Today I'm going to discuss another MLM known as Nerium which is always fun because it tends to bring out the various crazy type of MLM recruiters I've discussed in the past here.
But let's hope it's different this time. If you've struggled to actually find an honest and real Nerium International Review you're not alone. I found it damn near impossible to find a real unbiased one too. Well your search is finally over. This Nerium Review is written by someone that isn't actually trying to get you to sign up for their opportunity or product. So you can sit back and relax. But if you're in a rush, you can watch my Nerium International Review on youtube.
What is Nerium International?
Nerium International is a multi-level marketing company that sells a beauty product using independent distributors called “Brand Partners”. The company is is led by Jeff Olson and listed with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). (This means nothing and you can read why here.) I know what you're thinking, how many more beauty products do we need? But beauty is a billionaire dollar business so it only makes sense to pursue it. And who doesn't want to be pretty?
What is the Nerium Product?
Their beauty product is called the NeriumAD Age-Defying Treatment which is basically a glorified night or day cream developed from their company's “patent-pending” Nerium oleander extract. Apparently this little plant is important because “third-party clinical trials” of NeriumAD yielded cases of reduced fine lines, wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, and overall improvement in the appearance of damaged skin. They make it seem like they found the fountain of youth? But did they really?
What is the Nerium Brand Partner Business Opportunity?
Like most MLMs, nerium products are exclusively sold and distributed via independent consultants known as “Brand Partners”. Nerium Reps are allowed to choose their own methods to sell the Nerium products. You're not forced into doing home parties, you can sell face to face, online, or even through events. If you don't like the idea of sales, you may want to check out Fusion Cash & Swagbucks.com.
How much does it cost to become a brand partner?
Nerium provides three types of start up kits for brand partners, ALL starter kits include a plethora of marketing material and tools to help you launch your new business.
Depending on your needs, you have 3 starter kits options:
- Success Pack for $499.95: It includes 5 bottles of Nerium AD
- Premier Success Pack for $999.95: It includes 12 bottles of Nerium AD
- Brand Partner Launch Kit for $99.95: It includes various marketing materials but apparently no product?
If you don't like the idea of having to invest in a starter kit, I can totally appreciate that. So you may want to look at Fusion Cash & Swagbucks.com which are free work at home opportunities instead.
What is the Nerium Brand Partner Commission Plan?
Nerium brand partners can make money from selling the product, recruiting other people and performance bonuses. You can earn 10%-25% selling the nerium beauty products. You can also receive a weekly customer acquisition bonus for every new auto-delivery order you receive. You can also receive bonuses of $16 for one bottle up to $60 for two bottles, depending on your current leadership level.
If you recruit other people to become brand partners you can earn a “coaching” commission of 5%. As you sell more product and recruit more people you move up in the company and receive extra promotion bonuses and recognition for your work.
What are the Nerium Complaints?
MLMs tend to get bad rep and usually have numerous complaints. But please understand that every company has complaints even the good ones so it doesn't necessarily mean they're bad. However it's usually hard to find complaints against Nerium because their reps do a great job of burying them in the search results with various positive webpages created by other reps trying to make money. But fortunately I dig deeper and I was able to find the real truth about Nerium International. Check them out down below.
It's not a Work At Home Job, it's a business.
Let's face it, most people just aren't interested in starting a business. It's probably why most of the population are employees rather than employers. Starting and running a business takes a lot of patience, time and effort. Some of us lack many of these necessities. Some folks are just in situations where they prefer and need a work at home job right away. If that's you then Nerium isn't for you. You should probably look into something like Fusion Cash & Swagbucks.com instead. So that may be a complaint some people have against Nerium but it's actually more of a preference than a real complaint.
Damn Monthly Purchase/Sales Requirements.
Updated: I've decided to update this section because of some clarification by some of the Nerium Reps. (Thanks guys!) That said this is still probably a con to most people. Apparently to qualify to earn income with Nerium International you have to remain “active” each calendar month. Being “active” means you need to do one of the following:
Produce “200 PQV” in Sales to Personal Customers
OR
Sign up to receive “80 PQV” from a Personal Auto-Delivery Order (ADO) .
