Where To?

Which Country?

After the training, the next stop was Sue's office.  This meeting, along with meeting with two of the Director's would determine where I would be sent.  Bansko in Bulgaria had really been sold to us during the training, as the place to earn the most money and without exception, this is where we all wanted to go.

I was summoned into Sue's office.  We chatted about the training and how it had gone and then we got down to the serious business of discussing my placement abroad. 

Sue told me that she had originally had me earmarked for France.  I speak French, have worked in France previously and knew the area well.  Plus my personality was well suited to working in France I was told, as the company had a much softer approach to sales there.  Sue was also aware of my ambition to eventually move to rural France permanently.  Initially, being placed in France had sounded ideal.  I love France and the thought of living there again was amazing.  Plus, the staff in France were employed, rather than self employed (French employment legislation dictated this) which appealed to me, as I still had concerns about MRI's reasons for all the sales staff being self employed.

However, during training we had learnt that it took much longer for staff in France to earn their commission and that the rate tended to be lower.  This means that rather than expecting to commission to be paid after three months, because of the processes involved, it would be more likely six months.  This would mean living on a salary of only €1000 a month for six months - far from ideal.  It also dawned on me that after resigning, if MRI reneged on their promise to pay any outstanding commission owed, then six month's worth of commission would remain in MRI's pockets.  Not good.

And so I did what I do well and sold myself and the reasons I should be sent to Bulgaria.  I am quiet and pretty unassuming - characteristics that aren't usually seen in sales people.  However, I had proven success in sales in my previous roles and had proved myself in what can often be a cut throat business.  I clearly argued my case well, as Sue said that yes, she would recommend to the Directors that I be sent to Bulgaria.

I was delighted.  Before the meeting ended, Sue asked if I had any further questions.  Most of my questions had been answered during the training, but I did have one very specific questions.

"If I do go to Bulgaria, what help will I receive in ensuring that I'm working legally and paying taxes etc?"

"Your manager in Bulgaria will give you all the help that you need.  MRI want to make sure that you're working legally too."

I didn't know it at the time, but this turned out to be a whopping lie.  Not only that, but because of MRI's lies once I was in Bulgaria,  I was hauled to the police station in Bulgaria as an illegal worker.  But I'm jumping ahead.  The full story will emerge in good time.

We shook hands and Sue wished me the very best, no matter which country I end up in.

Meeting the Directors

The next stage was the Directors.  I admit that I was incredibly nervous going into this meeting.  You had to be a very specific type of person to become a Director at MRI and I wasn't sure that they'd think that I was really the right kind of sales person for the job. 

The two Directors I met were Mike Moodie and Rolf Christensen.  Mike was a cheerful, smiling man and quickly put me at ease (a gift I later saw time and time again with clients) and Rolf was more serious and rather foreboding looking.  The next twenty minutes consisted of me explaining to them both why I should be sent to Bansko in Bulgaria.  This was no mean feat.  Every new sales executive wanted to work in this high earning region and I knew that Adam and Stuart would also be arguing their case to be sent there - only one of us would be selling property in Bansko. 

It obviously worked.  At the end of the meeting they both looked at each other, smiled and said "Bankso" in unison.  I'd done it.  My dream of living a mortgage free life in rural France was even closer.

And so, arrangements were made and flights booked.  Stuart was to work in Portugal and Adam in France.  I knew that Adam was very unhappy about this and in the end he chose not to work for MRI as a result and returned home.  He had a lucky break. 

Mike Moodie had recently returned from Bansko and had told me that the temperatures there were freezing.  I had only packed clothes suitable for a warm climate, as most of the countries that MRI operated in had a Mediterranean climate.  I'd also learnt my lesson when wearing my fur coat to the interview and I didn't want to be overburdened again.  I requested that I fly to Bulgaria via a one night stop off in London, so that I could pack some warmer clothes.  I would be paying for the flights ultimately anyway and I would still arrive in Bulgaria on the same day, so I could see no reason why not.  Surely I wasn't expected to arrive in a ski resort with only light clothes?  My request was refused and I was told that I 'd be able to buy clothes in Bulgaria.  Having already worked extensively in Eastern Europe, I knew that this wasn't the case.  I am (how to say it), rather large chested and finding clothes to fit me in Eastern Europe I knew was nigh on impossible.  I explained this as delicately as possible, not wanting to rock the boat.  Again I was turned down.  And so it seemed that yes, they did think that it was reasonable for me to arrive in a cold ski resort without suitable clothing.

Goodbye Spain, Hello Bulgaria

And so the day arrived for me to fly to Bulgaria.  It was an evening flight and I was due to arrive into Sofia at around 11pm.  I waved goodbye to Spain and settled in for the flight.  I arrived on time and (thankfully) there was somebody to meet me at the airport.

I was bundled into the car and we set off.  Unfortunately the driver didn't have very much English, so the journey passed in silence, with the driver occasionally turning on some incredibly loud, banging rave music.  Not the most relaxing of journeys!  We drove for hours and hours.  There was no street lighting and other than the occasional headlight from oncoming traffic, there was little to break the monotony.  I was starting to wonder what I'd let myself in for.

