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Is Total Life Changes a Scam? – 10 Critical Things To Know Before Joining!

Total Life Changes is not a scam nor it is a pyramid scheme, and we will explain to you why in this review.

Being healthy and physically fit is one of the main goals and objectives everyone has. There are so many companies trying to capitalize on our “health goals” and one of them is Total Life Changes (TLC).

Is Total Life Changes a Scam

TLC is an MLM company that offers you the opportunity to be healthy and earn money at the same time, but the question you may have is, is Total Life Changes a scam? Is it a pyramid scheme? Are the products good? Can you really make money from it?

There are so many questions and in this Total Life Changes review, we will share with you the things to know so that you can make an educated decision.

QUICK SUMMARY

  • Price to join opportunity: Purchase a Life Changer Kit worth $49.95 or the International LC Kit for $19.95
  • Pros: TLC offers product made up of natural ingredients to support health and wellness for every customer. Aside from their products, they also give you the opportunity to earn by becoming a Life Changer.
  • Cons: TLC’s product are pretty expensive which makes in harder to market. There is no guarantee that you can earn decent amount of income. TLC received customer complaints regarding delivery issues.
  • TLC Founder & CEO: Jack Fallon
  • Verdict: There’s no straightforward answer because everyone will have a different experience with the products and company. So, our take is if you’ve tried the products and you found it beneficial, you can consider joining the business opportunity. Do not join TLC with the sole purpose of making money.

OVERALL OPPORTUNITY RATING

2.2

OUT OF 5.0

1. What is Total Life Changes TLC?

Total Life Changes, LLC. is a debt-free direct-selling company offering health & wellness supplements worldwide. It was ranked one of the top 100 direct selling companies in 2016 by the Direct Selling News Magazine, it is BBB accredited with an A+ rating, and it is voted the best place to work in direct selling for 2022.

Jack Fallon of Total Life Changes
Jack Fallon

Total Life Changes was founded by Jack Fallon a very long time ago, and it was first known as SeAcai. And in 2012, SeAcai was re-rebranded as Total Life Changes.

The company now sells over 30+ products which mainly are consumables such as the popular “Iaso Instant Tea” for weight management, health supplements for full body nutrition, women’s dietary supplement, and other personal care products such as, hair and skincare products, essential oils, and so many more.

Consumers may choose to be a customer or an independent distributor, they call themselves “Life Changers”.

The company has grown massively, selling its products to over 140 countries, and many distributors have been going around promoting this as an “amazing business opportunity”.

The company’s moto used to be, “Helping people lose weight and earn money at the same time”, but now they have tone it down to “Providing products and a community that you’ll feel!”

Which I honestly think is more appropriate. The main goal of an MLM company should never be to lure people into the business opportunity, it should be the product centric from the get-go.

I mean, the products should do the talking, who wouldn’t want to lose weight without exercising, right? I know I am one of them.

And, if I really did lose weight, the logical thing for me to do is to share the products with others.

However, with product focus in mind, there were once distributors who made bold claims that “you can lose 5 pounds un 5 days guaranteed”, which had gotten the company a lot of bad press for being misleading. And speaking about bad press…

Total Life Changes Lawsuit 2021

Total Life Changes was hit with a class action lawsuit in July 2021 claiming that there were THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol), one of the compounds in marijuana, found in its Raspberry Lemonade Iaso tea that has led a lady to lose her job due to a failed drug test. The lawsuit was dismissed in November the same year, most likely due to a private settlement.

Warning by the Federal Trade Commission

Back in 2019 when COVID hits, some of its distributors misrepresented the company’s products as a cure for the disease that led to the FTC issuing a warning of false advertising.

Lawsuit filed by the Environmental Research Center

And in 2015, the Environmental Research Center filed a suit against the company for products adulterated with lead (full document here).

Now, being hit with lawsuits doesn’t mean that the company is unlawful, it is common that a company this large will be faced with lawsuits, especially when it comes to a health supplement company represented by distributors who may not be adequately trained.

