*GAH* I was trapped!

[4love]

Oh, good lord. Yeah, this happened to me too.

I was at an anime convention, for Pete's sake, and the guy next to me in line started up his spiel... never mentioned Amway. Not. Once. Said how he worked for a 'small online retail company', it was really great. Here's his boss's card, and could I give him my number and email?

Two calls from him and one call from his boss later, I cave and agree to meet with boss lady at a Starbuck's near my store to see if I'm interested. Yeah, real professional, I know , but they were just so flatteringly interested in me. I had a vision of a sit-down receptionist position somewhere I wouldn't be running my feet off carrying books all day. Or maybe working for one of those online anime vendors. That'd be cool.

Took her maybe 20 minutes to mention Amway. Oh no, not a pyramid scheme, see, if you're no good it becomes more of a plateau... blech. Anyway, she pushed some 'informational material' off on me 'to help me learn the truth about our company'... then off-handedly mentioned that she'd need it back, and oh, I should come to this meeting to see what it was really all about, and blah blah blah.

I just wish I could get those hours back. I feel kind of dumb for even meeting with her. Gave her the stuff back and, thankfully, haven't heard from her since.

I wish convention guy hadn't been there- I was looking for an innocently joyful time with my addiction of choice, not a sales pitch.

[Kiwi]

my brother got hired as a "salesman" with a company that turned out to be a door to door salesman to, he was told that he would be working in the showroom selling kitchen appliances and when he arrived for his first day that handed him a catalogue and told him to take 3 other salesman out to a neighbourhood (in his own car with his own petrol) and start pounding the pavement.

when he asked about the show room the guy in charge said and I shit you not "the WORLD is our showroom!"

He got in his car alright and hightailed it home.

[Parrothead]

...Is it just me, or do the Amway stories posted make it sound kinda cultish?

[Kogarashi]

...Is it just me, or do the Amway stories posted make it sound kinda cultish?

I was thinking that myself.

Of course, having a pyramid scheme cult in the Cults chapter of the World of Darkness book Antagonists might have something to do with it....

[Bella_Vixen]

Reminds me of Primerica.

This one guy (he was cute!) came in to my gas station to ask for directions. He stayed for a while, chatting me up.

He told me bits and pieces of this great company he worked for, and blah blah blah, and how much money he made. Me, being constantly...if not broke, then stil in need of money, perked up at this.

I was skeptical, but I let him talk me into an interview (hey, he was cute!!). I dragged K with me.

We met at a local Starbucks (why didn't I listen to my gut?!?), and it just felt shadier and shadier...then he mentioned that the "class" would cost something like $200 to get the license for some kind of realtor thing.

Yeah. No. Do I really look that stupid??

I told him that if it was that great, why doesn't he pay for my class/license, and I'd pay him back out of my first (huge) check.

For some reason, he said no.

He apparently even suckered his family into this mess, even his father!

I should have know he was full of it when he said that he thought I was great with people and a great people person.

[friendofjimmyk]

...Is it just me, or do the Amway stories posted make it sound kinda cultish?

OH. Yes! It was so creepy the way these people were smiling...like HUGE BIG FAKE PLASTIC SMILES! Clinging on to EVERY word the speaker said. The people that they paraded across the floor in front of us to show us who is making it big just seemed like they were smiling robots. It reminded me of the Stepford Wives.

[Evil Queen]

Now I know how people who work at Walmart or Sam's Club feel when they hear about people who bitch about the comapny they work for.

I support Amway because I like their products. If you don't like it, you really could have excused yourself and walked away. No need to get mad or snippy about it at all. After all, YOU walked into the event willingly.

THIS is You and I am your SPONSOR!

I've said enough on this subject. Good night.

[Gravekeeper]

Now I know how people who work at Walmart or Sam's Club feel when they hear about people who bitch about the comapny they work for.

I support Amway because I like their products.

Ehhh...no offense, EQ. But its not the products, its the practice. I've heard nothing but complaints about the way they recruit ( the sucker in stealth approach being popular ) and operate. They've gotten in legal trouble numerous times for it.

And it is unsettling creepy the way in which many of their distributor groups hold their little meetings and what not. -.-

You could complain about my company all you want ( If you could find it! Muahahah~ ) wouldn't bother me honestly. I've watched with bemusement many a time as people on the board have actually unknowingly mentioned, praised or complained about our clients. Completely oblivious to the true evil behind them. =p Well, in between them. Er...in front of them. Funnelling the evil from them to you, the consumer. Yeah, there you go.

[Lil Bunny]

Ahem.

I am a sucker. I am stupid. I am the person of low intelligence you all are talking about.

On a happy note, when it finally got to court I managed to recoup 500 dollars. That's oh, about 1% of what I invested in Trek Alliance.

[MadMike]

Ehhh...no offense, EQ. But its not the products, its the practice. I've heard nothing but complaints about the way they recruit ( the sucker in stealth approach being popular ) and operate. They've gotten in legal trouble numerous times for it.

Exactly. I don't recall any bad experiences with the products themselves. IIRC, there wasn't anything spectacular about them, but they weren't bad either.

It's the misleading and outright lying that most people have a problem with.

[friendofjimmyk]

Yeah, I wasn't talking about the products. I was talking about the practices. It's a legal pyramid scheme. I disagree with their practices. Yes, I voluntarily went to this thing...that's because I had NO IDEA what this thing was...had I been told UP FRONT what I was going to...I would've chosen not to go. I was not given that information to make such a choice. It was sneaky and underhanded and any "business" that doesn't represent itself upfront and openly...there's something wrong.

I wasn't insulting anyone's intelligence either. If I came across that way...I apologize.

[Millahtyme1983]

IIRC from when a friend sold amway that XS stuff is made by them and sole exclusivley by them. I just did a quick google search and it confirmed that.

[friendofjimmyk]

IIRC from when a friend sold amway that XS stuff is made by them and sole exclusivley by them. I just did a quick google search and it confirmed that.

Yes, I believe that all their products they have are exclusive to them. Again...it's not the PRODUCTS...it's the PRACTICE.

But now, I think I'm just beating a dead horse...oh wait....



Yeah, like that.