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| Classic Pyramid Scheme |
BusinessWeek did an exposé on Market America, calling it “the latest and most sophisticated incarnation of multilevel marketing, that controversial business model.” In the article's comments, one reader (second from the top) put it succinctly: “So, it says in 2006, $79 million was paid out to UnFranchise Owners, (more or less) correct? So, taking the conservative 100K owners, that is $79,000,000/100,000 = $790 per owner? Is my math correct, Dave? Even being really generous, saying there is only 50K owners, that puts the payout at: $1,580 per owner, correct?”
That reader is correct. MA is a 21st century incarnation of the traveling medicine show, with more sophisticated names for their varieties of snake oil, like "Isotonix."
I won’t keep you in suspense: those grifters extracted $12,900.00* from my wife before I found out, and went ballistic. Her “sponsor” and the rest are nothing more than white-collar criminals. They are adept at reading a person’s personality, and tailor their pitch to exploit “the get-rich-quick dreams of every red-blooded American,” as BusinessWeek plainly put it. Additionally, she went to numerous “training sessions,” for which she was charged $200 per session plus materials. She would come home and pour over their pamphlets and the rest, as if she was studying for the GMAT.
*It finally reached $27,000 before she gave up.
BusinessWeek explains that Market America “products, the most popular and profitable of which are the Isotonix line of nutritional supplements that sell for about $70 per 10-ounce bottle, are almost interchangeable with what you could find in your local CVS or Duane Reade for half the price.” Moreover, many can be bought at Costco for a fraction of the price. Here’s one example: MA sells fish oil capsules for $59.95 for 60. That bottle costs the distributor $44.00. Costco sells fish oil capsules at $8.00 for 400; that’s 2 ¢ per capsule, instead of $1.00.
MA’s most popular nostrum is OPC – 3. It sells for $29.95 for a 3.5 ounce bottle. Its primary ingredient is bicarbonate. Oral bicarbonate powder can be purchased through Google shopping: a 4-ounce bottle for $4.13.
MA sells multivitamins for $51.95 for a 90-day supply. Costco sells multivitamins for $15.49 for a 500-day supply, which includes shipping and handling for those who want it mailed. MA sells a calcium supplement, at $18.50 for a 90-day supply. Costco sells a calcium supplement, at $10.59 for a 250-day supply, including shipping and handling.
Those are just three representative examples. The only one who makes a living from a pyramid scheme, is the person who sits at the top. Additionally, MA is a cult. Anyone who questions their “sponsor,” or anyone else above them, is told of dire consequences, with the pitch tailored to the mark. This past Thanksgiving, my wife took me to see her "sponsor," and the sponsor's husband and daughter. They shook their hands and arms at me, and shouted and harangued me. I felt physically threatened.
Remember, few products today are sold door-to-door.
2 comments:
It is very shocking - but I don't understand your wife's part in this. Was she emotionally attached to this 'sponsor'? How did she react when they were so intimidating to you.
Comparing Isotonix to Costco vitamins is like comparing a BMW to a Civic. I've taken just about every brand of supplements for the last 20 years and Isotonix was the first brand that I actually felt a difference.
The delivery system is a key differentiator from other competitors along with being able to customize the product according to your specific needs.
And as far as price is concerned.. Motives custom blend liquid mineral foundation is priced at 1/2 of what local high end salons charge for the same product and it still provides distributors with a nice profit margin.
Another example is the company's new awake energy shot. Tastes better and costs less than 5 hour. How is that over priced?
Value is a relative to the quality and uniqueness of a particular product, and comparisons should be fair.
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