Forever Products and Aloe Vera - MLM/Pyramid?

flyboy80

Hi Guys,

I stumbled across this thread quite by chance, and have been intrigued by some comment made in relation to FLP. Intrigued because there was once a time that I would have agreed with some of the posts.
My background ? - Married, two kids (boys) - working in IT - bills and all the tribulations that life brings - why I tell you? - this kinda matters - being a member on the website for a few years, I loved trawling through the offers and watching discussions unfold whilst people vented their anger against various companies etc. I was no different PPI, Bank Charges and the rest - scrapping for what I considered unfair practices against me and my pocket - yes I took each one personally!

In the past I too have joined various MLM schemes, From Amway to Herbalife - invested money and time, effort and not much success.

So imagine my dismay and cynicism when 3 years ago, my wife said that she had discovered a vehicle for us to not only pay the recently acquired school fees for our eldest son - but a way for her to stop working a job in corporate that paid little but took a lot!.

Being Mr cynical - of course I scoffed - but dutifully followed her to an FLP meeting and sat nonplussed through it all. I did not believe that a product like Aloe Vera could be the saviour to my debt issues - or indeed provide a sustainable income that we could enjoy going forward - but I relented and supported my wife on her quest.

Through hard work effort and determination - fast forward to present day,
In a way I'm glad I took a leap of faith - to date it has proved invaluable, because not only did it allow me to quit a job last April that involved a 3 hour daily commute along the Fosse Way, so that I could take a position a lot more closer to home - it's also furnished me with a new BMW car, 4 holidays last year, including destinations such as Hawaii and Sardinia, Lapland and France, it's cancelled some lingering credit card debts and most of all it's given me peace of mind - I get to sleep pretty soundly most nights and I wake refreshed looking forward to whatever my day may bring.

Does that really sound like the lifestyle the original sceptic wanted?
Maybe it is - but now I try to thank my wife each day for making our lives so wonderful - we have great things to look forward to - and yes we've lost a few "so called" friends along the way - but hey! - that's life - they've all been replaced by others who want us to do well and are concerned only with our success.

Does it work for everyone - no - I have seen other jump on-board and not really do much and give up. Is it ethical - yes it is - For sure it seems too good to be true right? - yep it doesn't sound like anything legal right? - it involves Pyramids, complexed mathematics and witchcraft! - no self respecting person would really give it another thought - after all if it was that easy - why isn't everybody doing it? - truth is I see a lot of comments and speculation from those who think they know what it's all about. I recall I used to spout the same BS, but sitting here now I'm fortunate enough to be in the know - and how it really works. I don't really need to shout it out loud from the treetops how my wife gave up her job of 12 years, why both my boys attend a top private school in the Midlands, yes we still live in the same house but happily a looking to move into something a bit more bigger!

Proof ? - OK - send me a PM and I will simply show you. I got nothing to hide or prove - you can see.

To your continued success

That_Woman

I have recently been targeted by a Forever representative. I am very interested in herbal products so was eager to hear about this. Strangely when I met up with this rep, they spent about two hours telling me about how I could get rich quickly and showed me pictures of successful reps driving flashy cars and owning big houses and not a word about the products. After much prompting from me they eventually spent about 20 minutes talking about the products. The products do appear to be fairly good but I have not really tried them extensively. But I was informed honestly by the rep that there is not much money to be made by selling the products, just by recruiting other sales reps. It is the recruiting of other people that would make me rich (dodgy or what!). I think that this is possibly a Ponzi scheme which is similar to pyramid selling. What makes this so successful and what helps any good scam is that the products themselves may actually be reasonably good. This tends to persuade people that if they work, the way they are sold is probably legal. An easy assumption but a bad one!

Concerned_person_2

I am being bombarded with FLP posts on facebook and someone on my friends list is an FLP seller so her and her whole family are raving about the miracle aloe vera. This includes telling me aloe vera gel will heal my cartilage problem, and aloe vera will help my body absorb glucosamine so I should buy their glucosamine with aloe at twice the price of my regular activ juice!
How can a laxative increase absorption? How can a gel rubbed into the skin heal internal problems?
It all seems to be about persuading your friends and family to buy it which seems so wrong to me.

Mr_helpful

I havent yet found a Forever Lying Distributor who knew his !!!! from his elbow when it came to health. Their Clean 9 product claims to eliminate toxins from the body. Just ask your rep to name any. They cant because its a lie. The products have never been evaluated by the FDA and are just expensive crap. Clean 9 gets rid of helpful bacteria in the gut and screws your immune system. Does anyone have enough eenmies to sell this rubbish to?

