Quixtar, Amway, Alticor A Little Research Can Save You Beyond Imagination Columbia South Carolina

Why does Amway keep changing its name?

You're right, Amway has been around a long time. But your "don't read what negative people" rant sounds just like an Amway zombie. Tell us, just how much did YOU make "doing the business" last year? Now tell us how much you SPENT doing the business? Come, you're a proud IBO, post your income tax return (of course you can redact your personal information).

By far, the majority of people "doing the business" lose money, and not just a few bucks here and there, but thousands. What is the turn over rate for resigning IBO's?

How much does the motivational tapes cost now? Who is getting all that money? If the Crowns are so interested in people making money, why aren't they sharing that wealth with the "little people?"

Partner stores... yes, they sell their products through Amway/Quixtar/AmwayGlobal, but I can buy the same thing through wally world, kmart, sears, target.. at a much lower price. Why would we buy from you?

For every website you post you can find dozens of websites about the problems with Amway. You can download a book called "Merchants of Deceptions" written by Eric Scheibeler, a former Emerald Direct. Wonderful insights into the world of Amway.

I couldn't read through all the reports on Quixtar and Amway being "scams", because I was getting too angry. We have gone through all the changes with Amway, but not before being involved with a company called Bestline, which was illegally involved in what they called a multilevel marketing situation. We HAD to purchase (stock) bulk quantities - of Bestline's excellent products - and try to retail them to make money,and get others to do the same. We were paid on # of people recruited. (That company FOLDED, rather than change their business tactics, and they had terrific products!)

NEVER DID Amway/Quixtar tell us to buy in bulk, or stock products, although at some levels that was practical at one point in the business. There may have been people in the business that used tactics that weren't right, but if the company found out about anything illegal, those IBOs were told to get out. Some gave up substantial incomes. Yes, we went to the business-building seminars and conventions. We had excellent upline help, but were not pressured unkindly. We heard excellent motivational speakers, like Dave Thomas. We bought, and listened to, many tapes (our choice), and read books. But I never regretted time spent at those sessions, as I always came out with something that made me a better person.

The reason Amway changed its name, for a few years, was people felt that to make money they had to sell door-to-door. That, too, was only IF you wanted to make money. Amway income IS BASED ON SALES OF REAL PRODUCTS, not "get-rich-quick" schemes. And we do make a monthly bonus, if those whom we've sponsored do use the products, and/or make some sales. Granted, the bonuses my husband and I make as IBO's (Independent Business Owners) aren't big, but they do cover our renewal costs each year. If WE chose to "recruit" more IBOs under us, our bonuses would be bigger - but ONLY if they also use the products and/or make some sales. If we are lazy, and choose not to go out and sell, of course we aren't going to make much. That isn't the company's fault!

The Nutrilite vitamin/supplement products, Artistry cosmetics products, and the company's cleaning products, etc., that AMWAY DOES MAKE are excellent, and always have been. Good products require good materials and thus cost more. They have been concentrates since the beginning. We don't sell "water"!

"Partner stores" are companies that choose to market through AmwayGlobal - the new name, and because there are those of us who have chosen to stick with a good, respectable company, we choose to shop with them as well as AmwayGlobal, and it adds to our bonus. So for those of you who bad-mouth something you know nothing about, remove your lies from this site. A company that has been around for 50 years isn't doing anything wrong!

If you have questions you want answered, don't read what negative people, who aren't ambitious enough to work for success, say. (Lazy people aren't required to sign up.) Go to www.thetruthaboutamway.com, and read what a respectable, reliable, community-minded company Amway Global really is. YOU DON'T HAVE TO GET INVOLVED! You can quit whenever you choose. We still have free-choice in this country, and companies like Amway Global, where you can achieve if you are willing to put in the hours, will help to keep it that way!
Bev Harper - someone who has never been ashamed of being "in Amway".

I am an X-IBO with Quixtar, but not an ex-employee (It was the closest option on the list.)

My experience with Quixtar leaves me with mixed emotions. I was a part of it for about three years, but did not 'work' the business as I could have. I have nearly 100 of the CD's with testimonies from the successful IBOs and I have met several of them.

As far as becoming a success in the company, either an IBO needs to invest a lot of hard time and money or he can expect it to be a long time before breaking out of the hard work period. Recruiting newcomers is one way to break out of the box sooner, but it still takes time and work and money to do so. There is no short-cut to making lots of money in this or any other business.

As for the ethics of the company... I can only share my experience with my direct upline and I cannot speak for other teams or the Quixtar corporation.

My upline consisted of two members who never advanced far. Above them was an Emerald whose wife was upfront and honest and would not pull punches when asked a question. I wish I could say the same for him. When I quit my job due to problems on the job, he made out like 'the system is working!' He saw the business as a 'game' and if you played the game right, it would work. Unfortunately, I started feeling uneasy about his tactics as they were absolutely deceitful. I realize the business isn't for everybody, but there is no reason to be deceitful to lure the wrong ones in just so they can drop out later. I have much more respect for the one who tells me up front that it is a percentage of numbers and you have to recruit x for y to hang around and z to actually advance.

Is this a religious cult? NO! There are some within the organization who, within their groups on personal time promote Christianity and others that promote Judaism. There may be other religious faiths represented as well. Quixtar does not promote any faith or politics and while individual IBOs may, I have not seen nor heard from within that anyone was rejected or blackballed in any way for their faith. It irks me to no end to hear someone lie in the business and then try to tell me how Christ is in it. There is no way!

There are many ways to make money outside of recruiting. At each meeting, there were some who talked about their direct sales approaches and ways of selling product. I learned several great business-to-business approaches from a couple of men outside my upline who made the platinum level without having the first recruit. (I wish I had heard of the business from them.)

As I mentioned, I have nearly 100 CDs, most of which are testimonies of the Emeralds and Diamonds. In each case, their successes were not found until they had invested many hours of work, lots of dedication to stick to it during hard times, lots of expense to themselves and lots of recruits falling to the wayside along the way. While the goal is to reach these levels in 2-5 years, it has taken several of them longer to accomplish, but they stuck to it.

Are the support materials and cds required? Humm.....
That is a tough one to answer. The official answer is No! However, my upline, and at least one other upline in the meeting hall where we met, will not offer any personal help beyond a certain point, unless you participate in the "Eagle" program which requires an IBO to, among other things, subscribe to the materials. My upline emerald required that I attend the conferences or not receive his help. It was this stipulation that changed my mind about wanting to be a part of his team.

I attended one of the conferences and loved it greatly. I would love to have attended several others, but my economic situation did not permit me to go deeply into the hole to support this business.

What happens at the conferences? Mostly it is testimony of those who made various levels of success and instructions in developing a "successful" mentality. It is really good stuff. On Sunday Morning, a fantastic speaker and great comedian, Larry Winters, held an optional service which is basically a church service. He presented the Gospel of Christ and took an offering for a non-profit organization rather than for his 'church' as there was no church.

On Saturday night, there was a meeting I was not allowed to attend. It was only for those who reached a certain level in the organization or completed certain steps, I don't remember the exact requirement. It is known as the candle-light vigil, but NBC Dateline edited out so much of theirs that it was not an accurate pictures of the evening. Having talked to the attendees, i learned that it is a time when they take a moment to give Praise to God for having brought them to their level of success. It is an emotional touch, but they didn't worship the god Quikstar or upline. There was also some additional testimony as well.

For those who reached their level of success by using deceitful means and then praising God for their success, I wonder if God might not have something to say to them. ...

I never had a problem dealing with Quixtar and the staff was always polite and helpful. I met quite a few great people in the business. I saw some come and go. Those who put their hearts into it and made a commitment saw their business grow, when they didn't, it dropped off, just like any brick-and-mortar business. You get out of it what you put into it.

This business isn't for everyone. I can't tell you if it is for you or not. If you think it is, go into knowing what you want and how you want to get it, then give it all your might and stick to it for 5 years of steady non-slacking-off effort. Expect to spend more than it brings in for a while and don't compromise your values.

I am an X-IBO with Quixtar, but not an ex-employee (It was the closest option on the list.)

My experience with Quixtar leaves me with mixed emotions. I was a part of it for about three years, but did not 'work' the business as I could have. I have nearly 100 of the CD's with testimonies from the successful IBOs and I have met several of them.

As far as becoming a success in the company, either an IBO needs to invest a lot of hard time and money or he can expect it to be a long time before breaking out of the hard work period. Recruiting newcomers is one way to break out of the box sooner, but it still takes time and work and money to do so. There is no short-cut to making lots of money in this or any other business.

As for the ethics of the company... I can only share my experience with my direct upline and I cannot speak for other teams or the Quixtar corporation.

My upline consisted of two members who never advanced far. Above them was an Emerald whose wife was upfront and honest and would not pull punches when asked a question. I wish I could say the same for him. When I quit my job due to problems on the job, he made out like 'the system is working!' He saw the business as a 'game' and if you played the game right, it would work. Unfortunately, I started feeling uneasy about his tactics as they were absolutely deceitful. I realize the business isn't for everybody, but there is no reason to be deceitful to lure the wrong ones in just so they can drop out later. I have much more respect for the one who tells me up front that it is a percentage of numbers and you have to recruit x for y to hang around and z to actually advance.

Is this a religious cult? NO! There are some within the organization who, within their groups on personal time promote Christianity and others that promote Judaism. There may be other religious faiths represented as well. Quixtar does not promote any faith or politics and while individual IBOs may, I have not seen nor heard from within that anyone was rejected or blackballed in any way for their faith. It irks me to no end to hear someone lie in the business and then try to tell me how Christ is in it. There is no way!

There are many ways to make money outside of recruiting. At each meeting, there were some who talked about their direct sales approaches and ways of selling product. I learned several great business-to-business approaches from a couple of men outside my upline who made the platinum level without having the first recruit. (I wish I had heard of the business from them.)

As I mentioned, I have nearly 100 CDs, most of which are testimonies of the Emeralds and Diamonds. In each case, their successes were not found until they had invested many hours of work, lots of dedication to stick to it during hard times, lots of expense to themselves and lots of recruits falling to the wayside along the way. While the goal is to reach these levels in 2-5 years, it has taken several of them longer to accomplish, but they stuck to it.

Are the support materials and cds required? Humm.....
That is a tough one to answer. The official answer is No! However, my upline, and at least one other upline in the meeting hall where we met, will not offer any personal help beyond a certain point, unless you participate in the "Eagle" program which requires an IBO to, among other things, subscribe to the materials. My upline emerald required that I attend the conferences or not receive his help. It was this stipulation that changed my mind about wanting to be a part of his team.

