Neora-Nerium MLM Review - Plant Based Profits?

Having your own business where you also have your own schedule can be doable under the right circumstances. Selling products in your spare time is one such way to meet this goal. But is it actually profitable for you? In this Neora-Nerium MLM review, we'll look at the offer and products to see if you can make extra money. These products probably won't sell themselves.

What is the Neora-Nerium MLM?

Nerium International is a multi-level marketing (MLM) company that was first launched in 2011 by Jeff Olson, the founder. At that time, they had only one product--Nerium Age-Defying Night Cream. One of the ingredients in the NeriumAD product was Nerium Oleandrin, derived from the Oleander plant, which is toxic. Nerium was sued by a woman who claimed her skin was damaged from using the product. The case was eventually settled out of court.

In 2019, the company rebranded itself with the Neora-Nerium name and eliminated the use of Nerium Oleander in its products.

Neora-Nerium produces wellness,  hair care, and skincare products. Some are sold in sets or combination packs. As of January 2020, Neora had approximately 40,000 Active US Brand Partners. In 2020, the company reported $350 million in revenue.

Are The Neora-Nerium Products Worth Their Price? 

For the purpose of this review, we'll take a look at one of the skin cream products listed on the website. The Age IQ Night Cream below claims to be "a next-generation, advanced age-fighting product designed to help revitalize and regulate your skin, so you wake to a younger, healthier-looking reflection. Formulated with our proprietary TC3-Armor™ blend, patented SIG-1273® molecule, and exclusive SAL-14® blend, it works to address existing and future signs of aging, resulting in younger-looking skin."

The one-time purchase price is $120. A monthly subscription price is $92.  Customers can take advantage of the lower price by signing up for the monthly auto-shipment. 

Anti-aging is big business and women love products like this. There must be hundreds of age-defying products on the market. This one, in particular, has very good reviews from customers.

But are the products worth the price? The problem may not be the issue here. It's the monthly subscription price. Customers who are locked into the monthly auto-shipment get the cheaper price which is great.

But what if that customer doesn't finish the product in a month? The monthly subscription product keeps coming but there are always leftovers from the previous month. Eventually, customers are paying for products that will probably expire before they actually use them. 

It's hard to say if the products are worth the price because of this. Also, all these anti-aging products use different formulas. Each person's skin will react differently depending on the ingredients.

Product Reviews 

For the most part, the products have pretty good reviews. The Age IQ Night Cream above has had good reviews. There have been a few exceptions where women have had issues with acne and allergic reactions from using the products.

The Neora-Nerium Opportunity 

To become a Brand Partner, you will be sponsored by a Brand Partner and will become part of their downline. Your sponsor is also your trainer. You'll also need to buy the Brand Partner Launch Kit that includes all your training materials. These include:

• Success Planner
• Getting Started CD 
• 25 Product Brochures
• Real Results Flipbook
• Real Results Party Presentation DVD
• The Slight Edge Book by Jeff Olson, and additional marketing materials

You'll be expected to set up parties to promote and demonstrate products as well as recruit others to join your team.

How Much Does It Cost To Join Neora-Nerium?

Get your wallet out because you're going to pay. The Brand Partner Launch Kit will cost you $99.95. The starter kits are below.

And if you are really ambitious, there are the Success Packs that are deemed to be the best value for a new Brand Partner.  Below are the Holistic Value Pack and the Ultimate Holistic Value Pack.

Once you buy your starter kit, you will also be obligated to enroll in the auto-delivery order program and receive products each month.

In order to remain an active Brand Partner, you must generate 200 PQV in sales each month or maintain 80 PQV from the ADO program (see definitions in the next section).

There are also the hidden costs associated with joining an MLM. 

Can You Make Money With Neora-Nerium

Brand Partners make money by selling products and recruitment. Generally speaking, Brand Partners earn 10-25% commissions on sales. So let's talk about how this works. Below are the different value points that will count toward your commissions:

Volume: the value assigned to each product that is used for a Brand Partner's rank in the compensation plan. Also includes qualifying volume (QV), commissionable volume (CV), and personal qualifying volume (PQV).

ADV (Auto-Delivery Volume): volume from sales generated through the Auto-Delivery Program Personal Qualifying Volume (ADV PQV). 

Customer Commissionable Volume (CCV): qualifying volume from sales made by a Brand Partner and their retail and preferred customers.

Group Qualifying Volume (GQV): total qualifying volume of a Brand Partners group.

Brand Partners can also earn bonuses for each ADO sold to a new Preferred Customer. The amount of the bonus depends on the products purchased.

Here's how the commission structure works when you first join:

Pay close attention to the last paragraph in the image above. It states: "No Personal Customer Commissions are paid on the first 200 CCV of Personal, Retail, or Preferred Customer orders. All volume up to 200 CCV is credited to upline team commissions at 90% CV."  

No MLM, including Neora, can guarantee your income. According to Neora, 30.6% of Brand Partners earned commissions and 69.4% didn't earn any commissions at all. The average gross annual earnings were $1,054. That's approximately $88 per month. Not exactly life-changing.

Pros 

30-day Return Policy: Neora offers a 30-day full refund on all products if customers are unhappy with their purchase. 

No Animal Testing: According to Neora, none of their products have been tested on animals with the exception of Nerium EHT. EHT is an ingredient found in the EHT Brain Formula and is an accepted industry standard.

Free Products: Receive free products if you personally sponsor three Preferred Customers who enroll in the auto-delivery order program. 

Cons 

ADO for Brand Partners: When you sign up as a Brand Partner, you are expected to enroll in the auto-delivery order (ADO) program as well. An instant added expense.

Customer Complaints: According to the BBB (Better Business Bureau) customers complained that they were inadvertently signed up for the automatic order renewal program and were charged accordingly. Some customers are not aware that if you sign up as a Preferred Customer, you are automatically in the automatic order renewal and will continue to receive products monthly. 

Alleged Illegal Pyramid Scheme: In 2019, the FTC  (Federal Trade Commission) accused Neora-Nerium of operating a pyramid scheme.

Illegal Product Claims: In the same FTC filing, Neora was accused of advertising that a product can cure, prevent, or treat a disease without scientific evidence.

No Need for a Brand Partner: if customers really like the products, there's really no need to go through a Brand Partner. Customers can order directly from the website.

Is Neora-Nerium a Scam? 

It really doesn't matter if the company is a scam or not. Neora-Nerium is probably not a company you want to be associated with. The FTC accusations alone will make these products very difficult to sell. And customers don't have to use a Brand Partner. They can order directly from the website.

Final Thoughts 

The problem with the MLM business model is that the first place you will start is with your family, friends, and co-workers. If you've ever been approached by someone trying to sell products for a commission, you may remember that slimy feeling you get when you feel an obligation to buy one or more products to help someone out. But you didn't necessarily want to be married into a long-term arrangement. It's actually a great way to lose friends.

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