Count Dookkake
Member
Oh, shit. I think I remember getting dragged to this.
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I got tricked into a pyramid scheme meeting...
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Oh, shit. I think I remember getting dragged to this.
GarnetDust
Junior Member
I hate it when they make you feel like you accomplished something without having to do anything, upon asking if you wanted the job or not. It's aggravating. When they say you have to work for the money, they mean with the interview, too. They tried so hard to reel me in. They even called me a week later and they were basically telling me "Are you sure?" It was comical.
nicoga3000
Saint Nic
Straight up Napoleon Dynamite. I love it.
Whenever someone I never spoke to in Highschool or haven't spoken to in a year contacts me on Facebook, it's for a ponzi scheme.
It's hilarious cause it always includes "business opportunity" somewhere in the message which I read while eating Cocoa Pebbles in the morning.
Mister Wilhelm
Member
My art teacher in 11th grade let one of her friends come in and try to recruit us for a jewelry selling racket.
This thug bro that befriended me stole a bunch of her display rings and had the balls to wear them to class.
Glorious.
This thug bro that befriended me stole a bunch of her display rings and had the balls to wear them to class.
Glorious.
Megalosaro
Banned
I jad so.ething similar happen. I applied for a data entry job and it ended up being scheme as well. They have redalerts all over the internet
Nightstick11
Banned
One of my friends from elementary school got involved in ACN when we were all in high school. There were like 50 friends who signed up for ACN (I was one of the few ones who didn't sign up.)
One year later, he was the only one at it.
He made bank. Googling his name and he pops up as one of the top ACN reps. I guess he did well for himself, but lost all of his friends in the process.
One year later, he was the only one at it.
He made bank. Googling his name and he pops up as one of the top ACN reps. I guess he did well for himself, but lost all of his friends in the process.
Host Samurai
Member
Reminds me of that anime Welcome to the NHK
EDIT: Beaten on the 2nd page. GAF is good
EDIT: Beaten on the 2nd page. GAF is good
SniperHunter
Banned
Anyone here have experience with Primerica or World financial group?
WFG is the same MLM type shit - pay to get in, pay for the financial product, you might have to pay to join their seminars, and obviously you have to pay to join the big ass conferences in Las Vegas.
Besides that, the higher ups of your uplines might be more demanding on seeing more sales from you during the seminars to show that they mean business.
It's pure MLM bullshit.
A guy i met at school is trying to get me to push that Verve energy drink shit. I already knew what it was but my dumbass asked him how it tasted.
A YouTube personality i know is using WakeUpNow to make money off his fans and it probably works for him because they trust him.
All i ever see is Verve, WakeUpNow, MCA and Vector which pushes CutCo Knives. The sad thing is Vector is allowed to advertise itself at my school and disguises itself as a real job.
A YouTube personality i know is using WakeUpNow to make money off his fans and it probably works for him because they trust him.
All i ever see is Verve, WakeUpNow, MCA and Vector which pushes CutCo Knives. The sad thing is Vector is allowed to advertise itself at my school and disguises itself as a real job.
Baraka in the White House
2-Terms of Kombat
Got goaded into attending a Primerica seminar. Same bullshit everyone else is talking about, only this time the product was garbage mutual funds.
Oh, there are indeed some (even many) people that makes money out this MLM schemes. However, the model implies that way more people will lose their time and/or money, there's no way around this:
Legit business models account for fixed or bounded number of employes and costumers, while MLM's schemes relies on an unlimited pool of employes/costumers, pool which is consumed at an exponential order. This means not only that MLM model is unsustainable but that majority of participants will lose. Is a mathematical fact, the best possible scenario is that only half of participant will lose, but in reality the number should be above 90%. You get better odds at Las Vegas.
Now, the difference between plain rip-off schemes and more benign ones lies in what does "losing" means. In the later ones, the ones with a legit product and costumer base, you will make some money but you will fail in the promise of economic independence. In the worst ones you will lose your time and money, potentially lots of it.
