What’s Happening In Amway?

Our country and my state are in shut down mode due to the covid 19.  We are allowed to exercise outdoors and to run errands for food, banking, doctor appointments.  People are being ticketed, fined and could face jail tube for failure to comply with the shut down rules.   I really miss going out fir lunch and dinner but that’s another story.

I’ve gotten done feedback and messages that some Amway groups continue to fleece their faithful down line by continuing to run functions, albeit via teleconference but at the sane price as an in person function.   If you are an IBO or prospect, even if you believe in Amway, what can you do with information learned?  You can’t go out to prospect safely nor will you be able to run and/or build a business under the current social conditions.

But it ticks me off that Amway leaders are so shameless that they continue to take money from their down line in a potential depressed economy where a lot of people are losing their jobs or having less work due to the pandemic.  It suggests to me that diamonds are desperately trying to pay their own bills by fleecing people who trust them.

Aren’t the diamonds supposed to be filthy rich ?   Aren’t they living in the lap of luxury?  Yet here they are taking money from people who can likely least afford it to keep their scam going.  IBOS are not churning out new successes with regularity.   Where are all the new diamonds and emeralds?  They don’t exist.  We mostly see the sane old diamonds over and over while the multitudes lies money chasing what they think is a dram but in reality is a scam.

Stay Safe?

I live in Hawaii and our covid 19 cases have reached 120 as of this writing.  If you are involved in Amway, consider taking a break and following the directions of your government leaders.  Do not take unnecessary risk in the name of recruiting downline.   Stay home and do not contribute to the problem.

If your upline is scheduling functions online and charging you, don’t you wonder why you would need to pay when a conference call or online meeting such as using an app would be free and you can’t use the teaching as many states such as mine are in lock down mode where we are only allowed to be our for work, or to get food or to go to medical appointments.

People are being fined for being out and about fir no reason.  You can’t run an Amway business the way things are now.  Stay home and stay safe.  Save your money and think twice before paying your upline for a conference that can be run fir free.  Sure you can argue that they need to get paid fir their time but the question is why they are trying to squeeze money from their down line in a tight economy and a possible looming recession.

Stay safe physically and financially!   😃

The Nerve?

I just wrote a blog post about Amway and covid 19.  People are being mandated to stay home and to practice social distancing which us probably killing Amway IBOs and their ability to recruit and attempt to sell products.  Travel is being restricted and in Hawaii where I live, visitors will soon be quarantined for two weeks upon landing and many places are closed and restaurants are limited to take out orders only.  

In Hawaii, we are a tourist based economy so many people are being laid off or having reduced hours of work.  We and the rest of the country will be hurting and people will likely take time to recover financially from the carnage of covid 19 and that’s not including the stock market.  Because I’m already retired, my retirement portfolio was in high yield bonds and guaranteed interest accounts but many likely lost a small fortune due to the volatile stock market.

But what ticks me off is hearing that the diamonds are still trying to hold functions with a live stream which basically costs nothing but apparently are charging the full function price.  They have their nerve if they are doing this.  They allegedly make bank as diamonds but have the gall to try and extract cash from down line by running bull shit functions that are highly unlikely to help downline IBOs to make any money.  What a joke.

Amway IBOs and prospects, if you read this and still pay for a useless function, ask your upline diamond why they don’t do this fir free since they make money off downline business.  Why don’t they do this free all the time since downline would have more cash fir Amway products.  But they won’t answer or do any free functions as diamonds are very likely dependent on function money to survive.  Take that to the bank.

Amway And Covid 19?

I recently went to my doctor for a routine check up.  He told me basically that the corona virus is just thus years version of influenza or the flu.  But because the media has sensationalized it, it has become a disaster fir people and world wide economies.  I don’t believe that covid 19 is any worse than the swine flu that we had sone years back.  Joecool has used the opportunity to purchase great stocks at low prices.

But how will this affect IBOS?   They mostly do business person to person which might become challenging with social distancing being practiced.  Also, how will the uplines line their pockets without the ability to have large meetings and conventions.  Not that I feel sorry fir the crooked upline but I wonder what pitch is being used to extract cash from downline without the ability to hold functions?   How will IBOS recruit without the ability to sit down fir coffee?  At least in Hawaii, restaurants and places like Star Bucks only have take out options.

Now to be honest I don’t wNt people’s jobs to be affected so I have been eating out daily to support local business.  I don’t want IBOS to have their employment affected but I hope that upline doesn’t push some shameless s am to extract cash from their down line due to the covid 19 restrictions.  If anyone knows of any hair brained schemes by upline, let me know so I can investigate and possibly publish an article about it here.

Stay safe and I hope this mess gets sorted out soon!  