I attended one of the conferences and loved it greatly. I would love to have attended several others, but my economic situation did not permit me to go deeply into the hole to support this business.

What happens at the conferences? Mostly it is testimony of those who made various levels of success and instructions in developing a "successful" mentality. It is really good stuff. On Sunday Morning, a fantastic speaker and great comedian, Larry Winters, held an optional service which is basically a church service. He presented the Gospel of Christ and took an offering for a non-profit organization rather than for his 'church' as there was no church.

On Saturday night, there was a meeting I was not allowed to attend. It was only for those who reached a certain level in the organization or completed certain steps, I don't remember the exact requirement. It is known as the candle-light vigil, but NBC Dateline edited out so much of theirs that it was not an accurate pictures of the evening. Having talked to the attendees, i learned that it is a time when they take a moment to give Praise to God for having brought them to their level of success. It is an emotional touch, but they didn't worship the god Quikstar or upline. There was also some additional testimony as well.

For those who reached their level of success by using deceitful means and then praising God for their success, I wonder if God might not have something to say to them. ...

I never had a problem dealing with Quixtar and the staff was always polite and helpful. I met quite a few great people in the business. I saw some come and go. Those who put their hearts into it and made a commitment saw their business grow, when they didn't, it dropped off, just like any brick-and-mortar business. You get out of it what you put into it.

This business isn't for everyone. I can't tell you if it is for you or not. If you think it is, go into knowing what you want and how you want to get it, then give it all your might and stick to it for 5 years of steady non-slacking-off effort. Expect to spend more than it brings in for a while and don't compromise your values.

I am an X-IBO with Quixtar, but not an ex-employee (It was the closest option on the list.)

My experience with Quixtar leaves me with mixed emotions. I was a part of it for about three years, but did not 'work' the business as I could have. I have nearly 100 of the CD's with testimonies from the successful IBOs and I have met several of them.

As far as becoming a success in the company, either an IBO needs to invest a lot of hard time and money or he can expect it to be a long time before breaking out of the hard work period. Recruiting newcomers is one way to break out of the box sooner, but it still takes time and work and money to do so. There is no short-cut to making lots of money in this or any other business.

As for the ethics of the company... I can only share my experience with my direct upline and I cannot speak for other teams or the Quixtar corporation.

My upline consisted of two members who never advanced far. Above them was an Emerald whose wife was upfront and honest and would not pull punches when asked a question. I wish I could say the same for him. When I quit my job due to problems on the job, he made out like 'the system is working!' He saw the business as a 'game' and if you played the game right, it would work. Unfortunately, I started feeling uneasy about his tactics as they were absolutely deceitful. I realize the business isn't for everybody, but there is no reason to be deceitful to lure the wrong ones in just so they can drop out later. I have much more respect for the one who tells me up front that it is a percentage of numbers and you have to recruit x for y to hang around and z to actually advance.

Is this a religious cult? NO! There are some within the organization who, within their groups on personal time promote Christianity and others that promote Judaism. There may be other religious faiths represented as well. Quixtar does not promote any faith or politics and while individual IBOs may, I have not seen nor heard from within that anyone was rejected or blackballed in any way for their faith. It irks me to no end to hear someone lie in the business and then try to tell me how Christ is in it. There is no way!

There are many ways to make money outside of recruiting. At each meeting, there were some who talked about their direct sales approaches and ways of selling product. I learned several great business-to-business approaches from a couple of men outside my upline who made the platinum level without having the first recruit. (I wish I had heard of the business from them.)

As I mentioned, I have nearly 100 CDs, most of which are testimonies of the Emeralds and Diamonds. In each case, their successes were not found until they had invested many hours of work, lots of dedication to stick to it during hard times, lots of expense to themselves and lots of recruits falling to the wayside along the way. While the goal is to reach these levels in 2-5 years, it has taken several of them longer to accomplish, but they stuck to it.

Are the support materials and cds required? Humm.....
That is a tough one to answer. The official answer is No! However, my upline, and at least one other upline in the meeting hall where we met, will not offer any personal help beyond a certain point, unless you participate in the "Eagle" program which requires an IBO to, among other things, subscribe to the materials. My upline emerald required that I attend the conferences or not receive his help. It was this stipulation that changed my mind about wanting to be a part of his team.

I attended one of the conferences and loved it greatly. I would love to have attended several others, but my economic situation did not permit me to go deeply into the hole to support this business.

What happens at the conferences? Mostly it is testimony of those who made various levels of success and instructions in developing a "successful" mentality. It is really good stuff. On Sunday Morning, a fantastic speaker and great comedian, Larry Winters, held an optional service which is basically a church service. He presented the Gospel of Christ and took an offering for a non-profit organization rather than for his 'church' as there was no church.

On Saturday night, there was a meeting I was not allowed to attend. It was only for those who reached a certain level in the organization or completed certain steps, I don't remember the exact requirement. It is known as the candle-light vigil, but NBC Dateline edited out so much of theirs that it was not an accurate pictures of the evening. Having talked to the attendees, i learned that it is a time when they take a moment to give Praise to God for having brought them to their level of success. It is an emotional touch, but they didn't worship the god Quikstar or upline. There was also some additional testimony as well.

For those who reached their level of success by using deceitful means and then praising God for their success, I wonder if God might not have something to say to them. ...

I never had a problem dealing with Quixtar and the staff was always polite and helpful. I met quite a few great people in the business. I saw some come and go. Those who put their hearts into it and made a commitment saw their business grow, when they didn't, it dropped off, just like any brick-and-mortar business. You get out of it what you put into it.

This business isn't for everyone. I can't tell you if it is for you or not. If you think it is, go into knowing what you want and how you want to get it, then give it all your might and stick to it for 5 years of steady non-slacking-off effort. Expect to spend more than it brings in for a while and don't compromise your values.

I am an X-IBO with Quixtar, but not an ex-employee (It was the closest option on the list.)

My experience with Quixtar leaves me with mixed emotions. I was a part of it for about three years, but did not 'work' the business as I could have. I have nearly 100 of the CD's with testimonies from the successful IBOs and I have met several of them.

As far as becoming a success in the company, either an IBO needs to invest a lot of hard time and money or he can expect it to be a long time before breaking out of the hard work period. Recruiting newcomers is one way to break out of the box sooner, but it still takes time and work and money to do so. There is no short-cut to making lots of money in this or any other business.

As for the ethics of the company... I can only share my experience with my direct upline and I cannot speak for other teams or the Quixtar corporation.

My upline consisted of two members who never advanced far. Above them was an Emerald whose wife was upfront and honest and would not pull punches when asked a question. I wish I could say the same for him. When I quit my job due to problems on the job, he made out like 'the system is working!' He saw the business as a 'game' and if you played the game right, it would work. Unfortunately, I started feeling uneasy about his tactics as they were absolutely deceitful. I realize the business isn't for everybody, but there is no reason to be deceitful to lure the wrong ones in just so they can drop out later. I have much more respect for the one who tells me up front that it is a percentage of numbers and you have to recruit x for y to hang around and z to actually advance.

Is this a religious cult? NO! There are some within the organization who, within their groups on personal time promote Christianity and others that promote Judaism. There may be other religious faiths represented as well. Quixtar does not promote any faith or politics and while individual IBOs may, I have not seen nor heard from within that anyone was rejected or blackballed in any way for their faith. It irks me to no end to hear someone lie in the business and then try to tell me how Christ is in it. There is no way!

There are many ways to make money outside of recruiting. At each meeting, there were some who talked about their direct sales approaches and ways of selling product. I learned several great business-to-business approaches from a couple of men outside my upline who made the platinum level without having the first recruit. (I wish I had heard of the business from them.)

As I mentioned, I have nearly 100 CDs, most of which are testimonies of the Emeralds and Diamonds. In each case, their successes were not found until they had invested many hours of work, lots of dedication to stick to it during hard times, lots of expense to themselves and lots of recruits falling to the wayside along the way. While the goal is to reach these levels in 2-5 years, it has taken several of them longer to accomplish, but they stuck to it.

Are the support materials and cds required? Humm.....
That is a tough one to answer. The official answer is No! However, my upline, and at least one other upline in the meeting hall where we met, will not offer any personal help beyond a certain point, unless you participate in the "Eagle" program which requires an IBO to, among other things, subscribe to the materials. My upline emerald required that I attend the conferences or not receive his help. It was this stipulation that changed my mind about wanting to be a part of his team.

I attended one of the conferences and loved it greatly. I would love to have attended several others, but my economic situation did not permit me to go deeply into the hole to support this business.

What happens at the conferences? Mostly it is testimony of those who made various levels of success and instructions in developing a "successful" mentality. It is really good stuff. On Sunday Morning, a fantastic speaker and great comedian, Larry Winters, held an optional service which is basically a church service. He presented the Gospel of Christ and took an offering for a non-profit organization rather than for his 'church' as there was no church.

On Saturday night, there was a meeting I was not allowed to attend. It was only for those who reached a certain level in the organization or completed certain steps, I don't remember the exact requirement. It is known as the candle-light vigil, but NBC Dateline edited out so much of theirs that it was not an accurate pictures of the evening. Having talked to the attendees, i learned that it is a time when they take a moment to give Praise to God for having brought them to their level of success. It is an emotional touch, but they didn't worship the god Quikstar or upline. There was also some additional testimony as well.

For those who reached their level of success by using deceitful means and then praising God for their success, I wonder if God might not have something to say to them. ...

I never had a problem dealing with Quixtar and the staff was always polite and helpful. I met quite a few great people in the business. I saw some come and go. Those who put their hearts into it and made a commitment saw their business grow, when they didn't, it dropped off, just like any brick-and-mortar business. You get out of it what you put into it.

This business isn't for everyone. I can't tell you if it is for you or not. If you think it is, go into knowing what you want and how you want to get it, then give it all your might and stick to it for 5 years of steady non-slacking-off effort. Expect to spend more than it brings in for a while and don't compromise your values.

i know two people who were able to quit their $100,000+/yr jobs because of quixtar. yeah, the inital pitch is a ruse, but apparently you get out of it what you put into it (and $47 for the start-up).

One of my very good friends is involved at a small level with Quixtar. His upline actually came from out-of-state, with an "emerald", to pitch this. It wasn't solely for my benefit, but I did meet and listen to the spiel. There are a few things that make sense, and a lot that don't click.

Everything I've read here seems to confirm my worst suspicions. My friend is getting scammed.

