Herbalife Scam – Is Herbalife Really a Scam?

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Is Herbalife a Scam?

The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines a scam as, “A fraudulent or deceptive act or operation.” A similar definition I’ve found is “A fraudulent business scheme; a swindle.” Many people wonder if there really is a Herbalife scam, and we’re going to explore that in this article.

Whenever I hear the word scam, what comes to mind are things like the Nigerian email/letter scam and the recent Ponzi Scheme perpetrated by you-know-who. Typically, it’s something inherently designed to cheat people out of their money. There are other schemes out there that may not be a scam in the eyes of the law, but are painfully deceptive. Take the so called auto warranty phone scam for example, and one that I continue to see every year is the letter I get from a company who makes money preparing annual corporate minutes. The letter is specifically designed to look like it’s coming from the IRS. You really have to look for the small print explaining that it isn’t an official letter. And sometimes we are apt to label something a scam because of a gross injustice perpetrated by individuals or companies, and I completely understand this. So the question remains, is there a Herbalife scam?

So What’s This About a Herbalife Scam? Is It Real?

When I hear the words Herbalife Scam, I’ve found that typically, people who ask this type of question about a legitimate company are basing their skepticism on too much misinformation, or negative preconditioning. Sometimes it even stems from an unwillingness to take responsibility for their own misfortunes. It’s easy to blame other people, situations or companies for our own failures. Sure there are some very real scam’s out there, it’s just that Herbalife isn’t one of them.

“Opinion has caused more trouble on this little earth than plagues or earthquakes.” —Voltaire

“A wise man makes his own decisions, an ignorant man follows public opinion” —Chinese Proverbs

“At any given moment, public opinion is a chaos of superstition, misinformation, and prejudice. —Gore Vidal

Although these can apply to almost any company or opportunity, here are some reasons I believe there are those who call Herbalife a scam:

I tried to make money in the Herbalife business but failed.
I tried to lose weight using the products and either failed, or felt sick.
I’m just leveraging the popularity of the Herbalife brand as a marketing tactic to discredit it so I can sell more of my own product or service.
I’m an unhappy, cynical, skeptical, closed-minded person and if I don’t like you, then you’re a scam in my books.

Excuse my frankness, but skepticism isn’t natural. I believe what’s partly to blame for this is the negativity we’re inundated with on television and the fear that many news stories perpetrate. As a result, we become conditioned skeptics. Most popular news is bad news. We should be able to see and hear more of the good things about our country and the rest of the world. Many times when we don’t understand something we’re quick to make sweeping statements that aren’t based on fact. We may even read something on the internet, and we can always believe what we read on the internet, right? It was Ralph Waldo Emerson who said that “Skepticism is slow suicide.” I tend to agree.

I’ve always believed in digging deep enough to discover the facts about anything before jumping to conclusions. As it relates to an alleged Herbalife scam, it’s important to be clear on exactly what part of Herbalife may be considered a scam. Is it the weight loss and nutritional products the company sells? Or is it the business opportunity which provides entrepreneurs with a way to run their own business marketing and selling the products? Or both?

Herbalife Products

Do people claim there is a Herbalife scam because of the products, and does Herbalife really work? Well, has anyone ever purchased one of their nutritional shakes, opened the box and found nothing in there but air? If so, that could be called a Herbalife scam, but that isn’t the case. How about people who say the program never worked for them? Is that a good enough reason to call it a scam? The fact is, there are millions of people around the world who have achieved success using the products. So, the program certainly works. Will it work for everyone? Probably not.

How many of the people who say it isn’t working, actually stick to the program? When the going gets tough, most people quit. It doesn’t matter what program you choose for your weight loss, unless you commit to it, and follow through, your chances of success diminish. Most times, it isn’t that the program doesn’t work, it’s that the individual using the program doesn’t work the program. If you bought a gym membership but never went, would you claim it doesn’t work and call the gym a scam?

Some people who have felt sick after taking the products, say it must be a Herbalife scam. The thing is, this may be a normal part of the detoxification process as the body is being cleansed of toxins.

Herbalife Business

What about the business? Now this opens up a whole can of worms. There is no other industry that I know of that has received such a bad rap, as the direct sales/network marketing/multi-level marketing industry. There are many people who say that the Herbalife business opportunity is the part that’s the Herbalife scam.

Herbalife was founded in 1980. Today there are more than 1.8 million Independent Distributors in more than 65 countries generating annual sales in excess of $3.5 billion.

The only way to purchase Herbalife products is from an independent distributor. Herbalife uses a direct sales business model to take the products to market. Direct selling is defined as “Marketing and selling products, direct to consumers away from a fixed retail location.” This is a very effective form of distribution that has been around for over 50 years, and is used today by some of our most respected, multi-billion dollar companies.

Unfortunately, most people have a 40 year old image in their mind of folks standing around a kitchen table selling soap. We’re pre-conditioned to believe this is not a legitimate way to sell a product. But the industry has evolved, and continues to attract entrepreneurs committed to developing as leaders and enhancing their life experience. There’s a great CD narrated by Bob Proctor who was featured in The Secret called What Would You Change if Your Annual Income…Suddenly Became Your Monthly Income? This CD will really help people understand the industry.

Now I’m sure there have been some scam artists out there who have given multi-level marketing a bad name, and some people even confuse this legitimate business model with a pyramid scheme. The reality is, any business requires effort to be successful. Many people who fail at the Herbalife business are quick to call it a Herbalife scam and blame the company or the products, when they should really be looking internally for why they didn’t succeed.

Internet Ads

Do a Google search on Herbalife scam or just Herbalife, and you’ll find a bunch of paid advertisements telling you not to join Herbalife, and why the advertiser left Herbalife, etc., etc. Some people seem to have made a career out of discrediting the company. You can just as well do this for any other company or major direct sales organization and find similar ads.

Do you realize the people who are paying for these ads specifically design them to leverage the brand as a marketing tactic to sell their own program, lead source or service? Most people don’t realize this, and take what is being said on face value; that the Herbalife scam is real. And what does it say about the advertiser if these are the tactics they resort to in order to promote their own business. Personally, I’m not going to put another company down, just to sell more of my products.

Then there are those who object to the marketing practices of some eager independent distributors. Personally, I find it more offensive when I check out at the supermarket only to find a television in my face at the checkout lane. But to each his/her own. Within reason, I can’t fault the eager entrepreneur who is driven to take massive action in order improve the quality of their life.

Of course, there are bad apples in any business, but look at the core. Who are the leaders behind the company? Look at their track record. Did Herbalife have challenges in the early days? No question. Just as any business would as they experience tremendous growth. What about challenges currently? I don’t know of a major company that doesn’t.

We may not all agree on everything, but these facts and observations should help to set the record straight, and put you in a position to make an intelligent assessment for yourself about this so called Herbalife scam, and you may just realize that Herbalife is a legitimate organization.

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189 Responses to “Herbalife Scam – Is Herbalife Really a Scam?”

Scottar on August 14th, 2009 at 4:30 pm

I understand this is an independent view, no special interests involved?

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editor Reply:
August 15th, 2009 at 9:22 am
Thanks for commenting. If by special interest you mean the article was written with a bias favoring Herbalife because by doing so, it would benefit the writer in some way, then no that isn’t the case.

The article is based on experiences over a number of years in the direct sales industry and with Herbalife. The intent being to comment on the industry as a whole, to clear up some misinformation about Herbalife, and to do so as objectively as possible.

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really?! Reply:
March 4th, 2011 at 3:47 pm
Really!? How can you claim you are unbiased if you work/have worked for herbalife? it is a scam, useless herbal pills that dont really do anyhting. just trying to get idiots to buy the products, when they realize they cant move them, they try and get other idiots to do the same thing and the cycle never stops.

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zarah Reply:
March 14th, 2011 at 11:46 pm
It works for me… what happened to you???

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connie Reply:
September 25th, 2011 at 5:43 am
i’d like to try this shake, will u recomment it to me zarah? ty

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Lisa Kelly Reply:
February 3rd, 2012 at 1:34 pm
Hi Connie,

were you able to get in touch with someone about Herbalife Shake and products. Please contact me if you did not.

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aamoffshore Reply:
April 15th, 2011 at 8:55 am
It worked for me too… lost over 40 pounds and kept the weight off for years now… and counting…

check out my website and my pictures…

over 2 million satisfied customers in over 70 countries…

NYSE Listed: 2004 U$14/share; 2011: U$83. A scam company does not grow 6x @ the NYSE.

I LOVE HERBALIFE!

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aamoffshore Reply:
April 15th, 2011 at 9:01 am
Correction: over 2 millions distributors in over 70 countries and over 60 million happy, healthy customers…

I LOVE HERBALIFE!

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Eddie Reply:
November 6th, 2011 at 7:59 pm
don’t consider myself an idiot. I use the products. I feel so much better since I started. Getting past the first week was hard, but doing well now. I was Type 2 diabetic. Have lost weight and off medication now. I do the shakes, Total Control, Multi Vitamin and Cell activator. My cousin has been selling Herbalife for about 15 years and was a single mother and made enough money to provide for her and her family. So just like any other job, you get out of it what you put into it. Sales may not be for you, but some do well at it. So please don’t refer to those who use Herbalife products idiots. Certainly not the case..

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chris Reply:
December 28th, 2011 at 9:40 am
I tried to sell Herbalife products but I sold only 1 product. They do have you buy lots of product and you end up not selling anything. Their marketing techniques are very outdated and you eventually wind up in 7,000 dollars debt like I did. You shouldn’t have to pay to see what the company is all about and you will get suckered into their business. All they want you to do is keep buying and don’t help you sell it. Beware of this company as help from them is non exsistent.

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RIchard Reply:
January 8th, 2012 at 8:30 pm
Correction: They dont make you, you chose to buy products before you sell them. If you chose you can wait untill you sell a product and have the customers money to pay for it.Apparently you didnt understand the system very well

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Duane Reply:
February 28th, 2012 at 2:23 am
Have you guys who say Herbalife is a Scam or thats its rubbish actually used the products?

I use to suffer from depression and anxiety -something that a lot Australian and other people suffer from – well I don’t suffer from it anymore because of Herbalife – so while your slamming it, just remember your saying to people – “dont use it, I want you to have depression because my belief”

My recommendation – use the products so then you know whether its worth it or not

And for people who apparently bought $7000 worth of stock – you obviously chose to stop – your choice to buy and to stop – did you realise Herbalife buys back your stock so you dont lose – Does this sound like a scam to you? lol
How about being responsible for your actions instead of blaming Herbalife.

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Kalee Reply:
March 23rd, 2012 at 5:46 pm
People think that if they drink protein shakes and take weight loss pills that the hey will lose weight.It’s called calories in and calories out. Even if you eat vegetables and fruits and lean protein you will gain weight if you take in more calories than you burn. If there were a magic weight loss pill or powder out there I would buy it; but unfortunately there isnt.

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Kalee Reply:
March 23rd, 2012 at 5:47 pm
..they will lose weight..

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Rob Reply:
September 13th, 2010 at 9:30 pm
If you’re interested in the Herbalife business and want to throw your money away…join The Eteam Home Business System associated with Herbalife International. Just a friendly warning.

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Eli Reply:
September 21st, 2010 at 9:17 pm
rob, dude I couldn’t hold back after reading your posts and replies and honestly your a douche. Did you really say ‘I don’t care about their stinking products..it’s their horrible business practices’ ???really??? u wanna see horrible business practices: trying going to wal-mart or target and see how they treat their employees, does that mean your not gonna shop there anymore? well? what’s ur smartguy answer? save you ‘horrible business practices’ comments and name ONE successful company that got to be that way and ISN’t a pyramid?!?! everyone has a boss that has a boss that has their own boss, look at it from a bigger picture and you got a pyramid…idiot. as for herbalife- sign me up!! I’m down to make sum extra money.

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Heather Reply:
October 3rd, 2010 at 6:26 pm
um..Wow. That’s not what a pyramid is. A boss has a boss has a boss does NOT equal a pyramid. And places like Wal-mart and Target are NOT pyramids. You should look into what a ‘pyramid’ means. I probably wont explain it very well but here goes nothing… A pyramid is where you HAVE to recruit people in order to get paid, or, where when the people you recruited sell something, you also get a part of the pay from what they sold. Wal-Mart and Target do NOT do this. If someone is employed at Target as a manager they will get a regular paycheck regardless of what the cashiers are making. In other words each employer’s paycheck is completely independent of each other. There are very very few businesses that have pyramid schemes, Prepaid Legal is one of them. The ones that don’t actually sell a product or service are against the law. The ones that sell a product or service like Prepaid Legal are technically NOT against the law, but that doesn’t mean it’s not still wrong. I don’t know whether Herbalife is a pyramid scheme because I just heard of it recently. It sounds like there’s a chance it could be a pyramid scheme, but I don’t know enough info about it yet to determine for sure.

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Max Reply:
October 3rd, 2010 at 8:21 pm
Heather, you sound like an intelligent person. So why do you, and others keep throwing around this ridiculous term “pyramid scheme” when referring to legitimate network marketing companies? Don’t you get that pyramid schemes are illegal? Seriously, do you understand that? Go to Wikipedia or something and read about them.

Herbalife is a 30 year old company, traded on the NYSE, represented in over 60 countries, do you really think that a company like this would operate under an illegal and illegitimate business practice? If you do believe that, then you really can’t be that intelligent.

I think the bigger issue is that you and many other have a problem with the concept of direct sales and/or network marketing. Just because you don’t approve of this method of distribution, doesn’t mean you can start throwing around terms like “pyramid scheme” to describe it. Why don’t you do some research about what direct sales is, before you start lashing out with such ridiculous accusations.