Amway Should Be Booming?

With the covid 19 virus trashing the stock market and local economies, there is fear and uncertainty sweeping the US and many other countries.   In Hawaii, it’s getting difficult to find anti bacterial and other cleaning supplies such as bleach and disinfecting wipes and the like.  Everyone is doing what they can to stay clean and avoid catching the virus themselves.  I can’t say I blame them.

But is Amway booming as they sell many household and cleaning products?  Are IBOS up to their ears in orders for these products?  My guess is no.  You would think IBOS would be able to capitalize on such a golden opportunity to prosper.  But then again, many IBOS just buy from themselves and try to recruit others into the scheme.  Thus sales are an afterthought and not a priority.

I hope that people remain calm, use common sense and be abad to recover and prosper quickly from all of this mess.  In the meantime, I wish everyone well and hope you all stay safe and virus free.

P.S.  regarding the comment on Anna’s blog, I do not currently have contact information for her.  I have also had difficulty with comments here but it appears that the problems are with mobile devices.  I will try to get the worked out.

Stay safe everyone!

The Problem With Amway?

The reason why (In My Opinion) so many Amway IBOs fail despite being motivated is because the Amway business is fraught with so many obstacles and handicaps.  I'm in my 50's (and retired no thanks to Amway) but I could beat the fastest runner in the world in the 100 meter dash if he had to run 100 meters and I only need to run 30 meters.  I'm not in his class but if I have a big enough handicap, even the fastest man in the world cannot overcome it.  It's like the Amway business.

Let me elaborate in simple language.  Amway products are generic in name and quality but come with premium prices.  Add the bad name reputation that Amway carries and it's easy to see why the vast majority of Amway IBOs fail.  Also keep mind that Amway's multi tiered system is designed to have few winners.  Take the common 6-4-2 plan or some similar version.  It has a bunch of rank and file IBOs with one platinum.  Then they say duplicate that 6 times and you're a diamond.  Sounds simple and easy until you try to actually do it.

The 100 PV is difficult because unless you're a great sales person, consuming that much volume of household products is difficult and often leads to overspending to reach the defacto quota.  Most IBOs self consume because they are taught to do so and they often wind up overspending to reach that 100 PV.  But you must do it so your downline can copy you right?  What BS which brings up my next point.

IBOs are systematically drained of their money by the upline in the form of voicemail, books, standing orders and functions/meetings.   The system is ineffective and the system does not and cannot produce any more success than the 1 out of approximately 100 that is shown in many plans.  Imagine that, you can be in the top 10% of IBOs and you are likely to lose money month after month.  Its because the Amway system is designed that way.   It wouldn't be so bad if not for the blood sucking upline advising people to spend (They call it investing) on their Amway education.

Thus in the end, paying premium prices for generic products and basically working with a company with a bad reputation is already a massive handicap but when you factor in the cost of the upline system of voicemail (who needs voicemail anymore to begin with???), standing orders and audios, books, functions and meetings plus gas and other related expenses and you wind up with the scenario I described in the beginning of this post.  You can be the fastest man on earth but if you give me a 70 meter head start in a 100 meter race, I will win all the time.  In this case the IBOs are the fastest man on earth while Amway is the one with the head start.

That's the entire problem with Amway in my view.  In my numerous years of blogging, not one IBO or prospect has proven me wrong.  Also, not a single IBO who shot off his/her mouth on this blog has ever returned to claim they went platinum or diamond.   Gee, I wonder why that is??

Amway Is Not A Gamble?

I’ve seen and heard many debates about Amway and one interesting discussion was about Amway and gambling and the odds of success.  The Amway defenders were quick to point out that Amway is not a game of chance and hard work is required to succeed.   But let’s look beyond those simple and obvious arguments.

If Amway is not a game of chance, then it is possibly the most difficult business in the world to succeed in.   That’s because millions or tens of millions have put forth a lot of time, effort and money into their Amway business only to end up with a net loss.   Amway’s own financial disclosures confirm this.   Now I didn’t go digging for the most recent figures but Amway’s own stats showed that about 1/4 of one percent of IBOS go platinum.  That’s the level where dedicated IBOS allegedly break even or begin to make a profit although many IBOs go platinum but do not requalify for that level again.

So based on information that Amway discloses, you have about a small fraction of one percent of breaking even or making money in Amway.  And I repeat the Amway defender’s line that Amway is not a game of chance.  Who in the world would want to join a business where you have less chance to succeed than a game of chance?  Seriously?  If I flip a coin, I have a fifty percent chance of calling the correct outcome of heads or tails.

