MonaVie: Scam or not?
The scheme: Typical multi-level marketing company, using the guise of “direct sales” to make the business look like a legitimate retail venture. The reality is that it’s nothing more than a recruiting scheme like Usana, Mary Kay, Arbonne, PrePaid Legal, Primerica, Herbalife, United First Financial, and so many other companies that make big promises to members, but provide little actual reward to 99%.
The founder: Dallin Larsen founded MonaVie. He used to work for Usana Health Sciences, and actually helped found Usana. He helped grow the associates to 70,000 and helped make up the compensation plan. Then he ditched out and started his own company
The product: Acai berry juice plus other fruit juices. I like to call this “magic berry juice.” It supposedly cures whatever ails you and there’s never been anything quite like it on the market. If you study multi-level marketing companies, you will see that one very common characteristic is some unique/special product that is hard to find and has never been offered before. It typically has magical powers and is so powerful that it justifies a high retail price. In reality, the high prices are not because the products are so good, but because there are so many levels of the pyramid which must be paid commission.
The cost: A bottle of the berry juice runs around $40. If you drink the recommended amounts, the bottle will last you about a week, which means the cost is about $5.71 a day. That’s an expensive way to get your vitamins. Excessively so.
The compensation: Here is the detail to the MonaVie compensation plan. Like a typical MLM, it’s got a complicated points – commission – points – bonus – override – incentive system. You build two legs to your downline, and qualify for commission based on the shorter leg. That longer leg? Too bad. Bonuses stop wherever the shorter leg ends. You can usually be sure of one thing in MLMs: The more complicated the pay plan, the less it benefits the members. And oooh… you can have up to “four business centers.” That means more purchases of products by you in order to get your commissions!
The product scam: There are apparently no scientific studies that prove the alleged benefits of the MonaVie juice. There’s no denying that there is nutritional value to the juice, just like any other juice. It’s the extraordinary health benefits claimed that are suspect. (Of course, the company disclaims any knowledge of cures claimed by the “independent” distributors.)
The recruiting scam: As with other MLMs, the company’s focus appears to be on recruiting, rather than retailing the product. Of course, the product is integral to the scheme. Without it, MonaVie could easily be called a pyramid scheme. With the product, we’re not supposed to identify the company as an endless chain recruiting scheme or pyramid scheme. And until the FTC decides to enforce the laws against pyramiding, many will believe that a company like MonaVie is perfectly legal and legitimate.
The commission scam: In order to qualify for commissions, a distributor must order at least 4 bottles of juice per month, which amounts to about $130 plus shipping and taxes. This is a common part of the MLM game: You can’t get your commissions unless you buy a minimum amount of their products. MLM supporters say “Well of course you’ll be selling the products so that minimum purchase isn’t a problem.” The truth is that very little actual retailing goes on in these companies because consumers are smart. The required purchases are usually not sold to a legitimate retail customer.
In Brazil (this company has just opened our market) we can get an açaí’s juice for ONE DOLAR.
This product is highly overpriced and totally unecessary for our consumers. It’s sad to see people “falling” for this kind of scheme.
Acai berry juice is quite good and healty. Problem is that there are a bunch of companies competing to sell it. Tropicana has a nice acai juice blend that is very yummy. A trip to Whole Paycheck (Whole Foods) would enable you to find 100% pure acai juice for much less than the MonAvie crap (a mon avis ce produit est nul!)
I wrote about a pump & dump scam penny stock hawking acai juice a couple months ago. I guess crappy companies and MLM scams have no new ideas about what to ’sell’.
I recently read that 30,000 people in Brazil have enrolled in MonaVie. Do you think they are all wrong?
Eric – I believe they’ve all been lied to. Big difference.
Lied to about what?
About the income opportunity and their chances of making more than a few pennies via these schemes. You know – the typical MLM lies about big income, little work, fabulous product and everything that goes along with the scam they’re selling.
For forty bucks a bottle, it better be 100-proof alcohol, and come with a lap dance.
