Mike Clark

Thanks Rob for your research. 
I was sent a link: <http://www.somethingnew.net/> by a very reputable service of mine. I went ot the site and it just didn't ring true to me especially since they were asking for $39 just to find out what the opportunity is all about. 
I did a Google search for Global Online Serivces and found your link & informed my service about it. 
By the way do you know anything about a Dallas based company called AmeriPlan? 
Thanks for your efforts on Herbalife - I will spread the news.
Len

Hi Rob, 
I love your site, and this is the second time I've read the Herbalife scam article you wrote. Yes, it was so good, I read it again! 
I read about all the schemes the marketers have for distributing their signs, telephone poles, driveway rocks bags, etc. But I didn't see any about the way they are distributed here in my part of Florida. Signs on sticks! 
In my city, posting things on poles is illegal, by city code (not state, I don't know the state law). You will see tons of Yard Sale signs if you drive through, but although illegal, these are mostly a "look the other way" violation, although I did get busted for it ten years ago when we were having our yard sale. You won't see any "work from home" signs in the city, but the scammers found a way around this. They post them at the highway exits into our city. Since there aren't any telephone poles at the exits, they staple the signs on sticks of wood (about the same height and look of a paint stirring stick) and stick them in the ground. I don't know if they do this because the state has finally outlawed their stapling them to poles, or because of the lack of poles. I say this beacuse these signs on sticks are stuck everywhere outside of the city limits, not just I-95 exits. If you drive down one of the largest and busiest county roads here, these signs are stuck in the ground every few feet in places. They are just as ugly and stupid as the pole signs. Some of these people even invest in the more expensive plastic floppy signs, so as to not be stopped by Florida's constant rain, heat and humidity. And of course, there are still the magnetic car signs you see all over vehicles everywhere. 

I notice these sign polluters seem to have a cycle. For months, you will see the signs posted like trash snowflakes, all over the place, any place there could be to post a sign. Then, you won't see nary a one for months. Then it starts all over again. I guess they are getting busted for polluting, retreat, then sneak back in again.

My ex and I were almost drawn into Amway over 20 years ago. It was so funny - it was my hairdresser that sucked us into coming to her house to "demonstrate" the product. If I remember corectly, it's a product they *still* try to scam people with - laundry detergent. They have a large plexiglass container of water and an item of very dirty clothing. They dip the cothing into the water (to which they have added some of the "super concentrate"), which immediately turns brown, "proving" how MUCH dirt this product removes. I guess 20 years ago, this must have seemed like magic to all us hicks :) My ex wanted to get into the system - I can't remember the cost, but it was somehwere around $200 or so, a huge amount of money for young newlyweds in the early 80's. I was just embarrased for this woman, whom I thought was a friend. I guess the Big Two never die out - perhaps Amway and Herbalife are the same company? Anyway, the 'draw' for this soap was that although it was very expensive, it was so concentrated you wouldn't have to buy laundry again for the rest of your life - or something. And of course, you had to bring other dealers in under you, etc. But a funny thing I remember is that Amyway dealers didn't seem to be embarrassed or ashamed to tell you that it -was- a pyramid scheme - i remember the woman even showing us a chart of how it worked. Needless to say, this was before pyramid schemes became illegal. 
Sorry to turn this into a novel - thought you would enjoy the way scammers put up signs on the Other Coast, and the old story about Amway. I LOVE your "how much is in things" too! Please keep it up :) 

Mary in Florida

Hello,
I think you need to check yourself. Most of the information you have on your website about herbalife is wrong, many people who start it are changing their lives around and setting a path for dreams thay always wanted to come true, it is changing my life and making me a lot of money, too bad if you dont like flyers everywhere, deal with it, life is about accepting things 
that you dont like and do like, find out the facts about the business then weite about it, theres no point bashing the company about things were not about, just because you had a bad experience with it dont mean you need to tell the world, if you were constipated would you put it on your web site, probably not but it is still something you dont like. i would like to see 
you make more money then people do in this business.

Scott Nickerson

Dear Rob, 
Thanks very much for your informative article about the sign invasion in Sacramento and linking it to Herbalife. I was just about to sumbit my credit card information when that "little voice" said you better check it out further. You saved me about $50 (39.95 + 9.00s/h). I was sent an e-mail advertisment for Global Online Systems and since I trusted the source of the e-mail, I figured it was legit (you better believe they are going hear about it). As I found out the grass isn't always greener! And you're right, Herbalife should be held accountable. Thanks again and keep up the good work.

Sincerely, 
~Sindy

The conversation with Mariann B.

-Matthew Barraclough