PYRAMID SCHEMES!! Zurvita: Zeal For Life and Vemma: VERVE

[tacobellman_2007]

For those of you who have ever been pulled into those pyramid scheme businesses like selling Avon, water bottle filters, etc...

Hey guys,

So this is my second time being invited to one of those "pyramid scheme" side jobs. Not exactly sure if they really ARE pyramid schemes, but they are a business that wants to recruit a whole bunch of people to try and spread awareness and sales of the product.

A lot of you may be familiar with this, a lot of you not. I was first introduced to Zurvita Zeal For Life by this guy from my local church. Brought the "product" with him to his friend's house (who is a neighbor of my mom's) and gave me a sample to try. Showed me the typical video to try to get you pumped and persuaded. Then talked about the "free car" deal. As long as you buy the special Gold Pack for $$$, you'll be on your way to making that money :D

Smh.

Well, I decided to try it out. The thing is, is that the $500 package of "product" was purchased by ANOTHER guy who lived in the neighborhood who was also participating in this Zeal For Life product, and he decided that he would let me hold on to it for me to try and "share" the product with anyone I knew. Well, after trying to talk to several members of my family, none of who was interested, I gave up. And then several weeks pass and I decide to tell my mom's close friend about it, without telling them what I was trying to get them into. I basically told them some guy would call them and tell them about what I was involved with. Nothing about selling anything so they wouldn't be defensive about it. And so, the guy from my church, who originally showed me the product first, gave them a call. Supposedly he went to their house and showed them the product and said that they were "interested." The guy from my church called ME up and said "Good referral, they seem to be interested" etc. And after that, I pretty much stopped trying to sell the product. Gave up. I actually never sold even ONE bottle of that product to anyone. I don't even think my mom's friends got into it. Otherwise I would've known about it. And from then on, I never heard from the guy from my church. It's a really long story, he was very friendly in fact, but he was also really into trying to spread awareness. He was really dedicated to helping me, but I just never got good "referrals." So anyways, after all that waste of time worrying about who I was going to try to recruit, I told myself I would never deal with that shit again.

Fast forward to today. A girl from my high school who I've never really talked to much contacted me through Facebook yesterday saying that she was going to be at my school today (SDSU) and had a buddy who "started something that is becoming popular in other universities" and that she would tell me about it later...sounds a lot like what I told my mom's friends when I was involved with Zurvita...I just needed to text her back and meet her where this mystery meeting was going to be held. So, I abided and decided to go to see what this was going to be about to support whatever she was doing because I tend to do that with people :P I try to help peeps out. I honestly didn't think anything of it. Thought it might be the start of a new club or something.

And then the meeting time starts. And when I see the main guy open up Quicktime and open a video that is paused in the beginning with the tile of a cheesy "inspirational" phrase, I realize what this is about. And I'm thinking, "Shit." lmao. So I sit there smiling, pretending that I am oblivious to what is going on. By the way, there are about 15 other people in the room, a few of who were also "newcomers" like me who had no idea what they were about to be shown. I feel bad for the black guy sitting a few feet from me because while everyone who is already a part of this business scheme has a positive vibe, he is sitting there trying to fake a smile wondering what the hell is going on, whehter this shit is real or too good to be true. Lol. So, this meeting is basically like me watching a rerun of Zurvita Zeal for Life. Business you've NEVER heard of, claiming it is going to be at the billion mark in a few years, join today or REGRET it, FREE BMW and MERCEDES car once you make so and so profit :D you know, all the bullshit. Sorry, but that's what I have to say about it. Oh yeah, and this guy in the video even mentions "the five words he hates:" "Too good to be true." Lmao. Well, it's the truth isn't it?? SOME people, I'm sure, will be able to do that, but not EVERYONE who joins this business scheme. The rest of them are all pawns. The people who are already in this business schemes are just people who seem to be really good at persuading. Unless they're dealing with someone who has already been through this. Like me.

Anyways, after the video is done, a few of the people who have already been a part of this business for awhile get up and share their "stories." Every time the person up there says something that is JUST a bit inspirational, all the "members" start clapping and acting all positive and excited and shit lol. They were basically acting. It was so ridiculous!! Lol! And after every "inspirational" sentence that one of the "members" brought up, one of the guys kept saying, "Let's go! >:D" like one of those pumped up rappers XD it was so damn cheesy.

So after the speakers are done, one girl tries to tell me how awesome it will be and everything, tells stories, etc. And then I reveal to her that I have already been a part of something very close to this. And does this stop her from trying to persuade me? No. So anyways, cut to the chase, I say "I'll have to think about it" and then she comes back with "Well, if you wait, you'll lose out" and "the longer you wait, the more other people will take your spot. Timing is key to business." And I'm like "Okay! Thank you!" And then I notice how her face turns from this face :) to :| lmao. And when I leave, one of the MAIN guys walks with me out the door, closes it, and talks to me about what I thought. I tell him my opinion, and then he looks a bit alarmed. And he says "Look, you can't tell anyone about this." And then I'm thinking, wait what? I can tell whoever the f*** I want! lmao. But then he says why. "Because it'll hurt your chances in the business and those people will get to the top before you." And then I'm like wooooww, okay. At first I thought he didn't want me to tell anyone of the bullshit experience I just went through :P well, here I am doing it on Zilvia. And he also explains that he "gave very specific training to ______" <--( insert name of the girl who tried to recruit me here). "Tips" he couldn't share unless I became a part of the business. And he also claimed that because two people joined just now, they just made $400 on the spot. Lmao. Awesome. So then that black guy I was telling you guys about earlier is about to come out with a packet full of information about the Verve energy drink (yes, I got this thick-ass packet for Zurvita as well) and as he comes out the main guy I'm talking to places his attention on the black guy because he obviously lost out on me. "Well, thank you!" I say, and then I leave.

