Has anyone else seen fundie types or MLMs using this fake Dave Ramsey quote?

[nausicaa]

1 hour ago, EmiGirl said:

Not at all! I hate b it when people do crap like that because it gives us all a bad name. If someone was truly interested in selling sure I'd give them info, but lying is not ok and I wold report her and her sponsor to MK HQ.

She's honestly a really nice, upright, and honest person otherwise. I really think she just got sucked into this and is really impressionable to her upline person (who I think she met through work?).

But I've had similar things happen with a lot of people in a variety of MLMs. From messaging me on FB pretending to want to "catch up" (but really wanting to just sell me R+F) to seeing a guest attend a friend's grad party only to use it as a venue to host more Pampered Chef parties. I just don't see people who own their own (non MLM) small businesses doing things like this.

[lilah]

6 hours ago, GeoBQn said:

Another difference--if I go to eat at a franchise restaurant, the owner doesn't try to convince me to open my own restaurant.

Seriously.  

 

Also the hashtags. I hate #girlboss with the fire of a thousand suns. You are a grown-ass woman. Way to undermine yourself by calling yourself a little girl. I guess when you're just shilling mlm crap you're like the diet coke of being a boss. A sad little man of a sad little hill.

[lilwriter85]

On 3/25/2017 at 7:59 PM, SoybeanQueen said:

It's possible to sell products and not recruit in direct sales. If it is not possible, and the focus/incentive is based on recruitment, that is a pyramid scheme.

I've sold for 2 different companies over the years. Never recruited anyone. Most recently I sold Norwex, because I loved the products, they made cleaning faster/easier for me, and I figured some of my friends would like them. I was right. Recruiting held no interest because this is a small town, and how many people selling the same thing are needed? I sold things to people who wanted them, made some money, and quit when I felt like it.

So, it's possible to not harass others or attempt to build a sales empire. Assholes are assholes, no matter where they work.

I've known several people who do or have done similar things. They treated MLMs as side jobs and never pressured anyone into joining.  With social media sites, there are some that go crazy with posts and trying to recruit people.

[SoybeanQueen]

15 hours ago, Maxwell said:

Juice Plus... It's a scam within a scam.  Makes my blood boil with every mention of the name.  Had friends that got into it and it almost cost us the friendship.

But taking expensive fruit and vegetable powder will cure everything! It can replace your regular vitamins! It can make you get pregnant! (MIRACLE!) It doesn't need a supplement label because it isn't a supplement! Also, they have special dirt at their farm where they grow the fruit and vegetables, so their products don't get contaminated like everything, from the dirty dirt.

I listened to a talk from a "nutritionist" once. I didn't mention that I have two degrees in agriculture, one specifically in horticulture. I wanted to be polite to my friend who hosted this talk, but OMG, it was painful. Special dirt. FFS.

That said, I tried their chocolate protein powder and it is yummy. One of the better tasting types. If it had more protein per serving I'd make it my regular protein supplement (which my actual, trained nutritionist says I need). I just don't think it's going to magically make the world perfect. Also hope it doesn't get me pregnant.

11 hours ago, nausicaa said:

 

C'mon people defending MLMs, this shit is okay to do to people?

 

No, which is why I said assholes are assholes no matter their job. I have never done that sort of thing to anyone, nor would I, ever. As I said, I sold products that I enjoyed. Did not recruit. Did not ever make any attempt to trick anyone or misrepresent my intentions. I'm comfortable defending that.

[jerkit]

I ruthlessly unfriend MLMers on FB. I can't stand it. What makes me really angry is when people message me, wanting to "catch up" and then they lay down their spiel. It's so very rude.

[GeoBQn]

Vox did an excellent article on MLMs.

http://www.vox.com/2016/5/12/11577466/multilevel-marketing

It talks about why they became so popular in religious communities.  If a denomination discourages women working "outside the home," MLMs are one of the only acceptable options for women seeking employment.  I felt bad for the author's experience of moving to a new place where she had no friends (frequently, since she is a military wife) and getting so excited when a woman from church invited her over, only for it to turn out that the woman just wanted to shill essential oils to her.

