Continued. A reader shares
his story about how Amway scammers follow a script and how Amway Ambots are tax
evaders.
Monday night I went to this meeting. I told the upline that I didn’t think that
I would be able to get enough people to buy Amway products. No one that I know
does extensive online shopping, they all prefer to go to a physical store, and
I can’t imagine anyone spending $68 for Vitamin C when they can get twice as
much for 10% of the price at Walgreens. I told him that I didn’t have enough time
right now to devote to Amway, and that the idea that the only way to make money
was to recruit more people concerned me. Oversaturation maybe?
My favorite part was when I brought up taxes. The upline kept talking about how
all the travel could be deducted as a business expense, so I asked how
reporting income for tax purposes works.
Him: “Well, it’s more of a hobby, so we don’t need to pay taxes on income.”
Me: “So how can you deduct travel as a business expense, if it’s not a
business?”
Him: “It is a business, you own your own business.”
Me: “But you said it was a hobby, then a business.”
Him: “You can’t really understand how it works until you’re operating your own
business.”
Riiiiight. I’d rather not get audited for screwing with my taxes like that, or
find out that you’re lying and screwing me over.
Anyway, I was the third or fourth person that night that he tried to sell on
the idea, and the only one that asked any questions or wanted to research the
idea. Everyone else signed up immediately and dropped $165 without even knowing
what they had to do. Complete idiots! I told the guy that I wanted to look at
my schedule and look into Amway more and see if I thought it would be good for
me. Essentially, I just wanted him off my ass for the night, I had stuff to do
and he just kept pushing.
So at the end of the meeting, he sent me on my way under the assumption that I
would be returning the next week overflowing with excitement about Amway and
would sign up. He also gave me some of the XS stuff (one sip was gross enough
for me) and a cd to listen to (Eric Thomas is far more motivational).
The next meeting was supposed to be last night, and I told the guy that had
tried to recruit me (he only contacted me about 5 times to see when I could
meet, I do have a life outside of constantly checking my phone) to tell the
upline that I was too busy to be at the meeting and felt that I was too busy to
“open my own business” (I love how they pass off Amway as their business, it’s
not their own at all) and didn’t have time for Amway. Haven’t heard from anyone
in over 24 hours, so they’ve either given up on me, or are planning a new way
to make me understand that I do have time for Amway.
As a side note: one of the new recruits asked the upline if he was a
millionaire, after the upline told us that it was so easy to become a
millionaire in a few years. He told her that he wasn’t one yet, but was
guaranteed to be by the time he is 30. First of all, this actually could be
possible, because he spends his entire life recruiting people for downline and
to buy his products, he might actually make some money, but only because he
deceives everyone he knows for his own benefit (he forced his mom to buy Amway
product), but he won’t make a million in the next 8 years, only way to do that
is to have a REAL job or own a REAL business. Second, no income is ever
guaranteed, things happen, there is no way to guarantee money will be there
outside of a CD or savings bond. Maybe these Amway fellows need some personal
finance classes. Finally, when she asked to see some numbers, he wouldn’t show
her anything, which would logically tell someone that the numbers he says are
false. Sad thing is, she still paid $165 and signed up for Amway.
Good Lord, what a load of bullshit! It's hard to believe that anyone would drop $165 for a racket that they can't even understand, and which the recruiter can't explain!
ReplyDeleteThe tax angle is a sign that these Amway freaks just don't understand the simplest facts. If you can claim a business loss on your tax return, it means that your business is LOSING MONEY!! How can you say that you have a thriving business if every year you have to report a loss to the government?
As for the crap about it being a "hobby," well, you can't claim expenses for a hobby as a "business loss." The IRS is very clear about that. A real business is one where you are seriously attempting to make a profit.
What's really happening is this: these Amway freaks already have jobs that provide them with the great bulk of their income. They report the "losses" from Amway merely as a way to lessen their normal tax obligations from those other jobs.
The only serious effort made by Amway freaks is the hard-sell attempt to sign up new members. It is endless and relentless, as I'm sure this guy will find out in the next few weeks. They most likely will keep on calling him, and badgering him with pain-in-the-ass messages.
Anonymous - maybe it's more like slapping down $165 for instant friends?
DeleteAmway cult leaders have their act down to come across as likeable, friendly, enthusiastic, interested and interesting. If a person has had no prior experience with a cult then they probably drink it up.
The problem is when all your friends are Amway Ambots you can't sell Amway products to them because they're already buying them from their "own store".
The IRS has already determined Amway IBO's are part of a social club and that there is no real expectation to make money so they really crack down on Amway Ambots who are famous for being tax evaders and tax cheats.
Fortunately this guy did his research because he was suspicious from the beginning.
One of the ironies about the Amway approach to recruitment is that they often begin by saying "You look like a sharp guy.." and then they go on to talk about how intelligent and on-the-ball you are, and how you would be great as an "independent business owner."
ReplyDeleteWhat a lie! People in Amway know that the best type of person to recruit is a simple-minded, unperceptive, young, and desperate type who is in a dead-end job and who is pretty much a loser with poor prospects for advancement. He's the kind of prospect who'll be dumb enough to take the bait about "leadership" and "residual income."
A person who is financially savvy, and who knows what a profit-and-loss sheet is, and who is perceptive enough to see that Amway products are simply non-competitive, is just not going to sign up in a stupid MLM and listen to an endless series of crappy propaganda CDs.
On the other hand, some schmuck who works for a minimum wage and who can barely make a living just might join.
Anonymous - that's all part of the love bombing and gets the recruit thinking this is a really great guy. He sees my potential. LOL! This is someone I want to be friends with.
DeleteAmway Ambots are only friends with you as long as they're making money off you so they're not real friends at all. Everything in Amway is fake and phony.
The people who are really "sharp" can see right through the Amway pyramid scheme.
And the ones who barely make a living and probably don't have the brains or skills to make a better life for themselves are the schmucks who fall for the lies the Amway bullshitters are peddling.