If you are between the ages of 17 and 24, you might have heard of Vector Marketing. They recruit students between these ages for “$12-20 an hour” summer jobs. Beware, we all know about things that are too good to be true… do you expect to get $12-20 an hour with zero experience? Read on to find the dirt on Vector Marketing.
Is Vector Marketing REALLY a Scam?
For my disclaimer, I’ll say this: legally speaking (though I’m not a lawyer), I wouldn’t accuse Vector Marketing of being illegal or for breaking any official codes, laws, etc. The reason I use the term “scam” is because of the whole system involved. It’s not necessarily illegal, but the whole protocol questionable.
The program hides some important issues from the participants, then the participants have to sell in a “Tupperware-style” setting (which can often strain relationships), then participants inevitably make less money than what was “implied” to them during training, and finally, the end consumer gets an over-priced product which smacks of “unethical-ness”.
That’s all, but what the heck, you’re an adult and you can jump right in if you like. This is just my humble opinion! 😉
About 2 years ago, my son was looking for a summer job and seen an ad on CraigsList that guaranteed $12-20 an hour jobs for students. The ad stated that you needed to be 17+ with a high school diploma or 18+ without a diploma. It did not include a list of daily activities and was very, very vague. The ad was more like a landing page telling my son to fill out a form and apply. If you’ve been working for awhile and are a professional, you will realize that a $12-20 an hour job with no real requirement (GED) is a little far-fetched.
**[Update May 10, 2018] Vector Marketing is Trying to Manipulate You Online **
This post picked up quite a bit of traffic because our SEO man is very good at search engine optimization (SEO). He informed me to inform you of Vector Marketing’s “reputation management” campaign. Reputation management, the long name “online reputation management” (ORM), is when a company attempts to drown out negative reviews on the search engines.
For example, let’s say the CEO googles “vector marketing scam” or “Cutco knives scam” and sees tons and tons of *real* people stating how Vector Marketing is a scam. This is bad news because around 8,100 people google “vector marketing scam” every month. That is 270 people a day!
Wow, Vector Marketing must be scamming a lot of people! That number is obtained from Google’s Keyword Tool, a tool that shows how many people google which keywords (mainly used by SEOs and advertisers).
So, to the CEO, 270 people a day are finding out the *real* image of Vector. That is not good for recruitment (read rest of post for why). That is 270 potential contractors who are not going to become workers. Because their business model involves having college kids selling to family and friends, this really means 270 lead sources are lost. That is a huge drop in advertising reach.
Therefore, Vector does what any other shady company does: hides their dirt. Instead of listening to the outcries and changing, they are only manipulating information.
Below is a screenshot of the search engine results page as of May 27, 2013. The sites I highlighted as fake are sites operated under the purse of Vector Marketing. Do not listen to the claims on these websites. Also, Vector Marketing has been posting in the comment section of this page as well as other pages online with fake testimonials.
Basically, if someone seems to be *too* happy to be working at Vector, it is fake. (Why else are they taking their time to promote their employers? It is not like they are getting paid… oh wait, they are).
Here’s Something That’s Definitely not a Scam! We think it’s very cool! Oh, and did I mention it’s FREE!?
Fast Forward to 2018!
Here’s a screenshot from May, 2018 and not much has changed. The list of critical reviews is growing, and though www.vectormarketingscam.com did not appear in a search for “Vector Marketing Scam”, it did appear when I actually searched for “vectormarketingscam.com”.
You Can Help Stop Vector Marketing Scam!
If you don’t want Vector misleading other people, you can end this by sharing this page on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and any other social networking account you have. Social signals are used by search engines to determine rankings and, therefore, if this post becomes #1, Vector losses ;-). If you have a blog, you can also blog about Vector Marketing and link to this post within the blog post. That, a backlink, also helps rank sites.
Now, back to the rest of the article…
When I read it my mind screamed BizOp. That is industry speak for a business opportunity. It is a niche where people sell to other people the idea of making money. They get your hopes up on living the life you want and then feed off of your work. Or they sell you junk. Vector Marketing does both.
I told him what I thought about it and told him he should just go to the interview anyway (surprise, he got an interview… ). He might learn a few things about marketing from seeing how they work–like how they can get young folks motivated to work for them without telling them what they are going to be doing.
The interviews are all group interviews and that all the company has about 3-4 group interviews a week. The interviews had about 10 people. That is 30-40 new employees earning $12-20 an hour a week! Again, this sounds like either the company is 1.) a non-profit, 2.) super bad at finance, or 3.) a scam… the company says it has annual sales of over $200 million and is based in 250+ locations… if a company is that big, I’m sure they know how to manage their finances, so it is probably option 3.
Once you arrive at the nondescript business building, you will be given an intro to the company, Vector Marketing. Vector Marketing is the child of Cutco Knives. What Vector Marketing does is market Cutco products. You, the new sales rep, will go around and find leads, conduct in-home demonstrations, and sell Cutco knives.
What are Cutco Knives?
Cutco is an old US knife maker that used to go by the name Alcas. Cutco owns the Cutco Knives line, Kabar knives, Vector Marketing, as well as a few other companies. Cutco is privately owned and based in New York. Cutco makes pocket knives, folders, kitchen knives, machetes, balisongs, tomahawks, and a ton of other blades.
What is Vector Marketing?
Vector Marketing is a multilevel marketing company that sells Cutco Knives. You can not buy Cutco Knives from retailers like Sears–hence it is “exclusive.” Vector Marketing targets college students as well as recent high school graduates to sell knives for them. In my son’s group interview, the interviewer talked about how easy it is to sell to parents, relatives, neighbors, teachers, and friends. He paints a clear picture of how you can easily make money selling knives to people you already know.
You get a cut of the sale and, as you increase in sales, your cut increases. You also get a cut from sales done by people under you. What this means is if I tell my brother about Vector and he signs up and starts selling, I’ll get a cut of his sales. “It’s a great way to earn passive income,” they say.
The company also has cool things like trips to Cancun and scholarships. Wow, what a great job for a college kid!
How are Cutco Knives Made?
Cutco sells overpriced knives in my opinion. They use 440A steel which, for their three-digit price, is very expensive. You can find 440A steel in budget knives at Wal-Mart. I’m not saying Cutco makes BAD knives …. just sayin’!
What Cutco does that other knife manufacturers do not is that they offer a free sharpening program. You can get your knives sharpened by the factory for as long as you want. This makes the 440A steel a lot better because, as I’m sure Vector knows, most people never bother to sharpen their knives.
No matter how great the steel is or how amazing the kitchen knife is, it will need to be sharpened sooner or later. Kitchen knives are almost always made of stainless steel. Stainless steel resists rust very well but dulls quickly. Sharpening it will bring the edge back. A high carbon steel will hold its edge much longer than 440A, and a good sharpening system (as infrequently as you’ll have to use it) will bring the edge back very quickly and effectively.
What do We Suggest?
If you are really in the market for a high-quality set of kitchen knives, there are lots of other (much better) options, considering the quality of Cutco steel. For example, we REALLY like the Kai Wasabi set from Japan. This is an exceptionally good set of knives which won’t run cheap. The 10-piece set is well over $200, but with a very high carbon steel, these knives will maintain a sharp edge for a long time.
You can check the latest price for a good set on:
How does Vector Marketing Train Young People to Sell Knives?
First, you start with people immediately near you like parents and close relatives. You show them a 1-hour long presentation. You are paid a base rate of $12-20 per presentation. Yes, of course, your relatives will sit there and listen to your 1-hour presentation.
The presentation will show you a $200 set of Cutco Knives (that the salesperson must buy with their own money). They often compare it to your kitchen knives. Most Americans do not sharpen their kitchen knives so the brand new set of Cutco Knives wins by a long shot.
They then go into the Forever Sharp guarantee and a few other great sales tactics. Basically, the person is reciting what they heard from their boss.
If the target buys or not, the seller will ask for 10 referrals (What?! I didn’t even buy your product so why should I tell my friends about you?). Most people agree because they are too nice. Then the process happens all over again.
More Reasons to be Wary
- The scam with Vector Marketing and Cutco Knives is that you won’t make $12-20 an hour. That is the base rate for an appointment but most salespeople do not take the base rate because that is like saying “I am inept.” Cutco feeds off of your desire to get a job and make money so that they can get you to promote their brand for almost nothing.
- You also must spend $200 on knives. Have you ever seen a college kid who needed a $200 knife set? Or have you ever seen a college kid who cooks? Me neither! They could have just given out demos to their employees. That is at least 10 appointments (or 2 weeks of work) for a new employee to break even.
- You are using the niceness of your family. How can an uncle say no to a niece? That is how Cutco gets you to buy their knives. Most people don’t need a new set of knives (most people just need to sharpen theirs).
- There is nothing special about their kitchen knives. Yes, Ka-bar is one of my favorite knife brands but Cutco kitchen knives are overpriced. You are better off buying a professional knife set for the same amount of money.
- You are not reimbursed for travel expenses. Yup, if you drive across the state, you won’t be paid for it and, for in-home sales, you will do a lot of driving.
Conclusion on Cutco Knife Scam
Don’t do it! If you are a college student looking for a part time job, I recommend you get a REAL job or, better yet, do something that will be a stepping stone for your career. Keep the long-term goal in mind, and save yourself the negative stigma and potentially strained relationships resulting from your involvement in network marketing programs.
Real College Jobs
Good college jobs that pay well and are often overlooked are:
- Lawn work. You can cut grass for residential and commercial properties. They are always looking for English speaking summer help. You will easily get 40 hours a week and a good tan. Look for places like golf courses if you want to earn a lot. I’ve seen ads for $12 an hour (as of summer 2012).
- Kitchen work. You might need to start doing dish work but, after being there for awhile, you can move up to a waiter/waitress. Tips can earn you easily $100 a night. It all depends on your ability to befriend/flirt with your customers.
- Pizza driver. $20 an hour at least, guaranteed. Most pizza orders are $20+ and, with a $2 tip and 10 stops an hour, you will get at least $20 in tips. If you want to make more, be a driver for a high-end pizza joint.
- Grow house. If it is legal in your state, work in a grow house trimming MMJ. One of the best jobs ever. Flexible hours and everyone is very laid back.
- Bartending. This is the ultimate college job. You might need to start bartending at restaurants before you can move up to bars and clubs. Most bars will not hire people without experience. Bartenders can make $100+ a night in tips.
- Lab work. If you want to work in the sciences like medicine, psychology, or chemistry, look for lab work at your school. You might need to be a volunteer at first but there are paid positions for students. It is a great thing to have on grad school resumes.
- Donating plasma. You can earn $100/week for two 30 minute sessions.
Just be wary of job offers that say you can make a lot of money with little work. If that was true, everyone would be rich. Also stay away from unpaid “internships” at companies (unless they are sanctioned by your college)–they are just using you for free labor ;-).
She is absolutely correct. I tried several “jobs” like this back in the 90’s. I stuck it out for a month or so, because I wanted to give it a chance. I wasted time and gas money. I knew when I saw this letter from Vector that it sounded just like those “jobs”. Glad I checked it out. Don’t waste your time. If you have a knack for sales, you can sell anything. The ones that are successful, good for you, but don’t say someone is ignorant because of their experience. People need a job for money, and every week that goes by w/o a pay counts. Putting out $200 up front, if they had that they wouldn’t need the job.
Its no different from Avon or Scentsy and the knives really are pretty good. They even have a contract with the military; i got my set from a demo at the commissary. They dont charge you for the display set anymore and they offer you the base pay to make sure you arent pressuring people into buying if they dont want to. they stress that alot, actually.
For everyone that says that Vector is a scam, you are wrong. I make more money working here than I could doing anything else through college. Also, I got my starter kit with my knives for free. (Scams don’t give you stuff for free) So stop talking badly about it.
I just started working for Vector, I havent sold a lot (like $300) but it is definately a hard job, it feels like im working day in and day out – not really the job I want at the age of 19 but I like it. One thing I dont like is that taxes are not taken out, so you have to consider that when you get your paycheck. So far I have gotten my first paycheck and this Tuesday, I should be recieving my second — hopefully with all my demo hours/pay on it — and if not I’m probably going to quit and keep the knives(that I got for FREE by the way – I can purchase them if i want to though). As for the knives, I love them. They have an awesome design that feels good in my hand, there blades are really sharp, and they are light weight for easy comfort.
Damn. I have never seen a teenager so excited talking about knives. Lol
I made sure to steer clear of this job. I would rather get a job that ensures that I get laid hourly.
@Nemesis, you wanted to make sure that you had a job that got you, “laid” hourly? What job is that? Wow.
i don’t know why people cant make up their own minds. People will always listen to that first person to complain. When you get the first call to schedule an interview , all I have to say is to give it a try. How is going into an interview going to hurt you?
WOW! What an opinion… LOL How did KnifeUp Mag get such a distain for Vector/Cutco? Let me guess, they couldn’t measure up or didn’t make the cut?… LOL
my daughter just got a call from a vector recruiter-the recruiter told her she had gotten my daughter’s name from a friend of hers (she had) and that the friend was working for vector and doing ‘really well.’ Lie. Friend had gone to the initial orientation meeting and had yet to even attend any training. Told my daughter is was NOT a sales job-Lie. Did not even tell my daughter what the product was-told her she would find all that out in training (which was 4 days-unpaid). Recruiter was EXTREMELY pushy and my daughter finally had to hang up on her.
Ok, so I received a letter from Vector a while ago, asking for me to apply for a job. I applied and scheduled an interview (they were really nice by the way). The next thing I did was look up the company. I watched about five of their videos and my excitement for the program grew. Then I typed ‘cutco knives’ into google and bam! The word ‘scam’ followed after and I’ve done hours of searching and realized how VECTOR and Cutco is getting a lot of bad rep from people across the country. ANYWAYS, I went through the interview just to check it out. Keep in mind that I am a fresh out high school 18 year old who has done three internships that paid very well, so I was excited to still do Vector because it was a ‘job’. I landed a job with the program and quit a month later.
Here are two of the my main problems:
1. GAS/DRIVING: Yes, the idea of selling this product in my local area is convenient, but after a while it becomes extremely annoying. They work around your schedule which is nice, but it then dawned on me that it’s the perfect job for someone who really has the passion for it. I want to be a writer one day, so my passion for this company melted away.
2. LEADS: I had to figure out a way to get more people to sell the product to because yeah my mom has her friends, but I need more. And that’s the problem you’ll want to sell more, so it’s like a drug addiction… you’ll want to sell more, to make more money. I fell into a dead end when I had no more leads, SO I resorted to posting advertisements around my local cafe’s, bookstores, etc. And boy, did I receive attention.
Negative attention.
Not at me, but at CUTCO. People then began calling me (since I put my number on the ad) and every last person turned out not be new potential customers, but angry customers and recent/old sales rep for VECTOR.
Left to right, everyone was warning me not to work for VECTOR and some even referred me to certain job positions that were actually ‘legit’, that paid around an amount that made more sense, given the fact that I am a recent high school graduate with no job experience whatsoever.
Overall, throughout my research I found out that there are many people out there that are coming for VECTOR. I spoke with a group of people (the angry customers that I mentioned earlier) who are organizing something behind closed doors and it’s going to be big. I will be getting compensated, along with other recent VECTOR sales reps.
So as for a warning for VECTOR, they aren’t a bad company, their just taking advantage of the young work force when WE can be making more money getting a simple job like stated in this profound article. VECTOR make sure you get your credentials straight and facts right because things are about to get heavy…
-Nikkie
I’ve been with Vector Marketing for almost 2 years. I love their knives. I’m half way towards my 3rd promotion. Make sure you have your facts straight before you say it’s a scam. A scam is illegal. If Vector were a scam, they would go out of business fast. I know it’s not a scam. I have facts to back it up. CutCo knives are excellent quality. Also, Vector gives full time students scholarships. Vector also sports local charities such as the Wee foundation and the Front Row Foundation. Vector really teaches time management and customer service skills.
I received a letter from Vector today. Luckily, I’m a skeptic and didn’t know a damn thing about them, so I looked them up. I have to say, I am angry that a company is willing to be as unethical and misguided towards young people who really need a job. I’m even more angry to find out that they got my address from my high school. They should warn schools about scams that these so that they won’t have to give out students information like that!
I work for vector and I’m gonna make a hundred dollars off of just one person this week I saw in a demo and they actually live by me.. what do u say to that? Yeah I thought so….
@Christopher, so you made $100 in a week? WOW BALLER! ROFL that’s 100 McDoubles you can buy! Looks like someone got brainwashed by Vector pretty well.
Daughter got a call on Sunday (yesterday) to come in for an interview the next day. They said a friend had recommended her, which led me to believe they got the names from her school. At the interview today, she got bad vibes from the unprofessional interviewer, and they told her she did well and could stay for the second interview, which was about 90 minutes long. She would need to have $70 deposit for the knives she was going to show. She left and is not going back. Scam or not, I have heard a lot of people getting “stuck” with knives they didn’t want & paid for. Yes Avon has you buy products to show also, like Vector and I don’t know many Avon ladies making a decent living at it. Love their hearts! They didn’t tell my daughter who they were when they called Sunday. Wasn’t a total waste of time, she got interview practice.
I just got a job there and still need to go through training. Does anyone think it is worth it for experience? I’m having my doubts, especially since the town I live in is poor and I don’t have a license.
I got a letter from Vector today and was immediately skeptical… I wasn’t sure what $15 base-appt. meant, so I looked that up in conjunction with Vector and all of these negative things came up. I’m disappointed because I could’ve used a decent job, but now will continue to look elsewhere.
Unbelievable. I read this entire post, and my opinion is that the job they are offering is not for you. It looks like a multilevel marketing job to me. Have you ever sold Mary Kay? How about insurance? What about real estate? You’ll find these multilevel marketing jobs in any of these, and while it’s not my chosen way to make money it is a valid and legal way to make money.
In reading this entire post I cannot see where this company has done anything but offer your son an opportunity, and I can find no single instance where this company has caused any damages to your son.
On the other hand, you are causing this company severe damages. You even brag and openly address the ceo of the company that you are dissuading at least 270 people per day from doing business with this company. You aren’t protecting anybody but instead you are causing damage to somebody with this trollish, and you will soon find out, illegal post.
If this company owns Kabar brand knives then I assure you they have enough clout to hold you responsible and maybe even this website domain for hosting such trash.
I had a company trying to get me to sell encyclopedia sets when I was in college too. Same business model as this only more boring. Most of the college kids that took the job failed at it, but some of them with superior communication skills and salesmanship made some serious money. I didn’t take the job because I knew I would have failed at it.
You may think you taught your son a lesson, but I think your son is about to learn an even more valuable life lesson when he sees this company shred you up like a piece of paper. I hope your son’s college funds are already transferred to him because you probably won’t even have a house left when this company gets through with you. I’m just glad I’m not you.
Have fun Trying to shred up Yahoo or google. Losers Yahoo probably makes your companies 20 million per year in one day. What are you going to do about that? Are you going to shed up Yahoo too? Lol cutco is a joke. I hope I help disuade anyone from ever even considering applying for vector. I am going to be very rude to who ever calls me tomorrow. I was so excited to get a job now I am beyond angry. You made a fool of me vector. I’m glad this website is showing your true colors. Speaking of taking legal action against people, wow you must be scared that people will find out the truth. LOSERS.
I had another thought with regard to the mention of Reputation Management companies. What’s the big shock here? Do you not think that 100% of all huge companies do it? I find it interesting that when small or less well-known company engages in reputation management it all of a sudden becomes naughty, taboo, and unaccepted.
Do you not think that GM, Ford, Toyota, etc don’t hire companies to improve their reputation?
Do you not see the oil company British Petroleum (BP) every single day on your television telling us all what a great job they’ve done cleaning the oil spill and how the environment is fully restored? Do you think they do this because they care about you or the environment? No, they care about their reputation, and they are investing billions of dollars into indoctrinating you into believing they are a great company.
Not sure how it is a scam if you are presented with th selling process before you sign up.
Most products that are still sold door to door have the same model.
Are they selling defective knives?
Very interesting dialog here from many different angles but here is my take for what it is worth. Twenty five years ago my neighbors son (who was about 18) came to my home selling knives. I kindly agreed to help him out and hear the pitch. About an hour later, I had purchased a set of Cutco and I have never regretted a minute of it. Those knives have been through hundreds of dishwashings and look as good as the day I bought them. I use them almost every single day and have had the sales tech out to my home only once for sharpening. I have never had to buy another knife. So speaking from experience the product is reputable and reliable. Now let’s get to the selling part – they sell their products via home or now virtual demonstrations. This is not so unusual as many companies feel this keeps down their general admin costs. My daughter received a letter this summer just finishing high school to sell Cutco, knowing she would not be selling junk, I told her to check it out to see if she would like to try Sales! Afterall it is a sales job – which is not for everyone. She wants to study business in college so this is a good intro for her. As a parent, I am helping to set expectations about the amount of work required, the time investment and how much she will actually make. Would it be easier for her to be a cashier someplace this summer – sure but she is gaining other types of skills. If you think this is any different from any other SALES job in any major corporation your mistaken. Yes, they engage young talent to go forth and try to sell as much as you can but they learn a lot from the experience and I even bought a few more items to get her started on the right track!
I am really glad I got This job Vector is really great i just love Cutco knives they are the best thing on earth. sorry looks like i’m going to have cut bull sh** short they have nerve to tell me how easy it sell these knives and tell me my first demo is a guaranteed sale wrong were the hell do they get the idea that selling knives is easy I figured i’m doing something wrong it’s there strategy. the recruiter knew for a fact i was wrong for the job yet he still hires me its out lined in our manual. we hook our customers buy telling them over the phone i really need to sell you knives but of course sugar coat it if the person says there not interested we have say you are and if you already own a set of Cutco you will want more. Vector uses us because who wants to say no to a college/High school kid in need i pray they don’t make me pay for my sample knives because i’m broke look kids most people have real jobs from ex 8am to 6pm not im not gonna demo today i did 7 demos so get paid anyways and now i get to sit on my ass. look all i’m saying is vector is not for everyone but its very disturbing when they hire us kids so readily. guys get a real job it may suck buts its probably better for you any ways.
I’ve been ‘working’ at vector for a month or two now and I have to say I agree with the original post. Cutco is a wonderful product, forever guaranteed and all that good stuff. It’s just the people selling the products (and pricing them) that is just a nightmare to work with. Most of the people I have done demos for declined after hearing the price, because (guess what?) they can’t afford it. My managers tell me my customers are lying because “everybody can afford cutco.” But in actuality, no they can’t. I make little money with this ‘get rich quick’ idea they offer. So don’t knock the product, just the corporates behind it.
Also while training to sell the product, the group never got a lunch break. This maybe a bit childish, but isn’t it illegal to withhold workers/trainees from mandatory breaks training or not? We received two 10 minute breaks, I’ll give them that. But nothing stating “go eat something.” Nope. Just “we will resume in ten minutes.” So, in other words, the trainees including myself were not granted the proper break for lunch. We went the WHOLE day (11am to 9pm) without anything to eat. I guess I was lucky enough to get a bathroom break. I could sue their asses, couldn’t I?
I just started this job. It is very time and energy consuming, but I can say the potential to do decent is there. This past weekend I made $150. The demo set is free, so the only investment you put in is your time. I just need the extra money and I’ve always been a decent salesman, but I will say that they do over-indoctrinate people… but honestly why wouldn’t they? They’re a business trying to MAKE MONEY. Scam? no. Is it for everyone? no. But if it’s not for you don’t go off saying its a scam just because you couldn’t make it work.
Hey all you VectorBots in the comment section, we know you’re not human. So quit posting your comments thinking that you can change people’s perception about this blatant scam.
I woek at vector n they pay me for the gass mileage sooooo idk how im losing money. Oh wait im not!!
As a tool & die maker and plant engineer, I know for a fact that the steel used for these knives are crap ! 440 steel is one of the lowest grades of steel made, and it’s not made in the USA, only in China or Japan. We call it sh*t steel because it doesnt work for a lot of things. Yes it willl hold an edge, but once sharpened the edge breaks down quicker, because there is a low carbon point !