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Heather Reply:
October 9th, 2010 at 8:04 pm
I don’t think you read what I said very clearly. Maybe you should try reading it again. I did not say that Herbalife was a pyramid scheme. I also explained the difference between an illegal pyramid scheme and a legal one. While technically only the illegal ones are termed “pyramid scheme” this does not mean that there aren’t businesses that closely resemble pyramid schemes, hence I use the word “pyramid scheme” to describe them because they are remarkably similar to an actual pyramid scheme despite being legal. Legal does not mean moral. Again, I did not make any claims that Herbalife was a pyramid scheme. I said Herbalife ‘might’ be a pyramid scheme but that I did not have enough information to make that determination. And yes, I do know what direct selling is. I am Not saying that direct selling is the same thing as a pyramid. Lastly, Prepaid Legal, while perfectly legal, DOES very closely resemble a pyramid scheme, and is therefore, in my opinion, bordering between moral and slightly immoral.

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ashley Reply:
April 11th, 2012 at 8:54 am
pyramid schemes are not illegal. PONZI schemes are.

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Eli Reply:
October 12th, 2010 at 10:23 pm
so yet another genius like rob…heather look at it this way since you seem to have sum ‘stick up for wal-mart/target’ agenda. I’ll assume you know what a pyramid looks like, a bottom layer, then gets slimmer with each layer above it…with me so far? so if you take all the cashiers and regular workers as the bottom layer, then supervisor on top, managers as the lay above them, then store director above them, the higher you go up the chain of command gets slimmer with the corp vp, ceo, pres obviously above the rest…hmmm what does that look like to you? A PYRAMID…wage had little to nothing to do with what I was talking about. oh and you use the word ‘recruit’ to justify yourself…have you ever heard of a job application? SAME THING! oh and no one cares about prepaid legal… hope you learned something new and before you leave any further non-sense comments I’d suggest you do some homework on something before knocking it…

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ElisMissingCommonSense Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 11:41 pm
so anything that when drawn in a graphical fashion resembles a pyramid to you are exactly the same thing, regardless of how they are run? i think youre getting confused with shapes and term definitions. nobody actually cares about how something can graphically look like a shape any more than the number 58008 looks like the word boobs upside down on a calculator.
so essentially youre saying you have a point, its just not really viable in the real world, and thus redundant? good for you ya special little guy.

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yklich Reply:
April 3rd, 2012 at 7:44 am
Herbalife has been convicted in Belgium last year and was ordered by court to stop their activities (check google). Herbalife counts on the perpetual expansion of their dealers to make money, not on the selling the product itself, therefore, imo., it is a pyramid scheme.

Ofcourse people who fell into that scam are now defending that very system with zeal. If the system would collapse, lots of people are going to loose their investment (search Ponzi).

I’m sorry for offending people, but in my opinion, if you join that scheme, you are eighter:
a) not very bright and you’ll loose money
b) malicious and you’ll earn money by impovering others.

byron Reply:
November 18th, 2010 at 12:45 pm
Here is the way business is normally done. Step one, a demand for a product or service is established. Step two. A manufacturer makes a part of or a whole product. The raw materials for the product have to be made by someone. For instance Aluminum or steel or plastics. Then the process begins; Company ‘A’ makes a raw material and sells it to a distributor. The distributor gets and order from company ‘B” at company ‘B’ all the raw materials go into the product which is sold to another distributor who then sells it to a retailer who then sells it to the end customer. The retail chain is a broad base. The next layer up “the distributor” is a smaller block but a necessary one in the distribution chain, and the manufacturer is still not at the top of the chain. The miner that brought the Aluminum ore to the smelter is at the top of the chain. The world is a complex array of businesses who’s chain of business relationships is always dependent on someone selling something. Remember without the relationship between the sales person and the buyer no commerce would take place.

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Heather Reply:
October 3rd, 2010 at 7:14 pm
And usually any business where there’s a ‘fee’ to join before you even start getting paid is a scam. I don’t know whether Herbalife does this, but if it does then there’s a higher chance it could be a scam.

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Max Reply:
October 3rd, 2010 at 8:45 pm
Heather, do us all a favor and get your facts straight before you make these statements. You opinions are grossly inaccurate and all they do is show us how misinformed you are.

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Heather Reply:
October 9th, 2010 at 8:13 pm
They’re not inaccurate. All I said was that there is a ‘higher’ chance of any business being a scam if you have to pay first. I did NOT say if you have to pay then it must be a scam. There ARE legitimate businesses where one has to pay first. There are places that claim to be a supermodel business but you have to pay them a lot of money and you don’t even get paid and it turns out to be a scam and not a real supermodel business. So perhaps the word “usually” was inaccurate, but there is definitely a “higher” chance!! …So please do us a favor Max and stop jumping to conclusions about what I am saying.

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zarah Reply:
March 14th, 2011 at 11:56 pm
In any business you will need a capital. And Herbalife distibutors are like businessman/woman. So i don’t find it a scam.

me myself & herbalife Reply:
September 6th, 2011 at 11:00 pm
Yeaah thats smart. But the working capital for true companies come from the shareholders rather than distributors. This is a pyramid, the same speech i ve heard in different countries. I give you some points to defend this scam fiercely

Liss Reply:
November 6th, 2011 at 12:41 am
If it was a scam and so many people have been fooled how has this managed to go on for 30 years? Lots of foolish people out there then?

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Ben Reply:
November 8th, 2011 at 7:45 pm
Marlboro est. 1924
Need I say more?

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Eddie Reply:
November 6th, 2011 at 8:06 pm
But with Herbalife you are considered “self employed” therefore there is a very small investment compared to starting your own business. I started with less then $500, used the products, lost weight, feel better, therefore others have signed up under me as distributors just to receive the discount they get when purchasing the products just like I did. Wasn’t hard, making a little money and not having to push. It really is simple. Does everyone get the same result? No, you get out of it what you put into it just like any other business.

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Liss Reply:
November 7th, 2011 at 7:52 am
Exactly fully agree with you, I’m sure the people slamming it aren’t people who have tried to make a business out of it or even the products themselves. Just negative people looking for an outlet for their own failiures in life.

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Liss Reply:
November 12th, 2011 at 6:04 am
There is no fee to start…. question anybody that wants you to part with large amounts of money beforehand as they are not honest people.

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zarah Reply:
March 15th, 2011 at 12:11 am
you should sell the products and not consume it by yourself. If you cannot do so its your problem maybe you yourself don’t believe and use the product so why anyone will?

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Liss Reply:
November 7th, 2011 at 7:56 am
It seems very silly to me why anyone would invest thousands of dollars in products that they have no clue how to sell? Surely like with any other business you do your research first! Exactly the same would happen if you opened a shop and stocked it full products but had no idea how to sell or promote your business. So people shouldn’t blame Herbalife itself…

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Kay Reply:
September 18th, 2010 at 1:19 pm
Not whatsoever…only $3,000 dollars worth.

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Mika Reply:
July 29th, 2011 at 12:27 am
What i found about the herbalife products is that they are very low on vitamins especially considering the price. I get better products with much more vitamins and nutrients and proteins 5 times cheaper from iherb.com.

I am lifting weights and exercise in other ways too and i am very convinced after reading many tens of articles on vitamins that the so called recommended values are absolutely too low.

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Liss Reply:
November 7th, 2011 at 8:03 am
Herbalife have some new products out now called herbalife 24 desgined by athletes for athletes. Check out the website, maybe this is something you might be interested in http://www.herbalife24.com it is banned substance tested and made with all-natural colors, flavors and sweeteners.

Let me know if you try it and what you think…

BTW I’m a Herbalife user and not a distributer..I am very interested in their products and what their users have to say.

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Ben Reply:
November 8th, 2011 at 7:48 pm
Designed by ATHLETES? WHY?
Athletes don’t have an understanding of nutrition or their requirements. Are they sourcing only fully qualified nutrition/dietetic employees who also happen to be athletes? If not, thats just bad practice.

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Liss Reply:
November 12th, 2011 at 4:45 am
Herbalife 24 line is developed by John Heiss – PhD, Biochemistry from UCLA who is also a cyclist/athlete The products are developed in controlled situation with extensive testing and research…

I’m not here to convince anyone of anything if you are interested in how their products or any other food/nutrition product is developed research around :O) Don’t just assume a company uses bad practices…

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Ben Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 7:30 pm
Biochemistry? He better have majored in food science and nutrition…

Who said anything about assuming bad practices? I know they use bad practices.

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Davidson Jr. on August 23rd, 2009 at 4:59 am

Yes, you should really call this a press release. Anyone wanting to know other opinions of Herbalife who do not consider themselves “unhappy, cynical, skeptical, closed-minded person” need only search Google for some non-biased offerings. Every bit of research I’ve seen shows that Herbalife is a pyramid scheme, nothing more.

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Rob Reply:
September 13th, 2010 at 9:38 pm
I agree with you 99%, Davidson. The other 1% is you left out fraud! You’re right, Herbalife is definately a pyramid scheme!

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Alison on August 24th, 2009 at 11:25 am

A pyramid scheme is illegal. If Herbalife were a pyramid scheme they would have been shut down years ago. They’ve been in business for over 29 years and have offices all around the world. Saying it’s a pyramid scheme is ridiculous.

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Rob Reply:
September 13th, 2010 at 9:44 pm
Ridiculous? Perhaps you’re right. It’s a total and complete fraud!

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Max Reply:
September 13th, 2010 at 10:09 pm
Why is it a Fraud Rob? I think you’re an idiot. You had a bad experience with some team in Herbalife. If you feel they crossed lines and did something so bad, report them. Herbalife will have no problem ejecting them from the company if it’s warranted.

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Rob Reply:
September 14th, 2010 at 1:43 pm
For your information, idiot! There are numberous complaints against Herbalife and the Eteam Home Business System, because of their unscrupulous business practices.

http://www.ripoffreport.com/Search/herbalife.aspx

Check it out, unless you’re another Herbalife douchebag.

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Neil S Reply:
September 16th, 2010 at 8:00 am
I have been following this thread with interest, and it amazes me how many people still think Herbalife is either a Pyramid scheme or a fraud. Herbalife have sponsorship deals with some of the greatest athletes in the world, and they trade on the New York Stock Exchange – hardly indicative of a shady company. They also meet several requirements which distinguish illegal pyramid schemes from legitimate MLM businesses. This article is pretty much spot on with what it says – the ideas in it are backed up by many other writers including this one http://www.explosivemlm.com/herbalife-mlm-companies/is-herbalife-a-pyramid-scheme/ Anyone who still believes Herbalife is a scam after reading these articles clearly has some sort of prior agenda against Herbalife. Are you Barry Minkow in disguise!?

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Max Reply:
September 17th, 2010 at 12:22 am
Neil, don’t know who Barry Minkow is, but thanks for posting this comment. It makes a lot of sense. After Rob’s last comment, I just didn’t bother with a rebuttal because it wasn’t worth the effort. Some people will just never get it, and I wonder if the industry will ever rid itself of the stigma.

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AAB Reply:
December 28th, 2010 at 3:48 am
Uh…Enron was on the NYSE, and their top management was involved shady business practices…

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Liss Reply:
November 7th, 2011 at 8:09 am
I say if you feel so strongly that a company is a fraud and uses unethical practices you should contact a consumer/trading standards organisation, pyramid schemes are illegal and should be reported. I believe Herbalife have a legit business and product. But would be very interested to hear what trading standards have to say on the matter you feel so very strongly about. BTW just for the record, I’m a Herbalife user but not involved in the business.

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Ben Reply:
November 8th, 2011 at 7:54 pm
Not being illegal based on technicalities doesn’t distinguish them as a high quality company with good business practice.

aam Reply:
June 19th, 2011 at 6:00 am
I lost over 40 pounds using Herbalife Products and have kept off the extra weight for 15 years. and at 45 years old, my blood pressure is 100/60, got rid of my GERD and a cyst in my hand and totally got rid of my diabetes. I am healthier now than when I was 30 years old.

If Herbalife is a scam company, I am glad that I found it 15 years ago and it is still around helping people become healthy and changing people’s lives through health and wealth!

<3 I LOVE HERBALIFE! <3

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Joe Dee on August 29th, 2009 at 6:21 pm

Hello all,

My name is Joe, and I originally felt that I was royally scammed. I sent for the package, and my wife and I went through with the business. While we were not pleased with all of the business practices that were going on, we had the drive to succeed in our own business.

Herbalife is an excellent product. I and many family members have achieved very good results in using the products. While yes, the products are not for everyone, 40 million people in the world that are using them can not all be wrong.

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Rob Reply:
September 13th, 2010 at 9:51 pm
Hey Joe, (love that song) I wouldn’t be surprised if 40 million people were in detox! Stay away from the so-called business, or you’ll get the business, if you know what I mean.

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ElisMissingCommonSense Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 11:48 pm
actually argumentum ad populum suggests yes they can. besides, more than 40 million people smoke, eat mcdonalds or have stolen something in their lives. im not going to take the word of people just because theyve had results.

whether it works or not is debatable, but what it comes down to is, testimonials from people are NOT an acceptable selling point. i dont know if it works, but i know there seem to be ignorant comments on both sides of the fence here.

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Liss Reply:
November 7th, 2011 at 8:18 am
The thing is people have to be open enough to try it for themselves, maybe it isn’t something for everyone but why aren’t other peoples testimonials an acceptable selling point?

