Teachers and mlm

[Adios2011]

Hi there, first time posting so hope this is ok

So lots of school mums at our school sell bodyshop and they've all started this trend of 'pledges', so you pay £8-£15 and the sellers will use the money to create 'treat bags' for teaching/support staff, of course these contain all bodyshop items purchased through them, so they make the commission etc

Aibu to feel really uncomfortable with this? If they used the money collected to pay for nice food/lunches, classroom supplies or even vouchers for coffee shops, I'd be more than happy to do this and surely the money would go further, to go around all the staff?

It just feels like it's all an agenda to get the sales and level up, rather than genuinely want to treat the staff

Would teachers and support staff want bodyshop?

I guess I'm asking if I should just be grateful they're doing something nice or would you think this is quite underhanded and is this a common thing with mlm's and school mums?

Just to add there is usually quite a 'pressure' to donate to these pledges and you're judged if you don't!

Oh hell no to the MLMs. I would hate to be given that crap by parents.

I do think January's not the best month when alot of people will be struggling after Xmas and with job losses etc

I think cards or emails to school to say they are appreciated would be good idea

In December I was invited to three different bodyshop groups and Jan 2nd I was invited to another one 😕
There seems to be so many in a small radius

Yuck! Emotional blackmail in all its glory! I’d assume most people would have just bought the teachers a Christmas gift anyway? I’m confused on the need for generic smellies 1 week into the new year 😳

I don't sell for body shop anymore, but during the first lockdown I did. I collected enough money for about 50 hand moisturisers for nhs and police staff. Difference is with me, I donated ALL of my profits to the trussell trust. Not all MLMs are bad. But then I know a lot who
Wouldn't think to donate to charity from their profits. All in all I donated about £60 to the trussell trust and nhs charities last year.

These MLM Huns are relentless. They've had every ounce of shame trained/pressured out of them. They literally only care about sales and hitting targets and they don't care who they use or exploit to get them. I'd outright refuse this and be clear as to why. Hopefully others might do the same and let them know that their shit won't be tolerated. It's not up to them to decide that other parents should buy a Body Shop gift set for the teachers. I have given so many of the bloody things to charity shops over the years. They are a really shit gift, aside from being a huge scam.

I’ve been asked to do a few of these ‘for the NHS’ and been met with pressure when I declined. My line is ‘Given DH is an intensive care Dr and best friend a covid nurse I’d rather treat them to things they actually want. If you’d like to send me £5-10 I’ll happily buy them something from you they’d really appreciate’ works every time!

Tell them you have already bought your own gifts because you don’t think Body Shop is worth the money. They will try the whole stricken-faced ‘But it’s for the teachers! Why can’t people just be kind?’ routine, but you just have to repeat and repeat ‘Already given’ (even if you haven’t).

I am dreading the pressure of "you haven't donated!!"

I'd just rather spend the money on something else for the staff!!

School staff*

I wouldn't want this at all. I don't want parents to be spending money on donating for a "treat" of anything for me. There are far better things for people to be spending their money on.

It's just been Christmas, teachers have probably just recieved loads of crap smellies, they don't want even more

Ha! My teacher daughter has just given me a carrier bag full of smellies gifted to her by parents, which she's asked me to pass on to the vulnerable women that the organisation I volunteer with, helps.

This sounds extremely dodgy, they must be pretty low to do that.

Trying emotionally blackmail people into buying their crap.

Don't get involved OP.

I see a few answers saying just give a firm already donated.

2 points:

-teachers and NHS workers don't expect you to donate to them
-in the long run, you would actually be doing the mlm-er a favour by calling them out on their BS. The longer the mlm-er goes on with this, the worse it is for them in the end.

This is horrible. I'd say I've already donated to the school or teacher directly eg given extra in parentpay, if you don't want any confrontation. I'd also consider emailing the head so they can possibly put out a communication (eg 'we don't need anything but if you really want to donate, a payment towards x (such as laptops for disadvantaged kids) would be greatly appreciated')

Thank you everyone for your great replies. I'm going to stand firm and say no to the mlm 'treat bags'

I refuse to buy anything from mlms. I am partial to Body Shop body butters though (bought from the physical shop and only ever in the sale)!

Even when they say they're giving up their commission they'll always get case credits from the sales, which earns a larger commission in the future.

@Adios2011

I do think January's not the best month when alot of people will be struggling after Xmas and with job losses etc

I think cards or emails to school to say they are appreciated would be good idea

MLM bots are desperate to make sales, especially in January, which is why they’re preying on people under the guise of showing their gratitude to teachers and the NHS. There are other ways to do this which don’t involve lining an MLM bot’s pockets.

I hope people write to the headteachers to make them aware of what is really going on behind these seemingly kind gestures.

I didn’t think I could hate the MLM business model any more but this thread has definitely helped. Anyone putting pressure on others to spend money they probably don’t have is awful. And that is basically the entirety of the business model. I feel temporarily sorry for the lower down MLM bots as they are totally brainwashed and desperate but then they pull stunts like this and my sympathy evaporates. (I have and will never have any sympathy for the predators at the top).

MLM behaviour has become so overwhelmingly appalling during this pandemic. ‘Lost your job? Don’t worry, here’s the solution! Join me and I can also help you lose your friends, the respect of your family, your reputation and any money you had left! Sign up here!’

As a teacher I would be dismayed to receive MLM things as a gift because I don't like the business model, so would never voluntarily support one.

Even just a nice card is enough. I keep all the cards I get with lovely messages; I have maybe over a dozen from my decade of teaching that are wonderful to look through when I need a positive boost. Especially in these depressing times.

I don’t like them being pushed onto me. I decline all invites for Tropic etc on FB. But i do buy the FM perfumes from my nail technician. She never pushes as she already has her clients. If you want them, they stevthere.

This is so typical MLM thinking isn't it. They're so immersed in sales at any cost that I'm not even convinced they realise how duplicitous this is. An ex colleague tried to recruit me this week. I asked if it was MLM (knowing full well it was - bit naught of me) and she'd never heard the term so I gently enlightened her and really encouraged her to think about it and gave her a rundown. I reeeally hope it opened her eyes a little, she's an intelligent woman but very vulnerable. I hate that she's been sucked in by it.

An nice email or a card is infinitely preferable and more memorable and meaningful than a load of smellies

And YES ACTUALLY

ALL MLMs are bad. All of them.

Teachers generally (can’t speak for all) don’t want body shop crap. Just an email saying thank you is enough!