To wish that my friends would just get proper jobs instead of these selling parties..

[Maisiethemorningsidecat]

...the Jamie at Home/jewellery they've made/aloe vera stuff/Candlelight or whatever it's called type thing?

I am sick to the back teeth (OK, this is PMT talking!) of going along under duress, trying to be a dutiful, helpful friend, only to find myself parting with £20 or whatever is the cheapest thing in the catalogue for overpriced utter crap? I know I don't have to go, I know I don't have to buy anything, and from now on I have decided I'm going to be busy when they decide to throw any more parties - no more £14 for 2 glass oil pourers from Jamie the Twat for me when I can buy the same thing from Asda at £4.

My point is - why does anyone do them? Isn't it the height of cheek to even think of working when your job basically involves going to your friends, appealing to their better nature (and possible guilt) and asking them to pay your salary?

Ladysybil, you sound remarkably like that Catherine Tate character, the Geordie woman who bullies her poor colleague into sponsoring her. She ends up hitting him when he says he can't afford to....

Still think worst thing of all is over-privileged 18/19 year olds who want to go and build huts in Guatemala or India. With what expertise exactly??? Most of them aren't capable of foing the simplest bit of DIY round their own houses or helping their poor mothers out with a bit of housework by putting their laptops/mobiles/nintendo DS down for five minutes and tidying their room.

But they expect you to pay for their gap year for them under the guise of charity?? Please! If they really wanted to make a difference in the world there are plenty of very worthwhile charitable causes and organisations to volunteer with in the UK. It's just so much trendier to go to Guatemala and get your parents friends/innocent people in supermarket queues who donot want you to pack their bags to pay for it for you!!!

Rant concluded lol

Gosh I nearly started a thread about this but thought it might sound a bit mean. Glad I'm not the only one who gets fed up of these awful parties!

LittleMissSnowShine - are you slagging off the royals?

Eeek! This is what I worry about! I signed up to do Pampered Chef a couple of months ago. I was desperately trying to find something to earn me a bit more money each month which would also fit around school hols and my DHs long hours.

I enjoyed the first party I went to and thought the products were great so I thought I would have a go. My first 8 parties have been friends or family (although to be fair a lot of the people they invited I didn't know). I was worried about it seeming like I was demanding they buy stuff so I asked via a group email if anyone fancied having a party. Several people did so I wasn't shoving it down their throats although you could argue they felt they should. Either way I was always very clear that I was doing their parties as training and noone had to buy if they didn't want to. I will not ask any of them to have parties again but some people really enjoyed them and booked another one or the end of the year.

However I am now at the point of feeling like I have to hassle people to decide if they want a party which I feel uncomfortable with (not direct friends of mine, people who were at other parties and expressed an interest). I feel at the moment that I will ask people once then leave it at that as if they really want to do it they will contact me.

By the way although the parties are generally held in the evenings there is a fair amount of work to be done aside from that (bookings, ordering, accounts etc) so it is not just women who have chosen to work in the evening.

However I do understand your point. I am trying to get more work elsewhere but it is hard!

Anyway thought I would put across the point of someone on the other side!

Oh and I do have a 'proper job' as well as a book keeper for 2 days a week but with 2 young ones it is hard at the moment to do more.

Sounds like there's a degree of pyramid selling involved in these kind of things.

LittleMissSnowSunshine - I completely agree about the foreign gap years under the guise of doing good in developing countries. Puh-leeeese - you want to travel somewhere exotic with your mates, whilst living off mummy and daddy for another year. I agree - if the charity work was so important they'd all be queueing up at the local volunteer action place.

Nikki - I'm sure there is more to it than just pitching up at a party with your wares, and I know how hard it is to juggle work and a family . It just puts some friends and neighbours in an awkward position (esp. if they are hard up) of either turning down your invite or not buying anything on the night.

I sell Usborne, and I used to do Ann Summers (very sucessful at both ).

Although I do ask friends if they want a party and put some special offers on fb (when starting off) I actually find that the ones where a friend has only had it under obligation don't make much money anyway. They are brilliant for training, but unless the friend actually wants a party in the first place, it isn't the way to sell lots. I do enjoy meeting friends of friends and having a good chat though :D

I actually am going to go and see what other parties are available round here now, I HATE shops and internet doesn't let you actually see the products so a party would be good.

I hate these parties too and only go to Phoenix cards as they are decent quality, cheap and something I need.

I hate the invitations that come with 'oh it's really just an excuse for a fun get together'. Just have the fun get together then, don't try and flog me Body Shop products when I go past their shop twice a day anyway!

Why are they called parties? I've been to a couple held in the morning, there were cakes & coffee, no alcohol, no music, no roaring with laughter, not much chatting with unknown people, no flirting. A bit like a foyer of a conference where the sponsors show off their products, only you pay for them and don't even get a free keyring.

I don't go to parties unless I'm guaranteed a snog.

YANBU.

I do know what you mean Maisie. That is why I was so desperate to get outside my friendship circle as quickly as possible. Unfortunately it is proving harder than expected - don't think I am cut out for this sales malarky!

It is absolutely pyramid selling. A mug's game.

mangoandlime, can you send me a link? i have no idea who you are talking about. would love to see it

Charity I worked for did a virgin vie, the weather was awful and despite sending ++ invites and radio things nobody came (other than me and 2 of my 'staff volunteers').

The virgib girl got upset due to the cost of room hire

SoI ended up spending a fair % of my salary on stuff I wouldn't use

Which is not why we go to work is it?

Pah.

Then whenI struggled to pay bills thay month she was awarded a car iirc byy Richard Branson.

Seriously unimpressed.

YANBU

just say ' cann't make it but would would be lovely to meet up wiht you another time when we will get the chance to have a proper chat'

YABU.One of my customers is into that Aloe Vera flogging thing.She is always sending me emails about the fabulous products and 'opportunities' available.I've managed to resist so far,but is awkward as I work for her.

Also had a very wealthy'friend' who only got on touch when she wanted donations for her pet charity.The tipping point came when she hosted an evening in,where we were invited to donate what we'd spend on a night out,she suggested £30 minimum.I was very hard up at the time,had already given many times previously and £30 upwards was out of the question.While I was trying to think of a suitable response,she got another friend to ring,me to ask why I wasn't coming,so I just said that I couldn't afford it.She has never been in touch since.

I think I have quite a few friends but I am blessed because none of them seem to do this. Why do you? Just drop them. Simple.

Hang on 101dalmations... one of your customers ... awkward as I work for her ?

Is she your customer or your boss ? Baffled me!

OMG i MUST meet Mary Kay, one of the worst photoshopped women in history
Seriously, are her eyes too close together or is it just the makeup thats doing it?

Worst, absolutely worst of all was Amway. I lost a very good friend to this vile organisation. I also learnt to dread the phone calls that would start "Hi, Gloria, it's FormerlySaneFriend here. I know you'll be intested in an exciting business opportunity but I can't share the details over the phone. So why don't you and Mr Gloria pop over one evening this week?"

Because that's Amway speaking, that is and if you do pop over later that week, instead of drink, nibbles and general good convivial fun, your friends will try and recruit you to the awful cause. The giveaway always being the "unable to say more, right now".

Oh Gloria... I had a friend like that too.. an Amway-drone or Ambot as I like to call them. Banging on forever about how amazing the products are and how it's gonna be the way everyone does business in future.

And it is always referred to as 'The Business'.

Oh totally. I have bought too many greenhouse tops I didn't want and greetings cards......