Almost four hours later we finally arrived.  I was checked into a hotel and was simply told "Be at Kempinski Hotel tomorrow 10am" and left.  It certainly didn't feel like much of a welcome.

I got into bed and quickly fell asleep, wondering what my first day in Bansko would bring....

Training

"Next week?!"

"Yes, is that a problem?"

I hesitated.  I didn't want to let this opportunity pass me by.  However, I couldn't possibly start so soon. 

"I'm sorry, but I have other commitments in the UK that I need meet first.  Is it possible to start later?"

A pause.

"The next date for the training is 1st May.  Starting next week would show more commitment, but if you're unable to make it, then 1st May will be OK."

I let out a sigh of relief.  Regardless of how much I wanted the job, I felt that it would have been completely unreasonable to expect me to start so soon, and I would have had to  decline.  If only....

And so, on 7th April 2006 I received my formal offer letter from MRI, offering me the position of International Sales Executive.  The email can be read here. 

A New Life

I was over the moon.  I immediately told Paul and we started making plans for our new life.  Paul was going to remain in his job until I had worked for the company for 3 months.  If I was happy and all was going well, Paul would then resign from his secure job at the school, our belongings would be sent into storage and we would wave goodbye to our life, family and friends back in the UK.

"Are you sure about this?" I asked Paul.  "It means saying goodbye to everything we know and taking a leap into the unknown.  If you want to change your mind at any stage, just let me know."

"Sometimes you just have to take a risk.  Let's  go for it," Paul replied.

And so preparations began.  If you have never moved country you probably have no idea how much planning is required and lose ends to be tied up where you are currently living.  It's a monumental task and I got stuck in with relish.

Relocation Pacakge

MRI offered a 3 month "relocation package."  This consisted of €1000 basic "salary" per month, accommodation for the first 3 months and a rental car for the first 3 months.  Sounds great?  Indeed it does, but there was a get out clause.  Because MRI's sales staff were self employed, rather than employed, this package wasn't quite what it appeared.  Although staff were indeed offered this package, it was offered as "an advance against future commissions."  So what exactly did that mean?  Basically, once we started earning commission, the €1000 per month, the cost of the accommodation and the car hire would all be deducted from our commission.  Not only that, but also our flights to Spain and then from Spain to the country in which we were ultimately going to work were also going to be deducted.

Don't get me wrong, MRI never hid these facts and it was all very upfront.  But again, looking back, I must have been out of my mind!  Within 3 months of working for the company, I would owe them around €5000 - potentially before I'd even earned anything.  I was completely blinkered by the €150k+ commission figure that was being wafted in front of me.  After all, what's €5k to pay back, when you're earning 30 times that amount?

For those readers who are incredulous that anybody would agree to do this, I don't blame you.  I knew that Paul was dubious about this and questioned the trustworthiness of a company who would offer such a "relocation package".  All I can say is that once again, the vision of a future life in rural France, mortgage free, overrode any kind of logic and silenced the niggling voices in the back of my mind.  And I'm not alone.  Hundreds of staff followed exactly the same route after me.

Sad Goodbyes

And so, the day of departure finally arrived.  I was flying out on the Sunday as the training started at MRI's head office on the Monday.  At this stage I had no idea what country I would be sent to after the training, but as most of the countries they operated in were warm, I packed mainly light clothes, especially as we were heading into the summer.  I had worked overseas leading Adventure Tours before meeting Paul and I decided to pack my belongings into the rucksack that had served me so well in far flung countries around the globe.  It wasn't exactly corporate looking and didn't portray an image of the high earning International Sales Executive that I was jetting off to become, but I was hoping that nobody would notice.

Paul saw me off at the airport.  Saying goodbye was a wrench and I was in floods of tears.  We had met when I was leading Adventure Tours and on day 11 of a 14 day tour, our lips had finally met.  The location couldn't have been more romantic.  We were staying in a remote and beautiful village at the foot of the stunning Caucasus.  Dinner was over and we were sat on the veranda of a local's house where we had dined, sipping the local wine and enjoying the company of other group members.  Without warning a lightning storm crackled overhead, taking out all the lights in the village.  Without even realising it, we moved to each other and we finally kissed - there was pitch darkness, with nothing visible except the jagged outline of the mountains above and a star filled sky.  A minute later the lights came back on and the spell was broken.  Paul returned home three days later and I lead two more tours, before heading back to the UK.  I phoned him on my return, approximately five weeks later and we agreed that I would travel to visit him for the weekend.  That weekend changed my life.  Two weeks later we knew that it was love and we made the monumental decision to move in together.  We have now been together over 13 years.  We almost didn't make it.  The horrendous experience that MRI turned into almost broke us apart. 

But I'm jumping the gun - full details of that will follow in good time.

