Global Connection Network Review: Autoship & recruitment
Global Connection Network operate in the cell service MLM niche and, as per the company’s Terms Of Use, appear to be based out of Tennessee:
This site (excluding third party linked sites) is controlled by the Company from its offices within the State of Tennessee, U.S. of America.
Note that no specific corporate address is provided for Global Connection Network on their website. Nor is one provided in the Global Connection Network website domain registration, which is set to private.
Identified as CEO of Global Connection Network on the company website is Gary Cochran.
As per Cochran’s Global Connection Network corporate bio;
Having built many successful businesses, Gary is a long-term enthusiast of the entrepreneurial spirit.
After completing a three-year tour of military service in the United States Marine Corps, Gary returned to the University for post-graduate work.
He then went on to develop a successful career in marketing and sales. He helped found and develop several direct sales companies doing tens of millions of dollars of sales a year.
Gary Cochran is recognized as a marketing expert in the direct sales industry. Gary is constantly sought after for help in adapting the latest marketing strategies to the emerging technological opportunities.
Further research reveals Global Connection Network corporate marketing material identifying Kirby Cochran as CEO (right).
No idea what the story is there.
The advertised event there on the right is for the 12th of September, which is of course current.
Why Gary Cochran is presented as the CEO on the GCN website and Kirby Cochran as CEO in their marketing materials is a complete mystery to me.
In any event, Kirby Cochran is probably best known in the MLM industry for his role as CEO of WakeUpNow (2011 to late 2014).
WakeUpNow primarily functioned as a product-based pyramid scheme, with little to no retail activity taking place.
The scheme collapsed earlier this year, with former management primarily blaming Kirby Cochran for WakeUpNow’s demise.
Nowhere are the allegations against Kirby and Gary Cochran (who are brothers) better explaned, than in the $70 million USD lawsuit WakeUpNow filed against them.
Of note is that Global Connection Network is named in that lawsuit. Both as a standalone entity and with both Kirby and Gary Cochran named as defendants “doing business as Global Connection Network”.
In response to the WakeUpNow litigation, Kirby Cochran (as “Kirby David Cocharan”) filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy earlier this year on the 4th of February:
In his application, Cochran (right) claims he has between 1 to 49 creditors, assets at between $0 to $50,000 and estimated liabilities at between $100 to $500 million dollars.
As part of Cochran’s Chapter 7 bankruptcy proceedings, on the 22nd of June a settlement agreement with WakeUpNow was reached:
On January 27, 2015, WUN Parties filed a lawsuit against the GCN Parties in the Fourth Judicial District Court, Utah County, State of Utah, alleging breach of contract and other claims against the GCN Parties.
The GCN Parties also have indicated, by and through counsel, that they were going to file counterclaims and third party claims against the WUN Parties in the Lawsuit.
The WUN Parties and the GCN Parties have investigated potential claims that they may have against the other Parties, and each of them, and their potential ability to collect any judgment that any of them may obtain.
The Parties have entered into arms-length and good-faith negotiations to avoid the costs, expenses and uncertainty of litigation and collection, and without admitting liability or any wrong doing by any Party, the Parties have agreed to resolve and compromise the claims and disputes which may exist between them, whether known or unknown, pursuant to the terms and conditions more fully set forth in the Settlement Agreement.
Because it contains a carefully negotiated confidentiality provision, a copy of the agreement is being filed with the court under seal, available for inspection only by court order.
The settlement agreement is essentially a walk away type of agreement where the primary consideration exchanged between the parties is a mutual release of all claims and commitment not to say or do things that would cast a negative light on the other parties.
The parties also terminate their relationships. No party admits wrong doing.
The mutual release provisions release any claims the Wake Up Now parties may have had against Mr. Cochran’s bankruptcy estate.
Upon court approval of the Settlement Agreement the Lawsuit will be dismissed with prejudice.
The terms of the agreement are to be kept confidential except as it may be necessary to disclose them pursuant to court order.
On the 23rd of July the Utah District Court approved the settlement agreement.
As above, unfortunately the settlement agreement between WakeUpNow and Cochran is confidential, so what terms were agreed upon is unknown.
Cochran’s Chapter 7 proceedings meanwhile continue in spite of the WakeUpNow settlement, with a series of objections filed by creditors throughout August.
As of the 8th of September, at least one creditor has requested an extension of time to file their objection.
What impact Kirby Cochran’s Chapter 7 bankruptcy might have on Global Connection Network’s ongoing business operations is unclear.
Read on for a full review of the Global Connection Network MLM business opportunity.
