Many people are looking for an additional way to make money. And it might be that you are one of them.
In your search, you then came across an opportunity to work from home called Fortune Hi-tech Marketing. You then asked yourself…
Is Fortune Hi-tech Marketing a scam? To give you a fast answer. Yes it is. In fact, it was already shut down years ago by the FTC.
But there are still some of you who want to know more about this. Either, you want to protect yourself from other similar companies by knowing how Fortune Hi-tech Marketing operated.
Or maybe you just want to know how to be safe and secure when choosing a legit opportunity to make money from home opportunity.
This Fortune Hi-tech Marketing MLM review is going to dig deep into that by outlining the pros, cons, and many more details about this foreclosed MLM company, so you can avoid these later.
Fortune Hi-tech Marketing Review
The overview and rankings
Name: Fortune Hi-tech Marketing
Founder: Fortune Hi-tech Marketing
Type: General MLM
Products (Including Pricing): 1/100
Success Stories: 0/100
Price To Join MLM: $200 subscription + $130 to $400 monthly
What to look for in a MLM:
Summary:
Fortune Hi-tech Marketing is an MLM company that was closed by the FTC in 2013 due to claims of being a pyramid scheme and scam.
They sold various products from multiple niches and also paid members for commissions, but in very small amounts.
Make Time Online Rating: 1 out of 100
Recommended: No
What is Fortune Hi-tech Marketing?
Fortune Hi-tech Marketing is a Multi-Level-Marketing company founded back 2001 by Paul Orberson, a businessman.
Not much is known about him prior to starting the company.
However, he started Fortune Hi-tech Marketing with the goal of selling quality products from different industries like tech, entertainment, and communications, and also giving members a chance to make money through direct selling. It started out smoothly. But then, it was...
Shutdown
Fortune Hi-tech Marketing was shut down in 2013 by the FTC or the Federal Trade Commission.
This was because of many complaints and clear signs that the only way for the members of the company was to recruit people and nothing more.
They also didn’t have their own products. Instead, they just partnered and outsourced their offerings from other companies so that they have something to sell.
Also, more than 80 percent of the money earned by members were sourced from recruitment, and not from sales.
Court ruling
The national court of justice, along with the initiation of the FTC, charged the company with pyramid scheming and scam operations.
Specifically speaking, Fortune Hi-tech Marketing is banned from engaging in MLM or any business operations. This is after it claims to have coverage over more than 350,000 agents in the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico.
The court also issued a settlement that Fortune Hi-tech Marketing should make due for, which amounts to an initial minimum $7.75 million that should be given back to their members.
However, the total payment they should make to members is $169 million, which they should pay on a specific date.
Here is a 9-minute video that will walk you through the company...
Current status
Just last 2018, the FTC has already supervised the repayment of 285,361 checks to members, which amounts to more than $3.7 million.
But that is still a small fraction of the total money which should be paid.
Also, note that these payments are from the amendments made by the highest earning members of the company.
It sure is one big mess.
Let us then learn...
Is Fortune Hi-tech Marketing a pyramid scheme?
Yes, Fortune Hi-tech Marketing is a pyramid scheme.
Although they have a means for members to sell products and earn commissions from it, the amount they make from the selling is just very small.
In fact, it’s just a very low 1% for every sold product. Instead, they focus on recruitment to gain money.
And focusing on recruitment alone, means that it’s a pyramid scheme...
What is a pyramid scheme?
A company which pays members for recruiting other members into the company. This is what they do instead of selling products or services.
A lot of countries have already banned these kinds of companies because there is no way they can survive by just depending on recruitment alone.
Here is a clear Wikipedia diagram that shows you why this happens...
Members who are making the most money are those who are aggressively recruiting people into the company and telling them about the wonderful business opportunity.
But check back on the diagram and you’ll see that there’s no such thing as a business opportunity here.
Instead, all that’s happening is recruitment. And sooner or later, members are going to run out of potential members they can get.
Check out this 5-minute video on how to spot a pyramid scheme in disguise...
But why...
Success is rare with Fortune Hi-tech Marketing
It is very hard to achieve any kind of success when you are with an MLM. And all the more if you are with Fortune Hi-tech Marketing.
