Multi-level marketing expert Robert Fitzpatrick discusses the phenomenon of high-level MLM distributors going from company to company. He also explains some distributor numbers released by MonaVie, which show that 91% of distributors receive no commissions from the company, and that the bottom 99% of distributors receive an average of $3.75 a week in commissions. Doesn’t sound like much of an earnings opportunity to me!
From Robert’s blog:
The MLM scheme that is currently reaping the benefit of the increased vulnerability of consumers, who already lost at least once in another MLM, is Monavie, a MLM promoter of fruit juice that sells for $40 a bottle. Thousands of Amway, Nuskin, Usana and other MLM victims are flocking to Monavie. Many are being led not only by Mona Vie’s claims about “extraordinary” income and miracle benefits from its fruit juice, but are being personally led by trusted upline leaders from other MLM schemes. Some of Amway’s top schemer’s and “tools” promoters, for example, are now guiding their followers over to Monavie.
The results of their move to Monavie, like millions of others seeking redemption in yet another MLM offering a “great opportunity,” are all too predictable.
See the chart that shows the devastating losses caused by Monavie. It shows a transfer of millions of dollars from hundreds of thousands of consumers who join at the bottom to a handful of Monavie schemers at the top.
For a preview, consider these stark facts:
- The top 1% (0.77% or 1 out of each 130) received 65% of all the Monavie commissions. These commissions came out of the pockets of those at the bottom.
- The bottom 91% of the entire Monavie sales force, received no company payments at all!
- Of the 9% who did receive a commission check, the bottom 99% of them earned on average only $59 a week, before product costs and all business expenses.
- The average income of the bottom 99% of all Monavie distributors was $3.75 a week before all product costs and business expenses.
These amazing Monavie figures need to be repeated! 91% earned zero. Of the 9% that earned something, 99% of them earned only $59 a week on average, before all product costs and business expenses.
And. most walked into this financial pit directly from other MLMs, such as Amway, where they had “failed.”
I think you missed something. MOST people sign up as distributors to simply receive the wholesale price and home shipping. They never had any intention to sell and never doled out any money to do so.
If you are going to look at distributors, you need to look at STAR and above. You also don’t need to spend any money do to this business as they provide many free documents on line for brochures.
So if someone is making $59/week, they are ahead since they only spent $39 to sign up. The product they drink is usually a case at $143 incl shipping. So, most are even covering what they would have consumed anyways.
Hogwash. Nobody buys this garbage without the intention of selling it themselves, except for maybe a select few who haven’t yet gotten the memo that Mona Vie is nothing more than a token product to legitimize an otherwise illegal pyramid scheme. It tastes horrible…even the distributors have no choice but to admit that…and the cost is ridiculous. You could say people buy it for it’s nutritional value…specifically, the aforementioned folks who haven’t yet gotten “the memo” that the the health benefits Mona Vie used to claim (before the FDA called them on it) were grossly exaggerated. The fact is…and yes, it is a FACT…it has less nutritional value than plain old grape juice or apple juice. A lot of people DO buy it and never sell it, but it’s not for a lack of trying; it’s just hard to peddle hog swill at $45 a bottle.
People desperately want to believe what the pied pipers of deceit are always playing on their motivational flute. Seems like all the competing MLM schemes and scams always look at the current losers in Amway as ripe fodder for their schemes which have in some way been polished up to seem inviting. Too bad, most only end up in another losing affair. Many follow the Kingpins from one scam right into another believing that the new opportunity is somehow going to work out this time. They pin the pictures of cars, houses and even the kingpins themselves as well as their upline to their fridge and/or the bathroom mirror. They attempt to “speak” their desires into being, all the while investing their free time and money into the dream/scheme.
Tracy, I find it sad. There are some very nice well meaning people I’ve met, chatted with and really like as people who are involved in MonaVie and other MLM schemes. Many times these people look at what I believe and say as proof positive evidence that they are indeed somehow succeeding. It is like a Christian who views the opposition of the Devil as proof positive evidence that God will triumph in the end. Where the one might be worth considering, the other is absolute nonsense.
