Multilevel Marketing: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

Multilevel marketing companies claim to be legitimate businesses, but some seem awfully…pyramid shaped. John Oliver and Jaime Camil demonstrate how they work.
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[@tranquilthoughts7233]

Here's a good rule of thumb: When your boss goes out of his way to explain to you why exactly the company is not a criminal organisation then the company is probably a criminal organisation.

[@fetchstixRHD]

Pretty much a general principle - if you have to ask whether something is legit, most of the time it really isn't! (e.g. scam/phishing messages)

[@brisastrier]

Yes, I remember my old boss used to tell us not to go on KZbin and watch these videos that pretty much exposed the whole business, he would talk about how “it’s just the haters, the naysayers, stay positive, don’t listen to that”. They had me for 7 months, then I went to a leadership meeting in Houston, and I decided to do more research. I found the videos and realized that everything I felt about the company wasn’t me being “negative” it was true and they were basically brainwashing us. One of the worst experiences of my life. It messed with my mental health, but I was able to pick up the pieces, I found a stable job and I am grateful I came across those videos.

[@ValFatherTime]

Except you don’t have a boss in an MLM, you’re an independent contractor. I can probably guess the industry you’re in… is it fast food?

[@MidnightAndLuna]

Exactly! MLM reps are constantly trying to explain why they are not a scam or pyramid scheme. No legitimate opportunity or business would have to defend themselves that way. It’s a huge red flag!

[@ValFatherTime]

@@MidnightAndLuna they have to explain why it’s not a pyramid because retards like you keep thinking it’s a pyramid. Even though the FTC DNB and BBB say they aren’t. They do it because you guys are uneducated and you come from school/job backgrounds. Not business backgrounds.

[@sandata]

just wanted to come back here to say that this segment literally saved me from signing up with an MLM today. heard the pitch, it sounded innocuous at first, then recognized the signs from this bit. wasted two hours of my time, but i got out before they got any money out of me. i mean this very sincerely: thank you mr zazu.

[@Dom-bn1ru]

Do u think Andrew Tate thing is a MLM as well

[@michaellee4463]

Congratulations on dodging a major bullet

[@brianfarley2723]

@@Dom-bn1ru Yes 100%

[@bas_ee]

@@Dom-bn1ru andrew tate is the dumbest fucking most asshole guy in the world. Hitler was more tolerable than him

[@Darkness-ie2yl]

This is what this entire world is built on my friend. Scamming the next person you see.

[@MidnightAndLuna]

This episode helped me and my husband and couldn’t be more thankful! We almost got sucked into Amway right around the time this came out. After everything I’ve learned since then about Amway and other MLMs, we seriously dodged a bullet.

[@Whydoyoubanothers]

Yes you did, now spread the word to others, send the link to everybody you know and encourage them to do the same.

[@Jibril_Abdulkadir]

Same with me almost got caught up in a financial mlm

[@sandata]

gosh it was amway that almost got me too!! glad you and your husband saw the signs before you could get scammed!!

[@MidnightAndLuna]

@@sandata glad you didn’t either. We dodged a bullet

[@maka6134]

What made you think Amway wasnt a piramid scheme at first? Like didnt they tell you that you could make a lot of money by signing other people up?

[@BangMaster96]

If you have to pay in order to stay "employed" in any of these MLM Companies, then you aren't an independent contractor, you are the customer.

[@fetchstixRHD]

I'm getting flashbacks to the truck episode with those negative paychecks - actually, never mind, sounds pretty fitting too!

[@ValFatherTime]

Please do some business research then re-read your comment. It’s quite a hilarious display of your incompetence

[@BangMaster96]

@@ValFatherTime You make no sense

[@ValFatherTime]

@@BangMaster96 what makes no sense? Maybe you have reading comprehension issues .

[@BangMaster96]

@@ValFatherTime Your comment makes no sense, as in "you're blurting out nonsense" You have basic comprehension issues

[@danielr3522]

'I'm not going to swindle anyone. I lost but no one else is going to lose because of me.' - God bless that woman.

[@cheesecakelasagna]

Good for her for noticing where to draw the line with the selling stuff, albeit a bit late. She recognized the products aren't selling themselves and expiring and then the "friend" basically introduced her the illegal method.

[@danielr3522]

@@cheesecakelasagna Absolutely, good on her :-)

[@lizh4244]

props to her. most ppl who get to the point of losing all their invested money dont have the guts she has to draw the line at recruiting more people

[@Davidgallenberger]

Don’t believe in God but yes I agree.

[@blameitonrio86]

@@cheesecakelasagna Yes, very impressed with her.

[@kylezo]

That woman in the documentary clip is a FUCKING HERO. Holy shit that was moving. She said "I lost everything but it stops with me". That takes real, genuine, toes to tip courage and character.

[@jhui604]

Where?

[@thespartan-sangheili3224]

What's the old Truman quote? "the buck stops here"?

[@jessicasousa5709]

@@jhui604 21:25

[@johndepp750]

I'm sure you're getting unemployment now right ? She must have sucked lol

[@PureVikingPowers]

That documentary Betting On Zero is available on youtube

[@greg_gamer]

A college professor, whom I respected deeply, tried to lure me into one of these. After he was laid off by the university (after teaching for 35 years, with a 40-year-long career in all of the best companies), I assume that he got dragged into these due to his severance pay. He then started contacting his formuer students with a "great job opportunity". As he was a dear and credible professor, many accepted to meet with him. I was one of these students who gave him the benefit of the doubt even after countless red flags during his pitch. At the meeting, he brings a second person (his "partner") who starts spewing all of the clichés, talking a lot but without saying anything. I just said I wasn't interested and left. Then I warned my college colleagues about what had happened. Two friends later told me this professor tried to recruit them a couple of weeks later. I feel sorry for this professor, to be honest. Disregarding all the awful ethical implications of recruiting former students to a pyramid scheme, it must have been extremely difficult for him after he was laid off.

[@SSGoatanks]

Some individuals even set up booths around campuses and ask students if they're looking for work to sign up for a job interview appointment. They have you meet up at a Starbucks and then tell you that they can help you start your own business. All they need is a valid credit card for collateral before they can ship you the products you'll be selling for them - this happens all the time especially during bad economic times.

[@andyyipster]

Just curious, how is that professor doing now?

[@greg_gamer]

@@andyyipster haven't heard from him anymore. on linkedin, he's still listed as "autonomous lecturer", which I reckon is just codeword for "unemployed stuck in a pyramid scheme". None of my colleagues mentioned they were contacted by him with this bullshit.

[@uhohspaghettios2391]

This video popped up in my recommendations today, and I felt compelled to comment. I watched this the day it came out five years ago as a naive 23 year old, having heard of some of the companies but with no understanding of what an MLM was or how they operated. About a month later, I was approached at my job by a girl about my age asking if I was interested in "helping people". I thought it was some kind of volunteering gig at a food bank or homeless shelter; it was Amway. I'm usually a big pushover, even with people I don't know very well, but because I'd watched this video, I knew enough to be suspicious of this girl and to ask the right questions about the company, the products, and how they operate. I got away from that interaction without an ounce of the guilt I usually feel for being firm or for denying my people-pleasing nature. Thank you John Oliver and the Last Week Tonight team for helping to protect a young 20-something from making a horrible mistake. ❤

[@ttacking_you]

Sigh... So young. Smh. She *STILL* would've let you 'gash up,' tenderfoot! Truuuuust me. You just don't

[@ttacking_you]

... know*

[@JBrooksNYS]

These poor salespeople will never understand. Because you're not arguing against their logic. You're arguing against their hopes and dreams.

[@tacticalyuzu8278]

Yeah. and MLM is more of a cult than a business. MLM distributors are brainwashed in to rejecting any sort of disagreements or criticism, and they believe they will be saved one day.

[@ewetoob6369]

And the same statement can be applied to religious people.

[@sinnahj]

KingOfKings as a former MLM distributor...this is the most powerful statement I've ever heard.

[@mrgaudy1954]

They’ve got to take responsibility for their own naivety though, my sympathy is limited when a lot of these people are driven by greed just as much as the companies themselves.

[@priyeshgupta164]

My friend has been dragged into it, the worst part is he doesn't even care if he is doing wrong and BTW he had to pay around 8k to enter "his pyramid" :((

[@Cherie112358]

I live in Utah, and it really sucks when you think you're making a new friend, and they just want to recruit you into their cult. Not that cult, the other one.

