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MLm-bot watch - now including Timeless Vie!!

971 replies

CheekySmile · 29/09/2015 12:37

Continuing the discussion of the MLMs Forever Living, Herbal Life, Juice Plus, Younique etc, plus our very own MN-MLM Timeless Vie!

www.facebook.com/timelessvie
twitter.com/timelessvie

Previous thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/legal_money_matters/2437667-MLM-bot-watch-FL-Juice-Plus-Younique-etc

OP posts:
Thread gallery
67
lastuseraccount123 · 09/10/2015 23:09

cat are you brave enough to join?

honestly, the thought of having our very own bot-mole is v. v. exciting Grin

LittleMissStubborn · 09/10/2015 23:19

I would be wary of anyone joining unless they were 110% certain they could overcome the mind changing tricks.

Flbotnot · 09/10/2015 23:34

She tried to explain network marketing to me, which I confused with viral marketing.

She persuaded me to go to that big house in Warwickshire, picked me up from house, refused offers of petrol money, etc. it was about an hour and a half to get there.

Impressive looking house.

As soon as I got there I knew that there was something very wrong. LOADS of people raving about how fabulous everything was. Speeches from pp like Cooper. Loads of whooping. I was mortified. I was looking at the lady who took me and she was a whooping too. Loads of literature to take home.

I felt (hope this doesn't't sound too stupid) very unsafe. I was a long way from home, didn't know where I was and had no transport. Not in physical danger but desperate to get away. Also desperate not to draw attention to myself. The woman who took me was greeted by everyone as long lost family.

She dropped me home. She rang me a few times. She had lent me a book about network marketing which I couldn't find, which caused me stress at the time because I desperately wanted her off my back.

I sent her £20 in the post with a polite but firm letter telling her that I was not interested.

I wanted to write this to convey the febrile nature of these events. Completely unnerving and I suppose I had a sort of panic attack.

And that was not an O2 event, only what they call a Jonathan day.

I am so embarrassed by the whole thing that I have never told anyone about this.

Which might be a normal reaction.

(Cringe)

The End.

lastuseraccount123 · 10/10/2015 00:37

FLbot the good thing is you somehow saw through it and knew it wasn't real. well done you.

stopfaffing · 10/10/2015 08:27

Crumbs, FLbot, you really had a lucky escape. I would imagine that it was deliberate that you were taken to the venue (no escape) rather than going yourself.

Timeshare companies do this too. Some years ago (1992) we were 'invited' to a timeshare promotion in Florida with free tickets to Disney for attending. We would be taken to the venue and brought back (when??) with no option to drive ourselves. We said "no" to their kind offer and purchased our own tickets Grin.

mobiusgeek · 10/10/2015 09:34

Ha! That happened to us too stopfaffing. Every hard sales trick in the book but we stuck it out and got our discounted tickets $200 off Grin which I thought was worth 2 hours of pain (only just!). we had our own car though so didn't need the transport. I never thought that kind offer of transport was also a ruse to hard sell you again on the way back.. Damn. Didn't see through that bit! Ha

Thanks for your insight botnot. No need to cringe, you're even more amazing for getting past all the hard selling and still being able to see through it!

For anyone who doesn't have a flbot to follow there are endless open profiles. Inbox me Hun and I'll send u the links Wink

I'm a bit gutted I left a group I was added to by a yeeeeeewneek distant friend months ago before my mate got involved. She was going full throttle and had started putting up YouTube vids of her applying the mascara. I tried to find the link again recently but her profile now looks clean .. She maybe saw the light! I have plenty of flbots to stalk though Grin

cat - your secret agent speak is #amazeballs have you messaged her back yet? I'd be tempted to go silent and see how many times she contacts you to mither follow up? If she had a pro planner, you'd be on her 'hot prospects' list right now!

xenu1 · 10/10/2015 09:35

flbotnot, great account thx. This is a good article on Amway, with the analysis and amused horror at the motivational events:

thebaffler.com/salvos/dreams-incorporated

wrt timeshare, SouthParks "Asspen" (season 6 episode 2) is reliably hilarious: the boys' parents get a "free" w/e to Aspen if they attend 1 20-minute TS presentation and end up in Timeshare hell...

mobiusgeek · 10/10/2015 09:43

FYI stopfaffing .. Our visit to Florida was pretty recent. Another scam still standing the test of time perhaps. I can't even bring myself to research that.. I can only imagine what I'll find. No close friends suckered in there though so hopefully I won't have to find out. Happy to stick with MLM's - we're definitely on to something.