People wanting to believe all the tapes, speeches from on stage, and the company propaganda only set themselves up for the financial holocaust these companies bring about. You can deny the Nazi holocaust, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t really happen. Amway apologist are exactly like Nazi apologist David Irving. They deny the financial holocaust this company has wrought in the overwhelming majority of folk who have involved themselves in what author David Brear describes as a “Closed Market Swindle.”
Might a few stop and consider what Mr. Fitzpatrick says and come to their senses.
I had a family member who was a lifelong rainbow chaser in MLM schemes. At family gatherings they fronted all the time about how great they were doing, and endlessly attempted to recruit.
When they passed away, I had to sort through their personal documents, much of which needed to be shredded as it was just old statements that weren’t relevant to the estate. The only thing sadder than the staggering collection of “Overdue Account – Final Notice” credit card letters was the collection of years of monthly downline statements. On a good month they were pulling in $50-150 from whichever scheme they were mixed up in at the time.
A pretty sad testimony of your life to leave behind, if you ask me.
Lee D…
Sorry to hear about the passing of your family members. Seems like the theme of “acting out success” is part and parcel of the way schemes like Rainbow, Kirby, MonaVie and Amway operate. Always have to “fake it until you make it” in these sham businesses. Sadly all the faking is comes without any making.
How some of these MLM charlatans can play it off like they are making out financially (when they aren’t) would make most normal people feel guilt ridden. Oddly enough, many Christian types are involved in these schemes. I see a perversion of faith occurring here. You would think that someone selling these plans of men were actually saving the immortal souls of those receiving the plan. Hmmmm? It is okay to basically lie as long as you believe you are helping your fellow man? You perpetrate a fraud, many times on friends, family and co-workers.
Seems like there is a small segment of folks who are psychologically suited to fall for these schemes. Of course I am always reminded of P.T. Barnum’s observation that there is a new fool born every day.
Jen – Prove it. Prove that most people sign up only for discounted magic juice. (If that was the case, the company wouldn’t put so much into their recruiting materials and the fantasies about financial freedom.)
Prove it? ****vulgarity deleted, and as expected, Jen declines to provide proof of her statement***
Jen said:
“I think you missed something. MOST people sign up as distributors to simply receive the wholesale price and home shipping.”
I think it was you who missed something here. MOST people sign up with this strange idea of becoming very rich very fast. They learn the hard way, though. That’s why the dropout rates are usualy very high amongst MLM companies (or maybe they just don’t like the taste of the products…).
Anyway, whatever the reasons are for signing up, the numbers shown by FitzPatrick are conclusive: almost everybody fails to make a profit.
Jen also said:
“They never had any intention to sell and never doled out any money to do so.”
That’s right. The real intention is recruiting, not selling.
Best Regards.
Pedro….
Most people do not sign up in dreams of riches. Many sign up after they hear what the product has done for someone else or have tried a case, etc….
If someone is going to go after the “riches” in MonaVie, they are AT LEAST a STAR on the Income Disclosure Statement. A Star is someone who signs up two people and is the minimum to get paid. It is not hard to sign up two people (family, friends). So if they are not STAR on the income disclosure statement, they are typically drinkers. Most of those 91% are drinkers. The STARs and above are doing the business. All of my 30+ business builders wouldn’t even think about promoting the product unless it worked. Too many business professionals, doctors, PTs, etc… with their reputations at stake.
You have to give MV some credit for even publishing the income disclosure statement. If you read all the footnotes, they are trying to tell you how many people are actually doing this business and how many hours people are working per week to even achieve $50/week. Show me another MLM that will be honest with you on the amount of work.
I know there are dishonest companies and people that only aim at recruiting and that is why the industry has a terrible reputation. As long as you are ethical and hold high standards, it is a flexible way to work for residual income. MLM is not much different than any other sales person that is trying to win “accounts” to retail or push their product. Your distributors are your “accounts”. It’s easy to stand on the outside and bash everything. Makes for better reading.
Jen – I’m again inviting you to provide actual proof of your statements. You saying “It’s easy to recruit 2 so if they don’t, they must not be trying to build a business” is not proof. Please provide actual proof, not arbitrary guesses from you.
