I’ve been getting a few messages recently from children of ambots that I’ll post soon in case readers have missed them.
They had horrible childhoods because of their parents involvement in the Amway cult. A lot of it is neglect. The parents didn’t spend time with them because they were too busy going out of every night of the week to Amway meetings or prospecting. Same with weekends. Full of Amway events and hanging out with other cult members jabbering about how they’re all going to be rich very soon.
These parents put a box of soap or a case of water as more important than their children. Spending hundreds of hours to maybe make a $1 commission on an Amway sale was more important than spending time with their children.
Stories from the children that they could not attend their friend’s birthday parties because their parents would not buy a birthday gift for the friend because they “counseled with upline” and the fucking assholes in the Amway upline told them it was more important to use that money to buy Amway tools or products that buying birthday presents.
The children also suffer humiliation because their ambot parents prospected the parents of their friends or classmates. Stories of schoolyard teasing from the other kids because their parents are in Amway.
People involved in Amway have no business having children. They don’t spend time with their children because they have to spend time with the assholes in their Amway upline. Any spare money must be spent on Amway instead of clothes or other items the children need. Imagine sending your kid off to school with an Amway food bar, Perfect Water, and a Nutrilite vegetable/fruit vitamin.
Sure these ambot parents say they’re in Amway to make a better life for themselves and their children but its only happened to a handful of breakout Diamonds. Everyone else is in for a lifetime of poverty if they stick around the Amway cult long enough.
The weird thing is even with the way they’re treated the children of ambots still say they’d rather stay with their parents than be taken away and placed in a nurturing home. They don’t know anything else. They have a driven in sense of love and loyalty to their parents no matter how bad their life is.
These ambots who think they’re making a better life for their families by denying them time, attention, and basic needs end up with adult children who resent them. This probably doesn’t apply to parents who tried Amway and quit after a few months and can recover from this horrible experience. I’m talking about parents who are lifers and are in the Amway cult for years.
Your children will hate you for it.
Hi Anna,
ReplyDeleteI just discovered your website following a meeting my boyfriend and I had with our potential "upliners" last night. They, of course, don't know that I know that's what they're referred to as I was encouraged strongly to not conduct any research online as there's a lot of "negativity on blogs run by losers." Both my upliner and her husband are aware that I am in the midst of finalizing a research thesis so their suggestion to dissuade from researching was absurd in my mind.
How could I, someone who has dedicated herself to piecing together the details of things (i.e., conducting RESEARCH)be asked to not do such a thing? They believed that two CD's and a book from a large black box (which I assume former/current Amway members are aware of) they lent to us was all the research my boyfriend and I needed to conduct. I said I would still look online but promised to keep an open mind. I kept my promise, I looked at the good and the bad and eventually wound up here.
Now the good is that being rich is FEASIBLE, the bad is that it's UNLIKELY. Not to mention, the entire meeting last night completely raised a ton of red flags and arose my suspicion. Nothing on the surface was particularly alarming, but I genuinely FELT like something was amiss.
First of all, I do marketing and I came across the wife of this couple while working an event. I'm only 22, finishing a masters and mentioned to her that there were several paths I was considering following but hadn't decided on one yet. She took this to mean that I was aimless and "stuck," so she offered to take me out to coffee as she had done the same undergrad major as I had and was working in one of the possible fields I had considered pursuing. My boss was over my shoulder and on my behalf thanked this woman and told me what a great opportunity I had arrived at. Thus, somewhat out of obligation and admittedly, out of a sense that this woman could offer apt advice I went to coffee with her. We spoke at length and she had many inspiring things to say, in addition to principles I really did extract as helpful, and in passing she mentioned she had a business. That was that, I thanked her for her time and advice and we parted ways.
A month and a half passes, and two days ago she calls me to invite me to a conference. She says there will be a guest speaker who can really inspire me. The conference will be packed but she has a couple of extra guest tickets, and there are others she could offer them to but she wanted to give me first pick. She got a good feeling from me and thought I would benefit from it. She even offered the last ticket so I could bring my bf. Poor guy and I didn't know what we were in for. I agreed, thinking it an opportunity to learn--something I am always open to. We weren't given anymore details. Just the address of the hotel the conference was at and the time.
