Is Plexus Worldwide a Scam or a Lucrative Weight Loss MLM?

The overview and rankings

Name: Plexus Worldwide

Founder: Tarl Robinson in 2006

Website URL: plexusworldwide.com

Type: Health and Wellness MLM 

Products (Including Pricing): 25 out of 100

Success Stories: 5 out of 100

Price To Join MLM: $39.95 annual fee

+ $100 a month to remain active (you can offset this with sales)

+ $99-$199 welcome pack (30 out of 100)

Maketimeonline.com Rating: (20 out of 100 check out my #1 recommendation, 97 out of 100)

What To Look For In An MLM:

What is Plexus Worldwide?

Plexus Worldwide is a health and wellness Multi-Level-Marketing company founded in 2006.

Plexus specialises in weight loss products such as Plexus Slim. 

They also provide an opportunity for everyday people to make money by promoting their products and recruiting others into the company. 

This 3-minute promotional video explains a bit more...

Alright, you got me! It really doesn't explain anything does it? I mean, what was that airy fairy mumbo jumbo?

I just thought it was good for you to see what you're dealing with here. The 3 sentences above that fluffy video does explain the basics though.

So you're probably wondering...

Is Plexus Worldwide a pyramid scheme?

Technically, no.

Plexus Worldwide is not a pyramid scheme because people can earn money by promoting and selling Plexus's products. 

However, as you continue to read this Plexus review, you will see why it is actually a "pyramid scheme in disguise".

What is a pyramid scheme?

A pyramid scheme is when a company promises payment for people to recruit more people into the company. Technically, there are no products or services sold in a pyramid scheme. 

These are illegal in most countries because it's impossible for everyone to make money from them. Just see the diagram below...

Not all MLM companies are pyramid schemes as they can offer legit products and even provide their "ambassadors" with an income for selling these products. 

However, some MLM programs are set up in a way that they are really just a pyramid scheme in disguise. We will look into why Plexus Worldwide is a pyramid scheme in disguise later. 

For now you can learn what to look out for in the 5-minute video below...

Success is rare with Plexus Worldwide

Success is actually rare for most "ambassadors" in any MLM company.

Different studies prove that between 73% and 99% of all MLM representatives lose money. 

When you take into consideration that the product prices are inflated (this is the case with Plexus Worldwide) and the requirement to sell a certain amount of products each month (or buy it themselves) you can see why so many people lose money in MLM programs. 

Not all MLM's are equal, but unfortunately Plexus falls under one of the worst types as you will learn later in this review.

How does Plexus Worldwide Work?

It's pretty simple really. 

Plexus Worldwide provides a range of health and wellness products mainly focused around losing weight.

But they also save costs on advertising and marketing by paying "ambassadors" a commission to sell the products and recruit more people themselves. 

It should be like a win-win...

Plexus saves money. 

Everyday people can work from home.

Plexus Worldwide products

If you are at all serious about joining any MLM company then it's vital that you understand the products if you want to achieve any success.

There are hundreds of health and wellness MLMs such as:

• Ariix
  
• Isagenix
• Purium
• Advocare
• Xyngular
• Truvision Health
• Alliance in Motion
• Le-Vel Thrive
• Shaklee

So what makes Plexus stand out? Their flagship product is the "Slim" product which is an appetite suppressant.

The main ingredients are:

• Chronium (reduces blood sugar): 200mcg
• Plexus Slim Blend (green coffee bean extract, garcinia cambogia extract and alpha lipoic acid): 530 mg.

There are some clear short term hunger suppressant benefits of these ingredients. However, long term weight loss benefits in humans has not been proven for any of these ingredients. 

You can see the studies explaining this for:

• Chronium
• Garcinia cambogia
• Green coffee bean extract
• Alpha lipoic acid

Healthline claims that Plexus Slim is safe but also suggests there are some potential side effects of these ingredients such as:

• Bloating
• Gas
• Nausea
• Stomach ache
• Constipation

Plexus Product Rage

There are a whole range of product categories on offer at Plexus including:

• Weight loss (as above)
• Nutrition (vitamins, probiotics etc.)
• Skincare (anti ageing cream, serum etc.)
• Personal care (body cream, breast check kit etc.)
• Combos

You can learn more about the products on offer in the 3-minute video below, or see the full range here.

How to make money with Plexus Worldwide

Ah the moment you've been waiting for!