“You have to give MV some credit for even publishing the income disclosure statement.”
Isn’t that like giving a rapist some credit for admitting he’s going to kill his victim after assaulting them? Hooray, three cheers for honesty!
Tracy,
I told you I specifically ask everyone that signs up below me. I can only speak “on authority” on my 600. I’ve had many others leaders tell me the same. How can you make the assumption that everyone that signs up it trying to build a business? How do you prove that? How do you know they are not just signing up to get the wholesale price? What proof do you have? This is silly.
Lee. Not even close and sick. They are giving people a tool to make an informed decisision just like you have done before doing anything.
Jen – All I’ve asserted is that almost everyone in MonaVie loses money, based on their own statistics. I’ve provided support for my claims, and I’m just asking you to do the same.
I have been “in” Monavie since June 2005…6 months after it started…and I am not making any money in the business. Why? Because “I” have not put in the amount of time and work that is required. Some people think that network marketing is some genie that if you pay your startup fee, in this case $39.00, you will have a downline built for you and you can just sit back and let the money roll in. It’s not that way at all. You are rewarded for your efforts. If you make little to no effort…there is no reward. That’s the way life is, both in and outside of network marketing. Monavie is no different. My lack of success in it is only due to MY not putting the time necessary into it and not following the advise of the leadership. I get tired of hearing people blame everything and everyone but themselves. Time to look in the mirror. As for the product, Monavie is wonderful. I can only tell you what has happened to me since drinking it. I am off insulin, blood pressure medication, and have lost 85 pounds without doing anything different except drinking it. Mind you, I am not saying that it is a medicine, that it cured me, or that you will get the same results. I am only telling you why I personally will not stop drinking it. As for the business opportunity…you get out of it what you put into it. If 91% of the people who become involved with Monavie are not making commissions, it’s because they are either in to get the wholesale pricing or they are not working the business. It’s that simple. Stop blaming the company. Success comes to the person who truly puts forth the effort.
Unfortunately, Walt, success in MLM isn’t gotten through time and effort. There are millions of people who did put forth a lot of time and effort related to their MLM, and still did not turn a profit. Why? Because MLM is systematically flawed. In a normal business setting, if you work hard, you have a reasonable chance of success. In MLM, no matter how hard you work, the odds are overwhelming that you’ll still be in the 99% who lose money.
Read this:
http://www.falseprofits.com/files/e21bdbcc219481de8840ee3a857c6a9e-3.html
I always wonder how in the world these companies manage to ‘invert reality’ in the minds of their believers. Author David Brear describes how this David Irving apologist Chap denies the holocaust. MLM believers do this as well, they deny the “financial holocaust” these sham pyramids produce. Mr. Brear also says they have a ‘rolling failure rate of nearly 100%.” On top of denying the financial holocaust, the deceived then become MLM apologists themselves. Some of the logic displayed by some in this string of comments is incredibly kooky indeed. How does one dress up as a Monavie distributor for Halloween? I suppose you pull your pockets outside of your pants, get a wine bottle full of juice, forget to shave and go knocking on doors. The tricked wanting treats.
People swear they have been cured of diabetes and the like by drinking the juice and that they sign up to get the discount?
Where was it I read that Sam’s club is selling a Accai berry drink that is so similar to Monavie’s offering that one couldn’t tell the diffence if the juices were switched? Oh, the price is the main difference though, much, much, much less at Sams but I guess Monavie folk get what they pay for.
I guess I don’t go for such juice miracles like some do, so I am not out trying to verify this, plus I’m not a member of Sams, but I’ve heard people sign up to get the discount? Hmmm? Is Sam’s running a pyramid scheme too? Maybe some of the readers of this blog might have some conflicted information to share about Sam’s fancy drink; a Monavie distributor to dispute the juices, and set the unwashed straight. Maybe Sam’s saves on the wine bottle?
