Arbonne Review: Is Joining Arbonne Scam?

This economy already has people worried for their wallet – whether it’s the price of groceries, used cars skyrocketing in value, or being priced out of homes (with a potential impending collapse), financial uncertainty is aplenty.

This goes double for entrepreneurs.

So, what’s the answer?

Everyone knows you can’t force an entrepreneur into a cubicle.…but we also have to build a life for ourselves. Luckily, I did stumble onto something the other day that I’m going to let you in on when we’re done talking about MLMs.

At the end of this review, you’ll see the exact system many others have used to build their own internet marketing business to over $40,000 a month in passive income.

Sounds pretty cool, huh?

But first, let’s dig into these guys and see what their pitch is all about.

MLM Review: What Is Arbonne?

Arbonne International, LLC, an MLM company founded by Norwegian entrepreneur Petter Mørck in Switzerland in 1975 and brought to the United States in 1980.

It creates personal care, wellness, and beauty products using innovative science and research.

Arbonne products are available through an extensive network of Independent Consultants in the United States, Canada, Australia, Poland, New Zealand, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom, as well as at arbonne.com. Arbonne is a private company based in Irvine, California.

Arbonne Business History: How It All Started

Petter Mørck worked in the Norwegian skincare industry from 1965. In 1975, he moved to Arbon, Switzerland, to work on his own skincare line with Pierre Bottiglieri, a Laboratoires Cosmetiques Arval employee, after deciding that the ingredients used in the companies he worked for were harmful to the skin.

Bottiglieri and Mørck collaborated to create a line of products that did not contain any petroleum or animal products, according to the story published by Arbonne.

According to another version of their story, Mørck purchased the formulations from Laboratoires Cosmetiques Arval, which sold rebranding formulations.

Mørck continued to be active in the company until his death in 2008. Stian Mørck, his son, is the current VP Brand Ambassador of Arbonne.

From 1991 to 2011, Rita Davenport served as the first President of the company.

Around the year 2004, Arbonne became a subsidiary of Levlad, Inc., which became the primary manufacturer of Arbonne products.

Harvest Partners bought both companies in 2005 and renamed the new acquisition Natural Products Group, LLC.

Natural Products Group agreed to sell Arbonne and Nature’s Gate to Groupe Rocher in February 2018.

In January 2020, Arbonne earned the B Corporation certification. The only certification of its kind, B Corp assesses the social and environmental performance of a company, as well as its transparency and accountability.

Businesses are certified by the nonprofit B Lab for their measurable impact on people and the environment and are required, unlike traditional corporations, to consider the impact of their decisions on all stakeholders: customers, workers, and communities, and the environment.

As of 2017, they claim to have nearly 320,000 Consultants selling their products all over the world.

Arbonne Social Media Selling

Social media is an important tool for Arbonne because it is the world’s biggest nutrition and cosmetics company, with more than 300,000 independent consultants worldwide.

The company gathered together its finest members to collaborate on personal branding, original content, and coordinated marketing techniques that raised individual leads and combined intelligence with a new customer relationship management system.

The company extracted social media data at the individual consultant level to determine the true effectiveness of each consultant’s social performance. With minimal input from sales teams and minimal interference in day-to-day activities, they could tailor social strategies for each individual and across teams their custom tool.

The company calculated overall reach, engagement, and supporting audience data using simple code and repackaged it into simple directives that a consultant could use immediately.

“Custom Tool: The S4DC Social Media Performance Predictor (SMPP)”   

The S4DC SMPP starts with a standard social data collection module that uses Facebook Graph API and Pages.

This information is then uploaded to a cloud-based module, allowing real-time access. They calculate insights in a graphical format using this internally shared module.

The data is then exported to an easy-to-use dashboard to help with marketing, technology, sales, operations, and finance decisions.

Over 1 million social media interactions were analyzed across Arbonne‘s top 25 competitors. Based on these findings, they created weekly reporting for their top sales team.

