Anonymous
map-marker Los Angeles, California

Dishonest scammers

My wife has her own photography business which is relatively new (3 years old) so she is trying to build up her client list. She decided to do some social networking through one of these Mary Kay cosmetics types of deals, and she had the fortune of meeting one Carolyn Leslie Newton. Carolyn is a financial planner and she kept insisting that she meet with my wife and I. Eventually we caved into her persitance and met with her, she did a financial needs analysis and we didn't have much for needs as we're both pretty financially smart so we don't have any debt for her to "help" us with. We do have a mortgage however so she managed to sell us some life insurnace (I later found out that we're being completely ripped off for this too). Well she was privy to all of our financial data because she was curteous to run a financial needs analysis for us(btw this is where the scam starts, just say no to free financials need analysis, they will use it and continually come back to you and try to sell you *** you don't need), so at one of our meetings(note that she was so personable that the meetings were held at our residence) she suggested that I roll over my prior 401k plans with employers I no longer worked for to their accounts, it made sense so I said sure lets get the ball rolling she immediately signed me up for several accounts and left me the prospectuses. Please note that Carolyn was very well aware of the fact that I had just taken a new job (because she tried to recruit me to work for primerica) and we had just bought a new house and were trying to get our old one fixed up and sold, and knew I was very busy. She never disclosed any of the performance information to me nor any of their fee structure. Over the next month or so I got repeat emails and phone calls from her asking about the rollover check and when they would be available so she could come pick them up. To which I responded that I hadn't looked everything over yet, she eventually paid us another visit at the house to try to convince us that we needed a new analysis since we had bought a different house, and she tried to push me into getting her the rollover checks. After this incident I received several letters in the mail from her supposed superior threatening to close out our accounts if we didn't get funds in them. At which point I said you know Carolyn seems trustworthy and even though I haven't had a chance to look through everything I'll go ahead and rollover my funds. So I contacted my 401k plans requested the checks, and a week later they came in and Carolyn came to my office and picked them up. About a week or so later I get account statments for my new accounts and come to the realization that I've just been robbed blind, they charge a 5.75% fee to manage my account, after looking at the prospectus it confirmed the fee and showed the returns for the account to be historically below 9%. I emailed Carolyn and asked her what the fee was about as she had never mentioned anything about a fee. To which she responded that's the fee you and your wife have always been paying on your investments. I was rather irate at this point and wrote her back letting her know that this was our first investment with Primerica so there's no way that we would have ever known anything about their fee structure and she certainly didn't make a point to point it out. I even mentioned to her that if she had pointed it out to me during one of our "planning" sessions that I would have promptly got up and escorted her to the door. At this point Carolyn's wonderful customer service skills kicked in and she refused to even so much as respond to a single email. About a week or so later, I got a call at my house from their corporate offices from the individual assigned to my complaint. Please note that my complaint was that you ripped me off and never disclosed your rates to me and were pushing me to get you my rollover checks at a time of my life that you knew to be extremely busy, and now you slap me with this fee and have the nerve to tell me its what I've always been paying you???????? So I've been communicating with this lady for about a month now and she keeps telling me it will be another 2 weeks, it will be another 2 weeks. So at this point I'm stuck at the will of their corporate cronies, as Carolyn no longer takes calls or answers emails. As a note anyone actually interested in their finances should check out Vanguard index funds, they generally charge 0.5% or less for their fee, and have numerous funds in various sectors that have historically returned more than 10%.
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6 comments
Guest

Yea! Mary Kay is an evil wench that gets around!

Guest

WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH MARY KAY COSMETICS? YOU ARE DOING A DISSERVICE TO MARY KAY AND NEED TO GET YOUR ACT STRAIGHT! :?

Guest

I have had experiences with both Mary Kay and Primerica. My sister did Primerica, and I sell Mary Kay.

The two are not affiliated in anyway, shape, or form. They don't even have the same business plan. In my experience with Primerica, as a customer, I didn't have any of the issues that you are describing.

I think it had more to do with the Primerica agent that you dealt with than with the company. I am very sorry to hear that you had such a horrible experience.

Guest

What does this have to do with Mary Kay?

Guest

SMC Apecialty Merchandise Corp. and SMC eMerchant Club is a fraud.

I started with them in January and have not made a dime. They have cost me about 10 thousand dollars +.

They promise big money. They are the only ones that make it.

