Mary Kay - Watch Out!
 

I was a former director in Mary Kay and since I have left (only after a year) - I have done an enormous amount of research, started Yahoo groups, for survivors of Mary Kay, and a website at [link removed, no longer working]

I made it my mission to find out the ins and outs of direct selling companies and I have a ton of articles. If anyone is thinking about it, read my sites.

It's not what it all seems and as far as a viable business opportunity goes (to replace your job with it) stay with your job. The essence of success in Mary Kay is to recruit perpetually. Selling the make up may get you some money, but not alot. The big checks are those who recruit and get the large inventories out of the new recruits - in fact, now they are giving bonuses for recruiting alone, which is making them cross the pyramid line, in my opinion.

This company has gone down hill since MK died.

I went to one MK meeting as a favor to a Phi Mu sister who was involved with this.

Whoa Nelly....it was such a sham, I couldn't believe those that didn't see through it in a heart beat...

Mary Kay...Amway....different names, same scam

Anything that builds your income by bringing in "recruits" to work under you by ordering "products" is a pyramid...plain and simple.

Yup, I think you are right about the pyramid thing. I had no clue what a pyramid was before MK - knew about Amway, but no knowledge about the business model that they all are. When presented w/the marketing plan, MK insisted it wasn't a pyramid. I'm like, OK, so? Whatever.

BUT, now I know better and I am wondering why they had to make a point of stating they weren't when clearly they are becoming more and more just that. I am going to add information about "product based pyramid scheme" to my site. They've given MK people raises and what those include are more bonuses for recruiting - gee how much more like a pyramid can they get?

People NEED to understand the business model before plunging into this.

Wow, I had no clue that's how Mary Kay worked. One of my sorority sisters used to do the parties at the house all the time, but I don't think she ever sold much. I'm not a big fan myself.

I sell Mary Kay. And I'm a lil' confused on how its a pyramid scam. I thought that it was a pyramid scam if the money someone else got came out of your money. In mary kay that doesn't happen. Like if I signed you up today you wouldn't be paying anything, the company would.

My director makes over 150,000.00 a year and its mostly off of makeup sells. We are a lil' unit.

There are a lot of good mary kay things that go on. SO I dont' think its a scam.

It is not a pyramid scam, it is a multi-level marketing program. If you signed me up, who would pay for the product I sell?

You buy your product from the company. And then the company takes what you bought and gives a small percentage to the recruiter. But the recruitee (is that even a word?) pays nothing to the recruiter. The recruitee just pays for the makeup they buy and plan to sell.

Right, but I have to "buy in" to join.

You buy a starter kit with over 500.00 worth of product -for a 100.00. It has facial cases, regular sized fondation bottles to use as samples, both cleansers and mois, etc. But you dont' buy to join to sell it......you just sign up and buy a starter kit. But you can take your time to buy the starter kit. I dont' know if you have to buy one. But it has all of your stuff that you'll need for beauty and skin care classes in it.

Outside of selling, any idea on what its like working for their corporate headquarters? I live in Dallas and pass by there every so often.

Wow.. that profit margin stinks.

HOw does Avon give you the money? ("They give you 20% of what you sell")

You get a 50% profit for every MK product, which I think is pretty awesome. The products are great too, which keeps people coming back for more.

As far as MK's HQ goes, I've never been there, but their warehouse in Carrolton looks like fun. When I went to pick up my initial order, everyone was all smiles.

The one thing I REALLY didn't like about MK when I was selling it, was that you had to purchase a certain amount in order to get the discount. If I only needed one or two things, and hadn't purchased a big amount recently, I ended up losing money on the sell. I think that's incredibly unfair. Also the push to recruit and those cheesy CD's made me crazy.

I also felt like some people worshiped Mary Kay (who was herself a Christian). That made me very uncomfortable.

With regards to companies like Mary Kay, AVON, Partylite, that scrapbooking company (I forget the name), AMWAY, Pampered Chef and Market America.....


