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

[OnlyHereForTheLolz]

I tell you what. I’d love to get into the beginning of a pyramid scheme. You’d be laughing all the way to the bank

 

[Horatio]

I’ve stayed in touch with a few of the ladies who did it and they all have a history with depression/anxiety/pnd. So that is something positive that’s come out of it I’ve made a genuine network of friends. My upline in the other hand the last message I had from her was about four years ago questioning what I would do for childcare now I was back at work. Trying to make me feel guilty essentially but luckily by then I saw right through. Thanks for your nice post

Ugh the emotional blackmail of implying that your child’s needs would be compromised by breaking away, is so low but not at all surprising! It’s so infuriating so many of these operations continue to operate by getting around the pyramid selling definition on a technicality.

The fact you say this was four years ago and yet they continue to flourish!
I’m going to put it out there and say I think this is one of those thing that if it was targeted at scamming money from young career driven men (say) would have been shut down years ago. But this exploits some of the most alienated and voiceless women in society - young mothers. And if not mothers then women from the lowest financial strata.

And it’s just brushed off as those “silly women spamming Facebook selling mascaras”. “Did they really think they’d be a millionaire?””haha” But lives are being ruined by this. Meagre savings and financial safety nets literally stolen from them. Yet it continues...

 

[Ineedmorecoffee]

The travel ones, I ask them if they are ABTA and ATOL protected. Usually shuts them up.

 

[SarcasticEllis]

The girl who used to do my acrylic nails suddenly left to become a life coach. So strange. Loads of posts about her mega successful life when a few weeks earlier she was trimming my cuticles and living in a small flat with a massive dog. Suddenly she appeared to be holidaying on yachts, visiting Dubai. It’s the strangest thing. I followed for a while and she had a team of recruits so I assume this is another form of MLM.

Erm, I’d google ‘yachting’ - it’s not an MLM but does involve sales...

 

[MakeMineADouble]

Even if I was naive enough to join FM, I’d cringe knowing that if I was to post on my social media, I’d get blocked/hidden by everyone. I genuinely know about 15 people that have jumped on that bandwagon.

All claim to make a 4 figure salary. Ok Tracy, I’ll sack off my secure job to flog knock off perfume so you can benefit off the back of me

 

[Lottiedooda]

You can spot a 'boss babe' a mile off when they show a picture of their kids and say 'this is my why' ffs. Most of us work to support our families but we don't need to broadcast it all over social media

 

[Shestheman22]

Just seen this on Facebook and as a member of an MLM, I absolutely hate this attitude people say no because they DON’T WANT TO TRY YOUR PRODUCT. Simple as that, suck it up and move on.

Also it literally makes no sense, why would you feel successful by being told no

 

[Velvet Hour]

Someone I used to work with set herself up as an mlm selling supernova fat burner , diet coffee etc , after 3 weeks she’s now calling herself a ‘global business mentor’ on social media !

 

[Penny97]

I bought a lumispa off a friend who sells Nuskin.

About a month later, I received an email from Nuskin. For some reason, they had me down as a distributor rather than a customer. I thought this was strange so I questioned it and they said that in order for me to get the discount on the products that I did, they needed to have my account set to 'brand affiliate'. Anyway..

About 2 weeks ago, I received an email from them advising us 'distributers' what we can and cannot say as they're currently under investigation it said 'don't publish how much money you earn', 'don't target those who have been made redundant from work due to covid 19', and 'don't insinuate that all Nuskin distributors will earn profit as this is something we cannot guarantee'



Bit odd if you ask me

 

[KerChing]

If you buy a decent perfume, one squirt in the morning will do you all day. A bottle lasts me a year. I’d rather have one nice bottle for birthday or Christmas than a dozen fakes.

 

[GreenStar]

With regards to Juice Plus, just eat actual fruit

 

[Lalalalaaaaaa85]

They are relentless. The only sort of MLM I don't mind is Avon. Iv never been harassed by someone doing Avon

Yep, Avon is fine. I have a woman on my street that does it. She put a catalogue through my door once, knocked for it a few days later and when I said I didn’t want to order she said would I ever want to and I said no...never heard again. Which is actually disappointing as I’ve found I love the skin so soft spray for keeping mosquitoes away . Have to buy it on Amazon now as no idea what house this woman lives in

 

[Bgr101]

Whats the obsession with them posting their actual salaries on instagram? I find it so crass and tasteless and i dont believe any of it is even true.

