In this article, I want to discuss why you should avoid joining Valentus and other Multi-Level-Marketing Companies (MLM).
MLM companies proliferate in the marketing world today. Some of them have been around forever, like Amway, Herbalife and Mary Kay Cosmetics.
Even so, it doesn’t mean that the company is legitimate or that it can provide you with an easy path to making money online or off.
In fact, there are numerous MLM companies that could be called scams. So, be very careful when considering joining one of these businesses to market their products or services to others.
Valentus is one MLM that you should probably avoid at all costs, and I’ll tell you why.
Useful Information About Valentus.
Name: Valentus
Website: https://valentusglobalenterprises.com/
Price: Entry Prices vary and we will give details below.
Founder: Dave Jordan.
Recommended? NO.
Let’s Discuss Why You Should Avoid Joining Valentus.
The first thing you should know is that “Valentus” is the Latin word for “prevail”, meaning superior in strength, power and influence. Most of the products carry the “Prevail” label.
You will also find this image on the website – the claim is just not true.
I was a Valentus Independent Representative (IR) for around two years. During that time, I made $40 and spent about $2,200 with Valentus. My pantry is still awash with Valentus products!
You should never consider joining a MLM unless you are prepared to market to and recruit others into the company. That is the only way you can actually make an income.
Who Is Dave Jordan
Dave Jordan is the Founder of Valentus. He has significant experience in MLM (or network marketing, as they like to call it). And gained his experience in this field working with several other such companies before starting Valentus.
His profile on the Valentus website advised that:
“Growing up in a family of 14 kids, Dave is no stranger to hard work. And that work ethic has translated into his incredible success in this awesome industry of network marketing.”
It is certainly incredible that from his start-up in 2014, he built the company sales from $300,000 to $88 million in 2019.
A surprise, then, is the fact that most Independent Representatives earn little to no income for their efforts. See below under The Compensation Plan.
Another surprising find is that the Valentus business is focused on weight loss and health, and yet the Founder himself might be described as being overweight!
Valentus Product Range.
Products are divided into three categories – Weight Management, Nutrition and Skin Care.
Weight Management
The flagship product that began the company in the Weight Management category, is a supposed weight loss coffee called Slimroast Optimum.
Several of the ingredients contained in this product have caused it to be banned in some countries, including the United Kingdom and New Zealand.
My personal experience is that it doesn’t work with regard to weight loss. Another downside is that it is just an instant coffee, making it hard to sell. Most people these days have coffee makers requiring pods of ground coffee.
The coffee range has been expanded since Valentus began in 2014. So that now, there are 5 different coffees to choose from as well as a SlimRoast Cocoa.
These include SlimRoast Brazilian, SlimRoast Italian, ThermoRoast and Solside. This latter product, Solside Coffee has been introduced since I left the company.
The coffee range is supplemented by the following products:
- Keto Creamer
- Fiber and Fiber Plus, To reduce cravings
- Hiburn8 – Burn fat while you sleep
- 24/7 Carb Burner
- V-Tox, A detox tea
- ThermoPerk, another energy product
- Tropical Blast, a pineapple flavored energy drink
- Hibernate8, a nightly sleep aid.
The Keto Creamer is okay, although I usually drink black coffee. But, the Fiber products, the Hiburn8 and the 24/7 Carb Burner definitely do not work.
Nutrition
Moving on now to Nutrition, here is the product list under that category, all with the Prevail label:
- Energy
- Immune Boost
- MAX, Cellular Support for Energy
- E3, Energy Endurance Electrolytes
- Emulin C, Carbohydrate manager
- Emulin M, For optimal sugar management
- Shield, Enhances detoxification
- Relief, Digestive Enzymes
- C-DefenZ, Supports a healthy immune system
- Roketonic Spray, Bio-available L-Arginine
- Collagen 1000, Supports healthy bones, joints and skin.
Many of these products have been introduced since I left Valentus, so I cannot comment on their efficacy. However, I did not find either the Prevail Energy or the Prevail Immune Boost to be effective, nor the Prevail MAX product.
It is quite hard to promote and sell products to others when you know they don’t work the way they are supposed to.
Skin Care Products.
