5Linx Redux
Average 2006 Earnings
Still the most visited post at the WBP, the 5Linx discussion thread has been lively lately debating the value of the MLM experience.
One of the central issues in the discussion has been the average earnings of 5Linx representatives. 5Linx supporters have stated that there is ample opportunity for all, even those low in the downline, to earn as much if not more than those above them and brush aside the claims that a majority of the earnings are seen by a small percentage at the top of the pyramid. I can use the pyramid term because one of these 5Linx supporters used it himself in a feeble attempt to make us believe that the lower you go in the downline (pyramid) the more money you can make:
This is an upside pyramid where the lower you go in this downline the more money the individual makes….You don’t understand this because you are extremely ignorant of “Direct Marketing”. If you actually studied it….you might realize it’s the fairest compensation plan available.
This comment came courtesy of a poster with the handle of Joe, by this logic an Executive Trainer should earn more than a Senior VP. Alas, Joe, 5Linx own numbers contradict your statement:
These are the average annual earnings for U.S. 5LINX™ active Independent Representatives in 2006 based on position: Customer Representative, $55; Independent Marketing Representative $261; Executive Trainer $2,536; Executive Director $10,816; National Director $67,147; Senior Vice President $236,904.
Contrary to what Joe would have us believe a Senior VP earns 10 times that of an Executive Trainer and I doubt these figures take into account costs accrued by those in the downline for payments to the top of the pyramid for training and support materials, marketing materials and webhosting.
However, if there is ample opportunity to progress to the position of Senior VP then perhaps this is still a viable earning opportunity. Unfortunately, 5Linx own numbers again portray a business model that resembles some type of geometric shape:
The distribution of qualified representatives by position is: Customer Representative 45%, Independent Marketing Representative 48%; Executive Trainer 6%; Executive Director 1%; National Director .4%; Senior Vice President .1%.
93% of those enrolled in the 5Linx program earned, on average, less than $261 in 2006. What is even more alarming, other than the fact that the math here adds up to 100.5%, is the disparity between the amount of people at the lower levels and those at the upper levels. The income at the Senior VP level is attractive but it is unlikely that any new enrollees will ever reach that level.
Additionally, these numbers count individuals already enrolled in the program which leaves the possibility that no one new actually joined the Senior VP ranks in ‘06.
93% at the bottom, 7% on top, I wouldn’t call it a square, what is the word I’m looking for here . . .
Yikes and double-yikes! Knock me over with a feather!
Why am I so surprised? Actually, the numbers are even more stark and dramatically skewed towards the top managers and against the new hires than what I expected. And the person who invited me to a 5Linx recruitment seminar had the nerve to put on his business card “Making Millionaires”…
Let’s stand up and cheer for WBP for obtaining these numbers and making them available. (Where did you get your hands on this? I ask because good sourcing of information is vital to making a bullet-proof argument, although I understand if sometimes the source needs to be kept secret.)
I wonder what the 5Linx supporters can say now about this data? How will they spin these numbers so that it will seem as if there is nothing wrong and that 5Linx is a good investment? I can’t wait to see … so let me anticipate … they will say that the average of $55 per year for Customer Representatives is because these folks didn’t work hard and dropped out; and that the average of $261 for Independent Marketing Representative is because they didn’t work hard and dropped out. Rebuttal: HAHAHAHA! (Okay, that’t not a rebuttal, but that’s the respect they deserve if they offer this argument). Rebuttal #2 … so let me get this straight, people “invest” $499 up front to become a Customer Representative and then can’t even make that amount of money back before they give up? And large numbers of people must give up to cause the average to be so low. That doesn’t sound good. What about the folks who have moved up one level to Independent Marketing Representative, they must have done something to get there (worked hard? invested more?) and they still can’t make up the $499 in a single year’s worth of work? If 45% of the people are Customer Representatives and another 48% are Independent Marketing Representatives, that’s 93% of the “investors” in 5Linx can’t even make up their initial “investment” in a year on average. Nice! And “Contrived Duality Joe” had the nerve to say that one the advantages of 5Linx was “residual income”
Now that, is a bitchslap.
Paige –
Actually, no big secret, the numbers are posted at 5linx.com, link now embedded in the article.
Well dang! Scrape me off the ceiling! That’s what I call a very authoritative source! You rule, WBP.
Thanks Paige. The saddest part about all of this is that taxpayer dollars from Monroe County and NYS have gone to aid and support this “business” which seems like nothing more than a bad screenplay for a sequel to Paper Moon.
Speaking of Tax dollars…Brighton will again be graced with another COMIDA hearing on Monday. 20 large (really large) is the amount stated.
http://www.growmonroe.org/pdfs/PublicHearingFriendlyHome.pdf
Good 5Linx article it is actually more interesting then you think. The people who are at the top started there and were brought over from ACN with a customer base in tact. The majority of the folks pay $495 and then quit without ever having qualified. You can qualify by getting one member outside of your houshold to buy a product which still leaves you close to $500 in the hole. Many times a pyramid scheme is wrapped around a product to legitimize itself. At a 12% commision and the average customer purchasing a monthly phone package at $24.95 not to mention the $44 activation fee and the 911 tax it truly isn’t $24.95. If the reps get 12% of $25.00 one would need about 1500 customers to earn a decent living. Do the math 25.00 x 12% = 3 x 12months = 36 36 x 1500 = 54,000
Not to mention you have to do your own marketing of said product. Oh! the web hosting fee is $28.00 a month
Thank you so much for this information. My husband and I got a briefing on this 5linx a few days ago. I was skeptical from the getgo and decided to do a little independent research. You have answered all my questions and more. Thank you
First and foremost this goes out to everyone who think or who says 5linx is fake or fraud it doesnt pay. My question to you is what are you doing? How much money are you making? 5linx is real i was skeptical too before i got in and now that i make more money than i have ever made. i am not skeptical MLM is the biggest thing now working from home for a small investment and to run a million dollar business from home is surreal to some people but its real to the ones who do it. Be your own boss! You cant fired yourself! Wake up everyone! Recession is here but not in 5linx Inc 500 again this year 2009 and we are going to keep doing until you guys on this site show me another way that i can make more money then email me until 5linx is the way that i am going and i am looking to help others out WHO WANT TO BE HELP! No Pie in the sky here. you have to work it. its Home (of course) but it is still a Business!
not able to go outside due to weather conditions..so i got online and decided to check out competition..i’m n ACN, wasnt going to leave a comment till i read the comment from hazel..this is to everybody doing research, do more before letting this b ur 1 and only source..ask urself, what n this world is not a pyrmid scheme?? president at the top, next level down, vice president so on and so on…ACN along with 5linx and everything else is not a get rich quick plan..there is work involved, and ppl need production..in my experience the ppl who dont make money r the ppl that only go to a few meetings, say they’re active, but after the meeting they do nothing more till the next meeting..a production needs to b made b4 money..the ppl who dont make money n these business r the poor modivation ppl..the same ppl that work hard enuff, at their dead end job, to not get fired….and the svp’s i read about that moved their production from ACN, the story goes a lot more into debt than that…ppl r skeptical cuz this is a new type of business…if ur not gonna put out the effort, dont start…but if u will do what it takes to get the american dream out of it, do it..these r not shcemes..and that one persons “rebutal”, is very lame
So, be honest with everyone. What are your stats and how long have you been in the program
first of all, if you’re going to pose a counter argument i recommend using appropriate grammar. although i’m young (16) i’ve been watching how my dad conducts his business in 5linx, i listen on his web calls, and his conference calls. first off, my father is one of the most diligent, hard working people you could ever meet, he recruits just about 3 to 4 people to his organization every week. he listens in and participates in every conference call, gets to every single meeting, he practically lives 5linx. recently he worked his way up to national director. To this day my dad still hasn’t managed to make more than 400$ out of this business which is about 100 dollars short of what he paid to begin with. he’s been in 5linx since october or november 2006. what i’ve noticed from observing him and his friends, and all those conference calls, it seems that just about 95% of what binds these people to network marketing (mlm) is almost a cult like mentality. in listening to the group calls i’ve often heard “dude, this is really an opportunity of a lifetime” or “when everyone else gets slammed by the recession they’ll be sorry they missed out on this. i may not be at (insert rediculous position here) but trust me, when i work my way up there, i’ll be so wealthy”.
bullshit, i’ve noticed how after these calls, him and his friends will be all hyped up and ready to recruit (does this ring a bell?), opportunity of a lifetime? c’mon, this isn’t christianity for christ’s sake, this is a business, that in reality sells unnecessary products. keep in mind, i’m 16, i’m not into business at all, i’m actual primarily into music ( i play guitar and scream for several bands,funny i know right?) But if i can see through this….it doesn’t. national director and still in debt? seriously ?
Well, you heard it here folks: programs like ACN and 5Linx are the American Dream, God bless it!
to all that is reading this. i owned a cingular wireles franchise and was very successful in it. work in that store by myself for about 3 yrs. i was in business for almost 6 yrs. now here is well 5linx does wonders for all you sceptics and quacks who remains comfortable working for someone or some company (the real pyramids,, yes your jobs) i’ve been in 5linx for almost 9 months. i’ve followed the system that has been put in place and guess what? it works. 5linx has allowed me to a shut my store down after 5 months of being in the business. in 9 months still wking 5linx part time, i’ve made over 80k, actually more but i won’t brag… and i’ve changed alot of people’s lives. the people that do not succeed and remain sceptic in life and is so scared to advance themselve will remain where they and keep giving u readers negative information about MLM companies so u can continue wking for someone else. are u aware that 90% of the american population wks for 10% of the population. the the quacks that continues to write reports on MLM companies are the same quacks that helps keep this country the way it is. if you pay attention when we go to school the school system teaches us to go to school get an education and get a job. a job for who you ask? a job working for someone or a big company. what they fail to teach us in school is entrepreneurship. this country was build on business ownership, not working hard for someone other than yourself. that is how the rich stays rich and we remain middle class, poor, or the poorest class. we as a nation need to open up our mind. as far as the comments about the service is $24.99 per month and the website is $29.99 per month. tell me why i wouldn’t sell my phone service for that price if vonage is doing it and they are making a killing taking verizon customers and that is all residual income. we’ve been paying verizon for over 129 yrs for their phone service. i just started last yr, think about how many customers i have like vonage and when they pay their bill i’m getting residual income as well. oh yeah the website that i pay $29.99 per month? not only do i get residual income from it, i remember how much i spent a month to have an accountant operate my store. $30 per month is a blessing. and the way my $30 website is designed, i’m my best accountant. folks you can make alot of money in MLM, don’t be fooled. it is unfortunate that there were alot of pyramid scams in the past and there is probably some today. but we are smart today not to get involve in them. the good MLM companies to get involved in are the ones that are partners with alot of fortune 100 and 500 companies. i know that those reading this know that those companies have alot more to loose than 500 dollars to get involve. 5linx has been placed in INC 500 magazie twice as one of the fastest growing companies out there. it did not say one of the fastest growing pyramids out there. it reads COMPANY and COMPANIES. we have great leaders and SVPs in the company and i know none of them wk. i also know of one that made over $500k last yr and he’s only been in the business less than 3. so all this bad press that i’ve read is what it is bad press from someone who got burnt from MLM or someone who got involved in MLM and did not do well so as far as he or she is concern they don’t wk. I’M HERE TO REBUTTAL AND TELL YOU THAT IT DOES WORK. I CAN SPEAK FOR MY COMPANY 5 LINX.
JOHN ODENAT, National Director, 5 Linx Enterprises.
John. Are you still with 5 links today…
Whoa, a national director of 5Linx! I am suitably unimpressed. In fact, not once have you explained how 5Linx is a good business model for most people. Yes, it appears to be a good business model for a very small number of people. How do I know that? Because on 5Linx’s own website, they tell us that 0.4% of 5Linx representatives are National Directors. Another 0.1% is a Senior Vice President (whooo hoooo!) And the remaining 99.5% … they are at lower levels, earning, on average, $10,816 or less, depending on their level. Wow! What great opportunities for the rest of us. John Odenat … you are just as guilty as all the other mis-leaders and purveyors of sales slime that have defended MLMs.
5linx is a communication company that I was fortunate to come across 3 months ago. As a Manager for one of the larger finance companies in America, I found myself going to work long hours and getting off extremely late. After several years of loyal work, I was terminated from THIER JOB. Now the business that I neglected for 3 month will become my primary source of income. I honestly believe that life is a piramid and you can look at it one of two ways. Either you can grip about being on the bottom of the piramid or you can do the work and position yourself at the top. People stop, crying about what 5links is…(piramid or not) and embrass the wealth trend. Get on or get off…the tough will rise and the weak will continue the 40 year plan and wish they had tried SOMETHING to CHANGE IT.
Additional comment to Mr. Odenat.
The “Official Rules of Blogging” proclaim that anyone who types a sentence in all capitals is a crackpot.
And read up on “contrived dualities”, because that’s what your argument is.
Here’s my favorite part of his argument:
“we have great leaders and SVPs in the company and i know none of them wk.”
I’m assuming wk is an abbreviation for work, which apparently is an activity not engaged by any 5Linx SVPs. I have news for you John, no one gets something for nothing unless they are scamming or a resident of New York receiving social or corporate welfare.
Nice job of reading through all of Mr. Odenat’s tripe. I missed that remark where we learn that the 99.5% of the employees do all the work and the top 0.5% get the money. (But … don’t call it a pyramid!)
In addition to the problems I pointed out, I cannot understand why people who want to appear to have an intelligent argument write like that. There were: no paragraphs; lots of rambling; poor grammar and syntax; spelling errors; no capital letters except for MLM and for emphasis on certain words or sentences (not even 5Linx had capital letters); and abbreviations that you see on AOL or in text messages. Just looking at the writing style and not the content, it seems as if Mr. Odenat’s post was written by a not very bright 12 year old.
I am in 5Linx and it hasn’t worked out that well for me, but I don’t put a lot of effort into it, either. Everything in life is a pyramid… governments, schools, businesses, military, etc. Some pyramid structures pay out better than others – my airline job, for instance. The guy that owned his own cell phone business (Mr. Odenant) before becoming a 5Linx rep already had a customer base. Showing current customers a better product while working from an established business goes a long way – I ran my own computer business for a while and having an established customer base takes several years to accomplish.
I do know several of the SVPs in the company and they are work-aholics. These people live and breath 5Linx and are always recruiting, putting on briefings, and soliciting new customers. It takes a huge amount of work to make it to the top. It’s simply a numbers game. If you are motivated enough to talk to about 10,000 potential customers, then statistically enough of those people will join or buy your products to elevate you to the higher levels and give you risidual income.
There is a lot of skill involved in MLM, too. What you say and how you present yourself to a certain type of personality goes a long way. Not enough emphasis is put on this with these companies. They just let you pay your fee, hand you a kit, and send you on your way. Each week you are drilled into working harder, but people really need to learn the skills to work smarter.
I don’t have the time nor desire to do this 16 hours per day. I make a lot more money right now working 9 hour days.
I agree that the numbers posted on the 5Linx site are disturbing, but as one guy mentioned, a lot of people jumped from the ACN ship to join 5Linx in early 2007, because they have a much better compensation plan. It will be interesting to see the numbers for 2007, since a lot of the new teams are blowing the older teams out of the water.
Finally, many of the people at the top have had established teams for years and their success keep them going. The guys in the trenches making $260/year usually burn out quickly, because they expect a lot of pay-out in a short amount of time – largely due to the hype that they/we hear at each meeting. If you are in it for the long haul and hope (or plan) to quit your job in 7 – 10 years, then it’s workable.
Thank you, Mark. That’s a very intelligent and clear explanation of what happens to a people in 5Linx. I learned a few things! And, Mark, that was certainly the best-written post by someone who works at 5Linx so far! (And I was starting to think that no one at 5Linx knew how to write well…)
But I honestly feel that the 5Linx sales pitch makes people blind to the flaws in the 5Linx argument.
First, 5Linx makes promises about how you can be your own boss and rake in loads of residual income and become wealthy. I can’t recall their exact words, and it really doesn’t matter what the exact words are … you refer to this in your note by saying “The guys in the trenches making $260/year usually burn out quickly, because they expect a lot of pay-out in a short amount of time — largely due to the hype that they/we hear at each meeting” … this large residual income clearly hasn’t happened to you. And from the statistics, it doesn’t happen to most people. That is the key point. The promises made by 5Linx are illusions and lies for the overwhelming majority of people. No one disputes that a few people get rich at 5Linx.
The main objection I keep bringing up is that for most (99% ?) people, this is not a good way to make money. And from your description, we now see what it takes to make money at 5Linx … you have to be a workaholic AND have an established customer base. They don’t tell you that when you go to a 5Linx recruitment meeting, do they? No, they don’t tell you that. I know, I went to such a meeting.
The other thing I despise about 5Linx is that 5Linx makes you believe it is your fault if you don’t make the big bucks. You aren’t working hard enough! Which I say is baloney … bullfeathers … hogwash … codswallop. (Yes, bullfeathers is a real word…) It is the 5Linx marketing model that makes it extremely difficult for ordinary folks (who don’t have great sales skills, who don’t have a long list of contacts, who aren’t workaholics) such as our commenter Mark S., to rake in the big bucks. You have to make your own cold calls, which is a very inefficient way to earn money, filled with frustration (which for beginners can be very discouraging) and then a portion of any sales you do get goes to those higher up in the pyramid. You have to pay for a web site and an (annual?) membership fee. Lovely! The marketing model is stacked against you. The 5Linx marketing model is largely to blame for most people failing, and a few people getting rich and richer. You come into 5Linx without the skills and contacts the higher-ups have (cause they didn’t tell you what you really need to be successful), without the knowledge that the higher-ups have (because they didn’t tell you what you really need to be successful), and the money doesn’t flow in. As Mark S. says, “They just let you pay your fee, hand you a kit, and send you on your way. Each week you are drilled into working harder, but people really need to learn the skills to work smarter.” It is not your fault that you don’t earn lots. (Oh, and that quote from Mark doesn’t make it sound like you are your own boss, as 5Linx promises, does it?)
