Story 1: That girl could’ve left her kid at home with family but instead she used him to lure the other girl back to her house. I’m glad she’s out $100. Smart thinking by the other girl to get away.
The MLMer knew exactly what she was doing. About time she gets some kind of repercussions. People lose more than money when they join MLM’s, unless you know how to finesse.
Exactly. I think it's all very well to say that the girl being recruited shouldn't have agreed to the offer if she knew she wasn't going to pay her back, but it's an entirely different thing to be trapped in another person's home with all their family around. She was smart, self-protective and she rightly recognised that the responsibility for that situation lay fully with the MLMer.
Came down here to say the exact same thing. Call me unreasonably suspicious but that story just screams to me that she has trained the dog to hang around outside so someone will "return it" and she can pitch them.
We - specifically women - need to STOP NORMALIZING POLITENESS WHEN SOMEONE MAKES US UNCOMFORTABLE!! They were going out to lunch but, once inside the car, the destination changed to a private residence and there was a gang of people waiting when they arrived. That’s literally the opening to a kidnap and murder story. If somebody’s behavior makes you uncomfortable, they have already broken the social contract. Say no.
The first story is precisely why I ALWAYS drive myself places, unless it’s my parents or my best friend. If it’s someone I don’t know that well, I want to have the option to leave whenever I want or need.
It’s a good rule. I’ve told my daughter, who doesn’t have her license yet, to always have an escape route. Have enough money for taxi/Uber. Be in a place that has easy access to them. Very scary what happened to that girl in the first story.
As a people pleaser, I can agree with this. I unfortunately will let a lot of things slide to avoid conflict. Being brought to someone’s home, around their family, after they made me believe I was her friend? Hell no. Sounds like heartbreak and moneyloss Hell.
@@Mama_Bear524 @friedpears420 I think if she were a people pleaser she would have gone along with it completely including paying her former friend back for lying. i personally would not try to be nice to someone who deceived me.
For story 1, I 100% would have done the same thing as the author. You were lied to and alone and now needed them to get back to your own home, you owe them no honesty back. What if they refused to drive you back? I might have texted her once to say hey sorry cant do it cancel my subscription and don’t call me or contact me again. At least head off the whole money owing conversation. But your honesty isn’t on the line when you’re lied to and vulnerable and dependent on this person to drive you out of a bad situation. Standing up for yourself is a valid plan when you are in your own home.
In the first story the situation was pretty scary for her. She was in a house with a GROUP of people. Her flight instinct kicked in and she needed to get out of there. I agree with her actions of letting the old co-worker pay the $100 fee. Who knows how long they would have kept her in this house. She did the best thing to get out of a scary situation. If you are reading this you did the right thing. That group of people deceived you and were bullying you. Let them eat the $100. It is important to be an advocate for yourself but sometimes we are not in situations where that is possible and you need a different exit strategy.
I can't see how you can be signed up without her details, which surely would involve her address. Sorry that was pressure beyond what most 18 year olds could cope with.
I’ve also been in that situation with someone I thought was a friend. I can recall sweating and my heart beating a mile a minute wanting out of the situation. My situation sucked and unfortunately it’s so embarrassing only 1 person in my life knows. So if the person who wrote in is reading, I totally get it and WISH I could have done the same. Continued communication 9/10 would have resulted in more uncomfortable situations. So many people wish they could force the “high pressure salesmen” to experience something similar. Don’t worry, your “friend” received some form of repayment in a commission check.
I grew up evangelical and I’ve been railroaded like the first story, and I’m a firm believer that if you are put in a position where you feel like you have to lie to get out of it, that’s on the people who put you in that spot. (Mine was being cornered at a house fellowship after my dad died, so they could tell me that I should get saved so I could see him in heaven when I die) if anyone needs to learn a lesson, it’s the person who was so aggressive that she offered to pay the fee for her prey even after they already said no. I think losing out on 100$ is an excellent consequence for what she did, and hopefully she learned from that experience to not do that again.
Lying as survival was a lot of my childhood until I was able to get distance and learn how to trust people who trusted me. I’ve gotten a lot better but I’ll try to never judge someone for lying to survive.
@@Lucifersfursona the thing with this situation is that she was ambushed by a group of brainwashed people who have already decided that they know what’s good for her better than she does. Like with the religious ppl telling me to get saved so I can see my dad in heaven, and that he would be disappointed in me for not getting saved, they lured me to a second location with the intent of ganging up on me to pressure me into something, and they believed that they were morally correct in doing so. You can’t reason with people who are that brainwashed. If they cared about my (or her) comfort at all, they wouldn’t have put her in that situation in the first place. In that scenario, I had already realized that I would never be speaking to those people again, because it wasn’t safe. They’ve already decided that they have the moral and ethical right to be doing this, for my own good. It’s not a case in which I want to be honest and work things through. It’s a group of people who went out of their way to put me in a situation where they thought they could gang up on me and pressure me into doing something. If they cared about my comfort and safety, they wouldn’t have taken me to an unfamiliar environment surrounded by ppl I don’t know so they can bully me into their brainwashing cult. They can’t be reasoned with, and my priority is my own safety. In a situation where I’m dealing with people that do care about me and I want them to remain in my life, I do prioritize honesty and working things through. But these people have already crossed the line, and I am going to do whatever I can to get out of the situation safely, and then never speak to them again.
That first story I think lying was acrually the best bet. She was, after all, outnumbered in a strangers home. That's terrfying. Better to just agree then give fake details and ghost you never know what people are capable of
The Tupperware story reminds me of the mom who’s daughter was dying and all she did was post about her MLM and her family member said she just wants her mama to hold her while she passes. I’m crying now thinking of her boy not having the person who brought him into this world. Clutching my own baby now bc nothing could take me from him when he needs me.
So many red flags in that first story it almost sounds like a Let’s Not Meet story. so sketchy that she went in the lady’s car to a whole group of people bombarding her, it’s freaky.
I am generally a very honest person, but for those pushy sales people, I LIE LIE LIE! I use any excuse from "My brother-in-law does our... tree trimming, pest control, window washing" to "I am allergic to ...candles, vitamins, shakes, cleaning products, makeup."
I’ve heard of people just insisting they don’t use whatever product they’re trying to sell. Printer ink? No. We write everything by hand. Cleaning products? No. We don’t clean. We just move when it gets too dirty.
@@lionheart830I have a similar story from college except it involved ❄️( I never did it again after college to preface) but that stuff is expensive 😭 a girl asked me for a bump literally as I was doing one and I looked her dead in the eyes and said “I’m a big believer of say not to drugs” meanwhile my pupils are the size of a quarter 😭
On the Tupperware lady: shock is a hell of a thing. If you're in the middle of something, you might just go on autopilot and finish it while your brain tries to wrap itself around it. In that moment, the Tupperware party may have been a last lifeline before grief broke her apart, and following up with orders might have been something to do to make sure you got up the next morning. I cannot and won't fault her for that. But I will still fault the company for its utter lack of compassion.
Excellent point, I love that you said it. I don't want anyone to presume the lady was heartless. It is a sort of an example of how the grind will pressure people to "show up" literally no matter WHAT happens. It changes your brain. But her continuing on as usual could equally be a coping mechanism that particular individual would have defaulted to regardless of what job she worked.
The one with the son dying... I actually get that. I remember when my mom died. I just went to school. I didn't want strangers and such to know. I wanted normalcy. I wanted to make her proud...
I have similar experience. When my grandad died, my uncle came to tell my mum and the first thing she did was to do the laundry without uttering a word or crying. Later I found out, that she was never taught to express complex emotions, in fact she was encouraged always to supress them. As an adult, I cannot phantom how difficult her life must have been because of that. She also passed away, so I can't ask her
With regards to the online party, I may be able to offer some clarity. I've hosted online MLM parties before (oops!) and this was before Zoom was big, so we just had a Facebook group with a few days of scheduled posts and activities -- we wouldn't have known if the host had been through a trauma in the middle. I skimmed back through the story & she doesn't mention zoom or a video call, so she may have had a similar set-up. That would mean she couldn't see the rep's reaction to losing her son & it would be much easier for the rep to pretend everything was fine in a text-based format. Just a thought!
And as a previous consultant of Pampered chef at least, when we did FB parties, we used an automated posting service for our parties. It was called Visalie I believe. Prior to starting the party and inviting everyone you applied the service to the created FB party and you had the ability to plan posts to the exact minute you wanted them to post and you encouraged the person hosting the party to interact and engage and like/comment in the party so everyone had fun but as the consultant you didn’t truly have to do a lot.
I finished the Tupperwear story and I thought I'd share how someone could basically "split" after hearing such heartbreaking news. (TW death) When my mum died, my denial kicked in immediately. I can understand wanting to do ANYTHING besides acknowledging something so so hurtful (although of course, I wasn't acting HAPPY, I just wanted to shut myself off from that reality). Obviously I broke down when I could no longer deny it, but grief is so... fluid, idk. We all know people grieve differently, I can understand wanting that to not be true so hard that you temporarily disassociate. I know I did. I'm so happy she's no longer in that awful environment.
I had a similar thought. It could very well have been shock/denial, her being unable to take in those news as real. It may have been easier in the moment to escape the feelings that would come if she received the message all the way in. Like she wanted to stay in her old life a bit longer, the reality where her son is alive.
To be honest, I think you misunderstood the first story. That girl was Scared. Not scared of hurting feelings, SCARED. There's a reason she didn't want that woman knowing where she lived.
