Is Lumio Inc a legit company to work for?
February 21, 2022 12:03 PM Subscribe
A friend is applying for a job as a door to door salesperson for Lumio Inc, selling solar panels in the state of Washington.
They will pay for training, then person is considered an independent contractor and income will be based on a percentage of the sales. Sounds like they are a new company (2020) and based out of Utah. Knowing that there are a number of door to door scams, I don't want this person quitting their current part time job and having nothing in the end. In some ways it sounds like MLM, in others, not quiet. Interested in experiences that other have with this company, payments, etc.
If you used them for solar panels, did you get what you were promised? Issues?
They will pay for training, then person is considered an independent contractor and income will be based on a percentage of the sales. Sounds like they are a new company (2020) and based out of Utah. Knowing that there are a number of door to door scams, I don't want this person quitting their current part time job and having nothing in the end. In some ways it sounds like MLM, in others, not quiet. Interested in experiences that other have with this company, payments, etc.
If you used them for solar panels, did you get what you were promised? Issues?
Paying to enable work like training, equipment, etc is another yellow flag.
posted by artificialard at 1:05 PM on February 21, 2022 [11 favorites]
posted by artificialard at 1:05 PM on February 21, 2022 [11 favorites]
(I think you're saying the company pays for training?)
posted by BlahLaLa at 1:13 PM on February 21, 2022
posted by BlahLaLa at 1:13 PM on February 21, 2022
I initially read the question in the same way as BlahLaLa, that "they" is the company, and they're paying for your friend's training. If the company is asking your friend to pay out of pocket for training the same company provides, in order to work as a 1099, that's an orange-bordering-on-red flag to me.
posted by Alterscape at 1:15 PM on February 21, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by Alterscape at 1:15 PM on February 21, 2022 [4 favorites]
In the environment we're in now where full time W-2 employee work with competitive base pay is available all across the skills range, what is it about this unknown place that's enticing to your friend? The opportunity to work in green energy? Sales? Flexible hours? The opportunity to be outside and moving around during the workday? It's one thing to take work in a not-great situation when the market sucks and you really need to get paid, but that's not the situation we're in right now. And certainly not if your friend already has paying work.
posted by phunniemee at 1:31 PM on February 21, 2022
posted by phunniemee at 1:31 PM on February 21, 2022
Response by poster: To answer questions:
Company pays for training. They want him to start tomorrow.
He has worked as manager at a drug store chain, then decided to go to college. Didn't work out. Has part time job. Has applied to MANY things in our area and out, but is not getting offers, even for jobs similar to what he had done before. Everything is part time only.
The job wants him to decide today. (Red flag to me.)
posted by 101cats at 1:54 PM on February 21, 2022
Company pays for training. They want him to start tomorrow.
He has worked as manager at a drug store chain, then decided to go to college. Didn't work out. Has part time job. Has applied to MANY things in our area and out, but is not getting offers, even for jobs similar to what he had done before. Everything is part time only.
The job wants him to decide today. (Red flag to me.)
posted by 101cats at 1:54 PM on February 21, 2022
I can't say whether this company is legitimate, but I can say that door-to-door sales are basically predatory. Nobody who is interested in adding solar panels to their house, and who has the funds to do so, is sitting in their living room waiting for a stranger to knock on the door. So what's left are people who are vulnerable to be scammed or to commit to buying something, under pressure, that they can't afford. (This may get flagged for not answering the question, but I hope it's something your friend will consider.)
posted by Sweetie Darling at 1:58 PM on February 21, 2022 [28 favorites]
posted by Sweetie Darling at 1:58 PM on February 21, 2022 [28 favorites]
Response by poster: Sweetie Darling, I agree. He said he is supposed to be doing "Warm Calls" where people have been called ahead, but if they run out he is supposed to do cold call door to door.
posted by 101cats at 2:03 PM on February 21, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by 101cats at 2:03 PM on February 21, 2022 [3 favorites]
if he's paid only as a % of his door to door sales, how is he going to be making more than the equivalent of a part time salary? Do people even answer the door to strangers anymore? I know I don't. In my neighborhood door-to-door salespeople are rare enough and suspect enough that on the rare occasion they do arrive, people freak out on Nextdoor.
My advice would be to start with a part time job in an established business and do well at it and get promoted. Businesses are scrambling for dependable employees right now. Every store in my town has a "hiring" sign up.
posted by fingersandtoes at 2:22 PM on February 21, 2022 [5 favorites]
My advice would be to start with a part time job in an established business and do well at it and get promoted. Businesses are scrambling for dependable employees right now. Every store in my town has a "hiring" sign up.
posted by fingersandtoes at 2:22 PM on February 21, 2022 [5 favorites]
Response by poster: Fingersandtoes: He just said he would do part time and keep his job, to see if this will pay. I have found out that he would need a license and a badge to show he is legit, because yes, I have seen those posts on Nextdoor!
