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A PART-TIME believer in serendipity, a year ago I salvaged a soggy business card from a North London street, which simply said: “Make a living …Living!” When I called the number a woman muttered something about luxury trips but seemed so lack lustre, that when I ended the call I quickly forgot about it. 

One year and a move to Cyprus later, I’ve been hearing the same phrase “make a living ... living” intermittently hurled in my direction by an assortment of new acquaintances and random characters. This time they’re all glinty-eyed and twitchy-tailed, seemingly orgasmic at the prospect of personally escorting me to an event, which I am assured, will “change my life”. 

The tag line, it transpires, harks from a US-based multi-level marketing company to which thousands of islanders are now members. I was told that I had what it takes - the chutzpah - to be part of it and so one Wednesday evening - notebook in hand - I toddle along to a Nicosia café which regularly plays host to this event.

Within seconds I am introduced to a vast circle of highly polished “positive” members who all seemed in agreement that I was just the right sort to join their gang. 

I was led upstairs into a darkened room with a projector to attend the special “seminar”. A James Earl Jones-style voice flooded the speakers: “Since the dawn of time, people have travelled in search of new lands for adventures.”

Cue a Hollywood trailer-style montage of exotic images from the world’s top luxury destinations: the Caribbean, Las Vegas, Santorini and screen shots of what look like remarkably cheap deals; $69 four-day cruises, $599 four-star hotel packages and the like.

“Do you want to change your life?” says the voice. “Do you thirst for adventure? If you’re like most people, stressed, over worked and underpaid, you need WorldVentures.” 

Fervent clapping ensues after which a lady appears, asking first-timers to reveal themselves. Only five out of around 50 people including myself single themselves out (clearly everyone applauding is already a member). 

I’m told I too can be part of the VIP “invitation only” Travel Club for a subscription fee of $199.99 plus $49.98 monthly. 

I quickly do the maths. If I’m already spending in the region of $1,000 in my first year and have to pay for holidays on top, how many trips would I need to take in a year to make this viable? 

Enter an assortment of members who come to the fore giving personal testimony as to how WorldVentures travel club has afforded them marvellous life experiences and changed their lives irreparably. 

Next up, the star of the show: a smooth-talking, muscle-ripping, teeth-gleaming, orange gym instructor who introduces the business proposition with the killer line: “Who likes making extra money?” 

He tells you that if you become a WorldVentures representative (for an additional membership fee and more monthly payments) you can make huge sums of extra income if you recruit more people into the club. He fleetingly introduces the business-model with images that look suspiciously like triangles, before telling you that your own membership fees will be waived if your recruits go on to get more recruits. 

“You can make commission in a variety of ways,” he says, “but I won’t go into the details now”. 

But you do earn $20 for each new recruit, and there are other ways you can make commission though yet again, these aren’t explained. 

Next up, more members give testimony to making up to $25,000 a month while later admitting to still not understanding fully the business model. As one 20-year-old told me: “You don’t have to get it in order to join the family.” 

So how do they become so successful? By marketing the product to their Facebook network of friends and family. And how does one do this? You pay an additional $29.99 per month for the Premium Service Package, which provides you with an assortment of communication materials to ‘fast-track’ your business. Again these fees are waived if you manage to attract enough recruits. 

Once recruited, representatives are invited to attend a free 30-minute training session which outlines a system whereby if only two new people are recruited in month one and go on to recruit two of their own each month, then by year-end that particular representative could be earning commission from a tree of 2,400 recruits. 

Photographs aren’t permitted and guests aren’t invited to ask questions in front of the entire floor. So I ask afterwards.

First question: “If the model works on the premise that you pay to recruit people and make your money back from the payment made by your recruits then doesn’t someone have to lose money, and so keep paying membership, for you to profit? What’s the likelihood of profiting?”

“We’re transparent about the fact that only 26.3 percent of people are successful in this venture,” said the orange gym instructor, though later WorldVentures couldn’t confirm this figure.  

Second question: “So how many people must you actually recruit and what about the ethics of recruiting friends and family if the success rate is so low? 

No answer. Instead, my host was attacked for bringing me along and I was singled out and accused of being a negative ‘green’. 

Green is one of four personality colour definitions people are grouped into according to the outfit’s marketing ‘guru’, Marc Acetta. Describing himself as an interactive personal growth ‘master’, he asks members and potential recruits to conduct an online personality test which categorises people into four colours. He then teaches members how to communicate with each in order to maximise sales.

The explanations are roughly these: 

Red is the Alpha type leader personality, greedy and probably money-hungry enough to become one of the outfit’s success stories.

Yellow is the philanthropic compassionate sort who is not money-oriented enough but may signup out of friendship.

The greens are analytical and problem solving and want to understand the project to take part. They are considered too much hard work and are the ones to look out for.

The blues are the fun oriented followers. They are not interested in details and want to experience all life has to offer yesterday. They are the perfect WorldVentures recruit.

Representatives are strongly urged to subscribe to Acetta’s training sessions from sums ranging from ten euros to 500 euros for a ticket and a flight to one of his seminars. 

The costs and the caveats and the commissions go on and on. This isn’t to say that if you have enough free time, the travel club couldn’t be viable, and that if you’re a fantastic marketeer the ‘business’ couldn’t work for you. 

But it’s the whole flavour of the thing which leaves a bitter taste: the exploitation of personal relationships; the silly motivational pep rallies and cheesy life coach rhetoric, and the fact the outfit is shrouded in complicity. The devil is in the detail and the details are off limits. You’re not lied to but the truth is severely hidden.

One of the characters, an eager chap who had earlier given testimony to how the company had changed his life, conceded to me afterwards that he hadn’t yet made very much money “marketing the opportunity” but ran a sideline business promoting parties. 

I haven’t subscribed to the organisation for the same reason I’m weary of online social networks. Because my connections aren’t a commodity to be exploited or capitalised upon, be it through ad revenue to a Harvard geek, or a scheme promising friends success so that it’s me who profits. They are special intimate relationships, which ought to be protected not exposed, right? Then again if your personal connections tend to wash their brains rather use them, they may well deserve it. 

Ph