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HonestRep
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Joined: 6 May 2011
Posts: 7
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#101 · Posted: 6 May 2011 12:39
Danielson, you make some great points. I just want to say a little more since I have had success with ACN. I think it is important for those of us who have had a positive experience to speak out. Looking around online, it is pretty clear that when people have a bad experience, they are much more likely to tell people about it in order to vent their frustrations.
ACN is not going to work out for everyone. Unfortunately, that is the reality. You can give yourself a good shot at success by focusing on working hard and recruiting other people who are also going to put in the necessary time and effort. If your team members are producers, you will make money. If your team members never get any customers, no one is going to see any of the benefits. Just signing people up as reps is not going to work. In any other business, you would never hire someone who sat around and refused to work. ACN is no different. You need to recruit reps who are going to work hard and get customers.
ACN is not about getting rich quickly. ACN takes effort and reps need to have dedication and a strong work ethic. Success isn't going to happen on its own, but success is possible. Some people make ACN their main source of income and others use it to supplement their existing income, especially during a down economy. ACN has a very good mix of products and services, so the opportunity to present a customer with more than one offering can be very profitable, not to mention good for the customer as well. We are not dealing with vitamins or other nonessential items; ACN offers things that people use every day of their lives. If you can save the customer money and offer a better alternative, it will be good for everyone involved.
The best piece of advice that I can offer this thread is to look into ACN for yourself, and do it with a level head. Do not listen to the ranting and raving that seems to be so common online. I'd bet that many of these complainers are working for competing MLM companies. If you do decide to start an ACN business, best of luck to you. If you choose not to, that is fine. ACN is not for everyone, but it is a good opportunity for those who believe they can make it happen.
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needs2stop
Forums Member
Joined: 27 May 2011
Posts: 23
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#102 · Posted: 27 May 2011 12:20
As a former rep of ACN, I can confirm that it is in fact, A TOTAL SCAM. This is not just a negative statement made by a failed disgruntled rep either. I can prove with facts and experience that ACN is nothing more than a sophisticated pyramid scheme. The only thing that makes ACN a MLM and not a pyramid is their token product, the videophone. Well, just this year ACN's videophone manufacturer WorldGate announced it can't sell it's massive inventory of videophones, and it's stock has plummited to pennies on the dollar. This just goes to show that the videophone has no real value in the marketplace and is simply a token product used for internal consumption among ACN reps. The phone itself is faulty, expensive, and inferior in almost every respect to comparable products by it's competitors.
But it gets worse. The only way to make money in ACN is to establish a HUGE network below you. You literally need 10s of THOUSANDS of customers before you'll make any sizeable commission. Also, as you build your customer base and recruit new reps, you have to replace all the customers and reps that you lose through attrition. ACN never tells you about this and most reps don't fully understand the importance of this. What ends up happening is that most of the reps in your downline will quit, 97% to be more accurate. Then the customers will start dropping too. This happens anytime someone dies, goes to jail, loses a job, forgets to pay their bill, cancels service, etc. This factor eventually is what destroys most people's ACN businesses, even the reps who succeeded at first. It then becomes this thing of working nonstop just to replace those that you lost, which eventually becomes a losing battle. Then your left exhausted, broke, and all your friends and family have no respect for you anymore.
Why would anyone want to be in a business like this? This scam needs 2 stop.
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HonestRep
Forums Member
Joined: 6 May 2011
Posts: 7
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#103 · Posted: 6 Jun 2011 10:42
I am also an ACN rep and I feel the need to respond once again to address the misinformation posted by needs2stop.
First of all, your post quickly highlights your lack of knowledge about MLM. Secondly, a quick Google search shows that you are spamming various communities in the attempt to post inaccuracies about ACN. It is clear that you had a negative experience, but your experience is far from what I have found to be true. Your comment about the videophone being a "token product" is also inaacurate as ACN has at least a dozen telecom & home services products, and your comment about retaining customers is true for EVERY business in the world, not just ACN. Customer retention is necessary for anyone trying to make an income. Step back and re-read your post. You are calling ACN "A TOTAL SCAM" but them failing to show any legitimate reason. That is dishonest and flat-out wrong.
It all boils down to this: ACN is not for everyone. It obviously was not right for you. It was a great fit for me. It was a great fit for many members of my team. I have had a positive experience and would recommend it to others who understand MLM and believe that they have what it takes.
