They read blogs and books by former Amway IBOs and are critical of us because we do not use our real names. They seem to believe that if someone does not use their real name, it undermines their experience or creates a lack of credibility, and therefore anything these anonymous posters have to say should be disregarded or disregarded completely.
Hopefully, I can shed some light on the situation. The primary cause is apprehension about retaliation from other IBOs, such as yourself.
The ebook Merchants of Deception, written by Eric Scheibeler, has been read by many people, although not everyone is aware that he originally published the book under the alias John Jacob. When he started filing complaints with Amway about the fraud he'd discovered with the tool scam, he received death threats against himself and his family. He continued to receive threats throughout the course of researching the book and after it was published. So, who is it that is sending him death threats? Is it the mafia? The Secret Service, perhaps? Is it possible for a CEO of a Fortune 500 firm to have never heard of Amway? Other authors are envious of his literary achievement, don't they? Amway's top executives or its hired assassins? Maybe it's more likely that death threats are coming from people who appear to be quite normal, such as teachers, waiters, cashiers, and electricians, but who all have one thing in common: they're Amway Independent Business Owners. Too many independent business owners (IBOs) are on the defensive about what they believe to be the best business opportunity on the planet, made available to them by what they believe to be the most fantastic company on the planet. It just goes to demonstrate what can be accomplished through brainwashing.
Anyone who has read Merchants of Deception is aware that IBO's have approached Scheibeler at business meetings and stated that they would demonstrate their loyalty to their beloved Diamond by dying for him or killing for him if they had the opportunity. If their upline instructed them to do so, they would eliminate anyone who posed a threat to the Amway lifestyle. A threatening phone call was received by Scheibeler's young boy and his wife, and he claims to have heard noises in the bushes where he assumed someone was lurking, waiting to take him out.
Whether or not he knew who was making the threats, he didn't say, but it was clear that these were overzealous Amway Independent Business Owners who didn't want the truth about their company getting out and threatening the demise of their anticipated financial independence.
Joecool has written on his blog about receiving threats from an anonymous IBO based in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada. You never know what type of nut lurks on the other end of a computer keyboard, but this particular crazy has left comments threatening physical violence on Joecool if he does not cease his Amway-related blog postings. Anonymous from Scarborough has come by my blog a couple of times to post a few wacky remarks, but nothing that was threatening in nature. In order for him to find someone cursing out their upline and detailing what went on at Amway meetings entertaining, but not a threat to his Amway lifestyle, he must find it humorous that they do so.
Just because I have not received threats does not imply I am not aware that it is possible that it will happen to me. My real last name would be OK with me, but it leaves me vulnerable to some brainwashed IBO showing up at my door with a bomb in hand. Despite the fact that I do not identify my upline other than by using terms such as assholes, shitheads, bastards, and the like, if I put my name out there, anyone who takes the time to investigate should be able to figure out who my upline is. I'm sure most of them wouldn't be pleased to learn that they've been defamed and that they've been written about in a blog that details what happened in their private Amway meetings.
We have freedom of expression in this area of the world, and we should be able to express ourselves without being intimidated. Being able to express one's views is not against the law, and cursing someone out is not against the law either. In our Platinum's Amway meetings, he would do this all the time, making fun of his downline IBOs. Sticks and stones were used. He is not a believer in the concept of "turnabout is fair play" and would be enraged if anyone was not properly worshipping him in the traditional manner. Despite the fact that that piece of shit may not appreciate it, it is not against the law to cuss him out or say the truth about him.
Amway is obsessed with The truth about the Amway business opportunity is not welcomed by independent business owners (IBOs). Those who read Merchants of Deception would be the first to argue that anything detailed in the book could ever take place, and they would likely conclude that the author simply has an overactive imagination or is unduly paranoid. In the same way, there would be IBOs who were dissatisfied with the way I described my upline instead of showing them the loyalty and love they believe they deserve. My depiction of what happens at Amway meetings and gatherings appears to have displeased them, as I can see from their comments.
We choose to remain anonymous because we are afraid about our personal safety and the safety of our family as a result of overzealous IBOs.
People take precautions to keep themselves safe. Everyone is at a different degree of comfort. In my home, I have a monitored alarm system, and we sleep with a loaded rifle in the bedroom at all times. Before being involved in Amway, we put these safeguards in place, and now that we are former IBOs and I blog about our experiences, you can bet your bottom dollar that I will not change them. Nobody knows when a furious IBO will show up on their door step. Just our Platinum isn't enough....
0 comments: