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Re: Omegatrend

Hi everyone,

I've seen Amway seems to the common subject of grievances here and so believe I'm the only burn-survivor from a different MLM organisation. I hope by doing this, there'll be more of them Omegatrend members coming up front. Or maybe I'm the only stupid one (well that's what I was made to feel like when I question the new "Fast TRack Scheme")enough to stay at home keying in this instead of doing another business presentation, somewhere across town.

For those out there who's a member, you're right I'm here to squeal on them Omegatrend. I've really only join in November, 99 and am I glad I found alot of things that I didn't like and disagree to early enough (on the 31st January, 99). What have I lost?? A couple thousand Malaysian Ringgit. What have I gained? A bagful of broken dreams. I nearly lost some friends but I guess I was lucky here caused I didn't. But I really hated the task of telling them that the possible golden opportunity I've been preaching and so believed in is not so simple after all.

When I joined in this Omegatrend business, I thought to myself "What a great company and what a great concept!!" Shopping from the comfort of your home. The things that attracted me and my friends the most was the 14 days money back guarantee (something you cannot get in Malaysia) and the points you'll get for future discounted shopping. This I must agree is another plus point cause we don't get these benefits from our regular supermarket. The products are really good and very competititve with the supermarket prices. Great stuff!! And if we believe in this concept so much, we should make it into a business benefitting us even more. Afterall, we women are gonna start gapping about it to our friends anyway. Might as well get paid for it. What a great idea!!

The join up fee? IT's only RM 125 for a standard introductory pack of regular goods that we'll use anyway and another RM 59 to register ourshelves into the business scheme of which we'll get back some other products worth more than a RM 100. Hey, what a great company. What more could you ask for out of a direct selling company? One that gives you a great product, good service, committed to ensuring your satisfaction and consumer rights and you can make RM 3,000 every month for the next consecutive 16 months or something like that. Plus you'll don't have to buy anything you do not need. So buy the catalouges, forms, cassettes and blah, blah, blah only when you want to. We won't make you pay a sum of money at the start for a bunch of business "tools". You decide what you need. We'll give you regular stuff that you'll use in return of your sign-up fee. PLUS NO SELLING. JUST RECRUIT MEMBERS FOR THE SHOPPING CLUB!!Simple as that.We all hate selling, don't we!!

So, of course we bunch of housewives got really excited and soon the news spread that we've got a way to make money(enough to make our husbands retire in one year Ha!Ha!Ha!)through promoting this Home Shopping Club called SandenBrook. Of course we are very aware that we'll have to start buying the catalouges, the brochures and motivational tapes for our business. Plus we have to try to go for our weekly seminar (which we didn't because it is the same thing week after week plus it's RM 10 per head to go in). I use this tickets which I bought in advance (buy 10 get 3 free deal here) to pay for my agents that already signed up as my downline to go to listen in case if I didn't do a good job explaining things to them. Not forgetting that we started buying more than what we need every month because we're supposed to fulfilled our minimum 25pv/ 30pv. This comes up to RM 250 - RM 300 worth of purchase monthly. Those who can't afford it will have to start soliciting product sales somewhere else. We're not supposed to sell at all in the first place, actually we're not allow to. But off the record, we were taught to sell to fulfilled our month minimum required PV. So gullible as we were, we went on with it for 3 months (Nov, Dec and January, 2000) and would still be at it if "THIS HAS NOT HAPPENED!!!"

What happened?

The launch of the Fast Track Scheme Feb1, 2000 which absolutely changed and streamlined the choice of business strategy that was available or verbally convey to us.

We were told of the new scheme coming our way and we're under this new improved scheme which we eventually realise is called The Fast TRack SCheme. It goes as follows.

1) Recruit members for the shoppers club, 2) get them interested in the business if they like the products and 3) in turn teach them how to do step 1, 2 and 3. 4) Get 3 members(Club 3); teach them 3 in turn to get 3 making it your Club 12; hit 1000 pv in month 3 and you're automatically OES in month 4. Hit 1500pv in month 4, then you'll get RM 3,000 per month for the next 16 months.

An OES (Ordering Executive Sterling) is basically the "ordering office" for SandenBrook as Omegatrend only operate warehouse only, which explains why we're being paid RM 3,000 cause we're "the marketing/ sales office.

