Multi-Level Marketing - Question

[Armin-A]

I have been contacted far more often than usual lately by MLM users or employees or whatever they call themselves. My question is... what do you think about MLM?


I just want to know what the typical DU user thinks about MLMs like Amway.
Thanks! Just looking for a good response next time I am propositioned for a "business partnership opportunity"


Here is a convo that I had through text message from a guy that is over 100 miles away from me. (there is another one in my replies later on)


A- amway guy me - me

A - Hey is this Armin?

me - This is Armin. Sorry I was sleeping.

A - Well my name is Brad Dorman and I'm a student at ISU. i was actually contacting you because I work for a business team out of Des Moines and they're currently expanding and looking for work with a few more people. So I was wondering if you are looking to make some extra money at this time? (keep in mind over 100 miles away never met me)

me - let me guess.... multilevel marketing?

A - Yeah we're partnered with the Amway Corperation.

me - Perfect. how much is your start up fee?

A - Only 165$ for your license and liability insurance along with 95$ worth of goods for you to use. But 6 months money back gaurentee if its not for you.

me - And pride myself on selling giftcards with short expiration dates? Impossible performance goals to make money? And belonging too something that falls just short of illegal for a money through recruits method? And at that a company that is about to lose 15% of its business in india....im sure that will create many chances for bonuses or extra income from the company in legal ways.... Not to mention the ultra christian conservative base of its employees and customer base... No thanks! I dont need my money robbed nor do I need their demeaning views on women and gays in my face. I hope you realize what it is you actually do.

A - Cool! Sounds good. Have a good one

[onehandle]

1. Scam. Scam. Scam. And Amway is a giant conservative Republican scam.

A friend of mine got wrapped up in them a while back. He went to the annual Amway convention and it was basically speaker after speaker ragging on Democrats and Liberalism.

Scam.

[Armin-A]

9. are there any MLMs that aren't conservative repub. scams?

I mean of the ones that approach you with "how you like to make money" versus "can i show you some of my wares that i think you would be interested in purchasing"

[Capitalocracy]

14. Well, let's examine the structure of multi-level marketing...

So there's one organization at the top, marketing to a slightly larger group of people below them, marketing to a slightly larger group of people below them, and so on and so on...

If we were to draw up a chart of how this works, what would it look like? A triangle? A pyramid?

They're inherently pyramid schemes. You CAN make some money in a pyramid scheme. You can even do it without technically scamming anyone, although that is quite uncommon. But unless you're awesome at selling, you will probably end up losing money instead of earning money. And if you're that awesome at selling, you should be in sales.

[marybourg]

2. :thumbsdown:

[MadHound]

3. MLM's are a sucker's game,

The only way for you to win is to simply not play.

If you get in on a solid MLM, like Amway, in the very beginning, then yes, you too can make the big bucks. But if you can't, then all you are doing is being fleeced.

[msongs]

4. pyramid schemes. do they have an actual product to buy and use? or are they just

making money by getting other people in to make money for them to infinity

[Armin-A]

6. seeing how i am over 100miles away from the people 2 different people contacting me lately....

leads me to believe their main source of income is through start up fees

[Liberal Veteran]

5. Try, "No thank you"....if that doesn't work do this....

[Armin-A]

7. lol i am not polite. here are a couple text convos i had shortly after amway's India ordeal

A- amway guy me - me

A - Hey is this Armin?

me - This is Armin. Sorry I was sleeping.

A - Well my name is Brad Dorman and I'm a student at ISU. i was actually contacting you because I work for a business team out of Des Moines and they're currently expanding and looking for work with a few more people. So I was wondering if you are looking to make some extra money at this time? (keep in mind over 100 miles away never met me)

me - let me guess.... multilevel marketing?

A - Yeah we're partnered with the Amway Corperation.

me - Perfect. how much is your start up fee?

A - Only 165$ for your license and liability insurance along with 95$ worth of goods for you to use. But 6 months money back gaurentee if its not for you.

me - And pride myself on selling giftcards with short expiration dates? Impossible performance goals to make money? And belonging too something that falls just short of illegal for a money through recruits method? And at that a company that is about to lose 15% of its business in india....im sure that will create many chances for bonuses or extra income from the company in legal ways.... Not to mention the ultra christian conservative base of its employees and customer base... No thanks! I dont need my money robbed nor do I need their demeaning views on women and gays in my face. I hope you realize what it is you actually do.