IF THE PRODUCTS ARE SO WONDERFUL, WHY DON'T THEY SELL THEM IN STORES?

Because they're more elite :p

(sorry, I couldn't resist)

It has to be much cheaper to sell stuff without the expense of having an actual store -- I'm sure that has something to do with it, right?

I don't know. I'd never do sales in a million years, but I like some Avon stuff. However, I HATE WITH A PASSION anything that involves parties, except Tupperware because that's funny in a retro sort of way. NOBODY WANTS TO HAVE OR ATTEND THOSE PARTIES. Seriously.

What she said......

One of Mary Kay's points was that while yes it is cheaper than to sell it to a store, she wanted women to do it. She wanted women who wanted a career and out of their old "job" to find a new "career" with mary kay.

Also I think Avon and Mary Kay products are wonderful. Both have great anti-aging skin care. So they are good.

You know, in spite of recent "elite" postings (which have me laughing out loud), there's an element of truth in your statement. At least for the Longaberger basket company.... They've said in the past that they prefer to keep baskets out of stores to preserve exclusivity. That their products can't just be bought in any old Wal-Mart - a customer has to really seek them out (sometimes). Works for them I guess, and perhaps there's a bit of that angle in other home show / direct selling companies!

Off topic a bit, but does Avon still make those pins for kids that have lip balm in them? I remember my mom getting those for me as a child. It would be a pin of a ladybug or something and on the back a little secret compartment would screw off and had lip balm in it. They were cool.

You know, someone is going to have to explain the allure of these things to me, because I just don't get it. I mean, I could see if we all were skipping to market and needed heavy duty baskets, but other than that, what's the point??

OMG those were awesome. There were ones with solid cologne, too. I had a ton of them -- I remember one that was shaped like an apple with a worm.

Also, wtf are Longaberger baskets? Are they just baskets?

I remember those too...they were awesome. My memories go to the solid cologne ones too, not lip balm...ha ha

And here is WTF Longberga baskets are:
http://www.longaberger.com/
I don't think I'll be rushing out to buy one anytime soon..

OMGWTFBBQ:

http://www.longaberger.com/longaberg...06/10476_a.jpg

That isht is $299.00. I'm not kidding. WTF?!!!

Wow, baskets and oh la la country-looking curtains. That sounds about as exciting as a scrapbooking party. Ew.

LOL...you crack me up.

I know what OMG is.
I know what WTF is.

What's BBQ? Barbeque? It doesn't seem to fit, given the context. Thanks?! :)

LMAO about the "That sounds about as exciting as a scrapbooking party"...I hate that isht too.

PS I had a date with a guy last night who sells for "Market America", which is why I am so freaked out about these "cult businesses" right now. Suffice it to say, there will be no 2nd date. I was afraid that I would not be able to leave the restaurant with my life....

I just throw on the BBQ even though it doesn't make sense because it's like I have to say OMG and WTF and I have to say something else too to really, effectively convey the dismay I am feeling and BBQ is a nice, random, three-letter thing to throw on the end. LOL.

Market America sounds really hot -- does it involve everybody in the country setting up a tiny grocery store in his or her house?

I think it's an Intar-Mall...you never need to leave your house! You buy EVERYTHING from home. :rolleyes:
I said to him, straight up, "So is it like Amway?" and he of course told me that it was NOT. Yeah, whatever buddy.

It reminds me of that scene in "Go" where Scott Wolf and some other dude are kidnapped by that guy on the TV show "Invasion" [William Fichtner] and they think they are going to be made into sex slaves, but actually the guy just wants them to sell "Confederated Products" for him. And both Scott Wolf and Jay Mohr go "You want us to SELL AMWAY??"

A classic moment, if ever there was!!

