by Funchback 10 Replies latest jw experiences
Greetings, all!
I just had a random recall about JWs and what they used to peddle.
In my area of Pennsylvania (USA), there was a brother who used to be the Shaklee dealer.
There was also a brother who owned his own landscaping company and sold long distance phone plans. In fact, I remember 3 brothers who sold lond distance plans.
Did anyone else experience these products or others? Just wondering.
Brian
Shaklee, definitely. It was a big thing among dubs because they didn't trust evidence-based medicine.
Shaklee became a substitute for real medical care for me for a while, with near deadly results.
rebel8-
That's true. And most dubs shelled out the money for the Shaklee goods. They were into it.
There was an MLM ring in our area.
Everyone would join the others'.
Stupid stuff.
Long distance, cable TV,, natural gas, electricity, etc. At least 25% higher than market prices (always a long-term contract) - but the salesperson would get a very small piece of the marked-up price.
Mostly candle and jewelry parties in my area. Back in the '80's we had quite a few brothers selling life insurance for A.L.Williams
The eldurs and misery servants were big into insurance. I knew of about 10-12 in our in about 4 congs that sold insurance, even whole life policies? For a system was going to end any minute? Go figure. Allstate, State Farm, Farmers, American Family, Liberty Mutual. They were all well represented by the brothers. Nice and easy to be self employed and hire some part time pioneers to push paper policies around the office with no benefits. They rarely worked a full day, but delegated the work to a few employees. More time for "field circus." They felt fortunate to work for a congregation heavy. All the JWs would get their insurance from them. I know of a couple that were DFed. It sunk their businesses because all the rank and file cancelled their policies. It was a huge windfall for the remaining. Time to hustle more clients from the windfall of a disfellowshipping. It reminded me of the scene when Jerry Maguire was trying to hustle some clients. Today, they are getting big into investments and "retirement planning". Take a few tests and you are a retirement planner. One idiot put my 70 year old father's money into a 10 year CD to make a couple of percent interest....like my dad will ever see this money before he dies.
I remember one Bro who never shut up about the products. He swore by the high protein, super nutritious protein drink. Before long it seemed this 30 odd year old started suffering from gout. When I looked up this painful disease it seemed that one of the main factors was a surfeit of protein.
I mentioned this finding to the Bro at the next meeting. I never heard another word about Shacklee.
I remember, after I was baptized, this brother was pushing hard for me to be one of his down line salespeople for Primerica. I'm not sure anymore of what the product was, I think either worthless investment or insurance products.
Anyway, he was on my ass to the point where it got very uncomfortable for me to push Primerica products on every family member I knew and to get them to sell to everyone they knew as well. I eventually stopped taking his calls. One day, when I did happen to answer the phone, this "brother" dressed me down pretty good for being unreliable, a waste of his time, and a loser for not succumbing to this MLM scheme.
It was one of the many straws that broke the camel's back for me wanting to have anything to do with being a witness.
out4good4-
Primerica was quite the scam.
