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

[CheekySmile]

Still 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 an MLM bot of your own then join us and share their claims and content.

Or if you are researching a company before signing up to be a network marketer please take a look at the previous threads here and here 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
www.timelessvie.wordpress.com

at cheeky I see how you got your username now!

The speed we are racing through this thread we'll be onto another one soon

I've a suggestion, could we put more information in the first post on the thread to hit some of the big cult lies straight away? A lot of the MLM lies have been busted due to the work of people in this thread so perhaps we should highlight those more. The main one being that the bots are telling big fat porkies about how much money they are actually making.

One example.

My FL bot has been given a shiny new car by their MLM.

No – in reality the FL car plan offers £236 a month for 36 months towards a car IF the distributor and their team sell £63,600 of stock over three months PLUS a further £31800 a month in sales/recruitment for the remaining 33 months. That’s over 1 million pounds earned for the company for a maximum of £8496 towards that shiny new car.

Long time lurker here - I have a younique person who I love very much.

She knows not to discuss it with me .....

Can someone link me to the Facebook group please?

Can someone suggest something / someone or a group I can follow on Facebook. My bots are an ex-pupil and the parent of someone I teach (small community) but I feel the need to warn them, but subtly. Thought liking a few Facebook status by a group of economists / clever people who have really investigated this might be a way in.

Juice Plus is apparently made from fruit carefully plucked at its ripest.

Younique cures acne!

Anyone want to contribute to this?? Xxc

m.facebook.com/groups/1392403511022347?view=permalink&id=1662745943988101

'in reality the FL car plan offers £236 a month for 36 months towards a car IF the distributor and their team sell £63,600 of stock over three months PLUS a further £31800 a month in sales/recruitment for the remaining 33 months. That’s over 1 million pounds earned for the company for a maximum of £8496 towards that shiny new car.'

dreich- I'm impressed by your insight regarding the 'FLP' labyrith. However, if I might respectfully suggest, your analysis of the 'FLP car plan' would be even more accurate, if you remove the words: 'sell' and 'sales.'

'Since' there is no evidence to prove that 'FLP' adherents have been regularly selling anything to the the general public (based on value and demand), they have actually been offered a monthly carrot of £236 from the 'FLP' front company, if they invest a fixed sum of their own cash with the 'FLP' front company each month, and recruit, and maintain, for a period of 3 months, a group of sufficient, fellow monthly-investors to generate payments to the front company totalling £63 000, etc.

Although it cannot be denied that a few non-contractees do buy 'MLM' wampum products (because they apparenty want to use them), in the overwhelming majority, the cash folowing into 'MLM' front companies has derived internally from never-ending chains of ill-informed persons under temporary contract to these front companies. Common sense, along with decades of evidence, reveals that 'MLM' front company revenues have mainly comprised unlawful losing investment payments (based on the false expectation of future reward), but which have been laundered as 'sales.'

Juice Plus is apparently made from fruit carefully plucked at its ripest

so... its pretty much over ripe by the time it is processed then? ;)

Thanks for the vid eye that summed up what I thought. I just couldn't work out how the plan worked. If it was through FL or elsewhere.

Still, my question is 'if you are earning that much every month why do you need a car plan?' you could easily save, get a low interest loan elsewhere if you income is that high!

rudechoob this image is brilliant from that group.

What do we know about Arbonne? I'm fairly active in a beauty group that's been mentioned here before - MrsGloss&TheGoss over on FB - and these people pop up regularly

Apparently Arbonne is 'different'

Ive posted all the pages of the Arbonne contract a few posts back. As far as I can see it looks pretty much the same as every other MLM.
They all seem to say they are different, although Im not sure what claims to difference they are based on

My ex's ex (mum to my DD's half brother) has recently taken up with them. She didnt do well with Younique but seems sucked in. I sent her alot of stuff Id found about them which seems to mirror the experiences with other MLMs
she was on about the £10K per month, white mercedes and all inclusive luxury trips.
also their claims of 'purity' seem a little misleading. They play on their Swiss credentials but actually are a US company (surprise surprise)

Go Kelly!

Im um the one with the initials J. W...on the fb post ahem......

This hilarious

'economists / clever people who have really investigated this'

Roseformeplease From your comment you are obviously well-educated, and well intentioned, but what makes you think that persons with a degree in economics are qualified to investigate this phenomenon? Indeed what traditional academic qualification do you think would qualify anyone to investigate this phenomenon?

That said, there are some very insightful people commenting on this Forum who have rapidly arrived at the truth and who can express it clearly.

I hate to disillusion you, but as far as I'm aware, there are no traditional academics who have really investigated the 'MLM' phenomenon, let alone come up with a satisfactory clear explanation of it.

I have been investigating, and deconstructing, 'MLM' cultic groups for more than 20 years, and I have long since formed the conclusion that to understand what lies behind them, you require a grounding in numerous traditional academic disciplines, a large dose of common sense, a good sense of humour and a skin as thick as a rhino. Indeed, in many repects, what I have labelled, 'Blame-The-Victim MLM income opportunity' racketeering, is a whole new academic study in itself, but academics have missed it, whilst some (including attorneys and economists) have been co-opted by it.

did she delete her comments rude? also... stealing that pic for FB

Did who delete? Jw (red lipstick) is moi xx

Roseformeplease

I forgot to mention one very clever guy who has thoroughly investigated, and written extensively about, the MLM phenomenon (in the style of a professional academic), Robert FitzPatrick.

Needless to say, Robert has been the target of various character assassination attempts by 'MLM' propagandists.

Ooh TV could comment on that FB group, hang on...

Oh damn, looks like you have to be a person to comment. There's no option for me to join as TV.
Maybe a member could link to TV as a great business opportunity?!

I went over to FB to big up TV but I can't comment at all. The only options are to like or share?

That video that Eye posted this morning at 10:51 is shocking but also dramatically presents in horrible detail exactly what MLM companies do to the people who enrol.

It seems that Herbalife were particularly effective at sucking money from their bots, even charging them for leads.

Could it be posted on TV fb page?

Could it be put on the web page too?

With some comment to the effect the "we're not like other MLMs, we don't exploit our downlines" or something.

Actiderm also goes on about their 'frenchness' over and over and over again, to the point of using a stylised version of the eiffel towel on their packaging. Surprise surprise it actually has absolutely nothing to do with france though.

Eyespying Did you mean to be so rude and patronising? I have enjoyed reading the comments and insights from the people on this thread,yourself included. I am sorry I don't know you, or your huge range of credentials, or what amazing academic qualifications it takes to be able to get to the bottom of it all. To be honest, you are just an username on a computer, so could be anything or anyone at all. I used the terms " economists" and "clever people" without irony to show my admiration for the work and intelligence, and sheer bloody mindedness shown by those investigating it.

I then asked for some help. What I wasn't expecting was to be patted on the head like a child. I am usually pretty bulletproof on here but really?

pfft. academics. economists. i agree with eyes. look at scientology - it's a pernicious cult hiding in plain sight but still has tame academics to trot out when necessary. and lawyers, etc. "clever" does not equal "ethical" or "street smart" .

we can do a lot more than they can imo.