The question is, should you be a part of the company as a distributor? But first, let’s see if it is a pyramid scheme.

2. Is Total Life Changes a Pyramid Scheme?

No, Total Life Changes is not a pyramid scheme simply because customers do find value in the products they buy from the company, and distributors get compensated as a result of a product sale.

The telltale sign of a pyramid scheme is the strong focus on recruitment, and the products are just a “smokescreen” to disguise the pyramid operation as a “legitimate business”.

Recruits pay a high price to join the opportunity while in return receive a “product” that has no value or mean nothing to the recruit, and they are only rewarded when they recruit someone else to the company.

So, in Total Life Changes, while there is a strong focus on recruitment, some or most of its customers and distributors do experience the benefits of the product, and made money in the process. Feel free to verify if Total Life Changes is a pyramid scheme by watching this video:

The fact that untrained distributors representing the company could spell disaster as they could turn the company’s compensation plan into a pyramid scheme.

Instead of selling the products, they sell the opportunity, and neglect sharing the benefits of the product.

The reason they could be doing so is because simply relying on retail sales isn’t going to earn them a life changing income. You will understand why when I share the compensation plan with you in a while.

At some point, they will need to recruit more distributors into their sales team to earn a substantial income.

As a result, some distributors went straight to selling the business opportunity instead.

Though the company is not running a pyramid scheme, I think it is the company’s responsibility to manage and educate their distributors.

Hence, if you are thinking of joining Total Life Changes, make sure that you do not be one of those who focuses on promoting the business opportunity.

3. Is it easy to make money From Total Life Changes?

If you now believe in the product, and you want to join the business, here’s what you need to know.

Based on the data the company has provided in 2019, I assume the numbers are way below as compared to the current data due to the pandemic and the popularity of MLM companies, these are the figures:

Earnings per month for First-year distributors:

  • 44% earned an average of $157
  • 56% made no money at all
  • Top 10% earned an average of $456
  • Top 1% earned an average of $1,853

Earnings per month for all other distributors:

  • 64% made an average of $362
  • 36% made no money at all
  • Top 10% earned an average of $1,905
  • Top 1% earned an average of $14,471

Let’s consider the term “substantial amount” as $3,000 per month.

Only the top 1% made a life-changing income, while the 99% didn’t.

Remember, this figure is before expenses, which means, if you are treating your prospects to coffee, gas money for travelling, purchase of products, etc.

The final profit could be a lot less than the figures above.

You may be working hard, as a part-time or full-time gig, but it is hard to make money from Total Life Changes.

If a life-changing income is what you are looking for, you may want to check this out.

Let’s study the compensation plan and see why it is tough to earn money from the company.

4. How much does it cost to join?

You can join TLC as either a preferred customer or a Life Changer.

  • Life Changers: Independent representatives of TLC (in other words “Distributors)
  • Preferred Customers: Retail customers with no intention of reselling products or join the compensation plan

As a preferred customer, you will be given access to a personal retail website to make purchases. You can always upgrade to a life changer at any time.

To be a Life Changer in the U.S.

You need to purchase a digital or physical starter kit for $59.95. For international Life Changers.

Along with the starter kit, you have the option to purchase any of their products at a much lower price. These product purchases can be used for personal consumption or to be shared as sample with your prospects.

To be an International Life Changer

You need to purchase the “International Digital LC Starter Kit” for $29.95 plus any of their products.

