Le-Vel tried to sue me for the article below… , AND I WON! The court’s decision is here. Their conclusion states, “We decide in [Lazy Man’s] favor on his first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and tenth issues. We need not reach [Lazy Man’s] eighth and ninth issues.”
The court also ruled that Le-Vel must pay sanctions, which, in my understanding, is money they have to pay for bad behavior with their lawsuit. Score one for this blogger who was only giving his opinion on a reader’s question.
I have provided this information so that you can make an informed decision. I encourage everyone to look for sources that are not influenced by Le-Vel’s money.]
What is Le-vel Thrive?
About six weeks before I published this article, a regular reader, Jason, wrote me:
” [My neighbor] has started this ‘Thrive’ regiment with a patch, a pill, and perhaps some other lifestyle changes, and posts daily pictures of herself on Facebook to ‘document’ her progress with weight loss. To me, this looks to be just another one of the plethora of scams and schemes out there. What do you know about this ‘company’? Perhaps you’ve already written articles on it that I wasn’t aware of. If not… perhaps this could be one to look into and write about for future articles.
So let’s dig in and see what we can learn about Le-vel Thrive.
What is Thrive?
Thrive is a series of products from the Le-vel MLM.
THRIVE Premium Lifestyle DFT™ Patch
A few weeks before publishing this article, Talking Points Memo wrote a great article about MLM which featured a Le-vel distributor: How Utah Became a Bizarre, Blissful Epicenter for Get-Rich-Quick Schemes
This article gives an introduction to the Thrive patch:
“After a week of wearing the Thrive nutritional patch, Denise Holbrook discovered what seemed like superhuman strength. When her husband fainted outside of a hospital, she caught him. ‘How the hell am I holding up a 200-pound man by myself?’ she remembers thinking… In a post, she announced that she thought it would be selfish not to share the supplement, considering it had allowed her to stop taking anti-anxiety medication and stay awake after sleepless nights amid her husband’s deterioration.”
The article continues:
Still, few dietary supplements have the kind of negative reviews that Thrive does, and many have been evaluated with much more thoroughness by the scientific community. (Q Sciences, for instance, claims its products are backed by research at 15 universities.) So why do distributors choose Thrive, in spite of so many stories about sketchy side effects?
When pressed by the author, Denise Holbrook said, “It’s a lot of mind-over-matter.”
So much to process here:
- There’s the obvious adrenaline that would explain holding up a 200-pound man. Also, she isn’t picking the man off the ground – a majority of his weight was probably still supported.
- There are the typical unbelievable claims. MLM companies have unbelievable for more than years.
- The claims appear to violate the FTC endorsement guidelines of “Using Testimonials That Don’t Reflect the Typical Consumer Experience.”
- The claims may also violate the FDA rules of marketing supplements. I do not believe that Le-Vel Thrive Patch is an FDA-approved treatment for anxiety. These types of claims have gotten other MLMs like DoTERRA in trouble with the FDA.
That’s just the stuff from the first quote block. The second quote block highlights the bad reputation Thrive has. The ensuing quote about it being “mind-over-matter” seems to suggest that the Thrive Patch may be the same as the Dove Beauty Patch:
If you intend to watch the video, do it now because I’m going to give some spoilers.
It turns out that the Dove Beauty Patch has no ingredients. Yet all the women were going on and on about how “life-altering” the patch was and that they’d buy it. You can see their reactions on the Today Show as well.
Thrive’s website about the patch says: “The DFT™ formula supports the metabolic rate, promoting clean and healthy weight management without aiding in muscle breakdown or deterioration – like a majority of weight loss products available.”
I’m curious what “dirty” weight management might be if the patch is about clean weight management. Nonetheless, the FTC makes it clear how they feel about weight loss patches:
“Lose weight with our miracle diet patch or cream! You’ve seen the ads for diet patches or creams that claim to melt away the pounds. Don’t believe them. There’s nothing you can wear or apply to your skin that will cause you to lose weight.”
So don’t take my word for it, take the FTC’s.
The same Thrive website says, “Our all natural nutritional formula, combined with our DFT™ delivery system, infuses the derma (skin) with a THRIVE Lifestyle Formula, different than the Capsule & Shake formula. The result is a time released delivery and absorption rate superior to most consumable products.”