Even most games in Las Vegas gives you close to a 50 percent chance of winning.  Certain games such as black jack can actually favor the player depending on the level of skill.  Now I’m not advocating gambling as a good way to make an income but I’m just illustrating how difficult it can be to succeed in Amway.

More food for thought:  Vegas builds new hotels and attractions on the losses from losing gamblers.  However, most gamblers enjoy gaming knowing they are likely to lose but with a chance to win.  Amway diamonds enjoy the diamond lifestyle by selling cds/audios and functions while encouraging downline to move more PV but in the mean time, the down lines are losing money month after month with little chance of even getting small jackpots along the way.  The sad part is that Amway is not a game of chance.  At least gambling doesn’t require hard work.

The Solution To a Failing Business?

I just shake my head when I read about the kinds of advice that Amway IBOS receive from their trusted mentors and upline.   Now let me say that I would have nothing to criticize if diwnljnes were regularly progressing and moving up the ranks and actually making money.  But it’s obvious that most IBOS are spinning their wheels getting nowhere and the only advice that upline seemingly gives  is to spend more money on functions and tools that are already proven to be ineffective.

When most real business owners are cutting expenses or looking at strategies to bring in more revenue, Amway IBOS and uplines are advising people to spend more money on activities that don’t make them money.  Why not just get a pile of cash and burn it?  The result would be the same.  Keep in mind that the upline profits from the sale of tools and functions so it seems pretty dubious that upline would advise struggling fir lives to spend more time and money in things that haven’t worked in the first place.  

What is the real solution to a failing business?  I can’t tell you that but I can tell you that spending more money on things that do not result in more sales and profits is not the solution.  Most dedicated IBOs lose money because of the tools and functions which are not effective in helping IBOS become profitable.  What makes it more insidious is that uplines profit nicely for giving downlinex bad
advice even if their bad advice results in bigger losses.

When it comes to Amway, it seems apparent to me that the only logical solution is to walk away, seek refunds on whatever you can and find another activity to make some income. Sitting at home watching TV is more profitable to most IBOS that actively trying to run an Amway business.

Owning A Business?

Amway IBOS call themselves business owners but they seemingly know so little about business.  Their knowledge is often clouded by the BS they are fed by their all knowing upline.  Ironically, many IBOS refer to upline as mentors or coaches.  They see nothing wrong with the massive failures that upline produces and most don’t seem to think it’s a problem that many IBOS blame themselves despite following the paid fir arise that they received from upline.

Fir example the upline may sell them on an Amway business by pitching the low cost and low overhead only to have upline later tell them that they need to invest in Amway like any other business.  They are told that Amway can give them quick profits but when those profits don’t materialize they are told that business owners often spend 5 years without making net profits.

The reason why IBOS fall for the upline BS is because they really know little to nothing about actually owning and running a business .  They fall for the upline’s faulty advice and although many make an earnest effort to build their business, Amway is flawed and the upline advice is ineffective and flawed as well,  sadly, the expenses of running an Amway business and the cost of the system can quickly turn into losses of thousands of dollars or tens of thousands and more, depending on the level of dedication.

The way to get around this is for IBOS to track their income and expenses very closely and to run a profit loss analysis weekly or at least monthly.  If there are no real prospects to increase income or reduce expenses, there is no point in continuing to run an Amway business.   If you attend functions, is there a direct relationship between attendance and increased business income?  If not then why attend?  Same goes for other tools such as standing orders.

Quitting Amway is a good business decision if there are no profits and no concrete measurable plans to make a profit. Isn’t profit the reason you started an Amway business in the first place.

The Partner Store Myth?

One of the interesting things that Amway IBOS like to claim us how Amway partners with big name companies like Disney or Nike.  But that’s like saying 7-11 is partnered with CocaCola because 7-11 sells their product.  It’s the same as Amway IBOS.  They might have Nike or Disney products in their  catalogs but calling it a partnership is a stretch.  It’s not like you can buy Amway stuff at Disneyland or Nike town.  That would be a partnership wheee each company sells each other’s products.

Instead, Amway IBOS get to hawk products for these “partner” stores but strictly on a commission only basis.  It’s a great deal to have Amway IBOS sell your stuff for commission only and no fringe benefits.   The “partner” store has nothing to lose.  It’s like having access to a fleet of free sales people who only get paid a little if they sell product but receive nothing unless volume is actually moved.

What Amway folks don’t like to talk about is how Enron and MCI Worldcim were also Amway partners at one time.  IMO, a scam partnering with a scam.  LOL.  So basically the partner program for Amway IBOS is like unrequited love.  In other words it’s all one sided.

