Amway / A2k.com.au

[doublejay]

SWMBO dragged me along to a presentation for Amway/A2K last night. I'm the resident skeptic in our house and firmly believe the old adage 'if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is'. On the other hand SWMBO is keen to give this a go and I'm trying very hard not to rain on her parade.

I was wondering whether anyone here had any experiences they could share.

Thanks

[Zed]

SWMBO dragged me along to a presentation for Amway/A2K last night.

you poor bastard.

[Groggy]

Zed said it all really.

[Shedhand]

Yep. I agree with the previous. My SWMBO is as sceptical as me but friends of ours dragged us along to a ra ra ra meeting once. When all the evangilistic blather finished I started asking questions about: Tax, ATO Rulings, Superannuation, vehicle costs, workers comp, pyramiding etc,etc.
None of my questions were answered to my satisfaction. end result...almost all the people walked out. (Oh, and to my knowledge, no one signed up and the friends who tooks us there are no longer friends..their choice not ours ).
I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole.

[outback]

We had some, used to be friends ,come to our house and give us a personal floor show. We were unaware why they wanted to see us, that was part of the big plan. After they started I wasn't sure if I should laugh or cry.

To think, had I followed their advice I'd be a gazillionare for sure by now. :rolleyes:

[Daddles]

If you like the products, being a rep is a nice way of getting the products at a discount. If you like being paid for slave labour, the Nazis were more generous.

It's a pyramid scheme. Fight your way to the top and work your knickers off and you will make money ... trouble is, the grunts at the bottom doing all the hard work don't, and there are reasons why the successful ones all sound like crooks.

Richard

[bitingmidge]

Son in law works his guts out, and is continually recharged and believes it's all for his own benefit in the long term.

The numbers don't stack up.

No one will provide me with an answer on where all the customers come from, diverting the question basically.

The sum goes like this (I know it's not a pyramid...:rolleyes: )
If I need 10 people working for me to make this work, and each of them need 10 people.... that's 100.

Now each of them need 10: total 1,000

and each of them need 10: total 10,000

Keep going and you'll get to a million people in six steps.

Say an Oz family is typically 4 people, then there are 5 million customers in Australia, and potential for six times 5 (30 people) to make it to the top of the pecking order.

SIL went to a conference last year with 400 attendees, but still can't get his head round the fact that 370 of them can't make it! All the newbies are just cannon fodder, providing cash flow at the top.

Ask questions like:
How much product do I have to sell to make $35,000.
How much product does one of my recruits have to sell?
How much does a typical family spend on these products in a year?
How many families do I need to have spending their entire yearly spend to achieve this result?

I'll bet you don't get an answer.

Cheers,

P
;)

[bennylaird]

Don't you just hate it when a mate you used to know years ago rings up out of the blue. Lets get together, I've got a great idea to make some money.......................................

Automatic deletion from mate catagory......................

[woodbe]

Three times we have been invited to 'business propositions' by friends. Three times it has turned out to be Amway. Three times we have lost those friends, mostly because they can't handle 'no', and they can't handle the results of violating a friendship.


If you value your friends, don't do it. You will lose most of them.

The products are ok, but they are not 'out of this world' and the pricing is no bargain, despite what they tell you.

Multi-level marketing. If you can climb to the top, you will be very rich. And the world will rotate around uplines and downlines for you.

[Gumby]

Son in law works his guts out, and is continually recharged and believes it's all for his own benefit in the long term.

The numbers don't stack up.

No one will provide me with an answer on where all the customers come from, diverting the question basically.

The sum goes like this (I know it's not a pyramid...:rolleyes: )
If I need 10 people working for me to make this work, and each of them need 10 people.... that's 100.

Now each of them need 10: total 1,000

and each of them need 10: total 10,000

Keep going and you'll get to a million people in six steps.

Say an Oz family is typically 4 people, then there are 5 million customers in Australia, and potential for six times 5 (30 people) to make it to the top of the pecking order.

SIL went to a conference last year with 400 attendees, but still can't get his head round the fact that 370 of them can't make it! All the newbies are just cannon fodder, providing cash flow at the top.

Ask questions like:
How much product do I have to sell to make $35,000.
How much product does one of my recruits have to sell?
How much does a typical family spend on these products in a year?
How many families do I need to have spending their entire yearly spend to achieve this result?

I'll bet you don't get an answer.

Cheers,

P
;)

Quite right BM, it's the same reason why chain letters don't work.

