AMWAY Addiction Kills Marriage
Amway is an addiction, claims this forlorn fiance.
He missed their wedding shower to go to an Amway conference.
When forced to choose between his future bride and Amway, he chose Amway… despite the fact that, in 2 years, he has no downline and only one customer: his mother.
Is it possible that the Amway multilevel marketing “cult” can be as addictive as gambling, alcohol or drugs?
Share your opinion or experience below.
Amway stole my boyfriend, claims forlorn fiance
Here is the account we received from a forlorn fiance, who wishes to remain anonymous:
“Up until two days ago I was engaged to the man of my dreams. We had great plans for the future…for us…for a family. He had always been in Amway and he never actually worked at it until I pushed him to do it. I told him that if he was going to do it he should do it 100% or he would never see a profit, because he wasn’t seeing one. I challenged him that if he didn’t make a profit or see any prospect that he should quit or drastically cut back on the money he wasted on it. He agreed. Time came…no profit…he didn’t keep his promise.
“Lately, he became more and more distant from me. He wasn’t even himself anymore. He was hiding things from me and I knew he wasn’t happy but he could never put into words why. It was very comparable to someone addicted to drugs and hiding it from their loved ones. I comfronted him about my fears and he only shut me out. He turned me into his enemy. Everything I said was against him and against amway in his opinion. Every decision he made was based on amway instead of based on us.
“One night it got very bad and he randomly stated that he had bought tickets for an amway conference the day of our bridal shower. I know boys don’t usually go to the shower, but he had already promised me he would be there to help clean up afterwards and go through everything with me. I was excited. I knew there was a conference that day, but he promised me he would be there for me. He went behind my back and bought a ticket anyways. I explained to him that it was very hurtful and there would be other conferences, but only one memory of our shower celebrating us.
“He looked me straight in the face without any emotion and said he cared more about amway than he did my feelings.
“Now he says he can’t remember saying it, but he knows he did. This is the kind of mentality and addiction it has become for him. He regrets this action now, but he knows it isn’t exactly something you can just take back. He is sick…just like someone addicted to drugs. Only I don’t know how to help him with this addiction. We couldn’t even go on one date without him trying to contact our waitress/waitor. It consumed his every though like a crack addict desiring one more hit and doing anything to get it.
“I wanted to believe that amway was safe and it could be done in moderation. Hey, I liked the idea of retiring young too. I was there for him and supported him through it all. Now I see that it isn’t right. A half lie is still a lie and amway cannot be done in moderation. A gambler can’t just gamble a “little.”
“At this point I wouldn’t care if amway were possible and being a millionaire was only one contact away. I would rather be homeless than a millionaire and see someone I love so sick and not be able to help them.
“This is the result of amway in my life. I have to watch someone I love deeply be consumed by it and addicted to it and make nothing from it. I fear he will be like that for the rest of his life. It will never be enough. He will always need one more customer, one more prospect.
“He has been in amway 2 years…has no people under him…and no customers but himself and his mother when she can afford it. He did everything they asked, went to the meetings, listened to the cd’s, went out 3.4.5.6.even 7 times a week to contact.
“I even would take him back after everything if he could just give amway up. I tried to be reasonable and accomodating and let him do it as he pleased in moderation. All things in moderation…anything good can be bad if it consumes your life right? Well you can’t do amway in moderation that is what the cd’s and everything teaches…every person you meet is a potential client.
“I would do anything to have the real him back. I know what he said was hurtful, but I also know that it is the addiction talking, but he wont quit.
“I am afraid he will never see the light that it isn’t worth this. He is giving up his fiance and who is to say what is next. His friends…whom he has already lost many…his job as an accountant….his family?”
WHAT DO YOU THINK? HAVE YOU KNOWN ANYONE WHOSE RELATIONSHIPS CHANGED AFTER THEY GOT INVOLVED WITH AMWAY OR OTHER CULTLIKE MLM ORGANIZATIONS? SHARE A COMMENT BELOW.
Ironically, some IBOs and motivational leaders proclaim that Amway saves marriages.
I can understand and relate to the author of this article. My difference was that he told me about “the business” at the start of our relationship, 5 years ago… However, he didn’t tell me it was Amway, until about 2 years ago. My guy has been on and off with it, and thinks that is why he hasn’t been “successful”. Recently, he purchased “Live The Dream” and it has propelled him into full swing. He already has 2 jobs and is a full time student, (yes, he is only getting a degree to be a better IBO). This leaves very little time for our relationship, and he knows time is important to me. Recently, I just broke down and asked him to choose, me or Amway. He gave me his answer, with no hesitation, loud and clear, Amway. I stupidly, still fight for this relationship!!!! That tells me that something is fundamentally wrong with ME to still hang around!!! When he is listening to those CDs and motivational books, he acts like a completely different person than he normally behaves, just like the author pointed out about her fiancée…I wanted to share my agreement with the author, and ask if anyone knows of any particular groups out there that is available to help us, the ones who have lost the loves of our lives to this wrecking ball of a corporation?
Patsy,
Many Amway IBOs literally become brainwashed to a point of no return. They will choose Amway over a friend or skip their brother’s wedding because of an Amway meeting. It’s a sad but very real dynamic. Basically your boyfriend will have to realize this on his own. His upline may have tagged you as “negative” and you will be shunned unless you become interested in Amway.
I would suggest you ask your boyfriend when he plans to be profitable, and what happens when that date comes and he’s not?
