Gate Crasher

  Twice now I have been asked by friends to “catch up” and have a chat about something “exciting”. After exchanging pleasantries, a couple of minutes of social banter they are off and racing on a long winded, rehearsed and scripted speech about a new company and a way to make money quick.

  Call me an old fashioned pessimist, but if a person trying to recruit or sell to you says, “This is not a pyramid scam, its multi-level marketing” then alarm bells should be ringing. Obviously there is something suspicious if their first course of action is to defend themselves. After sitting through two of these I have come to the conclusion that “Multi-Level Marketing” is the politically correct term for “Pyramid Scheme”.

  It always seems that I’m in a unique position, the company is about to take off and that for a small fee I can have a chance at being rich. They tell the success stories of 1 or 2 people and most of the time people telling you these stories are yet to be paid themselves. This last meeting was for ACN and all they wanted to talk about and show me was Donald Trump, I pointed out to them a few of Mr Trump financial problems in recent years.

  The first meeting I was invited to a work friend asked me if I wanted to come over for a few beers and catch up. Next thing I know two guys arrive with a flip chart and some info packs and I’m stuck there for two hours listening about aGel. I am glad I haven’t been swept up in a scheme before; because I think it is not only a financial costly experience for some people but I have seen some people lose most of their life long friends.

  I’m sure that these things work for a couple of people here and there, certainly going by the business model it would work for the first 10-20 founder of the company. However I’m just not one of them.

  After these two “meetings” I go to Google, type in the company name, and the word “Scam”. After 30 minutes of browsing, some of the horror stories you see is normally enough to wash away the illusions of grandeur. I’m my response back to my friend I told him I wasn’t comfortable being a part of the plan because I couldn’t recruit and include people with a clear conscience. I wished him all the best and included the following links

—————————————————————- http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/cases/cth/federal_ct/2005/276.html

“Justice Selway found that ACN participated in, promoted and induced or attempted to induce persons to take part in a pyramid scheme in contravention of section 65AAC of the Act and that Mr Paech, an ACN director, was knowingly concerned in and aided and abetted those contraventions.”

“… it is my view that the scheme is a ‘pyramid selling scheme’. In my view ACN has breached §65AAC of the Act in participating in that scheme and in inducing and attempting to induce persons to take part in the scheme. “

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Cyberherbalist/ACN2
“On 19 March 2007, ACN France was found guilty and fined €15,000 for its use of misleading advertising”

http://e.finland.fi/netcomm/news/showarticle.asp?intNWSAID=32649
“ACN Communications will cease to transmit calls under its own brand………..According to TeliaSonera Finland, Tele Finland will not acquire ACN’s business operations, staff or assets. “

http://arbyte.us/blog_archive/2005/04/ACN_Pyramid_Scam.html