Not scammed in a "lose your shirt" way- but scammed none the less. He buys product for say, $100. His upline, who we both knew prior to the Quixtar program, has agressively recruited new "team members" and markets the products actively. In return for his $100 investment he gets a check for $140 (some people don't even get that back). He will not get rich off of this. In order to get rich, he has to start his own "downline" (recruiting for yourself). If I joined, his family joined, our mutual friends joined, right now, HE STILL WOULD NOT HAVE HIS OWN DOWNLINE!!! Anyone that his upline meets with, falls into HER downline not HIS! How is stealing potential recruits from your "teamate" helping them.

I also have the benefit of knowledge from working in the distribution sales category of the retail industry. Those "out-dated" retail stores? They won't go anywhere. Manufacturing and distribution beverage companies alone would never go along with delivering product directly to millions of at-home shoppers. It would be a logistic nightmare. And to deliver to a mass product pick-up site, would make Quixtar no better than going to an actual retail store. At a brick and motar store, you have the conveinience of immediate product purchase, not to mention the volume of sales driven by out-of-the-blue and last second impulse buys which no manufacturer would want to lose.

Here are a couple of things I managed to pry out at my Quixtar meeting.

1) $240 membership fee (assuming non-refundable)

2) You must purchase a minimum of $150 per month worth of products to stay "active".

3) You increasingly acrue points based on volume (dollars spent). There are set tiers(levels) of percentages of money you get based on those points.

4) You make low points off everyone (excluding yourself) until you start your own downline.

5) Upline- The person who signs you up (not necessarily your recruiter) and everyone above them

6) Downline- Not people you recruit, but people who are signed up under you.

In some senses this is a pyramid, in others it is not. It has been skillfully crafted by salesman, most akin to those found at a used car dealership.

There is one thing that bothers me most. Were it not for this site, and a small Dateline blurb 3 years ago, I am not sure there would be a voice for the discarded and disillusioned of Quixtar. Quixtar has buried whatever negative press and opinions exist under the threat and action of civil litigation. On Yahoo! and Google I could find hardly any search results that didn't take me to some sort of a corporate Quixtar website. A little odd? I think so.

Sorry it's been awhile since I've been on this site (pretty busy guy). But to answer your question, most of the $3000 I lost went toward buying cases upon cases of XS energy drink to share with the kids in my dorm.

Since I didn't have a business license nor a tax entity (something that my group fail to tell me about, it's probably because they didn't know either). A tax entity is when you put your business into either an LLC, LLP, C coprporation, or an S Corporation. Depending upon what business you're in and which entity your corporate attorney and CPA recommends.

So due to failing to do that, I couldn't write it off. I bought the cases from quixtar.com direct. Now I contacted my upline and informed him what I did, but he was a little upset that I bought all of those drinks instead of having my customers buy it, so he asked me if I sold them individually to get my money back plus a little bit of profit, I told him no I gave them away. So he informed me to not lose money like that again because the people I gave away to will not buy them, they just wanted something for free.

I also bought an XS cooler, polo shirt, umbrella, marketing poster, marketing dvd, another shirt and a backpack. All that cost me close to like $450-$500 alone. Like I said earlier, I love to advertise, show off my business, so when they told me I wasn't allowed to advertise, I asked why should I call myself a business owner then? Business owners advertise. But I have no hard feelings toward nobody, I learned a lot from them, especially personal growth, and getting your mindset prepared to think like a millionaire.

As a matter of fact, I personally talked to 4 millionaires including one at the Real Estate Wealth Expo here in Boston and one of the guys mentioned MLM business like quixtar. He mentioned how it seems like a ripoff to most people but when you look at it in a millionaire or billionaire's mindset in prospective, it start to teach you what it's like to build a business and to help others build a business as well, but it depends on who's leading that group, because you also have some people in this type of business that don't know what they're doing and making the whole business look bad.

They also taught me how to be responsible for my own decisions relating to my business, how to man up to my mistakes instead of putting it on someone else. For example my uncle who's wealthy himself but haven't seen in ages because he lives on the other side of the country says this "when I'm making a deal with someone, or purchase something and it goes sour, I myself personally don't deal with that person or project again, but I'm not going to tell the whole world not to purchase that deal either, because everybody's different, that person might see something in that deal that I don't see, and make something out of it, that's when I LEARN from that person" Basically what he was saying was, you probably don't think it's a good deal, or maybe think it's a ripoff, but someone will look at the same thing and make something out of it, everybody's different.

Oh, and the MSNBC report, my instructor was telling me about quixtar and the same report that MSNBC produced. I looked at it and tried to look at it in an unbiased view. But my instructor was also criticizing something he had no idea about, like he never went to their meetings at least once and determined for himself if it was a ripoff or a scam to HIM. He was going by what soemeone else said about it, therefore I had to look at his statement as irrelevent. That's like someone telling me not to go to L.A. due to heavy traffic, pollution, and gang violence because of what they saw on t.v., or heard from somebody who been there, instead of directing me to the person who been there, or who's from there.

I looked at the report, I found it disturbing, but in my own personal dicision, I will not determine that business as being a flaw because of a few members turn it sour. There are other MLM businesses out there that flourish because honest ethical people run it in a way that benefits both parties. But not just about the personal part of building a business, but also how to run a business period; corporate entities, tax incentives, financial statements, etc.

Some MLM businesses are even praised by Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki as well for helping ordinary people to think outside ordinary, to build a business outside of average, to build a business outside of normal. The reason we have 90% working for the 10% wealthy in this country's because the 10% is opened-minded and willing to learn about economic change that's outside of normal, popular, average, and ordinary.

They learn in an arena that 90% of the working class is mentally afraid to tap into because it's too much mental work. We have more physical workers than mental thinkers or creators. Our school systems train us to work for the 10% wealthy, but education teach us things in our mind that's already there that God blessed us with but is slowly destroyed by brainwashed training that disables how a person think.

We currently use about 4 to 5% of our brain as an adult on average, that's sad, but you can see it and hear it everyday around us, state-of-the-art technology, inventions, and discoveries found everyday. Something that's not taught in schools. Albert Einstein for example, it was reported that this guy used almost 8% of his brain, but people considered him crazy.

In the bible in the book of Genesis where Adam's intelligence was far out beyond any human existing today. The more you think on your own, the more crazy you would look to average ordinary people, but how ironic it is that the same 90% of people in our society think that the 10% of the wealthy's mentality is insane and brainwashed, yet they go to school, polish their resume, and compete for a job description that the same insane person created.

Quixtar on the other hand was created in 1959 by two military veterans DeVos and Van Andel who wanted to create something that would mentally, spiritually, and financially benefit the few who want to learn to build a business. Yes, they created Amway which almost fifty years later beame Alticor , but they also knew the risk: Most people who will do this plan implemented will want a quick result, get rich fast solution, and/or a hand-me-down, but just like any self-starting business, it takes hard mental work, financial education and discipline, and unfortunantly the majority of our society doesn't have that, therefore in their eyes, a business like this is a ripoff, or a scam. But who could blame them, that's the way media, society, and our schools taught us. Get rich quick without edequate education by getting a job and save.

I would recommend a website I hope everybody reading this would go to, it's called (((link redacted)))"The Enlightenment" This website will tell you what's behind our educational system and why people failing in business ventures and why consumer debt is an all time high. I'm still opened to more questions if you have any....Thanks Cori for the response and question, God bless.

...And for the record, most of my money went on advertising XS, and some financial education textbooks from Barnes&Noble through Quixtar wabsite for a small discount, they probably made money off that too but I don't care, I got a wealth of information out of it though, hehe.

CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.

I sincerely wish i would have learned about this site before i decided to try quixtar..it probably would have saved me some money and time!
In MY personal experience...a lot of the detractors of quixtar are dead on. My wife was actually presented with this opportunity from a co-worker. The co-worker and her upline came over to our house to explain the "business opportunity".

The way that i was explained the opportunity was that basically quixtar has a relationship with "hundreds" of different companines where you can purchase directly from manufacturer, thereby cutting out the "middle man" and saving money in the process. We sent to a meeting and got the "pitch". I understood totally abt the recruitment aspect of the business, but i guess my beef was with how the saving portion of the business works.

Again in MY case i was lead to believe that we could save big money by buying directly from the manufacturers..therefore sidestepping the markup that your retail outlets,etc charge for buying from them. After we got in, i found a different story. At all the meetings they were constantly pushing buying quixtar merchandise (ie energy drinks, meal replacment bars, protein shakes, vitamins, etc) because they had the higher PV(POINT VALUE). However, the stuff they want you to buy is stuff that i typically DONT USE for my everyday eating. Not to mention the fact that i was paying WELL ABOVE what i can get at a regular store. Also the vaunted aspect of buying directly from the manufacturer was a farce!!!

In just about every case, I could have gotten the stuff for the same price OR LOWER at a regular retail outfit!! Plus no shipping!! I have also read previous posts abt the cd's/books/etc that they want you to buy. I was originally duped into getting on the tape of the week program...but i QUICKLY discontinued it. Out of the 50 or so cd's that i got MAYBE 3-5 were about useful info on how to recruit, do a plan, etc. Everything else was just a cut of some diamond giving motivational advise (not a bad thing, just not what i was anticipating). I dont want to even BEGIN to talk about what was spent driving to quarterly conferences, "TEAM MEETINGS",etc.

I have a whole lot more that i could say, but i think you get the gist. I must say that i did meet 1 guy in my upline who was honest about how much he was making (abt 1500 a month, so i guess he was WELL above average, lol). I definitely am not here to discourage anyone from pursuing your dreams but I just wish there would be some type of "Code of Ethics" that quixtar would enforce in relation to its recruiting IBO'S.

The way the business was presented to me WAS NOT what it actually was...which is a sentiment that seems to be echoed by previous posts. I dont mind their setup just GIVE ME FULL DISCLOSURE is all i ask.

Good luck to all,

Amway has destroyed the life of a good friend of mine. The reason that one in a million get rich is because of unscrupulous brainwashing and taking money off others who they know won't be successful.

I urge anyone who is considering this to make a living, not to touch it. My friend was fired from his job, lost all his friends and became financially bankrupt.

I only have to point to the book Merchants of Deceptiom for qualification of my points.

Finally Amway people are not contributing to the good of the world by what they are doing. They make their money through the sales of the books and tapes, and not the products which are expensive and average.

Please please don't touch it - it will ruin your life

What a great post, Victor!I'm not involved in this business, but came very close to it. After doing a little research about Quixtar, I figured out what was going on right away.

I just can't understand why others don't figure out this very shrewd business concept. The money is in the motivational end of this business, not the product end.

The funny part about it is, that no one but the IBO's are buying Quixtar products. In fact, when you think about this concept, they actually have to buy products from themselves just to make any money at all. So, they're really not getting ahead financially because they're having to pay to run their own business instead of making any money from it.

