...and its getting old. I really want to be frank and just say in plain English, "I don't want to be part of your pyramid scam," but I have to work with the guy and want to keep things civil. How do you get rid of these people?

Ugh. My folks lost a friend to Amway. Literally, he ended up taking his own life.

Google "The Truth about Amway." They are literally set up like a cult!

If he's ballsy enough to try to push ponzi scheme crap products on you in an inappropriate place, he should be ready to hear someone tell him to buzz off.

Tell him you think he's hot and would buy his amway if he bit the pillow for you.

Sucker bottom feeding for lower suckers.  Yeah, they really think you are that stupid.

Damn, when I was living in the Clovis/Portales area of NM, these (sc)Amway fuckers were just ALL OVER the damn place.  I mean, Lubbock, Amarillo, you name it.  You couldn't go anywhere without being approached by someone selling (sc)Amway.

I used to hear it all the time..."I own my own business":  Code for "I sell (sc)Amway"  

My good friend (who was our Abrams driver in DS) became heavily involved in it.  He tried to bring me into the fold with the "It's legal, moral and legitamate" line more than once.  I never did bite.  ScAmway is pretty common when times are tough, or you live in an area where the local economy is suffering.  It is ok for some stuff, but it is a pyramid scheme, that's all.

Give it a couple of months.  When he realizes he isn't making any money from his non-day job, he'll shut up.

I have never actually met someone who sells Amway.

+1 this works on alot of people if you want them to go away......then again it could backfire.

Just talk about firearms constantly when you see him.

Me either.

Of course I have no social skills and if someone kept bugging me about it I'd flat tell them to fuck off.

"No Thanks" and leave it at that.


I hate when people I know and/or have to deal with peddle their shit on me.

They all have the same forehead scar where there comon sense was sucked out and replaced with SA8.

Which is why I never use that line, especially around these parts! Too many gays in Portland to get away with it. Hell, even the next mayor...

Reminds me of that great scene in the movie "Go"

It's confederated Products not Amway

Loved that movie BTW

It is indeed a cult in nearly every way.  Stay far away!

You could have fun with them.....just saying.

Tell them you are all over hearing about their Amway BS....but FIRST!!! You NEED to tell them all about mary kay cosmetics/Avon/tupperware...etc, and let them know how it will CHANGE THEIR life!!!111

Make sure your shirt in on inside out and backwards, and look sketchy as hell.

I have an uncle that did very well in Amway.


It did not make him any less annoying, but he did well. He tried to get me and my brother in on it and we stayed hesitant. he figured the best way to get us to do it was to take us to an Amway rally. Out of respect and all that shit, we went.

All I can say is what I saw, even at that early age (about 18) was scary. It indeed was very much like a cult. It's hard to explain unless you could see it for yourself.

Still never did it

I understand that some people just need something to believe it.  What I don't understand is why they choose Amway.


Jane

 

Reminds me of a few scenes in I'm Gonna get you Sucka where the first question is your not selling new way products are you ?

had a co-worker/friend who was an amway distributor.

he asked, we said no, but we also bought things from him as we needed 'em and they were a good deal, just like any purchase.


if they don't get "no thanks" the first time, tell to politely fuck off!

He should have had the same concern and still decided that selling you on Amway was more important.  Treat him the same way he treated you.

My work says we will fire you if you do any of your business on our  time

I had to fire half the office staff one time because of trying to push Amway on patients.

I suggest crucifying him on the breakroom wall as a warning to others.

Amway (now Quixtar) is a business devised by Mormons.

IBTL

Your kidding right?

IIRC Amway is of the Sung Yung Moon fame AKA Moonies.

Amway is a multi-level marketing, or network marketing company founded in 1959 by Jay Van Andel and Rich DeVos. Based in Ada, Michigan, the company and family of companies under Alticor reported sales of US$7.2 billion for the year ending December 31, 2007, marking the company’s sixth straight year of growth. Its product lines include personal care products, jewelry, electronics, Nutrilite dietary supplements, water purifiers, air purifiers, insurance and cosmetics. Amway conducts business through a number of affiliated companies in more than ninety countries and territories around the world.[1] Since 1999 it has operated in the United States and Canada as Quixtar, though the North American organization is to merge into a Amway Global brand.

