MLM’s - what’s the deal? (Multi-level marketing/aka pyramid selling)

[tarquin16]

I'm glad people are finally waking up to this.

A FB friend has been selling Younique for years (the worst make-up!) and is not quite on track to get her sales up to make the reward trip to Cancun so posted a lengthy sob story post last night, begging people to buy a mascara because she's not been so focused on Younique as her child is ill. Sad thing is it works and lots of people were buying and giving "so sorry hun xx" comments.

Last year I had to have a major surgery which was common knowledge, had a FB message from an old acquaintance, opened it assuming it was a get well soon or similar message, nope please buy my Forever Unique deodorant it's so good for you etc. Promptly deleted her but she keeps messaging me but I just blank her. Talk about profit over people.

FM Fragrances seems to be the big thing at the moment on Insta, mybudgethome obviously makes a lot from it but it's only because of her large social media following. Makes me sad that the people who are regularly gifted stuff for free anyway are now making serious money by targeting women, often mums to young children who aren't working full time, to line their own pockets further. It's completely immoral.

 

[SpiceWeasel]

Sarah from My Budget Home on Instagram sells FM and she showed her comission last month and it was over £12k, she has a massive team below her though and makes alot of money through them.

Has anyone ever bought a FM perfume/aftershave? I'm tempted just to see if they are good.

Not me personally but my friend bought one of the pricier ones from someone we know who does FM world. He said the fragrance doesn’t last. I wouldn’t bother, there are tonnes of faux fragrances which are the same thing on amazon for less than £10

 

[CrazyGiraffeLady]

That's horrible. It's so much money compared to a bubble bath or whatever and they prey on mums who want to work around childcare when it's just another pyramid scheme to recruit others to sell.

See if they didn’t put such a ridiculous fee on I’d be paying it, however I’m now prepared for it to go to a dca and pay £5 a month and I’ll probably be dead before it’s paid off

 

[MakeMineADouble]

FM perfumes smell ok but wear off quite quickly in my opinion.

I don’t understand, every Tom Dick and Harry are selling FM perfumes (I know of 6 people from the top of my head). Perfumes retail at like £14. I don’t get how they are all claiming they are making thousands. The profit margin is small and perfume isn’t exactly a regular purchase. It smells quite fishy to me (excuse the pun)

 

[Juliet]

It just makes no sense, they’re putting up conversations where they’re all talking about how much they’re earning - if they were lying surely the people under them wouldn’t be continuing with the business? But I can’t see how they are actually earning that much?
I don’t get it all all.

 

[Annie65]

Sarah from My Budget Home on Instagram sells FM and she showed her comission last month and it was over £12k, she has a massive team below her though and makes alot of money through them.

Has anyone ever bought a FM perfume/aftershave? I'm tempted just to see if they are good.

I have bought some last month and I think they are brilliant. I can’t actually believe how much they smell like the real deal. For me it makes sense to wear cheaper perfume to work instead of wearing the £80 bottle. I think they last ok. Definitely for the whole day which is what I expected

 

[AbiLouX]

If you have a large following on social media FM will make you thousands, based on the points system. It's not about selling thousands of bottles, but more have 500 team members who sell a few bottles each.

 

[Thecatsmother]

It just makes no sense, they’re putting up conversations where they’re all talking about how much they’re earning - if they were lying surely the people under them wouldn’t be continuing with the business? But I can’t see how they are actually earning that much?
I don’t get it all all.

It’s to try and ‘sell the dream’. The bbc documentary ‘secrets of multi-level millionaires’ explores it very well. One of their tactics is to try and sell the lifestyle rather than the product. It’s all smoke and mirrors, they bend the truth to make it seem more profitable than it actually is. Usually they’ll show the gross amount raised rather than their comission specifically.

