Hypereides
Member
I lol'd
Seems legit.
-
Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!
I got tricked into a pyramid scheme meeting...
- Thread starter CSX
- Start date
- Status
I lol'd
Seems legit.
I remember one time some people from church sent me a message over FB and later called me up asking if I wanted to go to a meeting with them. With nothing better to do, they picked me up drove me up to this complex of fancy apartments and old folks center up at the state capital.
They brought me into a lobby area, it was weird cause I was the only person there and the lobby seemed like a really unconventional place for a meeting. But was the only one there besides the couple that brought me and this douchey guy who was presenting everything. It was for a company named FHTM. To me the whole thing sounded like a scam and I just lied to them telling them I was interested. They decided to set up another meeting to get me to sign on, it was going to be at a Starbucks this time. For this one I didn't even bother to show up or return their calls, still kinda annoyed they dared to waste my time and such.
They brought me into a lobby area, it was weird cause I was the only person there and the lobby seemed like a really unconventional place for a meeting. But was the only one there besides the couple that brought me and this douchey guy who was presenting everything. It was for a company named FHTM. To me the whole thing sounded like a scam and I just lied to them telling them I was interested. They decided to set up another meeting to get me to sign on, it was going to be at a Starbucks this time. For this one I didn't even bother to show up or return their calls, still kinda annoyed they dared to waste my time and such.
rokkerkory
Member
It does have relevancy to this thread if those corporations are in the industries like insurance sales, real estate, service sales, etc (most of them are like MLM, not all).
Just ask the insurance agent their company's plan for recurring income. They get a % from the new agents that they get to join, similar to MLM.
I am not saying this is a bad business as this has been around for decades, I am just stating how it works.
PhoenixDark
Banned
My old barber used to try selling me pyramid scheme shit (Amway). I was in business school at the time and he would always talk shit about how universities teach you how to think subservient, whereas he was offering an opportunity to give me independence.
I'm guessing he made some decent money with it or something. You'd think a pyramid scheme would have to dole out some cash to the true believers just to convince them that more $ was on the way if they do x.
I'm guessing he made some decent money with it or something. You'd think a pyramid scheme would have to dole out some cash to the true believers just to convince them that more $ was on the way if they do x.
RukusProvider
Banned
MLM's are crack for people with addictive and or obsessive personality tendencies.
In all reality, if these people out the same level of effort and commitment towards regular jobs and education they could do even better financially while not losing their social circle.
In all reality, if these people out the same level of effort and commitment towards regular jobs and education they could do even better financially while not losing their social circle.
Tornado Condor
Member
God, I'm so tired of people posting Wake up Now on my Facebook wall. One time I confronted these guys about it being a pyramid scheme and they all went berserk and started calling me out. Stupid idiots.
To be honest, my friends are my friends. Asking them to sign up for their own business, or even to go through me for their cable/internet instead of directly through comcast never caused any rift in our relationships. Of course they joked around about how I would lose money and everything right when I started, but I really didn't care.
I never forced anyone to sign up and explained up front the amount of work that they need to put into this. I haven't signed up a new business owner in a while, but when I was a couple years ago the majority made their start up fee ($500) back in the first month. The rest were either not motivated or just lazy.
It's not like i'm asking people to cancel their current contracts. I ask someone when their verizon contract will expire, and that I'll get in touch with them to renew it through me instead of going to the store.
You sound sketchy and I would have dropped you like a bad habit if you were my friend. Take that how you will.
Fair enough. I don't get how I sound sketchy though. I never tried to get someone to sign up without explaining everything to them. I'd feel horrible if I got someone to pay $500 to start a business that they do nothing with.
If someone says no, friend or not, then their answer is no. The majority of people who do MLM aren't like that at all and get very pushy.
fuuuuck lol! i have a friend just like that...that's all he talks about on facebook...and would send my friends and me group text messages about meetings and shit. He just had a baby so he's using that to reel in people (probably new parents). Something about, WUN allows me to be home all the time and not miss any milestones
Shamrock7r
Member
I think the point is, as a friend, you shouldn't be trying to force this type of conversation with your friends in the first place. They may not say it to your face, but I am sure there is a level of discomfort with them when you spout your sales pitch to them. I certainly wouldn't appreciate it from my friends.
I get what you're saying, but its like if one of my friends started a business (bar, mechanic, store, anything..) and was asking for help I would consider going to their place instead of where I normally have gone.
