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Very recently, someone approached you regarding an “awesome” business opportunity Reliv International is offering…
They told you all about the company’s soy-based supplements and how they can help people lose weight, manage cholesterol, boost the immune system, and optimize overall health and wellness…
Then, they claimed that you are able to make a lot of money, maybe even thousands of dollars per month, by participating in Reliv’s MLM compensation plan as a Distributor.
Your job as a Distributor would be to promote and sell the company’s products as well as recruit other people as Distributors who will do the same thing as you.
The concept sounded kinda interesting but since you’ve heard your fair share of MLM horror stories, instead of diving head-first into Reliv International you decided to first conduct your research (good for you).
Well, this is your lucky day!
In this review, I am going to uncover every single aspect of Reliv International, such as
- What is Reliv International about?
- Is Reliv International a pyramid scheme? A scam maybe? Or a legit MLM company?
- How to join Reliv International as a Distributor?
- How much does it cost to join Reliv International?
- Pros and cons of joining Reliv International
- Reliv International’s compensation plan
- Can you really make money with Reliv International, and if yes, how much?
- and much more
In addition, I am going to reveal to you a couple of alternative money-making opportunities.
This way, you’ll have every piece of information you might possibly need to make an informed decision about whether Reliv International is worth your time and attention or if you’d better invest in a more legit and promising program.
Let’s get cracking!
Reliv International MLM Overview
Name: Reliv International, Inc.
Owners:
- Robert & Sandy Montgomery
Price:
- $20 for Enrollment Kit (one-time payment)
- $40 annual renewal fee
- $15 per month for Reliv’s Web Bundle (optional)
- 100 PV (~$150) worth of products per month to qualify for team commissions
Official Website: reliv.com
Suggested? Not so much…
Increase your chances of reaching success in multi-level marketing by following a dedicated MLM course.
.
- Replicated Website
- Money-Back Guarantee
- BBB Accredited & A+ Rating
- Established Company
- It's Still an MLM
- Very Costly to Run
- Low Income Potential
- Lawsuit for Lead in Products
- Annual Revenue Declining
Before I move on to the actual Reliv International MLM review, I want to reveal to you some statistics about the MLM business model that will probably SHOCK you to your very core.
10 Shocking MLM Statistics
- According to FTC, 99% of all MLM participants lose money
- The chances of profiting by running your own small business are 38% more than by joining an MLM
- The profitability rate of running an online business is 10% - 20% higher than the profitability rate of joining an MLM
- The odds of winning from a single spin of the wheel in a game of roulette in Las Vegas could be as much as 300 times higher than actually profiting in an MLM
- According to AARP Foundation, 47% of MLM participants lose money and 27% make no money whatsoever
- Among the 26% who actually earn a profit, 53% of them earn less than $5000 a year
- 39% of MLM participants quit because pitching crappy products and services to friends and family jeopardized their relationships
- At least 50% of MLM reps quit within 1 year after joining an MLM and 95% quit within 10 years
- 75% of those who have joined and left an MLM state that they would never join another MLM in their life
- A 2018 poll of 1049 MLM reps across various companies found that most of them make less than 70 cents an hour, 20% of them never made a sale, 60% of them had earned less than $500 in sales over the past five years, and 32% of them acquired credit card debt to finance their MLM involvement
…until you’ve taken a good look at these shocking MLM statistics.
What is Reliv International About?
Reliv International is an MLM company that operates in the health & wellness supplements industry.
The company was launched in 1988 by Robert and Sandy Montgomery (husband & wife).
In 1982, Robert and Sandy met Dr. Ted Kalogris, a microbiologist who had developed a formula of vitamins, minerals, herbs, and proteins at a nutrition convention.
Dr. Theodore Kalogris shared his formula with the Montgomery family and after using it for a while, both Robert and Sandy realized that this supplement truly benefited their health more than any other supplement they had tried before…
Since Robert always wanted to be his own boss in order to be in charge of his own time as well as financially secure, and since both Robert and Sandy recognized the vast potential of Dr. Ted’s formula, they decided to create a company around the supplement.
Dr. Ted’s formula would later become Reliv’s flagship product Reliv Classic.
Robert was first introduced to network marketing when he was 23 years old and knew that employing this business model would be the most effective way to share this product with the world as well as realize his dream.
And so Reliv was born.
The company is now operating through an international network marketing system of independent distributors in 15 different countries.