So what does this mean in plain human english? You need to maintain a certain dollar amount of sales to customers or you have to sign up to have a certain dollar amount of product auto shipped to your home even if you don't need it that month. Unfortunately I couldn't figure out the exact dollar amount because like most MLMs Nerium doesn't just speak in plain dollars. Instead they have a convoluted compensation plan that you need a PHD or a translator to decipher. Starting a business is hard enough, so who needs this external pressure from Nerium? And what happens if you're not able to remain active? Seems to me if I pay my start up costs, I should be able to promote the product or business opportunity. Why add the additional layer?
This is another reason why MLMs never really appealed to me and why I gravitated towards My #1 Free Work At Home Recommendation. There are NO autoships or forced monthly required sales requirements. You can build your business at your pace without any additional pressure except what you put on yourself.
Expensive Start Up Cost
There are always folks that are under the misconception that if you have to invest money into any work at home opportunity it's a scam. This is just ignorance and misinformation pumped out on the web. Many folks are just too lazy to explain the difference between a job and a home based business. I'm not. No you shouldn't have to pay an employer directly to work for them. But with a business there are cost involved in running and promoting your business. Can you open a McDonald's right now with just your wishes and hope? Of course not, you need to come up with that money to pay for rent, employees, supplies, marketing, etc. Well a home business is the same way but it's usually a lot cheaper than a brick and mortar business. Now that's out of the way, people may still find the start up costs to be expensive and out of range.
Discover My #1 Free Recommendation That Requires No Start Up Cost!
The Suspect Product
There have been many reports of people receiving serious rashes and allergic reaction to the Nerium Beauty Cream. You also had many people who saw no major or any improvements after using the nerium cream. There have also been whispers that many of the before and after pictures are just photoshopped which isn't far fetched since so many magazines and products often do this but usually have a tiny disclaimer pointing this out. That said some folks swear by the product and the results. It's a toss up and at about $100 per bottle, it's expensive to find out. I wouldn't feel right about myself if I promoted something that physically hurt someone so it's not a risk I would be willing to take.
The Pushy Brand Partners
I was contacted by a family friend about Nerium a few months ago. I really like this person and I respect her hustle. So I did my research immediately after she contacted me and decided that I wasn't interested. I let her know this but she was very persistent about sending me a sample, etc. She even implied it might help my skin. So I explained that “black don't crack” and I still don't look my age, but thanks for the insult. LOL It was fine. I applauded her resolve but it did come off as very pushy which I hate. She reminded me of one the MLM People I described here. You should never have to badger people to get a sale. But it seems that some of these tactics may be passed down by leadership. You can lose a lot of friends and family members engaging in these activities. So that definitely doesn't sit well with many people.
Better Nerium Alternative?
I don't think Nerium is a bad MLM or the worst I've seen. However it may not necessarily appeal to you. Maybe you want to build a business around a passion you have? Maybe you don't want to harass your family and friends and prefer that people come to you every day via your website. If that's you then you may want to give my Top Free Work At Home Recommendation a shot. It's how I make a full time living online and I'm confident in time you can as well.
I'm not going to sit here and make ridiculous claims that you'll be making thousands within a few weeks or months like some reps. You're going to need to work and it's going to take time. But it does pay off in the end as it has for me. So check it out if you want to explore another type of business that is based around your own passion. It's totally risk free unlike Nerium where you may end up losing money and some friends and family along the way if you decided to be pushy.
So is Nerium A Big Fat Scam or Legit?
People are making money and the product is hit or miss. So I wouldn't say it's a scam. Legally they aren't doing anything crazy. But would I personally recommend this product or opportunity? Probably not. Many of the cons listed above would be deal breakers for me. However that may not be the case for you, so you can run with it if you like.
