kLEENEZE ADVICE

lozza1985

I have to say I tried Kleeneze earlier on this year - didn't work for us (far too much competition so we just couldn't get enough orders to break even let alone make any profit) - but we always joked that it was like a "cult" as they emailed us loads saying there were online seminars, and to listen to different things while bagging the books up. When we sold the books on ebay to try and get some of our money back - the bloke who picked them up was really into all that (I never met him but OH said it was quite funny) as the bloke looked offended when OH said we had never listened to them! Just not for us, much prefer to just get on with things and not have people bothering us all the time trying to guilt us to listen to things!

JennyJewell

Hi all,
Just to say that all companies work as a pyramid and I don't mean this in a patronising way - I don't work for Kleeneze anymore, it served a need at the time before I moved onto something else. (I now work as a classroom support worker as well as being involved with 2 party plan companies that I thoroughly enjoy ). Take a supermarket, you will have store assistants, supervisors, store managers, area managers, district managers, head office, etc - this doesn't mean to say that they are illegal. As I said earlier, not all companies are reputable companies but there are some very good ones out there - make sure you look at ones who are members of the Direct Selling Association, (DSA), to be sure that they are legitimate.
Personally for me I earn some extra money that has helped my family get by when times are hard and my god times are hard at the moment for everyone, (our family has suffered an income loss of £1100 per month since the beginning of the year - I'm really not sure how we would have got by without the extra income)! I choose party plan as my extra income because I can choose when to work to suit my family but it's not for everyone.
Just be choosey what you pick and don't judge all network marketing/party plan companies in the same brush.
Good luck,
Jenny

Kit603

LeeSouthEast wrote: »

Kleeneze always struck me as some sort of pyramid scheme..

You'll find that as already mentionned, virtually (if not all) companies do operate in a structure that makes them look like a pyramid. I.e. one or two company directors at the top, then by the time you get to the bottom lots of shelf stackers (or catalogue distributors).

However, just because they take on this shape doesn't mean that they are pyramid schemes. Typically, in a pyramid scheme the following takes place:

• Your money is earned directly from recruiting other people.
• Often, there are no end sales to consumers.
• Participants pay a very high joining fee.
• Also, often they buy a product to sell (in bulk so you have to hold stock) with the promise that they're getting it at a cheap rate and can sell it on to customers for X amount more. Very quickly people usually realise that this product doesn't actually sell and so they sell it onto another person and "tricks" them into believing they can make money from it as they were tricked. To make some money back they sell the product to the new person at a higher rate.

In Kleeneze and MLM companies:

• You don't earn any money just for signing up people.
• The company thrives on the products that get sold to the end consumer. (i.e. the brooms, the cosmetics, the jewellery etc)
• The joining fee is usually quite small £5.00 to £200.00 (where else can you buy a business or franchise for this?)
• You hold no stock and don't pay for products until the customer has paid you - no loss of money.

Fundamentally, the structure is totally different and Kleeneze is actually one of the founder members of the DSA (Direct Selling Association) which is the body that actually got pyramid selling made illegal in this country. Furthermore, to my knowledge, Kleeneze is actually the first direct sales organisation in this country (I could be wrong with that, but I know i've read that somewhere).

Kit603

lozza1985 wrote: »

When we sold the books on ebay to try and get some of our money back - the bloke who picked them up was really into all that (I never met him but OH said it was quite funny) as the bloke looked offended when OH said we had never listened to them! Just not for us, much prefer to just get on with things and not have people bothering us all the time trying to guilt us to listen to things!

I have noticed that this does happen a lot within Kleeneze and other MLM companies, but at the end of the day people need to realise (like Lozza did) that if it doesn't work for you and you prefer to get on with things on your own (like I do) then do it. I'd also recommend that new distributors take a little time to get to know their would-be sponsors, I've found that the best are those who:

Show you the ropes and support you when you need it, but don't smother you if you don't want to go to meetings/read motivation books/listen to motivational tapes/sponsor other people yourself.

Also, don't worry about joining near the top of the "pyramid" or the bottom. It doesn't matter if you're joining at the bottom of a big long chain of distributors, in fact, i'd say this is a good thing! It means you have more people above you that will be willing to help you and you'll find that some of the BIG teams seem to have less time to help their new distributors.

lozza1985

The lady who signed us up did smother us - whenever we emailed her (as didn't want to be on the phone for hours lol) she would never reply she always rang and the shortest phone call was about half an hour. Nice lady but not what we wanted, suit some people who want that kind of support but we found it a bit patronising tbh! On the other hand - with Avon I've had very little support, even when I want it can't seem to get hold of my area manager - but I'm still doing it as I'm earning even without any help lol. Different companies suit different people, and I guess the area you live in will make a difference to with what products will be popular.

JennyJewell

Hi Lozza,
I know exactly what you mean hunny - where's the happy medium,lol! Just wanted to point out that's also a personal thing - you can have someone smothering, someone who you can never seem to be able to get hold of and someone who gives the right sort of support for you and they can all be in the same company,lol! The first lady you worked with might have just wanted to make sure that you knew she was there for you,(even if a little too much ).
Good luck with everything hun
Jenny

lozza1985

The funny thing was she lived in Scotland and we are in Derbyshire lol! We were glad in a way that she didn't live close as I have a feeling she would have insisted to go out with us delivering & collecting books etc, when we were quite capable of doing it by ourselves. Was a shame it didn't work for us, I would never put anyone off from trying Kleeneze, as if it had worked it would have been great - but unfortunately with the deliveries charges, internet charge & the fact that with us working full time we could only take 200 books once a week collecting them 2 days after it meant we couldn't get enough orders (due to the number of distributors) to make it worth placing the orders as we would have owed Kleeneze money. But - you live and learn, obviously works for people else there wouldn't be so many people doing it for such a long time!

gardner1

as far as i can tell they sell overpriced tat that can be bought cheaper in places like wilkinsons

googler

gardner1 wrote: »

as far as i can tell they sell overpriced tat that can be bought cheaper in places like wilkinsons

I don't have any Wilkinsons stores anywhere near me......

Little_Yellow_Dog

I agree with most of what Jenny has said.

I used to be with Kleeneze for a while and it got me through a difficult time financially, but couldn't sustain it long term through other work commitments. However, I found that many people will pay a premium for the personal service of buying via a distributor and have items delivered directly to their door. In fact as most of the supermarkets do now with on-line shopping. For some people, particularly those who are house bound, the regular visit of the Kleeneze distributor may be their only link with the outside world and it is a life line.

I love the whole concept of network marketing. The whole point of network marketing is that it is exactly what it says on the tin - a network of people who are all working under one large umbrella company, who will benefit from helping others succeed. Not dissimilar to a franchise - except much cheaper to get into, yet if involved with the right company with good pay structure, support and business systems then it is possible to make an excellent living. I have recently got involved with another network marketing company and it ticks all of the above boxes.