Business name: Melaleuca
Website: www.melaleuca.com
Type of business: Home products MLM
Price: $29 + $50 monthly autoship.
Owner: Frank L. Vandersloot
My rating: 2 out of 5 ⭐⭐
When I write reviews, I usually choose a company to research based on complaints that I keep hearing from the news but today, this review is based on a request from one of my readers, Luis who wanted to know more about Melaleuca.
This particular company is growing very rapidly but they are being very secretive at the same time. People know that their name is everywhere now, on banner ads, on car windshields, on a home party of your neighbor, but what is it about exactly?
If you’re one of those people who’ve been to one of those talks where the reps there desperately want you to join, then you definitely need to read my full Melaleuca business review down below before making your decision.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- They have a ton of products under one roof.
- Unique form of MLM where home and wellness are used as products.
- A+ rating in BBB.
Cons
- They test on animals.
- You are forced into autoship to buy products every month for at least $50 in order to maintain your membership.
- Members manipulate people into joining through network marketing rather than focusing on the product.
- Tons of complaints online.
- With that many products which you need to buy every month, you will have too many stocks, even if you don’t need them.
- In order to sell their products, you actually need to buy them yourself, it’s not provided by the company.
- They are an obvious MLM company but they still deny that to the public.
- They have 244 complaints within BBB!
- Compensation plan is extremely long and hard to understand.
- You can’t buy their products if you don’t have a sponsor. Talk about typical recruitment scheme.
- Very hard to cancel your membership once you give your card, they will keep deducting money even when you’ve already quit.
Jeepers, that’s a lot of cons! Better check out my #1 recommended program here instead!
What is Melaleuca? – Home and Wellness Products Under One Roof.
Created by Frank L. Vandersloot in 1985, Melaleuca is one of the oldest MLM companies there are today.
It started with a great vision and a healthy market of families who are interested in their products which helped them propel their influence and spread their wings to where they are today.
Like every MLM company out there, Melaleuca too has focused on products of their own which they produced and are available today online though their main niche is hard to put a finger on to because it covers home products and wellness but their products are actually pretty numerous as you can fit a whole store with them.
Think of Cosway and Amway, they have retail store franchises for their members filled with all sorts of items and Melaleuca is no different.
As for the products, Melaleuca focuses on a variety of household items which includes…
Nutrition – Vitamins, supplements, food, weight loss, hot beverages.- Medicines – Cold, allergy, etc.
- Beauty – Skincare, nails, etc.
- Household – Cleaning detergents and pet care.
- Bath & Body – Facial, skincare, dental care, hair care.
- Essentials oils
It’s great that they have a variety of items as it tends to have a wider capture and it would be a change pace to see more products from Melaleuca in my opinion though some might argue that it may be a bit too wide of a range for a niche company as even supermarkets are having a hard time trying to create products of their own brand in multiple niches.
Let’s Have a Look at Their Compensation Plan.
A lot of people are asking about the updated Melaleuca compensation plan as the company tries its best to hide it since they don’t want to be seen as an MLM.
Being the curious consumer that I am, I eventually found out from the website that they do have one, and believe it or not, it’s 11 pages long!
That’s one of the longest MLM compensation plans that I’ve ever come across and personally for me, it’s a huge turn-off to see that – It’s like reading a manual booklet, nobody reads them but eventually, that will be your own undoing.
I think it’s high time we get to my Melaleuca business opportunity review so that you can have a clearer picture of whether or not this company is for you.
There are overall 11 methods of earning but fret not, here’s a summarized version for you to understand the whole situation better…
Method #1 – Product Introduction Commission.
You earn 27% commission off your customer’s first 150 points when they shop on their first month.
If your downline’s downline buys, then you earn 20%.
You see, In MLM when you recruit someone into your scheme, your downline will be put under you and when he recruits as well, his one will be under him and so one hence a pyramid structure.
If you’re fuzzy on all these downlines thing, take a look at this…
Method #2 – The Quality Customer Bonus.
This one is like a recruitment bonus for the month.
To activate, you need to recruit your first downline for the month and only after that will you get a $25 bonus from all your next newly-recruited downlines.
Method #3 – Personal Enrolled Customer Commission.
You get commissions from people that you personally recruit and the more people you recruit, the more commissions you’ll get…
- 1-7 downlines – You’ll get 7% from their purchases
- 8-19 downlines – You’ll get 14% from their purchases
- At least 20 downlines – You’ll get 20% from their purchases
Method #4 – Organization Commissions.
You’ll get 7% monthly commissions for the first 150 points purchased by your downline.
Method #5 – Value/Career Pack Commission.
In the first 2 months, if your customer purchases the value pack, you get $30 and if they were to buy the career pack, you get $50.
Method #6 – One-Time Advancement Bonuses.
When you gain up ranking to Director Level or above, you get $100 for the first time.
As you gain more levels higher than that, you earn more – Think of it as a congratulations gift for reaching that stage.
Method #7 – Advancement Bonus Payout.
This works just the same as the One-Time Advancement Bonuses, just that the bonus comes if you maintain your high retention rate of at least 90% and keep on fighting.
The bonus will be paid 1/3 in the same month of your advancement, another 1/3 the next month, and the rest on the month after that.
Method #8 – Pacesetter Director Bonuses.
This is a bonus chased by time.
In a certain time period given, you’ll need to recruit a new downline who purchases a Value or Career pack AND becomes a director within the first 2 months of his or her joining.
Method #9 – The Leadership Development Bonus.
Ahh, this one’s a classic – Very normal in all MLM companies.
By helping your downline reach the Director status or higher, you’ll get 50% of the One-time Advancement bonus.
Method #10 – Director Development Incentive.
You don’t really get any cash from here though, just that you can save yourself some money in maintaining your Leadership status as the requirements will be waived… As long as you develop your personal Director.
Method #11 – Monthly Car Bonus.
When you reach the Senior Director level, you can get monthly payments for a car that you’ve been eyeing on.
Of course this goes without saying that the higher your rank, the more money you’ll get for those monthlies.
All of these ranks on the compensation plan may sound sweet with their promising rewards but before you delve into the MLM world, think again – Are you really that much of a soft talker that’s able to convince people into joining as easy as the other leaders do?
Tired of MLMs and Their Ridiculous Pyramid Ladders? Get Real Help Here!
Red Flags – Things to Look Out For.
Now that you’ve seen the good side of Melaleuca which I guess is making you pretty hyped up about joining, it’s time for me to lay you in on the negative sides which you must also know before making your decision…
Red Flag #1 – They test on animals
Part of the thing that makes Melaleuca interesting is that their products cover all household item ranges at one stop so you won’t have to think of which brand suit what and all that but one thing that really bothers me to find the answer to is that, Is Melaleuca really all natural?
I have had my doubts about the company’s integrity but what would you think if you find out that the internet is flooded with comments like this…
I’m sure a lot of questions might have run through your head, one in particular I just know that you’re dying to find out is, does Melaleuca test on animals?
I was thinking of the exact same thing so I did my own research and look what I found out…
The answer to that is definitely yes because according to PETA, Melaleuca signed a statement of assurance that they will never test on animals for the gain of the company.
After that, they crossed the line and started experimenting with rats and dogs, resulting in the horrible and painful death of those animals.
The public found out, and finally, Malaleuca confessed that they are indeed doing those tests for the betterment of their products.
Not everyone cares about animals though, I myself am neutral for that matter but personally, no living being should die a painful death. They deserve better wouldn’t you agree?
Red Flag #2 – Products aren’t that good either.
You’d think that Melaleuca has awesome products but in truth, there’s nothing really special about them.
