Body Shop MLM

Cult*

We have about 1000 people in my village and at least 20 bsah sellers. Its crazy. Its turnt into a culture thing. Have to be a bs addict or seller to have friends. It just does not sit right with me at all.

I'd be 'nope'ing the hell out of that one!

Genuinely the kindest thing to do is to politely say, “no thankyou, I’m not interested.”

Do not try to engage them in a conversation about how it’s a MLM scam. They will not listen, they are so desperate for it to succeed, because often they are struggling financially. The sooner their set up fails the better before a) they waste more money on it in the false hopes their friends will buy more shite and b) before they can enrol another sucker into the scam and put their life in misery too.

I did have a conversation with one of my friends who asked my opinion before she was about to embark on a different MLM after one previously failed for her. I told her what I thought, which is that they are incredibly difficult to make money out of, and put friendships and family relationships under strain. Thankfully my friend didn’t go for it, and went back to college and has retrained and found a new way to make an extra income for herself.

I don’t know why she came to me for advice, or whether or not My advice was the deciding factor, but I was relieved that me not wavering under guilt to buy MLM shite had not affected my friendship.

There's a whole community of anti MLM YouTube creators, with some real horror stories!

Talking of MLM's in general. You have to keep saying No, it will be taken (as per the coaching) to mean "Not yet" so you will have to stay firm. Never try to be kind and give 'fluffy' reasons - lack of money, product not being suitable etc as they will use that as a hook. They are told to do this and everyone they have ever known is a target.

The kindest thing for everyone to do is not to buy anything, buying things just prolongs the agony and the "sunk cost" cycle.

MLMs prey on vulnerable women. Any feminist should be against them to be honest, whether they support, hate, or are indifferent towards JK Rowling. Please try not to feel bad. MLMs thrive on guilt...

@MadameButterface So true.

Fuck no. Don't get involved in MLMs or any selling like that. I've heard so many stories of these women roping in family members, friends and colleagues to help them (because a lot of the time, they need all the help they can get because it will probably never be a viable business and they're just getting high off the competition targets and such). Usually they make a real pain of themselves and people end up muting them.

Weren't*

Mlms are the devil. I politely declined selling on stuff to a very old and dear friend. I justified it to her by saying it was because I am vegan and the products were (which is only part of the reason as I disagree with exploiting the vulnerable, although obviously I didn't say that).
Anyway, said friend ghosted me ever since. Didn't even notice or care when I had a baby.
Harsh.
I'd say stick with your principles but be prepared for what might happen.

MLMs deliberately target women, yes, often with young dc, as they know that this demographic is likely to be struggling to juggle work and childcare. They pressure them to use their friendship circles, local facebook groups etc. They exploit both the gender pay gap and female socialisation to be nice, kind, support your friends etc. The women suckered in are left skint, and often their support network will have dwindled as their friends end up completely sick of every interaction ending up with being pressured to buy shitey wax melts/ perfume that smells like other perfume/ fizzy caffeine replacement drinks and all the rest of it.

www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-482012/Queen-Green-Roddicks-unfair-trade-started-copied-Body-Shop-formula.html

In particular the way they are exploitative of friendship and support BETWEEN women. They sicken me.

I really like her and would gladly support any non-MLM enterprise. Is it only women that tend to get sucked into them?

Judging by the number of anti-MLM channels on YT and the discussions on MN, yes - they target women.

I have a blanket ban on supporting MLMs, regardless of the company's politics. They are exploitative, mainly to vulnerable women, every single one of them.

Didn't know what MLM was so googled it: first item said over 90% (may have been 99%: I only had a quick glance) of people on them lost money: shocking that this is legal!

I sent private message to someone, politely explain my stand on MLM, dropped in few links including thread over in this site & mlmbotwatch for future reference and wished the well.

You don’t need to mention Jk thing as all that might do is push her towards another MLM. These pyramids schemes are fuckers and I can see how easy it can be getting sucked into them. One of school mums has done most of them and still not rich or got that dream car.

If it were me OP, I'd say I would love to support but can't since the BS were so so awful to JKR, a domestic violence survivor.
It might start a conversation and if it doesn't end well she won't ask ask again!

Mind you, it might not be great for your friendship. You could always ask if she has a PayPal account.