Amway Scamway

[Textex]

Is it a bad thing that 4 out of 19 people were from Amway? I don't understand what the upset is about here, please explain.

Yes, it is a VERY bad thing, they are scam artists. The 4 in this workplace are probably unaware of this fact, but the higher up you go, the scammier they are.

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Amway is a little like a religious cult only it's a capitalism cult. Amway stands for the "American Way". There's an Amway China now which is a little funny if not scary. Basically people in Amway come up to you and convince you to become one of their minions. In turn their minions recruit other minions. Everyone buys Amway products.



They have been to court a few times over accusations that they are a pyramid scheme.

It's also a religious cult, from the perspective that they try to (mis)use Christianity as "proof" that they are "good" people. It's quite disgusting.

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My parents did Amway for a few months. Had to listen to those motivational speakers in the car. I was around 10 at the time.

Then they suddenly stopped buying the products, stopped listening to the tapes and didn't become millionaires. Guess it didn't work.

And yes "tapes" as in "cassette tapes." Whippersnappers and their new technology.

They moved on to CDs a few years ago, and some are now using mp3 downloads. Amway doesn't work for most people, because it's a scam.

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Went to two sessions. They couldn't answer any of my questions.

Essentially saw that the two 'mentors' assigned to me were only doing this because they didn't go to school and essentially had 0 marketable skills.

They can't answer many questions without lying. Perhaps tell you the time or day of the week, answering virtually any other question is a lie. There are also people who went to school and have significant marketable skills, but there are fewer and fewer of these as the word gets out.

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Is it a bad thing that 4 out of 19 people were from Amway? I don't understand what the upset is about here, please explain.

Yes, it is a VERY bad thing, they are scam artists. The 4 in this workplace are probably unaware of this fact, but the higher up you go, the scammier they are.

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Amway is a little like a religious cult only it's a capitalism cult. Amway stands for the "American Way". There's an Amway China now which is a little funny if not scary. Basically people in Amway come up to you and convince you to become one of their minions. In turn their minions recruit other minions. Everyone buys Amway products.



They have been to court a few times over accusations that they are a pyramid scheme.

It's also a religious cult, from the perspective that they try to (mis)use Christianity as "proof" that they are "good" people. It's quite disgusting.

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My parents did Amway for a few months. Had to listen to those motivational speakers in the car. I was around 10 at the time.

Then they suddenly stopped buying the products, stopped listening to the tapes and didn't become millionaires. Guess it didn't work.

And yes "tapes" as in "cassette tapes." Whippersnappers and their new technology.

They moved on to CDs a few years ago, and some are now using mp3 downloads. Amway doesn't work for most people, because it's a scam.

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Went to two sessions. They couldn't answer any of my questions.

Essentially saw that the two 'mentors' assigned to me were only doing this because they didn't go to school and essentially had 0 marketable skills.

They can't answer many questions without lying. Perhaps tell you the time or day of the week, answering virtually any other question is a lie. There are also people who went to school and have significant marketable skills, but there are fewer and fewer of these as the word gets out.

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There is a very good skeptoid podcast that explains why these schemes do not work.

One of my neighbors is into something called Herbalife… I see TONS of boxes coming in on a weekly basis. Then again, the people who I live around are a bunch of idiots, so I'm not too surprised.

Herbalife is a very similar scam with a different name.

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because we are a retail chain that needs to adhere to a strict moral code and business ethics

having ppl from amway in my company is a conflict they could scam staff and customers into the pyramid scheme.

Agreed. Tell your company corporate management as well, such as the CEO.

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Amway is one of my company's clients! We are doing work for them right now actually. What a coincidence. I would not say they are a scam though.

I would say they are a scam, because they ARE.

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Well then your company preys on people.

True, but that company may be as clueless as many others are as well.

[crakerjack]

Lol amway. I've had friends try and get me into it. The trick is to sell people, not products. Convince 10 people to join and then tell those 10 people to get 10 more people. Eventually someone is bound to actually sell some products and since the person you hired, hired them... you get money. I went to a meeting to support a buddy even though I had no intent of every joining. It was at a semi-fancy restaurant and it was all paid for. He tried convincing the people that they would make money by selling products and alot of them believed it. I knew that wasn't the case, but a free dinner wasn't something I was about to reject. The funny thing is that he didn't even call it amway... he said it was a huge business market that would get us all rich. I guess some people are more gullible than others.

