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The following posts have been reprinted in their entirety from posts e-mailed by readers of this website, except that headers, names and locations have been removed. These posts express the opinions and experiences of their authors, and this site publisher makes no representations about them in any way whatsoever.
Subject: Equinox cult Your article on "One man's Equinox Story" read like my daugher's life. One year ago she began her journey with Equinox in northern Virginia. She bought new clothes, lost weight, was always "up", and seemed truly happy. Then a few months later she left her lawyer-husband of 10 months, picked up and moved to Colorado. All her family lives in the Maryland-Virginia area. Since then, this beautiful young woman has destroyed her relationship with her mother and father, and her divorce will be final in early 1999. She is a college-educated person and is not stupid and her growing up years were normal. She has "borrowed" $12,000 from her father and I and this past weekend, her boyfriend who is in Equinox, beat her up, stole $2,000 of her "products" and was put in jail. He's out now, but not before trashing her apartment, stealing some things, and taking $200 with her ATM card. She is not making it on the money she is making with Equinox but says in the future she will. Like you, she has spent thousands of dollars on trips, seminars, clothes, etc. We are desperate...do you have any suggestions for us? Today I told her I didn't want to help her anymore until she got out of Equinox and she told me not to call her ever again. This is truly a nightmare and I wish Equinox would cease to exist. Even if we could force her to be de-programmed, I think she would fight that all the way. Equinox is her life and we are heartbroken. Any suggestions or advice?

It is very obvious that many of the people posting web pages with negative information about Amway, and other MLM companies, and the support systems that help people succeed, have rarely if ever succeeded in any other area of business either. I have researched businesses of many types, and found that a great investment of time and money is required to achieve a level of success equal to that of an Amway Diamond, or even Emeral for that matter. Many so called success stories, especially in the traditional business world, have achieved success at the expense of their families.
I wish you luck with your future ventures.
Subject: magnets I am looking for information about magent therapy, specifically a company called Nikkam, I think. Any info would be helpfule

It's good to see things like this on the internet. My mission is to expose MLM for what it really is, a dream destroyer and a scam. I too was involved with Equinox, plus Amway, Herbalife, and Excel, until I finally woke up in January 1997. Have you read False Profits? Please feel free to e-mail me at **. I'd like to chat with others with similar experiences.
Kind Regards,
Subject: Your Web Article Just finised reading your article on MLM's and was impressed with the content. I have recently been solicited by several people regarding Amway and then Mellaluca and could not quite explain to myself the inherent reluctance to get involved. YOur article has helped put a few things into perspective. Thanks
Subject: World Marketing Alliance This MLM is capitalizing on the "newest trend" of personal finance and retirement planning. It seems that they make money of an expensive UVL (Universal Variable Life) insurance plan that each of the newcomers are incouraged to buy and sell. It seems this may be a clever twist on the old scam in that, even when the newcomers find that they can't make a living with WMA, they continue to pay monthly fees on the UVL for years thinking that it was a good deal anyway and is a good retirement savings plan. However, I think most financial planners would agree, that a simple term insurance and invest the rest would yeild better savings and probably offer better coverage. Have you heard of this MLM? If so, are there any investigations regarding it? Is it a true MLM? They apparently have a huge office building in Duluth Georgia. (Just completed) They also just completed a hugh motivational convention in Vegas last summer where Norman Swatzkoff (sp?) gave motivational speeches (for a huge fee no doubt). Can you offer any feedback? Thanks

Part I

[This was a fascinating exchange of e-mail. This first was posted previously, but I'm including it here so that it goes with the rest of the e-mails from this same person. The first post was a typical finger-pointing attempt at making me feel I'm wasting my time in maintaining this web site. I responded quite politely, and mostly asked the writer to substantiate the allegations. The response I received was quite angry, and with each new request I made for facts, data or information, the responses grew more and more hysterical. My responses are in bold face.]

