Aibu to ask you to talk to me about younique!

[Pitterpatterpotter]

I have lots of friends on social media who try to sell stuff, eg tropic skincare and body shop, but I’ve noticed my 2 younique fb friends post all the time and have sent me message asking me to post their posts etc (which I haven’t done).

Anyway my lovely and usually sensible friend has now announced she is a younique presenter and I am worried about her. She has invested a lot of money already and seems to mostly be buying stuff herself. I have another friend who sells tropic who buys £200 a month of stuff off herself so I know this is common, but this particular friend doesn’t have any experience with makeup and doesn’t have much money. She’s changed completely and talks about younique all the bloody time. I’ve watched some anti mlm videos and read a good blog about younique and I’m genuinely worried about her. The company seems morally questionable with their charity work with vulnerable women apparently used to recruit new younique presenters. How can I help her? She’s investing money and time into this that she hasn’t got and every single time I speak to her she now tries to sell me something

Maybe the 1% who thinks I’m being unreasonable and actually works for younique could answer?
It worries me a lot as the ‘we help vulnerable women’ line is what has sold 2 of my friends now.

I was on LinkedIn earlier and saw lots of posts from airline cabin crew who have been made redundant and had posted about it. I was shocked by how many MLMs had replied to them saying that it would be a great career move!

@Sharkerr

You need guidance to get that really intense spider lashes look! Not just any old so and so can manage it, takes a good eight or nine coats!

That’s where I’m going wrong!

It’s funny but I’m pretty sure that my friend who does Younique never wore make up previously. Yet they’re all of a sudden experts.

I just had a google, and those retreats seem to be in the USA.

They may or may not be any good, no idea.

But you could message back to your friend:

• I already give money to some carefully selected charities, and am not looking to (cannot afford right now to) add to them

• thank you. I have no interest in buying your brand, and instead have made a donation to Look Good Feel Better which is a charity that does really good work here in U.K. With female cancer patients and is widely supported by the beauty industry

@Pitterpatterpotter

ellebeaublog.com/2017/08/25/the-younique-foundation-charity-or-travesty-lets-look-at-the-facts/

https://timelessvie.wordpress.com/2016/10/26/younique-raise-awareness-of-sexual-abuse-by-buying-our-makeup-yall/

A friend of mine has been sucked into Body Shop. As far as I can see, she hasn't made a penny. Her posts are generally ignored by everyone except for other bots or people she's recruited herself.

One of my nieces has two or three on the go - Darceys', FM World and something else to do with sweets. The only people who seem to support her are her mum and her best friend.

I don't think it's coincidence that they're both young SAHP's and don't have much behind them in the way of work experience or education.

The Younique retreat is in Utah... and it’s really not what it seems either. It’s almost like a Scientology cult. Look up on Elle Beau as someone applied to it to see what it was like.

I have a bot who has done them all so far. Every year or so she jumps to a new one. She’s on scentsy right now and not very good at even explaining what the scents actually are so if I did want to buy something I am sure this is how she lures you in to find out more and then try to sell you as a rep. I honestly don’t know why she doesn’t get a proper job, her DC are old enough and she’s intelligent 🤷🏻‍♀️

My neighbour has started tropic now and spamming me with that. It’s direct selling so you don’t need to buy through a rep anyway I think. £25 for a Mascara is insane. I do use Clinique moisturiser though but have no desire to spend £56 on Tropic when I don’t even know if it’s any good

I hate MLM’s. I fell out with a friend over not wanting to be involved in Arbonne

I hate mlm's with a passion, but have since learned that when a friend is sucked in they either paint you as a 'detractor' for speaking out against it or 'not a true friend' for not supporting them.

No I don't normally give a crap if it's an acquaintance but I hate seeing people I cared about brainwashed. And the spammy messages!

A friend told me that she does the following:

She said she, as a 'show of support' buys one thing. Something that's cheap enough that she won't miss the money.

Then she messages her friend and tells her it was the worst product she's ever used. Depending on the product, she'll go on a tirade and say it made her itch, break out in hives, was extremely bad quality, made her sick, etc. etc. and that she wishes her friend the best of luck but won't be purchasing any more products of those products.

She said she rarely gets spammed again, and that she gets a strange satisfaction out of it.

Not sure what to male of it really. Is it evil? Is it genius? Is it pointless? You can decide.

The DSA (Direct Selling Association) is on a desperate charm offensive at the moment. In a recent Woman’s Hour interview on BBC Radio 4, The DSA Overlord expressed a wish to move away from labels like MLM and network marketing in favour of calling MLM and Network Marketing “direct sales.” This unconvincing change may fool people who are easily fooled, but thankfully a lot of us are wise enough to realise that a scam by any other name will still smell like bullshit.

The DSA regulates itself: it is the equivalent of Dracula managing a blood bank. Its board members (what a rogues’ gallery that is) consists of the usual suspects including managers of Arbonne and Forever Living.

I'm astounded that someone is becoming a Younique presenter in 2020. I think the last of my FB friends to try this, fail and then abruptly delete all traces of this particular MLM was about 4 years ago! This shit really does appeal to the most vulnerable :(
@AzraiL I think your friend is odd and almost trolling. I wouldn't part with any money for a MLM product on principle, also I hate to raise hopes, all so I could then slag it off and admit getting a thrill out of it. I think that's nasty behaviour.

@Menora £25 is for the mascara and fibres kit. Mascara on its own is £18.
£56 gets you the full set of cleanser and cloth, toner, moisturiser and a free face mask. Not just moisturiser.

Tropic don't sell in stores as it's made fresh without harsh preservatives. They are avoiding more toxic ingredients common in big brand ranges that boost their profits. Store products are often over 5 years old by the time they are sold so are full of heavy stuff to stop them growing mould.

