Betterware Distributors Problem

[Marshallmellow]

Hello Everyone. I have just registered with this forum because I would like to make the general public aware of a very new and appalling situation that has just happened to me in the last day.

 

So 3 weeks ago I applied to become a betterware catalogue distributor. I am currently out of work at the moment and have been for some time, so I was looking for something which would get me into a routine and earn a few extra pennies. I applied to some work from home positions and got a call from Betterware. The interviewer who came to my address, xxx, would be my co-ordinator, the man who delivers books and order forms to me each week to deliver to customers.

 

We got on really well for the first 2 weeks, and I worked hard to deliver as many books as I could possibly do, and in my first week made about £114. I would receive 20% of this amount. On Monday 19th he came over to deliver the customer goods for me to deliver. On the Friday beforehand I went to collect my books that I had delivered on the Tuesday. About 80% of customers threw their books away, so I only got back around 20 books out of 105.

 

When xxx popped round on Monday I asked him if he could possibly deliver some more books to me, as I only had 34 books and next week is Betterwares "BIG WEEK" where if you reach orders over £300 you get 22% commission as opposed to 20%. I informed him that customers has thrown their books away which is why I had so little books, to which he responded "Well I will have to deliver some more at some point this week but really you should just go through people's bins and see if the books are there and just grab them out if they are."... What? Did I just hear that right? You want me to go through people's bins?! Because I am not a person who deals well with conflict, I nodded, said okay and shut the door, obviously point blank refusing to go through customers bins.

 

I delivered my first bunch of orders to the customers yesterday. (Tuesday 20th). A couple of the customers were not home, which bummed me out a little bit because it was raining and cold, and I don't drive so I just wanted to get home in the warm. I got to the point where I had had enough. I had not heard from xxx about him delivering me any more books for the Big Week. I was cold, wet, hungry, and had made little money for a fair amount of hard work. On the positive side, I had been offered a FT job elsewhere, so I had no choice. I text xxx to tell him that I would be resigning. Below is the correspondence between us.

 

 

((ME)) "I know I have only just signed the agreement, but I've been offered a FT job and I am gonna take it which means I am gonna have to resign as a distributor. It's a stable income, plus 2 of the houses I've just tried to deliver to won't answer their doors. I thought this would be different to what it is. I will deliver next weeks orders to the customers and then I will have to call it a day I am afraid.

 

((xxx)) Ok thanks for telling me. I hope you will still be putting books out this week for the big week next week."

 

((ME)) "I'm afraid not as I only have 34 books. I was going to put out hundreds but I need to get focused for new job. "

 

((xxx)) Ok I will come over on Thursday and get any goods you still have, sorry but I need to have the areas working for me."

 

((ME)) "Will I still receive payment for the orders I have done. I make it out to be roughly £36.24 that I have made. "

 

((xxx)) "You'll get paid for what you've delivered"

 

((ME)) "Okay will I be delivering the goods to next weeks customers, seeing as I did get the orders from customers so therefore I can deliver them next week, or this week if he had the orders."

 

((xxx)) "I shouldn't have processed either because they were both below minimum order value of £200 and I have to pay for my fuel. I only get £6 for your order it's not worth it I would rather deliver it myself".

 

xxx never mentioned a £200 minimum value order, and he stated that he will pick up money that I have worked for.

 

Angered by this message, I responded that

((ME)) "it is really wrong that you will be getting money for work I have done. Regardless of the amount, it puts food on the table for my family."

 

The money I earnt was pocket money for my Step Daughter for being amazingly well behaved and extremely helpful. All kids deserve a little reward right?

 

((xxx)) "Well I won't order your stuff at all coz it's under £200 sorry."

((xxx)) "When I say I won't order your stuff I mean anyone's stuff as I have to have a minimum order of £400 to be considered by betterware as I have had another distributor off ill"

 

((ME)) "I have earned 22.95 in that case seeing as you will not order my orders. You never made me aware of the under £200 minimum so that is not my fault or problem. I earned that money so I should be entitled to it. I will take my £22.95 out of the money and leave the rest with you along with the order forms and books e.t.c. I will not be answering my door. Pretty disgusted that you can take money from someone who has made effort into making it, even if it is only a small amount.

 

((xxx)) "When will you be doing this as you are liable, I need to give you a receipt for the cash and cheque and it shows your 20% commission.

 

((ME)) "I'll leave it outside on Thursday evening when you pick it up. Put receipt through letterbox or something.