I also don't understand how that Tupperware rep could react the way she did to her son's passing. My mother died while I was asleep in the same house and I am so wracked with guilt and regret for not being my her side side, holding her head as she left us. She was my light and the grief impacts almost every part of my life. Cancer has cut out my heart and split my family. She was our center. I can't imagine not being devastated over the death of my child and continuing an mlm party.
That first story reminds me soooo much of a freaky church thing I was taken to once. In college a friend suggested going for dinner then to check out a group of friends. We'd been talking about enjoying girl guides as kids and I was missing doing something like that as an escape every week and she thought her group would be right up my alley. Since we were in the same program we had the same schedule so we could plan a similar evening every couple of weeks. So, the evening. We had a nice time at dinner then walked over to join in. It turned out it was a church meeting and that night was a special 'Come to Jesus' event complete with testimonials and crying. I'm not a religious person but fully respect people that are. Apparently the respect didn't go both ways. The preacher (minister, chaplain, I don't know) walked around picking individuals to save and ultimately fell on me, asking me to let him pray for my salvation. I told him I wasn't comfortable with that so he took my hand and prayed that I be assured I was with friends and proceeded to save my soul anyway. There were too many people for me to make a fuss and my friend was my ride home so I simply stayed quiet and waited for him to finish. Coffee afterwards was beyond awkward with people congratulating me and welcoming me to the fold. I was sent home with a new bible and a study packet that I told them I didn't want. I left them in my friends car after she dropped me home. She brought it to school for me the next day. When I left it in the common area she finally took the hint. Needless to say she and I didn't do anymore dinners. Freaky how similar this is to an MLM.
I'm so sorry you experienced that. I'm religious, but I don't condone evangelizing to others in an uncomfortable, high-pressure setting like that. I think it's better to build relationships and be upfront. Also, in my belief, it's the Holy Spirit and not me who makes someone ready to receive salvation.
I am so completely sorry and horrified this happened to you. I love the Lord with all of my heart but this situation is something so far beyond the heart of God. I’m just really sorry this happened to you. I know you know this - but not all of us who love Jesus are like this. It’s just wrong on every level. 🤍
That last story made me think that we def deserve some anti mlm fan fiction. I can picture a horror story, up in the mountain, trapped be a MLM hun who won't let you escape until you buy her packages
I love Mondays. My favorite podcast episode comes out, my favorite TV show episode comes out, and a Hannah Alonzo video comes out. I’m always thoroughly entertained at work.
I wonder if the woman who lost her son was in shock. I was at a Halloween party a few years ago (just a regular one, not MLM), and one of the guests was REALLY excited because she and her cousin were moving to Nashville the next month. They were really close and had been planning it/saving up for a year. During the party, she got a call, and her face just fell. We asked what was wrong, and she said that same cousin had just died in a car accident. We asked if she needed a ride home or what she wanted to do, and she said she wanted to stay. So, we all just kept playing games and eating junk food, and she stayed until the party was over. I think she just couldn't process the news. Every so often she would just be staring off into space, but she didn't cry or anything. I think it probably didn't hit until she got home or even later.
Honestly, I get where you're coming from by saying that the 18-year-old could have stood up for themselves, but you have to consider that this is an 18 year old, and they are driven by this older adult to their house, subsequently filled with more older adults, all pressuring her. At 18, you just got past the point where you are constantly told you have to listen to the adults who are older than you. That's not a situation I would feel empowered to stand up for myself in, especially at 18. Although, I'll agree that once they were alone in the parking lot, she should have told the woman that she didn't actually intend to sign up and to lose her number.
Agreed! 💯 After all, legal question aside, we do not magically become adults, mentally and emotionally, the second the clock strikes midnight of the 18th birthday; quite honestly, in fact, it bewilders me that some people actually believe this should realistically be the case...
Made my coffee just in time to sit down for this video❤ After watching, the Tupperware story made think of an MLM sad story with a silver lining: My old gymnastics coach sold Rodan and Fields for years and my mom frequently bought from her (years after she was my coach). During the pandemic her dad passed away in a tragic farming accident and she stopped selling Rodan and Fields. Her FB posts which before had been all about highlighting the company switched to highlighting her family and the importance of spending time with them. Just wanted to share some light that this woman was able to get out of the company and reorient her prioritize after a tragic death instead of being a slave to the MLM
I didn’t know World Financial Group is an MLM! I have been kind of brushing off someone with them for a couple years. She isn’t pushy but she’s laser focused on sharing and talking about her business. It’s always given me a weird vibe. The thing is, I think this woman is genuinely lovely. She’s being trained to do this and I think she believes she’s actually helping people. But I’m so glad to know what WFG is. Wow.
I just got a Facebook message from a relative distantly related to my husband that I've never spoken to before! She's from Utah, might I add, the MLM capital of the world. So far it has just been: Her: "Hi" Me: "Hello!" Her "How are you?" Me "Good how about you?" I already sent a screenshot to my husband telling him this is the beginning of an MLM pitch!!!! I'll keep you updated!
I have to strongly disagree about honesty is the best policy when youve been kidnapped by a cult. Safety first! Only be honest once you are out of the situation and back on neutral ground. The OP was completely in their power, outnumbered and dependent. I would never trust that a person who had already lied, coerced, and surrounded me would start playing fair or respect my boundaries.
Absolutely! 128×128 png 💯 That damn hunbot lost any reasonable expectation of consideration or respect the second she tried to rope an innocent bystander into all her MLM b.s.!
The Arbonne story about the dancers reminded me of a similar one you shared recently about a martial arts studio and the pressure that was put on students (including children) to purchase products from the MLM. As I recall, the parents of the students reacted by removing their children from the school. I don't know why businesses such as these would not anticipate this reaction and risk losing students over it
32:26 everyone grieves differently. When my grandma's husband died suddenly after a very short battle with pancreatic cancer, she was still hosting and chatting like we were visiting for fun rather than there to support her on her loss. She was cleaning and everything. It was really weird. We tried to stop her several times but she couldn't stop to focus because it would cause her to meltdown in front of people and that was unacceptable evidently
As a fairly new mom to a performance dancer, the initial fees have been slightly overwhelming. I can’t imagine our owner coming in and saying these things or allowing these things from one of understanding and has let us make payment plans and even adjust costumes so that there’s not as many costume changes or full costume changes. I cannot imagine somebody coming in here and trying to divide me from my child. Which is what this teacher was trying to do. I would’ve dropped the studio like a bad habit And not been shy about sharing how bad it really is
my mom used to buy Tupperware all the time and still sells some sometimes, we have boxes we never use, bottles, lunch boxes, some kind of cutters (we never use them), knives, oven forms, bowls, everything kitchen involved you can think of, we have. If you take one box out, you cant put it back in where it was because its full. And she refuses to sell/throw away anything, even thing that we haven't used in over a year or more. Not only is the kitchen full, we even have a storage room under the apartment full with even more Tupperware.
When I found out my father suddenly died I didn't know WHAT to do so I continued on with my plans for the night...but the people around me could tell something was off with me. I cannot imagine how that lady finds out about her son and is so good at putting on an act and I feel so sorry for her. But I can certainly understand the continuing with whatever you were doing. You're in shock. You don't know WHAT to do with yourself.
i am on the spectrum so those "unwritten rules of politeness" often times don't exist for me. Going back many years now... my aunt (who previously took no interest or effort in me at any point in my life prior to turning 18) invited me to a sex toy-based MLM party during a family dinner... "Its just a little get together with the girls!" and i was like "Oh... no thank you." and she was flabbergasted that I had just outright said no. She was kinda pushy and said "but its to support me! don't you want to support your aunt?" and i was like "not really. I would rather play video games on that day." and she was like "...w-what? you... so you're refusing to spend time with me and help support my fantasia business....?" to which i said "oh... its a business thing? than definitely no thank you. good luck though" and i continued to draw pictures in my sketchbook. She was so weirded out by the fact that i just... did not care if i seemed rude. My mom was like "You realize what that was right?" I said "my aunt being desperate to have me at a party despite never liking me?" My mom said "no... she was hoping social niceness would have you join in a sex toy pyramid scheme party where she expected you to buy sex toys.... so she could make money." and I was like "Oh i definitely would have never bought one." My mom was like "I have never seen anyone turn those things down like that... usually people say yes out of politeness" I said "good thing I don't really care about being polite...."
I'm on the spectrum, too! Some people who frequent my social circle almost treat it like I have some weird superpower that I'm so blunt and don't care about "unwritten rules". It makes situations like the one you've described a lot easier to deal with.
Your post annoys me because I can't say no. But its also the reason why I never can forgive these huns, they are manipulative and terrible. I can't even feel sympathy for the one that lost her son.
Except you were polite. You said no thank you. You told her nicely that you weren’t interested and even said no thank you again. She was rude and kept pushing you and trying to guilt trip you. It’s not that you weren’t polite. You were. It was that you weren’t people pleasing and guilt tripable - which honestly I think is great that you can’t be manipulated like that. People constantly do things they don’t want to do because they either care way too much about making other people happy, care way too much what other people think, or are too willing to take other people’s responsibilities on themselves (guilt tripable). All of these tendencies leave people open to manipulation and being taken advantage of.
for the tupperware story: maybe it was one of those week-long facebook parties? Where people can comment and purchase over the span of a week? That's the only way I can understand her son passing during the party.