And so I boarded the plane, both distraught at leaving behind the man I loved so dearly and at the same time filled with excitement for our future.  The flight was great and I arrived in Malaga and collected my baggage.  I travelled through customs quickly and out onto the arrivals concourse.  Phew!  There was an MRI representative stood there waiting to collect me.  I went over to her and she greeted me warmly and asked that I waited over in the cafe, as she was waiting for two other new staff members who would also be starting the next day.

Sunny Spain

Shortly after, we were all gathered and off we set.  There were three of us altogether - myself and two men.  One of them, Stuart, I recognised from the interview in London.  We had a chat and I discovered that he had also been asked to start almost immediately and had declined.  He had also left behind his partner and we empathised and chatted about what might be in store for us and which country we wanted to work in.

There were two cars with drivers and we all got in and packed our luggage in the boot.  Forty minutes later we arrived at the apartments that were going to be our homes for the next four nights.  We were staying on an isolated complex, a drive away from Marbella.  Although the apartment was nice, the complex itself was huge and fairly deserted and not really to my taste. However, the sun was shining, the swimming pool looked inviting and we all settled in to our rooms.  Stuart and Adam shared one apartment and I had another just for myself, as I was the only female.

We were told to relax and settle in.  We were also given the use of a car, as we had to make our way to the offices the next day, plus a car was essential, given the location of the complex.  And so, we unpacked and enjoyed the sun.  Adam had noticed a restaurant en route to the complex, so that evening we headed down for a bite to eat.  I then went to bed early in order to be ready for the week's training ahead.

Monday dawned bright and sunny in Southern Spain and I ironed my suit and shirt, packed my pens, paper and anything else I thought I might need and we headed off.  Another staff member drove ahead and we followed them, in order to learn the route.  We would be making our own way for the rest of the week.

We arrived at MRI's offices and I entered feeling nervous and wondering what lay in store.  I couldn't believe that it was only a few months ago I'd last been here.  Then I had walked past the expensive cars and the staff in their Gucci suits.  Now I was going to be one of them (minus the expensive car and Gucci suits - I had other plans for how I'd like to spend the money I was going to earn and throwing it on flash cars and designer names certainly wasn't my style).

After a short wait, we were finally taken through to the training room.  It was a fairly unassuming room and certainly not as grand as the rest of the building.  I settled into my chair and wondered if it was just going to be the three of us.  Given the amazing job on offer, I was surprised that there weren't more people starting.  Five minutes later another small group arrived.  These were the new exhibition/telesales staff.  We were going to attend the training together.  As usual in a sales environment, it was dominated by men and I was delighted to see another female there.

The Training Begins

What followed were a fairly unremarkable few days.  Since leaving MRI I have seen a video on YouTube of an undercover journalist who attended and filmed the training.  After many complaints to the press, she decided to work undercover and had applied to work in MRI's Exhibitions/Telesales operations.  She was accepted and attended the training as an undercover journalist, filming what took place.  The TV programme that was later aired and includes her undercover footage can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eak9UviPco
I later met this same journalist who interviewed me.

My experience of the training didn't reflect what the journalist experienced.  On the whole it was professional, well thought out and delivered and there wasn't any hint of malpractice being encouraged.  Some aspects of the training did, however, stand out as memorable.

"Double Dealing"

The training was delivered by several staff members, each an "expert" in that field.  One of the trainers was an experienced Sales Executive who had been working in Spain for MRI for some time.  His name was Hans.  He was called in to deliver training to us on "double dealing".  Double dealing meant selling more than one property to a cash buyer.  This is how the double dealing worked:

1. A cash buyer would choose a property.  The buyer had already decided to pay in cash.
2. We would offer an alternative option.  Instead of paying cash, the buyer could use the cash to put deposits down on one or more properties.
3. The customer would either then "flip" one of the properties by selling it on before completion, or complete on both and take out mortgages, ensuring first that the rental income would cover the mortgages (we were told that in all areas that MRI operated in that the rental would always cover the mortgage and this was reiterated by the training we were given by MRI's own rental department in Spain).
4.  If a property was flipped, then the client would see a profit without ever having had to complete on the property.
5. If the client kept the properties then they would benefit from the appreciation in value of more than one property.

In theory this sounded plausible.  The property market had been booming for years and at this time showed no signs of slowing.  I asked Hans if he had used this system himself.  He had been working for MRI for some time and at the advertised €150k+ earnings a year, then surely all the staff were doing this and earning themselves a profit from property?  He didn't reply.  I took this to mean that he hadn't and I wondered why, if we were going to be selling the idea to clients that MRI's own staff weren't doing this themselves.  I actually thought it sounded like a great idea.

I crossed paths again with Hans several months later when he was sent to the region I was allocated to.  It wasn't until many months later again that he confided that he had had never bought properties himself, because he was still owed a lot of outstanding commission and couldn't afford to.

Hans became my manager and his story will follow.

