Today we will be reviewing a company called Usana. Is Usana a pyramid scheme or scam? Find out in this Usana MLM review.
You probably have not heard of this company before, until someone mentioned it to you.
I mean, what other reason could prompt you to search for this Usana MLM review in Google?
The one who mentioned the company to you is most likely recruiting you. It could be a friend who claims that they are making a lot of money.
However, have you tried pressing further about how much money they really made? Chances are, they cannot really expound on the topic further.
Why is that, you ask? Well, not many people make money in an MLM.
Yep, you heard that right.
Before I go into more detail in this Usana MLM review, I should properly define two terms first. These two terms will keep appearing in this review: MLM and pyramid scheme.
MLMs sell products, but emphasize recruiting more than selling. These are not illegal.
A pyramid scheme is illegal, and have no products to sell.
As a disclaimer, I am not related to Usana in any way.
Hopefully this Usana MLM review can help you decide whether you want to sign up for the company or not.
Before we proceed with the Usana MLM review, check out my #1 recommendation to making money online after reviewing 300+ MLM companies.
What is Usana?
Usana is a multi-level marketing company that sells nutritional supplements and personal care products.
They offer quite a big collection of products to choose from.
Usana was founded by Myron Wentz in 1992. Wentz is a microbiologist.
This is one of the few MLMs who actually sell products that are properly backed by science.
Of course, like a typical MLM, they advertise an affiliate program where you can sign up to sell their products and make money.
Myron Wentz
Well, let’s discuss a few facts about the founder of the company, Myron Wentz.
Wentz is quite unique compared to the typical MLM founders out there.
He is a microbiologist when he founded the company. This means that he is practicing his craft first before he decided to launch the company.
Wentz is responsible for creating scientifically innovative products that are now being sold in his company.
He is also working closely with a team of scientists who constantly develop products that are made with the mission of improving one’s health.
Wentz also established medical centers in Cambodia and Uganda, which solidifies his role as a philanthropic soul.
He received the Albert Einstein Award for his life science achievements.
How Do MLMs Work?
Welcome to the section where I explain a few facts you need to learn about MLMs.
Even though the products sold by MLM companies vary, there is no denying that they all operate the same way.
No matter how many times MLMs claim that they are a direct selling business, there is no denying that there are indeed MLMs.
Why, you ask?
Well, like I said before, MLMs and pyramid schemes are often mistaken as the same thing.
This is because MLMs employ the same business model as pyramid schemes: recruiting members.
It’s quite a scummy tactic, because basically, the commissions you earn from recruiting are the hard earned money of those people you recruited.
Ever wondered why hunbots message people randomly on social media?
It’s not only because they want to advertise and want people to buy their products.
Their bigger priority is to recruit people. This is because the more people you recruit, the more people will be under you.
The more people under you, the more commissions you earn.
This practice has been made easier by the rise of social media.
MLMs are now highly dependent on social media to boost their businesses.
Anyway, just take note that you will only be paid commissions for the value of the products you sell,
If you think that you will be compensated for your other efforts like packing, shipping, and traveling, then you are wrong.
Basically, you pay them to exploit you. Do you think that’s fair.
It isn’t. That is why it is not worth investing your money in an MLM.
Is Usana a Pyramid Scheme?
Since Usana members earn money both by selling services and recruiting new members, then it is safe to say that Usana is not a pyramid scheme.
Do not forget that Usana is an MLM, so their focus is more on recruiting more members than sales.
You will also earn significantly more from recruiting.
This makes Usana look like a pyramid scheme in disguise.
Like Natura, Damsel in Defense, and SeneGence, Usana is not a pyramid scheme.
Is Usana a Scam?
No, Usana is not a scam.
However, I highly suggest that you watch this video first before you think about signing up for the company.
Remember that you will be selling products once you sign up for Usana.
This is why it is important to know what people think about their products.
You would not want to go start a business without knowing if people will actually buy from you, right?
Try to look up more product reviews to find out more about the types of product that the company sells.
Also, most reviews like these are from third-party sources. This means that they are unbiased.
Another good thing to look for are ex-member testimonials. This would help you know more about how the company treats its members.
How to Make Money from Usana
There are two major ways to make money from Usana:
- Selling products
- Recruiting members
If you are aiming to rank up in order to start enjoying some benefits, you will need to build your downline.
How do you do that, you ask?
Well, that is where the recruiting aspect comes in.
The more members you have in your downline, the more money you make.
This is because you will be earning commissions from their sales as well,
An MLM’s business model works like a pyramid scheme, basically. If you are aiming for success in an MLM, you will need to recruit hundreds or thousands of new members.
How Does Usana Work?
Like your typical MLM, Usana utilizes the direct selling method in order to bring their products to their customers.
It’s a pretty old method but still fairly effective.
These days, Usana members use social media to live stream their products in order to get sales online. This way, they need not organize actual parties anymore.
Usana saves a lot of money from advertising since their members are the ones responsible for putting their name out there.
This is starting to sound like exploitation because the members are only paid commissions for selling.
Usana Products
Usana’s products can be divided in the following categories:
- Nutritionals
- Food & Energy
- Skincare
- New Usana Gear
- Healthy Living
- Business Tools
Bear in mind that there are a lot of companies out there offering the same types of products.
Some of these companies are:
Most of these companies make it seem like their products are unique, when in reality, there are thousands of brands selling the same kinds of products.
Usana doesn’t seem to stand out from all these competition.
