(0.5 / 5) NOT Recommended
What Is The Rodan & Fields?
Is The Rodan And Fields A Scam?
So, is the Rodan and Fields a scam? Well, first of all, it is an MLM business (also known as pyramid schemes) and in my opinion, all those businesses are, maybe not scams but at least very risky. The only ones who is going to make money are the owners and the ones who got in first, the other ones (at the lower end of the pyramid) are most times just there to make money for the top ones. This is my opinion, do you agree?
Another reason why I call (most) MLM´s risky is because it is actually illegal to promote a pyramid scheme. MLM businesses are being investigated by authorities all the time and they are also being closed down one after one. So even if you are one of the few that are making good money from a so-called pyramid scheme you WILL lose ALL your business when that happens… Not so solid and safe huh?
I am not saying this is the case with Rodan & Fields but I wanted to mention that so you at least, know about those things.
Below is a list of examples of MLM schemes being shut down by Law Enforcement:
- Vemma
“MLM business structure” - Mona Vie
- Wake Up Now
- ZeekRewards
- BurnLounge
- Fortune High-Tech Marketing (FHTM)
- Global Information Alliance
- TrekAlliance
- TelexFree
So even if you are one of the few that are making good money from a so-called pyramid scheme you WILL lose ALL your business when that happens…
Not so solid and safe, right? That is also a big reason why I call most MLM business a “scam” or at least, a big RISK.
==>($0 FREE OPPORTUNITY) Want to try a safe and solid (NON-MLM) way to start your own business from home? Click here for my #1 Recommendation!
Who Are The Owners Of Rodan & Fields?
The owners of Rodan and Fields are both named Katie and just like the name of the company suggest their last names is Rodan and Fields. They are both board-certified dermatologists, and they are known for creating the anti-acne treatment Proactiv Solution. They even got awarded for that treatment, so the products they sell has to be good, right?
Rodan & Fields Products Overview
The first products that Rodan & Fields created was a line of “acne fighters” that was available without a prescription (their first products were prescription only). After that, it has just kept going with a whole lot of other products.
The official website of Rodan & Fields will show you many categories of skin care products.
Important to mention is that not all customers are satisfied with the products and there is a lot of complaints to be found on Rodan & Fields products. People feel scammed in the form of extra costs (on products that already are expensive), difficulties on cancelling their memberships, and some of them even claim that the products have hurt them instead of helping them.
To read some complaints you can go to the PissedConsumer website. There you will find a lot of complaints on the Rodan and Field.
The Upsells!
You get started with the $49 starter kit, but you will soon get approached with some “upgrades” or the so-called UPSELLS. They will cost you an extra $395 + $695 + $995! Here they are:
What CAN YOU Expect If You Join “Under” A Sponsor?
I am not saying this is the case with all sponsors. If you are lucky you get a good one. But if you have been involved with Mlms and “sponsors” you might recognize the example “typical” attitude.
First, you get approached with the starter business kit for $45 with the promise that it is all you need to start making money.
Very fast your sponsor will (most likely) tell you that the reason you don´t make money is that you have to purchase all of the “needed” business kits.
There is going to be a lot of emphasis on upgrading once you are in the system. They will call it things like go “All In” and your sponsors will (MOST LIKELY) encourage you by calling you hmm.. not so friendly things. Why? Because if you don´t buy all the upgrades YOUR SPONSOR and the ones above him/her won´t make any money from you.
That´s what it is all about, you buy all the stuff ($2,130 in total) and this money is going directly to the ones above you and the ones above them. If you do not buy, nobody is going to help you and you will be left ignored by the ones above you.
If you say no or anything negative at all about that, you can expect to be jumped on and called not so friendly things… The “MLM enthusiasts” got a tendency to defend their business in a very aggressive way.
If you join and buy all the “necessary” stuff there is a risk that you will become like them and start to aggressively try to get people to join under you and when they do, aggressively push them to buy all the upgrades…
Rodan & Fields The Good and The Bad
The Rodan & Fields (products and business) has, of course, both pros and cons:
Pros:
- The products are created by dermatologists
- List of ingredients is available for their products
- Probably not so hard to sell the product (the recruiting part is another story)
Cons:
- It is an MLM business
- To make good money you most likely need to recruit people under you
- Expensive products
- No free trials
- No proven ingredients in the anti-wrinkle products for example
- No detailed product descriptions on what the products will do
- Might be an unsafe and NOT very solid business model
- Many complaints from both customers and former sellers
Why You Should/Should Not Start With Rodan & Fields
If you are an MLM enthusiast I can maybe understand that you want to try things out working for Rodan & Fields. After all, they offer (most likely) some good products.
But ONLY if you are very good at this stuff that involves MLM marketing. Knowing how to recruit people is the way you will make a lot of money. Sure the products might be quite easy to sell (to the right people) but it is through recruiting people under you that will lead to success. If you are an introvert person it will be VERY hard.
