Monday 9 November 2015

Alan Sugar's 'Tropic Skin Care,' a very British 'MLM' racket.


This article has now been updated  

19 comments:

  1. You can't really blame Lord Sugar for backing MLM. It is after all both legal and profitable. You'd do better backing it yourself instead of wasting time trying to stop it.

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    1. Anonymous - When translated into accurate English, what you are actually saying is that, instead of publicly exposing Alan Sugar as a racketeer (hiding his profitable criminal enterprise behind piles of reality-inverting 'MLM' bullshit), I should assist him to pile the bullshit even higher.

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  2. I'm confused, are you saying Tropic is a fraud?

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    1. Anonymous - There are numerous big red flags fluttering over the so-called 'MLM income opportunity' known as 'Tropic Skin Care.'

      For a start, 'Tropic's' own mathematical presentations are deeply mystifying whilst no quantifiable evidence is available as to the actual results of this so-called 'MLM income opportunity.'

      Perhaps the easiest to understand of the red flags is the fact that the bosses of 'Tropic' have been pretending that their scheme is based on sales not on recruitment, but offering to pay commissions on purchases made by the organisation's own agents and on those made by the recruits of these agents and on the recruits of their recruits, etc. ad infinitum.

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  3. One thing I would say is that these products appear to be extremely high quality, genuinely ethically produced and sellable unlike the Amway crap...I've been looking for complaints from ambassadors online but haven't found any yet. I was considering this as a possible way to build my own business as I am hugely passionate about natural, cruelty-free products but I've never met in real-life anybody who has managed to make a living out of "opportunities" like this one! Could you possibly expand on the numerous big red flags? Many thanks.

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  4. Anonymous - You perhaps already realise that 'Tropic Skin Care Opportunity' is too good to be true. The products have slightly distracted you, but afterall, that's what they are supposed to do.

    In 'MLM' rackets, the innocent looking products' function is to hide what is really occurring - i.e The operation of an unlawful rigged closed-market where effectively no (transient) participant can generate an overall net-profit, because the market is in a permanent state of collapse and requires its (transient) participants to keep finding further (transient) participants.

    Meanwhile a tiny (permanent) minority rake in vast profits by controlling the closed-market and by controlling all key-information concerning the closed-market's actual catastrophic, ever-shifting results.

    It is possible to use any product to dissimulate a closed-market swindle aka pyramid scheme. There are even some 'MLM' rackets which have hidden behind well-known traditional brands (albeit offered at controlled high prices). 'MLM' products invariable are tailored to fit the existing beliefs and desires of a wide-range of persons.

    In 'MLM' rackets, there has been no significant or sustainable source of revenue other than never-ending chains of contractees of the 'MLM' front companies. These front-companies always pretend that their products are high quality, reasonably-priced and can be sold for a profit based on value and demand. In reality, the underlying reason why it's mainly only been 'MLM' contractees who buy the products (and not the general public) is because they have been led to believe that by doing so, and by recruiting others to do the same etc. ad infinitum, they will receive a future (unlimited) reward.

    I've been examining the 'MLM' phenomenon for around 20 years. During this time, I've yet to find one so-called 'MLM' company which has voluntarily made key-information available to the public concerning the quantifiable results of its so-called 'income opportunity'.

    The key-information which all 'MLM' bosses seek to hide concerns the overall number of persons who have signed contracts since the front companies were instigated and the retention rates of these contractees.

    When rigorously investigated, the overall hidden net-loss churn rates for 'MLM' income opportunites has turned out to have been effectively 100%. Thus, anyone claiming (or implying) that it is possible make a living in an 'MLM,' cannot be telling the truth and will not provide quantifiable evidence to back up his/her anecdotal claims.

    Some of the biggest 'MLM' rackets (like 'Amway' and 'Herbalife') have secretly churned tens of millions of losing participants over decades.

    Tellingly, the bosses of 'Tropic Skin Care' have never disclosed the actual results of their so-called 'MLM Income Opportunity,' because if they did, no one in their right mind would want to sign up.

    Notice how 'Tropic' (just like 'Amway' and 'herbalife') is peddled as an 'income opportunity,' and not a net-income opportunity.

    Have you been following what has recently been happening in the USA concerning the 'Herbalife' racket?

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    1. Anonymous

      Don't be fooled by MLM products.

      Tropic's MLM recruitment pitch is too good to be true. Deceptive presentations containing exaggerated income claims are what the FTC has just told Herbalife to stop.

      "Would you like to work when you choose and earn as much as you decide? Why not work from home with award winning natural skincare and makeup products formulated by Susan Ma and backed by Lord Alan Sugar? Typical earnings are £600 a month based on average two nights/days per week."

      https://www.facebook.com/liestopper/

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  5. You undermine your whole article by writing a dozen short paragraphs about the actual subject people want to know about (Tropic) then never mentioning it again over the next few thousand words of story telling about a company whose practices you never explicitly link to Tropic Skin Care.

