Is Amway Global all it is cracked up to be? Do Amway recruiters lie? Do Amway 'true believers' follow insane 'pseudo-science' business training which encourages them to be their own best customers and actually believe this is a wise pursuit by the insane tools that the Amway 'kingpins' encourage them to also buy?
Alan Scherstuhl has written a article in the Village Voice titled Inspirational Business Writing Hits A New Low with Studies in Crap and Pro-Sumer Power! where he takes a comical 'pot shot' at Pro-Sumer Power! How to Create Wealth by Spending Smarter, Not Cheaper, a book written by Bill Quain, PhD. Supposedly, this Bill Quain has a doctorate in 'Educational Administration' and has also written a tome titled The Quixtar Price Is Right, another reality bending work by this supposed genius of education.
Amway believers have long been taught, encouraged, and audited by their upline mentors to be the #1 consumers of their own products, all while they are also taught that this makes good business sense. They are also taught to buy all the mind numbing crap--known as tools--from the Amway kingpins which support this insane logic. In Scherstuhl's article, he exposes the 'reality inverting' logic that Amway cultists are expected to believe. This insanity has been given a name: "pro-sumer"--a reality inverting 'neologism' which combines the words 'producer' and 'consumer'.
"In all of Pro-Sumer Power!, the first book I've ever wanted to punch in the crotch, there is but one flicker of genuine inspiration, and that's right there in the title. Apparently, we're now free to swap prefixes and root-words as we please. After pro-suming, who's up for a ride on a circum-cycle with an para-hobo?" ...Alan Scherstuhl
Being a 'prosumer' might be described as 'eating while making a deposit in the loo!' Shurstuhl describes Dr Quain's reality inverting tomes as being on par with L. Ron Hubbard's 'Dianetics' and 'Battleground Earth' which are also supposed pseudo-science 'crap books' which lead thousands of people down Scientology's path of deception. Amway and Scientology, Apart From the Labels, What's the Difference?
Dr. Quain's wonderful screw-ball books actually describe how Amway cult adherents are lead to believe that Amway's 'closed market swindle' can make all their 'prosperity dreams' come true. The same type of folks who believe in Dr. Quain's works might also enjoy L. Ron Hubbard's books as well. Both defy reality! Please give Inspirational Business Writing Hits A New Low with Studies in Crap and Pro-Sumer Power! a read. Find out how neologisms like Prosumer make little sense, and be sure to see the wonderful supportive graphics Dr. Quain uses to support his premises.
quixtarisacult
28 comments:
The book is a joke. Anyone can do the math and understand that you do not spend yourself to prosperity. And it is not true that business owners in general buy or consume the goods that they sell. If you owned a burger king, would you eat whoppers every day? I think not.
Also, Amway IBOs need to understand something. When they buy double x or some other Amwya product, Amway gets paid, not them.
All you get for being a *cough* *cough" prosumer, is a rebate which is already built into the cost of the product.
That book is hilarious. Anyone who believes that chart of internet money going up and up forever is in for serious trouble when the high pressure talk starts.
hecuba...
These kinds of books are sold to convince the dream believing dupes who buy them that paying way more for something makes some kind of sense.
The stupidest thing I've heard Amway people say is "Do other stores pay you for shopping with them?" Hmmmmm? What, so they get a discount off of products that still cost way more than you might find anywhere else cheaper?
Joecool is correct. The price paid in the end is really just the retail price as the so called 'discount' is padded in. Any retailer knows that 'discounting' is one of the oldest mental manipulations around. Nearly all stores advertise discounts or every day low prices and the like to suck the unwary in.
These IBO dupes who do all the buying need 'mental tweeking' to make them believe that paying more for something makes good sense, so here comes Dr. Quain and stupid books like 'Pro-sumer' and 'Quixtar The Price Is Right' books'; incredible nonsense!
Pro-sumer makes suckers out of people willing to believe such insane logic. And yet, it is these kinds of books, which can be bought at flea markets and yard sales for a few cents, that are sold at a premium price by tool kingpins, like Dexter Yager, Ron Puryear and others. This explains why people fall for stupid scams like the Nigerian check scams. P.T. Barnum says that there is a fool born every day. Yep, they become Amway reps!
Yes, that graphic with the arrow pointing straight up and to the right is hilarious indeed. I don't know why they didn't picture people actually taking a ride on it?
Joecool, our good friend Tex probably has several copies of Dr. Quain's wonderful books in his 'tool house,' all most likely bought on eBay for pennies on the dollar. *snicker-snicker*
You guys should either go into stand up comedy or politics... Partially informed consumers pretending to be 'prosumer'gurus
Re 'buying your way to prosperity'. Joe, the best way to get to know a product is to use it. About the rebate coming back to the 'cough cough' prosumers... better back to us than to the retailers wouldn't you say?