On the other hand, you can sell skin-care and other “hygiene” products without being involved in MLM. You can actually sell ANYTHING you want online in a solid and safe way in the form of affiliate marketing instead. Take Amazon.com for example, you can sell anything they got to offer to people looking to buy it in the first place.
Amazon is just an example, there are thousands of other merchants you can work for.
If you want to read more about how YOU can start and how it works click here
The bottom line is that I really don´t recommend Rodan & Fields to anyone.
The choice is yours, of course… This is only my opinion… just saying…
Final Words and Verdict
Verdict: Legit but NOT Recommended!
Overall rating: (0.5 / 5)
Many people (mostly the ones involved) will probably call Rodan & Fields “the best place on earth”. But I would strongly suggest that if you want to sell skin care products and such that you do it in the form of affiliate marketing and choose yourself exactly what to promote. only the ones getting in first (a handful of people) gonna make good money from an MLM business.
Also, the business model might not be a very solid and safe one, it can get shut-down at any time, who knows.
I think I have made my point pretty clear on this one!
The Solution
Everything online is not MLM and scams, there are legit (and solid) opportunities but they are very hard to find.
Something I know works is Wealthy Affiliate. It has nothing to do with MLM and you are not going to be surprised with any hidden upsells.
It is also completely FREE to start with, and you decide if you upgrade your membership at any time. Real owners that you can contact, thousands of members from all over the world, 24/7 support, step-by-step training, tools, no upsells, etc.
I hope you found this review of Rodan and Fields to be helpful and now you should have a better understanding of what the rodanandfields.com website is about. Maybe you have tried it yourself? Please share your experience in the comment section, it can help others. Also, if you got any questions about this review then leave them below!
I wish you the best and a lot of success in whatever you decide to do.
Thank you for reading!
John
Owner of: StartMakeStopWaste.com
Hi John
Firstly what a great site, and great information to match, I personally have been scammed before and I wouldnt touch this mlm,or any mlm for that matter! The upsells alone have scam written all over it. Im glad I read this review and I am going to take a look at your recommendation instead.
Thanks again i love sites like yours that warn people of the sharks out there!
Dave 🙂
Thank you! I really appreciate that, glad to know that you understand that pretty much all MLM are crap. You are going to love my recommendation, it will allow you to work with whatever you want and the step-by-step training is so easy a kid could do it, just be aware that it will take some time before you start making money. But it is worth it 😉
Thanks again for your comment!
Best regards
/John
John, I understand you love your blog. MLM is not a pyramid scheme. Do your research. There is a huge difference! Before you write a blog, do a little bit or research bud. While I agree, their products might not be the best in the world, the way they sell it it’s perfectly legal. It is not a pyramid.
Thank you for your comment man, if you read my Review you should be able to see that I give the rating: Legit. That means that I think it is legal
/Thanks again 🙂
I love how you start out by uncovering a scam! There are so many out there and the fact you are willing to make people aware of them adds a lot of credibility to you. I like how you point out the only the handful of the people at the top really benefit. Your website is simple but I think simple is best more often than not
Thank you! Yes, I like to keep it simple and to the point 🙂
Best regards
/John
Nice article! I’ve always hated MLM’s and have been a part of it at one time. They offer nothing of value to your customer, and leave potential “clients” confused and extremely skeptical of the actual money making process.
Looking back on that, and the success I’ve had with WA, I just have to smile. I had a glimmer of hope that there were still ways to make money online after getting sort of scammed out of $300, but that percentage was very small.
The program technically worked, but it only really catered to the people at the top. The little guy has an extremely tough mountain to climb, which is why they call it a pyramid scheme lol.
But anywho, for anyone reading this, go with John’s recommendation! You won’t be sorry I promise that. And it’s free to sign up and REMAIN a member for as long as you want.
All the best,
-Stu
Thank you Stu I appreciate that! How long have you been at WA?
Negativity kills the world. Appreciate your opinion but it is only an opinion. If these were “scams” then they would not be viable businesses. It’s sad that people are in educated enough to believe you. Someone with no expert background. You are simply a person who failed at one of these in the past and instead of admitting your failur, have decided to bash the industry. I feel bad for people that listen to you.
Very interesting review on your website today, I am not familiar with MLM programs. What exactly is a MLM program consist of , I hope this question does not make my sound like a dumb bunny.
You have given so much useful information about this program, it does tempt me to jump right in but I know better from my past experience. I will check back in a while to see what a MLM is, I am interested in this very much.
This is what MLM is about: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-level_marketing
While I wouldn’t want to work with such a narrowly focused product line, I think that network marketing or MLM is a great business model. It enables many people to build big prosperous businesses, selling great products. The original MLM, Amway, made a lot of mistakes and the industry got a bad reputation. The mistakes were repaired and now MLM is a multi-billion dollar industry. Amway is still a billion dollar business. And there are hundreds of companies like that.
The problem with MLM isn’t the recruiting, its the lack of real products. There are scams out there. They often sell education or training of some kind, but it is really just a scam that is not adding any value to society. Many legitimate MLM businesses sell very high quality products and the network marketing business model allows many people to profit from those products. The products are often more expensive in order to make sure the company is profitable and the sales associates get to earn a good income.
