Cutco.com is widely regarded as one of the finest suppliers of cutlery in the world, but in recent times there have been a number of complaints surfacing online about the sales side of their business that allows just about anyone to sell their products.
The problem with complaints of this type is establishing the truth from the lies, and here at WFHW we place even greater importance on our investigations when it involves trusted companies like cutco.com.
That is what we love to do here at workfromhomewatchdog.com, and here is what we discovered about the Cutco complaints being made online.
The background…
Sold exclusively through a company called ‘Vector Marketing’, Cutco products are owned by over 16 million people in the United States alone.
Backed by a ‘forever’ guarantee, the quality of the products and the efforts made to offer total protection to the consumer cannot be called into question.
So why are people suggesting that selling Cutco knives is a scam?
This all comes down to a misinterpretation of the ‘marketing potential‘ message being promoted by Vector Marketing…or does it?
If you have ever received an email or flyer from Vector Marketing, or indeed have stumbled on any of their online content related to selling Cutco knives, you will know that they have a focused, and what some are calling “aggressive”, recruitment process in place.
$15 – $17 per hour appears to be the suggested earning potential, and by predominately targeting students they know they are likely to get a huge and consistent response to earnings at that level.
At a time when part-time/full-time jobs are generally hard to come by, earning that amount for doing something enjoyable is likely to be too good an opportunity to ignore.
Many students sign up and are likely to anticipate at least $200 a week in additional income.
So why is it that comments like this exist online:
“It’s not necessarily a scam, but it’s very close. “
” First of all Vector Marketing is not a scam but rather a company that appears to be built on a foundation of misleading and deceptive practices”
“Wow, almost got reeled into this one. Vector Marketing Company uses marketing strategies to, essentially, “brainwash” you into believing they are making you money.”
Could this point to a potential problem?
During my extensive research of Vector Marketing, I discovered that they have a complex way of financially rewarding their sales team.
99.9% of the negative comments that I have found, or have been sent to me, say the earning potential suggested by Vector Marketing is misleading.
Initially, the deal is simple, but it would then appear that only once you go through the interview process and qualify for an initial training session, many people are saying you are required to sell in an almost door-to-door fashion.
Of course, even if these comments are true, this mostly comes down to how individuals interpret the earning process.
Keeping it real…
Selling Cutco products through Vector Marketing is…a sales job.
Sales jobs very rarely involve anything other than presenting a product to a potential customer and only getting paid for your results.
It’s a tough way to earn an income if you have never done it before.
For proof of that, look at the comments below to see how some find it easy…and some find it really tough.
With that said, one of our pet hates here at Work From Home Watchdog is a lack of transparency, and it’s rather obvious to us that Vector Marketing is not being completely upfront about the process of selling Cutco products.
Surely if they did, the majority of the similar complaints about them by recruits simply wouldn’t exist?
Conclusion
One thing I am 100% certain that cutco.com is not a scam.
They produce top-quality products backed up with the perfect guarantee. Pretty much faultless.
However, passing over the sales side of their products to Vector Marketing is perhaps where the issue exists.
For what it’s worth, I believe that both parties are fully aware that the nature of the recruitment process is designed to unearth people who are born to sell – even if the flip side is other people complaining that it’s too aggressive (not their cup of tea).
We must also learn from those who have tried and failed to sell Cutco products via Vector Marketing, and here are a few tips that my research suggests might be useful:
- DO NOT expect to earn $15 – $17 per hour from the start.
- DO NOT expect to get the starter kit for free (you will have to pay, in one way or another).
- DO NOT expect this to be an easy way to make money IF you are not sales-driven.
Cutco knives are GREAT products, but just make sure you are fully aware of what Vector Marketing expects of you from the start.
Marcus – WFHW
Hey! I’m an assistant manager with a Vector office. I love what you guys here at watchdog are doing, but even in these reviews I’m noticing a pattern of misunderstandings. I’d like to take a second to explain exactly WHY there are so many varied opinions about working with Cutco. Bear with me, I tend to be a bit long-winded, lol.
Each Cutco office is different. Each is run by a branch or district manager who have the opportunity to create whatever culture around their office they like, and while guidance and coaching by experienced leaders is available to these office managers, it’s ultimately up to the individual manager whether or not they heed their advice. Those who have a track record in, for instance, deceptive advertising, aggressive training, or bullish tactics, will have that reflect in their turnover and won’t stick around very long. In comparison, a manager who is transparent in all of their advertising, nurtures a culture of positivity, trains their reps to view their job from a customer service role, (in that the client’s comfort, not the sale is top priority), and who prioritize the growth of their reps as individuals will see much more lasting success.
To sum it up, every Cutco office is different. While it’s great to prepare yourself for the opportunity ahead of time online (as I myself did when I first began) make the judgement whether or not this opportunity is for you in person during an interview.
