Written By : Dr Ruby Shah (Last Updated on November 9, 2022)
By now, you’re probably at least somewhat aware of MLMs or MLM-type businesses.
These types of business, also known as multi-level markets, are involved in many people’s lives whether or not they know it.
You may have been phoned by someone from Amway who wanted you to join their business as a distributor and hung up, thinking it was a scam.
Maybe one of your friends sells products from a company despite never going to work.
Or, maybe you know what MLM companies are and you want to find out more about this particular brand to see if they’re worth joining.
We’re here to give you an open and honest review about Amway so you can decide whether or not you want to be involved.
What is Amway?
Amway is a company that’s taken a lot of flack in recent years.
Unfortunately for people who are thinking about joining, a lot of the flack comes from people who are actually involved in the business or in other similar types of business.
Amway is actually one of the most disputed MLMs that you can join and is commonly attributed to being a pyramid scheme.
Whether or not this is actually true is a matter of definition and debate – pyramid schemes aren’t inherently bad, they just have a bad name.
But more on that later.
This brand mostly has a bad name because they had some trouble with the FTC.
But pretty much any massive MLM company like this will encounter at least some problems with the FTC.
Amway has been around since 1959 and was borne from the minds of Rich Devos and Jay Van Andel.
They were long-term dreamers and hoped to open a successful business, which they certainly did: it has survived for more than 50 years and has branches in more than 100 countries.
In fact, it’s the highest grossing network marketing company in the world.
They operate under their 4 marketing principles: freedom, family, hope, and reward.
It’s a good message to live your life by but honestly doesn’t do much to explain how the company works.
Read on to find out a bit more about that!
Amway: What Do They Sell?
Amway has a huge variety of products that they sell, and they don’t really fit into a single niche.
They have a huge range of things for sale, varying from nutritional and health supplements to beauty products to home care and cleaning products.
They have one of the biggest product lines of all the MLM companies that I’ve seen.
There are so many categories that their products fit into that I won’t have any time to list them all here.
Needless to say you could fill a department store with Amway products a lone.
Amway Most Popular Products
There are a huge number of Amway products for you to choose from, but some of them are certainly more popular than others.
These are their most popular products:
Amway Nutrilite Protein Powder
Amway Nutrilite Protein Powder combines two types of protein – soy and milk.
This helps the body maintain the 9 essential amino acids it needs to function and build new proteins.
Amway Attitude Gel Cleanser
Amway Attitude Gel Cleanser is great for helping to keep oil away from your skin and keep it clean.
Amway Nutrilite Daily Products
Amway Nutrilite Daily Products, part of the same line as their protein powder, is great for helping to correct nutritional deficiencies.
It contains 11 minerals and 13 vitamins.
Does Amway Work?
Amway has been around for quite some time and has received consistently positive reviews.
Obviously not everyone likes the company, but the steady stream of 5 star reviews from a variety of customers indicates that their products are pretty effective.
They did encounter some problems with the FTC which made some people skeptical of their authenticity, but the problems were resolved and the brand now holds great ratings.
Ever since then, Amway has taken care to make sure that they treat their distributors and their customers well.
There is always the odd person who leaves negative reviews but in many cases that’s because products simply don’t agree with them.
Amway MLM Business Opportunity
If you have never heard of this type of business, don’t worry: they’re pretty easy to understand.
A MLM, or a multi-level marketing company allows people to join up and take part in the brand.
They can do this in a number of ways.
The most common ways are selling products which they buy at wholesale price, or recruiting members so they can take part in the company as well.
As you recruit members and sell more product, you will generally earn yourself points and be able to increase in level.
Each level will provide you with different benefits, bonuses, discounts, and a higher income.
The easiest way to make money in most MLMs is to recruit a lot of people because you usually make some commission off of their sales.
Since most members generally have to sell a certain amount of stuff to retain their membership, this means that there’s a mandatory minimum that you will make off your downline if they remain active.
The specifics of each company vary and their compensation plans can vary differently, though this is the general outline.
Amway: The Compensation Plan
While these businesses may have a similar concept, the real decision that you make usually depends on how much you’re going to get paid.
Like most other MLMs, Amway distributors get paid the most for recruiting other people into their business.
By doing this and selling products you will earn yourself PV, or personal volume.
By doing this you increase your standing with the company and you’ll be able to earn more bonuses and get better commission.
The bonuses start at 3% and can increase up to 21% as you rank up.
Is Amway A Pyramid Scheme?