[@ragabashmoon1551]

Yea, I live in Kansas and when I was in high school I joined the Mormon church (no regrets on that, beyond the fact that I now pretty much think all organized religion is bad... most Christians haven't even read the bible, they just parrot what their church leaders tell them) but even here they're all about their Amway... and I'm just like "uuuh no thanks. But hey, at least you have your ten years of food for when the apocalypse comes, you'll be set."

[@Camaleonte9087]

teapots?

[@rainbowwwkim]

O o f. Maybe find a different state 😬

[@AumaanXaryne]

I'm concerned you have to not only identify but avoid _multiple_ cults in your social sphere. For the low low price of your dignity and immortal soul I have some Essential Oils that'll help you out.

[@ragabashmoon1551]

Well, the funny thing is, by the dictionary definition of what a cult is, yes, the Mormon religion IS a cult. So is Lutheran, Protestant, the Church of England, Catholicism, even Christianity itself is a cult by the strictest definition.

[@johnfredericks4376]

I got sucked into MLMs in my life and I'm so glad I'm over it. I used to gravitate towards health and wellness" MLMs. Melaleuca, Noni Juice, Market America, and narrowly managed to dodge Kangen water. I eventually ended up legitimately going into the fitness and health industry through getting a bachelor's in exercise science, nutrition, and certifying as a trainer. My heart sank at an MLM training for a weight loss product when the instructor (supposedly a certified health instructor) literally told the class that "muscle turns to fat". It was downhill from there.

[@TheFiddle101]

Coming to this very late but it's brilliant. Here in Bulgaria, someone I know conned me into buying a stupid box of those Herbalife pills. He simply opened a new container, pulled a pill out and told me to try it out, then charged me the equivalent of 25 dollars for a useless product. There's another loss that's not mentioned, that of relations, friends and acquaintances who get pushed to accept a product or a scheme they don't want and go right off the seller.

[@Whydoyoubanothers]

It's never too late, there are 10s of millions of people who reach 18 years old every year. If you were 12 years old when this video was made you are now a primary target.

[@Whydoyoubanothers]

Do something productive by sending the link to everybody you know and encourage them to do the same.

[@carmeloshin]

​@@Whydoyoubanothers fuck outta here with that bullshit lmao. You are the exact kind of scum that OP is advising against

[@Whydoyoubanothers]

@@carmeloshin Hey "tough" guy, I'll bet you're too scared to come on my podcast to defend yourself. LOL

[@raysanchez3777]

@carmeloshin I dunno what you said, but your probably a part of the problem rather than the solution. You have the look....if you don't know what that look is...ask if u have a debt, that's not a mortgage, over 5k...u look like you leasing alot

[@CatsMeowPaw]

I think Norway has the right approach: any business where 50% or more of the revenue comes from recruiting more members is declared an illegal pyramid scheme. Practical, easy to understand, fair, and reasonable.

[@kay2393]

Collin Porterfield you lost me after your first sentence lmao. inside sales means no product is being move legitimately. MLMs like lularoe or paparazzi are still scams, but don't technically sell fraudulent products, just shitty ones. they're still pyramid schemes, and suffer from the inside sale problem. 50 is understandable because if your inside sales are nearing overtaking your outside sales, something is clearly wrong. i'm sure 49% would warrant an investigation, too. inside sales on a large scale are essentially "cheating" at being a business, and do not reflect the true market status of the company.

[@Lavi255]

Collin Porterfield Sure but 51% of your profits coming from outside sales as opposed to inside sales is almost impossible to do in these mlm type companies. In order for that to happen you need a really really good product and if you have that then is no point in engaging in these practices in the first place. The whole thing about it is being low effort as in just take a shitty product and try to trick as many people into it with false promises and after that they will do all the work for you while you cash in. These companies will get nowhere even close to 51% outside sales because nobody is interesting in buying lipstick from their friends garage etc that is why they depend entirely on inside buying.

[@klustermonkey824]

Collin Porterfield I guess we found the "Independent Business Owner"

[@Defenestrator20]

You might want to get "your" grammar usage right before calling other people idiots... But then again, I'm just a stupid American, so what do I know.

[@mimim7026]

USA has a similar guideline, but it's 30%. You need to make 70% of your money or more from selling the product or it is one indication of an illegal pyramid scheme.

[@johannes4123]

2 minutes in, and it's starting to sound a lot like a pyramid scheme

[@johannes4123]

well, would you look at that

[@alecstewart212]

Yup, welcome to American capitalism, buddy.

[@Kaddywompous]

Alec Stewart It's actually the exact opposite of American capitalism. That's the problem.

[@brpadington]

The only difference between an MLM and a pyramid scheme is that an mlm has a real product.

[@matthewmarkham5096]

If you have to say your business isn't a pyramid scheme, it's probably a pyramid scheme.

[@kellyl13]

I had a friend in college who maxed out her credit cards because of Mary Kay. It's scary because I found out by just being invited to a "make-up party"; they aren't even honest about it being a sales pitch. I literally thought I was just going to get makeovers with my friends (maybe that was a bit naïve, but I was only 20), and I felt really uncomfortable when I realized she was selling the makeup. Even though I knew the company was BS, I still bought a few things despite the fact that I don't wear make-up on a regular basis because I felt like a crappy friend if I didn't.

[@aaab6054]

That is what pyramid schemes and mlms count on people will buy the product just to support their friend/family.

[@sapphiresupernova]

Same here! She wasn't even my friend. My best friend signed me up for a stupid makeover even though she a) knew I didn't wear makeup and b) didn't know her friend. I felt bad and bought a $20 lotion I was allergic to. I even told said "friend" I was allergic to it and she didn't care. I fucking hate mary kay.

[@kellyl13]

@@sapphiresupernova Wow, that really sucks! And I thought the foundation that doesn't match my skin tone was bad.

[@Whydoyoubanothers]

Do something productive by sending the link to everybody you know and encourage them to do the same.

[@Whydoyoubanothers]

@@aaab6054 Exactly. Do something productive by sending the link to everybody you know and encourage them to do the same.

[@Cheeky_Chelsea]

Please do this again, my middle age mother has become obsessed with this crap and is buying boxes and boxes of candles. I've told her it's a scam but she won't listen.

[@brittanypleasant4517]

My MIL is involved in a vitamin MLM. It's so hard watching a trainwreck happen in front of you and them not listening when you tell them to (leave) get out of the way!

[@KurtisC93]

"Multilevel marketing" is to "pyramid scheme" what "enhanced interrogation technique" is to "torture".

[@BetaJackMaxis]

It's what escorts and call girls are to prostitutes and whores.

[@boris5950]

No. On the other hand, most currencies are pyramid schemes, but no one seems to notice or care. I wonder why that is.

[@WhiskersGoingMid]

Boris Paing the fuck are you on about

[@sexychick70325]

@@boris5950 Pyramid Scheme: "a form of investment (illegal in the US and elsewhere) in which each paying participant recruits two further participants, with returns being given to early participants using money contributed by later ones." I don't really know or care what your point is about money, but money fits nowhere into the definition of pyramid scheme. No ones going to listen to you if you're arguement is effectively "This term is bad so it must apply to this thing i don't like."

[@tiagocardosom]

@@sexychick70325 from where i'm from we call it a "bubble". It's basically something "too good to be true" and you know it will eventually "burst"

[@xavierrobinson9126]

You really need to do an update to this story - COVID has let these MLMs run wild and the unbelievable volume of stealth Herbalife ‘nutrition’ cafes with shakes/smoothies and “loaded” teas is terrifying.

[@curiousculture3415]

So true. Many warning letters were sent to different companies and MLM's over health claims

[@maebymaeidk]

I was just thinking this- and tic tok has become a place for free marketing and crazy recruit stories for these schemes. It's terrifying.

[@alainab6644]

What is a nutrition Cafe? Are they selling this stuff in brick and mortar buildings now or is it something else? Thanks. 🙂❤

[@curiousculture3415]

@@alainab6644 Yes. Brick and mortar nutrition cafés that are recruitment hubs. They have been popping up everywhere. Doesn't say Herbalife outside but inside it is full of Herbalife products. This is just another way to fleece people.

[@alainab6644]

@@curiousculture3415 That is insane! Thanks for letting me know. I had no idea!

[@GuantaiN]

As a desperate college graduate some 15 years ago, I joined GNLD. The sales pitch was so perfect that I borrowed the registration fee (about $50 at the time). Lucky I realized after registering that "being my own boss" would cost me 10 times as much to buy shit I'd have to start selling to everyone in my village. I miss that $50.

