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Forever Living Scam? – 9 Things To Know from A Former Distributor

Forever Living scam - Unsold Products

My mum was involved with Forever Living a few years ago. And because she bought so many products for reselling, we didn’t know what to do with the unsold products.

I have used many Forever Living products over the years, and I can almost certainly say that I feel no difference using their products as compared to their competitors.

So, if you asked is Forever Living Products safe, then based on my experience, I would say they are.

To me, their products are way overpriced because of an ingredient that they added to almost every one of its product lines, Aloe Vera.

In this Forever Living scam review, I am gonna tell you everything you need to know about Forever Living. This is gonna be from my own experience using their products. So sit back, relax and enjoy reading.

  • About: Forever Living is a legitimate Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) company that was founded in 1978 by Rex Maughan in Tempe, Arizona.

    It is a long-standing company with aloe vera-based product lines spanning from healthy living drinks, cosmetics, dietary supplements to skincare and personal care.

    They claim to own their aloe vera plantation, manufacturing facilities, research and development, quality control laboratories, and distribution channels.

    As of now, the company operates in 160 countries and sells their products through its huge chain of distributors.

    Forever Living is also a member of the Direct Selling Association.
  • Price to join opportunity: Membership fee is FREE, but you must purchase some of their products to start in the business.
  • Pros: Forever Living offers a FREE membership fee plus its legit and simple business model might be appealing to new members. The company also offers refunds and a buy-back policy.
  • Cons: Despite the legitimacy of the company, they are still prone to be perceived as a pyramid scheme. This happens when the focus shifts from selling products to recruiting people instead.
  • Quick Summary: Forever Living offers aloe vera-based products for different use. The effectiveness of their products is subject to mixed reviews. The membership fee is FREE so there will not be much harm if you wanna try joining the business. Just make sure to have an effective marketing strategy so you can possibly make a living out of Forever Living.

OVERALL OPPORTUNITY RATING

2.3

OUT OF 5.0

1. Are Forever Living Products the Best? Could Aloe Vera from the supermarket be better?

Forever Living Aloe Products

Though I know, the use of Aloe Vera has many positive effects on the human body, but be mindful that overusing/overeating will harm your body as well.

Mayo Clinic reported in an article on the benefits of using Aloe vera and the possible consequences of overusing it.

Solely my opinion: Honestly, you do not need Forever Living products to enjoy the benefits of Aloe Vera, all you need is to head over to the supermarket and buy Aloe Vera off the shelf.

It only costs a few bucks, and the contents from a raw Aloe Vera beats the Aloe extract used in the Forever Living Products.

If you have a different experience from mine, please feel free to share your experience with me in the comments section below. 

That being said, this review is not intended to discuss the Forever Living Products…

But rather, I want to talk about the business opportunity and the problems that most Forever Living distributors (like my Mum) faced.

Most importantly, by the end of this review, you will know if the Forever Living business opportunity is worth your time and money. So, let’s get into it!

2. Forever Living Scam? About 95% of its distributors fail

As the heading shows, most of the distributors struggle to make a decent income from Forever Living.

There are 2 ways on how to start Forever Living business.

First, you can build a business by purchasing their products at a 30% discount (distributor rate) and selling them to others.

Second, you can buy their product for personal use and get up to a 5% discount.

Their products are marketable if you know how to sell them.

The problem is not with the Forever Living products but instead with the leaders. Not the leaders on top of the chain but those foot soldiers who are actively recruiting people as their downlines. 

If you do not understand what I am talking about, that’s ok. I will explain it later.

The strategies that you will learn from the leaders are most likely going to set you up for failure.

3. Traditional network marketing strategies may not work in this day and age

If you only rely on your circle of friends and family as prospects, there’s a high chance that you will fail.

Most new members quit almost immediately when the going gets tough. But, building a team of distributors comes with a set of unique challenges. 

You need to be outspoken, resilient, and most importantly, sound honest and genuine. These are the traits that not most of us are born with. It has to be honed through experience.

Through the process of acquiring the traits, most will feel burned out. 

