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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think this is a new MLM low

27 replies

Sunshinesusan67 · 28/05/2021 07:47

I have an acquaintance who has recently been sucked in to the murky world of MLM. She now posts lots of daily inspirational quotes, lies about her income and has an army of huns egging her on.

But today I've seen something so ridiculous it's unreal. She's posted a photo of a well known celeb 'holding' her products saying "look, even * thinks Juice Plus is amazing". The products are so badly photoshopped on its embarrassing.

Why do people lie like this? It's one thing to get suckered in but to openly lie to others and try and drag them down the same path is actually really annoying to watch. I am going to unfollow. But aibu to hope someone calls this blatant lie out?

OP posts:
MangoBiscuit · 28/05/2021 07:51

Can you google search the image, and reply with the original? Grin

Hopdathelf · 28/05/2021 07:52

It’s low but not as low as the aloe vera cures cancer/infertility/autism brigade.

Original poster
Sunshinesusan67 · 28/05/2021 07:55

@Hopdathelf yes that is worse, absolutely disgraceful.

In terms of low I meant the sheer audacity of trying to convince people it's real with with such an obviously fake photo.

OP posts:
Hopdathelf · 28/05/2021 08:02

I agree, very audacious. There will be people who can’t see through it. I always imagine my lovely grandma, if she were alive, would be buying me Younique and Juice Plus for Christmas on the basis she’s seen that Angelina Jolie uses it or something.

StillCoughingandLaughing · 28/05/2021 08:06

Can you Photoshop the same image so that the label on the juice bottle reads ‘Liquid Shit’ or similar? Then post it saying ‘See how easy it is to fake a picture?’

TheMadRatter · 28/05/2021 08:07

I was going to say YABU until I read your second post explaining. The worst I saw was on Facebook where someone had posted a tribute to her son who had committed suicide and a Hun left a comment insinuating he'd still be alive if he had had X product in his life along with sign up links.

StillCoughingandLaughing · 28/05/2021 08:08

@TheMadRatter

I was going to say YABU until I read your second post explaining. The worst I saw was on Facebook where someone had posted a tribute to her son who had committed suicide and a Hun left a comment insinuating he'd still be alive if he had had X product in his life along with sign up links.
What further explanation did you need?
dontgobaconmyheart · 28/05/2021 08:09

I'd just feel sorry for my friend to be honest. People mist be pretty desperate for money of they're taking this route at that level.

To clarify I don't approve at all of MLM but what is the difference between this badly photoshopped image and the very well photoshopped images we see every day from the vast majority of other non MLM companies advertising things which allege to transform your appearance.

I'd just ignore and move on, and hope she came to her senses rather than hope for her to be publically embarrassed.

TheMadRatter · 28/05/2021 08:12

@StillCoughingandLaughing
What further explanation did you need?

"AIBU To think this is a new MLM low"

"It’s low but not as low as the aloe vera cures cancer/infertility/autism brigade."

"yes that is worse, absolutely disgraceful. In terms of low I meant the sheer audacity of trying to convince people it's real with with such an obviously fake photo."

blahblahfootballblah · 28/05/2021 08:18

Someone on my Fb announced they had had a miscarriage in a really heartbreaking post but tagged on at the end was a bit about not letting the team down and basically how it's given her the best life. Just bizarre

Original poster
Sunshinesusan67 · 28/05/2021 08:30

I do feel a bit sorry that she's been sucked in. But honestly, these are blatant lies. Any other business openly lying to people (and they do believe it's a business as we all know) would be labelled scammers and probably reported to trading standards or something.

It's a massive con and as pp said there are some elderly people and the like who would fall for these lies, it's immoral.

I can't think that the celeb in question would be overjoyed about it either. You can't link products to people like that surely?

OP posts:
BSintolerant · 28/05/2021 08:36

A fibbing Juice Plus bot once claimed that the actress Lisa Riley’s impressive weight loss was all down to JP. Someone tweeted Lisa a screenshot of this post. She was not impressed.

A Forever Living bot who is high up in the pyramid posted a photo of herself with Linford Christie claiming he’d joined Forever Living. This was news to him.

These, and other BS claims, are well-documented in this article:

www.talentedladiesclub.com/articles/fake-it-til-you-make-it-how-mlm-reps-lie-to-recruit-and-sell/

DoormatBob · 28/05/2021 08:45

In reality though is it any different to if the photo was genuine? The only person getting conned really is the celebrity not getting their fee.