After Feb 1st, 2000, we were faced with the decission to go Fast Track or go the old track which is the original business strategy, of which we're not really aware of because we have always been drilled to think of the Club 3, Club 12, 1000pv and 1500pv steps.

The old track do not give us the RM 3,000 subsidy. The old track was basically earn whatever commission you are supposed to get out of your group PV monthly. To get to the OES level will require 1500PV = RM 11,000 - 13,000 worth of sales below you. This PV will roughly generate commission around RM 800 - RM 1,200. But you won't get the full amount of this because they'll start deducting the fair share back to the downlines who contributed to your 1500pv business. This is fair because you didn't do it all by yourself. So after the deducting, you propably get back a balance of RM 200 - RM 300 if your lucky. So then if you have the Fast TRack scheme, which really is a subsidy scheme, the company will top-up the balance to make your commission to RM 3,000. This is it. It's as easy as it is. Good deal right? Bloody marvelous. We could reach out to thousands of our poor struggling over work, under paid friends, predominantly housewives. What is RM 200? She could save it up for a month and give this a chance. So what if she'll spend another RM 100 to buy whatever business tools she needs as she goes along, when she can afford it then. If she can do it, so can many of her friends. We'll just buy 1 set of tools and share it around anyway. We're all going to the same business presentation anyway because everyone knows everyone. Brilliant. What a fantastic company. Finally, someone's reaching to the most needy and help them to make a difference in their lives.

Is it? Or am I daft!!!

Of course I'm daft. Because the Fast TRack would require you to pay up front RM 490.00. Which equates to RM 125 for the product pack, RM 70 (it's gone up from RM 59) for a bunch of catalouges and tapes and many other business "tools" and RM 295(for another bunch of business "tools" really) for the privilege of the subsidy scheme because this sum will register you into the Fast Track Scheme. For existing members like us, we have the "choice" to upgrade ourshelves to this subsidy scheme as and when we are ready. You mean we're not in it yet????You mean we're supposed to pay for it after talking about it for soooo long!!! You mean we're now supposed to selling someone new this whole idea for a grand sum of RM 490!!!! We, these bunch of broke housewives!!! Who has already been daft enough to spend so much money in the past few months, promoting this so called magnificent opportunity!!! Now we know why we have to decide which track we're going!!!

Hey, what happen to the philosophy "this is your company. you have a voice in it. we don't do anything without consulting you. because you are the people building the business" I've tried excersizing this so called option of mine with my direct Australian "Premier", voicing out that these changes will break alot of people's hope, not to mention my friends. It's too fast to implement. At least gives us a 1 or 2 month to inform the impending changes before it comes into effect. I still have people saving up since December, 99 to make up for the RM 59 + RM 125 so that they can join us this business. Isn't too drastic to annouced today (31 Jan, 99 at 8.30pm) and it takes effect on the 1st Feb, 2000. I was really fight for some justice here, for 3 days. Eventually she must have got fed-up with me that she told me "forget about this people if they don't have the money. If they want it, they will find the money. Until then, move on to someone else. People without money, when given the opportunity will never make it because they cannot manage the money. They don't have the skills to do so. Survey has it that people who won lottery and became millionaires, a high percentage of them ended up poorer than they were before. She said to me, Sharon, you cannot be a Joan the Arc. Leave them and get on with your goals" She wasn't even interested to know what was my goals. After what I've said during these 3 days, she still haven't the clue.

Joan the Arc was what I wanted to be. Not for the glory but for the satisfaction that I was able to reach out to the lower income with this fabulous opportunity that if they are really serious about changing their lives, they will work like hell for it. My deal to them was, I'll pay the RM 59 + RM 125. You go sell enough to make up the monthly 30 PV requirement. In 4-5 months, when you get your 1st RM 3,000 cheque, you'll pay me back my money and you'll eventually get to use the products that you have been promoting all these months. In fact they do end up using 1 or 2 of the affordable products in the beginning because they have to know what they are selling. Curtesy of me,of course. I feel like a bloody banker, at times.

So, am I wrong to feel betrayed or am I just my own victim of assumptions? Did I assume all this possibilities? No I don't think so. I believe the company did set out to promote the Shoppers Club with the business as an option. Now, they have just realised that the shopper's club does not generate enough income to support everyone, therefore MLM at it's best comes in. Charge a high joining fee. Make money out of the casualties. Now is, get them to join the business and the shoppers club will come automatically because if you're in the business, you'll have to be a user!!!