As a result, Arbonne was able to gain actionable best practices for their unique market position, which they were able to pass on to each individual consultant.

They worked with each consultant to create personalized branding statements that complemented the corporate direction.

Arbonne Business Practices

Arbonne takes pride in being a B Corporation.

The B Corporation certification of “social and environmental performance” is a private certification for for-profit businesses that are separate from the legal designation of a Benefit Corporation.

B Lab, a global nonprofit organization with offices in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, and a partnership in Latin America with Sistema B, confers B Corp certification.

Conversely, Arbonne has a “Green Will Call” shipping option. Orders are placed in Arbonne recyclable cloth bags rather than boxes, and they can be picked up either at their Irvine Will Call Center or their Indiana Will Call Center.

What Products Does Arbonne Sell?

Arbonne consultants and their products fall into 6 categories:

• Nutrition (Protein Shakes…)

  

• Skincare (Cleanser, Toner…)

  

• Makeup (Mascara, Lip Serum…)

  

• Body Care (Body Wash, Body Lotion…)

  

• Hair (Shampoo, Conditioner…)

  

• Accessories (Makeup Brushes…)

Are Arbonne Ingredients Safe?

When you read Arbonne reviews, you’ll notice that some people complain about side effects. These side effects are caused by the ingredients in the formulas, not by the products themselves.

For example, because glucomannan is a fiber, it can cause gas and bloating. Any severe adverse reaction could indicate a problem, so seek medical help if you think you’re having one.

How Many Arbonne Consultants Are There Worldwide?

In 2005, there were 434,000 consultants, and in 2006, there were 612,000. So between 2007 and 2009, the company went from having 1.3 million consultants to having less than 800,000.

In 2019, a nutritionist who works as a freelance writer said in a blog post that there are over 250,000 Arbonne Consultants worldwide.

All the Arbonne Consultants (or "Arbonne Distributors") have one thing in common: they make most of their income via the Arbonne compensation plan, which basically means they make more money recruiting friends and family than they do from the product itself.

This model draws the frustration of people like renowned author and MLM expert Robert Fitzpatrick, who does not believe in these nutrition products or the multi level marketing company behind it.

Is Arbonne Involved In Any Controversies Or Scandals?

Rumors

A 2006 article in The Virginian-Pilot raised a question about AIRD’s lack of its own facilities, as well as the possibility that chemist Pierre Bottiglieri had worked for other companies besides Arbonne.

Recalls

In January 2009, Arbonne voluntarily recalled some production lots of branded peanut butter cups. This was due to the possibility of Salmonella serotype Typhimurium contamination in peanut-based products shipped from a Georgia processing facility.

In September 2009, due to the risk of contamination with Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria, the company voluntarily recalled a production lot of branded foaming sea salt scrub products.

In January 2013, Arbonne voluntarily recalled one batch of branded facial moisturizer products for men, according to Health Canada. Aerococcus viridans was found in the products, based on Arbonne‘s testing.

In June 2016, Arbonne voluntarily recalled multiple lots of branded liquid eyeliner products. The bacteria Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Staphylococcus xylosus, and Staphylococcus lentus were found in unacceptable levels in the products.

In October 2017, The ACCC recalled one lot of branded body wash products due to unsafe levels of Staphylococcus cohnii.

Lawsuits

In November 2009, Arbonne International LLC was found to have broken federal law by the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana. Lisa Wilson was turned down for a job because of her disability (deafness). Arbonne agreed to pay Wilson a $30,000 settlement and to implement anti-discrimination policies and training.

In May 2017, Cynthia and Michael Dagnall filed a lawsuit against Arbonne in Orange County Superior Court. They claimed that the company was a pyramid scheme. On March 20, 2018, the Arbonne Pyramid Scheme Class Action Lawsuit was dismissed.