I am not that good of a salesman. I can’t imagine that I could ever sell a $40 jug of juice to anyone regardless of the beneifts. I would get stuck paying the $130 a month myself.
I recently read that 30,000 people in Brazil have enrolled in MonaVie. Do you think they are all wrong?
well, this is not a good argument. Someone could argue that millions of Germans that supported the Nazis were right, and all those millions of Americans that supported the Iraq war were right, and i don’t think they were right. The crowd are always making mistakes, huges mistakes, and in this case – the brazilians enrolling in Monavie -, they’re believing that Monavie it’s a solid business opportunity, but it’s not.
Here, in Brazil, we can buy açai for pennies, we don’t need a company from New Zealand selling our own product back to us, and worse, not for pennies but for forty bucks, that’s too much for a single juice, although the Monavie members could argue that is not a “single juice” but a “Super hyper mega juice”. I don’t buy this argument.
There’s a lot of good opportunities to make some extra bucks, and, believe me, Monavie is not one of those opportunities.
Me too. I’d never be able to sell this juice in my country for the suggested price.
Hi Tracey, I don’t know if we can post links here, but we are having a lot of interesting discussion about the whole MonaVie thing over here:
http://www.lazymanandmoney.com/monavie-scam-was-my-wife-recruited-sell-snake-oil/
And we are in agreement with your synopsis of the business known as “MonaVie”
Thank you for posting this article and bringing this to people’s attention.
It is quite fascinating watching the growth of the acai berry and all the products that are coming on the market. MonaVie had a lot to do with the hype and media exposure.
If you can’t afford the $40 price tag of MonaVie, you can find cheaper acai drinks at your local grocery store for around $5, such as the V8-Fusion Acai Mixed Berry and Tropicana Raspberry Acai drink. Both those products taste great too.
One of the most cleverly – disguised frauds of all time:
“Essentials of Corporate Fraud” by self – proclaimed expert, Tracy Coenen. Solutions, please?!
Anyone can point a finger – but to get paid to criticize is a real art!
Now available from one retailer for the unbelievably low, low price of:
$39.95 Online, or $35.95 Members only. Talk about a “scam!”
Well, first you lie Tracey about the real cost. It can be purchased for $130 a case (which is 4 bottles) which is $32.50 a bottle. thats already a $7.50 lie. Also, if multiple cases are purchased the cost gets even lower, $20 or even
lower per bottle depending on the amount purchased. 2ndly, it is being
compared to other fruit drinks on the market. Do those have 19 berries including the acai berry? Do they also contain glucosamene? This is a
super-nutrient drink that actually can be purchased at a good price. Also
visit blackdiamond university to check the details on how to get financially
secure, rather than be based on your not-so-smart opinion.
MonaVie retails their silly berry juice for around $40 a bottle, exactly like I said.
You all say that $40 a bottle is expensive or cost to much. Well it has been said that one bottle will last a week. How much does a nice bottle of wine or something, alcoholic like that cost, easily much more that $40, and that will only last one night!
Why is that ok, but something that is good for you is too expensive??
Because the same silly berry juice can be bought much cheaper if you’re not purchasing from an MLM scheme.
Monavie is not a scam or scheme, it is the fastest growing network in the U.S. and soon the world. Do your homework first. If you have eyes and ears, use them. There are 20,000 distributors a week getting into Monavie. They have a patent on the way they flash freeze the acai berry, and Coca Cola tried to purchase it. If you don’t want a part of this just go punch your clock and stay out of the way.
I think Mona Vie si a good product, but it is pretty expensive. With the economy dropping like it is (and the financial system collapsing), people are going to be less willing to pay this kind of money for acai products.
Ray Elms accuses Tracy of lying about the price. He then proceeds to calculate the cost per bottle by ignoring the shipping and taxes. He also praises MonaVie for having *19* berries in it, (as opposed to 17, or 8, or whatever) as well as glucosamine which you can get anywhere.
