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The following posts have been reprinted in their entirety from posts e-mailed by readers of this website, except that headers, names and locations have been removed. These posts express the opinions and experiences of their authors, and this site publisher makes no representations about them in any way whatsoever.
Re: Melaleuca Dear Ruth: You and your website are doing a disservice to the Network Marketing Industry, your readers and to the truth. In the case of the obviously unsubstantiated "lawsuit" brought by those losers in Texas against Melaleuca, you chose to publish the losers' pleadings (a bunch of lawyer-drafted rubbish, complete with mispellings of words like "mormans" and the wrong first name for "Charlotte Knox."), and not publish even a portion of the text of the Judge's or Jury's Decision which is based on FACT FINDING. Neither you nor I or the rest of your website's readers saw the "evidence" presented by the plaintiffs in this case. THE JUDGE OR JURY DID. remember, they were the TRIER OF FACT. Again, you chose to only publish the pleadings of the plaintiffs. Pleadings are allegations presented to a TRIER OF FACT (Judge or Jury). Why don't you also publish the defendant's ANSWER to these pleadings? I suggest that in order for your website to continue to be credible and balanced in its reporting, you must publish both sides of this story, additionally and specially, THE FINDINGS BY THE JUDGE OR JURY. By the way, Melaleuca publishes a booklet called "New Horizons." It clearly explains how CONSUMER DIRECT MARKETING works. I suggest you read it. (I'm sure that the Jury in this case did) Then you'll understand how and why it is that CDM, as opposed to MLM, does not require "distributors." I've been associated with Melaleuca Inc. in the capacity of INDEPENDENT MARKETING EXECUTIVE on a part-time basis during the last 39 months. I have NEVER "distributed" a shampoo or tooth paste to anyone. All of the end consumers in my Melaleuca business have a catalog and order through the catalog directly from Melaleuca. Melaleuca then delivers the products to the end consumer. It might also be a good and balanced idea for you to add a discusion board to your site (the current message board in your site is a dead link), for those of us who have an opinion or suggestion about anything published in your website or that pertains to justice in our Industry. We can then post our opinions and we can all have a more accurate story. Thanks. Re: Quixtar Re: PCDataOnline is a highly respected source of information about internet users, and companies spend a great deal of money each year to get stats in much more detail than they provide on their "public" site. It is true that they are highly respected and thier data is used by many to make business decisions. However, you are using their data, which is taken from "participants" to draw conclusions on activity by people who are most likely not participants. You are taking statistics from "100,000" non-random datum to draw conclusions about a specific group, namely over 1 million IBOs. That website activity tracker is not monitoring activity on any of those websites, they are monitoring the activity of those specific participants. Yet you use the data given as the number of hits by tose 100,000 participants as if that were the total number of hits. I have never had doubt that the directs and above made some amount on the distribution of the tapes and books. No more than the bookstores and other distributors do for their books. And, by the way, I am not forced to buy the books, but I do gain knowlwdge and the ability to keep my team armed with the same information. Anyway, I have taken too much time at this already. I am sorry that you had a bad experience. You are a idiot.... I read your stuff and what i see is someone who looks at the glass 1/2 empty instead of 1/2 full. I would love to have you mailing address to send you postcards from Diamond Club.... Get the whole story before you steal peoples dreams with this crap... Re: Amway I went to a church once and got to know the pastor and his wife and they turned out to be something less than perfect. Does that make what they represent and teach wrong? I have been involved with Amway for 14 years of which I have been a Direct for 10 years. I was single till three years ago and when i met my husband i was able to move 150 miles away and not have to look for a new job... and it did not effect my income. I make more in the Quixtar/Amway business that a teacher or a nurse, I have control of my time and get to choose what i want to do and who I want to do it with, the :"system " has help me develop this lifestyle and have supported me through many hard times and disapointing business experiences. No we are not a Get rich Quick business and not everyone who gets in is perfect, but just like the pastor experience I had, your diamond experience doesnt necessiarly mean that the business doesnt work and all amway diamonds are not alike...Jesus has alot of bad reps. and so does Amway. Re: Quixtar My husband and I were approached about 3 weeks ago by a cousin. He said he knew of this "great opportunity" on the internet. We had no idea what this was all about, so we agreed to be open. My husband flew to a meeting (otherwise an 8 hour drive) and returned home the following day. He was very excited and "pumped up". The following week, we held a meeting at our house and invited a few friends over. Someone affiliated with Quixtar came to our house to do the presentation. I was even excited! Everyone seemed so positive and upbeat. We bought the Pro Net kit that evening and obtained our new IBO#. Two days later