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Original poster

Family member trying to sign us up for overpriced stuff

75 replies

lookatmememe · 04/09/2020 10:15

Am I being unreasonable to not buy stuff from family member who's now 'selling products' that are far more expensive than what anyone can buy in the high street, that claim to do the same things ?! ( think multi vits / sliming products etc)

Especially when I see posts on their social media saying how much bonus they have earn't for them and the person who signed them up ?

It's not like they are unemployed, this is in addition for their full time work.

I get they they are trying to make money. i get that things might be tough for people at the moment. But I also think it's kind of unfair to bombard family and guilt them into buying the stuff .

I'm on the app so no idea if this will set up a poll or not - but if it does

I am being unreasonable= I should support them and buy the stuff from them

I'm not being unreasonable = just say I'll stick with the brand I currently use thanks.

Thanks in advance .

OP posts:
Original poster
lookatmememe · 04/09/2020 11:13

I'm so pleased it's a resounding no !! Thank you !!

OP posts:
WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 04/09/2020 11:14

So effectively expecting you to just give them your money purely because they would like some more? No different really from standing outside Poundland with your purchases and expecting people to buy them off you for a fiver each. I know young kids will try to earn a bit of pocket money by selling their parents overpriced snacks or drinks that they've made from ingredients the parents have already paid for, but for an adult to be doing this? Madness.

Settleandcalm · 04/09/2020 11:18

Ah the white Mercedes bots, such utter bollocks, lies and using of people. Flat no and support them when they realise every single person in their friends group now avoids them. MLM should be outlawed I will never understand how people get sucked in.

oakleaffy · 04/09/2020 11:20

MLM are a complete con.

Do not buy them...I wondered why people were pushing them when better/cheaper items are available in the shops...Then I realised that
The real £££ comes from ''Selling the idea to others''....

When I told the friend this, he said ''We don't want you as part of the business anyway''

Business?? A complete con. It nearly cost him his marriage.

MulticolourMophead · 04/09/2020 11:23

@IWantT0BreakFree

MLM bullshit. I have family members (on DH's side - mine have their flaws but none of them would stoop to this) who are involved in a certain MLM that allows them to earn a white Mercedes (lease, that they are ultimately responsible for paying 🙄). They have pestered me to the point that I have had to be quite curt in return. They do this fucking arsehole's trick of wording it like "I really need your support to help me achieve my dreams and goals".

You need to view it like this: yes, family and friends support each other. So where is their support for you? Why are they trying to make you spend money you don't want to/can't afford to spend? That's unkind, rude, unsupportive, exploitative wankery. You owe them NOTHING if they would treat you like that.

My family members are already much wealthier than we are and they are attempting to guilt me into spending money that they know I don't have, money that I need to feed and clothe their nieces and nephews, to fund their ridiculous Instagram lifestyle of partying on yachts and taking endless city breaks. It's taken me some time to find my teeth but I have a zero tolerance for their BS now. If they cared about us, they wouldn't be trying to take our money. So I no longer feel the need to be polite or feel guilty for not handing over my hard earned cash.

This. Exactly this.

I will givce support, but if the support required involves my money, then no.

Mammatino · 04/09/2020 11:28

Oh god I hate this stuff. I'm such a push o er too, I use supermarket moisturiser for fucks sake. I am not paying £40 for a sample size of oily strong smelling cat piss. I distance myself from people like this. I've done the whole I'm skint thing then they just harass you to be recruited. Just bugger off, if anyone gets a brand new merc out of your little bits of tat it won't be us.

SockYarn · 04/09/2020 11:30

You're not supporting them. You're helping them dig themselves into a bigger, more expensive hole to get out of.

user1471538283 · 04/09/2020 11:38

Do not buy a thing. Your buying stuff will only increase the pestering and the ultimate fall out from the "business". These MLMs are cruel and you would only be giving money higher up the chain

WhatifIfeellikeacat · 04/09/2020 11:46

OP, I remember my relative was trying to do the same. I just said I had my favourite products I was very happy with that I could buy at the supermarkets.

IWantT0BreakFree · 04/09/2020 11:46

And this isn't bitterness, it's the honest truth - the products are shit. Having been "gifted" all the little samples, the products are just not up to scratch.

