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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

What’s the R number of MLM schemes?

241 replies

ReeseWitherfork · 04/10/2020 20:13

Goodness me the MLMs are ramping up! Or is it just the people I associate with?!

So I don’t have a “am I being unreasonable” but rather “how do I reasonably tell people they’re being idiots?” Does no one do any research before joining one? Because I can’t imagine google is telling them it’s a good idea.

I’ve only ever replied to texts telling me people have joined with a “thanks! xx” Has anyone been braver?

OP posts:
TimeIhadaNameChange · 05/10/2020 18:12

I did question a MLM bit recently about how much money she was losing to it. She assured me she wasn't, and wouldn't, but I'm not convinced.

ReginaTheEvilQueen · 05/10/2020 19:03

I sadly have someone on my fb who just doesn't learn, at last count she was doing 7 different mlms with a facebook group set up for each plus a collective one for all of them, she has less than 10 people in each group and despite spamming people with invites she doesn't get anymore people join, she also spams her own fb wall with ads for these products and inviting people to join her in an amazing business opportunity, nobody comments on these posts, so she's clearly not getting many if any orders, but still she plugs on and has been doing this for a couple of years Sad

Ughmaybenot · 05/10/2020 19:37

Utility warehouse! Wtf is that?! Someone keeps posting on her insta story about it, and that seems even more fucking daft than most... surely you can just shop around yourself?

Thorgod · 05/10/2020 19:41

I just want to say this thread title made me snort into my tea and I love it. Thanks! Grin

AlexCabot · 05/10/2020 19:42

Regina I know someone similar. She is currently in Avon, FM World, TS Life and Usborne.

She's previously done Darceys, Body Shop and some candle thing, Partylife I think.

She's asking for recommendations for a new company to join.

It's ever so sad really, she's been living in utter poverty for years and genuinely sees these companies as her way out when a part time job in a supermarket would make far more difference.

PurBal · 05/10/2020 19:42

Distant relative by marriage got into it recently. Her posts are blocked. I feel so bad for her.

ReeseWitherfork · 05/10/2020 19:51

Haha you are welcome Thorgod hope your tea is OK!

Couple of you have made me realise why MLMs seem to be so damn infectious amongst my peers: early 30s female.

OP posts:
Nonamesavail · 05/10/2020 20:15

Loads of scentsy/body shop and Avon around here.

Nonamesavail · 05/10/2020 20:15

oh and the same Avon thing happened to me when I was a new mum at 17 she was so pushy to come back to my flat I just couldn't say no and signed up!

SchrodingersImmigrant · 05/10/2020 20:23

@AlexCabot

Regina I know someone similar. She is currently in Avon, FM World, TS Life and Usborne.

She's previously done Darceys, Body Shop and some candle thing, Partylife I think.

She's asking for recommendations for a new company to join.

It's ever so sad really, she's been living in utter poverty for years and genuinely sees these companies as her way out when a part time job in a supermarket would make far more difference.

Harsh, but maybe this is one of the factors why she lives in poverty... All of these cost and this is only what you see. Imagine what you don't.
AlexCabot · 05/10/2020 20:41

Schrodinger I agree, unfortunately she seems to think that there will be some kind of 'magic bullet' that will get her out of her situation and that's exactly how these companies advertise themselves.

When uplines are lying through their teeth to recruit, making out that they're earning shitloads of easy money there will always be people desperate enough to believe it.

AdobeWanKenobi · 05/10/2020 23:17

Is there any way to buy stuff without a hunbot? There is a scentsy burner I'd love to get dd for Christmas but I don't want to encourage them.
Can you still buy direct from the Avon website etc?

BrightYellowDaffodil · 05/10/2020 23:31

@AdobeWanKenobi Have you tried eBay? I’m sure I e seen that stuff on there.

amieejust · 05/10/2020 23:35

FM perfumes and travel agents are the worst, yet appear to have perfect, envy inducing lifestyles and hundreds of friends. And they brag so much!

Very cult like.

AdobeWanKenobi · 05/10/2020 23:37

[quote BrightYellowDaffodil]@AdobeWanKenobi Have you tried eBay? I’m sure I e seen that stuff on there.[/quote]
Hmm not a bad idea, I just feel a bit dirty participating 😂

jakeyboy1 · 05/10/2020 23:38

Someone I know does Bodyshop and kept posting about being a "Christmas elf" to get orders for her. I had a look out of sheer nosiness... get £50 orders for her and you get.... a free handcream! Not even a full size one! Who signs up to this?!

jakeyboy1 · 05/10/2020 23:41

Also the Argonne and the white Mercedes thing... Poor woman I know has been telling me how she will get hers "soon" for years. Alternatively get yourself a proper job and you could buy one and even choose the colour!

jakeyboy1 · 05/10/2020 23:41

*Arbonne not Argonne

AdobeWanKenobi · 05/10/2020 23:47

They seriously pissed me off over lockdown with the 'sponsor a free hand cream for the nhs'
It was basically 'buy from me and I'll give it to a nurse '. One particularly dense hun even started a go fund me for her bloody creams which thankfully was shut down pretty quickly.