There is no hidden agenda, you pay money and you get a great product in return a bit like going to a Starbucks and paying for a nice coffee…If your friend says they do great coffee there or you read it in a review online why wouldn’t you believe it or take it as an incentive to try it out yourself?

As for whether the product works it all depends what you want to use the product for, there are so many uses not only for weightloss.

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Ben Reply:
November 8th, 2011 at 7:34 pm
Because thats how bs like the atkins diet become popular. Just because a large number of people make a claim doesn’t make it valid.

Because these are health products, not coffee. Health and flavour are entirely different concepts that are in no way related. Otherwise why don’t we just sell medicinal products based on testimonials. Of course this only includes the ones that have tried with success, and none of those who tried and failed, unlike herbalife who only post figures on sales…

There will always be one or a few brand that is popular in a particular industry, this one happens to be herbalife. That doesn’t mean herbalife products are better than any others, or even that they work. They’ve just had the most success with word of mouth. End of story.

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Renwick Jeffrey Reply:
November 8th, 2011 at 11:39 pm
Hey Ben:

What do you do with all of your time, sit in front of your computer, go on line and try to find someone or something to criticize. Why not expend some of that energy trying to get the stupid liberal out of the White House. How’s that hope and change working for you. We at Herbalife are not in the hope and change business. We are in the reality business, and the reality is “work, work, work and the work will pay off. Colonel Sanders tried more than 3000 times to get someone to cook his recipes before he found someone to help him. Maybe the first 2999 thought there wasn’t enough proof that it would be a success. Negative thinking leads to negative results. If you want something to change you have to change. If you want something good to happen you just have to go make it happen.

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Ben Reply:
November 9th, 2011 at 7:13 pm
How inspirational, yet absolutely useless and lacking in both common sense and logic.

Yeah, sorry I’m not overtly positive about something that sells itself as a health product but gives no training in health to its sales people, and has a blatant disregard for the wellbeing of its customers. I need to be more like you and just support any random product that claims to be healthy, because thats the way to really change lives – for the better or worse, who cares right?

But of course, who am I but someone who just sits around all day criticising things that just happen to be in the field I’ve studied, of which no doubt your knowledge extends to the realm of ‘beyond useless’. Hell, apparently I should be focusing on the politics of a country I don’t even live in.

See heres the problem genius, I’m talking about product quality while youre yapping on about business success. So while I actually consider the implications of the products you sell, all you care about is the numbers. Now do tell me what level of higher education this fantastic business expects of those who are supposedly the face of the company, the people who recommend products to individuals to apparently improve their lives. Not only do I doubt you even have an answer, I also doubt you have the slightest idea yourself on the effects of the products you push.

Colonel Sanders wasn’t stupid enough to market his food as health food, it was advertised for what it really was, and his staff are all trained in their area of expertise. Can you make that claim? No? Then shut the hell up.

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Renwick Jeffrey Reply:
November 10th, 2011 at 10:11 am
My wife and I are both Herbalife distributors. She is an M.D. and I have two college degrees. So I really do understand. But, what you seem be missing is that this is a successful company that backs everything they sell. What you should do is quit reading about a company that you do not trust. Your opinions have no value here on this blog because you have some sort of an axe to grind that doesn’t seem to have any thing to do with us..

Ben Reply:
November 12th, 2011 at 12:23 am
Since it wont let me respond to you via your other comment, I’ll do it here.

First, what is it with you people and thinking that because someone is a doctor they’ve got a universal understanding of all things health related. Doctors know only the very basics of nutrition that doesn’t qualify them to act as a dietitian. Is it not also a complaint of many about health food stores that those employed are generally ill informed and lacking in any real nutrition training? Why do you think this doesn’t apply here to a “career” lacking in ANY qualification process?

You have two college degrees, so what? Are they in nutrition? If not, then that means absolutely nothing. And if you understand so well then why would you see no issue in allowing someone with no background in health start distributing products? That definitely doesn’t sound like the opinion of someone influenced by any MD. Sounds to me like you’re just making up crap to make it seem like you know what you’re doing.

So what you’re telling me is that the opinion of someone who has studied and worked in this field means less than the opinion of someone who has “two college degrees”? Seriously? Wow.

By the way, having a negative opinion of a company doesn’t invalidate that opinion. What a ridiculous point to try and make. Who do you think you’re fooling with this nonsense?

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Liss Reply:
November 12th, 2011 at 6:38 am
I think what people are forgetting is Herbalife is a “food” product, it is not some magical medicinal potion that contains highly potent levels of chemicals or dangerous substances which prescription drugs can contain. It would not be passed by the FDA otherwise…

Herbalife would then need to only be sold via prescription from a qualified medical Dr who some people say don’t have the necessary knowledge to advise on nutrition anyway..So how do you suggest Herbalife products are better distributed to customers?

Are you saying they should be banned? Taken off the market? if so why?

Ben- You say you’ve studied and worked in this field? I’m interested to hear the dangerous side effects that concern you with this product? What scientific studies have you conducted and what were the results?

My local supermarket sells SlimFast, Aitkins plan, Weight Watchers and numerous other food/nutrition supplements plus food in general, do you think we all need a qualified person to advise us which foods to buy in order to sustain a perfectly nutritionally balanced diet as we shop for our products?…that’s not going to happen in the real world. That’s why there are boards such as the FDA to regulate what is available on the mainstream market or are they not to be trusted too?

If Herbalife was sold in the supermarket would you trust it more?

Do you really know exactly what goes into your food when you eat out at a restaurant? or those prescription drugs that are prescribed to you?

Just a thought…

Liss Reply:
November 12th, 2011 at 4:52 am
Their products are scientifically tested and proven, their products wouldn’t be allowed our there unless they had gone through strict controls, so no their product success is not solely based on word of mouth.

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Nayeli on November 11th, 2009 at 4:14 pm

A piramid based industry allows only one person to benefit from a lot of hard workin people and make a profit Herbalife allows every person investing time,effort,and willingness to make money…And it’s products are incredible just look at it’s doctors it’s bussiness associates it’s main lab in ucla…it’s nobel price winner it’s really hard to please everyone in thee world but the good thing about herbalife it’s that it’s not here to try and please averyone only those who really want to be pleased open minded and spitually driven it’s here to make people feel actually good about themselves and at the same time make some extra money…what’s so bad about that?…

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Rob Reply:
September 13th, 2010 at 10:03 pm
First of all I don’t really care about Herbalife’s stinking products! It’s their horrible, business practices…which happens to be crooked. Anything associated with the Eteam Home Business System associated with Herbalife International is a complete rip-off! Absolutely no doubt!

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Liss Reply:
November 6th, 2011 at 12:52 am
I guess they’d better tell Ajax and Barcelona football teams they have been scammed by a pyramid scheme then…ah all those silly people ;o)

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Ben Reply:
November 8th, 2011 at 7:39 pm
…that makes no sense. who a company sponsors doesn’t really validate their business practices at all. otherwise I guess we can just say any company that sponsors anyone is a good company. Lucky theres no cigarette companies who sponsor sporting teams…

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Liss Reply:
November 14th, 2011 at 9:40 am
I don’t know much about this Eteam Home Business System, but as far as I know legit businesses deal direct with Herbalife not some dodgy 3rd party company. I think there are many companies out there giving Herbalife a bad name, I think the key is to just research who you are dealing with, you’d never just buy something from a random company usually, so always check who you are dealing with, not all Herbalife sellers are bad.

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Paul on January 21st, 2010 at 9:22 am

I think that your web page should come up when “questionable” individuals search the Herbalife scam. Not only are your facts legitimate, you correctly address the problems other feed on to make Herbalife look bad. Thank you for this web page.

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Kay on February 11th, 2010 at 1:04 pm

I consider any ‘business’ that misleads and individual into thinking they are actually working for a different business a scam. In my case I responded to an advertisement on my local news paper webpage about an at home business that consists of posting links online for google. When the ‘mentor’ contacted me via telephone and was confronted about if this training package had any thing to do with google he confessed and said no. I got scammed a few years ago with this company…now they got me for another $9.95. If you have any questions always check with your local BBB. This reputable ‘company’ rates an F-. Apparently my view of a scam is totally different from yours.

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sonya Reply:
September 10th, 2010 at 11:54 am
YOU ARE WRONG!!! I WORK FOR THE BBB AND YOU NEED TO LOOK AT CORPORATES RATING.
http://los-angeles.bbb.org/Business-Report/Herbalife-International-of-America-Inc-20585

cut and paste into broser they have an A-

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Rob Reply:
September 13th, 2010 at 10:16 pm
YOU ARE RIGHT!!! The Eteam Home Business System associated with Herbalife International is nothing more than a total and complete fraud! All the BBB tells us is that there’s not much itelligence coming out of that place. I’m on your side, Kay…100%! Thank You!

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Frederik on February 11th, 2010 at 1:23 pm

Good point Kay. And that’s not good to hear about your unfortunate situation. But what does this reference about being scammed for $9.95 have to do with Herbalife? And by the way, there are many people out there who feel that the BBB is a scam… Google it. In fact, google any major company and you’ll find something on there about it being a scam. Most are bogus blog posts or websites from unscrupulous internet marketers, others are quite valid. You just have to make up your own mind about what constitutes a scam.

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Kay Reply:
September 10th, 2010 at 3:15 pm
Hmmm…pay attention. The $9.95 was a welcome package for an at home business to post ads for Google. Instead it was Herbalife. You don’t trust the BBB? I don’t deal with any company anymore unless I check them out. Too much money for nothing crap out there anymore.

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Myra on March 4th, 2010 at 2:56 am

I joined Herbalife since 2007 and I’m still an indepenent distributor up to now. The reason is personal usage only and not yet for business. The products are great, it really did help me lose weight! Though it’s a little expensive compared with those products in the the supermarkets, still the quality and effect of herbalife products worth the money I spent on it! I can’t blame those people who continuously put disgrace on this company/industry for we all have our own choices and point of views especially in a modern world with mixed honest and scammers people. But if i were to ask, i’ll say YES to herbalife!more power everyone!

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Rachel Rushing Reply:
September 21st, 2010 at 9:26 am
YEA IM SO GLAD I READ THIS PRAISE GOD IM EXCITED ABOUT JOINING HERBAL LIFE MYSELF

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Rachel Rushing Reply:
September 21st, 2010 at 11:17 am
JUST GOING TO LET GOD LEAD ME INTO WHAT IS RIGHT AND WHAT IS WRONG HE WILL LEAD ME BY HIS SPIRIT

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martina Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 11:57 am
if you want to lose weight..yes, i consider herbalife a very good and effective product…was a member before back in the 90′s….but back then i was really doubting about the business side of it….i remember that time when i was invited by a friend..i notice i wasnt so welcome ..you will notice that…coz i said i was still a student and depended only in my allowance and if ever i join..i might be paying just for the membership and would try it…then i will recruit slowly….when i said that…they had a fake smile face and went on entertaining those who can invest a bigger money……but i prove them wrong because ive got a lot of relatives who really wanted to lose weight and recruited them as well…one of my cousins has even reach the millionaires team….my cousin was a nurse and when she went to another country and lay low for a while..she discovered that her privilege as one of the good distributors was taken out…..anyway..to cut the story short…all of us just stop making business…..i still have plans to buy herbalife products no questions about it..for me they are really effective….but doing business in herbalife…..NO NO….

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meeep on March 18th, 2010 at 6:49 pm

The fact is, that it’s not really a scam. It’s just some people are more sell savvy than others. You can be very successful selling Herbalife or you can end up in debt and suck at it. It depends how determined people are. If it was truly a horrible scam I’m sure the BBB would have already had them shut down.

Those of you who say that you can only find information on it being a scam, have obviously never done enough research or even bothered to check out or speak to a herbalife distributor. I’m not one myself, don’t think I’d ever have that determination, but I’ve spoke to a few of them and they’re very happy doing what they do.

As far as the diet thing goes, that too depends if people are determined. People usually expect themselves to loose weight in 30 days or something when that’s not the case at all with everybody. I was speaking to a woman who sells herbalife, and she had a whole album of people who lost weight buying her products. I asked her how long they took, pointing at random photos, and most took over a year to loose the weight and not 30 – 60 days like some people think.

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Heather Reply:
October 3rd, 2010 at 6:34 pm
But are they “savvy” through moral methods or unmoral methods?

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Kelly Reply:
March 5th, 2012 at 1:41 pm
When has “Moral” ever been the same as “Business” If i’m not mistaken, “Business Ethics” is thought of as an oxymoron. As such, any business out there at all is immoral. They all ask for money, and more money, and try to cheat you out of your money for less and less. Thats business. Thats the world we live in, parasites living off of parasites living off of farmers. If you don’t grow your own foods, and make your own energy, you are -probably- just another parasite, like the rest of us. I’m not saying Herbalife is a good company, or a bad one. Just a company, just like I, am just a guy. I accept our less than optimal conditions and attempt to live in them, while offering a small service to those I know, Information. I look things up and help the people around me think. What do I get for that? for being a benefactor of the mind? squat. So I work, in a Parasitic company making plastics. Herbalife is probably no worse than your job. one way or another.

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stephanie on March 25th, 2010 at 6:11 pm

I dont have the money to be a supervisor if i save what i make as a distributor can i still eventually have a 6 figure income?

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victorcj on March 27th, 2010 at 10:02 pm

most poeple lost money cos they thought it was a get rich quick scheme and with out the right information started investing money they dont have.you have to be passionate about a product before thinking of selling them.i have struggled for so many years trying to get back in shape but herbalife shakes did the miracle.now i have lost weight, build proper muscles and ve grown so much passion for the product not for the money.am about to start distibuting just to make a difference in peoples life,if i make profite thats a plus other than that am just gonna do what am passionate about and love.

