The Truth About Mary Kay's $50 Starter Kit Deal

[quote]When you are recruiting someone this month - don't talk about what she gets in the mini starter kit and that it won't be enough for her to do shows......[/quote]

Wow...that's just wrong.

i told my director i did not feel comfortable telling people they can start their business for $50 when i know that really they want you to spend at least $600 in inventory. she said it would confuse new recruits if you talk about inventory when they are first signing up. you need to layer it on them.
give me a break!

Yes, we don't want to confuse them initially... what a crock. Seriously, this is so very wrong... can we ham string new IBC's any more?

Hmmm, this sounds great! How about I send MK my credit card bills and have them pay 5% of the debt I incurred buying into this crap!

She sounds like she's getting desperate too. Is she going to lose some Directors? It is such a shame that this company makes your success dependent upon how many consultants you can squeeze inventory orders out of. It has nothing to do with building a team of beauty consultants, and everything to do with initial inventory orders.

I love the beautified honesty of that e-mail...

I agree with Vintage...that e-mail just smacks of desperation. And from someone as "elite" as Karen Piro. Wow.

That first sentence is a doozy. Isn't one of the MAJOR selling points of the starter kit usually that "You'll have enough product and supplies in your kit to do several parties and see if this opportunity is for you..." ???

So now kaybots are just going to be conveniently deleting that point and skipping straight to: "You can start your business for only $50!!!" I guess the new IBC will then find out she's been shortchanged when she arrives at her first "New Consultant Training" day and realizes she doesn't even have enough product to conduct her first class?

Hmmmmmm...... I'd like to be there when the backlash of disgruntled new IBC's begins...

OH MY GOODNESS... Look what's in this "opportunity kit".. What a waste. You can't even do part of a class with this!!!

Travel size TimeWise Microdermabrasion Set pk/5 (includes samplers of the TimeWise Miracle SEt)
Color CArds, 7pks/5; Disposable Sponge-Tip Applicators, 2pks/15
Shade Selector Tool
Mary Kay Sheer Mineral Pressed Powder Samplers, 3pks/6
Mary Kay Ulimate Mascara in Black; Disposable Mascara Brush, 2pks/15
Satin Hands Pampering Set Samplers, 12 sets

"Let's face it - how many of your new recruits really start selling and holding shows in their first 2 weeks?"

How about 2 months or 2 years? It's not about selling and holding shows, it's about recruiting, frontloading and repeating.

On the other hand, if Karen is admitting that there there are few-to-no sales or shows in the beginning, why push inventory before the ink dries on the IBC agreement?

This nugget comes from InTouch:

"But this limited-time offer gets much sweeter when she makes the commitment to start her business with a product order of $1,334 suggested retail or higher by November 30. This initial order makes her eligible to receive:

•A 55% discount on the initial order. For example, if she purchases a Section 1 initial product order equal to $1,334 suggested retail, her actual wholesale cost (excluding shipping, handling and tax) will only be $600.30!

•Additional product bonuses and special offers; and a Complete Success Kit including the rest of the essentials she needs for holding Parties with a Purpose.

Certain restrictions apply. See all details - including the exact contents of both kits and disclaimers – by clicking on the consumer ready flier."

I for one could not endorse this practice. It is so deceiving and conniving - it's disgusting!

But for this kind of document to come out of "golden girl" Karen Piro - that's incredible. She has just validated all of us on this site that have been screaming against the practices that MKC & NSD's work under. Thank you Karen!

"Sell the sizzle".

I think I hear her soul sizzling in hell right now.

Wait a minute. How about a kit that discourages "bogus" buys for phoney recruits? Who wants to pay $50 for $15 worth of samples?

Might this be MK's way of trying to address recruiting abuses? The chick has to buy 600 worth to get the rest of the kit..right? Her 55% represents getting the customary bonus product that all consultants got before, but it is much more unlikely that a desperate DIQ will drop 600 on a bogus.

Or will she get the rest of the kit on just a 200 activation?

[quote]invest only $50 and have a chance to make it something great!!
[/quote]

I'd rather "invest" $50 in Pennsylvania lottery tickets and have a "chance." As Gus the groundhog says...Keep on scratchin'!

Such a "deal", now it only costs $50 to sell your soul to the Pink devil. I would much rather spend $50 at a Dollar Tree Store and get name brand cosmetics from L'Oreal, Maybelline, Cover Girl, Rimmel, etc. for a $1.00 each and use them for stocking stuffers. Your family and friends will definitely feel enriched instead of obligated. Also, this $50 starter kit shows that MK is hurting and looking for suckers desperately. By January, 2010, the starter kit will probably be a mere $25.