In fact, many actually complain about the quality of those products…
And here’s another…
Although the cleaning products and detergents may have some good effects, the nutrition vitamins on the other hand, got me quite doubtful as there are elements used that are deemed unhealthy…
Typical complaints that often many MLM companies face include the products being of low quality, potentially harmful, or very pricey.
The reason for that is that MLM companies focus more on network marketing or more commonly known as recruiting because that’s where the real money is.
In terms of products, well I’ll explain it here…
Red Flag #3 – You Might be Forced Into Autoshipping.
In order to maintain your membership within the company, you will need to spend at least 35 Melaleuca points per month.
Just to be clear, 35 points isn’t just a mere $35.
It depends on how you spend but on average, most members spend around $50 a month buying things they didn’t need just to fill the quota.
See the game there?
The Melaleuca monthly minimum is quite pricey and quite the commitment you must make which is another factor as to why many members quit.
The system itself is also very problematic, once you give them your card details, it can be somewhat difficult to completely cancel your membership.
I’ve had many people complaining to me about problems that they face such as this…
And this…
Don’t be alarmed, this is quite normal in an MLM company to make the best of people’s money and make quitting a hell of a difficult choice for you.
Trust me, I’ve been in many MLM firms to experience this myself but I have to admit, I was a bit surprised to see that quitting Melaleuca is so huge of a problem that even Wiki How posted the steps to cancel a Melaleuca account.
It’s normal for Wiki How to post general steps and tutorials on many modern-day challenges people face today but I find it quite surprising to find out that there are specific steps to get out from a specific company which you rarely see they do unless it’s really affecting them.
If you haven’t heard of WIki How before, it’s similar to Wikipedia, just that they focus more on steps or in other words, how-to guides on solving things.
Anyone from the community can submit articles that Wiki How can post to help get more people to know more on that particular topic so seeing that there’s a specific post on how to cancel your melaleuca account there, I can only assume that there’s a certain frustrated someone who got trapped with Melaleuca’s automatic payments that that person decided to post an article telling how once he managed to solve the issue.
If you’re planning to also get in on Melaleuca’s automatic payments, it’s wise to learn how to get out from there before going in to avoid having problems in the future.
Red Flag #4 – Complaints are Off the Chart!
It’s not a pyramid scheme without countless people angry frustrated about what their uplines lie to them about.
Are you ready? Here’s a sneak peek…
This is a case of an abusive sales rep and there’s more where that came from…
Harassing email even when ebay has already backed the consumer up. And here’s another..
In this case, the rep manipulated the customer into coming to the party and while there, he wrongly used the product on the consumer.
There are loads more where that came from, you just read any website page dedicated to Melaleuca and you’ll see a battle between the consumers and the MLM representatives themselves trying to defend their beloved company’s innocence.
Red Flag #4 – Difficulty in purchasing
When I write reviews, I like to try the products for myself for a certain period of time to see if it’s okay with me, whether it has any side effects or whether the claims are as said or not.
Review writing would be so much easier as I can write based on experience – In other words, a confession from a consumer.
But to my surprise, I couldn’t even buy their products online ON their very own website!
I had to contact the person who referred to the site in order to buy but the problem is, nobody referred me in the first place.
In the end, I had to try the products from sellers I found on eBay instead, how ironic.
Red Flag #5 – 244 complaints within BBB.
For those of you who didn’t know the Better Business Bureau (BBB), it is one of the top websites consumers worldwide go to in order to know whether or not a certain company is a fraud.
It’s an organization of its own which rates companies on whether they are a scam or not and last year alone, about 6.4 million consumers refer to the BBB prior to making decisions.
Melaleuca has a total of 244 complaints reported but what I am surprised to find out is that their rating is still an A+.
I’ve seen however, companies with only 3 complaints but received a B grade but a company with over two hundred complaints PLUS an A+ grade?
Something’s definitely not right here but either way, those surprisingly high amounts of complaints is not something we can turn a blind eye to.
Red Flag #6 – $35.6k Reported Loss on Pissed Consumer.
Yup, you’ve read it right.
An alternative to BBB is Pissed Consumer which, as its counterpart aims to do, helps consumers worldwide avoid scams.
I love Pissed Consumer more though because there are loads more reviews written by consumers in a more detailed way and instead of the website itself calculating and grading an organization, consumers can do a better job here as they can report the amount of money they lost and people can communicate with each other through the comments section.
I was surprised to see a whopping $35.6k reported loss on Melaleuca though, because this a whole lot more compared to the ones Mary Kay got, and that’s a name almost everyone knows.
Red Flag #7 – Most members earn an average of only $84 a month.
One thing that I like about Melaleuca is that they are in a way transparent in showing how much their members earn as you can find their income statement on their website.
However one thing I find disturbing is the fact that most of their members (About 86.7%) actually only earn an average of $2,111 a year, which is about $84 a month!
Now, it’s okay to have a small revenue when you first start out, perhaps up to 6 months’ grace period even if we’re talking about entrepreneurship, but a year?
If there’s no significant growth in your profit if you’ve been working hard for a year, then that’s definitely a sign that it’s not for you.
Do I Recommend Melaleuca?
If you’re in it for the products and not the MLM, then it wouldn’t be all that bad.
Melaleuca’s products are controversial but they’ve stood through the changes of time for a reason and part of it may be that the people back then might not care much about the details and intricacies of how a particular product comes to be as compared to now which, as we’ve seen, is on a whole different level.
One wrong step and the public gets exaggerated which pressures the company to tread carefully if they were to thrive back to their former glory.
Still, I believe that for them to survive this long, there might be hope that Melaleuca would adapt and adjust its methods to suit today’s demand a little better starting from the products which they have invested their whole lives on.
However for the Network Marketing part, that is something I wouldn’t recommend as a full-time income source simply because MLM isn’t how it used to be.
More and more people are getting skeptical as people realize there are better options out there to focus on, real businesses that you can earn money from rather than “recruiting” people for money like most MLM companies do today.
If you’re feeling like you’re not getting much luck trying to recruit people into your MLM organization, then probably this line is not for you.
There are countless more people who are feeling the same way as you do because not everyone is a smooth talker, not everyone has thick skin, and not everyone can be manipulative enough to find random people to join you as your downline.
Take a look at this…
Did you know that less than 1% of people do well in MLM? You’re not alone.
That is because 99% of people are downlines who make money for those on top of the pyramid – In other words, the founders on top are the ones who are earning money the most out of the efforts of the people below hence the term pyramid scheme.
This case not just for Melaleuca, but for all other MLM companies who mask their system with some products to “show” that they are not a recruitment scheme when clearly they are.
There is a much better way to take control of your life and that is by following your passion and starting your own Online Business and the best place for that, is Wealthy Affiliate.
WA is an Online Business program with everything you need to succeed – Its updated lessons, its keyword tool, its domain registrar, the complimentary high speed dedicated hosting and the wonderful community is actually all that you need to give you success.
I joined to learn how to create a website and monetize my passion through this blog that you’re reading but now, I have my own local company here in Malaysia and I’m using the knowledge learned to boost my growth.
Believe me when I say that it feels great to be in control of your own life – Your decisions, your ideas and how you want to grow your business depends on how much effort you want to put in.
You don’t have to worry about meeting people and trying to persuade them to join you, you don’t need to buy products monthly in order to maintain your membership, and you definitely won’t need to hard-sell because everything is done online.
We live in an era where the internet can make or break your business so it’s a valuable skill every entrepreneur should not miss out on. Here’ a quick comparison between the two programs to help you see better…
Conclusion
Despite its slightly expensive price, overall they do have some very interesting products that are out of the ordinary.
