This is a scam isn’t it?

The MLM huns don't understand basic social decency.

Tell her once, "I've thought this through and I'm not interested, please stop asking," and if she doesn't hear it, end this friendship.

From Utility Warehouse’s own site it is £10 to register (refundable after 3 months if you don’t want to continue) and £3 a month to continue. ( No I don’t have anything to do with them). Wondering if it’s a double scam and the neighbour is trying to sign you up to UW but claiming it costs £800 which she then pockets herself?

Block her number and turn your nose up at her in the street.

She’s a low life scammer and has been sucked into an MLM and is now desperate to recruit others to get her out of a mess.

Ya, it's a pyramid scheme she's probably recently started. She gets a bonus for signing someone up. You could ask her if its paying her well (chances are that it's not). It could make her think. Otherwise, I think it's ok not to text back/answer calls if it's repeated and you've already told her. Keep the head down and avoid until she stops asking

Years ago a school mum invited for 'for a coffee' which I thought was weird but I went along. I arrived and within minutes her friend had arrived and they were both telling me about their amazing (mlm) scheme selling juice or something. I assume they thought I was a bit dim/easy to convince but I just laughed and said there was no way I had time to run juice parties after work with no-one to look after my children. She tried a couple more times but gave up. Luckily I knew all about pyramid schemes as they were called back then but even if I didn't know about them it seemed pretty clear that they only appeal to those who are really quite desperate unfortunately. She doesn't care one bit about you so remind yourself of that and be clear that you are not one bit interested now or ever next time you see her. Everyone else will be fed up with hearing about it too.

This hardly makes it better. From the point of view of all the lower levels, as you politely call then, its no different than any other corrupt business. Someone is left holding tge bag eith sn unsellable “resource “ or opportunity.

I agree with this post especially the "hide of rhino" energy.
I left school 40 years ago. Suddenly out of the blue a former class mate (not friend) who lives in Tokyo and works in banking found out my family's home address where I grew up where a sibling still lives and sent a letter asking for my details. We did not respond to this letter. A further letter was sent, again we did not respond. She then turned up at the address unannounced asking for my details. My sibling said that I live abroad in the UK but he would pass on her message. She turned up again at the house the next day asking for my married name which my sibling unfortunately gave to her. Next day, having obviously googled me and found out where I worked she contacted my work place twice leaving her email address for me to contact her. I emailed her asking what she wanted. Her response was vague. I then emailed her again telling her not to contact me again. She didn't. She was obviously trying to scam me. You have to in no uncertain terms match the Rhino energy here and tell her to fuck right off!

So this woman paid £800. She may or not make money. She might lose her initial sum. But the biggest loss is her reputation. Everyone talks about her and avoids her. That is how she will be remembered. It is a tragedy for her, especially if she has involved family members. Isn’t it better to cut your losses once you’ve been scammed as opposed to trying to scam others to recoup? This woman has a job the OP said, why would anyone do this in this day and age? You’ve got to pity her for the sheer stupidity.

It’s a scam. Specifically a pyramid scheme scam.

> It started off with just a simple text asking if I wanted to make extra money on the side
Almost always a scam
It's Amway or such similar crap

You need to cut her off completely. There isn’t a friendship that you can salvage here.

And going forward, be friendly with your neighbours but don’t try and be friends with them.

Of course it's a scam. Reputable jobs do not message people by text offering work.

She might not be horrible .

MLM / pyramid schemes are not the same as setting up a fake company, taking orders and the. Disappearing with the cash, no orders despatched.

In theory they could work for a certain number of levels. People get signed up in carefully designed marketing (persuasion / semi brainwashing) techniques.

There is a product on offer… but you are now responsible for making your ‘investment’ back by getting more customers. Chances: low. As this woman is finding out.

She’s been gullible, lured by ambitions promises, and is following the script she has been given by the company.

In a year she will have come to terms with her own £800 loss, learned a lesson about her own naivety.

You obviously had more sense than to think £800 in a neighbours enterprise is a good idea so not sure why you are being so wide eyed about the whole thing.

@Namechabgeforthissss agree with others re Utility Warehouse.

Have a look at their blurb and do steer well clear

I briefly went out with a man who did the Amway pyramid scheme, many years ago. He didn’t try to recruit me for some reason, but he told me the “tricks of the trade” he had for recruiting people, and it was so devious.