Signing the Contract

Another part of the training that stood out was when we were presented with our contracts to sign.  There were two contracts - one in English and one in Spanish.  We were told to read them, sign then and give them straight back.  I was concerned.  They wanted me to sign something that was in Spanish?  I had no idea what it said and we could be signing anything.  I, along with the other trainees voiced our concerns.  We were told that the Spanish version was a direct translation of the English version.  We were told that if they weren't signed and handed back before the end of the day, then we would be unable to continue with the training.  

Yet again I silenced the alarm bells ringing in my head.  I still trusted that the company was genuine and honest at this time.  I, along with the others, hesitantly signed the contracts.  I asked for a copy of the contract, as the normal procedure of signing two copies - one of which is for the person signing - wasn't followed.  Despite asking several times and being told that I would get a copy, MRI never did give me a copy of the contracts I had signed.

Throughout my story you will find a common vein running.  Niggling doubts continually entered my mind and I ignored them.  There were so many stages where I could have changed my mind and walked away, but chose not to.  Why?  Partly greed (who doesn't want to earn €150k+?), partly because I so desperately wanted to work in a hot country again and partly because MRI appeared to be so professional and above board, that I didn't want to think otherwise.  Sadly, the more I became embroiled with them and the longer I worked for them, the harder and harder it became to leave, as will become apparent as the story progresses.  If I'd chosen to listen to my instincts at this stage and refused to sign a contract that was written in a language I didn't understand, without even being given the chance to take it to somebody who could independently translate it for me, what would I have lost?  Some time and an airfare home.  But most importantly, the loss of a dream, and it was that which stopped me from turning on my heels and walking out.

Seeing and Hearing Darragh MacAnthony for the First Time

Another area of the training which stood out was the weekly meeting, which all staff had to attend.  This was the first time that we would see Darragh MacAnthony and hear him speak and we were all looking forward to it, while at the same time, hoping that no attention would be drawn to us.

The meeting was held in a room at the top of the building that contained a lot of glass.  The temperature in there was unbearable and it was only May.  What would it be like in the height of the Summer?  The person next to me whispered that staff members often passed out due to the temperature.  The room was crammed full of staff, who were squeezed into every inch of floor space and we found ourselves standing at the back.  What followed was an hour of self congratulation.  Names were read out, along with sales figures and we all clapped.  Darragh gave a speech and we were welcomed as the latest recruits.  By the end of the meeting I felt nauseous and was desperate to sit down and get a drink of water. 

Do Not Wear Red!

What was the most important thing that we learnt in training?  Possibly, that under absolutely no circumstances were we to wear anything red.  Although Darragh himself was driving a red car at the time (so were told), it was pressed upon us that wearing red was an absolute taboo and that if Darragh ever caught us doing so, then we would be for the high jump.  I found this both bizarre and hilarious.  Not allowed to wear red?  In all the sales jobs I'd ever done, this was by far the weirdest rule I'd ever heard.  The "red" story does not finish here.  Later you will read about the events surrounding a story that was published after a journalist went undercover and posed as a staff member.  Her story includes a "red" incident during training and Darragh MacAnthony's response. I was not there, so have no idea if the story is true, but I could certainly believe it.  You will also read what we were told, by management, to say to clients in response to this newspaper article.

Where Next?

And so, the training drew to a close.  The next stage would be another meeting with Sue from HR, which would determine which country we would be sent to.  Sue had already intimated in my previous interview that she thought I would be suitable for France and I was overjoyed at this, as France had originally been my first choice.  However, during the training, we had been told how popular Bulgaria was, how it was booming, that staff were selling 10 properties each in a weekend and that they were all earning a fortune.  By the end of the training, we all wanted to be sent to Bulgaria.

We had our interviews scheduled with Sue and also two of the directors.  This was nerve wracking stuff.  Where would be sent?

Join me again next week to find out where I was sent and the start of my life abroad working for MRI

The Interview

"Spain?  You have to go to Spain for an interview?"

"Yes, that's where their head office is."

"Are they paying?"

"No"

"Mmmmm.  Sounds a bit suspect to me.  Do you trust them?  Do they seem genuine?"

"I can't find anything negative online about them.  Darragh MacAnthony, the company owner was interviewed by John Stapleton for their promotional DVD.  Surely a respected consumer journalist wouldn't have put his name to something if it wasn't all above board?"

"OK, well if what's you want, you know that I'll support you"

Little did I know that this simple conversation would go on to ruin the following 6 years of my life and lead to years of distress, upset, stress, debt, depression and almost break up my long term relationship and leave us homeless.  My true story  of working for Darragh MacAnthony's MRI follows.  Most names have been changed in order to protect their identity.

March 2006

We were renting a small 1 bed flat in South London when I saw the advert in the Evening Standard.  I had been working in IT sales and although I had initially enjoyed it, I felt that the company I worked for had deteriorated.  They had made staff redundant and weren't offering my clients the same level of service they used to.  This meant that I was no longer confident selling their services and wanted to leave.

