Pure Romance Reviews

The Difference Between Legitimate Direct Selling Companies Like Pure Romance and Illegal Pyramid Schemes

The direct selling industry has been in the news recently as a result of some company’s business practices being called into question. These inquiries have revived long-time interest in the difference between legitimate direct selling companies and illegal pyramid schemes. As a reputable and ethical direct sales organization that distributes goods directly to consumers and its Consultants, Pure Romance wants to make sure people fully understand the difference.

The confusion is understandable. Popular culture is filled with comedic references to pyramid schemes—Saturday Night Live, The Family Guy, King of Queens and dozens of other network and cable shows have elicited laughs by mocking these illegal scams. However, the reality is far from funny. On one hand, pyramid schemes prey on unsuspecting victims by masquerading as legitimate direct selling companies using a multilevel compensation plan. Conversely, perfectly legitimate companies are often painted with the same broad brush as their illegal counterparts, causing marketplace confusion and perpetuating misinformed opinions about direct selling.

Here’s how to tell a legitimate business from a pyramid scheme:
Legitimate direct selling companies contribute to a vibrant marketplace by selling competitive, high-quality products and services and providing a sustainable source of income for those who choose to sell those products. Specifically they:
• Provide accurate information about the company, its products and what one can expect as a seller of the company’s products.
• Charge a nominal fee for a starter kit – Pure Romance offers a number kit options to get started (from the basic essentials to a wider selection of products including luxury items). Pure Romance kits include product samples, catalogs, and other tools that help the new Consultant begin selling. Some organizations charge large upfront fee for membership and provide little in return.
• Have a product or service that is competitive in the marketplace and is purchased by the ultimate user.
• Provide options for Consultants to sell with little or no inventory and discourages inventory loading. With Pure Romance carrying inventory (or not) is an individual choice.
• Base compensation primarily on the sale of products to the ultimate user. Compensation can be generated from either your own sales or the sales of others you have sponsored. Pure Romance allows Consultants to engage in the business at their desired pace and provides incentives and bonuses based on personal retail sales, new Consultant sales and group sales.
• Take time to describe the business and give potential Consultants adequate time to make a decision – any opportunity worth having will be there tomorrow.
• Legitimate direct selling companies also promote consumer protection and guarantees. Many of these are voluntary standards that exceed the requirements of any regulations created by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) or mandated by federal or state law.

Pyramid schemes take advantage of and defraud people because they:
• Promise large earnings with little effort.
• Promise that one can earn a substantial income merely for sponsoring people into the operation.
• May or may not be a “product” to sell, but if there is it generally has little or no actual value.
• Convince people to buy large amounts of inventory which they cannot easily sell to others.
• Charge large up-front fees to get involved, either as a direct payment or in the form of an obligatory payment for “products”.
• Promoters of pyramid schemes will also try to pressure people to sign up immediately by suggesting the same opportunity will not be available later.
• Base compensation primarily on recruiting activity (these payments for recruitment are called “headhunting fees”). Participants are convinced to pay large up-front payments to get involved with the promise of receiving “headhunting fees” when they recruit others.

With Pure Romance, Consultants decide when they are ready to join, what kit is best for them, and how far and fast they would like to gain the benefits of the compensation plan. The business opportunity provided by Pure Romance is not a get rich quick scheme and does take effort. Consultants become successful through the sale of product and helping others sell product not merely on the recruitment of others. The organization includes Consultants who choose to sell products occasionally and those who make Pure Romance their sole source of income for themselves and their families. It is a business that your results are a direct correlation to the effort that you in.... MoreLess