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

[AbiLouX]

FM is one of the worst. A select few with thousands of Dow lines make a full time wage. The rest not anywhere near. Stocks awful too which encourages bulk buying. Make averagely around £6 profit per bottle (some even less like £4) and postage from fm to you is £6! So actually costs the distributor money. It’s a pyramid scheme through and through. They say they don’t earn money from down lines commission which is bull.

Commission is made via a points system. Let’s say a bottle makes you 10 points. It also makes your up line 10 points; and their up line 10 points etc. So in a chain of say 5 down lines one bottle generates 50’points of which only 10 end up with the actual seller. FYI 10 points is worth pennies in commission.

 

[Bilbo16]

FM is one of the worst. A select few with thousands of Dow lines make a full time wage. The rest not anywhere near. Stocks awful too which encourages bulk buying. Make averagely around £6 profit per bottle (some even less like £4) and postage from fm to you is £6! So actually costs the distributor money. It’s a pyramid scheme through and through. They say they don’t earn money from down lines commission which is bull.

Commission is made via a points system. Let’s say a bottle makes you 10 points. It also makes your up line 10 points; and their up line 10 points etc. So in a chain of say 5 down lines one bottle generates 50’points of which only 10 end up with the actual seller. FYI 10 points is worth pennies in commission.

FM is so so popular at the moment too. How do people think they’re going to make good money from it when there are so so many distributors?! My colleague does it and claims online that it’s solved her money issues. I know differently however, she’s struggling the same as everyone else. She’s a lovely girl but the online persona she’s created is so different to real life! and they’re encouraged to do this!

 

[Yorkshirewife]

FM is so so popular at the moment too. How do people think they’re going to make good money from it when there are so so many distributors?! My colleague does it and claims online that it’s solved her money issues. I know differently however, she’s struggling the same as everyone else. She’s a lovely girl but the online persona she’s created is so different to real life! and they’re encouraged to do this!

That's what I find so unnerving. They put all these false claims and lies up but the people who know them know its a load of bollocks. They must be so brainwashed by up lines that they do whatever they're told whether it makes them look like fools to those that know them or not!

 

[AbiLouX]

FM is so so popular at the moment too. How do people think they’re going to make good money from it when there are so so many distributors?! My colleague does it and claims online that it’s solved her money issues. I know differently however, she’s struggling the same as everyone else. She’s a lovely girl but the online persona she’s created is so different to real life! and they’re encouraged to do this!

Yeah you’re literally called names and negative etc if you dare question anything in the training pages etc

 

[Octopies]

I feel this is the most appropriate place to ask...

Approx 5 of my family/friends have begun selling FM Fragrances/make up products in the last year or so and they have been literally flooding my social media with it. I can live with that to be honest, but I have to ask....is this stuff worth buying?
You’ll all know the spiel about it. I would support a small business starting out, but I stick to one or two decent fragrances and don’t want to trade in for a rubbish quality. Have any of you tried this stuff?
There’s always raffles etc going and it crosses my mind to have a go. I don’t know really-don’t want to buy once then get pressured in to buying more, especially when it’s a family member selling it??

My SIL bought me a bottle of FM perfume for Xmas, she’s not involved in the MLM but think she has a friend who is.

I don’t like it, it smells very chemically and doesn’t last.

Not sure if I can post this but if you’re looking for perfume dupes there’s an Etsy seller called ThePerfumePeopleLTD who I highly recommend! (I like my ‘real’ perfumes but there’s a place for a cheap and cheerful dupe in my life too!)

 

[emm]

I’ve watched videos (not about FM though) that said only the hotel is covered? So they still have to pay for their own flights/visas/insurance. The expensive bits basically. And it won’t be a holiday, it will be a conference or something where they have to do FM related stuff. I’d be interested if anyone has more info though!


Honestly no clue but it seems so shady that she’s making such claims, when I’m pretty sure there is no proof of them being beneficial to pregnancy at all. Seems very shady to try and appeal to pregnant women. Fizz sticks are little energy powders that you mix with water. They’re basically just flavoured sugar though

i know someone who does Arbonne too, she still has a day job so I doubt she is doing well, she constantly claims they are "a great alternative to coffee", which I don't get. Coffee has been proven to have health benefits, how could some chemically filled powder be better for you?!

 

[Pissedoffwithinfluencers]

i know someone who does Arbonne too, she still has a day job so I doubt she is doing well, she constantly claims they are "a great alternative to coffee", which I don't get. Coffee has been proven to have health benefits, how could some chemically filled powder be better for you?!

Such a great alternative that Rebecca meldrum was punting it, gave up and has now declared how much weight she has put in in lockdown , for months of which she was chugging arbonne protein abs fizz sticks .

 

[Yorkshirewife]

Such a great alternative that Rebecca meldrum was punting it, gave up and has now declared how much weight she has put in in lockdown , for months of which she was chugging arbonne protein abs fizz sticks .

No way!!

