I have a new job!!! (Yes, Attention Whoring)

[??????????]

Is Avon considered that Nym?

Absolutely. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avon_Products

Aren't they fairly legit though?

[J-Mann]

Aren't they fairly legit though?

I think the advantage Avon has is positive name recognition and a core product line. Maybe AmeriPlan will have that, too, though I'd never heard of them before now. When you think of other MLMs like Amway, there are literally hundreds of products that you can sell and a negative connotation with the name. Avon doesn't seem to have that ... a lot of women not only know it and think well of it, they need it.

[??????????]

Aren't they fairly legit though?

I think the advantage Avon has is positive name recognition and a core product line. Maybe AmeriPlan will have that, too, though I'd never heard of them before now. When you think of other MLMs like Amway, there are literally hundreds of products that you can sell and a negative connotation with the name. Avon doesn't seem to have that ... a lot of women not only know it and think well of it, they need it.

Ah yes, Amway.

[??????????]

http://www.workathomenoscams.com/2007/09/25/is-ameriplan-usa-a-work-at-home-scam/

[King]

I think this thread gave me a migraine.

It was pretty obvious that Bushie should have dropped this and stayed at Oklahoma Natural Gas by the start of Page 2.  By Page 3, it was just unbelievable that he hadn't already.   By Page 22, I'm at a complete loss.

I would make sure all references to your real name are removed from this thread if they exist, Jeffrey.  If I was an employer, this thread shows poor judgment and an inability to listen to others' ideas.  I would not hire you after reading this.

Aren't they fairly legit though?

I think the advantage Avon has is positive name recognition and a core product line. Maybe AmeriPlan will have that, too, though I'd never heard of them before now. When you think of other MLMs like Amway, there are literally hundreds of products that you can sell and a negative connotation with the name. Avon doesn't seem to have that ... a lot of women not only know it and think well of it, they need it.

Ah yes, Amway.

Yeah, the makeup companies are probably the only legitimate version of this.  Mainly because they actually have a product to sell.  I imagine these schemes would work with Apple and Dell brand electronics, farm fresh wholesale produce, and other products that people... you know... actually buy.

Warren Buffet's first rule of business is to only invest in products you would use yourself.  Take that one to the bank.

[King]

They had the words NO CHARGEBACKS written in big letters on their presentation.  They also had NO MONTHLY QUOTAS and NO PERSISTENCY REQUIREMENTS.  

Well at least they give you reassurance.

FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FINE PRINT! FOR GOD SAKES MAN READ THE FINE PRINT.  NO MONTHLY QUOTAS COULD JUST MEAN NO MONTHLY QUOTAS FOR THE FIRST MONTH.  THEY JUST PUT THAT PART IN REALLY TINY TYPE.  IT'S LIKE 0% INTEREST FOR 6 MONTHS.  THE GIANT 0% IS BIG BUT THE 6 MONTHS IN SMALLER TYPE IS BIGGER. AAAAH!!!!

[??????????]

Well, now I know what it would have felt like to be in observation of the Titanic sinking.

[King]

Well, now I know what it would have felt like to be in observation of the Titanic sinking.

Except in this version, none of the passengers get off or seemed at all alarmed by the sudden angled tilt and rush of water into the cabins.   They all drown in place.  A surreal experience.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I actually applied for a Cutco sales job and got accepted but was a bit more savvy than BushOK and realized what it was so I declined the orientation. Right after that I got the job I had the rest of my time in college.

I've been taken in by two of these scams before, one was one of those "GET PAID TO TAKE SURVEYS!" deal for only $20...which then turns out just gives you access to a bunch of companies that offer paid surveys which may or may not accept you for certain ones. Good thing it was only $20 and I made about $10 back from the paid surveys anyway. The other one was one that sells you training material for US Postal Service jobs that the USPS provides for free anyway and promises a refund if you fail to land a USPS job but only if you can meet all these criteria and fulfill the fine print. Luckily I managed to cancel my transaction on that one shortly after signing up and thus avoided the $180 hit.

But yes, BushOK needs to stay far from the internet. At least stick to Craigslist, you'd think it was a bit more scam-heavy, but they're actually good at either weeding out the scams or making them blatantly obvious (though with his naivete so far...) Local employment newsletters are a better deal, they aren't completely scam-free but have a much higher ratio than most of what you see on the internet, I got my current job from one. Temp agencies also have the advantage of often being used as recruitment methods by serious companies.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

And worth noting, at least Cutco and Amway like Avon sell actual products that you might have a use for. Ameriplan doesn't.