I get a kick out of plain old grapefruit juice out of a plastic bottle. Keeps me from getting scurvy I suppose. Probably does more good for me psychologically speaking. I don’t have to be a member down at the brick and mortar to buy it on sale either. Juice provides me with the ‘placebo’ effect I notice. Cures cancer, prostate trouble, breathing difficulties, heart palpatations, foot rot, and insanity. Hmmm? Well, maybe not insanity?
This is a great analysis of Monavie and the scam being perpetrated on thousands of people. The financial part of this money making scheme is in black and white on the IDS and don’t think that Monavie produces this report out of the goodness of their heart. They produce this report so that if someone claims that they were promised a great way to wealth and then file a complaint when this inevitably does not happen the company can say that they showed them in black and white what the odds were of making any money in Monavie. So at the end of the day it’s a he said she said game with a document that clearly states that the business is a dead end for more than 95% of the people who get involved.
People are signing up just to get the juice at a wholesale price huh? Well lucky them. They now have the privilege of paying over $20 a bottle for juice that has negligible nutritional values. That’s just another fact in black and white on the nutritional label. Distributors love to say that it’s the equivalent of 5 all the way up to 15 servings of fruit. Yet they can’t explain why it contains fewer vitamins than 2 servings of fruit. Instead of addressing this fact they’ll just throw out another testimonial. But the common denominator in health fraud is unsubstantiated personal testimonials. If a product is great and great for you it’s easy to prove. Monavie has certainly been around long enough to back up their products value with legitimate studies. But instead of doing this they turn to places like AIBMR (with Shauss) and their pseudo science to trick people into thinking this stuff is actually high quality and that there have been real studies to back up their claims. There haven’t been and odds are there never will be.
There are two main points made to people when they are pitched Monavie and neither one can be substantiated with facts. The product itself doesn’t have any real health values that could justify the price. And the business model is a dead end financially and a very good way to damage relationships with family members and friends.
Quixtarisacult said that it’s sad and I couldn’t agree more. The fact that supplement MLMs are allowed to exist is disgusting. You want to sell knives or some other product through MLM go for it and good luck (those schemes don’t work for most either). But when you prey on sick people with false claims about a juice blend (mostly from concentrate) you are truly pathetic.
To those who argue that you are ahead if you make $59 a week, you have to consider the alternative. What is minimum wage now, like $7.50 (soon to be $9.50 thanks to Obama)? So $59 is equivalent to 6 to 8 hours of work for people at the very bottom of the workforce, and given that the average American earns $40,000 a year (or $20 per hour), equivalent to 3 hours of work for the average person. Now consider all the time spent working on Monavie (I have several friends who have done MLM’s, and they are time intensive – although oddly they had convinced themselves they were not while doing them). You prepare for presentations, drive to people’s homes, give the presentations, manage your sales online, etc., etc.
So, with Monavie, are you making as much and working as little as if you asked for one extra shift at work? Probably not. Are you as obnoxious to your friends if you simply work an extra shift every week (trust me, we get tired of you trying to sell us stuff)? Probably not. Are you lying, cheating and compromising your morals by taking an extra shift at work (because most MLM distributors I know had to do that to make any money and regretted it later)? Probably not.
Seems like an easy choice to me.
Oh, one thing I forgot to mention. You are guaranteed to earn money from your extra shift at work (i.e., you have a 100% chance of making $59). You only have a 9% chance of making $59 with Monavie. Would you be willing to work an extra shift at work if the boss told you there was only a 9% chance you’d get paid? Probably not.
Hi, I have read all the comments associated with this thread and article. I am a sales person by trade (always in the top 10%). I was also extremely ill, had been tested for MS and Rheumatoid Arthritis, among other things during 7/04-1/06, was treated with an extreme amount of pain medication and anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxers, ect. I was subjected to MRI’s, CAT scans, neurological tests and radio active full bone scans. During my illness I shrunk 6″ and needed assistance to do most things, or lots and lots of time to do them. I was miserable and worried I had Lou Garrets disease, as I just got worse and worse. The general diagnosis through 1/06 was Rapid Onset Progressive Scoliosis.