Whew. Anyways, this story was honestly cut short. lol. I just want to say, I feel very sorry for the people who join these little business schemes. Claiming that you will regret it in a few years because of how successful the business will be in a few years. It's just so ridiculous. I REALLY want to see how either of these two businesses (Zurvita and Verve) will be doing in a couple of years from now. I'd like to see this thread revived in a few years when they become a billion dollar business. L.O.L.

Anyone else on here ever been through b.s. like this before?

P.S. here's a link to a funny thread I found searching up Vemma Verve:

Is this whole "Verve" energy drink thing a pyramid scheme? | IGN Boards (http://www.ign.com/boards/threads/is-this-whole-verve-energy-drink-thing-a-pyramid-scheme.452892990/)

[w0nderbr3ad]

I've been through meetings like that when I was younger and decided after all the bullshit they fed to me, I decided that I'd rather work for my money rather than take someone else's money. There are just some people who are just good at selling a product that it becomes their way of living.

At one point my friend and I were invited to hang out with some guys and chill at Gordon Biersch in Mission Valley. So we hung out and we were surprised because one guy drove a clean s30 with deep dish ssr mesh and the other guy drove his r35. I thought hey new car guys to know. Low and behold they tried to sell us into joining whatever pyramid scheme they were in. I drank my beer and left.

[tacobellman_2007]

I've been through meetings like that when I was younger and decided after all the bullshit they fed to me, I decided that I'd rather work for my money rather than take someone else's money. There are just some people who are just good at selling a product that it becomes their way of living.

At one point my friend and I were invited to hang out with some guys and chill at Gordon Biersch in Mission Valley. So we hung out and we were surprised because one guy drove a clean s30 with deep dish ssr mesh and the other guy drove his r35. I thought hey new car guys to know. Low and behold they tried to sell us into joining whatever pyramid scheme they were in. I drank my beer and left.

Yeah, you're right about that some-people-being-good-at-selling thing. But lol, glad to know I'm not the only one on here who's been through this and realized how sad it is.

[xBandiTx]

You realize network marketing (The profession all these companies are considered) is the highest paying profession in the world right? Higher than sports and any career school gives you. Ionno bout other companies but I personally am involved in Vemma. If you think its a Pyramid scheme I wanna know if you know what that even is? Vemma has a A+ rating with the better business bureau ( A organization made by the government to regulate businesses) as well as has our every drink verve Endorsed by Michael Jordan himself. He made it the official health & wellness product of the Charlotte Bobcats, its also the Official energy drink of the NBA Phoenix Suns & NWBA Phoenix Mercury, before it was involved with any of those companies the NBA itself personally sent 18 lawyers to break apart our company and came to the conclusion it was a legitimate business and not a pyramid scheme or scam like most people like to consider these things.

Now you stated you dont want to be taking peoples money or something like that. You realize your job is doing the same thing from you without even giving you the respect to truely earn your potential. Now I'm not going to try n get you in because its obvious you just don't want to be apart of this type of profession which is 100% ok. Network marketing isnt for everyone.

So like I said as far as VEMMA goes, its a legitimate company that does make legitimate money. Actually we make residuals passive income, which is the best type of income available because its the least taxed and constantly grows regardless if your working or not. I'm not trying to disrespect you st all I'm just clarifying your statement that's saying these company are schemes.

PS: Verve has been on the Dr.Oz show, E.T. MTV news, and fox news quite a few times.

[7x13]

Old High School "friend" is swallowed up in this.
The whole VEMMA/Verve thing.

Seen the and read the facts.

Personally I'd rather work hard for what I got than take the easy route.

Free BMW/Benz is a perk but after how long?

I can get a BMW no prob. E30 ftw.

[imotion s14]

lol I remember when I got invited to a pyramid scheme and the first thing they showed me on the screen was a image of a MLM structure that resembled a step-pyramid.

[innovation]

T.L.D.R?

Actually I read a bit of it, I just found it somewhat hard to follow. The O.P. needs to take some English composition classes.

[jamg]

You realize network marketing (The profession all these companies are considered) is the highest paying profession in the world right? .

lol no dude...

just.. no.

[imotion s14]

Vemma has a A+ rating with the better business bureau ( A organization made by the government to regulate businesses)

BBB is not a government agency with the power to regulate anything, they don't have the power to do diddly squat in fact (other than give you a letter grade.)

:rofl:

oh you're 21...

:rofl:

[Felipe]

Reminds me of that asian guy from Pain & Gain lol

[S14DB]

lol no dude...

just.. no.

Top Ten Lists :: Highest Paying Jobs (http://www.myplan.com/careers/top-ten/highest-paying.php)
The 10 Highest-Paid Jobs in America - US News and World Report (http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/03/29/the-10-highest-paid-jobs-in-america)

[hatchtastic]

Alright OP im going to try to keep this as simple as i possibly can and explain to you what is real. I think you judgment is just misguided because of your lack of knowledge as well as, from what it sounds like, attending a presentation where the presenter has a lot to work to do on himself.


With that being said Network marketing is one of the best industry's to be in, especially these days. Everything now is performances based meaning, you either preform or you get canned. This industry is no different from that except you just don't earn a paycheck. It is also not about selling a product. Somewhere along the line in the mid 90's people forgot that. The job of a distributor is simply to collect a decision by providing enough information about the company, the product(s) and the compensation plan for people to do so. These companies have been trying to re-invent the wheel and in turn completely left out the basics. Instead of giving people the necessary information that they need to make an educated decision all they are doing is trying to hype people up and get people to join off of emotion rather than knowledge.