 

[Milfordcubicle]

Right dont shoot me but I do Body Shop- I have a fb page which people are free to join or not. I have been really open since day one that if people aren't interested thats absolutely fine- the last thing I want to is be a pain in the arse and alienate my friends. I have done really well so far as it is a trusted company and people do use it anyway so are happy to buy through me. However I am a qualified Beauty Therapist and make up artist and I think this makes a huge difference. My "upline" is a friend from work (we are both managers for "proper" Beauty Counters in a big Department store so people know we know what we are talking about.)
I would never approach random strangers or walk around with a brochure in my bag to leap out on unsuspecting strangers! But Im enjoying doing online skincare and make up consultations with people who approach me and ask for it

 

[Sassysaz]

A friend of a friend of mine is selling Arbonne she constantly sends messages On Facebook asking if I want “in” recently she did a live and I accidentally clicked on it so she messaged hi I saw you watching what products can I order for you. I have muted her now so I don’t have to see, she has changed so much almost like they get brainwashed I looked at some of the products they are so so expensive I couldn’t believe it. She says she is the healthiest she’s ever been after using their fizz drinks but she looks awful to me. I don’t believe she is making money. Her friend achieved the white Mercedes they give you but when I googled it you actually pay for it. Such a scam.

 

[Trixabellee9393]

WOOOO a thread has never needed to happen more. I HATE MLMS THERE MY PET HATE! As soon as anyone starts doing them on fb there instantly unfriended. Forever living was bad at one point with so many people doing it... it really winds me up if someone needs shampoo or body lotion or lip balm etc... they’ll get it at the supermarket or go shopping not pick it up from random Sandra down the road! Usborne books is a thing now too quite popular but again... I’d buy offline the actual website as there’s more choice etc an can just deliver it to me not via a randomer :-/ I sound mean I bet but yeah it’s just begging your friends and family to part with money they don’t have to support your business when it’s mostly over priced stuff like £30 lotion etc no way! Avon I don’t mind it’s been around years it’s a whole catologue and it’s cheap and cheerful and quite exciting getting a little bag of goody’s xxx but yeah people thinking there gonna be millionaires from begging for sales .... it also annoys me when influencers with a large following start doing it as so many people will buy from them an I just think it’s wrong! They get money quick from there impressionable followers it should be banned x

It’s like going on fb and being sold a random product like cucumber saying it’s such a good one like yes I buy cucumbers but not randomly of fb I’d go to the shop bad example but yeah

 

[Lalalalaaaaaa85]

It just makes no sense, they’re putting up conversations where they’re all talking about how much they’re earning - if they were lying surely the people under them wouldn’t be continuing with the business? But I can’t see how they are actually earning that much?
I don’t get it all all.

I think they lie...or bend the truth. The girls on my fb selling FM always post screenshots but key bits are always scribbled over. Makes me think the figure they state isn’t £’s and maybe more likely points or some kind of credit . Also their ‘sales’ include what they’ve bought themselves so you never know how much they’ve had to spend themselves to make that profit.

Or maybe the screenshots are completely fake.

 

[Juliet]

Right dont shoot me but I do Body Shop- I have a fb page which people are free to join or not. I have been really open since day one that if people aren't interested thats absolutely fine- the last thing I want to is be a pain in the arse and alienate my friends. I have done really well so far as it is a trusted company and people do use it anyway so are happy to buy through me. However I am a qualified Beauty Therapist and make up artist and I think this makes a huge difference. My "upline" is a friend from work (we are both managers for "proper" Beauty Counters in a big Department store so people know we know what we are talking about.)
I would never approach random strangers or walk around with a brochure in my bag to leap out on unsuspecting strangers! But Im enjoying doing online skincare and make up consultations with people who approach me and ask for it

Do you make much money from it?

 

[Lalalalaaaaaa85]

So I’ve been thinking even more about this as at least one person I follow is making out they’re earning tens of thousands a month. I just don’t understand how.

So someone sells a bottle of perfume, not only do they make money off it but so does their upline and their uplines upline and off up as many uplines as there are. How? How can there be that much profit available per sale. If this was real every company would become an MLM

 

[Barb]

So I’ve been thinking even more about this as at least one person I follow is making out they’re earning tens of thousands a month. I just don’t understand how.

