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spinbaby

(15,382 posts) Thu May 24, 2012, 04:53 AM May 2012

How is it legal to hire "commission only" sales people? [View all]

Last night I went down to my local Sears store to order a dishwasher I had selected online. I could have ordered it online, but I wanted to see it first. I located a helpful young man, checked out the dishwasher, and ordered it without fuss. But when I left the store, I noticed they had a sign at the door listing positions they were hiring and that appliance sales was listed as commission only. Made me glad that I had made the trip to the store to order the dishwasher, appalled that they were paying what are essentially order takers in a mostly deserted Sears store only on commission, and also appalled that there are people desperate enough to take them up on that arrangement. How is this legal?

34 replies

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How is it legal to hire "commission only" sales people? [View all] spinbaby May 2012 OP

I was not aware of that. I don't know how it is legal ejpoeta May 2012 #1

Difficult to comment on dipsydoodle May 2012 #2

Almost all dept stores are commission only RockaFowler May 2012 #3

Its the best incentive to succeed. dipsydoodle May 2012 #8

According to this, federal minimum wage laws still apply... Junkdrawer May 2012 #4

Indeed, if you have to come in and work a set number of hours and abide by a dress code Zalatix May 2012 #11

Now, try getting it enforced. n/t Egalitarian Thug May 2012 #26

When I was working, I was getting paid by commission sakabatou May 2012 #5

The concept preys upon the Horatio Alger myth: "If you work hard enough you can succeed at anything" baldguy May 2012 #6

Hate to sound like a rude person but blame the Reagan era. It is in the 80s when people lookingfortruth May 2012 #7

The No Job Jobs Of The 21st Century TheMastersNemesis May 2012 #16

Commission only, well predates the 80s, it predates my lifetime. braddy May 2012 #21

Better Than "Independent Contractors" KharmaTrain May 2012 #9

Yes, that happens a lot in the Insurance, Herbalife, Mary Kay, Primerica, etc industries Zalatix May 2012 #12

Independent Contractor always worked for me, but only if it was real braddy May 2012 #22

There are more positions and occupations exempt from minimum wage and OT laws morningfog May 2012 #10

Many sales jobs are really tough KurtNYC May 2012 #13

Worst job of my life IDemo May 2012 #14

if you work a "commission only" gig melm00se May 2012 #15

Thanks. That actually sounds pretty reasonable, and fair (nt) Nye Bevan May 2012 #24

As a former commisions salesperson at Sears, this is how it works DotGone May 2012 #27

That was my problem with Sears, too RockaFowler May 2012 #30

I know one thing. Springslips May 2012 #17

Yes it is legal guardian May 2012 #18

There's a downside for the consumer... -..__... May 2012 #19

I was briefly in retail sales in the mid 70's rustydog May 2012 #20

Worked in sales most of my life. xchrom May 2012 #23

When I was a young man and working musician back in the mid 1970s aint_no_life_nowhere May 2012 #25

It is also legal to make people pay to work someplace. Ruby the Liberal May 2012 #29

Another 'fun' angle to this is many companies pay commission as 1099 wages Ruby the Liberal May 2012 #28

Been there, too Digit May 2012 #34

Simple answer - It's legal because it's not illegal slackmaster May 2012 #31

it's the only way to go datasuspect May 2012 #32

I met a commission only person Capt. Obvious May 2012 #33