get rich quick schemes, multilevel marketing, pyramid schemes and JWs

by marmot 45 Replies latest watchtower scandals

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  RisingEagle

  WorldlyAndre: JW get rich quick schemes 20 years ago Amway, now it's PrimAmerica

  I had no idea what Primemerica, or however you spell it, was. I 'made friends' with another guy who had a kid around my daughters age and we exchanged info. I was thinking that it meant play dates for our kids. 24 hours later I was getting love bombed by a recruiter who was given my info by that a$$hole dude I met.

  I was just contemplating the chronology of mlm's and get rich schemes I've seen in my family. Lessee, AvaCare (an aloe vera product), jewelry, Tupperware, MaryKay, Herbalife, Prepaid legal, Shaklee's in there somewhere. The interesting part to me is that I remember not being allowed to sell school fundraiser stuff because my folks were ticked that the school was getting the kids to raise money. Irony agony.

  Eagle
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  LayingLow

  I remember several years back I had quit school to pioneer. I began looking through the 'help wanted' ads and ended up in contact with Primerica. I went to a few of their meetings (very nice, just like the hall...), I noticed their method for getting people in. They attacked the warm market, those that trust you the most. There were so many similarities it was scary. I read something online once that made me want to get out of Primerica. I remember when I read it thinking, "well the history of that organization shows me that they're cons, I wonder someday if I'll run into the same thing with the JW's[of course I didn't lookup JWs because they had warned me ahead of time that apostate liars filled the internet with their propoganda]". Now looking back, I really should have run then(I did quit primerica before becoming an associate), but I didn't(spent two more years in the WTS org). I've gained much experience through both of those encounters that I hope will help in life.
  
  I noticed many others in similar things (Shaklee, the Cookware program[starts with a P I think], an elder sold some sort of mango juice in an mlm.)
  
  I think when you are used to trying to make other people feel the same way you do about something, that it is easy for that to spill over into commercial things. My family [all grew up JW's but only some are still, all fight and always try to convince each other of everything, and often they don't agree.] This may however just be them. I believe that side of the family was a rather disagreeable bunch before any of them were witness, however.
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  Homerovah the Almighty

  Right on marmot , within the jws there is a supposed trust fact factor that presents it's self within the rank and file

  You can trust me I'm a brother , well if your a witness then I'll trust you of course

  My brother and sister in law have been involved with about everything you mentioned, which is surprising

  I guess all of them think in some sort of way they have within themselves great salesmanship and marketing savvy, since they trained publishers

  Most of them use I am a true Christan persona, so therefore I am person of integrity and honesty, you do well if you put your trust in me !

  Of course after a period of time and some evaluation the picture looks quite different....the self marketing scheme becomes apparent

  My father was a business man most of his life and I used to hear him use this ploy time and again

  That white sheet of righteous they put over themselves is part of one of the marketing

  It's part of what makes up a JWS
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  karter

  We had one family in our congro who were into every get rich quick scheme going so much so the P.O gave a talk about it.

  At the time they were into a travel scheme (it got shut down by the government) .

  One of them was flatting with my mate he put an ad in the newspaper and asked us to take down the phone numbers when he was out so we put down the P.o's number and he rang it .

  He was so brainwashed by these schemes when the P.o answered he went into his spiel .

  Needless to say he was called into the library next meeting
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  Mulan

  Calm down everyone. Not all MLM schemes are scams.

  I've been involved in one for 14 years and make a lot of money. I have a very small organization, and make most of my money from my website sales, and do very little anymore, but fill orders online, and have them shipped directly. I make about $1000 a month for a few hours work a month. Nothing to complain about.

  You have do the work. Nothing is free.
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  marmot

  If you notice I didn't say they were scams. I just said that this sort of cult-like sales thing is very common among witnesses.
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  brinjen

  I've been thinking similar myself about schemes such as Avon, Nutrimedics etc. I recently left a job, partly because the atmosphere felt eerily like a KH, sales environment, Team Leaders putting on a false laugh and a "woo-hoo" whenever you got a sale. It felt too familiar and a contributing factor to my leaving and going back to an old employer.
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  JamesWind

  Obviously the connection is anecdotal at best, but assuming there is some susceptibility in the Witness church to MLM's I would guess another reason is that it offers such flexible hours. So people who are interested in dedicating their lives to the evangelical aspect of the religion can spend many hours doing so and then work the MLM's at other times. 8am-5pm jobs make it difficult to be a pioneer.
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  cognizant dissident

  Herbalife

  Shaklee

  Amway

  Nutrimedics

  Mary Kay

  Aloette

  Tupperware

  Copperware

  Brassware

  Macrame parties (I know, I was alive in the 70's!)

  Melaleuca

  Gogi berry juice

  Candlesense

  Weekender wear

  Undercover lingerie

  Loverware (OK to be fair, that was not the witnesses, that was the raunchy girls from work!)

  Those are just the ones I remember the name of, here's a bunch more products I can't remember the names of just the junk

  Water filters

  Jewellry parties

  Silk Plant parties

  Skin care products (I know there was way more than just Mary Kay and Aloette!)

  Intestinal/parasite cleanses

  Gold products (that you eat!)

  More gold products (shares in an actual spec mine)

  Toy parties

  Come on everyone, copy and add to this list any names you can remember, Let's see how long we can get it! Oh and also, fess up how many you actually tried selling and how much money you made or lost. I tried selling Mary Kay. Lasted 3 months! Broke even.

  Cog

  oops edited to add Matol. My mother still takes that stuff!
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  oompa

  Cog you gotta add my personal most hated. the most high pressure sales program there is

  NATIONAL MOTOR CLUB....which is a lameass AAA. God I hate them......oompa