Guest

What does you and your wife getting involved with Primerica have to do with Mary Kay Cosmetics?

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pinkpathetic
map-marker Albany, New York

Mary Kay - the biz and the products!

On a company level, MK is very deceptive. The consider themselves the "Best Selling Brand" in the US but it's not because they count average consumers, they count the purchases of the actual consultants/sales force. It is well-known that most of those purchases are still sitting on consultants' shelves. They target females who are looking for recognition, self-confidence & large amounts of available credit. Their prizes and awards are based on how much you BUY not how much you sell. So no matter how hard you work your tail off, you will easily be passed over for recognition by a woman who hasn't sold a dollar of cleanser but has bought a living room full of lipstick! And as for the products, their newest line of mineral foundations, eye shadows, blushes and powders are an indication of the decline in quality. They are loaded down with fillers such as talc: "Talc particles have been shown to cause tumors in the ovaries and lungs of cancer victims" (cbn.org) They also contain other irritants that can cause other skin problems. Plus as they add more fillers to their products, they continue to reduce the sizes of the items, but still increase their prices. If you are asked to attend a "party", become a "skin care consultant", or just "give your opinion" on their products and company...run, don't walk. There's nothing but problems all the way around!
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18 comments
Guest

Awww I musthave hita nerve when I posted that link. As an EX-IBC , I speak from experience. I dressed up,went to meetings,bought training cd's,coldcalled,warm stalked, sent out letters,hnded out catalogs,annd set out fishbowls .What part of that wasn't working?

I a not the owner of PT,nor do I speak on their behalf, but I can say that they are being truthful.

I do however have a few points to raise.

PT are not the ones using scripts to gain customers and recruits.

I am not hateful,nor am I bitter,but since we are making assumptions ,and we all know what that does, Ill allow you a peek into my finances.

I never used a credit card,never ordered more than I had to, and stuck with Timewise & Satin Hands. I still lost money in packaging,discounts,travel,and office supplies.

Guest

I love the assumption some MK folks are making that "Pink Truthers are a bunch of women who didn't work their businesses" because there are a number of former car-driving, star consultant, Go-Give Award recipient directors (and even one NIQ) posting there. But it's SO much easier to to just say "they weren't working" instead of actually addressing the reality of their stories and the articles they are writing.

I am a writer for Pink Truth and personally have never been in MK, however, I'll wager that I have researched through more company documents and NSD/director training than most directors have. And in doing so, here are a few things I learned about the almighty Mary Kay Messiah:

It's all about recruits: "Were you conscious about adding 10+ new Agreements? Did you press through to a win or give in with a sigh?" ~NSD Pam Shaw's Director Strategy Checklist

Husbands Suck: "May I suggest something? If you go home and ask him and he throws a fit, you're not going to get it. But if you go ahead and get it and he throws a fit, you've still got it! I haven't known yet of a divorce over a Mary Kay set!" ~From FESSD Bev Wenger's website

Husbands Suck Part II: "I take cash, checks, M/C, Visa...I even have a "He'll never know plan." HA!" ~from NSD Allison Lamarr's Flipchart Skin Care Class document.

"No" really doesn't mean "no": "When someone tells me "no" it means "not right now." Or, she does not get it. This is a numbers game." ~From NSD Bett Vernon's website

And finally, "God loves everyone in MK and hates everyone who tells you "no": What if I share the company's story and facts and she says NO WAY? If she says no to this...smile, tell her thank you for allowing me to share, but say an ever bigger thank-you prayer to God, for sparing you a not-so-sharp, unwilling to change woman that has a bigger hang-up than Mary Kay can help! ~From the training document, "Giving Away your Career."

(Anxiously waiting to be told that the top directors and NSDs quoted above are just "bad apples" who don't know what the Mary Kay Way is all about.) :)

Guest

Those of you who claim to make money in MK- prove it- post your schedule C

Guest

I have been thinking over and over about selling Mary Kay and I have heard the good and the bad. To me most of the good has come with A LOT of hard work and trusting relationships, while the bad seems to stream from the mouths of people who think this is a free ride.

To me, in order to have your own business you must INVEST!!! This is not a hard concept...How do you not know that nothing in this world is free???

I do however think that buying Mary Kay from a stranger is not a good idea. Why would you give your money to a complete stranger?

Make sure this person is someone that has been referred to you by family or friends.