****

The original plan in Grand Rapids was to sing in DeVos Hall, which seats 2400, but a construction project necessitated a move to Van Andel Arena.  While the arena didn’t have the acoustics of the concert hall, the change turned out to be fortuitous because 6,000 more people were able to come (for a total of 7,800).  Seated in the hall were Rich DeVos and Jay Van Andel, founders of the Amway Corporation.  They have contributed generously to the community (which explains why many things are named after them}.  Fred Meijer, who I mentioned above, attended as well.  In fact, local Stake President Charles Stoddard, who was instrumental in bringing the Choir to Grand Rapids, said Mr. Meijer contributed $10,000 to help sponsor the concert because he grew up on a farm listening to us on radio.  What a matchless opportunity to gain greater respect for the Church in an area the Choir has never visited before.

****

If anyone here is somewhat clueless as to the Michigan connection...Michigan had the largest population of Mormons in the United States, until they migrated to Utah.

scamway is bullshit

my ex-inlays pissed away a fortune in that shit


it is a scam and money is only made off the "training aids" that folks are forced to hawk

anyone promoting that shit should be shunned and ridiculed if they persist

I've had my fair share of that bullshit laid on me.  It never ceases to amaze me how gullible people are.

My g/f was looking for an anniversary gift for me and  found a friend of a coworker that has a big hanger, owns a few planes, and flies for a living at our local airport.  He agreed to take me up for a flight and let me take the controls and see what it's like in a 2 seater Cessna.  He was a older man, in his 70s, but you couldn't tell.  His wife was also a pilot.  We all had a good time and he even took my g/f up and let her fly for a while.  They wouldn't let my g/f pay anything for the trip, so we took them out to dinner.  But before we left the hanger, they wanted to show us something.  It was a DVD about some multi-marketing scheme.  They continued calling us and we went on 1 or 2 other flights with them.  But every time, it ended with a pitch on joining up.  Really nice folks, but it became obvious they just wanted us to sign up.

Before that, I had an old classmate at college call me one night asking if I was interested in a job.  She told a little about it.  Said it was for an engineering company that did contract work with large retailers.  Said her husband (another old classmate) worked for them and agreed to come along with the manager and meet me.  We met at a restaurant in the local Holiday Inn and I knew something was fishy whenever they told the waiter that we didn't need menus and that water was fine.  After very short small-talk, they started in on a pitch for something like Amway.  After 5-10 minutes, I asked the guy I knew if he was serious and why did they tell me that it was engineering work?  He tried his best at BS'ing me.  I told him to good luck with the pyramid scheme and left.  I had brought my resume and everything.  Bastards.

Another time before that, my good friend (and previous roommate) started telling me about this business he was in.  He wouldn't tell me much about it, which told me it was a scam.  He asked if he could do his pitch on me.  I didn't go easy on him, asked a lot of questions he didn't like having to answer.  I let him finish though and he thanked me for letting him "practice" on me.  Deep down he knew it was bullshit too, but he was in debt up his ass and was getting desperate.  That lasted about 5 months.

scary individuals.  I had the displeasure of being invited to one of their meetings once.

Listened to the lecture and realized what they were basically selling.  Had never heard of Amway or Quixtar, but was smart enough to realize after meeting them and seeing them that it was a scam.  Sad thing is a lot of couples were there, including the couple that invited me were religiously into it.  I finally told the guy off and to stop calling me.

I have a once close friend that started selling monavie, I don't talk or see him much anymore because he can't seem to understand that I don't want to buy $40 bottles of fruit juice.



He's programmed deeply by this organization including the mantra, "the only way I can fail is if I don't try."



I never thought of him as being prone to shit like this but as it turns out, he's a complete mush-head.