The Global Connection Network Product Line
Global Connection Network market four cell phone service plans:
- Economy Plan (500mb data) – $30.95 a month
- 4GB Smart Phone Plan – $49.95 a month
- 10GB Smart Phone Plan – $84.95 a month
- 20GB Smart Phone Plan – $114.95 a month
- 40GB Smart Phone Plan – $184.95 a month
All plans come with unlimited talk and text.
Note that initial connection to either plan incurs a one-time fee of $25.
The Global Connection Network Compensation Plan
The Global Connection Network compensation plan pays affiliates to sell the cell phone service and recruit new Global Connection Network affiliates.
Commission Qualification
In order to qualify for commissions, all Global Connection Network affiliates must produce
a minimum of 75 PV each month and being set up on autopay.
Rank Advancement Bonus
There are twelve affiliate ranks within the Global Connection Network compensation plan.
Upon qualifying at each of these ranks, Global Connection Network pay out an ongoing monthly cash bonus:
- IM1 (have a downline generating 330 GV a month) = $100 a month bonus
- IM2 (have a downline generating 900 GV a month) = $225 a month bonus
- IM3 (have a downline generating 2800 GV a month) = $600 a month bonus
- IM4 (have a downline generating 7500 GV a month) = $1350 a month bonus
- IM5 (have a downline generating 10,000 GV a month) = $1500 a month bonus
- IM6 (have a downline generating 20,000 GV a month) = $2700 a month bonus
- IM7 (have a downline generating 40,000 GV a month) = $5400 a month bonus
- Global Leader (have a downline generating 100,000 GV a month) = $10,000 a month bonus
- Silver Global Leader (have a downline generating 200,000 GV a month) = $15,000 a month bonus
- Gold Global Leader (have a downline generating 500,000 GV a month) = $30,000 a month bonus
- Emerald Global Leader (have a downline generating 1,000,000 GV a month) = $50,000 a month bonus
- Diamond Global Leader (have a downline generating 2,000,000 GV a month) = $100,000 a month bonus
Note that GV stands for “Group Volume”, that is sales volume generated by an affiliate’s downline. Only 25% of the total required GV each month fcan come from a single recruitment leg.
For reference, payment of Bronze affiliate fees generates 9 GV the first month and then 25 GV a month thereafter.
Payment of Silver affiliate fees generates 18 GV the first month and then 75 GV a month thereafter.
Recruitment Commissions
Global Connection Network affiliates who pay for Silver membership are directly paid to recruit new affiliates.
As per the Global Connection Network compensation plan material, Bronze affiliates cannot earn recruitment commissions:
These Fast Start Bonuses are only available to I’Ms who have purchased a Silver Package at the time of their enrollment.
Global Connection Network recruitment commissions are paid down two levels of recruitment (unilevel), with how much of a commission paid out determined by how much a newly recruited affiliate spent on their Global Connection Network affiliate membership:
- recruit a Bronze affiliate ($80) = $25 on level 1 (personally recruited affiliates) and $3 on level 2
- recruit a Silver affiliate ($135) = $50 on level 1 and $6 on level 2
Builder Bonus
The Builder Bonus relates to sales of Global Connection Network cell phone service, to either affiliates or retail customers.
- $50 cell service credit for every 5 new customers signed
- $2.50 a month paid for every customers signed up after an initial five (6 and onwards)
Note that if a Global Connection Network affiliate signs up five cell service customers within 30 days of joining the company, the monthly Builder Bonus is increased from $2.50 to $5.
Also note that Economy Plan customers do not count towards any Builder Bonus qualification criteria (minimum plan signed up must be 4GB Smart Phone Plan @ $49.95 a month).
Joining Global Connection Network
Affiliate membership with Global Connection Network is $145 and then either $80 a month for Bronze membership or $135 a month for Silver.
The primary difference between two monthly affiliate fee options is income potential through the Global Connection Network compensation plan (see compensation plan analysis above).
Conclusion
The crux of the core problem with the Global Connection Network opportunity is as follows:
The cell service generates 1 to 10 GV a month, whereas Global Connection Network affiliate fees generates 9 to 75 GV.
Thus the majority of GV and therefore commissionable volume each month in GCN is going to be derived from monthly affiliate fees.
This lends itself to chain-recruitment, which was an ongoing core compliance issue in WakeUpNow (and arguably led to its collapse).
Compliance issues in Global Connection Network start with affiliate commission qualification.
Affiliates are required to generate 75 PV a month to qualify for commissions, which is conveniently obtained via payment of monthly affiliate fees.
Oh and did I mention monthly payment of fees is mandatory for commission qualification?
