Hollie’s ActiDerm Sham – My MLM Experience

[Elle:] In this anonymous post, my blog follower Hollie* has asked to share her experience with Acti Labs (the people behind  the names ActiDerm and ActiDiet).

*All names and identifying features have been changed at the author’s request, to protect the individuals concerned.

Before reading Hollie’s story, please remind yourself that all views presented in this blog are as told to us by the authors, and simply reflect their own opinions. Your own personal experiences with MLM companies may differ, negatively or positively.

Over to Hollie.

[Hollie:]. Thanks Elle. I joined Acti-Labs back in February 2017. I was stupid and feeling down on myself. So I wanted to cheer myself up. Seen this new thing on social media promoted by Bess, a girl from my Mum’s zumba group – which I got told was direct sales, none of “that illegal pyramid nonsense!”

A legit company, she said, selling cosmetics, makeup, skincare and slimming aids! Wow! So, I went off attempted to research – not much bad info came up, so I was good to go! Bess got me all signed up and it was all so exciting! Eek! 🙄

I actually did really well to begin with (within reason). I think it was because it was a new-ish thing in our part of the country, and people really wanted to try it – in our little rural town, we don’t get out much (haha). Plus the shipping cost was £16.70 to anyone who wasn’t an ‘ambassador’, which magically went down to £4.50 when you signed up. “Which could soooo be made back!” said Bess. “Just pop an order in anytime you get it. You need your customers to have the products ASAP!!!” So I did. Spending £4.50 on postage a time. Buying myself plenty of products, because “I am the shop window!” 🤣

I was honestly blinded for three months to this. Even being convinced to buy their “Hydraslim” and shakes so my customers would see my “weight-loss journey”! Fantastic!

Let me tell you – they were disgusting. Set off my anxiety even worse than I can imagine…I presume from all the “goodness”. But this was detoxing, duh!!! And obviously my upline lived on the stuff and had anxiety so it couldn’t have been the product! I was classed as a weirdo when ever I brought it up in group chat… 🙁 …anyways, enough about that.

I got myself a downline, Izzy. She was a local friend, obviously… and, she was so much better at selling than I, making herself loads of dosh, obviously (when in reality, most of the products were probably for herself). But, I didn’t do enough, and one fateful month, I failed to reach my ‘Diamond’ potential!

[Elle:] Just cutting in, Hollie. Many of us aren’t familiar with the Acti-Labs compensation plan, myself included. I did a bit of digging around, and found this Acti-Labs document.

From this, I would assume you’re talking about not hitting the minimum £350+ of month end sales, and the 5% Monthly Diamond Bonus?

[Hollie] That’s right. I consulted Bess, who said, “Oh it’s only one little lie. It won’t matter. She’s getting the sales!”

So they all carried on, peddling the stuff to cure this and cure that! While I watched on. Bess eventually convinced me to unfriend Izzy because of our arguments. So I did….but then I was being told I “wasn’t doing my manager duties good enough” and that I “should really give up my downline so she can go under Bess to save myself some hassle“.

To be fair, I was falling to bits come this point. Our ‘team’ chat pinged all day. I had to have frequent video phone calls with these people, who I now class as idiots really…
So, behind my back, Bess got her own way. She got Izzy away from me, and under her as her new downline. I sat and watched these nasty ‘team’ chats for ages with gritted teeth. Then I snapped and  said “enough was enough”. I left. Blocked them all.

I have never felt so low in my life from something. Being told I am “not working it” or “I need to step out my comfort zone“. “Do live videos! Share excitement!” I don’t understand how I got myself into this circus, and I was damn ashamed afterwards. I still pray no one asks me about it.

But once they put our delivery charges for our area to up to £10 a order, and I was told to “work my business to get it back“, I think this may have broke me. Acti is a nasty little company. It still makes me tear up thinking of it.

I have shit load of products that are quite frankly, shit, like the eye shadow pallets. I was never one for expensive make up. So I presumed it was so much better than Maybelline because some plastic bitch in her white Range Rover said so.

Well, now I am back to my Maybelline and Revlon, and the Acti products just sit giving me the evils.

There is no true point to this story, Elle. I just really wanted to send you a message to say thanks for your #Poonique tale, and good on you!!! I just hope more huns see sense.

[Elle:] You’re very welcome – this is why we are here, to try and save more people from emotional and financial grief. The more of us who speak up, the better.

[Hollie:]. Oh honestly! That was a short part of the story! Ha ha! I remember I was having to take a temporary break from the group chat for saying their cream isn’t going to “fix psoriasis and eczema“. I apparently “made everyone uncomfortable with my opinion“ 🤦🏻‍♀️ Too many complaints about my actions, apparently – “It’s for positive chat only!”

Plus, Bess’s upline was “always watching”!   I obviously got those ‘special’ messages from her, like you did with the Green Elite woman. She attempted to make me feel special, telling me to push on recruiting, humiliate myself in Facebook Buy & Sell groups. Why? Because this was apparently where Bess’s sales were coming from. How? I really don’t know.

I would actually be shocked if anyone bought an MLM product via a Facebook Buy & Sell group. I had to post 3 times a day about “the opportunity”. Post to 10 different selling groups, add 10 friends. Speak to 10 people. I was actually believing at some point all these hours I put in would pay off. So naïve 🤦🏻‍♀️ I wish I did your spread sheet to see how it went…..I am so, so embarrassed by it all.

[Elle:] Please, please don’t feel embarrassed – remember, you’re not the only one who has been duped by multi-level marketing. The main thing is, you’re sharing your experience, and I hope someone who really needs to see this will get the help they need from it.

I would like to thank Hollie for taking the time to send us her story.