One thing that I was unaware of as an IBO was that our uplines were massively profiting from our tools purchases. I was in WWDB at the time and I was told very clearly that nobody made money from the tools and in fact, I was also told that WWDB was a non profit organization. Both of these statements were bold lies told by WWDB leaders and they have never been held accountable. We were told that upline cared about us and our success, thus they spent their own money to fly to functions to teach us how to succeed. Turns out they were all lies. Shameless lies.
Eventually, the internet and other media made it impossible to cover up these lies and uplines finally admitted that they profited from tools. However, it looks like they downplayed the magnitude of the tools profits. I believe some upline may have made most of their income from tools, especially leaders who may have fallen out of qualification. Now days, the upline admits they make some profits from tools, but there is still a great deal of secrecy in the tools business. What makes the whole thing ironic is that the uplines allegedly are not supposed to entice Amway prospects into joining by using the tools money as a draw, but at the same time, they are told that tools are vital to their success. Uplines also show off trappings and lifestyles to attract recruits, but I believe that these trappings were likely obtained with tool income. Tool income has a higher profit margin than Amway products and fewer people are in the pay plan so it makes perfect sense.I wonder how many prospects or IBOs would be fired up about buying tools if they knew that their uplines might not currently be qualified at the level they claim to be, and knowing that the uplines will make a ton of money whether or not you make a cent as an IBO? Also, some uplines are shameless in pushing the tools on downline. Sure they might cut the newest guy a break and loan them some cds, but once that IBO decides to start building downline, they are likely to be told that a real business owner buys their own tools, or that a business owner needs to be a leader and purchase extra tools for their downline.
How would you feel if your upline was touting themselves as a financial genius but in the background, their homes are foreclosed or they have other financial difficulties? What if your upline touts their morals and you find out they are divorced or getting a divorce? What if your upline said Amway saves marriages? Your upline certainly won't say they are perfect, but conversely, they should be held to the highest standards if they are using their status to be able to sell tools and make large profits. This is something too many prospects are blind about.
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I've always had a sense of awareness of my surroundings in life, and my senses became more tuned in during my time in URA. I figured something was up with the tools and why Upline would continue to push these things. Also, I always found it weird that it didn't cost URA anything to put all of the audios into one app package, but yet they sold various levels of app packages to unlock various features and different levels of audios.
But once I figured out the math (ex: (4 times) $93 Conference Ticket times X,000 attendees = Where did all the money go?), a light bulb went off in my head.
And then my, "Come to Jesus moment" happened one night while waiting in line for our usual Thursday night Business Briefing (Open Meeting). We had an upcoming "Success Seminar" in a few weeks which would have put it in mid-December. Tickets for these are $15 and are ALWAYS readily available at the door. These "Success Seminars" are typically Upper Pins giving speeches in a high school auditorium for about two and a half hours followed by a "Night Owl" at a local restaurant which nobody ever gets any of the one-on-one or direct access to those said Pins that they are told they are going to get. These seminars happen twice a year.
I remember that I had surgery and had not been around very much as a) I was still recovering and b) my interest and disgust had been building.
I saw my Upline Emerald's wife bugging people for money to get their seminar ticket. She made her way over to me and cackled, "YOU!!! YOU HAVEN'T GOTTEN YOUR TICKET YET!" Knowing this was coming, I already had three-$5 bills out and I was straightening them out for her. She said. "I'LL COUNT IT!" She jerked the money out of my hand.
Then fast forward a few hours later after being fake nice to everyone for an hour, sitting through the same Plan presentation for another hour (that we just paid our weekly $5 to sit through), taking an unnecessary 20 minute break, and then sitting through "training." It hit me like a ton of bricks.
Another one of my Upline Emeralds was conducting this said "training" and he started rambling on about, "we still haven't sold all our tickets." He then went on this tirade about how people need to be "all in." Then, he (as in many meetings) had people stand up if they were "committed" and said that there's a difference between "cream and scum." This is the same guy who was apparently "retired" but for some reason was still working a regular job along with his wife. I found that to be odd as well.
After that, I stopped showing up for meetings. I went to the seminar and then I went to the following conference (where I stayed in my room almost the entire time). And that was it.
The bottom line is that Upper Pins who are into the system money (outside of the "ten ways to make money in Amway" by the way) only see you as residual income. Don't buy into their facade. You will feel dirty after you do.
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