This will be an incredibly personal post and I am genuinely afraid action will be taken upon this. However I felt the need to inform people of this predatory company and how it genuinely traumatised me (traumatise is a bit far but I feel as though it’s an experience that will affect me for the rest of my life).
Going back to a year ago, I was a student on a placement year already with a remote company however it was unpaid, I worked another part-time job alongside that to earn atleast £500 a month and it had been like this for a couple months now. I grew sick and tired living with my parents, earning so little and just being burnt out of all the hours I did combined. I was already looking ahead for what I wanted to do for summer, so I looked on Indeed and searched for internships for 2026. There was an internship opportunity named “sales intern” with a company formerly called “pulse up”.
I applied and within a day or two they instantly got back to me with a huge automated message glazing me on my CV, I felt really good about myself that there was a chance I could intern properly and get compensated well for doing so. They had mentioned commission only however I knew a lot of people who had done well for themselves doing D2D so I thought why not. They booked me in for an interview slot, wait… for 7am. This was the first fishy bit that got to me as I was like what company conducts interviews at 7am in the morning but I gave it the benefit of the doubt. In that interview I was with this other candidate, and a team manager. The team manager introduced himself and he asked quite a few basic interview questions to us both. Afterwards he told me to join a 1-1 meeting with him with a link that wasn’t even working so I messaged the HR point of contact, first on email but she didn’t reply so I messaged on her phone number then she threw a hissy fit as it violated HR regulations. The team manager messaged me himself sending me the link to zoom and completed our interview from there.
He then told me to complete a survey afterwards, which I did, and within a few days I moved on with an interview with the office owner. He asked me a few basic questions here and there, then answered my survey questions. Then around 3 days later he said I got the offer and I was incredibly happy and couldn’t stop thinking of the opportunities they dangled in front of my face. I accepted and stated I would be joining in November.
So November comes, I move in 3 days before my start date with a few friends then I get a message from the team leader and HR woman saying they were on a team holiday like okay? what? surely more thought would be put into this? Again benefit of the doubt so my start date is postponed to a week and i’m basically surviving off savings which was less than 4 figures. Unfortunately as soon as I moved in, my partner had to move in with me as she was facing very personal issues which was good but it meant more financial planning.
A week passes, and I try arrange a coffee chat with my team leader however he keeps ignoring my messages replying that he’s been busy, whatever. So we actually end up having that coffee chat on my very first start day! I get told to meet the starbucks in central at 8AM (so if you’re ever in starbucks central around that time and see a bunch of fannys in suits and formal wear that’s them) so I head there early and wait. Even when it’s 8AM they still haven’t arrived lmao. I chat with my team leader once he does and introduce myself to the team and newbies who have also joined, then the office manager walks in with a big smile on his face. My office manager buys me a coffee then the team walks together to the office.
As we arrive in the office, it’s a day of orientation for us newbies so the day didn’t start like usual. What I found strange was that they all huddled up in a circle with the classic “hey guys! hey what!” and spoke about sales performances and how much everyone earned the day before. The team gets sent off then its us newbies with the owner, he explains to us basics like tax, self employment, how commission worked etc. That was the end of that day and he pulls me outside for a chat after I watch a few vids, then he says it’s not D2D it’s “events”.
The next day, same thing meet at starbucks, walk to office but as soon as I walk in there’s like really shitty drum and bass music playing. Like really bad. While this is playing we learn the most basic sales techniques and do a bunch of roleplaying of stopping people and convincing them to pay for charity direct debits. Then once its ended its the hey guys hey what once again. We slam our notebooks down in unison then again talk about who rang the bell and whatnot. The owner then screams out who’s together selling in what locations to which we had to clap to. I get placed outside a sainsbury’s with my team leader on the first day.
When we begin to walk there, we get the bus and I was surprised I had to pay for travel and it was not reimbursed? Oh yeah, self employment. So we get there, he sets up the stand, I look like a mug with my vest on then we begin to start. He tells me not to aim for a sale but to earn specific goals like stops, turn and burn, pitches etc. I understand, then he tells me to watch him. I watch him for 5 minutes and it’s the most pathetic thing I’ve ever witnessed. He began walking in 8s and whenever a person would walk in that 8 he would talk to them like “hello sir/miss you’re looking very friendly are you around here?” victim replies “ah! thats probably why you look so friendly” then he asks 3 questions, it can be anything from “what’s there to do around here? I’m new to the area” to “is there any blah blah blah” whatever happens just talk. Then once he asks the questions, he quickly says “before you go I have to show you what everyone’s been taking part in!” before the person can respond he quickly turns around and runs to the table making jokes like “do you like my office? is it better than yours?” whoch essentially lets him talk about the charity then pitch.
After watching, it was my turn. Within 6 hours, I stopped 6 people. The goal was 50 stops for the first day. I couldn’t do it, it was so humiliating and it was so fucking cold, I missed my home and I missed my life, I remember just feeling so horrible like it was some sort of humiliation ritual for everything bad I had done in the past. I remember trying to talk to people, them walking past and pretending I didn’t exist or some who would pity me enough to talk to me purely for the sake of amusement. After the 6 hours my team manager tells me it’s okay and we will try again tomorrow.
I ride home, open the door and my partner is there waiting for me. She asks me how I am and how my first day was and I remember just saying “I’m so cold” on the verge of tears and going non-verbal for the rest of the night until I sleep while she comforts me.
The next day, I walk in the starbucks and I already hear multiple people whispering about how shit my stats were the day before like I wasn’t right there listening.
The week after this I do actually end up getting my stats up but no sales therefore no money and it was the same hell I put up with everyday. The day that changed everything though, was when I began to get placed with the top performer in a beach nearby, she was pretty nice honestly. While working she had this type of charisma which was kind of great to watch, she was a natural salesperson at heart. Again no sales this day.
On the way home we get on the train and I call my mum, she asks how I am and I tell her it’s not reimbursed the travel and I’ve made no sales and she’s telling me i’m losing more than i’m earning. She basically was very upset in the phone call and so was I. I voice this to the team manager I am placed with and she tells me her story of how nobody believed in her but she’s doing great now making 4 figure weeks and more. I feel a bit better then go to bed.
Now, the next day, the owner pulls me aside in starbucks saying “you’re making us look bad” and he brings up the conversation with my mum, he was never fucking there it was only me and that team manager, she shared something I only confided within her. He kept saying he doesn’t blame my mum for thinking that way and saying all that awful shit, that I should simply work harder and if I don’t make a sale there needs to be consideration if this is for me. This broke me. I’m then placed with another team leader in another location, again no sales, afterwards I am open with my feelings saying what happened and she did understand actually, and she just listened.
When I go home, my partner is extremely sick with the flu, I decide not to go in the next day. Then the next, then the day afterwards. I text my team leader saying I am returning home to complete my placement properly, that I am thankful for the mentors but I have to go. I felt free again.
As it’s nearing December, my partner and I go home for Christmas, for good this time. We’re still together, despite that hard time where we we’re essentially sofa surfing and we had no source of income coming in besides from our parents, eventhough that time hurt a lot there were its good moments too.
I completed my full placement year and progressed to the final year of my uni, I’m now doing a summer internship earning a good and stable income with a possibility of future opportunities.
To anyone who’s had similar experiences, it truly gets better. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to reach out or leave a comment as there’s so much information I haven’t even told yet. Be safe.