Also, some other things I noticed:
1) Recruiting transparency – All managers should be making it abundantly clear that the $15 pay rate is per appointment. If you ever hear of an office claiming to pay per hour, report them to the company please. That being said, appointments do generally take 45 minutes to 1:30, depending on how long you spend building rapport and getting to know them, and pay $15 regardless of whether you sell.
2) Pushy Tactics – If managers are training their reps according to the program, there is a HUGE emphasis on conflict resolution, not instigation. Reps are taught to resolve objections, but if the same objection comes twice, move on. Don’t make em uncomfortable.
3) Selling to Friends & Family – If you study business this is what’s called a “warm market,” meaning people that the rep is close to. We guide them out of their warm market asap by teaching them networking skills. The average rep in my office spends about a week in their warm market before they’re wholly independent from their personal contacts.
4) Only Certain People Do Well – Not really. It doesn’t take a special type of person, you just have to be willing to be coached, and willing to be honest with yourself and your leaders.
Sorry this post was so long, I wanted to do my best to give a well-rounded explanation and clear the air of any confusion.
Thanks for your time :)
Hi Zane,
Thanks for taking the time to give an insiders view on Cutco.
I do get many comments and emails from people claiming to be Cutco representatives, and I’m happy to allow those that are genuine.
Hopefully my visitors appreciate your input.
All the best,
Marcus – WFHW
Visiting the Consumer Affairs website clears up the intentions of this company. Also visit the Better Business Bureau and look for Vector Marketing of New York. The truth is the people who will do well are the ones in contact with people who are wealthy or well-off to the point where they can just throw money away without a negative impact. Regular people, living check to check, can have the best attitudes but won’t do as well unless they know customers with higher incomes. It’s math.
Some people will explain away the ethics of these MLMs by blaming the seller. It’s common to hear, “You get out of it what you put into it” or other oversimplified nonsense. It would be better to go to Community College (which is free if your income is low) and learn to code, learn a trade, and get paid for EVERY minute you spend making the bosses wealthy, as opposed to spending every waking moment chasing leads for demos and not getting paid for much of that time.
Having a company pressure you and hound you at home over knives you can get for much cheaper (my 20 year old $3 Taiwanese knife from Meijer is great even today. Never sharpened either) is not for anyone sane. It’s a much better investment to get the 2 years of education or skilled trades apprenticeship (the building industries are so desperate here in MI that they offer free training…$12-15/hr during apprenticeship and $20-30+ afterwards)! You can end up working for yourself or at least have benefits working for a legitimate industry. Seriously, one can just go to the store on Amazon.com to find good knives.
Hi Kiwi,
Thanks for taking the time to leave your thoughts regarding Cutco.
You raise some very interesting points and I’m sure my visitors will appreciate them.
All the best,
Marcus – WFHW
Not a scam at all. I sell this on the side and make good money doing it. Great product owned it for over a decade. I found nothing misleading about my onboarding or employment.
Hi Sales Guy,
Well it’s great to hear that you have been successful with Cutco. I wish you continued success going forward.
All the best,
Marcus – WFHW
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 me 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.
Hi M S,
Thanks very much for taking the time to post about your experiences with Cutco. I am certain that my visitors will also appreciate your efforts. Very interesting to read and I wish you well with your new career.
Best wishes,
Marcus – WFHW
Just like to share my experience as a former rep, and cutco owner for last 15 years.
I don’t think it’s a “scam” overall, but very unprofessional recuitment method as well as sales tactic.
when I got there first for interview, everyone applying for the job thought this job paid $15 per hour. 90% left as soon as they figured otherwise. very misleading almost a lie. cutco should be sued for waisting time of so many people.
I personally think Cutco are great, but not worth the price tag. my mother does not like to use it because it’s heavy and akward, and my sister does not like it either, but then again, she does not cook much. bottom line, it’s not for everyone.
I was impressed when I got mine bact from service, but it costed me $25 (insurence and shipping both ways, only the service itself is free) which is how much a cheap set costs. some may dissagree this is also a best value.
I can write a book about how terrible their salse tactic is using kids, but I know people who bought them just because their nephew was about to cry if they did not buy. I would never say what they train you to say which included “ONLY A $1000” yeah.
Jonathan, thanks very much for your insiders view on the Cutco process.
I agree that the recruitment process is bordering on “naughty” at the very least, and it’s great to have someone with your experience step forward and say so. I’m sure this will be of great help to our visitors.
Many thanks again, Jonathan, and best wishes to you with your online ventures.
Marcus
WFHW Founder
Hello!
I worked for Cutco for about 4 months right after high school. I sold around $4000 in product during this time, and then began schooling. My manager was very honest about how everything worked: You make (at that time) $13.75 per appointment, or your commission, which ever is higher. You have potential to make up to 50% commissions, but you start at 10%. The set that I demo with can be purchased at discount, OR I could leave a check with him that would not be cashed unless I ran off with their knives. I left the check with him, and later bought it with the money I had made. I also was able to buy my books for school, keep my tank full, and have extra to get coffee with friends or put into my savings account. The meetings i went to taught the people there about proper saving strategies, financial success building, and the importance of firm morals.