[@RememberRox]

My cousin lives in a poor developing country. her mother is constantly sick, and my cousin is trying to complete her nursing degree so she can take care of her mother and three younger brothers. recently my mother told me that my cousin has become a businesswoman! And she sells stuff! "Oh!" i said. "She makes and sells her own products?" "No" she answered. The conversation stopped there and I didn't give it another thought. Fast forward a week and I dust off my account on facebook only to see my feed filled with posts from her telling everyone how amazing this company is, and that you simply MUST join! Post after post, trying to convince others to join the "family" and "sisterhood". I don't speak her language so I contact my mother and inform her that my cousin might be involved in an MLM. Turns out my cousin had taken a bank loan to afford the "starter pack", shes trying to sell her products but every potential client thinks it's too expensive. She said she did this because she wanted to help her family, she is the breadwinner of her family. I'm FUMING and so SAD that she got herself involved in this. But she is the target for these companies, she is young, poor and dream big.

[@alannapowell7678]

I read somewhere on some other youtube video "if you have to pay to work at the company, you are not the employee, you're the customer."

[@freedomworks3976]

Alanna Powell you are the customer

[@evansimmons5311]

Noam Chomsky maybe?

[@zestorm6233]

true but than again if you pay to open a coffe shop are you a customer?

[@joyfulness9968]

@@zestorm6233 you are the customer of those people that you bought from. If you bought coffee machines from someone, then you are his customer. But if people buy a cup of coffee from your shop, then they are your customers.

[@wordsculpt]

@@joyfulness9968 An excellent explanation for someone who clearly needed it.

[@spongeintheshoe]

Falling for a pyramid scheme is like becoming a vampire: Someone comes along and bleeds you dry, and if you want to survive afterward, your only option is to do the same thing to someone else.

[@msj9097]

Never heard a better explanation than this!

[@metzger5850]

You do all of it to yourself though..so it's more like vampire gambling.

[@yama5182]

spongeintheshoe ...Exactly!

[@asperbergers7136]

"Turn it upside down.." -Frank

[@je19662008]

But at least as a vampire, you get to do cool shit like climb up walls, float in midair, turn into a bat or wolf, become super strong, and get some kickass sex appeal. When you fall for one of these schemes, you don't even get those. You just become a chump.

[@roshnipatel2000]

In my communication class in college, we were allowed to give our first presentation on any subject. And one girl basically did a marketing pitch for the MLM she worked for. My friend and I considered signing up but we never did lol

[@Whydoyoubanothers]

Which MLM was it, and what grade did she get?

[@anstef1485]

I have a similar story of a student inviting people to their place for a "business opportunity". Stayed away.

[@Whydoyoubanothers]

@@anstef1485 Did you ever find out which MLM it was?

[@ValFatherTime]

@@Whydoyoubanothers maybe it was amway?

[@roshnipatel2000]

@@Whydoyoubanothers I think she got a good grade because the professor looked impressed. In fact, the whole class seemed impressed. It was some skin care company that I think started with the letter A.

[@christinamiller4660]

LOL. I'm watching this in 2022 and I WANT to send this out to 10, 20,50,100 people!!!!!!

[@MakedaPhillips]

this video stopped me from making a HUGE mistake! i was approached by an MLM and literally when the guy was trying to explain it to me, I just thought of this video. Thanks for so much for this!

[@Horsethief666]

Kuhanathan Nerojan go to hell.

[@kuhanathannerojan309]

Pocahontas lol.. no Need to talk to kids yeah...

[@lonsdaleitepolitics9597]

Shame on you Kuhanthan for trying to sell network marketing to someone who just barely avoided it by making invalid points. That is perfectly embodied in Pocohontas' comment.

[@kuhanathannerojan309]

Lonsdaleite Mapping shame on your self whoever... to put the people in trouble by telling on something which u don't even know.. grow up kids.. thus guys is talking just only a company kid.. grow up kids.. my number is there if u can prove me wrong kid. Do u have that guts?

[@lonsdaleitepolitics9597]

I'm sorry... but you literally just insulted me, called me a child, were redundant, and didn't actually counter my statement. Your response was incoherent. Also, why do I need to call you to prove you wrong? I think your comment embodies why you're wrong.

[@umeercheema6895]

A 30 minute John Oliver video? It's christmas, people.

[@RaghavPandeylettherebelight]

two of those, brother.

[@tiempo9855]

same thing with spanish captions, brother.

[@ConsoleWarSucks]

Different endings, brother.

[@elroyscout]

Light the fireworks gents and ladies

[@TheAnthraxBiology]

*Hermano

[@Robertgriffinne]

You aren't tested until a company you own and believe in is down 30-40-50% from its highs. You will question your conviction, your strategy, your process. The market has a way of finding your breaking point. Nothing tests your conviction like falling stock prices.

[@PhilipMurray251]

The key is knowing what you own and getting the best price possible. Falling prices give you the opportunity to lower your average cost. It’s a gift.

[@Natalieneptune469]

The deeper the correction the greater the chances of new positions and hence clarifications.

[@wiebeplatt4749]

@@marianparker7502 It'S not the first time someone had advised on this. I need guide in order to salvage what remains of my DOW stock wrecked by the massive dips. I'll appreciate if I get details with which I can reach Ms Nicole .

[@googiegress7459]

SCAM This is a really common scam / spam that uses different accounts to make it look like a conversation. This is all the same guy. Don't contact him or you lose all your money. Flag all of the scam replies and then the original comment as scam/spam.

[@rosequartz4102]

What kills me is that the mlm-ers call themselves "business owners." If you aren't producing or making your product and, most importantly, pricing your own product, advertising it and selling it, YOU ARE NOT A BUSINESS OWNER.

[@Deepaksingh-xq4fg]

They are unpaid salesman

[@ValFatherTime]

Because business owners manufacture and make their own products? Lol Walmart MUST manufacture Tide, Crest, Reebok, PlayStation, etc?

[@MidnightAndLuna]

Exactly!

[@ValFatherTime]

@@MidnightAndLuna “exactly” yet that statement is incorrect 😂😂 This is why so many people fail at MLMs…

[@howdybucko4840]

i hate the fact that it targets vulnerable people, especially younger mothers and people with health issues that don’t have other options

[@spars2425]

I quited for the same reason. I was not losing much money, but I remember my "leader" asked me to persuade a girl to join our team and purchase a bunch of products right in the beginning. But she was just a stupid kid with no idea of the responsibility she's gonna carry. At that moment, I just realized its all scam and these people care about nothing but finishing the month with high positive return..

[@BrokebutCreative]

Its a symptom of a bigger problem in this country. No one would be this desperate if we actually took care of our people. Not only that a lot of MLMs are based on wellness and yeah the products could be $40 not work but it's better than going to a doctor and getting sacked with a $100 bill plus prescriptions plus any follow ups. America is broken.

[@Generalindifference]

Your comment describes my sister inlaw exactly and I'm trying to convince her she is in a pyramid scheme

[@DmonHiro]

On one hand, yeah. On the other hand, I can't feel sorry for the idiot that lost 22.000$. How do you lose that much and only THEN figure it out. He dumb.

[@vladstan3056]

You have other options, its about not having education.

[@uzaiyaro]

The single most amazing fact about MLMs for me, is that you quite literally have a higher chance of making money in Vegas than you do in any of these pyramid schemes, regardless of what they call themselves.

[@Jerryyang1012]

Considering the house advantage over you is something within 3% (i.e. 47 against 53) if memory serves, yeah those casinos are fucking honest businesses compared to MLM companies.

[@katashworth41]

And you at least get free drinks in Vegas, rather than whatever crap you were supposed to be selling.

[@TheNeshkey]

Basically the only way to make money from an MLM company, or any other pyramid scheme, is by starting your own, then using it to scam other people out of their hard earned money!

[@sytherwusky]

I would describe the industry as the wild West but without the sheriff

[@honeylis7]

..and in Vegas, you get free drinks AND usually show tickets, a room, or meals, or something else comped. I don't care for gambling either way but at least if you go in with $500 you know you're getting some entertainment for your net loss.

[@elleahtooker8321]

I want this segment revisited with info on the new pop up shops they do, we have 5 in our local area selling shakes and teas and it seems outrageous. I think it’s a way to sell more product within the shakes and teas instead of it sitting in your garage in complete containers

[@syxepop]

If those are like the ones popping up here in Puerto Rico, they're NOT pop-up shops... Herbalife Nutrition Clubs keep popping and bankrupting all the time, even 3-5 in THE SAME BLOCK. Even a Club that closed it is replaced weeks later by ANOTHER Club.

[@BassMatriX]

Shout out to the graphic designer that came up with the logo for Jizz. You are truly an unsung hero.

