Think about this.
If you really did find a working formula that made you, say $1,000 a week online on average and it kept producing income no matter what, would you want to sell that idea to a bunch of noobs for $47 a pop and expect to retire on the proceeds? No way, man! It does not compute. It does not add up. And it does not make any sense to do that. I certainly don’t go shouting from the rooftops how I make my money online. Hell, I don’t want the competition taking a slice of my pie and neither would anyone who really does make good cash online.
www.onlineuniversalwork.com

Guys,
As you can see above, I did ask.
But we can't have people posting these increasingly personal attacks and people's phone numbers (which, in the latter case, we've deleted), under pseudonyms

We're really grateful that you've brought these issues to light, and I really want you to continue working with us to inform us of any further issues you think should be brought to the fore - that goes for any documents, videos, emails or other such that you want to send on to back this up (because claims are only that until there's something to substantiate).

But you're going to have to do so privately, via my contact page (http://paidcontent.co.uk/bio/47/) or email (myfirstname AT paidcontent DOT org). I'm closing the comments here because, unfortunately, this stuff is now getting too much. I'm also going to have to review the comments posted so far.

So, I'd encourage you to keep bringing this stuff forward; whatever you feel merits attention - but directly, and preferably with some proof and your name (which wouldn't necessarily have to be used). Any claims that are true and stand up to rigour will get a much wider audience than the comments section alone - and would be put to the company for fair response.

We'll aim to write about this again with sufficient back-up, but, until then, thanks and see you in the email.

Dearest Lisa Bonfoy, Reality Shmeality, Connor Sweetman & Jack,

1) SpinVox is a UK company, we have better rules against this than the Madoff and Enron loving USA.

2) SpinVox has not YET missed a payroll.

3) We are in a global recession. Cashflow is tight.

4) NY Office wasnt business critical, at this time. Now if we get evicted from Marlow, then i'd be worried.

5) Im personally owed over £1000 in personal expenses but at least i have a job for the time being and can feed, cloth and house my family. If i have to flip burgers, then so be it. Again, WE ARE IN A RECESSION.

6) As you so cleverly missed, CD & DD arnt perfect and neither is the management. But you give me a company where the managment is.

7) Who the hell are the Judean front, and, do I really care?

8) If CD was to commit fraud and run off with millions then, well I will be the first to call the police. I know where she lives.

9) Please feel free to subscribe to a months free SpinVox trial. Visit www.spinvox.com. :) The sh!t works, its 97% automated. Im sure there are a few Tier 1 carriers who can verify that.

10) You are boring me now. Get a life, or even better, get a job.

I'm a current employee in Marlow. I sit close enough to Christina to know this is getting to her and Daniel. Jon Simnett is on full alert and using every PR measure in his bag of kit to put this fire put. It is absolutely true that Spinvox has struggled to make payroll since the beginning of the year. Christina has ordered only expenses to be paid to her direct reports. Most others namely in America have been deferred. They have systematically kept money from vendors across the business because they don't have it. This includes not paying health benefits in the states. In truth, the Atlanta and New York offices have been closed. All the US employee records sit with a temp office worker in the states. We owe everybody money. The workers in Marlow have no faith in this business, most of us are feverishly looking for job. This makes me think this what it must have felt like for an average soldier at Waterloo. Somehow, with the best of intentions we all followed a charismatic leader to our end. All that we can do is wait for the dawn.

"The Real SV Employee":  For clarities sake   1)  SV missing payroll.  2) SV missing expense reimbursement.  3)  Evicted from their NY office.  4)  didn’t pay insurance for NA employees (didn’t notify employees).

its the 'Judean people's front'...

Real SV employee… you should go hang out with Reality check, and so it continues, and so the world turns… the sad thing is that things will happen just as Connor Sweetman says, but you still don't listen!... so naive…. and by the way many of the posts are from UK employees…

And will someone tell me why you are 'waiting for the suppliers to pay us' when you recently took on $100m in VC money? where the f*** did that go?...

Wake up and smell the roses Real SV. We must look at history to stop it from repeating itself!

Dear Real SV Employee,

I personally know about 5 0r 6 people, including myself, who would have written almost your exact words about 6-7 years ago.

Very troubling. . . . .very troubling to me as a human being who can really grasp the idea of 250 people keeping their jobs or losing them.

And since I was speaking much like you are and had staff under me that I would calm down and convince them to just hang on a bit longer, WHEN THE AX FELL. .. .. well, can you imagine how awful I felt? 

Can you just imagine holding the ship together, keeping all the mates on board, even foregoing my own pay so others could get *some* of theirs. . . and having the captain sink the ship after leaving the ship and abandoning the crew on board?

Your post is really very destressing to me.  Seems like people just repeat the same behavour and take what they want and the heck with the peon workers.

And just so you know, I am from North America and have never worked in Sales or in QC.  I am a techie.

Hey…"the real SV employee"...want to bet a euro on the outcome?

Seems 99% of ALL negative comments are from ex- North American sales employees and/or discontinued QC houses. Well to you guys, bad luck, we are in a recession and well, sh!t happens. As for using "third world" call centres, well, i think a lot of big companies do and will continue to do so because they are cheap. Dont hear the "third world" governments complaining.

The QC department has big mouths.

Right, this is what IS going on.

We are waiting on carrirers and customers to pay US, so we can then get paid and pay our suppliers. Simple as.

I dont know where hese cowardly attacks on Christina Domecq and Daniel Doulton are coming from.  Regardless of past performances, if any of you out there have an ounce of decency and professionalism then you will keep this strictly business.

Now, as far as the share options go. They are completely voluntary. Yes, if not enough share options are not sold then more redundancies will have to be made to meet costs. But in Christinas own words, "only buy them IF you can afford them", are those the words of a fraudster?

And all those awards won, did CD & DD bribe every single judge? Gosh, maybe, just maybe, the product is genuine and people like it. Hoy sh!t, is that possible??