Arbonne Online Reviews

Let's hear what some people are saying:

"A couple weeks ago, I went to a home show where an Arbonne Independent Consultant approached me. I was actually working as a vendor and she made a point to come over and talk to me. Perhaps I looked nice, approachable, vulnerable? Anyway, she starts talking to me about their products and if I had any interest in selling Arbonne products. Well, I actually was thinking about picking up some sort of side gig and a job from home sounded like a pretty cool idea. So she invites me over to her booth and starts talking about how their products are all natural, has me try a bunch of stuff from their nutrition line. It all seems pretty great. She also tried a foundation on me that felt really nice on my skin. So long story short - I give her my contact info and she says she'll be in touch with me and that we should meet up for coffee sometime. Great. The next day I receive this very business-like email from her that seems like she is trying to sell me the products, but nothing about meeting up to chat. So I email her back and express that I am interested in the business and would like to set up a meeting.

Fast forward a couple days later. I posted a feeler on FaceBook about who has tried Arbonne products and what they think of them. Some girl who I didn't really know but lives close to my home town messages me on FaceBook and says she is an Independent Arbonne consultant and invites me to like her page. She seems like a really nice girl so I tell her I'm interested in selling for Arbonne and that I had some questions about the business. She has really positive things to say about the products and the business and said to let her know if I needed help signing up.

A few days went by and I never heard anything from the lady I met at the home show. The girl on Facebook messages me again and wants to know if I'm still interested in the business. I tell her yes but I still have some questions. Then she says okay but I need you to watch this video first to give you some insight about Arbonne. So, being the nice person I am, I say sure no problem. It was a 12 minute long video of exactly what I thought it was going to be....some upper class suburban wife talking about how Arbonne changed her life and blah blah blah. She also kept mentioning that their products were "pure, safe, and beneficial". I really wanted to believe that was true. Being she skeptical person I am, I spent a lot of time googling Arbonne product reviews and came upon a very well-written article by a lady who talks about the ingredients in Arbonne and how the company is basically lying about their claim to be all natural. What really disappointed me is that for the longest time, they refused to post their ingredients, which I think is super sketchy. Good news is they are now posted, but the ingredients are by far, not all natural. Each product has a huge list of ingredients and that's never a good sign.

Here is the article: https://www.meghantelpner.com/blog/arbonne-pure-safe-cosmetics/

So back to my story...as I'm chatting with this girl through FB messenger, I'm doing my research on Arbonne and finding all these posts and articles that pretty much have me turned off at this point. She has some questions for me about after watching the video, mostly about my interest level and what I like about the products. I was responding very positively to all the questions, still trying to be optimistic. Then she hits me with this: "Can you think of anyone who might be interested in the business opportunity or products?" NO. NO. NO. I'm not getting anyone else roped into this. I soon realize that this is a pyramid scheme and that she would be making money off of me if I signed up and anyone else. So she starts talking about how she can get me signed up right away and at this point I'm thinking dear lord what have I done?? I politely tell her I need more time to think it over and discuss it with my fiancé. Then she says "Okay! How about I follow up with you tomorrow?" I'm thinking okay girl, you are being way too pushy.

The next day, I finally decide that I definitely do not want to sell Arbonne. I reach out to her to let her know and thank her for her time and again, being the nice person I am, let her know if I'm interested in selling/buying I'll reach out to her. BUT THESE ARBONNE SELLERS DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THE WORD "NO" MEANS. She's still trying to get me to buy her products and find a friend who is interested. Ugh. I'm tired.

So in summary, DON'T GET ROPED INTO THIS. I was smart to get out of it before I even started, and even that was hell. I'm honestly starting to believe this is not much different than Mary Kay. I can honestly say I had high hopes for Arbonne and was super excited to think their products were actually what they claimed. Therefore, I think I'll stick to my organic coconut oil and apple cider vinegar.

Also, if you read all the way up to this point, you must have a lot of patience listening to me ramble! So thank you! I hope this post served as some good insight to anyone who is thinking about buying/selling Arbonne products."

