My *#(@! Wife wants to invest in a pyramid scheme

[Big Bend]

I'm horrified. After 20 years, last year my wife retired from a nice corporate position, knowing we can live off my income just fine. But I guess not having her own "paycheck" is an issue, but she wants to work from home. So she did some research on home based "businesses". Somehow she stumbled across itvdirect.com, and now she wants to spend $500 to buy some "product" and help start her home based business, where all she has to do is answer the phone and $$$ will start pouring in. Oh and if she can get 10 other people to sign up and pay $500 then she'll get to go on a cruise.. or some such BCHIT.

http://www.itvdirect.com/corporate/history/ Oooh they've made $7 million.. they must be legit my wife says.. grr!

I'm sick... I had no idea my wife was so gullible for internet marketing pyramid schemes... but so far she's not listening to me (ranting and raving about how bad this is). She's all ready to fly out to Niagara Falls for a sales presentation so she can "find out really how this company works". OH the horror!!!

So, what can I tell my wife about these operations to try and convince her that they are ripoffs, not to be trusted, and there are better ways to invest and make $$? I'm so embarrassed.. help!

Thanks.. BB

[SteveOMS]

Sometimes people need to make their own mistakes, why ruin your marriage over it? Seems like you can take a 1-2k hit and still be ok afterwards. If you can't talk her out of it, just at least get her to agree to cap the amount of $ she'll put in it (and lose obv) and move on.

SteveOMS

[Big Bend]

[ QUOTE ]
Sometimes people need to make their own mistakes, why ruin your marriage over it? Seems like you can take a 1-2k hit and still be ok afterwards. If you can't talk her out of it, just at least get her to agree to cap the amount of $ she'll put in it (and lose obv) and move on.

[/ QUOTE ]

Its not the $$ really, its the philosophy that my lovely wife of 23 years of marriage somehow thinks its a "good" idea to participate in one of these internet scam ventures. I view all people who sign up for these rip-offs as complete total idiots. I've never thought of my wife as this before, but now suddenly I'm forced to deal with this reality. Perhaps this should have been posted in the psych forum.

This can't end good. I'm damned no matter how this turns out. This whole venture is designed to appeal to middle age unemployed people who want to stay at home and make lots of money while doing virtually "nothing". Ya, like this has ever worked.

If anyone knows of watchdog sites or resources that debunk the "multilevel marketing" myth would appreciate the info.

thx.. BB

[threeonefour]

[ QUOTE ]
Sometimes people need to make their own mistakes, why ruin your marriage over it? Seems like you can take a 1-2k hit and still be ok afterwards. If you can't talk her out of it, just at least get her to agree to cap the amount of $ she'll put in it (and lose obv) and move on.

SteveOMS

[/ QUOTE ]This sounds like horrible advice. these people are married. I am pretty sure we all know stories of how one spouse financially ruined both spouses by doing idiotic [censored] like the OP's wife. I think you need to really buckle down and contain on this one. maybe you could find an alternate, legitimate endeavor for her to be engaged in? is she unwilling to compromise on this issue, is she dead set on pursuing this company? if so, maybe you should research the company thoroughly so you can refute any claim that the company is legitimate.

[eastbay]

Show her this blurb:

"June. ITV Global, Inc. agrees to have ITV manage a campaign marketing Kevin Trudeau's new book, More Natural Cures Revealed: The Previously Censored Brand Name Products that Cure Disease, a sequel to follow up his number one New York Times Bestseller, Natural Cures They Don't Want You To Know About. The show with Donald Barrett and Kevin Trudeau brings in an unprecedented call volume in response to this show."

and then have her google "Kevin Trudeau scam".

If she isn't deterred by this, well, then there's no helping her.

eastbay

[mrclean368]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Sometimes people need to make their own mistakes, why ruin your marriage over it? Seems like you can take a 1-2k hit and still be ok afterwards. If you can't talk her out of it, just at least get her to agree to cap the amount of $ she'll put in it (and lose obv) and move on.

[/ QUOTE ]

Its not the $$ really, its the philosophy that my lovely wife of 23 years of marriage somehow thinks its a "good" idea to participate in one of these internet scam ventures. I view all people who sign up for these rip-offs as complete total idiots. I've never thought of my wife as this before, but now suddenly I'm forced to deal with this reality. Perhaps this should have been posted in the psych forum.

This can't end good. I'm damned no matter how this turns out. This whole venture is designed to appeal to middle age unemployed people who want to stay at home and make lots of money while doing virtually "nothing". Ya, like this has ever worked.

If anyone knows of watchdog sites or resources that debunk the "multilevel marketing" myth would appreciate the info.

thx.. BB

[/ QUOTE ]

You could probably have her call a consumer rights person. I listen to the Clark Howard show occasionally, sometimes he discusses these types of schemes on the show. clarkhoward.com is his website

If there is some sort of manual that can be purchased or video then maybe you could look on eBay for it. Sometimes people who get snookered on these types of deals will list the program for 1 cent or a dollar on eBay. Obviously this would be a red flag.

[niffe9]

badbusinessbureau.com might be a good resource to show her.
from the website...
"Ripoff Report™ is a worldwide consumer reporting Website & Publication, by consumers, for consumers, to file & document complaints about companies or individuals who rip-off consumers."

There is 23 reports for ITV Direct...

[Platonic]

It got so bad that the homeless people saved enough change to buy their own houses. Then we couldn't tell who was homeless and who wasn't homeless anymore. My own wife who I had been living with for over twenty years, was actually homeless.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h40mSKMdTIc

Possibly NSFW

[DrewDevil]

I don't know anything about this particular company, but not all multi-level marketing enterprises are a a scam, and MLM is not the same as a "pyramid scheme."

Avon, Mary Kay, Amway, etc. are all legal and legitimate (though perhaps cheesy) MLM companies.

[hoyasnaxa]

This sucks. You have to come to grips with the fact that your wife of 23 years is dumb enough to want to do this. Sorry, but absolutely do not let her do it.