Legit business models account for fixed or bounded number of employes and costumers, while MLM's schemes relies on an unlimited pool of employes/costumers, pool which is consumed at an exponential order. This means not only that MLM model is unsustainable but that majority of participants will lose. Is a mathematical fact, the best possible scenario is that only half of participant will lose, but in reality the number should be above 90%. You get better odds at Las Vegas.
Now, the difference between plain rip-off schemes and more benign ones lies in what does "losing" means. In the later ones, the ones with a legit product and costumer base, you will make some money but you will fail in the promise of economic independence. In the worst ones you will lose your time and money, potentially lots of it.
n64coder
Member
Are there any MLM companies that actually have good products? I've heard some people rave about Amway products but a google search seems to show that they're actually bad.
When I was growing up, I remember those Avon ladies going door to door. I don't think I see those people anymore but I think they actually had some decent products.
The only time I ever got suckered was when I was fresh out of school and one of my vendors wanted to meet him for an opportunity to make more money. I wasted 2 hours sitting with him and listening to his spiel. I wished I had the guts to walk out after 10-15 mins.
When I was growing up, I remember those Avon ladies going door to door. I don't think I see those people anymore but I think they actually had some decent products.
The only time I ever got suckered was when I was fresh out of school and one of my vendors wanted to meet him for an opportunity to make more money. I wasted 2 hours sitting with him and listening to his spiel. I wished I had the guts to walk out after 10-15 mins.
I've had an experience with this (ACN, in this case) from a co-worker earlier this year. The guy is in his mid-50s, holding a decent job as an engineer, but I guess he felt like he wanted to find additional income to retire earlier, or something. He got pulled into it from someone at his church.
He begins by trying to sign people in the carpool up to switch to his services, and one guy bites on switching his electricity provider. I keep passing, and eventually feel kind of bad about it, since I have to see him every day, so I agree to go to a meeting on the weekend. During the meeting, I'm constantly told about how legitimate the company is, because they're selling other -- well known! -- companies' services, about the magazine articles written about it -- in an industry trade mag, of course -- and I lost count of the number of times Donald Trump was name dropped in a bid for legitimacy.
They could tell I wasn't interested, and I asked some uncomfortably pointed questions, but they still tried to end with inviting me to some big local meeting at a hotel. Told me that it would be different if I saw the other success stories and met with the local head honchos. No thanks.
Guy's still in my carpool. We've never talked about it since.
He begins by trying to sign people in the carpool up to switch to his services, and one guy bites on switching his electricity provider. I keep passing, and eventually feel kind of bad about it, since I have to see him every day, so I agree to go to a meeting on the weekend. During the meeting, I'm constantly told about how legitimate the company is, because they're selling other -- well known! -- companies' services, about the magazine articles written about it -- in an industry trade mag, of course -- and I lost count of the number of times Donald Trump was name dropped in a bid for legitimacy.
They could tell I wasn't interested, and I asked some uncomfortably pointed questions, but they still tried to end with inviting me to some big local meeting at a hotel. Told me that it would be different if I saw the other success stories and met with the local head honchos. No thanks.
Guy's still in my carpool. We've never talked about it since.
I thought herbalife products were legit, while the business end is the shitty part.
CherryWoodFuton
Member
The fuck?
THIS
I found a roommate on CL back in April. I'll call him J. He's a very nice guy...does personal training with some modeling/acting on the side. A few weeks after moving in, J asked if he could host a gathering in our apartment for his new business. He has a website and advertising for his PT business, so I assumed it was some kind of expansion for that and I was fine with it. I don't know why I thought this...
When the date got close though, he asked if I was going to be home. I was, so rather than make up some story, I told him I'd listen in because honestly I was curious about it. Then he asks if my brother and gf want to join too. This was my first red flag.
On the Saturday, his "business partner" shows up to help him set up the apt. Call her A. They're both dressed up, which was more formal than I expected but I figured they're just making a good impression, so whatever. They put out snacks/drinks and all the chairs in the apt.
Then I notice clipboards with forms and J asks me how the DVD player works. He made a DVD for his proposal? Another red flag. It's supposed to start at 1...but at 1:30, no one has showed. He's on his phone texting and calling the attendees, so I'm starting to feel bad for the guy. A says to J, "so, how about we just start with him?" Um, WTF?
They do a quick intro and start the DVD. It's ACN. I have no idea what it is but red flags are FLYING EVERYWHERE. Super-vague stuff about utilities and their markets. Once it ends, they start their pitch as I'm screaming in my head about how ridiculous this looks. The gist is that for $500 you purchase a "franchise" that lets you sign-up people to pay utilites. Thanks to market deregulation, you can make a portion of the bills people pay. The more you sign, the more you make. J is under A, I would be under J, etc. UGH.
Another person finally shows up. J takes her into his bedroom and A stays with me. She uses the phrase "can we agree that..." about two dozen times. It's all hilarious Salesman-101 stuff. I'm not hiding the fact that I can see right through her, but she goes on and on. "I work 20hrs a week and make $20k a month!" Even if she really does that well, she couldn't have given a more scripted performance. I finally told her I'd so some research on my own (which I did merely out of curiosity), but of course I had no intention of buying into it.
Now, I did relent to sign-up our ConEd account under J's leg, so let me explain my reasoning. There's no cost to do it. It's month-to-month rather than the yearly plan they offer, so I can cancel whenever. I've examined my bills compared to last year and I can definitely say they're somewhat lower. Trust me, I thought long and hard before going through with it.
Ever since this day though, he loves to bring up his "business" in conversation...how they had a crazy meeting with millionaires or how he signed up a few new people. "Dude, ACN is doing credit card transactions now!" Aside from pitying him, to this day I still can't comprehend how he viewed his new roommate as a potential customer. He hasn't gone up the ladder anywhere near where he claimed he would by now. His PT background/credentials are really awesome, so it's hard to understand why he thinks this is his ticket to fortune.
I still live with him and he has trouble paying rent every single month :/
Got invited to and attended quite a few of these when I was 18-22. Never signed up for any of them but even at that young of an age, I could point out the flaws in their "business plans". The people who I know who did sign up for these things tend to be either not very bright and just plain greedy.
Fisticuffs
Member
I was kidnapped by a high school buddy for this. I was told we'll have a drink and some food.
While in the lift, I told him that if this is some kind of MLM stuff, friendship over.
We haven't talked since then and it was Usana. They were telling me to fork out around $500 to join.
While in the lift, I told him that if this is some kind of MLM stuff, friendship over.
We haven't talked since then and it was Usana. They were telling me to fork out around $500 to join.
Thanks, and I figured I'd add this recent text from him since it was hilarious. You'd think this was spam.
"Dude!!!!!! BIG NEWS!!!!!! I'll talk to you more when you get back, but long and short I need to get 10 more energy customers and we get FREE GAS & ELECTRIC!!!!!! I'll talk to you more about it when you're back, they just made the announcement here at Leadership. But, ima need YOUR help. Just referrals. Its easy! Free gas and electric!???? WOW! Craziness!"
I ignored it and he hasn't said anything else about it.
General Patton
Banned
I googled around to see what how that Zrii fella ended up going. He gave up on the Zrii thing after 9 months, and tragically got suckered into another one, XimoRocks, some other bullshit beverage supplement. Turns out he did slightly better there but management was supposedly chaotic and he ran into trouble receiving his checks. He gave up on that one and joined the military.
My heart aches for people like that.
Featheredkitten
Banned
I googled around to see what how that Zrii fella ended up going. He gave up on the Zrii thing after 9 months, and tragically got suckered into a nothing one, XimoRocks, some other bullshit beverage supplement. Turns out he did slightly better there but management was supposedly chaotic and it he ran into trouble receiving his checks. He gave up on that one and joined the military.
