Multi-Level Marketing.

[coloradodem2005]

Back in 1998 I was about to graduate high school and go to college. I worried a lot about my future and while I look back on that time with a nostalgic feel of those being good days because of where I was about to go. I was very fearful. My parents were divorced and not speaking to each other. I had to be the intermediary when dealing with money issues relating to me and that took a huge toll on me. I was worried I might not even get a college degree. The future scared me as it still does, in some ways even moreso now.

But I found out about a little business "opportunity" to make money through a company called Excel communications. The product was a long distance service that was supposed to be more affordable and better than all the other alternatives at the time. I was being recruited by a friend of mine, who I think may have been as snowed as I was regarding it. But I signed a contract though made a verbal agreement that they would not give it to the company until I figured out more about it. But his friend who was above him in the chain went ahead and signed me up without my consent and expected me to pay him the $245 for the sign up. I was pissed. I tried to get my friends and family to buy the product and even tried to recruit some of them as representatives. I had virtually no success and I was out $245. Even though I certainly didn't feel lucky at the time, I know that I was lucky. Many people have lost much more money to these kinds of Legal ponzi schemes and have had relationships destroyed and even been driven to suicide. Utter ruin. My mom even got snowed a little by Amway a few years before my experience, though she never really told me what happened to her until it was too late for me to reverse course.

All this has been pushed to the forefront of my mind again upon reading that Richard DeVos the AMWAY founder wants to run on the Republican ticket for governor of Michigan. Considering the reputation of AMWAY, should he be the nominee, he should get his ass kicked. Though as bad as AMWAY's reputation is, it is amazing that it is still around now. This man must be stopped. At any cost. He must be stopped. I know that you all agree with me. But this is just another example of why I hate Republicans. These MLM things that have been infesting our economy for decades need to be destroyed. As does Mr. DeVos' political ambitions.

[rooboy]

1. Compulsory reading on the Amway/Quixtar culture...

www.merchantsofdeception.com

www.amquix.info

www.formerdiamond.com

[coloradodem2005]

2. The thing is, AMWAY is far from the only one who uses this model.

Past or Present.

[rooboy]

3. Dick deVos is not the founder of Amway. He's the son.

And you don't know the HALF of what goes on in that corporation and through its distributor force. Don't worry about ponzi schemes and the like, the real toxicity of Amway is the cult-like following of the political and religious views of the distributor force.

Go and read Merchants of Deception. This is far more serious than a financial scam.

[silverweb]

4. I remember Excel!

About 10 years ago or so, my daughter's (then) dance teacher gave me "a special invitation" to a meeting with a cryptic message that it was something I'd "be extremely interested in and excited about." I sat through about 15 minutes of the presentation and as soon as I figured out it was an Amway-style MLM scam for long distance, I got up and walked out. She called me a few times after that, but I let the answering machine take the calls and decided it was time to change dance teachers. Pushy MLM recruiters are not people I endure politely. I've occasionally wondered if she lost any of her other dance students because of that foolishness.

I'd also been recruited for AmWay some 20 years ago, but quickly figured out that all the people at those stupid rah-rah pep-rally meetings were like cult devotees -- annoyingly overly "perky" people, always in sales mode. I couldn't stand being around them and certainly didn't share their obsessions.

I definitely agree with you about needing to put the skids under DeVos and his political ambitions.