happier days

I am writing to report a widespread consumer fraud in which I lost over $3500.00 through intentional, systematic deception. I was only involved in the Amway business for one year. I was recruited into the Harteis/Fessler branch of the Amway business. We were advised that Fred and Linda Harteis had become multi-millionaires in the Amway business. They had a seemingly unending supply of luxuries that appeared to support this claim. They and Amway distributors Lee & Linda Fessler (who allegedly made enough in Amway to retire in their early 30’s) induced me to participate in the Harteis educational ‘system’. This consisted of the weekly purchase of tapes, videos, and attendance at many monthly seminars. We were advised that these resources were produced and sold at cost to teach us and our people how to profitably build an Amway business.

Many other high level, allegedly wealthy Amway distributors were brought in by the Harteis organization and nearly all gave credit to their success to God and the ‘system’. We were advised that there was a 100% success rate in this “system” or pattern for success. After recruiting others in states as far away as Maine, I made a horrifying discovery on the Internet. A high level Amway distributor (at the same level Mr. Harteis is at) named Brig Hart had filed a lawsuit claiming that members of his upline support team had conspired with people in his ‘downline’ and had cut him out of ‘system’ monies. The amount he claimed to have lost is $50,000,000 (lawsuit enclosed). I was outraged as we were told these rich ‘Amway Diamonds’ had made their income by helping others succeed in Amway and that they made no money from the training system. It looks more like they made their income by robbing the very people they were exalted for ‘helping’.

I called my sponsor, Eric Scheibeler (a high level distributor himself) and blasted him verbally for this fraud. He acted unaware of it but I did not believe him initially. When he saw the lawsuit, he began to question things himself and ultimately dropped out and exposed the fraud to many of his leaders. This ‘system’ is still being marketed under the new guise of ‘e-commerce’ and the Quixtar Corporation. This deceit and systematic financial ruin of good people must be stopped.

This educational “system” has an incredibly strong psychological effect upon those induced to participate. I now own a very prosperous graphic design firm. However, I am shocked, in retrospect, to think of what we and many others were induced to do. I continued to purchase my required “tape of the week” and attend costly seminars from the Fessler/Harteis clan while actually having a hard time finding enough money for food for my wife and three children. Please do what you can to stop this thievery. Sincerely, Jim W. / Muncy, PA

Of course, the AG office has done nothing to verify nor investigate my claim, nor the hundreds of other claims by innocent former distributors. Why should they? The GOP-appointed AGs are lackeys for Amway!