By the way, Talc is in a lot of cosmetic products besides Mary Kay.....examples....try EVERYTHING.

Guest

Ok whiners. It's your fault for not working your business.

It's so easy to blame other people for your inability to sell and make money. I don't have huge credit card debt. I make money and take care of my customers and myself. The Pink Truth is for whiners who just did not make an effort.

I've seen tons of young women join Mary Kay, get their kits, not go for training and then just want to whine about how no one helped them and they have tons of product that they can't get rid of. The effort you make will equal what you get back in profit.

If you don't schedule skin care classes, if you have no personality and you can't or won't talk to people you will get no where. Blame yourselves, not the company.

Guest

When it comes down to it Mary Kay is a business. Im a business student who has studied many companies and how they make their profits and of all those companies Mary Kay is the most giving.

Just like any other job you have to be willing to have a good work ethic or you will not make a profit. Its as simple as that. I've had internships that were harder to do than Mary Kay. The product pretty much sells itself so if you have a problem with Mary Kay its because you just simply suck at managing your business.

Yea, this is pretty much like running your own business. You chose your hours and how much you are willing to work so its hard to motivate yourself to do something you dont have to. I think that is probably the hardest part of Mary Kay but if you're willing to just put in 5-10 hours a week you're sure to make profit. I did.

If you are complaining about having products on your shelf.... it was never mandatory to buy all that stuff in the first place. that was made clear to me when I started.

Blame yourselves. I have a great director who is young, has a family, and leads the number one team in our state and she has ALWAYS made time to help me.

Guest

Ladies it is so true. You have to know sales to do MK or product will be on your shelf.

If you are not bold, pushy or willing to go up to strangers and/or invade on people's privacy you will not make it in this business. They do not put GOd first, family second, & career last. It MK all day. I know women who have got divorced buying product they were not selling to win cheap prizes.

I invested big in MK and got a ring and the stone fell out 2 days later. Called MK Corp. all they told me was they could give me a cheap scraf they didn't have any more rings and didn't fix them. If you need confidence, encouragement and friends than do MK it will help you with that in a sense.

But if you are not buying from the company $1800 or more every quarter you are nothing to them or your Director.

Your director wants you to spend all that money on product so that she can drive a pink cadalliac, go on great trips and get the expensive jewelry all the while you are going into debit and getting the chap stuff she has to offer. Take a very close look.

Guest

For the gal that purchased product and never received it, call 1-800-marykay. The company will back the sale. I'm very proud to represent Mary Kay Cosmetics.

Guest

You are very bitter women... again....

if you'd gotten off your butts and actually worked it full circle you'd made money... you can't get what you want with just family and friend sales.... you are a retailer when you sign up and again... you had a full YEAR to get your money back...

If you didn't pay enough attention to what your customer base was in need of every 2 to 3 months than you wouldn't have inventory on your shelf!! As I have seen.. order your staples for YOUR customers, have 1 or 2 cleansers, moisterizers, lipstick shade(only 2 colors) and lip glosses and place everything else on order!! I have NO credit cards, don't believe in them...

I am not in debt to MK or myself and was a Star Consultant this past quarter!!! I Have only 8 pieces of inventory on my shelf.. and it is everything that my existing customers would buy if I choose to step away from this!! If you would have had a half the brain god gave you you would have found a way to make it work if it's truely what you wanted!!

Also yes I may have only been a consultant less than a year, but from everything you've said AND I just dispproved your theroy.. YOu DON"T have to have money to come into this business, you DON"T need to have cardit card debt but you so have to have the will power, the determination and the love of helping other women... I'm not in it for recruits though I have afew.... I love makeup...

I love to watch the women transform right in front of me in 45 minutes or less!! The before and after shots are wonderful and after you see yourself before and after side by side it changes everything... let alone the try before you buy... I bet you women still have a graveyard of makeup from every line in your drawers..

all that wasted money!!! Again... Estee Lauder, CoverGirl, MaxFactor,Lore'ol, bare essentials, aerbourne, Almay, revlon, LOVE YOU!! You Just made their pockets fatter!!

I don't care if you buy from me or not... Just remember someone some where is making money off of you... someone somewhere is driving a company car or in a limo because of you... and most of them are men!!