Paul and I had been together for 6 years.  We had been living in London for almost 5 years and although we loved the buzz of London and the Arts on offer, our dream had always been to move to rural France.  However, with the cost of living in London, we were no closer to this dream.  And then I saw MRI's ad in the paper and it felt that maybe, just maybe, this was the chance we were looking for to make our dream a reality.

The advert was almost too good to be true.  Working in sales and earning €150-€250k+?  And not only that, but with the chance to live and work in France.  This was an opportunity I had to explore further.

I immediately went online and researched MRI (macanthonyrealty.com at the time, before it morphed into mrioverseasproperty.com).  Their "Careers at MacAnthony" page confirmed what the advert had said.  It showed a picture of 4 staff members.  You were invited to click on a staff member to learn their story.  What could be more reliable?  Who would agree to have their image posted online with a quote, if it weren't true?  I became very excited about the opportunity as I read on. 

A woman called Lucy was featured and was due to earn "in the region of €150,000 in 2005".  David's picture was accompanied by a statement enthusing "most people don't believe me when I tell them I'm earning in excess of €10,000 a month - until I show them my payslips!".  "Commissions of €150k Plus - are paid regularly and on time" was emblazoned across the adverts.  I decided that I had nothing to lose and applied for the position. 

A week later I was sat around a large table in a hired office near Liverpool Street with Sue Small - MRI's HR Manager - and four other candidates.  The interview was an open, group interview, followed by a short 1 to 1.  I immediately warmed to Sue.  She was open, direct, didn't evade questions and didn't overly sell the company.  She talked about working hard, long hours and Darragh MacAnthony's and MRI's high expectations of staff and loyalty - everything I was already offering my current employer.  In return we were told that staff could expect to earn €100-250k with great prospects of promotion.  I was sold.  I'd only have to do the job for a couple of years and our dream of moving to France would become a reality, without having to even worry about a mortgage.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing and looking back, at this stage alarm bells should have been ringing.  If something is too good to be true, then generally it is.  However, I couldn't find one single online complaint or bad word about the company.  It was only after I'd been working for them for 6 months that I discovered why this was...

At the end of the interview we were told that the next stage of interviews would take place in Spain, at the company's HQ in Marbella.  We would be contacted and if successful we would be required to make our own way to Spain for the interview.  If we then successfully passed the interview and were offered a job, we were told that the cost of the flight to Spain would be reimbursed.  We were told that this was to ensure that candidates were serious about the job.

I returned home that evening incredibly excited.  I was confident that the interview had gone well and that I'd had a good rapport with Sue, who I'd immediately liked and trusted.  As I got home and started to discuss the day's events with Paul, we both felt that maybe this could be the start of a new life.  Paul was working in a secondary school, helping kids with behavioural problems.  The work was rewarding when it went well, but it was exhausting and emotionally demanding.  He also spent over 2 hours a day commuting on the Tube and train for little financial reward.  His degree had been in art and we both envisaged a few years with me working for MRI and saving for our life in France, whilst Paul wouldn't have to work and would finally be able to fulfil another dream, which was to paint full time.

A couple of days later Sue called.  She said that I'd done well at the interview and that she'd like to invite me for the second stage in Spain.  I was delighted!  I immediately started looking at flights and within an hour was booked to fly to Spain the following week.  Finances were tight, so I was going to fly there and return on the same day.

The Monday morning dawned and I left the house at 5am to catch my flight.  It was March and the weather was freezing cold at that time of day, so I was wearing my trusty fur coat over my suit.  The flight departed on time and it wasn't long before I was taking the bus transfer from Malaga airport to the centre of Marbella.  I'd done my research and knew that I'd be able to walk to the offices.  What I hadn't prepared for was the weather!  Although it was only the end of March it was incredibly hot and I was burdened and hot and bothered with my big fur coat. 

Walking into MRI's offices was like stepping into another world.  Outside the building a dozen or so flashy cars were parked and the marble tiled, bright interior was dazzling.  I'd already known that it was the ex mayor's office building, but it still impressed me more than I'd imagined.  But after walking around in a heavy suit and a fur coat, nothing was more welcome than the cooling effect of the air conditioning.

I was asked to wait in the reception area and a short while later Sue arrived and the interview started.  Again, I felt that I got on very well with Sue and it made a welcome change to be interviewed by an HR Manager, as opposed to a (usually pushy male) Sales Manager, which had always happened in previous sales jobs.

I explained to Sue that I wasn't the stereotypical sales person.  I had a proven track record in sales, but I didn't believe in pushy and I treated people the way I would want my mum to be treated.  To this day, I still believe that this is the way that sales should be carried out and I remain mystified as to why people buy from arrogant, pushy sales people - I certainly don't.  I knew that telling Sue this was a risky approach.  The snippets of conversation I'd overheard from the passing sales staff whilst I waited in reception certainly sounded as though the sales staff met the usual salesy stereotype.  Had I ruined my chances by telling Sue that I didn't believe in pushy.  Would MRI see this as a weakness? From what I'd seen of and read about Darragh MacAnthony, I wasn't sure that my unorthodox approach would wash with him.  But I wasn't going to pretend otherwise.  I was good at what I did - I just approached it in a different way.

