Ex-MLM Members Share Their Negative Experiences And How They Managed To Leave
If I had a dollar for every time someone in an MLM said, "It's not a pyramid scheme," I would have more money than they made in their... 'business.'
MLMs promise easy money, flexible hours, and a built-in community, but the stories people share about them usually sound a lot messier. For a lot of former members, the real cost was not just money, it was strained friendships, pressure from uplines, and the awkward realization that selling meant chasing everyone they knew.
In this Reddit thread, ex-MLM members talk about what pulled them in, what finally made them walk away, and how quickly the whole thing could turn toxic. Some lost savings, some lost relationships, and some were left with boxes of unsold products and a bad taste in their mouth.
Here are the stories that made people rethink the whole business model.
Friends > sales
"My mother did Amway years ago. She told me she quit when she realized she approached every new acquaintance with the aim of making a sale instead of making a friend."
That shift can happen fast when the pitch starts taking over every conversation.
The toxic business practices...
"My recruiter told me she made $400 at the party I was at. I later learned she made 25% of that.I was told if I could get 2 people under me, I would make $400-$500 per month.Then I was told I needed 4 people instead of 2.Then I found myself $2,000 in debt with nothing to show for it.I deleted them all and changed my phone number.Edit:I am the owner of 2 businesses, so I thought adding a small side hustle would be an easy transition. However, it turned out that as a legitimate business owner, I couldn't bring myself to use the toxic business practices that were expected of me (cold messaging, hounding people for orders, constantly reminding people about deals, etc.).When I left, I helped the two girls who were under me get out as well and apologized for roping them into something I thought was a good deal."
This is heartbreaking
"My mom was caught up in the Market America scheme. They manipulated an already vulnerable, mentally unstable woman to sink $20k into her 'business.' She took her own life less than a year later. If the company has washed-up celebrities as spokespeople and asks you to spend more money than you typically make in your 'business,' you may want to reconsider your investment."
For some people, the damage went far beyond a bad purchase.
Be your own boss!
"I joined a jewelry-based MLM thinking it would be cute to sell jewelry as a side hustle in July after I relocated across the country. I got roped into the 'be your own boss' and 'make money while you sleep' mentality, and for a while, it boosted my confidence because I truly thought I was doing a great job running my own business. On paper, I brought in good money (about $100 per live show, which was one hour a week), but I had to ship out the jewelry to them, which ate about 20% of the profit, and then the money earned went back into ordering more jewelry.By September, once the glitz and excitement of it all wore off and I realized nothing was coming back to me, my boyfriend told me the only way to earn money in the business was to add new 'business partners.' I told him I wasn’t interested in doing that, but that was part of the scheme. I was so hurt by the people who had roped me into the business. So I quit that same day. Luckily, I made it out with only about $30 lost, but I still have a ton of jewelry and packing materials taking up space in my house."
You can't make money in a MLM without screwing your pals
"I joined Primerica. I didn't see any red flags at first, but small ones started popping up.Like my team leader telling me to basically live outside my means to make people think I was doing really well, and then they'd join, and then I'd do really well.Or finding out all the contests were based around recruitment and not sales numbers.I left as soon as I realized, even putting my name and number on the do not contact list.I blew a lot of money trying to make that work only to realize I wasn't going to make any money without screwing my friends."
That is usually the part people do not see until they are already in too deep.
This is the same kind of mess as the WIBTA fight over “business advice” that caused a financial loss.
Selling drugs to support an MLM??
"By not getting involved, I've seen a friend and his wife get into Amway, and in 3 years, they sold most of what they had, moved back in with the husband's mother, and both began selling drugs to support their Amway habit.They still think they are mere months away from being millionaires. It's infuriating."
So many people don't know they're being taken advantage of, until it is too late.
"My story may end up being typical, but I'll tell it anyway.~on mobile, so formatting, etc., etc.~Anyway, I had just started college right out of high school. I was going to an art school (I know, bad idea) and was looking for a job to do between classes. A classmate of mine mentioned CutCo, so I naively went in for an interview.Few points to know: I had no previous job experience at all, the 'office' was in the next town over, and I didn't have a driver's license at the time, let alone a car. My freaking mom drove me to the interview. I got the job anyway.So I got the CutCo bag of stuff to show off and was sent on my way to harass my relatives. I thought that I was only doing example shows for them, practicing for the real deal. My dad and stepmom even bought some knives (I have no idea what happened to them, though; last I saw, they used a different set). Once I ran out of people to bother, I started running into problems.