So let's dive in.

There are 2 ways you can make money from Plexus (like most MLM companies):

1. Sell products and make a commission
2. Recruit people into the company and get bonuses

We'll uncover more about the compensation plan in a minute but first...

How much does it cost to join Plexus Worldwide?

It costs $39.95 per year to become a Plexus Worldwide "ambassador". 

You can also get a discounted "welcome pack" when you join ranging from $99 or $199 (see below).

But it doesn't end there as many ambassadors may suggest...

Plexus Worldwide hidden monthly costs

To stay "active" as an ambassador and be able to receive your commission for any sales you make you need to maintain 100PV per month. 

Nobody cares what Personal Volume means so I'll explain in words anyone can understand...

That means you need to sell $100 of Plexus products every month to stay active. 

If you don't sell this, have a guess who will need to stump up the costs...

BINGO!

You will. 

If you don't sell that amount you will become suspended and any sales you make won't count towards your commissions. 

So Plexus is "very nice" and helps you to set up a standing order for over $100 every month. 

On a side note here- if you do not use Plexus products yourself then you are probably not looking at the right opportunity for you. The best "ambassadors" are those who use the products every day and truly "believe" in them.

Total costs for 1 year:

• $39.95
• $99-$199
• $100 x 12

1st year total outgoings = $1,338.95- $1,438.95

Plexus Worldwide compensation plan

For some reason MLM companies like making their compensation plans harder to understand than doing a backflip on a tightrope. 

Plexus is no different.

So I will do my best to explain the plan simply.

There are 11 ways you can make money as an ambassador:

1. Preferred Customer Bonus- $4-$22 per "autoship" product your customer purchases
2. Retail Rewards Commissions - earn between 0-25% commission for any products you sell
3. Retail Rewards Override Commissions - get 5% commission from your "downline" sales (minus the first 100PV per person)
4. Business Building Bonus (BBB) - earn $5-$25 bonus for and welcome packs bought in your downline + plexus points for the $199 welcome pack
5. Achievement Bonus - $100-$750 one time bonus when you "rank up"
6. Fast Start Achievement - earn $100-$250 plus bonuses for recruiting 3 ambassadors within your first 30 days and getting them to do the same (*cough... pyramid scheme in disguise... cough*)
7. Plexus Points - gives you bonuses for any welcome packs purchased in your downline 
8. Emerald Pool Bonus - 3% of the total companies commissionable volume is allocated for Emerald ranks
9. Sapphire Pool Bonus - an additional 1% of the companies volume is allocated for Sapphire ranks.
10. Diamond Pool Bonus - an additional 1% of the companies volume is allocated for Diamond ranks.
11. Diamond Re-Entry - re-enter the company with a "second position" in your own downline.

What did I say... confusing right?

All you need to know to get started is that you can make money in 2 ways:

1. Sell Plexus products
2. Recruit ambassadors into the company

And you get bonuses for up to "7 levels deep" depending on your rank.

Much easier!

The above screenshot shows you part of the inside of the compensation plan. 

And if you want to get your head around it a bit more then check out this 2 minute video that shows more aboue their weight loss products...

And if you still want to read the 20-page compensation plan for yourself, click here. 

Is Plexus Worldwide a scam?

So the question you've been asking...

Is Plexus Worldwide a scam?

In one word...

No.

Plexus offers legit products and pays ambassadors like it says it will. Therefore it's not a scam.

However, just because a work from home opportunity is legit, it doesn't mean it's the right one for you. 

The rest of this Plexus Worldwide review will help you make an informed decision about whether this is suited to you and what to be aware of before joining. 

Just to be fully transparent with you, I am not an ambassador myself and I do not endorse Plexus 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.

Common positive reviews

Here are some of the positive reviews we had from Trust Pilot about the job opportunity...

• "Their products are all natural & plant based. They give back to the community & take such good care of their Ambassadors!! I LOVE this company."
• "Love the energy, weight loss and more youthful skin. Great company."

Common negative reviews

And here are the common negative reviews...

• "This company is unclear as to what types of annual subscriptions customers are enrolled in. I cancelled my subscription a while back and was charged a membership fee for another 2 years after the cancellation."
• "I have never had such a bad experience with a company or with customer service. Wish I could give them 0 stars."

What I like about Plexus Worldwide

There are genuinely some good things about the Plexus Worldwide MLM opportunity. 