I absolutely agree that MLM products always are overpriced, they have to be to make the whole (pyramid) structure “alive” and that is something me personally don´t like. I mean, if a product is extremely overpriced, the customer is probably better of going and buy the same quality product elsewhere, right?
That is one of the reasons I don´t like MLMs, I know they are a big business.
I don’t normally respond, but in the case of your comments about Rodan + Fields are completely wrong. First a consultant is not upsold to a kit. They can join the company at any level that they can afford. Second, consultants are encouraged to grow their customer base. Its how and where their primary income comes from. Adding consultants to their team is an added bonus, but its not like some of those other companies where you have a bigger team than you do customers. Consultants on your team can actually promote above their sponsor.
Forbes has reviewed Rodan + Fields and endorsed it Harvard Business Review says its the best business to join for individuals looking for a business from home.
If a consultant isn’t making an income its because they are not spending the time to sell the products. Nothing happens without a little hard work.
I take issue with your review of this business. Your assumptions are not fact. Your assumptions are entirely wrong. Please do additional research. You might just decide to sell Rodan + Fields. I’m available to get you started if you choose to see the error of your ways
So Mr. John,
The question arises, Have you ever sold Rodan+Fields? Because I am sure if you had you would know over half of the information you have given here is incorrect. False and misleading accusations is defamation of character.
And seeing how you are advertising for another company SPECIFICALLY , it appears to me as if you are slandering other company’s for your own personal gain. I would highly suggest you remove this article promptly.
Well, we all do mistakes now and then don´t we? I might have made a mistake here and if I have I will of course try to fix it, maybe you can tell me what info on what the company sell is wrong? I am absolutely not defamation any character. I speak MY opinion, is that illegal?
I show people another option in the form of affiliate marketing (among others) to sell whatever they want online, creating websites and drive traffic.. Those things don´t involve any direct selling.. Is that wrong of me??
Why should I remove my article?
John, I totally agree…this article was most useful to me and I do not see any defamation of character in this article nor advertising of your own product. What false accusation is this R&F consultant talking about? It is within your amendment rights “freedom of speech” to express your opinions but it is absolutely true what you had mentioned that these sales consultant are aggressive. I recently had a friend who was so aggressive w: her sales tactics & using our friendship to make profits, it’s sickening because first of all this so-call friend was never very nice to me but suddenly when she needed me for her R&F she became oddly nice. I didn’t really care much for her because I never could consider this person as a friend in the first place. Now, our friends avoid her like the plague
For one thing, your english and spelling are PATHETIC! How embarassing for you to put this BS out here when you obviously cannot even spell what you don’t know anything about. A “consecutive consultant”?????? PLEASE. Let me enlighten you. It’s an Executive Consultant. Before you start slamming other people’s companies, at least learn how to spell what you are supposedly trying to communicate for god’s sake.
God should be capitalized for proper Grammer. Just saying.
Thank you 🙂
Shut the fuck up….live in this fictitious shit and stop preaching….btw why are you on this chat if it’s so great!? Been screwed a few times, huh? Me too. I’m not about to have it happen again. Taking posts down bc it could be interfering with my $ making scheme, yet telling me “be you….be real”. Being “real ” and judging a book by it’s cover are TOTALLY different!!!
I DID sell for R & F and quit once I realized the scam. Your review is on point.
Happy you liked the post, Thanks for your comment ?
Omg! I just started with R&F 5 months ago and I only joined cause I was looking for an anti aging cream. So I didn’t care it was a pyramid scheme. I knew all along. Lol but was desperate for a cream lol. So I jumped on board. But I’m totally seeing the red flags and scams. If you don’t sell after a couple months, all your customers PC, consultants under you go to the recruiter above you!!!! So basically the scam is designed to weed out consultants who can’t sell, they do all the work to get their contacts in the hands of the leaders above them. Then when they don’t sell, all their contacts go to the person above them!!!! Total BS!!! N they only tell me this 5 ‘months in!!
Wow!
Thanks for you comment, am sure it Will Help others making the right decision.
Sincerely
Thank you so much. I posted how upset I have been after over hundred applications,few job interviews with years of great sales and retail experience plus AAS Police Science and Bachelor Science Human services.I was contacted and told how much I can make when i am already down and have a low income. Monthly charges,start up it and the cost of the products alone are crazy.I had a hard time selling Avon at a low cost.
I just had this happen to me with Rodan &Fields. I was just looking to by the lash boost and my upline is my (supposedly) good friend from high school so we have been friends 20+ years so normally I would have politely declined but I trusted her and what she said plus she knows I have always taken great care of my skin, hair and nails(I became a cosmetologist 18 years ago but I don’t practice anymore and I love helping people feel confident in themselves) I have always used Olay which worked fine but to make a long story short she talked me into joining 3 months ago and me being unaware that it was a pyramid scheme (again my fault for not doing my research) bought the most expensive kit. So now I have all these products and no one to buy them because Facebook is saturated with Rodan and Fields post ALL DAY LONG. I absolutely love the products and I will continue to use them and hey it’ll save me some money on my Christmas shopping because my family will definitely be getting some skincare stuff for Christmas lol…. so yeah lesson learned the hard way as usual but I am keeping my constant account so I can get the products for as cheap as pos
Nothing in the article is “False and misleading accusations is defamation of character”.
