An Article and an Ex-Diamond revisited

The link for a good article written about a month ago, before the fit hit the shan.

Click here

I looked up Don Lorencz on The Quixtar Wiki and here's what I found.

Still trying to control information...

Some people just don't get it.

The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street

Looks like information control still runs rampant in the Amway/Team/Quixtar saga. Both the corporation and TEAM are attempting to be perceived as open and transparent, but I personally am not buying it. No proof, no inside information, just my thoughts.

Now, I don't like a lot of things about IBOFightback, but I must commend him/her on the phenomenal coverage provided on his/her site. I would think IBOFightback would be considered an ally, but apparently not to TEAM. I'll bet if we had a time machine, and could go back to about 2 months ago, IBOFightback would be regarded as an excellent resource for IBO's, whether affiliated with TEAM or otherwise.

What we now have going on is a splintering of factions within the organization. You have the corporation giving their version, and then you have people like TEAM's Chuck Goetschel

I would assume that Chuck's opinion of the company has taken a dramatic change of course since the last plan he showed in order to recruit people. I for one would like to know when the last time is that Chuck showed a plan, and who he showed it to. It would be interesting to speak to that person now that things have obviously changed.

As of late, TEAM IBO's appear to be banning people from their freetheibo forum. I was aware that they had a forum, but only glanced casually at it, as it was what I thought it would be. Pro-TEAM with no real honest discussion about the hard questions. Evidently, paranoia is setting in, and everyone is accused of being a corporate plant, then summarily banned.

It reminded me of one of my favorite Twilight Zone episodes, hence the title of this post. The episode ends with this message, cryptically delivered by Rod Serling: Enjoy! The rest of the episode can be found on Youtube. It really reminds me of what is going on in the FreetheIBO forum. It's funny, but not ha-ha funny, if you can dig that?

"The tools of conquest do not necessarily come with bombs and explosions and fallout. There are weapons that are simply thoughts, attitudes, prejudices - to be found only in the minds of men. For the record, prejudices can kill and suspicion can destroy, and a thoughtless, frightened search for a scapegoat has a fallout all its own - for the children, and the children yet unborn. And the pity of it is that these things cannot be confined to the Twilight Zone."

Should Be An Interesting Week

Well, I must say, a LOT of IBO's have come out of the woodwork (not Woodward..hee-hee) and responding to Amway/Quixtar/Alticor's media blog about the diamonds that are no longer in the business.

Basically, you have 2 schools of thought, Amway is right and Orrin is right.

There is just a myriad of loaded questions that the critics could ask Amway or Orrin, or Billy Florence or Chris Brady, or Fred (aka "Zack") Harteis, or Don Wilson et al.

This is a very different type of exodus in Amway. Firstly, it's not just one "disgruntled" person who is messing up big time and has lost sight of things. This is over a dozen high level people that have decided that this business is just not worth hanging on to.

Whatever happened to this being a willable business you could pass on to your children? If that is true, why are there a dozen or so thinking it's not worth it?

For years, many "leaders" and hardcore IBO's have been saying prices were competitive, plain and simple. Why is there now a lawsuit by the same dozen or so claiming that because the prices are so high it's an illegal pyramid scheme?

Why are we now finding out only now that less than 5% (Point # 45 in the lawsuit) of sales are to people outside of the business when it was known last year? Probably because it's a privately held company and it doesn't have to disclose that fact to anybody. I remember people always saying that it was better than other businesses because it was privately held. Is that good? This suggests that perhaps it isn't such a good thing to be involved in a privately held, and therefore unaccountable business.

Let's not forget about Woodward, Harteis, Wilson et al. How can you be telling people something you benefit from for so long, then just walk away? How can you be saying one thing for most of your Amway career and then turn around and say the exact opposite at the drop of a hat? Bo Short comes to mind, in that they were either lying all those years, or they are lying now.

In short, this is one huuuge can'o' worms that's just been opened. Humpty Dumpty has fallen off the wall, and I don't think all the king's horses and all the king's men are going to be able to make it right again.

I wish I could say I felt sorry for one side or the other. I really do. But this song has been sung for a very long time.

Now it's time for everyone to pay the piper.

Stay Tuned

At The Expense Of Others...A Good Laugh

The past 24 hours have been an absolute whirlwind of activity in the Amway/Quixtar world. Here's my translation of the events.

First blood goes to Amway, who made it public that they had terminated Orrin Woodward and Chris Brady's TEAM organization. Where I first read it is HERE

Then Orrin and Chris decide to tell their story HERE.

They advise that they, along with a bunch of other "leaders", are initiating a lawsuit. The lawsuit is a very interesting read, as all of the "leaders" who have been the subject matter of a number of critics (yours truly included) are basically confirming what all web critics have been saying to IBO's who have staunchly defended the "business" for years. High prices, poor opportunity. It's worth the read HERE.

