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Kaylynn Angers (age 17) grade 11 student and Kouthar Abrahams also 17 years old and grade 11. These two minors went to the above company for a job interview (01/12/11) to work during the December 2011 school holidays. The interview was conducted outside the above premises. They were promised admin positions and were told that these positions are not commission based. They were requested to return on 02/12/11 for follow up, to be showed around the company and to meet the training managers. The had to start 07.45 - 16.45. The girls were totally mislead, were separted into different groups with strangers, Kouthar was placed with guys for the day and had to walk to Bellvile Station board a train to Somerset West. Kaylynn had to travel to Blackheath for the day. Kaylynn's team leader hitch hiked with her and she ended up taking a lift with strange men in a bakkie twice. They had to walk door to door all day marketing products. When we fetched the girls @ 16.45, Kouthar was still travelling back from Somerset West. The girls were not paid for the day, and the lives were @ stake. This is unacceptable and should be investigated. I approached the senior management to enquire what the company is up to and they were not happy with me enquiring and didnt understand my concern regarding the safety of the girls, the exploitation and the non payment for the day. I also pointed out the lack of indemnity, procedural fairness and not having proper HR Procedures in place. The girls came back in a state after a long day but Empire Internation couldn't care less. Please investigate.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
I worked for this place for 2 years, it's the hardest work I've ever done in my life and don't regret a moment. I've learned tons. Although I'm super happy working my office job now... the skills I learned working for Empire got me where I am today (I'm doing fine, trust me :)).
That said, their hiring system is a lie...obviously, they're selling people on the idea of office jobs and then you walk door-to-door.
At the end of my 2 years I was in a position (yes, pyramid scheme..) where I did not have to sell anything and I earned R13 000 a week.
I was there this morning and so excited that I couldn't even think of what will be the consequences of getting a job so easy as ABC like this. I'm so disappointed that there are still people who are playing with peopl's lives like this, I wish God can Bless them in the name of Jesus. I wonder how are they thinking when they lie to people, telling empty promises? I really wanted to go back and show Sonja the lady who interviewed me that I saw who they are but I don't wanna waste my time for this Rubbish. God Bless them for they don't know what they're doing.
I just received a call from Sonja (19 Jan 2015) who informed me that my application for events manager had been successful and scheduled an interview for tomorrow at 11. After taking down all the details I decided to check my email as I had no recollection of applying for such a position. After finding no trace of such an application I googled the company and found this site. Not only were my hopes crushed but I was enraged that people would give jobseekers such false and misleading hope. I cant believe that they are still at it when all these complaints date back to 2013 already!why have they not been stopped?!?!?!
This is bad, i was in the same situation just now...sonja called me for meeting tomorrow... well i know what to do...thanks all..
i also got the same call bt she said its for import and exports and i never applied for such a position
Lucky i researched before i went in there, thanks guys you are the best .I feel bad for what you went through though.
Hope some in authority will hear the peoples cry and close down such thugs or slave masters
The saga continues. She called me this afternoon as well; was very rushed in explaining the interview was on for Thursday. Anyone who is anyone ALWAYS looks up or Googles the company to which they are going for an interview - as a means of orientating themselves with the culture and core business functions of the company (a head start, if you will). And being an anyone who is someone, I looked them up . The rest is history. I will spend that Thursday morning I was going to be on the road to Bellville, wasting my time, rather looking for LEGITIMATE employers instead. You have to be a cold, conscienceless, sociopath to be able to sleep at night, knowing that this what you do to desperate people for a living. The beautiful ones are indeed not yet born!
hi guys i had the same call yesterday from Sonja at empire international i am suppouse to go see her today at 2:30 but thanx to all of you i am not going i cant believe this company
Hi guys. I also received a call from Sonja Yesterday afternoon. After I did everything and had the same conversations you had with mrs Bruwer. I decided to E-mail a formal statement to the Bellville Police Department requesting an investigation into the matter.
I included links to Empire Internationals (Under Construction Website) and this Bulletin Board.
I will let you know how it unfolds.
I received a call an hour ago from Ms Sonja and boy do I have my curiosity and intuition to be thankful for; everything she has said to you guys she has said to me - I am so grateful that I came across this complaints board! I guess she'll be having an interview with herself tomorrow BOOOOOO Empire International!
Hi
I had a look at your cv and am pleased to inform you that your application was successful and I have qualified you to come in for a interview. Interviews are done on Thursday 27 feb (tomorrow) at 15pm. To confirm this, please reply to this email and ill send you the address.
