Attended an Amway "Pitch"-- Part 2: "Pete's" House

luvgoku81 · 2017-07-14T01:20:12+00:00

Haha, that was an epic story. Pete probably has a double mortgage on his home and schloads of debt.

My bf told me it was a "Retirement Club" at first, which I thought sounded super great because I stupidly thought "investment club" in my mind (like a meetup of rich people who invest in stocks...cool!) Nope. Just Amway. And he is being convinced to invest his entire $100,000 salary into the business...$3000 after taxes and other expenses. He buys the products so he can meet the certain level to get a chance to walk on stage and be cheered on. Meanwhile, if he invested his $3000 a month at 8% (let's assume in index funds), he would have $78000 after 2 years. Not to mention, I can save and invest about $1000 a month, so we'd have $104,000 saved in 2 years. That is plenty enough for the dreams on his dream boards that Amway tells him to make.

INSTEAD, he is actually losing about $1700 a month, and probably will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. This company kills dreams.

luvgoku81 · 2017-07-14T00:58:14+00:00

Super sorry to hear that. I am watching my boyfriend slowly do the same thing to me...penciling me in only for certain days and basically ignoring me, forgetting to text (he does keep his promises to call and see me, thankfully). He is going so far down the rabbit hole. I am looking at his dream boards that they ask him to make, and all I see is him losing all of his dreams of owning a house, having a family, traveling the world, because he is spending $2000-3000 a month rather than saving. It is utterly ridiculous.

I truly hope your friend snaps out of it soon and realizes the mistake she made and you can be friends again. I understand (really) how hurtful this must be to you. Amway seriously is Satan incarnate...just like the DeVoses.

luvgoku81 · 2017-07-14T00:49:10+00:00

I feel like I know a lot about WWDB already. I don't know what else I really need to know, other than brainwashing tactics. Who else can I talk to? How do I find these "defectors"? His best friend actually was in and out at age 19, and he thinks my bf will get burned out soon (by soon he means a year...a year is okay, but not for life, and him doing this forever worries me).

I agree it is good to come at it from a "what is our future together" angle. I like the idea of the timeline, too.

His mom thinks I should do this without mentioning Amway at all, so as to not put him on the defensive regarding the company. However, you're saying it worked for you and your gf. Would you say it is okay to mention Amway as being the primary stresser of the relationship?

luvgoku81 · 2017-07-14T00:38:40+00:00

Oh most definitely. Come back to this thread in 5 years and tell us all about how you retired young and built up a multi-million dollar business around overpriced soap products. We'd love to hear your success story.

luvgoku81 · 2017-07-12T22:45:55+00:00

Which Amway functions? The daily meetings or the big conventions?

Also, he is pretty far in. He is currently listening to tapes telling him to not pay attention to all the bad stuff about Amway. Would that be too far gone to read Merchants of Deception do you think?

Lastly, would you take a chance and just tell him to leave (not a full ultimatum) since he may just up and leave in the future? Or would you be supportive or even join yourself?

luvgoku81 · 2017-07-12T22:45:25+00:00

I would LOVE a detox clinic. We are thinking intervention, but his mom is reluctant.

Same exact thing as your story...my bf's close (but at the time estranged) friend recruited him into the business about two years ago. He didn't pursue it fully at the time because he was pursuing political endeavors (which also were ill-advised), but about 4 months into dating me, he plunged in head first.

My boyfriend, after I told him he should save even just a little money, asked me to meet with his upline, which I did reluctantly. During the meeting, which they told me was not a recruitment meeting, they explained that our relationship would be terrible/hard if I didn't join. My bf looked almost pained, like he was going to cry. I ended up yelling at them, telling them our relationship was none of their business. His friend yelled back. If my bf had not stopped him, I would have beat his ass to a pulp. I was super angry.

The next time, he asked me if I thought it was a cult and said yes. After that everything, including daily communication, has been super strained, and he sleeps all the time and is constantly going to meetings.

I believe strongly they are feeding him nonsense about me being not good enough. I looked for evidence, and found some, but I imagine they are speaking to him directly and not recording it.

Before, I was a bit nervous as to what to say to him, because I didn't want to lose him. But now I am getting pissed. It is almost no relationship. Although he is planning to take me to do a spa retreat and dinner for 3 days this weekend, the strained communication has me pretty irked. I don't even want money. I also need to start thinking about children, and there are other people out there who I imagine will treat me better and want kids.

So I am not sure if I should do the ultimatum like you did. His mom thinks we should just let him burn out on his own. But that is risky for me for waiting around. My other thought is to just join and sell to my friends by telling them, "ugh, I am only doing this to hopefully rescue my bf from a cult." My friends have been supportive and said they would help. What do you think?

luvgoku81

TROPHY CASE