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

Real: goes to a party/cinema/shopping/ or anywhere at all at the weekend and just enjoys the experience.

Bot: goes to all the above but continually seeks out a potential downline not enjoyable because the pressure is always on to get her 4CCs by the end of each month, or she doesn't qualify for promotion

I'm halfway through Merchants of Deception. It's startling how familiar it all sounds. Forever Living is Amway with Aloe. Sack the boss, residual income, adoration of bots who have made it (who clearly haven't from reading this book), don't quit now, you're almost there, six figure incomes, pouring scorn on the naysayers, it's all there. Much of what my bot is spouting could have come from this book. My mind is blown.

For instance, in the book, the author has to sell all his rental properties to clear his debts and is encouraged to do so by his dear leaders, this is dressed up as him having made it, in Amway, when the truth is, he's exhausted and broke. It all sounds very Emma Cooper. Once you've stripped away the glitter, she's now living in a rented house isn't she?

Haha! Yes an all those. I was running off what I was doing yesterday. Not a lot when you have child related meetings thrown in :(

I've just realised that my first FLbot now has her own actual real business - as a financial advisor. Real clients, real service, and she's actually genuinely qualified and licensed by a professional body to do it. She was very quiet about dropping the con though.

sminky I'm reading it too, I'm at the point where his wife is taking a step back and he's not able to afford the $5k amway holiday (when it's actually only half that price but the upline have inflated the price so they can stay in luxury) I'm so shocked he was in $100k debt and only earning $30k a year despite being high up in amway and working 80-100 hour weeks.

I wonder if it's the same for the fl guys claiming to earn 6 figure salaries?

mrshathaway, have you asked her directly? please, please report back

I'll have a nosey through her FB - will be interesting to see when the FL stuff stopped, or indeed if she's deleted it. It was a typical maternity leave thing though, and of course at some point she must have noticed that the numbers added up on neither an individual nor macro level.

Heres another good blog, a bit sweary, but.... Didn't realise that FL own the resorts that the bots visit for their 'free' holidays.
www.foulentertainment.com/blogs/peer-amid-the-mistruth-the-lies-of-pyramid-schemes

I think its this link which mentions the resorts forum.culteducation.com/read.php?3,15508

Sminky, I think that they own loads of property is significant.
If/when it all goes wrong, Rex etc are still going to be loaded.
Reminds me of Scientology; they own HUGE amount of property.

It's Machiavellian. The can't lose, bots can't win.

I've read a few books about Scientology, so many parallels.

Hmm, interesting email today.

I belong to a local forum called Streetlife. It allows locals to post local information, questions (anyone know a good plumber/handyman/gardener), local crimes committed, new meeting groups starting up etc.

There is a local Ladies Group who asked generally if there was anyone who would like to do a talk on crafting related theme. One of the replies was from a woman who volunteered to give a talk about NLP, Yoga, Reiki and then mentioned that she promoted aloe-based products.

Well, I nearly fell of my chair and sent a message back asking if it was FL. The answer: yes.

I have sent a reply asking how long she has been an FL promoter and what level she is currently and what level she is working towards.

At this point I just need to figure out whether she is just selling the stuff and not actively recruiting a downline. I don't want to go in an accuse anyone yet, but depending on her reply will make it known that recruitment of the kind that FL promotes is not acceptable on our forum and warn members.

good catch faff

sminky, thanks for the forum link - i added it to the TV blog.

any other links you want me to add? please post here

not sure about the sweary one, wonder if it will turn people off but am happy to defer to the majority. what does everyone else think?

on the other hand, maybe TV turns people off too and I shut just shut my piehole.

I do think its a bit sweary!

It's definitely passionate .

I had a reply asking me to contact her to chat about FL and levels etc (pm me hun).

What to reply? Something like this?

Sorry, no a chat not necessary. I just wanted to check that you were not using this neighbourhood forum to canvass for new prospects to become recruited into FL, to become your downline.

FL is an multi level marketing company (known as MLM) and as such operate a pyramid-style model which only makes money for the top tier of the pyramid with the vast majority (at least 99%) making very little due to expenses.

Something like this?

Maybe a bit sweary for tv?

Faff what's your aim when replying to your not? If you are admin of the forum and are telling her to stop as its a breech of rules then I'd use your excellent first para and make the 2nd one more about being clear she's not to do that as its a scam and you are protecting your members.

mrshath and xenu only £200. It's bloody criminal.
My FL bot is doing the new year clean 9 nonsense at the moment. I'm still very about it, she works in child services so I would have hope she was a good huge of character and could see through bullshit.

I sometimes see C9 pouches in the fridge at work and have to bite my tongue.

Christmaspanties, no I am just a local person who gets emails from the forum and sometimes replies.

This is what I have written back:-

Hi xxxxx, thanks for your reply.

Sorry, no a chat not necessary. I just wanted to check that you were not using this neighbourhood forum to canvass for new prospects to become recruited into Forever Living to become your downline.

Forever Living is an multi level marketing company (known as MLM) and as such operate a pyramid-style business model where the vast majority of money is made for the top tier of the pyramid from income generated from the vast majority below (called the downline).

The downline end up with very little income and often significant expenses. People who work for Forever Living have to continually recruit a downline if they want to be promoted.

Additionally, the products sold are not natural (they contain additives) or organic and are very, very expensive. Comparable products are available locally at a fraction of the price which don't contain additives and are organic.

xxxxx, I am not getting at you personally about this, I am just wary of this local forum being used to exploit its users in any way and just want to highlight my concerns.

Regards, xxxxxx

lastuser123 > "any other links you want me to add? please post here". A favourite of mine, because it is well-written, humorous and sympathetic, is the Baffler article on Amway: thebaffler.com/salvos/dreams-incorporated