Amway

[logan]

I have been approached by a Thai colleague to get involved with a marketing company called Amway. Does anyone know anything about this company if so good, bad or run a mile.

Edited March 7, 2007 by logan

[kratindaeng]

My gf buys cosmetics called 'Artistry' from Amway, I beleive they are an American company, and the cosmetics seem to be ver popular with thai ladies here in Bangkok. Her friends also sell cosmetics for Amway, kind of like the Avon cosmetic sales reps for the Avon company/franchise in the UK. Amway have a store in Zeer Rangsit centre. It seems they are quite a well established name in Thailand.

KD

[tijnebijn]

My wife is using products from AMWAY and it is a very good company in my opinion with very good products.

Our very well known doctor advised it to her,he is taking it himself after heart surgery,and feels stronger then ever.if you think about marketing it ,I think you will have a good product to give any costumors wanting to buy ,it is no bullshit!

[Simmo]

good old 'Scamway' .. had such a bad name reputation in the US they changed the name to Quixtar.

Buy from yourself and teach others robots the same .. *cough* don't forget to buy our motivation tapes *cough* you can't make diamond without them. ...

[h90]

I have been approached by a Thai colleague to get involved with a marketing company called Amway. Does anyone know anything about this company if so good, bad or run a mile.

take the cheapest chinese fan with airfilter for 2000 Baht, call it amway fan which makes the air wounderfull fresh and full of oxygen, such a amazing product which you can't buy in regular shops as it is simply tooooo goooood to be sold in normal shops, but from Amway just 45.000 Baht. We had one for 1 day and took it appart.

On other products it might be not that extrem, but Scamway like Simmo calls it is the true.

[rio666uk]

Amway products are generally of very good quality - but the OP isnt asking about the products.

Amway as a representative is different - I got mixed with them in my 20's - despite them denying it, relabeling and rebranding it, it is one of the original pyramid selling outfits.

you will generally be invited by your friend to get involved - you get a brochure of products to push on your friends etc, but the main nuts and bolts will be your friend helping you to find and recruit 6 or so more members, once you have them, your focus will be to give them a catalogue to sell products but also for each of your 6 newbies to go find themselves 6 people.

as simmo quite rightly says - its a simple idea but not very easy - but you can listen to motivational tapes of tearfull american couples who relive their life stories to you - i, along with most others, would listen to these tapes in the car etc etc....

theres a bit more involved but not much - proceed if you like and see for yourself - at least you're forewarned

[tuky]

We have Amway come over all the time.

The Amway guy is seeing the girl at the bank, who tells him who is worth visiting and supplies the address of those with more than a few baht in the bank.

Terrible way of doing it, and totally illegal but I think he makes a fair bit of cash.

If you like door to door sales and recruiitment then this is the job for you

[dominique355]

The same happened to me. Neighbors approached me and asked me if I wanted to make a lot of money. They came to my house and introduced me to Amway. I had never heard of it and was a bit skeptical but let them explain.

They tried to prove to me the superior quality of their products by squeezing some Dr. Durban's toothpaste and some Amway toothpaste in a plastic bag for me to touch from outside. When I expressed my opinion that this way no serious testing can be done, they tried to convince me that Amway is the better way because Amway has no cost for advertising, etc. When I asked them how a product can still be inexpensive after it has been through a dozened sub-dealers, they were kind of angry and left soon.

Check this website (http://www.merchantsofdeception.com/) for some information. Some people said Amway is like a sect, like Scientology and certainly it is a pyramid scheme.

Be very very careful with this people and what you do.

[mr_hippo]

you will generally be invited by your friend to get involved - you get a brochure of products to push on your friends etc, but the main nuts and bolts will be your friend helping you to find and recruit 6 or so more members, once you have them, your focus will be to give them a catalogue to sell products but also for each of your 6 newbies to go find themselves 6 people.