However, according to this Wall Street Journal article, you can’t really know if a patch is working without well-designed clinical trials. From a logical standpoint, I know ketchup is getting in my system when I eat it. A ketchup patch? Well, my confidence level in that is close to zero.
Of course, the patch alone would be too easy. Thrive website says, “Individuals using the THRIVE Premium DFT™, in conjunction with THRIVE Premium Lifestyle Capsule™, THRIVE Premium Lifestyle Shake Mix™, and the THRIVE 8 Week Experience™, will experience ultra premium results, unrivaled in regards to Nutrition, Weight Management, and Fitness.”
So let’s look at the Thrive Capsule and Thrive Shake Mix
What is the THRIVE Premium Lifestyle Capsule™?
Le-vel’s website on THRIVE M (the men’s capsule) says, “THRIVE M is a premium formula and a premium approach to your daily lifestyle. Developed from years of experience, science, and perfecting, THRIVE M is the only premium lifestyle capsule of its kind.”
For those keeping track that’s SEVEN uses of the word “premium” in only THREE quoted sentences (going back to the last heading). Someone get Le-vel a thesaurus. It’s easy to call something premium, but that doesn’t make it so.
Thrive M is essentially a multivitamin with a proprietary blend of ingredients which you can see here. The vitamins and minerals are unexciting. With only 11 vitamins and minerals with an RDA daily value, you can do better with many other products. They don’t even put vitamin C or vitamin E in it. You can do much better with Kirkland Signature Daily Multi Vitamins & Minerals Tablets (which provides more than 100% of each).
How much does thrive cost?
That Kirkland vitamin & minerals above costs around 4 cents a pill (at the time of article publishing). For a full year it would cost around $14.60.
In sharp contrast, Thrive M – Premium Lifestyle Capsules Mens is on Amazon for $62.50 for a 30 day supply. It seems that Thrive M isn’t on Amazon anymore, but I had sseen Ebay listings at around the same price. However, it looks like Thrive M is gone from there too. At the $62.50 price, Thrive M – Premium Lifestyle Capsules Mens is about $2.08 a day or $760.42 a year. Update: It looks like some MLM distributors are selling Thrive M 2.0 at $74.00 which would cost more for a year.
(If you want a gender-specific brand of vitamins, you can get Solimo Women’s One Daily Multivitamin Multimineral and Solimo Men’s One Daily Multivitamin Multimineral for about the same 4-5 cents a pill.)
So it appears you can spend about $15/year for a complete multivitamin… or you can spend more than $750/year for an incomplete one (in my opinion).
Reflect on that for a moment. You can spend 50 times more money and get less value by going with Le-vel’s product.
To make matters worse, it is scientifically proven that vitamin and mineral supplements are unnecessary for the general population. See this scientific journal article: Enough Is Enough: Stop Wasting Money on Vitamin and Mineral Supplements. As the article notes, vitamin and mineral supplements could even be harmful. The science has gotten exhaustive and it increasingly says that most people shouldn’t be buying supplements.
A strong case could be made that you shouldn’t buy either product. However, if you are going to buy one, the choice should be very obvious. I’d rather spend $15 over $750 any day.
I’m not being entirely fair in this comparison. Thrive M has a proprietary blend in addition to vitamins and minerals. Actually, in fairness, the Kirkland vitamins do as well (Ginseng at least from the description).
The problem with proprietary blends is that you don’t know how much of what you are getting. This isn’t like the Colonel’s secret recipe or Coca-cola’s recipe that are meant to taste good. This is your health. You should know what you are paying for. However, even if you knew how much you were getting of the ingredients, they may not benefit you. I didn’t see much in the proprietary formula that had the science behind it to show the FDA it had real benefits. That’s a list of approved health claims from supplements.
What is the Thrive Premium Lifestyle Mix™?
The third product is the Thrive Shake Mix. It seems that every MLM/pyramid scheme needs to have a shake mix nowadays. I’ve covered a few with Beachbody’s Shakeology, One24’s NutraBurst, and ViSalus’ Vi-Shake.
Thrive’s marketing of the mix shouldn’t surprise anyone: “THRIVE Mix, combined daily with the THRIVE Capsules and DFT™, completes a premium lifestyle, and a premium you.” I guess they had a few more “premium” mentions in there to get off their chest.