my husband went to the Atlanta conference (Bubba Pratt????). My husband came home very excited once again. However, I turned to the internet while he was away to do some research of my own. I found this site and many others with similar information. Once he arrived home, it took about 2 minutes to decide this "business" was not suited for us at all. We highly disagree with the "Tools" of the organization and believe that this is some sort of cult. Most people we have encountered seem to be brainwashed by this organization. This is not how we want to spend our lives. We are out about $500.00, but are pursuing getting some of our money back. Thank goodness it only took us a few weeks to figure it out. If someone approaches you about a "great opportunity" but is not willing to tell you about it up front, run like the wind!!!!! Also, check out Ruth's book, I know I am!!! Ruth...forgive my gender oversight in my correspondence. I thank you for your time to respond back to me, however I find your analysis is every bit as assumptive as mine. This is not to say that either of us is incorrect in a number of our assertions, but one must consider the spirit of the writings on both sides. I acknowledge a lack of impiricism on both of our parts, however I do not see the relevance of your site to anything other than the need to blame others for your failure to adequately perform in your walk in life. I know that is an assumption but it appears to be the only logical explanation for your lack of imagination in proving a meaningful point. I wish you greater understanding and even greater self-introspection. Re: Primerica Thank you!!!! Re: Equinox i was sucked into Eqxinox a few yrs back . i was put off by the hyper hype but loved the products. i supose i am lucky to have gotten out b4 i lost more. it seemed like "New age Amway" but i had lots of friends.(warm market)or so i thought. Julie Hoy was the person who roped me in. i was looking for a job that would pay more than the 1k mo. that clerical brings. i was also in counseling at the time having PostTraumaticStress symptoms from a batch of deaths and other losses.in too short a time. i was espicially vulnerable to the love bomb of health wealth and happiness. i never believed i'd get rich but they crunch so many number$$$$ posibilities that i really believed i could easily make a side income with just a few regular customers and sales from people answering the help wanted ads i placed.that was not how it turned out. my husband almost divorced me and refused to show the catalog at his work. after they suckered me in i was in deep despair in 96or 97 the memories are so painful.i dont even want to remember that year(aug-dec) when i was hesitating and being given the rush to get in now. i was going to invest just 1k and build but Julie said she and her husband had 11 people signing on this month and that if i came in with 5k she would have her husband put 2 of their other new sign ups as my down line to help me out. this 15k total would put me up to the point where u make 50% back vs.35% . i fell for her verbal promise. need i tell you or can you guess that she reniged on her promise. i ran ads for a few months and tried to sell but never made any money and when i tryed to get friends to buy at a discount they said no because i wouldn't make any money if they bought at discount. i probably sank about 6k into the stuff and the ads and 1 training weekend.the training is really just carefully crafted brainwashing.psych you up and blame you if you fall. i am very interested in the lawsuit. i was so depressed over the mlm fiasco and i couldnt do my taxes for that year i didnt and still dont know how to handle it so last year i gave it all to a lawyer. He said that his partner had several clients who had to file for bankruptsy because of Exuinox. Re: Amway I'm just curious when you "found out" this was a scam working for a diamond, Did you do anything with the judicial system to report this "Diamond" and is the "diamond" still in business? Re: Amway Hi - I came across your site via the Anti-Amway web ring. Yours was the only one that I could find the ability to email. It seems that there is so much spam, and defenders of Amway out there that many of the sites have shut their email off. My brother joined Amway about 2 1/2 years ago. So far, everything I have read on the anti-Amway sites could be talking about him. He was recruited at his church, he has distanced himself from our family (and we are a very close knit family) - he even chose to celebrate his last birthday with Amway people, rather than us. He only comes around when he wants to "show us the plan" or invite us to meetings. He can't talk about anything but Amway - how much money he's GOING to be making (it's always in the future of course). He has stacks of tapes and videos (but recently had his phone disconnected - probably from blowing all of his money on Amway "tools"). I could go on and on. We are very concerned for him. They have him so brainwashed - every time we challenge something they have told him, he gets all defensive, and always has a quick (programmed) answer. Are there any sites out there for families of Amway victims? Is there any certain approach that can be taken to get him to see the light, and get back to reality? He's convinced he's going to retire in a couple of years, and just live off of the "residuals" he makes from Amway - what a joke - he's been at it for 2 1/2 years, and can't even pay his phone bill! But there's no convincing him of that. Anyway - I'd really appreciate any advice you can offer, or any links to other web sites that may address our concerns. Thank you, Re: Quixtar Thank you so much for your