When I got there, and you have to tell me if this is ordinary, she greeted me eagerly and said I *HAD* to meet Leslie, Brandie and Mike. I had heard of the latter from our last meeting but never the former. She was friends with all three and said they absolutely needed to meet me. When they arrived, there was a flock to these people (did I mention there were 1100 guests in attendance?) as if these individuals were celebrities. My potential upliner rushed through and introduced me to Leslie (the guest speaker which I had zero knowledge of) who in turn hugged me and gave me a once over. After the talk, again, we rushed to meet Leslie who was virtually drowning in a swarm of people but I was led to the front and asked to recount my experience with my potential "upliner" and to profess how "excited" I was about everything I had just heard.
Hi Anonymous. Thank you for taking the time to write a detailed description of getting pitched by an Ambot. They always want to go for coffee! Why do they never want to go for ice cream? They always want you to meet someone in their upline, probably the sack of shit Platinum who's got the experience at closing a sale.
DeleteI bet you didn't hear the word Amway for a long time. Most meetings I went to it took at least an hour for the cult leader to say the A word. Sometimes not at all! Yup a lot of people who've gotten scammed by Amway have taken to the Internet either to write blogs or leave comments of their experiences to help others know what will happen to them if they go down this road to hell. We don't write this because we're losers who didn't try hard enough or because we're dream stealers. we get the word out about how much money you'll lose and the abuse you take from the assholes in your upline. We want to help others avoid the same emotional and financial abuse we went through. You don't see current ambots writing blogs because its really embarrassing to admit you're selling Amway products. It's embarrassing being associated with a company with a sleazy reputation much of it brought on by the outrageous actions of their salespeople.
I think maybe you got into the tail end of an Amway function because one of the names you mentioned was down as a guest speaker at Spring Leadership. They make their money from ticket sales so that persons piece of the pie must have been low so that's why this extra conference. $10 per Ambot that's a profitable evening. And they make the Ambot write the check out to cash - who can say tax evasion!
It sounds like you got love bombed a popular tactic with any cult including Amway.
Again, I was hurried through a crowd to meet Brandie, who walking in the door had told me I was beautiful, and after had complimented my hair and my bf's glasses--it seemed odd and salesman-esque. She did the same once-over Leslie had done. I also met a woman whose name I forget, but she knew my name before I knew hers.
ReplyDeletePlease tell me, is it ordinary to have "newbies" meet the big-wigs? These people meant nothing to me, but I could see how significant their presence was to others who were clambering to get close to them. Why would I be introduced to them as if it were of great importance if I couldn't even acknowledge their "value." I felt like I was being groomed and indoctrinated.
Anyhow, my bf and I have an upcoming meeting with our potential upliners where we'll break it to them that we aren't interested. They genuinely are a nice couple (I know you must hear that a lot), and I don't get bad vibes from them. I don't expect them to remain in contact with me, but I also don't want them to be too persistent when we say "no."
There is my story, just felt compelled to share it.
Anonymous - part of the Amway love bombing is shelling out fake compliments. I know no one gave a shit about the pretty blouse I was wearing!
DeleteYes ambots must take you to their cult leader. It's very rare that an Ambot can trick a sucker to come to an Amway meeting so they want to introduce their prospect to the bigwigs and bask in the glow of being praised by their beloved leader that they got one. Wasn't it really creepy watching the ambots with this unnatural love and devotion for their cult leaders?
No matter how nice this couple is - in Amway they're all fakey nice anyway - if they can't make money off you or suck you to join their cult they won't have nothing to do with you.
Also, I forgot to mention Leslie kept saying "if you're here, you must have jumped through a lot of hoops. If you're here, you must have really wanted to be here" or something to that effect, which was not the case for me at all.
ReplyDeleteDo the people they bring to these conferences generally WANT to be there? And beg to be there or something? What does "jumping through hoops" entail exactly? The entire ordeal was very confusing. I'm still trying to process it all.
Anonymous - many people brought to Amway meetings were tricked into going. I sure didn't jump through any hoops to get to any shitty Amway meetings. It's all about brainwashing the crowd. Some of us see through their bullshit and lies and it really pisses us off what these scumbags do to other people.
DeleteThis leslie and brandie want to get you to sign up to buy tools for a while and products you dont need. Then you can move on. They will find plenty to replace you. Or you can stay in and try to find a group of people you can do the same to. If thats what you want.