Kuro Madoushi
Unconfirmed Member
Story is EXACTLY the same that happened to me and a friend of mine over a coworker of ours.
She just kept talking about how she wanted to help people and how the product was good.
She's Filipina, so the group I went to was filled with them. The guy running it knows her family, so that's how he got her hooked...
Sigh...so much fail in the presentations. I feel bad for her cause she left a good full time job at the bank to pursue this nonsense.
She wasn't quite so friendly with us afterwards when she heard our opinions about it.
She just kept talking about how she wanted to help people and how the product was good.
She's Filipina, so the group I went to was filled with them. The guy running it knows her family, so that's how he got her hooked...
Sigh...so much fail in the presentations. I feel bad for her cause she left a good full time job at the bank to pursue this nonsense.
She wasn't quite so friendly with us afterwards when she heard our opinions about it.
An acquaintance of mine is huge into ACN. He tried to reel me in, but I'm not dumb enough to get involved with these ridiculous MLMs.
He's a twat who lives off of his family's money. Apparently he was a somewhat decent guy before he got involved with ACN, but now he's just the biggest douchebag. His Facebook wall is the figurative definition of autofellatio.
He's a twat who lives off of his family's money. Apparently he was a somewhat decent guy before he got involved with ACN, but now he's just the biggest douchebag. His Facebook wall is the figurative definition of autofellatio.
There's a legal definition for a pyramid scheme which MLMs are carefully constructed to not be. This is why Penn & Teller were careful to avoid the phrase.
Colloquially, it refers to a business model where you keep bringing in new people at the bottom and filtering money upwards, by essentially promising the people at the bottom that they're going to make a lot of money once they start bringing in people below them in the pyramid. That's how all of these MLM companies work.
If they had legit products that weren't a hard sell, they wouldn't be selling them in pyramid schemes. They would get investors and sell them legitimately.
They can't possibly have competitive prices against retail because they have to pay all the middlemen.
Schmo Florez
Member
This one made its rounds after I graduated high school too. Much respect to my friend that was completely honest with me about his pitch. He asked if he can come by and practice his sales pitch and there was no pressure to buy. He told me all about how the "company" recruited him, how much he had to pay up front, and pretty much everything involved in the process. When he was done with his demo I declined and he thanked me for letting me practice. It only took about 15 minutes of my time and no feelings were hurt.
Dion Blaster
Member
My family loves those knives haha, apparently they are pretty good quality.
I wish my acquaintance who tried to make me join an MLM would have been this courteous. I told him no like 5 times over the phone and he still leaves me voicemails every once in a while telling me they're doing something big and that I should get in while I can, he sounds brainwashed.
Kind of wanted to go to a meeting out of morbid curiosity though. Based on this thread it would have been pretty much exactly what I expected.
Yea, we bought ours from my cousin like 10 years ago and they still work great.
crazyrabbits
Banned
You can always tell what an MLM/pyramid scheme is simply by seeing if it has upline/downline marketing. At the end of the day, it's just rearranging deck chairs - the company is only successful based on the constant influx of people who put in their initial investment and can't cut.
I sympathize with the OP, because I had a similar experience a few months back. A friend invited me to a MarketAmerica meeting. I pretty much caught on that it was MLM, but I went anyway. Lots of young kids dressed in cheap suits pretending they were making tens of thousands every month, a brainwashed audience clapping at every single thing the hosts said, a main presenter who had a thick Jersey accent and kept telling us how easy it was, held out in the middle of nowhere...you get the idea.
The only reason I went is because the woman who invited me treated me to dinner...and it was spectacular.
Had to do the whole "tell everyone in the room why you love MarketAmerica", and made some shit up about how excited I was to work with a great group of people. Got a copy of their "business plan" after much questioning of my contact, and after ten minutes searching online, knew they were scammers.
The sad part is how ubiquitous these nonsense companies are.
I sympathize with the OP, because I had a similar experience a few months back. A friend invited me to a MarketAmerica meeting. I pretty much caught on that it was MLM, but I went anyway. Lots of young kids dressed in cheap suits pretending they were making tens of thousands every month, a brainwashed audience clapping at every single thing the hosts said, a main presenter who had a thick Jersey accent and kept telling us how easy it was, held out in the middle of nowhere...you get the idea.
The only reason I went is because the woman who invited me treated me to dinner...and it was spectacular.
Had to do the whole "tell everyone in the room why you love MarketAmerica", and made some shit up about how excited I was to work with a great group of people. Got a copy of their "business plan" after much questioning of my contact, and after ten minutes searching online, knew they were scammers.