(I just found this synopsis here:
"Adam and Zack get more than they bargained for in their dealings with a cop named Burke (William Fichtner) in order to secure his favour with regards to a drug infraction they've committed. In exchange for the favour, Burke presents them with a proposal to join Confederated Products, an Amway-like "business"... ")



---------------
http://www.marketamerica.com
Look at what we are missing out on...LOL
"Market America is changing how the world does business. Most companies sell their products to the masses. Our products are designed around one individual - YOU.

By using the latest advancements in Internet technology, One-to-One Marketing and information analysis, Market America opens a personal portal to a new world of customized products and services. Our products are not mass-produced; they are mass-customized to meet your everyday needs.

To some companies, change is frightening. Embracing relationships with our customers and independent distributors gives Market America the ability to meet market demands as they shift. The unique ability to shift with the market is built upon the information gathered, stored, analyzed and mined. We know exactly what our customers want and we deliver it right to their door.

Tell us what you want."

Ha, I've never seen that.

Maybe this is weird, but I don't even know what Amway is. Do they sell laundry detergent for wacked-out religious fundamentalists in the rural midwest?

One of my babysitters was into AMWAY for a while. Like MK and AVON, they do sell makeup and skin care, but they sell household stuff too (cleaners, vitamins, shampoo, laundry detergent, etc.)

Technically, there is no more Amway. There are different outlets of Amway...all with different names, but there is no more "Amway."


And...Mary Kay, Amway, Avon....etc, are not "pyramid scams" because if you haven't realized, everything is a pyramid. Walmart, McDonalds, etc.

OK, so it WAS solid cologne. I was going to type that, and then I thought I must be remembering wrong b/c I have never otherwise heard of solid cologne. I had the one with the apple & worm also. I actually wish I still had those. I may check Ebay...

By the way, Longaberger are very nice, well-made baskets. I have no problem with them except that they make baskets for EVERYTHING. Who wants a basket purse? I bought an Easter basket and a bread basket, but they make all these bizarre ones and they cost a fortune.

The Market America website -- WTF? Mall without walls? The hell? I've heard of that -- it's called the INTERNET, where I can buy brand-name stuff that I like instead of your jacked-up MOTIVES cosmetics.

Okay, and this is weird. Apparently they have some brands you've actually heard of before:

The Basic Essentials Store features name-brand, household items that can be purchased online from Market America and shipped directly to your home. From toothpaste and shaving cream to trash bags and cough drops, the Basic Essentials Store gives you the convenience of grocery store and pharmacy shopping right from your own home.

Market America Products are available for purchase exclusively from Market America Customer Managers. Find a Customer Manager now.

How is this a benefit? I could go online to one of a million websites to buy this shit and have it shipped directly to my home. Why in the hell would I want to contact a Customer Manager to do something I could do online without having to talk to their annoying asses?

It seems like this is an attempt by someone to get hip to the internet about 10 years too late.

I don't care if they are pyramid scams or non-pyramid non-scams. I just don't like people coming to MY HOUSE trying to sell me crap or pressuring me into hosting one of those BS "home parties". If I want something, I go to the store and I buy it. The End.

PS McDonalds and WalMart do not make house calls.


OMG, I heart you right now.

Hee. I'm having way too much fun with this thread. I like to shop online because it's SHOPPING without ANNOYING PEOPLE. LOL.

Lots of good information about the problems with MLM.

Multilevel Marketing

goverment info

Ten Big Lies about MLM

You need to see that movie, "GO"...you will LYAO.

I can't believe this thread is 3 pages and no one has mentioned pre-paid legal! That one is the worst, everyone I know is selling pre-paid legal, so who are they selling to?

I'm a mark rep, only so that I can get stuff at a discount. I order things for my things whenever they want something too.

I have the same feelings as you...i don't like people doing that either.

And I never said anything about making house calls.

No, but from the context of your post, it sounds like you are lumping in McDonald's and Walmart with Mary Kay and AVON who *DO*, in fact make house calls (Actually that is what they are known for..."DING! DONG! AVON CALLING!").

If I want to buy something, I want to buy it and be left alone. I don't want some stalker pestering me, trying to "sponsor me into the business".