[Termite]

The people I know of that have become involved certainly change. They become fanatical about it, and it seems to take over their lives.
I saw one bloke ruin a good building business because Shamway took over his whole life.

[silentC]

Back away, do not make eye contact.

Seriously...

[DavidG]

Was going to say something more but
RUN and do not look back.:eek:

[Cliff Rogers]

Quick way to loose friends & pisz people off. :mad:

[Gumby]

Quick way to loose friends & pisz people off. :mad:

While we are all here guys and gals, anybody like to buy some really good oven/stove cleaner, or great shoe shine stuff, BBQ cleaner, special laminex cleaner, or maybe you'd be interested in a nice insurance plan ? Just PM me and I'll be on your door step in minutes. :D :D

[Cliff Rogers]

...Just PM me and I'll be on your door step in minutes. :D :D

One PM coming up, do you do house calls to Cairns?

From Melbourne, VIC to Cairns, QLD 2794.3 km
Approximate Driving Time 33 Hours 48 Minutes

[Gumby]

One PM coming up, do you do house calls to Cairns?



They have houses in Cairns now ! :eek: Unbelievable. ;)

I can get there in my Amway matter transportation unit. Takes 2 seconds. Go and open the front door please (and unzip your wallet) :D

[Iain]

Got dragged into a demo a few years ago, notice the upper echelons of Amwank call themselves 'INternational Business Consultant'.
Now, not being the shy and retiring type made a bit of an &&&& of myself during the 'meeting'.
Mr Amwank is rattling on about his shirt, 'these cost $50 at Myers and if you join you can buy them from me for $40, theres a $10 profit'.
I was importing at the time, my turn 'I have my own business, see this shirt, retails for $45, I buy them for $8.50, can you do me a better deal so I can join'
Glare, change subject, 'Sylvania light globes, worlds best available only $3 each to you' pyss off they are not that good, Safeway sell reasonable globes for under $1.
I was asked to leave, gee, I was really sorry, wasn't asked if I wanted to join.

NB: &&&& = Bottom:rolleyes:

[bitingmidge]

Please deal with Gumby, I am his Diamond upliner (one of the forty) so every bit of business you give him, helps me.. but more importantly you'll be helping yourself to a better life.

Which reminds me... I sold an old bed for $20.00 once to a young couple. About an hour after they took delivery I had a phone call from the bloke, who said: "You could obviously do with some extra money........."

I knew exactly what he meant and said "How will Amway help in that regard", he spluttered for a bit and I interrupted and asked him why he thought I needed more dough.

"Well you sold the old bed...."

He wasn't at all amused when I said, the Amway business can't be too good if you have to buy second hand stuff can it, and no thanks, I don't need any extra money, I've got your $20.00.

There are a thousand stories just like that in this Naked City.

P
:D :D :D

[Iain]

Remember years ago that crap called Swipe? similar deal except it didn't work, the marketing was for all the different silly little bottles you could put it in.

[Groggy]

While we are all here guys and gals, anybody like to buy some really good oven/stove cleaner, or great shoe shine stuff, BBQ cleaner, special laminex cleaner, or maybe you'd be interested in a nice insurance plan ? Just PM me and I'll be on your door step in minutes. :D :DWhat about table saw wax? :D

[bitingmidge]

What about table saw wax? :D

I use electrolysis on mine, and the hairs haven't grown back after three years.

P
:D

[Christopha]

Any of youse wannna buy a cheap friendship onna quiet like?????

[woodbe]

Someone sent me a tape with a hardsell for an amway-like MLM scheme, and the line that just cracked me up was:

"One day, you'll be able to ring your boss and say that you are too well for work"

Hats off to the long suffering bosses who get their time, phone, vehicle and customers ripped off while Amwayers follow their dreams on work time. I had one dude doing that, he had no concience about what he was doing, and I had absolutely no regret showing him the door. I don't take pleasure in other people's misfortune, but 10 years later, I can tell you that he is on the bones of his ass now, so there is no guarantee of success with Amway.

[DanP]

Take it from one who was dragged in to that rubbish...

Leave it alone, you will make nothing out of it unless you are willing to sell your left testicle and rip off your entire family...

Dan :mad:

[Clinton1]

What do you mean chain letters don't work?

[Gumby]

you will make nothing out of it unless you are willing to sell your left testicle :

I have one of those for sale, low mileage, going cheap.;)

[maglite]

Amwank is one thing, but why are party plans for Enjo etc so popular.

