Real, Unbiased Amway Review from an Ex-MLMer
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Table of Contents
- Original Gangster
- Who Is Amway and Where Are They Located?
- A Brief History Of When Amway Started
- Are Amway Products Any Good?
- Pros: Why Is Amway Legit?
- Cons: Is Amway a Pyramid Scheme or Scam?
- Compensation Plan: Can Amway Make You Rich?
- How Amway Works
- What Amway Doesn’t Tell You
- Amway: Quick Summary
- Bottom Line: Is Amway a Scam or Will It Survive?
- Shameless Plug: Realistic Passive Income Without MLM?
The O.G. MLM
Here’s something we can both agree on:
If there was ever such a thing as an O.G. MLM, Amway would be it.
No doubt about it, this infamous network marketing company is the Original Gangster and undisputed heavyweight champion of all MLMs.
In terms of yearly revenue, no other multi-level marketing company even comes close.
Amway Global is the number-one direct selling business on the planet, raking in around $8-9 billion a year.
That’s a full $3 billion more than Avon or Herbalife, its closest competitors.
If you’re a budding entrepreneur who’s been alive longer than 15 minutes, you’ve probably heard of ’em by now.
While things have calmed down a little in recent years, there was a time when it seemed like there were Amway distributors lurking around every corner.
Possibly even in random storm drains, like Pennywise from the movie It:
So what gives?
What is it about Amway that has drawn untold millions of regular folks into its vortex for an astonishing 60 years now?
Let’s dig a little deeper to find out…
Who Is Amway and Where Are They Located?
Headquartered in Ada, Michigan, Amway is an MLM company who sells health, wellness, beauty, nutrition, and home care products to the masses.
Now get this:
Amway is one of only a few companies that can legitimately claim to have pioneered the business model that we’ve all come to know and love as…
(Or hate and be repulsed by…)
You guessed it: Multi-Level Marketing (MLM).
Amway now has 17,000+ employees and operates in over 100 countries and territories throughout the world including Canada, China, India, Japan, and Thailand.
The only exception being Antarctica.
But at this point, I really wouldn’t be surprised if they even had a few penguins on board:
(I clearly have too much time on my hands.)
More:
Although the company doesn’t officially publish how many registered distributors it has, a commonly quoted figure is somewhere between 3 and 4 million people worldwide.
As of this writing, Forbes Magazine ranks Amway as the 53rd largest privately held company in the United States by revenue.
The company consistently finds its way to the top of the Direct Selling News “Top 100” list.
Amway’s headquarters complex in Ada, Michigan is also quite impressive.
Picture this:
Stretching a full mile from east to west, it boasts 80 total buildings with some 3.5 million square feet of manufacturing and office space.
Here’s a pic of their main entrance and head office:
Kidding.
But Amway’s magical kingdom is still a far cry from a humble “mom-and-pop” operation.
And let’s not forget the name of the basketball arena that the Orlando Magic call home.
Officially known as the Amway Center, so named because the DeVos family (Richard DeVos co-founded Amway) OWNS the freakin’ team.
The company has initiated many other commercial sponsorships in the past, including being the former jersey sponsor of the San Jose Earthquakes — a Major League Soccer team.
They even own a hotel in Grand Rapids, MI called the Amway Grand Plaza for Pete’s sake.
Simply put, Amway is a beast.
Now let’s wipe the dust off and begin with…
A Brief History Of When Amway Started
Amway was founded way back in 1959, by long-time friends and business partners Jay Van Andel (above left) and Richard “Rich” DeVos (right).
To put things in perspective, that was the same year that:
- Mattel came out with the first Barbie doll.
- Alaska became the 49th State of the Union.
- Amazon still meant a jungle, not a website.
But a decade before that, Rich and Jay started out by marketing a line of nutritional products from a company known as Nutrilite.
Previously named The California Vitamin Company, Nutrilite’s claim to fame was having the first-ever multivitamin sold in the United States:
Impressed by the groundbreaking direct sales model used by Nutrilite, DeVos and Van Andel quickly became top distributors.
They also loved how the company offered commissions on product sales from newly recruited distributors they introduced to the business — a system called multi-level marketing or network marketing.
After building up a team of more than five thousand distributors, Rich and Jay decided to leave Nutrilite (with their top recruiters) and go it alone.
Then it happened:
The two entrepreneurs launched a new company known as The American Way (later shortened to Amway) so they could expand the product line to include regular household items.
… and the rest is history.
DeVos and Van Andel’s first order of business was to buy the rights to what would become Amway’s first product:
A highly concentrated organic household cleaner known as Frisk.
They later changed the name of the product to L.O.C. aka “Liquid Organic Cleaner” now known as “Legacy of Clean”.
This cleaner, along with their Nutrilite supplements (which the company later acquired), became the core of Amway’s product offerings.
Distributors were also given the ability to earn a residual income through their customers’ repeat purchases.
Fast-forward to today:
This direct sales behemoth has added all kinds of new products to their repertoire, including several product divisions doing billions in annual sales by themselves.
Amway’s Nutrilite brand of supplements sells more than 11 billion vitamin tablets around the world.
Nutrilite was also named by Euromonitor International as the world’s number-one selling nutritional supplement brand.