My heart aches for people like that.
At least the military will help him manage his finances. Poor guy needs some help.
RoninChaos
Member
I've noticed where I live this is always pushed by a certain type of person. I run into it at my job and shit like that. I think the reason it works on so many people is because they phrase it like you are the key to being successful. And people really believe if the right opportunity comes along they can be rich.
TricksterLoki
Member
A pyramid scheme is going on right now at my High School actually. These kids are trying to sell an energy drink called "Verve" and get others into their supply line as well. Weird being approached by a freshman I don't know (poor kid) and asked if I'm interested in trying the drink and buying some to sell as well. Politely denied and went on with my lunch. Was sketched out by the whole thing :/
adamsappel
Member
I have a couple of friends from college who are involved in that Ignite electric company business. One is a little more desperate than the other because the first guy already poached all the receptive Facebook friends.
Another friend is involved with Zija supplements. For a while, all her Facebook posts were about it, but she doesn't even list herself as a Zija entrepreneur anymore. I'm sure she still has to spend $90 a month on her own supply, though.
Another friend is involved with Zija supplements. For a while, all her Facebook posts were about it, but she doesn't even list herself as a Zija entrepreneur anymore. I'm sure she still has to spend $90 a month on her own supply, though.
This actually happened to me once as well. A girl I knew and her sis asked me to go down to some business thing and asked me to dress up.
As soon as they started pitching their crap I knew it was a pyramid scheme. I didn't wanna walk out tho cuz the girls were actually listening to it. Anyway, it was a big waste of time although I learned how obvious their pitch was. Still surprised that many other people there were interested in being suckers.
As soon as they started pitching their crap I knew it was a pyramid scheme. I didn't wanna walk out tho cuz the girls were actually listening to it. Anyway, it was a big waste of time although I learned how obvious their pitch was. Still surprised that many other people there were interested in being suckers.
FeenieVonKarma
Member
Dunno if anyone mentioned it, but there was a Penn & Teller Bullshit episode about pyramid schemes. One of them was "Mancave" or some shit.
Whilst you are for most of the episode laughing at how stupid the schemes sound, at the end you end up feeling really bad. Because a couple of the guys are genuinely really earnest about what they're doing. It's because these fuckers always tell you "you can earn as much as you want depending how hard you work", and being out of work young guys, they believed it and tried their best, and ended up in a hole. I felt really bad for them. It is still an interesting insight to it though.
edit: Ah ok, someone did mention it...
I agree 100%. Nice avatar btw!
Whilst you are for most of the episode laughing at how stupid the schemes sound, at the end you end up feeling really bad. Because a couple of the guys are genuinely really earnest about what they're doing. It's because these fuckers always tell you "you can earn as much as you want depending how hard you work", and being out of work young guys, they believed it and tried their best, and ended up in a hole. I felt really bad for them. It is still an interesting insight to it though.
edit: Ah ok, someone did mention it...
I agree 100%. Nice avatar btw!
Byakuya769
Member
Awe, man. Wa hoping the bump was OP updating us on how he punched the CEO and saved his friend.
I've got a friend going through this stuff with their family. Harvard educated but trying to sell me on direct marketing pyramid schemes. It's sad how apt these companies are at getting people to become true believers.
I've got a friend going through this stuff with their family. Harvard educated but trying to sell me on direct marketing pyramid schemes. It's sad how apt these companies are at getting people to become true believers.
Synth_floyd
Banned
I had a GF once who was involved with Amway. When I found out about it, it creeped me out and I ended the relationship soon afterwards. I felt bad for her though. She also took me to a party one time with Amway people. I think it was a birthday party of one of the higher ups in the pyramid...err, I mean multilevel marketing. And I remember someone mentioned something about cars and money. LOL. It's just sad how they rope in desperate people and scam them out of time money and help them ruin relationships by getting them to try to rope their friends and family into this garbage. At least she didn't try to get me to join Amway but I was so turned off by the whole thing that I lost most of my interest in her as well.
