11. Alex McMillan: Would you trust This Man?

UPDATE 29.10.2014: People have been contacting me about Alex McMillan and Success Moves following bad experiences at recruitment events. If you have had a bad experience with the company feel free to check out this new blog and/or email directly with your story at veniamin.tal@gmail.com. The plan is to collect victim statements in the coming few months and then decide if a case can be made against the company.

This is the face of Alex McMillan, the London Fashion Exchange's new training partner.

Check out this Youtube video in which he talks all about his training programme, then have a look at the comments left underneath the video. 

Desperately unscrupulous? Success Moves is a scam?? Alex McMillan is a Buffoon??? A lying bastard??? Not my accusations, dear readers! 

Have a look at this second video, and look at the comments section underneath  for more of the same.

Where does all this nasty name-calling come from? Let's have a look at this article in the Daily Mirror. An extract is posted below.

So it seems that Alex McMillan's Success Moves has a history of working with unscrupulous companies - one of which (Worldwide Wealth Collections)  went into liquidation with a £1million black hole.

But anyway, Alex McMillan is obviously just the sort of person that the management team at London Fashion Exchange consider perfect for their operations. 

Here is the sexy, newly updated London Fashion Exchange careers page discussing the 'success' of their training programme (see section 10 for a selection of responses from trainees) and their new partnership with Alex McMillan's Success Moves:

What the hell happened to the training programme that was devised with the help of Jordan Belfort - the Wolf of Wall Street? As mentioned in post one, when I was at interview last month Roland told me Jordan Belfort had helped devise the London Fashion Exchange training programme, and that was why I would have to pay 85 GBP for the privilege of attending. I was told that Jordan Belfort doesn't work with "any old company", and that London Fashion Exchange was incredibly fortunate to have secured a partnership with "a guy so famous that he is now the subject of a Hollywood movie". Paying Belfort to design the course for London Fashion Exchange had, according to Roland, cost the company thousands of pounds.

Now the training has been redesigned by Alex McMillan, the "Buffoon" of West Sussex? What does Leonardo Di Caprio think about all this?

Alex McMillan's Success Moves is hardly material for Hollywood. Is it not a little odd that the website of an international marketing consultancy company operates off a Word Press platform?  And while we're at it... was that website header knocked up on MS Paint?

But anyway, McMillan's MS Paint skills (or lack thereof) are by the by.

One thing that strikes me from the Daily Mirror's investigation is the fact that on paper Worldwide Wealth Collectors Ltd was run by an 'Nicholas Jones', but that operations were run by the Bentley-driving Noel Surin. Is it reasonable to imagine a parallel situation with the London Fashion Exchange? On paper the company is run by Joe Cox. Like Nicholas Jones, Cox is the 'fall guy' - but like Noel Surin, Roland Tilman will be reaping the financial benefits? It is something to think about. Particularly for Joe Cox. does he really know what he has got himself into?

If you are reading this Joe - and I have it on good authority that you read the blog - feel free to get in touch. You know my email.

10. Emails from London fashion Exchange Staff to the Authors of This blog

Here are a selection of emails I have received in the last 48 hours. Readers are free to make their own conclusions:

I am emaling you about the website you have put up about 'London Fashion Exchange' being a spam.

I went to the fashion exchange today which was apparantly the "training" at a hotel in Croydon called 'Croydon Park Hotel', and they made me and around 20 people sign a contract which they didnt make us read. They also took £85 from all the people there including me. The man that was the 'trainer' told us that he was going to email us later that day, i've been waiting for this email that he was going to send me for a while now and i've recieved nothing. I've tried to email, text and call this man but no one has got back to me. 

I'm really angry and I was hoping that you would be able to help me and all the people that have been scamed. Please tell me what I can do next. Should I take them to court?

--------------------

Just to let you know I was paid today

--------------------

Hello,

I just got your email about London fashion exchange and I took a look at your blog. I was one of the people stupid enough to pay for training then  realised it was all a bit weird. I was just curious to know what you were doing about the situation?

