No Problem! Business as Usual! Part 1

This is just a follow up from my previous post, and the follow up I went through after finding a video I didn't think was appropriate. Turns out my concerns and thoughts were way off.

I have received feedback the person in the video is Brad Duncan who is on the IBOAI and is currently the Chairman of the Board of Directors. I have read on other blogs that he only Crown who still shows the plan. However, I determined that to be another Amway Urban Legend.

It struck me as a rather bold statement that one could make hundreds of thousands of dollars a month in Amway. That's a lot of money and a lot of vitamins and energy drinks that you would have to be generating sales for every month in order to "make" over $200,000 every month. Man! That would be a LOT! I mean, like, man......words fail me. Can you imagine how many cans of XS you're pumping through your business to be "making" hundreds of thousands a month? Like, holy! But by golly, this guy is a Crown Direct, and if he says something, you can take it straight to the bank. At least that was the impression I got after numerous inquiries to the Amway corporation.

I did some searching around and located the Amway Business overview (SKU # BOV Content reviewed # 20263). I guess some guy put it online for all to see. For the record, I don't know who the guy hosting this image is, but I did find it useful.

In there, (bottom of the 4th page) it clearly states that the average monthly gross income for “active” IBOs was $115 (US) and $181 (CAN) based on an independent 2001 survey. This independent survey was done in 2001 and “active” means an IBO attempted to make a retail sale OR presented the Independent Business Ownership Plan OR received bonus money OR attended a company or IBO meeting in the year 2000.

So for my Canadian peeps, in this 2001 survey it would appear that if you tried to sell your buddy an energy drink and did nothing else for a whole year, you were considered active, and would have been a part of the "active" IBO used to acquire the average income data and would be presumed to average $181 a month. Before expenses.

So, what's the big deal? What's wrong with telling people that they could make hundreds of thousands of dollars month in this business? If it's true, then what is the problem?

The short answer is nothing. There is no problem. However, dear reader, based on Amway's own data I personally had reservations believing that one can reasonably expect to make a couple hundred grand a month selling Amway products. Call me skeptical, call me a loser or a dream stealer. I could be wrong, but if it was that common don't you think you'd hear more about it? I would think so.

So in order to figure out what the heck was right and what was maybe being misunderstood, I sent an email at the behest of Jason Ménard over at North of the 49th in a post regarding the power of Social Media to The BCR, which is the Business Conduct and Rules Department.

I thought that in a business where a 2001 study determined the average active income for an IBO was $115 (US) and $181 (CAN), someone who is claiming one can make hundreds of thousands of dollars a month is a bit, I don't know......out there? Hey! I'm no Harvard grad, but that's a LOT of money! I mean a LOT!

Am I wrong here?

So.....off to get some answers I go, and I send this email off to the BCR, way back in July of this year. Bear with me here, I am basically copy and pasting these emails to this post. The only edits I have made are to format them so it reads in a comprehensive manner.

FYI Outrageous LEADER claim


Rocket Rocket
to: bcr@amway.com
07/22/2011 06:17 PM
From: Rocket Rocket <rocketsrants@yahoo.ca> To: "bcr@amway.com" <bcr@amway.com>



Please respond to Rocket Rocket <rocketsrants@yahoo.ca>


I would appreciate it if any sort of consequence or lack thereof were to
arise from this.....

If this is acceptable, please say so.

If it isn't, please say so.

I will be posting a post regarding these types of messages on my blog.
Your response or lack of response will be noted.

Rocket

I then included a link with the video you see at the start of this post. I was then treated to the following response:

Brad

Thank you for your E-mail. I was unable to open the attachment you sent.
Can you please resend in PDF? Can you also please include your IBO number?

Business Conduct and Rules
616.787.6712

I don't know who sent that reply back to me, there is no name of the Amway corporate employee attached to it. I guess I shouldn't be surprised since he or she wasn't really bright enough to know that I wasn't Brad. I can't send a PDF of a video, but I'll be the first to admit that I'm not really that computer savvy, so maybe it can be done! However, I thought to myself, "Self, let's just make this easier for the Amway Corporation to figure out.

So I sent this back to BCR:

I am not an IBO, nor will I ever be again. I located the video on YouTube and saved it before it was deleted. I have seen many videos like this involving the same individual.

I would like to know what Amway is doing about statements such as this which I believe are dishonest. If I am incorrect, please advise if this is acceptable as I plan on doing a blog post regarding statements such as this.

You may view the video here:

http://vimeo.com/26881709

Rocket

So then I get an email back from Karen O'Neil. Now.....Ms. O'Neil has had some pretty harsh things said about her by other bloggers out there. Well, just one blogger really. I will go on record right now and say that I have nothing negative to say about Ms. O'Neil. Here's what she replied back:

When it comes to income claims and representations, we do have rules and standards that apply. As such, we will certainly investigate the origins of this video and address any issues that may conflict with those rules and standards, as per our normal process.

Karen O'Neill
Rules Administration

Re: FYI Outrageous LEADER claim Rocket Rocket to: bcr@amway.com 07/25/2011 04:47 PM Please respond to Rocket Rocket

Again, i will apologize for the mish mash of the email copy & paste, it just isn't going well. So anyway.....there you have it! They have rules & standards and they are going to look into it. Right on! After all, a civil question deserves a civil answer doesn't it! OK! Now I'm going to get some answers! I'm feeling really good about this and really feel like I'm part of the solution now!

I'm expecting Amway to say, "You know what Rocket, there are lots of IBO's who make hundreds of thousands of dollars a month with their Amway business. You are completely out to lunch and should shut your mouth. Here, look at this document. Here's the number of IBO's who make over $200,000 a month. Your suspicions of this not being true are completely baseless, and quite frankly you should be embarrassed for even QUESTIONING the integrity of the speaker in that video". So I reply to her in this email on July 26th......

To Be Continued.......

Oh, and by the way

I love you all. Truly