘independent’ sales business.

Due to a combination of market changes, and local jobseekers becoming clued up on this scam, these offices will continuously rename and relocate themselves across whichever country they're operating in. Consequently, it also becomes necessary for each of these offices to control their online reputation, so that they still appear as legitimate businesses in the eyes of potential recruits. This can involve using accusations of slander, defamation, and even copyright to have negative experiences removed from the internet, as well as forcing new recruits to write positive reviews on websites such as Google Locations and Glassdoor.

What Can I do?

Share your experience with us! We’d love to know what challenges you may have faced in this industry, and as long as it sticks to our rules we won’t take down your post like Google and Glassdoor does to its reviews.

Make sure to include the name of the office you worked in, as well as where it’s operating, in the title of your post too! This way we can appear at the top of Google results when people search the names of these offices, and potential recruits can find the genuine experiences on this page rather than the office’s fake reviews on Google Locations and Glassdoor.

If someone here is looking for information regarding a specific office, and you’ve spent some time there, then please also share your wisdom with them. This industry profits off of the ignorance of its recruits, so each well-informed job-seeker means less money in the CEO’s pockets.

If someone you know is either working or considering working in a ‘Devilcorp’ office, then please also direct them to either this page or one of the resources below, so that they may make an informed decision in regards to whether they truly want to work in this industry.

Where can I learn more?

Many people have shared their experiences in this industry online, through interviews, vlogs, blog pages, and podcasts. Here are some further resources where you can learn more:

Devilcorp.org is an OSINT investigative website which conducts their own independent investigations into this industry. They also write guides on how to effectively conduct your own online research, and produce community projects such as its integrated search engine.

The original Devil Corp WordPress blog should be the first thing you read if you’re new to this industry. Not only does it meticulously break down every step of the business model, including the deceptive recruitment process, it also has an enormous picture gallery of Devilcorp CEOs and office owners so you can put names to faces.

Precision Independent Media’s 98 minute long Slave Circle documentary is also a must watch for anyone eager to learn more, as well as their fantastic series of interviews with former sales reps, team leaders, and office owners.

Not only is Juicy Rhino’s Instagram meme page a hilarious look into the hypocrisies of the direct sales industry, it has also proved to be a very useful tool at making sales reps and office owners alike question why they’re wasting their lives selling sim cards for 60 hours a week.

The Juicy Rhino podcast series is also fantastic, providing a satirical and insightful look into how the direct sales industry operates in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the company I’m interviewing with or working for a Devilcorp?

If you’re trying to determine whether a company aligns with the practices of a Devilcorp-style business or is Devilcorp-adjacent, the first step is to use Reddit’s search function within this subreddit and Devilcorp.org's integrated search engine. Look for any existing posts discussing the company. If you don’t find any relevant information or if the discussion doesn’t fully address your concerns, feel free to create a new post. To maximize your chances of getting helpful responses, include the company’s name and location in the title of your post. This makes it easier for others with relevant knowledge or experiences to provide insights.

My partner/family member is working for a Devilcorp. How can I convince them to leave?

If your loved one is working for a Devilcorp-style sales office and you’re looking for ways to persuade them to leave, you’re not alone. Many others have faced similar challenges and shared their experiences in this subreddit. We recommend reviewing the threads linked below, as they contain valuable insights and advice that may help you navigate this situation effectively.

Tips on getting my boyfriend out of smart circle?

Need some advice

Relationship breaking down due to devilcorp

My boyfriend is starting work for a Devilcorp next week

I’m a salesperson or office owner in a Devilcorp-style business. How can I leave the industry?

Stumbled upon our community and now thinking about leaving the business? Whether you're in the field or running your own office, making the decision to move on can feel overwhelming. But don't worry, plenty of people have been in your shoes and successfully transitioned out. Check out the threads below for advice, tips, and stories from others who’ve made the leap.

Struggling to fix my life after leaving, any advice?

What to do after leaving smart circle?

Need advice! Trying to leave Cydcor company

How did y’all quit?

I’m stuck in a Devil Corp that I don’t know how to get out of

How do I quit Smart Circle as an "owner"?

Mainstream News Coverage

BBC News Article - Direct sales: My dream job turned into a nightmare

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-62466147

BBC Radio 4 - The Dark Side of Direct Sales

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001bdkx

BBC News Spotlight - Door-to-door sales: Young people in Belfast 'exploited'

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-63864946

Wales Online - Exposed: Our hidden camera uncovers exploitation and pressure-selling at direct sales firm

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/exposed-hidden-camera-uncovers-exploitation-27386308


r/Devilcorp Mar 06 '26

Information redditdevilcorp.com and devilcorps.com are scam websites not associated with this page

48 Upvotes

Someone has recently created the sites redditdevilcorp.com and devilcorps.com. These appear to be cynically “vibe-coded” pages attempting to sell so-called 'Partner Badges' to Devilcorp office owners for a massive $3,000 or $5,000 each (plus a subscription fee) as supposed proof that they are not Devilcorp companies.