In order to build a large organization you have to have a process that your average Joe can duplicate. If you don't your business as an individual will fail very quickly. The majority of presentations are not done in this way, especially the one that you described. What ends up happening with that is in order for you do be successful at all you would continuously have to sponsor people, and you will end up with a bunch of people that are not active or dropped out like you did before because they cannot duplicate the process.

What I'm getting at is there are ways for virtually anyone to be be successful in network marketing, you just have to get involved with the right people that can teach you the right things to do.


I honestly could go on into further detail a lot longer than i care to admit lol. I hope i at least changed your view on things even slightly and if you have any questions i would be happy to answer them. good luck

[Corbic]

Alright OP im going to try to keep this as simple as i possibly can and explain to you what is real. I think you judgment is just misguided because of your lack of knowledge as well as, from what it sounds like, attending a presentation where the presenter has a lot to work to do on himself.


With that being said Network marketing is one of the best industry's to be in, especially these days. Everything now is performances based meaning, you either preform or you get canned. This industry is no different from that except you just don't earn a paycheck. It is also not about selling a product. Somewhere along the line in the mid 90's people forgot that. The job of a distributor is simply to collect a decision by providing enough information about the company, the product(s) and the compensation plan for people to do so. These companies have been trying to re-invent the wheel and in turn completely left out the basics. Instead of giving people the necessary information that they need to make an educated decision all they are doing is trying to hype people up and get people to join off of emotion rather than knowledge.

In order to build a large organization you have to have a process that your average Joe can duplicate. If you don't your business as an individual will fail very quickly. The majority of presentations are not done in this way, especially the one that you described. What ends up happening with that is in order for you do be successful at all you would continuously have to sponsor people, and you will end up with a bunch of people that are not active or dropped out like you did before because they cannot duplicate the process.

What I'm getting at is there are ways for virtually anyone to be be successful in network marketing, you just have to get involved with the right people that can teach you the right things to do.


I honestly could go on into further detail a lot longer than i care to admit lol. I hope i at least changed your view on things even slightly and if you have any questions i would be happy to answer them. good luck


You made your argument in the same was as you are arguing is bad.

Show me the data.

[imotion s14]

Alright OP im going to try to keep this as simple as i possibly can and explain to you what is real. I think you judgment is just misguided because of your lack of knowledge as well as, from what it sounds like, attending a presentation where the presenter has a lot to work to do on himself.


With that being said Network marketing is one of the best industry's to be in, especially these days. Everything now is performances based meaning, you either preform or you get canned. This industry is no different from that except you just don't earn a paycheck. It is also not about selling a product. Somewhere along the line in the mid 90's people forgot that. The job of a distributor is simply to collect a decision by providing enough information about the company, the product(s) and the compensation plan for people to do so. These companies have been trying to re-invent the wheel and in turn completely left out the basics. Instead of giving people the necessary information that they need to make an educated decision all they are doing is trying to hype people up and get people to join off of emotion rather than knowledge.

In order to build a large organization you have to have a process that your average Joe can duplicate. If you don't your business as an individual will fail very quickly. The majority of presentations are not done in this way, especially the one that you described. What ends up happening with that is in order for you do be successful at all you would continuously have to sponsor people, and you will end up with a bunch of people that are not active or dropped out like you did before because they cannot duplicate the process.

What I'm getting at is there are ways for virtually anyone to be be successful in network marketing, you just have to get involved with the right people that can teach you the right things to do.


I honestly could go on into further detail a lot longer than i care to admit lol. I hope i at least changed your view on things even slightly and if you have any questions i would be happy to answer them. good luck

Sounds like a pyramid scheme...

[hatchtastic]

honestly it wont matter what i tell either of you. i can tell this simply that your minds are so fucked up you will never be rich, and im not talking just about money. i really feel bad for you. good luck

[S14DB]

This industry is no different from that except you just don't earn a paycheck.
I would say this statement is true.
based on Mona Vie's own 2007 income disclosure statement "fewer than 1 percent qualified for commissions and of those, only 10 percent made more than $100 a week."
MonaVie Acai Juice: Cure-All or Marketing Scheme? - Newsweek and The Daily Beast (http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2008/08/01/a-drink-s-purple-reign.html)
While earning potential varies by company and sales ability, DSA says the median annual income for those in direct sales is $2,400.
USATODAY.com (http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20090914/smallbizweek114_st.art.htm)
It can be very difficult, if not impossible, for most individuals to make a lot of money through the direct sale of products to consumers. And big money is what recruiters often allude to in their pitches."
Roland Whitsell, a former business professor who spent 40 years researching and teaching the pitfalls of multilevel marketing": "You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone making over $1.50 an hour, (t)he primary product is opportunity. The strongest, most powerful motivational force today is false hope."
Multilevel marketing or 'pyramid?' Sales people find it hard to earn much - USATODAY.com (http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/industries/retail/2011-02-07-multilevelmarketing03_CV_N.htm)
It is also not about selling a product.
Which is why it is a scam. Anything that survives on recruiting more people is a pyramid scheme. If the people dry up the revenue dries up. Any legitimate business should be able to achieve homeostasis.
Pyramid scheme - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyramid_scheme)
The job of a distributor is simply to collect a decision by providing enough information about the company, the product(s) and the compensation plan for people to do so.
Distributor? Do you mean the person interested in the "job"?

These companies have been trying to re-invent the wheel and in turn completely left out the basics. Instead of giving people the necessary information that they need to make an educated decision all they are doing is trying to hype people up and get people to join off of emotion rather than knowledge.
This is what con men do. Get you to get invested based on emotion not logic.

In order to build a large organization you have to have a process that your average Joe can duplicate. If you don't your business as an individual will fail very quickly. The majority of presentations are not done in this way, especially the one that you described. What ends up happening with that is in order for you do be successful at all you would continuously have to sponsor people, and you will end up with a bunch of people that are not active or dropped out like you did before because they cannot duplicate the process.
Which it is why it is a pyramid scheme.

