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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

My cousin is about to give up her career as a teacher to join a pyramid scheme

229 replies

OurHouseInTheMiddle · 10/11/2020 11:29

AIBU to tell her that she is insane? I cannot cope with her Facebook posts anymore either! She has honestly become brainwashed.

OP posts:
PiperPiper20 · 10/11/2020 17:06

*sneak

LilacPebbles · 10/11/2020 17:16

This is madness! How could anyone with a real career consider this and throw it all away? I thought the worst things about these scams were that they target the financially vulnerable who don't feel they have other prospects or stay at home parents, which is why they are so bloody awful.

lovelovelove2020 · 10/11/2020 17:17

@Puzzledandpissedoff

2 of my dh cousins do the fake perfume one.... so annoying

I don't think I've heard of this one - what is it, and are they openly selling "nearly" copies or do they pretend they're real?

Is it the FM ones? Federico Mahani (something like that?

My friend started doing it. The perfume smell nothing like the originals as much as they try to say they do.
We were actually good friends but now literally every time I see her she wants to sell me perfume.
On her FB page she constantly bangs on about her perfumes as well.
She also does raffles etc and wants to get people in her team.

It's actually really annoying.

BonnieDundee · 10/11/2020 17:20

Had this at work once. She wasnt actually in our.dept and never spoke to any of us until one day she showed up with a clutch of brochures and treating us like her best friends Hmm it was an office full of middle aged women so of course nobody fell for it. Just politely declined.

Got another distant relative doing BS that i worry a bit about. Her very close family are always on her FB congratulating her and saying how amazing she is doing. I wish someone closer would say something but who knows, maybe they have and she doesnt want to hear it

myusernamewastakenbyme · 10/11/2020 17:22

I have a few different bots on fb and they are constantly doing raffles too....must be the only way they make any money.

fridgepants · 10/11/2020 17:41

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the user's request.

SSCCLL · 10/11/2020 17:47

Lol

My cousin is about to give up her career as a teacher to join a pyramid scheme
My cousin is about to give up her career as a teacher to join a pyramid scheme
Covert19 · 10/11/2020 17:53

My sister fell for something like this. She's Oxbridge educated, but not very streetwise, and was a bored SAHM, looking for something that was "her" rather than "family".

When she asked me whether I thought it was a good idea (about 3K start-up costs) I said she didn't strike me as the sort of person who would want to be continually pushing sales - she's a pretty sensitive person, and not pushy usually. Certainly not one to exploit others, or talk someone into spending money they didn't have. She didn't take that on board though. I used to cringe when I saw her totally out-of-character posts on FB, and the way she would try to turn conversations around to market her products. People would be kind and polite, but I could see that she was getting annoying to some.

Her husband also took a gentle approach, and encouraged her to set up a spreadsheet to keep track of costs/expenses. It lasted a couple of years before she could see the bottom line was never going to be black. She was lucky to have her husband's financial support, so the whole thing was little more than an expensive hobby. She found an excuse to exit - "ill health" - although really she wasn't that ill. It was I am sure a convenient way to exit whilst saving face.

Maybe OP you could try encouraging your cousin to look at the figures carefully each month - that way she will soon see that it is futile.

As PP have said, when an otherwise intelligent person does something daft, the worst thing you can do is make them feel silly, as they will only get more entrenched. Let her come to her own conclusions, but try to find a way to ensure she reaches those conclusions sooner rather than later.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 10/11/2020 17:55

My local FB page have banned MLMs. It's amazing/disgusting how they try to sneak back in under the guise of setting up social groups for struggling/lonely new mums, or coffee mornings

Yes, and that in itself tells you something about the mentality if they're cheating their way into putting something over Hmm

lovelovelove2020 I just looked up "FM" and it seems that might be it. You really do have to wonder how many of these blasted things there are (each no doubt claiming they're different and better)

fridgepants · 10/11/2020 17:56

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the user's request.

Genevieva · 10/11/2020 17:58

Sometimes the only way to learn is to make your own mistakes. She is a qualified teacher presumably. If / when this all goes wrong she can return to teaching.

PlugUgly1980 · 10/11/2020 18:05

Similar in our wider family although the teacher is flogging Usbourne because "she loves encouraging children to read" or whatever the terrible strap line is. She might be family but I've unfollowed her on social media. Spamming the family WhatsApp group too is awful. I bet all the kids in the family are getting book bundles for Christmas too.,.ugh, it's sad really.