The starter kit I bought about a month ago in Montreal is $150 Cdn plus $6 for shipping and it is not complete to do facials. Also there are no samples of the basic line. But heck I don't care anymore as I am out and my head is clear and I have taken my life and time back. I will not be placing my $200 min order wholesale (taxes for $400 retail) plus $11.25 shipping before the end of November. The Director will just have to rely on the new recruited kaybots to meet her quotas. I contributed $500 to her cause, may she keep her big house and car and maid as long as she can but not on my back anymore. I know I can be sooooo mean! I am so happy though.

Wish we could do a bit on 20/20 or CNN.
Wondering also about the girls here, some are unilingual French. Is there a French sister site to pinktruth?
Thanks

Karen Piro actually said,"When you are recruiting someone this month - don't talk about what she gets in the mini starter kit and that it won't be enough for her to do shows......

just keep the victim focused on the price and don't tell her that for half the cost you get basically nothing you need to "start your business".

"And.... she will make a higher commission (55%) with her first product order."

No, she will get more product to decorate her shelves with. There is no commission (except to the upline) on that order until the recruit actually sells something.

What she gets is a teensy discount and that happens only IF she orders a whole lot of stuff for her shelves.

And of course, the upline profits because a regular $100 kit gets them no commission, but this "deal" with the initial $200 order will get them commission on that order!

Do you suppose this is because the NSDs and upper-level SDs have been whining and moaning about their shrinking love checks?

[quote]Let's talk about this "deal".

When you are recruiting someone this month - don't talk about what she gets in the mini starter kit and that it won't be enough for her to do shows......[/quote]

And the deception continues. Honestly, I do not understand how these women can continue to do this to someone.

[quote]Let's face it - how many of your new recruits really start selling and holding shows in their first 2 weeks?[/quote]

What happen to all the hype about the newest slogan "Party With a Purpose"? They continue to contradict themselves.
This is just sad

Raisin, you are a kind soul. But no, I don't think it is designed to discourage bogus buys for phoney recruits. I think it is just another ploy to sucker more recruits. It is harder to come up with $100 these days, but $50? A little easier. Never mind you are screwing yourself by getting samples rather than full size products.

Lazy:
[quote]No, she will get more product to decorate her shelves with.[/quote]

So pretty! A lovely closet!

So then you are saying that the attractive $50 start up encourages more recruits, slightly raises the commission to a SD (miniscule!)and ...will leave the recruit unable to start? What sense does that make? So she had to BUY her own full size product...instead of USE what's in the kit...am I getting you now?

So wouldn't this discourage fake recruits? There is nothing in the kit the DIQ can use really to make money...

And the lack of working product, mirrors, etc means if she wants to do it she has to order for real...like a secondary step means she's for real...

Or have I been starring too long at my knock off paris hilton?

What you are saying makes a heck of a lot of sense. I see exactly what you are saying.

What I was saying is that no, I don't think that MKC is trying to do anything more ethical. I think they just sit in their cushy office lounge chairs and dream up new ways to pull in more suckers.

I don't think this offer has anything to do with real versus fake recruits. It's simply a ploy to get more money on the part of MK. $50 sounds so cheap, so more women will sign up. But they can't do anything with the kit and will have to spend $225 to be able to really start, and I think plenty of them will do just that. After all, once they've spent the $50, a lot of them will want to see it through and make that initial order so they can actually hold a class or two. And the scripts will be in place to tell them they would have ordered $200 anyway (even with a full price kit) so they should just go ahead and do it.

[quote]So wouldn't this discourage fake recruits? There is nothing in the kit the DIQ can use really to make money...
[/quote]Only if the DIQ isn't already ordering more than she needs. If she has more stuff on her shelf than she can sell (and this is what propels many Mary Kay consultants into turning to recruiting), she has no need for the additional starter kit. Lowering the cost to her of a fake recruit might actually make it more likely to happen.

If they wanted to make the kit less useful to the DIQ, they could give enough stuff to hold classes, but with non-retailable product, just like they used to do. Instead, they've made the barrier to entry lower, but instead of providing everything needed to get started for just $100, as they've always boasted, they give you less than you need to get started, and less value than you've actually paid, so now it really is mostly a fee paid to be allowed the privelage of ordering Mary Kay stuff. (And isn't this the same stuff that's been in the $20 re-sign package for years? Only it's $50 instead of $20.)

[quote]In our company - it always costs $100 - even if they want to just sell to their friends and relatives out of the Look Book at first. This is a fun, exciting option to offer. Let's face it - how many of your new recruits really start selling and holding shows in their first 2 weeks? [/quote] If she's not going to hold classes, wouldn't it be more to her advantage to have one each of the most popular products on hand to sell, than some overpriced samples?

