Originally posted by EmbryonicEssence
(4). Lying about the income potential is widespread in Amway, especially at the recruiting stage. They will tell you about huge amounts of money to be made, but if you ask for specific evidence, you will be told that they can not give you details because it "is against the law".
Most of the income attained by the AMO leaders comes from the "tools scam".

One of the best ways to scare off potential Quixtar recruiters is to simply state that they can "show you the plan" as soon as they "show you their tax return for the last year". If they are so successful as they claim, they shouldn't have any problem showing you theirs. To date, I have never had anyone take me up on that offer, even when I tell them I will show them my return.

It's like a clove or garlic. Try it.

This works for most MLM companies.

Hi.
I was in quixtar for a while but it cost me more money than anything else. I quit because when i went to the seminars it was a constant "selling of the idea"... I kept saying, ok, im here, im sold, so teach me something... no it was all about "look at me!!! look how happy you can be!!"... yeah so we said screw this... we are otta herrrre.

Originally posted by dbates
I sometimes wondered if the entire thing was just a scam to sell motivational tapes.

If you do some research on that you will find you have hit the proverbial nail on the head. Most of the income made by the "big boys" is through the motavational tapes, book and yes meetings and conventions. Really quite a machine that they have out there.

My experience with Quixtar was quite similar to yours, but I didn't catch on to the problems until I moved away from Idaho where Quixtar has almost become a part of the Mormon church (which I was born into). Every member of Quixtar I met there was a Mormon and quite a few of the ones they talked about are pretty well-known members. I'd heard all their stories before at church as a kid back when I had no clue about Quixtar.

Anyway, I got involved in Quixtar and started going to meetings. They are always talking about praying for eachother's business in the temple, which doesn't even seem right according to Mormon teachings. Because all the ones I met are Mormons, they look out for eachother and the rich ones help the not-so-rich get into "the loop" by showing them the "real" tricks to "the business". That's what they always called it. I had to pry for a week to figure out what "the business" actually was, and even though they were always talking about Quixtar after that, they kept on insisting that it wasn't "the business" even though that's the only thing they were doing to make however much money they got off of it.

The only people who actually were making any money were a retired couple who still worked a couple days each week, but had enough spare time on their hands to spend the rest of their time on the business.

Because I've been a Mormon all my life, they pointed out to me all the high-ranking Quixtar IBOs that are Mormon. It's an unusually high percentage. They also kept comparing it to missionary work, which is unusual in and of itself (in the LDS/Mormon church). It's the same concept. Spend a bunch of money and you'll save souls, gain salvation, be happy, and have financial freedom. It's a lie and a vicious one that has hundreds and thousands of Mormons living at the poverty level with depression. I know because I've spent my teenage years in a family classified as poverty-level citizens, and our family was rapidly deteriorating to a bunch of people living in the same house and not talking to eachother. My parents are financially strapped down because they rarely let us earn our own money, but still expect us to go on expensive two-year missions that they want to pay for mostly by themselves.

All around, it's just a mess of a life that made me near suicidal in my early teens, but I got over it because I realized that once I "got out," life could only improve. Unfortunately, it's been so engrained in me that I haven't found a way out yet, the same as I almost got dragged into Quixtar and would have been brainwashed by the pep talks and rallies I spent a Semester of college distracted by, bringing my grade point average down to near a 2.5. It's a disaster they've pulled me into and I never even asked for it. I was pretty well born into this nightmare and I'd like any help at all getting OUT!!!!! Please, no money offers though. Though I could use money, I could use advice far more.

Amway/Quixtar is probably the longest running ponzie scheme next to Avon distributors in existence today. A complete and utter scam that only the regional supervisors make any real money. It reminds me of that damned 'Dare To Be Great' scam of the late 60's early 70's. They told you to go out and lease Caddies and look prosperous and others would invest with you so you could be rich. They garrunteed you a 300% profit on every dollar you could generate. My next door neighbor got taken for 30.000 before he caught on.

Zindo

I will confirm it is a scam of the pyramid scheme variety. It is also religion disguised as a business, because the religion reinforces the business, and vice versa. It is a very effective reinforcement technique used to deepen the ensnarement of the weak minded.

I have had several friends fall victim to it. A couple spent years and much money attempting to make it work, and both were left with nothing but poverty and ruined marriages as a result.

This stuff should be banned.

to all, do you have answers for these?
- Is there any GOOD MLM?

- What is Good MLM?

- Are all MLM systems must be pyramidal?