[Textex]

We conduct research for various manufacturers, litigation and clinical trials. We don't sell anything to the public.

Your company needs to get educated about Amway, or Amway's scammy reputation may rub off on your company.

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Taken from the link Fasolina provided:

If only one of them had ever had even a single line active to only 14 levels deep, that alone would have required the participation of more human beings than exist. That math is black and white, too. Level 14 is populated by 5^14, or about 6.1 billion people, the entire population of the planet, in addition to level 13 with 1.2 billion, all the way up to you and your original five.

Basically there is not enough people in the planet for these schemes to be profitable for you me or 99% of the population.

That is not a good way to analyze the situation. Amway has been around for 56 years and hasn't sponsored the whole planet. The fact is it is in continuous construction/destruction as people get scammed, and in the US alone 4-5 million people turn 18 years old every year, and most people over 18 have never heard of Amway.

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yup, heard of them... had some friends try and recruit me into it. Some parts seem like an awesome deal, then there's the weekly meetings and the way they 'handle' new people.

I don't think i've heard any adults recommend a book so much... I think in 3 weeks I heard this Kiyosaki guy get quoted more times than star wars and star trek combined at a stereotypical sci-fi convention.

Hell I'd have signed up for just getting access to their whole sale deals and trying to set up some half assed web based store, but I kept getting the feeling they didn't actually offer as much as they kept saying...

edit:

also I have a feeling a lot of the people really making money out of it are producing material that people are being 'encouraged' to purchase. Anyone who's seen some recruitment methods... those cd/tapes they use aint free and they will talk about trips or conventions in various parts of the country.

Correct. In fact, they make MUCH more from the books, CDs, various meetings, voice mail, website access, etc., than from Amway.

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Yes, the nickname of Scamway isn't hint that the whole thing is a little shady. Had the product presented to me and unless you are just buying the shit for your own needs or exploiting your social circle it's pretty useless.

It's less than pretty useless, it's a scam.

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the product is actually a bit freaky.

its not the xs drink or led lipstick.

the product is called an ibo independent business owner the guide they give sets you up to fail.

enter the real product books tapes cd's dvd's to help your failed ibo

did i mention u buy the ibo rights and pay for your website from the amway site.

then there are the dinners parties and ranks diamonds eagles tripple platinum wankos.

It's definitely a setup to fail, it's much more, it's a scam.

[Reeve]

When I was in college, a few of my friends got suckered into athe Landmark Forum. When they finish their first event, they ask you to bring your friends and family around so you can tell them how awesome it is. I could tell it was shady because they couldn't really tell me anything about what they were selling, just how it would change my life for the better.

I didn't buy in, but one of my friends stayed involved for a couple years. The more I learned about the organization, the more I thought of it as a mild cult. I'm glad my friends eventually moved on.

[Textex]

Amway is no different than Avon, Herbal Essentials, Essential Oils, Home interiors, and those stupid dildo parties that women hold. They are all scams where the only way to make money is to scam other people to buy into the business.

Actually, Amway is MUCH worse than most other MLMs, especially the party plan MLMs. Not that the others are good, just that Amway is MUCH worse.

[lockedout]

Just google is Amway a scam print it and hand it out or send an annonymous email and CC everyone in your company.

[Textex]

Well, there may be some tertiary benefits to women throwing dildo parties, but otherwise I concur.

I was sucked into one of these sorts of things not too long after high school. I met some interesting people, which was nice, but I sure wouldn't mind getting all my wasted money back.

Dildos and sucking in the same comment? LOL What was the return policy for the dildos? Was there a certain amount of time, did they have to be in the original packaging, or just cleaned off?

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Dildo parties are way more fun than Avon or Tupperware parties, I run for the hills when I hear amway mentioned. I had some cousins get into that for about 5 years. It didn't end well. It's a pyramid scheme where ppl harass their friends, relatives and coworkers into buying products or joining the ranks.

How about an Amway dildo party?

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You really need to clarify what story you are telling.

You say after you were promoted to a management position you went to a managers meeting for people in your district.

Where was this meeting held?

Were the amway people there at the behest of the company you work for?

Were the amway people instructing you and your fellow employees?

What retail chain do you work for?

Your questions are irrelevant.

