Melaleuca The Wellness Company Nearly KILLED my daughter Ripoff Idaho Falls Idaho

Melaleuca totally screwed me, but besides that it's really crappy that they take NO responsibility for what happened 2 your daughter! And you are RIGHT TO TAKE PICTURES DURING THE EPISODE for legal reference! Yes, you have EVERY right. You couldn't do anything else for her. You got the proper help, and they took over. What kind of person says to you something like "what kind of mother takes pics when the kid's in an ambulance??" A smart mother, that's who. Use that to build you up a lawsuit.

I would also say take the products to a local lab, & have them examined so you can prove them wrong. They are shady sales people, and as we all know, people will do ANYTHING (including to not disclose possible harmful ingredients in a product) to make a quick buck. You did the right thing, and anyone who disagrees, too bad. This is what I would have done and any other reasonable parent!

I had a near-fatal experience with one of my cats from exposure to the Melaleuca products. Contact with surfaces that had been cleaned - toxins were absorbed through foot pads, and inhaled as cleaning was done. I know this is very different than a human child, but my pets *are* my children. It just proves further than their claims to be "safe" are unfounded. Their product development department denies that their products are unsafe - they claim the quantities of the oil are minimal, the quality is "too high" to cause problems, etc. I am so sorry about your daughter.

My prayers go out to young woman and her two year old daughter. However, I must say that her claim of their tooth polish having no warning to keep away from children is completely incorrect. Both the box and the tube of tooth polish state the typical federal warning: Keep out of the reach of children under 6 years of age. If more than used for brushing is accidentally swallowed, get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center right away. (Crest and Colgate carry to same federally mandated warning-- it is the law).

The childrens tooth paste also carries the same warning along with a separate set of instructions for use: Children age 2 to 6 years: use only a pea-sized amount and supervise child's brushing ans rinsing (to minimize swallowing). Children under 2 years of age : ask a dentist or doctor.

I don't in any way want or intend to belittle your report or the injury to your child. I am a parent as well. We are ultimately responsible because we have to read the warnings and instructions. There is always a risk in what ever you use as our tolerance levels are all different and it is very possible that your daughter has an allergy to one of the natural ingredients in the tooth polish.
I use these products daily and they have cured several of my childrens health problems related to asthma and eczema.

I personally have not had any unresolved issues with the company and there have been times when I have not been satisfied, and not due to any wrong doing on their behalf. I have had hundreds of dollars in product destroyed in shipping. I phoned the company and was instructed to salvage what I could for my use and they would completely replace the shipment. I have been overdrawn by charges due to my annual renewal and they have replaced those funds in my account and pulled then out when I told them it would be available.

I have been more satisfied with their customer service than any other company and I work for a major comglomorate in customer service. Trust me. One bad experience is not worth destroying a reputation. It feels good to vent and let it out but consider the destruction it causes. Thank you for taking the time to read my rebuttal and giving it some thought.

While I would like to start off by saying that I feel horrible about what has happened to your daughter, I still feel that there are some more underlying issues that were not addressed and only accusation was made because of it being a Melaleuca Product. Now I would like to start by saying that I find it rather interesting that your daughter was in danger and you thought it was a good idea to start taking pictures? I don't know any parent that would run for a camera just to take pictures of a suffering child while waiting for an ambulance.

Point # 2, you say that your child had ingested tooth polish while she was in the bathroom. If you were right there with her then it would not have happened. The parent would have seen the child begin to ingest the product that theoretically caused harm. Due to the fact that the parent or parents were not with the child then you do not know if that child had ingested any other items prior to or after the tooth polish.

I have been using Melaleuca products for many years and have introduce numerour others to the same items. We all have had wonderful results. With any product, you are always to take precaution when using then. Adverse reactions can happen to anyone.

Did you ever hear about people getting hives when the eat certain fruits? Well you dont see a label on every piece of fruit saying "Warning, May Cause Hives" It all comes down to a persons natural body reaction.