Due to the fact that he speaks the truth.
Which can be backed up with testimony of former consultant’s and customers.
The article is actually quite kind to a scam that preys on SAHM’s and other women.
Telling women they can become small business owners (FALSE!).
When in fact it puts many women thousands of dollars in debt and leaves them with nothing but old product.
Allure and In-Touch have issued far more scathing exposés.
Thank you Reality!
Actually Allure and InTouch have written articles and very frequently list Ridan + Fields as a solid business and most importantly the effectiveness of the products
Exactly!! And most of these women stay at home with their kids while the money backing all of this is their well off husbands!!!! So it’s not the R&F lifestyle funding it lol it’s the husband!! Lol.
I don’t like MLM either. All that pressuring family members and friends into buying rubbish products.
I’ll be keeping my eyes open for this latest one, which seems extortionately prices. What’s that you say about the upsells? $395 – $695 – $995?
What? For some poxy skin cream that probably does not work? Not me.
I’m going to stick with my preferred business model that is legit and does not require me to pressurize people into buying anything.
Love your honesty in the review.
Thanks
James
Thank you James!
Sounds too risky, and the prices are way too high for a beginner. I couldn’t see myself paying a couple thousand only to get permission to promote a product. Affiliate marketing comes with no risk other than paying a couple of dollars for hosting and a domain. I think it’s a much better solution for people searching for ways to make money online.
I absolutely agree with you on that.
Hey John!
I love a good scam scandal hee hee 😉 Your frank and honest view of this MLM company is fantastic and it is exactly what people researching the industry need to hear! I have been involved with two MLM businesses in the past and you are right-they are not great however….my involvement in them has led to me find Wealthy Affiliate and I must say I have formed amazing friendships with people I have met in the MLM industry but on the other hand I have met some shady f*#ckers too lol 😉
I highly recommend Wealthy Affiliate over MLM any day!
It sounds way too much like a pyramid scheme to me. I’ve been involved in one unfortunately and learned my lesson the hard way when I was young and foolish. I certainly wouldn’t want to repeat that mistake again. I want to know that I’m going to make money not rely on having to find people to get underneath me and sell products and have them get people underneath them and so on.
Wow that was odd. I just wrote an extremely long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t
appear. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyhow, just wanted to say excellent blog!
What are your thoughts on the marketers using social media and essentially their friends and family to solicit? That’s what is the most bizarre about this particular pyramid scheme to me and ultimately led me to research it. I think its basically really sneaky. How do you feel about it?
A pyramid scheme is a scheme that doesn’t offer a product or services. R AND F does! Have you used their products? I have. They do work! Your research is not complete if you have not used the products or worked the program.
Thank you for your opinion Stacy, interesting thought. I have to say you might be right, I have made mistakes before. It can be that my first language isn´t English or I have understand wrong. but if you read about MLM on Wikipedia it stands that MLM is pyramid sales and it don´t really sound safe at all.
Search MLM wiki on google and you see. I also have a link in the text above.
I have never said that it is to 100% but I mean if you want to sell stuff, at least, me personally, think it is a lot better to sell exactly what you want to other people. People who also are looking for it in the first place and you don´t “need” to convince? than, someone you know and have to “meet”?
For that it is better to learn that program instead (at least in my opinion). If you want to try it, there is also a link in the text above to that one.
Thanks again Stacy
/Best regards
And no one pressures you into buying the UPSELLS or whatever he calls them when you sign on. LOL total misinformation.
Youre a lying cunt
Hi John – wow, what expensive upsells this company has!
I started out with MLM 15 years ago and all I know is that people were dropping out faster than I could get them in because they could not afford to keep buying the products every month. I just always thought it was a good idea in theory but had too many flaws and didn’t work for the average person.
I did not realize that a lot of them were being investigated and shut down! I know one thing, at this point, after everything I have learned, I choose Affiliate Marketing for many, many reasons! Thanks for sharing!
I got scammed years ago with Bestline which cost me $3500 to get into although I did get a lot of soap products to sell to reclaim the $3500. I couldn’t sell any product and was told by higher ups to forget the soap, that they would help me take it all to dump in the river and I could start recruiting like I was supposed to be doing. It was eventually shut down with a few high ranking naval officers almost being court martialed for preying on junior personnel
Now I have a family member APPARENTLY doing well in Rhodes and fields, recruiting by internet. It seems to be exactly like Bestline so I wonder why they haven’t been shut down. She claims R&F has been federally cleared.
