Atomy America Review: Terrible retail customer focus
Atomy launched in the US back in 2010, with the parent Korean company founded by Han-Gill Park in 2004 (sometimes credited as “Han-Kil Park or Han-Gil Park).
From what I’ve been able to suss out, Atomy’s MLM opportunity was launched in 2009. A corporate address in the US state of Washington is provided on the Atomy America website.
Park (right) serves as the CEO of Atomy America, with the company also operating in Japan, Canada, Singapore and Taiwan.
While there’s an abundance of marketing philosophy on the Atomy America website regarding the company, strangely there’s no information about Han-Gill Park himself.
Out of curiosity I jumped onto Atomy’s Korean site but found it to be the same as the American site, in Korean. So that wasn’t much help.
Possible due to language barriers (although it’s strange Atomy themselves don’t provide any information), I was unable to put together an MLM history on Park.
As such Park’s corporate background and MLM history are unknown.
Read on for a full review of the Anomy America MLM business opportunity.
The Atomy America Product Line
Atomy operate in a number of product niches, spanning health and nutrition, personal care (mens and womens), beauty, home care and food.
Unfortunately Atomy do a terrible job of presenting their product range to the general public, with no product information or pricing provided on the Atomy America website.
Despite the Atomy website hosting an online storefront, if a visitor clicks on any listed products for more information only the following message comes up:
Price and PV information will be shown after login.
The required login prompt sees visitors required to log in with Atomy membership details.
The Atomy America Compensation Plan
Atomy’s compensation as presented on the Atomy America website is confusing. A few tables of data containing non-standard terminology is presented, with there being no explanation as to what any of the provided information means.
Relying on Atomy affiliate marketing presentations to supplement the information available on the Atomy website, I’ve done my best to break down the Atomy America compensation plan below.
Commission Qualification
In order to qualify for commissions, Atomy affiliates must first generate over 10,000 PV.
PV stands for “Personal Volume” and is sales volume generated by sales to retail customers and/or an affiliate’s own purchase of product.
Thereafter to remain commission qualified, an Atomy affiliate must purchase at least one Atomy product every 12 months.
Atomy Affiliate Ranks
There are seven affiliate ranks within the Atomy compensation plan.
Along with their respective qualification criteria, they are as follows:
- Sales Master – min 2,500,000 GV generated on both sides of the binary
- Diamond Master – 1,500,000 or more daily GV generated by weaker binary side, with two personally recruited Sales Master ranked affiliate on either side of the binary
- Sharon-Rose Master – 2,400,000 or more daily GV generated by weaker binary side, with two personally recruited Diamond Master ranked affiliates on either side of the binary
- Star Master – 2,400,000 or more daily GV generated by weaker binary side, with two personally recruited Sharon-Rose Master ranked affiliates on either side of the binary
- Royal Master – 2,400,000 or more daily GV generated by weaker binary side, with two personally recruited Star Master ranked affiliates on either side of the binary
- Crown Master – 2,400,000 or more daily GV generated by weaker binary side, with two personally recruited Royal Master ranked affiliates on either side of the binary
- Imperial Master – 2,400,000 or more daily GV generated by weaker binary side, with two personally recruited Crown Master ranked affiliates on either side of the binary
Note that GV stands for “Group Volume” and is sales volume (PV) generated by an affiliate’s downline.
Residual Commissions
Residual commissions in Atomy are paid out via a binary compensation structure.
A binary compensation structure places an affiliate at the top of a binary team, split into two sides (left and right):
Positions in the binary are created by splitting positions into another two positions each, with positions filled via the direct and indirect recruitment of new affiliates.
Commissions are paid out on sales volume generated by the weaker binary side, with volume on this side matched up with volume on the stronger side and flushed daily.
Binary commissions in Atomy are pegged to “points”, which are determined by an affiliate’s own accumulated PV and sales volume generated by their weaker binary side (GV)
Note that both PV and GV requirements must be met, otherwise an affiliate is paid at a lower point level.
- 10,000 to 100,000 PV and 300,000 matched GV = 5 points (approx $24 USD payout)
- 100,001 to 300,000 PV and 300,000 matched GV = 15 points (approx $70 USD payout)
- 300,001 to 700,000 PV and 700,000 matched GV = 30 points (approx $140 USD payout)
- 700,001 to 1,500,000 PV and 1,500,000 matched GV = 60 points (approx $280 USD payout)
- 1,500,001 to 2,400,000 PV and 2,400,000 matched GV = 90 poins (approx $420 USD payout)
- 2,400,000 or more PV and 6,000,000 matched GV = 150 points (approx $700 USD payout)
- 2,400,000 or more PV and 20,000,000 matched GV = 250 points (approx $1150 USD payout)
- 2,400,000 or more PV and 50,000,000 or more matched GV = 300 points (approx $1380 USD payout)
Points are cited as being roughly worth $4.80 each, subject to fluctuating value between the Korean Won and US Dollar.
Note that points are rolled over and generated the next day on Sundays and all Korean public holidays.
Matching Bonus
A matching bonus is available on daily binary commissions earned by an Atomy affiliate’s downline, paid out via a unilevel compensation structure.
A unilevel compensation structure places an affiliate at the top of a unilevel team, with every personally recruited affiliate placed directly under them (level 1):
If any level 1 affiliates go on to recruit new affiliates of their own, they are placed on level 2 of the original affiliate’s unilevel team.
If any level 2 affiliates recruit new affiliates, they are placed on level 3 and so on and so forth down a theoretical infinite number of levels.
Atomy cap payable unilevel levels at ten, with a 2% matching bonus paid out on binary commissions earned by a unilevel team as follows:
- 300,000 to 699,999 accumulated PV = 2% matching bonus on 3 levels
- 700,000 to 1,499,999 accumulated PV = 2% matching bonus on 5 levels
- 1,500,000 to 2,399,999 accumulated PV = 2% matching bonus on 7 levels
- 2,400,000 or more accumulated PV = 2% matching bonus on 10 levels
Note that the total matching bonus paid out to any Atomy affiliate is capped at 500,000 KRW ($412 USD) a day.
Rank Achievement Bonus
Atomy affiliates are awarded a Rank Achievement Bonus for qualifying at certain affiliate ranks as follows:
- Sales Master – a selection of Atomy products
- Diamond Master – $650 “laptop computer or tablet” plus a selection of Atomy products
- Sharon-Rose Master – $2000 and “2 travel tickets”
- Star Master – $10,000 and “4 travel tickets”
- Royal Master – $50,000, $2000 a month, $1000 a month car rental and “4 travel tickets (10 nights & 11 days)”
- Crown Master – $300,000, $5000 a month, a $64,000 “luxury car” and “4 travel tickets (10 nights & 11 days)”
- Imperial Master – $1,000,000, $10,000 a month, a $78,000 “luxury car”, an “office of approx. 1700 sq. with a personal assistant, a driver” and “4 travel tickets (10 nights & 11 days)”
Note that regarding Rank Achivement Bonus payouts, the Atomy compensation plan states
the total amount of commission to members cannot exceed 35% of total sales income.
Should Rank Achievement Bonuses at any time exceed the 35% cap, payouts to affiliates will be reduced accordingly.
Master’s Bonus
The Master’s Bonus are a series of bonus pools made up of 20% Atomy’s company-wide sales volume.
There are seven Master’s Bonus pools available, with an equal share in each tied to an Atomy affiliate’s rank:
- Sales Master Pool (10% of global sales volume) – paid out equally to Sales Master ranked affiliates
- Diamond Master Pool (5% of global sales volume) – paid out equally to Diamond Master ranked affiliates
- Sharon-Rose Master Pool (2% of global sales volume) – paid out equally to Sharon-Rose Master ranked affiliates
- Star Master Pool (1.2% of global sales volume) – paid out equally to Star Master ranked affiliates
- Royal Master Pool (1% of global sales volume) – paid out equally to Royal Master ranked affiliates
- Crown Master Pool (0.5% of global sales volume) – paid out equally to Crown Master ranked affiliates
- Imperial Master Pool (0.3% of global sales volume) – paid out equally to Imperial Master ranked affiliates
Shares in the Master’s Bonus Pool are paid out twice monthly.
Joining Atomy
Affiliate membership with Atomy is free, however affiliates must generate at least 10,000 in PV before they are eligible to earn commissions.
If self-funded, Atomy commission qualification works out to about $17.
Conclusion
It is blatantly obvious that retail commissions are non-existent in Atomy.
The company’s website presents a terrible retail customer experience, with neither product descriptions or pricing provided.
Retail customer acquisition is clearly not a focus within Atomy.
Whether or not retail commissions are even possible is unknown, with there being no mention of them in either Atomy’s official compensation documentation or presentations by their affiliates.
What I think we’re looking at here is, to put it bluntly, a product-based pyramid scheme.
It starts with the initial 10,000 PV requirement to earn commissions.
“PV” implies that it can be generated via retail customer orders, but for aforementioned reasons, I’m of the belief that by and large this initial 10,000 PV is generated by an affiliate’s own purchase of product.
The website Atomy Masters is run by Mike Potter, who claims to be ‘the #1 English speaking (Atomy) group here in the USA since April 2014‘.
On Atomy Masters, Potter describes the commission qualification process as follows:
When you first Join Atomy you start out as a Member then with your first purchase of 10k PV to 299k PV you become a Sales Rep.
When going over the Atomy compensation plan, Potter again emphasis an affiliate self-funding their commission qualification (bold emphasis verbatim);
Points only start to accumulate under your left of right groups once you become a Sales Rep which is when you have accumulated 10k personal PV or more.
So when you sign up be sure you purchase at least 10k of products.
The problem with all of this is retail sales are neither required or encouraged.
Basically you sign up as an Atomy affiliate, pay your commission qualification fee and then recruit others who do the same.
PV is accumulated, reducing commission and rank qualification to a flat-fee, with GV generated by recruited affiliates paying their PV fees.
This reduces Atomy’s product line to a means to an end, the purchase of which qualifies an affiliate to earn commissions when subsequently recruited affiliates spend money to qualify themselves.
Retail sales are non-existent, with this model readily identifiable as a product-based pyramid scheme.
Reselling might be brought up to demonstrate the existence of faux retail sales, however what happens outside of the Atomy compensation plan is entirely irrelevant.
Without bona-fide retail sales taking place, money flowing into Atomy is sourced exclusively from affiliates. It follows then that commissions paid out is thus affiliate revenue which, if we look at what Atomy affiliates are doing to get paid (recruiting affiliates who accumulate PV for commission qualification via their own purchases), confirms the product-based pyramid nature of the scheme.
As a prospective Atomy affiliate I’d be first and foremost raising the question of retail with a potential upline. Does it exist? Are they actively taking retail orders from affiliates month over month?
Or are they just earning commissions via recruitment of affiliates who spend money to become and remain commission qualified?
Pending the answer received, approach with caution.
Update 20th October 2020 – In October 2020 BehindMLM revisited Atomy America as Atomy USA.
An updated review was published on October 20th, 2020.
I am quite familiar with Atomy’s compensation plan and I read maybe half way down on this article and found many, many errors on their compensation and stopped reading.
I understand and confirmed, the rank qualification is not correct here, for example the GV requirement written here for Diamond master says 1.5m daily PVS and 2 personally recruited sales masters on either side.
The 1.5m pv required is actually for personal PV which accumulates and never resets after flush outs and stands valid as long as your account is valid. And the two sales masters don’t have to be personal recruits and it’s for both sides.
And the list goes on..
Many might take in the articles on this website for references when looking into MLM companies and this particular article has to many fundamental errors and one needs to look into it better and make corrections.
If you read the review properly, you’ll see the PV you’re talking about in binary commissions. I never mentioned it flushes.
