MLM Bot Watch 27 - The Yazoo iis past iits use by date, but we have a massive #lardon: Tragiicomic cultiic wampum floggiing scamalangadiingdongs liike Forever Living, Ariix, Herbalife, Younique, Juice

[acatcalledjohn]

Still going strong here at bot watch HQ on MN!

Previous thread here

Botwatch on Wordpress and on Facebook

Timeless Vie on Wordpress and on Facebook

Eyespeying's Blog aka #manhun, even if he's been banned by MNHQ

Hommetepreneur on Facebook
www.lazymanandmoney.com/is-every-mlm-a-scam
We have our own regularly returning bots.

Glossary:

Bots: our affectionate name for victims of the MLM racket

MLM: Multi-level Marketing schemes - essentially pyramid schemes that are just legal because you sell a product. Reliant upon constant recruitment despite there not being enough people in the world to go beyond about 12 levels if everyone recruited 6.

Downline/Upline: the people you recruited and those who recruited you (going up and down the pyramid inverted funnel)

Timeless Vie: Parody of MLM schemes (though you might spot one in particular) that also carries out fearless investigative work. Flogging the amazing skinny lard and now carbonated lard. The arsenic is not the evil Victorian stuff. #TeamDannii #gettingalardon

Hommetrepreneur: also excellent parody site focussing on the menz

BotWatch: Rather more serious, keeps an eye on what the Bots are claiming next, particularly in reference to health and income claims. Also fearless.

Inverted Funnel: Timeless Vie is NOT a pyramid - it's an inverted Funnel, OK?

Eyes: Our former member Eyespying who knows LOTS about MLM schemes. He's still our very own #manhun.

Actibot is working towards her 2 karat diamond achievement which gives her a 100 bonus based on her team sales, she got her last 1 karat diamond at the beginning of December, so this poor bugger has been working for two months trying to sign up every one who has remotely shown an interest (at least 3 suckers on my fb alone) for 100 quid. She could earn that with just 14 hours of a minimum wage job.

Another actibot (who I reported to ASA for false health claims) sold a lipstain to my friend for £17.50! that's extortionate! and it bleeds like mad. Does last though, I suppose.

These bots really talk a load of crap about the flexibility of being your own boss, having time for you and time to spend with your family etc.

The reality is you can't even be ill without panicking that you're not out there putting yourself about, carding potential recruits. See the post below from a FL bot posting on a managers page:

I feel your pain. Been in bed since Tuesday. Cough, cold and an eye infection. Feeling crap. Starting to hyperventilate at the fact I've done no carding since Tuesday!!!!!! Everything I'm doing is online too. Feeling anxious!!!!!! Xx

Thankfully if I'm off ill I just have to pick up the phone and tell my manager at my J.O.B. I'm then free to stay in bed and not panic , not hyperventilate and not feel anxious about losing my position/not reaching targets/not earning money.

Dora

People should not claim to be a coach who coaches people to earn 6 figures, if they've never done it, let alone earn that themselves!

My thoughts exactly. Are false claims like this covered by the ASA, I wonder?

Spotted on the FB page of a bot friend of a friend:

"So I've been up early this morning to take my car to the garage and the Traffic is a nightmare! Drivers being cheeky and cutting in front of you 😡skipping the que's.
I'm so glad I don't have to do the drive every morning!!!
Are you the same? Want to change that hassle in the mornings? Would you love an extra hour or more in bed in the mornings? Or would you just love to be working from home?
Contact me now!
I have an amazing opportunity for you. Only if your serious though.
HAPPY TUESDAY!"

Luna classic scripted irritating bot talk, I had exactly the same on one of my bots fb a couple of months ago. So predictable!

skipping the que's

Skipping the what is

Are they from Barcelona?

Too tired and too pressured to actually read what they're writing or pasting, usually.

