Mary Kay - Watch Out!

[33girl]

Originally posted by NUBlue&Blue
Actually, I am so over baskets and I have them flying out my rear end right now

NUBlue&Blue, you have only been on this board for two posts and already have said something that may end up as my new signature. (when I get tired of the one I have, that is)

And I had the Avon solid perfume pins too - the worm/apple, I think a cat and another one. I might actually still have them around somewhere.

Incidentally, Avon does have some kiosks and stand-alone stores around here, and I think there used to be a Tupperware kiosk at the mall nearest me.

Re Longaberger, when I went to my cousin's house after my great-aunt's funeral, the solemnity of the occasion was almost drowned out by the HOLY CRAP I CAN'T BELIEVE SHE HAS THIS MANY DANG LONGABERGER BASKETS. It was entirely too much. I personally like to use old funky glassware and dishes and things like that as catchalls in the bathroom, bedroom etc.

[MooseGirl]

I'm not too big on the house parties either - never been to a pampered chef, tupperware or scrapbooking party. Partylite i've been to two - sure cool stuff, but you can buy similar stuff cheaper elsewhere.

However, last weekend I went to a Fantasia party! (i.e sex toys and lingerie). Now that party was fun and educational In my case it was even more interesting because my friend decided to have it co-ed since she had a guy friend who wanted to know what the deal was. Yeah, nothin like a group of men and women sitting around eating fruit and talking sex on a Saturday night!

My cousin sells Avon but I don't think she really does it for the money. She's a single mom of two and didn't get her hs diploma til she was 25 so this was her way of getting some skills that she could use towards getting a "real" job. She's now got "underlings" though I don't think she recruited them herself - she just looks after them. Anyway, seems good for her!

[amandaruth]

Home parties aren't my thing, either. It must be a family trait: both my mother and sister-in-law have been Mary Kay consultants at one time or another, and neither of them ever wanted to hold parties.
The whole concept of a "party" to sell things bugs me. It's not a party. One person dominates the discussion, there's usually no booze, and you feel like a jerk if you don't buy something.
Incidentally, one of my cousins had a Pampered Chef party disguised as a bridal shower. We show up, and there's a "demonstrator" there showing us all these products. Then they pass around a list of the things my cousin has decided she wants, and we were supposed to put cash in an envelope so she could pay for all of it. Then we got a lecture about how we should also buy things for ourselves, since my cousin would get bonus gifts as well. That's just tacky, in my opinion. It's one thing to invite people to a Mary Kay/Tupperware/Pampered Chef party (at least they know what they're getting into), but it's another thing entirely to invite someone to a bridal shower and then expect them to just fork over cash. From what I understand, that kind of "party" is becoming more common for lots of MLMs.

Originally posted by sageofages
It breaks me out like you wouldn't believe, I am so allergic to it (and the constant harrassment by 'consultants')...shudder.

Same here..and my mom's the same way. I didn't know until I actually sampled some foundation. The itch was unbearable.

[PhiMuAmberkins]

I use all their skin care stuff and foundation. Of course, I get it for cheap, since my mom sells it.

That said, I think you have to be in the right area, with the right type of clientele, in the right part of the country, etc. for Mary Kay to make you ANY money. It's really popular and successful here, and women make tons o' cash on it. But...you have to do tons of the silly house parties too. Which my mom hates. As in, can't stand, won't go to, won't do, hates. So she doesn't make as much money with it, but mainly does it so we can get our stuff at cost.

I don't think it's entirely bad, but it can be misleading and disappointing. And I hate the house parties too!

[AGDee]

I do have to say that I'm a big pampered chef fan. I love kitchen gadgets and would want one of everything if I could afford it. Some Tupperware lady comes to our building a couple times a year as a fund raiser for Hospice and I've picked up a few items from her. I'm so glad the Home Interiors craze is over though...

Tastefully Simple is another good party to go to, because there actually is some very good food!

[DGMarie]

My old neighbor was the queen of "parties." If you could sell it in your home and sucker all your unsuspecting neighbors to come in for the sales pitch, you were in Cindy's home. Amway, Mary Kay, Pampered Chef, Tastefully Simple, DK Books, Partylite Candles, Southern Living at Home on and on and on. It was the joke of the neighborhood. I went a few times to just see what on God's green earth she could be hawking now, but I never bought a thing. I think it drove her nuts.

All of these "great ways to make money" have the same poorly memorized sales pitches about how the seller could now stay and home and make her own money on her own time.

Once when we moved into our house Cindy called me and tried to convince me that working for her as a seller of Amway I think, would be a great idea. Unlike Cindy, I actually had a good paying job that did not involve soap mongering. She was hard core on this stuff. I heard later she'd tried to recruit another new neighbor who barely spoke English.

