AMWAY.

There's really no forum in ATS/BTS for this type of post, so I'll just stick it here.

Anyone here a member of AMWAY?
I was invited to join, but It sounds like a pyramid scheme to me, and the fact that's it's so 'hush hush' makes it even worse.
Anyway, If there are any members here, does it really work?
Has anyone here personally reached Diamond Level?
I don't know anyone who would want to buy the products from me... let alone work for/with me.... that complicates things even further... how do you do it?

Many years ago, a roomate, and a friend of mine took me to this,
"really cool meeting"..he would not tell me what it was.
He did mention that I could "make a lot of money" and it was legal.
Being a poor student, I went along..

WE got to the hotel..I was introduced to some guy in a suit..
Who Sprayed me in the mouth with something!!! He friggin shook my hand
, and with the other hand, he shot me in the mouth..with Breath spray..
JEEZ..what a freak...Then he goes " tastes good huh, I only pay 75 cents for these.
why didn't I run? I have no idea..must have been that money thing..

SO we all go, to this large meeting hall..like 500 other people..I sat front and center with my roomate..jeans and a T-shirt, everyone else was in Business clothes.. This guy comes out, and talks about "circles"..
for over an hour, he draws circles on a white board..drawing lines in between, linking them...There was one BIG circle in the middle...I guess that was supposed to be "YOU"...I noticed that if you turned that picture of circles, and view it from the side...it looks like a pyramid..with YOU on top..!!

About half the people there were hanging on EVERY word this guy said.., nodding their heads, Even clapping sometimes..I'm guessing the other half were kidnap victims, just like me..disoriented by the minty fresh, pepper spray, just like me..

It took the guy 90 minutes to FINALLY mention AMWAY...
AHA!!! It IS a cult..
So, I grabbed a donut, and a coffee..wandered down the hall of the hotel, and waited for my friend, in the lobby.

His face was red with embarrasement..Even HE didn't know about the
Amway culture..

I recovered nicely, when, out of guilt, my friend sprang for a case of cheap beer. All was forgiven..

Yet, AMWAY did NOT give up on me.
A few years later, working part time as an Audio-video salesguy.
I was approached again..Some guy named Doug , he explained to me that he "had his own company"...Like Dougco, or something...
He wanted to show me how I could start MY own comapny.
Stop working for "the man"

This dude was scarier..He, and his wife were stalkers..They showed up at my work, a couple times a week, even waited for me outside..
Not taking no for an answer..I had to physically threaten this guy.
Well, it was me, and my buds from the loading Dock..LOL..


DON'T DO IT!!

AMWAY,
Stay away FAR FAR Away!
There are many get rich schemes out there 99% are just scams. Beleive it or not, these other get rich quick schemes actually use AMWAY as an example of a "bad" scheme.
Once you do a bit of research, many of these other get rich quick schemes have ex-AMWAY members at the top.

My dad used to be really involved in Amway. He was personal friends with some people that had made quite a bit of money in it. I've been to their houses, seen the profit that they made, and shuddered at the price that you have to pay to make these gains.

It is as you said a pyramid scheme. Not too far off on the cult bit either. Basically you make a certain percentage off of all the Amway products that you sell. But wait there's more. You also make a small profit off of sales from people that you convince to join, and people that they convince to join...ect, ect.

The goal of the company is to convince people to buy everything from Amway. Diapers, coffee, gum, shoes, you name it. They tease you with a small kick-back for purchasing their products. What you end up with is people who are brainwashed into buying everything they can from Amway, and they don't waste an opportunity to try their products on you. "Here's some gum, try this breath spray, do you like this coffee?" Of course they are all Amway products and I'm getting rich off of selling them.

The flaws with this plan:

• Their products are average or below average
  
• You must buy lots of Amway products yourself
  
• You must constantly badger your friends to join/buy Amway
  
• Your friends now hide when they see you coming
  
• You must attend "brainwashing" meetings regularly
  

Read This :

www.cocs.com...

elevatedone,

Lots to read, but what I have read so far....yikes!
I guess my impressions were fairly accurate..
thanks for the link..!

