Amway - how do you respond?

[Stormy Kromer]

Happened again. A new neighbor calls up all friendly to invite us to a BBQ tomorrow and says "at 2:00 we're having a program for our new business" Amway dealers. I figured this scam out 35 years ago without losing money.

How do you respond ? I wanted to tell him. RUN. How do you all answer to them when they call you ?

 

[COcheesehead]

Be honest. Say we had some exposure to it previously and it’s just not for us. In 3-9 months, they will feel the same as you do.
Frankly I am surprised Amway is still around.

 

[jollystomper]

Be honest. Say we had some exposure to it previously and it’s just not for us.

+1

 

[Walt34]

A guy at work tried to rope me into Amway about 50 years ago. Nope. Like COcheesehead I'm surprised they're still around.

 

[Amethyst]

The pressure from a (now dead) family member on me to join the Amway "cult" (and that's what it is) caused an actual family rift back in the early 80's. I actually started going through the "training" just to keep the peace. It was the most ridiculous thing I ever took part in, and I finally told the family member "sorry, it's just not for me." I mean, there's a reason why I never went into sales; I couldn't sell ice in a desert.

She was indignant, and told other family members that I should have shown more gratitude for her guidance. She did get another family member to join; today, they don't even want to talk about it.

Tupperware and Pampered Chef use the same approach - someone invites you to a "party" and when you get there, it's a sales pitch disguised as a social event. Just say you have other things to do.

 

[MuirWannabe]

People can and do make money in these direct sales companies. But lots more don’t. Like most things, it’s a measure of how much work you’re willing and able to put into it.

I’d not call it a scam per se. But if they are being unethical in their recruiting sales pitches that’s obviously not right.

Anyway, if you’re not interested I’d just tell them that up front. Maybe suggest you’d love to meet them at a non business setting assuming that’s true.

 

[ncbill]

I actually went to a Dream Night.

As hard as you have to work to build your network to make any decent money you might as well put that effort into your own business/side hustle/whatever you want to call it.

Then you get to keep ALL the profits not just a small slice of what you're generating.

 

[COcheesehead]

Average Amway distributor, according to the internets, make $200 a month, you likely overspend on buying more than that of their stuff yourself and it costs you all your friends. Such a deal.

 

[GenXguy]

Someone tried to pull this on me once wanting to discuss some business opportunity. I was skeptical but they stopped by to talk about it. I caught on quickly and cut them off quickly. They were out the door shortly. lol

 

[friar1610]

I was one of a group of young guys stationed overseas back in the 70s. Most of us ended up back in the DC area where one guy got Amway religion. He began trying to sign up members of the group. I had been pre-warned that if he called that was what the pitch would be. So I had already rehearsed my answer which boiled down to “Hell, no!”

 

[Qs Laptop]

As a small business owner I've gotten these Amway invitations over the years. My response? "I'm already a business owner and I need to focus my time on my business. Besides why would I want to get into the business of getting other people into business?"

 

[Route246]

Run. Run fast.

 

[Amethyst]

I forgot to mention that, at the time of my Amway recruitment, I already had a job and was self-supporting. The family member whom I mentioned, originally used the hook of "You're all alone; this will help you make friends."

When it comes to recruiting for these sales cults, some people have zero shame.

As a small business owner I've gotten these Amway invitations over the years. My response? "I'm already a business owner and I need to focus my time on my business. Besides why would I want to get into the business of getting other people into business?"

 

[DrRoy]

Haven't run into them in decades.

 

[Andre1969]

One part of their spiel, as I recall, was that they try to drill in the concept that your true friends will want to help you and support you, and join you in your quest to be successful. If they don't, they're not really your friends.

While it's not quite in the same league of cult as standing in line while Jim Jones' cronies pass out the Flavor-Aid, it still doesn't come off as exactly a healthy business venture!

 

[Aerides]

Just decline, have other plans, etc., and then make a note not to let their calls go to voicemail.

Do not offer unsolicited advice to them to avoid their "business plan" whatever it is.

 

[athena53]

The proliferation of social media has really enabled this stuff. I had one friend go overboard with Juice Plus and another who kept trying to push his daughter's LuLaRoe business. (Daughter has since opened a Selfie Wrld franchise.) I was once invited to attend a "demo" of Mary Kay cosmetics, supposedly to get my feedback on products. That was an easy one- I don't wear makeup.

The Juice Plus friend wanted mt to join her team". I knew what that meant. I told her I was retired. She tried to tell me about the great income streams from others' sales. I told her I was well and truly retired (I don't NEED any more income streams, thank you). Fortunately that settled it.

 

[folivier]

We tried amway years ago when we were first married and struggling to make ends meet. Made a few sales but when we tried to get our "network" going most friends we talked to said when we got our "network" going to let them know. IOW they didn't want to expend the time and energy until we were successful. Kinda hard to grow a "network" when others want to see your success first. We lasted less than a year.

 

[disneysteve]

I would just say, “No thanks. Not interested.”

 

[skyking1]

Yes, be honest. At least you got a headś up from them. It could have been an ambush.

 

[pacergal]

Haven't received an Amway invite in many years.

I have gone to Tupperware or Pampered chef parties, mostly because I will buy the product, but always tell the host or presenter "no thanks" when asked to do more than buy stuff.

For your neighbors, I would simply say thank you, but we are not interested.
Or go, enjoy the food and socialize, but don't engage in the business part. And don't feel guilty not buying anything--that's how they get to you!

 

[Major Tom]

I don't like sales pitches disguised as social get-togethers. Maybe it's not exactly the same thing, but an old work colleague once said he'd like to come over to my house and play catch-up. I'd been over to his house a month or two earlier to have dinner with him and his wife, so it wasn't completely out of the blue. As we were sitting out on the back deck, he started talking about options for purchasing my electricity, and it suddenly occurred to me he wasn't interested in making a social connection at all; he wanted me to sign up with him for power distribution. It didn't happen, as I was already fairly content with the service I was getting from the local power company, and not too happy about the fact that he had been dishonest about wanting to develop a friendship beyond work.

I guess I just don't like dishonesty.

 

[Dtail]

If one got into Amway near the beginning, it probably has worked out well; otherwise just a legal type of Ponzi scheme.

 

[easysurfer]

If I had such an invite, I'd respond by saying something like "I don't do Amway. But I have a tip on crypto currency if you can spare a couple grand as seed money" then I'd chuckle and watch the neighbor decline .

 

[dixonge]

Happened again. A new neighbor calls up all friendly to invite us to a BBQ tomorrow and says "at 2:00 we're having a program for our new business" Amway dealers. I figured this scam out 35 years ago without losing money.

How do you respond ? I wanted to tell him. RUN. How do you all answer to them when they call you ?

We never get called for anything like this, but my response would be "No thanks, I don't do MLM's any more.