Have been a long term lurker on these threads but finally got around to registering to share my story of mlm but a slightly different kind!
When I was straight out of uni, going back around 14 years, i took a 'job' doing door to door sales for a sky tv - you probably are very familiar with these door knockers, they work on behalf of companies like hello fresh and various charities now getting people to sign up to monthly donations.
Anyway, it had much the same lure as MLMs like forever etc. You worked for your up line, but you could build a team and you would get paid a bit of commission for their sales and move up the ladder (equally ridiculous names) and eventually become a 'business owner'. It had very much the same cult like mentality and I got completely sucked in. I was out there 6 days a week knocking on doors from first thing to last thing in all weathers. You only got a small amount of commission when you signed someone up.
It took about 8 months for me to see the light and get out but by that time i had managed to run up huge debts, and had female friends who had really feared for their safety. Sending vulnerable young women to knock on a door that anyone could be behind, alone, is something now that I just can't quite get my head around.
I have managed to sort myself out and grow up, paying off the debts and have worked my way up the ladder now to a successful career, but have pretty much tried to block out that memory.
I just thought it might be interesting to people on here as it never gets mentioned but you still see these groups of (mostly young and naive like I was) people on the streets. The mlm company was called cobra group, became Apcoa, but each 'business owner' named their 'direct marketing' business.
Feel free to ask me questions if you're interested!
On a completely different note I recently saw one of my friends from uni signed up with Uber 😞