Quickstart Kits (Choose either one of the packs):

  • Iaso® Original Tea – 5 Pack ($54.95)
  • NutraBurst® 16 fl. Oz ($54.95)
  • NRG ($59.95)
  • Resolution Drops ($59.95)
  • Iaso® Instant Tea – 50 Sachets ($59.95)

Premier Pack ($309.95)
Includes:

  • NutraBurst® 30 ct. Box
  • NRG 15spl. box
  • (2) Fruit Punch Iaso® Tea Instant
  • Resolution Drops
  • 5-Pack Iaso® Brewed Tea (FREE)
  • Starter Kit

Supreme Pack ($609.95)
Includes:

  • NutraBurst® 30 ct. Box
    • NutraBurst® 16 fl. oz
    • NRG 15-Pack Box
    • (2) Fruit Punch Iaso® Tea Instant
    • Resolution Drops
    • Delgada Coffee
    • Sea Moss
    • Infinity Oil
    • Home Care Kit- Guardian, Lemon, & Orange Essential Oils
    • Diffuser
    • Starter Kit
    • 10-Pack Iaso® Brewed Tea (FREE)
    • Business Builder Tools (FREE): (10) Top Five Product Guides, (10) Discover Catalogs, (10) Momentum Magazines

5. Total Life Changes Compensation Plan

Let’s first familiarize ourselves with the TLC key terms:

  • Qualifying Volume (QV): the volume credited to you whenever you purchase any of their product.
  • Commissionable Volume (CV): volume credited to a purchased item with a CV value.
  • Group Commissionable Volume (GCV): a collection of all the CVs on someone’s left or right team. 

There are two ways to qualify for commission. 

The first way is to make a purchase for a minimum of 40 QV. 

The second way is through retail sales. When you make 40 QV worth of retail sales, you will be given 5 QV. That means, you need to sell 320QV worth of products to qualify for this commission.

To continually qualify for commissions, you need to maintain at least 40 QV per month. For Life Changers in the rank of Director and higher, they will need to maintain 80 or 120 QV per month within the TLC compensation plan.

There are six ways to earn money in TLC:

  1. Retail Commissions and Daily Pay: Earn 50% of the product’s QV in paid commissions. For Daily Pay, you can get paid within 24 hours after a retail sale. You need at least $12 in retail commission to receive Daily Pay. However, Daily Pay is only available in the US.
  2. G5 Challenge Bonus: You will earn a $50 bonus if you get 5 brand new customers in 30 days. Plus, you will earn at least $100 retail commissions from these 5 new customers. You will also have lifetime access to their TLC App. However, this is only applicable to LC with the rank of Director and above.
  3. Life Changer Sponsor Bonus: Earn 50% in paid commissions for every personally sponsored LC’s first order. Commissions are paid out on weekly sales if active with at least 40QV. 
  4. Binary pay: Earn 10-25% commissions on group commissionable volume (GCV). Carryover volume unused GCV is banked for the following commission week. To be qualified you must have personally sponsored two Life Changers that are currently active with a minimum of 40 QV, one placed in your left team and one in your right team.
  5. Matching bonus: This is based on the percentage of binary pay earned by your 1st and 2nd level LCs. You can earn a 50% matching bonus from 1st level LCs and 10-50% from your 2nd level LCs. This is paid on a weekly basis. However, you need to be a Director or higher to qualify for this bonus
    • Note: that binary pay and the matching bonus are limited only to 60% of your weaker leg volume per week.
  6. Life changer bonus: Earn a $1500 bonus once qualifications are met. Commissions are paid out by the fourth Thursday of each month if eligible. To earn the Life Changer Bonus, a TLC LC must meet the following requirements in the qualification period.
    • Must have been paid as a National Marketing Director or higher and maintain at least 20,000 weak leg volume (WLV) for a minimum of three (3) of the weekly bonus periods committed, where the weekly bonus period end date falls within the Life Changer’s Bonus monthly qualification period. Must be active. The Life Changer Bonus pays eligible TLC LCs $1500, which can be used for office, promotion, or travel expenses to help expand your business.

It sounds complicated, but I will share with you my observation after we check out its rank qualification and benefits.