I would surely hope that you can see the true side of this unfortuante accident and stop blaming a company that does extensive research on their products before they are approved by the government and released for sale

Maybe my packaging is different because I'm in Australia, but my tooth-polish quite clearly states "Warning: Keep out of reach of children under 6" and my personal favourite....

"Warning: This product contains propolis which can cause severe allergic reaction."

These warnings are on the box for any literate person to read.

I also hope you actually tried to find the cause of your daughters reaction, so that you don't have to go through that again.

As a concerned parent, I read your information with interest, noting that your child spread this tooth polish on her body, legs stomach, arms etc. This would have had to take some time to do...

I was thinking yes, it is possible that a person especially a youngster could have an allergic reaction to some products, but since your child was not being monitored by you for the time being that she spread this product all over herself, could it have been that she had gotten into something more serious before getting a hold of the tooth polish? I guess we will never know for sure.

I had VERY sensitive skin and major allergies that have actually cleared up since using the Melaleuca products 11 years ago, so I am sorry you had such a bad experience. I am so glad that your child is okay, and I wish that your experience had been better like mine has been! I think the products are pretty awesome and my daughter has played with, drank and used all the products since she was 18 months old with no ill effects.

In any case you were to use a product of "organic" or "natural" origin, it would be in your best interest to do research on the ingredients. If you were allergic to nuts, you would go out of your way to read the ingredients to make sure there were no nuts or traces thereof in your food.

For your information, Melaleuca is derived from the plant that"tea tree oil" comes from and it can be toxic if ingested internally in large doses or by children. It would be in the best interest of this company to print a warning label on their products describing the dangers. I have also heard of an issue with a toddler eating a "bath fizzie" tablet (not of melaleuca company). It's roughly the size of a golf ball. Looked much like a giant jawbreaker. The parents went off and sued the company. You don't leave things hazardous to children within their reach. Plain and simple. Even regular toothpaste has warnings to "keep out of the reach of children under the age of 6". I do sympathize with your medical bills, but you also have to realize you are responsible for your children.

I will try not to make this long so people can get back to preventing their children from eating toothpaste. I have been a Melaleuca customer for 12 years. I order 75 product points (about $120.00) per month. I have never been mistreated or received anything I didn't order or been charged for anything I didn't intend to purchase. Melaleuca's products often have safety advantages over other comparable products, and are very economically competitive with the market's best products. If you are enrolled honestly, and if you READ the information provided, you will know that it is still advisable to use these products carefully. In an effort to have the best products, they are not and need not be 100% ALL NATURAL. When this misrepresentation occurs, it is at the hands of an Independent Marketing Executive...NOT the company!

Melaleuca offers a great, effective, unique income opportunity; in doing so, the possibility of misrepresentation by some individuals is possible. Every day, as consumers, we face greater risks than this, and if you pay attention to company provided materials, you will have accurate information on the company and its products.

I think the Ripoff Report can be a useful venue for sharing information on home based businesses and protecting one another...BUT if you got ripped off by Melaleuca, it is your lack of responsibility. This is a very good company.

Dear Penny
My son gets sick every time someone cleans with clorox at home or at school and Im sure you are using it for your home, and not only that but many people have died because of that product my question is will you stop using it?

When you purchase any form of product, whether it be all natural or not, there is a certain responsibility that comes with that product, especially if you have children.

When I was being introduced to Melaleuca, the consumer and I sat down to watch a VHS (video) that came with their Melaleuca starter kit. One of the first tips that I took very seriously from the narrator was, "although these products are all natural, please be sure to keep all products safely and securely away from children." Ingesting so much of any product can cause medical complications, or in this case, rubbing toothpaste all over your body, regardless of the type of product, has the ability to cause skin irritations or skin allergies.

Let me say that this takes common sense, not just responsibility. I am not saying that the writer of this report is senseless, but I can say from what I have read that she must have been being irresponsible, to allow her child to rub toothpaste on their body. Also, there is a reason why Melaleuca offers adult toothpaste and children's toothpaste, simply because adult toothpaste is for adults and children's toothpaste is for children. Simple as that. But, I would not suggest allowing your child to rub ANY form of toothpaste on their body, even if it is children's toothpaste. Toothpaste is for teeth, not skin.