We went out for drinks about 3 months ago and as soon as we arrived he started in on me going "auto-ship" which means buying 4 bottles a month. I have told him to fuck off a few times over his happy juice but it still doesn't seem to sink in. It sucks losing a friend but these people are juice bots.

Offer to give him the Scientology screening test.

I tell those people in a nice way that I'm not interested.

If they persist; I tell them in not such a nice way that I'm not interested.

...but it's not a pyramid scam. If you'd just listen and accept everything I say, but the products, go to the funstions buy the tapes & read the books you'd understand that!

Seriously. Just say, "Look! I AM NOT INTERESTED. Please don't ask me again."

If that doesn't do it go to one of his "meetings" and tell his "upline" and everyone there what a pushy asshole he is.

I use to be an Amway distributor and I refused to oush "the plan" and actually went direct selling the products with hardly any down line. But I ran myself and my vehicle ragged doing it!

...ain't woth it if you ask me.

Ok well here is how I deal with them,

Being in sales I know what the salesman pushing Amway is trying to accomplish as their end game.

In order for me to be a succesful candidate on their books so to speak I need to sign up others so they profit from me and the others I bring into the scheme.

So I say:

Me: WOW! What an awesome opportunity!

Ya know John , <insert name here> With a little "ambition" I could become very "successful" at this. Isnt that right?

Them: Yes that is correct!

Me: This sounds really great and Im motivated to make it work. The problem I have are my friends. They are all blue collar working stiffs and deadbeats, kinda like me. They have ZERO ambition and they wouldn't know a good deal if it bit them in the ass. Basically they work their 9 - 5 jobs and have no ambition or desire to do more.

I think its a great opportunity, unfortunately I dont know anyone with enough ambition to make it work. So, I know its hard and I really hate to miss out but Im going to have to pass.

I have used this same line at least 3 times in the past. It worked each time and the Amway salesman moved on to someone else.

I had a very good friend of mine try and get me into amway. I listened to his speech and his motavational tapes. the speakers they have are really good. I'll give them that much.
I finally asked the question "How do I make money?" and he started talking about getting other people into it and they sell stuff and you get a percentage. i was like
and left.
I have not spoken to him since. That was many years ago. Dont know whatever happened to him either.

The actually truth is that it's not Amway that is the problem. The founders fought some of the people that developed the cult method of pushing their products for a long time until the Bill Britt's and Dexter Yeagers were over half their business and could not be ignored.

It's the Yeager and Britt so called families that are the cult aspect of the business not the product or the Amway company itself.

I was not only shocked but pissed after I finally made direct under the "Ron & Toby Hale Family" which is part of the Yeager Family only to discover that many of the directs and "Diamonds" made more money selling tapes, books & tickets to "functions" than they did from selling Amway products.

That's when I quit...and it was hard to do even though I felt betrayed. Although I made direct by selling products I was very emotionally attatched to those people and it was hard to break off the relationship.

Buyer beware.

Sorry my church of scientology, wont let me.......................

While I appreciate the fact that you want to lay everything you find negative at the feet of Mormons, you ought to check you facts before you start spewing your misinformation.  Neither founder of Amway was a Mormon.  Michigan never had the largest population of Mormons.  Just because you hate us does not mean you need to go out of your way to attack us.

I have a friend who sells Amway and I buy things from time to time.  I told him I was not interested in selling and he respected that.

that is how the real money is made

"books and tapes"

products are a front/smokescreen

My personal opinion is that Rich DeVos and Jay Van Andle (sp) were never happy with what Dexter Yeager and Bill Britt turned their business in to. They do have good products, over priced, but good products. It's the two main distributors that turned it into a cult.

Some of those tapes were down right comedic. ...which is part of the plan. Still some funny shit though.

A friend tried to get me in on some pyramid type thing.  It could make money but took a lot of effort.  I told him there was no way I would put in enough time to make me or him money.  He thanked me for being honest and never mentioned it again.

Pitching that stuff to workmates, in the workplace, is wildly inappropriate.  He should be fired.

Same goes for Girl Scout cookies, school fundraiser wrapping paper, etc.

Damn the soap.