I also mentioned Atomy’s compensation plan as presented
Has Atomy updated their hopeless compensation plan documentation yet? And no comment on Atomy’s terrible retail customer focus?
No need to get defensive.
Its written: (and corrections)
Diamond Master – 1,500,000 or more daily GV generated by weaker binary side,(no its 1,500,000 or more Personal PV one needs in order to qualify which never resets from day one and there is no requirement as to daily generated GV)
two personally recruited Sales Master ranked affiliate on either side of the binary
(No- Minimum two sales masters on each side of the binary within a business period and they don’t have to be personally recruited.)
I have no reason to blindly defend anything here.
My point is, if one found the given information confusing it would be better to dig harder and validate before posting something totally incorrect. If I wasn’t clear on things I wouldn’t merely rely on what’s on the website nor decide to write up pages on it like it’s how it is.
Their hopeless comp. doc and terrible retail focus? I’m sure they will catch up on that in their sweet time.
I am just here pointing out the errors on the posting so people who might be looking for additional info may benefit. Hope that works?
I didn’t intend to sound defensive. Apologies if it came across like that.
I appreciate any corrections but please provide an Atomy compensation plan document backing up your claim. I based this review on their compensation plan documentation and affiliate presentations, so I can’t get any closer to the source.
What you’re asserting is different to what was in the Atomy US compensation plan when I published this review.
If you’re quoting Atomy’s compensation plan in another country, then I have no idea. I didn’t review Atomy’s non-US opportunity.
I will attempt to address your review point by point. Hopefully you will get a better understanding of Atomy and the compensation plan.
1) Despite the Atomy website hosting an online storefront, if a visitor clicks on any listed products for more information only the following message comes up: Price and PV information will be shown after login.
Response: You are correct in your point that Atomy is not focused on “Retail Sales”. Atomy is better referred to as “Member Only Shopping“, similar to COSTCO or Sam’s Club.
This is why you must log in to see prices and PV. Non-Members cannot purchase from Atomy. Similarly, non-members cannot purchase from COSTCO or Sam’s Club.
With a very important major difference… Unlike the aforementioned shopping clubs, Atomy does not require a registration fee before being allowed to shop in their store. Registration in Atomy is free.
2) PV does not stand for “Personal Volume”.
Response: PV means “Point Value”. Products in the Atomy store have a corresponding “Point Value”. When you purchase a product you receive the corresponding “Point Value” for that product.
This PV is your “Personal PV“. Personal PV is never flushed and continues to accumulate over time as you make purchases. Your personal PV also serves as your upline’s Group PV.
3) Promotion in the Affiliate Ranks
Response: First, your term “Affiliate Ranks” is incorrect. These are referred to as Mastership Levels. Secondly, your reference to the required Daily GV is also incorrect.
The correct information is as follows… A minimum of 1.5M personal PV and two Sales Masters on each side of the binary are required for promotion to Diamond Master.
A minimum of 2.4M personal PV and two Diamond Masters on each side of the binary are required for promotion to Sharon-Rose Master.
Likewise up through promotion to Imperial Master – A minimum of 2.4M personal PV and two masterships of your existing level are required for promotion to the next higher mastership level.
4) Matching Bonus
Response: There is no such thing as a matching bonus. I don’t know where you got that information from.
5) It is blatantly obvious that retail commissions are non-existent in Atomy.
The company’s website presents a terrible retail customer, with neither product descriptions or pricing provided.
Retail customer acquisition is clearly not a focus within Atomy.
Response; Once again, I will refer you to my first response. It is blatantly obvious that no one has explained the concept of Atomy or its compensation plan to you very well.
6) It starts with the initial 10,000 PV requirement to earn commissions.
“PV” implies that it can be generated via retail customer orders, but for aforementioned reasons, I’m of the belief that by and large this initial 10,000 PV is generated by an affiliate’s own purchase of product.
Response: It does not imply anything. The statement is very matter-of-fact. To initially be eligible for general commissions you must have a minimum of 10,000 personal PV. How do you get personal PV? Please read the second response once again.
7) The problem with all of this is retail sales are neither required or encouraged.
Response: Once again… Atomy is Member Only Shopping.
8) Basically you sign up as an Atomy affiliate, pay your commission qualification fee and then recruit others who do the same.
This reduces Atomy’s product line to a means to an end, the purchase of which qualifies an affiliate to earn commissions when subsequently recruited affiliates spend money to qualify themselves.
Retail sales are non-existent, with this model readily identifiable as a product-based pyramid scheme.
Response: Incorrect… again! It doesn’t stop with your personal purchase to acquire 10,000 Personal PV. Once again… Atomy is member only shopping.
Let me try to explain this a little better. Most people have a lot of things in common – they purchase and use shampoo, hair conditioner, bath soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, dish detergent, laundry detergent, fabric softener, lotions, cosmetics and many other personal and home products. The concept of Atomy is change brands.
It doesn’t stop with just one initial purchase my friend. No one is suggesting that you purchase things you do not need or do not normally purchase. Keep on purchasing them… just make your purchase from Atomy… and earn while you do it.
You have to purchase the right to shop in other member’s only shopping clubs. At Atomy, you do not! When you shop in other member’s only shopping clubs you do not get rewarded for patronizing their establishment. At Atomy, you do!
How are you rewarded? You share the concept with others who will also join Atomy and change their shopping preferences as well. When they (your downline) shop they acquire PV points as well which generates commissions for you.
Is this a scheme? Ask yourself this question… Have you ever made a recommendation (restaurant, bar, website or anything else) to a friend or family member? Yes, you have. And chances are you were not compensated for making that recommendation.
So, if recommending someone shop at a particular store is a scheme or a scam, then we all scheme and scam every day.
9) Without bona-fide retail sales taking place, money flowing into Atomy is sourced exclusively from affiliates.
Response: Member Only Shopping!!!
Thankyou for confirming Atomy is a product-based pyramid scheme.
clearly you do not have any understanding of legal MLM.
in MLM, when Only members purchase it is Product Based Pyramid Scheme and it is illegal and a Scam.
do not bother comparing your scheme to costco or sam’s because they do not have an MLM model.
Here is the catch.. if you buy for the purpose of resale … They will suspend your membership forfeiting ALL YOUR PVs.
THERE is currently a lawsuit in korea for 311 members who were suspended leaving with them 0 dollars. CEO is pig who wants to keep every penny to himself!
By john
Versus
versus
Pls clarify the above comments. I am confused.
Thank you very much.
I’m a member of Atomy and don’t know what all the fuss is about. Yes it’s an MLM and yes if you want to make money, you can recruit people to join. It’s FREE.
If you only want to buy products, then that’s your option like most members. Nobody is forcing you to do anything.
The only reason why I decided to do the MLM business is because I really like the products. Was my choice. Makes sense that if I like the product and share it, I can make a few bucks. Now I have a great team and enjoying the extra income.
The problem is in MLM, if this is the primary way you make money you’re in a pyramid scheme.
This sentence makes no sense.
To OZ, no offence but what’s the big deal? It’s free. Costs nothing to join. No minimum purchases.
In a Pyramid scheme when the pyramid falls apart, the bottom guys lose money. You can’t lose money here because it’s free to join.
Instead of opening up retail stores, Atomy uses an online store and people who “like” the products to promote them.
If the products were bad then I wouldn’t share it. It’s pretty simple and completely legal. Hope that makes sense.
What’s the big deal with product-based pyramid schemes?
Oh dear…
Product-based pyramid schemes see affiliates purchase products to qualify for commissions,earned on recruited affiliates doing the same.
The affiliates at the bottom of the pyramid do not recoup their losses and lose money. You’re obviously not one of those affiliates.
This is what happens in every MLM company with little to no retail focus.
To OZ: You are correct, I’m not one of those affiliates. I only buy the products I like and only buy products when I need them.
If I “qualify” for a commission, great! If I don’t, great! I still got the product I wanted. It’s what I tell anyone who asks.
Also, I really can’t live without their toothpaste and toothbrushes lol (funny to me only because it’s true). Have a woderful day!
^^ Cool. Doesn’t negate the fact that Atomy has little to no retail focus and likely operates as a product-based pyramid scheme.
Sorry if you thought your anecdotal evidence might suggest otherwise.
Why do they get all the customer info like last of social??? This is what made me nervous.
First of all is an open secret this is a pyramid scheme company where their focus not on product but members to sign up to use their products.
Is common sense with so many level of members able to slice a piece of commission on the product pricing, how much is their profit margin?
I am not kidding here, I unknowingly used Atomy-brand shampoo for months when I was living in my Aunt and Uncle’s – and it was pretty damn good.
So damn good I eventually became a member around 2 weeks ago just to buy the shampoo for cheaper (via member price LOL).
You would not see Atomy-brand product in huge retail stores such as London Drugs, Rexall, Shopper’s Drug Mart, or Sephora; however, there is a chance you will see them in Asian business locations.
For example, there is an Atomy store in the high traffic Lougheed area in British Columbia.
I think there is one located in Port Coquitlam in British Columbia as well.
@TMS
Can you explain Crackdown’s comments below:
we are a happy consumer here in the Philippines… ☺☺☺ and the compensation plan is a bonus for us!!! my Upline is already earning 5figures per week.
he loves using the products and sharing it to those who need. i also love the shampoo because it helped me to removed totally my dandruffs.
Being consumers isn’t enough, you have to be selling to retail customers.
From the sounds of it your upline is earning off recruited affiliates on autoship. In MLM that’d make Atomy a product-based pyramid scheme.
hello Oz!! yes we do retail. we could sell product for trial and at the same time grow our network. in Atomy selling is an option. ((:
lol. and that’s exactly the problem.
Let me guess,
you’re new at this whole ponzi / pyramid thing, aren’t you ???
When retail “is an option” in MLM it doesn’t happen.
Selling to retail customers as a trial in the hope they sign up as affiliates is still a focus on recruitment.
If you’re primarily getting paid to recruit, Atomy is operating as a pyramid scheme.
as long as everybody benefits then it’s okay.
No it’s not. Pyramid schemes are illegal.
Those at the bottom always lose out. Any benefit associated with losing money is wholly imagined by the upline(s) scamming them.
And how does that really work, if selling is merely an option?
In MLM selling should be the PRIMARY EMPHASIS. It’s the only way a PROFIT can be made.
The company don’t care who buys the products… Either you affiliates… Or actual customers.
But you affiliates should… If you buy it yourself, you’re SPENDING money, not making them.
What’s wrong with joining atomy, buying the high quality products, recommending it to others, and getting paid by the company for patronising and advertising their products?
I believe it is better to share the profits of the company to many people who advertise their products than to pay a celebrity and a tv network to do it.
At least, in sharing the company’s profits to many, many can have extra income and can be financially stable in the future.
When a company gets a celebrity endorser, we still spend money to buy the products but only the celebrity gets paid.
One more thing, if Atomy is illegal, then it should not be allowed by many countries to operate, especially the so-called United States of America.
Because when “recommending” = recruiting, you’re in a pyramid scheme.
What you believe is irrelevant. Pyramid schemes are scams in which the majority of participants lose money.
it means absolutely nothing.
Regulation is reactionary. There’s nothing stopping someone from launching a pyramid scheme.
Atomy is small potatoes in the US. Most of their pyramid recruiting goes on in Asia.
When you buy a product from a grocery or department store, (Ozedit: you’re not participating in an MLM opportunity. Offtopic derail attempts removed.)
Show me one grocery or department store that is an MLM company. No derail attempt bullshit please.
I am just showing you that Atomy is not a pyramid scheme or scam. This is a company that pays loyal customers and recognize everyone’s effort in recommending their products.
