I’ll see if I can shed some light on that. The main reason is fear of retaliation from IBO’s just like yourself.
Many people have read Eric Scheibeler’s ebook called Merchants of Deception but not everyone knows he originally wrote the book under the pseudonym John Jacob. He received death threats against himself and his family when he was filing complaints to Amway about the deception he’d uncovered with the tool scam. He continued to receive threats while researching the book and after publication. So who is he getting death threats from? The mafia? The Secret Service? A CEO at a Fortune 500 company who’s never heard of Amway? Other authors jealous of his writing success? Amway execs or their hired guns? Or is it more likely that death threats are coming from otherwise seemingly normal people like teachers, waiters, cashiers, and electricians who have one thing in common: they’re Amway IBO’s. Too many IBO’s are over the top defensive of what they perceive to be the world’s greatest business opportunity made available to them by what they perceive to be the world’s most awesome company. Just goes to show what brainwashing can do.
Anyone who’s read Merchants of Deception knows that IBO’s sidled up to Scheibeler at business meetings and said they’d show their devotion to their beloved Diamond by dieing for him or killing for him. They would eliminate anyone who threatened the Amway lifestyle if their upline asked them to. Scheibeler describes threatening phone calls that his young son and wife received and noises in the bushes where he believed someone was lurking waiting to take him out.
If he knew who was making the threats, he didn’t say but obviously these were over zealous IBO’s who didn’t want anyone getting the truth out there about Amway and causing the downfall of their expected financial freedom.
Joecool has blogged about receiving threats from an anonymous IBO from Scarborough Canada Scarborough has dropped by my blog a few times to leave nutty comments but nothing threatening. He must find someone cursing out their upline and describing what went on at Amway meetings somewhat amusing but not a threat to his Amway lifestyle.
Just because I have not received threats doesn’t mean I’m not aware it could happen to me. I would be OK putting my real last name out there but that leaves me open for some brainwashed IBO to show up at my house with a grenade. Although I don’t name my upline other than referring to them as assholes, shitheads, bastards, etc if I put my name out there anyone with a little time to research should be able to find out who my upline are. I’m sure most of them wouldn’t be happy to hear they’re featured in a blog in derogatory terms and writing about what went on at their secret Amway meetings.
In this part of the world we have freedom of speech and should be able to express ourselves without fear. Its not against the law to have an opinion and its not against the law to curse someone out. Our Platinum did that all the time at Amway meetings ridiculing his downline IBO’s. Sticks and stones. He’s not being a believer of turnabout is fair play and would be outraged if anyone wasn’t properly worshipping him. That sack of shit might not like it but its not against the law curse him out or tell the truth about him.
Obsessed Amway IBO’s do not like the truth getting out there about the Amway business opportunity. They’d be the first to deny that anything described in Merchants of Deception could really happen and probably think the author just has an overactive imagination or is overly paranoid. Likewise there’d be IBO’s unhappy over the way I describe my upline instead of giving them the devotion and love they think they deserve. I can see as how they’re not happy with my interpretation of what goes on at Amway meetings and functions.
Over the top obsessive IBO’s are why we stay anonymous because we are concerned for our personal safety and for our families.
People take steps to ensure their safety. Everyone has different comfort levels. I have a monitored alarm system in my house and we sleep with a loaded gun in the bedroom. We had these measures in place before getting involved in Amway and now that we’re former IBO’s and I blog about our experiences you can be damned sure I’m not changing our security. You just never know when an outraged IBO is going to show up on the doorstep. And that's just our Platinum......!!!!
IBOFB was anonymous for a long time. Ironically, he posted some stories about me and tried to get support against me. He was also refered to as a cyber bully by an Amway corporate employee as well. Anyway, a bystander who was a member of Qblog got ticked off and went out to cyber space and he eventually outed IBOFB.
ReplyDeleteIBOFB and other believe they know who I am but prior to my blogging stint as Joecool, I had already covered my tracks carefully. So while they believe my name is Steve, they are way off the mark. If you google search my real name, nothing is there.
By the way, IBOFB (David Steadson) claims I lied in the "Joecool threat story" he posted about me, because there was no copy of the threat email sent to him. As if he is an authority. WTF? Anyway, I believe that threat came from the anon in Canada, looking back.
I don't know why IBOFB would want to be anonymous. If somebody thinks a company or a person or a TV show or whatever is wonderful and they want to brag about how great it is and how its changed their life, then why stay anonymous?
ReplyDeleteUnless you're really embarrassed about your position or lying about it!
On the flip side I've never seen any Amway critics threaten Amway supporters with violence. A lot of bad language and insults but never threatening a person's safety the way I've seen from Amway IBO's, or persons pretending to be IBO's.
Amway critics take to the Internet to get the word out there that Amway is a bad opportunity and to stay away. The defenders do just a good a job of frightening people away from Amway with their posts threating violence or just stupid posts in general making claims they can't back up. They do more harm than good for the company.
Anna, ibofb use to brag about how life changing,residual income,how much money his hero kingpins where making,and nonstop defending the scam. Funny how he just handed over his distributorship to his ex. He made it sound like he made a significant income but we all found out later on that he was 100 pin. Isnt that like 4.00 a month? He wants to be anon cause he's afraid we'll find out how little he made and how lame he was. I think ibofb was in the business for over 7 yrs and all he had to show was 100 pin lol. Maybe someone should get his ex wife on this board so she can tell us her experiences
ReplyDeleteHi Colin. Yeah it would be neat to have IBOFB's wife show up but I doubt it. She's probably long gone from Amway. I'm sure IBOFB makes more money blogging about Amway and giving an Internet presence. There are companies out there who pay people for posting about them. I'm sure that's how he gets his $$$. Though he's a bit of a embarrassment to Amway with some of his comments. Maybe they'll cut off his $$$ soon and hire another goon to snipe Amway websites.
ReplyDeleteIBOFB "claims" he had built his Amway business to where he was making more than a thousand dollars a month. But you are right. He gives the business up in a divorce settlement. You'd think he would give up everything but his beloved Amway business.
ReplyDeleteSince then, as far as I know, IBOFB has been mostly inactive and his main Amway activity is blogging about how wonderful Amway is. That is despite all the facts to the contrary.
I honestly believe his google ads earn him more than his Amway business. I also believe IBOFB isn't honest. :-)
Joecool - it does defy logic why IBOFB would walk away from his beloved business that he built to a level of making more than a thousand dollars a month. You'd think he'd have had his attorney put a price tag on the business worth and buy out the wife during the divorce settlement. Or let her take the house or the car instead of the Amway business.
ReplyDeleteNo IBO is honest so already IBOFB is lumped into that category. Didn't John aka Ambot.0 aka you aka me aka everyone else recently write a post or leave a comment saying that IBO's convince themselves or brainwash themselves into what they believe to be the truth. There's no doubt in my mind that our former Platinum actually believes the bullshit and lies that he spouts out. He's convinced himself and twisted the facts to believe its the truth. There's no reason to believe that IBOFB is any different. Amway is a good business opportunity for dishonest people.
These IBOs believe the lies because they want it to be true. That you can actually reach Amway Utopia where you do nothing but check your mailbox and receive six figure checks. IBOFB likes to point out Amway's awards and all that fluff, but ignore the fact that the problems are from organizations like WWDB or Network 21 who don't own awards and as far as I know, have never been cleared as legal by the FTC.
ReplyDelete