[@ibreathenapalm1112]

I almost joined an MLM a month ago. I declined it thinking that it would be to good to be true. I'm 18 so I didn't have any knowledge about the thing until this video popped up on my recommendations. Thank God. Edit: The MLM company is like if Netflix and Skillshare had an evil baby. My "friend" lied to me about making a last groupie before leaving. So I sat there at Mc Donald's for half an hour thinking it'll be a last hoorah, but well, there I saw him with some other guy in company uniform with a pen and paper. He lied to me and it did hurt my feelings. I won't be seeing my friends for a long time and as the last meeting, he thought it would be a great way for him to sell me out to some shady company. I'll never forgive him.

[@amanda-us1rt]

Hey i am 18 too i have been watching explanations on MLMs like Shanann Watts' Thrive company she worked for... I still dont get a way of a simple explanation as to why it wont work

[@ibreathenapalm1112]

@@amanda-us1rt what I know from the MLM interviewer guy that approached me, basically it's like a fountain. The water goes down and pumped back up. Imagine the pouring water is the assets and profits while the pumping water to the top is the profits. So let say, you're the bottom part of the fountain. You got the money but you first need to give it to the CEO which is the top of the fountain. The water is pumped on top then the rest of the water is distributed towards layers and layers until finally you got your share but it's insufficient to make a profit and buy back the assets which intern makes it unprofitable.

[@marysunshine2027]

I breathe Napalm yup and my friend is in a Vasayo scam. People are so gullible. I bought into it but quit at 300

[@leveitantern2822]

I breathe Napalm same

[@johnnymkool2893]

You are young and need life lessons? Here is a key one... don’t get you life lessons from this show if you want to have a chance at success.. enjoy it for what it is - moronic comedy with an agenda

[@cgygflkj]

Honestly selling actual drugs would be less risky and get more results than this.

[@fleon4115]

And drugs actually work!

[@wesleymccoy4072]

I had a friend who did both. Can confirm he made more selling drugs.

[@shawnojani9764]

It would be far more ethical too.

[@mysteriousdeath14400]

And, ironically, at least drug dealing is honest work... the customer is getting exactly what they paid for...

[@lizmariequinn]

@@fleon4115 😂😂

[@tonyj9743]

Had a friend who told me she was considering a MLM. I showed her this and she changed her mind.

[@Theswellerguy]

My ex wife was wrapped into Young Living selling essential oils and it was truly disheartening. Never really sold many oils but made money off off people who didn't have money to stockpile product but had to. It was scary and sad. The insanity of the scheme ultimately led to the end of our marriage. Thankfully.

[@vandergriff65]

As a former bank teller the checking and saving bit is spot on! One guy wanted to be big infront of his girl and said he doesnt care and i said "by law i cant accept anything unless you tell me where to deposit in" he said checking

[@lovecraftscat5044]

XD

[@thedogdogification]

Ah yes, the old “brag to my significant other about how how familiar I am with money by demonstrating I don’t know how basic bank accounts work” method.

[@MiguelMartinez-gn5xg]

I had no idea that was a thing 😂

[@jamestierney2531]

Hey Dog…good one. You knocked it “outta the park.” Thanks!

[@Bulutisin]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/j3XWppuLoLagqNE&ab_channel=Bulut%C4%B0%C5%9Fin

[@readysteadywhoa]

An MLM CEO running out on stage to a song with the lyrics 'I wanna watch you bleed'. Very subtle

[@alexmarkadonis7179]

You can taste the bright lights but you won't get them for free... You can have anything you want but you better not take it from me... You're gonna die... Feel my, my, my, my serpentine... It's gonna bring you down! They are upfront about it, technically.

[@rileylittleraven]

Isn't the line before that something about getting on your knees? Hot damn, that's creepy!

[@clintonnickens1004]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 I thought I was the only one that noticed that 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 you killed it

[@lindseydickey9282]

I caught that too. "You wanna know where you are...youre in the jungle, baby. Youre gonna diiiiiiieeeeeeyyyaaaaaaauhhhhh!!"

[@alanshaw9793]

@@alexmarkadonis7179 ll

[@ninjakidkat12]

My dad wanted me to work for Amway like he does, and set up a meeting for me with one of their representatives in order to sell the position. Now, I had no idea what Amway was at the time. The representative said things to me like "You want to have a game console? Well if you work for Amway you can get all the consoles!" and similar stuff like that. I was fairly engrossed by the pitch, but then I spotted something on one of the presentation slides he was using: A small line of text saying "This is not a pyramid scheme". This one sentence immediately rang all the alarm bells in my head, and as soon as the meeting was done I went back to my room and searched up everything I could about the company, found out how terrible it is, and promptly proceeded to decline any following requests from my dad to talk with Amway any further. Thanks, Dad. You may be a Daily Wire watching guy working for a pyramid scheme who thinks that "men are invading women's sports", but you got me to learn about MLMs and how awful they are. That's the one thing I'll give you.

[@selenan4140]

I was in an mlm called Cutco, they deliberately target highschool and collage kids and won’t give you cold leads, you have to sell to your family and their friends. It was heart breaking to ask my family for money I knew they did not have.

[@tomasgomez9925]

I remember I got a mail letter from them right after I graduated high school. Went to their “meet up” and bleh. That was not for me. I’m so glad I didn’t buy into it.

[@0_0____]

I got a letter from them fresh out of high school about their “exciting job opportunity making $40/hr part time”. I feel incredibly validated in my decision to look them up a bit and decide it was too good to be true.

[@ILoveSlippers43]

I have cutco stuff. I bought at a trade show. They never pressured us to sell. But they are effing crazy expensive. So that is a scan in itself lol!

[@ribbonsofnight]

"Collage kids" are far too young. That has to be illegal.

[@sapphiresupernova]

I got targeted by them when I graduated high school. I'd never even heard of them or their sister company Vector so I looked them up. I'm glad I did because there was no way I was going to sell anything, much less door to door. That's stupid and dangerous.

[@justchecking3139]

My daughter joins these things all the time. I think she's on her 4th one now. I keep telling her to stop wasting money. I sent her this. Let's hope she believes you.

[@knowbuddy0]

My sister is the same way. I tried pointing it out over and over and it does no good. She hangs on every word these scammers say.

[@sam_salu]

It is the “dream” that they all convinced to be a member. And if a recruiter touches people’s heart, ambition, emotionally they will join with you no matter what. No matter what it cost. And that’s the problem, ALL MLM companies are giving people fake hopes & dreams. Only the Top 10 will succeed in a Bad way by pleasing people’s money, begging them to join, convincing people till they trust you. Giving people fake hopes & dreams is not good. It’s bad. It’s sad because i was there. I’ve been there done that. Please spread the truth, share the facts even though it’s hurtful but it is still a *Fact.*

[@knowbuddy0]

They use actual psychological manipulation techniques that were discovered in the past from research that was funded by governments and marketing/advertising moguls to find out how to influence the subconscious through advertising and other techniques to trick the brain into being interested. Its pretty shady stuff when you really think about it

[@bennettdejoya2]

You might want to show her this documentary kzbin.info/www/bejne/fpaUk5qAZdikqtk

[@knowbuddy0]

@@bennettdejoya2 I've been wanting to but I know the second she reads the title she will automatically dismiss it. I've been trying to find a way to get her to watch it as it's a awesome documentary

[@LeendaBeks]

as someone who's parents did an mlm a couple years ago, this is crazy accurate

[@monkofdarktimes]

Linda Rebecca my family are in one I agree

[@thisislesbomaya]

seize the means of production

[@mariecarter3488]

b h

[@videoomaster]

My buddy fell for erbalife. He tried to reel me in among some other people including family and neighbors. The meeting at the cafe was so cringy!! It was him and some good looking girl meeting with me, I think she was the one that tricked him into it. The meeting was a red flag from the get go since they were trying to sell me a dream or some emotions. The lady was asking me questions like what are some things in your life that are not going well? Do you have any haters in your life? What would you say to to those haters if you ever make it? And of course the whole meeting made its way round to her telling me selling through erbalife would make all the bad things in my life go away and that I will tell the haters off as I drive off in a beemer. Pure scam. So I basically said I dont make any big decisions like buying 1000 package or get into a new job without thinking it over for at least one day, and I go the fuck out of there.

[@AaronGalceran]

Marie Carter

[@zackharvey7027]

I remember growing up and having my family get involved with these schemes. Thankfully they never got to far into them, but I still have people close that keep doing this. Its both heart breaking and infuriating to me that these kinds of scammers can get away with this crap.

