XXXX,

I personally admire the entrepreneurial spirit that is generated from Network Marketing operations. My own view is that recruits should not need to pay for the privilege of acquiring customers. I’m going to have to politely decline your offer to sign up as an ACN rep. Having participated in this type of business before, let me briefly tell you about my experience.

I’ve done multi-level or Network Marketing before. I bought into the hype. I started a franchise with Primerica, a subsidiary of Citigroup. We sold products like insurance and refi’s, but in the end, it was all about recruiting. In my opinion, it had a stronger product offering than ACN for consumers, and a much lower barrier to entry for reps ($99 vs $499). I can’t tell you how much I regret putting my money, time and, more importantly, my name on the line like I did. If you read 10 minutes worth of my thoughts and want to continue pursuing your goal, more power to you. It’s certainly possible to achieve wild amounts of success (which, may I point out; you already HAVE through your own business).

This is a decent test. Start typing ACN into google and look at the auto-fill responses. First 3 responses are acne, acne treatment, and acn scam. [insert image of this hilarious google screenshot] Do any successful, respected, and viable businesses show up on Google like this?

The products and services that ACN offers are outdated, poorly supported and not compelling. They only offer them because they HAVE to in order to avoid pyramid scheme prosecution. In fact, ACN was convicted of just that in Australia in March of this year. All the income generation is built around recruiting.
Real human outcomes from ACN affiliation are recounted in the first few pages. An excellent, detailed breakdown of the business fundamentals of ACN begin on the bottom of page 7. I sincerely hope you read through it.

Regardless of how this works out for you, Doug, it’s all good man! Good luck!

I will add my voice to this mess. I do not know if it will make a difference but if I can help even one person avoid what I went through with ACN it would be worth it! First let me start off by saying there are several ethical and worthwhile home based business out there not all are scams. I make my living working from home with an ethical and honorable company. Unfortunately I had to spend 6 years with ACN before I found a real home based business.

I was first introduced to ACN in March of 1995 by a very good friend. At that time in my life I was looking for something. I had been running a successful business in retail and manufacturing for 15 years and had accumulated a good sum of money had no debits but was ready for a change. 6 years later I had alienated some of my closes friends almost got divorced and went into debt to the tune of 200,000. Now before you jump to any conclusions let me explain how ACN lead me down this disasters path.

1) I did achieve success with ACN. I earned the 2nd highest level with the company in less the 18 months time and I had a few months where I made thousands of dollars. But that was almost all bonuses. This article (web site) is 100% accurate about the residual income. For 98% of those who join even those who work really, really hard even to the point of achieving a higher status then 99% of the people that join THERE IS NO MONEY on the residual side. Unless you have tens of thousands of customers that is. You have got to be honest with yourself how many people can build a business of 100,000 or 200,000 customers??

I had at my peak 15,000 long distance customer many of them where even using internet and energy services When I was getting paid my average residual check was 400.00 My friend who introduced me had almost 40,000 customers and his residual check was never more then 1000.00. And both checks drop like a rock because so many customers would switch off the service. Here is the point to why ACN is a scam and how someone like me could end up losing hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Here are the facts over 50% of the people who achieve the positions of RVP which takes a huge human scarify and is promoted as a life changes position with the company because of the income have left the company.. Think about that if RVP is such a gold mine why over the last 12 years have more the 1/2 of the RVP'S left the company. Many of them recognized as top money earners in the company. I will tell you the dirty little secret here it is that even with tens of thousands of customers there is NO MONEY there! Over 90% of the income even at that level for most of the reps comes from the bonuses and that means no matter what level you are at you need to recruit, recruit and recruit and if you ever stop recruiting bye-bye income!!

Here is another ugly truth when you go to the ACN conventions (and there are 4 a year I will share more about these in a few!) the "co founders" claim ACN is a level playing field that anyone who has the desire can be successful A LIE most of the top money earns in the company today where PAID to come on board or given sweet heart deals which unless you are bringing a huge group from another failed MLM company then good luck to you! Since leaving the company (in 2002) I have been made aware of dozen of these deals which all they did was enrich the owners of the company (ACN) and the one person getting all the perks the rest of the folks get to be out 500.00!!! What a lie when they tell a single Mom of 3 that she can become financially free at ACN and it is simply up to her desire to change her life.. I feel terrible about that one because I told thousands of people I spoke to across the USA and Canada as I built my ACN businesses. If I had only known that it was not a level playing field! I could go on and on about the hype, the lies, the lawsuits but who has the time. You may ask how a successful businessman lost so much money in ACN. I guess many of you could say it was my own stupidity and I could not argue that part of that maybe true but my real mistake was trusting people. I work directly with several of the so called "top money earners" I worked with and was coached by some of the Co- founders of ACN and they told me over and over again that I just need to work hard talk to more people and I would be rich beyond my wildest dreams.
SO when they said you need to quit your job and focus on your ACN business. I did! (my bad!) When they told me that the only way to make it to the top was to be at all the conventions because that is what all the top money earns did ( I of coarse did not know at that time about all the sweet heart deals they give those people) So i did I went 4 times a year.. Atlanta, Columbus, OH, Long Beach ,CA and the list goes on and on and on each trip costing 900.00 or 1000.00 or more! Yes I did make tons of good friends and boy did those pep rally really fire me up and make me feel good only problem was while I was feeling so good and buying into all the hype I was going broke because the harder I worked the less I earned.

