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To Whom It May Concern: Bernard Haldane Associates contacted me by e-mail and offered assistance with my job search. When I went to their office, I was told that there were several companies in town that were looking for people like me. Their "Vice President of Client Services" looked on his computer screen and claimed that there were openings at Eli Lilly & Co., Dow Agra, Inc, and others that were offering in excess of $150, 000 per year for someone with my qualifications. I was very excited! This gentleman told me that if I wasn't satisfied with their program they would "give me my money back". He went on to say that even if I completed the program, got a job, and was completely satisfied, but still wanted my money back that they would "give me my money back" - even though that is not what their contract states. This gave me a sense of security to go ahead and pay the high fees (over $6, 300). They never gave me access to their on-line services that were promised (which required an authorization code that they never gave to me). My first two "counselors" either quit or got fired within a couple of weeks of my starting to work with them. They never even completed my resume by the time I stopped participating in their "program". Finally, their "program" consisted very simply of common sense advice as to how to approach potential employers, and an updated resume. There was nothing of any real value there.
I quit the program because I found a job on my own, with absolutely no help from Haldane (which now goes by the name of BH Careers International) - this was a job I applied to before talking to Haldane. I completed 45% of their so-called "program". So, in fairness, I only asked for a refund of the 55% of the course that I did not complete. Contrary to what they told me during their sales pitch, they refused to give me a dime back! After I complained to the Better Business Bureau, the State Attorney General's office, and the Federal Trade Commission, Haldane offered to give me about half of the "fair" refund I had asked for. And they only agreed to do that if I would agree to sign another contract forfeiting my constitutional right to free speech regarding my experience with them.
They told me I would have to send a written retraction of anything negative I had said to anyone about them, and that I would have to prevent my family members from speaking negatively about them, also! I refused their offer, and now am exercising my right to speak out about this terrible company.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
I guess I'm not alone after all. Looks like there's enough folks that have met these bums to start a 12 Step Program. BHA-----Bernard Haldane Anonymous. I really feel bad for the scumbags that work for these guys and know better. Scamming unemployed people who desperately need every dollar out of several grand at a clip is at best thievery.
It looks like I'm not alone in falling for the Bernard Haldane 'innovative career placement' scam. I moved to WI in support of my 'then' wife's opportunity but was having difficulty finding the 'right' fit. I got in contact with BH's office in Brookfield and, in desperation, dropped $3k+ for their coaching. I'm ashamed of myself for getting hoodwinked, but when you relocate, have 1 mediocre income and 2 small kids to care for, you want to get back on track. Another of life's lessons learned, albeit the hard way.
I'm another one who paid over $3000.00 back in 1990 and got absolutely nothing in return other than a very hard lesson learned. The office and the high pressure salesman they called a "senior councilor" I dealt with turned out to be totally FAKE. I had been looking for work, running out of money and was getting desperate. They claimed to have all these potential cliets they could line me up with. These were the days before the internet. They had NOTHING !
DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY !
I had a similar experience in 2003 with their Arlington office in Virginia. Luckily I didn't fall for it. My prospective counselor's sales pitch was identical to that narrated by several on this thread. I was called for an interview, they asked me to come with my wife and offered their services for a "discounted rate" of $3, 200. Something seemed off. I didn't go for it. I am now looking for a new career path, decided to look them up, and found this. I am so grateful for all of those who've posted on this site sharing their experiences. I am now 100% sure that my instincts were right 15 years ago. thank you all and thank God for the Internet!
I agree with everyone posting here...I guess "luckily", I only got scammed out of $2, 500. My first "counselor" was a defrocked minister...I kid you not. The people in Chicago were the same as the others have described..."oh your going to be an executive', "you're going to get plenty of job offers"...didn't get a one. I spread the real story about them to anyone who was considering using one of the "career counseling" companies that advertise...stick with networking...it's the best way to go.
I visited the Bernard Haldane offices in 2001. I was told on my first visit they could arrange interviews with 10 companies immediately. In the one year I spent there they got me no interviews. My "counselor" would talk about football with me instead of about employment. I paid $3000 and got nothing from it.
The same holds for me. I haven't done research on them until now because I went into the military and haven't needed to fill out a resume for years. Now that I am looking back into the civilian market I have to put the pieces of my work history back in place. The problem is that I have a big gap in my work history because I put a lot of time and money into this scam. I see that no one had commented oh BHC in several years because they have morphed into other companies. Oh how duped I feel and I feel bad for all of those who have been taken advantage of. Thanks for sharing and helping me understand that it wasn't just me and that there were some people who got out of their web before it hit them.
I got duped by these guys back in 1991 in Chicago. My spider senses were tingling during the whole 2 hour pitch by the slick talking salesman, but I suppressed it and gave him my credit card. I got the same verbal assurances that if they did not find me a job that I would get my money back, but the contract was worded differently. The contract is worded to sound like they are giving you something, but is to vague to enforce anything.
