I have had a SIL that staredt up with Team National. They are a MLM pyramid scheme buyers club. She is starting to lose friends and family over this. Every contact is now a sales opportunity. She isn't very good at it and hasn't been able to show anyone why they should pay $2195 for very minimal discounts. I don't think she has signed anyone up. She pushes harder then.
We have started to avoid her phone calls and my wife actually cries when she talks about the relationship that has soured with her sister. We wont buy into this as we have a strict no MLM ever policy at home. We don't believe that getting scammed is supporting her. Mt SIL literally hates me right now. I think my wife might cave and buy a membership if it weren't for me.
This is her 2nd scam in the last few years. She sold some weird vitamins and lost her butt on that.
Any advice would be appreciated. She cant afford to waste time and money on this. We are worried she will lose her "real" 9 to 5 job in a big office if she goes too far with this. She is a 45 year old single lady with a good heart.
tjdavid, So sorry to hear this. These pyramid schemes feed on people and ruin relationships. You are doing the right thing by standing firm against this scam.
I would try to direct her to help boards like this where she can see some negative reactions to the scam. When they are "in" the scam the scammer (Team National) tries to keep the scamed person away from negative influences ie: common sense and normal folks. That is why she is acting weird to your wife and you. You will be perceived as her enemy. Just stay the course and be supportive when it comes crumbling down which sounds like it might be soon.
We are going through a similar thing at home with my sister in law actually. Same stuff. She gets belligerent when family members don't want shell out $2195 to join for very dubious discounts. This has created all kinds of tension. Many people avoid her now. They then are the bad ones in her eyes.
The discount buyers club is one of the oldest MLM schemes out there. When I turned 18 back in the 80's my old boss pitched this thing. Same junk different name. I was lucky my BS detectors was good as I avoided shelling out $500 I didn't have back then. As time went on no one that joined up ever made any money or received any real discount. I wish I could remember the name but it is identical to Team National.
Avoid Team National. It is a MLM pyramid scheme. Keep your money and your friends!
Good for you! Don't reward bad choices. If you want to get rid of $2100 that badly, send it to me :) Or pay for a business class at a local community college where she can air Team National's business approach to the class and to the professor where she can get some outside feedback. Bet she would be surprised at the professor's response not to mention the other students.
My stepson has been doing team national for 11 months now and has made and saved way over the cost to join! You can save thousands of dollars not to mention make money. This is not a scam or MLM scheme. I know for a fact that the company does not want anyone pushing you to join this company. Their motto is, if the answer is no then say next. They can still be friends and still pray for you and hope that you would still love and pray for them and if you don't want to join that is fine. Some people just can't see the vision. Just like Art Linkletter when Walt Disney asked him to invest. He couldn't see the dream. A few years later he was kicking himself. If you don't see your sister-n-laws dream thats fine but why try to crush it?
That is the very definition of a confidence game. If u have confidence that it will work and get other people to join u in your down line with the same confidence that it will work then IT WILL WORK! Just like a Ponzi! The problem is that confidence games have been around so long that they have been abbreviated to con games and the people that engage in them are called con artists.
Sheryl, Of course its a scam. It is by its nature a MLM/pyramid scheme. The old buyers club is one of the older MLM/pyramid schemes. The whole model is recruiting other people so you get a piece of their action. That is an MLM!
Avoid Team National. Keep your money and friends.
If you choose not to save money on products that you would buy anyway, that's your decision. What I don't understand is why you have to insist that something is a scam when you haven't even tried it? If you don't want to, fine. I am only in it because I got in for free. When my step son signed up he paid the $2195.00 and because he paid a ONE time fee, over 20 of his family members didn't have to pay a dime! We also get to save on products and services and never have to do anything for it! How is that a scam? In return, he has already made over $20, 000 back and has been able to leave a truck driving job to be in team national full time helping others to save and make money. That's a scam? As I said, I am only using the savings side at this point but I am not trying to discourage anyone else for trying to make any money helping others. I am only wondering why you are?