Best wishes

****************

--------------------

Heyaa, I'm working for LFE and haven't got paid since August. May I have your phone number please as I find it easier to talk about it through a phone call rather than typing everything up. If your not comfortable giving your number out, you can contact me on 0******************

Kind regards,

**************

--------------------

Hi,

I've had bad experience from the London Fashion Exchange and they seem quite dodgy to me as well. I've been working with them for a month now. I have been contacting a lady called benessa through email asking her to allocate me a shift and she did not give me a shift for the weekend. This has happened twice and I sent her an informal email because I was unhappy with the delay and then she replied to me more than a week later.

Also I was told at the training that I will get paid on the 5th of November and that I had to send the invoicing through email by the 25th of October. Then at the beginning of the month benessa emailed me saying that I was going to get paid on the 8th of November instead of the 5th.

*********************

--------------------

Hello

I will no longer be taking up the job because I will not be able to collect 40 names.

And I would like to get a refund on the money I paid towards the training.

********************

--------------------

Hi I'm so glad to hear I'm not along. I agree with all of you. First off all, I think its wrong that they ask (young people) you to pay £85 for training when it's only basic things to learn (the money doesn't cover the training) I think that's why they target young people. LFE only what's to gain more money, I just don't think it real. I'm still trying to co act my team leader!

--------------------

 Good Morning,

I definitely believe you should look into the company, I was working with LFE for two weeks and kept receiving complaints about the company from normal people at Westfields. Then I was approached by Westfield security who told me that LFE did not hold the licence for carrying out market research on there premises. They had also mentioned Roland Tilmans name claiming to have had a meeting about him the previous day along with the fact that they could not get in contact with him.

Me and my friends had decided to reclaim our refund as the training was inadequate and the job seemed dodgy. We contacted Tre who is supposedly one of the managers for LFE and after a long argument he asked us to come meet him at his Canary Wharf office. We went along to meet him and after a lengthy conversation he had decided to give us a refund; asking us to email there accounting team. As soon as we left the building we had sent emails regarding our refund and received no replies. We carried on doing so throughout the whole week and I personally had sent around 42 emails.

Soon we decided enough was enough and returned to there office demanding a refund by constantly ringing Tre. We threatened to phone the police and had also entered there building claiming to do so. After this Joe had phoned us, he took our details and soon enough returned our money.

--------------------

                               

I'm agree with you, I'm also not happy with this company which promises false reality only to gain more money for its economic interests. In fact 85 £ for a training of 1 day means asking much than that they have done, they must almost give me a product to quantify the value of this money.

But I'm from ************* and nobody give me the job in London, so in that occasion I accepted where I had needed of a good job, without knowing the consequence,   thinking that your company promitted good perspective.

Do you have to suggest a job to do in London with a Master's degree in Business Management?

I'm grateful if you give me an advice.

--------------------

Do you get your first months payment at all?

I'm still in my trial period if I don't get paid will you be able to support me in trying to refund my training money & how can I help you. Many thanks *****************

--------------------

Hi

I'm so relieved that I'm not the only one that's felt unsure about the London fashion exchange I was so worried after the training when I wasn't being given my first shift I had to send quite a few emails and I called joe so many times until I finally was given my first shift. Just everything seemed so dodgy after the training and paying £85 for the training I so regret doing that. I'm so glad your doing something about it and your here to help

--------------------

               

Hi,

I had a lot of doubts about London Fashion Exchange and your email just confirmed everything.

Firstly, I went for my interview with someone called Joe who tried to get me to pay for the training right then but I said I needed to think it through and he told me to ring him when I decided to make the transaction. When I finally made the mistake of paying the 85£ I rang about 10 times in the next week as he wouldnt pick up and finally got a text that simply said 'can't speak right now. Text.' And he still didnt reply to my texts and told me he was busy when I got through to him by phonecall. I eventually sent a message on the London Fashion Exchange website and managed to book for the training session.

We met the girl from new zealand and this other boy who was only 17 - both who we were told got promoted within weeks of working for the company and were earning big bucks. However, even after a month of working for the company and meeting a bunch of people, me and others have not heard of a single market researcher being 'promoted'. After the training it took several emails to eventually get my first shift.

