Vector Marketing is a scam because they have a bad reputation.

This one feels like it’s just a self-perpetuating thing at this point. Someone hears one thing, and they run with it. Most of the negative reviews about the company seem to stem from people who have only heard rumors or seen the name in passing. Because I honestly never ran into any of the shadiness I hear on YouTube or in blog posts. The very fact that I felt like making this blog should be proof enough that Vector isn’t a scam and actually a good company that I believe in. 

However, Vector Marketing does have a sterling reputation amongst its employees. Just check out Vector job reviews on Comparably.com. The site aims to reveal company cultures and compensation using testimony from real employees. Vector Marketing ranks in the top 5% for multiple fields of review, including Culture Score, Work-Life Balance, Happiness, and Diversity. And has over 7,000+ reviews from current and former employees, with 98% coming in as positive.

One review reads, “I have grown so much, and working here has changed my life. It has changed my perception of money, hard work, and growth. Working here has given me tools I will use for a lifetime.” And that’s a common thread throughout most of the reviews, in fact, it’s how I feel now. The skills and confidence I gained from working at Vector have been something I carried with me forever. It’s a shame that the company’s public perception doesn’t match the experiences shared by the employees. It can potentially keep people from finding a work environment they can succeed in. So, I encourage people to read the CUTCO/Vector reviews themselves.

Vector Marketing is a scam because their ads don’t explain the position

This claim puzzles me. I’ve reviewed the corporate website as well as the workforstudents.com site. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t believe it would take the average person even two minutes of reviewing either of the company’s sites in order to understand that Vector reps sell Cutco products and to gain an overview of exactly how that works.

The Work for Students opportunities page explains that during training, representatives “learn to arrange appointments, meet with potential customers, explain our products, answer questions, write up orders, and ask for recommendations.” An even more detailed articulation of the sales rep position is provided on the vectormarketing.com site.

Candidly, how much clearer could these sites be? I’m of the opinion that it is the responsibility of applicants to familiarize themselves with any company they’re applying with, and even a cursory review of Vector’s websites would offer a very clear understanding of what Vector Marketing reps do. I don’t want to sound harsh, but it seems to me that a person who neglects to take the time to look at a company’s website before going to an interview and who then complains that they didn’t understand previous to their interview what the position consists of is simply exhibiting a lack of personal responsibility.

Vector Marketing is a scam because their reps are independent contractors.

Vector clearly states on their websites that their representatives work as independent contractors. They also clearly explain their sales rep’s independent contractor status during the interview process and give all applicants who are accepted for the training program a piece of literature that also confirms their relationship to the company would be as an independent contractor. Once again, I’m not seeing how they could be any clearer on this point? Not to mention, tons of companies, universally considered legit, use contractors all the time. It’s a standard business practice.

Vector Marketing is a scam because you have to pay a deposit on a demonstration knife set.

Vector no longer requires its reps to put a refundable deposit on the demo knife set. Once a Vector rep completes training, they’re loaned a CUTCO set that is valued at $425. If a Vector rep decides they don’t want to continue selling CUTCO knives, they just have to send it back. Vector hasn’t asked their reps put a deposit down in quite a few years.

Vector Marketing is a scam because they don’t pay their reps for training.

There is nothing out of the ordinary about independent contractors not being paid for training. Vector clearly states on their websites that training is unpaid. They also clearly explain the unpaid training program during their interview process and give all applicants who are accepted for the training program a piece of literature that also confirms that structure.

Vector Marketing is a scam because most of the information posted online is negative.

In terms of the quantity of information posted, I suspect there may be more negative than positive. I’ve heard it said that “gossip tends to travel much faster than compliments.” People who have nasty things to say are apparently more interesting than those expressing gratitude. While there’s plenty of criticism out there, there are also many people who have a lot of good things to say about Vector. If you are so inclined, here are some places to check out the good things:

Vector Marketing Facebook Page

Vector Marketing is a scam because they’re always recruiting

It is correct that Vector is always recruiting. My manager once explained it to me this way:

“Vector’s recruiting philosophy is the opposite of most recruiters. Most recruiters use the so called “funnel of doom” method. This involves catching the attention of many people and slowly eliminating candidates until they are left with the one or two lucky people who will be offered a position. This method comes with a high degree of risk, which is why so many people are finding it difficult to get jobs these days. After investing so much time and energy in finding the “perfect” candidate, no one wants that candidate to not work out. It costs everybody too much money. Not only in terms of money spent to recruit and interview, but also the money wasted on training and the money lost when that person turns out not to be the “perfect” person for the position. This also means that people who don’t have an extensive resume often find themselves at a disadvantage when applying for a new job.”

