Momling Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 Three times I've seen a post for a gift exchange on my facebook feed (from completely unrelated people on opposite coasts): "I need 6 ladies of any age to participate in a secret sister gift exchange. You ONLY have to buy ONE gift valued at $10 or more and send it to one sister, and you will receive 36 in return. Let me know if are interested and I will send you the information!" Another said: "I need 6 (or more) ladies of any age to participate in a secret sister gift exchange. You only have to buy ONE gift valued at $10 or more and send it to one secret sister and you will receive 6-36 in return! Nothing like a little fun and getting some "happy's" in the mail, right!Let me know if you are interested and I will send you the information! Please don't ask to participate if you are not willing to spend the $10." Explain to me how this could work. I'm guessing it's a pyramid scheme?? I understand receiving one gift, but how does it mathematically work out that anyone will be possibly be getting 36 gifts unless there are 35 people under you not receiving anything? Are there going to be a ton of women across the country wondering where their 36 gifts could have gone to? Will there be one group of women receiving tens of thousands of gifts? What's up with this? I asked one of the women who posted this and got a snippy answer about not spoiling the fun with math. So I'm coming to the hive for answers... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelenNotOfTroy Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 It is an old chain letter pyramid thing. With the old ones, you got a list of names, sent the "gift" to the first one, took her off, added your information at the bottom, and sent it to the designated number of people. edited to removed double word. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NavyMommy Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 I was wondering the same thing earlier! I saw the same message. I have seen something similar with kids books but you had to send out 6 kids books so I can see getting 6 in return. The gift thing I can't figure out. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Tick Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 You have to go farther down the pyramid. Each of your 6 besties will tag 6 more friends (36) and those 36 - mostly strangers, probably Kevin Bacon is in that group, will each send YOU a special gift. I got a few of these back when they were mimeographed and asking for recipes or dish towels. I always think much less of the person that sends this type of thing out. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
athomeontheprairie Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 This has exploded in my news feed. It's insane. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 This chain letter was started in hopes of bringing relief to other tired and discouraged women. Unlike most chain letters, this one does not cost anything. Just send a copy of this letter to five of your friends who are equally tired and discontented. Then bundle up your husband or boyfriend and send him to the woman whose name appears at the top of the list, and add your name to the bottom of the list. When your turn comes, you will receive 5,625 men. One of them is bound to be better than the one you already have. At the writing of this letter, a friend of mine had already received 184 men, 4 of whom were worth keeping. Remember— this chain brings luck. One woman’s pit bull died, and the next day she received an NFL offensive tackle. An unmarried woman living with her widowed mother was able to choose between an orthodontist and a successful gynecologist. You can be lucky too, but do not break the chain!One woman broke the chain, and got her own husband back again. 44 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 Definitely sounds like the old chain letter to me too. I remember getting ones for recipes but I never participated. I really hate the ones that say something about how a real friend will not break the chain or some such nonsense. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 This chain letter was started in hopes of bringing relief to other tired and discouraged women. Unlike most chain letters, this one does not cost anything. Just send a copy of this letter to five of your friends who are equally tired and discontented. Then bundle up your husband or boyfriend and send him to the woman whose name appears at the top of the list, and add your name to the bottom of the list. When your turn comes, you will receive 5,625 men. One of them is bound to be better than the one you already have. At the writing of this letter, a friend of mine had already received 184 men, 4 of whom were worth keeping. Remember— this chain brings luck. One woman’s pit bull died, and the next day she received an NFL offensive tackle. An unmarried woman living with her widowed mother was able to choose between an orthodontist and a successful gynecologist. You can be lucky too, but do not break the chain!One woman broke the chain, and got her own husband back again. That one's hilarious! :laugh: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 That made my day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butter Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 It's like the "send a book to one child, get a bunch in return." These almost never work. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 Definitely sounds like the old chain letter to me too. I remember getting ones for recipes but I never participated. I really hate the ones that say something about how a real friend will not break the chain or some such nonsense. It was the early version of, "If you truly care, you will repost this, but I know only 2% of you really care and won't bother to repost." 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2scouts Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 It was the early version of, "If you truly care, you will repost this, but I know only 2% of you really care and won't bother to repost." Maybe I just have a bad attitude, but I refuse to repost anything that says something like this. I hate emotional manipulation. 19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 You have to go farther down the pyramid. Each of your 6 besties will tag 6 more friends (36) and those 36 - mostly strangers, probably Kevin Bacon is in that group, will each send YOU a special gift. I could get a gift from Kevin Bacon??? Hmmmm.... 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 I could get a gift from Kevin Bacon??? Hmmmm.... Or maybe get KB as one of your husband options. :D 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grover Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 it doesn't take many steps before you have to exceed the population of the earth to get anything at all... and yet people keep sending them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 A friend of mine just posted this today and I was wondering about it as well! I have to admit that I was that kid who loved chain letters because I loved writing and getting things in the mail. But, I learned that most of the time it didn't work, and it seems kind of funny to me when grown women do this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 This chain letter was started in hopes of bringing relief to other tired and discouraged women. Unlike most chain letters, this one does not cost anything. Just send a copy of this letter to five of your friends who are equally tired and discontented. Then bundle up your husband or boyfriend and send him to the woman whose name appears at the top of the list, and add your name to the bottom of the list. When your turn comes, you will receive 5,625 men. One of them is bound to be better than the one you already have. At the writing of this letter, a friend of mine had already received 184 men, 4 of whom were worth keeping. Remember— this chain brings luck. One woman’s pit bull died, and the next day she received an NFL offensive tackle. An unmarried woman living with her widowed mother was able to choose between an orthodontist and a successful gynecologist. You can be lucky too, but do not break the chain!One woman broke the chain, and got her own husband back again. Oh this is hysterical! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hikin' Mama Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 This chain letter was started in hopes of bringing relief to other tired and discouraged women. Unlike most chain letters, this one does not cost anything. Just send a copy of this letter to five of your friends who are equally tired and discontented. Then bundle up your husband or boyfriend and send him to the woman whose name appears at the top of the list, and add your name to the bottom of the list. When your turn comes, you will receive 5,625 men. One of them is bound to be better than the one you already have. At the writing of this letter, a friend of mine had already received 184 men, 4 of whom were worth keeping. Remember— this chain brings luck. One woman’s pit bull died, and the next day she received an NFL offensive tackle. An unmarried woman living with her widowed mother was able to choose between an orthodontist and a successful gynecologist. You can be lucky too, but do not break the chain!One woman broke the chain, and got her own husband back again. This is hilarious! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 Maybe I just have a bad attitude, but I refuse to repost anything that says something like this. I hate emotional manipulation. They usually get a good eye roll from me. Then there are the ones that say, "If you repost this something good will happen to you." Um, something good may happen to you but it has nothing at all to do with posting this on Facebook! Or, "repost if you really do love Jesus." Um......your photo of a cleaned up, white, nicely shaven Jesus does NOT mean you love Jesus more than I do. But I don't have any opinions on this! :lol: 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 I just had a memory. My mother got a chain letter in the mail and she told me, "Don't ever do these chain letters. They're evil." I spent much of my youth thinking they were literally evil, like from the devil or something. I worried that I'd get this evil thing in the mail and I'd have to burn it or something to break it's evilness. Even to this day, reading about "chain letters" I get a tiny shiver of, "ooo! those are eeeevil!" in the back of my mind. Kids take things literally sometimes! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 This chain letter was started in hopes of bringing relief to other tired and discouraged women. Unlike most chain letters, this one does not cost anything. Just send a copy of this letter to five of your friends who are equally tired and discontented. Then bundle up your husband or boyfriend and send him to the woman whose name appears at the top of the list, and add your name to the bottom of the list. When your turn comes, you will receive 5,625 men. One of them is bound to be better than the one you already have. At the writing of this letter, a friend of mine had already received 184 men, 4 of whom were worth keeping. Remember— this chain brings luck. One woman’s pit bull died, and the next day she received an NFL offensive tackle. An unmarried woman living with her widowed mother was able to choose between an orthodontist and a successful gynecologist. You can be lucky too, but do not break the chain!One woman broke the chain, and got her own husband back again. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squawky Acres Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 I have seen this three times so far in my Facebook feed. The children's book exchange one is going around as well. I did privately message my sister to gently tell her that it was a chain mail scheme, and I wouldn't be participating, but I'm not sure what to do about acquaintances and other friends -- particularly those who have a whole list of positive responses in the comments section. I don't want to spoil everyone's fun, but I hate to see so much activity and social pressure focused on something so useless. Even if the scheme does work perfectly, I'm wondering how receiving 36 randomly-chosen books for my child, or 36 random $10 gift items to clutter up my house could be a *good* thing . . . 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 I have seen this three times so far in my Facebook feed. The children's book exchange one is going around as well. I did privately message my sister to gently tell her that it was a chain mail scheme, and I wouldn't be participating, but I'm not sure what to do about acquaintances and other friends -- particularly those who have a whole list of positive responses in the comments section. I don't want to spoil everyone's fun, but I hate to see so much activity and social pressure focused on something so useless. Even if the scheme does work perfectly, I'm wondering how receiving 36 randomly-chosen books for my child, or 36 random $10 gift items to clutter up my house could be a *good* thing . . . Well, now I know what I'm going to do. I'm going to cut and paste DawnM's response right into the comment section. :smilielol5: 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonfirmath Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 A friend of mine just posted this today and I was wondering about it as well! I have to admit that I was that kid who loved chain letters because I loved writing and getting things in the mail. But, I learned that most of the time it didn't work, and it seems kind of funny to me when grown women do this! They don't work because of people like me. Who just toss the chain letter unanswered. I MIGHT send something to the first name on the list. Maybe. But I am certainly NOT going to add my name and adddress and send it on to 6 more people and thus the chain will be broken HERE. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILiveInFlipFlops Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 This chain letter was started in hopes of bringing relief to other tired and discouraged women. Unlike most chain letters, this one does not cost anything. Just send a copy of this letter to five of your friends who are equally tired and discontented. Then bundle up your husband or boyfriend and send him to the woman whose name appears at the top of the list, and add your name to the bottom of the list. When your turn comes, you will receive 5,625 men. One of them is bound to be better than the one you already have. At the writing of this letter, a friend of mine had already received 184 men, 4 of whom were worth keeping. Remember— this chain brings luck. One woman’s pit bull died, and the next day she received an NFL offensive tackle. An unmarried woman living with her widowed mother was able to choose between an orthodontist and a successful gynecologist. You can be lucky too, but do not break the chain!One woman broke the chain, and got her own husband back again. :smilielol5: :smilielol5: :smilielol5: Even if the scheme does work perfectly, I'm wondering how receiving 36 randomly-chosen books for my child, or 36 random $10 gift items to clutter up my house could be a *good* thing . . . This! I just came off a Marie Kondo stretch during August and September. The absolute last thing I'd want is random cr@p arriving at my house :willy_nilly: Well, now I know what I'm going to do. I'm going to cut and paste DawnM's response right into the comment section. :smilielol5: DO IT!!! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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