But here’s the interesting thing:
Amway enjoyed a brief stint of being thought of as an “internet business” back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when it launched the now-defunct web-based brand known as Quixtar in North America.
Why would Amway do such a thing?
The biggest difference between Amway and Quixtar was that distributors (known as “Independent Business Owners” or “IBOs” for short) could order their products directly online.
This saved them from having to manually fill out order slips and submit them to their upline.
Good idea, right?
Unfortunately, the Quixtar brand failed to gain popularity with the general public and after 7 years (and a class action lawsuit) it was scrapped.
Starting in 2007, the Quixtar name was quietly phased out and now all Amway business owners worldwide are under the Alticor, Inc. brand as one big happy family.
Mostly thanks to their MLM business model, it’s fair to say that Amway doesn’t exactly have the best reputation among the general public these days.
But they do have the highest revenue.
And the quality of their products is definitely not to blame…
Are Amway Products Any Good?
If there’s one thing I can say about Amway:
It’s that their products are LEGIT.
I know several people who have used their Nutrilite dietary supplements and have nothing but good things to say about them.
Check this out:
Nutrilite claims to be one of the only vitamin/mineral brands on the planet that grows, harvests, and processes the plants for their supplements on their own certified organic farms.
Apparently they even use special Egyptian earthworms just to fertilize the soil for their organic plants.
Now THAT is hardcore lol.
But it’s not just about vitamins and minerals.
Their household cleaning products are every bit as high-quality, with L.O.C. being a groundbreaking cleaner in terms of being fully biodegradable and comprised of organic ingredients.
Put it this way:
Amway was doing organic before organic was cool.
And we can’t forget about the company’s Artistry line of cosmetic and personal care products which is a juggernaut by itself, generating billions of dollars per year in revenue.
Amway also has a popular “eSpring” water filter that has earned mad respect in water purifying circles, garnering an “excellent” rating from Consumer Reports among other accolades.
I actually know someone who has owned and used the eSpring:
Which utilizes UV light along with a carbon block filter to purify tap water.
Not sure about the science but…
Apparently the water tastes pretty damn good lol.
And I’ll mention one last product which is also one of the company’s most addictive:
The XS Energy Drink.
This sugar-free energy elixir courses through the veins of countless IBOs worldwide, bringing in annual sales of more than $100 million.
If you couldn’t tell by now:
There are literally hundreds (450+) of other products in Amway’s catalog including Amway Home™, Satinique™ (hair care), and Atmosphere Sky™ (air treatment systems)…
… but I’m not gonna to bore you with an exhaustive survey of their entire product line.
Needless to say, they’re well-covered in terms of product variety.
The only strike that I would count against Amway when it comes to their products, is their typical MLM-inflated prices.
Definitely not the worst that I’ve seen, but they’re not exactly the “low-price leader” by any means.
That said:
From my own research and folks that I know personally, I can honestly say that Amway seems to walk the talk in terms of high product quality.
It’s almost unfortunate that a company that produces such awesome products has been subject to so much controversy surrounding their business opportunity.
I’ll cover that in more detail in just a sec.
But first let’s explore some pros and cons:
Pros: Why Is Amway Legit?
✓ You won’t have to worry too much about stability with this one.
As a long-time member of the Direct Selling Association, Amway is the largest and most successful MLM company in the world.
Which means you’re hooking up with a 60 year-old company that does $8-9 billion a year in sales.
To be fair, Amway sales have been on somewhat of a downtrend in recent years, but it’s safe to say they’re here to stay.
✓ Their product quality is mostly outstanding.
If you want to become a full-time Amway IBO, you can be proud of what you’re selling product-wise.
Even if you’re not interested in their business plan, Amway is still known for having quality products.
That’s more than what can be said for many two-bit MLM companies out there nowadays.
✓ A high rating from the Better Business Bureau.
For what it’s worth, Amway has been accredited with the BBB for almost 30 years (since 1991).
And they currently have an A+ rating.
However, it’s important to mention this is common for large MLM companies.
Since many of the positive Amway reviews often come from their own distributors — who are not exactly unbiased lol.
✓ As the most well-established network marketing company, Amway offers top-notch training materials and events for their IBOs.
Amway has plenty of free training programs and resources to help you get to the next level of your MLM small business.
That includes live presentations, webinars, podcasts, and online courses.
No raggedy, copy-of-a-copy, black-and-white brochures here.
And no sketchy-looking information packs that you’d be embarrassed to hand out to your friends and family members aka “prospective distributors”.
They even have an Amway Business Center for IBOs in New York.
They also hold multiple training conferences throughout the year to keep you motivated and inspired (if you’re into that kind of thing).
However, this is not to be confused with the loads of unofficial motivational books, videos, and other Business Support Materials (BSMs) that you’ll be encouraged to buy from your upline.
(More about that later.)
Cons: Is Amway a Pyramid Scheme or Scam?
✗ On the business opportunity side, Amway’s reputation is all but in the crapper.
Like it or not:
When most people hear or type the word “Amway” into Google, a wall quickly goes up before you can even begin talking about the business.
Questions about pyramid scams and ponzi schemes will often follow:
Or:
“Aren’t the only people that are making money with those at the top of the pyramid?”
To combat this, a lot of their IBOs have resorted to memorizing creative rebuttals so they can avoid using the company name right off the bat.