The sad part is how ubiquitous these nonsense companies are.
NuclearSpy
Member
Thats how any company works. I think the better question is....how does any company make profits? They have to be selling something and someone has to do the footwork. This is not new, and certainly not illegal.
I think some of the legitimate company products view it as social marketing.
I decided to check cell phone prices.
Verizon website new plan 2 yr contract w/ Samsung Galaxy S4 : $199.99
MLM website Verizon new plan 2 yr contract w/ Samsung Galaxy S4 : $189.99
So, $10.
Sure, its not a lot of money saved. But if I was shopping for a new carrier and new smartphone, I wouldn't be upset at someone offering saving $10 if they knew me and knew I was shopping for one.
Anyway, I think it depends on the product. I think the cell phone market is competitive because some cell phone companies are willing to kick back some money if you made the referral. I think thats pretty normal. I did notice that they didn't sell iPhones and I think that has something to do with Apple, right?
As for other products on the MLM website I am looking at. Yeah, I don't see too much competitive pricing. They look comparable to just about anything else.
This is a common line MLM folks are given, but no. That's not at all how any company works. I assure you that I am not paying my boss for the privilege of working for them.
I am also not recruiting in people to work below me because, you know, that's not how corporations work.
There's still time to get out!
nearly got suckered into this through a friend, but the initial presentation felt so surreal that i had to look it up and bailed shortly afterwards.
ConfusingJazz
Member
A legitimate company doesn't charge me to be their salesperson.
A legitimate company's main profit is through their product, not through "initial investment" by their "employees", or conferences that they charge their employee's to attend, or for video tutorials on how to be a better salesperson, or fucking employee fees to have the right to sell the fucking product.
If a guy at these pyramid scheme recruitment meetings actually has a hundred thousand dollar watch or whatever shit he just stole from Alec Baldwin's speech in Glengarry Glen Ross, or, worse yet, Ben Affleck in Boiler Room, it's because he charged for an appearance fee.
I think the most annoying buzzphrase to come out of the ACN/MLM stuff is "My business"
Hey Meatfist, come check out my business!
I just started my own business!
My business is really taking off!
You're a peon! Stop using that phrase! Just because I'm a fucking line cook at McDonalds doesn't mean I started a new business flipping burgers... christ
Hey Meatfist, come check out my business!
I just started my own business!
My business is really taking off!
You're a peon! Stop using that phrase! Just because I'm a fucking line cook at McDonalds doesn't mean I started a new business flipping burgers... christ
Unfortunately, my friend got pulled into one of these scams. He was the perfect target for these sorts of things, being a college student and all. He was pretty excited to land the job and I was pretty happy for him too.
I did some research about the company and quickly realized that it was MLM, through and through. My alarm bells went ringing when he told me there would be a "one time" sign-up fee in order to get the job. It got worse when he told me the job would be completely commission based. At that point, I told him to bail.
What really blew my mind, though, was how defensive he got about it. He vehemently denied that it was a scam, or even that it was an MLM. I couldn't convince him to quit and just soak up the $150 or whatever dollars he'd already spent.
I must emphasize, I've known this guy for 6 years. He's a smart dude. Street smart and academically smart. So I couldn't believe it when he started defending the company and what-not. He has quit the company and has never mentioned it since. I'm not the type of guy to say "told ya so", but I am pretty damn curious to ask him how the job went. Never asked, though (didn't want to kick the guy while he was down).
I did some research about the company and quickly realized that it was MLM, through and through. My alarm bells went ringing when he told me there would be a "one time" sign-up fee in order to get the job. It got worse when he told me the job would be completely commission based. At that point, I told him to bail.
What really blew my mind, though, was how defensive he got about it. He vehemently denied that it was a scam, or even that it was an MLM. I couldn't convince him to quit and just soak up the $150 or whatever dollars he'd already spent.
I must emphasize, I've known this guy for 6 years. He's a smart dude. Street smart and academically smart. So I couldn't believe it when he started defending the company and what-not. He has quit the company and has never mentioned it since. I'm not the type of guy to say "told ya so", but I am pretty damn curious to ask him how the job went. Never asked, though (didn't want to kick the guy while he was down).