I wonder if the Tupperware party was one of the longer "the event will be up for a week and we'll do activities each day" sort of FB MLM parties VS a zoom call hour sort of deal.
Another thing about the good Samaritan story is that if someone is going to give you a reward for bringing something back to you, it's usually going to be cash or something similar. Definitely not something as personalized as haircare or skincare.
I had a similar thing happen when a company came to my door offering my cheaper hydro rates as they were actually a worry for many residents at the time. I actually ended up in a contract that costed us more than what our normal bill would have been. I totally forgot about that happening. I had just bought my first house at the time and was young and naive.
I still remember my first run in with an MLM several decades ago. The thing that still sticks with me today was how much I underestimated how big of a lie another person could tell me to my face. Like the grifters of today who get so far because no one could believe they would lie so big about things so important. I'm talking the likes of Elizabeth Holmes and SBF and I think Elon Musk will soon be joining them. That was the very early days of the internet so it wasn't until after the first big group meeting that I happened to find the Anti MLM web page of that time, and it's great to see the tradition continues on to this day, in even more accessible ways, saving countless people their time, their money, and their dignity.
I love that she stuck the girl with the money. That’s what she gets for literally kidnapping and exploiting her friend. I bet she didn’t do that again, and this girl didn’t have to worry about trying to get her own money back. Smart actually to get the heck out of there as quickly as possible without having to get stuck with the consequences.
I just have one point: when my cat was lost for 3 days (he has medical issues and probably couldn't survive a week alone without his meds), I gave a *HUGE* gift to the guy who found him and called me at 3am in the rain to have me pick my cat up. I offered a reward on my missing posters, but he didn't want the reward. He had cats so I put together a gift basket that included a great unscented cat litter, a few different filler free (expensive/allergy friendly/ethically sourced meat) cat trees, multiple kinds of cat toys, a bed, and probably more I can't remember. And a gift card for the movies for him and his partner to go on a date. I suppose the difference there is that yes, I gave a gift worth a couple hundred bucks, but I wasn't recruiting him and never talked to him again lol.
When my dog went missing I also offered a reward. The lady that found her didn't want the reward either. I asked if I could donate the money in her name to an animal rescue. She agreed so that's what I did. I honestly don't know if she had any pets or not. I probably should have asked.
On the dog story...it may be a latin thing, bc my mom did kind of the same thing once (i was like 10). She lost her dog and a kid brought it back a couple of hours later. She was soooo happy she gave him $50 and a cold soda. Buuuut, she did not ask for his info and we never saw him again 😅
Where you explained that its ok to stand up for yourself in those kinds of situations - totally agree. We, mostly women, always feel a societal pressure to make sure people like us and we dont hurt other's feelings. Ive broken away from that but still struggle. However this one time my friend and i went to vegas and got sucked into a timeshare presentation that took up our whole day, but at least we got discounted tickets at the end. But during the sale pitch, the second half, i kept saying nope, not interested. Nope not interested. Just over and over because they were relentless. My friend also stood her ground. After a headache of a day, we were glad we didnt cave in.
Huh! Something similar to this happened to me when I moved to AZ. My friends own the house and has been living there for a couple of years, but I assume one of these “pest control” guys saw a new car on the driveway and assumed someone new just moved in. They rang the doorbell (we have a sign asking not to since our dogs are very sensitive ) and said something very similar to your situation. Me and one of my friend’s politely told him we already have a contract with a reputable company and are happy with the service we got; as soon as we said that he got a bit pushy and starting asking us details about our service and even got a bit too close. I pulled my hand and said “stop” and told him that if I was happy with the service I had, why would I switch? I told him to have a good day and shut the door. Seemed like a scam from the start.
i have to disagree. Honesty in this situation was not the best policy. She was trapped and they would not have let her go until she agreed. Sometimes you have to lie to the hostage taker to get them to let you go. You promise them what whatever you have to, to get home safe.
Hostage is absolutely the right word! Taking people somewhere against their will is kidnapping! That was some serious cult behavior and she is very lucky she didn’t give them a credit card!
She/He should have sent a message warning the ex-collegue not to sign her/him up, because she/he has no intention on paying the fee before blocking the phone number.
@@kikiTHEalien agreed. once she was safe she should have texted her before blocking. But, considering how traumatizing that would have been i don't really hold that against her. She was in escape mode.
@@SoCalJellybean hostage was the compromise. i reframed from using kidnapper. She was effectively held hostage. if she refused to sign up i am sure her friend would have refused to give a ride. she was probably unfamiliar with her location so that is a lot of leverage. In this context i think it is effective in describing the situation.
Hannah it’s just so hilarious. I’m watching this video on my way to the dermatologist right?! I’ve got it all figured out. Going to the RIGHT people for my healthcare and skin care needs. WRONG. I’m in the seat getting my hydra facial and I’m asking her to recommend low chemical more natural product for my extreme scalp psoriasis. She goes “well I do work for the pyramid schemey company Monat. I would recommend all their hair products cause they are pretty natural”. This happened no lore than 30 min ago smh
The story of the grieving Tupperware rep is an extreme example of the behavior control of cults. I have heard a lot of stories of cult members not being allowed to go to their loved ones’ funerals, bedsides, big events, etc.
OMG that first story!😵 I was just thinking how I'd react to "can't tell you online, we need to meet in person", and I just might think this high paying opportunity is drug trafficking. If you can't tell about your job online, it must be illegal or somehow shady. Why else would you avoid leaving evidence? Though of course with a friend I might just trust them, just like the person in the story did, and that's a horrifying violation of trust.
Oh wow, that dance teacher sounds like a monster and there is no way I would pay all that money for someone to abuse my child! Her control over the cosmetics I purchase is also a hard no for me! There has to be better dance teachers out there so there's no way I'd hire this one.
I love the uno reverse play of having a manipulative MLMer pay the tab for their own scam efforts! Honesty isn't always the best policy, especially when your safety and future security may be in jeopardy. Her MLM solely sells the idea of financial stability, yet she was literally pushing her 'friend' into debt so she could have a downline. She 100% deserved to cover the costs of her failed scam attempt.
Oh my gosh, I had a similar experience with a very pushy bug guy! I try to never answer my door, but the time I did, I got talked into a contract with a pest control company. Said all the things, big discount, neighbors also bought, yada yada. I signed up in a moment of weakness (and pressure) and as soon as he left I regretted it. I read the contract and discovered I had 7 days to change my mind in writing, so I instantly wrote my cancelation letter and figured out how to fax it in. Phew! A few days later, the guy called me and left a message asking why I canceled and trying to get me to change my mind. Every year they are back in the neighborhood and SO persistent! I never answer the door. I even have a No Soliciting sign, which they always ignore. Pushy and Shady! P.S. Love your videos!
regarding your confusion at 32:03 I can understand how it happens. I only know this level of emotional disconnect as occurring within the context of abuse. But, once learned, this is a skill that can show up when other stressful situations arise. Dissociation can be wildly powerful.
As a fairly large guy just know that the intense pressure tactics that mlms use are even difficult for me to say no too. One tactic that helps many people who can't say no outright, is to say thanks but i need to ask my partner. It doesn't matter if you even have a partner, you are just looking for an out, and that one is extremely reasonable. No one can honestly question it and you can put the pressure back on tuem for even trying. If they try to imply that a guy should make his own decisions or any such nonsense I can fire back with my wife and I always make big decisions together and honestly feel insulted by their implication. And i get why most people want to ghost after that, and sometimes it may even work, but I'd recommend the phone call later on saying you are not interested. You don't owe them any explanation more than it's just not for you, thanks bye.
@@Mama_Bear524 If they get mad at you, you are allowed to get upset or mad at them back. It seems to be a favourite tactic of a lot of customer service centers these days. 😊
I'm 100% convinced that the lost dog/Monat gift was set-up. She let that dog out and kept an eye on it in the hopes someone would pick it up so she could shill her MLM.
40:24 I gave away my cardboard moving boxes to a lady on buy swap sell and she left us a hot wheels set for my kids as a thank you by the door a few days later which was really sweet of her. She absolutely didn’t have to and we weren’t expecting anything, so it feels super icky that someone would take say that opportunity to be like yes I will pitch this person and leave us Scentsy or something with a phone number 😅 ew
We bought our house a year ago, it's a new build. We also got the pest control thing, and it's a huge scam going around like crazy. They lock you in for 3 months, and they unfortunately pulled one over on my husband. It's disgusting and karma will get them. 😊
My former boss was in Tupperware. She was very proud with that “achievement” in her life. She continued to lead another brand in a very MLM way and it was so effing weird. She was also a narcissist and completely insane. I suffered bad mobbing at work that left me with anxiety and panic attacks. Fortunately I managed to find another job and leave. She was very mad at me for not telling her that I’m looking for a job because she wanted to manipulate me into staying. Which was the reason I didn’t tell anyone at work (not even my work bestie).
I am not a big utube watcher but do enjoy your stories. The lady who lost a son, I am speechles 😢 I enjoy your story telling format, much lie my own culture in Alaska ❤ I really enjoyed seeing your friend come on 😄
I got diagnosed with gallstones last week and have been miserable all weekend and am still miserable this morning. But seeing that you posted has perked me up a bit.
I took ballet lessons from age 7 to age 18, but I went to a non-competitive studio. My teacher was incredible and I loved her a lot. When it was time to start preparing for our year-end recitals, we were told what makeup colors we had to use to go with our costumes, but it wasn't any specific brand
I know so many fit and healthy girls with wrecked body images from dance and gymnastics. If you aren’t naturally very petite it will destroy you. It’s a shame there isn’t more “hobby” kids activities, too many adults reliving thier former “glory” through teaching/coaching.
