# Don't want to pay your lease anymore? Just sell this drink



## TheyCallMeNun (Jun 4, 2011)

First off, I would like to say I'm a sceptic of this company and it's policies. I am also NOT a member.

So here's the background, I am 20 years old and I go to college along with my friends. About a year ago one of my friends approached me about this new nutritional energy drink called Verve. He gave me a free one and I have to say it doesn't taste half bad, after I finished my buddy started shooting this sales pitch at me. He begun to explain that the Verve corporation doesn't pay for advertising, which explained why I had never heard of it before, instead Verve pays people to advertise by word of mouth. You sign up at their website and become what's known as a "Brand Partner", then within 60 days of your sign up date you are required to buy a "Beginner Pack" (a case of the energy drink) at $499.99. You are supposed to then begin to advertise their product and get others to sign up to the program. Once you get someone to sign up for this program under your account, that is called your "leg". Verve pays you for every leg you have. Here's where it gets a little sketchy.. After your beginner pack, you can buy a case of Verve to advertise at a lower cost, but it was still about 200 or something like that for a case. If you have only one leg under you, you only get paid a couple of bucks, the money really starts to flow when your legs start getting their own legs and then the legs of the legs sign legs, ect. However, you have to maintain a consistency, not only with your legs, but your leg's legs. You don't receive any money for previous months legs you signed. In addition their is a monthly fee (from what I've been told) I'm not exactly sure about that or it's cost. The Verve website isn't exactly up front with how and why money exchanges hands, until you have already become a member. Anyways, I passed on this fantastic opportunity.

Stay with me here, I'm getting to the BMW's

[fast forward to last week]

One of my friends that goes to an out of state college hit me up recently with almost the exact same sales pitch as my other friend from a year before, but this drink was called Vemma. I brushed it off and told him that sales pitch is nothing but a scam. He then said he knows about my love for BMW's and he said if I work for this company they will lease me a new BMW 3 series on their tab. I said bull****, and got on the Internet to see what the deal was. So here's what I have figured out.. You have to become a member, and sell the product. However, not just every member gets a BMW, you have to "qualify" by have an abnormally large number of legs under you. Once you have so many legs with legs of their own, you have become a "Platinum Member". Keys are almost in your hands, but that just gets you the car at an "attractive lease rate". If you want it paid for, that requires more stipulations. Not only do you have to be a Platinum Member, but you have to maintain a high sign up rate every 5 weeks to have the lease paid. I was told by an ex-member (not either of the previous two people mentioned) told me that "The amount of people you need to have signed up every 5 weeks to get the lease paid, is more than the average member gets signed up within the first 6 months." So what happens when you don't meet the monthly quota? Simple, you have to pay it yourself. Not that big of a deal if you are good at maintaining a steady sign up rate.

Sorry I can't provide more numbers on members required to have the lease paid for, like I said before, the company isn't exactly the up front with the numbers until your a member.. Which I am not.

Here's some more rules and legal mumbo jumbo for you.. 
http://www.vemma.com/platinumclub/PlatinumClub-OfficialRules.pdf

Now for the worst part, they require you keep their signage on your leased BMW 















So I thought, I'd leave you guys with this opportunity. Good luck to any future members.

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## JustinTJ (Jun 1, 2011)

I'll just work my normal job and pay my own lease. Probably easier than working to sell energy drinks at 10/hr or less by the time you add up the hours.


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## TheyCallMeNun (Jun 4, 2011)

As will I haha it is certainly an interesting propsition.. to say the least


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## gpburdell (Sep 23, 2012)

Sounds like a typical multi-level marketing scheme.

While some are legit (Mary Kay, Premier Designs, others), this one sounds sketchy.

I will admit a BMW sounds better than a Mary Kay Pink Cadillac!


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## gkr778 (Feb 8, 2013)

gpburdell said:


> I will admit a BMW sounds better than a Mary Kay Pink Cadillac!


