(NAPSA)—If you’re looking for a job and like the thought of a job that involves travel, think before you leap. That’s the advice from the nonprofit National Consumers League (NCL), which is warning young people against being lured into the dangerous world of traveling sales crews. Recruited through promises of great earnings, fun travel and adventure, members of young sales crews travel from state to state to sell products door to door, such as magazine subscriptions, candy and cleaning supplies. Unfortunately, many young salespeople often learn hard lessons on the road with a traveling crew. Threats and abuse by crew leaders, abandonment with no money when sales are slow, abysmal working and living conditions, and personal safety risks are the reality for these young workers. The good news, according to NCL,is that it’s possible to distinguish a legitimate door-to-door selling opportunity from a traveling sales crew scam. The most important first step is to check out the company. Find out the name of the company, its address, and the name of the com- pany’s chief executive officer. If the company representative is unwilling to provide this information before scheduling an interview, it is quite likely that it is not an ethical or legitimate company. Visit the Direct Selling Associa- tion’s (DSA) Website (www.dsa.org) to see if the company is a member. DSA represents companies that sell in a person-to-person manner, F4 Good news: It’s possible to dis- tinguish a legitimate door-to-door selling opportunity from a travel- ing sales crew scam. including door-to-door companies. These companies are thoroughly reviewed and must abide by a strict code of ethics. Call your local Better Business Bureau or your state’s consumer protection agency (nor- mally your state’s attorney general’s office). Ask if there are any complaints or legal actions against the company. If the company checks out, talk over the opportunity with family and friends. Take your time deciding what’s right for you. A legitimate company will not pressure you to sign up on the spot and will offer you a written contract. NCL offers tips—available thanks to an unrestricted grant from the Direct Selling Education Foundation—to help anyone interested in a door-to-door sales job at www.nclnet.org. Also on the site are information on contracts and safety tips for working doorto door.