All seemed to go well and I was asked if I had any questions.  Paul and I had discussed a couple of areas that we both wanted clarified.  If I was successful and was offered the job, it was a major decision.  We would be leaving behind our lives, our secure jobs, everything we knew and owned and our families.  We were in our mid to late 30's and it was a decision we had to be absolutely sure about.

The first question I asked was about our employment status.  The positions being offered were self employed and this worried me.  Being self employed meant that the company didn't have to adhere to any employment laws - not a good thing.  Staff would be responsible for their own tax and NI in a foreign country and so would have all the red tape to deal with personally.  I was at a loss to understand why a reputable company wouldn't take on staff members as fully employed personnel.

Sue was clearly prepared for this question.  She reeled off a whole host of reasons why being self employed would be a benefit, the main one's being lower tax,  no restrictions on the number of days holiday entitlement (wow, did that turn out to be a whopping lie) and that if staff wanted to move countries within the company, that being employed would be a hindrance.  

Again, looking back, at this point I should have stepped away.  Giving up everything to work abroad for a company on a self employed basis, which meant no employment contract, no employer responsibilities, no protection from employment law and no NI contributions from my employer was madness.  However, I wanted this job so badly that I was completely ignoring all the warning bells that were clamouring in my head.  I believe in following gut instinct.  This time I didn't.  I pushed my gut instinct very firmly to one side and simply nodded and agreed with Sue.

Another question for Sue was regarding what happened to outstanding commission after you left the company.  We were told that commission was paid in the following way:
A property was sold.  The client paid a deposit to secure the property.
The client would then be sent a contract and had 21 days in which to pay the next deposit.
Once this had been paid, the developer paid MRI.
MRI would then pay the sales person their commission the following month.
We were told that this meant that it took around 3 months from the deal to getting paid and that we would build up a "pipeline" of deals.

My concern was this - after resignation, what happens to the 3 months worth of deals that you still have outstanding.  Sue assured me that this commission would continue to be paid.  Indeed, throughout the whole interview process, both in London and Spain, Sue reiterated time and time again, that unlike other estate agents operating in Spain, MRI were renowned for paying their staff on time.  I liked and trusted Sue, had no reason to disbelieve her and felt that surely, if staff weren't being paid, then she wouldn't be working for the company.

Sadly, as the court case proved, not only did MRI not pay their staff after they resigned, but they didn't even pay them the correct amount while they working for the company.

My final area of concern that required clarification was what help, if any, would be provided by MRI when it came to finding an accountant to handle our tax affairs, setting up NI and generally ensuring that staff were working legally within a country.  Again, Sue was quick to reassure me that MRI would do everything to help and would be able to recommend people in the countries in which they operated.  They too, I was assured, wanted to ensure that all was above board for us.

The reader will be able to judge for themselves, later in the story, if they feel that MRI fulfilled this promise.

After the interview, I was shown around the building and was introduced to some of the other staff members.  I thought that this was a really nice touch and it allowed me to quiz some of the sales staff.  Everything they said backed up what I'd read on the website.  It was hard not be impressed by the whole set up and what Darragh MacAnthony had achieved in such a short space of time.

The interview finally came to a close and I left the offices optimistic.  I wanted to believe in this job and company so badly that I pushed all niggles aside and decided that if I was offered the job, that accepting was the right thing to do.  My flight home was booked for much later that night, as this had been the cheapest option and would also have allowed for any delays during the interview.  I took the opportunity to wander around Marbella and finally found myself on the beach.  I sat in the sand, fur coat and all, and allowed myself to imagine our new, wealthier, happier, more secure life in the sun.

I arrived back at our flat around midnight, completely exhausted.  All I had to do now was wait.

The following day the phone rang and it was the call I'd been waiting for.  I'd been offered the job!  I was over the moon.  I'd already discussed it with Paul and I accepted the position immediately.  And then came an unexpected bombshell.  "You'll be expected to start a week on Monday for the next training intake."  That was only 9 days away. Surely they didn't expect people to be able to pack up their lives and leave everything behind in 9 days? Plus most people need to give a month's notice.  Was the company I wanted to work for completely unreasonable?

The Facts

Working for Darragh Macanthony's MRI

What follows is a factual account of working for Darragh MacAnthony's MRI. It starts right at the very beginning and ends (for now) with a court case, which I won. It will give a complete insight into what was really going on behind the scenes at MRI, what happened in meetings, the bullying and shouting, the pressure, the sackings and the lies, as well as some of the fun times. It will also answer the very valid question that everybody asks "if they were so bad, why did you stay with them for over a year?"

I won a court case against MRI in 2011 and to date only a few close friends know what the outcome of the case was. I am a very private person and wished to keep my privacy. Setting up this site has not been an easy decision. However I now have a gorgeous baby boy. The sum MRI owes me is a life changing amount of money for us and would secure the future of our son. And so, I have finally decided to speak out and tell the truth.