Delete@Anonymous
Delete1-Please PLEASE DO NOT ENROLL WITH scAMWAY!!! Hope that was clear.
2-Read the free eBook "Merchants of Deception" to learn now what we all discover eventually when in too deep.
You said,
"The conference will be packed but she has a couple of extra guest tickets, and there are others she could offer them to but she wanted to give me first pick."
Ha Ha Ha so funny, I used to say the same crap and foolishly teach it too as I had been taught. In reality everyone had a bunch of tickets and desperately looking to "move them." Eventually we would have to resell them back to upline, they of course never like that. Yep big wig upliners make serious money on events tickets. At the time I never knew why they pushed us so hard to "move the tickets."
You said,
"I felt like I was being groomed and indoctrinated."
Right on, that's the intention. You were too quick for them to recognize that. Your BS meter is really good!
You said,
"Anyhow, my bf and I have an upcoming meeting with our potential upliners where we'll break it to them that we aren't interested."
They will ask you why, what's your reason for not joining. The intention next will be to alleviate your reason/concern which to them they interpret as an objection instead of the same being your genuine reason and reason enough. They call this process "handling objections." They will use anything and everything you offer to tell them against you, anything to get you in. Very sneaky. You already experienced this when the fakey-nicey-nice woman made you think she thought you didn't have a plan for your future because you proffered you are exploring your options. How dumb and stupid of her.
The way you handle this is don't be in a discussion mood but in a stating tone only-firmly. "We are not interested." Oh why? Repeat yourself and state that that is your reason (don't open it up to a discussion, otherwise they will be all over you mentally using what you have already told them about you against you). Immediately stand up and dismiss them. Unless you want them to have another opportunity to waste your time and get you into the cult don't accept anything to be left behind-that leaves the door cracked open for another opportunity to gang up & come back with heavy weaponry against you. There's absolutely nothing in that crap peddled by scAmwayers as beneficial for personal development that you can't find for free at your local library or for far much less at Amazon, etc.
Don't thank them nor apologize at all for anything, not for their time, nothing! This way you will be way above their mental gymnastics and that irks them because they always hope to reel you in, subjugate you to view your upliner as some god, just like you saw with the crowds around the cult leaders. Don't fall for it.
You said,
"They genuinely are a nice couple (I know you must hear that a lot),..."
You don't know that other than face value. ScAmwayers are all about faking being nicey nice. Don't let their appearances fool you into letting your guard down. Some of them are mislead and don't know it-they are still inflict harm; conversely some know what they are doing and do it anyway.
You said,
"...and I don't get bad vibes from them."
The old owls at this scam walk away still nicey nice - because they are taught you might change your mind later, so to leave the door open. Bang the door shut! on their face or butts!
You said,
"I don't expect them to remain in contact with me, but I also don't want them to be too persistent when we say "no.""
They won't. They are taught not to spend their time with those not in the ahem! "business" because you are in darkness, not enlightened by being a cult follower, I mean in "bizz" ahchoo with them so why spend their time with you as you are not going in life where they are going.
You said,
Delete"Do the people they bring to these conferences generally WANT to be there? And beg to be there or something?"
Like Anna said a big phat NO! People beg to be outta there other than the cult leaders and those who are too drunk on the kool-aide, they hope one day they will be big shots too. The odds are intentionally, and deliberately set agaisnt more than 99% of those you saw there, mathematically and realistically, that they will never achieve even a level of a platinum and/or make any money or even at least recoup their invested monies. And you are not an exception. This is an intentionally rigged game.
"What does "jumping through hoops" entail exactly?"
Other than mind games, it means crap! Did you call the fakey-fake-nice woman and beg to be taken for coffee & the cult session or did she call you? But if you want to know what it means from inside scAmway insiders mindset, it's simply reverse psychology exercised on you:- to hoist an aura of importance and create a "I am really lucky then to have been here" thought in your mind, so that you as a potential recruit, can value the "opportunity" achoo achoo. There's a lot of "fakes" in scAmway. She is excited. People you hand't met knew before you got there,
"The entire ordeal was very confusing. I'm still trying to process it all."
Be very careful with cults - they can (& have) really mess up with grown a$$ adult's mind. Don't walk away, RUN to the hills fast!
And BTW all MLMs pull the same crap, scAmway is the blueprint having arrived first at the pond.