I became involved in Mona Vie on Jan. 13, 2006. I began drinking Mona Vie on Jan. 15, 2006- mostly because I did not ask the price prior to purchasing it for $45 from a friend, and decided to drink it as opposed to giving it as a gift as I had initially intended. I was told only that it did good things, no hype, no nothing.
I never considered going to a holistic health center for treatment as I previously thought that miracle foods were rubbish…in fact that very week I was preparing to go for my operative consultation at the Spine and Scoliosis Center for the steal rod to be put in my back to relieve my internal organs from being crushed, filing for permanent disability SSI, and making a trip to the Mayo Clinic.
In mid February 2006, about a month after starting MV, I was not taking hardly any pain medications simply because I would forget. I could move my hips for the first time in over a year. I went to a chiropractor to see if she could assist me in straightening my back further, and she said I would never see any improvement physically however she may be able to reduce the pain by 10%…I left without treatment and upset she did not review my films more closely, and when I came back for my records a month later, she integrated Mona Vie into her practice- I was standing straight, and looking her in the eye…no surgical assistance.
The clinical and documented difference in my curvature was: Aug 2005 there was a 29 degree curvature of the spine with and estimation of 45 degree curvature by Jan. 2006 which would result in the definate need for surgery. The last scoliosis study done in Feb. 2008 indicated a 19 degree curvature. The only change I had made was to drink Mona Vie, no physical therapy or exercise regime-although my physical activity has obviously been increased since I can move freely and do not need to use handicap equipment anymore.
I have not stopped drinking it for more than 6 weeks during the past 2 years, nor will I stop again after the reminder that holistic remedies indeed seem to play a role in my well being. If you would like a copy of my medical documentation, I would be happy to provide it, and whether you would like to say Mona Vie does something, or that I have had a miracle, the physical change I have undergone is unmistakable and regressive in nature.
As for the financial side, I went against my better judgement initially and invested a significant amount of money. My immediate up line contacts directed me with an incomplete business plan, and I did not get the results of earnings I had planned according to the information I was provided, and the amount of adjustments that needed to be made in 2006 for the Mona Vie company were beyond the reasonable abilities of myself to accomplish. I discontinued the business side of Mona Vie. I have been reviewing company policy and up line support models, and time and money investments needed vs. income potential, and am now confident that not only can this be physically healthy, but financially healthy. Many of the initial challenges within the organization have been worked out, customer service issues have been resolved and I have changed to a new leadership team who actually supports people the way they say they will. All business’ evolve, with proper management and time, it is with a positive impact.
I have within the last month begun to prepare to be one of those leaders in sales, and support for the other people who would like to experience the benefits of this product at reduced rates, and currently have received my product for free, while assisting other people on how to do this also…perhaps I will be in your top 1% that you view as one of the opportunist individuals lying and cheating and churning and burning through the market…but mostly, I will be happy and healthy and knowing that I am making the best choice for my health while I raise my eight year old twins on my feet, and not a chair with wheels.
Just maybe, someone else can find some comfort with what I do, and what I offer. They will certainly not find someone who is uninformed with this company, nor someone trying to sell them something even though they can’t afford or do not want it…and they will receive the training and support needed in order to grow a healthy company of their own if that is what they choose.
Wow, great sales pitch!! Where did you go to get the medical documentation forged?? lol Do you actually bring it with you to Mona Vie presentations?? I can see why your probably in the top 1% of these con artists – nothing sells like heart strings and modern day “miracles” – too funny – You know what, yeah forward me your medical documentation to your email, and your physicians scientific findings that Acai Berry juice cured your scoliosis – Ive heard alot of ridiculous claims about this juice and this MLM, but this has to be the right up there with the worst….People like you and this company need to be stopped…
It really irks me when people write bad stuff about something,and most of the time these people are not even affiliated with the company or product they are putting down, I kno plenty of people who are doing Monavie including myself and they recieve their check evey week. So until you see for youself and actuallly drink the product yourself and go to a meeting I dont want to hear that it dont work or they dont pay you. And I hope you dont expect to see results if you dont drink it like your suppose too, and if you are drinking it right and think your not getting changes well let me tell you something you dont feel any changes if you eat a Big Mac eaither but as we all know it has effects after a while.
unknown…
I might point out that ‘placebo’ has been determined to have positive health benefits as well. I believe that Sam’s club is offering a Accai berry drink for much less. If health benefits of the drink are indeed important to believers, might a wise person save themselves some cash and buy at Sam’s? Why buy all the tools for fools from kingpins like Woodward?