I stopped selling in about November 2010 when I was making 15% commission. I was just about $20 from making 20%, but life got busy with school and my daughter being born. I have not sold anything since then, but my babysitter told me she needs new Cutco, so I had my rep number found for me my the service center, and I can sell for her tomorrow if i wanted to, and I will make 15% off those first $20, and then I will make 20% off the rest of the sale.
I would love to go back to my employment with this company, but even if i don’t, I’m glad i did. I learned how to build rapport, how to speak publicly, how to make calls to people I don’t know to set up meetings (something I do regularly at my job with Rite Aid), and i have confidence i never had before. I have never been denied a job i have interview for, simply because they see Vector Marketing on my resume.
The knives are of FANTASTIC quality! I haven’t had to have mine sharpened at all, and if i did, a rep can come to my home and do it FREE OF CHARGE (or if i get back into it, I can do these sharpening appointments, free of charge to my customers, but i still get paid to be there). If for some reason they get damaged, I can send them back to the company and have them replaced FREE OF CHARGE.
I encourage all of my friends to do a summer with vector. I love the morals they teach and i love the products they sell, but more than that, i love the me they helped me uncover.
Thanks for your time, and I hope my experience means something to those who let the negativity of others stand in the way of their potential success.
Hi Megan,
Thanks for taking the time to share your positive experiences with Cutco.
From our previous comments you will be aware that others have also had a successful experience working for Cutco, and we acknowledge that fact. However, we have also had many negative comments from people who have not been successful with Cutco, and the reasons are very clear.
We congratulate you on your own success, not just with Cutco, but since you worked for the company. We are pleased to hear that it was a positive experience for you.
Best wishes,
Marcus
WFHW Founder
I worked for vector selling cutco several years ago.i got my starter kit for free after placing flyers for forty hours. That is the only positive experience I had during the time I worked there. In the training courses they taught us to be very aggressive. The motto was that after someone said no 8 times usually afterwards they would say yes. Our target market was for people who were married, owned their own home and had a steady income. Not just one on that list was sufficient but all three. Generally this is not easy to come by. You are indeed brainwashing the customer. And more times than not, people are not excited to buy the products because of the outrageous prices. I will admit the cutlery is very nice. I have never had any problems with mine since I’ve had them but the work ethic they ingrained into us was horrible. Even people that fit into the target group would have a hard time paying for the items. And if someone did buy from you there was a bad after taste from a guilty conscience. I was not cut out for it. Not because I didn’t believe in the product but because I couldn’t look in someone’s face and sell them something that expensive that they did not need. The scam part of it is not aimed at the customers but at the salesperson. You are told that you will make x amount of dollars when in fact you do not. As others have said you pay all of your own expenses and have to pressure people into giving you names and numbers of friends and relatives. It is very intrusive to them. Also more times than not you will have to rely on the pay for the appointment as most people will not buy it, especially when they do not know the person trying to sell to them. All in all, I have nothing good to say about the company and its marketing tactics.
Hi Shonda,
Thanks for your open and honest review of life as Cutco agent.
As you know, we get a mix of opinions about this opportunity, but I believe that you have summed things up perfectly with your comments. Ultimately it is about pressure selling, and like you, I would not feel comfortable doing this.
Thanks again, and I hope your comments go some way to helping our visitors who might be considering Cutco as a work from home opportunity.
Best wishes,
Marcus
WFHW Team
One of my two kids has recently started working for this company. Please keep in mind that my comments here may be premature as he has not worked long enough for me to make a judgment.
Even though Cutco training seems to involve a good deal of brainwashing, it also infuses a high degree of optimism, willingness to work, belief in one self and teaches strategies on how to deal with rejections. My son has become suddenly organized, motivated and hard-working. On the down side, this is an old fashioned sales job that requires a lot of dedication, boldness, and a personality that most of us do not have. They do not pay for training, transportation, or for the time you are trying to get appointments, which in practice impacts your hourly wage. However, you only pay fees to attend some of their meetings if you do not sell. If you see a minimum, at least you do not pay to attend. If you have two appointments on a given day, one hour each, including transportation time, and spend a couple of hours, let’s say four hours, calling people, then your hourly wage is going to be five dollars for six hours of work in case you do not sell. Subtract transportation from this (tear and wear of the car, gasoline, insurance etc) and you will see that it is not impressive pay to start with.
That all being said, my other son, who is unemployed, makes nothing all day, is learning nothing, is having no real life experience and is not taking a chance. Both sons have extensively applied for minimum wage jobs for the summer and have not even gotten a single call back. These are extremely hard times, particularly if you do not live in a big city, and I want those who are out there venting about this company to consider that: while many companies that might sell for cheaper are downsizing and do their sales over the internet, Cutco employs American workforce and gives starting students a chance. A chance is all that is, and you do with it what you can, or will.