Amusingly, OP was VERY close to do the thing I recommend: Ir someone pesters you about an MLM: Ask THEM to cover your startup fee, and you'll "pay them back with your first paycheck". They WILL refuse if they are 100 % just trying to steal your money. And the second method ofc: Link them to a dozen "going out of business" of their MLM with a "Great news! I found a way to get a TON of inventory for a steal!" and watch them fluster trying to excuse WHY you're not allowed to get that. And just question "Why?" as: Am I NOT my own boss? Etc.
Not related to the video, but I would loooove it for you to have a sleep asmr kind of podcast, your video is so incredibly soothing and I always get so calm (and sleepy too) by watching your videos 🥰
My daughter and her boyfriend went to the Caribbean for almost 2 weeks. They stayed at an Airbnb. They took a video of the whole place when they got there and one when they left. That way if the owner had any issues or said something was broke, damaged etc. They had a video to prove how they legt the place.
It'd be great to hear more analysis on Tupperware. My mother was a Tupperware salesperson years ago (she was roped into it while pregnant in the early 2000s, as a way to make more cash while she couldn't work), and we were just talking about it and her experiences with other MLMs in the past. I'm so glad she didn't become one of those people whose whole lives become making product sales, as she had a full-time job to focus on, but I remember she had so many "Tupperware parties" and the products would be all over the house. She ended up getting out of it when she "ran out" of friends to sell to, though.
I mostly listen to your videos when I do chores or when I'm doing something at work that only requires my hands and not my mind :) They're so soothing ❤
I love your channel. Thank you for doing all the research. So many times I’ve gotten the “hey hun” message thinking it was legit a friend wanting to reconnect only to get pitched. So much hurt. From Beachbody to LuLaRo to Plexus and the Mary Kay “spa day” and many more. I also struggle with being too nice to door to door salespeople. Now I am better educated and know how to deal with them. The book sales college kids, the vacuums-and so much more. I hate all the manipulation, so icky. Please keep making these videos. You are doing a great public service!!!!!!
In terms of the Tupperware online party, it sounds like it was a multi-day party on a Facebook group. I've been invited to many of those. So I don't think the woman was live on zoom when her son died.
Story 1, no, let that be a lesson to Sarah or whatever her name is. If you try to force someone to sign under duress and front up that money....expect to lose it. A small drop in the bucket to what she wanted to bilk from OP.
Can confirm the teacher’s lovely compliment: you provide the perfect combination of relaxing vibes with a tender voice and captivating, informative and IMPORTANT content ❤😊
I had to pause and process emotions in the middle that story. I remember the pressure I felt to "get over it" and "get back on the wagon" after three people I love died over a three month period. The crazy thing is that I believed what I was told. They taught the best way to deal with negative was to ignore it and I honestly believed that if I could just get myself focused on the business then the pain would go away. Unfortunately or fortunately it didn't work and I never reached any significant success in the five years I remained in business after those deaths. Even as I quit I was told I just couldn't hack it and that I was "letting the past define me." Thankfully I have an amazing counselor who has helped me out of that very dark place.
Story 2 - it's similar in theater as well. I did both dance and theatre growing up but in theatre you have to have specific stage makeup and then specific cleaners to be able to get it off lol
I haven’t finished story 1, but already I feel so much for the story teller. I worked in fast food for like 3 months and I couldn’t stay any longer. This makes me feel for her working there for 6+months. I can imagine how much she was desperate to get out, and how clearly she can dedicate work and time to an actual job.
I think what makes story #2 extra notable is - yes, we've seen huns keep pushing their biz in the midst of devastating news. But usually it's them uploading an emoji-filled recruitment post. To see her compartmentalize the biggest trauma a person can go through live on camera is just.... Unreal.
We had an exact makeup product combo we had to buy and use at our studio too. It was always Mac. Russian red lipstick, high tide eyeshadow. Every competition there would be like one girl who had the wrong lipstick and it was a huge deal😂😂
speaking as an introvert: if someone added one person that i knew to a hangout without warning (a hangout that was supposed to be the two of us) i might never hang out with that person again. adding a whole room full of people i don't know? i would turn on my heel and leave on the spot lol no thank you
I was a competitive dancer as well and I also really relate to the dance teacher studio...some of the biggest diva B's were the instructors that behaved just like the one in the story!
Hello, Hannah, how are you? I don't know if you're going to see this comment, however I just want to tell you I'm also studying English as a second language with your video, thanks a bunch! I am learning a lot!
Regarding your personal anecdote about signing up for pest control at your door - my partner has come up with a rule of thumb when people come to the door with offers on internet and other things. We basically say “I don’t make financial decisions at my door” and ask for a card, pamphlet, or website so we can think about it. We are both people-pleasers and don’t like saying no, so this rule has been helpful for us. We not comfortable supporting businesses that use high-pressure sales tactics at the door. Exceptions can of course be made - kids fundraising for certain things, our neighbour kids asking if we want them to do some yard work… but the rule helps us say no when we feel pressured by a stranger who won’t take no for an answer.
Out of topic, related to the Argentinian story, I work as an English-Spanish interpreter, I feel sometimes my diction is not the best because of the hurry of just making sure the message is accurate, and when I feel like I’m losing it I binge watch your content so I can refocus and improve the way I pronounce things to sound a bit more professional. Your teacher background really shows!
6 місяців тому
Story 2, I’ve been in the situation where I knew someone very close to me was going to pass away several times. So I was anticipating getting the call/notification for a period of 48 hours to 6 weeks; in the longest case. When you fully know it’s coming it does hit you very differently. So I hope that was the case for the Tupperware lady, that son was expected to pass.
The whole makeup/dance team thing happens ALL THE TIME here. If it’s not makeup, it’s the dance outfits. If it’s not the outfits it’s the hair products. It’s disgusting.
Watching Hannah's videos from a country where these things don't exist, because MLMs/pyramid schemes are highly illegal, I'm absolutely addicted 😳 They're extraordinary and shocking
My husband and I sold pest control when we were engaged to pay for our wedding. We made a lot of money! I have always been so thankful for the people that bought because I feel like I never would buy anything from someone knocking on my door lol. Also, is pest control an MLM? I’ve wondered that for a while haha…
There is a lot of money to be made in pest control! I have a company in Europe, but I was wondering why people sell it door to door in the US! Do you guys need training or a special permit to sell it?
Use code HANNAHALONZO50 to get 50% off your first Factor box at bit.ly/3stOCU7!
Story 1: That girl could’ve left her kid at home with family but instead she used him to lure the other girl back to her house. I’m glad she’s out $100. Smart thinking by the other girl to get away.
I think that she should’ve taken the $100 loss. She trapped that girl, and tried to manipulate her into joining an MLM. Deserves to lose money.
The MLMer knew exactly what she was doing. About time she gets some kind of repercussions. People lose more than money when they join MLM’s, unless you know how to finesse.
Agreed. She was only a victim of her own choices and actions.
There was no loss, she never paid anything for her
The good part is Mrs MLM is unlikely to try that trick again on some other person.
Exactly. I think it's all very well to say that the girl being recruited shouldn't have agreed to the offer if she knew she wasn't going to pay her back, but it's an entirely different thing to be trapped in another person's home with all their family around. She was smart, self-protective and she rightly recognised that the responsibility for that situation lay fully with the MLMer.
My toxic trait is thinking that the Monat lady lets her dog out on purpose in the hopes that she can pitch the people who find it 💀
Came down here to say the exact same thing. Call me unreasonably suspicious but that story just screams to me that she has trained the dog to hang around outside so someone will "return it" and she can pitch them.
I was thinking the same thing
We - specifically women - need to STOP NORMALIZING POLITENESS WHEN SOMEONE MAKES US UNCOMFORTABLE!!
They were going out to lunch but, once inside the car, the destination changed to a private residence and there was a gang of people waiting when they arrived. That’s literally the opening to a kidnap and murder story.
If somebody’s behavior makes you uncomfortable, they have already broken the social contract. Say no.
Yes!!! I’ve only binged a few of these videos so far but I’m already assuming some of the worst in these mlm Huns.
@@Shetooktothewoods💯💯💯💯 absolutely!!
The first story is precisely why I ALWAYS drive myself places, unless it’s my parents or my best friend. If it’s someone I don’t know that well, I want to have the option to leave whenever I want or need.
It’s a good rule. I’ve told my daughter, who doesn’t have her license yet, to always have an escape route. Have enough money for taxi/Uber. Be in a place that has easy access to them. Very scary what happened to that girl in the first story.
One of my favorite reminders for life is that “No” is a complete sentence. Take care of yourself everyone. ❤
Thank you!!!
I don’t think the first girl cared about not wanting to hurt feeling. I think she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to get back home if she said no.
I think it’s probably both
As a people pleaser, I can agree with this. I unfortunately will let a lot of things slide to avoid conflict. Being brought to someone’s home, around their family, after they made me believe I was her friend? Hell no. Sounds like heartbreak and moneyloss Hell.
@@Mama_Bear524 @friedpears420 I think if she were a people pleaser she would have gone along with it completely including paying her former friend back for lying. i personally would not try to be nice to someone who deceived me.
Yes. She was literally kidnapped and put with people she didn't know. Sounds like a cult initiation. I would have been afraid of not getting home.