I'll stick with My #1 Free Recommendation which allows me to build a business about anything I passionate about. I don't have to be pushy and harass my friends and I'm not pushing questionable products. I can literally work with trusted companies like Amazon, Google, etc. So I encourage you to Visit My Top Recommendation if you're looking for another option.
Thanks for reading this Nerium International Review! Hopefully it gave you more a balanced view of the company which I know is harder to find than the remote in the couch. LOL
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Feel free to chime in below in the comment box. I would love to hear about your experience with Nerium. So don't be shy, I won't bite!
Talk to you soon.
Eddy with a Y!
What’s not talked about is the financial success Nerium International has received already generating 1 billion dollars in revenue, or that they are the third fastest startup in U.S. history. Or that the antiaging market is 197 billion dollar market. Nerium has raisen faster than Avon, Mary K and Maybelline.
Daniel,
That’s all great. But it doesn’t mean we can ignore the other complaints highlighted in this review. It’s something folks should also take into consideration. Too often reps just want to paint a pretty picture without providing the negatives.
Daniel, The fact that the company is a financial success and continues to grow means that the company itself is making a lot of money. It does not mean that the “partners” are making money. Of course they have an Army of sales people that work on commission and provide for free advertising for the company. I would not invest a cent or waste a second making more money for this successful company while I get nothing.
I don’t think you’ll here much from these reps nowadays.
Is Nerium or Neoro or whatever they’re calling themselves, still doing business in the US? Seems like they’ve had to take the show around the world to keep the pyramid scheme going. Hard to believe people get involved with scams like this and even harder to believe the government hasn’t done anything to shut them down. Jeff Olson is laughing all the way to the bank.
Hey Jo,
I’m not sure. Their reps have been real quiet all of sudden. And the people I knew who personally recommended their company have stopped all of sudden. So maybe it’s no more.
Like many successful people and companies, Nerium is being attacked by its competitors and naysayers. Nerium products work. They work better for some. They work faster for some. They even work differently for the same person. The night cream works much faster on my neck than my forehead for instance. My before/after pictures are not doctored. The people I know who use Nerium products see improvements. Their pictures aren’t doctored. The business opportunity, like many organizations in the world is pyramid in shape. Churches, schools, governments, businesses are as well. Pyramid shape does not equal illegal. Amway proved that in court decades ago. Nerium is a company that has quality products that really work and are competitively priced; seven times more customers than brand partners; over a billion in sales in less than 4 years; a 30 day money back guarantee on everything; an excellent customer loyalty program; a program that enables customers and brand partners to get their product free; a commitment to self development and giving to our communities; and, a great business opportunity that is not hard to do but does, of course, take effort. Nerium does not promote itself as get rich quick. Nerium has solved many problems other companies have which is leading to their success. Your start-up cost information is outdated. One can start their Nerium business for $50 or $500. Obviously one is faster and easier than the other. Finally, Nerium’s products and business opportunity aren’t for everyone but they are a great fit for many.
Valerie,
It’s not so much Nerium is being attacked. There are short comings that the company has that reps like to ignore or sweep under the rug. So pointing these things out isn’t an attack. It’s just bringing these weaknesses to light so people have a complete picture. And every company has weaknesses and areas of improvement. When reps act like Nerium doesn’t then it’s going to give people doubts and negative feelings. As I said in the review some people swear by Nerium products and the opportunity and others don’t. I’m sure there is truth to both arguments. So with that all said I agree with you in that Nerium isn’t for everyone.
Hi Eddy,
Thank you for this review. I have read every single comment on this thread and have found many things to think about in my own journey. I was recently approached by a friend, who has been a BP for a year, to try the product. So I told her I would (who doesn’t want better skin, right?). I’ve been using it for 3 days and am keeping my mind open. If there are results great, if not, no worries. She has also started trying to “quietly” recruit me. She, thankfully, is not pushy nor overbearing but she invited me out to an “ice cream social” at a friend’s house that ended up being some kind of Nerium meeting where I was the guest of honor (surprise!). Again, no worries, I wasn’t all that disturbed. I did notice that they talked more about the benefits of being a rep than the actual product. I started to become curious, so got on the internet to do my own research and thus ran across this thread.