******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** After my 4 shifts I emailed  numerous times to ask about a distributing roles but no reply. Also they claim that we can do shifts in a variety of locations and that flexible hours are available but another market researcher and I have only been given *************  shifts on saturdays. The girl from new zealand also told us we could go in the shopping centre in croydon to do our market research when it rained but when we went there and got warned as we weren't actually licensed to be there. I have recently sent my invoice and scared I wont get paid!

-----------------

What's this about

They have taken money from my partner and not contacted her at all what can we do about this

*******************

--------------------

Hi I've been reading your emails regarding the LFE and their schemes, I want to thank you for updating us. I have chosen to e-mail you using a different address to hide my identity.

I would like your advice on getting the money back that was paid for the 'training'. What do I do?

I have a couple of other people who also want their money back as it was not worth it as well as it being 'fake'.

Kind regards

Anonymous

--------------------

Hello, 

I am so happy that I have found someone who believes that this 'London fashion exchange' company is scamming us. I worked for the for two days just calling people up and booking them in for interviews, regardless of whether they seem right for the company or not. I am now fighting to receive my money back that i paid for training which i can honestly tell you wasn't worth my time or money. 

I'd love to hear about your experience with the company.

Please get back to me as soon as you can

Thank-you

Kind Regards

--------------------

hi i've worked there 4 shifts and now i don't get replys for any more shifts. They also havent payed me for the completed shifts. in the beggining i thought they were a little dodgy but was desperate for a job so i payed the 'training fee' and a took a 'good opportunity to make good money'.

--------------------

Hi, I worked for them for a month basically did my four trials and emailed them to pay me and they replied back saying they can't pay me back because some of my contacts have not been identified yet but I'm 100% sure all my contacts details were correct. They are supposed to pay me £120 but haven't. How do I get my money? 

-------------------- 

Hi Tom, its *********** from market research. Just to let you know that I am one of the people that did not get paid due to unverified names and I am really frustrated with the company. I have some email exchanging with the company and I recognise both Tre and Joe. Please let me know whats going on I'm really comfused. Please get back to me.



Many Thanks

--------------------

Hi veniamin
I have read your blogs about london fashion exchange and I am glad I came across this.
I too worked for them and they are con artists.
Please please do contact me about this I would love to talk to you about your experience and hopefully we expose these fraudsters.
My contact number is 0*************

You can me anytime tomorrow.
Kind regards

***********

--------------------

That's great finally they got caught thanks.  Can we claim our money from them? 

--------------------

I have reported the LFE to the police actionfraud.police.uk, please pass this one to everyone and report them to the police and hopefully this goes to court and we all get out refunf back. thank you.

*************************

--------------------

Hello my name is ***** ************** and i have made the mistake of paying london fashion exchange 85 pound. Ive been trying to get my money back for more than a month but no luck. What shall i do?

9. An Open Letter To Roland Tilman

Dear Roland,

Firstly, let's get the issue of your enigmatic brother out of the way. Sadly, owing to legal proceedings being underway, I am unable to speak to him directly, so instead I will address my concerns to you. You see, I was worried. I have a suspicion that your brother may have defrauded you out of what is rightfully yours. According to ancient British laws of primogeniture, hereditary titles are passed down to the eldest son. Thus, the fact that your younger brother is claiming the title Lord Tilman seems to suggest that he has usurped from you your rightful position in the Family Tilman.  Unless of course, you voluntarily consented to abdicate  the Tilman family throne? What is more disturbing is the fact you seemed unaware of your brother's noble title when we spoke on the phone last Sunday. I am beginning to suspect that some ghastly family secret is about to be unearthed. Have your family kept you in the dark all these years? Is there to be some Dickensian twist in the tail of this London Fashion Exchange story? Or is the fraternal rupture to which you alluded on the phone rooted in a battle over the family honourific?

The mind boggles.

More on-topic, I would like to know the answers to these questions:

1. You claim that the invoices you gave to trainees who paid for training were not headed by a false address, because although "2 Lansdowne Road" was not your operating address, it was the address to which your company was registered. Which company are we talking about here, Roland? I assume you mean London Fashion Exchange Ltd, as this is the company you said now owns London Fashion Exchange. 