Snowman Prophet of Doom
Member
The thing I went to wasn't a pyramid scheme exactly, but the principle was similar. It was a company that does those product roadshows in Costcos and Sam's Clubs selling hokey speakers and the like, and the promise was that, within a year of working full-time, I could be making $70,000 a year working only four hours a day because EVERYBODY could become a manager of their own office because retailers want 10x as many of those road shows as are currently being done. So silly. I'm amazed how these things still proliferate in an age where a Google search by any participant could undo them.
Hah, exactly what I thought of as well.
Supermanisdead
Member
I have 2 pyramid scheme stories:
I went to one of these type of meetings once. It was a business that sells life insurance and all the employees at this office were like 25 years old, wearing ill-fitting suits. They told me how they made over 150k per year and shit.
The guy who sent me told me to wear VERY PROFESSIONAL ATIRE (sic). I was holding in my laughter for the entire meeting.
The saddest part was that so many of the people there seemed genuinely intrigued and interested. There were some older men and women, and I felt bad for them.
Another time, in highschool, one of my friends found this "really cool job" that was hiring everyone and it was very easy to get. So we applied for it together - Vector Marketing. Anyways, at some point my friend calls me and tells me that people have told him it's a shitty scam and I shouldn't go. Simple enough. We both cancel and get normal jobs that summer.
But a third friend didn't have that insight! He spent the summer selling knives door to door after he borrowed money from his parents to buy the fucking knives. I didn't have the heart to tell him he got scammed.
I went to one of these type of meetings once. It was a business that sells life insurance and all the employees at this office were like 25 years old, wearing ill-fitting suits. They told me how they made over 150k per year and shit.
The guy who sent me told me to wear VERY PROFESSIONAL ATIRE (sic). I was holding in my laughter for the entire meeting.
The saddest part was that so many of the people there seemed genuinely intrigued and interested. There were some older men and women, and I felt bad for them.
Another time, in highschool, one of my friends found this "really cool job" that was hiring everyone and it was very easy to get. So we applied for it together - Vector Marketing. Anyways, at some point my friend calls me and tells me that people have told him it's a shitty scam and I shouldn't go. Simple enough. We both cancel and get normal jobs that summer.
But a third friend didn't have that insight! He spent the summer selling knives door to door after he borrowed money from his parents to buy the fucking knives. I didn't have the heart to tell him he got scammed.
My favorites are the job titles that some of them use. From this one guy's Facebook and Linkedin (and associated contacts):
- Financial and Time Advisor
- Hope Dealer
- Motivational Superhero
NuclearSpy
Member
This is just my take on it, but some money comes out of your pocket for just about job you take. You have to buy clothes for work usually (usually you can write this off on your taxes, too). If you are in construction (like I was for a few years), usually you need your own tools of the trade. There is plenty of instances where you do have to put your money down to be able to work. But yes, I agree, not all businesses require you to pay "your boss". One of the 2 guys I mentioned earlier didn't pay the fee to join the MLM.
An example of where you do pay to "your boss" to "work" is franchise opportunities. McDonalds, Burger King, Little Caesars, etc.
I have a much more serious question. Some of these MLM's are publically traded. What does financial GAF think of that?
Starwolf_UK
Member
Featheredkitten
Banned
I don't understand how people hear that you need to pay someone to work a job and then go on to do that. That's not how jobs work, these people, yeesh.
Hope dealer, oh dear....does that sound like a drug thing to anyone else?
"You man, you got some of that hope, I'm needing like, a dime...you got a dime of hope? don't hold out on me man."
Hope dealer, oh dear....does that sound like a drug thing to anyone else?
"You man, you got some of that hope, I'm needing like, a dime...you got a dime of hope? don't hold out on me man."
I worked for Cutco for a summer. Made decent cash. But I saw how the system worked and I was kinda getting sick of their entire schtick, that and I just don't like selling things to people.
I don't think it was necesarily "evil" or some kind of unethical business model. The knives are pretty sweet. I was just informed it was gonna be a very be your own boss kinda job but they really want to force you to recruit and meet certain goals etc. So I left after a while.
I know someone who got super into it and stayed with it. She ended up running her own branch and won limo rides/a trip to the Bahamas, so it definitely could be cool.
I don't understand why some people think they'll try to screw you over for quick cash.
I don't think it was necesarily "evil" or some kind of unethical business model. The knives are pretty sweet. I was just informed it was gonna be a very be your own boss kinda job but they really want to force you to recruit and meet certain goals etc. So I left after a while.
I know someone who got super into it and stayed with it. She ended up running her own branch and won limo rides/a trip to the Bahamas, so it definitely could be cool.