Ryan242004
Member
This. You never do that to a friend.
The first time was for a job offer that I got over the phone. Went and realized what it was and was annoyed but then I got a kick out of it listening to the guy and all the other peoples bs comments lol.
The second time was a family friend and it took everything I had not to punch the presenter in the face and walk out. Needless to say I don't talk to her anymore if I can help it. She knew we were having money problems and the tries to get us to spend $500+ so she can meet her quota... Ugh now im angry all over again.
anarckitty
Member
You should ask your friend if he's heard of Mary Kay.
Edit: Speaking of Mary Kay..... I had a brush with them before. And don't get me wrong, there are probably a lot of non pushy and shady people trying to sell their MK products, but this bitch STILL sends me messages.
It all started with a phone call. The MK consultant had said I won a drawing from Belk for a pampering session. It made sense to me because I had done some of my Wedding registry with them. So, I end up scheduling a session at my house and invite my mother-in-law and sister-in-law. We enjoyed ourselves, and I had qualified for $50 worth of free product, so I thought, "What the hell, why not?" So, I got the products and the lady said she would call within the next few days just to see how I liked them. She called me two days later and started the call with the question, "So did you have Pink Dreams?!?!" I figured she was asking in a dumb way if I liked the products, so I of course said yes.
Fast forward to two weeks later, she arranges to come by my house and drop off my mother and sister-in-laws orders. She pulls out this paper that looks like a contract and proceeds to fill it out, and then she starts explaining that I will need to pay her $100 so I can get started with my selling packet. Then, I have to try to explain in the most polite way possible that I don't have time to join her team or sell any of their damn products. She looks up at me and says, "But you said you were having Pink Dreams." I did my best not to laugh in her face, apologized for the confusion, and explained that I though Pink Dreams meant I was enjoying the products. Like I said, I'm sure there are many MK consultants that don't try to push or prod as much as this woman did, but the whole experience totally turned me off.
I'm not quite sure why people don't realise that they could easily just enlist the other people *without* paying the person who enlisted you, in theory becoming the head of a pyramid on their own. That should absolutely be enough of a prompt to set off alarm bells.
"When he said Pyramid Scheme, I thought he was talking about the layout for an orgy!"
Honestly I never really thought that Mary Kay was a pyramid scheme as a kid, my mom bought makeup from a family friend but she never sold it. This family friend did really well at it, had one of the pink Cadillacs and everything. But yeah, I guess looking back on it, it's probably a pyramid scheme as well.
I got suckered into the Primerica spiel about 5 years ago. Same sort of stuff as in the OP except not anything with dropping the beat.
Snkfanatic
Banned
Pink...dreams? Wtf...
My Aunt does the Mary Kay thing. I actually didn't know they got lumped into the Pyramid Scheme category but looking at it now I can see why.
anarckitty
Member
I also have a childhood friend that does really well with it too. She does so well that she has her own pink MK car. I think it's a pyramid scheme in the way that there is an extremely low amount of people who are successful with it.
Here's an interesting article I found on Multi Level Marketing businesses (which include MK).
http://www.fairgroundmedia.com/the-truth-about-mary-kay
Impressive timing for the bump, with the FTC apparently starting to investigate pyramid scheme companies more/again/finally.
XS you say. I thought you were talking about Amway.
Yea its good u walked away.
I got into the Amway thing last year but already quit. The seminars and "meetings" are always super freaky and they all act like they've been brainwashed or something. Really weird.
I made about $1000 selling XS energy drinks to gyms and athletes i know, but my schedule got tight so i had to let it go. I know people that are successful because of Amway and pyramid things like these. A friend of mine bought a mansion in East Islip, Long Island NY. A Mansion and a maserati for him and one for his wife. I don't know how they do it but he did it and his wife's father got out of a US$400k debt and has even more money than my buddy.