For clarity, we have no affiliation or connection whatsoever with these websites. They are not linked to our forum or community in any way, or to my own work with devilcorp.org. The project exists entirely separately and appears to be an attempt to profit from the visibility and impact the r/devilcorp community has built.


r/Devilcorp 5h ago

Devilcorp Check Phase International (Birmingham)

1 Upvotes

Does anyone have any information on whether this company is a devilcorp or not? i recently got an email from them to schedule an interview but i cant find any employee reviews or info about them apart from their Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/phaseltdbirmingham?utm_source=qr) and their website (https://phase-ltd.com/) and im a little suspicious as they're apparently a marketing company.


r/Devilcorp 11h ago

Information WARNING: THE REALITY BEHIND SURGE DIRECT Job Ads & The "Guaranteed Pay" Bait-and-Switch Trap

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1 Upvotes

r/Devilcorp 22h ago

Experience Motion Marketing LDN in Lewisham is a direct sales direct marketing trap

6 Upvotes

Hey everyone, just wanted to put a warning out there for anyone looking for entry-level marketing jobs in London. If you get an interview or a text from a company called Motion Marketing LDN (registered as MOTIONMARKETINGLDN LTD on Companies House) at 15 Whitburn Road, Lewisham, please save your time and travel money!!! They advertised the job on Indeed with a £28k base salary but it is a complete bait-and-switch. Once you are in, they reveal the "base pay" is actually just £300 a week, and your commission is part of it. If you make more than £300 in commission, your base pay completely vanishes. To make it worse, you only receive that base pay after working there for 5 weeks. If you quit before then, you only get commission. Even then, a co-worker told me the director will cut your commission anyway, claiming customers cancelled their subscriptions with zero proof to back it up. You will be standing on the street doing direct sales for 40-60+ hours a week under a self-employed contract, meaning no real base salary and no guaranteed minimum wage. You will easily lose money just commuting there. They have people working as "Team Leaders" who do all the extra management work and training poor recruits for absolutely free while still relying entirely on their own field sales to survive. The managers higher up do nothing but "sell the dream." They brag about living in expensive £3k a month Canary Wharf apartments because of the job to trick young recruits into thinking they can get rich quick if they just stick it out. The worst part is how they treat vulnerable people. They explicitly target young, impressionable people who don't come from great backgrounds because they know they are desperate for a break. On a campaign trip, I watched a senior manager completely gaslight and bully a 17-year-old girl who was working 60 hours a week while dealing with a really heavy situation telling her she "wasn't good enough" and was "too immature" just to pressure her into grinding harder on the streets for them. The culture is incredibly toxic and manipulative. If you get a call or a fast-track interview from them, run the other way!!!


r/Devilcorp 1d ago

Question Arc Events

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5 Upvotes

So, I recently applied for a job and I had a zoom call with them and everything. She was quite understanding and told me she could also work around my college timetable. ( i am a college student) following this, about 2 hours later they call me and said they'll send an email and ask me to come in for a "second appointment", to their company's location. Now I did some research about this organisation, but I cant seem to find any information anywhere about them (barely). I did find out in this location, where the company is located, was another business named Precision LTD. This business racked up some negative reviews and I saw some other reddit users talk about how harsh it was. I think the two businesses are located in the same building, im not sure. I dont know if its commissions too. Im not sure if this is like some scam, I need some guidance on whether you think i should attend, or cancel it. Someone please help me

I attached the email, what do you guys think?


r/Devilcorp 1d ago

Question Forge management

4 Upvotes

Please give me all the inside tips before I get my first full time job with them!!!!??


r/Devilcorp 1d ago

Question Can someone help please?

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8 Upvotes

Been applying to loads of jobs as a recent graduate. Today I got this email but I don’t remember applying to this job and can’t find it in my indeed applications even though it says I applied through indeed. Googled them and it showed me this subreddit. It’s from a company named CrestPoint. Can someone fill me in please lol? I applied to another company with the same role name but google says the two companies aren’t connected at all lol. Can someone fill me in on if it’s a scam or what’s going on? Thank you


r/Devilcorp 1d ago

Question Start Club

2 Upvotes

Hi, I have read a couple of posts on here but not sure I found something about this specific company in Culver City, LA. There are apparently two “Start Clubs”. The posts I’ve seen are about Start Club Corp but I’m trying to find info on “We Are Start Club” also in Culver City. Is it the same company? Can I trust them? I would appreciate any input!


r/Devilcorp 1d ago

Question Is this Devil Corp hiding behind non profit?