When I was first approached about "the business,"
it sounded too good to be true. And naturally, it was. I mentioned the possibility of myself getting involved in Quixtar to several friends of mine, but they immediately saw a "pyramid"
scheme & their first thought was Amway. They warned me about having anything to do with this business.

The thing is.....Amway used such deceptive & unethical business practices years ago, that no one would have anything to do with them. So, they had to change the name of the company in order stay in business. The same cult like brainwashing techniques still remain the same in Quixtar as they were in Amway. I never liked Amway because of the way they did business...in a very secretive way. Quixtar is no different. It's always referred to as "the business" or "the plan," etc, etc. No one is ever upfront about "this business" because as soon as people find out that the old Amway is now Quixtar, they run the other way!!!

If you do unbiased, open-minded research, you will find that Network Marketing in general is one of the most ethical ways to do business period. Yes, it is a revolutionary way to do business and like many new concepts, it may continue to be attacked for many years to come.

I actually laughed out loud when I read this one revolutionary way to do business. I'm still laughing. Amway has been around since 1958 with this revolutionary way to do business and the network marketing concept has been around even before that! Just because Quixtar sales are done over the internet doesn't make it revolutionary. IBOs are not allowed to advertise over the internet (their websites must be password protected) and they are not allowed to prospect over the internet. It's still has to be done much in the same way it was done in 1958, personal one on one meetings. Revolutionary! Thanks for the laugh. It really brightened up my day.

Network marketing works a little differently. In network marketing, the guys at the top can only be successful by helping the people underneath them become successful at the business

This is not true. The guys at the top in a Quixtar distributorship are successful because they have people at the bottom who are continuously losing money buying tools, seminar tickets, and overpriced products from the people at the top. When the folks at the bottom finally get a clue about the tool scam, how hard it is to recruit in a saturated market, and how difficult it is to retail overpriced products outside of the pyramid they drop out and new starry-eyed Diamond wannabes come in to replace them.

Companies such as Dell, Gateway, Circuit City, Office Depot, Disney Online, Barnes & Noble and many others have created partnerships with Quixtar. Why would companies of this caliber get involved with something that is a "pyramid scheme"?

Oh here we go with this one again. Quixtar is just another portal for these companies to sell their products through. Just because a company does business with another company does not mean that company is endorsing it. How many of the CEOs and other officers or employees of these great companies have joined up as Quixtar IBOs? Did you know that Amway teamed up with Enron to market electricity and did business with MCI to market phone services?

As you all probably know, a traditional corporation is built like a pyramid. The CEO at the top gets most of the money. The people at the bottom get the least.

Okay this one comment shocked me the most (Stopped me from finally laughing at the Revolutionary way to do business comment), especially when you state that you have another business that nets 200K a year (which is good, because this money will support your Quixtar business). If you don't know the difference between a true pyramid scheme where most of the money is generated from within the pyramid and a true business where most of the money comes from outside the business then you need to go take some basic business classes. See if Microsoft sold it's Window's operating system and other products only to Microsoft employees then Microsoft would be a pyramid scheme. Kinda like the Diamonds selling their tools only to Quixtar IBOs (Tool side of the pyramid scheme), and Quixtar products mostly being bought and consumed by Quixtar IBOs (product side of the pyramid scheme). Everyone in a true business is making a salary and the money is coming from outside the business, this is not true in a Quixtar distributorship, the money is coming from within. I'm still flabbergasted that I have to explain this to you.

Oh yeah, you do know that Donald Trump was making a joke when he stated that I'd join Amway on the tonight show. He was being sarcastic, poking fun at Amway. You really need to get your information from somewhere other than your upline and his tapes.

I just wanted to ask you where the $3,000 that you invested trying to market Quixtar's XS product went? Was it spent on motivational tools, books, tapes, meetings, functions, rallies, etc? I'm just curious, because after looking into this business, it appears that the real money maker is in the motivation end of the business.

The few guys that ARE getting rich are doing so off of all of the motivational crap that they're encouraging everyone to purchase in order to succeed in the business. As I stated in one of my previous posts, I was approached by friends to get involved in this wonderful business venture.

After attending 2 meetings, I have seen the expenses that my friends are putting out each week on motivational "junk" along with the expenses to attend these hyped up functions &/or rallies. I also heard from the speakers at these meetings how much money you can make by just working the business in as little as 12-15 hours or so a week. They went on to say how this business will lead you to financial freedom giving you more time to spend with your family. blah, blah, blah. I just don't buy into it.

Neither did Dateline. After taking their hidden cameras into a Quixtar recruitment meeting a few years ago, here's a conversation that Dateline producer Tim Sandler had with Greg Fredericks, one of the speakers at the Quixtar meeting.

FREDERICKS: "If you're somewhat serious, ALL
I mean by somewhat serious--if you invest maybe, say, 10 to 15 hours a week in your business, this is your own business--you could generate in the next 12 to 18 months, an extra quarter of a million."
SANDLER: "I'm sorry. How much?"
FREDERICKS: "A quarter million."
SANDLER: "You're making more than $250,000--quarter of a million?"
FREDERICKS: "Umm hmm."

The recruiter told dateline that he himself has made it big on the Quixtar plan.

FREDERICKS: "I owe nobody nothing. You know, today I'm looking at a million dollar home, a thousand dollar Rolex just for kicks. And I got a brand new Lincoln Navigator sitting out front paid for cash. So, things are good."

Fredericks tells the producer that those kinds of riches can be his for the taking & that on top of getting rich, he'd also be able to make his own hours & spend more time with his family.

Anyway, my point is this. I heard a very similar dialogue at the meetings I attended with my friends. All about the riches you could obtain after getting into the "business" & the time that you could have with your family along with the financial freedom as well. How they made it big & now make all of this money.

It's all a big farce. A huge lie. Mass deception. If this were really the case, & it was really that easy to make an extra quarter of a million working the business 10-15 hours a week, why shouldn't everyone just quit their jobs & join Quixtar? We'd all be rich then & no one would ever have to worry about money again! NOT!!!!!

The scam here is the fact that people are being lied to & decieved by Quixtar recruiters making claims that they really do make all of this money. Maybe they do, but not off of Quixtar products, that's for sure. In fact, datelines report uncovered information that back in the 90's Quixtar's New Jersey recruiter was arrested & charged with possession of crack cocaine & as of 2004, the time of datelines report, was still wanted by police to face charges in North Carolina.

Both the FBI & Criminal Division of the IRS were making separate inquiries into at least 2 more Quixtar top distributors not focused on in their report. Why would anyone trust a business that involves these kinds of people? It's certainly not for me.

I have absoultely nothing to gain here except the knowledge & research about Quixtar that I came looking for on this site. Thank goodness for them too, because whenever I want to find something out about a company, this is one of the first places I come to for information. After reading your posts, I was amazed at how defensive that you were with everyone on this site that has been lied to, cheated & duped out of their valuable time & money by Quixtar reps or whatever you want to call them. What's your reason for being so defensive & rude? Could it possibly be because you know that what everyone here has to say about Quixtar is the truth? They are the ones that have every valid reason for being upset over being swindled out of their hard
earned money & precious time that probably took them away from their families more than it did
allowing them the extra time with their families that Quixtar promises, along with that so called financial freedom they rave about having once you get into the business. Two very close friends of mine approached me with the Quixtar business concept. I even went to 2 meetings recently with them to find out more about the
"business." Unfortunately, I've read enough on this site alone to convince me that I must regrettibly tell my friends that I cannot venture into this business alongside of them. I had my doubts from the beginning though after seeing the expenses that they put out each week. First, you have the cost to get into the weekly meetings, (which are no more than repetative hyped up motivational mumbo jumbo)along with the expense of purchasing Quixtars motivational books & tapes which everyone is almost required to read & listen to as much as humanly possible in order to succeed in this business, the cost involved in the so called "functions/rallies" that is pretty much a mandatory thing for all IBO's to attend, which ends up costing my friends double for the ticket price & bus fare, since they're husband & wife, their hotel expenses for a room along with the purchase of Quixtars products which are over priced to begin with but necessary for all IBO's to have on hand for new recruits to sample, etc. Not to mention that after each weekly meeting, they all go out to a restaraunt afterwards to eat while planning their strategy on recruiting new people into the business. I know this, because I have been there & the last meeting was a real turnoff to me. I would probably have been stoned or tarred & feathered if I had said a negative word around anyone in that meeting. Quixtar reps get very, very angry & defensive with people who express any negativity whatsoever about their business. I saw it firsthand. Just like I see in your post, G. Yet they definitely have this charismatic way of brainwashing people & luring them into the business. With all of the money that my friends are spending on meetings, books, tapes, products, rallies, functions, etc., they'll never come out ahead because it's just a continuous vicious cycle that never ends. In closing, G, I would like to ask your opinion about what Dateline had to say about Quixtar after taking their hidden cameras into a New Jersey recruitment meeting? One would think that they are just a tad bit more credible than you, wouldn't you say? Here are just a few comments to datelines producers from those who were suckered into the Quixtar business concept:

"It seemed to be the American Dream." But instead of a life of leisure & more time with his family, this gentleman says he worked day & night, buying the tapes, attending the rallies. Still, he made nowhere near the six figure salary he thought he would. In fact, in his best year, he made #34,000 & even that didn't last. He goes on to say, "We're destitute, financially. We'll change that. But financially we have nothing as a specific result of this."

"It hurt us. It's hurt a lot of people. We not only didn't make money, but we lost more than $35,000 over a five year period. Much of it on books, tapes, & traveling to rallies." This woman went on to say that she found herself slaving away in the pursuit of new Quixtar recruits. Even going as far as hanging out at McDonalds play places talking to parents.

"You see these videos of these attractive couples driving Porshes & Ferraris. Panoramic shots of palatial mansions. They're beautiful. Right." He goes on to say that based on his experiences, this is not achievable by selling Quixtar products & that he began to realize that he was part of a mass deception.

Dateline did catch up with one Quixtar top dog at this recruitment meeting. He let slip, when he didn't know the camera was rolling, that one of the elite distributors they saw on stage was making most of his money from the motivation business. "Probably three quarters of it
from seminars, rallies, functions, motivational tools, tapes, books, speaking engagements, & appearances."

Quixtar declined to be interviewed on camera by Dateline. Gee, I wonder why?

I was just wondering why you & your husband were considering getting out of the business? Did you say that it was due to expenses &/or not having the money to continue making purchases through your own business & how much money have you actually made from this business? I am a single mom raising a teenage daughter & trying very hard to make ends meet each month. When I was approached by my friends to come to a meeting, I was very excited about the possibility of making an income greater than what I was earning at the present time. I had no idea, however, that Quixtar originated from Amway. I never liked Amway simply because of their "shady" business practices. They always promoted their business in a very secretive manner, never being totally honest with you about the company & what they were all about. I was approached by a co-worker several years ago about attending a meeting with her & how I could make so much money at this business.

