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World Ventures -- Make a Living, Living or Just Living as an MLM Recruiter?
WV says:
1. Is WorldVentures a pyramid scheme?
WorldVentures is not a pyramid scheme. WorldVentures is a legitimate network marketing (also known as direct selling) business focused on travel and lifestyle products. Pyramid schemes are illegal, do not deliver on any product or service being sold, and are a form of fraud.
This article by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) offers a very comprehensive explanation.
WorldVentures passes the "pyramid test" primarily because the company does not pay commissions based on recruiting new Representatives. Rather, commissions are paid solely on the sale of retail products: the DreamTrips Memberships, Luxury DreamTrips Memberships, and the Leisure Travel Consultant package. These products are not sold at inflated prices and since they are not physically tangible items, Representatives do not carry any inventory.
In 2009, WorldVentures launched a new B2B division that markets the DreamTrips Membership as an employee benefit directly to companies, with no mention of the Leisure Travel Consultant opportunity. To date, thousands of customers have already enrolled as members through this employee benefit program.
WorldVentures is not an opportunity where you make millions of dollars in income overnight. It’s a viable business similar to other direct selling companies such as Mary Kay, Pre-Paid Legal, Tupperware, Avon, and many other successful companies utilizing a home-based business distribution model. In fact, noted industrialists and corporations utilize the network marketing model as well. For example: Warren Buffet (Berkshire Hathaway) owns The Pampered Chef; Sir Richard Branson, of Virgin fame, also owned Virgin Vie, which distributes cosmetics and skincare products in Europe; and banking giant CitiGroup owns Primerica Insurance Company. Even clothing giant Jockey owns and operates Jockey Person-to-Person.
If most of the sales $$$ are from bringing in new reps and not from travel then we are talking form over substance and it is nothing but a recruitment scheme. Selling Leisure Travel Consultant packages is recruiting.
Soapboxmom
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Re: World Ventures -- Make a Living, Living or Just Living as an MLM Recruiter?
World Ventures Income Disclosure 2009
Those figures show most never got paid a dime and many of the few that did could barely afford a trip to Starbucks once a week.
Soapboxmom
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Re: World Ventures -- Make a Living, Living or Just Living as an MLM Recruiter?
There just is not enough margin in travel to make this viable. Most people who get into travel MLMs do so to "save" on their own travel. Whether they do or not is debatable considering the cookie-cutter websites have not been shown to consistently provide better pricing than any other source, including traditional agents. The only thing different about WV is their Dream Trips. And those are simple group trips.
Don't take life too serious. You'll never escape it alive anyway.
~ Elbert Hubbard
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Re: World Ventures -- Make a Living, Living or Just Living as an MLM Recruiter?
Originally Posted by
Seriously?
There just is not enough margin in travel to make this viable. Most people who get into travel MLMs do so to "save" on their own travel. Whether they do or not is debatable considering the cookie-cutter websites have not been shown to consistently provide better pricing than any other source, including traditional agents. The only thing different about WV is their Dream Trips. And those are simple group trips.
And as proven many times, those DreamTrips are not usually cheaper. Often times, they're more expensive. Add in the membership fees and they're always more expensive in the long run.
GEORGE DRANICHAK - OWNER OF SCAM.COM, PORN MOGUL AND KING OF THE PORN SPAMMERS
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Re: World Ventures -- Make a Living, Living or Just Living as an MLM Recruiter?
Something is very strange in the WorldVentures DreamTrips land. They no longer will show the prices of some of their DreamTrips on the website unless you pay to become a member. That was never the case before. Some are listed and just as proven before, they're not a bargain. Keep in mind that it costs $199.95 to join and $24.99 per month, so the member would pay a whopping $474.84 per year just for the "privilege" of usually paying more for the identical trip booked through any travel agent.
Here is just one their offerings:
NUEVO VALLARTA, MEXICO
6 DAY & 5 NIGHT
STAY AT THE VILLA DEL PALMAR FLAMINGOS BEACH RESORT & SPA
$297.88
PER PERSON BASED ON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY
Studio apartment
Best Online Price: $1229.52
DreamTrips Price: $297.88
Average Savings per Couple: $1863.27
Available from any brick and mortar travel agency:
Same dates, same room category, same everything:
$218.00 per person*
As you can see, this would be a rip-off, as is par for the course with any travel MLM.