However due to the huge amounts of complaints all over the media, the difficulty of members trying to cancel their membership as well as the fact that they do tests on animals, Melaleuca is a different kind of risk to partake on and I wouldn’t recommend anyone to go for it unless you’re fine in terms of ethics and you don’t mind burning some cash.
Phew, 3,300 words! I have got to write shorter reviews.
If you’re interested in starting your Online Business as I did, don’t forget to check out my top-ranked program here.
Any experiences as a Melaleuca member you’d like to share? Write them down below and I’d be more than happy to reply!
Hi Riaz,
It’s good you have made this full review on Melaleuca Wellness Company. Their practice is common to almost all MLM companies – always misleading people when they invite for their product presentations. I appreciate so much that you have mentioned the 7 Red Flags to educate your readers on things to be cautious about when considering to join any MLM for that matter.
I used to be distributor of Cosway during its neonatal years before working overseas, and I used, sold and promoted their products which were of best quality I would say, but I did not focus on the MLM side of the business. I was contented on the sales bonuses on products.
I support your recommendation about Wealthy Affiliate as the best option to start an online business with. Before I found Wealthy Affiliate, I joined an online franchising business with MLM scheme included in the business model which I am very comfortable with. I don’t have to maintain a monthly quota. I would like to warn our readers to be wise in choosing the right MLM business if MLM is their choice.
Thanks for sharing this review to the public.
God bless you,
Chuna
Hey Chuna,
Awesome to hear that we’re on the same page. I love Cosway and I shop there often mostly because they’re so near to where I live and even after years of frequenting there, I always turn down their mlm offer because that would ruin the whole experience for me which wouldn’t be pleasant.
Not all MLMs are bad but I do hope more people would learn to spot a clear warning sign when it comes to these schemes.
Hi Riaz, thank you for writing a comprehensive review of Melaleuca. A few years ago, I met a person from another wellness MLM company (sorry forgot the name) who offer a compensation plan similar to them. There is one thing that makes me skeptical about this company.
You’re almost can’t sign out once registered as their member/downline and you will be forced to buy their product regularly. Thanks for your review, I can see that Melaleuca isn’t good for that same reason. I don’t like it if MLM company forced the agents to focus on the sales instead of the product benefit.
Unfortunately, that seems to be the reality of the MLM world and it happens in more MLMs than we could ever imagine. But it’s that way due to the very nature of the business because when recruiting people into a pyramid is your end-goal, instead of focusing on the product, many would turn to whip people instead to work harder, particularly their downlines.
To me it sounds like a lot of the cons are just from people that were not educated enough in the company, for us the person we signed up underneath told us about the monthly order that they ship to you if you don’t have your order by a certain time, he also allowed us to choose what we would like them to send if we forgot to order that month, and the monthly order is kinda the same idea as a Costco membership, as for the products I love most of them, I have very sensitive smelling so I had a problem with the stuff I could buy at retail stores since it was too strongly scented, however I don’t find that problem with maleleuca, and as for people with being pushy about getting others to sign up has nothing to do with the company itself but with people wanted to make money, me and my spouse are in it for the product and not for as busines so it’s nice to not have anyone under us.
Many in Melaleuca are “just” customers and have little to no interest in building a business. and that speaks directly to the strength of the product line. It is about switching stores and getting a better healthier product.
Hi Riaz,
Malaleuca sounds very problematic to me for all of the reasons you’ve outlined. I daresay that for the majority of people who sign up, they will never make more money than what it costs them in auto shipping every month. The fact is the vast of majority of people who join MLMs never make up any money, and they give up in the first year. There are of course the few that make lots of money but they really are the exception rather than the rule.
I truly believe that most people just aren’t a good fit for MLM – it usually starts with selling to friends and family to get it off the ground, and who wants to do that? You very quickly realise that even though your friends and family love you and think you’re awesome, they do not want to your crappy products from you, and don’t want to be sold to. Don’t be that person!
Their compensation plan sounds deliberately complicated too. Thanks for highlighting Malaleuca and I hope it helps people to make better business decisions before signing up.
Couldn’t have said it better myself Melissa,
I hate the forced product pushing part where all the uplines will make us sell to our families. Since all of them are doing it, they can make us think that it’s a good thing. I was brainwashed to until I joined several other MLMs and noticed that they have the same pattern so I started asking them more and more until they ran out of excuses.
Appreciate the feedback, hope you have a great weekend!
It’s hard for people to order 35 points every month for people. Alot of people who I’ve talked to don’t want to join because of the pyramid scheme. I just today quit marketing for the company.
I know right Marla, unless you’re of higher rank and use that often, auto-shipping is totally unnecessary. So sorry to hear that you’ve quit, good luck in your next venture!
You don’t understand a pyramid scheme. If you work for a corporation you are in a pyramid. Never can get to the top. Do real research.
Working in a corporation and being an agent in a pyramid scheme are two different things.
When you’re in a corporation, there is a career pathway in which you can grow and slowly become a manager or CEO yourself. Everyone’s working on a fixed salary and there is of course a difference in a paid salary. Still, there is a sense of security by which if you work hard, bonuses, commissions, and overtime can earn you more money than your supervisor, possibly getting you a promotion while you’re at it.
However, if you are in a pyramid scheme, you are forever stuck with an upline that is constantly squeezing money from everything that you do. If you manage to get 10 downlines per say, a percentage of that commission will go to your upline too – he’ll earn without doing anything because you are his mindless herded sheep which you can never grow from. Unless of course, you are at the top of the pyramid in which case, you don’t have to do anything at all and still get money from all your downlines as they work hard to close more downlines.
I have been a customer for 4 months. I love the products. Every month I chose what I buy. I don’t need the same things monthly. Since I have been a member I have received checks for sharing the products. Each time my check almost doubling. My 3rd check was $200. My goal is to continue sharing these amazing products that are very effective and also save me money.
This is a brilliant post! This looked so promising until you hit that very extensive con list! The first one on its own is a deal breaker because animal testing should be part of history, not the present or the future. The rest of the cons do this company no favours because all I see is lies, manipulations, and frankly just sketchy practises like deducting money after you have left.
This doesn’t really seem to be the best way to make money to me because it sort of seems like you are bullied because you have to buy the products to maintain your membership. I think you are right that Wealthy Affiliate is the way to go and that Wealthy Affiliate is by far the best choice to help people achieve their goals.
Are there any legitimate MLM programmes or are they all scams just waiting to fall apart?
Thanks for sharing this!
There aren’t many MLM companies out there and most that I come across are either falling apart, or that they prey on innocents to squeeze money from them. Affiliate marketing is the way to go 😀
you posted about compensation-have you ever seen Melaleuca magazine, that feature member and director how are these people making all this money and the product not be good???? At the end of the day I am customer has been still is—-
I definitely have checked out their magazine Keisha,
and as for product selling, people can sell just about any products out there today when they have the right words to entice people. It all comes down to whether you believe it that product on not. For me, I only promote things I feel good about but I can’t say the same for others. There are tons of people out there who are good in sales but aren’t using the product they’re promoting simply because of factors like difficulty of selling, profit commission, etc.
At the end of the day, I guess it all comes down to people’s conscience.
Hi Riaz Shah,
After reading the whole review about Melaleuca MLM company, I understood that this is not beginner friendly and not suitable for all who want to work from their home. I believe this is not scam and of course a legitimate opportunity for networking marketing guru. But since there is more complain against them and forced buying rules, I will also not recommend it to newbies. I would rather go for your # one recommendation of joining in the Wealthy Affiliate program.
Glad to hear that Mzakapon
Good Morning Riaz,
I have been with 5 MLMs in my life, some were good and others were no good at all. I am not a member of Melaleuca and I do not know their products. The system of MLM is good but you have to work hard, the money does not come flying in. I started with Forever Living Products in 2004. It was founded in 1978. I like their products, most of them use Aleo Vera. I worked for 2 years, it was difficult and when I found out it did not make any money I stopped but I continue using some of their products.