In 2005 Reliv International ranked #43 on Forbes Magazine’s “200 Best Small Companies” list and #14 on the same list for 2006.
Some people claim that Reliv was also ranked #3 of the “Top 100 International Companies” in International Business Magazine but I couldn’t confirm such claims.
The company’s mission is to get its core nutrition products into every home in the world so that they nourish people’s body, mind, and spirit.
You can find a lot more about Reliv International and its founders, products, science, policies, business opportunity, mission, etc on the company’s official website.
Reliv International's Products & Prices
Reliv International manufactures and distributes a variety of supplements that fall under the 3 following categories:
- Health & Wellness
- Weight loss
- Hemp oils
The company’s flagship supplement is the Reliv Classic.
Reliv Classic is a nutritional blend developed by microbiologist Dr. Theodore Kalogris and fine-tuned over the years in collaboration with food scientist and soy expert Dr. Carl Hastings.
The blend contains soy protein, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and a selection of herbs and costs $59 per 1 lb.
Furthermore, Reliv International is the exclusive provider of LunaRich products.
LunaRich is a nutritional ingredient, made from non-GMO soybean varieties, that optimizes high-quality bioactive Lunasin in high concentrations.
Lunasin is a soy peptide, considered a superfood, that works at the epigenetic level to promote several health benefits, including:
- Cholesterol management
- Inflammation reduction
- Antioxidant benefits
- Improved immunity
- Weight loss
- Overall cellular health
- etc
After conducting further research about Lunasin, it seems that this soy peptide is indeed being heavily researched all around the world and study after study reveals that it indeed has a vast array of benefits.
For instance, a study published in PubMed calls Lunasin “a cancer-preventive soy peptide”.
Another PubMed study, calls Lunasin “a promising health-beneficial peptide”.
As it seems, Reliv International isn’t just making stuff up in order to market its products just like the majority of other health-related MLMs tend to do.
On the other hand, the fact that Reliv International educates us about Lunasin’s numerous benefits doesn’t necessarily mean that the company’s products could deliver the results they promise.
Reliv International reveals itself that the health claims it makes about its products have neither been evaluated nor approved by the FDA. In addition, it discloses that none of its products are meant to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Thus, make sure to take all the health claims Reliv International makes with a grain of salt and don’t expect any of its products to be a miracle cure
Anyway, the rest of the products that are manufactured and distributed by Reliv International are as follows:
Core Nutrition:
- RelivNow with Whey: $59 -> whey-based protein formula
- RelivNow with Soy: $59 -> LunaRich-based protein formula
- RelivNow for Kids: $36 -> LunaRich-based protein formula for kids
Targeted Solutions:
- FibRestore: $54 -> Blend of soluble and insoluble fiber, antioxidants, enzymes, and 21 herbs
- Innergize: $29 -> Boosts energy, improves oxygen absorption and strengthens the immune system
- LunaRich X: $42 -> Concentrated Lunasin extract supporting weight loss, heart health, and metabolic wellness
- ProVantage: $48 -> Post-workout soy protein. Improve athletic performance, recovery, and repair
- 24K: $75 -> Provides energy, focus and stress relief
- ReversAge: $93 -> Fight free radical damage, cleanse, protect and revitalize cells
- Arthaffect: $70 -> Promotes joint health and mobility
- GlucAffect: $74 -> LunaRich formula supporting weight loss and healthy blood sugar levels
- CardioSentials: $110 -> Improves cholesterol, triglycerides and blood glucose levels
- SoySentials: $48 -> Eases symptoms of menopause and PMS. Promotes overall feminine health
RLV Hemp Extracts:
- RLV Hemp Full Spectrum 750: $100 -> 750 mg of CBD, CBC, CBG, CBG-A, CBC-A, and CBN, along with plant terpenes and flavonoids
- RLV Hemp Full Spectrum 500: $80 -> 500 mg of CBD, CBC, CBG, CBG-A, CBC-A, and CBN, along with plant terpenes and flavonoids
- RLV Hemp Isolate 750: $100 -> 750 mg of isolated pure CBD
- RLV Hemp Isolate 500: $80 -> 500 mg of isolated pure CBD
- RLV Hemp Balm: $130 -> Topical hemp-based cream used for muscle and joint discomfort as well as skin irritations
Fit3:
- Active: $75 -> Suppresses appetite and cravings
- Purify: $39 -> Probiotic blend promoting a healthy digestive tract
- Burn: $39 -> Fat burner
You can find out more about Reliv International’s products and their respective prices on the company’s official website.