A - Cool! Sounds good. Have a good one

[Armin-A]

8. shortly after that one this one happened

A- 2nd amway guy Me - still me

A- Hey. Is this Armin?

me- This is he. May I ask who is asking?

A - Hey! Well my name is Pat Little and I'm a student at ISU. i was actually contacting you because I work for a business team out of Des Moines and they're currently expanding and looking for work with a few more people. So I was wondering if you are looking to make some extra money at this time? (same place, same location, same first 2 texts)

me - Doing multilevel marketing?

A - Yeah that's it exactly. I can send you an email with a video link that will give you a snapshot of what we do if you're interested.

me - Hmm indulge in a contribution to a borderline ponzi scheme with extremely conservative values that belittle women, gays, and anyone else who stands out? No thanks. I hope you realize what it is you do and what your work is contributing to... my guess is your part of Amway...since I just had someone say the same exact things to me... Even if not they are all almost as bad as amway. Hope you wake up from your ignorant reality.

A - I really wish you knew what you're talking about.

me - why are you trying to recruit someone from over a hundred miles away? clearly you know so well that you think we would be great business partners and of course you get no profit from my start up fee right? (all sarcasm)

A - Honestly, now that you mention it, you wouldn't be an asset to my business team. Thank you for clarifying it. Have a great day

[Control-Z]

19. perfect:

"me - Hmm indulge in a contribution to a borderline ponzi scheme with extremely conservative values that belittle women, gays, and anyone else who stands out? No thanks. I hope you realize what it is you do and what your work is contributing to... my guess is your part of Amway...since I just had someone say the same exact things to me... Even if not they are all almost as bad as amway. Hope you wake up from your ignorant reality. "

And his final answer:

"A - Honestly, now that you mention it, you wouldn't be an asset to my business team. Thank you for clarifying it. Have a great day"

[Armin-A]

20. Don't think he was expecting it

[Honeycombe8]

10. STAY......AWAY! I was tricked by a "friend" into going to an Amway mtg once....

I spotted the smarmy gimmicky slimy concept for what it was, right off the bat. There we are in this lower middle class living room, waiting to have some meeting on something I don't know about yet, when this man in a smarmy silk suit sweeps in and starts loading some big BS on the group. His associate makes sure we know, through whispers from person to person, that the silk suit guy arrived in a Rolls Royce.

He starts laying some "you can be rich, too" line on all of us. Pure BS. People were almost salivating with greed, I tell you. I got the hell out of there as fast as I could, and I never spoke to that "friend" again. There is no way that that group of mediocre people, myself included, were going to get rich by selling floor cleaning products and hand cream to others.

It was Amway. A pyramid scheme. You make money by tricking other naiive people into paying $165 for "licenses and insurance" and $95 for products.

STAY....AWAY.

[Armin-A]

11. Are you a writer? You illustrated the memory very well!

It was pleasant to read through

[Honeycombe8]

21. No, I'm not. But thanks! nt

[MilesColtrane]

12. The concept annoys me because it relies on turning your friends and family into customers...

to be exploited.

Aren't we already totally immersed in a culture that values a person for what they can consume or how much money they can generate for someone else?

Friendships and family relationships should be built upon anything but that.

[Armin-A]

13. well put

[BlueToTheBone]

15. Do you mean should you walk or run

in another direction? You will lose your money.

[Armin-A]

16. haha no i was looking more for a snapback

[deacon]

17. Well, it's only good if you start the company. If you own the company it's great. Otherwise, find

something else to do.

[customerserviceguy]

18. Run. Far and fast.

Scamway keeps looking for new suckers in every generation.

I've only considered one multilevel marketing idea in the last year, and that's only because it was recommended by a pretty good friend. It would not involve the sale of overpriced commodity items that would have to be stored and delivered, it would be for electrical energy already being delivered by a local utility. No problmes in storage of soap in my garage, etc., and everybody uses it. The thing that has slowed me down is their fixed monthly costs, maintaining a required website is waaaaay more expensive than I could do myself through 1 and 1.com.