Kind regards
HR
Then i replied asking for add
Its a pleasure dear. Ok, so its tomorrow at 15pm.
Go down with Voortrekker rd until you reach Bellville police Station. Opposite the police station is Cleveland St. Turn down Cleveland st and then take the first one left into 1st avenue. We are on the corner of 1st avenue and Salisbury st nr 6. Our company name is Empire International. ask for Sonja. Please bring your cv and pen. See you then!
Kind Regards
Sonja Bruwer - HR
[protected]
My observation day is tomorrow [protected]), but since I saw these complaints, I'm not going nowhere!
Was there today (6 Feb 2014). Same thing happen. Scam! People like this, who prey on the vulnerable and desperate, make me sick!
Does anyone have an idea of how to prevent this from happening to others? I sat in the interview today with 2 other people (Dominique & another), i just wish I could warn them. Odds are they are going in tomorrow for the 'observation day'!
Well I was just phoned (2014/02/05) and I forgot which company it was exactly since i had applied for a lot of jobs and companies. Then Sonja phoned me and said to arrange an interview. I was happy at first then realized I had no idea what the company actually does. So I googled and found this. Kinda pisses me off but thanks to the person who started this and the people that follow it up. It actually caught my attention on hallo peter, http://hellopeter.com/empire-international/complaints/misleading-applicants-1009980 and now I know not to waste my money on petrol getting there tomorrow. She told me she had to do it earlier since she had a business trip after tomorrow. So tomorrow (2014/02/16) I have an interview at 2PM and I'm just not going to show, if she calls me I'm going to threaten to call the police because then it becomes harassment.
I Almost got caught into the web of lies when I went in last week Friday for the "group interview" ... after years of looking for a job I was so excited to surprise my loved one. but thank god for giving me a bad feeling about it, spoke to my neighbours and told my husband (it was a surprise for him as well) ... he found this page and god bless everyone who has posted and i have broadcast it all over Facebook, sent it to friend, family, groups and many pages. let help stop these horrible people.
These people need to be stopped. Jobseekers are so desperate that they beg and borrow travel or petrol money to get this place only to be scammed. Like majority of you i too received a call from her and the address details and conversation were the same. Somebody seriously needs to get this looked into. It should be illegal.
I was quite shocked and disappointed when I read all these complaints.
I received a call from Sonja Bruwer telling me how impressed she was with my CV and she would like me to come in for an interview as there is a Management position available. I got to their offices and had to fill out this application form that does not even make sense. Sonja told me that they work on salary basis and that it is not commision based. She was vague about this and told me that the salary and all the job details would be explained to me at the observation day. It all sounded too good to be true! When I did some research on the company I came across all these complaints and imediately decided not to attend the observation day. Thanks guys, cant believe they would do this to people, get you all excited about a job that does not exist.
Thanks for the warnings guys.
I have applied for a few positions on Jobsearch for part-time work. I have just received an phone call from Sonja Bruwer. She told me that they received my CV and would like to interview me tomorrow, seeing as they are having their last round of interviews tomorrow. I have an interview with Empire International tomorrow at 12pm. I decided to research the company before the interview and come apon this site and various more. I was very excited for the interview, but now I'mshot down from that excitement. I can't believe I fell for this. I am going to phone and e-mail this Sonja and cancel this interview or just not bother at all. I would have travelled with the train to this interview and would have wasted a whole day. Thank you for all these warnings.
I rec a call from Sonja today for Junior Management position reading this Im deciding its best not to go and waste my time, has anyone heard anything after they went for the interviews?
i am going there on Monday for an interview, sonja called mi today. will let them talk all there nonsense and will ask that sonja when you really look at my qualification do i look like a child that i can be scammed. will be so arrogant to ha and she will regret calling mi. why do they waste peoples time anyway. we need to take this complaintsb to the police, every body should print and take a copy to the police
Oh my greatness! I posted an ad on Gumtree for a job house sitting during the holidays, and just this afternoon Sonja Bruwer called and told me I had gotten a job interview based on my CV and response to THEIR Gumtree advertisement. Immediately I thought something was up, because in the last week I haven't responded to any ads, but only posted my own.
I Googled the address: 6 Salisvury Street in Belville on Google Maps to see how I'd get there via train. I then checked the web and came across all these complaints. Thanks guys! Even though I quite desperately need a job these holidays, there's no way I'm following up on this interview (especially after calling back with no-one responding on the other side).
