Credico calls themselves an 'Outsourced Marketing Specialist'. On their own website, Credico states that they outsource customer acquisition costs on behalf of their clients to " independently owned and operated sales teams", who acquire customers for the clients. Credico's taken the position that the independent sales offices (ISO's) which it subcontracts with are, in fact, independently owned and not controlled by Credico in any way. Which is why, whenever a disgruntled field salesperson writes on GlassDoor about working 60-70 hour work weeks, making below minimum wage, having no work/life balance, and being an unwilling participant of a pyramid scheme, Credico will say that they bear zero responsibility for the salesperson because these outside sales companies are, after all, independently owned.
On the surface, that appears to be the case, but in reality, the offices it chooses to do business with are grown from within a network of already existing offices. It's not as if, like a talent scout, Credico actively seeks to do business with sales companies that classify their salespeople as 'independent contractors', force them to work 70 hour work weeks and pay them paltry commissions. On the contrary - Credico decides the commission policy for these companies, hosts 'rallies' and conferences where these companies come together to hear Credico's CEO and President praise and encourage them to keep working 70 hour work weeks [This footage exists], and informally promotes a bogus opportunity scheme where, if you subject yourself to terrible working conditions and follow "the system" in an already existing ISO, your manager will 'promote you' and make you another one of Credico's ISO's. Meanwhile, through these means, Credico clears themselves of moral responsibility while benefiting off the backs of hard-working people all pursuing a dream that does not exist. Ingenious scheme, isn't it?
This aforementioned bogus opportunity scheme - which started more than thirty years ago by defunct entities way older than Credico (Google 'DS-Max') - dupes countless unsuspecting people every year into taking a low-pay direct sales job (usually door-to-door sales and business-to-business sales). The scheme promises you that if you follow a series of steps, work 60-70 hours a week on commission, interview a revolving door of new applicants, convince said applicants of the "opportunity" and possibility of becoming their own business owners, retain enough people to build a "crew", and recruit, recruit, recruit, you will earn the opportunity of running a company and perpetuating this cycle yourself. The "opportunity" is like a phony penny stock scam - its value is worthless. The only way to become successful is to recruit and deceive more people, duping them into working hard for a nonexistant opportunity.
Credico uses this scheme to grow exponentionally and make money, without ever taking responsibility for the field agents breaking their backs and working hard on the field. At a public rally in Baltimore in 2015, Credico's CEO told the audience of suckers that if they want to make it in this business, they better start working hard. If 70-80 hours a week weren't enough, he suggested 100 hours. Why? Because as an outsourcing company, Credico doesn't have to pay field agents a salary or put rules in place to prevent workers from being taken advantage of. As long as people buy into the bogus opportunity scheme that Credico, their Consultants and their Vice Presidents sell to suckers across the country, money will continue to be made at the salesman's expense. And these negative reviews will keep on piling.