information on how to return our Pro Net kit and other sales items. I must say that I check your MLM Survivors site all the time now. I really have become interested in reading other people's stories. It only 'backs up' our bad feelings from the beginning. Thanks again! Re: Amway Thanks for answering my email. True maybe I should read more of your web page; Ruth, however the same may be said for you. You may want to do some investigation before publishing a web site. "Yada, yada, yada. Maybe you should take the trouble to actually read the information I have posted before you criticize." Please, don't answer my emails if you are going to answer back with attitude and no logical thought process. And lets understand that peoples experiences do not always equal FACTS. Their experience only equals their perception on a particular topic. I had a bad experience with the last company I was with, you don't see me starting a web site against them. Because, well here's a novel idea, i had a bad experience with some of the management not the entire company. I've never seen such a poor, negative, unthought out responses before. You only proved my case. Your responses are no better than my criticisms. Regards, Re: Equinox Hi I am a Equinox distributer. May I personally say that a lot of you victims on this web-site are that, looking to blame it on this company, when all you guy's have to blame is yourselfs. I have been with equinox for about 7 months and I am doig very well Im not in debt I dont think that this is a scam and I wish u guys luck in the future. Re: Quixtar I am disgusted with all that you wrote about Quixtar! I have met so many people that are free to do anything they want..spending time with their family! Tell me where in what JOB can you do that? I went to college for 3 years....and where has it gotten me......paying back student loans and listening to a boss....Well I think you need to say more positive things about the business. I am not sure where you got all of your information...but some things are not correct....let me give you an example..no one pushes you to but tools....that is a option! No one pushes you to go to functions...that is up to you. It is to build you as a person! Quixtar is booming in sales......check all your reports again buddy! GO DIAMOND! Re: Equinox Hello!! I was more than delighted to get a class action notice against Equinox company that is based in Nevada. This company is AWFUL and HORRIBLE...needs to be put out of business!! It started in 1995 when my oldest brother told me about it and brought me to a "meeting" with his uplinks. I wasn't sure at first of their intentions..you see, I'm deaf but wear hearing aids and do speak very well. I have a degree in Chemistry and have worked in a toxicology lab for 4 years dealing with government agencies, DA offices, defense attorneys, and etc so I'm not "dumb and deaf". In the beginning, they "promised" that they'll help me, ie: sitting front row in the meetings, getting a TTY machine so I could call them, and etc...they really laid out the red carpet for me however, there was a catch!!! They told me that I need to put down 5 grand to show my commitment (my good sense flew out of the door!) so after thinking for a bit...it was during while I was trapped in a room with them while they were telling me: "You need to make up your mind now!! Times a wasting!" I said okay but made them promise that they'll help me with all those meetings and they even OFFERED to pay for a interpretor for these kind of meetings. The minute I put down the 5 grand, they basically changed their song and dance. "you are an independent rep and you need to pay for these things" Uh??? Things quickly went downhill from there. I called the headquarters and they kept telling me "sorry, you're an independent rep and you need to deal with your uplink on your own!" I came to meetings one time and managed to save a whole front row (6 seats) for my deaf freinds and got a interpretor. Well, one of the uplink came up to me and screamed that I should not save seats and that my friends need to come early and for the interpretor to move off to the far side so it won't "distract" others. I held my ground....I didn't scream back while she was actually in my face screaming " Do you understand?? do you understand??" She pulled the papers that was on the seats (I put it there to save these seats) and threw them in the garbage. I sat down and actually put my legs and arms on the seats. Sounds childish but I was not willing to have her browbeat me. Meeting came and went. Then there was a meeting with Mark Acetta at a hotel...the uplinks were sponsoring that meeting so I told them by law they had to pay for a interpretor...got screamed at again!! Went to the meeting (I was late) and requested that I sit up front since I was hearing impaired...was told no since the front row was reserved for "top sellers" so I just left...wasn't going to WASTE time! I contacted a lawyer who was experienced with ADA law. She was very nice and very calm when she called the headquarters about me returning the products. At first they said no, then said okay but with a 10% stocking fee then finally said that they'll take all of the products back if I signed a paper saying that I won't sue them in the future but I refused!!! After 8 months of hassling them, they finally said that they'll take the products back. These people use the "independent reps" to avoid the ADA law so they won't have to pay for these things. I don't know how many deaf people got ripped off by these companies. With regards, Re: Amway A friend of mine had gotten suckered into Amway last year, unbeknown to me. After she had volunteered this info, I had asked her how she was doing, because people were telling me how Amway is not like how it used to be. I had asked her how her sales were & she said she's not selling the products, she's selling the idea or concept of it. What is that? Did they come up with a different way on how to sucker people in. Sounds to me that no matter how they stir the pot, it still is the same stinken soup warmed over a different way. Hello, I am a graduate student at Columbia University in New York. I am working on a project about self-employment scams and have really enjoyed browsing your web site, MLMSurvivor.com. It has been really illuminating. I was hoping you could answer two quick questions on this topic, since you must read hundreds of the stories of people who fall prey to MLM scams. 