I’m prepared to be told I am!

[Funsize123]

I’m doing a local virtual Christmas fair.
I said no MLM and have spent hours removing people who ignored me and spammed the fair with MLM ‘hun’ messages.

I thought people browsing the virtual Christmas fair would not want to have to see loads of messages from MLM sellers. AIBU to remove them?

Put hand made, hand crafted in your USP. That won't stop them all but will remind you why you are deliberately depriving them of an audience.

I learned that the hard way! But won't ever feel guilty about it. They can do what the rest of us do... Get a properly personal product and stop with the high level emotional blackmail!

There's a really excellent FB group called Buy in Ireland that I've been following. They only have small businesses located within Ireland and it's really well moderated. If there were any MLMs then I would have looked once and then left. So you are doing the right thing. They wouldn't just do one or two posts, they would bloody swamp your lovely FB group.

Suggest that they set up their own Christmas fair FB group to suit their purposes. You could offer to share their contact details with other MLM sellers if they would like (they won't like).

Something popped up on my social media this morning about supporting local independent businesses during lockdown and every single one on the list is MLM

Everyone of those posts I see, is just full of MLMs. Usually started by some Younique bot.

Suggest that they set up their own Christmas fair FB group to suit their purposes. You could offer to share their contact details with other MLM sellers if they would like (they won't like).

This is GENIUS.

PMSL at the thought of this giant circle of MLM bots trying to recruit each other.

You are one million percent not being unreasonable.

As somewhere around 97% people in MLMs make no money or actually lose money, you're not responsible for the fact they're not making anything.

Small businesses my arse. They're just salespeople for massively rich companies!

I'd run a mile from the fair at the first sniff of an MLM so you're doing the right thing OP!

I was invited to one of these groups a few weeks ago. Was great at first now it's all body shop, herbal life, etc.
So I've muted the group. Shame because there was some nice stuff on there I was interested in but I camt be bothered to sift through all the mlm posts.

@PumpkinCheater I got stuck on a networking thing with two of them a few weeks ago. It was hilarious as they tripped over themselves to say how great business was doing. Utter cringe.

I think half the people involved in MLM's don't realise that's what they actually are. They're completely suckered into thinking they're a #bossbabe or #businesswoman

I can guarantee every single person who votes for YABU on here will be a hun not wanting to peddle their wears In my eyes you are doing everyone a favour and YANBU! Good on you OP 👏

Please could you private message me the link, or put it on here if you’re allowed. Thank you x

YANBU but I had to click on YABU just to be contrary and to make my mark! ;)

@MLMbotsgoaway

Oh my God... you got caught in a hun-off!

YANBU!

I always feel sorry for them at first as it's so predatory and designed to capture women in a very particular set of circumstances. But they must know what's going on once they're told to start recruiting and the maths doesn't add up, and they just become massive pains in the arse. Nobody wants to be told they need Tropic skincare (with fifty leaf emojis) five times a day while they're trying to buy their Christmas presents!

Also, on a more logistical note, they'd probably use the membership list of the fair as new people to contact directly, so they'd end up getting spammed with a load of message from MLMers, which would make you look bad.

You are absolutely doing the right thing @Funsize123. MLM is a menace. Those people think they have their own business but they really don’t. More than 99% of total sign ups to MLM lose money and the people pestering you are probably the ones tricked into it during the first lockdown. They are now pinning their hopes on Christmas but there is only so much Body Shop atHome, Avon, Scentsy, Tropic, Arbonne, Usbourne, Younique etc etc they can sell as product wise they’re selling to a tiny pool. The only way they’re going to make money is to recruit a massive downline and keep recruiting. It’s a scam and has no place at a Christmas Fair or anywhere else. Ultimately those people (usually women) are victims, the trouble is they are also perpetrators.

I don’t think I’m allowed to post a link here.
Thank you for letting me know I’m not a complete cow for not allowing MLM!

@DinkBoo me too, our local Christmas Fayre Facebook page was quickly filling up with MLMs so I left, I felt the rage

Absolutely not unreasonable!

Can you have a word with my local Facebook jobs page though?
Sick of seeing "work from home, all your prayers answered - no start up fees" then seeing "inboxed you hun" if anyone enquires 🤦🏽‍♀️

Yes good point @yelyah22, another area MLM distributors have no training is handling data so they’ll absolutely spam any visible name. One senior Forever Living Hun put a photo up on Instagram showing her computer screen with all her downline and prospects names, DoB, emails, phone numbers and home addresses.

It also taints the event and means that genuine small businesses make a mental note to go elsewhere and so do most of the real customers. This is from a few years ago and not U.K. but relevant mlmtruth.org/2018/02/28/reader-opinion-mlm-at-craft-shows-and-handmade-events-bad-for-small-businesses/

I had one of the offenders say she was confused as to why her post had been removed as she didn’t know what MLM meant!

There is a similar local one to me. They have allowed 1 seller per brand so it's not overwhelmed (150 odd sellers in all)

Like you say there is loads of great stuff on there that I wouldn't usually wake. Bought 4 gifts so far!

I'm in one of these groups and the amazing crafts that people make from scratch are being obscured by body shop, tropic and scentsy. You aren't the same as these small businesses that hand make an amazing product!! Grrr

@Funsize123

I had one of the offenders say she was confused as to why her post had been removed as she didn’t know what MLM meant!

This is the sad reality. People just don't realise exactly what it is they're buying in to. They fall for the glitz and glamour and the promise of making loads of money.

‘But you too could have amazing lashes like me!’ ‘Piss off hun’

YANBU
I joined a local facebook Christmas market hoping for some nice locally sourced gifts. Nope, 90% MLM.