When they arrive they will ask you to turn off the TV, ask you to sit at a dinning table (in your own place!) They might offer some samples. Their intention is to take and be in control. Conversely you can decide to have fun with them. Act in reverse of their requests or wait until they enter, quickly do those things and shoot your questions, what do you have? Turn the tables on them and interview them (like they are giving you a job), why you, why do they think you are qualified for a position, if you don't join are you a still a winner or a loser, etc? Push their buttons, are they honest people? If yes why did they tell the meeting speakers you were excited before asking you? If they trip call them out on their dishonesty, etc. Then tell them you will think about their interest and revert.
In either case you dismiss them before they declare the meeting is over - they have a target of 15 to 20 minutes, 30 max. End it in 10, don't accept another future meeting or invitation and then watch their faces for some laughs. Control is so important to them they'd repeatedly just to maintain it. Take it away from them authoritatively!
Let me tell you why scAmway and all recruitment MLMs are not a business. A business sells products and services to parties outside of it. In scAmway ambots sell (when they do) insignificant products to those outside of the scAmway club. So called "buying from yourself" to consume, recruit others to do the same and call it all a business is a joke and a scam, not business. Ambots don't own anything in this setup. They have a membership number that gives them set benefits from scAmway for kickbacks depending on the number of business they bring to the former. That membership number can be revoked by scAmway as they wish-business owners own entities that have no sillies that can be revoked. The only person who owns a business (or more appropriately RICO "business") in this setup are the gangster owners of the scAmway outfit and owners of the motivational organizations that host the recruitment meeting you went to (BTW did you notice how they are christian pretenders?) Even those seemingly big shots there at the meeting don't own a business, they can, and do get booted off the setup. So the poor saps you saw at the meeting are the source of all the money you see in scAmway, instead of them being a conduit of the source i.e. the general public. You could say all those ambots are customers to scAmway with kickback benefits from the latter.
DeleteSecondly if the overwhelming amounts come from the pockets of those playing in this setup don't you see that they have to part with their hard earned money that ends up in the pockets of the big shots. For them to make $$$ they have to recruit others who are willing to part with their money-losses. So the seeming "success" of those at the top of the pyramid is predicated upon those at the bottom experiencing losses. You don't want to put your family & friends in this position.
After seven years wasted in scAmway, quitting it, and unlike what their cult leaders preach to their followers ScAmway is not the beginning, the only, and the end of success in life. And nor are we losers. We just learned the truth of the smokes and mirrors when were we in too deep and now warn others while pursuing other fulfilling endeavors in life. You are much smarter to recognize the BS before you got in. Stay that way.
ExAmbot - thank you for taking the time to respond here breaking down the meeting they attended so they can understand how they're being played and set up for the scam.
DeleteI think the best thing is for them to be no-shows. Ambots are used to it!
Too funny that line about the tickets and how they could have given them to someone else but thought you were more deserving instead or whatever line they're using. Ambots always at like they're doing you a BIG favor!
My utmost and utter pleasure Anna! With the same glee For all the misery they cause others, I like to, see and hear these scambots being dismissed with a thunder that rattles their BB cages. I know it messes up with their brains somewhere.
DeleteThat's why we're here. To throw that misery right back at those scambots!
DeleteThat literally breaks my heart that these ambot parents believe that missed time with their children is a sacrifice towards "freedom." OF COURSE that neglect. People hate working because they miss time with their children, and on TOP of worknig they succumb to this crap? I feel neglected from my boyfriend, he doesn't even have a downline! (He's tried but nothing has worked). I can't even imagine when he DOES have a download, or if we married and have kids, negligence will NOT be okay. Which is why I won't say "yes" if he pops the question while still in this.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous - good for you and your boyfriend for not giving in. At least you both have a good head on your shoulders. They probably didn't nab you because you both are secure and stable inside and out. They tend to prey and win on those who are experiencing a time of questioning in their lives in terms of career and faith. and SOME HOW they nabbed my boyfriend at the PERFECT time for them. As many issues as he has, I didn't mind helping him work through them. But the fact that he uses THEM as a supplement to his inner voids? BULLSHIT.