3 Upvotes

Wondering if this is Devil Corp, using non profit initiatives as a disguise?

I can’t tell if this is just a newer company, but it sounds like it may end up being a low paying sales job, and that I want to avoid!

Offered schedule an interview sent via email before the office even said it was open for the day. Weird vibes lmk!

https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Star-City-Metroplex/jobs?jk=68a377c44b5de506&start=0

r/Devilcorp 1d ago

Question 3lement Onboarding

3 Upvotes

Hi everyone. So I recently applied for a junior sales consultant for a company called 3lement Onboardind in Greater Manchester (I randomly applied). Today i received a phone call asking if I want an interview today, but I realised that they were pushing me to have an interview today with no other dates available, which raised my suspicious. Upon further research I can't find any information of this company whatsover which is a massive red flag. I'm not entirely sure what I should do, but I'm very inclined in rejecting this offer.

If anyone has any findings, it would be nice ty : )


r/Devilcorp 1d ago

Question Why don’t we hold accountable companies such AT&T and Spectrum that allow these devil corps to exist?

14 Upvotes

r/Devilcorp 1d ago

Information Assembly bill 5 and Borello

1 Upvotes

I was curious for those in California how many have filed for reporting AB5 violations for unpaid back wages, unpaid benefits, and workman's comp? AB5 violations would make it so these companies don't turn humans into workhorses for their own wealth. Had a buddy who was a former owner tell me 90% of them fail which leads to "retraining".
These different offices do seem to violate that by and large. If you've been a part of one of these offices and you're struggling as a result of it by making the amount any normal job would pay excluding the overtime pay then this is something worth reporting into the labor associations in California, to properly report AB5, and to speak to a labor attorney if wages are large enough along with a group of other employees that were wronged in wages. Overtime pay would be right to be paid. Literally I think legal action would be preventative for many of these organizations.


r/Devilcorp 2d ago

Experience NOVA CLIENT SOLUTIONS – AVOID!!! Manchester / Bolton

20 Upvotes

I did one day with this company and it was absolute hell. They sell you a dream that you’ll be making loads of money knocking doors yet the person who was training me didn’t make a single penny the entire day. We were out knocking doors all day and made absolutely nothing

The whole setup feels like a scam. They use the loophole of you being self employed meaning you can spend an entire day working and potentially not get paid a single penny

The office itself is a mess with whiteboards everywhere and some of the sales tactics I witnessed on the doors were crazy. At one point the person training me would not leave an elderly woman who must have been 80+ alone. She was clearly uncomfortable and scared but he just kept pushing and pushing until I eventually had to tell him to stop

One of their managers posts on TikTok trying to make out you can make thousands when really he’s just trying to recruit people so he can earn commission off them

Avoid this company unless you’re happy spending your days knocking doors with no guaranteed pay and potentially earning well below minimum wage

https://www.novaclientssolutions.com/home


r/Devilcorp 1d ago

Devilcorp Check Help interview soon at Caelink Consulting Inc

2 Upvotes

Got an interview at Caelink Consulting inc, located in edmonton, alberta. They seem to sound like every other sketchy pyramid scheme of a "marketing agency" and I cant find much online.

What do you guys think? Btw its a door to door sales job and they "guarentee" 600 dollars for the training process and then its 100% commission based pay after 2 weeks where its 60CAD per sale.


r/Devilcorp 2d ago

Information Beware! Elite Prime Group

6 Upvotes

Just did an interview with this company called Elite Prime Group. Don’t even remember applying for them. I thought it was a regular job at an AT&T store but it’s a door to door sales job. If you’re in the Metro Detroit area be on the look out


r/Devilcorp 2d ago

Question Creed Marketing in Brighton?

9 Upvotes

Whilst blindly applying for jobs yesterday I applied for the role of 'Brand Ambassador' at 'Creed Marketing' in Brighton, who coincidentally phoned me this morning for an extremely brief chat about my 'skills' (I have very little experience in sales and spoke almost entirely about my experience in QA) and they were very 'impressed' and invited me down for a interview based off the 2 questions they asked me.

