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?

Wow sorry... projecting the image... I’m very tired! Anyone got an MLM product for that? (Don’t worry, I have a FB “friend” who sells that keto coffee)

A beauty salon I used to go to started doing Tropic (they had wanted Elemis but were turned down as Elemis said they didn’t have enough treatment rooms). The manager was going on and on about it, how excited she was to receive the first parcel etc, at this an alarm bell went off. I went home and googled it and found that it is MLM and that despite her claims I could buy online (she told me only available through salons). That was my last visit, I spend a lot in salons with nails and waxing so would be annoyed at having to listen to a sales pitch every time. I stopped going to another salon as they were always trying to flog me Clarins while I was having my nails done - decent stuff but doesn’t agree with my skin and I can do without the ‘discreet’ product placement on the table after I’ve been to wash my hands!

I read a really interesting article about the male equivalent.

www.theguardian.com/news/2018/apr/19/wolves-of-instagram-jordan-belmont-social-media-traders
The ways in which it’s similar but different from female MLM are very sociologically interesting.

One of my fb friends has at least 3 ‘businesses’ on the go. My fb is filled wth updates 17 times a day with inspirational memes, which no one ever comments on. She’s a ‘boss babe’.

Of course if she really did have three businesses she wouldn’t need a full time job along side them. 🙄

Hate these people. I'm self-employed in a PROPER job doing PROPER work for REAL clients and not leeching of friends or conning people into buying overpriced shite.

So many people get this look of panic on their faces when I say what I do because they have heard all these deluded people saying they're Independent Business Owners or Self-Employed Consultant, or Chief Ultra Pixie Unicorn or whatever other nonsense title they've awarded themselves.

Ban the entire industry. It's a con,

I just don't understand why these women can't see how mad these schemes are. I know one women who in the last year has gone through Scentsy, Younique, Jamberry, The Body Shop at Home and Valentus Coffee. She's not unintelligent at all- she's a senior nurse!

I hate MLM schemes and I refuse to buy from any of the them out if principle. If I want something from The Body Shop I buy it online.

Interesting about Doterra, I didn't realise it was an MLM. An acquaintance of mine has been waffling about it on Facebook the last few weeks about its its magically cured her anxiety.

I also had my kids swim instructor try to sell me aloe gel stuff in the changing room after class - she lowered her voice like she was dodgy as fuck - awkward

It's just a bizarre world - these folk that go to conventions, do they pay for it but then make out like the company did?

I tried selling Scentsy once. I hated it. I don't do parties and disliked the whole 'message me for my deals' thing. If I go to Tesco/Sainsbury's/wherever and see they have a deal, I wouldn't expect everyone to be shepherded into a back room to be told what the deal is. I would expect the prices up front, for all to see, so you know everyone is getting the same deal.

I recently started selling Monat. I just wanted the discount. I'm not pushing folks to join my 'team'. I'm not bragging about how I 'never miss my children's plays/appointments/matches/etc' because, well, I was already home for all of that. I don't pretend to be successful, because I'm not good at lying. I do occasionally post cute stuff about being addicted to coffee. I have also posted all prices - I hate things being hidden or secretive. I guess I'm not the typical MLM person, since I just wanted the discount after noticing that the samples sent to me by a friend stopped my hair falling out in massive clumps in the shower.

Someone I know previously had a professional career in which she was reasonably well respected. Sadly she's lost a lot of it since she took up JuicePlus because she now spends so much time promoting that and people completely lost all respect for her judgment.

according to her she makes good money and is thinking about giving up her job

According to her. According to her. All MLMs work on smoke and mirrors - you HAVE to tell people you're doing well or they won't be tempted to join up too. People are actively told to "fake it till you make it" by posting how well you're doing, and lying about new cars or houses. It's all fake. The percentage of people who make proper money is miniscule, less than 0.1% or something. And most of them are personal friends of the company's founder in Utah. Debbie from Dorset or Karen from Kendal is not going to climb the pyramid to the top, however many cringey FB posts she does.

I have a friend on Facebook who's always posting "this girly has just been promoted to manager, so proud of you Hun" she's does go on five holidays a year all paid for by forever apparently & she's just bought a brand new land rover. I sometimes feel I'm missing out! Then I remember she has a rich husband.
I was at her house once when she had all her brain washed pals over for a 'brain storming session' she had a right bitch about them when they left. Not so nice are you now 'hun'

Pampered chef has actually pulled out of the UK. Was at 2 of their parties and stuff is expensive. Have their rice cooker in my cupboard going on 4 years now along with the chopper and something else which I have forgotten what it is used for. I do use and love the utensil holder which acts like a lazy susan. Also got invited to a Norwex party but declined apparently their mop and bucket set costs around 70 odd quid

she's does go on five holidays a year all paid for by forever apparently

They may pay for the accommodation, block booked in a hotel of their choice at very cheap rates. She will probably be paying her own flights, food etc and will also be paying to attend presentations, seminars or training when she's on "holiday".

