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ACN (All Communications Network) - MLM/Ponzi/Pyramid Scheme

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout' started by Antec, Nov 19, 2012.

  1. Antec

    Antec Member

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    Recently I was approached by a few people I have known from high school who decided to message me out of the blue (After 6 years) and started telling me how they became partners in this business and how it was expanding to Houston and Dallas/Austin. Telling me how they were "DOMINATING" Texas and how the business was "Exploding" and how they were "Blowing Up" with success. They said they knew I was a Strong Leader and a Champion at heart and wanted me to become a partner with them. They said there was some exclusive private meeting being held at a upscale hotel and wanted to meet some millionaires in the industry.

    I was really skeptical because I have heard of mysterious pyramid scheme/MLM before. But since I was pretty close to them in high school I decided to find out more about it. I tried asking them what the name of the company was and some more details about it, but they basically just kept avoiding answering my questions. They were like "do you trust me? just trust me you have to see it". Then they were all like "the name of the company doesn't matter you haven't heard about it, its just starting up in Texas, just come to the meeting, you won't regret it, it will change your life".

    So I attended one of the meetings and they forced me to dress up in "business professional" attire. Basically at the meeting it seems like a big "impulse buy/commitment". They showed a short video, had 2 people speak to everyone who was there (about 25 people), and after that they handed out contract agreements and basically asked you to write them a check or credit card for $499. Then they said something about an exclusive international meeting in San Jose and how I HAD to attend and that if I had to skip work or school it was worth it. Then asked for like another $500 for plane tickets, convention tickets, and hotel expenses." They called this the "fast track".

    Of the 25 people who attended like 3 people stuck around and started filling out the contract agreements. Everyone else just stood up and left right after the presentations.

    Has anyone around here heard of this company called ACN? Or has any of your friends tried to get you to attend some "special meeting"?
     
  2. Antec

    Antec Member

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    They kept saying over and over again about how Donald Trump endorses the company and how why would someone who is worth billions of dollars endorse the company unless he knew it was successful?

    They also seemed to use the words "explode" "blow up" "dominate" way too much. So that always was kind of weird.

    I certainly didn't sign up on the spot, because I like to do my own research.

    Here are some things that I found about ACN.

    <iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-beOjj_Ez4M" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

    <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/EhEoX8xUNz8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

    <iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/xZJUwx3syiQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
     
  3. Jontro

    Jontro Member

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    These still exist?

    How many people are they expecting to trick? Most people learn from their mistakes and would tell others. I would imagine their target market would essentially be gone by now. I expect this from 3rd world countries... not so much in the States.
     
  4. Antec

    Antec Member

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    They kept insisting that it was not a pyramid scheme during the presentation. And started saying how everything is a pyramid scheme in society. How all corporate jobs in America are all Pyramids. Basically they tried to show why the pyramid structure of ACN doesn't matter since everything else in the world is a pyramid too?

    Also found some more stuff in regards to documents that they seem to have at their meetings. Can anyone look at these documents and make sense of whether this is a pyramid scheme?

    http://www.thesvpfamily.com/documents/

    http://www2.acninc.com/training/US/USOnePage1.pdf

    http://www.thesvpfamily.com/uploads/documents/ACN_Business_Gameplan_2012_Feb_9.pdf

    http://www.thesvpfamily.com/uploads/documents/Three_Phase_Close.pdf

    http://www2.acninc.com/join/301.pdf
     
  5. Antec

    Antec Member

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    Well its crazy, about 6 people I know from high school are now involved in this business. It seemed like 2 of them joined and then convinced the other 4 to join under them. They claim to all be business partners and etc. But I asked them what they do on a daily basis. All they told me was "we are grinding to get rich"

    So I asked them what they meant and they basically said...
    They meet with potential business partners every day, have meetings at people's houses called PBRs, and host hotel meetings. They just want to spread the message and so that's all they do 24/7...

    They seemed really convinced that they were making the world a better place and helping people escape the corporate world. Telling people at the meeting that they are going to change the world.
     
  6. Jontro

    Jontro Member

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    I had a friend that got sucked into one of these. You know they're fishy from the start because he would really insist on meeting me to discuss some "business proposal" to the point that he basically forced me to meet him. And this was during heavy rains and there were flooding everywhere, but he still insisted. So I decided to reward his persistence a few days later because I felt sorry. One thing I though, he was an excellent presenter. I don't know what kind of training they give their people, but his presentation was really good (materials aside).

    However there are too many fishy schitte that even if you're r****ded, you'd know this thing is no good. Like he straight up asked me in the beginning if I was rich or not. Wtf, brah? I told him I was super rich and my dad few private planes/copters for business trips.

    So anyway, I heard once you get enough people and move up in their hierarchy, they give you a Benz. My friends said they knew someone who reached the Benz level. For whatever reason though (I assume he came to his senses) the dude eventually quit, and they took back the car lulz.

    Oh and some also sell "herbal" medicine and pills... I wouldn't trust those for a second.
     
  7. ind0fo0

    ind0fo0 Contributing Member

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    Damn I have been seeing a bunch of this company on Facebook recently... Someone I knew in high school is involved and always posts pictures of her new luxury cars and apartment. Her whole family is pimpin ACN out like no other.
     
  8. Antec

    Antec Member

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    Yea I noticed a lot about the luxury cars with the people I know too. I recently found out they they are leasing the cars. Heard from a few people that its all about the image, and you want people to think you are doing really well and everything. I'm sure you wouldn't want to be partner in a company where all the partners drive 1999 Toyota Camrys.