However, I could never get this co-worker to even tell me the name of the company. I was just told I could make lots of money & that I would have to see it for myself & how the "business" works. Anyway, you say that you do not know how this can be considered a scam? Well, I'm not involved in Quixtar, but after just going to 2 meetings, I will tell you my experience & why I think it's a scam. First of all, why is Amway now Quixtar? Is it because there were so many deceitful people involved in it & so much negative publicity that they HAD to change their name in order to stay in business? I'm just asking because I knew GOOD people that were involved in Amway that never made any money from it. It's the overly ambitious ones that lie & cheat their way into this business that make all the profits.


Anyway, as far as Quixtar goes, my friends put out their own money each week just to attend these so called business meetings. Secondly, it is repeatedly stressed during the meetings how everyone needs to purchase, read & listen to the wide variety of motivational books, & tapes that are neatly piled up on tables in the rear of the meeting room. These books & tapes are not inexpensive by any means either & just another out of pocket cost to my friends. Not to mention the so called "function" tickets that are also sold at these meeetings to the tune of $95.00 per person & that everyone is very encouraged to attend along with the cost of bus fare of $120.00 per person plus whatever the cost is for your hotel room.

This is a great deal of money that my friends put out of their own pockets & that's before they can even MAKE any money at this farce of a business. My friends haven't missed one meeting or function yet since they got involved in Quixtar & they have bought several books & tapes that they've been told to purchase in order to succeed in this business. It's also encouraged that everyone buy products that are also offered at the meetings. This is supposed to be such a great device when they recruit others to get into the business because the new recruits can sample the over-priced products that are offered through Quixtar. Just another expense. It has cost my friends a great deal of money just to get involved in Quixtar & it only continues to cost them every week. I would go broke alone just paying for all of the expenses that I just mentioned to you. In my opinion, my friends are just lining the pockets of the top dogs in this business. Thay haven't made any money as of yet & will continue to lose a great deal of money in the future because they have been brainwashed & sucked into putting out all of these bogus expenses that their uplines consider to be almost mandatory in order for them to succeed in this business.

The meetings that I attended were very hyped up motivational meetings designed to get you pumped up & to get out there & recruit others to get into the business. In fact, I heard very little about product sales but a great deal about pyramid type recruiting. I also heard from my friends that their "team" is different from other teams out there & how they don't require a lot of money to become IBO's. You're only expense is the cost of your license(approx. $45.00)& your start-up kit of products (about $150 or so). I was also told that some teams are charging as much as $500 for an IBO to get started. That's where I have a real problem with this business being so legit. Why are some allowed to charge one thing & others another? It's just too "iffy" to me & there are just not enough pros to convince me.

I've been reading most of the following rebuttals and thoughts of the Quixtar company and I understand that there are a lot of people who see Quixtar as one big scam.

Being a former IBO for I say about a good seven months has been a crazy time for me. I was introduced to Quixtar while shopping in Best Buy. I was a full-time student and still is. Surprisingly I was brainstorming on owning my own business. So when I was introduced to my upline, I was more than happy to learn more about this company because I'm a really curious person. And I'm opened minded on new opportunities.

Now, I will tell you, I did lose money in the process. almost $3000 worth trying to market the XS energy drink products. I love to advertise anything. And I'm still paying for it after 2 months of getting out of the business.

But I can't blame nobody and I'll tell you why in a moment. I learned so much of running and owning a business in the past from working for my uncle's business. He lost a lot of money in the process. He gave up the entrepreneurship and decided to go back to working for Sears.

My whole family is considered entrepreneurs. They failed some, and they past some. Some of them gave up, some of them are still pushing. In MY experience with Quixtar, I'm not defending, nor prosecuting Quixtar, but my experience showed me what NOT to do, and would I should've done while doing the Quixtar business. One flaw I didn't do was failing to do more research.

I just learned from some of your research myself and I appreciate it. While I was in the business, I learned a lot about to create a system to keep any business running. While their mind was on Quixtar, my mind was on creating my own business system that wouldn't rip no one off(again,not prosecuting, not defending).

I believe in win-win situations. I also believe that some people, like myself a couple of years ago, have the desire to open a business, or want to create massive wealth, but aren't ready to change their mindset about how business work. In other words, there are people who are willing to financially educate themselves to be able to run a business.

And that DO take a lot of time and money, and there's individuals who want to own a business, but doesn't have what it takes mentally to own a business. I feel for the ones that lost money during their journey of Quixtar, or any business venture. But me personally, I believe my lack of research, financial education, and business management caused ME to lose $3000.

I totally blame myself for that because I took the initiative to spend on unnecessary marketing tactics. For me blaming Quixtar, or other business opportunities because of not seeing immediate results and having hard feelings for them will only interfere with my journey of learning from my mistakes, dusting off, and continue on my path of being financially free.

Yes, I've been in other businesses like this. I failed them, but deep in my heart, I can't quit because of one bad situation, or bad advice. If Quixtar IS ripping people off, I believe God will deal with them. As I was being more involved in this business, I was learning a whole lot about business in general. But to be honest with you, everything I learned about owning a business, 95% of it was not Quixtar related.

I've always wanted to gain financial freedom. I still do today. I don't want to work for nobody all my life. I was introduced to Rich Dad,Poor Dad books by someone who was a millionaire who took the time to learn about running a business. This is way before I joined Quixtar. And I truly believe that people, nor business opportunities doesn't teach you anything. They can show you the way, and real life experience teach you by actually doing it.

Just like colleges and universities sales knowledge. Majority of people are willing to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in learning how to work for someone else, build their employers wealth, and settle for less for their families, on top of that taking time from their families, all in the name of a few dollars an hour. God forbid the company becomes another Enron or WorldCom. But realistically, if you graduate from college with a degree, and don't take the initiative to go out and get a job, will you blame the college?

My whole point is this. Whoever it is, Quixtar, Amway, or just your own business venture, if your heart is focusing on getting a quick buck for now, get a job.(that's what I'm doing in the mean time, ya know, the $3000 I lost?). But if you're focused on helping others succeed, and provide a product or service that keeps your clientele happy, money will always follow (remember, win-win).

I hope that everyone who don't agree with the way Quixtar do business or feel they've been ripped off, but still have a desire to be entrepreneurs, would look at their choice or mistakes, dust off, learn from it, and move on like I am. I wish all of you the best on your journey of doing what you love. God bless.

....If you want to ask me more questions, I'm willing to answer them the best of my abilities, negative or positive, because I'm also learning to accept constructive criticism, ya know? Learning from my mistakes. Aight, I'm out. peace!

Terry
Ayer, Massachusetts
U.S.A

Its simple.... Quixtar prob doesnt manufactuer one thing they sell. They are simply middle-men, who distribute it to "really middle-men", who then in-turn rip off their family members with over-priced, inferior goods.

Now why would a legitimate company do business with Quixtar? becasue a legitimate company knows how to make money. And if Quixtar is buying, than any company is selling.

Food for thought...... Why do you think Quixtar leans so heavily on their relationship with other companies?

Cendant corporation owns everything under the sun. However, when you you go to check into a Days Inn, the clerk doesnt inform you that their parent company owns Re-Max, and Hertz rental cars. You know why? Because when you go to a Days Inn, you know you are gonna pay for a room, and get a room.

With Quixtar they put you under the ether, and you have no idea what you are getting, so they tout their relationships with other companies to build credibility.

Youd be amazed at how far a fugazi company will go to establish credibility. I pitched timeshare briefly for a company that went as far as to go out and purchase a s**+**y Nascar team.

Its all about painting the picture.

Who claim that Quixtar is a wonderful company....

The "concept" of Amway/Quixtar, if it was done the way it was designed, would provide a very small income. Amway/Quixtar/Alticor itself, in the literature the company puts out, even shows that the average income for an IBO is very small.

Over the years, certain people made it into a get rich quick scheme that only made the people at the top rich. The "tape of the week", book of the week, weekly "rallies," monthy programs, quarterly programs were all designed to enrich those few at the top. d**k DeVos, one of the founders of AmWay, put out a tape complaining about these people, but he didn't have the guts to do anything about it. They were the money makers for the company.

The chance of the average, everyday person, EVER making it big in AmWay/Quixtar worse than me winning the NY state Lottery.

As far as "Companies such as Dell, Gateway, Circuit City, Office Depot, Disney Online, Barnes & Noble and many others have created partnerships with Quixtar" is a massive falsehood. These companies sell their products through Quixtar, just like they sell them through Walmar or KMart. There is NO partnership with AmWay/Quixtar. It is simply a wholesaler selling through a retailer.

In the end, AmWay/Quixtar in and of itself is not a scam, but the people who "work the system" have made it such.

G. Writes:
"This company has been upstanding ever since its inception in 1958. It would not have remained so successful for this long, if there was no moral integrity in the leadership of the corporation."

Hmmmhow long has the mafia been in business??? Long before 1958! would not have remained successful for this long, if there was no moral integrity in the leadership. Yep, John Gotti wrote the book on how a lack of moral integrity will doom an enterprise!

Where DO these people come from? Faced with FACTS - as this report alone abundantly illustrates - not only do they continue to believe for themselves, but attempt to convert others to their short-sighted view of success! $1400 a year? Wow. Where do I sign up Simmer down, MLMers, that was a joke.

Again with the Donald Trump references! Yes, if Donald Trump lost everything, he probably WOULD START AN MLM. Would START. ****Not join****. It is very clear the originators of all these MLMs do quite well. Does he know how to make money FOR HIMSELF? Yep. I'm sure plenty of people have made money from their associations with Mr. Trump, but, if NO ONE had, and just The Donald did - I don't think he would've quit doing what he was doing, just because he was the only one benefiting.

Is Donald Trump the North on my ethical compass? Uh, no. I AM NOT casting aspersions on Donald Trump's ethics, I am just saying that what he does is not necessarily the guide by which we should all set our life plans.

Is selling overpriced, dubious health products, and attempting to convert every person I meet to join a program so that I can make money of their membership, an ethical proposition for me? No way.

Regarding Avon, MaryKay, Tupperware, etc., I'm aware that party hostesses can receive additional merchandise and bonuses and the like for new representatives, but they don't seem to have this stigma of recruiting upon them. Wonder why that is?

I was extremely skeptical of this business model when I was first introduced to it. I did my research and found that Quixtar is a completely legit business concept. It seems that much of the negativity has been generated by people who are not business-minded or financially intelligent.