I guess many of you can ask why did I keep doing it if it was not working. Call it pride, I believe what they told me , ego. Who knows all I know is I am not alone. I left in 2002 as I have come in contact with dozens of former ACN followers including my friend who introduced me I found out all of us where in debit most had not lost anywhere near the kind of money I did but many only now in 2006 have been able to pay off the debits incurred during their ACN experience.

I could go on but what is the point. I have moved on and am slowing building back my savings and getting out of debit. At this point all I can do is hope to save others from this nightmare!!!! If you are in ACN or thinking about it ASK tons of questions. You have a right to see peoples checks (do not buy into that garbage that reps cannot show their checks that was another lie!)

Ask what happened to all the old RVP and Circle of Champions why did so many work so hard to get to those positions just to leave the company.

Ask about the sweet heart deals.

Ask who really owns ACN?

Ask what the average income is for all ETT (they will never tell you that one!)

Ask what the average income is for all the TC (good luck!)

Ask what the average income is for all the RVP (Not just the top 10 money earners!)

Ask why are so many RVP fall out of qualification and why have so many been deactivated and last but not least when the company deactivates someone one and they have done that to hundreds of people over the years what happens to the income that the position that person spent years of their life building.. I will give you a hint it goes to ACN (or the 2 people who own 90% of the company...)

I made my biggest mistake in life with ACN. I hope I helped save at least one person! Some ACN people will say this is sour grapes I did not do the right activities long enough or hard enough. If that were true why have so many of the "Big Money earned left"??? Try to see ACN for what it really is It is all about the owners becoming richer and richer and richer.

Good Luck.
Rick in Florida

ACN is a brilliant scam. From another blog, I agree with the description that it is an "evil money lust cult." But you would never know that upon first impression, because they are pretty much the slickest show on the planet. That may sound extreme, but I have barely survived the three years I spent trying to succeed with the company-- emotionally, financially, and spiritually.

The chances of succeeding with this company for anyone, from current CEO to college freshman, are slim to none. The odds are similar to the “House Always Wins.” After stumbling upon a paragraph in a book "Deadly Cults" by Robert L. Snow, about another MLM's use of Cult Mind Control Tactics, I began serious research.

What I found frightened me and made me realize the terrible truth that they actually employ every trick in the book to free you and your contacts from their wallets, without having to give too much in return to recruits. It was actually a huge relief to find it wasn't me, but the weighted system ACN had in place.

How is it that I could have sunk so much time and money into this, and heard so many promises of success, to be sitting here tens of thousands of dollars poorer? I have lost connections with my delicate family and friend relationships over ACN. Why? Because ACN is not about it's very high-tech products and services, it is really about putting together a list of the most valuable people in your life and just taking the $500 up-front fee from them. When they drop out, which they all will, ACN is richer and they are poorer. If I had to put a finer point on it, I would say this business is an affront to basic business practices and normal relationships. But they make this very hard to see.

There was a time when I was hailed as an up-and-coming entrepreneur in many news articles-- no more. I graduated Cum Laude from my University, I'm not a flunkey nor a drop-out. Anyone can fall prey to this.

So why wouldn't I be excited that Donald Trump joined the company as an endorser? Who wouldn't want to work at that level? Let me save the people thinking about working with this company their resources and sanity...Don't do it. Just don't step in the room. I can only hope that Mr. Trump doesn't fully understand the scenario. Succeeding in business IS hard enough, even when you find the right partners. ACN has made too many empty promises and now I know why. That's not the “Integrity” they always talk about, is it?

ACN is more like a cult than anything.

A Cult has these characteristics:

-Everything is set up to benefit the Leaders or Founders of the Cult.(These guys are documented as making massive fortunes from ACN.)

-Often cults acquire hundreds of millions of dollars in assets, acquire celebrity endorsements, get darling media coverage at one point, and network with politicians and lawmakers (Former State Attorney Generals like ACN has on its legal team)

-Often cults hide behind corporate laws or non-profit religious laws to essentially get away with massive fraud (until everyone 'drinks the Koolaid' and allegations are no longer deniable).

-Cults make you work long hours for very little in return. A VP once stated to me, "if you can't make another call from exhaustion and it's 11 pm, that's a good day in ACN." Whatever happened to "Balance."

-Cults use Mind Control techniques such as Repetition, Environment Control (You should see the light show at the International Conferences, Pink Floyd would be proud), Peer Pressure, Evenly paced Music, Indoctrination of Harmful Beliefs, and any other tactic that helps them with their means.