It also explains why the Amway-affiliated World Wide Dream Builders organization has been so successful — they don’t have to mention Amway up front.
✗ Throughout the decades, the company has been the target of numerous FTC investigations.
With allegations that include price fixing and making exaggerated income claims, to paying millions of dollars to former distributors for misleading business practices.
Anyone who’s been around this industry for a while is aware that all MLMs walk a fine line between selling the products and selling the dream.
As you might expect, one of the biggest and most long-standing accusations against Amway is that it’s an illegal pyramid scheme.
Hence the term “Scamway.”
But the FTC actually ruled this out in 1979 due to the fact that Amway does not specifically pay people for recruiting new distributors.
Even though — as we all know — recruiting is the cornerstone of all MLMs and is obviously highly encouraged.
Cuz that’s how the network marketing business works.
✗ Being the original MLM, it’s not surprising that IBOs are heavily pressured to sell products like crazy and buy more for personal use.
In return, distributors earn PV (point value) and BV (business volume) which determine their monthly compensation percentage.
But like most MLMs, Amway products are expensive.
This can make it hard for distributors to purchase enough volume to reach their minimums.
Not to mention the not-so-easy challenge of convincing someone to make a full switch from cheaper, store-bought brands.
✗ The over-the-top Amway meetings and cult-like culture turns many people off.
Look:
For many IBOs, Amway is almost like a religion.
This had led to the company cranking out some of the most annoying and aggressive distributors in the MLM universe.
All selling the dream of financial freedom by running your own business, perhaps for the first time.
Nothing wrong with free enterprise or drinking your own Kool-Aid.
But it’s also the reason why Amway has been accused of damn near brainwashing their recruits with pro-Amway propaganda.
Compensation Plan: Can Amway Make You Rich?
Okay, let’s get down to brass tacks:
Time to talk about the Benjamins, baby.
As you’d expect, the top-level distributors of the world’s largest MLM make sh*tloads of money.
Metric tons.
Those at the highest “Founders Emerald” and “Founders Diamond” levels are ballin’ out of control.
Above that, the few at the “Crown” level are making residual incomes that seriously border on the unbelievable.
But like most other MLMs, unfortunately they represent a pathetically small percentage of the total number of distributors enrolled in the company.
To put it in perspective, the Amway Corporation has paid out almost $60 billion (with a “B”) in bonuses and incentives to distributors since its inception.
That’s a LOT of money.
But according to Amway.com, only 48% of all IBOs are active with an average gross income of around $200/mo.
You read that right.
Two hundred bucks PER MONTH.
Ouch.
Why so low?
Like all direct selling companies, for most people it’s gonna be an uphill battle to get to any significant level of income.
And when I say “uphill” — I mean a very steep hill.
Starting face down in the mud.
With an army of renegade mercenaries strafing the hill with machine gun fire.
In other words, it might be a little tough to make this thing work.
Especially if you treat it like a casual part-time job.
But let’s break it down, shall we?
How Amway Works
Are you ready to become a Founders Diamond and make $500k per year?
News flash, rookie:
First you gotta learn the ropes by starting out as a brand-new Independent Business Owner (IBO) for around $100.
Next up, the really fun part:
You’ll then be encouraged to talk about Amway with your friends and family (in person and on social media), as long as you can convince them the hefty retail sales price is worth it.
As a new IBO, you’ll also be taught to “be your own best customer” by switching all of your current household items to Amway.
Spoiler alert: This will cost you more money out of pocket.
As mentioned earlier:
The more you sell, the more Point Value and Business Volume numbers you earn, and the more commission you make.
(You can check out this handy Amway commission calculator.)
But here’s where it gets a lil’ sketchy:
The BV of the Amway products you buy is not always equal to the dollar amount it costs to buy them.
Long story short, this means you gotta buy a ton of Amway stuff to get a relatively meager commission.
For example, as you can see in the image below, buying 600 PV worth of product should net you roughly $225/mo for your trouble.
- If you add up all the 100 PV’s above, it’s over the 600 PV threshold which means that your commission will be 9% of BV.
- If you add up all the $300 BV’s above (and add $400 BV from customer purchases), it’s roughly $2500 BV total.
Which means that you’ll receive around $225/mo in commissions (9% of $2500 BV = $225).
But keep in mind that you and your group probably spent well over $1000 to buy all those Amway products.
If your group continues to grow and increases your total monthly PV to 7500, your commission can get as high as 25%.
(Feel free to check out Amway’s official compensation plan.)
After countless hours of looking at their comp plan, here’s the “simplest” explanation I could find on YouTube:
Don’t feel bad if you have absolutely no idea what any of that means.
I’m the one who did the damn research and still don’t understand it all.
But all you really need to know is why there’s such a strong emphasis placed on sponsoring OTHER people into the business.
Simply because you can benefit from their BV as well, since their volume becomes part of your group volume (GV), boosting your PV bracket, and therefore your commission percentage.
Clear as mud?
Didn’t think so lol.
Translation: If your downline makes more money, YOU make more money.
Do this enough times and you’re a dancin’ millionaire, right?
Not so fast, Twinkle Toes…
What Amway Doesn’t Tell You
Here’s the truth:
It can be very discouraging when you start prospecting and trying to recruit new distributors.
First off, you have to overcome the immense hurdle of Amway’s not-so-good reputation.