[@JemIsMyName-o]

Here because I just saved my friend from getting roped into a MLM. The person recruiting her tried to recruit me but I’ve been burned by these m f’ers before and called them out and blocked. I had to do a deep dive to send her info to back my disgust. Thank you, John! ❤

[@UltraNic97]

Jon Oliver delivers a comedic TED Talk on a weekly basis

[@lanswipe]

HOLY SHIT!

[@zephirol4638]

No.. just no...

[@awakenedhypnosis]

He and his team are brilliant!

[@darrellzilla]

You have my sympathies. Clearly you misunderstand the topic.

[@g718ny]

I dont find him funny some jokes are tho. I feel the same with Trevor noah

[@markus30894]

I'm from Germany (I'm currently using the Google translator) I contacted a former classmate via Instagram a few weeks ago after 10 years to talk to her about various topics. She was surprised and was happy at the same time. She asked me how I am. I wrote to her that I often don't feel well because I have epilepsy. She immediately asked me if she could help me. I was excited about this question because my former classmate was apparently very empathetic. I wrote to her that I am very happy about her question, but only my tablets can help me. The next day she sent me voice messages telling me that she had a product that had a "positive" effect on my brain. I gradually realized that she wasn't about me, just about her product ... I tried to convince my former classmate to drop out of this network marketing. Unfortunately it didn't work. In Germany we say "I was talking to a wall" ... now I have written to her that I will leave her alone and no longer talk to her. I am sad, but I know that it was the right decision. (I hope the translation was fine). Greetings from Germany

[@_SpamMe]

One of the insidious things about this type of marketing is that it also preys on people that genuinely do want to help. For example, my grandmother had multiple strokes and needed intensive 24h care to get back on her feet, and she had one nurse that took on the early care when doctors still weren't sure she'd even survive. And she taught her to eat, to walk, to talk, she reassured my grandfather and helped him navigate expert advise, etc etc - everything you'd want in such a situation. But she also believed she'd help them by selling them weird homeopathic crap that was supposed to produce miracles. Now (somewhat to my surprise) my grandfather was wise to that and simply ignored it. And maybe you can be cynical about this and say the nruse was faking staying committed to helping anyway in the hopes of making a sale later, but when you turn up years later to a funeral and are genuinely devastated by it I'm prepared to give the benefit of the doubt. To me she is a person who desperately wanted to help and a company exploited that to market their crap through her. She's as much a a victim of those scheme as those she drags into it. And that's just not right on any level.

[@bxdanny]

That was written in excellent English. I find it hard to believe that was produced by Google Translate from input German text. In fact, I don't believe it.

[@joanaborges9450]

You did everything correctly. You told her everything, you tried to help her, she needs to help herself.

[@markus30894]

Thank you all for your answers 🙏🏻

[@Sofwan786]

Awesome translation. Thank you for sharing the story. Thanks Saf kzbin.info/www/bejne/hGPVnaqOndmfj5I

[@mrquazimoto0075]

I remember watching this back when it came out and never finished it...youtube decided to show this video on my feed and saw that I only finished half of it. I was 24 then....im 31 now. Man has life changed for me since then. I think I was watching this on my way to gradschool and totally forgot to finish it.

[@donnamack6797]

A "friend" who was having financial problems hammered me with a Beach Body pitch. I say hammered because he wouldn't stop talking, and I couldn't get a word in edgewater. I was embarrassed for him but it ended our relationship.

[@Whydoyoubanothers]

You should tell everybody you know about MLM scams and have them do the same, or you'll be approached again and again.

[@marcus4489074]

I remember my mom buying $25,000 worth of Mary Kay back in the late 90s. She spent years trying to get rid of it. Most of it expired. She still fell for pramid scheme after pyramid scheme, and is still falling for them to this day. I've had several people try to recruit me, and I can tell them right off back. From what I've seen, there are two types - the ones that hype the product ("This product is revolutionary. It's going to change the market forever. You need to get in on the ground floor..."), and the ones that hype you ("You seem so smart and ambitious. You're too good for this job. I can tell you're different. That's why I want to bring you in on this exclusive way to make money. It's only for real go-getters, like I know you are, though.") They're mostly sociopaths, though. They know you're not going to make any money and are living paycheck to paycheck already. That's what they count on, because then you're desperate for something new. Sickening.

[@Whydoyoubanothers]

Have you contacted everybody you know and provided the Oliver video link? That's one of the best ways to get these scams shut down, educate them.

[@arielc3204]

marcus4489074 A pyramid scheme is selling something that has no tangible product and or value. I'm sorry for your mom she was dumb she didn't fall for a pyramid scheme. she had product she could of sold she just had no business leadership. she could of sold it and made a lot of money but she didn't so your mom failed at business and aiming too high.

[@neirinluthe6383]

I was almost recruited to one of these pyramid schemes during my first year in college. I didn't even know were my friend was taking me at the time. Turns out it was one of the seminars they had every week. The people recruiting me used the second approach. They were hyping me up (you'll be able to help your parents if you earn your own money etc). I thought it was weird that they were asking for a membership fee before joining. The fee was too expensive. I don't remember if these seminars was mandatory but I remember that their schedule was very late. I wouldn't be able to attend classes the next day if I went. (I skipped class after attending that seminar once). The speeches during was too hyped. Thank goodness I said no.

[@uhurus2]

marcus4489074 Yeah, sickening indeed.

[@flackstar007]

Calling someone dumb is not a good way to get a point across... Unless the point is that you have no morals and like to abuse others for self gain. As for the tangible product, having a product is easy anyone can do this, its how you sell the product and in doing so sell the person. For cheap products like this market saturation is the biggest problem therefore they are selling a lie right from the beginning as most people won't want to buy something that is not in a store for obvious legitimacy reasons. And by business leadership the main way to get ahead in such a scheme is to bring others on board creating more losers to turn oneself into a "success" Not to mention the obvious fact that when you join you are carrying the people who joined before you. So when it comes to such a scheme, the only "winner" is the one who founds a scheme not the ones who join another's scheme. Yes that's right, someone wants you to join their (marketing, advertising business that is about selling not advertising or marketing) Reply to them that you would rather them join your own business doing the same thing and that they are lucky as they are getting in on the ground level. What does the business sell (literally anything you want, for instance ali express has tons of cheap products easily available to be "re-sold" at huge increases in price. Then you take a cut of all their sales profits and so on with new members and now you are truly your own boss... Only it costs your soul and the chance to call yourself a human being, but why worry about these things when you are eating fine foods in a fancy home while your "customers" pay for your lifestyle with their livelihoods...

[@katenz100]

Actual conversation during a introduction meeting where I unknowinly got dragged by a friend. "I knew a pregnant woman whose baby tested positive for down syndrome. She began drinking this and when it was born, the baby was no longer down syndrome" "are you telling me this product cures down syndrome?" "no, I'm just saying the baby tested for down syndrome and was born normal following consumption of this product" It removes chromosomes people.

[@ZelphTheWebmancer]

That explains it way too much.

[@kafi1373]

Might explain why normal people that join those MLM´s are retarded

[@kathys.7330]

May not be politically correct but way too funny not to laugh

[@knittingnana2939]

That has to be the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. The person who made up that lie obviously knew nothing about downs syndrome. And if someone believes that tripe, they deserve to have all their money wasted on an mlm

[@Funkopedia]

See this show's video on gene splicing

[@dreapress1227]

I belonged to a weightloss MLM. The lady that talked me into it promised me it was NOT a pyramid scheme by saying it was an MLM. I didn’t realize that was just a fancy way of saying pyramid scheme. I was young and naive, so I signed up and paid $800 for the weight loss kit. I actually made a lot of money the first couple of months bc sadly, I signed a lot of my friends up, but after that, not much. I was making so much money the first couple of months and promised so much more, that I quit my day job. But after the first maybe, four or five months my business dried up and I had to go back to my old $12 an hour day job. It was very disappointing. Thankfully I didn’t make any major life changing decisions, other than quitting my job. My husband was the real moneymaker in our household so it wasn’t a huge deal. We’re the lucky ones.

[@ambre2496]

How come i just watch this again & again over time, probably my favorite episode of LWT ? It'so over the top

[@trioen3242]

The only proper MLM with no fees for participating is infact drug dealing

[@alexs5744]

You make more money selling drugs.

[@Raquelwhatzhot]

Pimping too

[@dylanchouinard6141]

The only proper MLM is Men Loving Men

[@nuggets0717]

@@dylanchouinard6141 this comment deserves to be on the top 😤

[@dylanchouinard6141]

@@nuggets0717 thanks

[@jbo22fly]

I'm not normally a John Oliver or LWT fan, but he hit it out of the park with this. My wife got into Young Living MLM and I'm slowly but surely getting her out of it. Thank you John Oliver.