Anyone who says Team National is a pyramid scheme or MLM needs to educate themselves on what a pyramid scheme and MLM really is. TN has the highest ratings with several accreditations, DSA, Dun and Bradstreet, BBB and US Chamber of Commerce. I encourage you to go on the DSA website and read the Code of Ethics for which TN belongs to. There are only a few DS businesses that receive that honor. I am sorry to hear that some people have not be successful in the company. There are a few reasons people aren't successful in the business: 1) they do nothing 2) don't ask for help from their upline 3) don't go to events, training, or listen to cd's or team calls. TN is not a get rich overnight deal, you have to be consistent and sincere to be successful. And by the way TN scam patrol, how many scams do you know that have co-branded credit cards with MasterCard and Visa. Educate yourself before you spread garbage, people get on these complaint boards and make decisions based on false statements made by people who have no clue what they are speaking of. Team National has been life changing for me and several people in my downline, I know it works. I hate to know someone missed out on an incredible opportunity because of the false information on this site. I can be reached at MadduxTN@yahoo.com to give true factual information or to carry on this conversation.
Of course this is a scam! Ole Wes is even giving out his e-mail to sucker/recriuit new people in.
The buyers club is one of the oldest scams out there.
The DSA is their own their industry trade association supported by the direct marketer scam companies! The BBB and chamber of commerce are associations any business can join.
MasterCard and Visa are branded credit card processing companies that work with any business that will pay the fees.
Quit trying to recruit people for this MLM scam. There is only the loss of $2200 for most people on Team National. Avoid.
Hi Wes,
I will say it. TN IS a SCAM.
You say: "TN has the highest ratings with several accreditations, DSA, Dun and Bradstreet, BBB and US Chamber of Commerce. I encourage you to go on the DSA website and read the Code of Ethics for which TN belongs to" This means nothing. the DSA is the industry trade association supported by the members like Team National. The BBB and Chamber are dues supported organizations that are supported by the members. None of these organizations are consumer watchdogs by any means.
You say: "There are a few reasons people aren't successful in the business: 1) they do nothing 2) don't ask for help from their upline 3) don't go to events, training, or listen to cd's or team calls. Oyy. Really, work harder, Give Team National more money, Uplines, downlines. This is the total scam BS.
You say: "And by the way TN scam patrol, how many scams do you know that have co-branded credit cards with MasterCard and Visa. Educate yourself before you spread garbage, people get on these complaint boards" Not sure what MasterCard and Visa have to do with anything. They are a branded credit card processor that works with almost any bank and business. I am sure you are just try to claim legitimacy by association. This means nothing. Just more scammy justification.
You are soliciting here by having your e-mail present. That is in violation of this website and has been reported.
AVOID Team National. Just an old buyers club MLM pyramid scheme. Keep your money and friends. AVOID.
This Rodney Tames character must have a negative response to all direct marketing opportunities. He does nothing but say the same thing on every post for every direct marketing question or comment. I guess the more you state something, over and over and over and over and over makes it true? This guy here... wow OK you don't like direct marketing... we get it. Your rating has become laughable at this point. Which I am sure your come back will be, " if I save one person from joining >>said company>>> I would have done enough" Well you may get more than that, fine. Hopefully most people who want to become part of our team will do research for themselves instead of reading some hate blog of one person. The more people that buy into you and don't research on their own, they wouldn't do very well in our business ( if they want to share the membership then get a commissions and not use the savings side). The energy you put into lies are unfathomable. What happen? Did you join and not make your money back because you sat behind your pc waiting for someone to call you? Or WHAT? Do you not believe in direct marketing at all? They are ALL scams? My Oh My. Well I am done yapping. God Bless this man Rodney, Give him peace in his heart. Amen.
The problem with a pyramid "ponzi" business model (that has been churched up to be called dsm's by millions of lobbiest dollars) is that in the majority they have a 90% failure rate or higher. It's a confidence game like any ponzi where the product is always overpriced or useless. If it wasn't market demand alone would sell the product. If u are OK getting rich in a confidence game then you are a con artist. That is OK at least you're not a drug dealer but trying to convince friends or family that a business model with a 90% failure rate is a "great opportunity" is a bs low down thing to do to anybody.