I'm sure you could pay 50k to said celeb for them to create the ad, it would still be nonsense.

You could argue a badly photoshopped image isn't as bad as some celeb taking a big fee to tell you how great something is when they obviously wouldn't use it themselves.

Hopdathelf · 28/05/2021 09:04

The only person getting conned really is the celebrity not getting their fee.

Hardly true is it. What about the fact the product is lent an air of legitimacy by association, fans of the celebrity who might then be more likely to buy it?

pussycatlickinglollyices · 28/05/2021 09:08

@StillCoughingandLaughing

Can you Photoshop the same image so that the label on the juice bottle reads ‘Liquid Shit’ or similar? Then post it saying ‘See how easy it is to fake a picture?’
I love this idea!! 💩😂
araiwa · 28/05/2021 09:08

It's nowhere near new low.

Streamside · 28/05/2021 09:12

My son is wildly allergic to aloe vera and I remember being cornered by one of the mlm sales people at an agricultural show.She refused to believe he could be allergic despite me telling her that a drop of it on his skin would create huge weals. Apparently it was the magic elixir and we hadn't used the best grade, her products would sort it all out.

BSintolerant · 28/05/2021 10:45

I heard a Forever Living rep at a Mind Body Spirit event telling someone that one of her customers had stage four cancer which was cured by drinking aloe vera gel. There are laws against making false health claims in relation to cancer but some people will say anything to part gullible people from their hard earned money.

Alpenguin · 28/05/2021 10:59

I’ve lost friends over the spin they put on their mlm sale. I’m a disabled woman and one so called friend (who was male so it’s not always women) who was selling herbal weightloss drinks was posting a lot of inspirational and ableist bollocks. I was told I wasn’t trying hard enough if I let my disability disable me and that taking said supplement would make me”better” and if some kid with no legs can run a marathon after said supplements, it would cure my at that time very active vasculitis and associated arthritis, and so could I cure my disease.

The dangers of lying to sell their crap became apparent then, up until that point I thought it harmless pushy selling by people a bit desperate. Photoshopping a celeb using it is misadvertising and a bit shit, blaming sick and disabled people for their lack of wanting to recover from a lifelong condition is downright dangerous and irresponsible

DifficultPifcultLemonDifficult · 28/05/2021 11:07

Just after my daughter died, literally just hours after, a neighbour came over and offered her condolences and asked what happened.

I told her my sweet girl was born with an, as yet undiagnosed, genetic condition.

This utter cunt then told me that if I had taken X product it wouldn't have happened and that, since she sympathised with me, she would give me a discount but that I had to take it daily or it could happen to my next child.

I cant say I was proud to have smacked her in the face, but I did. She never tried to sell me her fucking shite products and false claims again.

She did, however, attend a group for parents of children who have autism and told them she could cure that too, it just wasn't advertised because autism makes the government loads of money Confused

Itsprobablynothingbut · 28/05/2021 11:11

Difficult that is deplorable, what a brain dead, money grubbing creep. I'm not a proponent of hitting people but I think it was a well deserved response in this case.

Original poster
Sunshinesusan67 · 28/05/2021 11:15

I am agog at some of this. Clearly a photoshopped celeb isn't a new low at all.

OP posts:
Zzelda · 28/05/2021 11:30

Warn her that the celeb could sue. I think they could make a good case for libel on the basis that your friend is implying that they're stupid enough to fall for MLM.

stripeyflowers · 28/05/2021 11:51

@DifficultPifcultLemonDifficult

Just after my daughter died, literally just hours after, a neighbour came over and offered her condolences and asked what happened.

I told her my sweet girl was born with an, as yet undiagnosed, genetic condition.

This utter cunt then told me that if I had taken X product it wouldn't have happened and that, since she sympathised with me, she would give me a discount but that I had to take it daily or it could happen to my next child.

I cant say I was proud to have smacked her in the face, but I did. She never tried to sell me her fucking shite products and false claims again.

She did, however, attend a group for parents of children who have autism and told them she could cure that too, it just wasn't advertised because autism makes the government loads of money Confused

Beneath contempt!
3scape · 28/05/2021 11:51

I'd be explaini g to the friend what I thought of their illegal advertising for a scam product. Even if No One else read it it would save you the trouble of unfriendi g them as they'd block you faster than lightning.