Subject: Time wasted
If you had spent as much time researching biblical success principals as you have in slamming Amway Corp. and it's distributors you'd most likely be debt-free and possibly happily married to a spouse who may love children more than their job! I've seen more done by the direct distributors in our community for the good of the citizens than I've ever seen from 10,000 critics who know whining better than working. And if you think poverty is the way to boost your neighbors morale then let me know how great your next vacation is. We love you

<<If you had spent as much time researching biblical success principals as you have in slamming Amway Corp. and it's distributors you'd most likely be debt-free and possibly happily married to a spouse who may love children more than their job!
On what are you basing your assumption that 1) I have not studied Biblical success principles, 2) that I am not debt free and 3) not happily married 4) to a spouse who loves children more than the job

<<from 10,000 critics who know whining better than working Are you implying that I love whining better than working?
How do you know this?

<<And if you think poverty is the way to boost your neighbors morale then let me know how great your next vacation is.
Did I say that? I don't think so. You make a lot of totally ridicouls assumptions. If you would like to write to me and exchange some factual information instead of just slinging AMO-speak around, I will be happy to entertain a dialog. Do you think it's maybe remotely possible that in over a decade as a distributor and five years as the employee of a Diamond I might just possibly know something that you don't???

Part II
Subject: Re: Re time wasted
your web site asked for people to respond about MLM, so we did. The fact is that Amway DOES work, because we have made it work for us. We have been involved for 15 years. We are proud to say that last year we built a 3000 sq. ft. home valued at $250,000 in cash. We have no mortage. Did you say that everyones dream required a 15,000 sq. ft. home? (Not all peoples dreams are the same) where did you get that assumption? We are at the age of 38 and 35. There is no way we would have ever been able to achieve this goal at our regular source of income. So what if it took us 15 years to do, we are farther ahead than most people our age. Can you honestly say you have a home paid for that is brand new? We realize there are 1000s of ways to achieve this goal besides Amway or any other MLM, but we did not have the capitol to start a typical business. Also our daughter has a disease that could turn bad at any given time. She also has to have cosmetic surgery from time to time that no insurance will cover. Luckily we have a means to help her out. So not everyones DREAM is to have all these material things. We don't consider our home a material thing since we need it to live in and most people have one. We were just following GODs principals of being debt free, which we are. Obviously you have had a bad personal experience with a person that is a distributor. I have also many times!!! But as far as Amway working down deep in your heart you know it has to work, because it is still going and so many blue chip companys would not put there name on the line if they were getting involved with a rink a dink company. Would they really want to put their name on the line and hurt thier image? What basis do YOU have for calling AMWAY a scam? I sure hope that you can back yourself up on that. Besides who are you to judge amway distributors anyway? Werent you one at one time? I do NOT believe the comment you made that non Amway distributors are Losers. Their are so many successful winners out there in the world, so I dont know where you got that info. Im curious what line of work do you do, and is it one that will help people become debt free? If so my hat is off to you because, we both know that there is other businesses out there that can create that besides a MLM plan. I think that is great! So is there by a small remote chance that Amway has helped our family, or are you stating that it is totally a scam and does not work at all? And that I am making this up about me being debt free with a brand new home paid for? I am not even at the direct level yet. I also now get to stay at home and homeschool my daughter who has learning disabilities, where she used to get teased in school. If nothing else it has been worth it for that alone. Perhaps your life is rosy one without any challenges, God Bless, but not everyone has it so GREAT! So far you havent convinced me that Amway is a scam and does not work, You said that you had worked for a diamond distibutor, I have not, So perhaps you do know more about some things than I and you are more than welcome to tell me your side of the story, because maybe you have a legitamte concern, that may change my mind. But as it sits right now I will stay with Amway until I am proved wrong. Please respond if you want.

You seem very defensive, and also seem to put a lot of words in my mouth. You do understand that my website contains quite a bit of information and opinion which I did not author. "Penny's Story" and "Diana and Joe's Story" are just that. I also feature hundreds of letters on the site from people like yourself. Basically, I print anything that's sent unless it's completely foul or obscene.

<<The fact is that Amway DOES work, because we have made it work for us. We have been involved for 15 years. We are proud to say that last year we built a 3000 sq. ft. home valued at $250,000 in cash. We have no mortage.
Congratulations! This is an especially noteworthy accomplishment when you later tell me that you're not directs, and therefore aren't making the majority of your income from the motivational tools business. Apparently you've done it the old-fashioned way, with hard work, time, and some retail sales. I have never claimed that "Amway doesn't work." I make lots of claims about the abuses of the Amway Motivational Organizations. There is a distinction. Since most distributors are in lines of sponsorship that have become motivational organizations, they are the majority toward whom my site is geared.

