Friend trying to recruit me into her MLM scheme

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posting for traffic

I have recently been made furloughed by the company I work in as the job role I work in is struggling to pick up work for employees. DH is working but has taken a 30% pay cut so finances aren't strong at the moment. I have a friend who has devoted her life to home working in the last year but quit her job in January to work as an MLM 'team member' whatever that is.

I am fairly active on social media, and so is she, on several local Facebook groups. I run one group where it is rather a safe space for members to post - excluding MLM schemes and any other schemes that exploit people. My friend is a part of the group and usually is a compliant poster. However recently she has been messaging me, asking me if I'd like to join her MLM team. She is a recruiter so makes money from recruiting other people and when they pay in, she gets a percentage. I have refused, and she has kept on insisting. Today I logged onto Facebook and saw that she has now tried to recruit my group members and I immediately deleted the post and got rid of her.

She sent a grovelling message saying it was 'totally unfair and rude as MLM offer good working incentives in this current situation'. I retorted back and told her that she is exploiting a lot of furloughed people and unemployed people to pay an absurd money so she gets money!! After that she stopped replying. However, another friend of mine sent me screenshots of my 'friend' ranting on multiple groups about me, and calling for people to troll me and send me death threats.

She's even sent me a bloody invoice of the monthly payments you have to pay in for the MLMs. I have now blocked her and anyone who is associated with her so she can't use them to get into my head. I am livid. Please share any stories you have of MLM recruitment, so I can feel better.

Surely she was BU about this as she is trying to force me to sign up?

Everything is a pyramid

@2020Shamrock everything looks like a pyramid when you look at the average organisational chart; one boss, a few directors, a few more managers, more minions. That is where the similarity ends. The reality is you as a distributor are the customer of the MLM, they make their money from what you buy, if it ends up in your garage that’s not their problem. MLM relies on replenishment at the bottom, recruitment of people who then buy product in the belief that they have a sustainable product selling business.

So if I get a job on the till in Tesco I won’t have to pay to join, I won’t be expected to pay for training and my wage won’t be dependent on buying a minimum level of stock each month. My line manager’s salary won’t be dependant on what I buy so they are unlikely to cause me financial problems. I’ll receive sick pay and holiday pay. I will have some level of security. I won’t have to monitise my friendships. I will have some rights and protections. I may be able to climb the career ladder if I’ve got what it takes.

In MLM there is no safety net, it isn’t your own business because all decisions are made by the MLM and the uplines, yet you have all the costs of doing business. The MLM can pull the plug any time (ref Stella &Dot UK) leaving the “independent” distributor in debt. As for supportive; MLM talks about “female empowerment” but bullying is rife (I’ve seen some truly awful bullying and intimidation) and the methods to keep people in the fold are cult like and controlling. The only way to succeed in MLM is to build a huge downline (or start the company) but to do that you’ve got to be ok with the damage being done to the vast majority.

Bouncingbelle, if you want good essential oils I can recommend ID Aromatics in Leeds, website here. It's not an mlm but a slightly hippy little shop that's been around for decades and sells a huge range of oils. It has a good turnover so the oils are fresh, important for the citrus ones.

I'm not into aromatherapy but I like some of the smells. Lemon oil, in particular, is great for dropping into the dishwasher when it's finished running but is still hot - it keeps it smelling sweet and the whole kitchen smells lovely.

I had a friend who was an mlm and was constantly trying to sell me shit or recruit me, I lost all respect for her and as a result she lost my friendship. I find it really grabby and its a sure fire way to piss off all your friends and acquaintances from school etc that you suddenly are only talking to to make money < not envy!

