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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:
givemushypeasachance · 06/11/2015 10:41

Just think about this rephrased with money.

You send someone a nice crisp £10 note, and recruit six friends to join in the scheme. They all send someone a £10 note too, and each recruit six more friends. This is the point at which (according to the rules of the scheme) all 36 of the newest recruits should be sending you a nice £10 - that's you getting £360, a profit of £350 on your 'investment' of passing on £10. If you think that sounds a bit dodgy, it's because it is. Getting anything more than the £10 you put in will mean you're profiting off people lower down. Somewhere lower down the chain is going to be a whole bunch of people who send on a £10 but who can't find anyone new to give them anything in return.

If you want to a 'harmless book exchange' then it's more like you taking your £10 and giving it to a friend, who then takes £10 of their own and gives it to a friend, and round and round it goes only ever on a 1:1 basis (unless you're being charitable and are just giving your £10 as a gift - then that's not an exchange anyway it's just a gift).

buymeabook · 06/11/2015 10:41

It's not just a book that people are sending, they're being asked to pester their friends as well.

"Please send a book to someone you don't know, and then pester all your friends to send me a book. And then they need to pester their friends to keep it going. Of course it is impossible for it to carry on, in fact most people won't get anything. But just think how nice it will be for the dear little children to get such a lovely surprise."

MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig · 06/11/2015 10:49

My otherwise lovely DSil has posted this too. I'm sure she didn't mean to actively encourage a pyramid scheme, she's probably been coerced by condone else, but I can't bring myself to comment. We're all supposed to be at a family party tomorrow and I don't want to put my foot in it.

SwearySwearyQuiteContrary · 06/11/2015 10:52

This is a good article pyramid schemes

BugritAndTidyup · 06/11/2015 11:07

I'm sure that's true, Adorabelle. It's so easy to think 'but it's just a book, what harm can it do?'

And this is me being extra extra cynical here but what is to stop people taking part without having sent out a book at all?

CFSsucks · 06/11/2015 11:27

One friend on my FB has been doing it and her friends are all excitedly posting about the book they receive, do they really think another 35 are coming through the door.

The 1 person on my FB who I knew would fall for this has. So far 3 are doing it. People really can be brainless at times.

TheSilveryPussycat · 06/11/2015 11:37

mushypeas there was one with actual money in the 1980s that I know of. Some of my friends joined - a few made a profit I think. I kept well clear...

Tkt26 · 06/11/2015 11:56

Look this is my final thought on this. As highlighted previously, you all highlight some valid views on this but some people are being, imo, way too judgey and moral mountain about it.

The way some people talk is like they are the intelligent ones and everyone else is either vulnerable or stupid or both. This takes away from the fact it is full grown adults doing this and considering the pros and cons and recruiting friends voluntarily, not forcing or pushing friends in to it. I can see everyone valid views on this and can see how it could be malicious and that this could be done more fairly but equally no one knows where there are on the pyramid as there is only ever two names that you see, so you could be number three or number 103.... And for me I just took the punt and thought it was fun.

The people that I have done this with think the same. Again I repeat your views are valid but do not allow for the fact that others are thinking before volunteering and all in all no kid is a)going to be aware or b) likely to get hurt. There needs to an element of context and letting adults do and think.

Irrespective, this has been a worthwhile debate and would make me think in the future, but a child has received a nice book from me and my son may or may not get a book in the post.

trixymalixy · 06/11/2015 11:58

And what if 36 books turn up Tkt, how will that make you feel? Delighted or slightly grubby?

CheekySmile · 06/11/2015 12:04

This takes away from the fact it is full grown adults doing this and considering the pros and cons

The two people who've sent me messages asking me to take part have both changed their minds and retracted their participation once I pointed them towards the cartoon explaining the pyramid, so no, I don't think every full grown adult who is taking part has really considered the pros and cons at all.

BugritAndTidyup · 06/11/2015 12:21

Fwiw, tkt I'm not being judgy in the slightest. I completely understand that you think it's just a bit of fun, but the point is that you have no control over who will get recruited further down the line.

You say no one will get hurt, but how can you possibly know this? You don't, and you can't.

It's not about feeling smart or superior at all. It's about thinking about people who may be more vulnerable than you before making an action that may hurt them.

BugritAndTidyup · 06/11/2015 12:24

And remember an action doesn't have to be malicious to hurt people.

Look, it comes down to one question: do you acknowledge that inevitably at some level people who take part in this scheme will not receive a single book?

Tkt26 · 06/11/2015 12:46

I didn't necessarily consider those way down the list so to speak but those before me a closely after me definitely will. I can only meet my end of the bargain which was post one book and get 6 volunteers. Beyond that I have no control. People shouldn't get involved if they can't meet their end although I do agree that by being a part of it and no considering the people way down could be slightly irresponsible. There is no guarantee that eitherway. My son might not get one but then he doesn't know and I will take it as a lesson learnt.