Personally I’m not a consultant for R&F but I have a cousin who is and the things you have said about this company are ridiculous. This is skin care. It’s something people purchase already. I have been using their products for almost a year and while they are rather expensive they are wonderful. You are buying a high end product. Yes I have been approached about joining the business but in no way have felt pressured. Also, you do not have to buy all the business kits but it is recommended to buy at least one of them. If you are already buying them as a customer then what is the harm in buying a business kit and saving 50% on the products you are already using and selling the items you may not need. This is a business that has no quotas, you make it what you want to make it. It can be a little extra cash on the side by making commissions or you can try to build a full-time business out of it by having people selling under you and moving up in the company. Lastly, there is a 60 day money back guarantee not only on all their products for customers but also on the business side of it. You can buy an entire kit and try to get your business up and running and if it’s just not for you, return it all within 60 days and you are out nothing. Do more research before putting such generalized information on the internet. My cousin has nothing but wonderful things to say about the people on her team that have helped her. She still works full-time and does this on the side and she is not being pressured to grow. She has never once been ignored when needed help or been called names like “wussy”. I don’t know where your information came from but if you personally had this experience then I suggest you pick a better group of people to be on your team. This company is no different than Mary Kay which has been around for years!
Good to hear this side rather than the one sided uneducated crap this author has waffled on about
I don’t need to read any further.. You’ve proven that you are not well aware of your surroundings. Isn’t any corporation a pyramid in fact a prime example? Will you or would you realistically achieve the position of CEO of any major corporation, Apple, Microsoft, Asbury Group etc..? No.. You would not. You don’t like MLM because you’re not willing to put in effort to do so. Quite frankly, I don’t care how much money the guy in front of me is earning as long as I could make the amount of money I desire to make. Do you know the definition of a Pyramid Scheme? When a company or individual collects a fee in direct connection with the recruitment of new prospects or individuals And does not have the same or similar ability to achieve like income. Gee doesn’t that sound like a bunch of corporations functioning in the US today? Not only can you not obtain the position of CEO reasonably, because there can ONLY be one, a slim chance, they pay recruiting teams bonuses in direct connection with your new employment. Isn’t that illegal? Should it be? This website has nothing but allow a bunch of whiner/quitters to complain about something they didn’t do in the first place, actually do what they set out to do. Total BS.
How messed up while Rodan & Fields is still selling their stuff on TV and in Kiosks in malls, making it and unfair market place for consultants.
The “consultants” don’t realize they are OVERPAYING! So many people make commission off their order not to mention the same stuff in Proactive is the same stuff drug store ( Nuetorgena ) face wash.
I absolutely aggree on that.
/Thank you for your comment
Why didn’t you respond to the above comments? It’s curious…I get that it’s your publication and you are able to voice your opinion. However, a quick way to lose credibility is to voice an opinion as an ‘expert in your field’ and provide amateur expertise about the content you create. If you want to promote your affiliate marketing strategies, by all means, do it. But to ridicule the number 2 brand of skincare, without having tried products…but simply based on what you read on the internet isn’t just unwise, it’s irresponsible. There are a lot of people experiencing great success in life and Rodan & Fields has been a major contributor towards that. My hope is that you would do thorough, unbiased research and not rely on Wikipedia to drive your reasoning. Thank you
One thing that always happens when I write a review about Mlms and pyramid structured businesses is that members /supporters of it always goes aggressive and rude. That never happens when I write a review about something that doesn’t involve mlm. Just saying… The skin care products might be great, ain’t saying anything about that. What I say is that if you want to sell skin care products (or something else) you should start your own business instead. period.
I agree with you. The one thing I took exception to after making the error of getting involved with R&F is why wouldn’t anyone go out into the marketplace and search for the product at discount? Certainly as a consumer you buy most economically and it makes no sense to promote a product that you couldn’t offer at a discount to your customers. When I posed this after seeing the products discounted on eBay and Amazon the answer I received was that this was against company policy. Regardless, how could anyone stop a consumer from using this POS provider to buy their products, and what was the advantage to paying full price from me? The only answer I received was, at full price, if there was an issue with the skin care the consumer had access to helplines with their problems. A fairly hefty price tag just for a helpline!
Rodan and Fields is not affiliated with ProActiv Solution, which is what you’re seeing in infomercials and kiosks. The doctors created ProActiv, but they sold their rights and it is a completely different product line anyway. You can only purchase from a consultant. Also, the info about upsells is false. The price to become a consultant is $45 if you do not want product. If you do, kits are offered at a 50% discount. No inventory is required and there are no minimum monthly purchases to earn retail profit. Check out the published clinical studies. I think you’ll be quite surprised at how well these products actually do work. One more thing…pyramid schemes are illegal. This is not one.