Many MLM companies have been branded as pyramid schemes, and there is some truth to this.
They do operate in a pyramid-like structure and if you looked at the company in a chart you’d see this.
The newest members form the bottom of the pyramid.
They provide money to the people who recruited them – who are higher up on the pyramid – simply by selling stuff.
The pyramid continues to grow as the newest members recruit others, which in turn sends more money flowing up the pyramid towards the top.
At the top of the pyramid sits the CEO and people that they formed the company with.
Naturally, they earn more money than anyone else in the company.
Does this mean that they’re scheming or ripping people off?
Not really.
That’s pretty much how any company works.
Show me a few companies where the CEOs pay the front-end staff the same wage and I’ll change my mind.
That said, Amway took some flack for allegedly being a pyramid scheme.
In the bad sense.
My research indicates that there might have been some reason to be skeptical in years past but not so much anymore.
If there was, the brand would have been shut down by now.
In fact, from what I can see, Amway is more of a legit business than many other companies we see today.
It took a lot of bad media attention because it was shining light on how you didn’t need to rely on ‘traditional’ companies to make money.
Amway Reviews & Complaints
Just as with any brand, there are going to be people who love Amway and people who don’t like them.
Fortunately, the majority of websites that feature collective reviews on Amway reveal that it’s a good company.
The average ratings for them are between 3.5 and 4.5 stars, which is impressive for a big business of this nature.
On Glassdoor, for example, there are 452 reviews of this brand. They hold a solid 3.8 stars on the site.
Many similar MLMs are rated between 0.5 and 2.5 stars.
The most recent review says that the company has “great people with greta mindsets to make things happen and encourage growth.”
As of yet, they haven’t found any cons!
Amway Prices & Where To Buy
Amway’s prices aren’t anything to write home about.
In fact, the average consumer would say that their products are pretty expensive.
The company itself says that their products are expensive because of the high quality ingredients that are involved and the amount of research involved.
However, what else would a company that overcharges their products say?
I can’t prove that either way, but if you’re looking for cheap products you can find them elsewhere.
And if you need high quality products you can probably get them for similar prices elsewhere.
There have actually been numerous price comparisons done on Amway.
The results are generally quite similar.
When comparing products that are similar, or identical aside from branding, Amway is generally more expensive.
Even you buy Amway products in bulk – which is generally the best way to do it – they’re still more expensive.
You’d figure if you’re buying something in bulk you’re going to be getting a better deal, and this might be the case if you’re exclusively buying Amway products.
However, you can get the same stuff for a better deal elsewhere.
Amway’s pancake syrup, for example, needs to be bought in 12-packs.
The stuff is more expensive per ounce than a single bottle of similar syrup, such as Log Cabin, which can be bought in stores.
Amway products are easiest to buy from their website.
If you’re looking for a distributor you can search for one online but you’ll have to sift through countless links to their websites, which will probably be easier for you to use.
You can also find Amway products at online retailers like Amazon and eBay.
The prices here are comparable – and in some cases better – than they will be from their own website.
Amway Money Back Guarantee & Refund Policy
Amway offers a pretty good money back guarantee.
The coolest thing about them is that they offer a money-back guarantee on their starter’s kit.
Starter kits are a good portion of the reason that MLM companies have a bad name.
People would buy their starters kit and find out that they sucked at recruiting or making money, then blame the company for ripping them off.
Amway doesn’t do this.
You can return the kit within 90 days.
Same goes for any of their products.
This is sweet because it allows you the chance to decide on a different job opportunity if you realize that marketing isn’t for you – which seems to be the case with a lot of people who join MLMs expecting to get rich quick!
Amway Pros & Cons
Just like with anything it’s important to understand the pros and cons of a company before deciding to join or take part in it.
That will help you weigh your decision.
These are some of the most evident pros and cons of Amway.
Pros
- Has a stand-up money back guarantee that allows you to return your starter’s kit.
- Works with good endorsements – hosts NBA games as well as popular entertainers and celebrities. They are partnered with companies like Microsoft and Lego.
- The company has pretty solid ratings.
- They are quite reliable and honest as far as this type of business goes.
Cons
- There have been some legal problems associated with Amway. They ended up paying $56 million in a case that accused them of being a pyramid scheme.
- Not a lot of people are able to make money with their compensation plan. Only about 3% of members earn a living wage.
Amway Review: Final Verdict
Despite having some run-ins with the law, Amway seems to be a pretty legitimate company.
