"The Purple Horror" Monavie Group Blog
Remember the Monavie Acai juice Multi-Level-Marketing scam Chris Walters told you about a few weeks ago? There's a whole community blog set up where people can post their Monavie stories as moderator-approved comments at purplehorror.com. Here's one from a frustrated salesperson: "Our upline said that we weren’t pitching it the “right way”. Their idea of the right way was to lie. They didn’t think of it as lying, but it was... They would ask people if they had any medical conditions and whatever they said, the answer was always “Monavie can definitely help you with that." Note the word "upline." That's a common word multi-level-marketing schemes use to refer to the person directly above you in their modified pyramid scheme.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nam malesuada commodo erat et molestie. Duis pellentesque aliquam bibendum. Suspendisse venenatis lobortis eleifend. Mauris id est sed lectus convallis aliquam.
Post a comment
Comments:
MLM schemes make me sick, they are full of idiots or deceitful scumbags.
I was at a job fair a few years back where there was a Primerica booth. They tried to tell me all about how great a job it was. It is a Citigroup ofshoot that gets you to sell insurance. The second the person mentioned a "seminar" and that I would have to pay for training etc I knew it was a scam.
The term "upline" just makes me queasy somehow. Not sure why, but it just sounds like that person is taking advantage of you.
And I've tasted Monavie. It's disgusting and kind of a cross between pulp-y and gritty.
I only took a quick look, but that is a horrible website.
If the upline was telling them to lie, then they should lose their business. You can't use the word "definately" since there is no proof. The best way is to tell the person "Try is for a couple of weeks and see how you feel, then stop taking it and see how you feel." Warn them about the placebo affect too. Don't change anything in lifestyle except drinking the stuff.
Be upfront about the stuff. It honestly, if you're already pretty healty, you wont notice a difference, and you shouldn't take the stuff.
Geez, don't lie.
what a coincidence. we had a guest speaker in my marketing class this morning who's the founder of a MLM company. The professor lost a lot of credibility in my eyes by letting that guy stand up there and pitch his "once in a lifetime business opportunity"
@Git Em SteveDave loves this guy-->: WIN!
Our IT guy did this, he would leave the juice in the break room and then hover around until someone would pick it up, then he would swoop in and ask them out to a "business" lunch. I never went for it but several coworkers have told stories about how he would take them to Taco Bell and talk about the incredibly business opportunity that they could work on.
I had some guy try to sell me this crap while I was waiting to use the bathroom at a Wendy's. I don't even want to know what it would have "helped me with" in that case.
@Rippleeffect: Yeah, my co-worker tried that while he was still selling the stuff. He was swearing up and down that he was feeling better and had more energy and he was so sure it was making him healthier...
...until he had bloodwork done, not only his numbers not improve, some of them were actually worse!
He switched to exercise after that.
@dr88: The professor didn't even try to present it in the context of the kind of marketing that people completely fall for?
FAIL
@theblackdog: No chance. I was just coming back from a drug test (which is why I needed to stop and use the bathroom). I'm sure there was nothing but clarity for the next couple hours.
Yes, I passed the test. Piece of cake.
It's too late. The guy who started it all is swimming in so much cash that even if the FDA and the BBB shut him down, he wouldn't so much as frown.
Makes me sick that you have to lie and cheat to make any quick money these days.
I'd go into the lunchroom and start a rumor that the juice causes polyps to grow in your stomach and that the FDA is considering taking it off the market. Just for giggles.
@theblackdog: Our healthnut friends tried to get my wife and I into MonaVie. After hearing that it was $80 a bottle, we looked at each other and through mental telepathy said "no way" to each other. I recognized it as a MLM scheme right away.
They also tried to ease us in by splitting a case or some such thing. We quietly never mentioned it again. They still drink it, and continue to buy $80 bottles so they can have their one shot of acai a day...
@mariospants: He also got into a pyramid scheme involving energy drinks. I quess some people never learn.
Just one more bottle of over-priced crap on the market.
@Rippleeffect: I'm cromulent that you can say "definately" all you want about any product. It embiggens your sales pitch.
I'm not part of Mona-Vie, never have been, never will be. However, I do believe anti-oxidant supplements of this type do help some people. But yes, they are pitching it the wrong way and have probably been sued over that.
@mariospants: Pretty bottle + good marketing + vague health claims = profit?
As long as you have the warning messages "These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.", you can then proceed to say almost anything you want as long as its somewhat carefully worded. "Improves circulation and liver function!" "Aids in recovery after surgery" You get the idea, and its all legal.
My friend's sister is absolutely convinced that her second (and the desired boy child/hier) was concieved thanks to this foul tasting brew.
She gave my buddy a bottle for us all to try. Looking at the ingredients list was a shock, apparently there is some sort of shellfish in there? Maybe that's what that gritty stuff is that's left behind in the cup!
It's sick when they target older people, promising them their illnesses or disabilities will be cured. I had a neighbor who tried to get me in on something similar to this and when he explained that the juice sells itself by getting more people to sell the stuff for you and that you can do it at your regular work place, the words "pyramid scheme" kept popping in my head. My neighbor is nice enough and thought I was still a college student and ensured me that it would be so easy to get other students or friends involved that I wouldn't have to work at my 8-5 for long. He tried to impress me with his recently purchased used BMW. Used! He must have got it in his head to put on an image of success but I was not impressed. It actually hurt my feelings that he would try to scam me and although that might not have been his intentions, that would have been the end result. I'd rather wish I was wrong and that he was a big success BUT without lying to those that may not recognize a pyramid scheme when they see it.