For example, trying to recruit someone on the street. This traditional recruiting strategy not only makes you feel belittled but also gives a bad impression to the company. Most people shy away from desperate recruiters.

Here’s an article that explains why traditional network marketing strategies don’t work anymore.

Another thing, recruiting family and friends just presents a huge problem for you. 

That’s because not everyone has the same entrepreneurial spirit as you.

And even if they do, they may not have the same mentality or the mindset as you.

It can also lead to strains in your relationships with your friends and family.

Perhaps you have tried the methods above in your network marketing business? Did it work for you?

Share your thoughts/network marketing experience below.

Discover: An Effective Way To Promote Forever Living

We are living in different times now, so the traditional method might not be the best strategy. The Internet brings huge changes in the way we live, especially with the onset of the pandemic.

Nowadays, more people have access to a wide array of information so selling through word of mouth does not ensure any more success.

It is a good idea to change your marketing strategy now. That is if Forever Living is the business you want to thrive in.

Instead of traditional marketing, you can try online marketing. We are not cavemen anymore, so use the great power of the Internet to increase your sales and recruitment. 

4. Is Forever Living a Pyramid Scheme?

As legitimate as Forever Living is, there will be groups of people who will abuse the system and run their business like a pyramid scheme.

It simply means that distributors shift their focus towards recruiting or enrolling people into the business opportunity, even before they promote the products.

Heavy focus on recruitment is the primary cause for companies like Herbalife and many others, to be sued by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Another big name in the MLM industry that had trouble with the FTC with a similar issue is AdvoCare which was forced to change its compensation plan in July 2019.

So now you know when you are getting into an illegal pyramid scheme. 

5. Forever Living has been involved in several legal cases

Since the company’s establishment, they have been involved in several legal issues

In 2004, Forever Living had to pay $280,000 in fine to Hungarian Authorities due to violations related to their advertising, registration of nutritional products, and use of cosmetics as medicine.

The company was sued by author Richard Bach for alleged copyright infringement of his novel, Jonathan Livingston Seagull. The character and storyline in the novel have been used for the marketing plan and corporate logo of the company. The case was settled through arbitration which led to Forever Living changing its logo from a seagull to an eagle.

In 2015, the company has been accused by the UK Advertising Standards Authority of making unreliable claims regarding the health benefits of their products. They also receive warnings on using health professionals to promote their products.

The Environmental Research Center found high levels of lead in most of their products. This resulted in several legal issues filed against the company from 2011 to 2016.

6. Forever Living Compensation Plan: 10 ways to make money

If you are good at selling and recruiting people into your team, you will be rewarded with many bonuses and rewards.

The following are 10 ways to earn money from the company.

  1. Retail Profit: 43% retail profit 
  2. Personal Bonus: 5% to 18% on retail sales of your personal volume 
  3. Volume Bonus: 3% to 13% on retail sales of your group volume 
  4. Leadership Bonus: 6%, 3%, 2% on 1st, 2nd, and 3rd generation managers 
  5. Gem Bonus: Increased earnings on downline managers 
  6. Earned Incentive Bonus/“Car Plan”: up to $800 per month 
  7. Profit sharing: share in a generous yearly profit program 
  8. Personal Development: Learn new skills and attitudes 
  9. Exotic Vacations: Earn trips around the world 
  10. Special Promotions

You can also watch this video:

To break down the compensation plan even further:

Wholesale Qualified

  • 15% retail profit
  • Free membership
  • 15% new distributor incentive

New distributor

  • 30% retail profit
  • 15% new distributor incentive

Assistant Supervisor

  • 30% retail profit
  • 15% new distributor incentive
  • 5% bonus on personal and new distributor volume
  • 2 case credits

Supervisor

  • 30% retail profit
  • 15% new distributor incentive
  • 8% bonus on personal and new distributor volume
  • 3% bonus on assistant supervisor group retail purchase
  • 25 case credits

Assistant Manager

  • 30% retail profit
  • 15% new distributor incentive
  • 13% bonus on personal and new distributor volume
  • 8% bonus on assistant supervisor group retail purchase
  • 5% bonus on Supervisor group retail purchases
  • 75 case credits

Manager

  • 30% retail profit
  • 15% new distributor incentive
  • 18% bonus on personal and new distributor volume
  • 13% bonus on assistant supervisor group retail purchase
  • 10% bonus on supervisor group retail purchase
  • 5% bonus on assistant manager group retail purchases
  • 120 case credits

Case credits (CC) are values equivalent to specific products. Case credits increases as more product are purchased.

