http://www.unhappyfranchisee.com/will-amway-make-you-annoying/comment-page-12/#comment-92192
■DoAsISay on January 8th, 2012 9:31 pm
I finally decided to search the web after being out of Amway now since February 2011. I was hesitant to do so because I had been told not to so many times by my uplines that there is negative on the internet even about Mother Teresa. That was the “line” that they used to trick me into not doing my research. I am a college graduate with a bachelors degree in accounting and I was taught to always research a company to learn more about them if you are going to be involved with them. Anyways, I am glad that I did because I now realize that I am not the only one who disagrees with Amway and their approaches to “the business”.
A little more background about my situation which I’m sure is not unique to many others who have been in Amway. My girlfriend and I were introduced to this business by a friend of my girlfriend and her husband. From the presentation that was shown to me I thought that it sounded VERY easy to do. I was told that I only needed 3 friends out of my 200 contacts in my phone to want to save money and make money at the same time. That was the first lie that I later found out. First of all, we didnt save any money. We threw away over $7000 and saw under $300 return. How exactly am I saving money? Secondly, IF, IF you get (trick) 3 friends to signed up, you have alot more work to do than that. Try 50 people and by the time u get 50 people involved, 48 of those will have quit once they finally realize that you took advantage of them and weren’t straight forward with them.
So Time went on and I hung around and observed the behaviors of people in Amway and how they talked. I said to myself, I want to be nothing like these people. They all sounded the same to me and it was just a little weird. Finally I realize that they have all been brainwashed how to think, how to spend their money, who they spend their time with, and how they spend their time. Amway with the help of the “EDUCATION” has completely taken control of the lives of many, many naive, weak minded, gullible, ignorant, or too trusting (you fill in the blank) individuals who worship their upline like they are God. Sure I thought it was cool that I knew a millionaire and got to hang out at his house and all, but Im not going to empty my bank account for anyone! How about this line…”You don’t make money FROM your friends when they get involved, Your making money WITH your friends”. WHAT?!? Last time I checked anyone you sponsor in the business, you collect their business volume from the stuff they buy and get a kickback from those purchases. I believe that’s called making money FROM your friends. They have another sneaky tactic that they use to conceal the truth. “You’re not making money from your friends, Amway is paying you for driving volume to their website. Ok, Yeah that’s still making money from your friends. Im not an idiot and your blender of words and phrases don’t have any effect on me.
Back to November 2010, I got married to my girlfriend I was in the business with and shortly after she became an Ambot as I’ve heard people refer to it. In February 2011, i had enough of it and decided to cut my loses and get out. My wife didn’t share the same thoughts and feelings though because she had been soaking in every last drop of the expensive “Education” we were receiving. Up until the point of me getting out of the business since I had known her, we NEVER had an argument. We were inseparable and much in love. That all changed as time progressed. We started disagreeing and this horrible person came out of her as I never seen before. She physically hit me on 3 occasions and we would fight, mostly her, as I like to be calm and collective. I rather reason things out by gathering the facts and explaining my perspective. Her reasoning went out the door with her mind because everything out of her mouth was something about the business.
I spent many nights home alone waiting for her to get back from those stupid waste of time meetings. Eventually in October I had enough. We got in another fight and she asked me to leave, so I did! Now supposedly when a woman says leave, that means dont leave in translation, but I took it at face value and left. We are currently separated and in the process of filing for a dissolution. I never thought Amway could destroy a marriage like that, but I’ve read so many sad stories where has done just that. Like I said, I’m sure my story isn’t a unique one, but I just wanted to share in hopes that I can TRULY HELP people steer clear of this plague. Not only will it empty your bank account, waste time you could be living your life and enjoying the company of family and true friends, it will destroy your relationships with the ones you love. These people that were in our business call themselves Christians, yet they can easily let a marriage be destroyed and not even flinch. Greed and lies are all I see in these people!
I would like to sit my wife down and show her some information so maybe, just maybe she will snap out of it, but I feel like she is so programmed at this point that I won’t be able to get her to read it. If anybody actually reads my entire story (I know its long) and has any advice on getting her out let me know. I got nothing to lose at this point since I’ve pretty much lost the love of my life.
I am so, so sorry. I lost my best friend to an MLM (not Amway but they are similar). She's turned into an obsessed MLM bot and is unbearable to be around--it's all she talks about. Ever. And lies about, she lies about how much money she is making and how great her "business" is doing. I know for a fact she is spending far more than she is taking in. She's been doing it for five years and makes about $1200 a year while spending around $4,000. MLMs brainwash people as you've experienced. It's been very hard as prior to this we were as close as sisters. When I told her it was unethical to recruit people into a "business" where 99% of people lose or make no money (as per the company's own income disclosure statement which I sent to her) while the company advertises it as a way to "financial freedom" she stopped speaking to me. We've been best friends for more than 20 years. It doesn't compare to your situation, but know that you are not alone.
ReplyDeleteDespite the obvious, IBOFightback continues to defend Amway. If you look at his comment, we says it's not Amway's fault. If an IBO leader facilitates this kind of stuff happening, and Amway fails to take any substantial action, that says a lot.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the support. It does help to ease the pain of losing the woman I had planned on spending the rest of my life with. I find it a relief to know that I am not alone in all of this.
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry that you have gone through this DoAsISay, and it's stories such as this which rattle me so bad at the Amway 'opportunity?' How can anyone justify the carnage a business like this causes? Some get out with only a few minor scrapes. Some have their fiances negatively affected significantly. Others have them changed so thoroughly that they may never get back on track.
ReplyDeleteThen there are others, the stories such as this where unsuspecting people have their lives changed permanently.
Divorces, separations, families being ripped apart, children not being able to see their parents and for what? For a scam which so many know doesn't work? Trust me on this one, EVERY Ambot knows Amway doesn't work, that's why they insult and berate bloggers and critics like Joe because they have no other recourse. If Amway worked, they wouldn't give two whoops in hades and simply get out and get the job done. They know, they just don't want to see it or admit it to themselves.
I'm appalled at the fact that some people can support a 'business' like this and I can't speak for anyone else, but I always wonder what would have happened to me had I stayed in. Would I still be married, would I have significant finance losses? For many IBO's it's Russian Roulette as to what they will receive from the Amway business, and sadly, financial freedom is seldom the return on their investment.
Joe, this is precisely the reason why I lost all respect for Deb when she left Webraw and started buying the crap IBOFB was selling. She let her emotions get in the way and decided not to see what the business was doing to people. She separated the AMO's from Amway, in order to keep it pure in her own mind. A business which doesn't care one whit about destroying the lives of innocent people.
I know you guys go back a fair bit, and I don't want to come at you sideways, but I find her actions reprehensible. If you see her again, tell her exactly what her precious Amway is, that even though the corp didn't bilk the IBO's, they let the AMO's run roughshod over them and didn't protect them.
Let me tell you a story, a young girl i knew was getting assaulted on the regular by her mother's husband and had been for about 5 years before the truth came to light. The main issue which bothered this girl, was that her mother KNEW what was going on, BUT DIDN'T PROTECT HER!
Tell that one to Deb when she tries to justify her crap about the AMO's being the villain's and the corporation being innocent. I will never have any respect for anyone who supports such a heinous business.
Mr Maximum,
ReplyDeleteI too, was disapppointed that Deb went to IBOFB's side. She was convinced that Amway was making progress and improvements. The IBOs on IBOFB's site were all into propaganda that Amway was changinf for the better. I still see plenty of testimony and stories that indicate that nothing has changed. IBOs are still duped by the System leaders and Amway looks the other way.