This creates zero incentive for retailing of GCN’s cell service. Furthermore an affiliate can then either generate 1 to 10 GV a month by selling the cell service, or generate 9 to 75 GV a month via affiliate recruitment.
Which do you think is going to be the focus of Global Connection Network affiliates?
There’s also a potential securities issue, with the Rank Achievement Bonuses paid out constituting a guaranteed monthly ROI on affiliate fees.
You sign up for $80 to $135 a month and once you’ve recruited enough affiliates who do the same, Global Connection Network pay you a fixed sum each month – which increases the more affiliates are (directly and indirectly) recruited into your downline.
Retail volume would eliminate this compliance issue, but as stated previously there’s little to no incentive to generate retail sales within Global Connection Network (affiliates actually short-change themselves on sales volume if they do).
Business model wise GCN is pretty much WakeUpNow redux. Affiliates sign up for monthly fees, that qualifies them for commissions and then they earn said commissions by recruiting new affiliates who do the same (pay a monthly fee).
Retail sales volume quotas would eliminate this compliance risk, but we recommended the same thing with WakeUpNow and nothing was ever done.
As per a pitch on the GCN website:
The earning potential for an I’M is phenomenal and isn’t just limited to recruiting people…
The fact that it exists at all is your first red flag. And then the fact that it’s likely to be the core focus of the business clearly defines GCN as a potential chain-recruitment scheme.
The FTC recently filed a complaint against Vemma in which, among other things, the regulator alleged Vemma is a product-based pyramid scheme.
Why?
Because Vemma affiliates were on monthly autoship to qualify for commissions, with recruitment of said affiliates the primary method of income generation.
I’d be extremely wary of signing up for any MLM opportunity where signing up for monthly autoship and then recruiting others who do the same is the core of the business.
So GCN is really Gary Cochrane Network, then back-tro-nym’ed?
I’m gunna regret asking but… zuh?
Back temp restraining order never-you-minded?
Right you are gentlemen, right you are :).
Hey Guys and Gals,
I’m one of the 3 Master Distributors for Global Connection Network and first thing I would like to tell you is:
The article gets some CRITICAL things wrong. We have NO Silver/Gold/Platinum Packages in the US. And there is no “Fast start” bonus money for signing up as an Independent Affiliate Marketer (we affectionately call them IAMs).
Someone DOES NOT NEED to be on any “autoship” to earn money.
Thats another thing this write up gets wrong: If an IAM has our flagship AT&T plan and refers 5 people to that same plan they get a credit for the total cost of their phone bill (less taxes of course)
Thats pretty industry leading right there. Solavei, another great company doing Mobile requires NINE for their flagship plan to be free.
Also, our pay plan is set up to not need ANY RECRUITING. We have lots of independent businesses and mobile dealers offering our solutions, they can achieve ALL BONUS levels without recruiting a single soul and can make all money merely by their own sales:
5-7.50+ per line residual overrides (which is again industry leading, just research how much prepaid carriers pay their dealers per month IF ANYTHING residually)
Lastly, if the author of this article would do alittle bit of research the ENTIRE lawsuit by wake up now was dropped by the courts WITH prejudice and the federal investigators found NO evidence of wrong doing on Kirby’s part.
The lawsuit was so bogus it was filled with HIGHLY inaccurate things that ANYONE can verify via public record (for example the lawsuit claimed that kirby had been arrested, go to Utah (Provo specifically) and search yourself 🙂
Trust, but verify if everything I’m saying is accurate.
(Ozedit: Attempt to take discussion offsite removed)
Aloha!
Hi Marlon, thanks for stopping by.
Why not?
Also the compensation plan material I cited made no differentiation between the US and other markets.
What markets other than the US does GCN offer cell phone service plans in?
“Required” and “everybody’s doing it” are of course two different things.
However if the bulk of affiliates in Global Connection Network are qualifying for commissions through autoship, because that’s the way the compensation plan is set up, whether it’s optional or not is irrelevant.
Again, if this is where the money is then whether it’s optional or not is irrelevant.
As a Master Distributor of GCN, care to share your monthly commissions from recruitment versus other commissions?
Also do you qualify for monthly commissions with an autoship order or retail sales?
Why would federal investigators be involved in a civil lawsuit between two non-government entities?
And the lawsuit wasn’t “dropped”, a settlement agreement was reached. That’s on the record, and I know this because I went and looked it up.
Thanks for letting most of my stuff through Oz,
I gotta tell you, I REALLY feel where you guys are coming from in wanting people to be aware of a lot of the pitfalls and enticements out there in the MLM space.
