Is Zurvita A Scam, Pyramid Scheme, or Legit?

In this review, I’m going to share with you if ZurVita is a scam, pyramid scheme, or legit. 

I’ll share with you the characteristics of a pyramid scheme and then see if VeloVita shares these characteristics.

Over the last few years, I’ve been busy creating reviews about all kinds of online products and opportunities.

Some turned out to be fake others were legit ways to make money online but in the process, I learned how to spot scams.

After reading this post, you can decide for yourself if Zurvita is worth your energy, time, and money.

What is Zurvita?

Zurvita is a family-owned business created by Mark and Tracy Jarvis. 

Zurvita sells health and wellness products such as supplements, protein powder, etc. They do this with the help of multi-level marketing.

The Zurvita brand is currently in 16 markets, including Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, and the U.K.
Zurvita is also on the DSN Global 100 list of top direct-selling companies in the world.

Zurvita headquarters is located at 4450 W. Walnut Hill Ln. Suite 110, Irving, TX 75038, USA.

How long has Zurvita been in business?

Zurvita was founded in 2008 and has been around ever since. It has survived events such as the financial crisis and is still standing strong even after the emergence of social media despite focusing on direct selling.

Has Zurvita had any lawsuits? 

No. Zurvita has not been in any lawsuits but warnings have been issued because of independent distributors telling untruths about Zurvita to sell more products.

On April 14, 2020, the FDA send Zurvita a warning letter concerning these independent distributors.

Is Zurvita an MLM? How does it work?

Zurvita is a company that distributes health and wellness products. Instead of directly selling it to consumers they have chosen to use the MLM model which gives you the choice to earn money by:

• Selling the products for a commission
• Recruiting people to earn bonuses.

What is MLM?

MLM (a.k.a network marketing or direct selling) stands for multi-level marketing.

According to Wikipedia, multi-level marketing is a marketing strategy for selling products or services where the revenue is derived from a non-salaried workforce.

As a part of this workforce, you sell the products from the company, and/or recruit people to do the same thing. This group of people you recruit will work under you and is referred to as your downline.

The bigger your downline is the more money you can earn passively (technically speaking) because you’re getting paid a percentage based on the performance of your downline.

This also means the person that recruited you which is called your upline is making money based on your performance.

The act of recruiting turns an MLM company into a pyramid-shaped organization where the first people to join make the most and are on the top of the pyramid and those last to join are at the bottom.

Source: Wikipedia

MLMs have been around for a long time. There are Multi-level marketing companies active today that were founded in the 1950s. MLM has a lot in common with pyramid schemes, so scammers often use MLM to disguise their pyramid schemes.

Is it absolutely necessary to recruit people? No.

You can also stick to just selling products you can order at wholesale price (25% discount) and re-sell to make a profit. This is easier said than done for multiple reasons which are why most members try to recruit others so they can earn more money.

How to join Zurvita

Most people get referred to Zurvita but you can also sign-up through their website.

After that, you can become an independent Zurvita distributor by following these 3 steps.

Step 1: Pay the 1-time fee of $35.

Step 2: Purchase a starter pack

Step 3: Recieve training

Is Zurvita a pyramid scheme?

To answer this question we need to know what a pyramid scheme is.

What is a pyramid scheme?

A pyramid scheme is a type of scam where people are promised money for joining the scheme and recruiting other people instead of selling products and services. 

No selling of a product or service is involved whatsoever.

So you might be wondering where the money comes from.

The people that join are expected to pay a one-time or a monthly fee and in exchange for that, they get a percentage of the fee of everyone they recruit after.

The remaining money goes to the creators at the top of the pyramid.

The problem with this model is from a mathematical standpoint it’s impossible for everyone to make money because you simply run out of people.

Take a look at this picture below showing how it’s impossible for everyone to earn money.

Source: Wikipedia

As you can see, in this pyramid model it’s required to recruit 6 people. You’ll notice from the 12th level and further, it’s not possible anymore for everyone to earn money.

The 2.2 Billion people on the 12th level need 13.1 billion recruits in total for them all to make money which is more people than there are currently on Earth.

When people can’t be recruited anymore, the pyramid collapses because not enough money is coming in to pay members and sustain the pyramid.

Looking at the description of what a pyramid scheme is, [MLM Company] can’t be classified as a pyramid scheme from a legal perspective. Zurvita products have given people a method to make money without recruiting people.

That being said, there are pyramid schemes that disguise themselves as MLM companies because MLMs also use a pyramid structure but they sell products and services. 

These pyramid schemes offer products that are almost impossible to sell with the goal of pushing you to recruit people because you supposedly can get higher commissions.

From that point on it’s the same as a traditional pyramid scheme.

Who can benefit from Zurvita?

Who could benefit from joining Zurvita’s MLM program:

• Expert salesmen
• Expert recruiters
• People that already have an audience

That being said, even then I wouldn’t recommend it.

