Anyone here been approached with a "business opportunity" while shopping?

6,819 Views | 21 Replies | Last: 5 yr ago by O.G.
lforshage
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AG
This has happened to me twice in the past 12 months or so. Almost the exact same scenario both times.

Both times at HEB, a guy approached me saying he liked my shoes and asked where to get them. After a bit of conversation, he told me that he works with a couple of guys in town that operate a fast growing business. He asked if I was interested in any work on the side because they're in desperate need of help.

It was a different guy who approached me each time, but they both gave the same 2 names of the business owners.

I'm assuming this is some sort of MLM recruitment, as the encounters both had a very sales-like vibe.

Has this happened to anyone else?
justcallmeharry
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S
Tell 'em to



Then finish your shopping.
carodz
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AG
I'm pretty sure it's some pyramid scheme that's been ongoing/resurfacing for several, several years. There was a group of guys doing the same thing at Barnes and Noble a while back. Approached me and/or my wife 2-3 times. Eventually B&N management caught on and actively kicked them out. May be worth letting H-E-B management know about this so they can do the same.
techno-ag
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AG
Sounds like a twist on the white van scam.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_van_speaker_scam
TheOC16
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AG
I had that happen to me at the H-E-B on Texas Ave one time about a year ago. Exact same scenario - commented on my shoes (I was wearing the most basic, boring tennis shoes after going to the gym...) and then awkwardly rolled it into his business/sales pitch.

Gave some name drop. Was very persistent even though I told him multiple times I had a good career and was not interested. Props to the guy for trying, but he did not seem to have much tact/skill in reading or interacting with a person.
RG20
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Was also approached at Barnes & Noble. Same shoes intro bull crap and was told about the two guys in town. Never gave my number though. Just said I wasn't interested.
woodiewood1
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carodz said:

I'm pretty sure it's some pyramid scheme that's been ongoing/resurfacing for several, several years. There was a group of guys doing the same thing at Barnes and Noble a while back. Approached me and/or my wife 2-3 times. Eventually B&N management caught on and actively kicked them out. May be worth letting H-E-B management know about this so they can do the same.
They are still going to B/N but a little less....I have overheard them talking to prospects and believe unless I am wrong it's Cutco Knives.
trouble
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AG
Y'all need to work on your RBF
AgGunNut
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AG
Contact management while you're still in the store so they can be pointed out. Management doesn't want them there if they are bothering customers, and most likely will want them trespassed.
phatpat21
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Happened to me about a year ago. Thought it was so freaking odd. Same story about shoes, whatever. I was really weirded out lol. I'm a nice guy but these dudes were overly nice. Like something was up
Orlando Ayala Cant Read
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AG
Easy solution: stop wearing nice shoes.
Love Gun
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Remind him of the store's no soliciting policy, then tell them you'll squeeze one of your nice shoes in his ass if he doesn't stop bothering you and others.
dallasiteinsa02
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I feel left out that I haven't been approached.
lforshage
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AG
I reached out to the Jones Crossing location to let them know what had happened. They told me management at another location in town has noticed these people at their store and have been working on keeping them out.

As was suggested here, I was told to immediately tell management if it happens again so they can identify them and kick them out.
Koko Chingo
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AG
Which HEB and was it the same HEB each time?
lforshage
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AG
First time it was the HEB on Texas/Holleman.

Second time was Jones Crossing.
Koko Chingo
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AG
Thanks

Of course it is the two HEB's I frequent the most....
Loaded
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AG
I've been approached. After I realize they're offering more than a friendly complement, I tell them no and walk off even if they're still making their pitch. Some of y'all are far too worried that you might be perceived as rude.
Counterpoint
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AG
dallasiteinsa02 said:

I feel left out that I haven't been approached.
Get better shoes!
The Brazos Kid
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Go barefoot and they'll probably leave you alone...
rilloaggie
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AG
This happened to me at a HEB in Houston. I was wearing an A&M shirt so the guy(also an Aggie) struck up a convo that way. Generally just small talk but seemed very focused on what we did and if we had any "secondary streams of income". I guess the pitch wasn't overt enough to pick up at first so I ended up swapping numbers with the guy. He and his fianc were new to Houston and having been in their shoes I figured it would be nice to give him a friendly face in the big city.

He called me a day later and the puzzle was put together. He mentioned that he had a businesss partner that was looking to add a "select few" individuals to their business. He used every possible mlm phrase from the book and eventually it came out that he is pushing Amway. I said I'd heard of it and wasn't interested in a mlm. He then said "well I guess you could call amway a mlm but that's kind of like saying an aircraft carrier is a boat".

The thing that pissed me off the most about this was the fact that this dude is using A&M as his excuse to start the conversation. I've seen Aggie rings or an A&M hat on folks and struck up conversations all over the place while traveling and it's always awesome to find people who end up having mutual friends or at a minimum are just fellow Aggies. I've ran into folks abroad and shared a beer and shot the breeze with them just because of the fact they've got an Aggie ring. This little turd is going to make people jaded and less likely to look for other Ags if he and others like him keep it up.
Cancelled
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AG
MLMs are such crap.
O.G.
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Clearly this guy hasn't approached a runner because the conversatino would never get past the talking about shoes point.
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