Thrive seems to want you to buy all three products. Fortunately, the shake has many of the vitamins and minerals that were missing from the multivitamin above. Or should I say unfortunately because then you have to buy two products to make up the void in one… and you still aren’t getting much vitamin C and vitamin E.
On Amazon, Thrive Premium Shake Mix costs $45 for 16 servings. That’s $2.81 a serving. That’s really, really expensive for a shake. You could get Spiru-Tein Shake which is about a dollar a serving and has many, many glowing reviews. It might not seem like much, but it is the difference between spending more than $1000 a year on a shake or $350. How many other articles have you read today that saved you $650 a year?
MLMs love shakes and it is easy to understand why. Supplement protein, fiber, and multivitamins are extremely cheap. You can get 24 grams of protein with Optimum Nutrition Whey Protein. At $0.77 a serving and nearly 10,000 awesome reviews on Amazon it seems to be a great value… especially considering that Thrive only has 15 grams of protein. For fiber, you can buy this Benefiber (switch to the 500 gram size). At $20, you’ll get 500 servings of 3 grams of fiber (1500 grams total). The 5 grams of fiber in Thrive shakes would cost you 6.6 cents (we’ll round up to $0.07).
Finally, there’s Optimum Nutrition Opti-Men Supplement. I can currently buy 240 pills (80 servings) for $22.88 (my Subscribe and Save price) or $0.36 a serving. Opti-Men seems to blow away the vitamins and minerals in both of Thrive’s mix and the capsules put together. It even includes its own proprietary blend, just in case Thrive supporters wanted to play the card that there’s other stuff of value in the products.
Between the three products, you’d spend less than a dollar a day to replace about $5 a day of Thrive shake and capsules. That saves you around $1200 a year. Add in the savings of avoiding the patch and it’s nearly $2000 in your pocket every year!
What others are saying
In an effort to provide you with the best information, here are a couple of other sources worth reading.
Truth In Advertising
Truth in Advertising is one of my favorite websites because they, like me, highlight the bits of misleading marketing that consumers should be aware of. The non-profit is truly one of the great unbiased organizations out there looking out for consumers’ best interests.
They’ve twice written about Le-Vel Thrive and each is a great resource:
Registered Dietitian Abby Langer
Abby Langer writes a scathing review of Le-Vel. Here are some of the highlights:
“The greatest branding can’t hide a faulty product, even if you declare that product as ‘premium’… One thing I think you should know is that there has never been any research done to verify that THRIVE works… Wherever they came from, testimonials are really not worth the paper (or computer) they’re written on. What’s really worth something is some good solid research on the product. Search high and low, but you won’t find any on THRIVE. There is none…
I’m not sure what all natural, clean, and healthy weight management is, but congratulations to Thrive for using three huge, completely meaningless nutrition buzzwords in one paragraph! What a feat!…
So THRIVE’s claim is essentially meaningless…
I mean, if I was gullible and not well-versed in science, they might convince me to spend tons of money using this upselling, ‘go hard or go home’ tactic. But me being who I am, I just get a headache looking at the relentless ‘convince you to spend more and more of your money to get an even better result’ BS on the site.
Thrive’s Forslean® is basically a herb called Coleus Forskohlii, which has not been shown in any reputable studies to cause weight loss… What they’ve basically done is throw a bunch of ingredients together… But none of this evidence has been studied in trials using a patch delivery system. And neither has Thrive. Oh, I already said that. Just checking that you get that..no evidence!
The THRIVE shake is super low in calories and I can’t find anything in it of any value. What’s its purpose, anyway? I can’t figure it out. Eat real food.
There is really no compelling evidence that any of the ingredients in THRIVE cause weight loss.”
It’s tempting to quote the whole article, but I think this covers most of it sufficiently. I can see why Abby Langer writes for the Huffington Post with such great insight.
Iron Beaver Fitness
Iron Beaver Fitness writes: Scam DuJour: Thrive by Le-Vel. One of my favorite quotes is at the beginning when they quote Le-Vel’s website and come to the conclusion that the product is irrelevant:
“Le-Vel was created and envisioned with a greater purpose, a premium plan. This plan is not to create a product, or a product line, but to build a global brand, a new icon.” – Le-vel’s website (https://le-vel.com/brand/philosophy)
Le-Vel seems to have threatened them with a lawsuit for hosting images of the products’ ingredients. Clearly, an editorial is allowed to display such images by fair use, but it doesn’t stop Le-Vel from attempting to sue them.
