...that you have ever heard, said or seen about Amway...I am doing some research on multi-level marketing companies, and this company seems to have been around the longest.
Sonicstef
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I knew one person who sold Amway stuff and it was so shady...he was always trying to sell that stuff to his friend and family which I think is awkward and inappropriate.
They have been around forever but as i understand it, its not a big moneymaker.
Ive heard better things about Avon and Tupperware.
karen32
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i worked right next to someone who worked with amway. it was beyond annoying and like stef said, a little shady!! as far as i could tell, he and his wife (they both did it) weren't making any money. the way the products are sold just aren't convenient for most people - who wants to order everyday stuff and have to wait for it? the whole concept never made sense to me.
Misty
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I have one friend that got into it, met her husband through it, and proceeded to dump every single person in her life, friends and family a like, in favor of this Amway lifestyle. Claud, no joke, it's like a cult. And no matter how many ways they tell you that you make a lot of money, it just doesn't ever add up. My friends wedding was more like an Amway fundraiser than a wedding. 3/4 of the people there were Amway associates, either people who swindled her, or who she and her new husband swindled. Every sentence out of her mouth was Amway, everything she did was for Amway, and the Am-WAY of life. It was very odd indeed.
When she tried to get her friends and family into it, and they resisted, she began slowly detaching herself from everyone. If you weren't going to make money for her, she didn't want to know you. And this is the way it has stayed for the last 9 years. She moved to PA with her husband and baby, and no one has seen her in about 7 years.
This was a girl who was friendly, came from a great family, had a wonderful medical future ahead of her, had tons of friends who cherished her...I can go on and on. She gave it all up for a basically a pyramid scheme!
anna
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If this is the pyramid type things. John just finished lecturing my sister on WHY SHE SHOULD NOT Get Involved in anything like that...
She's involved in something work-at-home and it seems to be that type of thing..get your friends and family involved, get leads, etc... So far shes gung-ho about it, and has met several very successful people.. so shes giving it a shot. They sell products, memberships, etc. Let me know if you want more details.. Ever heard of MelaLuca ?
I don't know much about the company...but my neighbor growing up used to do it...and I remember that we had amway laundry detergent ALL the time...
but then the neighbor got into avon
karen32
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JMO - but anything that requires you to recruit people for the long-term is a warning sign to me. it's one thing to sell tupperware or avon - you have a show and you're done. people may come back to you in the future if they need something else.
amway requires you to CONSTANTLY recruit new people - that's the only way you make money. unless you're a certain type of personality, i don't know how it succeeds. who knows that many people? would you be comfortable recruiting family and close friends?? i, personally, wouldn't be.
rosebud
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If you are researching Multi-Level Marketing companies check out Market America. Several of my family members, including my father, are very successful in that company. That is their sole source of income, and I am just jealous b/c they can work in their underware if they want while I sit here at work!!! (yes, I need to catch up soon).
Anyway, if you want any info, FM me.
I think you get out what you put in INITIALLY with these things. Amway is tough if you didn't get in at the beginning.
My father has been 'retired' since the age of 45 due to Market America, which residual checks coming in weekly - I just don't get it! But good for him!
Good luck with whatever you chose to pursue.
Sonicstef
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Anna: I know someone who did MelaLuca...i dont know what it was all about but he absolutely refuses to even discuss it he is so embarassed about it all. Evidently he lost a lot of money in a stupid way - but thats all i know.
Sassyz75
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IMO any multi-level-marketing company is BS. It is not dependant upon the product, but upon recruiting people. And honestly, the day of the door-to-door soap salesperson is over- These companies promise you will make gobs of money based on the 1% that do! If it were so easy to make a lot of money, there would be a lot of rich people in this world!
My old roommate got into it- it was really gross- she tried to convince her friends and family to do it- and we were like, 'what are you smoking?'.. they went to weird 'cult like' meeings- the icing on the cake was when I walked into our livingroom and there were 2 65 year old people hanging out.. i was like who are these grandparents (we were 22 @ the time) she said these are my friends... yeah, ok.