If you happened to pick a copy of the Fast TRack Agreement, you'll understand that the RM 3000 subsidy is not as easily available to you as you think. It isn't a guaranteed income with the easy accomplishment of the easy steps of 1, 2 and 3. You are obligated to accomplished more steps if you want to keep it coming or you'll lose it in 6 months time. Read about it if I were you.

Funny how they make you feel useless and not worthy of their time when you question the company's motive and refuse to accept what is feed to you. Funny how they also try to convince you that they understand what you're going through because they have been there too. Funny how when you mentioned that friendship ties and relatives ties is being threaten by this, they also seems to have lost friends and relatives along their path of success, whom all of them miraclously re-appear in their lives and now in also an agent to them. Of course all these people regrets not listening to them earlier.

If it has been so easy, some one please tell me why there are still ambassadors and premiers in the Omegatrend business still hacking it after 10 years???

I use to loved using a quotation from the founder of this company, Loren Watts. He said"For 100,000 dollars a month, you can brainwash my brain many times" Now, I'm really beginning to wonder if being brainwashed to a degree of not caring how these changes can even shattered someone's dreams and hope, is really worth that 100,000 dollars to him. The same goes to my immediate upline, who really is a very nice lady, unfortunately too brainwashed.

To Omegatrend, thank you for lying to me. Thank you for selling me a dream that supposed to be free but on the other hand take a chunk out of me. Don't tell me it's money for nothing because there's no such thing as free money. I could imaging how much money there is if you calculate RM 490 x 20-40 people that I have to recruit to get my 1st RM 3000. I can imaging how much more money and time invested getting these people, it can't be money for nothing as your Australian's downlines claimed. Thank you for making your Australians's downlines to verbally encourage us to spread the money for nothing RM 3,000 scheme and then launch it officially and it turn out to be totally the opposites. Thank you for help me crushed many people's hopes and dreams.

Hope you'll all have a good life and may every 100,000 dollars brainwashing you have done brings you happiness. Pray you don't get burn and you better pray hard because it casualty money you are feeding on.

I'm not sure you will want to respond to this inquiry but after reading the exaggerated statistics on the number of new users to the Quixtar site, I am wondering about a report in the Wall Street Journal. As a somewhat reluctant IBO, I am trying to find out the correct information before getting friends involved. We were told there was a recent WSJ article naming Quixtar as one of the fastest growing web sites as far as sales. Does your organization have any knowledge of this article?

I am a mother of three boys; and my husband and I have been entertaining the idea of joining Quixtar. I am reading everything I possibly can BEFORE we do so; of course, I have come across your materials. Now, I'm confused! Do you have any information about Quixtar from January? Have you changed your opinion about Quixtar since December? I notice that most of what you have to say has more to do with Amway, but you also say that Quixtar is really Amway, just another branch. I appreciate your opinion and all the information you make available to all of us "truth seekers". If you can provide me any additional information, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks for your time!

Sincerely,

I was recently approached about a new MLM that is getting pretty popular in my area. Unlike other MLMs that use a product as a false front, this one isn't even about products at all! It's just a money pyramid, something like a chain letter.

There are four levels, and the top person is the "dessert" level. When eight people are recruited for the bottom level, those eight people each give $500, $2500, or $5000 (depending on which group you're in) to the dessert person, and then that person leaves and everyone moves up. This means, for example, that your $500 investment will turn into $4000 (or your $5,000 into $40,000) when you get to be the dessert person. Everyone in the pyramid is trying to recruit for the bottom level, since everyone wants to move up into the dessert spot. To give the money, they have a "party," and the eight people give gifts to the dessert person with the money hidden inside.

My friend moved from the bottom rung right up to the dessert level in a week and a half, but now she's stuck there until eight people fill up the bottom rung. Of course, her $500 is long gone; she gave it to the dessert person a while back.

Have you heard anything about this? Someone is going to get left holding the bag here! And how could you explain $40,000 extra dollars to the IRS? This seems illegal to me. I think they explain it in terms of just giving a gift to someone.

Part II

I had never heard of the airplane game before. I guess there's nothing new under the sun! I have a feeling that a bunch of people are going to be left holding the bag, when these pyramids get broken up.