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raymair
Forums Member
Joined: 7 Apr 2011
Posts: 4
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#104 · Posted: 6 Jun 2011 13:24
If a rep is out scouting customers, more than likely they will have a poor retention rate. My customers are my closest friends and relatives and they span throughout the world. Because I am so close to these people they will always come to me for any of their telecom needs and I love that!! I stress to my downline reps to not scout for customers because Joe Blow 5 doors down probably doesnt care as much about helping you as your friends and family do. Unfortunately it is not a get rich quick scheme, it is an actual home based business. I saw the idea of this opportunity because my in-laws actually owned a satellite tv retailer and home security retailer company. I saw how much money was being spent on overhead and imagining all of that overhead in my pocket is what is driving me. Yes I have to work for it, but in any business, if you are not willing to work then you are not getting paid. Obviously (NEEDS2STOP) you are lazy and you were looking for a company that allows other people to make you money, like a pyramid, ACN is not a pyramid and other people will not make you money that is why its not for you. There are moments when I want to give up, but then one of my family members calls me and says "okay we've decided to try ur company" I am completely refueled. HonestRep is successful and since I am becoming successful I feel almost obligated to hear his testimony. I absolutely love feeding off of all of these successful people. I saw Mr Brian Sax here in Texas who flew from his home in Austrailia to talk to us, joined by Craig Kotter and I could not have been more pumped when I left that training!!! I love all of the support I get from the uplines they are so encouraging and keep my head in the game. This is a business where you are in business for yourself but NEVER by yourself and it is true. You have to A-S-K to G-E-T, is one important thing I have learned because it's true!
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needs2stop
Forums Member
Joined: 27 May 2011
Posts: 23
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#105 · Posted: 7 Jun 2011 12:42
Honestrep and raymair,
I've seen it so many times before. The irrational positive exuberance--"I am so PUMPED about ACN! The straw man rebuttals--"You OBVIOUSLY don't understand MLM! You're just lazy."
Raymair, you've publicly voiced that you've contemplated quitting ACN. That is a good thing. It means that your common sense and bank balance are starting to conflict with the brain-washing koolaid that ACN has been force-feeding you. Get out now, that's all I can say. You'll thank me later. The more people you drag into the scam, the more angry eyes will be scouling at you once you all lose money and quit. I know, it feels better to be positive about stuff rather than negative. But that won't keep you from losing money. That won't magically turn ACN into a legitmate company. A scam is a scam, that's the bottomline.
And Honestrep, you are right about one thing. ACN is not for everyone. It is not for people with integrity. It is not for people who dislike scamming friends and family. It is not for people who are likely to make money. That you ARE right about.
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kimcoulterdavis
Forums Member
Joined: 7 Jun 2011
Posts: 8
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#106 · Posted: 7 Jun 2011 13:43
youngwby
Whitney, if you are hearing bad things about ANY network marketing company from someone who only TRIED the business, then you are not going to get the correct information. There are three keys to being successful in ANY Network marketing business and that is 1) you need to believe in the product or services that you offer 2) you need to have support and training and most important 3) you need to stick it out to have success. Most people quit before they have even really started and then they make posts about how it was a scam, but if you do not work the business you will not have success....Ask, how long has the company been around? Do they have people who have reached top positions? Are they offering REAL products or services and do they have training. Go to the Direct Seller's Association and look them up. That is where you will get REAL information.
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kimcoulterdavis
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Joined: 7 Jun 2011
Posts: 8
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#107 · Posted: 8 Jun 2011 09:51
Skitzin
Just so you know, a Pyramid Scheme is when you sign people up and make money just because you sign them up, and that is illegal. ACN is a customer acquisition company...it is not a get rich quick scheme, you actually have to work, and if you work the program works. I suspect it is the same with any MLM opportunity. Recommend you read the book "The Business of the 21st Century" by Robert Kiyosaki -- it is my opinion that everything will relate to Network marketing and referrals in the future.
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kimcoulterdavis
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Joined: 7 Jun 2011
Posts: 8
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#108 · Posted: 8 Jun 2011 09:56
HonestRep
Dear Honest Rep,
Well put, I totally agree with your comments about ACN. People have the misconception that all you do is sign up and the money falls from the sky. They do not realize that ACN or any other MLM is about customer acquisition and building a distribution through recruiting other leaders that acquire customers...and, we do not mislead people about that, but some times it falls on deaf ears. You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make him drink.
