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Rant Thread - What really grinds your gears?

When I was a kid, a school friend of mine had a mother who sold Amway. Multilevel marketing is nothing more than a pyramid business model, as mikedt and bjacks12 aptly described earlier.

I was once given a CD of a presentation from an MLM company, and was invited to a seminar. As it was the tail end of Bush II - and the economy was circling the drain, I attended.

However, something happened at the seminar that really opened my eyes. A person I knew who wrote a byline for a well-known newspaper was there; he called me over, and whispered in my ear: "Love your group (the band I was in at the time)... you know how to run a video camera, right? I'll pay you for your time, and I'll bring you back to your car. Deal?"

I nodded. He told me to follow him. Essentially, it was the arrival of the guest speaker of this MLM that we were watching. People (shills) were clapping and hooting enthusiastically, as this speaker arrived in an Aston Martin V12 Vanquish. He got out of the car, and shouted:

"This could be you! You'll hear all about it in a few minutes. See you in the convention hall!"

On cue, three gorgeous females encircled him, and they went inside. My friend and I went back to our chairs.

Energetic Muzak played over the PA system, and it was a buildup that lasted for about twenty minutes. Then, the house lights dimmed. A spotlight followed an announcer across the stage, who started the intro.

"(Name witheld) started with our success story a mere three years ago. Now a member of our Gold Level producers, (name witheld) made $11.4 million for our concern in the last six months!"

The audience erupted into out-of-control screaming, and applause. It was a 21st Century lovefest. They introduced the guest speaker, and, my news friend prompted me to get up, and follow him.

We left out of the back exit of this hotel, and we weren't accosted by anyone. My news friend filled me in with more details.

"See the brown van over there?" he said, as he handed me a Hi8 video camera.
"The black button on the top of the camera starts and stops recording. Every five minutes, take video of that Vanquish parked in front of the convention center. See their security people?" I watched as they meandered by the entrance way.

"They will be following him in the Vanquish as he leaves. We'll have to hang back. I've been informed that the car is really the property of (name witheld) up on Rivers. The zoom on the camera is the top two buttons just ahead of the record/stop button."

I operated it, to see how it would respond. I took video of the rear license plate on the Vanquish.

The seminar lasted about 90 minutes. Long story short, I did the video as he spoke into a handheld recorder, while in the driver's seat.

The 'golden boy' guest speaker dropped the car off where G. said it would go. The three women also left in another car, that had apparently been left in the car lot's parking area - prior to the MLM Lovefest.

We followed the 'golden boy', to where he was really staying: a Motel 8. His 'real' car was a BMW 3 series. We parked at a nearby breakfast place, as G. dictated a narrative into his digital recorder, and I shot bursts of video. Around 4 am, our 'golden boy' checked out, and left - heading toward Charlotte, NC, where he lived. We followed for a short time, video and audio continuing. G. got off at an exit, and took I-26 back to where we had been. G. paid me $300 - not bad for a night's work, and I really needed the money.

Two months later, the story broke. Not long after, this MLM operation came under state and federal investigation.

They are no longer in business, and many people within the organization received extended stays at 'Club Fed'...

Just think - I was one of the hooked fish. Had I not known G., and ended up being affiliated with this pyramid scheme - I shudder at the thought.

Even though I've been through bad health, homelessness, and despair - somehow, a guiding Hand in the Universe has kept me out of a lot of other trouble.

Thank goodness - LW
 
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brotherswing said:
I have known loss like that. In the space of two years I was medically discharged from the service (right foot is now held together with titanium,) went bankrupt, got divorced, lost my mom to cancer, got remarried, and had a son. Life is unpredictable, and the only constant is change. Thankfully, there's good change to offset the bad.
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You and I are titanium brothers. I've got cages holding multiple vertebrae together with screws, and a stabilizing titanium rod that almost looks like a handlebar clutch lever off of a motorcycle. After bone growth stimulation (a $5K belt that uses electromagnetism), my mobility was hindered but the pain level improved - for almost a year. Now, I can't bear any weight on my right leg. The pain is galvanizing. It is what it is...

brotherswing, thank you for serving your country. May this new part of your life be even better.
LW
 
My first question to anyone selling junk like that - What do you get out of it?
If Tupperware or Mary Kay answers bonding with other women, that's legit as long as they aren't really praising the sales/money factor.