What I'm getting at is there are ways for virtually anyone to be be successful in network marketing, you just have to get involved with the right people that can teach you the right things to do.
There are good MLMs that actually focus on selling products. The products serve a purpose.


Learn More About the Company

Find — and study — the company’s track record. Do an internet search with the name of the company and words like review, scam, or complaint. Look through several pages of search results. You also may want to look for articles about the company in newspapers, magazines, or online. Find out:

how long the company has been in business

whether it has a positive reputation for customer satisfaction

what the buzz is about the company and its product on blogs and websites

whether the company has been sued for deceptive business practices

Check with your state Attorney General for complaints about any company you’re considering, although a lack of complaints doesn’t guarantee that a company is legitimate.

Evaluate the Plan

Don’t pay or sign a contract in an “opportunity meeting.” Take your time to think over your decision. Your investment requires real money, so don’t rush into it without doing some research first.

Ask your sponsor for the terms and conditions of the plan, including:

the compensation structure

your potential expenses

support for claims about how much money you can make

the name and contact information of someone at the company who can answer your questions

Ask Questions

Ask your sponsor and other distributors tough questions, and dig for details. Don’t consider it nosy or intrusive: you are on a mission to check out a potential business deal that will require your money and your time.

Their responses can help you detect false claims about the amount of money you may make and whether the business is a pyramid scheme. Here are some questions to ask before making any decisions:

How many people have you recruited?

How long have you been in the business?

How much time did you spend last year on the business?

How much money did you make last year — that is, your income and bonuses, less your expenses?

What were your expenses last year, including money you spent on training and buying products?

What percentage of your sales were made to distributors?

How much product did you sell to distributors?

What are your annual sales of the product?

What percentage of the money you’ve made — income and bonuses less your expenses — came from recruiting other distributors and selling them inventory or other items to get started?

It’s important to get a complete picture of how the plan works: not just how much money distributors make, but also how much time and money they spend on the plan, how long it takes before they’re earning money, and how big a downline is needed to make money. One sign of a pyramid scheme is if distributors sell more product to other distributors than to the public — or if they make more money from recruiting than they do from selling.
Multilevel Marketing | BCP Business Center (http://business.ftc.gov/documents/inv08-bottom-line-about-multi-level-marketing-plans)

[hatchtastic]

every network marketing company has the same purpose. there is no good or bad ones. if they are legal this means that they have be evaluated to have a product that meets or exceeds the value of which it is being sold for. people twist things around in every way possible to make things seem horrid or dishonest. if they were dishonest they would not be in business, period. I have been very successful and still am in this industry and almost every person that i have personally sponsored has been as well. this is because i show people what is real and i do not sell people on hype. kinda like i just explained. calling something a pyramid scheme because you do not like or agree with the product is ignorant. and there are no MLM's that focus more on selling products. if that was the case they would not be an MLM. instead any sale that is made has to come from a distributor, in other words they have to pay a commission to someone in order for a product to be sold.

but whatever this is a retarded argument with no ending what-so-ever. people's opinion on this simply comes from THEIR lack of success not from the company being a scam. Its kinda the same as if you google a chiropractor. Does a chiropractor's work make a difference, absolutely, its just body mechanics, but if you look on google they are the biggest witch doctors on the planet.

[uraznfriend]

You realize network marketing (The profession all these companies are considered) is the highest paying profession in the world right? Higher than sports and any career school gives you. Ionno bout other companies but I personally am involved in Vemma. If you think its a Pyramid scheme I wanna know if you know what that even is? Vemma has a A+ rating with the better business bureau ( A organization made by the government to regulate businesses) as well as has our every drink verve Endorsed by Michael Jordan himself. He made it the official health & wellness product of the Charlotte Bobcats, its also the Official energy drink of the NBA Phoenix Suns & NWBA Phoenix Mercury, before it was involved with any of those companies the NBA itself personally sent 18 lawyers to break apart our company and came to the conclusion it was a legitimate business and not a pyramid scheme or scam like most people like to consider these things.

Now you stated you dont want to be taking peoples money or something like that. You realize your job is doing the same thing from you without even giving you the respect to truely earn your potential. Now I'm not going to try n get you in because its obvious you just don't want to be apart of this type of profession which is 100% ok. Network marketing isnt for everyone.

So like I said as far as VEMMA goes, its a legitimate company that does make legitimate money. Actually we make residuals passive income, which is the best type of income available because its the least taxed and constantly grows regardless if your working or not. I'm not trying to disrespect you st all I'm just clarifying your statement that's saying these company are schemes.

PS: Verve has been on the Dr.Oz show, E.T. MTV news, and fox news quite a few times.

explain to me since your part of this "company" your still driving an S-chassis if I made as much money as they claim I would be dumping all my money on a real sports car.

p.s. I don't think referencing Fox News or MTV helps your case

[imotion s14]

but whatever this is a retarded argument with no ending what-so-ever. people's opinion on this simply comes from THEIR lack of success not from the company being a scam. Its kinda the same as if you google a chiropractor. Does a chiropractor's work make a difference, absolutely, its just body mechanics, but if you look on google they are the biggest witch doctors on the planet.

Maybe if all a Chiropractor does is go around recruiting other chiropractors and collecting "opportunity fees". :rofl:

[Chaluska]

www.youtube.com/embed/Ep3pO7X7fEQ

^^just watch that

[imotion s14]

Makes me want to start an MLM company now. :)

[redline racer510]

Some body tried to drag me into this via conference call. If it is so successful why recruit, why not just keep all the money for your self and keep it a secret? I have seen many people burn there hard earned dollars trying to prop- up their pyramid scheme business only to destroy their entire lives(broke,divorced,homeless). Be very weary of these companies, the old saying too good to be true still applies.

