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

[Horatio]

This is a good take on it as a specifically women’s/feminist issue https://timelessvie.wordpress.com/2...al-media-combine-to-sell-women-a-false-dream/

Wow thanks for this, will check it out. I also watched and was facisnated by the iplayer documentary mentioned and one of the first things I noticed was how so many of these companies pitch their sales at women, lonely insecure and unhappy women more often than not. But a lot of those at the very top, making so much money, seemed to be men. Of course there are some token inspirational ‘girl boss and mother of 3’ millionaires too but they rarely are the founders.

I really urge anyone with even a vague interest or a desire to know more to check it out. Some of its pretty upsetting, it’s never nice to see people taken advantage of due to their naivety or good nature. But it’s also very educational if any of us or someone close to us got caught up in something like that. And totally batshit crazy when you see how cult like it all really is...

I think it says in the doc that the way an MLM (legal) distinguishes itself from a pyramid scheme (not) is that the focus and profit has to be selling the product , not recruiting others. Is it illegal to make recruitment compulsory or something like that? That’s why Avon generally gets a pass. Most others that call themselves MLM’s tho are just doing it for legal reasons and should be avoided at all costs. Recruitment will be compulsory all but officially, I guarantee it.

 

[thegirlscout]

I hate MLM. I’ve seen so many friends get sucked dry and repeatedly told the reason they aren’t successful is all their fault. It’s horrendous bullying.
That’s why when the make up brand Anastasia Beverly Hills teamed up with Rodin and Fields I just felt so icky. I used to like their products but their half arsed explanation on Instagram just didn’t work for me. Plus you had all the ‘huns’ out in force claiming to be millionaires.

 

[GreenStar]

With regards to Juice Plus, just eat actual fruit

 

[CoffeeMamma]

Only good experience I’ve had is with The Body Shop. Tbf I only signed up to get the kit as I already used everything in it. It’s totally a sideline though to my actual job.

 

[piggymummy01]

Avon is just as bad as the others AND they test on animals.

 

[Theyallneedarealitycheck]

Some knobber I used to be friends with tried to sign me up as a Forever Living witch 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

 

[Lynseyp]

A friend of a friend used to be a Body Shop ambassador and would brag about their 6 figure salary and posh cars and how his partner didn't have to work anymore, he then switched to Acti Labs flogging their products and is making possibly more money.
Can this be possible, or do you need a large following on social media??
How does it work, i understand you get commission from people who join your team, but do those people then get others to join there team too so for example: Person A joins, recruits Person B then person B recruits person C to join there team - if person C manages high sales do persons A and B get commision from what C sells?
Apologies im really crap at explaining plus its early in the morning
Sometimes it all sounds too good to be true.

 

[AdoraDelano]

It is too good to be true. People are encouraged to fake it, so other people will buy into the model and become their downline.

I don't know if Avon was always an MLM but I think maybe it's seen differently as the products are fairly priced and good quality. Most MLM products are the opposite - overpriced and bad quality and sometimes even harmful. Monat is a hair product range which actually tells people that if they start losing their hair, that's a good thing as it's part of the process!

Usborne Books are now part of an MLM scheme, which is a shame. So watch out if you attend any baby or toddler groups. You will be able to get the books cheaper elsewhere.

 

[CoffeeMamma]

A friend of a friend used to be a Body Shop ambassador and would brag about their 6 figure salary and posh cars and how his partner didn't have to work anymore, he then switched to Acti Labs flogging their products and is making possibly more money.
Can this be possible, or do you need a large following on social media??
How does it work, i understand you get commission from people who join your team, but do those people then get others to join there team too so for example: Person A joins, recruits Person B then person B recruits person C to join there team - if person C manages high sales do persons A and B get commision from what C sells?
Apologies im really crap at explaining plus its early in the morning
Sometimes it all sounds too good to be true.

Oh it’s mostly too good to be true! I don’t know anyone at Body Shop with a 6 figure salary! I think most of the other people who I know that do it, do it for the same reasons I do- young children, fairly isolated job, want to be part of a team again. Make a few quid on the side.