Plant City Observer
Plant City Observer has an article on Le-Vel Thrive titled “Don’t waste your money on fitness fallacies.” Here are some notable quotes from sports editor Justin Kline:
“After spending part of my last summer in college convincing a roommate that his Vemma energy drinks were part of an illegal pyramid scheme (which was actually proven to be true last year), I thought I was in the clear. But on Friday, a good friend hit me up about some energy patches… A quick Google search will tell you that these patches are part of the THRIVE eight-week fitness system, an initiative of the Le-Vel company. And a quick look at the Le-Vel website shows that it’s a similar kind of multi-level marketing company that Vemma was sold through.
Add in the fact that you’re buying products for yourself, as well as to sell to others, and that these companies often ask you to travel and buy tickets to conferences, and you could easily end up losing more money than you make.
But, this isn’t a business column. The other reason I can’t stand things like this is because the science behind them often disproves them. Essentially, there’s a chance that you’re losing money on simple bandage patches, glorified Saran wrap and smoothies you could make from the grass in your back yard.”
Recent MLM Developments You Should Know (Update 4/10/2017*)
I believe that anyone considering a “business opportunity”, should spend a few hours of research. I think these are two great areas to research:
1. Must Watch: A Humorous, Detailed Analysis on MLM
HBO’s John Oliver covers MLM in great detail.
In my opinion, it’s a tremendous read for any potential customers, but I believe no one should be allowed to sign up as a distributor without viewing this video and signing a disclosure form that they did:
There’s a specific Le-Vel mention in that video. I don’t think you want to miss it.
(Full Disclosure: I wrote this article long before HBO decided to cover Le-Vel. HBO’s and their shows’ network’s opinions are obviously their own, but I do agree with the video cited here.)
Another view of the FTC on MLMs
The FTC Chairwoman recently gave some guidance to MLMs. I think it’s important information for anyone considering joining an MLM. View the FTC guidance here. It is a little technical because I believe the audience is MLM companies.
I believe you should ask any sponsor to provide you with a written statement on how that company complies with the FTC guidance. I don’t believe it should come from a sponsor unless it is officially endorsed by the MLM company and the exact language is clearly disclosed on their website. A salesman trying to get you to join may say that they are clearly in compliance with that guidance, but I believe you should have the whole company agreeing to the FTC guidance.
If the company (as opposed to a distributor) doesn’t state a notice of compliance in prominent view with that FTC guidance, I would personally walk away.
But What About the Business of Le-Vel?
Le-vel has a “refer 2 and you get yours for free” program. Given the financial information above, it seems to me that it is like convincing two people to buy a Honda Civic for $100,000 so that you can yours for free. Any company would happily do that because they are sending out $60K worth of cars to bring in $200,000 in cash.
This encourages people to throw two people under the bus financially to get free products for themselves. I think that’s pretty selfish.
These kinds of programs highlight how overpriced the products are. Obviously, the company couldn’t stay in business giving it away for free.
The rest of the Le-vel compensation plan looks like every other MLM/pyramid scheme that I’ve covered. There’s the requirement to be Qualified and Active, which means that you have to buy the product yourself or sell enough of it each month. As mentioned above, the pricing is banana pants crazy, which is one of a few reasons why no one would buy a MLM product from you. That means you are typically going to be left paying for itself, which makes it look like a Pay-to-Play scheme.
Le-vel seems to have the same car “bonus” as other MLMs. The specifics of the car bonus are left out of the compensation brochure. Typically an MLM company requires you to get a lease in your name and reimburses you as long as you maintain the level. However, as many ViSalus distributors found out, when the pyramid implodes they are left with an expensive lease in their name, no bonus from the company, and little income from the business. It’s a path to financial ruin
However, the most insane part of the Le-vel “reward” plan is the Waiting Room which you can find at the bottom of this PDF. You can place newly recruited people under other people you have recruited in the past. This is the kind of thing that only makes sense in the world of MLM.