Never have believed any of it. Products usually junk anyway.

I've seen people fall for those schemes. Our skating club did. One board member and I tried to warn them against buying in, but no go. I don't think any of them knew what a MLM or Ponzi scheme is.
 
Things like Tupperware, Avon and Kleeneze were always legit AFAIK. I can remember my mum going to Tupperware parties, and it was just to buy Tupperware products and not to be recruited into it or pushing referrals. The Avon and Kleeneze people would come round occasionally, to try and sell you things, and again not to recruit or push the scheme on you.

There's Tupperware and Avon here in China, but it's sold through their own branded retail stores and department store concessions, all franchised and not MLM at all AFAIK.
 
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Tupperware might be legit, but dealers were always pestering anyone interested to hold parties. The more points you accrued got you more free stuff. That led to pestering others like neighbors who weren't interested. Avon went door to door, and I think Mary Kay liked parties also. Mary Kay didn't leave brochures on your doorknob. Now it's places like "The Pampered Chef"

Parties seem to be dying. No one has any time any more. If you have a hobby, you usually also have a central place to meet rather than your own home.

All of this stuff can be purchased cheaper and with no caveats if you do your research.
 
Amazon, TaoBao and T-mall! :thumbsupdroid: ...who needs house parties and door-to-door selling stuff? I had a friend who was running some house party business, selling fancy goods or something via a few local agents, a small business up until about 14-15 years ago, the internet basically killed it.

Something else I used to find especially in some work places, was people pushing club-book stuff. like Grattan, Freemans or Kays catalogue. Because they got a handsome commision if you purchased anything, and often products were significantly more expensive via the club-book than just going to a shop, but they usually offered weekly terms to pay for things, no credit check required.

Anyone I met who was doing Amway, the whole family was involved, and they'd often go off on expensive "training courses", like it could have been a cult or a religion to them. I believe you made most of your money not by selling the Amway's products, their overpriced cosmetics or whatever, but by recruiting other people to work under you, and for them to get people under them, and so on.....a pyramid.
 
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The company makes their money by requiring you to buy a minimum amount of inventory every month, and also by requiring you to attend their cult/seminar events.

I haven't seen Amway for a long time. The big deal right now in MLM is nutritional supplements, essential oils, and miracle diets. Once somebody falls for the marketing speel, you are NOT going to get them off course until they wreck themselves. I've had friends get into selling Melaleuca and nothing you could say would change their minds. It's the mind not wanting to accept that it's been duped, so it will defend the product no matter how ridiculous the argument.

I've done tax returns for a lot of people in MLM's. Haven't seen 1 yet where it wasn't a net loss. If the product is food, supplements, or some juice drink, you'll find that they eventually just consume it themselves.
 
That explains a lot. My parents sold Amway for years but I think they bought more stuff themselves than they ever sold anyone else. Although my mom's also a shopaholic & hoarder, so there's that.

Oh - and Tupperware is good stuff - way better than Rubbermaid & such that you can buy in the stores. It's more expensive but lasts pretty much forever. I sold it for a while when I was in high school, but I just passed catalogs around to teachers & neighbors, & only did a party if someone actually wanted to have one. But you can buy it online now so it makes it a lot easier, home parties are a pain.
 
Back in the '60s and '70s, my mother had many Tupperware parties. The product, even now, is superb.

The Tupperware parties back then were mainly demonstrative, and catalogs were passed out to potential buyers. No recruiting, or MLM ever took place.

It was also an excuse for the women of my mother's generation to get together, and have a little fun.

My mom got freebies from the Tupperware rep for holding the parties. Of course, she'd buy some items, too - and my father never complained. He knew the score: keep Mama happy, and we would be happy, too.

What's sad about MLM, Ponzi schemes, and the like - is that it has embedded a mistrust into many people, especially here in the United States.

