WARNING! This site presents facts, opinions, and other information that is critical of the Amway business. There are things on this site that the Amway Corporation, its distributors, Quixtar (its "sister company"), and Alticor (its parent company) would prefer you not know. If you are easily offended by such information (or your upline would not allow you to view it), please click your browser's 'back' button now so you do not expose yourself to this critical information. Otherwise, please continue...

Welcome to Amway: The Continuing Story

When you think of the Amway business, what comes to mind? Salesmen running door-to-door to sell their soap (the 1950's)? Professionals looking to expand their network marketing business (the 1970's)? Professionals building an interactive distribution business (the 1980's)? Every-day people joining a "home shopping delivered to your door" service (the mid 1990's)? "A unique [online] destination... an enhanced opportunity for independent business owners." (mid 1999)? In reality, the Amway Corporation is the number one Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) business in the world: both in number of distributors and in annual sales revenues. It certainly seems like everyone knows somebody who "did the business" or used the products. And, unless you were a distributor, you probably can NOT name someone who was successful at the Amway business. With stories and rumors of overzealous distributors, the Amway business has been called everything from a pyramid scheme to a cult. Is the Amway Corporation really in the business to move products along a chain of distributors, or has it evolved into something more? Do distributors draw new people in with the false promise of more money, more free time, or a way to start their own "Internet-based business" (the draw of the Quixtar business)? Or is Amway really the "wave of the future": a new system of distribution that is far beyond normal retailing? I have put together information gathered from a variety of sources for you to make your own decision about Amway.

Let me first say that most of the material in these pages refers to the line of distributors and their support/ training system (the "Amway Motivational Organizations" or AMO's), not to the Amway Corporation itself. Yes, there are some good distributors, but most of the public has heard the horror stories: the "bait and switch" approach of a distributor inviting people to go bowling only to attend an Amway meeting instead. For the most part, distributors don't engage in this kind of behavior anymore- they use more subtle techniques.

For the new distributor, or if you are considering joining the Amway business, please take the time to read the definitive "Glossary of People, Events, Terms, and Things Found in the Amway Business" to learn some of the language. If you have left the Amway business and are interested in taking action of your own, I have some suggestions in the section "How to Take Action." To learn about the "Home Shopping" Service, read "Automatic Replenishment Program/ Home Shopping: Secrets Revealed." To learn about "business opportunity meetings," read "Inside Open Meetings." For an analysis of the cult allegations raised against the Amway business, please read "Is Amway a Cult? An Analysis." For the relationship between Amway and Quixtar, read ".News About Amway's 'E-Commerce' Internet Strategy" On each of the pages, any colored, underlined word is a hyper-link to the "Terms" page for easier reference.

I am always interested in comments from current distributors, ex-distributors, and anyone else who has an intelligent point to make. Unfortunately, I have had to set some guidelines about what kinds of e-mail people should send me. Before sending an e-mail, please check this page for the guidelines.

Welcome to Amway: The Continuing Story

Index of pages found on this site: