Meri Brown and her Wet Bar of Tears

[suomi]

5 hours ago, toodles said:

In spite of my resolve to stay out of the LLR rabbit hole, I was sucked in the vortex.  

There is a fb page called Lularoe GOOB.  GOOB=going out of business.  I had to look it up 'cause I can't keep up with the acronyms.

I have no experience with which to judge the activity, but it looked like a fire sale to me.  People are begging other people to buy their stuff. It's kind of sad.  The LLR base is SAHM and if I found myself stuck with thousands of dollars worth of crappy stuff I almost need to give it away to recoup some of my investment, I would be desperate too.  LLR is going down in flames and setting aside that these people should have done their research, alot of people are going to spend years getting out of debt.

I checked out Lularoe GOOB and one blogger posted some interesting info. Herbalife? That particular MLM concern, after years in the court and appeals process, was eventually forced to pay more than 200 million dollars in refunds to defrauded consultants/investors - people like Meri. What makes it interesting is that Lularoe honchos were and are associated with Herbalife. Utah is the MLM capital of the US because, as Kohola3 noted, MLM is promoted as a great opportunity for SAHMs (which there is most definitely no shortage of in Utah). The most effective lure of these MLMs is that they are unofficially sanctioned by the LDS church, plain and simple; nearly without exception the MLM honchos are church members in good standing. Females are taught by church leaders and pressured by family/fellow members to marry young and have as many kids as possible in rapid succession. After a few years they realize they have more kids than they can afford and MLM begins to look and sound like a dang good deal. And, hey, every "successful" MLM is headed by church members so what could possibly go wrong? LOL. It's an ideal system - the church provides the sheeple and the MLMs shear them. It's not that the sheeple are unaware of the failures experienced by the MLM consultants they know - it's that they externalize the failures as being something which won't happen to them: "I will succeed because I will _ _ _ _ sooner, better, more often than the others." Despite denials by both parties, the LDS and AUB cultures remain deeply intertwined. If LDS women are crazy about buying and selling Lularoe then so are AUB women. The FLDS (again, despite the denials) also are deeply intertwined with this whole bunch - but they won't be able to buy and sell Lularoe until it begins offering a Little House On The Prairie line. Oh, one more thing: Utah leads the nation in bankruptcies.   

Edited April 23, 2017 by suomi

[suomi]

1 hour ago, MargeGunderson said:

Which really means get a third job to pay for your second job? Okay, anyone who falls for that gets what they deserve.

I hear ya, but those of us who learned or were taught to be free thinkers have an advantage. The #1 tenet of this faith is "When the Prophet speaks, the thinking has been done." Which was designed to nip questions or criticisms in the bud and has been highly successful. Over a female's lifetime she catches on and/or is taught that this same tenet can apply with fathers, grandfathers, brothers, uncles and husbands. And sons! Males have authority over females, plain and simple, end of story. These women fall for that every day of their lives. In my generation (I'm in my 60s) there is the occasional Zion Butterfly* but they are greatly outnumbered by females who go along to get along. ZBs are more numerous in my daughter's generation and I have high hopes for my granddaughter's generation (mid-to-late 20s) because those gals take very few prisoners, and we are beginning to see this with the Brown kids.

*Zion Butterfly = Iron Butterfly behind the Zion Curtain

[DakotaJustice]

if you really want to see a shitshow, check out the Lularoe Defective page on FB.  You have to request to get in, but they let everyone in.  

[Rainflower]

20 minutes ago, DakotaJustice said:

if you really want to see a shitshow, check out the Lularoe Defective page on FB.  You have to request to get in, but they let everyone in.  

I LOVE the Lularoe Defective page. Great info and funny crowd.

[CofCinci]

Looks like Meri and Kody celebrated another anniversary. He did tweet about it and she passive-aggressively retweeted a friend who congratulated them on the anniversary. 

https://twitter.com/MeriBrown1?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^author

[ginger90]

Meri quotes Dr Phil, she's a lost cause

https://mobile.twitter.com/MeriBrown1/status/856355716323344384?p=v

[Kohola3]

Quote

Yrs of suffering & yrs of change are 2 different things. It's about recognizing & separating each for what they are

Boy, that Phil is so profound, isn't he? NOT.  And it figures that Meri's brainless followers would hang on his every word as well.  Apparently these people are intellectually unable to recognize shysters in any form.