I also noticed Coopers trip to Paris with her putrid yellow suitcase.. She says she's being whisked there by fl for some more filming/seminar-ing?! #merchantsofdeception #shill

mobiusgeek · 10/10/2015 09:51

Xenu - I love Southpark.. Can't remember that one goes to find Grin

mobiusgeek · 10/10/2015 10:20

Goldmine. Have quickly watched the one from Natalie heeley (I think she's another shill type character - her name rings a bell. I think it's because she's another one of Dave o connor's sheep)

vimeo.com/134871823/recommended

The one at the bottom looks great - 45 mins tho so I'll wait till I have lots of time to kill to watch that one. I love how robotic and scripted these are GrinHmm

LadyShirazz · 10/10/2015 10:43

Wouldn't it be great if South Park could do an episode ripping MLM to shreds? Also loved the time share one!

mobiusgeek · 10/10/2015 11:22

I think the Mormon episode covered it in a round about way. Have you ever watched 'book of Mormon' in the west end/Broadway? It's absolutely hilarious - written by the same people who write South Park

mobiusgeek · 10/10/2015 11:27

American dragons Dan get approached with a new mlm Grin

m.reddit.com/r/videos/comments/33a5rw/a_multilevel_marketing_mlm_pitch_gets_shut_down/

AJFsmummy · 10/10/2015 11:39

I think I'm up for being a mole

Flbotnot · 10/10/2015 12:59

Just read that Xenu. Thanks.

I noted the reference to Alcoholics Anonymous. Similar model, esp the standard cult feature of 'personal testimony of former converts'.

South Park have done an episode on Scientology and also I think one on AA.
Penn and Teller have done one on AA.

I went to see Billy Graham in 1990, purely as a mole. I had heard about what an amazing speaker he was. I took along a very reluctant friend. I was completely unmoved by the rally. At the end they said something like 'If you want to find out more.... Come down now!'

To my friend's horror, I rushed down, only to find that they required my name, address and telephone number. No way. We went home and my friend told me that he was freaked out when I rushed off and thought that he was going to contact my family to tell them when he had last seen me.

AJF, be careful.
Should we attach a rope round your waist incase you get sucked in?

AJFsmummy · 10/10/2015 13:23

Well i currently run my company at the moment which is absolutely full time so i wont have time to get sucked in......but i think I'm game xx

stopfaffing · 10/10/2015 15:16

morbious, the dragon's den clip was awesome Grin. Have you read the comments below? There's no love for MLM's there either.

ForeverLivingMyArse · 10/10/2015 16:11

I have an Osborne book lady, are they the same?

mobiusgeek · 10/10/2015 17:25

Stopfaffing .. Or here Grin

uproxx.com/ksk/2013/08/this-week-in-fck-you-pyramid-schemes-and-multi-level-marketing/

Flmyarse .. I haven't looked into Osborne books but it has been mentioned a couple of times. I can't imagine it's as bad as other MLM's. Books aren't consumables, nor a miracle cure to fix all ailments, but then again Amway sells anything and everything

acatcalledjohn · 10/10/2015 23:01

Tempting to join, though not sure if I have the time to be a proper mole...

Though this 1 month old bot clearly hasn't got a pro planner going by the lack of messages today, Mobius

mobiusgeek · 11/10/2015 07:11

She might be one of those that 'play it cool' because it's you that should be mithering them for those close guarded secrets to riches ... the reply will come... (Unless she's already decided to bow out herself)

MistyBells · 11/10/2015 16:16

I have honestly been gobsmacked by some of the people I know who have been sucked in by these cults. It must be a case of brainwashing judging by some of the stuff being posted on my facebook Shock

Majority are teachers actually

xenu1 · 11/10/2015 16:20

MLMs are particularly appealing to those such as teachers, who are used to honest employers. Teaching may be stressful but you get paid and are treated reasonably. MLMs lie to you, and that is hard for those who are new to scams.

Twunk · 11/10/2015 16:43

My bot has a post on her wall saying that she has achieved "white presenter" despite not having received her kit yet!

So I looked it up and white means that you have joined. So not not much of an achievement then. Hmm

Twunk · 11/10/2015 16:44

Sorry the post was from her brainwasher recruiter