BSintolerant · 04/09/2020 11:51

MLM! Run away! Run away!

WhatWouldYouDoWhatWouldJesusDo · 04/09/2020 11:54

God no. These MLM schemes are so exploitative to struggling families who believe they really can change their lives.

The only one I've known of anyone even making any money is scentsy. Stupidly overpriced product but one does OK and uses the money as her kids treats fund. Another does really well and has had holidays and stuff, they even gave her the money her holiday would have cost because it was cancelled due to corona.......these are in the minority tho. Most people get nowhere and those who buy from them because they feel sorry for them only encourage the false hope.

JulieHere · 04/09/2020 12:04

Don't encourage these MLM people. Most of the cost of the product is commission and different layers of people get different amounts.
They basically encourage people to RIP OFF their family and friends so that them and people further up the chain earn commission - it's sad and frankly IMO disgusting. I don't entertain any of these DIRECTORS/LIVING MY OWN BEST LIFE shysters at all.

Get a proper job where there is no need to guilt trip people into buying or rip people off.

ddl1 · 04/09/2020 12:04

YANBU. You are not obliged to buy anything you don't want to, especially if it's overpriced.

justilou1 · 04/09/2020 12:08

This whole type of marketing is entirely parasitic. Say no and keep saying no. Get louder and use swear words if you need to.

Persipan · 04/09/2020 12:09

They are almost certainly not making money from it, but the MLM model requires them to tempt other people to sign up to sell the stuff too, so it needs to look like running their 'business' is a lucrative and wonderful lifestyle otherwise nobody would want to. It's a horrible, exploitative model which chews people up and costs them money they typically don't have. I hope they see the light soon and get free of it.

CodenameVillanelle · 04/09/2020 12:13

These MLM bots rely on guilting their friends and family into buying their crap which gives them the illusion that they are being successful. They need to learn ASAP that they won't make money in this scam so refusing to buy is actually a kindness

Pearsapiece · 04/09/2020 12:22

I'm shocked by the amount of intelligent people who get sickednin by these MLM schemes. It makes me view them differently. Steer well clear

FetchezLaVache · 04/09/2020 12:29

If the person at the top of the pyramid recruits six people, each of whom recruit a further six people and so on, you have run out of inhabitants of the earth by level 14. Like @TrickorTreacle, I cannot understand how MLMs are still legal.

CleverCatty · 04/09/2020 12:31

nope don't buy and ignore. That's what I do. They're MLMs

Ginkypig · 04/09/2020 12:35

See I don't really understand why mlm is confused as real business.rather than clearly seen as the scam that it is?

If someone close to you was sucked into any other scam you wouldn't even consider pretending to support them never mind giving them money to support them being even further sucked in to the scam so why is it seen differently when it's a mlm?

If the family/friend contacted you to say that a foreign prince had emailed them and needed money for an investment and they wanted you to give them money on top as as it would enable them to triple their money from the prince you would be immediately trying to help them from being taken advantage of so why would you consider buying products that allow them to be more heavily pulled into an mlm scheme?

DobbyLovesSocks · 04/09/2020 12:35

I have two fb friends selling the same MLM - its quite funny how their posts mirror each other. Plus they keep doing those stupid 'live' videos, mostly talking bollocks. I've had to snooze them both as its so annoying.
Worst thing is when they use their children to sell their product - I'm giving my child the best start by giving them this stuff. No, no you are not

SockYarn · 04/09/2020 12:48

@Pearsapiece

I'm shocked by the amount of intelligent people who get sickednin by these MLM schemes. It makes me view them differently. Steer well clear
Quite. Someone who I was at school with has a well-paid, professional occupation (along the lines of physiotherapist, vet, dentist). She was the smartest kid in the school, aced all her exams.

And here she is 20 years on posting shite about how you can join her bodyshop at home team.

Just show you can be book-smart, and thick as shit all at the same time.

Durgasarrow · 04/09/2020 12:53

"Family and business don't mix." Repeat.

acatcalledjohn · 04/09/2020 12:54

YANBU for not buying a product you don't want/need for whatever your reason may be.

And given that it's from a pyramid scam it's even more acceptable for you to avoid it like the plague.

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