[camom]

Quote

How depressing to wade through all that stuff every day, knowing you can't sell it.

She should have the boxes of clothes in the background of the show.  Then she could offer them as "seen on TV!"  I'm sure there are some fools who would happily part with their money.

[DakotaJustice]

On 4/23/2017 at 6:18 PM, Rainflower said:

I LOVE the Lularoe Defective page. Great info and funny crowd.

Me too!  A few days ago someone finally posted about Meri selling LLR and thought she was a buddy of the LLR founders because of the Utah/mormon connection.  

A good amount of the responses were people who had no clue who Meri Brown or the Sister Wives show was, and another significant percentage had requested to join her group MONTHS or weeks ago and still waiting to be approved and wondering why.

[CofCinci]

Still waiting for approval?  Maddie is a shit assistant. 

[lettsjetts]

On 4/23/2017 at 7:06 PM, CofCinci said:

Looks like Meri and Kody celebrated another anniversary. He did tweet about it and she passive-aggressively retweeted a friend who congratulated them on the anniversary. 

https://twitter.com/MeriBrown1?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^author

I didn't see Kody's tweet about their anniversary, can you please link it for me?  Thanks!

[DakotaJustice]

56 minutes ago, CofCinci said:

Still waiting for approval?  Maddie is a shit assistant. 

People are just being added at random.

[CofCinci]

1 hour ago, lettsjetts said:

I didn't see Kody's tweet about their anniversary, can you please link it for me?  Thanks!

Typo. Kody did not tweet acknowledge their anniversary publicly. 

[ginger90]

The only tweet acknowledging the anniversary was the friend to Meri. Not even one from Robyn.oh no!!

[ginger90]

Such a busy bee

https://www.instagram.com/p/BTVJOREjy9U/

[toodles]

1 hour ago, ginger90 said:

Such a busy bee

https://www.instagram.com/p/BTVJOREjy9U/

OK. She may be selling crappy clothes, but at least she's doing something.  I'm sure she's up to her wetbar in debt with all of this, but she is out of the cuddle sac.  

[ShaNaeNae]

Meri Legging World Tour 2017!  Coming to a city near you.  

[AZChristian]

She's coming to AZ, probably next week.  Darn.  I'll be out of town.  (whew)

[xwordfanatik]

2 hours ago, ShaNaeNae said:

Meri Legging World Tour 2017!  Coming to a city near you.  

LOL!  Too bad my city won't be honored.  I'd be curious to see her sure-to-be-hideous selection.

[Absolom]

She said she's loading up her entire inventory.  Has she managed to unload a lot or is she renting a trailor?

[MrSmith]

11 minutes ago, Absolom said:

She said she's loading up her entire inventory.  Has she managed to unload a lot or is she renting a trailor?

It'll probably look a lot like The Great Circus Parade is coming to town as she rolls in. Hopefully, there won't be any children there expecting to see lions, tigers, or elephants, or expecting to have any candy thrown at them.

[Jellybeans]

16 minutes ago, Absolom said:

She said she's loading up her entire inventory.  Has she managed to unload a lot or is she renting a trailor?

Maybe she's getting out after this?

[ginger90]

There's 4 posts on there saying they are still waiting to be added to her group. 

[Jellybeans]

21 minutes ago, ginger90 said:

There's 4 posts on there saying they are still waiting to be added to her group. 

It's the Browns.  Janelle did not get up to "strive" either.  LOL.

[MamaMax]

On 4/14/2017 at 10:22 AM, laurakaye said:

It's bad enough that grown women walk around in demented chihuahua or possessed clown leggings.  But to make a child wear that?!  Those children can't dress themselves!  They are going to grow up thinking that pink and blue polka-dots go well with green/yellow giant horsefly striped pants.  When will the madness end, LulaRoe?

Seriously, though...if I saw a mother/daughter walking around wearing coordinated LLR outfits, I think I'd just laugh.  

That said, when does the men's line come out?  

I think I'd puke.

