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Comment by Nextgrid | Hacker News Reader

> they also are a profitable business that sells stuff that people want to buy

[citation needed]

Just like the other MLMs (or rather pyramid schemes, because that's what they really are), they sell a (unprofitable) lifestyle using deceptive marketing. The products are secondary (they're just there to keep regulators at bay) and are always sub-par and inferior to what can be found off-the-shelf.

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There’s nothing illegal, or inherently unprofitable (for the business), about selling people a lifestyle. Louis Vuitton sells people a lifestyle. Harley-Davidson sells people a lifestyle. Apple sells people a lifestyle. All of these companies have products, sure, but the products aren’t really the point.

It is illegal when the product makes serious health claims not backed by scientific research. The more insidious cases of this relate to cancer or covid 'cures'.

Louis Vuitton, Harley Davidson, etc do not give people the illusion of owning their business and do not encourage them to stockpile garbage products in their garage to keep their "status" in their "business". They do not encourage people to con their friends & family into the scam either.

Furthermore, most of these luxury goods have actual value. Even if you are stupid enough to go into tons of debt and fill your garage with Harleys, there will be plenty of buyers who will be happy to take it from you at a small loss. In comparison, nobody will buy a garage full of Herbalife - the cost of shipping would be more expensive than the market value of the product itself.

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