[@rebeccahayes6873]

Hell yes for getting her out!!

[@ugabuga1512]

True!! Trying to get her out of your life is really the best decision bro good luck!

[@johnnikasjr.8161]

Ha! Senator "Oral" Hatch was involved with Young Living which caused him to consider cannabis as it's been called a herb. But the whores we send to Washington get more from profiteers in Big Pharm, who know it's not about curing folks, there's a lot more money in extending their need for medical care I used to work for a company that made stainless steel parts for YL's processing works.

[@YEDxYED]

Jon B I might’ve slid her divorce papers

[@suicide4love]

How are you getting her out? My friend is deep in it and I'm looking for advice.

[@aroseh]

very happy i saw this a few years ago, because recently this info became very useful to me. a friend of mine got sucked into an mlm recently and thanks to this video i was able to recognise quite quickly. i’ve warned her about it and am so thankful that i may have just saved her a lot of stress and money in the future

[@nasserbahzad1]

I was approached several times when I was in college to join one MLM scheme or another. I always felt that there was something that just wasn’t right about them, and I chose to focus on my studies instead. After watching this video and seeing how it can basically suck the life out of a person, I’m so glad I never fell for any of them. Also, the fact that NOBODY got the appendix and spleen is actually very sad 😢.

[@athousandlives7231]

I feel with all the recruiting/preying on people unemployed due to Covid-19, the MLM people have been doing, this video needs a part 2. Showing how specifically vulnerable people are targeted, new MLM companies that are currently on the rise and some of the FTC crackdown that has been going on.

[@KittyTwitty9876]

Yes. I would include blessing looms/gifting circles/Ponzi schemes too

[@athousandlives7231]

Annabella Neko Yes absolutely!

[@jetblack81]

He rather do anti trump videos his masters tell him to do

[@athousandlives7231]

Nightwishmaster Are your replying to jet blacker or me? 😅

[@Nightwishmaster]

@@athousandlives7231 jet blacker, sorry, I was on a weird interface when I made that comment!

[@Tyler-yz5sd]

My girlfriend is dabbling into this with makeup. The sellers throw big parties and everyone does each other's makeup and then try to peddle their brushes and little shit, and then tell the girls, "Now you can throw a big fun party like this and even make a little money too!" I've always warned her it was a pyramid scheme. I can't goddamn bloody hell fucking wait to show her this video. GG as always John Oliver

[@hugoc4910]

I hope she proves you wrong so she can dump your average behind.

[@redleader2211]

HUGO c Pyramid junkie confirmed.

[@hugoc4910]

average Joe to 9:5 job confirm haha

[@BubbleTeaLuvFTW]

Is it Rodan and Fields? Because one of my friend's mom works with them and I didn't know it was a MLM until I saw this video.

[@Talik13]

As a side note; these aren't pyramid schemes, they're different. And as a rebuttal - my mom has been selling Mary Kay for 16+ years and she absolutely loves it. We've even gotten 4 cars out of it that our family uses.

[@phoenixofailingsun]

One of, if not, my favorite John Oliver episodes. I've seen this ten times at least

[@SnootchieBootchies27]

I remember going to some meeting when I was 17 about how I was going to get rich. I got home and told my dad about it. "Sounds like a pyramid sceme to me." Was all I needed to hear.

[@Whydoyoubanothers]

What's a pyramid scheme?

[@CamJames]

@Scott you are the worst.

[@avibank5115]

How is this still a thing ?

[@erickatsikaris314]

Avi Bank $$$

[@siristhedragon]

Legal loop-holes, lobbyists and some really skilled lawyers.

[@reelreeler8778]

"There's a sucker born every minute" -P.T. Barnum.... "No one ever went broke overestimating the stupidity of the American public" -H.L. Mencken.... "I love the poorly educated" -Donald Trump

[@kevinshealy7117]

It's not even really legal loop-holes. You'll never be able to stop stupid people from being dooped. Let's be real- basically all of homeopathy is snake-oil.

[@daniellara148]

409 trump=shit

[@kuchenstyler]

Germany banned VEMMA and prosecuted the Big Network pushers.

[@fy8798]

I remember lots of people calling us Nazis when we pulled that, heh.

[@FIFA2YT]

But its still kinda allowed/ the way of this marketing is there, Lifeplus is selling shakes and pills to lose weight and you can get money if you get others to buy it too, my aunt and uncle are always telling people about this at birthdays or family events...its annoying

[@rich1051414]

Only the cult members. Most of us are smart enough to know better... at least I hope. I had a friend that joined one, and tried to push it on me. I agreed to meet with him but with the hidden intention to try to educate him on how its a pyramid scheme and that he is going to get scammed. He didn't listen and went as far as to attack me, while I was a good enough of a friend to actually take time out of my day to help a friend. He burned a bridge and lost a true friend, but only his unintelligence and stubbornness is to blame.

[@uberchemist]

Sad story bro :(

[@FDJustin]

But are they doing it as an MLM, or are they doing it as affiliates? There is a pretty big difference (although there can be some bleed-over. Some affiliate schemes are tiered, for example.)

[@MusicMan1987x]

My God this is sad. I knew MLM was bad, but this video really drives that point home. If anyone has ever been roped into an MLM scheme, I’m sorry for the substantial financial losses you’ve incurred due to one self-absorbed, greedy, disgusting person.

[@GorgeousRandyFlamethrower-]

Having a friend fall into one of these cesspits of capitalism sucks - it's like their whole life becomes about it and every conversation with them goes into MLM Recruitment Mode sooner or later. One time a friend brought up this cashback MLM scheme he'd fallen for *while we were just supposed to hang out on my patio, roll some joints and get high*. I literally interrupted him and said "dude, can we just focus on the task at hand? You are literally killing my buzz". He didn't speak to me for six months after that.

[@brandihenderson5528]

I have a close friend who joined Amway and would try to recruit my friends from another friend group. When I told her to not do that she ended our friendship. We were friends for 10 + years.. 🤦🏽‍♀️

[@grunthostheflatulent5914]

If someone ever says to you, "I have a business opportunity for you" and/or there is a whiteboard in their living room, best leave...

[@roopa_sudha]

And you will never have any opportunity in your whole life

[@saints0931]

roopa v that doesn’t make sense

[@mauia88]

My aunt said that quote exactly 2 days ago.

[@NLTops]

Now now, there's nothing inherently wrong with whiteboards. I have a whiteboard and it has never been involved in any business opportunities.

[@siddharthsuhan4163]

This this is on top in India. We are fighting against this scam. So that people can save their lives and money.

[@DesertHomesteader]

I got roped into Primerica at one particularly vulnerable time in my life (many, many years ago). Thankfully, the first big meeting I went to was full of zealots who treated the company like it was the second coming of Jesus (literally waving hands in the air during speeches like they were trying to scoop up the spirit and shouting "amen") and that was enough to put me off. I count myself lucky.

[@datsunmadman]

DGPrepper I got sucker in back in 2001.

[@ericdeloza4258]

DGPrepper I have a friend that dropped out if college for Primerica. Seems bad

[@PersonPlaceThing1]

Primerica actually helps people save money and get money into proper investments and less inflated life insurance plans. Regardless of your income, they do well for anyone involved. I also know some people making around $250,000/year. However, you need to have the right personality and drive for something like that. It's not easy, and not everyone can do it, so many will be unsuccessful, because not everyone is fit for the bill.

[@TezzyRs]

DGPrepper I had a friend almost get into that as well. Same with amway. They make it seem like you could make thousands and thousands in weeks to months. I feel like a idiot for even going to a amway meeting and believing for a second I could do it. But after research, and just thinking logically, I said fuck you, and fuck this I'm going back to work.

[@Gitami]

Nearly got in a few years in 2012-2013. Thankfully my laziness and anti-socialness censured me from joining, did get a free pizza out of the meeting. Not so with another company that was selling some new phone plan, lost $240 in membership fee before I decided to just quit as they didn't provide what they advertised for months, turns out we were only licensed to sell bottled water.

[@Glen67z]

My missus has fallen for this, I told her flat out it’s a pyramid but it’s on deaf ears. I’m just watching at this point 😂

[@KingEGK]

Holy hell, 35 million views. Nice job.

[@MissJ_musiclife]

The scary part is how they make you feel like it’s YOUR problem that you’re not making profit... they make you believe you must be a loser to not succeed in their “business”.