Unknown – Have you ever thought that maybe we’re not affiliated with the product and company because they’re bad? Just a thought.
Unknown,
Sorry to hear that you are irked. But as long as you are affiliated with a company that has a sales force committing health fraud on a daily basis I’d get used to having critics. As far as the business goes the numbers are in black and white and released by Monavie. They do not put the spin on the numbers that the above analysis demonstrates but that doesn’t change the fact that everything Mr. Fitzpatrick has stated is true.
Quixtarisacult – There are also studies showing that expensive placeboes are more effective than cheap ones. If it costs a lot it must be good for you. As you said before it’s very sad.
When someone says “I’d like to tell you about an incredible opportunity” turn around and walk away!
I found your blog doing “market research.” I am NOT involved in any way with any MLM. I will say however, I believe your perspective is totally slanted and narrow minded. Please… show me any business model, from a taco stand to coffee shop where more than 1% break through and succeed. The problem is not with the model (the real money in insurance is in management, not sales) but most insurance agents never get the needed education and figure it out; does that make insurance a scam? I would suggest, your thinking is simplistic!
J Krystal
Simplistic? Realistic is more like it. This is an obvious scam and the numbers don’t lie. It’s not that just 1% “succeed” (if scamming others out of their money for an overpriced product is your definition of success) and make REAL money. It’s that the overwhelming majority make NOTHING and that the majority of those that are making some money are making less than minimum wage for their efforts. Those insurance salespeople you referenced are making a living wage for their labor so you’re comparing apples and oranges. The guy working the taco stand that you mentioned is at least making minimum wage and the same can’t be said for most Monavie reps. This is an obvious money making scam.
Newflash: In real businesses, the success rate is far greater than 1%. It’s actually well above 50%. But why talk about real numbers when we can just pretend that MLM works.
Just to add something here, I am a person who was… in Monavie since the very beginning… I met all the highest leaders, went to dinner with them, went on trips with them to other conventions, etc… MonaVie became my life, that is all I thought of, and I believed in the product, gave it to my mother, and yes, it did help her high blood pressure, and truly has helped many people, I seen it for two years…
However, something I never told anyone, until now… my uncle died just a short while before I joined MonaVie… so I joined, with hopes of promoting health, and of course to make money, lots of it, retire young on it, and be able to start a family and live the life…
I had $65,000 CASH… paid off my debts, bought a car, and invested in every book, audio tape, seminar, one can imagine… and bought at least over 100!!! cases of Monavie, if not more… I shared the product, gave soooo much away, it helped people, but at the end, people who it helped, still didn’t buy it… even through, honestly, they could of used it.
and do you know what? 3 years later, I am almost exactly where I was… I finally almost got my student loans paid off, and my credit card debt is gone… even though, it was paid off when I first got the money…
The stupidest thing, anyone who joins a home based business is buying the tools… That is the biggest waste of money. I probably spent over $8,000 on that stuff, hanging up flyers, posting them on cars, malls, doors, all wasted, while someone else became richer.
I did make money with Monavie, but what is $1,200 when it costed you $50,000? not having no idea what the hell I was doing, was the biggest and most expensive mistake I ever made in my life.
My uncle worked 75 years for that money, it was going to be used for college, and instead, with hopes and dreams of living a life where my lady and I could start a family, travel the world… that ended…
Sadly enough, the $50,000 I spent I could of used to travel the world, and still have plenty left…
As a rule… NEVER SPEND MORE THAN YOU CAN AFFORD TO LOSE!
John,
Sorry to hear that. But with getting involved with any kind of business, it’s wise to do research and understand what you’ll be getting yourself into. Understand the risks & rewards and also look at the market you’ll be competing in.
