Are MLM products actually any good? (Multi-level marketing vs. pyramid schemes)

First off, I gotta vent—the search engine on Reddit is absolute garbage. It misses terms I know for a fact are all over this site. Is anyone else dealing with this? Try searching for "multi-level marketing." Not a single damn link showed up for me.

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But anyway, I’m actually here for something else. I stumbled upon a few threads about MLMs, and man, people are crushed. Just a bunch of folks who feel cheated, played, and mostly just depressed.

We already established the massive hatred for "side hustles," MLMs, direct sales, and cult-like vibes.

What I really want to know now is this: if you actually bought products through these schemes, are they any good? Do they work? Are they high quality, or just overpriced junk? Tell me what sucked about the products themselves. Let’s skip the whole "marketing tactics" and "brainwashing" talk for a second. Did you actually get enough bang for your buck?

I'm talking about brands like Tupperware, Avon, Oriflame, Herbalife, Golden (NeoLife), Amway—(ADD ANY OTHERS I MISSED)

If you could just buy their stuff online without all the extra nonsense and brainwashing bullshit, would you actually do it?

*** THANKS ****************

As far as I know, Tupperware has two locations in New York City where you can order directly from their office or just jump online and grab what you need.
With companies like Avon and Oriflame, it’s all about catalog sales through representatives. There isn't any brainwashing involved; honestly, the only downside is that some reps can be a little overly persistent!
I think Avon actually started promoting online shopping—I'm not sure if it really took off, but it's definitely worth checking out.

I mean, you’ve got a point. Why wouldn't you take advantage of free advertising if the product actually delivers?

My mom bought this oval Tupperware pan like 16 years ago. She only did it because some friend of hers was peddling it—she was in a rough spot and was swearing up a storm about how expensive everything was. But man, that pan has been used on a gas stove every single day for 16 years straight. She uses it for soups, frying, even all that healthy stuff like oil-free cooking. Nothing has ever burned in it, not once (which, I guess, counts for something in those "health" subreddits 😁). The pan itself is a 5/5. It lost a little shine, maybe, but honestly, who has the energy to polish it? Other than that, it looks brand new. No scratches, no dents.
I also have a stainless steel set with gold trim from that same distributor 🙂. It's just as heavy-duty. It’s fallen off shelves and tables countless times (we've got two cats, a toddler, and a washing machine that shakes like an earthquake during the spin cycle), but it goes in the dishwasher every day. That polishing cream they sold us is still sitting untouched in the drawer, and the stuff still looks new. Zero scratches, zero damage, the gold hasn't even faded. Total 5/5.
They threw in a Tupperware skillet as a gift, though, and honestly? That thing is junk. Everything sticks to it and burns immediately.
So, I think Tupperware is worth the money.

As for the other multi-level marketers, I haven't really dealt with them.

Christian Hayes9 said:What I’m really curious about right now is whether the products you actually bought through these channels were any good—do they serve their purpose, are they effective, high quality, and reasonably priced? Tell me what specifically let you down about the products themselves. I’m not looking to talk about the sales tactics or the brainwashing side of things; I want to know if you actually got enough bang for your buck.

So, we're talking about companies like Tupperware, Avon, Oriflame, Herbalife, NeoLife, or Amway (let me know if I missed anyone)

If you had the chance to just buy these items online, without all the extra drama and recruitment pitches, would you actually go for them?

*** THANKS ****************

My family and I have been using NeoLife for a while now, and honestly, we’re pretty happy with it, especially when it comes to the dietary supplements. They are the only "pills" I've taken where you can genuinely see a visible difference between the "before and after."

I also pick up a few bits from Oriflame here and there, and in my experience, the quality is decent enough considering how much you're paying for it.

Christian Hayes9 said:But I’m actually here for something else entirely. I stumbled upon a few Reddit threads about multi-level marketing, and man, people are just... wow. So much disappointment, feeling ripped off, and honestly, just a whole lot of depression.

We already established the whole aversion to "side hustles," MLMs, direct sales, and cult-like vibes.