Also, when you sign a contract with Melaleuca, you agree that Melaleuca is not responsible for such problems; you should have not been surprised that they did not throw themselves before you and say, "please allow me to pay all of your child's medical bills that arose with this incident". Your purchase, your responsibility...your child, your responsibility. When you purchase crest or colgate, do you allow your child to rub it all over their body? There are dangers with those un-natural products too!

I can understand the aggravation, financial burden, and frustration; but you assumed that the products, because they are all natural, would not harm a child. Cannot a poison ivy harm humans? Is it not all natural? Remember, you must use common sense!

Maybe you could have suggested to the representative that you spoke with that Melaleuca create a buyers guide which indicates whether every single item they produce is child safe or not...if they haven't already.

Sorry to hear about your daughter. The problem comes from the essential oils used in the tooth polish. I have used their products for to years now and my children help me clean house and use all their products with no ill effect. I even make baby wipes with there products with no ill effect. Essential oils can be very strong and have to be used with caution. Again sorry for the pain your daughter went through. Please be careful if you ever use any product that uses pure essential oils!

Sorry to hear about your daughter. The problem comes from the essential oils used in the tooth polish. I have used their products for to years now and my children help me clean house and use all their products with no ill effect. I even make baby wipes with there products with no ill effect. Essential oils can be very strong and have to be used with caution. Again sorry for the pain your daughter went through. Please be careful if you ever use any product that uses pure essential oils!

Sorry to hear about your daughter. The problem comes from the essential oils used in the tooth polish. I have used their products for to years now and my children help me clean house and use all their products with no ill effect. I even make baby wipes with there products with no ill effect. Essential oils can be very strong and have to be used with caution. Again sorry for the pain your daughter went through. Please be careful if you ever use any product that uses pure essential oils!

Sorry to hear about your daughter. The problem comes from the essential oils used in the tooth polish. I have used their products for to years now and my children help me clean house and use all their products with no ill effect. I even make baby wipes with there products with no ill effect. Essential oils can be very strong and have to be used with caution. Again sorry for the pain your daughter went through. Please be careful if you ever use any product that uses pure essential oils!

I am so sorry to hear about your daughter. We all want to keep our children safe. I believe your child truly had an allergic reaction. In an emergency your best source is Poison Control, when we have emergencies with a product. Melaleuca's products are so safe, poison control will verify that information. I don't know if you called Poison Control or not, but I believe their suggestion would have been to rinse her off. Most doctors are not knowledgeable regarding Melaleuca's products. They have to be educated. Doctors who know the products back them 100%. My doctor does.

I have a team member whose toddler sprayed our bathroom cleaner in his mouth and he was just fine; no running to the hospital. Another whose spouse didn't rinse out the baby bottle completely after using the dishwashing liquid. Mom realized her baby drinking water was bubbling in the bottle. Again the baby was fine, no rushing to the hospital.

I have a daughter with Gestational Diabetes with her pregnancies. She was told by her doctor to take 1 prenatal vitamin a day instead of the 3 a day (morning dosage and evening dosage) she should have been taking. She of course followed the doctors' advice without letting me know and had problems with her pregnancy. Because she thought the doctor knew better than mom, she never gave me the information I needed to fax information to her doctor and because of her problems with the diabetes, she lost her baby at 20 weeks. My team members who has this same condition, had no symptoms of their gestational diabetes during their pregnancies when they found Melaleuca.

We are all customers of the company on a month to month basis and it is so easy to cancel your account if that is your choice. By not purchasing these safer alternative products, you will be putting your child in greater risk. I hope you will not do that.

The company has received so many awards that would never be awarded to a 'scam company', the latest being the Salvation Army's Highest award this past July 2007 for company efforts and assistance to Hurricane Katrina . The company is one of few, if not the only, allowed on military bases per the UCMJ (Universal Code of Military Justice) because of its ethics and integrity and being Consumer Direct Marketing and not MLM.