That^
For story 1, I 100% would have done the same thing as the author. You were lied to and alone and now needed them to get back to your own home, you owe them no honesty back. What if they refused to drive you back? I might have texted her once to say hey sorry cant do it cancel my subscription and don’t call me or contact me again. At least head off the whole money owing conversation. But your honesty isn’t on the line when you’re lied to and vulnerable and dependent on this person to drive you out of a bad situation. Standing up for yourself is a valid plan when you are in your own home.
In the first story the situation was pretty scary for her. She was in a house with a GROUP of people. Her flight instinct kicked in and she needed to get out of there. I agree with her actions of letting the old co-worker pay the $100 fee. Who knows how long they would have kept her in this house. She did the best thing to get out of a scary situation. If you are reading this you did the right thing. That group of people deceived you and were bullying you. Let them eat the $100. It is important to be an advocate for yourself but sometimes we are not in situations where that is possible and you need a different exit strategy.
I can't see how you can be signed up without her details, which surely would involve her address. Sorry that was pressure beyond what most 18 year olds could cope with.
As a rule do not give over transportation to other people. Also, have premade exit strategies like an automated phone calling you.
I agree - it's called "fawn" and is a sensible option alongside flight or fight.
I’ve also been in that situation with someone I thought was a friend. I can recall sweating and my heart beating a mile a minute wanting out of the situation. My situation sucked and unfortunately it’s so embarrassing only 1 person in my life knows.
So if the person who wrote in is reading, I totally get it and WISH I could have done the same. Continued communication 9/10 would have resulted in more uncomfortable situations. So many people wish they could force the “high pressure salesmen” to experience something similar. Don’t worry, your “friend” received some form of repayment in a commission check.
@@LotusesGalaxyOceanshe was a naive teenager with no life experience.
I grew up evangelical and I’ve been railroaded like the first story, and I’m a firm believer that if you are put in a position where you feel like you have to lie to get out of it, that’s on the people who put you in that spot. (Mine was being cornered at a house fellowship after my dad died, so they could tell me that I should get saved so I could see him in heaven when I die) if anyone needs to learn a lesson, it’s the person who was so aggressive that she offered to pay the fee for her prey even after they already said no. I think losing out on 100$ is an excellent consequence for what she did, and hopefully she learned from that experience to not do that again.
Fully agree. And I’m so sorry those jerks did that to you at the worst time of your life.
this is so fascinating. I wonder what would happen if one of us in this situation said, "I feel like I have to lie to get out of this."
Lying as survival was a lot of my childhood until I was able to get distance and learn how to trust people who trusted me. I’ve gotten a lot better but I’ll try to never judge someone for lying to survive.
@@Lucifersfursona the thing with this situation is that she was ambushed by a group of brainwashed people who have already decided that they know what’s good for her better than she does. Like with the religious ppl telling me to get saved so I can see my dad in heaven, and that he would be disappointed in me for not getting saved, they lured me to a second location with the intent of ganging up on me to pressure me into something, and they believed that they were morally correct in doing so. You can’t reason with people who are that brainwashed. If they cared about my (or her) comfort at all, they wouldn’t have put her in that situation in the first place. In that scenario, I had already realized that I would never be speaking to those people again, because it wasn’t safe. They’ve already decided that they have the moral and ethical right to be doing this, for my own good. It’s not a case in which I want to be honest and work things through. It’s a group of people who went out of their way to put me in a situation where they thought they could gang up on me and pressure me into doing something. If they cared about my comfort and safety, they wouldn’t have taken me to an unfamiliar environment surrounded by ppl I don’t know so they can bully me into their brainwashing cult. They can’t be reasoned with, and my priority is my own safety. In a situation where I’m dealing with people that do care about me and I want them to remain in my life, I do prioritize honesty and working things through. But these people have already crossed the line, and I am going to do whatever I can to get out of the situation safely, and then never speak to them again.
@@shamedgeeky I love this. I love you! GOOD JOB. And my sincere condolences. xo
That first story I think lying was acrually the best bet. She was, after all, outnumbered in a strangers home.
That's terrfying. Better to just agree then give fake details and ghost you never know what people are capable of
The Tupperware story reminds me of the mom who’s daughter was dying and all she did was post about her MLM and her family member said she just wants her mama to hold her while she passes. I’m crying now thinking of her boy not having the person who brought him into this world. Clutching my own baby now bc nothing could take me from him when he needs me.
It’s tragic, considering that MLM’s are pitched as a way to work from home and be with your kids more.
Yeah so much for time freedom.
Oh, you mean the Mary Kay hunbot?
So many red flags in that first story it almost sounds like a Let’s Not Meet story. so sketchy that she went in the lady’s car to a whole group of people bombarding her, it’s freaky.
I am generally a very honest person, but for those pushy sales people, I LIE LIE LIE! I use any excuse from "My brother-in-law does our... tree trimming, pest control, window washing" to "I am allergic to ...candles, vitamins, shakes, cleaning products, makeup."
I do the opposite. I know XYZ is MLM and I am NOT interested. I'm calling the police if you don't let me leave NOW.
I’ve heard of people just insisting they don’t use whatever product they’re trying to sell. Printer ink? No. We write everything by hand. Cleaning products? No. We don’t clean. We just move when it gets too dirty.
As I was smoking a cigarette years ago, a woman approached me and asked if she could "borrow" a cigarette. I simply said, "I don't smoke."
This made me laugh so hard!!! 😂😂😂
@@lionheart830I have a similar story from college except it involved ❄️( I never did it again after college to preface) but that stuff is expensive 😭 a girl asked me for a bump literally as I was doing one and I looked her dead in the eyes and said “I’m a big believer of say not to drugs” meanwhile my pupils are the size of a quarter 😭
Can’t wait to watch! Guys, I finally sent in my story! Took me a year a half but I did it 😂 just really proud of myself haha
On the Tupperware lady: shock is a hell of a thing. If you're in the middle of something, you might just go on autopilot and finish it while your brain tries to wrap itself around it. In that moment, the Tupperware party may have been a last lifeline before grief broke her apart, and following up with orders might have been something to do to make sure you got up the next morning. I cannot and won't fault her for that. But I will still fault the company for its utter lack of compassion.
Yes, when my brother unexpectedly died, I went to work the next few days in a daze. It didn't occur to me to do anything else. I was in total shock.
I did similar (none MLM) things the day my daughter died. I might have appeared like I didn't care, or that I was high on shock.
Excellent point, I love that you said it. I don't want anyone to presume the lady was heartless. It is a sort of an example of how the grind will pressure people to "show up" literally no matter WHAT happens. It changes your brain. But her continuing on as usual could equally be a coping mechanism that particular individual would have defaulted to regardless of what job she worked.
The one with the son dying... I actually get that. I remember when my mom died. I just went to school. I didn't want strangers and such to know. I wanted normalcy. I wanted to make her proud...
I wasn't expecting to cry today, but here I am. I'm sure you make her proud more often than you realize.
I have similar experience. When my grandad died, my uncle came to tell my mum and the first thing she did was to do the laundry without uttering a word or crying. Later I found out, that she was never taught to express complex emotions, in fact she was encouraged always to supress them. As an adult, I cannot phantom how difficult her life must have been because of that. She also passed away, so I can't ask her
Yes, I get that, but he died *during* the online party, she learned he died and her emotions didn’t change at all.
With regards to the online party, I may be able to offer some clarity. I've hosted online MLM parties before (oops!) and this was before Zoom was big, so we just had a Facebook group with a few days of scheduled posts and activities -- we wouldn't have known if the host had been through a trauma in the middle. I skimmed back through the story & she doesn't mention zoom or a video call, so she may have had a similar set-up. That would mean she couldn't see the rep's reaction to losing her son & it would be much easier for the rep to pretend everything was fine in a text-based format. Just a thought!
Oooh this is a good point! Thank you for bringing that perspective!
+
That’s exactly my commentary. Facebook parties aren’t live video chats in my experience of being invited to them.
And as a previous consultant of Pampered chef at least, when we did FB parties, we used an automated posting service for our parties. It was called Visalie I believe. Prior to starting the party and inviting everyone you applied the service to the created FB party and you had the ability to plan posts to the exact minute you wanted them to post and you encouraged the person hosting the party to interact and engage and like/comment in the party so everyone had fun but as the consultant you didn’t truly have to do a lot.
I finished the Tupperwear story and I thought I'd share how someone could basically "split" after hearing such heartbreaking news. (TW death)
When my mum died, my denial kicked in immediately. I can understand wanting to do ANYTHING besides acknowledging something so so hurtful (although of course, I wasn't acting HAPPY, I just wanted to shut myself off from that reality). Obviously I broke down when I could no longer deny it, but grief is so... fluid, idk. We all know people grieve differently, I can understand wanting that to not be true so hard that you temporarily disassociate. I know I did. I'm so happy she's no longer in that awful environment.
I had a similar thought. It could very well have been shock/denial, her being unable to take in those news as real. It may have been easier in the moment to escape the feelings that would come if she received the message all the way in. Like she wanted to stay in her old life a bit longer, the reality where her son is alive.
To be honest, I think you misunderstood the first story. That girl was Scared. Not scared of hurting feelings, SCARED. There's a reason she didn't want that woman knowing where she lived.
I also don't understand how that Tupperware rep could react the way she did to her son's passing. My mother died while I was asleep in the same house and I am so wracked with guilt and regret for not being my her side side, holding her head as she left us.