[Loveday]

1 hour ago, jerkit said:

I ruthlessly unfriend MLMers on FB. I can't stand it. What makes me really angry is when people message me, wanting to "catch up" and then they lay down their spiel. It's so very rude.

Someone I've known almost all my life started shilling Younique not long ago. Suddenly I was bombarded with dozens of FB messages a day about how great the mascara is, and before and after photos of her using the makeup, not to mention popup party adverts. I finally unfollowed her but didn't unfriend her because, after all, we'd been friends forEVER (haven't seen her in years because she lives several states away from me now). And honestly, she's really a beautiful human being, I love her dearly. But now and then I go to her page to see what's going on with her aside from Younique and discovered recently that she seems to have developed a skin condition and her Younique posts have dwindled to almost nothing. I can't help but think that that miracle makeup at least partially caused the problem. 

[refugee]

3 hours ago, Loveday said:

discovered recently that she seems to have developed a skin condition and her Younique posts have dwindled to almost nothing. I can't help but think that that miracle makeup at least partially caused the problem. 

I have had several Mary Kay reps try really, really hard to get around my skin sensitivities. It had to be good for your skin, right? After all, the guy who invented the formula (or so I seem to recall) was this old cowboy type guy with sun-battered skin, but the formula he invented made his skin as soft and smooth as a baby's. That's the story I remember hearing at the parties, anyhow.

(I admit to having gone to MK parties only to boost the numbers for the friends who were having the parties. MK products are like poison to me.)

[Loveday]

9 minutes ago, refugee said:

I have had several Mary Kay reps try really, really hard to get around my skin sensitivities. It had to be good for your skin, right? After all, the guy who invented the formula (or so I seem to recall) was this old cowboy type guy with sun-battered skin, but the formula he invented made his skin as soft and smooth as a baby's. That's the story I remember hearing at the parties, anyhow.

(I admit to having gone to MK parties only to boost the numbers for the friends who were having the parties. MK products are like poison to me.)

I hosted a Mary Kay party once, years ago, for the mom of one of my daughter's school friends. She did try to get me to become a rep, but when I said no she didn't push the issue. This was before things got so intense these last few years, though, and way before Facebook. She'd probably hound me daily now. 

I don't remember hearing the cowboy with battered skin story, I'll have to google that. Sounds typical. I will say that I liked the few MK products I bought, though. In fact, I still use an eyeshadow of theirs. It's been discontinued (of course, isn't that always what happens?!), but I found several 'new old stock' on eBay a couple of years ago, and bought them all. I've looked everywhere but can't find that exact shade in any other brand. I figure by the time I've used up all I have, I'll be too old to care about eyeshadow any more. 

[SoybeanQueen]

On 3/27/2017 at 0:37 PM, Loveday said:

 I will say that I liked the few MK products I bought, though.

I have liked almost everything purchased from MK, too. The cream eyeshadows are perfect for me. They stay on all day but don't feel dry like some other brands. I like their newest mascara for everyday, and I had a sample of the Lash Love waterproof kind that I happened to use recently on a day that I went to a water park. It, and the cream eyeshadow, stayed on all day. It looked like I had just applied it.

For the record, I don't normally wear eyeshadow and mascara to go to a waterpark. I needed to put on makeup for work earlier in the day, and just didn't take it off. I expected to have it all over my face, and was pleasantly surprised. Not an MK sales person, or any kind of salesperson. I just like things that work!

[FundieFarmer]

Speaking of Younique, this popped up on my Newsfeed in response to another article I read and loved: "I’m NOT Going to Stop Selling You Things on Facebook and Here’s Why"
http://www.southernliving.com/syndication/selling-things-on-facebook-defense?xid=sl_socialflow_facebook

At one point, girlfriend says, "Sure, I use Facebook to market. But how is that different than when Beyoncé runs an ad on Facebook and promotes it to your feed, based on articles you’ve clicked about the Queen?"

No. No ma'am. You do not understand how targeted ad placement works. I do, because I am responsible for placing them on social media every day. And I know that targeted FB ads are fucking annoying but they are not nearly as annoying as posts about something someone has never remotely expressed any interest in.