Then we have Alticor (which is Amway and Quixtar's parent company) totally going straight for the throat on all of the "leaders", basically saying good riddance to bad rubbish. Check out the collective kick to the nuts of Woodward, Brady, Billy Florence, Don Wilson, Randy Haugen et al HERE.

So what to make of this? Well, I gotta be honest here, I love it. Every bit of it. Why? A couple reasons.

1- Between Amway/Quixtar slamming Orrin and Co., we will get a better perspective on what the Corp. really thinks about the leaders.

2- With the lawsuit, it completely and 100% validates the points of the critics, predominantly the issue with the high priced products. It also shows that even the "leaders" know that Quixtar was a shell game, and check this out: LESS THAN 5% OF THE PRODUCT MOVEMENT COMES FROM CUSTOMERS OUTSIDE THE BUSINESS, according to Woodward, Brady, Billy Florence, Don Wilson, Randy Haugen et al.

So, while allowing for each to spin their webs, I just think this is a moment in time when we are going to get as close to the truth as can be expected since before I was born (the 70's).

As well, more truth will come out that will completely refute the claims being made by IBO's when recruiting, all you have to do is show a printout of the lawsuit showing that the Corp. klnows damn well the prices of the products are too high.

I'm certain that many groups will say that Woodward and Florence, and Brady's groups were all bad eggs, much like Eric Scheibler was labelled upon his departure. Why would so many people leave the opportunity for so much residual income? Because there isn't any.

What has happened here, in my opinion, is the "leaders" were saying they were going to keep doing it their way (make $$ from the motivation)

The corp says, " 'Fraid not, everyone is talking about it on the internet, it has to look like we're doing something because everyone knows it's deceitful".

"Leaders" say, well then we'll quit and shed light on all the dirty secrets we've all been keeping quiet for so long.

The corp says, "You don't got the balls, you need us".

"Leaders" say, "We don't need you if we can't keep making $ from our sneaky motivation scam, we're outta here".

Then, comes all the mud slinging.

Keep checking in, and please feel free to leave comments. There hasn't been much to write about lately, looks like we've got sumthin to talk about now...

As for the title of my post, "At The Expense Of Others...A Good Laugh"

Yep, that's how I feel. The "leaders" and the Corp. both deserve a good shit kicking. They've been covering each other's asses far too long now as the sheep were fleeced.

Now it's wolves vs. the wolves.

You can call it immature, selfish, or whatever.

I prefer to call it Justice. That's just my opinion though.

The Walls Come a Tumblin' Down

At least for a couple of TEAM leaders. The following is a letter from Jim Payne. I read this over at the QBlog Forum. Looks like Amway/Quixtar is making good on their promise to mop this up.

The following is what the scoop is:

To Team affiliated IBOs

What Team has taught you regarding business building may put you at legal and regulatory risk – but we can help

We are in an exciting period in the history of this business. We are making unprecedented investments to make your businesses better – more than $60 million in new money in Quixtar Business Incentives, launch of training to help make IBOs more successful, and exciting new product and category launches. Overall, the Company is spending more than $200 million in product development, brand building, training and compensation enhancements to make this business bigger and more successful than ever.

We also are taking steps to address issues that have plagued our business and hampered our success, which is why we are contacting you today.

After working with Team training organization founders, Orrin Woodward and Chris Brady, on issues related to the teaching by the organization on positioning of the business as the Team opportunity, the practice of “stacking,” or inappropriate depth-building, the use of unauthorized business support materials, and because they told Company executives that they intend to begin soliciting IBOs to join their new competing MLM, the Company has terminated Woodward and Brady’s Quixtar businesses. These issues put the Company and IBOs at serious and immediate risk of legal and regulatory actions and needed to cease immediately. And, we should note that no IBO has left Amway or Quixtar and successfully launched a competing business. Moreover, they, together with other Team, Legacy and Team 5K IBOs plan to file a class action lawsuit in Federal Court against Quixtar.

Quixtar recently provided an opportunity for Woodward and Brady to work with the Company to cure their contract breaches, but they were unwilling to even listen to the plan. The Company now finds Woodward and Brady to be in default of their agreement with the Company and, as a result, their businesses were terminated.

Quixtar acknowledges that the vast majority of IBOs affiliated with Team have conducted their businesses as taught by the Team organization. As a result, there are Team-related IBOs who do not have an accurate understanding of the importance of positioning the business properly with prospects and building depth within the Rules. We can help you through that.

Quixtar remains committed to the support of all IBOs and will work with those who agree to abide by the Company’s rules and maintain high ethical standards. That includes all Team-affiliated IBOs who wish to continue building their Quixtar businesses in compliance with the rules and by correcting positioning and stacking behaviors.

We hope you accept our invitation to remain a valued and productive member of the Quixtar business. We will be following up with more information soon and encourage you to call your Quixtar Sales Advisor with any questions.

Sincerely,


Jim Payne
Executive Vice President and Managing Director
Quixtar Inc.