I was an MLM bot. AMA.

TheFormerPorpentinaScamander · 2020-12-15 21:33:48

As requested by *@youvegottenminuteslynn* I fell for the spiel of an MLM bot and briefly became one myself. Ask away [grin]

everythingcrossed · 15/12/2020 21:37

Did you feel any embarrassment at the time about trying to enlist friends and family?

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TheFormerPorpentinaScamander · 15/12/2020 21:41

@everythingcrossed

Did you feel any embarrassment at the time about trying to enlist friends and family?

I never really pushed getting people to join, probably why I never made any money

Im not a naturally pushy person, so I'd ask if they were interested in joining. They said no and I said "ok"

My "upline" was always telling me I needed to be more pushy but it felt so unnatural to me!

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Savourysenorita · 15/12/2020 21:42

What is MLM?

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Twickerhun · 15/12/2020 21:43

Did you post lots of feel good messages on social media? I do wonder about the psychology of those who spam social media with positivity crap

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Northernsoullover · 15/12/2020 21:43

Can you say which one? I did Avon for a bit. I like the products to this day and had no idea about MLM at the time. I didn't earn a bean though. I was also crap at it.

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TheFormerPorpentinaScamander · 15/12/2020 21:43

@Savourysenorita

What is MLM?

"Multi level marketing" aka a pyramid scheme.
Forever living, scentsy, younique etc.

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AnneLovesGilbert · 15/12/2020 21:44

Did you break even or did you end up out of pocket?

Is your house filled with old stock?

Do you work now?

What sucked you in to start with?

Is there any point trying to talk a bot friend out of it or is it a waiting game till she sees the light?

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Savourysenorita · 15/12/2020 21:44

Is it like pyrimad schemes or something?

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boilinthebagrice · 15/12/2020 21:44

Do you support other friends involved in MLMs?

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Savourysenorita · 15/12/2020 21:45

Ahh got ya!

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TheFormerPorpentinaScamander · 15/12/2020 21:45

@Twickerhun

Did you post lots of feel good messages on social media? I do wonder about the psychology of those who spam social media with positivity crap

Probably not as many as I should have. I was told to never post any thing negative and schedule 3-5 positive posts per day.
But that wasn't realistic for me, sometimes I wanted to vent on SM so couldn't keep up the positive bubbly persona.

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CountryLadyLane · 15/12/2020 21:45

Do they tell you to spin the line of how amazing things are and how your making so much money?

I went to school with a lady who does arrborne not sure of spelling anyway she was always saying she was a stay at home mum with a fabulous lifestyle...was going to win a car and holidays etc...not seen that happen in the 5+ years shes been at it...but she certainly talks a good game

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TheFormerPorpentinaScamander · 15/12/2020 21:46

@Northernsoullover

Can you say which one? I did Avon for a bit. I like the products to this day and had no idea about MLM at the time. I didn't earn a bean though. I was also crap at it.

It was younique. I assume I'm allowed to say who it was

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Twickerhun · 15/12/2020 21:46

3-5 positive messages a day? That’s soooooooooooo many

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camelfinger · 15/12/2020 21:47

He much did you have to buy yourself? Were you encouraged to target women? How did you get out of it? Do you think you were lied to?

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Savourysenorita · 15/12/2020 21:48

My mate is currently desperately trying to claw her way up the ranks into one of these. She keeps harassing me to join. I genuinely haven't got time and I can unfortunately see it for what it is. Its all promises of great riches and wonderful products that you have to Consistently reach impossible targets to get. She really cooled off me when I wouldn't join. It didn't stop her pressuring me still though. Sometimes I buy products off her just to shut her up! Although I'm a bit more ruthless on saying 'no' now. It's really absorbed her to be honest. I think her family are coming second to it if I'm honest.

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BangingOn · 15/12/2020 21:49

What made you realise it was time to stop?

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KeepOnKeepingOnKeepingOn · 15/12/2020 21:50

Did you call everyone hun?

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TheFormerPorpentinaScamander · 15/12/2020 21:51

@AnneLovesGilbert

Did you break even or did you end up out of pocket?

Is your house filled with old stock?

Do you work now?

What sucked you in to start with?

Is there any point trying to talk a bot friend out of it or is it a waiting game till she sees the light?

I only ever bought stock to use myself, so although I didn't actually make any money (I spent more than I made) I do have a LOT of products.
Luckily I liked most of their stuff so do use most of it on the rare occasion I wear makeup.

I was working as a carer for the last 6 or 7 year, but sadly my MH is too poor to work currently.

I got sucked in when my friend invited me to her online "party". I was going to buy a couple of bits to support her then decided the starter kit was better value. There were no sales targets at all so I could buy the kit and never have to sell a thing. Once I had the kit she convinced me that I might as well try and sell stuff.

I think you have to wait for friends to see the light. When anyone tried to tell me it was a "pyramid scheme" I was all "no its not! They're illegal"

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TheFormerPorpentinaScamander · 15/12/2020 21:54

@boilinthebagrice

Do you support other friends involved in MLMs?

I've bought a couple of bits here and there, I've got some jamberry wraps and a box full of scentsy melts which I used to use until I lost my sense of smell! Most of them were from winning a raffle my friend held though so actually only cost me about a fiver.

Since I quit Facebook I don't see posts from MLMs anyway so don't even know if any of my friends still do them

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youvegottenminuteslynn · 15/12/2020 21:54

Thanks so much OP!!

Did you have many friends warning you about it when you mentioned the company to them, or did you feel most people just sort of politely brushed you off?

Have you read Elle Beau's Poonique blog? If you (or anyone else) want to go down the rabbit hole it's fascinating especially as it's a chronological account of getting sucked in and spat out: ellebeaublog.com/poonique/

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TheFormerPorpentinaScamander · 15/12/2020 21:57

@camelfinger

He much did you have to buy yourself? Were you encouraged to target women? How did you get out of it? Do you think you were lied to?

There are genuinely no sales targets so it didn't matter if I sold anything or not. My downfall was not wanting to insist people paid the p&p so if a sale was too low to get it free I'd make up the shortfall myself iyswim.

We were encouraged to target anyone! Men can buy for their mums/wives/girlfriends.

I just realised I wasn't actually making any money and wasn't pushy enough to do so and stopped advertising/ordering. After 3 months (I think) of no sales you become "inactive"

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TheFormerPorpentinaScamander · 15/12/2020 21:58

@BangingOn

What made you realise it was time to stop?

When I realised I wasn't making and money and aren't pushy enough to be a sales person!

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TheFormerPorpentinaScamander · 15/12/2020 21:58

@KeepOnKeepingOnKeepingOn

Did you call everyone hun?

To be fair I do that anyway

I'll hand in my MN membership on my way out

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PinGwyn · 15/12/2020 21:59

Two of my best friends are into MLM scams ventures and get quite vicious if you mention that it sounds very much like a pyramid scheme.

Amazing women otherwise but it's like they've been pulled into a cult, Friend1 sells overpriced make up and seems to be venturing around to conferences etc quite a lot - reminds me of Louis Therouxs Scientology documentary.

Looking back, do you feel like you were being brain washed by the whole thing?

I used to think MLM was harmless until I saw the changes in persona online.

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Talk

AMA

I was an MLM bot. AMA.