So someone sells a bottle of perfume, not only do they make money off it but so does their upline and their uplines upline and off up as many uplines as there are. How? How can there be that much profit available per sale. If this was real every company would become an MLM

There isn't, that's why they are so dangerous. There wil always be someone at the bottom. That's why they set targets per month that people need to meet if they are allowed to continue fund their up lines. People get into so much debt just to meet those targets while faking they are doing so well.

 

[Countrybumpkingirl]

So I’ve been thinking even more about this as at least one person I follow is making out they’re earning tens of thousands a month. I just don’t understand how.

So someone sells a bottle of perfume, not only do they make money off it but so does their upline and their uplines upline and off up as many uplines as there are. How? How can there be that much profit available per sale. If this was real every company would become an MLM

Think of it as say chocolate bars. Every sale the bottom of the pyramid makes, they have to give half of that up to the next person. So next person up says have 10 people...that gives them 10 halves. They then give their next one up half and so on. It is bonkers but the top of the pyramid always is best off!

 

[Shestheman22]

I have bought some last month and I think they are brilliant. I can’t actually believe how much they smell like the real deal. For me it makes sense to wear cheaper perfume to work instead of wearing the £80 bottle. I think they last ok. Definitely for the whole day which is what I expected

This is my opinion too! My mum bought some for me a couple of years ago and I loved it, they’re cheap enough to wear every day for work and I like to drown myself in perfume so it works for me.

I never ever thought I’d sign up to an MLM, in fact I looked down on them. I hate the ones that bombard you and message people trying to get them to sign up. If people wanted to sign up then they’d let you know.

But I signed up to FM a few months ago just to give it a go- if it didn’t work out then I hadn’t lost anything. This was before Facebook was saturated with sellers so I did quite well at work - I’ve only made about £500 profit so far but it’s £500 I didn’t have before.

I don’t push for recruitment at all because as above, I personally find it annoying and most of it is a load of bollocks so why would I try and push it onto people? I don’t have any recruits and don’t want any. I also only advertise products that I’ve used myself and that I think are worth it. I hate the ‘boss babe’ and ‘support small businesses’ bollocks as well. It’s so cringe, you’re not running a business love. I just do it for fun. But the woman a few levels above me is absolutely raking it in! She has about 1000 team members so is making a fortune and she’s got a free Range Rover.

To be honest with you I’m thinking of giving it up soon. It was okay before the pandemic but thousands of people have signed up thinking they can make a quick buck and the company can’t cope. I’ve hardly made any orders because they can’t get on top of stock and it’s embarrassing having to tell people that I can’t order what they want. Plus to tell you the truth a lot of the products are crap and overpriced! The perfume is great but the makeup and cleaning products are tit.

So I’ve been thinking even more about this as at least one person I follow is making out they’re earning tens of thousands a month. I just don’t understand how.

So someone sells a bottle of perfume, not only do they make money off it but so does their upline and their uplines upline and off up as many uplines as there are. How? How can there be that much profit available per sale. If this was real every company would become an MLM

I don’t understand how this works either. I make £4 on a standard bottle. Commission goes by points e.g. I get 10 points from that bottle, my up line also gets 10 points from it, so does their up line and so on. But I must have about 20 up lines above me so where does all that money come from?

 

[PinkFigs]

I know a couple of people who have done really well with MLM; One with Arbonne and one with Juice Plus. They're properly rich from it.

 

[Cacacoisfarraige]

I know a couple of people who have done really well with MLM; One with Arbonne and one with Juice Plus. They're properly rich from it.

Have a look on the companies house website. most successful businesses file acounts.
You will often see huge Directors loans which are often increasing and they don’t have the ability to repay.
The money is spent on cars, home improvements and holidays for attraction marketing. They are then left with large loans when the life cycle peaks.

 

[Falkor]

Yes, there are a few people at the top of Forever Living in the UK who are in serious trouble with their directors loans accounts.