If you click my name, it will link you to my blog where there’s a lot of information and a lot of my Amway experiences posted there. Good luck.
I am petitioning the IFA (International Franchise Association) to hold their franchisor members responsible for acts of fraud, threatening, stealing,lying and creating false documents to terminate their franchisees from their agreements.
Although our franchises may be different most are members of the IFA and the IFA is stealing our rights to due process by helping these franchisors word their contracts in a way that when we sign up to start also forfeits our rights to due process should THEY commit CRIMINAL acts against our franchise.
Please go to the link below and sign my petition. Then download it and post it to your web site so others will know and can sign as well.
Thank You!
Todd A. Peterson
I am petitioning the IFA (International Franchise Association) to hold their franchisor members responsible for acts of fraud, threatening, stealing,lying and creating false documents to terminate their franchisees from their agreements.
Although our franchises may be different most are members of the IFA and the IFA is stealing our rights to due process by helping these franchisors word their contracts in a way that when we sign up to start also forfeits our rights to due process should THEY commit CRIMINAL acts against our franchise.
Please go to the link below and sign my petition. Then download it and post it to your web site so others will know and can sign as well.
http://www.change.org/petitions/veterans-deserve-success-not-matco-tools-franchise-failure?utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=share_petition&utm_term=friends_wall
Thank You!
Todd A. Peterson
Joecool,
I actually have asked him that very question. When I tell you his response, you will see how far gone he is!
me: “You’re giving up me and our relationship HOPING to get rich. What happens in 5 years when you are still in the same place you are in.”
Him: “If I am not successful in 5 years, that just means I am not working hard enough.”
I know that my relationship is over, I just have to accept that… And I do have to say, I was so glad I found your site, just to be able to vent my heartbreak…
I know I have to move on, it is just so hard, for so long he was not only the love of my life, but also my best-friend.
I will follow up on your blog page. Thank you!!!
Patsy,
Thanks for sharing. I’m glad you found some some value in reading my blog.
I was an IBO at one time also. I was an up and coming IBO and despite reaching a fairly significant level, I made no money because of expenses.
Around that same time, my upline advised me to ditch my fiancee and that was the final straw for me and I quit.
It’s an odd thing, how Amway leaders can tell you that their system is foolproof and and in the same breath, convince you that any failure is because you didn’t work hard enough or follow their instructions to a “T”.
I wish you well.
I have a similar situation my boyfriend of 4 years is brainwashed by amway. It’s to the point I do not know what to do. Every time I try to talk to him he refuses to listen he turns into a brick wall. His friends have tried too and nobody can get through to him. I have become the enemy to him and its breaking my heart. He is a totally different person now he has turned into a liar and selfish person. He’s constantly listening to the CDs and he has filled his whole backseat with amway products and the whole corner of his room is filled with boxes of things he’s NOT selling! He blows me off to go to meetings and conventions without even caring about my feelings. He is giving them thousands of dollars and he refuses to see he’s not making anything but a fool of himself. I have even told him on numerous occasions it’s me or amway and everytime he makes it clear what’s more important, I don’t know why I stay I love him with all my heart but amway has ruined our relationship I wish there was something I could do to salvage it but unless amway stops there’s no saving the relationship.
I share the same pains as some of you except my fiance actually works in one of their facilities. He is dedicating his life to that place and has no time for me anymore. I have always joked that it was a cult but didn’t realize that others felt the same. He has changed since he was hired in full time. He lies to me and hides stuff from me and has even resorted to paying for phone xxx becuase he has become so distant. I don’t know what they say to them while they are there at work, but I have a feeling that they have pep talks that encourage them to be so devoted. Is it really worth loosing your family? These employees need help. Live sleep eat amway. well all I can say is amyway can get bent.
Amway saps the working will of people who may not be of leadership quality, but would have certainly made for productive members of our society. Amway is to blame for this, but so is American Culture…as well as you yourselves. Myself for that matter.
I, too have a boyfriend that I think addicted to the motto of quick buck. At first, I of course support him. He choose to work part time and using his spare time to do contacting. We’ve been living together for 9 months, 8 of which I let him free loading. Last month I got quite fed up, so I asked him to start to share the rent. He did share august rent, but this past two days he’s been telling me that he decided to move back to his mom house in order to save some money as he had dental and credit debt. Looking back, I’m positive he’s been “wasting” about $2000 for these mlm business. First one is ACN, which he paid $500 for start up fee, then he bought a home phone line and paid $35 monthly. Then he quit and start in amway, his start up fee is $260, plus each month he spend more than $200 to buy their products in order to keep up with their PV/BV points. Not to mention the money he spend on meetings, conventions, books and CDs. And now he’s into another mlm company which I’m not really care whats their name is. All those time, he mostly broke. Heck, he doesn’t even have money to do laundry! I becoming his bank, I feed him, providing him with the basic daily necessities. I feels like I really wanna break up with him ASAP!!
I was in Amway back in the days when it was Quixtar. Not every part of it was bad, but after nearly 3 years or people getting in and out I had enough.
I am not saying that me failing was anyone’s fault other than mine and I swore I would never speak wrongly about Amway. It wasn’t until I was married and we had our 3rd child that it came back into my life. My husband got very excited about the opportunity and I did too; seeing him so excited. It wasn’t until I got pregnant with our 4th child about a year later that it started sucking the life right out of our marriage.
The rare date nights we had became going to meetings and listening to people talk and share the plan. He reluctantly backed off for awhile to help me out with the kiddos, but now it’s starting again. I had hoped that he would just walk away from it, but the whole time he was listening to Amway cds and he began to start the brainwash cycle. I just want my husband back!