1) What do you identify as the top two or three reasons why people chose to become involved with MLMs? 2) I've heard that many MLMs, such as Amway, urge new salespeople to recruit (either customers or more salespeople) from their circle of immediate family and friends. Is this practice common? And what do you think of it? Thanks in advance for you replies (via email is fine) and I hope to hear from you soon. Sincere thanks, Re: Amway HELLO, I JUST READ YOUR STORY, AND I CAN RELATE TO IT. NOT THROUGH PERSONAL EXPERIENCE BUT THROUGH MY SON. HE IS THE SWEETEST, KINDEST, YOUNG MAN I KNOW. HE HAS A BACHELORS IN EDUCATION WITH A COACHING DEGREE. HE HAD A LOVELY GIRLFRIEND, AND WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A GREAT LIFE. THEN CAME AMWAY. HE NO LONGER CAN COME TO FAMILY HOLIDAYS, DINNERS, ETC., AS HE HAS A MEETING. LAST WEEK HIS PHONE WAS DISCONNECTED, SO AS A CONCERNED PARENT I WENT TO HIS HOME. WAS I SHOCKED!!!!HE HAD HUNDREDS OF TAPES, AND MESSAGE BOARDS THROUGH OUT HIS HOUSE, WITH GOALS, STATS, ETC...I SAID NOTHING TOLD HIM I LOVED HIM AND LEFT. IF YOU OR ANYONE ELSE CAN HELP ME DEPROGRAM HIM, PLEASE "E", ME. I LOVE HIM SO MUCH, AND DO NOT WANT TO JEOPARDIZE WHAT LITTLE RELATIONSHIP WE HAVE LEFT. HE IS SO ALMOST 28 YEARS OLD, SO I FEEL HELPLESS IN OFFERING ADVICE TO HIM. WE AS A FAMILY MISS HIM TERRIBLEY..HE IS ALWAYS TO BUSY..I HAVE VISITED SEVERAL WEB SITES AND IT SEEMS ALL THE STORIES ARE THE SAME. THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME VENT. Re: Amway/Quixtar get on with your life!! MLM's are opportunities with no guarantees, as you know. Amway and Quixtar is a good thing with good people. Show me a business, institution, or individual that is perfect. AMQUICK is open to any one and that means all of society. Also many business fail and many people lose money(much more than AMQUICK). Would you tell people not to enter the stock market or franchise because they could lose money? And please spare me the bulls**t about being brainwashed droids!!!!! It is quite humorous that you would waste so much time and energy with something like this website. Take care and may you find peace with those "devious" MLM's Re: Amway/WWDB I have little time to write this. Boy what a relief it is to see Amway and it's affiliated "organizations" exposed in full relief all over the web. Here is some testimony I have submitted to the FTC regarding my own experience. In my experience the Amway Corporation itself strictly adhered to the FTC "pyramid" statutes in all cases. However, the "World Wide Dream Builders" sales organization which I was part of and is inextricably de facto part and parcel of the Amway Corporation and deeply financially and politically involved with the Amway Corp, grossly violated the "70% rule" and the "buyback rule" during the time I was involved with Amway. The WWDB people are VERY dangerous in my estimation. They used powerful and effective methods of mind control ranging from subtle techniques involving repetitive subliminal messages to outright verbal coercion. They have a highly developed and sophisticated system that is used to control and manipulate thousands of people in order to generate profit through sales of both Amway and non-Amway products. I found myself unable to quit Amway-WWDB of my own volition. I had a nervous breakdown and moved from Colorado to Rhode Island and moved back in with my family. This was an extremely difficult time for me and I underwent psychiatric counseling for some time. I would not be surprised to learn that many people have developed clinical mental illness as a result of involvement with the WWDB-Amway organization. Too bad I forgot to mention their most powerful method of control: sleep-deprivation. I went for about 6 months on 3-5 hours of sleep per night and it really screwed me up mentally. Re: Amway/Quixtar why are you so darn bitter? Yes there are somethings in Amway/Quixtar that are not perfect but will you show me one business, institution or individual that is. Why to so many people refer to IBO's as "brainwashed"? That is nothing but plain bulls**t!! Amway/Quixtar is an opportunity that comes with no guarantees, as you know but to say that it is a bunch of bunk is plain ignorance. I'm a IBO and yes I have not made squat but I know many people in many different businesses that have not made squat!! I also find it humorous that you would put so much wasted energy and time in creating a website that puts the "truth" out there for people about MLM. I would also dispute your numbers on Quixtar. In sales it was a top 10 site according to the Detroit Free Press( printed during the week of March 19-March25). Also I get a kick out of people saying the tools brainwash you. I have never been more pumped up about life than when I'm able to listen or read from people about doing your best in life( pardon my English). Take care |
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