I did find a link to a news article about this if anyone is interested. It is:

http://www.msnbc.com/local/king/447814.asp

Thanks for replying to me!

I see your point about $1 per IBO,,and i asked an IBO how many people are IBO's within the quixtar company and he said thousands...Now that doesnt make sense...if it is 1 dollar per IBO,,then there would be a million IBO's.. Umm..just thinking of stuff to ask,,,I am nuetral in this thing,,so dont think that i am questioning your honesty,,but i am just trying to get as much info as a i can on this business as possible..I have a question,,if you were a Diamond,,and made good money ,,why did you get out? Is it that much of a scam? I mean,,Mc Donalds owners that invest in that franchise only pay there employees 5-6 somthing an hour,while the owners become millionaires...that is also a scam...again,,I am not trying to say you are dishonest or wrongly motivated in your website,,but just a person trying to understand both sides....Ummm..One thing i do understand is why would someone just want to shop with quixtar when they could go to the actual website and not have to be a member or get an ID number...I wonder how these IBO's will make money,,unless they get others to join the system and make money off of other people.....My last question,,and i hope it does not offend you is did amway or quixtar or someone within the business do something to you to make you not like the company...again,,i hope you do not think i am belittleing you,,just trying to understand...

Thank You for your Help,

Part II

Thank you for all of your input,,you have been very helpful...I am sorry i got you confused with being a diamond..I thought you said in your story that you were a diamond...I do apologize...If you dont mind sharing,,how far did you get in the amway business in the amount of time you were in it..and what scams were done that you didnt like? This is only between me and you if you are wondering if i am telling someone else everything you are saying...Thank you for all of your insight.

I am an MLM surviver. I was in Amway and I spent more money then I earned and I didn't like the way you needed to approach people,(not letting them know it was Amway.But I still know that Network Marketing. And that it is the wave of the future. I am now currently in a home based business called Nutrition For Life. And have been earning a residual for the last 3 and a half years. The Executives of NFLI, David Burtrand and Jana Mitchem have always looked out for the distributor. They have always made sure that any dession that they make always is in the benifit of the distributor. There are lots of MLMs out there, a person just needs to get the facts. Look at the Compensation Plan that each company offers.

Thank You for your time,

I believe your comments are well stated and yes, any truth is worth printing especially where that truth can help people in making their own decisions. However, there will still only remain about 10 percent of the people that will be willing to do the things that failures want do to be successful in business the " Common Denominator of Success". But maybe your information will help some of the failures turn another way sooner with fear and save some time.

I do however, commend those that are the winners in life throught hard work and persisance and know how to make things happen in any business.

best to you

It looks like the Amway big pyramid is finally starting to crumble. http://news.excite.com/news/ap/000202/21/amway-reorganization I don't think Amway will be able to keep up its scam-scheme marketing system too much longer. It does look like the company may even considering using legitimate marketing methods, if only as a last-ditch survival tactic.

Hi. My dad was a district manager in Mpls while working 34 years for P&G. He use to travel abit dealing with those charges of Satanism in the Midwest which I still have the files on since he passed away 12/26/93.

Recently, I was contacted several times by Quixstar representatives. In fact, tonite I was suppose to go a meeting but something came up and I didn't get to go which is why I found your site, tonite.

Last week, I decided to fork over $52 for a distributorship in Nikken to get a 25% price break on their products. I have the open kit now sitting by my bed. No products, of course, but lots of sales stuff from this $2 billion of sales a year company. (according to them.)

I was trying to find other cheaper sources of getting Nikkens' type of Magnetic health products to use when I found your site.

I agree with your MLM synopsis from my extensive experience with them. I see Money Masters in your stuff and I couldn't find it. Since http://www.moneymasters.com is a great website with amazing Presidential quotes (which see!), I was wondering if yours was the same one. I doubt it. I was hoping to find out if Quistar could get me a cheaper magnetic mattress since I know EMR is a real threat to our living environment and am new to Nikkens and Amways fight over each other's patents on it.

Since I've been a member of Eckankar (see http://www.eckankar.org ) for 25 years and it's founder Paul Twitchell died in Cincinnati in 1971, I've always considered it ironic that P&G's logo problems (from what I understand about it.) began to circulate about that time, too.