*price quoted 8-31-10 from Apple Vacations
GEORGE DRANICHAK - OWNER OF SCAM.COM, PORN MOGUL AND KING OF THE PORN SPAMMERS
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Re: World Ventures -- Make a Living, Living or Just Living as an MLM Recruiter?
I laugh at the overly inflated 'Best Online Price'
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Re: World Ventures -- Make a Living, Living or Just Living as an MLM Recruiter?
WorldVentures Scam: Top Earner Sues WorldVentures
Hard evidence on WorldVentures. See the documents retrieved from WorldVentures for yourself. You be the judge.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Top Earner Sues WorldVentures
An interesting development, Top Earner, Steve J Little and his wife, Leigh, have filed suit against WorldVentures Marketing, Wayne Nugent and Michael Azcue.The names "Steve and Leigh Little" have been synonymous with WorldVentures for many years. Executive Management have referred to Steve Little as "WorldVentures Legend". In February 2007, WorldVentures named Steve Little their Chairman of the President's Advisory Council, citing he was their #1 Top Earner.
Steve and Leigh have been prominently displayed in WorldVentures' Income Disclosure Statements:
Is there trouble in Denmark?
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Re: World Ventures -- Make a Living, Living or Just Living as an MLM Recruiter?
16 comments:
OfficialWV said... It's unfortunate. He violated our policies and procedures, was put on probation last fall, and after further investigation and subsequent violations, we were forced to terminate this spring.
We have a lot of history with Steve. But WorldVentures will enforce it's policies with vigor in an effort to protect members, regardless of the seniority, rank or position of the person responsible for the offenses. Our leaders were not only aware of the decision but completely aligned with us in support of it.
In our litigious society, the lawsuit is not unexpected. Additionally, WorldVentures has multiple counterclaims on file.
July 17, 2011 4:50 PM
Anonymous said... So what you are saying WVOfficial, is the only way to become a "Top Earner" selling WorldVentures is to violate your policies...
July 25, 2011 7:03 PM
Anonymous said... Seems WV settled for $750,000 so clearly he had dirt on them that they did not want exposed.
August 4, 2011 7:53 AM
Anonymous said... Although it is more fun to imagine the "dirt," real life business is much more dull. Any business professional knows settlements out of court are typically done to save the hundreds of thousands, and even millions it can cost BOTH sides to bother dragging something through the court system; the only ones that truly win are the lawyers who collect steep fees. It's naive to believe that ANY out-of-court settlement "proves" anything... It's all just financial numbers these days. I don't know the inside of this case, but a settlement is matter of course for any smart, solid biz.
August 7, 2011 8:59 PM
Anonymous said... When one violates polices and procedures....after having read, signed, and agreed with them....that's what happens. Too bad!
August 17, 2011 6:12 AM
Anonymous said... Just so everyone is clear:
Steve Little was TERMINATED from WorldVentures for numerous Policies and Procedures violations. That was announced publicly, without his name being mentioned at the time. He did not quit to join another opportunity.
August 18, 2011 4:10 PM
Anonymous said... Now he, as well as several others that you may know, such as Jason Slone and Heath Blackmon, are the equivalent of starving wolves in a hen house. They are desperate and will do and say anything, for their benefit, at your expense. Don't believe the hype. Steve Little is being paid a salary to be with iWowWe. Are you if you follow him? Do you get the same offer? Hopefully the owners were lied to about why he wasn't with WV any longer, otherwise I question their integrity. Who knows they might decide to terminate him as well soon.
August 18, 2011 4:11 PM
Anonymous said... An unknown source, a snake, stole the WV b2b database and now some iWowWe representatives, such as Richard Morgan (RJ), are contacting each b2b rep personally over the next few days/weeks to recruit into iWowWe as well as talk bad about WorldVentures. If you're contacted, ask this rep to send you a video or proof of any claims they are making. You won't see or hear Steve Little say anything bad or negative, such as WV wasn't paying him. In fact, I hear from PAC members that Steve Little made every attempt to stay in WV long after he had been warned many, many times, then suspended, and finally terminated, after the many violations of the company's printed Policies & Procedures. What should they have done? What should the company do now as they lie and attack? I'll tell you...they should protect those that care about the future of this company, play by the rules, and are here for the long haul!