I myself am really tired of only seeing the 3% make money while everyone “loses”. I honestly believe you’ll like what we’ve worked hard to create:
A FAIR business venture for the common and ordinary person who just wants more.
GCN is definitely a start up venture and as such things do change, also Kevin Thompson whom Kirby and co have as a consultant let us know MONTHS before the Vemma shake down that things in the MLM world were (hopefully for the better) going to change.
Silver/fast start packs were eliminated because the “good old way” in MLM is coming under scrutiny.
I know you probably have a loaded deck looking at GCN but I deeply believe if you saw what we’re doing you’d see how “anti mlm” and “anti hype” our program is, for example:
No required monthly fees,autoships etc
After the ONE TIME enrollment fee which covers your affiliate site, reseller rights (we do offer AT&T of course) you are under NO OBLIGATION or enticement to purchase anything.
We’re totally stoked if you just want to enjoy our quality AT&T service.
We went with mobile cause its darn near impossible to avoid paying for it. We TIED POINTS to the essential service and said: Your own service and your CUSTOMERS service gives you volume to qualify for GROUP OVER/Leadership Bonus (the over ride you can make on your organization) BUT IMPORTANT TO DISTINGUISH: you dont need to recruit anyone to participate in the bonus scale…i’l explain
Its important to know that what we are most proud of is our “Freedom 5” plan which just allows a IAM to get their phone bill covered. If i sign up for a plan, and refer 5, my phone base bill is covered, then if I choose to go beyond that i can make $5-7.50 PER LINE no limit (just like a wireless store) on my personal customers. IE hook up 100 customers make: 95 X (in this example) 7.50 + your original 50 credit for your first 5 , grand total: $762.50 as a residual MONTHLY benefit
BUT REMEMBER every qualified (49.95 and above) plan has 10 points so you’re ALSO MAKING 1000 points…according to our bonus schedule you’re entitled to a 225 residual bonus…
Bringing our grand total to: $987.50 MONTHLY and you havent recruited a single other “distributor”
You just have a healthy organization of customers…THIS is HOW we want it, because we agree with you guys, MLM as an incestuous money game is no good. A good business SHOULD have customers who dont give a RIP about the pay plan.
I honestly believe we have that.
We consider ourselves more an Affiliate model because we have PLENTY of mobile wireless dealers who dont want anything to do with MLM or network marketing because of the bad rap it has.
So what we do is allow them to HIT ALL BONUS RANKS merely by their own sales (actually ANY IAM could do it) In other words, if you opened up a store, or did online affiliate sales you’d just add up all those points and get the appropriate bonus pay out.
And you wouldnt be subjected to (you mistakenly called it the 25% rule) the 35% rule, in other words, its arguably MORE profitable to do this conventional or affiliate style.
We’ve arguably made it harder to make money with the traditional “network marketing” plan because then you have the 35% rule (which is not 35% of the leg its 35% OF THE QUALIFICATION point amount) THEN the 75 Personal Volume requirement to earn the GROUP over ride (in additional to your personal sales) …i Myself have about 40 customers who dont even know this is “one of those mlm things” they just like the service…those 40 customers i can count towards my personal volume…meaning with my own line i have 410 points…
So completely via customers i’m well above the 75 personal volume requirement to collect a group over ride.
Hope this post wasnt to long or complicated, i’m always down to speak with anyone in the media who would like to know our company better ESPECIALLY since i passionately feel we’re trying very hard to NOT be like other network marketing hype driven organizations.
Real Product/Service
Fair and lucrative opportunity
No one gets left behind
And lastly, we’re only about 7 months old and are more focused on customer acquisition than anything else. If i recruit another IAM i make NADA ZERO ZILCH.
If i hook you up with one of our great plans THEN something starts happening…as a legitimate business should be.
Best regards,
Marlon Luna
🙂
It is
So as dated, the review was entirely accurate. These packs were offered at the time of publication.
Look I don’t mind if a comp plan changes, but don’t come all up in here and be like “Yo we don’t have that, you’re wrong!”
It’s disingenuous.
Also, if the Silver and Bronze packs packs were eliminated – why are they still featured in the official GCN corporate compensation plan explanation (with my location set to US)?
globalconnectionnetwork.com/us/opportunity/
Glad to hear it.
Hey Oz,
Yeah, my apologies they’re still available for purchase as a customer BUT NOTHING happens fast start recruitment bonus wise. My bad on that one, you’re right they’re still there as products.
GCN is a platform company (we want to go way beyond mobile) so the Silverpack and bronze pack include L-Arginine and some other products (like a travel club discount).
we DO have points associated with that, but no recruitment money.