“I’ve been selling Cutco for years, and I make a fortune. I’m going to buy my second property next month.”
Said NOBODY, EVER……..
The knives are generic, cheap crap. Made of the lowest grade blade material possible. Priced as if they’re top quality, professional grade cutting instruments.
Stay away from them! From either direction, buying OR selling.
For one… you do get paid 1 of 2 ways, Incentive pay which is a percentage of how much you’ve sold or base pay, whatever amount of pay per hour/demo… you get paid by which ever amount is higher. For two… they have you start demos with your family and friends so you can work on how you do your demos and practice and you do get paid for them. For three…you do NOT have to pay for a set to do demos. They give you an option to buy them but you do NOT have to. Fourth … they arent required to give you a “lunch” break because they arent paying you for the training. And lastly…. I dont know who you people have been hearing all of these negative things about this company from but they are the #1 too rated knives. Of course there are better knives out there but these are awesome sets. If you dont like the company… dont buy anything from them. And for your children that you told not to work for them because its a “scam” youre going to be the reason why they dont get good experience with communication, sales, team work, competition, and a great pay. If you really had a problem with the CEO and had/have proof of them deleting or faking posts why dont you bring it up with them? Not cower behind the internet.
While i can’t vouch for Vector, The knives are the best, but expensive. My girlfriend in 1962 purchase the full kitchen set of knives, pots and skillets, cooking set of spoons, potato masher, pancake turners. I was shocked to find out what she paid and financed when we got married in 1963. I soon realized the value though after we paid them off. We have been married for a little over 50 years and still have and use every day the FULL original sets. Only one knife had it’s tip broken when one of my 4 sons was breaking ice with it a chip the tip off. I have since purchased numerus sets for wedding gifts. They will remeber you for the rest of their married years. Thanks, Matt
So I found this job through an email from snagajob about two weeks ago and instantly researched it after I scheduled my interview for the next day. I did read all of the bad experiences people had an I also read the (maybe not honest but who really knows for sure) good experiences. I decided that it can’t hurt to give it a try because, why not? They clearly explained the job and what I would be doing and I wound up getting the job. I did go through the three day not paid training (which was a bit uncomfortable but whatever it’s over so it’s okay). I learned a lot. I wasn’t brainwashed I learned about knives and a bit how to sell. My first weekend I sold about $800 in cutco (which is harder to sell than I thought even though its a great product). Some people don’t sell anything in their first weekend and some people sell a lot more than I did I was above average. I had my first advanced training yesterday and I’m still unsure if I like the job. I like the money though. In the area I live it’s impossible to get hired (I’ve been applying for over a year to everywhere I can find). I like that I’m getting experience so I can get hired for another job. Since getting appointments can be hard, (I’m being turned down by even people I know well) I am looking for a second job since you make your own schedule doing this so you can work it around what you have going on. It’s a nice job to gain experience and its flexible. Although the company doesn’t really want you collecting base pay, you can and should still be happy about that income as long as you try to make more than base pay. I’m not completely sure about this job yet, as I’ve only done 6 appointments and have 2 more today, but I do encourage people to try it on their own and if you don’t like it, oh well! It’s not for everyone like others said. And try not to put as much pressure on yourself as you fell necessary because it is hard to sell during these times. Your manager should be proud of you no matter what you sell as long as you try, so if you have a manager that isn’t like that and you feel is pressuring and is making you stressed, don’t take the job at that office. If you have another office you can work at, try it. If not, oh well at least you gave it a shot. You won’t know if its a good job for you unless you try. (: good luck to those of you who give it a try and good luck to those looking for jobs elsewhere.
Look I work for Vector right now. I’m 17 and straight out of high school. When I got the call I thought it sounded a little too good to be true but figured I would hear them out. What they do is a group interview to kinda relax you while they do a power point. Then when that’s done they take one by one with the manager to pressure you into the job that’s exactly what my manager. They don’t make you pay for the sample anymore but its just like any sales company you’re presentation is designed to pressure people into buying. There is literally two pages worth of explanations that I have to memorize word for word that is “designed for you to succeed in selling the product.” Basically they want you to take advantage of relative’s and neighbor’s kindness. In my opinion the stuff is over priced but pretty everything is nowadays. Personally I don’t like the job because its your typically sales job and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.
I guess I should reply to some of these accusations.
“Vector is a scam. Man, I was so happy and excited that I got the job. But things felt really shady. So when I googled it, scam was everywhere!”
And if you Google “Black people smell like” what are the first auto fills? Yes there are ALOT of links about how it’s a scam, the problem is that they don’t know what the word “scam” means and are only complaining since they sucked at the job.
“Real people talked about their experience. The people so nice and crap, but their all BS. While my family was waiting for me at the interview, which took like 4 hours, the ladies in the front desk were calling SO many people telling them the same thing, to quit their job and work for vectors.”
They don’t tell people to quit their jobs, in fact you can still work a normal job and work at Vector as well because the way it works is very flexible since you choose when you work.
” The place didn’t look really business type.”
Ok? How is that indicative of anything.
“Also, manager gave a really long and boring presentation. He also said that their too high quality to advertise on TV. They were degrading other companies.”
Um well for one that’s a common tactic in any advertising campaign. Watch commercials every other commercial is degrading to other companies because they’re trying to compete and convince their clients that their product is superior. Secondly Vector doesn’t do that to other comnpanies unless they’re a cheap brand or some knives that are sold on TV and change the name of the company constantly so as to avoid having to fulfill warranty obligations. In fact part of the Presentation is to build up the reputation of other companies and you’re told about them during training. Either way if you don’t convince your customer that your product is better than your competitors you’re not doing your job as a salesperson.
“Training is unpaid,”
How is this a criticism? This to me is the most absurd criticism of all. I know fast food restaurants and ice scream shops pay you for training, but really if you were going to work there anyway wouldn’t you show up to training whether or not it was paid? Training only goes on for 3 days, 5 if you include adv training, you work many more days than simply 3 or 5.
“and they don’t tell you a lot of other things about the job.”
Like what? It’s difficult? Every single objection a customer may come up with? Honestly I felt that in training they told me everything I would need to know for the job.
“They try to lure young college and high school student into working. It was a complete waste of my day. Vector is complete BS. They are evil and are only using your hard work, to feed their greed of money. Don’t waste your time.”
….Yah it’s called a job. You work hard for a company and then they pay you back in money. Unless you’re a proponent of the Socialist idea of Wage-slavery this is fine. You’re just taking something and wording it differently so that it’s negative. For example, I could call what you’re saying a person expressing their opinion, or some moron who wants to slander a company because they stopped at the first sign of negativity.
” Get a real job. Their cons. Someone should sue them.”
People have sued them and honestly I hope they do again since every kid gets paid out of the lawsuit 😛 But the lawsuits weren’t for anything shady like not paying kids, it was more like they violated some obscure labor laws and had to change it up.
“Scam or not, my boyfriend has recently been ‘hired’ by Vector and I’m so sick of hearing how great he thinks the knives are. The company is manipulative. No matter what, it’s wrong to use the people who are close to you to gain pity money. A student looking for a part-time job should find a job in which the customers go to them, not them going to the customers.”
This is the most legitimate complaint I’ve heard and this is what was hardest for me to get over, I didn’t like the system of reaching out to people and trying to offer them a product, I am one of those people who thinks “If I didn’t wake up in the morning and thought to myself that I needed something, why would I go out and buy it simply because a salesperson told me to?”.
In reality this isn’t really pity money, the reason they use close relatives and family members is because they need to break down the barrier of distrust people have for salesmen, especially those who come to them along with the discomfort the seller may have being new and all. To remind you this stuff is also really expensive, on some of these orders people shell out a thousand dollars. When was the last time you went up to your parents, much less anyone else you know, and asked them for a thousand dollars and they said yes? Or hell even less than that like around 400$? At best you might just be able to ask for the cheapest product on the catalog for a measily 33$. But people shell out alot more money than simply 33$ or more often than not don’t buy anything even if they know you. People pay alot for these things not because their friends son is selling them, but because they’re a high quality product.
I have a job interview with Vetco tomorrow. I decided to do some research on the company so I checked out their website & it looked promising but when I was typing in “Cutco,” “marketin scam” was higlighted. After some thought I’ve read a couple of blogs including this one. I’ll see what it’s bout tomorrow I guess. Hopefully it’s not so bad cause I could use the money.
*highlighted *marketing
I hate seeing comments from people that are very negative. Especially those who did not even gave it a shot or just to take a look. If you don’t want to be successful in life, then don’t drag everyone else to your nonsense. You are just a hater because you cannot do it! If you don’t keep an open mind, then your brain will become rotten and you will be stuck to whatever you have right now for the next five to ten years. If you grasp opportunity and change what you are doing it might get you somewhere else better than your past five years. In short, if you are doing what you have been doing five years ago, guess what you will do in the next five years?
I do not nor have not worked for them but I must say that jobs like this are simply not for everyone they do best with those who know a lot of people or own their own business where u could demonstrate them or people who don’t mind driving around a lot
Back in high school my marketing teacher sent these out to everyone in the class. I received the letter and gave it a shot. It’s not so much the exploitation of friends and family that got me to rebuke Vector but more of their “interview process”.
I drive to a random commercial area that’s somewhat sketchy and not bustling with activity. I make my way into the designated waiting area and wait with a handful of other anxious and eager teens. We are all waived into this room where they pretty much demo us the product and show some VHS or something regarding the product (basically a live infomercial).
Now here’s the kicker, during the session two “senior” members would walk around the session and pick out people and ask them to leave. Why? Because they “didn’t show enough interest”. I have never seen anything like that in an interview session before especially one for 30 or so people. It wasn’t private, so other members saw you get pulled away. It was disheartening to see some girls crying because of this and all because they didn’t stare at the session for 90 minutes straight.
I ended up making the cut and was pulled into a separate room where I waited for the “manager” to talk to me. He asked me some questions regarding college, made some scribbles on the form I filled out earlier in the evening and said I could earn credits and they would be transferable. I just went along with it since I was pretty much overloaded with information.
Before I left, I had a few members approach me and try to coerce me into doing it and all the benefits such as the group vacations etc.
I believe I received about 2-3 calls the following day and then 2-3 the next day asking if I wanted in. I kindly declined and was still pressured into signing up with the person on the phone mentioning that “I’m missing out on a great opportunity”.
Needless to say I got a real summer job that year and ended up doing more for my career than I could have selling knives to my friends and family.
when I worked there in 2010 the knife set was 250 just for me to beable to start showing. if you do not live in an area with money like I did you will go no where. I took the job to help my family with bills but doesn’t happen when no one in that area could afford a knife set even if they used there whole months pay. Yes there are payment plans but that only helps so much.
Can’t be too bad see people on ebay fighting for top bid on ebay. One set is selling for more then what its worth. I sold it in 2008 sold over 3k in sale. Not easy.
I hear the knives do not need to be purchased. They can be if you want to keep them but if you give them back you pay nothing for them.
Also in reference to this:That is 30-40 new employees earning $12-20 an hour a week! Again, this sounds like either the company is 1.) a non-profit, 2.) super bad at finance, or 3.) a scam… the company says it has annual sales of over $200 million and is based in 250+ locations… if a company is that big, I’m sure they know how to manage their finances, so it is probably option 3.
If they are as big as you say they probably make enough to be able to afford it.
Lastly when talking about these knives being overpriced. Prices for other high quality sets reach 3,000-4,000 dollars. My parents bought a set from a neighborhood sales rep for only about 1,000 and we used to have a 3,000 dollar Wustof set until we got Cutco cause it was plain better.
Not trying to start a fight just want everyone to not be misinformed from either side.
I started selling in july currently at 15k in sales and am in training for management. If you are charismatic and committed it is in fact very easy you just need to learn the tricks. The longer you stay the more tricks you learn and the easier it becomes.
Oh my gosh, I was doing some keyword research and i stumbled upon “vector marketing scam”…and found your site. I’m 46 and when I was in college, I was roped into selling cutco knives (vector marketing). My major at MU was Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing…so I was able to get my University to actually award me 3 credit hours in direct marketing for selling those knives for a semester!
It was the BEST experience ever. It taught me the skills of hard selling and those knives are AMAZING quality. My mom, all her friends, and myself still RAVE over those knives. They are sharper than ever and cut through stuff like butter.
You have to work your tail off to get to 50% commissions and few make it that far….hence, Kevin Gardinier, our recruiter, was VERY rich. But I don’t care. This is the PERFECT business model for vector marketing and is it a scam? It depends on how you look at it. I personally don’t call it one. Because if I would have stuck with it and didn’t give up, I would have made money. But only about 5% stick with it.
Cheers!
Ok, After reading several laughs I must reply.
1. If the manager was stating it honestly in his advertising he should have stated per presentation.
2. If you actually did your homework and price quality Cutlery you would see that paying 50 – 100 for a knife that is guaranteed is normal.
3. Any college student that is looking for interpersonal communication skills can tell you that you should be paying Vector marketing for that kind of experience.
For those who are posting here that think you can gain experience in industry by working fast food, lawn care, or other sweat jobs in the summer good luck with that.
Direct sales is some of the hardest work one can ever choose. You have to prepare to hear “No” a lot.
If you are willing to stick with it you will learn how to sell not just Cutco, but more importantly yourself.
I am an engineer, and have been for over 20 years. I worked for 3 summers selling Cutco while I was in school.
I would not trade the experience or my Cutco for any other.
For those who pontificate about Electronic Scams and covering for them, stop typing and get the facts. Any town that has had Vector working in them has a BBB and a Local college campus. Our office had been in good community standing for over 12 years.
Are there people who liars and deceiver? Sure there are. Just like any other business or political office.
Don’t take others word or mine. Check it for yourself.
Pat
Went to an interview for them a few years ago. Showed up and 15 other people were in the room
. They said they were so busy that had to make it a group interview (even though I was told I was having an interview one on one with a manager). I had a feeling during the interview it was too good to be true. He told us about the $18 bucks an hour, cruise trips, vacation packages they offer, so I had a sneaky feeling this was a scam. They guy asked me a question once and I said about 3 sentences. Then after the interview he called everyone in individually and told me I was one of the best and they wanted me. Even though I said 3 sentences ! He gave me a packet of information and said told me to show up for training the next Monday. As I was stuck in traffic on the ride home I browsed through the packet he gave me, only to find out that I had to bring a check for
200 dollars with me to the training. I immediately pulled over and through the packet in the first garbage can I saw …. The funny thing is they just called me this morning , 3 years later asking if I would like to come in for an interview. I acted very excited and enthused and said I would come in Tuesday. Wish I could see the look in the guys face when I don’t show up! Haha. I have 3 friends who also fell victim
To this scam too. Stay away!
i started 3 weeks ago and i never had to pay $200. after training, i did have the option to buy the sample kit that i show to people for $84 (which i did buy of my own free will). what state do you live in? im also wondering if it might have been a false vector company.
I worked for Vector about 6 years ago. My manager told me I should stop talking to my Grandmother if she couldn’t afford a set of knives. The office closed without any notice (on a Sunday night) and it took numerous calls to Vector to get my last check.
I have a set of knives and don’t like them at all.
Andrew
Haha, I started to burst out laughing when you mentioned,
“The company also has cool things like trips to Cancun and scholarships. Wow, what a great job for a college kid!”,
because I’m 19, a college student, and I’ve been with vector for about 13 months. And in my 2nd month was when they had the January incentive push to Cancun, which I WORKed my butt off to win and attended the following April :)Puerto Vallarta is next, can’t wait to see the hidden beach thing.
A guy at my office sold so much his first month (January, I think?) he got to do to the Dominican Republic. It’s pretty great
You don’t have to have to be good at sales to be good at this job. We teach everybody how to be successful during training! I’m sorry your son didn’t stick with it and was unable to learn the type of skills that are needed in any professional business environment. I would like to mention that our knives are made out of high carbon stainless steel. You were right about the 440A though! Not sold in stores though, it saves our customers 10%-40% on the price because we ship directly to the customer. However, after 10 years, the knives do need sharpening, and we understand that so we do it for free. In fact sir, if you sat through my presentation and got all of the correct facts, You would buy Cutco :). If somebody is complaining about unpaid time, that sadness me. The only reason people should attend weekly meeting is to advance their skills and become a better person overall! We don’t just talk, we educate. I don’t believe that there are tricks to selling Cutco. They’re all given during training, but over time, I’ve found that people forget. Sometimes people change what they were taught and those people don’t do so well. I’d like to make a quick point at the difference in responses. All Cutco workers sound educated, others do as well, but anybody that works at Cutco is taught how to effectively work with others. Go us lol
Regardless, no matter what anybody says, I love my job 🙂 I’ve learned so much from this company and was able to move up very quickly into management. For those who pay attention to the real facts, there is no other opportunity out there like working for Vector. Give it a shot!
I worked for Vector Marketing when I was in college, and I frankly find it highly suspicious that your son saw an ad promising “$12-20 an hour.” Every ad I’ve ever seen—and I’ve seen a lot of ads in several different states—advertises a single, specific dollar amount “base per appointment.” Mine was no different, offering $11.25 base per appointment—not bad, for 1993.
The first summer I worked for Vector, I put in about 25 hours/week and finished the summer having made about $2,300. It was enjoyable, but it was really hard work, so I decided it wasn’t for me and that I wouldn’t go back.
Four months later, I came home for Christmas break. I sat around doing nothing for the first couple of weeks, then realized I was going to be miserable if I went back to school with no money. I stopped by the office, grabbed some supplies, and filled two days with presentations. Since I’d been promoted four times over the summer, I was getting a pretty decent commission. I went back to school with $800 in my pocket for two days’ work—pretty darned good, for 1994.
Given my experience over Christmas break, I decided to go back for my next summer job. That year, I didn’t work nearly as hard, maybe 20 hours/week, but my higher commissions earned me about $4,500 from mid-May through mid-August. When I received my promotion to the highest-paid level, Field Sales Manager, my district manager said he never would have expected me to make it that far. It was only through hard work and sheer tenacity that I did so.
It wasn’t too long after this that I moved out of the country for a couple of years, then returned and got married. I never again worked anywhere approaching full time for Vector. I did work part time during my third year of college, but the demands and desires of married life led me to look for a more predictable income. Still, I have nothing bad to say about Vector; I even used the skills Vector taught me, to place out of several college classes. Twenty years later, my wife and I still absolutely LOVE our Cutco (including the shears my grandmother purchased in 1961); My parents, aunts, uncles, and in-laws still use theirs on a daily basis; and every once in a while I get a surprise commission check because one of my old customers purchased something without my knowledge.
Does Vector work for everyone? Heck no. Only 5% of new hires ever stick it out long enough to get the point I did, and Vector couldn’t be successful if it didn’t recognize this high turnover rate and design its hiring practices accordingly. But is it a scam? Absolutely not. If 270 people per day are finding out the “truth” about Vector, I don’t blame them for doing damage control. Unfortunately, the truth and the “truth” are often quite different, and this situation would be no exception.
Severely misinformed and butt-hurt.
Lou*
You don’t even have proof that Vector is doing what you claim they are doing. What you typed on here is just a statement of your opinion and nothing more, unless you had concrete evidence. My comment is also just my opinion and nothing more, I don’t have concrete evidence and I’m not going to provide any. Every one of you who submits a comment to this article simply is stating there perception. Nobody is completely right and no one is completely wrong. There is a little bit of truth to everything but because of that, this also means the opposite, there are things that are untrue, which leads to misunderstandings, which then leads to false information or exaggerations. Also both parties – the ones that are against VECTOR/CUTCO and the ones that are for it – are a little biased towards the other: the ones that have had a great experience being a part of VECTOR have not experienced the ( or don’t have the same perception) same unpleasant experiences others have, or at least not enough to make them feel angry towards VECTOR, to the point they want to express those negative feelings; claiming that they want to help shed light on a “SCAM” that’s made up of rumor’s and truth, even though you must admit.. you’re all being a little biased. And the one’s with very unpleasant experiences, that aren’t cut out for sales, leadership, customer service or just simply don’t like it and can’t see the benefits to VECTOR; most of you haven’t had the pleasure to experience the great benefits VECTOR has to offer, like others have or you’re just not willing to put the effort or you don’t see the point or you don’t want to make sacrifices, what ever the reason, you’re also being biased. There’s good and bad to everything. If you want to go cut lawn for I guess what the guy up there said, 12 dollars an hour; you might not like it, you might do a horrible job, you may feel uncomfortable or it may just not be for you. That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad job, so there’s no reason for you to express how much it sucks other than you just wanting to let it out. And it does feel good when you’re able to express yourself. I’m not saying any of you are wrong or right, and I’m not saying you all should stop expressing yourselves. I’m just sharing my opinion and hopefully it can help someone.
By the way 🙂 I do work for VECTOR and NO!!! I’m not getting paid to type up this comment, that’s dumb but I’ll admit it would be sweet if it did cause I could make some quick cash, lol. But I’m doing this because I want to support what I’m doing and share my thoughts and experiences. So far I’ve had a lot of positive experiences and I love what I’m doing; I have had a few bad times but not enough for me to go and hate VECTOR. I knew what I was getting into when I started and yes I had read all the scam warnings about VECTOR and they’re very convincing but I wanted to see if for myself. So I went to the interview, training, and did demos and it turns out that I like all that stuff and all the responsibilities that come with it. I also have a second job at a golf course, one that the guy who wrote this article considers “real”. I love what I do but it is difficult especially if you want to be successful and if you want to reach a high level position. Like I said, in my opinion and from my experience, there is good and bad to everything; you just have to realize how far you’re willing to go and what you’re willing to endure, for what you’re passionate for or simply for what you want to do.
To everyone who took the time to read my thoughts, you’re awesome, I don’t care if you hate, it happens lol. Thanks and yes I’m real and no! I’m not here to saturate or whatever 😛 . Everyone take care!
( I want everyone to know that everything I just typed is my opinion and I don’t think or am claiming it to be factual, it’s my perception)
Be foreal !
Vector is a hard core scam I tried to work their with all the false promises and lies you get your knifes for Free but if you don’t sell anything within 2 weeks of your training they dismiss you the people above you make more money then you do off your sale then you do period IT IS A SCAM PERIOD.
is that what happened to you? :'(
My brother works for them and has done very well so far at selling people the product. That being said he has alienated himself from the family, has been so brainwashed that he gave free knives to family members for Christmas with a buy from me note attached. Not even wrapped just left on the floor with little kids running around. Needless to say nobody bought from him. Also he went to a seminar in NY and apparently was coached as he called me and my mother and who knows what other people about how “fake” he’s been and to call him out on it. Even when trying to sound genuine in that conversation you can tell he was fake. If you don’t have a family or don’t care about them vector might be for you but otherwise I would stay away from this pyramid scheme
whoa, this freaking stood out to me. maybe your bro should just do it on the side of a different job. theres a difference between working and being obsessed. i actually started 3 weeks ago, but yea, that kinda makes me concerned for your bro. hope he comes to his senses.
I’ve worked with Vector for about three weeks now, and I get that yes, it is a pyramid scheme, but I can’t say I feel exploited at all. The managers who are now making money off of me are in the position to do so because they once had to do all the work that I’m doing now. This job is also much less demeaning than my job working in a restaurant where I really DO feel scammed because I do all the work a waitress does (I’m an “assistant server”) But i get paid just a dollar above minimum wage. Also, anyone who says Cutco knives are crappy clearly don’t own any. The customers I’ve seen who have owned Cutco for 20 years or more still love it. By the way, no I’m not some person getting paid to make Cutco look more reputable. I just like my job and the money I get from it. Although I will say making sales does become addicting, as someone else said on here.
“yes, it is a pyramid scheme”
Passive income for the person who recruited you?
My favorite suggestion for an alternative job is selling plasma. Don’t work in a fair, well-paid and opportunity filled position as an entry level customer sales representative. Instead, sell your plasma to labs who will then have your DNA to do what they may with. Clearly solid advice 😉
So I got a letter in the mail today that said SELECTED high school students. Well i dropped out of highschool when I was 17, so I’m pretty sure Id be the most ideal candidate.