Now, things at Spinvox are far from perfect. Yes CD has put personal friendship above business in certin areas of the company and it has and continues to affect performance.

No suppliers and vendors have been paid because we havent been paid. What are we supposed to pay them with? We are in a recession after all. It happens, get over it. My own job is at risk but atthe end of the day, just get on with it.

Technology has been comprimised by poor budget and politics.

There are over paid and under-talented execs & managers in the company. Most of them personal friends.

There was favoritism shown when redundancies were made. Wrong people were made to leave. HR is not a trusted department.

The cycle across america was poorly timed and her personal trainer is on the payroll. What he does exactly still remains a mystery to many.

We are getting our salaries each month. I would be the first to walk away if we were not or if there was the slighest hint that we are not.

Marketing does waste a lot of money on useless ideas, suh as the big metal box in the middle of Covent Garden.

Now, IF Spinvox survives, then I can safely say that most employees expect a wholesale change of directors and execs and for personal friends to be replaced by experienced professionals.

Majority of the people working for spinvox are extremely talented, experienced, hard working professionals, who deserve every party and every barbeque that CD & DD hold for them. We work hard and play hard and there is no idiot on this blog who will take that away from anyone at spinvox.

There are more customers in the pipeline. There are even offers of a buyout. So, in my opinion, Spinvox will survive, and yes, CD & DD will pocket a tidy profit. But hey, isnt that what is called business?

Now, talk nicely and maybe 250 people get to keep their jobs.

Comrades, stop fighting lets remember who the true enemy is:

"The peoples front of Judea!"

No, the crooks at the top, so cut out the in-fighting. Keep it civil and on topic

We the employees will hope CD and DD do the right thing. Daniel you have kids, think of the families you are about to devestate.

CD is a lost cause, I'll be happy to visit you in jail in a few years CD.

I think that is what it will take to for you to grow a conscience

haha… nice one Reality, I see that your little knickers are in a twist now too, and you just can't help yourself can you? go on, send another message.

Yes, I lived and worked in the '3rd world' for over 2o years, and yes, I am doing something. Not single handedly curing AIDS, but doing my bit, and not resigning myself to the daily grind of 'that is just the way it is' life.

Work in a cubicle every day? Blindly accepting what your boss' boss' boss tells you to do because that is 'the way it is in the western world?'.... yep, I thought so…

The thing is that the situation will never change unless people like you stop being limp punching bags and start actually taking control and doing the math and seeing the reality of a situation where workers are not paid expenses and CEOs take bike trips across the country and burn $100m on parties… for god sake speak up! don't just sit there like a defeated, deflated worn out old cookie cut employee!

Go on, write me another response about how you should be out getting a life rather than writing here. Yessss….. the anger is swelling in you now!

I was kidding you dumbass!...  it was satire!...

Don’t give up your day job!

And whether you like it or not it is the way of the Western world. Oh right and you do what? Don’t buy Chinese products? Didn’t watch the Olympics to make a statement? Don’t buy American Rice, don’t buy products that use palm oil, drive an electric car? Whose petrol do you buy, do you know what they do in third world countries? Do you boycott all companies that use third world call centres? What supermarket do you buy your produce from, do you know what they do to keep the process low? Get a grip mate, has little do with my values more to do with a balanced view of the reality of the world we live in and not living is some fantasy world! Do you know what impact rich companies have on third world areas that provide us with services? Have you been there? Sadly yet another rather angry stuffed toy (Muppet) with little do but vent their lofty world views and self inflated sense of moral high ground rather than actually DOING something about it.

Enjoy your rant along with the others in this blog, hopefully you will finally realise that this will not change the world – stop blogging and start doing. TTFN, I am off to get a life!

Hey, Muchadoo, they were able to sign contracts with carriers across the globe (ironically not here in the UK, though) because of the following reasons:
1) Lying about the following: % of messages that get converted by humans, expected increase in messaging rev, expected increase in voice rev,  reduction in churn, increase in ARPU and reduction in Care costs - all due to the SpinVox effect
2) Outstanding efforts of the SV sales/mktg folks in-region working with the carriers and cultivating relationships despite ALL the miscues by the "Leadership" Team in Marlow
3) Throwing significant dollars, etc., at the carriers to reimburse them for funding free months for customers, who's MRC they then counted as SV revenue and NOT marketing expense

That's how they landed carriers. Guess the carriers aren't that smart, afterall.

Jack, interesting thoughts about how they structure the deals, particularly as the result of those deals has been that they have operators offering their service right around the world which millions of people are actually using.  I just think that should be give a bit of credit particularly as folks aren’t used to that much that’s innovative coming out of England these days and anyone who has spent time in the Valley knows hard it can be to run a tech business.

Jack,  I have read and re-read your posts and I have to tell you. ... .I think you are GREAT!  You have a great level headed approach.

And I really do get a lot out of reading your posts.

As a victim of CD/DD, I guess you can easily see where I stand.  And as a techie, a true techie. ..in IT since 1969 I was truely skeptical of any Voice to Text Conversion System that could take into consideration all the different dialects, speed of the speaker, and background noise. . ..well, there are so many different variables that only an ear can handle, that I have been totally skeptical of this since Day One.

And knowing the history of the Founders. . .HA!

As far as the poster saying don't people have anything else to do. . .well, seriously, at this time, I don't!  I have put in many years of my life working and have NEVER drawn a penny from the system. ..only paid in.  Now I own two businesses that are seasonal and it is "Off Season".  Semi-Retired is what it is known as over in the States.

And yeah, guess what?  Both the businesses are heavily dependent on electronic funds transfers and I still have check books.. . excuse me, cheque books for both my businesses.

Actually used one last week to put down a deposit on a 3rd location which won't be cashed unless the deal goes through.  Every Corporation that I have ever dealt with has cheques.  Cheques still have their place in the business world.

