LJW Security Services & Training
Complaint 20358 Details

On September 2, I read 3 HELP WANTED ads in a free but respectable NY City newspaper (I think am New York). Though worded slightly differently, all were for "lobby, front desk, and clerical work." I called the numbers, left a message on the answering machine for one, and got a live person for another. The live person wanted me to come in for an interview that day. When I told her that that was impossible, she got me to come in the next day. She told me to bring in ID, my resume, and $80 cash for training.

The next day, Saturday, September 3, I gave up doing things I'd rather be doing to go to the interview. A woman told me this was for a security guard position, which required a background check, which required I give her my NY State ID and my Social Security Card.

I never thought of pursuing a career as a security guard. But after 3 and a half years unemployment and "applying" for jobs by barking up wrong trees, I sometimes think that the only right trees to bark up are those for careers I'd never thought of pursuing.

The woman gave me a paper application to fill out, but before I finished it, she called me in for an interview.

So I spoke to a professionally-dressed African-American man named Mr. Freeman, who sat behind a desk in a room with another desk. He asked me a few questions. I tried to explain a minor inconsistency between my resume and my application, but he wasn't interested. He didn't care that my application was incomplete.

I asked, what if I finish training and then am told what I've heard many times before: "your application is now in our system, and we'll notify you if anything comes up that you have a chance at." He said, "As soon as you finish the course, you work immediately with our job placer, and she sends you to companies we have contracts with that very day."

He also revealed that the training wasn't $80; it was $399. The $80 was only for people who already had some aspects of NY State security guard licensing.

And he immediately accepted me. Without even wanting me to complete the application. I didn't want to continue. But I imagined acquaintances and job "counselers" scolding me, "You say you're serious about looking for a job. So why did you turn down something that sounds like a sure bet?" So I fell for it, and signed over $399. Since I had my credit card, I could even keep the cash. Then Mr. Freeman and the receptionist shook my hand and told me, "Congratulations." I thought, "I shouldn't be the one congratulated. You should be congratulated for making a sale.'

They wanted me to start training the next Tuesday. Because of other commitments, I delayed it until the next Thursday. I asked Mr. Freeman for his business card. He said, "It's at my Wall Street office, where the training is." (This interview took place in Mid-town, on 37th Street. The official address of 80 Broad Street is very close to Wall Street.)

That weekend I googled LJW Security. I didn't look thoroughly enough to see whether they have a site about "Our Great Company." For I got distracted by a complaint on Scambook. I read it and found out someone else had spent over $500 for a training course, when it was over still would have had to pay more for a license, and was then basically on his own to find a job.

I also realized I might have lost more than $400. At the interview, they had borrowed my NY State ID, my credit card, and my social security card. There was the danger that they'd sell the relavant information to "parties" engaged in identity theft.

LJW did give me a receipt for my efforts. It said that if I dropped out of the program before 24 hours before the first class, I'd be refunded half the tuition. Throughtout that holiday weekend and the next week, I tried calling Mr. Freeman. His phone didn't give me a chance to leave a message. The answering machine sometimes said, "Nobody is available. Please call again later." And sometimes it said something like, "This phone message box is full and isn't accepting any more messages."

Starting Tuesday, I did get some calls from "Amanda." She was responding to my response to the ad where I'd left a message. I told her I'd already applied in person. Then she said she remembered me and would tell Mr. Freeman to call me. He didn't.

Once I got an answering maching message to call Amanda. She left a different phone number (516 area code). I called it several times and left messages that I was dropping out of the course.

Wednesday or Thursday morning I talked to Amanda personally. I asked if she'd gotten the message that I'd dropped out, and she sounded initially as if she didn't know what I was talking about. When I mentioned a refund, she said she'd tell Mr. Freeman to call me back. He hasn't.

Saturday, September 10, I called my credit card company. They started a challenge for me for half the price of the tuition. Also, although since September 3 I haven't had any unauthorized charges on my credit card, they canceled my card and will send me a new card.

I hope this is as far as the trouble will go. And I'd rather loose $200 than $400.