If you recruit a person, they should go under you. You should get the rewards for that work. It simply doesn’t make sense to give away those rewards to someone else. Thrive’s brochure is extremely lacking in details (as you can see), and it wastes value space with women in bikinis, beaches, hot air balloons, etc. Instead the Rewards Plan suggests that this Waiting Room concept allows for “very strategic team building.” (Tip: whenever you see “team” in MLM, substitute the words “pyramid” to describe the recruitment hierarchy.)
The compensation plan clearly focuses the rewards on people with the most volume in their downline, not sales to outside people. According to these FTC guidelines, that focus would appear to make Thrive a pyramid scheme. Here’s what the FTC says,
“Not all multilevel marketing plans are legitimate. If the money you make is based on your sales to the public, it may be a legitimate multilevel marketing plan. If the money you make is based on the number of people you recruit and your sales to them, it’s not. It’s a pyramid scheme. Pyramid schemes are illegal, and the vast majority of participants lose money.”
If you need more information on this, this video is very helpful:
Le-Vel Manufacturing Facebook Popularity?
One of the things that most people seem to complain about is how overzealous Le-Vel distributors flood their Facebook. It’s one thing if people are genuinely interested and sharing a product they love. It’s another thing when they coordinate all their distributors to flood Facebook all at once.
Someone passed along their “Rise and Thrive” attempt coming on Dec. 10th at 8AM CST. See this:
(Click For Larger Version)
Of course the Le-Vel leaders want to keep this very quite so that it seems like it is naturally going viral. Overall, it’s pretty harmless, but I’m not a fan of secret cult manipulations.
Final Thoughts on Le-Vel Thrive
Between the extremely expensive products, dubious marketing, and what appears to be a pyramid scheme (see aforementioned FTC guidelines), I think it is clear that Le-vel Thrive is a scam. (For more on scams see: What is a Scam Anyway?)
I think consumers should make better use of $2000 or more a year… and certainly shouldn’t push others to spend that kind of money. Don’t try to convince yourself that a pyramid scheme is a legitimate business. Don’t try to convince yourself that you are helping people by inflicting a significant financial burden on them. If you are really interested in helping them, suggest some of the products that I mentioned in the article (or other equivalent ones from non-pyramid scheme companies) that are reasonably priced.
Finally, I’d like to make a special pleading for the FTC (SEC or other government agency) to look into Le-Vel and ensure all its practices are legal. In my opinion, they should have a statement page stating how they comply with with this FTC guidance. In the past I’ve found that the FTC simply works too slow in catching MLM/pyramid scheme fraud. For example, it took a decade and millions of lost dollars for the FTC to catch Fortune High-Tech’s MLM pyramid scheme. More recently it took nearly a decade for the FTC to halt Vemma for being a pyramid scheme which claimed to be a legal MLM. Finally, it took decades for the FTC to help Herbalife victims.
In each case, consumers found out years later that they were scammed out of hundreds millions of dollars (in aggregate). I agree with Former FTC Economist Peter Vander Nat, Ph.D. in calling for a federal pyramid scheme rule as the status quo is not effective in eliminating pyramid schemes. The damage is already done.
Consumers can and should in my opinion make a complaint with the FTC here.
Lawyer Stuff: Regarding Updates (Added 4/10/2017)
It’s disappointing to me that I have to cover my butt with disclaimers. I believe we (USA) have freedom of speech and freedom of the press.
The courts agreed that I published this article for you (at least in my reading.)
I STRONGLY IMPORE everyone to petition the government with your feelings about this as I have done. The official FTC Twitter account has instructions about how you can communicate your opinion of scams and help others avoid being scammed:
If you think you see a scam, talk with someone. Your story could help someone avoid that scam. Then report it to the FTC at https://t.co/gtPxXAxsek: https://t.co/PWFawyXejS
— FTC (@FTC) May 20, 2020
This article was originally published on June 26, 2015 (or earlier). It contains the best information I found at the time of publication. If anyone has factual information where I may be incorrect in my OPINION above, they are welcome to leave a comment for my own and public review. Readers with different opinions are always free to publicize those opinions elsewhere.
I strive to update this article, and all my articles, with the best information available to help consumers make an informed decision. I may not always achieve that goal due my other career and family obligations, but I do my best. If I’ve been informed publicly (such as Twitter) multiple times over 1-3 months it will probably get my attention. One easier way is to leave a comment.