Another very interesting comment from Mark S.: “I agree that the numbers posted on the 5Linx site are disturbing” Are the numbers disturbing because they reflect reality? But if the ACN teams are blowing the older teams out of the water, what does that say about 5Linx? It says that the people that 5Linx signs up are doing worse than people who originally signed up for other MLMs.
You don’t have the time or desire to sell 5Linx products 16 hours a day. I commend you for that. You are entirely normal. There is nothing wrong with you. You say that people who might be in it for the long haul and quit their job in 7–10 years might find 5Linx workable … but there is no one I know who can work their regular job and put in the 16 hours a day to make money at 5Linx. No one wants that type of investment and hard work.
Mark, I am reading between the lines here and I think you still feel that 5Linx might work for you, even though you don’t match the profile of the higher ups at 5Linx. Yet everything you have told us says that 5Linx doesn’t work and can’t work to your benefit, unless you are an extremely rare individual.
I sent an email to 5linx asking them how many reps are currently signed up, because I wanted to calcualte just how much money they were making off of the $499 sign-up fees each year. They claim that they don’t need our money, but I’d like to see how much of their profit comes from reps – including the expensive website access fee. I don’t expect an answer.
I’ve been trying other [passive] approaches like website advertising and leaving around magazines at work for people to read through. I mainly promote the products, as opposed to getting people involved in the business. I don’t want to get someone’s hopes up high and then watch them fall. It’s frustrating for them and for me, because as reps we’re supposed to invest a lot of time into our downlines. We’re told to be picky about who we recruit, because you want people that will work hard and stick with the program. It’s very hard to find people that are that dedicated.
One nice benefit of 5Linx is that they have a 50 customer pool and a 100 customer pool. When you reach 50 customers you get several hundered dollars per month (I think it’s over $500 now and it’s based on an equation involving new sales and the number of reps in the pools). If you reach 100 customers, you get double that amount each month. The one catch is that you have to bring 2 new customers on board every month to continue to get the 50 and 100 customer pay-outs AND you have to stay above 50 or 100 points, respectively – if someone cancels their service, you just lost a point. I think the $260 annual income for the IMRs from 2006 is probably largely due to the customer pool pay-outs and not residual income.
The customer pools have been my goal, since residual income is not realistic unless you have an army of reps and customers under you. I don’t expect to be a National Director any time soon, if ever – I make more at my current job than they do, anyway.
I think 5Linx has 9 different ways for a rep to make money. Residual is only one of those ways. Other ways involve training people, signing people on, etc.
Someone commented earlier that the VOIP phone service is probably more that $24.95/month. I think my monthly bill is $30.78 with fees/taxes, which isn’t bad for unlimited calling to the US, Canada, and PR. They also have an international plan for about $15 more. 5linx/Globalinx also has a better computer system to handle the calls than Vonage and the other companies.
Right now 5Linx has WiFi phones that let you talk for free (minus monthly subscription) over Wifi connections – no air time is used. I see most people going in this direction, as opposed to wanting a video phone that requires several cords. I’m waiting for the WiFi Video Phones to eventually come out and I think that these will easily sell themselves. Live video and free air time is hard to pass up and anyone can create a wireless network in their house with high-speed internet and a wireless router – no computer is required for this to work, but it’s nice to have one to configure the wireless security features.
I apologize if this has turned into an info-mercial. I just wanted to point out want has kept me with 5Linx to this point. Whether I sign up again for another $499 next winter has yet to be seen.
Mark S. says: “We’re told to be picky about who we recruit, because you want people that will work hard and stick with the program.” Of course they say that. However, when I was recruited, it was from a chance meeting at a wedding. I spoke to the 5Linx person for about 5 minutes. He really did most of the talking, the only thing he knew about me was that I was currently unemployed. I could have been an unemployed drug addict, that probably wouldn’t have mattered.
I don’t really have any objection to people selling 5Linx products, if that’s what you want to do. I do object to the part of the business model that gives most of the profits to the people upstream from you, and I do object to the part of the business model that makes it desirable (profitable) for you to recruit new members. I object to 5Linx failing to be more upfront about that business model when recruiting new members. Based on what Mark S. has said, and based upon my own experience, I would say that the recruiting pitches put on by 5Linx range from deceptive to lies.
Mark … no need to apologize, we have learned some inside information from you. And we would certainly like to hear whatever you learn from your inquiries and if you sign up for another year.
Without going into a lot of detail, I have come up with a fairly conservative estimate of 7,000 reps in the 5Link business. Using the 2006 percentages, 45% of those are probably Customer Reps (CR), who only pay $99 per year. From these fees 5Linx makes over $300K per year, which isn’t that much for a business of their size – I think their gross sales were in the $100M range last year.
The other 55% of the reps pay the full $499 yearly fee, which amounts to over $1.9M per year. That isn’t chump change, but it’s a fraction (~2%) of what they make in sales.
Still, I agree that the pay-out system is very lopsided with most of the rewards going to recruiting, training, and qualifying new reps. A sales person at the bottom will top out around $6000/yr if they maintain 100 customers and add at least 2 new customers every month. That’s a lot of people to talk to and a lot of work for $6000.
Thanks for posting this. I’m not quick in giving up 500 big ones to get started in anything. Like a previous poster, I had to do some research on my own. A typical salesman pyramid scheme is what I saw and I was told different. I’m not one to argue, so I just let the guy have his say and I am sticking with my guns. I know that God ses all and he knows all. I also know that we are suppose to use things and not use people.
Peace
Philippians 4:6-13
Glad to see you found some value in our 5Linx discussion, Surgio.
You can join on one of 2 levels either for $99.00 Customer Rep or $499 Independent Marketing Rep.
If you join for $99.00 you will need to acquire 20 customers which is represented by products purchased to reach the level of Independent Marketing Rep. The main difference being that you don’t receive any residual or CAB income at the Customer Rep level.
I recommend everyone to join at the $99.00 level and see if they can acquire customers through the same old system of abuse family and friends, annoy neighbors and talk about nothing but the product. If that can’t acquire customers then what the heck they are out only $99.00.
Unfortunately the majority the Reps are selling the dream and getting folks to sign up at the $499 level, telling them to buy the products and then leave them high and dry.
It truly is the blind leading the blind.
Customer acquisitiuon is done through cold calling another name for tele-marketing, and going door to door another name for pan handeling. At least that is the marketing strategy of VIP Rebellion and their leadership.
Oh! Heres a good no brainer for you. If you make 1,000 cold calls and only get 3 customers then you need to make 2,000 cold calls to get 6 customers. Go! Go! Go!
Know wonder the attrition rate in MLM is at 97% with only the top 3% making any money. I have been with them for 7 months and have made $72.00 All this having made repeated attempts to contact their leadership for help.
They basically told me to pound sand up my ass.
Michael –
I took out the live link in your post because I do not want to drive any more traffic for those bastards, but you sound like a hardworking gentleman who has been taken by a company that does not accurately represent itself.
MLM or Network Marketing is soooo rife with scam.
If per sei MLM were to be a popular as the authorities say they are then many of us would know someone who is successful at it.
The funny thing about MLMs is that they constantly prey upon peoples hopes and asperations, for example; one would say company X is a total scam whilst getting them to try another scheme in company Y. Constantly focusing on the end, the BMW or Bently or big home without ever telling people of the process to get there.
Honestly, I am tempted to write a book telling my journey of my first 6 months in network marketing. How Network Marketers move from one company to another taking there entire client and organizati00on with them and then saying. “Look at me and how quickly I rose to the top.”
Just like in a pond where the scum oil and greese rises to the top so to do these thiefs.
Right on by stopping the traffic to the broken links.
5 Linx has all the “stars” from ACN: Andre Maronian (and his now wife Patty), Jamie Forte, Vince Bovenzi, the Carters. Look for Patrick Maser in the future.
Why did they all leave ACN and go to 5Linx?
These people have a knack for making others feel valued while they pocket all the cash. Wolves in sheeps clothing. They are not running a business – they are running a scam. When they are all about to get caught, they will bolt from 5Linx and go somewhere else (just like they ran from ACN to 5Linx). They do not want to be a part of your community. They want you to be the reason for their success…they could care less about anyone else outside their inner networking circles.
To the intelligent communities of Henrietta and Rochester:
Open your eyes. As is the norm in life, all is not what it appears…
What do you mean when you say “When they are all about to get caught”??
well i have been in 5linx 2 years im in the 50 member club and im a et the first year i didnt take it serious but know i am i work at the post office 40 hours a week know lets look at city and gov retirement requirements 20 years of service and 55 years old yeah thats it i want to spend my golden years working at 55 plus but anyway if you know how 5linx works not every body came from acn there are svps and psvps that built there team from the ground up and the only way to move up in the compensation plan is to help other people so you can have 1000s of people enroll at 499 but if you dont help them get promoted you dont get promoted know to get to svp you have to help 3 people get to national director and trust me folks there are a lot of people that would love to make $67,147 what a nd makes plus you have the opportunity to past your partner in postion im very close to ed and guess what when i hit nd if my ed is still a ed when i hit nd he makes no bonues money plus no residual you know what you call that FEAR this compensation plan is nothing like any other comp plan when i see other comp plans when you enroll your sponser will always make something from your efforts thats not the case in 5linx there are svps in 5linx that were at the bottom and made it to the top and there sponser is still stuck at the same postion so to me its not a pyramid to me its i help you and in return it helps me hell to get to psvp you need to have 2 svps and 4 nd so before you get all the way to the top you have to help two people make 236,904 and 4 people make 67,147 hell who doesn’t want to make 236,000 the other crazy thing is people are going to pay these bills anyway so why not benefit
Paige, I cannot wait to see your response to this one.
thats a good one they left acn because there running a scam
sounds like you had a bad 5linx venture lol they left acn because acn compensation plan is weak 5linx pays more money and there reps were getting upset i have studied this (marketing plan which most people dont) its almost crazy that a mlm company will pay you 1,000 to 4000, dollars just for getting customers (top 5 customer producer) hell there was a lady in my group that got 25 customers in a month she hit the the number 3 spot she made 2600 dollars not bad for just getting customers know what mlm company you know pays that for just getting customers. all 5linx really cares about is customers thats why they have free nonprofit programs and a free retail agent programs that also can take take you to the top of this compensation plan its cost nothing for a nonprofit or any retail store to become a part of 5linx will pay them for getting customers and will pay and promote you the rep for helping them get customers
so i dont understand how people can talk bad about 5linx when they dont really know 5linx. hell what nonprofit you know makes upfront money and residual of candy sales or anything else there doing they dont with us they do when is the last time you walk into a retail store and seen a videophone sitting on the counter this opportunity is crazy its almost a joke for only 499 dollars people cry about 499 but they have regular jobs or careers they go to every day you need to look at yourself real hard if you have a job and you dont have 499 to start your own business, well lets see how much it would cost to open a sprint,nextel store, a at&t store, a t-mobile store, a dish network, direct tv, store, a home alarm system store, your own voip store, a medical savings discount card store, a store where people can get high speed internet service, and dont forget the overhead employess, stock, rent etc. my rent is 29.99 a month lol maybe you guys have the capital to open up all those stores and pay employess and all the overhead good luck it only cost me 500 dollars but let me know when you open up the stores so i can visit
Kernon, thanks! Your comment #29 in this thread has set a new world’s record in the “run-on sentence” category. I will alert the Guinness World Record folks.
Sadly, your comment #31 failed miserably to match the heights of your comment #29. I was quite disappointed.
Let me just take a minute to comment on the “substance” of your post.
an avg cr at -5L makes 55 but pays 99 an avg imr at -5L makes 261 but pays 499 and thats a lot of people almost infinite number of people at -5L lose money and then rapper 50ct makes 50mil and paris hilton never make money and is rich anyway but who cares if 3 person at -5L can make 67K and one persons make $236K then everything is ok and people on a salary at companies are losers because those companies are bad when you can join -5L and green acres is the place to be i dont care if you get allergic smelling hay because you can open a store in hootersville or anywhere sorry i spelled all the words write
Thank you Paige, I didn’t have it in me. Classic.
well thats why 90percent of the world works for some one else and the other 10percent that are not scared to come out of there comfort zone make the money and do what they want when they want i guess thats why we have doctors lawyers judges and every body else in 5linx people that are already making 6 figures are here we must have something so if you want to look at numbers 5linx does not say you have to be a imr for the` rest of your life people get quit because family and friends say no such a shame but if there company or job told them buy friday every one who doesn’t get 20 customers and 3 business partners would get a pink slip they would have it done tuesday lol lol thats funny hell 5linx gives you 60 days to get a profit back its that simple no customers no business partners no money!!! people know that before they join in that case stay at your company and stay in the rat race you will always be at the mercy of corprate america but like i tell my business partners those people are customers lol thats funny to
so im just looking for a few not the world but thats why i have so many customers some people would rather become consumers which is fine with me work your job get paid and pay for my services that your going to use anyway wow!!!!
that gets me excited!!!!!!
Kernon, you have written such a magnificent exposition of why NEGATIVEfiveLINX is such a great company and great investment, and I am afraid that anyone who reads it will automatically plunk down their money and sign up. I know it is worthless for me to even try to rebut your arguments, nevertheless, I am bored with watching Hannah Montana, so I shall try.
I noticed that there are rappers that make millions of dollars, and they don’t even have to pay $499 fee! And all you have to do is get a rhythm and some rhymes and talk about smacking your bitches around, knifing one of your homeys, and how its hard out here for a pimp! Sounds like a better deal than NEGATIVEfiveLINX!
Now, what do you suppose my chances are of actually making millions (or thousands) of dollars by rapping? Small? Zero? Does it have anything to do with the fact that there are other people out there who are very good at it and I’m not? Does it depend on the fact that I don’t have rhythm and I don’t rhyme very well and I’ve never smacked one of my bitches around?
I don’t deny that some people make money rapping. And I don’t deny that some people make money at NEGATIVEfiveLINX. The people who make the big bucks are few in number and the majority (well, over 90%) of the people who try to make the big bucks that is promised at NEGATIVEfiveLINX meeting get nowhere and in fact lose money. Why? Because the typical person that invests in NEGATIVEfiveLINX doesn’t have the skills to be successful in that business, just like I do not have rapping skills. Very few people have the proper combination of sales skills, business knowledge and ambition to succeed. And as we learned from another commenter, NEGATIVEfiveLINX doesn’t do a thing to help you gain those skills and knowledge.
That is one reason why the typical investor in NEGATIVEfiveLINX loses money, according to NEGATIVEfiveLINX’s own statistics. There are other reasons, of course, such as the marketing plan is stacked against newcomers and in favor of those who entered early. It’s a lousy deal for most people, and if you have $499, you’d get a better return by putting your money into a savings account than from investing in NEGATIVEfiveLINX. Your expected gain from a saving account is positive, while your expected gain from NEGATIVEfiveLINX is negative.
And who wants to work at a company where the successful people can’t spell, don’t use capital letters properly, don’t know how to write sentences and wouldn’t know a logical argument if it walked into the room wearing a t-shirt that says “I am a logical argument”? Not me!
ok im done we went from 5linx to rapping you win i have more business partners to get it was nice talking to you
Kernon is taking his ball and going home, you didn’t play nice Paige.
No, he’s the one who didn’t play nice. He is trying to entice people to put up $499 so he can profit. He will promise people large amounts of wealth, even though it does not materialize for most people.
And he writes poorly and doesn’t understand the simple argument about why I most people don’t try rapping is the exact same argument why most people should stay away from NEGATIVEfiveLINX.
OK we need to stop using the name Five Links cause all its doing is adding a larger presence in the Blogosphere.
Me being a Representative for the Links for $499 am all to aware of the scam. You all should listen in on a conference call some night. Better yet, save your time. Talk about psycobabble on how to market yourself or your products.
Oh! and the new rap ring tone you can buy for your phone is a total joke, perhaps everyone has denegrated themselves to the lowest of the lows with music that degrades women and life in general. #%&#$%&%$#@
Paige, you are a man on a mission. The site scam.com has a ton of stuff on the Links. For some weird reason this MLM company caters to African Americans and me being a white guy is somewhat of an embarassment that I bought into this little club. It clearly doesen’t show a true cross section of our society. When I brought this up to Jeb he looked at me like I was racist. Some people don’t like hearing the truth and Jeb is one of them. Then again some people don’t like Thomas Sowell, one of the greatest economic minds of our time.
The only out I can see of recouping my money is to create a squeeze page on the net and have everything go to it before it goes to the Links. That way when you pop smoke and run you will have a customer base that is attached to you and not to the company.
When you get other people to join for $499 the person signing them up gets nothing unless its is done within a certain time frame. I truly believe that the 97% failure rate is indicative of the network marketing industry in general.
Save your money and use AT&T
The high-profile cell phone and cable internet phone companies are out-selling these guys, anyway. Because Da Links depends on word of mouth, instead of commercials, the big companies will always make more money than Da Links. It also makes it very difficult for the reps to explain to customers why they are better off buying their products from a company that they have never heard of before.
