In the spirit of full transparency, know that this Karatbars review contains affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through these links, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.
You probably have seen the opportunity to make money from Karatbars and are interested to know more.
Most people think that buying gold doesn’t provide any form of passive income and is just a bet against the economy. However, Karatbars promises to be a way that you can own gold AND get paid!
This honest Karatbars review, with videos, will explain exactly what the company is about with the pros and cons of joining. This will help you to make an informed decision about whether it is right for you or not.
Karatbars Review- The Overview and Rankings
- Name: Karatbars
- Owner: Harald Seiz (80 out of 100)
- Website URL: https://www.karatbars.com
- Type: Gold Investment MLM
- Products: 99 out of 100
- Price of Products: 10 out of 100
- Success Stories: 20 out of 100
- Price to join MLM: Free… but really €150-€3,017 note the prices are in euros, not dollars (20 out of 100)
- Maketimeonline.com Rating: 46 out of 100
Karatbars Pros and Cons
Pros
- Authentic gold is sold from Karatbars
- There are no monthly fees to join the MLM program
- It’s available in over 140 countries and growing
- You get your own landing page and personal shop when you join the MLM
Cons
- Karatbars news- there are fraud warnings about the company in various countries
- It’s not BBB approved
- There is a high mark up on the gold prices
- Unrealistic earnings projections
- There are negative Karatbars reviews online
- There is no online marketing training to help you promote it
What Is Karatbars International?
Karatbars is a company located in Stuttgart, Germany, founded by Harald Seiz in 2011. It provides small quantities of 999.9 pure gold bullion as well as gold merchandising, gift cards and more recently cryptocurrencies.
It also offers a Multi-Level-Marketing (MLM) opportunity for recruiters to earn additional income.
Here is Harald to explain a bit more in this short 2 minute video…
To date, they have provided business in 140 countries and have plans to expand to 194 countries eventually.
Why Even Buy Gold & Sell Gold?
This is something that I have personally researched a lot in recent years.
I don’t want to go into too much detail here as it will stray away from this Karatbars review.
However, it’s important to note that gold (and silver) have been used as money for thousands of years. It cannot be manipulated (or printed like our current “money”).
Check out Mike Maloney’s “Hidden Secrets of Money” YouTube series if you’d like to know more (it is eye-opening… especially episode 4!!)
The more you understand about the current financial system the more you realise that living paycheck to paycheck and hoping on a pension just doesn’t cut it anymore.
Anyway… back to this Karatbars review…
What Does Karatbars International Sell?
This is the part that makes Karatbars different to most MLM companies.
They sell Gold… specifically 24-carat gold (or 999.9 pure gold).
And they sell incredibly small amounts (1 gram), which makes it affordable to the masses.
There are some other products that Karatbars sells…
Karatbars Product Line
Here are some of the other products that Karatbars sells:
- A range of gold “gifts” from birthdays to graduations (ranges from €60-$121 for one gram of 999.9 gold)
- Karatbars events (Global summits ranging from €300-3,000 a ticket)
- Merchandising (law of attraction audiobook for €101.15)
- Your own branding card (€87 for 1 gram)
- The CEO, Harald’s, 2 books (€53.49)
But there is a new product, which is yet to be launched…
Karatbank Coin Cryptocurrency
The Karatbank Coin cryptocurrency that will soon offer its ICO (Initial Coin Offering). The 2-minute video below explains a bit more about this…
The ICO is predicted to be released on 1st January 2020.
You can find out more about this coin at karatbank.io
How To Make Money With Karatbars?
This is probably the main reason you are reading this Karatbars review.
So let’s not beat around the bush here.
There are 7 ways you can make money with Karatbars MLM program:
- Unilevel Bonus
- Generation Bonus
- Double Income
- Direct Commission
- Dual Team Bonus (Like Binary Team)
- Matching Bonus
- Auto Save
So you’re probably wondering…
How Much Does It Cost To Join Karatbars?