Reliv's Distributor
Compensation Plan
The majority of MLM companies have so extremely complicated compensation plans that it feels like you need to have a rocket scientist doctorate to understand just their first paragraph.
Reliv’s compensation plan is no exception…
Nonetheless, in order to make things easier for you, I’ll try my best to get you up to speed.
So, Reliv International compensates its Distributors in the following 7 different ways…
- Retail Profits
- Wholesale Profits
- Override Commissions
- Director Program
- Star Director Program
- Ambassador Program
- Incentive Trips
1 • Retail Profits
The Retail Profit pays you 20% – 40% commissions when you sell Reliv’s products to retail customers (either face to face or online through your replicated website).
The actual percentage of the commissions you’ll receive is determined by your current Distributor Profit Level which is calculated based on your monthly PGPV as follows:
- Retail Distributor: 0 – 499 PGPV = 20% Retail Profit
- Affiliate: 500 – 1499 PGPV = 25% Retail Profit
- Key Affiliate: 1500 – 2999 PGPV = 30% Retail Profit
- Senior Affiliate: 3000 – 4999 PGPV = 35% Retail Profit
- Master Affiliate: 5000+ PGPV = 40% Retail Profit
Note: Distributors at the Master Affiliate Profit Level must purchase 100+ PV worth of Reliv’s products per month in order to be considered active and eligible to qualify for any of the company’s bonuses.
PV (Point Volume) = Points assigned to every product
PGPV (Personal Group Point Volume) = PV generated by your personal purchases as well as the purchases of Distributors in your downline excluding Master Affiliates
2 • Wholesale Profits
The Wholesale Profit bonus pays you commissions based on the RV generated when a Distributor on your downline personally purchases Reliv’s products.
The percentage of the commissions is calculated as the difference between your Profit Level and your downline Distributor’s Profit Level.
For instance, if your Profit Level is 30% and your downline Distributor’s Profit Level is 20%, then the Wholesale Profit is going to be 10% (30% – 20%).
RV (Retail Volume) = Calculated based on the retail price of the products purchased
3 • Override Commissions
Override Commissions are paid only to Active Master Affiliates and are calculated based on the Personal Group Business Volume (PGBV) of their downline Master Affiliates up to 5 Levels deep.
- 1st Level = Personally enrolled Master Affiliates
- 2nd Level = Master Affiliates recruited by your personally enrolled Master Affiliates
- 3rd Level = Master Affiliates recruited by your 2nd Level Master Affiliates
- and so on…
The Override Commissions percentages are paid as follows:
- 1st Level = 8%
- 2nd Level = 6%
- 3rd Level = 4%
- 4th Level = 3%
- 5th Level = 2%
In order to qualify for Override Commissions, you must generate 1000+ PGBV monthly.
If you generate 1000 – 1999 PGBV during any given month, the Override Commissions percentages per Level are paid out based on the 50% of the total PGBV generated.
If you generate 2000+ PGBV during any given month, the Override Commissions percentages per Level are paid out based on the 100% of the total PGBV generated.
4 • Director Program
Receive a lapel pin + cash bonuses when you reach the ranks of Director to Presidential Director.
Director:
- Lapel pin
Key Director:
- Lapel pin with a single stone
- $500 cash bonus
Senior Director:
- Lapel pin with two stones
- $1000 cash bonus
Master Director:
- Lapel pin with three stones
- $2000 cash bonus
Presidential Director:
- Jewel-encrusted ring
- $4000 cash bonus
5 • Star Director Program
The Star Director Program consists of the following 3 subprograms:
- 3-Star Director Program
- 6-Star Director Program
- 10-Star Director Program
3-Star Director Program:
Qualifications:
- Have 3 personally recruited Active Master Affiliates
- Generate 6000 PGPV on your 1st Level
Rewards:
- Receive an additional 1% Override Commissions through an unlimited number of Level down to the first Master Affiliate who has reached the Star Director rank
6-Star Director Program:
Qualifications:
- Have 6 personally recruited Active Master Affiliates
- Generate 12.000 PGPV on your 1st Level
Rewards:
- Receive an additional 2% Override Commissions through an unlimited number of Level down to the first Master Affiliate who has reached the Star Director rank
10-Star Director Program:
Qualifications:
- Have 10 personally recruited Active Master Affiliates
- Generate 20.000 PGPV on your 1st Level
Rewards:
- Receive an additional 3% Override Commissions through an unlimited number of Level down to the first Master Affiliate who has reached the Star Director rank
6 • Ambassador/Inner Circle Program
The Ambassador/Inner Circle Program is an invite-only program that hands out to Master Affiliates who have reached the ranks of Ambassador to Platinum Ambassador several additional rewards, such as
- Pins & rings, and Rolex watches
- Personalized business gear
- Paid tickets and accommodation to live events
- Additional Override Commissions
- Car & Health Insurance allowance
- Advancement bonuses
- etc
You can find out more about the Ambassador/Inner Circle Program right here.