Be cautious buying into the PR (which is the one thing D&D are very good at).  A list of operators is just that…a list of operators…and yes, signing deals with major operators is impressive but this is a much greater reflection of the talented BusDev folks that signed up for the Spinvox p(ch)arade than the capabilities of the company.

The Spinvox COGS model on a per message basis is ridiculously misaligned with the willingness of the consumer to pay for such services (regardless of region).  Their service model is not scalable and it would not be surprising to find out that in some of these "carrier deals" it will cost Spinvox every time they (wherever in the world and at whatever transcription center they reside) transcribe a message.  The bottom line:  the company is out of money and sucking the financial air out of its employees and vendors in a desperate attempt to extend the p(ch)arade for another day.

"Vitriol"?  Hmmm.  1)  SV missing payroll.  2) SV missing expense reimbursement.  3)  Evicted from their NY office.  4)  didn't pay insurance for NA employees (didn't notify employees).  Yeah, just vitriol….

One thing that seems to have been forgotten in all of this vitriol about Christina Domecq is that whatever the truth about her, SpinVox is a company that is currently operating voice to text services with carriers in the US, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Spain and, according their PR, they recently started with 13 carriers in South America. No one else is.  To get that far wouldn't have happened without years of hard work by the team at SpinVox - so I wouldn't write them off yet.  Anyone who works in the telecoms business knows Carriers take a long, long time to make decisions about service suppliers and go through their technologies in detail.  To think they are able to pull off some` mechanical turk` con on the likes of Vodafone, Telefonica, Telus , Telstra et al is just nonsense.

1) SV missed payroll the last payroll cycle.  2) SV has been evicted from their NY office.  3) SV did not pay the company medical insurance bill for June and was cancelled (they did not notify employees).  4) Duh, SpinVox is going out of business - chatter all you want (Rob), but you can put a fork in SpinVox - it's done.

I was kidding you dumbass!...  it was satire!...

And if you are saying that what happens is 'the way of the western world' then that is a sad reflection of your life and values. That you resign yourself to something you know to be wrong because you can't help but to capitulate to something you think you can't change, and is just 'the way it is'

The irony of your last line!....... you need to wake up before it is too late…

Ooooo!  A flame war!  I love flame wars.

Reality Check! Man, you're right, all too often it's the way of the Western world, but that doesn't mean it's the right way.  Are you with SpinVox PR?  They'll certainly be earning their salaries, sorry, shares this week…

RealitySmeality - and the world you live in is?????

Man you need to get out a little more, learn to relax and probably stop making threats on public blogs! Get a grip man it’s the way of the western world and making a crusade on a rather insignificant blog against one person is not going to change the world. Start a political party, join one, tithe all your earnings to a charity or put your money where your mouth is and go and rescue these poor down trodden third worlders rather than moaning about it.

Stop blogging and start doing!!

RealityDose - automated bank transfers only really work when there's enough cash or overdraft flexibility in the sending account. My guess is that those days for SpinVox are now behind them, but I imagine those affected will find out for sure within 6 business days of normal pay day (the date by which salaries are to be paid for those opting not to take the somewhat forcefully proffered share options).

I've spoken to enough SpinVox techs in the last few years to make me think that there is definitely something technologically cool and solid backing things up but these are wonderfully disturbing revelations regarding the sweat-shop conditions of the checkers (who, according to the technology description in the 'comic' issued at MWC, are only doing the very difficult conversions or those that the machine is not 'confident' about. If that's not true, then the company is pretty valueless).  Truly distasteful stuff regardless.

Also, RealityDose, my personal feeling is that SpinVox does kinda work, and those who have it generally like it.  As to whether they'd really give a toss were it removed? I pretty much doubt it.  Voicemail life would just return to pre-SpinVox normality.

Loving the CD/DD revelations.  Again, from the comic, they're the heroes of voice, or the guardians of voice, or something along those lines.  I suppose every super-hero has a dark secret somewhere but none that I can recall have included bankruptcy hearings and dads in prison for tax fraud.

According to the letter sent around the company, the true value of the shares is being mooted as being the same as when they were last valued (I guess around the time of the last big $100m investment?). I would say, given that we've gone into recession since then, that if the shares are actually worth even half that amount it would be impressive. I could be wrong, but salary would certainly be my preferred option!

Good luck with the climb, SpinVoxers - fingers crossed!

No Fran, For too long the big guys with no integrity or scruples have been bashing the little guys who do the right thing / try to make a living.

Bad people like CD get rich and honest hard working good people get taken advantage of to have that happen. It is not right, and saying 'go in peace' is not going to cut it i'm afraid.

Otherwise people like you will get trodden on by people like CD. And that is not right. Her blood must spill!

I believe that this conversation got out off hand and is about time to use common sense such as "enough is enough".
So please let's go to our daily lives in peace.
I wish you all, including Christine Domecque, BEST OF LUCK and GOD's Blessings!

Reality!... YOU need a dose of reality… the whole premise behind the company and indeed the investor money was the D2 whiz bang 'you don't understand it, it is too complicated' technology. Without that there is nothing… the ineptitude of Goldmans and the other investors is also baffling. Their paint by numbers fad approach to investing is rife in the VC community:

- mobile is hot - tick
- there is some technology we don't understand - tick
- there is a patent and a PhD - tick
- someone else put money in - tick
- some dodgy insider deal / relationship - tick…

So losing their $200m? no sypathy at all!

One thing you can't take away from CD though is that she raised that money. That isn't easy. She may well have blown it due to her incompetence and lack of focus on the right areas (like winning awards and cycling rather than running the business), but she did get it.

I just despair at the whole industry. No one has learnt anything… Here is an idea. When are you about to give a company $100m, why not look into the background of the CEO and see if they have totally messed up once before. If they have, then appoint a CEO with integrity and skill…. its not that hard you know?