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Rob on May 1st, 2010 at 8:14 am

Doesn’t make any difference wheather you work the program or not. Herbalife International is a fraudulent scam based on chronic lies and deception. The sponsors are two-face liers, too!

They’ll screw you over royal with their phoney training program and unscrupulous business practices, while practically twisting your arm to become a Supervisor.

The crap inventory that is delivered to you is just that…crap! You’ll spend $3000 on worthless inventory you could get at WalMart for way under $300!

Herbalife products have NOT been evaluated or approved by the Food and Drug Administration!

I can’t understand why the law doesn’t protect us from these creeps and put them behind bars where they belong.

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Kay Reply:
September 10th, 2010 at 3:08 pm
Thank you Rob…you said it all! How they maintain a A- approval rating is beyond me…

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Max Reply:
September 10th, 2010 at 3:28 pm
Yeah, you’re right. You should stick with all the drugs the FDA approves. At least the side effects of those aren’t too bad like heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, dizziness, amnesia, seizures, kidney failure and vomiting to name a few. Much better than having a healthy shake for breakfast.

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Kay Reply:
September 10th, 2010 at 3:46 pm
Yep, my PCP recommended a few for half the price and it doesn’t say Herbalife on the container.

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MaxsMissingCommonSense Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 11:55 pm
are you suggesting the protein shake cures health conditions? even herbalife dont make those kinds of claims. you know what works in comparison? a healthy diet.

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Tonya Reply:
September 13th, 2010 at 4:42 pm
The FDA approved alli. Why don’t you look at the health risks involved with that product. Just because the FDA approves it, doesn’t make it safe!

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Max Reply:
September 13th, 2010 at 5:11 pm
You’re absolutely right. We go about our lives like sheep. Most people are just brainwashed and have no minds of their own.

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Lyndsay Reply:
September 17th, 2010 at 3:42 pm
I’ve been trying to do research on the company to get both sides of the story. The problem I’m having is that those of you that say it’s a scam based on “chronic lies and deception” have not explained to me what the lies are.

It makes it look like you are just really pissed because you didn’t make any money.

I’d really like to see both sides of the story, but all the good stories look good with lots of back up information. All the bad stories just look like angry people that don’t explain what is actually wrong.

I would really like to see some explanations so I can get a complete idea of the company.

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martina Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 12:04 pm
you do make money…if you work hard and recruit more and more people that will buy like 28 boxes one time…..but if you sell slowly…you wont….

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Heather Reply:
October 3rd, 2010 at 6:48 pm
I just found out about Herbalife 2 days ago. It was a nice family who was telling me about it and giving me a sample. I think they’re innocent though and that the products really did help lose/gain weight or give them energy. I’m glad the products were helpful to them. However, they kept saying it was all natural ingredients which is simply not true because it had corn syrup in it. Not to mention if were all natural ingredients it would have a ‘certified organic’ label on every bottle. I don’t think they know this though. If it’s a scam, then usually the people on the bottom are more innocent and that’s why they’re more easily fooled. That’s assuming it’s a scam or pyramid scheme, which I haven’t yet made up my mind whether it is. I will probably ask them next time I see them whether they get paid if someone under them sells something. If they do then I think that’s wrong and that they should only get paid for what they personally sell.

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editor Reply:
October 3rd, 2010 at 8:40 pm
It’s called leveraged income Heather. Corporate America does it all the time. When an employee shows up to work every day, the owner of the company is making money off their efforts. They are leveraging their employees and making money off the efforts of other people.

This concept applies to network marketing, except there isn’t a “boss”, and everyone is in business for themselves. If this concept doesn’t sit well with you, then don’t get involved with a network marketing sales model, and certainly don’t refer to it as a “scam” when it isn’t.

This business is not for everyone, and if it isn’t for you, then don’t do it. You have a choice. You could just use the products if you have positive results from them.

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Dave on May 1st, 2010 at 9:07 am

Rob, you’re really misinformed. If you’ve come across an unscrupulous distributor, you should report them to Herbalife. And you may want to educate yourself about the FDA. Many people feel the FDA is scam. Here’s one example: http://www.naturalnews.com/002439_the_FDA_Food_and_Drug_Administration.html. Don’t be like the mass population who are easily controlled and manipulated, and do your research before making idiotic statements like this.

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Heather Reply:
October 3rd, 2010 at 6:52 pm
What is it with everyone calling each other idiots?? It’s not just you, it’s Rob too, and a bunch of other people! Let’s all try to be mature. Name-calling does not make one’s argument more logical. If anything, it just makes the person whom it’s directed at take your argument less seriously.

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Karen on May 16th, 2010 at 3:23 am

Rob, this might be of interest to you “FDA Official Joins Herbalife”

http://ir.herbalife.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=183888&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1376785&highlight=

This one too “Michael O. Johnson makes a special appearance!
Just before Michael O. Johnson flew to Singapore to attend the largest Extravaganza in APAC’s history, he appeared on a special edition of CNBC’s “Mad Money” with Jim Cramer.”

http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=1492336965&play=1

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JT on June 11th, 2010 at 8:10 pm

Hi,

I’ve been taking Herbalife product from Jan 2010 till today. I am actually trying to gain weight with it. Well, it did not work for me. Why? Simple, my body need more calories than what I am in-taking to gain weight. However, by taking this product, it has actually improved my health A LOT! I had sinus, nowadays I need not stuck tissues up my nose like I used to. I had a lot more health problems, and am now seeing the results. I can go on with it…

Anyway, my point is that not all products work for everyone. And only by listening to crap doesn’t help. I did some studies and research on the product and how to gain weight, guess what…. after taking the product in a systematic method, I gained 3 kg in 1 month.

And this ‘ROB’ guy, I think you must be the same Rob Cockerham from this website – http://www.cockeyed.com/workfromhome/workfromhome.html. You have 27 unsuccessful stories from herbalife. How about 40 million SUCCESSFUL stories from herbalife?

Herbalife is not a ‘get rich quick’ company, it is more like a ‘get healthy now, everyone’ company. No one in this world will get rich quick without actually doing something. Read about the top 10 richest man in the world and you will know.

How many products in this world that you are using is actually safe? You eat crap and getting sick from many restaurants out there. Are they scamming your @ss? But look at your weight and your health eating those things… I strongly believe they scammed every juices out from you.

So before calling Herbalife a scam just because it is a MLM company, do some research, try it out and then you tell me.

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editor Reply:
June 11th, 2010 at 10:38 pm
Amen!

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Lyndsay Reply:
September 17th, 2010 at 3:46 pm
It would make sense if that was Rob. He wants people to google Herbalife scams so that they will go to his website where he has paid advertisements from google and makes money.

I really wish he would actually explain why he thinks it’s a scam.

I have nothing to do with Herbalife and am just looking into it.

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Rachel Rushing Reply:
September 21st, 2010 at 9:24 am
I FIXING TO JOIN THE COMPANY I BELIEVE THIS COMPANY IS IN THE BUSINESS OF HELPING OTHERS AND IM VERY EXCITED ABOUT IT MYSELF YOU RIGHT YOU HAVE TO WORK HARD IF YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE SOMETHING IN LIFE WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE WANTED TO RESPOND TO YOU HAVE A GREAT DAY

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Heather Reply:
October 3rd, 2010 at 7:09 pm
It makes sense that it has improved your allergies considering the shakes and other products have lots of B vitamins. Not many people know it, but getting adequate B vitamins every day helps to improve allergies!! Honestly, people don’t have to use Herbalife to get the same health benefits. They could get it from eating a variety of meals that have adequate vitamins and minerals while keeping all junk foods and unnatural foods out of their diet, however not many people know how to do that, nor are are most people realistically going to put the time and effort into eating a well-balanced diet. So I can see why many people choose Herbalife as an easy solution (an alternative) to eating a well-balanced diet.

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martina Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 12:16 pm
jt i hope that would be the case…it would be better that they promote the product as “get healthy now , everyone..” because i do believe on the product….but that is not the case …i was already a member since the 90s….they advertise that way..but when your in it…they focus more on the marketing side…i tell you…

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martina Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 12:21 pm
and one more thing..i remember back then…they mislead people by telling that they were hiring in the classified ads…telling them how much they earn monthly…i was in the office when there were alot bringing their resumes and falling in line for the interview…and would later discover that the company was just recruiting and introducing the products….. i just didnt like the strategy….

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catalina Reply:
March 23rd, 2011 at 6:29 am
You said it right JT!!!! Herbalife products really works and when some people say they have tried it and did not have good results i ask them why? And guess what they just use it for a week and discontinue using it, so tell me, how can you get an amazing results from that if you don’t follow and finished the program? No one gets successful overnight. REMEMBER THAT!!!!

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aamoffshore Reply:
April 15th, 2011 at 9:23 am
Exactly, Catalina!

People who gained 20 pounds or more over the years expect to lose weight with Herbalife Products in just one week?

Herbalife Products worked for me and my whole family for the past 15 years… and we are making serious money with Herbalife…

Never mind of people call me an IDIOT, I am a happy IDIOT with my monthly income of U$30,000…

and I will be a happy IDIOT taking Herbalife Products with my U$30,000 monthly cheque for my rest of my life…

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ac on June 18th, 2010 at 1:59 am

Hi I have been a PTI member for over a year now and I would advise you to move carefully. They advertise it as an income opportunity, and sometimes as a job which it is not (if you were not recruited this way, you will need to be ok with decieving others in this manner to join your team). You will need to invest anywhere from $180- $299 just to start, plus $19.99/mo for pti membership, plus $17/mo for a toll free number, plus hundreds more dollars in internet lead and even more for newspaper ads and fliers, etc, etc, etc. It goes on and on. You will also be pressured to achieve (aka: purchase) the supervisor level- cost: $2500- $3000 depending. They encourage this very strongly and while they dont openly say you should, most testimonials say they used a credit card, loan or sold possessions to do this. After one year I was considered a “Success” I sold over $10,000 in product and got to be “earning” over $1500 per month. By the way my cost of business with advertising was about $2000 per month. I ended the year with no savings and an $1900 credit card bill. I was told to tell people that I profited $1500 per month and not to mention the cost because it was “my choice what I spent my profits on”. So that is the scoop. Even if you are okay with spending a large amount of money and working a lot of hours away from family for no pay, you also have to be okay with duping other hopeful, poor people into doing the same thing. They also encourage you to do other questionable things like put fliers on atms, pop machines, etc, which is illegal (private property) and to ignore when people threaten to call the police on you. The products that we sell are good, but it’s hard to find clientel and often times it doesnt work and people want their money back. In that case you end up taking a huge loss (someone buys a program for $200, you pay $150 to the company and keep $50, then they want their money back and return the containers to you. You are then responsible to give them $200 from your own pocket plus pay to ship the product containers back to Herbalife and the company then sends you new product, which you can resell, but that in turn costs more money in advertising and shipping and time just to break even at that point. I hope that answers your questions and that you proceed with all the info. Good job looking into it ahead of time! I wish I would have.

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editor Reply:
June 18th, 2010 at 7:31 am
What you are describing has less to do with Herbalife, and more to do with the network marketing sales model. There’s a fine line sometimes as to what is ethical practice and what isn’t. Legitimate network marketing companies, like Herbalife for example, always play by the rules. Every now and then you get unscrupulous distributors, but if they’re that bad, they usually get kicked out of the company.

As to all the money you spent, or that can be spent, well get over it. Unless you didn’t realize it, you started a business. Whether it’s Herbalife, a brick and mortar business, a franchise, whatever, starting and running a business requires a capital investment. Startup costs and maintenance costs. The fact that you lost money has little to do with Herbalife, and more to do with the fact that you simply started a business and wasn’t successful. It happens all the time. Herbalife never claims that everyone who starts will be a millionaire. Some succeed, and some don’t. The numbers you’re describing that you achieved is in fact impressive when you consider the overall stats of how much money the average person makes in network marketing. It’s just that your costs were too high.

If you read between the lines of your comment, there is a valid point and that’s to know what you’re in for when you get involved in any business opportunity or network marketing company. Herbalife isn’t a get rich quick scheme. Like any business it’s going to require an investment of time and money, with no guarantee of success. If you’ve ended up losing money, see this as a learning experience for you. I’ve found that whether you succeed in this business, or you don’t, either way I can pretty much bet that you will walk away with new skills and will have learned something out of the experience.

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martina Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 12:28 pm
I hope you dont mind me asking…..are you a distributor of herbalife? or one who is already under the supervisory team?….

[Reply]
editor Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 12:33 pm
Yes, but I’m not very active anymore.

[Reply]
Anirban Reply:
August 8th, 2010 at 11:09 pm
Hi ac,
Thanks for your information.I suppose to join Herbalife in next few days.

[Reply]
Lyndsay Reply:
September 17th, 2010 at 3:53 pm
AC, Thanks for a much clearer response to why Herbalife MAY not be a good idea. I’ve been getting really tired of just seeing reviews from pissed off people with no information as to WHY. Hope you can make it work for you.

[Reply]

Sarah on August 12th, 2010 at 2:05 am

I think it all comes down to choice. I don’t like supplementation for people with a balanced diet. Some can’t get what they need because of dietary choices, allergies or medical issues so I understand why some go down this route, but sports nutrition is a complex area and I think there are many people using supplementation without a full understanding of the products.

I know I am not the only one that doesn’t agree with MLM, but again, everyone has a choice.

