Corporate Narc would seem to have some harsh words for Melaleuca, although a quick Google for "Melaleuca scam" comes up with a great deal of related MLM-watch sites as well. (A lot of these immediately have harsh followups from Melaleuca sales folk, which suggests to me that they're certainly trying to conceal *something.*) In addition, they continually assert that they *aren't* MLM, which is something legit companies generally don't have to do. On top of that, I keep finding them under different names-- MomsWIN, Mom Team, etc.-- the more I poke around. It's also bloody hard to find a central BBB listing for the home office, which makes me wary. As far as BioPerformance goes, that's easier-- RipoffReport has some inside information from former "employees." (They also have Melaleuca information, looks like.) Good luck with finding more; a lot of Internet MLM research is a huge pain in the ass, with "watchdog" sites run by folks trying to play down the illegality of their favorite operations.

Google broken at your house? http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient-ff&ie=UTF-... From the first result: MomsWIN is the main marketer and seller of Melaleuca's products. The WIN stands for women in net marketing. The MomsWIN group is not allowed to refer to themselves as affiliated with Melaleuca. This is likely do to the many claims against the momsWIN group for practicing in a multilevel marketing (MLM) scandal.

Dude. Seriously. Gasoline pills? OK, they're not quite the same thing as the classic water-to-petroleum pills, but just the same... "Melaleuca", by the way, is the name of a genus of plants here in Australia, some of which are often referred to as "tea trees", because some early settlers were so hard up for tea that they tried using the similar looking, but utterly horrible tasting, leaves from those trees. Tea tree oil, like various other pungent plant oils, kills germs really well (in vitro - eating it in any quantity is a Bad Idea). It also, arguably, smells nice. Various quacks decided on the strength of this evidence that it was Good For What Ails You, and it can still be found in umpteen herbal remedies that generally don't do much. Presumably this company started out selling tea tree oil stuff, then moved onto fresh new scams.

Uh oh. My mom buys Melaleuca products all the time. She's not involved in the business side of it (though she has been taken in by MLM scams in the past), but she says their products are really good. I think I used some Melaleuca shampoo once when I was visiting for the holidays. I wondered why I felt stupider that day... *shrug*

Is she 'encouraged' to sign up others to sell their crap? Does she get a percentage of her 'downline' sales? Do her 'downlines' have to pay for a 'sales kit' or pay a membership fee? Are the only people making money the ones who got in early, while everyone else is bleeding cash to fill the early adopters' pockets? If the answers are yes, yes, yes, and yes, then she's in a MLM scam. If not, then she's just involved in a regular scam. Fuel pills don't work. Fuel pills CAN'T work. Period.

J Rob here. Thanks for the assistance, everyone. And yes, Kat2, Google was broken at my house. But I gave my PC a pill, and it got better! Tony here has some excellent info on the impossibility of fuel pills working, as airship mentioned. http://www.fuelsaving.info/bioperformance.htm

Agree with airship above. Another thing you'll find in the vast majority of MLM's is that the only way to make money, the only way, is by signing up new people to generate "membership fees" and whatnot. Most of the time (not all the time), the products that use the MLM model to sell are either totally overpriced, or total crap, or both. It's much easier to sell fraudulent crap with this because there is no way to comparison shop , and there is no retailer to call bullshit on the supplier when everybody starts wanting their money back.

Melaluca or however it's spelled is not strictly speaking multi-level marketing. There is a cap on the number of people you can sign up and receive any benefit from, and you don't just receive money for nothing: the people you sign up have to actually sell product or you get zilch. My wife was involved for awhile, and now we just buy the products from friends who are still involved. I hated being signed up because you have a minimum amount you have to purchase each month when you're a member, but that's about as insidious as it gets. Their products are actually pretty quality, and supposedly healthier than over the counter cleaning and health products. Some of their items have dubious claims (the vitamins claim to be the only brand to employ "fructose compounding." WTF?!?!?!), but for the most part they're fine. If you know someone who deals they can be just as irritating as an amway salesperson, but my wife has never experienced any problem cancelling (she's been enrolled several times in her life, most from before I knew her).

Oops, what I meant was that Melaleuca is not a pyramid scheme, but a legitimate MLM business. There's a difference. MLM schemes don't generate much revenue from sign-ups, you have to actually sell something. Pyramid schemes are purely sign-up driven, and as such obviously only generate revenue for those at the top.

Glad to hear, halfawake. ;) Didn't mean to step on Fairytale of LA's toes... that post was not showing when I replied.

Halfawake, thanks for the link. Very informative.

Some of you guys are full of it on the Melaleuca subject. But if you don't have any thing negative to say, then you would probably be boring.

You don't have only a certain number you sign up and it is what it say it is. Healtier and cheaper on cost comparsion. Yes, you can find bad rap on any company. But you can also do a report on the happy clients.

In reality, there isn't a business out here that one of you couldn't find something wrong, I am sure.

I have researched mlm companies and Melaleuca is not one. I love the products, they are less expensive that store name brands, safer for your home, and eviromentally safe. People can make money if they choose to, it's all about work - no get rich quick schemes! I beleive everyone should use safer products, come on, cancer is on the rise, heart disease, new "disorders", think about it! We are being poisoned in our own homes by the garbage we buy from big money making corporations that I certainly hear no complaints about!!!! I'd like to know how many of you gripers have actually been customers!!

I used to work for Melaleuca a few years ago, was looking for something to do while my kids were still at home full-time. I left the company about 5 months later because I couldn't afford the products any longer.

I do have some problems with the company, it is a pyramid based program, downlines and all. I got paid around $2.50 a month for each of my downline "associates". Poor innocent souls like myself.

If I forgot to order my products for a certain month they would charge my bank account $75.00 and send me a gift certificate for that amount in the mail. You had to order a certain amount of product each month. Like if I only needed hand soap, too bad, I would still have to order more things. I have a small house and it took a long time to use up that much product.

You have to pay a memebership fee every year and I have never really like some of their products, I have sensitive skin and a lot of the products made me break out in severe rashes, unlike what I was told.

Also the products cost quite a bit more than what I could get similar at Walmart or my local grocery store.

All in all it was too expensive, didn't work properly and did really net me any money whatsoever. I do regret that I joined Melaleuca, but I am glad I learned to not sign up for work at home jobs any longer.

...one more thing, Melaleuca is looking to take over our choice as people of this world, their goal is to have any man, woman and child using their products. That is a frightening thought.