You recruit 6 and then they, in turn, recruit 6 and so on. Do the maths - !st generation 6 (your friends), 2nd generation 36 (your friends' friends 6x6), 3rd generation - 36 in your chain x 6 = 216, 4th - 1296, 5th - 7776, 6th - 46656, 7th - 279936, 8th - 1679616, 9th - 10077696, 10th - 60466176 [refresh my memory - what's the population of Thailand?] Just a few more generations to go and you have got the whole population of the world in your chain.

As rio666uk says, it is not pyramid selling, it is now called multi-level marketing - same horse, different colour!

[sceadugenga]

good old 'Scamway' .. had such a bad name reputation in the US they changed the name to Quixtar.

Buy from yourself and teach others robots the same .. *cough* don't forget to buy our motivation tapes *cough* you can't make diamond without them. ...

My experience of it in Australia was that the products were very good, IF you could get the dealers attention away from his recruiting speech long enough to take an order.

I knew a couple of former dealers who said that sales came a poor last to recruiting in company importance and the pressure to recruit was enormous.

There was even some talk of it being similar to a religious cult.

Shame, one of my ex-wives swore by their dish washing liquid.

[cathyy]

The way to do Amway is to become a distributor, but make it perfectly clear to your "upline" that you are only going to be a "wholesale customer." You have to hear the spiel once, buy the starter kit, and after that you buy the products at distributor cost. The whole trying to get other distributors thing is actually optional. A good distributor will be pleased to add the volume of your use to his when the bonuses get calculated.

I'm actually on the lookout for an Amway distributor here in Korat that can either supply me with an English product brochure or translate it for me so I can buy the products I want. I'm willing to become a distributor again to get the wholesale price, but listening to the spiel in a foreign language is a bit much to ask, particularly since I have been a distributor for years in the US, doing my own non-selling or harassing others to become distributors thing.

[rio666uk]

you will generally be invited by your friend to get involved - you get a brochure of products to push on your friends etc, but the main nuts and bolts will be your friend helping you to find and recruit 6 or so more members, once you have them, your focus will be to give them a catalogue to sell products but also for each of your 6 newbies to go find themselves 6 people.

You recruit 6 and then they, in turn, recruit 6 and so on. Do the maths - !st generation 6 (your friends), 2nd generation 36 (your friends' friends 6x6), 3rd generation - 36 in your chain x 6 = 216, 4th - 1296, 5th - 7776, 6th - 46656, 7th - 279936, 8th - 1679616, 9th - 10077696, 10th - 60466176 [refresh my memory - what's the population of Thailand?] Just a few more generations to go and you have got the whole population of the world in your chain.

As rio666uk says, it is not pyramid selling, it is now called multi-level marketing - same horse, different colour!

yes obviously there arent enough people in the world to keep doing this - we'd all be amway reps otherwise... but the reality is your trying to form one pyramid within a bigger pyramid, within a bigger pyramid, within.... you get the idea

[pete_r]

To get you on board:

Jehovah witnesses go around and promise the heaven.

Amway dealers go around and promise financial freedom.

Thanks, but no thanks.

One poster has already pointed to www.merchantsofdeception.com

Here are two more links:

http://pyramidschemealert.org/PSAMain/home.html

http://believethemovie.com/

[ColPyat]

I have been approached by a Thai colleague to get involved with a marketing company called Amway. Does anyone know anything about this company if so good, bad or run a mile.

I would stay away as far as you can from them.

Buyers are sellers, and are encouraged to sell to family and friends, and in the process pissing off all of them. My wife stopped several friendships because her former friends at every opportunity tried their pressure talk on her.

Many of them ended up in debt to Amway because they could not make the necessary sales. The products are expensive and absolutely useless, nothing you cannot find cheaper from well known brands.

[webbew]

Amways products are very good, but also very expensive. I use Amway whenever I can actually afford it.

However, their methods of product sale and distribution are indeed a pyramid scheme. Unless you have a gift for selling and a real passion for it, don't waste your time. You'll have to work way to hard to earn enough money to make the effort worth it.