Melaleuca started in 1985. That Melaleuca tests on animals is horrible and denying doing so also. I personally would not call it a scam but for sure there are things they should improve on.
Regards, Taetske
Appreciate the feedback Taetske!
Thanks for making a review on melaleuca wellness company, I find it hard to join this website because it has so many complaints about their products which is a major turn off for me and also the fact that they still charge you after quitting, it appears to be that this site isn’t recommendable.
Wise decision Seun!
Thanks for your totally revealing review of the Melaleuca Wellness Company.Like many people, I would have assumed that any company that had been in business for 30 years must have a certain respectability about it – how wrong can you be?Unfortunately, most people involved in MLM are not focused on the quality of the products but more on how they can profit by recruiting other people into their network to do the real work and how they can exploit the multi-level income opportunity.The fact these guys test on animals, force a $50 monthly minimum auto ship and overstock you means I would never touch them.Thanks for the detailed reveal on this one!
Terrible isn’t it Les, I guess some people do not change when the money’s flowing
Thank you for your truthfulness, I just joined Melaleuca and will try their products and compare their pricing myself. Not worried about getting out, that is easy now days!
ps; joined WA, thanks for the tip!
I’m also a member of M.Global, ever hear of it/former Xango people/love the product!
Awesome Drew, best of luck on your Online Business!
Go for it!
Melaleuca is NOT an MLM! I’m in it and I know it’s not because I have been in enough to know the difference ! Don’t let people steal your dream!
Just read the comp plan-
We are all just customers!
No inventory!!! no billing – no delivery of products etc. we just share it with friends and family ! That’s it!
That’s Not the way an MLM works!
Good luck to you! I’m sure your do very well!
Hello,
I am from Poland, and I started my business with Melaleuca almost year ago. Personally I started earning since my first month withou any experience. I earned already 25 000 $ over 11 month!!! and I love products! they are super quality , and effective 🙂
I By the way, I was in Wealthy Affiliate over 1 year, just before Melaleuca, and i know how good it is. Yes, I agree they provide trainings etc. but I think if you prefer to meet people face to face like me, I think doing melaleuca is better for me. I love meeting new people everyday.
So please people, don’t take it serious.
Regards,
Klaudia
I agree with you on that Klaudia,
WA focuses on content creation which suits people who like to work on their blog and earn from it but of course, not everyone prefer sitting down and work. I used to work in sales back in Mayfair and I had to go out and meet at least 5 clients everyday to fulfill my KIP not to mention 30 sales calls and boy, did I had fun! I get to visit different companies, experience different cultures and they way they work and best of all, free business lunches 🙂
After a while, I got tired of doing the same thing and decided to try something new, something that I have never done and that’s how I got into blogging. I was terrible at computers but after learning how everything’s connected, I earn more from freelancing and eventually, I opened a physical store. There are different paths that we can take but WA gives us the platform to either monetize our passion, or grow and existing business.
There are just so many new updates and lessons that have brought me to where I am today and for that, I’m grateful which is why I’m still a member after 3 years. It’s very different compared to last time so if you were to give it a go again, you’d be very surprised. Appreciate the feedback, hope you have a great day!
What an informative article!
I was invited to do a health and wellness survey through Facebook, and didn’t know it was for this particular company. After I completed the survey, I was asked for my phone number, which I gave, not thinking much about it. I was immediately contacted by a rep selling Melaleuca. After listening to the entire spiel, I felt the red flags waving in my gut, telling me something wasn’t right about it. There was no mention about having to purchase products monthly, and no mention of it being an MLM, which I immediately suspected. I told the rep that I would have to research to find out more, and when she called me back a few days later, I told her that I wasn’t interested in an MLM. She quickly denied that Melaleuca is an MLM, but I told her that it was quite obvious. She tried to invite me onto some secret Facebook Melaleuca site, and I found that my Facebook feed was filled with posts about how awesome the product is, how inexpensive, etc. etc. I quickly decided to ignore the group, but I couldn’t help but feel I came inches within being another victim.
I am going to share this article on my Facebook feed, just to inform others that this company is dangerous.
I appreciate you putting the word out about this company.
That definitely was a close call for you Jennifer,
If you were to so much as to smile and ask about them, they’ll start targeting you for promotions and start inviting you to their home parties, some might even contact you personally to try their luck at making you their downline.
Appreciate the share, thanks for sharing your experiences. Hope you have a great day!
Hi Riaz
It truly is terrible what some companies will do to innocent people trying to earn an income. I am truly grateful that you wrote this post to warn anyone who might consider working for Melaleuca Wellness Company. Furthermore I am very glad to see there are some reputable companies like Wealthy Affiliate who are willing to give real help.
Just trying to do my job, Alison. I was got hooked into joining these cults and now that I’m out, I’m trying to help other people to steer clear of them. Cheers!
Thank you so much for your article. This company has awful products. I have been in a 7 month battle with them. They simply refuse to except my membership cancelation. I have changed my debit card number 3 times and somehow they manage to hack into it and charge me 87.00 each month. Truly a horrible experience.
Wow that’s terrible Lindsey, sorry to hear that. I too experienced the same problem with one of the internet marketing scams I came across back then when I first started. I reported and the bank refunded my money. Have you informed your bank about it?
I would encourage you to phone the company yourself and compare the information in this article to the truth.
I have tried the Wealthy Affiliate program. I love it!!! It has helped me to market my MLM successfully and cheaply. I recommend it for people who are just getting into internet marketing and for people like me who have experience but needed the platform and further teaching in the subject. One of my best decisions was to try WA.
Very detailed review of this company. I don ‘t think I have ever heard of them before and I have been doing MLM companies for about 11 years now.
I must say although you did a great job of collecting information. At times it is difficult to make a call on MLM’s unless you are actually in the business or have actually tried the products. And in some MLM’s some products are not very good and some are excellent.
So people are going to complain but it does not make the whole company bad. Kind of hard to throw a blanket over everything.
That’s because Melaleuca haven’t established in many other countries yet although they have been around ofr quite a while. Appreciate the feedback man, thanks
I was a religious believer in these MLM scheme/ Ponzi scheme back then when I was a high school student having an ambition of being rich without even going to college. I was definitely wrong ! These MLM won’t work at all in the long run as proven by scientific method. But some of the products will actually a really decent quality that members can actually make use of. Definitely stay away from these programs that offer such a confusing compensation plan like this. Again, thanks for your review Riaz, I’m looking forward to your other MLM review !
Hey Minh,
I remember my university times, those were the days. Everyone was so interconnected compared to now and we were so popular and MLM was considered very easy for students. I too fell for that scheme and didn’t want to go to college. In the end I made very little money and not at all a millionaire. Totally relate to you man, appreciate the feedback!
I have been pitched to by a number of people representing melaleuca. I will admit that in the past I had thought about joining because the representative I first met seemed so genuine that somehow melaleuca had taken her out of a very difficult financial situation. But what has stopped me every time is the fact that you have to meet their minimum order requirements monthly, not knowing whether you are even going to sell enough to cover the cost. It’s like a scam to keep you buying their products. Then, you say in this article that it is difficult to leave melaleuca. Therefore I have to say thank goodness I never joined and now I know that I shouldn’t.
One reason I understand that a company will rank well with the BBB is that they actually pay for their A rating. I was told that another online job site is using this whole a rating thing to market their business and get ppl to trust them. I trust WA.