[Reply]

rn on August 18th, 2010 at 12:01 pm

My wife has recently started suffering from slight depression and after going to a herbalife seminar she was given a list of about 9 dfrent supliments that she “desperately needs” (amounting to an amount higher than our families monthly food budget)with the promise that this will help with her depression. I’m not saying that herbalife is a scam but this “eager entrepreneur” is (in my opinion)trying to sell her more than what she needs “in order improve the quality of her own life”. Another way of scaming people is to (knowingly) tring sell them more than what they need.

This I think is one of the main reasons Herbalife has gotten a bad rep. Because of over zealeus distributors that try to sell you the whole store in one visit. I was realy surprised when i added up the figure. I was told that i’m obese and that i need to go on a diet c-mon im a body builder and i have a 15% fat ratio.

My experience altho I did feel good after the Aloe, tea and shake b-fast, is that i’m not confortable with some one trying to push products on me, altho legaly that is not a scam, it is unethical and needs to be addressed by the Herbalife corporate headquarters.

[Reply]
but... Reply:
May 8th, 2011 at 5:04 am
thats not a problem with the products, its a problem resulting from the company allowing people who have no training or understanding of nutrition selling their products and giving advice to people. the company is clearly all about the bottom line and not helping people, otherwise theyd ONLY employ fully qualified nutritionists. people study for years to be able to give adequate advice in diet management, and here you have someone whos done a 2 week sales course selling products they “believe in” because they simply dont know any better. its a poor business model to be sure, but not unethical.

[Reply]

Joan on August 25th, 2010 at 4:04 am

I completely agree with what you’ve said. So many people who fail at Herbalife are quick to blame the company, write it off as a scam, and are in no way responsible.
These people who accuse Herbalife of being a scam, should really reflect on their own time in the company. Did they really do all they can to make it successful? I doubt it. People have been able to make money from Herbalife, so it can be done.
I found this article which I think might interest you, it’s very related to what you have been discussing.
http://www.explosivemlm.com/mlm-companies/herbalife-mlm-companies/is-it-really-possible-to-make-money-with-herbalife/

Joan

[Reply]

veronica on August 27th, 2010 at 8:29 am

ITS NOT A SCAM!!!

I have a company built around Herbalife, called StartToLive101 http://www.stl101.com an organization that is committed to fighting obesity, and improving the lifestyles of individuals.

Herbalife is a great company with a lot of success and great products. As far as the training goes herbalife gives you all the tools necessary to have success with their company. From training videos, phone call trainings mon wed and fri at night, seminars, online lectures and much more. All so you can grow your herbalife business. They even teach you how to open up a nutrition center and or do a weight loss challenge (which is what I do). They do not twist your arm. U truly earn what u put in with herbalife, so work your but off and make great money to the point where u have people doing all the hard work for u. Its only $60 to join and it is a business starter pack that money goes to yourself, u get the membership, samples, some marketing tool, and more when you but this. This is really all you need to get started. The money from this $60 goes to no one, so I am not trying to sell it to you. It’s simply a great opportunity! Contact me I will coach u personally for free of course (anywhere in the world). Email me at info@stl101.com. You are not alone we all help each other.

It’s simple, sign up and buy a starter pack (all u need) u will get assigned to your personal coach to help you or pick your own coach ( Not all are good coaches so make sure you get someone that will help you grow your business, not just hangs out and doesn’t return your calls. Start selling, using and sharing your herbalife products and story.

Herbalife and its products are about making lifestyle changes!

Te secret to making money in this “BIZ” is to truly love the products, love the company, use the products yourself to reach your own goals and you will see results physically and make money motivating others to do the same. When something changes your life you will want to tell everyone you know, so it will get easier

Herbalife is the #1 wellness company in the world! Making over 3.5 Billion a year, be a part of it.

Don’t hesitate! I can explain it all to you. Just contact me for info, Its free lol. I want to help those that want to get started in the business not just recruit. It’s great!

[Reply]

Kay on September 10th, 2010 at 2:23 pm

OMG…you are right on top of things on this post…like a year or so ago…duh. Yes they do have a A- approval rating from the BBB, but they are misleading people into thinking they are posting ads for Google and that is not the case. When I questioned my ‘mentor’ about this he did refund my money.

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Scottar on September 21st, 2010 at 1:20 am

My research on Herbalife shows it to have highclass products for highclass people. You need to have the right savvy and investment. Work good if you already have a business with clientèle.

But for the average Joe or Jill it would be a steep challenge so it’s not for everyone, definitely not me. I would recommend Youngevity for those people, more affordable.

[Reply]

Luisao on December 18th, 2010 at 8:51 pm

Herbalife has great products, if you follow their instructions, you don’t starve and you loose as much weight as you want, I am a happy customer, but…..

I just cancelled my Herbalife Distributorship, Herbalie is not a scam but a con, never do they tell you about the $5,000.00 it takes to setup, and I wasn’t done yet, I still had to buy their stuff for advertising and retail, plus I made myself of a $2000 dollar a month debt, because you buy the leads (names of people who inquire) on a monthly bases, where 12 names cost 1500 dollars and they make you commit to it each month, plus the use of their software for $60, e-commerce, 3 web sites, etc. a trip to vegas for $500 and you have to watch videos and attend webinars 7 days a week at odd hours, if you say you can’t, they give you a guilt trip. “your not interested, you will not succeed, its your money, etc.”

And while you are spending 1500 or more a month buying leads of which you might get 5 to sign, the sponsors are buying 40, 50 leads, competing with you and It wouldn’t surprise me if they are getting the best leads possible

So if you are thinking of becoming a retailer, Distributor or supervisor for Herbalife, make sure you have money and time to make money about after 6 month of throwing money, while the big fish keep getting fat

Thank you

[Reply]
Max Reply:
December 18th, 2010 at 9:05 pm
Luisao, you obviously don’t have what it takes to be an entrepreneur. That’s not to say you never will, it’s just that reading your comment, it’s clear that right now, you don’t. With all this complaining you’re doing, did you even realize that by becoming an Herbalife Distributor, that you were starting a business? And did you realize that when you start a business, you need capital? No matter what business you get into, you will always need start-up capital. And here you are whining about the debt you’re in and that it took you $5000 to set up and how much you spent buying leads and all the time blaming Herbalife. It’s preposterous. Face it, you failed at it and you lost money. Join the club. There’s nothing wrong with failure.

Failure is sometimes the greatest lesson in life. And this debt you’re in because of it might be a necessary step to get you where you’re going. You also talk about how you “had to buy their stuff…” You don’t HAVE to do anything. It’s your decision.

Canceling your distributorship is probably the best thing you did because it’s clear this business isn’t for you. You learned your lesson, now move on and stop blaming everything else but yourself. Take responsibility, and find something that you’re good at and you enjoy.

[Reply]
but... Reply:
May 8th, 2011 at 5:24 am
of course you would say that, despite not knowing the information that was fed to this person. they could have been told itll cost them 50 dollars to start up, without mentioning all the additional.

this is clear because of the words “never do they tell you about the $5,000.00 it takes to setup”

but of course, blame the victim. omitted information is fine, because you failed at your business…? i take it you also think the only cause of failure in business is a lack of will or drive…kinda sounds like it from your words. doesnt sound like you understand what it means to be an entrepeneur to me…

[Reply]
Liss Reply:
November 12th, 2011 at 5:03 am
You don’t need any money to start up, you can supply on demand…If you have 2 customers who want to buy products from you, you can order these products directly from your nearest Herbalife distribution centre…If thats not how it works for you then you have probably being misled by someone who doesn’t work directly for Herbalife…look into who you are dealing with before entering any agreement with them. Don’t blame Herbalife as a company for your failiure to check out the individuals you decide to enter into business with.

[Reply]
Ben Reply:
November 13th, 2011 at 7:59 pm
I don’t sell anything of theirs.

Your logic simply doesn’t make sense. It is the responsibility of the company to ensure its products are being sold to standard, not the customer. As I mentioned earlier, a distributor is the same as any other franchisee. Simply sending the products out to distributors is not the end of the companys responsibility.

While what they do isn’t illegal I suppose you could say its just a really pathetic way of doing business in which they take no responsibility for their own brand. You can blame the victim all you want, it doesn’t make herbalife look any better as a company, nor does it make them any better than a pyramid scheme.

[Reply]
Liss Reply:
November 14th, 2011 at 10:12 am
I feel my logic does make sense but that’s just my opinion….It’s the same with anything, you do not buy products or enter into any agreement with someone you are unsure about. I can believe there are many pushy salesmen out there but they are everywhere…Same happens when you go to buy a car, I happen to dislike pushy car salesmen and the moment I feel they are trying to push a product or extras onto me I’m out of that showroom in a flash…same goes for anything..including Herbalife for personal use or for business. In my opinion you can’t blame Herbalife for these people, the same way you can’t blame BMW Audi or Volkswagen for a pushy, possibly corrupt salesman selling their cars from his own showroom with his own name above the door. These car companies will just laugh at you if you demand they take action.

BUT saying that I have read I think on the BBB website? (mentioned earlier in the comments of this blog) that Herbalife do investigate the reports of sellers of their products if a person submits a complaint, you will notice in their responses that in all cases of dispute a 3rd party company was involved. From what I have seen Herbalife take action against any 3rd party company using their name whilst ripping off customers. I think this is ethical business practice….

Herbalife do offer training, courses and seminars, people who are passionate about their products will attend these. When thinking about buying products from anyone you are going to go with the person who seems to have the most information about the products and can help you achieve your goals as a person and not just as a buying customer…that’s why I chose to buy mine through a professional who offers Herbalife as one of her solutions which includes follow up visits, weight and measurement tracking along with goals and targets. A successful legit distributor is going to care about you and your results and not just fob you off with a product.

I feel for those that have been taken for a ride by these people just trying to make a quick buck, but I still think these situations can be avoided with a little common sense.

[Reply]

AMW on January 7th, 2011 at 1:36 pm

I recently just found out about Herbalife today. I talked to a guy earlier about it, and for the most part it didn’t seem like a scam.

I want to just say for the record, I am going to college to study nutrition, so I called a local guy up to see if I could work for him to learn more and obtain experience for college.

I went in to talk to him, and he basically ran down the list of what Herbalife really was all about. He, like some here, have discussed the ins and outs of how it works, and how it is in 74 countries, and how it’s been around for 30 years, and how people make up to 49,000 a month, and yada yada.

. . .here’s my problem. I currently work a job where I can’t pay for my bills now. I am a full time college student who wanted to learn about nutrition. The guy I talked to said that anybody from the street can do this job, and it doesn’t matter what is in the products.

This turned me away. Am I saying this is a scam? Absolutely not. I believe if you want to start a business around a legitimate product, then I think you could probably do this. That being said, I am broke, and I am not interested in this type of business. I think it DOES matter what goes into the products, especially if the product goes into my body.

Am I saying it doesn’t work? No. Am I saying it’s a scam? No. However, from what I was told this morning, I do not believe Herbalife is meant for a person like me, or for people who are interested in the overall outcome of Nutrition.

[Reply]
but... Reply:
May 8th, 2011 at 5:27 am
sounds about right. youre forgetting though, herbalife is a business about sales, not nutrition. this is why none of the people here have qualifications in nutrition. this is why theres constant reference to the products being brilliant based on “i take them and feel really good” anecdotal stories.

if the company were serious about promoting good health theyd have qualified nutritionists giving their information out, not random people who think the stuff is “really good because i feel energised and healthy!”…

[Reply]

Natalie on February 1st, 2011 at 12:42 pm

My experience with Herbalife and Online Business Systems.

I heard about Online Business Systems (which turned out to be Herbalife) via the Sean Hannity Radio Show. I figured if Sean Hannity promoted this “work from home” business, it must be a great opportunity for me.

I went online, “invested” $9.95 for the “information packet” and was looking forward to starting my own “at home” business. After a few days, Donna Rodriguez contacted me, she was to be my coach. Donna asked if I received the packet, and at that time, I hadn’t. We agreed to talk a few days later, presuming that packet would arrive by then.

I received my packet the following day. I popped in the DVD and looked over the information. Not once was anything mentioned, in the packet or DVD, about what I would be doing to create wealth for myself. I watch a DVD of people talking about how their at home business gave them opportunities to spend more time with their loved ones, go on vacations, buy whatever their hearts desired……need I go on. My questions where; What are these people in the DVD doing to create an income? What is Online Business Systems selling? Why would Sean Hannity support something like this?

Well, my phone call with Donna Rodriguez was yesterday. She and her coach, Kerie Stewart, were both on the phone to answer my questions. After I persistently questioned them both as to how I was going to create my own income, they finally divulged I could either become an Herbalife distributor or I could become a coach helping other people, just like they were doing with me. If i decided to become a coach, I would get leads from Online Business Systems and I would contact these leads to help coach them to build their business just like they were doing right now with me. I was very perplexed by this statement and still very confused about the whole process.(Oh! There is a cost involved $70+ for either path I chose to take.)

So, today I searched the Herbalife website. I was initially impressed by the site and the fact the product was sold all over the world. But, because I felt uneasy about the Online Business Systems aspect, I searched for Blogs regarding Herbalife. I am glad I did.

First of all, I am a small business owner. I have been in business for over 7 years. My business does well, but I have children entering college and would like to have more money to help them. I have a college education and feel I am intelligent. Although Herbalife may be a successful company, Online Business Systems seems to be hollow.