So sonja also called me today, offering me an interview for tomorrow at 11. Then I googled the company to get the directions, and i came across a lot of complaints saying that it's a scam. Someone has to stop this company and "Sonja"! Thank you google!
i also just got a call from sonja to come in tomorrow, but reading all of this it is clear that they are messing people around so tomorrow i will go to the interview with all the complaints printed out and highlighted at the important stuff and i will phone the police to come and pay the company a visit as this is not on, lets see her get out of this on..
i got a call from Sonja yesterday. I immediately asked her what the key outputs for the position is and she couldnt answer me. I told her not to waste my time and ended the call.
lol.. this is really crazy.. i just received a call from her now, I knew i sent my C.V out to a couple of Companies, i don't recall all of them but she was the one who told me that i applied for a Junior Management Position..she never asked me important question only insisted that i make the interview tomorrow at 3.. I was realy excited since i bought a make up kit from IME and Avani.. Companies which they deal with.. funny enough, these were promoters that promoted the product in the CBD area, and i paid R1000 for the kit. So then i though
why not google the company since google is my best friend.. and this is what i came across... Thanks to you guys, For the Warning..
This company is one big con! I went through the same things as described above...what a waste of time and money. Something needs to be done to put a stop to this scam. The people working there, especially Sonja Bruwer (probably not even her real name) need to be brought down! It is so wrong what they are doing to needy people, who are simply looking for an honest way of earning a living. Liars and fraudsters is all they are! There is no shortage of complaints about this company either...google autocompletes the phrase 'Empire International' to 'Empire International Complaints'...coincidence? I think not!
PS: someone needs to teach "Sonja" how to wear make-up... Looks like she applied her eyeliner on with a paintbrush, and had a 3-year old do her lipstick.
I just had an interview with a lady who called me yesterday and said I qualify for an interview with her. so this morning I went to the Bellville address, Unit 04, Old Dutch square, expecting to have an interview for the 'sales' position which I had applied for. she greeted me and directed me to a room where I had to fill in a piece of paper asking inappropriately personal questions . from the get go, I picked up a very fishy vibe ..about her, ther way she conducted the interview, the building. .something wasnt right. Now I come home to research the company and find so much complaints about it. its Friday and Im suppose to start the 'assessment' day this Monday. but after viewing the reviews and complaints about this company, Im happy that Im not gonna fall into the same trap. the real question is, HOW DO WE STOP THIS COMPANY FROM TAKING ADVANTAGE OF INNOCENT PEOPLE
I went for an interview with them, but luckily picked up that something was a little off.
They phoned me and told me that I applied for an events position with them (which I didn't) and I passed the screening and should come for a interview.
During the same phone call, it turned into a management position. I told them I think they have the wrong person, but they said I should just come and the position will be explained.
I went there for the interview, and they immediately sent me into a room with other candidates who were filling out forms - Personal information. Id numbers, addresses, vehicle registration. the whole shabang
Firstly, I wasn't told that it would be a group interview, secondly, who asks for personal information before even describing the job.?
As we were filling out the forms I started asking the other candidates what they knew about this, how did they find out, etc, and it became very obvious that nobody knew anything but were desperate for work.
Then their HR lady came in Sonja Bruwer, if thats even her real name, dressed a little too sexy, and using subtle seduction as she spoke... Something is not right for sure. Next, she explained that we will have a group interview, and started asking us individual questions... Before even explaining anything about the positions we were applying for etc. Eventually after "scanning" all of us individually, she started explaining that there were 4 different positions... and she explained these positions very murky, no clarity, no sense... I thought this is either a pyramid scheme, or identity theft or something.. She then started asking each of us which one we''d like to apply for... This is when I got up and left.
Maybe they are legit, but most likely, they are fraudsters..
1.This company wants sales agents but when they advertise they say the positions are management positions, (No transparency) 2.They also don't tell you that you would need to bring your own vehicle orelse you will walk long distances promoting their product on the day when they say its your second interview/assessment or whatever they call it. 3. They don't care how far you walk or travel by train as long as you get to sell or promote their product whilst you are told its an assessment for the job. 4. Their HR ppl & so called owners talk to fast & are very impatient. Has anyone ever heard of a job assessment that takes allday 8-5 with no lunch or any refreshment, just a train ticket and a long walk to freedom. No thanks to Empire International, they must come clean when they call people for interviews and not hypnotise people to think of a management position while you wud be going around the streets selling few expensive products...