Scamfighter - it is really sad how children of ambots are treated or more precisely ignored. One of my readers parents were in Amway when she was a teenager and her and her sister were left to run wild. Eventually her parents divorced and her sister committed suicide. She's got her life on track but just hates everything Amway and how it destroyed her family. Nothing like coming in second place to a box of soap. Does wonders for your kids self esteem.
DeleteHi everyone,
ReplyDeleteI'm the original poster of the first comment and want to thank you all for you advice and insight! In particular, all the tips pertaining to how to dismiss them. I'll be certain to be direct and leave no room for them to squeeze in and question me. Just "NO!"
"Don't you wanna be successful?"
"Not like this, no."
My bf is another story, though. He bends to persuasion very easily, so I told him I would do most of the talking.
I'll do updates in the comments following our meeting.
Also, I hate how little theste people value education and real jobs. They define success in only one term, and that's very narrow-minded.
Hi Anonymous - looking forward to hearing your run down of how the ambots try to overcome your objections to join their scam! Yup they are very narrow minded. Their lives do not exist outside Amway. There are no other interests and no other friends. It's like any cult. You devote your entire energy to it and nothing else.
DeleteIf your boyfriend is as such then give him a crush course - just have him read this page asap before they get there.
DeleteSecondly get him to read (and you too) the free ebook Merchants of deception, a quick read from a former top guy who witnessed the inner secrets first hand and decided to leave and expose the crap. Here's the link.
http://www.transgallaxys.com/~emerald/
Anna,
ReplyDeleteThank you for creating this post after some of my previous comments and I'm sure many other comments you've received from readers. It really is a shame how this fucking bullshit promotes "family values" yet tears families apart. I remember going on "exciting trips" to places like Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and Charlotte to functions because there was no money to go on real vacations. There would be lots of other kids there, often without supervision.
I was twelve years old and while my parents were at the meetings in Baltimore I would wander around the streets while they thought I was at the aquarium at the Inner Harbor. Thank god nothing happened to me as little did this suburban-raised kid know Baltimore is one of the most dangerous cities in the country.
And yes, friends would ask me about why I would have these "weird" products in our house and packed in my lunchbox to bring to school. Really horrible memories the more I think about it but it's good to get it out there and move past it. Also thankfully my relationship with my parents has significantly improved, although they weren't able to afford the tuition for many of the top schools in the country to which I was accepted and had to settle for a state school. Perhaps had they not gotten involved in this horse-shit I'd have my Ivy League degree but oh well - I do very well for myself anyway and am NOT in any form of any of this MLM horeshit cult scam. I've said this before, but I cannot wait for the next time I get approached by a distributor. I feel bad for them already because I am going to start ranting and take out my frustration on them. But that's their fucking problem for being a moron and joining this bullshit.
I really appreciate you taking the time to let us know what it's like being the child of an Ambot. Stay tuned. I'm pretty sure something you wrote before is coming to a post sometime over the next few weeks. This one too. This post reminds me of how 10 year old children at Amway conventions are put in charge of smaller children and as you say are out exploring instead of using the parents version of a babysitter - the hotel room TV set.
DeleteHi everyone! Original poster of the first few comments on this post here with an update regarding the Amway meeting we attended.
ReplyDeleteThe short of it: we must have been lucky, because it was not that bad!
The long of it:
My bf and I went into the coffee shop to find our potential uplines already seated and speaking with a man I can only imagine is in some way involved with Amway or Worldwide Dreambuilders. After a few minutes of chit-chat, "how are you? what's new? etc.," we finally got down to "business."
My bf (surprisingly) was the first to say very directly that we've had a chance to look through the material and have decided not to continue with this venture. We explained that even though there were good principles to be drawn (NOT) from the big, black box of spells they had lent us we didn't feel at this point in our lives, that this was something suited for us.
Then the wife quizzed us a little bit: "what was your favourite part of the book? What did you learn from the CDs?" and I really had to think on me feet and spew out the garbage I knew they thought a brain-washed dope would extract from this drivel. "Oh, I think the lesson to deviate from the norm and extend beyond your comfort zone to achieve success is quire significant (*groan*)."
They really didn't try to persuade us much further beyond that. In fact, they said they completely understood. That if we didn't feel like it was right for us, then they at least hoped we were able to walk away with a little more knowledge on how to acquire success in other realms of our lives. They said if we ever need anything to keep in touch, and that even if we didn't want to do business with them, we were always welcome to order merchandise from them (fat chance) at a discounted rate. The wife even gave me advice on how to become a volunteer with this organization I've been meaning to get in touch with for some time as she knew one of the managers there.