That means persuading your friends, family members, total strangers, and possibly a few household pets that your business opportunity is worth a look.
You’ll hear things like:
“That sounds like a pyramid scheme to me…”
Or:
“No thanks, I’ve tried something like that before and it was a total scam.”
You might even try inviting them to a couple hotel ballroom meetings to listen to a “special guest presenter”.
Or perhaps one-on-one sit-downs at a local Starbucks where you sketch out the compensation plan using neat little circles on a piece of paper.
Or maybe a home meeting, where someone with a whiteboard draws out the plan Pictionary-style.
While all of this is going on, your upline is steadily encouraging you to invest in a small library of motivational material aka the aforementioned Business Support Materials (BSMs).
Supposedly, to give you the knowledge and inspiration you need to succeed in the business.
This is one of the biggest points of contention between Amway critics and supporters.
What’s the problem?
Basically, you’re told that the more BSMs you and your group buy, the more likely you are to succeed in the business since you’ll be developing the proper “mentality” for success.
It’s important to mention that distributors who choose to sell or distribute BSMs must emphasize that the purchase of these materials is optional.
But it’s common for new recruits to hear such phrases as:
“Tools are optional, but so is success!”
Or:
“I’ve never seen anyone be successful in this business without these tools.”
Now to be fair, I completely agree that without the proper mindset, you don’t stand a chance of being successful in MLM or any traditional business.
However, the costs for these “optional” BSMs start to add up pretty damn quick.
To the tune of hundreds of dollars per month, on top of the money you’re shelling out to buy products for personal use.
And who is all this extra Business Support Material cash going to?
The top-level distributors who are selling it to you, of course.
You’re also encouraged to attend weekend seminars, “attitude sessions” (more motivation), “night owl” sessions (still more motivation), and especially major functions and conferences.
You might even hear that “not attending the next major function will set your business back six months!”
The end goal is to cram as much Amway knowledge and motivational meth down your throat until you become a walking spokeszombie for the company.
Amway believes so much in the power of these rah-rah products and meetings, they even have an official term for the groups of Amway IBOs who are the best at it:
“Professional Development Programs” (PDPs) also referred to as “Amway Motivational Organizations” (AMOs).
As an AMO, the group can operate under the Amway flag but is allowed to sell their own products that instruct new recruits how to succeed as an Amway professional.
I wanna make something clear though:
I’m not anti-Amway or against the idea of surrounding yourself with a positive group of like-minded peeps.
In fact, if you’re NOT paying attention to what you read, watch, and listen to on a regular basis, you’re gonna have a hard time making it as an entrepreneur.
The only problem is that network marketing marketing companies like Amway are often accused of crossing the line and using near “cult-like” behavior to keep their distributors on board.
And don’t forget that even if you’re okay with drinking the MLM Kool-Aid, you still have to convince a whole lot of other people to believe the hype as well.
Easier said than done.
But if you can do that enough times for enough years, you just might end up with a massive network of IBOs, as well as some impressive monthly residual checks.
Unfortunately, since the vast majority of IBOs don’t make a dime, the chances of that happening are slim.
Amway: Quick Summary
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Amway is a legit business as the most successful network marketing company on the planet, with billions of dollars in yearly sales and a track record spanning six decades. | Thanks to their multi-level marketing business model (which emphasizes recruiting), Amway‘s reputation among many folks is poor to say the least. |
| In general, Amway's products have an excellent reputation for being very high quality which can lead to long-term customers. | It costs about $100 to become an Independent Business Owner (IBO), and you are expected to buy a lot of products for personal use which tend to be pricey. |
| Amway offers more than 450 products ranging from skin care to health supplements, so it's safe to say you won't run out of things to sell as an IBO. | Like all MLMs, there is a strong emphasis placed on sponsoring other people into the business so you can make commissions from their sales as well. |
| As the most well-established network marketing company, Amway offers top-notch training materials for their IBOs. | Distributors are frequently encouraged to buy costly motivational books & videos from their upline to help them succeed. |
| The top-level distributors in Amway can earn some of the highest commissions in the MLM industry, with yearly incomes in the high six and seven-figure ranges. | The company admits that only 48% of all IBOs are active and of the ones that are active, their average monthly gross income is only around $200. |
Bottom Line: Is Amway a Scam or Will It Survive?
C’mon, they’ve been around for 60 frickin’ years and do $9B in annual sales.
Amway’s not going anywhere.
Personally, I’m not a fan of their business model but don’t think they’re a scam either.
Kidding.
Make up your own mind but compared to many MLMs out there, I actually kind of like Amway.
Meaning I admire them from a pure business standpoint.
Now headed by Doug DeVos and Steve Van Andel (both sons of the original founders), you gotta respect their longevity and success as the largest MLM in the world.
Not to mention their product quality is better than most.
If you decide to join Amway, the money is definitely out there… remember the $60 billion in bonuses and incentives I told you about?
The catch is that you will need to build and maintain an absolutely MASSIVE organization to get anywhere near the six-figure income level or above.
To put it simply: it’s a long shot and still requires a ridiculous amount of hard work.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, that’s why 99% of MLMers lose money.
But maybe you should try switching it up.
Y’know, stop chasing old multi-level dreams and start a business by actually learning the skills to make money online?