That is interesting that Michael mentioned the company’s lean toward minorities. You will see a lot of minorities at the team meetings and the huge conferences. I think it’s probably a natural order of progression, as opposed to the company specifically recruiting from those ethnic backgrounds. People in poorer [big city] neighborhoods are usually minorities and they are desperately looking for ways to quickly improve their social status. Regardless of background, MLM takes advantage of people’s dreams to be something better.
I’ve known people to be involved in ACN and Da Links for years and they haven’t gotten anywhere. It’s really a sorry sight to see.
The phone calls are a joke. I haven’t participated in one since February.
Mark S: Why do you stay in NEGATIVEfiveLINX?
One last comment to Kernon’s literary “brilliance”. Do you see what he has done by saying “the other 10percent that are not scared to come out of there comfort zone make the money”.
No, I’m not talking about his terrible grammar or spelling … he has already placed the blame squarely on you (the potential future NEGATIVEfiveLINX employee) if you don’t make large bucks. You haven’t come out of your comfort zone. This is part of the NEGATIVEfiveLINX philosophy … they drill it into you from the day you first hear about them that you can have large amounts of wealth, and if you don’t get there, it’s your fault, not the fault of NEGATIVEfiveLINX.
See, according to Kernon, they have doctors and lawyers in NEGATIVEfiveLINX making lots, so more blame here … maybe you didn’t make the big money because you’re not smart enough. They trot out the excuses right away, so just in case you are one of the >90% that don’t make money, they have already placed into your mind and put the argument in place that the reasons you fail are all your fault.
These are nasty, disgusting people at NEGATIVEfiveLINX. They make intentionally deceiving and misleading arguments and promises that don’t come true, and they want you to believe that failure is all your fault, and all the while they get richer, whether you succeed or whether you fail.
5LINX is a self-improvement plan with a compensation plan attached (unless you know the right 3-6 people right out of the gate). Unfortunately, many people are not willing to improve their edification skills, their presentation skills, their people skills, or their leadership skills, but would like to believe that they can get their head on straight if they can find a proper system, such as from an MLM or direct selling company. People should not be so quick to accept failure (of their own methods without following a training system), but mediocrity is alive and well in this of all countries. Being in their own business and the master of their own fate, they can choose to wake up. The difference between a large graveyard and a large downline report is that in a graveyard, you know who is dead. I believe the right leadership can teach any coachable person to rise to the occasion. With fewer than 50,000 distributors currently in 5LINX, there is a seemingly infinite amount of room at the top, truly an inverted pyramid. However, many people would much rather be led by their employers and be part of their heap than lead entrepreneurial business owners to each develop their own heap, as in a direct selling company with consumable products and services. Building a 5LINX heap is a marathon with a more than reasonable time frame for return on investment. The re-app fee is only $99 for 5LINX after a solid year. Read a book by John C. Maxwell or Robert Kyosaki, and embrace the idea that if you continue to do what you have always done, you will continue to get what you’ve always got. You will never hit out of the park any ball that you do not swing at. Go to work for yourself and lock arms with a team. MLM, direct sales, and entrepreneurialism is the American Way.
Well, I’m out to recruit some positive people to work with and have fun doing it. I cringe at the negativity on this blog about a phenomenal company like 5LINX and wonder if the crabs-in-a-bucket philosophy is in effect. Your income is likely the average of your 5 best friends. Network and find people with bigger dreamscapes than you now have and the money naturally flows. Simply the law of attraction. It’s your attitude, not your aptitude, that determines your altitude. Think like a millionaire. Take a chance on something, anything. Find something you can believe in, such as an undeniable wealth trend like VoIP, put your reputation, credibility and professionalism on the line and go to work at it. Go find it and rise to the occasion. It is a moral imperative and you owe it to those that love you, and that hopefully includes yourself. LOL
Moneyapolis — what a great name. Tells us what you are all about, doesn’t it?
“5LINX is a self-improvement plan” — hahaha! I went to a NEGATIVEfiveLINX seminar, and that wasn’t mentioned. What was mentioned was selling and recruiting and commissions and payments. Furthermore, here at WBP, one of the commenters Mark S., is an actual NEGATIVEfiveLINX employee, and he says that the bigwigs never do any training, he has asked them for help and he gets none. The only thing he gets from the people above him is that they constantly urge him to work harder (not smarter, harder).
Side note: those of us who work at traditional corporations, that you so despise, actually do get training in many skills, including crucial job skills, unlike those poor NEGATIVEfiveLINX employees who never get any training and whose improvement I suppose is 100% the employees’ responsibility.
I see you have started the blame game again, its all the employees fault if he/she doesn’t make money. What a positive outlook you must impart your colleagues (not!). Pointing the finger of blame, even while you are recruiting new members, seems to be a staple of the NEGATIVEfiveLINX approach.
Negativity on this blog? The negativity comes from bloodsuckers like Moneyapolis and the people at NEGATIVEfiveLINX who want your money, promising your wealth that doesn’t materialize for most people. The negativity comes from the con artists at NEGATIVEfiveLINX who blame their recruits for any failures, as they have done right here on this blog and in seminars they host. I consider my message to be extremely positive — there are much better ways to invest your money or earn money than NEGATIVEfiveLINX.
Amen.
Paige, I won’t be renewing my membership in January. I make a lot more money at my cutrrent job and I’m a lot happier with it.
Congratulations, Mark S. I’m very happy for you. Put that bad chapter of your employment behind you.
After reading through this thread I have some comments and questions. I have no connection w 5Linx or any other mlm. I went on line to learn about a video phone and found this page through Google.
Paige – you are on this link quite often. What is your connection? Have you been personally disappointed by your experience w MLMs, or 5Linx in particular? It is clear that your language skills are quite good. Other contributors on this thread may not be as skilled in written or verbal communications as you. When they don’t take the time to write as if this was a professional business letter, you have poked fun at them, insulted them, and mimicked their writing style as an insult toward them. You have dissed everyone who is happy with their 5Linx experience and even called them “bloodsuckers” for sharing their positive views that are the opposite of yours. This is a very negative thread and you have been the most negative contributor. You sound very bitter. At least Mark S. has given a balanced view of his personal experience with 5Linx. He is just as articulte as you, but not so out to smear everyone and everything involved with that company or other mlms. From the way you present yourself in this forum, I don’t think you are the kind of person I’d want to mix w/ on a personal basis. Is it your personal crusade to knock mlms and those who participate in them? Negativity does nothing but poison your own system. Do you have proof and statistics to present and give a solid foundation to your dislike of mlms? Take a good look at your motives and your comments. I’m sure you think you are helping, but who are you hurting,including yourself?
It amazes me how much free time some of you people commenting on this board have. Normally I wouldn’t even waste my time. But I’m fed up and disgusted with dream killers. Okay, so you have decided that MLM is not for you. Move on then. Why don’t you just move on? I think I know why. You aren’t really looking for an opportunity to make something of yourself in the first place. That would be too much work. You’re just trying to save the world through your expert analysis of MLM comp plans. What a waste of time. If you really want to do good and help people, please go out and focus on a problem (this world has enough of them) where you will be doing something positive with your life that will have a direct and positive effect on others. Your words are wasted on this forum. It has been my experience that anyone looking for a reason to find failure in an opportunity will always find it. So all the people you think you are saving from joining 5Linx or any other MLM would have found the negative information without reading your negative comments. As a top earner in MLM, I have always been amazed at how the negative people always find each other. I have this picture in my mind of thousands of people in the bottom of a big pit, and a lot of them are trying to climb out. But there are also a lot of more experienced negative people just standing in the bottom, and they just keep pulling their negative brothers and sisters back into the hole every time they try to climb out. It doesn’t take long until that negative climber doesn’t even try to climb, and he/she becomes a permanent fixture in the bottom of the pit (right beside you!). It’s a self fulfilling prophecy. No matter whether you think you can or you think you can’t; you will always be right. Success in MLM isn’t about being average and ordinary. It’s about having a dream with the vision and tenacity to focus on the long term.
Instead of rebutting the arguments, change the subject! The subject isn’t NEGATIVEfiveLINX anymore according to JL, the subject is now me!
Well, I don’t play that game. Rebut the charges against NEGATIVEfiveLINX. Explain why, according the NEGATIVEfiveLINX’s own statistics, 93% of their representatives earn (on average) $261/yr or less. Explain why anyone looking for employment or investment opportunities would want to get in on this opportunity, where your expected gain is NEGATIVE (you pay in more than you make). Yes, I know, and I don’t care, some people actually do make money. 93% of the people don’t (maybe more than 93% don’t) and that’s according to NEGATIVEfiveLINX’s own statistics.
I want to chime in here. I am a 5Linx rep but before you start bashing me hear me out. Even though I’m a rep, I agree that it is not easy to make money. I agree that most people drop out. I also agree that many people are given false hopes by some of people who run the meetings. The only thing I do not agree with is that 5Linx is a pyramid. If you check the Federal Trade Commission website, it clearly states the Law regarding MLM companies and 5LINX is well within this law. With this being said, I challenge those of you who bash MLMs to offer better suggestions to earn additional income. Tell us what you do for a living.
If you want to talk about pyramids, lets talk about corporate America. I have been in management at a few well known fortune 500 companies. Let me talk about some of the lies and deceit that goes on that I am well qualifies to talk about because I’ve worked I’ve been in it for 23 years. Most companies won’t tell you this but they have HR policies that state that only 10% of the employees will get a high raise every year, 80% will get medium raises and 10% will get low or no raises. Basically your salary is based on the bell curve. I’ve seen employees deserving of the top 10% get pushed into the 80% range. The numbers will vary slightly from company to company but I promise you that all companies pay on some sort of bell curve. Do they share this information with you when they make you a job offer? That is the ultimate pyramid scheme. Let’s now talk about layoffs. I’ve sat in meetings where we had to decide who gets laid off. You would think the fair way is to compare performance evaluations. Wrong! I was shocked at how many managers ignored the performance reviews and just tried to save the people they were friends with. I saw some great employees get let go in favor of less productive employees. It was proof that its not what you know but who you know. Your fate is decided behind closed doors and you have absolutely no control over it. While 5Linx or any other MLM is really hard work and not as glamorous as they make it out to be in the meetings, at least the reward system is fair and you control whether you get out or not. My challenge to those of you against MLMs is to suggest other legal ways to earn real additional income or other ideas for starting a business when you don’t have a great deal of money to invest.
Oh, gee, I don’t know, get a job?
Drew … contrived duality … contrived duality … contrived duality … contrived duality. I don’t care if there are indeed legitimate problems at traditional corporations. That does not imply that NEGATIVEfiveLINX is better in any way, shape or form.
In fact you admit there are problems with NEGATIVEfiveLINX: “I agree that it is not easy to make money. I agree that most people drop out.”
Your challenge to point out other legal ways to make money is irrelevant, because the business opportunity offered by NEGATIVEfiveLINX loses money for most people. Your challenge is simply trying to direct attention away from this simple fact. Offering this challenge does nothing to make NEGATIVEfiveLINX more attractive. But I’ll answer your challenge anyway. I worked two jobs for many years when I needed more money, and not once — listen carefully, Drew — not once did I lose money.
I cannot understand why you say bell curves are a pyramid, while NEGATIVEfiveLINX reports (this is from their own statistics) that the bottom 93% account for 16% of the earnings, while the top 7% make 84% of the earnings, and you say that is not a pyramid. You don’t know your shapes.
This was posted in inc 500. and i think it speaks for itself. but you win some you lose some anything worth having in life you have to work for it nothing is free. you people get a life (haters)
No. 336 5Linx Enterprises
Rochester, NY
Year 2007
Industry Telecommunications
Founded 2001
Growth 807.5%
2003 Revenue $1.4 million
2006 Revenue $12.5 million
Employees 65
Ranked No. 18 in the Top Companies in Telecommunications
What it does: Using a Mary Kay-like direct-selling model, 5Linx sells voice over Internet protocol and cellular services to individuals and small businesses.
Why it’s growing: In the face of competition from huge cable companies selling VoIP, CEO Craig Jerabeck and his growing crew have focused on niche products–such as Internet-enabled videophones–which are pitched to consumers with friends and family overseas.
What’s noteworthy: When 5Linx made the 2006 Inc. 500, it was primarily reselling services provided by other companies and receiving commissions on each sale. Today it has its own VoIP network, which allows it to capture a greater share of revenue from each customer.
Read this company’s extended profile when the IncBizNet launches in early October.
I think Drew is referring to the government’s definition of a pyramid [scheme] which “concentrate on the commissions you could earn just for recruiting new distributors,” and which “generally ignore the marketing and selling of products and services.”
Here’s a good website on why MLMs fall through the cracks of the FTC’s definition of a pyramid scheme:
http://www.pyramidschemealert.org/PSAMain/resources/ppsabstract.html
You are correct that the legal definition of pyramid doesn’t apply here. However, the geometric definition of pyramid does apply to any company such as NEGATIVEfiveLINX where the bottom 93% account for 16% of the earnings, while the top 7% make 84% of the earnings. And that’s the point … legal definitions are not relevant … the money in NEGATIVEfiveLINX flows to the top, and those at the bottom usually lose money.
One other comment to Drew. You spent a lot of time telling us why traditional company’s compensation plans aren’t fair. Then you go ahead and say NEGATIVEfiveLINX’s is fair, but you don’t tell us why it is fair. In fact, in all the debating over NEGATIVEfiveLINX, no one has ever explained exactly what the compensation plan is.
So, please, Drew (or anyone else), go ahead and tell us, in as much detail as you can, what the NEGATIVEfiveLINX compensation plan is. Let everyone see exactly how much money flows up to the people at higher levels. Let everyone see how much you make for recruiting new people into NEGATIVEfiveLINX versus how much you make by selling products.
You’re not afraid to tell us how NEGATIVEfiveLINX compensates its employees, are you? You want us to be fully informed when we make a decision to accept or decline the NEGATIVEfiveLINX business opportunity, don’t you?
Almost all selling is hard work and most folks drop out, but that does not excuse the situation noted about 5linx. Did anyone notice that is the COMMIDA minutes and agenda that they noted different companies:
—————————————————
LeFrois Development LLC / Current Communications (Lease/Leaseback with Jobs Plus)
The company was represented by J. Neu. The applicant is proposing to construct a 52,444 square foot facility on 6.44 acres located at Kenneth Drive in the Town of Henrietta. The building will be occupied by Current Communications Services, LLC. Current Communications started in business in 2003 and has 82 employees in Monroe County. Current Communications has developed advanced communication software for broadband access. This allows for broadband services to be provided through traditional utility/electric lines. The company has just signed a contract with TXS Electric in Texas to create the nation’s first broadband-enabled Smart Grid. The new building will cost approximately $5.7 million including land. In addition, Current will be purchasing $4.2 million in equipment. Current considered locations in Maryland and Texas also. Current expects to create 180 new jobs over the next 5 years. The company seeks approval of the JobsPlus Tax Incentive based on the technology based producer service use. The JobsPlus job creation requirement is 9 FTEs. After a brief discussion and on motion made by H. Stuart and seconded by S. Moore, a resolution was adopted approving SEQR for the subject property. All Aye. On motion made by A. Burr and seconded by D. Conte, an inducement resolution was adopted approving subject project. All Aye. On a motion made by H. Stuart and seconded by S. Moore, a final resolution was adopted for the subject project.
Upon inquiry by Chair Mazzullo, above project representatives affirmed and acknowledged the Local Labor Policy requirements.
——————————————-
LeFrois Development LLC (Lease/leaseback with JobsPlus)
PO Box 230
Henrietta, New York 14467
Project Tenant: 5Linx Enterprises, Inc.
Project Location: 275 Kenneth Drive
Rochester, New York 14623
LeFrois Development will be constructing a 50,000 square foot building in the town of Henrietta to house 5Linx Enterprises (5Linx). 5Linx was founded in 2001 and sells communication services including digital phone service, wireless phones and accessories, satellite television, and Internet connection. The company is experiencing significant growth in the Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) market. This building project will accommodate future growth. This $6,865,000 project will impact 47 existing employees and is expected to create 133 new employees within the next 5 years. LeFrois seeks approval for JobsPlus as 5Linx qualifies as a technology-based producer service. The JobsPlus requirement for this project is 5.
————————————————-
Does anyone here have an explanation for this??
In this instance two different communications companies are referred to with the same developer. This was actually one of the issues I raised in my first post: the benefits do not actually go to 5Linx or Current Communications, rather, they go to LeFrois Development, the company that is building the space. The same LeFrois that one 5Linx official said pressured them to forecast outrageous employment numbers to get the incentives, and the same LeFrois that has made significant donations to the Monroe County GOP.
Thank you, handsomswede, for the update. Folks interested in this 5Linx issue may want to do some research.
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/277/RipOff0277180.htm
But no one should be surprised about political donations providing access to government dollars – that is a multi-billion dollars business in DC and around the country and around the world for that matter. And to be fair, the Repubs don’t engage any more than the Dems, in fact Dems like the Clintons are masters at the game. I think it stinks whoever is doing it, the problems is coming up with an alternative that does not require giving up our rights to contribute to candidates. McCain-Feingold has really just given the fat-cats more power relative to the average Jane and Joe. Lets face, bribery in politics is pretty much legal, either defacto or dejure. What we need, especially in situations where companies are getting direct subsidies, is a law that requires the calendars of all public agency personnel and politicians that work in this area to be made public – they should be on the internet. The legal documents and agreements should also be available online, and not just after they are a done deal.