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    1. Anonymous - FYI - Contrary to what you imagine to be the case, this article demonstrates that all so-called 'MLM direct selling' companies (including 'Tropic Skin Care) are merely copy-cats of 'Nutrilite/ Amway.'

      Today, there are approximately one thousand four hundred "Nutrilite/ Amway' copy-cat so-called 'MLM' companies registered in the USA, and which were spawned there. All of these counterfeit direct selling companies employ essentially the same wampum products/services, thought-stopping jargon and mystifying mathematics, which were dreamed up in the late 1940s by Messrs. Rehnborg, Mytinger and Casselberry to dissimulate a closed-market swindle (aka pyramid scheme) and related advance fee frauds.

      Although 'Tropic Skin Care' is British, it employs essentially the same wampum products, thought-stopping jargon and mystifying mathematics, which were dreamed up in the late 1940s by Messrs Renborg, Mytinger and Casselberry to dissimulate a closed-market swindle (aka pyramid scheme) and related advance fee frauds.

      Unfortunately, at the moment, you seem to be incapable of comprehending that 'Tropic Skin Care' is neither original nor unique, and that the name of this counterfeit direct selling company, and the wampum products it peddles to its transient losing-adherents (in the false-expectation of future reward), are just new-versions of the same old red, white and blue herrings invented in post WWII America.

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  6. I would say the method may not be unique. However, the products and labelling are. You either love the product.. or you don't. Simples.

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    1. Anonymous - It never ceases to amaze my readers how 'MLM' adherents are so willing to proclaim their 'love' for 'MLM' products.

      Unfortunately, you have completely failed to comprehend the modus operandi of 'MLM' rackets; particularly, what the actual function of the effectively-unsaleable products has been.

      You might be interested to learn that this week, approximately 350 000 'Herbalife' adherents in the USA, all received cheques from the Federal Trade Commission. The origin of the money financing this mammoth pay-out was the $200 millions which the bosses of 'Herbalife' handed over in July 2016 to halt an FTC prosecution of their counterfeit direct selling company.

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  7. ' You know this has All been said before ' and yet here we are, with hundreds of MLM companies that are functional and reputable... Many of the SMART entrepreneurs out there, chose this method of direct sales because it not only represents better value for the consumer, it's a fantastic way to start a small business venture from home at low start up costs ... I think you're biased in your assessment of this business model ... You seem rather disconnected to what is truly going on here ... MLM when shown in its true potential, is not promoted as an EASY ... GET RICH QUICK SCHEME ... and for you to portray it that way , shows you clearly DO NOT understand the elements involved ...
    We have been networking from the beginning of time ... Tried and proven even today ...

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    1. Unknown - Contrary to what you pretend amidst your stinking pile of unoriginal, and usubstantiated, jargon-laced bullshit, far from merely portraying so-called 'MLM income opportunities' as, "easy get rich quick schemes," what I have actually said is:

      More than half a century of quantifiable evidence, proves beyond all reasonable doubt that:

      - what has become popularly-known as 'Multi-Level Marketing' (aka 'Network Marketing') is nothing more than an absurd, cultic, economic pseudo-science.

      - the impressive-sounding made-up term 'MLM,' is, therefore, part of an extensive, thought-stopping, non-traditional jargon which has been developed, and constantly-repeated, by the instigators, and associates, of various, copy-cat, major, and minor, ongoing organised crime groups (hiding behind labyrinths of legally-registered corporate structures) to shut-down the critical, and evaluative, faculties of victims, and of casual observers, in order to perpetrate, and dissimulate, a series of blame-the-victim rigged-market swindles or pyramid scams (dressed up as 'legitimate direct selling income opportunites'), and related advance-fee frauds (dressed up as 'legitimate training and motivation, self-betterment, programs, recruitment leads, lead generation systems,' etc.).

      - Apart from an insignificant minority of exemplary shills who pretend that anyone can achieve success, the hidden overall net-loss/churn rate for participation in so-called 'MLM income opportunities,' has always been effectively 100%.

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  8. I fell into the whole be a mum earn money etc etc tropic products are good but unless you recruit build up a team then basically be on the phone most nights and selling thousands of pounds each month you could never call it a salary, the amount you had to buy bags, catalogues which updated quite a few times so the whole let's recycle is a joke!! I was left with catalogues then new ones came out, commission and support is poor and unless you're at executive level I couldn't see a future and my background was in sales within the beauty industry. Tropic has over 10,000 ambassadors now and use incentive holidays etc but yet can't or won't produce samples for even purchase which would at least help sell the product. The best way forward for this company would to open within department stores and professional market there brand, my experience was there was such varied training or no training and because the ambassador does the marketing makes it look unprofessional and often inaccurate just desperate for new recruits!!!!, I tried chatting to head office to voice my concerns on lack of support etc and how things could be more professional, my comments never did get to management level!!! A lot of these so called managers have no previous experience just simply recruited ambassador's, I genuinely would love to sit with Susie ma, Alan sugar and general manager share my experience and a few others that have experienced the same or worse. It simply comes over as too a desperate sale, and that's simply because it is. Good product bad business future ahead get out of mlm.

