From: wool8657@mach1.wlu.ca (john woolsey 9209 U)
Subject: Re: Small Business Opportunity
Organization: Wilfrid Laurier University
Distribution: kw
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 01:46:38 GMT

In article <BvEpA5.DrI@undergrad.math.waterloo.edu> bjpocock@undergrad.math.waterloo.edu (Beastor the Mad) writes:
>Ok... I just wanted to say I made a few mistakes.  Indeed, I am new to EMAIL
>and new to Amway.  I bent the net rules a bit... I didn't think this would
>turn out to be a flame war.
>
>I'll list the mistakes I made so people don't have to flame me for them:
>1.	Left out Amway's name.  This lead to suspicion about business.
>2.	Said I don't make any money from getting you to join.  This is
>	the truth, as I don't make any money unless you make money. However,
>	people were put on the defensive immediately when I said this.
>3.	I should have made it more clear that this is not a once in the life
>	opportunity, nor is it a get rich quick scheme.
>4.	Should have stated that Amway is often thought of with misconceptions,
>	but is legal, has been in business for 30 years, is in 44 countries,
>	had a court case with Customs Canada but won, and uses a device
>	similar to the "ladder" or "pyramid" scheme but not quite.
>5.	Allows you to buy items for wholesale price... one of the main reasons
>	to join.
>6.	Should have been more forward with my views to this business.
>
>Hopefully... flames will end here.  Maybe some of you who were in doubt may
>change your mind a bit, and allow me to drop off information or get a meeting
>with you.
>
>Last... the big mistake I made was to post this article in a medium which
>allows for critical response.  My objective (I've said for all my articles
>that I've posted) was to simply get I'm interested. I have had quite a few of
>those... so my objective was achieved.  I'll let people decide for themselves
>whether they like it or not, not by some story they heard somewhere from
>some person.  Most of the flames have completely mixed up what Amway is like.
>I regret this has happened, but I should have known.  If you want to know what
>it is really like, give me a call or email me to set up an appointment or
>drop off some information.
> 
You forgot one mistake. You are promoting a MLM scheme against a bunch of
people who understand computers, and are basically logical to some degree.
They can easily see that MLM schemes are basically a way of a bunch of
people profiting off a few people who show minimal interest in the product.
Most of the money at the top of these schemes usually comes from recruiting
new people, and giving them lower comissions to start. These people quickly
dump large sums of money into the company coffers, and then give up since
they made nothing. They gain new recruits by being extremely positive, and
showing how by toting a mere $100,000 of orriginal product you can make some
money. I listen very carefully to a Vector marketing equivalent of this
game. In order to make $33K in the first year you had to sell $100,000
worth of knives. Although this is possible it is basically an 80 hour work
week once you include driving. It also assumes that you get beyond selling
to your friends, which most of these people never do. Friends are great.
The scaling is done nicely so it is just over the average friend circle
that you actually start to make real comissions. You also failed to mention
that most people who get into these schemes are short of money and looking
for a job. They inevitably get majorly screwed, and make no money while
the company sucks them dry. They get smart, and the company gets a bad
reputation as well as MLM. It may be legal, but it shouldn't be.
Newsgroups: kw.general