[@g718ny]

Yes! Politics do this as well.

[@declassified137]

People who fall for this shit deserve it

[@adriana7310]

Thats horrible, im sorry that they made you feel that way 😔

[@cruiseny26]

It's a tactic that cults use as well. They praise you during initiation and then devalue you. Then you have to work harder to warm back their favor. Also if it's always your fault, then the company is never responsible.

[@saininj]

I hate getting approached by random people trying to recruit me into their MLM. They always come off so friendly, and genuinely seem interested in your life. The second they throw in the, "I have an exciting business opportunity." I sigh and roll my eyes.

[@relsidebr4785]

You should say... Should I drop my pants right now or later so I can get fucked

[@CRASHjester]

Cristiang Gutierrez Also offer lube

[@cindy846]

So true!!

[@BrownieBlog]

It’s really disappointing, I live in an area with a large amount of these people, and I immediately doubt the intentions of any stranger being nice to me. It’s really easy to pick them out, because they’re all over the top and come off very disingenuous.

[@gazman2626]

@@BrownieBlog that's really a shame....

[@McLovin-.]

Fun fact MLM and Pyramid scheme are listed as the same thing on the FTC website

[@user-cr6qv1bn2u]

Even they are not. MLM are worse.

[@dep7311]

Glad I saw this from someone in reddit! I was invited and confused about myself since I was just recovering from being absent semester... I was already suspicious during their seminar... Glad this made me understand more. I will decline them. It had been annoying because I was invited 3 times... Once online, twice by the same person at the mall on the small place☹️... Hope it stops.... My mental health is affected by their guilt tripping and hitting my weaknesses... They are forceful, consistent, and desperate since it is literarily true... The products are overprice and most of their income is from referrals...

[@akiraigarashi2874]

You shouldn't feel guilt from those pieces of shits. It's just plainly psychological manipulation

[@MidnightAndLuna]

It’s a shame they’re trying to take advantage of you. I hope you blocked them or they left you alone at this point.

[@TheRuneChemist]

I remember getting offers about this shit all the time in high school. Always saw people posting pictures of piles of $20 bills and asking other people if they wanted to earn easy money. Looked into it once, saw they wanted $500 to start and said "fuck it", no job would make you pay money to earn it.

[@masterludovicus802]

Another red light "easy money" If the purpose is getting rich, they should know better than to say it was easy.

[@KorennRachelle]

Lol, ditto. Quik Star wanted 200 to sign up when I was in highschool.

[@birtikidis]

Anytime you start a business you have to have capital. I'd rather drop $500 (even though that's higher than most MLM companies) than drop 100k on a business that charges that just for it's name (like mcdonalds), bc you still have to get the money together to purchase the lot and then build the building.

[@TheRuneChemist]

Jeromi Birtikidis But with building a company you can have a nearly limitless supply of customers, for reasons pointed out in this video there is a bottleneck to how much can be earned.

[@birtikidis]

do you know the failure rate of traditional business? Also, the point about the bottle neck; it will NEVER be hit. Consider this: 2,000 years ago 12 people tried to spread christianity. There are still non christians. John Oliver acts like he knows everything about everything, but many of his arguments are easily refuted.

[@houseofschenck6230]

Please do another video on MLMs. They've been running rampant during COVID-19.

[@LSSYLondon]

Timeshares are an even bigger scam now.

[@eszterpopoluska9440]

Yes, they do indeed and my mother is a victim too.

[@houseofschenck6230]

@@hexostatus4658 I know, I watch many of them. This show is aired on television and can get the message to a different audience.

[@SusieQSydney]

Have you ever used their products or you just lazy uninformed hater

[@elliel8626]

@@SusieQSydney oh, you want me to have bought and used overpriced products from the... 50+ MLMs out there? ma’am, please watch this video again.

[@penname8441]

This really did save me from getting signed up for Advocares mlm, my sports coach was so convinced he could help me make money, i told him, "i cant spend my ebt on that" and he shut up real fucking quick , and i now keep his new students from getting sucked into the MLM

[@MistyMagdalenaGrace]

This video was very very healing for me! I love you John Oliver! This was 100% spot ON! I am glad I am out of this industry - even though many people come "after me" to sign up again....NEVER

[@chapmanwiki]

Bottom line: If you need 40 people in your network to make a living, then only 1 in 40 people in that MLM can ever make a living.

[@bararobberbaron859]

I know your comment is a month old, and I'm sorry for that. But your comment is just so beautifully succinct and it's the easiest thing to say to people either in an MLM or considering joining one. I will use your comment for some idiots in my life that got involved.

[@jessicabellandy5687]

My boss needs 2000 employees and only him and maybe 3 others at the top are making a living. Less than 1% for sure.

[@tomnguyen1999]

yet all 2000 employees have a living, salaries, benefits, peace of mind, some get commission.....

[@jessicabellandy5687]

@@tomnguyen1999 nope we get lied to and scammed, work holidays with no holiday pay, get floating time but they don't tell you it's halved, every 2 holidays you work you get 1 day off and of course it can only be used non peak. Salaries are cut too forcing you to take medical and therefore paying you less for the "deal"... Who are the scammers?

[@sarahann530]

@@jessicabellandy5687 You are getting fucked , get a real job. You are just playing the victim

[@TheDragonQueen-uh4lm]

The fact you cant buy from a store and have to buy from other people make it sound like a drug dealer ring.

[@dddmemaybe]

This is that winning perspective m8e.

[@nabidisla.5086]

Atleast you can make a living off Drug dealing

[@jy3n2]

Except that with drugs, the business model doesn't revolve around recruiting your own competition.

[@lunarmartian3840]

hahaha right, if the product was any good, they would sell it at stores

[@bluchismoon]

Drug dealing is also a pyramid scheme. The people at the top keep most of the money and everyone under them has to peddle the merch. The only difference is that the product actually is in demand, and if you try leaving you might end up dead.

[@EwertonVongola]

Man, John Oliver is such a legend 😂

[@theVTECmaster]

This is one of my favorite episodes. Shines real light. But somehow these companies continue

[@RoTenken]

You forgot "Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan". They'll literally race out of the theater.

[@WiseSageBum]

They'll make it their civic duty so that people don't even set foot in the strip mall the theater playing the movie is in

[@WiseSageBum]

***** He made 2 good movies then went down hill

[@GrantNors]

Wise Sage Bum/ Becoming Molehill 3.

[@umjackd]

He's still making movies though. Someone sees something in him.

[@WiseSageBum]

umjackd Yeah, himself

[@aluisious]

If you wanted to "work hard and succeed" you'd have stayed awake in math class as a kid and this shit would be a funny joke. I know people who do MLM, watching them waste years just to score a $1000 check is bizarre. I know someone in their late thirties, living with parents, bragging about the car they're almost able to buy. Holy shit, a 19 year old working at Walmart can buy a car.

[@SeattleCritic]

I almost got sucked into one of them - Quixtar - now renamed Amway - but when I was about to pay $$ for my first order I noticed the FCC mandated disclaimer stating - "Average Income = $70 per year" - I turned to my sponsor skeptically, but he was like "Yeah but you're above average!!" - well everybody thinks they're above average, and in any case unless you in 99.99 percentile you probably make a pittance, even if you're in 75th percentile you may get like $100 per year, and maybe a few times as much at 90th percentile - thanks but no thanks!

[@omnaysayer]

70 per year? like, 5.83 per month? wtf?

[@FDJustin]

You're not thinking like a three sixty noscope double black diamond. You don't _join_ a MLM. You _create_ an MLM. All you need is a product and a good sales page.

[@aluisious]

You barely even need the product. MLM, not surprisingly, is 99% marketing.

[@FDJustin]

aluisious You're right, most of the selling is in the promise of a better future. The product is just there as a final, tangible thing that you dangle and say "See? This is your golden ticket!" In fact, we could start one today selling a product called golden tickets. We'll just mark up the price of gold by 1,000% and sell our own paper thin, laminated gold bars.

[@ant_rg7750]

Years ago I was approached and went to a seminar. Once they were explaining to me I realized they don't care about getting the product to the people they just wanted to recruit people. This was when I didn't know what pyramid or what MLMs were.

[@SageH-xl8iu]

Some of the best advice I've ever heard: if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.

[@jjgems5909]

As a Latina I can attest to the fact that these companies really love to market to our community. The galaxy soccer (fútbol) club has then as a sponsor. I lived in Colombia and almost every stay at home mom I knew tried to sell catalog products like Avon, and Herbalife, etc... and a lot of my family now I’m the states has gotten involved (WHOA! I actually started typing this before he brought up the Latino community! That’s insane!)