7 • Incentive Trips
Reliv International awards its top ranking Distributors with all-paid trips and vacations to various destinations.
You can study Reliv International’s full compensation plan for yourself right here.
Please note that Reliv’s compensation plan might undergo changes from time to time so by the time you read this review, some of the info, the commission rates, the rank qualifications, etc that I shared with you right above might not be that accurate.
If you still have questions about it, you can contact the company’s support team through the contact info you’ll find right here.
Or you could email me at harry@dearboss-iquit.com and I will do my best to help you out.
Reliv International Distributor
Ranks & Qualifications
Retail Distributor:
- Generate 0 – 499 PGPV
Affiliate:
- Generate 500 – 1499 PGPV
Key Affiliate:
- Generate 1500 – 2999 PGPV
Senior Affiliate:
- Generate 3000 – 4999 PGPV
Master Affiliate:
- Personally order 100+ PV worth of Reliv products yourself monthly
- Generate 5000 PGPV in a calendar month 1000 of which must be unencumbered (yearly qualification)
- or generate 3000 PGPV per month for 2 consecutive months 1000 of which per month must be unencumbered (yearly qualification)
Unencumbered PGPV = Volume generated by personal sales plus the sales made by Distributors in your downline that are not being used to qualify another Distributor as a Master Affiliate
Director:
- Meet the qualifications for Master Affiliate
- Have a personally recruited Distributor who reaches the Master Affiliate rank
Key Director:
- Meet the qualifications for Master Affiliate
- Generate a total of $1000 through Wholesale, Retail, and Override Commissions
- or Generate 20.000 PGPV during a calendar month
Senior Director:
- Meet the qualifications for Master affiliate
- Generate a total of $2500 through Wholesale, Retail, and Override Commissions
Master Director:
- Meet the qualifications for Master Affiliate
- Generate a total of $4000 through Wholesale, Retail, and Override Commissions
Presidential Director:
- Meet the qualifications for Master Affiliate
- Generate a total of $8000 through Wholesale, Retail, and Override Commissions
How to Join Reliv International as a Distributor?
In order to join Reliv International as a Distributor, you have to take the following steps:
- Head over to reliv.com
- Click the “Join” button on the top right of the website
- Scroll down a bit and click“Join as a Distributor”
- If you were referred to Reliv International by another Distributor, you’ll have to fill in their ID
- If not, select “No” to the question “Do you have a sponsor?”
- Fill in the rest of the requested information, accept the company’s Terms & Agreements and click “Continue”
- Then, fill in your physical and billing address and click “Continue”
- Lastly, fill in your payment information, and click “Place Order”
That’s it!
You are now a Distributor for Reliv International.
How Much Does It Cost to Join Reliv International as a Distributor?
In order to sign up as a Distributor for Reliv International, you’ll have to pay $20 for an Online Enrollment Kit.
After your first year as a Distributor ends, you’ll have to pay a $40 renewal fee for each successive year that you want to maintain your Distributor status.
In addition, there’s a $15 monthly fee to set up Reliv’s Web Bundle which grants you access to
- a replicated website
- your personal back office
- several business monitoring and tracking tools
- training modules
- a mobile business app
Purchasing Reliv’s Web Bundle is optional.
However, if you are serious about building an income with Reliv you’ll just have to purchase it.
Summing up, joining Reliv as a Distributor, costs:
- $20 for Online Enrollment Kit (one-time payment)
- $40 per year (annual renewal fee)
- $15 per month for Reliv’s Web Bundle (optional but you’ll just have to purchase it)
Is Reliv International a Pyramid Scheme?
Most of the time it’s very hard to distinguish between a legit MLM company and a pyramid scheme.
Make sure to watch the video below to discover how to spot and avoid pyramid schemes in general.