They are known for providing high-quality products and treating their customers, as well as their distributors, with integrity.
They also offer some unique things that other MLMs don’t, such as the chance to return your starter kit if you’re not digging the company.
Things like this indicate that Amway is truly dedicated to making your experience with them a good one.
We can’t tell you what to do, but hopefully after reading this article you’ll be able to make a better decision about whether or not you’ll support Amway!
So, what do you think about our Amway review? Would you buy it or not? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!
I really hope you can understand what you just wrote. You literally said exactly why you shouldn’t be apart of Amway. You speak of how all companies are in a pyramid shape. the people at the bottom make the least, and the people at the top make the most. Let’s think for just a few seconds about this. The bottom level has the most people. Each level after that gets smaller and smaller until you get to the top, the smallest level. Amway has roughly 17,000 employees. As you stated only about 3% of members make a living wage. Less than 600 people make a living wage. Do you think those 600 are anywhere near the bottom? I guarantee you they are not. Do you think you realistically can make it to the top? I guarantee you that you can’t. The way a MLM (pyramid scheme works) is you build the base to be bigger and bigger, providing more money for the upper levels. The base can only get so big. You are way too late to the party, and way too low in the pyramid. There is a finite amount of people on this planet and the money will never get spread to the lower levels.
This is not to say you are dumb for joining, this is to say that you are willfully ignoring the many many many faults, especially and most importantly the one you listed about 3% of people making a living wage. I can also tell you, if you try and tout your Amway experience in a job interview, you will get laughed at 9/10. You will be looked down on and will not get the job 9/10 because its easy to see how little real experience you are getting out of an MLM.
Please please please do these 2 things for me.
1: Look at how much you are making from Amway over the past year. Then look at the costs of the products you are buying, and compare them to the costs of similar products at the store. Calculate the difference for the year. Take the amount you are required to spend to attend the “conferences,” your membership fees, and any other money you are paying to be apart of Amway. Now add all your costs, and subtract that from the amount you are making. Is it really worth the time and effort you put in for this? Is it worth making your friends and family feel awkward as you push your MLM on them?
2: Talk to your friends and family about your business, not trying to sell them anything but about what they truly think of it. Do they believe it is marketable experience when it comes time for you to get a real job? Do they think it is financially a good idea for you to continue doing Amway? Do they feel comfortable with you approaching them to buy products or join your stream?
Please take this into account, really try and learn from your mistakes, and get out while you can. I only want the best for you, and I promise you, Amway is not it.
17,000 employees that means they work at headquarters. They have hundreds of thousands of Independent Business Owners and less the 3 % make money that’s tragic and less then one percent make it to the Diamond level. This marketing plan is horrible, the products aren’t competitively priced and retail sales to customers that are outside of the pyramid are close to non existent which is why it is considered a pyramid scheme because the only real way to make money is on recruiting new players into the game who must loss money in order for those higher up to make money. 97 to 99% of people need to loss money, go into debt , work 2 jobs , donate plasma etc. For those at the top to live extravagant lifestyles. All at the expense of someone else. This is not a good opportunity plain and simple. I know I have 10 years experience with it and made it to platinum and was still losing money. Do your due diligence and ask to see your uplines schedule C tax returns or to see their business books if they are a real business owner they will be keeping track of expenses, liabilities and assets. My guess is that their assets are a garage full of unsaleable overpriced Amway products and the System cds and books. The real money comes from the Motivational System Income which is available only to platinums and above. In years past it was a secret that money was made this way. Now they disclose it and my upline diamond and sponsor told me he makes 80% of his income from the Tool System and only 20% from Amway. So ask people that have been involved for a number of years about their experience. Ask the “successful” ones how many people they have personally sponsored all together, how many years they have been involved. How much time they spend working the business and how much they are spending monthly on products and functions , tools and other business related expenses. Talk to people that were in their organization and are no longer and find out why? They have also been known to use mind control tactics at functions. Including love bombing and sleep deprivation. And pacing techniques during speeches. Watch the movie “Betting on zero”. It examines the Herbalife business but the damage they have done is nothing compared with Amway and it’s Motivational Organizations , like WWDB word wide dream builders ,. LTD Leadership Team Development, BWW Britt World Wide. There are multiple systems but they all operate very similarly based upon the teachings of Dexter Yeager.
Sounds like how my job works hmm and how many people are successful after 45 yrs of that scheme. Maybe I should look at this business.