 

[emm]

Such a great alternative that Rebecca meldrum was punting it, gave up and has now declared how much weight she has put in in lockdown , for months of which she was chugging arbonne protein abs fizz sticks .

probably didn;t think she was earning enough and will move on to another MLM. the woman I know is doing the Arbonne "30 day cleanse" pretty much every second month, either you do something permanently as a lifestyle change or you do it once every now and then surely?

 

[Bilbo16]

Yeah you’re literally called names and negative etc if you dare question anything in the training pages etc

It is a cult. It’s scary how deep she is into it too. Any posts she posts about it are then commented on by people in her upline, saying how amazing it all is that they can all work from home and everything is wonderful. I can see straight through it but know a lot of people can’t! I don’t like that everything about the social media is based on lies. Lying about lifestyle, lying about your job, lying about your income....

i know someone who does Arbonne too, she still has a day job so I doubt she is doing well, she constantly claims they are "a great alternative to coffee", which I don't get. Coffee has been proven to have health benefits, how could some chemically filled powder be better for you?!

Yes it’s the same with my colleague...she’s making so much money from FM yet still works part time at the local supermarket with me
Can’t stand Arbonne. Those fizz sticks are just sugar mixed with god knows what else. Just enjoy your coffee!

 

[wildwitch12]

I love watching anti mlm stuff on YouTube, there's a lot of videos where they compare mlms to cults & the BITE model is heavily used.

 

[Bilbo16]

Murder On Middle Beach is an interesting watch if anyone needs something to watch. It’s not strictly just about pyramid schemes, but a lot of what happens is deeply tied to it.

 

[Yorkshirewife]

I love watching anti mlm stuff on YouTube, there's a lot of videos where they compare mlms to cults & the BITE model is heavily used.

Some fab vids on youtube. Cc Suarez, deanna mims, Kiki chanel, isabella lanter, Emily j fine are all cracking.

 

[OnlyPassingThrough]

The 30 day kick start stuff is, I image, all about creating a FB group and getting people to sign up and then having a willing audience to flog produts to / rope in to selling?

 

[Octopies]

Have people noticed an increase in MLM recruits since Covid-19 became a thing?

Because I definitely have. Most recently I’ve seen the self employed targeted. For example a hairdresser I know. A bit young and naive and obviously unable to work so has fallen for the shpiel.

She’s posting about how much money she’s making - incidentally it’s juice plus - I actually feel sorry for her as she’s clearly been targeted and she has an actual talent and skill (hairdressing!!)

She’s clearly trying to recruit and has posted a poll on IG that says ‘how are you finding lockdown/ good / bad’ - if you answer ‘bad’ (who wouldn’t?!) she tries to recruit you.

I knew these leeches were bad targeting people who are on their arse but there now seems to be an active campaign to target those affected by the pandemic. It’s a new low!!

 

[OnlyPassingThrough]

They talked about this on ITV yesterday morning because of this reason: yes, they are taregetting self employed people and this has increased over the last year.

 

[Bilbo16]

I’ve definitely noticed an increase. Not just in people taking part in them but how many new MLMs keep cropping up. I cannot stand how predatory they are. It’s a tough time for all right now and they’re preying on those struggling!

 

[Cloverfield10]

I went to a wedding a few years ago and got chatting with this woman who seemed really lovely, so I didn't think it was that weird when she found me on Facebook after and added me as a friend. A few weeks went by and a few messages here and there... Then out of the blue she sends a long voice message all about her MLM company and how I could be making thousands with it and quit my day job.

I have to say I felt completely used and groomed because I thought she just genuinely wanted to be friends

These schemes are, I have to say, for people who are vulnerable and don't mind being sold a complete lie. I actually think they should be regulated more because I think many of them use bullying tactics to get people sucked in to part with cash that they will obviously never see again!

 

[Tintin93]

I used to work in a make up shop and it was a quiet period during the day- a woman walked in with all these creams and anti aging products trying to get me to buy some and then saying I could also start selling these products if I wanted to earn extra cash (this was about 7 years ago, can’t remember the name which is annoying). Actually couldn’t believe it. I called out to my manager who was downstairs and she quickly left. So bizarre and desperate, I seriously couldn’t imagine how hard of a situation I would be in to sign up to an MLM. To me it reeks of hard times.

 

[Bilbo16]

I went to a wedding a few years ago and got chatting with this woman who seemed really lovely, so I didn't think it was that weird when she found me on Facebook after and added me as a friend. A few weeks went by and a few messages here and there... Then out of the blue she sends a long voice message all about her MLM company and how I could be making thousands with it and quit my day job.

I have to say I felt completely used and groomed because I thought she just genuinely wanted to be friends

These schemes are, I have to say, for people who are vulnerable and don't mind being sold a complete lie. I actually think they should be regulated more because I think many of them use bullying tactics to get people sucked in to part with cash that they will obviously never see again!

I’ve had girls do similar to me over Insta. I had a girl who liked all my photos and then messaged and wanted to talk about travelling and holidays and all that....turns out she just wanted to sign me up as an ‘independent travel agent’. During a pandemic.