Who shouldn’t join Zurvita’s MLM Program:

• People that hate sales jobs.
• People that hate recruiting
• People that don’t have the budget for it
• People that expect to earn passive income
• People that expect to earn a full-time income

Zurvita products

Zurvita is in the business of selling supplements. 

Is Zurvita FDA approved? 

None of the products that Zurvita sells are FDA-approved.

Zurvita Zeal

Zurvita’s flagship product is called Zeal.

These are low-calorie energy drink supplements that you can combine with water to create multi-vitamin drinks. The majority of products that Zurvita sells are variations of the original Zeal mix.

Zeal is said to help with: 

• Mood 
• Energy
• Focus
• Health

What ingredients does Zeal contain?

Most of the Zeal products contain for the most part the same ingredients such as Vitamins, carbohydrates, folic acid, biotin, Pantothenic Acid,  Phosphorus, Magnesium,  Zinc, Manganese, etc. 

Every variation will add different seeds and fruit to play with the flavor. You can find more information about the ingredients in the Zurvita fact sheet.

Are there side effects to using Zeal? 

There are more than 20 different Zeal products, but there has been a common thread regarding some side effects that may occur when using Zeal.

• Jitters
• Diarrhea
• Poor absorption
• Sweating
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Vomiting

These aren’t life-threatening side effects but you should consider them before purchasing or selling Zurvita products.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• No bad business reviews 
• Stable company that has been around for a long time

Cons

• Products are not FDA-approved
• Products aren’t aligned with the price of the market
•  The business model has been proven to give members a low chance of succeeding

Zurvita Company Compensation Plan

Zurvita is very similar to a traditional MLM when looking at its compensation plan. 

You can make money in multiple ways such as: 

• Retail sales
• Commission through recruiting
• Residual income 

Personal Retail sales

This is a method that allows you to earn a commission based on how much BV you sell. It’s a simple and straightforward method of earning money.

Under this method falls the Daily Retail Sales where you earn 20% on every sale you make.

Commission through recruiting

A referral bonus is earned by recruiting others and having them purchase products. Dependent on your rank the percentage you’ll get as a commission will differ. 

Under this umbrella falls:

Weekly Builders Bonuses
A bonus that is based on the purchase of builder packs by your referrals. On every sale, you’ll get a commission of 20%.  This bonus is a one-time commission paid on the first order of a Builders Pak, Quick Start Pak, or Express Pak.

Team bonuses
You’re eligible for team bonuses from the moment you have 3 active referrals in your team and they have purchased 300 BV worth of products. From that point on, every time your team purchases products worth together more than 3000 BV you’ll receive a bonus of $400.

Rank bonuses
Whenever you’re promoted to a new rank ( which is based on how many products you and your team purchase) you’ll receive a bonus ($500-$25,000)  and a ring. Below you can see a picture with the requirements of every rank.

[ranks]

Overrides
Additional bonuses for sales of up to 8 levels deep, (see diagram below)

How much can you earn with Zurvita?

In theory, the sky is the limit but in reality, we know because of factors such as your ability to recruit, your competition, and the performance of your downlines there’s is often a limit.

You can read everything you need to about these bonuses in the compensation plan but I’m more interested in real numbers. Luckily, Zurvita has published an income disclosure.

There’s a lot of information in this document so I have decided to share with you the summary of my findings in quick bullet points of how much money members are making per year.

Business Consultants (11.6%) earn less than USD$136 annually
Managing Consultant (78,1%) earns less than USD$618 annually
Senior Consultant (4.1%) earns less than USD$3,788 annually
Premier Consultant (2.9%) earns less than USD$5,852 annually
Regional Consultant (2%) earns less than USD$10,802 annually
Executive consultants (1%) earn less than USD$24,446 annually
National Director (<1%) earns less than USD$48,647 annually
Presidential Director (<1%) earns less than USD$75,284 annually
Ambassadors (<1%) earn less than USD$229,826 annually

89.7% is earning less than $51 every month (excluding expenses needed to maintain the business) In most cases, this will result in a loss of money. 

Less than 1% is earning what according to statistics is the equivalent of an average US full-time income.

Why aren’t people earning decent money with MLM companies like Zurvita?

I have summed up the reasons why it’s hard to make money with Zurvita and MLM companies in general into 3 points. As a Zurvita advocate, you’ll have to deal with the first 2 points mentioned below.

1. MLM companies are often associated with pyramid schemes
MLMs have a pyramid recruiting structure that you often have to join to be able to make decent money or at the very least not lose money. The problem is a lot of pyramid schemes disguise themselves as MLM programs making it difficult to differentiate the two.

This is the biggest problem why most distributors have a difficult time recruiting people. The moment people hear about how you can make money by recruiting people red flags appear in most people’s minds.

This isn’t good for your sales.

2. You have to consistently invest your money to earn commissions
You’re only eligible for bonuses and commissions if you buy their products. The bigger the bonuses, the more product you have to buy. You do get discounts but if you can’t sell the products I can see you easily fall into a financial deficit (which happens to the majority of distributors of MLM companies).