Here are my reasons for making this statement. First of all Donna Rodriguez and Kerie Stewart were really pushing me to do the “coaching” aspect of the business. Secondly, Donna Rodriguez is new to the business and had to refer to her “coach” Kerie Stewart, to answer many of my questions. My questions were basically about the Herbalife product. If I was selling this product, I wanted to know more about it.

Here is a list of my questions:

1. Is the product FDA approved?
2. Is the product made in the USA or overseas?
3. Is the product plant based?
4. If the product is plant based are the plants organic?
5. If the product is plant based and not organic are there any plant involved that have been genetically modified?

They could not answer these questions, but did say that I could join them in a future phone conversation with their supervisor. Kerie Stewart did send me an email regarding the research, but I was already suspicious.

I figured there would be more “investment” into my business, but what I have read from various blog sites, my investment is continuous and large (time and money). I am hoping to get my $9.95 back from Donna.

P.S. there is a fine print section on the cover letter Donna sent me. It states “Upon completing the online order form for these materials, you checked a box to agree to the terms & conditions. As outline in these terms, you understand and agreed to pay a preliminary charge of $9.95 shipping & handling. Once the order has been processed and shipped, you will have a 15-day period in which to review the package. If you choose to keep the information kit beyond the 15-day review period, an additional $39.95 will be applied to your credit card to cover the full price of the materials. Note that our 90 day return policy would remain an option provided the package is returned in resalable condition.”

I better photo the info and I send and return it via certified mail..

I wonder if Sean Hannity know about this?

[Reply]

Tony on February 10th, 2011 at 5:23 am

Scam. Plain and simple. Sure there are one or two bad eggs in a basket you say, those who spoil it for everyone else in the industry by shamelessly and ruthlessly caling on their friends and family to try this amazing health product. But of all the people I know who are in this stupid company, not one of them can be what I would call health-conscious and every single one of them have tried to ‘hook’ me up with this crap. it’s an extremely sad and demeaning way to make money.. you could also look at it this way – how many people do you know in this industry have gone to college, studied whatever they’ve studied for four years, come out and then decide to make a career out of this? im not saying none, but its pretty damning evidence. and no im not saying a degree qualifies someone to have better career prospects just look at sportsmen or truly brilliant entrepreneurs who start their own businesses. im just saying.. you get what i mean

[Reply]
jeff Reply:
February 23rd, 2011 at 1:33 pm
Well, it is obvious to me that you live in a very narrowly constructed world. I have a college education. I have a BA in sociology and masters work 20 units toward a masters degree in business. I am a distributor for Herbalife. My wife is also a distributor and is at the supervisor level and she has a BA in biological science and is an M.D. I have personally benefited from Herbalife products. I have been replacing my lunch daily with a protein shake, (lost 18 lbs in 36 days) I am also taking the CoQ10 Plus and using Niteworks. Since about two weeks after starting on the CoQ10 Plus, I have been able to totally discontinue taking any medications for my ADD and since starting on Niteworks, my blood pressure is down from 164 over 90 to 137 over 70. I have changed nothing else in my life or lifestyle so it has to be the products. We have several customers that are successfully taking off weight at about 10 lbs per month and they are all happy. Being an Herbalife distributor and making money at it is like any other enterprise. Can you imagine someone becoming a concert pianist without practicing? Or a business opening and the owner not showing up to take care of his or her customers? Could anyone become a success at anything with out putting a lot of time and effort? I think my grandfather said it best, “life’s success is like a man going to a well to get water. The amount of water will depend only on how much effort the man puts out to haul the bucket up and how many times he puts forth that effort.” It works if you work at it.

[Reply]
but... Reply:
May 8th, 2011 at 5:36 am
MD’s are NOT qualified nutritionist/dieticians. MD’s do NOT have the knowledge or expertise in the area of diet management that would be required to do counselling of this nature.
you have a BA in sociology and part of a masters degree in business…so? what are your nutrition qualifications?
can you imagine a concert pianist whos only experience is on the trombone?
do you qualify for membership with your dietetic industry body? no? then what makes you think youre qualified to practice nutrition?

[Reply]
Tonya Reply:
February 23rd, 2011 at 7:22 pm
(directed towards Tony)

I currently have an Associates Degree and am furthering my Education (Nursing). I was introduced to Herbalife by a peer at school (who is also continuing her education in nursing) and our distributor also has a degree and is furthering her education. Logically, being educated gives these distributors an advantage and if they are selling herbalife while in school they are able to advertise their product, therefore increasing their profit. You are not the only one with an education…get over yourself.

I agree, there are many scams out there but I have also had good results with Herbalife and will stand up for their product. It is no miracle diet, one still needs motivation.

[Reply]
but... Reply:
May 8th, 2011 at 5:40 am
so then you think with his nutrition qualification this person would be adequately prepared to practice as a registered nurse? or do you think having a degree in a related field isnt quite enough knowledge to work in that industry? i mean hey, if so, ill just go now and start working in the local hospital as a nurse, because you clearly feel that nutrition is a field that can be done by anyone who has some education in a health field. my friend should also start practicing neurosurgery, his degree is in social work and counselling but hey its close enough, right?

[Reply]

Kay on February 23rd, 2011 at 7:48 pm

Congrats on your education Jeff. Put the products aside and focus on the pyramid scheme they have going. Unless of course you are drinking that green and white koolaid too.

[Reply]

Adam on March 16th, 2011 at 7:06 pm

You all are great really great. You want to see a scam? Its called FACEBOOK, anyone here use facebook? Facebook only sells ALL of your info to big corporations to make MONEY. Yea that would be a scam. Read it in there TOS. Misinformation is the BIGGEST scam on the internet. Just like that guy bashing herbalife on here, you know why? KEYWORDS. The more he posts scam and herbalife on here the more traffic he gets to his site (Hes ranking high in google for the keywords “Herbalife Scam”. This is called SEO (Search Engine Optimization) Hes no idiot, hes just trying to get traffic, albeit not in a very good or fair manner.

Anyway, I hope many people realize there are tons of MLM, Affiliate Marketers, ECT. Online that make huge amounts of cash, sometimes so big they quit there jobs and work from home. The reason you see people saying these things are scams is well lets face it 95% of people that try MLM or affiliate marketing WILL FAIL. That’s not to say its not possible, or it won’t work if you try, because it will. Most people just want the get rich quick deal. And I assure you all your INTERNET GURU’s and blah blah hell they will take all your money because they are not real TRUE internet marketers, they dont know jack about SEO or keywords they know three keywords “GET RICH QUICK” or “MAKE MONEY ONLINE” The market is saturated with that, and thus anyone following there horrible advice will get scammed because there is no money in that what so ever.. But to say the internet is all bad, that MLM is ALL BAD is bs it really is. Im sick of the misinformation on the internet, ANYONE, ANYWHERE can run a successful business from home with the internet and a little hard work. To the guy that said he got scammed out of marketing, YOUR AN IDIOT, you know how many free ways there are to market online. How about writing a few good articles, with hmm, YOUR AFFILIATE LINK AT THE BOTTOM! Most people just don’t have that drive and keep there 9-5 that pays them jack. Just think how much that company is making for your 10 bucks an hour. MILLIONS. And you don’t think that’s a scam….?

[Reply]

Kay on March 17th, 2011 at 11:31 am

Idiot…how dare you call anyone and idiot…you must be the one that posts that junk on websites about how someone in your area makes thousands a month selling from home…Yeah right! There is no market for the product, unless you shove it down the throats of your relatives…it is a pyramid sceme forsure. The only ones that make anything off it is the supervisors that sceme unsuspeting people into buying thousands of dollars worth of it and then cannot move it….Give it up and GET A REAL JOB!!!!!!!!

[Reply]

editor on March 17th, 2011 at 11:40 am

Hey guys and girls. I know everyone has a strong opinion about things here, but let’s try and keep comments calm and rational. If you have a viewpoint to express, do it in a way that isn’t too insulting or by calling people names. It’s great that these discussions go on, and people certainly have strong views about each side, but lets keep it clean. Thanks for your comments…

[Reply]

Jessica on March 17th, 2011 at 12:39 pm

I believe the products are probably good, but some of the people selling are misinformed. I am a type 1 diabetic. Which for there still is no cure other than having an islet cell transplant. Still having to take daily anti-rejection medication. They continued to argue that it would cure my diabetes. How is that if my body can no longer make insulin. Sure it can’t help reduce the amount of insulin that I need to use daily. Type 2 diabetes is a different story. They need more training because they just sound stupid.

[Reply]
Byron Reply:
March 21st, 2011 at 1:59 pm
You are absolutely correct. If you have type one diabetes you cannot cure the disease. You must keep taking your insulin on the basis of your blood sugar control. However, according to a physician who is also an Herbalife distributor, You should be doing everything you can to keep your weight proper and to learn in depth about carbo load and carbo index to insure that you are not creating a state of insulin resistance. You should also write directly to the Herbalife medical department and let them know who is promoting the products as a cure for Diabetes one. Also there are many people who have successfully been able to quit taking medications for Diabetes type II after losing weight and learning how to eat properly.

[Reply]

William on April 7th, 2011 at 4:46 am

a MLM and a pyramid scheme are similar but not the same. If you buy a toy at toys r us and it breaks you don’t jump to the conclusion that that company is a scheme. same here

[Reply]

Akushaq on April 12th, 2011 at 6:30 pm

Good write-up! My wife and I have been using and distributing Herbalife products ourselves and can readily attest to your arguments. The products are good and they work! It’s that plain and simple. As to whether Herbalife is a scam or not, your article put in crystal clear.

[Reply]
aamoffshore Reply:
May 3rd, 2011 at 8:18 am
I LOVE HERBALIFE!

Our family has been using Herbalife for over 15 years… Good product results… Good business… Good money!

Herbalife made us look good, feel great and rich!

AWESOME!

[Reply]

Terri on April 27th, 2011 at 10:05 pm

I think the real issue that people have (or at least the issue I have) is the approach taken to get you invested into the company. The Herbalife products are going to be reviewed much like all products in the sense that some love them and some don’t. Thats just the facts of life and most people agreeing to start a business supporting a particular product can accept that. The bigger problem, in my opinion, is the tactics used to generate more distributors for the product. Initially, the information provided online is very vague and even though there isn’t a fee to receive the welcome packet/DVD which is supposed to provide more information, there is a $9.95 s/h charge. The packet/DVD does little to explain the business or product, but instead builds on all the hype of how much money can be made IF you are committed and teachable. It isn’t until you are speaking with your mentor that you find out what you’ll be selling and that there will be a $199 start up cost and upon receipt of that payment you can move on to the next step where you’ll receive your training. Hmm, granted, that isn’t an unreasonable figure to start a business, but it’s a little disheartening just NOW finding out about it. Assuming you have the money and are willing to pay it to get started, it isn’t until you’re in training that you are told you need to get a website, a merchant account, auto dialing, buy ads, leads, etc, etc. This information is part of the training “secrets”, so that’s why it isn’t to be disclosed until after you pay the $199. Ok, now that you’ve invested hundreds of additional dollars (putting it mildly), enjoy your 25% commission. Yay! Go Herbalife!
Oh wait….you want to earn the big $$$, whoa there….you need to be a supervisor and that involves mentoring and bringing in new distributors, following the same step by step instructions your mentor followed to get you here. That also involves a mass purchasing of our products that you will need to have at your disposal…so, this decisicon to further your success in the company should only cost you several thousands of dollars this time. Surprise!
Ok, seriously, people can throw out the ole’ “you gotta have capital blah, blah, blah” to your little hearts content, but it doesn’t change the feeling of deception among those in this predicament. People feel “scammed” and are upset and furious. At this point they don’t support the product, they’re doing the same thing to others that was done to them and if they throw in the towel, they are out hundreds or even thousands of dollars. No wonder there is so much animosity.
It’s not unreasonable to want to know what you’re getting into before you invest. All of the important details of what are involved and what is to be expected are purposely withheld until after another investment has been made. Is that illegal, no….is it slimy, absolutely! Is that part of the learning experience when starting a normal business, yes. But… this isn’t a normal business venture. You have a large corporation promising to hold your hand as they guide you through a step by step process and what you get is a new surprise around every corner costing more than just the money you’ve been duped out of. It’s down right
despicable and I am just glad that I was only victim to the loss of $9.95. How did I discover all the info I’ve provided here, you ask…..THAT, I attribute to being a Gemini….the ability to not only talk my way through finding out what I want to know, but apparently, the ability to get others to talk more than they should about the company they work for. *wink*

[Reply]
editor Reply:
April 28th, 2011 at 12:39 am
Some good points here, and perhaps the lesson is not to get too wrapped up in selling the product, but rather using the product and achieving success with it. Unfortunately in any direct sales/network marketing business, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the sales model of the business. But much of the success you may achieve is driven by whether you are successful using the products. If you are just out there flying the flag, without having achieved positive results using the products, then you’re just another ‘slimy’ salesperson. But if you feel healthier, have lost weight, etc.. after using the products, and then you enter into the business/income generation side of things, then you’re speaking from your heart and you will come across as more honest and genuine, which you are.

[Reply]
aamoffshore Reply:
May 3rd, 2011 at 8:23 am
Be the product of the products and the business follows naturally.

When people see you looking great and happy, they can’t help but ask what you did to look great and happy and healthy!

When people see you very successful and rich, they can’t help but ask how you became rich and successful.

You have to take the Herbalife products seriously, correctly and consistently… and the business just follows naturally…

I LOVE HERBALIFE!

[Reply]
but... Reply:
May 8th, 2011 at 5:46 am
agree completely.