When you reached the required CC for a higher position, you will be automatically promoted. One CC = $132 wholesale price.

You can check this link for the complete details on their compensation plan.

7. Can FLP 360 help with your Forever Living Business?

Forever 360 is an online platform for Forever Living.

If you ever want to find success with Forever Living, you need this because it gives you an all-in-one online marketing suite.

Take note that FLP 360 is only there to make your life simpler; it is not there to guide you to success.

FLP 360 is a platform that gives you an overview of how your business is doing, and it provides you with your FLP email address as well as up to a maximum of 4 websites.

However, if you do not know how to put them to good use, there is no point having FLP 360.

To be successful in Forever Living, you have to know how to source for new customers and prospects online. 

Within Forever Living, nobody teaches you how to do that, so how are you going to be successful?

That’s why I highly recommend that you start learning from this program. With the right knowledge and guidance, you can be successful with anything you do online.

8. The Membership Fee is FREE

Unlike many other MLM companies out there, Forever Living Membership is free.

The way you can make money is when someone buys Forever Living products from you or from your downline.

Downline – people whom you have directly or indirectly introduced to the Forever Living Business.

Forever Living is a proper MLM company.

A new distributor in Forever Living does not need an initial investment into the business; hence no money is lost.

You can also request a refund or replacement product if you encounter any problems with the initial products. However, the company prohibits building a large inventory of products.

I am not sure why my mum didn’t sell the products back to Forever Living, I guess she overlooked the buy-back policy.

Another great thing about the company is that you can leave anytime from the business. And if you decide to quit, the company will buy back all the products you bought for the last 6 months.

So you see if you want to start an MLM business, Forever Living is the right place to be, but as you know, it is an uphill battle from here on.

Most importantly, you need to learn and implement the right strategies, and of course, you need to possess the will to succeed.

Forever Living Not For You? The Best Alternative To Earn Money Online

9. Pros and Cons of joining Forever Living

Pros

  • Their business model is very simple and relatable to anyone who wants to join
  • Free membership
  • It has a legitimate business model
  • You can get refunds and replacement products
  • You can quit anytime and the company will buy back all the products you’ve purchased within the last 6 months
  • There are a lot of ways to earn income from the company

Cons

  • Too much use of aloe vera-based products can harm your skin.
  • You can earn more money from recruiting than from selling their products
  • Their product can be expensive
  • Just like a normal business, earning a decent amount of income might take a long time
  • Over emphasis on recruiting can give Forever Living a bad name

Forever Living Review: Final Verdict

Though I didn’t have a fantastic experience with Forever Living, I wouldn’t consider it a scam.

If you’ve decided that Forever Living is the path you want to take, then I would advise that you learn how to find prospects online, and set your business on the right track.

I wouldn’t say that the traditional method is entirely obsolete, but I am saying that you will face a much tougher challenge if you do things the old way.

I was a failed network marketer, and I have joined many MLM companies like…

  • World Ventures
  • Pure Leverage​
  • Shopping Sherlock​
  • Usana​
  • Internet Lifestyle Network; and many more

None of them ever worked out for me till I found this.

So, do check it out, and feel free to share your thoughts with me in the comments section below.

If Forever Living is NOT the Path You Want to Take…

By any chance you think that Forever Living is not your cup of tea, then you might want to check this out instead.

It is the best alternative to network marketing opportunities, and it is how I fired my boss and still earn a good living online.

It’ll teach you how to build a business around your particular hobby or interest(s). If that’s something that peaks your interest, then feel free to check it out.

Thank you so much for reading this Forever Living Review, and I hope that I have provided you with sufficient information.

Do feel free to share your opinion with me in the comments section, or if you have something to add, please do the same.