The membership is free and there are no monthly sales quotas or amount you need to purchase to stay active.
However, you do are encouraged to purchase one of the following packages when you start:
- Bronze- €150
- Silver- €699
- Gold- €1,493
- VIP- €3,017
You also need to pay for shipping and whatever of your own supplies you would like on top of this price.
Karatbars Compensation Plan
You can find the full 25-page compensation plan here.
Or you can watch the 20-minute video explaining it below…
Key Terms:
€100 = 50 points
1g Gold bought = 1 unit
A “cycle is when “team A” gets 50 points and “Team B” gets 25 points.
Direct Commission
This is the easiest income stream to understand. If someone buys a package through you then you get paid commission.
It is 10% if they buy direct from you or 3% or 2% if it’s from someone that you have enrolled.
Unilevel Bonus
Remember €100 equals 50 points.
By accumulating these points every month you get an additional bonus to the commissions you have already earnt.
Generation Bonus
You can get more bonuses as you help others move up the “ranks” in the company.
Double Income
You can earn double income during the first 6 weeks if you sell products from the 3D metal card product range.
Dual Team Bonus (Like Binary Team)
Your entire organisation is divided into 2 teams. In addition to the other bonuses its possible to receive bonuses from the work that your 2 teams do.
This can become confusing so check out the example below if you’d like to know a bit more about it.
Matching Bonus
You get weekly payouts from the “cycles” of your downline.
If your leaders keep achieving their cycles you keep getting bonuses.
Auto Save
You can automatically change your payout into gold.
Now, I can almost hear your mind starting to ask…
Is Karatbars a Scam?
The short answer is no.
The longer one follows…
There are two main ways an online course can be a scam:
- Take your money and run off into the sunset, never to be heard from again
- Provide some information but it doesn’t live up to their promises
Karatbars International clearly offers legit gold products.
However, as you continue to read this Karatbars review you will be able to decide if you thin the MLM opportunity is really as good as it sounds.
Just to be fully transparent with you, I have not purchased this program 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 more “Ways to Spot an Online Marketing Scam” then click the highlighted text.
Is Karatbars a Pyramid Scheme?
Technically Karatbars is not a pyramid scheme because it is clearly offering a legit product (gold) to be sold to other people.
If the only way you could make money was by recruiting more members then it would be a pyramid scheme.
This 5-minute video helps to see exactly what a pyramid scheme is…
You’re about to get to the juicy part of this Karatbars review!
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Karatbars: The Things I Like
Here are some of the things I like about Karatbars…
Key Terms:
- Black Hat Methods – Using lies and unethical methods to make someone buy something
- White Hat Methods – Being honest and genuine to help people make informed decisions about purchases
- 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 Authentic Products
Karatbars sells real gold.
999.9 gold is the best form of gold you can buy and the beauty of gold is that it has been worth something for thousands of years and there is no sign of that changing any time soon.
The same cannot be said for fiat currencies. In fact, every fiat currency that has EVER existed eventually goes to 0.
Stop!! Now read that again.
If you’re just hoping your money will be safe in the bank, chances are… it won’t be… especially if history has anything to say about it.
#2 No Minimum Monthly Fees
This is one of the best things about this Karatbar International MLM opportunity.
There are no monthly “quota’s” that you need to hit to stay as a recruiter.
You buy your initial starter kit and you can remain part of the MLM program for as long as you like.
This means there are no monthly fees that you have to pay to stay active.
#3 Available in 140 Countries Worldwide
This just shows how legitimate the company is.
There are people from all over the world that use Karatbars.
#4 Your Own Landing Page & Shop
When you join the MLM program with Karatbars you will get your own “landing page” and shop.
This means you don’t need to be a tech wizard to set up an online presence.
However, as you continue to read this Karatbars review you will realise what you actually will need to do…
Karatbars: The Hidden Truths
Here are some of the things I don’t like about Karatbars that you should be aware of before joining…
#1 Karatbars News- Fraud Warnings
Regulators in Germany and South Africa have issued fraud warnings regarding Kartbars International.