Okay, says it's not really a Cult (for the more measured view). Very few people can be convinced to use the products and services, and the ones that do face major hassles and headaches that they will complain about—TO YOU. Many end up hating ACN, and their connection to ACN is YOU. Often, the services end up costing more than standard services or just are not convincing enough. That's when they ask you to “Lean on the Relationship.” Imagine a slimy Eel chasing your Grandmother's checkbook and you will know how this feels.

Well what about the Video Phones? They are one of the few companies to employ these devices...but look out. Anyone ever read "1984?" Orwell's 'Telescreens,' anyone? Technology is just another way for them to try to control you and your friends. Normal people with normal lives are generally not as interested in this technology as they would have you believe. I did get a few customers, but they stopped answering my calls and they certainly didn't refer me any more customers. Though the technology is really interesting, it is another way for them to INVADE your life too.

If you want to have fun with $500 or spend money on plane tickets, buy yourself a ticket to Monte Carlo and put $500 on Black at the Roulette wheel. Your odds are better for winning and you'll probably have fun even if you lose (and a great story).

I've been to numerous conferences, been on countless conference calls, gotten dozens of people “in” and in my downline and made very little money. But don't get me wrong, ACN does work, if you don't mind scamming tons of people just like you while ignoring your conscience.

Hmm...A Pseudo-Cult masquerading as a legitimate phone company...Genius.

The hard thing is knowing how many people will sign the Rep Agreement before they even have a chance to read something like this, because of their high pressure, time-crunch motivated tactics.

words

loser

Recently, two friends have gotten into ACN. If the numbers on this page don't convince you that it sucks, here's another aspect. We HATE having either of them around anymore. They try to sell their stuff at parties; they call you and pretend to be your best friend when you only know them through other people. They are annoying. They are like little monsters trying to push you off a cliff.
One time, this girl was calling my roommates and I about Energy. She was throwing out some schpiel about Energy Monopolies. I was skeptical, but I told her I would think about it. Then she calls me one night when we are having a party and we are all drunk. She comes to my apartment and shows me the papers and says, "Don't worry, you don't have to fill out anything, just give me your birth date, your SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER(!!!), and your signature. I'll fill in the rest."
IF ANYBODY DOESN'T KNOW, THAT IS NOT INFORMATION YOU JUST THROW AROUND TO YOUR FRIENDS. Maybe I could have given her my driver’s license and some credits cards too? If you're foolish enough to believe that "you'll make a boat load of cash, with hardly any work," then you are probably dumb enough to think that this is normal info to ask for. Like I said, they are annoying, and we only want them around if they promise not to try to sell. You will lose all your friends when you become a Zombie.

I wish I could have found this site about 6 months ago. Damn!!! Anywhere, here is an email I just sent to a consumer complaint site. I want this information to permeate the internet so that no one else will lose $500 to ACN.

And hey Valerie and A.O.K. Let's see a copy of your commission checks.

Our Story: My boyfriend got sucked into the (in my opinion) sham that is ACN. I told him that I've heard of MLM's like ACN in the past and that it usually doesn't work out, but he was defiant. Eventually I went to a meeting with him and was sucked in as well, I admit.

To make a long story short, I have since discovered that:

1) When you become an ACN independent rep, you DON'T get paid on your customer's phone bills unless you are promoted to an ETT position within a month. To become an ETT you have to have 20 customer and 3 reps in a matter of a month - an impossible feat for most first time sales reps.
2) Their electric service is not cheaper. They try to fool you by saying they only charge a $2 or so customer charge, and you think that will replace the customer charge your regular provider charges. No. ACN charges you that customer charge, and other charges ON TOP of all the other charges from your original electric provider.

3) When you sign up for any ACN service, they tell you "If you don't like it, we'll switch you back for free!" In actuality, all they mean by this statement is that THEY won't charge you anything to switch back. But Verizon, or whoever else you're switching back to may charge you a reconnection fee, that ACN does not cover.

4) When you become an ACN independent sales rep, you have to make an initial payment of about $500. Then EVERY YEAR you have to keep paying $99 in order to keep your status. They don't tell you that in their "sales meetings."

5) ACN has bad customer service and bad service period. I put in an order with ACN for my phone service for a distinctive ring #. A month later I call back and they still hadn't processed the order and had no idea why. I put an order in again, and guess what? They still never processed the order, and still didn't know why. I cancelled their service shortly thereafter.

Wondering about whether ACN is the kind of company you want to be associated with? I was too. Don't do it!!! I just wish someone would have told me about their bad business practices before me and my now ex-boyfriend would have invested and lost $500.

this is by far the worst thread ever! Not even friggin' close.

Really? You want us to read all that?




Really?

I got conned into joining Primerica. I went to two "training sessions" and got out before I took any tests or dropped any coin.

Scam. It was like Amway or something for crappy insurance policies.

I think there's room for a discussion about multi-level marketing schemes here on the GB. If you don't want to read it, all you gotta do is hit the back button.

It was very clear to me within two weeks that all Primerica aimed to do was prey on the poor and unintelligent segment of society collecting their $100 signup fees after a motivational rah-rah session. 90% of them never got liscensed to sell anything, and 90% of those who did never sold anything.