Is Market America a Scam?

Is Market America a Scam? – Prepare to Take Risk

Product Name: Market America

Product Website: www.marketamerica.com

Price: $550 (Singapore Dollars)

Rating: 50/100

Is Market America a Scam?

What is Market America (MA)?

Market America is also known as Shop.com. It changes the tradition MLM concept to vertical marketing. MA expand their business over 9 countries and their next destination is Malaysia. I found out about this business model from a Taiwanese lady who is in this business for a long time. She approached and offered me to attend a few seminars for free. I went to the seminars and got to understand how it actually work, but chose not to join due to many factors.

So is Market America a Scam? Not really, but the risk is much higher and you will end up earning nothing.

The participating countries in MA America (Main Start-up)
• MA Canada
• MA Mexico
• MA United Kingdom
• MA Spain
• MA Australia
• MA Hong Kong
• MA Taiwan
• MA Singapore
• MA Malaysia (Coming Soon)

 

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Market America Review

It is a business model that are not much of a different as MLM. It is a recruitment system for growing a downline. MA explains that they are not MLM and they are changing the concept into vertical marketing. As a new comer joins, he or she will need to know more about their house brand products. In order to keep the business growing, you will ask to buy the product through your own shopping cart website.
You will be given your very own shopping cart link which looks like this: shop.com/peter

Is Market America a Scam?

Pros

• Nice looking shopping cart website. Gain cash back for shopping

Cons

• Similar to MLM
• Have to create downline
• Have to buy from your own shopping cart to gain points
• The products are quite expensive
• Have to attend lots of seminars (Paid on your own expense)
• No free trial

Recruitment System

It seems great to have your own shopping cart ready to make money online. Telling friends that you run an online business and hoping that friends will buy from you. That is only when you are able to get two downline before you even think of making money with MA.

Is Market America a Scam?
A single person start up kit cost $550, is it too expensive? That depends on the individual and to me there are other business model that doesn’t need so much to start up. So I ask the lady how about my sister and I share a single start up kit. The answer given was my sister should also have her own start up kit which cost another $550.
This cycle will be continue without any ending. Which means if you do not go all out to hunt for your 2 downline, you will never start making money. You will end up spending more to keep buying the product for yourself.

Earning

Earning depend of the amount of BV and IBV you make through your sales.

BUSINESS VOLUME (BV) = UNIT VALUE POINTS ASSIGNED TO EXCLUSIVE BRAND
INTERNET BUSINESS (BV) = UNIT VALUE POINTS ASSIGNED TO PARTNER STORE PRODUCTS

Who makes money with MA?

There are people in MA that makes passive income and have started quite long ago. They are the pioneers of the company and have already created a long downline. But many have burned lots of money trying to keep up.
My point of view is that MA is more about selling dreams then helping people make money. It is a system that I feel misled. Follow their steps and make passive income within 2 or 3 years. You are selling products that might not get much interest from people and trying to recruit people to continue your downline system.

Who should join MA?

If you like the products of MA and have the ability to buy the products on a regular basis, you can give it try. Also the most important is that you should have some experience in one to one marketing in order to meet up with strangers and recruit them into MA. If not, you will end up trying to recruit family members and friends.
Not to forget there are a lot of paid seminars to attend which can be costly. When I was at the seminar, I heard from the speaker that you can also sell these tickets. These ticket prices are not cheap. You may buy a handful of tickets to invite others to join at your own expenses.

People Who Had Joined MA and What They Say

 

What Next?

Market America to me is not a scam, but the investment to start this business is way too risky. The products don’t attract me either. There is no need to take risks in starting an online business. You can kick off your online business with your own passion and learn step by step at your own pace.

What do you think of Market America? Have you join them? Care to share with us your experience, please drop your comment below. Thanks

11 thoughts on “Is Market America a Scam? – Prepare to Take Risk”