These are not the first time these warnings have been issued as can be seen from an old article that was published in Canada…
The concern seems to have arisen from people being offered to invest in the Karatbars cryptocurrency on Whatsapp.
#2 Karatbars International Is Not BBB Approved
The company has existed from 2011, yet there it is still not approved by the Better Business Bureau.
This leaves a question mark over how legitimate the business is still.
#3 They Bump Up Their Gold Prices
This is quite standard if you were to buy physical gold or silver from any online broker.
Today’s price on JM Bullion.
The broker needs to cover their “overheads” such as buying and selling transaction costs plus the work that is put into producing the gold in the format it is in.
This is not too unusual, but when you compare this to other brokers such as goldsilver.com the % mark up is quite high!
Here is the difference in % difference compared to the current price of gold:
- Goldsilver markup- 3.9%
- Karatbars markup- 41%
Note- The cheapest online broker I have found is BullionVault.com. You technically don’t receive physical gold or silver but you do get a contract with physical gold or silver stored in a vault.
#4 Unrealistic Earnings Projection
There are some ludicrous claims on the Internet about becoming an MLM partner with Karatbars.
Yes, these claims may not be directly from the website, but they still exist!
They are just empty words with no substance backing up how people are supposed to achieve these kinds of results.
#5 Karatbars Reviews: Negative Reviews
There are positive reviews for Karatbars, although there are no real success stories from people that I can find off their website.
However, there are also some terrible reviews for Karatbars…
Check out these reviews (and more) on:
#6 There is Minimal Online Marketing Training- You Will Need This to Make Money
Here’s the truth about ANY successful MLM recruiters in today’s information age:
They know how to use online marketing.
They use the power of the internet to sell for them 24/7/365.
Long gone are the days of “home parties” to show off the new “amazing products”. People do business online and are more than happy to pay for things online.
Karatbars may give you a landing page, but they won’t show you what to do with it.
Trust me here… a website without promotion or marketing, may as well not even exist!
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My Opinion – Karatbars International
Personally I don’t think it’s a very good MLM opportunity.
Not including all the negative reviews and suspicious sounding rumours around the company the simple fact is…
Hardly anyone actually wants to buy gold.
Anyone that does want to buy gold will buy it in bulk and certainly won’t want a 40%+ markup in price!
I know this because even trying to help explain to close friends and family why gold and silver are good investments right now (they are very good!) they aren’t interested. More people would probably be game for a “punt” on the cryptocurrency thing at Karatbars… but that sounds super suspicious!
If you’re like me, then you’re probably wondering…
Is There An Alternative?
It wasn’t that long ago that I was still trying to figure out how it’s possible for people to make money online.
I wanted to find a passive income system that ticked a few boxes:
- I could work on part-time when I wanted (I was still in a full-time job)
- Therefore I needed it to not cost a fortune to start and maintain
- Didn’t need me to sell stuff to my friends and family
It was in September 2018 that I found Wealthy Affiliate.
In September 2019 I quit my full-time job.
The best thing about it is:
- It’s free to start
- Qualified traffic is brought to you for free (just think about how you found this review… there was no money or time spent from me promoting this!)
- You don’t need ANY technical skills to start- it’s step by step training
The truth is…
If you want to join an MLM program you will need to improve your online marketing. Wealthy Affiliate will hold you by the hand to set up an online business in anything that you want.
When you try out this program you will see why so many people recommend it.
No credit card details required– check out the bonus at the bottom of this page
Karatbars: The “MakeTimeOnline” Final Word
To sum up this Karatbars review…
It’s not worth joining the MLM program.
Yes, it’s a great way for everyday people to invest in real gold (as it comes in 1 gram). However, that is also the issue… most “everyday people” are not necessarily like you and me and interested in investing in gold!