Understanding your position and personality in life will assist you in acheving success in whatever endever you persue.
i initally bought this product in belief that the benefits would out-weigh the cost, that is, after i had reason to even listen to the first sales pitch. i was not interested in becoming a distributor, for i entered into this for a completely different and non-related reason. i wont say monavie is a bad product, for how can it be, it is simply juices. what i can say, is that the promotion of this product is unbelievable. i went to one of the conventions, again for non-related personal reasons, which actually makes me non-judgemental in the beginning.
i sat through the beginning of the convention, listening to the background and research of the product. very little time was spent on reviewing what normally would be the main topic- research. research to include the benefits, medical testimony, development of the product, etc.
instead multiple groups of people, testified on how much money they had made and how much their life had changed. some even quit their jobs in this hard ecomony, believing that this was the way. as they continued, they began to constantly use the word GOD, LORD, SAVIOR, etc all in the effort to promote this product. before i knew it, i was sitting in this cult-like atmosphere, waiting for the Davidian-like people to all testify in GOD’S name. i couldnt believe how many people appeared to be brain washed to become distributors.
monavie claims continued as so-called family members took the stand. i began losing recognition as to where i even was. they began speaking of everything from their husband’s dying to their children drowning in pools. as it went on, some of the high-ranking distributors began speaking. oh, they also anounced to shut down cell phones as though i should lose contact with the outside world.
i actually became worried for these people sitting around me. sad, lonely, dependent people, needing this so-called family. i couldnt believe they actually fell for this. i stayed listening to this, not for the product, for i had forgotten that, but for the interest in how these people could be sold into this, for a family. many of the surrounding people were disabled, old, lonely, many recently divorced as they had mentioned throughout the convention.
they actually believed in this family. GOD’S name continued to be mentioned as this went on. i am a fairly religious person, however a normal one, and became offended as they talked about owning planes, high dollar cars and houses in the name of THE LORD. all this as the surrounding people i spoke to earlier, were hit by this failing ecomony and were praising this product, which they were putting their last dollar into. it was though they were trying to buy a family and buy friends. maybe they could buy them. as i listened to people around me, making plans to go out when they just met. like a singles group that just rented a convention center.
i have seen a cult which i even got out with video, as this was a top project in college. this convention was little different than that cult.
i left feeling as though i should have taken the stand, telling these people what they were really buying into. how they could really find people who cared and how they could begin to get rid of their dependent behavior and it wasnt through this. i felt so bad for some of them, knowing when they realized the truth, how hurt and financially broke they could become.
this convention went so overtime as the last speaker, the high-ranking guy with a plane, went on to talk about all topics of the BIBLE and then linking in to monavie and his plane, house, vacations, etc and how this product “backed by JESUS” could change everyone’s life, AND THESE PEOPLE BOUGHT INTO THIS! i felt like i needed to go to confession, as though i sat through something wrong.
when i left, i really thought i was leaving a holy-roller cult. i had such a headache, yet stayed till the end and was in shock of what i had just heard. this alone, made me stop buying monavie. the product didnt make me stop, but what appeared as a false prophet did.
so, how can i believe in this, when these distributors are representing this product this way. simple, I CANT!
as for the only reason i entered into this, that is no longer. which i can say, i do miss sometimes.
know this is only my opinion, this is my view of what i witnessed. monavie the product itself, might be a good product, for i didnt give it much time for any research or documented benefit.
Laura-
What is wrong with these people believing that God had an impact on all the money they make? Do you think God put us on this earth to be miserable?? NO! Of course not! He wants us to be happy and free to do the things that make us happy like spend time with our family and friends. Like be able to make money and see the world that he created. You say your religious and yet you put God, Savior, and Lord in caps like it is such an outrageous claim for these people to believe that he has given them a miracle…something they never thought they could accomplish. You claim there are naive and easily influenced people who spend $100’s of dollars on this product with no success…but how do you know why they weren’t successful? You said you never got into Monavie to make money…so how do you know that these “naive” people never made a profit…you don’t! Your posting is shameful. Going to confession to confess your sins to some RANDOM stranger won’t help. The ONLY one who can forgive you for any sin is God himself..he’s the one that sent his only son to die for YOU! Not some random priest who never gets any!
