Need some advice on job application

[Donnachaidh]

Personally, I'm not sure if this is legit, that is one of the reasons why I'm asking for advice.

DH answered an ad on craigslist, which stated the company was looking for drivers for vending machine routes. The pay quoted was within the range he wanted, with van provided, bennies, etc. The routes are in our area. HOWEVER ---

The company requires HIM to bring a copy of his credit scores to the interview. I know that some jobs run credit reports on potential employees, but I've never heard of them requiring the applicant to bring them to them. They also have an affiliate link to a certain site where he can get a free report.

I dunno - this is just setting off bells for me. If this place is truly legit, WHY does he have to get his report and WHY are we continually told to go to ONE site in particular.

I'd really appreciate any thoughts on this. There is so much scamming going on in our local craigslist (MLM, gifting, etc.,) I'm wondering if we should bother with this.

[BlooInBloo]

1. hahaaha! They so fucking cheap, they want YOU to pay for the credit lookup!

:rofl:

[Donnachaidh]

2. not only that -- they have an affiliate link

That's what blew my mind.

[BlooInBloo]

4. Yup. If it's at all feasible, tell them to go to hell.

[Donnachaidh]

14. We're seriously thinking of telling them to take a flying leap.

Just too many warning bells going off.

I might even call my local TV station's *scamblaster* and fill him in on this thing. If it's a fraud it needs to be outed.

[Frank Cannon]

19. Walk away from them very fast

I've been wrong about my first impressions about people, but whenever I've had "alarm bells" about a potential employer, I've been right 100% of the time. I've made some very grievous mistakes.

Keep looking. Something will come along eventually. And no good can come of this.

[stevedeshazer]

8. I had to pay for my own drug test

Just to prove I'm worthy to hold down a near-minimum wage job.

This is wrong.

[pacalo]

3. If they're asking for this of applicants, what would this company require of employees.

Seems like a ballsy type of employer.

[TahitiNut]

5. You have to wonder if blacks and Hispanics are more likely to have lower credit scores.

I DETEST the crap that employers are able to get away with these days and call it a "condition of employment." IMHO, if it were anything close to a 'condition of employment' then they'd specify a MINIMUM credit score and leave it for verification. Requiring someone to actually PROVIDE such a report, and pushing them to do business with an affiliate ('free' is almost always with strings), is a dishonest employment practice. (Sounds more like sales to me.)

:grr: :grr:

[stevedeshazer]

15. Hell yeah

Giving them copies of your credit scores tells everything about you -- where you shop, how much debt or not you have, on and on.

Why is that any of their business?

[stevedeshazer]

6. I don't see the need for an employer to know the credit score of a job applicant

Does he also have to pee in a cup so they can drill down into his body chemistry to determine whether he's going to be a successful employee?

I don't know your personal circumstances and how badly your DH needs this job, but that's ridiculous.

Wouldn't you like to know what is in the pee of this prospective employer along with their credit scores?

Back in the day, they used to check the teeth of mules, horses and slaves.

This is no different.

[Systematic Chaos]

10. Try getting a casino job with bad credit.

Hell, even call centers rule you out if you have either less than x credit score, or more than y defaulted debt. Even if my fat ass didn't have a bajillion health problems I still couldn't get a decent fucking job based on my credit score and who knows how many accounts in collection.

I guess I'm just a piece of shit to the world. :P

[Systematic Chaos]

11. Don't need to say it twice....

:rofl:

[Systematic Chaos]

7. Sounds like a whole new kind of phishing scam to me!

Do you even know if this company exists? I'd go in person and ask their HR department why they have this criterion for employment before I did anything else.

[Donnachaidh]

13. that's what I'm wondering too.

I have a sneaking suspicion this is a lead-in to selling vending routes to desperate people. And that affiliate link really frigging annoys me, how frigging CHEAP can you be?

[madmom]

9. I don't know if this is true, but I was told a long time ago that every time

some one checks your credit score you loose credit points. Is this true? and if it is why should everyone and their brother , it seems, be able to check everyone else's credit score?Pretty soon we won't be able to buy groceries if we have a "bad" credit score.

[Donnachaidh]

12. if there are a lot of checks in a certain period, it does effect your score

I know that from years back, when I worked in an office that ran credit checks.

[southerncrone]

16. First of all, I would not necessarily feel "cofident" about a company that

advertises for employees on CRAIG'S LIST. If they are too cheap to list w/Monster or other legitimate job websites or in the local newspaper, then I'd be wary of how stable they are or if they'd be able to make my paycheck.

It could be a form of phishing for info, as YOUR report may list your ACCOUNT NO.s & other personal info needed for identity theft.

I say:

DANGER, DANGER, DANGER, WILL ROBINSON! :hide:

[Still Sensible]

17. It is not uncommon to require this information in this

type of job, but it is unusual to require the applicant to pay for it and to bring it to the interview.

The need to be comfortable with potential hires' credit can be very important in jobs such as this where the position requires direct handling of money and product. Employees that are in financial trouble are much more likely to succumb to the temptation of theft. I am in the casino business and can tell you that the majority of employee theft incidents occur when the employee is dealing with real financial hardship.

I cannot explain why the "ONE site in particular," other than they could be pointing you to the one that they believe is the least expensive. If it is one of the three primary credit reporting agencies--Equifax, Trans Union & Experian--there is likely no reason to be concerned, but if it is not one of those three, the alarm bells should be going off and it could be a scam IMO.

[The Straight Story]

18. Give em a fake report - not like they will check it!

:)

[sandnsea]

20. They want to sell you a vending route

or find people with a lot of money to "invest" in the bigger business. I don't think this is a legit job, sorry to say.

[Pavulon]

21. Handling Cash...

Lots of jobs that allow you access to cash or electronic means to divert it require credit checks, as well as criminal checks. Many will not hire you if you have judgments, or owe stupendous sums of money.

Some may require you to be bonded, generally they pay for that. Basically, insurance if you steal from them or their customers the loss is covered.

I would be wary and remove any reference to a social security number, account numbers, or other information that could be used to access your accounts.

If it looks or feels strange when he gets there, leave.

[canetoad]

22. He could always turn up to the interview

minus the credit scores and see what happens. It seems that you have serious doubts about this position anyway, maybe he could do some gentle probing to uncover a fuller picture.

[Tunkamerica]

23. What site do they link to?

The job listing could just be a way to funnel unsuspecting people to fake credit score site so they'll enter all of their personal info. No job ever existed, just bait for the desperate. My first thought.

[Dreamer Tatum]

24. You said it yourself - he'll be driving

Credit scores are now the 2nd most important factor in predicting driving safety, behind actual driving history.

That would explain it pretty well.