It is sad, indeed. This isolates households from their surrounding communities, and, it creates fear - fear of things that normally wouldn't cause any problems, legally.

Once again, you'll hear the same old excuses, like, "I'm trying to provide for my family."

By working for a less-than-reputable concern?

Greed is responsible for much of this. As I write this, my cousin had to leave an investment group due to improprieties that brought on an investigation.

He's 63, and he has his son involved with it. He's approaching retirement, for Pete's sake! He left the firm, as he wasn't involved in the one division of the LLC being investigated.

Now, he's taking his customer base, and he - with his son - are forming their own insurance/investment group. I wish them all the best.

It seems that a message is being sent to the American people: "If you want success, then, get prepared to break a few laws."

Bring back ethics, and integrity. That much, I am sure of. LW
 
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Mary Kay does those parties too. I have memories of sitting in the common area in the dorm lounge during my Freshman year. I was watching Die Hard as some ladies came in to do makeovers and pitch MK products to some of the girls that were gathered there. I just sat there and kept watching my movie, which I imagine really added to the ambiance of their meeting.
 
There is money to be made selling some of that stuff. I doubt many people rich off of it, but it can bring in a little extra income if you have the right circle of people to sell to. My sister had a few of those home decor parties and my other sister sells that Scentsy stuff. I think it's mainly an excuse to get the girls together for drinks and then everybody feels obligated to buy at least a little something. A lot of women will bring the catalogs to the office and leave on the kitchen counter or whatever. I also know a lot of women who have attended those "fun" parties where they sell umm "adult" toys lol. :p
 
My grandmother sold Sarah Coventry. I suspect they are still in business but I honestly don't know. It's jewelry for those of you not aware. It was marketed much like Tupperware with parties and the like. She never made a lot of jack selling the stuff but it gave her something to do in her senior years. Sometimes it's more than making money.
 
Oh, boy. Could you imagine the 'adult toy store' Adam & Eve getting into franchise sales like Avon, or Mary Kay?

Whoa.

Not that I'm a prude, but, I tend to be a bit more traditional when it comes to 'adult practices.' As a kid growing up, I had an uncle that worked maintenance for a rug, mop/janitorial supply outfit that my father was VP of in Boston, MA - you know, the kind of uncle that would walk up to you, and say:

"Pull my finger."

He had a poster in his office, that had two geese flying while 'doin' the Wild Thing'. The caption read:

"Fly United"

Needless to say, that drove me away from porn. I can also count the times I went to 'Gentlemen's Clubs' on three fingers.

Though I may have been a late bloomer, I've always equated intimacy with love - and, I'm not into spectator sports, if you know what I mean. Seeing guys in those clubs I mentioned earlier with that glazed look in their eyes, while holding up a dollar bill - nope, not for me.

My rant? We all need more 'Real Love', as Michael McDonald said in his song back in the '80s.

Love can take intimacy to a higher level. I know that now, because every relationship that I've ever been in with a female that began with pure lust didn't last. One of those relationships lasted 18 years.

Yup. My ex-wife.

So, I'm not saying (writing) that places like Adam & Eve don't serve a purpose. In fact, they do.

Just remember that love needs to be the real motivator. Okay - LOveWerks is done ranting.

Share a little love - LW
 
Gmash said:
There is money to be made selling some of that stuff. I doubt many people rich off of it, but it can bring in a little extra income if you have the right circle of people to sell to. My sister had a few of those home decor parties and my other sister sells that Scentsy stuff. I think it's mainly an excuse to get the girls together for drinks and then everybody feels obligated to buy at least a little something. A lot of women will bring the catalogs to the office and leave on the kitchen counter or whatever. I also know a lot of women who have attended those "fun" parties where they sell umm "adult" toys lol. :p
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I've seen the parties, and they are all nonsense. I'd love to use a stronger word. Almost every women's type party inevitably descends into gossip. My home life and family is no one's business. This forum is infinitely more interesting.
 
Arrgh, dammit! I missed my transfer on the next bus within 5 minutes because of some slow a$$ bus driver.

Now I'm gonna be an hour late for work being stuck at the goddamn bus stop. FML! :mad:
 
So, today is our first appointment with a grief counselor.