In the end, the partner concept might in name bring some credibility to the IBOS story when prospecting new recruits but in the end, you still need to deal with the Amway name and reputation.  Selling a few Nike or Disney products in the Amway catalogs doesn’t make Amway a better business opportunity nor does it tend to make IBOS any more profitable, nor does it make an IBO more likely to succeed.  The partner store concept is just a nice talking point and nothing more.  LOL. 😃

Is Amway A Cult

Many people who have attended or seen an Amway convention have at times compared the experience to a cult.  While an Amway convention might not be an actual cult, there are many similarities in which a gathering of IBOS can be considered very cult like.  There are certain parameters that IBOS adhere to that make Amway seem eerily cult like.

They seem to worship the leader.  The diamond is like a rock star and is given adulation, standing ovations when they enter a room, and Amway IBOS will practically take a bullet for their upline diamond.  People literally line up and even move extra Amway products fir the privilege of driving the diamond to a meeting or to spend an hour with the diamond.   I recall as an IBO having to meet a qualification in order to attend a picnic with the upline diamond.

At meetings you’d think the diamond walked on water with the way the IBOS would serve them hand and foot as if they were divine beings, and at a minimum, the diamonds were treated like royalty or celebrities.  Additionally, IBOS dress alike, act alike and act terribly predictable.  It’s almost humorous when you see it happening.

The IBOS all have a common goal if financial freedom even if no one seemingly achieves it.  They assume that the diamond is wealthy beyond belief even though nobody really knows what the diamonds net worth actually is.  All I know is that diamonds are always working while normal folks eventually retire when they are older.

Is Amway and the related groups such as WWDB a bunch of cults and cultists?  I don’t really know but I do know that they have many cult like characteristics.  Although you can come and go, there is peer pressure to not leave the group.  The similarities are uncanny.

Buy From Yourself?

Buy from yourself us a common teaching spread amongst Amway IBOS and while it makes sense to support your own business, the way it’s taught in Amway almost sounds retarded to a neutral observer.  The idea is to be your own best customer and that a McDonalds owner would not eat at Burger King.   It might sound sensible but in the bigger picture of business, it’s lame.

Nobody ever ran a successful business without real customers.  It might help to support your own business but no matter how much you buy, in the end, all the buyers are just customers of Amway.  So but all you want, Amway appreciates you.  In this sense, you’re just as much of a business owner as someone using a cash back credit card.  The difference is that a cash back card has no minimum quota like Amway and there is no training and functions needed for using a cash back credit card.

Also, the notion that one business owner would not patronize a competitor is silly.  I know people who own food establishments and they frequent other eating places on a regular basis because they get to try new things and see what their competitors are doing.  It’s silly to think that a McDonalds owner will only eat Big Macs the rest of his or her life.

The bottom line is you need a lot of real customers who make purchases in order to make profits and to be able to capitalize on Amway’s bonus scale.   Buying from yourself creates no profit and the fact that you support your business only puts profit in Amway’s coffers.  You think you profit buying from yourself is profitable because upline has fed you thus false doctrine.  When you buy from Amway, they profit and any perceived profit that you made really cane out of your own pocket, much like transferring money from your checking to savings and calling the transfer a profit.

If your upline us teaching this hoax of buying from yourself, read this article again and think twice before paying fir anymore of this type of ridiculous advice.   😃

Fake It But Never Make It?

My upline used to tell the audience to fake it till you make it.  In other words to give the appearance of success to prospects until you actually become successful.  In other words put on a phony show in the hopes that you will be able to attract potential downline who would duplicate your efforts.  On the surface this may sound like a good idea but the bottom line is you are deceiving people that you hope to do business with,

If someone attracted me to a business under fake pretenses, it’s typically called fraud but Amway IBOS get away with it because they generally recruit friends and family who are unlikely to complain    or file any complaints.  The idea is to appear successful even if you’re not.  Sadly fir IBOS, putting up the appearance of success can be costly as you may be wearing a nice suit and watch while you live in debt and paycheck to paycheck.

Thus practice also contributes to Amway’s bad reputation as people eventually realize they may have been duped or mislead about the opportunity.  Add in the bad taste many people get from having wasted time and money on tools and functions and you can see how people can exit Amway feeling like they hit shysted or tricked by someone  they may have trusted.

Add in the fact that there is no true natural progression towards any true success and all you have is an Amway trail littered with dead bodies of people who may have tried to succeed only to fail and lose money.  But failure is not on the IBOS necessarily, because the Amway multi tiered system is designed to have a few ‘pins’ while the vast majority flounder in mediocrity and financial losses.  The outcome is easily predictable and expected to the trained observer.

Until then, Amway IBOs and uplines continue to prey on the hopes and dreams of hopeful people.  People who want to hope and believe that Amway is a shortcut to riches and early retirement.  Sadly it appears that Amway is the opposite.