Forever Products and Aloe Vera - MLM/Pyramid?

mickaveli2001

Forever Living is a con. You can only sell their products to individual people or through their own website. It is against policy to advertise these on regional ad's or on your own website, or anything else which would have a large platform. Strangely, who does that leave to sell to? It leaves you having to rely on family and friends to sell to, that's who! They know this method cannot yield good results, so why are the rules set in such a way?


These rackets do not want you to have the ability to sell lots of products. Having the ability to sell these and become a main #1 seller of the products (which you'd think would be a good thing for the company) doesn't help them. Because this removes their BIGGER cash cow, YOU! They want you to promote the company and get others plugged in to the entire cult-like organisation. If you cannot make 30-60 case credits a month (and many who value their morals, friendships, won't) then it must be a motivational issue with a £30 success day there ready for you where you can buy more products, DVD's, books and literature to help you. If not, then it'd be the regular training at a cost. They would (like all MLM's) rather have you recruit 10 people, than to sell 1000 products. Otherwise the Pyramid structure is null and void, and simply wouldn't work.


If you think their hierarchy in Scottsdale, Arizona truly believe in Forever Living then why is it they plough all of their profits into property around the globe and into other tangible ventures? Why not the company they so preach to being wonderful? Even they know it's not stable, and as to how long it survives, legally speaking is anyone's guess. Yes it's cash rich, and it's debt free, but like all MLM's, it's just biding time. When FL fails, they will have it made. All the profits have went into global property, stocks and shares, YOUR money and if you're not in the top brass, then EVERYONE else will have nothing to show for all of their hard work. It's not your own business, you're a promoter for a company, nothing more.


You cannot class yourself as an employee either, and must label yourself as an "independent" distributor. This is ideal for them because you must abide by their policy and procedures, but receive no advantages to employment, so legislation that would normally protect you in circumstances of exploitation does not apply here. Investors in people accreditation is given due to the bulk of training provided, but make no mistake, that training is charged.


Their global rally in Hawaii a couple of years ago was filled with friendly people (on the outside) but just felt as though the smiles were all fake. Forever Living is their life, and most have no friends other than the friends within Forever Living because they all know each other and talk about the previous year's trip. You begin to get that eerie feeling that they have discarded all of their former friends in search of FL glory. Everything's all polished personalities, with the compassion and sincerity stripped which made me feel just how much of you you need to remove to climb up that pyramid and that's not something I was able to do long term.


Go to one of these success days, see for yourself. It's all fun and happy. All motivational speakers are all ex business owners, investment bankers, lawyers, directors of something of a wealthy nature to try and promote their own success of diamond status within Forever Living. Then there's the everyday people you or I may be able to relate to who perhaps make around £2K a month from it, talking about foreign holiday's they have now been able to go to, having extra cash and being able to do the things they could only dream of. People can make it, but you need to be of a certain mind-set, and fortunately for me I truly valued my friendships, my family and others around me to exchange it for this gamble of "success". There was a girl recently in FL who was declared bankrupt. She was a familiar face on the 2010 line ups showing presentations of her new holiday home and new car, all of it of course was debt, with the idea that FL would pay it's way. Needless to say, she wound up with no holiday home, no car, and lost a lot of friends too.


I would stay clear of ALL MLM's. The model is flawed. You want to run your own business? Whether you're a young male, recently made redundant, looking for extra sustainable income, or a single women, or women whose partner is out earning, then get an idea of what it is you want to do, buy a couple of books, give yourself a little bit of time to read into it first. Research the market. See if it's viable. If you are certain, then look into branding, your logo, name, trademarking, website and advertising. Setting up a business is a lot of research, a lot of reading, a lot of work, and can be an investment of money, but in the end it's your OWN business. You have the control over it, and what direction to take it. If it fails, you at least have something to show for it.

stressed81

I have a friend who has recently started to sell these products on Facebook and sign up 5 people for a "life changing opportunity."

I'm constantly being bombarded with updates on how great these products are, and her friends telling her how great they are. Coincidently these friends are also fl distributors.

I went to an mlm seminar last year and they all seem to follow the same tactics.

tomstickland

Great thread. Not a lot to add really. Equally amusing and sad to see those tangled up in the various MLM scams desperately trying to explain why it's totally not a MLM pyramid scheme. Come back in 2 years and tell me how it's going.

flyboy80

I don't really have to wait 2 years to get back to you - oh BTW - last week I pick up a bonus cheque for near enough what I used to earn in my "corporate" job yearly. Don't want to believe the hype? I am sure somewhere on the FLP website you will see a picture of me with my big cheque....my life is good - that's really all I care about - I love seeing those that spout what little they know about FLP - and those bitter people who did not want to put the effort into building a business deride others who are doing well. Each to their own I say - I hope FLP lasts another 36 years! :j

UKTigerlily

I had the misfortune to end up in touch with an FLP person. I told her what i'd be interested in buying and she kept offering things I didn't want. Then she suggests the fat burners which I can't for the life of me understand why they are needed let alone why anyone'd put such crap in their bodies. Sad thing is, she seems convinced she needs all of the weight loss rubbish when nobody does!

saratonk

A few people are work are falling foul of this and to hear them it's like they have been brain washed! On googling this stuff I found this thread! It's worrying when you question them you just get a sales pitch and how wonderful this organic product is!

zippy2460

My wife recently put up a friend of a friend in our house while she was attending a nearby FOREVER LIVING conference. This woman showed my wife the products and my wife remarked that it looked interesting. A few days later a big parcel arrived in the post for which I signed. We thought it was a gift from this woman for putting her up but then the woman emailed us to say that as a thank you gesture she has knocked off 15% and now wants 180 euros. My wife did not order anything and did not sign anything. We have not opened the box. My wife wants to send it back but I am damned if we are going to pay the postage at our own cost. I said this woman can either pick it up ( she lives 400 km away ) or send us the postage before we do so, I am even considering billing her storage. I know we live in Germany but the law can't be that different seeing as it is the EU. I feel this woman has taken advantage and trying to guilt us into paying. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I am really angry about the whole affair.

A.Penny.Saved

If you have not signed any documents then you have no responsibility to pay. It's as simple as that. If the person wants the products back then they must pay for it.

It might be worth speaking to your friend about this and tell them what has happened because they might not know anything about it.

zippy2460

Thanks. She knows about it alright. The day we received the parcel she sent us an email telling us she had put together a parcel for us along with how much she expected us to cough up. The woman had been talking about products and my wife just casually said it sounded interesting but at no time did the woman actually say we were actually placing an order and my wife did not sign anything especially not an order form. We are going to send the parcel back unopened at our own expense by registered mail then I plan to give this woman a piece of my mind. I know the woman is struggling to make a living, I think she is desperate for a sale

A.Penny.Saved

The person who came to stay was a friend of a friend or so you said. I was referring to your friend rather than the FLP person. Does your friend know about it?

I wouldn't send it back, let it be her lesson and penalty.