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Original poster

To think that people who fall for this 36 free books thing are daft

175 replies

scoobyloobyloo · 03/11/2015 22:27

36 books for buying one book. Why are women I otherwise like and think are intelligent falling for this? What's wrong with them? It's fricking pyramid buying and it's yer mates yer ripping off!

"I am participating in a book exchange for my children So, I need 6 mums, mums to be, grandmas, or anyone interested in the book exchange that will actually participate and follow through. Here is how we play: You must purchase and mail ONE book to a child and then your child receives up to 36 books in return (if all goes well and everyone follows through).You can do this in 10 minutes or less if you order the book through Amazon. Just think of how much fun checking the mail will be for your child with lots of books coming! Let me know if you are interested, and I'll pm you the instructions...it's super simple! First 6 to commit will be in."

OP posts:
Jux · 04/11/2015 19:57

The principal behind this book scheme is similar to that behind the Ponzi thing. He was jailed. I can't believe that people can't see how bad it is when it's been explained.

NewLife4Me · 04/11/2015 20:09

Otto

I think there's a difference somewhere though, because reading this thread people aren't actually getting their books.
Everyone who ordered perfume actually got it, which is what proper pyramid selling is about.

trixymalixy · 04/11/2015 20:11

I don't think you understand what pyramid selling is newlife, the wholesaling of it is that most people don't get anything. Were you maybe doing an Avon type thing?

trixymalixy · 04/11/2015 20:12

*whole point

NickAngel · 04/11/2015 20:14

It's not an exchange either,
A friend invited me on FB today and I'm upset as I had thought she was a reasonable rational type...
I thought about it and couldn't work it out. I'm happy to swap some books bug I'm not buying more.
Who benefits?

GothJoose · 04/11/2015 20:14

My 10 year qualified lawyer friend posted this on her fb this morning Shock

NickAngel · 04/11/2015 20:18

but who benefits??
Usually pyramids have a top layer that benefit from this. I can't work this out, who started it?

var123 · 04/11/2015 20:25

If you wanted to be really cynical about it, (i.e. maximise your return), why just not bother to buy the book? All you really have to do to make this work for you is send the email on to other people and encourage them to email their friends.

Once you've done that, why bother only asking 6 people? You could broaden it out to the max by sending it to people in different cities, different countries and start including the elderly with the suggestion that they give their 36 books reward to their grandchildren.

(I would never do this - but surely the people who would forward this email on are either unthinking or amoral? And if they are amoral - then my suggestion above would take the exploitation to the max, so it should make sense to them).

var123 · 04/11/2015 20:27

NickAngel - who benefits? The book sellers and publishing houses would definately notice an improvement in their profitability if they could sell an extra book this month to every family in the country.

IndomitabIe · 04/11/2015 20:37

Wow, Kelper are you me?!

I did both those things yesterday.

Yep, I was branded cynical too I prefer 'skeptical'

LittleMissStubborn · 04/11/2015 21:06

I saw this but still am confused as to how it works. I didn't want 36 books so didn't really read it.

Someone up thread mentioned Book Depository. They are a subsidiary of Amazon avoiding Amazon is difficult

NewLife4Me · 04/11/2015 21:09

NickAngel comments are right though.
In pyramid sales somebody benefits, the most benefit is the person at the top of the pyramid.
yes, several publishers may benefit by one or two books each, but this isn't pyramid selling at all.

The biggest negative to pyramid selling is that the market is soon swamped with so many people doing it and it's hard to get bookings or sales.
So obviously you need to be at the top to make any money and if you need to buy a kit or samples you need to know you'll recoup the outlay.
The only immoral part is the person above still allowing people to join when they know the product is peaking or has peaked.

This is nothing like pyramid selling as some people will be left without the product.

