I interviewed with BlueCherry/CGS Inc. and had one of the most disappointing candidate experiences of my career. The company required me to fly to New York for an in-person interview. HR told me to submit an expense report afterward, which I understood to mean my travel would be reimbursed. I spent three days on this process due to flight timing and the interview schedule, came prepared with market and strategy ideas, and paid for the trip upfront. I didn’t even include food or ground transportation in my report. Afterward, the company reimbursed only the flight and refused to cover the hotel, claiming they had “never promised” to pay for the trip, despite my ongoing communication with HR during the booking process. On top of that, the salary they offered was well below market. I assumed there might be bonuses, equity, or other forms of compensation to balance it out, but their benefits are below standard as well. This is a multi-million-dollar company that maintains costly corner offices across the 9/11 Memorial while underpaying candidates and refusing to cover basic interview travel costs. For a modern company, this should be a basic expectation: if you require candidates to travel, reimburse them fairly. Future candidates should get everything in writing and not assume this company will act in good faith, even if HR says “submit an expense report.”