I told him how I feel for the umpteenth time yesterday and once more it fell on deaf ears. I am apparently the problem, not Amway. And when I told him I can’t do this anymore, his response? “I’m sorry you feel that way” and he was off to a meeting.
Is there really any way to reason with someone who’s been brainwashed by Amway before they burn out and lose everything like I did? He is willing to risk it all, because to him, I am the problem. Amway (even tho it’s killing our marriage) is the answer. Still. Help???
Amway isn’t the problem in any of these situation! The men you are describing are missing something in there life that Amway is filling the void or giving the hope to fill the void. In most cases money is what pulls people in and that’s what most people chase to fill. There are millions of Amway IBO’s and a very small percent make it to the top $220 per year is the average income I think? But how many of you work at a 9-5pm job that your boss tells you if you work hard and let nothing stand in the way of your dreams you’ll be making 1,2,5! Million Dollars!? It doesn’t happen that is the hope so many people hold on to. Its not Amway’s fault they have proven success!? Talking about it won’t make it better and I’m sorry to those that lost someone to it but the person you lost would have fallen to another dream somewhere else had it not been for amway.
Derek:
You are right that people who sell Amway have something wrong with them, that they are trying to fill some desperate need and fill some hole in themselves. But Amway and its tool sellers have created empires by exploiting impressionable, weak-minded individuals who are susceptible to self-delusion.
How is this different than a drug dealer? Sure, drug dealers don’t create poverty and hopelessness, and they didn’t create the genes that make some people prone to addiction. But do you believe that those who make their fortunes exploiting and encouraging the weaknesses of others don’t deserve to be outed as the scumbags they truly are? Don’t defwend people who take luxury vacations, drive expensive cars and live in McMansions by sucking the funds out of families and causing divorces and other devastation.
There are people who dedicate their lives to helping people and making the world a better place, and there are those who make money deluding suckers and adding to the misery of the worlds. What Amway and Amway tool sellers do might not be strictly illegal, but it is scumbaggery of the highest degree.
My wife has been doing ACN for nearly four years now. I’m a disabled Marine Veteran of 26 years service. I can’t work now and that bothers me to no end. My wife has fallen into this ACN dreamscape and blasts off for destinations unknown everyday.
She chases people all over the country in search for the one who will bring her to TC,RD,RVP,SVP. I would rather be in Iraq, Bagdad, Afganistan, etc. Our quality time together is zero and the things we use to do are a thing of the past.
My retired pay, VA pay, SSDI, and Combat Special pay, funds her venture. I love to see her happy however, she’s most happy with her ACN friends. I decided to help her by presenting the business where you speak in front of people. This is very easy for me and hard for others and seems to be a common thread to male it to the top.
I have integrity and if this business was completely legit, I’d support it. Her check in the mail is not enough to even pay her fuel for the month. Residual Income made by recruiting others into the dream of fortune and walking across the stage.
That’s the cult part of it and frankly, she’s all -in as they say at the meetings. Well, this Marine stil has gas in the tank, makes 8k a month and is packing his sea bag.
She can have
ACN because, she chooses to do the same over us. She’s very pretty (no really) a solid ninety-nine and she always buys things to keep herself that way. The boobs,nails, face, rocket hard rear-end at the club, new car, and more.
I owe nothing on this home and don’t care to walk away after thirty years come July first. I’m 52 and tested last month to be in my thirties. Gym rat and climbing out of being neglected through the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ. I run with pain, lift weights, and cycle until exhaustion.
Through it all, the Lord has sustained me. Today is Sunday, I missed Mass. My wife, gone to another appointment, When does this stop? I was supposed to die before I considered leaving my bride. I’m going to have to answer to God for this. ACN is doing well and I applaud their efforts. Good for them.
This life is not for me and The end is near. All the riches in this earthly life can’t compare to a life filled with happiness and being together. Take your Amways, ACNS, and every other misleading endeavor and be gone.
Want adventure, compassion, devotion, love, desire, and happiness? Don’t fall victim to these MLM dream killers. Only a select few ever make it and the rest are left with a void they never can fill. Too bad, what they seek is right at home.
Um…Hi. I am actually the “forlorn fiance” that wrote the account of losing my fiance to amway. I am not sure why but it has been over a year and I just started thinking about when this all happened. I guess I still have healing scars from the whole amway experience in my life. I do not know if anyone even reads this comment section or keeps up with it anymore. I actually re-read the account that I had wrote about my brainwashed fiance and I had to chuckle to myself. I had written “what is next” wondering if he would lose more friends and lose his accounting job. Well…guess what, he actually got fired from his accounting job. Unknown to me he got fired from his steady paying job within the same week I officially ended things with him. It kinda makes me laugh and want to say “I told you so”, but it also makes me really sad to know how deep into the dark pit he truly was and as far as I know probably is…Of course he never told me he was fired, I actually found out from a co-worker of mine whose husband works for the same company my fiance did.
I haven’t actually looked at this page since I wrote that. I’m not sure why it popped into my head today, but reading some of these comments on here made me close to tears.
I KNOW HOW MUCH IT HURTS! Trust me I do know, and it still hurts at times, but to all the fiances and girlfriends and boyfriends and just plain old friends of amway brainwashed people…all I would tell you is just LEAVE.