“Me” says this is not a scam or scheme, and then proceeds to praise not the product, but how fast it’s growing, and a worthless patent on freeze drying. His last line is a classic — exactly what I expect to hear from people pushing worthless stocks.
I came searching for info on MonaVie because two people told me they feel better for drinking it. And I believe them. Of course, they could simply have needed more fruit in their diet.
It’s the comments by the *supporters* of MonaVie have convinced me this is a scam.
Guy:
It is not a scam, in the sense that MonaVie does supply nthe antioxidants that may be what cause people to feel “good”. It is an expensive way to go. MonaVie formulates their drink to provide about 1000 ORAC units per serving (1 oz, or rioughly 30 grams weight). At $45 per 250 oz. bottle, this is $1.80 per ounce.
1.25 ounces of pomegramnte juice (POM) supply the same anti-oxidants. At Fresh Direct you can get 48 oz. of POM for $11.99 (I think I pay $10 something for it locally), this is $0.30 for a 1.25 ounce sserving. Concord Grape juice is a little better than pomeranate juice, snd you can get it pretty cheaply.
Now MonaVie and other “designed” products may offer more than anti-oxidants, but a good way to start, and see if you feel a difference is to try some of these more cost effective choices. I am not sure MonaVie is worth it in the end, personally. It is just far too much money.
Seems that Orrin Woodward is now the subject of a Forbes article that should be required reading for anyone interested in all things Tool Scam:
http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2008/0811/050.html
I have been reporting for some time how lucrative the tool kingpin business can be. I don’t see any transparency from the remaining Quixtar Kingpins. We have a product scam, tool scam, and commission scam. We are not having any honesty scams, that is the sad news.
For all of you MonaVie distributors **making even one comment about MonaVie** you do realize that you are in violation of the basic policies and procedures that MonaVie has required you all to abide by…right?
Or did that somehow fly right by **all** of you?
Here is the link, be sure to read sections 5.3, 5.4, and 5.12 YOU and YOU ALONE are liable for any and all comments you make about MonaVie the business or the effects of drinking MonaVie.
http://72.14.205.104/search?q=cache:RQBvXqjiuPcJ:www.monavie.com/pdf/us/policies_procedures.pdf+monavie+policies+and+procedures&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=us&client=firefox-a
That includes comments on websites, blogs, chatrooms, etc. This includes comments, testimonials, redirecting to your website, and just any comment about MonaVie at all period. **Read it again if you missed it the first time.**
And if you were required to sign that agreement when you “got in”, just who do you think the FTC will be taking a look at?
Monavie is a scam!!!!! Some jerk I know convinced alot of people I know at work to join this STUPID company and every single one of them has lost money while this idiot drives around in his 90,000 car that he leases. Of course he lives at home with mom and dad. If you look at the Income disclosure statement that Monavie puts out themselves you can clearly see that 95% of all distributors for the year 2007 made less than $10000. Get a Life people.
I signed up for the MonaVie business opportunity in March of this year. I have worked really hard to build this business and have invested hundreds of dollars into the MonaVie business to try to make a go of it. Throughout my time in MonaVie, the local leaders in our area: Todd Bishop and Amy Freeman have encouraged me to continue to invest my money and time and would be a Black Diamond inside of a year if I worked hard.
I have now come to realize that Amy Freeman and Todd Bishop have done nothing but lie to me and my family and made fraudulent statements to me and my friends so that we would continue to invest our money in MonaVie. They claim that anyone can make the money they are making if they spend enough money and time.
Everything Todd and Amy has told me is nothing but lies. I now know they only helped me so that I would buy more product to further their business. Monavie is a good product, but the company is horrible. They reward lying thieves like Todd Bishop and Amy Freeman and take money from hard working people like my family. Everyone I have brought into the MonaVie business is not quiting because of Todd and Amy’s lies.
I hope someone will shut them down before they spread more hurt.
Folkls:
I just wrote an article (plus individual reviews) of six common acai and super-fruit products. I do various comparisons, and use MonaVie as the standard. MonaVie does quite well (using their stated values), but costwise, at least as a source of anti-oxidants, it is pretty expensive.
