MLM bot watch - Discussion of the network marketing companies Forever Living, Herbal Life, Juice Plus etc as a pyramid scheme or scam

[CheekySmile]

Continuing the discussion of the various network marketing schemes or multi-level marketing schemes (MLMs) that people we know are involved in.

If you have a bot of your own then join us and share what they are saying!

Or if you are researching a company before signing up to be a network marketer please take a look at the previous bot watch thread and also this thread which delves deeper into the workings of MLMs.

And don't forget our very own MN MLM Timeless Vie!
www.facebook.com/timelessvie
www.twitter.com/timelessvie

Pure and patented stabilisation? What, like, preservative? If preservative is added this means the product is not 'pure' anything except hokum. And just because something is patented doesn't mean it's worth anything.

Hi guys, one of my acquaintances has just started herbalife. One of my favourite fb exchanges so far was where Bot was saying how invigorated she felt after her morning herbalife herbal tea. Another friend jokes about how much caffeine there is in them. Bot's reply 'it has natural caffeine in it rather than the caffeine you get from processed coffee'
Now I might be missing something but surely the caffeine in coffee IS natural! More natural than a 'cookies and cream' flavored shake Im pretty sure.

'Is this the day you make the call or take the chance to change it all or take the stand to speak your mind and leave your former life behind'

That's beautiful isn't it.

Following launch party Bot encourages people that this IS the day, they know who they are, all they have to do is PM her, she'd love to hear from them.

How much do I want to add a comment 'DON'T DO IT!!!'

Think I might have lost my SIL to FL, for the time-being. She is having child-care issues and work problems because of this. She has handed her notice in hoping go call her works bluff, but it hasnt worked. Now she is really plugging FL, going to the "training days", the latest recognition day. She has recruited her step daughter who is only 18. She will be spending money she hasnt got now to try and get the FL dream. I keep thinking of "rayofhope" hoping that she will realise what a scam the whole farce is, but it is so worrying now as I can only stand and watch. I know if I try and say anything against FL I will be deemed as being negative. I really despise all of these pyrimid MLM's, they are vile.

The current last post on the NM site linked to above is so logical and normal.

This has probably been covered.
Are ex-Flbotno under any obligation not to publish their losses/nature of the scan?

Publicise. Not publish.

Siwi, I don't know, they're not supposed to offload the stock to ebay (probably because it looks like a shipment of fail).. ...but there is an absolute ton on there. Shedloads of it.. If I wanted to try it, I'd go there, from three grand pan sets to aloe bollix I'd go on ebay to avoid the sales patter and high prices.

I'm watching an MLM bot with morbid fascination to see when she cracks. A month from now? Weeks?

She's posting up 'castle' houses even though she lives in a semi. She's simultaneously being busy at seminars #empowering women and being a #bossbabe whilst staying at home with her dog. ''Shrodingers MLM Bot, simultaneously being a workaholic whilst doing nothing at all.''

"They [up line] don't get a cut they get a percentage."

A rose by any other name, springs to mind.

I only read the last page of the nm thread, full of the usual 'you failed because you didn't do enough' but then telling me that it is easy to do round the family.

Thanks poorbuthappy that was my post! I totally burnt my lunch while writing it but it was worth it, it felt good! Just want someone to respond so we can have a proper discussion!

Siwi, they are probably totally convinced it is their fault so no one to blame. On the nm thread there is someone saying 'I didn't try hard enough,' 'I didn't like the product enough' etc followed by people saying 'If you work hard enough you'll succeed'

When it does 'fail' they firmly believe it is their fault, no one is going to happily admit that.

I agree with LittleMissStubborn it's hammered into them that if they fail it's their fault. Who wants to admit that? Rayofhope bravely did a couple of weeks ago, and you could tell by the tone of her posts that's what she believed.

I have read the FL terms and conditions, and this is an odd one:

I have no financial obligation as a Company Forever Business Owner during the 12 months following commencement of this Agreement other than to pay for any products I order and to reimburse the Company any bonus paid to me in respect of products which are subsequently returned.

What happens after the first 12 months then?

I've just checked the source of the info on EC's slide upthread. I cannot save that image from the app to post on NH. However, I have just found UK specific info:

UK sales in 2014 in GBP: 2,367,000
UK sellers in 2014: 544,000.

£4.351 per seller in sales. Per year.

That is considerably lower than the global turnover vs profit per person.

I should mention that a quick glance at the website http://www.wfdsa.org reads as very biased.

These figures are not FL specific by the way. They are made up of all registered direct selling companies' figures.

Wow acat so that's not even profit, £4.35 in sales

I'm going to have a good look at that website tonight. Far too busy at work after being stuck in a 3 hour presentation .

It was good, informative, relevant. Thing is, I don't feel fucking buzzing.

Maybe I should go MLM...

Hang on, have just looked up your link. Isn't the sales figure 2,367 million?

So 2,367,000,000 / 544,000 = £435 in sales

Oh, feck, yes, well spotted.

An well, even £435 is a far cry from the £1200 turnover per bot globally.

I actually had that link already open weirdly, I'd found it last night and was going to take a closer look today...

I'd been trying to verify this claim from one of the bots I'm stalking, and I cannot find any evidence that it is true unsurprisingly anywhere.

So is £435 roughly 1 £200 starter pack and 2 months worth of personal use CC - meaning a lot give up after 2 months?

Is there anything we can practically do to help stop people signing up to these cults? Someone said to me write to my MP but I can't help but think that wouldn't do a thing.

Does anyone know anyone or have any contacts at media outlets/blogs? From what research I've done there's barely anything online to persuade people from joining, or something that gives a clear, concise evaluation of why these schemes fail. cheeky I loved your NM reply, that was perfect.

What about getting an article published here on mumsnet, even? I'm sure it would be possible to get some ex-distributors to give an anonymous account of their experiences.

The research you guys have done on here is amazing, I'd just love to get it in the public domain!

Cheeky - I looked into that statistic previously as my bot posted it and I think it's been wildly made up from the statistic that comes from the DSA (the direct selling association (US) which seems to exist to attempt to legitimise MLMs) that 82% of direct sellers [in the US] are women - in 2009 and 2010.
So yes, complete fabrication!

cake well there's our TV blog. I could do a post about that exact thing if you all could help me with the main points/research to back it up. I will start tonight.

timelessvie.wordpress.com

Last I completely missed that you guys did a blog! I'm happy trying to pull together some stuff for it, although it'll take me a week or two. I've got a few company house details for MLM people who have told me they earn ££££, their figures show otherwise.