All in all, considering the absolute lunatics some people come across in the Amway fantasy world, my bf and I were quite lucky. Before our meeting hit even 10 mins, my bf was swinging his coat over his shoulders, shaking hands with the two of them, and saying goodbye. It really was not an unpleasant experience. And they were not so...creepy...about it as I imagine others have been to their potential downlines.
Anyhow, that is our experience--may others be as fortunate as us when running into Ambots in the future.
Hi Anonymous. Thanks for sharing your experience. Perhaps you got some newbie inexperienced ambots who are not so good at closing the sale! You can be certain they will continue to be in touch with you. Probably invite you to a BBQ sometime this summer or to a grand opening or whatever disguised as an Amway event. BBQ might not be too bad for free food as long as they're serving stuff you'd expect to find at a BBQ instead of Amway products! Once they figure out you're dead weight and after counselling with upline they'll drop all contact.
DeleteYep they might have been newbs. Either way (even if they were seasoned) your boyfriend's taking control of the situation disorganized their standard issue play book. Then he respectfully used the words it's not for us at this time. They are taught most people will tuck and high tail. They prefer a direct response because they are taught this is a thinking guy and things may change later for them and they just might be the ones to actually call you. They wife was really trying to help the hubby by asking those seemingly innocent question but they are by design. Good job you didn't answer with anything specific to scAmway's brand of success.
DeleteAnna is right if you can't be brainwashed now they will be counselled by their uplines to look for people who are ready to go right now and drop you or they will feign to keep in touch hoping you will change your mind one day.
In all great job! You dodged a bullet - scratch that - a missile.
Recently some very close friends got "into the business", and it has forced me to revisit how I feel about Amway and its impact on my childhood.
ReplyDeleteA profound sadness has hung over me since our friends told us they were considering a particular organization (which was not Amway, of course, eye roll, it is WWDB). I knew right then we were going to lose them as friends. This man has been my husband's closest friend since high school. They have been through a ton together, and losing them is really devastating for us.
I carefully reminded them that I was an Amway kid (an Amkid?) and asked them if they wanted my perspective on growing up in Amway. I told them once and promised to support them thereafter. I knew if they didn't hear that we are willing to support them, I would be cutting off our relationship right then and there. Nice baggage, huh.
My parents are 'lifers'. They've been in since I was 8. That was 28 years ago. They had two deep teams that generated some income until they fell apart, probably 15-20 years ago.
My childhood was weirder than I realized.
-Annoyed neighbors. Weekly Tuesday night 'product pickup' which filled the street with the team coming to pick up their products. Weekly 'team calling' every Sunday night when all my Dad's buddies would come over to call random people they had met at the grocery store, and shout 'Loser' or 'Sap' (what the heck is that anyway?) every time they got turned down. Those guys were loud down in the basement while my siblings and I were upstairs doing homework and preparing for the school week.
- Tools. Dumb, dumb tapes and books. I had NO IDEA that they were so expensive until I started reading about AmCult recently. Seriously, I thought upline was giving that stuff to my Dad. I hope my kids don't think NPR is as annoying as I thought those tapes were.
- Negative wives. We heard all about these negative women, and how my mom struggled because she knew she was viewed as one. She is very introverted and not peppy enough. Yet she slaved over the weekly product order, product pick up, and angelically dealt with my Dad never being home. I tell you, I would be the negativest of negative wives ever.
- Functions. Gee, I wonder why we never took any family vacations? Because my parents had to go to 4 functions every year. They took us 1 time that I can remember, because some upline approved kids coming to a beach trip. A commenter above described it perfectly...we sat in the hotel room with a 13 year old babysitter watching R rated movies. The other times, my parents left us with babysitters that we didn't really know or feel comfortable with. I am thankful that I never suffered any abuse other than neglect in any of these situations, and I hope my siblings were also safe.
- Lost friends. I bet my parents could have let us stay at friends' houses for all those functions instead of getting weird babysitters, but they had alienated all their/our friends soon after getting into Amway. New friends were always business colleagues, and of course they came and went.