August 18, 2011 4:12 PM
Anonymous said... There is not one single WV leader that has left WorldVentures for iWowWe. Even Steve Little did not leave, he was TERMINATED. Every PAC team leader in WV (President's Advisory Council) is still a part of WV, and all of them were a part of deciding to TERMINATE Steve (The owners of WV make no decisions without the full support of our PAC team and extensive Legal Council).
August 18, 2011 4:12 PM
Anonymous said... If Steve Little was such a great leader, which he was not, why was he never at the big events, regional trainings, etc? Why did none of the field leaders follow him? If you do waste the time to watch Steve Little in the iWowWe compensation video, take into consideration that WorldVentures paid for the home that the video was recorded in! That home was paid for with the DreamHome bonus! His 3 Lexus vehicles, his Rolex, all the vacations he has taken in the past 6 years... ALL PAID FOR BY WORLDVENTURES!
August 18, 2011 4:13 PM
Anonymous said... WorldVentures has paid every commission check accurately, on-time, every time, for nearly 6 years. Ask anyone in the company from the new rep to the IMD at the top.
The reason Steve Little doesn't get paid any longer is due to his own actions. Also, contrary to what Steve says at iWowWe, he was not the top money earner at WorldVentures.
So I just wanted to give you a "heads up" as they call and try to steal your belief. Desperate people do desperate things, and misery loves company. My advice? If someone from iWowWe does contact you, attempt to record the conversation. Hopefully the information on how they got your phone number, the real story about Steve Little, and what their motivation is will help you disarm the rep that calls you. Have fun with it! :)
August 18, 2011 4:14 PM
Anonymous said... Besides all that... How many gumballs are in the "video-email industry"? ;) LOL!!! Plus it's BORING!!!!!!
(iWowWe is a video email service that distributes their product via MLM. It is a 3x7 forced matrix comp plan. Video email can be a useful service although you can get similar results for FREE using your iPhone/Android phone and YouTube. (That is, if you feel comfortable recording yourself on video and sending it to people all over the internet, which most don't) Technology advances so fast, and if iWowWe is like most technology MLM companies, they will be extinct in 2-3 years.)
Odds are they'll be in another deal within 8 months and telling you it's the best ever. Don't be foolish and burn a bridge with WorldVentures. Jason Slone and Heath Blackmon have been going from deal to deal after WorldVentures and have earned the label "MLM Junkie". They keep recycling the same followers from deal to deal to earn the checks they brag about. Then they jump to the next deal. Always give it at least 8 months for them to prove it. Don't be their guinea pigs. WorldVentures is the most dominant Travel related Network Marketing company to ever exist. We know the PAC Team and they know the health of the company. It is solid and built for the future. They are having record growth. The announcements at The View are going to make them regret their short term thinking and actions!
August 18, 2011 4:14 PM
Anonymous said... A few other recent reps that have been SUSPENDED or TERMINATED from WorldVentures for violations of the printed Policies & Procedures are Richard Morgan, Jason Slone, and Heath Blackmon.
Beware of any of these guys!!
They have been terminated just like Steve Little. Thank you WV for pruning the dead branches.
August 20, 2011 1:38 PM
Anonymous said... WorldVentures has a HUGE counter lawsuit again Steve Little, and he may also be in some serious trouble the SEC! Jail time? Big trouble for the Little family!
August 20, 2011 1:40 PM
Scott said... There is a rerason why World Ventures implemented the 90/90 rule into the binary and that reason is two words…”shaved checks”. What caused WorldVentures to put the 90/90 rule into affect was that top earners like Steve Little, Byron Schrag, Troy Brown, et al were maxing out the comp plan and having their checks shaved. To avoid this and risk the whales from bolting to another company with their thousands of followers WV instead decided to take the money from the little man and give it to the big hitters to keep them happy and in the company. This is how the company kept the big hitters happy and didn’t have to pay out more to them. They simply made it harder for the average person to earn anything residually while the big boys got their full check.
only lasted so long.