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    1. Sarah -

      Thank-you for your comment. I am very interested to establish exactly what has been going on within the ranks of 'Tropic.' Might you be interested to look at a short questionnaire for former 'MLM' participants?

      You can also contact me via: axiombooks@wanadoo.fr

      I particularly want to know if a type of closed-logic 'negative vs positive' mental conditioning has been imposed on 'Tropic' participants on the pretext that this is part of a 'proven plan to achieve success.'

      Also, at any stage, was the overall churn/loss rate for the so-called 'Tropic MLM income opportunity' disclosed to you?

      You should be aware that various people have come out of 'MLM's' and imagined that their scheme's instigators can be persuaded to reform their activities and turn the 'MLM' companies into lawful traditional businesses, manufacturing and then retailing via traditional lines of distribution.

      The fact that you have not been able to voice your rational concerns to Alan Sugar or Susie Ma should have set off alarm bells.

      Decades of quantifiable evidence proves that so-called 'MLM' is the made-up technical-sounding title for a non-rational economic pseudo-science. From what I have observed, there is little doubt that Sugar and Ma have been peddling this self-perpetuating 'commercial' hocus-pocus and using the products to hide the truth.


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  9. You know this has been said before 'but we are here, with hundreds of MLM companies that are functional and reputable ... Many SMART entrepreneurs out there, have chosen this direct selling method because Because it not only represents better value For consumers, it's a great way to start a small business venture at home with low start-up costs.
    https://cayghepthammy.com/cay-long-may/

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    1. Like all jargon-spouting 'MLM' propagandists, you cannot answer the following common_sense questions:

      • Since the first so-called ‘MLM income opportunity’ was instigated in the USA in the late 1940s, how many individuals in total around the world have signed take-it-or-leave-it so-called ‘MLM distributor’ contracts?
      • What percentage of this never-ending chain of constantly-churning ill-informed ‘MLM’ contractees has generated an overall net-profit lawfully via the regular retailing of goods and/or services to the general public (based on value and demand)?
      • What lawful reason would explain why the key-information contained in truthful answers to the above questions has never been made publicly available?

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  10. David is absolutely right. Sadly “there’s nowt so blind as folks” and however much logic one presents people will sadly think “it’s a great product” and “I’m just selling direct”. They universally fail to realise the reality that it is not a real marketplace and the only consumers of the products are the recruits themselves. You can literally replace a product with any other or indeed remove product all together and simply call it a joining fee to be in our club / cult / opportunity. And if you can do that then it’s an illegal pyramid scheme and a scam.

    So:

    1. Individual A joins for joining fee (purchases product sample bag / handful of beans / token)

    2. Individual A don’t sell these products / tokens to the general public e.g. door to door or to friends in a meaningful way at a scale that derives any useful income whatsoever (because the product / token is overpriced and better is available cheaper elsewhere at Boots / Poundland etc so there are no buyers beyond a handful of embarrassed family and friends who help sustain the lie rather than tell the marketer the truth). The business model is not designed to sell product and they have yet to realise this. Social media etc marketing continues to promote awareness of the brand name to maintain the myth of marketable product whilst secondarily driving a sense there is an opportunity to make money (the businesses real product being “perceived opportunity” I.e. selling hope to the gullible, desperate and cash strapped vulnerable s of society. [this is an exploitation scam that benefits only a few rich countries sets at the top of the pyramid].

    3. Realising there’s no income in direct sales Individual A is forced to attempt to recover their now conspicuous real world losses (from buying starter kit, updates, new products that allegedly are selling better and failing to sell enough to cover their costs let alone provide any income) and they shift from (pretend) marketer (of essentially nothing - it could have been farts in a jar) to recruiter of deluded and desperate opportunity seekers and recruits Individuals B & C who then duly pay their joining fee (purchase product / token / thin air / “opportunity” / “hope” / “dream” / “lie” ).

    The fact there is a single person who doesn’t understand that a pyramid is a pyramid and they are in a perpetual case of collapse requiring an unsustainable supply of recruits for layer upon layer is both upsetting and baffling and embarrassing at the stupidity and naivety of mankind. The product is irrelevant, the quality of the product is irrelevant, the vast balance of sales is not to end consumer but internally within the pyramid to members. Anyone commenting thinking that MLM is a genuine business opportunity or legitimate or a successful product marketing methodology is thicker than mince or wilfully blind to the obvious reality because they have already become brainwashed cult adherents, or else they are con artists intent on trying to replicate the model. Get real folks.

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    1. Thanks for your common-sense and sense of humour Neil C, and please feel free to e-mail me. I presume that, like me, you are from Yorkshire?

      axiombooks@wanadoo.fr



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