And this gem: "I get it. This isn’t how we’re used to seeing women work. It looks like I spend all day on social media."
1. Uhhhh. We do a lot of things they didn't do before. Like, oh, almost becoming President. And I am not offended at your MLMing because you're not barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen, I don't like it because you're annoying the shit out of me no matter what your reasons for doing it are, and I've just pressed "unfollow" so I actually don't see your posts anyway and that's why you get so few likes.
2. I really do spend my whole day on social media because I am a social media manager, which, see #1.

Aside from the MLM justification, her poor arguments just really brought out the wrath.

[lilwriter85]

My friend's step-MIL was on her Youinque shills today. It got me thinking back to the early years of Facebook when only college students, grad students, and/or college employees with .edu emails could join. I remember college classmates of mine used FB to promote fundraisers for sororities, fraternities, and other on campus groups. Back then I don't remember ever being annoyed with things like that. I think it was because my college friends weren't overly pushy.  I also thought back to the period when myspace was very popular and I do remember a few people doing Avon bulletin posts on there.  Social media is indeed powerful advertising tool and I'm never really bothered by the ads that pop up on my FB because somehow I just ignore them. People constantly posting for MLMs is kind of hard to deal with because some MLM products are crap. I love some Avon and Pampered Chef products, but the two people that I know sell for those companies rarely use FB to promote.

[GeoBQn]

If someone is posting a ton of statuses about their MLM, I just unfollow.  I did have to block one person because she tried to insert herself into EVERY conversation she could find on Facebook.  To paraphrase an old saying, to a Jamberry consultant, every problem looks like a nail.  I post about how I want to host different food-related parties?  She comments on how "nail wraps are a great addition to every party!"  (Doubt my husband and male guests would enjoy them.)  A friend posts that she's angry her employer didn't cancel work on a day with a -35F wind chill?  She posts about how "she knows a fantastic opportunity for you to work from home!"

My husband had a coworker who wouldn't stop pushing his MLM on coworkers, and would have loud conversations on his company phone about it.  What was especially troubling is that they are all electrical engineers, and yet this guy had gotten hooked into an MLM that sold "health products" based in pseudoscience.  My husband and several coworkers complained about this guy to their manager.  The guy eventually got fired, but there's no way to tell if his hucksterism is the reason.

[clueliss]

Oh Younique!  I've got a friend that shills that, some stupid brand of leggings that is not Lularoe and a couple of other things.  I mentally ignore most of her posts.

I have a cousin once removed that is in real estate somehow, and also shills Young Living EO's and is not pandering some magic hair something or other.  

My personal "if you don't stop that crap I'm unfollowing you" is someone who is into some freaky pearl (as in oysters that you open sort of pearls and not the creepy fundie folks)

[SoybeanQueen]

I saw a catfight between Lularoe and Leggings Army reps last week on FB. Each trying to say the other had uglier leggings. It was hilarious.

There are some things I'd like to try from Younique but it's all so expensive. Signing up just for the discount isn't really worth it because the representative discount isn't huge, either. I have a friend who sells it. She posts selfies all the time and her makeup looks great, but it's amusing to me because she used to talk about how she disliked wearing any makeup at all. It's cool that she has apparently found something she enjoys, and she doesn't look like she's wearing stage makeup as I've seen with some Younique-ers. But amuses me nonetheless.

I also need to have someone teach me how to apply Jamberry wraps appropriately. I bought some recently, used the little heater that my daughter already had to get them ready to apply, and they looked great for about 24 hours. Then the tips started peeling back because I dared scratch my neck for a moment. By day 3 I had to trim my nails to keep them from coming off completely. Today is day 5 and I can tell I'll need to trim them again soon. There's no way they'll make it to 10 days as I was lead to believe. I'm told I could buy gel and an LED lamp to put over the top, but I thought these wraps were supposed to be durable without the extra stuff.

[Glasgowghirl]

I signed up to do scentsy before Christmas but due work, college and my mum having thyroid cancer and getting it removed, I didn't sell any of it. I had decided though I was going to make page to sell on Facebook but would keep my personal page scentsy free apart from a post telling people about the page. I had planned to get a stall in college too but a I don't like being harrased in to buying things, I wouldn't do the same to others. 

My friend done juice plus I tried the shakes and I did lose pounds, not in weight, they overcharged me £60 for two months and I had to change bank cards to stop them taking more, they eventually refunded me.