[@benjaminmadrigalperez9010]

In México one of the biggest soccer teams Is sponsored by Herbalife. Even the stadium was called Herbalife at some point.

[@anax3672]

Avon is kind of diferent though.

[@TheRalliev2]

@@anax3672 That's what they always say - this one is different...they're all scams.

[@velotill]

they made a version of this with Spanish subtitles kzbin.info/www/bejne/eaqQgGejrsqIsMk

[@Bulutisin]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/j3XWppuLoLagqNE&ab_channel=Bulut%C4%B0%C5%9Fin

[@josephattwell1006]

I am pretty sure that Double black diamond will be the ultimate villain in Steven Universe.

[@Dakuu75]

Lol, I knew I couldn't of been the only person thinking this. XD

[@vourok]

[In this edition of Luke Cage, Diamond Back tries to clone himself so he can beat Luke Cage at a ski race but ends up as a conjoined twin. Next week: Luke Cage in "Double Black Diamond"] I'd read it.

[@MythicByrd]

Isn't the dimaryp the final villain of Gravity Falls?

[@math6844]

It's a metric to measure the difficulty of ski/snowboarding trails

[@hisokacranel7268]

Joseph Attwell I'm done 😂😂😂

[@ramennoodle1616]

My mom's side of the family has 3 brother and a sister that buy and sell Amway. I don't remember where I heard or read about Amway being a pyramid scheme but I told my mom to stop buying their products (Growing up, from what I can remember, we have always had Amway products like shampoo, body soap, toothpaste, ect.). That was 4 years ago, she still buys them probably spends around $400 dollars every month. Finally one of her brothers told my mom recently that he won't be buying and selling because he isn't earning enough and wants to try to have his own busniess. I keep on telling my mom to stop buying but she says that she likes their products i.e. shampoo and body wash. I wish she would listen to me instead of being taken advantage of by her family and Amway.

[@DicyaninGlass]

I really, really wanted to be in a MLM..but then realized rather quickly that I had to talk to people

[@joshualevi]

“Able to work from home” doesn’t have the same desirable ring to it anymore does it? Hahahhahaha

[@nickvang7]

The problem isn't the ability to work from home. It's the inability to not work from home

[@hothothotchocolate9620]

to soon buddy

[@jalabi99]

Yeah, that didn't age well :)

[@spongeintheshoe]

Now it's more desirable than ever.

[@MrPowerpen]

I wouldnt mind it if I could

[@punkaholia]

Any company having to say they are not a pyramid scheme should be a huge red flag. If my boss told me during the interview we weren't transporting drugs in our trucks, I'd be pretty sure we were.

[@averyn34]

Id also be hella down to work for him if he was

[@bepowerification]

Sounds like a good job. Id take it

[@StarryxNight5]

This cereal does not contain live spiders

[@ouestlelivre]

I'm a teacher. If I interviewed for a job and they told me "we don't beat the kids." .... red flag!!

[@deimosvoralius2988]

It's like that transformers movie where he had a dating laws card in his wallet....

[@jesusprangner5047]

A friend of mine got caught up in one of these MLMs. The CEO of this company told his people to just give the product away. It was the biggest scam ever.

[@bunk95]

Is that fiction being used for something outside of the fiction itself there?

[@alvodin6197]

"not, not a pyramid" 🤣

[@stevenferdin]

Worst part of these people is that they prey on the destitute. I've never been approached by an MLM agent since I've been steadly employed, it was always when I was down on my luck with an empty bank account.

[@GhostGrind]

Odd, unusually people who have some level of success are the best candidates for an MLM business opportunity. They are more likely to succeed than a broke person.

[@allyli1718]

@@GhostGrind facts. those people are less easy to take advantage of because they’re not desperate, which is why MLMs don’t target them, even when they’re the perfect candidate.

[@emmabragdon5133]

John is talking about MLMs working internationally, and this shouldn’t have surprised me as much as it did, but I’ve seen it. I met someone in an elevator in our apartment building in China. He had asked if I was an English teacher (a common question for me as a white person), so when he asked for my contact I gave it to him thinking he may be looking for a tutor. He was not looking for an English tutor, he sold Herbalife. I moved halfway across the globe and someone tried to sell me Herbalife.

[@kstreet]

Herbalife has sold more in parts of Asia than anywhere else on the planet. It's sold in 94 countries. It's a virus.

[@uncuentofriki3635]

Mind you, I'm from a small town in Mexico and even there it's easy to find at least half a dozen people selling herbalife. The milkshakes make me sleep.

[@abamosime]

I live in Botswana, the smallest African country of 2million people, not city, country, and Herbalife and Amway found their way here.

[@sejuanisupportonly7385]

@@Fatemaforlife They have cought on to it, but if the "biggest economy in the world" is corrupt enough to have elected officials being parts of an MLM board, then do you expect a country like the aforementioned Botswana to say "hey take your money elsewhere" ? Really now?

[@jenniferdonnelly6993]

@@uncuentofriki3635 Be careful. Stay away from this Sharks.

[@angeliasalah4271]

In the early 2000's, when I was in my early 20's and newly married, I worked for a few different MLM's. I didn't know that's what they were called until I was older, but the 2 I worked for the longest was Avon and Home Interiors (which, I don't think exists anymore, the last I heard, they changed their name). I never recruited anyone below me. I worked for Avon because everyone I knew bought it and needed a new distributor. I did very well with Home Interiors. I signed up because my mom and a lot of my family bought their products and they were very expensive. My mom and my mother-in-law (who's since passed) both sold Home Interiors and actually had the same district manager and my husband and I had met as kids before we actually knew each other. I couldn't get involved with these new MLM's because I don't talk to enough people to sell the products 😂 (Edited for clarity)

[@justrosy5]

John, please do one about the MLM nature of independent mortgage life insurance companies who place ads on online job boards making huge claims about pay, but in reality, no one makes enough money to live on. It's all about "mentors" and "agents." Everyone's told that the people above them will get a small percent of what they make, and "it's a tough business, but if you hang in there, you can make good money at it." Once people sign up, they're immediately told to start looking for agents to work under them -- and the chain continues. Three quarters of the "agents" and "mentors" are female, desperate to get out of bad relationships or feed their kids or whatever. The whole thing's a scam and a rip off. Anyway, please have your researchers look into this!

[@elstonngunn4193]

As someone under 18 I’m lucky to have gained the knowledge that get rich quick schemes never work

[@kylezo]

You should be proud of yourself. Just remember, when it gets hard is when a loved one tries to suck you in. it's predatory, codependent, and it's the real magic sauce of MLMs. It's like with flat earthers, the truth doesn't matter to them, so you just have to remain strong and draw a line. You can do your best to educate them, but some people are a lost cause, and this can be extremely painful when it's someone you care about - and that's when it matters most to stand your ground, and it can cost you important relationships. The tears in the eyes of the victims shown in that documentary are real (and the disgusting shades of colonialism shown here with rich white folks trying to co-opt other cultures is disturbing as fuck, besides). My exes mom was sucked in to Nu Skin, it was hard to watch.

[@robhiggins7823]

nice viper profile pic 😂

[@stephenroberts7554]

The old saying if it sounds too good to be true applies here

[@pasaesballard3601]

@@kylezo outstanding

[@daiakuma7324]

Des tdtrrdtdtdrdrdrdr

[@justinwebber9968]

The amount of pyramid schemes I've had to talk my wife out of is ridiculous.

[@painexotic3757]

does your wife not have a job or skill? This seems to be a common factor amongst people attracted to mlms. I see single moms attracted to mlms because they tend to not have jobs or are forced to work part-time. I also see young and poor people attracted to these schemes because of the promises of quick riches.

[@justinwebber9968]

@@painexotic3757 She runs her own business, but like you said mlm's seem attractive because of the promise of quick, easy returns. It probably is mostly single Mums and people on lower incomes. Although, even when you have money life tends to kick you in the teeth, I can see why people get drawn in.

[@alanmorganstein2699]

this

[@directx3497]

I have a friend that is constantly trying to talk me into buying and selling stuff

[@cathydiep1567]

@freedom300 *they're Be careful with your comment, it leans on the sexist discriminatory side. Men can also be emotional. If anything, most people I know who have joined MLM's are men

[@MarkAnthonyJenkins]

Thank You John Oliver for this informative video. No more MLM for me.

[@kirbwarriork3371]

3:58 I was already thinking about commenting how MLMs are a mix of pyramid scemes and religion but you said it for me.