IS AMWAY A SCAM?

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• Amway doesn't work. The process is complex because there are two businesses running. Amway is the first business. It doesn;t work efficiently because the products are too expensive and the products are not glamorous. The secondary business is where upline trick or bait and switch distributors into thinking they have the ultimate secret to succeeding in Amway. So the new distributor's, not wanting to miss out on this information, subscribe to the "Amway College" and end up spending hundred if not thousands of dollars learning Amway. Eventually, they self discover what they saw early on. The Amway products are too expensive and they are not glamorous. Having spent a lot of money on Amway products and then a lot more money on Amway College, they now quit. Most slink away into disgust and shame, not wanting to discuss Amway unless recruited again. Some become advocates against Amway. In either case, Amway and the Amway teachers are the only ones who made money, not the distributors.

• My daughter just recently became involved with Amway through a young man she's dating. We keep telling her that it's a waste of her time but she told us that she has researched it and really believes it is a great opportunity if a person is willing to put in a little extra effort. I wish I could get her to see that she's going to regret being involved with Amway because I really hope it doesn't take wasting a lot of money and time in order to learn this lesson.

• Sherry, my advice would be to simply ask your daughter to keep track of her monthly expenses versus her income. Businesses exist to make a profit. If she is unable to profit, she is basically a customer of Amway and a customer of the people who sell tapes, books and seminar tickets.

• Sherry,
  I have researched Amway too. My best fried worked hard for 7 years and retired at the age of 38 whereas I am still struggling to make ends meet at 50.

  Mr Stevens,
  Consider the following:
  1) This is a SECONDARY income. One need not stop working (till one has regular
  income).
  2) I know at least 5 couples who make 2680/- USD per month as secondary income.
  3) The products are pricey ? Did you bother to verify/check ? Here is the real world:
  Washing powder of 180 loads (ultra at Costco) costs USD 15/-
  But gives only 32 loads (my wife gave these figure).
  The Washing powder at Amway costs USD 18/- and gives 100 loads. Do your
  math.

  I was stupid....until now.

  The thing is that the products are "minitaturized" or "concentrated" for ease of shipping.

  Does anyone know the diffeence between EAU DE PARFUM and EAU DO COLOGNE ? which one is PRICEY ?

  Here is a question:

  Q - Why do you shop at Costco ?
  Me - To save money.

  Q - For how long ?
  Me - for about 5 years.

  Q - OK...so in which bank a/c have you saved the big bucks you saved ?
  Me - Hey....I dont get paid cash.....!!

  Q - See....this is the difference between Amway and others.

  Is it legit ?
  You bet!

  Why do people about Amway ?
  Sour grapes....In this business there are ONLY 2 things :

  1) Success.
  2) You Quit

  There is NO FAILURE.

  So stop cursing you guys....Sherry, your daughter is smart and if she works hard she will retire early...and will have hopefully better life than most of us.

  Cheers

• Shekhar:

  Thanks for providing examples of Amway doublespeak, non sequiters and general BS. How can you say this stuff with a straight face? Click on the Amway ads above to see the nonsense these guys put forth.

  - What bank do you deposit your savings from CostCo? I don't have to, because the money I saved never LEFT my bank. What's the point of paying more to get it back? I'd rather not pay it in the first place. Duh.

  "In this business there are ONLY 2 things :
  1) Success.
  2) You Quit"

  You forgot the third and fourth

  3) You turn into a sleazeball after getting brainwashed by bigger sleazeballs and think you can make big bucks exploiting your social and family relationships when in actuality you're just going to annoy everybody and make them cringe every time you open your lying sleazeball mouth.

  4) You end up with a garage full of Amway detergent and shoe polish, no friends, and a big balance on your credit card.

  Folks, do yourself a favor, buy your detergent at Costco and keep your friends, friends and family family - not customers.

• Thanks "Not a Victim" - I genuinely appreciate your response.

  I do not wish to turn this into a debate. But here is my take:

  1. About savings in Costco - so you say it "stays in your bank". Good.
  I do not know about you, I STILL do not have enough savings in my bank
  and am surviving from paycheck to paycheck.

