IS AMWAY A SCAM?

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• Funnily enough SyzyQ, I was just reading an obituary of Mike Wallace, the great 60 minutes investigative journalist. Back in the 80's 60 minutes did a year long investigation into Amway.

  What did he find?

  Wallace had nothing but kind words for Amway upon his return, saying that he’d started out his investigative piece with “preconceived misconceptions” that he later discovered to be in error.

  “Look, they’re not criminals,” he said. “We found their products are good and they’re not a pyramid operation.”

  “These are classy people,”

  So .... how long have you spent researching Amway? As long as Mike Wallace did? Or are you wedded to the "preconceived misconceptions" that so many people have?

• Yes, you should definitely trust Amway because Mike Wallace called them "classy people" 20 or 30 years ago.

  And you should also smoke unfiltered Philip Morris cigarettes because Mike Wallace said they were natural and really something special. Watch him here:

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exJtXArLP3w

  Mike Wallace was a very effective pitchman for Parliament and Philip Morris cigarettes. He smoked on air and did all kinds of endorsements for them on his Philip Morris sponsored show. Later on he exposed Big Tobacco for the sinister crooks they are, but not before he encouraged an entire generation to smoke their cancer-sticks.

  How appropos that ibofightback would try to exploit the death of newsman Mike Wallace to sell another harmful and deceptive product: The Amway MLM scam.

• so ... "guest" ... in the 55 years since that "pitch" was recorded (1957), we've learned a few things about smoking, as did Mike Wallace, who as you note later led a crusade against smoking and Big Tobacco.

  Care to explain why, in 52 years, not a single formal or official investigation into Amway, nor Mike Wallace, has "learned" what you claim?

  55 years was plenty of time for the world to learn "the truth about smoking"

  How long until the world learns the truth about Amway?

• IBOFightback likes to debate on a seesaw. He likes to pick only one side of the story, whichever is more favorable to Amway. Yes, it looks like Mike Wallace thought Rich DeVos was a classy guy. What happened in 1983? Rich Devos's directly speaking speech where he basically admitted that tools scam was a pyramid, but Amway certainly did not put a stop to it. While Amway may have been okay in Mike Wallace's book, he was not referring to the AMOs such as Network 21 or WWDB. which have been the "scam" part of Amway since I can remember.

  The tools scam portion also resurfaced in the 2004 Dateline segment that filmed an actual function which I believe was hosted by BWW. Strange how Amway and Bill Britt declined comment on that segment and later issued their own propaganda response to their IBOs.

  It's just like how IBOs are bragging about Amway's increased sales but not commenting on how IBOs in general are not making anymore money today than they did before the sales increase.

• There are definite parallels between smoking and selling Amway.

  In fact, the FDA is proposing legislation requiring graphic warning labels on all Amway products. The controversial labels depict graphic representations of ibofightback blog comments accompanied by the warning that selling amway products may cause annoyingness, a compulsion to try too hard to justify a cheesy mlm scam, and will likely lead to a lack of friends and/or invitations to non-commercial social engagements.

• some says work hard in Amway for a few years and you can retire early or young, but i keep wondering that are these IBOs really retire?

  I mean let's see: they still have to "share" their products to anyone, basically anymore to make sales, because if not, their PV will not increase.

  Also, they still need to always keep in touch with their network in order to grow the network instead of letting it shrinks. Nonetheless the every-week-on-going meetings which basically talk about the same thing again and again.

  In other words, as I can see, this business requires you to quit your job so that you will have the time to fully concentrate on it, grow the network so that you will get the paycheck at the end of every month.

  This is merely my opinions, and I ask for arguments. Thanks.

• Up until two days ago I was engaged to the man of my dreams. We had great plans for the future...for us...for a family. He had always been in Amway and he never actually worked at it until I pushed him to do it. I told him that if he was going to do it he should do it 100% or he would never see a profit, because he wasn't seeing one. I challenged him that if he didn't make a profit or see any prospect that he should quit or drastically cut back on the money he wasted on it. He agreed. Time came...no profit...he didn't keep his promise.

  Lately, he became more and more distant from me. He wasn't even himself anymore. He was hiding things from me and I knew he wasn't happy but he could never put into words why. It was very comparable to someone addicted to drugs and hiding it from their loved ones. I comfronted him about my fears and he only shut me out. He turned me into his enemy. Everything I said was against him and against amway in his opinion. Every decision he made was based on amway instead of based on us.