For parents out there considering on how to advise their children on whether taking a sales job with Cutco or not, keep in mind that you will be subsidizing this job, at least in the beginning, and that it will pay off only if your kid is cut to be a sales person. It also involves the annoyance of asking your friends to have the kid in their house for an hour trying to sell them something. But he/she will learn way more in a summer by doing this than by sitting at the computer desk browsing facebook or playing video games.
And the knives are great. I bought four not because my son sold me with his talk, but because I liked them, and because a friend told me that she has had a set for 40 years and has her set in her will because it lasts forever.
Thanks for a great report there Alex.
I absolutely agree with the points you made…if anything, it is an opportunity for kids to actually learn something rather than doing nothing at all, so in that respect it is a worthwhile venture IF you are prepared to deal with all the excess baggage that comes with it.
I wish your son all the best Alex, and hope that he at least learns some valuable skills whilst working for Cutco. If it doesn’t work out, he can at least use those skills to improve his own potential in the future.
Best wishes,
Marcus
WFHW Team
I sat through a presentation by a friend’s son this weekend. I wouldn’t buy a $100,000 car just because my friend’s son was selling it so why would I buy these knives which are well out of my price range? Other than an act of charity that is. I’d rather just give the kid what his commission would have been straight up and saved myself a thousand dollars.
I understand what you mean here, Noah. It almost creates a difficult situation where you would feel obliged to purchase because you are helping a friend. As you say though, if the product is out of your price range, and/or if the product is not something you require, there’s little point.
Thanks for stopping by Noah…we appreciate you taking the time.
Marcus
WFHW Team
I just started working for vector and I am pretty sure I’ll quit this week. The reason for this is not because vector/cutco is a terrible company to work for. It’s because I’m still in school and in order to be successful with this company you need to treat it like it’s a 9-5 job. Also you’re basically running your own business when working for vector/cutco. So already you have to commit a lot of time. I’m pretty upset that I have to quit due to the fact that I can’t give this company at least 90% of my time at the moment. However I might try to work for the company again during the summer when I can give it 100% of my time! And the promises vector offers when you work for them are not a scam. You just HAVE to give it your all to get those promotions and prices!
Thanks for taking the time to let us know Tina!
You have confirmed our thoughts about this opportunity by stating that you have to give it 100% to achieve any level of success. We wish you well with Vector/Cutco when you have the time to commit.
Best wishes,
Marcus
WFHW
Wow…I find all the negativity and skepticism on here very frustrating! I worked for Vector about 10 years ago and had a very positive experience. In fact, I made around 10k one summer….but that is only because I worked my tail off and found out that I happen to be a natural salesperson. That’s right…this is a sales job. Not everyone is cut out for it. Why do you think some of the highest paid professionals out there are sales professionals? Because not everyone can do it and in order to make any money you have to bust it and be able to actually sell a product or service. Typically in order for someone to be great at selling something they have to be passionate about it and it just so happened that Cutco ARE great knives and believing that made them easy to sell. Not only was I able to make fantastic money during college summer breaks doing this, I was also able to use the experience on my résumé in order to help land me a pharmaceutical sales job straight out of college. Bottom line is what is wrong with finding out whether you are a natural sales person or not? Like someone said earlier, the worst case scenario is that you have great knives that last forever.
Thanks for your input Tiffany, and we are really pleased to hear that Cutco/Vector worked well for you in the past.
best wishes,
Marcus
WFHW
Is it possible to keep the sample kit after putting in all that time for nothing
There are many mixed thoughts about this James, but the general opinion is that you get to buy the kit at a discounted rate. Even if they do allow you to keep the kit, would it really be worth having a bunch of knives after all the effort you have to put in?
All the best,
Marcus
WFHW
I sold Cutco one summer back in college. I didn’t make much money, but the sample kit was the best $100 I ever spent. I still use those knives over 10 years later. Vector’s sketchy, but they make a damn good product.
Sorry to hear that you didn’t make much money Scott, but pleased to hear that the $100 you spent turned out to be a worthwhile investment.
All the best,
Marcus
WFHW
I just wanted to explain my son’s situation and possibly get some advice from those who work for Cutco now, or who have worked there in the past. He is a sophomore in HS and was “recruited” by someone who works there now, who claims he is making “a lot of good money.”
When my son told me that while he was with his Dad, he had been hired by Cutco (the same day he interviewed), I asked him where it was and what he was going to be doing. All I got from him was that “it was a really good company”, and “they will work with his schedule and he can make good money, only working on the weekends.” I asked him how much he would make an hour and he told me about the “$15 per appointment, even if you do not sell anything to anyone.”
I had my suspicions that this may be a pyramid scheme so I started doing my research.
The very first “red flag” that popped up was that the website specifically states “Must be 17 years old to apply”. My son just turned 16, but yet he was hired immediately? When I asked him how he was going to learn how to “sell” the product, he told me there would be several “training sessions”, but when I asked if he would be paid for those hours, he said no.
