To think that if you sell overpriced cosmetics in a pyramid selling sham you should just say so

[loveablether]

Instead of wasting people's time with your chat about being a 'self employed internet based networking manager' to which people obviously say 'what does that involve?' Which leads into a long pishy chat about arbon. No thank you. I do not want to buy a £15 roll on deodorant that smells of mint even though it lasts for a decade. My 99p sure roll on is just dandy and I don't think I've ever seen 'too much cotton fresh scented roll on applied to armpits' on a death certificate.

I really actually initially thought she was friendly & cool, and a potential new mum friend and now I think I'll avoid.

AIBU?

The girl I met recently didn't try to restart her pitch after I changed the subject making it clear my thoughts on the matter, it'll be interesting to see if she tries again. Will I have the balls to say what I really think, cruel or kind? We see each other about once a week at kids events

Juice Plus, Nu Skin....... so many. So dodgy. I feel the desperation. If I want aloe vera plus, i will go to the garden centre to buy some aloe.

I think they've got worse. I was an Avon rep a few years ago and there was none of this social media #bossbabe crap. Also, Avon stuff is reasonable quality and reasonably priced, though you're unlikely to ever make more than a bit of pocket money unless you're the only rep for miles around or you know a lot of people who like makeup and costume jewellery.

But some of these MLMs really are verging on fraud - the poor mugs suckered into the cults are told to borrow or hire cards and luxury goods to show off in social media pics - and the economics of the companies actually depend on the fact that most people who join pay a lot of money for stock, can't sell it and give up in despair.

Is Monat a MLM? It’s started popping up on my Facebook, something for Hair.

I have a friend who is into Younique. She is absolutely brainwashed, all her posts are linked to it somehow :(
I recently confided some quite serious news to her, and she was very sympathetic initially, and hasn't mentioned it since.
But she's all over how much she loves her younique girls who are her #friendsforlife and I feel a bit of a muppet for confiding to her.
Lesson learned, and I'm hoping she'll be like my friend who used to Juiceplus and now never mentions it!!

@SilverHairedCat And I tend to ask Mods on Gossip Girl / Facebook local selling pages whether they would agree not to allow MLM advertising... Generally they've agreed and it's become part of the T&Cs of lots of such pages I've seen now (not all because of me!!).

I once posted a tame comment on a local gossip type page, to the effect of "check the claims made and prices charged for this item before you decide"

One of the admins (not the op of thread) lost her shit with me about how it was completely out of order, I had no proof and should stop slandering an honest woman. Then turned off the comments. Then deleted the whole thread!

Turns out she's a Hun with a different mlm scheme and extremely defensive of any less than gushing praise on any scheme!

Have a read of the Elle Beau blog for an insight into what it's like to be one of these bossbabes. They really are victims as much as anything :(

Is Utility Warehouse an MLM? I have a few people on Facebook who do this and go on about being self employed and loving working part time but they all work a 'proper' job too apart from one lady. Lots of inspirational quotes from them too and trying to recruit people so it seems like MLM but I'm never sure?

I have a friend who sells juice plus...I had to unfollow her on fb as its full of all this #bossbabe and photos of her at amazing conventions and zoom calls. The girl has about 3000 fb friends god knows how

Yes, Utility Warehouse is an MLM. One of my friends has been brainwashed by it.

Monat and Utility Warehouse are MLM schemes, yes.

Also see: Darcey’s wax melts, Acti-Labs, Arbonne, Avon, Body Shop at home (doubly woeful as there’s usually a sale on their website) Lipsense / Sheersense, Younique, Forever Living, Scentsy... loads of the bastards.

Apparently, Younique "mascara provides funds to allow women to go to a retreat which helps women who have been abused".

WTAF!

I was at the Charlotte Tilbury counter in Harrods recently and the sales assistant started trying to sell me Arbonne stuff. I was gobsmacked at how brazen she was, given she was in a uniform, at work, supposed to be selling a different brand!

I think Tropic is another one? One of my friends started selling it and I just avoid her now. I just find it really awkward.
That Arbonne I have had a Mum from school message me saying 'hi hun, do you want a chat about my skincare products over a coffee?' I just said no I don't like coffee and have no money ever. I've been collared before and the only way to get rid is to just say NO, not now, not ever.