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HonestRep
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Joined: 6 May 2011
Posts: 7
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#109 · Posted: 10 Jun 2011 11:28 · Edited by: HonestRep
Needs2stop, in your posts here and elsewhere, you admit to never having a customer with ACN and only being an ACN rep for one measly month. Do you really think that you are qualified to speak on behalf of the company after a month of (not really) working? That is absurd. I also gather from reading your posts that you were recruited by someone who wasn't very successful himself. The fact that you think the only way to acquire customers is to act without integrity is the biggest tipoff that you were not given a proper introduction on how to succeed. Did you even attend an official training event? I presume that you did not. My feeling is that you have a skewed view of the company. That is unfortunate. How about letting those of us who boast a very happy customer base explain how it is that we were able to gain such an advantage? I think you will see that ACN can be as prosperous as you want it to be. If you act in a dishonest manner and try to scam people, you will fail. I can assure you of that. If you try to help your customers and treat them well, you will create a wonderful business.
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needs2stop
Forums Member
Joined: 27 May 2011
Posts: 23
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#110 · Posted: 10 Jun 2011 15:55
HonestRep, I understand your evaluation of me, but it is incomplete. I only participated in ACN for a couple months, true. But I spent months after researching into it further. For several months I thought I failed only because I wasn't right for MLM, and never blaimed ACN. After extensive research of ACN and the MLM industry, I realized that ACN is in fact a scam, along with most other MLM companies. There were a couple truly horrific former rep testimonials which made me realize how nefarious this business is. Innocent people victimized by lies and empty promises. It's very sad and shameful. My mentor was initially successful, and he was just a mirror image of his mentor, an president's club RVP. That RVP is now only a TC, since my mentor quit ACN after he signed me up. I attended several trainings/meetings, but no paid seminars...thank GOD!
Speaking of seminars. My mentor and his wife followed the advice of the RVP and attended ALL the seminars, spending hundreds of dollars on airfair, hotel, and attendance fees PER EVENT--which over a couple years equated to THOUSANDS of dollars they'd never get back. They ended up quitting ACN, thousands of dollars in the hole, having both wasted almost TWO YEARS on this failure of a business.
And for the record, they followed the ACN-sanctioned training methods to the letter. They only started getting "creative" and desperate when they realized that none of the stuff ACN told them was working.
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kimcoulterdavis
Forums Member
Joined: 7 Jun 2011
Posts: 8
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#111 · Posted: 10 Jun 2011 16:51
needs2stop
Dear needs2stop,
I wonder what kind of research you did? I am betting it is Google. If you research Google you will see all kinds of complaints, and yet people are still using Google. The only reason you failed is because you quit. Quitters NEVER win in this business or any other MLM business. MLM is a successful business model and is taught at Harvard Business School. Think about AVON..it began in the 1939 and is an MLM business and still successful. ACN like other MLM businesses is a BUSINESS and you need to invest money into a business in order to be successful. The fact that your friends did not have to put up all that money at one time is amazing, because with a traditional business you have to put up a lot more up front. So when you say it is a scam, I wonder what you mean? Most people work 40 years for Corporate America and can barely live on their retirement....that is a real scam. Best advice for you is to get over it, get a job and make your boss rich. See if that works for you.
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needs2stop
Forums Member
Joined: 27 May 2011
Posts: 23
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#112 · Posted: 10 Jun 2011 18:40
kimcoulterdavis, yes, everyone in the world uses google as their search engine these days. That's a reality. The only reason I failed is NOT because I quit. I failed because a) nobody I knew believed in me or ACN, and b) MLM companies produce high amounts of failures. Me eventually officially quitting was just a forgone conclusion. The reason I quit was when I realized ACN was a scam after extensive research, and after discovering that my mentor and much of my upline had also quit. It's such a complex scam, that most ACN reps don't understand it. They genuinely believe all the hype, and just write off all the BS as things they must suffer through for the sake of the business.
When I say ACN is a scam, here is what I mean. Over 90% of reps fail to make money in ACN. In many cases, the longer you are in ACN, the more money you will lose--even if you have initial success! The TCABs eventually dry up, your organization shrinks due to attrition, and your ACN business begins moving backwards. The services ACN offers are things people already have. Who doesn't already have TV? Or a cell phone? Who wants to break a cellphone contract, pay a termination fee, just to get another cellphone again through ACN for the same price, having to endure poor customer service among other things? The product ACN offers nobody wants. The videophone does not work well and customers don't like it. It doesn't work as well as a regular phone, and it costs much more AND requires a HIGH speeed internet connection. Worldgate, thier videophone manufacturer, is currently going under due to not being able to sell their inventory.
When you sign up, they dont' tell you about the $150 annual fee, or that they will be hounding you to buy tickets to expensive seminars multiple times per year, and expect you to pay your way to get there. Once you join they hit you with all of that and its very overwhelming. They pressure you, use cult-like tactics to get you to buy in to the group mentality, and hold your own dreams and financial goals over you in order to manipulate you into continuing to feed money into the system. There's no honesty in ACN, just wishful thinking and overly optimistic exuberance. This is common in most MLMs.