I pray and I truly hope you will stay with the company keeping you and your family out of harms way from the toxic products you have been cleaning with all your life.

I can really sympathize with your plight as a parent...it's a pretty tough job to protect our children--we can't be watching them all the time. But it's only fair to go right to the source and see what the company you accuse has to say about their products. We must follow up and do our homework--so let's now go to Melaleuca's website and do just that:

saferforyourhome.com/

Click on any of the links on that page to see for yourself what is stated there. This is their warning--and it was not at all difficult to find:

*"Although all Melaleuca EcoSense products are formulated to be safe when used as intended, they are not meant to be internally ingested, rubbed into eyes, used on the body or used by children."

Okay, that's plain enough.

I've noticed that some people have also complained about not getting a refund on a Mela-product that they didn't like--though that's certainly not been my experience. It's always a good thing to check out a company's guarantee before signing up with them or buying any of their products. Here is Melaleuca's:

"Every Melaleuca product is backed by our 100% satisfaction guarantee. If any EcoSense product fails to meet your highest expectations, contact us within 60 days for a full credit or exchange."

Sounds pretty good so far. And I'd say that a 60 day time period is more than enough time in which to do that. Often when people have problems with any company, it's can be because they didn't fully read HOW to go about reporting problems to the company. Each company has its ways of handling that sort of thing.

I've always found Melaleuca most pleasant and accomodating. In fact they even bent the 'rules' for me one time--I wasn't aware of the 60 day time period and so when I'd waited a bit past that for formalizing a complaint, they accomodated me anyway. Since it hadn't really been a "big deal," I wasn't sure I should even complain, but I went ahead anyway, just to have the experience. LOL. (This was when one of their new toothpastes was just a tad too runny to stay on my brush--even though it still worked fine.)
After first politely informing me of their policy, they went ahead and sent me another tube--and they paid the shipping! I was soooo impressed!

Another time, a small glass vial of their oil had shattered en route, and they replaced it free within 3 days. And I also recall that when one of the products was not found in the box, I'd called to report it and they cheerfully replaced it for fre--and even credited my account! To say that I am an impressed Preferred Customer of 5 years is truly an understatement!

I've worked in healthcare for most of my adult life, though I am not any kind of scientist. But here is my own "testimonial"...I used to suffer with hay fever every spring of my adult life. But the very first spring after I signed on as a Preferred Customer, and I cleaned up my home, and got onto their great supplement regimen, I have not experienced this debilitating condition since! I am a true believer! My husband and I would never be without these amazing products! He is turning 60 this year and doesn't look it or feel it thanx to Melaleuca! Now, we not only feel great, we are often told how "healthy" we both look! Whoo-h*o! With more grandchildren in the offing, that's exactly the way it needs to be for us!

My skeptical husband had always had a problem with his cholesterol levels of late, when I first became involved with Melaleuca, but after a year of being on their supplements to help correct that situation (in spite of not giving up his cheese!) his levels have dropped out of the dangerous zone into the high end of the acceptable range. So, it's truly been an amazing experience for him, as well!

My sister-in-law was the first to introduce Melaleuca to me even though her husband is allergic to tea tree oil. That didn't stop her...he simply doesn't use the products that contain the oil...therefore, no problem--everyone seems to have sensitivities sooner or later. Hopefully her husband will eventually lose his to tea tree oil!

Thus, I have no hesitation whatsoever at all telling others about my experience with this truly amazing company! Results vary, of course, but you do get results, often remarkable ones! You just have to play by the rules and be a wise consumer.

By the way, when toothpaste is used as a body cream, it's quite natural for a reaction may occur--especially in children. So, let's not blame Melaleuca for that--let's instead just be more watchful parents...a full-time job in itself! So, bravo for having the products in your home! I do hope you'll stick with them! If not now, then later. I've found nothing better!

I am a dentist and a mother. I've used Melaleuca's tooth polish and it is a good product. As a general warning, all toothpastes, if misused as your daughter did, can be harmful and if ingested, can be deadly.
We don't administer Fl (fluoride) to young children because ingestion of improper amounts can be fatal.