Money IS the Poltical process —
Our Friends at LeFrois Development LLC donating to the Dems:
http://www.townofbrighton.org/minutes072606.htm
MATTER RE: Accept donations for Fourth of July Celebration from Norry Management Corp.,LeFrois Development, LLC, Landsman Development, Hurlbut Nursing Home, Wegmans, Paris Kirwan Associates, Don’s Original, Tuthill Lighting, JP Morgan Chase, Canandaigua National Bank, Victor Furniture, Waste Management, Property Maintenance Co, Starbucks, Stantec and Grayson Chiropractic (see Resolution; letter from Jerry LaVigne, Director, Recreation, Parks and Community Service Department, dated July 13, 2006).
Motion by Councilmember Louise Novros seconded by Councilmember Sherry Kraus that the Town Board adopt the resolution as prepared by the Attorney for the Town as set forth on Exhibit No. 10 attached.
UPON ROLL CALL VOTE
MOTION UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED
The income reported here is posted on the website and everyone in the company knows this. These income figures are no secret! I will make my money while all you naysayers make excuses and run back to your jobs with long hours and no time for family.
I would like someone to show me a non mlm company that the small # of executives at the top make less or the same as the employees. In america only 3% of the population makes over 6 figures so does that make The USA a pyramid? PLEASE HELP ME UNDERSTAND!
Yes, a traditional company is a pyramid, and NEGATIVEfiveLINX is a pyramid, even though several NEGATIVEfiveLINX employees deny that it is a pyramid right here on this blog.
Now, here’s a very important difference between traditional companies and NEGATIVEfiveLINX. At a traditional company, they hire you, they pay you a specified amount of money for your time and effort, and then you actually receive that money (minus taxes). Employees at traditional companies make money, guaranteed. At NEGATIVEfiveLINX, you pay them for the right to be hired, you are promised great wealth, and then 93% (or more) of the people lose money. No one denies that a few people make money at NEGATIVEfiveLINX; the issue is that very few people make money, most lose money. No employee at a traditional corporation loses money.
At a traditional company you are a w-2 employee and there is no tax break. In 5linx you are a business owner which allows you to deduct all your business expenses. You now only pay taxes on whats left over. Also you get a 200-500% return on your investment in the first 30-60 days. Anyone that lost in this business is working under poor leadership. Even if they were not successfull at running the business they would receive their money back and some just with the savings on the phone bill, cell equipment, medical card and the residual income received on their own services. 5linx is not negative. You are! find new leadership and start living your dreams. Stop stealing dreams. “OPPORTUNITY IS MISSED BY MOST PEOPLE BECAUSE IT IS DRESSED IN OVERALLS AND LOOKS LIKE WORK” Thomas Edison
Mario sez: “Also you get a 200-500% return on your investment in the first 30-60 days.” Where did you get those numbers, Mario? Please let us know. It is important to understand the source of someone’s numbers, so we can judge if they are correct.
Let me tell you where I get my numbers from. I get them from NEGATIVEfiveLINX’s own website. They say the exact opposite of what you said. They say that over a year, 93% of the NEGATIVEfiveLINX representatives lose money.
So why should we believe you, Mario? Come on, tell us why. Where did you get your numbers from. Tell us, I dare you.
You can’t back up your claim, you’re numbers are wrong, and no one else who has supported NEGATIVEfiveLINX has provided a rebuttal to those simple numbers on NEGATIVEfiveLINX’s own website. There has been no rebuttal, Mario.
Lastly, NEGATIVEfiveLINX is indeed NEGATIVE because most people (93%) lose money. In financial terms, your expected gain is NEGATIVE.
I heard an advertisement on the radio for NEGATIVEfiveLinx products yesterday. I’m not sure what that means, but I just thought I would pass that along.
Purely speculation: anyone who inquires about buying NEGATIVEfiveLinx products that they heard about in the radio ad will be urged to sign up and become a NEGATIVEfiveLinx representative.
I also heard Brother Wease give them a plug about a week ago, I think they provided one of their videophones to use while Salley was in a different location.
I guess there’s nothing we can do Paige.
Since we don’t have many thousands of listeners (tens of thousands?) like Bro Wease, we certainly don’t have the reach that he has. However, there are people who search the internet and find out these threads, and if we have kept 5 people away from NEGATIVEfiveLINX, then that’s great. That’s five more people that didn’t waste their money on b>NEGATIVEfiveLINX. But yes, I agree that Bro Wease will likely have much more impact than this blog will have.
I think there are a lot of people, like me, that tune out the ads on Bro Wease anyway. Many of them are scams, and I think a lot of his listeners don’t pay any attention to them.
Im holding a business reception today and adding 4 new partners to my business. $CHA CHING$. 9 Million homes on voip now and 20 million by 2009. Thats averaging 1 million a month (conservative). 5linx allows me the opportunity to benefit from that. Even 1/2 percent of 20 million is great! No other voip co. is allowing consumers to benefit from their gain. Verizon surely doesnt pay residual income to customers. 5linx is changing lives. 5linx offers a level playing field for average people!
Mario, why won’t you address the issue? Why are you avoiding the issue?
I challenged the defenders of NEGATIVEfiveLINX up above to explain what the NEGATIVEfiveLINX compensation plans are so we can see that exactly how the money flows to new representatives and to those up the chain. Silence. No one wants to tell us. Come on, you aren’t afraid of making those details public, are you? I think you are afraid. So now, I challenge you specifically, Mario, to explain the NEGATIVEfiveLINX compensation plan so we can see exactly how the money flows.
We don’t care that you make money, Mario. We care that 93% of the people lose money. And we strongly suspect that the reason you make money is because you get lots of money from the people downstream of you … their investment and their work enriches your pockets. Prove to us that I am wrong, Mario. Let’s hear it.
Then I challenged you, Mario, specifically, to explain why anyone should invest in NEGATIVEfiveLINX when 93% of the people who are representatives lose money. Silence. No comment. Are you afraid to tell us, Mario? I think you are.
NEGATIVEPaige, Goto the website and look at business overview. There are 12 ways to get paid which consist of residual income from customers in your downline, one time commissions as well as bonuses from building your organization. NEGATIVEPaige you are very wrong! You say people lose. Those are averages. Do you start anything and shoot for average? THIS company offers a level playing field. When someone starts at the bottom they can pass their upline. Not push them up unfairly. You may or may not know that major companies are affiliated with 5linx. what major documented companies would associate with something thats not positive or beneficial. 5linx carries AT&T, Sprint, Nextel, Alltell, T Mobile, Dish network, Directv, Comcast, Cox, Timewarner. Future services offered will be Gas and Electric. This is truly a great opportunity for all. You can just use the service, overide your personal service or build a business and an organization that pays you for life and is willable to your kids. 100%. Did you get that NEGATIVEPaige? Your ending income is 100% your kids beginning income when you pass. “A winner never quits and a quitter never wins”. If anyone lost in 5linx its because they quit! NEGATIVEPaige wont quit. Your ladder is leaning up against the wrong bulding.
Mario, I have to ask, are you retarded or just new to this planet?
Elaborate?
Your mastery, or lack thereof, of the English language and inability to present logical arguments indicates to me that you are either mentally challenged or not from this solar system.
Clear enough for you douche bag?
Documentation beats conversation any day of the week. 5linx is documented in Inc. 500 with an 800% growth over the last 3 years. 5linx is now #336 on the inc 500 fastest growing company’s. Ludacris charity foundation has the videophone and uses 5linx as a fundraiser. Doctors, Lawyers, pastors, and well respected upstanding citizens are joining 5linx. Now let me ask you. Did you profit significantly in Microsoft, Google, Long distance deregulation? When you reach Senior Vice President in 5linx you receive 5,000 shares of stock options. The company has not gone public yet and has an exclusive VOIP videophone as well as a significant market share in the VOIP industry. “If you do what you’ve always done, you get what you’ve always got”
And the number of employees listed in that issue of Inc. 500 conflicts with the employment totals reported in the Democrat&Chronicle’s Top 100. Can you say SCAM?
One company uses 5Linx as a fundraiser, big f-ing deal, can you say SCAM?
Oh, gee, when you reach Senior VP level (which by 5Linx’ own numbers is basically a statistical impossibility) you receive shares of a company that is not even public? Fanfuckingtastic, I’ll use those shares to buy myself a pool full of unicorn bones.
Its very simple to reach Senior vice president. Its only 4 levels up. I work with my upline SVP and have met 20 of the 33 SVP’S. The average time to make SVP right now is roughly 14 months. Its been done in as little as 52 days! “80% of success is showing up and 20% is following directions”
Hi, i’m currently in the process of joining onto the 5linx team but after reading all of these comments I am hesitant. I am an energetic college student and currently a business major. I think I have the right skills to make it in this business. Easy money is never easy work and I know that. I’m not sure if I should go for the 499 or the 99 dollar deal. I want to know the benefits of both and if it is possible with the right people that are recruited to be successful in this business. I’m not looking for a long career in it but some money after and during college. The bigger the risk the bigger the reward?
Teresa –
To me the numbers from this post, from 5Linx own website, seem to tell the whole story.
Teresa,
Positive thinkers get positive results because they are not afraid of problems.
Hey Mario
I challenged you to show us the entire compensation plan. This is the 21st century and we have this new fangled thing called the Internet where you can actually give us a link to that compensation plan. Why didn’t you give us the link? Are you afraid to let everyone see the entire compensation plan? I think you are. You said it was there on the NEGATIVEfiveLINX website, well show it to us. Give us the link.
You mentioned three different parts of the compensation plan. Those things make my case for me. You say: “residual income from customers in your downline” — in other words, you get money from work that other people do. How is that fair? You say “bonuses from building your organization”. Translation … you get money when you recruit new people. So part of their entry fee goes into your pocket. Now what’s that word that rhymes with “syramid”? Basically, the people who get in early make the money from the new people. How is that fair?
You don’t seem to understand anything about statistics. An average is useful in describing what has already happened. And it describes a situation where a huge number of people fail to make money. Why is that? Because as I said, the compensation plans are heavily slanted in favor of the people who get in early and against the people who get in late. Oh, and by the way, here’s a concept that I’m sure you won’t be able to grasp … no one begins a job thinking “I’m going to be average”. Everyone starts thinking I’m going to be a great employee, make lots of money, and move up the ladder quickly. And then what happens … not everyone can be above average. In fact, large numbers of people wind up below average, like in a company that I like to call NEGATIVEfiveLINX. One reason is that some people have to be below average, that’s a mathematical fact. The other reason is that the business model is stacked against new people.
Teresa:
Positive thinkers get positive results because they are not afraid of problems — except in places where the business model is stacked against you, like at a place I like to call NEGATIVEfiveLINX.
You are a business major? You are an energetic college student? You think you have the right skills? Excellent. Except we have heard here on this blog from a NEGATIVEfiveLINX employee who says that its not just enthusiasm and skills … you need an existing customer base you can bring with you, people that you have done business with in the past, that you can sell to. Do you have that? Did NEGATIVEfiveLINX tell you that you need that (of course they did not). Do you think you are going to make large amounts of money making cold calls (geez, I hope you don’t think that).
Teresa, get as far away from NEGATIVEfiveLINX as you possibly can. This is not a good investment. This is not a good job. Look at the numbers. See what the numbers are telling you. All those people who started with NEGATIVEfiveLINX were probably just as enthusiastic about making money as you are. All probably tried hard. And most got nowhere. The system is stacked against you.
Mario … where’d you go? I asked you to provide the link to the NEGATIVEfiveLINX compensation plan. You remember, the plan you and others NEGATIVEfiveLINX supporters claim is “fair”?
I have learned that when someone has to call a plan “fair”, it probably isn’t.
I have learned that when you ask for information from a NEGATIVEfiveLINX supporter about that compensation plan, you never get it.
I have learned that when someone vigorously makes claims about something and then fails to provide information that should be easy to provide, they probably are hiding something.
I have learned that NEGATIVEfiveLINX supporters only want to claim how great things are there, and when someone challenges them, the run and hide. They won’t provide details, they won’t engage in a serious debate.
Prediction: either one or both of these two things will happen.
(1) Mario will comment again and once again avoid making the link to the NEGATIVEfiveLINX compensation plan available, even though he said it was there on the NEGATIVEfiveLINX web site. He will blame ME for not being able to find it.
(2) Another NEGATIVEfiveLINX supporter will show up, point out how great things are at NEGATIVEfiveLINX, and fail to address any of the points here except to give his or her own example of how great things are.
I’m betting on (2). I don’t think Mario will show up again.
5linx is a crock of lies, only people making money are the 3 owners. Look at all the BBB reports, look at the PSC reports, the poor customers. They cater to the customer who is looking for a dream and the customer beleives all the fluff and they hand over their valued limited money and before you know it they lost it cause it is a make beleive world.
Non believer: please tell us more about what happened to you at NEGATIVEfiveLINX.
I have read this entire thread and I say BULLSHIT to all of you people who condemn 5LINX (spelled C-L-U-E-L-E-S-S). I check the BBB and they have 13 complaints in 36 months- thats about 1 complaint a month – and all have been resolved. With a customer base of over 130,000 customers that is a .01% rate (1 complaint per 10,000 customers – compare that to Choice One who is also based in Rochester, has less customers and 49 complaints in the last 36 months).
As for income. anyone who goes out and gets a handful of cusotmers (10-20 services) will get a $500 check so this whole issue of losing money is BS as well. Yes, a lot of people do not make much money but it is because they don’t do much – how much would your boss pay you if you showed up to work on Monday at 8:30AM and went home 15 minutes later – how many people join a gym each year and how many actually do the diet and excercise thing after joining (most pay their gym dues, go for a week and then never show up for the rest of the year.)
Comittment is doing what you said you were going to do long after the mood you said it in has left you. I challenge all the naysayers to propose another business outside of network marketing that can create the financial results that can be achieved thru 5LINX or MLM.
I believe in MLM – You Be Right, I’ll be Rich
I love the way NEGATIVEfiveLINX supporters always blame the people they hire for the failures of the people they hire. It’s your fault, they say.
Where does the company’s responsibility come in? Should they train their new employees better, as traditional corporations do (the same traditional corporations that people at NEGATIVEfiveLINX despise so much)? Should NEGATIVEfiveLINX do a better job in hiring people, weeding out the misfits, like traditional companies do (the same traditional corporations that people at NEGATIVEfiveLINX despise so much)? What does this say about NEGATIVEfiveLINX?
We have heard former NEGATIVEfiveLINX employees say that they have begged leaders for training, and the leaders told the employee to work harder (not smarter). It screams out loud that all they wanted was for me and others to sign on the dotted line and fork over their $499, and they don’t care if you succeed after that.
I myself was recruited to be a NEGATIVEfiveLINX representative, and they never once asked a single question about me (the way traditional corporations do). They didn’t want to know why I was unemployed at the time, they didn’t want to know where I had worked before or what I had done or if I had any criminal convictions and did I beat my wife. What does this say about NEGATIVEfiveLINX? It screams out loud that all they wanted was for me and others to sign on the dotted line and fork over my $499. That’s all they cared about.
Now, what about all those people who fail to make money at NEGATIVEfiveLINX? According the NEGATIVEfiveLINX’s own statistics, 93% of their representatives fail to make money. Something here doesn’t pass the smell test … think about it … all these people who are recruited into NEGATIVEfiveLINX say to themselves, you know I want to get rich, like these folks at NEGATIVEfiveLINX say, and all I have to do is pay $499 and do the work and I’ll get rich. Great! I’m sure if you bought in, you are very enthusiastic (you’d better be since you paid $499 for the opportunity) and willing to work hard, and sooner or later those riches will be mine. Makes sense so far. Now Dave up above wants you to believe that these same people who paid $499 for an opportunity like this showed up, did 15 minutes of work and gave up and abandoned their $499 investment and their chance for riches. That doesn’t sound believable, Dave. It doesn’t pass the smell test. Human nature doesn’t work that way. It sounds much more believable that they signed up, worked hard, and soon discovered that they either didn’t have the knowledge, or the skills, or perhaps the system was stacked against them. (After all, I have asked to see the exact NEGATIVEfiveLINX compensation plan several times, but no one wants to show it to me.) When 93% of the people fail, it is a failure of the company (not of the individual), or as I believe, this is done intentionally by the company.
Dave sez:
Ooooh, let me think, are there businesses where instead of 93% of the people do not lose money? Yeah, Dave, there are many. In fact, I can’t think of a business opportunity that offers worse odds than NEGATIVEfiveLINX. It seems like the worst opportunity out there.
Let me correct one poorly written sentence … I should have said “Ooooh, let me think, are there businesses where fewer than 93% of the people lose money?”
One more point, Dave. If I want a job at my current company (or any traditional corporation) as a salesperson, they find out my background to see if I have experience as a salesperson, and experience in this particular industry or they train me. Traditional corporations would never hire someone with no relevant experience and then proceed to not train the person. Traditional corporations actively try to make sure that the people they hire are qualified and will be successful.
Now, what does NEGATIVEfiveLINX do? They take anyone who is willing to pay the fee to buy in, whether they have relevant experience or not, and they do no training. Compared to traditional corporations, it appears that NEGATIVEfiveLINX doesn’t care in the slightest if someone succeeds or fails, as long as they pay the money (which makes people like Dave richer). This is a disgusting practice, if you ask me.
Get a life Paige your boring.
Click on my name MARIO. Click on my website. Then click on make$ -Have Fun-
I wonder how well Paige would do in a company like 5Linx, if he spent his time actually working for it, instead of bitching and whining the way he has been for the past 6 months.
It’s mind boggling.
Glad to know you’re using the internet the way almost every teen uses it – bitching, whining, complaining and insulting people who think differently than you. What’s not so great is the fact that you’re a 50+ year old middle aged man (unless you lied on your profile), and you’re stooping so low to make fun of the way people type. Wow, that’s a real display of maturity there.
