American Dream Nutrition Review 2.0: Autoship still a problem
BehindMLM published our initial American Dream Nutrition review all the way back in 2012.
About a week ago a reader suggested we revisit the company for an updated review, so let’s get into it.
The Company
Back in 2012 American Dream Nutrition provided no information about company management on its website.
Fast forward five years and… there’s still no executive information provided.
As far as I can tell Founder and CEO Greg Gunderson (right) is still running the show.
The American Dream Nutrition website also fails to provide a corporate address.
American Dream Nutrition Products
American Dream Nutrition’s product range has been expanded beyond Get Juiced and Clear Heart.
ThinMagic Ultra, a “weight management super pill”, seems to have been dropped.
Based on marketing material on American Dream Nutrition’s website, their flagship product appears to be PhytoZon.
PhytoZon contains the ONLY known compound proven to help cells naturally produce IGF-1.
It’s IGF-1 and not HGH like many people think that’s responsible for replacing all of the cells in your body.
PhytoZon also contains additional ingredients the company claims ‘can have a positive impact on our health and wellness.‘
Other products marketed by American Dream Nutrition include:
- ChagaPlus – Siberian Chaga extract with “over 215 Phytochemicals – possibly making it the most nutrient rich superfood”, retails at $59 for a bottle of 60 capsules
- PureAquaMins – water purifier that “works fast to help remove up 99.9% of chlorine, fluoride, anaerobic bacteria, viruses, protozoa, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, heavy metals such as mercury, lead, arsenic, VOCs, THMs and turbidity”, retails at $49 for a 2 fl. oz. bottle (60 ml)
- Nu Derma Gold – an “anti-aging serum”, retails at $74.50
- Wild Shiaga – combined shiaga with essential oils to “cause the body to produce a vast number of the specific immune cells needed to make proper use of the antioxidants found in the food you eat” and “provide a powerful source of antioxidant germanium”, retails at $49 for a 2 fl. oz. bottle (60 ml)
- Super Omega 3+6+9 – Omega 3, 6, and 9 fatty acids supplement, retails at $55 for a pack of 90 gel caps
The American Dream Nutrition Compensation Plan
The American Dream Nutrition compensation plan rewards affiliates with retail commissions and several additional bonuses.
Residual commissions on sales volume are paid out via a 2×15 matrix.
American Dream Nutrition Affiliate Ranks
There are nine affiliate ranks within the American Dream Nutrition compensation plan.
Along with their respective qualification criteria they are as follows:
- Silver – generate 25 PV a month and recruit at least two affiliates
- Gold – generate 50 PV a month and recruit at least four affiliates
- Platinum – generate 100 PV a month and recruit at least eight affiliates
- Sapphire – maintain 100 PV and generate 2500 GV a month and recruit at least ten affiliates
- Ruby – maintain 100 PV and generate 5000 GV a month and recruit at least 10 affiliates
- Diamond – maintain 100 PV and generate 10,000 GV a month and recruit at least 12 affiliates on autoship
- Double Diamond – maintain 100 PV and generate 25,000 GV and recruit at least fifteen affiliates on autoship (one must be Diamond or higher)
- Triple Diamond – maintain 100 PV and generate 50,000 GV and maintain at least fifteen affiliates on autoship (two must be Diamond or higher)
- Presidential Diamond – maintain 100 PV and generate 100,000 GV and maintain at least fifteen affiliates on autoship (four must be Diamond or higher)
PV stands for “Personal Volume” and is sales volume generated via retail sales and an affiliate’s own purchases (includes autoship).
GV stands for “Group Volume” and is PV generated by an affiliate’s recruited downline.
Retail Commissions
American Dream Nutrition affiliates are paid a commission of “up to 70%” on product sales to retail customers.
Recruitment Commissions
American Dream Nutrition affiliates are paid to recruit new affiliates.
How much of a recruitment commission is paid out is determined by how much a newly recruited affiliate spends when they sign up:
- recruit a Silver Pack affiliate and earn $15
- recruit a Gold Pack affiliate and earn $20
- recruit a Platinum Pack affiliate and earn $40
- recruit a Pro Pack affiliate and earn $75
- recruit a Professional Business Pack affiliate and earn $100
Coded Recruitment Bonuses
Each newly recruited affiliate generates a coded Silver, Gold and Platinum coded bonus.