<<Did you say that everyones dream required a 15,000 sq. ft. home?>>
No, I don't think I said that.

<<Obviously you have had a bad personal experience with a person that is a distributor. I have also many times!!!>>
My site does not exist because of a "bad personal experience with a person [who] is a distributor." My site exists because I believe the Amway Motivational Organizations are extremely harmful, and I want the information available to people so they can make REASONABLE choices about their lives, not choices made after they've become the victims of well-orchestrated deceptive mind-control programs. This is based on extensive knowledge FROM THE INSIDE about how the AMO diamonds run their businesses and take advantage of people.

<<But as far as Amway working down deep in your heart you know it has to work, because it is still going and so many blue chip companys would not put there name on the line if they were getting involved with a rink a dink company. Would they really want to put their name on the line and hurt thier image?>>
This reasoning is completely fallacious. It is obvious that Amway works for Amway Corp. It is obvious that Amway works for the Dexter Yagers and Bill Britts. It is also extremely obvious that Amway does NOT work for the vast majority of distributors who get involved. As far as the "blue chip companies" and their "partnerships" with Amway, those "partnerships" are in the minds of the distributors. The blue chips don't consider themselves "partners" with Amway. Amway is just another venue through which to sell their products or services. As long as they can make money doing it, they will. When they can't, they will stop. It's that simple.

<<What basis do YOU have for calling AMWAY a scam? I sure hope that you can back yourself up on that.>>
Did I say that? Where did I say that?

<<Besides who are you to judge amway distributors anyway? Werent you one at one time? I do NOT believe the comment you made that non Amway distributors are Losers.>>
Umm, is it possible that you are taking sarcasm literally??? If I said that non-Amway distributors are losers, it's because I listened to Directs, Pearls, Emeralds and Diamonds saying for years that if you're not in the business you're a loser, you're brain dead, you're stupid. . . the list goes on and on and on.

<<Im curious Ruth, what line of work do you do, and is it one that will help people become debt free?>>
Are you suggesting that the only worthwhile work in the world is that which helps people get out of debt? How does that square with your Christian faith? I thought as Christians our prime directive is to go out into the world and preach the Gospel, and last time I looked, the Gospel was about Jesus Christ, not about getting out of debt. . . although he certainly speaks strongly about its importance.

<<I am not even at the direct level yet. I also now get to stay at home and homeschool my daughter who has learning disabilities, where she used to get teased in school. If nothing else it has been worth it for that alone.>>
Good for you!

Part III
Subject: Re: Re time wasted It's obvious that you and your warning system on the net really are not having the impact on this country you might think it's having. This mind control story is a humorous one the and I'm shocked there's still people really yelling cult and brainwash after all the positive results theses organizations have had in the lives of millions of honest, hard-working people around the world. We're not talking uneducated idiots who really can't detect foul play but the ditch digger and doctor both can get involved. Here's what will really have an impact on the anti Amway sights; the $100,000,000. oo e-mall Amway is putting together right now [yes, this is true. Amway is actually forming a new company to try and ppolish up its tarnished image and take advantage of the popularity of the internet. Look for an article on this subject soon. . .]so poeple can spend less time shopping and more time in fellowship. then the new site might read good -bye ,"nomore scams"

Again, you are assuming things that I've never said or implied, and putting words in my mouth. In fact, the whole tone of your most recent post shows me pretty clearly that whatever critical thinking skills you may have had, they have been seriously eroded by your involvement in an Amway Motivational Organization. I congratulate you on building a home without going into debt to do it. I congratulate you on being able to stay home and home-school your special-needs child. Both of these are commendable. However, it does NOT follow that the "vehicle" which allows you to do this is what you perceive. For example, you claim that <<all the positive results theses organizations have had in the lives of millions of honest, hard-working people around the world. Really? What results are those? Are they measurable and tangible? Or is it the same old tired bs about "improving their lives," "helping them to become better people," etc., etc. According to my information, based on years of working for a diamond and hundreds -- perhaps thousands -- of conversations with distributors and former distributors, by any objective measurement the Amway business has been a dismal failure for the vast majority. Unfortunately, people like yourself just airily dismiss them, with statements like, "well, they're just quitters," "they didn't really work the business," "if they'd stayed plugged in they would have succeeded," etc., etc. **, do you know what percentage of distributors qualify ONE TIME as direct distributors? I do. Do you know what percentage of distributors qualify ONE TIME as diamonds? I do.