Mary Kay at one time commissioned a custom motorcycle designer to create the Pink BMW MK 1200 RS


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## gkr778 (Feb 8, 2013)

btw, Vemma products are overpriced junk with no proven effectiveness in addressing any health issue. Vemma's predecessor company was accused of false advertising and engaging in "unfair or deceptive acts or practices". The Federal Trade Commission issued a cease and desist order in effect until 2019:

FTC Ruling


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## TheyCallMeNun (Jun 4, 2011)

gkr778 said:


> btw, Vemma products are overpriced junk with no proven effectiveness in addressing any health issue. Vemma's predecessor company was accused of false advertising and engaging in "unfair or deceptive acts or practices". The Federal Trade Commission issued a cease and desist order in effect until 2019:
> 
> FTC Ruling


edit: Even though this Cease and Desist Order is for a different product, it goes to show you what kind of people you are dealing with... Thanks for the link.. maybe I can educate some of these college students.


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## TheyCallMeNun (Jun 4, 2011)

Did anyone at Bimmerfest East see the white 328i with the Vemma decal? Haha I bet he was trying to sell drinks there.


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## thumper_330 (Jan 3, 2009)

It truly amazes me how anyone with half a brain can actually figure that this is "better than working" This is working a sales job... and all the grim and horrible drudgery that sales can be in the first place. You'd be far better off shilling something with better margins and easier sale... this isn't getting paid for now work... this is getting paid minimum wage or less for a job you could actually be getting paid decent money for.

The only people this kind of stuff works out for are stay-at-home parents who want to do something on the side... but even then they won't make much out of it and really need a significant other or another source of income to actually live while doing this.


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## TheyCallMeNun (Jun 4, 2011)

it actually is great for the persistent college student.. My friend owns a bagel shop in a college town. and he gets students in there all the time trying to sell him this drink. he turns them down, but some are very persistent


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## bigugly fab (May 28, 2009)

My wife is a Mary Kay director- she's won 4 cars so far. Right now we are beating up a 2013 mustang from them 
It just tuned 30,000 miles! We drive the hell out of it lol


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## TheyCallMeNun (Jun 4, 2011)

Hmm I've heard some success stories from these companies, but they are few and far in-between. Did you wife start there by selling the products?


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## Keepittrill (Jun 5, 2013)

bigugly fab said:


> My wife is a Mary Kay director- she's won 4 cars so far. Right now we are beating up a 2013 mustang from them
> It just tuned 30,000 miles! We drive the hell out of it lol


They gave you a Mustang? Did your wife threaten to quit?

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## bigugly fab (May 28, 2009)

TheyCallMeNun said:


> Hmm I've heard some success stories from these companies, but they are few and far in-between. Did you wife start there by selling the products?
> 
> Sent from BimmerApp mobile app


She started like every other woman did, one pant leg on at a time. She kept at it, and now pays the bills at the house and drives free cars. :bigpimp:



Keepittrill said:


> They gave you a Mustang? Did your wife threaten to quit?
> 
> Sent from BimmerApp mobile app


Not sure which way to respond to that.

It's a black/black 2013 mustang (v6) 
It's a cool car. Neat applications in the instrument cluster (track pack, pitch/yaw, 0-60etc)
The Stereo will kick an e90's ass.
Gets about 28.5 on the freeway, 22 all around.
If I were to buy one, it wouldn't be a V6 (but literally all I have spent on it is oil changes) springs/shocks/swaybars would make a world of difference but its a V6- it would kill the nice ride.
It's quick for a v6. 300hp. Has the same plague as a N54 with direct injection as well.... ****ty idle after 15-20k, and its really ugly now at 30k.
Speaking of moostangs.......
I beat the PANTS off a new modded Shelby gt500 a few days ago in my M3. Twice!


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## JohnL345 (Jun 24, 2010)

I am retired from a thirty year career in marketing and advertising.
Multi level marketing efforts have been around for as long as I can remember.

First, forget about that BMW. Odds are heavily against your ever getting to the point where you
would qualify for it. (if you ever get there great but don't count on it).

Ok
Ever notice how many ads there are for all sorts of "programs" that promise a "way to wealth?"
How to buy property with no money down? etc etc etc????
Many feature someone who is fabulously wealthy "sharing" the "secret to their success" with you!
Of course that "secret" will cost you $39.99 for the DVD/CD/Books/courses etc. In fact, there was a guy 
on late night infomercials selling his "secret" to becoming a millionaire! Basically he sold a course explaining how you could sell stuff
via tiny classified ads in newspapers. 

