Amway - how do you respond?

[MarieIG]

I would politely decline. If pushed, I would state I don't participate in buying products/ business ventures with friends/ neighbors.

I did have one former co-worker who had one "business" after another. Initially, I attempted to be as diplomatic as possible but after being hounded, I told her I while I appreciated that she wanted to earn money, I wanted to fund my retirement - not hers. (Yes, I went there.)

 

[Walt34]

...but after being hounded, I told her I while I appreciated that she wanted to earn money, I wanted to fund my retirement - not hers. (Yes, I went there.)

I'd have liked to have been the "fly on the wall" for that one.

 

[ksr]

When I was in my 20s I had a very good friend whose husband was really pushing Amway. Of course he never referred to it by name, only “the business”. They invited me to their home for a presentation. The wife was such a good friend that I agreed to join, but never really participated. It became clear that the husband was only interested in maintaining friendships with those who joined and participated. They tried to get me to listen to tapes and go to motivational sessions but I wasn’t interested. I formed the opinion that it was really a cult, and backed away.

Eventually she confided in me that they were losing hundreds of dollars a month and it was clearly damaging their marriage. I lost touch with them a few years later.

A few years ago I stumbled upon the book “Merchants of Deception”. It was uncanny how it mirrored what I witnessed them going through, and some of the names in the book were the same that were mentioned years ago. I think anyone considering joining Amway ought to read that book.

 

[MC Rider]

When I was in my 20s I had a very good friend whose husband was really pushing Amway. Of course he never referred to it by name, only “the business”. ........

Talking to our electrician about motorcycles and he said something about "the club". I was like huh.


He says H A. I say, Oh Hells Angels. He says, I don't like to say the name.

I won't be looking to join the club. Do anticipate hiring him again.


Maybe I should have said Amway to his H A.

 

[MarieIG]

I'd have liked to have been the "fly on the wall" for that one.

I had done her some time-consuming favors through the years - but this pushed me over the edge (in that it gave me the feeling of blatantly being used).

There may have been a change in tone from the respectful, soft-spoken manner MarieIG employed with the in-office support staff (my - shall we say - assertive persona reserved for overly aggressive adversaries may have come out) and she may have backed down but quick.

 

[Caskem]

Like Nancy Reagan said…just say no.

 

[rodi]

My brother was into Amway... started around 1990. Would call and talk about networked distribution...at first he was just trying to sell me stuff - everything from household products to appliances and cars. I probed with questions about what company this was and was it a multilevel marketing like 'amway, avon, mary kay, etc.". He'd quickly change the subject, but never reveal the company name. He finally admitted it was amway.

It was the topic of every conversation and phone call. I finally laid down the law that he couldn't bring it up if I called *him*. And wouldn't stay on the phone too long if he called me and wouldn't talk about other stuff... He'd get really mad at me - about 3-5 years in when I'd ask what his net (reportable) income was from Amway. He said the way it works with write offs, you never showed a profit. I said if he's spending money on training, seminars, etc, that is not profit, that's expense... and if no net money goes into his bank account, he's not making money. We had a strained relationship after that.

I had a coworker named Sam who was pushing it hard. He'd invite coworkers to lunch 'his treat'... We came up with the term 'samway lunches'... because invariably the lunch would turn into a pitch for amway. I had several coworkers dabble with it after those lunches.

Edited to add: The people who make /made the most money from Amway were the people who put together the seminars and hype materials associated with, but not directly run by, Amway.

 

[brett]

It is a mystery to us why some people have such a difficult time politely saying no thank you to a relative, friend, or neighbor who is shilling something?

It is three easy words, over in two seconds. No thank you. What could be easier? Why sweat the small stuff?

What makes people think that they are somehow under some sort of obligation to say yes to something that they do not want, need, or do not want to do

If we cannot buy it at Costco, Home Depot, or the grocery store we do not need it!

 

[COcheesehead]

It is a mystery to us why some people have such a difficult time politely saying no thank you to a relative, friend, or neighbor who is shilling something?

It is three easy words, over in two seconds. No thank you. What could be easier? Why sweat the small stuff?

What makes people think that they are somehow under some sort of obligation to say yes to something that they do not want, need, or do not want to do

If we cannot buy it at Costco, Home Depot, or the grocery store we do not need it!

I took me awhile, but I eventually learned that the secret code to move forward in life is the word “no”.

 

[Gumby]

Like Nancy Reagan said…just say no.

Ahh, the queen of bad manners. It is, properly, just say "no, thank you."

 

[Gremlin]

A cult.

