We get a lot of email from salespeople for the companies pilloried on our site. Some write to defend their product, others to support the views of discontented consumers. In the case of Electric Mobility, we've received both.

Nov. 4, 2000

Dear Consumer Affairs...

I stumbled onto your website tonight and was a bit disppointed. I believe you're trying to be fair and un-bias, and for that I sincerely respect your integrity.

Regarding Electric Mobility Corporation, however, in Sewell, NJ. I believe you are "way off track." I'm a Regional Manager with EMC in California (biased? Perhaps a little but here's why).

EMC sells over 40,000 scooters and powerchairs a year and as I read over your website of complaints, I was disappointed in your allowing these complaints to go un-checked. I know David Humphrey very well. He was one of the most vociferous, out-spoken, scorned, discontents I've ever know. His disruption of the sales force has been documented. If he's been your "under-cover" person, then your site has very little credibility to me.

I've worked with over 300 of my customers and I must tell you, that we make a tremendous effort to treat our senior adults with dignity and respect always. We are all glad that Mark Ostrov was dismissed from EMC. It's a "kinder and gentler company" again. But for goodness sakes...we police ourselves every single day to make sure we're not offending our customers. It's important to us to do what's right for our customers first. Our products have changed lives in a very positive way. The 5 to 10 complaints, I realize have to be examined, but there are 100's of thousands of very happy and satisfied customers all around the country that are enjoying thewir scooters and the relationship they have with our company. I hope EMC isn't on the "Rogues List" of companies longer than a few weeks at most, because they simply don't belong there! Please come to Sewell, NJ. and visit with our President, Michael Flowers. See how we set appointments, how we communicate with our customers and prospects. It's with respect and dignity. If you're not willing to check it out for yourself, then please, please remove the "negative comments" from your site regarding EMC. They just don't deserve it.

Thank you very much for allowing me to comment.

Best wishes...

Bob Armstrong

We don't deny that every company on our site no doubt has thousands of happy customers. No one expects every single sale to go sour. We publish selected "case studies" to illustrate what can go wrong so that consumers can take the appropriate precautions. We have, by the way, spoken with Mr. Flowers and did not get the impression from him that he would be happy to have us spend the day with him.

JD of Bellingham, WA:
As a recently recruited sales consultant by EMC, in my opinion, I and my sales leads (from EMC) and my customers are being exploited unmercifully. I feel I have experienced a serious defamation of character. I have been working their telemarketing leads for a few weeks and things are getting progressively worse.

EMC is currently recruiting sales consultants by the hundreds (no exaggeration) and will continue exploiting them and, worse yet, preying on the physically-impaired and the elderly. With all my years in outside sales I have never seen such lack of ethics.

Bill of Tennessee writes:
Was salesman for Electric Mobility for almost 2 years. The rules were changing almost every week and demands were made that met the IRS definition of an employee rather than an independent contractor as we were all classified. Telemarketers' scripts and pay were changed to telling customers they had won a free scooter because they were being paid five dollars for each appointment regardless how the appointment was obtained.

Since Ostrov, the turnover rate between salesmen has more than exceeded 100 percent and about the same for company sales managers and telemarketers. The high earnings reported in the recruitment ads were that of an old time salesman working over 10 years before Ostrov changed the program.

Bad leads, high expenses, far away leads, constant threat of termination after investing in cell phone, fax machine, van to carry equipment, and other demands every week.

Robert of Mississippi writes:
Electric Mobility was my company for one year. At first, the two leads furnished each day, 6 days a week, were from people that had contacted the company first.

I felt the opportunity was so good that I contacted a friend of mine in Texas and shortly, he joined the company also, as a Field Sales Representative. Before long, the rosy picture changed.

I noticed this when my dad who had been dead for 15 years received a mailing, postage paid return envelope and letter stating that by returning the form he would have 15 chances to win a free Rascal. I contacted the company inquiring as to how in the world my dad was selected to receive this mailing. No one wanted to admit that they were buying mailing lists.

About 5 or 6 weeks later, my poor dad, dead for 15 years, received another mailing just like the first one offering 15 free chances to win a Rascal Scooter just for mailing the completed form back in the postage paid envelope. Again, I contacted the company. This time I was asked to fax in the information including the label just as I had been asked to do on the first occurrence.

This time they admitted that they had bought some mailing lists. I was told that they had purchased mailing list from Fingerhut, Michigan Bulb and another big one. The company certainly didn't want to admit that they had purchased these mailing lists.

When the 65 plus telemarketers would call the people, many of them in this category would tell them that they only filled out the first one just to win a Rascal; they had no need for one and didn't want to have a representative out to demonstrate it to them. At this point, the potential customer was told that if they would allow the demonstration, they would receive another 15 chances to win a Rascal. Even though this person had no need, had told the telemarketer he had no need, he would then go ahead and agree to a demonstration just for the opportunity to get another 15 chances to win a free one.

I can't blame them for wanting the Rascal. It is indeed a fine piece of equipment. They are fun, and give mobility and a new life to many people. For the salesman, however, this was and is taking its toll. You drive within a 125-mile radius to get to the calls which you must make. You are not allowed to call ahead and talk to the customer. You must show up.

Often, this person doesn't even have a limp. I was sent out to one person that was blind, several that were absolutely not physically able to use a scooter. One young lady could move only one hand, not even her arm. Her parents did everything for her. Numerous people were on welfare, and various aid programs, but we were there to sell them a $4,000 Rascal.

To make a long story a lot shorter, this type marketing program has been my downfall. The expenses of travel were about to ruin me. You were not allowed to complain about "bad leads" such as them sending you to a house that already had a new scooter or two setting around in the house. You were not supposed to complain when they sent you out to the home of someone who was getting most of his treatments from the V.A. When you did call in, you were then advised to get this customer to try to get his scooter from the VA. That happened to be another department that we, the Field Sales Representatives, received nothing even after making the call, spending the money on travel, and wasting one of our two leads for the day.

On top of that, they now have a TeleSales department, growing by leaps and bounds. I first learned of this when I was put in contact with a lady in my area that had bought a Rascal direct from the company, via telephone. I knew nothing of this until I was advised by the scooter service man in the area. This was the same town in which I had made several presentations, and had driven thru several times. With all of these happenings, I turned in my resignation effective March 27th, 2000. Now as I look for a job in the Want Ads, I see an ad where the Electric Mobility Corp. is advertising this job that broke me, stating that you can make $31,278 per month. I wrote them and inquired as to whom they were trying to fool with this. Thanks for reading this.