Now P&G certainly isn't a saint in the market with the controversy over fluoridation and other Dental nonsense such as Silver/Mercury fillings in our teeth. (Which Crest with ADA support did so well in the market cleaning.)

But, P&G was good financially to our family growing up (and even now) and we all know those rules when money dictates your conscience. I suspect to make significant money in any venture will always have it's detractors because it such a sensitive subject to those who's survival is sorely tested day after day.

Thankyou for your efforts in sorting out this continuing mess of MLM's, Satanic nonsense and enlightening info on what's going now in this circle of survival of the fittest. Check out http://www.prevailingwinds.org when you start liking our government too much, too. yours in pursuit of truth via internet!

I don't want to judge you but after reading your story its sounds to me like you are blaming AMWAY for your hardships. Its not AMWAYS fault that your people quit, or that you had to drive long hours to the functions, or that you were a single mother with sitter problems. Best of luck,,,,

I was told I had to invest $5,000 in product. I have read the court order against Bill Gould. Is it true I can get a refund on all or just the $500 I didn’t realize I was paying to be a distributor? I have product left over and have tried for two weeks to get someone to respond to my request for shipping labels to authorize a return. Any suggestions you can give me would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

I entered Equinox thinking it was legitimate and real. I was motivationally spoken to and pumped up with prospect of making a lot of money. When I was asked to buy the ever important hand book-I did. I got really suspicious when I was told I needed to attend a seminar in Texas, how much was it? $400.00!!!!!! I told them no and got the hell out. My sponsor called me for about two weeks and then left me alone! Later on that year i saw a special on 20/20. Glad i went with my gut on this one.

Indeed, my first link in my website is a come-on for Quixtar. However, I will be updating that link to point to an interesting virtual shopping which presents much less restrictive marketing features for its business owners - V-Store. So, maybe by the time you receive this Email message, I will have updated that link.

In closing, the reason why I have to put such a come-on statement on my website for Quixtar, because of Quixtar's totalitarianistic requirements for its IBOs to market Quistar. How totalitarianistic? Read Amway/Quixtar's Bulletin #17 (which requires the Acrobat .PDF file viewer application), for yourself. Bulletin #17 ("IBO Websites") is attached with this message.

I came to your site because my business website was put onto Quixtar without myknowledge. It turns out they have made a deal with catalog city, who I do have a business relationship with. My employees were getting calls from people who said they ordered over Quixtar and got Amway points... They were calling us to check on their points...And the few that I spoke with were quite pushy, and insisted that we were lying when we said we didn't know what Quixtar was... I was searching the internet for Quick Star and not finding anything, and so now I know whats going on. This isn't much of a story, but I just wanted you to know that I think this is a lovely, generous thing you are doing. Thank you for the information.

Part II

Well,

We were ready to sign a deal with Catalog City which pays them $1500 per year and 15% of gross sales for any sales through their site. This would be o.k. if we were getting customers who would then come to us- since 15% represents a loss, after all of our cost of doing business are paid, but with the Quixtar program, no one is ever going to purchase from our site, so it is just a losing propposition...

Because the orders that were coming through catalog city were extremely small, we backed out of the deal before signing up, Catalog City came back with a "trial" offer of $99 for 3 months plus 3%, by this time we were getting calls from Quixtar Customers, checking on their poinrs and calling us liars, because we didn't know what they were talking about...

I declined the Catalog City deal, and now they just want the flat 15%... I have called my account rep, to discuss the Quixtar problems, but have not spoken to him yet. I'll let you know what transpires...

Thank you, Ruth!!! I really appreciate your time, honesty, and quick reply. I was having doubts about all of this; and you've really helped to make things clearer. I just kept thinking, "If it sounds too good to be true..." over and over. Keep up the good work! I'm sure I'm not the only one who appreciates it!

Sincerely,

hi

my wife and i have started with usana and after reading your site saw a lot of companies have problems. is there anything about this company that has problems like amway or mannatech that you have heard?

Great webpage! The last month of finding out about Amway on the internet have made me feel so much better about the fact that I stopped Amway. I was fully plugged in for about six months, and semi-plugged for another nine months.