 London Fashion Exchange Ltd is registered as having a registered and trading address of "5 Chigwell Road, London, E18 1LR".

Or were you talking about Scootec Ltd, the company you told me transferred the London Fashion Exchange brand to Joe Cox? 

Scootec's registered and trading address is: "145-157 St John Street, London, EC1V 4PW."

It would help me greatly in understanding what is going on if you could explain which company you were referring to when talking about the Lansdowne road address, because to me it seems that you were using a false address on your invoices.

2. Roland, I feel i must take some credit for aiding your copy editors and fact checkers because you have now made two emendations following concerns I have expressed in relation to the text on your website. Reference to Scootec Ltd has been taken out of the address in your "contact us" section, and the claims in the "recruitment" section of 300% growth over 4 years have also been removed! Screen shots from last week are available at the bottom of this post.

With this in mind, perhaps you would care to look at the "about us" section of your website. Here is is claimed that the London Fashion Exchange was established by women who had become fed up of being defrauded when buying hair extensions online. I quote:

"As women who use hair extensions ourselves, we understand the importance 

 of buying great quality hair from a trusted supplier. After experiencing many

 fraudulent orders, we decided to set up our own company offering the hair that

 women want from a  trusted and reliable company."

You're right Roland! Fraud is a real bitch, isn't it!  But could you explain to me who these women are? I thought you told me that Scootec Ltd established the London Fashion Exchange brand and then it was acquired by Joe Cox. All the Scootec board members are male, and so is Joe Cox. You never mentioned anything to me about women starting the company. Perhaps your copy editor has made a mistake again?

**** UPDATE!****

Roland's expert team of copy-editors have emended their website text upon my instruction yet again (10.11.2013), this time elegantly shoehorning in a parenthetical qualification to a previous claim:

"As women (original founders of LFE) who use hair extensions 

ourselves, we understand the importance of buying great quality

 hair from a trusted supplier"

It seems that the London Fashion Exchange marketing department are not only lightning quick to cover up their deliberate/accidental misrepresentation of their company, but are also virtuoso prose stylists as well. Bravo.

********************

3. Finally, I noticed something potentialy misleading in your advert. If you use it again, you may wish to adapt it slightly. You state that you are a:

"prestigious marketing company looking to expand your office and 
sales team"

Which company are we talking about Roland? Scootec Ltd? Is Scootec prestigious?? Have you seen the Scootec accounts!? Has anyone heard of Scootec ? How do you define prestigious? Or are we talking about the London Fashion exchange Ltd? But the London Fashion Exchange is owned by a 19 year old, and has no trading history...

Anyway, the advert continues:

"We specialise in helping businesses stay afloat, and help them
 overcome the challenges of changes taking place in the market 
place currently"

Which company is this?? All the trainees were given training under an invoice for the London Fashion Exchange! And considering you said that your company CAW Gallery closed down as it was unable to overcome the challenges of a changing market, are you best placed to offer such advice?

8. Clearpoint Solutions Ltd

http://www.clearpointsolutions.co.uk 

Another company, another website. Like www.londonfashionexchange.co.uk, Clearpoint's website is registered to 777 Club. (www.easywhois.com)

Tre mckenzie is registered as the director. 

Like CAW Gallery, this company is registered to a temporary office in One Canada Square.

Like The London Fashion Exchange, Clearpoint will also soon be on the prowl for marketing staff....


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After several months, the webste is still half-full of filler text, so perhaps this is now a dead project. I wonder what went wrong?

7. London Fashion Exchange and the X-Factor Connection...

One of Roland Tilman's boasts is that the London Fashion Exchange has a 2012 X-Factor finalist working for them - a lad by the name of Joe Cox. This is not one of life's greatest boasts, admittedly, but it seems a boast Roland Tilman is keen to press upon potential staff. This may be because the target demographic for the London Fashion Exchange recruitment is 17- to 21-year-old girls and Roland feels it will get them all weak at the knees; or it could be because Roland Tilman just really likes the X-Factor.

Regardless of Roland's reasoning, out of seven victims of "pay for training" who have contacted me in the last week, three have mentioned 'Joe Cox'.