Retailing is not really recommended because those retail customers will not get the chance to be paid by the company for buying the products and being loyal to it.
It was because of this statement of yours that I mentioned about the difference between a department store and Atomy.
We do not lose money in Atomy because we buy products. It is a plus that we get paid by the company for being loyal customers and for recommending the products to others.
The difference between Atomy America and a department store is Atomy America is an MLM opportunity. Thus any business model comparison is irrelevant.
If the bulk of customers are Atomy affiliates signing up, purchasing product and getting paid to recruit others who do the same, then yeah it is (ref: Vemma).
You need retail in MLM to not be a pyramid scheme. Thankyou for confirming Atomy America’s terrible retail focus.
When there’s no retail focus the business opportunity is what’s marketed. The fact of the matter is the majority of participants in pyramid schemes lose money.
How can you lose money in Atomy when it is free to join? You don’t have to buy a start-up kit, there is no monthly quota, etc.
This is better than other MLM where you need to buy packages that has items that you really do not use. You can do retails in other MLM companies but if nobody buys from you, your money is lost.
In Atomy, it does not happen. You only buy the products you want when you want. If you are intrigued and cannot believe in this new system of a networking company, that is up to you. Thank you.
By spending money to qualify for commissions earned when people you’ve recruited do the same.
It’s called a product-based pyramid scheme.
That’s why the top Atomy America affiliate group insists people purchase at least 10K points worth of product when they sign up right?
Your pseudo-compliance garbage isn’t fooling anyone.
atomy is a run of the mill product based pyramid scam. there’s nothing ‘new’ about it.
you’re probably ‘new’ in pyramid schemes posing as MLM’s.
We do not insist. We just inform them of the system. If they want to earn fine. If they don’t like, fine.
Like I said champ, your pseudo-compliance bullshit isn’t fooling anyone.
Okay. Hands raised. But you might like the products. Try them they’re excellent.
No matter how good they might be, Atomy America’s products are attached to a pyramid recruitment scheme. No thanks.
OZ, there may be something that you didn’t get it.
I’ve been an atomy member since 2010 to buy their products that are only available at their shopping mall.
For ordinary MLM company, people are joining to make money but this company is something different. Over 90% of members are only customers that joined the company to buy their products which vary from toothbrush to health supplement.
They don’t care about 1ok pv. which you claim a clue of pyramid schemes.
You may not be hard for you to understand why people are joining MLM company that never pays out to 90% of members.
They claim themseves as a consumer marketing company.
The company also stands for their product. They have 100% satisfaction return policy whether they are used or not.
Why no retail sale? Because there can’t be. Customers buy products directly from the website, and they don’t need to resell it because they are buying products for themselves. Anyone who want to buy products just can sign up and buy the product at member price. Of course free to join.
Product quality is better than any luxury skin care product while the price is very competitive.
Business opportunities are also available to any members but most of the members are not interested in or do not know about it.
Only less than 10% of members are active distributors.
Even for distributors, they don’t need buy products to resell it, but they just sign them up and let them shop at the online shopping mall as they wish. When new customers sign up they need to enter sponsor ID so that the system can recognize who need to get PV(point value) for the sale.
I never cared about bonus at all because I buy products that I need.
They are competing with Amway which is #1 company in Korean MLM market. Atomy is #2. And no one claims Atomy is a pyramid scheme in Korea.
They may not fall in your legal MLM criteria but it has nothing to do wrong with it.
Yeah sorry, Vemma and Herbalife tried to pull this crap and it was a big fat fail.
People who are interested in products only sign up as customers (be it preferred or retail).
Affiliates are not retail customers.
If the company does not offer preferred retail customer membership, that’s a compliance issue they need to address.
The fact remains that an MLM company primarily generated revenue from affiliates is operating as a pyramid scheme.
To Mr. Oz,
maybe you’re from other MLM that’s why you attacked this company. But I tell you that this marketing plan is not confusing. It’s just because you are maybe biased in understanding other MLM companies or your brain cannot matched to the level of the brains of those who are already understand it’s marketing plan.
The marketing plan is very simple, Free membership, lifetime accumulation of points, no quotas, costumer centralized network company. retailing is just optional.
Even you only used the products and share its benefits to others by putting your skin care to their face you can make them join you if they become in love in our products, as well as the benefits of the marketing plan.
I’m not angry but I just discern your biases if you don’t like the company it is better to focus on your own company.
Nope.
Nope. Atomy America’s plan is poorly written and presented. I’ve reviewed over a thousand MLM compensation plans so the problem isn’t on my end.
Which means people get paid on recruitment which makes Atomy America a pyramid scheme.
What you do as an affiliate of an MLM company is irrelevant when there’s little to no retail activity taking place.
Umm, are you a supporter of Atomy or an enemy ???
Either way, what you’ve just described is what makes Atomy an MLM based pyramid scheme
why? because you don’t believe that there are people out there far smarter than you scammers?
I’m curious. If a person signs up as a member of Atomy because they love say the shampoo, and they get the shampoo, then how on earth has anyone lost money?
Even if they were “last to sign up” they paid for and got shampoo they loved. No money lost. It’s a sale right?
Number two, plenty of people sign up just to use the products. I know some personally.The only people who make commissions have filled out the paperwork to get a check.
No money changes hands for that. A product Ponzi scheme is when people ONLY buy the product because there is compensation attached. That simply isn’t happening here.
I tell people to try the product because they will love it. They do. As long as they continue to use it, I make money.
Number three. There is no monthly autoship. People buy products they need and want because they are good quality at a lower price.
Hope this helps with some of your confusion.
You shouldn’t have to sign up to the business opportunity to be a retail customer.
You’re essentially arguing “what about” in an attempt to negate pyramid recruitment. That doesn’t work.
In pyramid recruitment the majority of participants lose money, irrespective of a miniscule percentage signing up to purchase products.
Both Vemma and Herbalife tried to argue this (Herbalife didn’t have the confidence to take it to court) and lost. It’s a dead horse.
If that’s the case then your initial hypothesis shouldn’t be possible in Atomy. A retail customer has no reason to sign up as an affiliate.
Oz,
That’s what I’m saying, You don’t have to sign up for the business opportunity to use the products. And again they don’t have to sign up as what you keep referring to as an affiliate.
As I explained that is a separate sign up when you send your papers into the company.
What you have and don’t have to do is pseudo-compliance if the retail focus of a company is terrible.
Retail customers “sending in their papers” is not typical retail customer behavior. Nobody is going to bother except affiliates, who are obviously first and foremost the primary purchasers of Atomy products (to qualify on commissions when their recruited downlines do the same).
As per its compensation plan, Atomy is built around affiliate autoship recruitment. Anything else is an afterthought.
Some of the points you bring up would be valid if they applied, but it simply isn’t how Atomy is structured.
Nah, as I said there is no autoship. (Ozedit: Made up BS removed, see below)
Oh shutup there’s no autoship. PV requirements met by self-purchase = autoship.
There’s an upfront and then annual PV quota that must be met. And given Atomy’s non-existent focus on retail sales, it has to be mostly happening via affiliate purchases (autoship).
Annual autoship is still autoship.
Go and read your own company’s compensation plan before wasting my time with made up BS.
Whether or not people do or don’t “have to sign up” is irrelevant.
Unless a minimum of 50% of sales are made to RETAIL customers, you have a pyramid / endless chain recruitment scheme.
IOW, if it is possible for someone to earn the largest percentage of any income from recruitment, it’s a pyramid / endless chain recruitment scheme.
This is important to any potential memberfor two reasons:
* Pyramid / endless chain recruitment schemes are illegal
* Pyramid / endless chain recruitment schemes are illegal for a reason.
They are mathematically GUARANTEED to fail and cost upward of 90% of members their money.
It doesn’t matter how smart or hard working genuine members are, schemes like this will fail
Hello Oz, I appreciate the existence of your site. I see that it could benefit those who are considering taking the dive but at the same time who are very concern about the legitimacy of MLM companies.
And yes, I couldn’t agree more that Atomy’s documentation is indeed very lacking. Having said that, I beg to differ on few other aspects.
While some of the errors in your review may not be detrimental, it may make one wonders how meticulous the writer is in scrutinizing the facts and figures before presenting. And if he is not, then how reliable is the review and its conclusion, especially on such controversial topic?
MLM has always been a highly controversial topic simply because of the tendency to associate it with the pyramid scheme. Granted, pyramid scheme operates with a multi-level structure. So pyramid scheme is a MLM. But MLM is never necessarily a pyramid scheme.
Because not all MLM techniques are undesirable, some countries try to exclude legitimate business from the MLM related laws that prohibit pyramid selling, so long as they fulfill certain criteria.
To determine whether or not a company such as Atomy should be defined as a pyramid scheme, one has to refer to his own country’s relevant laws, for instance in my country, the Multi-Level Marketing and Pyramid Selling Act.
I’m not aware that not having retail sales is considered a pyramid scheme; at least not in my country. If a participant receives benefits from his members’ sale of products and not as a result of enrolling others, then it satisfies one of the conditions of not being a pyramid scheme, while it is still a MLM business.
Along with few other criteria stipulated in the Act, they form the basis to determine if a business is a pyramid scheme or not.
So it is misleading for one to assertively and repeatedly state that a company is a product-based pyramid scheme without acquainting himself with the appropriate laws.
In your words, if affiliates need to purchase products to qualify for the commissions, that is deemed a pyramid scheme. How can a member deserve any form of commission if he does not even buy and try out some of the products himself?
More importantly, if you feel that a member need not have to purchase to qualify for the commission, then all the more it resembles a pyramid scheme, don’t you think so?
Sorry for the lengthy comments. I just feel for all those who are less fortunate in their career or financial situation and thought that business opportunities like this might provide them with some hope. So a website like yours, if carefully done, could help them to avoid the manhole and help them with fact based materials before they take the dive.
Thanks for your effort and hope that you would review some facts (about Atomy) and definitions (on MLM and pyramid scheme) before taking too assertive a stand. Conversely, if one day you stumble upon my blog on MLM, and find any areas requiring correction, I’m more than happy to give it a good look.
Cheers.
@KK
Whether pyramid schemes are legal where you are is neither here nor there.
The pyramid scheme business model is unsustainable and guarantees the majority of participants lose money when it inevitably collapses.
There’s nothing wrong with affiliate purchase of products. Affiliate purchases making up 100% or close to of company-wide revenue in MLM however is a pyramid scheme.
Affiliate purchase revenue being 100% or close to of company-wide revenue is getting paid to recruit/enroll others.
Atomy America is a pyramid scheme by virtue of your admission little to no retail sales are taking place. That makes it a scam and you a scammer.
Oh and for the record, pyramid schemes are illegal in Singapore – mti.gov.sg/legislation/Pages/Multi-level%20Marketing%20and%20Pyramid%20Selling.aspx
So you can stop lying to yourself. kthx.
Have I ever said that pyramid schemes are legal in Singapore?
I thought what I have shared is clear enough on how what is legal and what is not in Singapore. Apparently I failed miserably in this aspect.
I just dropped by to participate in a debate that I thought is rather interesting. But now no longer so because the moment I see any attack targeting a person rather than his views, it does not warrant any more time to further the debate since there’s an outright absence of maturity and respect to participants.
Perhaps it is also the choice of some of my words that have not been exactly polite. My apologies, if any.
But continue to do what you are doing, and off I go… thank you and forget about this passerby.
Cheers.
Yup, and I quote:
No retail in MLM = pyramid scheme, regardless of which country you live in. It’s not a legal definition, it’s a common-sense definition.
You’re obviously from Singapore (website/IP), and therefore asserted that pyramid schemes are legal in Singapore (they’re not).
Best of luck with the scamming.
