Why are all my friends becoming Body Shop consultants?

[Coffeebiscuitsrepeat]

Since I hit 30, I've noticed at least 6 of my wider friendship group do this. Is it actually profitable? Is it MLM? I'm just curious mostly, as it looks like quite a lot of effort to drum up sales!

It's kind of funny though to see which people fall for it. I have one friend on FB, constantly posting self righteous posts, how she is right and everyone else is wrong, got a few followers that obey her every command, and she's now joined an mlm and believes herself to be an entrepreneur. 😂 It's not like she needed the money either, think she's just a tad gullible.

Here’s an excellent piece of undercover journalism exposing what really goes on when people get sucked into these schemes:

www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/p076n2hg/secrets-of-the-multilevel-millionaires-ellie-undercover

@beachysandy81

My friend has started this and is doing it while home schooling. She has some good deals so why wouldn't I buy from her rather than the shop itself if it's something I wanted to buy anyway?

Because you are encouraging these schemes (scams) to continue...if everybody stopped buying these shit products mlm's would die out.

Desperation. Also, little known fact but the jobcentre push people to do these to get them off benefits and become "self employed".

I know one person who did it out of desperation instead of claiming benefits (which she ended up doing anyway) the others were "advised" by the jobcentre to attend a "self employment fayre" which was almost exclusively these people and to sign up. If they didn't/refused they would be sanctioned (and they are - I met someone who opened their own small bakery business locally eventually and she was sanctioned for not joining one) . Except for the person who opened a very successful bakery they're all back on benefits and being told to do the same again.

Honestly what chance do vulnerable people have?

I've actually deactivated Facebook because four of the women I know have been sucked in. I don't hate The Body Shop's products - I've bought from them in the past and I may do again - but the way these women go on about the products as if they're better than the skincare routine I use religiously and harp on about the tiniest quantities of ingredients in the product being revolutionary absolutely did my head in. Even when I left the group I'd get multiple shares on my Facebook feed or invites from others when competitions were running.

I have heard so much negative stuff about mlm on here. Yet one of the nicest people I know does one. She doesn't post post about what it does for her though. So I suspect it's just a little side income. I know another person who does one and had a few people under her. Whatever that means. She was much more on message about how it enabled her to leave her job and trained her how to run a buisness. But actually what she's doing is not the mlm, at least not full time so it can't be that financially amazing.

I have a FB friend who does Tropic, she's lovely but seems to go from MLM to MLM. She thinks she is a small local business though and constantly includes herself and other MLMers on posts meant to encourage support for local business such as cafes doing takeaway etc whilst she is actually part of a chain of exploitation.

@Becca19962014 that's bloody shocking! But not surprising

Body shop is a franchise, I know a shop owner, I bet she won't be happy that her customers can buy the products online like this.

bodyshop should support their shop owners.

artartart I know it's awful. I do think it explains why a lot do it.

That reminded me - one of my FB friends invites me to watch videos of her putting her makeup on then offering products at special offer.... far more expensive that I would pay for an eye shadow (don't wear it), foundation, primer, glower, base coat, top coat ...... the make up must be 3 inches thick with all these layers.

It is a bit sad really because the after pictures are so obviously filtered and make her look in her twenties - now we all know that make up doesn't do that (even really marked up to cover commission for these people) make up

Here’s an article about MLM companies using the coronavirus pandemic to exploit people who have been furloughed or have lost their jobs:

www.talentedladiesclub.com/articles/why-pyramid-schemes-are-not-a-cure-for-coronavirus/

I know someone on my Facebook is constantly posting about her daughter selling Bodyshop products another friend placed an order with her and 3 out of 4 items were out of stock
Also FM Perfumes is another one that everyone and anyone seems to be jumping on

@InDubiousBattle do you mean Temple Spa and Darcy’s Candles? If so then yes both are MLM. There’s a list of MLM on mlmtruth.org. Though that list is constantly changing as they go in and out of business or get shut down for being the pyramid schemes they really are!

MLMs are really exploiting the virus situation which is why there’s such an upsurge in people promoting things like Avon, Arbonne, BS etc. The MLMs will tell you it’s a business in a box, low barriers to entry and the sky’s the limit if you try hard enough. This is absolutely bollocks and it’s impossible to make money through selling product. Sometimes in the beginning there’s a bit of beginners luck when first tapping into one’s social network but that soon falls away and people are left with ongoing costs and often stock they can’t sell. That’s usually when they realise that the true agenda is to recruit new people; hence the desperate spamming “join my team”. The victim quickly becomes the perpetrator as it’s necessary to lie about how well you’re doing in order to sell on the opportunity. Over 99% of people signing up to MLM in the hope of working flexibly and contributing to the household costs actually lose money. Some people stick to selling a few products for pin money but even those people often find they’ve lost money once they calculate the costs involved and the purchases they make for themselves to stay active, and especially if they price the time they spend which could be spent earning proper money.

I think it’s a scandal that something like this continues to be deemed legal when the behaviour of the MLMs and the awful outcomes for most joiners are no different to those of illegal pyramids.

The documentary mentioned upthread is excellent. You’ll see from that docu that RITA is a popular acronym in MLM: Recruitment is the answer.

Great post @YouokHun....you said it much better than i could.

I really am all for helping people out but my timeline is full of body shop at the moment. I get asked to join these groups but I don't like their products. So I join the group so I don't upset my friends but I am in about ten of these same groups.

I remember being dragged along to a Herbalife meeting when MLMs were a very new thing. Luckily I was earning enough not to worry too much, so I bought a couple of products, tried it, ditched it. They kept bothering me for a long time though, but then I moved and, wonder of wonders, somehow I forgot to let them know my new address. This was way back before people even had home computers, let alone the internet or broadband, so it was possible to get away from it all.

You'll just have to ignore the SM stuff. MLMs are just pyramid schemes; I don't know why they're allowed to operate, considering.

Three or four of my friends have become FM consultants.

One of them seems to be doing very well and has a new Mercedes / trips to America planned.

She's been doing it for about a year and Apparently she has more than 600 people in her team. My friend is her auntie and not usually gullible. It's seems like she really could be making a lot of money.

I am very skeptical of the whole thing but what they've posted seems genuine - could it be?

I’ve noticed these an increase of people becoming them lately to!

I dunno but it’s really fucking annoying and I just have the one FB friend who does it.

I purchased one item off her just so she would stop harassing me!

Since then messaging asking if I want to buy a number for £2 with a chance of winning £50 worth of stuff.

No. I. Fucking. Don’t. Fuck. Off!!

Have now snoozed her personal and Body Shop FBs!!

There's a decent documentary on it on iPlayer right now "Secret life of multi level millionaires". I watched it last night, it didn't tell me anything new as I'm on a few anti-mlm pages but it is interesting if you're just learning.

Tropic (new one for me.. apparently she's been using their products for ages and noticed a real difference in her skin when she stopped using so now she's selling to everyone..for the greater good).

FM Perfumes (the same person does cupcakes on the side.. Avon on the side.. and works part times.. just pick one!)

Younique (the same person also does supplements and weightloss promotion etc.. no exercise though )

Juice Plus (shes been to Dubai on conferences for the company? All paid for?)

Arbonne (like above but.. Vegas).

That's off the top of my head..
.

I see BS as an ethical company

Give over! It might have been in the Anita Roddick days, but since it was bought by L'Oreal, it's about as ethical as Trump Ltd.

I cringe when I see the words "my small business"