She was my light and the grief impacts almost every part of my life. Cancer has cut out my heart and split my family. She was our center. I can't imagine not being devastated over the death of my child and continuing an mlm party.
That first story reminds me soooo much of a freaky church thing I was taken to once. In college a friend suggested going for dinner then to check out a group of friends. We'd been talking about enjoying girl guides as kids and I was missing doing something like that as an escape every week and she thought her group would be right up my alley. Since we were in the same program we had the same schedule so we could plan a similar evening every couple of weeks.
So, the evening. We had a nice time at dinner then walked over to join in. It turned out it was a church meeting and that night was a special 'Come to Jesus' event complete with testimonials and crying. I'm not a religious person but fully respect people that are. Apparently the respect didn't go both ways. The preacher (minister, chaplain, I don't know) walked around picking individuals to save and ultimately fell on me, asking me to let him pray for my salvation. I told him I wasn't comfortable with that so he took my hand and prayed that I be assured I was with friends and proceeded to save my soul anyway. There were too many people for me to make a fuss and my friend was my ride home so I simply stayed quiet and waited for him to finish. Coffee afterwards was beyond awkward with people congratulating me and welcoming me to the fold. I was sent home with a new bible and a study packet that I told them I didn't want. I left them in my friends car after she dropped me home. She brought it to school for me the next day. When I left it in the common area she finally took the hint.
Needless to say she and I didn't do anymore dinners. Freaky how similar this is to an MLM.
I'm so sorry you experienced that.
I'm religious, but I don't condone evangelizing to others in an uncomfortable, high-pressure setting like that. I think it's better to build relationships and be upfront. Also, in my belief, it's the Holy Spirit and not me who makes someone ready to receive salvation.
@@SamSlugg456
One example of the overlap is the Jodi Arias murder trial.
I am so completely sorry and horrified this happened to you. I love the Lord with all of my heart but this situation is something so far beyond the heart of God. I’m just really sorry this happened to you. I know you know this - but not all of us who love Jesus are like this. It’s just wrong on every level. 🤍
That last story made me think that we def deserve some anti mlm fan fiction. I can picture a horror story, up in the mountain, trapped be a MLM hun who won't let you escape until you buy her packages
I was thinking that too
NGL, MLM in the fanfiction world would be kind of clickbaiting, lol.
South Park did it. It was timeshares but same difference.
The ghost of hashtag Boss Lee.
Please comment responsibly. There is a chance Netflix will see this and buy the rights before you even make a wattpad account.
I love Mondays. My favorite podcast episode comes out, my favorite TV show episode comes out, and a Hannah Alonzo video comes out. I’m always thoroughly entertained at work.
agree, mondays have the best content
I wonder if the woman who lost her son was in shock. I was at a Halloween party a few years ago (just a regular one, not MLM), and one of the guests was REALLY excited because she and her cousin were moving to Nashville the next month. They were really close and had been planning it/saving up for a year. During the party, she got a call, and her face just fell. We asked what was wrong, and she said that same cousin had just died in a car accident. We asked if she needed a ride home or what she wanted to do, and she said she wanted to stay. So, we all just kept playing games and eating junk food, and she stayed until the party was over. I think she just couldn't process the news. Every so often she would just be staring off into space, but she didn't cry or anything. I think it probably didn't hit until she got home or even later.
She might not have wanted to be alone, too.
Honestly, I get where you're coming from by saying that the 18-year-old could have stood up for themselves, but you have to consider that this is an 18 year old, and they are driven by this older adult to their house, subsequently filled with more older adults, all pressuring her. At 18, you just got past the point where you are constantly told you have to listen to the adults who are older than you. That's not a situation I would feel empowered to stand up for myself in, especially at 18. Although, I'll agree that once they were alone in the parking lot, she should have told the woman that she didn't actually intend to sign up and to lose her number.
Agreed! 💯 After all, legal question aside, we do not magically become adults, mentally and emotionally, the second the clock strikes midnight of the 18th birthday; quite honestly, in fact, it bewilders me that some people actually believe this should realistically be the case...
Don't forget the lady that was at some kind of MLM convention at a beach while her daughter was dying in the hospital....
Made my coffee just in time to sit down for this video❤
After watching, the Tupperware story made think of an MLM sad story with a silver lining:
My old gymnastics coach sold Rodan and Fields for years and my mom frequently bought from her (years after she was my coach). During the pandemic her dad passed away in a tragic farming accident and she stopped selling Rodan and Fields. Her FB posts which before had been all about highlighting the company switched to highlighting her family and the importance of spending time with them. Just wanted to share some light that this woman was able to get out of the company and reorient her prioritize after a tragic death instead of being a slave to the MLM
As someone who grew up doing competitive dance and in a family that didn't have a lot of expendable income, the second story is making my blood BOIL.
I didn’t know World Financial Group is an MLM! I have been kind of brushing off someone with them for a couple years. She isn’t pushy but she’s laser focused on sharing and talking about her business. It’s always given me a weird vibe. The thing is, I think this woman is genuinely lovely. She’s being trained to do this and I think she believes she’s actually helping people. But I’m so glad to know what WFG is. Wow.
I just got a Facebook message from a relative distantly related to my husband that I've never spoken to before! She's from Utah, might I add, the MLM capital of the world.
So far it has just been:
Her: "Hi"
Me: "Hello!"
Her "How are you?"
Me "Good how about you?"
I already sent a screenshot to my husband telling him this is the beginning of an MLM pitch!!!! I'll keep you updated!
That first story😮 What an ambush! Not to mention the bullying and intimidation tactics! What are they, a MLM mob boss family?
Right?!
At least the Mafia has some sense of "honor" and "morality"
I have to strongly disagree about honesty is the best policy when youve been kidnapped by a cult. Safety first! Only be honest once you are out of the situation and back on neutral ground. The OP was completely in their power, outnumbered and dependent. I would never trust that a person who had already lied, coerced, and surrounded me would start playing fair or respect my boundaries.
Absolutely!
128×128 png
💯 That damn hunbot lost any reasonable expectation of consideration or respect the second she tried to rope an innocent bystander into all her MLM b.s.!
The Arbonne story about the dancers reminded me of a similar one you shared recently about a martial arts studio and the pressure that was put on students (including children) to purchase products from the MLM. As I recall, the parents of the students reacted by removing their children from the school. I don't know why businesses such as these would not anticipate this reaction and risk losing students over it
32:26 everyone grieves differently. When my grandma's husband died suddenly after a very short battle with pancreatic cancer, she was still hosting and chatting like we were visiting for fun rather than there to support her on her loss. She was cleaning and everything. It was really weird. We tried to stop her several times but she couldn't stop to focus because it would cause her to meltdown in front of people and that was unacceptable evidently
But this lady literally said she didn't want to show signs of grief, or stop the party, because she would lose her ranking.... 😱😱😱
As a fairly new mom to a performance dancer, the initial fees have been slightly overwhelming. I can’t imagine our owner coming in and saying these things or allowing these things from one of understanding and has let us make payment plans and even adjust costumes so that there’s not as many costume changes or full costume changes. I cannot imagine somebody coming in here and trying to divide me from my child. Which is what this teacher was trying to do. I would’ve dropped the studio like a bad habit And not been shy about sharing how bad it really is
my mom used to buy Tupperware all the time and still sells some sometimes, we have boxes we never use, bottles, lunch boxes, some kind of cutters (we never use them), knives, oven forms, bowls, everything kitchen involved you can think of, we have. If you take one box out, you cant put it back in where it was because its full. And she refuses to sell/throw away anything, even thing that we haven't used in over a year or more. Not only is the kitchen full, we even have a storage room under the apartment full with even more Tupperware.
Dance teachers can be so scary! I lived in fear of them all except our tap teacher, cause she just wanted us to have fun.
When I found out my father suddenly died I didn't know WHAT to do so I continued on with my plans for the night...but the people around me could tell something was off with me. I cannot imagine how that lady finds out about her son and is so good at putting on an act and I feel so sorry for her. But I can certainly understand the continuing with whatever you were doing. You're in shock. You don't know WHAT to do with yourself.
i am on the spectrum so those "unwritten rules of politeness" often times don't exist for me.
Going back many years now... my aunt (who previously took no interest or effort in me at any point in my life prior to turning 18) invited me to a sex toy-based MLM party during a family dinner... "Its just a little get together with the girls!" and i was like "Oh... no thank you." and she was flabbergasted that I had just outright said no.
She was kinda pushy and said "but its to support me! don't you want to support your aunt?" and i was like "not really. I would rather play video games on that day."
and she was like "...w-what? you... so you're refusing to spend time with me and help support my fantasia business....?"
to which i said "oh... its a business thing? than definitely no thank you. good luck though" and i continued to draw pictures in my sketchbook. She was so weirded out by the fact that i just... did not care if i seemed rude.
My mom was like "You realize what that was right?"
I said "my aunt being desperate to have me at a party despite never liking me?"
My mom said "no... she was hoping social niceness would have you join in a sex toy pyramid scheme party where she expected you to buy sex toys.... so she could make money."
and I was like "Oh i definitely would have never bought one."
My mom was like "I have never seen anyone turn those things down like that... usually people say yes out of politeness"
I said "good thing I don't really care about being polite...."
I'm on the spectrum, too! Some people who frequent my social circle almost treat it like I have some weird superpower that I'm so blunt and don't care about "unwritten rules". It makes situations like the one you've described a lot easier to deal with.
