Stumbled across this website while researching Amway. My story starts around 14 years ago. My parents got involved in Amway I was 22 at the time and they recruited me and my girlfriend (now wife) into the 'business' my older bother and his wife joined as well. We went to a lot of seminars and home meetings, met with their Directs constantly was told it was the only way to brake free from working for someone else and to make real money. At the time we were broke I couldn't afford the tapes or seminar entry fees so my parents would pay.
I would make calls to friends and work colleagues and organised meetings, recruited people and thought it was great. My parents became directs and my brother and I were slowly progressing too. As I was only young my influence and life experience I felt held me back and that's when I started asking questions. I could see my parents buying tools all the time and having to buy a lot of product to re qualify as directs every month. There was always a new fad product line as well, makeup, jewelery, water purifiers, air purifiers healing magnets. It looked like one gimmick after another.
I saw the travel costs of going all over the state for meetings, the phone calls etc the straw broke when their laundry door was looked and I couldnt go in there any more and found out they bought 6 air purifiers just to stay directs and didn't want anyone in their downline to know hence locking the room off. I quit and kept on working my job which freed up my time to look at other things. My brother kept working his day job and doing Amway on the side still to this day.
I would not have a clue how much money time and effort him and his wife have spent doing it for 14 years and still are not even close to making a living out of it. My parents quit after about 5 year's they wasted precious time and money on it, they are almost broke at 60 years of age.
The amazing upline we all admired quit as well at the sane time my parents did. They apparently had a strong group below them but I was told it all fell apart. My brother deals with no one that was around when I was involved as they have all left. He is constantly trying to find new people as the turnover is massive.
The ironic part about the whole thing is that I was told it was the only way to get ahead in life to be an independent business owner in Amway. I started a small business of my own in the back bedroom of my house 10 years ago and over time it grew with offices in several states of Australia and this year I made over a million dollars in profit. I think at how ironic it was that I quit Amway and made something so successful, my parents have basically nothing and my brother is still working the same job chasing the same dream he was 16 years earlier.
Thursday, January 8, 2015
The Danger Of An "Amway" Dream?
A recent site visitor left this comment on my blog. It shows how chasing an Amway dream can have less than desirable results:
Thanks for this! I wish everyone currently in Amway, except for the clowns at the top of the pyramid, would read this and GTFO!
ReplyDeleteIt's scary because the downline believe anything the diamonds say. And then they're told to buy an endless supply of tools.
DeleteI read a article from this active mlm leader. He works the mlm business 8am-1am seven days a week. Probably to maintain and replace the quitters. Amway with a even worst reputation would be even harder to maintain. Feel sorry for this persons brother. That's to many years to spend in Amway
ReplyDeleteEven the leaders have to work hard. When people quit the business daily, you have to hustle to keep replacing these folks or your business falls apart.
DeleteMy ex upline edc in wwdb is a talented sales type. The group of platinums he has 20 yrs ago. I can't think of one who is platinum today. I see this person break new platinums recently and video of him at diamond club in 2014. Average person can't even imagine qualifying diamond once. But having it all fall and part every few years and rebuilding seems like a bigger nightmare.
DeleteMy former diamond is currently qualified but he doesn't have any of his original platinums around anymore. He fell out of qualification and had to rebuild his group. Not sure how anyone can sleep with that instability.
DeleteI read many ibos dream is to speak and respect. There's no bigger stage than to speak worldwide as a diamond in Amway. In the world of mlm other companies don't have this setup. Harimoto can easily be a leader in another company mlm and be just as profitable.
DeleteYes, Harimoto and other diamonds would probably be successful in other eandeavors. But once they go diamond they are too deeply invested to quit even though they probably realize they are scamming people.
DeleteIt is quite sad to hear this happening in the USA. Maybe the diamonds in the USA are taking advantage of their status and rips people's money.
ReplyDeleteHowever, we IBOs in Brunei Darussalam (a peaceful little SEA country) are enjoying our lives with amway.
Theres no such thing as spending so much on tools because our uplines are lending us the CDs and Books.
Theres no such thing as buying so many products to maintain PV, because we are patient enough to establish and help our network, which helps to secure our PV every month and their network does the same for them, and on and on.
Theres no such thing as expensive functions or conferences because well, we're a small country XD accessibility is high, profitability is high.
Theres no such thing as a bad upline because we are taught and trained to be positive, to always keep it up and never let yourself down. We are trained to take it any pace rather than no pace at all.