Really, congratulations. It takes a special kind of individual to consistently complain and flame the way you do. Most people just let it go after a few days – they have better things to do. But you.. 6 months! WOW! I’m thoroughly impressed.
Once again, Ky2, like very other NEGATIVEfiveLINX supporter, has failed to take up my challenge and say why NEGATIVEfiveLINX is actually a good company to work for.
First of all, NegativeFiveLinx? How long did it take you to figure out that clever little title? It’s cute how you actually go out of your way to bold the Negative, as if you’re really making a difference.
Second, I don’t work for 5Linx. Or for any other MLM. However, I do believe that MLM can actually be beneficial, if you really do dedicate yourself. And before you pull out numbers again, let me tell you this. Yeah, 90-some odd percent of people DON’T make it in MLM. But you want to know what’s interesting about that, at least to me? The 10 percent of left over actually DO make it in the industry. And guess what? They probably experienced the same hardships the other 90 percent did at some point, too. You can argue that they might have already had a loyal customer base, but judging from the things I’ve read in magazines and testimonies, that isn’t always the case.
Additionally, what’s interesting about 5Linx (or any other MLM for that matter) is that you don’t necessarily have to quit your full-time job to do it. In fact, I discourage the act of quiting your stable full time job in hopes of being an entrepreneur. That’s a very shortsighted and rash thing to do. These things take time. You don’t suddenly generate full time income right from the get go. You complain about the 500 dollars? Guess what? A good full-time position will land you at least that in a given week. If you take the time to save up a bit by bit, it’s not something that out of the way. This especially applies to people just out of college and/or are still living at home but with a full time job. I, myself, went to a 5Linx opp meeting with my friend not too long ago. And like everyone else, I went in, expecting a bunch of smokes and mirrors, with people trying to bombard you into joining. What I got, however, was a polite demonstration of their model, what they want to do, and of course, their comp plan. At the end, they asked people if they were interested. If not, no big deal. They were professionally courteous about it, and thanked them for their time. In no way did they go for a second attempt to try to sell anybody. Incidentally, they even told the people there that this isn’t for EVERYBODY and that it’s not a conventional “job.”
If you want to be pessimistic and be stuck in the same place for 40+ years of working 9-5 in a job you hate, then fine. That’s your prerogative. However, there are people who do believe in the MLM model and have high hopes for it. But, what do you do? Instead of trying to encourage them and telling them what they’re getting into, you negatively challenge their opinions and even insult their mannerisms. You act as if you’re some type of crusader, bent on saving the world from MLM. Whatever. It’s a free internet. But if you do want to do so, I STRONGLY advise you to do it in a way that’s professional, courteous and above all, polite. Otherwise, you share the same mentality of 14 year old internet flamers everywhere that think they know everything.
You can honestly ask “But, what if it doesn’t work?” My answer to that is, “What if it does work?” What if you could be that minority who do make it and experience something new and refreshing? YOU might say “Oh, you’re fighting an uphill battle” or “You can’t do it. The odds are against you” On the other hand, I want to encourage people who have joined with “It’ll be hard, but I think and hope you can do it. God bless.” So many people use the internet to bitch and whine about things, most often because they’re unhappy with how their own lives turned out. I’d like to actually use it for something a little more positive.
Finally, how many businesses that YOU start from ground up is a good place to work?
One last thing before I leave..
To the people who are interested in joining 5Linx, I encourage you to make a decision based on what YOU want to do. Not on what a bigot like Paige or the other naysayers here are saying. If YOU think you can stomach the industry in hopes for the eventual, greater good, by all means, go for it. I know many people here might have gone in with a similar mentality, but still quit later on, but even knowing the drop out rate, you STILL feel you can do it, well, best of luck.
I won’t be posting here again. Unlike Paige here, I actually don’t intend on posting on an internet message board a regular habit.
Good day. And have fun flaming and talking up a storm, Paige. Maybe if you try hard enough, people will actually respond on your own page instead of your reports falling on deaf ears.
I was about to sign on the dotted line tomorrow along with 4 people, who valued my opinion. However, after reading and waiting for Mario to show the proofs/figures about the compensation plan(which he has not),we have decided not.
The comments about a pyramid hit home also.
Thank you Ky2 & Mario. I have been reading this blog for about an hour now and I must admit that before reading this i was convinced that 5links was not the way to go. I say this because I work for one of the largest financial firms in the country as a Personal Banker. I am what is refered to as the front line and I must admit that I dont make nearly as much as my CEO, in fact I’m quite sure that after all his incentives he makes easily half a miliion year, and the likelyhood of me making CEO is slim to none.
I’m really not interested in the figures from 5links because honestly I truly am sick of working for someone else and $500 seems like a small amount to invest in myself. (It take a lot more to invest in a McDonalds franchise.) I work with a lot of “traditional” business owners in my profession people who own auto shops and mini marts and the one thing they all say is they did it because they wanted to work for themselves and they emphasized that it is work. Now in case anyone cares a Personal Banker makes a moderate base salary(with no annual raise in my company) but we are enticed by the comp plan, which is decent when compared to other comp plans in the industry, and guess what not every one is making the big bucks that we were promised when we were recruited. I truly have nothing against someone who chooses to rent his talents as opposed to stepping out on his/her own, but lets be honest when you look at the figures for the american work force it’s the majority working for the minority. I say to the naysayers invest in yourself not just money but time and put forth a real effort to succeed.
I think this is hilarious!! a bunch of people talking about it, few people actually doing it! Everybody wants PROOF that it’ll work because they’re too scared to take risks… if it were that easy, everybody would be joining and it wouldn’t be special. “Oh Yee of Little Faith!” lol I’m gonna try it; if it works fine! if not, Fine! I have other businesses bringing in other forms of income; The point is to invest in something, work at it, and stick with it! Most small business fail within the first year, so why should 5Linx be any different? Even if they sold you on hype, its so you’re enthused about the work, not just expecting a check. Welcome to America, People!!!
Paige,
Been following your posts, and I, too, am strongly opposed at 5linx’s business model. Unfortunately, a few friends of mine drank the kool-aid and are now gung-ho minions for the man at the top.
I did some research on my own and was surprised at how lucrative some of these bonuses were. My friend made $8,000 this month as an ED and an ND supposedly made $60k this month. I’m still in disbelief, so I did more probing and found out a detailed pdf file of 5linx’s compensation plan.
http://www.greenmachinesupport.com/701.pdf
Gave it a quick read, only to find out that it will take some time to crunch the numbers to see if, in fact, 5linx can be as lucrative as the minions proclaim.
Perhaps some of the 5linxers can chime in here. Are the Bentley’s and 750’s REAL gifts? Are they given in good faith (i.e. NOT a leased vehicle, company car, or car financed over a gazillion years) to the PSVPs and SVPs, respectively? Can the cars be kept if they decided to quit after receiving it?
250k / yr isn’t too shabby, but I’m curious to know if the SVPs incurred any expenses to generate this income. (i.e. did they have to sponsor others in their downlines to achieve and/or maintain SVP status?) I remember reading somewhere about how Tim Herr told reps in his downline to use credit card gift cards to add more services under their names. This “technique” allowed them to circumvent ACN’s limit on the amount of services registered per credit card.
I really want to get my friends out of this mess. I don’t see 5linx as an ethical “telecom” business, but rather a pyramid scheme using telecom products as a vehicle for exploiting the 93% of reps that lose money.
I’ve watched a few Youtube videos and I must admit, some of the PSVPs and SVPs are damn good salesmen / smooth talkers. I think it’ll be tough to get my friends out. The Bentley’s and 750’s paint a pretty nice facade that is tough to refute, especially knowing so little about the compensation package. Any help and/or insight would be greatly appreciated.
I attended a meeting and tried to ask a lot of questions, I got a few, but what was not talked about is now the problem. To join at the $500 level, you have to sell 20 point of services (2-3 poinet each for cell phone, satellite TV, internet…) and get 5 people to QUALIFY to earn 2500 in the first thirty days. That really doesn’t sound bad, but who is going to turn over their services to a company noone has heard of? Many VoiP services have gone bust and who’s to say that they will not go by the wayside. So the 20 points will be a challenge. Then, what do they mean by “qualify?” I think that each person will have to earn the twenty points AND find three or five people to join. That’s why people do NOT make the money or drop out. It’s the combination of sales one has to make in the very beginning. When you can do that, you may have some success and can make money–but you can see, it IS work!
From what I could tell, the cars are real, but they are real scarce, too. Only 2 people in the Georgia market has earned a car (they pay the payments, so you can guess what happens if you quit). I believe it can work–if the VoiP doesn’t disappear–AND if you work your hiney off! It’s not easy money and if one enters the “game” thinking that, well I supposed you will get your bubble bursted. Is that a word?
I still don’t know what all the fuss is about. I am a salesperson. I work for commission ONLY in a major private owned company in the DC Metro area. I get paid based on my sales only!!! Some days I am motivated, other days NOT!!! (it is reflected in my pay)The bottom line is my direct managers, general sales manager and the owner of the company all get paid based on the sales of myself and the sales staff. A career in sales, whether with an MLM or a traditional company can be challenging-but also well worth the rewards. Our company offers training, etc. The bottom line is you can be in control of your own destiny-most people are afraid of that. There is an art to selling and I am learning everyday how to enhance my skills, etc. I was an MK consultant, loved it-EARNED the POntiac Grand Am. I only stopped the business because I allowed my emotions to cloud my judgement. When some of my closest teammembers decided the business was not for them, I stopped working the business-that was MY FAULT-not theirs. I chose not to persevere, after I had built my foundation. I trained my team, worked with them, etc. I have what it takes, and am getting back in the business. Reading this blog-I just don’t get what the point is. People are accountable for themselves-if one chooses to join a MLM and do nothing so be it! If someone else joins an MLM company and runs with the opportunity and does well-GREAT!!! Celebrate the success of others-stop with the negativity, none of us need any more of it-it drains your spirit!!!
Regarding the vehicles-if it is set up like MK than the vehicles are earned, meaning as long as you are working the business than you can drive it or take a car allowance of about $800 towards payment for a Cadillac (MK) or BMW. If one chooses to stop working their business, most times the company will offer you an option to purchase or lease the vehicle-that was my experience when I earned the car with MK. These reps are working hard to EARN, not win cars. If you stop working-then you can return the car or pay for it yourself-essentially you are driving a company car-but if they pay for it-WHY NOT???
I WORKED WITH TIM HER BACK IN THE DAYS AT NTC EH HE ONCE TOOK ME TO UC IRVINE AND HAD ME SLAM ALL THE CUSTOMERS FOR PHONE SERVICE THAT I COULD JUST SIGN THEIR NAMES AND THEIR NUMBERS AND TURN THEM IN FOR A QUICK BONUS FOR BOTH OF US. HES A GOOD GUY BUT HE LACKS THE INTEGRITY TO MAKE IT IN THE LONG RUN. EVEN JERRY BALLAH DISSED HIS ASS AT NTC AND THEN TIM HERR HATED JERRY BALLAH AND WOULD BAD MOUTH HIM ALL THE TIME TO US BACK IN THE 90′S NOW HE’S HIS HOMEY AGAIN WITH HIS OLD ASS AND JERRY BALLAH’S GOT A HOT ASS WIFE MARCY I WOULD TOTALLY RAIL THAT BITCH IN HIS OLD ASS FERRARI ON SPYGLASS HILL. ANYHOW ACN NTC VIZION ONE 2 BY 2 2BY2 WHATEVER ALL OF IT IS A SCAM AND TO THAT LIST YOU CAN ADD THOSE TWO WHITE FAGGOTS CLIFF (CLIFTON) AND DAVE BRAUN, COUPLE OF TOTAL ASSSTUFFERS.
I’M OUT EH
EDDIE QARTEL
1.3 MILLION RECORDS SOLD IN 2007 (SOUNDSCAN VERIFIED)
$2.6 USD SELF-MADE NIGGA TOP THAT TIM HERR
PS TIM HERR’S MOM IS TRIPPIN ON HIS ACN VIDEO COMMENTS ON YOUTUBE YOU GOTTA SEE THAT SHIT LOVE THAT BITCH BUT THEY IS MAKING THEIR FIGHTS PUBLIC ON THE NET SO I HAVE TO COMMENT NIGGA
PS IF YOU GOT A PROBLEM WITH ME AND WHAT I SAID ABOUT 5LINX AND ACN AND TIM HERR AND HIS MOM OR DAVE AND CLIFTON BRAUN, THEN SAY SOMETHING TO ME, HERE’S MY MYSPACE YOU BROKE ASS NIGGAS:
HTTP://WWW.MYSPACE.COM/EDDIEQ
EDDIE QARTEL
MILLIONAIRE
All the people who are posting on this site in favor of 5Linx are representatives of the company. Every time I see a story written on here, it falls back into the same tired statements “Every company is a Pyramid” “Manage my own career”, etc. These are obviously recruiters and people who are already involved with the company distributing their sales paraphanalia on these boards. This company is a pyramid scheme, and there is not other way to put it. It is forumlated exactly like Amway, DS-Max, and other such schemes. They all provide you with the promise of being self-sufficient, in a small period of time. Even the PowerPoint available on the website has you hitting all your milestones within a year, so how is this not a get-rich-quick scheme?
Bottom line, these companies offer no health insurance, no dental, no prescription drug benefit, no salaries, no 401k, no pension, and basically no money. They make YOU pay to work for THEM! I guarantee you start seeing informercials about this company in the near future late at night. Do not pay this company to work for them, no self-respecting organization makes you pay to gain the “privelage” of working for them. Companies should pay you for what you bring to the table, not the other way around. Don’t be stupid and buy into the falsehoods being spread around on these boards. These people are trained to have a rebuttal to all the negatives you come up with. Ask them simple questions like
1. What is my base salary? (nothing)
2. What are my benefits? (nothing)
I am a professional sales manager at a reputable organization. I get paid a salary, plus residual income on all my clients. I have never had to pay my company a dime. I had to go to school, get a degree, and work hard. That is the only way to really succeed in this world.
Thats funny how so many people could say so many negative things about something that has already been done before. ACN has been around for many years and has created many millionaires and Financially independent people. 5Linx is very similar to ACN but like mentioned earlier “pays more”. If ACN succeeded on the same system and principals then what would make people believe that 5LINX will fail? Many of the people that are posting all of the negative comments obviously are not familiar with network marketing. when it comes down to benefits, I have never heard of a way to own your own business and get benefits like health insurance and a 401K, you only get the benefits that a business owner would get such as tax deductions. Salary? how do you make salary in your own business? you have to build what you earn.
And who said that a person had to go get a degree and all that just to succeed in life? Bill gates along with many others would have to disagree with you on that one.. its good if you just wanna work for someone else for the rest of your life, there is no problem with that. if we didn’t have people like that most corporations and businesses in America would not succeed. we all know you dont see most store owners in the store all day.. for those who don’t know thats called Leverage Income…
A lot of people say that its hard to find the 5Linx Comp plan but it only took me 1 minute to search for it on google.
I have been Around many network marketing companies and one thing that I learned is the if you stick to one thing long enough, it works. I have seen many people quit before they even get qualified. and many quit within the first month. As far as those statistics go about the positions in 5LINX look at them again this year because I have seen many of my friends getting promoted right in front of me. and yes I am in 5LINX for all those people wondering.
I am not telling people not to have an opinion but get educated on the subject before you go public and try to talk about a something you don’t know about…. Network Marketing has created many millionaires and financially independent people, and thats a FACT……..
Raymond –
FACTS are supported by information. You have not provided any, you are simply making outrageous claims (like every other 5Linx/ACN supporter in this forum) that network marketing creates millionaires. Yet, you site no statistical info to back up this claim.
I, on the other hand, have provided stats in the article 5Linx Redux that shows that not only does the company fail to produce millionaires, it actual fails to produce anyone who makes any money. The only millionaires are the two or three shucksters at the top of the PYRAMID who make money off the constant influx of newbie recruits enamored with false promises of independent wealth.
Gee…a lot like you Raymond. The only reason you came here and commented was to try and suppress the truth a little bit longer so can get 4 or 5 more suckers to sign on with your “team”.
Hey,
Any company that charges you to make money is a scam or is a bad one atleast. You linxers should use all your positive energy and enthusiasm in a company that doesn’t steal $500 from poor people.
Can any one really provide and stats on this company when it comes on to annual income potential. It is hard to believe that some one would really join just to make $55, $261 annually. It would be better off just to sit on the corner and beg. I think I could make that in about 2 or 3 days. It is not all that glitters is gold. Be smart and join some thing that is actually regulated and controlled by some government entity and not something that was tought up by someone sit and using the restroom. You should always ask for numbers on what to expect and feel free to tell any one what the income potential are. Numbers don’t lie. Don’t fall for the suit and card board cut out of a million dollar income. If it was so easy why is it that this company don’t have much to say or provide more than a full of top earners? IF YOU WANT TO MAKE MONEY GET WITH A COMPANY THAT HAS THE MOST PEOPLE EARNING OVER A MILLION,A HUNDRED THOUSAND AND OVER 50 THOUSAND. That is one of the sure ways that you will suceed in live. To make money you need to know the MONEY GAME and until you learn to play the game you will always be fooled by individuals who are just smarter on how to invest to make money of someone’s dream of financial independence.
great comment tow i agree
I dont’t like peole trying to tell me what to do. I have come this far thinking on my own. Let me see buy a hooker or invest in a small business with the chance of making some or any money………? Hhhhhmmmm give me a second while i think on this.