 

((xxx)) "When I have finally processed your orders with my minimum order of £400 and delivered them Ill put 10% of the commission through your door"

 

((ME)) "Ermmm No that is not how it works.. I get 20% commission that' what is agreed therefore I should be getting at least £22.95. If you're processing the order from yesterday (Monday 19th) it will be a further 13 quid.

 

((xxx)) "Yes you get your 20% commission from your deliveries this week and your £60 order from yesterday when and if I process them. I'm willing to post 1/2 your commission as you've given me NO notice regarding leaving, and not willing to deliver any books this week which I will now need to find cover for.

 

((ME)) "Well I'm certainly not delivering books for you now. You haven't bothered to deliver me any new ones or made arrangements with me as to when you will deliver them. I will be taking my 20% commission and that's final, That money I have worked hard for and I will not accept any less that 20%."

 

((xxx)) "That's what I said"

 

((ME))"No you stated you'd give me 10% commission. So what is it?!"

 

((xxx))"Take your 20% commission from the goods that you've sold, not on things that are left over if you've not sold everything I'll come over on Thursday Morning between 10-11AM if your leaving money outside it is YOUR responsibility if it goes missing.

 

((ME)) "Ok".

 

I have tried contacting his manager today to make them aware of the situation. I know not much can be done as it is a "Cash in hand job". I'm not after legal advice, I am making it clear that this company obviously don't give much care into how they pick their staff, nor how they treat their customers, as I have seen many bad and negative statements towards betterware on forums in the few days. His manager will be returning my call hopefully within the next day or 2. If I have had no response I am going to be calling them back, and I will not stop until something is done about xxx and his lack of professional manner.

 

Please feel free to post your opinions and any advice you might have on this situation. Again this is just to make the general public aware that working for betterware is not as glorious as they make it out to be.

 

Many Thanks.

Edited November 21, 2012 by honeybee13
Removing names as a precaution.

[ims21]

Various threads and posts merged and thread tidied

[Marshallmellow]

Thank you. This got mega confusing as I am a newbie to this forum. Apologies for the spamming.

[westfield]

Years ago i worked for betterment and then their was a min order of 150. I got the commission but if i couldn't deliver i lost it so fir example

orders 300

Delivered 250

Return to manager 200 and 50 stock so get 50 commission but

[Marshallmellow]

Well between you and me I think Mr X has made up this minimum 200 quid thing. I can't take it to court. I just hope the management team do something because I will make sure they get a bad reputation if they don't do anything about this slander.

[Old Cogger]

That is why most people drop out and although they pay for Catalog's they do the other one, I found that out decades ago.

[Marshallmellow]

Yeah I guess they get a bit more respect cause they pay for the books they get. It's still wrong though. I just would like to make people aware of this and to give them a warning that it' not all bonus schemes and dandelions and fields of roses, it's harsh. But I would rather give people the reality then let them fall into the trap of "oh it' great you make loads of money and you get to do it when you want."

[westfield]

I think mike means kleeneaze where the distributor pays for the books. If i am honest i believe there is some miscommunication. You only get paid for the goods that are delivered so by saying that he will give you half of the commission on what he delivers is fair. I know you are angry but i think what has been said is right. You could of course have stayed on part time. By the way it is not cash in hand,it is self employment and you should declare any income to the dwp and hmrc

[Marshallmellow]

No no no. It's not fair. I delivered the books, I picked up the order forms in the pouring rain. Therefore I should deliver the goods and receive my 20% commission and that is what is agreed. I'm not happy doing betterware as they promise you "big bonuses" and it's a hit and miss job. You can either earn loads, or nothing. More than likely you will earn nothing. My area is pretty dead. And I am not doing business with a man who tells me to rumage through peoples bins... The only income I have received is £20 so I hardly think that is worth declaring. I won't get taxed for £20 and people don't declare when they babysit, so it's almost the same thing, except when and if I babysit I get a little more than £20.

[westfield]

I do agree that you should be able to deliver the goods you have ordered but that didn't seem to be your gripe to start with. You seemed to think you should get the commission just for getting the order. As for the tax and dwp stuff, what other people do is irrelevant it is the law. If someone committed murder and it went undetected would you cry foul if you did the same and got caught.