I know it will hurt like hell. Breaking up with my fiance was probably the hardest thing I have ever had to do in my life. Having to accept the embarrassment of ending and engagement, having to somehow survive the awkward encounters of people asking how married life is and tell them the truth and try to escape with some amount of dignity. Trust me this crap still happens over a year later and it SUCKS! Having to cancel reservations and deal with all the practicalities of ending and engagement. And even more so the broken heart and feeling of wasting your life being with someone who cared more about amway and money than he ever cared about you.
Just do it though! I am telling you take the very first opportunity to end things and end it! It is not worth wasting your time trying to explain to them the reality of how they are making you feel or the reality of all the money they are wasting. It is not worth blaming yourself for this situation. It is not worth spending one more second in a relationship with someone who cares more about money than you. And frankly that is what it boils down to…MONEY. They try to disguise it as caring about a dream and a lifestyle and it is complete bull crap. DO NOT BUY IT! It is not worth your heartache and your pain just leave and never go back to them. Never date or get involved with anyone who is seriously involved with amway or scams similar. If they are already in too deep to get out then just leave them…flat out just leave them.
If someone you know is considering this STRONGLY advice them NOT to do it!!!!!! Seriously I beg you.
Ending that relationship like I said was very very difficult for me, but I do not regret it at all. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like if I would have gone through with the marriage. It would be awful and I would be miserable and always second place to his first love…amway. That is just not right. I do not regret it at all and I have a much much much much happier life now. I seriously cannot stress this enough.
So ladies of “ambots” just get out! It will hurt, but you will not regret it and your life will be so much happier and less of a battle. Quit contemplating trying to save them…in my experience you can’t. They are not worth it in the end…and trust me I thought they we’re too. But if popular belief is correct, you only live once and why should you waste any of your precious time miserable trying to save an “ambot”.
And you know what even if by some miracle they do accomplish their goal…and trust me it would take a miracle…it will not be worth all the pain and suffering. And in the end you will probably end up just having resentment for how horrible they treated you and being rich is not worth that. Money is not everything.
Wow that was a lot bigger rant than I anticipated it would be I am sorry. I just read all these comments of broken relationships and was very sad for all you people out there. I am sorry. Just get out.
I hate to bash someone for their beliefs, but my husband (newely wed at the time 2003-4) is joined quixar. Although I was happy to see him come out of his shell. He started alienating our friends and family.
I remember he tried to get me on board, and I kept saying I had a bad feeling about it. It didn’t seem right. It was to good to be true. I had two jobs, at the time and he was trying to get me to quit them and do his business with him. I found money missing out of our accounts that was for bills. To find out he was spending them on c.d’s and seminars. I never saw any of the so called checks he was getting. This caused such a strain on our marriage I didnt want to come home at night.
Finally one day he asked me to go with him to a lunch date with 3 other members of this group, but promised me it wasnt about his business. I went I asked him to drive, but he insisted we ride with someone. I get there to some random house. Average house, nothing fancy like they promise. I walk in. My anxiety and anger are already at a high. Before I even sit down this older man and woman have a tripod out and a blank board. Before even introducing themselves to me they ask me what my goals in life are. I shoot my husband a look. I am holding back tears.
I tell them that I was informed this was a lunch, not about quixar, They laugh at me and ask me what I think makes a marriage? How we support one another. How I am wrong. My thinking is wrong. I explain I am a caregiver, I help people, even with a mound of money I will continue to work its what i like doing, alienating people is not ok. I feel like life is more then the materialistic things these people are selling to me just seems wrong.
I sit through the bullying. When we leave I don’t say a word. I start questioning my life, my marriage (mind you I am 18 at the time) My husband and I almost divorced over it. He spent thousands of dollars on it. I literally had to move over two hours away. It took 6 months for us to work on our relationship. When I left they continued to feed him stuff about how if I loved him I would support him. It took 6 months for him to realize they were not good people.
I’m sure some people can do it. But for us it was a horrible experience. My husband and I have been pretty happy together minus the crazy cult that was quixtar. It has been 8 years since then. I don’t know what finally pushed him to quit and move up with me. I had divorce papers ready. I know on some of the social networking sites I see one of the people that had recruited him. I don’t speak to them I have no reason. I will be respectful but I never go out of my way.
I would like to say though that person that was on their way to making “6 figures” has had 5 different jobs since and currently is a assistant manager at a buffalo wing place. I am not going to shoot him down on purpose but I thought he was never going to work again.
Again it might work for some people hey it strengthened my marriage in the long run.
I really hope people see this post. Anyone that says Amway is a cult or a scan simply doesn’t know a thing about Amway. I can literally write pages of why Amway is an amazing corporation, but I would be wasting my time. The only thing I can say is that people don’t realize that this isn’t just about Amway, this is a revolutionary industry that works!! It’s proven that it works, for people who are commited, people who actually do the work. It is so simple, for anyone complaining about losing their fiancé or what not, guys seriously, it’s not Amway, it’s the way both of you think. That’s the obvious reason why people fail at amway, people think too small. Life is about thinking BIG and Amway is just a vehicle with amazing products that give you the opportunity to reach your goals and dreams. Best of luck everyone.
Jay, you couldn’t possibly be more wrong.
