To ask for help taking the piss out of MLM?

[thevulvabrigade]

A woman from school on my friends list joined Forever Living a few months ago and I knew it was only a matter of time until the round robin PM came inviting everyone to join her. Now it has. I've been invited to some "online Christmas Event" and I'm debating whether to join in and take the piss out of them all. Any ideas? Should I share Timeless Vie memes? Anything else I can do?

I'm going to join the chorus of 'just be a nice person instead' I'm afraid.

I'm not on here to defend any companies but just to be clear :
Pyramid selling is illegal. It involves people st the bottom to PAY IN for fake promises. People st the top reap all the money.
Direct selling is NOT illegal.
Many companies operate like this very successfully. And for (mainly) women it is a useful flexible income supplement.
Not all the benefits are hard benefits (cash). There are also many 'soft benefits', e.g., building confidence and skills, learning how to launch and run a new business.
I agree that it's unacceptable to make your friends feel you are hard selling to them. Equally it is not for you to judge what they do/ why.

I tried being nice. Took a step back, nodded every now and then and just waited... when her bubble popped I offered support, practical support. And was told to fuck off, I hadn't bought anything so I was part of her problem!

I don't doubt it is hard to wake up one morning and realise you have been a willing part of what is, essentially, a long con!

As an aside - and I'd never buy or sell overpriced aloe Vera - I have a friend who has made decent money out of FL. House deposit kind of money.

I don't think she'll continue to earn so well as time goes on and the goodwill and enthusiasm of her circle subsides but it works for some.

fc that's quite right for many of the direct sales companies.

But MLMs are pyramids... all of them! If the law was better written they would not exist!

All businesses are pyramids. Those of you that work are actually in a pyramid scheme, boss at the top, lower workers at the bottom

Fair point Debbs, but I don't think scamming someone into believing they are a business person, while paying them less than (and driving them harder than) a worker bee is ethical.

All businesses are pyramids

Er, there is a HUGE difference between a pyramid scheme and a Pyramid Organisation Structure. Primarily one being a selling structure and the other being an organisational structure.

People at the bottom of a hierarchical employment structure are paid less than people at the top, sure, but the point is that they are paid.

all your MLM questions answered, watch this, it's good

Not available here!

People on the bottom level of a business pyramid get paid; they do not have to buy the product to be given a job.

You cant help anyone who is involved with a pyramid scheme (or cult); and as OurBlanche said they are likely to turn on you when it goes tits up.
Block them and mourn the person they used to be.

Just say no thanks and keep away from her. These schemes ought to be illegal as they poison all the friendships an individual has.

Just say - no thanks! If pressed further you can start with 'sorry, I have a subsequent engagement ' and go from there .

'Should I join for the sole purpose of being a complete bitch to someone who's never done me any harm?'
You actually even need to ask that?!
Seriously?!

I thought it wasn't a pyramid, but an inverted funnel?

Unfortunately Mrs Robinson, there are thousands like your friend who has a massive load or people below them, put in hours and hours each week and doesn't make money. The MLM leadership know this, so train them with conditioning telling them that their fortune is just around the corner, or that they're doing it wrong, or that it's their fault that they are failing and they just need to work harder. Any criticism of the business model is taken very personally and they are encouraged to break contact with the "haters".

It's very cult like.

People at the bottom of a hierarchical employment structure are paid less than people at the top, sure, but the point is that they are paid.

Indeed. And someone on a minimum wage job in Asda, McDonald's or a factory is paid for the hours they work. They don't have to pay to join the organisation and aren't expected to spend their time convincing their friends to shop in their stores or buy burgers. They get a uniform, are covered by discrimination legislation, get a pension, sick pay, paid holiday, maternity benefits and the possibility of promotion.

I feel sorry for anyone sucked into an MLM, sometimes even the top bots (though my sympathy is rather more limited).

They are like cults - you buy into an idea of financial freedom away from the regular 9 to 5 only to find yourself working hours everyday and alienating your friends.

It's a saturated market, on top of that you can find the products being offloaded for a fraction of the cost on eBay or similar products in Holland and Barratt.

Big huge con, basically. Generally I feel sorry for people that have been conned.

"I tried being nice. Took a step back, nodded every now and then and just waited... when her bubble popped I offered support, practical support. And was told to fuck off, I hadn't bought anything so I was part of her problem!"'

I've played the long game too and two years later my lifelong friend's FL bubble appears to be just about to ready to pop. There is no big house, no nice new car, no luxury holidays.
She's getting really desperate now and it's awful to see. I'm anticipating a similar response to this. I've never bought anything either. She's changed beyond recognition. Being told to fuck off now really wouldn't surprise me.

FC does make a good point about the amount of women who peddle this nonsense. I've had a few friends get into MLM - purely because they find it so hard to find work around their children/husbands.

They spam Facebook etc with Forever Living/ Younique etc etc.

I've seen no evidence that it's a viable way to make money. And there's no sickness/maternity cover or employment rights.

I wouldn't take the piss but I'd never buy this rubbish.

ooh! Too many friends or this one.. bear with me:

Friend A wandered into Friend Bs shop, we all start catching up, long time no see. Friend C sees the 2-pint white plastic jug in As hand and makes a comment about remembering to buy milk on her way home.

A laughs and shows us the label, I laugh, stop myself, give up and laugh out loud. I have never seen FL aloe juice stuff in a 2-pint jug before!

A tells B and C how wonderful it is, rattles on for about 15 minutes, I think I may have tutted. A leaves with a cheery promise to bring more lovely stuff to show them.

C rounds on me and tells me how rude I am... when she finished I ask her "Why was A carrying a 2-pint jug of product round town? Did it need some exercise? What else had she come in to talk about?"

B laughed, A had been into another shop the week before and 'just happened to have' some product with her!

I can foresee A trying to freeze me out of a coupe of social groups. Never mind

If you haven't got anything positive to say, send her this picture instead! 😉

or play her this

Tom Waits... Step Right Up

Urgh! I seem to be invited to a "party" every week. Fuck off!!! I will not buy your overpriced tat.

I have genuine concerns about these schemes. I am VI and I have noticed an increasing amount of people in the VI community who have joined juice plus and who are flooding social media with the crap they spout. All scripted bollocks about the benefits of the products etc including claims of how these products could help you with serious, life-threatening medical conditions, none of which any of them are qualified to be able to say to people. I have in fact discovered that the juice plus capsules are contra-indicated with medication I now have to take for a serious heart condition so if I were to buy into this bullshit I could actually be putting my life at serious risk, but of course they wouldn't want to hear that.

But my biggest concern really is about the fact that none of these people have ever had a job in their lives, and now genuinely believe that they are running their own businesses. At least two have MH issues and are quite vulnerable, and those are the ones I know about, and in all seriousness don't have the money to be shelling out on these products. In addition, most are on housing benefit, ESA etc and I am almost certain that it won't have occurred to any of them to inform the benefits office that they are now "working," as they have all been on benefits all of their lives and we're talking women who are in their 30's and 40's here, so are likely unwittingly committing benefit fraud.

I have been blocked by several who just won't engage on any of it, so have put my concerns out there in the VI world, and on VI-related groups on FB etc, but in truth these women have been sucked into an illusion and will never make any money, yet they are completely vulnerable.

The only reason why these schemes aren't illegal is because there is a product involved. Personally I think they should be banned, and recruiting people at house parties should be against the law.