There are no doubt some MRI clients reading this who are saying "you don't deserve anything". To those people, I would ask that you reserve judgement. I cannot speak for staff in other regions, but most of the colleagues I was working with sincerely believed in the company and the properties that they were selling -there was absolutely no reason not to until everything started falling apart at the end. Indeed you'll read that some of my colleagues bought properties themselves. Those aren't the actions of a sales force who believe that they are duping people. I'm certainly not saying that all the sales staff were honest, as will become apparent in my story, but the actions of everybody should not be judged on a bad few.

The website will be updated each week with the next chapter of the story.

Much has been written about Darragh MacAnthony himself and other alleged court cases. Many of these stories have had to be retracted and apologies published. I would like to start with some absolute, irrefutable, provable facts.

Please note that sometimes initials or dots have replaced content. This is either for privacy reasons (I will either be using initials or changing the names of most of the staff members who did no wrong and should be entitled to get on with their lives without harassment or being named unnecessarily on websites), or because the information will be revealed later during the story.

Read on for the first, factual account of life behind the scenes at Darragh MacAnthony's MRI.

FACT: On 29th September 2011, a Judge ruled on the court case ..(me).... v MacAnthony Realty International.
The Judge ruled in my favour. He ruled that I hadn't been paid the commission that I was owed.
The Judge ruled that MRI withheld commission and should pay me the outstanding commission of €157,767.32, plus interest, plus legal fees.
This totals over €250,000. Over a quarter of a million Euros.

FACT: Over 2 years after the ruling, and over 5 years after the commission should originally have been paid, I have still not received a penny.

FACT: I worked for Darragh MacAnthony's MRI during the period May 2006 to October 2007.
As per the Judge's ruling, I was not paid all the commission I was owed for over a year of employment.

FACT: Darragh MacAnthony, owner of MRI, was a multimillionaire and included in The Times Rich List during this time. He also bought a football club.

FACT: Multimillionaire Darragh Macanthony's company MRI was not paying at least 1 member of its staff, as ruled by a Spanish in court.

FACT: MRI awarded me "Outstanding Sales Person of the Year" in December 2006. This was Sales Person of the Year throughout the whole of MRI and the 16 countries they were operating in.

FACT: I contacted Darragh MacAnthony via his official website to ask if he intended to pay the owed sum. Although not legally obliged to do so, as it is MRI who owes the money and not Darragh MacAnthony, I thought that maybe Darragh MacAnthony would be shocked that his Outstanding Sales Person of the Year, who had played a significant part in building his fortune, hadn't been paid and would want to rectify this.

FACT: Darragh MacAnthony did not reply.

FACT: I sold properties totalling €18,667,375 for MRI. Over €18 million worth of property.

FACT: On average, in the countries in which I was working, MRI earned 20% on each sale. This totals €3,733,475.
That means that I contributed almost €4 million to MRI's and Darragh MacAnthony's wealth, whilst not being paid myself.

FACT: Despite being owed €157,767.32 in unpaid commission, the month I resigned I was paid only €826. I repeat,€826. Out of this, I had to pay my rent, food and petrol (including all petrol for work).

FACT: Darragh MacAnthony's email response to his Directors when they informed him of my resignation was "Fuck her. Stupid ungrateful bitch". The full content of this email will be included in my story.

FACT: After resigning from MRI it is was mandatory to wait 3 month before claiming any outstanding commission. I was made aware of this during my interview with MRI. I was told that this was to ensure that we didn't work for a competitor and pass on any confidential information.
When the 3 month period was almost over, I sent the following email to HR:

"I resigned from MRI on 10th October 2007. Shortly afterwards, MB from the HR department called me and instructed me to contact you approximately 2 weeks before the end of the 3 month resignation period was over, which will be 10th Jan. She informed me that I would receive the commission I was owed to date, and that I would then receive following payments, once the company received payment from the developer.
I have a lot of commission outstanding from ........... and I never received payment for any of my ................ deals, during the 6 months I was there. My telephone number is ................
I appreciate that you are always extremely busy, but look forward to a prompt response."

The reply I received was:
"In accordance with MRI´s current procedures, I am authorised to inform you that are due a final payment of 17000€.
Please find attached English and Spanish versions of the Termination and Confidentiality Agreements. You must sign all four documents on the final page where indicated and, in respect of the Termination agreements, initial each of the first three pages at the foot of the page."