Why would anyone want to share these secrets with complete strangers? Does Coke share their formula?
The real secret is the money these people are making is from selling DVD's and booklets etc.

Ask the folks at Vemma if you can have their sales materials for free or at cost for use in bringing
"legs" into your operation!

Interestingly, it is probably "easier" to get legs than it is to actually sell the energy drink. Tell the Vemma folks you
intend to "develop" major accounts like Costco and Seven Eleven. (these places sell a lot of energy drinks). I suspect you will find that
you probably can't. Vemma likely has severe restrictions on where and how you can actually sell the product.

My suggestion is you get a job as a BMW salesman at the local dealership. (you will obtain that
company car more quickly than by selling energy drinks to friends and family).


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## M5 Next (May 15, 2013)

This is not a scam, but it is a fine print type proposition.

There are a ton of these job offers, especially on Craigslist. Everything from drinks to credit card machines to insurance are fair game. The case you described is a highball, they want $500 for you to start, usually it's 100 to 200 to attract more people. They profit from that even if you suck, because they pay pennies on the dollars you pay on your "beginner pack."

The catch is, you have to be REALLY good at this. You have to market yourself, network, get referrals, all the fun of a sales job. These jobs have a 90% (est) turnover rate. Most people that respond to these job listings see the advertisement saying "make 100 grand your first year", get dollar signs in their eyes, and gladly pay for the beginner package thinking they'll be flush with cash in a few months, so what's a couple hundred bucks, right? And most of these people have little to no sales experience and no idea how the business works, thinking you'll just walk in, shoot the sh!t with a prospect, and they'll want your product. The ads usually state that little to no experience is OK.

So, these companies do this and hire people. If you're good, you can actually make some decent money. But most people that get these jobs are NOT. So, they try and fail over and over again, then quit after a few weeks. The pay is 100% commission, so if you suck, you cost the company nothing - good luck getting any benefits:rofl:. But, they did make some money for charging you $500 (or 200, or even 100) for something that cost them $20.

So this way, they weed out the good salespeople and actually pay them good money (and hook them up on benefits, lease them cars, etc), and still make money off those who did not know what they were getting themselves into. It's not a lot per person, but imagine, how many people fall for this in one state in a month, then multiply by 50, and you're talking real money here.


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## JohnL345 (Jun 24, 2010)

Stan
Interestingly, this is a sort of standard response to anyone questioning these operations.
In fact there are some "smart" people who are selling the keys to success in these ventures. (talk about parasites).
The basic pitch is pretty much what you say in your post.

The key factor is it is not about the product. The money is in recruiting more salespeople and selling sales materials.
Anyone involved in these ventures will quickly learn it is about getting others to join up not in actually selling a product to 
a consumer. 

The marketplace is glutted with energy drinks. Mary Kay was based on people establishing relationships with customers......make up
is a personal product. No one is going to establish personal relationships over an energy drink!


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## bigugly fab (May 28, 2009)

Exactly. And when people don't have money, they still find it to buy alcohol and makeup 

I believe in the Mary Kay thing, mainly because I saw my wife with no direction get into it- and now is a very successful woman with great friends.


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## dannyc9997 (May 15, 2008)

These are always targeted at kids in our age group (18-24) because we have not been around long enough to pick up on the scam. Vector marketing is another one. These organizations are unethical and borderline criminal. I'm in sales, I know what a sales job takes and it's not for everyone. But these "jobs" are for noone. Why do you think they don't have conventional employees? They would go out of business because they can't afford to pay a living.


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## TheyCallMeNun (Jun 4, 2011)

dannyc9997 said:


> These are always targeted at kids in our age group (18-24) because we have not been around long enough to pick up on the scam. Vector marketing is another one. These organizations are unethical and borderline criminal. I'm in sales, I know what a sales job takes and it's not for everyone. But these "jobs" are for noone. Why do you think they don't have conventional employees? They would go out of business because they can't afford to pay a living.


Yeah I remember in high school as soon as I got to my sophomore year, vector called every student in my grade's cell phone. They offered a job and a ton of people went for interviews. I don't think anyone actually took the job.

I think it's a scam, mostly because you're not the employee, like they advertise, you're the customer.

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