"Is Body Shop? Seems at odds with their image."
Are you referring to the image they cultivated as an ethical company on many issues, and supporter of charities etc which turned out to be basically bullshit, and which was sold out I think even before Anita died? Yea I loved body shop in the 80's when it was harder to find out the truth on such stuff and as a new veggie keen to use non-animal tested products (also not true for the whole life of the company and dubious claims even when supposedly the case) I Haven't used them in decades. A friend of mine got sucked into selling for them and I messaged her a load of links on messenger proving their ethics and claims were bollocks - she blocked me! Meh her lookout. Wasn't a close friend.
As per pp I've been saying for ages Avon is a mlm too. They're such a huge company they could absolutely afford not to require new salespeople to make a significant initial outlay and buy the damn catalogues!
I told a neighbour to NEVER put fucking betterware catalogues in my door again. I never bought anything and it was a pita having her calling - usually when I'd just got dd down for a nap - to collect the damn thing. I had to ask her several times eventually I had to say to her if she did it again I'd be having words with the housing officer (we were in army quarters - forces wives are a particular target as they're leaving jobs to follow spouses, often got young kids and it's hard to get work as an army wife - when employers see your address and see you're an army wife it puts them off as you could be gone at 28 days notice and it's presented as 'an easy way to make a few quid working from home around the kids and husbands shifts'). Last I knew the armed forces were warning serving members to warn their spouses about mlm.
A friend's little sister (naive type, not particularly academic, doesn't watch news or read newspapers or consumer shows) is CONSTANTLY getting dragged into these. The first time it SEEMED like she saw the light and jacked it in but she keeps getting sucked into others and the people recruiting "assure" her it's not mlm with THEIR company 🙄 currently seems to be selling debit card readers to small shops? Very expensive kit and only works with certain cards etc.
It's heartbreaking cos she must have lost THOUSANDS.
What pisses me off - is why the fuck the police and anti fraud units aren't dealing with them? It's a con it's a fraud - that's illegal! Yet it's the same companies still going strong. How are they getting away with it?
They should ABSOLUTELY be banned and the people at the higher end banned from being company directors etc
Op you got off relatively lightly and at least you know better now, sorry you got sucked in but yea you should apologise where necessary