@DaneB: Unfortunately, there are several good studies that suggest some dietary antioxidant supplements can actually increase mortality, with little improvement from the others. Eating the actual food seems to be the real source of benefit.
Either way, though, the MonaVie site is quite the eyeopener, both about people's credulity and people's odd logic. Weirdly fascinating, too.
An $80 bottle of wine would be better off for you. Hell, 8, $10 bottles of wine would work too. Though 40, $2 bottles of wine is probably pushing it.
WAR Boone's Farm!
@iseemoo: Sadly he might have actually believed the sales pitches and thought that he was doing you a favor, I doubt he thought he was scamming you even though thats what he was doing in a sense. Some people don't even see that it is a scam.
@Outrun1986: True and if he really believed that then he's just being taken advantage himself. Thing is, I can only feel so bad because a couple of our older neighbors have bought the stuff from him. I really really hope that they were just being polite and didn't get pulled in.
@shorty63136: I bet they make it gross on purpose. People think if something tastes good, it's probably bad for you; conversely, they assume that if it's nasty, it must be good for you.
@testsicles: It might not improve my liver function, but I bet it would improve my mood a whole lot more than the Monavie stuff.
@Meggers: Wow--that's pretty ballsy to be doing it at work like that. Bet they didn't try it on people above a certain level...
I would have reported him to HR for trying to trick people into joining a fraud, complete with a file folder full of the factual information out there that proves that Monavie is nothing more than a scam.
P.S. You can get more antioxidants from a thin slice of apple than you can from the drink itself. An apple a day truly does keep the doctor away.
@dr88: That's crazy...wonder if he got paid to let the guy present. I personally would have loved to have someone like that come into one of my classes in college. Being fully versed on MLM scams and how they prey on people I would have torn that guy to shreds and if the professor got upset I'd tear him a new one as well for letting the guy pitch to us.
Of course it would be quite different if they brought one of those scammers in as an example of that type of marketing and analyzed his approach but that would be under completely different context.
@Rippleeffect: That flew so far over your head it got hijacked and flown into a major landmark. ludwigk's message was a subtle way of saying "spelling is 'definitely'".
While traveling in Florida, a married couple tried to sell this stuff to my girlfriend and one of her friends. She and I had discussed this product previously and decided the MLM scheme was a joke and blueberries/wine would be healthier. They sat through the sales presentation, but she said the husband selling the product became defensive and nervous every time she mentioned "pyramid scheme" or asked how the product works. He basically said antioxidants cure everything, even his wife's sciatica. She asked how antioxidants combat mechanical nerve root compression/irritation. He said it just DOES! MAGIC! Needless to say, the couple did not manage to recruit any new tiers in their MLM.
@theblackdog: His expertise is MLM and actually mentored the founders of the company he brought to speak. His last lecture to prepare us went over how MLM businesses are not scams, and how the government has investigated thousands of MLM companies and companies like Amway are still around.
In my opinion, if a professor has to take a lot of time to explain how "even though the government investigated these companies, they're still legit", something smells fishy.
@Rippleeffect: A lot of the time when people ask for proof, the advocates refer to a University of Florida study where the researchers basically drowned cancer cells in Monavie. Also the study clearly states that although Monavie killed cancer cells when used in this manner, in no way does the study support the efficacy of the product when CONSUMED orally. So maybe bathe in the stuff?
@Haltingpoint: He's good friends with this guy and his company (reverse auction site/MLM school) is doing a US tour after "much success" in europe. Wouldn't surprise me if he got paid for it.
My favorite line from this toolbag was "Many people think MLM is a scam. Ive learned over the years that having an attitude like that will only hold you back. I abandoned that attitude and look where i am!"
Where do I sign up?!?!
/sarcasm
I know a lady who walks with a serious limp.
One leg is shorter than the other due to complications from a very serious childhood auto accident.
She is about 50 years old.
Ya think the stuff will make her leg grow?
I don't think so.
One day we are out outside of a mall and a jerkweed approached the group trying to sell his magical mystical brew that would cure all that ails you. My friend took offense when the jerkweed said his magical mystical brew would cure her disability.
Her response? "Cure this", as she shoved her cane into his face and bloodied his nose.
I wonder if his magical mystical brew can repair a broken nose?
Monavie Acai juice!?!? I would rather sell crack!
My mom got suckered into the whole "Xango" bullshit and actually BELIEVED the "testimony" from some "doctor" in a brochure they sent her. She never made any money and tried to get my family involved. I finally had to intervene and show her the internets and all the info out there. She has since quit and kept her hard earned money. FUCK MLMS.
@iseemoo: Well that's just how Xango conned my family into the whole thing. i'm getting sick just thinking about it now. Please, anyone reading this: Don't EVEN think about joining an MLM/Pyramid company. Don't let your family get suckered in either.
shhh, believe in the product. and if you don't notice immediate results, take more! eventually that nose will heal, praise monavie!
Ah, christ...you people should really google "monavie" and see what pops up. Rachel RAY actually plugged this shit on her show?? FAIL. Not only that but all the videos that came up via youtube are filled with nothing but spammy comments sometimes using the same phrases over and over. WEAK. Exactly how much did this company spend to pay off all the FOX news affiliates to run ads during their newscasts??
Is the Purple Horror a one eyed, many handed, flying personal savings eater?