Man buys $1000 worth of MLM cookware against partner's wishes, partner refuses the 'gift' and ices him out: 'He has a history of buying me things after I explicitly say no, then getting upset'

Author image for JR Atkinson
JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Mar 30, 2025 1:00 PM EDT

One of my biggest fears is being at a party that turns into a multi-level marketing sales pitch. Maybe you think you're just going over to your friend's house for some rosé and finger foods, and suddenly someone brings out a brochure. They try to make it seem all casual like they're just asking you about what saucepans you use, and then wham you're accidentally dropping a band just to avoid having an awkward situation with your friend. Multi-level-marketing schemes are so predatory. They rely on your relationships with others and make you exploit them for cash. It's a quick and easy way to ruin a friendship in my humble opinion.

But what happens when someone you love is implicated in one? To what end will you go to appease their desperate cry for sales? Is it your job to get them out of there or do you just let sleeping dogs lie?

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  • 01
    Cheezburger Image 10485834240
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • Those are the kinds of questions one woman was asking herself when her partner started to go all-in on an MLM. Even worse, though, he started spending mucho cash in order to get into business. She was left hurt and wondering what to do next. Read on for the story and see what you think.

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    AITA for refusing to take a $1,000+ gift from my partner?

    About two weeks ago, my partner told me he was hosting a Saladmaster party at our home. Saladmaster is a cookware brand that claims to cook food without added water for healthier eating. He asked if I wanted the cookware, but after a quick Google search, I found it gimmicky and said no, explaining why. I thought that was the end of it.
    via u/08xtra25
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    A week later, while the party was happening, I went out to meet friends. Before I left, I met the salesperson, who tried to pitch the pans by saying I'd taste the difference. I smiled politely and left. While cooking at my friend's place (because I love cooking), I got a text from my partner asking if I wanted to buy a pan or pot. Annoyed, I compromised and agreed to a saucepan since I didn't have one.
    via u/08xtra25
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    Then, 20 minutes later, he texted me saying he had bought the entire set―for over $1,000. I was frustrated because I had said no, then adjusted to let him get a single pan, and he still bought everything.
    via u/08xtra25
  • 05
    When I got home, he told me how good the food was, which was fine, but then he brought up the baking soda test. The salesperson boiled water in my stainless steel pan, added baking soda, then did the same with a Saladmaster pan. They made the guests taste both, claiming my pan made the water taste metallic while Saladmaster's did not. My partner then tried to convince me my pan was bad.
    via u/08xtra25
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    I found it odd and told him it was hard to believe my Le Creuset stainless steel pan would do that. He got upset, saying, "I was there -I tasted it. Do you think I'm lying?" That angered me because I wasn't calling him a liar—I was questioning the test.
    via u/08xtra25
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    Later, I researched and found that scratched stainless steel can react with alkaline substances like baking soda, making the water taste metallic. The more I read, the more suspicious the whole thing seemed.
    via u/08xtra25
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    The next day, he gave me a Saladmaster booklet as a "gift" and suggested I replace my pans. That made me angry. I told him no and tried to explain why, but he dismissed me, pretending to listen while doing other things saying I'm ungrateful and He has a history of buying me things after I explicitly say no, then getting upset and calling me ungrateful when I don't accept them.
    via u/08xtra25
  • 09
    To avoid a fight, I've been sleeping in a separate room. But now I'm livid because I just found out he's hosting another Saladmaster party. I'm at my wit's end. So tell me am I these a hole for refusing a gift that my partner bought me.
    via u/08xtra25
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    Commenters were quick to point out what was really going on here.