How is Team National doing for you?
I was dumb enough to let my boss con me into this crap. Cost me $2195 to buy into my future. BS, that was 10 years ago. I busted my back to follow their plan. Lost a lot of friends and gave up. I am in a wheelchair and could not really afford to do this but they put so much pressure on me the first night I finally gave in just so I could leave. You can sell your spot if you can find someone as dumb as you to spend that kind of money. I would sell for $1500. So if you believe in this so much buy me out. I have multiple people under me. moncrief_1@yahoo.com
if it does not work, why you asking 1500? i would think that if it has no hope you would take much less? how many people do you have under you? i might buy it. ill email you
We got conned into it in April. I am very careful about all I buy and look for deals everywhere. Most are easy to find and use without going through the "Amway Pros" at Team National. It is worse than Amway as far as I am concerned and would LOVE to have my money back however they refuse to refund it. They have numerous websites and you go from this one to that one trying to find the deal that you started looking for many sites ago. They all proclaim Christianity and as a Christian I belief they can be both a member of TN and Christian but don't bring that up in your sales pitch! Cannot imagine God wanted us to use others to get rich ourselves.
I got on to a site like this when I first joined and almost let the bunch of nay-sayers talk me into cancelling and not doing this. Fast forward a few years, big, big savings and majorly life-changing money later, and I live a whole different life! It's easy to be a critic from your computer chair. Let's look at YOUR J.O.B. (J.ust O.ver B.roke)…
This is what a buddy of mine posted once and I think it says it well…
EVERYONE BEWARE: I just heard about this pyramid thing called a JOB. OH MY WORD, I wasn't even aware this scam was even going on anymore! Basically, the way it works is you work for a boss, who is under a boss, who is under a boss, who is under the owner or sometimes even worse - under a Board of Directors or shareholders!
The thing is -- it is VERY DIFFICULT to EVER move up in this pyramid... The kicker is -- you are OVER WORKED, UNDER PAID, and it is hard to get time off! Depending on the type of JOB it is, sometimes you could even have to ask permission to take a bathroom break!
You rarely get bonuses, raises, or decent benefits -- and you can get fired or laid off at any time. If you think that you presently work for one of these pyramids or are approached to work for one, RUN!
Just for an understanding of the terminology being used here – and understand that pyramids are ILLEGAL in all 50 states. A pyramid is the exchange of money with no goods and no service. Not the case here. TN obviously has goods and services! Also, in a pyramid, you can’t make more money than the person above you (just like at your pyramid/job) Not the case here. I make way, way, way more money than lots of people above me because it is determined by my own efforts. It is a savings program – calling it a pyramid would be like calling SAM'S CLUB and COSTCO a pyramid. The difference here is that you get savings or rebates or commission or discounts at thousands and thousands of places all over the country, from local businesses, including service industries - electricians, plumbers, painters, etc… and major retail stores and even Fortune 100 and 500 companies. These companies have expensive lawyers on retainer, 24 hours a day. They investigate, thoroughly, who they go into business with and would not affiliate themselves with a pyramid scheme (which, again, is illegal). In other words, these companies aren’t going to risk losing their billion dollar corporation to give us a 10% rebate on shampoo… I mean, come on… use common sense here! Another difference is that you’re not just finding savings (in whichever capacity, as mentioned above) by just shopping inside a brick and mortar building between the hours of 9am and 9pm. And you can get access to most all of them from one place and for most... 24 hours a day. TN is 19 years old with the best ratings a company can have in every category. They are verified, legal and people are truly changing their lives every day by taking advantage of the opportunity. I know… I’ve watched and helped them do so for years!
This program works for 100% of the people who make effort and are diligent and don't quit! I never write on these hate threads, but the guy talking about how he talked his wife out of it, thinking he saved her, made me nauseous. And Rodney... total fraud- I checked him out and will discuss below. I had to speak up.
