Is Arbonne A Scam? Legit But One Of The Most Hated MLM Programs?

Welcome to My Arbonne Review!

I’ve been seeing this company a lot of times before but never really had the chance to find out what it’s all about. All I know is that it’s popular and after reading relevant resources, I found out that it’s making a buzz not because of good reasons.

Arbonne was founded 40 years ago and although it’s still fully operating now, it’s best if you learn more about it first to avoid losing money.

In this unbiased Arbonne review, you’ll find out what it’s about, whether it’s a scam or not, how it works, its pros and cons, and many more.

Arbonne is a well-known multi-level marketing (MLM) company in the United States and in other countries. It’s under the beauty and health niche, promoting skincare, cosmetics, supplements, and more.

Also known as Arbonne International, the brand was founded by Petter Mørck in 1980 in Irvine, California, USA; right now, it is distributed in several countries, such as Australia, Canada, New 

Zealand, Poland, and the United Kingdom.

Considering its products and how it works, Arbonne is almost the same as these brands we’ve reviewed in the past: Jordan Essentials, Prime My Body, Univera, Vida Divina, and Senegence.

Arbonne Product Line

As mentioned, the brand is under the health and beauty niche so expect that the products are the usual ones we see in other MLM companies. They claim that their essentials are botanically-based though, which is a good thing; however, if you’ve been reading a lot about MLM products, it’s normal for them to make such claims.

Often, you’ll read that their products are innovative, backed up by science, all natural, etc., and while there are brands who really promote healthy and effective essentials, there are those brands that are only good at claiming. The worst part is that some companies with these promises are often sued for promoting products with harmful ingredients.

So, is Arbonne a good brand? Let’s find out!

On their Homepage, you’ll find several categories for their products, such as:

Skincare

This includes the typical skincare essentials, such as eye cream, moisturizer, toner,  sunscreen, serum, and more.

Bath & Body

This includes personal care products, such as lotion, lip balm, essential oil, shower gel, hand cream, and more.

Makeup

This includes cosmetics, such as mattifying powder, lip balm, eyebrow palettes, mascara, makeup primer, and more.

Nutrition

This includes health essentials, such as protein shakes, teas, fiber powder, and more.

Hair

This includes  dry oil, pomade, replenishing mask, shampoo, conditioner, and more.

These products are common in the MLM industry and other than the saturated market, your other concern as a distributor is the price. Considering that most of their prices are two times more expensive than leading brands and other alternatives online, it might be difficult to convince people to buy it.

However, when it comes to effectivity, I found out that it received a lot of positive feedback. For instance, the Arbonne RE9 Advanced Set has 4.5 rating out of 5. You can see more in this link or you can also refer in the screenshot below.

How To Make Money With Arbonne?

To make money with Arbonne is the same as how you make money with other MLM companies. Your first option is to sell their products, letting you earn a 35% commission from regular customers and a 15% commission for preferred customers.

However, the money and other incentives lie on the recruitment. Meaning, you have to invite people to join the program so you can earn more bonuses and incentives, such as the Mercedez-Benz Cash Bonus.

But don’t get your hopes up, having that luxury car requires you to have a Vice President rank and to make it more frustrating, you only get a one-year lease of the vehicle and not own it unlike other MLM companies.

To learn more about Arbonne’s compensation plan, you can watch the video below:

Arbonne is not a scam. 

It’s a legit MLM company that’s been distributing beauty and health products to various countries. It’s a member of Direct Selling Association (DSA) and accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB), too. 

It promotes quality products that, based on the reviews online, are effective; however, the price is a bit steep.

Also, I found out that it faced a few lawsuits that involves discrimination and being an alleged pyramid scheme. 

To become a qualified distributor of Arbonne, you have to pay $79 for the initial fee. This includes the registration and a Basic Starter Kit that comes with training materials.

You also need to pay the annual fee that costs $30; however, this will be implemented in your second year as a distributor.

Of course, you also need to purchase their products so you can earn profit commissions, and the price ranges from $270 to $500. Enrolling for an autoship is required to keep your account active and qualify for the commission.

This is typical for MLM companies and often, this becomes a problem, especially for those who are not highly skilled with selling overpriced products. 

Why? 

Because even if you haven’t sold your products, you are required to buy more and as result, you get stuck with these essentials and are forced to either use them or sell them aggressively. Otherwise, you’ll have to spend more and more every month without earning anything in return.

PROS

Legit And Operating For A Long Time

Arbonne was founded in 1980 and it’s been operating for more than 40 years. It’s accredited by the Better Business Bureau with an A+ rating, too. Without a doubt, it’s legit and perhaps the only reason why it’s considered a scam by many people is because of the heavy emphasis on recruitment.

CONS

Heavily Focused On Recruitment

While it’s usual for MLM companies to recruit people and earn more from it, putting a heavy emphasis on inviting people can be troublesome. There are many MLM companies that have been shut down because of this practice, such as Digital Altitude and MOBE.

There are other network marketing companies who are putting more attention with sales though, which is a good thing. After all, it’s a business and it should be about making sales. However, that’s not the case with Arbonne. 

As you start, you have to “create your 100 person list” whom you will send a message or call to offer them business or a gift from the company. You can check the photo below to learn more:

Expensive Membership Fee And Products

To become a member, you have to pay more than a hundred dollars for the registration fee and products; not to mention, the $30 after your second year as a member. This is big considering that you also need to enroll in monthly autoships.

In addition, the price of their products is expensive compared to cheaper alternatives and well-known brands.

That being said, you’re more likely to lose money than earn it from this program. If I were you, I’d rather consider other MLM companies that won’t 1) require monthly autoships and 2) focus on too much recruitment and 3) with reasonable price.

Previous Lawsuits And Recalls

The brand has faced a couple of lawsuits because of discriminating against a deaf person and for being an alleged pyramid scheme.

Some of their products were also recalled in the past because of possible Salmonella and other bacterial contamination. Now, while these issues may have been resolved, this did not only happen once; it happened more than four times and what are the chances that it will occur again in the future?

Since Arbonne focuses on skincare and cosmetics, it’s ideal for women or men who are passionate about beauty. It’s also good for those who have experience with MLM companies because it requires inviting people.

Otherwise, if you’re a newbie and you don’t know how to recruit people or sell overpriced products, it might be hard for you to earn money, let alone get your investment back.

The registration fee includes training materials you can use to start and grow your business. Normally, your upline will also offer training to help you increase your sales and the number of your recruits.

Overall, Arbonne is not that bad after all. They’ve been in the industry for a long time, which is quite an accomplishment since most MLM companies do not really last for a long time. They have good products and branding, although there is a negative stigma that revolves around it.

However, the initial price to pay when becoming a member is steep and the requirement for auto shipping is also a downside. Plus, you need to recruit otherwise, it would be hard for you to make money with the program.

The other con of joining this platform is the saturated market. Nowadays, there are just too many beauty and wellness brands so as a newbie, it might be a challenge for you to make money from this program.

If you’re really interested in joining this company, I suggest that you should not expect it to provide you a decent income and use it only to earn extra cash.

If you want to earn a steady source of income, MLM is not always the best option. Aside from the massive startup costs, you also need to worry about the product you’ve purchased. 

Unless you’re extremely good at selling and recruitment, it’s best to look for other alternatives, such as our top-recommended program.

Sign up now and take advantage of the following perks that will help you start making money, such as:

• Training resources
• Webinars to help you start your business online
• One-on-one coaching
• Comprehensive guide
• And many more!

I hope this Arbonne review has helped you make the right decision. If you have any comments, questions, or clarifications, you may share it below.

Thank you!