August 20, 2011 7:14 PM
Wayne New said... Press Release issued by World Ventures:
Director of Training, Marc Accetta, says... "The February 9-11 Leadership Acceleration Workshop featuring #1 income earner Steve Little,.."
Press Release - WorldVentures Brings Leadership Acceleration Workshop, Featuring #1 Income Earner Steve Little, to Long Beach, CA. - Feb. 9-11
August 20, 2011 7:27 PM
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Re: World Ventures -- Make a Living, Living or Just Living as an MLM Recruiter?
Case History
Case Number 401-02470-2011
Date Filed: 06/10/2011
Case Type: CV - Consumer/Commercial/Debt Status:
Pending Style: Steven J Little,Leigh LittleVs.Worldventures Marketing,Michael Azcue,Wayne Nugent
JudicialOfficer: Rusch, Mark in 401st District Court
Parties Type Name DOB Address Attorney Defendant Azcue, Michael
Dwight Francis Defendant Nugent, Wayne
Dwight Francis Defendant Worldventures Marketing
Dwight Francis Plaintiff Little, Leigh
J Mitchell Little Plaintiff Little, Steven J
J Mitchell Little
06/11/2012 Bench Trial 9:00 AM
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Re: World Ventures -- Make a Living, Living or Just Living as an MLM Recruiter?
Case History
Case Number 401-02471-2011
Date Filed: 06/10/2011
Case Type: CV - All Other Civil Cases
Status: Pending
Style: Steven J Little,Leigh Little Vs. Worldventures Marketing
JudicialOfficer: Rusch, Mark in 401st District Court
Parties Type Name DOB Address Attorney
Defendant Worldventures Marketing Dwight Francis
Dwight Francis
Plaintiff Little, Leigh J Mitchell Little
Plaintiff Little, Steven J J Mitchell Little
Case Events Date Event Type Comments Cancelled Reason Time Judge 06/10/2011 Plaintiff's Original Petition (OCA)
Plaintiff's Application for Prejudgment Writ of Garnishment
06/10/2011 Request for Notice x 1 - Notice of Writ of Garnishment
06/10/2011 Request for Writ of Garnishment x 1
06/10/2011 Bond Application Fee Collected
06/10/2011 Certificate of Cash Deposit in Lieu of Surety Bond
06/10/2011 Certified Copy payment for $4 extra charge for notice of writ of garnishment
06/10/2011 Order Granting Issuance of Prejudgment Writ of Garnishment
06/10/2011 Notice
06/10/2011 Writ
06/20/2011 Objection Defendants' objections to and motion to strike portions of affidavit of Steven J. Little
06/20/2011 Motion Worldventures' verified motion to dissolve or modify prejudgment writ of garnishment issued to third party jpmorgan chase bank, N.A.
06/21/2011 Response Worldventures' response to plaintiff's application for temporary restraining order and other injunctive relief and emergency motion for leave to conduct expedited discovery
06/22/2011 Order
07/07/2011 Motion Hearing 9:00 AM
08/11/2011 Motion Hearing 9:00 AM
08/11/2011 General Docket Entry Hrg begins-M/Compell Arbitration. Certain evid may/may not exist-court orders produced per time iine; No further action at this time (motion still pending) MJR
__________________________________________________ _____________________
This is one of the World Ventures scum bums that Tim Darnell tried to buddy with, but he would not have anything to do with Advantage Conferences and wouldn't advertise in Tim's one issue wonder Givers Magazine.
Soapboxmom
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Re: World Ventures -- Make a Living, Living or Just Living as an MLM Recruiter?
In 2010 WorldVentures executives created the Manifest Foundation. The Manifest Foundation is an independently operated 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated in the state of Texas in the United States. The stated goal of the Manifest Foundation is to provide essentials, such as food, shelter, water, mentorship and education, to children in need. These needs are met through the efficient management of resources with community-cooperative partnerships that have similar goals.
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Re: World Ventures -- Make a Living, Living or Just Living as an MLM Recruiter?
Simple attempted money laundering.
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Re: World Ventures -- Make a Living, Living or Just Living as an MLM Recruiter?