Don't you people have anything better to do?  Look for new jobs perhaps instead of sponging off state benefits?  Many of you are deeply out of touch with reality.  Firstly, we in the UK haven't even seen a "check" or "cheque" in a decade.  We have automated bank transfers for such things.  21st century and all of that.  Secondly, despite your doom and gloom and obvious venom, SpinVox isn't going to go out of business any time soon. Nor stop paying it's employees.  Too many people *do* want the service and to say otherwise shows blinding ignorance.

TimO:  The thing that I really think about is the initial "angels" that gave CD the startup capital.  Were they deceived into thinking that this really was going to be done by computer software?

Initially, I never believed for one minute that CD even had the technical capability to lead the development of any Speech to Text Product. .. NEVER!  And so I watched as slowly, ever so slowly, it gets revealed that there are 'boiler rooms' full of people who are listening to people's messages and typing them and sending them as Text Messages.  And let me tell you, I wasn't suprised one bit.

It seems to me that the initial investors, those who invested in this when it was a prototype were, simply, put "defrauded" out of their investment.

And CD holding herself out as a successful business woman from the states. .. well, we all know what a crock that is!

Rider, sure you feel like you are in the middle of a brewing storm.  And if you are an employee of SpinVox, shut down your PC and go home. As "Been there" has posted, you will never get paid so don't give them another minute of your time.

But, get all monies due you in a series of checks, present them at SpinVox's Bank in person and keep them in your possesion when they are declined.  Do this repeatedly.  Then go to whatever is the equivalent of your local District Attorney and press charges of fraud. 

Find a new job, and *someday*, maybe you will get what you are owed. 

SpinVox employees, do not accept stock.  You have no idea what the books are like in that company, nor is it a public company so the odds of ever being able to sell those stocks is nil. Get CHECKS!  PRESS Charges when the checks are no good. 

Let the LAW handle this crowd.  You are never going to see a pound, so you have nothing to lose except more of your time, energy and personal money by staying and being a "real team player".

Waiting for the other shoe to drop is an awful feeling, so just take your own action and get out.  I know 35 people in New York who wish they had somebody giving them this advice in 2002.

Turn off you PC, stand up, go into the accounting department and demand your money in checks.  Go to nearest SpinVox Bank Branch and present the checks for the next few weeks, then go to the Local Law Enforcement and press charges if, as I suspect, the checks cannot be cashed. And get a number of checks, not just one big one. ..this way, maybe some of them will hit the account when there are some funds available.

When you are presenting the checks and they are declined, ask the teller these questions:

IF I deposited 5o pounds in the account would the check clear?  IF I deposited a 100 pounds in the account would the check clear?  That way you could possibly pay 50 Pounds to cash a 2,000 pound check!  You never know.

Good luck to all SpinVox Employees and I know that myself and others from the states all wish you a much brighter future.

The storm has gathered.

I can’t help but let it get to me.

I’m nervous with anticipation of the oncoming chaos.

I hope the storm clouds never clear.  A sky of endless grey, of pending doom.

Let it wash away all those set to ‘ride it out’.

Leave us with a blank canvas, a world to be moulded with our hands.

Speaking of their patent… read the first comment on this blog - written by one of the live agents who used to do the "conversions". After their comment is another with a link to the patent.

http://pulverblog.pulver.com/archives/004740.html

Here's another interesting one…

http://voicemailtranscription.blogspot.com/2008/08/spinvox-humans-tenzing.html

SpinVox has always been a company for which I have had grave reservations and one that I have been watching for quite sometime (since I have a background in telephony-based speech recognition applications, even if that isn't my gig these days).

Now my grave reservations are not due to the colourful history of its execs (of which I wasn't aware until reading here) but really due to the fact that I have always felt that the company - right from when it launched, till date - has always tried to hide the fact that its transcription is powered by humans; the core SpinVox patent is a workflow patent and while I'm sure they are trying (and likely failing) to automate some of the process with speech recognition, they will never be able to achieve a material percentage of automation which will allow them to scale the business.

So, for me, it is the comments of Connor Sweetman, BEN, Lenny Baby, The Wizard (and perhaps others above that I have missed) which resonate strongly with me; using call centres full of humans to transcribe people's voicemail - setting aside any privacy concerns that may follow from that degree of human intervention - is doomed to fail.  And it is this very fact which, I suspect, causes SpinVox to cloak that fact as much as they can.

The fact they are called *Spin*Vox is both very Freudian and very true.

Spin.  Crash.  Burn.  Fail.  Tick tock tick tock…

thegoodies…you must post the video when possible…it will make it real for the doubters!

Oh, and as far as Brits being wimps, I believe CD holds that title for the North American folks who she chastised as being lazy and not committed for choosing to fly home to their families on a Friday during business hours. This was after she flew every employee around the globe in to Marlow for the holiday party and a couple of weeks before laying people off.

I still wonder when the carriers are going to get smart and just pull the plug.

I wish all the employees in Marlow just did not bother to show up for work tomorrow until the expenses are paid and salary IN ADVANCE!

Fat chance, come on, where's are War time spirit!! When did Brits become such wimps in the face of Spanish/American girls?

Just a few percent.

Duster & thegoodies - I was there too.

I didn't hold my hand up when CD asked anyone if they had had a baby.

Does anyone know what % of messages actually get delivered WITHOUT being touched by people in undeveloped nations?

And what exactly would Domecq know about giving birth?  Seriously, give me a break.  Go in, demand your expense money and pay in checks and when the bank doesn't honor them, press criminal charges.

Those who did that in White Plains are really glad they did.  They couldn't just get push aside in the bankruptcy. .. . not with criminal charges pressed against CD.

And what about those poor initial investors?  They are stuck but good.  Just another day in the life of CD.  She doesn't care as long as she has her lavish life style and what ever she wants.  And if her quest for all her luxuries is at your expense, well, just too bad for you.

