To message a friend who's just signed up to a MLM?

[GunpowderGelatine]

An old friend announced on FB today that shes "joining a fast growing marketing company" and "launching my own online business to help people get healthy and make money from home". The MLM alarm obviously went off in my head.

On further investigation - aka snooping on the profiles of the bots who've commented "welcome to the team Hun" - it's for Valentus coffee. Aka Goodbye solid food, hello diarrhoea.

I'm really surprised she's been sucked into this. She's a senior nurse and her husband runs an accountancy firm. You think one of them would see through the bullshit?

WIBU to message her and tell her to stay away and if she wants me make money try matched betting? I do it and make on average £150 a week - sometimes as much as £200, and rarely below £100. Also I don't have to sell anything, answer to an "upline", have to recruit people, send cringey messages to friends and family or post "inspiring messages" on Facebook, give some of what I make to someone else or spend my Sunday's trying to flog a load of crap at a craft fair.

Obviously I'd leave the list bit out, but I would send the Elle Beau blog about MLMs to her. Is it too patronising to message her??

@WellButterMyArse Actually no, you’re not exploiting mug punters. You’re exploiting the bookmaker which is why as soon as they get wind that you’re a matched bettor they block your account. I’ve got no problem with exploiting bookies.

I did matched betting for about 18 months and made a couple of thousand, but got gubbed from most of the major gambling companies so it's not worthwhile to do it anymore. The bookies are hot on it, they will take away the offers pretty quick so it's not a long term money stream.
However I would not encourage people to do it. It's not gambling but it is a way in to gambling and it's very easy to get sucked in if you have that sort of inclination. The bookies flood you with offers, you have a lot of accounts open with pots of easily accessible gambling money to use.

Those who are making big money from it long term are playing with huge amounts of money, investing thousands to make hundreds.

it's a tactic by bookies to catch and gub matches betters, is that why?? TBH I often find the odds change quickly anyway and when you go to place the bets they've changed. I'm lucky I've been doing it 4 months and only been gubbed 3 times, maybe it is just luck though.

Bookies don't like matched bettors obviously, they lose money on us. They make money in the difference in value between back and lay bets, so if you're taking high % matches all the time you're costing them money. I'm old I'm too cautious in the other direction and happy to take matches on the oddsmatcher of 85%+ and I set my equal profit calculator to only 70%. But I've been doing it 9 months and only lost Coral and Betway so far.

@PigletJohn nah thanks, you're clearly not seriously interested and there's no benefit to me at all in trying to convince you. I'm happy that I used £50 of my own money in the first month, withdrew that £50 in the next month and have been making money with my profit ever since. There's plenty of material out there on the internet to explain to you why matched betting is risk free profit making if you wish to Google it.

I see what PigletJohn is saying. The money eond doesn't appear from nowhere,

Ah, posted too soon. My phone updated and my keyboard has developed a life of it's own.

The money has to be lost by someone at some stage to be available to be won by a person doing matched betting.

I'd try sending your friend the blog with something along the lines of you're concerned about the reality of the promises the MLM's make. I'd leave out the matched betting thing.

The money comes from free bets, reload offers and from the margin between odds.

So bookie A gives odds above those offered by an exchange, where you lay off the bet. But it’s not for everyone as even otherwise bright people find it hard to understand the concept of laying off a bet and refuse to accept that it’s possible.

The money has to be lost by someone at some stage to be available to be won by a person doing matched betting

No. The money comes from Ladbrokes, Paddy, William Hill, etc.

Martin Lewis’s forums have good explanations.

Money is lost by bookies. I have no problem exploiting bookies

Oh god first cringey emoji-filled post from my friend has gone up this morning. 6 comments about how amazing the coffee is - all from other reps. Gah! I can't believe she's been suckered in she's an intelligent woman. I think I will wait until she raises it. I will be honest with her about what I think when she does

to make that much matched betting you either have a lot of capital to start with or a lot of time on your hands.

It is easy when you get used to it, but most people wouldn't be making that much a week to start with.

I did matched betting a few years ago and made about £700 fairly easily, spending about 30 minutes a few times a week. That was on all the introductory offers. I did football because I frankly don't care which team wins or loses, so was able to approach it in a neutral fashion.

However, by the time I got to the end of those it began to feel a bit 'seedy' and I was happy to stop. There are aspects to the accounts which are clearly aimed at an audience that is gambling covertly, perhaps keeping their spending away from a spouse or partner.

I could also feel the temptation of getting sucked in to straightforward gambling, especially on the casino offers.

I'm part of a local fb network. If you recommend your neighbour/brother/husband/friend as a tradesman or cleaner etc you are strictly meant to be transparent about it. And yet there are always people trying to recruit for MLMs. "Work hours to suit you, from home, earn up to £500/wk, pm me for more info" so very vague what the actual "job" is. If anyone comments or asks more about it they say to message them. I think its blindingly obvious its MLM but t often generates a lot of interest.

I assume the argument is that the money the bookies have comes from profits from their business ultimately. But the point is that nobody has ever suggested matched betting means all betters make money. If literally everybody did it then nobody would be able to, soon enough! That's why the bookies hate matched betters.

Has Valentus had a resurgence? Last I heard they'd effectively been shut down by trading standards? (Misses entire point of thread - sorry!)

All matched bettors do make money. It's not gambling

I used to do matched betting and I agree it's great. But you are wrong to say you couldn't be advertising for anyone. I think it's only a matter of time before the likes of profit accumulator or other websites that help matched betters for a monthly fee jump on this.

She will however make MUCH more money via matched betting and no it is not gambling.

OP you are very hypocritical to castigate people for joining MLMs , whilst simultaneously encouraging people to take up gambling. That's what your thread is really about isn't it - you are selling something by stealth. Shameful.

It is easy when you get used to it, but most people wouldn't be making that much a week to start with.

Actually I found the opposite to this. I made £2k in the first 3 months. It's the long term that is harder. And you don't need a lot to start with, I started with £50

"Encouraging people to take up gambling"

The op hasn't done anything of the sort. You clearly don't know what MB is

The OP hasn’t got anything to sell, malteaser! Do you not get that it’s a) not gambling and b) not of any consequence to the OP whether or not anyone else does it- she won’t gain anything from other people doing it!!?!

Yeah I don't get what people are thinking OP has to sell.

If your 'friend' sees this, she will almost certainly recognise herself with the information given.

Abraid2 Yep, but when you get down to it, Ladbrooks ect. profits and cash flow still come from gamblers losing money. It's might not be coming directly out of a gamblers pocket but it came from there originally or the business wouldn't exist.

I understand how matched betting works, and I would consider doing it if I had the time. But is it the best ethically? Whilst those doing matched betting are only making the bookies lose money, those bookies are exploiting actual gamblers and those with gambling problems. The sheer number of gambling adverts on tv really worries me, I truly believe they should be after watershed only (if at all!).

I've got a couple of friends who have just got sucked into an MLM. I think they actually use the products, so I guess they like getting them 'cheap' (even the wholesale prices seem way more than you could get the equivalent products elsewhere). Luckily neither of them have approached me at all, but I can say no very politely .