We don't complain about the products because we can really see the effects of the products. It may cost a bit more, but it lasts long. Some just don't know how to use it properly (which we've proven to be the case XD )
We don't complain about the income because we know that its not a get-rich-quick-scheme. The key is to build a network and we all know networking takes some time. All we ever need then, is patience.
We don't complain about the system because we know it works. We have seen it work and we see that the only way is up. There is no such thing as failure in a business with a system as long as you follow the system properly. And the system is do-able by everyone.
We've seen farmers, students, teachers, housewives, families and many more achieve success in Brunei and what they all have in common follows what they say in the CDs : a Dream and patience.
So i don't know. So far here in Brunei everything is going all smooth. The positivity is always there and no one is going bankrupt (people who got bankrupt...seriously...learn to manage your money). Our uplines are really helpful and it hasn't taken up our time (thats coming from me, an IBO whos attending his university studies for a degree) because we are taught how to manage time by our mentors.
So yeah i don't know. A part of me feels sorry for you IBOs in USA, but the other part of me wants to tell the rest of the IBOs to never give up. This business is not a one-year-get-rich kind of thing. This business is all about building your team TOGETHER. This business is all about patience and willing to work hard. This business is Amway + Network 21
So if you want to be successful in this business (in anything that is), stop losing to the negative people and their comments.
Its not the flaw the system, but the fault of people.
Go Diamond IBOs!
You must be a newbie. Uplines don't loan out cds to people forever. If you commit to the business, you'll be expected to "invest" and buy your own cds to "loan out" to your own downline.. Even if you're not in the US< I don't see why anything would be different. It's just that you're new and you haven't see through the scheme just yet.
DeleteClassic Amspeak, "Its not the flaw the system, but the fault of people." No it's not the people. The system sucks! A self-consumption pyramid scheme is no way to build a life, a team, or the economy of Brunei.
DeleteIn Amway, the successes are credited to the "system" of cds, books and seminars, which is why you must buy them. But if you fail, it's not the system, it's personal responsibility. It's like flipping a coin where head's I win and tails you lose.
DeleteBrunei ibos, I was involved in a mlm where the leader lent us promotional aids. Had free DVDs,CDs,etc to give us. We where promoting mainly health products. Even our functions where free. Mind you it was a small crowd. Where one of the distributors was a banquet manager of a hotel. But 99% of us still didn't make any money. It was nice our cost for product and business expense was less than 100.00 USD a month. There where no bitterness when we quit. But mlm structure mathematically isn't sustainable. Majority will lose out money. Its a matter of how much people are losing
DeleteGood then,same with was we did in Malaysia also.Maybe we can keep in touch and cooperate together.Mind exchange contact?
DeleteBravo Brunei and Malaysia.....I am with you........don't let negative people influence your Amway biz
DeleteGive me more details of Amway in Malaysia,I want it now,to shoot them!Faster get me as more details as you can!
ReplyDeleteSorry, I don't know much about how Amway operates in Malaysia. However, if they are selling cds and functions, then that is the problem.
DeleteChina is the worst.Many people hate it so much and a lot of negative things about it.Good job!
Deletei m from malaysia too, my gf is doing the amway stuff, the things that u have mentioned in ur blog are quiet same here.
DeleteUpliner encourage my gf to attend 2 to 3 seminar per weeks, buy the CDs and books as well
No need to shoot at anyone...if you are convinced and believe just do it.....
DeleteSnow White, beware of the trap of the tool scam.
ReplyDeleteJoe cool,.....Amway is not pyramid.....for 4 years, Amway went to court, the US Governments try to prove Pyramid after 4 years , they lost the case.....amway proven not pyramid. I am in Amway for 30 plus years.....and still going, so The newbie in Brunei knows amway works, totally fair biz, commensurate with time and effort. I suggest Joe cool before you post such negative remarks, do your home work.....check out Amway around the world....
ReplyDeleteAmway is a pyramid. I have never said they are illegal. They are a legal product pyramid. The downline's product and tool purchases are how the uplines make their money.
Deleteamway is not using pyramid system. you are really misunderstood about the business concept of amway. amway gives rewards to those who deserved it. Even though Im not an active member of amway, I can see my uncle are almost at the stage of Diamond as per 2016 because HE WORK VERY HARD to achieve it by not just sitting around waiting for money to come. Any members of Amway that got nothing from it is because they have done nothing!
ReplyDeleteNo doubt your uncle worked hard but he's still scamming his downline to make a living like other diamonds. Many people have put forth tremendous effort but lost money because the Amway system is flawed and designed that way.
ReplyDelete