What I really want to know now is: were the products you bought through those channels actually any good? Like, do they work, are they high quality, and is the price tag actually worth it? Please, tell me what let you down about them. I'm not talking about the marketing tactics or the brainwashing part. I mean, did you get enough bang for your buck?

So, we're talking brands like Tupperware, Avon, Oriflame, Herbalife, Golden (NeoLife), Amway—(FEEL FREE TO ADD IF I MISSED ANY!)

Would you actually buy these products online if you had the chance without all the extra baggage (you know, the brainwashing stuff)?

*** THANKS! ****************

Honestly, the brainwashing thing usually comes down to the individual salesperson. Some people are just way too pushy, which totally backfires most of the time.
As for quality, it's hard to make a blanket statement because all these companies sell such a huge variety of stuff at totally different price points.
Way back in the day, my mom used to buy Amway cleaning supplies. They were pretty pricey, but man, they were good. Everything was so concentrated that the bottles lasted for years.
Tupperware built their entire reputation on quality over the years, so I think the price is definitely justified. I actually own a ton of their stuff—appliances, kitchenware, even some cosmetics—and I have zero complaints. My cookware has been in daily use for over 15 years and nothing has ever burnt, plus the food tastes totally different and cooking is just so much easier. There's seriously no comparison to regular pans.
Avon and Oriflame kind of have mid-tier cosmetics, maybe similar to stuff you'd find at a CVS or Walgreens. They've got decent prices and a good selection of trendy items.
I've heard Herbalife is basically just throwing money down the drain, but I've never bought anything from them and I don't think I ever will.

I am so allergic to this damn catalog sales crap! You see one thing in the booklet, but then ten different things show up when the package actually arrives! It’s total garbage! 😠

You forgot about Tupperware.
I’m honestly not a huge fan. The containers looked amazing when I first got them, but after all these years, they’re kind of a disaster. They were pretty pricey too, so I feel bad tossing them, but I probably should...
There are some Avon products I'd totally buy in a regular store if they actually carried them..
I'm happy with my Tupperware too...

Tupperware is the absolute goat. I’ve been using their plastic cups, forks, spoons, and knives for over five years now, and honestly, everything still looks brand new. Even the knives—they actually cut better than my metal ones. Their fruit bowls and dough proofing containers are awesome too, though I gotta say, the bread box design is kind of pointless.

As for Avon and Oriflame, they're alright. Avon has some good hypoallergenic stuff that doesn't break the bank, and with Oriflame, you sometimes catch certain products before they even hit the regular retail stores.

Amway makes decent products, but most people I know who get into it are total weirdos. My best friend got sucked into that whole thing a few years back. She even went to those ridiculous weekend seminars where you have to pay $167, and then you're stuck finding your own place to sleep. They were seriously brainwashed. Everyone was so convinced they were going to strike it rich. I remember once I was sitting there listening to them drone on about their whole pitch—you know, the pyramid scheme nonsense—and they asked if I understood everything. When I told them yeah, I totally get how it works, everyone looked stunned... like I had just explained the physics of an atomic bomb or something. It’s not that I’m some genius, it's just that they've been so heavily indoctrinated that they think it's this groundbreaking, complex secret. Now, if I even mention Amway to her, she just waves me off and refuses to talk about it. 🤣

I bought exactly one thing from Estée Lauder—it was my first time, my last time, and certainly my final time. I fell for an incredibly stupid MTV immersion blender back in the day, shelled out $60,000 for it, only to discover it couldn't even whip cream properly.😕 Even the Estée Lauder representative had to admit it was useless for that purpose. The funniest part? This ridiculous gadget lacks any kind of safety feature—you have to unplug it just to swap attachments, because if your hand slips toward the power button, you could practically turn your other hand into mush.😠 A cheap, basic deli slicer usually comes with a safety guard, yet this thing has nothing... anyway, lesson learned, and now I give Estée Lauder products a very wide berth.

The cookware is fine, I suppose, but certainly not at that price point... there are plenty of much higher quality options out there.