The letter was pretty vague. So I googled it. Cutco appeared.
Flashback three years ago after my bro graduated from hs he got a letter similar to mine. He went to the interview all pumped and came back disappointed because you are selling knives to friends and family. Door to door is not an option for us because SOLICITING IS ILLEGAL in my town and the ones around us. I wouldn’t use the guilt of buying the set on my family and friends.
Basically there’s a difference between selling cars selling real estate and selling cutco. If you sell real estate or cars you already have an established office or shop of some sort. If I am 17,18,19 what are the chances I’m going to have one of those? Not likely. So what does that leave me with? Solicitation. Which is illegal in my area. So what does that leave me with? Family and friends and “referalls.” What happens after all my Family and friends either say no or buy it? I run out of customers. I get to a point where I either have to be advertising on the street and posting ads on coffee shops. But what happens when I put my phone number/contact area in a public place? I get weird and unwelcomed phone calls. What happens when I advertise with a sign on the street? I waste time and who would buy from somebody waving a sign on the street? Your going to get stuck eventually. The top sellers of vector are not just sellers they are recruiting for more pay.
Always remember this quote when making a decision on a company.
“Every fine tree produces fine fruit. Every worthless tree produces worthless fruit. By these fruits you will recognize these ones”
I’m not sure if this quote is meant to represent the product or the opportunity, but both are extremely good.
I don’t care for the company I work for, but at east the knives are of quality. They cut a better than carbon-steel knives, keep their edge as long (with ought being re-sharpened), and don’t rust like carbon. As far as being the same as Walmart “budget knives”, Cutco is obviously better. When was the last time you could see your reflection in a knife?
As for the company, I don’t care much for reading off scripts or outlines and not being paid hourly to help in the office, but the pay is great. My first week I didn’t sell a thing and a few people cancelled on me, yet I made $140. Although I am not the best salesperson, I still make a profit. And if I applied all the advice my managers give me at the sacrifice of the people I take care of (my elderly grandparents who need 24-hour care, done by me and two other family members), I could be making even more money. I will never do that, but I still have the knowledge that I could increase my pay exponentially if I was that greedy.
I would also like to note that the company is nowhere near being a pyramid scheme. Anyone who has ever taken a even a BASIC economics class could tell you that. All pyramid schemes start with one person or a small group of people. THEY NEVER HAVE A PRODUCT, NOR DO THEY INTEND TO. The founding member(s) for the top tier. They then recruit people to buy in to the second and lower tiers. If the top is generous enough and they scam enough, they might actually pay tiers two through four of a ten-tier pyramid. Vector obviously markets a product and, in fact, Cutco has been around longer than Vector.
Just because the office manager makes a ton more than the starting rep doesn’t instantly make it a pyramid scheme. The McDonald’s cashier doesn’t make as such as the assistant manager and the assistant manager doesn’t make near as much as the company president. Yes, in Vector you DO see a small bonus in recruiting employees, but it is only a 1% bonus based on what the other person sells. The other person doesn’t make any less for being recruited, the money comes free from the company (which is making a large profit from slightly over priced knives). The reason the company does is is to reward its members for adding to the work force, but is nowhere near enough to quit selling knives and recruit members as if it were some kind of scam.
The last thing I want to say is at it is an incredibly tough and stressful job, but it is a job that works well for a large group of people. Rather than going on just hearsay and tearing up applications because of hurt feelings, give the job a try for two weeks and see if you like it. If you add Vector to your resume, I guarantee you that you will get job offers left and right not much long after. And if you can make it to assistant manager or higher, even more doors open up. The working world knows how much effort it takes to go anywhere in this kind of business, so they put a higher respect and value to it than being a Walmart or McDonald’s manager. Don’t let a bunch of uncertified blogs written by anybody with any level of experience close down what could be e opportunity of a lifetime. If you want real information on the company, talk to the BBB and the manager running one-on-one interview.
Opinions differ greatly between someone who works at one place and one who doesn’t work there. The one that works at place X will tell you it’s great with move benefits, while the two people that didn’t make the cut otherwise will speak ill of the place. Rather than believing what the employee of Company X or the two disgruntled rejects say, the best choice would be to read over what company X off and check their standing with BBB. You already pay for the Bereau’s services, so you might as well use them.
As evident in the Grammer and use of profanity in many of the responses given by those seekimg to “debunk” Vector, many of these were given by disgruntled lazy teenage workers who didn’t work hard at the job and as a result did poorly. As a manager at a vector office who started out as a sales rep, doing over $40,000 in personal sales my first summer and making about $14,000 in income from mid June to late August, I can guarantee that it is by no means a scam. Because vector is so flexible in who we hire, we obviously see all kinds of people. Many people come in seeing the $15 base pay (notice it does NOT say $15/hr). They go out and do demos with their 18 year old bum friends who couldn’t buy a meal from McDonald’s and then expect to get a $15 base pay when the person had no chance of buying anything anyways. During the interview process before anybody is hired, and all throughout training, representatives and potential representatives are told that for a demo to count, they must follow the program and see somebody who is at least 25 years old, married, and has a full time job. This is so reps don’t show it to their 9 year old sister and expect to get paid for that. This is not flipping burgers at McDonald’s. It isn’t a mindless droll where representatives show up, go through the motions for 8 hours and leave. It is for those who are interested in developing personal skills and make money that they would never have the opportunity to make flipping burgers somewhere. Even if this were a “scam” I wouldn’t mind working for a scam where, in some cases, I made almost a thousand dollars in one appointment. Either way, success with vector is completely reliant on the Individual. You have the opportunity to make what you feel like you are worth.
My son figured out the scam before going for an interview. Is ready for a sales job? Who knows?!, but he is ready to due a background check on a company before agreeing to meet with them based on a generic piece of direct mail. It walks like a scam, quacks like a scam and smells like a scam, it’s a scam.
i have been working for cutco for a lil over a month now and it is hard and a lot of ppl arent cut out for a job in sales but just to clear a couple of wrong things u said i make 17$ for every demo i do regardless of whether i make a sale. i didnt have to pay for the initial 300$ set they gave me to start off with however i do have to return them if i quit but i can own them for 90$. also i have won another 300$ worth of kniives for being good at my job. i started off at 10% commission and am know making 20% and i made 150$ off of 2 sales last week which were my only 2 demos i did last week. however i do find the product to be kind of too expensive and it is hard to set up appointments after the initial friends and family list but overall i like the job and it is a good start in sales which is the field i want to work in
This page is being extremely unfair to cutco. I’ve recently become a sales rep and am going to be starting my semester of college in the fall. While I do a ton of work to sell this product, which I personally believe is the world’s best cutlery, I am gaining a decent entry level salary and great experience with building personal relations. $17/hr is pretty inflated. I make $13/ appointment or will receive a check based on 10% commission of my sales. Once I hit $1000 in sales I will get 15% in commission and this continues until I have the opportunity to earn 45-50% commission. That’s unheard of in other sales companies! Now, I realize how much I work for the money I make but I appreciate the ability to create my own hours and write my own check while being genuine with customers to sell a product I believe in. To those of you who have stated that anyone who claims to love kitchen knives are full of it, I implore you to please call a cutco rep to visit you. They’ll get paid and you’ll get to see for yourself how your knives compare. I was blown away when the company shears cut a penny in half with ease or when a rather ordinary looking knife out performed my chicago cutlery straight and serrated edge blades. These are great tools for cooking and are very fun to show to people. I really enjoy seeing peoples’ eyes widen when I turn a penny into a copper ribbon or let them use my knives(free btw) to cut a tomato. It’s great experience and a fair job. I’ll probably stop working for them after the summer to become a laborer for lowe’s or go into construction (I’ll be 18) but for now it’s a great experience and I can tell my next employer that I was an independent contractor for a multi million $ company right out of high school. It’s a great opportunity to find out if sales are for you or a great way to become familiar with knives if you’re a fisherman, hunter or an aspiring chef.
I to applied to a job listing on craigslist for customer sales and service position. I went in for the interview and yes I was a little skeptical. But I figured what the heck right everyone’s different so I decided to give it a try. I completed the training and started working immediately. I quickly came to find that I loved my job! I do not believe that it is a scam in any way shape or form. If you do exactly what you’re supposed to do you will make excellent money! Within three months I sold over $52,000 in Cutco. I am now over $75000 in sales and plan to keep working. I was the fastest growing sales rep Cutco had ever had in the state of Alaska. If you are good at working one on one with people and good at sales and customer service then this may be the job for you. This job is not for everyone but it is legit. So for all of you who think that it is a scam you are wrong.
Deceitful, manipulative, and a genuine definition of pyramid scheme. They target us younger, broke people who are very naive and use it to their advantage.
It’s very sad. They hire anyone, and there is no real interview process. They hired 20 people along with me, at the same interview, on the same day. Really?
Of course it isn’t for everyone, but those of you who worship this scam have already been brainwashed. It’s unsteady pay, and you have to call every day to check in, and also before and after each appointment. In all reality, its like you are always working. It got very annoying.
I worked there for 2 weeks, made my money back, and ditched. Do yourself a favor kids…open your eyes and ears, and don’t waste your time.
If it sounds too good to be true, it most likely is. You’ll save time, gas, money, and common sense.
“a genuine definition of pyramid scheme … I worked there for 2 weeks, made my money back, and ditched.”
I’ve heard the claim of it being a pyramid scheme, but no actual details on the passive income from people you recruit.
Pyramid schemes do not offer any type of services or products. They simply make money from recruiting into the organization. Vector Marketing provides both a service and a product and in most cases, as a representative make no money for recruiting. So therefore no Vector is not a pyramid scheme.
Also you do not have to purchase your sample kit. I’ve been here 2 years and I bought my sample kit a month ago. Whether you choose to or not it’s your choice, you can work there either way. They give you one to borrow and take three references from you to make sure you do not steal the sample kit, but other than that you do not have to buy it at all. You can rent it.
I just recently started with vector. Yesterday was my first day and I made a sale. I was very skeptical but was recommended for the job by my cousin, who even though she had some success, decided on a different job. I would also like to state I am not a person just trying to make them look good. I’m a 26 year old father of four soon. I am still on the fence about whether or not I will find success but it hasn’t cost me a thing but time and effort. Which any job asks I have had hourly jobs that didn’t give me any scheduled breaks I got one when I got one. And restaurant jobs where I’d show up and be sent home. I don’t plan on this being my sole Job but the flexibility means I can get a part time and still do this on the side. As it stands now I am happy but it could change. I say try it before you knock it and my manager is very upfront about the fact that many don’t succeed. But like any sales job that is related to your skills. I like it for now I’ll post agin if that changes.
I dont see how this is a scam. Yes, it is door to door sales. Personally its not a job I could ever do, but there are folks who are natural salespeople and will excel.
We bought a set off a friends daughter. They are heirloom quality. They not only offer free sharpening but also guarantee all knives for life with complete restoration or replacement. Not your life, the life of the knife. I can pass on my set to my daughter in 25 years and they will be like brand new.
For a serious cook, they are nice sets.
I hope anyone reading will notice how professionally the people that write in support of Vector express themselves.
Professionalism is one of the many skills taught by Vector.
I worked with the company from 1987 to 1993. I worked with many, many successful students including one (Allison) who earned $50,000 in her first full year while taking 18 hours per semester plus summer classes. Like most jobs, there were people that had moderate success and some that failed completely.
While I would rate my success with the company as moderate, I can tell you that the company gave me superior sales skills to carry with me into higher ticket item sales. With that training, I was blessed to perform at a level that allowed me to retire comfortably at the age of 47.
So for those of you that believe in yourself, understand that there will always be detractors (haters) when you work to better yourself. They act this way out of jealousy or ignorance. There are plenty of intelligent people that, while acknowledging the job is not for them, will still be supportive of your efforts and happy when you succeed.
I Work for Vector Marketing and I can ease your worries because it is not a scam. At first I thought it was, $15-20 base pay, flexible hours, no experience necessary, I mean it seemed too good to be true but I tried it. I got accepted and I have currently been on the job for 2 weeks and 1 day lol. In that time I have made 12 appointments and 8 sales. It teaches you communication and sales skills which are very marketable. I also have another job and since vector is flexible because I go by appointments that I schedule MYSELF, I know when I work and when I don’t want to work. They start you off with a sample kit which allows you to go on appointments and do your presentation btw it is FREE. I haven’t had to pay for nothing but a weekly metro card which is understandable. Sure Vector Marketing isn’t a 9-5 set hour job but it sure is fun because you decide when you feel like working and still get paid. As for people who purchase Cutco, that is not a scam either, when I go to a person house and they decide to buy something from me I either have the paper receipts or I would do it online on my account, I do both just to please the customer.
For those who want to apply, do so, you’re young, have fun while working, don’t stress over having to wake up early & what not.
its not a scam at all, sales isn’t for everyone so people do fail (just like if they fail at sport because its just not for them)the reason there sold they way they are is to cut out the middle man and your not going to find that good of steel in a bucket at walmart there very high quality and just like anything else you buy you should also look at the value not just the price. and if you were to recommend someone like a friend to work with you yes you do get a small insinuative but it doesn’t affect there paycheck you clearly haven’t done enough research and know little about cutco/vector
Recently my job of 10 years closed because a land developer bought the building. So I started job hunting right away and one of the posts on career builder was for a customer service/help desk. So I sent the resume and at the end it said “call to schedule an interview” which I also did. The woman on the phone asked me various questions about working a customer service field and then asked if I could come in for an interview and to fill out papers, so I took what little money I had left thinking I at least had a good shot at some sort of job, and drove the 150 mile one way trip to this office. It was then I finally saw the business name for the first time. Soon as I was in the interview I was watching someone trying to sell me Cutco knives. So I am not knocking the product, and it may be possible to make some money doing it, when your in your upper 50’s and one of the last living members of your family, you don’t have a lot of “family” left to sell to. The bottom line is as I was leaving I realized I just blew up 30$ worth of gas I would never see a return on and I got played.. The customer service / help desk was an outright lie to get me in the door and the person I met with just made some money for doing a presentation. No matter how you slice it, they flat out lied in their job posting by hiding the actual business name and product until you actually get in the office.
Just FYI I’ve been working for this vector marketing for a couple of months now. I’ve sold over $10,000 worth of knives in a state in which I just moved to and barely know anyone. This job is not hard and it is not a scam. The company stands by what it says it is going to do. Our flyers say $16 per appointment not per hour. And that’s true. They also explain in the interview that once you make over the base pay from commission you only get the commission. Working here is a great opportunity you can advance quickly if you work hard. That is all.
The knives are great but I ordered a set and got the price I would be charged and was charged 246.34 more than quoted price. I think this is very underhanded and would tell people not to deal with cutco
I just started working 3 weeks ago, but I can still tell you why you were charged more. The sales rep put the order in wrong. It happens to EVERYBODY at some point in time. All you have to do is just call customer service and they will sort everything out. Trust me, ive put an order in wrong once, but they fixed it. It wasnt Vector or Cutco, it was HUMAN ERROR, an honest mistake. The alternative is that the rep quoted you the wrong price on accident. Like I said, could happen to anybody, ESPECIALLY a HS student who’s new and is just learning.
Having read this I believed it was really informative.
I appreciate you finding the time and energy to put this article
together. I once again find myself personally spending a
significant amount of time both reading and posting comments.
But so what, it was still worthwhile!
I started with Vector when I was 17 as a Biochemistry major in college and opened my own office with the company by the time I was 19. I made tens of thousands of dollars, enough to graduate debt free… just from selling Cutco! This is not a scam. We don’t even have people buy their samples anymore; reps get to use them for free. Sorry that you or someone you know had a bad experience, but there is really no reason for you to try and bash the company when we have 65 years of experience and 16 million customers that know how wrong you are. I truly can not comprehend why you would even bother.
My son, who is about to graduate from high school, started with Vector about 3 weeks ago. We knew it wouldn’t work and he wouldn’t make any money but we let him figure it out on his own.
He worked for two days. Five appts. When he realized it wasn’t as easy to sell as he thought, he immediately lost interest.
He did not however, have to purchase his knife kit. He got a kit with scissors and four knives. Vector keeps emailing him to send it back or purchase it for $84. He did not receive his commission check Friday. After reading all the comments on here I’m thinking he probably won’t get it.
it’s just normal multi-level marketing, no biggy
A good deal of this information is outdated and the reviews lack a true understanding of marketing processes as well as the Cutco product. I can see you put more effort into it than a Twitter post, but still terribly misinformed and largely false.
If you need questions answered correctly and truthfully, message me.
Huge scam. Got told myself by a Vector Rep “We charge so much for the knives because we don’t make a lot off of our sales reps.” Didn’t even get my supposed $14 per appointment for the six I had called in. Nothing anyone says will convince me this isn’t a pyramid scheme.
did you have the customer fill out the verification form and did you turn the form in? -_-
First, forms are to be signed by customers after the presentation is made to them. The forms are to be turned into their office manager (I believe weekly) then they will be paid for those presentations. They are not called in because they want verification from the customer that the presentation was in fact made. Anyone can call and give random names and expect to be paid for those presentations. Part of the issue is that reps do not follow the instructions they have been told. My son has been with Vector for four years and has never had one problem with pay and has been very successful. This is an actual sales job with a long time American company. It’s not easy work. It’s not for everyone. But there are countless successes out there and have been for many years. At 21, Vector has helped turn our son into a successful young professional.
i think you are forgetting one major point; here, ill help you. Ahem…….NO CUSTOMER HAS TO BUY!!!! every rep gets paid for the appt whether or not i make a sale. and when giving recs, if people are unsure about it, i have them give that person a quick call. i do nothing but show them the product and ask nicely for people that MIGHT be willing to make appts, everything else that happens or that they do is of their own free will, either because they liked cutco or they like me…maybe even both.
It’s not refunded to you digaling…….it is taken off the top as taxable income. Because you are spending money that has been taxed in some way as in a income tax. Then you are using it for self employment expenses. then you pay a sale tax on top of that for the fruits or a gas tax. Also you mileage. T:hat’s what is refunded to you the tax portion is . Your tax liability is reduced. Don’t give others tax advice if you never did it yourself otherwise you would of known this.
My son has been selling Cutco knives for a year now. It has been an awesome experience for him. He has made a decent paycheck and since he sets his own hours he is able to work around his school needs. He has learned great communication and interpersonal skills. The knives are great. Everybody, including strangers, that have bought the knives say how much they love them. Many are saving money to add to their set. He is in there leadership program which will look great on his resume after he graduates with a BS in business. This job has given him direction for his life. I know haters have to hate but this company is not a scam. My husband and I have kept a very close eye on it because we wondered if it was a scam. It is not but it does take work and it is not easy to go into a strangers home and sell.
haha. I have worked for this company for almost a year now. I calculated by pay and I make on average $100 per hour. I was 20 years old and a full time student when I began! on top of my paycheck, I have been to many international conferences that include dinners out, comedy shows, limo nights, and boat cruises- all on the company. Yes Vector is multilevel.. so is every other company that sells something. Get your facts straight before you turn many young, impressionable people away from a fantastic opportunity!
“Vector is multilevel.”
By multi-level, do you mean passive income from salesmen that you recruit?
All of what you said is false. I have worked for the company for 6 years. I started when I was a freshmen in college. I earned over $20k working there my first summer. The company even gave me a $600 scholarship for college. I now drive a BMW that the company pays for. It disgusts me that you would say such negative things and try to inspire people not to work here. I love my job and so do many other people. We have lots of sales reps who make 6 figures. I agree the job is not for everyone. If you are lazy and have no work ethic, the job is not for you! But if you are positive and willing to work hard, the job is great and you should give it a shot.
Before I start, I’m not a Vector reputation management rep. I’m scheduled for sales training this Wednesday, so I’ve just been “hired” in.
So things might change, but as of now:
Vector lets you borrow the knives. Vector no longer requires you to buy the product.
And the numbers DO make sense. I’m an entrepreneur and business-oriented guy–so I try to think in terms of margin and profit. These products have a high profit margin.
And they sell a LOT. If their reported numbers of 6 out of 10 people buying from 10 appointments on average–and the average sale price is $250–the company makes $1,500, then pays the sales rep either $150 or the base rate of $172.50). So they’re able to pay you based on appointment.
And you are by no means required to sell your family–but it’s recommended for practice.
Also, the knives are not the same.
I admit the demo did was compare a dull, unsexy looking knife (common in kitchens) to the super sharp, relatively new Cutco knife. Would be better to compare a sharp normal knife to double-d edge. Or sharpen whatever knife it’s being compared to.
Also, based on what I know, I’m not sure that it uses 440A steel. I’m pretty sure it uses something else. I’ll know that by this week.
But the point is–what I do know for sure is that it’s plain **different** from other knives. It really is. If you hold it in your hand, it feels different. The way it cuts through stuff (rope, leather, steak, other meat). It has a patented “double-D” edge that’s wicked sharp–and seems able to stay that way.
“Fantastic Opportunity” is not the same as “pyramid scheme”. I worked for them too and it didn’t take too long to realize how arbitrary this whole thing is. This guy is right. You can get the same kind of knives anywhere else, they just won’t be called “Cutco”.
1. you dont have to buy your sample set
2. the money you make from “recruiting” people is so insignificant that it would make zero sense to focus on strictly recruiting people
3. 440A is a higher quality stainless steel than MOST high quality kitchen knifes.
4. There are no such thing as “professional knifes” there are knifes that get more publicity because famous chefs use them, but there is no ONE BRAND that the entire culinary community recognized as the holy grail of knifes.
5. CUTCO is literally cheaper than MOST high quality kitchen knifes, why do you think were a factory direct company? Because we use higher quality materials than most so to keep costs competitive we only work in direct sales.
6. Yes you start out selling to your family but again THEY DONT HAVE TO BUY. you get paid either commission or base pay. Meaning regardless of a sale your compensated.
7. Do more research and learn about the company yourself as opposed to assuming things based off your sons experience.
It depends on how you define “Scam”
the salespeople actually do sell a product.
The knives are sharp because it is almost impossible to produce a scalloped knife that is not sharp.
The so called patented D design is no more then a design and I believe the patent long expired.
Their sets are approximately ten times the price of comparable sets using the same material.
I work for a large knife company and I can tell you that their $900 set is no better than sets we sell for $80 retail.
As far a their lifetime sharpening claim, you can buy sets with built in sharpeners that will do the same job forever.
You are making an average of $100/hour because good, hardworking American men and women are overpaying for your products. Sure, for you it may be nice to have your job take you on luxurious, all inclusive trips, but it’s despicable that you are doing so at the cost of the customers who have to invest so much money on knives. The product would be so much more respected if the cost were cut in half and made more affordable to the customers that it is catered too. You pride yourself on selling products that are made in America, by Americans, for Americans, yet you scam them so that you can afford to go to a dinner that is probably almost as overpriced as your damn knives. You might suffer a little and have to take a taxi to dinner instead of a limo, but then maybe more people would be willing to pay for your knives. If you are making triple digits an hour as an inexperienced college student, every red flag should be up. If not, you’re incredibly naive and you are the one who needs to get your facts straight.
Fake news lol
doubt that…prove it
I worked with Vector for about a week. Decided I hated sales! However, the few experiences I had makes me believe this is NOT a scam. I did make a little bit of money but I lacked the motivation to sell. The product on the other hand, was absolutely awesome! 20 years later I decided to purchase the $700 knife set and never looked back. The ‘interviewer’ sold me on it back then with a few demonstrations. The blades are shapes as such(patented D pattern) that they will not dull as quickly as most. 8 years later and they can still cut on a mason block for 5 minutes then slice a tomato with the greatest of ease.
I’ve worked with Cutco for 6 months and made $10,000 as a senior in high school. I did not have to buy my presentation set. Many of the offices are not the nicest looking because they are owned and operated by young college graduates given the opportunity to do something bigger than a desk job. Everyone is guaranteed a base pay if they complete a demonstration and do not sell anything so they get paid no matter what. Sales isn’t for everyone and many kids who don’t understand that complain when they don’t make as much as someone who works twice as hard. Cutco gives an oppurtunity to almost anyone who walks through the door. If they succeed that’s great if not that okay too but everyone gets paid and everyone is treated fairly and that is not a scam by any means.