Ewock · 10/11/2020 18:43

I've had several friends who I have distanced from due to mlms. One has just started with Body Shop and FM. Everyday she is posting several times about this rubbish and coffee now as well. I ignore but it is irriatating so I need to hide her grp. I have bought BM at a party before but it was a couple of items I wanted and knew the price in the shop, so bought them when I knew it was a good offer. Of course the "consultant" tried to upsell with shower gels etc. No chance I knew they would be in the shop on sale for half the price in a few weeks. Body shop always do a Jan sale and that's where I get any shower gels I want.

Fluffycloudland77 · 10/11/2020 18:44

This is all very sad to read.

LolaSmiles · 10/11/2020 19:05

You really do have to wonder how many of these blasted things there are (each no doubt claiming they're different and better)
I know a teacher who must be on her 3rd or 4th one.
She has done some whilst working, left her job for one and had a hideous experience whilst being quite a high ranked, went back go teaching and is back MLMing again because this one is better and not like the others.

As with many women, she was recruited after maternity leave when she was feeling guilty about working long family unfriendly hours and was feeling disillusioned with trying to balance teaching and life as a new mum.

They're predatory.

BlueJava · 10/11/2020 19:14

I think I'd try to explain - but she won't accept it. Then I'd block her because I've blocked every MLM-er that has contacted me family or not. Too much hassle to keep explaining no I really don't want your diet drink/makeup/bath stuff/whatever and they never take no.

Floatyboat · 10/11/2020 19:17

If she's at the top of the pyramid then good luck to her!

EveryDayIsADuvetDay · 10/11/2020 19:37

@ShesMadeATwatOfMePam

The snarky bitch in me says that if she's daft enough to fall for that bollocks then she absolutely shouldn't be responsible for educating children.

You know that the people who fall for this are mostly women stuck with few prospects, who want to earn a little bit of money. They are targeted by the mlms, and sold a lie. Doesn't make them daft. In most cases they're desperate.

Nothing bitchy about that - perfectly logical. If she stayed in school she'd probably try to ensnare all the children/parents.

Don't teaching contracts have a clause requiring disclosure of (or a requirement to get permission for) additional work/employment?

Haffiana · 10/11/2020 19:44

What gives me the rage about MLMs is that they target the exact socio-economic sector that can least afford the inevitable financial loss. That to my mind, is criminal.

Otherwise I just block the Huns - they have exactly the same sort of 'open mind' as conspiracy theorists, although most of them wise-up fairly quickly

Storyoftonight · 10/11/2020 19:46

These things honestly depress me. Smart , bright , hard working women being taken in by this.

A girl I went to school with who has always been quite switched on and quite nice messaged me a few weeks ago in relation to the fact my DGM hasn't been very well. Lovely I thought. Until a couple of messages in it turned out she wanted to try and sell me some products.

Nasty fuckers.

Waveysnail · 10/11/2020 19:56

I quite like norwex products - love their washing powder and bathroom cleaner. Hate buying from pyramid scheme. So found eco egg could be subbed for washing powder. Sadly haven't found anything as good as their blue diamond bathroom cleaner that isnt bleach based

Izzy30 · 10/11/2020 19:59

@RaspberryCoulis

I have someone on my FB who was the very best academically in our year at school. Straight A student.

She's in a well-paid, professional job but still posts regualrly about how Bodyshop pays for X and Y, and how she's recruiting for her team.

Just shows you can be book-smart, pass loads of exams, and still be thick as shit and unable to spot a scam when it slaps you in the face.

I know similar people. I think it’s really greedy of people with good jobs to have a sideline in a MLM business!
randomer · 10/11/2020 20:00

I think loneliness motivates a lot of this type of thing. Slimming World, a prime example, people ( mostly women) are lonely , they turn up for their meeting and everybody is paying them attention. Dopamine surge.

AlexCabot · 10/11/2020 20:10

@Haffiana

What gives me the rage about MLMs is that they target the exact socio-economic sector that can least afford the inevitable financial loss. That to my mind, is criminal.

Otherwise I just block the Huns - they have exactly the same sort of 'open mind' as conspiracy theorists, although most of them wise-up fairly quickly

A young woman in my town with quite obvious learning difficulties was roped into Acti Labs. If I ever met the predatory scumbag who recruited a vulnerable person like that, I'd need holding back.

Once they realise that the money is in building the downline, any ethics go out of the window.