[MamaMax]

This LLR shit is the worst of the worst kind of bullshit. It's like Webkinz for adults. But seriously, what a joke, making people feel like they HAVE to have a pair of made in China leggings because they have a cracked-out, bizarre and "hard to find" pattern? It really makes me sad to think so many people are so gullible and easily influenced. 

The ONLY MLM thing I ever liked was Pampered Chef, and did host a party or two. I always served a ton of food and cocktails and knew, even if people felt "obligated" (which I always tried to tell them DON'T!) they could just buy a  $5 spatula and call it a day.

I have been to so many of these things from make-up, jewelry, home decor, kids clothing, etc etc and I think its just so ridiculous to start selling the stuff, you know it will be yesterdays news before you can say CLOSEOUT SALE.

[Kohola3]

3 hours ago, MamaMax said:

Pampered Chef

I still use my knives and giant bowl scraper.  Things that don't go out of fashion (like kitchen tools) are way different that holey, buttah soft Chihuahua vagina pants.

[taragel]

Lol. The controversy seems to be going mainstream. This just showed up in my FB stream appropos of nothing:

https://www.yahoo.com/style/leaked-comments-lularoe-ceo-ignite-controversy-214640143.html

I like how they liken it to a cult where the leader cannot be challenged. Meri must feel right at home with it.

[Roslyn]

16 minutes ago, taragel said:

Lol. The controversy seems to be going mainstream. This just showed up in my FB stream appropos of nothing:

https://www.yahoo.com/style/leaked-comments-lularoe-ceo-ignite-controversy-214640143.html

I like how they liken it to a cult where the leader cannot be challenged. Meri must feel right at home with it.

OH!!!  That's the problem!!  It's those pesky consultants.  They are just not selling to the RIGHT people.  That's why the leggings are ripping.  Dayam...problem solved.  0_0

Of course Meri (and many, many like her) fall for this.  Zero creativity is needed.  The product is placed in your hands with complete instructions and lots of others to mimic.  Just do what they say, do what they do and you will be successful! All that fake sisterly love to swim in and feel like you are a part of something.  Hmmm, her religion is very very similar. As are many religious groups that have to trap themselves in a bubble to keep their subjects controlled.

There was a clip (I can't remember how long ago) when Robyn was telling Meri that she did NOT need to be going outside the family and making friends...that's what they were there for. I'm paraphrasing, but that was the jist of it.  As soon as the Lularoe bubble bursts Meri will learn that the sisterly love will go with it.

[toodles]

What a great way to motivate people.  Talk to them like naughty children and make sure they hang their heads in shame.  The LLR HBIC must be running pretty scared to do something like this in a YouTube world.  LLR is crumbling around them so lay the blame on the worker bees.  Nice.

[MrSmith]

1 hour ago, toodles said:

What a great way to motivate people.  Talk to them like naughty children and make sure they hang their heads in shame.  The LLR HBIC must be running pretty scared to do something like this in a YouTube world.  LLR is crumbling around them so lay the blame on the worker bees.  Nice.

This is what all MLMs do when they start to fail. I'm not sure whether this is due to the fact that all MLMs are pyramid schemes and this is a tactic to protect the owners or whether it's part of LDS culture. I suspect it's the former because, to my knowledge, the MLMs I've done programming for were not owned/run by LDS members.

[toodles]

http://www.scarymommy.com/lularoe-offers-customers-refunds/?utm_source=FB

I think getting your refund has about the same chance of finding those elusive one of a kind Mime leggings.  The consultants are getting screwed royally on this policy.  If I were a LLR consultant, I would delete my FB page and change my name pronto.

Just as an aside, who would send their bank statement to anyone not in a controlled, secure environment?  Even if you redact your account number there is so much info on a bank statement regarding your spending habits that it's just crazy to send that to who knows who they are?

http://www.mommygyver.com/single-post/2017/04/25/The-New-LuLaRoe-Return-Policy

Meri better put her application in at McDonalds.  She is going to need it to process the refunds.  

http://www.lularoe.com/makegood

This is the makegood policy.  This says all you need to do is provide proof of purchase.  How people will do you think will actually receive a refund due to defective products?  The holey leggings have to be inspected and approved by an inspector before you receive a refund.  Geez, what a scam.

Edited April 27, 2017 by toodles

[Absolom]

I think it may be the same as a notice to close up shop immediately, delete the FB, and change your phone number if you've been a consultant.