Let's face it - this business is not for everyone - but because it is so easy to join, many people get into it and then quit once they realize they don't want it. Also, there are many accounts of IBO's who do some really dumb things (from a marketing perspective) to introduce people to the opportunity, which creates a bad impression with the prospective IBO, no matter how well intentioned. This appears to be partially true in Robert's case.

I find it humerous that so many people attack a corporation and business model such as Quixtar. If you do unbiased, open-minded research, you will find that Network Marketing in general is one of the most ethical ways to do business period. Yes, it is a revolutionary way to do business and like many new concepts, it may continue to be attacked for many years to come.

Multi million/billionaires Robert Kiyosaki, Donald Trump and Warren Buffet all endorse the network marketing industry. I beleive Buffet recently purchased 2 network marketing companies. Companies such as Dell, Gateway, Circuit City, Office Depot, Disney Online, Barnes & Noble and many others have created partnerships with Quixtar. Why would companies of this caliber get involved with something that is a "pyramid scheme"?

As you all probably know, a traditional corporation is built like a pyramid. The CEO at the top gets most of the money. The people at the bottom get the least. Can a person at the bottom rise up the corporate ladder and surpass the CEO? Maybe, but it is highly unlikely mainly because there will be many people along the way that will try to keep that person from getting promoted because they want to get promoted themselves.

Network marketing works a little differently. In network marketing, the guys at the top can only be successful by helping the people underneath them become successful at the business. Another difference is that anyone at the bottom can work hard and surpass the people above them... and it is actually encouraged! That is why Kiyosaki wrote a fabulous book about the values of network marketing titled "The Business School for People Who Like Helping People."

Make no mistake about it, you have to work your tail off to make a long-lasting residual income in network marketing... it is not a get-rich-quick program. It takes integrity, leadership and strength that, for most people, can only come from personal growth. Most of the Quixtar Business Building Systems out there are designed to give you the tools and support necessary to achieve that personal growth. I believe there have been a few bad groups out there who have taken the wrong road ethically. But to make a blanket statement that all of these groups are bad news, is completely inaccurate.

I was also wondering; are any of the anti-Quixtar people on this site financially successful in any other businesses? Just curious, as I try to listen to those who are more successful than myself at something. For what it is worth, I net about 200K/yr in my own non-Quixtar related business.

"My question was how was that a scam?( seeing that i already knew those things)"

Well, dear Krista, the other posters were NOT specifically referring to Krista. If you wish to discuss "Why is Quixtar a scam to Krista seeing that Krista already knew those things?", then do so.

But did YOU get to listen to what EVERYONE ELSE was told by Quixtar recruiters? NO, you did NOT!
Did YOU get to see to what EVERYONE ELSE was shown by Quixtar recruiters? NO, you did NOT!

I only responded to your complaints about the Quixtar prices and the economics thereof. Not RUDE at all....

adjective, rud-er, rud-est.
1. discourteous or impolite, esp. in a deliberate way: a rude reply.
2. without culture, learning, or refinement: rude, illiterate peasants.
3. rough in manners or behavior; unmannerly; uncouth.
4. rough, harsh, or ungentle: rude hands.
5. roughly wrought, built, or formed; of a crude construction or kind: a rude cottage.
6. not properly or fully developed; raw; unevolved: a rude first stage of development.
7. harsh to the ear: rude sounds.
8. without artistic elegance; of a primitive simplicity: a rude design.
9. violent or tempestuous, as the waves.
10. robust, sturdy, or vigorous: rude strength.
11. approximate or tentative: a rude first calculation of costs.

My comments about my not wanting my time wasted was a reference to how some people, years ago, had tried to waste my time. I did not reiterate the other comments. Nor were my comments rude. And it is fair to post that you must decide your own situation. Not rude at all.

"I knew all those thing up front."
Jolly good for you. So what.

I ONLY discussed your price comments, while the other comments were discussed by the 99.6% of Quixtar victims who told why THEY were scammed. When din ANYONE ever discuss why Krista was, or was not, scammed?

"I'm not disagreeing with anyone. I just like to know straight to the point answers." The "straight to the point answers" seem clear to me. You either "Get it", or you don't.

"The dictionary states a scam is : a confidence game or other fraudulent scheme for making a quick profit; swindle"

"the dictionary says fraud is : deceit, trickery, sharp practice, or breach of confidence, perpetrated for profit or to gain some unfair or dishonest adavantage."

SO? Your point is?

I do notice that neither definition ever specifically refers to "Krista", correct? So the other 99.6% COULD have been victims of fraud and scam as they claim, could they not? Remember, YOU do NOT know WHAT the other 99.6% were told.

So if 99.6% give solid reasons and examples why THEY were scammed, then it is a scam TO THEM. Maybe it is not a scam to you because you knew so much. Fine. But it WAS a scam to that 99.6% of Quixtar victims, and that was and is the point. You can view your situation any way you please because you are the presumed "expert on Krista".

As i stated i was just asking a question. I wasn't trying to be rude or get smart with anyone. But your response came across as just that, Rude.

True his responses were good responses. But i already knew those things when i started. I knew people above me would make money off of me.I knew i needed to get others join for more profit. But that didn't answer my question.

My question was how was that a scam?( seeing that i already knew those things)

I knew all those thing up front. From the (one) program i went to they showed it was a pyramid effect. They also showed how much mdse would have to be sold for you to make and money. They did say the more people you have under you working would help you.

I'm not disagreeing with anyone. I just like to know straight to the point answers.

The dictionary states a scam is : a confidence game or other fraudulent scheme for making a quick profit; swindle

the dictionary says fraud is : deceit, trickery, sharp practice, or breach of confidence, perpetrated for profit or to gain some unfair or dishonest adavantage.

Basically a scam is when you DON'T know all the facts.(but about 90% of business don't tell it all.)

Now in MY case ( only speaking for me) I understood the pyramid effect, having to get more members. ( we weren't told to by videos or tapes or read their books)I knew the mechanics of it. The more i could profit the more higher ups would make. In my family we were aware that it wouldn't be really easy.But we were going to try.

I knew most of the things that others were mislead in so i wasn't scammed in that sense. Basically the only thing i wasn't aware of was originially the prices, they made it seem as through it was going to be a big discount on prices and it wasn't.

When i was thinking of scam i was thinking of normal stories people would get your credit number or bank account and draft money from you account something like that.

Again, i'm not trying to be rude so please don't come back at me that way.

So the scam for most of these complaints would be deceit.

which the dictionary defines as:the act or practice of deceiving; concealment or distortion of the truth for the purpose of misleading.

Most people didn't know all the things that i was aware of so yall were scammed because yall were mislead in facts.

Maybe i should do a report on my job they mislead me and the customers daily. lol

Have a good day:)

I thought Tim's response [just before your post] was a pretty good explanation...

You post that you (only?) bought their products... so no downline building? OK.

You can join a warehouse club for $35/year, so your $180 to Quixtar would pay for 5 years of warehouse club membership...

The items at the warehouse club are USUALLY less than any of the stores you mentioned, but often you must buy in bulk.

Sometimes the warehouse clubs will have outstanding special deals which may, or may not, appeal to you. This is rather hit-or-miss. Makes it exciting, tho. Maybe this is the warehouse clubs' marketing?

I could go on, but one question is: Why pay $180 to buy products for MORE money, when you can buy them for less money WITHOUT any fee?

Another question is: Why not pay a warehouse club $35 and pay even less that the stores you listed?

Your answers to "what scam" are here if you care to read them.

Me? I do not care either way except I will not allow anyone to waste my valuable time, and my time is valuable because I know that I will only live so long. I also know that I will not get back any of my life that I have wasted on unproductive nonsense. I cannot speak for you.

My husband and I are currently members of Quixtar. I don't see why it is being said it is a scam. I'm not arguing the point i'm just asking a question. When you go to the meetings you are informed that you make money by getting others to join and by saling the mdse. How is that a scam?

Or is the scam, that you are told that you will make a lot of money? You are also told that it depends on the mdse you sale if you don't sale you don't get money. That doesn't seem like a scam to me. It does work like the pyramid effect.The more people you have under you the more you make because you make a profit off their sales.

I don't see that it is a scam. I believe that for this to actually work you must already have money (which most of us don't have money to just shop and buy from them). It would also probably help if you had a lot of friends that money so they could join and buy.If you're a family that buys things a lot (normally) Then if might be ok for you.

From my experience so far it doesn't work for people who don't buy A LOT and who don't have extra money (like my family). The prices are higher even the discounted price is higher. My husband and i are looking to get out of it, not because we think it is a scam but because we don't have the money to keep ordering we can go to walmart or dollar general or the local bi-lo or food lion to get what we need at a lower price.

On the same note with the prices you can't truly say that is a scam either because just with any other store you must shop around to get the best price.

Hopefully we will be able to get our membership fee of $180 back. I read one story where they didn't we'll see.
Like i said i'm not trying to argue the point just looking for the scam in it. Scams do need to be reported.

-Someone TRIED to scam me with receiving a check through the mail that was a scam ( you could find that report also) search British Lotto.
I'm glad this site is here because if a friend of mine hadn't checked on it i would have been scammed out of $3000.-

all i want to know is on the story with quixtar what is the scam? honestly. i'm not trying to be smart or rude please take no offense.

Much luck to you all and God bless.

As a former member of amway (years ago), and then attemted recruit of quixstar by a coworker..

I can attest to the FACT THAT AMWAY (now Quixstar) are not anything like they say they are.

If u join them your success will be very shortlived and you will either go broke within a year, or get rich by ripping other people off.

The only success in this, is the ripping off of others..

That means, that anybody involved in this and supports is crooked...even if they are your own brother or family.

I lost serious respect for a highvalued coworker when he attempted to recruit me into Quixstar.
From then on, I knew him to be a conman.
Thank goodness, two years later he tried to get me fired.... I got him fired instead.

At this particular workplace, involvement in a scam (AMWAY & QUIXSTAR) is grounds for dismissal.
Exception is; if your membership in scam is only a few months... ie; brainwashed.

I've been waiting months for another IBO to step up to the plate. So strap in whilst I show G the error of his ways . . .

1. "Quixtar works!"

One university study showed that 99.5% of IBOs are in the negative when the cost of administering the "opportunity" is subtracted from commissions.

If you had a car that broke down 199 out of every 200 times you drove it, would you say that it "works"?

2. "This business does make dreams come true."

Sure. It made Jay VanAndel and d**k Devos' dreams of becoming billionaires come true. For 99.8% of the rest of the people unfortunate enough to become involved with this company, it only makes their nightmares come true.