This section will go over some of the pros about joining the Plexus MLM program as an ambassador...

Key Terms:

• Pyramid Scheme – recruits members via a promise for payment from referring others to the service 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

#1 Established company

The company started in 2006 and it has a HUGE team of "executives" managing it. 

This is another great sign that Plexus Worldwide is not a scam.

MLM companies are created all the time and a lot don't make it past 5 years.

Plexus clearly has some solid foundations to make sure it will be around for the foreseeable future.

#2 Money back guarantee

Another excellent signal that Plexus Worldwide is not a scam. 

Some companies offer very poor products but don't provide a money-back guarantee so that they can earn a quick buck.

Plexus puts faith in their products and offer all the customers money back (minus the shipping costs) if they are not happy with them. 

#3 Free replicated website

If you want to have any chance of success in an MLM company then you need to have an online presence. 

The free website can be a great place to send potential customers to, to make sales and potentially recruit new ambassadors. 

The screenshot below is an example of what your website would look like...

After all, if you want to have a thriving and scalable business today, you need to be on the internet.

If you can find a way to get customers to this website every month then you could be in for success.

What I don't like about Plexus Worldwide

Everyone should be aware of these hidden truths about the company before joining as an ambassador. 

At least it will help you to be prepared to deal with these problems if they arise when you are an ambassador...

#1 Expensive products

This is the first thing I look at when I'm checking out MLM companies.

It's a tell tale sign that an MLM company such as Plexus Worldwide could be a pyramid scheme in disguise.

Why?

Well, ask yourself this...

Who would choose to spend 100%+ on very similar products by choice?

The answer is...

Nobody!

But Plexus ambassadors don't have a choice do they? (Remember they need 100PV each month to stay active... either they sell it or they buy it... every month)

• Plexus = $2.99 per serving
• Amazon = $0.34-$1.19 per serving

As you can see Plexus' flagship product is over 150% more expensive than highly rated comparables on Amazon.

This means that ambassadors main chance of selling these products is by recruiting people... not selling products.

#2 Pyramid scheme in disguise? Plexus Worldwide focus on recruiting

The chances get worse for Plexus Worldwide being a pyramid scheme in disguise here...

9 out of 11 ways that you can get paid require you to recruit others (seriously check out the compensation plan section above if you don't believe me).

On top of that, your first 100PV doesn't even earn you any commission.

So if you sell $499.99 of Plexus products you will only make $60 commission!

That is hardly worth the effort now is it?

Combine this with the previous con and you can see that Plexus Worldwide is really a pyramid scheme in disguise.

The only way ambassadors make decent money is by recruiting more people into the company.

#3 Only 0.75% make over $20k/ year

If you want to read Plexus' income disclosure, click here. 

If you'd rather save the time this sums it up...

82.41% make less than $301 a year!

Take into account the 100PV to stay active and that means that around 90% of active ambassadors are losing money hand over fist.

I guess the good news is that 1 in 400 ambassadors make over $50k per year (that was a bad joke because that certainly is not funny).

#4 Monthly expenses

This is the main reason that so many MLM ambassadors lose money. It's not made clear upfront that you basically need to spend $100 a month just to remain active.

If you are aware of this cost before you join then you could argue it's not a very high business expense. 

But a "business" typically involves making money. That's going to be hard at Plexus!

#5 Downward trend

My other top tip when looking for MLM companies to join is to see if the company is still in the "early momentum phase". 

Typically when a company is relatively new it gets more exposure and there are less people likely to be enrolled in the company already.

Plexus is showing a downward trend for the number of people that search for it in Google every month.

Just compare this to other MLM opportunities out there such as Farmasi and you can see the trend going in the opposite direction.

My opinion - Plexus Worldwide Review

So is Plexus Worldwide a scam?

No.

Is it a pyramid in disguise?

Almost definitely. 

There are far too many red flags and typical signs of a pyramid scheme.

It's simply going to be too hard to make any money in this company to consider this as a good work from home opportunity.

How I make passive income online

Not all MLMs are pyramid schemes and some people do make good money from them. 

However, I much prefer the affiliate marketing business model for a number of reasons:

• You don't have to sell to your friends and family
• It's possible to scale the business to any income level (and you own it 100%)
• It's free to start and the costs to maintain it are very low

In 2018 I had no idea what affiliate marketing was. I had no sales experience and no idea of how to build a website.