Your post annoys me because I can't say no.
But its also the reason why I never can forgive these huns, they are manipulative and terrible. I can't even feel sympathy for the one that lost her son.
Except you were polite. You said no thank you. You told her nicely that you weren’t interested and even said no thank you again. She was rude and kept pushing you and trying to guilt trip you. It’s not that you weren’t polite. You were. It was that you weren’t people pleasing and guilt tripable - which honestly I think is great that you can’t be manipulated like that. People constantly do things they don’t want to do because they either care way too much about making other people happy, care way too much what other people think, or are too willing to take other people’s responsibilities on themselves (guilt tripable). All of these tendencies leave people open to manipulation and being taken advantage of.
for the tupperware story: maybe it was one of those week-long facebook parties? Where people can comment and purchase over the span of a week? That's the only way I can understand her son passing during the party.
That’s what I’m thinking it was
I wonder if the Tupperware party was one of the longer "the event will be up for a week and we'll do activities each day" sort of FB MLM parties VS a zoom call hour sort of deal.
Another thing about the good Samaritan story is that if someone is going to give you a reward for bringing something back to you, it's usually going to be cash or something similar. Definitely not something as personalized as haircare or skincare.
I had a similar thing happen when a company came to my door offering my cheaper hydro rates as they were actually a worry for many residents at the time. I actually ended up in a contract that costed us more than what our normal bill would have been. I totally forgot about that happening. I had just bought my first house at the time and was young and naive.
I enjoy Hannah reading others stories as well as talking about her own. Loved the perspective of the pest control and dance team history stories!
I still remember my first run in with an MLM several decades ago. The thing that still sticks with me today was how much I underestimated how big of a lie another person could tell me to my face. Like the grifters of today who get so far because no one could believe they would lie so big about things so important. I'm talking the likes of Elizabeth Holmes and SBF and I think Elon Musk will soon be joining them.
That was the very early days of the internet so it wasn't until after the first big group meeting that I happened to find the Anti MLM web page of that time, and it's great to see the tradition continues on to this day, in even more accessible ways, saving countless people their time, their money, and their dignity.
I love that she stuck the girl with the money. That’s what she gets for literally kidnapping and exploiting her friend. I bet she didn’t do that again, and this girl didn’t have to worry about trying to get her own money back. Smart actually to get the heck out of there as quickly as possible without having to get stuck with the consequences.
I just have one point: when my cat was lost for 3 days (he has medical issues and probably couldn't survive a week alone without his meds), I gave a *HUGE* gift to the guy who found him and called me at 3am in the rain to have me pick my cat up. I offered a reward on my missing posters, but he didn't want the reward. He had cats so I put together a gift basket that included a great unscented cat litter, a few different filler free (expensive/allergy friendly/ethically sourced meat) cat trees, multiple kinds of cat toys, a bed, and probably more I can't remember. And a gift card for the movies for him and his partner to go on a date. I suppose the difference there is that yes, I gave a gift worth a couple hundred bucks, but I wasn't recruiting him and never talked to him again lol.
When my dog went missing I also offered a reward. The lady that found her didn't want the reward either. I asked if I could donate the money in her name to an animal rescue. She agreed so that's what I did. I honestly don't know if she had any pets or not. I probably should have asked.
On the dog story...it may be a latin thing, bc my mom did kind of the same thing once (i was like 10). She lost her dog and a kid brought it back a couple of hours later. She was soooo happy she gave him $50 and a cold soda. Buuuut, she did not ask for his info and we never saw him again 😅
I would definitely give someone who brought my pet back a thank you gift, at least some chocolate to show my appreciation.
Where you explained that its ok to stand up for yourself in those kinds of situations - totally agree. We, mostly women, always feel a societal pressure to make sure people like us and we dont hurt other's feelings.
Ive broken away from that but still struggle. However this one time my friend and i went to vegas and got sucked into a timeshare presentation that took up our whole day, but at least we got discounted tickets at the end.
But during the sale pitch, the second half, i kept saying nope, not interested. Nope not interested. Just over and over because they were relentless. My friend also stood her ground.
After a headache of a day, we were glad we didnt cave in.
Huh! Something similar to this happened to me when I moved to AZ. My friends own the house and has been living there for a couple of years, but I assume one of these “pest control” guys saw a new car on the driveway and assumed someone new just moved in. They rang the doorbell (we have a sign asking not to since our dogs are very sensitive ) and said something very similar to your situation. Me and one of my friend’s politely told him we already have a contract with a reputable company and are happy with the service we got; as soon as we said that he got a bit pushy and starting asking us details about our service and even got a bit too close. I pulled my hand and said “stop” and told him that if I was happy with the service I had, why would I switch? I told him to have a good day and shut the door. Seemed like a scam from the start.
i have to disagree. Honesty in this situation was not the best policy. She was trapped and they would not have let her go until she agreed. Sometimes you have to lie to the hostage taker to get them to let you go. You promise them what whatever you have to, to get home safe.
Hostage is absolutely the right word! Taking people somewhere against their will is kidnapping! That was some serious cult behavior and she is very lucky she didn’t give them a credit card!
I mean… I’d say “hostage taker” is a bit melodramatic. 🤨
C’mon now.
Overusing serious terms lessens the impact for the real thing.
She/He should have sent a message warning the ex-collegue not to sign her/him up, because she/he has no intention on paying the fee before blocking the phone number.
@@kikiTHEalien agreed. once she was safe she should have texted her before blocking. But, considering how traumatizing that would have been i don't really hold that against her. She was in escape mode.
@@SoCalJellybean hostage was the compromise. i reframed from using kidnapper. She was effectively held hostage. if she refused to sign up i am sure her friend would have refused to give a ride. she was probably unfamiliar with her location so that is a lot of leverage. In this context i think it is effective in describing the situation.
Hannah it’s just so hilarious. I’m watching this video on my way to the dermatologist right?! I’ve got it all figured out. Going to the RIGHT people for my healthcare and skin care needs. WRONG. I’m in the seat getting my hydra facial and I’m asking her to recommend low chemical more natural product for my extreme scalp psoriasis. She goes “well I do work for the pyramid schemey company Monat. I would recommend all their hair products cause they are pretty natural”. This happened no lore than 30 min ago smh
Yikes 😬
The story of the grieving Tupperware rep is an extreme example of the behavior control of cults. I have heard a lot of stories of cult members not being allowed to go to their loved ones’ funerals, bedsides, big events, etc.
OMG that first story!😵 I was just thinking how I'd react to "can't tell you online, we need to meet in person", and I just might think this high paying opportunity is drug trafficking. If you can't tell about your job online, it must be illegal or somehow shady. Why else would you avoid leaving evidence?
Though of course with a friend I might just trust them, just like the person in the story did, and that's a horrifying violation of trust.
Forced consent is never consent.
Oh wow, that dance teacher sounds like a monster and there is no way I would pay all that money for someone to abuse my child!
Her control over the cosmetics I purchase is also a hard no for me! There has to be better dance teachers out there so there's no way I'd hire this one.
She should have been fired immediately
Awwwww the ESL teacher using your content because your speaking is so clear! That’s so cool!
I love the uno reverse play of having a manipulative MLMer pay the tab for their own scam efforts! Honesty isn't always the best policy, especially when your safety and future security may be in jeopardy. Her MLM solely sells the idea of financial stability, yet she was literally pushing her 'friend' into debt so she could have a downline. She 100% deserved to cover the costs of her failed scam attempt.
Those "lie to stay alive" videos absolutely applied in that situation, do what you have to in order to stay safe.
Oh my gosh, I had a similar experience with a very pushy bug guy! I try to never answer my door, but the time I did, I got talked into a contract with a pest control company. Said all the things, big discount, neighbors also bought, yada yada. I signed up in a moment of weakness (and pressure) and as soon as he left I regretted it. I read the contract and discovered I had 7 days to change my mind in writing, so I instantly wrote my cancelation letter and figured out how to fax it in. Phew! A few days later, the guy called me and left a message asking why I canceled and trying to get me to change my mind. Every year they are back in the neighborhood and SO persistent! I never answer the door. I even have a No Soliciting sign, which they always ignore. Pushy and Shady! P.S. Love your videos!
regarding your confusion at 32:03 I can understand how it happens. I only know this level of emotional disconnect as occurring within the context of abuse. But, once learned, this is a skill that can show up when other stressful situations arise. Dissociation can be wildly powerful.
As a fairly large guy just know that the intense pressure tactics that mlms use are even difficult for me to say no too. One tactic that helps many people who can't say no outright, is to say thanks but i need to ask my partner. It doesn't matter if you even have a partner, you are just looking for an out, and that one is extremely reasonable. No one can honestly question it and you can put the pressure back on tuem for even trying.
If they try to imply that a guy should make his own decisions or any such nonsense I can fire back with my wife and I always make big decisions together and honestly feel insulted by their implication. And i get why most people want to ghost after that, and sometimes it may even work, but I'd recommend the phone call later on saying you are not interested. You don't owe them any explanation more than it's just not for you, thanks bye.
It’s a good tactic but I said that to a legit company (our phone company) when he was trying to sell me some service and he got mad at me 😂.
@@Mama_Bear524 If they get mad at you, you are allowed to get upset or mad at them back. It seems to be a favourite tactic of a lot of customer service centers these days. 😊
5:55 your warm genuine soft face is so comforting.
I'm 100% convinced that the lost dog/Monat gift was set-up. She let that dog out and kept an eye on it in the hopes someone would pick it up so she could shill her MLM.