The main difference between a legit MLM and a pyramid scheme is that your income potential with a legit MLM is mostly based on selling the company’s actual products or services to retail customers while your income potential with a pyramid scheme is mostly or solely based on recruiting other people into the scheme.
Not all MLMs are legitimate. If the money you make through an MLM is based on your sales to the public, it may be a legitimate one. If the money you make is based on the number of people you recruit and your sales to them, it’s not legit. It’s a pyramid scheme. Pyramid schemes are illegal, and the vast majority of their participants lose money. – Federal Trade Commission
Technically, Reliv International cannot be considered a pyramid scheme for the following 2 reasons:
- The company offers its Distributors the option to generate money by selling its products in retail
- Newly recruited Distributors don’t have to purchase any enrollment packs or products in order to join the company or become active
In fact, Reliv International doesn’t even offer newly recruited Distributors the option to purchase anything other than the mandatory $20 initial membership fee during their signup.
And even this $20 initial membership fee generates no sales volume whatsoever. This means is that neither Sponsors nor their upline gets paid a single dime off of the $20 membership fees paid by their new recruits.
This is definitely a positive sign.
On the other hand, a red alert starts going off when you take a closer look at the Override Commissions Bonus, the Director Program, the Star Director Program, and the Ambassador Program (basically all the bonuses that reward you based on the volume generated by your downline).
So, in order to qualify for any of those bonuses/programs which is basically , you’ll have to reach the rank of Master Affiliate…
And one of the qualifications to reach and maintain the rank of Master Affiliate is to personally purchase at least 100 PV (~$150) worth of products monthly!
On top of that, Override Commissions are calculated solely based on personal purchases and retail sales of other Master Affiliates in your downline.
This way, you could say that the Override Commissions Bonus consists of a huge cluster of Master Affiliates earning commissions off of the monthly maintenance orders the Master Affiliates on their downline have to place to remain Master Affiliates.
This is absolutely something you would encounter in a pyramid scheme – mandatory purchases of downline reps that generate money for upline reps.
This could also be considered a “Pay to Play” scheme.
Pay to play basically means that the more money you “invest” in the company the higher your income potential could be.
This is exactly the case with Reliv International – you pay 100 PV worth of products monthly in order to get a chance to participate in the company’s team bonuses.
According to FTC, Pay to Play is one of the five defining characteristics of pyramid schemes.
So, is Reliv International a pyramid scheme?
I am not really sure…
It could be as its compensation plan definitely displays some characteristics of one so make sure to keep your eyes open.
If you are thinking about joining Reliv International as a Distributor, here’s what you should do.
Locate a very trustworthy Distributor and ask them whether the majority of their income comes through retail sales (either theirs or of their recruits).
If not, you might be looking at a potential pyramid scheme.
Reliv International Pros
- Replicated Website
- Money-Back Guarantee
- BBB Accredited & A+ Rating
- Established Company
1 • Replicated Website
Once you join Reliv International as a Distributor, the company offers you the option to purchase and set up a replicated website.
When people purchase Reliv’s products through your replicated website, a percentage of what they pay will land in your pocket.
In addition, if someone signs up as a Distributor for Reliv International through your replicated website you automatically become their Sponsor, and they become part of your downline.
If marketed the right way, this replicated website could help you maximize your retail sales, recruits and thus your income.
If your business is not on the internet, then your business will be out of business – Bill Gates
2 • Money-Back Guarantee
Reliv offers a 100% unconditional 30-day money-back guarantee to all retail customers.
Research shows that money-back guarantees and refunds increase customers’ feelings of satisfaction with their purchases.
In addition, people are much more likely to buy products that have a money-back guarantee as well as purchase from the same seller that offered it in the future.
If leveraged the right way, Reliv International’s money-back guarantee could have a rather positive impact on your retail sales.
The bad news is that money-back requests on sales made face-to-face by a Distributor, have to be refunded to the customer directly by said Distributor.
The even worse news is that Reliv doesn’t offer any kind of product refund to its Distributors.
What this means is that when you as a Distributor refund your customers, you just lose money as Reliv won’t refund you.
Cheers!
You can read all about Reliv’s Guarantee Policy right here.
3 • BBB Accredited & A+ Rating
BBB (Better Business Bureau) is a non-profit organization that ranks and accredits businesses, charities, and non-profit organizations based on several factors, such as
- Legitimacy
- Information gathered online
- Complaints received from customers
- Complaints resolved by the company
- etc
Reliv International has been accredited with BBB since 2012.
