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MLM Botwatch 31 - A thread for people concerned that a friend or family member has disappeared into the world of MLM

999 replies

GavinFromTradingStandards · 11/08/2017 18:16

New thread Huns

OP posts:
Thread gallery
17
fitgirl26 · 12/08/2017 23:44

Ok Neville. Saw your post about the C9. Apologies if you felt ignored - I did read it and thought it was funny but you weren't specifically asking for advice? If you are concerned about your friend then Timeless Vie and Botwatch on Facebook have some excellent links and advice that you can look at.
Unfortunately the thread has been particularly busy today due to the demise of Valentus.

NevilleBennett · 12/08/2017 23:45

@trippleflappydiamondsparrow I don't know. But when a thread advertises itself as being for friends and relatives, I don't expect to be attacked for trying to join.

TrippleFlappyDiamondSparrow · 12/08/2017 23:47

Nobody attacked you until you called everyone on here a clique, but okay. I'm off to sleep but I hope you get what you came here looking for.

GavinFromTradingStandards · 12/08/2017 23:48

To clarify, you weren't attacked for trying to join. If you'd asked a question on your previous post then somebody may have answered-as it is you made a statement about a friend. I often post observations on these threads and don't get acknowledged-it's the nature of any thread-people reply if it's relevant/if they can help.

If you rephrase as a question then people will try to help.

OP posts:
SSDGM · 12/08/2017 23:53

Can someone send me the link to Cockobot's group? Can't see it from her profile.

NevilleBennett · 13/08/2017 00:00

Of course I was attacked for trying to join. Why else would I post here?

DoratheExplorer17 · 13/08/2017 00:06

Hi Neville I am an ex MLM member. I found these threads around 12 months ago. I thought there was a bit of a clique going on at first. These threads helped open my eyes to how mlms operate and I've seen many many people post on here asking for help about family members and friends. The ladies and gents who started these threads have always been totally sympathetic to those people and directed them to many articles, blogs, stories and facts that will help those friends and family come away from the brainwashing that is MLM. They have also been amazing at supporting me through this thread, but also through other forums. If you are concerned about someone, this thread is 100% the place to be and they will help you them what they need to see about mlms.

ArbunneHun · 13/08/2017 00:35

Anyone know where Cockobot is going? She doesn't strike me as the Ariiiiiix type...

CockoQueen · 13/08/2017 00:52

I hear there is a new wine MLM. Right up her street!

lastuseraccount123 · 13/08/2017 01:02

I see Neville's point TBH. These threads have become very much about the soap opera of certain "top" bots and not so much about the MLM industry which carries merrily on.

WindyTriller · 13/08/2017 02:07

I am a long time lurker on these threads although have delurked occasionally. Most notably last year receiving valuable advice which encouraged me to leave the MLM I was with so thank you for that.

It has also opened my eyes and helped me to see through the bullsh1t some of my "Bot" friends post nowadays and put me off purchasing aloe gloop to support their "business".

There are a number of regular posters on here who are very knowledgable and consistently give good advice to people.

Yes I realise that it is called "Bot watch" and yes I admit I have asked for a PM in the past for bot names (although I never got a PM).

However at the moment it seems to be a lot of posts asking for PMs so people can collect bots to keep tabs on plus a fair bit of gossip about weddings etc.

I think it's going a bit far.

Also with so many people asking for PMs how can you be sure they aren't one of the bots trying to catch you out?

I understand the purpose and history of the threads but anyone new reading could be forgiven for thinking it's just a gossip thing rather than an extremely valuable resource.

Hoping this makes sense am very tired (night feeds are taking their toll! Confused)

BethanyBarleywater · 13/08/2017 06:24

With all that being said, can someone pm me Bradford bot and Sleaze bot?

SSDGM · 13/08/2017 08:50

At the minute there is a bit of a feeding frenzy on this post as those of us who oppose MLM and see it as a pyramid scheme with shit overpriced products have been proven completely right, by law. Valentus and LTW were some of the worst offenders and it's a bit of a real life soap opera watching Salon Bot lurch from one unsustainable Ponzi scheme to the next, so you will forgive my amusement.
A lot of us have seen friends and relatives get sucked up in these schemes and found ourselves alienated from those we love by people who have lied to them. These super bots are liars. I'm all for exposing those who prey on the vulnerable and laughing as their houses of cards collapse is fair game.

If they were true businesswomen who, I dunno, worked really bloody hard building a career while their kids were small and now manage multi million £ accounts on a daily basis, they would realise that what they are doing is doomed to failure, so how dare they point the finger at women like me who did exactly that and tell them that they are wrong for leaving their children to go to work. How fucking dare they.
I'm not sure where I'm going with this, it's all gone a bit ranty, but I'll just go back to where I started. I can see why you think this is a bitch fest right now, in fact it is one, but the advice and help these last 30 threads (which I did read from the beginning before I joined in about 3 Freds ago) has been invaluable and helped me come to terms with what happened to my friends and realise that I didn't push them away and it was Not My Fault.

WindyTriller · 13/08/2017 09:16

The advice and help is excellent @SSDGM and the anti MLM stance is very much the right point of view. I guess what I was trying to say earlier in short is that anyone new visiting for advice (who hasn't read all the threads) may not see the true and genuine purpose of all this amidst all the gossip.