I should probably mention that he is struggling with his grades and we are paying a private tutor to help him after school three days a week, so his time is already very limited for studying after school. Also, he did not pass Driver’s Ed. so he currently doesn’t have his own transportation.
Last night was his first “training session” with Cutco, and he was there for almost three hours and didn’t get out until almost 8:00 PM. He of course was starving by the time he finished, so he did not start his homework/studying until close to 8:30 after eating dinner, and then told me had a major test in the class he is failing.
This morning, he put a dress shirt in my car, and told me he has his second “training session” again this afternoon. My guess is that he will be there another 2-2.5 hours like last night.
While I understand that Cutco is a legitimate business, I cannot understand why they would hire someone who does not meet their age requirement, does not have his own transportation, and did not provide any identification other than his non driver permit.
I am not wholeheartedly supporting this decision and we have told him that if he has not made enough money working at this company to offset the gas expenses, and if his grades do not improve while working for them, he will have to quit.
If there is anyone out there who truly feels we should not allow him to even get started with this “venture”, knowing his situation, please advise, and I will not bother to take him back again tonight.
Thank you,
Jenny
Hi Jenny,
Thanks for taking the time to explain your son’s situation.
I think you are right to be concerned about the age restrictions put in place, and I would definitely question why he has been hired even though he won’t be 17 for another year. I would say that there’s a reason for employees having to be 17 years old…possible related to insurance in some way, especially as your son will be promoting knives. I don’t mean to alarm you by saying that, but IF anything were to ever go wrong, I’m sure the blame would placed with your son.
That alone would be enough for me to be concerned about this opportunity, and whilst we have heard from people who claim to have been successful with Cutco, we hear more from people who say that it is a very tough way to earn a living.
I hope you’ve had the time to read previous comments from our visitors Jenny, and I hope I have been of some help to you with my reply. As a parent myself I completely agree that school should be more of a priority for your son because his grades will have more of an impact on his future than Cutco will.
Best wishes,
Marcus
WFHW
Thank you for you advice and quick response. I think I will allow him to go to the session tonight but will also ask to speak to someone who can give me some specific “written” information and answers regarding my concerns with his age and the “contract” he signed.
I appreciate what you do on this website, and feel much better about my “feelings” on my actual situation at hand, and how I plan to go forward.
Take care,
Jenny
You’re very welcome Jenny, and please let us know how things go from here.
Best wishes,
Marcus
WFHW
My son got suckered into this pyramid-selling scheme by a manipulative, pretty girl who recruited him (that’s what she does for a living). He is so screwed up by all of this. He has a degree in engineering from a top 10 university, but was totally sucked into this scheme (he was convinced by others that he was “great” with people and would be a “great” salesman). He has earned $200 in the past 4 months – this is with working constantly and driving all over for meetings and appointments, none of which he is reimbursed for. None of us bought from him – our support is not supporting him in what he is doing because it is WRONG. We don’t give him any of our friends’ contact info because it’s embarrassing as hell to have him try to high-pressure them into buying knives they don’t need. He even had to go to a required meeting and stay overnight at a posh hotel in LA (staying overnight was mandatory) – if he had sold any products within a certain time frame, Vector Marketing would pay for the room. Otherwise, he would “owe” Vector Marketing for the cost of the hotel room ($250 plus). REALLY?? ANY REPUTABLE COMPANY WOULD SUPPORT ITS EMPLOYEES. I hate to do this to him, but when he finds himself rejected by this manipulative girl and living on the street because he can’t afford a place to live, maybe he will finally quit this crap and snap out of it.
Powerful stuff Linda, and I thank you for sharing your son’s story with us.
Very few people get to hear about the impact this has on individuals and their family, so this is as revealing as it could possibly get. “Aggressive” best describes the approach by Cutco/Vector, and we believe that very few people actually come out the other side in a strong position. As I’ve stated before though, we have heard from people who claim to have been successful, so we have to accept their words to be true.
Thanks once again Linda, and we wish you and your son well with all future ventures.
Marcus
WFHW
I just recently accepted a job offer from Vector Marketing after attending an orientation by John in Santa Rosa, CA. I knew exactly what kind of job it was when I saw their ad online. The ad itself explained plenty, and I read more about them before I applied. Every bit of info seemed pretty transparent to me. It’s selling high-quality knives. You get paid $18 per appointment, or commission on the sale, whichever is higher. I learned more at the orientation. The incentive pay/commission schedule made my mouth water. Your commission rate increases as you sell more, and it never resets to zero. Once you reach a new level, you never go back down. That alone is awesome, in my opinion. That’s incentive pay, big time. John, who will be my boss and trainer was straightforward, no BS, confident, sharp, and friendly. I’m really looking forward to my training which starts day after tomorrow, and to working for John and his team. That’s my impression so far. I hope I can be successful. Maybe they’re going to drop a bomb during training that’ll blow all my impressions and hopes out the window. But, I don’t think so. Wish me luck!