When people approach me with any kind of mlm I will tell them it is not for me but I wish them all the best. If they continue I will ghost them. Simple. Sadly I did also have one very good friend who got drawn in. I lost all respect for her intelligence I am afraid. She seems angry with me when I see her around now as we aren't close any more but if she had seen me for what I was ie a friend rather than a sales target all this could have been avoided. I truly detest mlm and what it does to people's behaviour.

Someone tried to recruit me into selling Arbonne once by telling me a load of crap about me looking inspirational. I do not, I spend most days looking like I've just been towed by a car down a dirt track.

Hi, come work as part of my team so I can sponge off you! Oh, go on then...

If you look into it they are not as natural as they make out either. I became fascinated by the cult element of it a while back and really dug into it, it's quite interesting in a hilarious/slightly unsettling/hideous way. I do think they are brainwashed.

Having said that the deodorant is bloody lovely but I'll wait until I win the lottery before I get my next tube.

A know a woman who does Forever Living. She is a remarkable salesperson, puts her heart and soul into it and I think is doing ok. But it makes me sad that she’s not using her talents in a proper job or business, in which I’m certain she’d shine.

She has also developed a network with other local businesses, which seems to consist of them all supporting each other by buying each other’s products at craft fairs etc (that they probably don’t want) while everyone else goes out and earns a living.

I cant abide these mlm schemes and cringe at the younique posts from huns trying to lure others into the trap....
Its so embarrassing for the huns that call themselves presenters or ambassadors...id rather clean loos than peddle this shit !!!

Do you have Doterra in the UK? They MLM essential oils, but they cost a complete fortune, and the point that really makes me livid is that suddenly the sellers are all naturopaths and can advise on how oils will boost your immune system/stop atheletes foot/help you through chemo (I may have made up that last one)...

It’s really wreckless, especially as essential oils can be pretty potent, and they are aiming them at mums for childhood problems too...

But I don’t say anything because they’re usually friends of my DH, trying to make some cash in difficult circumstances, I don’t know them well enough. Of course, they’re also #livingthedream#boardmeetingonthedeck#blessed.

There's a woman who posts on local fb with the exact same message multiple times. It starts with:

"Hi lovelies how r u??? Random question I know but I've just started a new business..."

I ended up checking after the 4th or 5th time of seeing it and yes, I had blocked her each time before. But like a bad smell, up she pops with a shiny new profile... (lady with initials KS, I'm talking about you!)

I actually got a live one a couple of months also.

It’s surreal watching the poo-nique blog play out in real life.

My bot is the same down to a t as what Elle blogged about!

I've just remembered how I was stopped by the same woman 3 times in a quiet street near my DD nursery. She asked me each time (as I pushed my pram) if I'd like to earn some extra money "around the kids" selling "like Avon"

The first time I said "no I definitely can't earn any money at the moment" she was speechless but the second and third time it's like she suddenly remembered who I was and she instantly looked away scanning the street for other victims

The suits who invent these MLM...they prey on not-terribly-intelligent females from not-terribly-well-off backgrounds.

Said females would do well to remember:
1)There's no such thing as a free lunch - why the actual fuck would a company fly you here there and everywhere, give you a white mercedes and free champagne all the way, just because you flog a mascara to your pals?
2) If something looks too good to be true...

I am not a fan of MLMs but I actually do like some arbonne stuff. On my wedding day - makeup artist did my makeup. Didn't think anything of it. Makeup was flawless, pictures were awesome. When I used her a few months later I asked what the foundation was. It was arbonne. She really takes the foundation. I just bought some of the cc cream as well. Bought beginning of December. Ran out end March. It was really very good. But I dislike the mlm model.

I'm friends with a Younique bot on Facebook and I'm a bit obsessed with her. She's clearly pretty good at it (though God knows if she makes any money and she's constantly jetting off to "training" and "leadership seminars" which no doubt cost her a bomb) and it's so fascinating watching the hideous techniques she employs. My new favourite is that she comments on all her own posts to bump them, even if nobody else has commented.