Why Americans Can’t Resist Multilevel Marketing Schemes

Artful Living ^ | September 21, 2022 | Marisa Petrarca

[nwrep]

Because many people, especially suburban Christian housewives, are gullible and buy into the “you can be your own boss by selling this great product” scam.

[Chode]

remember the “Airplane Rides”?

[Jonty30]

I wouldn’t join an MLM to make money, but I might join one to purchase their products directly for myself.

[Repeal The 17th]

There’s a sucker born every minute; and two to take him.

[Wiser now]

That is a very successful sales pitch used by Rodan and Fields skin care representatives and Plexus weight loss products.

[cgbg]

The saddest part of MLMs is that it turns otherwise normal people into fanatics—they can ruin all friendships because they demand the friend do business with them—it turns a positive relationship into a “user” one.

[Deaf Smith]

Back in the mid eighties, I had a job interview with a Dallas based oil company.

Downtown offices and on the upper floors of a very tall building, I was dressed properly and had all my documents for the job I was applying for.

Turns out the executive was “interviewing” for Amway sales and using his company office for recruitment. There also was never a job position to be filled at that company.

I was very pissed and let him know as I was leaving.

[posterchild]

As a young child I recall going with my parents to an Amway sales pitch. It sounded impressive but my parents didn’t buy it. My father had a math degree.

[ptsal]

Bkmk

[HYPOCRACY]

I thought Tupperware parties were for swingers.

[Sarcazmo]

You ain’t a true friend until you have tried to sell me a timeshare.

[Fury]

It’s not just the US, they are big in Japan. Losers will troll matchmaking sites such as Pairs and arrange to meet up with someone. When the two people meet, the loser will start in on his (seems to be mostly makes from what I gather) speech. Totally acting in bad faith.

[Sarcazmo]

I have never been to one of these, what do they say when you ask:

“If this is such a great deal, why are you telling me? Why don’t you buy up all these timeshares and make a mint?”

[Political Junkie Too]

Just to be clear, multi-level marketing is when you buy inventory from the person above you in the pyramid, and then you have to resell that inventory through sales parties and recruiting new people below you who get their inventory from you.

The industry moved to a direct sales model where the person gets a commission on sales and a cut of sales people below them, but the inventory is direct shipped from the manufacturer.

The sales people are not personally responsible for buying and storing inventory from above. That's where they pyramid scheme lived.

-PJ

[metmom]

Greed.

[goodnesswins]

I had friends try to sell me on Amway...I nearly fell asleep during their sales pitch. They got out of it, thankfully.

[goodnesswins]

I had friends try to sell me on Amway...I nearly fell asleep during their sales pitch. They got out of it, thankfully.

[bella1]

I consider them a right of passage. Try one or two just to get it out of your system and then you're over it.

[Nifster]

MLMs are a lot of hard work.

You will probably lose friends and family