I use atomy liquid detergent for my laundry. I don’t recruit others. So, what’s the issue here?
Choosing not to recruit others as an affiliate doesn’t negate Atomy America’s liability for running a pyramid scheme.
By rights you should be a retail customer. If that’s not possible in the Atomy America compensation plan that’s on them (ref: Herbalife and their “affiliates who don’t recruit are retail customers!” BS).
And you are just another dumb people who don’t know how pyramid scheme actually works and judge plans just because oh wow it is shaped like a pyramid.
You have to understand that a pyramid scheme is the people at the top earns the maintenance money from the downline. Atomy is a customer based MLM company, people come and join for free, they can choose to buy or not to buy.
The ones who think this can be a great business opportunity can do the recruiting. Please do more research before you judge something.
Regardless, the only way to make money in Atomy America is from your downline. Whether it’s “maintenance money” or not is irrelevant.
An MLM company without retail sales == pyramid scheme.
Sure, and that makes them pyramid scheme scammers (yourself included).
And you know why Atomy doesn’t have retail sales? Because (Ozedit: An MLM company with no retail sales is a pyramid scheme. There is no justification for a pyramid scheme.)
This is just your stubborn statement dude. Face it is making results and profits. Weather you like it or not. The fact is Atomy and it’s members are earning money and you’re still here whining about it.
Stubborn statement or no, facts are facts. An MLM company without retail sales is an illegal pyramid scheme.
The only results a pyramid scheme like Atomy Amercia generates is fraud.
Typical scammer mentality, can’t see past their own hip-pocket and don’t care who they have to screw over to fill it.
If you want to make excuses for pyramid schemes, do it elsewhere.
You DO know how pyramid and ponzi schemes work, don’t you ???
It would be a bloody strange scam if nobody made any money right off the bat, now wouldn’t it ??
And people actually don’t earn money off the bat, most of them takes 3 to 5 years. Don’t judge when you do not actually understand the company. Don’t assume yourself as a know it all by reading this breif article about this company.
The review is based on Atomy America’s compensation plan, which defines it as a product-based pyramid scheme.
Don’t like it? Take it up with the FTC.
The only people “not understanding” the company are affiliates looking to recruit their next commission.
If customers join for free (Ozedit: Snip, everyone who purchases Atomy products is an affiliate, there are no retail customers.)
Now why hasn’t Atomy been banned in the America?
Pyramid schemes are illegal in the US.
You’d have to ask the FTC why they haven’t shut down Atomy America. Feel free to contact them about it.
Meanwhile “but we haven’t been shut down!” is not justification for pyramid fraud.
Plus people who recruit don’t even get sponsor bonuses, they don’t even earn money off the bat by selling the products, now tell me is the people earning their downlines money or company gives them commission for bringing more people to shop in Atomy??
An MLM company without retail sales is a pyramid scheme. The onus is on Atomy to demonstrate a viable business model through retail sales.
By design Atomy America’s compensation plan doesn’t factor in retail customers, everyone is an affiliate (ala Vemma’s “affiliates who don’t recruit are retail customers” argument, which was rejected in court).
Don’t like it? Take it up with the FTC. In the meantime Atomy America is operating as a product-based pyramid scheme (ref: Vemma, Herbalife).
Now here’s the thing, you keep on backing up your statements saying that all these companies are illegal but how do they startup in America anyways?
Mind helping to explain? If something is illegal it must be taken action right?
Regulation is reactionary and resources are finite.
It’s common for participants of scams to trot out the “but we haven’t been shut down!” argument.
Fact of the matter is a business model can be a scam regardless of whether a company has been shut down. Both Vemma and Herbalife ran pyramid scheme business models for years until the FTC moved on them.
Participants would no doubt argue that because the FTC hadn’t shut them down yet, they weren’t scams. Analysis of the business models though determined otherwise, and that’s what the FTC eventually moved on.
I’m all for increased regulation of scams but you’d have to ask the FTC specifically why they haven’t shut down Atomy America yet.
Long story short, “not getting shut down” != legal business model.
And you’re asking me to contact the FTC? BehindMLM isn’t a regulator, we review MLM business models and publish MLM news.
Based on its business model, Atomy America is a product-based pyramid scheme. Last time I’m saying this: Have a problem? Take it up with the FTC.
Even IF Atomy is as what you say a “product based pyramid scheme” people are still actually getting good products that saved lives and so on, so what’s the customers loss here, you’re trying to bring justice to the customers or just being a butt hurt on MLM companies??
There is no justification for pyramid schemes. Stop trying, you’ve already lost.
If all you’re going to do is come up with excuses for pyramid scams, we’re done here. Going to start marking comments as spam.
Best of luck with the pyramid recruitment.
Then let it be. Let Atomy be another company that will be moved on by the FTC because I actually see this company help people but not scamming them and prioritize profit.
Let what be? I’m responding to scammers insisting pyramid schemes aren’t pyramid schemes. I haven’t published anything on Atomy since this review.
if it wasn’t a scam, you wouldn’t need to be here defending it. you would just ‘let it be’ and stand on it’s own merits. but, you got in too late and are having trouble stealing your money back.
And if I’m trying to get my money back I won’t say things to backup this company dude, what is your logic.
The logic here would be if you was trying to “get your money back”, you should be doing it quietly….. not mouthing off on a blog post.
Hello OZ,
Atomy is a pyramid scheme.
The affiliates on the Atomy up-line on a team are the visible scammers, and their main goal is to earn commissions (especially the $50,000 + bonus) by using and recruiting their members from the down-line of the team to purchase products and recruit friends and family to align with dates for the calculating of commissions, if due.
Now, according to the company’s model, every member/affiliate will remain happy if the up-line of the team always help the down-line of the team realize their goal of obtaining to the $50,000 + goal as well (although the last in are always the losers in a scheme).
However, for you, it will be very difficult to get any member/affiliate of Atomy to come up to your thinking on this blog when speaking of the facts concerning a pyramid, scam, or what makes a scammer.
Note that the company’s leaders have been very good at “brain washing” their members/affiliates to think and speak what the weekly and monthly meetings requires of them.
(Ozedit: Offtopic derail attempt removed)
Member/affiliate that want commissions are require to attend several meeting every week, which repeat the same language over and over. This is why you are hearing it through-out this blog.
This language is apart of these members, and said without giving any thought. You hear something so many times you begin to believe it without questions.
Hi there,
I was about to invest 300 dollars to build my PVs until I realized that the compensation plan is not feasible.
Yes, the products are great. There is no joining fee. However when you want to start earning with Atomy, you need to build 300k PPV because 10k PPV is not enough.
I figured out that with 300k pv on both left and right legs is not feasible especially if there is a condition that you can’t advertise or set up a retail shop either online or offline.
That guideline is really ridiculous. No one here in the Philippines can explain how the compensation plan works.
I asked someone from Atomy but no one can explain the marketing plan clearly in detail. No one can confirm if the 300k pv pairing will be calculated on a daily or monthly basis.
Technically if its daily, most of your group PVs will be flushed out when one of your leg does not hit 300k.
You can stay with Atomy if you want to be a consumer but if you want to make much money stay away and just find another MLM.
i find it whoever wrote this article is very ignorant. First, of cos you must be a member of Atomy then you can acess to the webpage. It is free to join tho.
If u re non member buying atomy product wont give you any benefits… Second,instead of retail customer based, Atomy is based on mass consumer consumer spending, and profit sharing, not retail and earn by price different.
That is call direct sales. Atomy is more like referral profit sharing..
U dont spend in atomy ur money still end up in Wal mart or any local mart which give u nothing other than product that u spend.
Reffering recruiting doesnt equal to scam. Of member pay big amount of money to join it is scam.
in Atomy we buy what we need while being paid asking other do the same… Someone somebody is goin to spend money.
Re u asking chiken came first or Egg？Wasting time teaching you Oz.
Retail sales your head. u must be living in last century.
a pyramid scheme. Thank you for taking the time to confirm Atomy is a product-based pyramid scheme, but we’ve already established that.
Explaining Atomy America’s fraudulent business model and then calling it something else or comparing it to non-MLM business models doesn’t make it any less of a scam.
Nah. But regulators in whatever country you live in are.
Don’t worry, they’ll catch up eventually. Or not. Either way Atomy America is still a pyramid scheme.
Oz sounds like (Ozedit: Offtopic derail attempts removed)
Seriously cry less dude, some people join Atomy because they actually like the products. Is a pyramid scheme? probably LOL, but (Ozedit: No buts.)
Thank you for confirming Atomy America is a pyramid scheme.
There is no excuse for financial fraud, so don’t even try.
If Atomy America can’t operate without being a pyramid scheme (they’ve had plenty of time to address the lack of retail in the company), that’s on them. Stop making excuses for scammers.
Does that justify the rest being conned?
How are people conned if no money is lost.
In a pyramid scheme new recruits pay the commissions of those who recruited them.
Attaching products to recruitment commissions doesn’t negate losses of those at the bottom of the pyramid scheme.
If Atomy offered actual value outside of chain-recruitment, they’d have no trouble implementing and building a strong base of retail customers.
Yet the only revenue generated is sourced from Atomy affiliates. Speaks for itself.
If you wanna call it a trap, that’s cool cause in the end it’s a business, that builds schools in third world countries.
I’m aware capitalism. I wish I could trade a goat for hand-made furniture, but unfortunately my currency is USD.
People make money off these things, and I’ve browsed and Atomy’s no membership fee, no autoshipments, is a great way for me.
Its no scheme, its capitalism with a kickback.
So I did read MLM eventually fail, but thats only if the whole world signs up. R. @OZ are you against all MLM’s?
Dunno where you got your definition of capitalism from, but product-based pyramid scheme isn’t it.
An MLM company operating without retail is a pyramid scheme. Vemma and Herbalife were sued for using the same model in a capitalist economy.
Whether scamming people through pyramid schemes is “great for you” is neither here nor there.
I’m against product-based pyramid schemes like Atomy America.
Perhaps a better question is WHY are the rest of the people buying the products when according to you, only SOME of the people like the products.
Once you answer that question, you’ll have answered your own.
Building a school or two can offset potential fraud? Wow, justice is so cheap.
Just wanted to point out positive aspects that others may not of been aware of.
(Ozedit: Offtopic derail attempts removed)
1. There’s nothing positive about a pyramid scheme.
2. If you wish to discuss capitalism and other MLM companies do it elsewhere.
If I am “scamming” people, I’m ignorant to that fact. People are not extrinsically pressured to buy more than they want.
So far you’ve only proven that Atomy is illegal by not selling to the general public since MLM’s are legal.
Ignorance is not an excuse.
Irrelevant.
Anything that comes after that statement is irrelevant.
Seriously. Take a step back and read what you wrote again. Time to stop making excuses for scammers.
There’s a very good reason lawmakers have seen fit to make it illegal to either promote OR participate in pyramid / endless chain recruitment schemes.
Stopping others being defrauded by people like you is that reason.
Oz,
I just became a member and I like what Atomy does as far as sharing the quality products to the public. The thing is, its a member base purchase and are not available in stores. To be frank you spoke about pyramid scheme being illegal and all that, but in reality (Ozedit: Offtopic derail attempts removed)
So my point is, you wrote this article and replied to people in the comments area and sticking to your guns that Atomy is a fraud.
Here is what I think about the Atomy, I’ve tried a few products and I liked it. I bought it.
There was no pressure of any sort during the transactions. I believe in the products that I bought. Shared it with my friends. They liked it. Bought it. Shared it with their friends.
Oh and by the way the prices of Atomy’s products are very very affordable compare to the other brands and the plus side is they do work for most of their members.
Anyways, if several months I get some compensation from the company that is a major plus. No one got scammed, no one got raped, no one got killed, and etc… No pressure to buy the product at all.
