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Tell her you can't because you just invested the $300 in a pair of sneakers and a couple of workout outfits and you're going to try to lose weight this way instead.
Eek this kind of happened to me once. A mom brought her kids over for a play date and we chatted for hours. It seemed like (despite having so many things fundamentally different about our lives) we were kindred spirits. At the end she started telling me how I needed some more "girls time". Hubby was working a lot at the time and our kids were pretty little so I didn't get much of it (and honestly, any free time I had I wanted to spend with a couple close friends or alone). Then she whipped out her jewelry magazine and started pitching to me about how I should host one of these parties for her. She went on and on, told me she would get a sitter for my kids (her husband...who I didnt know, no thanks). I was being polite and told her I would think about it. She contacted me a few times all friendly and excited. I felt guilty, but I finally said I wasn't going to do it.
Never heard form her again. She even unfriended me on Facebook.
People who are in those marketing schemes can be really aggressive and seem very friendly when in fact they are just looking for a mark.
The minute she handed over a business card would have been a red flag for me.
I was at pick up at my kid's school and a dad came up to me, asked me if my son was ________, and his son was ________. I know they are friends. So we started chatting, he was quite nice. I was thinking "wow, this is great, finally clicking with another parent here!". And then he handed me his business card, and after that it was a sales chat. I kept pretended to be oblivious to the actual reason he was chatting with me and kept talking about the kids.
As soon as that business card comes out...ugh.
When I was in business for myself...well I was really weary to hand out business cards. I felt gross about it.
The products aren't laxative pills. They are natural vitamins, natural sex products, detox tea( what she recommended to me to cleanse my system and use the bathroom three times a day-which I was interested in because with Ibs-c I've been really sick lately and have been unable to go. I don't like taking pills and laxatives. Thankfully I've found a natural remedy that's been helping me: cleaning up my diet lol.
I figured they weren't laxative pills. But if it "cleanses your system" and "makes you go," it's a laxative. That's the definition.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Faith2187
I mentioned that I was having issues using the bathroom and we had a long discussion about it and then she told me about this product she had been using that not only had her going but also caused her to lose a little weight.
Either way, it sounds like you are smart and have some common sense. Cleaning up your diet is the best path before you start adding dubious products to it.
I can't tell you how many "friends" I have had that pull this. At first I felt obligated to attend and buy a little something. Finally I got so fed up with it I told any friend that was selling something I don't partake, ever.
I had several friends who got offended and stopped talking to me. No loss, I don't need to pay someone to be my friend!
The MLM thingy is like a virus. Whoever they recruit becomes an ad robot. They seriously aren't even a human anymore. You can't interact with them like one.
This is the problem with giving people benefit of the doubt or just being a nice person. It's like the world just punishes you for it. At least in this sick and crazy world we live in. In some places, the moment you let on that you're nice equates to being a doormat where people will get in line to step on you. They even get together and gossip about how you're easy pickings. So what do you do? You have to conduct yourself in a cold and heartless manner just like everyone else to survive. That or remove yourself from these social situations. I opt for the latter. Just know that you are ice skating uphill if you think you can change these folks.
Probably the best thing I can say is to "learn to discern" and don't spend time playing around in swamps and expect not to get bit. That and the power of NO.
I had an almost identical experience years ago. I didn't sign up either, and I never heard from her as a friend again, even though our sons were very good friends. I think those pyramid scheme promoters actually instruct their "team members" in behavior like this. They are supposed to induct all their friends and not waste time on anyone else. Kinda sick, actually.
Thank you everyone for the insight. I will tell her no and see how she reacts, if we stop hanging out so be it. It is very true that I don't know what their financial situation is. They have a nice house for a young family and can obviously afford a private school for the son that is friends with my son and daycare tuition for their baby so I'm sure that they need extra income but being that I had never intended a MLM meeting I guess I was put off by the statements and financial claims they were making. I trust her admittingly because I knew her before the party and hung out with her on different Occasions and not once did she push anything on me or mention this. I don't think she is necessarily trying to be a MLM predator-I think she really believes in it and it seems from the dynamics I observed between her and her husband it seems like he may be a big reason why she suddenly is on board with this. I also don't believe she used God's name as a ploy to get us to buy into it. She talks about God a lot and again our kids go to a Christian school so it comes with the territory of nearly every parent I've met at the school. I believe that she believes God has called her to do this.
Likewise I don't believe this is something that God wants me to do. It isn't even the cost that puts me off, because $300 isn't a lot of money to me but I don't believe in MLM pyramid business schemes no matter how good they sound or the sales pitch and even if it was a dollar I was not going to be on board with it.
I have many friends that over the years have done these types of things and put all their energy toward it and they are broke afterwards and things do not take off like they envisioned-MLMs are easier to make money off in the beginning and in the short term but that's it imo. I think I had a smirk on my face the entire presentation because I found it comical. What I found unsettling is how quick the other women were to sign up for the business and how hopeful they were that they can lose weight and I just wanted to scream out to them
that maybe they should use the $300 to get a nutrition consultation or personal training.
The products aren't laxative pills. They are natural vitamins, natural sex products, detox tea( what she recommended to me to cleanse my system and use the bathroom three times a day-which I was interested in because with Ibs-c I've been really sick lately and have been unable to go. I don't like taking pills and laxatives. Thankfully I've found a natural remedy that's been helping me: cleaning up my diet lol.
I will just let her know that after praying about it that God wants me to work on some other things at the moment and not the business.
I also didn't get chummy with her quick lol. I met her back in September, so we've known each other over the past 4 months and she's invited me to many things-galas, play dates, a woman's church retreat, etc. I don't want to misrepresent her character because I do still believe she is a nice person but I think that she saw an opportunity and since she believes in it wants to get everyone on board. She also probably needs the money. I know that she makes good money, but like I said I think they probably need more income because expenses add up.
You're naïve at best.
The bolded parts.
1) You have no idea what their financial situation is. They could be in debt up to their eyeballs.
2) Oh wow, you have known her a whole 4 months....LOL. That's an acquaintance, not a friend.
I had an almost identical experience years ago. I didn't sign up either, and I never heard from her as a friend again, even though our sons were very good friends. I think those pyramid scheme promoters actually instruct their "team members" in behavior like this. They are supposed to induct all their friends and not waste time on anyone else. Kinda sick, actually.
They also know who to target, as we're seeing here.
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