Where are you at...honest to gosh, he has applied to a lot of jobs and keeps getting turned down.
posted by 101cats at 2:31 PM on February 21, 2022
Where are you at...honest to gosh, he has applied to a lot of jobs and keeps getting turned down.
posted by 101cats at 2:31 PM on February 21, 2022
So obviously I'm just an Internet Stranger, but I think he would be much better served by using some of the energy he might put into this job into instead reworking his resume, interviewing skills, cover letter, etc. There are massive numbers of good jobs out there, remote and in-person, and he can probably get one that'll pay better, with benefits.
My perspective: I'm an independent contractor (by choice, for 10+ years) and I have legit reasons for doing what I do, and I like it a lot. Also, I pay more taxes than I would if I worked as an employee, and I get no benefits. This is all doable for me, but it's a specific choice I've made, not out of desperation.
posted by BlahLaLa at 2:56 PM on February 21, 2022
My perspective: I'm an independent contractor (by choice, for 10+ years) and I have legit reasons for doing what I do, and I like it a lot. Also, I pay more taxes than I would if I worked as an employee, and I get no benefits. This is all doable for me, but it's a specific choice I've made, not out of desperation.
posted by BlahLaLa at 2:56 PM on February 21, 2022
I have two good friends who did door to door sales of I think it was landscaping? Same setup, company paid for training, then they mainly earned based on commission, 100% cold knocks on doors. Both found it to be fairly miserable at first. One ended up liking it after a while. Both said it made them MUCH better sales people and they have both found the skills very valuable in their future careers and both are very glad they did it. I don't think either struggled much one way or the other with moral issues surrounding the job.
posted by slide at 4:09 PM on February 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by slide at 4:09 PM on February 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
The high pressure, "we need your decision today" thing is a massive nope for me. That tells me they're looking for people willing to set aside their best judgment, people they can pressure effectively into doing things they're not quite comfortable with. I wouldn't take a job as the taste tester for an ice cream factory if they insisted I make my decision the same day they made the offer.
But also, door-to-door sales. Yikes. If he's comfortable with going into people's homes for a sales role, maybe he should look at companies that sell things like HVAC systems, bathroom remodels, etc. who hire people to go out to do in-home estimates in essentially a sales role (once a prospective customer has reached out to request an estimate). I live in Washington, and I get some door-to-door salespeople in the summer (usually for pest control). I've never had an interaction that didn't feel scammy. I haven't had anyone from Lumio yet, but the product doesn't really matter. It's the sales technique that's the issue. It's weird and rude to show up at my house, uninvited, and try to sell me something before I can google the name of the company, you know? And speaking of google, the Glassdoor reviews seem to be a kind of hilarious/tragic mix of, "This is an absolute scam," and, "I greatly enjoy the tremendous opportunities Lumio has given me, an employee who is definitely a real person."
posted by theotherdurassister at 4:37 PM on February 21, 2022 [5 favorites]
But also, door-to-door sales. Yikes. If he's comfortable with going into people's homes for a sales role, maybe he should look at companies that sell things like HVAC systems, bathroom remodels, etc. who hire people to go out to do in-home estimates in essentially a sales role (once a prospective customer has reached out to request an estimate). I live in Washington, and I get some door-to-door salespeople in the summer (usually for pest control). I've never had an interaction that didn't feel scammy. I haven't had anyone from Lumio yet, but the product doesn't really matter. It's the sales technique that's the issue. It's weird and rude to show up at my house, uninvited, and try to sell me something before I can google the name of the company, you know? And speaking of google, the Glassdoor reviews seem to be a kind of hilarious/tragic mix of, "This is an absolute scam," and, "I greatly enjoy the tremendous opportunities Lumio has given me, an employee who is definitely a real person."
posted by theotherdurassister at 4:37 PM on February 21, 2022 [5 favorites]
I answer the door and the solar door to door are insanely scammy, worse than most others. I would advise your friend not to take this job unless he has no other options.
posted by The_Vegetables at 5:46 PM on February 21, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by The_Vegetables at 5:46 PM on February 21, 2022 [4 favorites]
He has worked as manager at a drug store chain, then decided to go to college. Didn't work out. Has part time job. Has applied to MANY things in our area and out, but is not getting offers, even for jobs similar to what he had done before. Everything is part time only.
If he hasn't also been looking at remote jobs (like customer service), that might be something to try before stuff like this.
Any chance you or someone else could go over his resume and interview skills together, just to make sure there isn't something there that's reducing his odds?
posted by trig at 3:37 AM on February 22, 2022 [2 favorites]
If he hasn't also been looking at remote jobs (like customer service), that might be something to try before stuff like this.
Any chance you or someone else could go over his resume and interview skills together, just to make sure there isn't something there that's reducing his odds?
posted by trig at 3:37 AM on February 22, 2022 [2 favorites]
I have a few friends that work full time in solar. Their companies don't use door to door salespeople because their customers come to them. They do in-house consultations but not sales. But they also have years of experience in solar, they haven't just gone through a few weeks of training.
I don't know anything about this company but I would be somewhere between cautious and dubious.
posted by Candleman at 4:38 AM on February 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
I don't know anything about this company but I would be somewhere between cautious and dubious.
posted by Candleman at 4:38 AM on February 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
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posted by Alterscape at 12:48 PM on February 21, 2022 [9 favorites]