The reason I wanted to e-mail you is to refute two Ambot claims that I keep on seeing. The first is: "Don't be so negaitve! The world's never built any statues to honor any critics!" Newsflash to all Ambots: ALL STATUES ARE DEDICATED TO CRITICS! Think about it for a second - in our capital they got this famous monument dedicated to this fella named Lincoln. What did he do? He said "In this country we have slavery. I'm against. I would rather go to war than support it." Sure that's an oversimplification of things, but the point is he was critical of what he saw. Or how about Washington - "We're being running by the British king. I'm against that and think we should go to war to end it." That's so critical as to be treasonous. Martin Luther King - he criticized segregation. Martin Luther - he criticized the Catholic church. Heck, even Jesus "My father's house is not a bank!" Christ was a critic. What Ambots describe as "being critical" is simply not blindly, and unthinkingly following every order you are told. Let me now turn the question around on all Ambots: How many monuments are built to fanatics how blindly and unthinkingly follow their leader?

The other thing that irks me off is the typical Ambot response to the tool scam. "Why shouldn't they make money off of them? They're supplying the information. . . It's a reward for building the business, etc. " Look, I'll agree with Ambots on this much, the system does help. It's not a coincidence that the guy who invented it has the biggest business in Amway. What all Ambots miss in their rebuttals is that the real issus (as I see it) is not that money is made off of the system, BUT HOW THE DIAMONDS HANDLE THE FACT THAT MONEY IS MADE OF THE SYSTEM. It's a giant hush-hush operation. No one is to be told anything about it until going direct. By that time people have been so immersed in (brainwashed by) the system, and have so much to lose by criticizing it that they will almost certainly go along with it. Now couple this with the way the leaders are constantly edified/deified. Every function I ever went to, we were told how "You are so lucky. Diamond So-and-So could be anywhere in the world they want to be. But they choose to be here with you to help and teach you. They do this because they, like all your leaders, are such wonderful people." Folks, if the upline want to make money off the system fine. If they want to make a majority of their money of the system that's OK as long as they're upfront about that fact. In the meantime, I can not help but conclude that the system and the money made off of it is handled with a maximum of hypocrisy and a minimum of integrity. Thanx, keep on the good work on the sight, and sorry for going on so long.

I read your horor story on Amway and I am glad to know that what I have always felt was going on in that stupid company was actually true. It was the first form of MLM that approached me in Germany and it felt like entering a cult when the people who dragged me to their home started to talk about it. I was just eighteen and going to school there as a Dutch exchange student. They even had their daughter come on to me so I would come back and do the buz. I left as fast as I could and never went back.

I've been in America for seven years now and just recently re-joined the MLM company that I woked with before. The company has always been very ethical selling great products combining the most profitable compansation plan in the industry, as an actor I just had other things to do. But now their new division started to really take off I had to get involved again and grow a down line for life. Not that hard so far at all.

It all depends on the timing, the product and the compensation plan, as you know. We actually get for free and either or give away our sales aids as it is all about the products and improving lives. Actually our company has created more millionairs than any other company in MLM. I will be one of them soon too. What I liked most among all I have seen over the five years in my MLM involvement is that a tremendous amount of people have given back to social issues and projects the government wouldn't get involved in. The company even matches the amount, any amount, that is compiled by the distrubitors. It's fun to see all the good things that a force for good can actually achieve. All I am trying to say is if you join a company that has the best products that nature and science have to offer attached to an compansation plan that actually make you more money than a regular job ever could no one get's hurt and everyone wins. Good companies attract good people and it's actually fun to hang out with them and learn about life more than about business as the busines is all about common sense and getting a good product in a smart hand.

After you know the deal there is no need to sit there and humm about sales pitches and bull. I truly hope that you soon too will be doing something with people who have been successful proffessionals like those who joined our company and have fun in life helping others make money selling and using the best products available. MLM is really the last batch of free enterprise in the world and does not have to be a scam as you know it. it's, as far I am concerned, the great equallizer. I can talk to a scientist who just saved a rain forrest or discovered a remedy and get involved with people who really are doing something and sacraficed their own life and time for causes beyond their own little lifes to further awareness to preserve the globe as long as we have one. It takes awareness and money to do something big and the money is easier made in MLM than anywhere else for the avarage person. I wish you the best in life and don't feel stupid joining Amway. It's a company who made brainwashing a specialty and many would have fallen for it unless someone warned them. I was warned and there for lucky.