To our cubatian friend, the internet has without a doubt taken over the business world. How do ya think Apple got back onto the map. iPod is based on internet music. Why do you think Xerox isn't selling as much paper as they used to? Everyone's using the internet... Aaaagh, technology is a wonderful thing.
The 'ridiculously expensive products'... have you ever actually looked into the principle of price vs cost? Yeah, the once off price one pays for certain Amway products may seem expensive, but if you take the time to investigate, you'll realise that the cost- price per use is less than your standard, brand X products.
Lmao!
Enjoy the rat race boys
The ratrace is known as Amway sucka.
I'm sorry. I can't agree with poor people talking crap about a book. if you're not a rich person. please don't guide people, they might end up to become the likes of you. Poor people.
I love this book.. No doubt some of those who comment are either broke, have broke mentality or work for the stores who want you to buy buy buy from them so they can profit and you can remain poor [jokes on you]. The author is incredible and I so appreciate his work on this book bringing honesty and simplicity. Of course you can't get rich just buying from yourself..[duh don't be that naive]... But that is the foundation to begin your asset and if you can't see it.. then you never will.. Just keep buying from the stores and keep making them rich. Poverty is self inflicted..
I'm laughing at some of the statements on the actual webpage... Amway has been around 50+ years.. the FTC patterns other MLS's after them, they have a high business fico, are debt free, have made many average joes/jills financially independent.. and still the financially low IQ folks want to make ridiculous comments about them... I think if anybody takes the advise of broke people who don't know the facts, then they truly deserve to be broke too...
Broke Losers? Very original! Sounds like you've been thoroughly 'handled' by your cult.
To everyone that is negative about Amway,
I hope a lot of you can realize that Amway is a very great company. And before retaliating and getting mad please just consider what I am saying. Most of the things you guys are negative about have to do with things people SAID, which does not necessarily reflect the views of the organization. Amway does over 11 billion dollars in annual revenue and they didn't get to that level by scamming the world. Steve Van Andel (Chairman of Amway and son of co-founder of Amway) is the Chairman of the Executive Committee U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Rich Devos is a co-founder of Amway and he is listed in the Forbes 400 list of richest people in America. Go look if you don't believe me. His self made score is 10. He also served our country and he is a man full of character and integrity. If you have a real problem with Amway, call the police or take it to court. They won't do anything though because the Federal Trade Commison in the 1970's recognized Amway as a legal and true business model. The company has been around for over 50 years and they haven't just slipped by for 50 years by being illegal. This company literally spans the globe. Next time you watch the Orlando Magic NBA team play at home, look at what the arena is called. "Amway Center". It says it above the doors of the entrance, on the floor, and also on the roof of the stadium. It is absurd to think that Amway is not a legit company. And please don't get defensive, I am not talking at you, I am talking with you. The Better Business Bureau gives Amway an A+ rating as a company. Amway has partnered up with many companies and I will just name a few: Apple, Best Buy, Disney, Forever 21, Bank of America, Home Depot, Joseph A Bank, Macys, Microsoft, Nike, Starbucks and so many more. So when you guys say that Amway is a scam or a cult, well the Better Business Bureau doesn't think so, Apple Computers doesn't think so, The federal trade commission doesn't think so, the NBA doesn't think so, Forbes Magazine doesn't think so. So when you make ridiculous claims about the company you are in effect saying that you know something that all these credible sources listed above don't know. You are saying that you are smarter than the BBB, the FTC, the NBA, you are saying you are smarter than Apple and Starbucks and Microsoft, and all those companies I listed (which I highly doubt because those companies make billions of dollars so I am pretty sure the real way this works is that they know something you don't). You are saying you are smarter than the United States Chamber of Commerce!? Seriously??? Do you honestly think that they would elect the owner of a risky dink scam as their chairman? get a clue you guys. Whatever problem occurred with your upline that pissed you off so much while you were in the business, just sit down with them, cuss them out, settle your differences like ADULTS, and go your separate ways. Writing blogs and spreading false lies is not going to benefit you whatsoever. Its like you people have nothing better to do than to constantly post negative crap. Pessimistic people never change the world. Complainers and whiners never make history you guys and I know thats not your goal but just recognize the facts as facts and stop acting like your opinons actually matter to people who are in partnership with an 11 billion dollar company.
If you are checking out Amway as a business, examine the facts from credible resources. A blog is not a credible resource. Someone wrote this with their opinions. You are allowed to call the Better Business Bureau if you truly are skeptical and ask them about Amway, see what they have to say.