This is absolutely true.
I too work at Vector but the difference is that I realize that this company is employing several tactics to sell. First of all they are using a bias towards the customers older, duller knives to make CutCo knives look 10 times better. They also want people to sell to family and friends of family. Really easy to sell to those people. Also they use very low quality materials. 440A steel?!?! Look that stuff up. It is very low quality and its the stuff used in walmart brand knives. It does not rust and its cheap but it also will not hold an edge. And its funny that they call it surgical steel. No real surgeon would use that stuff.
Ah, I see. Do you have any other alternative facts for us, now?
I’m a parent of a very successful Cutco rep. There is so much incorrect information in this website my head might implode. Our son never had to spend one cent on knives. They loan you a starter set so you can begin your presentations. As long as you are actively selling, you may use the loaned set. If you do not sell or decide to quit, you must return your loaned set back to your office manager. If you decide to keep the set, after numerous notices, you will be charged for it. Believe me, the knives are worth far more than what you are actually charged. His other knives were given as incentives for his sales. I can give you endless actual examples of Cutco success stories. Many college educations have been paid because of Cutco jobs. Collectively, this is one of the most impressive group of young people I have ever encountered and I have business experience with several highly successful corporations. Yes, it’s not for those looking for an easy buck, but they will give you the training, tools and the encouragement to be successful. Slackers won’t survive, but will they anywhere?
26 years ago (1990) my friend in college sold Cutco. He had to buy his presentation set. They obviously changed that since then. Other than that. Same knives, same demo today with similar word phrasing/sales pitch. Oh, they do have a powerpoint style with youtube demo for remote phone sales.
They may use cheaper 440a but the fact that they are still around 26 years later is comforting if I were to buy a set and need sharpening.
Please show me one legitimate, verifiable instance of someone’s entire college education being paid for by selling Cutco knives. Making unsubstantiated claims on the internet is the technological equivalent of diarrhea.
This is fake news.
Vector is legit, the results are left up to you. Its a great side job, schedule 5 online demos every weekend, spend $0 on gas, no demo kit required, and you’re guarenteed at least $80. To make 5 phone calls… Do this 4 weekends a month and you’ve got about $250 (car payments anyone?)
in my experience people are willing to book online demos, to help you get the base pay, if you explain how they would be helping you just by lending some time. This guys says that “people dont take the base pay because thats admitting failure” (or something like that) but its vector MARKETING not sales… youre job is to spread the word. No sales required to do that, and theres no shame in just doing demos without making sales. No shame in the paycheck either. The company gets low-cost advertising, you get your car payments taken care of. NO SCAM.
NOT a scam at all but a great product demonstrated by earnest students who, if they apply themselves will learn more and earn more than their friend. The gentleman behind this website seems well intended but has only spoken to people who failed at Cutco. Not a single critique he offers is true and I know from 34 years of using the product and three years that my son has sold them. (It is not multi-level marketing because no one gets paid for referrals or “downstream sales like Amway). My son now manages an office he rented with his own money for the summer. He will recruit, hire, train, motivate and manage as many as 75 young students this summer as he did last summer. Many of those he hired/hires will make far more than their friends working in restaurants, shops, banks or construction. They learn to make appointments, dress for business, show up on time, build rapport with adults, make presentations, ask for the order, remain pleasant and make the occasion entertaining and fun for all. I have dozens of friends who thank me and tell me how much they enjoyed the demo, that they love the knives and many are very pleased that their own student has been turned on to business by selling Cutco for the summer.
Who are you going to believe? Someone who failed at selling after two days or a week or someone who used the product three decades and has seen his son make many people happy (and prosperous) for three years?
I currently work for them, and like all the other comments, it’s not a scam, just difficult for different people. If you don’t have a good network of contacts, and aren’t motivated to do this, then you won’t be making as much. It’s cliche but you literally get out of it what you put into it. Also this definitely pays better than 100 a week, which is not nearly enough to cover rent and utilities which I so desperately need to cover.
Check you facts before you go basking a company that you just happened to not like and throw a hiss fit.
Yeah, I don’t know what happened between you and Cutco, but keep it to yourself because I’ve learned so much from this company and they’ve offered me so many great opportunities that I wouldn’t have gotten anywhere else. Also get your facts straight, you don’t have to buy your kit…
I just went to training today. They DO NOT make you buy, lease or rent your demo knives. If you quit, return them. PERIOD. What else would you do with something lent to you? This author is insane. Sales is sales. You’re never going to please everybody. It’s as simple as that. If we could please everybody, we wouldn’t have to ask them to buy, they’d come looking for us…..
Might be the first real person to comment here. This company is being investigated by the attorney general, not positive for what but I’ve heard several people say they’re a front for human trafficking. I don’t know because I just threw the letter away when they recruited me nor do I have any evidence they are involved, but I generally stay away from anything that might be. If it is legal, it’s a pyramid scheme just like any other. It seems a new big one pops up every year. Stay safe, and if it feels too good to be true it probably is.
P.S. Delivering pizzas is 20 dollars an hour maximum. Minimum is less than 7.25. Even at the busiest pizza places you would need to be in a space ship or santas slay to make 10 stops an hour. Realistically is 3 when it’s busy, 0-1 when it’s not. Still tho, a pretty good job for a college kid with a reliable car.
It seems like the author of this article hasn’t done their homework on the company OR the products. Comparing Cutco to “budget knives at Wal-Mart” is like comparing a Ferrari to a Prius. Sure, they both drive, but one does so significantly better.
If you can’t handle the pressures and difficulties of sales, then perhaps mowing lawns is the best that you can hope for… Over two summers I worked as a landscaper and then as a Cutco sales rep in Colorado, and as difficult as it can be to sell knives, it is far more profitable than landscaping with a lot less sunburn. It also provides many opportunities to network and improve people skills as well as gain confidence and work on public speaking. All of those skills are far more useful to someone saving up for college or working to get experience to get another job.
Landscaping teaches you to mow a lawn, stack rocks, spray weeds, and apply sunblock. Also, most employers in the service industry absolutely LOATHE college students because they are not being taught how to work by their parents. If you can’t succeed at Cutco, you probably won’t hold any other demanding job for any length of time.
My wife bought a set years ago because of “being nice” to a friend. There were no noticeable different between these knifes than the cheaper knife sets that we have used.
I called the new company name they operated under “VECTOR”. I get a run around to my questions.
I would not say this is a “true” scam, but it is in my opinion “legalized” scam, like many multi-marketing schemes. Why else would a reputable company cover up it’s name and product from inquirers?
Yeah, my son just started with Cutco and it seems legit, but I was one of his first calls, and no, I am not buying a set of knives for $1,000. It just doesn’t make sense in my income bracket, no matter how much I love my son.
It seems they make their sales getting young people to sell to friends and family,..most kids probobaly bail after a few weeks or month, but the company may sell 5-10 sets just from family “compassion” buys. The 20% who stick around, will do ok and make some decent money at it and then may end up running a branch some day, or get hired by a homeowner who is looking for a sharp salesperson ( easily one of the hardest jobs in the world ). They have been doing this for a while and it is a pretty simple business model, so they must be doing something right. I think when my son sees the light, it will be a good lesson for him in life.
I just began working for CutCo,and I have been VERY IMPRESSED with the way the company handles its employees. You DO NOT have to pay for your kit (that changed in the past few years) and it is a very well oriented commission system. The more sales you make; to more money you earn. Its not about being a great sales person either, it will just take you longer to get promoted to high commission levels and this is mainly because of lack of motivation to setup demos. My first appointment, I sold over $2,000 worth of knives because I believe in the product and tried my best for myself. I will say that it is sketchy as they use kids fresh out of high school, using their family and friends to earn sales, however: YOU WILL MAKE MONEY TOO!!! A good percent of anything you sell goes to you and as you sell more and more, the more money you will earn through income. Also, there are so many opportunities for my future with interviews and great learning opportunities with top speakers. Lastly it is not a W-2 job so you will have a 5599 which is an independent business owner and anything you do on the Vector clock (driving gas, team lunches, etc.) so you pretty much have no taxes with the exception of maybe $10.
I’m a former Cutco Employee, and now a current Sales Director and an Officer for a major Financial Institution, covering 8 states:
1)I did the penny cutting with scissors (and really messed my hand up once) and the leather cutting with a table knife in my presentations. I did very well in their “new employee sales competition” that starts right after you’re hired and won one of the biggest blocks of knives they had, value over $1000 and a trip to the conference in Detroit…which was a dump and a continuous ra-ra session put on by those who got rich off of Cutco by getting in on the Pyramid Scheme at the inception of the scheme. Further, a $1000 check would have been better than knives. What is a college student going to do with $1000 in knives and a block? Gave it to my mom. The knives are decent but expensive. Total I made less than $900 with Cutco despite being a top salesperson for my office. I would have made more money doing concrete construction work for the summer, which I did the next year, made $5k, and learned many important principals, the value of hard work, and an honest paycheck, rather than pestering my family and friends to give me money.
2) Why did I give the block to my mom? For giving me the money to buy my starter salesman set of knives for $200. THE OTHER REVIEWS LIED, YOU ABSOLUTELY PAY CUTCO $200 TO GET HIRED. You start in the hole -$200 for your “new job”…
3)PASSIVE-SELLING = PYRAMID SCHEME = GET RICH QUICK SCHEME = ANNOYING ALL YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO DEATH UNTIL THEY ALL HATE SEEING OR TALKING TO YOU BECAUSE ALL YOU DO IS TRY TO GET RICH OFF OF THEM. You are now the thorn in the side of your family. Since you’re getting in way too late in the game for this pyramid scheme, you’ll never make any real money.
4) They force you in to evening call sessions at the office and want you call your “natural market” members you wrote down when you got hired. If you don’t show up, they call you. You’re an independent contractor, but they treat you like an employee. Basically, call all of your family and friends until you get 10 appointments and/or all of your family and friends have started blocking your calls.
The moral of the story is to get a different job. Everyone of my colleagues knows Cutco is a pyramid scheme that preys on those with little understanding of the business world and business practices to understand what CUTCO DOES AND HOW THEY DO IT, including our HR DEPARTMENT AND HIRING MANAGERS. There’s a reason CUTCO MANAGERS DON’T LAST LONG THERE AND CANNOT FIND A DECENT POSITION WHEN THEY LEAVE. Save your time and bypass yet another get rich quick scheme.
Thank you.
That’s not entirely true about base pay. Maybe things have gotten better and they were sued or forced to pay the employees in the past 15 yrs or so cuz I worked for vector and was promised 14.50 hr per presentation and I saved all records and although I was unable to sell the product t cuz everyone I know is as poor as the crap in the chicken coops, I was still supposed to get paid per presentation and I didn’t get one single cent! Not one!!! They owe me thousands of dollars and never paid and I kept trying to contact cutco and got no where. I love the product and bought thousands of product myself which all got stolen. Makes me mad but unless things have changed, they seem like a big scam to me. Now alot of what the girl said in this blog however is horse crap but I don’t trust the vector.
Just saw this because I literally just started selling knives for Vector and Cutco, and I am here to tell everyone reading this that it is NOT a scam. Yes, they are pretty devious in recruitment, and they have multiple things surrounding their image making them look very sketchy. At first, one thinks they are getting paid ~$17 an hour, but in reality it is the guaranteed base pay. So 10 qualified appointments will guaranteed the sales rep $172.5, and there is going to be at least one sale. Heck, my first appointment literally two hours after completing the unpaid three day training I made a sale. I had two no sales after that, but the next three I had started a streak. Last night I sold my first Homemaker set, totaling $959, and I received my first promotion. I didn’t have to resort to shady techniques such as guilting my family friends. I legitimately spent the first 45 minutes of that demonstration watching the Cavs v Warriors game with them… As a rep, you make more money when you make sales, of course, but the Cutco product is legit a top knife compared to any majorly well known brand. Yes it is better than Chicago Cutlery, JA Henckels, Wusthof, Shun, etc. If you doubt my word, which you probably will because you do not know me, find a Cutco rep and give him/her a shot. Let them show you the legit value Cutco has. And ask them how they like the job. Vector targets young people out of high school for a reason: we are hungry and desperate for money and Vector utilizes that to lure us in to interview and go through around 18 hours on unpaid training. However, the communication skills we learn stay valuable as we go through college, and allow us to, in the future, sell ourselves like we were selling the knives to potential employers. Not to mention that Vector Marketing is actually rated an A+ from the BBB. The. Better. Business. Bureau. As in Vector has undergone multiple investigations by a legitimate company conducting investigations into businesses for a living. Say/type what you want about Vector, but do not call it a scam to my face because I’ll just show you my commission statements , savings account, and in the future, my student loans, or lack thereof. Peace.
This comment section is full of damage control. Cutco is a typical MLM/multi-level marketing scheme. It’s about taking advantage of people who don’t know any better. Their products are middling quality and overpriced, and they convince their employees (just about ANYONE can get hired) that they’ll be on the “fast track to getting rich” and they’ll “beat the rat race” or whatever the marketing tagline is. In truth, most people have a very difficult time selling overpriced common merchandise that can very easily be purchased elsewhere for lower cost or higher quality. Generally those who sign onto MLM schemes rely on their friends & family to support their business and end up alienating them.
MLM schemes don’t get shut down because they’re technically legit – you pay for a starter kit, and they’ll send you the starter kit. However, they’re very misleading about earnings and opportunities. The people who earn money from MLMs are at the top, not the bottom. And Cutco is almost synonymous with “scam” – I guarantee that almost no legitimate employer would value Cutco sales experience on a resume.
I’d like to thank the author of this article for putting this information out there against the massive current of SEO marketing. The only point I’d quibble on is unpaid internships – those can often be legitimate, and can be useful for resumes and networking.
I have seen MLMs come and go and some stick around while having a VERY low success rate but very high turnover rate. Industry stats say 99% exit them within 1-2 yrs. They just bring so many people in the actual business, by the ones who are making the money, is the training business. Keeping fresh meat in the pipeline. Whether or not the knifes are good or bad is irelavent. There are suckers born every minute and they will just have to figure that out. As a parent, trying to help my young adult not get involved is a challenge. I will just have to let them learn a life lesson and Vector will continue to prey on people knowing over 99% of people that enter this kind of business exit with a loss, especially if you assume your time is worth at least minimum wage plus expenses. Your exit will be very painful.
I wanted to work for them but you needed money to start and if you had no money or your family had no money then its not for you. I didn’t like it and even the interview felt like a scam.
Uh, this is 100% a scam. I would love to see a list of satisfied customers not working for or are related to vector/cutco workers. BBB has numerous complaints to satisfy any doubt you may have. Run.
I’ve never had to buy any knifes in my sample kit as a rep……..Although I have received complimentary knives for my sales excellence. I love my summer job with Cutco honestly!
i need more details from your side
Hey how did you quit?? And can they withhold your paycheck for the week??
Professional Sales
I hate to bust everyone’s bubble here but this Cutco business is just another example of a pyramid scheme. These businesses have come and gone for decades. Cutco is no different. What really surprises me is that there are people out there with huge financial responsibilities and struggling to make ends meet and along comes a neighbor or relative selling these overpriced knives and they feel obligated to buy them. I have been a professional salesman for almost 19 years. I sell products that companies consume on a daily basis therefore I enjoy continued repeat business. In the sales world, its called need based selling. The problem with selling knives is that each sale is a one time event. The only way to keep it going is to sell to more people. This is the true backbone of a pyramid. Eventually, your customer list will be exhausted because you can’t go back to the ones you have already sold to, hence the continued need to recruit others. Remember, the knives you sold will last a lifetime with free sharpening. When was the last time you sent a knife off to get sharpened? Give me a break. I have a neighbor selling these knives and he approached me when I was in the middle of doing something and I told him I would have to get back to him when I had time. He replied that he doesn’t normally do sales because he was a manager and had others working for him. Oh, really. Then you don’t need to waste my time. I am convinced more and more every day that the kids of today are not the kids of yesterday, like myself. We earned money doing jobs that taught us something that we could put in our hat for a later day. The majority of high school and college kids today have absolutely no skill set. They don’t like to work outside where it is hot and they might get dirty. They don’t cut their parents grass; don’t wash their car much less even know the first thing about car maintenance; don’t help doing household chores like vacuuming or washing clothes or helping with the dishes. No, they rely on their parents for everything. Then they go out and get a Cutco sales job and they think they are successful. When a kid is out there selling something he can’t even afford to buy, that should tell you something. It’s companies like Cutco who are taking full advantage of the vulnerabilities of these kids who have no skills or experiences and desperate to make some quick money without any real effort. And they can stay nice and clean along the way…………………My advise to these kids…..go be an apprentice and learn a trade. Heck, you might even find something you enjoy doing and use throughout your lifetime.
I’m actually a manager for Vector Marketing and I’m at about $20,000 in careed sales with CUTCO. Im 19 years old and the company has taken me to Jamaica, Niagra falls, and in October I’m going to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. My first paycheck with the company was $594.80 for 3 days worth of work and my biggest paycheck for the week so far was $1418. Since I started, I’ve been consistently making $500-$1000 a week. Of course I thought it was a scam before I started too, mostly because of the bad rep the company gets. But guess what I did that most don’t? I actually gave it a genuine shot and worked my tail off. For that I saw success. So if you were to tell me Vector is a scam, I’ll tell you is the best scam I’ve ever been a part of.
We currently employ 30,000+ people nationwide and our business has been around since 1981, now consisting of about 350 district offices. If we really were a scam then how would we be doing so well? Now let me explain to you why the author of this post, as well as many other people, believe it is a scam. They are close minded to the idea and aren’t willing to give it a genuine shot and try the job out. Lets face it, most of our generation is lazy. They don’t want what they have to work for. And Vector is just that. Your results are a direct reflection of your effort, so most lazy people don’t do well because they arent willing to work hard. When they quit, they feel somehow cheated by the company so they talk trash. But know this: I myself come from a lower middle class family, and I have hired and coached people who have been in way worse conditions than myself, yet because we were willing to work and give the job our all, we saw success. Vector is not a place for people who aren’t willing to work for what they want, and frankly we don’t care to work with those type of people anyway. It sort of weeds itself out in that way. But know this, there are PLENTY of people that,do see success with our company, and we WILL continue to grow despite the negativity from pages like this. And if you are reading this as someone who is potentially looking to work with vector, let me just say that you will hear negative things and you will hear positive things. It’s up to you to decide which are true and there’s only one way to do that: give it a genuine shot. If it’s for you you will know it soon enough, just like I did. If you’re interested in learning more about the copmany from someone who’s actually been there and tried it out for more than a few days, try vectormarketingscam.com or vectormarketingtruth.com. All I can say to you is get educated, get the details, and make the decision for yourself, don’t let others hold you back by telling what you can and can’t succeed at.
Hi! I have been with the company for a few months and want to tell you my experience.
First, I will address the Lies you are spreading.
1. WE DO NOT REQUIRE YOU TO BUY A STARTER KIT ANYMORE.
2. We are very upfront about the fact it is not an hourly pay.
3. When you go into your interview they tell you a ton of details, if it is not something for you then you dont do it. They give you several chances to back out.
4. I have made over 5k in my pocket in 6 weeks… I think I am doing just fine at my “fake” job… and I haven’t pressured anyone once.
About the product:
All of the products are made with 440A Stainless Steel, which is not the highest grade but is more resistant to rust because there is a lower carbon content… when it comes to kitchen knives you dont want them to rust and the difference in stability is virtually nonexistent unless you are trying to shove it through a wall… IT IS FOOD… IT ISN’T THAT HARD. Plus we suggest using plastic cutting boards to reduce the dulling… Our consumers report it takes an average of 7-10 years to dull even their most used Cutco as opposed to the average knife life of 2 years. Our Double-D Edge is unique from serrated because of the flat between the points.. It doesn’t look like ^^^^^ it looks like ^-^-^-^-^ and the flat between prevents tearing of food. We use full tang to make the knife more stable. We use rivets made of nickle-silver instead of brass so that they do not expand or contract. we use thermo-resin on the handles because it is the same material as the inside of a dishwasher. Our products are about small innovation. Things like the magnet on the can opener, the metal in the ice cream scoop that automatically melts frozen items, etc.
The opportunity:
Like I said, I have made 5k in 6 weeks.
I met a guy, and saw his bank statements because I was so skeptical about starting, who pocketed 14k in 2 months last year; he is 18.
This is not a job for people who are shy, unwilling to try, or lazy; it only works if you do.
I’m a Vector Sales Representative. I only started working for them about a month go. My mom kept telling me it was a scam because of the horrible and false things a lot of uninformed people say about the company online. But against her wishes I set up an interview with Vector and I got hired that same day. I also work in a “pilot sales offices” which means that my office is one of the main offices in my state. This gave me the opportunity to see first hand what goes on behind the scenes that most other reps don’t get a chance to view. Those assistant managers, the branch managers, the district managers, the regional managers, they put in so much time, effort, and yes even their OWN money to help new reps like myself succeed. They get paid based on office sales. The people they train and help succeed are what they live off of. Yeah, that may seem a tad strange at first but they’re the ones who put in 9, 10, 12, 15 hour days sometimes. They’re the ones who pick up the phone at 12 midnight when you just had a no sale and they pump you up, they’re the ones who pick up the phone at 6/7 in the morning to see how many demos you have set for the day and what they can do to help you reach your goals. They are there for you 100% of the time. I’ve had a virtual demo in the middle of the night, and guess who picked up my call afterward? That’s right, my manager. Why? Because we need each other in order to succeed.
Now, onto the sample set (what you take to demos with you). That set is on loan from your office. You DO NOT have to purchase it. My sample set’s MSRP is over $400. But if you want to purchase it, they sell it to reps for less that $100! That’s a steal! Now some people would think “Why on earth would a 19-year-old want to spend money on that?”. My answer is simple, you have to spend a little to make a lot. When I go to my demos now, I get to tell people that I personally own all of the Cutco that they see and then I get to tell them that I’m going to have my Cutco until the day I die! How great does that sound coming from someone as young as me?!
Next, the office spaces. Most offices are what the company calls branch offices. That’s basically an office that is open from May until the end of July over the summer months while college students are out of school. The branch manager negotiates a lease themselves and gets to run their own office for a few months. 19, 20, 21-year-olds RUNNING an office. And this isn’t just something that happens once or twice, hundreds of branch offices open all over the United States! That’s hundreds of people my age getting leadership experience! Those offices close down at the end of July and usually open somewhere else the following year so that’s why there aren’t large Vector Marketing signs on buildings.
Now for the money issues. Like any other job, you’re going to get out what you put in. If you’re only setting a few demos a week, you’re not going to make as much as another rep who sets 10+ demos every week. That’s simple math. Let’s go with neither rep sells anything that week (which is highly unlikely) 3×17 (base pay)=$51, 10×17=$170. So you can see that in order to actually make money, you have to put in some effort. And every year you fill out a 1099 form because you’re an independent contractor. But here’s what most people don’t realize, you have tax deductions! I believe it’s $.55 per mile you drive, the expense of buying foods for your demos (I spent $15 on foods for one demo but I profited $200+ from that one sale), a percentage of your phone bill (the total amount of calls you make each month divided by the number of calls that you make for Vector each month), and there are so many other deductions that you can make! I can honestly say that even if I don’t make another penny with Vector this year, I made so much more than what my expenses will add up to be.
Lastly, the products. We show and sell Cutco knives to 3M’s: married, middle-aged, and middle class or higher. That’s our target market. Think about it this way, you wouldn’t show Jaguar cars to a 7-year-old, so why would you show Cutco to someone who isn’t a 3M? Yes, there are certain exceptions to that rule of thumb but showing qualified customers is key. A 15-year-old probably isn’t going to drop $1000 on a set of knives but their parents may consider it. As for the steel, 440A, that actually is a type of surgical steel. It isn’t as good as 316 surgical steel but it’s still used. 440 is more well known for being the cutlery steel because so many manufacturers use is in creating cutlery. Now for the Rockwell hardness of 55-57C, you probably don’t know how this test is done but they use a diamond and some pressure in order to calculate the hardness of the steel used to make Cutco. You may think that Cutco is expensive for its kind but compared to other high-quality brands, it actually isn’t. Especially when Cutco only manufactures one line of cutlery versus other brands that offer a lesser quality product for a lesser price. Also, the amount of Cutco sold, 200 million annually is lowballing it! Cutco sells hundreds of thousands and even millions of high-quality cutlery every week! As a representative, I can even see the actual amounts that are being sold by individual reps and by other offices and regions. It’s kind of a motivator for me because I want to be a top rep in the nation.
