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Original poster

To be really disappointed in Neils Yard?

132 replies

Reginabambina · 10/04/2020 12:09

I’m not under any illusions that Neil’s Yard products are amazing but they’re nice and have a shop local to me so I get stuff there occasionally and have found some nice products over the years. Today a post came up on a community page on fb reminding us to ‘support local business’ from someone claiming to be a Neil’s Yard ‘consultant’. A quick look on their website reveals that they operate as an MLM on the side. I feel really disappointed, I thought this was a legitimate business and have been buying their products for years (and more embarrassingly giving them as gifts). Is it a total overreaction to never use them again?

OP posts:
CaraConcerned · 10/04/2020 13:09

Neal's Yard have always been ethically dodgy. They were selling homeopathic 'malaria treatments' (i.e. letting people travel believing they were protected against malaria when they weren't at all - homeopathy isn't 'natural remedies', there is literally nothing in it) and then when they were going to be asked about it in a Q&A they refused to engage.

Also when I used to actually go in their stores I heard staff saying horrible victim-blaming nonsense about people having cancer because they used shampoo with chemicals in etc. This was a long time ago mind so they have probably learned not to say this stuff directly.

Glowcat · 10/04/2020 13:13

Fuck me! They really were selling water to treat malaria Shock

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/7385718.stm

Ok, I’m out. There hand cream isn’t that nice.

BrightYellowDaffodil · 10/04/2020 13:15

I have a friend who sells Neal's Yard stuff as part of her business of alternative therapies. As far as I'm aware, they don't have the targets etc, and she's most certainly never even really promoted the products she sells (even when I've had therapies from her). She just sells them to you if you ask her and has them on display if clients want to buy them.

Technically Usborne are a MLM/direct selling company - my mother used to sell them back in the day, and there was no hard sell there either.

Neal's Yard products are lovely (unlike MLM Younique/Forever Living crap which I wouldn't have if someone gave it to me) so I wouldn't let it bother you, @OP :)

Original poster
Reginabambina · 10/04/2020 13:16

I didn’t realise it was so common, I rather naively thought that if a company had lots of shops and was stocked in big shops like Waitrose that they wouldn’t do something like this.

@Thurmanmurman there’s just something a bit off putting about conning gullible people out of money by taking advantage of their aspiration to own a business. At first I thought they might offer franchising but on closer inspection it’s definitely a case of purchasing a ‘starter kit’ and then trying to get people you know to buy stuff. Reddit has loads of threads on their operations in the US which are much more akin to a traditional MLM model where you make commission by recruiting people like a pyramid structure, judging from posters above that may not be the case in the U.K. though. Even so it seems wrong to try to con people into buying these starter kits when they won’t be able to compete against Waitrose/NY itself in terms of trustworthiness. I have no idea what the overall structure of the business is like though in terms of how the U.K. business related to the US business.

OP posts:
BrightYellowDaffodil · 10/04/2020 13:17

Regarding the homeopathy, Neal's Yard do have alternative therapies. I get that not everyone believes in it but plenty of companies sell it - including Boots - and that doesn't make them "ethically dodgy". If you don't agree with that product, don't buy it...

FindHimForThreeKillHimForTen · 10/04/2020 13:18

TBH I always think Neal's Yard is more style over substance anyway. I have bought a fair bit, each time hoping it will be lovely whilst there has been the occasional gem, mostly I have been disapointed that it smells bad (to me) or doesn't do the job it's meant to.

I've had bath foam that I think smells like wee.

Face cleanser that made my skin very dry.

We have a hand lotion now that cost the earth and is like moisturising your hands with milk.

I won't buy any more now because I'm sick of parting with £20 or more, only to be underwhelmed or disappointed.

Glowcat · 10/04/2020 13:18

They’ve got loads of homeopathic ‘remedies’ on their website, they just don’t give any information beyond the number of pills and the name of the product, probably to avoid more complaints about false claims (as above).

Original poster
Reginabambina · 10/04/2020 13:21

@FindHimForThreeKillHimForTen I mostly I only buy their stuff because I like the smells tbh (although it’s definitely not for everyone) but their lip balm is the best I’ve found in the U.K. (second best I’ve ever used) and I’ve tried a lot over the years (peely lips).

OP posts:
Glowcat · 10/04/2020 13:22

Boots doesn’t have homeopathic therapists you can make appointments to see at 22 stores (as far as I know) and Boots also sells real medicine.

goldfinchfan · 10/04/2020 13:27

Homeopathy is not "just water".

It is the preferred medicine of the Royal Family and has been since the Queen's parent's have used it.

It also works on animals.......how would you explain that?

ppeatfruit · 10/04/2020 13:36

Yes exactly goldfinch It works very well for a lot of people . DH had a skateboarder bash into his ankle in France and his friend took him to a chemist imediately, he was given a high homeopathic dose of Arnica and the next day he didn't have a bruise!!!!

it works on his and my cramp too . Oh and he didn't use to believe in it!!!!!

Some people say it's a placebo and if it is so what? It doesn't harm anyone not like a lot of animal tested medications (which harm tons of animals) Oh and we are not animals . They often give people worse symptoms than they had previously.

SarahAndQuack · 10/04/2020 13:41

Grin a 'high homeopathic dose'?

What's that then, extra-extra-extra diluted?

It is snake oil.

And yes, it is ethically dodgy to sell it as a treatment/preventative for a genuine illness like malaria. No one deserves to die of stupid.

JinglingHellsBells · 10/04/2020 13:48

@Reginabambina What is an MLM?

I knew Neals Yard operated as a franchise, if that is what you mean and also other shops can sell their stuff.

JinglingHellsBells · 10/04/2020 13:51

It also works on animals.......how would you explain that?

@goldfinchfan how could anyone prove that the animal would not have got better anyway and it's nothing to do with a homeopathic pill?

TBRuton · 10/04/2020 13:55

Honestly I regrett spending so much there on stuff, it's a placebo

ppeatfruit · 10/04/2020 13:56

A huge number oof people die by (tested) mainstream medications. So many think that our wonderful Big Pharma manufacturers are the best there is , well they ain't.

They make up the results of their tests if they don't agree with their initial hypothesis. See Ben Goldacre. his book criticises homeopathy but he also comes down very hard (harder actually) on Big Pharma. Something that is ignored by the brain washed public.

ALeapOfFaith · 10/04/2020 13:56

My particular gripe is those that build up successful Instagram accounts for something entirely unrelated like book reviews but then use their thousands of followers to flog stuff from their MLM. I’ve had to stop following a few accounts that once were interesting but are now just ads for MLMs Sad

PotholeParadise · 10/04/2020 13:57

It also works on animals.......how would you explain that?

Because they have cognitive capacity. "Less cognitive capacity than humans" is not the same as "no cognitive capacity".

Humans are just very advanced animals. Our pets aren't dumb rocks.

choc71 · 10/04/2020 13:59

I was a Consultant for NY for a good few years. No targets, no hassle, you put in what you can in terms of time. It suited me really well and was a great way to get their products cheaper. In the end I bought them just for friends and family and charged what I paid, so just to cover costs. Some of their products are great, especially if you are allergic to practically everything else on the market. The skincare and home fragrance range really are super, I found the cosmetics less good, apart from the original line of lipsticks which I still miss.
I had a lot of fun, met some great people, and it fitted round my job and family. In no way was I exploited and I knew what I was getting in to.

BringMeSunshineInMyLife · 10/04/2020 13:59

Waitrose sell Neal's Yard- are they dishonest?

Not sure who Neil is or where his yard is?

0lapislazuli · 10/04/2020 14:02

Homeopathy is not medicine. It’s stuff that couldn’t be proven to have any effect, so it couldn’t be classed as medicine.

And I have been definitely put off. I loved their day cream, but I love burt’s bees too, so I’ll just go for that from now on.

Anyone interested in reading someone’s experience with MLM, this is a great blog: ellebeaublog.com/

ItsGoingTibiaK · 10/04/2020 14:03

Obligatory link to one of Mitchell and Webb's best sketches:

ItsGoingTibiaK · 10/04/2020 14:08

Homeopathy is not "just water".

It is the preferred medicine of the Royal Family and has been since the Queen's parent's have used it.

Who needs randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind trials when homeopathy has proof of efficacy like this? Hmm

MintyMabel · 10/04/2020 14:15

Loads of high street places do this, Body Shop, Anne Summers, Lakeland etc.

And I've stopped using the ones I used to because of it.

Any company that thinks taking advantage of (mainly) woman who usually end up losing money on these schemes, won't get a penny from me.

ScarfLadysBag · 10/04/2020 14:23

A friend of mine sells Weleda stuff but there doesn't seem to be any of the MLM 'stuff' attached to it, like no trying to recruit anyone, no Instagram inspirational quotes about being her own boss and all that gubbins. She literally just has a FB page for their stuff and if you want to order anything she'll do it for you. I got some baby massage oil from her and it was a normal transaction with no one trying to 'downline' me or whatever it's called. So I guess they maybe aren't all the same.