One such victim (let us call them 'X' because it makes it sound exciting) has been doing a bit of snooping of their own. X (who I spoke to in the last couple of days) went to see what was at the address printed on the top of the invoice they received after paying for and experiencing 'training'. (below)

The receptionist at the Lansdowne Building told them that the London Fashion Exchange had long since vacated the premises and that she couldn't disclose any further details. (As I have not been there myself, I can not confirm this). So, according to X, The London Fashion Exchange is taking 85 quid off all their trainees, providing them with a worthless seminar, and invoicing them under a false address. Roland Tilman disputes this accusation, claiming that the "2 Lansdowne Rd." address is where the company is registered. However London Fashion Exchange Ltd seems to be registered to 5 Chigwell Rd., and Scootec Ltd (whose bank account is listed on the foot of the invoice) is registered to 145-157 St John street. 

So I am confused..... or am I?

X then pointed me in the direction of  The London Fashion Exchange Ltd - something I had completely missed at first as I was focusing on Scootec Ltd. (idiot). It turns out that London Fashion Exchange Ltd has a sole director - Joe Cox the 19-year-old former X-Factor finalist. 

In a phone conversation with Roland Tilman (03.11.13), Tilman claimed that Scootec Ltd originally owned The London Fashion Exchange brand. He claimed that the brand was turned into a company by Joe Cox. The company used to turn the London Fashion Exchange brand into a company was "Joe Cox Ltd", which changed its name to London Fashion Exchange Ltd as recently as 6th September. Tilman claimed that Joe Cox Ltd had been operational for 18 months prior to this change of name, and that its accounts would show evidence of turnover. So here we go. 

The original company (Joe Cox Ltd) was founded in 2011 when Mr Cox was 17 years old - I assume, but may be wrong - in order to promote Joe Cox as an entertainer.  The company is described under the category  "Artistic And Literary Creation And Interpretation" which would support this assumption. The company in its guise as London Fashion Exchange Ltd is still listed under "Artistic And Literary Creation And Interpretation".

If the London fashion Exchange is operating solely under the company "London Fashion Exchange Ltd", it seems to mean that despite being organised and conducted by Roland Tilman, the pay for training scam is in effect being carried out in the name of Joe Cox. 

My assumption that Roland Tilman is the orchestrator comes from the fact that he interviewed me, he led the training, he is director of Scootec Ltd whose bank account is on the London Fashion Exchange invoice, and that he called me up to request I remove this blog.

As Roland Tilman has only recently removed the Scootec Ltd reference from the "contact us" page of www.londonfashionexchange.com (see below), and the bank details at the bottom of the invoice given to trainees are for Scootec Ltd, I am sceptical that all London Fashion Exchange activities are being carried out under London Fashion Exchange Ltd.

Joe Cox has also been listed as a director at Clear Point Solutions. Also on the board of directors at Clear Point Solutions is Tre Mckenzie - surely the "Trey" mentioned in post 1 who was conducting interviews alongside Roland Tilman on the day of my interview. In addition, another victim who I have been speaking to (let's call this one "Y"...) told me that in the office where the London Fashion Recruits are working with Roland Tilman and Everton Grossett, there were plans afoot for a new company which was going to be called "Clearpoint Solutions". Again, I can't confirm this information, but there seems enough evidence for us to assume Roland is very much acquainted with Cox...

****UPDATE****

It is now obvious Roland Tilman is well acquainted with Cox for reasons elucidated earlier in this updated version of the post. Tilman does not deny working with Cox, and it seems he sees Cox on a regular basis. Additionaly, it seems reasonable to infer that Cox is willingly taking part in what is going on.

Incidentally, Other members of the board at Clearpoint Solutions include our old friends Mr Adrian Koe (of 3000 directorships fame), and Westco Directors Ltd (company) who both also sit on the board at Scootec Ltd.

Questions, questions, questions.....

****************

Finally, as some light relief, here is Joe cox auditioning on X-Factor. Take it away Joe:

And Finally finally, here's Joey Cox performing "Jesse James" - Joey Cox has nothing to do with Roland Tilman, but I do like bluegrass.