According to a statistical report, between 72.5% and 99.9% of MLM members are losing money.
This is due to the high subscription fees and monthly quota they need to maintain for them to stay active and get money.
They also need to buy the products just for them to be active and get money. This is the reason why members have to spend a lot of money before they can get their first ever recruit...
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How does Fortune Hi-tech Marketing Work?
Fortune Hi-tech Marketing works by selling different kinds of products from various niches such as tech, communications, beauty, health and wellness, and many more.
They also let members sell these products in exchange for commissions they earn from selling.
It’s a winning situation for both sides in theory. But Fortune Hi-tech Marketing is just saving a lot of money from marketing costs because they just let members do all of the hard work.
Let us then find out...
Fortune Hi-tech Marketing products
Most MLMs just focus on a single niche. However, it is a totally different story with Fortune Hi-tech Marketing.
It’s because they have different kinds of products from different niches and industries.
It sounds nice, but it’s actually weird because there is in no way a legit company can do this.
What’s more is that they really don’t have their own manufactured product. Instead, they just partner with other legit companies and sell them.
To make it clearer for you, here are some of the companies where they get products from. Their respective niche is also shown:
Health & Beauty
- FABS
- Envy Organics
- Flying Basset Organics
Entertainment
- Magazines.com
- N2U World Music
- World Tour Golf Links
Communications
- VoiceConnect
- TCI Long Distance
- The Wireless Shop
Also note that the company said that they also sell their products in 4 different countries, which are:
- United States
- Canada
- Puerto Rico
- United Kingdom
It just seems hard to believe considering that they don’t have an original product that they made and that these claims aren’t backed up by anything.
It’s no wonder why the FTC found it easy to label them as a scam...
You might then want to check out this 3-minute video about whatever it is they were offering before:
So, let's move forward and learn...
Can you make money with Fortune Hi-tech Marketing?
Yes, but maybe just for some time. And then, you’re going to lose lots of money later…
That’s what the majority of the members said, which made it even easier for the FTC to shut them down over complaints of being a pyramid scheme scam.
They do not even have an income disclosure to show their members make money.
How to make money with Fortune Hi-tech Marketing
There are 2 ways to make money from this company:
- Sell their outsourced products
- Recruit members into the company
Yes, you do these 2 things. But selling products will just technically give you a few cents, which is basically just none.
So that leaves you with just the recruitment...
How much does it cost to join Fortune Hi-tech Marketing?
Very little is known about the costs of joining, maybe because Fortune Hi-tech Marketing already removed them or maybe they just don’t want to share specific details about their company because they know there’s something fishy going on…
Nonetheless, there is this 1 info I found which says that members should pay $200 to become an official agent member of the company....
Fortune Hi-tech Marketing monthly cost
Members should maintain 130 PV monthly for them to be active and to receive money.
And here are the costs members incurred in 1 year…
- $200
- $130 to $400 x 12
Minimum costs for year 1 = $1,760 to $5,000
I know… it’s just very massive and high.
And note that this does not yet include other costs like training, marketing and miscellaneous costs.
Fortune Hi-tech Marketing compensation plan
Fortune Hi-tech Marketing, just like any other MLM, has a very complex compensation plan.
But there is no need to fret, because I am going to simplify it so that you can easily understand it.
Fortune Hi-tech Marketing offers you 2 main ways of earning money as their agent member:
- Retail Commission - Earn 0.25% to 1% commission for every item you sell. The value depends on your current level.
- Recruitment Commission - You earn a specific percentage or amount every time you recruit a member. But I can’t seem to find any reliable information as to the exact amount.
In simpler words, it just all boils down to 2 things, which are:
- Selling products
- Recruiting people to join the company
They don’t even have an official compensation plan document to prove that they are legit, real, and can pay members correctly.
Well, that’s just another clear sign that they are a scam...
Here is a 2-minute video to supplement your learning about this company's compensation bundle...
So...
Is Fortune Hi-tech Marketing a scam?
Yes, Fortune Hi-tech Marketing is a scam.
The company is already shut down by the FTC after it was confirmed that it is a downright pyramid scheme.
