MLM Bot Watch 17- chat about Utah based tragicomic cultastic racketeering scamalangadingdongs like Forever Living, Ariix, Herbalife, Younique, Juiceplus etc etc etc

[Toobusytowee]

A brief history of the threads so far-

A few people were bemused at their friends' strange personality changes when they joined MLMs.
Eyespying told us they were tragicomic, thought stopping cultic racketeers.
We told him to go away, he was clearly obsessed, and can he go to his own serious thread?
We delved a bit deeper into the issues.
Eyes started creeping back. We told him he was too serious.
We became more horrified at the information being turned up and were sharing links.
Eyes told us aboutMerchants of Deception.
Timeless Vie was set up as a parody about MLMs.[[www.facebook.com/timelessvie
Facebook,]] Twitter, blog, Instagram and YouTube were all used.
People started coming forward, telling of their experiences in MLMs.
We became more horrified.
Bot Watch started on Facebook where links were put up of interest to do with MLMs.
Botwatchblog started and produced factual analysis of the discussions from MN.
MLM members (bots) waded in saying it was all ok. You can earn great money. You just have to work 19 hours a day and not worry about morals.
Bots complained about their names being used. Their lawyers complained to MNHQ so that MN now do not allow us to use bots' names or show screengrabs of their writings even if it is in the public domain.
Blogs and FB posts increased, with the increasing amount of facts and whistleblowers coming forward.
FL lawyer tried to get TV YouTube video banned.
Bots claimed we were bullying them because we were asking them questions they couldn't answer. we were called middle aged women and accused of being drug dealers.
It got a bit nasty so we ate some cheese for a bit and they went away.
Health claims from FL bots now reducing dramatically as a result of pestering from all of us.
We stopped telling Eyes he was too serious. We all started thinking in his language and realised he was right.
Eyes turned out to be very funny and entertained us all.
Sunday Times article produced exposing FL. With a little help from people here.
Lawyers still persisting in trying to ban TV's videos.

Some links of interest-
A factsheet aimed at people considering joining an MLM or who have just done so, to warn them of some facts. tinyurl.com/ha6sgxw

A film of herbalife victims describing what it is like in their MLM-

A film on how to spot a pyramid scheme-

A comedy review of an MLM product- www.youtu.be/4yr_etbfZtQ

Sparkleyes - I can assure you that I am one person only! - it was someone else's reasoning to believe I was several - I chose not to affirm or deny, true my writing style can at time be erractic - due to lack of sleep or concentration when writing - but it's still me.

In answer to PrettyUseful - at that time eyes chose to deride some answers I gave to the barrage of questions I faced that particular day. His constant accusation that I was not fully in charge of my faculties - and the lengthy explanations as to why I should explain the makeup of how a MLM company operated left me drained.

Hence my reply. I have never hidden the fact that I choose to be involved with a MLM company - nor the fact that I do quite well from it too - enough that has truly made a difference to mine and my families lives - I have also explained that like anything - many succeed and many fail.

Those that fail may not necessarily be suited to this game - it's really hard, you face a lot of hurdles and it can get lonely. But for me - when I found out that I was really good at it - I mean really good at something that made more money than my 9 to 5 - it was a no brainer. That's just me - whatever your profession may be - I may not be as good a you doing it - good luck to you - if it pays the bill - makes you happy then why not. This industry makes me happy - I in turn make my family happy - and to me that is all that truly counts.

oh well if you're happy then that makes everything okay.

I agree dollytwat

I think the gloating posts speak for themselves.

Quite why a billion dollar company is quite so concerned with some middleaged keyboard warriors I'm not sure.

It would seem the independent business owners have been fed various lies by their up lines company bosses and now the pigeons are coming home to roost.

To be honest I'm more concerned with the livelihoods of the Tata steelworkers than those who promote unrealistic lifestyles, and products that claim inaccurate and misleading health claims for a living.

BS - that Feature Me post was incredibly interesting. A lot of people mentioning bots bullying!

Interestingly a wonderful associated journalist once tweeted this.

Ugggh. I'm here to vent, rather than add anything useful, sorry.

A couple of hours ago I posted on FB that today I was officially diagnosed with [type of chronic illness]. A particular friend definitely read it as she posted a (lovely) comment.

I've known her longer than she's been doing the Bot thang, and she really is a kind person and really believes in the product and means well, but I just saw that she has posted one of her testimonial things - she posts quite a lot but only this one had #[my illness] on it, and at the top of the list of conditions this juice plus shit supposedly cures.

[headdesk]

Bloody-hell I cant believe Spys been banned, Ive had a few personal things to sort out and only just caught up. I must be next to get banned then because I have only spoke on this one thread about this one subject. Well done for your imput Spy. Keep up the excellent work you have been doing and thank you for all the information you have shared with us. I have learnt such a lot while being on here. I for one think something fishy has gone on. If we can go elsewhere will someone please let me know, as I wont hesitate to go.

patzy it was fascinating on so many levels. I'm sure the Daily Mail article will be equally fascinating.

"You're sooo vain, you probably think this thread is about you....."

I do think it is important to keep the threads going on MN, it has a big readership and is a credible website that has a big reach. These threads are clearly working and it would be a shame to lose them given what they have achieved so far.

Chimps how much did you earn last month?
I would be willing to disclose my salary- anyone else on the thread care to join me- perhaps that would encourage MINers to come forward? Apologies if barking up the wrong tree here.