[Reply]

Michael on May 3rd, 2011 at 1:21 pm

3.5 billion yearly by 1.8 million distributors? Hmm that works out to roughly $1,944 total sale per distributor yearly… Hmm… “Intwesting” You forget to tell us how much the distributor takes home from $1,944. Definately a ‘pyramid-like’ business if myriads of people slave for a money guzzling boss at the top of the py****d. Pleas tell those 1.8m people to go get a day job like I did. Those team members probably scam each other because the don’t make money.

[Reply]
aam Reply:
June 19th, 2011 at 6:53 am
Well you see Michael, there are people who are meant to have a day job, like you, and there are people who are meant to be ENTREPRENEURS and make lots of money at their own time.

I know of many people who are wealthy but not healthy. Others are healthy and want to be wealthy

We make people healthy and wealthy! I am healthy and wealthy!

I AM LOVING HERBALIFE FOR OVER 15 YEARS NOW!!!

[Reply]

Leak on May 18th, 2011 at 9:56 pm

Skimmed through these intelligent comments, I felt like people are most concerned about making money from Herbalife, or doing business with Herbalife. From my point of view, we should focus more on what does Herbalife do to our health? For instance, some people might have lost their weight or gained their weight as they expected, but is there a gaurantee that those nutritions from Herbalife won’t have bad effects to Human health in another 10 to 15 years? This is a question from a consumer stand point, not part of the distributor. Thanks!

[Reply]
Ben Reply:
May 21st, 2011 at 10:20 pm
if taken in high doses, yes. some vitamins can be toxic. thats why upper limits exist, usually because it has been found in most people to have negative side effects.
additional consideration would need to be made for the poor education levels of the distributors, as such, you can expect to be given incorrect information and be taking things that you dont need to, negatively affecting your body.
if youre able to either find someone whos a qualified nutritionist or youre able to decipher for yourself the expected results from your own education, then you can most likely use them without issue. i will say however, despite opinions otherwise, most people cant.

[Reply]
aam Reply:
June 19th, 2011 at 6:38 am
Hello,

Been using Herbalife Products for over 15 years now, and I am healthier @ 45 years than when I was 30 years…

My Mother is 77 years old and has been using Herbalife Products and is in perfectly good health, with NO maintenance medications.

My Aunt celebrated her 80th birthday, been using Herbalife Products and is healthy and with NO maintenance medication.

[Reply]

Outzider2012 on May 31st, 2011 at 3:42 pm

Actually..I have to agree with the editor (which i am a strong advocate against rip off scams that don’t disclosed everything upfront.
But do Walmart disclose everything upfront, when u buy merchandise from them..do they disclose massive amounts of profits that they are making in coalation with the minimum wage jobs they offer…no.
One thing that is missing is the victims excuse for not reading the fine print..sometimes we look so hard at the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow..we forget how long or far that rainbow stretches to reach it.
if you read the discalimer before you signup it says as plain as day
here’s what it says:

Terms and Conditions of 14 day FREE viewing period.

Please understand we have attempted to remove all the risk for you. Our intention is for you to view the information in its entirety, speak with your personal business coach, and decide if this business is for you. Should you decide this is not something you were looking for, simply return the materials according to the terms below and you will not be charged.

You will be billed a one-time non-refundable charge of $9.95 USD for FedEx Next Day delivery at the time of shipping.
The 14 day free trial period will begin on the shipping date(all packages will be shipped FedEx Next Day service) and will end 14 days later. If you decide to return the Home Business Training Package, it must be in its original condition and postmarked no later than 14 days after the original date of shipping. The original date of shipping will be noted on your package when you receive it. Due to the cost of production of these valuable materials, if the package is not returned within these guidelines you are agreeing to being billed a one-time charge of $39.95 USD.

This is an offer for an Herbalife independent distributor.

Thanks once again and we look forward to working with you!

[Reply]

R. B. Jeffrey on June 1st, 2011 at 12:46 pm

This note is specifically for Outzider: You need to go back to school and take a course in writing. It would do your credibility some good if you learned the forms of the verb to be. As far as you believe that Herbalife is a scam. Some people believe in ghosts some people believe in flying saucers (not stopping to think that if they traveled from a solar system around the nearest star It would take them 192,000,000 years to get from there to here at the speed of light which is 186,000 miles per second. In other words people believe stupid things. Hooray for Herbalife! There a lot of people in the Herbalife system making a lot of money. Profit is not a nasty word.

[Reply]
Outzider2012 Reply:
June 1st, 2011 at 6:34 pm
R.B.Jeffrey or whatever the hell your name is..you need to take a course in reading comprehension. What I wrote (so get your herbalife defensive head out of your lower extremeties) to CAREFULLY understand what was actually in the earlier post (geez ..where do these self-righteous nuts come from) First and foremost, I did not say Herbalife is a rip-off ..I said Walmart is more of a rip-off than Herbalife..my point was that many people don’t take the time to read the disclaimer at the bottom of the website that has the testamonials..that’s why they feel its a scam(or they were scammed)..but in defense of herbalife, they actually state their name in the disclaimer ..PEOPLE FAIL TO READ THE DISCLAIMER!!!! I’m merely pointing out their mistake ..so it’s not Herbalife responsiblity if they dont read the fine print. Dislaimers are an important clause that many people fail to read (just ask any person who took out a loan or bought a car or house and didn’t read the disclaimer or fine print. Look, every business has its share of unscrupulous salespeople (Yamaha, Sears..I could list a million..ask any good and decent Amway distributor, see my point)many victims who post their greivances that I’ve read most surely dealt with a sleazy Distributor, that doesn’t mean the company is a scam…just a few independent distributors who are more after the big bucks than a good win/win situation for everyone involved. I hope that clears up the misconception that I’m a Herbalife hater. If not, take it where the sun doesn’t shine!!

[Reply]
R. B. Jeffrey Reply:
June 3rd, 2011 at 8:48 am
Here is a direct copy of your first two sentences.

Actually..I have to agree with the editor (which i am a strong advocate against rip off scams that don’t disclosed everything upfront.
But do Walmart disclose everything upfront, when u buy merchandise from them..do they disclose massive amounts of profits that they are making in coalation with the minimum wage jobs they offer…no.

The reason for my saying you need to go back to school. You used the word “disclosed” which is the past tense of the word you needed “disclose” Second you wrote “But do Walmart” Sentences are not supposed to be started with a conjunction and do should have been does. Third, did you mean correlation instead of a word “coalation” that isn’t really a word. So my friend I am not being self righteous. I believe what you say is true, but, it is hard to take someone seriously if they don’t spell check and use the proper grammar when trying to convince someone else of a point they are trying to make. Herbalife is a wonderful company that has been going strong for 30 years and serves their customers with great products and terrific opportunities for people who are willing to work diligently.

[Reply]
Outzider2012 Reply:
June 5th, 2011 at 10:54 pm
..this isn’t about proper English grammer, my friend. This is about people that are not reading the disclaimer on the web page. I wrote in the earlier post to state that fact (I’m actually upholding Herbalife) case in point..
many people claimed that they responded to an ad. The ad reads:
you can make a gazillion dollars at home. They respond to the ad. They claim after they sign up they find out it is herbalife. But to defend herbalife..I said, “many people don’t read the disclaimer..which states ..HERBALIFE”. So Herbalife is mention before you sign up..just not in the big print. That is the big confusion to many complaints. In any business ventures you have winners and you have losers ..so be understanding of that. Alot plays into success or failure,the state of the economy. (Places that have the highest layoffs, foreclosures) these are the same people who are desperate for a miracle. So they believe everyone can make it rich at home. But my point is tell them it’s Herbalife upfront, so these desperate people could have a chance to reconsider before rushing head first into it. That way if I know my finances are not adaquate..I want join in the first place. (that way Herbalife will get the clients who are financially able to produce))This is not about my English grammar.

[Reply]
Dan Abram Reply:
June 13th, 2011 at 11:24 am
I agree with Outzider…even though his/her english skills are limited, probably Asian. Herbalife is a very reputable company from the reports that are published. So here’s my 2 cents…have every distributor list Herbalife in their ads, so most of these complaints will have no merit.

[Reply]

Toody on June 17th, 2011 at 11:29 am

I just went on an “interview” for the Herbalife company. First off, they use deceptive hiring techniques. They claim they are a nutrition and fitness company looking for “wellness coaches”, never mentioning the name Herbalife in the advertisement. Then I get their and the presentation I see is all about selling herbalife products and how much money you can make. This is illegal, and EXACTLY like the Kirby Vacuum Scam (look it up). OH and BTW, Kirby is part of Berkshire Hathaway, a billion dollar publicly traded company, so a spot on the NASDAQ does not always equal legitimate. These distributors offer nothing in terms of a plan for exercise and how to help you lose weight. They push an overpriced product to consumers by giving out flyers for “free smoothies”. The people I saw come into the Herbalife store were extremely overweight and older skewing in age. I’d be shocked to find that these people ever use this product, let alone stand a chance to lose weight using it. The presenter told me I could make $27,000 a month, A MONTH!!!, selling vitamins and protein shakes?? Sorry but I’ve been scammed before and I can smell it a mile away; the “presentation” was identical to the Kirby Vacuum one I went through, same BS tactics to sugar coat what is actually happening. Also, check out the internet and you will see the various lawsuits against this company which include internal organ damage to users of these products. If you want to lose weight, get up off your lazy rear, go for a walk and stop eating Mcdonalds. Everyone wants an instant fix. Well, it took you years to get fat, it will take years to go back. Avoid this at all costs.

[Reply]
R. B. Jeffrey Reply:
June 18th, 2011 at 6:53 am
Herbalife recruiting has not even one sentence that says anything at all about wellness coaches. Liar, Liar, pants on fire. I have the recruiting manual right in front of me. So you are just not telling the truth.

[Reply]
U. B. Fullofit Reply:
June 18th, 2011 at 8:00 pm
does it shock you to think that an entirely unregulated business that gives free reign over the marketing of a product to anyone who is willing to sign on with no follow-ups or checks on any business practices, relying completely on complaints from unsatisfied customers to be any form of “regulation” – if you can call it that – may have people ‘thinking outside the square’ so to speak, selling the products in a way that suits them? really? oh it doesnt mention wellness coaches in your book? diddums. this is called bad business and IS the fault of the company. i can validate the claims above, and evidence is as follows:

http://adelaide.gumtree.com.au/c-Jobs-health-beauty-Wellness-Coaches-wanted-W0QQAdIdZ203889092

this was a job which advertised for wellness coaches for people selling herbalife products. the name herbalife is not given in the business name or job advert, and i only found out from asking the business owner, who had no issue in telling me it was a herbalife club, and i dont really have a problem with that myself. but to claim this person is lying because you personally dont see it in your manual is preposterous. the franchise is responsible for maintaining their businesses, and if there is someone who is non-compliant it is the franchise who remains responsible for their lack of input, follow-up and regulation NOT the customer.

[Reply]
Skeptic Reply:
July 14th, 2011 at 8:15 pm
actually, i went into their club and it stated all over the walls “Wellness Coaches Wanted. Ask for details” Its fishy and sounds like theirs no way to make a profit from a company that’s giving the “middle-man” 50% of their income.

[Reply]

Lori on September 25th, 2011 at 6:57 pm

I like the products but I do NOT like the “work at home business” because I got lured in by one of their ads that said “work at home just a few hours a day”. That’s not true, it’s a business, any business you start, whether on the internet or in person, must have alot of time put into it in the beginning stages. The truth is, you don’t make much money selling the products like you do selling the “work at home” business.

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Luanne on November 1st, 2011 at 11:55 pm

Herbalife’s products are highly beneficial (I’ve taken them over 20 years), and I returned as a distributor because I love the products. As for the business, it takes a lot of time and effort, and there are no guarantees. I try to stay consistent and not run up my credit card – which unnerves me when I hear this is being encouraged. This is a tough economy and we have to be realistic. Becoming a distributor is a great way to use products at a discount, and an aggressive recruiting campaign will build the organization faster. Rather than pay for expensive leads, though, I use a free tool called Better Web Builder, which all Herbalife Distributors may find helpful. Good job with your website – I left my Herbalife site in your reply box and would appreciate if you would drop by and leave a comment or thumbs up – we all should support eachother. That can be a beautiful aspect of Network Marketing – the relationships you get to build with others. Feel free to connnect with me on Facebook an Twitter. Blessings to you! Luanne

[Reply]

Renwick Jeffrey on November 6th, 2011 at 7:03 am

All of you who are failures at life because you have no willingness to work for what you get in life need to quit thinking that there is a quick and easy to make money. If you believe that luck will get you what you want and someone else it going to do it for you need to take a close look at how you got to that belief system. Go flip hamburger, clean motel rooms, wait table, wipe down cars at the car wash, or what ever menial job you want to do. Just don’t slam Herbalife. It is a terrific companny that takes care of its distributors. All you have to do is take the products, wear the button and talk to people. The only reason that it looks like a pyramid from the outside is because the people at the top have been working at it for years and years and have built an extensive down line through hard work and perseverance. Get off you dead lazy butt and put in some effort.

[Reply]
Liss Reply:
November 6th, 2011 at 8:10 am
Here here! Fully agree!

It’s like any other business the harder you work the more money you will make. Because Herbalife isn’t run as your standard company many think there is some conspiracy…..but these same people will willing go out and invest money by buying well known products with never any incentive other than goodwill to go spread the word. Herbalife users are passionate about the products they use themselves therefore are rewarded for spreading the word. For all those thinking its a get rich quick scheme where you don’t have to work then you are fools

[Reply]

Renwick Jeffrey on November 14th, 2011 at 10:19 am

The only thing I can say that may help the naysayers is that I am glad to be a part of Herbalife. If you want to join me as a happy camper then go to my website and sign up.