[jesse_s13]

This SHIT is blowing up my Facebook and Instagram feed.

1. Its annoying, I don't post about how much money I make at my job or post inspirational quotes about not giving up referring to the "pyramid scheme"
2. I usually find college students relying that this will make them rich. So why are you still in college?
3. I have never tried any pyramid scheme because I would rather throw money in my 401k or stocks.

Personally if you can make it work GREAT. But for 99% of people it probably won't because they don't have all day to blow up peoples Social Media inboxes trying to recruit. It's extremely funny when girls try to "flirt" their way into getting you to go to a meeting.

For most college/hard work is the key to SUCCESS.


/rant.

[imotion s14]

http://static.ddmcdn.com/gif/pyramid-scheme-2.gif

[xBandiTx]

Top Ten Lists :: Highest Paying Jobs (http://www.myplan.com/careers/top-ten/highest-paying.php)
The 10 Highest-Paid Jobs in America - US News and World Report (http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/03/29/the-10-highest-paid-jobs-in-america)

network marketing isnt a job, lol Its a lifestyle. You should read Business of the 21st century by Robert Kiyasaki. Someone who grew up believing he needed school to be rich but got shown the truth by his best friends dad that he didnt.

BBB is not a government agency with the power to regulate anything, they don't have the power to do diddly squat in fact (other than give you a letter grade.)

:rofl:

oh you're 21...

:rofl:

You obviously dont know what your talking about, the BBB is run by the Government

Alright OP im going to try to keep this as simple as i possibly can and explain to you what is real. I think you judgment is just misguided because of your lack of knowledge as well as, from what it sounds like, attending a presentation where the presenter has a lot to work to do on himself.


With that being said Network marketing is one of the best industry's to be in, especially these days. Everything now is performances based meaning, you either preform or you get canned. This industry is no different from that except you just don't earn a paycheck. It is also not about selling a product. Somewhere along the line in the mid 90's people forgot that. The job of a distributor is simply to collect a decision by providing enough information about the company, the product(s) and the compensation plan for people to do so. These companies have been trying to re-invent the wheel and in turn completely left out the basics. Instead of giving people the necessary information that they need to make an educated decision all they are doing is trying to hype people up and get people to join off of emotion rather than knowledge.

In order to build a large organization you have to have a process that your average Joe can duplicate. If you don't your business as an individual will fail very quickly. The majority of presentations are not done in this way, especially the one that you described. What ends up happening with that is in order for you do be successful at all you would continuously have to sponsor people, and you will end up with a bunch of people that are not active or dropped out like you did before because they cannot duplicate the process.

What I'm getting at is there are ways for virtually anyone to be be successful in network marketing, you just have to get involved with the right people that can teach you the right things to do.


I honestly could go on into further detail a lot longer than i care to admit lol. I hope i at least changed your view on things even slightly and if you have any questions i would be happy to answer them. good luck Yupp

explain to me since your part of this "company" your still driving an S-chassis if I made as much money as they claim I would be dumping all my money on a real sports car.

p.s. I don't think referencing Fox News or MTV helps your case

You know some people arent materialistic right? Im not going to act like im something I'm not, Im making More than a $400+ a week in this company residually. Im saving up to buy a GTR next summer.

This SHIT is blowing up my Facebook and Instagram feed.

1. Its annoying, I don't post about how much money I make at my job or post inspirational quotes about not giving up referring to the "pyramid scheme"
2. I usually find college students relying that this will make them rich. So why are you still in college?
3. I have never tried any pyramid scheme because I would rather throw money in my 401k or stocks.

Personally if you can make it work GREAT. But for 99% of people it probably won't because they don't have all day to blow up peoples Social Media inboxes trying to recruit. It's extremely funny when girls try to "flirt" their way into getting you to go to a meeting.

For most college/hard work is the key to SUCCESS.


/rant.

you realize 401K gets taxed just as much as a regular paycheck right? Stocks are ok to invest in but it doesnt really prove you know anything about money, its more of a chance. It can work and it has of course, but it also can make alotta people loose money.

Now of course you can argue the same about network marketing but in the end its all on your personal choice. Id rather invest in network marketing because its based on what I do myself, stocks is just a coin flip.


You dont need a degree to be successful, Forbes magazine considered higher education a pyramid scheme because of student loan debt and the fact that 30% of students graduating with a B.A are getting jobs started at $30K a year, keep in mind the average student loan debt is roughly $25K.



No matter what you think about network marketing you dont have to be invovled in it. If your fine with a original income( which is taxed 40%-60% of YOUR effort) Thats fine...network marketing isnt for everyone because not everyone is willing to take the risks and do what it takes to make it. Also if everyone was in network marketing nothing would get done lol.

so i have no hate towards anyone speaking negatively on NM, but to say its a scam, pyramid scheme, ponzi scheme, etc. is just ignorant. If your wanna go to school and get a job do so thats completely fine, network marketing just allows you to build a Residual Passive income (Google what that means) while you do go to school or work your job .

[S14DB]

You realize network marketing (The profession all these companies are considered) is the highest paying profession in the world right? .
network marketing isnt a job, lol Its a lifestyle.
profession - definition of profession by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia. (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/profession)
Job - definition of Job by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia. (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/job)
lifestyle - definition of lifestyle by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia. (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/lifestyle)
You should read Business of the 21st century by Robert Kiyasaki. Someone who grew up believing he needed school to be rich but got shown the truth by his best friends dad that he didnt.
Nice stories and antidotes. More motivational then helpful information.

