Should You Join A MLM or Card Mill?

Multi level marketers and card mills were the target of a stinging – and humorous -critique written by Peter Stilphen, a long time critic of MLM's and Card Mills. Stilphen views both MLM’s and card mills as rip-off’s, especially for responsible individuals looking for legitimate career opportunities in travel.

Stilphen, a veteran agent, is the president of Coral Sands Travel, a host agency based in LaBelle, FL. and the founder of STARS (Service, Training, Achievement, Recognition and Support), a non-profit that encourages professionalism among travel agents.

Stilphen has been a consistent advocate of professional education and training for travel agents including home based agents. He urges associations, suppliers, hosts and consortia to deliver high value travel services to the traveling public with integrity. He was a founder of the Professional Association of Travel Hosts (PATH), who represent established, professional host agencies.

He has also been highly critical of YTB International and correctly predicted the demise of JoyStar, a now defunct host agency. Stilphen also has a monthly newsletter that offers his viewpoint on industry issues. Visit www.homebasedtravelagentsonline.com or www.coralsandstravel.com.

Stilphen’s views from the June 2010 edition of his newsletter:

 

Why You Should Join A MLM or Card Mill?

 

 “I always received email from the MLM folks complaining about my negative views concerning the MLMs and card mills. Well, today I have decided to write again; an article with a positive title. I hope you like it. I realized that there were so many reasons to join an MLM/card mill that I had to make a list. They are not listed in any particular order.

I want to receive commissions for booking my personal travel. I don't have time to be a serious travel agent.

I enjoy taking advantage of my friends and family by convincing them to join my MLM so I can earn referral fees and discounts from their monthly fees.

I fully enjoy deceiving my friends and co-workers and outright lying to them. Therefore, my MLM is the only way to go.

My MLM tells me that all the store front travel agencies are closing and flocking to my MLM as a home based travel agent; and, there are no legitimate places to go that are less expensive to join.

My MLM is breaking all sales records. However, I'm unclear about their bottom line, but that's not important. Of course, this doesn't apply in YTB's case. They are losing sales as their deficit bottom line is growing at a record pace.

My MLM is the greatest Host Agency because I trust everything they say. Some of them even pronounce it is "God's" way.

I don't need much training to join. I just wing it and have the supplier's sales departments do my work for me. I just need to pay fees to my MLM and defend them at any cost or without any logic.

While I sleep, my website is earning lots of cash for me.

I can sell other products like used cars, vitamins and flowers through my MLM. That way I can diversify my travel business.

I enjoy checking into a hotel where I present the front desk person my phony photo ID card in order to obtain a travel agent reduced rate. I just laugh all the way to my room. It's unfortunate that Marriott has figured us out. The others are just slow, I guess.

I love attending national travel agent conferences where I can flood the rest- rooms with my MLM literature and give out flyers to unsuspecting agents in the hallways that say, "Travel agents travel for free. Join (MLM) today."

I enjoy going on Seminars at Sea because it's a cheap vacation and I can skip the educational classes.

I always wanted to join a cult. I know of no other cults (MLMs) that have Team Captains where I create more scams under my MLM banner; freeing the MLM from accepting blame for anything.

I just love those MLM conventions that attract 5000 of my closest MLM friends. The inspirational speakers remind me of those old time religious revivals where the evangelist tells us what GOD told him. The only difference is the evangelists are the management staff of the MLMs perpetrating another mountain of lies with actual cases of wealth building confirming their lies. I just love these conventions as they inspire me to go out there and find more suckers.

NOTE: I told you the title of this article would be positive. I neglected to mention the content. I wish more suppliers would wake up.”