[Prakanong]

I have been approached by a Thai colleague to get involved with a marketing company called Amway. Does anyone know anything about this company if so good, bad or run a mile.

MLM - actually the first one if I am not mistaken

You need to consider

Will you have to buy your owen products to make your sales tagets?

If so thats a big no no in MLM

There are some honest MLM's out there but having worked for one in an office national position when desperate I am very cynical about them.

[Prakanong]

Amway products are generally of very good quality - but the OP isnt asking about the products.

Amway as a representative is different - I got mixed with them in my 20's - despite them denying it, relabeling and rebranding it, it is one of the original pyramid selling outfits.

you will generally be invited by your friend to get involved - you get a brochure of products to push on your friends etc, but the main nuts and bolts will be your friend helping you to find and recruit 6 or so more members, once you have them, your focus will be to give them a catalogue to sell products but also for each of your 6 newbies to go find themselves 6 people.

as simmo quite rightly says - its a simple idea but not very easy - but you can listen to motivational tapes of tearfull american couples who relive their life stories to you - i, along with most others, would listen to these tapes in the car etc etc....

theres a bit more involved but not much - proceed if you like and see for yourself - at least you're forewarned

Exactly - if the main focus is recruiting a "Downline" and not sellig products is a <deleted> scam as most of them are but try to hide it.

Selling the mootivation tapes and seminar's is another part of the scam

They are "Cult" like and use the same methods. If you are not a success its because of you not beleiving and following their "Way"

I have never met such a hideous bunch of people as I met when working at a MLM when I really needed a job.

[webbew]

One of the positives you can look at in regards to Amway is that they have been in business since the 1950's, so they are not some fly by night company who is going to make you buy their products and then disappear off of the face of the earth.

I have two friends who sell Amway successfully. I have many more who have tried it and failed miserably. Again... approach with caution. Only you can know if getting involved with this type of business is right for you, OP.

[PeaceBlondie]

Wow, the more things change, the more they become the same, stinking, rotten thing. I started at the bottom of the pyramid in 1966, and if the main mantra had been a fulfilled prophecy, every person in the world would have 9,800 Amway distributors. I actually did the math.

If you really get your rocks off by going door to door selling expensive soap and cosmetics, Amway is your ultimate wet dream. But, I exaggerate 9,800 times per second.....

One of the positives you can look at in regards to Amway is that they have been in business since the 1950's, so they are not some fly by night company who is going to make you buy their products and then disappear off of the face of the earth.

I have two friends who sell Amway successfully. I have many more who have tried it and failed miserably. Again... approach with caution. Only you can know if getting involved with this type of business is right for you, OP.

[Gary A]

Amway is a GREAT deal for people with the gift of gab and who can find enough flunkies for them to make a lot of money. I forbid my Thai wife to buy their products. It's not that the products are bad, it's just that they are WAY overpriced because of the people who have a lot of flunkies.

[think_too_mut]

Amway - the second most hated label ...after Yehova Witnesses.

[webbew]

Amway - the second most hated label ...after Yehova Witnesses.

LOL!!!! Or the Mormons:

Mormons Get It Right Back

Might be offensive to some

Edited March 7, 2007 by webbew

[qwertz]

Amway is a GREAT deal for people with the gift of gab and who can find enough flunkies for them to make a lot of money. I forbid my Thai wife to buy their products. It's not that the products are bad, it's just that they are WAY overpriced because of the people who have a lot of flunkies.

I didn't know Amway was over there too. I'm technically an "agent" for them in Germany, got sucked in after drinking a bit too much. I pay 35€ a year for membership and apart from answering the phone now and then and passing an order on I do nothing. For this I get about 100€ a year. I could never understand why people pay so much for the products and I've never bought any. They may be okay but there's nothing I need in their catalogues. As for how it works, no idea.

Edited March 7, 2007 by qwertz

[Heng]

Wow, the more things change, the more they become the same, stinking, rotten thing. I started at the bottom of the pyramid in 1966, and if the main mantra had been a fulfilled prophecy, every person in the world would have 9,800 Amway distributors. I actually did the math.