If you and your comrades still doesn’t get the benefit of being a member of Atomy then here is another example. I am also a member of COSTCO (Ozedit: Snip, Costco isn’t an MLM company. Strawman arguments removed.)
So in short, people are happy. But you seem unhappy. I hope you find peace in yourself and see that the world around you has more issues to worry about than writing an article that is not entirely accurate.
MHO, you seem an okay writer, write something that would help the world and help the human kind, than quarrel here and make the same statement over and over again.
If Atomy is illegal, then perhaps one day they will go down in flames. Correct.
You and your comrades use your intelligence in making the world better than complain at something and do not offer any solution. Does not make sense at all. Don’t you think. Sweet dreams.
By joining and promoting aproduct-based pyramid scheme, you’re obviously not looking for a solution.
Your solution is to try to make money by scamming your friends and family. At least own your thievery and stop making excuses for scammers.
Atomy is an MLM company with zero retail sales. By definition it is a pyramid scheme and that makes you a pyramid scammer.
Trying to dismiss the facts by portraying those pointing them out as unhappy is childish. Not withstanding your attempts to justify pyramid scamming by comparing it to rape, thievery etc. etc.
Some piece of work you are.
In the USA and most other countries, participation in, offering, establishing or promoting a pyramid / endless chain recruitment scheme is illegal, whether there is a “product” involved or not.
End of story.
Great products sold fraudulently is still a scam. Go look up FHTM on Google. Sold only real products, but it’s a pyramid scheme. Founder did great things for his town with the money. It’s STILL a pyramid scheme.
Did you ever THINK about what you actually wrote?
thank you for the information, in indonesia atomy is on pre launching now.
I give a big warm welcome for Atomy in Indonesia, my great country.
its been big arguments about scam, pyramid, schemes etc here…. No one is wrong or right to give their individual opinions….
if its not good for you, does not give you benefit in any ways…simply do not participate…
Before I decided using a new product I do some research through referral, friends etc etc…try one product, continue using it if its good and ofcourse the price also affordable then try other item and end up using most of the product….share my experience about the product with friends and loved ones….
With Atomy online shopping mall I have to be a member and its free in order to be able to buy the product, no compulsory to buy meaning if I dont buy after joining still ok. If I do not want to share my good experience with others also fine or vise versa.
I love the business opportunity given while using the product which I need anyway. Of course to be participating in the business I study the marketing plan carefully.
I dont see anybody being harm here..so why not…Love the product, using it, share with others and the result is transforming to become healthier, happier, prettier and better financial…. wow a really Awesome.
An MLM company without retail is a pyramid scheme scam. Fact, not opinion.
Also fact is that pyramid schemes always leave victims in their wake. Atomy is not a sustainable business in and of itself, hence the need to country-hop.
Looking at Alexa, Taiwan and Malaysia are the countries currently being scammed. Everywhere else has tanked after recruitment died.
Oz, It is not that Atomy does not want to do retail. If Atomy is a scam, they could sell to the public at retail price (+- 30% more).
So instead of that,the company would rather focus on members within the platform.So that members get to purchase high quality products at absolute price.
Products of the same quality would probably sell for 2-3x more. So members get to benefit whether you are a consumer or a builder. Every member pay the same price irregardless. So do your math.
It is. In fact it’s precisely that.
Yet they don’t, and so here we are. QED.
In 2012, I tried Atomy products. I joined later on at the Atomy Life office in Seattle. My Sales Master JiYoung told me that I could make lots of money by recruiting lots of people into my team – which I did.
I recruited over 10 members who were Indonesians. But what happened a few years later was that one of my Indonesian member stumbled upon the Atomy office – called Lynnwood Center.
The Manager, Kyung there told her she would help her become a Sales Master n earn lots of money if she were to bring other members in my team over to theirs.
So she told my people to have their accounts expire n they can join the Lynnwood Center which is closer to where they live with a much nicer Sales Master (So Mi).
They were also told they could use their spouses n adult children’s ID to sign up until they expired in my group.
Because the people were from the same country, they agreed to have their account expire n secretly move over to The Lynnwood office. On top of that, they even asked me to move over n they will help me succeed!
Today, with the help of the The Lynnwood team, one of them became a Sales Master n earning big bucks ! She works for Boeing n started to recruit her friends from work.
But think about it! It’s so unfair to me n my downline who spent hours of time n money introducing Atomy to them n giving them so many items to try in the beginning like free skincare sessions n free toothpaste n toothbrush n now they are allowed to jump ship over to a different group.
I was told in the beginning that whoever u recruit will always be in your team. So now after so many years of hardwork with time n money spent! The company allows them to register in another group!
I feel so cheated n lied to ! In many other MLM companies, once your ID number is in, u cannot register in another group! It’s so unfair!
I went to the Federal Way office a few times to talk to them but they were unable to help me. My Sales Master is not very helpful either!
The people in my group left because they didn’t like her. She isn’t as helpful as The Lynnwood Group! The Atomy Life office refused to help us build our other leg!
I’m looking for help that the Atomy office should not allow people to switch groups. Please help! Thx.
Maybe move on and instead of building a pyramid scheme do something better with your life?
Wow. You clearly understand what you want and have no desire in find out how something really works if you don’t understand it. You don’t even understand the definition of Illegal Pyramid Schemme.
How can a company that doesn’t charge any membership or annual fee or any fee at all can become a pyramid Schemme if the only thing that it does is sharing the profits with the members that do the compensation plan for the consumption of the products that all the members purchase.
95% of the members in this company are just plain consumers. And they buy because of superior quality and incredible low prices, they don’t buy because of the compensation plan.
Just 5% do the business part.
This company is a consumer centered company, offering the best at the lowest price. Just become a member and try it out, you might even like the products but if you don’t, just return it, the company will refund 100% of the purchased price , even if it is used.
Tell me how selling the best products at the lower with the best possible price with the best refund policy around is bad for consumers???
You also clearly don’t know the basic rule of any retail business. Give the customer the best. If any business does that there is no need to gimmicks to make members buy what the company offers.
There is no autoshipping, no minimum purchase to get paid, no quotas no nothing. How Atomy is bad???
Please make a better job in writing these kind of reviews. And please study more deeply if you don’t understand. It makes you look biased and unprofessional.
If your scam only makes sense on the premise of everyone else “not understanding” anything, you’ve already lost.
Simple, by requiring purchase of product to qualify for commissions. In MLM this is known as a product-based pyramid scheme, wherein the products take the place of charging for entry.
In this model what products are attached to commission qualification becomes irrelevant, as the purchases are made only to qualify
If Atomy America’s affiliates were legitimately interested in purchasing only at a retail level and not qualifying for recruitment commissions, they’d be retail customers.
Atomy doesn’t offer this because they know nobody would purchase anything without the attached income opportunity. Thus it is the income opportunity being marketed, which brings us back to Atomy being a product based pyramid scheme.
You can make up whatever bullshit statistics and assumptions about the Atomy affiliate-base as you want, facts are facts.
If an MLM company doesn’t have genuine retail customers, it’s a pyramid scheme.
By having no retail emphasis Atomy is a company full of affiliates purchasing product to qualify on earning on recruited affiliates also purchasing product, to qualify on… etc. etc.
This is the literal definition of a product-based pyramid scheme. Instead of asking everyone else to “study more”, how about you first educate yourself on the fundamentals of MLM compliance?
https://behindmlm.com/companies/latest-ftc-guidance-to-mlm-industry-emphasizes-retail-sales/
It makes you look like a fucking idiot when I have to tear apart essentially the same arguments 118 comments into a review.
The defintion of illegal pyramid scheme doesn’t include the word retail. Why don’t you really start to read SEC publications and legal verbatim on when a MLM become illegal.
You clearly are a biased ignorant person that maybe was scammed long ago by an idiotic MLM company and want revenge.
MLM become illegal pyramid schemme when they don’t offer any product or service for sale ( again SALE only, not just retail or wholesale or by membership or whatever way of sale ) , so their promise to pat compensation are not based on real profits you idiot. Please read.
What definition is that? Because the FTC went after two pyramid schemes recently, Vemma and Herbalife, and in both litigation the lack of retail sales was key.
Such to the extent that both companies settled rather than lose in court because neither had significant retail sales activity.
You can read about their emphasis on retail sales in MLM in the link I previously provided (which you obviously didn’t).
The SEC don’t regulate pyramid schemes in the US unless they are offering unregistered securities too. To the best of my knowledge Atomy America doesn’t have a securities offering.
The FTC regulates MLM pyramid schemes. Why don’t you go read up on their recent MLM pyramid scheme cases against Vemma and Herbalife?
False. Every modern day MLM pyramid scheme has some product(s) and/or service(s) attached to it.
And you’re a dumbass who has no idea when it comes to current MLM regulation. Have a nice day.
SAM YOON: Hey dumbass, learn how to spell: schemme.
Hi Sam. I am starting my own MLM company selling very special marbles. What is so amazing is that I have an excellent compensation plan for recruiters.
Each beautiful marble will cost $100, and I plan to put back 95% of any sale back into the commission pool.
The bigger your downline, the more you make; and you will make millions if you get in on the ground floor. Of course, any downline who recruits will make money too, so everyone wins.
The only requirement is that each affiliate must buy at least one $100 exquisite marble to appreciate its beauty. And as an added bonus for the sales transaction, each marble will come beautifully gift wrapped.
You sound like an excellent person to get in this phenomenal opportunity early and help promote my new legal MLM “Marblezzz”.
Man, are you in for a lifetime of losing money to illegal pyramid schemes if that’s your understanding of how they work.
couldn’t have…..everyone here hung up on you remember?
and I look forward to much prosperity in teh Marblezzzz. lol
Please, do you need to buy daily groceries? do you consume foods and sundries everyday? so what will you lose if you join Atomy and buy from Atomy?
You just need to spend as per usual, but yet Atomy give you a potential to earn back all your spending, even possible to be your main income, what will you lose?
Nobody will lose anything by joining Atomy, if you can’t earn, you are just a normal consumer, same as you shop in Walmart. LOL
Literally billions of people buy groceries each day and don’t need to sign up to a product-based pyramid scheme to do so.
You can’t justify recruitment commissions with “shopping!”. When an MLM company pays recruitment commissions (both direct and residual) it’s operating as a pyramid scheme.
To demonstrate it’s not a pyramid scheme, an MLM company has to have verifiable retail sales revenue.
Atomy America by design doesn’t have retail customers. If they wanted to stop operating as a pyramid scheme they could introduce a retail customer class that cannot under any circumstances earn commissions.
Having not done this, one can only conclude Atomy America knows as well as you do that without the income opportunity (which generates losses for those at the bottom of the pyramid), nobody would be buying through Atomy America.
This is exactly how product-based pyramid schemes work, complete with those that defend them insisting the product or products purchased make them legal.
It doesn’t.
The markup charged on your groceries to pay for the multiple layers of commissions and the admin required to administrate them. Did you think your commission comes from magic fairies?
99% of suckers will not make enough in commission to recover what they lose by buying an Atomy product with myriad commissions priced in instead of a competitively priced alternative.
Because this is how the maths of pyramid schemes work. In order for a minority to get rich, everyone else has to lose.
well…..money to buy food. why do you want to take food out of the mouths of children?
(Ozedit: derail removed)
P.S. your so-called research is a big fail. BTW, PV stands for point value. your welcome in advance
P.S. try one of our products and i fuckin guarantee you wont even try to shift to other brands. Repurchase rate is 80%
Atomy America can rename PV whatever they wish. It’s been “personal volume” in the MLM industry for 40+ years.