Cutco and Vector Marketing may not be your cup of tea, but unless you take the time to really educate yourself, don’t bad mouth a company that you know nothing about. You can’t gather truthful information from a five minute Google search. You have to do your own research. Vector Marketing is giving me the opportunity to build my skills and grow as a person. Vector Marketing is not a scam. Vector Marketing is a great business opportunity and I fell lucky to have been able to become a part of their team.
Wow! That was interesting, no where in the interview do they say 12-20 dollars an hour it’s 15 dollars per appointment and that’s the base pay your Goal is to make commission which increases by how much you sell, my dad worked for them for 3 years and sold over 100,000 dollars of knives and has owned the same set for 25 years and only had to sharpen it once. I recommend this for any young adult who has good personal skills and what’s to make a ton of money working for a LEGIT company.
I find it ironically funny to read comments about Vector and Cutco being a scam from people who have never gone through training or who have but when it came time to actually do the work they decided the job was bull and quit before ever trying to actually put any effort into it. Just as some fellow employees have mentioned, Vector/Cutco is not a scam but it is a sales business so if you have some kind of off the wall expectation of what or how a sales business works you obviously don’t know anything about sales businesses. Just like every single company/business in the world Vector/Cutco are in the business to make money, why else would they even bother to open their doors! But the problem with people today is everyone thinks they are entitled to a free income, like the world owes them a living…. What constitution is that written in? We all have to earn a living unless you are lucky enough to have very wealthy parents who pay for everything for you and plan to for the rest of your life, the rest of us have to learn to support ourselves. And just as another person mentioned you have to work for and work hard for whatever you want in life. But Vector/Cutco offers college age students opportunities they might never get the chance to experience any other time in their life. And by the way the reason they “target” (as someone called it) is because they have the most flexibility, time wise than anyone else. Think about it older folks often have family, kids, husbands, all kids of other obligations so when it comes to being able to schedule demos or being able to attend the seminars or conventions is harder for people with all kinds of obligations than a college student who usually has the summer off. Not only does Vector/Cutco teach their reps so much about business, sales, public speaking, and all kinds other business training, through their positive encouragement, and confidence boosting talks they help to reshape people’s outlook, self-esteem, confidence and for a lot of people that is more valuable than a lot of other things.
I have only been working with Vector/Cutco for a little over a month but in this short time I have already been promoted and recently been offered to take the training classes (which are free to me) to become, my choice of Field Sales Manager, Assistant Manager or Branch Manager by next spring. I can tell you I just left a job after working there for 13+ years and I have never been offered such opportunities specially after only being on staff for under 2 months. This is a real job, not a scam but that is the key to it it is a job and you have to actually do the work to accomplish anything, no matter what your goal is!
I might have paid closer attn to this blog if the English were correctly written.
Hahaha! I’m 20 years old and guess what? I cook! I’ve tried knives from the cheap Pampered Chef all the way up to the higher line of Wustoff, Ikon Blackwood, and I can say with confidence that Cutco is the best quality of any of those knives. So just because the writer of this article is ignorant, doesn’t mean that Cutco aren’t quality knifes, it just means that the author doesn’t understand the idea of a long term investment, which is fine. I started this job around a month ago and it’s very hard work, which marketing tends to be, but you are misinformed if you think that this job is a scam. Most marketing careers go by commission, so Vector is nicer due to their base pay payment option. Also, it gets college students feet wet to the marketing field. When it comes to the “higher-ups” of business, they tend to get paid exceptionally more than beginners of the job, thats how life works. And it’s not like the sales reps don’t get paid. Granted they get paid less but really? The author makes it sound like these kids are being enslaved by Vector. If you are hurt for some reason at Cutco, vent to your friends and family don’t write a bogus article. Also, if you’re too cheap to buy high quality cutlery, here’s an idea: don’t buy high quality cutlery! Problem solved! Yaaaaaaay!
I work at Vector Currently. I have been there for two days now and one of my best friends was hired on. He was intelligent enough to research the materials used, I was not. I only researched Vector and CutCo and I fell into the search engine optimization traps.
I’m quitting tomorrow. This job is not for me and I refuse to work for a company that sells cheaply produced knives (they tell us to say the blades are made from surgical steel, they are not, look up 440A steel) to people that are almost obligated to buy from you.
Not too mention I feel like a Girl Scout selling cookies while working this job lol.
I just had a job interview earlier today with vector and was unsure if I wanted to work for them but after reading this I definetly do not want to work for them now. Also almost everything said above was what was said in my interview aside from that I had to buy the knives. I was told I would be given a demo set and the people would order them through vector
Thank you so much for this article. I was curious right away when I received a call for an interview and they referred to my roommate who they said worked there. The lady on the phone was very nice, but rather determined to set me up for this interview. The way she wouldn’t take no for an answer was a major deterring point. I told her I would wait and talk to my roommate, who has definitely never worked there. Come to find out this roommate had received a similar call where vector marketing had used the name of another one of our friends in trying to convince her to join.
The thought that now they are using my name on someone else is rather horrifying.
Real company or not, these people are using dishonest tactics to hire and recruit, which I do not appreciate.
I am sure there are people working for vector marketing who are also convinced it’s a real company, but that’s just part of the scam.
Thanks again for a great article.
It isn’t for everyone, but hard working, ambitious young people can be very successful. I think this article is inaccurate.
Hey this is America you guys and Gals! So we have the ability to post our opinions.
This type of sales is configured to use peoples emotions to make the sale!
Ok, so you, the potential purchaser, say that you want to think about it. The next day the sales person calls or texts that the manager said there is only one day left for the sale. This is pressure tactics to make the sale. We know this.
You have to be able to say look the knifes are nice and seem to be good quality but 1.) I /we are not interested, 2.) I / we wish to think about the purchase or 3.) this is what I / we want to buy, no more no less. This can be hard to do. It is your money don’t feel bad because you didn’t purchase anything.
Im AMAZED at how many ex-workers/relatives found this article!!
Currently an employee working with Vector and Cutco and no, this is not a scam. This entire job is about work ethic and you trying your best to be the best. If you put in the work you’ll see the results you want. Many years ago it would cost money to start working with Vector, but that’s because of the quality of the product they were giving you to use. Now they’ve reduced the size of the sample kit and have made it free to start. This is a blessing. Many reps go on to buy their sample kit any way because they knives are so worth it. In my office, I’ve only seen one or two people fail. And that is because they were lazy and not dedicated. Don’t believe everything you see on the Internet people, it’s like a herd of sheep. Once one person says something negative everyone else starts jumping in complaining too. I’ve personally pulled in more money in two weeks than I did during an entire summer working with another business.
I’ve been a Vector/Cutco rep for a few months now. It’s not a scam. I didn’t have to pay for my display set, and I’ve gotten some of their other knives for free as well. And I do like the job. No, I don’t love selling knives. I like the people I meet when I show the knives, and I also like the people that I work with. But that’s just my experience.
And for those people who have had bad experiences with Vector/Cutco, I feel sorry for y’all because that does suck. BUT, y’all shouldn’t be telling people to not go in for an interview because your experience was awful. Their experiences may or may not end up being better than yours. So just let people decide that for themselves.
And if anyone wants to bitch at me about this post, just email me at codenwin@gmail.com.
Cutco is a low quality product sold by high pressure, salespeople with no knife experience. Guess how much it costs to produce one Cutco knife. $5.00 is all. They are made in Fairfield CA, Google it! While you on the Internet check out Cutco knives on cheftalk.com. Smithy is not only a chef but a knowledgeable blade smith who provides precise details to folks who need help choosing great knives.
Another informative website to Google is, “Cutco high end or not on Streetdirectory.com. Chowhound.com is another site that provides consumers unbiased info. And I’d you really want to get technical check out bladeforums.com. Who better to advise and recommend knives than the experts who use them for work or make knives themselves.
I sold cutco for about a month just after college. I didn’t make a lot of money but I wasn’t big on getting leads. I didn’t care for bugging friends and family to give me phone numbers of their friends. Mostly because the people I know didn’t have money to put into knives. But I did sell knives to every person I showed them to. The best part about it was that I got a great set of knives and have bought a lot more in the years since then. I do from scratch cooking most every day and as long as you know how to use a sharpener, they stay awesome knives. I have had my original sells set for over 12 years and use the 7″ chef knife everyday. If you do something to the knives, they will gladly replace them.
My boyfriend had a job interview, he went in and already had 2 trainings.. he found out on the 2nd training that they weren’t being paid for orientation, and that he still had to go door to door for sales.. he didn’t go the third training because he thought it was pointless to go! Alot of people would like to be able to get paid for those hours they spent going in and learning about the product, instead they don’t pay for orientation and everything is still Commission. Yes, the knives are amazing! But you should really think about what you do to the company and what your guys are doing to the people they decide to hire and train.
I would like more info on working with your company. I live in bellingham ma and have a car and good sales skills
Matt Cronan-508 254 2810
I read this but I’m going to tweak it a bit. For every good vector story, there’s at least 3,000 bad vector stories. Some people that work there actually comment on these kind of sites to try and persuade potential employees. To me Vector is kind of like a fundraiser, when you’re a kid all the prizes(promises of cutco) fascinate you but unless your mom works in a big office(knowing a lot of people) your not really going to do too much with it. Also you work countless hours for FREE making phone calls, going to 10 hour meetings to “better yourself”, training, team meetings all for free and they make it mandatory for most.
Lol I recently considered purchasing a set of cutco knives. After doing research I found that almost in every website I looked at for reviews of either the knives or the job, cutco sales people create fake profiles to comment on the post and defend the product and in this case, the job. They do this to keep people like myself from learning the truth about Cutco….
Btw Josh, they employ you as a 1099 because that way they don’t have to pay for you! No benefits whatsoever! Duh! But yet they still determine how much you earn. SCAM!!!
Remove me Philadelphia pa
http://www.bbb.org/central-california-inland-empire/news-events/news-releases/2015/06/internet-hoax-links-a-legitimate-business-to-human-trafficking-resulting-in-public-backlash-and-police-inquiries/
It us a scam. Lured my daughter in by posting a receptionist job. We warned her at some point they would pressure her to sell their knives. They put pressure on her big time, and when she did not agree to sell, they sent her packing!
“Vetco” is a big joke!!!!
This is absolutely disgusting. Please DO share this article to expose THIS site, and the lack of valid information they are sharing.
Here is my story…
I walked into an interview with Vector marketing about 20 minutes after I randomly decided to google “vector marketing.” My heart dropped when I saw “Vector marketing scam” was in the suggestions. I went into the interview expecting a scam. I scanned the office walls laughing to myself at all the work this company was putting into this scam, and how I was going to call out the person interviewing me. Half way through the interview I started to get a bit sarcastic with my answers to the guy interviewing me. At this point in the interview he said that he thought I would be good for the job, and he started to give me the presentation. I was blown away by the quality of the product behind this “scam.” I decided to take it at face value and see for myself. After all I could get out of it with only my time wasted so far. I decided to give it my all, and see what happened.
I have only worked for Vector for a little over a month now, and I can guarantee that is NOT a scam. The reason that some think its a scam is 1) It sounds too good to be true 2) They are too lazy to put in the time to build their business. If people are getting this job to make base pay, it is not the job for them. Base pay is there just as a backup if someone has a really bad week of selling. I have NEVER gotten any base pay. I have always made more BY FAR in commissions, than what I would have gotten from base pay. I’m not saying that this is the case with everyone, I’m sure its not, however the goal is not to make base pay, it is to build your business and make much more than base pay. I expect to make a minimum of $300 a week, even if I am only doing a few appointments.
One more thing. Vector doesn’t only want their sales reps to do well with sales, they want them to become better people. The company knows that teaching someone how to sell is only scratching the surface. They push for aggressive personal growth in all areas of your life. Some have said Vector is a cult, and I think that’s funny, but it is true that they push for employees to be better people, not just selling machines.
In conclusion.
Vector is NOT A SCAM.
Vector has helped me not only financially, but in many areas of my life.
Vector is in my opinion on of the last honest businesses.
First off vector marketing is a scam, they succeed through others success and failures. I worked there and left it just recently. The management is just horrible always mixing things up with check in this person or that person. Your guys programs on putting down on how many days your employeees checks in is just so corrupted. Also I’ve had my checks deffered plenty of times for just not making a sell in three weeks when I have. Your vector pals need to change or posts like these will ruin your precious company. Other than that I find the knives great and all but the job overall is just horrible if you dont got the right clientele, determination, and the fullfillment of your PAYCHECKS NOT BEING DEFFERED FOR NO REASON
If you don’t have*** first of all. Second, If you lack determination??? Sorry that nothing is being handed to you on a silver platter. The product is great and the job is easy once you gain momentum (which doesn’t take long if you work hard at your names list). Just because you are too lazy to figure it out doesn’t mean you should ruin a perfectly good opportunity for someone who is driven.
Kind of funny you say it’s a scam. I own Cutco knives which I love. My son started selling the summer he graduated high school June 2016 and he was 17. He has made a ton of money! He has hit the $30k in gross sales and has made more than $6,800 dollars in just three months. It’s not a scam. I’ve personally owned Cutco knives since 2012 and LOVE them. Worth every penny. And my son is proof that if you work hard and are a “people person” sales oriented you can make great money with this company!
My sister works there now, its a terrible company but not sure if you could call it illegal. They have manditory call sessions every Sunday that are unpaid and sometimes require her to make calls until late at night(10pm). On top of that she is often shamed when unable to make it to weekly meetings due to chronic health issues. Cutco/vector also has “optional” outings and conferences in which they directly draw from her paycheck to pay the costs and conference fees, if not willing to attend she is shamed into attending most times and is then on the hook for travel, hotel, meal, and conference costs. I’m no priest but doing business by shaming and taking advantage of someone’s naivete in their youth is low and may not be illegal but is honestly disgusting.
In the summer of 1993, I was home from college between my freshman and sophomore years. My dad wanted me to get a job and heard about Vector, so he told me to go to the interview. It sounded pretty good, so when I was offered the job, I took it.
Over the course of the summer, I made about $2,200. That doesn’t sound like much now, but back then it was comparable to what you’d make working full time at McDonald’s, and I was definitely not working full time. It was a really fun job, but as I wasn’t a very good salesman, I decided to call it quits at the end of the summer. I went back to school and largely left Vector behind.
Then came Christmas break. I didn’t have a job anymore, so I spent most of it goofing off. With five days left till I had to return, I realized I would be going back broke and decided to look up my old Vector office. I stopped in got some supplies, set a few appointments, and made over $800 in two days. Again, not much now, but I was fairly rich by college kid standards.
I never intended Vector to be a full-time job, but whenever I needed a few bucks, I’d set a few appointments and make some more. Occasionally I’d even get some surprise residuals when my customers bought stuff from the catalog, but that was never more than about $100.
Eventually I got married and needed to support a family, and while I’m sure I technically could have made Vector work, I didn’t have the motivation to set enough appointments. I moved on in 1998 and have never really looked back.
All this being said, Vector is definitely not a scam. It’s hard work and requires decent self-management, but you’ll definer get out of our what you put into it. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who asked. If it doesn’t work for you, at least you’ll wind up with an amazing set of cutlery!
I did the whole sales thing. It is multi-level sales approach much like Mary Kay, Tupperware, Avon and Amway. I tried this many years ago and the people that worked in my area were rather nice but the main boss seemed shady.
I will say, it did not work for me, I tried p, but sales is not my thing. I was never paid but the guy that ran our area gave out the sets of knives to show at no cost (not sure if they do that anymore). I still have them and they are great (20 years now).
If you are wanting to make money, go get a regular job unless you are really good at sales and I mean extremely good at sales. It is hard work and you are going into people’s homes, so stay safe.
On a scale 1-10 in scam- I give it 7.
I have to say, I’m honestly impressed with exactly how misinformed this post is. I’m sharing it with my co-workers and we’re laughing our asses off! I’ve been working here almost two months, and no, it’s not an easy job, but it’s not a scam. If you weren’t confident enough in your kid to see the value in sales experience, or he wasn’t determined enough to make the most out of a real damn job, I hear dominos is hiring. Vector doesn’t pay you to sit behind a desk or putz around in the kitchen of a fast food restaurant. They expect hard work and determination, and it’s not for everyone. But to spread misinformation and tell people not to even try something for themselves is really just sad.
No one has had to pay for a sample kit in years. Years! Even writing a blank check ended years ago. And the knives? They’re worth every penny. Speaking of pennies, can your kitchen shears cut a penny in half? Because my Cutco shears can! You really want to compare that to Wal-Mart items? That’s almost laughably stupid. Here’s the thing, I could launch into a chemistry lesson about 440A steel and high carbon stainless steel blades, but you would be bored out of your mind. The bottom line is, Cutco is a company that actually cares about crafting products that stand the test of time. You can resharpen your Farberware until the blade is half as wide as when you bought it but in the end, that set isn’t going to last you 60+ years, it’s not going to last your children when you’re gone, and it won’t even make it to be passed on to their children. Cutco will. And if you don’t believe that, ask the millions of people who own it, ask the hundreds of thousands of people who have owned it for over 50 years, ask the hundreds of thousands of people who inherited their sets and now buy Cutco as Christmas presents. Cutco is far from a scam, and as for Vector, it isn’t for everyone. If you can’t work hard or you aren’t comfortable selling products, obviously a sales job isn’t for you. But a company that hires students, trains them, promotes them, lets them run their own branches? That’s entirely unprecedented, and to tear that work down just because Junior had a bad experience is disrespectful, dishonest, and ridiculous.
TD;LR don’t let bitter moms on the internet tell you what job to get, use your own decision making skills and decide for yourself. Do you want to mow lawns and make 20 bucks from Mrs. Jones down the street or do you want to set yourself apart from your peers and gain valuable sales experience through hard work and high reward? Don’t let other people make decisions for you, utilize your autonomy and check it out for yourself.
I got a job at Vector during college in Summer of 1999 in Orland Park, IL . I went for an interview and was approved. They did not push anything on anyone. It was your decision to make if you wanted to pursue it or not. They did have a team night out and all. The only problem was the knives were to expensive to sell.
I worked for Cutco/Vector for a few years in High School and College. It was a good sales job, and I did fairly well to help pay for school with the income. I made money just for showing the product, even if they didn’t purchase anything. Obviously, in a sales position, you make commission off what you sell. I’m not sure why this article is so negative about Cutco, but it is a sales position and you have to be willing to put in time to be successful. You start off selling to family and friends, and then ask them for referrals to setup more appointments. It’s a great way to learn sales from an entry level perspective. This was my first sales job, but they did a lot of paid training classes before they send you out. Overall, I enjoyed my time working there, and it is a great summer or high school job. This article is pretty negative about the Cutco cutlery, but there is a reason people typically buy something once you show them the product. Yes, I had to buy the sample knives, but they are a set I will have forever. They are that good.
I worked for Vector for 8 years. First as a college student Sales Rep in 1995-1996 and then as a manager until 2003. My college degree is in Computer Science, but I have stayed in sales all these years because I loved working for Cutco/Vector. I am now 42 and I sell high-end commercial electronic systems in Las Vegas. I earned nearly a million dollars total in my 8 years with Vector and I have since been #1 sales person at my current position for the last 10 years+. On a side note, I still use my original Cutco set everyday (and have added to it, so much so that I think I now own everything they make, lol). They still work great and I send them back for free sharpening every six years or so. Sales isn’t for everyone, but I have sold more than $50M in products in my life (so far) and live a very comfortable life earning well into the six figure mark each year. I learned that I love selling high quality/expensive products and that always keeps my customers coming back. I have been responsible for some of the most complicated/expensive/high profile projects on the Las Vegas strip and earn a great salary/comission. I always say that I owe it all to those first two summers selling knives 20 years ago.
We’ll I’m Carmen trying to get a job!!! And sale Cuctco product
Maybe the reason so many people Google “vector marketing scam” is because they got a job offer that seemed too good to be true and they wanted to make sure it was a real job. You are right when you say the job is horrible IF YOU DON’T HAVE THE RIGHT CLIENTELE AND DETERMINATION. But I have always gotten my paychecks on time and the job looks great on a resume. Getting an email saying you’ve won $100,000,000, but you need to send $1,000 to them so they can mail you the check is a scam. Cutco is not a scam, it’s just a sales position marketed towards students.
I have also worked at Vector and it is NOT a scam. It just takes a bit to get going. Yes at times it isn’t fair like if you don’t get sales right away, it may be hard to start off. But I made money this past summer by selling CUTCO and it was a worthwhile and beneficial experience. Recommend it for those who are go-getters and determined:)
The entire comment section looks like vector paid for it
Your article is absolutely riddled with false information you don’t have to buy the kit and if you awant to you can get it for around $95 and that includes tax, if you drive across the country to do a demonstration of course you aren’t reimbursed you could have done it online and that’s the way it’s been for many years , Cutco actually produces really good knifes for a fraction of the competition because they sell them directly without a third party retailer, Cutco is unique because unlike your average created edge Cutco knifes can be sharpened and you can have them sharpend for free for ever all you have to do is send in the knife and pay shipping so even when you are gob if your kids still have the knifes they can do it as well
If thier a scam or not it’s up to you to decide I went to a couple interviews when I was young and dumb and most of the time they will not tell you what you are doing over the phone until you get there if I ask what company this is they will say vector then I know! The ad is very vague all It says is make 15 to $20 and give you a phone number and the ads are everywhere you turn how do that look to you? Yes you have to buy the knife set!!!! Unless they made big changes 10 12 years after I went there. I’m pretty sure the other comment are vector office worker yes they look through the Internet finding website like this and try to put in a positive opinion I know this because a lady was doing it right in front of me talking to herself while I was filling out the application. Now I live in the city a urban city I can’t for the life of me let a stranger in the house the show me knives I rather go to a good store and buy better knifes myself.
My brother got a job working for Vector Marketing, selling Cutco Knives. I thought he was nuts. He put my name in as a referral and I was pissed. I got a call and told the manager flat out no. I was in construction. I had a job already. A real job.
Then after a week my brother got paid his first comma paycheck. After ONE week! Then he made even more the second week. I was making under $400 a week working in 95+ degrees.
I sat him down and told him I’d like to hear more about what he was doing. So he showed me how the product is FREAKING amazing and how the pay structure works. I was intrigued. Especially because he had never done sales. I decided I was in the wrong field. So I decided to try it out and see how it went. That was 6 years ago. I’m still doing it. I am completely in control of my life, the pay is great (6 figures) and I take about 3 month off a year with all the travel I do. So yeah, you got to work hard if you want a certain type of lifestyle.
I’ve never met more people in my life as happy as Cutco customers. Every day it seems I meet someone who has Cutco or who know someone who has had it for 2 plus decades.
More peoples’ lives have been changed for the better from their experience working with Cutco than any other sales job out there.
It’s good to check your facts but make sure you know who you are getting them from.
I love how the comments is just cutco pretending to be real people saying it’s real and trying to discredit the post. Here’s a tip guys, If you have to pay, it’s a scam.
I’m laughing at how many of these comments are going down on vector. These all feel like they’re from a marketing dept.
I worked at vector about 8 years ago. I can assure you that this company is not a scam. I got paid well for the effort I put in. Sales is not for everyone. Most likely the people saying it’s a scam are people that have no sales skills and don’t put in the effort it takes to be successful. Selling is an art… the knifes are excellent and worth every penny. Don’t be fooled by lazy people with no drive and zero sales skills. If you know how to sell you can make money selling anything.