That minimum order is definitely a killer Ririj, beginners wouldn’t stand a chance. If they want to talk about ethical matters, at least start with giving newly-joined members a few months grace period right? Appreciate your feedback, hope you have a great weekend!
Hi Riaz,
Very detailed report. Allow me to ask a few questions are you reviewing based on experience or third party knowledge? The reason I ask is I have done some research on MLM’s. I find similar companies have a legitimate multiple product structure warehouse or storefront.
However, they implement a MLM component for their marketing strategy. They recruit a third party who recruits a group of freelance /independent sole proprietors (1099) marketing consultants to promote their products regardless of the number.
MLM (independent contractor) limits their liability and reduce cost by only having to pay commission.
Most important, I think to note is that Independent Contractors are not employees they are self employed contracted worker responsible to the government just like the company they represent. They have the ability to add or remove companies they represents without changing industry.
I wrote and published an e-book regarding MLM & the Law that includes a great deal of research.
Great review, it is a must read for me again.
Hey man,
Of course there are legitimate MLMs with great products and the system alone doesn’t make it a scam. The only reason why it can become a scam though, is because of the people inside who are doing things unethically which gives bad rep for the company and the community and since MLM is community-based whereby they worship their uplines and everything they say, everyone follows.
In MLM, its a play of influence and if you are the white sheep, you have to turn black in order to fit in else you are the black sheep to them which is not gonna be pretty for you. Hope I answered the question right!
Wow!
Now that is what I call on heck of an in-depth review!
I am not a fan of mlm’s for the very reason I don’t want my income dependent on others nor to manage a team and train them. The key skill in mlm appears not the be recruiting people but getting in early and recruiting established quality marketers that know how to sell the products and of course recruit others into their (and thus your deeper downlines).
We have a term for that though Derek, over here they refer to them as power leaders because basically the pioneers find them to help with the recruitment. Always a pleasure to have you here, thanks for the feedback! Have a great Thursday 😀
I think Malaleuca is riding on its longevity more than anything. People see how long they’ve been around and they think that makes them a secure option but really it seems like they’ve just been around long enough to work the system in their favour.
I hope more people become wise to the MLM design and understand how to spot these phoney businesses from a mile away.
I hope so too Ryan, appreciate your feedback. Thanks for dropping by!
Hi Riaz,
I’d never heard of Melaleuca Wellness before, so I’m glad to learn more about what they are and do. Reading your review sure is eye opening!
I’m definitely not going to support a company that tests their products on animals…shame on them! Plus, it sounds like way too much of having to pay for products that you might not even sell.
And, seeing your screenshots of complaints on some of the products really turns me off. I wouldn’t want to have my name associated with poor products.
I’d been a member of Amway in the past, which I’m still not sure whether it’s an MLM company or not, but it was quite similar that recruiting was the main focus, and not so much the products. Maybe it’s changed though, of that I don’t know, since it’s been many years…too many to want to admit, lol.
However, doing things like trying to recruit others into signing up for something like this is rather impossible…something my hubby and I learned after a few years in Amway.
You have to be a smooth talker or maybe if you know a lot of people that are very trusting. Neither of us are the smooth talking, salesy type, so we recruited absolutely no one, lol.
However, we did sell some products from Amway and used them ourselves too. But, sales were not enough to make a living off of though.
I sure hope people realize what a bad idea joining the Melaleuca Wellness Company is…especially since you mentioned they keep charging you even when you quit.
I definitely agree, there are much better options out there to start your own online business in either selling your own products or being an affiliate of ones that you believe in.
Thanks for sharing such an informative review! Keep up the awesome job, Riaz.
Hey there Sherry,
I could totally relate to you on the Amway part as my mother joined it too when I was young and I grew up helping her sell her unfinished products and trying to recruit other people. The ordeal was real and at one point, I felt pretty sad that my mother had to go through all of this, so much so that I vowed to help her get out of it.
I grew up with broader motivation to help more people afterwards because preying on people’s hopes and dreams is not something to be taken lightly. People are generally nice, but being tricked by MLM companies like Amway or Melaleuca is what changes them so its better to avoid them altogether. Appreciate the wonderful feedback by the way, hope you have a great Monday!
Thank you for posting this. Everybody who wanted to pursue MLM should always research and research and research and look throroughly on what kind or what type of MLM they are going to get into. This information is so valuable. Keep on posting like this and help more people to be aware of other people’s bad scheme. Thank you
Glad you liked the review Philip, thanks .
Great website, great content!
I visited your page of internet scams the “copy paste income”.
ClickBank is one of the best place to get affiliate products, but its also true that has lots of non quality products..so I’m not surprised that “copy paste” is not legit according to your review, I totally agree with you on that.
Wow, its a long list! Its scary online if you don’t really know where to search, nowadays and if you are not careful you can get really easily scammed.
Thank you for your help Riaz!
Alex
My thoughts exactly Alex,
I was really scared to spend anything online when I first started out but now that I know my way, I help the other beginners by pointing out what they should go for and what they should avoid. Awesome to know you liked my review. Thanks for dropping by and wishing you a Happy Chinese New Year!
Hi Riaz,
I don’t know anything about Melaleuca before, but as a former victim of MLM scheme, I have read with interest your review on this company. I find your thorough research and the report that follows really comprehensive. Moreover, your spirit of helping others is exemplary in a sense that you have done so on a request of one of your readers. I am sure this report and many of your valuable contents in your website will serve as a beacon for those potential victims in the ocean of online marketing where sharks are rampant. Keep up the good work!
Cheers,
Kipps
I feel your pain Kipps, this page I wrote is meant top help other MLM victims to get away from the Melaleuca loophole as soon as they realise that they’re wasting their time and judging from your comment, I’d say I’m getting progress 😀 . Appreciate the kind feedback, thanks for dropping by!
Yeah, I am not sure how those people are still in business. They must have a cult following or their only customers are family members. Riaz, I will check out Wealthy Affiliate through your link. Thanks for the info.
BTW – love your site! Nice happy looking pic of you too.
I would say MLMs are mostly cults who worship their leader and banter non-stop, even their family members are targets for them to sell to. Very pushy and most of my friends who join them never came back right. Thanks so much for the kind words, appreciate it! Have an awesome Friday bro 😀
Thanks for creating this review. It seems to be very informative, particularly on this MLM company. People need to know things like the fact they test on animals and that they have tons of complaints online. You seem to have a nice site here. I like your site and please keep up the good work.
Thanks Mike, cheers!
Personally, I have never been a fan of Melaleuca. It always seemed like they targeted old ladies in their marketing. I get the feeling that they use a lot of scary chemicals in some of their products. My mother in law just tried to pawn off a bunch of old Melaleuca tooth paste and tooth polish on us.
Hey Mark,
You’re mother-in-law? I’ve experienced that firsthand with my brother-in-law trying to push me into an MLM too and I gotta say, its really a bad move for them to do that – Breaks family ties. After countless talks on me to join his MLM, I steamed and started voicing out that I’m not interested to join and that he shouldn’t force families to join. My brother-in-law never bothered me again.
Hi,
I’ve been looking into a couple MLM programs lately one being Digital Altitude and the other being Melaleuca wellness company.
I’ve decided against Digital Altitude because it seems like the success rate is very low. I’ve heard better things about Melaleuca but after reading your review I’m having second thoughts.
Of course I don’t like the fact that they test on animals but I’m also put off by the fact that they force you to buy products every month in order to remain a member.
I can’t seem to find a MLM that doesn’t have major flaws. Would your #1 recommendation work for someone with no online experience or is it more for people who know how to run a website?
Robert
Hey there Robert,
I could look into Digital Altitude for you if you like, its something I have been trying to find the time to review as well. My #1 recommended program works for everyone from all walks of life, be it if you don’t have any experience or if you have no prior knowledge. As long as you have the passion to do something you like, you turn that into an opportunity to earn. Appreciate the feedback, cheers!
Too many red flags signals to me that I should never consider that MLM scheme. It’s weird because almost every MLM review that I see online are scams (well that’s according to the author). Was it coincidence or was it just me?
Anyway, I think this program has too many flaws both in products and in business model which I consider to be dangerous to go in. Then the compensation plan, the very reason why people are enticed to join, was poorly written that it’s bad for business basically. My verdict is never join these kinds of obvious scammers (unless you want to play with them).
Not a coincidence Dominic, if a program is flooded with loads of bad reviews then there’s something definitely fishy about it. Always good to be cautious, thanks for your feedback. Hope you have a great Monday!
Hey,
The main problem with mlm schemes is that they only benefit the people at the top, while those below literally get peanuts.
The worst thing is that they charge a monthly fee which is higher than what the people at the lowest level make.
And then comes the cheap advertising: “Make millions by just sending emails!” type of stuff.
MLMs are nothing but scams designed to keep fooling people.
Btw great review. Keep posting!
Cheers
Pushkaraj
Definitely Pushkaraj,
That’s why they are called pyramid schemes, people below always have to work hard so that the ones on top get it easy. Glad we share the same point of view, hope you have a great day!
-Riaz
Wow I’m so glad I found your site I was almost going to sign up lady seemed to know what she was talking about it seemed like products were all natural but only thing was I couldn’t actually read what the ingredients were to see just how naturalthey claim to.be that was sorta red flag then you gave me more red flags thankyou
Do you have a review about company called Plexus?would love to read it as well since II’ve been approached about there products as well.thanks doing awesome job at research I will check out your company please send me any info about plexus thank you
You’re most welcome Cindy, I try to be as detailed as possible when writing my reviews because I do not want many other innocent people getting duped like how I was. I’ll definitely write a review on Plexus Cindy, but it will take some time as I have other review requests lined up too. Do subscribe to my newsletter, I always inform on the next review by mail 😀
Hi Riaz!
All these blogs are very informative and points out most of the questions I have in mind. Although it is given that most MLM uses health products for members to promote and sell. But if people we’re actually wanting to make an extra income out of these. It would be pretty hard as just by selling the products alone. Therefore, members are obliged to recruit to earn. And apart from that, if they are forcing to keep you once you join them just to benefit from you, then clearly it is a total scam!
Thank you for this post. I look forward to reading more of your blogs in the near future.
Exactly what I was pointing out Bibokid,
selling products in MLM is super hard as compared to retail, conversion is super low and this is mainly because you are supposed to focus on recruitment more but when you do that, its a pyramid scheme already. They never tell it but you can see the nature of how they work when you’ve already joined am I right? Appreciate the feedback, have a great Thursday my friend.
I actually was involved with this company years ago…and in fact still have a shelf full of cleaning products. To be fair, I did think the products were worthy. They have a few cleaners that I have not been able to replace. But all and all, network marketing is difficult. There are some who seem to be making money, but the majority of folks can never seem to get their business off the ground. thanks for the great post! It’s well written and informative. You did your homework!
Glad to hear your feedback Jackie, the products were okay I guess but the way they sell and market makes many unsatisfied. Thanks for dropping by, hope you have a great weekend!
It sounds like you are saying as major con, is that you have to actually buy the products yourself in order to sell those?? Well I find it hard to believe that they would need to operate that way. If you only have to spend $50 a month in quality, usable product, that would be fine, but otherwise it would obviously be a major rip-off.
Hey Andrew,
it definitely is a major con to sell products that you have to buy yourself. If you’re selling other people’s products, you’re basically working as a salesmen for them and those products should be given to you by the company you work for.
If you’re selling on behalf of a company, you can buy those products at a wholesale price which is a lot cheaper since you can buy in bulk. in MLM however, you are the customer and its why its not a fair game since not only do we have to buy from them, we have to sell it to other people. its a messed up concept wouldn’t you agree? Appreciate the feedback, thanks for dropping by!
Riaz,
I remember the time when MLMs are a thing. I’ve hear a couple of MLMs promotional speeches and have to admit that most of them makes me cringe.
The worst thing about them is like Melaleuca here, where the products are sub-par. And then you are expected to sell them to your friends and family. It’s a bad model in my opinion.
As you said, other models like affiliate marketing can prove much more powerful and ethical, when you don’t have a product to sell. What do you think about WA, how did you come across it?
Thanks a bunch for sharing this detailed review! I just love how you put up this super detailed post with so many references. 😉
Cheers,
Anh
Hey Anh,
MLMs are definitely overrated today as there are tons of companies out there not to mention the new ones popping out every now and then. So great to hear you agree with the facts, selling to friends and families is definitely not a good way to make money. In fact, its not called a business, its called leeching.
I came across WA through an MLM program which I came across 2 years ago. I felt cheated so I read a review from someone who was also cheated off the program and from there, I decided to help out people avoid these MLM traps by writing reviews based on my experiences too and that’s how I joined WA.
Its a great program and its currently my #1 recommended choice for Online Business. So good to hear from you, thanks for dropping by!
I am never being interested in MLM company. the structure of MLM is looking great, In a startup, it needs dedication and hard work.
The problem with MLM company is not sustaining for a long time. Melaleuca is 30 years of past experience. People is trust on Melaleuca . who has an interest in MLM business?
30 years of sustainability is a very strong point of Melaleuca .
You’re true on the sustainability part, retention rate is super low in MLM companies as not many people can commit with their monthly spending requirements. Appreciate the feedback, cheers.
Wow, what a comprehensive review you have done here on Melaleuca Wellness Company. I can’t say I have heard of them or experienced using any of their products, but you have given consumers a lot to think on here.
I personally don’t like selling products, as it is hard work and degrading to keep nagging people to buy from you. I would far rather stick to building out websites and doing affiliate marketing long term.
Not everyone prefers selling products Michel,
its hard work and you need super thick skin. Affiliate Marketing is very powerful especially in this era because you don’t have to face rejection as all you need to do is write content and let people decide on whether they want to pursue or not. Good luck on your online business and thanks for dropping by!
Hey Riaz, thank you very much for this in depth review.
To be honest, I find myself looking into MLM’s almost every day (even the ones that say they aren’t).
I keep thinking there must be a genuine company that offers a decent product with a simple to understand and profitable compensation plan.
At the moment I’m researching NuSkin and now Melaleuca Wellness which is how I ended up here on your review.
It sounded good at first but I can safely say that you’ve now put me off the idea lol.
I’ve read through your explanation of the comp plan twice now and I’m having trouble getting my head around it (obviously not your fault). Why do these companies make it so complicated?
Also Red flag #7 makes me want to run a mile, average member earnings $84 per month? Doesn’t quite live up to some of the claims I’ve read which again, makes me wonder.
Top that off with the number of complaints they’ve received and the fact they test on animals, I think I will be steering well clear of Melaleuca Wellness!
I’m beginning to think I should stop looking into MLM’s altogether as they all see complicated and basic products that are hyped up not to mention overpriced!
Thanks again, I think I’ve had a lucky escape thanks to your review.
Hey there Lee,
MLM companies revel at their compensation plans because that’s their strongest point actually. People can easily be persuaded by money and when they see the various amounts of ways tah tthey can earn by recruiting and how far they can go, they will most probably join if they have not done any research on it.
Glad you decided to steer away from it, I have been conned by many of these MLM companies and it saddens me to see how many others are getting tricked into joining as well by promises of quick riches. Thanks for taking the time to share your opinion man, really appreciate it. Hope you enjoy your weekends!