[Million Children For Jesus]

There are products that I like, but I hate to buy because I don't want to be asked to sell anything. I've always liked MaryKay, Avon, and Pampered Chef. I would order PamperedChef now if I knew someone selling it, but I don't. I also like Cutco, but I don't think that's MLM. I have a friend who recently took me to a JuicePlus meeting. I grow my own food and save my own seeds, so I wasn't going to shell out $500 for a grow tower. The shakes were tasty enough and my kids liked the vitamin gummies, but I didn't find anything compelling about the product. One friend sells Purium, not as tasty as JuicePlus, but more variety. Another friend is selling Take Shape For Life/OptaVia. She has lost 70 pounds in 6 months, and is making $3,000/month. I haven't tried the products, but I'm not opposed to trying them. 

Yet another friend sells Pruvit and is crushing it, which I don't understand at all, because that product looks stupid as all hell. He's making $7,000 per month! He is ex-military and a fundie lite, so he networked two angles. I had to unfriend him. He worked Pruvit into every post. Daughter's softball game? He enjoyed it so much more because of the weight he lost with Pruvit. Wife's birthday? She only had a birthday gift because of Pruvit. It was overkill. 

[refugee]

57 minutes ago, Million Children For Jesus said:

I also like Cutco, but I don't think that's MLM.

It sounds familiar. We knew a hs graduate (no skills, sound familiar?) who kept applying for different jobs and then called us and asked if we'd be his audience and he could demonstrate a set of knives. Just to practice. I think he spent a fair bit of money on his demo kit, and I never heard if he managed to sell anything. I don't think it lasted long. It wasn't long after that we left the fundie world, so we've lost track of people.

Bought a knife from Pampered Chef once, and it was good, but I'm more impressed with the replacement we got at IKEA. (Love Pampered Chef's stoneware baking stuff, though. Wonderful stuff.)

ETA: Googled "cutco mlm" just now and came up with lots of hits, including a Wikipedia entry. Okay, read a couple of the links, and even though the Wiki page calls it an MLM, it doesn't sound like one from the couple of descriptions I read. They actually pay their reps for demonstrations, it sounds like.

[Million Children For Jesus]

@refugee

Same deal. When I was a newlywed, a college kid from our apartment building showed us a Cutco demo in our home. That's actually how I learned all of my knife skills. It was a really thorough demo. The knives were really good. I bought a few, and I've never had knives as good as those since then, including the ones I used cooking in a commercial kitchen. Of course, my boss was a cheapskate and had never cooked in her life, so she didn't know how to order supplies. We had crappy equipment.

Anyway, this girl managed to keep selling knives all through college, but several of her friends that she helped get jobs did not last more than one week after they sold to their parents and parents friends, and tried to sell to me. I was broke, but a good sport, and I liked the demo, lol. She asked for a list of friends she could sell to, which I had none, of course, my friends were also still in college. She did not do recruiting in the sense of building a team underneath her. The friends she helped get jobs all had to interview at an office. I know because she told me I should apply, but I declined. I hate sales and my family would not have bought knives or given me referrals. That's just not us. I have no idea if she bought the demo kit or if it was a loaner set.

I never bought Pampered Chef knives. Only stoneware and cookbooks.

Geez, Mary Kay taught me about skin care, and Cutco and Pampered Chef taught me how to cook. I would be ugly and hungry without MLM, haha. But I still don't want to sell anything. I hate sales! 

[VVV]

4 hours ago, Million Children For Jesus said:

There are products that I like, but I hate to buy because I don't want to be asked to sell anything. I've always liked MaryKay, Avon, and Pampered Chef. I would order PamperedChef now if I knew someone selling it, but I don't. I also like Cutco, but I don't think that's MLM. I have a friend who recently took me to a JuicePlus meeting. I grow my own food and save my own seeds, so I wasn't going to shell out $500 for a grow tower. The shakes were tasty enough and my kids liked the vitamin gummies, but I didn't find anything compelling about the product. One friend sells Purium, not as tasty as JuicePlus, but more variety. Another friend is selling Take Shape For Life/OptaVia. She has lost 70 pounds in 6 months, and is making $3,000/month. I haven't tried the products, but I'm not opposed to trying them. 

