Description

I came across Shipping Avenue on Indeed.com. It was advertised as a remote 1099 flexible part time position. As someone who has a chronic health condition, this sounded like the ideal job for me. It offered $3500 per month plus a bonus of $1 for every day that you logged into the site. There was also a bonus of $30 for every forwarding service completed. Hours were 10-15 hours per week. I am a delivery driver, so this seemed like a good supplemental income for me. The company advertises as one that "simplifies" international shipping by providing forwarding addresses which allows customers to shop at websites that don't deliver to their countries. They "specialize" in efficient parcel forwarding services, ensuring timely and secure delivery of goods worldwide. My role was as a "Fulfillment Associate" and was described as being crucial in reducing the time and costs associated with traditional centralized inspection processes. By receiving, inspecting, and ensuring the quality of parcels directly from my location, I would help maintain a swift and efficient flow of goods according to the company description. My "responsibilities" were to accept deliveries at my home address, inspect the parcel to verify the integrity and condition of the products and their packaging, maintain accurate records of inspections shipments and inventory, manage the flow of orders including scheduling deliveries and pickups, complete necessary documentation such as pick lists, bills of landing, work orders, and shipping orders using computer-based technologies, and finally to efficiently forward packages using shipping services like USPS, UPS, and FedEx. Additional responsibilities were to adhere to shipping/receiving and and regulatory compliance procedures and complete proper documentation. After initially being contacted by email, I was contacted by phone with the job offer. The man who contacted me explained that I would mostly be sent electronics to inspect and ship. He said that after I received my first package and forwarded it, I would be sent 10-15 packages per week. He had me complete a work profile through User Panel. The link was http:share.google/vK38UFIHXXRKyoG8. I was to fill out my name, address, phone number, driver's license, gender, and dob. Once I did that, I received an email by Jack Osbourne, Human Resources Manager of Shipping Avenue Corp, verifying my profile. He is also the person who sent me the link to register my profile. Once my profile was created, I received an email through the User Panel link from a Patricia Chisolm claiming to be my designated manager and explained how to navigate the User Panel site. One of my requirements was to list my preferred method of payment and she explained the payment process in detail. She explained that once I processed my first package which was to be expected within two to three business days, my salary date (along with bonus details) would be updated accordingly. I was to log into my account every day including on weekends to ensure I was up to speed with all updates. She assured me that she could assist me with any queries that should arise from 10am-5pm daily. The first package I received was a gold dragonfly necklace which was addressed to a different name with my address. She explained that on most occasions, that my name would not appear on the package because the packages were typically signed with the name of a mystery shopper or carrier. Once I received it, I was to inspect the item, then send it to a different name and address through UPS. Once I sent off the package, I received a phone call from the Shipping Avenue phone number (305) 404-1549 congratulating me and promised that I would be sent packages within the next couple weeks. as the weeks went by and I still hadn't received any packages to inspect, I grew more and more concerned. I called the Shipping Avenue phone number and the gentleman I spoke to said that shipping time depended on how busy they were and to not fret that I would still be paid the monthly salary of $3500 regardless. I also sent an email to whom I assume was Patrica Chisolm asking her when I would be sent more shipments because it had been weeks. She also explained that the number of parcels depended on the activity of their customers, She said that sometimes that they received more orders, sometimes less and that it was beyond their control. She said that was why my salary consisted of two parts: the basic "guaranteed" salary of $3500 and a bonus of $30 that depended on the number of processed parcels. She said for me to just stay in touch and wait for information on new parcels. That was on July 12th and I have not heard from them since. When i call the business number, all I get is a busy signal. When I try to log into User Panel, it tells me that my username/password is incorrect even though I know it isn't, nor does it provide a link for me to retrieve it. They have all of my information and I have no way to log onto the page to remove it.