Aim Star

[nellyp]

A Thai lady I know has asked me to see if my wife wants to start selling (promoting) stuff to family and friends. I think it is like a pyramid selling thing. Does anybody know anything about it? I have tried to Google it but can see nothing in Engurlish

[nellyp]

Oh by the way, the scheme is called aim star.I forgot to mention that . 3,000 baht to start. You use that money to buy yourself things from the catalogue. After which you get credit for anything that you buy or anybody buys through you. The way you make money is that if you introduce somebody you get money for that plus a percentage (which appears to be quite a bit) of anything they sell. You also get money for anybody they introduce or things they sell. It seems like the Amway product sales thing. Or it sounded that way when she was explaining it. I am just after any info if anybody has been involved.

[mahtin]

http://www.aimstarnetwork.com/USA/index.html'>http://www.aimstarnetwork.com/USA/index.html

got there from

http://www.aimstarnetwork.com/

first hit on bing

no idea what it is

[nellyp]

http://www.aimstarne.../USA/index.html

got there from

http://www.aimstarnetwork.com/

first hit on bing

no idea what it is

Thanks for this but I was looking for personal experiences

Cheers

[Kwasaki]

It's just the same as in other countries, selling from a catalogue, Avon calling etc, getting a commission from sales, I would say it's nothing to do with pyramid scams.

Unless your wife would want to do it and could build up a repeat order customer base not worth the bother IMO.

[maxme]

Its the MLM business like amway. I think Aimstar is Thai owned.

[RubbaJohnny]

Any biz that rewards finding staff rather than the product you should smell arat

Youll be badgering friends neighbours and when thats done youll be like all the other mugs with agrage full of serviceable but overpriced stuff that youll have to finally realise a loss or sit on stale inventory until they can con someon new into the web

Sorta opium war via catalogue

Kirby Cleaner,Skolnick Amay Water filters etc etc

[nellyp]

Yeah this is what I think too. My wife isn't into anything that's pushy so I have advised her agains't it. It's all about getting other people to work for you, and getting them to pester all and sundry to carry on the chain

[maxtingtong]

yeah, my wife, been into it, suggested by some 'friends', even if I was trying to explain her that MLM is a scam.

It is nothing more nothing less than any other MLM. Them make money with ppl getting into it, that buy overpriced crap products to supposedly resell to friends and friends of friends, them organize very big meetings (at Impact Arena too) showing 'succesful' examples of people that bought Benz, BMW etc with it (that in fact are actors) to gather new affiliated. Stay far from it, for your nerves and pockets.

[pregyrick]

Hi! If you will ask the opinion about MLM most likely that you will get 99% negative and only 1% positive. MLM is not for everybody this is only for those who fully understand this. With my own experience my brother in law was involved in MLM and I see from my eyes how much he is earning per week, but I was not convinced to join him because of the product that the he is selling. I think product is the most important in order to survive in this competitive market. What kind of products does your wife is selling?

[scorecard]

It's just the same as in other countries, selling from a catalogue, Avon calling etc, getting a commission from sales, I would say it's nothing to do with pyramid scams.

Unless your wife would want to do it and could build up a repeat order customer base not worth the bother IMO.

Pyramid schemes / pyramid scams.

There are plenty of folks who consider pyramid (selling) schemes to be somewhat of a scam.

Typically most of the people who join at the bottom of companies which operate by pyramid (selling) systems last a very short time, they make very few sales, except to themselves or their mum etc., and then drop out. (And often to make the sales they do record they spend a fortune on phone calls, gasoline for delivery etc., and little do they realize that they are often making a loss.)

But overall the total numbers of the people in this grouping are quite large and overall the total sales they record for one city or one district etc., are not too bad, which means that the folks on the upper rungs of the scheme still get nice commissions. Plus those who drop out are quickly replaced by the next groups of people who have been convinced to join by slick presenters claiming to have made their first million in 3 months or similar.

Do all pyramid selling schemes work like this? I don't know.

Beware.

On the other hand, pyramid scams sometimes means promising unbelieveable returns on monies invested which can never be achieved and the operators often using funds they take in from the fools who joined today to keep the older investors happy. Must eventually fail.

Similar schems are often called Ponzi schemes. Bernie Madof probbaly the biggest Ponzi scheme rogue of all time, now in jail.

Edited February 1, 2012 by scorecard

[ben2talk]

I just met this business. There's nothing wrong with it, but here's my assessment.

1. I actually use Amway's toothpaste 'Glister', roll-on and orange coloured shower gel. I don't use anything else, but these (except for the shower gel - which I keep as a premium for special showers as it costs 400 baht for 430ml) do stand out - they are genuinely extremely good.

Equivalents from Amstar - I was persuaded to take toothpaste called 'Premi' and it really did not seem a patch on Glister. It was slightly cheaper (25%) but then I'm not interested in price; I don't like it and I got an aftertaste.

Shower gel looks nice - wait for this! 300ml is 545 baht.

When being presented, I told her that I have no problem with the concept, but I'm interested in product. Part of the plan is that you must score 300PV per month (i.e. spend 1200 on yourself). The toothpaste (Amway 300 baht) is good for maybe 3 months only... and you must spend 1000 baht to get those PV. (This is not buying, it is called 'investing').

You sell the business plan, not products...

So, in essence, you make money only if you can convince people to invest 1000 per month and spend 1000 yourself. The main thrust seems to be (as it's in Thailand) Rice bran and Germ oil, health products (skin, anti-ageing etc).

Although they are 'honest', the reality is that you need to spend time interviewing, setting up meetings, supporting your network etc. My experience with L'Arome in the U.K. (with a very wealthy guy who recruited me) is that if you're not already a superbly charismatic person who is driving a topline Merc (people assume bought from the business) and living in a 16+ Million baht house, then you'll have trouble.... unless your charisma is good enough to make people see themselves as 'going there'.

Suspension of disbelief - follow the plan to get rich. It takes time. Actually, as with Amway or (with me L'Arome), a few people become regular customers if they really like something.

Women prefer buying their cosmetics in nicely lit Department stores, otherwise they're buying them with a focus on good value for money. Networking offers Dept store quality but at high prices - in a catalogue... Very hard to shift!

My choice - skip it. Your choice, don't you want more free time and money to spend?

[jamhar]

"Direct Marketing" is what i recall companies like Amway being called.

the previous posts have said it all.

just a handful make money.

a few will make lots of money.

most, almost all,will lose money.

[Trembly]

Yeah this is what I think too. My wife isn't into anything that's pushy so I have advised her agains't it. It's all about getting other people to work for you, and getting them to pester all and sundry to carry on the chain

How to lose friends. . . . .

Method no. 56 - Become a member of an MLM selling scheme.