TISM, those wholesome masked boys from Melbourne, got the Amway message right in one of their funniest...


Hacksaw hacksaw hacksaw
Scrape scrape scrape
Murder murder murder
Rape rape rape
Death death death death,
Death death death death,
Amway Amway Amway,
Amway Amway Amway.

Stay away from AMWAY and anything else like it.
These companies are a scam to avoid having real employees. You don't get minimum wage you don't get vacation pay, holiday pay, or benefits. You don't get the basic legal requirements of employment, because you are 'self employed".

Ah CRAP!
My Boss invited me to a seminar saying that I can be my own boss, have my own business etc etc.
He even gave me the day off so he can take me there.
I agreed to it and am going to be there in about 4 hours.

I guess my first impression of AMWAY was right...
But I promised him I'd TRY it for a while.
I'll be back in a few hours/day or two and tell you how the seminar went.

And if I join, I promise not to try to involve you guys.





[edit on 25-01-2004 by Gear]

So?
How did it go?
did you mention our advice from this thread?

Let's hear it!!!

I went, I saw, I have yet to join.
I'll probably join in a week or two...
I kept to myself at the seminar, I didn't mention ATS or this thread or anything.

It wasn't SO bad, most of it made sense...except I wonder where they get their money from... (The money your awarded when you reach the next level, like the $75000 awarded when you reach emerald.)


The way I see it, I'll sign up. The WORST that can happen is being $375 out of pocket.
But whether I actively participate or not, I'll be able to use/get their products at 60% off. Then maybe if it goes well I'll get 10 or so people to join, so I get the cash reward to the next level PLUS the benefits 'my employees' bring in.
If it all goes well, I might stick to it. But probably not for any longer than 6 years... I will still get a passive income off those 10 or so people PLUS the people they get to join.
...Early retirement. ;P

Anyway, enough of that. After a few weeks I might bump this thread with a reply, confirming whether its as terrible/terrific as it sounds or not.
(And don't worry, I wont stalk anyone to join!)


BTW



LMFAO! Someone came up to me and pulled out the spray. I remembered this thread and thought O!M!G!
He then sprayed it in his OWN mouth and said, "This is a part of our consumables!"
Lol, I was almost cracking up with laughter.

...it might have been the same guy! lol!

Thanks for getting back to us about the experience..
Thats hilarious about the breath spray.
How'd you keep straight face?

did it seem like a pep rally? Are you being hounded, or stalked yet?

[edit on 8-8-2005 by spacedoubt]

Dont do AmWay, do Quickstar or even better EcoQuest. Eco Quest is selling different products but their products are patented & the best out there.

Once you join they'll start giving you your weekly "brainwashing" tapes. O yes the tapes. They want you to listen to the tapes because it helps you conform, and be a good Amway rep. I know this from watching my dad receive his tapes every week. You'll notice a theme with these tapes. They don't tell you how to sell products, they don't describe good sales techniques. They teach you to recruit others. I'm willing to bet that they didn't focus much on the products at the meeting. O maybe for a min, but mainly it's about joining and getting others to join. You'd be suprised how much money they make off of selling these motovational tapes. Some would say that's what the whole organization is about. Selling motivational tools.

You you might want to read over this information before joining. It's very interesting. (Amway = Wrong Way) Here's my favorite so-true part of his rant.



This is partially true. You can see some of their product lines, but you can't buy anything off their website. Why wouldn't they sell their great products off their website if they were so great? Because no one would actually pay what they are asking for their crappy products.

My dad once gave me for free a case of Amway diapers when my kids were a tad younger. I said thank you, and after I used 3 of them I threw the rest of the case away. They leaked horribly and anytime the kids pooped it was running down their leg. Generic diapers at the store worked better. So in my experience you couldn't give me some of the stuff they sell.



EDIT: Don't miss reading this site either: Welcome to Amway: The Continuing Story


[edit on 9-8-2005 by dbates]