If you want to argue semantics over what is the same concept, just because your company chose a different name for it, try elsewhere.
1. Don’t pull statistics out of your ass.
2. Without a retail customer class, you can’t make any guarantees about Atomy America’s products.
As long as there’s an income opportunity attached to purchases without true retail, Atomy America is operating as a product-based pyramid scheme.
if i buy an x-box card to join the x-box gaming world. Is this a pyrimid scheme?
Microsoft isn’t an MLM company that pays recruitment commissions, so no.
No more dumbass questions please. It’s Christmas, I need a break.
Keep up the good work Oz! Can’t believe this comment thread has gone on for this long, LOL.
What if current and future college students at a University voluntarily joins Atomy? How would they lose money?
Same as anyone else, by chasing an income dream via unsustainable recruitment.
I see the Student Loan Debt is at $1.52 trillion
Let’s say every college student nationwide joins Atomy in 2010 and recruits 2, then each recruits 2 and so on and keeps sharing the products and opportunity to every freshman that enrolls into the University each and every year up until now.
What do you think the student loan debt statistics be now? Will the numbers remain exactly the same or will the numbers go down?
Mathematically an unsustainable pyramid scheme, so your hypothetical is flawed from the outset.
Throw in a pyramid scheme and they’ll be worse than they are now.
Vemma selling bullshit income claims to college students is a large part of why they were shut down by the FTC. You’d do well to go read up on how that went.
Let’s say you get hold of a chess or checkerboard
Put 2 grains of rice on the first square, then 4 on the second square and so on.
Let us know how far you get.
There’s your answer
Why think so small? Heck go for the gusto! Imagine the entire world population joined!
Then what?
The FTC was wrong about Vemma. It was a legitimate opportunity.
In order for it to ultimately collapse and go out of business, every 18 yr old worldwide has to join the MLM company and the entire human race stop having babies.
Nah. Even Vemma knew the FTC was right or they wouldn’t have settled.
Every 18 year old isn’t interested in joining pyramid schemes. False logic.
A pyramid scheme collapses when recruitment collapses. Long before everyone on the planet is recruited into one.
In Pyramid Schemes, the top lines earn from downline members. And usually have “dummy” affiliates or products. While at Atomy, everyone in the “pyramid” earn from the affiliate’s sales distributed commissions after reaching the required sale points.
By the way atomy is the affiliate. The earnings depend on the quantity of sales. The rate of levelling up depends on the frequency of sales. T
he earnings are from the sales and not from members. A pyramid but not a scheme.
This is a pay to play pyramid scheme. The products are indeed dummy products because you’re getting paid to recruit.
This is possibly one of the stupidest statements I’ve ever seen on BehindMLM.
I researched Vemma and it said in a statement the settlement contained no admission of fault or proof of a pyramid scheme. Vemma settled, it said, because fighting the complaint was too distracting.
Amway has been in business since 1959. It is very difficult, almost impossible to recruit 1 person, let alone 6, into Amway and this company still hasn’t collapse yet.
Well duh. Sounds a lot better than “yes we’re a pyramid scheme and if we go to court we’ll lose”.
Amway has retail customers (whether it’s enough to balance recruitment is debatable).
Atomy America meanwhile has no retail customers. It’s a pyramid scheme.
I see Atomy offers laundry detergent, toothpaste, shampoo, etc. Common every household items people will be using for lifetime. Free membership and no autoship.
Can you please clearly explain your reason why you say this business opportunity is unsustainable, and what this company needs to do to make it sustainable?
You use Vemma and Herbalife as your reasons, but I still don’t get it.
Vemma offers energy drinks, Herbalife offers weight loss products. These companies did not collapse.
Because anyone can easily get common household items without paying the gigantic markup necessary to pay for the Byzantine commissions.
Find an endless supply of suckers.
As I recall at least one of those had to pay a massive fine for being a pyramid scheme and has since seen its profits collapse as it vainly tries to be less of a pyramid scheme.
An MLM company needs retail customers to be sustainable. To be legal (i.e. not a pyramid scheme), it needs to generate more sales revenue from retail customers over recruited affiliates.
Atomy America by design has no retail customers.
Instead they were sued for consumer fraud by the FTC. Precisely because neither company had significant retail activity and was thus operating as a pyramid scheme.
Vemma is no more and its BODE reboot isn’t doing too well. Last I heard Herbalife was playing fast and loose with the FTC settlement, with the regulator seemingly not interested in pursuing the matter.
Buying household products from Atomy is exactly the same as buying household products from Walmart, Target or wherever.
Again, the membership is free, No autoship, no inventory. Members can buy anything they want, anytime they want.
I’ll rephrase my earlier question. If every college student nationwide joins Atomy in 2010, what kind of issue will members see specifically during the process that will lead to complaints to the FTC?
False. Neither Walmart, Target or “wherever” have an attached MLM opportunity.
Without true retail you cannot make the claim that people are joining for the products.
This is something legitimate MLM companies address with retail sales. Pyramid schemes like Atomy America intentionally do not have retail sales.
The complaints arise from losses, which is inevitable in a pyramid scheme.
Note that attaching products to a pyramid scheme and going “oh but they got products!” is not a defense for pyramid fraud. The model is known as a product-based pyramid scheme.
Running a pyramid scheme is also a violation of the FTC Act, irrespective of whether victims complain (many don’t due to threats and/or embarrassment).
You might not be aware of the product-based pyramid model but this is an old, tired path.
There are two separate and distinct issues potential Atomy members should consider before joining:
1) Pyramid schemes are illegal
2) The reason pyramid schemes are illegal is because they are unsustainable and guaranteed to fail.
So, if anyone thinks they can beat the odds, join anyway and make their money before the inevitable collapse, fine – it’s their choice, but, that doesn’t alter the fact it’s a pyramid scheme
Let’s say (Ozedit: Let’s not. See below.)
If you want to discuss general pyramid scheme hypotheticals do it elsewhere.
Ditto repeated “what about (some other MLM company)?” derails.
So what? I can find those in Dollar Tree dollar stores. Offering them doesn’t really mean anything.
Oz,
Why did you delete it? That was a legitimate question
It’s a math question. You don’t have answer immediately. Take your time
If Atomy members spend $150 every month, how many people does it take exactly to collapse the program?
How much money exactly will members be losing when that happens?
It’s not a math question, it’s a bullshit unanswerable “how long is a piece of string?” hypothetical.
Pyramid schemes collapse when recruitment inevitably collapses. There is no definitive fixed-number answer as to how many people scammers need to recruit for this to happen.
Anymore derail nonsense and spambin.
Apart from being massively more expensive than Walmart and Target (or lower quality for the same price) due to the cost of the Byzantine commission structure.
This is the mathematical inevitabiity you are trying to dodge with your nonsense about an infinite number of students paying $150 a month for a giant pile of laundry detergent that 99% of them will never sell.
I wonder if Tom has been a retail customer of Amway getting his every day essentials from them? It is, after all, very similar in principle. Everyone needs soap, right?
If he hasn’t, perhaps he should reflect on why, since he presumes Atomy is a no brainer.
The reality is, if you are not enticed by the “opportunity” to make money, very few people have interest in buying overpriced MLM products when they can pickup household items at the store or Amazon Prime.
And when your focus is the “opportunity”, in quotes because it’s not really an opportunity since 99% fail, the product doesn’t really matter. The founders of MLM companies know this and compromise. It’s a vicious cycle.
And if Tom still believes in the model, why not join Amway? You know, since it’s been in business since 1959, and all. Again, if not, why not? Their products are adequate.
Tom needs to be honest with himself. The “opportunity” is the real product, and that is a pyramid scheme.
Tom should also pay close attention to upline’s clever use of “opportunity”. It absolves them from guaranteeing that you will make money even though you’re busting your butt – for them.
I did join Amway, but I could not get one person to join. Everyone is skeptical believe it’s a scam or pyramid
I had this prospect say to me “After a quick Google search, I’m confident I’d never invest in Amway myself. Why wouldn’t they do the same?”
Amway is 60 years old and still hasn’t collapse yet.
So, you weren’t a retail customer who bought everyday products from them? And, as an IBO, you were in the 99% percentile of MLMing losers.
Are we getting a clue yet?
Big world, lots of suckers.
I suspect you haven’t yet realized that “buy from yourself and teach others to do the same” is not legally okay, and you’re also not “buying from yourself”. That’s nonsense.
People are skeptical because MLMing is endless-chain recruiting aka pyramid scheming. Swapping companies doesn’t change that.
Do you remember the Million Student March? (Ozedit: No, I don’t. Derail waffle removed.)
Nobody can escape pyramid scheme mathematics, students least of all.
The mathematics behind pyramid schemes like Atomy America guarantees that the majority of participants inevitable lose money.
You’re being deceitful if you pretend scamming people through pyramid schemes is helping anything other than your wallet.
who said atomy have no Customer? No retail? And lose money? And …..
I was used atomy toothpaste for 9 year before knowing the Atomy company, I used at least 5 times a day. (If you do that many times in a day, you have to buy $5-$10 toothpaste or your inner skin of your mouth will dry and ripped) and I used skin for 6 year. Loved it.
I think I know your point pyramid MLM is sometimes bad. But if you look we are in the pyramid. One boss on top, Several manager in the middle, I’m in the bottom get pay $11 dollar for one hour of my time (and they are many like me in bottom).
So what I try to said is try the toothpaste, it is top quality, that is Atomy lifestyle, aim and Pursue the top quality, and lowers price at the quality product.
I finally join the Atomy this year 2019 March (it is free, did not lose a penny) I know it from beginning, just in when I in New York they is a lot of they call Atomy Center and yes you can buy from them (still same price as members), I have friends run a center.
They sale on members price to anyone and teach how to order online on they own. But now I move to Atlanta GA. Join from Atlanta area,
I see. But you also state:
Love it when shills trip themselves up.
No, they are always bad. Mathematics guarantees the majority of pyramid scheme participants always lose money.
A visual representation of a business model that is triangle in nature is not the same as a pyramid scheme business model.
Nor does being at the bottom of a corporate hierarchy have anything to do with pyramid schemes.
You’re in Atomy, recruited by your friends and now looking to recruit new participants into the scheme. Own your thievery and stop making excuses for scammers.
I did not know the company ( the Atomy company principal and CEO try to build a world that consumer and people can be better and success.)
How much $ to build a company do business worldwide (Ozedit: No idea. Derails removed.)
So you were completely aware of Atomy the MLM company but didn’t know who the CEO was. And that somehow translates into you knowing nothing about the company.
Riiiiiiiiiiiiight.
And let me stop you before you start trotting out the usual Atomy America “money for this, money for that” marketing bullshit. Nobody cares.
OZ
why my post been cut
Because derail marketing nonsense has nothing to do with our Atomy America review.
Do yourself a favor, I know you’re a new recruit armed with the pamphlets and what not but read over the 169 comments on this review.
The same “wut about students?” bullshit has already been trotted out and addressed (#135).
This isn’t a platform for marketing spam. You’ve got plenty of social networks at your disposal for that.
After reading so many responses I couldn’t help but add my two cents into this.
FIRST to anyone who has come across this page in an effort to understand how Atomy works and if its legit… IT IS!!! (Ozedit: Snip, see below)
There’s nothing legit about product-based pyramid schemes.
Feel free to address the lack of retail focus as detailed in this review. And don’t drop your email looking for leads thinking I won’t notice.
This isn’t the place for recruitment.
Note failure to address the review as mentioned above (inbe4 “waah where’s my spam comment gone?”) = spambin.
If you want to claim Atomy is legit you can start by addressing the stated reason it isn’t.
Lol…I dont need to recruit people on your petty little site, I am doing very well working with Atomy! It’s an amazing MLM BUSINESS.
