Rant needed: Multi-level marketing and the 'mysterious' messages from those sucked in.

[natwebb79]

I know IABU as this has been done to death. Apologies in advance. BUT. .. I am sick to the back teeth of otherwise lovely people going loopy when sucked into 'Forever Living' and co. I fully appreciate it's a handy sideline for those working around other commitments, but it's the whole 'If you're looking for an amazing opportunity to run your own business...' bullshit they pedal to the people close to them. 'PM me if you want to know more'. A lovely woman I know looked crushed when she sent a group email round about 'the launch of her mystery new business blah blah' and I replied saying 'Are you doing Forever Living? I might need you for the odd tube of BB cream if so'. She's spent the last week posting bullshit inspirational quotes on Facebook and can't actually talk any more without trying to rope people in. Her best friends have no idea she needs to sign them up to earn commission. Aaargh. Yes, I have blocked any more updates now so my bloid pressure will survive but seriously? Why can't they just say 'I'm earning a few quid flogging aloe vera products. You fancy it?' Why the bullshit?

[Werksallhourz]

That's not a business, that's a cult with moisturiser

Genius. Utter genius.

[stopfaffing]

ray, ghosty, lazy nice to see ya

[PeterGriffinsPenisBeaker]

I have got three You-bloody-nique presenters on my facebook feed. All joined in the last 3 months. The tutorials are excruciating, but I'm so compelled to watch and laugh!

[ghostyslovesheep]

OMG Timeless Vie revolutionised my life - thanks for the link - I clicked on it at 14:05 and by 14:10 I owned a race horse and a sports car - all while watching Jeremy Kyle in my PJ's

thanks hun

[rayofhope]

I'm so joining Timeless Vie, I'd be perfect for it. I even have previous experience with mlm, I'll be at the top in no time #forevertimeless

[lazycoo]

NatalieJane83 OMG hun well said!! SUCH negativity! U would be amazing at TimelessVIE! here is the amazing opportunity - www.facebook.com/timelessvie

PM me hun xxx

(TimelessVIE is our satire MLM - no need to report me please )

[Helloitsme90]

I actually take juice plus capsules and believe in the product. Only short term whilst getting over an illness. But hate the sellers and their bragginess about how much they make each month etc. Its cringey and A bloody nightmare seeing it all over FB. I've been added to support groups where these people think they are fully trained to dish out advice. My partner is a personal trainer and knows his stuff not some idiot who paid £50 to be able to sell the product. You don't even get a starter kit with juice plus! Ha. I also had a FL friend get arsey with me as I would buy her £6 aloe toothpaste, I got it from Holland and Barrett instead for £3- she went on and on about how people should support small businesses not large companies. Twat

[Dontneedausername]

Natalie.... Do you have a 'business'? Do you sell Juice plus?!

[Frisk]

What does 'go third party' mean?

[Viviennemary]

Nobody I know is into this kind of thing. Just say you're not interested. If they don't get the message then stop being in contact with them for a while. It's just a similar thing to these silly parties that were fashionable years ago. It will soon die a death. IMHO.

[RickRoll]

yay a resurrection by a MLM-bot. Heil Aloe.

[Frisk]

Reheat does 'go third party' mean?

[infife]

Haha. I have a relative into this. It's quite frustrating as she's an intelligent woman, who has a decent income from her business. She really is the last person I'd expect to be involved in this.

I know she's not making out of the business, but she posts on Facebook attributing various purchases, holidays and so on to things that the MLM scheme has afforded her: it hasn't! These are things paid for through wages from her legitimate and respectable business.

She pays more in travelling to seminars with these crooks than she can ever hope to make back....!

[FishWithABicycle]

NatalieJane noone has said anything bitchy on this thread since 22nd September. If any bitchiness starts now it will be solely because you chose to resurrect the conversation.

[ToothlessAndPointless]

The thread is 3 months old so well done for resurrecting the bitchiness you hate.

[NatalieJane83]

Can I just say, you people on here are sounding bitchy now.

Just leave them to it, I've read here that these are your 'friends'. Have S quiet word with them if you have issues. Stop slating them behind their backs.

After all, they're probably just trying to earn a few quid on the side.

[elementofsurprise]

Anyone know anything about Wikaniko?

I thought it was more of a franchise style thing, but then the person I know doing it said you get commission if others sign up and sell...

She started a sales pitch on me (I think...) along the lines of - do you know who makes your toothpaste? Getting at the fact that it's a big pharmaceutical company, wouldn't it be better if it was a nice local supplier of an eco-friendly product? Style of thing.

Well, yes it would. But it's not someone locally making locally sourced natural face scrub, is it?

It's the incessant selling invading personal relationships that gets me the most.

[Excited101]

I've got one who has got 'the car' regularly goes on 'the 5 holidays' has given up her full time job and speaks of little else on fb. Her motivational* videos are as dull as shit as she has no presentation skills at all, it's laughable.

I must admit I'm a bit to all the bonus's she's seemed to have got but it's a pyramid scheme- it's just part of it.

[InternalMonologue]

Ugh a friend of mine has just been sucked in by Younique. She thinks it's going to be a get rich quick scheme, and she's not the brightest bulb in the box so it was only a matter of time before one of the MLMs got to her.

But I'm sick of hearing about it. No, lips without lipstick are not like cake without frosting. I don't want to go to your launch night, stop trying to rubbish my reasons for not wanting to go. And yes, I'm annoyed that I'm lending you that tenner because you're skint when you've spunked £60 on overpriced makeup this month (but I'll do it because I hate knowing that people are struggling). Grr.

[cornflowers]

wow, inimitable we could almost be talking about the same person!

[InimitableJeeves]

Someone I know is busy ruining her primary business with JP. Her primary business is something she had to work very hard to get the qualifications for, and even harder to build up a good reputation in. But she's taken to pushing JP in all her communications, and she's invited JP reps along to events to market her primary business which gives people the impression that she seriously thinks JP is some sort of miracle cure for everything. And now I'm afraid she is seen as a bit of a fruitcake and is alienating left right and centre people who otherwise would have supported hr.

[cornflowers]

LivinLaVida yes, that's exactly the sort of thing. And talking about how lucky they are to be working together with such a fantastic team to achieve greatness...

Anyone would think the work involved was something really meaningful, for the benefit of humanity, rather than just the of selling vitamin pills of dubious merit to friends and family at heavily inflated prices.

[Tokelau]

Utility warehouse is not dodgy itself. They provide gas, electricity and broadband at (supposedly) cheaper prices than other providers.

We were with them for a few years but have now changed some providers as we didn't find the broadband very good.

The way they try to sell it to you is awful. They use typical MLM tactics, and they keep on and on. A friend of ours does it, and sadly it means that we now avoid her because she seems almost brainwashed. She posts embarrassing things on Facebook about running her own business and helping people. She tried to sign me up but I didn't want to be involved. DH said that he would give it a try, but that he would not do any hard selling. He now mentions it to his customers (totally unrelated business) and if they're not interested he doesn't mention it again. I think he gets £6 a month in total from people he has signed up in the past, and doesn't mention it to his customers anymore. He also said that he would not ask (hound!) anyone to become a distributor.

Our friend keeps offering to give DH 'training' to help him, which is a bit insulting as she hasn't worked (apart from UW) for the past 30 years, and he has worked very hard to study and progress in his own career.

Our friend was recruited not long after her children left home, by a relative who was recruited after leaving his job after a breakdown. It seems UW target vulnerable people like the other MLMs.