MLM Bot Watch 20 - chat about Utah based tragicomic cultastic racketeering scamalangadingdongs like Forever Living, Ariix, Herbalife, Younique, Juiceplus etc etc etc

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Bot Watch 19 - chat about Utah based tragicomic cultastic racketeering scamalangadingdongs like Forever Living, Ariix, Herbalife, Younique, Juiceplus etc etc etcThread 19
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The profits come from the products LTW sells. Their % profit on each item they sell is higher that Tesco/Asda etc because of their lack of basic costs (retail outlets and all that go with them). Them being a MLM company is the reason their costs are low.

In terms of seeing a breakdown of financials...I know the structure of bonus payments, which is pretty clear. And I've seen plenty of proof (as in bank statements) from friends and acquaintances who've been with them a few months and have earned, in line with the bonus structure, and been paid correctly and on time. I don't have any fears that the company itself is a scam that won't pay me when i'm due iyswim, none at all.

Thank you for your honest answers LTW however surely at some point a large number of people will simply not be able to or want to buy any more stuff, there surely has to be some element of stock piling. Heck, I've even done it at times on my Sainsburys shop to get to a minimum spend, but that is usually to get to £40, not £165.

I have images in my head of situations like you see in those American TV programmes about extreme couponers. Basements full of multiples of the same item that they will probably never use because it was really cheap or free.

As for Yazoo - Fulton's Foods (cheap frozen/grocery food shop) had them for 8 for £1 may have been smaller though I didn't buy any.

Grease/LTW you sound nice. You can see it's a pyramid scheme. We've seen the bizarre shopping and "hampers", we've seen the squalid headquarters, we've seen the awful website. There is nothing edifying or pleasant or straightforward about it. Please just stop and leave it there before more get sucked in

Thanks for your candour Lifetreeworld - so a massive pyramid scheme then

Think we'll have to agree to disagree on that one - because there is a difference between a genuine MLM and a pyramid scheme. IMO LTW is a genuine MLM company - otherwise i'd not have joined to start with.

MLMs are pyramid schemes - you make money from recruiting people. Can you make money if you don't recruit anyone?

Mr Grumpy - the stock is expanding in May.

Going from 2k to 17k products, so I hear. Including some fresh/frozen. I will update when I actually know what they are though!

There's no need to stockpile. You can just buy individual products, which lots do...there's plenty on there that I could spend £220 and fill my basket with my more usual stuff. A hamper is a cheaper way to do it to start with, which is what many choose until they hit their first £200 bonus.

Lifetree...I would expect those profit margins to plummet, once they try to match their distribution logistics to their projected sign up ambitions. Especially, if as they say, they plan to bring in fresh food... It will have to be in refigerated vans, stored correctly and warehoused beforehand and delivered promptly to ensure it stays fresh. That will cost them, a lot. Not to mention all of the HSE obligations they will be expected to follow and insure themselves against once they go into the fresh market. Their overheads will rocket... They will need more staff to manage the order process and transport managers, warehousers, pickers customer service, hr etc... Bye bye high margins.

However there is only so much yazoo and nail polish any family can pass off as a useful shopping bundle, so my suspicion is that this whole house of noodles will collapse way before any of the above will become an issue. Just my opinion though...

Lots of info on LTW here. Personally, I'll just stick to using Aldi. ;)

www.netmums.com/coffeehouse/working-childcare-692/working-yourself-self-employed-76/wfy-discussion-ideas-research-79/1444578-life-tree-world-whats-like-all.html

You can't send fresh and frozen through the post!

You need local supply and warehousing

As Melaw points out that is a massive logistical nightmare! One that huge supermarkets struggle with.

I love Aldi fizzy - we saved €200 a month doing our shopping there. And we didn't need to join an MLM! €200 in our pockets!

Bye Toojoin!

Twunk - no. No bonuses. You'd just be...shopping online.

Whether you feel that it's good value shopping or not is another matter. But there are plenty of people that don't budget, that only buy brands, that go to Sainsbury's and spend £250 on shopping you could get from Lidl for 80 quid...some people just do. If you buy products individually, LTW is not that different.

And yes, I know all the Yazoo comments are very witty and all the rest. But really, they're just selling food and toiletries and cleaning stuff. All brands, individually roughly the price you would pay in Sainsbury's or Tesco. And yes there are a few weird bits that I've never seen or heard of and some food I wouldn't touch with a bargepole...but much like there is in every Supermarket.

Lifetree you seem like a really nice genuine person. I really hope you don't lose money with this and time of course you can never get back.

Do you have to recruit each month?

I rest my case Twunk. People these days are always looking to save money in areas they can - food shopping is one of them and is why Aldi has become so popular. I really don't understand the logic behind the LTW MLM concept - why would anyone purchase overpriced items that they can purchase much cheaper at a supermarket AND without the hassle of waiting for delivery?!

How on earth will they deliver fresh and frozen?

I have chickens just thinking about Iceland, their 20 minute defrosting cheesecake does it even still exist? and their home delivery.

But it does seem quite ambitious. Even the big supermarkets are open at the fact that home delivery is all but a loss maker. The only way they could do it is to go like Ocado - and even they don't deliver to great swathes of the UK.

Orangefizzy

Anyone can do that. Some reviews on Aldi for your consideration:

uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.aldi.co.uk

Does that convince you to never use them again?

It always seems to be me who's mentioned by certain posters. Could it be because I am one of the ones to out what they're actually like?
Don't worry, I become stronger each day after what happened to me and I am only biding my time until it all comes out. No point throwing toys out of a pram, I prefer to do things in a thought out manner.

I wouldn't use their delivery service no. But then doesn't that prove that it's bloody hard to get right?!

Nolonger - thanks :) You don't have to introduce X people per month, no. Your bonuses are continuous. So if I introduce 6 people and stop - I earn £200 every month and no more.

Regarding the fresh/frozen...I have no idea what the range will be or how they plan on doing it.

Ahem, sorry to intrude I know i said i was going but I forgot to mention earlier I got a super freebie off my new found tropic friend some lovely self tanning lotion to try. Smells like shite but I'm sure if I decide to join I'll be able to flog loads it's marvellous. Right you can go back to what you were doing na night don't let the bed bugs bite xx

We all get it Delurker don't worry. Too close to the bone. I love an invasion because it proves we are doing something right.

I guess LTW will appeal to the people who only buy brands, I have a few items that have to be the branded product, however I am not sure of those who will only buy brands how many will be interested in doing that through LTW. - Time will tell I guess.

But I guess by 'brands' they simply mean not the likes of Tesco or Morrison's, because I am guessing some of the 'brands' are the dodgy looking tuna that you buy from the cheap chain on the High Street (I speak from experience) I think it ended up uneaten in the bin

What happens if you miss the delivery? Do you have to go and collect from the post office? How would that work With fresh and frozen???

Nope, not for me thanks! I will stick with my reasonably priced, huge selection of groceries (that I actually want), delivered at a time of my choosing, and handled and refrigerated safely, without any need to recruit anyone else to do the same.

And yes delurker you have insites many of us don't have

But the difference is if I have an issue with a product I can go directly to my local Aldi store and get some actual customer service. Who do I go to with a problem with LTW? Will there be any customer service for products that don't fit the bill? I have already read reports where people have ordered from LTW, money has been taken, but goods have not been received. That simply wouldn't happen with a regular supermarket, no matter how to try to spin it. I wish you luck as you seem nice but I don't forsee success I am afraid.