Hi Neal,
We are really pleased to hear that you are positive about this opportunity, and hope that your enthusiasm is rightly rewarded.
The best of luck, and please stop by and let us know how you get on in the future!
Regards,
Marcus
WFHW
Hi,
I recently scheduled an interview for Cutco. But after seeing these comments and reading about the company’s sketchy past, I am doubtful. Like anybody, I want to make a profit, but I realize that I won’t make as much as I expect (seriously, I don’t know anybody who would want/need these overpriced knives) Is this a “job” worth pursuing?
Hey J,
I would be inclined to say that it’s not worth pursuing, based purely on our opinions AND those of the majority of our visitors.
However, it’s important to point out that we have had comments from people who have been successful with Cutco, but in all honestly they are in the minority. If you think you can match their ambition and desire then by all means go for it and we would be happy to post a report of your story here on Work From Home Watchdog.
Wishing you all the best with your future ventures J!
Marcus
WFHW
I think the bigger issue is for the poor customers who get sucked into one of these demonstrations because they happen to know the kid who is selling. After much badgering a few summers ago, I finally gave in and let one of my sons’ friends come to my house for an “appointment.” I did it to be nice. Period.
He was awful at it. And the demonstration went on forEVER. Much like when I go to an in-home party for one of the other kitchen products companies, I planned to buy the cheapest thing available – just to throw the kid a bone. Pretty much impossible to accomplish. You can’t buy any stock pieces — they all come as part of (very expensive) sets. Ridiculous.
This all came to mind again because a very pushy acquaintance of mine posted on Facebook that her son is now working for them. She asked to please set up appointments, blah blah blah. There is no way in heck I will fall for that nonsense again.
Also, one of my sons has been hounded endlessly by that company via USPS and calling his cell phone. I think that kid now selling for them must have given out names. My son has told them multiple times to stop contacting him and they persist. Obnoxious if nothing else.
The products may be decent, but their tactics rot and I have zero respect for that.
Hi M,
Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts.
The points you raise are echoed by the majority of our visitors, and they really do sum up the whole Cutco approach. As mentioned previously, it’s a very clever marketing strategy, but when you scratch the surface and analyze things in a bit more detail, it’s clear to see that there’s a lot more to it that what most people think.
We do of course get comments from people who are successful with Cutco, and we are full of praise for them and their efforts. After all, they must be exceptionally persistent with their marketing approach. That’s exactly the type of people Cutco are looking for…ruthless people.
Wishing you all the best for 2013, M!
Regards,
Marcus
WFHW
I did a summer job with Vector Marketing years ago. I wish my relatives did me a favor and refused to listen to my presentations becuase I felt like some of them bought the products just to let me not feel discouraged. The minimum hourly or per appointment wage is bogus because if you do not make sales, then they come up with all kinds of excuses why you dont quality (you didnt attend our meetings, stuff like that).
I wised up halfway through and pretty much told my relatives strictly not to buy out of any obligation and only if they feel strongly they need the knives.
As far as quality, do not repeat misstatements that these are high quality knives. They are legit knives. But they are not top quality by any stretch of assessment. They are serrated knives. So naturally, they will look good in cutting leather or metals during the demos. As I grew older, I have bought some high quality knives, and Cutco is just not in the same league.
Only people who lack any conscience and don’t mind getting their own relatives and friends to pay exorbitant prices for decent knives will make money.
Hi Praveen
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your experience with Cutco. Sometimes friends and family can be our biggest critics but at other time they will go the extra mile to us a favor.
All the best,
Terri
WFHW
I am a future Cutco Customer. Wonder how much of the $200Million in annual sales is to friends and relatives of college kids? Probably 98%. Therefore, Cutco is making money off the good nature of relatives. Please do not think this is a real job. It is not.
If there were a way to simply give the $30 directly to the relative, I would prefer that. Unfortunately, there is not, and Cutco preys on this. It is Corporate PanHandling by Proxy, nothing more. The quality of the product is a side issue, not germaine to the main point, which is that Cutco is using kids to sell to relatives. Some of the kids may actually think it is a real job. Selling Cutco to strangers, now that would be an accomplishment. Not going to happen, because the product is a combination of way overpriced, and wa-a-ay inferior, and as has been mentioned elsewhere, everybody has knives already. Looked into this, and Cutco is minimum quality, maximum price, and overall distasteful. I am still going to buy some next week though.
An interesting opinion that it would appear is shared by many others Gabor.
Thanks for taking the time to comment…we appreciate it!
All the best,
Marcus
WFHW
Do what I do. You are not doing your friends or relatives any favors by buying some knives to keep them happy. The faster they are discouraged, the quicker they move on to more productive jobs in society. I wish my friends were blunter with me right away. I feel bad about the few that did buy the overpriced knives from me.