6. Make more money as you climb the ranks

RankQualificationBenefits
Affiliate– Active LC with at least 40 QV monthly– Retail commissions
– LC Sponsor Bonus
Associate– Active LC with at least 40 QV monthly
– binary qualified
– Retail commissions
– LC Sponsor Bonus
– 10% Binary commissions
Apprentice– Active LC with at least 40 QV monthly
– binary qualified
– minimum of 500 PLV
– Retail commissions
– LC Sponsor Bonus
– 10% Binary commissions
– One-time Apprentice Bonus of 20 Gifted sample Credits
Director– Active LC with at least 80 QV monthly
– binary qualified
– minimum of 1000 PLV
– Monthly G5 requirement
– Retail commissions
– LC Sponsor Bonus
– 12% Binary commissions
– Matching bonus
Rising Star– Active LC with at least 80 QV monthly
– binary qualified
– at least 2500 PLV
– Must achieve Director rank in a previous week
– Achieve Monthly G5 requirement
– Rising Star Bonus ($200)
– Retail commissions
– LC Sponsor Bonus
– 12% Binary commissions
– Matching bonus
Executive Director– Active LC with at least 80 QV monthly
– binary qualified
– at least 5000 PLV
– Must achieve Rising Star rank in a previous week
– Achieve Monthly G5 requirement
– Retail commissions
– LC Sponsor Bonus
– 14% Binary commissions
– Matching bonus
Regional Director– Active LC with at least 120 QV monthly
– binary qualified, at least 10,000 PLV
– Must achieve Executive Director rank in a previous week
– Achieve Monthly G5 requirement
– Personally Sponsored recent Executive Director.
– Retail commissions
– LC Sponsor Bonus
– 17% Binary commissions
– Matching bonus
National Director– Active LC with at least 120 QV monthly, binary qualified
– at least 20,000 PLV
– Must achieve Regional Director rank in a previous week
– Achieve Monthly G5 requirement
– Personally Sponsored recent Regional Director
– LC Sponsor Bonus
– 20% Binary commissions
– Matching bonus
– $1500 monthly LC bonus
Global Director– Active LC with at least 120 QV monthly
– binary qualified, at least 50,000 PLV
– Must achieve National Director rank in a previous week
– Achieve Monthly G5 requirement
– Personally Sponsored recent – National Director
– Two recent Executive Directors (one of the left team and one of the right team)
– Retail commissions
– LC Sponsor Bonus
– 20% Binary commissions
– Matching bonus
– $1500 monthly LC bonus
Ambassador– Active LC with at least 120 QV monthly
– binary qualified, at least 100,000 PLV
– Must achieve Global Director rank in a previous week
– Achieve Monthly G5 requirement
– Personally Sponsored recent Global Director
– Four recent Executive Directors (2 on the left team and 2 on the right team)
– Retail commissions
– LC Sponsor Bonus
– 22% Binary commissions
– Matching bonus
– $1500 monthly LC bonus
Executive Ambassador– Active LC with at least 120 QV monthly
– binary qualified
at least 250,000 PLV
– Must achieve Ambassador rank in a previous week
– Achieve Monthly G5 requirement
– Personally Sponsored recent Ambassador
– 8 recent Executive Directors (4 on the left team and 4 on the right team)
– Retail commissions
– LC Sponsor Bonus
– 25% Binary commissions
– Matching bonus
– $1500 monthly LC bonus
Grand Ambassador– Active LC with at least 120 QV monthly
– binary qualified
– at least 500,000 PLV
– Must achieve Executive Ambassador rank in a previous week
– Achieve Monthly G5 requirement
– A personally Sponsored recent Executive Ambassador
– 2 personally sponsored recent Ambassadors
– 3 personally sponsored recent Global Ambassadors
– 12 recent Executive Directors (six on the left team and six on the right team)
– Retail commissions
– LC Sponsor Bonus
– 25% Binary commissions
– Matching bonus
– $1500 monthly LC bonus
– TLC Branded Jeep
– Custom Grand Ambassador Ring
Elite Ambassador– Active LC with at least 120 QV monthly
– binary qualified
– at least 1,000,000 PLV
– Must achieve Grand Ambassador rank in a previous week
– Achieve Monthly G5 requirement
– A personally sponsored recent Grand Ambassador
– 2 personally Sponsored recent Executive Ambassador
– 3 personally sponsored recent Ambassador
– 4 personally sponsored recent Global Ambassadors
– 16 recent Executive Directors (8 on the left team and 8 on the right team)
– Retail commissions
– LC Sponsor Bonus
– 25% Binary commissions
– Matching bonus
– $1500 monthly LC bonus
– TLC Branded Tesla and Custom – Elite Ambassador Diamond Encrusted Charm and Necklace

Observation: The lower the ranks, the more focus on product sales, and the product sales will not get you anywhere far in the company.