I do think CD will now move to one of the countries in the emerging states that they call BRIC - Brazil, Russia, India, China, but I also think Argentina will be a good choice. 

Tell me does the UK have an Extradition Treaty with Argentina?

Wonder if she is reading the many sites on the web regarding this matter and booking her flights right now.

And the former employees of New Horizons, White Plains know:  NOBODY CAN CAUSE YOU TO EXPERIENCE THE MOST PAINFUL PERSONAL FINANCIAL CRISIS YOU HAVE EVER EXPERINCED LIKE CD!

Maybe she feels that is her job, to make people go through horrible financial situations.  Maybe that is what drives her.

And for those of you who think "Where were all these New Horizon People when SpinVox was starting up?"  Well, myself and a few others were e-mailing the web master and any other e-mail account we could find on the web site,  and trying to tell them the truth.  We did try, seriously, we did try. We simply didn't want anybody else to go through what we went through.

Let's just focus for a moment on CD best friend for many, many years.  She was also sucked in to work for CD in White Plains.  She bought her first condo, and was one of the best instructors and dedicated workers you will ever meet.  Well, her condo burned to the ground and the insurance only pays for the rebuilding.  So CD's best friend was faced with paying the mortgage and condo fees and rent for a place to live. . . .AH Yes, you probably have figured it out. . .that was when CD couldn't pay her in a timely fashion.  Talk about "the most painful personal financial crisis" a person can go through. . .  and to be simply crushed under the heels of her Best Friend, CD, was horrible for her.  Yet, CD could afford para-gliding lessons, international trips, etc.

Stories like this abound from all the New Horizon's employees.

Disgruntled, Nah!  Disgusted is more like it.  And just trying to make sure that we do all we can to make sure nobody has to go through "the most painful personal financial crisis you have every experienced". . .HA, she sure knows how to cause that!

Duster!

You were there!

Yup, and something about having a baby being painful and wot not.

Also:

"If this is not the most painful personal financial crisis you have every experienced, then you are not risking enough"

Quiet something

Hey, thegoodies, word on the street is that she also said essentially that employees should suck it up even if they hadn't gotten their expenses paid, etc., as well as holding herself as a shining example of perseverance by cycling across the country while employees' insurance wasn't being paid.

Bill,

I did. Still trying to keep my integrity and resist emailing it around. My fav bit, is when CD tells employees, no begs employees to buy her shares with their salaries. Safe bet, do this, it's a good thing.

The apple does not fall far from the tree

thegoodies, did you witness it?

Mental, no that will start when the last company meeting is posted to Youtube

This is f*ck1ng mental.

Observer,  Thank You for posting that link to the history of Domecq's previous business experience and subsequent bankruptcy.

Yes, SpinVox Employees, it all happened just ast the former Employees of New Horizons are telling you.  Please, get out immediately and make sure at the very least you get a series of Post Date Checks for what you are owed so you can press charges against them when the checks are no good.

You can collect if you are persisitant enough, and don't let them put your name on the Bankruptcy Filings.  It may take years and years, but you can charge interest.  Believe you me, that is your only hope. Unless of course, Domecq gets another windfall, then she will spend that too and you will be stuck even worse!

Get out now, and make sure you leave with checks in hand, report them to the authorities when the checks are not honored by the bank and go into collection mode for about 5-6 to get your money PLUS interest.

The former employees are not on this site typing away because they are disgruntled.  Oh no!  Disgruntled has long passed as any feeling or emotional drive.  Nor are we here to discredit Domecq, she does a grand job of that herself.  We just want to spare you some of the pain, financial ruin and upset that we all experienced.

Since Observer found that link that concisely wraps up what happen to New Horizons in White Plains, NY, maybe somebody on this site knows a UK reporter to expose these 2 once and for all. 

We, the employees of New Horizons didn' t have this kind of history available to us. . .we just lived through it!  Don't let it happen to you.

As a current employee of SV who has clipped and climbed and been taken for a ride, I am personally owed oodles of dollars/pounds.

I am at the point now of basically writing it off and reviewing my options. Those don't involve quitting (why give them what they want). But more in the line of ensure that the mainstream media are informed.

My thinking is, that Goldman lent SV money, the US government lent Goldman money in the form of TARP funds.

Yes, Goldman have now paid it back, but also made record profits speculating with that money than everyone is none to happy about.

This is why US tax payers bailed them out? To make CD rich on the backs of her employees?

I bet Paxman at the Beeb or even better Lou Dobbs at CNN, I hear he loves this stuff and would love to hear this tail.

Our US employees have not been paid again, also, no medical coverage paid or expenses, scandalous.

The way I see it, by next week, unless expenses are paid, salaries and everyone up to date, there is no reason not to be 100% honest with our customers when asked.

I expect this might result in less monies in Marlow, but so be it.

I bet there is room for 2 in her dad's cell, coz CD that's where you are going my darling!

love to see the clipping and climbing in that scenario.

No matter how many "industry" awards Ms. Domecq purchases for herself the basic equation of her business model will remain the same:

Crappy idea + Crappy management = FAILURE!

SpinVox itself is a fraud. All that happens is that your voicemail gets sent to people in Pakistan and the Philippines who type it up and send it back as text. There's nothing of use in this "technology", and pretending that she "invented" typing just proves how insane Domecq actually is.

It's time the public learns what everyone who works for her already knows: she's a laughable fraud with no creativity, business acumen, or ethics. I look forward to the day when she is behind bars, although that will give her plenty of time to work on her next ill-conceived scheme!

http://www.allbusiness.com/government/government-bodies-offices-law-courts-tribunals/10602370-1.html

Luke, you are absolutely correct.  And if anybody did want to have this service, any corporation that needs it can have a receptionist handle it for them, or a secretary!

Baffled, you ask a Great Question!  So since I don't have the answer, lets try to analyze the US Financial Sector over the last 7-8 years. . . rampant greed and skulldugery that has probably sent the entire world into a global depression if something isn't done to fix this mess.