One where you can still be your own boss and rake in a lotta dead presidents.
It’s your call, Neo:
Take the blue pill and keep pestering those closest to you about your amazing home biz opp.
Or take the red pill and giddy-up on over to this link.
Good luck.
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This is Gold, “Take the Blue Pill” haha.
Great insight and wish you had better SEO to get you at the top of my google search.
Thank you for the comment. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
I was an IBO for a few years and received instruction from Ron himself. Wye aye man, that shite is expensive! The wife and I spent loads on nuts and bolts and pep rallies.
Not to mention we were also pressured to buy BSM and got a lot of encouragement from our upline. The products were great and XS tastes amazing, but it was such a financial burden that the wife had to take a job while I did the fishing.
I finally said sod it and quit, despite her highly adamantly vocal irritation. I think that’s one of the reasons she left, hahaha.
No, it’s not a scam in the true sense of the word, because how the business model is structured, but your upline and the organization does make more than you in the end.
Thanks for your comment. The cost of the business support materials and traveling to frequent meetings and events can definitely be hard on the wallet.
Honest review. Thank You!
My wife and I started as customers. I knew about Nutrilite vitamins. In fact, when I wanted to start supplementing, I did not trust any other brand, but was unable to find anyone to sell to me! My wife fell in love with the makeup and I fell in love with the energy drinks.
We accidentally began building a customer base because we were telling people about how good the products are! I did not find the products expensive. In fact, when we did price comparisons with the makeup, cleaning products and energy drinks, we noticed we were actually saving money.
When we became IBO’s with the company, we were profitable right out the box! It has become a nice little side business for us.
But ya, my experience has been very positive, and people that I speak to, either have never heard of the company or love the products. Honestly, the only trolls I have seen are online.
Rick, appreciate your comments. But where on earth are you living? Amway products are VERY expensive by comparison of retail stores (not even close). I’ve compared.
People you spoke to either have never heard of the company or love the products?? First time I’ve ever heard someone say that. Seriously – who has never heard of Amway?
Rick, thanks for your comment! I’m glad to hear Amway is working out for you.
And I hear what you’re saying Dean lol. But to each their own I guess 🙂
Thanks for this information Simon.
I actually was approached by an IBO last week and today was an official meeting. One thing I tell you, this company follows some serious tactics to talk a random dude like me into such meetings.
I had met the IBO three times in one week, where we discussed how an average “40 hours per week” life sucks. I was also asked to read a book that shows how network marketing is the way to go in todays era.
Throughout the process, from the day I first met that IBO to 15 minutes into the presentation, the name of the company wasn’t revealed. FINALLY, the guy said it—Amway.
If I were not sitting in the first row (where they actually seated the newbies like me), I would’ve rushed out of the room right when I heard that name. My dad himself was an IBO for a year and after continuous struggles to spread the “cult” he had to step out, it wasn’t worth it.
Thanks for sharing Sam! Many peeps have similar experiences with Amway and other MLMs. I’m not a fan of recruiting, either. But every business has its downsides, you just gotta have enough self-awareness to know what your deal breakers are 🙂
I have been approached by some ladies my aunt knows and they told me that they are expanding their business and would love to talk to me about it. When I got their info, I asked what kind of job it was they said “e-commerce”. I had a zoom meeting with them and kept trying to figure out what the company was called and they kept saying it was multiple companies! Finally, when I asked to see one of their websites, I found out it was Amway. It took so much for me to pull it out of them, I’m already suspicious to start- that didn’t help at all.
I’ve been approached by old friends of mine who have been having success in WWG and say that I’m “a perfect fit”. Of course I know that’s probably what they tell everyone they talk to, but from my own understanding and research I actually think I might do well, but I still have my reservations.
A lot of it is that I’m still waiting for the “Now pay $100 and all this can be yours” bit. Do you have personal experience with Amway and WWG?
Thanks for your review, it has certainly helped in my understanding of the company, organization, etc., behind this upside down pyramid I’ve been hearing about.
Thanks for the comment, Connor 🙂 I do not have personal experience with Amway or WWDB, but have spoken to many folks who have and I’ve also been in my share of MLMs. And just like any network marketing or home-based business — some are successful, most are not. You should check out my best MLM review article for more info.
If people see Amway as a business opportunity, it’s definitely a great opportunity. Having said that, we all agree that anyone who want to have a profitable business, no matter in which industry or the type of business, they have to work hard to make money.
Bottom line, we need to have or develop the courage to make things work. Nothing comes easy in life. Be responsible and don’t blame others for what you are not achieving.
Hey Walter, thanks for your comment! I couldn’t agree more about taking responsibility for your success. In fact, one of favorite personal mottos is “everything is my fault” 🙂
Thank God! An unbiased factual blog about the Amway Corporation! Thank you for your well worded review, a breath of fresh air!
The Amway Corporation is so much more than what meets the eye in relation to allowing ol regular Joes n Janes like you and I to create the income and lifestyle we choose. And thank God it’s hard work.
Character is built in the struggle and who you really are is revealed in the fight. While not for the faint of heart nor for those who are prone to quit easily, MLM’s are a good fit for wannabe/starting entrepreneurs who don’t have large upfront capital to start an online or traditional company. Low start up, hard work, SUCCESS! What’s better than that?
Finally! Someone who makes sense and tells the truth! 🙂 Well done!