That is horrible. I would be so angry if I bought that kit and realized it wasn't even enough to do a party. UGH!

[quote]Let's face it - how many of your new recruits really start selling and holding shows in their first 2 weeks?[/quote]

Now she's contracting herself as an NSD. Don't they drill it in your head as a new consultant to do a perfect start in 2 weeks and a power start in a month? Looks to me like she's admitting that never happens.

I'm with Tracy on this one. Most of us started MK (with the exception of me who'd never used the products) because of the products. They make your skin feel great when you first start using them. So if you give Miss New IBC samples, she tries them on herself and her mom or girlfriend, and they love it. Well, she's getting such a deal on her first order, they might as well order what they need for themselves, and then she can get some stuff for the starter kit. Then the recruiter gets involved, shows her the benefit (har, har) of having products on hand, getting her first massive order at 55%, AND only paying shipping one time (is anyone besides me baffled they think paying 8.75 one time on a multi-thousand dollar order as opposed to paying it a couple of times on smaller orders is a huge selling feature of big inventories? Or was that just my area). Poor Miss New IBC is now in for a penny, not knowing that the pounds of her commitment are about to smack her in the rump.

This is genius manipulation: subtle, shifting of power in the direction of the recruiter, while gaining additional revenue for MK corp. No wonder they are out of debt within 10 years. With revenue-generating tactics and a workforce that works for free (how many of us can show we made any profit? Hmmm??), how can you go wrong?

After all, once they've spent the $50, a lot of them will want to see it through and make that initial order so they can actually hold a class or two.

Yes ... they hope the new recruit will spend more to justify the $50.

It's a cheaper hook into her wallet.

I studied the info in InTouch and here are the facts. During October, a woman can sign an agreement and join for $50 and receive The Opportunity Kit, which contains everything Tracy listed above. She also gets the MK Personal Web Site free for six months and the usual free email/beauty book promo for her first 20 customers.

I remember the original half-price starter kit sale back when MK was transitioning from the "showcase" to the "starter kit" (I think is was August, 2000). It was mayhem because all company records were broke. They couldn't keep up with demand. They want this to happen again so it looks like the recruiting numbers are up and they look more recession proof.

Next, the IBC has the opportunity to order by Nov. 30th $1,334 retail ($600.30 wholesale) at a 55% discount and then receive for free: the regular Ready, Set, Sell product bonus AND the color sampler bundle along with The Complete Success Kit. The last two are all the items that are included in the $100 starter kit. Additionally, if she orders within 15 days, she will get the Color 101 bonus.

Unfortunately, this is going to work. Plus, Mary Kay will save a bundle on starter kit contents that will never reach those women who are joining just for personal use and don't place a $600 order. All the while, it'll look like October was a record-breaking month for recruiting.

This is definitely a promotion to keep up the pretense!

Mary Kay - The Bait and Switch Beauty Company!

recoveringmkaddict....that sounds right. So, miss P.U. Consultant wont go for the 600, and MK will save the lost contents of all those thousands of kits purchased for the half price sale that ended up in landfills. They get the sign up numbers without the kit investment, should they not get a follow up order, and maximize the bait for the hopefuls.

Eegads that is brilliant.

I promise here in front of all of you and GOD that I will never again give mary kay the benefit of the doubt and go temporarily insane by thinking they are doing a good thing for consultants.

I guess this means we'll soon be seeing Rhonda sO ExCiTeD! that October had so many women signing up!!! Fake it till you make it, Mary Kay!

ABsolutely brilliant.

You are too funny, Raisin. LOL.

You do want to be successful don't you? Then you're going to want to do a qualified order so that our failing units can be salvaged and hang on a few more months until the Christmas selling season. Oh, hubby won't let you spend that much on cosmetics? Well, let's apply for the MK VISA and he'll never know. You've heard of our Husband Unawareness Plan right?

So I found out the reason my starter kit check has not yet been processed.

It's this darn thing. :s

So apparently my check arrived just in time for this new thing.... and there is no 100$ kit option at this time. EVERYONE who signs on this month MUST get the 50%.

I guess the thinking is to weed out the non-serious recruits, and I can understand that. If they like it, they can buy the full kit later.

Now if I do not send reject the kit when it comes, I will apparently get a 50$ rebate check at the end of the month. Unless, of course, I decide I want the full kit.

Because Mary Kay is apparently incapable of sending me that for which I signed for in my contract.

Well CaptainEm, it sounds to me like the particular contract you signed is null and void.