<<Here's what will really have an impact on the anti Amway sights; the $100,000,000. oo e-mall Amway is putting together right now so poeple can spend less time shopping and more time in fellowship.>>
Yes, I've seen some examples of ways that Amway distributors use technology. Frankly, I am NOT impressed. It will just breed more abuses, which the corporation won't stop because they won't enforce their own rules, and will blacken Amway's name even further. If you care to discuss the points that I'm making, or any other factual information, please feel free to respond. But stop putting words in my mouth. I'm not going to waste my valuable time responding any more to your grandiose generalizations about things I never said.

[Part IV. By this time, I was tired of the typical Ambot avoidance of anything requiring thought, logic, or reality, so I did not reply to this last.]

Yes encouraging fear, dout ,and disbelief are definitely Godly points of YOUR life but it sounds like you and satan are really partners and that's your choice. God gives all of us free will and yours seems to be playing the part of the "wizard" of oz, controlling all the return email that really makes sense so non of your buddies who quit the business have to read them and feel bad for justifing giving up. Since you've got all the stats on how many go direct why don't you publish the stats on how many people really succeed in any field to live the kind of lifestyle they would choose. Real facts don't seem to matter to those who give up, lots of boo-hooing amongst themselves because it's so warm and fuzzy. Enjoy your social insecurity if you can.

First, please note that certain links (e.g., "more serious suit") are not accessible. Second, I am looking for someone who would mirror my web page (under construction): it deals with money, power and corruption of the entire U.S. juridical system. It will contain hard and incontrovertible evidence. Please advise. Thanks.

Subject: I quit!!!
I'm a soon-to-be-former AMWAY distributor who threw her renewal notice in the trash a few minutes ago. I was ambivilent about renewing because the price of renewing keeps going up! It was $25 when I joined in 1993. In 1997, it jumped to $34.

The prices of the products keep going up too and buying the products wholesale is the whole reason I joined. I was not interested in sponsoring anyone or living a lavish lifestyle (I never felt comfortable with the materialism used to motivate people). I just wanted to buy some really great products at lower prices than what I was used to paying.

Needless to say, I allowed myself to get sucked into the system; luckily, it was a brief lapse of sanity and I didn't lose much money. I also realized that one doesn't save that much money from buying wholesale -- really. I kept renewing (I was only semi-serious about the "business" for a few months in 1993) because friends occassionally bought products from me and I still liked buying the products myself.
I stumbled on this and other anti-Amway websites and my eyes were opened about product value vs. price! I was aware of the "tools" scams about a year ago when I heard about an Emerald I knew who had to get a "real job" when the "tools" business of his line had legal difficulties and dried up.

I knew the products weren't inexpensive but I bought into their "value" from being "more concentrated" than their competitors'. I then read the Consumer Report information -- no wonder our uplines don't like us watching T.V. or reading information not on the approved "tools list." They're afraid we'll find out the truth! Well, I did and I have these anti-Amway websites to thank for it.
So THANK YOU!!!

Subject: Amway
Thank you for your excellent web site. As I was reading the e-mail responses you have received, I was amazed to find so many people who are as disillusioned with Amway as I am. Actually, it is our distributor organization (WWDB) that I have become unhappy with. My husband & I have been distributors for two years, having been sponsored by my mother & father-in-law. During the last two years we were as core as you could be; SOT, attended every function, counseled with our active up-line direct, showed the plan 2-3 times a week, etc. As a result, after two years of hard work we reached 2500 PV and pushed my in-laws into direct qualification. However, my in-laws are two-legged (I kid you not), and they had to buy their way into completing their final two months of direct qualification (24 cases of Double-X). They had no business going direct, but our upline Rubies needed them to go direct so they in turn could go Emerald. The whole thing disgusted me because I felt they were pushing my in-laws to buy a lot of product just so they could collect their Emerald bonus money. So what was the end result? My in-laws are direct, our rubies are now emeralds, and we have quit the business. We are off SOT & Amvox, are no longer attending functions, and we have turned our downline over to my mother & father-in-law. After what happened to them, combined with what we have learned about the tools scam, (I first came across Jeff Probrandt's web site about eight months ago, and that got me thinking that there was something terribly wrong with this business) it was all just too much. I have a conscience, and the tools scam doesn't sit right with me, or with my husband for that matter. It seems to me that the AMOs have become a modern-day form of organized crime; as I understand the concept of racketeering, it definitely seems to apply to these groups. Why doesn't the government stop them? Are Bill Britt & Dexter Yeager that powerful? If you would like to e-mail back to me, that would be great. Otherwise, thank you for the opportunity to share my feelings and my experience. Regards,

