Duped again
This is the second time I’ve been approached by a MLM IBO. (multilevel marketing independent “business owner”)…
I had gotten early to the park for football, but felt some pressure on the old bladder so I got back in the car and drove to the nearest gas station. While I was filling up the tank (since I was low anyways), an asian guy approached me and asked me about my car. Won’t give you the specifics in case he’s STALKING me, but what a nice segueway into asking what I did for a living and if I’d be interested in working for him on the side. Being the optimist that I am, I said sure and we exchanged some info.
The guy contacts me on Monday and invites me to an info session that’s apparently “very limited” in seating and a “private session” at that. So I wait for his email with directions and futher instructions. I get the email which is from the domain bww.com. Hrm. Now this is suspicious. I thought this guy worked for a small company. How the hell did a recent startup get a short name like that. So I do a little search (not googling, cause that would be brand name dilution haha). Alarms go off in my head when Quixtar is associated with this search…
For the uninitiated, remember back when Amway commercials were quite popular on TV? Amway was a multilevel marketing company. Basically, where you sell stuff sold by Amway, get 5 people under your belt and and sell stuff and you get a discount for having brought those 5 people into the group. They do the same thing…and on and on…At least that’s how they define it. It’s mostly about making money off of membership fees from the people you sign up. So (if my facts are mostly straight) Quixtar is an internet offshoot of Amway.
So the whole thing is a get rich quick scheme. And bww.com — Britt Worldwide looks to be another spinoff. As I scoured the internet, Bill Britt’s name showed a lot of association with Amway, and as it turns out, he’s a major executive. What a scam. Glad I saw this one coming before I wasted another hour of my life.
I love the power of the internet. A few quick searches. A couple of entries from wikipedia. Bam. I have [almost] all the answers.
So watch out for those people that approach you at gas stations. Unless they’re hot and asking you for a date (and even if they are), be careful!
See also wikipedia’s definition of multilevel marketing and pyramid scheme.