This means that BBB has determined that Reliv International complies with the BBB Standards for Trust, eight principles that summarize important elements of creating and maintaining trust in any business.
In addition, Reliv International has received an A+ rating from BBB which is actually the highest possible rating.
While BBB is not an official business evaluator but rather an independent organization, the higher the BBB rating a company receives, the more credible and trustworthy it is considered.
Please note that neither Reliv’s high BBB rating nor its BBB accreditation is definite proof neither that the company is indeed legit nor that it will help you achieve your financial goals…
4 • Established Company
Reliv International has been in business for 32 years now which is exceptional considering that most MLM companies burn to the ground before they even hit the 5-year mark…
The downside of Reliv being so established is that you might have great difficulty finding potential customers and/or recruits due to the sheer amount of already existing Distributors that will probably already exist out there.
Furthermore, as I am going to reveal later on, despite its seniority, it seems that Reliv is going through a steady decline during the last few years.
Reliv International Cons
- It's Still an MLM
- Very Costly to Run
- Low Income Potential
- Lawsuit for Lead in Products
- Annual Revenue Declining
1 • It's Still an MLM
Aside from all its pros, Reliv International is still an MLM.
And I am not at all fond of the MLM business model in general for many reasons…
First of all, the percentage of MLM participants who never actually make a profit is awfully high (74% – 99%).
In addition, the majority of those who do manage to make a profit, earn no more than $5000 per year.
Secondly, I hate selling and recruiting…
And thirdly, I’ve heard so many stories of people who along with their time and money, end up losing friends, family due to the pushy and sleazy practices they were being taught by their “mentors” that I have become repulsed by the MLM business model in general.
Being involved in an MLM company is just not worth all that trouble in my mind.
Especially when there exist other much more legit ways of building a substantial income whereas you have neither to turn into a sleazy salesperson nor jeopardize the relationships with the people around you because you can’t stop pitching them questionable products and business opportunities that they neither need nor want.
And frankly, there’s not a single indication that Reliv International is any different from your average MLM in any way…
2 • Very Costly to Run
Although joining Reliv International as a Distributor is pretty affordable at just $20, actually running your Reliv “business” seems to be rather costly.
First of all, in order to gain access to your personal business back office, you’ll have to purchase Reliv’s Web Bundle that costs $15 per month.
Reliv’s Web Bundle grants you access to sales and team monitoring tools, business reports, online marketing materials, a replicated website, and much more.
Yes, purchasing Reliv’s Web Bundle is optional but if you are serious about building an income with Reliv, you’ll absolutely need to purchase it.
Just FYI, most other MLMs offer access to similar tools for free.
In addition, in order to really participate in Reliv’s MLM compensation plan and earn money through the volume generated by Distributors in your downline, you’ll have to be ranked as a Master Affiliate or higher.
In order to maintain the Master Affiliate or any higher rank, a Distributor has to personally purchase 100 PV (~$150) worth of products per month.
Distributors who don’t meet the qualifications for the Master Affiliate or any higher rank are eligible to earn commissions just through their own retail and wholesale sales.
Furthermore, consider that you might have to personally purchase even more products for demonstration and sampling purposes something that automatically translates to even more expenses.
And you wouldn’t call Reliv’s products cheap…
In addition, expensive products will probably be harder to sell as well.
Moreover, if you want to increase your chances of success with Reliv International, you’ll have to consider using the products yourself as well.
The easiest way to sell a product is by showing the results you achieved by using it yourself.
More expenses right here…
What I am trying to point out here is to not get fooled by the very small $20 enrollment fee.
The subsequent expenses of actually running your Reliv International business will probably rise up to hundreds of dollars per month.
Here’s a quick recap of the potential expenses of running your Reliv Business:
- $20 Enrollment Fee
- $40 annual renewal fee
- $15 per month for Reliv’s Web Bundle (technically optional but really mandatory in reality)
- $150 personal monthly order to fully utilize Reliv’s compensation plan
- Whatever money you spend to purchase products that you’ll use either for yourself or for sampling and demonstration purposes
I don’t know about you but for me, that’s way too much money to invest in a business model that has such low success and profitability rates.
3 • Low Income Potential
All Income Disclosure Statements I’ve come across until now reveal the exact same thing…
That the vast majority of MLM reps never actually make any profit and those who do make a profit, would have to throw an additional couple of bucks on top of it to buy a pizza.
