It's not a scam, exactly....
Crusty Old Dyke has been raving about this new business she's starting up. She's been handing out catalogs and free product at work. Mostly energy drinks and bars and that kind of stuff. She even invited everyone to an open house.
The other day she mentioned that it's going so well she'll be able to quit working here much sooner than she anticipated. I don't know what that timeline is, but it sounds promising. I asked her for some info. I wasn't at all intending to join up, but I was curious to see what this was all about.
The envelope she left contained two glossy brochures, one presentation printed off the web, an energy bar, and a 15-minute cassette with that Rich Dad, Poor Dad guy on the front. Ate the energy bar. Never listened to the tape. Found the name of the business: Quixtar.
60 seconds of Googling reveals that...
Quixtar = Amway
*dum-dum-duummmmm*
I could tell it was that same sort of setup. The initial presentation was long on fluff about growth potential and dollars rolling in and short on actual information.
I came across Quixtar Blog, "the journal (blog) of the husband of a former Quixtar IBO." That's been fascinating reading. The sense I get is that it is a legitimate business. It's not inherently deceitful. There's just a really good chance you could get scammed while participating.
When I was still in Michigan looking for jobs, I was contacted numerous times by Alticor — parent company of Amway, Quixtar, and also Access Business Group — about product/process development opportunities. I automatically turned them down because I would rather remain festering at my parents' house than live in Grand Rapids. If it were in a better location I might have been more open to considering it, because I think it could have been a good professional opportunity. Except the idea of contributing to the success of Amway (and Quixtar) makes me ill.
Moral of the story: when someone goes on and on about a great business opportunity and spouts all sorts of figures about it without actually telling you what it is, don't bite. And don't show 'em your tits, either.
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Quixtar is NOT Amway. Quixtar is Amway. Quixtar was Amway. Quixtar was NEVER Amway. Amway and Quixtar are sister companies. Quixtar and Amway are the same company. Amway evolved into Quixtar. Quixtar was started by the people who started Amway. Quixtar... Read More
Someone at my second job was spouting off about that shite to me a few months ago *insert eye roll here*
What do you mean don't show them yer tits?!?!?
Really? Shit...
My relatives get caught up in this shit all the time. They've been selling Amway for years and have joined other schemes. They drive around with bumper stickers saying "I love my boss--I work for myself!" But you know the reality is that they work their asses off selling this stuff and have to give away practically all of their profits to their upper levels who sit on their asses and collect money from suckers like them. Like you said, it's not exactly a scam but the people at the bottom totally get screwed. You'd be a lot better off going to Costco and buying Powerbars in bulk and selling them in vending machines. You'd make more money, too.
whaaaaat...you didn't want to live in Grand Rapids?! Why not? *hee*
My aunt is an Amway/Quixtar millionaire. No, I am serious.
Bridgette is serious.
But Amway is fucking weird. A friend of mine tried to do this Team of Destiny thing last summer. Same basic idea. How nuts.
What is it that makes Amway weird but Mary Kay and Avon legit?
Em,
Team of Destiny IS Quixtar and Quixtar IS Amway.
Anyway, nice to see some normal folks getting clued in about the Quixtar deal. Spend a few minutes with some real gung-ho Quixtar/Amway folks and you'll think you landed on freakin' Mars.
;o)
I got pulled into an Amway brainwashing meeting in college. A good friend of mine said that his brother had a great investment opportunity in the new business he was starting and he wanted us to be able to take advantage as well. So he drove us (about 5 of his friends) up to Chicago to a little meeting room in a hotel. Where his brother and his wife proceeded to lay the Amway schpeel on us. I was fuming and just sat there glaring at my friend the whole time. I don't know who buys into the crap thinking they'll get rich, but jeezus, if you have to frickin lie to people just to get them to hear what you have to say, shouldn't that tell you something about the nature of this "business"? And then my ex-boyfriend got into the whole Qwest communications which operated under the same guise. He kept pushing me to give him my family's contact info. and I kept telling him that they'd think he's full of crap and hate him forever and he just didn't get it.
I think the people who buy into thise schemes are the same people who are clueless about social graces. They don't seem to catch on when they make peopole uncomfortable and they don't seem to care what repectable people think of them.
*shrug*
Whateva. As long as they don't come knockin' on my door...but god help 'em if they do.
I think the people who buy into thise schemes are the same people who are clueless about social graces.
Crusty Old Dyke certainly fits that bill.
Sounds like a lot of other people that fall for it are poor and desperate. It's like playing the lottery.
This girl I know (whose name I won't bring up again but I can't stand her and she's from Dearborn and lives in Vancouver) has an aunt and uncle who were ... Emerald, I think, in Amway. They'd always give everyone in the family Amway products as gifts. Not even shit people asked for. Just unloading product.
I think the "energy drinks" are not energy drinks at all. They are, in fact, red Kool-Aid.
I cannot count the number of Amway gifts I have received in my lifetime. They try to be all sneaky by giving you this little catalog called an Amagram from which you can pick your gift. Nonetheless, it all comes from the same evil place.
And, Erica, I am still willing to take you up on your offer of taking out this person in Vancouver for you. I don't want people from Dearborn ruining my future home with their presence. Just send a pic, and I'll find her.