Also, growing up, it was an old wives tale that if you place Crest, Colgate, or any pasty toothpaste (not the gel) that you could get rid of zits. Well, it dried out the skin and removed all the oil from that spot. So, if your 2 year old placed it all over her delicate skin, then, yes, she'd be in trouble.

You also mentioned that this was not the first time she ingested toothpaste. That sounds like you need to watch what your child has access to. Like I said, any toothpaste can be harmful. All adult toiletries can be harmful for that matter and you might consider placing some "child proof" devices in your house, especially in your bathroom.

Anyway, don't dog the product. Lets look in the mirror and make changes there first.

Folks - I want to warn you about a very dangerous product so you can take the appropriate action:

"Unnamed" allergy occurs when there is an allergic reaction to "Unnamed99" (the protein found in "Unnamed"...). "Unnamed99" refers to a group of proteins that are difficult for humans to digest. One group of proteins called gliadin is thought to do most of the damage to the intestinal lining. "Unnamed109" are another group of proteins found in "Unnamed99" and thought to be associated with autoimmune skin diseases and asthma. "Unnamed99" proteins are extremely resistant to intestinal digestion, despite grinding, cooking, processing and digestion.

"Unnamed99" causes damage to the intestinal lining by eroding the villi and microvilli essential for digestion and absorption processes. This damage then increases the likelihood of partially digested "Unnamed99" proteins passing into the bloodstream. Certain proteins cause our immune systems to react. Undigested partial proteins found in "Unnamed99" cereals have morphine-like properties once they enter the bloodstream, suggesting an origin for the phrase 'comfort foods' and its addictive nature. Once an immune response has been initiated, inflammatory reactions can cause a whole host of "Unnamed" allergy symptoms. A "Unnamed99"/"Unnamed" allergy may not always be a severe frequent reaction but can result in many digestive symptoms flatulence, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, pain etc. and may aggravate a host of other symptoms:

tiredness skin rashes cramps acne and boils
sweating headaches migraines psoriasis
arthritis eczema anxiety depression

"Unnamed" is more likely to cause an allergic reaction than any other grain. Modern "Unnamed" has been developed to contain higher "Unnamed99" levels for the manufacture of bread and other products, and our digestive systems were not designed to cope with the indigestible proteins. Some people with a "Unnamed" allergy find they can tolerate oats, however it is important to note that oats are often processed and stored alongside other grains.

Did you figure out what the product was?

Go here and you will see: foodallergyinitiative.org/section_home.cfm?section_id=3&sub_section_id=5

I think it is important that everything be kept in perspective.

Anyone could be allergic to almost anything - including Melaleuca oil or any other of the safer ingredients that Melaleuca uses in their 300+ product line.

If one were one were to follow the advice here, one would conclude that no one could benefit from any product that some tiny percentage of people may be allergic to.

My nephew is alleric to gluten that is a protein found in wheat, rye, barley and oats. It almost killed him once. Therefore, I think that everyone reading this should think that YOU should avoid it. It is a RIPOFF!!! Everyone company selling wheat is a RIPOFF! Every representative for a wheat company is a SCAMMER!

Come on.

Here are some facts that may help put things in perspective ...

Melaleuca is a member of the Eastern Idaho & Western Wyoming Better Business Bureau so anyone, at any time, can both file a complaint or check on Melaleuca's record.

Here is the URL:

idahofalls.bbb.org/commonreport.html?bid=10618

If you read the report, you will see that Melaleuca did indeed have some complaints as of this date, June 27, 2007.

Specifically, "The Bureau processed a total of 337 complaints about this company in the last 36 months, our standard reporting period. Of the total of 337 complaints closed in 36 months, 91 were closed in the last year."

At first read, one may think that is a lot of complaints. So let's analyze it.