Within a couple weeks I realized that the program was next to worthless. The moment that I realized this was when I had a combined job search seminar and got to meet some of the other professionals looking for jobs. They were all good people who were desperate for quality jobs, but were each missing the right mix of experience or education to get it. I felt sorry for all of them waisting their hard earned money on this nonsense. I immediately tried to extricate myself from this nonsense, and cut a deal to be free of them. I lost a couple grand, but learned a valuable lesson. Decisions regarding your career and your money should not be made impulsively. Stay away from these guys.
I really feel bad for amyone that gives hard earned money to this company. I was foolish enough to trust their Princeton NJ office back in 2000 after being scammed by their salesman, who told me they had high-level "contacts" in the corporate world that I would have access to by joining thier counseling program. Turned out purely to be counseling that consisted of giving me advice that could be found for free on the internet, even back in 2000. I was transitioning from a blue collar job to the corporate world and did not have contacts of my own, which is what sold me on becoming a client. Of course they did not actually have any "contacts" to get me in front of, and the salesman responded to my complaints several months into it by stating "You didn't really think we had contacts, did you?". All of a sudden he's acting like he never said anything of the sort to me. Just by the way he was responding to me, I could tell that he was very used to clients confronting him about feeling scammed. I am "lucky" that I only wasted $3, 500 after reading some of the other fees people have been charged. Do yourself a favor and get their services for free by reading resume/career advice on employment websites. They prey on people who are looking to make a transition in their careers and could use help. Unfortunately at the time I did not have the additional $ to hire an attorney to go after them, and it still angers me 10 years later.
I was horribly scammed out of $6500.00 And then sexually harrassed by an Executive Career Counselor who was "supposed" to be conducting the initial phonescreen for the only job lead out of hours and hours of my Own leg work, from a BHA "Fancy office" in Teaneck NJ. I felt like Such a fool and ashamed of my own Stupidity that I just "Let It Go". This was in 1990. I have finally learned, if you don't know your rights, you'd better learn them because the same situations will keep happening until you do learn. It's 20 years later and so many similar situations have continued to occur at such a rate and level, I am pursuing my graduate studies and entering Law School to CHANGE the Consumer Rights laws which exist today because the Consumer is getting Used and Abused more than ever before. I have had ENOUGH! I say Class Action Lawdsuit against BHA to set presedence to create/enact new laws. I estimate I'll be a law schools Graduate by he time Our CALU reaches the Supreme Courts! We else have we got to lose? Nothing but so much to gain for All Hardworking Ethical and Moral Consumers!
I had an encounter with these charlatans in late 1995.
I lost my job unexpectedly at an awkward moment when I had very few savings, and needed to find another job. At the time, I didn't have the internet yet, and it wasn't much use for job search then anyway if you didn't work in IT. Anyway, I saw an ad for these guys in a Toronto newspaper, and replied to it. I didn't really expect a reply, as the wording in their advertising suggested that they were recruiting for jobs that were at a higher level than I would have been qualified for with my experience at the time.
A few days later, I got a call and found out that they were interested in me. The address was one of the big office towers in Toronto, a fairly prestigious sounding address. So I put on my nice suit and headed in to an interview in their very nice looking office.
They gave the spiel that will be familiar to anyone that's ever encountered them -- We have great contacts, we can help you access the hidden job market, the jobs that never get listed in the newspapers, etc. They talked a good line about the services they could offer, and I might have been interested. They suggested bringing my wife in to talk with them too. But then they mentioned what it would cost. I don't recall the precise figure, but it was several thousand dollars. At the time, I had little in the way of savings, and I was very unsure about borrowing money for something like this.
Despite the fancy office, and the smooth salesmanship, something didn't ring true -- Not helped by the fact that some of the companies prominently listed in their brochure as being organizations that they supplied services to had been out of business for years. I also couldn't help noticing that they mostly seemed to concentrate on things like resume writing and other things that I could already do perfectly, rather than industry contacts and other things that seemed more relevant to my job search. In the end, I decided that what they were charging was more than I could afford, and I chose not to sign a contract. Although I took a few more months to find a job on my own, I did it, and things worked out fine in the end.
Years later, I thought about my interview with Bernard Haldane and Associates, and looked them up online. I was interested to see just how correct my instincts were, and I'm eternally glad that I didn't pursue their offer. Outfits like this are parasites on human misery, with no regard for human decency. Fortunately, it's much easier to look up and learn the modus operandi of shady operations like this today.
Jack, good for you! I had my own encounter with these dodgy characters back in 1992. I was not happy in my job and had no idea how to get out and find a satisfying career. This was pre-Internet so I spent most of my time sending snail mail to prospective employers (of course so did everyone else). I thought Haldane might be a good prescription and so I dropped $3k on their services (against my wife's better judgment. I listen to her now). They were totally useless. My counselor was a fast talking lady who offered absolutely nothing of value except platitudes and vague advice -- stuff I either already knew or was patently obvious.
I am really surprised these people still exist -- I guess with a down economy, these people prey on those who may get desperate when their job prospects are uncertain.