I stated CLEAR facts about the company AND CLARIFIED all of the erroneous information your posting…(Ozedit: lies removed, see below.)
Yet you still tried. Twice.
No you didn’t. Not once did you address Atomy America being a product based pyramid scheme with little to no retail.
Not in your original comment which I mostly nuked or in your follow up wall of text.
Regardless of what you think of an MLM company without retail sales, pyramid schemes are illegal in the US.
I’ve been polite and left some of your rant. Your next comment either addresses Atomy America being a product-based pyramid scheme with little to no retail, or it’ll go straight to the spambin without edit.
(Ozedit: derail ranting removed)
1. I didnt try to recruit people on your site I was defending the integrity of the company because it is legit, unlike this site that has no integrity.
(Ozedit: derail ranting removed)
3. Question…how is going to a site purchasing an item or many then receiving them, and later choose to use them for personal use or reselling them- little to no resale???
(Ozedit: derail ranting removed)
6. Ooofffff AGAIN…you are allowed to resale!
(Ozedit: derail ranting removed)
You snuck your email in and requested people contact you twice in your original comment.
The only thing worse than recruitment spam is someone who lies about it when called out.
The FTC has categorically addressed “but you can resale” pseudo-compliance.
Affiliate purchases are affiliate purchases and regardless of resale or the lack thereof, are not retail sales.
This was rejected by the FTC in both the Herbalife and Vemma cases.
The fact of the matter is the onus is on Atomy America to generate the majority of it’s company-wide revenue via affiliates selling products to retail customers.
Instead of retail sales, Atomy America’s business model focuses on affiliates purchasing products each month (autoship), and getting paid to recruit others who do the same.
As per the FTC, this makes Atomy America a pyramid scheme.
Skimming through these comments, I noticed one about how Atomy will inevitably fail because recruiting will dry up. Obviously, this is how most pyramid schemes die.
Now, I’m not affiliated with Atomy and I’m not here to defend them, but from what I understand about the company, if recruiting dries up for Atomy, it doesn’t really matter because retail sales will keep profit sharing going.
Recruiting can stop today but regular Atomy consumers will not stop buying their favorite products and that is where revenue comes from.
I know you keep saying Atomy doesn’t have retail sales but the online mall sells small quantities of goods directly to the consumer.. isn’t that the definition?
Even if no one else gets recruited and moves up the ranks, the company won’t fail.. it’s just that no one else will get to share in the profits.
You’re referencing theoretical retail sales.
When an MLM company has terrible retail customer focus, as noted in our review, it follows retail sales don’t actually exist.
Instead you have a company full of affiliates on monthly autoship, which in MLM is otherwise known as a pyramid scheme.
What do you mean by monthly autoship? There doesn’t seem to even be an option like that.
Consumers just order what they want, when they want. And I would actually say that the company seems to be quite retail focused as it’s really the quality of the products and cult following they depend on to perpetuate sales.
I know non-members who buy the products as well from the Atomy stores. I don’t know why you refer to that as theoretical sales.. so many Atomy consumers don’t earn commission or do any recruiting. They just like the products.
Again, just genuinely curious because I know some people who are considering becoming sales agents. Thanks!
Source:
ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/business-guidance-concerning-multi-level-marketing
After reading through FTC website regarding MLM and pyramid scheme, to me Atomy is a legitimate MLM company.
Atomy 90% registered members are “consumers”, they purchase directly from Atomy website, so they are REAL customers.
You should read this article.
Atomy sells REAL products to REAL customers. They purchase the products because they want to buy for own use not because they want to make money.
Source:
ftc.gov/news-events/blogs/business-blog/2017/01/redress-checks-compliance-checks-lessons-ftcs-herbalife
@Nancy
When the majority of your customers are affiliates registered for the business opportunity, then your MLM company is a pyramid scheme.
Source: FTC vs. Vemma, Herbalife, MOBE, Digi Alt, AdvoCare, Neora etc. etc.
You need to be generating the majority of revenue via retail customers, which is what you keep conveniently ignoring.
@Dex
A monthly order.
Retail customers can’t order what they want. You have to sign up as an affiliate, which means 100% of Atomy’s sales revenue is derived from affiliate purchases.
Even if Atomy was signing up retail customers (they aren’t), how is not showing pricing and availability without signing up as an affiliate “retail focused”?
On a truly retail customer orientated ecommerce site I am given pricing and availability as top priority (think Amazon, eBay etc.).
Well they’re not doing it through the Atomy America MLM opportunity, so that’s irrelevant.
All the more reason for Atomy to create a true retail customer class. Yet here we are.
They don’t because Atomy America is a pyramid scheme. Sign up as an affiliate, recruit, and get paid on everyone’s monthly order.
The “not everyone recruits” argument was trotted out in both the Vemma and Herbalife FTC cases.
It was rejected both times by the FTC and neither company felt confident pursuing the matter in court.
You have to have retail customers within the MLM opportunity itself, or you’re running a pyramid scheme.
@Nancy
In Atomy there is no retail, so 100% of commissions paid out via the compensation plan are paid on “purchases or other payments by its participants”.
Participants = affiliates, which everyone signs up as. Note what affiliates do or don’t after signing up as affiliates is irrelevant, their purchases are still affiliate revenue from the company side.
The onus is on Atomy America to create a wholesale customer class. They haven’t and instead opt to continue operating as a pyramid scheme.
There’s so many negative people out there. If you haven’t tried the product how can you complain? Or have an opinion. (Ozedit: Snip, see below. Derails removed.)
I sure as shit haven’t tried a cow dung pie. Pretty sure, in my opinion, that it’ll taste terrible. Talk about dumbass logic.
And anyway, this is a business opportunity review, not a product review.
If you want to crap on about Atomy America’s products, which don’t matter in light of it being a pyramid scheme, there are plenty of spam sites out there for you to do so on.
Someone I know is in Atomy and I usually add Oz as a point of reference when evaluating a direct sales or network marketing company.
In all of the reviews I’ve looked at, never have I seen so much “back and forth” in any Oz review. This tells me to avoid Atomy like the plague, besides the fact that it’s a binary.
Soon as I see a binary comp plan, I recommend running away as fast as possible. There might be one company with such a plan that has been around around for 10 years or longer and also doing over $250,000,000 in revenues, but I can’t think of one.
However, I do know of several “top earners” who go from mlm company to company (mlm junkies), make big money and move on, leaving the little dreamers behind.
Just do a Google search on binary comp plans and compare the positives vs the negatives. The negatives always prevail.
I recently attend a zoom meeting at the request of a friend. I couldn’t stand it. They where only talking about the recruitment and never ever talk about the products.
The man who was like the star of the show seems to me so charlaran that I coulnd’t stay longer than 5 minuts. . It is obvious a pyramid, period.
I recently joined Atomy for about 2 months now. I’ve spent about $500 and earn 177000 PV. My left leg and right leg earn zero.
The reason I joined because I like their toothpaste a lot. Since using the toothpaste, I no longer have bad breath.
I purchased the toothpaste from the store at $8 a tube but it is cheaper to buy direct from Atomy as a member. So that’s why I joined to get the cheaper price.
One Facebook friend who has been a member for 5 years now earn $4000 a month. So I am excited to hopefully be earning that amount someday.
I understand Atomy is a MLM business if you want to earn money. However, if you are good at selling the products…you can sell them at retail price and earn that extra money.
Many people are selling the products online via Facebook. Recruiting members means you are helping Atomy getting richer. If every member just want to earn money instead of liking the products then they are in the MLM trap to make the company richer while they pay for expensive products.
So the person who is making money is not the members but the MLM Atomy themselves. I think I will focus on buying what I like instead of money so I don’t put my friends and family members into the MLM trap.
Calling bullshit on this. Nobody spends $500 on toothpaste.
There it is, the real reason you joined Atomy.
If Atomy America is being run as a pyramid scheme, and by all accounts it is, that’s on Atomy. They are responsible.
The fact of the matter is if you achieve your hopeful income, you’ll only have done so by recruiting affiliates under you.
You said it yourself, nobody outside of the business opportunity is interested in comparatively expensive products.
Are you just against Atomy America or Atomy as a whole?
I read the top and the bottom skipping most of middle, its too much.. It seems to me that you are saying Atomy are not retail focused (retail cannot buy without joining).
Where I’m from, people can join Atomy as a consumer where although they have to sign up, they can buy without joining as an affiliate and they will not get any PV.
And you say for Atomy America, you have to login to see the price and PV information. But where I am from, I can see the price and PV points just fine without logging in.
I tried to see what’s up with Atomy America and true enough, it does have those flaws you mentioned. Must be an American thing. Atomy is just fine where I am.
This review is on Atomy America.
That said, Atomy America == Atomy. If they’re running a pyramid scheme in the US they’re doing it elsewhere in the world.
Simply having a retail option isn’t enough, there has to be actual retail sales.
I found the article very interesting – thank you for the in depth analysis. Even more interesting is the comment section.
My personal bias is that I was cornered by a friend and sold a pitch about the wonders of Atomy products, the wonders of being a member and earning more money than imaginable through purchasing daily necessities from this brand alone.
I then received multiple screenshots about the benefits of Hemohim in treating life-threatening conditions. I went on to read the full scientific papers.
The studies were performed in animals and the research was commissioned by Atomy. I cannot therefore find convincing evidence that this is better than any regular vitamin at best. I certainly cannot consider it a cure for any illness let alone cancers.
This was followed by another unsolicited Sales pitch when all I had intended to do was have coffee with my friend.
It was impossible to wriggle out of that situation and in the end I signed up for membership – in fact my friend offered to sign up for me as I been finding excuses not to jump at the opportunity immediately.
I have never been in a situation where ‘shopping for stuff like a toothbrush’ was more onerous than actually hand-carving a toothbrush from a branch and sewing bristles onto one end. The amount of personal details required made me uncomfortable.
I have been a member for over a year and have made absolutely zero purchases. I suspect Atomy does not like members like me.
I’ve avoided social situations with my friend. When I get a text from her, it usually starts off friendly but the topic of membership benefits will creep in after a short exchange of niceties.
Through this experience alone, I can be certain that Atomy is not a standard retailer, and by that logic, I can only deduce that the Conferences, active recruitment, distribution of poorly designed posters / ads making claims without robust scientific evidence are all components of a pyramid-type selling scheme.
It might not be the original format of a pyramid scheme – there are some elements which make it seem more benign, but I am treating it like an evolved pyramid-type scheme.
I think Atomy still has some mileage since the changes to buy-in cost and auto ship rules would make this more attractive to the cautious, and also to those who may have been burned on other aggressive pyramid schemes.
There will always be those who fall for get rich quick schemes. Equally sadly there will also always be those who pounce on these hopeful individuals. The pandemic and economic uncertainties will only force more people down this route.
The sunk-cost fallacy is another factor which keeps people mired in the scheme, reluctant or unable to get out.
The single useful bit of advice I can give to anyone about joining an MLM / pyramid scheme of any type is this: research it carefully.
If the scheme proudly declares that millions of members have already benefited from earnings-while-not-actually-working, then it is TOO LATE for you to join.
If you want to make any money at all from pyramid schemes, it will have to be at an early stage before most people have heard of it.
Unless you are being recruited by the creators of pyramid schemes, then I regret to inform you that you’re unlikely to get on that rung of the ladder at the right time.
I find your information on Atomy very wrong:
1)Atomy membership is not a retailing or selling business. They recruit members to be direct customers purchasing online and they earn the rewards from the comp plan for free(no registration fee), no requirement to make any purchase to join and no monthly minimum purchase requirement.
These 3 are their strongest edge over all other MLM comp plan, a trend I foresee most MLMs will follow in future, new ideas started since the binary plan idea which is also from Asia.
