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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To cringe a little at this?

69 replies

blackandwhitelife · 26/08/2021 00:21

I'm not sure if I actually believe this anyway but other than what I've heard from family and friends I don't know much about MLM. An old friend (not as close now as we both have kids so don't get much time to catch up) left her job last year to join the body shop at home. I believe she was selling the products originally on Facebook and recruiting people etc. She is now a senior manager or something along those lines. Seems to be doing very well for herself and earning big bucks. As far as I was aware most people just about manage to break even in those types of jobs. She drives a nice car and lives in a nice house, credits the body shop for her success. If it's true I think it's great, genuinely I do. I'm not jealous before any suggests. She's a single mum and I think it's lovely that she can afford a nice lifestyle for her and her kids.

I've noticed that she keeps on posting monthly pictures on Facebook of her payslips which show her to be earning between 2-3k a month. I'm assuming it's to try and get people to join but I just find it so bizarre. I can't imagine ever posting my payslip on social media for the whole world to see but maybe that's because I earn a shit wage in comparison (Grin). I just wouldn't want people to know what I earn. I also think it's pretty misleading as I very much doubt most of the people who join this sort thing will be earning 3k a month, perhaps she's just lucky. I don't know. Gosh I sound like a right cow bag now that I've read that back...

OP posts:
RhodesianRidgeback · 26/08/2021 07:03

MLM-ers lie about everything, it’s fundamental to how they recruit more people.

My DH earns a good salary and I’m a SAHM. We moved cities not long ago, and he posted a couple of pics on Facebook of our new house (which is much bigger than our previous). An acquaintance went around telling all our mutual friends in our former city that I had joined her team, taken the product to the new city and that they could see from the photos how well I was doing. Total lies.

MissMarpleTheMurderer · 26/08/2021 07:19

@sadperson16

Re drinks and nibbles.....unless I am mistaken a wee problem called The Pandemic has scuppered "parties" .
I don't think there is any appetite these days to host, or go to a hosted party, and it had nothing to do with covid.
sadperson16 · 26/08/2021 07:22

A hosted party with the huns.

Ughmaybenot · 26/08/2021 07:26

Ah it’s probably (definitely) bullshit. They’re sent whole scripts, images, claims etc to post, as mentioned upthread, ‘fake it til you make it’
Besides anything else, it’s beyond crass and embarrassing to post a photo of a payslip, whether from a legitimate job or not. Also is she a bit thick?! Her address is on there Confused

Lifeisaminestrone · 26/08/2021 07:36

Didn’t Anita Roddick encourage ethical business. Used to be lot of against animal cruelty and bottle reuse?

I assumed The Body Shop was a dated 80/90s offering in a few high streets selling favourites to older customers (like my Mum) who still likes a random tropical shampoo and eyeliner.

I didn’t even know was a MLM!!

What a shame, in its hey day, it was a real innovator for better business. What happened?

Blerg · 26/08/2021 07:43

I would be highly suspicious. If real there is a chance it’s not a payslip so much as the entire transaction - not her profit but including money she has ‘made’ by buying stock.

Either way, very cringey.

happydays2345 · 26/08/2021 07:52

@UmbrellaDrops

Take it with a pinch of salt or if you can't beat them, join them.
Please don't.
Imnothereforthedrama · 26/08/2021 08:03

Absolute rubbish , I’m constantly getting asked to join body shop groups I don’t join as your not going to make your millions with my one body lotion . I’m sorry but even people that are in lucrative selling jobs probably don’t earn that much in sales to start off with but body shop come on .

Fountainsoftea · 26/08/2021 08:03

I get new ones popping us fairly regularly. Women I thought had sense suddenly post a scripted one:
"Hi guys, just wanted to let you know about this amazing opportunity coming soon. I know we all love scented candles/ fabulous skin/ weight melting/ magic beans/ laxatives, and I've decided to join an amazing team to help share these wonderful materials. More soon!"

Followed by lots and lots of positive posts and then pictures of the team, with comments about how much you can earn. To be fair, the candles ones don't seem as pushy on recruitment. It's the magic juice ones that go all out.

LittleFroggie · 26/08/2021 08:05

Beyond cringe 😬 That is just not normal. I would assume that it’s fake to snare new recruits. Also as PP said, I don’t know if they get a payslip but I’m assuming not?!

There was on MLM bot on my Facebook account (previously a perfectly nice lady) posting constantly last year about her amazing new lifestyle and posting photos of all the things she’d bought and how proud she was. She posted a photo of her children in fancy new designer gear and said how she couldn’t have afforded all this without her business and was smashing it. She got some big promotion and was posting all about it, then it seemed to all go quiet. A few weeks later she posted about how grateful she was to her neighbours for dropping food parcels round all through lockdown and how skint they were. Then she posted asking if anyone knew of any local jobs going saying she would do anything at all. Another bot in the comments underneath offered her a place on her team and she said “no thanks, I want something proper” and seemed to accept a job on a bar in town although no posts since then so don’t know how that’s worked out. I think these things are all big scams.