Subject: Amway
hi my name is **, i am an ex-amway twat,my story is long and boring so i wont bother going into great detail.Suffice to say that my life was basically ruined by the bizz. My point to writting is to say that the amway business concept is sound the only dodgy thing about it is the blood sucking b******ds that see a way of ripping good,innocent and honest people like you and I off. My parents got a divorce as a direct result of it i lost my job,got depressed ended up on prozac for four months because of the bizz,all in pursuit of my "GOALS & DREAMS".
What a load of bull s***t. "TAPES,BOOKS&FUNCTIONS". If i hear that statment again i will hurt the person that says it.If you have ever been to a function you will understand how i feel.I still dont understand how a bald man and a fat ugly woman telling me how they "SAW THE LIGHT OF AMWAY"was worth £70.00. This did not teach me anything i did not already know about life.

When you become a member of the club you are told that it is your own business but once you are truly in you are told that unless you follow your upline you wont get anywhere,it sounded almost like a threat.Anyway i have been rambling so i will go now,if you want to hear more about my 3year adventure tune in soon!!!!!

Subject: Amway and your site
Sirs,The majority of your site is simply about Amway bashing. I am in no way a "Amway" lover, and in fact do not like them either. However, you seem to direct your anger to ALL MLM companies, when in fact, it is only a certain amount.There ARE legit, and "common sense" MLM companies out there that admit that it is not easy, and it takes time (2 years+) to build a good amount of money.This is my 2 cents into the whole view. Your site is increasingly one sided, which of course is against all MLM companies.It is YOUR website, so you can do whatever you wish and I won't say anything more, but I implore you to check out 'good' and 'honest' MLM companies such as ** or **.Don't take this message the wrong way though, I do believe that over 80% of MLM companies today are scams. Have a good day,

Subject: Re: Melalueca
Thank you for your reply. If you do not get many complaints about Melalueca is it fair to include it in your site. I have been with Melalueca for a year, the product is great the company is wonderfully customer service dedicated I have had a few SNAFU's but they were all fixed in a fast, fair way. Thank you for your honest reply. I will always be aware of the company I choose to associate myself with, I was with Amway previously and will always "keep my eyes open."

Thank you for responding so quickly to my inquiry about Equinox. I sent you a letter a few minutes ago, but I think I may have mistakenly deleted it before it was sent So here goes again...

It sounds to me like my husband and I will have to wait patiently for her to see the light. Our door will always be open, but only after she is out of Equinox. I hate to think what will happen to her without our financial support. She still has strong emotional ties to us, but not as strong as her ties to Equinox. Before the incident with her ex-boyfriend, they were both flying home to see us for Thanksgiving. Although we were not thrilled to meet him, as she is not yet divorced, we wanted to see her. We have not seen her since last March and before Equinox she called almost every day, and we saw each other at least a couple times a month even though she lived 100 miles away.

We are Christians, and I will look for the books you suggested. As to why she went to Colorado, I guess it's because she loves snow related activities plus I think she wanted to get as far away from her family as she could get. You have to realize that less than one year earlier (April 1997)she had a beautiful, elaborate wedding with 240 people that cost us approximately $20,000. And now she hardly has a penny to her name.