3. "Guess What, The meeting was not a JOB INTERVIEW you were not getting a job with Quixtar. So you were not going to be an employee."

Then why is it touted as a "job" on the front end? Oh yeah, because the recruting is based entirely on deception.

4. "Have you ever heard of an insurance salesman coming to you house or somewhere else ?is that strange for a legitimate business."

It's not strange for a SALESMAN to give his pitch in your home or wherever else, but it is highly strange for a purported marketing firm to interview a potential candidate in a coffee shop.

5. "I found it interesting but odd that they would not sufficiently tell vital information about a prospective employer. ? Guess What, The meeting was not a JOB INTERVIEW you were not getting a job with Quixtar. So you were not going to be an employee."

Your answer misses the point entirely. Whether he was going to be an employee, an independent contractor, or whatever is irrelevant. The point is that the recruiters dodged questions pertaining to the specifics of the organization.

Since you failed to answer the question, I'll do it for you: they didn't give vital information because they don't want you to know the vital information because, if you did know, you would run away as fast as you could.

6. "You do not RECRUIT others to gain more money."

Yes you do. The vast majority of Quixtar sales are made to IBOs, because only the IBOs are brainwashed enough to think that they're actually getting a good deal. Without downlines, you would have no sales. Ergo, no recruting, no money.

7. "I went to the second interview armed with questions and found that this "meeting" was a basic motivational speech on how to make thousands of dollars with little working input.? This Is not a get rich quick scheme . . ."

Again you miss the point. So let me explain the question a little better: why would a reputable company bring you in for an interview and then subject you to a motivational speech?

But you are absolutely right in saying that Quixtar is not a get rich quick scheme. If anything, it's a "get poor quick" scheme.

8. "You also stated that ? The outright brainwashing techniques they utilized was impressive . . . what your saying is that any business that does motivational speaking is brainwashing their employees at their meetings"

There's a distinct difference between the "motivational speaking" that happens at Quixtar meetings and the seminars conducted by reputable businesses.

The Quixtar variety is entirely composed of repeated assertions that the plan works, peppered with bogus success anecdotes. The seminars conducted by reputable businesses aren't focused on continually convincing employees that they will eventually make money at their jobs.

9. "people are saying Quixtar is pyramid scheme & I bet you don't even know what that really means . . . Guess what - Wrong Again!!!??"

No, you're wrong again. Quixtar is the definitive pyramid scheme. You are assuming that the non-product based "gifting scheme" is the only type of pyramid scheme. But that's horribly incorrect. Quixtar is a product-based pyramid scheme, the legal definition of which is an organization wherein less than 70% of sales are made to outside consumers. As over 90% of Quixtar's sales are made to IBOs themselves, Quixtar meets the legal definition of a pyramid scheme.

The lay definition of a pyramid scheme is an organization with an unlimited, exponentially tiered commission structure wherein a handful of people at the top make bank, while masses of people at the bottom lose out. This is Quixtar to a tee.

So your semantic argument is wholly flawed. Quixtar meets both the legal and the common definitions of "pyramid scheme."

10. "Quixtar differs in several ways from pyramid schemes. It does not charge an up-front "head hunting" or large investment fee from new recruits which a pyramid scheme does."

You're joking, right?

11. "nor does it promote "inventory loading" by requiring IBO'S to buy large volumes of non-returnable inventory- Which a pyramid scheme does"

The only reason Quixtar doesn't do this is because the FTC made Amway stop doing it. Before 1979, this is exactly what Quixtar's predecessor did. If they could still get away with it, they would.

12. "Now about the statements that others have said that The Average Quixtar IBO only makes $1400 per year. That's absolutely true!"

It sure is, but your explanation that follows this statement is not. After a relatively short period of dormancy, an IBO is taken off the roster of "active IBOs."

But I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. Let's consider that the $1400 figure is comprised 50% of inactive IBOs. That means that, for the active IBOs, the average income is $2800 per year. If the average active IBO is investing 10 hours per week, he is making roughly minimum wage.

But we can't stop there because, according to your beliefs, many people are striking it rich. So let's say that, for the sake of argument, 5% of active IBOs are making $50k per year, and 1% are making 100k per year. Given these liberal figures, the average IBO in the remaining 94% is LOSING several hundred dollars per year.

Any way you slice it, it is a mathematical fallacy to simaltaneously maintain that there are people making alot of money AND that there is a good chance that any new recruit can do the same.

13. "You need to get the help and information to build your business and that is where the books, tapes, & seminars come in"

I've perused these materials before, and they are nothing more than motivational garbage aimed at making you believe that you will achieve success and urging you to ignore any information antithetical to that proposition. How, pray tell, does a continued message of blind faith and forced ignorance help you build a successful business?

"If you want to learn something, you get textbooks and audio tapes to help you."

Exactly! But if you want to learn Spanish, do you buy books that talk about how great it is to speak Spanish, or do you buy books that actually teach you Spanish? Get it?

14. "You are an independent BUSINESS owner."

No you're not. You're led to believe that you "own" your business, but the level of ownership that you actually have in no way meets any real-world definition of business ownership. All you have is a license to replicate a business model, subject to the whims of the parent company.

15. "Regular business's have training seminars & motivational seminars for their employees and the business pays for that, so why should you not pay to build your business"

What? That sentence contradicts itself. Even at that, however, it makes about as much sense as the drivel Quixtar foists upon its recruits. If Quixtar had any faith that its recruits would succeed, it would fund the path to success. Rather, Quixtar places the risk of loss on the IBO, and that's prima facie evidence that the company recognizes that very few IBOs will even make enough sales to cover the normal costs of employment and training.

16. "BUT if you are not willing to do what it takes to learn and build the business it is not the fault of the business, so don't blame the business put the blame where it belongs."

If you understood the mathematics of exponential growth, you would realize that, if the plan was designed to actually work, that it would topple under the weight of its commission structure. The system is designed so that fresh IBOs will make a few purchases and get out before their BV gets too high, only to be replaced by a new recruit the next day. So the blame belongs squarely on the shoulders of the company itself, not on the poor recruits who were too naive to see through the deceptive recruiting.

17. "research shows that most people who start their own Quixtar business do so to make a little extra income, not attain great wealth."

That's b.s. and you know it. If the company recognized that recruits were after extra income and not great wealth, then it would modify its recruiting system to reflect that. But it hasn't done so.

18. "Robert, You really need to do more RESEARCH before you tell others"

And what research did YOU do before you decided to come here and defend Quixtar with all these bogus assertions? Attending weekly meetings and reading Kiyosaki's drivel is NOT research. Talking to former IBOs and recognizing the mathematical fallacies IS research.

Did you make sure that you understood the import of the average IBO income before spouting off about it? Did you do a price comparison before telling potential clients that Quixtar products are a good deal? Don't tell us about "research." The garbage you're spewing shows that YOU have failed to do YOUR research.

19. "So the bad news is that . . . the start-up business failure rate is greater than 80 percent after five years, with 9 out of 10 of these failures occurring because of poor management."

And 90% of the new businesses that start up every year are pyramid scheme gigs. I'll leave it to you to make the natural conclusion.

20. "This company has been upstanding ever since its inception in 1958. It would not have remained so successful for this long, if there was no moral integrity in the leadership of the corporation."

This has got to be my all-time favorite Quixtar fallacy. Amway/Quixtar has succeeded for almost 50 years because suckers like yourself are a dime a dozen. Do you really think that business success requires "moral integrity"? If you do, then you lack the business sense to be giving business advice to the rest of us.

Let me close with an invitation: G, come back in six months and tell us how you're doing with Quixtar. In the meantime, search the reports for the scores of pyramid scheme promoters who have received this invitation over the years. See if you can find a single one who has taken us up on the offer.

In response to "G"..I have a couple of rebuttals to make...

Before you savagely exclaim that the interview was not a job interview, how about actually READING the report I entered. The recruiter completely lied to me. He told me that he worked for a MARKETING FIRM! If you actually paid attention to my report, you would have easily comprehended that information. I was told that I would be meeting with his business partner for my interview process. In conclusion, I would assume that this was an INTERVIEW for a MARKETING FIRM! READ THE REPORT!!

Rebuttal Two: Most marketing firms have some sort of official workspace. It would seem strange no matter what to meet in a coffee shop. Remember "G" that I was told about a position with a Marketing Firm...which usually have offices. At this interview, they barely told me anything about what their Marketing Firm is involved. So simmer down!

Rebuttal Three: I actually researched the company and the processes thoroughly. I would suggest that everyone should do the same. It is a fact that recruiting more people will end in a higher residual income. If you read between the fine lines, that is a simple fact. You have to have a larger pyramid of people to gain the "big money." Selling your products to customers will help your IBO.

However, it is a well known fact that Quixtar's prices are well above the average price of similar products. Why would the consumer want to pay more for the same quality? Why would the consumer want to pay more and have to wait for the products to come in the mail?

In the end, recruiting more people seems the most viable option for anyone trapped in this IBO. However, significant information leaked by former Quixtar representatives show that most people make money from the tapes and motivational speeches at recruiting seminars. That is a DEAD COLD FACT! Ever watch Dateline? They completed a whole investigative report on this company.

Rebuttal 4: The seminar was full of brainwashing. The materials given out are full of false hopes. I don't know how your recruiting process was up in Massachussetts. However, the representatives down here are nothing but unscrupulous and manipulative. They would not give you an honest answer or even look at you in the eye when they were lying. So should self-help books be considered a rip off as you said? Not if they help you correct your GRAMMAR ISSUES in your silly rebuttal.

Rebuttal Five: Quixtar/Amway/Alticor are considered borderline pyramid schemes. A simple Google or professional BBB search will present that information to you. Now you eventually have to buy more than a kit. It ends un in thousands of dollars in purchases so support this IBO. Maybe you should do your research instead G. Unlike you falsely accused, I actually did mine!

Rebuttal Six: Before you throw information about business failures and the need to learn about about how to build a business, just consider the obvious. It is better to spend the eventual thousands of dollars that one will spend in the long run with Quixtar on educational opportunities instead. It is a fact, that the 95% of Quixtar representatives make less than $2000 a year. This includes the average working hours of 40 hours a week on this business. There are hundreds of people who have confessed to loosing thousands of dollars on this venture. A simple internet search will present this information. They lose money on the conference expenses (travel, lodging, fees, etc), tapes, books, and the internet account fees. In the end more money is going out than into their bank accounts. So G how can you dispute this statement.

