AMWAY NETWORK 21 Widow Seeks Advice
We call them AMWAY NETWORK 21 widows (or widowers) because they claim to have lost the spouses they loved to the cult-like effect the multilevel marketing (MLM) giant and its affiliated groups. E.W. (not her real name or initials) wrote to us from Poland seeking advice on her marriage to an AMWAY / NETWORK 21 independent business owner (IBO) who is allegedly destroying the family financially and incurring crushing debt.
(UnhappyFranchisee.Com) AMWAY International is a global Multi-Level Marketing / Direct Sales organization that offers individuals worldwide the opportunity to become AMWAY Independent Business Owners (IBOs).
According to the AMWAY website: “More than 3 million people worldwide are already forging their own path to success. We offer opportunities, the support of a corporation that is family owned, that is financially stable and has been in business for over 50 years.”
NETWORK TWENTONE INTERNATIONAL, or Network 21, acccording to Wikipedia, “provides complete ‘turnkey business support solutions’ for Amway Independent Business Owners from meetings and function production including education, recognition and motivation to web applications and multi-media products designed to aid you in building a profitable Amway business.”
NETWORK 21 “Empire Builders” (direct sales people / MLMers) make money selling Business Support Material (or “BSM”) to fellow AMWAY IBOs (“Independent Business Owners”) as well as potential IBOs.
According to detractors, both AMWAY and NETWORK 21 are predatory organizations that prey on naïve, vulnerable and/or just plain greedy individuals and lead them to financial ruin using cult-like tactics and promises of great financial wealth. Some refer to the selling of Amway Business Support Materials as the AMWAY Tool Scam.
We have received AMWAY COMPLAINTS & numerous accounts of the devastating effects that AMWAY can have on marriages when one partner gets consumed by the fervor and comradery of AMWAY, while the other is abandoned with the cold hard reality of unpaid bills and mounting debt. (Also see AMWAY Addiction Kills Marriage)
E.W. from Poland seeks guidance from others who have seen or lived through the marital nightmare of competing with AMWAY as “the other woman.”
E.W. writes:
Good afternoon,
My name is E.W., I am writing from Poland. I’m very sorry to bother you, but I need help. I have no idea what to do. I will tell you my short story, I hope you will understand me right, my English isn’t perfect…
Two years ago I met on my way life wonderful man. Chris is good, brilliant and very intelligent person with a big heart.
Three things are most important for him: God, family and decent living conditions It is difficult to describe how big is my feeling for him.. One year ago we married and have amazing little baby.
Four months after our wedding, my dear husband told me he has some financial debts, big debts…
On the beginning I was angry for him, crying all the time because he didn’t told me about such a important thing earlier. Chris promised me, he will pay off the all debts during the year. I felt his love and I trusted him. I was waiting for better ages without financial troubles…
Between the lines, what is very important, I need to say that Chris from 15 years has been active in Amway Company and Network 21.
Before I met Chris, I have never heard about Amway. I thought it is normal, conventional company like most business… I had no idea about dangerous manipulations and social engineering.
From some time I have noticed, that Chris treats Amway and Network 21 like religion. For him Amway is the best company that he has ever known and the only company professes the most important rules in life: God, familiy, financial freedom and to serve other people.
Chris says that Amway is like IQ TEST – if you will understand the rules and catch the sense of Amway “plans,” you have high IQ. Well… I have never done it.
From couple of months, I was more and more terrified of Amway philosophy, especially that I recover in Chris mobile phone that his debts are more that he declared on the beginning.
During our marriage he took credit as well, without my awareness. Actually his debts is over 200 000 PLN (about $60 000 USD) and it is still growing up. Chris says that he hasn’t still the money from Amway because he is not sufficiently involved, so it is only his fault.
I told him we can’t live in such a way longer. I worry about our future and future our son. I told him also that he has to go abroad to earn the money and pay off all his debts, because he is not able to earn this money in Poland.
I told him that he has to choose: Amway or me and our family. He said that I am not able to understand him and that the Amway is the only way for good live for us…
In March I have taken a decision to divorce with him, it wasn’t easy for me but I leaved him.
I am distraught, I have no idea what to do… I don’t want to lose him. Please, please understand that I love him all my heart. Farther it is necessary to save a man.
What can I do???? The worst is that his mother is connected with Amway also and she hates me that I criticize this disgusting company…
Please don’t live me alone, you are my only hope.
Please…
With sincerely,
E.W.
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ARE YOU A CURRENT OR FORMER AMWAY IBO OR AN AMWAY SPOUSE?? HAVE YOU BEEN INVOLVED WITH NETWORK 21 OR “AMWAY TOOL SCAM”? SHARE A COMMENT BELOW.
TAGS: Amway, Amway Quixtar, Amway Independent Business Owners, Amway multi-level marketing Amway Direct sales, Network 21, NETWORK TWENTYONE, MLM, Direct sales, MLM scam, network sales scam, amway scam, network 21 scam, Network21, Amway Poland
Years ago 60 Minutes did a piece on AMWAY. The only ones who made money were the early entrants high up on the food chain and the officers of the company. Everyone else was SOL! The way AMWAY made their money was to sell training materials.