I'm actually here to help people and save them from a long, financially draining experience, but I realize people my view my motivations differently. Few will ever come back and validate what I say with a "You were right!" Instead, they'll eventually lose money in ACN, lick their wounds, and disappear into the realm of MLM failures...too embarassed to show their face anywhere that they had once boasted about how amazing ACN is. It's a sad reality, but still very true.
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kimcoulterdavis
Forums Member
Joined: 7 Jun 2011
Posts: 8
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#113 · Posted: 10 Jun 2011 20:30
needs2stop
Dear needs2stop,
I am sorry to hear that you did not have the proper mentorship in ACN. I know first hand how important that is. I did not have the proper mentorship in the beginning as well, but due to the fact I stayed plugged in to the system and attended events, which were valuable training I began to not only have success in ACN, but I was able to be the mentor I never had in the beginning. All MLM businesses are 90% mindset. I knew that if I really wanted to make this business work that I would have to take on the mindset that this was MY business and if I wanted to make it work then I would have to invest in myself and become the leader I needed to be. I really think ALL MLM businesses are built by people who work on themselves first. Anyway, who are you really helping with details on how you gave up on yourself? When you quit something, it is HARD to show your face to people because you are admitting that you couldn't do it. Anyway, I really wish you well on your future plans and hope that you find what is right for you. An MLM business is structured, so that anyone can do it, but not everybody is the right fit for this business. It is a personal growth program that just happens to have a compensation plan attached to it. I worked for Corp America, and when the economy went south, there was NO security. So a plan B is necessary and ACN has documented and proven success for those who are willing to step up.
Best Wishes
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http://www.kimdavis.acnrep.com/
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needs2stop
Forums Member
Joined: 27 May 2011
Posts: 23
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#114 · Posted: 14 Jun 2011 15:14
kimcoulterdavis,
I've still yet to determine what separated my (bad) mentor, from ALL the good ones. I have a feeling that people like you just say he was bad, instead of blaming ACN. I could put Phil Jackson as the coach of the Timberwolves, and I guarantee they won't win a championship, or even make it to the playoffs. The reason--well, it's not because of their coach! The reason my mentor failed is because he chose ACN, plain and simple. He was a good businessman otherwise.
And I listed three full paragraphs on what makes ACN a scam. So you coming back and asking me who I think I'm helping by telling my story of quitting is a bit unfair and transparent. You know very well it is not simply that I chose to quit, it's because it is in fact a SCAM! ACN has a documented 97% fail rate, but there is no such documentation on "proven methods of success"--there's only a record of what previously worked for those on top of the pyramid. My mentor followed that same method until the day he quit. Don't you see the scam??? If you don't spend years and years and pay to go to EVERY seminar, then they'll tell you that you only failed because you didn't do what it takes. Then whomever somehow does manage to succeed, you simply say: "Just do what they did!"
It's much like saying that kids who drop out of high school are losers and bad people, and those who go to college are obviously winners and good people. You can't win just by winning. And you don't always lose just because you lost. Making obvious statements that are self-apparent like that add nothing to the discussion. All I can say is that I wish you as painless of a crash-landing from your ACN "career" as possible. And by "painless" I mean that I hope you do not victimize too many more people before you do the right thing and quit.
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kimcoulterdavis
Forums Member
Joined: 7 Jun 2011
Posts: 8
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#115 · Posted: 14 Jun 2011 15:30
"Don't become a victim of yourself. Forget about the thief waiting in the alley; what about the thief in your mind?" ~ Jim Rhon
You quit, you lose, it is simple.
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http://www.kimdavis.acnrep.com/
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needs2stop
Forums Member
Joined: 27 May 2011
Posts: 23
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#116 · Posted: 14 Jun 2011 17:08
kimcoulterdavis,
I agree that if you quit anything, then you won't succeed. It's just like if someone quits robbing banks, they'll never make a penny. If you don't participate in a scam, you'll never make money in that scam.
At first I thought you weren't getting what I was saying, which is why you keep focusing on me quitting ACN. I think what is going on is that you are trying to convince yourself, in your own mind, all the reasons why YOU shouldn't quit. Because you know that quitting = complete and total failure. The moment you quit all the naysayers will come out and say "Looks like we were right!" Not to mention the financial loss you'll have to absorb. Not to mention where that leaves all the others you dragged into the organization. So yea, with all that is stacked against you, I don't blame you for attacking the idea of quitting with ferocity.