Arent the 2 essentially the same, that is selling over priced gear to the gullible and leading them to think that "they" are helping mother earth, not to mention lining the pockets of "consultants"

[ozwinner]

What do you mean chain letters don't work?

The links arent strong enough.

Al :p

[Zoot]

Doublejay,
I agree with all of the other posts ... DON'T!! Say you are sick or something!!

I got sucked in some years ago and I can assure you that it is recipe for losing friends!

Cheers,
Zoot

[doublejay]

Thanks for all the great feedback. Wish me luck with SWMBO.

[Gumby]

Amwank is one thing, but why are party plans for Enjo etc so popular.

Arent the 2 essentially the same, that is selling over priced gear to the gullible and leading them to think that "they" are helping mother earth, not to mention lining the pockets of "consultants"

I use my Enyjo cleaning mit to apply Swipe :D Excellent results, would you like to buy some ? :D


Wish me luck with SWMBO.

why? Are you on a promise tonight ? ;)

[lbarnes]

The people I know of that have become involved certainly change. They become fanatical about it, and it seems to take over their lives.
I saw one bloke ruin a good building business because Shamway took over his whole life.


Amway distributors and the myriad of other multilevel/network/pyramid schemes use devices that put them squarely within the definition of a cult.

I recall in a prior relationship the then SWMBO was swayed by the so called friends to join what was obviously a group that made claims that could not stand up to any sort of objective scrutiny. What followed was the coercion, deception and peer pressure that these supposedly moral people felt entitled and obliged to bring to bear. The sheer front of this group was truly offensive.:mad:

Since this unpleasant episode when a 'friend' or acquaintance asks if I am interested in a ground breaking business scheme or asks to come to my home to talk about a business opportunity I politely decline. Unfortunately like many cultists, "no" is not a good enough answer and invariably this is the last time we have civil dealings with each other.:mad:

Of course if I were a true friend I would arrange an abduction and an intervention and a deprogramming session.:rolleyes:

Nah, buggerem

[bitingmidge]

Amwank is one thing, but why are party plans for Enjo etc so popular.
Ahhh Enjo.

Great product.... but you can buy microfibre cloths in various brands and grades at much better prices.

There are a couple that my beloved couldn't find elsewhere (I'm happy to find a source please :confused: ) so she does have a "secret arrangement" with a dealer whereby she gets stuff without going to a party.

I read all sorts of stuff trying to debunk the product, in the end, nothing gets brake dust of a set of mag wheels like a microfibre cloth! ;)

cheers,

P (Alternative brands requested)
:D

[Gumby]

I read all sorts of stuff trying to debunk the product, in the end, nothing gets brake dust of a set of mag wheels like a microfibre cloth! ;)


I got a few of the micro clothes they were selling at the WWW show last year. Excellent ! and about $10 each, plus the micro mop :D

[Zed]

you must be hanging around with some real twits if they can take no for an answer.....

[Wongo]

The wife dragged me to a seminar. It is the always the ladies.:o On the way there, I said to her in the car that I expected to see pigs fly.

Wow hang on, they wanted $20,000 (something like that) each so we would get free holiday accommodation for the rest of our lives. I wish I had $40000 lying around.:(

[Cliff Rogers]

What about the news tonight about the Nigerian scam????

25 Queenslanders got taken for $7million!!!!!!!

I bet those Nigerians are good at selling Scamway. :rolleyes:

PS. The 25 that went down must have been 'new' (slow) Queenslanders. :D

[Driver]

nothing gets brake dust of a set of mag wheels like a microfibre cloth! ;)

Brother Midge - thanks for the tip. Just what I was looking for! :)

[Wood Butcher]

Had some now ex-friends invite us to an scamway presentation once. I think they they asked to see 4 more presentations over 18 months. We don't see them much anymore.

Had another couple that we knew involved in omegatrend (i think that what it is?) and all along they kept saying that it is nothing like amway, except that you have to try and con all of your friends into joining and buying the products so that you can earn more money. Same situation as mentioned earlier, products that cost double the amount of supermarket equilavents. Fortunately these friends could take no for an answer and strangely enough they quit about 6 months later when they realised how much BS it all was.

[maglite]

What about the news tonight about the Nigerian scam????

25 Queenslanders got taken for $7million!!!!!!!

I bet those Nigerians are good at selling Scamway. :rolleyes:

:D

Says a lot about Queenslanders :p

[maglite]

Brother Midge - thanks for the tip. Just what I was looking for! :)

Try Briskleen Supplies in Malaga..........a number of companies make them.

