| Policies & Procedures (P&Ps) are legal | | | | news: the company told Joe and Mary that their |
| contracts that people are required to sign when they | | | | affiliation with the company had been terminated. No |
| join a network marketing company. | | | | reason, no apologizes, just terminated. |
| The problem is that the majority of people either | | | | Joe and Mary were very upset, of course. They |
| don't read them or didn't understand them. (Some | | | | spent years building a great organization of honest, |
| companies' P&Ps can run to 30 or more pages, | | | | hard working people. They helped the company train |
| and it's pretty boring legalese.) | | | | people and gave seminars. They gave everything |
| Policies and Procedures, Terms of Service, Consultant | | | | they had to this company. |
| Agreement, and Independent Sales Rep Contracts | | | | They took all of their documents to a lawyer to find |
| are a few of the names MLM companies call the legal | | | | out what they could do legally to stop the company |
| binding contracts they require you sign when you join | | | | from terminating them. |
| their company. | | | | The lawyer sat reading through the company's |
| Does this look familiar to you? | | | | Policies & Procedures that Joe and Mary had |
| "I have read, understand and agree to the Terms of | | | | signed when they joined the company. After reading |
| Agreement, the Policies and Procedures, and the | | | | the document, the lawyer took out a red marker and |
| Compensation Plan." | | | | circled something on the paper and handed it to Joe |
| How many people read the entire contract all the | | | | and Mary. |
| way through? | | | | Joe and Mary looked at it and read: |
| Probably not too many. | | | | AGREEMENT TERMINABLE AT WILL |
| If you hired a lawyer to read it first and explain it to | | | | You may terminate your relationship with [company] |
| you in layman's terms, then you would have a clear | | | | at any time by providing a signed written notice to |
| understanding of whether or not you wanted to sign | | | | [company]. [Company] may also terminate the |
| that contract. But who is going to go to that kind of | | | | relationship with you (including any partnerships, |
| trouble and expense. And besides, you are saying | | | | corporations or other entity) at any time by providing |
| right now, "my awesome network marketing | | | | written notice. You or [company] are not required to |
| company would never cheat me out of my business! | | | | have any reason, nor do you or [company] have to |
| It is a totally honest company!" | | | | claim or prove any cause to terminate this |
| They want you to think that signing the P&Ps is | | | | relationship. If and when the relationship is terminated, |
| just a simple formality. Think again. | | | | you shall have no claim against [company] nor any |
| Here's a little story. | | | | right to claim or collect lost profits, lost opportunities |
| Joe and his wife Mary joined a great network | | | | or any other damages. Termination will result in the |
| marketing company. Things were really going great | | | | loss of all benefits as an [company] Independent |
| for Joe and Mary. In just a few short years, they | | | | Consultant. |
| were able to quit their day jobs and build their home | | | | There wasn't a thing they could do about it. The |
| business full time. They were so happy to be living a | | | | loyalty and dedication they had shown the company |
| life that had always dreamed about. | | | | had not been reciprocated. |
| Then one day, all the happiness and success came to | | | | Please, if you are thinking of joining a network |
| a screeching halt. | | | | marketing company, read the Policies & |
| Joe and Mary received a letter in the mail from their | | | | Procedures, don't become another victim of heartless |
| network marketing company. When they read the | | | | companies. You deserve more than that. |
| letter, they tried to make sense of the devastating | | | | |