    . IAmTAAlways 20h ago Saladmaster is a multi-level marketing scheme. That's why he's upset that you won't buy. He's setting himself up to be a seller and he needs a downline. Leave before he loses all of this money. Only a small percentage of sellers. ever make money off of MLM
    via u/IAmTAAlways
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    schemes. It is typically a money pit. He will "invest" thousands of dollars in goods to sell to other people, but if no one bites, he loses all of the money. There are no sellbacks. Share this in r/justnoMLM, you'll probably get some good advice and more information about this particular scam.
    via u/IAmTAAlways
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    Glum_Airline4017 • 20h ago I'd make sure he doesn't toss your Le Creuset as well. Especially since he thinks it is crp and clearly doesn't know good cookware. I once had a BF who put my favorite cast iron in the dishwasher then claimed it was cheap because it rusted.
    via u/Glum_Airline4017
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    Also, is this the kind of nonsense you want to live with forever? Guy just blew $1000 on cr p you specifically said you didn't want. That's a lot of money. I'd be ped of my partner disregarded my wishes (as the person who does most of the cooking) and bought that junk.
    via u/Glum_Airline4017
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    Cheezburger Image 10485834496
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 15
    StAlvis 21h ago • INFO Saladmaster is a cookware brand that claims to cook food without added water for healthier eating. What? Is water supposed to be unhealthy?
    via u/StAlvis
  • 16
    pottersquash • 20h ago LOL So I googled, found their website, their FIRST recipe FIRST ingredient is 3 cups of chicken broth!!!!
    via u/pottersquash
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    Magical_Olive ⚫ 19h ago . Their "cook without water or oil to make things healthy!" definitely feels like the old 90s "fat bad!" mindset. The water part barely makes sense and a little oil isn't going to make your vegetables unhealthy. What a ridiculous company, I can't believe people still fall for this stuff.
    via u/Magical_Olive
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    • midcen-mod1018 20h ago Salad master is a mlm so you may want to look into "help my loved one escape a cult" tactics. NTA.
    via u/midcen-mod1018
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    OdoDragonfly · 20h ago Be present for the party he's hosting. After the demo, offer to sell your set to anyone interested at a significant discount (it's a sunk cost now, anyway). Say that you have better cookware and these were a generous impulse purchase but ultimately a mistake.
    via u/OdoDragonfly
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    This will likely him off further. It does give him a little bit of an 'out' in that you say the purchase was impulsive and generous. And, it may also put him on a no- go list for the company. They won't want someone whose SO is actively against the company. It will also show him just how set against this "gift" you are.
    via u/OdoDragonfly
  • 21
    pottersquash • 20h ago NTA. Now you know how Jack's mom felt when he brough home them beans. Protect your accounts and hope this hyperfixation passes without him becoming a salesperson who has to buy 10k of supply.
    via u/pottersquash
  • 22
    Longjumping_Lea... • 20h ago NTA, but why are you with your partner? He doesn't respect you or your things and has a pattern of not respecting you or your things. He also sounds like the kind of person who'd fall for any kind of gimmick and blow thousands of dollars on useless crop. I'd dump him.
    via u/Longjumping_Leave158
  • 23
    Ok_Adeptness7156 20h ago • NTA comparing Le Creuset - to a pan from an MLM makes my head hurt on your behalf
    via u/Ok_Adeptness7156
  • 24
    rockology_adam • 20h ago NTA. Is this a cult? Or is this a pyramid scheme? Does your boyfriend need you to buy one because he's committed to this sales/marketing scheme and needs the sales to reach level Acolyte?
    via u/rockology_adam
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    Seriously though, this is wildly out of line. Insisting on giving you gifts you don't want and have actively said no to is a bad look for him, but insisting on continuing to push on AFTER the fact is completely A-holery. This is a big red flag, OP. It'd be one thing if it was pieces of
    via u/rockology_adam
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    jewelry you were never going to wear and just throw in a box. This is an entire kitchen's worth of cookware, something that can be incredibly personal for people who love to cook.
    via u/rockology_adam
  • 27
    Your boyfriend is probably in a pyramid scheme, and is definitely pushing things on you to make you into someone he aligns with. Neither are good looks, and both are A-holery,
    via u/rockology_adam

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