Thanks for the comment! MLMs are definitely not for the faint of heart. But the same can be said about being any kind of entrepreneur. Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
I grew up with it. My parents got in back when I was a very young kid back in the mid sixties not long after it got its start.
My parents worked their butts off and we’re literally over 100 direct IBO’s under them but there was no support back then. So after about 2 years they did it full time and ended up bankrupt!
I tried it with WWDB and found it to be just too much BS about the seminars and “family reunion”. One of their annual things and they always wanted you to purchase all the books and tapes they recommended! What a scam they are as far as I’m concerned.
The company itself has absolutely awesome products but I would run away from anyone pushing it as a fair business opportunity unless you are very very determined and have the patience and time to put in the work. All I can say is good luck.
Hey Jeff, thanks so much for sharing your experience! Appreciate your input man 🙂
Absolutely great job giving us unbiased information. Please keep your work ongoing and would definitely love information other company and people other than mlm .
And thanks again for all your effort!!
Thanks for your comment and support! Some of these articles (e.g. Amway) take me literally months to research, write, edit (and rewrite x 10) so it’s nice to know they’re appreciated 🙂
Hey, thanks a lot for this awesome review. Very well explained and good humour included as well lol. Doing business with Amway, I know that to be true, all the things you mentioned above. Great job and I personally encourage everyone to take a look at this amazing business opportunity. 🙂
Hey Akshay, thanks for taking the time to read my article 🙂
I just wanted to say every part of this article is true. Ive recently been approached by some really nice people who want to incorporate me into their Amway family.
The few meetings and gatherings that I have been to immediately registered in my mind as a cult-like experience. Not that they are bad people. Honestly Ive never met nicer people.
As soon as they told me I wouldn’t need to worry about paying for a building or re-ordering inventory that kinda flipped my opinion on how qualified their IBO’s must be.
I was absolutely shocked by their catalog. Most stores have to markup their products around 50% from their cost to make anything right? The markup on a bottle of dietary supplements had a markup of around 15%.
That’s when I knew that Amway wasn’t telling the truth about how much their products cost. I have tried their products though. Not gonna lie its true-blue and quality stuff.
Thank you for the comment, Owen!
Simon, this is probably the best article I’ve ever read on MLMs. Not only is it completely unbiased, but it’s beautifully organized, very informational, and has perfect witty humor. I respect your writing style and wanted to thank you for taking the time to do your research.
I’ve run into my fair share of obnoxious Amway recruiters, but I’ve also run into a few that genuinely take the time to educate people (myself included) on exactly how much work the business would be, the finances it takes, and how to be successful; never pressured me, hyped me up, or led me blindly, but took the time to see if the opportunity would actually benefit me. I respected that, and wanted to vouch for them.
I believe the “one night stand” Amway recruiters are the reason for it’s bad reputation, and it’s a shame that the other side never gets talked about since they don’t go around trying to “get” everyone.
Thanks for the kind words Ariana 🙂 And you make a great point — there are definitely some legit Amway recruiters who use a more laid-back approach. It’s unfortunate there’s not more of them out there.
Alhamdulillah, thank you so much brother. To be success, there are lot more ways to become success, involving yourself to contact many people to buy company’s product, means you’re working for them. You open my mind and thank you once again, Im done with Amway.
Thanks Muhammad, glad my article helped you out brother 🙂
SOS!!
Thank you for all of the research and time you put into bringing all of this together. Now, if only we (both sets of parents) could get our kids to read this great information.
They are newly married, just graduated from college this year with high honors, working at the school they graduated from and discussing the excitement of the next journey in their lives.
Until some “friend” of theirs connected them with their “friends” who contacted our kids. It was very secretive at first, some type of 2 -week process of interviewing and getting to know them to see if they were supposedly worthy of joining this group of “wealthy entrepreneurs who earn high amounts of income and are able to be generous to others”. Never was the name Amway used.
Yet, our kids are now convinced that this is how they will succeed in life. It is as though all of their hard work in school/college was for nothing!
Thanks for sharing your story, Glenda! I understand your concern but I would highly recommend backing off and letting your kids experience the reality of being an MLMer themselves.
It sounds like they’re still in the “honeymoon phase” but they’ll quickly learn if it’s something they wanna do long-term. If it makes you feel better — MLMs typically have a 1% success rate. So the odds are in your favor 🙂
Built the business in my early 20s for a short period through WWDB. I’m no longer active, but still get a bonus check ($500-700/mo) as long as I have the 50pv customer volume. I now own a very successful 8 figure company that’s debt free, I have no personal debt outside of our mortgage, and my marriage is strong.
All of these things I picked up on from actually working the Amway business the way they tell you to. Amway didn’t make me a millionaire, but it taught me what I needed to know so I could build what we have now. I recommend it to a lot of people as a way to thicken their skin and learn business basics.
Thanks for sharing your WWDB experience and congrats on your success!
While I agree that Amway/WWDB can provide a lot of great business and personal development training, most folks who join are not just looking for a way to “thicken their skin and learn business basics.”
In other words, they’re looking to build a full-time Amway business that makes a heckuva lot more than $500-700/mo. Not just use it as a stepping stone to start another company. So I’m curious as to why you didn’t stick with Amway long-term if it was working so well?