 

[Guacamole123]

I hate MLM’s with a passion!! I think it’s so sad the amount of young, first time mothers I see on my Facebook trying to flog juice plus/Herbalife/younique to earn a bit of extra cash. There’s some crazy statistics about it all, most people don’t even make any profit from it after they’ve been encouraged by their upline to buy in their own stock, as they’re often not able to shift it all at a decent price. These things need to be more regulated. I know the YouTuber unjaded Jade’s dad is really really high up in the juice plus world, which makes sense cause she’s always spirting our positive mantras that sound exactly like the inspirational quotes ‘boss babes’ on my Facebook seem to share

 

[Youtubegossip]

You need to have a big social media following
How it works

person a (you, top of the pyramid) - but your only at the top of your own pyramid, you’ve been recruited by someone
You get two people below you.
They each get two
They each get two
They each get two

You
II
IIII
IIIIIIII
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

There are now 62 people below you and you are getting a cut of everything they sell. BUT REMEMBER, someone recruited you, so your at the bottom of their pyramid and a cut of everything yours is then going up the pyramid too. It’s only people right at the top of the pyramids making big money

there was an excellent documentary on iplayer about it and it annoys me whenever anyone posts an unrelated question On social media and gets spammed with promises of mlm riches

 

[onlyheretoorbit]

I once got cornered by a Forever Living rep at a friend's party. She kept gushing on about how aloe vera cures everything and she's taken her husband (who had MS) off all his prescribed medications and he was just drinking her aloe gloop. She also told me my mental illness could be cured with it too.

 

[bubbletea123]

A friend of a friend used to be a Body Shop ambassador and would brag about their 6 figure salary and posh cars and how his partner didn't have to work anymore, he then switched to Acti Labs flogging their products and is making possibly more money.
Can this be possible, or do you need a large following on social media??
How does it work, i understand you get commission from people who join your team, but do those people then get others to join there team too so for example: Person A joins, recruits Person B then person B recruits person C to join there team - if person C manages high sales do persons A and B get commision from what C sells?
Apologies im really crap at explaining plus its early in the morning
Sometimes it all sounds too good to be true.

The posh cars they get, at least on Arbonne, are leased out. If they don't meet their targets for money, etc, they can be held responsible for paying the rest of the lease. It is all so fake. These Arbonne reps driving around like they own the Merc, when they don't.

 

[Barb]

They are branching out from alovera diet shake lipgloss or whatever... check out utility warehouse

 

[Justhereforbants]

A girl I work with does nuskin, she posts about sitting in bed and working from home and how great it is to be your own boss in her instagram story yet does shift work in a call centre

 

[Juliet]

Are any of you part of an MLM business such as Juice Plus, Herbalife, Nuskin? Do you enjoy it? Do you make real money from it? I constantly see people joining them, then leaving a few months later realising that it doesn’t work u less you have thousands of social media followers to recruit under you.
The people I know who are in these businesses all post the same spiel over and over about how much money they make for basically doing nothing. I saw a post today from a travel MLM, this girl says she is making £20k a month. I find this very hard to believe. Opinions?

 

[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

 

[OhhBacon]

Are any of you part of an MLM business such as Juice Plus, Herbalife, Nuskin? Do you enjoy it? Do you make real money from it? I constantly see people joining them, then leaving a few months later realising that it doesn’t work u less you have thousands of social media followers to recruit under you.
The people I know who are in these businesses all post the same spiel over and over about how much money they make for basically doing nothing. I saw a post today from a travel MLM, this girl says she is making £20k a month. I find this very hard to believe. Opinions?

20K a month...utter utter bollocks, quote simply made up crap.
They are a con. There is a great BBC documentary that shows what a load of rubbish the claims are. Stay away from anyone suggesting otherwise.

 

[Horatio]

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 me 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

Hey, don’t feel ashamed or blame yourself, the people at the top who designed this insidious, manipulative scam can’t be let off the hook! As you said yourself you were mentally and emotionally vulnerable at the time - that and the fact that it was with post natal depression ie you were a new mother made you their ideal target. They deliberately prey on stay at home mothers, physically exhausted but possibly mentally under stimulated looking to do something productive that doesn’t compromise childcare. They sell them an unattainable dream by feeding in to common anxieties and insecurities, and if the mother has post natal depression or something similar that’s a bonus! They are an easier target.
How revolting is that?

But the very fact it’s been so successful and made these people so much money shows you aren’t stupid for being led on- because so many others have been too. Many perfectly intelligent decent women, taken advantage of at their lowest.
The fact your friend missed her kids birthday is a scary example of how they can take over your brain and personality. A cult indeed! You should be proud of yourself for breaking away, it’s not easy.

I’m just going to post the link to this amazing documentary again
www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p076n2hg

Might be too close to home for anyone whose been through it but I think it’s good to get an over view of the tricks and dubious tactics used. I’ve nothing but sympathy for anyone caught up in that, even those who don’t yet realise it.

 

[Secretkady]

Listen to season one of The Dream podcast. Really interesting all about mlms. From ep 3 it gets really gripping. The second season is about essential oil mlms and the wellness industry which is also v good!