2)There is no matching bonus which you described above and there is no 20% payout from sales volume to the Sales Masters. It’s 20% of entire Sales PV, another 44% of entire Sales PV goes to the binary plan which most people in MLM calls it group pairing bonus.
There is a 6% payout to all the Centres although purchases are direct from the HQ. That makes a total of 70% payout on the entires Sales PV(that’s all in the plan, nothing else) and here is the trick, it’s clearly mentioned their total payout will not exceed 35% of collection, so it’s safe to say that the 20% total Sales Masters is roughly around 10%, although some products are more and some less.
3)More tricks. Other than the 3 attractive points in the comp plan I mentioned in no.1, all other conditions are disadvantages to the majority of the members as unlike most others MLM companies, Atomy’s rewards are heavily loaded for people on top(in fact a newcomer earn both on the first 20 or 30 customers’ purchasers if all purchase the minimum of 10,000PV each unless the network grows, but they can argue that they are unlike other MLMs where products are overpriced.
Atomy always exphasized their products are “Absolute(high) Quality, Absolute(low) Price”. In reality NOT.
Their leaders will not highlight the 35% payout(but keeps on saying total 70%) of which over 80% of the amount goes to those on top who have been in the Company for at least 2 or 3 years.
for the same effort in other Companies, I would have made much more money elsewhere. It’s a rip-off on beginners.
Here’s my calculations: the 44% on binary group pairing counts only when you achieve a miminum of 300,000PV (accumulative) on each left and right group and once you earned the minimum of approx USD25, all balance will be FLASHED OFF and you start from ZERO the next day, meaning you needed a very big group of sustain your income and beginners don’t don’t get any income.
The remaining bulk 20%(actual around 10%) can goes to the Sales Masters which are makes up just 1% or 2% or even less of most groups and again out of it 10%(1/2 of it)goes to those higher in the higher ranks.
How why are they doing so fast and so well everywhere if the Comp plan isn’t attractive?
Their website, products range, stratergy, tricks are all great that done well to camourflage their weaknesses. They capture the majority of the non-MLMers’ population which are the majority in every country and they do it like religion propaganda.
The boss’s profile mentioned he was a top MLM distributor in an Australian Company before but the name wasn’t mentioned (so?)
If recruiting affiliates is how the majority of company-wides sales revenue is generated then Atomy America is a pyramid scheme.
Affiliate spend with no retail is what’s known as a product-based pyramid scheme.
Nah. The FTC already shut down this model. Herbalife and Vemma are the most noticeable examples.
Re. the comp plan, I wrote this review in 2016. If Atomy America has changed their comp plan since then, cool.
I went on Atomy America’s website to see it and note they fail to provide a copy. Feel free to send one in and I’ll publish an updated review.
This is how every pyramid scheme works.
Pyramid schemes go on till recruitment collapses.
Oz,
All MLMs are pyramid schemes but I don’t feel anything wrong with it as long as it’s not a scam. In fact all businesses, industries or governments are a pyramid scheme, people on top are always few and less.
Any business will collapse if they don’t sell value for money products or if they are poorly managed, regardless of any scheme, whether you call it pyramid or not pyramid.
Another point I wish to highlight is Atomy’s success is also because they expand fast to many countries, giving hopes and dreams to people. They are less than 3 months in China but their last month’s turnover is already more than Amway’s in some places. I mentioned they promote the business like a religion giving hopes and dreams of the “future”.
I don’t know the FTC’s regulations but I don’t think they will disallow free registration and non-mimumun purchase conditions if they can allow “binary system” which is really tricky.
I missed to mentioned earlier one great trick that Atomy used. Although there is no minimum requirements for purchases but in order to earn income, a member’s minimum accumulated personal purchase is 10,000PV which is just around USD25 but if one wish to earn more from the same group volume, the accumulated PERSONAL purchase goes up by different stages and the highest is a whopping 3 million PV, around USD7,500!!
That’s why new Sales Masters end up with stocking up although they NEVER force you do, isn’t this same like collecting titlings tricks used in religion?
For the plan you can go to any country’s website, eg atomy.kr select English at the bottom and get the Marketing Plan on the front page, as I wrote, they are great in camourflage, don’t expect you can figure how it’s calculated.
All pyramid schemes are scams.
I don’t know how familiar you are with MLM comp plans but binary plans have been around for decades in the US.
Ah I missed the green box. I see they’ve adjusted rank names and PV requirements. Rest of it looks confusing as hell so I can see I’m going to get a headache.
I’ll queue Atomy America up for a review update. Thanks for bringing that to my attention.
Binary plan started in 1990 in Asia and I don’t think any other company in U.S. used a binary plan before USANA.
In Singapore the law stated that network marketing or Multi-level Marketing is a Pyramid scheme but it’s legal, so a name all depends on who is calling it but I think calling all pyramid schemes a scam is wrong and illogical.
I very much doubt MLM pyramid schemes are legal in Singapore but feel free to provide a link to the relevant legislation.
Just going to leave that as is for the lulz.
Oz,
Singapore law and system is well known for their efficiency. They don’t need operators to apply for a license in order to start a MLM business(in most countries, such license is just created for corruption reason).
Anyone can start a MLM business as long as they comply or follow all the conditions stipulated in the MLM or Pyramid Scheme law act. I believe you can easily find it from the Singapore government website.
That’s nice. Now cough up the Singapore legislation that states MLM pyramid schemes are legal.
Anything else is going in the spam bin.
Lol Oz,
You deleted my last comment. Now here, learn from it.
sso.agc.gov.sg/Act/MLMPSPA1973
I told you I’d be sending anything that wasn’t requested Singapore legislation to the spam-bin.
As to the link you finally provided, literally the first paragraph;
Pyramid schemes have been illegal in Singapore since 1973.
The fact that it distributes products worldwide (17 regions); all products have FDA certification; and each country has its requirements before one can be a member; members who earned commissions pay taxes to their respective government; that all products are scrutinized by the respective country where atomy it distributes and the fact that it has a business permit to distribute products; obviously means it’s operation is legal.
Question the government of the 17 countries that allows it to legally operate in their country.
YOu must know too what a legal multilevel marketing is, so you will have peace of mind. Amway has been in the multilevel marketing since 1950’s.
Atomy belongs to the same industry. Peace to you!
has nothing to do with Atomy America operating as a pyramid scheme.
I’m not aware of any Atomy America products having FDA certification. In any event, whatever FDA certification is, it’s not FDA approval.
which has nothing to do with Atomy America operating as a pyramid scheme.
which has nothing to do with Atomy America operating as a pyramid scheme.
See FDA comments above.
Atomy America doesn’t have this because it doesn’t exist.
False. Atomy America’s business model marks it as a pyramid scheme. Your excuses for fraud are irrelevant.
Why?
1. No government “allows” Atomy America to operate.
2. Not getting shut down != regulatory approval
I certainly do, and pay to play pyramid schemes like Atomy America are not.
And? What Amway is or isn’t has nothing to do with Atomy America operating as a pyramid scheme.
It’s funny because Atomy’s compensation plan is so unique that (Ozedit: snip, see below)
There’s nothing unique about a binary comp plan attached to a product-based pyramid scheme.
If you have to open with a made-up premise and build an argument for pyramid schemes around that, you’re not convincing anyone.
Can you define what is a product based pyramid scheme? Is that a real word or just made up premise as well?
Read the review and stop wasting my time.
Pay to play? What other MLM business allows a free membership? The MLM that you know is only for those who want to sell.
You dont want the idea that consumers also can do MLM for free? Have you read the company’s philosophy? I dont think so.
The concept of pay to play is rooted in recruited affiliates paying to earn commissions. This is common in product-based pyramid schemes like Atomy.
Sign up, pay a fee (buy products, hence the term), and get paid to recruit others who do the same.
An MLM company without retail sales is a pyramid scheme.
You can log in with a guest ID and a guest password. You can get it from members only.
(Ozedit: snip, see below)
This is anti-consumer and not something an MLM company looking to encourage retail sales would do.
It is however what a pyramid scheme looking to tie product purchases to affiliate recruitment would do.
Face it, no legitimate retail customer is wasting their time with this marketing approach. You are all recruited affiliates participating in a product-based pyramid scheme.
This is misleading. Because “paying” is different from “Buying”. You know very well the difference. 🙂 (Ozedit: snip, see below)
Handing over money to qualify for commissions, earned on recruited affiliates doing the same, is Atomy’s business model.
There is no difference between “paying” or “buying” in product-based pyramid schemes.
It is clear that Atomy is not the same as OTHER MLM company that encourages retail sales. (Ozedit: snip, see below)
Correct, Atomy USA is a product-based pyramid scheme and product-based pyramid schemes don’t care about retail sales.
Their business model relies on recruitment of affiliates and the majority of them losing money.
I actually visited the US shopping mall website. I can see the product details simply by clicking the product. (Ozedit: snip, see below)
“Product details” was never the issue, pricing was. No retail customer is buying anything without pricing information.
Participants in a product-based pyramid scheme on the other hand don’t care about pricing. They’re paying money to qualify on commissions, paid on recruits who pay to qualify for commissions, paid on recruits who etc. etc.
Attempt to shift the goalpost = fail.
Product price on the website. Stop misleading people.
Atomy America’s website = atomy.com/us/Home
There is no product pricing on that website.
Spam-binned, goodbye.
Prince prince prince… stop misleading the people.
The MAJORITY of people simply join for the discount and to have accessibility to the product line.
I joined simply to purchase the products, which are wonderful. However, I found your information to be very beneficial. Thank you!
1. Who died and made you spokesperson for “the majority of people”?
2. “bUt PeOpLe jOiN fOr ThE pRoDuCtS!” is not justification for a pyramid scheme (no retail). You can verify this through FTC v. Herbalife and FTC v. Vemma.
@Oz
Also FTC v. AdvoCare
I don’t recall Advocare putting up the “affiliates are retail customers” argument? They were a quick settlement from memory.
Ah, now I see your point. I should have read your “MiXeD-cAsE qUoTe” in #223 more carefully, but I just skimmed it (let’s face it: reading that stuff takes work).
I figured you left AdvoCare off the list for a reason; I just couldn’t think what it was, so I brought it up. I’m pretty sure you’re right: AdvoCare called anyone who paid to be a distributor a distributor; they just said “distributors who don’t sell get a discount,” they didn’t try to call them customers.
They had no fall-back plan when the FTC came kicking their front door down. (Not that a fall-back plan helped Vemma any.)
I was just speaking to the fact that the FTC’s complaint against all three companies read the same: Vemma, Herbalife, and AdvoCare all signed distributors up and told them to buy product and sign more distributors up to do the same, etc., making them the fabled “product-based pyramid scheme” that “Prince” thought wasn’t a real term (#207).
Those who are writing negative, calling our CEO a pig please research…. do not let yourself be called ignorant..
in this company you have the choice to be a consumer or do the business so do not judge, do not criticize…
I was free from Migraine and skin allergies by taking Hemohim, the flagship product.. so I thank God everyday for meeting ATOMY.
Actually I do not care about my commissions so much I care for being healthy for 2 years now, so please people here,, who just share what they believe???
Make sure you are positively right. thank you.
Nah fuck that. Shitty retail focus = pyramid scheme. Which of course you didn’t address.
Unsubstantiated medical claims = illegal and meaningless.
Feel free to provide peer-reviewed scientific studies demonstrating Hemohim has any affect on migraines and skin allergies (none exist).
Pyramid defense marketing doesn’t work here. You care about your commissions, that’s why you’re here shilling for a pyramid scheme.
Done and done. For reasons stated in the review, Atomy America is a pyramid scheme.