Take a look:
Acai and Super-fruit Juice Comparisons
Joyce:
I am, sorry to hear your experiences. I am not a fan of the MLM business model. I do not know the people you mention, so I cannot comment directly on them personally, but the MLM model allows false claims to be spread, and the main company (MonaVie) is somewhat insulated from liability. They can say, so-and-so were not following our policy, etc.
Acai price reductions are becoming reality. Not only the super-fruit juices, but you can now get freeze dried acai powder for $39 per POUND. That’s 423.6 grams. Compare Sambazon, 90 grams typically $20 (that’s about $94 per pound). I am sure we will see price reductions from Sambazon, too.
Go here:
Acai Freeze Dried Powder $39 per POUND
I just found out that Acai tastes HORRRRRRRRIBLE. Who can choke down that stuff.
Tracy:
I must disagree. What did you eat?
The berry by itself is admittedly not very tasty. In large Brazilian cities, the popular (and tasty) way to eat acai is in acai bowls. This is acai berry, guarana syrup and sugar. They then top this with typically banana and granola.
The acai frozen pulp mixture on http://www.acai-berry.tv tastes quite good. I have taste tested it on several adults, and they all lked it. In fact, I see this as almost a gourmet item. (see: Acai Berry Pulp)
Also some of the juices taste pretty good, especially when blended with other fruits (like pomegranate). I do like the Bossa Nova acai juice, but some people may take some time to get used to it.
this question is for Vinny..
where do you get the Income disclosure statement ?
I read many thing you all said, but everything are just comment..no acutal prove
show me some prove
Eric here ya go:
http://74.125.45.104/search?q=cache:WiQoPfUPIAQJ:www.monavie.com/IDS/+monavie+income+disclosure+statement&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=us&client=firefox-a
What everyone is missing is that none of these companies would be in business if they were “pyramid schemes” as Tracy suggests, those are illegal and the FTC does shut them down. MLM is not for everyone and if you are weak minded and can’t see what it takes to do this kind of business then you need to go work a plain dead end job and retire broke like many American’s will do. Corporate America is the “pyramid” and it is said by experts that not only are more people going to get involved with MLM companies over the coming years, we will see more self made millionaires in this country than ever before. People are tired of being over-worked and under paid and if you can see the big picture, you will realize that everything is going to change over the coming years due to the economy.
As far as MonaVie, I absolutely have to have it everyday and I can see what it takes to make it in a business such as this. I will not go into what it has done for me, because it effects people differently. I will say that if you are broke and have to buy it one bottle at a time, then go find something else to consume. I buy it in bulk and consume 4 ounces a day which works out to be approx. $3.25/day, that is an energy drink which is so very bad for you. If you look at the product and believe in what it can do for individuals, it can set you free. That is really what MLM is all about. Finding something that you believe in and people will see that. Don’t waste even 1 minute on someone that cannot see the product and understand what it can do for them.
Tracy, recognize that regardless of what anyone says, less than 5% of America will acutally make it to a millionaire status due to people such as yourself that speak about things in a negative manner and discourage those who may have a will to succeed. What other type of company has a business model where you can pass up who sponsored you in the business? Not a pyramid!
Brian – Unfortunately, the FTC almost never enforces the laws against pyramid schemes against companies like Monavie (and Usana, and Shop to Earn, and MyPowermall, and Mary Kay…) which are nothing more than recruiting schemes hidden behind products.
And you should be aware that people don’t fail to make it to millionaire status because I expose frauds and scams. 99% of people will lose money in MLMs, so they surely aren’t getting to millionaire status.
I can’t believe there really are stupid idiots backing up Monavie. It’s true, there is a sucker born every day. A loser I know actually tries to sell the stuff. He had business cards made up and everything! How embarrassing. Another thing, if Coca Cola really wanted to buy Monavie, don’t you think Monavie would have sold out to them, you stupid idiot!
