To think that it's more hassle than it's worth buying things from friends' MLM businesses?

[BlueberryFanta]

I have several friends that are consultants for MLM companies. I'm not mad on these companies but as my friends add me to their selling FB groups and constantly try to sell me stuff I try to be a good friend and order something from each of them occasionally.

However it's more hassle than it's bloody worth! Each and every time I order anything it's a right pain in the arse for me, and I always end up being the one having to collect the product from my friend etc.

Latest thing is I ordered some skincare products from a friend who has just started up her business. She hassled and hassled me to order something. Then she wanted full payment before ordering, which is fair enough but meant I had to go to her house to drop off the money as she didn't want it Paypal'd or bank transferred over. She told me when it arrived she'd pop it round.

Items took ages to arrive at hers, and last week she sent me a text to say the items were with her but that I'd need to pop round and get them. We arranged a convenient time for us both. I got there, she was out and had forgotten I was going round. She then badgered me several times to make another time to go round even though I was having a very busy week. Every time/day I suggested was no good for her and she was suggesting things like 7am on Sunday!

Anyway then we come to today when we arranged that I'd go round again to collect said items (if I hadn't already paid £30 I'd just leave it tbh). Got there, and she couldn't find them and thinks she 'may' have given them to another customer in error or taken them in error to a party she did last week and left them there.

So now I have to wait another sodding three weeks or so, and go through all the rigmarole of picking up items etc when they arrive.

This sort of thing happens EVERY time I order anything from friends that sell stuff.

AIBU to just not buy from friends again?

[specialsubject]

Surprised you did it in the first place.

Tell foolish Flossie and her mates that the stuff is overpriced crap, that they know it is overpriced crap so please stop wasting your time. And theirs.

[cantshakeitoff]

Tell her she needs to drop it around yours ASAP. Unbelievable behaviour on her part.

[TheSparrowhawk]

MLMs are scams. Don't get involved with them at all.

[cantshakeitoff]

Can't you ask her to just refund you instead?

[ABloodyDifficultWoman]

YABU to support MLM 'business' at all - they're a huge rip off and never end well for the seller. Stop buying. As for this one - just grow a set and ask for your money back. Would you put up with that shit from a proper retailer? Of course not. Your friend sounds like a flake and you sound like you have more money than sense!

[myusernamewastaken]

God no...why are you bothering.. i do not buy any mlm shit...friends or not as i dont agree with pyramid schemes...

[BlueberryFanta]

If I asked for a refund I think it'd be the end of the friendship tbh.

[EssentialHummus]

A) These are scams.
B) If your friend wants to run a proper business then she needs a better handle on stock and delivery.

[cantshakeitoff]

She's not a very good friend anyway by the sounds of it. Ask for a refund.

[TheSparrowhawk]

I wouldn't ask for a refund, I'd write off the money and steer clear of her until she gets some sense.

[0nTheEdge]

It's their prerogative to try to sell you stuff, it's your prerogative to say no thank you if you don't want it. If they get pushy, I'd just say something along the lines of "i really don't want to make an order, please don't make me feel awkward".

[MrsTerryPratchett]

I'm so glad the 'friend' I had who was into these left her DH and we don't see her any more. Candles, cooking stuff, photo crap she did it all. All overpriced, all hassle, all shit.

Basically she was trying to get a business from her friends paying for her.

[BlueberryFanta]

TheSparrowhawk, that's pretty much what I intend to do.

[YelloDraw]

MLM = scam
Friends that sell you MLM crap = not real friends

Real friends don't scam friends

[wizzywig]

I had this experience with a local body shop 'consultant' (why call them that? They arent doctors?) Anyway im doing all the chasing as i want to place an order. She mucks me about with when she can come round. Sod it, ill order from someone else. If you dont want my money dont worry about it

[Willow2016]

I would ask for a refund due to non receipt of goods then then sit back and watch her 'business' fall apart if she cant even get her orders right, forgets customers are collecting goods, and cant be arsed to actually deliver her orders herself.

[ZippyNeedsFeeding]

These "businesses" rely on people exploiting their friendships and the victims being too polite to say no.

One of my SIL's is the pushiest Avon lady ever . I'm sure the reason she hates me so much is that I told her very early on that I'm allergic to Avon stuff. The rest of the family are regularly pestered into buying stuff from her and they all get really fed up with it. Except for my favourite BIL who told her that if she took one more fucking catalogue into his house, he would roll it up and shove it up her grasping arse!

Now I rarely buy anything from friends, I just say that I don't want to buy from friends because I value the friendship and I don't want to fall out with them if it goes wrong. Most are fine about it.

[heron98]

I met what I thought was a lovely lady when I joined a running club a few years ago.

She was so friendly and welcoming. OR SO I THOUGHT.

Turns out she just wanted to sell me spa shite.

I was actually a bit..hurt. Needless to say I didn;t.

[Firsttimer82]

I know really sensible amazing women drawn into these and I hate it. Fb allows other mothers to torture you with hounding offers. The work one is an old school mate (not friend) who sends me unsolicited messages about her business and do I want to join all the frigging time. She wanted to send me free aloe vera crap when LO was born to fall into her web. Its tantamount to begging. I've stopped answering, which is embarrassing coz at some point I will see her. I have thought about doing Osbourne books but my BF said she'd kill me. And fair enough.

[Firsttimer82]

*worst

[ZippyNeedsFeeding]

I used to have an Oriflame account, back when I wore makeup. I used it to buy cheap stuff for myself and occasionally I flogged a bit on eBay. I would never ask anyone else to buy from me, I really hate asking for money and I'd rather avoid the awkwardness.
I did try Dorling Kindersley books for the same reason, but a couple of months after I signed up, they closed that division of the company. MrZippy reckons I broke it!

[m0therofdragons]

I ordered body shop stuff - it was something I wanted as I'd run out and thought I'd support df. Seriously it took 3 weeks to arrive. I work 10minutes away from the shop and could have bought it so much easier.

[wizzywig]

^^ yes! This happened to me too. I really like body shop stuff too

[Oysterbabe]

Definitely demand a refund.

[Me624]

There's just so many of them now too. It used to just be Avon and maybe the odd Tuppaware party. Now I am constantly bombarded by friends doing forever living or some other similar shite, jewellery ones, pampered chef, make up, the list is endless. ive never bought anything from any of them.