 

[PrincessCharming]

It’s not a car they get it’s a car loan that they pay for out of their profits.

 

[Whatsthefuss]

I was one of these preyed upon people that “worked” with N*skin for a time. Wow the messages we would get on the daily and the shit they would spout is similar to gaslighting and very very manipulative it’s scary! A girl I used to play netball against had managed to pull a blinder, she is successful in her own right as an accountant, lovely home, life etc etc and was one of “the popular ones” growing up so when she started getting all these girls joining her I was like why not because these girls aren’t stupid Well fast forward about 3weeks they were sending messages like “if you don’t attend an event then we have to question your commitment” and the first ploy they get you with is that it’s perfect for full time mums or whatever as it needs hardly any work, does it hell!! It needs so so much work it’s unbelievable for very little, if any profit. I would buy products in my credit card so any profit made was paying off new debt not existing.

My up line would be like “invest in this and you’ll get so much back from it” the people like Tayl* Bl*e, her sisters and Amy Lauren S*ith are disgusting, already rich from daddy but claiming it’s because of this MLM. They need arresting for the way they prey on the vulnerable, I feel so strongly about it all, it was a dark time of my life for sure. Falsely built up but made to feel like shit.

* used in case these wannabes have a google alert set up and try to even date defend themselves on here (happened on another thread )

 

[emm]

God added on Facebook by an "MLM hun" trying to sell me Juice plus by the looks of things. She asked me what my health goals for the year were, (if she had even bothered to look at my profile she would see I'm pregnant and would defo not be interested in taking supplements) so I just replied "aw hi, tbh my goals for this year are pushing this baby out without ripping hole to hole "

She unfriended me without replying

can we all just reply exactly this to any MLM "huns" who message us??

 

[LittleBitAlexis]

@Foxycoxy, I haven't accused you of doing anything except being deluded and as I've repeatedly pointed out, I've (genuinely) wished you well several times now. Interpret that how you want.

 

[SpiceWeasel]

Oh god I was getting my hair done the other day and proper stuck my foot in it. My hairdresser was making small talk about having the wear face masks and I said I have been getting bad skin from wearing one all the time. She then started going on about how she's been using this Tropic product and it's amazing giving me this full on spiel and the other hairdresser picked up on the conversation and came over and started going on about it too, they took their masks off to show me how 'good' their skin was (in my defence to not picking up straight away where this was going I was tired as it was a 8am appointment and I hadn't slept great the night before)

I said something like 'ah yeah I've heard good things about the product but I just don't like the pyramid scheme business model so I would never buy any of it as I don't support MLMs' they both went silent and I was like ohhhhh shit then they were telling me they signed up during lockdown and one of them had recruited the other and it's not a pyramid scheme blah blah blah, my actual hairdresser was trying to breeze over it and saying she just really likes the products and the other one was just giving me daggers I was just like why did I have to open my big (masked) mouth

 

[Lalalalaaaaaa85]

I am curious as to why people do feel Avon is different?

I really don't think it is! You have to sell over X amount to get any commission, if you sell over z amount you get the higher commission band. You can recruit and grow a downline and earn off them, once you have so many in your direct Down line you can earn off all the people they recruit sales.

It is structured exactly the same as all the other MLM . You pay to join, you pay for brochures, you pay for the paper bags to deliver the product in.

Is it simply as it is such an established and known brand of product? They have had TV advertising campaigns etc?

Don't get me wrong I love that people are more accepting of Avon than other MLM as it's such an easy sell but genuinely curious as to why it is viewed as better than the other MLM brands.

To me it is probably two fold. First Avon is an institution, I grew up just knowing it as a legit business and never questioned its sales model. Secondly they aren’t as cut throat, at least as I’ve seen. As I said earlier the woman near me who sells never bothers me now I’ve said I’m not interested:

 

[SpiceWeasel]

For fucks sake. The mysterious coffee MLM hun has sent me a message request on Insta saying ‘heyyy, hope you’re well hun?’ Literally not spoken or clapped eyes on her in over a decade and she appears to be best friends with a 5x5 (5 kids, 5 fathers ) who made my life a living hell at school, who is also in the MLM by the looks of things. Tempted to reply and go along with it for a laugh and see where it goes?