[ASAlady]

Maybe I said this before but I didn't make back what i put into my businesses. I sold (and technically still sell) both Mary Kay and Partylite because I really do love the products. I wanted to get the product at a discount so I signed up. However, they don't tell you that you have to do a weekly report, not to mention weekend lunches, brunches, meetings, phone conferences, coffee chat, power hour, and all this other BS that I don't have time for and it's not really my cup of tea. Plus they all cost money. $10 for this meeting, $15 for this one. $75 career conference and when I don't sign up I get hassled from my leader with calls and emails hourly! You also have to order business cards, your kit, extra things, gas to get to the parties, professional outfits, all this crap. I think doing home shows are a hassle and I won't do them. Period.
MK is also a pain because someone just asked to order an $11 lipgloss, however the shipping is $8.00 per order (regardless of size) so I will spend $8.00 and make $5.50 on it. I can't afford to buy other stuff just to make it worth my while because I have a huge inventory of stuff (not the lipgloss she wants, though)

[NUBlue&Blue]

I knew I was out of the scene when I got together with some of my old LB chicks and they were all raving about the Tastefully Yours (or something like that) dip we were eating (with our large bottle of wine, of course!) and I had never heard of it. Also, never been to a Southern Living at Home party either until my mother in law started selling it, and so far have been able to put her off having one by buying stuff from my sisters in law when they get roped into it, although I really don't like going to somebody's house and thinking....I have that tray, I have that vase....I like to think I'm a little more original that that!

And for the baskets flying out of places....I usually say something that's not so nice, I cleaned it up to rear end for this bb since I don't know y'all and you don't know me!

[bluefish81]

Originally posted by CutiePie2000
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?

Actually, Avon does have stores now. You can go in and buy the product direct and I think they can even do makeovers and stuff if you're interested.

I think someone else already explained how people make money selling Avon. My mom's been selling it for about 30 years. She makes about 50% profit on each of her sales (I think), which isn't bad, considering that she lives in a very small community. It's not her primary income and due to the length of time that she's been doing it, she's not out pounding on doors trying to get new customers. She's older, she's thinking of retiring from it soon.

As for Longaberger, that stuff is freaking expensive. I went to a party once for a friend and was thinking, really, this is a basket and I'm not really a 'basket person.' They did have these really cute little crocks though that I bought.

[teena]

If you need 100's of emails flooding your inbox, constant calls to your home and work and just constant harassment, buy Mary Kay or become a consultant.

I had to put a filter on my email and start screening my calls to avoid the Mary Kay brain washing police. I went to a 'party' where all the women were nice in Stepford Wives sort of way. I made the mistake of wanting to compare products, you could have heard a pin drop.

Mary Kay is a cult that uses brainwashing as well as many of torture techniques to 'convince' you. STAY AWAY.

[33girl]

Originally posted by amandaruth
Incidentally, one of my cousins had a Pampered Chef party disguised as a bridal shower. We show up, and there's a "demonstrator" there showing us all these products. Then they pass around a list of the things my cousin has decided she wants, and we were supposed to put cash in an envelope so she could pay for all of it. Then we got a lecture about how we should also buy things for ourselves, since my cousin would get bonus gifts as well. That's just tacky, in my opinion. It's one thing to invite people to a Mary Kay/Tupperware/Pampered Chef party (at least they know what they're getting into), but it's another thing entirely to invite someone to a bridal shower and then expect them to just fork over cash. From what I understand, that kind of "party" is becoming more common for lots of MLMs.

Holy crap that is THE tackiest thing I have ever heard of. I think I would have overturned a bowl o' dip or two over that one.

I don't mind going to one of these type parties once in a blue moon. I go knowing I'm going to buy one or two token things, and no one is going to pressure me into buying more or having a party. If you can't do that, or you can't afford to buy anything at all, just don't go.

[WLFEO]

I went to a Pampered Chef Bridal Show once and it was a little awkward because the bride ends up knowing exactly how much $$ you spent on her. But it was a Pampered Chef invitation so it's not like this one was disguised (like the one amandaruth described- that is just not right!), so I knew what I was getting in for when I decided to go.

[OleMissGlitter]

This lady use to constantly call me, like everyday, to get me to sign up to sell Mary Kay. I went to a few meetings with her and the only way I got her to stop was to tell her the truth the make up was not for me. Mary Kay always made my skin break out so I told her that and I haven't heard back from her. She would always tell me I would be perfect to sell Mary Kay because I was so busy. I was like, I'm busy and the free time I have I don't want to be selling bad makeup! Come on!

ETA: The lipstick and nail polish I did buy ended up being sticky and the nail polish was gooey....bad products. I've never known anyone who was a fan of their products. Avon has way better stuff (Plus you can buy it online without anyone hassling you) or I'd rather go to the department store on my own.

I think Mary Kay's secret motto is, "Ladies, a sucker is born every day, go out there and find our new sucker!"

[BobbyTheDon]

Is Mary Kay similar to 2 by 2?