To The Haters : I am interested in starting a small business, so stop talking crap and give me some other ideas!!!!!!!!
I have an advanced degree in computer science; I work and live in the Midwest (make about 84,000/year less than most people but more than some people). I hope to God that I don’t spend the rest of my life working 50 to 60 hours a week. I have heard a lot on this subject both pro and con. I have come to the realization that corporate America is built on a pyramid structure. The common worker will always get paid less than they are worth. Most of us average Joes will never know a 250,000/year salary. I have come to grips with that fact, (can you say inedibility) but it seems when other come to the all too true fact they get scared. These facts tend to make them loose hope……it’s ok to lose hope just don’t hate others for having it. We all can’t and won’t be millionaires, but I think that most of you know that by now. I don’t know if MLM is “THE” answer…..but it is one answer so please let people have their dream. Just because it does not work for you does not mean it won’t work for them.
keith i never said it didn’t work i love network marketing {MLM} but 5linx gives it a bad name with there compensation plan i study some of these comp plans in depth which most people don’t not that it’s there fault they only know what they see in a meeting or what someone tells or show them.
5lins is a lagit company. its not a scam. i dont’ know what you people are thinking by just reading blogs and other peoples comments with out doing your homework. check BBB. and inc 500 most people are like this because they got screwed over a fake MLM and now they believe thats how its going to be. All these people that join and think that they can just sit on the butts and do nothing and make money are morons. you get what you put in. if you did your homework people you would know that 5linx is partnered up with big name companies like Time Warner, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Nextel, Dish Network, Direct TV….ect
Please get your facts right before you starting posting. thats just shows how people can be easly manipulated buy a lot of people posting there own experience with other companys and saying that a lagit company like 5linx is one of them.
I am so happy to have found this website. I didn’t know that the 499 was a yearly fee and that the preferred prey were African Americans. I am desperately looking for a way to get out of this financial disaster that I am in. I long to get out of debt and finally stop living from paycheck to paycheck. These People came to my church with thier pipe dream and had me hoping that this was it… but of course my problem was the 500 dollars the rep actually advised me to sell my stuff… what is a struggler like me to do? I have family in Haiti and I need a way to make extra income….It infuriates me that they prey on oppressed people like me………
Trust me, they are a scam. Don’t ever give them your credit card.
I live in Montgomery Md, the 2nd or 3rd highest income per capita in the nation. I’m joining 5linx tomorrow. I went to a couple meetings and I was impressed. I am also very much aware that there are a lot of blacks involved, but that is not, nor should it be, a deterrent. If it there more whites would that be a negative? No.
MLM works if you have a good product, not even the best, but something people will use. I have seen people succeed in other MLMs. The earlier people who started in this company were black and maybe blacks will follow other blacks. Blacks will attract more blacks because whites won’t necessarily join with blacks. So what? Paige and others like her/him are of the ilk that begrudge others a dream because they can’t or won’t do it nor do they see the success potential. All your charts and numbers mean nothing to me. It is the individual who makes the best effort or tries without deterrents from naysayers, that person will be successful at any venture he or she believes in embracing. Don’t cast pearls before swine. They won’t appreciate what you are showing them. Good luck to those that get into any business. Stay away from NEGATIVE people. They have their own agenda. I know I was married to one, enphasis on ‘was’.
I won’t be posting again. Hopefully I will be too busy making my fortune. I won’t need to listen to people who lose or lack faith in their abilities.
For all of you fearful people, take a look at ‘The Secret’ dvd. Remember, ‘As a man thinketh so is he’ or something to that effect. Listen to posiyive people and tapes, etc. Don’t listen to the ‘blues singers’, unless you happen to like real blues music. Not as motivators.
Peace
Wake up people!!. MLMs do make money…..for others. If you are reading this then you probably have a computer (excluding the Iphone + Blackberry camps) and you already have the ability to do Voip and teleconferencing. All they are selling is an inferior product(s)… “Get in on the ground floor” “Don’t be left behind”, all these buzz words and catch phrases appeal to one of our most base human emotions….greed. At my job I can be worked hard and compensated no matter what I do, with this stuff you can work hard and someone else reaps what you sowed if its not up to some pie in the sky expectation
It’s really funny how people can be so naive. Of course this business is a pyramid…just like cooperate america is a pyramid. It’s just not an ILLEGAL pyramid. Just to educate you all a bit, an illegal pyramid is one where money exchanges hands but no goods and services are being rendered. I’m pretty sure no employee is crying over the fact that their manager or perhaps the CEO of their company makes more money than them. It’s a given! Why is there only one CEO but their are a handful of managers and even more employees? Draw that out on paper. But why are people so comfortable being on the bottom instead of being at the top? Theirs even a pyramid on the back of the dollar bill…it just stands for capitalism guys! Therefore in this business you start at the bottom and work your way up to the top, something that is not ever possible in the real world (unless you have same last name as the boss!). Most people are so comfortable at the bottom that they don’t even realize that getting to the top can make them a heck a lot of money! And of course theirs a smaller percentage of Senior Vice Presidents and Platinum Senior Vice Presidents then their are any of the other positions. Not everyone can endure the test to success. It’s nothing new. People fail in all areas of life whether it be school, work, marriage..etc. If success was so easy to achieve then shouldn’t we all be at the top? Don’t be suprised, the person at the top just wasn’t you. So get over it and stop conditioning yourself for mediocracy and do something different with your life. Seriously just think about, if their are people in 5linx not having success why follow them? why not follow the people that are having success? It’s not the business it’s just the work ethic and desire of the person.
Why not work hard and get a proper business education -learn how to make money from an honest living? — you make it sound like there are only two options join a MLM or be lazy and work for 40 years and get manipulated by Corporate America…
Isn’t there other ways to become rich if that is what you are looking for?
Where is the info on the products and services you offer? Why is there such an emphasis on Bentleys and mansions – don’t be brainwashed by the wealthy lifestyle that they show you —
Ask for the Financial Report on the company and see what they are REALLY making — Also, why are there so many black people at Linx? — are Black people suckers or just pimping others who they know will trust them ??
(I am Afro-Canadian BTW)
btw…if you wanna take a look at the company on the NBC NEWS…just go to youtube and type in 5linx news clip. I’m pretty sure that can do a lot more justice then some blogger.
Ron, you said you were scammed by 5linx representatives. Did you even work the business? Did you treat this like a real business? I bet not. I bet you just sit and and expected it to work. Then you most likely spoke with your friends and family and bombarded them and asked them to join. WRONG! ALL WRONG! No longer do you need to make lists and bombard people to join your business or gain customers. I actually turn people away from joining my business. Why? Because I don’t want DEAD BEATS in my company period. You most likely are not a leader and will never be one. It takes a leader to make something work. Stop looking for a get rich quick scheme and actually ask someone for help. If you need help in working your business ASK! Don’t come on message boards and bad mouth the opportunity because you were too lazy to do anything.
I am having a difficult time just reading these posts! Can anyone write or spell correctly? This is so indicitive of our society. People are incredibly ignorant in such basic areas of education. As for the legitimacy of the 5Linx company, it is extremely easy to see through all the hype that this is just another MLM scam. I believe people fall for these scams because they don’t think logically. Think about this, what business requires you to pay them to work for them? Also, you always have to think about what’s the pay off for the company. They are not in business to make you rich, they are in business to make them rich. Unfortunately, this is just another garden variety MLM company.
SCAAAAAM, SCAAAAAM, SCAMMMM, JAAAAMES!!!!!! Look, I know that this shit is a scam. My brother I was in ACN(conversing with stars like Steve and Pasha Carter). All the hard work that I did recruiting was for nothing. The services sucked ass, and to get the services to the people was a pain in the ass. The only thing my sponsor ever said to me was, “get more people to get on board”. What about the services?
I was working my ass off indeed, but all of my failures were my fault. Some of these black cats in 5linx were already hustlin’ for ACN, and the same way ACN targeted the Black community is the same way that 5linx does. They run their conferences like pentecostal church services. Hype, exitement, music, stuntin’. A big chitlin’ circuit production. You see a couple black folks gettin’ paid and you’re in a projects, you’ll figure “maybe I can pull that off too”. Then when the money doesn’t start pouring in like promised, your in the dumps. That’s why you see these young cats ballin’ on youtube. The average young (Black)person is going to say “I want that free Bentley. I want the 6 figure checks, hell, I’ll hustle up that $499″ But if you weren’t with the company from the getgo, with a SERIOUS customer base you ain’t gettin’ shit! These guys make a lot of loot from touring their conferences, DVD’s, CD’s, everything but the product. Paige is right on the money. These Black, brainwashed, zombies are being enslaved by the wealthy few at the top again. It’s a shame that some of them are our own.
By the way, what about all that hype these RVP’s were talkin’ when they WERE with ACN? Now they are with another company? That shows you how much game they are runnin’. The same shit that they are spewing about ACN in 2003, is the same bullshit that they are spewing about 5 linx in 2008… I know for a fact that these cats went hustlin’ this shit in small towns and lower income communities(mostly minority) to sell dreams. Raping the poor to get richer.. A shame indeed. To you zombies tryin’ to rebuttle this info. Go to hell and take your brainwash-talk with you. I’ve been in the ACN situation, 5linx is the same shit.
With the exception of the unprofessional posts typically found in this medium, this board has been amusing. I’ve especially enjoyed Paige, who seems to have disappeared. Is he/she dead or just MIA? Paige proves that you can write pretty well and be ignorant at the same time. Note to Paige (in case you’re lurking): If you want to understand the 5LINX compensation plan, do your own research.
MLM is a different business model. Just because some of you are not interested, does not make it a scam. The biggest fallacy prevalent on this board is comparing 5LINX (or any MLM) to employment. That’s an apples-to-oranges comparison, which is apparent every time someone refers to the 5LINX posters as employees or “working for the company.” 5LINX is business ownership – you work for yourself.
Some companies require a fee to use their name. Unless I missed it, no one on this board has mentioned that McDonald’s franchises go for a million dollars or more with a significant part of that just for the right to use the golden arches. By your logic this is a scam. MLM has two advantages over most franchises: low cost of entry and the ability to start part-time. The disadvantage is that ease of entry makes it just as easy to exit when things get a little bit difficult.
If you care to read a more extensive rebuttal to the anti-MLM crowd’s claims, go to: http://clancycross.wordpress.com/my-site/network-marketing-lets-debate/.
Cheers!
YALL NIGGAS IS STUPID; FAKE RICH NIGGAS I GOT THE MILLIONS READ MY ORIGINAL POST, RAYMOND AND A FEW OF YOU OTHERS ARE ON THAT 5LINX CRACK NIGGA
EDDIE QARTEL
HARDCOREST NIGGA MILLIONAIRE EVER
1.3 MILLION RECORDS SOLD
$2.6 MILLION US DOLLARS IN PUERTO RICO
TOP THAT NIGGA
PS YOU THINK YOU RICHER THAN EDDIE QARTEL?
THEN STEP UP WITH YOUR WEAK ASS MLM SCAM:
HTTP://WWW.MYSPACE.COM/EDDIEQ
Wow. It is amazing to see so many negative post on this blog. Anytime someone is negative majority of the time they aren’t content or happy with themselves or their situation. If the shoe fits then wear it. If “jobs”/”careers” were so safe-proof then why are millions of people being laid off? Why does the country need a 700 Billion Dollar “Bailout” Plan? Why are there record numbers of Foreclosures? Why does the government now have control over Freddie Mac, Fannie May, AIG, and many more companies to come. Why did Bush have a foreclosure program put into effect to help people in this financial crisis, but in the fine print it states that the government now owns 50 percent equity in your house if you choose to sell it. Aren’t they the reason why the world is failing, but yet they still want a piece of the pie.
MLM or network marketing is simply franchising. So to all who believe that 5LINX, ACN, Market America, YTB, Traverus, Agile, Quixstar or any company with this “business model” is scam then that means Best Buy, Walmart, Circuit City, McDonalds, Burger King, Target, and pretty much any retail or chain store is a scam. Do you get my drift? People need a back-up plan because your job isn’t going to cut in this day in age. I am young man in my twenties and I was taught to go to school, get a degree, and then get a good job. That is BS. It’s not about what you know, it’s about who you know in this world. I am a business owner with 5linx by the way, and I am wondering if its such a scam like most people make it seem. Then why is Sprint, AT@T, T-Mobile, Direct TV, Dish Network, Nextel are partnered with 5LINX. These are Fortune 100 companies, multi-billion dollar companies. They wouldn’t partner up with and put there brand at risk if it was a scam. Direct Marketing is a multi billion dollar a year industry. We all do it, it’s just a matter of if you get paid or not. Have you ever referred someone about a movie, cd, restaurant, hotel, casino, car, pair of shoes, etc? If you have you are already doing network marketing you just don’t know.
To piggyback on the attrition of people dropping out of 5LINX. Most people don’t have what it takes to run a successful organization or company. That’s why they fall into that 97 percent of the population while the remaining 3 percent makes more money than the 97 percent combined. It’s much easier to quit something versus sticking it out and putting in a little hard work. But if people just FOCUS (Follow One Course Until Successful) on the task at hand whether its 5LINX, or anything in life for that matter they would see success. Bill Gates didn’t give up on Microsoft back in the 1980’s when times got tough. Look at him now, he makes 500 dollars a second. He is making most people average salary in a matter of a minute or so. The world revolves around money and the rich and the wealthy have multiple streams of revenue. The rich and the wealthy build networks and systems while the poor go look for work. Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki are heavy endorsers of network marketing. Google it for the non-believers. It’s time for a change because we are in a recession and it’s only going to get worst.
“Educate Yourself and never walk into any situation blindly.”
http://www.Quitmycareer.com
All of your comments about the poor economy are not related to your actual argument.
also just because fortune 500 companies sign on it doesn’t necessarily legitimize the business. this can be disproved with examples like Enron. Also The banking institutions failed because of poor business practices.
Just because Mcdonalds is a franchise and in your opinion 5linx is doing the same thing franchising does not mean 5linx is not a scam. McDonalds is a sound endorsement because it can back up its numbers with facts and has a standard for consistency.
also your allusion with great entrepreneurs like Bill gates are trivial because these are self made men with great ideas. your really not revolutionizing anything. your taking an existing idea, and marketing just like the tupper ware lady. the compensation plans may be different but they are essentially the same thing.
p.s. what are you doing online get on your conference call.
God Bless your soul Dan Martinez. That’s what’s wrong with the world today. Mind your business and don’t worry about me and my conference call. Just by reading your little message I can tell that you are the type of person that swear’s to have an answer for everything. Most people like that are normally miserable people that try to force everyone else to think negative about situations. People like you are poison to mankind. I will pray for you though.
I still have not said this company isn’t capable of bringing in cash-flow. it just happens that a vast majority of the arguments for the company are terrible. I admit my last comment was more a personal attack and not really related to the subject at hand. i simply cannot stand blanket statements by people on their high horses. Assuming that all detractors are all unhappy discontent people is not exactly minding your business either.
I am still uncertain about the legitimacy of the company, but isn’t that why this forum exist. if it can be proven without a doubt that it isn’t a deceitful company than great. we’ll have an answer , until then lets keep to factually based arguments.
im currently 17 years old and was introduuced to 5 linxs and actually went to a meeting last night and i will admit i was pumped up the rep personally told me with hard work i can become wealthy and when i looked at this guy he was driving a bmw and just bought himself a new house so it seemed legit to me but after reading these comments im still deciding anyone want to help out a future buisness man??
I have been approached by these people and am here doing some checking up. Let me start by saying that I do not at all have a problem with MLM. I know that as with anything else, you will get out of it what you put into it. Having to invest the $499 dose not deter me either. Any business you choose to get into would require some startup capitol.
What I am looking to find out is about the service itself. What kind of customer service can the people that I sing up expect? When talking to people who are already Dish customers, what benefits will they have by going with 5linx? What is the phone number that people will dial when the need tech support? What, if any, additional equipment will they need? Will they have to purchase the phone to be able to use 5linx VoIP service? Things such as that.
Without question, Money is what MOTIVATES me. But I am not willing to peddle a sevivice that I don’t believe in or that will be of no benifit to my customers. That is WHO I AM. I understand, and am okay with the fact, that what this company’s goal is is to generate capital for expansion and growth much the same as another startup might look for investors or sell shares. Believe me, If there is a service that I can in good concience market to the public It would be my objective to sign up as many people on my team as were looking for, and wlling to work for, the oppertunity to generate an income and potentially longterm wealth.
Which brings me to another concern. When I have been contacted by these people what they talk about (and they do alot of over talking) are things like the conventions or rallies that were held and the number of people who attended. In fact, when I logged onto the the 5linx web page, there was a lot of information on that. For he record… ‘So you held a convention and a lot of people showed up Yeah,Yeah,Yeah.!!! SO WHAT! Ditch the HYPE! Please… What the people who have contacted me have yet to get into are the things that should matter most when you are concidering bringing a product to the public. Value, Quality, and Service. Is this a company that will not only stand behind me but will I be able to stand behind the service it is providing? You are wanting me to invest in a Business… That is how I believe business should be done> In fact it is te only way I intend to ever do it.
If these thing are present, and I am given information that I can research and prove. Then let’s tallk compensation, qualifying, what it takes to get to the level of stock options. What and when is the probability of the compay going public and what are the concervative projections. In short, let’s talk longterm wealth.