[maglite]

I read all sorts of stuff trying to debunk the product, in the end, nothing gets brake dust of a set of mag wheels like a microfibre cloth! ;)
:D

Try the insert from a red or blue pad used for spraybuffing vinyl floors......red works better.

A well worn green scotchbrite is pretty good too as it isnt very abrasive and is very flexible.

[Cliff Rogers]

Says a lot about Queenslanders :p

What? That 25 of them had a lazy $7mil between them? :confused:

I did say that they must have been 'new' (slow) Queenslanders. :D

[Driver]

maglite - thanks for your tips, too!

If you see a SAAB whizzing past with shiny wheels - that'll be me! :)

[maglite]

maglite - thanks for your tips, too!

If you see a SAAB whizzing past with shiny wheels - that'll be me! :)

The last SAAB i seen with shiny wheels was on the side of the freeway:p

I was once told that the most valuable pieces of luggage in the boot of a SAAB consisted of a beach umbrella, a pack of cards, a bottle of sunscreen and the phone number of the nearest service agent :p

[doug the slug]

Well i actually tried this &&&& once.
early 'nineties a mate offered me a business proposition, got off the phone and wife saked whats going on. i said john was coming round to show us a business proposition and that was probably ok as he was too smart to get involved with amway.
next thing you know john is at the door with a leather jacket and wearing a tie. i call out to the wife "look whos in amway"!!!!

anyway we decide to look at the &&&& cos he's here anyway.

ok i was in the army at the time and wife was unemployed, i agree to let her take it on to make some extra money. I start showing the plan to help her. in thefirst month i get 3 strangers in and we make enough points to make a bonus cheque. WOW this stuff works

next month she blows out our first 3 downline, I put in six more and second month we make the second level without any of the distributors we signed up the first month. hey at this point im thinking this might just work

next month (you guessed it) she blew out the six, I put in six more and help 2 of them put in 2 and two to put in one, we make the third level in the third month without any of the distributors we signed up in the first two months!!!!! we skip 2 levels and make the 5th level that month cos i also helped the others establish a few customers.

meanwhile we are going to every event they promote and buy every book and tape we are told to and consequently we are spending more than we make. we are told that if we keep doing what we are doing we will be making a lot of money soon.

well , you guessed it, wife blew out entire downline by putting pressure on them to do what we were doing, i lost interest at that point. we subsequently found out that those above usin the pyramid were a lot of levels below what they claimed to be and werent making any oney out of it either, despite their claims to the contrary.

Yes we saved some money on our own purchases, but anything we mad out of it was reinvested in the motivation scheme, and i must admit that the motivation scheme has helped me in my business, but i could have bought self-help books andvideos without the hype and &&&&&&&& they promote and a lot cheaper.

save yopurself the agro -dont touch it

[ClintO]

Reminded me of an American sitcom I saw years ago in which a character walked into a party just as everyone ran out screaming . The host apologised for their behaviour but the new entrant said " Dont worry, I'm used to it, I used to sell Amway"

[doublejay]

I convinced SWMBO to call her friend and tell her we weren't interested. We prepared our arguments but I'm pleased to report they weren't needed. The friend is a newbie to the whole thing so perhaps she hasn't had the chip implanted yet and was totally relaxed about our decision.

Anyway, all's well that ends well.

[arose62]

It didn't take me all that long to realise that there are actually two businesses side-by-side in Amway:

1) the Amway products
2) the motivational products (tapes, books, seminars, events)

The big earners make the big earnings from business 2).

I found my niche by supplying the Amway products to folks that like the products, but hate the pressure. I promised NOT to try to tell them anything about the business opportunity (heck, Coles doesn't try to sign you up as a manager every time you buy Weetbix) and usually delivered via my Mum or sister, so didn't actually meet most of the customers.

I didn't earn any impressive dollars, and am always stunned that Amway subscribe to the secretive "It's not Amway, it's <insert current codename>" approach. It's a grand example of a negative feedback loop:
"can't say Amway, because people have a bad reaction"
Why do they have a bad reaction? Because of the avoidance of the simple truth that it IS Amway.

In summary, unless you love the products, and want the distributor discount, don't bother.

Cheers,
Andrew

[Bodgy]

Amazing, for the first time since I first ventured into this arcane and escoteric Forum (think Pancakes and Foillies) we actually have a

CONSENSUS

Amway sucks!