Galen,
Why would a billion dollar company sell out to Coca Cola when they are just getting started? If you are basing your experience on one LOSER as you call him, then you are just ignorant. At least he is trying to better his life and himself. It seems as though you are the one that needs to take a step back and look at yourself, afterall, what kind of person puts people down like you do. All that post did was make yourself look foolish.
Tracy,
The FTC cannot touch Mona Vie and if I am wrong, I challenge any and all to prove it to me with hard facts. 99% of people in MLM’s lose money because they don’t do anything with it, not because it is a scheme. Which brings me back around to the negative individuals that discourage people. You obviosly have no idea about mathematical certainty and what it takes to make it in any business or any business sense. Hard work! Most poeple are brainwashed about what it takes to make it in this country. Anybody that wants it bad enough can go out and make it happen, go ask any self made millionaire.
People fail at making millionare status everyday, but you can’t blame people for trying. Most people are just slaves to jobs anyway, working under some “pyramid scheme” for other “millionares”(which you may also do). But please give the bashing a rest. I’m neither for nor against MLMs. Have you (tracy) actually tried the program? As for Galen, maybe you should know less losers.
Brian – The FTC can touch MonaVie, they just choose not to.
Stefan – I don’t have to sign up for MonaVie to know that it’s a recruiting scheme in which 99% of people lose money.
Sorry guys, but I’ve spoken to thousands of people who have participated in MLMs, and 99% don’t lose money because they’re all lazy. They lose money because pyramid schemes guarantee that 99% will lose money.
Tracy you are full of it, this blog is a crock and you really don’t understand what the hell you are saying. it is obvious that your negative personality is the reason you see and feel the way you do.
Please elaborate on your statement of why the FTC chooses not to. There is absolutely nothing illegal about Mona Vie whatsoever.
What a waste you and this blog are.
Brian,
You’re a fool! Do you really believe that Monavie is a bilion dollar company. You know what, you deserve to be involved with Monavie. Here’s a clue, whenever you want to get involved in a business opportunity, Google the name of the business, in this case Monavie, and the word SCAM, and if a lot of articles pop up, uh, it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to get involved. God, that’s really sad.
Galen
The FTC doesn’t enforce the laws against pyramid schemes (which most MLMs are… they just hide it well) mainly because of the lobbying of the Direct Selling Association (the member-run organization dedicated to making sure the laws aren’t enforced against their members) and because of political contributions to the right people. Amway was the pioneer in lining the pockets of the right politician, and the situation still exists today.
Tracy,
Amway, Mary Kay, Monavie, do not hide their MLM schemes well. It just takes common sense to know they’re scams. I’m done here. This is really sad.
Galen
Well they do recruit millions of consumers each year collectively, so they’re fooling someone!
That’s why I find it sad. Now I’m really done. The end.
I signed up for the MonaVie business opportunity in March of this year. I have worked really hard to build this business and have invested hundreds of dollars into the MonaVie business to try to make a go of it. Throughout my time in MonaVie, the local leaders in our area: Todd Bishop and Amy Freeman have encouraged me to continue to invest my money and time and would be a Black Diamond inside of a year if I worked hard.
I have now come to realize that Amy Freeman and Todd Bishop have done nothing but lie to me and my family and made fraudulent statements to me and my friends so that we would continue to invest our money in MonaVie. They claim that anyone can make the money they are making if they spend enough money and time.
Everything Todd and Amy has told me is nothing but lies. I now know they only helped me so that I would buy more product to further their business. Monavie is a good product, but the company is horrible. They reward lying thieves like Todd Bishop and Amy Freeman and take money from hard working people like my family. Everyone I have brought into the MonaVie business is not quiting because of Todd and Amy’s lies.