I just recently went to one of the 5linx seminars, and not by choice. A work friend asked me if I could talk to him about some “advise” on something. He picks me up and we start driving. So I asked him whats up. He says I wanna see your views on a buisness idea a friend was proposing. We roll into a Hotel parking lot and emediately I said, we’re going to a fucken seminar aint we. I felt like a jack ass! I was already there so I went to the seminar anyways. As soon as I got there i felt uncomfortable. It seemed so much like a religious cult type of atmosphere (for lack of a better discription). People were yelling “YES!” and “WHOO-HOO!” like if they were sooooo into it. I listened and listened and noticed the speaker repeating things like, ” to have cars you gotta have what?” (and the crowed replies) “MONEY!” seemed kinda BRAIN WASHY! After the seminar me and “friend” were leaving and found myself being led to a table with some chairs. And thats when I knew that my “friend” had already bought in and I was his potential victim! I seriously felt deceived the whole night. The way I see it you really gotta be a cold hearted, deceitful, and be able to sell an ice cube to an eskimo in order to make any money. Might be possible but it aint for me!
So that’s what they do huh? I just got approached the other day at my school by one of these people from 5linx. Of course, he was saying all this “good” stuff and saying he only works part-time and is constantly paid off residuals. He then goes into these experiences with attracting his consumers…long story short, I said I was interested to what it is about. He showed me the website and called me that night to put me on a list for one of the seminars tomorrow. He calls and says, “Which one you want to go to? The one of Wednesday or Thursday?” I told him Wednesday, then he says, which I thought was strange, “Okay we’re going to meet in front of..” I’m thinking why do we have to meet up, like I’m going to be the only person he knows there. And DEE you sum it up for me! His plan is to introduce me as HIS potential victim. I’m not stupid, I started doing my research on this company and learning you have to pay a start up fee (which would not be happening anyway), invest and all these other allegations. It’s not for me either, I have a child, school and trying to seek a REAL job to concentrate on than something that’s more than likely not beneficial. Tonight, I will be calling him back and letting him know he needs to find someone else to resale purchased merchandise and video phones.
The one thing I can’t stand is the hype that mlm, direct sales marketing does and you end-up spending more than your realize. I find mlm can be kind of a cult because of the experience with a good friend a few years ago. Don’t want to get into it but he weas acting extremely different from the person I got to know for over 10 yrs.
Another thing…Please budget yourself as when you get into this types of systems they get you going on marketing and lots of time (time that mostpeople don’t have) it can get very, very expensive ending up owing more than you are making. Look at how many mlms are out there and how many are still in the business (down line) trying to do the american dream. Best way, since you are spending so much money already…is to invest in your own creation. Do something that you love, something that you are good at. Did I say you got to spend lots of time and invest lots are you ready for this. Remember also people are downsizing with everything. When you get a customer, they most likely will cancel. But I do wish anyone that is trying anything out there the best of luck. PS Has anyone looked at their financials?
I have been reading all these post and they are making me very tired of all the negative bull. I’ve had my business for the past 30 years and you do have to work your business, any business you want you must work. Work very hard, for those of you out there that think 5linx is crap. That is fine, you just don’t belong in the front line, do ya self a favor and stay where you are. You will be happy living from pay to pay check. There are some people out there that are afraid of taking that chance. Where the hell you gonna take $500. and start a business. The company I had and started from the ground up cost me way more then $500. I shelled out $10,000 a month just to open the door. Remember money does not grow on trees, you must get out there and show you are willing to earn it rather then just saying negative remarks about it. Every one is different. I did a test with my sales staff, I put two sale man on 10 jobs each, the odd are very good that one sale man will out sell the other 4 to 1, why, cause they have a desire to make the money. And yes I did do just that and my sales were always up there compared to the sales man I hired, Why cause I owned the business.I have the desire, I will say this to you all that are reading this post, 5linx will go places whether you are with the company or you just decide to pass them up. Just please, please do kick your self in the ass when you see this company go global and you are still trying to figure out where you went wrong. You were to busy listening to others being negative rather then listing to your gut.
Check out what the “almighty” Jose Fejarang (Former 5LINX ND) has to say about GLA!
http://foofy.swiftco.net/pyramid/glaselling.mp3
Jose: Are you on autoship yet bro?
Spy: No, not yet.
jose: How come?
Spy: Im just finding out more information about it. I wanted to ask you a question about retail sales. Is the selling of the products to people outside of the company required, like is it REQUIRED to move up to regional director and area director and stuff like that?
Jose: Selling to retail customers outside of the company?
Spy: Yeah, outside of the company. Is there any customer requirements like in 5linx?
Jose: No, nope.
Spy: No?
Jose: No, you just gotta be on autoship bro.
Spy: Thats why I was concerned about selling.
Jose: All you gotta be is on autoship bro.
Spy: And just have all of your downlines on autoship and thats it?
Jose: Yeah, see bonus volume sticks every month, for anyone thats on autoship. Does that make sense? So whats 80 times ten?
Spy: 800.
Jose: Ok, now whats 80 times a thousand?
Spy: 80,000.
Jose: Yeah, thats 80,000 bonus points bro. Thats 80,000.
Spy: So its just getting everyone on the gold package, you get all those points and thats it.
Jose: Yeah, you get all those points.
Spy: So theres no selling?
Jose: Yeah.
Spy: You dont have to sell ?
Jose: Yeah, you dont really have to sell.
Hi Everyone,
Just got involve in 5linx today and studying material. I think everything depends on your mind set. I have a website and everyone is welcome to go look at it. There are great deals on phones and plans. Please remember that when you sign up for a business, you have additional write-off such as postage, any supplies, gasoline, car payments,a portion of your home (where you do business), part of your utility bills, vacations, and much more. Think out the box everyone. Right now as an individual, when you file your taxes, you deduct kids, interest, and childcare. (then look for your return in a hurry) Now as a business owner, you deduct your all the items I stated before and some. Just deducting gasoline, vacations, charity donations, and part of your utilities is a return of at least twice what you got before. Donald Trump and Bill Gates are worth millions from business write-offs. $500 is nothing for what it will do for you.Example:
Working for someone else: You make $100,000 per year
You pay in $25,000 in taxes
A. You deduct $5,000 in home interest
You have 2 kids $10,000 deduction
Yourself and spouse $10,000 deduction
Child Care deduction is $8,000
Now you have $33,000 in deductions – $100,000= $67,000 your taxable income at 20%= $13,400 total taxes owed – $25,000 paid in = you get a $11,600 return
Now you run your business and file: $100,000 income and you pay $25,000 in taxes
B.
You deduct: $500 for getting in the business
$400 for business security system
$1100 for cellular plans
$500 for advertising
$500 for services
$2000 for portion of utilities
$4000 for car payments
$10000 for business vacations (took the kids)
$5000 for dining out with potential customers
$4000 for church and other charities
$5000 for clothes (business attire)(spouse also)
$4000 for childcare
$8000 for kids salary for helping your business
$2000 for a ring for your spouse (incentive)
$6000 for mileage
$5000 for gifts
$5000 siminars/tools
$10000 entertainment
total deductions: $73,000
$73,000 – 100,000 = 27,000 your taxable income
27,000 x 20%= $5400.00 you owe
25,000 you paid in – $5400 you owe = $19,600.00 refund
Now which refund check would you like A or B.
People just because your business takes a loss, does not mean the business is hurting. The loss are the deductions they take to draw down their taxable income. You should get involved in a home based business, (any one), because you will spend alot of the monies anyway, you just can’t take the deduction. Spend more time with your kids, your spouse, or parents. Much love
Please read this, it is very informative in my opinion and should help you make a decision on whether or not to join an MLM(5Linx).. I tried to be unbiased and strictly informative as I could be without giving my own beliefs the best I could. But more importantly, although I do not own a company and am not involved in an MLM, I created a compensation of my own that allows 100% of the people to either break even or make a profit, and a much better profit with a much better chance of it than any Compensation plan I have seen. It only took me 30 minutes and im 22 years old with no business background and I wish MLM’s would use my model so they could stop being referred to as scams as most people consider them… so please read this if interested about MLM and want answers.. it’s a little long but full of meat and potatoes. J
Alright, there are so many thoughts going through my head when the word MLM comes up I have to sit and write it out just to be able to sort through it all. The reason being that there are things in common with all MLM’s that for some reason or other don’t sit right with me. so to start off i have been doings hours upon hours of research with a very open mind to see if I can somehow answer the simple question of “can i morally be a part of an MLM and maintain my character, integrity and dignity?” It is not merely a point of if “i” can make money with MLM but rather can the “people” that I am forced to recruit into the business in order for myself to make any substantial income, also be profitable and not lose money.
According to the statistic that 99.9% of all people that get into the business of MLM’s not only dont make money, but actually lose money, is the basis of what sends me on this investigation to see the reason why this statistic is a reality in all MLM’s. (The reference for the statistic is http://www.mlm-thetruth.com... also just from reading many other sources that agree, but what mostly convinces me this is true is that no MLM ever denies this fact, which in sense means its true cause what business would let that so called “lie” persist without a rebuttal if it was going to hurt there business as a whole.. however if anyone has information otherwise then please share, of course I’ am writing this primarily for myself just to get my thoughts onto paper and try to see the big picture, so I don’t know who or if anyone will even read this)
99.9% is a pretty serious statistic to consider so lets quickly list the other things real quick that i would consider unsettling or fishy about MLM’s just to get them all out right off the bat and then dive into them specifically.
Subject #1. – 99.9% of people that sign up with MLM companies LOSE money(more than what they have invested)
Subject #2. – In order to advance in rank, in other words a higher paying level, you “must” recruit people into your business, who inevitably must also recruit recruiters in basically an endless cycle, which isn’t all that bad considering it is a word of mouth marketing plan which i believe is the best way to sell and promote a product with better customer service, but the problem lies in the fact that people make much of their money from recruiting instead of selling products the company offers, which also ties into subject #3
Subject #3. – Starting cost to get into the business/”pay to play” or must personally continue buying products/services to stay in the business and make a profit, basically to stay “active”
Subject #4. – A representative/distributor makes less than 50% commission off products/services they personally sell unless you are higher up in rank. Most of the commission made from that customer is received from that persons upline.
Ok.. so with all these listed im going to try the best i can to play the devils advocate and work both sides the best I can and see what i come up with.. here we go
1. “99.9% of people that sign up with MLM companies LOSE money(more than what they have invested).” Alright im pretty sure anyone with a moral compass would agree with me that if i was starting a company and i was aware that 99.9% of my employees/partners were going to actually LOSE money, that it would be wrong to tell these individuals that i had a great business opportunity that could make them money(read below to find why I recant half of this staement). So lets compare this to other businesses shall we? From what I’ve read on the internet, specifically the SBA-Small Business Assoc., most business experts conform to the theory of thirds which concludes that 30% of businesses make profit, 30% break even, and 30% lose money, and also that 65% of small business start-ups survive there first 2 years and only 50% survive 4 years. So judging by these stats, the stats of an MLM should be somewhat similar, but of course as we know they are not. As far as this subject goes it is hard to defend MLM’s that say the reason people failed or lost money is because they gave up, didn’t follow the plan, because if that were the case then we should generally see the same thing holding true for other businesses across the U.S., not just limited to MLM’s..etc.. In actuality i believe it not to be the peoples fault that they failed but rather the system on which the MLM’s operate because according to the SBA stats, the average entrepreneurs that got involved in an MLM should figuratively fall inline with the average statistics but instead of 30% on average losing money, 99.9% of people that become a rep/dist. lose money. Something is obviously wrong and I don’t believe it has to do with the people but rather the system in which the people get plugged in to. However, on a side note I can also see why much of the failure might be put on the shoulders of the people who signed up and made the decision for themselves for the fact that most of the people presented with this business opportunity are not business minded people.. they are just regular job working people.. cuz if they were business minded they would have most likely started their own business by now or were in the process of doing so.. So i think also that the people presented with this business for the most part, do not have the personality/mindset of a business man/women so these people in essence do not understand what they are getting into, whereas most business people look for partners/employees in a business related environments because they know that the person they are talking to is most likely a business minded person as well and understand what they are getting into as apposed to most “normal” people approached with MLM’s.. sorry for that long run on sentence but don’t know how else to say it. I can’t think of much else to say about this subject. WAAAIT.. actually I’m adding to this because i just found something that needs to be added to this subject.. the reference is on youtube: type in “Tim Sales” and look for the video called “MLM: Do most people fail?” He drives some very good points home which i guess now i have to somehow type out, so now i gotta go take notes on the video to type them.. yippie… Alright, to sum it up, most people “fail” at everything that they set out to do, and fail is in quotations for the fact that most people don’t fail at something, they quit at something.. Tim Sales analogy with golf was very good, watch the video.. also, Another excellent point is odds (like the 99.9% odd) are somewhat irrelevant because your success is not determined by your odds but by your performance.. some examples of this to understand better.. if I were to flip a coin what would be the odds of it landing on tails? because there is no performance involved you could say the odds are 50%.. if I were to roll a dice, what are the odds I would roll a 3?.. because no performance is involved you could assuredly say you have a 1/6 chance to roll a 3.. However if I were trying to putt a golf ball into a whole you could not determine my odds because performance is involved. And my performance is determined by how much practiced and the knowledge and training I have undergone.. So as far as your individual success goes, you do stand a good chance if you realize your odds are based on performance and you don’t give up.. However the fact of the matter still remains that 99.9% of people “fail” at MLM and lose money.. just like everything else in life I guess, im sure if you were to get a golf statistic somehow I would bet 99.9% of people “fail” at ever achieving success like the pros and lose money from purchasing all the stuff that golf requires because somewhere down the road they gave up.. do we blame the golf industry for this and write nasty things about them? No, we don’t, so can the same be said for MLM’s? Hmmmm.. I think your going to have to draw your own conclusion cuz that’s a tough one.
2. “Making more money off recruiting rather than the sales of products/services to people outside of the organization/MLM.” This idea of recruiters recruiting recruits is in itself a very necessary part of everyday business across the world. When companies are in need of employees/partners, a company basically hires a person(s) to find other candidates to join their business. Some business have people come to them but i think many business now days use sources like the internet to recruit people into their business such as monster.com which im sure gets paid a commission by a company for successfully recruiting someone through their website. So what makes this common practice harmful when introduced with an MLM? I believe the underlying issue is that in common business practices, only a handful of people are hired/designated to recruit new employees for the company. And the people that they do bring into the company are not recruiters as well but rather are designated to work on 98% of the companies primary function of selling products/services to customers. So the problem with MLM’s in general is that everyone recruited is primarily taught to keep recruiting instead of selling products/services to customers which means in essence the company could make millions of dollars recruiting people because of start up costs and not even have to sell products/services to customers. So the “business opportunity” presented to people is the business of recruiting in which the MLM companies pay out bigger checks for recruitment rather than sales or they make sure that the commission you earn from sales is directly proportionate/associated with the number of people you recruit. Therefore if i were to join an MLM and strictly do nothing but sell products/services, my efforts would equate to nothing but pennies for the mere fact that i wasn’t recruiting people into the business as well. And again this idea of recruitment wouldn’t be such a bad idea if it wasn’t for the fact that 99.9% of the people recruited lose money from getting involved. All these subjects tie hand in hand with one another so it is unfair to justify one of these subjects by themselves cause they are all pieces of one picture.
3. “Starting cost to get into the business/”pay to play” or must personally continue buying products/services to stay in the business and make a profit, basically to stay “active.” One thing about this subject it can be very controversial. The underlying argument is that instead of investing thousands/millions of $’s to start a business, MLM’s only require a very small amount in comparison. To start up most MLM companies, the founders/presidents have invested millions of dollars at their own personal risk of losing it all. So to help them make up for that initial investment they create a start up fee to get started in the business. Again, this idea by itself is a very common practice when starting a company which is getting investors to invest in your company or the price of getting involved in the business. The difference being typically there are only a handful of investors for every business that starts up where as with MLM’s, since everyone is told that joining an MLM is like starting your “own” business, everyone is basically recruiting “investors/ other reps/dist.” to get involved, turning everyone into investors instead of just a handful. So is there anything wrong with that picture? Cause it sounds pretty harmless, So lets put the pieces together. Although the idea of a start up cost sounds reasonable since the owners are providing basically everything for you to grow your business, the start up cost, when introduced with an MLM, creates a very unexpected chain reaction. You see instead of that money going straight to the owners of the company, this money is paid as a commission to people in that persons upline which in other words means the person that recruited you and the people above him made money off of recruiting you which basically starts this endless cycle of recruiters recruiting recruits because they get paid from it, instead of selling products/services to customers. You see this is not a concern in regards to companies which aren’t MLM’s but when everyone inside a company is offered the chance to make large dividends off recruiting, it will quickly escalate and get out of hand because now the primary function/goal of the company has shifted from selling products/services to customers, to continually making profits from recruiting. That is why the very idea of “recruiting” needs to be defined as bringing someone into your organization to help promote and sell the companies products/services, that is why companies that sell by word of mouth need to recruit. Not so “recruits” can recruit more “recruits.” So to reiterate, it is not morally wrong in my opinion for a company to ask for a start up fee to get into the business, the problem is using that money to pay the people that were associated with bringing that person into the business because now they could potentially stop selling products/services and continually recruit to make profit.