He had a proper job as a sales rep for hospital equipment, so he’d regularly go to hospital canteens for food. He was very attractive and personable, and he’d chat to the staff at the till, saying things like “busy day isn’t it. You lot work so hard here don’t you, I bet you wish there was an easier way to make money. If I hear of anything I’ll let you know”. Then he’d go back a few times and gradually reel them in.

He also tracked down old school friends and acquaintances and called them, claiming he was working in their area, and wanting to meet to catch up, then he’d try and recruit them.

He showed me some of the sales material he had. Audio recordings telling him he was amazing and special and deserved good things. He was encouraged to visualise the things he wanted and display photos of his aims. He had a photo of a fancy golf club that he wanted to join in his car, to motivate him.

It was a bizarre cult even back then, pre internet. It’s scary to think of the power pyramid schemes have now.

Your DH is absolutely right - it's a pyramid scheme.

Yes, I'd avoid her.

I'm a retired teacher and a few of my earliest pupils became friends IRL and FB friends. After my DH died, a few more got in touch via Messenger and became FB friends. Following that, I accepted a few more requests.

About three of them keep trying to sell me candles and other bits of rubbish. I just ignore.

She's desperate to sell it to you because otherwise she's out of pocket, by loads! £800?! I'd have told her straight I simply don't, and will not ever, have that kind of money just lying about.

I feel sorry for her and her desperation but if she did this to me I'd get very blunt very quickly.

Thing with making friends later in life is if people don't already have their close knit group it's probably because no one wants to be in a friendship with them.

If they do have their close knit, solid, groups or single friends, then like all of us, we'll spend any free time with them, and free time is rare when you're a working parent.

I've got friendly with a few mums over the years and they've all turned out to be varying degrees of nope eventually.

Tell her clearly that you're not interested then ignore

I was approached like this once, by someone I barely knew which was why I didn't feel too worried about being a wee bit rude. She'd got my number from when we shared livery with our horses, so a 'business opportunity' was not uppermost in my mind.

I told her that I was not interested - probably a bit curtly, but I think she was just messaging absolutely everyone in her address book, it was nothing personal,

We've got one too. If I happen to be on the local FB town page and I see a new post, I can almost smell him rushing to get in there with his spiel. Last time he did, he posted a carefully cropped pic of UW being crowned a best buy. I "innocently" asked him for the source link which - oh no! - he couldn't quite find right then, but it was in xyz magazine...

I "helpfully" found the article and posted the link for all to see, including the full screenshot and context. I'm surprised he hasn't blocked me tbh, because it's not the first time I've done something similar, along with some other local bloke who also finds it sport.

As others have said it’s a scam, and she’s been scammed so it’s useless trying to reason with her.

There is good research to show those who have been scammed find it very difficult to understand the situation as it means recognising they fell for a lie and this diminishes their self-worth. So a victim of a scam is more likely to fall for it over and over again.

So there is no point reasoning with this person. You just need to say no, and keep to it.

(as an aside, certain companies, masquerading as a political party, have been using this tactic for years, hence the fervent support they receive which verges on religiosity)

This is the tone and push back you need to take with this woman.

Just say “Good luck with whatever you are doing, but before we waste any more of either of our time I have no interest in your scheme, whatever it is”.

Any more from her “we’ve had that conversation, nothing to say”

On no account ask her for further details etc.

OP it doesn’t matter. A legitimate business person wouldn’t offer a stake in their business five minutes after meeting you. Shut it down with a firm no and then block and delete. If you don’t you’ll be pestered until you give in. That’s how it works - any perceived doubt will be exploited until thy wear you down.

It’s really disappointing to move somewhere new and find that the friendly neighbour/ school mum with whom you thought you’d clicked and made a friend was just being friendly in order to make money from you. But as that is exactly what’s she’s done you shouldn’t feel bad about withdrawing from her and seeking friendships elsewhere. Guaranteed she’s tried everyone else in the local area and at the school gate and you don’t want to lose the opportunity to make other friends because you’re seen to be associated with her, they will all run a mile thinking you’ll be asking them for money to join a business partnership too.

Tell her you’ve got a better scheme and if she gives you £1,000 and signs up only 5 more people then she could earn £1,500 a month! Only tell her that you’d be grateful if she’s careful who she approaches as although it’s a good deal, it might get caught under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7dde59ed915d2acb6ee9f3/Pyramid_selling_advice_for_the_public_and_communities.pdf