"Okay, buckle in because this is all sorts of ridiculous. Back in university my friend and I somehow got roped into going to a “party”. I really didn’t want to go because it all felt off, and I was not acquainted with the girl the invite came from (but my friend worked with her. She was a military wife, vegan, actually a very nice girl, but I digress).

Our initial plan was to go out for dinner when all of a sudden we got this rando invite to this “party”. Now my mum did Mary Kay for a few years so I was pretty suspicious. Out went dinner plans ( I remember being ridiculously hungry by this point) and we made or say to a strangers house as the girl that gathered everyone was hosting this “party” at a consultants house. Now this complete stranger was surly and sour faced when no one was paying attention but was quick to put on a grin when she recognized the military wife chick and a few of their mutual friends. She did not seem to like my friend and I though which I found strange. This will be relevant a little later.

Well turns out it was a three hour sales pitch for Arbonne. The consultants own up-line was doing the entire presentation. All about how makeup is made with animal carcasses, how they are vegan and health orientated blah blah blah. It was long and tedious and at this point I was wishing we had just gone to dinner and by the look on my friends face, she was thinking the same.

Finally the presentation ends and we are given these papers with Arbonnes product that we would be interested in ( this was when it was clear that a few of us would not be signing up for Arbonne, which made the consultant chick irritated. Her up-line kept it professional though.) we were told that we’d be given a code from the consultant to order products online (which we wold receive directly I guess versus waiting for it to be dropped off?) now I’m vegetarian so vegan products did interest me and I was generally interested in the product (I know I know, blame the hunger and semi hope this wasn’t a really horrible scam like Mary Kay). So I ask the consultant about her order number cuz I would be willing to order and she kept giving me a run around

“OH I would want to meet up with you later and we can discuss what products would be best for you”

More like she wanted to try to convince me into her scheme. I expressed confusion and she suddenly got very mean and essentially called me dumb in front of everyone (it’s been 4 years so I can’t remember her exact phrasing, I do remember feeling my face go hot and immediately wanting to leave.) There was a slight stunned silence in the room, and then causal chit chat started up after a moment. Pretty sure no one knew how the fuck to react to that, I certainly did not.

Luckily for me the party was pretty much over at this point, and once about a block away I expressed my embarrassment to my friend, which she agreed the lady was out of line entirely and had been nasty to all her non friends all night. Military wife was with us too and she seemed embarrassed as well but kept quiet.

And that consultant NEVER contacted me about purchasing her damn product. So moral of the story is, Arbonne, HUGE scam and that was pretty much when I realized I was 3000% done with all MLMs. I refuse to support my friends Scentsy and whatever other bullshit they are into. Between the Mary Kay shit in my childhood and being demeaned by a stranger for no reason, enough was enough. I just hope any bots stuck in Arbonne get out fast... such nonsense."

So...that's a couple of harsh reviews. Let's try one positive spin from an insider:

"Hi Redditers,

I read above post and understand all the negative conations about MLM and that their pyramid schemes, not legit, etc.

I want to share a different perspective with you and clear up some misconceptions, in my view its actually affiliate marketing on steroids.

As you know with affiliate marketing you sell someone else's product and get a commission, however with multilevel marketing, you can make $ off of other's efforts.

With Arbonne specifically, I'm a Arbonne consultant, you actually are not obligated to buy / hold inventory, in fact you can simply send a prospect to your Arbonne's ecommerce site and if someone decides to buy, you get paid, just like in affiliate marketing.

Now, if you get other consultants to sign up under you and they sale, you can potentially make extra income.

Another thing to keep in mind, if you work a corporate job the boss at the top makes the most while the workers at the bottom work the hardest make the least. With Arbonne one can actually out rank their sponsor and eclipse them. This alone debunks the myth its a pyramid scheme.

But like with anything else, to make a descent amount either you have to sell a lot or either train others to sell, either way its lots of hard work, there isn't any shortcuts."