hayleyjl

Why do people get so angry at others trying to do the best for themselves? Why do people feel the need to be agressive to make a point? Why do people feel the need to be negative towards others for no reason other than to make themselves seem superior....these are just some of the questions I would ask after reading the posts here.
Its such a shame that people are inclined to behave this way these days so I'm going to try and present a factual balanced view of Forever Living.
Before I start yes I am a distributor (currently ducking for cover based on what I have read so far) but I don't say aloe vera is a magic cure all or make false medical claims, I simply use the products, decide whats good about them and then tell my customers what I found....isn't this what all health and beauty product companies do (the difference is I don't produce fancy adds with small print that states the models lashes have been enhanced).
Yes I do think the products are good but not because I've been told they are, or brainwashed, but because I actually do like them after having tried them, I have used many other top range products in the past and been disappointed so stopped using them despite the consumer pressure that they are the best because they are a big name, have a fancy presence in a department store, and are so expensive that they must be good, really? Yes the FL products are not the cheapest but nor are they the most expensive, based on years of buying health and beauty products they are in the mid range price bracket.
No it isn't a get rich scheme but no one involved with the company should be saying it is, all distributors receive strict guidance re not saying this and the company is a member of the DSA (Direct Selling Agency) and has to comply with its regulations but as with everything there are always some people who break the rules and trust me if they are reported to FL action is taken.
No it is not a magical cure and medical claims are never meant to be made, again FL have strict regulations as to what distributors should and should not be saying and again as before there are always some people who break the rules.
And the last big one FL is no more a pyramid scheme than any other company out there...all businesses have someone at the top and a number of people at the bottom, the difference is that in FL someone at the bottom can quickly over take someone at the top and earn more than them (I earned more than my sponsor over the last 2 months because she has not had time to work on her business due to other job demands), no one above you benefits if they are not working hard on their business too and lets get the biggest fact straight FL is not a Pyramid scheme, see the info on which here http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/action/how-to-spot-a-pyramid-scheme but briefly Pyramid schemes require you to join for a fee - and the only way to get back your money is to persuade other people to join and take their fees, this is simply not the case, the way to earn your living with FL is to sell products and have regular customers, yes there is an additional benefit from having team members because you have to provide full sales and business support to them Fl will pay you an extra commission for doing that work (again only if you are working hard on your business too) but that is only for people who want a complete career change and many people just earn extra money each month selling the products. So in summary )there is a lot more than can be said but this post is way too long already) life is hard enough for everyone and mis- informed opinions can seriously hurt someones chances at improving their life for the better by giving their company a bad rep when it is not deserved, what do you benefit from that? So have your opinion, make your choices, offer your balanced views and reviews because they are valuable, its your right just as it is mine, and I chose to be a distributor for FL, I am an intelligent person who checked out the company and the products first, I don't make false claims, I am not a member of a pyramid scheme, and I do not swindle people or tell them something which isn't true I just simply enjoy running my own business, meeting people, selling the products and working hard to secure my future.

mossstitchmama

Erased my post.

mossstitchmama

Erased my post

Horbrarian

Despite their protests that they don't spam, I have just received this email from Helen Tomkinson;

Good Morning,
Excuse the unusual approach having seen your CV details, you might be interested in a career opportunity with our Company.
Please request us to email our information letter and an invitation to meet the Company.
Please include the best number to contact you, and times available.
Regards
Helen Tomkinson
Business Development Director

wwwcreateyourownfutureinfo

I shall reply with a link to this post.

dummie

I also fell for this and am still kicking myself for it. I ordered the Aloe Vera for £1.99, and was charged twice for that. When the ordering of the 'free trial ' Raspberry Ketone didn't work, I tried to cancel the Aloe Vera straight away via e-mail since it was a Sunday afternoon. On Monday evening when I came home from work I was greeted by a cheerful e-mail announcing that the Aloe was on its way. Again, it was after hours of their customer services so I e-mailed immediately. And so it went on.Each e-mail answered by the suggestion to phone customer services within their working hours. I tried - for four days with no success. The odd answering machine, but no person to speak with. Finally, on the next Monday I got through and was told I had to phone the next Monday since that was when my 14 day trial ended and I couldn't get my return reference number before then. That is nowhere written in the conditions!
I rang back in on that Monday, got the reference number, sent it back on my own expense. And now I am waiting with baited breath what happens in a few days' time and whether my account gets debited with £79.99 since I am not expecting any confirmation of my cancelled subscription. I have however alerted my bank that that payment has not been authorized by me. Wish me luck!:o

runnerbean1984

stevie78 wrote: »

I have to ask myself the question that Forever are part of the Direct Selling Association and also have Investors in People Champion status - there are many blue chip companies that don't even have Investors in people at all. Now if they were 'pyramid selling' which is illegal! then would they really have these acceditations.

I have looked into this business and it certainly is not a get rich quick scheme. It is a business, and like any business it is going to take some hard work, I must admit after looking around at other business start ups that £200 investment compared to many franchises etc is very reasonable and at least you get a box full of products so I actually get something back for my investment

An old Uni friend gave me a presentation about this tonight and my first impression is that there is a strange disconnect between, on the one hand, happiness and fulfillment through financial success and uncapped earnings and, on the other hand, the production of a sustainable, ethically sourced product which will cure many troublesome illnesses and help them excel in sport, or just feel better.

Essentially, people getting rich from selling plant juice to ill people. Nothing new, I suppose.

Stevie78: the £200 is for a box of Aloe Vera at cost price for you to sell, so the "box of products" is hardly a "return on your investment" - especially considering all the talk about how many millions this company is turning over.