Pyramid Schemes - Page 3

skylark · #31 02-15-2008, 10:20 AM

Maybe my negative attitude comes from some of my acquaintances' perception that I probably have a lot of disposable income and therefore should be coming to every party and able to buy beauty products every other month. While it is probably true for most of my friends that I have slightly more than most (Good job, married to someone with good job, no kids), it doesn't mean that my husband and I don't have our own financial goals (living somewhat frugally to achieve them), in addition to having more student loans (from getting a law degree) than my friends.

I always get asked to these parties... and the most awkward part of the situation isn't actually buying something now that I really think about it. It is the constant reminders that they'd love to host parties at my own home so I can invite other attorney friends from work to come. All of my "attorney friends" happen to be male, but even if they weren't, I still don't think I'd feel comfortable inviting professional friends to my home so that an old college friend can try to squeeze money out of them and pitch them to host their own party (which I would inevitably be first on the invite list for).

I'm saying all this because I'm sure there are women out there reading this who will find themselves wondering whether to start one of these at-home party "businesses." And most I don't think fit into the housewife pitching other housewives to spend their disposable income scenario that KSUViolet just talked about. I think people should think seriously about how these parties will change the dynamics of their friendships and ask yourself how much that is worth before convincing themselves that starting an at-home party business is a source of extra income by providing a needed service for their friends.

In this day and age when most things (including Mary Kay, Avon and Body Shop products) can easily be purchased over the internet, I don't see how people justify starting these "businesses."

33girl · #32 02-15-2008, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skylark

In this day and age when most things (including Mary Kay, Avon and Body Shop products) can easily be purchased over the internet, I don't see how people justify starting these "businesses."

If I still lived in my hometown, I wouldn't hesitate to start a Body Shop at Home business. The nearest BS is 70 miles away and I think the products are different enough that it's an option women would like. And I know I personally don't like to buy any type of cosmetic without seeing/smelling/testing it first. I'm guessing other women are the same.

We still have LOTS of rural areas of the country where there isn't a lot of choice and if you want something fancier than Revlon, you're SOL unless you want to drive an hour or plop down lots of $$ on something you've never tried. So I can understand why women still want to do this.

However - you have to proceed cautiously and not allow yourself to get in over your head.

skylark · #33 02-15-2008, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 33girl

If I still lived in my hometown, I wouldn't hesitate to start a Body Shop at Home business. The nearest BS is 70 miles away and I think the products are different enough that it's an option women would like. And I know I personally don't like to buy any type of cosmetic without seeing/smelling/testing it first. I'm guessing other women are the same.

This is a really good point. One I hadn't thought of because my nearest body shop store is less than 5 miles from my home (and the home of a "body shop at-home consultant" friend) . But you're right about wanting to test products out before buying and so for rural areas, this probably is a good thing to try in comparison to some other at-home party businesses.

ETA: Something else problematic about body shop at-home if you're not in a rural area: Body Shop stores themselves often have 20% off days if you sign up for their email list. Couple that with the shipping costs that at-home consultants have to charge, you end up paying about 30% more for products from the at-home parties.

#34 06-26-2008, 03:59 PM

I'm going to strangle the next friend/acquaintance/co-worker who tries to sell me Monavie.

SERIOUSLY.

I can't believe anyone I'd know would be so stupid as to fall for a scam like that!

33girl · #35 06-26-2008, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AGDee

My idiot ex-husband invited an Amway couple into our home once.

I was just rereading this thread since it got bumped and Dee, I had to laugh at this. It sounds like a Seinfeld episode.

#36 06-26-2008, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 33girl

I was just rereading this thread since it got bumped and Dee, I had to laugh at this. It sounds like a Seinfeld episode.

It's worse when you meet a nice hot guy through some friends. You dig on him for a few weeks and get all excited because he asks you to dinner one night. You get to dinner, and once drinks are served, he starts reciting the Amway pitch.

tld221 · #37 06-26-2008, 04:23 PM

i got caught up in Cutco my freshman year. a floormate of mine swore she make serious money ("fat checks" as she called them) and i went to one of their "presentations." Which was in a random walk-up apartment in midtown. the "CEO" was some dude with a brow ring, wore white socks with his suit and his "office" was--no joke--a walk-in closet.