Originally Posted by
Corkey70
In 2010 WorldVentures executives created the Manifest Foundation. The Manifest Foundation is an independently operated 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated in the state of Texas in the United States. The stated goal of the Manifest Foundation is to provide essentials, such as food, shelter, water, mentorship and education, to children in need. These needs are met through the efficient management of resources with community-cooperative partnerships that have similar goals.
Hmmnn,
is that a long winded way of saying World Ventures receives a "get out of jail" card because its' executives were somehow involved in the establishment of a charity ??
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing
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Re: World Ventures -- Make a Living, Living or Just Living as an MLM Recruiter?
Originally Posted by
littleroundman
Hmmnn,
is that a long winded way of saying World Ventures receives a "get out of jail" card because its' executives were somehow involved in the establishment of a charity ??
I dunno about you, but I tend to be a little skeptical of online charities or companies that do not include a physical address or phone number as part of their "contact us" page...! I would be curious to see what their IRS 990 submission would look like...!
Last edited by laidback; 09-19-2011 at 11:07 AM.
It seems like in this "industry" common sense is not all that common!
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Re: World Ventures -- Make a Living, Living or Just Living as an MLM Recruiter?
Only a "LITTLE" skeptical ?
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing
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Re: World Ventures -- Make a Living, Living or Just Living as an MLM Recruiter?
Originally Posted by
laidback
I dunno about you, but I tend to be a little skeptical of online charities or companies that do not include a physical address or phone number as part of their "contact us" page...! I would be curious to see what their IRS 990 submission would look like...!
I'm guessing it would look "curious"
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing
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Re: World Ventures -- Make a Living, Living or Just Living as an MLM Recruiter?
Originally Posted by
littleroundman
Only a "LITTLE" skeptical ?
Well, yeah. You Know? Some stories ya take with a grain of salt...theirs needs a boxcar full...!
It seems like in this "industry" common sense is not all that common!
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Re: World Ventures -- Make a Living, Living or Just Living as an MLM Recruiter?
Originally Posted by
Corkey70
In 2010 WorldVentures executives created the Manifest Foundation. The Manifest Foundation is an independently operated 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated in the state of Texas in the United States. The stated goal of the Manifest Foundation is to provide essentials, such as food, shelter, water, mentorship and education, to children in need. These needs are met through the efficient management of resources with community-cooperative partnerships that have similar goals.
Are you sure about that???
Taxable Entity Search Results
32 matches found for the search string - "manifest" Name: Taxpayer ID#: Zip:
MANIFEST ACHIEVEMENT, LLC 32041513824 75150
MANIFEST ADVERTISING, LLC 32020345131 78501
MANIFEST CAPITAL PARTNERS, LLC 32036713579 77019
MANIFEST CORPORATION 32030549946 78463
MANIFEST DESTINY INTERESTS CORP 30115652148 77571
MANIFEST DESTINY, LLC 32042949043 78757
MANIFEST DESTINY, LLC 32019302051 77586
MANIFEST DISTINY INC 30007230458 77081
MANIFEST ENTERPRISES INC 17525203877 76301
MANIFEST HOLDING COMPANY 32015831343 75080
MANIFEST HOLDINGS, LLC 32044572843 75229
MANIFEST HOLDINGS, LLC 32034370851 78732
MANIFEST INTERESTS INC. 32015621124 76051
MANIFEST INTERNATIONAL INC 30113941592 75201
MANIFEST LABS INCORPORATED 32042430465 78745
MANIFEST MEDIA, INC. 14116306102 55402
MANIFEST MINISTRIES, INC. 12009253464 76210
MANIFEST MOTORS LLC 32040093547 75180
MANIFEST PRODUCTIONS AND EVENTS LLC 32037896118 78613
MANIFEST PROPERTIES, LLC 32018151798 92024
MANIFEST REALTY I, L.L.C. 32043020539 77380
MANIFEST REALTY, L.L.C. 32042993033 77380
MANIFESTATION HOME HEALTHCARE, INC. 32045031922 78701
MANIFESTECH ENTERPRISES, LLC 32040254636 75067
MANIFESTED FAITH MINISTRIES 14319835964 78754
MANIFESTED POWER MINISTRIES INC 32017914303 75231
MANIFESTED SONS 32001427999 79065
MANIFESTED WORD MULTI-MINISTRIES 32040438312 75115
MANIFESTING MAGIC, LLC 32044518861 78746
MANIFESTING WORD CHRISTIAN MINISTRY 13310229995 77035
MANIFESTO DESIGN GROUP, INC. 12081645066 75077
MANIFESTO MEDIA L.L.C. 32041748271 76132
Susan Combs, Texas Comptroller • Window on State Government • Contact Us
__________________________________________________ ______________
The IRS does list it as a 501 C 3 based in Plano, TX, but I can't find it listed as tax-exempt in Texas. Why are the 2010 audited financial reports not available yet? Non-profit corporations in Texas are required by law to have certain records available and the IRS requires 510 c 3s to do the same. When can we expect full financial disclosure???