I am not saying what i would do i am saying what the law expects you to do

[Marshallmellow]

Now you're misunderstanding me. My gripe is that he wants to deliver the goods and get the money for them, and that should be my duty. What I am saying is I placed the orders, I did the hard work. And what he wants to do is say "okay you did the hard work, now I will go, deliver the goods, and pick up the money for your hard work." Yes he's said about 10% commission and giving me that, which is about £5. In the grand scheme of things I did not do 14-16 hours work for a 5er. I am posting this merely for the sake of others. People get roped in very easily to things like betterware. "oooh bonuses, oooh flexible working hours" it's nothing like they say it is. This is purely to give the public some warning. It's up to others what they do. I've quite the place now anyway, and I will be reporting him to his manager about his lack of professionalism.

[Marshallmellow]

Okay and to make matters worse, today when he came to collect the belongings the co-ordinator TRIED TO BREAK INTO MY PROPERTY!!! Betterware are not taking this matter seriously either. I have been phoning all morning to speak to a member of the management team before running my mouth off to the police department but no such luck yet. They have an hour before I contact the police. I think it's outrageous!!!

[westfield]

If he tried to break in then report it to the police. How did he try to break in.

[Marshallmellow]

Well I was stood in my kitchen, and heard a squeaking sound. I peered round the fridge to my front door to see the handle slowly moving down, and hearing a pushing motion against the door. Did not phone the police as I totally freaked out. So dashed into the bedroom, peaked round the wall to see him peeking through the letterbox. He had been phoning me and texting me and banging my door for about 40 minutes before driving off. I told him I would not be answering my door to him. And from the minute he got there he was BANGING at my door hence why I did not answer the first time because I felt threatened by him. He is a big guy and could do a lot of damage if you make him mad, and I don't like confrontational situations. His manager stated that he would give him a "talking to". I have sold my story to a magazine regardless. Betterwares main concern when I phoned them was that "I wouldn't be put off from working with them". Then came the apologies. So clearly their priorities lie in making sure they keep their employees, not ensuring they have employed the right people already. Mr X Is clearly not able to do the job properly. He's a very sick man and I hope he loses his job. I am sure most betterware staff are not like him, but I wonder where he got the idea that rummaging through customers bins was legal? Because it isn't. It's not about money anymore. It's about principal. You do not try and enter someones home without permission and that's that.

[westfield]

Please be careful about what you say. Trying the door and banging on your door IS NOT trying to break in.

[Marshallmellow]

Same thing to me to be honest. If someone tried pulling the handle on your door and putting their weight against the door to see if it would open, wouldn't you feel threatened? Regardless of the way I said it, he tried to enter my property without my permission and displayed threatening behaviour. The banging on my door went on for 40 minutes. Sounded like he could of put dents in it he was banging so hard. (he didn't cause any damage of course, but the banging was unbearably loud). He got what he wanted. He got his money and his stuff back, and a slap on the wrist from his manager. Me on the other hand, I'm now afraid to be at home on my own and I no longer feel safe in my own home, even with all the locks on my door. I should not have to feel like this, not in my own home. And what makes it worse is he delivers books to customers. Some of those customers being the elderly. I really hope he doesn't treat the customers this way especially the vulnerable ones.

[Angie Harding]

Hi there, sounds like a very simple situation's become a bit complicated. I'm a happy distributor and have been for several years on and off, when it's convenient for me. My co-ordinator's always been great and she would never suggest that I 'go through customers' bins' to get catalogues back. I know she has a weekly sales target to meet and I daresay your chap did too, so he's probably telling you the truth about not being able to put your order in yet if he hasn't made enough sales. It's unfair to say the company doesn't care - how would they know unless you tell them? With a bit of luck his manager will be able to sort it all out for you. Like I said, I've been delivering the catalogues for a while now, and while it suits me down to the ground as I'm retired, it's not the job for everyone. I got a nice bonus of £250 just a few weeks back which I didn't expect - apparently I had done enough sales over a year to get the bonus, so I'm buying my grandson a laptop for Christmas! Good luck with your new job by the way.

 

Hello Everyone. I have just registered with this forum because I would like to make the general public aware of a very new and appalling situation that has just happened to me in the last day.

 

So 3 weeks ago I applied to become a betterware catalogue distributor. I am currently out of work at the moment and have been for some time, so I was looking for something which would get me into a routine and earn a few extra pennies. I applied to some work from home positions and got a call from Betterware. The interviewer who came to my address, xxx, would be my co-ordinator, the man who delivers books and order forms to me each week to deliver to customers.

 

We got on really well for the first 2 weeks, and I worked hard to deliver as many books as I could possibly do, and in my first week made about £114. I would receive 20% of this amount. On Monday 19th he came over to deliver the customer goods for me to deliver. On the Friday beforehand I went to collect my books that I had delivered on the Tuesday. About 80% of customers threw their books away, so I only got back around 20 books out of 105.