- a recruited Silver Pack affiliate generates $10 Silver and Gold and $5 Platinum coded bonuses
- a recruited Gold Pack affiliate generates $10 Silver, Gold and Platinum coded bonuses
- a recruited Platinum Pack affiliate generates $20 Silver and Gold and $10 Platinum coded bonuses
- a recruited Pro Pack affiliate generates $25 Silver, Gold and Platinum coded bonuses
- a recruited Pro Business Pack affiliate generates $50 Silver and $100 Gold coded bonuses
These bonuses are paid upline, to the first qualified affiliates found.
Note that a single affiliate is able to collect multiple coded bonuses if they are higher qualified.
E.g. a Gold qualified affiliate will collect the Silver coded bonus if it hasn’t already been paid out.
Coded bonus qualification is monthly as follows:
- Silver – maintain a minimum $25 autoship plus monthly $49 Affiliate Education Product fee
- Gold – maintain a two product $50 minimum autoship order plus monthly $49 Affiliate Education Product fee
- Platinum – maintain a four product $100 minimum autoship order plus monthly $49 Affiliate Education Product fee
Residual Commissions
American Dream Nutrition pay residual commissions via a 2×15 matrix.
A 2×15 matrix places an affiliate at the top of a matrix, with two positions directly under them:
These two positions form the first level of the matrix. The second level of the matrix is generated by splitting these first two positions into another two positions each (4 positions).
Levels three to fifteen of the matrix are generated in the same manner, with each new level housing twice as many positions as the previous level.
Residual commissions are paid as a percentage of sales volume generated across each level of the matrix.
- Silver ranked affiliates earn 4% on levels 1 to 4, 3% on levels 5 to 9 and 2% on levels 10 to 15
- Gold ranked affiliates earn 5% on levels 1 to 4, 4% on levels 5 to 9 and 3% on levels 10 to 15
- Platinum and higher ranked affiliates earn 6% on levels 1 to 4, 5% on levels 5 to 9 and 3% on levels 10 to 15
Matching Bonus
Platinum and higher ranked affiliates receive a 20% Matching Bonus on residual commissions earned by personally recruited affiliates.
Infinity Bonus
The Infinity Bonus allows Triple Diamond and Presidential Diamond affiliates to earn a 1% residual commission from the sixteenth level of their matrix.
Note that the sixteenth and deeper levels of the matrix follow the same structure as the first fifteen levels (each new level houses twice as many positions as the previous level).
Team Builder Bonus
Team Builder Bonuses are a one-time bonus paid out when Sapphire and higher ranked affiliates meet the following additional qualification criteria:
- Sapphire – generate $2500 GV and receive a $250 Team Builder Bonus
- Ruby – generate $5000 GV and receive a $1000 Team Builder Bonus
- Diamond – generate $10,000 GV and receive a $1500 Team Builder Bonus
- Double Diamond – generate $25,000 GV and receive a $2000 Team Builder Bonus
- Triple Diamond – generate $50,000 GV and receive a $5000 Team Builder Bonus
The American Dream Nutrition compensation plan states required GV for the Team Builder Bonus is “total group volume”.
Typically GV requirements are monthly however I believe “total group volume” is accumulated volume.
Lifestyle Bonus
Sapphire and higher ranked American Dream Nutrition affiliates earn a monthly Lifestyle Bonus.
- Sapphire affiliates receive $125
- Ruby affiliates receive $250
- Diamond affiliates receive $400
- Double Diamond affiliates receive $600
- Triple Diamond affiliates receive $800
- Presidential Diamond affiliates receive $1200
Corporate Bonus Pool
American Dream Nutrition take 2% of company-wide revenue and place it into a Corporate Bonus Pool.
The Corporate Bonus Pool is paid out quarterly to Diamond and higher ranked affiliates via shares:
- Diamond affiliates receive one share
- Double Diamond affiliates receive two shares
- Triple Diamond affiliates receive three shares
- Presidential Diamond affiliates receive four shares
Achievement Bonuses
Achievement Bonuses are one-time bonuses based on monthly GV.