Even after everything I'd been through and the lies I'd been told, I was still, very naively, shocked. €17,000. It was just over 10% of what I was really owed. The offer was surely a mistake. I emailed back:
"Following your final offer, please find attached a document outlining my commissions in ........ The clients highlighted in red have already paid their 30% (written confirmation either from the client, the solicitor, or my manager). These total 30,850 Euros of commission owed to me.
The clients highlighted in blue were about to pay when I resigned in October. I would be surprised if they have not now paid (bar one or two, who were unsurprisingly so annoyed at the ineptitude of the solicitors that they may now have cancelled). These total 23,373 Euros of commission.
Please find below a table of commissions owed to me from ........ This is not a table I have devised myself - it was emailed to one of the directors of MRI, who then forwarded it onto me. As you can see it was sent on 11th July 2007, when a total of 133,460 Euros was owed to me (commissions pending payment and expected commissions on unpaid business). Since that date, I have been paid just over 33,500 Euros, which leaves 99,960 outstanding from .........
I am somewhat puzzled by your final offer of 17,000 Euros and can only assume that it is a mistake, given the above facts and figures.
I was informed by HR in October 2007, that I would be paid everything I am owed to date, plus would receive my commission every month also. Is this not true?"

The response was a phone call stating that that was the final payment amount and it was non-negotiable. I do not blame the staff member who called me. He was incredibly apologetic and he intimated that the figures I had provided were correct, but he could only offer what he had been authorised to offer.

FACT: After the above communication I emailed Darragh MacAnthony, stating that I intended to contact the press about my unpaid commissions. In response Dominic Pickering called me from the US and said that I should fly to Spain to discuss it at MRI's head office. I had no intention of wasting further money and declined, as it could just as easily have been discussed on the phone. MRI's response was a threatening letter from Carter Ruck accusing me of blackmail and "groundless, extremely serious allegations."
It also stated "our client is always prepared to look into genuine issues raised or claims made by its former sales people. Therefore, if it is your position that you have in your possession documentary and factual evidence to support your claims against our client, please provide us with full copies. We will then consider them with our client and, rest assured, in the event that your claims prove to be well founded, then our client will be happy to re-instigate a constructive dialogue."
I have since contacted Carter Ruck as a court ruling is very clearly "documentary and factual evidence". I have not as yet received a reply and am waiting for the "re-instigation of a constructive dialogue".
I have no doubt that this website will result in further legal threats being directed at me.

FACT: In the pre court hearing, when solicitors from both sides sit in front of a Judge, MRI denied owing me any money at all. This was after they had already offered me a "final payment" of €17,000.

FACT: My solicitor requested to the Judge that MRI opened their accounts to him, in order that he could verify the claims that MRI were making, which were that every single one of my clients had cancelled. The Judge agreed. MRI never did supply their accounts to my solicitor, as per the Judge's order.

FACT: MRI's solicitor did not appear at the final court hearing. In a Spanish court, both the claimant and the defendant are appointed a Court Official by the court. MRI's Court Official informed us that MRI's solicitor would not be appearing to testify on behalf of MRI. She stated he had told her that this was because he hadn't been paid. I am unable to verify this and am simply stating what MRI's Court Official - who is bound by the rules of the Court - told my solicitor and my Court Official.

FACT: I contacted 125 ex MRI employees via Facebook in 2008 to ask if anybody else was owed money in unpaid commissions. 43 replied that yes, they were indeed owed money. I am unable to verify any of these alleged claims and I do not claim that they are true. These were private communications and there was no reason for anybody to lie.
People's responses include:

"Yeah they haven't paid me a penny even though Darragh himself emailed me and said he would look into it and its fair to say that after 7 months I have given them plenty of time and been more than patient in waiting for what I'm owed."

"They owe me 140k."

"I am owed approximately 5000 euros from this company. I was offered a settlement in august of 983 euros which I accepted, but have received nothing since, and they refuse to answer my calls and emails."

"I left MRI due to family reasons as my father took unwell in 2007 and I chose to return to the UK, I resigned in Feb 2007. I then asked what procedure to follow with regards my outstanding commission payment as I was due approx between 120k - 160k. I was told to contact HR who informed me that after leaving I would have to wait 3 months before they would make me an offer on my monies owed. After this period of time expired I contacted MRI only to find that HR would not speak to me and that I would be receiving a call from Javier in Martinez Echevarria. After some time I contacted Javier and due to persistence he eventually spoke to me and told me that he was talking to Darragh about my case and would inform me of my commission payment in the near future. When I heard nothing from Javier, I contacted KT in MRI who was chief of operations, he passed me onto Dominic Pickering who was very unhelpful and aggressive, he demanded that I travel to Spain to sit in a meeting with him Darragh, Michael Ligan and K. I refused as I would not subject myself to being bullied, I informed them at that point of my father's death ( Oct 2007 ) and offered to meet them in London in there UK office to which they refused."

"Waiting to sign for an apt that I was given for top sales in 07 ...everything was fine with the transfer of title even getting a confirmation email from PM yesterday morning that the transfer would be in a couple of days....3 hours later I got a call saying you are not getting the apt, no explanation goodbye!....I've got a signed contract fully legal in Bulgaria with all the details correct on it but they say they won't honour it."

"I accepted the 1500 euros they offered me (even though the true figure would be more like 50,000) because I thought that was the best I was going to get. They drained all the fight out of me."

"They actually even owe me the commission on my own apartment I bought with them."

" The last contact we had was from Dominic Pickering saying that no Ex MRI will be getting commissions."