 

When xxx popped round on Monday I asked him if he could possibly deliver some more books to me, as I only had 34 books and next week is Betterwares "BIG WEEK" where if you reach orders over £300 you get 22% commission as opposed to 20%. I informed him that customers has thrown their books away which is why I had so little books, to which he responded "Well I will have to deliver some more at some point this week but really you should just go through people's bins and see if the books are there and just grab them out if they are."... What? Did I just hear that right? You want me to go through people's bins?! Because I am not a person who deals well with conflict, I nodded, said okay and shut the door, obviously point blank refusing to go through customers bins.

 

I delivered my first bunch of orders to the customers yesterday. (Tuesday 20th). A couple of the customers were not home, which bummed me out a little bit because it was raining and cold, and I don't drive so I just wanted to get home in the warm. I got to the point where I had had enough. I had not heard from xxx about him delivering me any more books for the Big Week. I was cold, wet, hungry, and had made little money for a fair amount of hard work. On the positive side, I had been offered a FT job elsewhere, so I had no choice. I text xxx to tell him that I would be resigning. Below is the correspondence between us.

 

 

((ME)) "I know I have only just signed the agreement, but I've been offered a FT job and I am gonna take it which means I am gonna have to resign as a distributor. It's a stable income, plus 2 of the houses I've just tried to deliver to won't answer their doors. I thought this would be different to what it is. I will deliver next weeks orders to the customers and then I will have to call it a day I am afraid.

 

((xxx)) Ok thanks for telling me. I hope you will still be putting books out this week for the big week next week."

 

((ME)) "I'm afraid not as I only have 34 books. I was going to put out hundreds but I need to get focused for new job. "

 

((xxx)) Ok I will come over on Thursday and get any goods you still have, sorry but I need to have the areas working for me."

 

((ME)) "Will I still receive payment for the orders I have done. I make it out to be roughly £36.24 that I have made. "

 

((xxx)) "You'll get paid for what you've delivered"

 

((ME)) "Okay will I be delivering the goods to next weeks customers, seeing as I did get the orders from customers so therefore I can deliver them next week, or this week if he had the orders."

 

((xxx)) "I shouldn't have processed either because they were both below minimum order value of £200 and I have to pay for my fuel. I only get £6 for your order it's not worth it I would rather deliver it myself".

 

xxx never mentioned a £200 minimum value order, and he stated that he will pick up money that I have worked for.

 

Angered by this message, I responded that

((ME)) "it is really wrong that you will be getting money for work I have done. Regardless of the amount, it puts food on the table for my family."

 

The money I earnt was pocket money for my Step Daughter for being amazingly well behaved and extremely helpful. All kids deserve a little reward right?

 

((xxx)) "Well I won't order your stuff at all coz it's under £200 sorry."

((xxx)) "When I say I won't order your stuff I mean anyone's stuff as I have to have a minimum order of £400 to be considered by betterware as I have had another distributor off ill"

 

((ME)) "I have earned 22.95 in that case seeing as you will not order my orders. You never made me aware of the under £200 minimum so that is not my fault or problem. I earned that money so I should be entitled to it. I will take my £22.95 out of the money and leave the rest with you along with the order forms and books e.t.c. I will not be answering my door. Pretty disgusted that you can take money from someone who has made effort into making it, even if it is only a small amount.

 

((xxx)) "When will you be doing this as you are liable, I need to give you a receipt for the cash and cheque and it shows your 20% commission.

 

((ME)) "I'll leave it outside on Thursday evening when you pick it up. Put receipt through letterbox or something.

 

((xxx)) "When I have finally processed your orders with my minimum order of £400 and delivered them Ill put 10% of the commission through your door"

 

((ME)) "Ermmm No that is not how it works.. I get 20% commission that' what is agreed therefore I should be getting at least £22.95. If you're processing the order from yesterday (Monday 19th) it will be a further 13 quid.

 

((xxx)) "Yes you get your 20% commission from your deliveries this week and your £60 order from yesterday when and if I process them. I'm willing to post 1/2 your commission as you've given me NO notice regarding leaving, and not willing to deliver any books this week which I will now need to find cover for.

 

((ME)) "Well I'm certainly not delivering books for you now. You haven't bothered to deliver me any new ones or made arrangements with me as to when you will deliver them. I will be taking my 20% commission and that's final, That money I have worked hard for and I will not accept any less that 20%."