    :p

    But yea that's a trend. Its pretty funny actually. 4 of the 6 people I know have their facebook profile picture and timeline of them and some luxury cars. They are standing next to Lambos or Ferrari's. But its not their cars lol, I think they went to some exotic car rental place and took some pictures.
     
  9. ind0fo0

    ind0fo0 Contributing Member

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    Haha, I think we know the same people...
     
  10. Antec

    Antec Member

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    Well that's why I'm asking around about it and trying to find out more. They seem to be a cult.

    I guess they must have a hotel meeting every Wednesday and Saturday because almost every Tuesday night and Friday night I get a text from the people I know asking me to attend a meeting the next day. Telling me "YOU HAVE TO COME, I WANT YOU TO DOMINATE TEXAS". When I tell them I don't have time, they even insist to come pick me up and take me to dinner and then the meeting.

    The guy I know also asked me a lot about my personal life. How much money are you making? Are you happy? Do you want to make more money? Do you want to own your own business? Do you want to retire your parents from working?

    This is coming from someone who I haven't talked to in 6 years...wtf?
     
  11. Antec

    Antec Member

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    Lol...probably. Did anyone ever as you to attend of those those meetings? Or were you ever asked to join?
     
  12. Medicine N Music

    Medicine N Music Contributing Member
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    Do NOT do this. Maybe 1-2% of these people will do well and it's probably not you. Sorry, but that's just the way it is. The way to make money in this company is by getting "recruits" and getting people to join ACN. You'll make money when people under you get other people to join. If your line of people dries up, so does your profit. That's all it is. Rarely do people make it to the top. Their services/products all suck and everything they're offering is worse the competitors by a mile.
     
  13. Classic

    Classic Member

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    The problem with these deals is that the bulk of your 'residual income' is going to be a commission based on that $499 fee.

    Basically, you're in business to sign people up for a business in an effort that they'll sign other people up for a business of signing people up for a business.

    The business model does not pay you really for the services that people use out of your 'online store', you get paid most when people pay the $499 IBO fee.

    I had a guy approach me about Ambit and I was thinking, hey, electricity maybe....but when you looked at the numbers and pay structure, you got paid very little money from people's actual electricity. That's why they want a fast commitment from you because they don't want you figuring out how you really get compensated cuz if you did, you'd realize it's a big con.
     
  14. Antec

    Antec Member

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    Yea that's what I was worried about and was thinking, they try and sell you really big on the whole "residual income" concept but from all the research I did most people who join don't even make their first residual check until many months into the business. Supposedly they only write you a check if it is over $10 in value. So I find that very sketchy since they don't even make $10 after being in the company for months?

    Seems like all their money comes from recruitment bonuses like if you recruit X amount of people in a 30 day period you get X dollars.

    1% of someone's $100 utility bill is $1. Is that right?
    And you don't even make 10% of the bill until you have at least 50 direct customers under you?
    And if you recruit someone and they get a utility customer you make like 0.25% of their bill? So $0.25 a month?
     
  15. Classic

    Classic Member

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    Exactly. And all the people in your up line a few rows up are lining their pocket on the $499 people are forking over out of desperation that this is the answer to all their dreams.

    Tell your bros the math doesn't make sense and move on. Check in with them in 6 months and see if they're still on the grind and blowin it up.
     
  16. Antec

    Antec Member

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    Well that's the strange part. 2 of the people were actually doing very well, one of them was an accountant and the other one was a consultant. They both quit their full time jobs to do this.

    Ive read stories about how it is a brainwashing for the people who join. They take a us-against-the-world mentality and they form kind of a cult. The most negative thing I've noticed is that all their friends have distanced themselves away from them. When I hang out with people I know from high school they complain about how these ACN people won't leave them along and either want to force them to attend a meeting or get them to switch over their utility services. It seems like if you join ACN you give away all your friends for your business, and the people that are your partners in ACN become your friends and family.

    Kind of like, they may know its a pyramid scheme or scam but if you keep telling themselves its not, day after day for months, eventually they believe they are making the world a better place? WTF?
     
  17. Classic

    Classic Member

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    Sorry, but any compensation plan that is 7 pages long that's ridiculously complicated that also has the words "Has the right to change the compensation plan at any time without notice" is not a good way to go. F--k that employment contract.
     
  18. thejav

    thejav Member

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    I attended an Amway meeting couple of months ago..not sure if its the same as ACN..but it sure seemed like it could be a viable option for people to make some extra cash..
     
  19. Ziggy

    Ziggy QUEEN ANON

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    I worked corporate at an MLM that was doing about 20mil in revenue (so it wasn't that small) for a few years and would actually change the comp plan from time-to-time on the fly. Had to cover our asses and screw people over, that's how it goes. Sleaziest "industry" out there, at least in p*rn they tell you you're going to get ****ed.
     
  20. SwoLy-D

    SwoLy-D Contributing Member

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    Had a friend asked me to go to one of these a while back. He basically said the entire thing you're saying. After a while, he kept insisting, and I said OK, and I went, but I never exactly knew what to sell or how, and I was all "F this." I told him to stop asking me if he wanted to keep being my friend, so he told me that he had also found out that the scheme was a scam and left the company and was suing them for his money back. :cool:
    Hahaha. Yeap. ^ That's CLASSIC. :grin:
     

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