By the way, about a month ago she did get a part-time job in a dentist's office to make ends meet. She has done this kind of work previously. Is that a good sign, or not a sign at all? She cannot live on what she is making with Equinox, but believes that eventually it will take off.
Her soon to be ex-husband supported her 100% when she got involved in Equinox. In fact, I think he was her "partner"? He is an environmental lawyer in Washington DC and is brilliant, but could not see the deceptiveness of Equinox. Even when she left for Colorado, he was happy for her. He is not a strong-willed person, and probably felt there was no turning back for Julie. She was on her way to becoming a successful, independent young businesswoman! Julie wanted to travel for Equinox and her husband would not pick up and leave. He had grown up in that area, his family and friends were there, and he had a great career. Why should he leave? But she didn't see it that way.
Again, thanks for your reply and if I may, I will update you if anything changes.
Sincerely,

Thanks for your reply. I enjoyed your response. Have you ever seen the Melalueca program. It is quite different in the MLM realm. Melalueca is also that well known out of the many people I know through all the activities that I am involved with I probably have found only 5 people who have ever heard of it. I would love to show you the program if you are interested. Only for your information, I am not trying to "sign" you up.

I just read some of the comments on your site about Equinox. I was with Equinox for seven years. I was an IMD and national trainer for Bill Gouldd. I was one of the few that "made it." I left about a year and half ago, disillusioned. The one person in his letter claimed that the people that made big money were "heartless sheep raping bastards." A lot of us believed in the company. We believed in Gouldd. When we started to see things, it was hard to admit, even to ourselves, that our dream was false. The higher up I rose in the company, it was like pulling back the curtain from the Wizard of Oz. If you are interested, I wrote a book about my experiences: Spellbound, My Journey through a Tangled Web of Success. You can order it at ***. If you have been in MLM for any length of time, I promise you will laugh out loud. Though Equinox was not the answer to my dreams, it was a great education and experience.
[I ordered and read the book, and have featured it on my Book Corner. Read a review.

Hello again,
Glad we could talk on some common ground. I didn't mention it before, but I do respect you and your site quite a bit. You've gone through a lot of work to make it useful and educational. I myself am split into what exactly to do with my life. I am just coming out of college with a computer degree, and find MLM intriguing. Fortunately, as any person should be, I am being cautious and am trying to get other viewpoints. My "sponsors" of the two companies that I talked about say that MLM is the greatest thing etc. And just before jumping into it, I found myself taking a step back before doing anything stupid until I hear more information, OTHER than what comes out of their mouth.
Okay then, you have a good upcoming weekend. I'll continue to check your site for more stories (it's extremely interesting to read! I just can't believe people would stick with it for years and years and get into so much debt. Although, I'm not one to judge because who knows what I would do in the same situations.)
Take care,
BTW: Thank you for the book recommendation, I will in fact check it out.


Subject: Re: Amway and your site
Thanks for replying to my letter,this is the first time i have used E-MALE,i have loads of stories to tell all of which are true .I will talk later but feel free to write back with your story.
thanks

Subject: refund for tapes?????????????????????????
Is there anyway you can suggest to get a refund all several hundered tapes we purchased as "tools" which cost thousands... we stopped the business and didn't renew about 2 years ago and wish we had stopped way sooner...any suggestions???Mike we have our first naby on the way now and need the lost income if at all possible...????????????THNAAKS FOR A RESPONSE

Subject: a new amway controversy website ... is at http://207.201.180.19/amway/
and is an invitation for Amway leaders to respond to the material on the Web.
Should be interesting as things develop.
thanks,

