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

[Falkor]

We opened our new village hall last week so the local GP could use it for a Covid vaccine clinic. It took 24 hours before a local Enjo rep had got in touch with our chair to see if she could come and demonstrate her 'fantastic cleaning system that didn't use any chemicals'.

It's a public building being used for a vaccine clinic, we want every chemical we can get our hands on to clean it right now!!

 

[Lalalalaaaaaa85]

Younique, juice plus, essential oil huns. The people
You've not heard from in ages that want you to be "Boss Babe" and start your own business. But it's not your own business your just selling shit and picking on the vunerable.

Someone I know was selling NuSkin with one with the viral mud mask. She messaged asking if I wanted to buy some shampoo & I have no hair. I lost it all & I hasn't grew back. I wear wigs. But her shampoo can fix that

Oh my god! They are so tone deaf.

The one that’s been massive on my fb lately is FM World. At first it seems they do copy perfumes (hello market stall) but then suddenly they’re shilling cleaning products too! Probably the same bloody stuff in every bottle

 

[Eltonjohnsflorist]

Actual strawberries from
Italy

 

[hnoz]

The perfumes and aftershaves are actually really good but as you call it “knock off” you obviously haven’t tried it.
The other stuff well yeah... hmmmmm

I bought an FM perfume from a friend and loved it. I bought flowerbomb and it smells the same as flowerbomb. I bought more and my mum and my sisters bought to so I signed up. It didn’t cost me a single penny to join. It cost me time interacting with people on Facebook. I put one post on my personal Facebook and I got orders for 28 bottles and instantly made over £100. Some of that I put back into my business to buy packaging, thank you cards, sweets and samples. I didn’t approach one person. My next order I treated myself to the sample kit. You do not have to buy this I chose to and it’s helped me. I’ve just started my 4th month and I’m just over £1000 in profit. I have signed up two girls, both had bought a product. People should not tar all network marketers with the same brush. You can legitimately make money out of this.
Most of the people that are anti FM haven’t actually tried it. My friends boyfriend has taken every opportunity to belittle me for selling it. He had never smelt it. I gave him a bottle and he’s now ordering from me and so ate his friends.
I have a full time job. I do FM in my spare time. I’m saving to buy a house and the money I have earned so far will help me make my deposit that little bit quicker.
I can sleep at night knowing I have earned that fair and square

Sorry if something actively tries to rip off the scent of an established product how is it not a knock off?

 

[hnoz]

Perfume is not copyrighted. They have a logo and a number. High street shops are doing this with designer clothes day in and day out it’s not illegal

I didn't say it was illegal, I said it was a knock off which it is. Anything that tries to replicate something else (designer perfume, bags, clothes etc) is a knockoff even if the original thing isn't copyrighted.
I think you would struggle to find anyone who doesn't have that view if i'm being honest.

 

[Tublet83]

Knew tattlers on this thread would appreciate this

 

[Heyguysswipeup]

Net.

I’ve done a few MLMs, one of them for over 5 years. I honestly did not see the things people are slagging them off for. They get a lot of hate from people who know nothing about them but once saw a programme/ read a blog post etc.

people are probably slagging them off as they are always on the receiving end of it where 20 people keep messaging them to buy their expensive product even tho they haven’t spoken since high school

 

[SqualorVictoria]

Okay let's call a spade a spade. If there's people above you earning money ("an upline") it's not "your" business. The point of your business is that the buck stops at you. Sorry if that's harsh but it's true

 

[Bilbo16]

The ne of my colleagues does FM World. She sit on her break and ‘works on her business’. I just don’t know how these people think they own their own business. They are literally selling someone else’s products, that’s they’ve probably had to buy themselves and then they get barely any profit as most of it goes to their up lines.
To make it more annoying she post all over social media about how it allows her to work from home and spend time with her son. It doesn’t, she works at a supermarket with me, not from home at all, so it’s all so insincere.

 

[justheretonamedrop]

I’ve unfriended a few friends on social media that have been sucked into this bullshit and sadly, every single one of them have been either “new” mums in the newborn stage or first time mums whos maternity end is creeping up on them and they aren’t ready to go back to work yet. Had one of the girls write a status saying she was an “independent travel agent” and oh my word she had hundreds of comments from friends and family who obviously had never heard of the travel MLMs before congratulating her?! The woman just gave birth and has worked in salons all her life. You think she’s an independent travel agent out of thin air? Sometimes I think the people cheering these huns on are half the problem!

