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.

Hi, I am one of people who is in Amway business. I was reading one of your article and found accidentally that distributors were mentioning partner stores such as Amazon, Norstroms, and etc before its lauch. I don't have any idea of what organizations that were doing that. I am with World Wide Dreambuilders and they didn't give us any partner store names because they didn't want any false informations getting out. WWDB also highly encourgages product sales as well as sponsoring people. In fact, my upline just told to sell products to make to one of the major functions, Family Reunion. I am sure there is many false informations and so on, but I believe that many people do scam others to gain quick and easy money. I have talked to people who were in the business and found that their upline was screwing them. I was disturbed by your experiences and sorry that you had to go through such a bad experience. I just wanted to let you know that not all the businesses in Amway are like that. Frankly I admit that I would have the same opinions as you do if I had to go through that experience. I hope you check World Wide Dreambuilders organizations so that you know there is a honest business of Amway in this world. Once again, I am sorry of your experiences. I wish you the best luck in your life and I hope you have a better life. Thanks for providing the website. (I clicked it accidentally.)

Brad Wolgamott is my upline Diamond (double diamond now). Somewhere you are right someone makes money...but unlike most groups World Wide charges the same price for a tape to everyone. My Direct Upline, Al Lacson, pays 7$/tape, just like I do, and he is a Ruby, almost Emerald. In some groups someone at my level would pay 10-12$/tape... As for books, some I am sure cost more then if I went to Barnes & Noble, some cost about the same, a few are actually less... Same goes for products... I know when I buy the SA8 laundry soap, it costs less then if I went to Safeway to get 100 washes worth. The Active 8 jucice mix costs more then if I went to Safeway though...

Somewhere though if you save some $$, get even a small rebate cheque, and can save money on taxes (through write off's) in my case anyway, I am saving a little more money then if I was not in Amway.

As for Functions, just went to one last night, Dream Night. Costs 55$, you get dinner (if at a restaurant would prob be worth about 15$) and hear a couple of Diamonds speak and get to hang out with a lot of friends and (more or less) like minded people. When you take into consideration that they have to rent the place you are using. I am sure most of the 55$ is used up...sure somewhere is always a little left over, but I can not imagine much. I use to book rooms for meetings when I was at a former job. Mind you got cheap conference rooms at cheapish hotels...they were expensive. I have to think the centres Amways gets cost a bit more then the places I was renting.

For FED we were at the Rose Garden in Portland. Cost was like 150$ for 3 days of useage...it was packed. But 50$ a day, yeah a little pricy..and I am sure the people who speak get their flights paid for to be there (so they dont make money, they just save some money).

All in all, I have not found anything _bad_ about the organization and I use to be VERY anti-Amway...until I found my friend of 20 years in it and making money...

Hope that helps.

Thanks for reply to my message and sorry it took so long for my reply. I got busy during the Holidays at my "Dead end Job" ;-)

I tend to agree with your opinion of the issue. Most complaints I read from Yager has been when big pins get left out of tool profits. Maybe Britt handles the tools scam a little better as well??

No sense worrying about it now as the new year started and I didn't renew my distributorship. I just grew to really admire some of my Upline/Crossline Diamonds in Britt (Dave Taylor, Marshall Johnson, Rex Renfrow, Paul Miller, Brian Herosian, Larry Winters, John Crowe) so it's a little hard to swallow all this negative stuff associated with them now :-( I never read on the NET any negative things specifically about those Diamonds I mentioned above, but I guess they all had their hands in my pockets taking my tool money for almost 8 years....

Thnaks again and take care,

I read your story ... WOW ...

What does MLM stand for? I've been thinking about joining Amway ... until I read this!

Thank you for your time ...

Your site is right on! Regarding Quixtar, it's been loosing ground steadily since it launched in September. According to PC Data Online (they track ratings of internet sites -

http://www.pcdataonline.com/reports/topmonthlyfree.asp ), Quixtar's rankings keep slipping every month:

September '99 - 223 place October '99 - 473 place November '99 - 634 place December '99 - 698 place

Guess people are starting to realize the truth!