Therefore you are off the hook. Refuse their stupid kit.

Bwahaha!

I don't know if ANYONE is telling this to their new recruits (why would they? they will make a killing forcing that initial inventory order!) but, according to the MK intouch website and the fine print of the "consumer ready" flyer,



Apparently, you CAN just start your business the old fashioned way. A new IBC can pay the additional $50 and get the complete success kit, just like normal. The only drawback, they won't be getting 55% off instead of 50% ... but still...

always gotta read that fine print!

oops, sorry, i tried to copy and paste from in touch!! what intouch says is:

"Should you start your business by Oct. 31, 2009, and elect not to take advantage of the initial inventory order special decribed above, you may instead purchase the Complete Success Kit at an additional cost of $50 (plus shipping, handling, and tax) by Dec. 31, 2009"

If the "opportunity" was so great they wouldn't have to worry about the sizzle.

Exactly. They sell the sizzle because the opportunity sucks.

I just came from a MK fundraiser....I thought that I would start to sell MK. I found this site?? I was going to pay for the $100 kit even though the 50 dollar kit was offered. Should I not even sell?

My advice, for what it's worth, is to really stop and think about what you personally want and what's good for your own household. Don't consider anything beyond that. If you are hearing from your recruiter anything about what's in it for her when you join (even "helping her out", don't consider that at all.

If you do decide to give it a try, under NO, NO, NO circumstances, use credit or incur any kind of debt to finance your business (not even $100). If you stay on this cash-basis track with total discipline, you shouldn't have any problem. Just be extremely careful to guard yourself from getting too deep into the MK mentality and justifying behavior that is detrimental to your household. ALWAYS keep the needs of you and your family first and foremost.

First of all, what do you mean by "a MK fundraiser"? Who are they raising funds for? I have never heard of MK women doing anything but try to raise funds for themselves.

This is a corrupt company that does nothing to protect their sales force, and instead, does everything they can to con you into buying their products with no care in the world if you can actually sell them.

When you sign up, you will be harassed to buy more products than you can afford or need, and to get a loan if you don't have the money. The training you will receive will be almost all about recruiting and will be full of lies.

You will be one of way too many consultants in the US, and will be competing with other consultants over few available customers.

Selling MK is a trap. It is not a good way to make money.

When I think of the word sizzle...bacon/pork comes to mind...what a bunch of dirty pigs!

I will never tell someone "If you want to try it, just don't do this or don't do that." I will flat out tell them, "No, don't do it. Run for your life" (Of course give them many reasons why) I certainly wouldn't tell someone, "Okay, if you want to be a part of the Charlie Manson clan, just don't listen to everything he says and don't kill anyone, K!" We all know that it's a TRAP and that brainwashing goes on. Once they're subjected to MK they will turn away from anyone's advice, whether it was from their husband, Mother, sister and/or pastor/priest. They will end up doing things that they would have never done prior to MK and end up just like the rest of us... in debt, devastated, angry and heart broken.

"Do not do it. You'll be very, very sorry. Trust me and the 6,000+ others on this site"

[quote]When I think of the word sizzle...bacon/pork comes to mind...what a bunch of dirty pigs![/quote]

...wallowing in the mud. MKC has definitely dirtied their very souls.

[quote]We all know that it's a TRAP and that brainwashing goes on. Once they're subjected to MK they will turn away from anyone's advice, whether it was from their husband, Mother, sister and/or pastor/priest.[/quote]

Tell it, Sistah!

Should I not join MK team? Seem so

I have to say that I have been reading all of the comments and you guys are really funny!! I am not going to join MK. I am a sucker for even thinkjng it was easy money. Glade i did not give any. Now I have to tell my family member that I am not signing up. Hope she is not to upset. Do I have to give back the ring that I got?(fake bling)

I would think that depends on the circumstances. Was it a gift that maybe you received just for listening to the recruiting spiel? If so, it's yours.

But if it becomes a point of contention between you and your family member, then it is not worth it to keep it. It's most likely junk, anyway.

Ialwaysworry,
I won't go into all the reasons why I wouldn't recommend joining Mary Kay because I'd be here for weeks listing it all. Keep reading this site; you'll find lots of good information. What I will say is this: If you don't personally use Mary Kay, and if you don't know LOTS of people who would be banging your door down for it, don't. You will find yourself in debt, and trying to figure out how you're going to get rid of all the junk. The fact is, most women turn tail and RUN from the Mary Kay lady. The products are nothing special, not easy to get rid of, and most of all it is NOT easy money.

NSD Linda Toupin was promoting this last Monday at her event to "honor hostesses" aka recruit new, unsuspecting consultants. The deal is clearly bogus but it was interesting to see Linda, not at all what I expected.