That’s what I think too
40:24 I gave away my cardboard moving boxes to a lady on buy swap sell and she left us a hot wheels set for my kids as a thank you by the door a few days later which was really sweet of her. She absolutely didn’t have to and we weren’t expecting anything, so it feels super icky that someone would take say that opportunity to be like yes I will pitch this person and leave us Scentsy or something with a phone number 😅 ew
We bought our house a year ago, it's a new build. We also got the pest control thing, and it's a huge scam going around like crazy. They lock you in for 3 months, and they unfortunately pulled one over on my husband. It's disgusting and karma will get them. 😊
It took me many years to learn the power of “No” and to use it comfortably.
My former boss was in Tupperware. She was very proud with that “achievement” in her life. She continued to lead another brand in a very MLM way and it was so effing weird. She was also a narcissist and completely insane. I suffered bad mobbing at work that left me with anxiety and panic attacks. Fortunately I managed to find another job and leave. She was very mad at me for not telling her that I’m looking for a job because she wanted to manipulate me into staying. Which was the reason I didn’t tell anyone at work (not even my work bestie).
I love the fact that you’re sharing relatable memories of ur personal life. That pertain to the MLM sorry you’re reading. ❤
I am not a big utube watcher but do enjoy your stories. The lady who lost a son, I am speechles 😢 I enjoy your story telling format, much lie my own culture in Alaska ❤ I really enjoyed seeing your friend come on 😄
I got diagnosed with gallstones last week and have been miserable all weekend and am still miserable this morning. But seeing that you posted has perked me up a bit.
@@chickpea734 thank you! 🤍 they absolutely do.
Owwwwweeeeee! Feel better soon
@@maryeckel9682 thank you! Surgery is scheduled for next week and I’m ready to get it over with
The dance story validates every reason I would never ever let my daughter go anywhere near a dance studio competition or not
Yeah... I loved to dance until my dance teacher told me I was too fat to be in the competition. I will never expose my kids to that
I took ballet lessons from age 7 to age 18, but I went to a non-competitive studio. My teacher was incredible and I loved her a lot. When it was time to start preparing for our year-end recitals, we were told what makeup colors we had to use to go with our costumes, but it wasn't any specific brand
I know so many fit and healthy girls with wrecked body images from dance and gymnastics. If you aren’t naturally very petite it will destroy you. It’s a shame there isn’t more “hobby” kids activities, too many adults reliving thier former “glory” through teaching/coaching.
i'm really sorry that happened to you, how awful!!@@SammyLammy1D
I just watched a couple episodes of Dance Moms and good lord. Those poor girls.
Amusingly, OP was VERY close to do the thing I recommend: Ir someone pesters you about an MLM: Ask THEM to cover your startup fee, and you'll "pay them back with your first paycheck". They WILL refuse if they are 100 % just trying to steal your money.
And the second method ofc: Link them to a dozen "going out of business" of their MLM with a "Great news! I found a way to get a TON of inventory for a steal!" and watch them fluster trying to excuse WHY you're not allowed to get that. And just question "Why?" as: Am I NOT my own boss? Etc.
Not related to the video, but I would loooove it for you to have a sleep asmr kind of podcast, your video is so incredibly soothing and I always get so calm (and sleepy too) by watching your videos 🥰
My daughter and her boyfriend went to the Caribbean for almost 2 weeks. They stayed at an Airbnb. They took a video of the whole place when they got there and one when they left. That way if the owner had any issues or said something was broke, damaged etc. They had a video to prove how they legt the place.
It'd be great to hear more analysis on Tupperware. My mother was a Tupperware salesperson years ago (she was roped into it while pregnant in the early 2000s, as a way to make more cash while she couldn't work), and we were just talking about it and her experiences with other MLMs in the past. I'm so glad she didn't become one of those people whose whole lives become making product sales, as she had a full-time job to focus on, but I remember she had so many "Tupperware parties" and the products would be all over the house. She ended up getting out of it when she "ran out" of friends to sell to, though.
Excuse me, um where was Zek or Copper? I do not recall a single kitty glimpse or meow from the stars of this show. I feel denied ❤😂❤
Right?! Where are my boys?!
I mostly listen to your videos when I do chores or when I'm doing something at work that only requires my hands and not my mind :) They're so soothing ❤
I love your channel. Thank you for doing all the research. So many times I’ve gotten the “hey hun” message thinking it was legit a friend wanting to reconnect only to get pitched. So much hurt. From Beachbody to LuLaRo to Plexus and the Mary Kay “spa day” and many more. I also struggle with being too nice to door to door salespeople. Now I am better educated and know how to deal with them. The book sales college kids, the vacuums-and so much more. I hate all the manipulation, so icky. Please keep making these videos. You are doing a great public service!!!!!!
I wish I could watch all your videos for the very first time again so I can have more content😢 I rewatch them weekly 😂
In terms of the Tupperware online party, it sounds like it was a multi-day party on a Facebook group. I've been invited to many of those. So I don't think the woman was live on zoom when her son died.
And to clarify, this is not to justify her continuing the party. She still could have (and should have) ended it.
Story 1, no, let that be a lesson to Sarah or whatever her name is. If you try to force someone to sign under duress and front up that money....expect to lose it. A small drop in the bucket to what she wanted to bilk from OP.
Can confirm the teacher’s lovely compliment: you provide the perfect combination of relaxing vibes with a tender voice and captivating, informative and IMPORTANT content ❤😊
I had to pause and process emotions in the middle that story. I remember the pressure I felt to "get over it" and "get back on the wagon" after three people I love died over a three month period. The crazy thing is that I believed what I was told. They taught the best way to deal with negative was to ignore it and I honestly believed that if I could just get myself focused on the business then the pain would go away. Unfortunately or fortunately it didn't work and I never reached any significant success in the five years I remained in business after those deaths. Even as I quit I was told I just couldn't hack it and that I was "letting the past define me." Thankfully I have an amazing counselor who has helped me out of that very dark place.
Story 2 - it's similar in theater as well. I did both dance and theatre growing up but in theatre you have to have specific stage makeup and then specific cleaners to be able to get it off lol
I haven’t finished story 1, but already I feel so much for the story teller.
I worked in fast food for like 3 months and I couldn’t stay any longer. This makes me feel for her working there for 6+months. I can imagine how much she was desperate to get out, and how clearly she can dedicate work and time to an actual job.
I think what makes story #2 extra notable is - yes, we've seen huns keep pushing their biz in the midst of devastating news. But usually it's them uploading an emoji-filled recruitment post. To see her compartmentalize the biggest trauma a person can go through live on camera is just.... Unreal.
My jaw dropped when I read the title! I always think it can't get worse, but it does!
We had an exact makeup product combo we had to buy and use at our studio too. It was always Mac. Russian red lipstick, high tide eyeshadow. Every competition there would be like one girl who had the wrong lipstick and it was a huge deal😂😂
At least nowadays there are a couple of dupes for Russian Red.
speaking as an introvert: if someone added one person that i knew to a hangout without warning (a hangout that was supposed to be the two of us) i might never hang out with that person again. adding a whole room full of people i don't know? i would turn on my heel and leave on the spot lol no thank you
I was a competitive dancer as well and I also really relate to the dance teacher studio...some of the biggest diva B's were the instructors that behaved just like the one in the story!
Hello, Hannah, how are you? I don't know if you're going to see this comment, however I just want to tell you I'm also studying English as a second language with your video, thanks a bunch! I am learning a lot!
Regarding your personal anecdote about signing up for pest control at your door - my partner has come up with a rule of thumb when people come to the door with offers on internet and other things. We basically say “I don’t make financial decisions at my door” and ask for a card, pamphlet, or website so we can think about it. We are both people-pleasers and don’t like saying no, so this rule has been helpful for us. We not comfortable supporting businesses that use high-pressure sales tactics at the door. Exceptions can of course be made - kids fundraising for certain things, our neighbour kids asking if we want them to do some yard work… but the rule helps us say no when we feel pressured by a stranger who won’t take no for an answer.
Out of topic, related to the Argentinian story, I work as an English-Spanish interpreter, I feel sometimes my diction is not the best because of the hurry of just making sure the message is accurate, and when I feel like I’m losing it I binge watch your content so I can refocus and improve the way I pronounce things to sound a bit more professional. Your teacher background really shows!
Story 2, I’ve been in the situation where I knew someone very close to me was going to pass away several times. So I was anticipating getting the call/notification for a period of 48 hours to 6 weeks; in the longest case. When you fully know it’s coming it does hit you very differently. So I hope that was the case for the Tupperware lady, that son was expected to pass.
Answering your door to strangers is like responding to the " your package is at the depot " email, when you werent expecting a package.
The whole makeup/dance team thing happens ALL THE TIME here. If it’s not makeup, it’s the dance outfits. If it’s not the outfits it’s the hair products. It’s disgusting.
Watching Hannah's videos from a country where these things don't exist, because MLMs/pyramid schemes are highly illegal, I'm absolutely addicted 😳 They're extraordinary and shocking
My husband and I sold pest control when we were engaged to pay for our wedding. We made a lot of money! I have always been so thankful for the people that bought because I feel like I never would buy anything from someone knocking on my door lol. Also, is pest control an MLM? I’ve wondered that for a while haha…
There is a lot of money to be made in pest control! I have a company in Europe, but I was wondering why people sell it door to door in the US! Do you guys need training or a special permit to sell it?