Absolutely. The few years my brother was into Amway was very hard on our family. That was in the 80’s so thank God a long time ago.

 

[Gremlin]

I knew nothing about Amway, but my wife did.

So when a "friend" joined us for dinner, pulled out his easel to set up the display, and asked if we knew anything about Amway, I said "no".
But my wife said, "Sure. Soadsuds and pyramids."
The evening went down hill from there...

That was over 50 years ago and we still joke about it.

That’s awesome! As a former sufferer of a family member who was sucked into Amway, I would have loved to been a fly on the wall for that!

 

[jollystomper]

We were solicited 3 times in our lives for Amway, all between the ages of 23-40. One "interesting" thing was that the selling tried to make us discontent with our current life ("you want things better than what you have now, right"?) All three could not understand the word "content" . One was a co-worker that I am still friends with, he stopped talking about it years ago (I think his wife pushed him into soliciting co-workers, they since divorced). The other two were acquaintances that we thought were heading into friendships - but once the Amway aspect rolled in and we had no interested, we did not hear from them again.

 

[Zen of Conscious Living]

Tell them you have really sensitive skin. Fight with humor, tell them you have used it in the past and you puffed up like a New York Blow Up Parade Floating Figure. So Noooo way! They will leave you alone (hopefully).

 

[COcheesehead]

Honesty

 

[Zen of Conscious Living]

I was kidding, but outright rejection is hurtful and invalidating. Can provoke neighbor grudges. No Thanks, wouldn't want that ill-will. I'd still do "the balloon fib"...wouldn't hurt no one. Sorry.

 

[COcheesehead]

People deserve honesty. They can then make decisions from that point. Anything else is deceptive and very unZen like. Honesty is Zen. Sorry had to do that. LOL. Otherwise it leads to resentment.
Honesty is hard, but very freeing.

 

[Zen of Conscious Living]

Honesty? Ohhhh Goodness, you need to live in another world then. Ha~! Nahhhhh. Not in my world. And I live in a good space. No Guilt, especially when I can get out of something with a little humor. You do you and I'll do me. How about that? That's what makes life the buffet that it is. All the best to you!

 

[COcheesehead]

Honesty? Ohhhh Goodness, you need to live in another world then. Ha~! Nahhhhh. Not in my world. And I live in a good space. No Guilt, especially when I can get out of something with a little humor. You do you and I'll do me. How about that? That's what makes life the buffet that it is. All the best to you!

When someone pushes back against honesty- that says something.

 

[F.I.R.E User]

Amway and other MLM’s were not a scam. MLM cuts marketing costs.

I do remember listening to the cassettes in late 90s.

 

[Koolau]

Ahh, the queen of bad manners. It is, properly, just say "no, thank you."

"Just say "no thank you" doesn't have the same ring to it though YMMV. As slogans go, "just say no" was memorable - if ineffective. Of course, changing behavior with a slogan has rarely been effective. Again, YMMV.

 

[rodi]

It is a mystery to us why some people have such a difficult time politely saying no thank you to a relative, friend, or neighbor who is shilling something?

If the person pitching is a family member who refuses to accept no thank you, it can get ugly. Trust me, I tried no thank you.... it was not accepted. Which was why I had to negotiate a deal to not even mention Amway if the long distance call was on my dime. (Back pre-cell phone days when long distance cost money.)

 

[brett]

Well, when our niece was flogging some kind of miracle gummy candy that allowed one to loose weight in 20 minutes and clear out whatever bad things were in your body my wife did have to get very direct with her.

Spouse said no thank you. And if you want to loose weight and keep it off just eat a proper diet, exercise, and cut out the junk food. Very straightforward. No over priced, ineffective gummies, special vitamins, etc are required for that.

She was just one more person looking for an instant cure with no work blissfully selling something to others that was probably not FDA approved and probably came with some potential side effects. And little or no common sense. Reminds me of the insurance agent who asks you if you love your wife and children.

That is what we do when someone takes no for an answer. It clears the air very quickly and ends the conversation.

These MLM types sell to each other, promote outlandish unsubstantiated claims for useless products sold at a high cost. They count on friends, especially those at church, and relatives who fall for the pitch out of some sort or misplaced politeness or those who cannot say no.

Saying yes only encourages them! Saying NO probably precludes them from calling you again when they are flogging the next useless MLM miracle cure, jewelry, or whatever else they are promoting.

 

[brett]

delete

 

[Stormy Kromer]

OP here.

Wondering if anyone responded to the solicitor that they are being taken for a ride by Amway and then tell them not to drink the kool aid?.

I like this young couple and don't want them to waste time and money.....