Unfortunately, Reliv International’s Income Disclosure Statement tells the exact same story.
According to it, during 2018, among all of the company’s Distributors,
- 43.46% made an average of $197.90
- 26.81% made an average of $74.58
- 10.28% made an average of $17.40
- 9.59% made an average of $108.62
That’s 90% of all the company’s Distributors making less than $200 per year!
Out of the remaining 10% of Reliv’s Distributors, only 1.3% made more than $10.000 during 2018.
And please note that these amounts do not even represent actual profits, as they are before all the expenses incurred by Distributors in the promotion and operation of their businesses.
Reliv’s compensation plan is yet another testimony that joining an MLM company is just not worth the trouble…
I’d very much rather throw my money in the trash (or even better donate it) and at least save my time…
4 • Lawsuit for Lead in Products
In 2010, the ERC (Environmental Research Center), sent a notice of violation of health and safety against Reliv International.
According to this notice, some of Reliv’s products contained increased quantities of lead which according to the state of California is known to cause developmental and reproductive toxicity as well as cancer.
Reliv International didn’t really bother to take any corrective action for years and thus, in 2013, a lawsuit was filed against the company.
The lawsuit stated that Reliv was liable for civil penalties of up to $2500 per day for each violation.
Unfortunately, there is no further information about if and how this lawsuit was resolved so I am guessing that it might still be open.
Nonetheless, I personally wouldn’t want to be involved in the distribution of products that could potentially poison and harm other people.
5 • Annual Revenue Declining
According to businessforhome.org, Reliv International’s annual revenue has been steadily declining since 2015, for about 10% – 15% per year.
More specifically, Reliv International made
- $52 million during 2015
- $45 million during 2016
- $42 million during 2017
- and $36 million during 2018
As you can see, Reliv’s annual revenue has dropped almost 50% in just 3 years, something that’s definitely not a good sign…
Reliv International MLM Review Summary
Income
Potential
According to Reliv’s Income Disclosure, 90% of all its Distributors made less than $200 in average during 2018.
Resources
Training, replicated website, personal back office, mobile business app.
Price
Reliv International is affordable to join. The monthly expenses to actually run your business could rise up to hundreds of dollars.
Legitimacy
Reliv International is probably not a pyramid scheme but its comp plan definitely displays some characteristics of one.
Overall Rating
Is Reliv International Suggested?
I wouldn’t suggest joining Reliv International more than I would suggest joining any other MLM company.
At first sight, the company seems legit but once you dig a little deeper, you are able to uncover some warning signs that the company could be operating as a pyramid scheme.
Such a sign is the mandatory 100 PV monthly product purchase Distributors have to make in order to become Master Affiliates and qualify for earning commissions through their recruits and downline.
Distributors who do not purchase 100PV worth of products monthly will not be able to maintain their Master Affiliate status and will only be eligible to earn commissions just through their very own retail and wholesale sales.
This is clearly Pay to Play which according to the FTC is a sign of a pyramid scheme.
As far as Reliv International’s products are concerned, there is really nothing special or unique about them – they are just normal nutritional supplements…
In fact, there are tons of online stores whereas you can purchase similar soy-based protein shakes for maybe even half the retail prices of Reliv’s products.
At this point, it goes without saying that Reliv will claim that its products are far superior because “they have a higher concentration of nutrients” or something of a similar nature.
This is just a marketing ploy…
Neither Reliv International’s products nor their benefits have been evaluated or approved by the FDA.
Furthermore, as mentioned earlier, the company might be affordable to join at just $20 but please don’t get fooled by this small enrollment fee…
The expenses that will definitely incur to actually run your Reliv “business” will most likely rise up to hundreds of dollars per month.
Moreover, the lawsuit that was filed against Reliv International in 2013 accusing the company of using excessive quantities of lead in its products, is not encouraging whatsoever.
Personally, I wouldn’t want in any way to be a Distributor of substances that could potentially damage other people’s health.
The fact that the company’s annual revenue seems to be dramatically declining year after year is the cherry on top!
However, setting aside everything just mentioned the real question is, can you really make money with Reliv International, and if yes, how much?
Well, according to Reliv International’s Income Disclosure Statement, only 1.3% of all its Distributors made more than $10.000 while more than 90% of them made less than $200 during 2018.
Would you really want to invest your time and money in a “business opportunity” with such a low income potential?
If so, then well, you have my blessing!
If not, make sure to check out a better money-making opportunity right here.