I'm sorry you've lost people close to you to MLM. I'm lucky as I haven't lost anyone I really care about. Yes I was in MLM myself but that's my own stupid fault as I can now very much see as a result of these threads.

rayofhope2 · 13/08/2017 09:27

Hi everyone!! Just checking in. Some of you will remember me from the early threads. Still been reading all your work. I had issues logging in so I've had to start again.

Also hi to Eyes, hope you're still reading too.

Everyone on here helped me immensely when I left mlm. I've finally paid off the debt I got into from the company I was with.

Was so sad to read about CAM Sad absolutely heartbreaking

A friend tried to recruit me to valentus but the good news is I will never touch another mlm as long as I live, thanks to all your hard work

Spongebobette · 13/08/2017 10:05

Neville, sorry that you feel that, we have certainly been amusing ourselves a lot recently with the antics of some MLM bots, but our core purpose is still to point out the absurdities and contradiction in how people in MLMs conduct themselves

And also to support anyone who is struggling themselves, or had a family member caught up in one of these awful scams

HopefulHamster · 13/08/2017 10:15

Is this core purpose not, 'A thread for people concerned that a friend or family member has disappeared into the world of MLM '?

One of the things I've struggled with is that I have a good but recent (2 years) friend who is doing it, who is very hurt by people criticising the industry, and I know if I said what I really think I would lose her (and our young children are close). She wouldn't change her practises. I'm at a loss. Occasionally she has a bad month and says she will stop, then I see her being pulled in by her upline who know just want to say or do to pull her back in.

I have found a couple of Aloe products I like that seem good value and occasionally order those but other than that try not to say positive things or order more. I don't want to encourage but don't want to hurt her either. There's a cream I like that I will probably keep buying now tbh as it's been great for my face.

Otoh I have to balance that with being given 'medical' advice I haven't asked for that isn't proven. I'm concerned that as her main customer group is her friends, that she is beginning to have to put too much pressure on them, on people who might one day be put off by all this. If it was easier to reach more people it would be less problematic, but the market is so oversaturated!

She could very well be reading this in which case I care about you so much, but am simply worried that you are spending more on aloe products for yourself (that forever have convinced you you need to buy) than you are making back in profit! And I think you have to be vvvvvv careful about what you claim aloe gel can do.

Spongebobette · 13/08/2017 10:39

Oh Hamster I've been in exactly your position and I do empathise. When you care about someone and see that they are being manipulated by their upline, it's so sad. My friend has made very little money, she won't admit if she's actually lost money taking into account all the expenses, but her FB remains upbeat and full of those annoying memes. I know her mum and one or two friends but the odd produce from her but that just makes her feel she's doing OK

Remember that they are told to ignore and block 'haters' and 'negheads', this is to stop them hearing the other side of the argument

GoldenKelpie · 13/08/2017 10:58

I'm another member who has been on these threads since the first one; it didn't have a number attached for a couple of threads but, when it became clear that MLM was a serious issue, particularly when it is targeted at women, it slowly evolved into what you see today, Neville.

Initially, I knew nothing about the MLM industry and read and researched with growing anger the tricks used to ensnare women (some men to , I know) and then keep them trying and struggling to succeed. Then, when they wanted to give up and cut their losses see them blamed for failing when it is the business model that is failing them, not the reps themselves.

It is a fact that for one person to 'succeed' ninety-nine downline have to fail. What kind of 'business' is that? Neville I am sure that some posters will put up fresh links for you to look at at your leisure if you want to read some evidence-based financial information about the true cost of belonging to an MLM company.

Yes, it is true that there is at the moment an emphasis on so-called 'top bots' in the industry who are blatantly lying to their downlines and the general public who read their fb pages. It sounds like we are poking fun at or ridiculing these people but actually there is great anger too because we know they are deceiving people, we know that they will say or claim anything in order to recruit more victims to their downline because this is how they make money, not by selling products. That is why it is a pyramid scheme, Neville.

Once you see the truth, you cannot unsee it Sad.

I personally never PM names to anyone who asks, sorry, mostly because I don't know most of them and don't care either way.

Spongebobette · 13/08/2017 11:02

buy the odd product

Curse the autocorrect

reallyanotherone · 13/08/2017 11:25

Isagenix? Any thought?

The references to amazing new business opportunities and pm me for details makes me think it is, but i have a couple of fb friends buying in to it that i thought knew better.

Spongebobette · 13/08/2017 11:31

Oh it's another dastardly MLM I'm afraid

TrippleFlappyDiamondSparrow · 13/08/2017 11:41

Isagenix is just another typical MLM. As in they offer nothing different you can't buy elsewhere for cheaper and more superior. Focus is on recruiting.

They're main offering I believe is a 'cleanse'... which is basically another cheap fad diet.

Another big USA pyramid scheme.. of course ;)

fitgirl26 · 13/08/2017 11:50

An incredibly sensible, head screwed on fellow fitness instructor has recently got involved with Isagenix which is proof that MLM can reel in pretty much anyone if they are exposed to it at the right time. Thankfully she only posts a couple of times a week about it and doesn't do all the #bossbabe motivational quote shite.

ArbunneHun · 13/08/2017 11:54

A few big league JPers jumped to Isagenix to be 'in at the top' when it launched.

But it's not a pyramid hun!