Hi, some time back in November you and I corresponded about Quixtar: my bad experience and you said for me to keep forwarding "hype" emails to you which I got from them.

1. I have not forwarded any more due to their not coming now. Do you have any idea why? I don't. Have they decided to cut costs, that it didn't work, or what?

2. Also, I see that there is not really much current information or current complaints in your articles or email about Quixtar. Am I missing it (also, when I was on the Quixtar page I clicked "read emails," and got nothing but about Amway, not Quixtar). [That's because all the emails I receive are posted together. Since Amway is still the biggest MLM, that's what most of my emails are about. I just post 'em as I get 'em.]

Appreciate your response...thanks!

I just recently became an IBO with my primary business being quixtar. I'm a single 21 year old man living on my own. I'm not overly religious (I really don't believe in a god), but I was drawn to the amway business because of its promise of financial freedom and time gained from building a strong business. I was brousing the net in search of positive literature concerning quixtar/amway and I came across your site. Unfortunately, you didn't have very many positive things to say about the business. To be perfectly honest I'm a little confused as to why you consider yourself a survivor of multi-level marketing. I'm on the verge of committing myself 100% to the business and, because of you, have decided to give this a second, unbiased, look. I'm looking for some one to convince me, one way or the other, that the final decision I make is the right one. If you are as dead set against amway as you sound, I believe that you will point me in the right direction to detailed information not necessarily available on this sight. I hope you understand my request. A reply would be invaluable, but never demanded. Thank you for your time.

As former Amway Distributors in the Attalah's business, we were not shocked to find a lawsuit regarding Amway, but were very interested in the Attalah/Duncan lawsuit. According to this web page, there is a pending lawsuit dating back to 1998. Has this lawsuit been resolved? We are aware of other "land schemes" that Samir Attalah has participated in with member of our own downline. We are curious to know the outcome of this. Also, Chris and Peggy Werenka were personal friends of ours and all of a sudden they were gone from the business and we have not heard from them since. This would explain why. We are also, wondering if the Kathy Anderson Taylor is the same Kathy Anderson from their business that sponsored a direct distributor in Korea? Any other info on this matter would be appreciated. Thanks.

Hey, I hate Amway too. They are the biggest traitors in the MLM world, both spawning and tainting a path. But I don't blame the bad eggs on the good ones.

Guy, if you are going to trash an industry, picking on the world's worst company not only makes poor example, it also makes a comletely ILLOGICAL conclusion.

I'll make you a deal:

Read "The Greatest Opportunity in the History of the World" by John Kalench, and I'll read "False Profits."

The book is company independent, and judging from the first chapter of False Profits, I can wager False Profits gives the ILLUSION of being independent by quoting mostly Amway immorality (which in truth is immoral, but not from companies other than Amway). How do you substantiate this? Certainly, correct me if I am wrong and cite SPECIFIC EXAMPLES. [Note: I am not the author of "False Profits," nor does the book ever mention Amway or deal with any specific MLM.]

Saturation is a theory, but HEY since it hasn't happened yet (exo sans Amway HINT HINT), that makes nonsaturaion an equally valid theory with the population curve and all... ;)

I have to ask, where is your industry-specific, company non-specific data? Actions of distributors really can't 'count' - logic provides people who flawed do not create a flawed company in purity.

(You know 75% or so of MLM companies do not let MLM uplines sell tools to their downline - The Tools Scam.)

So do we have a middle ground? Are you open minded enough to even answer my queries?

I am seriously thinking about getting into the Ziglar MLM. But first I had better check with the MLM Survivor. What do you think about this new MLM? Any problems that you can see?

I have been taken before, so now I ask questions.

Thanks

I've seen many good MLM websites such as yours and always wondered why they rarely stressed the one point that should bring the whole MLM charade crashing down, once it's widely observed:

If little or nothing is worth buying through an MLM system at the price it sells it for, this *alone* should tell someone that the only way someone can possibly be successful in that MLM is by convincing others to not act in their own best interests.

You can succeed in such an MLM *only* by hurting others, or if you don't hurt them, it's because you've taught them to succeed by hurting those below them.