I hope someone will shut them down before they spread more hurt.
http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/monavie-c83429.html
http://www.oprah.com/community/message/766634
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/356/ripoff0356764.htm
http://www.scam.com/showthread.php?t=44032&highlight=monavie
MLM >= Pyramid scheme. I have plenty of friends who have drank the KoolAid (or in this case drank the “Monavie”. I also experience random phone calls from people that I have not spoken to in months who all of the sudden want to share some crap with me. I have drank the juice, read the materials, etc. No doubt it makes you feel better than if you had been drinking soda and eating chips all day, but for $40 a bottle…… nope.
I was suckered into one of these scams when I was 18. I spent lots of money to “get started” and eventually gave up because they were inconsistent with pay. Plenty of unpaid “business meetings” and other crap that they made me sit through was typical of this company.
Bottom line, a few get rich off of this scheme, but most just end up with less money than they started with. If you are part of this and have any feelings that you may have been suckered into it, quit now. It’s ok to admit that you have been duped. Humility is a virtue. I have had to work hard to get the life that I wanted, but it is attainable, doesn’t happen quickly or easily, but the reward of being where I want to be is more rewarding than the feeling that I had with my MLM experience. Not bashing anyone, just sharing my experience. Good luck.
It really saddens me , that scammers working for Mona Vie keep posting. It is quite simply a pyramid scheme where people pay $130 a month to sell a product with a 300 percent mark up for them. Why would you pay someone to work for them!!!? It is also completely immoral- when the bottom falls out ,all those desperate people who got in last will be left out of pocket
I grew up with the MonaVie founder Dallin Larsen. He is a total flake. His favorite trick back then was stealing tips off the tables when leaving a restaurant. Even then it seemed he was always sizing people up for a score. I’ve heard he’s left his church and is pursuing Scientology. Again, total flake.
My wife brought home a MonaVie couple who gave us a bottle to try and showed us a great DVD where hardly anyone talked about the juice…….they just frolicked on sailboats, drove expensive cars, and talked of how many people were “under” them. I was further sickened as a man with no shoes, scaled a tree to pick the berries, while being so obviously impoverished that I had to comment to them “There’s a guy who makes a dollar a day”. The wife of the couple then turned to me and said in a totally brainwashed tone “Monavie gives back”. Ok………..give the berrypicker a trip to Aruba and sportscar. This company makes me ill and is profiting from the hard labor of others. While the juice may have benefits that make you feel better than drinking Coke and eating chips, it is not allowed in my home. I’ll buy Acai from whole foods, if I want these benefits.
Up yours, MonaVie!!!
My friend was on it for a year spending about $260 (8 bottles) a month to earn a overidding commission of just $55! She quitted after a year realising her foolishness and no real health benefits.
Just my 2 cents.
This is network marketing. If you work hard at it you cna make a solid income. Just like advancing up the corporate ladder you can advance in network marketing. You are right in saying most people fail at it. But a few can make it. The difference between these two types of people is there will to succeed and stick to it just like any other job. If you quit networking then you lose your income just like if you quit working.
Yes, the rug can be pulled from under you at anytime and you would be out of luck but I am finding out that is the case anywhere you go. In my community we have had 3 large factories close up shop this past year! People are out of luck! it does not matter if you work in a factory or in network marketing the result may be the same.
Most people think it is a get rich quick scheme and for those distributors who are pushing this hype I completely disagree with. Monavie is not a get rich quick deal. It takes time. 90% of people will not make it in network marketing because they give up to quickly and just stop trying to work it. Again they want quick results and they are expecting too much in a short period of time. Just not how it works.
Yes I agree the juice is expensive but I know it is healthy for me and I can earn some money doing the networking part. So why not take chance. Life is to short not to take some chances in life. You never know.
There have been many millionaires made via network marketing. Is it easy? heck no. It is extremely tuff to do. But anyone can do it if they truly want it bad enough.
Will I make it in Monavie? I believe that I will, but I also know the odds are against me and it’s my own fault if I quit.
In the end I’ll have no one to blame but myself wether I succeed or not.
In an illegal pyramid scam you can never make more than the person who enrolled you. This is not true in Monavie.
It’s not a pyarmid but it is MLM. MLM is legal and a great way for the average person to make some good money. If they stick to it.