Did I get scammed by this job offer?

In My Humble Opinion
1

I saw an ad for positions available at the post office, and looking into a full-time job, decided to give it a shot. So I called the number, and the guy on the phone described the positions available. I feel like I didn’t ask enough questions about the position, and got kind of scammed.

The guy said the average employee makes either $20/hour/50k a year, with full benefits. That sounded good but it wasn’t until now that I had a :smack: moment and realized people probably don’t make that starting out. They also said I could buy testing materials for an exam to see if I qualify for the position which I obliged :smack: .

Granted I didn’t go through the entire position totally naive- the guy on the phone assured me that I would get a full refund for the cost of the testing/study materials. If I failed the test, got turned down in an interview, or collected my first paycheck with them I could use any of the corresponding papers (failed test, signed interview statement, pay stub) to collect a refund. I also figured since I paid via credit card that would give me some kind of leverage if they gave me the run-around.

However, I’m still kind of uneasy about it. But on the flip side, even if it is a modest salary, its still probably better than what I’m making now (18k/year in the Bay Area). There’s also a post office very close to my house, and if I were to ever get a job there I wouldn’t even have to drive to work, which is another perk. The benefits are also appealing, since I have to pay health insurance (work doesn’t cover it) and it would be a job where I could start accumulating retirement/sicktime/vacation days which I don’t currently get.

2

Sounds very scammy. Can you stop payment on your credit card while you look into the company/ run them by the Better Business Bureau? You really shouldn’t have to pay any money up front, even if it’s to see if you qualify.

3

I think it sounds fishy as well. If I was you, I’d call the post office directly and see if this is on the up-and-up. But first, I’d call my credit card company and put them on high alert.

Good luck.

4

I checked the USPS website and sure enough, you do have to take an exam for the position. At this point I’m hoping that at the very worst, the materials are superfluous (as in any brain-dead monkey could pass the test they give).

I did document the number I saw in the ad, the customer service number they gave, as well as a confirmation number.

5

Be aware that you probably didn’t talk to anyone at the actual post office. You talked to a third-party outfit that sells “prep materials” for the civil service exam that you have to take in order to be eligilble to apply for a Post Office job.

So you still have to keep an eye on the classifieds. First, for an announcement of the date of the testing, then again for when the Post Office actually advertises that there are open positions.

6

I’m reading a PDF file from the postal service warning about scams. ARGH I feel like such a schmuck :mad: . Now I gotta get this whole hassle sorted out.