Targeting church members

[zeek]

OK y'all reminded me of something. This was before the days of internet searches. A former preacher of ours (nice man; we had always liked him) called us out of the blue. We had not seen or heard anything about him or from him in years. We were shocked and pleased to hear from him....until he started giving us an Amway pitch. Very short conversation, and we've never heard from him again. Very tacky, in my opinion. I don't understand why a preacher would think it would be ok to do this to a former church acquaintance.

Amway was (is?) a worse cult than the Church of Christ. If that is possible.

I wonder, Zeek....is Amway still around and as cultish as ever? My phone call from the preacher was years ago. I never hear of Amway any more (thankfully).

I just did a Google search and apparently Amway is alive and well. I'm like you in that I haven't heard anyone speak of it in years and years. I would guess that it is as cultish as it was. I worked with a man who's wife got caught up in Amway and she nearly bankrupted them buying "tools" to improve her "operation". When he protested the spending her Amway guru counseled her to divorce him because he was holding her back from fulfilling her potential. I changed jobs after that and don't know what eventually came of that situation. Definitely a cult.

[Ivy]

When he protested the spending her Amway guru counseled her to divorce him because he was holding her back from fulfilling her potential.

That is really creepy, zeek.

[faithfyl]

Re: Amway. They are still around but they often operate under various other business names.

[Scott]

My problem with Amway was the pricing. So much cheaper at the Grocery.
I suppose prices were high so they can payout throughout the pyramid.

[ena]

In the 1970's Amway became a big deal in many churches. The bigger the church the more contacts. Some people even retired on their Amway income. This was before the web. Today lowest cost is often found on the web. Specific items can be found. It does put a limit on price. With web based cell phones you can check best prices this way. Of course you do have to hassle with shipping. Don't forget to include shipping costs. Sometimes you can find a store that carries it or you can order it for pick up at a local store. Unlike the CoC if you don't buy they will go away.

[Tsathoggua]

When he protested the spending her Amway guru counseled her to divorce him because he was holding her back from fulfilling her potential.

That is really creepy, zeek.

That's for sure! Scary stuff!

[Ivy]

Unlike the CoC if you don't buy they will go away.

Hope springs eternal that both will eventually cease and desist.

[ena]

Unlike the CoC if you don't buy they will go away.

Hope springs eternal that both will eventually cease and desist.

Wait till you turn 65. You will get a mailbox full of ads for part D coverage. I am almost 70 and I still get them. AARP is a front for insurance companies. If you are a member you will get plenty of advertisements. There are plenty scammers out there. I have been told over the phone that they were a representative of Microsoft and that my licence for Windows had been terminated. I used to be the worst pirate in the world but no longer. I am still waiting for it to happen. You can ask them to send a letter with Microsoft Letterhead from Seattle, WA. Still laughing at that one. Do watch you parents that they don't donate to scams. My mother developed a habit of sending checks to scams like Save Social Security or Ollie North wants your help. She developed a habit that cost about $300 a month. I went through her cancelled checks and found out over the denials. My sister was her caretaker while she could do it actually put a lock on the mailbox. It wasn't because of theft but to keep mom out. There have been other problems like that in my extended family so I know the problem is common with oldsters. She got more mail that normal. I think when these outfits get money they send in other scams. With computerized mailing systems it is is easy to do. Hmm scamming Dems might a good one like an Impeach Trump Fund. Might make millions. Never would have to pay out set yourself as president where salary = reciepts or better yet use stock dividends to get long term capital gains. The ROI wound be way up there.

[Ivy]

ENA, have been there, done that.

We always kept an eye on my parents to ensure they weren't being exploited by scammers. They have now passed on.

What is your evidence that AARP is "just a front for insurance companies"?

I was fortunate to connect with a knowledgeable person during my initial enrollment period, which is just prior to turning age 65. This person educated me about all of the options available. I stayed on traditional Medicare, with Part D and a Part B supplement. This has worked great for me. It is most important to educate yourself with accurate information about your Medicare options. Everyone has different needs.

My DH and I are both "of a certain age" and get many unidentified (likely scam) calls. We just ignore any numbers we don't know, then block the numbers as they come up. We are also on the Do Not Call list, but the robo-calls continue to come in.

[Moogy]

ENA, have been there, done that.

We always kept an eye on my parents to ensure they weren't being exploited by scammers. They have now passed on.

What is your evidence that AARP is "just a front for insurance companies"?

I was fortunate to connect with a knowledgeable person during my initial enrollment period, which is just prior to turning age 65. This person educated me about all of the options available. I stayed on traditional Medicare, with Part D and a Part B supplement. This has worked great for me. It is most important to educate yourself with accurate information about your Medicare options. Everyone has different needs.

My DH and I are both "of a certain age" and get many unidentified (likely scam) calls. We just ignore any numbers we don't know, then block the numbers as they come up. We are also on the Do Not Call list, but the robo-calls continue to come in.

We bought a new phone system for the house. It has one main unit, and the other units connect to the main one wirelessly. This system has an INCREDIBLE feature for weeding out spam calls. I can set several different lists of numbers. First are the normal numbers I want to have recorded so I can call them easily. Anyone on that list rings through normally when they call me. Next I can set a list of “block this caller” which I do if I somehow start getting obnoxious calls. They get blocked and don’t even get to reach my voicemail. I can also set the name of a company, like “Shannon Clinic” (my doctor) and it rings through even if they are calling from a different number from the main one I programmed in.

People who are not on one of the special lists get a recording saying that my phone number is being screened. They have to state their name. Robo-calls cannot do this, and solicitors usually don’t. Then my phone rings and it announces the name of the person calling, in their own voice. So then I can choose to answer or not. If not, they go to voicemail where they can leave a message.

The phone has occasionally screened out someone we want to talk to, like my hubby’s elderly uncle who couldn’t understand the instructions. But he got someone else to call for him, and afterward I programmed his number in so next time he will ring through.

We get virtually NO spam calls now. We are in heaven.