Friend and FRICKING MLM!

[thatselementary]

Hope to keep this as anon as possible.

Have a friend (close one) join a cosmetics MLM (you know the one). Every day, she's badgering me to buy things and tickets to play her games and I politely bought stuff to begin with but now I'm fed up, I don't want it but I don't want to hurt her feelings. She's a single mum just trying to get some money for her kids but used this to guilt me. What do I do, AIBU to be firm even though it will cause a rift?

Say you don't have the spare cash right now but you wish her well? I have a friend who has just started an MLM but I told her, truthfully, that we're tightening our belts so I can't afford anything. Actually, I told her twice over three months so she must have forgotten But unfortunately it's the way of the MLM; after initially selling fairly well to friends and family who wast to be supportive, they then continue trying to get you to buy things because sales drop off.

They're everywhere. It's awful. I hate it too OP!

You need to tell her she will never make a living from this, the quicker she gets out the better.

She hasn't been doing it long- maybe a fortnight? I'm trying to be kind but I don't want the stuff but if I don't she says she's doing it for her kids and to support her

I tried @WotnoPasta. She's done one before and it didn't work. She won't listen.

It will end up costing her, there’s no money in these things

No sorry I can’t afford it just now.

Do you have kids too OP? If she says she is doing it to support her kids, can't you say you are having to tighten your belt also to make sure you can provide yours? So only essentials on the shopping list.

Sounds manipulative as fuck which would be a complete deal breaker for me. You don't owe her or her kids a single penny, she'd earn more and not alienate friends if she took a job at the supermarket. Tell her one more time crystal clearly that you won't be buying anything and to please don't ask you again. You don't owe her an explanation either, so you can ignore any demands for one or blackmail. You might well lose her as a friend to this but that will be her brainwashed choice and not your fault.

Send her a link to ellebeaublog or one of the of the other mlm sites?

My SIL is a full fledged hunbot and I just politely disengage from any conversation she tries to start about it. I have never, and will never, buy from an mlm.

Even my brother (her dh) tells her it's shit and to stop wasting time and money 😂

I had this recently, an old work colleague I used to be quite friendly with but lost touch with added me on fb. I thought oh how nice, haven’t spoken to her in ages! We used to have coffee together and drinks after work etc.

She sent me a message after I accepted the add and I thought it would be a ‘hi how are you’ type thing but it was a full on younique pitch . Looked at her profile and yes it’s all make up ads and inspirational memes ().

I know we weren’t exactly close mates but I felt a bit sad that I was hoping she added me so we could reconnect but she merely saw me as another potential customer. It’s so gross that their entire business model is based on taking advantage of good will from friends/family in order to profit off them.

I would be truthful and tell her how awful MLM are and I will never give them a penny of money.
99% of people who get involved LOSE money and friends.
There are so many of them trying to take advantage of this pandemic. Absolutely disgusting.

Just say no thanks, you can't afford it.
Then stick to it, she can't force you to buy anything.

Ask her if she's a business or a charity. If she's a business she should try not to piss off her customers.
MLMs are terrible. Maybe say you've been recruited by another Younique "business owner" as it looked so great and you can't wait to sell her some amazing new stuff!

I know someone who’s just joined lifevantage. She posted something a few days ago asking if anyone wanted to know how they could become more healthy and straight away I knew she was involved in an MLM - the posts have been pretty relentless since then, I feel sorry for her getting sucked in.

Get her to watch the documentary about MLM on iplayer. A woman on there lost thousands to this nonsense.

I've got one at the moment. I deactivated my SM accounts several months ago and thought I'd be free- unfortunately I didn't realise how desperate they are and she now emails me and texts me about her wares. I feel awful but I've just ignored her. Having said that she doesn't seem to feel awful sending me repeated messages about the shit she's selling.

One of my friends does a perfume one AND Bodyshop. It’s relentless. I will occasionally buy one perfume from her twice a year or so because it’s actually a really nice scent but I don’t use Bodyshop products so will never buy those (and I’m sure you can get it cheaper online there’s always discounts codes floating about) but she keeps tagging me in her raffles, prize draws, giveaways etc and I’m just not interested.

"I don't want the stuff but if I don't she says she's doing it for her kids and to support her"
If she was a good friend she would not attempt to manipulate you. Be firm, tell her straight you don't want it. If she tries to guilt-trip you, tell her that being manipulative is very unattractive and you don't want to be used. If she persists, then bin her. It is not your responsibility to provide her with an income or put food on the table for her kids. She needs to find a proper job.

Tell her straight. You don't need it or want it. Tell her you found your usual brands better and will be sticking to those. Tell her to support your own children you can't afford to be doing it. Its her choice to join a bloody pyramid scheme not yours. She will eventually learn.

Does anyone know if Best Self Academy is a MLM? I’ve had 2 friends on Facebook (different parts of the country) suddenly putting loads of adverts about it. I can’t even work out what it is?

they are ALL MLMS, that is a pyramid scheme with a few tweaks to make it legal.

just block and ignore. Or tell them to get into drug dealing which is slightly more honest, at least people know what they are getting and how it works.

MLM bots are trained to think that “No” doesn’t mean no: it means not right now, so they’ll just keep on pestering you every few weeks.

Have you sent her this? Younique is one of the MLMs under scrutiny.

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

You need to be honest with her, I had this and it's awful, next time she asks say "Please don't try to manipulate me, a business that requires you to guilt your friends to buy things they don't need or want for you to make money is not a good one. I bought off you once, I wish you luck but because I love you and want our friendship to continue I am drawing a line to this and telling you now that I will not be buying from you again so please do not ask me"

Someone I know does a skincare MLM. She has awful skin so it’s not a great advert. She does the weird YouTube voice when she spams Instagram with videos.

So annoying.