 

[Notothefakes]

Ok I used to do one... I had post natal depression and I honestly believe they pray on vulnerable weaker people. I watched the Scientology stuff recently and I text my friend who had done it with me and I was like we were in a cult! It was not dissimilar. For example if somebody chose not to do it anymore we were encouraged to cut them off! And it was supposed to be about work life balance yet they were spouting stuff about you’ve got to give up time to make it work. My friend actually missed her child’s first birthday to attend an event! They hook you in. For me it’s when I came off the antidepressants and returned a bit more to my normal self I actually felt mortified about the whole thing.
Took myself off social media for a while I felt so ashamed all the stuff I’d been spouting

 

[bubbletea123]

Not sure if it is on Netflix UK but if so, check out the documentary Betting on Zero. It is about the Herbalife MLM.
You know what's hard moving to a new country? Making friends. When someone asks you to go for coffee, you don't know if they actually wanna be friends or if they're gonna shill an MLM. I will shut that shit down though as I am not interested.

 

[SpiceWeasel]

I was hoping the connection between Mormonism/The LDS Church and MLMs would come up on here. It is easy to see why so many MLM brands are Mormon owned as well as Mormon members being easily recruited to sell, the whole mission they do when they reach the age of 18 (2 years for males, 18 months for females) is basically a relentless sales pitch of their religion. The actual LDS church is very much akin to an MLM, actively recruiting and with members paying 10% of their earnings in tithe to the church.

This is going to be long winded sorry. I had an experience a couple of years ago having Mormonism pitched to me and not at my front door like it usually is. A lady I was receiving some online tuition from kept inviting/pressuring me to meet up with her 'as friends'. I had realised from a couple of things she'd said that she was very religious, but not Mormon, so I felt super awkward sat with my coffee the first time when I realised At first I did think she was just lonely and being friendly. After a few meet ups, she invited me to her house to have our lesson in person, when I got there I just had a really weird feeling about it and was freaking out a bit tbh but couldn't put my finger on why, I text my boyfriend to say if I didn't ring him by a certain time to be worried, he thought I was being stupid! Anyway, she rushed through the lesson and alarm bells were ringing, I had a feeling there was some ulterior motive, she then started asking me awkward questions about am I religious, are my parents religious etc. Baring in mind also the tuition I was receiving was to learn a second language and she would speak only that with me so this is adding to the stress as I can't say what I really think in English. It was around Christmas and she asked did I want to go and see a nativity scene with her son (who was young and very sweet), they live near a park so I just assumed it was there and was thinking 'okay just go and look at the nativity, say it's very nice then get the hell out of here'. She basically pushed me out the door with him and he then asked me where my car was! I was like erm, okay. We got in my car and he's directing me to this 'nativity scene'which as it turns out, is 20 minutes down the road not only at, but inside the church at the big fuck off Mormon temple. Literally from the moment we entered it was the weirdest experience of my life. There were 'Elders' there mainly from the USA, all hugging me and welcoming me. We walked round the nativity and all the time the son is giving me this spiel, asking me what my interests are and how the church will encourage me with them. I had a full blown tour of the church (not the temple cos I am a heathen but we walked around it) I got introduced to members from various levels of the church and they honestly had a cult like vibe about them, they seemed to have no boundaries about asking quite personal questions to someone they had only just met who was clearly very nervous. At the end of the tour I had a long sales pitch about how the LDS church would improve all aspects of my life as well as some pretty mad religious stories from a young lad from Utah and 3 others who were asking me to commit to coming back to a service and gave me the book of Mormon which I had to promise to read. My boyfriend had rang me a hundred times as it had been hours by this point. The son wanted to stay there thankfully so I went back to my car, basically sped out of the car park on 2 wheels, got home to my very worried boyfriend, got straight in the shower then asked what I wanted to do my reply was 'The pub. I want to go to the pub.'

It was honestly the strangest experience of my life. I felt very stressed the entire time and I have blanked some of it out I think as I just felt so uncomfortable. They are very persuasive people and all have a happy, sheen like quality to them almost. It is very easy to see how people get sucked in and I do think it is the worlds biggest MLM. It did send me down a total rabbit hole for weeks afterwards tbh. The ex mormon forum on Reddit is very interesting. Needless to say about the above, I found a new tutor who didn't have any ulterior motives to try and convert me to any cults

 

[OhhBacon]

The i player programme is brilliant.
It’s called Secrets of the Multi-Level Millionaires.

An under cover journalist explores the whole industry, it’s worth a watch. It is so interesting.

