Club Freedom

This may not be of interest or value to everyone - but for those that may want to have that extra trip each year to LOS but currently cant afford it, please consider:

www.clubfreedom.biz/cf.cgi/peterluke/sp1.html


If it works for you then you have spent $150 wisely

If it doesnt work for you then all you have lost is $150

And if it is no interest to you at all then all you have lost is a few minutes of reading time

Personally I an VERY happy with the results of the past week with Club Freedom

[Bob]

An obvious pyramid scheme that reeks of illegality.

An obvious pyramid scheme that reeks of illegality.

Thus speaks the Bob - voice of authority and the font of all knowledge regarding networking

Obviously not for you then Bob

Perhaps others may have differing opinions than you on the legality and difference between MLM and pyramid schemes

Lets ask AMWAY shall we? Still around after all these years

As I said - if its not for you then pass. No arm twisting here

Section 65AAC of the Trade Practices Act makes it unlawful for a corporation to participate in a pyramid selling scheme. A corporation also must not induce, or attempt to induce, a person to participate in a pyramid selling scheme. Under a pyramid scheme consumers are recruited to join it and encourage others to join. Generally, people pay to join and are promised a commission for introducing others. This often looks like an attractive investment with the potential to generate a lot of money later on. However, more often than not, participants end up losing their initial investment.

The scheme could be an illegal pyramid scheme if a proposal offers financial rewards for recruiting people, combined with:

*
offers of goods or services of little or doubtful value that serve only to promote the scheme
*
an initial outlay of money to purchase large quantities of goods, or
*
no goods or services being offered for sale.

Generally, the way pyramid schemes work is that promoters want people to join the scheme, to recruit more people who will in turn recruit others, with each participant paying money to those further up the pyramid. People are often convinced to join by family members or friends, but there is no guarantee that they will recoup their initial investment. They may not be able to find other willing participants, or could have legal action taken against them if they participate in or do induce others to join.

Ultimately it is for a court to determine whether a particular scheme is a pyramid one, as prohibited under the Act. Customers need to be wary of opportunities presented to them in ways similar to those described above. They need to keep in mind that if they do participate and induce others to join, they may breach the Act regardless of whether they set up the scheme originally. What the Act makes unlawful is the making of promises to induce or persuade a person to enter the scheme or to purchase products by a corporation, or in some circumstances a person.
Differences between pyramid selling and multi-level marketing

Consumers often ask the ACCC about the difference between a pyramid selling scheme and a multi-level marketing scheme. Sometimes the differences might not be obvious to the average consumer.

Pyramid selling schemes rarely include the legitimate and regular retailing of products. Instead, they provide rewards for introducing new participants. Saturation point is very quickly reached and later recruits have little chance of recovering their money. Legitimate marketing schemes only provide rewards based on genuine product sales.

Pyramid sales promoters may attempt to disguise their schemes by selling goods and services that are overpriced, of poor quality, difficult to sell or of little value.

Participants who induce others to join pyramid schemes, as well as the initial promoters, risk breaching s. 65AAC of the Act.

There are two questions that may help consumers identify legitimate multi-level marketing schemes:

* Are the rewards for participants in the scheme purely based on product sales (by either themselves or others they introduce to the scheme)?
* Are the products genuine products of real value, and of a type that normally will be used and purchased time and time again by a consumer, and not at a grossly inflated price?

If you answer yes to both questions, it is likely that the scheme is a legitimate multi-level marketing scheme.

So what is actually on offer here? Travel vouchers offered by eCash International and a network of Global Travel Agencies

The kind that your bank offers through its rewards programs - you remember the banks - the ones that induce you to spend up big on your credit cards to get points towards redeeming things - points that normally are taken away from you just before you get enough to qualify for that toaster or that $40 travel voucher

Hmm - are you saying the banks are illegal pyramid schemes? Probably :blackeye:

[Bob]

I said nothing personal about you nor will I.

Having reviewed the site at your suggestion, my comments are just my impression of what I read.
There's the old saying that "anything too good to be true probably isn't." What's on the very first
page of the website? Well:
(1) The very top reads: "Vacations Unlimited only $150.00."
(2) Farther down it says: "A vacation and cash for you and your family whenever you want for only $150."

If somebody actually believes you can get a "vacation and cash for you and your family whenever you want for $150.00", then
I may have a bridge for you at an unbelievably low price.

Looks rather obvious to me. I didn't mention Amway before but I think the parallel is also pretty obvious.

My bank says that if I spend $125,000 on my credit card then they will give me a $1000 travel voucher through their rewards program.

Here I have spent $150 and so far have received a $150 travel voucher - redeemable any time over the next 24 months through reputable travel agents. And I have no more requirement to spend any more money than that

I wonder who the crooks are?

Worth a chance? Personalty I think so

I spend more than that on lotto in a month

I spend more than that in LOS in one day on holidays

[Bob]

I wish you well and hope you get at least $150.00 of value for the $150.00 you spent.

Bob - obviously you have not understood what I said above

I paid $150.00 and immediately received a travel voucher to the value of $150.00 which can be redeemed anytime in the next 24 months. I am not out of pocket anything (well a $15 admin fee if you want to count that - I put that down as Club Membership fees)

Now I have the opportunity (if I wish) to increase the value of the voucher by informing others about Club Freedom

Which is exactly what I am doing

You are all big girls and boys now - decide for yourself if you want to take advantage of an opportunity or not.

[Surfcrest]

Feeding the membership another steamy pile of b.s.

Which is exactly what I am doing

again..........................

I can be somewhat naive, but the name Ponzi comes to mind. If this works for you, so be it.

Hmm no not for me, I don't even collect voucher/stamps in the supermarket. Though I became suspicious when a queue of Filipino maids started collecting at cheque out, asking people for their stamps. On closer inspection it turned out they were getting air-miles, and you needed 50 000 of them to get to Manila and back in economy, so to get sufficient stamps you needed to do a years shopping at a rate and price that would even put Harrods to shame, so like all the other expats I gladly handed them over.

Is this the same as pyramidal schemes. Where everyone contributes but only one or two people gets it all?