@myusernamewastakenbyme trust me..I have a huge dislike to creepy fake reps!! It's embarrassing and praying on vunerable makes me so angry!! I've no income from my self employed job atm and my thoughts are that its not a time to offer the opportunity..I don't feel comfortable. I haven't parted with huge amounts of money.. Didn't buy a business pack or anything just items that I use in my kit. My sponsor didn't pressure me but I know some reps do! They wouldn't of got me to spend more than I could afford! @SharonasCorona don't need anyone to believe.. You're entitled to your opinion and me mine 😃 and I don't like people pushing their opinions and beliefs on others. I'm not religious, not vegan, but respect those that are! @YouokHun I don't get paid when someone Joins business but respect your choices. @Andpiglettoo not business owners no.. Because if the company went bust we wouldn't exist but at the same time they'd not exist without us . I might go on to do something totally different not related to MLM but I wouldn't of had the connections to start anything without building my network first so it can work for good in some cases. No more hate please.. Plenty of shit to deal with currently! I merely wanted to say that we're not all cringy insane bitches 😃

@YouokHun great points to be honest I can't fault what you say, and you've left me with things to think about and ask about, I suppose it comes down to wanting to give one of them a go or not, and I just feel again for personal growth and development in general, let alone selling or recruiting has been huge to me for €60. Again in my current job it's also the boss or supervisor or who's over him makes all the decisions too, I feel though at least with the MLM company I'm with you can really pick & choose what's for you, what trainings and what not, a leading uk life coach was to me invaluable for 3 sessions supplied to the company. Just an example, but I completely understand all of your points and given me food for thought too and to never stop asking questions and don't feel bad to. I won't be bullied anyway I'm big and bold enough at this stage and anyone I take on if I choose to recruit won't be either :-)

I have RTFT so don’t know if it’s already been mentioned but I read this blog about MLMs (specifically Younique). Very interesting.

ellebeaublog.com/poonique/

I‘Ve had to lose several body shop MLM huns off my FB in the last few weeks. They are relentless, convincing people they are the answer to our lockdown woes, what with the physical store being closed. One classed herself as an essential worker.

Takes a brass neck (or complete ignorance) to take advantage of the lockdown to promote your shitty MLM.

@Steffijo44 nice to hear your comments too, I'm the very same , might go on to do something totally different, but would look after people if they joined team, normal human being here, I hate pushy sales reps I have the jargon for that for when they come to the door, I won't use words that are not me, just found a product (not all the products do I like) but a few that have benefitted myself and the only reason I got more into it then, because if they helped me and are helping others then if I help one person even on products alone I'm happy.

But @steffijo44 you say “I don't get paid when someone Joins business” but if you have downlines you get paid on what they purchase so there’s a benefit to recruiting. I’m sure you’re lovely but the fact you conduct yourself well doesn’t mean that you’re not signed up to something essentially fraudulent. I know lots of lovely, intelligent people who’ve signed up to MLM hoping to make a difference to their families who could never be described as crazy bitches, and that’s the real tragedy of MLM because these people can and do get emotionally, socially and financially damaged all the time. But they are usually too frightened to speak up and have been told the failure is because they “didn’t want it enough”. Trust me, I’ve been watching this industry for years now, it’s really shocking what is happening to people.

@MintyMabel what do you think of a health and wellbeing company like if some people want to take more control and see it as a chance to their health right now? not offering cures but just interested on your take. And knowing myself and others who have genuinely improved their health?

@2020Shamrock

If it’s an MLM, then it has nothing unique or worthwhile selling. No matter how many people they are pretending they help and no matter how many “you changed my life” testimonials they have.

The entire business model is designed to take money from (mainly) women at their most financially vulnerable. No amount of snake oil makes that ok.

Talented Ladies Club does a fantastic job of analysing MLMs:
www.talentedladiesclub.com/articles/is-it-really-possible-to-make-money-in-an-mlm-we-do-the-sums/

www.talentedladiesclub.com/articles/how-much-money-can-you-earn-at-mlm-forever-living/

just feel again for personal growth and development in general, let alone selling or recruiting has been huge to me for €60

Your “personal growth” comes from taking 60 euro off another woman who probably can’t afford it. Well done you.

@2020Shamrock your spoof posts are spot on 👌🏻 so funny!