- Ageless, for rejuvenating skin cells
- Instant Youth, Reduces the appearance of wrinkles
- Time Reversal Serum, Rehydrates the skin
- Day Glow Moisturiser, Nourishing moisturiser
- Night Secret Cream, Skin nourishment while you sleep.
I tried the first two products. There was no visible result from the Ageless product.
Instant Youth did actually reduce the appearance of wrinkles, but it only lasted for about 10 minutes, then the wrinkles were evident again. I guess, then, that it was instant – not long-term.
The other three Skin Care products are more recent additions so I cannot comment on their effectiveness.
Most products in the Valentus range are available to the IRs at $59.95 each. This is a significant monthly investment when you consider that the coffee actually costs Valentus around $6.00. See details here.
The Compensation Plan
I don’t know about you, but my confusion abounds when Compensation Plans are discussed. I can never understand how the Left Leg and the Right Leg of your team works together.
Valentus claims it has the ultimate Compensation Plan. I think probably because it is ultimately confusing!
If you find this image difficult to understand, here is how it is supposed to work. “BV” is what they call Business Volume. This is achieved by the amount of product you or your team members purchase each month.
The following paragraphs, taken directly from “Section 3: Compensation” of the Valentus Policies and Procedures document, explain why you should avoid joining Valentus.
Independent Representatives should not participate in Valentus under the expectation of earning income without referring new Independent Representatives and Customers.
Most Independent Representatives earn less money each month in the compensation program than they are paying for their products. Although it is possible, Valentus Independent Representatives should NOT expect to make a profit simply by becoming an Independent Representative, as it is very possible that will not occur.
And then this one:
No Independent Representative should spend money that they cannot afford to lose to purchase products, advertising materials, or anything else related to Valentus. It is possible that you will NOT earn any income as an Independent Representative of Valentus.
So, as you can see, you can see Valentus actually knows that most IRs will never make money from joining. In fact, in her Youtube Review of Valentus, Danielle Bayes actually calls it a “product-based pyramid scheme.”
I’m inclined to agree with her.
Do Not Join Valentus if You Want to Earn Money.
MLMs, like Valentus are on the verge of being pyramid schemes.
They encourage you to recruit others into a downline, and these people in turn recruit others, creating multiple levels of members who sell products.
Most IRs get paid only if they can find more sellers or convince existing members to buy more product or sign up new members.
There’s nothing wrong with having several levels of compensation in a business model if everyone is being paid equitably and your commissions do not rely upon recruiting new members.
If you’re considering joining Valentus, don’t – unless you want to become a recruiter.
The Dubious Operations Of All MLMs.
It seems like every other advertisement you see is for a MLM. And they all try to get you to sign up by promising fantastic income potential. Valentus is no exception.
In reality, only a small percentage of people who join an MLM actually make any money. And it’s due almost entirely to recruiting new members into their network. This is rather than selling products or services to customers who are outside of that network.
This leads us directly into one of our biggest issues with multi-level marketing programs.
They rely on an unsustainable strategy where your main source of income comes from getting other people to join the program. This is illustrated in the compensation plan image above.
Valentus Tools & Training
There are few tools for IRs when they join Valentus. The company does provide some marketing materials, but this is an extra cost to IRs
Pricing To Join Valentus.
There is a one-time activation fee of $20 to join Valentus as an IR.
In addition to the above, IRs must order a Membership Package either of mixed products, or the Solside Coffee product.
Prices for the Membership Packages range from $160.95 for the Gold Starter Pack to $1,319.95 for the Emerald Career Success Pack.
IR’s must also make a purchase of at least one Valentus product each month at $59.95 (50 BV) to be eligible for compensation.
To maintain position in the hierarchy, IRs must continue monthly purchases until they have enrolled other IRs who make regular purchases.
My Final Opinion Of Valentus
MLM’s, like Valentus, have evolved and changed dramatically over time, but one thing has remained consistent: they promise the world and often don’t deliver.
They prey on your desire to work from home and your need for financial freedom. Pushing you toward a lifestyle of recruiting others so that you can earn money through commissions.
There is no guarantee that you will ever earn anything. And generally not enough to cover joining fees, training costs, product prices, and starter kits.
So, my advice is you should avoid joining Valentus, and other MLMs unless you’re prepared to lose money and recruit others to do the same.
Go here if you want an alternative way of making money online from home.