Soapboxmom
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Re: World Ventures -- Make a Living, Living or Just Living as an MLM Recruiter?
World Ventures Income Disclosure 2009
Their Facebook page says:
Founded2010
AboutWelcome to the official Manifest Foundation Facebook Page. Help a Child. Change a Life. Change the World.
Company OverviewSince its launch in 2005, founders Wayne Nugent and Mike Azcue and the executive team of WorldVentures have built the company with a belief in the life-changing power of travel and network marketing. Tens of thousands of customers, able to take better vacations, more often, have realized such benefits as decreased stress, higher work satisfaction, and improved personal relationships, on top of the basic financial savings they enjoy. And Representatives, able to generate part-time supplemental income, or even total income replacement and financial independence, have been able to ease their financial burdens, bring spouses home from work, spend more time with their families, and live the lives they’ve always dreamed of.
These accomplishments stem in large part from the company’s motto of “Make a living… Living!” and a vision for helping our people live their “DreamLife.” As a natural extension of this mindset, WorldVentures Chief Marketing Officer Dan Stammen early on coined a variation of the company’s motto as “Make a living… Giving!” The idea being that by helping WorldVentures Representative take care of their basic needs, they would be freed up to more generously give back to others.
If most of the reps don't get a check at all and many more can't afford their Starbucks, how exactly is this going to work????
Soapboxmom
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Re: World Ventures -- Make a Living, Living or Just Living as an MLM Recruiter?
(continued)
Then other things started becoming clear one by one:
1 The Big LIE that ‘You will have your own Business on the side’ – it is so unethical that they sell this ‘own your own side business’ concept at the presentations so strongly, that it makes me want to be sick. Being a WorldVentures rep you are not a Business Owner – you are an employee, maybe a highly paid one if you get to be in the top 0.01% and reach IMD, but an employee who can be kicked out of the door and fired at any time. During my time with WorldVentures and after my initial shock when I was blackmailed with termination because I send them EVIDENCE that 95% of the Dreamtrips were not discounted, I experienced the termination of their top UK Leader and their No1 USA Earner, both of which had build huge teams for the company, teams which of course remained with WorldVentures after the leaders termination (and hence, Worldventures saved their big fat salaries and also kept their teams or whatever was left of them!)
I saw those people working hard to bring into the company thousands of people, train new leaders and support the concept passionately, just to be terminated like normal employees, because of supposedly breaking ‘rules and regulations’, which by the way, is never concealed to the other members openly what the actual 'breaking of the rules' by those leaders entailed. You see, the WorldVentures rules and regulations are crafted in such way, that the owners of the company can wake up one day, ‘fire’ you from being a leader’ take all your team, never pay you again and they don’t even have to give you a reason! Its true, read the rules carefully and you will see what I mean. They can just decide that they didn’t like something about your behavior and just like that, poof! You’re gone!