Vector takes a different approach. Instead of looking for reasons why somebody won’t be successful, they look for reasons why they would. One thing I noticed during my time as a sales rep is that my manager would take risks in terms of giving people a shot. When someone came in for an interview, if both parties thought they could be successful with the position, my manager would usually offer the person a position.

Sometimes that person becomes a successful representative. Sometimes they’d discover that the position was not for them, and they’d leave. Either way, it struck me as more equitable to give people an opportunity to work the position and determine for themselves how good of a fit they would be, rather than for the manager to make a highly subjective decision based on the applicant’s previous experience. Fact is that many successful Vector representatives are people who you would never expect to be successful based upon their prior experience. Those individuals are almost universally appreciative that Vector gave them an opportunity to prove themselves.

One other thing to also keep in mind is that Vector has a much younger sales force than most companies. A lot of times, they get students who apply for positions because they want to get a feel for what the job would be like. They had no intention of staying long-term, and Vector’s fine with that. Even some Vector managers were people who were only looking for a summer job and liked it so much they stayed.

Vector Marketing is a scam because they accept everybody for a position

As stated above, Vector offers a job to more people than an average company might. However, it is simply untrue to say they accept everyone. Vector receptionists screen out some applicants that they speak with on the phone, and Vector managers screen out applicants throughout the interview process.

Vector Marketing is a scam because they’ve been sued.

What some of Vector’s critics attempt to do is to offer up previous legal cases as “proof” that Vector is a “scam.” Personally, I believe it’s necessary to understand that in the litigious society we live in today, lawsuits are a fact of life for all corporations. At a minimum, I would point out that simply because a company has previously been sued doesn’t automatically mean that the company did anything wrong.

If the question on your mind is, “Does the existence of previous legal occurrences prove that Vector is a scam?” I’d point you towards two facts.

Firstly, Cutco’s been on the market since 1949 and is used in over 15 million kitchens in the U.S. It would be difficult to find a product that has a more loyal and enthusiastic customer base. Ask any one of the millions of Cutco owners what they think of the product. They’ll most likely use a four letter word to describe how they feel about Cutco. But the word they choose won’t be “scam.” Instead, Cutco owners will frequently proclaim how much they love the product. You should look up some Cutco knife reviews.

Secondly, Vector has been selling Cutco since 1981, and there are many tens of thousands of former Vector reps who can testify to the fact that the company treated them honestly and fairly. As a sales rep, I was never instructed to in any way lie or exaggerate about the products. My manager proved himself to be trustworthy in both word and deed. And the company fulfilled every obligation to me, whether it was issuing my paycheck every week, paying monthly bonuses on time, shipping my orders to customers, etc. The idea that any type of legal proceeding provides evidence that Vector doesn’t run their business honestly and ethically simply doesn’t stand up to scrutiny.

Vector Marketing is a scam because not everyone is successful

If 100% success rates are the measurement of success, our nation’s colleges and universities certainly have a lot of explaining to do, don’t they? I believe mature people realize that in any endeavor where success isn’t guaranteed, issues such as training, character, and perseverance become of great importance.

My experience as a sales rep was that some of my fellow trainees gave up quickly, mistakenly assuming that their lack of initial success was an indication that they couldn’t succeed in the long term. Many of them would have been successful if they had exhibited a little stronger commitment. My perspective with anything I do is that my experience the first month or two is never an indication of how good I could eventually become, and I observed that to be the case in Vector as well.

Are all Vector reps successful? Of course not. Some give it a fair shot and do OK but simply don’t enjoy the work and move on to something else. Others are lackluster in their effort or have such a poor work ethic or attitude that they never give themselves a fair shot. Others absolutely excel over the long term, and without exception, these are individuals who demonstrate a commitment and ability to successfully navigate disappointments and setbacks. The position, like any sales job, isn’t easy. It takes diligence. There will be very distinct highs and lows. My toughest time as a rep was during a period of personal struggle combined with academic struggles, combined with a string of appointments where no one bought a single thing. My greatest high was when a customer placed a very large order that contributed to me being a top 5 sales performance winner at a company conference.

Put it all together, and I wouldn’t trade my time as a sales rep for anything. The experience was truly invaluable to me. If you’re considering working with Vector, conduct your own due diligence. Review this site, look at the company’s sites, consider what Vector’s detractors have to say, go through Vector’s interview process, and then make up your own mind. Good luck!