But I appreciate your comment and wish you all the best 🙂
I am new to Melbourne and have come here to pursue my masters of Information Technology in the top ranked university of Melbourne. I have been approached by someone and have been attending multiple catch-ups and I am still in the vetting process.
I have also attended a winter conference held in Melbourne. I am confused as to what to do next. Should I proceed with this business?
I told my mentors that I have to manage my studies, part-time job and the Amway business. They told me that I should have the willingness to do and they would help me to manage my time and also have a budgeting session.
All this personal development and financial freedom seems to be appealing to me and I am thinking of continuing this business. But I am still confused.
Do you think it’ll be possible to manage all this as a student of a reputable university in Australia who already has loads to study?
Hey Sarita, thanks for your comment! First off, I suggest you read my review on MLM companies to get a realistic idea of what you’re getting into. Long story short: this business requires a serious commitment.
To me, it sounds like you have enough on your plate with school and a part-time job, not to mention your social life 😉
Since you’re at a great university, why not focus on your studies for now and work on personal development in your spare time?
You can always revisit Amway in a couple years once you’ve completed school. After all, they’ve been around for 60 years so they’re not going anywhere lol.
No one makes $$$ by selling Amway products because no one sells the products. The Amway corporation makes $$$ because of all the distributors using (not selling) Amway products.
This is by definition a pyramid.
The distributors making BIG $$$ in Amway are making $$$ selling the tools/functions.
NO ONE make $$$ in Amway except the Amway Corporation and the TOP distributors and they make $$$ by REQUIRING the distributors to purchase the TOOLS.
Bottom line: no one makes $$$ in Amway below the Diamond pin level. In fact, 99% of Amway distributors LOSE $$$. The Diamond pin levels and above make their $$$ from the TOOLS.
Amway is a total scam.
Thanks for your comment, Michael. I agree with your point about product sales — like most MLMs, the vast majority of Amway’s sales comes from its own distributors.
However, there are obviously some products being sold to consumers (e.g. the distributor’s friends and family), just not that many 🙂
While that’s a tell-tale sign of an MLM company, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a pyramid scheme. Or a total scam.
That said, the FTC agrees with you that 99% of MLMers lose money. And some of the higher ranks do make a fortune from selling their business support materials.
My husband got me into this business and his mentor keeps telling us to buy more BSMs and Britt World Wide (BWW) TV.
She also wants us to make the 150PV every month on a salary that we are struggling with.
We have kids and she keeps saying we should limit our eating (!) and buy only Amway products for the kids to eat so we can make money to take care of them.
But any money you do make just goes back into buying all the business support programs.
Thanks for your comment, D.
Unfortunately, it sounds like your upline mentor is doing exactly what has turned so many folks off of Amway — aggressive pushing to buy more products and BSMs, disguised as encouragement.
Hey Simon, I might be a little late to the party but I just wanted to thank you so much for this thorough and well-written article.
I’m a new IBO (technically in the Yager organization but don’t associate with the majority of their events or systems) and this soothed my mind in a lot of aspects.
As a young person living away from my family, I’ve very much appreciated the support and personal development skills I’ve been taught.
To everyone worried about a cult atmosphere, I like to think of it like a buffet and only take what I need, and leave the rest.
Worst case scenario, you meet some nice people and buy some vitamins.
Hey Nicola, thanks for your comment 🙂 Glad to hear Amway is working out for you so far.
Unfortunately, many folks eventually find the cult atmosphere overwhelming and get pressured to spend a fortune on events and products.
Worst case scenario, this can sometimes destroy long-standing relationships and leave a permanent bad taste in your mouth.
Keep that in mind but I wish you all the best!
I’ve just been approached by a lovely couple hell-bent on building a support group of like-minded, successful entrepreneurs.
I was told that it’s Amway at my second meeting tonight, but just don’t know if this is for me after reading this wonderful article.
I have the time but I don’t have the people in my life to sell anything to, much less turn anyone on to the Amway business.
I’m a 39 yo retired pilot that suffers from depression. Do you think this is for me as I am a completely isolated recluse in my current lifestyle?
Thanks for your comment, Ronnie. Sorry to hear about your depression (been there) but if you’re not willing to get outside your comfort zone, Amway’s probably not a good fit.
Not to mention it’s ALL about selling and recruiting, my friend.
I loved reading this article because it was such a “middle of the road” truly objective piece. As an IBO, I really appreciate the humor and talent of this offer.
Great writing and illustrations, I hope you keep it up for more than just Amway.
Thanks Theresa. I appreciate your feedback 🙂
This is by far the most informative article I have read about Amway. Thanks for the clear breakdown.
I’ve been recently approached by a friend and his mentor to “validate” if I am the right fit for this business opportunity. I have pretty thick skin when it comes to these fairy-tale-get-rich-by-staying-home schemes.
So far they have failed to answer any direct $$$-related questions like initial investment costs, monthly minimums, actual $$ numbers they’ve been making, or costs of Amway products.
I’ve already read the dream-selling “Business of the 21st Century” book which IMO is the weakest of the RDPD series.
Appreciate the clear and concise explanation. Thanks again.
Thanks for your comment, Budman!
I recently got involved with Amway and have another zoom call tonight, actually.
I’m hustling, trying to make some income as this quarantine has left me jobless and I need to support my family.