Baffled, remember, every trade, every transaction, the Advisors or Brokers got a cut.  CD has a Great Rap, and is really impressive and presentable to the client investors. 
Who knows what those Financial Advisors got as their cut.

As for the awards, well, again, I think it was the whole 'rip off' mentality of the United States Financial Sector doing their own PR and influencing PR to keep their game going.

One of the suppliers that got really burned by CD in White Plains, NY was a company called Cap Gemini. . . a subsidiary of Ernst & Young, who a few years later gave CD an award!  Mind boggling, isn't it?

SpinVox employees, please, read the words of former employees of CD and DD and know that our hearts go out to you.  We have been through it.  It is hard, so hard to see it when you are in it. CD not only has a knack of hiring highly intelligent and skilled people, but also hiring people who really get along and bond together.  Losing daily contact with your co-workers is going to hurt.  Watching your co-workers stress out due to financial pressure caused by CD & DD, while you are also in the same boat and unable to help. . .well, it is so awful. . .and traumatizing.

Fran, I was also in Bankruptcy Court in White Plains that day, while CD sat there surrounded with lawyers. Yes, when spoke that phrase, 9/11, I nearly lost my breakfast!  I literally reeled on my feet.

Since I knew about the outstanding warrants for the fraudulent checks, I went outside the court house and called the Police to come and lock her up on her way out of court, but she got away without them nabbing her.  I also located the abandoned truck and one of the women who had children talked to the sheriff but he wouldn't confiscate it and sell it off to help this woman with two small children and whose father had also been ripped off by CD.  It was parked on one of the upper levels of a nearby Medical Office place.

NH employees, I miss you all so much still.  I am in contact with some of you, but there are others I can't find.  Like where is Len?  Oh, how I miss Len.  I sure hope it wasnt' Frank who lost his house.

What everyone is missing is that the product is no good. No one wants to convert SMS to speech or Speech to SMS, there is no call for it - proven by the slow take up. This is another example of focusing on the PhD product and capital raising when the focus should be on running the business and a product that people really want to use…

some interesting comments can be found here too: http://www.thedeal.com/dealscape/2009/07/spinvox_offers_stock_options_a.php

The title of this article should be "SpinVox Stops Paying Staff to Save on Costs."  This is what CD does - all of these stories are exactly what she pulled in New York before skipping the country.  I keep in touch with a few who went through that horror show with me; we shared our shock and horror as she started Spinvox, magically removed all negative webpages from the internet, somehow secured massive investment and funding . . .

My heart sincerely goes out to you, the current SV employees.  It starts with uncashable paychecks, missed insurance premiums, getting a large raise but then being asked to hold your check for a couple of weeks, crazy logic for travel reimbursement "you can either get a hotel room or your airline ticket reimbursed".  We who were there during the demise of New Horizons are all owed thousands and will never see it.  She used the 9/11 economy as the final excuse to bail but this had been going on well before that.  She destroys livelihoods without remorse.  If James Whatley is a real employee, we had one of those at NH too - I think he lost his house trying to save "the company", and he wouldn't accept that she had left for Europe with the bankroll and was never coming back. 

You probably have a lot riding on this - time, career, reputation.  Just look for another job.  Don't work for free because you will NEVER see the money.  This applies to vendors too - she will not pay you.  Somehow, in the end, she will get away with it too.  She's running a Ponzi scheme, and just like Madoff - it will eventually catch up to her but not soon enough, and at the expense of everyone supporting her.

NHWC went down in the summer of 2002.  Most of us are on our feet again, but we all bear scars from that experience.  CD does have an eye for talent so try and take from solace from that.  You should be okay in the long run but don't let her get any more out of you than she already has.

Baffled, I understand your scepticisim but if you think that what I and the other person wrote about the USA bancruptcy is wrong then do your own research about it.
Or perhaps you don't have because you the insider who knows it but poses as Christina's defender.
As to the question you are posting my answer is; how Madoff was able to do what he did for so long?
1. money- conections
2. money-marketing
3. money-trickery .....

Can someone please explain how CD keeps winning the various entrepenurial accolades she's gotten in the UK the last couple of years. Sounds like a pretty dodgy track record.

Not everyone here is a disgruntled ex-employee that has lost their job.
Some people could see what was happening and had the common sense to bail.
CD is full of empty promises. I know of people who were assured share options, but never came up with the goods after repeated requests to have the offer made in writing.
There is some excellent talent at SV but unfortunately the people running the joint are not to be trusted and are leading the company into the wrong direction.

I would be very interested if the media followed up some of these claims and discovered the truth about what was going on behind the closed doors.

SV will not be bought, period, any deal would fall through as soon as due diligence is done - and they know that, pity the market crashed before IPO, ruined their chances of making an even bigger killing and running for the hills.

Thank you Fran!
It is about time people starting being told the truth about CD & DD.  Remember their new company, TriTexNix or something like that, to keep the employees hanging in there with them while we were all awaiting and working like dogs to land the Pepsi Account?  And the minute, and I mean the minute the Big Pepsi retainer came through, the doors were locked and the ugly truth started to emerge.  About 35 direct employees were left hanging for months of back pay, getting medical bills because their Health Insurance was never paid, couldn't even collect unemployment because CD & DD had never paid the Employment Taxes into the system!  Oh, YES!  Working at New Horizon's Computer Learning Center of White Plains, NY was a real experience, now wasn't it?

And The Bankruptcy Hearing was a joke!  And where was Domecq when employees were like jackals rushing to the bank with bad pay checks, hoping they could get there to find some funds available to pay their own bills?  She was off Paragliding and having accidents, so she wasn't available.

There were two employees though who actually took their bad pay checks to the District Attorney's Office and pressed charges due to the extremely large funds owed to them.  Funny how those two ex-employees names were never listed in the Bankruptcy Court, isn't it?  Demanding Pay Checks and holding them and pressing charges of Fraud is really the only thing the Spinvox Employees can do if the laws are even similiar in England.

