Toobusy has pretty much summed it up perfectly. Emma said "We're talking about people selling products, not a religious cult!!" - unfortunately there are a few whereby religion is at the heart of the MLM.
Some of the main reasons to be anti-MLM:
Promises are made about income that aren't realised.
People are told "you obviously didn't work hard enough"
You're welcomed in with open arms, "friends" come out of nowhere.
Try to quit, these "friends" will disappear.
Move to another MLM, these "friends" will heavily criticise you behind your back.
You can earn pocket money, yes, but you won't have the earning potential you're promised on sign up. Chances are you'll probably lose money.
Oh, and the health claims - they come thick and fast don't they? I just hope that nobody is seriously affected by something they were told was good for them.
Yes there are "better" MLMs, ones where it's nearly all about the selling rather than recruiting and the prices aren't astronomical (just because xxx extract is in the product). Buying a Tupperware container set or a set of Usborne books has got to be better than trying to "cleanse" yourself with something you can't pronounce half the ingredients of, or wrapping yourself in clingfilm and bandages.
And Emma, you'll find via Timeless Vie (and through Bot Watch and here) that there are plenty of people who have suffered, who have lost money and have been bullied. That's who we stand up for, they have very little voice compared to the almost cultist nature of some MLMers (let's all chant "we are not a pyramid scheme, we are a member of the DSA"). So forgive us if we seem a little one sided, but that's why this thread exists, that's why Bot Watch and Timeless Vie exist. Three small havens where people can vent, rant, moan and feel some comfort from the many thousands of people all chanting the same thing. You only have to go to any "Jobs in XXX county" group on Facebook to see how many people are involved.