You obviously dont know what your talking about, the BBB is run by the Government
BBB is an NPO. Is this some conspiracy shit?

you realize 401K gets taxed just as much as a regular paycheck right?
I better stop my Roth contributions right now!
401(k) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/401%28k%29)

[dudermagee]

lolkids
I remember those dumb infomercials when I was growing up.
Then I went to school and got a job.

[Corbic]

You know some people arent materialistic right? Im not going to act like im something I'm not, Im making More than a $400+ a week

Wait...

$400 a week.

Not $400 an hour.

Not $4,000 a week.

But.... $400 a week?

You can make more than that in 4 hours giving "massages" on craigslist.

[imotion s14]

Deconstructing Robert Kiyosaki - The Simple Dollar (http://www.thesimpledollar.com/deconstructing-robert-kiyosaki/)

Robert Kiyosaki got rich by duping fools to buy his get rich quick books.

[uraznfriend]

You know some people arent materialistic right? Im not going to act like im something I'm not, Im making More than a $400+ a week in this company residually. Im saving up to buy a GTR next summer.




if im working full time at my job I make a bit over $400 a week too. damn watch out zilvia xBandiTx and I are getting GTRs next summer!! :w00t::naughtyd:

[tacobellman_2007]

T.L.D.R?

Actually I read a bit of it, I just found it somewhat hard to follow. The O.P. needs to take some English composition classes.

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w19/tacobellman_2007/nocare_zpscce7d187.jpg

Anyways, I wasn't expecting this many replies, hot damn! lmao @ what I have started...honestly, after reading most of the posts regarding the topic, I believe I've misjudged these business schemes/MLMs/NMs.

Alright OP im going to try to keep this as simple as i possibly can and explain to you what is real. I think you judgment is just misguided because of your lack of knowledge as well as, from what it sounds like, attending a presentation where the presenter has a lot to work to do on himself.


With that being said Network marketing is one of the best industry's to be in, especially these days. Everything now is performances based meaning, you either preform or you get canned. This industry is no different from that except you just don't earn a paycheck. It is also not about selling a product. Somewhere along the line in the mid 90's people forgot that. The job of a distributor is simply to collect a decision by providing enough information about the company, the product(s) and the compensation plan for people to do so. These companies have been trying to re-invent the wheel and in turn completely left out the basics. Instead of giving people the necessary information that they need to make an educated decision all they are doing is trying to hype people up and get people to join off of emotion rather than knowledge.

In order to build a large organization you have to have a process that your average Joe can duplicate. If you don't your business as an individual will fail very quickly. The majority of presentations are not done in this way, especially the one that you described. What ends up happening with that is in order for you do be successful at all you would continuously have to sponsor people, and you will end up with a bunch of people that are not active or dropped out like you did before because they cannot duplicate the process.

What I'm getting at is there are ways for virtually anyone to be be successful in network marketing, you just have to get involved with the right people that can teach you the right things to do.


I honestly could go on into further detail a lot longer than i care to admit lol. I hope i at least changed your view on things even slightly and if you have any questions i would be happy to answer them. good luck

What hatchtastic mentioned about either performing or getting canned is right. Both of Vemma's and Zurvita's members seemed to act as if they no longer cared about you once you show that you are not interested anymore. The man I dealt with in Zurvita sounded disappointed after I told him I was losing interest, and once I told the girl at Vemma that I really was not interested anymore because of dealing with this type of thing before, she was no longer that super happy and positive person that she was in the beginning of the meeting when she was sharing her story, trying to inspire everyone in the room who was new...which is kind of what pissed me off, I just realized. Just how fake they were acting deterred me even more from joining the business. And I guess that led me to coming here and posting a long story/rant about it.

There are definitely divided sides on this topic, as indicated by everyone's posts on this thread. I really think it all comes down to how dedicated you are, how much risk you want to take, and how much you like to try to persuade and fake people out without hesitation, all for "easy" money. I'm not that kind of person. I don't want to tell white lies and take advantage of people just for the sake of making money. I also think it's a bit risky for me, seeing that I come from a poor family but was lucky enough to qualify for a large scholarship at my university. I don't want to start focusing on business and get thrown off of the good course I am already on. I'm aiming for a degree in mechanical engineering, I have reached Junior level even though I am in my second year of college - thank you, AP classes ;) - and I basically have a full ride scholarship here. Oh, and I don't want to turn friends into enemies. Consistently trying to recruit people you know and then failing at that just lands you in a hole.

On the other hand, if I had nothing to lose, no scholarship, not many friends, etc., why NOT give this a try?

Also, what jesse_s13 said, "For most college/hard work is the key to SUCCESS." I totally agree with. That's what I live by.

I'm loving all the arguments on this thread lol. Quite entertaining but also interesting and filled with valid points.

And if you are going to post something that doesn't even relate to the topic of this thread (i.e. Innovation's post), just leave the thread, go to a porn site, and waste your own time there.

[collegekid]

S14Db owning this thread right now haha



if im working full time at my job I make a bit over $400 a week too. damn watch out zilvia xBandiTx and I are getting GTRs next summer!! :w00t::naughtyd:

I work part time and make close to $400 a week, holy fuck I should be able to afford my GTR next summer!!!!! Oh my Godddddddddd We should start our own GTR club and have GTR meets and cruises and shit but only us 3 can be in it!!!!!!!!!!!!

----- DETAILED ACCOUNT OF 2 DIFFERENT COMPANIES TRYING TO ENLIST ME BELOW

I was also contacted several times by Vector marketing here in PA. It's hilarious to see how they send you a professional looking paper boasting about $18.10 (printed in like 96 font) and then in super small print next to it says per base appt (appointment?)

I still remember going there all dressed up back at my super naive age of 18 and seeing all these crackheads and whatnot.

They wanted me to sell hunting knives that were nothing special and they made it seem like that shit had a unicorn detector installed. I was supposed to buy or rent (both expensive options) a set of knives to demonstrate to customers (aka my friends and shit). What an epic waste of 2 hours. I did not have any kind of employment with them because I knew this was way too fishy.