I love seeing vector marketing try to smear this article in the comments. It’s shameful that any company would try to manipulate young adults like this.
I worked for them in college. I thought “hey I suck at sales, but I can just set a bunch of appointments and collect the appointment commissions” The managers never paid me for my appointments. They said I didn’t make enough sales to be reimbursed for my time at those appointments. I’m sure this is against their official “policy”, but the fact that they would do that speaks to the type of people this organization attracts. Whenever I see their misleading “EARN $15/hr” posters around on campus, I pull them down. DON’T WASTE ANY TIME WORKING FOR THEM. Do you personally know anyone who makes a good living working there? No? Because very few people do and those who do don’t have any more friends because they were forced to burn all their personal relationships for the sake of selling knives…
I stumbled upon this because it read”Cutco Scam” and i worked for them as a kid, i felt i was tricked into buying my $200 demonstration kit. But like my HVAC job i bought my own tools. I earned money learned values like the importance of proper articulation, customer service. I got better at presenting myself, which helped tremendously in all my job interview. I still have my cutco knives never had them sharpened, even though i can for free because of the forever garuantee, and theyre the best.. All in all im glad i got “tricked” or sold into “working for them” and i laugh about that experince everytime someone asks where i got my knives
I am starting my training this week. Certainly hoping I can report back to you with positive results. I am a very honest person and I do have to say one thing about this company; that they have been in business since 1949.. They must be doing something right! Ya know what I’m saying??
Cutco knives are really very good quality, but the distributor relies on MLM to push product, similar to direct marketing of encyclopedias, vacuum cleaners, and so on back in the day.
I was interested in the Cutco marketing plan when I was getting ready to enter college, back in 1963 (so I will argue that it is indeed an old plan). I answered the ad, showed up at the demo/sales training, and was given a knife to bring home to show the family, but that was not yet mine to keep (just the first part of the free sales/sample kit). I learned that the special “bowling ball” plastic handle was the strongest ever, with the demo of smashing it on a metal block with a hammer, and the sharpness of the knife edge, and the sharpening guarantee.
My folks knew of Cutco quality, and even had one knife they had gotten as a wedding gift decades before, back when Cutco was marketed by WearEver kitchen cookware (which at that time was direct marketed (door-to-door, that is).
Feeling assured that I had run into a great opportunity for a 20-year-old just starting out after a tour of duty working for Uncle Sam, I took the bus back to my follow-up interview and got there early. I walked into the downstairs main office, found no one there, and went up the stairs to the demonstration/training room. As I walked down the hall, I overheard the office sales manager speaking with the training manager about “today’s new hire” and discussing how they would be able to get me to pay for the sales kit up-front.
I stopped on the spot. I listened more, and heard how I would be taken to one prospect and given a sales demo. So far, so good. The way I would be compensated was by commission after the first sale, if the sale “stood up”, that is, if the buyer did not have remorse and cancel, and that the compensation would come my way after the sale closed. After one more week. After the cost of the free sample kit would be deducted week-by-week from my compensation until it was paid off.
End of career in door-to-door sales. I walked in with my sample kit, tossed it on the table, accused the two men of under-handed practices, and stormed out of the office and went back home.
When, later that day, after dad had returned from work, I explained the situation, my folks just nodded their heads and said they thought I had made the right decision. But had I learned my lesson?
I had not. Later that week I went to work selling aluminum siding. Another scam story. I gave up on that kind of work and took stock of my options, and went to college on the GI Bill. A must better choice.
This article is right on point! Everything that is stated here is correct. Cutco is a predatory company. My niece got a job with cutco and they scammed their way into strong arming my whole family to buy their knives. They trained her to deceive her family by telling them that she wanted to rehearse her sales pitch. The rehearsal turned into guilting you to buy knives you do not need. I can hear the cocky young supervisor in the background telling her to use the guilt button! My family bought about $10,000!!! Of unnecessary knives!! They have no morals. They don’t care if the person is older with a fixed income. They promised false scholarships and told her she needed to attend conventions all the way to Canada in order to move up. She had to pay for those trips her self! They should be ashamed of taking advantage of college students and putting them and their family in more debt. These knives suck for the money you pay. Horrible company that should not be allowed on any campus!
Be careful folks; this is just someone from Vector’s “online reputation division”. You can tell this is some higher-up trying to keep the Vector scam alive, not someone with actual experience in the field.
Thank God my 17 year old daughter listened to her mom for once. My daughter was so excited that she “got the job”. She was told that out of the group of applicants at the interview, she stood out and was offered the job on the spot. Hmm, ok. She was told she could make $30,000 and there is an office she could work through, where the college she was attending is, nearby. She was extremely upset with me because I wasn’t supportive. It literally broke my heart that she was being sold a very unrealistic “dream job”. She was set to go to training in a few days and I told her I needed to talk to her about it. She was angry that I told her the negatives about the job and didn’t have any positives. I mean reality is, out of 100 kids, maybe 1 or 2 will be successful. I didn’t want my 17 year old trusting daughter going to stranger’s homes, and I refused to even think about giving her numbers to my friends so she could learn to sell them knives, overpriced knives, and pressure them into a purchase and harassing them for referrals. Don’t get me wrong, I own the knives and they are a good product, but if she can’t get leads from me or her friends parents, how is she supposed to make any money? It’s sad that this company preys on naive teenagers. Again, thank God that after I spoke to her, she did a few minutes of online research and the bubble burst. She’s applying at Starbucks, a job where she will sell people coffee they want and not coffee she’s trying to convince them they want. Oh, and even at minimum wage, she won’t have to sacrifice her integrity.
Fake
Real review
I appreciate your honesty and the time you took to give us all of these details!
I just got a job with Vector and I’m honestly worried about it. Sure, it may or may not be a scam but it’s a little weird. You go in and fill out an application and then you sit through a presentation where you take notes and after the presentation the manager decides whether or not he is going to hire you. Since I recently graduated a lot of my friends went looking for summer jobs and Vector found them and somehow there’s ended up 6 of us working there. All 5 applicants in my interview got hired with a relatively short and impersonal interview process. At my location the reps do NOT have to buy their own knives. I don’t know, there are mixed reviews everywhere and the unmarked building and kinda sketchy office have really made me uneasy about this job. To make it worse, I absolutely hate the idea of going on these sales calls ALONE. An 18 year old girl going to customers houses alone in a city is unnerving. I’ve recently worked at a regular “teen” job where all my coworkers were very close to my age and the case with Vector is the same. Everyone is under the age of 30 and from what I’ve been told really get along. Tomorrow I start my unpaid training process and I will decide whether or not I will stay with the company. I guess my whole review is that the interview process is very impersonal and it feels strange to have to write down as many people’s names and phone numbers that you can so that the company can contact them for various reasons. My Vector outlook is negative so far and I don’t believe I will stay with this company because it seems way too good to be true, and a little sketchy.
All of u that say Vector is a scam- u are all lazy and cannot value building your own business. Cutco sells itself. I make six figures a year and have been at it 2 years now, and my wife 7 years. I’ve learned from some of the top inovaters how to create and build new Habbits that lead me to more success. I personally sharpen past clients knives on average 30+ different households a week and it’s absolutely free, backed by Cutcos forever guarantee. Your article is Harrah g and defamation of character and I look forward to legal teams taking action on false spewing lazy people as yourself. This is pathetic. Vector molds the next generation into fine young men and women and prepares then for the business world. This is the most difficult job And rewarding career I’ve ever had.
I have a number of Cutco knives and accessories I’ve bought from aspiring students over the years. I love them all! I also have a $1,200 set of professional series Wusthoff knives that I would gladly trade for Cutco knives, but they were a gift from my husband. They may cost a little more than similar knives, but I like helping students who are making a good effort. Now my son sells Cutco knives. He is very good at sales, and he is enjoying the work. He didn’t have to pay anything for his demo kit. Yes, those who aren’t sales people will fail. Those with a tiny natural network will fail. Those who can’t cold call and prospect will fail. But that’s the way it is in any sales job. It’s definitely hard work, but the training and preparation are very good. Are Cutco’s recruiting tactics a little suspect? Maybe. A scam? No.
5 years ago, I answered one of their emails and was told I could come into interview for a position there. They told me I’d be interviewing for a call center customer service position. When I got there, the demo was about demoing knives and how to sell it. They had hired me that day and said training would start next week. But I was already having second thoughts as soon as the beginning demo started, since they lied about what the job would be for. I didn’t show up for first day of training, and had a call like 5 times a day wondering why I didn’t show. In the 2nd day, I went to the initial email I got after they “hired” me and replied back saying that I was not interested in the job anymore. I didn’t receive anymore calls. I honestly wouldn’t work for a company that is dishonest about what job you would be interviewing for
I am a senior at Michigan State University majoring in Human Physiology and hoping to apply to med-school within the next year or so. I have been with this company for about 3 years now, and I want to address those of you who are contemplating whether or not to give this sales position a try. First off, this company is not a scam. You are not required to purchase anything, so no, you do not “lose” money, and yes, you are guaranteed $17.25/apt for your effort. So why do people post online that it is a scam? The reason for this is because your paycheck is directly proportional to your work ethic. I am currently an assistant manager in the East Lansing office, and what I find is that many students lack the maturity and motivation to be successful. They go out and do a couple of demonstrations, and when they don’t make any sales at first, they take it personally, give up, and decide that Vector Marketing must be a scam since some of their Vector Marketing peers are making more money than them. My first summer as a sales rep I made upwards of $7,000 in income, and was ranked 7th in the nation for the company during my biggest week. This is not “normal” unless you have an act for sales, and an attitude that refuses to accept failure and refuses to give up. What I will tell you however, is that Vector Marketing is the reason that I am who I am today. This position has challenged me in almost every aspect of life, forcing me to come out as a more confident, caring, charismatic, and professional individual. The skills and attributes that I have gained from this company, are the reason that I will be successful in life, no matter what obstacles I will face along the way. It is so frustrating for me to see people like the uninformed author of this article state that people give “fake” testimonials, because this company has absolutely changed my life, and I have around 1,000 personal customers that still reach out to me once a year to tell me how much they love Cutco.
Ultimately, if you are someone who is not willing to put in the effort to be successful in life, then of course this position is not for you, just like a successful lifestyle is not for you. However, if you are someone like me, who refuses to blame everyone/everything for your misfortunes, and is willing to accept failure as an opportunity to improve and learn, then I promise you that Vector Marketing will teach and mold you into the best possible version of yourself. The American dream cannot be achieved without relentless effort, no matter what. So if you are someone who is willing to take your success into your own hands, and not let people tell you that you aren’t good enough. This position is for you, and will put your resume at the top of the list for future employers, as well as give you countless networking connections and legitimate friendships.
My parents bought a cutco knife set almost 30 years ago when my brother sold them in college. They love the set, swear by their knives, and yes get them sharpened periodically. My son just started and did not have to buy the knives.
I am an adult and an art teacher and I demo and sell Cutco knives for a second income. They are great knives well worth the price. I am able to earn some extra money. Yes college kids sell also it is a good learning experience for them.. to talk and get our there….I would not be selling them if they were a scam….people that bad mouth get your facts staight.
Yeah I worked at Vector for a full year, left the company and ended up working for a Real Estate Tech job in the best company in its industry. I had not completed my Bachelor’s but was hired ONLY because they called my Vector manager who told them what we do and how well I did. After a year there I left to go BACK to Vector because I thought even after having a big boy job, Vector had such genuine people and amazing experiences that it just felt like family… If you can’t sell anything for 3 weeks ( as mentioned above) You really did not listen to anything in your training, or you are a terrible learner, because the cutlery sells itself and all you need to do is be someone that can have a decent honest conversation…
Nobody says being a Real Estate agent is a scam right? Look into that job and see the amount of money and time and investing you need to do BEFORE you even get accepted at a firm is insane and far far more demanding than Vector could even come close to… Its the perfect college job, and you can only beat it if you have friend or relative give you a really great job from their business. Please do your research, I don’t want to come down on anyone but this company has done miracles for my life and others that I’ve known, and it actually hurts a bit that these type of posts deny some that chance to look into this opportunity..
I worked for Vector a long time ago (? about 15 years!!) I never felt like it was a scam, back then $149 got you the demo set. My parents bought it for me, (and they still have it, and the knives are still sharp!) My mom, not much for sending stuff in when needed, hasn’t sent anything in and the scissors still cut pennies! Regardless, I believe the knives themselves are great, and all of it is guaranteed for life! My grandmother who bought the knives almost 40yrs ago (30 something) has sent her knives in once maybe twice, and she had a spoon or something that the handle melted and they sent her a replacement, no charge! Okay, back to Vector:
1. As with any sales/invitations, only a percentage of people who apply, actually make it. i.e. the old saying “80% of the people will do 20% of the work as 20% of the people will do 80% of the work” Unfortunately that is a standard in our lazy society, (and I was one of the 80%, I didn’t make but 2 or 3 sales) yes I was, and still can be at times lazy. So if you have 100 new recruits, only about half take the job, (leaves you with 50) and only 20% of those succeed = 10 true sales people a week, and I have to think that that is kinda high. Not to mention the college students rolling off into their careers after graduation.
2. Like someone else said, you have to have the determination to get it done. To recruit, and sell. Recruiting is where you make more money, and college students know lots of other college students who need jobs.
3. As far as the paycheck thing goes with “UNKNOWN” above, that I am pretty sure is not a Vector thing but a poor manager thing. So, I don’t think that goes to Vector, but I can’t say for sure. Back when I was selling I’m pretty sure it was all commission, to base rate.
4. And for all the negative stuff out there, I think that has to do with everyone thinking they are entitled to the world without having to work for it. Yet we all know that free stuff isn’t really free, and if we want to succeed we have to work hard for it! We just don’t work hard, and when it doesn’t work out, it isn’t our fault, it’s someone else’s.
Proverbs 26:13-16
So, is Vector Marketing a scam? I really don’t think so. But we all are entitled to our own opinion.
Cutco isnt a scam. However, I dont approve of some of their tactics. You start out selling to whoever you can find (typically your parents, grandparents, uncles, etc) and if you have a supportive family, they will buy knives weather they need them or not just to help you out. I couldnt help but feel like the script you read is a little manipulative, it says things like making sales will help “me out” and help me achieve “my goals” which I can only assume is a way to tap into your customers emotions (especially when they care about you). I schedueled apointments with some of my realatives and litterally burst into tears that night because I felt like I was taking advantage of the relationships I have with my family. Do what you want with this company, but just know, there are reasons why people question the moral compasses of salesmen, in ANY field.
I am a chef. Cutco knives are junk and worth about 5 dollars each. A home cook would be better off buying ceramic knives that hold an edge for a long time. A set of five knives costs 30 dollars at Costco.
My son worked for Vector for 2 summers. He made good money. More so, he gained a lot of confidence in his sales abilities. 10+ years later, he is a successful salesman. I used to be a chef. Cutco knives are awesome. I reach for Cutco before Henkle every time. My real question to the author is….. What’s your REAL beef with Vector?
Some people consider MLM a scam, while others see it as a legitimate business opportunity so rather than get into what is and is not a “scam”, just ask yourself some basic questions before getting involved in any MLM deal. (MLM = Multi Level Marketing). The first question anyone should ask is that regardless of product promotions like “best in the world” or other sweeping statements, ask yourself; “Do I know this product” -or- “Did I know this product” before the given opportunity. If the answer is “No”, I recommend you stay away. For example, I once looked into selling Vitamin Supplements from a company called GBC. But in fact, not one single person I tried to sell had ever heard of GBC, and since many used more well-known products like Centrum Silver and others, it was an impossible sale.
Second, many MLM’s give you the idea that you are going to sell their products and eventually get rich, or at least have extra income. But simply apply the industry standard for sales – its 2% -meaning you will have to ‘pitch’ or talk to 100 people before you get 2 positive results. That is often (with MLM’s) a lot of work to get very little.
Third, listen well to the particulars and take notes. Many MLM’s will require YOU to buy the product and then resell it. Anyone has heard of NuSkin, Amway, HerbalLife knows they all require you to shell out a lot of money before you even make your first contact. If you got into something to MAKE money, and you are instead spending it – that is the reverse of your plan. Get out!
Finally, ask the company about marketing and what their policy is. For example, suppose you join an MLM and then two of your neighbors do as well. Well, your market just got cut by 2/3rds. GBC (and many others) have no such plan to ‘give’ you a region or area which is yours to cultivate, and if someone else is selling in the same market, you are actually competing against the very company that told you you would make money. Chances are, you wont, or you will make so little it will require you to put in way more effort than you originally planned.
Do your research!!! Use Google or your favorite search engine to read both good and bad reviews so that you get a good feel for what you are getting into, BEFORE you get into it.
One final question you should ask; “Of the total number of sign ups, what percentage make money?” The company will have those figures. If they tell you they don’t, run away. Most MLM’s have a few good money makers, but for them, there are also usually hundreds who simply wound up getting more broke.
Vector Marketing is not a scam!!! Just like the others who have posted here said!! I make $275.07 per hour, on average!!! These are, hands down, the best knives available any where for any price. Don’t listen to the haters, they are just trying to bring you down to their level. An added bonus is that chicks dig guys who sell knives, if you know what I mean. CUTCO FOR LIFE!!!
Love these knives!! They are the best I have ever owned. They offer many incentives their sales people. I am considering working for them to get the good deals on knives that the sales people get
I read your article and the comments and the comments made a lot more sense….your article is more of a hate campaign had you expressed both sides of an argument it would lend to your credibility instead you went on a tangent on SEO and your ability to also manipulate google rankings.
Sales jobs on commission are the best life learning experience anyone can have. LIFE IS SALES everything is about sales from buying aspirin to a car. What is wrong with hard work and another interesting item on your article any of your points are from other “bitch” boards. No original thoughts nor have you “excuse me if I am wrong” actually worked for them or attended their training. So your pretty much kinda like a vegetarian giving advice on what steak to eat or in this example which steak knife. I am posting my opinion and obviously your article is meant to spur controversy and conversation I would hope that is your reason and not just a personal vendetta of some sort.
I worked for vector back in 2004 when I got out of High School, I worked for them for six months and you had to work hard on selling this over priced knives. But I sold a lot of them and actually got my first car with the money I made, it was all commission based pay, so you got paid for what you sold. It was educational if you wanted to do sales as your career choice. Also, we had a selling challenge first 10 reps who sold a thousand dollars worth of equipment got there starters kit “worth 300 dollars back in 04” got it for free. If you sound convincing and gave the free gift “potato peeler” for two scheduled referrals you can make money.
I worked for them in 1984-86 and crushed it! Now its 2107 and I am the National Senior Product Specialist for an international neurosurgery company and still crushing it! Best training for a salesman as a young man. I still use the techniques in my daily sales calls to neurosurgeons all over the United States of America.
Highly recommended for the person who wants to sell.
Looks like cutco sent their paid reps over here to leave good reviews and spread more lies! LOL
I worked as a receptionist for this company this past summer before moving back to school, and although I did see a lot of people fail at the job, I did see a lot of success as well. And being the person who’s job it was to convey information and job details to applicants, there is TONS of misinformation in this article, it’s kinda ridiculous actually. Not fair to someone who might actually be considering and then see this false info and lose a great opportunity. So to address appropriately,
1) Despite articles like this that provide a skewed perspective on the company, we have a lot of applicants come in for interviews and tons of offices who have success with employing students and helping give great resume experience, even after seeing accusations.
2) The notion that Vector would pay representatives to go and comment and pages is just ludicrous. C’mon. If so, damn, where can I get in on this?! Most of our reps are just so appalled by the misguidance that they feel the need to clear it up.
3) It’s almost like your encouraging the promotion of your article on blogs and through social media to draw attention to your writing more than anything – Definitely not fooling anyone.
4) Once our applicants come in for their interview, they are told IN COMPLETION what they will be doing and how each aspect of our business works so that way if they do get the job, they know exactly what they will be doing. Why would I spend 30 minutes on the phone trying to explain this to each applicant? And for someone we don’t even know is serious about the position? That would be so time consuming. Of course our company does a group interview. That’s just basic business management. After their group interview, they meet with the manager one-on-one so that way if they have any questions or concerns, they can ask in private. And they are more than welcome to decline the job offer if accepted, just like any other job.
5) Vector/Cutco is able to afford to pay a base pay because most of our representatives do make sales and make way more in commissions so never need the base pay or only need it when first getting started. The company itself cuts expenses like advertising (because most advertising is covered by the manager that controls that specific territory) as well as not having to ship from overseas, not paying a middle man because the product is not sold in stores, etc. The list goes on. It’s actually very cost efficient.
6) “Once you arrive at the non descript business building”? The office I worked at and most every office I went to was in a huge and professional business building
7) Cutco makes kitchen knives, outdoor hunting/fishing knives, kitchen accessories, gardening tools, coffee, and kitchen mats. Cutco absolutely does not make machetes, balisongs (butterfly knives), or tomahawks. Like honestly, where did you even get this information? You couldn’t go to Cutco.com and check out the products so your article could have at least SOME credible info?
8) Vector marketing is a direct sales company, not a multilevel marketing company; Although, there is nothing wrong with multilevel marketing companies (there are tons in the industry and they ARE a great way to make passive income if you’re willing to put in the work), Vector marketing does not fall under that category. Representatives can refer a friend to the position if they’d like, but under no circumstances are they required to, and they absolutely do not make any percentage of that friend. They only get the satisfaction of knowing that they helped out a friend in need of a job and get to work with people they like. But you are right about the cool trips and scholarships. Those are real, believe it or not.
9) People sharpen their knives with us all the time. There was tons of times when I would get calls from Cutco customers who had their knives for 5-10 yrs+ who needed to have their knives sharpened in which I usually just forwarded their info to a representative or helped them find the customer service line since our office is not the ones who take care of that. People use our forever guarantee and love it. Ask any Cutco customer.
10) Cutco reps are NOT required to buy ANY cutco products AT ALL. No ifs ands or buts. And anything that says other wise is just simply not true in any way shape or form. I honestly don’t know how many times people have to say this before fake journalists get it.
11) Yes, Cutco does work off of referrals because it makes the representative really try to give the best customer service possible (kinda like servers working off tips) but I think we can all agree that if someone does not want to give referrals (for whatever reason) that they are not going to. People give representatives referrals because they like them, like the product, and want to share that with others. Otherwise, no one is giving referrals because they are “too nice.” Be realistic for a second.
12) Why would a representative drive across the state for a Cutco demonstration? I mean, I’ve seen some pretty dedicated reps, but c’mon. Don’t be ridiculous.The company has a virtual program that allows even someone who doesn’t have a car to work solely at home if they so desired. So that takes care of that.
13) Vector Marketing is huge on resume building for the sole purpose of helping students get their desired job once out of college. It’s been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, LA Times, and the CEO of Uber even helped release an article on how his experience with Vector helped him launch his own muitimillion dollar company. Other alumni include Daniel Tosh, Michael C. Hall (from Dexter), Norman Brinker (CEO of Brinker Intl. who created Jack in the Box, Burger King, the Macaroni Grill), Zig Ziglar (Motivational speaker and author). But yes, go get a REAL job like delivering pizza.
SO THERE YOU HAVE IT FOLKS – This article dissected with FACTS and LOGIC as opposed to Emotion and Ego.
My college roommate worked for Vector Marketing when she was a senior in high school. She made a lot of money and was a top performer for her region.
Despite making good money, she quit. Here’s why:
She sold knives to people who didn’t need them. At first, she sold knives to relatives. Her relatives never used the knives. Later, she old knives to strangers who didn’t use them. She could tell the people she was selling to did not need or want the knives.
She sold knives to people who couldn’t afford them. She sold a set of knives to a single Mom with three little kids. The single Mom lived in a run-down apartment and still bought the knives.
Side note: My roommate was (and still is) such a good sales person, she could sell water to a fish. My roommate felt terrible later for selling knives to a lady with three little kids who did not need to spend money on knives.
My roommate thought it was weird the company rewarded her with limo rides for hitting sales goals. What respectable company does that?