Sparkle - " I have always found in real life that those who cry bully the loudest are generally those undertaking the bullying themselves" -

I really think this when I have posted before about how people on this thread have mercilessly attacked a certain person because of her eyebrows ? and cheeckbones How another had moved out of a council house to live in a better area and a barn? how someone lives in a castle - and how tired she always looks ? - really you are saying what exactly or are you condoning this as not bullying? - when did I engage in such behaviour - or was that after I was attacked for being a greedy F'ing twat - I am sure you can look back and find that post. It's nice when you are called that on a public forum - you ask for a public apology - none comes - and you all stand around applauding the poster because that's the civil way to treat another human!

An interesting article about Herbalife here Have a look at the comments at the bottom....

Here is another article, again have a look at the comments below, they are very interesting.

Have a look at this article. Love the picture that features in the article. Speaks volumes lol.

The next time one of my colleagues dares to suggest I look tired I'll submit my grievance to HR because that is clearly bullying. If they ignore me, I'll be off to a tribunal.

FLhahaha - you mention me&i - I think or rather hope it is not MLM. I know a few people who sell it but the number of distributors in the UK is v small and I read one of their info packs once and I am pretty sure you can make a decent commission just from the not-cheap clothes themselves.

Disclaimer - I am on a few scandi clothes FB groups which is why I know me&i relatively well and I like the clothes. I own a fair bit. I have asked myself is it an mlm but I think the answer lies in whether or not you have a genuine product. Organic cotton ethically made is a bit different to aloe Vera gubbins - isn't it? I would rather just buy it from shops but 'my' seller is really lovely.

I have noticed they have started with a bit of the 'you can make money around your family' stuff though which I think is a bold claim.

The thing that astounds me the most with the bots is that for people who care so deeply about what others think of them (hence all the 'look at me' posts) they genuinely can't see that the rest of us just think 'what a tosser' and wait for the day it all comes crashing down.

That's their 'karma' for convincing all the downlines to sign up just to profit from them.

It truly disgusts me that people I know are happy to exploit their own friends to inflate their cheque at a jolly in SA that they're pretty much paying for with the proceeds of their recruitment.

chimps shouldn't you be packing for South Africa?

I think Eyes is on one of your links Stopfaffing. I read 'Utopian fairy story' :)

I'll take that as a minor victory

I think if MLMs were up front with ALL the facts, there wouldn't be many, if any issues. The thing is, if they were up front with all the facts, I very much doubt anyone would sign up, unless they already had the setup to make the MLM work straight off (but I think that's an impossibility).

Chimps I posted a comment (20:34) in reply to your earlier comment (I don't know if you've had a chance to read my post yet). I agree with you about the lengths that MLM companies will go in order to protect their business interests, at the expense (literally) of the population being exploited.

Do you feel ok with the knowledge that in order for a very, very small percentage of people to succeed in MLM, most (more than 99% according to official figures posted by some companies) will actually spend more in expenses and forced purchases than they earn in commissions?

MN - you need to have a word with yourselves. Seriously. Eyes, though slightly intense at times, is the lifeblood of these threads and has shone a light to otherwise slightly sceptical observers on just how deep and sinister the whole mlm scam is.

If he has, on occasion, broken MN rules, then delete those posts and warn him, but a ban is a complete over-reaction, especially compared to some other posts.

You're being pressured by mlm lawyers and you're being cowardly. Do the right thing. Bring back Eyes.

The Travelodge advert just came on!

Sparkle - " I have always found in real life that those who cry bully the loudest are generally those undertaking the bullying themselves" -

I really think this when I have posted before about how people on this thread have mercilessly attacked a certain person because of her eyebrows ?

Mercilessly attacked? How ridiculous!

The main sources of comment on this person where 1. The attraction marketing used to entice people to sign up 2. The posts about curing cancer with mindset which was deeply offensive.

and cheeckbones How another had moved out of a council house to live in a better area and a barn?

How is this bullying? Posters commented that giving up a right to buy discount in favour of renting an expensive property may not have been the best financial decision but was illustrative of the identifying behaviour of those sucked into the MLM funnel.

how someone lives in a castle - and how tired she always looks ? -

Yes a person heavily promoted by FLP as living a dream lifestyle who has earnt enough through the process to elude to buying a castle by working a simple part time work from home opportunity whilst on the other hand actually telling us it involved 24/7 graft working whilst in labour and four days after a c section. Sorry that is not bullying it is pointing out the many many inconsistencies used to sell the opportunity to desperate people. I'm not surprised she is tired she has worked extremely hard and hopefully receives every penny she tells the world she has earned.

really you are saying what exactly or are you condoning this as not bullying? -

No it's not bullying it's pointing out the repeated untruths and false portrayals the whole MLM business is built on.

when did I engage in such behaviour

• or was that after I was attacked for being a greedy F'ing twat -

When was this? What was the context?

I am sure you can look back and find that post. It's nice when you are called that on a public forum - you ask for a public apology - none comes - and you all stand around applauding the poster because that's the civil way to treat another human!

Sorry I don't have time to look back and find the post perhaps you could do that for me .

For the record I don't know who you are I don't care either tbh. I appreciate you want to defend your industry but please don't come here and play the victim it's surely beneath you.

Don't ban the troll - she's doing a fantastic job on these threads as a Forever Living Ambassador.

Here's some figures - a top bot claims to have "helped" create 400 new business men and women last year. This bot did qualify for the rally in South Africa. She is a 1.5k qualifier. So that is:

1500 / 400 = 3.75

That's 3.75 CC per business, on average.

Not per month. Per YEAR.