Thanks for doing such a great review on Melaleuca Wellness, I think it’s sad that there are so many fraudulent companies out there that will take your money and convince you that they are providing you with a legitimate business opportunity then you discover that you have been scammed at a later time.
I think it’s bad that they test their products on animals, and they force you to buy products every month to maintain your membership, this should raise a red flag for most people.
Buying those products every month means that you are giving your money for them to continue doing all those horrible tests on those poor animals. I’m glad we share the same point of view, appreciate your feedback.
Hi Riaz,
Thanks for this honest and concise review. I don’t know too much about MLM (although I did work for one a few years ago – thankfully I wasn’t there for too long) and I had never heard of Melaleuca till now. I find it absolutely horrifying to know that they test on animals! I hope more and more people learn the truth about this company and stop participating in it.
Its very cruel of them to do that on animals but they stand by what they said and they will continue doing so unless their company shut down. Thanks for dropping by Andrea, I hope many will know about what’s happening behind this company as well. Hope you enjoy your weekend!
Riaz,
Good website. Everything is easy to find. Good job.
I knew there was companies out there that are like this, I should know because I was one that was roped into some of them.
Your website should open some eyes on these companies and get people to thinking about what they are investing their money into.
Glad you find my review helpful, Jim. Cheers
Riaz,
Nice website. There are always companies out there that try to make money by masking what they really are. It seems that maybe you have found one.
Your website is really good, and everything is very easy to find. A very good read and very informative. Thank you for the information.
Good luck to you.
Glad you liked my review Jim, thank you for the wish. Good luck to you too!
I’m not even really sure what to say about this one honestly. Just stay away from it.
After reading this I can think of about 14 reasons as to why you wouldn’t want to get involved with these guys. But instead I’ll just name 5.
1. Needlessly expensive
2. Scam you out of your money
3. Cruelty to animals
4. You will lose more than you earn
5. There’s not many people saying a lot of good things about it, and I’ve searched beyond just this article.
Do yourself a favor and please just don’t bother with this garbage.
Appreciate your feedback Jaylin, there are also many more programs similar to Melaleuca which are just as bad, we just need to know how to spot them. Cheers!
An excellent detailed and honest review of yet another MLM MONSTER. It took me a long to time to dig out from under my investment of time and money into this company.
Also add, not only do these folks test on animals, their Melaleuca products (Tea Tree Oil based) are highly toxic to cats and dogs. Plus the products are INFERIOR in PERFORMANCE.
Good job, Riaz. You fairly gave the ups and downs and let us make our own intelligent decision on our involvement with this company. Keep up the good work.
Hello Loretta, I’m glad you found my review helpful. Its always disturbing to find companies thriving when they are doing so much harm than good. Appreciate your honest feedback, hope you have a great Thursday!
This one of the best reviews of any product I’ve read. Right up front you set the tone for the rest of the review but not so much as to drive me away. I found the remainder of the information very compelling and informative.
Your contrast between MLM and Wealthy Associates is also laid out well. Definitely worth checking out. People are obviously making money on the internet. Your recommendation seems to be a good way to find out how.
Good to know your feedback Roger, I try to make my reviews as personal as i can so that people can relate better to what I’m sharing. I’m glad you did. Hope you have a great weekend ahead!
I know Melaleuca has been around for a while, so they must have some good marketing to keep luring people into their MLM.
In the day and age it is a good idea to stay away from testing your products on animals as well. I’m suprised they would want this negative publicity.
I also don’t believe in having to buy a certain amount of products every month. If the products were good, you would just do it on your own without mandatory purchasing.
Not for me!
The reason they survived is in fact because of their marketing efforts Chris, direct marketing deals highly with the word of mouth which his the best form of marketing until today. Whether the company is good or bad, people can always say something to convince the heart of others. Appreciate your feedback, cheers.
Hi Riaz, although I have not heard about this MLM company before, based on what I have read your post, there are too many negative reviews on their products! Generally, many people always have a very bad impression on MLM companies. However, I have seen some of the good MLM companies in my country such as World Ventures, Riway and Best World Lifestyles. Their sales rep that I met before are not pushy and they explained in detailed about their compensation plan. True enough that their compensation plan are very attractive, but it is not suitable for a quiet person like me. That is why, I also joined WA to build my online business.
Hey there Peter,
My experience with World Ventures was very bad. They gave me false hopes of easy money, asked me to spend money for them to do events and forced me to invite my own contacts to the event. I was naiive at first as I followed them blindly but after I gathered up the courage to say no, they started pressuring me and calling me names saying things like I can never be successful.
Many more MLM companies that I’ve joined are just as bad if not worse and were I to have more time to write reviews on them, I would rat out all of them for the things they do behind the scene. Thanks for taking the time to write out your feedback, much appreciated my friend.
Hi Riaz,
Throughly enjoyed reading many of your post, great information and honest reviews.
I especially enjoyed your detailed reviews (good & bad) on many of the MLM companies. I actually wan’t aware that their are so many!
You have a wealth of information which I do intend on reading.
Keep up the Awesome work!
Grant.
There are many more of those all over the world Grant, and they are popping out everywhere like mushrooms. Even my ex-schoolteacher created her own MLM just behind my house and got her school students to join in. People are becoming more creative, there are more of them than you would initially think and they’re growing by the second so we always need to have extra set of eyes behind our heads. Appreciate the comment, hope you have a great Wednesday!
Hi, thanks for this eye oppener, there are a lot of scamers right now, and I people fall in these schemes even when they are warned beforehand,
Maybe it is human nature and all the this they promise, work can not be avoided , I see a lot of place where it is offer a get rich over night secret.
My personal opinion, the secret is to work in one self.
Thanks again for the warning
Exactly Javier, effort will always bring you forward much faster as how productive you wanna get, equals to how successful you want your venture to grow. Cheers.
Hey Riaz, thanks for bringing this MLM review to light. I have had friends who tried to build businesses around Melaleuca and it just was not sustainable. That said, there were persons who were exceptional “salespersons”, who had some success but in the end I believe they risked their reputation and integrity more than anything else. Melaleuca suffers in the end from poor leadership and strategy–no one has the time for that sort of deception and chicanery. There are definitely better ways to make money online. Be blessed!
Hey Joshua,
Most members actually sacrifice their reputation and dignity in order to become one with the MLM which is why so many of them lose their friends and families because to them, everyone is a customer. Personally, I would never have the people I love spend for me, I spend for them mostly. Appreciate the comment, hope you’re having a great Monday!
I like the concept of MLM, but the problem I have is that there are no MLM companies that have products I would want to market.
Melaleuca and others like just seem to have products that are more expensive than what you could purchase at your local store. Plus you have to buy your monthly quota. Another thing I don’t like about MLM.
Yes, doing an MLM is pretty much a terrible idea if you end up spending your time and money for something you never like. The monthly quota is also another setback that many members face, especially if its so early within their joining. Appreciate your feedback Chris, cheers!
It is a great review, with a lot of information to take into account. Definitely a product I will not be looking into. I appreciate your thoroughness with it all. Oftentimes you find reviews of products that are lackluster. This one definitely delivers. I wish you all the best and wonderful success in your endeavors. Keep up the good work!
Thanks Elliott, words like yours are what fuels me to write! I spent quite some time trying to write the review. Thanks for dropping by, cheers!
Great review! I personally joined over a dozen of MLM programs in the past, and had similar experiences. I’m not a big fan of the standard MLM structure where your revenue is based on your shorter leg. I’ve also wondered why companies with hundreds of complaints still have A+ ratings?
That bothered me as well Faustinus, so many complaints yet they still maintain an A+. Don’t you think that something’s a little off? Thanks for dropping by nevertheless, always a pleasure to have you here. Enjoy your weekends!