[middling]

What these people do in their spare time should be no concern of yours or anyone in your company as long as they aren't breaking any laws or putting anyone in any physical danger. Or in other words, rather than try to remove 4 people from your company I suggest you get another job.

Now, don't misunderstand this for support of Amway, it wouldn't matter what the product is.

Here are some analogies.

What if I saw an employee with a Rainbow bumper sticker?
What if I saw an employee with a sign supporting Gun rights?
What if I saw an employee with a Swastika tattoo?

You are morally profiling people simply because of their support of a product.

What if I like to drink Budweiser beer? Do you have ANY idea the practices of that company (anheuser busch)
What if I like to eat corn dogs made from GMO corn? Do you have any idea the damage that Monsanto has on people and the environment?

If you are the manager kindly instruct these people that they are not to sell products in the store and anything else is none of your business.

You are not their mother/father and frankly if my manager told me I couldn't drink a certain product I would tell them to get bent.

[Textex]

WTF????

So you went to a meeting and four people who are also employeed by the same company as you were drinking an energy drink and now you think your retail chain of electronic stores is under attack by amway people?

Holy Fuck dude.

You better get the CEO's phone number right now and call him this very late night and inform him what you saw. There isn't any time to waste!!!

You have no idea how evil these people are. It looks harmless, but these are seasoned scam artists. I agree he should contact the CEO, and I'm not kidding.

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Do you have any details about the scamming? I haven't really seen anything in this thread about what actually happens. If you've got details then file them with the Federal Trade Commission and Better Business Bureau. What actually happens with these people?

Yes, the details can be found by googling "stop the amway tool scam wordpress." I agree with the idea to contact the FTC and BBB. I've done that and everybody else should as well, as the FTC only investigates if there are enough complaints filed.

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Do you even know what a pyramid scheme is? Do you know what the definition of a cult is?

The answer to these questions appears to be no.

A pyramid scheme is an unsustainable business model that involves promising participants payment or services, primarily for enrolling other people into the scheme, rather than supplying any real investment or sale of products or services to the public. Does Amway meet this definition?

Since I'm assuming that the definition of cult that you are using is the veneration of an ideal of an idea, please enlighten us to those ideas. If that is not why they are a cult then enlighten us to what it is that makes them a cult.

As for being a scam, if they were a scam they would have been shut down a long time ago. If you can provide us some insight into what makes them a scam? what are the false claims that they are making?



I bet they will just laugh at you, what those managers do in their private time is their business. If you do go to your regional managers at least provide them with more evidence as why why it should be of concern to them than you have provided on this forum.

Yes, Amway meets the criteria on the FTC website for being an illegal pyramid. Amway has sustained itself for 56 years, so illegal pyramids are very sustainable. However, I don't spend much time on the cult issue, because cults aren't illegal. Cults are protected by the First Amendment with respect to free speech and freedom of religion.

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Sounds like most MLMs I've been pitched, yes. Sure, you can go move product to the public, but every pitch I've heard always pushes the "go build a downline" thing almost exclusively.

They focus on recruiting because the products are too expensive to sell to the public. The only people who buy the products purchase them because they are "conjoined" (a term the judge in the BurnLounge used to describe another MLM scam that was shut down recently) to the opportunity to be rich in the future.

[Wildtree]

Amway is no different than Avon, Herbal Essentials, Essential Oils, Home interiors, and those stupid dildo parties that women hold. They are all scams where the only way to make money is to scam other people to buy into the business.

Oh Orlong.....
You've just shot yourself in the foot..... lolol
As wide open as you've made the door, I step right through and have to ask...
Aren't we a little jelly or even insecure?
You don't really seem to know a lot of women, let alone a lot about women

Aside from that, your conclusion is false.
Amway is a scam because of it's schemes. But not all these companies are shitty, just because they use a direct route via work from home sales people.
A lot of them are very legit, and some even have exceptionally good quality to offer... Tupperware comes to mind.
Fuck.... as I write it, I notice even my spellchecker knows the term..

[Headayke]

I was offered to give it a try 2 months ago. This guy came up to me, mentioned Kyasaki an gave me his book. Didnt read it and he invited me over to hear people talk about Amway and how great it was for them. I grabbed one of their sugarless energy drinks. It tasted like piss, left early cause it was half an hour of my life I'll never get back. Glad I declined and moved on with my life before I spent any money on it. I don't care about your life story and if what you have to offer isn't going to make me buttloads of money with little or no effort like Most real jobs in the workplace. I'm not even remotely interested, you're not you're own boss, you don't own these products, you've sold your soul to a pyramid scheme.