Sonicstef
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As an aside, I think any pyramid type sales companies are completely unethical. Essentially you have to prey on gullable people to part with their money. Amway and companies like that focus heavily on the uneducated/poor because they are more willing to believe in get rich quick scams. Just wrong!
Ronnie&Theresa
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I will tell you that the SEC has them under a major investigation!
Claud2001
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Thank you - you have all just proved my theories! Just so you know - I am not joining anything - I am trying to gather info on this in order to prove to someone I know that they should NOT be getting involved in this.
This company is a total scam, and you are all right - pyramid schemes are a joke. Amway in particular is trying to re-invent itself on the Internet, by launching a new nomenclature called Quixtar.com. They are recruiting people by talking about hot new 'Internet marketing' and using buzzwords like 'e-commerce.' Unfortunately, people who don't know what e-commerce truly is can be lored by the whole 'get rich quick' talk. As I understand, their meetings consist of lengthy talks about the 'beaches of the world' and 'retiring early and while you're still young.' The worst part is that they actually TAKE MONEY from people to join AND to attend the meetings - that is primarily how they make $$$ - NOT selling product - just recruiting more people to pay dues. SO HORRIBLE!
So, now that we all know the truth about these shady operations, does anyone have any advice on how to get someone OUT of the loop w/o hurting their feelings or making them feel 'stupid' for being taken?
Teri
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ugh - I hate those da*n pyramid scams! I dated someone who was duped into one of those. Anyone that tells you you'll get rich quick is most-definitely wrong! Otherwise we'd all have our hand in one!!
michele31
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I have heard really good stuff about Mary Kay, Tupperware, Pampered Chef, Avon. I remember my X-boyfriend had a co-worker who sold Amway and we had to go to his house for a 'meeting' once. We felt bad for the guy so we went. It was a total scam IMO. But they have been around a long time. I have also heard great things about Memory Makers- scrapbooking supplies too.
I agree about how unethical those pyramid companies are. And those 'get rich' infomercials are just as bad.
Shamee
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I'm with you Misty...
I had a former friend who got into it, and all he did when he saw any of us was an Amway shakedown. It got so bad, no one wanted to hang out with him.
I had an ex-boyfriend who I was still friends with years ago that got into it as well and one night at a party he was burning my ear off all night with the Amway propaganda. Oh my God, he was a guy who coudn't make his rent every month, had no car and he was telling me that my education wouldn't take me anywhere in the future but he would think of me when he retired in two years, sitting on a beach drinking margaritas! Well, it's four to five years later, he still lives the same lifestyle and I have a house, two cars and cash in the bank! IN YOUR FACE BUDDY!! It is like a cult, because he goes to these motivation seminars and chant and stuff. I think they have some sort of religious affliliation because he talks about God and Amway in the same breath!
anna
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I few weeks ago on Oprah, 2 ladies were talking/crying about how they lost $5,000 on something like this. I just caught a few seconds of it, so dont know much on the details..
Claud2001
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Anna - I saw that episode of Oprah - that was called the 'Dinner Party' scam that was preying on SAHM and wives in the mid-west. A lot of women lost $5K or more. Very sad.
Just FYI - Avon, Tupperware and Pampered Chef ARE NOT multi-level marketing companies in the same sense as Amway and Quixtar. When you sell Avon, Tupperware and PC, you are an independent consultant and you actually supply your customers w/a PRODUCT! Getting people to host parties for you is NOT THE SAME as recruiting people to pay dues at meetings that NEVER have any emphasis on selling anything - just talking about BS get rich quick talk and early retirement!
michele31
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You can explain to them that there are NO get-rich quick companies that actually work and that you are worried that they will end up with less money. But it is really hard to get people out of this stuff. They buy into the promises and the dream of easy wealth.
