Can You Get Your Money Back on Network Marketing Products?

“I’m willing to bet that there’s probably a difficult return process to use [MLM] products…  it probably depends on your distributor and if they’re willing to take the product back… These are independent consultants selling your product, so it gets a little bit difficult and hairy.”

These are the words of “Kylie” an anti-MLM YouTuber who has gained popularity by putting out dozens of videos trying to discredit and embarrass network marketers, calling them “scammers” and other horrible names.

She never misses an opportunity to shout out “scam” and “fraud” … and so we’re investigating to see if there’s any truth — any merit — to her accusations.

In this particular video, she’s (again) calling MLM people scammers — this time she’s talking about product returns, saying that getting your money back is difficult and “hairy.” 

The reason I emphasize that particular word is because I did a video a while back called How Network Marketing Got a Bad Reputation that was focused on the media (big media).  And I showed how they position certain trigger words to get you to think negatively about something.  

So I just find it interesting that she’s using that same positioning here.

Network Marketing Return Policies – Are They Fair?

Here’s her exact quote:

“So to the point where she says, they have a less than 1% return rate…  We’ve seen stuff like that with MLMs, like problems with returning products.  We saw that with LuLaRoe especially.  There’s a lot of hoops that you have to jump through to return these products.  

And I’m willing to bet that if you’ve used them — you know, a considerable amount of them — I’m willing to bet that there’s probably a difficult return process to use products.  And I think it also probably depends on your distributor and how, like if they’re willing to take the product back, because these are independent consultants selling your product, so it gets a little bit difficult and hairy.

I don’t know how they would keep the records on returning stuff when it deals with all independent consultants anyway. You know what I’m saying? So, you know, that’s something that you have to look into and consider as well. Like these, I don’t know where she was getting these statistics from.”

Do you notice her use of language here?  Words like “hairy” and “I’m willing to bet…”

There’s no proof.  No evidence.  It’s hearsay.  It’s gossip.  And unfortunately, hundreds of thousands of people are tuning in and being misinformed.

So let me give you the truth…

The Truth About Network Marketing Return Policies 

First, I don’t have to “bet,” because for the past 30 years I’ve been in the trenches of the network marketing industry, and I’ve consulted a couple of hundred network marketing companies.  I’ve been on the inside.  I’ve seen their compensation plans and return policies.  I’ve sat in their boardrooms and looked their corporate leadership teams in the eyeballs.

And I can tell you, her statement is ridiculous. 

“I’m willing to bet that there’s probably a difficult return process.” 

She’s saying, “I don’t know.”

She made reference to a company, but I have not heard anything about their process being difficult or hairy, nor am I aware of any litigation to that point.

The companies that I’ve dealt with all follow a very exact protocol, which was handed down through case law.

Return Policy for Network Marketing Companies According to the FTC 

When the FTC challenged Amway a long time ago (1975 – 1979), they had a return policy that then got implemented across the board in most network marketing companies.  Here it is: 

100% unconditional, 30-day money back guarantee (used or unused).

That’s the policy.  

• Return for replacement, exchange, or full refund of purchase price.
• The person who ordered the product returns the product.

So if a rep orders a product, sells to a neighbor, and the neighbor asks for a refund, the rep gets the product back from the neighbor and returns the product to the company for a refund.

If the customer ordered straight from the website, then the customer returns it, and the company refunds them directly.

So now we’ve taken out all the vague language — we got all the “if” out of there, and the “probably,” and the “hairy” and all of that.

What you’re left with is a phenomenal return policy that is pretty standard industry-wide.

Not only that, but something that came about a while ago (circa 1991) is that everyone instituted an additional policy — namely that if a rep bought extra products to sell (beyond their own personal use) and couldn’t sell them, then the company would offer a 90% return on unopened re-sellable products for 90 days. 

And I’ve even seen some companies go all the way out to a year.

That’s an amazing safety net for reps that I’ve never seen in other industries.

Try returning products if you’re a grocery store owner.  

Like maybe you ordered some bananas and you couldn’t sell them. Or maybe you ordered some jam and couldn’t sell it?

No, it doesn’t happen in other industries.  The grocery store is stuck with the merchandise, and if it expires, they have to throw it out and take a loss.

And so the standard return policy in network marketing is probably the best I’ve seen in any industry.

So Kylie’s not going to get anywhere with me with this one. I’m going to call it false. 

What’s been your experience? Comment down below and let me know. Do you feel as though your company has a hairy and difficult return policy?

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