[toodles]

4 minutes ago, Absolom said:

I think it may be the same as a notice to close up shop immediately, delete the FB, and change your phone number if you've been a consultant.

Boy you got that right.  I think the Meri All Star LLR legging tour she has planned won't go the way she thinks.  She could easily end up more inventory than she started with.  Holey, defective merchandise at that.

[toodles]

How did I end up going down the LLR rabbit hole AGAIN!!!!  Talk about some people never learning (points to self and hanging my head).  My only excuse is that it's really slow at work.

There is a woman on one of the FB pages who is remodeling her house to hold her LLR collection.  She is so excited she was accepted as a consultant!!  She is expecting her shipment any day!!!!

So this woman is in to LLR for her $5000 startup plus her 2 phase house remodel.  I'm guessing she is in it at least $7-8 grand.  Now when LLR goes belly up, she will still have her updated house.  I hope she planned to do the remodel anyway, but if she did this for LLR crap?  Ei yi yi.

[Rhondinella]

On 4/26/2017 at 4:59 PM, MamaMax said:

But seriously, what a joke, making people feel like they HAVE to have a pair of made in China leggings because they have a cracked-out, bizarre and "hard to find" pattern? It really makes me sad to think so many people are so gullible and easily influenced. 

Ok, so I've managed to successful avoid Lularoe in my life. I've had some acquaintances try to invite me to groups or sales on FB, but I have just ignored them and so far that's worked out fine for me.

Until today. As soon as it happened I knew I had to come here and share the experience with you guys.

I went to pick my daughter up at the house of a fairly new friend. I had met her mother casually at a couple of school events and we had spoken on the phone, so I felt comfortable letting my daughter go over there (she's just turned 14). When I went to pick her up, I ended up having to go into the house (ugh) and was immediately greeted by the overly-cheery SAHM, who to be fair does seem like a very nice person. But I had been in the house less than 2 minutes when my daughter came running down the stairs with her friend wearing, I kid you not, lularoe leggings with CHINESE FOOD BOXES all over them.  I assure you she did not have them when she left my house.

Yeah.

Apparently her friend had given them to my daughter as a birthday present.  Well, they had let my daughter pick out whatever pattern she wanted because (and here's where I realized I was in trouble), her mother sells Lularoe and has an ENTIRE ROOM, floor to ceiling all around the perimeter completely covered with lularoe crap.  I'm not exaggerating.  It looked like a warehouse.  The mother insisted I step in the room with her as she babbled on happily about how much she loves lularoe and the clothes and her business, and, I surely had some lularoe myself by now, right?  No!? I didn't? Well, how is that possible?  Just feel them. (I admit, they do feel really good). Has anyone come to your school (I'm a teacher) and set up a display for your staff yet?  Oh, please give me a call--here's my card--I'd be happy to do that if you have a vendor day at your school (we don't, to my knowledge).

Because I was actually taught manners growing up I didn't verbalize the first thing that came into my head, "Are you batshit crazy?" and instead said (in a politely curious tone), "I've heard of lularoe, of course, but I've also heard that sometimes the leggings rip easily. Is that true?" Then I got a 2 minute lecture about how, yes, they've had some trouble with the quality in the past, but that was just some of the first batches and the company has it all ironed out now so there's no need to worry. (My daughter's leggings seem, on first inspection, to be fairly strong and not like something that would rip easily, so  . . .maybe?) Anyway, I was seriously starting to worry that I wasn't getting out of that house without buying some damn fugly leggings, but fortunately I managed to politely disentangle myself and my daughter.

So my takeaways from that experience: 1) This lady really genuinely seemed into selling these things as a "fun" thing to do that she really enjoys, and didn't seem to be trying to get rid of stuff to get out from under it. 2) But that may be because her husband is a lawyer and local politician and they seem to be doing quite well financially, so it's not like they NEED any money she brings in from the business. It's possible it's just a hobby for her rather than a necessary money-making venture. 3) The leggings seem soft, and there were some decent looking floral patterns and what not, so not everything is ridiculous.  But a lot of it was. 4) They are cute on my 14 year old, because 14 year olds can do whimsy in their fashion. 40 year olds, not so much.

