Random Stuff

Also Titled: “Don’t invite me to your pyramid scheme party”

Last night I got tagged in a Facebook post making miracle weight lose, toning and firming claims. It’s a friend who was being taken in by a charlatan shilling a miracle wrap and associated products under the brand name “ItWorks”. And this friend was being taken in and tricked into spending money to be a part of this pyramid sales scheme.

The so-called product’s primary pushes on the website are all about joining the club and signing on as a seller. There is zero evidence that proves the product works. There are no reports or endorsements from doctors, no FDA testing reports, no actual science behind the product. The website shilling the crap provides even less evidence than the poor saps who’ve been tricked into pushing this nonsense, because they at least provide (worthless) testimonials from other saps.

Sure, ItWorks and their Ilk have moved on from calling themselves “Multi-level Marketing” systems, and moved into the term “Network Marketing”, but anytime you’re selling the right to sell the product above selling the actual product, you’re embroiled in a pyramid scheme.

So… Let’s get to the point of this entire post, and and I’ll drop a few links.
Don’t invite me to your Pyramid Party. I don’t want to have a Mary Kay makeover. I’m not stupid enough to fall for Amway. And if you suggest that a 120 pound person who has trouble keeping weight on should come to your weight loss wrap party and try the garbage you’re shilling… Well… You just might make her angry enough to write this blog post in ways to just shilling garbage at people isn’t.

And the links…

• Jezebel on shopping pyramid schemes
• Fairground media on spotting pyramid schemes, the bottom also includes a link to another post with companies that will actually help you start a real business from home in a sustainable way.
• Better Business Buearu on the ItWorks! Global Foundation, if you have been lied to, deceived or otherwise manipulated this appears to be the only way to get satisfaction to this company that is scrabbling desperately to fight against a pattern of complaints and attempts to overcharge, double charge and likewise abuse customers. Their rating will continue to drop and time will prove the lies they have made to customers.

There’s more information out there, but if you look for information on the product I spoke of in this article you have to wade through a lot of cruft that isn’t useful to the conversation. Most of it from sellers of the product insisting it works. Usually telling people who are trying to complain about the products not working that they must have used the product incorrectly for the product to have failed.

I sense an FDA class action case in the future of this product, in which thousands of women demand their money back for buying products that are making unproven (and once tested they’ll be verified as completely false) claims about the efficacy of the product.

The featured image from from www.avoidonlinemarketingscams.com