See, it's easy to find the negative chatter online because those are the people sitting at home not doing anything to change their, nor other people's lives, except in a negative way by typing out their negative agenda… and that's what it is! They don't want you to succeed because then they look like an idiot for not doing it, too. I have watched and helped so many people be successful with this company! It works… if you do! Particularly, if you do it right! The people on here are available to be online typing because aren’t doing anything satisfying enough with their lives already to be out doing whatever that would be so they would rather point the finger and say “it’s a scam” or “it’s not possible” or “it’s a pyramid" because then they don’t have to take the blame for not being successful. What I believe it is, is that they know that they aren’t willing to get off their hind ends and actually do something and then when they see people who do, they try to demean them and call them crooks or thieves to make it look like the only way to have success in this world is by scamming someone else out of their money. That is such a load of poop! And that’s what you’re doing when you say lies like that, Rodney – you are calling me and my friends and family criminals. It should be a criminal offense for you to be able to come speak such unfounded lies for the public to view. Shame on you, sir! Shame on you! To do this and be successful, you have to get out of the computer chair and actually do something!
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MY ADVICE - Don't let someone who has done NOTHING give you advice on ANYTHING! Don't take advice on how to make money from someone who is broke!
Why don't we start with asking EVERY ONE of these people making comments - EXACTLY what do you do for a living? How do you make the world a better place? How many people's lives are you helping to change on a daily basis? What difference are you making, doing what you're doing? Do you have any time freedom? Is your life, now, how you pictured it being when you were 16? Are you only doing what you’re doing now for the money? Is what you do now, what fills your heart with passion and joy? Let's take a look at all of their answers and view their successes and then let's see who you should be taking advice from!
Let's first take this TOTAL FRAUD - Rodney Tames - real name Roderick D. Thomas Sr. (If I’m correct – you've made your Muslim name Kyawata Moobe) hmmmm – perhaps that’s why you, on an almost daily basis, set out to sites all over to slander a Christian owned company? You have nothing to do with this company, nor have you ever seen it or know anything about it or anyone who runs it, but you have posted over 40 slanderous threads about them? WHY? Another theory, or maybe double-agendized… SO he can get you to come check him out and advertise his business to you. He has his own agenda. Getting you guys to click on these things has earned him 685 Reputation points so far. Goooooo Rodney/Roderick/ZO Brown/Kyawata! He is lying to you! How do I know this? I have had huge success with Team National and have helped a lot of people become huge successes with Team National! He's not speaking the truth! Don't take advice about success in life or business from those who have none and who don't even understand what true success is (not measured by money, but founded on integrity) of which he has none. He actually said, to a person in another thread, that the more people comment on his thread, the higher he goes in the Google search and more advertising he gets. Well, that's fine Rodney, because we want people with at least a half of a brain, which means they won't just stop at your comment but will keep reading and learn the truth about you... that you are a liar and schemer. Here is what he wants you to see, so I'll save you the click on his pyramid link above...
Roderick D. Thomas Sr.
Your Image/Style Consultant at Zo Brown Speaks LLC | From No 2 Go
Greater New York City Area
Professional Training & Coaching
Current
1. Zo Brown Speaks LLC
Education
1. Thomas Edison State College
From No 2 Go - - he'll get you From No about an opportunity 2Go to his site to advertise himself to you!
Check out this irony – one of his claims, of many, in his "supposed" areas of expertise…
- Escalate system and operations issues reported to training or identified through analysis and assist with problem resolution.
Well, Roderick aka Rodney or whatever the heck your name is… you sure didn’t identify anything here through analysis or give an assist with problem resolution. You made a false accusation, have continually made slanderous remarks about a great company, run by greater people, made patently false allegations, and outright lied.
There you go Rodney - some free advertising for you! Yeah - ZO BROWN SPEAKS... a bunch of non-factual, biased, unfounded garbage! Show me some… ANY fact you have to back ANY of your claims, RODNEY! You are what we call a dream stealer. You don't care HOW you get control over others or who it hurts in the process - you just want them to make a decision based on your opinion, so you feel like what you have to say matters and therefore making you feel important. Remember Rodney, you reap what you sow, and whether that’s in YOUR Bible or not – it’s still true! Be gone with you, foul beast!