Another similar scheme was with one of the natural gas companies. They wanted me to go around and get everyone to sign up with the SOOPAHDOOPAH CH3AP ALL SHINY NATURAL GAS and get my neighbors signed up in those contracts that would eventually skyrocket in rates. There was this older Asian couple that asked 1 million questions and the main guy started fumbling his answers and revealed the scheme. I started to leave and the guy tried to stop me. I said I needed a real job and this kind of stuff isn't for me. He suddenly flipped his attitude and went back to focusing on other people even though they all heard what I said.


-------- END OF THE STORIES

I do want to resurface a few things again though

1. Notice how they do not really care to talk with you as soon as you say you are not interested. Even scummy used car dealers and telemarketers still try to talk to you but the "schemers" just flip like a light switch. I am not talking about the people that say "NO!" like they were the great wall of China or something but even if you had a 0.05% doubt in your mind they still run back to the rest of the crowd and try to keep the "emotional success guarenteed, the ONLY way you can get fired is if you don't care about it" (while you are super hyped up in this emotional marathon and you feel like this company has suddenly become your life.

2. Super professional power-points but the headquarters is a rented out warehouse?

3. You can see it in their eyes. The Desperation. The " I wish I just paid more attention in school" glistening/ Half tear in their eye sockets. My favorite is right before they start their presentation. It's right in between the moment that the last person walks in/ the schemer check the time and when they first bring up the powerpoint/ do the little hand clap to start it off. It's the face that says, "I'm sorry to do this to you fuckers but I'm out of options in my life. Lord forgive me. "


The only thing I really feel bad about is not knowing which set of people is the legitimate group and which is the straight up scam. This lack of knowledge might screw me by denying my part in the next Microsoft or I might get screwed by signing up with these weirdo fucks and wasting my time.






Edit

I decided to google search Vector marketing and as soon as I finished typing vector marketing, words like scam/ horrible/ scheme came up right after. It's like they knew LOL


http://www.knifeup.com/cutco-knives-and-vector-marketing-is-a-scam/

Even if you type up "verve" on google the first suggestions says Verve energy drink scam.

[tacobellman_2007]

S14Db owning this thread right now haha





I work part time and make close to $400 a week, holy fuck I should be able to afford my GTR next summer!!!!! Oh my Godddddddddd We should start our own GTR club and have GTR meets and cruises and shit but only us 3 can be in it!!!!!!!!!!!!

----- DETAILED ACCOUNT OF 2 DIFFERENT COMPANIES TRYING TO ENLIST ME BELOW

I was also contacted several times by Vector marketing here in PA. It's hilarious to see how they send you a professional looking paper boasting about $18.10 (printed in like 96 font) and then in super small print next to it says per base appt (appointment?)

I still remember going there all dressed up back at my super naive age of 18 and seeing all these crackheads and whatnot.

They wanted me to sell hunting knives that were nothing special and they made it seem like that shit had a unicorn detector installed. I was supposed to buy or rent (both expensive options) a set of knives to demonstrate to customers (aka my friends and shit). What an epic waste of 2 hours. I did not have any kind of employment with them because I knew this was way too fishy.

Another similar scheme was with one of the natural gas companies. They wanted me to go around and get everyone to sign up with the SOOPAHDOOPAH CH3AP ALL SHINY NATURAL GAS and get my neighbors signed up in those contracts that would eventually skyrocket in rates. There was this older Asian couple that asked 1 million questions and the main guy started fumbling his answers and revealed the scheme. I started to leave and the guy tried to stop me. I said I needed a real job and this kind of stuff isn't for me. He suddenly flipped his attitude and went back to focusing on other people even though they all heard what I said.


-------- END OF THE STORIES

I do want to resurface a few things again though

1. Notice how they do not really care to talk with you as soon as you say you are not interested. Even scummy used car dealers and telemarketers still try to talk to you but the "schemers" just flip like a light switch. I am not talking about the people that say "NO!" like they were the great wall of China or something but even if you had a 0.05% doubt in your mind they still run back to the rest of the crowd and try to keep the "emotional success guarenteed, the ONLY way you can get fired is if you don't care about it" (while you are super hyped up in this emotional marathon and you feel like this company has suddenly become your life.

2. Super professional power-points but the headquarters is a rented out warehouse?

3. You can see it in their eyes. The Desperation. The " I wish I just paid more attention in school" glistening/ Half tear in their eye sockets. My favorite is right before they start their presentation. It's right in between the moment that the last person walks in/ the schemer check the time and when they first bring up the powerpoint/ do the little hand clap to start it off. It's the face that says, "I'm sorry to do this to you fuckers but I'm out of options in my life. Lord forgive me. "


The only thing I really feel bad about is not knowing which set of people is the legitimate group and which is the straight up scam. This lack of knowledge might screw me by denying my part in the next Microsoft or I might get screwed by signing up with these weirdo fucks and wasting my time.






Edit

I decided to google search Vector marketing and as soon as I finished typing vector marketing, words like scam/ horrible/ scheme came up right after. It's like they knew LOL


Review: Cutco Knives and Vector Marketing is a SCAM | KnifeUp (http://www.knifeup.com/cutco-knives-and-vector-marketing-is-a-scam/)

Even if you type up "verve" on google the first suggestions says Verve energy drink scam.

Lol. Dem GTRs

I'm sorry you had to go through such bulls**t. F**k those people. I'm really glad you brought up the situation of these arseholes losing interest in you when you start to have a hint of doubt and they no longer act like the super happy no-problems-in-life-whatsoever people they were 1 minute ago. So fake and so sh**y.