- generate 100,000 GV and receive $10,000
- generate 250,000 GV and receive $50,000
- generate 500,000 GV and receive $100,000
- generate 800,000 GV and receive $150,000
- generate 1,000,000 GV and receive $200,000
Affiliate Education Product Coded Fee
If an American Dream Nutrition affiliate purchases the $49 monthly Affiliate Education Product, they can earn a separate coded bonus on fee payment by affiliates under them.
Each Affiliate Education Product monthly fee payment generates an $8 Silver, Gold and Platinum coded bonus.
Affiliate Education Product fee coded bonus qualification follows that of recruitment coded bonus (see “Coded Recruitment Bonuses” above).
Note that Platinum is the highest Affiliate Education Product coded bonus available.
Joining American Dream Nutrition
American Dream Nutrition affiliate membership is tied to the purchase of a product pack:
- Silver Pack – $54.95
- Gold Pack – $89.90
- Platinum Pack – $164
- Pro Pack – $349
An affiliate can also sign up with a “mixed product pack”, which varies in cost depending on what products are selected.
Conclusion
When I was contacted by a reader to update our 2012 American Dream Nutrition review, the stated reason was because;
Most of this information is not true. Many things have changed since 2012.
Having now gone through the “updated” American Dream Nutrition compensation plan, I can bluntly state that’s not true.
Our primary concern with American Dream Nutrition back in 2012 was the focus on affiliate autoship.
That’s still the case, and it starts with the *winkwink, nudgenudge* PV pseudo-compliance.
At the lower ranks American Dream Nutrition requires affiliates to just recruit (not a problem if retail sales volume is factored in, which it isn’t).
Then when an affiliate hits Diamond, all of a sudden they need to have recruited affiliates on autoship.
Not only that, but the monthly PV requirement and autoship are pretty much interchangeable.
Take, for example, descriptions provided on the affiliate membership signup page of the American Dream Nutrition website;
If you select this 4 Pack as your first order, then, also select below either your Platinum PhytoZon Pack as your monthly qualifying level and your monthly autoship product starting your 2nd month.
On top of that Coded Bonus require autoship too, meaning it’s highly likely the majority of American Dream Nutrition affiliates are going to monthly PV qualify through autoship.
Also not helping are the recruitment commissions paid on new affiliate memberships.
Unfortunately affiliate autoship is baked into the American Dream Nutrition compensation plan. And without equivalent retail sales that’s a problem.
From the moment an American Dream Nutrition affiliate signs up, retail focus takes a back seat to recruiting new affiliates (hopefully on autoship, or if you get to Diamond you’ll have some serious work to do).
To be clear, there’s nothing wrong with affiliate’s ordering product. The issue is when affiliate orders make up the majority of company-wide revenue.
This lends itself to pyramid recruitment, as seen in the FTC’s litigation against Vemma and Herbalife.
For a company that’s been around as long as American Dream Nutrition has, there’s simply no excuse.
As to their products, nothing really stood out and I’d advise sussing out any equivalents available locally.
I don’t know if American Dream Nutrition have any products specifically formulated for them. Personally I got a strong “done for you” manufacturing vibe as I went through them.
One thing to watch out for is how American Dream Nutrition’s products are marketed.
In 2016 the National Advertising Division
recommended that American Dream Nutrition, LLC, modify or discontinue certain claims for the company’s PhytoZon Dietary Supplement.
Initially American Dream Nutrition laughed off the suggestions, but after the NAD went to the FTC they adjusted their marketing claims.
(American Dream Nutrition) asserted that it had modified certain of the challenged claims and discontinued all of the challenged consumer testimonials:
-“Helped Lower My Blood Sugar”
-“Helped Manage My Breast Cancer”
-“Helped with my Macular Degeneration”
NAD reviewed the advertiser’s revised claims, including:
“With Over 500 Hundred ingredient specific Research and Clinical Studies, PhytoZon was scientifically formulated to Enhance, Promote and Support:
-Brain/Body Balance – Mental Clarity, Focus/Recall
-Mental Cognition and Concentration
-Energy, Vitality, Increased Strength, Well Being
-Joint Health, Flexibility, Endurance
-Skeletal Health, Posture, Back and Neck
-DNA Repair on a Cellular Level
-Helps Cells Produce IGF-1 to Repair/Rebuild Cartilage
-Heart Health, Eye Health, So Much More…”
These claims are gone from the American Dream Nutrition website but be wary of affiliates trying to pitch you on product claims they can’t prove.