  2. About your 3rd point:
  Sleazeball - Do you know even when Michael Jackson stages a show he
  HAS to "Promote" it. Is he a "Sleazeball" ?
  For NO APPARENT reason, people have shied away from Amway without
  understanding the model ? What testimony would you like ?
  That all top shots have aligned themseleves with Amway - Microsoft, IBN,
  Reebok, Dish, AT&T....list goes on.
  do you think you or I could approach Microsoft and say "Hey, I can do a superb
  website for you - why don't you sell your products on my website ?" - and Microsoft
  will give you a Red Carpet ?
  What will it take for you to know the "Credibility" - you just do NOT WANT to
  understand - right ?

  3. About your 4th.
  I have not seen my wife happier in days - she has FOUND what she
  was seeking all these days.....the best of the best.
  My garage is neat and clean (yes).
  Lying - can you please tell me WHAT, WHERE do you find a lie in my statements ?
  Why should I lie ? I dont need to. Why do you PERCEIVE I am lying ? simple -
  because you do NOT know how this works or you REFUSE to even
  CONTEMPLATE it. Does this make me a LIER ? Appreciae if you can enlighten
  me.

  And my friends ? Take a look:
  My friend had a toothache.....I just gave him my toothpaste....he was so
  impressed (with a TOOTHPASTE for cryin' out loud ?) that he searched
  the entire retail scene for thie "Glister" - he could not find it. He joined.

  Here is why I have joined:

  a. This opportunity came by to me for the 5th time. Previous 4 times I was
  cynical and REFUSED to entertain people who approached. Why ?
  Because I was BRAINWASHED by people like you who DID NOT KNOW
  the system.
  b. My best friend takes home 250K US DOLLARS a year now. He worked hard for 6
  years OUTSIDE his normal job.
  If I had that money today, I would retire.

  c. My friend, THERE IS NOTHING OUT THERE which can even SAY that it can
  give me a decent second income.
  d. What do I lose ? - NOTHING. ZILCH. NADA.
  If and when I say to myself that "this is not for me" I am MOST WELCOME to
  leave.....what WILL I HAVE lost ? nothing zilch nada. Because I GENUINELY
  love those products. I am already getting value for my money ?
  Does Amway pay ? you bet. My best friend is my testimony - you will need to find
  yours.

  Think. If you do NOT wish or REFUSE to entertain even a possibility of a seocnd job
  or a seocnd income....I am positive you are rich and not like us who NEED the money.

  In that case...please do not trash a system until you have seen/participated it.
  Do you want to see it for yourself or do PHD using a "Search Engine".

  When people like yourself find their own TESTIMONY they will join.
  Like I did when my best friend retired at 38.

  Cheers

• Mr Stevens / "Not a Victim"

  ONE day when you find your best friend raking in millions you will have joined,
  at that time - just give a thought to what I been saying all along ......
  2 things:

  1. I need to inform you that I do NOT SELL retial.
  I only SELL a "concept". If you like - fine - if you dont - well, good luck.

  2. Apologies for the typos this not being an exam :)

  Hope you become successful in whatever you do.
  All the best.

• Shekhar:

  There are lots of ways to mislead, and AMWAY has brought it to an art form.

  Dishonesty is ingrained in the Amway approach to communication. How do you lie? Let me point out a couple of examples.

  CostCo Ruse: "What bank account to you deposit your savings from CostCo?" That's a sales trick to prompt a negative response 100% of the time, because even if someone DOES save money from CostCo they do it by not paying more in the first place.

  You will of course respond by going back to cost savings, etc., but the fact is Amway people cross the line from persuasion to trickery.

  Two options Ruse: “In this business there are ONLY 2 things: 1) Success. 2) You Quit” Again, another fast talking sales trick. Pretend there are only two options. What about losing money, time and friends and then failing? I'd say that should be listed as 3, and will be most people's experience.

  Another ruse is exaggerating some tenuous affiliation with a big or respected company as being a wholehearted endorsement by that company.

