TEAM: what can you tell me about this business? - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Eddie Bronze · 08-13-2007, 09:34 PM

This is the company founded by Orrin Woodward and Chris Brady. I am writing here on CalgaryPuck to see who amongst the group here are familiar/involved in the group and what those of you who are aware of it have to say about it.

I have recently been approached by two "family friends" about getting involved in this operation. I have been given a couple informal presentations about it. I've begun reading a book written by Woodward and Brady. Certain parts sound interesting, some of the ideas about running a business and what they are trying to do sound good. But I was probably given some info because of my "family" connections that others may not be privy to at this early a stage of introduction to the company. I feel some of it is questionable, but I don't like to write off potential opportunities for myself.

So I ask of thee who are involved in the community of CPuck who are informed of this business for positive and negative points. I'm interested to find out more.

ericschand · 08-14-2007, 04:28 PM

It's a MLM, barely legal pyramid scheme. IOW, stay away.

http://www.mlmblog.net/2007/08/confirmed-orrin.html

http://www.freetimes.com/stories/13/...one-in-pyramid

ers

Bobblehead · 08-14-2007, 04:36 PM

Sounds like an Amway clone to me.

Eddie Bronze · 08-14-2007, 10:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

Sounds like an Amway clone to me.

The way it's been described to me is that it essentially came from Amway. They call it Quickstar now although Amway is still operational under that name outside of North America (not sure which countries).

The people I know pressing me to get involved claim that Amway will soon be re-introduced in North America which is hard to believe but they are saying it will happen. The people from TEAM are currently in a legal battle with Quickstar over "competitive pricing" and want to be let go to do there own thing.

The people from TEAM that I know actually believe that even though they have signed contracts with Quickstar that they'll get out of them and be allowed to go about their business. I could go on about this but my friends really appear to have been brainwashed into a scam because they think they are going to make huge money and they also think they will get away with huge tax writeoffs as a part of being in this company.

Buff · 08-15-2007, 08:53 AM

I once worked with a guy who got into Amway. He fell for their sales pitch, hook, line and sinker.

Funny story about him and Amway. He bought some multi-vitamins through them and he brought them into work and he offered me one. I figured sure, its only a vitamin. I hadn't even swallowed the darn thing yet and he asked "So, when are you taking your break so we can sign you up?". I don't doubt that somebody could potentially make some kind of money off of things like this but this guy had no salesmanship at all.

He tried so hard to get me into Amway but I wouldn't sign up. He even told me that I have no future because I wasn't getting involved in Amway. He honestly believed that he was going to be filthy rich from Amway.

I poked so much fun at him about Amway. In the Crash Test Dummies song "Superman Song" there was a line that said "Superman never made any money.." Well that song played and just as they sang that line I said to him "I guess Superman should've joined Amway eh?".

4X4 · 08-15-2007, 09:26 AM

Ugh. Amway/Quickstar... A guy I used to be friends with got into that company. The guy was relentless. He was one of those people that would go balls to the wall whenever he believed that it would make him money (great quality to have in a businessman) (too bad this isn't a business).

He annoyed the crap out of me and quite a few other people with his incessant yammering about quickstar.

"All you have to do was sign up. Then sign up a few people. then get those people to sign up more people. We'll all be rich. Don't you guy want to all have yachts and mansions and ferarris? I can't understand why you won't sign up. You buy the same stuff you would from the grocery store, except from amway. Its so easy. Look at all the money you can make. I'm already making ten dollars a month. Once I hae a hundred people I'll be making a thousand dollars a month - for doing nothing!!! All I need is five gazillion people and I'll be an eleven thousandaire"

Jesus H. Christ. So fricken annoying.

All I can say to the thread starter is DON'T BE THAT GUY. The guy I told you about is shuuunnnned from our group now. None of us can stand him anymore. Buh bye Loser.

Worst part about it was that he went and killed quite a few friendships with his pushy ways and he still makes no money with the stupid crap.

ericschand · 08-15-2007, 10:38 AM

After a friend had a close call with Amway, I looked it up in Google. A
few years ago now...at least he never hooked up.

A lot of what Buff and 4x4 say about their co-workers is absolutely true.

In Amway, you are a regarded as a failure if you aren't striving for the top.
You pay to attend sessions that continuously berate you to sign up more
people. The selling thing is an aside. If you aren't a millionaire through
Amway, you aren't trying hard enough. They delight and dazzle by
saying everyone on stage is a millionaire! They show the yachts, cars,
houses, etc.

What they don't tell you that all that is only from the select few at
the top, one of whom will be represented, and the rest basically get
nothing. This is repeated city to city, country-wide.

Maybe it's your friends, you better get away from them, they are causing
you to fail is one of their favourite sayings.

Amway (and it's offshoots) make more money from these sessions than
they do from the rest of the business, as was brought out during a couple
of court cases. The selling of tickets, books, tapes, etc., makes more
money than actual product!

Oh, you got to go for free? Chances are, whoever asked you to go paid
your way, and they are willing to pay it, because then they can share
in the riches shown on the stage! Right?

Stay away from Amway (and any other MLM).

ers

Bobblehead · 08-15-2007, 01:29 PM

My cousin's wife did amway for about a year.