Sales commissions are very low, it’s even easier to dismiss them as intangible.
They also got loads of misleading claims about the profitability of their so called business opportunity, even if there is really none.
The next section of this review is going to dive deeper into the facts of this failed MLM and why they were shut down in 2013 in the first place...
Just to be fully transparent with you, I am not a distributor myself and I do not endorse it in any way.
I have researched the website, testimonials and information on the Internet to get to the bottom of what this program genuinely does. This is because I have been burnt from programs just like this in the past and I want to prevent others from making the same mistakes. If you’d like to learn how to “Spot an Online Marketing Scam” then click the highlighted text.
Tired of MLMs? Check out how I make money online here!
What I like about Fortune Hi-tech Marketing
I usually have something to say about MLMs that I review. But in this case, there is none.
First off, is that it’s already very clear that there’s nothing nice about this company because it’s already closed and is confirmed as an outright scam...
Key Terms:
- Pyramid Scheme – recruits members via a promise for payment from recruiting others into the company rather than providing a product
- Affiliate Marketing- Connecting a customer to a product they are looking for and receiving a commission for doing so
- Red Flag - A warning sign
What I don't like about Fortune Hi-tech Marketing
#1 Already shut down
Fortune Hi-tech Marketing was already shut down back in 2014.
The Federal Trade Commission or FTC is the one that closed it for good.
This is after claims of it being a pyramid scheme was confirmed numerous times.
You may think it's rare to see a MLM running without actually selling any real products. But here are some other MLMs that don't offer any product at all and only focus on recruiting (*cough* pyramid schemes *cough*):
#2 Expensive subscription
Subscribing as a member is expensive as it will cost you $200 back then.
This is far from the usual $30 to $50 subscription fee of most MLMs. But this does not matter anymore because it’s already closed.
#3 Lacks vital information
Fortune Hi-tech Marketing does not have a compensation plan document and an income disclosure.
Most of the information I got from the compensation plan are from second-hand accounts of former members who got scammed.
Their income disclosure is also non-existent, which shows there’s something wrong going on with the company...
#4 Hidden monthly expenses
Members should sell 200 PV monthly, or in other words, sell $200 worth of products in a month.
This shows what really happens...
Doing this and maintaining the quota makes them an active member and allows them to get the commissions and bonuses they worked hard for.
But if they can’t, then they have no other choice but to just buy the products for themselves.
This just defeats the purpose of making money from selling, right?
#5 Is Fortune Hi-tech Marketing a pyramid scheme in disguise?
No doubt that Fortune Hi-tech Marketing is a pyramid scheme in disguise.
Although they have a way where members can make money by selling the products, the amount they get from it is just very minuscule, it’s good as nothing.
So, where does the income come from?
Well, from the recruits...
#6 Downward trend
Google Trends showed me this...
Very few people are searching for Fortune Hi-tech Marketing on the internet. This means that people are not anymore interested in it.
And if ever you are still hoping this company will come back, I tell you… it won’t, with all the details and information out there, the chances of this coming back, or another company like this popping up is very minimal...
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I've made a special video for you to explain exactly how I did this.
My opinion - Fortune Hi-tech Marketing
Fortune Hi-tech Marketing is no good...
It is as simple as that.
The company is already closed because it has been proven to be a pyramid scheme and scam back in 2014.
And now that you know that it’s already closed and how it operated back then, you’ll then have the wisdom and knowledge to discern which companies out there are worth your time.
Not only do you make money just by means of recruitment, but you still do this and recruit as many people as you can even if you already know they won’t make any money.
Well, that was before the company was shut down...
There are a lot of better business opportunities out there that you may try...
How I make passive income online
MLMs are not scams or illegal. However, I'm not a fan of them because of the restrictions to the expensive products you have to promote.
Once I learnt about affiliate marketing, I realised it's a far superior business model because:
- You can promote anything you want and truly own the business
- You never need to sell to friends and family
- It's completely free to start
In 2018 I had no idea what affiliate marketing was.
But I went from a full time PE teacher to making a passive income online within one year...
If you want to discover how I did it then check out this special video I created which explains exactly how. You can also get your free 7-day bootcamp to get started.