Personally, my red flag, and why I’ve decided not to get into this business is that some of the questions I asked, I got very vague responses. Like, what kind of income are we talking about here, ballpark? I got the “it depends on how much you put into it” line. I also asked about a typical work day, what does working hard mean? What do they train you to do? And while she answered that question, it also seemed a little “off”/vague and I started to wonder if they’re getting trained for something other than just selling the product. I understand now that it is true, they are being trained to recruit. I don’t like that. I’ve never done any of these MLM businesses, but if I did I think I’d want to get credit for the product not managing/mentoring a team of people in order to make my money.
I feel much better educated after reading this thread and particularly have found the user Jennifer’s input very enlightening. Thank you.
Hey Bria,
I’m happy you found this post useful. That’s always been my issue with most MLMs its really about the recruiting of other reps rather than the products. That said there are some people that swear by Cerium products. So depending on who you’re talking to some really find it very useful. So maybe it depends on the rep you’re working with. I suspect that most are trained to just recruit people rather than push the product. It would be great to hear from people that actually make most of their money promoting the product.
In terms of the answers to your question about the income, I don’t think they’re being vague. When it comes to a business it’s very hard to product how much money a person can make because it really falls on the business owner and how they apply what they’ve learned. So no one can really predict that for you in any business. It’s part of the risk of being a business owner and it’s why most people aren’t business owners. And that’s fine. But when it comes to income claims or guarantees that’s always a guess when it comes to starting a business. Either way, I appreciate your comments.
I’m not here saying Nerium works or doesn’t work. Playing devil’s advocate — even if it does work, most Americans do not have the extra income to be lathering $100 on their face to slightly change their appearance. I take major offense to the pushy tactics used on friends when that $100 would be doing most American’s more good in their 401K accounts. Just saying.
Hey Kelly,
Thanks for sharing your views. I don’t pretend to know what most americans budgets are because I’ve seen a lot of folks spend a lot of money on things I consider to be nonsense. So with that said if people really want something, they tend to find the money for it. But with all that said, I personally wouldn’t spend that type of money on this product especially if I’m being pressured into it. So I agree with you there and how that money can probably be invested in other ways.
I was a Brand Partner, but stopped the business for a few reasons. One is I am not a salesperson and I actually don’t want to be one. I have tried other businesses like this and I did not like them either. But I thought this would be different. I was told everyone helps each other, but that was not true. I was also advised that this product is on Ebay for a lot less. I don’t like the push approach and I definitely did not know about the cost monthly if I don’t make my “quota”. I lost a lot of money and I was told I can do this on a part time basis. But apparently when you want to take your time and do this on a part time basis, you get nagged about how you are not getting anything done. I WORK A FULL TIME JOB for a living. Nerium is not a part time, in your spare time type of job. It’s a business. I also found too many inconsistencies. In order to get the car, you have to keep recruiting and making sure your recruits are recruiting. Then when you do “become Lexus qualified” it’s just that. You are qualified to get a car. You had better not have another car payment because they just won’t take your car for a trade in for the blue book value and you just added another loan to your life. And as long as you get those recruits, have those parties, do that marketing strategy, etc, then they will pay for your car. I’m sorry but it’s just not worth it for me.
Hey Andrea,
Thanks for sharing your experience with us. You’ve brought up a lot of the concerns and issues I have discovered about this company. There is way too much focus on recruiting vs selling the products which is a bad sign and what pyramid schemes do to stay a float. Legally they are not that type of scheme because they do have products. But the fact you’re pushed and pushed to recruit more people instead of the products is telling.
Again I appreciate you sharing your experience and keeping it real.
I am learning a lot from all of the conversation about Nerium, I was considering becoming a brand partner but so many points that were sitting in the back of my mind have been discussed by others on here leading me to think it may not be for me, thank you everyone for your input!