I love the girl that said she might be diagnosed with and I quote “Lou Garrets” disease, hahaha, I believe she meant Lou Gehrig’s disease. Also there is no such thing as a radioactive bone scan, hahaha, that was hilarious. Also remarkable how she shrunk half a foot within months, must be some kind of record. Love stupid people who lie about things they do not understand! You would think that these planted testimonials would at least be spell checked.! Nice try Kim AbuGhazaleh. thanx for being a complete idiot!
[…] for ordinary people, the Mona Vie recruiters are conveniently leaving out one key fact: The bottom 99% of distributors receive an average of $3.75 a week in commissions. These MLM schemes work for almost no one, yet recruiting is still successful because consumers want […]
[…] no one is making any money from the “wonderful opportunity” that Mona Vie is offering. Here’s an explanation of the statement, which clearly shows that 99% of MonaVie distributors are making $3.75 a week. What an […]
[…] policy to delete it. That’s the only logical explanation. This is especially true since 99% of MonaVie distributors earn an average of $3.75 a WEEK back in 2008 (it hasn’t changed significantly since then). It’s worth keeping in mind […]
I have read through most comments and several other websites. I have been drinking this juice now for 1 month and contemplating the business side of it (my friend, upline and mentor is a Ruby executive thus within the 1% i guess)…what I have noticed, is there are a lot of skeptics and people saying bad things EXCEPT for those who drink the juice! Every person I have read, spoken to, emailed, every website I have found and researched is the same thing.
Is there anyone out there, who has been drinking the juice and did NOT have a positive experience???
I think it’s like any business, marketing is marketing! Whether it’s internet marketing, business marketing, or MV marketing. It’s all about numbers! If you do your work, educate and research are excited and speak to as many people as you can, you will find success.
I, for one, my daughter, two, my husband, three, my other children, four and five…. we drank “the juice” for four months…… My migraines did NOT get better, my daughter’s diabetes did NOT become better controlled, my husband did NOT feel better, and my other daughter and son did NOT realize any positive benefits. Oh, and yes, my daughter and I did become distributors after a hard sell from MANY of our relatives who sell this product… Out of fear of disappointing family members who sell and “push” the product and marketing end of this, on of my husband’s aunts actually ended up hospitalized from drinking the “juice” I don’t know what her actual diagnosis was, I just know that she became very ill after drinkig it for a few days. I would guess that there are more people like my family and me “out there”. So, Sarah, it’s not just the “non-drinkers’ who criticize MV
You people are a bunch of “drinkers”. Absolutely hilarious!
With all the information available and opportunities for consumer awareness and education, I still find it hard to fathom that people are still falling for and defending this farcical company.
The tactics employed by distributors when recruiting others into this venture are extremely predatory – they elicit a person’s wants and needs and then use this information against the person to demonstrate the appropriateness of the venture to that person’s circumstances (irrespective of same), wealth is promoted as being the ticket to all happiness and wealth is flaunted by the company to appeal to a person’s sense of greed. Unfortunately, one blinded by greed, all logical thinking seems to disappear.
To promote Monavie as an income opportunity is not only unethical taking taking into consideration the system which allows for consumer losses in the vicinity of 99% (or more accurately, 99.64% in the case of Monavie) but downright fraudulent taking into consideration the lack of success amongst the sales force is a fact which is deliberately withheld from consumers as at the time of signing up.
Despite the pyramiding activities of the distributors and despite the consumer losses which is evidenced by IDS and in keeping with the losses seen in pyramid schemes, they still haven’t figured out they are participating in a product based pyramid scheme (albeit on paper, a cleverly disguised one).
[…] bloggers are saying bad things about their companies, and that can’t be allowed to happen. Mona Vie doesn’t want you to know that their distributors are losing money left and right and the overall financial health of the company is being […]
[…] you are thinking about getting involved with MonaVie as a distributor, this is the single most important article to read about it. This will give you a good idea of how little money you’re going to […]
I am writing a paper on monavie and their company, could you send me your sources if you still have them?
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