 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Direct selling |
| Founded | 1981 |
| Headquarters | Olean, New York, US |
| Parent | Cutco Corporation |
| Website | www |
Vector Marketing is a direct selling marketing subsidiary company and the marketing arm of Cutco Corporation, an Olean, New York–based cutlery manufacturer.
The company has been the subject of criticism and lawsuits for its business practices and has been accused of being a multi-level marketing company. The Los Angeles Times states that Vector meets the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) definition of a multi-level marketing company which is "businesses that involve selling products to family and friends and recruiting other people to do the same" because they sell their product through person-to-person sales. Salespeople are generally young and recruited from high school or college; Vector's recruitment tactics have been described as deceptive, and they have faced numerous lawsuits over their pay structure and treatment of its salespeople, who are independent contractors instead of employees. Vector claims they are a single-level direct selling marketing company, not a multi-level marketing company or a pyramid scheme as its detractors claim.
The company was founded in 1981 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The company sells via individual sales representatives who sell Cutco cutlery via one-on-one demonstrations, typically through home visits.