Friend is hijacking our weekend away with her Body Shop shite

[Youngatheart00]

In a fortnights time DH and I are going away with some other friends for a weekend away in a cottage. One of my friends has recently joined the Body shop cult at home and has been pushing it any excuse she gets.

She’s now suggested the girls in the group have a ‘pamper evening’ which basically just means her trying to sell to us. Of the 8 of us, 2 have already said ‘great idea can’t wait’ and another ive spoken to isn’t keen on the products but wants to support her. I don’t want to fall out over this but I really don’t want to waste a Saturday night when I don’t agree with MLM and hate what it’s doing to my friend!!

How to approach this tactfully?

Could you not say this weekends not about work and therefore everyone needs to relax and not be working.

You need to get in quick OP before the others reluctantly say they're ok with this.

"Sorry, really not my thing but enjoy all of you!"
^ No explanation is needed lf what you'll be doing instead.

You will NOT be the only one who then says the same thing.

I’m so invested in this thread that I’m putting off getting stuff ready for tomorrow!

@Fredstheteds

Could you not say this weekends not about work and therefore everyone needs to relax and not be working.

Ah but then she'll come back with a "oh don't worry hun, it hardly feels like work, I just love being able to share the products I love and the opportunity for women to support women #bossbitch (insert guilt tripping statement for non MLM working mums here followed by a fuckton of emojis)"

Honestly the only way to deal with MLMers is to give absolutely no opportunity for them to counter.

Urgh! Why do some people fall for this MLM shit?! I have had four different people on facebook, and 2 in my neighbourhood signing up for the bodyshop crap. I have had to be really firm and brusque as it's boiling my piss now. I have had to block the 4 people on facebook from sending ANY invitations to me, as 13 invitations in 3 weeks was just a piss take.

I have fuck-all interest in this shit, and cannot fathom how or why people get roped into it. I know it's mostly young women (especially moms) but I was a young mom once, and similar things were about 25-30 years ago, and I STILL didn't get roped in.

I saw perfectly intelligent, professional people get roped in and conned by MLMs (previously called pyramid schemes.) Like some others on this thread, I also ended up losing friends/friendships, because I didn't support their new business venture, and dared to say 'it's a con! A load of crap. You will make nothing, and lose money, and you're roping people in who will also lose money!

Good luck @Youngatheart00

Hope it's sorted. Do NOT give in.

300+ messages, and the hun klaxon hasn't gone off! I was expecting to find a bunch of messages from BSAH huns telling you all off for being haterz and not supporting your bossbabe friend

I would just tell her that you were looking forward to a relaxing weekend away notna business trip so could we leave the business stuff for another time.

Bloody hell. Dont forget your wallets?!!

She'll stop getting invites if she carries on like that.

An acquaintance of mine does some awful fragrance selling, you cant have a bloody conversation about anything without being recommended a gift set. Now I've started being gifted them from mutual friends, who argue it's better than spending with Jeff Bezos. I note they still buy theirs from Dior etc!

Thing is, If you say something like ‘let’s not talk shop’ or ‘I won’t bore you about tax audits if you don’t sell crap to me’ is that actually having a moan about work; getting friends perspective on difficult work situations can be part of what good friends are for. It’s not that you want to ban shop talk, it’s that you want to ban being sold to as a captive audience.

”Sorry, really not my thing but enjoy all of you!"
Sells the rest of the poor fuckers up the river though doesn’t it? The two who’ve already reluctantly agreed and anyone not fast enough to get their no in before the MLM-bot counters with a “That’s a shame but Flo, Vi and Ru I’ve got some special treats for you – so excited xx”

@SpikyHatePotato

300+ messages, and the hun klaxon hasn't gone off! I was expecting to find a bunch of messages from BSAH huns telling you all off for being haterz and not supporting your bossbabe friend

They'll be along soon I'm sure, to tell us we are just jealous of their 'financial freedom' 🙄

I don't buy Body Shop products anymore due to their treatment of JKR so I'd say that but a bit nicer and add that I'll stay out of the way in the kitchen with Scrabble/Mexican Traib/Rummikub and vino. That way if anyone else feels the same way they can join me.

@YoungGiftedPlump that’s brilliant 😂.

Just tell her OP, there’s a woman on my estate does it. Every post in theFB group is “Anyone want me to drop a catalogue in while I’m walking the dog? Thanks so much for supporting my little business!” No one ever replies, there’s at least another two on here who do FM as well 🙄.

I agree with @LindaLooky 'don't forget your wallets!' is just fucking awful.

"I'm sorry, I'm washing my hair and reading a good book that night, sorry".

😂

‘Love the idea of a pamper night! I’d rather keep business and selling out of it as it’s meant to be a relaxing weekend away. Let’s all bring something- I’ll be in charge of face masks!’

Thanks

Dave and I had already agreed that he was staying in and doing our childcare whilst I get pissed with the boys. Asked him but he doesn't fancy Body Shop- so count us out- thanks.

This is unbelievably rude of your friend. This is a weekend away as couples (and children) and she has commandeered the Saturday night selling to you, excluding the men as well. I’m sure this was not at all what anyone agreed to when deciding to go away together. If she wants to sell to you, she should lean a pamper party in her own home and not when you’ve all paid to go away for a group of couples and kids. Totally changing the time away and making people uncomfortable with pressured sales tactics. How rude and selfish

Hopefully daily mail will pick this up so your friend will see how selfish she is AND how many people can’t stand MLM let alone body shop

@ImUninsultable

'Sorry. Really dont want to spend one night of my weekend away having sales pitch. We've not all seen each other properly since covid. This really isnt a sales opportunity. Happy to have a pamper night in with wine but I'm not joining in any kind of sales pitch so let me know which it is. I'll go to the pub if you're flogging stuff."

You really dont need to be kind and nice about this. I guarantee there are others who do not want to do it. Someone just had to say it first.

Yep, this.

But then, someone needs to tell her afterwards that it is particularly bad taste because the friends are a captive audience, being stuck together away from home.

Afterwards, @Diverseopinions?

No way Jose. BEFORE!!

Why don't you suggest that you also include the kids! Or just encourage them to join in. Sticky little hands grabbing handfuls of body butter;
hemp hand cream being squeezed out of tubes... I'd give her two minutes before she panics and packs it all away.

Just to let you know. For the duration of the weekend I am self-identifying as male (assume that lets me off the MLM crap and allows me to play pool and get drunk)

I’m a shady bitch so I’d probably bring all Dior/Elemis stuff and offer to share. Id be like Body Shop? What is this, the 90s?

@mockingjaye

You don't have to buy anything. Just enjoy a pamper evening together.

"You WILL enjoy the pamper evening!"

Jeeze.

When I book a pricey weekend away with chums, I don't expect one of them to hijack 50% of the holiday evenings selling her crap at me. Neither would I be impressed with any notion that I ought to sit through some boring bullshit while people inflict toiletries on me in the name of doing me a favour.

Just say it’s not for me, but you guys enjoy yourself I’ll join the guys for a few drinks. Leave it at that. See if she pushes it at all that weekend as you will have made it clear you don’t want to engage with it and she should respect that.