I’m doing everything I can and I’d really appreciate some advice. Thank you.
Thanks for your comment, Andrew. Much respect for trying to make the most out of these crazy times!
My only advice would be to avoid the temptation of quick cash that many online business opportunities will try to sell you these days.
The truth is, any business you start now will probably take a lot more time than you think to get off the ground and ultimately pay the bills.
But check out my make money online article for more ideas that might help you. Best of luck!
Great article Simon. I went through a process about a year and a half ago with WWDB and met Bill Hawkins.
It requires all time and dedication outside of one’s job to do it. Give 100% everyday and live off of five hours of sleep a night. It requires a winners mentality.
Once you come to find what it requires, what it can produce, and don’t do it, you regret every day you’re not out building it.
Great article. First one I’ve seen that doesn’t call it some sort of scam.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Cory! Glad you enjoyed the read 👍
SO GOOD. I literally laughed for like an hour @ some of your jokes. The freaking penguin. HAHA. and also the Disneyland HQ ref. LOL. I literally couldn’t stop reading till the very end. you rock!!
Wow, thanks so much – your comment means a lot!
It’s seriously the first time I’ve read a complete blog on any sort of research and didn’t fall asleep 🙂
Not a big MLM fan myself but I see a lot of pros in it.
Although seriously, that cult behavior you talked about is really shitty.. basically like People Repellent!
Thanks Shivanshu 🙂
I am new to the MLM business and I didn’t know where to start but this helps me a lot!
Thanks and God bless!
Perfect! Thanks for letting me know, Leen 🙂
Between 2017 to 2020 end I was a IBO under BWW education system to teach the Amway business.
Facts:
– Sponsored 30+ people. All left within 1 year. 10% did their PV.
– Attended 9 conferences in person. repetitive. 30% of the people who attend one conference are new recruits.
– Time spent was building my uplines asset and wasting my time to be an Amway zombie spokesperson.
– I made 15%+ once with my efforts.
– Wasted over $10k+ My time: $Too much
Conclusion (my bias):
– No immigrant should join. You are the targets. They will say this is different from back home, it is not.
– No students should join the business. Earn money as your parents taught. Bread and butter in your first job. No easy money kids!!!!
Thanks for sharing your Amway experience.
I understand your viewpoint since MLMs left a bad taste in my mouth as well. But I still think everyone should make up their own mind.
And if I followed my parents advice, I would still be driving a truck instead of working from home 🙂
This was just Perfecto. I mean, I never enjoyed a “review” like this before. It was so accurate.
I feel I have to say, Amazing Job.
Thanks Nicco, appreciate your feedback!
This is late and has already been stated before, but holy guacamole, what a good article. I had tears coming out of my eyes from the humorous inserts and gleaned a lot of great information simultaneously.
I, like many, have been approached by the WWDB recruiters and though I have yet to make up my mind, I must thank you for stating the facts, so I know what I could be getting into (information that was conveniently and strategically skirted around).
(I also have read the other article plus a few extras and thoroughly enjoy each one.)
So, thank you and keep it up!
Thanks for the comment, appreciate it!
that was perfect
Thank you Jefferson!
I absolutely love this and couldn’t agree more. The first time I heard about Amway and the way it works, geez I thought it was strange and scam-my like. I was always skeptical and after doing my research and reading this great article, I just knew it! Thank you for this!
Thanks for your comment, Adriana!
My wife and I gave this a good shot, but after about 5 years we decided this just wasn’t for us. However, in that time frame we made some of the best friends of our lives, and learned SO MUCH about business, leadership, and friendship that’s carried my career ever since. I came in knowing a little bit of that, and came out being able to become a good manager for others in my career.
Thanks for sharing Eric!
This was written incredibly well. I just had a Zoom call with yet another Amway recruiter last night, and this definitely helped me comb the desert of MLM.
Sweet, glad to hear it Joey!
I was active in the 90’s. Don’t miss it. You hit the nail on the head and actually give a fair representation of the company.
Thanks Rich, appreciate it!
I thought the Disney castle was really their headquarters for a whole 4 seconds. You got me.
Haha gotcha! Thanks for the comment Norma 🙂
Hi, this was very informative and your humor along the way made this a fun read.
This was very well written.
Cheers.
Glad to hear it Haans, thanks!
I just had their so called online business sharing session and only got to know it’s Amway (I didn’t know for the past 2 Zoom sessions with the recruiter). So I went to Google up and saw this awesome article!
Also, many comments here which I can relate to. Glad I’m not the only one feeling skeptical about this.
At least I’m able to make a decision here.
Glad to hear it, Zul!
I am in Amway now and i feel regrets. I’m working as a medical doctor and thought of doing PART-TIME side income at my leisure time , but…
pros : good products, price not so bad, affordable
cons : all the meetings and conferences, the fact that you need to achieve targets at certain levels before you can go further and they have limited time frames
p/s : i wasn’t told at the first place that it was Amway business.
Thanks for your comment, Helmi!
Mate, well done on an objective and well researched report.
Both humorous and serious, which a fine line to tread.
Nice work!
Thanks John, appreciate it!
Your writing is perfectly witty; I’d join (and leave) an MLM to be friends with you.
Fucking brilliant.
Lol thanks Heather. Best. Comment. Ever. 🙂