Vector Marketing, they called it. My roommate pretty much laughed in my face after i told her about my "new job."

and THEN years later (last year actually) my line sister caught me up in Amway/Quixtar. She and her bf (now husband) sell as a team. I dont know if they make serious money off it, but really her schpiels start off the same way: she'll engage in some random conversation, then pull out a generic bag of lemon cookies and offer you some. then talk up about how good they taste and BAM! comes the sell.

and would you believe after i went to the presentation, their up-line was all like "hey you need to go meet the (whatever they call the head honcho) because if she knows who you are then shell tell people about your business. and be sure to mention my name, that will help too."

whatEVER man. she roped another friend in and she was quicker on the scam than i was. she pretty much regurgitated what they told her and she said "that sound like bullisht, because i worked for Ameriprise and its the same concept."

that was totally awkward. would you believe she (and the husband) call me, a year later, asking for the "promotional literature" back? please, like im really gonna go around exposing you guys and your BS business.

SoCalGirl · #38 06-26-2008, 04:31 PM

Amway/Quixtar has been running commercials around here. It's baffles me.

APhi Sailorgirl · #39 06-26-2008, 04:43 PM

I've seen the Quixstar commericials, they look alike like the AMEX ones in the beginning.

I had a coworker who thought Quixstar was the way to get ahead-I told her, look it up online with the words 60 minutes, that was enough to steer her clearn.

tld221 · #40 06-26-2008, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoCalGirl

Amway/Quixtar has been running commercials around here. It's baffles me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by APhi Sailorgirl

I've seen the Quixstar commericials, they look alike like the AMEX ones in the beginning.

I had a coworker who thought Quixstar was the way to get ahead-I told her, look it up online with the words 60 minutes, that was enough to steer her clearn.

see that really surprises me because i got the impression that it was really hush-hush, either you knew about it or you didnt.

#41 06-26-2008, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tld221

see that really surprises me because i got the impression that it was really hush-hush, either you knew about it or you didnt.

I, too, was surprised when I saw the commercials. I don't think I've ever seen an Amway commercial. Everything's been done by word of mouth.

"Amway was started by two friends in Michigan..." -- the BF was livid when he heard that.

AGDee · #42 06-26-2008, 08:52 PM

The Amway ads were rampant in Michigan just before the Republican primary here because of Dick Devos's family involvement in it (he was running for governor). They were really just "pro-Amway" ads, as if it would make people more likely to vote for Devos if they could change their opinions about Amway. It was creepy. They have stopped since then, thank goodness.

ThetaDancer · #43 06-27-2008, 10:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tld221

i got caught up in Cutco my freshman year. a floormate of mine swore she make serious money ("fat checks" as she called them) and i went to one of their "presentations." Which was in a random walk-up apartment in midtown. the "CEO" was some dude with a brow ring, wore white socks with his suit and his "office" was--no joke--a walk-in closet.

Vector Marketing, they called it. My roommate pretty much laughed in my face after i told her about my "new job."

My brother's high school just sold the names and contact information of its students to Cutco, and he has been receiving calls, mail, and emails from them almost daily trying to get him to sell their products. On top of that, a couple of my brothers friends actually got roped into it, so my parents have been getting sales pitches from them weekly.

KappaKittyCat · #44 06-27-2008, 11:49 PM

I have a simple rule: If it has an explanation about why it's not a pyramid scheme, then it's a pyramid scheme. The same rule applies to cults.

Senusret I · #45 06-26-2010, 09:55 PM

I could have sworn I posted in this thread before....

I've had acquaintances and family members who were involved in Amway and Primerica.

NOW I have two people in my life who have degrees from pretty good schools (one of them has a masters) and they are involved in this thing called 5 l!nks. I am intentionally misspelling it because I think they flood the internet with lies about their business to make it seem legitimate and I don't want to "invite" them to GC.

Does anybody know anything about this group? I can't put my finger on it, but it actually frightens me a little.