[Textex]

Primarily for enrolling = through sign up fees. A pyramid often will not have a tangible product, instead will make it's money from sign up fees. I saw one a few years back that you sign up for $7000, and all you get for that is you go to a conference that teaches you how to sign up other people.

Legal MLM will use products as the primary way of making money, although a lot of the product is sold through people you sign up, and not through the public.

Most MLMs don't use sign up fees any longer. They instead hide behind required or highly incentivized purchases, such as buying a large amount for a big discount. Herbalife does this. Most pyramids have products, it's easier to hide the scam this way. An MLM that has little to no retail sales to external customers is an illegal pyramid, and almost all MLMs are illegal pyramids.

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Less "through people you sign up" and "to people you sign up" in my admittedly limited experience. There's a "pay to play" mechanic going on, so as long as the higher ups are constantly cycling in new recruits, who have to front load/do a minimum monthly purchase, the big-wigs keep getting paid.

Which, frankly, seems scarcely better than getting paid for sign-ups only. It's peddling the same false hope, but now your garage is full of junk.

It's also a technique that is used to better hide the scam.

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I bet that is a lively meeting. Lots of giggling and titillated girl noises. I'm thinking bachelorette party.

Plus they probably actually sell products to external customers, Amway doesn't use a dildo to f*ck you.

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I would certainly see a problem with minimum monthly purchases, I would think that would be illegal.

As for peddling false hope, the results have to be obtainable otherwise it would be illegal, although they may make it sound easier than it sounds.

Minimum monthly purchases are a sign of an illegal pyramid, but the key is whether there are little to no retail sales to external customers. Even without a requirement, many MLMs have a highly incentivized policy for a defacto requirement in practical terms, such as Herbalife's deep discount for buying a boatload of products, or Amway's policy to require retail sales (many of which are not legitimate) in order to earn the downline volume bonus.

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or maybe they know someone who sells the stuff or they might actually like the stuff

Using a product isn't indicative of employment.

You can tell by the way they act to tell whether they are distributors or just customers. MLMs don't employ their distributors, they are independent contractors, it saves the MLM a lot of money in terms of overtime, Social Security, benefits, etc.

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Try alot of old dry hags in their 40's and 50's, with the grannies being the most perverted <_<;

Do they sell the lubricants as well? If not, there's a real business opportunity!

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Ah, I see. I didn't know who they were and assumed they were a company or something. So basicly they recruit morons for money? Nothing new.

Amway is a company. They recruit anything that can fog a mirror.

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Yes, Amway is a scam. Welcome to 1959.

Amway didn't start out as a scam, or at least it's MUCH scammier than it was in 1959.

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When I was a kid, my best friend's entire family (from immediate to distant cousins) was big into Amway. Everything was bought through Amway, no one was allowed to say anything bad about Amway and every chance they got they tried unsuccessfully to sell my folks and their neighbors on getting into Amway.

Long story short; my buddy's parents went broke trying to sell their way out of debt with Amway, had to sell their house and ended up living with their relatives in another state. Amway ruined their lives, it was quite sad to watch.

That story is very common and is another example of why Amway is a scam.

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Lol amway. I've had friends try and get me into it. The trick is to sell people, not products. Convince 10 people to join and then tell those 10 people to get 10 more people. Eventually someone is bound to actually sell some products and since the person you hired, hired them... you get money. I went to a meeting to support a buddy even though I had no intent of every joining. It was at a semi-fancy restaurant and it was all paid for. He tried convincing the people that they would make money by selling products and alot of them believed it. I knew that wasn't the case, but a free dinner wasn't something I was about to reject. The funny thing is that he didn't even call it amway... he said it was a huge business market that would get us all rich. I guess some people are more gullible than others.

Some people are more gullible than others, and some scam artists are more skilled than others.

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When I was in college, a few of my friends got suckered into athe Landmark Forum. When they finish their first event, they ask you to bring your friends and family around so you can tell them how awesome it is. I could tell it was shady because they couldn't really tell me anything about what they were selling, just how it would change my life for the better.

I didn't buy in, but one of my friends stayed involved for a couple years. The more I learned about the organization, the more I thought of it as a mild cult. I'm glad my friends eventually moved on.