Send me this woman’s contact information to [redacted] and I will help her.
Please share advice publicly so that others can benefit too. I’m sure there are many in the same boat who hesitate to share via email or comments.
Does anyone know of a spouse or significant other who was successful in getting their hardcore MLMer or Ambot to quit for the sake of their family?
Has anyone had a successful “intervention” like for other addictions?
Have marriage counseling worked for anyone?
It seems like there should be a 12-step program like there is for alcoholics and compulsive gamblers and their families… I’d imagine the same techniques could be used.
I suspect that guy Scott is an Ambot.
This poor lady. It must feel crushing to be in that situation. Her husband lied to her from the beginning about something very important. That’s what Scamway does to its cult members. They simper about Jesus one minute, then lie through their teeth the next. Wanna know how to tell an Ambot is lying? Their lips are moving! WWJD?
She’s lost him. She never really had him, though. If he’s been in that long, he’s almost certainly a “lifer” who’ll be in Scamway forever. I’m surprised his mother and upline even allowed the marriage to proceed. I’m guessing they thought she’d join soon enough. You can bet that as soon as his mother and upline recognized that she would never get into the cult, they began the process of breaking them up. Any time he seems sad about the divorce, they’ll be right there to whisper in his ear to keep him on their side. That’s what Scamway does to its cult members. They pray at all their meetings, then try to break up “that which god hath joined together” as “one flesh.” WWJD?
They see her as the enemy, and her husband was programmed to obey many years ago. His allegiance was always first to the cult, which I guarantee he’s identified completely with his religious faith. The cult’s goals of “early retirement” and obscene wealth have taken the place of anything good about Christianity. His Dear Leaders control him with promises of huge success that’s “right around the corner,” and they will have him till something drastic happens to make him second-guess his membership in his cult. That’s what Scamway does to its cult members. They attend conventions that sound exactly like evangelical Christian revivals, but the whole time they’re idolizing wealth and indolence. WWJD?
I’m hammering on the religious angle because I want the letter writer to see just how warped this guy really is. Up is down and black is white to an Ambot. Whatever she saw might have just been an illusion. She didn’t see the side of him that responds to the blatant scam of Scamway. Or she didn’t know what it was if he revealed it. He wasn’t the man she thought he was. Maybe he’ll become so one day.
Until then, as painful as it is, she needs to be strong. Her child needs her. If her country does child support, I recommend going for it. She might need legal counsel as well to ensure her ex fulfills his parental duties. A therapist (not a religious one; they’re next to useless and usually grossly unqualified) might be a good idea to help her find closure if she needs it and start rebuilding her life. There may be groups on social media devoted to those who’ve faced breakups over MLMs. If so, joining one might be another good idea to try.
The road ahead won’t be easy, but she’s not alone. Scamway has broken up countless couples, as have the other MLMs out there. She wasn’t the first and she won’t be the last. That said, I hope her husband came to his senses since she wrote this site. If not, I hope she’s found strength and courage and peace.
Cassidy, if you had clicked on my name you would know that I’m not an Ambot. That makes YOU an idiot.
What seems obvious to me is that is Amway/ Qixtar/ NetworkTwentyOne or whatever name they think of next were any good you would not have to spend thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours every year on “tools”. No other business requires so much reading, listening to lectures and attending conventions.
It would almost be forgivable if this training was of any value. Sadly it is all prosperity Gospel hogwash (God wants you to be rich “Name it and claim it!” or as I like to call it “Blab it and grab it”) mixed with random “Fake it till you make it” power of positive thinking garbage. You could get a MBA for the time and money Amway disciples spend on their “tools”.
Odd that God wants everyone to be rich when Jesus and the Apostles pretty much all died penniless “storing their treasures in heaven, not on earth”.
The biggest MLM scams that seem to be above the law are IMHO Amway, Herbalife and Scientology.
I include Co$ becase it is the only “religion” I know of that comes with a price list and the “training” is tax deductible.
Operation Snow White explains why CO$ is allowed to run amok. I don’t know why Amway and Herbalife are above the law.
Sadly other businesses, political and social movements have used similar techniques as CO$ and Operation Snow White. Target regulators, board members and other decision makers at their homes, at their children’s schools at their spouse’s jobs. Sue over anything and everything. Keep suing. The process is the punishment and they have lawyers on staff they are already paying. Their “enemies” do not. These groups keep up the pressure until the victims give in just to stop the harassment. We will see more of this in the future I am afraid. Politics has replaced religion for many and politics and business have become hopelessly intertwined.
“Make the political personal” has been the moto. for a while . People who disagree with your side don’t have a different opinion or have their facts wrong. They are evil and deserved to be destroyed for the sin of wrongthink.
Our former Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos – who had no education background or credentials – is part of the family that founded Amway. Her father-in-law founded it and is worth over $5 billion. Her husband ran it. Her brother-in-law founded military contractor Blackwater. They are big donors to conservative and Christian political causes.
I’m sure that she was put in charge of the nation’s educational system because that’s what God wanted.