Subject: Thankful for your most appreciated efforts!
I have extensively read over Amway the untold story site and was enthralled with it. I just decided to check out your site and I am so glad I did! Great job, your efforts are most appreciated and you will be blessed for your dedication to help people "trapped" in amway and other such cults. The reason for the immediate response to your staff is the shocking and almost scary similarity of the lawsuit shown on your home page regarding Taylor vs. World Wide, etc. and my wife & I. I about fell off my chair when I began to read the details on the first amended complaint. I e-mail Mr. Sidney Schwartz regarding any help or assistance from anyone who has dealt with the returning of tools to "upline" specifically Brad Duncan. Sidney was very kind to respond and give my name to someone who he believes can assist me and has dealt with the same situation. The shocking similarity of the rest of the details gave my wife and I such hope that there were other person or persons fighting back and exposing these fraudulent people for what they are worth! Our situation is very very similar with the above mentioned and we have many recorded conversations with our "upline" including Brad Duncan which I believe would lend credibility to the Taylor's and all who are going after WW and the Duncan scam clan. My wife and I would very very much appreciate it if you would pass our personal information to the Taylor's and anyone on their side and let them know if there is ANYTHING we can do to help or assist, to please please let us know! My wife and I were very much involved in the business for 3 1/2 years on the east coast and traveled extensively to Portland OR. for major functions and related business activities. We are about to present our case to our former direct about the tool return because I contacted Brad Dunces office and explained the situation to Deanna one of brads secretaries and her response back to me from brad was I needed to contact our direct. I have not done this yet because I knew it would be a fight and I knew I needed more "ammunition" before we launched an attack against these evil people. As I previously explained via e-mail to Sidney, we had our BSMAA form retracted and have a letter of retraction from the ADBA board and have our original PA-707 form intact, which was a legal and binding form distributed from WWDB prior to the release of the BSMAA from. Please forgive me for the long message but please pass our information to the appropriate people involved with the above mentioned lawsuit. I believe like I previously stated, I have some very credible evidence both on audio tape, written, and our own personal confessions of our horror story with the brad duncan "line!"

Any advice or direction you can give my wife and I would be very much appreciated! Keep up the good work and continue to expose the wolves in sheep's clothing! You all are doing a remarkable, admirable work! Like I mentioned to others, I wish we read your site and others like it years ago! We now know why we were harshly reprimanded for searching on the internet, now we are madder than hell and are determined to do anything we can to help expose these frauds! We both await your response and again thank you for your time and great effort to this site!

Take Care and Continue to Kick Butt!

Subject: Any information on Omegatrend
Hi!, I have been approached by a friend who has become involved in Omegatrend which is a Multi-level Marketing business that started in Perth, Australia. Although I have decided I'm not interested in business, I am interested in any information you have on it. I have already accessed Ammway the untold story which was really interesting but I would like some information on Omegatrend if you have any. Thanks

Subject: Melaleuca Inc.
Thanks for the site. Great read. I am being courted by what appears to be a reputable company (Melaleuca Inc.) with what appears to be a pretty good product based on Tea Tree oil which is derived from a plant grown in Australia. Am I nuts? Help! Is there anyone out there with first hand experience?

Hello everyone.
I came across your MLM survivors homepage and I was very impressed with its professional style and balanced approach to the MLM problem.

Perhaps you can help me. To help with an anti-Amway site I am setting up, do you know where I can get a copy of the Federal Trade Commission report on Amway that many distributors claim legitimizes their business. I think it was published in 1979. I can't find it on the FTC website. If you could email me a copy it would help a lot.

Any help would be very much appreciated.

Regards Hi,
Today I was approached by an old friend who is an Amway guy. We spent some time and he gave me an elaborate presentation about Amway. It was really impressive. However, I didn't want to commit myself to Amway right away. Therefore, I started doing some research about them. Your web site has some very useful information. I have not made up my mind yet, but in all probability I will not be joining Amway.

If you have any thoughts/suggestions that could be useful for me, I would be grateful to you.

Thanks once again and have wonderful holidays,

Thanks for your reply. A breath of fresh air. I will certainly follow up on your advice. So far the people representing Melaleuca have been helpful, non-pushy and the kind of people I could imagine doing business with but I will take my tme. Thanks again for the tips.

Thanks very much for the information. If you get any further information I would love to know about it.
Thanks

Subject: Big Planet
Where can I find out more info on Big Planet? Any experiences out there?

Subject: Success
I read some of your postings. I think the common thread for those who are unsuccessful at MLM's is the they have been give bad information and/or have been mislead by their upline sponsors. I have been successful with a company that has been developed in Canada. However, I make it very clear to my distributors the cost and efforts required to be successful in the business. The absolute worst thing a person can do is mislead people. There is not question in networking that some people are successful and other fail. It is time that people in this industry quit promising the world without delivering a solution. Be upfront with people and they will not leave your organization with broken dreams. Networking is about helping others be successful not using them in the process.