  1. First of all, Market America (MA) should be proud that Wealthy Affiliate (WA) has chosen to benchmark against it, for that shows people do views MA as THE THREAT to be pitched against.
    Thanks to whoever the Taiwnese lady mentioned, the writer of this article has a fairly good understanding but incomplete knowledge of the system and made very personal judgements of the MA business. I wouldn’t want to make any comparison as I do not bother to find out about the WA business, for a simple reason, i.e. if the writer has been involved in the WA business and has been making good (enough) money then he probably wouldn’t need to append that much time exploring other online business opportunities e.g. checking out on the MA business. That speaks for itself about how good or great that WA opportunity is, to me.
    It is fortunate that the writer did see and understand that MA, being a company that has been in the market for 24 years, its business model is not a scam. I believe any scams cannot last for 24 years in the open market, for sure, because it would be exposed, condemned and even punished by the long arm of the law. Given that MA business is an Online platform, if it wants to quickly expand for making money, there is nothing that stops it from offering the scheme to the whole world at large, overnight, but it chooses to build business in a prudent manner, by setting up physical infrastructure, including offices and logistics to support its business partners and customers. After 24 years, it has only opened in 9 countries, though the plan is to open more new markets in the coming years.
    The argument about sharing products from the Fast Starter Kit (FSK) package during sign-up with his sister is misleading. The products from the FSK could be shared or given to anybody at the discretion of the owner once purchased, but the Business Account created is only one Account, maybe the writer and the sister can form a partnership or company and join the MA business, all the rewards and compensations will be paid to that one Account, Thus, it is up to the writer to share it with whoever his partner(s) in this Account This is perfectly normal and fair, that when one franchises a business and pays for one franchising license, one cannot expect to have multiple locations and revenues.
    The writer made the comment about RISK, which is a highly personal judgmental remark, because there is no yardstick for measurement of RISK, as it is relative (to the risk-appetite, the monetary investment, stability of the company etc.). But I feel a need to clarify on that remark, hence, though I am not interested in the WA, I took a glance at the WA website, in order to make slightly fair and informed comments on what has been written. Roughly, I saw that it is teaching people how to use the internet for marketing increasing visiting traffic etc. but it is not completely free. A premium member also need to pay some USD 359/year to operate the business. It only teaches techniques which are no guarantee or foo-proof of success. Members must still find their own suppliers, products AND spend money on SEO etc. and have to do a lot of works with the hope that it will increase traffic, hit rate, and eventually sales or business. That, when compared with the MA model is a big contrast (I should say there is no comparison) because in the MA business model, all businesses and products are sourced and taken care of by the MA Corporate, the franchisees only need to share it with their loved ones, friends and customers, and encourage them to shop via their own MA shop front/portal, to enjoy/reap the benefit. Moreover, it is about the ONLY true Online Shopping Mall business model (not pure retail shopping mall that does not provide any returns or income) that ranges products from partners of world renown brands of merchandises. The http://www.shop.com, MA’s USA website, featured more than 3000 partner stores with more than 40 millions SKUs of products. what does WA offers or provides?
    I am also puzzled to see the statement that “Products are quite expensive” because In-house products are marketed at competitive pricing with competitive products in the market, and best of all, MA actual links consumers directly to the official websites of the retail partners e.g. Nike, Addidas, PUMA, etc. which means consumers are buying from the official online stores of these retailers, no mark-up is made in-between, so how is it more expensive?
    It was fortunate that in the comparison table the write did not make the mistake on the training and coaching, without having a proper understanding on how MA operates. MA system does provide very systematic and close support at the local levels for individuals who are new to the business, with small groups of Coring sessions organized by the senior partners to hand-hold new partners and teach them about the basic skills etc. at no charge. The seminars and conventions are chargeable at nominal fees to defray the cost of organizing the event (venue, logistics, etc.) and not intended to be profit-making, and it is NOT a compulsory thing to be undertaken by all partners. Those who understand the usefulness of these more formal training sessions, and are willing and could afford to attend it, do so at their own will.
    While I know and appreciate that MA is big and strong enough a business model as a threat to many other aspire-to-be competitors, I feel it is unfair and incorrect for the writer to give a biased personal view on the business model, let alone making comparisons with the WA business. I only wish this writer and WA well, and hopefully they can be more objective and honest with their comments, else it will make one (like me) think that if a company started with a lie, what more can I expect of them?

    1. HI Ling Gong

      Thanks for dropping and given in depth on what MA about base on your knowledge. As you mention I have make lot of money creating this site which is not true. All I wanted to share my point of view of individual program or product for my readers. Anyone can chose not to agree. It great that you share your version on what MA about. Maybe my readers will agree with you and go ahead to join MA. As I mention MA is not a scam it just the model of business does not attract me.

  2. CENA, My apologies on the second post about daring you to post my reply, because I waited for a long time to see it after writing. You are indeed a gentleman, and I admire your integrity in hosting this site for a healthy debate. I actually saw no comparison between MA and WA, for it is of completely different nature, one is a Retail Shopping Mall (MA) while the other (WA) is teaching online business to operate more efficiently and effectively optimizing their business and returns.
    Thanks for the opportunity for comments.

  3. I just came to know shop.com through a friend and I really like the business model. I strongly believe there is never a 100% perfection system that can suit to anyone who wants to dabble in a business. Even the traditional ones. It all boils down to hard work. Even for WA,not everyone wants to be in this business too. Healthy comparisons and competition is good .

  4. Market America is finally making it’s presence in Malaysia. Some early adopters have been waiting for as long as one year.

    It is good for this who have knowledge and experience in internet marketing and direct sales to participate because internet marketing and direct sales skills are needed to make it work.

    For example WealthyAffiliates members who have acquired the internet marketing skills would be a breeze doing the MA business. Likewise people who have some success in direct sales would see their skil sets put to use in MA .

    And as usual ,there is always the business risk in any business endeavour. That leads me to say that the success of a business rests pretty much on the business owner. So decide that you will “do whatever it takes” before you venture into any business venture.

    1. Hi Jason, shop.com is not a scam but you need to sign up to MA in order to have the online store create for you with monthly subscription to pay.

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