[MLM] A Very Evil Thing Indeed
Posted Oct 25th, 08 at 04:31 PM by blkoh
This is my real Life account but will not use real name so that it can protect my relative who is kind of 'trapped' in this business.
MLM (Multi Level Marketing) has always been something controversial over the last 15 years at least (roughly) and i've vowed never to touch it personally ever again after being briefly involved in NOP in 1996.
3 weeks ago, without much questions asked, i committed to support my this relative (i call him JS) on a new venture, or whatever you call it, on a product called Melaleuca. More details here
http://www.melaleuca.com/ps/index.cf...=17&LangIden=1
The reason of this no questions asked, is because i owe him a favour during 1997 where he agreed to become my guarantor so that i could borrow money from bank to further my studies in Australia. The 'deal' was simple enough. I needed to purchase this range of products which cost around $90 (or 35 points) per month. To me, it's no big deal. At most everymonth i close one eye and treat it either as charity or simply just showing my support. No problem at all. Also there was a yearly $50 membership fee for this.
Things looked simple until today when i had my family gathering and found out that JS have been struggling with his 'business'. The background and rationale of his putting his leg into this business was that he has only a diploma cert and have been working in this bank in singapore for 10 years. Recently there have been more pressure and suggestions that his job is not stable anymore. Whatever the reason, the fact was that he has now involved several people into his membership like me, my parents and other relatives. It looks like a point of no return. Whenever we could not order the products of meeting 35 points, or if we do not purchase anything at all, he would throw in his own money to fill up the defecit. There have also been frequent quarreling with his family over this. He has been painted the oh-so-familiar picture that this business can bring him tonnes of Money but based on the cruel fact that it's only possible if he brings in more people and his people bring in more and the vicious cycle continues. Of course there are products involved if you read the earlier paragraph, therefore it is NOT, i repeat, NOT a Pyramid scheme.
No doubt it is legal (at least for now till Singapore impose tougher laws on MLM) but the pain it has caused to common people are also very real. I am not sure how i can help him, as further kind advise would not be heeded considering that for every me, there are hundreds of 'up line' will continue to motivate him to stay in the job.
As a whole i think MLM is a very evil thing, at least in JS case because he cannot or rather he chose not to quit (probably holding on to the hope that somehow he can earn that millions soon), and in the process have to fork out money from his own pocket and what is worse is that he doesnt know there are also other people (his own family) who is forking out their own money because their down-line are not meeting the quota.
MLM (Multi Level Marketing) has always been something controversial over the last 15 years at least (roughly) and i've vowed never to touch it personally ever again after being briefly involved in NOP in 1996.
3 weeks ago, without much questions asked, i committed to support my this relative (i call him JS) on a new venture, or whatever you call it, on a product called Melaleuca. More details here
http://www.melaleuca.com/ps/index.cf...=17&LangIden=1
The reason of this no questions asked, is because i owe him a favour during 1997 where he agreed to become my guarantor so that i could borrow money from bank to further my studies in Australia. The 'deal' was simple enough. I needed to purchase this range of products which cost around $90 (or 35 points) per month. To me, it's no big deal. At most everymonth i close one eye and treat it either as charity or simply just showing my support. No problem at all. Also there was a yearly $50 membership fee for this.
Things looked simple until today when i had my family gathering and found out that JS have been struggling with his 'business'. The background and rationale of his putting his leg into this business was that he has only a diploma cert and have been working in this bank in singapore for 10 years. Recently there have been more pressure and suggestions that his job is not stable anymore. Whatever the reason, the fact was that he has now involved several people into his membership like me, my parents and other relatives. It looks like a point of no return. Whenever we could not order the products of meeting 35 points, or if we do not purchase anything at all, he would throw in his own money to fill up the defecit. There have also been frequent quarreling with his family over this. He has been painted the oh-so-familiar picture that this business can bring him tonnes of Money but based on the cruel fact that it's only possible if he brings in more people and his people bring in more and the vicious cycle continues. Of course there are products involved if you read the earlier paragraph, therefore it is NOT, i repeat, NOT a Pyramid scheme.
No doubt it is legal (at least for now till Singapore impose tougher laws on MLM) but the pain it has caused to common people are also very real. I am not sure how i can help him, as further kind advise would not be heeded considering that for every me, there are hundreds of 'up line' will continue to motivate him to stay in the job.
As a whole i think MLM is a very evil thing, at least in JS case because he cannot or rather he chose not to quit (probably holding on to the hope that somehow he can earn that millions soon), and in the process have to fork out money from his own pocket and what is worse is that he doesnt know there are also other people (his own family) who is forking out their own money because their down-line are not meeting the quota.
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- [MLM] A Very Evil Thing Indeed (Oct 25th, 08)
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