@MintyMabel that's what I paid haven't taken it from anyone, and saying that it was just defiantely worthwhile for me, and not a huge sum, I don't get @Notredamn what you mean by spoof posts...I'm not into snake oil @MintyLabel...I'm talking real people people I know that do exist shed loads of weight, put on weight, health improved, children's health improved, depression, etc etc etc anyway guys going to leave it there, just said i'd give what's been my experience of it, yes there has been some frustrating elements, but so is life, and so is any job at times, but that's all I can say really, just wish the crazy ones that that's how this post started didn't give the company or others a bad name you know, i'm going to role with it for the moment, because I'm not into airy fairy stuff, just straight talking, surprised myself trying it, but when product worked and more than one that is key for me. All the best.

if someone invited me to an MLM i'd always try to be super polite, i.e. not tell them that i know it's a scam, just firmly say i'm not interested because e.g. 'i'm hopeless at selling' and/or 'money's a bit tight at the moment'.

i guess if you run a group of the sort describe in the OP you do kind of set yourself up for a potential tiny bit of drama every now & then.

If you have proof that she is making death threats, report her to the police.

I don't really understand why you describe this person as a friend

I love that these threads all bring out the 'compassionate bots'. I do it for the kids guv types. I'm not in it to make money, I don't even recruit etc etc.

MLMs are horrific and need to be banned asap. I do worry that people will get sucked into them more during the pandemic.

@2020Shamrock thanks for being receptive to what I’ve said. My opinion has been formed over years of examining this industry but I have nothing to gain from whether people join MLM or not. The anti MLM voices are the unbiased ones. I’d be interested in your coach (unbiased about MLM?) and I’d interested in the ‘coaching’ of MLM sign ups. I’ve seen some of the coaching material and the agenda is clearly not one of personal growth for the individual. There is a man called Steve Hassanwho was in the Moonies cult in the 1970s, managed to break free, is now a mental health professional and a leading authority on cults and closed organisations. He helps people leave them. He calls MLMs “commercial cults”, this is because the techniques are the same as those used in cults and much of the training is designed to keep people on message and unreceptive to doubts from outside. The trainers and coaches are often in the pay of MLMs and not actually helping with “personal growth”. MLMs use techniques such as lovebombing which is a way of affirming you in the early days and this can feel like a positive “personal growth”. I would say, as a psychotherapist who has dealt with people raised up and brought down by this kind of “coaching” that it is a way of keeping you on message and should you withdraw you may find the change in tone quite startling. It sounds as if you’re doing a lot of product purchasing at the moment so your up line is benefitting. I wonder if you’d be prepared to say which MLM it is as presumably
You’re prepared to be open about what you say is a positive experience?

My cousin recently got into one. Her and her husband are all about Arbonne and it is cringeworthy as fuck.

I wonder if we have the same cousin we don’t speak much but last year she wrote me a very lovely message congratulating me after have my DS, followed shortly by another message about how I should join this program that’s great for new mums... I’d watched a documentary just a few weeks before she messaged about MLMs, and how people who are involved are encouraged to get family involved and that new mums are often seen as easy targets for these things. So I was sadly kind of expecting it. Still I was very disappointed when it happened and quite disgusted. I didn’t reply.

Sorry @2020Shamrock I really thought you were joking as you're using all the buzzwords like 'personal development' and making wild health claims.

Glad to hear you’ve reported the unhinged bot to the police. If the bot denies making threats or gives a “no comment” interview the police can seize their phone, laptop, and put a subscriber request to Facebook to confirm who is behind the account and therefore responsible for sending threatening messages. They look at IP addresses and email addresses related to the Facebook account in question.

I know about this because someone made the mistake of sending me unwanted messages through Facebook which amounted to stalking and harassment. They ended up in very serious trouble. Reporting them did the trick.

@YouokHun yes it's Juiceplus that i'm having a good experience with I don't want to knock others but there was one now that I think of it I had a bad experience with, forgot that years ago, they have been mentioned further back in comments found them very cut throat and as you say tone changed when I simple asked about an ingredient in a product.

@Notredamn i made no wild health claims never have and never would do that to be honest, I didn't realise I was using buzz words, I'm just that sort of person, I see personal development etc as an area i'm interested in, for me and others.