  Another ruse is the "I've got a friend who's a millionaire" or "I've got a friend who makes $250K a month from Amway." Of course you do. And of course your friend's name must remain confidential.

  Do they still teach that sometimes you might have to withhold the Amway name to get people to your presentations because of all those bad people telling lies. In essence, you have to lie to people for their own good?

  You wrote "...even when Michael Jackson stages a show he HAS to “Promote” it. Is he a “Sleazeball” ?"
  Is Michael Jackson a sleazeball? Are you serious? You use an accused child molester as your shining example? Hell yes, he's a sleazeball. Trusting him to babysit your kids would be as foolish as lending an AMWAY salesman your ATM card!

• Hi Not a Victim,

  Well, again, appreciate your response.

  You missed my point completely. Michael Jackson was just an example. He is a sleazeball granted. But it was just an example. How about (I dont care too much about Rock Stars) e.g. Miley Cyrus or Boss Springstein.....can they stage a show without promotion ? does this make them sleazeballs ? Get my point now ?

  And, I keep repeating, "I dont sell a product" - is this not plain English ? So how can you keep calling "Amway Salesman" ?

  I dont know about others, MY OWN fast friend from School makes 250K USD. Which I know is a fact. I do not wish to impose this on you nor do I expect you to believe me. You have to find your OWN friend who you trust who has struck gold in Amway - it is only then that you will join. Hopefully by then it wont be too late for you.

  To your point, let us CONSIDER that all these are "ruses". So why am I or people like me doing this ?

  1. We (my wife and I) love these products.
  2. No one including you can offer me an opportunity for a second income which I
  desparately need.
  3. I am living paycheck to paycheck. So what is WRONG in looking for an opportunity
  when is STARING at me ?

  What do I lose ?

  - SOME friends who have been influenced by people like you. But who cares for them?
  When I am in trouble will they come to help me ? Will they offer money to me ?
  Will/can I ask them for money ? So to hell with them.

  - I lose NOTHING ! Zilch.
  Is it very hard to believe ?

  Lastly, why am I "defending" this ? I am made that way. This is a personal bailout.
  No governmental doles. The money is there for the making. It would be best if this
  is shared and this business is the only one which celebrates sharing of the wealth.
  Tell me one which is similar ?

  Did I sell you something ? Did I ever insinuate that you should buy something from me ?

  So why do you guys keep saying what you do ?

  I am repeating myself - please DO NOT believe me. But then, to be fair, DO NOT also believe "heresay". Also do not blame AMWAY until and unless you SEE it for yourself the business model. Not because your friend said it is bad or because a "Friend's friend" curses it. If you to not like it - FINE.....and best of luck.

  I do what I believe in and what I like - you do the same.

  I am personally excited by this opportunity after studying the business model minutely. Does that make me a lier ? a sleazeball ? I have never told a lie. Never cheated anyone of a single dime.

  To round up - here is an example:

  I have my Amwaite friend (yes I call them friends) who, about 3 years back joined Amway. He approached his neighbors to join. ALL of them avoided him like plague. the neighbors were influenced by people like you - WITHOUT knowing fully about AMWAY. But my friend did not give up. Today he makes about 2680/- a month.

  Now, one of his old neighbors worked with me. He also avoided my Amway friend 3 years ago. This colleague of mine - has lost his job (which is unfortunate in itself). I approached him - he did not have any other opening - so he joined. In one of our meetings he recognized my Amway friend who he had avoided long time back. He felt bad about it - but it was already late - he had lost his job and has no other income. If he would have had this SECOND ADDITIONAL income - by now he would have atleast sat out the recession successfully.

  Cheers.

• Yeah, reading over your comment again this strikes me as really, really sad:

  "SOME friends who have been influenced by people like you. But who cares for them?
  When I am in trouble will they come to help me ? Will they offer money to me ?
  Will/can I ask them for money ? So to hell with them."

  Guess you don't believe in the saying "He who has friends is rich indeed."

  I bet you will some day