If you really get your rocks off by going door to door selling expensive soap and cosmetics, Amway is your ultimate wet dream. But, I exaggerate 9,800 times per second.....

One of the positives you can look at in regards to Amway is that they have been in business since the 1950's, so they are not some fly by night company who is going to make you buy their products and then disappear off of the face of the earth.

I have two friends who sell Amway successfully. I have many more who have tried it and failed miserably. Again... approach with caution. Only you can know if getting involved with this type of business is right for you, OP.

Another option is doing the same thing and calling it something else.... like Herba Life, NuSkin, or Giffarine. Best spot on a pyramid is right at the top.

[leisurely]

I've never been offered any of their products to buy, I have seen either an office or shop near On Nut BTS on Sukhumwit road.

I can remember in the 70/80's Amway was a pretty big company in England, then they fell out of favour.

If you do decide to go in with them, you can possibly look forward to what appeared to be a team building trip to Pattaya. We stayed at the huge stalag like hotel (name escapes me but it is foul) and it was full (I would estimate 500 people) of Amway folk. From what I could work out by observation only, the purple shirts were the leaders, the beige shirts were the next down and the pale pink were the bottom of the barrel. All were wearing polo shirts with the Amway logo on them. They walked around in 'their colour groups' and did not seem to interact with those of a different hue. Highly strange.

[skydiver1]

Amways products are very good, but also very expensive. I use Amway whenever I can actually afford it.

However, their methods of product sale and distribution are indeed a pyramid scheme. Unless you have a gift for selling and a real passion for it, don't waste your time. You'll have to work way to hard to earn enough money to make the effort worth it.

amway is a scam and the people involved with it spend [waste] all their time trying to make money for people above them,then once a week they get to go to a party for more brain washing mike

[thatguy]

scam? about as close as you can get and still be legal.

an MLM, as has been said, a pyramid

although their products are for the most part good, nothing you can't get cheaper elsewhere.

"Artistry" cosmetics? ouch! 6000-12000 baht for the full package of eternal youth face junk. a few ounces in each of a several fancy bottles.

widely giggled at in the US

when I found that my brother in law had been sucked in (years ago, before I could warn him), I just bit my tongue.

be afraid

[pampal]

Scamway or as I like to refer to it Shamway

Big time pyramid, best be at the top if you want to participate

[Simmo]

Scamway or as I like to refer to it Shamway

Big time pyramid, best be at the top if you want to participate

About 30 years to late to be that far upline!.

My brother in law briefly tried it out after he took the "buy from yourself - you'll never send your kids to private school buying from Walmart" pitch. Basically boiled down to spending $300 a month on goods you could get at Walmart for $200 to get a $8 rebate cheque. Oh and you're encouraged to spend about $100 a month on CD & tapes (tools), well of course they're "optional" but "so is success" .

Anyone with above a room temperature IQ could see that's not a business plan.

[t.s]

Wow, the more things change, the more they become the same, stinking, rotten thing. I started at the bottom of the pyramid in 1966, and if the main mantra had been a fulfilled prophecy, every person in the world would have 9,800 Amway distributors. I actually did the math.

If you really get your rocks off by going door to door selling expensive soap and cosmetics, Amway is your ultimate wet dream. But, I exaggerate 9,800 times per second.....

One of the positives you can look at in regards to Amway is that they have been in business since the 1950's, so they are not some fly by night company who is going to make you buy their products and then disappear off of the face of the earth.

I have two friends who sell Amway successfully. I have many more who have tried it and failed miserably. Again... approach with caution. Only you can know if getting involved with this type of business is right for you, OP.

Another option is doing the same thing and calling it something else.... like Herba Life, NuSkin, or Giffarine. Best spot on a pyramid is right at the top.

nuskin used to have a lotion that contained "human placental extract" it was actually very good until you read the label and began to wonder what exactly that meant

as for amway, its all been said, good products, expensive, and to make money you have to be well upline.

Edited March 8, 2007 by t.s