What Do I Need To Do To Join Arbonne?

Become An Arbonne Preferred Client

Your $29 startup fee gives you access to exclusive deals and special offers on Arbonne products when you join Arbonne as a Preferred Client.

Become An Arbonne Independent Consultant

The sign-up fee costs $49. Annual renewal costs $29.

Is Arbonne A Scam?

So, is selling Arbonne products a scam?

Not technically – even if people online are saying otherwise. The Federal Trade Commission seems to give them a pass.

You can make money as an Arbonne consultant, but building a successful business is definitely not as easy as they make it sound.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with front-loading the work and making the money later.

But if you’re grinding it out for 3 months, and then your reward is being forced to grind it out for another 9 months before seeing any “real money,” well…that’s not a great deal, is it?

Reminds me of those God-forsaken MLMs many of us have experienced…all hype and no substance.

What if, instead, you could do that same 3 months of work (in your spare time), and your reward was a $500 to $2,000 payment that came in every single month?

And what if you actually didn’t need to wait 3 months? What if you could get started today and have your first payment in a week?

And what if you could double it next week?

Well, that’s the power of Digital Leasing. 

And you can legitimately do this from anywhere. It’s a true lifestyle business.

Your laptop and an internet connection are all you need.

Some of the most successful students in this program run their entire 6-figure businesses from:

·         A camper in the middle of the woods

·         A beach chair laid out on gorgeous white sands

·         A small villa in the Mediterranean

These people are able to travel around, living their lives first, and focusing on their income second.

Because even if they stop working for an extended period of time, the money keeps coming in - so adventure, memories, and experience are the top priority.

And they never have to worry about how to pay for the next trip, or consider asking for time off.

If this sounds more like the type of life you want to lead, just click here to find out more about Digital Leasing.

Are There Alternatives To Arbonne?

Yes, there are plenty of other business models to choose from if you want to pursue a path that frees your time and expands your wallet.  Here are just a few:

·         Local Lead Generation

·         Digital Leasing

·         SEO

·         Real Estate

·         Website Building

Suppose you’re an entrepreneur looking to make some passive income. In that case, there are already a plethora of online courses available that will teach you a new business model for working from home.

Can You Make Money With Arbonne?

Sure, I guess.

But…

…there’s a lot that comes along with becoming an Arbonne independent consultant that many people struggle with.

Now, don’t get the wrong idea…

…it’s not impossible to make money if you join Arbonne, but if you’re gonna put in the amount of grueling work to do this (which, trust us, isn’t easy), you might as well bring in some REAL money while you’re learning the ropes.

The program that helped skyrocket many online businesses to over $40,000+ per month is so simple that making money really does become second nature.

What Is Our #1 Recommendation For Making Money Online In 2024?

Our review team has spent months researching, reviewing, and vetting dozens of business models and thousands of programs.

While there may be no “perfect business”, the research IS conclusive:

Digital Leasing is the #1 online business model for entrepreneurs.

Whether you’ve never made a dollar online, or you’ve been in this space for a while but never really “made it,” Digital Leasing is probably your best bet.

Why?

Frankly, I don’t think you can afford to make the wrong choice when it comes to your career in this day and age.

Have you seen inflation lately? You know, that thing where your money is worth less but your costs of living keep rising? You must find a way to overcome this strain on your financial life, and you can’t rely on others to do it for you.

“Relying on others to do it for you”…where have I heard that before?

Oh yeah, it’s Arbonne’s entire business model. Not good.

Whether you’re sick of living an average life, or a single mom seeking a new stream of income in order to stop the cycle of barely getting by…it seems clear to me that Digital Leasing is a great option to take control in today’s economy.

Let’s dig into the details:

1) It’s Flexible:

Got an hour a day? You can do this. Ready to drop everything else and dive in full time? You can do this.

Yes, the more time you put in, the faster you see results. But even with a little time each day, you can move the needle in a Digital Leasing business.