Believe it or not, I was a strong advocate of EVERYONE MUST HAVE CUSTOMERS in order to make money. I wanted ALL IAMs to HAVE to get customers in order to qualify for leadership overrides.
So we eventually compromised on: if someone DOESN’T want to get ANY customers, THEN purchasing of the bronze $80 package would give 75 points. Silver would give the same 75 points just more physical product.
And yes I’m well aware that sounds like status quo, but you’d be surprised how many affiliates (we polled them) were afraid they couldn’t get 7 customers (my, BUT ITS MOBILE!! didnt placate them)
Cause if you wanted to qualify for leadership volume payout you’d need your line (10 points) plus 7 mobile customers (70)
Its worth noting that your own family would count if you hooked them up, lets say you had your wife, son and daughter plus you..well thats ALREADY FORTY POINTS…just sign up ONE MORE AVERAGE household…
But like I mentioned, strong voices wanted a route for qualification via personal purchases..so we DO have it, and I support the company and think the L-Arginine is a fantastic product (I take it myself) BUT for ME I have decided to COMPLETELY qualify via outside customers, I just like it that way.
Thanks again,
Marlon
So…
So I pay money to GCN which qualifies me for commissions, then I get paid for recruiting others who do the same (team volume)?
That sounds about right.
I know it’s “optional”, but you have to wonder what an MLM company is doing placating affiliates who don’t want to sell a product or service to customers.
Can someone tell me when can I speak to a live person. I called 801 number on the wearegcn website, left several messages no return call.
The activate button in my back office is not there for me to add customers.I also left several emails was told someone would respond in 24 hrs. It’s been 24 hrs. This is not how you conduct business.
Over nine years of the Kirby Cochran Global Connection Network AKA GCN, tetherbyte, and world link team fraud and cash cow for Kirby Cochran.
Kirby Cochran took over $500k from European investors , what I have heard was upwards of $300k from Doctor Mike Wach AKA Dic Wach who is an old friend of his as well as other investor buyin.
No investor got a dime back and somehow all of their invest,ent offerings disappeared into Kirby Cochran’s hands.
If that were not enough for Kirby he also manages to take the $145 from a few thousand reps for his discretionary income as well as the monthly spiff from each activated line to the tune of $20 to $30 per line at 3000 to 5000 lines in the early days to probably 200 today.
Gary Cochran was names as owner originally to ward off bankruptcy court from seizing this income,. Once bankruptcy was over no more Gary.
When European investors came calling for their investment return Kirby Cochran manageed to step down citing health reasons from his ceo and owner position handing both to his top distributors the Kilgore’s and another distributor Roger Grosser.
Even with no tie to the company Kirby Cochran managed to shut the owners out of any decision ,skimp , profit sharing, and did not pay the field for their efforts.
With Roger Grosser as cfo Kirby Cochran has been allowed to filter all profits for himself for over nine years!
When nobody got paid the reps started drastically decreasing and it was impossible to recruit any reputable and successful direct sales professionals due to Kirby Cochran’s bad name and his being listed on the Business for Home MLM Blacklist.
When the Kolgore’s opposed the unethical doings such as having no viable product because Cochran thought it a great idea to operate a mobile service MLM under some MVNO with a man named Dan Choy who is tied to Uppro in NYC and be a rogue mobile service company on the ATT network with ATT nome the wiser until recently when ATT shut the company down and all remaining me,vers had to port out to two new carriers Cochran has found a way to scam into not knowing they even exist as it’s all done under Dan Choy’s company.
Those carriers will also find out and the remaining members will find themselves once again scrambling to obtain a new carrier with no relief for the reps nor ever a payment to them.
Kirby Cochran is also now calling himself CEO and owner again and the Kilgore’s name is suddenly gone from the website and warnings were given to the remaining reps in the company chat not to speak to the Kilgore’s.
They know way more than I and the whole truth is wanted to remain buried to continue funding Kirby Cochran’s life. Kirby Cochran once admitted on a GCN call to WUN being a money game with no real product yet this is exactly what Kirby Cochran has created again at worldlinkteam. and even plans to launch some of the stupid and often free digital products he called a money game for WUN!
I know straight from the Kilgore’s that they ,et with several reputable business and direct sales leaders to bring a viable product to the table and pushed for a an actual pay plan that made sense and was attainable for all to have the change to earn something but were shot down by Kirby Cochran and his yes man Roger Grosser every time.
Kirby could not give up a bit of control without being found out for the fraud and theif he is and Roger Grosser covers every bit of it up for him while berating anyone who questions anything or who has valid questions.
I give them a couple of months without the moral compass and anyone to fight for the reps.