Best regards

Hi my name is *, if you do post this I really would appreciate it if you would not use my email in the note, thanks. You have a very interesting site and I went thru some similar things myself. By putting directs and diamonds on pedisols, sorry not the best speller, going to functions and seeing the diamonds roped off like there gods. They really need to tell people the truth and let them decide. Now I believe in free enterprise, and if you really want something to go for it. The vision the company is great or was great, but its the people that really made it suck, I guess you would agree. I was in, in the early 90's.When I saw the plan, I was blown away. I wasn't really concerned about products, cause you can get good products anywhere! Most of there products aren't that good anyway. But onething was for sure I truly did not want to work for someone else the rest of my life. I saw this as a vehicle. I worked it a while and then quit and then start back up and worked it again and then quit. I sponsored some people and they quit. I did study the industry, it is very lucrative. I did like the fact of helping people and also building a residual income. I do believe that most of the different co. out there operate like the big A. because of the things that worked for them and make them successful, other people just duplicated. But people also have to realize the negative side and positive side of networking that if the facts are all laid out, it is there decision. But just like any bus. the ones who are gonna benefit will show the brighter side no matter what field it is. Look at all the propaganda over cigarettes, its bad for you but people buy them, then you find out they put more nicotine in them? Everybody is selling something. I don't think the mlm industry is bad, its the people who lead that parade. 70 percent of people are really looking for a better way, most people don't have the courage, stamina, education, money, location, time to take away from there current income, support, help, and connections to start a bus. or really find a better career that could offer more money, or better lifestyle. Most people are raised to really limit themselves. As much as I don't have anything to say good about the big A, I learned, decide what you want no matter how big, plan out your work and go for it, if you fall off the tracks just get right back on where you left off. Don't be a quitter, that's in everything you do. I know there are good co. out there in networking that don't operate like the big A. most people are aware of how the big A operates, maybe not about making big profits on functions and tapes, as far as the diamonds go, that is really disturbing info. Any sales job you have to learn how to talk to people and read them, so tapes for that purpose, learning different things, and motivation, lets face it, it is a cruel world out there no matter what you do, are good to have for those reasons and probably many more, now the CO will profit naturally, but for other distributors to profit is bad. If people do want more money and they are considering mlm they should investigate all aspects good and bad, and weed out the info that is just mainly based on other peoples personal preference. Hey I don't like pink curtains in my house but my wife does. It is good to be part of something good, but to manipulate people and provide false hopes and dreams are wrong. Politicians do a good job of that. hey it was nice writing you this letter, and I hope maybe you would respond to me, if you like and maybe I'll speak with you someday. Take care and have a nice day.

I have been in Quixtar since Aug. 15th, just before the big launch. I seem to have no problem sponsoring new IBO's. In fact, as of today (2-6-00) I have over 30 IBO's in my group. I am 23 yrs old. I am an average male with extrodinary determination. We have several young people on our team that seem to have no problem reaching for our goals and dreams. Most new IBO's on our team have a downline within one week! It seems to me you were negative from the begining! I don't understand howcome you would waste your time "bashing" Quixtar when you have no clue what we do now. You failed, and blame Amway for inadequacy. Most of the information you gave in "your story" seems irrelevant and untrue. Diamonds do not make money from selling tapes, books, and functions. I know this for a fact because my uncle is a Diomond. Plus, who would like to listen to a failure when your deciding to venture something new. Thats like asking a bum how to become successful. I'm sure there are several people that have left the job you have now. That doesn't mean the job isn't working,it simply means it didn't work for them. Well, I'm sorry things didn't work out for you, maybe you this site will make you tons of money. (I doubt it) I'm well on my way to early retirement and living life nice, because "I paid the price". Have fun staying broke! Please stay in touch with your great success from your "cheesy" website. Its almost as go as the Quixtar site. Ha-Ha!

Maybe you've heard this one, ...

The statement sent via AMVOX went something like this,...

Because we (QUIXTAR) are so big, because we are considered to be such a major player, we have attracted the attention of the big dogs. AOL is wrapping their shopping stuff around our site and we will of course put a stop to that.

hmmm,...

What I saw was a "shop AOL search" line at the top of the page, ... ...God forbid an Amway distributor should do any comparison shopping on the internet.

Thought you might find this interesting.