They went down to an amway NYE celebration somewhere in the States. When they got back I asked how it went, and the only thing my cousin said was, "I had to spend NYE in a DRY county".

Yeah, you buy the same stuff you would otherwise, but you don't make any money unless you sign people up. And when they finally quit amway, they said, "When I want a bag of chips, I want them now, not next week."

albertGQ · 08-15-2007, 04:02 PM

Okay, so I know this thing is borderline a pyramid scheme. But one of my good buddy's mom is relentless in calling me to set up an appointment so we can sit down and talk about my investment possibilities. I've told her I wasn't interested a couple dozen times. She kept pressuring so I stopped answering her calls. She then started to call me from different numbers. So I finally just said "okay, we can meet on saturday afternoon". When saturday afternoon came, I didn't answer my phone from any unrecognised numbers. I thought she'd be mad that I stood her up and wuold stop calling. Lo' and behold, she calls me every couple days now. My buddy's mom is super nice so I don't want to be rude, but how the HECK do I convince her that I'm not interested. I've told my buddy countless times to get him mom to stop calling me, but it's not working!

Help please!!!

4X4 · 08-15-2007, 04:11 PM

Are you sure that you've told her that you're not interested, or have you merely insinuated that it's not for you....

You've got to tell it flat out to her that you've looked into it and it's not something that you have any desire to be involved with. Then, you have to throw someone under the bus and tell her that you have a friend that probably would be interested. Give her the phone number to an ex girlfriend or a so-so buddy that you really don't like very much.

Agamemnon · 08-15-2007, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by albertGQ

Okay, so I know this thing is borderline a pyramid scheme. But one of my good buddy's mom is relentless in calling me to set up an appointment so we can sit down and talk about my investment possibilities. I've told her I wasn't interested a couple dozen times. She kept pressuring so I stopped answering her calls. She then started to call me from different numbers. So I finally just said "okay, we can meet on saturday afternoon". When saturday afternoon came, I didn't answer my phone from any unrecognised numbers. I thought she'd be mad that I stood her up and wuold stop calling. Lo' and behold, she calls me every couple days now. My buddy's mom is super nice so I don't want to be rude, but how the HECK do I convince her that I'm not interested. I've told my buddy countless times to get him mom to stop calling me, but it's not working!

Help please!!!

Make up a reason she can't argue with. I find the easiest way to deal with my mom (who is always coming to me with this stuff) is to tell her I don't sell stuff, and I don't recruit my friends/family/co-workers into business deals. Just say you never, ever mix business with friends, and because she's your friend's mom, you're steering clear. Don't be afraid to just stick to that point over and over again.

Tron_fdc · 08-15-2007, 04:19 PM

Tell her you don't believe in get rich quick schemes, no matter how foolproof they are. Tell her you're just not interested, and that it's not for you, and make sure you don't leave ANY door open for her (don't lie about being broke, don't tell her it's a bad time, don't say it sounds even remotely interesting) because she'll call you in a few months, or try to get you to borrow the money from someone. Slam the door shut, because if she was a really nice person and a good friend she wouldn't be trying to scam you.

Tron_fdc · 08-15-2007, 04:25 PM

On another note; one thing I was taught by my dad was there is NO SUCH THING as easy money. On all these multi level marketing schemes, the guy at the bottom ALWAYS gets screwed, and the guy at the top makes a fortune at the expense of his relationships with the people under him (usually friends and family). Not only is it illegal (in most cases) and seriously unethical, it's a waste of time and sure fire way to lose money.

I always laugh at the people who come at me with garbage like "Diners Club" for women, and the variety of other names it goes under after the cops break it up. Not only do they get an earful for bringing such garbage into my house, but they immediately go to the top of "you're the most gullible person I know" list. It's a scam plain and simple Albert....as soon as you hear the $5000 buy in, plant your foot firmly in their ass and launch them out your door.

Eddie Bronze · 08-15-2007, 08:23 PM

Well, I want to thank you guys for your responses and just re-confirming my suspicions about this operation.

The couple trying to get me to sign up intentionally brought up Alticor->Amway->Quixtar to put their name down and make a point of saying that TEAM will be different. He even made a point of saying, "it's not a get rich quick scheme" but then later said they were doing really well from it (they've been involved maybe 6-8 months) and tried to sell it on a personal level, saying their relationship has gotten stronger through their involvement in the company. From the way I see it though, it all is coming from the same basic idea. I do think Brady and Woodward have some good ideas in their book but as I read it, it comes across more as a sales pitch to suck you in.

I found out about this whole thing on Sunday night. They gave me a brief intro to it but it was very basic and I didn't know much about it so I told them I may be interested. The next night they were getting my name on papers. The first thing that really raised my eyebrow was within a couple minutes they wanted my VISA info and that's the first thing that scared me. After they left I immediately went online and looked up some info on it and it didn't take long to figure it was a sketchy operation. Earlier in the evening it got a bit personal, too. Not me but another family member they were pushing it on and going so far as to call him stupid if he doesn't sign up. One family member calling another stupid could lead to severed ties in a hurry and of course now I'm worried what their reaction will be when I tell them I'm not interested.

corporatejay · 08-15-2007, 10:37 PM

if you look it up on the internet you will see that after something like seven levels the pyramid is more than the population of the world thus, it being impossible for anyone to really make any money.

actually here it is.