If you want to truly succeed with the company, you’ll need to be a adequate leader to build a large sales team. The higher the ranks, the more qualifications you’ll see, and the company keeps you at your toes as you may lose your rankings if you didn’t qualify for certain criteria after a certain period.

Now, it is hard to find prospects who will be interested in both the products and the business opportunity, and it is doubly hard to retain existing distributors. The turn-over rate for distributors is extremely high due to the poor compensation at the lowest level, and the sales environment by itself is not easy.

So, just be mindful that it is going to be a tough battle if you wish to be successful with the company.

7. Total Life Changes Products

As you may already know, the company sells a wide range of health supplements and personal care products, and instead of paying hefty fees for advertising and shelving to promote their products, they pay its distributors through a compensation plan.

This allows the company to keep most of its profits for further expansion.

There are six main product categories in Total Life Changes:

  • Total Life Essential Oils
  • Women’s Health
  • Hair and Skin care
  • Energy and Fitness
  • Full Body Nutrition
  • Weight Management

Total Life Essential Oils

Their essential oils are one of the newest to the product line. From my understanding, extracting essential oil is a complicated process. From getting the source, to the equipment for extracting, to storing the essential oils, any hiccups in the process will deem the essential oil not effective.

That’s why another MLM company called Young Living, built an entire business solely on essential oils, and they have done lots of tests, like the Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry to reveal the pertinent details about the quality and composition of the essential oil.

Unfortunately, this information is missing from Total Life Changes. We do not know where they’ve sourced the essential oils from.

Women’s Health

There’s only one product available in the Women’s Health category called BlossoMÉ. It is a dietary supplement formulated to support healthy hormone levels, appetite, skin, and overall mood for women.

If you’d like to learn the benefits of the products, here’s the list of ingredients:

IngredientBenefit
FolateAn essential B vitamin that helps boost energy
ChromiumImprove insulin sensitivity and metabolism
Inositol HexaphosphateReduce anxiety, improve fertility, reduce symptoms of depression
Black CohoshAids menopausal symptoms
Ashwagandha RootImprove blood sugar, mood, memory, muscle strength and fertility
DiindolymethanePrevent breast, uterine, and colorectal cancer
Reishi MushroomBoost immunity, fight fatigue and depression, Anti-Cancer Properties
Korean GinsengImprove overall health
Maca RootRelieve symptoms of menopause, improve mood and energy
Alpha Lipoic AcidCranRich PACAid blood sugar control and weight loss

Hair and skin care

The hair and skin care product line comes with a consumable vitamin, a body oil, two body soap, and a toothpaste.

ProductBenefits
HSN Vitamins – Hair, Skin, and NailsA multi-functional supplement for healthier hair, skin, and nails.
Infinity OilBody oil that moisturize, soften, and product your skin. It is formulate with chemical-free ingredients.
Essential SoapAromatic soap that cleanses and moisturizes your skin.
Charcoal SoapMoisture and nourishes your skin to keep it healthy and smooth.
LucidaCharcoal-based toothpaste that pursues bacteria and stains.

By now you should be able to see that their products aren’t that special because many other MLM companies, such as the following, offers them too:

So, what helped Total Life Changes penetrate the market is their weight management product line, specifically the Iaso® Instant Tea.

Iaso® Tea

It is known for its all-natural internal cleansing properties (detox) that also helps with appetite control, promotes digestive wellness, supports the circulatory system, and encourages healthy intestines.