I don't sell any brand but work in health/beauty and do like what I've tried and they are genuinely fully certified vegan, cruelty free (my area of interest) and are carbon neutral. Plus contribute to an education charity United World Schools which is easy to find out about.

They are also a UK brand founded by a woman and not run by the Mormon creeps like Younique.

Here's an article where the founder of Tropic spoke to those investigating MLM. It seems very fair and ties in with what I know about Tropic.

www.talentedladiesclub.com/articles/how-much-can-you-earn-with-mlm-tropic-skincare/

There are tons of mlm ambassadors on our local fb page. A few tropic, arbonne, temple spa, forever living essential oils, travel consultants, utility warehouse etc. Occassionally you'll get a "job opportunity" do you want the chance to earn up to £500/month, choose your hours, work round family life etc etc. PM me for details. There are usually lots of people of people interested when the person has put the vaguely, most minimal info job description ever. I'm never sure why they cant be up front about what their "fantastic opportunity" actually is, and what the job really entails

@Pitterpatterpotter some would say the retreat is an IRS tax dodge more than anything else. From what I’ve gathered there is a telephone assessment to assess suitability (no idea who is doing the assessment in terms of their knowledge but I suspect they have a list of exclusion criteria rather than inclusion criteria). If someone’s been the victim of CSA they could (Very understandably) have trauma and/or depression, anxiety, be in need or have a diagnosis of a mental health disorder. They may have medication for any of the above. All of these things exclude you from taking part in the retreat. Even 10mg of a common antidepressant and it’s a “no”. So to attend the retreat for help with SA you need to be psychologically well with no residual problems, but you do need the means to fly yourself to Utah.

But why would you, especially if you’re from the U.K? in this country (and I believe in the US too) we have charities/agencies such as Family Matters who are specialists in the very specific counselling methods needed for CSA. Normal primary care MH counsellors/therapists don’t work in this area but refer on. These free agencies don’t exclude someone on the basis of the typical challenges one might have as a victim!

So what is the Y Retreat actually for? Your friend is being hoodwinked. There’s little evidence they’re a charity in the true sense and there’s no evidence they do any good (just anecdote).

Also when Younique cries about doing good in the community in the US this is off the backs of the reps who are asked to donate under the umbrella of Younique. Younique Corporate doesn’t put its hand in its pocket at all just laps up the good PR.

No one mlm company is better than any other. They are all god awful, pray in the vulnerable, are cult like, and it is extremely rare that anyone apart from those at the top male any money.
Doesn't matter whether the company is founded by a Mormon in Utah or an English businesswoman. They are all glorified pyramid schemes and should be banned.
Phrases such as "the product really just sells itself!" As spouted by a PP. give me strength!
And the photos/images of the lifestyles that these businesses can help provide? The white Mercedes, the holidays. All bullshit. "fake it til you make it".
I've lost a few friends this way. Some family members went bankrupt after a run in with Amway a few years back.
My Younique bot still hasn't got the message... I keep getting added to her private FB group. I keep removing myself and then she keeps adding me again. I might unfriend her.
The other thing I see, and hate about the health ones such as Arbonne, Forever Livjng, Juice plus ( are they still a thing?) is the awful claims some of the worst of the bots made. Juice plus cured my diabetes, infertility, coronavirus...
Then if challenged, then try to bamboozle you with science by linking research papers that prove these snake oils are magnificent. When you study the papers carefully, for the most part, the studies are conducted by the actual company themselves, and the "scientists" are all employees.
So dodgy.

Is the fake perfume one an MLM?

My friend's sister in law got into it early last year. She really does now have a Mercedes (I've seen it) and has given up her day job.

I think she has 600-700 people in her group and my friend has started her own group. I'm stepping away from my friend because it's all 'like my page, be in a raffle etc'.

Can people really make long term money if they have a huge team? Surely it can't be a pleasant way to make money?

EinsteinaGogo
FM is the fake perfume one and it is an MLM.

As with any MLM a small number of people can make reasonable money, but they only make that money by getting in early, recruiting a lot of downlines and their downlines building the pyramid. There's a huge amount of pressure to push downlines to buy their own products for raffles and sales and offers so that the uplines can keep their status and make money.

Some people have no issues with preying on vulnerable women, befriending them and playing on their insecurities and aspirations and trying to hook them in.

Can someone explain the fake perfume one to me?

A friend is doing it (no I haven’t bought anything). But it’s the ‘it’s made in the same factory but stronger’ part I don’t understand.

Enderman
You know when you'd go to your local town market and they'd have knock off perfumes that are sold as 'smell alikes'? It's just like that but with lots of lies, hype, mis-selling and manipulative recruitment.

Totalitarian, the incentive trips by Tropic are genuine. A colleague of mine looked into this too. They have one big trip incentive per year which around 200 qualify for (in the last couple of years that she looked at). Tropic pay flights, hotels, meals, drinks with meals. Qualifiers really don't seem to need to pay anything major towards the trips.

Candyflosscookie the holiday posts that annoy me aren't the incentive trips, but rather the "living my best life. Here I am in Spain on holiday. Thank you younique" with selfie of legs on a sun lounger.

Bloody weight loss coffee, Herbalife and body shop have been dominating my social media for the last couple of weeks. Lock down and furlough has given the MLM bots a great reason to recruit the vulnerable who are worried about paying their bills.

God listening to people say “no this one is actually genuine! I’ve seen the Mercedes! This one isn’t full of horrible chemicals!”

Urgh!! This is the same old bilge spouted by all MLM people. It’s nothing new and it’s all bollocks!