Rodan and Fields is described as an MLM company. For this to be a true MLM, the person at the top of the pyramid will always earn more than those levels below them. With Rodan and Fields, a person 3 or 4 levels below you can make earnings that exceed you. If they are in your downstream, you may earn some percentage, but Consultants are rewarded by personal achievement. In fact every person starts at the same place every month, at zero. No matter how much people downstream from you are earning, if you don’t also work to produce resales and new sales, you will not earn from those who are below you. In fact, their compensation plan encourages all levels to work to develop and keep their business
“Can” “would” “could” all relative terms. Read their own disclosure before posting this BS. https://www.rodanandfields.com/images/Archives/RF-Income-Disclosure-Statement.pdf
No minimum monthly purchase? Absolutely false! You must also pay a monthly “subscription fee” to use their email address in order to maintain your business. You are most definitely required to purchase a minimum amount of product/and or materials each month, plus absurdly, a shipping and handling fee. Today when companies offer free shipping on almost every website, and especially at the average rate of $150-175 per skin care kit, this is ridiculous. The overall mission is to get more people under you, just as a pyramid or MLM company structure would. And please let me clarify that you do not receive a 50% discount, even if you are a consultant.
Those of just some of the inconsistencies of the previous posts. They say that it depends what you want to get out of it, but unless you are on the prowl for selling a consultants business to every person you meet, or posting on average of 5-10 Facebook posts per day, this isn’t something I would recommend.
Just to clarify, there is no handling fee now and you don’t need to purchase a minimum a month (CRP)…
Oh yes you do! To earn commissions, Consultants must have a minimum of 100 PSV!! To maintain Executive Consultant status, the total group sales volume must be 600 (SV)!!!!
Spot on!
Katie Rodan and Kathy Fields — NOT “both named Katie”
If you decide to sign on with R + F make sure you choose the right sponsor! R + F has THE worst policy for ‘Line Switching’ and their corporate Compliance/Legal team S#CK’s — the corporate mentality is snobbish and their Lawyer’s are Heartless! Caveat Emptor!! Do your due diligence BEFORE investing in Rodan and Fields!!
Thanks for this! I just don’t understand the recruiting portion.,.why not every consultant earn commission, and be done with it. I’ve tried the products, and they were okay, but not worth the price. Cut out the pyramid bullshit, and paying the up line, and perhaps they would be affordable. I’m SO sick of seeing the repetitive posts from every person on the same team. It reminds me of a cult.
Glad you liked the post, thanks for your take on it
/Best regards
I love this article. On more than one occasion I have been accused of not being supportive of friends, neighbors, etc., when they came to me trying to sell me whatever MLM they were currently selling. I have received many a nasty word, how I am not supporting my fellow women in their small business ventures.
Every time, over and over, I see them lose a ton of money and then try out the next scheme. I am angry at those companies, giving these women false hope at a quick buck and then taking what little money they have. I wish this was not legal anywhere. I am a chef and when I am not working at my regular job, I do cater. This to me is a small business and I have yet one of these women come and support me. As they say, they can get the food cheaper at Walmart.
I always ask the same question: “If I am the person in my area with the best product out there to sell, then why would I want a ton of other people in my area competing with me?” It makes no sense. You don’t want anybody competing with you in your area of sales.
Keep up the good work.
Thank you!
Hello John!
I am a former consultant for Rodan and Fields and I can personally say to anyone thinking of joining RUN !!! Don’t do it!! The amount your going to pay doesn’t stop at your kit. I will share my experience with you in hopes that no one else who reads this gets wrangled and with such a company. The person who sponsored me to start working for Rodan and Fields pressured me to join for over a year . Finally I decided to take a chance I went ahead and paid the initial fee which they call a face washer if fee. I immediately was pressured into buying one of the larger business kits and ended up getting the big business launch kit for $695 . I worked the business hard for several months doing everything they told me that I needed to do . I didn’t make any sales for several months even though I didn’t make sales I was required to purchase $100 worth of product on autoship every month and pay $24.95 each month to use their website . The problem with the products I was required to purchase is when you add them to your cart you only get partial credit towards the $100 so you actually end up spending about $150 on products . For example if you add a product to your cart that’s $50 you only get $40 worth of credit . That’s extremely shady thing number one and they never mention why. So time goes by and I finally made one sale they push you to get preferred customers and to recruit people on it. I got a preferred customer and I was excited to make my first sale until I took a look at the website which they call Pulse it’s where all of our earnings are recorded. The preferred customer order was $153 but my system was only showing that I was getting $120 worth of credit . The website has been enduring some technical issues so I thought that the difference would work itself out I just needed to give it a few days . The problem never worked itself out so I contacted my sponsor who informed me that we only get $120 worth of profit on a preferred customer order . I thought OK to myself hopefully we get commission off the entire amount right? NOPE!! Just the $120! I brought this to her attention and she told me that there was a document in our business library that broke down all of the compensation so I went to check it out. I poured over everything and could not find any information as to why they take $33 off of the top. I even called corporate and they could not explain it to me but yet they do it to all the consultants . So they’re basically robbing you of that credit. It wasn’t all bad though in the business library I uncovered a document that states that an executive consultant only makes 15% even though I was lied to in the beginning and told that I would make 25% on retail and 35% on