Total Life Changes Iaso Tea
Iaso® TeaIngredients
Iaso® Tea Original– Cassia Angustifolia Extract
– Papaya Leaves
– Chamomile Leaves
– Persimmon Leaves
Iaso® Tea Instant– Nutriose FM 06
– Cassia Angustifolia Extract
– Carcia Papaya Extract Powder
– Chamomile Extract Powder
Fruit Punch Iaso® Instant Tea– Dextrin
– Cassia Angustifolia Extract
– Carcia Papaya Extract Powder
– Chamomile Extract Powder
ImmuniTea– Dextrin
– Golden Turmeric Root Extract
– Ashwagandha Powder
– (Ginger) Zingiber Officinale Extract

Although they did not explicitly promote the tea as a weight loss tea on the site, many distributors do so because weight loss is a topic that everyone understands.

Looking at the ingredients we can see that the main focus of the Iaso® Tea is to promote a healthy digestive system, and the key ingredient for weight loss is the “Papaya Extract Powder”.

It is an interesting blend of amazing ingredients and it is no wonder the Iaso® Tea became popular.

Have you tried Iaso® Tea? Feel free to share your experience with us in the comments.

8. Products are expensive

Now, let me put it into the perspective of a consumer (not life-changer).

  • 1 Iaso® Tea cost $54.95
  • Within it, contains 5 tea bags
  • 1 tea bag makes a gallon of tea (128oz)
  • It is recommended to consume 24oz a day

To simply speak, one Iaso® Tea can last for an entire month.

$54.95 every month isn’t that bad, right?

Now, the Iaso® Tea is best used with 3 other products:

ProductsMonthly Cost
NutraBurst® +$59.95
NRG$59.95
Resolution Drops$59.95

To have an optimal lifestyle, you’ll need to spend about $239.80 per month, and that’s just for one person. If you need to get the products for someone else in the family, it will cost you a bomb.

Due to the high cost of the products, it is not sustainable for a common consumer, even though the products are great.

If you have experienced Total Life Changes products, can you share your thoughts with us? Do you feel the same way?

9. Total Life Changes Reviews: What are people saying?

Total Life Changes has an A+ rating from Better Business Bureau, but performed poorly on customer reviews with only a 1.94 out of 5 stars.

TLC receive a total of 224 customer complaints over the last 3 years, and diving into the customer reviews, many customers had experienced delivery issues.

On a positive note, the customer service staff took quick action to resolve the issues. They resolve most complaints within a day, which explains why they have a A+ rating on BBB.

Total Life Changes Reviews BBB

On Trustpilot, TLC got a 4.4 out of 5 stars rating and 74% of the customers graded them as excellent.

However, as I dived into the customer reviews, I’ve noticed there were many customer complaints revolving around bad customer service and some cited that the products were not effective.

What is your opinion on TLC? Would you recommend the products to people you know? Feel free to share your thoughts below.

10. Verdict: Is Total Life Changes a Scam? Should You Join The Company?

Total Life Changes has weathered many obstacles, but it is not a scam. It focuses a lot on its product delivery and development, and it offers a business opportunity for people who loves the products and want to share it.

So, the question is, should you join the company?

Do you have good experience with the products, the customer service, the life changer?

If you are not convinced on either parts of the business, how are you going to convince others, right?

Now, the next question is, do you or your upline knows how to effectively generate high quality leads to TLC using the internet?

The reason I ask is if you are only relying on your social circle (people you know) to start your TLC business, you’ll most likely be stuck, and you’ll eventually quit.

So, if your goal is to be success with Total Life Changes and be the 1%, I would suggest that you learn how to generate an endless stream of leads online.

Now, if you think that prospecting, recruiting, socializing, persuasion and selling are not your cups of tea…

Then we’ll suggest that you check this program out as it has allowed me to quit my full-time job and still earn a full-time income from home.

Anyway, we are truly honored to be able to share our opinion about Total Life Changes with you.

If you have any thoughts or opinions about Total Life Changes, we invite you to share them with us below.