So why shouldn't us women who wear and buy the products get some of the rewards the "normal" cosmetic companies get? Don't be mad at MK! Direct your anger to the whole industry... whether you hold parties or get ignored at the Lancome counter some cosmetic company CEO is living LARGE off your buying mishaps and THEY REFUSE to give you your money back because it's been spent on that million dollar condo in the Bahamas..the elite executive lunchen in Aspen all expenses paid cortesry of you!!!

Either way you are in the cosmetic trap!! and I even tell the women.. especially on the spf products... I let them know how important it is to protect their skin whether you buy from me or someone else please take care of the skin you have..and I want you to know that they buy from me!!!

Because I am a woman who cares!

So again you are just bitter, hateful women... and God let that bitterness and hatered be softened... for you must not be to happy yourself if all you have going for you is to B---- about the same thing year after year....

if you already know the price of the game when you played it...you knew the consequences too...if you couldn't afford to pay the price you NEVER should have played... but I know you are smart women...

so now that you've played, paid and lost you should have NO regrets.. for if you have regrets than you did NOT learn the lesson!!!

God have mercy on your lives and hearts!!

Guest

Before you decide that pinktruth.com is all knowing, and looking out to protect women. You need to know the truth about the crazy and sick woman that runs PinkTruth. I am so glad I came accross www.ptlies.com.

I've learned through many years of experience that a complainer is not always truthful or sane.

RE: PROFIT: I'm NOT is debt with Mary Kay Inventory, I've made over 30K a year the past 4 years in a row PROFIT, and I am not the only one. I work side by side with countless other PROFITABLE women, I see the money coming and product going out endlessly. If you are sane well balanced emotionally then women will want to do business with you and purchase from you.

RE: PRODUCT: I'm 41 and my skin looks like a 20 year old. I've help countless women with skin issue's.

RE: COMPANY The company does what they say they are going to do. They stand behind the product exchanges are done with no questions asked.

:grin :grin

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Susan H Uwk
map-marker Bakersfield, California

Juliet Goertzen, an Independant Beauty Consultant falsel advertised a free gift cerificate

Juliet Goertzen, an Independant Beauty Consultant for mary Kay advertised at a store here in Bakersfield, California to win free $50.00 gift certificate.

Juliet Goertzen called me and told me I won and all I had to do was come to a free demonstration of Mary Kay ,with no obligation to buy anything.She said she mailed me my gift certificate which I never recieved, I called her and she said to keep checking my mail.

I emailed her and she changed her story and said it was now only $40.00 and now she was not sending it.

She denied the conversation saying she mailed it.

The manager of the store took down her advertisement for false advertising.

Juliet Goertzen lied to me and as of today,I have never recieved my free gift certificate.

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8 comments
Guest

Juliet has been my consultant for many years and I can say that I have NEVER been unhappy with her service to me or Mary Kay products. Juliet has always given me every discount/gift offered by her or the company.

She always throws in something nice for free with my orders. I am sorry to hear you may have misunderstood.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-445128

So many fake posts.

Guest

I hate to hear that you feel this way, but there are two sides to every story. I have had Juliet as a Consultant and she has never missrepresented Mary Kay, the product line, all free gifts with purchase have always been given.

If a discount with purchase was offered it has always been given. I suggest that everyone reading this disgrunteled message contact Ms.

Goertzen for her side of the story and judge for yourself. :) :)

Guest

She is clearly violating the terms of her contract. She is not allowed to advertise or sell in a public place. Mk does not allow forward thinking like that.

Guest

There's more than a "few rotten apples" in Mary Kay, and many of them are its leaders. And no, they are not simply "taken out." They are allowed to continue to preach garbage that is claimed as necessary for success in Mary Kay...garbage that is quite far from anything the Golden Rule covers. Some of these teachings include:

Pushing large amounts of inventory on new recruits: “Small orders handicap new consultants. $3,600, $3,000, $2,400 - these are the three levels to explain. ” (NSD Stacy James)

“Pull inventory as soon as they sign. Have a sense of urgency.” (NSD Dacia Wiegandt)

"If there is talk about inventory, NEVER mention a $200 order at all. Sometimes we talk about "personal use" and then "getting active with a $200 order," DO NOT DO IT!!!!!" ~From the director training document, "How To Win a Gold Medal."

Mary Kay is all about recruiting: "Were you conscious about adding 10+ new Agreements? Did you press through to a win or give in with a sigh?" ~NSD Pam Shaw's Director Strategy Checklist

Husbands Suck: "I take cash, checks, M/C, Visa...I even have a "He'll never know plan." HA!" ~from NSD Allison Lamarr's Flipchart Skin Care Class document.