3. The price of the product often isn’t aligned with the market

It’s hard for a multi-level marketer to sell products because most MLM products are much more expensive than similar products sold by non-MLM companies. This means even if you’re really good at recruiting your downline still needs to sell those same costly products for you to make decent money.

You can see that translated in these statistics I found about Multi-level Marketing.

• Nearly half (47%) of MLM participants reported that they lost money.
• One in four (27%) MLM participants reported that they broke even (made no money).
• MLM participants are 7% more likely to declare bankruptcy during their lifetime.
• Direct sales have risen 79% in the last decade, but MLM participants continue to lose money.
• 90 – 99% of distributors in multilevel marketing only receive a couple of hundred dollars in commission per year.
• Out of the 33,000 interviewed, 90 people made enough money to cover the costs of building their businesses.
• 50% of the people who start a network marketing enterprise abandoned it in the first year.

Sources:
FTC
AARP
Jobsinmarketing.io

My Personal Take

What I like about Zurvita:

1. You can’t be demoted from your rank

Most MLM companies have a monthly quota that you have to fulfill and Zurvita isn’t different. 

Where Zurvita separates itself from the other MLMs is that if you don’t fulfill the quota you don’t get demoted. You just lose your eligibility to earn commissions. 

Dependent on your goals this could be a good thing or a bad thing but I like the fact that if you have a bad month you can still recover the next month without losing your rank and commission rate.

2. Stable company 

The company has been around since 2008 which is a great accomplishment. 90% of startups fail after a few years, Zurvita has been around for more than a decade. They also survived the financial crisis in the 2010s which shows that they know what they’re doing and are resilient.

Good Reviews

Zurvita products rank incredibly by users on multiple merchant websites. An example of this is Amazon where roughly 80% gives the majority of Zurvita products a 4 or 5-star ranking.

This is very handy to refer to when you’re pitching Zurvita products as an independent distributor.  

What I don’t like about Zurvita:

1. Products lack a unique selling proposition

Health and Wellness companies that sell supplements are anything but rare in the MLM industry. 

As a Zurvita independent distributor, you’re not only competing with other Zurvita members but also the distributors of other health and wellness companies offering supplements with similar benefits.

A unique selling point would help with standing out from the rest of the companies but Zurvita, unfortunately, lacks that.

2. People aren’t earning money with Zurvita

More than 80% of people distributing products for Zurvita either break even or lose money. 

This shows that the cards are heavily stacked against you when working with Zurvita. I wouldn’t say it’s impossible to earn money with Zurvita but you’d have to be an expert in recruiting and selling to succeed.

Most people aren’t expert salesmen or recruiters.

3. Products are overpriced 

The products are insanely expensive when you compare them to what other non-MLM companies offer for similar supplements. The internet has made it possible to find cheaper alternatives simply by doing a 5-minute Google search.

That alone decreases the chance of selling products drastically.

4. accomplishments are based on purchases, not sales

This is not unique to Zurvita but I don’t like it at all.

Instead of basing promotions and commissions on how much you sell, they base them on how much you purchase. This means technically you can buy yourself to the top.

I have read stories of people doing that and becoming MLM consultants or attracting potential recruits by the supposed money they earn every month.

It stimulates people to spend money without thing of earning a profit.

I don’t like that.

5. Zurvita products aren’t FDA-approved

None of the products that Zurvita offers have been evaluated by the FDA. 

This means I can’t say for certain that it’s 100% safe. The ingredients of their products don’t seem harmful but I can imagine missing out on a few sales purely because you can’t say to potential customers that the products are FDA approved.

Verdict

Is Zurvita A Scam, Pyramid scheme, or Legit?

Zurvita isn’t a scam or pyramid scheme but it isn’t legit either.

I’d place it under the category bad business opportunity because Zurvita isn’t sharing any untruths. The degree of difficulty when it comes to succeeding is just exceptionally high.

Zurvita Alternative

Unfortunately, Zurvita isn’t for everyone. 

It comes with significant financial risk and it’s hard to scale because most of the marketing is done face-to-face and you can’t be at multiple places at once.

This is why I suggest to those that don’t want to deal with these 2 factors an alternative.

It is called affiliate marketing. 

It’s the method I use to earn most of the money I earn online.

How do you earn money with affiliate marketing?

You don’t have to sell products or services and you don’t have to recruit people.

The only thing you’ll be doing is referring people (that already are interested) to merchant websites such as Amazon, Walmart, and eBay. 

When people buy something based on your recommendation you’ll get a percentage of the purchase.

My #1 recommendation is an affiliate marketing training platform with more than 1.5 million members. 

Memberships are basically an all-in-1 package that comes with expert-level training, resources, and support from a community of people doing the same thing. 

Want to learn more? Take a look at my comprehensive review of the affiliate marketing platform.

Do you have any experience with MLM or Modere let me know in the comments!

That’s all for today. 

See you in my next post!

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