  One night it got very bad and he randomly stated that he had bought tickets for an amway conference the day of our bridal shower. I know boys don't usually go to the shower, but he had already promised me he would be there to help clean up afterwards and go through everything with me. I was excited. I knew there was a conference that day, but he promised me he would be there for me. He went behind my back and bought a ticket anyways. I explained to him that it was very hurtful and there would be other conferences, but only one memory of our shower celebrating us.

  He looked me straight in the face without any emotion and said he cared more about amway than he did my feelings.

  Now he says he can't remember saying it, but he knows he did. This is the kind of mentality and addiction it has become for him. He regrets this action now, but he knows it isn't exactly something you can just take back. He is sick...just like someone addicted to drugs. Only I don't know how to help him with this addiction. We couldn't even go on one date without him trying to contact our waitress/waitor. It consumed his every though like a crack addict desiring one more hit and doing anything to get it.

  I wanted to believe that amway was safe and it could be done in moderation. Hey, I liked the idea of retiring young too. I was there for him and supported him through it all. Now I see that it isn't right. A half lie is still a lie and amway cannot be done in moderation. A gambler can't just gamble a "little."

  At this point I wouldn't care if amway were possible and being a millionaire was only one contact away. I would rather be homeless than a millionaire and see someone I love so sick and not be able to help them.

  This is the result of amway in my life. I have to watch someone I love deeply be consumed by it and addicted to it and make nothing from it. I fear he will be like that for the rest of his life. It will never be enough. He will always need one more customer, one more prospect.

  He has been in amway 2 years...has no people under him...and no customers but himself and his mother when she can afford it. He did everything they asked, went to the meetings, listened to the cd's, went out 3.4.5.6.even 7 times a week to contact.

• I even would take him back after everything if he could just give amway up. I tried to be reasonable and accomodating and let him do it as he pleased in moderation. All things in moderation...anything good can be bad if it consumes your life right? Well you can't do amway in moderation that is what the cd's and everything teaches...every person you meet is a potential client.

  I would do anything to have the real him back. I know what he said was hurtful, but I also know that it is the addiction talking, but he wont quit.

  I am afraid he will never see the light that it isn't worth this. He is giving up his fiance and who is to say what is next. His friends...whom he has already lost many...his job as an accountant....his family?

• We upgraded anonymous' comment to a full post. Thanks for sharing, anonymous.

  Please read and comment here:

  AMWAY Addiction Kills Marriage

  https://unhappyfranchisee.mystagingwebsite.com/amway-addiction-kills-marriage/

• Anonymous: it's so crazy to hear how similar your story is to my own. I signed my divorce papers on Tuesday because of what Amway has done to my ex wife. What you describe sounds like what I went through. What I've come to realize is there is almost nothing you can do to change the way they think as long as these so called Amway friends are keeping them going to constant meeting after meeting (brainwashing). The good news is that you aren't married yet and if you don't want to end up very unhappy I suggest you wait on marriage until he is either out for good because he is going to ruin your life emotionally and financially. I know what you are going through because I got married to whom I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with and whom I was in love with. Things were beyond amazing! Amway came along and changed her so much that I don't even know her anymore. She has so much hate in her and bitterness towards me especially on the topic of Amway. They are programmed to not trust anyone who is not a part of Amway. It is very sick and you really have 2 options. You can let him do his thing and hope and pray he gets sick of it, but from what they teach you this is something that could take 5-10years to make money or even longer. (but it's worth it, they will say). I had the same agreement with my ex to give it up if she didn't make any progress, which of course she didn't but when the time came she said she was going to be in Amway the rest of her life. We even were going to marriage conselling to help with our situation, which they also suggested she give it up after so long. Well let's just say she didn't like the conselor anymore and we didn't go back. Your other option would be to do what I did, either it's me or Amway. Which is more important to you? You can see where the second option will most likely leave you, but the way I look at it is if some stupid business that you don't make money in and become an annoying person no one wants to be around is more important that the one you supposedly love then go for it! I am recovering from it very well emotionally actually and financially as well. We lost $7000 in a year in Amway, but more importantly I lost someone I thought was my soulmate. The way I look at it is I am young, no kids, and I have a good job with a bachelors degree in accounting. I will bounce back just fine and I have been. I just hope she wakes up someday and realizes the mistakes she has made through all of this. Anyways I hope I helped you out somewhat. I know exactly what you are feeling right now and I am sorry people have to go through things like that. Just know you deserve to be Happy!