preferred customer. What they don’t tell you is you have to have five people working under you to even come close to 35%. So they skim off the top when you try to buy products and they skim off the top when you make sales ….. very shady! Especially because this is never explained anywhere they just take it and expect you not to notice! When I approach my sponsor about that she said she wasn’t even aware of all of these things so she recruited me without having any real knowledge of the business and the knowledge she did have she lied about. I was told that it was just my negative perspective on things and that I needed to look at things positively. My perspective was crystal clear and she thought just because she loves the products it was OK for the company to rip us off . She also failed to tell me that they only pay you once a month and it’s a month behind. Also after further investigation since I was only a regular consultant I only earn 10% commission so 10% of $120 is $12 . The kicker is you have to have at least $20 in your account to be able to withdraw it . So not only did I put in months of work and over $2000 of my own money just to make a measly $12 ,I will also never see it ….. I missed holidays and weekends and dinner times and countless other hours with my family because I was told I had to be part of mandatory zoom meetings and I had to listen to several recorded calls a week that were considered training . My sponsor told me I could work the business in the nooks and crannies of my life but this business took over my life . If you are considering Rodan and Fields Please run far and fast do not waste your time or money !! Also despite what John said the products are very hard to sell especially because they have just come out with a new set of rules that you have to market them exactly like they say or they say you are committing copyright infringement. This makes things extremely difficult. You can basically only sell on Facebook and in a certain way . I joined the business with the intention of utilizing Pinterest and other platforms. So please hear my cautionary story and do not join Rodan and Fields!!! The company claims to not have a quota but however if you do not bring at least $600 in sales a month to the company through preferred customers then you only make 10% . This is yet another thing that my sponsor left out. If your level one consultant and you happen to meet the $600 a month limit then you only make 15% . Not the 25/35 your led to believe. Rodan and Fields is not a pyramid but people who work below you are considered “legs ” . So pyramid , spider , table whatever name you put on it it is pretty much the same . Steer clear of the consultants they are extremely aggressive when trying to recruit people. I was even threatened and badgered not to talk about this because they said it would affect their business . When it comes to Rodan and Fields just don’t do it. I honestly would not wish this on my worst enemy .
Not everyone succeeds at an MLM. In fact 97.4% of all people who join an MLM don’t make profit. Learning how to sell and learning how to recruit and sponsor people is a skill. Just because you failed doesn’t mean everyone will. The reality is those numbers are no different in life. Only a few top execs make the big money. Only a few very sharp people actually “own” the company that the rest of the employees “work” for just making daily wages. A true pyramid is printed right on the back of your dollar bill and is the normal corp structure where the top guys make the most money and the bottom guys make the least. Contrary to this structure in an MLM I often make WAY more money that the person above me in the tree. How is that? It’s not a pyramid. I’m not in Rodan + Fields but I have consistently been a top money earner in MLMs before. Not only does the person writing this article not know what he’s talking about but neither do you. Get educated. Your own failure can be blamed on as many people that makes you feel good the reality is you need to look in the mirror and find out why people didn’t join your team. Self help books would be a good start? Or find a better sponsor that can teach you the industry.
Would you be willing to define “pyramid scheme” in your own words not what’s on google? To me, in a pyramid scheme there is no product exchange for money handed over NOR does the person at the bottom make money while the person at the top does. Right? If I’m wrong, correct me.
In R&F you can be level 1 and make more than a level 5 for example. How pyramid shaped is that? Would you be willing to compare this “scheme” to a corporate setup where in an entry level position you will never make more than someone 5 levels up? No matter how hard you work, in a corporate situation, you are stuck making what the market dictates. No matter how awesome you are at your job, you have a level of pay that you are bound to. The pay gets higher as you promote. Generally speaking. That’s not the case with MLM. Since I have discounted the pyramid scheme, I’m left wondering what it is you actually don’t like about MLMs.
You may speak truth but truth is much different than fact. The truth you should write about is that MLM makes you uncomfortable and that’s okay! If you feel more comfortable going to your nearest department store and putting money in the pockets of suits 10 levels up that’s your rightful choice. Go ahead and do what makes you comfortable. MLMs merely take out the cost of advertising via TV commercials and radio ads and newspapers. The millions and billions spent in advertising is in turn spent to reward consultants, rather than the commercials that you flip by when watching your favorite show at night. And if you are a good, decent consultant, you do well and get rewarded. you are NOT pressuring anyone. You may ask for support from friends and family in terms of just asking them to spread your name if the topic comes up, but pressuring is a characteristic flaw of the person and poor understanding of how things should occur. Those people will obviously fail.
The fact of the matter is, everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion but the only truth here is that you do not like MLM because they make you uncomfortable…not that MLMs are schemes. Some yes maybe, but not R&F. I would like to offer you a challenge. Try one of the products for 60 days and prove they do not work. I’d be happy to help you select the best product for you. Then when you see how great the products are, because R&F is #1 for a reason, you can join my team and prove to yourself how you can make more money than me. We will totally disprove that pyramid idea together, okay? Deal?? Thanks for the outlet. Best wishes. ?