[King]

I agree with BRTD.  Get a temp job.

And maybe find your local employment agency for advisement.  They won't set you up on scam central.

[J-Mann]

You can try to make a go of this, BushOK, but I would keep on the lookout for other jobs. I still don't get it ... they "guaranteed" $600 a week. Did you ever confirm what this meant? It could have been an average based on sales, or it could have been a legitimate guarantee. I'm guessing the former.

A few years ago, I had a friend of mine contact me about a "new business opportunity." He drove a couple of hours with a "business associate" to see me in my (very intimidating) office, and ended up trying to get me on board with Quixtar ... which is now been re-branded as Amway Global.

I was pissed that he tried to make me think he was into something legitimate but knew he was under pressure to bring affiliates on board. I ran an office at the time and figured I could use the little bullsh**t online store to purchase a regular stream of supplies. The promised income never came (despite purchasing hundreds of dollars per month in office supplies through the Quixtar store), and I dropped them like a hot rock later. I didn't have the time to devote to making it work, but had I been otherwise unemployed, I possibly could have ... but it was high pressure from the get-go.

Don't take yourself off the job market yet, Jeff -- this could work out, as MLM opportunities do for some people. I have some serious doubts, and since MLMs are traditionally billed as supplemental income, you'll have time to get out there and search for something else while trying to make due with this job.

And again, I'd get clarification on the guarantee. I'm worried that the $600 per week is nothing more than an average statistic that they threw at you. In fact, I've never known an MLM position to provide a base or benefits.

[Lunar]

Jmann, given the content of this thread, the odds of this working out for Bush are less than negative one.  I already know he'll be posting how he's in even worse financial shape in a couple weeks.  It's pretty cruel to try and give him hope working at a company like that, akin to telling a rape victim thatt maybe her attacker loved her.

Brtd, craigslist has just as many scams.  My friend's sister got caught up in one like Bush's at the start of this thread.  But she also had ruined two, yes two, toasters on different occasions by putting the cheese on the bread before toasting

[AndrewTX]

This fail thread has just been so awesome, I feel like I just had sex with tragedy 3 times over now! Now let's wait for that next shoe to fall, and I can take it for a ride again!

[Lunar]

Next job: Mexican drug mule.  Hey, at least that could end up making money, unlike AmeriPlan

[Gustaf]

These kinds of companies are often legitimate in the sense that they're not illegal. They do however screw people over quite a bit, especially customers but also a lot of employees.

It's an ok gamble to work for this type of company when you're doing what Nym was doing - earning college money over the summer. It's not something to found a marriage upon.

[Gustaf]

The median wage in the US is apparently about $26 000. That would be $14-15 per hour based on an average work year of 1777 hours (which is what wikipedia tells me). 

Yes, the median, Gustaf - which obviously means that half the population is living on less than that, and it is quite likely that millions upon millions are in fact living on $7-8/hour.  So nothing about your post refuted any of my remarks, and we're still left with the question - how do these millions survive on $7-8/hour?

This thread is getting depressing.

The life of most people is depressing Gustaf - life is misery, at least for the vast majority.  Even for those who are privileged, such as yourself, pain and suffering are the norm near the end of life.  Wake up and smell the stench of death, Gustaf - the world sucks.

I can see how you would get that idea from having no friends beyond the people you buy and no meaning to your life, but most people, including myself, are actually quite happy (at least in the Western world). The most recent figure from the US said about 84% were happy with their personal lives.

You constantly project your own misery onto the rest of the world - instead of facing up to the fact that you ed up your own life you try to feel better by making it seem as if everyone else's life is bad. It strikes me as a petty and silly thing to engage in.

And as regards minimum wages...oh dear. There you did it again. What is with you and the compulsive lying? You said that "the rest of the country" survived on 7-8 dollars, implying everyone except BushOK and then you clarified by saying that you didn't understand how 60% of the country survived, suggesting that you thought 60% lived on minimum wage. The actual figure is more like 1% (well, 2-3 if you divide by number of workers which seems more appropriate). It's 3.5 million people. Of course, half of them are 25 or younger so they may not be dependent on their wage anyway.