Hi isurvived. Thanks so much for dropping by with your story. Amkid. Good one! I'll use that! I'll be saving your story to include the next time we bring up the stories from other Amkids. Kids of Ambots have dropped by with very strong emotional stories of what it's like growing up in an Amway household. It's so sad what you've gone through and the way you Amkids express your feelings you'd think that would be a warning for anyone considering getting into the Amway cult who has kids or thinking of having them - to stay the hell away from Amway!
DeleteYou have vivid memories and the things you saw and heard are still going on today. I tell you just about every Amway loser who stops by to leave a comment on this blog bitches at me for being a negative wife who doesn't support my husband in scamming people. Like that's a bad thing! Women "get" it a lot faster than our husbands that Amway is a scam.
Amway the Cult of Greed. Where you lose your money, your friends, and your family.
Continued...
ReplyDelete- Oh my word, stop. talking. to. everyone. My Dad would talk to everyone, everywhere. He is an extravert so he would probably have done that anyway, but I HATED knowing his friendliness was ultimately not genuine, at least I did not believe it could be. I would shuffle off and try to hide. It was always the same conversation with the same lead ins.
- Faith. After they started Amway, my parents drew away from church involvement and let Amway replace church for them. That's something I have not seen much mention of in blogs, and it may be specific to LTD, Britt, or just the South. But in Amway, it was trendy to be a Christian, and all the functions had church services where droves of people would accept Christ like they had just been listening to Billy Graham. This made my Dad very excited, and I get why, but the lines were blurred between business and religion and it was about control, not about following the most humble man who ever walked the earth. As children, we lost connection with families from church that I, particularly, had grown up with. My parents had no more time for Bible studies or service projects, so we didn't get to go either.
- Health. My Dad's health suffered big time. He was a tall thin man who enjoyed working around the house before Amway. Then, then he became a man who constantly attended midnight meetings at IHOP, probably slept about 5 hours a night on average, and got fat. He has never lost all that weight, but he knows he can count on Nutri-lite vitamins to keep him going. That might have worked in his 40's but he is in his mid 60's now and I am very worried about him.
-Time. I suppose my Dad would have spent more time with us if he had been home in the evenings. Ultimately, I don't think he was a bad as some people probably were, as I have never questioned his love and commitment. I'm not sure what I missed, but I was a very compliant child overall, and as a teenager I tasted a little freedom and normalcy and began to rebel and put as much emotional distance as I could between myself and my parents. It would not be until I had children that I truly wanted to be around them again.
These days, my parents are still trying to build their business, while they also work their annoying J.O.B.s (as an engineer and teacher). The only irritation for me is planning visits around functions. That really, really annoys me. I can't see why they can't see that their business has failed.
Our friends who have been sucked into Amway have presented the 'plan' to all of our mutual friends. One couple went through most of the process and went to several meetings (in another city, mind you, because we do not have an open meeting here). An upline told my pregnant friend, "This is the perfect time for you to start building your business, when you kids are babies. They won't even remember you being gone!" I wanted to vomit when I heard that. Thankfully this couple decided to run the other way.
Hi again Amkid and that's too bad about your dad. It's all part of the Amway teachings. Like why eat fresh produce when you can take a Nutrilite vitamin instead.
DeleteAmway Ambots and the life of poor nutrition.
It sounds like the jobs your parents have might have a pension. Or depending on what kind it was they might have been allowed to withdraw to spend money on Amway related shit.
So here's the thing cause it sounds like they're getting close to retirement age without sufficient savings. Because they were planning on Amway providing them with bazillions of dollars every month in residual income to fund their retirement. You and I and everyone who's not a brainwashed Amway Ambot knows that will never happen.
You don't want to enable your parents. You might love them and feel bad for them but they're going to be hitting up their kids to help them cover their bills in retirement because they failed to save and invest their money. Preferring instead to tithe the Great Amway God and make the assholes in their Amway upline richer.
You need to worry about yourself and saving now towards your retirement. Start buying stocks and funds that will provide growth and put money towards your retirement every month. If your parents chose not to do that, that's their problem. You don't want to make the same mistake they did. You saw their mistakes. And you'll see them not have enough money when they're on a fixed income. And they'll probably still be working in their 70s cause they can't afford to retire.
I really appreciate you stopping by and I can't stress enough to start following financial expert gurus and taking their advice so you don't make the same financial mistakes.
Good luck to you!