One employee, who was stuck for a pretty large sum of money and medical bills actually sent me a scanned image of their check from the Bankruptcy Court, I think it was for either 15 cents or 55 cents.

Once the Pepsi Money came in, Domecq and Daulton skipped town and paid NOBODY!

Spinvox Employees, please heed the words of people who have been there, done that with those two!  Cut your losses and get out now.

And what happened in White Plains, NY was 2002-3.  . not even 10 years ago.  But the way they deceived people is not something easily forgotten.  It isn't a pleasant experience to have your credit ruined because you are spending out of pocket for needed supplies at work, and then not only not get re-imbursed, but not even get paid for as long as they can keep you on the hook.  This causes severe personal financial hardship for many, many years.

And I don't know about know, but Domecq had no technical knowledge at all.  And it doesn't surprise me that she has been fronting a "mechanical turk" operation (look it up in wikipedia, it may surprise you what it means).  Like the Grand Wizard in the Wizard of Oz "Don't look behind the curtain."

All I have read so far doesn't surprise me at all, except that Ms Chistina D. had a nerve to promote her "New"company in america where less than ten years ago did exactly the same to her previous "start up company" with final results BANKRUPTCY. The company was called New Horizons Computer Learning Center, White Plains, NY
Same story… all over again.
Some of you asked how or where she spent 100 millions?
Simple… kept it for her future good life she believes that she is entitled too. Just follow the money and you'll get the truth. Good luck to you all.
We are glad that by the bancruptcy court order Ms. Domeque is not allowed to run business(es) in america .

And it needs to be acquired by a company with more resources so it isn't living hand to mouth.

Not fair to put DD in the same boat as CD. Certainly a much more genuine guy. There are issues there for sure but it is a good product and ultimately will survive.

In addition to reckless spending by the executive the company has relied too heavily on human intervention.  Yes competitors use humans, but not all do or as much as SpinVox.  The cost of human intervention is extraordinarily high and as the company grows aggressively in new territories there is a burden to spend on marketing rather than focusing efforts on automation.  Nuance may have one version of the service type, but they aren't the only player in the game.
Comments such as "sour grapes" are not accurate but they do make an easy rebuttal against any negative criticism so I can see why someone would resort to that.  The fact of the matter is that the employees, past AND present, have been burdened and are continued to be burdened with shouldering the expense of the company on their on financial well being.  Further to that, SpinVox's failure to pay its business partners and suppliers has also extended that burden to employees of those companies. 

This was evident when a call center in Pakistan took over the business and began messaging US customers randomly asking for help since they had not been paid in months.  A "rogue" group that was quickly cut off was the explanation, but the reality is that these people depended on their jobs and SpinVox's failure to pay for these conversions led to them taking over the company as a last stand.

Here's the reality.  The business model was to get as many carriers signed up as quickly as possible to get the valuation of the business as high as possible to sell it to another company for massive profits for the lucky few at the top.  Quickly it was evident that the game was more complex and whilst the executives scrambled to hold onto the value of the company and spent more time shopping it around globally they lost sight of what was needed… effective fiscal management, investment in technology, and a reduction in operating costs in the right manner.  Clearly that did not happen. 

There are unpaid bills everywhere all leading back to SpinVox.  Carriers are owed monies, employees, vendors such as printers, travel agencies, health insurance companies, marketing agencies, head hunter agencies, and of course the call centers that convert the messages.  All owed money, lots of it. 

So sour grapes you may, but its not just ex-employees.  Its the reality.  And this has nothing to do with the economy other than the fact that CD's friends at Goldman and other firms simply don't have the funds to flip over to her now.  SpinVox numbers never went down as the economy did, they continued to climb with new subscribers and more conversions.

The assumption that all of the respondents in this thread are "ex"-employees…is inaccurate. 

Concerns regarding the financial mistreatment of the employees have been raised numerous times with the senior team to no avail.  The issue is not that the company is facing tough times financially and needing to cut expenses…this is a reality for many and offering salary alternatives, in lieu of additional layoffs, is viable as long as the employees have adequate visibility into the financial health of the company so that such decisions are informed.  What is not acceptable is having employees incur reasonable expenses on the company's behalf, per the direction of their management team, and not have these expenses reimbursed.  What is not acceptable is a decision by the executive team to forgo payment of insurance premiums thus removing coverage from employees without notification.  In both cases this unfairly places employees in financial jeopardy. 

No one wants to see Spinvox implode…it serves no purpose for anyone involved.  What is expected is that the senior executive duo show the proper leadership and stewardship necessary to make reasonable decisions (with reasonable transparency) for the company, shareholders AND employees.  If they do not have the skill or the will to take on this challenge then they should step aside and look to the board of directors to take control.

<i>If they all felt so strongly why was not all this leaked whilst they were still there? </i>

Thank you!

Will be interesting to see if the major carriers in the U.S. think these are just hollow complaints and sour grapes. I bet not…

A little out of touch I would have to say. I could well imaging that SpinVox is not the only company in this financial position at present and in fact some worse who are no longer here! This practice is not uncommon at all especially in this economic climate and those that paint it as so are ill informed. Bottom line is that they have a product that people like, the concept that they will ‘go down’ is a little ignorant at best. Even the ‘competition’ uses human input, I have seen Nuance’s technical white paper – get with it people! This company will simply be bought up as this technology and market presence will not be lost to receivers. It seems that the majority of this blog is ex-employees with a rather large chunk of bad attitude mixed with some sour grapes rounded off with a vendetta to carry out. You have lost you job, well so have many others around the world and they have clearly handled it with a little more dignity than those here! If they all felt so strongly why was not all this leaked whilst they were still there? If you all are owed so much why hot speak up when you were there or stop spending so much! Probably because they were hoping to be able to stay on I would imagine! Good luck to all I say those still there and those not – get on with it and stop moaning!