[outback]

Amazing, for the first time since I first ventured into this arcane and escoteric Forum (think Pancakes and Foillies) we actually have a

CONSENSUS

Amway sucks!

No it doesn't :D

[Iain]

This is starting to reek of the Monty Python Argument scene..................

[bitingmidge]

No it's not!

P
:eek:

[woodbe]

Amway sucks!

No it doesn't.

It blows :)

[outback]

This is starting to reek of the Monty Python Argument scene..................


No No No, arguments are two doors down, you silly prat. This is the abuse room.










I heard that scene on the radio this morning, absolute classic.

[Iain]

Sultry feminine voice Would you like to come upstairs or was that silly bunt......with a "K"

[Barry_White]

http://network-marketing.mcdar.net/35839.php

[Iain]

http://network-marketing.mcdar.net/35839.php
BUt how about the other 20 million???????
I am yet to meet am Amwank millionaire, or even one who gross's over $100 a month.............

[markharrison]

The "funniest" Amway experience I've had (there have been at least five in my clear recollection!) was on a business trip to Taiwan in the early nineties.

I sat next to a woman who lived in Melbourne on the leg to Hong Kong and we chatted a bit. Exchanging pleasantries and general chit chat about what we were travelling for etc. We did not exchange addresses or phone numbers or anything. I travelled on to Taiwan fully expecting to never hear from this person again.

As in so many of my expectations of life, I was wrong.

A week after I arrived back in Sydney, I received a phone call from her husband. At 8am on a Sunday! I'm sure you know the spiel. "I have this business opportunity blah, blah blah".

I am absolutely certain I never mentioned where I lived (there are 151 listings for M Harrison in the whitepages today!) but I am guessing that they took a punt based on the limited information that they had about where I worked at that time. I'm also guessing that there were a few other M Harrisons more than a little narked to be dragged out of bed early on a Sunday to discuss a non-existent business opportunity.

[Sturdee]

I have never even spoken to an Amway rep or seen any of their products.

I feel deprived that I haven't been offered such wonderful opportunities.:rolleyes:


Peter.

[woodbe]

Iain, I have, and I managed to avoid the business opportunity :)

It's not good for your marriage either:

http://www.amquix.info/amway_divorces.html

Hmm. I see one of my old customers in there, He's very big in Amway, doesn't look like he's having much fun though...

[woodbe]

Actually, this is a good overview of the inner workings:

http://www.amquix.info/amway.html

[Wongo]

.

[fxst]

..
PANCAKES
..
Pete:D

[zymurgy]

Blakey Report, compares Amway to Organised crime (http://www.amquix.info/pdfs/Blakely_expert_report.pdf)

[rrich]

AMAZING!

Who woud have thunk it?

The world over, Amway is as welcome as... Well, let's not go there in polite company.

I got sucked into one of those recruiting meetings a long time ago. A couple we were friends with hosted the "Seminar". The woman was really enthsuastic about the program and tried to infect LOML. The bloke and I were rather skeptical. We did the analysis like a pyramid or chain letter and things fell apart rather quickly.

I forced LOML to do the math. In the final analysis, she said "There aren't enough people in Phoenix to make this work."

Besides, they only have one decent product, LOC. All the rest are almost a scam.

[kiwigeo]

SWMBO dragged me along to a presentation for Amway/A2K last night. I'm the resident skeptic in our house and firmly believe the old adage 'if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is'. On the other hand SWMBO is keen to give this a go and I'm trying very hard not to rain on her parade.

I was wondering whether anyone here had any experiences they could share.

Thanks

If you want to lose all your friends and have your relies dread visiting your house then go for it. If you do your homework on A2K and other middle level marketing scams youll soon realise that the only people making money are the ones up the top of the organisation..the whole thing wouldnt work if the suckers at the bottom of the pyramid were making money.

Cheers Martin

[ozwinner]

AMAZING!

A couple we were friends with .

Were, says it all.

Al :p

[TassieKiwi]

My Uncle was supposedly 'big' in this and was going to be a gazillionaire. He isn't, o fcourse, but I did see one of the founders' huge yacht on the Auckland waterfront. It is a nasty, insidious, creepy monster. I couldn't believe it when a close friend (I was his best man) called with 'the proposal' years ago. Took a long time to get over that. Yuck.

[bitingmidge]

I have never even spoken to an Amway rep or seen any of their products.

Peter,

That's because you are an accountant, and they don't make enough money to need accounting advice!

:D :D :D
P