Needsleep32 · 26/08/2021 08:17

People who do MLMs definitely have scripts to follow when posting. I few girls I know who do it are always posting these exact words - ‘This business is INSANE’ Hmm

Briarshollow · 26/08/2021 08:20

@LittleFroggie

Beyond cringe 😬 That is just not normal. I would assume that it’s fake to snare new recruits. Also as PP said, I don’t know if they get a payslip but I’m assuming not?!

There was on MLM bot on my Facebook account (previously a perfectly nice lady) posting constantly last year about her amazing new lifestyle and posting photos of all the things she’d bought and how proud she was. She posted a photo of her children in fancy new designer gear and said how she couldn’t have afforded all this without her business and was smashing it. She got some big promotion and was posting all about it, then it seemed to all go quiet. A few weeks later she posted about how grateful she was to her neighbours for dropping food parcels round all through lockdown and how skint they were. Then she posted asking if anyone knew of any local jobs going saying she would do anything at all. Another bot in the comments underneath offered her a place on her team and she said “no thanks, I want something proper” and seemed to accept a job on a bar in town although no posts since then so don’t know how that’s worked out. I think these things are all big scams.

Wow, if that doesn’t illustrate what a crock it all is, not much does. How embarrassing for her.
MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 26/08/2021 08:20

It's a standard thing with BS, my lovely friend did the same. She's been sucked in good and proper.

MakeMineAdoubleChocolate · 26/08/2021 08:25

A friend of my husbands once posted on Facebook a picture of the cost of his petrol. He spent £100 on fuel and took a picture of it at the petrol station. It was very cringey. Just like posting photos of payslips. Some people just love to brag and show off what they're doing.

MakeMineAdoubleChocolate · 26/08/2021 08:27

@fountainsoftea it's a good job that I wasn't drinking when I read that. Hahaha. I know we love laxatives. Hahaahaahaaha

Duvetflower · 26/08/2021 08:30

I'd imagine it's a 'real' payslip but there's some dubious accounting to make it look better than it is. E.g. she's 'paid' her sales total but then has to pay back the cost of her products, or her annual salary is put on a monthly payslip

scarpa · 26/08/2021 08:36

I know someone who does very well doing Body Shop - she's a regional manager or something, earns about 4-5k a month now and that's lovely for her and her husband who no longer works and can stay at home with her and the kids, while she works around home life.

But she definitely doesn't get payslips and it's taken her 5 years, it took her years of getting nothing some months.

I wouldn't be surprised if they give you fake payslips to encourage signing new people up.

NerrSnerr · 26/08/2021 08:41

My cousin is a regional manager for Body Shop and she has only been doing it a year. Judging from the 'manager meetings' they have it doesn't seem difficult to become one. I know that she often talks about turnover knowing that people will get it mixed up with income.

LittleFroggie · 26/08/2021 08:46

@MakeMineAdoubleChocolate Haaaa posting about petrol really is sad!!! I seem to know a few braggarts but no petrol posts as of yet. One guy I know did a full write up of his menu last week though. He was eating at a posh restaurant and posted photos but that was t enough, he listed all the expensive items in the post as hashtags, something like “Eating #chateaubriand and #truffles with #goldfigs drinking #moet loving my best life #moneymoney” 😬

tabulahrasa · 26/08/2021 08:49

It can’t be real... they’re self employed.... there’s no payslips to show anyone.

HoneyItAlreadyDid · 26/08/2021 08:53

Google fake payslip generator.

teaandcrumpets35 · 26/08/2021 08:56

As others have said, it'll be a fake payslip probably created and issued by the cult, sorry I meant company.

I have a friend who has been sucked into juice plus and the things she now writes on Facebook are not her words. It's incredibly obvious to anyone who knows her. They are given fake scrips and told to constantly ham up how well they are doing. I find it very wrong. It's outright lying to try and suck others in.

However I think the whole 'hun tribe / women supporting women / mentors now friends' thing really seems to appeal to some people. Especially those who might be isolated and lonely.

acatcalledjohn · 26/08/2021 09:07

Her credit card balance/loan balance is probably pretty high. Fakes it till she makes it.

BabyLeaf · 26/08/2021 09:10

It’s complete fabricated bullshit.

This is a good read if you are interested, details what it’s like to be hooked into an MLM. They’re all the same so it’s applicable to what your friend is up to. It’s a curious mix being in an MLM of being a victim and a predator.

ellebeaublog.com/poonique/

Refreshpage · 26/08/2021 09:13

Is she also 'living her best life', being a 'boss baby' and 'an executive businesswoman' (whatever that is).

Does she post the 'please buy this that or the other' amazing offers, post crappy raffle draws (or is that just Avon prats that do that) at 50p a number and lots of numbers to win a crap prize you don't want but as a family/friend you feel you ought to support the 'growing business' and 'entrepreneurial woman'

Yawn to all these social media posts