Last year, Melaleuca did well over $700,000,000 in sales. The average order size is about 50 product points so the average order size is probably between $60 to $70

To arrive at the number of yearly transactions, let's use extremely conservative numbers and divide the the annual sales number by the $100 per transaction. That give us about 7,000,000 transaction per year! Over 3 years, that would be at least 20,000,000 transactions!

If you divide that by the 337 complaints filed over the last three years, you come up with a percentage of transactions that resulted in a complaint being filed.

Here it is:
Yes - scroll down!

0.00169%

Does that help with perspective?

That is such a tiny percentage that my calculator would barely register it. I had to keep moving the number of decimal places to see it!

Then realize that Melaleuca worked with EVERY one of those complaints to resolved them to the satisfaction of the Bureau and most of the complainants.

No wonder then that the same BBB page above also says this:

"Based on BBB files, this company has a satisfactory record with the Bureau. A "satisfactory record" means a company has been in business for at least 12 months, and properly addressed matters referred by the Bureau. The company does not have an unusual volume of complaints, or any government actions involving its marketplace conduct. The Bureau understands and has no concerns about the company's products, services and type of business.

But Melaleuca has gone well beyond that.

The Eastern Idaho and Western Wyoming division of the Better Business Bureau recently presented Melaleuca President and CEO Frank L. VanderSloot with its 2005 Hall of Fame award. This prestigious award honored Melaleuca for its example of ethics and integrity in dealings with customers, employees, and the community.

See: winningwithus.com/MegaNHP/bbbHallofFame.htm

How many companies that you buy from are in the Better Business Bureau Hall of Fame?

Folks - let's get real here. We can, if we want to, conveniently 'select' facts that support our viewpoint of the world. It is most wise, however, to go with the preponderance of evidence.

Because of the the quality, safety, efficacy and value evident in the Melaleuca product line, hundreds of thousands of people REORDER every single month and have done so in increasing numbers every year since 1985.

Perhaps not everyone thinks they are a "ripoff"?

Maybe we should ban wheat? Milk? Peanuts? Let's report them all to RIPPOFFREPORT.com! Let's ban them all! ;-)

Wow, I am so sorry for your ordeal. I don't know what i would have done if I were you and I can sure understand your anger.

As others say, it does sound like a reaction to me. And I don't know what a warning label on the package would have done. Crest has a warning lable and it obviously didn't stop your child from eating it.

Perhaps you may want to reconsider where you keep you toothpaste (an other potentionally harmful products).

I love the Melaleuca products and the company. I have had nothing but positive interaction with them, even when I have not like their product.

If you really want to cancel, the company need a written letter (fax or mail) before the 25th. If it is after the 25th, you will recieve your back-up order.

If you still need help, contact the person who referred you. They should be able (or put you in touch with someone) to help you cancel.
Hope the little one feels better.

Hello,

I'm not involved with Melaleuca and have never used their products. I came across your post while researching the company.

I'm glad that you were able to get your child the care that she needed and she is alright. It seems strange that you would call an ambulance for this emergency, but even think about taking pictures while you were waiting. I would that would be the last thing on a mother's mind in that situation.

I have been an RN in an emergency department for many years. I see allergic reactions all of the time. I'm not sure that it is accurate to say that the tooth polish is an unsafe "toxic" product. People can develop allergies to almost anything, even natural substances.

I don't know that a warning label would have made any difference. I'm not sure what it would say either.

I'm not sure what else the company could have done except refund your purchase. I don't know what their cancellation policy is, but they shouldn't make it difficult.

Have you ever heard of an allergy? Severe allergies cause anaphylactic reactions quite like the one you described above. It is quite apparent that your child is allergic to an ingredient in the tooth polish, to have caused the symptoms you describe.

You truly need to reevaluate your position. There is no way to remove the probability of an allergy. Anyone can become allergic to anything at any time. I am willing to bet that you were sent home after doses of Benadryl and prednisone, with instructions to continue the same. You may have also been sent home with a perscription for an EpiPen or EpiPen JR. If that is the case, you are dealing with an allergy, and cannot blame the safety of the products. Your attack is unwarranted and emotionally driven. NOT produced with logic and forethought.