P.S.- 'Joecool' and 'quixsrarisacult',
I hope you guys can get past whatever petty issues you have. I am sure you guys have families and people who love you and care about you. And to me it seems like you guys spend a lot of time criticizing Amway and putting it down and really you guys should do something more useful with your time. Nobody is forcing you to do Amway, we don't care that you don't like it, and we refuse to try and convince you of anything because thats not what Amway is about. I am sure you guys are not losers, but when you post these things you are conveying yourselves as very uneducated human beings because you are literally arguing with the BBB and the FTC and all those million and billion dollar companies I listed.
zmo,
Really? And you believed them?
If you don't have a phd in the direct selling industry, you're not qualified to analyze anything.
Hmmmmm? There's no such thing?
If amway is so terrible and a scam and a cult... why is Steve Van Andel, a founder of amway, the president of the us chamber of commerce?
Lol exactly
Just an observation. Steve Van Andel was not a founder of Amway.
So how do you explain all the people who have become rich using this method? Are you rich?
So how do you explain all the people who have become rich using this method? Are you rich?
Improvious, you make a baseless assumption.
Ok, so it was Jay Van Andel who was a co-founder. Big deal zmo got the first name incorrectly. The point is still made. It is a business model recognized by most businesses as a viable way to market a product/service. I agree with "Zmo" Since my opinion is as valuable to me as your opinion is to you...ok. So what! Smart people do credible research. We don't govern ourselves based on the opinion of someone we don't know or trust. Just because you see it on the internet doesn't make it true. If you are not smart enough to vet those you listen too, then you just May be a hopeless case. Stay where you are and you won't impede the progress of those on the move.
Those in defense of Amway as a credible business stated some very valid positions in favor of. I enjoyed your article, so I'd like to hear your counter-points if you're able. Thank you.
The article above states how stupid pro-sumer was but I did not read one thing of why or how id doesn't work. Nothing to show why a business noddle like this would not profit. Think about that, not one financial fact to show why this is a bad business plan. Just a hate of the idea of it.
I think people know that Amway as a legit and profitable business, that's not the issue. I think the issue is more of about their IBO's. I feel they that Amway is making its money off of the IBO's delusions of becoming rich by buying their own products. I believe they think this because they don't know the full business plan but one thing I can point out is that many business, investment, self-help guru and books state to learn to pay yourself first and what about the old adage, in order to make money you have to spend money and logically speaking is that not what the IBO is doing? Now them investing and spending in them self is just the first part of a business plan but truth be told if the question is are IBO's making money off this plan? I can admit when I started I spent way more than what I received but now I have monthly checks that show that after sometime in being in the plan I make a lot more than I buy!;)
don't judge a book by its cover. If you look hard you will see they are doing what every business does. They are selling stocks but instead of going public the stock is bought privately through the profit sharing partnership of becoming an IBO, the stock provides a dividend based the IBO's shares (profit value), how much invested. Like every other stock. Its like a company giving their works stock shares and paying them to work too. Its just done in a way where the growth of the stock is controlled by the individuals business and not by the investment of group in a market.
Excuse the bad grammar, punctuation and the phone's auto correct but I hope you get the Idea of what I was trying to say.
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Of course AmWay gets paid, just as all corporations do.
When you buy a supplement fir a retailer, don’t they sell it to you for a profit. They surely wouldn’t sell it at a loss, I mean how would they stay in business?
But not does Walmart make a profit, but so does the company that supplied them and so does the company that supplied the ingredients to them and the company that made the containers and the company that make the and printed the boxes and labels and the company that shipped them, they all made a profit. Didn’t they?
Well AmWay dies all that themselves. They grow the plant matter that goes in the supplement, the make the containers, they print the labels and make the boxes too.
If you were at IBO, you would purchase it at IBO cost, not full retail. If you and your spouse both use Double X every month, AmWay would give you back a 3% bonus check, roughly $9.
Does Walmart send you a bonus check?
Then as an IBO you can also sell Double X to customers and earn 10% on retail markup.
As for owning a Burger King and eating whoppers everyday, probably not, but as a Burger King owner would you eat at McDonalds or Hardee’s? Nope.
But Burger King as a limited product line to continuously only use their products. AmWay on the other hand has over 4,000 products, that you use on a daily basis, Double X is a monthly refill but that you use everyday.
How often do you buy laundry detergent, my friend and his wife go though one 7 pound box in 9 to 11 months.
Do you use shampoo and conditioner, brush your teeth, use mouth wash, shave, use after shave? Purchase from Apple or Microsoft, Kohl’s, target or any one of 50 retailers?
IBOs do and get a little bit back on every purchase.
You narrow view of just looking at one product is where you completely misunderstood the concept.
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