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November 3, 2005
Worth Noting
By QBlog in Miscellaneous
United A.B.L.E. Association
It's worth pointing out that the United A.B.L.E. Association websites (werable.org, smartershoppernetwork.com & giftalbumchoices.com) have undergone significant changes since Monday's post about the organization.
Some of the changes I've noticed:
- giftalbumchoices.com is now gone, replaced with an email link (anyone have a screenshot?)
- Smarter Shopper Network is now password protected
- The About Us page has been edited to remove the following:
As a sustainable organization, there is no need to hold fundraising events, beg the community for money, or get government funding. This unique funding program provides a perpetual, residual funding stream for the organization while directly benefiting children and adults with disabilities, and their families.
- The John Sestina (an IBO) quote is gone from the How We Help page
- The following disclaimer is now missing from the Help Now page:
This is not a get-rich-quick, or a pyramid scheme. In fact, it's a business plan that has been approved by the government and is accessible to virtually anyone interested in operating an independent business. Thousands of individuals faced with a disability are already successfully using this business plan to improve their lives.
Please let me know if you find other changes that I've overlooked.
Emerald Passport
Also worth noting are the changes made to the Emerald Passport EPI site after I mentioned it last week. All references (text, audio and images) to Quixtar have been removed. Also, I should note that even thought the page title is "Emerald Passport - EPI," there's a disclaimer at the top of the pages saying that the site is not an official site of Emerald Passport INC.
This site is owned by EmeraldBusinessSystem.com, and Independent Distributor of Emerald Passport, Inc and this site is not an official site of Emerald Passport Inc.
So, I guess the site wasn't related to Quixtar after all.
Jody And The IBOAI
One site that hasn't changed is the IBOAI page claiming that Quixtar is simply an Order Consolidation Site. The blog that originally brought that page to my attention (quixtar-team.blogspot.com) is gone but the IBOAI page is still going strong.
That may explain why Jody Victor's MarkerMan site only contains one mention of the word "Quixtar" (according to Google) in a reference to Jay Van Andel's death. And maybe that explains why Jody Victor hates This Biz Now. This Biz Now makes it pretty clear that Quixtar is not just an Order Consolidation Site.
QBlog Comments
You're welcome Quixtar. I am glad to point out problems online and I am glad to see those problems corrected. We'll never know whether or not the site changes resulted from pressure by Quxitar but it's good to those changes nonetheless — online.
However, what is painfully obvious is that what happens online is merely a tiny reflection of what occurs out there in the "real world." Quixtar has the enormous task of policing what IBOs say in living rooms and hotel lobbies around the country. It's a challenge to be sure. But is Quixtar up to that task? Do they want to be? Or is Quixtar content to know that as long as IBOs misrepresent the business in private, undocumented settings, the FTC won't swoop in to clean house.
Only Quixtar can answer those questions. The rumor is that Jim Payne is a reformer, brought in to replace the ousted Ken McDonald and right a ship that the IBOAI has been sinking for the last six years. We'll see if Payne has the backbone and the power to get that ship back on course.
For now, I'll continue to point out what I find online and hope that it makes a difference, even a small one.
Comments
What does a cockroach do when you flick on the light?
Interesting...google's cache was changed quickly, and archive.org didn't nab the site fast enough. (giftalbumchoices.com)
Sucks. :p
But yeah QBlog, your site has power...which is why I'm anxious to unleash the "dance" we spoke about in e-mail...
Amway had a chance to clean house in 1983 and they didn't do it. 'nuff said.
Hey the part I copied in my comments in your previous post about this are gone. Here is what I copied and pasted from that site before:
"From their website:
http://www.werable.org/howwehelp.html
Through our unique funding program, individuals faced with a disability and their families can qualify to receive our programs and services, free of charge, for the rest of their lives, at our A.B.L.E. Centers in Eagles Nest Communities.
Individuals conveniently earn an income from home doing what they and everyone else does routinely - shop for goods and services. It's the perfect solution for families caring for a loved one with a disability and also for an individual with a disability who is unable to be employed outside the home. "
Go to that same URL I copied above and the quote is completely removed. No more mention of earning money just for shopping! Hmmmmmmm
Damn, Qblog bet you didn't think you'd have so much influence over the Quixtar world huh? It seems everytime you post about a certain Quixtar related page, it either goes under a big transformation, or it goes away all together. Apparently "One man's perceptions" are enough to influence a MLM giant.
Posted by: quiksilver723 | November 3, 2005 4:19 PM