When I was an IBO, I was always taught that diamonds pay cash for everything. That one day, after following the foolproof WWDB system, that I too, would be strolling on the beaches of the world, with cash rolling into my bank account with no worries in the world. We were told that diamonds pay cash for all purchases, even homes and other large ticket items. As evidence, the diamonds would show slideshows of mansions and sports cars, golf club memberships and other lavish items. All paid for in cash we were told. I have reason to believe that WWDB still teaches this except that it is a bunch of lies.
First of all, in looking back, the group really had no way of knowing what was paid for or not. We just assumed that diamonds made so much money that everything the diamonds spoke of were true. However, there have been events, some very recent that exposed some of the apparent lies told by these diamonds. There were two (2) diamonds whose home foreclosures became public knowledge and a prominent triple diamond who was involved in bankruptcy proceedings. Now your home cannot be foreclosed if it's paid for in cach right? Technically, nobody would care whether a diamond's home was mortgaged or paid for, but when diamonds parade in front of a crowd bragging about wealth, and then telling the audience that they too will achieve the same success by following the system and upline advice, well that's a bit misleading in my opinion. So many people in the audience are practically crying because they want what the diamonds are flaunting, except that possibly, many of these diamonds don't even have what they are selling.
A average diamond might make about $150,000 (according to Amway) and let's just say another $150,000 from selling support materials. When you factor in taxes and business expenses such as travel to and from functions, what's left over certainly is not going to allow you tp purchase million dollar mansions. Some higher up pins might make a bit more, but still, purchasing mansions and other luxuries in cash is a stretch. It would be my guess that most diamonds indeed have a mortgage on their homes and may even have car payments. That's not a crime but it is unethical to lie about your income in order to recruit new downlines. The average diamonds likely live closer to a middle class lifestyle than that of a jetsetter.
For IBOs and other newbies, if your uplines are bragging about paying for homes and other things in cash, ask them to show proof of these claims. I can show you pictures of multi million dollar mansions and sports cars, it doesn't mean that I paid for them in cash or that I even own them. But then again, admitting to having a mortgage or having monthly car payments are not quite as attractive or exciting as paying for these things in cash.
I remember when I was in my MLM me and my sponsor had a meeting with one of the higher ups there who was thought of by everyone to be one of the most successful in the entire group. I was expecting to see him show up in a gilded Cadillac or something when he instead rolls up in a beaten down old Plymouth, with his suit on. That opened up one of the first little cracks of doubt that I had. "Wait a minute" I thought to myself, "If this guy's so damn rich why is he driving this old bucket of rust?" But by then I was in deep enough that I felt it necessary to suppress such thoughts and soldier on and try to make the damn thing work. These people are both ingenious and ruthless in how they manipulate you and your surroundings in the MLM cult network to suck you in just a little at a time until you are "committed" and then it's really hard to break free.
ReplyDeleteThe ironic thing is that for the very few who actually make any money doing Amway, imagine what they could earn if they actually applied the same effort, time, capital outlay etc. to an honest business or even an honest job. Plus, they wouldn't have to hide the name of their company like Ambots do.
My diamond had a Mercedes but it was a used one from some higher up diamond. I believe a lot of the stuff you see a functions might not even be owned by the diamonds. Think about a diamond's business expenses. Flying around (first class I presume) to functions ad staying at hotels, plus the stated income of a diamond doesn't include expenses like taxes, medical insurance, etc.
DeleteWhat concrete value does any Amway IBO (I'm Bending Over) accrue after years of pouring into it virtually all of their time, money and life? A place on some Amway paper chart that shows them higher than others, that's all. Very intangible. Virtually no actual product being marketed to the public and no concrete service performed whatsoever at any level. Rather shaky I'd say to put all your eggs into one Amway basket when that piece of paper is the only thing you've got. That and a garage full of Amway stuff you can't sell.
ReplyDeleteWhat you say is very true. I believe some diamonds quit because the business is not "all that". And these diamonds must keep working forever because their businesses will fall apart and the tool income would stop once you stop speaking at functions and actively building the business.
DeleteI've been to enough meetings to know this whole program is soft and brown. My friend continues to drag me to the meetings in hopes I will hear that one magic talk that would convince me that this "business" isn't the biggest Shell Game around. I go just to watch the train wrecks at times, but have lately just told him I'm not interested because I want to throat punch the assholes who continue to rape the downline.
ReplyDeleteIt can be hard watching family and friends get taken to the cleaners but not much you an do about it as they are not "forced" to do it.
DeleteThere was this married couple in the MLM scam I was briefly in at one time. At first she was into it and he wasn't. But then I remember her telling me that she was starting to tire of it. We both quit the scam about the same time and soon afterword I heard that HE had gotten caught up in it and started going to the meetings and doing all that silly crap on his own, without her. Must have been an interesting scenario inside that house.
ReplyDeleteAnother guy I used to work with had a wife who was a JW and he was none too happy about it. But later on I heard that the same role reversal had occurred. She had left the sect, cult or whatever you call it and HE had quit the good paying trade we both did so that he could work nights as a janitor and ring doorbells by day. I remember this guy was six foot nine. Imagine answering your doorbell to a 6'9'' JW standing on your porch LOL. Funny thing though, while the man made unions are no damn good according to that doctrine this guy made it a point to stay in it long enough to vest his full twenty year evil union pension. LOL again.
I've also wondered about the very few actually successful ones who charismatically pitch that spell to the Amway sheep in order to fleece them. What are they thinking? Do they fool themselves to justify it? Or do they know damn well what they are doing to people? There is a BBC documentary on You Tube about psychopaths that says about one in two hundred is a psychopath and that they are born that way and most of them are not even criminals, let alone killers. They are usually high functioning people who can be very charming and are very good at getting what they want from people because they do not feel constrained by conscience because they don't have one. If this is true I think I know where some of them have found a home. And that's not funny.
I believe the leaders know they are scamming people. I have read about former platinums who stood backstage at functions and basically, the diamonds would refer to the audience as gullible, or "rubes" if you will.
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