This is an extremely simple, obvious, and damaging point to make, and I doubt there's a thing that your detractors can say about it. Maybe you could set up an autobot to fire such a challenge back to them & see if anyone responds? :) Or say in big letters, at the top of your website, "if you read nothing else, just answer me this simple challenge:" And how could Amway come up with a complicated lawsuit based on such a simple observation?

If the legal troubles become too much to handle, just focus on price comparisons. If nobody buys from Amway at their prices, Amway still dies, regardless of the more complicated charges that may be brought against it.

I loved Schwartz's website also, but felt he would have been immune from criticism and legal entanglements by just reiterating this to anyone who tangled with him.

I also still think that an MLM system isn't necessarily inherently bad - just ignore all the other factors, subject it to that test, and if it turns out that one of them *does* figure out how to market a product that people would gladly buy from a MLM distributor rather than any other source, more power to them, and all the talk about MLMs being cultic, etc., just wouldn't be relevant. (Fat chance that it'll ever happen, I think, but I'd love to hear of an exception.)

I'd like to write an article about MLM and it's affect on family and friends for a local newspaper. My parents-in-law have been addicted to pyramids and multi level marketing schemes for years. Actually, it started with The Forum, then Consumers Byline, then RexAll and Calorad, now Melaleuca. They live, breathe, and shit Melaleuca. It has destroyed the entire family. Christmas was pretty much entirely spent with them trying to enroll everyone. It's rather horrible. A friend of mine has also lost her mother to some MLM and hasn't heard from her in years because my friend refuses to sign up. I need more stories of people who have lost family and friends to this disease of MLM addiction. Can you help suggest a web site or put me in touch with actual people? Thanks,

If you would like a copy of a WMA VUL illustration that it is completely fraudulent and deceptive(e.g., it overstates likely VUL retirement income by more than a factor of 15), please send me a mailing address. I will send it along with analysis.

I will be leaving the country soon, so if you have any additional questions try contacting James Hunt, Actuary for the Consumer Federation of America, and mention my name.

The founder of the WMA, Hubert Humphrey, was formerly an executive with A.L. Williams. Their motto was(and rightly so): "Buy term and invest the difference." In other words, the company was founded with the primary intent of screwing people out of their money.

what would your opioion be on trek alliance?????

Using the term mind control with regard to yourself in the piteous, sniveling story of your life is the ultimate oxymoron. You must have a mind before it can be controlled.

Just came across your web site for the first time. My wife and I wasted 3 and a half years of my life, from 93-96 in an AMO. We were in our early 30's. When we got in our 3 children were 3 mos, 2 and 4 yrs old. WE WORKED OUR TAILS OFF. I traveled to other states, and did all stuff that a totally brainwashed distributor should do. I even went to China for the grand opening of Amway-China. In 3 years we spent $14,000, and our income was about $2,000 -- (With all the travel, hotels, functions, tapes, meetings, etc, $14,000 is not atypical for 3 years. I always tried to spend my $ carefully!). I sponsored a total of about 15 people front line....

Fortunately, I woke up one day. We finally realized that our upline was in bad financial shape, and that they had no good answers for the questions we were asking.

I realized it was all smoke and mirrors. The Amway AMO experience is like the story of "The Emperor's New Clothes" -- we were all blowing our time and money, and telling each other we were rich.

I also began to realize that someone was making a fortune on the tapes - and THAT was the main reason to push them. I never met so many brainwashed people...and hope I never will again...

Thank you for you book.

We got into Amway, under the guise of Quixtar, in April 1999. We did everything that "you are supposed to do". The BSM's, etc. Meetings, seminars, conventions, home meetings. Used all the products, loyal to the core,. However, when we ran into some personal financial problems, we found out who our friends were really NOT! Our upline used to say "Love you guys", well, what a crock. We had to go off tapes, but we kept Amvox, to stay "plugged in". It wasn't enough for them. They ceased communication with us, and not long after that, we accidentally stumbled onto your site. And the rest is history. We sent a very personal and aggressive letter to our emeralds and our diamond, never got a response, but we did manage to get all of our money back for tools , over $900.00 worth. After we made a threat , of course!