I know that the love-of-my-life needs it, since her daughter's passing was only a year ago.

I need it, because I never got a chance to grieve after burying my grandfather, mother, and father in a decade while my kids were going nuts, and my marriage was ending.

Wish us good luck - LW
 
Well, my session ended... I'll be going back next week, and we covered a lot of my grief issues.

Now, I have homework to do... I need to list things that I can do to help me move forward. It sounds easy, but, it's going to be difficult.

Nose to the grindstone! Hand on the wheel! I hope that my wife-to-be gets something good out of her session, as her grieving event is more recent than mine own.

I cannot believe how painful that was, for me today. No one should have to carry that kind of burden. Yet, here I am, and free of tears for the moment.

My rant? Life. I could've done things better in the past; yet, we all know that time is relative, and - you can't go back - and change your history.

My, my, my. What a day it's been. I only hope that my lady gets some care, and support.

LW
 
Revenant Ghost said:
Arrgh, dammit! I missed my transfer on the next bus within 5 minutes because of some slow a$$ bus driver.

Now I'm gonna be an hour late for work being stuck at the goddamn bus stop. FML! :mad:
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Man. You and rapid transit. Here's a story that'll make you laugh.

I had to take a bus to a doctor's appointment, a couple of years ago - in a wheelchair.

The driver installed the belts to hold the wheelchair incorrectly, and when he hit the accelerator - the chair did a wheelie, and I got a goose egg on the back of my head. I went straight to the closest ER.

After x-rays, the nurse practitioner came back, and said that I may have a mild concussion - but, everything seemed okay.

She sent me home with a discharge form, with instructions. The following day, I went to the main terminal, gave the driver's name and route number, and filed a complaint. He gave me a number to call.

I called that number for two weeks. Without medical insurance, and living in a homeless shelter - nothing was ever accomplished.

However, karma is a female dog. They'll get theirs, and maybe one day - I'll get mine. Patience is a virtue - LW
 
LOveWerks said:
Man. You and rapid transit. Here's a story that'll make you laugh.

I had to take a bus to a doctor's appointment, a couple of years ago - in a wheelchair.

The driver installed the belts to hold the wheelchair incorretly, and when he hit the accelerator - the chair did a wheelie, and I got a goose egg on the back of my head. I went straight to the closest ER.

After x-rays, the nurse practitioner came back, and said that I may have a mild concussion - but, everything seemed okay.

She sent me home with a discharge form, with instructions. The following day, I went to the main terminal, gave the driver's name and route number, and filed a complaint. He gave me a number to call.

I called that number for two weeks. Without medical insurance, and living in a homeless shelter - nothing was ever accomplished.

However, karma is a female dog. They'll get theirs, and maybe one day - I'll get mine. Patience is a virtue - LW
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Wow, that's terrible LW. Sorry to hear that. And it's sad to say that I'm not surprised hearing about a situation like that.

Transit's customer service has always been abysmal. They just say whatever to get you off the phone. And you'll never get any satisfaction from it. I've seen it happen too many times.

And to help keep my sanity: I also believe in karma. The offenders may not get their comeuppance when expected, but they will get it regardless.
 
I haven't much experience with public transit here in good ol Murica, but I remember how unreliable it could be in the Philippines.
 
I went to bed early. Now, it's 2:30 am, and I've got to get up in two hours to get in early for a walk-in appointment at the clinic - yep, I'm still passing kidney stones, and now, an additional feature has presented itself:

Urinary incontinence. How @#*<>°! embarrassing. I wake up in the middle of the night, with an incredible need to urinate - and sometimes, I don't make it to the toilet.

"There's a naked guy on a cane in there, doing housework - cleaning
the walls! Damn it, Margaret, you shoulda seen it. It was funnier than watching your grandma eating an ice cream cone!"

But, seriously, folks:

I will fight catheterization like a rabid dog.

Later today, I see my regular therapist. Will he get an earful? You betcha.

I turn 53 in June. It's too early for all of this... send some positivity to the 'Ranting One' - LW
 
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