To go NC with Tropic “ambassador” friend

[FMLGFastMovingLuxuryGoods]

My friend about 4 years ago became an “ambassador” for Tropic. For anyone who hasn’t heard of it, it’s a skincare brand launched by a former Apprentice contestant. It claims not to be MLM, but it is. I have tried some but TBH it was SO expensive for a non-designer brand (£48 for moisturiser, about £42 for a serum) and it made my skin all blotchy. I soon went back to my Estee Lauder

Every time she messages me, she either asks if I want “top ups” (weird thing to ask seeing as I don’t have any Tropic muck to top up) or says things (after asking how I am and being normal) like “We have a new toner just come in if you fancy trying it?” I have to keep telling her I don’t like Tropic, I’m happy with my current brand. She’s even tried to get me to start selling before which I just laughed at.

She’s mentioned it again in a text today. I really hate just going about my day then being treated like some unwilling customer by someone who’s meant to be a friend.

Why do people do this to their friends when they join MLMs?!

Tropic has always been busy telling everyone it’s not an MLM but if you’ve got to try that hard to distance yourself from the MLM label then it’s safe to say that’s exactly what your company is. I see them regularly being very push and, crucially, trying to recruit team members. So definitely MLM in my book.

I’d also like to know why they chose a distinctly MLM way of operating. I heard some rubbish about fresh products with a short shelf life so they can’t sit around in some shop and be sold in the traditional way. Funny, I thought the MLM business model was chosen to provide a cheap as chips workforce who might be happy to monitise their social network.

I saw some on Facebook this week using the death of a friend as a way to mention tropic on her socials. Couldn’t believe my eyes…

@GrimDamnFanjo shocking isn’t it? That people get so brainwashed and desperate to sell that there really is no thought about what is appropriate.

I see the top Tropic hun is now a dragon on Dragon’s Den which is very depressing. Deborah Meaden was very clear about her dislike of dodgy and exploitative business models and good at sniffing out MLMs so it’s a shame she isn’t still on DD.

@YouOKHun

I've just commented on the Dragon's Den thread that she was a very odd choice, and her introduction was all "me, me, me, look at me, I came top in everything...."

Everything on there links to a not found page or a gambling site?

I thought DM was still on it?

If you think you would’ve found it interesting, you might enjoy CC Suarez (her old stuff) and Hannah Alonso on YouTube - both built their channels in the anti-MLM space.

I fell out with a woman in my NCT group after she became a Tropic ambassador and I had the audacity to say that going to a skincare “evening” wasn’t my thing and she took it personally.

No loss TBH.

Yeah I would've. Thank you. I know this guy called Robert Fitzpatrick, he's from The States and he's written a bunch of books about the dangers of MLM. He's been campaigning against it for decades.

There's also that film, Betting on Zero I think it's called. Good viewing to educate about The issue.

This is perfect

I’ve known 2. I actually quite like the products but im not that in to skin care so my couple of orders a year for moisturiser doesn’t pay their mortgage. One was an ex colleague who’d been doing it a while before I met her, very un pushy, clearly liked the stuff herself and sold a few bits.

the other is a school mum who is nice enough and we’ve had coffee together and the odd night out. She is forever on about it. She’s new to doing it and it’s not going well. She’s always moaning about people not wanting parties, saying they’ll have one then cancelling (no doubt because they didn’t want one but felt pressured), saying they’ll order and then not…I’ve started to distance myself tbh. It’s a shame cos she’s nice but I’m so over hearing about how fabulous tropic is and how everyone should be using it.

Ask her if there's anywhere on the website that you can leave a review of the products you tried. You want to warn other potential customers how awful they are and the nasty rash they risk developing.

I bought some from a work colleague and it was ok, but there’s better stuff out there in that price range. I backed off when a face cream was sold as a ‘serum’ and was nearly twice the price of a day cream and when she spun me a very obvious sales talk about an advent calendar Tropic were doing, disguised as a friendly staff room chat. I thought less of her for trying to spin me that line tbh. Their eye liner is good, but the last third of the pencil crumbled and fell out, so that was a waste of money too. She’s also stuck to her Estée Lauder foundation despite singing the praises of Tropic
Quietly removed myself from her groups and don’t answer WhatsApp messages about it.

i have a friend who is a yoga teacher. I enjoy yoga, but not so much her style of yoga. I cant bear the little WhatsApp group shehas created with another 5-6 friends and keep sending us ads for her new class, her new retreat and so on… i dont mind if it is by email, but by whatsapp, it feels too personal…. I dont know how to remive myself from that WhatsApp group without upsetting anyone!!! I have archived it for now…

This thread has just made me think, what happened to Younique? I had a colleague years ago with this as a side hustle, would come in with purple lipstick and ask all of us if we liked it, mostly people said she looked very striking/dramatic/bold and she’d whip a load of tat out of her bag for selling 😂
never heard of it since!

OP Yanbu to cut contact after sending one last “I’m not buying anything from you” message.
I once was gifted a tropic shower scrub, it was absolutely divine, went to see how I could buy it and it was such a faff and didn’t bother. Years later (maybe last year?) I happened to mention the scrub to a friend and she said she knew someone selling it - she got me a link to log in to and order. It was still lovely when it came but really expensive and the pot size had shrunk considerably. Never bothered again and to be fair the seller hasn’t ever contacted me since.

@WeirdyBeardyMarrowBabyLady you’re probably right about DM still being on Dragon’s Den as I have to confess I don’t watch it, though I do remember DM giving two man-Huns a hard time over their Kangen Water pitch!

I used to be part of a website called mlmtruth.org and Elle Beau’s blog was on there so I’ll have a look for the link. It was quite a while ago. The other thing on BBC iPlayer that’s worth a watch from 2019 is The Secrets of the Multilevel Millionaires, it did some real damage to Younique in the UK when it was already on the slide. @BillieWiper Robert Fitzpatrick is excellent isn’t he?

Yeah he's a smart guy. I asked if I could call him for a chat once as I was really into the psychology of it all at one point and we chatted for ages.

On dragons den last week. Her ambassadors seem to like her.

People ensconced in MLM are always very positive about their leader/s. There is no room for anything else @Netcurtainnelly

Im really surprised that dragons den had her on. She was very fake on it as well. Made me think less of the show

I know a mum from school who has recently given up her pt job to go full on Tropic pusher.

I am slightly perplexed as her socials are just full on adverts and testimonials and she seems obsessed with recruitment of other mums to become sellers too (some sort of club or team status is being chased). The people joining this team seem to be closest friends and the people who were buying from her....so who is the customer now?

I don't understand how this makes money and why giving up a job for it is a tempting choice?

I have really sensitive skin so am literally never tempted to try new products and will never buy from her. I think i may be labelled as unsupportive of her business....

Yup. I have one who regularly uses her kids' SEN as a lever.