BugritAndTidyup · 06/11/2015 12:46

Oh dear Christ, me again, sorry. I promise I'll shut up soon.

Just think about the scale of this one. It sounds like it's all over Facebook. Think about the numbers and ask yourself: do you think amongst all those thousands and thousands of people, not a single one will be vulnerable? Or that no one will take part who cannot afford to lose the money?

Tkt26 · 06/11/2015 12:47

Like I said this has been a worthwhile debate and will make me think in the future.

moochy1 · 06/11/2015 13:02

Oh yes there's a full on row about this at the mo that I'm seeing on another mum from school's FB status after she tried to recruit people. "Calling all bookworms"... Between her defending herself, and 3 of her friends, 2 warning her against it and she has gone crazy at them in response, then another of her friends has tried to stick up for her it's all getting v heated ??

HattieA · 06/11/2015 14:48

I've learnt a lot from this thread!! Really interesting.
That link from SwearySwearyQuiteContrary explains it all really well and I especially found this information shocking;

Pyramid Scheme Statistics;

88 percent of the members will be on the bottom level of most pyramid schemes will lose their investment.
In a naked (productless) pyramid scheme, 90.4 percent of people lose their investment.
In product-based pyramid schemes, 99.88 percent lose their investment.
buymeabook · 06/11/2015 15:55

Look this is my final thought on this. As highlighted previously, you all highlight some valid views on this but some people are being, imo, way too judgey and moral mountain about it.

I've seen just as much if not more moralising about it from the other direction, with the talk of making a child smile and so on. It makes out that people who question it are scrooges. When I asked someone about it on Facebook she deleted my messages and blocked me. Nice and fair reasoned eh?

The way some people talk is like they are the intelligent ones and everyone else is either vulnerable or stupid or both. This takes away from the fact it is full grown adults doing this and considering the pros and cons and recruiting friends voluntarily, not forcing or pushing friends in to it. I can see everyone valid views on this and can see how it could be malicious and that this could be done more fairly but equally no one knows where there are on the pyramid as there is only ever two names that you see, so you could be number three or number 103.... And for me I just took the punt and thought it was fun.

In none of the advertising for this that I've seen does it say that it is a pyramid scheme or give any indication of likely success. Quite the opposite. It strongly implies that you will definitely get lots of books, if not necessarily the 36 promised. And you're 'taking the punt' on being one of the lucky ones. How will you feel if you get 36 books, knowing that the vast majority won't get anything?

The people that I have done this with think the same. Again I repeat your views are valid but do not allow for the fact that others are thinking before volunteering and all in all no kid is a)going to be aware or b) likely to get hurt. There needs to an element of context and letting adults do and think.

How exactly do you know this? Have you told everyone you are recruiting that the chances are they won't get anything? And you have no idea at all on what the people who give you a book are thinking (if you are lucky enough to get anything).

Irrespective, this has been a worthwhile debate and would make me think in the future, but a child has received a nice book from me and my son may or may not get a book in the post.

The very fact that you still see a pyramid scheme as worthy of 'debate' is telling. It's a pyramid scheme. Pyramid schemes are bad. There are no situations in which they are not bad.

moochy1 · 06/11/2015 18:04

When something seems too good to be true it usually it, it sounded dodgy to me so to find out I quickly googled what my friend called on her FB status the "reading scheme for any of my friends children with a love of books like my 2 year old and my baby" (seriously? The baby can't hold a book yet it's a bit early to be able to tell he has a love of reading isn't it?), found the pyramid scheme details straight away. But even if I hadn't I would have found it suspicious! Maybe I'm just a cynic and misery ??

NickAngel · 06/11/2015 21:02

Second idiot 'friend' on FB just posted this. I'm just far too polite to comment...

trixymalixy · 07/11/2015 19:20

I think my Facebook friend has seen my posts on this thread! She's making even more of an idiot of herself. She still doesn't seem to get that my problem is not her being scammed but that by continuing the pyramid others who may not be able to afford to lose the cost of a book in the levels below her will be scammed.

bittapitta · 11/11/2015 10:14

Does anyone have a good infographic or paragraph explaining why this is not okay to ppl who just won't/don't get it?

I've seen it so many times now and I guess it'll keep being repeated in build up to Christmas. People are being blinded by the word "books".

CheekySmile · 11/11/2015 10:39

There's this Facebook post bitta, it was enough for the 2 people who asked me to take part to change their minds.

bittapitta · 11/11/2015 11:15

Thanks cheeky

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