6. The Curious Incident of the Bullshit Interview

Firstly, a necessary admission of my own idiocy. Yes it's true, I was one of the idiots who paid 85 quid for training after a 'successful' interview with Roland Tilman (see section 1). This happened several weeks ago.

I was rather desperate for a job. I was hungover at the time. I am an idiot.

Moving on.

******DISCLAIMER: I HAVE BEEN ASSURED BY ROLAND TILMAN THAT HE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS JOB INTERVIEW, AND THAT I HAVE AN OVER ACTIVE IMAGINATION. THEREFORE, THE FOLLOWING SHOULD BE READ AS SECOND RATE DETECTIVE FICTION******

On the 17th October, a couple of days after my 'training' experience, I purchased a report into the parent company of the London Fashion Exchange - Scootec Ltd. I found out that this company - the company that Roland Tilman claims is the biggest importer of hair extensions into the UK - has no assets and no history of trading.

Roland Tilman, who during my interview with the London Fashion Exchange claimed that there were directors superior to him inside the company (in fact, he went off to speak to one of these imaginary 'directors' during my interview to check that there was a place left for me on the amazing London Fashion Exchange training scheme), is in fact the only director, and, I assume, the sole proprietor of the single Great British pound that the company has as capital.

Being a fine upstanding citizen, I thought I'd put word out on Twitter warning other potential idiots that they should avoid the company. I contacted several people on Twitter who had tweeted about forthcoming interviews with London Fashion Exchange, and linked to the Scootec company report that I had put online. I then began working on this blog, for want of better things to do.

Several days later I applied for another job on Gumtree (and yes, I have now learned.... Gumtree is not the place to go for jobs. It is the place to go to get scammed). The advertised position was that of "part time English teacher", it was in Camden, and it sounded like something right up my street.

I was accepted for interview by Glyn Evans. "Glyn Evans" did not contact me through Gumtree, but emailed me directly - bad practice, according to Gumtree.

After exchanging a few emails with "Glyn", it seemed to me that the whole business was rather vague. A location for interview was not given until the morning of the interview itself (Wednesday 30th October). No company name had been given. No job description. Feeling suspicious I called "Glyn" up and asked him what the company was, what the job was, why the location for interview was an unmarked, tatty looking shop front (according to street view below, and verified later by having a look at it myself this evening). As "Glyn" stutteringly attempted to provide some information about his company ("we are teaching people English as a charity, to improve their English") I instantly recognised the whining little voice of  the London Fashion Exchange's trainer extraordinaire - Roland Tilman.

This is Roland Tilman on the right, wearing a combustible-looking suit,

 and posing with his brother (left) Martin Tilman, AKA Lord Marton Tilman,

 AKA the Right Hon. Sir Marton Tilman

I asked "Glyn" if his name was in fact "Roland". "Glyn" did not ask me why I was asking such a bizarre question, but instead became rather flustered, babbled incoherently at me, asked me why I thought he was a scammer (I had made no explicit accusation to "Glyn") before running out of words and hanging up.

So... having interviewed me two weeks previously for the London Fashion Exchange position, and consequently being aware that I have several years' teaching experience, and that I use Gumtree (like an idiot) to look for jobs, did Roland Tilman put a fake advert on Gumtree to lure me into an 'interview' before getting his heavies to tell me I was being a naughty boy? Am I being unduly paranoid. Well, I think all will become clear soon enough.

"

120 Kentish Town Road

Glyn's "Head Office"

5. Capitalontap and Everton Grossett

*Temporarily removed*

4. Meet the Tilmans

Sir/Lord Marton/Martin Tilman and his brother Roland are elusive beasts, but the following photographs recall the good old days of CAW Gallery - the company that claimed to be "radically changing how the world sees, promotes and buys art" before it promptly disappeared.

(If you have been scammed by CAW Gallery, please see the following blog: www.cawgalleryscam.blogspot.com - also, get in touch at veniamin.tal@gmail.com)

 Sir/Lord Marton Tilman does his thing.

 Roland Tilman

Looking sharp boys! 

Lord Tilman

The common brother