NewLife4Me · 04/11/2015 21:13

Trixy

Sorry, just saw your post.
No it was definitely pyramid, they made no attempt to say otherwise.
It was perfume that smelt like the real stuff but was an alternative.
People on the estates loved it because it was cheaper than the expensive stuff.
I was about 4th down and was introduced by a friend. the couple who started it off made a small fortune. but as I said it was back in the 80's.
Maybe much has changed now, but it's immoral if people don't actually get their product.

FoxesSitOnBoxes · 04/11/2015 21:21

This makes me really cross.
People who have participated either haven't realised it's a pyramid scheme and really believe they are going to get 36 books and so have been conned by it OR they know it's a pyramid and are quite happy to try to trick their friends with a promise of 36 books.
Saying you know you're unlikely to get much back is not a defence unless you explain to the people you are trying to recruit that they are even less likely to get anything back.
Involving children in it is horrible.
It isn't harmless Angry

merrymouse · 04/11/2015 21:32

Apparently the person at the top benefits because they get 36 books.

It's a pyramid structure because it assumes an ever expanding market. I agree it's a slightly different mechanic to pyramid selling, but the whole thing falls apart for the same reason.

merrymouse · 04/11/2015 21:39

There is a difference between selling something that people actually want and becoming involved in a scheme where the people in charge deliberately try to hook people in by pretending that they are selling a business opportunity when in fact they are just trying to shift a product that nobody wants.

MoonriseKingdom · 04/11/2015 21:47

I was disappointed to see a highly educated FB friend posting this.

books do not magically multiply. If you receive more books than you post it is inevitably at someone else's (several other people's) expense. i don't understand why some people feel happy with this.

noddingoff · 04/11/2015 21:51

OP, how about this reply to the message:
"Dear guillible friend, thank you so much for helping give my child such a valuable educational experience with your offer that we join the book sending scheme. She's learning about indices in maths at the moment, so we used this pyramid scheme as example and it didn't take her long to work out that it's a mathematical impossibility for everyone who joins to get what they were promised. She has also learned an important life lesson - if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is."

Pinkhousealreadyinuse · 04/11/2015 22:29

I cannot stand these types of schemes, same with FL, that juice one etc. Does noone ever report these? Are they illegal or not? Google gives conflicting info

Floundering · 04/11/2015 23:10

Apart from the actual books/ no-books thing, why would you want to give out your details to someone, to share on to gazillion other strangers, who might very well be using them to sell on to marketing campaigns.

More junk mail anyone?!

redgoldandgreen · 04/11/2015 23:14

I participated in this. I wonder whether anyone else, like me, didn't really care about getting 36 books back, or indeed any books - but liked the idea of sending a book to surprise some child (friend of a friend in my case) - and if my children get a surprise parcel, that's a bonus.

BillyDaveysDaughter · 04/11/2015 23:30

Never seen the book one, but a fb friend got herself recruited to that juice plus thing or whatever it's called. And she just. Won't. Stop. Posting. I unfollowed her in the end, can't bear to read such utter drivel from a supposedly intelligent person.

ThatsNotMyRabbit · 04/11/2015 23:32

The FB friend of mine who posted it on her wall is a FLbot.

Yambabe · 04/11/2015 23:52

Not seen the book one yet but 2 secret sisters have appeared on my FB tonight. One I would have expected, the other I am surprised. Sad

Someone asked about the maths so I told them, and was accused of being a killjoy cos "it's only a tenner and just a bit of fun"

SantasLittleMonkeyButler · 05/11/2015 00:05

I can understand that redgoldandgreen, but did you then recruit (for want of a better word) another six friends? Or did you just leave it at sending a book?

The thing is if you want to do a nice thing for someone you always can, there's no need for a scheme. With this particular scheme, people are being conned in to believing they will receive up to 36 books. They won't. A few may, a few more will receive some, but lots will receive none at all.

I get that you don't really mind either way whether you get anything back or not, but lots of people will mind very much. Lots of people will feel conned out of the price of a book.

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