When my roommate’s father was sick in the hospital, she had to cancel her sales appointments. Her bosses gave her a hard time for canceling sales appointments BECAUSE HER FATHER WAS SICK IN THE HOSPITAL.
My roommate ran away from Vector Marketing screaming, despite the money. She found a job she was happier with for less pay. I respect her for that.
Vector Marketing is a shady, cut-throat business. The world does not need overpriced knives. So find a job that doesn’t require you to sell overpriced knives to people who don’t need them.
Scam or not. I buy these knives. Love them. I have Been using them them for 15 years. Better than any other knives. Free sharpening they even send you new knives if your knife is too bad. I know may college kids who have done well. Selling is not for everyone
Great knives. Not everyone is a salesperson. It this is great opportunity for students who like sales
There is a vetco cutco in my very very small town I live in very very small. Its mostly consists of retirees and people on SSI, SSD and wellfare. There is not enough jobs to begin with here. Ive worked so many jobs in my life thus far I can see their are problems with this company. Especially here!! They hired immediately everyone who showed up with no qualifications or experience red flag!! My daughter dosent even have her diploma yet or drivers licence either. She only knows a small group of friends who do not have jobs. And we only have one family member here but lives over hour away from us and is blind. I do not have the money to bus her around into other strangers houses. This may work in much larger cities but not our farming town that has now closed even more business’s. Ive worked at a call center for four years two of which was for the fraud department. I also recognize that this sounds alot like a ponzi sceem or pyramid sceem. They target the young school students another red flag. Because they dont have the experience or the questions to ask. Since everything in this company is very vague. When anyone here can walk or get in a car an buy a knife at a store. As well as dont forget the internet either. Also my daughter does not have that so called enthusiasm. And I have a knife stone and a chefs sharpening stick. Which most of us single parents back in my day will have especially being close to the mountains come hunting time. Ive had my fair share of knives by far the kinsu knives beat all the cooking knives Ive come across. These ones are the original ones no sharpening ever needed. Just talk to a butcher thats been in the business of 20 years, ask him or her what do they use?
This article is FULL of false information. Whoever made this obviously didn’t do much research. I’ve never had anything but amazing experiences with Vector and Cutco. Unfortunately Knifeup.com is not a credible source or website.
I worked for Vector selling knives back in the early 2000s. I went to the meeting, got my instructions and kit, watched a video. All you have to do for the first 2 weeks is set up appointments with your friends and family members. They do not have to buy a thing. You do not have to invest a dime. You get a free starter kit, which has the basics. If you want to upgrade, you do have to purchase the item. I don’t remember if there was a discount. I think there was.
The job is simple at it’s core. If you can talk to people, you can sell to people. It’s THAT simple. I was only looking for short term cash, and I got it. At the time I worked there, we actually got $17.25 per appointment. I did 10 appointments, so at the end of the 2 weeks, I got a check for: $172.50. I sold my mom some knives, and a family friend some.
The knives are great, high quality, durable. They are real products. They are EXPENSIVE. If you invest in a set, you will have them for 20+ years. You could also go out and buy a set of knives every 1-2 years for $30 and toss them in the trash.
The training is good. I recommend anyone who needs a job, or wants to get some sales experience, give it a shot. You make your own hours, and are in total control of your destiny. I thought I was hot sh-t, and would sell a ton of knives. I might have. I didn’t pursue it, but I learned a few things, and got some confidence.
It’s work. You get what you put into it. The key to it is getting contacts. The main thing of the meetings is, every meeting you ask them to write down the names of 5 people (they could get more). You contact those people and set up new meetings. It’s simple math/law of averages. The faster you do the meetings, the more you can do a week. As I noted before, you could do 10 meetings a week, and get $170. You might get 2-3 sales. Depending on commission, you could end up with $200-300 a week. Multiply your meetings and you can see what your base salary would be:
20 meetings x $15 (for easy math) = $300
30 meetings x $15 = $450
40 meetings x $15 = $600
This is just base pay, which they will happily pay you, because even if you suck, you are going to stumble into a sale now and then. An average sale for them is like $500-$1000.
So no, it’s not a marketing scam, it’s a real company paying real money. They pay you to train (your first two weeks). They set you up for success. Hell, I am driving for Uber right now, and have been thinking to sell knives on the side. I meet tons of people each week, and have them captive in my car for 20-30 minutes at a pop.
If you are down on your luck, or would like to EARN (this might be something new to some of you) some extra cash, try it out. You have literally, nothing to lose.
I am already a millionare thanks to Vector Marketing Scam, great company.
The motto is very motivating: SELL OUR KNIVES AND EARN A “CUT”.
Come and join us, young innocent butterflies.
Holy crap, I got here from reddit and the amount of astro turfing going on in this comment section is astounding. Really creepy.
cutco is definately a scam, the same as every other pyramaid company. these people commenting the suspiciously positive reviews are damage control people.
Vector Marketing is the very definition of a pyramid scam. Wonder how much the shills in the comments are being paid to pretend it’s anything else.
I guess, if making 100 phone calls a day, makes you happy, and you get accolades for being ambitious and not a slacker, then, knock yourself out.;
I find after making 100 calls to potential clients, I am either out of run time to see the people who said yes, or I am too weary to go further..If you don’t work smart with referrals, you aren’t going to get off the ground in any sales position.. You have to warm the potential buyer up so they can tolerate you enough to listen to your pitch.. Then, when the check is written for the product, it’s wise to not just get up and excuse yourself, but to shmooze with them further and be bold about asking them for referrals. Take out a notepad and listen to what they say because that is your bread and butter. Their friends, neighbors, acquaintances. Name dropping is the name of the game.
Then, you have to keep accuurate records so you get all your deductions for being a salesperson. Otherwise, at the end of the year, when you are making good money, it will be taken away from you in taxes.
It may be great experience doing direct, tangible sales. I was raised by a master salesman. He sold insurance, and cars. You have to be well dressed, well groomed, and not just look respectable, but credible.There is a toll taken on the family when all a salesperson can think about is sales calls, turning in business and waiting to get paid. Plus the haggling, it’s a lot of cost, without so much benefit. The worst thing about becoming a pro in sales is the way you sometimes treat your own family. Like a sales call. There is alot of control in sales, and it borders on hypnosis. You don’t want to use your formidable sales skills on your family. You will always lose in the long run.But, everyone is different. After a while, you can probably sell knives, vacuumn cleaners, insurance in your sleep. That’s when you may ask yourself, as I did, is that all there is and decide to move to something else. You only have one life, and chasing down leads just doesn’t seem to be worth the effort.
Never sold Cutco knives for Vector. But have enjoyed their excellent knives for 40 years. Each year I send all 20 of my knives for sharpening and CUTCO replaces a third of them with new knives every year. My set has been replaced by CUTCO many times over. They even replaced the wood block twice cause of fading! Great company and well worth the money. Sounds like your son was not worth their time to me. Too Funny.
Look at the target age. Nuff said. Most adults over 40 have grabbed the hot stove enough times to not do it ever again.
This is not new. This is not original. Its refurbished and repackaged
Well said! My point exactly!
I rencently went to a Vector training session and quit after that session. Vector might be a good job if you are connected into the community in which you are applying. However, I f you are new to the community and don’t know many people, it strikes me as being a waste of time. Doing online appointments has got to be FAR less effective that doing demonstrations inside people’s homes.
Is it a scam? Probably not, but Vector is certainly sketchy. There was a lot of misinformation, questionable sales techniques, promotional opportunities geared toward employees, and a cult like ethusiasm that the district manager was trying to cultivate in us towards Cutco Knives.
Then they will try and get you to set up appointments with friends and family during the first training session. While Cutco Knives are high quality, the price is quite high. If you sharpen your knives on a semi regular basis, you will do just fine with cheaper cuttlery. Basically, Cutco is of a rip-off from the consumer point of view. So, why would I be okay with selling that to anybody?
Regardless of their marketing strategy I just wanted to say that I’m impressed with cutco knives. Their double d edged blades are sharp as hell and last forever and honestly that’s all I care about. I bought mine through a close friend who had a demonstration party and as the consumer, per my perspective, cutco is not a scam because you get investment quality pieces for a fair price. My friend who sold me cutco doesn’t believe their multilevel structure is a scam but does admit that it is tough work. She is passionate about the product and that passion comes through in her demonstrations and you too will become passionate about their blades once you see, feel and try them for yourself. Again, I do not nor ever sold for vector, I am just a repeat cutco customer.
My favorite part of this whole website is that the author says Cutco is not quality (compares the steel to knives from Wal Mart) but at the top of the page there’s a link to “the 3 best knives for combat”. 2 of the 3 knives on his list are KaBars- Cutco owns KaBar and produces knives right out of the same factory. Haha. Internet trolls like this author are so full of BS. Stop writing articles with high SEO ratings so you get clicks so you can sell more adds.
By the way, I am not paid by Cutco to say anything here. I just stumbled onto this and knew the info would be bad. Boy was I right.
If you’re looking to work with a great company, I’ve been a sales rep with Vector since 2008 (10 years) and the company and product are amazing. For someone like me who doesn’t like a traditional job with a boss and a forced schedule, this has been amazing. I get to work for myself and work when I want, where I want and however much I want.
That’s not a scam, that’s being an entrepreneur. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a company providing people with an opportunity to get paid based on their results. I made 6 figures last year working 3/4 time. Show me a mall job that can do that. Oh wait… those don’t exist.
I work for cutco/vector, just started actually. I’ve sold $3000 dollars worth of knives in just two days. You might not like it, but these knives are VERY high-quality, and to say otherwise is just ignorant.
These trolls on here trying to talk up the awesomeness of cutco knives are clearly shills from cutco. Too obvious.
He didn’t say they weren’t high quality, he said they weren’t worth the money. They’re no more high quality than a $100 commercial set by sheffield with antimicrobial handles, or a $115 wusthof set (the international industry leaders in kitchen cutlery) or for christ sakes an old hickory set holds an edge forever because they’re high carbon, are less breakable than stainless, and a full set costs about $50 and they literally last forever, I have my great grandfathers mid 1920’s old hickory butcher knife in with my new old hickories.
OLD HICKORY?! Old Hickory may have a place in your heart because of your family history but hey are GARBAGE! Sheffield is not much better. This is a knife site? First time here but last time also.
You claimed that the only reason why people buy Cutco is to help out the local college kid. THen how are programs such as the fair and show program successful, where they set up a table at a Greek festival, a wine festival, or a mall and sell the products to people there. Last fall I worked at a mall for a day and sold $1,600 worth of Cutco. Many times the reps therearen’t even college kids. And if the product is so overpriced how come so many people buy more of it over the years, sometimes even online and not even helping out any rep if they’re getting fleeced? I work these events from time to time and people constantly come up to the booth and say “Best knives ever!”. Too many people to count. The reason why you think it’s overpriced is because the knives you have in your home are probably garbage. If I were used to buying $30 flip phones I would probably think that an Iphone should cost like $150. But of course the majority of iPhones cost way more than that. Same thing goes for ANY product.
Herp derp, I worked at Cutco for 3 months and made infinity billion dollars! You guys just don’t know!
I started working for Vector recently and I felt obligated to share my experience with them.
First off, no, it is NOT an easy job. If you’re looking for a part-time or full-time summer job where you can hang out with your friends while earning minimum wage, then I suggest working at a pool, retail store, or restaurant like so many high school/college students do.
However, if you want a job that will force you out of your comfort zone and actually teach you marketable/employable skills for the future, then Vector is the place for you. Of course, you’ll have to work extremely hard in order to be successful. So many sales reps quit because they lack the time management or commitment to actually set up appointments in the first place, or are too lazy to set more than 1 or 2 a week.
For anyone claiming that this job forces students to take advantage of family – get real. No one, and I mean NO ONE is going to buy a $1000 set of knives just because they know the person selling them. In fact, none of the family members I did a presentation for bought from me. I accepted my $17 base pay for those appointments, and moved on.
Now for common complaints:
1) I didn’t really know what I was getting into when they offered me an interview, and before I went in I was hesitant because of all the (false) things I’d read online. When I got there, the manager was incredibly friendly during the initial screening, and then offered me a group interview in which he’d share more information about the company. I accepted because I had nothing to lose except a few hours of time that I probably would’ve spent doing nothing anyway.
2) During the group interview, there was absolutely no mystery. I was told I wouldn’t get paid for training (I didn’t get paid for training at any of my other, “real” jobs either), the rules regarding the free demo set were explained (they’re free of charge for active sales reps, and if you’re inactive you just return them to your manager) and it was explained how the payment scale works.
3) You’re either paid on commission (which increases the more you sell) or on base pay per appointment, whichever is HIGHER. So yes, some of the lazier sales reps complain and toss out the word “scam” because they only bother to book 3 appointments in a week, barely put any effort into the demo, and then end up earning only $51. On the other hand, I completed 7 appointments in my first weekend, sold on 5 of them, achieved my first promotion to the next commission level and made $300 in income. IN. 3. DAYS.
To reiterate, Cutco may seem like a scam if you’re unmotivated or incapable of managing yourself as an independent contractor, but for anyone who’s willing to work hard and learn new skills then working for Cutco is a great job.
(Just as a quick aside, through this job I found out my aunt has owned Cutco knives for the las 20 years. She hasn’t had them sharpened since she bought them and STILL swears they’re better than any knife she’s owned, including Wusthof and Henckles.)
I have absolutely no intention of going into any aspect of business in the future, but I am already grateful for the personal growth I’ve experienced in my first week alone. I’m still fairly introverted, but Vector has allowed my confidence in public speaking to skyrocket, and I know I’ll be applying the skills I’ve learned for the rest of my life.
My high school buddy was a Cutco representative. He went on to become a consummate salesman. He liked the Cutco quality. To suggest that Walmart has as good knifes is preposterous. I shop at Walmart, but they do not have a pair of kitchen scissors that can cut a penny in half. Yes a penny in half. I have those scissors. Whoever wrote the article has not been exposed directly to Cutco Cutlery. Probably, only shops at the Chinese section of cutlery at Walmart. Cutco is quality. I have never worked for Vector or Cutco. My good friend did and he is a very successful salesman today. And really likes Cutco. He knows the quality better than I do. So there.
bro give me ur email, i need some advice on some cutco stuff. or email me if u see this
This article has to be the stupidest thing I’ve ever read. I don’t know who misinformed you on vector but this is most definitely not a scam. The only people who leave Cutco saying it’s a scam are the lazy ones who didn’t put in the effort to perform demos in the first place. In the interview your told you don’t get paid for training, you don’t have to buy your sample kit it’s free, and the amount of money you make is completely up to you. This job has truly changed my life in two short months I’ve made over 8,000, have been promoted to assistant manager, and I am the top candidate to run my own office summer 2019. Yes this job isn’t for everyone because not everyone is willing to go out of there comfort zone and grow as an individual. It’s not a pyramid scheme nor a scam, get a grip on life and realize how detrimental these types of articles are to a company that’s giving young people an opportunity of a life time. My resume is more impressive then someone twice my age and I’m also making more money than my parents. Some of my coworkers come from very low income families and this job has opened doors for them that couldn’t have imagined in their wildest dreams. And telling young people to “get a real job” yeah where you work 40 hours a week busting your ass for 400 dollars when I could make 400 in one day off of one sale. You people are ridiculous just because you don’t like the company don’t spread negativity about it when you don’t even know what you’re talking about
I spent a summer working for Vector Marketing, selling Cutco knives, back in 1993. Or maybe it was 1994. I didn’t make much money, and have no idea if it was possible to actually make money. I wasn’t very good at selling, mostly because I didn’t have any interest in prospecting. I just did it because I needed to do something that summer. 🙂
I do still have a couple of knives that I bought that summer, though, and 24-ish years later, they are still in great shape. I have no recollection of how much they cost back then, but even if they were $200 each, that’s still under $10/year each. I’m ok with that. I do hit them with a steel pretty often, but have never had to have them formally sharpened, and they still cut very cleanly, but I’m not very abusive to my knives. Other than a Kabar, which does take a beating.
I’m not a huge fan of the hard plastic handles, though. Especially when they get wet. They feel too slippery. So the Cutco knives are really only used for prep work. Chopping veggies, trimming meat, etc. Maybe that’s their sweet spot.
You do realize the “pyramid-scheme” you are saying, and how we make money off the people we bring into the company is 1%, we get 1% of commission off of their sales for 2 years as long as you both stay in the company. I’ll give it that honestly when I talk to people that worked for them in the 90s, it sounded like a very different process than we have now. We don’t do “tuber-ware parties”, we are literally told we shouldn’t. It’s hard work and honestly a bit of luck on who you know and who they know and where you live. I’ve had someone in my office do over double the sales I have and they started almost a month after me. And I’ve talked to numerous CUTCO owners who tell me how much they like their knives, especially when I just began my job, I urged people to tell me their honest opinions, their comments gave me more confidence in the product. Even if you don’t make a ton of money off of it, they do try to develop you as a person, stick in it and you will get something out of it. Even if I quit today, I’ve learned things that will benefit me for the rest of my life if I listen, I’ve been taught about finances and time management. I talked with my manager about the upcoming semester and when I told him my GPA, his first response was, “We have to get that higher”, he wants me to succeed not only in the company, but in my future. For God’s sake I’m going to school for nursing I don’t think they are expecting me to stick around after I graduate, but they are still supporting me. My dad basically says all the stuff that they are using me, and blah, blah, blah, honestly if making money off the work you do is using you then isn’t every company just “using” their employees. I just don’t understand why some people having no luck with it makes it a scam. And you hear so much more about people’s negative thoughts than positive experiences because negative people have the loudest mouths, the people that are successful with the company aren’t going to just write everywhere “omg I love my job” they are doing work and building themselves. Why do you guys seriously have such an issue with this company and saying its a “scam”? What are you accomplishing? I found this site looking into other knife manufacturers, I choose to not look at the negative first, I do that with life, why look at the negatives when you can focus on the positives? I just don’t see the point, if you don’t like them fine say it and be done, why are you spending the time convincing people? I just responded to correct some inaccuracies I saw and so you have a person with a “real” email, literally email me personally if you want to see if I’m being told or paid to say these things, for God’s sake I’ll do a phone call, Skype call, I don’t care, I just know that all the negativity I got from people when I was first starting out resulted in one of two things, it either pissed me off and I had to hold my tongue from telling them to go f*** themselves or feeling really bad about myself, you should encourage people to give everything they have into what they are doing, if it doesn’t work out, fine, you got a learning experience and can move on to the next thing in your life. I just honestly don’t get it with all this and I went into a long rant that I don’t even know if it makes complete sense since I am responding to a random post I found online at midnight, but I tried to give my truthful thoughts and feelings about the company.
I worked selling knives for half of this summer (2018). Looking back, it was an awful experience but also taught me a lot. The money I earned helped me out a lot and the promotions did come fairly quickly (10%>15%>20%). Also I did not have to purchase the appointment set so the only thing I had to break even with is the 14 hours of unpaid training. However, it is 100% too good to be true. The whole business revolves around taking advantage of kids, pressuring them to sell to family and friends parents. It was awkward and difficult asking for appointments and sales from them. The district manager was a sexist jerk and was endlessly on my butt about work. The job advertised it’s flexible schedule but that was not the case. In my interview, the boss told me that there were only 2 meetings a week that would last for 3 hours. That seemed cool with me and not hard at all when I thought about my best friend having to work 8 hours the next day at Target. However, the meetings were unbearable, and often lasted around 5 hours. During the “meetings” (unpaid btw) the boss was always hovering over you listening to the phone calls you made with friends and family to try to set up appointments. Every day the boss also endlessly called, texted, and emailed every day to “check in” and pressure more sales and appointments.
I know this isn’t how it is everywhere, but my co-workers were some of the worst humans I’ve ever met, fully embracing the wolf of wallstreet attitude of wanting to be the world’s biggest asshole.
I truly do like the knives more than any other. The part I still appreciate about the job is that you really can be extremely successful/rich, but if you want that, then be prepared to lose relationships, sell your soul, and give up all your free time. but vector marketing is a piece of crap. I don’t know how they live with themselves.
I’d also like to point out that any person that defends vector marketing/Cutco on this feed of comments sounds completely brainwashed/zombified/robotic. The writing style of those people exactly matches the writing style in the Cutco selling script binders.
Although the money was nice, I like the knives, and it was good learning experience, Its. A. Scam.
I want to start off by saying I’ve been working with Vector Marketing for over 2 years now and while I do understand the downsides of the job, almost everything in this article is incorrect. I do not mean your opinion is wrong, you’re allowed to say whatever you want in this amazing country of ours, but so many of your examples or “facts” are so incorrect that I felt it necessary to type this following comment in which I’ve broken down a lot of the main points (also I saw that someone said Cutco was paying people to make these comments?? How paranoid are you guy? I wish they paid me to type this up.):
1) I’m not sure what “issues” you’re saying the program hides from the participants. The office I have worked for the past two years has always been transparent with me on everything.
2) I’m not sure what “tupperware-style” implies but if you mean I have parties and invite groups of people over to attend you would be incorrect. I actually discourage group presentations because I feel it takes away from the 1-on-1 customer service atmosphere I want to provide to my clients.
3) The only money I have ever “implied” to anyone else they could make working with Vector Marketing is the money I’ve personally made through the company. Also new sales reps used to have to buy into the company to cover the cost of their starter kits but the company has not practiced that policy since the mid-2000s I believe, so that has been out of practice for over a decade at this point.
4) I’m not sure what you mean by “over-priced” in reference to the Cutco product. If you’ve seen the process in which the Forever-Guaranteed products are produced here in America you would understand the the cost of the product and how Cutco should honestly cost more in comparison to brands of similar quality such as, Wusthoff and Shun knives to give a couple examples.
5) You’re mistaken about our base rate pay. I’ve never advertised the job as an hourly rate job whenever I’ve suggested to people to work with the company because it isn’t an hourly rate job. Through Vector you are considered an independent contractor, which in effect makes you a small business owner. The mission of most Vector Marketing offices is to teach young professionals how to own, operate, and sell in their own business. Business owners do not get paid hourly, so the same concept applies. Also Vector Marketing is not a multi-level marketing corporation. Representatives DO NOT make money off of other representatives. Some offices may have cash bonuses involved whenever they help managers recruit but that is no different than most other jobs. Uber and Lyft drivers very similarly get cash bonuses whenever they refer a new driver to the program, and I could list off more examples if you’d like.
6) The fact that you think Vector is manipulating information is honestly for lack of a better term dumb. They simply counteract sites who actively misinform the public such as this article.
7) You think that members of company don’t exist simply because they love their job and aren’t afraid to tell others that they enjoy their work?… The reason I’m taking time out of my day to post this is the same reason those people take time out of their day to promote their workspace. The Vector Opportunity has truly changed my life and has done more for me than any school, club, organization, or any other job I’ve ever had. I’ve met some of my best friends through Vector, and that’s why I’m more than happy to promote my work whether it be on my own accord or if management asks me to (I did this on my own. In fact, my boss would probably be mad that I used my time to comment on here). That’s also why I get so upset when I see things on the internet that aren’t based on facts, or pages such as this one that are used as click-bait because they want to promote their site more and are looking to profit by misleading young adults from a possibly life changing experience.
I could probably write another 1,000 words on this article pointing out how incorrect or just flat out false the rest of this article is but I’ve already spent more time writing this than I’d like to spend as I have homework for my college classes to catch up on. I’ll leave you with two things: 1) All this being said, Vector Marketing is by far not a “get rich quick” job. In fact it is harder than most jobs if you want to be truly successful through it. Most people that are my age (21) or younger are not always ready for the responsibility the job entails and fail which is why they sometimes have a bad taste in their mouth about the company afterwards. So just be wary of that before starting, but if you’re like me and you’re up for the challenge, the results can be pretty cool. 2) Please don’t believe everything you’ve read on the internet. Look into multiple sources, talk to people that work there, literally do anything besides read unaccredited articles such as this one. In fact you can probably find the Wall Street Journal article that says working for Vector is some of the best job experience you can earn as a college student.
