Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site cbosgd.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!ihnp4!cbosgd!mark From: mark@cbosgd.UUCP (Mark Horton) Newsgroups: net.invest,net.consumers Subject: Re: A. L. Williams Message-ID: <1121@cbosgd.UUCP> Date: Tue, 20-Mar-84 23:24:16 EST Article-I.D.: cbosgd.1121 Posted: Tue Mar 20 23:24:16 1984 Date-Received: Wed, 21-Mar-84 08:47:17 EST References: <267@teldata.UUCP> Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Columbus Lines: 24 A. L. Williams is an Amway clone. They are also basically a legalized pyramid scheme. The difference is that Amway sells household products, and Williams sells term life insurance. Both seem primarily in business to be a pyramid scheme, and the products they sell are secondary. They want you to buy insurance, but they also want you to join their pyramid and become an insurance salesman. (When I went to one of their presentations, which was billed as a "let's everybody on the block get together and meet each other, and by the way we'll tell you about A.L.Williams", I could not avoid laughing out loud at all the people on their film who got up and said "I've been with A.L. Williams since it was formed in 1973, and I'm rich now" - sure, they're at the top of the pyramid! Their pyramid shaped logo is also a good chuckle.) It must be pretty successful, however. The guy up the block quit his full time job and is now full time with ALW. He seems to be home all the time (lots of time to spend with his family) and always seems to have two new cars. He has a nice house, too. Oh, in case you are wondering how such a pyramid scheme can be legal, as I understand it, a strict pyramid scheme has people paying money just to join the pyramid. Amway and ALW have you pay money for something of value (insurance or products), which is entirely legal, and then this money is distributed up the pyramid in the form of "commissions". Also, I don't think you have to buy insurance to join the pyramid.