And finally, "God loves everyone in MK and hates everyone who tells you "no": What if I share the company's story and facts and she says NO WAY? If she says no to this...smile, tell her thank you for allowing me to share, but say an ever bigger thank-you prayer to God, for sparing you a not-so-sharp, unwilling to change woman that has a bigger hang-up than Mary Kay can help! ~From the training document, "Giving Away your Career."

Please visit PINKTRUTH.COM to learn much, much more about Mary Kay culture and the traps that lie within it.

Guest

The products sell themselves is a mary kay "line". You can buy all of the cheap mary kay that you want on ebay

Guest

I WAS in Mary Kay. My director told us the same but to put the cerificates in spas where the women think that they are getting spa cerificates.

I was told that I could return product that i have at any time but when I told her that I wanted/needed to do that she said it would only be what I recently purchased.

So now I feel that I'm STUCK with all this product. I have chosen not to sell any more

Guest

:sigh I really am very sorry to hear about this. I have been with the company for over 20 years and have seen all kinds of gimmicks that consultants (from all Independent businesses) use to bring in customers.

This does not have to happen. Mary Kay offers such a good quality product that the company name and products basically sell themselves. Since all consultants are Independent and run their business independently from the actual company, they can sell and advertise (to a limit of course) their business however they would like. Keep in mind that not everyone is honest or has business ethics that they honor....'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you', etc.

I'm really sorry that this perhaps dampens your enthusiasm for such a wonderful product and company. I don't do business like that and to make up for it I would have offered you free product above and beyond what the free gift certificate was...no questions asked. I value what others think of me and how I run my business. I just wish others would too!

If Mary Kay herself were alive she'd really like to hear about this and make up to you for whatever frustration this has caused you. In fact, you can contact the company to report any unfair treatment if you like. Please don't give up on the company or our products.

Every company has a few rotten apples but thankfully these are taken out and the bunch is unspoiled! Big hug to you!

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Anonymous
map-marker New Orleans, Louisiana

Amy McCance/Mary Kay consultant has not acknowledged order.

I placed my order and waited 3 days for her to Email me back w/conformation of the order, My only concern is my order has my credit card number on it. I have to worry about that, plus do I reorder w/someone else? I typed in her wedsite and no response. What do I do? She does not respond. The order was completed and I hit send .Please answer me w/ advice about my card info. She is a Mary kay consultant. Will any one answer this for me? The order was placed shouldn't Amy contact me? Even if she cancels my order,just let me know. Thankyou.
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6 comments
Guest

As a former "beauty consultant" I didn't enjoy being one at all. The recruiting you have to do to build your line is ridiculous.

I hated going to the meetings every week where they have to motivate you to pump their products often in very *** ways. I hated when I would go to a persons house an they wouldn't be there or left you a phony address.

I wasted more time and money than I earned! NOT worth it for me!

Guest

I have my own website and I dont know if your situation ever was resolved....but unless she submits the card, it wont be charged. Your card doesnt get charged right away.

I hope this helps. I am sorry you went through this.

I hate to read that ppl have had rotton times with their consultants. It makes it more difficult for the right ones to make it better.

Guest

Normally I am a positive person, but no matter how positive Mary Kay claims to be the company has many negative effects on peoples lives. Mary Kay isn't reputable period.

I have had and know too many issues with their representatives. I would be concerned.

Guest

Give the woman a chance to get back to you. She might have been on vacation, in the hospital or whatever.

You never know what could have happened. I understand your panic with your credit card information but most likely it is not sent over to the consultant. I'm sure by now your situation has been resolved, but I just wanted to say that we have to give people a chance sometimes and the benefit of the doubt. Sure it would have been wonderful if she called you and sent your products instantly, and that does happen 99% of the time in my humble opinion.

No matter what, the company will always help you out.

I've gotten refunds from purchases 100% from the company, and even from terminated consultants!!! Not every consultant is wonderful, but when you find one that is....stick with her and give her a chance to help you.

Guest

I've had similar problems with my MK consultant. The hotline to call to get a refund/exchange is: 1-800-MARY KAY (1-80*-***-****)

Guest

If you went thru the Mary Kay website and found her then she probably doesn't have access to your actual credit card info. The company processes the order and gives her credit on her statement.

I wouldn't worry too much about it. She could just be on vacation.

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