You should tell everybody you know about these scams, so they don't get scammed. Pass the word, and these scams will go under.

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What these people do in their spare time should be no concern of yours or anyone in your company as long as they aren't breaking any laws or putting anyone in any physical danger. Or in other words, rather than try to remove 4 people from your company I suggest you get another job.

Now, don't misunderstand this for support of Amway, it wouldn't matter what the product is.

Here are some analogies.

What if I saw an employee with a Rainbow bumper sticker?
What if I saw an employee with a sign supporting Gun rights?
What if I saw an employee with a Swastika tattoo?

You are morally profiling people simply because of their support of a product.

What if I like to drink Budweiser beer? Do you have ANY idea the practices of that company (anheuser busch)
What if I like to eat corn dogs made from GMO corn? Do you have any idea the damage that Monsanto has on people and the environment?

If you are the manager kindly instruct these people that they are not to sell products in the store and anything else is none of your business.

You are not their mother/father and frankly if my manager told me I couldn't drink a certain product I would tell them to get bent.

There is no reason why he should change jobs because others are trying to scam people. What if he changes Stand your ground. Amway is an illegal pyramid and RICO fraud, they just haven't been nailed....yet. Learn the facts about Amway, it's NOT about "support of a product," and can't be compared to a rainbow bumper sticker, a gun rights sign, or a Swastika tattoo. I morally profile people because of the facts. If you can find facts about Budweiser beer or Monsanto GMO food similar to what I have provided regarding Amway, please post them. He has a moral and ethical responsibility to educate everybody who is not in Amway that it is a scam. It's not about "drinking a certain product," it's about a SCAM!

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Oh Orlong.....
You've just shot yourself in the foot..... lolol
As wide open as you've made the door, I step right through and have to ask...
Aren't we a little jelly or even insecure?
You don't really seem to know a lot of women, let alone a lot about women

Aside from that, your conclusion is false.
Amway is a scam because of it's schemes. But not all these companies are shitty, just because they use a direct route via work from home sales people.
A lot of them are very legit, and some even have exceptionally good quality to offer... Tupperware comes to mind.
Fuck.... as I write it, I notice even my spellchecker knows the term..

I agree, Amway is MUCH worse than many MLMs, particularly the party plan ones that have actual retail sales to external customers and don't have a tool scam.

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I was offered to give it a try 2 months ago. This guy came up to me, mentioned Kyasaki an gave me his book. Didnt read it and he invited me over to hear people talk about Amway and how great it was for them. I grabbed one of their sugarless energy drinks. It tasted like piss, left early cause it was half an hour of my life I'll never get back. Glad I declined and moved on with my life before I spent any money on it. I don't care about your life story and if what you have to offer isn't going to make me buttloads of money with little or no effort like Most real jobs in the workplace. I'm not even remotely interested, you're not you're own boss, you don't own these products, you've sold your soul to a pyramid scheme.

AMEN! Be sure to tell everyone you know, so they don't get scammed.

[eluan]

Yes, the details can be found by googling "stop the amway tool scam wordpress."

Stop promoting your website, it is fairly clear that you are the owner of the wordpress you are promoting.

[Textex]

Stop promoting your website, it is fairly clear that you are the owner of the wordpress you are promoting.

My website is purely educational.

[Super Friendly Kitty Cat]

We haven't heard from the OP in awhile.

Did operatives working for AMWAY infiltrate the retail electronics chain the OP was working for?

[Textex]

We haven't heard from the OP in awhile.

Did operatives working for AMWAY infiltrate the retail electronics chain the OP was working for?

Who/what is "OP"?

[Reeve]

Who/what is "OP"?

Depending on context, it's either Original Post or Original Poster.

[Textex]

And they paid out over 50 million over charges of fraud, racketeering, and being a pyramid scheme. Not like it was all that long ago either. They may not be a scam(and I say that with heavy doubt), but they certainly aren't on the up and up. At the very least they lie to people about how much money their distributors make(more than half make nothing).

Amway didn't legally admit guilt, but the facts show they are a scam. More than 99% lose money, and the other 1% make money under the table by the "tools" (tickets to various meetings, CDs, books, websites, voice mail, etc.) they sell to the downline.

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Depending on context, it's either Original Post or Original Poster.

Thanks for the info!