Slight diversion but not really. Here is a link to a fascinating thread about a company scamming a family with two disabled children. Shocking stuff, but compelling. www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/2837650-COMPANY-HAS-SCAMMED-MY-AUTISTIC-KIDS-WHAT-CAN-I-DO

Bloody hell mycats - that's terrible. Thank goodness for the power of Mumsnet.

Release the Kraken!

I know BS. I reckon it might become a classic. It is clear that this company presumed that the OP (vulnerable) would just put up and shut up when they didn't refund the money. Disturbingly, the agencies she approached for help and support did nothing so she eventually turned in desperation to mn this week.

Thank heavens she did because the groundswell of anger spread like wildfire and now everyone in Chester and nationally knows about what they did to the OP and are putting on pressure for the company directors to act and repay the £15,000.

If you read their responses (yes, they have been posting on the thread), "whining, self-pitying, threatening" are the words that spring to mind. It is clear they didn't expect the mn effect to happen and are shocked at the (local) anger that has been unleashed towards them for scamming the OP out of a significant amount of money (legally, apparently).

And yes, I know it isn't really a relevant story for this thread, but it is a vulnerable woman who had recently recovered from major surgery and with two disabled children, who had a carefully saved sum of £15,152 scammed out of her last November [anger]. So it is not just MLM companies who exploit vulnerable women, no indeed.

Just leaving this here 👇🏻
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4168630/Mumsnet-ordered-hand-identities-users.html

Be lurking for a while (Year plus) it is unlawful to treat similar facts differently in a court of law and therefore judges could rule
In favour of prosecutors wanting to know the identity of people who criticise their work...

Thanks for that, NewMum. I hope that anyone posting on this thread already knows the rules although it might be useful if MNHQ could restate them here given, particularly, that these threads are watched closely.

Absolutely - names haven't been mentioned for a while. Although the bit in the article about private messages being handed over too as well as the identities could be worrying for some. Wanted to give you the info. Over and out for now, keep up the good (non deflamatory, non cyber bullying, non victimising, non stalking, no code name, no bullshit, work 👋🏻

Hi newmum, have you had negative experience with MLM companies yourself? Or perhaps friends and family have?

Have you had a look at these useful websites that campaign about raising awareness of the dubious ways that MLM companies deceive the general public?

www.facebook.com/liestopper/
botwatchblog.wordpress.com/

www.facebook.com/timelessvie/?hc_ref=SEARCH&fref=nf
timelessvie.wordpress.com/

What do you think?

I'm looking forward to a response on this one. Joining in on the thread and all.

Welcome to the thread newmum

Do share with us all what made you follow this thread for so long?

For me, it was watching a friend get sucked into Forever Living and noticing her change into what we call a 'bot', posting continually about her new business.

You?

Looks like my bot had her 2nd child 3 weeks ago but is still pushing FL aloe soap that she is using on her newborn as "a well known brand had bad reports lately". I feel sorry she can't just switch off from pushing that crap and enjoy her baby on mat leave like others.

I'm just watching a live video from my favourite louboutin-wearing Valentus coffee bot. I think she's getting a bit desperate now - she sounds stressed. I think this will inevitably implode more quickly than something like forever living. It makes forever look quite sophisticated actually. At least forever have a product to sell, the Valentus people only have one possible angle - no one wants to buy skinny coffee so they have to push the business opportunity like mad, and it seems they are running out of people to push it on.

Oh dear me yes she sounds a bit desperado as though ppl are slipping away

Sounds a bit beggy, don't give up don't give up!

One of my many jobs is a Body Pump instructor and I belong to a large Facebook group which is predominantly American. Someone asked about pre workout recommendations yesterday and oh my god. I honestly didn't realise how many Pump instructors are peddling MLM crap. They came crawling out of the woodwork. She's has Bots from Le-Vel, Isagenix, Herbalife and Arbonne try to sell stuff to her so far although there are some sensible suggestions like a having a banana and a glass of milk!

That's ridiculous, fitgirl. Just think they are perfect to peddle this crap as they've got a captured audience with their classes. Should be banned.