Part I
Subject: Primerica Financial Services
Hi: Don't think I saw your name on the site but that's okay. I gave PFS my resignation December 1st and am working on a page because, well, I have been as obsessed with your MLM webring for the last 3 days as my upline wanted me to be about "the company." I'm telling you, the language, tactics, cliches, they are all the same. The product is different but way too much is familiar. Anyway, I was broke going in and had no money to invest in their seminars, books, and tapes. In fact, financially, my life was already a mess and of course, I was told that PFS was the answer. The crusade, make millions helping others invest and make millions...win win win. But funny thing is, so few are winning and so many are losing. I thank God that I didn't have much to lose. Still, I plugged away for over a year and in that time made maybe $300 and spent almost $1000 on one big event alone. And if I had given in to the constant pressure and manipulation, I would have lost a lot more.

So, I've opened a site which asks the question: Is Primerica Financial Services" another Amway? The cult similarities are there, we read the same books, eg. God Wants You to be Rich, and even use the same cliches...eg, JOB = Just Over Broke.

Well, I begin my new position Monday with a fibre optics company and after two weeks...I'll get rewarded foe EVERY SINGLE HOUR that I have worked, and I'll paid Christmas Day and New Years Day, even though I will be spending that time with my family. After PFS, this job seems a blessing.

So far, I cannot find anything on PFS on the net, except a huge presence of RVP's advertising their businesses. I find it amusing that all the pages have the same content, format, etc...that is not freedom! And freedom was what I was partly sold on.

So, I'm starting a page but I have a two year clause in my contract that says I cannot reveal anything I know about the company. I'm hoping others will by responding to my page, which is at http://www.bc1.com/users/sjr/pfsenquiry.html

I'm sure you are swamped with letters and requests, but if you get the time, please look at the page. No graphics or anything to slow it down. Or, if you can direct me to a site that talks about PFS, or advise me on mistakes I might avoid in attempting to uncover truths about PFS. No doubt, it is MLM and I felt intense discomfort my entire time there. But I have a hard time accepting that I was brainwashed. Maybe a bit of denial there, but maybe I'm just not quite as naive and susceptible as I might have been 20 years ago.

Anyway, I am in awe at what you have accomplished, informing people world wide about Amway--oh a sidebar--I remember Falwell endorsing PFS or its parent company on our closed circuit TV. I couldn't believe it!

Anyway, from my reading on the ring, I know PFS is the demon spawn of Amway and I'm hoping my thoughts will be confirmed by readers such as yours. I don't know if you believe in God, but I want to say, thank God for people like you who have courage and discernment. Keep it up if you can, and if you need help, maybe I can help. This is definately a public service.
Please withhold my name and address if you post, I am

P.S. I'm a little bit scared of these big rich bastards. Were you at first?

[Part II]
Subject: me again
Sorry to send two emails in one night but DAMN! As I'm reading and hearing the EXACT SAME STUFF goes on in PFS and Amway, down to the same words, verbatum...you didn't work hard enough, you're not plugged in...all this blame blame blame. Sheesh!! I cant freakin believe what I am reading...I mean I can, but I can't. Because its a different company but its THE SAME! So now I'm thinking, tapes, books events...here's my RVP...similar to your diamonds I guess...sitting in a room of 300 bots and hey! guess what! We all paid to be there! We all bought tickets. And Amvox? We have something called Voicetel. [Voicetel is the company that provides Amway's Amvox voice messaging.] I think they are independent phone service, but the point is the same...to keep you up at night whipping yourself because you aren't cutting it!

And the playing with emotions etc...all the same. Some really beautiful people are being turned into complete dorks for the dream...sell the dream. We are told so often...SELL THE DREAM! Where does the dream live? In an insurance policy? NO! The dream is found in the materials, and could it be? Could my RVP really be making his money from events, tapes, kickbacks for marketing all his reps to Voicetel and other such services. I'm getting the picture. I hope I can find a defunked RVP to tell the truth. By the way, we...oh man I said we...THEY are hooked up to Citibank and Travellers and marketing their stuff. Is it possible that Sandy Weill could have "recruited" the CEO of Citicorp? Do those guys care or know who is feeding them their billions? Oh, one more thing, Amway does NOT have the most millionaires in the world, PFS does! So we are told...and told...and told...and told...
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This page updated Jan-06-99