I read your story. Honestly, if I had been you in that position, I would be angry as well. I was a CPA. I have also known other CPA's who were not as honest as I. But that doesn't tempt me to indict the profession. I joined Quixtar for a few reasons. 1) I believe the internet is where everything is headed. 2) It gives you control over what part of it you, and others you help, can get of that pie. Fairly simple.

Do I believe that Quixtar is the most user friendly site on the Net? No I don't...for now. But then again I have a close friend whos Snap On Tool truck pulls to the right. Big deal. I seem to remember when AOL was having problems as well a while back because no one could get in. Now they are buying Time/Warner. I had a Real Estate buddy recommend that I not buy a particular piece of property adjacent to a small market in our town. There is a hotel on that property now. The same with a stock that I was going to buy at 28. A person I came in contact with had just quit that company because he didn't like the people. That stock just hit 97 before Christmas, announced a split 2:1 then ran up to 125 after the split.

My point is simple. I can't account for your experience, nor the the unethical behavior of other people. Hell, you get enough people into anything and someone is about to screw it up for someone somewhere. But to make a personal mission out of it....jeeesh. Anger is a dangerous thing. Quixtar will survive, and grow for that matter regardless of your passion for criticism. Why? I believe because that it has ingredients in it that other companies lack and are spending millions to achieve. First, customer loyalty and second an entrepeneur (sp) incentive. Can Quixtar evolve into a first class web presence? Yes, and just as AOL went after market share in its beginning stages without perfection, Quixtar will as well some day. In the mean time, feel free to provide the shoulder to cry on for the others who can't seem to give up the past and want to waller in it. I have never known very much profit in that. I surely would never pass on that type of advice to my kids.

By the way, after only four months, we are making money from the volume of products and services bought through the site. The first month was $5.83. The second was $178. The third was $644. Last month was $1003. We haven't made a dime from the sale of tools. To me, I think that qualifies it as a good site to shop from so far. Better than any site you could come up with.

Thought you might be interested in the great Quixtar seminar we just attended. What do the following people have in common? Charlton Heston - Actor Dr James Kennedy - Doug Wead Ministries [Yes, and Doug Wead, former Amway Diamond and Baptist Minister who divorced his wife Gloria, then went on to start an Amway clone MLM in France called "Groupement" which has been shut down as an illegal pyramid scheme and cult.] The Spinners - Rock Group from the 70's John Ashcroft - U.S. Senator from Missouri Jerry Punch - Sports Announcer from ESPN Neil Busch - Son of President Bush, and Governor of Florida [Sorry, Jeb Bush is Governor of FL] Trisha Yearwood - Country singing star. Ken Smith - Motivational Humorist and Author Jamie Clark - Failed twice, and succeeded on third attempt to climb Mt Everest. Motivational Speaker on success and failure. Jay Johnson - Ventriloquist - Stared on "Soap" TV series Billy Zeoli - President Ford's Administration [Nope. Gospel Films, the evangelical film company supported by DeVos and bunches of Amway Diamonds. Of course he thinks that Amway/Quixtar are great! They pay his salary!] Well, they were all speakers or performers at our seminar. What a great experience.

Part II

Whatever you or I think, people like John Ashcroft and Neil Bush don't live in Rich DeVos' pocket, and carry much more stature. They don't go into an arena like that without knowing what they are doing, and they are proud to be affiliated. Sad fact is, you have taken a sliver thin thread and blown it into a log. You spread vermin where flowers should go. The sick negative mind never accomplished good or great things. Live in your world and enjoy the pathetic results.

Rexall promised all the tempting things that other MLMs promise. I am a nurse and I saw doctors joining. So, of course, I was convinced it was a good thing. I later found out that many doctors are terrible business people, and are just a gullible as the rest of us.

So why do we fall for this same old line? Well, I think we have a real need to belong. We are told that we need more money, it will make us happy. We want to succeed and many of us need a change in our lives, a little excitement, and we like the risk. Especially the middle-aged, and we have the money. So, we a perfect targets.

We buy the products, the sales tools, and the idea. If we fail, we are told we didn't try hard enough. We are so busy trying to please, trying to show our sponsor that we will not let him/her down, that we never understand the scam. We can't imagine that the system is flawed. We would rather believe we are flawed. Sad.

Anyone who has had the experience and feels badly should know that he/she is not alone. I am so glad you have this website for all of us. Thank you.

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