I don't understand why some people think they'll try to screw you over for quick cash.
backflip10019
Member
One summer during college, I got tricked into "interviewing" for one of these "marketing internships," which turned out to be me walking around iffy parts of New Rochelle in a suit carrying a 50 lb bag and trying to sling grilling equipment to store owners and patrons. These companies claim that sales of the grilling tools are secondary to spreading word of mouth advertising, so they claim to be "marketing agencies." Needless to say, once that I realized it was all bullshit, and that they were taking advantage of me, I turned on my "I don't give a fuck about any of this" attitude and bombed the rest of the so-called "interview."
The worst thing of all was the guy who was evaluating me, and taking me through the process. Poor guy kept saying stuff like "just one more month til I make my $75k/year." Meanwhile he was getting paid like $300/week to walk around for 9 hours without a break and try to sell stuff to people who weren't interested. These schemes are the worst.
The worst thing of all was the guy who was evaluating me, and taking me through the process. Poor guy kept saying stuff like "just one more month til I make my $75k/year." Meanwhile he was getting paid like $300/week to walk around for 9 hours without a break and try to sell stuff to people who weren't interested. These schemes are the worst.
EsotericManiac
Banned
I never understood why people don't get up and walk out the door.
I tend to cut my losses
I tend to cut my losses
Nhk was a great show.
I had a friend who was part of a pyramid scheme. One time two well dressed men followed him to his dorm and happened to meet me walking to the common bathroom at like 2 am. They cornered me and started saying how great I was. Now, at this point it didn't click that they were pyramid scheme men; I thought they were just hitting on me and I got scared.
Mango Positive
Member
I was at one of those meetings (which I was told was a job interview) with a real slick-talker leading the meeting and a very enthusiastic audience. I was furious when I realized what was happening. A few people got up to leave and were called out and embarrassed, causing two of them to sit back down and even more to not try to leave at all. I'd never been so angry in my life. I was towards the front, so I had an extra long walk to the exit. Of course, he stops the speil and asks me why I'm leaving and if I had some incontinence issue or if I just didn't like money. I matched his confidence and informed everyone in the audience that this is a scam and will cost you your savings and your friends if you believe a word of it, then in a full suit, I gave the presenter the double bird and left. About 15 people followed me out, thanking me for making it easy.
I've been to something similar, though it was for selling insurance to people. Knew exactly what was up when they started talking about starting with a group of people who will be making money for you, setting your own hours, and making oodles tons of money.
Stuck through the presentation and interview process that lasted maybe an hour just to be nice, but I'm just not sure how people could fall for this. I'm also curious about how many of the 'potential hires' are actually current employees helping to sell the thing.
Stuck through the presentation and interview process that lasted maybe an hour just to be nice, but I'm just not sure how people could fall for this. I'm also curious about how many of the 'potential hires' are actually current employees helping to sell the thing.
Damn I had almost the same experience...In my case, I was actually very desperate for a job as my mom's house was in foreclosure at the time. I was absolutely furious!
It's amazing how they all have the same tactic though...What in the world makes loud music and an overenthusiastic audience the template for their shit? The minute the music started, my heart sank...
I went to one of these in high school, a dude was sporting jewelry and shit and said my friend and I could get in on it. It was just a seminar thing about... selling plastic food containers or some shit? I don't even remember. I just remember being seated dead in the middle, and my friend wouldn't get up and leave in the middle. So I pretended to be pukey and we got out of there.
My older brother got tricked once. He bought bunchs of healt product that he meant to sell with his saving, only ended up no one buying them. That event become one of his racked failure during his early 20s, now all he do is watching television to no end at our parent house,never try to do anything because of his failure. Sad depressing fuck, my brother, at least he doesn't try to sell our things to paid the schemer.
I also tried to get recruited this early year. My friend kept telling me to come to a "business" seminar with "credible" speaker from certain company. The way she insist me make myself deeply suspicious, and even when I refused her offer, she just insisted me over and over. I never know what that thing really was, but by the way she puts it, I think it just one of those pyramid scheme. LoL, I better write my ass off that come to some business seminar like that.
I also tried to get recruited this early year. My friend kept telling me to come to a "business" seminar with "credible" speaker from certain company. The way she insist me make myself deeply suspicious, and even when I refused her offer, she just insisted me over and over. I never know what that thing really was, but by the way she puts it, I think it just one of those pyramid scheme. LoL, I better write my ass off that come to some business seminar like that.
- Status
Similar threads
- Locked