I think eventually you'll realize that all the ACN-generated quotes and wordplay are all just so many words on a screen. The real test is your bank account balance one month to the next, and the trail of victims you leave in your wake. If you can make good money continually and not cause others to lose money, then more power to you. But we both know that isn't happening, and won't happen. You only profit in ACN when others lose money, this is a fact.
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deehunts
Forums Member
Joined: 16 Jun 2011
Posts: 2
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#117 · Posted: 16 Jun 2011 17:48
Contrary to what many of these people are saying on this thread, your friend is not involved in an illegal scheme. ACN is a legitamate company. I worked with them for over 2 years. You can go and check the BBB to see this for yourself.
That being said, I am no longer actively working the ACN business for a few reasons. As mentioned ealier, it requires $499 plus tax to join this company. This was quite often very difficult for individuals to come up with. They saw it as a great opportunity, but they did not have the funds to get involved.
Another problem was the qualification process. There was often many obstacles most individuals encountered when trying to qualify in order to reach the next position in the company. Well this made for an even larger problem, because in order for anyone to get paid the bonuses from the compensation plan, the new rep has to get qualified within 30 days.
The team building was another issue for me. I made some money with this company, but I begin to see my team was having a hard time doing the same thing. It wasn't because I wasn't spending the time helping these people either. I spent many hours most nights away from my family building the business with and for my team. I took all the focus completely off of myself and focused on them.
If you truly want to earn some income, I would highly encourage you to take a look at something that allows your sponsors efforts to also be a part of your efforts, regardless of if they are sponsoring for you or themselves. Also, make sure it has a great compensation plan.
I wish you much success in your search.
__________________
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needs2stop
Forums Member
Joined: 27 May 2011
Posts: 23
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#118 · Posted: 17 Jun 2011 16:13
Getting qualified and hitting your compensation thresholds is challenging for most people. That's why most start out enthustically, but quickly fade out. Once you burn through all your close contacts, you don't have many options left for finding customers and recruits. That's when things REALLY start slowing down. This is where the chain reaction of failure kicks in. You don't hit your goal, then your upline can't hit his, and now the people below you are seeing whats happening to you guys and then they lose confidence and quit. "What, you can't even find people to join your organization? Well I certainly won't join if it's that hard for you!"
Remember, YOUR team will encounter the same problems YOU encounter. Can't find enough recruits and customers?....well neither will your downline! Spending time with your team, being a great coach, investing in others, putting others before yourself, following ACN's "proven" method of success....all of those things will not ensure your downline succeeds. In fact, they hardly matter at all. It comes down to people asking others to join a pyramid scheme and those people either saying "Sure!" or "No way!". If they say "No way!", which 99% do, then you will fail, and so will your downline. Then think about how mad your friends, family, and coworkers will be at you when they lose over $1,000 and are stuck paying monthly fees for the next two years for services they don't want!
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HonestRep
Forums Member
Joined: 6 May 2011
Posts: 7
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#119 · Posted: 22 Jun 2011 19:52
Sorry, my autofill thing reposted my old post when I signed in... I never cleared the form on my browser.
Needs2Stop:
With all due respect, you aren't making much sense at this point. You are arguing that succeeding in ACN is impossible, but you are trying to convince three people who have already been successful. I can assure you that success is possible. I have done it. I am not a millionaire, but I am making good money. I do not act in an unethical way, either. In fact, the more that you support your downline and customer base, the more successful you will be. As people have told you time and again, simply signing up random people will get you nothing. Think of it this way... Everyone that you recruit should be thought of as a trusted employee. You are investing time and money into a business, why would you hire people that you did not think would succeed. If you hire good people, they will succeed as well. This will bring you more income. Many of your other arguments show a considerable lack of understanding. For instance, you claim that ACN is a scam because they "sell things that people already have." Well, that doesn't seem to be a problem for every other business in the world. People get new phone contracts every day. People buy new phones every day. People change cable packages every day. Seriously, what are you trying to prove? Go stand outside of a Verizon store and watch how many customers they are able to get. We sell the exact same things, many times at a discounted rate. If you can save someone money, why not do it?
It is clear that your problem was an awful upline. You had a bad experience. Your mentor may be a good businessman, but he obviously failed at ACN. That might have been his fault; it might have been his upline's fault. Nothing is guaranteed. What strikes me as odd is that you think you can speak about the entire company based on a few months of (not) working. You said it yourself, you didn't even have one customer.
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dsouza51
Forums Member
Joined: 25 Aug 2011
Posts: 1
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#120 · Posted: 25 Aug 2011 14:42
JDavis
Hello J Davis: How is ACN working for you now - did you stay with it???
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Denise
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