Are people finally realizing that MLMs are a scam?
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Anonymous
| I have one acquaintance who did them serially. Arbonne, Younique, an MLM wine thing, an entertaining thing, others I forget. Arbonne was the most annoying. But she seems to have finally stopped all of them so based on a data point of 1 I'd say they are fading. |
Anonymous
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I also want to add there are a ton of new MLMs that arent based on products, but services.
Example, I know someone in Ontario who is almost tippy top of a pyramid of "coaching". Like life coaching? I used to know her husband and occassionaly swing by her instagram. Apparently she's purchased a new mcmansion and gwagon with their earnings. I want to say they charge $5k for one class, up to $15k but I cant remember. I dont know her education specifically. The workout ones are definitely there too. My cousin (barely graduated HS) flitted around through different MLM products (wraps & shakes mainly) and is now doing fitness. She does online fitness coaching. I'm not mad at this one because shes totally turned her life around, quit (or drastically reduced) drugs and alcohol and works out and is super fit. |
Anonymous
| I still see occasional posts from military friends hosting or sharing a “party” for other military spouses but I think that my peer group has mostly matured/aged out of this nonsense. |
Anonymous
| Also some "cults" are also MLMs, like the whole Twin Flame thing. |
Anonymous
Usborne books are fine. Overpriced competitively, but hold value for years, unlike the other MLM crap. And it's not a pyramid scam, it's just a pushy sales model. |
Anonymous
| I think it's just that people know you're not interested, or gullible enough to buy into their scheme so they don't bother inviting you to join. I have a friend - educated, adult woman 63yrs old, works at a university in a senior position) who regularly buys these products. She doesn't sell them, but boy does she love them! |
Anonymous
| What I think is catching on now is the "how I left my MLM" dialogue and then subsequent discussion on cult mentality. So as interest in MLMs wane, the Utah mom who was knee deep in Young Living a few years ago now has a new model for gaining followers on her platform through telling her "story" and then viral reels on recognizing cult tactics in MLMs, how to separate yourself, follow her for more, etc. |
Anonymous
Yeah, I feel like I just aged out. In my experience, friends who did it were either stay at home or those who wanted to be SAH and trying to supplement income so they could quit work. Now that most of their kids are beyond elementary school, that pull isn’t as strong, so my particular friends and acquaintances aren’t doing as much of that anymore. |
Anonymous
| I don't know where you live, OP, but I didn't hear about MLM back in a day or now. TV was the only place talking about it. No real life experience other than Lularoe in second hand stores. |
Anonymous
Yes, the coaching culture is very MLM-like in that the real money to be made is selling coaching training programs. These programs are sold to people who are looking for a real career that is going to make them decent money -- but they end up spending more on the training than they ever make. It's a bit scammy. I have an acquaintance who became a life coach a few years back and I remember thinking how ridiculous it was that they were serving as a "mentor coach" in the coaching training program they'd gone through before they even had any real clients of their own. How are you teaching people to do something you haven't even really done yet? From what I understand they have a lot of clients and are making decent money now though. But coaching is pretty legit now (didn't think it ever would be, and that the APA would find a way to shut it down, but they didn't and here we are), and I'd say you have a better shot at being successful with coaching than you do with Arbonne or Rodan and Fields or some nonsense like that. |
Anonymous
I've been invited to most of these also. Premier was a jewelry one. What about Avon and Amway/Quixtar? Maybe this is a church thing. Got invited to many of these by people at church. Only one or two invites from coworkers in over 20 years. |
Anonymous
HAHAHAHA |
Anonymous
I know her too (well, maybe not the same exact person) and this baffles me. |
Anonymous
High prevalence among teachers and nurses (I know, DCUM looks down on teachers, but they have at least a 4-year degree, and nursing school for RNs — since very few places hire LPNs in 2023 — is a not insignificant challenge). Most of the teachers and nurses and other pink collar type job people I know who got sucked into MLM did wise up and quit. The ones still desperately spamming comments on social media are the wannabe SAHMs who MLM loves to exploit by telling them they can “work from their phones and be with their kids.” They copy and paste these emotional ploys about about how if you buy from Target, you’re supporting a Big Soulless Corporation, whereas if you buy from them, you’re “helping pay for a little girl’s dance classes or a little boy’s hockey gear!” 
Of course, these are also people who’ve convinced themselves that each individual one of them is the “CEO” or “owner of their own business,” so there’s definitely an intelligence deficit there. |
Anonymous
| I once went to a Tupperware party hosted by a former child actor. I went just to meet him, bought an empanada maker. I think he must make decent money leveraging his fame. |