And because this system is so flexible, you don’t have to constantly be working to make more money. It’s called PASSIVE INCOME because if you stop working, the money doesn’t.

Imagine taking 3 months off to just tour around Europe, rent a cabin in the woods to write a book, hike the Appalachian Trail, or live on the beach and surf all day.

This is only possible if you have an income stream that’s not tied to your time.

2) You Own & Control EVERYTHING:

With multi level marketing companies, you don’t own anything. With Arbonne, you REALLY don’t own anything.

You don’t own the sales platform, you don’t own a brand, and you don’t own the customers.

So…are you comfortable trusting Arbonne independent consultants with your livelihood?

With Digital Leasing, you own the assets, which means you have all the power and all the control.

3) Little To No Startup Costs:

It’s possible to get into Digital Leasing with zero dollars upfront. Because, using the strategies outlined in this program, you can get a client to pay you BEFORE spending a penny out of your own pocket…even before you do any work.

That said, I’m not going to lie to you and say you’ll never have to put any work in. That’s a red flag. You don’t get anything for free in this life…however, you can absolutely put work in up front that frees up your time and lifestyle as you stack success.

That’s the life-hack to sitting back and watching money roll in.

Even without getting paid in advance, you can have your first Digital Rental Property up, running, and generating profits for a much more efficient investment than any multi level marketing scheme – or even worse, taking out student loans.

4) No Wasted Time:

As mentioned above, spending tons of hours every day selling to your family and friends is a huge time commitment.

Plus, you constantly need to be dealing with a business ethics standards team if you want to maintain your business.

You need to spend even more money if you want to scale up. As an Arbonne rep, you’ll always have limits on your time and freedom.

With Digital Leasing, a 100% online business, you never have to worry about that.

5) Easy To Duplicate:

Ok, here’s the best part: once you have your first Digital Rental Property up and running, you can literally DOUBLE your income with a few clicks, a couple keystrokes, and a single phone call.

Remember: each Digital Rental Property is worth $500 to $2,000 a month in semi-passive income (over 95% profit). Every time you decide to create another one and increase your income, it gets easier.

How does it get easier?

Because you have more knowledge, more experience, more results, and more momentum.

If you wanted to double your income as one of thousands of Arbonne reps, you’d have to double your time investment OR your profit margins. And it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that’s a lot harder than a few clicks and a few minutes of your life.

6) Make Money Helping Real People:

This part is what makes it all worth it. Direct selling is a decent way to make yourself money, but it doesn’t improve anyone else’s lives.

After all, there’s always someone else selling shampoo. That might be fine in the short term, but in the long run you may feel like you’re missing a purpose.

Don’t even get me started on MLMs, where your friends and family become the product…I’m sure many of you reading have been through that sort of “bait and switch” nonsense before.

You know the type – they promise a living wage, then you’re only on commission for a sketchy product.

With Digital Leasing though, you’re actually helping people by solving your clients’ biggest problem:

Small, local businesses need more customers, and with Digital Leasing, you are unleashing a flood of happy, paying customers for these businesses.

You make money by helping them make money.

Not some big, faceless corporation either…a small business owner who’s using that money to put food on the table for their family, start a college fund for their kids, or take care of a sick parent.

Once you see how Digital Leasing makes a real impact in the lives of real people, you’ll see what I mean.

Now, the choice is yours. You could continue browsing, looking at opportunities like MLM which could one day make you money…

…you could continue researching, never making a decision…

OR, you could take a look inside, consider what you really want, and join a program that makes your dreams a reality.

At the same time, you’re joining a community of over 2,000 successful students that are living life on their own terms thanks to Digital Leasing.

A consistent, reliable, semi-passive stream of income that doesn’t depend on you or your time to keep producing profits? It’s as good as it sounds.

All while genuinely helping real people who are grateful and happy to pay for it.

If this sounds more like what you want out of life (or if you just want some nice side income), click here to learn more about Digital Leasing.