That one about the male finance traders was very interesting. There have always been con artists preying on the desperate and gullible, and there are sadly going to be more and more of them as inequality worsens.

The Guardian article about the binary options scam is brilliant - thanks for posting it @OutsideContextProblem

My friends gf started this a few years ago. I can't remember which mlm it actually was but selling shit via Facebook and becoming incredibly pushy. She fell out with me in the end because I wouldn't 'join her team'.
For what it's worth, this particular lady was indeed as thick as two short planks.

I know someone who recently started selling MLM cosmetics and she's always banging on about how it's so "empowering for women". I'm always a bit at this. In my book, empowering women is giving them the opportunity to get educated and then get a professional job which offers financial independence and security. It is not flagging crappy cosmetics for some dodgy pyramid scheme. Shocked to hear about the actuary leaving her job for MLM.

I do think it’s horribly unethical how they pull people in, from what I’ve seen the MLM people on my facebook tend to target mums on social media with young DC who maybe are unable to work FT/need a little cash (they post memes/statuses like ‘boss mum’ ‘working hard to buy my kids nice things!’ etc). I can see how maybe a mum with young DC could get caught up in it, if they need a bit of extra cash and are sold this glamorous ‘career’ that promises they can work from home, choose their own hours and work around their kids – and selling beauty products has a fun/girly appeal to it.

I have an ex colleague on my FB who does them, she has 2 DC under 5 and her husband works long hours so she’s on her own a lot. I get the impression she might be quite isolated as they live quite rurally and her friends/family live further away. She used to post on FB a lot even BEFORE she got involved with MLM, so I can see why a job she can do online would appeal. Also she’s now part of the ‘hun’ community, lots of other ladies who sell the same products like/comment on her statuses with ‘love this product, hun’ or ‘what a great deal’ etc. I think they are encouraged to big each other up and try and generate interest, especially if they’re in the same downline. So it makes sense that a woman on her own a lot might be taken in by this sort of a job and a seemingly supportive community.

But she changes MLMs every few months despite saying how amazing her former products are just weeks before. It’s all quite sad really.

“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“

They did a presentation at a midwifery conference someone I know went to. Midwives were furious about the lack warnings about risks of using undiluted oils on skin, and how the rep got someone going round dropping oil into people’s palms to try out during the presentation, without checking to see whether they were pregnant/allergic...

Sparklesocks: exactly! Women with young DC, particularly single mums or those whose partners are away a lot (or tight, or spend all the spare money on their own hobbies) are often tempted into these schemes because they do sound so suitable - pick your own hours, desirable products, free gifts, a social life...

I had no idea that Utility Warehouse were part of an MLM. However, they regularly score highly in Which surveys. We are with them and as we have solar panels they gave us a little extra over the FIT (feed in tariff) rate.

Our annual telephone/broadband/electricity/gas bills are low because we get them all from UW and the FIT comes off all of our utility bills. I really rate them.

I also rate Tropic skincare. It is cruelty free and does what it says on the tin.

I went to a Tropic party at a friend’s house. I only went for the prosecco.

I listened to the spiel with great amusement. The rep was full of praise for the fact that the cosmetics didn’t contain any this, that and the other. As a chemist, I wondered whether she actually had any idea why those ingredients were added to cosmetics in the first place. Turns out she didn’t.

Then she mentioned that, we too, could start running our own parties. Then she mentioned that Alan Sugar invested in the company and that his wife used the stuff. That was it - eyes glazed over and reache for the prosecco bottle.

If I’m going to pay Molton Brown prices for nice-smelling cosmetics, I’ll go to the Molton Brown shop.

I hate it. A fb friend is selling some old crap and seems to have 'recruited' another fb friend so now there's 2 of them on there selling the same shit.
It's a shame that I have to block their posts.
I've never actually heard of the products ..oriflame I think it's called.

I read a wonderful blog on MLM once. Avoid avoid avoid.

Im pretty sure they get brainwashed as they turn from normal people Into queer robotic things that can't have a conversation without trying to sell something or telling you about said product