Hi;
I just started with Vector/CUTCO, and so far it seems like a pretty legit outfit. But it is definitely one of those jobs that is what YOU make it. From what I have seen so far, the complaints seem to be coming from a bunch of whiners who have the mistaken idea that equality of attainment is some kind of god given right. Equality of OPPORTUNITY, is a moral imperative. Equality of attainment is an impossibility. If you want something for nothing, stay away from Vector/CUTCO. If you have the gumption to WORK, come on over.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts John, and for emphasizing that you actually have to do something to make money. Sadly, a lot of people out there think otherwise.
All the best,
Marcus
WFHW
Thank you so much for posting an article about the positive aspects of Vector Marketing. As a sales rep, it angers me to read all the comments of people who don’t fully understand the job and therefore dub it a “scam”. My friends don’t listen to me when I try to explain why their argument is invalid, or I just lack the time to be able to discuss it with people fully. What I love about this job, not only do I get rewarded for working hard, but, if I decide to take a break, I can come back and pick up where I left off. I started working with Vector in February 2010, got my first promotion before I even finished training, and won a sales leader trophy my first division meeting, which was made up of about 10 offices. I was in the top ten reps for the sales competition! I worked with Vector until about August, and then decided to take a break. I was at about $8,000 in career sales, which put me at 20%-25% commission. When I came back in February 2012, I was able to pick up right where I left off, and I almost doubled my career sales, which puts me at 30% commission. I’m currently taking another break, but I’m grateful that, when I go back, I don’t have to start from zero!
Thanks again for your encouraging article!
Hi Kayla,
Thank you for your comment.
Not everyone who goes into this type of marketing is going to be as successful. It takes hard work and requires self belief in
achieving the goals.
I know from my own experience in Sales what is required from such companies.
I wish you success in your career.
All the Best
Neil
WFHW Team
Hello,
I recently found an opening with this position online. I’ve known a couple of friends who have done it back in the day where they have had to pay for their starter-kit. Believe you me, I would not even be considering this position if they made me pay for a $300+ starter kit. i think they’ve changed a lot of policies now over the years after hearing complaints.
Now the Vector Marketing I’ve talked to in my area is loaning out Starter Kits for free. You only have to return them if you quit.
What you get out of it is the amount of effort you put into it. So if you plan to do hardly anything you will hardly get anything in return. I didn’t want to do it at first because I’ve known people to have bad experiences with it, but hey desperate times call for desperate measures and it’s a lot better than trying to win a jackpot at the casino.
A friend of mine used to actually date one of the district managers who worked her ass off to become a district manager. I asked him how legit this company is and he said it’s very legit. if anything is fishy at all, I will definitely quit.
Hi Jess,
Thank you for your comment.
Any type of sales require commitment, hard work and sheer determination to succeed.
If you are prepared to do this then you will achieve the success that you deserve, but please remember it isn’t as easy
as they say it is.
All the Best
Neil
WFHW Team
My nephew has made an appointment with me today to use me as a “training session”. I am curious because I would like to help him where i can, and to see for myself what the pitch is all about. He has already told me I don’t have to purchase anything when we set up the appointment.
Be sure to let us know how his pitch went for you Bob…. Let us know if you were ready to buy :)
All the best,
Tony
WFHW
And please pardon my rudeness. I’ve just been hearing from a lot of my friends that it’s a scam and I better back out. So that comment was a little heated.
No problem at all for “sounding off” Stephen…we appreciate how people can be easily confused by what others say about an income opportunity.
We hope that you now have a clearer idea of this program, and we also hope that our website offers you genuine opportunities that might be more suited.
All the best for now Stephen.
Marcus
WFHW
I don’t know where you got all this, I am currently a sales rep and you are super wrong, just got through training. We do get paid more for our hard work through our commissions and we get promotions after we sell a certain amount of money. We get paid whether we even sell anything or not at a appointment and plus we are advised to tell our customers to not buy anything unless they really need it. So it is not your typical sales pitch.
Please read my reply to your next comment Stephen.
Many thanks,
Marcus
WFHW
Hey Marcus,
Thanks for this awesome article to start. I have been working with Vector Marketing since May 2008 and started as a student, like most. After having 2 Branch experiences (two 4 month internships) I was given the opportunity to stay on board as a Career Position.
You are 100% correct, it is a sales job and it takes effort. Nothing in life comes easy and everything takes work. I am a firm believer that if someone really wants to build an awesome life for themselves that they can though this because I did. I am currently financially independent at 23 and was the #1 Rising Star District Manager for 2011 and currently the #1 again for this year, thus far.
Many students walk through our doors and we offer them an opportunity what they choose to do with it does depend on them. Some succeed and love it while others that have a tougher time with it because its just not for them or they choose to follow there own rules then they go off and bad mouth it. Sadly it the society we live in. I have had bad experiences with numerous other companies such as cell phones companies and even restaurants but I do not go off saying things about them on the internet, I think it takes some maturity apparently to do so.