A very interesting read, thank you.
Malaleuca is not a company I had heard about before, but I’m glad it has been exposed. I find the fact it tests on dogs disgusting (rats too, but dogs are generally better loved and I’ve just adopted one). I liked your screenshots of customer reviews, there’s no arguing against solid evidence. How this company is allowed to function is beyond me.
Thanks again,
– TBonki
I’m glad that you see my point of view TBonki, its sad to see how animals are abused just to satisfy human cravings. Appreciate the comment, cheers!
I salute to you for this article. I think you have spend lot more time to do all this analysis. I do not know about this MLM company but i knew few MLM companies which runs by recruiting people but not promoting product,may be all those companies are scam? Do you have any idea about QNET Company? I appreciate you have mentioned Wealthy affiliate which is wonderful affiliate program.
Hello Brahma,
If that particular company has products or service but they do not focus on those things themselves, then there’s something definitely not right happening there. If they are using their products/service as a mask, then that particular company is most definitely scamming you into trying to make you get in just because of the money they get out of network marketing.
I haven’t heard of QNET yet, its actually pretty new and from what I can tell, its an obvious MLM company trying to grow through sports and by using football players as their ambassadors. I’m not really a sports fan so its going to take me a while to learn the who and whats of the company. Thanks for your feedback man, hope you have a great Friday.
I first heard about this company when doing research for a membership club called Moms Making Six Figures. They apparently target stay-at-home moms and try to get them to join Melaleuca. But the Moms Making Six Figures website is very secretive about it all, there is no real information available on the site.
What you have unearthed here is shocking, though! The compensation plan alone is so complicated it just makes me want to run in the other direction. It really looks like this is not worthwhile at all.
I am going to link to this from my Moms Making Six Figures Review.
Thanks for the link Marcus,
I’ve checked your Moms making six figures review and I’d like to congratulate you on getting ranked first page man, your efforts paid off. The compensation plan itself is pretty confusing isn’t it? It will definitely take some time to do the presentation alone. Appreciate the feedback, thanks for dropping by!
I am not a huge fan of MLM’s, I think that their products are overpriced. I have used melaleuca products before, I used to use their tea tree oil face wash when I was a teenager and it worked well. I don’t think that they are a bad company, I am just not a fan of MLM’s. I would rather buy from a direct to consumer company. You have done a very thorough review of this company, so thank you 🙂
Glad to know your opinion Andrea, some products do work well with some people. Cheers!
Hi Riaz, you did a good job reviewing Melaleuca. One of my cousins in the USA, a physical therapist, is involved in Melaleuca’s MLM.
I’d like to ask, how did you came up with that score of 16 out of 100 that’s in red color? Do you use something like an app to exactly determine that score?
Very good question there Gomer, I actually have a sheet I refer to in order to evaluate reviews. Like how many mark should I minus when there are certain number of complaints, any money tricks, any MLMs and a lot more. But I think its high time I write about it here. Will definitely let you know once I’ve written a post about it, thanks for the idea suggestion!
Thanks for a thorough review of Melaleuca.
I would never have the company score would be so low in your ranking but after your revelations, they are lucky to have scored that much
I was approached about joining this a few months ago but the alarm bells of Amway was ringing so I had to decline. Not that Amway is bad but it a hard sell.
The idea of a ‘forced purchase’ on things I don’t need every month left a bad taste.
I’ll re visit to check out some more reviews.
That forced purchase is actually the one thing that pushes most of the members to quit as they couldn’t commit though. But don’t worry, there are much better things at more reasonable prices elsewhere. Thanks for dropping by, hope you have a great Thursday!
Hi,
It’s interesting that they deny the fact that they are an MLM when they so obviously are.
I do see the appeal to companies like this because they claim to be an easy way to make a living from your home without any experience. There are so many people looking to make extra money so it’s no surprise that this company is drawing people in.
My problem is the fact that they aren’t focusing on the products. It’s not a good sign if a company is equally interested in recruited sales people as they are in promoting the products themselves.
Anyone who has a good or great product doesn’t have to worry about recruiting sales people because the products sell themselves.
Cheers,
Robert
Totally agree with you on that one Robert, good service or products sell themselves and when you pull your focus into recruiting more than giving the best that you have to offer just for the sake of money, then its definitely not a good company to be in for the long run. Appreciate your feedback man, thanks for dropping by!
You’re review of this MLM is about as good as it gets! Thanks for all of the answer to this. Honestly, I’ve never heard of this company but I get bombarded with MLM schemes all of the time. I can’t believe that their compensation plan is 11 pages long!!! What craziness… Also, I’m glad that you pointed to Wealthy Affiliate. They are a great, reputable company!!
Thanks Brenna, appreciate you sharing your feedback. It is a great company and I’ve been with it for quite some time now. Cheers!
Hi Riaz. 🙂
I have heard about melaluca, but heard the name through an essential oils company. I didn’t realize there was an actual company until I started to research the oil itself.
When I started to research the company I kept getting mixed reviews, but nothing was really definitive. I am grateful to have stumbled across your article because I was having a debate with myself about this company. Are there any of the wellness companies you do like?
There are many wellness companies that I like Jennifer, but none of them are MLM-based. Essential oils are in fact one of the products sold by Melaleuca and also another company I think you know called Doterra. Thanks for dropping by, hope you have a great Tuesday!
Riaz, First off great site. You really seemed to do your homework on Melaleuca Wellness. When you have to test drugs on innocent animals, that’s a red flag right there. Also I agree, the only one making money off of this product are the manufacturers. Thanks for the advice.
Alan
Thanks Alan, it took me a month to do all these research. Appreciate the feedback, hope you have a great Monday!
Hard to believe that a company that has been in business for 30 years and has sales over $1 billion years would be considered a pyramid scheme. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission provides a definition of pyramid schemes at their website. Multi-level marketing or network marketing is a viable business model. A number of MLM companies are listed on the New York Stock Exchange. I don’t think the Securities Exchange Commission would allow pyramid schemes to listed on the NYSE.
Melaleuca obviously has image problems as does many other MLM companies. The fact that they have management problems as well as process problems should not automatically make them bad. But there are definitely better choices for those who are interested in having an MLM business.
Hey Glen,
As much as they try to hide it from the public, they are clearly an MLM company. The difference between an MLM company and a pyramid scheme is that MLM companies has products to mask their network marketing intentions whereas pyramid schemes focus solely on finding people.
However when recruiting people is more important than the quality of the products itself and members are desperately trying to get more downlines, what difference is that than of a pyramid scheme?
Hi,
Well I am not a fan of MLM and throughout my course of my life, I have been approached by many of my friends who are in this field. I absolutely find it irritating when they show me a list of the products. Yes, it may be cheaper than what we can find in the marts. But how do we know if their products are properly certified? Especially, when it is something like food or facial products. I think we still need to think twice before getting products at a cheaper price somehow. I have never heard of Melaleuca Wellness but now that you have reviewed, I have learnt something about this program.
Thanks!
Jacob
They make claims like the products being organic when they clearly aren’t Jacob, so I’m not surprised if they are capable of masking more things from the public. Appreciate the feedback, hope you have a great Sunday!
I know many of them even sell the wrong products to the wrong target audience ! Some tried to sell me stuff like female perfume and I say I am not interested, they try to convince me that I can build a business around it !
Exactly Arthur, they have a hq here in Malaysia at the Menara UOA bangsar and they are quite active there.
I would encourage you to confirm the information with Melaleuca yourself. Don’t just assume what a review states is true. 1-800-282-3000
Obviously calling the general line would only get you the answer they want you to hear, not the one you need to know. I would advise checking other reviews to see what others would have to say.