In my own words I would say that a classic pyramid scheme is when your product is extremely overpriced in order to be able to pay on many different levels to the people above you… Something like that 🙂
Thanks for your offer, I already got a good skin care product though, I buy it in the local pharmacy shop and it is (parfume free) and very fatty 🙂 It works great… and it is cheap 😉
/Many thanks for your comment and all the best to you 🙂
Thanks for the article John! I have been approached by a Rodan+Fields person I do love to sell, but not like this. I got suckered into Amway before and lost a lot of money. This is exactly sounded like that, I just wanted to be sure. Thanks to Jody Goodman for posting what she wrote, because you just can’t make that up. We all want friends and to make more money, but at what cost? Somebody I know said it best ” Some people in life are dealt a good hand of cards. Some people were dealt an ok hand of cards and played it well. Then some people never got dealt a good hand of cards to even play”. Another false thing that was said to us as kids “You can be anything we want when you grow up.” That is simply not true!. Not all of us can be great entrepreneurs, CEOs, doctors, lawyers, a great salesperson etc.. Yes corporate america is like a MLM, but the difference is you get a steady paycheck, benefits, vacation…etc. Even if you are at the bottom of that corporate pyramid. Corporate america usually does not charge you to work for them either. I am not a champion of corporate america by the way but they are governed by laws. Like with Amway, why buy a 45 dollar box of laundry detergent if I can run to the store and by a 10 dollar box of Tide. Like all good MLM’s they want you to be consumers. Consume, consume, consume…etc and get more people involved and consume, consume, consume. That Lexus will be yours, and it can be gotten in your spare time in just a few years and some hard work. Yea right and I can be an astronaut one day if I only really work hard to be one. Because working hard is all it takes right?.
Thank you Alan! Glad you liked the article. Yeah, personally I am NOT a fan of MLMs at all, however, some people like that kind of model…
You can absolutely become an entrepreneur and make enough money to buy a Lexus in a few years IF you put in the time and effort, there are HUGE possibilities online if you create your own business. You will need guidance and help though, at least if you have never done anything like that before… But it is no rocket sience, am pretty convinced that staying consistent is around 90% of what it takes to succeed…
If you are ready to put in the work and commit to your own success for a year or 2 you should at least be able to make a full-time income and stop being stuck on a 9-5 and choosing your own hours… When you reach that level the rest will be up to you, you can stop where you are and just “maintain” or you can SCALE it up 🙂
This would be a GREAT place to start: https://startmakestopwaste.com/the-wealthy-affiliate-review-2016-insider-information
Hope that helps!
Wow! This has not been my experience AT ALL. You need to talk to more people who do Rodan + Fields. For example I have had TONS of free training, and you can try both the products and being a consultant for 60 days and decide no and get your money back. You don’t have your facts here AT ALL>
Look at the other comments (from users) and you will see that many of them are much worse than what I wrote in this post.
Not saying that your experience are bad, but many have a VERY bad experience from it…
/Thanks for your comment
Let me share my RF experience with you.
And here is the thing to keep in mind for all business opportunities:
As independent business owners we choose how we train, market and sell ourselves. You can’t take any one persons experience as FACT. There are so many variables to success. Lots of people join MLMs to get rich, quick. The reality is, that doesn’t happen. It takes real meaningful time and effort. What most won’t put in or for some, improper training and leadership.
Here’s my experience:
No prior MLM experience
Stay at home mom
Military spouse
Only had naptime to work in the first year
Invested $695 kit plus $100 monthly ($80 in product and $20 to my website) neither are required by the way. You can sell items retail to fill your $100 minimum. Someone left that out above in their comment.
Joined RF and in 4 years moved to 3 different countries because of military
Went from a team of one to a team of over 400 without pressuring anyone -no one did that to me. I was asking questions because I needed something like this in my life.
Free vacations to Maui, Cabo and Sonoma
Earned a free lexus ($750 car stipend monthly)
Teach, mentor and train a team on servant leadership, meaningful social media content and the gift of meaningful relationships
Side effects of this business:
Empowerment
Challenging work
Mentorship opportunities
Leadership development
Ability to help others achieve goals
Great skin…and lashes
For those who were pressured to sell or join, in sorry you had that experience. That’s certainly bad business practices but we don’t all run our businesses that way. Hopefully you don’t take the bad experience you had that one time at Chick-Fil-A out on all the other awesome Chick-Fil-A’s in the country. Cause you’d certainly be missing out on the very best chicken sandwich! Does that analogy help?
Best of luck to those who decide to take the entrepreneurial leap. It’s not easy or for the faint of heart but it’s SO worth it!
I totally agree with you about the ‘legit but not recommended’ comment!!!!
I loved your review! I, myself, have been digging around a lot into Rodan and Fields as a business, and their products. What I found out about their toxic products will knock you off your chair. In some cases, they do have cancer warnings on their products, but not in all. Plus 40% of woman see no benefits after using their completely-overpriced and way-time-consuming regimens. I couldn’t even imagine spending the kind of massive bucks these women are spending, just to buy their skin-irritating and cancer-causing potions and lotions. No way!!!! Wait till you see the pic of the girl who got an infection in the whole side of her face from using their lash-boosting serum, and almost had to be hospitalized, if the infection had moved to her blood. Good grief!