All in all potential product issues have to take a backseat to American Dream Nutrition’s blatant affiliate autoship pyramid slant.
That is, you sign up as an affiliate on autoship and then set about recruiting others who do the same.
As long as this is the core of American Dream Nutrition MLM opportunity, nothing has actually changed.
I signed up with American Dream Nutrition, My experience is that the company requires a mandated autoship.
You have to be on Autoshipto be in the company. You cannot sign up and order when you desire to.
If you elect to stop your Autoship, Customer service will ask you not to and delay it for 3 months.
Then if you do not pick it back up they will cancel your smponsorship.
I don’t think it is legal to require someone to be on autoship.
Any MLM company that forces affiliate autoship is likely trying to make up for a lack of retail sales.
In the eyes of the FTC, this would make American Dream Nutrition a pyramid scheme.
Hello, as an update for American Dream, the company was founded in 2014, it’s 5 years old.
They offer everyone, customers a one-time, any time order option, or an autoship for discounted product prices. You can order whenever you want to, not an autoship requirement.
Everyone who joins American Dream is at customer status to start, if they want to earn commissions they have to personally refer 2 people to earn in the plan.
New people can become a customer with one-time only orders and people can become a rep with a discounted auto order monthly. Everyone has a choice to do autoship or not.
Customer acquisition is the key. So many other companies use smoke and mirrors in their wording, and “call it” Customer acquisition, well, the bottom line is they are recruiting customers, it’s still called recruiting, it’s the same, either way, just a twist on wording.
You can cancel your membership or order at anytime, they do not pressure you, they cancel you if you request it and say “have a great day”. I checked with the company today 9/5/2019.
The guy Bruce Britt was a distributor who called the company and asked to postpone his order for 60 days, then his credit card decline on three separate attempts on three separate dates and his account was closed due to Declines in the merchant system after three attempts on three separate dates.
My experience is that ADN goes way beyond what any company I’ve experienced in over 30 years, to help people, where others don’t.
ADN is a great company and just launched an amazing new Stem Cell Release Factor product for half of what these other companies charge.
It’s interesting the people giving opinions about the comp plan, that clearly are clueless about how comp plans work or how they pay.
If anyone has a calculator they can figure out ADN has the highest payouts with the lowest qualifiers. Have a super day, Eric V.
So uh, how did we first review American Dream Nuitrition in 2012 then?
As for “optional” autoship, when the majority of the comp plan is geared toward affiliate recruitment, retail is pseudo-compliance.
American Dream Nutrition’s business model is focused on affiliate autoship recruitment. That’s what’s emphasized in the marketing material and that’s what pays out the most.
Also affiliate autoship isn’t optional if you tie commission and bonus qualification to it.
Some token retail might be taking place, but I’m confident a dissection of American Dream Nutrition will reveal affiliate purchases as the primary source of company-wide revenue.
I agree. Yet here we are.
Oh and what, American Dream are sharing distributor account information and related financial info with anyone who calls up?
Nice.
I agree, it’s a “good” company that would share my history with someone else. That’s shady, also my story was not exactly as told by Eric V.
My payment method rejected because a new card had been issued to me by my bank and ADN contacted me about the payment not processing.
When they called me, I asked if I could stop Autoship they told me that was not allowed as a distributor. They did offer to delay the autoship which I did.
Because of their Autoship policy they tried to process the old payment method as mentioned above and it failed because I did not update my method of payment.
Autoship is required as part of the ADN compensation plan.
I have been with other MLM Company’s and have distributorships with those company’s and they do not require autoship to maintain an account.
Look beyond the hype. If you really dig in you will discover what I have about ADN. I am not one to bash any company. but my experience was not good with ADN.
So long story short they failed with me. I wish the best to anyone in ADN.