 

[Octopies]

Fucking hate them and will call them out everywhere I go. Something really insidious about someone you know or have been friends with tapping you for money or to join their ‘home based business’

I know a lady who is very involved with one of these. She SEEMS to have done really well and is always jet setting. Her husband has given up work apparently cos she’s earning so much (although I’m not entirely sure what he used to do anyway). It’s all smoke and mirrors obv but she’s very into it and has been for a few years.A few years ago I had a close family member pass away. I got a message pop up in my FB inbox from this lady. I thought ‘aww how lovely of her to check in on me and send her condolences even though we’re not very close’

And she did send her condolences. But then the next line of her message was about me joining her team. I couldn’t believe it. Fucking shameless. Deleted her and told her where to go. Leeches

 

[Ineedmorecoffee]

for a few people at the top that is reality. For most it isn’t. You need at least 300 below you to earn that. For me I have a decent full time job, I’m saving for a house (FM is not funding that before anyone else goes for me) my money from FM allows me to treat myself. If that Is all you want then I don’t see MLM is an issue.

But it IS an issue. As you rightly say it’s only the few at the top that earn that kind of money and have that life. But they tell their downline to post the same things. Usually under the guise of the law of attraction or fake it till you make it. So that their friends will see how ‘well’ theyre Doing and think well if they can have all that why can’t I. And they join up based on a false belief that they too will become rich, when in reality less than 1% of people in an mlm make any money at all.

They’re buying a lie. And that’s why it’s wrong.

Even then, those at the top that appear to be doing so well, a quick look at certain accounts of big names I know and you’ll see debts and directors loans. It’s a house of cards that they are desperately trying to save from falling. Go back 5-7 years when the industry was at its peak and yes they were doing well. But slowly people are seeing the truth about moms and not before time.

 

[Linkylu]

Stuff like that really bugs me. I am a nutritionist l, spent 4+ years studying and have worked so hard to build my reputation.. then people like this think they can just sell a weight loss product and call themselves a ‘health coach’!!!! Same for those who do 2 day courses selling weight loss programmes massive kick in the teeth

a bit off topic but it’s like my sister who studied for years to become a registered psychologist and sees these people (who get all their info from Google and self help books) calling themselves a mindset coach and lifestyle coach and working with people who have severe issues/trauma which they’re not qualified to do.

 

[Theyallneedarealitycheck]

Some knobber I used to be friends with tried to sign me up as a Forever Living bitch and got arsey when I said no. I explained I was pregnant and already had a one year old so my time would be pretty limited. She was giving it the “well I don’t know how you’ll manage on mat pay...” simple; I budgeted and didn’t take out a £12k loan to buy a car I could only afford to put a tenners worth of fuel in!!

I don’t think some of these people get that it will ruin your friendship if you go from being mates to being their manager pushing for more and more sales and giving them grief for not achieving their targets so they can fleece you/ work towards the dream of a white Range Rover

 

[DaisyDeluxe]

Clearly sticking my head above the parapet here - I do Body Shop and really enjoy it. I have regular sales, I think people have liked the convenience of ordering from me this year than going to shops. I am not a manager, I have no team and no interest in doing so, and haven't once been pressured into any of this - if you're pressured for targets, recruits or to employ other tactics you question the morality of, then you've joined the wrong team. I have a great friendship with my upline despite not being a particularly high seller compared to others. I am not vulnerable or incapable of making the decision to join up. I haven't been taken advantage of, neither has anyone else in the team (consisting of clever, educated, smart women from all sorts of professional backgrounds who have joined for a whole variety of reasons). I have never made any earnings claims and am totally realistic that I do this for some extra money for the household while getting the items I like at a cheaper price - I'm not aiming for world domination.

However, I totally get why people avoid MLM businesses, I also get spammed regularly, mainly from Herbal Life and FM World, I hate the tactics they employ on social media, all the posting their salaries etc. Social media has unfortunately brought out the worst in these type of sales people and I would avoid them like the plague. I also don't see the craze over FM - perfume isn't a regular purchase for most people and I've had a look through their catalogue, it just looks to me like a mish mash of stuff.... perfume, make up, household cleaning products??? I mean, which market are they going for? Pick a market and try to be the best in it, not just a finger in all sorts of pies.

I fully expect to get replied to calling me some sort of bot, but I don't see why positive experiences can't be discussed.

 

[SqualorVictoria]

I'm sorry but the person who said that FM fragrances are the same as the ones they knock off is incorrect and is showing a lack of understanding of fragrance. Big name perfumes will have been made by a trained "nose" and proper perfumery is incredibly difficult- a mix of science and art. There is just no way anyone can replicate that and while ostensibly they might smell the same (I.e the top notes), they won't have the same complexity, development, lasting power, and so on.

Companies wouldn't bother to hire these big name noses/ perfumers if anyone can do it. It would be like suggesting that a knock off dress in Primark is the same as Valentino.