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tjdavid - Fact - The Attorney for the IRS - Sandy Botkin writes a book each year called - Lower Your Taxes Big Time - in which the first chapter is, and has remained, titled - Why you would be absolutely brain dead to not start a home-based business, in which he goes on, in chapter, to discuss how this industry is the perfect one for that, even if only from the simple benefits you get from them towards taxes. So, a household policy that directly goes against that... well, you get the point. Also, if your wife is turning away her sister's calls because her sister is excited about something and is trying to do something to better herself and get ahead in life… well, that seems like a pretty crappy sister on your wife's end of the relationship, not the other way around. Supporting her, whether you do it or not, is what true, sisterly love should beget, and YOU turning her away from her sister is only going to harm YOUR relationship with your wife, in the long run. Be very careful walking that path, friend. Is your intolerance possibly based from a place where you think that if you support her and she does well, you'll look like a dummy for not doing it, too? Or from a place where you think that if you discourage her and she fails then you can say I told you so? Is that why? If so… that's disgusting. Support your family! We are only here once! Treat them as if it's the last time you'll see them or talk to them, every time. I wish I had heeded that advice before I lost so many important people in my life, but once they're gone, it's too late and you bear the burden of all the things you wish you hadn't said and done, and all the things you wish you had said and done.
It sounds to me like the SIL needs some training in how to do this right. She should certainly seek good advice and stop listening to yours!
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Monc rief_1 - If your boss is the one who showed it to you and he did the Premium, as you claim that you have, then you were covered for free, and you paid nothing at all, which is what I'm guessing the real truth is. However, if that's not the case and you really did pay that full amount, that means you got the biggest possible package, and means you'll never pay another penny the rest of your life for it... the lifetime membership that covers you and your spouse’s parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren and YOU for the REST OF YOUR LIFE! You are going to buy another couch, mattress, piece of furniture, vehicle, jewelry, insurance, etc... all the way down to your toilet paper. If you've had the membership for 10 years, you could have saved it back in household supplies, alone, by now. Quit complaining, you bonehead, and use the savings. Wise up - talk to some upline and let them show you how simple it is to make some life changing money with this and how to do it THE RIGHT WAY!
In conclusion - your membership is still valid even though your complaint is not!
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Saving$$$ - yep - your comment is what got me to research this Rodney Tames pyramid scam guy! Thanks. No - he didn't join, nor has he even seen the program or know anything about it because he doesn't care anything about any of it. He isn't looking to join anything nor does he care about what he is saying and how it is negatively affecting people and causing people to turn down an opportunity that could change their lives. He acts, as would, a parasite on society - he has his own agenda and he doesn't care who he hurts in the process of getting out of them what he wants. He has done ZERO research or he wouldn't be saying the ignorant things he was saying... He actually commented on one thread that you buy a $3 tube of toothpaste for $9 thru WalMart.com through TN and get 10% back. That is absolutely ridiculous and a total lie. You pay the exact price that Wal Mart sells it for to everyone and get a rebate back. It's just like Ebates but with better rebates and all accessible from one spot. Now, to the credibility factor...
Let's show the facts - and remember - facts don't care about your feelings - they are just facts and indisputable, regardless of if you want them to be different or make claim to believe differently about them...
-Better Business Bureau - A rating with BBB for over 19 years (highest possible rating) also, Rodney, if you just paid dues to have a good rating, then why would there be any f rated companies, like Wal Mart, who could just buy good ratings? Rodney actually made the dumbest comment I've seen about TN and the bbb by saying... "All you have to do to stay high rated is attend to any complaints that customers have" ummm, yeah, dummy, isn't that what you want the companies you deal with to do? Or do you want them to ignore your complaints? Rodney Tames @hatewhitepeoplethe truthandChristians
-Chamber of Commerce - Gold standing (highest possible standing) with an unblemished record
-Dunn and Bradstreet - Platinum rated (highest possible rating)
-Financial Standing - 1 financial standing - the highest standing possible on Earth (debt free company that had over 150 million dollar growth last year [2015] in a recession)
-Member of the DSA (to be a member of the DSA you are thoroughly investigated and proven to be a legitimate business and then have to be invited in) and, as of 2015, TN was one of only 52 companies in the world in the DSA that holds a Certificate of Recognition for Code of Ethics for ethical practices in business.
