Maybe this is another conversation topic, but I was so, SO happy when Amway lost their naming rights to the Orlando Arena. It's the Kia Arena now, which...ehh, Kia's not so bad. But if I had the money I would outbid Amway to rename it the Orlando Arena. Just to piss off the DeVos family.
Jane Marie's "Selling the Dream" is a good history / takedown of the MLMs. Saw her interview on the Daily Show and read it right afterwards. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nVSUDp4IjA
In the late 70s I vowed never to go to anything like that again.
My house was getting filled up with whatever was cheapest at tupperware, jewelry, decor, cosmetics, kitchenware, etc parties. I never bought anything I could even give away as a gift.
Thank gawd most of my friends outgrew that phase. I did buy some Amway once, from one of my favorite cousins. It was awkward to bump into him after that, since we never bought anything a second time. Besides he now knew for sure that we were not folks who tided up a lot so we we did not need massive amounts of cleaning products.
Many years ago a young - late 20s to early 30s, so long ago can't even remember - couple invited a dozen or so friends to their house for an informal gathering that turned out to be an Amway recruit-
ment. They sponsored an actual Amway couple that we all knew to make the presentation. Why I didn't flat walk out as soon as the actual set-up became apparent I don't know. Unrelatedly the host couple moved away several years later but even now if I run into them when they're on a visit back home I am polite but still feel revulsion for what felt like a betrayal of a friendship many years ago. Fortunately none of the attendees got roped into the scam but I'm sure that many felt the same way I did.
I *almost* got sucked into Scamway. I mean, I was signed up and everything, but too skeptical to actually do anything. The tax write-off made for some good refunds tho.
I went to 2 major functions, which involved driving from NY to Tampa for one, and Nashville for the other, I have stories of the bizarre weirdness of these events...
It did, for a long time...until the walls came tumbling down, not long after I escaped. The Diamond distributors had done an end run around DeVos & VanAndel that generated many millions. As one might imagine, the founders were not amused to find out they had been cut out.
I have no sympathy for those complaining they "spent years building their business" because anyone who makes any money off of pyramid schemes knows damn well what it is.
Yes MLMs are bad, but the people at Cutco deserve a Nobel for inventing the spatula spreader. It spreads the mayo and cuts the sandwich. I'd never been so impressed in my life.
It’s even finding its way into college career offices. My son tried to line up summer internships thru the school and most of them turned out to be MLMs. I can’t believe the universities would allow that
You can find lularoe leggings for pennies on the dollar on ebay as MLM-duped try and cash-out the stock filling their garages but they are 100% synthetic ("buttery-soft," my ass) and you will have a very sweaty crotch.
The Lula Roe documentary linked to is flipping excellent.
There's also that great intersection of MLM and woo: The OneCoin MLM scam about "crypto currency training" which had nothing to do with blockchain and stuff and everything to do with MLM. Stellar podcast, "The Missing Cryptoqueen" on the BBC
Ta, Robyn.
Maybe this is another conversation topic, but I was so, SO happy when Amway lost their naming rights to the Orlando Arena. It's the Kia Arena now, which...ehh, Kia's not so bad. But if I had the money I would outbid Amway to rename it the Orlando Arena. Just to piss off the DeVos family.
I especially like the addendum
Friend of mine promotes the Juice+ stuff, they are way up there on the food chain and would certainly be crushed if they eliminated the MLM component.
One of my dad's cousins is really into MLMs. At every dang family reunion he has a different pyramid scheme that he tries to sell us on.
I've heard that your chances of making $ are actually higher in an actual pyramid scheme vs an MLM.
I thought pyramids were for harnessing your psychic energy.
I thought they were used for storing grain.
Why are they still in Egypt? Too heavy to drag to the British Museum!
Jane Marie's "Selling the Dream" is a good history / takedown of the MLMs. Saw her interview on the Daily Show and read it right afterwards. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nVSUDp4IjA
Whenever I hear "unlimited income potential" I just sit back and sip my Herbalife tea.
Were Tupperware parties MLM? Did they pioneer it?
In the late 70s I vowed never to go to anything like that again.
My house was getting filled up with whatever was cheapest at tupperware, jewelry, decor, cosmetics, kitchenware, etc parties. I never bought anything I could even give away as a gift.
Thank gawd most of my friends outgrew that phase. I did buy some Amway once, from one of my favorite cousins. It was awkward to bump into him after that, since we never bought anything a second time. Besides he now knew for sure that we were not folks who tided up a lot so we we did not need massive amounts of cleaning products.
Definitely.
Many years ago a young - late 20s to early 30s, so long ago can't even remember - couple invited a dozen or so friends to their house for an informal gathering that turned out to be an Amway recruit-
ment. They sponsored an actual Amway couple that we all knew to make the presentation. Why I didn't flat walk out as soon as the actual set-up became apparent I don't know. Unrelatedly the host couple moved away several years later but even now if I run into them when they're on a visit back home I am polite but still feel revulsion for what felt like a betrayal of a friendship many years ago. Fortunately none of the attendees got roped into the scam but I'm sure that many felt the same way I did.
I *almost* got sucked into Scamway. I mean, I was signed up and everything, but too skeptical to actually do anything. The tax write-off made for some good refunds tho.
I went to 2 major functions, which involved driving from NY to Tampa for one, and Nashville for the other, I have stories of the bizarre weirdness of these events...
That shit paid for a lot of yachts.
It did, for a long time...until the walls came tumbling down, not long after I escaped. The Diamond distributors had done an end run around DeVos & VanAndel that generated many millions. As one might imagine, the founders were not amused to find out they had been cut out.
I have no sympathy for those complaining they "spent years building their business" because anyone who makes any money off of pyramid schemes knows damn well what it is.
If spray-on-hair never needed a MLM, noone needs a MLM to sell a product. They are just a means to exploit the gullible/poorly educated.
Yes MLMs are bad, but the people at Cutco deserve a Nobel for inventing the spatula spreader. It spreads the mayo and cuts the sandwich. I'd never been so impressed in my life.
I think you can buy Cutco brand at Costco now.
one of the 3 remaining items from my original 1988 cutco demo kit that I still have and use constantly.
Also their knives and scissors really were as good as they said.
It’s even finding its way into college career offices. My son tried to line up summer internships thru the school and most of them turned out to be MLMs. I can’t believe the universities would allow that
You can find lularoe leggings for pennies on the dollar on ebay as MLM-duped try and cash-out the stock filling their garages but they are 100% synthetic ("buttery-soft," my ass) and you will have a very sweaty crotch.
The Lula Roe documentary linked to is flipping excellent.
There's also that great intersection of MLM and woo: The OneCoin MLM scam about "crypto currency training" which had nothing to do with blockchain and stuff and everything to do with MLM. Stellar podcast, "The Missing Cryptoqueen" on the BBC
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p07nkd84
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruja_Ignatova