So we thank you for alerting us, and confirming every one of our suspicions. We just hope others will heed your warning. If any of your readers need advice or a shoulder, email us:

I have been approached to enroll in a MLM named Melaleuca. I understand you do not reccomend any one, however if you have ab\ny info on this company I would love to hear it. They allegedly have been around for seventeen years and the fellow recruiting me is a physician in my community. All I really wnat to know is if there are any negative reports out there. So far, I have only come across one, ( which sound like it could be viewed both ways after I spoke with the fellow). If you can help me I would appreciate it before investing my time, which is much more valuable than money.

An aquaintance of mine wants to contact me in person about a MLM called legal services.He is new at it and and wants me to listen.This organization is working in South Carolina.Just wondered if you folks have heard of it?Its hook seems to be legal insurance of some sort.

Thanks,

I just wanted to know if you had any scoop on Pre-paid Legal Services, Inc or Excel

Have you heard anything about an MLM called "Censored"?

Just wanted to thank you for the information you provide on your web site! It was the final element that lead me to the proper decision about Quixtar, RUN!

I attended the first meeting this evening and was highly suspicious of the claims that Quixtar was getting more hits and page views than Amazon. I then checked out the Quixtar site and was horrified to find that it was only an Amway dumping ground. A futile search revealed that the claims to having thousands of exclusive commercial partners was also false. I also caught the ambiguity of just how Microsoft was involved with Quixtar. Seems the sales pitch has changed to list them as a co-developer of the site and not a partner. Then I went looking for the 'real' story, and that is where your site comes in. You truly bring this whole crooked operation into the light.

Thanks for saving me from a terrible trip!

I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW REALIABLE THIS COMPANY IS ?

I am really surprised that a Diamond hired you to work in his organization. That way, he is really opening himself up for you to find out the truth. Maybe you weren't as brainwashed as he thought you were. Anyway, here's my experience. I got involved in Amway, like most folks do, to make more money. But after a year and a half, it became painfully obvious to me that I was never going to make a dime. I had not sponsored anyone, and I figured that, even if I did, I would sponsor someone just like myself, and not be able to help that person out. If they wanted me to stay in the business, then they were going to have to make it financially rewarding for me to do so. My involvement in Amway contributed to my having to file bankruptcy the following year. If I were going to stay in this business, then it was going to have to pay its own way. In other words, if I were going to buy all the "t" items (tapes, tools, and tickets), I wanted it to come out of money that I had already made in the business. I flatly refused to stay in it for months and months and months without any results. It was going to have to bear fruit for me or I was going to leave. I promised myself that I would not stay in it if it didn't work for me. There were simply no two ways about it for me. It finally got down to, how could I possibly continue in this business and present it to people if I didn't believe in it myself? I got tired of hearing about how it worked for other people. I wanted to see it work for me. When I told my sister (who was vehemently against my involvement in the business in the first place) that I had left it, she told me that they would use all types of tactics to either prevent me from quitting, or to get me back in if I left. I told her that they already had and that it didn't work. I additionally told her that I really didn't care about what they thought about me. There were all sorts of contradictions involved in this business. I got in to have more sleep, yet those damned functions ran until 5:00 in the morning. I got in to make more money, but I was getting, in the words of my sponsor, "nickeled and dimed" to death. (I later found out that after three years in the business, she still was not up to 2500 PV yet.) I would have felt better about it if they had just given me one good up front soaking and then never asked me for another cent. I'm sure you've heard the 95% rule as they call it, how 95% of people are either dead, disabled, or destitute (broke) at age 65. My upline Pearl told me that that is also true of Amway distributors. I thought it was only because 95% of them never did anything. If I had known then what I know now, I would have quit right then. I wish the FTC had shut them down back in 1979, or whenever, that way they would not have been around for me to get involved in, in 1994 and 1995. I wish I had been on the internet back in '94 and '95 so I could have known then what I know now. Of course, it's possible that even then I might have ignored the truth. I finally got out for good when my renewal notice for 1996 came in the mail on a day when I was not feeling too good about my involvement in the business. I shredded it up and threw it away. But of course, the truth is that I had been fading for some time anyway. Well, that is my story; use it anyway that you see fit. AMWAY SUCKS!!!!!

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