Usana’s Flagship Product: Usana CellSentials
Usana CellSentials have the following health benefits:
- Formulated with patent-pending USANA InCelligence Technology® to unlock cell-communication codes with proprietary nutrient blends that activate your cells’ natural ability to protect and renew themselves
- Supplies carefully balanced levels of high-quality vitamins and antioxidants and a balanced range of highly absorbable essential minerals and trace minerals
- Provides an essential foundation of optimal nourishment plus powerful antioxidant protection and mitochondrial renewal support for the health and longevity of your cells
To learn more about the product, you can watch this video:
Things I Like in Usana
Established Company
Most MLM companies do not even last up to 5 years.
This means that Usana has managed to surpass the average lifespan of an MLM.
Usana has been around since 1992, and even today, they still rake in quite a lot of profit.
I guess this means that Usana continues to be profitable and that the people behind it know how to manage the company properly.
Trusted by Athletes
It seems like Usana has some great products because professional athletes trust the brand.
For a while now, athletes use Usana for their health supplement needs.
I guess their products really work.
Positive Product Reviews
This is to be expected because the founder, Myron Wentz, has won numerous awards for his success in his scientific work.
Usana’s products are all backed by science, which gives their customers the confidence to continue using them.
Here are some reviews I found:
Things I Dislike in Usana
Expensive Products
Well, this one is also unsurprising.
To be honest, most MLMs that I have encountered which sell supplements all put hefty price tags on their products.
I am not really sure why they do this when they know that people are more inclined to keep buying if the prices are cheap and reasonable.
Let’s take the flagship product, for example.
Usana CellSentials costs $59.35 per bottle. Each bottle contains 112 tablets.
Well, let’s take a well-known brand I found in Amazon as comparison.
See that price? $17.39 for a bottle with 220 tablets.
Which one do you think would people choose when presented with both products?
Just Keep Buying
Here we are again with one of the things I dislike the most in MLMs.
You have to keep buying products in order to maintain your active status.
In Usana’s case, you will need to be able to sell $200 worth of products per month to remain active.
It is easier said than done, to be honest.
Do you now know why Usana keeps making money?
It is because they found the most loyal customers ever: their own members.
Well, you have no choice to buy the products for personal use if you cannot sell them, right?
The question is, how much health supplements does one person need?
Not much. Not as many as what Usana wants you to buy.
Very Low Income Potential
I cannot really find the US version of Usana’s income disclosure statement, but I found the Canadian one. You may access it here.
It seems like 47.14% of all active members only managed to earn $447 in 2016. 23.53% earned $2,999.
If you can compare this with how the company boasts that “you can be your own boss” and “you can do this part-time but earn full-time wage”, then that means they are lying.
In which universe could you survive in with only $447 per year?
That is way less than what a part-time or freelance job can earn you.
Word of advice? Usana isn’t worth it.
Saturated Market
As I said before, Usana is one of those MLMs who advertise that they are unique and that you cannot find their products anywhere else.
Then, what about the thousands or possibly millions of companies and brands which also sell nutritional supplements?
There are way too many to even name.
Not to mention that Usana is an MLM too. Not a lot of people want to buy from MLMs because of their shady reputation.
So, if you start an Usana business, do you think people will buy from you?
Usana Compensation Plan
You can view and access Usana’s compensation plan by clicking this link.
The annoying thing about MLMs is that they intend to confuse their potential members.
This compensation plan looks like a typical MLM compensation plan: confusing as heck.
I manage to skim through it and these are the ways I found to get paid in Usana:
- commissions from retail sales
- lifetime matching bonus
- leadership bonus
- elite bonus
I suggest that you watch this video instead to understand this mess:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yixgZbYY1U
10 Shocking MLM Statistics That You Need To Know!
- Almost 99% participants of all multi-level marketing companies lose money, according to the FTC.
- There are 38% more chances of you profiting from your own any kind of small business than joining these MLMs.
- Success rate of an online business, which will give you financial and time freedom, is 20% more than joining MLMs for making money.
- The odds of you winning a lottery worth $10k among 10,000 people is 300 times higher than actually making money from MLMs.
- According to the AARP foundation, 47% distributors of all MLMs lose their money. Apart from this, 27% do not make a single penny.
- In the remaining 26% that actually make money, 53% of them make less than $5000/year.
- 39% of those 53%, who are making $5000/year quit because recruiting and selling crappy products to friends and family members jeopardized their relationships.
- Forget about building a long term business with MLMs, because 50% of all MLMs participants quit within one year.
- 75% people that joined MLMs say that they will never again join any kind of MLM.
- A poll was conducted in 2018 among 1050 MLM distributors and it was concluded that most of them made 70 cents an hour and 20% of them did not make a sale. 60% of them made less than $500 in sales over the past 5 years and 32% of them acquired credit card debt to finance their MLM involvements.
SOURCES:
Final Verdict – Usana
I have a few more thoughts I would like to share before ending this Usana MLM review.
First off, you will be starting from the very bottom once you decide to sign up for this company.
Since Usana has been around since 1992, there are already a lot of members, and starting from scratch is quite hard.
You are late to the party, basically.
Also, remember what I said about how saturated the market is. People value their money.
They want to buy products that work, and they will stick to recognizable brands.
Not many want to try out new things, especially if they cost a lot.
That is Usana’s downfall.
And who in their right mind would want to buy supplements from a stranger on the internet?
It is way easier to walk in your local pharmacy or mall and consult the staff or pharmacists about their products.
In my opinion, those people are more trained than the ones working for MLMs.
Anyway, stay away from Usana or any MLM in general.
There are better ways of making money if you know where to look.
That’s it for my Usana MLM review. Hopefully this Usana MLM review helps with your decision.
I do not recommend MLMs. but if you want to make money online, you should check out my #1 recommendation to making money online after reviewing 300+ MLM companies.