Monday, February 27, 2017

Is LifeWave just another health and wellness scam?

We all know that girl who swears that she always feels healthy and energized because she walks around barefoot in the mud a few times a week. Something about the ground’s electric force soaking into her feet and how wearing shoes blocks healthy ions coming from the earth blah blah blah.

LifeWave’s “miracle patch”, a sticker you put on your body that magically prevents disease, boosts energy, and keeps you from getting fat…sounds like it’s about on that level.

But if Standford swimmers and Olympic athletes have worn it, they actually might be onto something. [1]

Have I been involved with LifeWave?

This video explains everything:


Make sense? Either way, here’s the full review on LifeWave.

Overview

LifeWave was founded in 2004 and is a member of the Direct Selling Association headquartered in sunny San Diego, California.

David Schmidt is the founder and CEO of LifeWave, and he’s got some chops. He’s an entrepreneur and product developer with over 25 years of experience and a degree in Management Information Systems and Biology.

Schmidt didn’t just start a business, he’s also the inventor of the company’s LifeWave Technology. He’s even worked in research and development for the military, during which time he developed new ways to produce hydrogen and oxygen, designed unique power generation systems, and built metal-combustion rocket engines that won him an honorary doctorate from Dr. Alexander Marinaccio of the International Hall of Fame.

Now, a lot of people in MLM like to call themselves “Dr.” without really earning it, and if you look into this Alexander Marinaccio guy, not much comes up aside from what’s written about him on the LifeWave website. There’s no evidence of an accredited institution, or any college or university, associated with either men or the “honorary doctorate degree”. Going to go ahead and guess that it doesn’t mean much.

Anyway, after all this Schmidt began 3 years of research into natural solutions for increasing energy, stamina, and fat-burning in the body, and eventually started LifeWave based on that research.

In 2011 the company was ranked #721 on the Inc. 5,000 Fastest Growing Companies list, with a 3-year growth rate of 436% and a 2010 revenue that hit $38.8 million. They’re no longer on the list. [2] [3]

In 2015, their European branch came into some trouble with the law for defaulting on their taxes, leading to a settlement of 164,000 EUR. [4]

How much does LifeWave cost?
Starter kits come in a variety of levels, each one offering more product and the chance to earn more:

Starter: $25
Bronze: $99.95
Silver: $299
Gold: $499
Platinum: $999
Diamond: $1,499

In order to remain active, affiliates must maintain at least 55 PV per month.

Products

Suzanne Somers is the spokeswoman for the product. Is there any mediocre MLM or As Seen on TV product that Suzanne Somers HASN’T repped? Then again, what else are you going to do for money when you get too old to pose for Playboy?

LifeWave sells what are touted as miracle patches that use “organic crystals” to give pain relief, burn fat, slow the aging process, boost energy, and detoxify the body to “improve overall health”. They have a variety of patches that target specific health issues, such as the Energy Enhancer patch and the Silent Nights patch.

The patches don’t leak anything, chemical or otherwise, into your body. Instead, they electronic stimulate pressure points, similar to acupuncture. The patches themselves simply contain water, oxygen, amino acids, and a few other organics.

Basically, you put a sticker on your body (that contains no drugs), and it’s supposed to solve every health problem you could possibly have.

They claim the product is backed by lots of research and over 60 clinical studies, but if you’re a little skeptical, you’re not alone.

Benefits

  • Energy improvement
  • Fat-burning
  • Age-defying
  • Stress-reducing
  • Detoxification

Remember, none of these benefits have been FDA approved or fully proven.

Side Effects
The benefits may not have a lot of evidence behind them, but because these patches don’t use any drugs or chemicals, there aren’t any side effects to report either. The few ingredients that are in the patch are listed under FDA under 21 CFR and are totally safe.

Opportunity
Distributors at LifeWave make weekly residual commissions based on a binary plan with a unilevel matching bonus.

Retail commissions on personal sales are the difference between your wholesale price and the retail price for regular customers.

Each time you personally recruit a new affiliate, you make a commission dependent on their sign-on kit as follows:

  • Bronze: $15
  • Silver: $50
  • Gold: $100
  • Platinum: $150
  • Diamond: $200

Residual commissions are paid on a binary structure based on the group volume sold by both legs. Each time an affiliate’s team hits 330 GV on one leg and 660 GV on the other, that affiliate gets a $50 commission check. There are weekly caps on binary commission based on rank that range from $5,000-$25,000. After certain ranks, there don’t seem to be any weekly caps.

Unilevel matching bonuses are also offered on binary commissions earned in an affiliate’s downline, capped at three levels.

Level 1: 25% matching bonus, must be ranked Silver or higher with at least 2 affiliates ranked Bronze or higher in each leg and have at least 110 PV from the past 5 weeks.

Level 2: 20% matching bonus, must be ranked Gold or higher with at least 2 affiliates ranked Silver or higher in each leg and 110 PV from the past 5 weeks.

Level 3: 20% matching bonus, must be ranked Gold or higher with at least 6 affiliates ranked Silver or higher (2 on each side) and 110 PV from the past 5 weeks.

Recap

The compensation plan is overly confusing, for sure. But it’s not a bad one. If you can build up a massive team, you could definitely make some decent money.

However, the product screams placebo. In order to do well in MLM, you really need to be pushing a product you believe in and are passionate about. If you think you can get genuinely passionate about an overpriced placebo, then go for it.

But if you like automated ways to build passive income, there are better ways.

(and you can trash those old MLM habits, too)


via http://mlmcompanies.org/lifewave/

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