2 ‘We want sheep and mascots’ mentality – WorldVentures does not really want you to have an opinion (hence you are a simple employee like in any other company). What they are looking for and what they are creating in their trainings is opinion-less sheep that the company turns into brainless brainwashed mascots. These mascots are reps who pay for Dreamtrip after Dreamtrip to promote the company by taking photos with the logos and slogans and post it on their profiles (note: if you are already a member, notice that 90% of the people who go to all the Dreamtrips are leaders who go there just to promote the concept and not actual members who pay to use the 'product'), thus building the WV brand with the illusion that they are actually building their own business (whereas they are just normal employees)
3 The Lie of long term Residual Income while offering a non sustainable product with no value. I have experienced firsthand how the top leaders have to work to maintain their status and trust me, that is not freedom! The top 20 leaders and income earners of the company that I personally met at various trainings and presentations, are constantly on the road giving presentations and trainings, have barely bought a house and a car, all the vacations you see them posing are at work because this is where they spend time ‘bonding’ with their team (and they actually have to use those travel dollars) and nobody knows what they are really earning, due to the ever collapsing team. You see, as WorldVentures product offers no true savings, most people drop out within 1 to 3 months. On a rare occasion, someone will stick around to pay membership until the 6th month maximum. After that they are long gone and you have to bring in new people. Since there is no actual physical product that people like and re-order, dropout rate in WorldVentures is so high, that you can have 5000 members in one month and 5 months after you have 500 unsatisfied complaining ones left (I have seen many leaders experience that too, it is common reality in this company).
4 Additional Costs for Trainings/Marketing Tools/Going to Dreamtrips profiting WorldVentures:
Not only you have to pay for Dreamtrips membership for trips which are priced the same or even higher than if you booked the exact same trip online or better through your travel agent who would take care of your flights too and treat you like a good valued customer, but you are bombarded every month with trainings (costing from 99US to 500 US), Marketing Tools that should be offered for free (ie 30 US per month to use a mailing system) and many more additional costs that WorldVentures uses to extract more money out of its reps and members.
Basically WorldVentrures makes a huge additional income on its trainings, although I have to admit, most of them are pretty good and entertaining and there are people who do enjoy paying for those trainings because they get some value in the friendships they make and the shift of mindset in spending a weekend in a room-full of positive minded people who are looking to change their lives. However, what people don’t realize is the cost of producing that training vs the proceeds of the company with the very high participation fees, gives WorldVentures a pretty good additional profit for each and every training! (out of which, of course you don’t get any commission, even if you have campaigned your whole team to attend and if you are a leader, you are asked to be one of the trainers for free!).
5 Unethical Training guidelines for approaching prospects
The training on how to invite and ‘close’ leads goes against any ethical business practices. Members are encouraged in the training, not to tell their prospects what the invitation is about and to push them to sign the form giving their visa information right after the presentation, before they have the chance to ask too many questions!
They are basically masters of psychological pressure and brainwash. There are many ethical and proper ways to invite a friend to come see a presentation about something that you are doing without you acting weird and hiding things, putting your friend and yourself in an uncomfortable position. It is also unethical to practice tricky pressure techniques with your friends to get them to sign in to something they have no real clue about what it is (after the first 30 minutes of presentation, where they only present their own version of what they want you to see) and without giving you the time to think about it and ask questions.
6 Presentation style: creating fake enthusiasm and pushing for the sale.
Again, what I am mentioning above. Reps are encouraged at all the trainings to create fake enthusiasm in the room and push for the sale right after the end of the presentation, so that ‘too many questions’ are avoided. This goes against my logic of keeping some standards of ethics.
7 Constant Legal Issues of the company and bad media coverage – WorldVentures is going through legal issues sooner or later, in every country it enters. Have that mind that if in your market there hasn’t been yet negative publicity in the media about Worldventures and about how it has been sued for this or that, or for the fact that it is probably a Pyramid or a Ponzi scheme (I will get into that discussion in a future post), as there will probably be something soon. Are you ready to handle it? This will mean losing a big portion of your team every time this happens, losing a lot of respect from friends and family, being laughed at and rebuilding everything from scratch every time (most of the time leaders move from State to State or from country to country to sustain growth as markets are crushed and burned out) until the company builds in all the markets it could enter and totally collapses. I personally prefer to spend my time and effort more constructively on other projects.
After one by one all the above points revealed themselves to me, I felt so ashamed of having dragged in WorldVentures with me, so many amazing people which were also left disappointed and wondering how they didn’t see it coming! I even had my wife sign up, who is the quiet type and shy at giving presentations and she had been so supportive that she had already spend around 1000 US in membership fees from her hard earned salary within a year, although we didn't really need a second membership as a couple.