Although the Opportunity Kit is $50 and only contains samples and business brochures, it is not enough to do a whole skin care class. However, there is an option for the new consultant to purchase the original starter kit for an additional $50! That is completely up to them! I have already seen many women begin their MK business with the Opportunity Kit. You DO NOT need to have a skin care class in order to get sales. Think about it. Really, all they are getting at the skin care class IS samples. So what's the difference in sample packets, or full sized bottles?

So I bought the starter kit with cash. The lady paid on her credit card on- line and Iam sure it will be sent to my home. I want to refuse the package when it arrives,but curious if the money would be returned on her card, and if she is honest enough to return it? I did'nt think it was a very good deal to begin with. I thought i would give it a shot till she started to pressure me into getting a loan and that she would co-sighn if she had to...then it stared to seem fishy and now i have found this site. Forget this drama i want out asap..

[quote]The lady paid on her credit card on-line .... she started to pressure me into getting a loan and that she would co-sign if she had to[/quote]

Good grief! I thought buying a starter kit for a recruit was against company policy. And co-signing for a loan so a recruit can buy inventory is ... is ... beyond stupid. (both of those may violate laws governing MLMs, too).

Just call MK and tell them to stop the shipment, or else refuse it when it comes.

Purchasing a kit for a recruit on your credit card is not illegal
as long as the recruit has given you their permission and their money for it, but they are suppose to be present upon signing their agreement on-line.

Willing to CO-Sign a loan???? Better watch out!!! This recruiter is on a MK mission to enrich her pockets.

Make sure you don't open you kit before sending it back or just refuse to accept it. Once you open the kit you can't send it back. Will she give you your money back....the 90% of $50.00 or
$100.00. Don't know which amount you paid. I sure hope so but I do think that they will credit her card, since they don't have one on you. It depends
on how desperate the girl is. Maybe your credited amount is about as much credit as she has left on her card. Remember,Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures but don't fret because you were SAVED in the nick of time. If all you ever lost in MK was
$50.00 or even $100.00 plus tax and shipping consider yourself a VERY LUCKY
GIRL. I lost tens of thousand of dollars myself.

WOW! I am so glad that Momma didn't raise no fool... So, I know nothing about MK or any of this make-up selling stuff. Come from the corporate world and like everyone else, I need a job! A friend of mine put me in touch with a friend of her's that sells, you guessed it, Mary Kay!

So I listened to the spiel, and the new $50 deal... she asked me to write five questions I wanted to know... general stuff.

Then I came home and did what I always do. RESEARCH. Well, I sent her an email with questuions pertaining to everything I'd seen on the internet. All of the negative publicity, investigations (MK got off the stock market because she was tired of being investigated by the SEC NOT because she wanted to be "family owned"! come on!) questions about the inventory, money i would likely make and I asked for statistics. Cold hard figures.

Needless to say I will not be calling you to sell you any make up.

lookdb4leapd- MK got off the stock market because she was tired of being investigated by the SEC NOT because she wanted to be "family owned"

Can you back that allegation up with some links to the SEC investigations, newspapers, or other source?

lookdb4leapd

You can thank your lucky stars that you took the time to check things out. The comment about the stock market was a surprise or should I be surprised about anything about MK anymore. I am so happy that you didn't jump into the MK fire. I realize now more and more about so many lies about everything. WoWWWWWWWW!!!!

I signed up in october actually the day before halloween I got suckered in for the 50 dollars and i did do a 200 dollar order ... she tried to get me to do 600 for rest of the kit and extra inventory but i didnt have the money then a month later told me i had until dec 31 to purchase complete success kit which is other half for 50 bucks

THE DIRECTOR WHO WROTE THIS LETTER IS NOT ETHICAL. YOU CAN HAVE SHOWS WITH YOUR STARTER KIT AND YOU CAN SELL PRODUCTS FROM THAT SHOW . I DID IT JUST LAST WEEK. IT SEEMS THAT MOST OF THE PINK TRUTHERS HAVE BEEN MISLEAD BY THEIR RECRUITER. HOW SAD. MK DOES WORK FOR SOME. AS LONG AS THE EXPECTATIONS ARE REALISTIC. THANKS.

MHOFF,
Please share more of your insight on "MK does work for some. As long as the expectations are realistic"
So what are your expectations? What are your Sales Director's expectations? Are you a new consultant? I think you are if you're conducting shows just using your starter kit?
How much did you sell at your show? How many samples do you need to replace?
Please provide your thoughts as you must have the answers.

G.O.O.D

MHOFF - Turn off the caps lock.