Pyramid Marketing Schemes Et Al

Ugh, a lady stopped me at the post office one day before Christmas. She saw that I was a dog trainer, and she was a distributor of something pet related. She wondered if she could talk to me about it at some future date.

I am already thinking, wow this is going to be a huge waste of my time. However, I really admire the chutzpah it takes to get out there and do it for yourself. So I said sure. In January, she called again and wanted to meet with me right then and there. I politely declined as I had appointments that I had scheduled with clients in advance, let her know when I was available. She declined to make an appointment at that time or call back after my busy time had slowed down.

So two weeks ago, I get a call from her business associate who wasn't sure how I had "fallen through the cracks". Getting annoyed but figure, hey if it only takes a half hour or so of my time, why not have them make their sales pitch. Maybe they do carry something I would be interested in. I am thinking that they are concentrated in the pet care industry.

So we make the appointment. She calls back and leaves a message five minutes later that she is unable to make the appointment. Sigh. I don't bother to call back, as I figure it's on her to waste her time tracking me down rather than waste my time further. So when she calls back, she has a time and date that she is free on. We agree to meet at my house.

They get here a bit late. We wait for the laptop to fire up (why I don't know we never used it). Then they tell me they are working for Market America. Ick, can you say Amway pyramid scheme (not actually Amway, but you get the idea). They have products produced cheaply in Hong Kong that they are thinking I have the time and energy (and lack of ethics) to hawk onto my trusting pet owning clientele. Of course before this, I am entertained with stories on how ill conceived pet adoptions went horribly wrong, and euthanasia of animals. Best was when they saw my dogs in the door and shuddered. Here's a really good way to start a sales pitch with a pet professional.

Oh, and anytime someone says (unprompted) "of course your realize this is not a multi level marketing company but an unfranchise", course it's a multi level marketing company. They just wish this wasn't so.

Wow, any way, I now regret my generous nature in such things. HOWEVER, an evil and genius thought crept into my brain. You see we get to the pushy part where I have made it abundantly clear that I have ZERO interest in what they have to offer (in the most polite way of course). Then they say something like "okay then, who do you know that we can call on" blah blah blah blah. Like I would subject someone to that. So I say, "you know I just moved to the area, and don't know anyone really." THEY "oh, where did you move from?" ME "Worcester Mass". THEY "Oh, we are based in Mass too, who do you know there?" I'm thinking at that point.....I wouldn't subject my worst en-------now wait a minute BA the monster!!! I didn't do it, but you would have to agree of the evil genius of sending someone like that to her. And you would just have to imagine what an evil viper of a real estate agent she is to get the complete picture of the evil genius of this idea. Course, they weren't good and obnoxious enough to sick on her in the end so I didn't.

I do occasionally send out her e-mail to porno and spam sites though .

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20061126135217AAfhX6t

http://www.clickerado.com/m/mlm/business.htm

http://www.rickross.com/reference/general/general631.html

http://www.poe-news.com/forums/sp.php?pi=1000754207

http://www.scamfraudalert.com/showthread.php?t=229

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/2006-07-27-genetic-tests_x.htm (posted as a link on Market America facts site, can you say red flag?)

http://www.marketamericafacts.com/business.html (look at the last "fact" on this page, another red flag alert)

http://www.globalcomputing.com/marketamerica.htm

http://www.pinktruth.com/category/pyramid-scheme/page/2/ (disgruntled Mary Kay investors---apparently an MLM scheme as well)

http://www.ripoffreport.com/view.asp?id=82415&view=printer

http://www.mlm-thetruth.com/EvalsH-M.htm (and here it is, Market America listed as a known pyramid scheme)

Why would anyone think anyone else would be niave enough to invest in something like this? If you are out there, and you are thinking about it JUST DON'T. There are a million ways to be self employed and make money. It may not be 7,000.00 a month, but it will be more than you will make on this nonsense.

Well gave me something to blog about, and fish for.