Amway Global - The Truth About Tools Profits?

http://www.perrymarshall.com/45/amway-tapes/

#47

I was an Amway distributor from 1980 to 1982, and then again from 1987 to 2003, when I just decided to not renew. My organization was large enough for me to stay home for almost 5 years taking care of my parents and family.

Unfortunately, the truth in the matter is, the tool system is the most important, and most profitable part of the operation. Amway sanctioned the tools business by not forcing its end. As an accountant, I was the tax guy for several of the bigger people in the NY area. I was amazed to see that 60%-80% of the NET income that they were earning was from the tools and functions, not from the movement of products through the organization. Speakers were paid to speak, in cash. I know, because I hosted 100’s of these meetings in the NYC area for many years, and spoke at some of them. As the host It was my job to collect the door proceeds, pay the hotel/room bill, and then give the remaining cash in an envelope at end of meeting to the speaker. Sometimes these dollars were in excess of $ 500.00. The statement that they left their families for the good of the team is nonsense. They did it for the benefit the extra $ 20-30k in “tax free” cash flow. Directs earned $ 1.00 from each tape sold as a monthly standing order to their teams, larger Pins, earned from 1.50 to 3-4 dollars per tape. Tapes cost $ 6.00.

The whole business revolved around functions, where the tapes were made. The standing order tape of the week, (sometimes a double) WERE the recordings from these same meetings. We were told we needed to be on standing order so we could have the access to the upline help. Not on standing order, not at functions, kiss the upline by by.

As I saw what was going on, and seeing the huge expense I and my people were going through, I decided that it was not in my best interest to continue with the lies, and stopped attending functions. I still bought products, and even kept getting tapes via mail. Quixtar transfer killed much of our NY volumne, so income dropped quite a bit. They talk about the relationships. Well, my immediate upline was someone that I knew when I was just 2 years old. Our mothers were best friends for decades, and we spent a lot of time together in our grammer school days.
When my mother died, I was out of business on paper for about a year or so. NOT ONE OF THE PEOPLE IN MY UPLINE ATTENDED THE FUNERAL/WAKE, NOR DID THEY EVEN CALL. Including my old friend, who grew up with me and my family. Her excuse “I could not get a second vehicle to travel there”.