I totally lost interest to promote it and realized that the only person I can truly count on is myself and what value I have to give to the society as an entrepreneur. I didn’t want to be that fake mascot of an unethical company anymore….
I am now making money in a different business model, I no longer get angry customer phonecalls, I no longer get insulted for unethical behavior that I wasn’t even responsible for.
Who is WorldVentures good for?
It wouldn’t be fair not to add a paragraph about the fact that some people do indeed enjoy paying that 1000US/year WorldVentures membership for while, either because they have been lonely before and they found a fun group of people to go travelling with (because Dreamtrips offer no privacy, on the contrary they are group vacations where you interact with other members at parties, excursions etc) or because they enjoy all the ‘personal development’ training and bonding with other members that happens at the trainings. These are the 10% of people who stick with the company for more than a year as reps working hard on building teams and swear by the value they receive.
And yes, I did attend a couple of very nice Dreamtrips which were memorable experiences and did see some great friendships being formed in WorldVentures that's why I am keeping this blog anonymous, as many of those people who are still in WorldVentures and enjoying it, are my friends and I truly respect them as individuals. I wouldn't go to them and try to change their mind by giving them the information that I wrote here, because it is my story, it is up to form their own experience with the company.
If WorldVentures makes some people happy and fullfills their life purpose, I am not the one to tell them that they are wrong, it was just the wrong project for me for all the reasons described. For them, it might be their true life purpose to promote this company or it might be a journey they have to go through, to learn and grow like I did.
Or like me, some of these people have spend so much effort and time to build big teams, they have put so much trust and time in WorldVentrues, that they would hate to admit 'defeat' and admit to anyone (especially to friends and family who made fun of them in the beginning) that WorldVentures isn't really what they thought it was when they started, they are now too deep in and dependent on it, to make any decision to quit if they decide like me, that they don't feel comfortable with the product not delivering what it initially promised or if they find that they disagree with certain policies and procedures.
For me quitting and going on to start ventures which were true to me, was liberating, because I realized that with WorldVentures I wasn't giving the value I was promising to people. For others, quitting might show defeat to all their friends and family, so they do what they gotta do to prove what they have to prove to whoever they want to prove it...
So Is WorldVentures a scam?
This is for you to judge after reading this article and doing your own research. I am long gone for all the reasons I described and I pray for my friends who are still in this company promoting the concept, not to find themselves one day in the streets with no team and no money, having to rebuild their life after WorldVentures would have broken their dreams.
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing
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Re: World Ventures -- Make a Living, Living or Just Living as an MLM Recruiter?
Looks like WorldVentures and Steve Little settled out of court
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Re: World Ventures -- Make a Living, Living or Just Living as an MLM Recruiter?
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Marc Accetta and Equinox
It all seems a little fishy, WorldVentures posts the following regarding their Executive Management Member, Marc Accetta and his involvement with the illegal pyramid scheme, Equinox, that was put out of business by the Federal Trade Commission:
"WorldVentures' Director of Training, Marc Accetta, was an independent representative with Equinox (again, not part of the ownership or management). His story is similar to that of Wayne and Mike. Marc voluntarily resigned from Equinox approximately a year and a half before its closure by the Federal Trade Commission. Marc is a world-class trainer and educator, who has achieved industry-wide respect, and has been an invaluable asset to WorldVentures."
The entire post can be found here on WorldVentures' site: Common Questions | WorldVentures Truth
That seems legit, makes it sound like Marc Accetta was nothing more than a victim himself.....so why then was he named in the suit against Equinox and its founder, Bill Goulld?
http://worldventuresscam.blogspot.com.au/
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing
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Re: World Ventures -- Make a Living, Living or Just Living as an MLM Recruiter?
I can't believe this racket is still around.
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Re: World Ventures -- Make a Living, Living or Just Living as an MLM Recruiter?
Originally Posted by
Whip
I can't believe this racket is still around.
And, worse yet right down the street from me. Arrgggghh!!!! Texas ain't big enough for me and the scammers!
Soapboxmom
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