[Reply]
Luanne Reply:
November 29th, 2011 at 1:12 am
Geesh – Well, I’m a school psychologist and I consume and sell Herbalife. So glad you have a blog – very smart idea. Your blog did not happen overnight, either. It has taken a lot of work. I was in Herbalife for a long time in the early 90s for many years, but went back to graduate school. Years later, my vitality suffered due to cancer treatment, and so a few years ago, i started back on the products and what a big difference! Thereafter I sat in on distributor calls again and well, everyone has their way of doing business. I decided to approach the business a little differently and researched new school methods, like what you are doing here. Herbalife success takes very hard work, so, I have no plans to quit my day job, but it sure is a great product line and meanwhile, I’m setting up to do business — which takes a long time, so I can be in a position to help others.

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Nando on December 16th, 2011 at 7:44 am

Nothing illegitimate about multi-level marketing… the scam starts when you have to pay to get in. This is what makes a scam!

By paying, I mean piling up you garage with over-priced products that won’t sell

[Reply]
Max Reply:
December 16th, 2011 at 7:55 am
Nando, if you have a garage full of product that won’t sell, then you’re probably a lousy salesman. Get out of the business and into something that you’re good at, like complaining.

And furthermore, I’ve never heard of such ridiculous logic, that paying for products means it’s a scam. What nonsense.

[Reply]
Liss Reply:
December 16th, 2011 at 9:08 am
Since my last post instead of reading and speculating what I knew from other people and how I percieved the Herbalife business I decided I would do a test that MIGHT just stop these stupid rumours…I signed up to Herbalife as a distributor!!!

I did NOT have to part with ANY money the only thing I had to do was buy a business pack which contained one set the products I usually buy monthly to the value of 120 euro, additional to this I got a Herbalife bag along with DVD’s and other stuff…I see this as “free” as it was in addition to my usual monthly spend. AND I get a discount off my Herbalife purchases if I sell any 3rd party or not… I did NOT have to buy thousands of euros worth of products.

If you use the products it is worth signing up just for the discount.

Herbalife membership can be re-newed yearly for 13 euro…

I would suggest if you became a herbalife distibutor in any other way you have either been fooled quite easily by a dishonest person NOT Herbalife themselves as a company or you are lying….scare mongering or have some reason to try and make Herbalife look bad.

So there you have it first hand! From someone who has actually tried it to see how it works! NOTHING illegitimate.

I would suggest that if people have complaints they contact Herbalife directly to address these issues.

[Reply]
Ben Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 7:50 pm
First, this doesn’t address the poor quality service the customer receives, which has been the main point you have been disputing.

Second, can you guarantee this is an international standard?

[Reply]
Liss Reply:
December 29th, 2011 at 4:28 pm
I don’t know…I am only speaking from my experience and I have not experienced bad customer service only good honest service and as for signing up as a member I presume it is international standard, I did not have to part with lots of money and there is no pressure to purchase products.

I don’t know where you are located Ben but perhaps if you are interested contact Herbalife and ask them what you’d have to do to become a member…just out of interest, if they give you a different story to mine then question them…would be interested to see if this seems to be the standard internationally.

[Reply]
Ben Reply:
December 30th, 2011 at 8:25 pm
I’m not speaking about customer service, I mean the overall service. The lack of knowledge the distributors have on nutrition and health. The lack of any requirement for any formal education. Nobody cares about customer service when they don’t even get a chance to speak with someone who actually understands the basics of human nutrition.

I’ve already been told what is required. It costs several hundred dollars and you commence selling their crap.

[Reply]
Liss Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 5:20 pm
Well it seems you have already made your mind up about Herbalife which is fine, we are all entitled to our opinions.

What you say about lack of formal training is wrong….maybe thats how it works in the US but not over here in NL, I am going through training right now…

But anyway…

You believe Herbalife products are crap, which is also fine.

There is no point discussing this topic further, I wish you all the best with investing your energy and time on a subject/business you are passionate and positive about.

[Reply]

J on December 29th, 2011 at 4:30 pm

Well. This is one of the longest running threads I have come across and with due cause.

When Herbalife first made its appearance in 1980 I was present for it. I well remember the funky little generic bottles with the hand printed labels. I also remember the individuals that promoted the product. As well, I remember when Herbalife went from being a supplier of processed and packaged herbs and tonics to being a pyramid based marketer of said products.

Now pyramid schemes were deemed illegal buy the US Government because they simply were nothing more than a scheme. No products were involved, just people getting people to pay so as to get other people to pay…and so on, thus the pyramid. When the government stepped in and ruled their activites as illegal, all the would be pyramiders changed there marketing to strategy to include….drum roll…products! The first product to be grabbed up by former pyramiders was Amway which was a small company selling household cleaning products in competition with the likes of Fuller Brush and Avon. Now once the pryamiders got a hold of Amway they took off like no bodies business. And so the transition was complete and pyramiders became “Multilevel Marketers”. The only difference, and yes all of you folks need to do a little research, the ONLY difference between pyramid schemes and multilevel marketing is the inclusion of an actual product that “is for sale” thus side-stepping being classified as a pyramid.

Granted, as I explained at the outset, Herbalife like Amway, did not start out as a multilevel marketer yet that is what they became early on and that is their primary source of revenue today. Now let’s continue with a little more education on this subject. Not too long after figuring out the “product” angle, the Government figured out that these “multilevel marketers” where primarily selling distributorships and not actual product. So the Government then refined its guidelines adding a ratio of sales revenue requirement requiring a significant percentage of the company’s revenue to come from actual sales of products. Not to be deterred, multilevel marketers responded by changing the requirements of there “distributors”. Distributors were now required to purchase specific levels of product to maintain there status. And so, vuala, the pyramiders found a way to continue there schemes while satisfying the governments requirements to be classified as “multilevel marketers”.

So make no mistake about it. Herbalife like Amway and others, are “legal” pryamid schemes cloaked in the categorization established by the government of “multilevel marketers”. To date, Herbalife’s key revenue stream comes from “downstreams” created through the marketing of, not their products, but their distributorships. If you still wish to believe otherwise, may I invite you to attend one of Herbalife’s regional or national meetings and observe who it is that is receiving the awards and who it is that is making the “big bucks”.

At the end of the day, Herbalife does have a product and people do use the products. If you have benefited from their products then God bless. But please be honest in your evaluation of them as a business. The real question is this; is making money off getting people to give you money so that they can go and get people to give them money so that…ethical? You may be surprised by my answer but I say, yes! My answer comes with a condition however and that is that you must be upfront and honest with perspective distributors about where the real revenue stream is. That’s all. Now the problem with that is, well, the government. If you promote the truth about where the money really is coming from you are then going to find yourself in a bit trouble…and so goes fine lines.

Let me conclude by saying this. If Herbalife has quality products that produce real results and that is what the mission of the company is, then eliminate the multilevel money stream and be a straight up manufacturer of herbal products utilizing distributors that sell product and nothing else. It just that simple. Until companies like Herbalife change their marketing model they will continue to skirt the fine line between legal and illegal and continue to receive the criticism that comes with it. – J

[Reply]

DiRT on January 23rd, 2012 at 9:18 am

So starting a website called “bloghealthydiet.com” and filling it with nothing but Herbalife ads disguised as articles isn’t shady or scammy?

[Reply]
editor Reply:
January 23rd, 2012 at 9:29 am
The ads aren’t disguised as anything. They’re in plain view for all to see. If you don’t like it, don’t visit the site.

As to the articles being some sort of disguise for the ads, they aren’t. They’re articles.

And as to placing ads on a website being shady or scammy, what nonsense. Millions of reputable websites across the internet serve up advertising. There’s nothing shady about placing ads on a website. If you don’t like seeing advertising, install an adblock plugin in your browser instead of posting ridiculous comments like this.

[Reply]

R. B. Jeffrey on January 23rd, 2012 at 10:18 am

DIRT: Get a life. Is someone of Herbalife competitors paying you to write what you write here. If you don’t like multilevel marketing. Try collecting aluminum cans and get yourself a really reliable grocery cart and a make a sign that says “Homeless, Will work for food” Please help. God Bless. You can scam a whole bunch of liberals out of their money and have to do absolutely nothing for it.

Get off the train and go get a job.

[Reply]

J on January 26th, 2012 at 10:14 am

“Get a life. Is someone of Herbalife competitors paying you…”

Really? Why don’t you learn to proof read your posts before posting them so that we don’t have to labor through disjointed incomplete sentences. We all appreciate your having picked yourself up off the streets to join society as a contributing member but please. If you really think Herbalife is NOT a scam then why don’t you go up your revenue stream and see how much money is being pulled through you at the top. NOT a scam, please…why don’t YOU get off your train and start breathing the fresh air of reality. Herbalife, they depend on gullable people like you to sustain the flow and that is what is wrong with America!

[Reply]

Are you for real?!! on February 9th, 2012 at 10:38 am

This is the most biased bunch of tripe i’ve ever read and quite frankly i wish i hadn’t bothered.

I can’t believe that anyone can think that drinking a couple of milkshakes a day and some salad for dinner is a ‘healthy’ way to lose weight, if you really do then clearly you’re a moron.

Here’s an idea! why dont you get all your vitamins and mineral from FRUIT AND VEG and eat healthy food like a normal person, god i bet your a riot at dinner parties! ‘more chips Diane? no thanks ive got my milkshake!!’

Anyone that tries herbalife, slimfast, lighter life etc. etc. are lazy, ignorant and obviously not concerned with long term weight loss.

What do you think is going to happen the minute you come off this stuff…you put it all back on and then some…

You people are pathetic, ‘oh ive got two degrees and my wife is an M.D’ did you use clipart and print them off yourself? wow, you ARE clever.

[Reply]
Ben Reply:
February 9th, 2012 at 4:36 pm
Using meal replacements to lose weight is not necessarily flawed logic. They’re meant to be used in conjunction with a healthy diet to aide in weight loss, beyond which point you can use them further to maintain higher levels of nutrients either constantly in the diet or just when you’re having a low day. Not surprising really since they are generally used as a “supplement”. You also need to be aware that the composition of whole foods isn’t necessarily condusive to weight LOSS, since as you’re aware theyre meant to be eaten in a healthy diet – which means sustaining weight, not losing it. As such, using a supplement to keep your energy intake on a negative and maintaining nutrient intake is not a bad idea.
After ceasing their use you are able to sustain your weight through a healthy diet. Keeping in mind that there is more than vitamins and minerals in fruit and veg that are important, people need to actually consult a nutritionist/dietitian or even do some real research on the topic themselves.

Regardless of the method used, so long as the individual is actually getting all of their required nutrients and are maintaining a healthy lifestyle then that is what matters. Judging peoples methods because they differ to what you consider to be the ideal is flat out stupid when you aren’t actually sure that they aren’t able to meet the requirements from what they’re doing. There are real issues with Herbalifes methods, the use of milkshakes isn’t even remotely a major one.
Oh and I’m a Nutritionist registered with all nationally recognised dietetic bodies in the country and a degree with no clip art on it.

[Reply]

Steve Payne on February 22nd, 2012 at 4:00 pm

If the product is so grat then why don’t they have their own stores or why not sell it in wal-mart or target, or just on their own web site. Instead they have you recruit someone to seel and o you have to buy some of the products too (guaranteed sales this way). So, yes it is a pyramid scheme.

[Reply]

A on March 25th, 2012 at 12:24 pm

I looked at the label of Herbalife F1 that I bought through a distributor for over £20.

I then looked at the label of Ovaltine that I bought in the store for £3.

If you normalise the serving amount, they’re pretty similar in nutritional content, apart from the protein.

Then I looked at the caffeine content of the tea I’d bought, and realised it was as strong as coffee.

Then I understood where all this magical energy came from and decided never to buy from them again. I just drink ovaltine with grilled chicken and some fruit.

The saddest thing is that I’ve lost a good friend. Herbalife is like a cult – it’s ALL she ever wants to talk about.

[Reply]

ann on April 7th, 2012 at 9:38 pm

some one wrote in websites that if we use herbalife products our liver damaged…i am also using herbalife products,undoughtedly it is working,but i am tense about liver problems wrote by some one….after the reading of that liver problem,im also feel pain…i dont know….please clarify my dought friends………

[Reply]
Ben Reply:
April 8th, 2012 at 8:37 pm
Speak to a dietitian. Nobody here is qualified enough to answer that for you. Bring the products you are taking with you.

[Reply]

Alex - Herbalife Fraude on April 26th, 2012 at 3:50 pm

I´m a Herbalife distributor and has been greaaaat. I think you post is very compleat and I want ecourage people to read more information about Herbalife.

[Reply]

Parthi on April 27th, 2012 at 11:14 pm

Hey!
Im a herbalife product user. I can speak what i & my family felt. I lost 21Kgs in 5 months. Im very much healthy now. My mother was recovered from Ulser,low BP,Thyroid and overweight too. My father recovered from high BP. My grand mother recovered from Utres problem and Type 2 diabetic. So we love Herbalife.

Fools are fools only. If they want to know more please talk to your doctor. Without that every one speaking. I did the same. I spocked to my doctor, he told every one can eat this product except kidney failure person. Because of water intake and urine problem.
So please use this incredible products after discussion with your doctor.

We love herbalife ….

[Reply]

Herbalife Scam – Is Herbalife Really a Scam?

Is Herbalife a Scam?

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