Problem 1 was I didn't sell anything other than that one set. Problem 2 was I hadn't gotten any other people to talk to. The 'pyramid' part of my pyramid scheme wasn't working very well. Problem 3 was the straw that broke the camel's back, apparently. I couldn't get to the weekly meetings because my mo...[truncated]It sounds like the warning signs were there from the start.
Up-lines put so much pressure on their downlines, with no respect!
"I've been wanting to tell this story for ages and never got around to it.When my husband died (he was an abusive prick, so don't feel bad for me), he left me with a ton of debt (okay, you can feel bad for me now, lol). Not long after he died, I had gone to a Tupperware party for a friend and made some positive comments about one of the products, which put me on the presenter's radar. This presenter happened to be one of those top-tier ladies who ignored their family to make it big. She was/is the regional person-whatever the title is.I was BROKE. Paying off so much while waiting for the life insurance to come through, you'd be surprised at the number of companies that don't give a shit that you've lost a spouse; they just want their money. So Tupperware was spun as a way to earn extra money. She even gave me the starter kit without having to pay upfront.The problem was, I worked full-time, and it was nearly impossible to book parties. I did my first presentation at my house and booked no parties. I reached out to all my friends and family and booked no parties.
The pressure from this woman was IMMENSE. She'd call me while I was at my day job. She tried to convince me to quit my day job to focus on Tupperware. She knew I was broke, but she was ada...[truncated]#BossBabe
"I know a girl who got sucked into Arbonne. She constantly makes videos on Facebook and Instagram acting like she has this perfect life, and last I heard, her boyfriend (that she claims is her husband on social media) had to call her from a gas station to see if they had any cash in the house because both their credit cards were declined, and he needed gas to go to a friend’s birthday party. Needless to say, he didn’t go. It literally says 'boss babe' on her Instagram."
You have to have a lot of charm...and no shame
"My sister-in-law talked me into selling It Works! I was hesitant; I didn't quite need the money, but figured extra income couldn't hurt. I was a 'seller' for 6 months. They kept telling me to add all of these women I have in common with people I'm already friends with and to post about it 3 to 4 times a day on Facebook and Instagram. I literally made an Instagram for it. They said to message at least 30 people a day about it. Twice a week, there was a group video chat they kept insisting I join. I couldn't join due to being at my normal job.All in all, I hated it. I'm awkward and a terrible salesperson, and I made nothing from it. I never made a sale. They kept saying, "Try to get your mom or aunts to support you." It was a waste of money overall, but I did make one new friend."
You can't game the system
"My wife wanted to do NuSkin for about half a year. The thing is, we already have an online sales business with a few thousand regular clients, so doing NuSkin just added one more product to our already extensive product list. The problem, as I knew it would be, was that you don't make any real commission money unless you get people 'below' you. No biggie; my wife just fake signed up family members and did all her sales in their names so her name could collect the higher commission. But even after going to all that hassle (multiple emails, credit cards, shipping addresses/PO boxes, etc.), the commission was still only something like 15-17%, while our typical profit margin on cosmetic products is more like 40%. Some stuff, like The Body Shop shampoo, we can sell for over 100% markup. She figured that the free vacations and other perks for winning sales competitions would make up for it, and she ended up in a position to win a 5-day trip to South Africa. But when we researched what all the trip entailed, it actually seemed like it was going to suck, especially since we had a 1-year-old at the time, so she just canceled all her accounts, sold off the remaining product, and that was that.
Bottom line is that if you had the ability to make real money doing online sales for an MLM, you'd most likely make twice as much money for half as ...[truncated]Once the numbers stop making sense, the whole pitch starts to fall apart.
MLMs often prey on vulnerable women
"Every female I know who is a parent or is leaning into family life pops up in my newsfeeds with their MLM BS."This isn't surprising-not because moms are stupid, but because MLMs deliberately prey on the vulnerable.When you start staying home with your kids, especially after having a career, there are a lot of things (potentially) going on at once: social isolation, loss of income leading to feelings of inadequacy or not doing your part, ambivalence about the worth of unpaid labor in the home, guilt, and insecurity about your parenting decisions... the list goes on.MLMs promise mothers what seems like the perfect solution: being able to earn money and spend time with your children, connect with an instant community of women just like you, and feel worthy and important again. Those promises are lies, but sadly, they are very effectively aimed at those who are, because of their vulnerable state, most likely to believe them."
Have you escaped an MLM? Share with us in the comments below!
Q. What's the difference between MLM and armed robbery?A. You can make money with armed robbery."
That joke lands because it hits a little too close to home.
Wondering if you’re wrong for not promoting a failing friend’s business? Check the WIBTA dilemma when ignored advice turns into boundary-testing.