Look bro as an active rep I get it. You were in bad office, you had a bad experience with your manager it sounds like. I hope I’m not coming off as a robot when I say I understand what you mean, I really do. My only question is what part of it was a scam? You said you liked the money, the product, and the experience but just didn’t like the people in the office. Idk if you know this but if you work there you never have to go around the office. If you purchase the demo kit for the $90 it costs for the $400 worth of product it contains, you can sell on your own time and not worry with the meetings (although I do suggest them as they do help you get better at the position).
Lol quite a list you’ve got there. You make some points but have you ever tried working for the company before? because I agree sometimes they all sound the same and it can be repetitive but it’s the same as owning a business. Some weeks, business owners don’t break even sometimes they do. And in regards to it being economically viable, that’s only true if someone doesn’t work consistently. If you have a business and don’t have it open consistently throughout the week, say you were open Mon-Fri but didn’t show up Tues or Wed, then you’d probably lose business and money. The same is applicable to Vector. If you only want to work two days a week then you can do that, but you have to work in that time period.
You have been lied to if you believe that 440A steel is exclusive to Cutco. It is a common lower mid-grade steel used in lower priced knives. European brands Aitor, Joker, Puma, Linder, and Fox use it. It’s not a bad grade but many premium knives use a higher grade.
I apologize and don’t mean to counter, but it sounds like they didn’t teach you to take criticism. It sounds like you are in denial the way you write with the “hopelessly optimistic” tone. I am not going to say anything about the company or validity of this product or lack of validity or not in your comment, but sounding offended is not the way to convince people that you are right Mr. *cough* sales rep. I will say this is not a job or field that was made for everyone, but it is necessary and there are people who are naturally inclined to handle the sales environment. It sounds like you are one of the few, so congratulations I’m glad it worked out, but understand that some people are less inclined to get 20 appointments or more a day which makes it difficult to make good money.
Hello Mr. Salvatore Longo – “Dude” 🙂
As you know, all the articles on this website are put out there to invite people like you to give us your opinion. I think if you read carefully through the comments, you’ll see that we put as many comments in favor of Cutco as opposed. So, your criticism that I only respond to people who agree with me is 100% false (you’d know that if you actually read the comments). The whole idea of this article is to spark discussion, but it was never meant to enrage people like yourself. In the future, I would strongly urge self-control when commenting on articles. I could edit your comment to sound a little more educated and diplomatic, but I did not in case you wanted to sound angry and hostile.
However, I do appreciate your leaving a comment, and honestly Mr. Longo, I truly hope you have a good day! By the tone of your comment, I think you need a good day!
blessings to you,
J.
John, let’s start with the fact that there are countless hours of unpaid work (illigal), and the fact that it eerily points to a pyramid scheme…
I posted here a few weeks after I first started working with Cutco a year ago, but I see that the article has still not been updated with correct information. So here’s my second attempt at providing actual facts about Cutco/Vector:
Alrighty, there’s a lot to unpack here. I’ll say it before anyone accuses me of a positive bias: I’ve worked with Vector/Cutco for almost a year now. However, my goal in posting this comment is not to convince you that you’re wrong, that Vector is the greatest thing ever, that all negative reviews are fake etc, etc. I’m posting this because there was a lot of inaccurate information in your post, and some of it is the reason I almost didn’t go in for my interview a year ago (thank God I did).
First off, Vector Marketing is a direct sales company, NOT a multi-level marketing company and yes, there’s a difference. MLMs have 2 sources of revenue: personal commissions and commissions from down-line distributors (hence the term “pyramid scheme”). Vector does not operate within this multi-level structure. I could recruit 100 people to work with me and I would be paid nothing, like zero (0) dollars, on anything any of those people sell. That’s because Vector operates in direct sales, in which each representative is responsible for their own business and income and nothing else.
Going off of that, here’s how the compensation system ACTUALLY works. There’s a base pay of $15-17 per appointment. Notice it says per appointment, not per hour, because this is not an hourly job. Now it might not seem like you can make a lot of money doing 6,7 appointments per week but that’s because base pay is NOT the main source of income. The base pay is actually something the company offers for new sales reps as a cushion to boost their confidence in getting started. That way they’re not stressed about making a sale to make commission (because they’ll receive the base pay if they don’t sell), and there’s less pressure on them and the people they’re presenting the product to. Now yes, the majority of income is made off commission. But what sales job isn’t? Furthermore, can you name a company that pays its representatives up to fifty%, yes FIFTY% (50%) commission on what they sell? Vector does!
Now, the thing that gets most people angry: unpaid training. Yes, training is unpaid. This is because all sales representatives and even all managers (except for corporate) are independent contractors and not employees. Meaning they receive a 1099 during tax season, not a W2. Employees are paid hourly and thus must be compensated for training. Independent contractors are not. Now, most salespeople have to pay to go through sales training seminars in order to learn the right techniques, phrases, skills, etc. Vector not only offers this training for free, but they provide a sample kit of products ($300 retail value) and other training tools to reps completely free of charge.
Lastly, I just want to say that no, the job is not easy. But it’s ridiculously simple. All you have to do is read the manual word for word, cut up some stuff to demonstrate the quality of Cutco, and bam, the product literally sells itself. Reps are there to provide information, not force a product on people. Now, I said it was simple, not easy for a reason. The job requires a decent amount of self-motivation and time management. It’s NOT your regular clock-in, clock-out job where you can do the bare minimum and scrape by. But if you’re looking for a fun, unique job where you can gain actual applicable experience and skills, then Vector is definitely the place for you!
(As a side-note about partnering with retail companies, it’s more economically viable to continue with the direct sales model. All Cutco products are made in America which is considerably more expensive than out-sourcing to other countries, and selling via retail stores would hike up the price extensively. We do direct-to-consumer sales to cut out the middle-man and save our customers money).
My social media info is below if anyone has legitimate questions about Cutco/Vector. Personal attacks will not be responded to.
– insta: isavald
– twitter: @idkbeiia
A lot of this information is incorrect. At least do better research if you are going to write an opinion piece and learn not to make broad statements based off of anecdotal evidence.
OK, you want a comment?
“… All you have to do is read the manual word for word, cut up some stuff to demonstrate the quality of Cutco, and bam, the product literally sells itself…. if you’re looking for a fun, unique job where you can gain actual applicable experience and skills, then Vector is definitely the place for you!”
I was willing to consider giving you the benefit of the doubt until I read THAT.
“We do direct-to-consumer sales to cut out the middle-man and save our customers money …”
And if there was any doubt, the “we” and “our” betray the nature of your connection to the company. Oh, I have *no* doubt that people higher up at the chain at Vector do *very* well … as long as you can keep pulling new recruits in with spiels like this, that is.
im leaving this comment for the david that posted under this comment.. ive been working with vector for two weeks and made twice as much as i would working in a month. i am gaining a lot of experience and the product does sell it self. i always read the manual word for word.
Thank goodness I found this article. I have an interview scheduled for tomorrow and I am so glad I now know not to waste my time. I was iffy on how fast they responded and the automated interview system really raised red flags. It is so vague, and I am glad you are here to give another side other than the “its great you will love it!” mentality the company is trying to sell me on. I have a big family and social group, I cannot imagine ruining those relationships over some scam that is pretending not to be a scam. Thank you, please keep this article up.
Hey Jenna;
I attended a wedding this past weekend and I sat right beside a guy who said he sold knives for a living. You guessed it! It was Cutco! He said he was doing well, but most people he knows doing it are not doing so well. He assured me it was not an actual scam (pyramid scheme, etc.) but there is subtle and unintentional deception. Very few people (this guy guessed about 5%) actually made decent money while the other 95% get their minimum commission (not even enough for a burger and fries) for each meeting and then give up sooner or later. Here’s a bit of a secret insight; Successful Cutco salespeople rent booths at tradeshows for $1000 – $2000 and work with a sales team (like real estate agents).
Thanks for checking out our site!
J.
It’s actually not a scam :/
Jenna me too I was scheduled for an interview tomorrow an decided id try to Debunk their company found this article and was blown away. So glad for the time saver
Your article indicates that you are extremely misinformed, so here’s a handful of things I would like to cover in hopes of bringing you (and anyone reading this article) some accurate knowledge Vector Marketing and Cutco Cutlery:
Let’s start with your claim that Vector is a “multi-marketing” company. This is false. I’m not even saying that all multi-level marketing companies are bad — I know plenty of people who have had success with multi-level marketing companies like Arbonne, Rodan and Fields, and Legal Shield. But that’s besides the point, because Vector is NOT a multi-level marketing company for several of the following reasons:
1) Representatives do not work on a “pyramid-based” commission model, meaning they do NOT get paid a portion of what the people they recruit sell. I recruited several of my friends to work on my team last summer, and I did not get paid for a single one of their sales. You stated the complete opposite in your article and even gave an example of how you would “make a portion of your brother’s commission if you hired him” which couldn’t have been a more false statement.
2) Representatives do NOT pay for the product like MLM’s require their reps to do. Reps do NOT “pay for a $200 knife set” like you explicitly claim in your article. Again, a completely false statement. Reps (including myself) are given a FREE sample kit to demonstrate the product to customers. Multi-level marketing companies require their reps to purchase their product. Cutco, a direct sales company, does not.
Next, let’s talk about a few facts you have mentioned about the product itself that aren’t fully truthful. You list Cutco’s 440A steel as a “general cheap stainless steel”, and you go on to mention that a carbon steel blade is stronger than stainless. Yes you are right, carbon steel IS tougher than non-carbon stainless steel. If you take a sec to google the chemical properties of 440A steel, it has a carbon content of .65-.75%, classifying it as a HIGH CARBON steel. This means it has a blend of Carbon steel’s toughness and Stainless steel’s resistance to rusting, creating a “best of both worlds” kind of steel. Steel preference is opinionated, I can respect that, but i did need to clarify that 440A steel IS a carbon steel (because it contains carbon) AND a stainless steel (because it contains chromium). Finally, cutco’s guarantee is not just a “free sharpening program”. It’s a FOREVER guarantee, meaning no matter if the knife breaks, rusts, needs sharpening, etc.. the product will forever be fixed, sharpened, or replaced free of charged. No proof of purchase is ever needed, so the products are literally passed down for generations.
I’d like to now comment on your spiel about how students must “pressure family and friends to purchase out of pity”. Coming from me personally, my mother, father, and both grandparents didn’t buy a single thing from me on my presentation with them. But that hasn’t hindered my success in the least bit. Cutco is not a “pity sales” company like girl scouts cookies (no offense to the girl scouts at all, I’m a big thin mint fan). The demos are not meant to be a sales pitch, rather a professional presentation with the product. If a rep pressures mom or dad to buy out of pity, that’s their own fault. If a mom, dad, or a family member buys only out of pity, that’s their own fault. With this kind of mindset/approach to the job, no wonder this rep wouldn’t make it very far with the job. I wouldn’t want my customers buying out of pity, and reps are explicitly taught in training that we do not pressure customers to do so. That’s quite pathetic to be honest, and if a manager does pressure their reps to do so, shame on them. There’s always a few bad seeds in every company.
Let me wrap this longgggg comment up by saying that I DO respect that everyone is entitled to their own opinion about the job, because there’s no perfect job out there, and every job has its pros and cons.. Cons? Yeah… that unpaid training sucked, and all the driving to my demos sucked. The phone calls to set up my demos SUCKED… I could go on… For me though, the pros of the position (income, communication skills, networking, resume building, winning trips) drastically outweighed the cons. It was a no brainer for me. You don’t grow until you step outside of your comfort zone, and that’s exactly what the job makes you do. Honestly? The job is HARD…. which is also why it’s NOT for everyone, and that’s okay. Sales in general is most definitely not for everyone. For those of you who gave it a try, and it didn’t work out, no harm done, the position isn’t the best for you! You can only learn what you like and don’t like by actually trying things… it’s a part of growing up. Why do you think the average adult changes careers between 3 and 7 times in their lifetime before finally finding one they like the best?
I am a BIG “respect the opinion of others” person, and I have no problem with articles that I don’t necessarily agree with. Everyone has the right to build their own opinion based on the facts provided to them. However, I do have a major problem with people developing their opinions based off of a collection of facts that are flat out NOT TRUE. You, along with the majority of people who took time out of their day to write a whole article about Cutco being a “scam” all share one common quality: a lack of entirely accurate facts about our company and product. You can credibly protest Vector and Cutco as much as you wish, as long as you revise your article so that any clearly incorrect facts are removed. However, I’m assuming you wouldn’t remove any of the inaccurate information anyway, knowing it would completely discredit your main argument.
There’s my incredibly long rant, not to offend you, just to correct you… because someone needed to take the time to.
Best,
Leah
I’d like to thank all of the pro-Vector commentors for making it certain that I will not attend the interview tomorrow. Y’all haven’t acknowledged a single valid point in hundreds of comments I’ve read tonight. Glaring facts have been ignored–the quality of the steel, the validity of peoples’ experiences–in favor of spouting out more of the same rhetoric. Some of you guys resorted to swearing and using slurs. I understand that sales isn’t for everyone, but I’d say at least 70% of these responses cite laziness and unwillingness to commit as reasons they have disliked their experience with the company. Seems that the successful people here are awfully quick to judge others in a hurtful way, and I’d rather not be one of those people.
Do they really require you to sell to friends and family initially? Also how are leads obtained?
So my family had a family friend that works with Pampered Chef, and I thought Vector was just like that. The buying of the knives and direct sales didn’t faze me, because I know a person who does the same thing that isn’t a scam.
I became nervous for other reasons though. The letter they sent me didn’t give me any information about the company other than it is an international company and the year they were founded. The $18 an hour is a lot for someone who just today graduated high school and has only worked as a cashier. Basically, it was all too good to be true.
Being the naturally curious person that I am, I research this company. Too many lawsuits for my liking, and so many negative comments. But for the real story, I went to the Better Business Bureau. Sure this is a legit company, but their practices aren’t the most legit.
No loss to me though. I am not cut out for the world of sales or business, and I am not able to drive.
I went to the BBB too and came to that decision as well. A legit business with shady practices, I’ll just work at Costco for a real $17/hr wage.
Hi jack, thank you for the insight. I have one big question, how does it ruin relationships? Just asking because I was thinking about trying it.
Hello,
I’d rather not share my name, but I’d like to share my opinion if that’s ok? I have worked with Vector for over a Summer and there is a “right” and “wrong” way to do it. They say you shouldn’t do door to door sales because it’s not efficient, but they do not forbid it. You are able to go from door to door. It’s recommended to start with you parents and family and neighbors and friends because it builds confidence and allows you to practice your communication, presentation, and public speaking skills. Those initial people will give you honest feed back. It teaches you networking and time management skills quite well also. The only way it’s a “scam” is if the manager tries to force reps to sell to their initial family. I do support the make of the knives, I think they are quite effective at their intended purpose and if the reps parents like them too, then the child can hook them up with a discount. All of which isn’t a scam. None of the meetings other than the training are mandatory so unless your manager is an asshole, just don’t go if you don’t want to. In a way, it teaches discipline. I do not believe vector is bad because it taught me skills and valuable lessons, but continue to say what you want. There will always be 2 sides on a coin, but if you view an opportunity with logic then you can maximize the profit. I believe I did with posters, door to door sales, and helping my initial contacts with the best discounts I could legally give so they got what they wanted at a cheaper price. I am biased because I’ve worked there. Regardless, I hope everyone has a great day.
Excellent comment! To all haters out there – read the comment above and take a lesson on how to disagree with an article but do it respectfully with some decorum. I am not the original author of the article, nor do I have any passionate view on this issue. However, I do like fostering dialogue and appreciate decent comments whether they agree with my articles or not.
Kudos to the author (who wishes to remain anonymous)
J.
They told us we weren’t allowed to go door to door and could only use recommendations. That’s the main reason I quit the job.
I just started working at Vector. Let me address some of the misconceptions and misinformation I saw here:
1) Vector Marketing is NOT a MLM.
At the end of training, we were asked to provide a list of friends who might be interested in Vector. We do NOT get any percentage of the cut of anyone we recommend.
2) I do NOT have to buy the sample knives.
Yes, the sample knives might have $200 or more in retail value, but they were loaned out to me for free. As long as I maintain 1 appointment per week, I can keep the set and use it at home as well.
3) We are NOT limited to recommendations.
You can choose to go door-to-door (some of the top reps do), but they recommend you use referrals.
4) My training facility (local office) is a well air-conditioned, well-maintained facility.
It’s possible in other areas of the country that their offices might be dirtier, but mine looked like any other office.
Also, depending on the area that you live in, selling Cutco could be a more profitable pursuit. You might or might not be cut out for Cutco, but you can try it out for the first 10 days. I can’t vouch for other locations, but I can vouch that my location is run properly.
Being a friend of college student salespeople and actually dating one, yes it ruined relationships. Sitting through a practice presentation and feeling pressured to buy when I had no money and THEN being pressured to give names and numbers of friends and relatives that did not give me permission is not good for relationships. After these long and uncomfortable presentations I avoided these former friends who I felt really didn’t value our friendship and respect me as a person.
I worked for Cutco for a Summer over 30 years ago. I am now a Professional Busines Consultant and have been in the Business and Sales since graduating from college. I am also an owner of those Cutco knives I purchased for my Demo over 30 years ago. I also bought a Set and I cannot believe not one person has mentioned the scissors!
I read the above article and some responses. Here is my opinion……
1) I do not believe this company is Shady or a Scam, at least not from my experience with them either as a sales rep nor as a knife owner.
2) As a Professional in the Sales /Business world it is my observation and a fact that Sales is not a profession for everybody. Some people are better as Clerks or Landscapers or Bloggers, etc….
3) Sales is a Profession in which your Skills and Effort and Product determine your income as well as Demographic area and other factors or variables. However, the bottom line is Sales success is directly related to Effort, Perseverance, Preperation, your Pride and Enthusiasm for the product and your Determination to succeed.
4) My professional opinion is that people, who, for whatever reason, were not succesful at Practicing and Honing their presentation on their Family leads, then going out and calling the leads they got from family and then calling the leads from those buying customers…….
Long story short…Alot of college kids make good money over a summer and get a great set of knives. Others, who maybe…Quite possibly are not as motivated, determined, or skilled decided it is a Scam and has Shady business practices.
I still use and talk about these knives to this day. There are not many knives that survive over 30 years…
I also feel I gained some valuable lessons and sales principles from my short time with Vector Marketing that are still valuable today.
You should’ve stayed for training I swallowed that pill and said it’s an opportunity and now I’ve made over a $1000 in the last 10 days at cutco. I love it.
I find that this lady has no concrete facts to back up her claim. her argument is based on emotion. The truth is that i don’t care what people say about Vector because I have facts to back up this fact that Vector is not a scam.
Vector is great! I bought my sample kit on my very first day of training. Then, I got free CutCo knives from attending conferences and doing advertising. Now, I have almost $2000 worth of CutCo. The quality is so good. I’ve worked my butt off and I am now half way towards my 3rd promotion.
Hey Teresa;
Thanks for your input. When I expressed my opinion in the article saying Cutco was a “scam”, this is, in part, what I meant. I didn’t mean they are a 100% rip-off company at all. I just meant that on issues where there is some grey area, Cutco will (like many other companies) make it very obvious that they are looking out for themselves before their customers or employees, and they make it VERY EASY to get disillusioned by their approach and disappointed with their company. That’s all!
Thanks for the insight.
Pete
I wonder if this is something in the US only. I have started the training process for Vector Marketing/Cutco and have not been given an option to buy or even use a demo set of knives. Everything is online and we don’t even have to go door to door. It’s all over the phone and all the consumer needs is a laptop/computer/tablet while on the call to watch a video.
I have no doubts that the marketing part of this company could be a little more ethical, according to what I have read. In regards to the actual product, a friend said that they have used it and it seems to be as good as advertised. I have always admired a good set of knives. I am a believer in a good carbon steel myself.
During the training, they will compare their knives to other well known ‘high quality’ knives like Henckel, Wustof, and Shun and say that over time, there’s is better due to the sharpening service and the ‘Double D edge’ and ability to wash in the dishwasher . Overall, I will continue through the training and allow others to make up their minds.. I just thought I’d put my 2 bits in.
My oldest daughter was referred to Cutco by another college student. She proceeded with the training and after two days of 8-hour long presentations, decided with her current workload and the vagueness of how she gets paid, she opted out of the opportunity. It doesn’t stop there, oh no, they tried for several weeks, to change her mind. I finally got on the phone with the Vector salesperson and told him that if he didn’t stop calling my daughter, I would report him to the Better Business Bureau. After him calling me a few choice words, I hung-up on him.
I know for some guys, no means no and for others, it is only a suggestion. I am not saying Vector is a scam, but I do have to question the shareholders of this company about their employees. If this is how they would want their daughter to be harassed and then call me a few choice words, then you are not the fathers I think you are and for sure you are not the company I would want to invest in.
I would not call it a scam, it’s not even really an MLM as you aren’t given cuts of those you refer (or if you are, I sure as heck wasn’t told that!). Personally I see this as no different than any other sales or marketing gig. The only real difference between this and brick and mortar stores is that you go find your customers instead of customers going to find you. It is like most other self startups, but rather you’re using a product that already exists and many people do actually use and swear by. Now, in my personal opinion of the knives, they are good when first bought, and even old ones my grandparents have, they are still decent. The fact that they can be sharpened for effectively the cost of shipping is really nice if you don’t know how to sharpen them yourself, and they will even replace chipped knives at no extra cost. So as far as product and general business goes, it definitely is a legit business.
Many people will get hung up on the “MLM style” marketing where you go through a sales rep, give referrals, and yada yada yada. I was raised as a Boy Scout, I sold popcorn and flowers with this exact method, as long as you’re not guilting someone into a purchase (or the managers aren’t guliting you into making sales), its no more a regular entrepreneurial job than selling your abilities to fix computers. “Hey Mrs. Jones, I noticed you were complaining about your computer running a bit slow. If you’d like I can offer to see if there is anything I can do to speed it up for cheap.” is no different than “Hey Mrs. Jones, I noticed your knives are looking a little dull. If you’d be interested I can show you some of the products I sell that might pique your fancy.” The only scheme like part of Vector that I have noticed is the “the more you sell, the more percentage you can get” bit, which I find myself glaring at with annoyance, but it makes sense if you look at it like regular business promotions. The longer you’re there and the better you do for the company, the more you are rewarded for your work. Again, unless they are hiding it from me, there is no getting a percentage of those you bring on, heck they don’t even seem to give you a thank you. MLMs also tend to make you buy sample products to present, Vector/Cutco has no such requirement, and they even have free loaner kits so you don’t have to spend anything out of pocket unless you want your own kit to own. So no, I don’t see this as a scam.
Now of course there are going to be better knives out there. There are probably going to even be same quality knives with the similar “forever guarantees” but for far cheaper. Lets not kid ourselves, these knives are definitely for the upper middle class who can make several hundred, if not into the thousand+ dollar range for kitchen knives. These are aimed at families, dad and/or mom has a decent job, family and kids love to cook, ideal kinda stuff. I don’t see single parents buying this, I don’t see lower income families buying this, I don’t see 1%ers buying this (they likely have designer brands or custom made knives from Gordon Ramsey or something), and I don’t see (most) college students buying this. I actually kinda was taken aback from the “college kids don’t cook” bit. While I do agree a majority probably don’t cook (last semester someone tripped the fire alarm by microwaving macaroni without water. Let that sink in.), there are many of us that do constantly. I myself tend to cook 4 days out of the week for lunch and dinner, many of my peers are similar, and some are bosses in that they home cook every meal they eat (where they find the time, I will never know). With that, I took advantage of the sample set available to reps. This to me was a worthwhile purchase due to its very low cost in comparison to MSRP. So long as the company still exists after I kick the bucket and honor the forever guarantee, these will likely be the only knives I ever need.
So with that short unrefined essay, I think Vector is a decent side gig. Certainly the managers will try to make you treat it like a main job, but I wave them off as I’m not interested in having it as my main focus, but side sales for that little extra cash on the side isn’t so bad.
Hey dude, thanks for sharing such an informative article. I agree with you, vector marketing is 100% organizational fraud where people are fished in a very systematic way.