Fin.

Edited April 29, 2017 by Rhondinella

[xwordfanatik]

Rhon, I love your post!  I don't know anyone personally who sells LLR, and so I've escaped being cornered and feeling like I should buy something to be polite.

I plan to attend a regional flea market on Memorial Day weekend, and I have to admit, I hope someone there is selling them.  I've got to see them IRL!

Young people can wear anything and look from sort of OK to adorable.  I'm over 60, so I have to be selective.  Almost every woman I see wearing any kind of leggings in public, should definitely not be doing that.

[toodles]

I hope those chopsticks aren't poking in an unfortunate area.  14 year olds can get away with something like this.  Anyone else?  Not so much.

[ginger90]

Out and about

https://mobile.twitter.com/MeriBrown1/status/858395804108603392/photo/1

[b2H]

My late sister's dil is doing LLR.  Fortunately, she is in PA and I am in Wisconsin.  But she has reached out to me, as a prospective customer.

[MamaMax]

21 hours ago, xwordfanatik said:

Rhon, I love your post!  I don't know anyone personally who sells LLR, and so I've escaped being cornered and feeling like I should buy something to be polite.

I plan to attend a regional flea market on Memorial Day weekend, and I have to admit, I hope someone there is selling them.  I've got to see them IRL!

Young people can wear anything and look from sort of OK to adorable.  I'm over 60, so I have to be selective.  Almost every woman I see wearing any kind of leggings in public, should definitely not be doing that.

My kids' school is having a spring fair w vendors, LLR is on the list. Cant wait to see them.

[ginger90]

I saw an ad in the paper for a multiple LLR vendor show. I find that odd. I have seen sign-ups for such events and they limit them to one from each category. I can't remember what this one was for, old brain.

[xwordfanatik]

19 hours ago, ginger90 said:

Out and about

https://mobile.twitter.com/MeriBrown1/status/858395804108603392/photo/1

Since Meri is in the public eye, why doesn't she get that brown tooth fixed?

Call me superficial, but I spent a buttload of money to get my not-great looking teeth crowned.  Oh, and I'm not on TV and I'm not rich either.

[ginger90]

I wonder about the pay off of traveling to different states

https://www.instagram.com/p/BThfJ6bD1kM/

[AZChristian]

Darn.  She and I will be criss-crossing paths, but not on any of the same days.  I wouldn't buy any of that stuff, but I'd kind of like to see it.

[Galloway Cave]

Too bad @AZChristian! We could have met up at the Mesa event and had a little look-see.

On the other hand, so not worth driving 1 1/2 hours to look at mime leggings.

[AZChristian]

1 minute ago, Galloway Cave said:

Too bad @AZChristian! We could have met up at the Mesa event and had a little look-see.

On the other hand, so not worth driving 1 1/2 hours to look at mime leggings.

We definitely need to get together one of these days for a live snarkfest.

Edited May 1, 2017 by AZChristian
There's only one "t" in "get."

[Wings]

13 hours ago, Galloway Cave said:

Too bad @AZChristian! We could have met up at the Mesa event and had a little look-see.

On the other hand, so not worth driving 1 1/2 hours to look at mime leggings.

I am close but I will skip, it, too.  I have seen and felt my ex DILs leggings. Got it.  Lol!   

Edited May 1, 2017 by wings707

[AZChristian]

9 hours ago, wings707 said:

I am close but I will skip, it, too.  I have seen and felt my ex DILs leggings?   Got it.  Lol!   

Snarkfest for 3, please!!!

[MrSmith]

12 hours ago, Galloway Cave said:

Too bad @AZChristian! We could have met up at the Mesa event and had a little look-see.

On the other hand, so not worth driving 1 1/2 hours to look at mime leggings.

 

12 hours ago, AZChristian said:

We definitely need to get together one of these days for a live snarkfest.

So, what I need to do is figure out how to get my wife to agree not to see our niece and nephew for a summer so we can instead spend that money on a trip to Arizona. Then, we can meet up with you two and go see some sights and have a good time. Maybe track down one of Meri's LLR pop-ups. I'll bring the popcorn for that!

Edited to add: We can rope @wings707 into it, I am sure.

Edited May 1, 2017 by MrSmith