4. “A representative/distributor makes less than 50% commission off products/services they personally sell unless you are higher up in rank. Most of the commission made from that customer is received from that persons upline.” This subject also can be looked at from many different perspectives. This is most likely the cause of why 99.9% of people that become a rep/dist. lose money rather than make money. The goal when joining an MLM is to advance in rank so you get paid a higher % of commission from your personal sales and the sales of those underneath you(your downline). The reason it is so hard to turn a profit when you join an MLM is the fact that you are the lowest rank in the system and therefore you make the least % off what you sell and those below you. Instead of making at least 50% commission off personal sales you are most likely making 5% while you upline is making 95%. To display this im going to do a quick example: Lets say a MLM company makes a product for $15 and is selling it retail for $100 but now the company needs to find a means to sell this product so instead of advertising on an expensive large scale they use an MLM model to sell it. So lets just say i got recruited into an MLM and now i make my first sale. I sell the product for $100 to a customer and in the companies compensation plan it states that at my current rank in the company i will earn 5% commission. So i just made $5, but what about my upline, how much did they make? I’ll use this model of A, B, C, D, and E. A is the lowest rank and E is the highest rank which gets paid the highest % of my sale that i acquired. And lets say each rank increases by 5% commission. So rank A(me) made $5, B made $10, C made $15, D made $20, and E made $25.. add them altogether and u get $75 commission was paid out and the person that made the actual sail only made $5.. the rest $70 was paid to my upline. You see this in itself is not morally wrong although it does suck that even though u made the sale that you get the least but that is why the company motivates you to earn a higher rank which is where the true problem occurs. Because now in order for me to increase in rank, according to the compensation plan, i “must” recruit people into the business and also help those people i recruited as well recruit more recruits. and the inevitable fact of the matter is that every recruiter has to live with is that 99.9% of the people that get recruited into “your” personal tree/organization will LOSE money no matter how persistent you are in training new reps/dist. in your business. Why? because there will come a point where there are so many recruits joining your tree/organization you cannot control what goes on inside of it since you have no right to fire people that may be misleading other about the business and no power to change the structure of the business when you see flaws in it. Also people have a free choice to do as they please and you can’t make anybody do anything they don’t want to, which is why bosses play such a key role, to govern what happens and do what must be done to ensure ethical and moral standards are being maintained. The idea that you “own” the business is misleading in the fact that the only rights you really have in the business is the right to sell products/services and recruit others under you. Although the potential to earn high income than a regular job is made available to you.
Conclusion: Ok, after writing all this out I believe I have come to my decision. Although I like the idea presented by MLM, I do not think I can morally be apart of an organization that most people that join, LOSE money when in 30 minutes I came up with my own MLM compensation plan that not 1 person in my organization would lose 1 cent. Cause I don’t believe in pointing out problems without giving a better solution/alternative.. I simply did one thing, I took the four things I had a problem with and did the exact opposite, and guess what.. I created what I would see as a flawless MLM that not one person could lose money in and also where not 1 person got paid off recruiting some one (for the most part) but that is irrelevant when no one is losing money. So what is it? Here it is. (Just to clarify I do not have or own a MLM company, but rather came up with a comp. plan that I wish MLM’s would use instead)
1. No start up fee whatsoever, also meaning they do not even have to buy your product/service to join business. And definitely no “pay to play” where they have to buy inventory consistently to stay “active.” There is no active or inactive status in my MLM.
2. No payments shall be made for the act of recruiting someone into the business. No matter what. The only money to be made is by strictly selling products/services. Although you can make money from your downline who sell products/service but not from recruiting.
3. No getting paid off an infinite dowline. In other words, you can only get paid off the efforts of 3-5 generations of people and no more. So instead of one gigantic “tree” you will have hundreds of smaller trees. why do this? This will eliminate the need for “rank/levels.”
4. 50% commission/residual income will always be given to the person who made the sale, and the other 50% will be distributed among that persons upline.
5. Every person that buys your product, inadvertently becomes a sales rep/dist… upon purchase they are given a code #(like every MLM) where if they choose to sell it, they can make money off that sale.. You can also sign up to be a rep/dist. without having to make any purchase or pay any start up cost.
6. Every person that signs up or buys a product is put directly underneath the person who brought them in or sold the product. Meaning if I were a rep, everyone I signed up or sold to would go directly under me and no one else.. a long horizontal line in other words
7. Could make bonus pools for people that sell a certain amount of products and also your downline that sells a certain amount of production. Like making a pool for reps. who personally have sold 50 products, or a pool for reps. whose downline sold 250 products. Just be sure NOT to make pools for RECRUITING!! very important.
Ok now im going to put all these into play and give you an entire example, here goes nothing..
My company is A.J. Inc. and im selling home video phones along with a service and nothing else. I’am able to manufacture these phones for $20 and am going to sell them retail for $200. My phone service will cost me $1 a month per customer and will sell my service for $30 a month.(cannot buy phone w/o the service). I decide to go with some 22 year olds crazy compensation plan I got off the internet to market my product using direct sales(word of mouth/MLM). So I contact this 22 year old and say “hey would u like to sell my product using your comp plan?” The compensation is as follows… 1st gen. commission is $20 for each phone, 2nd gen. $10, 3rd gen. $5.…. 1st gen. residual $5(from $30/month phoner service), 2nd gen. $2, 3rd gen. $1. He agrees and start immediately.
In the first month he sells 10 video phones. Since these are 10 people he personally sold to, they are considered 1st gen. meaning he gets $20×10 phones= $200(com), but now he also starts making residual income from the phone service, $5×10 servies= $50(res.)/month. So the first month he made $250 and $50 of that is residual each month.
In the second month he sells 10 phones again, but this time the 10 people he sold the phone to on average sold 2 phones per person selling a total of 20 phones in his 2nd gen. so the first step is exactly the same as last month except now he is making another $50/month residual. $200(com)+$50(res.)+$50(res.)= $300 from just his 1st gen. Now to calculate his 2nd gen. earnings. $10×20 phones=$200(com.), $2×20 services = $40(res.). So to add up this months earnings… $200(com1st) + $200(com2nd) + $50(res.1st) + $50(res.1st) + $40(res.2nd) = $540 for the second month. So in 2 months time he made $250 + $540 = $790, and $140 of that is residual each month
in the third month he sells 10 phones again making $200(com1st) but $150(res.1st) because he has 30 people in his 1st generation now(directly under him who he personally sold to, 10peopleX3months=30 people in 1st gen.) The same thing happens this month as the last month, his 2nd gen. people(20 of them, not including the 10 he just brought in this month) on average sell 2 phones a person resulting in 40 phones from his 2nd gen. $10×40phones = $400(com2nd), $2×40services = $80(res.2nd). Now lets say on average the 20 people in 2nd gen. also sold products to 2 people, 20peopleX2phones = 40 phones. $5×40 phones = $200(com3rd). $1×40services = $40(res.3rd)… add all this together and u get.. $200+$400+$200= $800(com.) and $150+$80+$40= $270(res.) which means $1070 in just the 3rd month alone.
So to conclude in 3 months time he made $1860 Total and $270 of that is residual each month, with an investment of $0 with a 100% of the people making a profit. This model is also without any extra bonuses from sales volume which of course could be put in place and is also only 3 generations deep, which could be up to 5 generations deep making much more profit to reps./dist. and less to the owner. Of course this example I used assumes that you get 10 personal sales a month and that of those 10 people, they each sell only 2 phones a months. So my example is pretty realistic if the quality of the phone and service is up to par, plus I believe people are about 10X more likely to join an MLM with this compensation plan and guidelines than traditional MLM’s. Call me crazy but this could easily work and could turn the tide against MLM scams J
If a company were to follow these simple steps when creating an MLM, you would have the most successful MLM system ever made. I’m a 22 year old who has no background in business and in 30 minutes came up with a MLM system that 100% of the people that got involved in my business would either break even or make a profit… How come no other company has or is using something like this?(And if you are please let me know!!! I would love to know more about your business!!) Anyone that would try to say this was a scam would only make themselves look like a fool.. Also, you cold make so much more money with this simple compensation plan than with any other I’ve seen, unless your at the way top and have the highest rank/level in the company, which is a number of people you could count on 1 hand.
Well although this was very long, I hope it gave a lot of insight, and u were able to draw your own conclusion. Like the guy from reading rainbow says, “Don’t take my word for it.”
Sincerely from Milwaukee WI,
Austin V.W.
Let me say that i have a very close friend working with the company and he has done well and had no problems. He made close to 200K last year and his friend made 550K. There are negative things people can say about all companies, you have to get in and know yourself. Don’t believe everything you hear! It’s all on a personal basis!
“And who wants to work at a company where the successful people can’t spell, don’t use capital letters properly, don’t know how to write sentences and wouldn’t know a logical argument if it walked into the room wearing a t-shirt that says “I am a logical argument”? Not me!” -Paige
After reading about 10 posts or so from this blog and shaking my head in disappointment at the world record holder in the run on sentence category, I laughed a little and thought I had to comment in regards to Paige’s comments. That quote alone was classic and sad at the same time.
Equally sad was that kernon himself said he was done with the conversation because he could not fathom what rappers had to do with his ingenious argument. It’s a really scary thought that someone like him has any association with the word business and if he is able to make a living through any other medium other than flipping burgers, considering his intellect, I really am left speechless over the diverse system of this country.
Paige isn’t around here anymore seems like but for you guys that are saying he is only about negativity and flaming other poster’s comments havn’t been reading each post and the relevant responses (I don’t really blame you considering the length and volume of comments here).
The one time that Paige was actually rude and insulting in regards to someone’s grammer and spelling was to that guy “kernon” who if you notice didn’t use a single period in his post. Included in that post was unorganized thought and starting many sentences with the word “hell”. I’m sorry but anyone defending that person’s opinions is seriously missing the point here and not interested in determining whether da Links is worth pursuing.
I also noticed some people backing up the legitimacy of Links and saying how can it fail if its based on the ACN model and has endorsements etc etc. Paige and others here have repeatedly stated that Links might very well be a legitimate company. The US government allows it to stay in business and it thrives. We are not concerned if a company grows exponentially and makes money. We are concerned over how good a potential recruit’s chances are in being successful.
Many of you have validly pointed out that it’s not for everyone (btw that is a slogan used by many MLMs to make you question that claim and believe that you ARE exceptional and it is for you). Well sure, every job or business opportunities isn’t for everyone but not every job or business opportunity makes public their numbers that less than 99 percent will make a decent living, because that isn’t the case with other places. You guys love holding on to virtues like “work hard and it will come”. Who in their right minds wouldn’t agree with that other than criminals? Those virtues are very important and do have a place in society, just not in MLMs where its more difficult if not impossible than what that slogan was meant for. That slogan was not meant to apply to an uphill battle in which 99 out of 100 people will make a few hundred to a few thousand dollars a year and the remaining 1 person will make 6 figures. This brings into question risk assessment. If you can afford putting up to risk 500 dollars to which you have a minuscule chance of making a career out of, then by all means try it out. It is a lottery of sorts except it requires a heavy load of work and lots of stress. I won’t sit here and tell you better ways of making money because then you would be competing with me
Jaeniq,who are you trying to kid? Get real.
Austin V.W. Excellent job in your explaination of the MLM concept. Here is the scam about all of the MLM companies. All the top people lie. Lets take the 5link company. The initial $500.00 dollar “Franchise” fee (what I was told) gives you absolutely nothing in return. This is unlike the franchise fee for a McDonalds. To compare the two is ridicious. McDonalds has ofcourse world wide name recognization. 5linx has what? The right to sell services provided by other companies that are marketed by 5linx? The people at 5linx talk like they are marketing some unique product. You will hear people say things like “Were opening up the Dallas market next week”! and “We are ready to launch this program in two weeks in this area so the time is right to jump on”! What the HELL does all that mean? Its no big deal! So some folks may save a little on their telephone and internet bills per month. They may save a few dollars on their cell phone. Other then that 5linx isn’t some company that has made some new life saving discovery. So then why so much hype? The sad, pathetic part is the fact that the dorks at the top know that the majority of people that pluck down their $500.00 will quit after six months. These top scammers will stay around just long enough to make some very good money, then off to yet another NEW and wonderful MLM company. You will always hear the great speaches about being that special type of person that won’t settle for just the average, or to “Challenge yourself for greatness”. They all say the same things at all the meetings etc…I pity the next person that should decide to approach me with another “I want to tell you of an exciting business opportunity” speal again.
Crush I take it your just salty because 5LINX didn’t work for you. Everything isn’t for everybody bottom line. You get what you put into it. If you don’t put any effort into it, expect to get nothing out of it. Now plain and simple had you been bringing in a 20k a month or better check I highly doubt you would have wrote a post as such. I personally know 5LINX does work and it is freing people all over the world. Who wants to keep working a “(J)ourney (O)f the (B)roke for the rest of their life. I would much rather sweat and grind it out in an industry where I control my income versus being a salve at a 9-5 and still not having ends meet. Documentation beats conversation and opinions anyday. The 5linx company wasn’t featured in well know magazines such as Inc.500, Your Business at Home and Direct Selling News to name a few just because. The company is an up and coming company that a lot of business minded people can see the vision in which the company is headed in. Look for 5LINX to create so many millionaires in the next few years that your gonna eat your words I promise. Or maybe you might just decide to step your game up and give 5linx all you got, the results really could be life changing…………
“The initial $500.00 dollar “Franchise” fee (what I was told) gives you absolutely nothing in return. This is unlike the franchise fee for a McDonalds. ”
If you own your own business wouldn’t you have to work hard for it to pay off. Your selling a product if that’s not your thing then don’t do it plain and simple.
OMG!!! people its business…like it or leave it. If you want to make money take a chance invest and then see if see you its for you. If not, oh well you have a new experience under your belt. Every body is looking for the 600,000 dollar reward in their first 10 days. Its not gonna happen anymore people. Obviously, people are raking in the money in this company and other mlms. I been with 5linx for a month and 2 weeks and have been promoted to ET (which is the rank above a regular rep) with a 3000 dollar bonus plus other bonuses. I’m a 24 year old college student and military veteran who plans on getting into another career job and continue doing 5linx at the same time. WHY? I am extremely interested in getting the stock options at the SVP level on the company. And SVP is only 3 ranks away, i plan on getting SVP before November. $500 a year isnt bad for an SVP because they get an automatic $3 for every globalinx service sold throughout the whole company. Keep in mind that there’s over 500,000 customers both international and domestic. Now, to a business mind…that’s alot of money especially when someone of another country buys the service.
Most of you cry about the short run, if you look at it long term it all makes sense. Every job in this country has a retirement plan, 401k, pension plan etc. They saw the big picture. In addition, 5linx tells you to their program part time because in the long run it pays off. But it is up to the rep to sit down and get themselves together to reach SVP and PSVP. Well i’m going off track, so i’m done.
To all fellow 5linx reps, see ya at the nationals…i’ll be the guy being carried to the stage to get my keys to my bemmer…lol
To paige…i don’t care about professional typing or blogging watevea…Why are you so negative about everything? I bet you hate yourself because you discovered something negative about life. Paige woke up one day, “Oh, I woke up this is some BULL****. Now I got to go write a blog about waking up and destroy people who like waking up. Yeah, i’m cool.”
Enjoy you day people
The median #of new customers last month was 13 how can this be. New i.m.r’s are pushed to do warm market introduction groups at there homes.97% of new people in2007 failed are all these people not following directions or the system is a opportunity for 500$ to sell someone a opportunity for 500.You see that helicopter thats my helicopter you see those girls they like me look at your friends they are loosers you come to my webinar i show you how. A WORKING CLASS HERO IS SOMETHING TO BE, JOHN LENNON. I CANT BELIEVE I FEEL FOR THIS TIME TO MOVE ON.
I was introduced to this nightmare by a “new” friend of a relative.This nicely dressed smooth talker sucked me in the the video phone thing.Being a foreigner,I thought what a wonderful opportunity for my friends to see family and friends they hadn’t seen in ages.But something wasn’t right because he kept going on about how important it was to recruit my friends to join/sign up.
Finally I agreed to sign up and was told I had to pay a monthly fee of $49.99 to be able to access the company website to track my sales and commission.After my credit card was declined at a gas station 3 days later,I asked my credit card company for the last 5 transactions on my card and …..you must have guessed,..$499.00 had been charged by 5linx.As I write,I’m still waiting for that charge to be reversed.
at the end of the day these guys preach INDEPENCENCE BEING FREE FORM YOUR 9 TO 5 GETTING PAID WHEN YOU’RE NOT EVEN WORKING HAVING FREEDOM and when you get in this business its the exact opposite … im not gonna ramble on … just goin to say this last thing … YOU ARE STILL WORKING FOR SOME ONE!!!! … and that SOMEONE IS 5LINX … you truelly dont own your own business / destiny until you are cutting your own checks @ the end of the day you have to wait for 5linx to send you your money …
get smart people … what ive learned from dealing with these companies is the effort i put up to build and sell thier products … i could do the same for what i luv to do in life … and start to build my own business … where im really the boss … and @ the sametime if i fail or if i struggle trying to reach my goals … im good because im not just doing it for the $$$$$ like i would be with 5linx …
use that time and energy to really build you and not 5linx … there will be another company just like it preaching the same ole shit … its been going on for years … yet everyone in hear still doesnt know a person that is personally successfully off of MLM … but supposely thier out there LOL … where are they …. they dont go to the YMCA and normal shit like that lol …
if its sounds too GOOD to be true … chances are IT IS !!!!!!!!!!
A guy approachd me about 5Linx. What REALLY turned me off was that he referred to other people in the business as Mr and Ms. This might sound minor to somne people, but it hit a nerve with me. It rings of “cult” and maybe undeserved admiration of people who “might” be earning 5 dollars more than you are.
There are very few businesses in America where people call each other Mr and Ms. Company presidents and people earning millions of dollars are referred to as “Joe” – not Mr. Green. It seemed especially strange to refer to these people as Mr and Ms when talking to a complete third party. Weird.
We never know what can turn another person off. This certainly ended any possibility for me.