These guys are rude, loud and obnoxious!  They act as though they are tough and important business people and say stupid stuff like "my phone is acting up", "oh, I'm sorry...I'm very busy, I have another call...can you hold?".  I am embarrassed to say they are still on the phone...you can hear all the call center chatter in the background.

We received calls like this last summer....they are just a bunch of loud mouthed losers!!

These guys are great!  I do not know what al you other people are talking about but I had a very pleasant experience.

Apparently some of the GDS International employees who ran off and started their own company have done quite a job bad mouthing their incredible competition. Talk about biting the hand that fed them!
Like all publishing companies, sales calls are made to gain clients and build rapport.  Unless you were born yesterday, if you're a business man or woman, you would expect something as silly as blogs like this to be created by 2 or 3 people with far too much time on their hands, using different names to complain about a company so well known and successful that they feel the urge to harshen it's reputation with evil rumours.  
Silly, bored people, you know who you are, and so does GDS.  It is not like we need to announce to the public the names of you that you stole materials, ideas and company information to start your own unsuccessful companies.
Having so much free time to create these blogs must mean you haven't much to do.  If the money's not coming in, and you feel you are at a dead end, its okay, try to get antoher job, but don't come back begging at GDS.  You are disrespectful, daft and incompetent.
There's hope for you though, good luck getting a job in this market.

These people will not stop calling!  We get harrasing phone calls at least four times a day.  They will call and hang up and they show up as being unknown caller on the caller id.  If they were a legit company they would have their name listed and leave a message when they call.  It's annoying!

The bottom line is this:

Regardless of the fact that GDS's products (publishing or events) may be beneficial to some clients, the sales tactics employed are clearly unethical and some illegal.

The FTC has regulations regarding cold calling prospects in order to make a sale:
- The salesperson must identify their company (not a company alias but the specific company or publication), that it is in fact a sales call and what they intend to sell.
- A salesperson cannot lie on the phone (ie. say someone reccomended them who did not, that they are working with someone who has not yet officially agreed to be a part of the project, that it isn't a sales call, saying people are attending an event or sponsors are confirmed that have not committed yet, that there are only two positions available when there are not etc. etc.) Also, you cannot say you are a consultant when you are not, if someone asks what GDS does, you must say "we are a publishing and events company"
- A salesperson cannot misrepresent what they intend to sell (falsifying content, circulation, participants, sponsors, contributors, etc. to make it seem like a better fit to the prospect)
- If someone asks not to be contacted, they must be put on a do not call list, and it is illegal to contact them again (GDS does not have a do not call list, in fact, they do not even have any CRM or Sales/Contact Management system in use.
- A do-not call list is required by law, and it is required by law that it is enforced (again, GDS does not have a do not call list)

You cannot lie to get someone's cell phone number. You cannot call their homes and lie to their familes. You cannot call their work and lie to their employees. Saying you are someone you are not on the phone to get someones private information is fraud. It is a felony, and though the company would get fined and charged with other offenses, the salesperson would be charged in this case and could potentially face jail time.

Not following these rules and regulations is not only unethical, but against the law. So the question is not whether GDS's products are good or bad, but if you want to work with a company that has no problem breaking the law and taking part in unethical activity.

This is no blame to the employees, many of whom are fresh out of college and have no sales experience. I give them the benefit of the doubt because of their naivity. The blame falls on an organization who not only encourages, but insists on unethical practices and misleading clients. In fact, if a salesperson refuses to follow suit, they will surely be terminated.

GDS will argue, in an attempt to win their employees support, that this is in fact how business is conducted in sales and that everybody does it. This is not true. Certaintly they are not the only ones using unethical tactics, but that by no means makes it right, nor would this argument hold any weight in the court of law.

They should focus on training sales staff to become better salespeople instead of better liars. Almost anyone can lie, not everyone can sell.

Clearly GDS is a companay that is around for the quick buck. Companies looking to grow and withstand time do not operate like this. Eventually, they will face legal consequences and be shut down, but the people at the top (ie. chairman, ceo) will still walk away with their pockets full. My sympathy is for the employees who are being strung along, who are being fed a fake dream, who will leave with nothing but a stain on thier resumes which wont count for anything in the world of real business.

I encourage employees to take this information to heart, do not take my word for it, reaserch these laws and regulations for yourself. And ask yourself: Is this something I want to be a part of? Is it something I want to tarnish my future with? Is it something I want to go down with? Do I want to face these charges when the law eventually steps in? Everyone is accountable for thier actions and I can assure you that management will not be extending a hand when it all falls down.

There is currently a case being built against GDS, surely they can charge them with a number of things right now, but time is being spent in order to shut them down permanently and prosecute them to the full extent of the law. Walk away now, before you can't walk away at all.