After a decade of never missing a single meeting in Amway (which I capitalize only because the Am- actually stands for the word American), and blowing around $50k on overpriced products and motivational tapes & conferences, I still astound people by saying it was worth it. The reason is (a) thinking and speaking positive things to yourself and looking on the bright side habitually really isn’t a bad idea compared to its alternative; (b) I learned people skills that are absolutely second to none, because you have to face your fear of people to contact them about this crap and care about their (unlikely yet hopeful) success more than about your looking like a fool, and (b) my wife and I learned that we can stay together. We would have definitely fought ourselves to separation long ago were it not for being forced to work out our differences in time for “the meeting”. Being around so many committed, loving couples all the time was a huge benefit for us. I know, weird, huh? I could’ve quit five years earlier, but hey, live and learn. They never tell you, less than 1% of people in any MLM ever break even.
Wow! I have felt once as a finance all of these feelings regarding AMWAY. I personally would go to a phone team or Friday night PACE with my husband and want to cry. I could not understand why I could not be on the same page as him when I loved him soooo much. I am an accountant so I would ask our up lines to show me the numbers per say and they never could all they could tell me was to follow the system listen to CDs attend conferences and we will make money. We never saw a profit in 2 years. My fiancé at the time ran like crazy and he was so loyal to the system , his up line and his Downline. Traveling from city to city contacting friends and family to get them in the business. Now we have been married for two years we are not in Anway anymore but I have to ADMIT the system gas taught my husband everything he knows about being a successful advisor. Yeah I have to admit I dislike Anway to and will never never ever do it again but as I see the man my husband has become I have to say with pulling teeth lol thanks to the system for showing my husband what it takes to be in business now for himself. I am in the process if writing a book on this topic, I will keep you with updates.
OMG!!! I can’t believe Amway is still the same as it was 30 years ago. In 1981 I was 18 years old. My girlfriend’s mother persuaded me to join, and it was hell from the beginning. My girlfriend’s mother was a sweet, peaceful, and very religious lady that I loved turned who turned into a total BITCH in no time. My girlfriend was on her side and for a year of HELL I was not allowed to quit. For most of that year, I practically handed over all my hard earned money from my full time job until I moved out of their house. I had been living with them after my parent moved to FLA. I quit after a half year, but I was not off the hook. My girlfriend made me buy products and renew my membership when it expired. I had to raise all Hell to quit arguing to keep my money hard earned money, it was a constant Hell. My girlfriend would never call me a loser (which is what you’re supposed to call those that don’t follow through), but she was Pissed and blamed me for ruining her mother’s business for quitting. I was on her mother’s SHITLIST right away and she got all the meaner. Why did I quit? Main reason was they command you to “burn your bridges”. This means you tell everyone you’re going to get rich from Amway, you treat family members like SHIT and everyone else who doesn’t join. This way it would be hard to quit. You’ll be too embarrassed if you even think of quitting, because you’ll only look like a fool (and worse than that, like a loser to Amway members). The reason current members cannot quit is because of the pain they’ll have to confront; such as family members they blew off, and all people they told that they were going to get rich. Ultimately, you are made to think you are a failure if you quit. I couldn’t treat my family like SHIT for no one and for a longtime I thought I was a failure for quitting too soon. Another, reason i had a hard time quitting was because on one of the tapes i learned that the Bible says that “if your take on a task and you look back, you’re not worthy of the Kingdom of God”. And I wouldn’t want to disappoint God would I. I eventually moved to FLA with my parents, and I eventually went back with my girlfriend because we had a child together. However, for a long time she continued to be a Bitch about me leaving Amway. I brought her to FLA where eventually she forgot about Amway after a while. We married later and been married for 25 years. I bring up this disaster every so often and I have yet to hear my wife say that they were wrong about Amway. Three years after her mother joined, had to sell her house and I bet had used it as collateral for Amway, and mortgage got to expensive. They lived in hotels for 6 months and almost ended up on the streets if I had not taken them in. Two of her children went on drugs. 30 years later, she has recently gone back to church but having a hard time getting her children back in church. I have a good relationship with her and I love her to death but sometimes I still remember what a Bitch she was to me and I still get pissed. Some members are probably going through damage control where they knows they are “only beating a dead horse” for continuing in Amway. The pain of facing your burned bridges is a bitch and I’m glad I didn’t let it mess my family and relationship, but I still feel the after- shocks of angry memories.
(corrected copy from previous)
OMG!!! I can’t believe Amway is still the same as it was 30 years ago. In 1981 I was 18 years old. My girlfriend’s mother persuaded me to join, and it was hell from the beginning. My girlfriend’s mother—a sweet, peaceful, and very religious lady that I loved—turned into a total BITCH in no time. My girlfriend was on her side and for a year of HELL. It was hard to quit I had been living with them after my parent moved to FLA and had nowhere to go. For most of that year, I practically handed over all my hard-earned money from my full time job until I moved out. I quit after a half year, but I was not off the hook. My girlfriend made me buy products and renew my membership when it expired. I had to raise all Hell before I quit and keep my hard-earned money. It was a constant Hell. My girlfriend would never call me a loser (which is what you’re supposed to call those that don’t follow through), but she was Pissed and blamed me for ruining her mother’s business for quitting. I was on her mother’s SHITLIST right away and she got all the meaner. Why did I quit? Main reason was they command you to “burn your bridges”. This means you tell everyone you’re going to get rich from Amway, and you treat family members like SHIT and everyone else who doesn’t join. This way it would be hard to quit. You’ll be too embarrassed if you even think of quitting, because you’ll only look like a fool (and worse than that, like a loser to Amway members). Another, reason was that they teach you that the Bible says that “if your take on a task and you look back, you’re not worthy of the Kingdom of God”. And I wouldn’t want to disappoint God, would I? The reason current members cannot quit is because of the pain they’ll have to confront; such as family members they blew off, and looking like a failure before their former friends. I could never bring myself to treat my family members like SHIT for no one and for a longtime I thought I was a failure for quitting too soon. I eventually moved to FLA with my parents, and I sent for my girlfriend because we had a child together. However, for a long time she continued to be a Bitch about me leaving Amway. While in FLA she forgot about Amway after a while. We married later and been married for 25 years. I bring up this disaster every so often and I have yet to hear my wife say that they were wrong about Amway. Three years after her mother joined, they had to sell their house and I bet it the reason was because they used their house as collateral for Amway, and mortgage got to expensive. They lived in hotels for 6 months and almost ended up in the streets if I had not taken them in. Two of her children went on drugs. 30 years later, she has recently gone back to church but is having a hard time getting her children back in church. I have a good relationship with her and I love her to death but sometimes I still remember what a Bitch she was to me and I still get pissed. Some members are probably going through damage control meaning they know they are “only beating a dead horse” for continuing in Amway. The pain of facing your “burned bridges” is a bitch and I’m glad I didn’t let it mess my family and relationships, but I still feel the after-shocks of angry memories.
