Who the Fuchsia Fillies Frontload: Mass Exodus

 Written by The Scribbler

We’ve seen that frontloading is being taught and is actively taking place in Mary Kay – chances are, you were a victim of it, yourself.

Be encouraged, friend; you are not the first woman (and sadly, not the last) to be persuaded that without a full store, you were simply dabbling in Mary Kay and you clearly had no desire to become all that God wanted you to be, you loathsome infidel. Here’s a flail crafted from used cotton balls and hair bands – 120 lashes should be enough to drive the unbee-lief out of you.

While Mary Kay product is undoubtedly making it into the hands of non-consultant customers, there’s a great deal that isn’t being sold in the form of frontloaded inventory.

To illustrate this point, I conducted a Craigslist search for “Mary Kay” in ten major US cities. While I found that there were active beauty consultants listed in each city striving to work their businesses (product discounts in the 10 to 50% off range were quite common), I also found that a much greater percentage of women had other reasons for moving their large inventories. Here are some of their ads, in no particular order:

Norfolk, VA
I am getting out of Mary Kay and I have over $1200 worth of wholesale (over $2400 retail) that I am trying to get rid of.

I am closing down my business due to an overwhelming schedule between my 16-month old and full time class schedule – total of $2200 worth of products for sale, $1100 or best offer. (Wonder if this poor lass got the ol’ “We look for busy women because they get the most done!” recruiting line?)

Salt Lake City, UT
I have more than $3000.00 worth of Mary Kay products for sale for 1000.00. I am quitting the business and need to sell off all of my inventory. I only accept cash.

Omaha, NE
I am getting out of Mary Kay and would like to sell my stuff quick. I have worth over $1500 worth of stuff, if not more.

Approximately $5,000 of Mary Kay products – $500! Full Mary Kay start up kit, 7 boxes and two large display suitcases.

Huge Mary Kay Lot over $3600 retail – must see! Will sell for $1500.

Richmond, VA
Hi, I am getting out of Mary Kay and need to get rid of the inventory I have sitting in my house! I purchased the inventory for $1600 and am asking $1200 as I need the money greatly.

Los Angeles, CA
You will pay $500 for a lot of $1650 Mary Kay makeup and skincare. They are all new and there is not a problem with them. It is a good deal to have some income.

SF Bay Area, CA
Mary Kay products for sale – $1400. Profit of $6000, but don’t have time to sell.

Chicago, IL
Used to be a Mary Kay cosmetic consultant and I currently do not have time for it anymore. I have tons of product still. Please help me – I need to get rid of everything.

Cincinnati, OH
Huge Mary Kay sale – 50% off every item – TOTAL RETAIL $7,325.50.

Portland, OR
I have a HUGE inventory of Mary Kay items for sale. Too huge to list!! Not selling anymore and just need to get rid of it – need to just move it out! $1,500 for the entire inventory; that’s over $3,200 worth of products retail – serious inquires only please!!

Phoenix, AZ
I have a total of 4,232.50 retail plus 8.1% tax I paid on this all upfront = 4,575.33. I am looking to get around 50% off, make me a deal.

I was in Mary Kay and I LOVED IT – but I have something else that I enjoy more!

All of this retails for $6,672.00. Your price: $1000.

While I cannot prove whether or not each of these women worked their businesses according to the Run-down Rebuke of the Week (“Find a way, make a way!”), we can safely assume that every one of them came into Mary Kay hoping to meet a need and fulfill a dream. As one Mary Kay nsd always said, “Everyone begins her Mary Kay career planning to be successful.”

She’s right; these women had the inventory to prove it.

12 COMMENTS

  1. These are so sad. I’d like to add the young lady I met last summer: “Keri” had $1800 WS listed on Kijiji. She was a student and her recruiter convinced her to use student loan money, paid in cash to the SD to charge on her credit card because Keri didn’t have one. Keri also has three small kids and no car. I paid her cash for some product and she used it for groceries. Then I gave her the number for the returns department, printed and delivered her forms (she has no computer or printer to use for “business”). She was not at all equipped to sell this product to ” double her money” and was completely swindled by a Director and a sleazy Red Jacket. Makes me sick.

    • I don’t know how some of these directors sleep at night. I saw women get recruited who NEVER should have been offered this ‘opportunity.’ It’s like dangling a carrot in front of a starving animal just out of its reach.

      • Recruiting with the starter kit is one thing. For many people, it is a $100 lesson and sat least if you use the product for yourself, there is some value. But when someone has limited income (or it is designated for school & cost of living) and a recruiter “helps you find a a way to finance inventory,” it can cause real hardship. You would think after repeated charge-backs, an SD might reconsider frontloading, but they seem to just keep rolling.

    • her recruiter convinced her to use student loan money, paid in cash to the SD

      That is 100% ILLEGAL! Student loans are for tuition, books and living expenses, not an MLM’s startup fees and product.

      • It sure is. I know both of the scammers and honestly, I doubt they have enough brains between them to understand that. They never gave it a thought, except that she had cash and they needed a qualified order. I have not been in touch since I gave her the return forms, so I hope she got her buy-back money.

      • This is truth! I just met with the Financial Aid department at my daughter’s university this coming fall.. .and ANY student loan money is strictly for the education it was designated for. She could be in default of the loan if caught and she could lose access to loan money for the future. Very dangerous! It angers me so much that MK preys on trusting people.

  2. When our derby team had a garage sale, someone brought A LOT of mary kay products that had been sitting around their house. It was from a relative who had been a Mary Kay consultant and unexpectedly passed away. SO. MUCH. PRODUCT! Could you imagine getting stuck with that mess like that??

  3. What happens if someone buys it and uses it and then returns? Obviously customer goes to consultant.. but do you send the used product back to MK for so consultant can get a refund ?

    • The consultant fills out a form with the day code and lot number of the product, it’s stamped on the product. They don’t actually send it to corporate, and the consultant gets an equal amount of money to put toward another product of their choice.

  4. If you think massive inventory is a problem you should see the credit card statements of 99% of the Directors!

    This whole thing is some form of mind manipulation…the Directors HAVE to frontload in order to have any hopes of getting a big enough check to pay down their own inventory and “fake it till you make it” purchases! SO in essence they are doing to others what was done to them! -AND spend their lives justifying what they’ve done by telling success stories borrowed from others!

    It is flippin’ madness!

    • And order $600 when they don’t need it just to hit their 13% recruiter check. So ridiculous!

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