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

sminkypink - In a woman's magazine, my major whistleblower's angle could be:

'I was duped into financing my ex-wife's £300k 'Prosperity Gospel' cult habit.'

I intend to rewrite my initial article on 'FLP' and insert the story of my whistleblower complete with videos and photos.

The intro for the article I initially published on 'FLP' on my Blog, came about when I was contaced by the ex-partner of a temporary UK victim who allowed me to publish her statement without identifying her or her ex partner, but I also gave this witness an explanation of what 'FLP' really is which enabled her give me all the relevant information.

My 'FLP' article has already received well over 100 000 page visits.

My whistleblower already understands what he was really involved in. He's a brave and honest guy who accepts that his ex-wife remains involved in criminal activity and that a lot of the cash from the 'FLP' racket is actually going to the 'Mormon Church.'

When 'Time Out' covered 'Amway' as a prosperity cult in the 1990s, the News Editor had no victims who were prepared to speak out. As a direct result of the articles, he then received letters from a significant number of victims, but he was unable to put me in contact with any of these people, because they didn't want to be identified.

I was given copies of some of the letters, but with all names and addresses obliterated. One woman spoke of Doncaster in the letter. She had lost £30 000, and she spoke of people she'd recruited having lost similar sums. At that time, ex-miners, and the wives of ex-miners, in Derbyshire and S. Yorkshire were one of the main target groups for recruitment in the UK.

The common fear seems to be that because victims have usually been recruited by the friends and relatives, and have tried to recruit their friends and relatives, they don't want to get their friends and relatives into trouble.

yes I saw on Facebook that a big Tesco closed down somewhere and some FLP bots went in there and did a business presentation to the workers who were about to lose their jobs.
Bloodsucking parasites or what?

Redundancy payments have always been the big draw for 'MLM' recruiters, but any vulnerable group with access to cash or credit provides a perfect breeding ground for the virus.

e.g. Military veterans recovering from stress-related illnesses, or physical wounds, have disability pensions and time on their hands.

Glad to hear about the whistleblower, I look forward to the piece eye . I'm also a multi thread follower, the more the merrier I say. The recent 'split' comments did remind me of this classic clip which is a bonus in itself :)

Thanks for the clip Ambler21.

I will of course be posting links to my forthcoming article here on MN.

Ironically, if MN had been around when I first encountered 'Amway' in my family (with a lighthearted Ambot thread and more serious discussion taking place), I'm sure I would have been in the lighthearted camp.

Another interesting piece of news which I'm about to post an article on, is the fact that the only US business journalist to have been reporting the Ackman 'Herbalife' saga in favour of Ackman, has just been fired.

This was Michelle Celarier of the New York Post (a tabloid paper owned by Rupert Murdoch).

I thought of the life of Brian too! It's all a bit arbitrary but never mind, I'm sure there's lots of us who can cope with both. There's only so many times you can laugh at a stock photo of someone's feet in sand and captions like 'my new office' before it starts looking petty and spiteful.

ForeverLivingMyArse - One of the reasons why I started to post on MN in the first place, was to demonstrate that some people who know that 'MLM' cultism/racketeering is an ego-building, mind-scrambling lie, don't want to look at a full explanation, because even that can scramble a person's mind and disturb his/her self-esteem.

Some people (and, for a while, I was one of them) take the not-unreasonable attitude that if you know this a con and a cult, then the full explanation of 'MLM' cultism/racketeering, is just a waste of time and mental effort.

I have continued to post, because (contrary to what some MN have implied on the lighthearted thread) there are plenty of MN members who are in search of the fullest explanation, and who have asked me to keep on posting it.

Fisboneschokeus - You are right, mocking (particularly when it's done with thought) can prevent some people from falling for the 'MLM' fairy story.

Random fact: I once had dinner Terry Gilliam's insurance broker.

Eye! That makes us practically cousins!

Gimlet,
Yay, they get the whole family in.

From the FL Company handbook:

'Before taking any (ANY) of our products, please consult your doctor. Our products are not medicines and do not carry any medicinal licences.'

Tell that to the bots.

sminkypink Whilst watching the celebrated French movie, 'le Dîner de Cons,' I thought what a marvelous idea it would be to invite half a dozen deluded 'MLM' robots to dinner (by pretending to be interested in joining), and then film the result with hidden cameras.

random facts:

*there have been 2 threads for eons. this split is not a new thing.

*interestingly the TV blog links to Eyespy's blog, but not the other way around. Interesting eh?

lastuseraccount123

2 threads yes, but only one subject.

Please explain your second random fact?

eyespy

i think it's pretty clear? since we're all on the same side, allegedly, why don't you link to our blog etc on yours? we do for you.

2 threads. two different takes on an issue. as you well know, the first split happened because many people were turned off by your posts and preferred the light-hearted touch. i can find the posts if you like.

lastuseraccount123

I've just looked at the other thread and worked out what you meant.

You fail to observe that I don't link any MN threads (not even this one) to my Blog nor do I link any Blogs or Websites.

lastuseraccount You seem to be heavily influenced by a certain Python sketch.

Personally, I have no argument with you and no desire to enter into your imagined argument with me.

i did observe that, and i think it's odd since we're all supposed to be on the same side and surely linking all the information together could only be a good thing.

who said I was arguing? I'm just making an observation. I like to look at people's actions. they say a lot.

lastuseraccount You now fail to observe that my Blog contains more than 200 articles and has attracted more than 850 000 page visits. My explanation of the 'FLP' racket represents just a tiny fraction of the infomation presented on my Blog. You also fail to observe that I actually have an article which centres on the MN discussion of 'FLP.'

(As in my earlier comment, in this sense the verb, 'to observe', means to pass remark upon, not just to see or read).

Behind the scenes, I have been sending many contacts from around the world to the MN threads.

Thank-you, I agree that people's actions do say a lot, so might I ask you, exactly what actions you have taken in your own name to educate people about 'MLM' racketeering or to bring these serious matters to the attention of regulators, journalists, law enforcement agents, legislators, etc. around the world ?

eye many of us have done what we can, in our own names. We are reporting the people who make false claims. Breach advertising rules. We have spoken about it on previous threads. Information on how to share and report all false claims was detailed. Many have taken that on board.

I have been reporting. An awful lot. I am using my skills I have picked up to do this, I know a fair bit more than the average person about the ASA/trading standards rules. Im focusing mostly on locally based bots. Ones I know because I have access to them, but for reasons including outing my location, my name and probably my address I have not and will not share all that I have done on here. I need my anonymity because of the area I work in. If it comes out that I will 'grass any one up' I lose my livelihood. You are in a very lucky position that your job means you can do these things freely and so openly. Some of us can't, many of us don't want to because of the ultimate fallout with our loved ones something you should understand as you have repeatedly told us about your own personal circumstances. We want them out but we don't want to lose them in the process.

That's all I have to say in this matter.

501 likes on the TV FB page! Good work people, and thank you!!

Whether or not you think it's informative is up to you. I think it is. It's creating peer pressure, giving a chance to reflect on the real MLMs and generating interest in the cause. We are all on the same side even if we prefer different communication styles.

Don't bicker please even if purely because it helps the bots

bettyberry Thanks, I know that MN members have been doing what they can in their own names, and I'm very appreciative, but my fair-comment question was addressed to lastuseraccount123 who made a barbed remark about my actions saying a lot.