On the BBB there have only been 23 complaints made on the company in over 19 years (research Team National on Better Business Bureau website -search any company in BBB to see every complaint made on that company since inception) of which they resolved all. The most common complaints of those were from people saying that the person talking to them about it was being too aggressive trying to get them to join… which is exactly what I teach people not to do and why some people have lack of success because they do exactly that. Thanks Savin$$$
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Bonair - SERIOUSLY! You are going to use God to push your negative agenda? WOW! Hmmmmmm Let's see - what does your church do every Sunday? Pass around the bowl to collect money. If you get 50 of the people in your church rich and they all give, at least, 10%, then you are adding lots of money to the church and hopefully, ultimately, God's agenda. Do you just want all of the people with no morals and /or ethics to be the ones with all the money and therefore force their ANTI-CHRISTIAN agenda on us all - oh wait - that's already happening! Don't act like rich people are evil - money just makes you more of what you already were. If you're a drunk, you'll be a bigger one, if you're a jerk, you'll just be a bigger one... if you are caring, sharing, kind, and loving, you'll just be more of that. God gifted some of the greatest men in the Bible with outrageous wealth. King Solomon being the richest man EVER! And he wrote how many books of the Bible? The other part is this - Amway is a Multi-level Marketing company that sells you a product for WAY more than it's worth (what Rodney was trying to say TN does... not true) - they take 77% to 97% of that WAY overpriced product's mark up and stick that money in their pocket and then they distribute the other puny portion to the 4 or 5 people above you - hence the term MULTI-LEVEL! They pay through multiple levels and can only pay through so many levels because there is no money left after that. Our company pays through a point system through unlimited depth! Not multi-level. And a savings program like Costco on steroids is worse than Amway? TN is CUTTING people's monthly budget - not cutting into it! In Amway you are required to make purchases every month to meet a quota and deadline. There is no deadline or quota in TN. Also, this IS a Christian based and Christian owned company and I personally know the people who own and run the company and know what they stand for. They don't force their beliefs on anyone and are tolerant to people of all religions and backgrounds. However, you may possibly be right... Let's see... you don't even know their names, nor have you ever met or spoken to any of them or know anything about them! Hmmmm, sorry, you have been deemed unqualified to comment and have zero credibility on this subject matter, nor have you shown a single fact to back anything you said. Quit making false witness against good people. You have no facts to back up what you are saying and that has a name – it is called LYING!
Folks - if you are on here because, deep down, you are looking for a reason not to join Team National, be that for the savings or income opportunity, or both, then I would tell you that you shouldn't. This membership is for those who think about cutting their expenses in small and large buying areas of their lives. If you aren't going to take the time to utilize the savings membership, therefore being smarter with your money - don't buy a membership. If you aren't going to be willing to be 100% coach-able and willing to invest some time and energy towards building something of your own that in a matter of months to a few years can create you a multiple six figure, residual income, then go on back and clock in at your J.O.B. in the morning and do that for the next 20, 30, 40, 50 years until you are 70, staying Just Over Broke the whole time, and then retire just about the time you are having to slip on your Depends undergarments and then try to enjoy your life for the first time on your retirement - which averages about 40% or less of what you're making now. See how that works for you. It's why 96 out of every 100 people at the age of 65 are either broke, dead or still working. Do you want to be in the 96 percentile of this equation, or the 4%? Do the math. Don't follow the masses... they are the ones that work for the ones who didn't!
Final Note - see it for yourself and make YOUR OWN DECISION! I thank GOD that I did and thank GOD even more that I didn't listen to people like the ones on here!
God bless J
How long have you been in TN?
The pure nuttiness of this post says all you need to know about Team National followers. Thanks for that insight!
You really need to get a life. Wow that is some massive nonsense. No matter how you cut It Team National is more direct marketing mimbo jumbo. Pay big now for discounts later, sign up friends and family, etc... For the weak and stupid.