WeeM · 05/10/2020 23:56

I was recently invited to a local Facebook group which someone started to encourage people to shop in small local businesses for Xmas shopping. Great idea I thought as the person who invited does have an actual real small business. But oh no, the group is absolutely full to the gunnels with effing mlms. The same people posting over and over about the same things which totally takes over-and no one is liking or commenting on the posts. They just don’t take the hint!! I’ve seen everything: partylite, scentsy, usborne, body shop you name it. Part of me wants to leave the group but I also don’t want to miss a genuine nice small business who might be selling something good!

The usborne books baffles me most, they have some great books but I’d just buy them from elsewhere cheaper! I don’t get it.

YouokHun · 06/10/2020 00:24

@Port1aCastis

My very good friend is an Avon rep, she's trying to make a few pounds as she's been made redundant like many thousands of others, so I've bought some bits from her to try and help out! Nothing wrong with trying everything wrong with sitting on arse doing nothing.
The reason that MLM is everywhere is that people are losing their jobs and there is a massive drive by MLMs and the DIrect Selling Association that promotes MLM to exploit this situation. People are being told that MLM is a viable WFH option. People’s guard is down because they’re understandable worried, and it’s this kind of vulnerability MLMs always target. People are sold a lie and when it goes wrong they are told that it’s their fault when in fact the continued success for everyone in this sort of scheme is a mathematical impossibility.

People are also told to expect criticism and that when it comes it will indicate that the critic is envious and is a sad, negative person, trapped in a traditional job. So when you do try and warn people they are already primed to dismiss you as “unsupportive”. Women are sold the idea that MLM is “female empowerment” but it’s the very opposite.

These are not product selling companies, they are recruitment devices that make their money from the people signing up and buying product for themselves (and to try to sell) and paying for training, conferences, cult-like gatherings and websites etc. This isn’t going to rescue people in financial dire straits due to Covid, it’s going to give them more problems. This is an industry where more than 99% of sign ups lose money. In buying MLM product from a friend, though well meant, it isn’t supporting them, it’s supporting the MLM and prolonging the agony because it is almost impossible to make any money at all in any consistent way And it’s better to find that out sooner rather than later. The only way to make money in MLM is to recruit a large downline and encourage them to buy buy buy, because uplines aren’t paid on what downline’s sell, they’re paid on what downlines purchase. No wonder there’s so much pressure for sign ups at the bottom of the pyramid to get their wallets out! Honestly, @Port1aCastis Your friend would be better off sitting on her arse doing nothing, it’s certainly likely to be more lucrative.

I run a website on the subject (along with others), there’s a few resources there. www.mlmtruth.org

YouokHun · 06/10/2020 00:28

@jakeyboy1

Also the Argonne and the white Mercedes thing... Poor woman I know has been telling me how she will get hers "soon" for years. Alternatively get yourself a proper job and you could buy one and even choose the colour!
The white Mercedes thing: when you hit a certain level the lease agreement is taken out for you In your name and if you keep hitting targets each month then Arbonne covers the cost. But one slip and you’re left with expensive monthly costs on a car that isn’t yours. Not quite what it seems like everything in MLM.
Sniv · 06/10/2020 00:28

Interesting to read about coaching being the new thing. I've had a couple of people pushing their new coaching businesses on social media recently and thought it was a bit bizarre.

ReeseWitherfork · 06/10/2020 07:04

When I checked this thread before bed last night I thought “I wonder why YouokHun hasn’t been along. It felt a bit like I wanted the popular girl in schools attention. And here you are with your amazing wealth of knowledge (woohoo!). I always enjoy reading what you’ve got to say because it’s so calm and informative. I had previously missed the fact that website was yours though (of course it is now I see!)

@YouokHun is there anything in the works to try and legislate against MLMs?

OP posts:
SchrodingersImmigrant · 06/10/2020 08:27

@AdobeWanKenobi

They seriously pissed me off over lockdown with the 'sponsor a free hand cream for the nhs' It was basically 'buy from me and I'll give it to a nurse '. One particularly dense hun even started a go fund me for her bloody creams which thankfully was shut down pretty quickly.
I was so angry because local uni "worked together with body shop rep" and for only 4 quid, you too could send a cream to NHS. A UNI!
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