Is Isagenix a Scam?

Is Isagenix a Scam?: when people first hear about Isagenix, probably someone with an interest in selling isagenix, it is described in a positive way.
However the details may begin to sound suspicious...the claims are outlandish, the cost is expensive, and um....well....to put it simply, it looks like pyramid scheme. Of course, that is because isagenix is a pyramid scheme. See our post "Is Isagenix a Pyramid Scheme?" for more on that.

To shed more sunlight on the question of "Is Isagenix a Scam" checkout this post

Is isagenix a scam?

herbalife scams in british columbia

News continues to trickle out about how the Herbalife scam is affecting victims of the MLM program in British Columbia.

We don't have as many investigators on the ground in Canada, but we want to be sure to cover this well.  If you have info we should know, please send it along and we'll work with you to publish the truth.

Not again... another "Christian based" MLM gig ....

Heads up: another "Christian based" MLM gig .... is yet another thread about something I find incredibly ironic and sad.  Even thought MLM seems to contradict the teachings of Jesus as I understand them from the bible (e.g. though shalt not worthip false idols, though shalt not steal,....)....MLM programs seem to appeal so many evangelical christians...apparently the wrongness of bringing evangelical zeal to the sale of overpriced and sometimes dangerous junk to loved ones is overlooked....

I have to ask you again:  would Jesus have approved of Isagenix, Herbalife, or Multi-Level Marketing in general.  A sane and thoughtful person would probably say no....

From High Energy Clubs to Dashed Dreams: Herbalife Tales

From High Energy Clubs to Dashed Dreams: Herbalife Tales: From High Energy Clubs to Dashed Dreams: Herbalife Tales

A pretty damning investigative report from CNBC about the destructive impact of MLM on the lives of hard working people.  Must watch if you don't know enough about why MLM businesses are a scourge.

Is Herbalife a Scam? Does a Duck Quack?

The battle of word between Herbalife CEO Michael Johnson, who audaciously claims he's shocked...shocked...to have heard for the first time ever the Multi Level Marketing is shady and often associated with scams....and two dueling hedge fund titans continues to play out.  Tracy Coenen has some of the latest coverage, including videos, on her Fraud Files Blog.

As a longtime critic of MLM, I find it interesting that while three wealthy bastards debate whether a huge corporate is a good investment or not....the public is finally hearding more about the dark side of MLM.  In my book, whether Herbalife stock will crash or thrive is pretty irrelevant.  What IS relevant...extremely relevant...is that Multi Level Marketing in general provides a vehicle for victimization of millions of people per year, at a cost of billions of dollars to mostly poor and middle class Americans.  And this is not to mention the fact that MLM is even less regulated, and even more destructive, to the lives of hundreds of millions of people worldwide.

"Victimization?" you may say?....."isn't that a strong word?" Yes it is, and I acknowledge that some people suffer more than others due to the existense of MLM stuff in their lives.  But honestly, if you look at the reality of the situation, the BEST CASE SCENARIO with MLM is that people pressure friends, neighbors, and loved ones to do something that is aganst their best interests, by pretending it is a good idea, in a desparate effort to monetize those relationships.  That's best case scenario when it comes to MLM.

From there it gets worse....including people who never make a dime, but end up losing money bc they aren't that good at pressurinig their family to buy overpriced stuff they don't need.  And then of course people who are scammed altogether...there is a VERY small line between MLM and pyramid schemes..

I hope the MLM story gets more people to look at those near to them and ask:  what is he involved in, and is it really a good idea?  What is she trying to sell me, and what are her motivations?  Is this all such a good idea? 

Would Jesus Have Taken Isagenix?

In between his primary mission, would he have been a Product Evangelist?

Would he have respected those who found and run MLM programs and companies?

When I first heard this question I thought it was a joke...now I think it helps me step back, look at the bigger picture, and put things into greater prespective.

Products marketed via Pyramid Marketing (Schemes) remind me of cults...

They remind me of the second commandment ""Though Shalt not Worthip False Idols" like the Golden Calf..."

They Remind me of Exodus, starting with Exodus 32:4:

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
After he had worked on the gold with a tool, he made it into a statue of a calf. Then they said, "Israel, here are your gods who brought you out of Egypt."
...
GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
Early the next day the people sacrificed burnt offerings and brought fellowship offerings. Afterward, they sat down to a feast, which turned into an orgy.
...
New American Standard Bible (©1995)
Then the LORD spoke to Moses, "Go down at once, for your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves.


GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
They've already turned from the way I commanded them to live. They've made a statue of a calf for themselves. They've bowed down to it and offered sacrifices to it.,,,


GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
The LORD added, "I've seen these people, and they are impossible to deal with.


GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
Moses turned and went down the mountain carrying the two tablets with God's words. They were written on both sides, front and back.


GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was God's writing inscribed on the tablets.

Why is Isagenix Sold Via Multi Level Marketing?

Q: Why is Isagenix Sold Via Multi Level Marketing?

A:  Multi Level Marketing is just one way to sell products and it is an usual method.  The majority of products including nutritional supplements are NOT sold via Multi Level Marketing (MLM).

MLM is generally considered a less reputable way to sell products, because many products sold via MLM are of low quality.  It is often called "pyramid selling" because it has the same structure as a pyramid scheme. Some MLM programs sell products or services of now value at all, in which case they are literally pyramid schemes where the "product" is just a vehicle for the scam.

It is therefore worth considering what factors would cause a company to CHOOSE to market a product using MLM?  Why not just sell like most high quality products are sold and distributed:  on the shelf of reputable retailers.  That's where most consumers buy products.  Why miss out on that distribution channel, which by the way is much cheaper?  The cost of distribution via retail outlets is lower than the cost of distribution via MLM, but the way.

In a nutshell, there are a few reasons a rational business would choose to market the product via MLM.  Multi Level Marketing is needed by companies WHEN:

1. They NEED people to pressure people they know including friends and family to buy the product.  It won't just jump off the shelves in a retail store. In a MLM program, people have a financial incentive to convince people they know to buy the product, leading to aggressive "product evangelism."
2. Respectable retailers WON'T put the products on the shelves, because they don't want to associate the product with their brand and reputation.  For example, when Whole Foods chooses to sell a certain product on their shelves, they are essentially endorsing the product as good quality and worth buying.  If consumers discover later that it's worthless, they will blame Whole Foods, which is why some products just can't get sold in stores....which makes MLM a better option.  

So MLM is an expensive way to distribute products, in the sense that a large percentage of sales revenues are paid out in commissions.  But if your product "doesn't sell itself," if it won't jump off the shelves at Whole Foods (or if Whole Foods won't even stock it) then MLM becomes the right option.

As a result, the type of product available via Multi Level Marketing tends to be lower quality, less reliable, and less reputable.  Some may do what they claim....many don't.  I hope the summary has helped you understand some of the reasons why this is.

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