But still even knowing that it works, i wouldn't go back into it.
Yea its good u walked away.
I got into the Amway thing last year but already quit. The seminars and "meetings" are always super freaky and they all act like they've been brainwashed or something. Really weird.
I made about $1000 selling XS energy drinks to gyms and athletes i know, but my schedule got tight so i had to let it go. I know people that are successful because of Amway and pyramid things like these. A friend of mine bought a mansion in East Islip, Long Island NY. A Mansion and a maserati for him and one for his wife. I don't know how they do it but he did it and his wife's father got out of a US$400k debt and has even more money than my buddy.
But still even knowing that it works, i wouldn't go back into it.
AllIsOneIsNone
Banned
Capitalism is nothing but a giant pyramid scheme, gents. Keanuwhoa.gif
The people that I encountered at Primerica that were driving Mercedes and such were generally at the top of the pyramid where they didn't actually do anything, and they wrote off the Mercedes as a business expense. What I encountered is that like the other pyramid schemes, if you're at the bottom of the pyramid, you have to put in a lot of work for a little bit of the pie, while people above you are getting more of the pie than you, and the people above them are getting even more, etc. So you're doing all the work, and they're getting all the money. To get more of the money, you have to get people under you doing work for you. And so on.
These things tend to encourage you to hassle your family and friends because they don't want to shell out money for proper sales leads. So people end up alienating their friends by hassling them until they feel sorry for you and meet with you or sign up for a crappy product.
Surprised it took 150~ posts for Cutco to come up.
I did do that for about a week. I somehow made all my money back in like three sales, but quit right afterwards. When I signed up, it is because I believed in the product, all the bullshit teamwork make money on recruits shit seemed like the scam. And it really is. I know there are people that are good at selling themselves and a dream, and that is what allows them to keep going.
I really don't feel bad for anyone that I sold knives to, especially since one was my dad and I have the knives now. They are still as sharp as when he got them, and in that time me and my wife have gone through 2 cheap and 1 comparably priced knife set (not catalog prices, but what you get them at after you say no and give some shitty knives away).
However, the vacuum sales I don't see how people go for it. The product is so expensive, you don't have anything else to undersell them on. I really don't have any faith in those vacuums holding up and maintaining for any length of time. But to each their own.
I did do that for about a week. I somehow made all my money back in like three sales, but quit right afterwards. When I signed up, it is because I believed in the product, all the bullshit teamwork make money on recruits shit seemed like the scam. And it really is. I know there are people that are good at selling themselves and a dream, and that is what allows them to keep going.
I really don't feel bad for anyone that I sold knives to, especially since one was my dad and I have the knives now. They are still as sharp as when he got them, and in that time me and my wife have gone through 2 cheap and 1 comparably priced knife set (not catalog prices, but what you get them at after you say no and give some shitty knives away).
However, the vacuum sales I don't see how people go for it. The product is so expensive, you don't have anything else to undersell them on. I really don't have any faith in those vacuums holding up and maintaining for any length of time. But to each their own.
RyanardoDaVinci
Member
Heh, my friend took me to an ACN seminar when we were in highschool. We went with his cousin and friends that already worked for them. Met the top earner on the west coast or something, he was a 30-ish, flip-flop wearing surfer dude.
They had a thing going where two sides of the company were competing against each other; one the Empire, and one the Rebellion -- complete with ripped off Star Wars logos/labels. I got some free Empire pins, cufflinks, and banners; we ate at Tony Roma's; I saw a hot naked chick get out of the shower; my friend bought fat-chick porn for some reason, and that was that.
They had a thing going where two sides of the company were competing against each other; one the Empire, and one the Rebellion -- complete with ripped off Star Wars logos/labels. I got some free Empire pins, cufflinks, and banners; we ate at Tony Roma's; I saw a hot naked chick get out of the shower; my friend bought fat-chick porn for some reason, and that was that.
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