 

((xxx)) "That's what I said"

 

((ME))"No you stated you'd give me 10% commission. So what is it?!"

 

((xxx))"Take your 20% commission from the goods that you've sold, not on things that are left over if you've not sold everything I'll come over on Thursday Morning between 10-11AM if your leaving money outside it is YOUR responsibility if it goes missing.

 

((ME)) "Ok".

 

I have tried contacting his manager today to make them aware of the situation. I know not much can be done as it is a "Cash in hand job". I'm not after legal advice, I am making it clear that this company obviously don't give much care into how they pick their staff, nor how they treat their customers, as I have seen many bad and negative statements towards betterware on forums in the few days. His manager will be returning my call hopefully within the next day or 2. If I have had no response I am going to be calling them back, and I will not stop until something is done about xxx and his lack of professional manner.

 

Please feel free to post your opinions and any advice you might have on this situation. Again this is just to make the general public aware that working for betterware is not as glorious as they make it out to be.

 

Many Thanks.

[westfield]

Angle nice to meet a happy distributor. It's been a long time since i did it and i never had problems. My coordinator even warned me about the end of year audit. I am sure it is getting harder and harder in the current climate but i am pleased to hear marshmellow has so quickly made some money out of it by selling her story.

[Marshallmellow]

Well it's not actually "sold" yet. The point is this man intruded on my home. I'm not slating the company "as a whole". It's a case of, I told them what had happened, and they are taking action - which I am thankful for, but dare I say "having a word" is not good enough for me. I'm pleased to see people have had good experiences with them, but my gripe is with a man who tried to enter my home without my permission, and unprofessionally told me to raid customer bins for books. I never once stated that every single co-ord says this. It seems to me that everyone on here is ignoring the fact that trying to enter someone's home without their permission is in fact breaking the law. It's common knowledge. So do you all think it's right that he tried to enter my home w/out my permission, bang on my door and harrass me? Because that is the problem I have here. Okay it started out that he was going to deliver the orders I had made and receive the money for those orders, and that he had told me to raid bins, but I told him he can keep the commission, and have the bag and betterware belongings back but this wasn't enough for that particular person. Instead he took it a step further and harrassed the living daylights out of me.

[westfield]

My opinion is

It is wrong to even suggest you go through peoples bins.

Banging on your door for so long is wrong as well but in my opinion is not harassment. That is like saying one letter from a dcs is harassment.

Trying the handle on your door is not trying to break into your home. I am not sure but if the door was open maybe all it would have been is the civil offence of trespass but i would need legal advice on that.

Having a word is an expression that could mean anything from calling you names to disciplinary action but the employer is again my opinion right not to tell you what action is being taken.

Finally, you agreed that he could have the betterware stock and supplies back so did you arrange a time or day? If yesterday was the arranged time i would have personally been mighty peeved if you hadn't answered the door. On the other hand if he had called round on spec then tough luck on him.

As has been said,this is a sales business so he will have targets as well and rely on you to earn his money. Sales is a high pressure business and those at the top sometimes forget that.

Edited November 23, 2012 by westfield

[straightas]

waste of time to be honest. I delivered 300 books and got about £40 in orders! earnt me £8!! don't bother with this

[Tracey-Ann]

I totally agree with you totally waste of time

[Old Cogger]

same as kleene ezze rubbish cost you in the end = £250.00 for 4 months work = cost £250.00 time/travel/Books rubbish!

[jadeybags]

My daughter (at college) does Betterware at the moment.

She has a really good lady above her that drops off more catalogues every week.

Everything free, no costs.

 

 

Not sure I buy into the whole 'average of £1 per catalogue' thing,

she's been doing it about a month now & never got £1 a catalogue.

 

 

She has done quite well this week,

she will get about £40 commission but she had to put out about 300 catalogues for that (£200 of sales) but 2 weeks previously she was lucky to get £5.

 

I have been helping her, as muggins here has the car lol & it's definitely less than minimum wage.

She is frantically trying to find 'proper' part time work, but getting nowhere so far.

 

But she sticks with Betterware as she wants at least some money than none, teenage girl, likes to buy teenager girl stuff lol

[Old Cogger]

Hello Betterware

like the others the more you sell the more you make,

if she is making £40.00 in one week good for her,

 

 

I have done others where you pay for catalogues then distribute them at your own cost before any profit , and to be honest it is hard work for very little return unless you strike it lucky,

 

 

this is not paid employment as such, it should be used as extra possible income for which a lot of effort is put in, bit like hit or miss.