I love how the people at Verve were like "why would you work so hard, being told what to do, making a decent amount of engineering money, when you could do NOTHING and earn a six-figure income without anyone ever telling you what to do?? It's a no-brainer!" Yeah, no-brainer as in you people have no brains believing that you will be rich "doing nothing."

A**holes.

[Hatemy7]

Sorry but that company is a scam... Regardless of what these guys think.

If they dont think that they are in a scam then they are brainwashed.

Also bragging about making $400 a week is not something to brag about. That is shitty money in my opinion. I make a lot more than that and yet ive never went to college... Just an fyi

[Mikey213]

400$ a week, hahahahahahahah!!

[SLiDe_WaYz]

Sorry but that company is a scam... Regardless of what these guys think.

If they dont think that they are in a scam then they are brainwashed.

Also bragging about making $400 a week is not something to brag about. That is shitty money in my opinion. I make a lot more than that and yet ive never went to college... Just an fyi


400 a week? How do you live off that. I make that a day and I still think I'm underpaid.


Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk 2

[collegekid]

The whole argument about supplemental income is stupid in my opinion. Cool, you made an extra $400 a week. Why not ask your boss if they need anything else done. Focus on one job and be good at it instead of trying to have your finger in everything.

I'm full time in college and work part time to get close to $400 a week. I don't need to go around bragging to everyone that the company I work for is going to be the next multi-million corporation or that it was on MTV or some shit.

[hobbs]

This thread. Oh my.


I'll just leave this here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNPxHd46yVg

[tacobellman_2007]

This thread. Oh my.


I'll just leave this here - Penn and Teller: Bullshit! 'Easy Money' - Pyramid schemes - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNPxHd46yVg)

Penn & Teller: Bullshit! - Season 8 Episode 5 - Easy Money - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/embed/Ep3pO7X7fEQ)

^^ Chaluska posted the full version earlier :P and I love the quote he said at the end "They're illegal!"

Talking to Verve/Zurvita/etc: "Oh ok, because you said that. that means you guys are DEFINITELY not a pyramid scheme :D"

...yeah right...lmao.

[hatchtastic]

Ignorance leads to incompetence which then leads to negatively. How little all of the people ACTUALLY know about this industry is unbelievable to be making the accusations that they are.

[jamg]

lol... to the guy in the vemma stuff---- you realize every dollar you make from this whole vemma crap gets taxed too right?

the only thing you sell to suckers are hopes and dreams.

and the dumb college examples... oh i guess i dont need to go to college in order to become a doctor or a lawyer.

$400 bucks is poverty money. i can make that in a week, doing a solid 2 hours of work.
all i have to do is buy items from china and sell them on ebay. I have $20-50 dollar NET profit margins on the stuff I currently have up. reaching that goal, weekly, is easy. I must be on my way to buying a GTR.

the CEO of the company is already making his money buy selling you guys his overpriced drink at a 300-500% markup. He knows he can't compete with the big boys (coke, redbull, monster, pepsi), so it's easy to brainwash younger people into paying the $500 start-up fee, along with the monthly subscription of having drinks shipped to your door.

that stuff doesn't even taste good... i've had a can before.

sponsorships? it's called endorsements. it's all part of the marketing game. the turnover rate for the amount paid for them isn't that great. good luck getting someone like mark cuban to endorse it. there's a reason why you have teams like the bobcats and the suns. they are small market teams.

[dudermagee]

Ignorance leads to incompetence which then leads to negatively. How little all of the people ACTUALLY know about this industry is unbelievable to be making the accusations that they are.


And then that leads to the darkside?

You'll figure it out when you're older.

[Hatemy7]

400 a week? How do you live off that. I make that a day and I still think I'm underpaid.


Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk 2


I dont make $400 a week brotha lol.

I am a Mortgage broker.

def feel underpaid but with that being said I do have a pretty good life you know.

This guy was bragging about $400 a week. Fuck that ;p

[Moncef]

S

3. You can see it in their eyes. The Desperation. The " I wish I just paid more attention in school" glistening/ Half tear in their eye sockets. My favorite is right before they start their presentation. It's right in between the moment that the last person walks in/ the schemer check the time and when they first bring up the powerpoint/ do the little hand clap to start it off. It's the face that says, "I'm sorry to do this to you fuckers but I'm out of options in my life. Lord forgive me. "


This is the best part.

If you want to work for yourself you can really do it however you see fit. Some people will go to school/learn a trade/get a BS/MS/whatever and THEN start their own business or invest in something else.

MLM reps are trained to put that type of stuff in a negative life, saying "you're taking it easy for the next four years of college to work for the next 40 years of your life."

Realizing that investing in yourself in a market that is constantly changing is the first step to get anywhere. If you want to hustle hard and be objective about the business model of an MLM firm while slinging X product, then do you. But you can see through how paper thin the people who are just looking for a quick come up in this business are.

[uraznfriend]

watch xBandiTx and whoever else fell for these scams stop posting in here after they realize they got screw over

[xilovelsdx]

The reason these *SNIP* are so annoying is because the ONLY way for them to make money is to try to brainwash you into thinking they make money so they can make money off of you.

Oh and I hope anyone in any MLM company dies instantly. You are all fucking idiots and I do not care what information you have to provide.

YPR Pariah (http://yprpariah.wordpress.com/)

/END Vemma.

[Bobafreak]

when i think of pyramid schemes, i think of this,
Not a pyramid scheme - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CX4XUN-Uc_g)

[tacobellman_2007]

when i think of pyramid schemes, i think of this,
Not a pyramid scheme - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CX4XUN-Uc_g)

XD sums it all up. Wish I could post this somewhere for all Vemma people to see.

[kingkilburn]

Once in every generation a great pyramid aka "direct sales" scheme will be born.

Once in every generation fools will be had.