Yes, businesses fail. That is a capitalist fact. However, 96% of IBO's fail or go inactive as well. So it might be reasonable to go ahead and open a real business instead. The company puts a smokescreen of "big money" to blindsight the gullible recruits. Everyone I talked with has been lied to about this company. It seems that maybe you are lying to yourself, "G"

In conclusion, I have waisted HOURS researching this disillusioned company. I have talked with dozens of people about their failures with Quixtar. So tell me..am I just making this up? Why would I lie? Why would I waste my valuable time? You need to wake up and smell the crap under your nose. Quixtar/Amway is full of deceitful people who want to take your money! So I hope actually read this report thoroughly this time before you blast me with hateful comments! By the way, you should consider using Microsoft Word before you post on here. It has a nice spell and grammar check function on it.

SINCERELY,

ROBERT

This explanation did nothing but turn ME off to this company even further. Thanks for that unintelligent spread of jumbo that appears to be written by a kindergardener.

The fact is that this business is not for everyone, and may not be WHAT YOU WANT. But don't make the mistake of assuming that just because YOU could not, or do not wish to do it, that it is so for the rest of the world.

Robert you also stated ?I found it interesting but odd that they would not sufficiently tell vital information about a prospective employer. ? Guess What, The meeting was not a JOB INTERVIEW you were not getting a job with Quixtar. So you were not going to be an employee.

Robert you stated that ?After my interview (in a coffee shop...strange for a legitimate company)? Would it have made ANY difference if it were in an extravagant OFFICE when you met them? I Don't Think So. Have you ever heard of an insurance salesman coming to you house or somewhere else ?is that strange for a legitimate business.

Robert you also stated ?I found it interesting but odd that they would not sufficiently tell vital information about a prospective employer. ? Guess What, The meeting was not a JOB INTERVIEW you were not getting a job with Quixtar. So you were not going to be an employee.

Robert you said you remembered the brief explanation of "build a team" and " Recruit other members to gain more money", Well It is true that you need to build a team of others to build your business IBO?S & customers BUT You do not RECRUIT others to gain more money. You don't make money by RECRUITING others into Quixtar, you make money from the movement of products, you could register 100 people but if products are not purchased either by the people who Registered or by the sale of products to customers then YOU MAKE NO MONEY because you do not get paid to Register people . I guess you didn't research enough before you started spewing untruths------ Robert & the other brainwashed individuals.

Robert you stated that ?I went to the second interview armed with questions and found that this "meeting" was a basic motivational speech on how to make thousands of dollars with little working input.? This Is not a get rich quick scheme , you need to work to build it by finding and helping other IBO'S and moving product either to yourself, by the sales of others you get involved and/or customer sales . But if product is not getting moved you won't make money. You also stated that ? The outright brainwashing techniques they utilized was impressive ok, if this was a basic motivational speech like you said it was, since when is that brainwashing because what your saying is that any business that does motivational speaking is brainwashing their employees at their meetings, and another thing people go to bookstores willingly all the time to purchase motivational or self help books or tapes so they must have been brainwashed somewhere along the way too, so you might want to do a rip off report about that too.

Now lets get to the Pyramid scheme statements ?people are saying Quixtar is pyramid scheme & I bet you don't even know what that really means ?so I will help you out again, because you didn't research enough again Robert, as you stated ?I became aware of what I suspected: An elaborate pyramid scheme ?. Guess what - Wrong Again!!!???..
Just for the record Robert, Just because it is Network Marketing, MLM, does not mean that they are pyramid schemes ???.
Some people confuse pyramid schemes with legitimate multilevel marketing. Multilevel marketing programs are known as MLM's, and UNLIKE pyramid schemes, MLM's have a real product to sell. More importantly, MLM's actually sell their product to members of the general public, without requiring these consumers to pay anything extra or to join the MLM system. MLM's may pay commissions to a long string of distributors, BUT THESE COMMISSIONS ARE PAID FOR REAL RETAIL, NOT FOR NEW RECRUITS.
Quixtar differs in several ways from pyramid schemes. It does not charge an up-front "head hunting" or large investment fee from new recruits which a pyramid scheme does, nor does it promote "inventory loading" by requiring IBO'S to buy large volumes of non-returnable inventory- Which a pyramid scheme does, Instead, Quixtar only requires IBO'S to buy a relatively inexpensive sales kit.

Now about the statements that others have said that The Average Quixtar IBO only makes $1400 per year. That's absolutely true! Now, let's clear up what "average" is ( Quixtar actually calls them "active"). If an IBO bought anything or registered anyone in a year, he/she/they are "active". If Someone signs up for the business and buys a product here and there and does not sponsor others or work the business & then does NOTHING to build their business. Guess what? They are "active". SO what that means is if someone Registers as an IBO and just buys products but does not build the business ? They are considered ACTIVE. When someone gets involved in this business they need to understand that they have to change there JOB mindset to a business mindset. Quixtar is NOT a "get-rich-quick" scheme. You have to work for "your" business in order to get paid. As an IBO, you are working for yourself, but NOT by yourself, You need to get the help and information to build your business and that is where the books, tapes, & seminars come in nobody is FORCED to do anything. You are strongly advised to do what is needed to build your business and that's where the books , tapes , and seminars come in , and there is actually a pretty good reason for that if you think about it. If you want to learn something, you get textbooks and audio tapes to help you. If you want to get a better body, you go the gym, get the books to help you, & you learn which nutritional supplements you need to take, If you want to learn about something you have not done before you find books, tapes or a mentor to teach you . If you want help in growing your Quixtar business you get the appropriate tools and talk to the right people. This is NOTHING new, and it happens EVERYWHERE in life. Now sure, some people don't want to go to meetings on a Friday night, or they don't want to spend money on tapes or CDs. Some don't want to sell products to a customer that's fine; it's just about what you're willing to do. Some aren't willing to do that. You are an independent BUSINESS owner. But don't say that it is a Rip-off or doesn't work if you are not willing to do what it takes to build it. Regular business's have training seminars & motivational seminars for their employees and the business pays for that, so why should you not pay to build your business

BUT if you are not willing to do what it takes to learn and build the business it is not the fault of the business, so don't blame the business put the blame where it belongs.
Quixtar offers an opportunity, not a guarantee. In fact, research shows that most people who start their own Quixtar business do so to make a little extra income, not attain great wealth. Our business works when Quixtar IBOs achieve their goals. If this business doesn't work for them, Quixtar would not have achieved the level of success it has.

Robert you also stated ?It is sad that these people think that this will change their life. The company is nothing but broken promises and financial destitution for the little guys. I talked with former victims of Quixtar, and I heard nothing but depressing stories of financial ruin.
Robert, You really need to do more RESEARCH before you tell others too, --- I Think it is sad that Negative people like yourself & the others that come to spread untruths on this site need to find something else to occupy your time. The average traditional business takes $50,000.00 and up to start up with no guarantee of success. I Think that maybe you should also go talk to the thousands of people who started there own traditional business. Because While some studies show new business failure rates to be above 60 percent after six years, these statistics do not take into account business "discontinuances" (businesses that cease to exist without owing funds to creditors). Dun & Bradstreet estimates discontinuances outnumber business bankruptcies almost 2 to 1. So the bad news is that taking this additional data into account, the start-up business failure rate is greater than 80 percent after five years, with 9 out of 10 of these failures occurring because of poor management.
PLEASE do not associate the PEOPLE that are mistreating you with the company itself. This company has been upstanding ever since its inception in 1958. It would not have remained so successful for this long, if there was no moral integrity in the leadership of the corporation.

I hope after reading these stories people aren't turned off by Quixtar it's an amazing business and remember the person that sponsors you might not be the right one to help you build your business. You can always ask for someone else (through Quixtar). This business does make dreams come true.

Oh wait until the so called optional "System" is shoved down your throat.

- Tape or two of the week..
- Book of the month
- Messaging system for your phone
- weekly meetings, monthly meetings, out of town quarterly conventions..

You pay for all of these, plus wear and tear on your car driving around showing the plan, babysitting, eating out... ect..these costs add up, month after month as you try to peddle overpriced products or get others to do it for you. Good luck building your downline as you try to overcome a 50% dropout rate, bad publicity, and a saturated market (everyone I know plus their families have all been pitched Amway/Quixtar multiple times). Good luck trying to get tax deductions after two years of losses (The IRS considers it to be a hobby after that and will not allow the deductions). Hope your a religous person as well because many of these meetings are more like Church sermons that business meetings. Remember the big pins make most of their money from the system and conventions not from the flow of products.

Funny how the only rebuttal is "I notice lots of negative (Gee I wonder Why)"
Quixtar big pins want you to avoid everything and anything negative about the business (brainwashing!) as you continue to mount losses month after month. That way you stay in longer buying the tools, attending the conventions and lining their pockets with your hard earned money.

I hope after reading these stories people aren't turned off by Quixtar it's an amazing business and remember the person that sponsors you might not be the right one to help you build your business. You can always ask for someone else (through Quixtar). This business does make dreams come true.

I notice lots of negative( Gee I Wonder Why !!

Most of the possessions that the company spokespeople possess are paid for by their own day jobs. They are so desperate to gather lost souls into their "teams" that they will say anything to sway you in their favor. It's an elaborate mirage. Your recruiter is only telling you all of these wonderful figures and semi-wonderful financial figures just to have your residual income. You do not want to do this! I know three people personally that have lost so much time and money to this company. You would be better to just leave it alone now without losing any money.

The recruiters don't tell you all of the hidden costs of this IBO business venture. You will spend way more than you ever receive. I can not stress the importance of telling your recruiter NO ASAP. I hope they don't take you for all that you are worth. It's too hard to dig yourself out of a financial hole these days.

My boyfriend and I are looking at this company but I came here first to see if there are any complaints. I can see that there are. The people I met never have mentioned anything about being Christian or about God, yet.

I have been screwed by a company in the past to the tune of about 5,000 dollars (Herbalife) and I wasn't going to be an idiot and jump in again. I asked questions and the guy actually answered me straight. He explained the concept of the business which I get, but I told him I was not going to get involved with anything that started asking for a bunch of money or that wouldn't give me specific details.

So far they have done better then the other company. I actually seen them in person. Its easy for someone to tell you over the phone "I make this or I drive this car." Its diffrent when you can actually see it. I also talked a little about it to my dad and mom who were in Amway when they were younger. My dad said they really didn't make a lot of money. But my Mom's parents made about 300.00 dollars a month extra.

That is not a lot compared to the fact that these companies pitch to you that you can make this big money. But the average person may only make about 100.00 to 500.00 extra if they are lucky.

Big money would be nice but I am really not expecting it and I don't intend to quit my day job. I am going to do more research and when I meet this guy again I am going to ask him more questions and tell him about this information, see what he says. I would appreciate any advice on this.