About a month ago I had a play date with a new friend. Our kids go to school together, and that is how we met, but we are so much alike that it's crazy so though we have really not known each other very long it feels like we have. In any case during this play date we were talking about health and I mentioned I had IBS-C and that due to stress and some negative internal beliefs I've had that the Ibs has flared up. 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. She is a nurse btw who is very health conscious. I asked her about the product because I wanted to try it since she said it was all natural. She then told me that it was her and her husband's business and gave me her business card which had the website and told me to text her when I was ready to purchase it.
Last week I texted her and she gave me the information and I bought it. It was pricey so I was already feeling a bit put off by it but then she texted me the next day and asked me to come to her house Saturday for a get together because they are launching the product and want to talk to me more about it. She told me to bring a friend. So I brought a friend and to my surprise the get to together was really her husband and his cousin talking to us about selling the products in a MLM type of set up. They did a presentation and everything and the entire time I was confused--I had no idea that the party was going to be this way or else I would not have attended.
The products they sale are all natural so I didn't feel like it was a scam in that regard-i researched the product I bought from her heavily before doing it so again I don't feel like the products are bad. The comp plan also actually was suprisingly good for a MLM as well. However the reasons I felt turned off? First everyone attending this party were all college educated professionals and her husband who has his own IT business is very smart. Yet they were talking about how they were doing so well selling the products that within a year they were both going to quit their jobs and just focus on the product business.
She told us God gave her a message on New years Eve that something needed to give in her life, and that there were some things going on at work that made her unhappy and that she didn't know how she was going to be able to retire based on her company plan, that she wanted to be able to leave her kids inheritance and so on. Her husband made a similar speech. As a disclaimer I don't see anything wrong with MLM as a side business but putting everything in it? Especially good jobs? It was weird. Maybe this is because I tend to have a negative opinion about MLMs to begin with because I know of no one that made a killing over the long term using an MLM as the only source of income.
Hearing them carry on about the business and their future really made me give her the side eye.
Another thing that turned me off? Some of the products are weight loss products and three of the women she invited to the meeting want to lose weight and visibly need to lose weight and I feel uncomfortable with her and her husband pushing these products and the business on these women when they are not diet/nutrition consultants. The three overweight women mentioned that they've tried nearly every diet and have not had success-and they seemed excited about the product. Not necessarily for the business prospect but because her husband was showing them pictures of women that have lost weight using the products. I know this is common for many health MLM but I felt like it was wrong to promise these women they would lose weight using these products without considering diet, exercise etc.
Finally after the presentation they did the whole sales gimmick about how we don't need to wait to hop on board that the time is now because we would be missing out on xyz if we decide to wait before agreeing to sign on to join their business. So they passed out sign up sheets to us all and told us we could either make a $300 investment or $500 investment and so on. I could elaborate but that's the gist of it. The cash investment would buy a ton of product which you could use for yourself or sale.
The other women all signed up, me and my friend said we needed to think about it. They tried to get us to do it but we did not sign up. I felt bad for inviting my friend to the get together for some of the reasons I listed-I know that she is a single mom like myself and that she especially cannot just invest that money to the business all willy-nilly like that. Thankfully she seemed fine and is even entertaining the idea of signing up to do the business. I am probably not going to do it. And when I left her house as put off as i was by it I still planned on continuing to hang out with her. However yesterday she sent me a text saying she was excited about us building a future for our children together
I did not sign up so I was like.... She told me to text her if i have any questions.
I'm now thinking that if I don't signup she might be offended or it might taint the friendship. Honestly the $300 investment won't hurt me and I did consider doing it just to help her but I did not want to get roped in into this pyramid scheme. How awkward will it be on our friendship if i tell her that I just don't want to do it?
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