I absolutely, positively hate scAmway. Years ago when we were first married (1997) and living in NY, my husband got involved in it, approached by some guy at a diner. We never sponsored anyone, and were frankly to poor to keep up with buying products or going to meetings, etc. Eventually we moved to Florida, and as far as I was concerned, that whole experience was to be a happily forgotten distant memory. Unfortunately this past year, my husband was foolish enough to get involved with scAmway again. My husband works on a military base 9 hours away from our home, and thus lives near the base full time. He was sponsored into the business by his roommate (who happens to also be his landlord). No pressure there, right? Anyway, the only thing Amway has done for us is make our marriage, already complicated by living long distance, even more difficult as we are not in agreement over scAmway. The little free time my husband has is spent contacting people, and I barely get a phone call from him just to say, “What’s up?” His excuse for not spending time with me is that he will have plenty of time to be with me later. He just doesn’t realize that I may not be around later. My heart is already sick from the lack of attention, and I don’t see myself being able to hang on much longer. I love my husband, and I know he loves me, but frankly I am very disappointed that he would allow himself to be hoodwinked by this “business” once again.
I have recently split up with the father of my child of 6 years around 7 months ago, within the last 2 weeks when he comes to see our son of 6 he would talk about this great company he is in called ACN.
The past week his behaviour has completely changed, he isnt the same person, he is lying about not paying for the joining fee, which I have been doing a lot of research regarding this disgustng company.
I said do what you like just make sure it doesnt involve the time you have seeing your son. Now he was suppose to have his son this weekend but yesterday he said that he might have to leave our son with ‘someone’ while he attends a ”meeting” (he has to attend,its just creepy)
So I have said he cannot have his son as I dont know who he will be leaving my son with, he got so angry at me and went mad.
He says im a loser because i should support him and understand that in a few months he will be so rich that he can help me out more with money etc
When I saw him yesterday he was so dressed up beyond anything I have seen before, the same way his upload (best friend) was dressed the week before, its like he has tunnel vision and cant talk/think about anything else other than ACN.
My son is really upset and is being affected by this now which really makes me angry and upset.
I dont know what to do, he is becoming more mentally unstable and im worrying that very soon im not going to be able to even leave my son with him.
I don’t ‘hate’ Amway, but the truth needs to be spoken. Amway in itself is a neutral; it’s an opportunity. I love that.
What I don’t love are the mind controlling support systems that have grown up around Amway. The mind control is very real, and it will easily destroy your marriage, I guarantee it.
I’d build Amway if it weren’t so tainted by the support systems, which in my mind, have lost touch with real integrity.
Just the way I see it.
My boyfriend just recently joined Amway and it’s not because he needs the money. He is a family lawyer and a mortgage broker. If anyone should join it’s me as I am actively seeking work
The moment he mentioned an online business I knew it was Amway.
He seems to spend more time with his Amway friend than me. She us very pushy and ensures he attends meetings by getting her boyfriend to pick him up and drive him there. No point in telling him. He won’t listen.
So I will sit back and let him go on his journey with Amway. He shouldn’t be surprised to wake up one day and find that I have vanished!!
Lady, please,
i can say that johnny walker made my dad an alcoholic pero it didnt, my dad choosed to become an alcoholic
or i can i say that his alcoholic behave made me became a bad student but it didnt, i decided to become a bad student
dont blame amway, your ex-husband was an independent man, he choosed to leave you
real love goes beyond silliness like that
Moises:
You might be right that the people who are most susceptible to Amway have a screw loose (at worst) or have some sort of hole or need inside that they are trying to fill (at the least).
But when needy people are sucked into organizations that are designed to exploit those needs for other purposes (greed, control, violence, racism) it’s not accurate to dismiss the organizations role in the outcomes either.
There are people who were racist to begin with, but never committed extreme or violent acts until they joined the KKK or Aryan nation.
Would suicide bombers have cooked up their heinous acts on their own if they hadn’t fallen in with extremist groups that manipulated their weaknesses to their own terrible ends.
Amway is just the same… recruiting those with weak minds or holes inside they are trying to fill into an organization designed to exploit their neediness and lack of self-determination for the profit of those at the top.
For any one in In Amway Of Avon or Aubon or any direct selling business. No one is holding a gun to your head that you have to do exactly what is required. Have a budget stick to that budget and work the plan. Perhaps the better halves need to support and encourage their better halves and see the results.