Working with young people in general brings that situation to the table, I worked at a karate school before and it use to happen sometimes too but not everyone is going to love what we do its like saying not everyone can be successful. Successful people do well because they put there maximum effort and really do things outside of there comfort zones.
I really appreciate this article because we have an amazing product for customers and an even better opportunities for students looking for experience and extra income.
I have personally helped my representatives get the experience they need and have written them recommendation letters to get the internships or jobs they have always wanted. I wouldn’t change my job for the world and frankly my opinion is all that matters to me but I am glad to see an article that reflect the truth about us versus just what people “think” might be true.
Hi Jessyca,
Thanks so much for sharing your experiences and thoughts on my review.
You are living proof of what can be achieved by someone who is prepared to put in the effort – congrats on your success! Here at Work From Home Watchdog we have to dissect the truth from the numerous negative comments about EVERY product out there, and it’s a tough job to get right.
Of course, we could be just like every other review site out there and rip apart the same old products for the same old reasons, but we don’t because we extensively research every product that we review. It’s very important to us that our visitors get honest opinions…even if it is sometimes differ from what everyone else is saying!
You make a great point about this opportunity and just about every other legitimate opportunity out there…you are rewarded according to your efforts. Treat it with the respect it deserves and you will do well, but if you expect money to fall from the sky…it just won’t happen.
Your comments are very much appreciated Jeesyca, and whilst our concerns are more to do with the way the potential of this opportunity is portrayed, we are very pleased to hear that you are doing so well :)
Congrats once again, and thanks for taking the time to stop by!
Marcus
WFHW
I just started with CUTCO and sold to a friend’s mom and earned $25.50 for an hour’s work. I also didn’t have to pay for the knives, since they changed that policy in February 2011. And I have 6 more appointments this weekend. I think how much of a scam it is depends on 2 things: your district manager (mine’s 28th in the country out of 800), and how hard you’re willing to work to get those appointments.
Hi Steve,
Thanks for letting us know how you are getting on with Cutco/Vector.
You raise a great point about how determined you are…this seems to be a major contributing factor with this opportunity. A good district manager definitely helps too, and it would seem that you are in a strong position with yours.
We wish you well with your future ventures.
Marcus
WFHW
I am currently a sales representative for vector marketing and I have not experienced any of these so called “scams”. They are very honest and upfront with you about how their payment process works; $17 per qualified appointment or at least 10% commission.
You do not have to pay for your kit. There is a contract that must be signed so no one steals the knives they are lending you. They also give the option of purchasing those knives at a discounted price.
This job is very rigorous and you MUST be motivated to constantly have clients to set appointments with. It is a unique experience you will not find with many other companies.
If you are unable to motivate yourself, handle completion with yourself and others, and if you simply don’t have the mentality of a sales associate it’s pretty much guaranteed you wont like this job. For people interested in working hard, paying their bills (or for school), or that love talking with and meeting new people then this job is perfect for them.
All I’m saying is ask a 19 year old making $15,000 in a summer and see if they tell you its a scam.
Hi Kiersa,
Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts.
Your comments echo my main concerns about this opportunity with Cutco/Vector, and they are of course that this is a TOUGH job, and only a small percentage of people will actually have what it takes to make this work. Yes, the earning potential is there, but it is not as easy as Cutco/Vector make out. This ‘lack of transparency’ is what we have a problem with at WFHW (this is a consistent issue with MANY work from home opportunities).
We do receive a constant stream of comments about this opportunity, but we do not publish all of them because we are very aware that some people just want to vent their anger when it hasn’t worked for them. We are not here to generate a negative herd mentality…we are here to give an unbiased opinion based on the facts that we have in front of us.
Regarding the kit, a number of people have recently told us that you do not have to pay for the kit, and we believe that this changed recently. As you say, you have the chance to purchase the knives at a discounted price, or, as we have recently discovered, you have to pay for them if you don’t return them. I believe this is another smart marketing move because let’s be honest here…who wouldn’t be impressed by them, or at least try them? I would also imagine that not many people would return them if they backed out of this opportunity, so ultimately most people will pay for them…one way or another.
With the above said, you sound like you have what it takes to succeed with Vector Marketing, so we commend you for your efforts. We wish you well for the future, and it would be great if you could stop by now and then and update us on your success :)
Thanks again for stopping by!
Marcus
WFHW
Elisha Cann is not associated with Cutco but similar companies which promise a great deal but are nothing more than commission only marketing jobs.
Thanks for getting back to us Abdul!
We’ll definitely keep an eye out for this person, and we’ll make our visitors aware of anything that we find.
Thanks again!
Marcus
WFHW
If you see any sales jobs telling you to email Elisha Cann, don’t bother. This name has been connected to several companies all of which promise a lot but are in fact commission only scams. Elisha Cann is a scammer
Hi Abdul,
Thanks for the tip.
Is this person connected with Cutco in any way, or is this someone that you are suggesting to avoid in general?
Best wishes,
Marcus
WFHW