It's still a lot of people who do not have very much money, but I don't think it is stunning that the bottom percent of wage earners in the US are poor. You were, as usual, making things up to make it seem like everyone is poor but it was actually incorrect.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Next job: Mexican drug mule.  Hey, at least that could end up making money, unlike AmeriPlan

He'd describe it as coordinating the transportation of imported Mexican toys for children delivered to schools throughout the Southwestern U.S., and all from HOME!!!!!!!  Guaranteed pay $1000. a week!!!!  Whooooooo Hoooooooooo!!!  Wedding on!!

And of course, Mom and Dad approve. 

[Brittain33]

Yeah, the makeup companies are probably the only legitimate version of this.  Mainly because they actually have a product to sell.  I imagine these schemes would work with Apple and Dell brand electronics, farm fresh wholesale produce, and other products that people... you know... actually buy.

There's an anti-Mary Kay Cosmetics website out there full of complaints about that company's recent policies.

[Gustaf]

Yeah, the makeup companies are probably the only legitimate version of this.  Mainly because they actually have a product to sell.  I imagine these schemes would work with Apple and Dell brand electronics, farm fresh wholesale produce, and other products that people... you know... actually buy.

There's an anti-Mary Kay Cosmetics website out there full of complaints about that company's recent policies.

There are certainly legitimate ones though, like Oriflame. Doesn't Tupperware work more or less this way too?

As a funny aside, I've been studying trust recently and apparently people who are less trusting are often easier to fool, for various reasons. These kind of companies are good examples of that - people get in on them to make money off of suckers stupid enough to buy the worthless products they're selling. But they don't realize they're getting fooled by the people above them.

[Brittain33]

It would be very hard to plan a wedding being gone 3 nights a week

No, it's not. It's not that hard to plan a wedding on weekends only and some phone calls in the evening. My partner and I did it without any parental involvement or support (guess why) in less time than you and Susan have, and it was a fabulous ****ing event that cost us a nice amount of money. Excuse my profanity.

I'm telling you this because in a few weeks you may be faced with choices of jobs that require hours or travel that conflict with what you perceive as your needs, and if you let "I need to plan every night" become an obstacle to taking one of those jobs, there won't be a wedding and there won't be money to pay for it.

[J-Mann]

Jmann, given the content of this thread, the odds of this working out for Bush are less than negative one.  I already know he'll be posting how he's in even worse financial shape in a couple weeks.  It's pretty cruel to try and give him hope working at a company like that, akin to telling a rape victim thatt maybe her attacker loved her.

Ouch! But I suppose you're right. It's been rather predictable from the get-go.

I'm telling you this because in a few weeks you may be faced with choices of jobs that require hours or travel that conflict with what you perceive as your needs, and if you let "I need to plan every night" become an obstacle to taking one of those jobs, there won't be a wedding and there won't be money to pay for it.

This is true, as well. All the timelines, countdowns and assumptions about "how things need to be done" will only impede what should be a top priority right now, which is legitimate employment. There are a ton of professions that separate couples for periods of time, and the couple is willing to do it because they know it'll make their futures stronger. I wouldn't let a little time on the road scare you from other opportunities that may present themselves.

[Brittain33]

There are certainly legitimate ones though, like Oriflame. Doesn't Tupperware work more or less this way too?

I think these organizations have been conceived with the original sin that they will eventually max out their market, and from that point on individuals within the hierarchy are going to abuse their positions and their underlings to keep making the good money and keep ahead of their competitors. There's a Malthusian aspect that comes from expanding geometrically. It's equivalent to how polygamous communities eventually lead to child abuse, with boys expelled and girls married off too young, because men need to compete for wives.

[Gustaf]

There are certainly legitimate ones though, like Oriflame. Doesn't Tupperware work more or less this way too?

I think these organizations have been conceived with the original sin that they will eventually max out their market, and from that point on individuals within the hierarchy are going to abuse their positions and their underlings to keep making the good money and keep ahead of their competitors. There's a Malthusian aspect that comes from expanding geometrically. It's equivalent to how polygamous communities eventually lead to child abuse, with boys expelled and girls married off too young, because men need to compete for wives.

Pyramid schemes have that inherent quality I suppose. I was thinking more of personal selling where you buy the product.

[Brittain33]

Pyramid schemes have that inherent quality I suppose. I was thinking more of personal selling where you buy the product.

I'm thinking about when I read on the MK site about them changing the brand lines often so that salespeople are stuck with inventory they can't sell, but their managers make out well because they get a commission from all that restocking. I think with proper management and ethics from the top it can be a sustainable business model, but that means resisting the urge to keep adding more and more salesfolk to pad the bonuses of upper managers.