You would spend a couple of hundred for a baseball, basketball, football game so why not a conference ticket or a seminar ticket. A job will never build you wealth. Please read Robert Kiyosakis book Business of the 21st century. to the person who lost her finance if you attended some functions or seminars with your partner and just encouraged him there would be a difference. Every year Amway on Free Enterprise day has produced a diamond without fail. i am not trying to convince anyone but check out better business bureau and chamber of commerce..
My husband is amway for about 2 years has spend $8000 and has not made very much money he does not want to talk to me or be with me cause I’m not into amway it hurts .I just wish he would wake and that he is not going to get rich with amway.We have amway stuff all over the house I’m so sick of amway…. and all the lies they tell people
Amyway took my girlfriend away, just because I didn’t want to join. Just because I had my own dreams and goals that didn’t include amway. Thank you amway.
Comment about the original post on here; There are more emotional opinions spoken than looking at the big picture. I feel bad that Mr. Fiancé and Ms. Fiancé as their relationship didn’t work out however it has nothing to do with Amway. I’m sure if he had a job opportunity in another county that was part of his dream and she didn’t want to go, she could say the same thing! “It me or the job in that other country!” What a lot of times happens is women speak out of “in the moment emotion” of “me, me, me!” Not thinking about HOW can this benefit US. Men’s mentality is to provide. Yes, women want to be provided with food, clothing, gifts, etc. And I know women want men’s time. He can’t do both. He’ll either provide and spend time building and asset OR spend time with Ms. Emotional and not creat an asset. Honestly though, if a women doesn’t emotionally support a man’s WHY power and the lady pulls out her broom, expect the wounded soilder avoid the attack (if that could’ve been the case). Realistically, this is a ONE SIDED STORY. Keep that in mind. ?
About 3 months ago, my boyfriends broke up w/ me essentially because of Amway. We were together for 1 year, and that’s how long he was in Amway for too. At first, I didn’t really care because it didn’t seem like they were taking much of his time. But as months went on, it just got more and more worse. It got to the point where he would rather go to meetings and “recruit” people than spend time w/ me. He asked me to be a part of his business and I refused w/ absolute no hesitation. Keep in mind, I told him in the beginning that i would always support him, but I would never be a part of Amway. Things started to get really bad ever since I rejected joining the stupid MLM organization. They brainwashed him, they really did. He started doubting our future because I wouldn’t have Amway in my future. I had my own goals that didn’t include that brainwashing company. Anyway, he really started to turn into someone different, buying CDs, audiobooks, motivational books, phone lines in his house. He made excuses for himself by saying “it’s about self-growth,” “I’m going to retire young.” He eventually ended us, because I wouldn’t join or buy any of his products. His only customer is his dad who is obviously brainless enough to waste his money on those over-priced products.
For those of you who are still in a relationship w/ someone who is brainwashed by Amway: LEAVE. Do not waste your time w/ someone who prioritizes a fantasy over YOU. Save yourself the pain, it’ll get better if you leave him/her.
Good luck.
I have been a victim to, just that in my case its my girl friend who is my fiancée who go brainwashed by this cult. When you are in relationship you don’t get to notice the changes in person as you tend to stay with each other. I woke up one day to realize how much she has changed as a person after joining this. These folks are motivated and trained to be fired up. Anything that is against their thought process is negative for ambots.
The same people who fall into fundamentalism fall into MLM scams. There’s a reason why both share so many deep and cosmetic similarities, why the scandals look so similar, and why the damage they do is the same general kind of damage. MLMs just work faster to destroy finances and family and friendship ties.
Sometimes the draw is an appeal to the cultist’s need for power and prestige. The cult is deep wisdom, and what a clever bunny the cultist is for recognizing that “fact!” Or the cult promises easy riches in exchange for slavish obedience to a set-in-stone routine or list of steps or rules. It’s an angle to wealth and luxury for those who lack the education, connections, or experience to achieve their dreams, but sometimes it even ensnares those who have those advantages if their minds are susceptible.
If someone falls for an MLM, something is seriously wrong with them somewhere. Do not get legally entangled with this person even if they leave the cult, unless they do the hard emotional work of figuring out why they proved to be easy prey for the most obvious scam in the world: Easy Money. If you do, then you will need to decide what you’ll do when–not if–it happens again. Protect yourself and the rest of the family. Be proactive. You love someone with the basic flaws of an addict, and that addiction will probably roar back to life again one day.
My heart goes out to those affected by these awful scams. Their lure must sound like a siren call to those “with ears to hear.”
Sorry for this being so long, but I need to get it off my chest. I found this page while listening to Roberta Blevins’ Life After MLM podcast’s July 10, 2022 episode yesterday.
My ex husband was always chasing the almighty quick dollar. At different times he spent almost $700 for a list of Saudi-based companies that would hire US nationals. That was around the mid 80s. He had us cash in our 401Ks to try commodities trading. He spent close to $1000 on learning materials and then paired up with a sketchy trader who scammed us out of 10K in a matter of weeks. That was in the late 80s. By far, Amway was the worst.