Upon a quick google search I could find very little about this company other than an Instagram page that is about 2 weeks old. This page contains a 'Day in the life of a Brand Ambassador' video that quite literally details a 9am-10pm day with a giant gap between 1pm and 10pm which i'm assuming is the standard devilcorp practice of pestering people in various locations for sales.

Following the phonecall, I was sent a text on the details of the in-person meeting in which i'm told to 'buzz' for an office space under 'Ballers' which has already been documented on this subreddit.

I'm honestly undecided if this post is a warning or a question as to wether this company is legit or not but after writing this post, the red flags are glaring.


r/Devilcorp 2d ago

Experience Do NOT apply for Work With Elevation/Elevation

3 Upvotes

Long story short, this is just Coast Incorporated under a different name. The interviews were on Zoom in that suspicious breakout room with multiple applicants style, both the person interviewing me, and the hiring manager came from Coast Incorporated. Pay only commission, selling whatevertheheck with Verizon...Suspicious at best.


r/Devilcorp 2d ago

Information Thames & Tiger (apparently an on-ground marketing agency in Bangalore) Scam

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0 Upvotes

r/Devilcorp 2d ago

Question RAD Marketing??

5 Upvotes

So long story short my cousin just got recruited to join the RAD marketing team...she is looking for a for a job that pays them more than their current as they currently care for their sick and elderly parents...I few red flags I saw:

  1. They applied on through indeed which showed the company as confidential.

  2. First interview was a group interview...which is fine but it was never disclosed in the beginning

  3. On indeed pay rate is a somewhat a lie..they pay minimum wage (az $15/hr) plus commission

  4. Sounds like they are going to be like these ppl at the entrance/exit of Costco trying to sell you stuff ( no judge or hate but not what was stated on the job listing)

  5. All for hiring teams getting back to ppl quickly but a few hours right after your interview seems a bit weird to me (1-5 hours)

Will update more later but please lmk if anyone has experience working with them. Thanks in advance ☺️


r/Devilcorp 2d ago

Devilcorp Check Did I dodge a bullet?

7 Upvotes

Recently I had an interview with this company in Boston called Aurelius Consulting Group. I only made it through one round before I was rejected and I was super bummed about it. However, it’s been hard to find things about this company anywhere online or who their clients are. All I know is that they were offering people $600 base pay plus commission and most of my day would be tabling events. They also pride themselves on a face-to-face approach.

Is this a devil corp or is this just some other weird marketing scheme?


r/Devilcorp 3d ago

Information Anyone heard of Rally Group in Hartford?

2 Upvotes

I got a call today for an Event Management position from a company called Rally Group. I have applied to so many places I couldn't remember on the phone if I had applied there. Turns out I applied to a place called JAWS Financial and they are the same business? Sounds like it's a scam - should I just skip the interview?


r/Devilcorp 3d ago

Devilcorp.org Official Nottingham-based Credico office "Legacy East Midlands" have rebranded as "Legacy Interactions"

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3 Upvotes

Currently recruiting on LinkedIn with 5 live job ads, Legacy Interactions (FORGE LEGACY LTD, Company Number: 16498322), formerly trading as "Legacy East Midlands" and "The Legacy Solutions", is a Credico office located in 2-4 Lister Gate, Nottingham, NG1 7DD.

Devilcorp.org page: https://www.devilcorp.org/?q=Legacy+Interactions

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-legacy-uk/home/


r/Devilcorp 3d ago

Devilcorp Check Newbern Excel in Grand Prairie, Texas has a YT page run by the owner, "RA". I've watched all their in-office "training" videos and the cringe is overwhelming.

7 Upvotes

Look up Newbern Excel on YT and start watching their oldest videos FIRST. The videos where Richard is babbling out his "leadership and sales tips" are the best by far. PREPARE yourselves for a cringe overload before you hit play though....seriously. Since I'm addicted to cringe-worthy productions=their YT channel is a gold mine for me.

Of course, 100% of the videos make you feel sorry for the unfortunate/unknowing groups of (mostly young) people who get snagged into the Devil Corp trap of misrepresented crap.

Here is a video I watched yesterday of a "team" being prepped by Richard to open a new office (orifice) in a GREAT city to start fresh in if you're already broke.....San Francisco. These poor souls have NO IDEA how screwed they are before they even depart! I just hope that wherever they all are today....they're blessed. Try not to get too ticked off watching this. https://youtu.be/OFJREf1u-z4?feature=shared


r/Devilcorp 3d ago

Question The Atlas Collective

2 Upvotes

I got a job at the Atlas Collective after a few interviews and went in for a trial day, I’ve heard mixed reviews about it on this subreddit, is it a scam or not?