I know employees who haven't been paid expenses since March and are owed $10K or more, some less.  The waste, the lies, the deceit - this had to happen - the "too bad" factor is that there are some good people at SV who need jobs - Christina, Daniel, Crowfoot, and Wellstead (founding 4) know the lies they tell, others are just doing their jobs.  I feel for those who are about to lose their jobs, SV is obviously going down fast.

Guys,
Thanks for coming out to us with more info here, please carry on doing so but please keep it civil and to the facts.
If you want to bring some of the spicier claims, I'd be happy to check them out via direct email.
Thanks.

Oh, please, the comments are superb! Never knew there's so much going on behind the scenes at Spinvox! Keep them coming!

I can't believe that this hasn't come out sooner. It should have told the world something that a UK company never had a deal in the UK. Sad. If not for the 31 year old CEO and her ex-boyfriend running the joint, this could have been an amazing company. What still throws me is how she blew threw 100 million in 9 months, though. That takes a special kind of moron. I mean seriously! I could start 10 companies with that money and one is bound to more successful than she made this one.

Mr. Whatley - you can't really believe what you posted. I'm guessing Christina is ghost-writing again!

I have personally witnessed the waste by the leadership in this company for long enough.  What no one has mentioned is the lavish spending by CD on business contacts and internally.  How many summer and Christmas parties did she fly every employee from all over the world to London, spending hundreds of thousands on airfare, more on hotels, expensive venues such as Kylie Minogue concerts at the O2 Arena, a private boat cruising the Thames, meals, drinks… it goes on. 

Over the past 9 months after aggressive hiring of top talent globally, people who left great jobs for the promises by SpinVox, the company began an even more aggressive firing spree that continues today.  Many of these employees, myself included, have been left with thousands of dollars of unpaid work expenses.

This "opportunity" that James also referenced doesn't touch on one key point.  The communique by CD also points out that if enough employees don't sign up to the is program (to save money) then the company will be forced to continue with further cuts to the workforce.  Doesn't sound like much of an opportunity to me.  If this company was so concerned with giving employees an opportunity to earn options, why didn't they simply extend the SAYE (Save As You Earn) plan? 

The doors will get blown open soon enough, especially with strong competition entering the market with automated conversion technology vs. the agents in 3rd world countries SpinVox employs to listen to every message.

Mr. Whatley…let's start out with an easy one:

Can you enlighten us on how much of the company's funding Ms. Domecq spent on her latest excursion (Race Across America) in support of the Spinvox Adventurers team (and on a side note please explain Mr. Rolls position at the company and on-going responsibilities) compared to the outstanding expenses that are currently owed to its employees many of whom have been carrying this financial burden on the company's behalf since the first quarter of this year.  Should be pretty straightforward math.

To paraphrase Ms. Domecq's often quoted mantra it sounds like the employees "clipped in, climbed on" and are now being taken for a ride…

Wow….how's the Kool-Aid James? 

Seriously, why don't you read the article where moco says it's "voluntary" and "total freedom" to opt for stock in place of salary. 

But, now that a company spokesman is addressing the article, why don't you address all of the claims instead of the easy ones.  Such as the bigger claim:  SpinVox is running out of cash and looking to employees to help because they've raised $200 million and the VC community has said that's enough.

Hello,

An *actual* SpinVox employee here.

My name's James Whatley and I head up Social Media here at SpinVox HQ.

I'd really like to clarify some things:

1) Headline of piece:

"SpinVox Paying Staff In Stock To Save On Costs"

Well, no.
Not really.

"SpinVox Offers Staff *Opportunity* To Be Paid In Stock"

...is closer to the truth, i.e.: it's the truth.

Remember, the important parts here are 'offers' & 'opportunity'.

While this may well be part of a longer term to save money - it's actually a bloody good offer (one that I've taken up myself).

Obviously the above doesn't make such a good story on its own and headline grabbing linkbait is much more useful..

(Hell, I've done it myself - http://blog.spinvox.com/2009/05/22/spinvox-palm-a-pre-announcement )

“There’s total freedom to opt in or take salary as normal.”

See?

I'm really not one to fight like this. But it's kind of annoying when we're all working so hard to get things right. Yes times are hard, they are for all of us.

But come on…

Yours,

James Whatley
Digital & Social Media
SpinVox

This company is being run by imcompetents, starting with CD.  It looks like she is taking a play out of the California handbook. No IOU's/worthless stock.
Usless management = useless stock…
If they never go public and go out of business the stock is not worth the paper it is printed on.  Somebody must have pictures of Goldman Sachs execs.

Jill,

If what you said is true, particulary about Goldman Sachs involvement, please contact Brian Ross at ABC or other news outlet about this.

Most of these tech media are in some sort of wink-wink collusion with these startup/VC cronies and will never expose this kind of behavior. I think you should expose this outrageous stuff to mainstream media news if it is true.

blah blah

Jack & Jill have climbed the hill to pour some truth in the SpinVox "wishing well". 

Fellow "voxers" near and far tell your stories on this blog.

Detail the extent of this management fraud and expose the founders for who they are!

I guess it could be OK if you have faith in the company and you can get a deal worth considering. The problem is obviously the underlying reason for the offer. very interesting idea though have some of the voice text linked to advertising. It is far fetched but in this day and age anything is possible. Lets hope the employees involved can make the right educated move that benefits them most. Everyone would find themselves in different situations, its difficult to say waht I would do, but cash is cash at the end of the day!

Scott from the <a >wind powered generators</a> hub.

Tip of the iceberg, dig deeper.

Months of unpaid travel expenses, unpaid insurance premiums, employees slow paid, unpaid vendors including outsourced (Pakistan) transcription provider.

Poorly run company whose management team is well represented by the "block head" dolls.  This one is going down, yard sale forthcoming.