His younger brother pitched “the plan” to us right after I’d gotten pregnant with our first child. We did it all – the weekly planned meetings, the “Oooh, oooh, our Diamond is having an unscheduled meeting at his house. You don’t want to miss it!” The meetings were never closer than an hour drive and were held late on work nights. We rented conversion vans and drove all night to reach Ada, Michigan for the huge rallies. The worst, in hindsight, was when I weaned my 15-month-old off breastfeeding cold turkey so we could attend a rally in North Carolina. We’re from Wisconsin. It was a loooong, uncomfortable experience. Like everyone else has said, sleep deprived, unwashed, hurry up and look presentable with your early 90s permed hair and prim dresses.
I don’t remember the name of the musical group, but they were a family of several guys and a girl that sang praise music and were a mainstay of the major rallies. Those Sunday morning worship services where everyone’s waving their hands in the air and going up on stage to be born again? Just, ugh! The pressure to participate made it just performative BS on my part. Neither of us were raised in a religious household, so it just felt odd.
I got pregnant with my second child within 6 weeks of that rally. I hadn’t restarted birth control pills and was using the sponge. My then husband woke up at 2:00 in the morning with an erection and felt it was my obligation to take care of it for him. I did some quick math in my head because I’d just finished my period 3 days earlier. I figured I could safely not use the sponge because I was tired from being up with a 16-month old and him offering very little help. I just wanted that 31-year-old whiner to stop poking me in the back so I could go back to sleep before needing to get up for work in 3-1/2 hours. Well, 2 weeks later the pee test was positive. He claimed I’d cheated on him and it couldn’t possibly be his. At one point he said he was sick of me and was going to take our oldest child and leave me, alone and pregnant with a mortgage. Our son’s a carbon copy of his dad. I never received an apology.
I honestly don’t remember when and why we just stopped the business. I know it was before our son was born in March 1993. I was working full time, taking care of a toddler, and pregnant. I just didn’t want to continue the grind with no financial reward. Either way, my husband blamed me for us not being successful, because “you’re not supportive enough.” Dude, I watched you throw 40K down the drain in less than a year on books, tapes, and rallies, being there with you at all times. If that’s not a sign that it’s not meant to work, I don’t know what is. His dad had sold his business and each of the boys received 40K from the stocks. Instead of safely investing it, it went to working “the plan.” The worst part? My mom had been in Amway when I was a kid. I believe, twice. I used to go to the meetings with her, but she only did the small local ones, and I don’t even remember her selling anything. I do remember going to our upline’s house where they had a huge building bursting with inventory. We got her and my stepdad to sign up. Why she didn’t know by then that it was a scam and warn us, I don’t know. I think she just liked the laundry soap and wanted to get it at a discount.
Amway wasn’t the entire catalyst for me going forward with a divorce in the late 90s, but it definitely was a factor. I always needed to be a different person depending on the function, be it for his work, or Amway, or visiting his dad and stepmom. Being myself was never good enough. When I called it quits he wailed that “August men don’t get divorced” (LOL Your dad’s on his third marriage) and “You’re finally becoming the woman I married again and now you’re leaving?!” Yeah, because you insisted I mold myself into someone I wasn’t, and I’M DONE! He threatened me by saying he had friends and family following me and reporting on my activities. I worked from home doing medical transcription and rarely went anywhere. He said he’d get his dad’s money to hire the best divorce lawyer and they’d prove I was an alcoholic and a drug addict and that I’d never see my kids again and would be paying HIM child support. The only drugs I was taking were antidepressants. He hated that. “If anyone finds out, how will that make ME look?” I’d given up drinking in my mid 20s when the hangover from 4 drinks made it not worth it. I’d have a single drink here and there when we’d go out for dinner or there was a holiday gathering, but it’s just not something I was doing with any regularity. But, he had me so scared that he could successfully fabricate lies about me that I just caved to his scare tactics. I left with nothing – no child support, no maintenance, and he wouldn’t even let me claim one of the kids as a dependent at tax time. 18 years of marriage and I walked away, even though the judge knew it was BS and all but told me so. I just said I wanted it over with.
I’m not surprised he found Amway enticing. The same tactics they used on us, he’d used on me. Love bombing me, telling me the people I hung out with were bad for me and he was coming to my rescue, putting me on a pedestal where I eventually felt like all I could do was fall. He actually drove 3 hours through the Colorado Rockies to find me when those friends and I went on a ski trip, going to three different resorts before finding me teaching myself on the bunny slope. I was a dumb 21-year-old that had never had a boyfriend and all I could think was how much he cared about me. I could still kick myself, 40 years later.
He continued chasing the quick buck but never succeeded. He sold his house at a loss because he was afraid wind turbines would come in and decrease the value. In 2008, he moved to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, started stocking up on weapons, ammunition, and apocalypse food rations, and quit paying taxes. After he died in 2016, it took 4 years to settle the estate because the IRS wasn’t about to let him off the hook, even though he’d insisted he had “written proof” that income tax is unconstitutional and that the IRS approved his request. . The only good thing to come out of Amway is that he’d maintained the low-premium 100K life insurance policy he’d taken out 25 years earlier.
Thankfully, I never fell prey to another MLM. I think a large part is because I worked from home and was rarely in a place to be prospected, although, when I was being wheeled out to the car last week after surgery, the nurse was talking up her friend’s doTERRA business. Lady, have you no shame? LOL She insisted I take a medicine cup with a gauze square that had been saturated with peppermint oil for any nausea during the ride home, and then tried talking me into getting more. I was uncomfortable enough to take the gauze cup, but told her that I had some peppermint oil at home and I was all good.
For the people in here claiming Amway isn’t at fault for families fracturing, you’re being manipulated by those at the top of the pyramid. I hope someday you wake up to that realization and walk away.