Sunday, August 28, 2011

Free Ebook Merchants of Deception

Someone showed up at my blog the other day with the search criteria “why is Merchants of Deception so expensive”.

Hunh? Free is expensive?

I wondered where this guy was looking. I’m aware that Eric Scheibeler did put his book into print and sell it for a few months. Then for reasons I’m unaware of though I suspect Scheibeler decided it was time to finally put the Amway horror behind him, he announced he was closing his website and the book would only be available for a couple more days.

I don’t recall what he was selling the print version for $15 or $20 perhaps.

I didn’t buy a copy of Merchants of Deception seeing as how I already had the free ebook version. Apparently the print version had some updated information in there.

So where is this guy looking that the book is so expensive? I checked ebay. Nope. Nothing there. I went to Amazon. Ah ha! Got it! There are 7 copies available ranging in price from $95.00 to $175.58. Yikes! What the fuck!

A couple of years ago I read an article that when Amazon only has one or two copies of a new book available and that’s it its no longer being printed there are some book buyers who keep an eye out and buy these books hoping that there will be a demand for them later on when they’re out of print. When the book is out of print and no longer available new the sellers who have used copies think they are rare collectibles and list them with outrageously high prices. Kind of like what Amway does with its products! They can ask any price they want. Doesn’t mean they’re going to get it unless there is some cult leader putting pressure on the downline to buy.

Crazy about the high prices on the used books! Especially since most books being sold on Amazon’s used book section are books published within the last 20 years and sold for $20 or less and there is really nothing special about them to command that kind of high price. The seller can always hope that someone is desperately searching for a used copy and willing to pay any price to get it. I can’t imagine paying $100 (or more!) for a paperback book especially when its available for free as an ebook.


4 comments:

  1. Hi Anna, I wonder if you've posted a blog on the Morality of these people deliberately preying on those living on govt. funding just to get a sign-up. Those who are already struggling to get by on a very tight budget yet will have to pay for very expensive products, cds, book, etc.
    E.g. I am on Disability, I told them I wasn't able to go out and rope in other people but they convinced me that they will do it all for me - add to my downline. (Of course I found out it doesn't quite work that way.) Their promises of "Double X will cure you!" put hope in my heart, so I paid lots of money to order the stupid vitamins - which didn't do shit.
    And it's not just a one-off thing on me. They do it to those on Unemployment, Retirement, Age Pension, etc. They when we can't afford it any longer and pull out, they dismiss us with, "Oh, you weren't driven enough." or some way to blame us for failing them.

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  2. anna, have you read cult of free enterprise by steve butterfield? I seen that book is 5.00 on amazon. Very interesting story from a ex amway distributor.

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  3. Hi Elizabeth - almost every post that features my upline is about morality! I have written about the demographic groups that ambots are taught to target but not specifically those on government assistance. These are easy targets for unscrupulous IBOs because it gives them hope that they will be making a lot of money inside 5 years without ever having to work again.

    Yes our upline also promised that they would help us find recruits but they didn't. What else do you expect from a bunch of liars who promise that Amway is so easy anyone can do it.

    I'm getting a bunch of searchers lately for "double x adverse affects" or similar. I think Nutrilite and Amway better be worried....

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  4. Colin - I haven't read that book. My reading tastes tend to run women's romantic fiction!

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Comments are moderated but we publish just about everything. Even brainwashed ambots who show up here to accuse us of not trying hard enough and that we are lazy, quitters, negative, unchristian dreamstealers. Like we haven’t heard that Amspeak abuse from the assholes in our upline!

If your comment didn’t get published it could be one of these reasons:
1. Is it the weekend? We don’t moderate comments on weekends. Maybe not every day during the week either. Patience.
2. Racist/bigoted comments? Take that shit somewhere else.
3. Naming names? Public figures like politicians and actors and people known in Amway are probably OK – the owners, Diamonds with CDs or who speak at functions, people in Amway’s publicity department who write press releases and blogs. Its humiliating for people to admit their association with Amway so respect their privacy if they’re not out there telling everyone about the love of their life.
4. Gossip that serves no purpose. There are other places to dish about what Diamonds are having affairs or guessing why they’re getting divorced. If you absolutely must share that here – don’t name names. I get too many nosy ambots searching for this. Lets not help them find this shit.
5. Posting something creepy anonymously and we can’t track your location because you’re on a mobile device or using hide my ass or some other proxy. I attracted an obsessed fan and one of my blog administrators attracted a cyberstalker. Lets keep it safe for everyone. Anonymous is OK. Creepy anonymous and hiding – go fuck yourselves!
6. Posting something that serves no purpose other than to cause fighting.
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