She's my niece (19yrs old) and I love her to pieces but she's trying to get me into USANA (anyone know of this?) a multilevel marketing firm that sells supplements. Her determination to succeed is fueled by a huge responsibility to her family (helping out her mom who just went thru a divorce to raise her 3 younger sisters and pay the bills) as well as a significant "sign-up fee" ($1500) I want to say no because i have this nagging feeling in my gut that the business is founded on bullshit, let alone will i pay that ridiculous amount to "start getting rich" but I dont want to reject the idea at the same time because I don't want to crush my niece's feelings. HELP!
2006-07-21 23:01:05 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Family & Relationships ➔ Family
I have had friends who have lost their entire savings on similar schemes. Intelligent people. Successful business men. Military Generals. No S***!
If you give her a single dollar, "Kiss it goodbye".
I'm 78, in business 50 years, I've seen these from whiskey schemes to US bonds, as little as $1.00, to hundreds of dollars.
Hell, our Social Security System is the largest Pyramid ever devised. The only difference, Government forces everyone to participate and no one breaks the "chain".
Think about it!
We always hear about schemes and ways to contact millions of people on the Internet. Ways like, I contact 2 people, 2 contact 4, 4 contact 8 etc. By doubling the contacts every day, we can do this and do that.
If one doubled a penny every day, 1,2,4,8,16,32 etc.
In 30 days, look at the numbers..
You need to print everything here and give it to her.
Good luck!
2006-07-21 23:33:58 · answer #1 · answered by ed 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I would have said just let her do it and she'll learn herself, but since she's in financial turmoil already, you can't just let her do it and go $1500 further into the red. There at no multilevel marketing deals that ARE NOT pyramid schemes. If you're under someone, and then you need someone under you to make money, it's a pyramid scheme.
She is 19, doesn't she read the Internet and know about these things? Guide her to the Internet to read up and research this information. Or you can guide her and tell her how she's not going to make any money because she's going to have to get X number of people below her and each is going to have to fork out $1500. How many of her 19 year old friends are going to be able to fork over $1500 each?
The only money being made is from these subscription fees and the only person making money is the big cheese that came up with this whole scheme.
Ugh, sometimes I wish I could find the person on top of these pyramids and shoot and push that person off the pyramid.
2006-07-21 23:09:06 · answer #2 · answered by DarthFangNutts 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are right !!
The scheme looks like founded on wrong business model.
Talk to the young girl and tell her that the chain will stop as soon as people below her stop making further members and tell her that after few months it will stop.
U can also tell her that u are a memeber of a similar scheme already and lost money and cannot join more than one scheme at a time.
You feel like helping her and her family which is a good thing to do. Please find out some way (e.g.paying tution fees) where
the money will be used for a good cause.
If you really do not want to hurt her..pay the amount and forget about it.
2006-07-21 23:12:49 · answer #3 · answered by kulkarnidg 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
hi.. usana is a legitimate co similar to herbalife, Nuskin n amway. the signup fee of 1500 is exagerating... its only about us$30 for a starter kit. i believe that she only wanted to buy its product which makes it expensive. usana's web is www.usana.com.
its product is very well reconised as 1 of the leading in de industry n de company is even listed on nasdaq and forbes..... go with her to the health n wellness talk if u really wanna know more..
2006-07-23 09:05:33 · answer #4 · answered by eddie t 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You and your niece should do a little research, if you can afford that amount for her, I'm sure you two together could come up with something a lot more safer and realistic than that idea.
2006-07-21 23:05:53 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Let her know that while the program looks interesting (or whatever adjective you would like to insert), it doesn't seem to be something you'd be able to commit to long-term. Wish her luck in her endeavors, and thank her for the opportunity.
2006-07-21 23:05:46 · answer #6 · answered by Rhaneieve 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just say you are not into it.
2006-07-21 23:13:59 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