If you have any questions about Karatbars, please leave them below. If you have used or currently are a member please also add your opinions below.
Keep changing for the better,
Mike
P.S. Since you’re still here, I’m going to assume that you are interested in making money online to free up your time. So check out my review of my #1 recommended program and join the form below to learn how I created an online business (and get a bunch of freebies!)…
This company smells very fishy, especially when you compare the Pros and Cons. Frankly, nobody I know would want to buy into this even if it was 100% legit and had glowing reviews! As you said, people aren’t into buying gold for profit anymore – and particularly not at a 40% markup! The fraud alerts and not being registered with the BBB are really scary. Thank you for making me aware of this potentially money-sucking scheme.
Glad it helped. I honestly do think people should look into different asset classes such as gold and silver and other commodities. The main thing is to buy them at the best going rate. Such a high mark up as you mention is just silly in my opinion! It’s more of a gimmick than a good investment
KARATBARS international HARALD SEIZ VS. MLM / NETWORK MARKETING
1. Karatbars International GmbH is registered, internationally, as an E-commerce business, not as an MLM (Multi Level Marketing) company. Different laws apply.
2. There are no monthly product purchase requirements to get a paycheck on either the uni-level or dual pay plan. There is never a purchase requirement of any kind on the uni-level. And there is only a one time package requirement to participate on the dual pay plan. Never anything else. You get paid whenever someone makes a purchase, whether you buy gold or not.
3. There is no requirement for retail sales. This is a legal must for any MLM comapny, even if it is not emphasized. This is the reason why so many MLM’s have attractive customer programs. (Refer 3, get yours free, etc.) We never sell gold! Karatbars International affiliates simply offer a free account for individuals to buy their own gold.
Karatbars are about the size of a credit card. They come with the highest quality 24K, 999.9 gold, imbedded in a heat-sealed plastic card. You can see the gold in the middle of the card to the right. They are available in a variety of designs. You can purchase cards with 1, 2.5 or 5 grams of gold!And,they’re affordable!
Karatbars are assayed by the *LBMA (London Bullion Market Association). Karatbars are privately issued. They are produced and minted by a private refinery exclusively for Karatbars International. Karatbars contain gold that is guaranteed the highest quality grade gold you can purchase. Karatbars gold is NON-seizable under the current International Bullion Laws and U.S. Law. Karatbars are packaged and assembled under the strictest surveillance, and are unable to be counterfeited. The card itself is a globally recognized certificate guaranteeing that its contents are genuine….So Karatbars is the best way.You can join us TEAM KARATBARS MILIONARY BY CHOICE,just clic this link for your guaranteed success;
https://www.karatbars.com/?s=emmanuelmichel
**IF YOU ARE READING THIS BEWARE OF THE RECRUITER’S LINK IN THE ABOVE COMMENT”
Hi Michael,
Thanks for your comment.
1. It doesn’t matter what the company is registered as. It has “unilevel bonuses” and “dual team bonuses” and works exactly how MLM companies work. Therefore, it acts like an MLM company (these are not illegal and there are some legit ones out there, it’s just important people are aware of exactly what they are getting into)… if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s probably a duck (even if someone calls it a donkey)
2. If you read this Karatbars review again, you will see that was actually one of my “pros” about the company
3. I’m a bit confused as to your point here, but I think you’re restating point 2… you don’t need to hit a “sales quota” each month. This is a good sign, but it doesn’t get around the fact that you will be paying a huge mark up for your gold and this scheme is really just trying to lure people in to sell these overpriced products.
Your final comment says it all really…
“clic (poor spelling) this link for guaranteed success”… how can anyone “guarantee” success in anything? It’s so dependant on the person that joins (mindset, time available to work on it, existing skills etc.)
I’ve left your link in the comment so that people can see what your true intentions are and the kind of thing you will be expected to do if you join this company.
P.S. how are you getting on with the company? It genuinely would be good to get an insiders opinion and results.