Yet another friend sells Pruvit and is crushing it, which I don't understand at all, because that product looks stupid as all hell. He's making $7,000 per month! He is ex-military and a fundie lite, so he networked two angles. I had to unfriend him. He worked Pruvit into every post. Daughter's softball game? He enjoyed it so much more because of the weight he lost with Pruvit. Wife's birthday? She only had a birthday gift because of Pruvit. It was overkill. 

I am extremely skeptical that either of your friends is making anything like $3000/month or $7000/month, and by "extremely skeptical," I mean I don't believe it. How do you know they are telling you the truth? Very, very, very few people make that kind of money in MLMs.

I think you would be well served to develop a stronger BS detector when it comes to friends and acquaintances shilling for their MLMs.

[Million Children For Jesus]

1 hour ago, VVV said:

I am extremely skeptical that either of your friends is making anything like $3000/month or $7000/month, and by "extremely skeptical," I mean I don't believe it. How do you know they are telling you the truth? Very, very, very few people make that kind of money in MLMs.

I think you would be well served to develop a stronger BS detector when it comes to friends and acquaintances shilling for their MLMs.

True. One friend is pretty credible. The one who sells OptaVia. She has a PhD and a full-time job. A very good job with a reputation to uphold. 

The other did not tell me his income directly. His brother did. The one doing the sales has always rubbed me the wrong way and I would 100% expect him of bullshit. His brother is super gullible, so I don't think he would lie so much, as just fall for his brother's lies, and then repeat them believing he was telling the truth. 

[Closed Womb]

Back when my friends used to actually have parties -- you know, get out some food and wine, play stupid games led by the consultant -- I made it a point to support them.  Because of this, I know I love Mary Kay blush, but hate their other products (and react to their skin care products and mascara), I've never been disappointed in anything by Pampered Chef or Tupperware (except the prices), and that I can find a token product from anyplace else (although some things I'll never buy again, like Jamberry.)  

Now, when a "party" is an invite to a FB group?  Nope. I take myself right out of that group.  When MLM friends are constantly shilling directly on FB?  Nope, they're blocked.  

I didn't mind supporting my friends in person, when they were just broke young women trying to get a decent hostess reward.  But now it's blatantly being used, it seems.  

Also, nothing irks me more than the claim that this is a "small business".  Please stop with that lie.  

[formergothardite]

11 minutes ago, Closed Womb said:

Now, when a "party" is an invite to a FB group?  Nope. I take myself right out of that group.

Exactly. At least in the past you got some free food out of enduring a party. Now you just get annoyed on FB. 

This guy I used to be friends with on FB started selling Body by Vi and would imply he made thousands each month. I never believed it. He also gained all his weight back after a year or so. 

Avon is the only MLM that hasn't super annoyed me. When I worked the lady would just stick the magazine in the break room and people would write down what they wanted. There are some consignment stores around me that have Avon products you can buy. 

Mary Kay products irritate my skin. 

[Cartmann99]

8 hours ago, formergothardite said:

Avon is the only MLM that hasn't super annoyed me. When I worked the lady would just stick the magazine in the break room and people would write down what they wanted.

Yep, that's a nice non-threatening way of selling your products. I've got no problem with next-door neighbor Bob letting me know he sells glow in the dark underwear for cats or whatever, giving me a card with the link for his website, and then dropping the subject. Now, if every time I run into Bob he's yapping about the wonders of feline underwear and asking when I'm going to buy some, I'm going to avoid him like the plague.

[Million Children For Jesus]

13 hours ago, Closed Womb said:

I didn't mind supporting my friends in person, when they were just broke young women trying to get a decent hostess reward.  But now it's blatantly being used, it seems.  

Exactly. I hate being added to Lularoe FB parties. I purchased a few things for no real reason other than to support old friends. I was new to the whole online party/hostess concept and so I purchased in the same spirit that I did when I bought at real hostess parties in the past, (the kind in a living room with snacks and a thank you hug out the door). I didn't even receive a thank you text or email, let alone a thank you phone call. Not even an automated email. WTF? Do the hostesses even know who is buying from them? If so, and they can't even say thank you, count me out.