Just to make it extremely clear to readers and MLM lawyers looking to sue me, the article above is my constitutionally protected opinion. It’s strange that I have to say it and cite the FTC above, but some lawyers act badly when they are offered a bunch of money by a company looking to bully a military family.
This was article originally published Jun 26, 2015 at 11:00
Vickie Bailey says
Halloween Whopper—
Thanks for getting back to us. It breaks my heart you can’t disclose more, as I need more facts before I go to my sister and try to reason with her. I understand your needing to protect yourself, though. Is there anyplace we can be checking as this goes forward?
Thanks so much.
PS–Sarah, you’ve made perfect sense to me and I than you for your input.
Thank you so much for taking the time to write this. I’ve been looking for something to forward my acquaintances who are brainwashed by this ridiculous pyramid scheme.
Well, darn! I contacted Avomeen analytical services for a quote to analyze the Thrive Patch, Capsule, and Shake. Unfortunately, it would be $16,200 to get that done in 20 days, or $24,300 for 10 day turnaround. Needless to say, that ain’t gonna happen. I’m assuming Halloween Whopper didn’t spend that kinda $$$$! So, I still have nothing to confront my family with –will have to wait till somebody is seriously hurt or worse. I wish I had Vogel’s opinion that it is mostly a placebo, but I have to go along with Sarah and the previous poster who said they had experience in toxicology—there seems to be more to this happy little supplement. Frankly, I hope Vogel is right. I’d rather fool and his money be parted than a fool and his health!
So what if is not the products it is just the people doing bad marketing, or marketing what they feel….and most people are honest in any business rather thrive, beachbody, herbalife or whatever….8 weeks or 12 weeks rather you on supplements or anything, anything you over indulge can become bad for you…..and rather you do the 8 weeks or not you still have to eat right, and exercise daily
If all the people are doing bad marketing, it tells you that the problem is the system and not the people. Rather than focus on products, why not just eat right and exercise? We know those are time-tested and proven.
Thank You! I have been waiting on information about this whole Thrive thing. About the quality of vitamins you are really getting etc. I don’t need to waste my money….
Check out this article on Thrive
https://www.truthinadvertising.org/know-thrive-experience
And this article on how Utah, which happens to be where Thrive is made and shipped from, is the home of scams like this…
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/theslice/mormon-utah-valley-multilevel-marketing-thrive-doterra
I guess Paul Gravette and Jason Camper just hope this doesn’t get noticed by anyone who can do anything about it. And I can tell you, that won’t last much longer.
Yeah someone gave me the “starter” packs of all tree since we have a common friend who lost 40 lbs using it. The Brochure that comes with it says “Take 1 to 2 Thrive capsules in the morning on an empty stomach or “before your feet hit the floor.” IF YOU ARE SENSITIVE TO CAFFEINE START WITH 1 TO SEE HOW YOU FEEL. (my caps added)
So we’ve pretty much proven that there is some speed like substance (by their own admission) in it either high dose of caffeine or some amphetamine. And thankfully I only took one, cause I am amped!
So the question is if the 60 year old man loses 40 lbs using this (we’ll see if he keeps it off) and doesn’t get hooked on the “caffeine” effect, then is it a scam? Probably because as you point out there are cheaper ways to do this…
I do thrive and can honestly say with and without, I’m still losing the weight. People shouldn’t believe all the negativity they read on the internet.
So if you are losing weight with it and without it, we can logically eliminate Thrive from having an effect, right? It’s the same as saying that I lose weight while owning a Tom Brady football card and while not owning a Tom Brady football card. You seem to be saying that it doesn’t matter.
So if it doesn’t matter, why is it negative to help people save lot of money? Is it negative to suggest that people should use coupons when grocery shopping?
I hik your sit has a bug orvirus it won’t let me type rigt & several times the page has hadto be recovered. In myopinion it’s nthing but lgalspeed. this is your website making me misspell some of the words.
Since everyone else can comment without spelling errors, I think it might not be my website.
Funny IE couldn’t bring this site back up because of a programming error I clcked go bak a page I happen to be pro speller &since I have no problems on any othe sites has to be your websie but it’s a mootpoint arguing with a male because they r like brick walls. Petty too, I was just tryingto ok it keeps popping up to recover your site. So it has to be your site.
After reviewing some of these comments, I was inspired to post one of my own. I’m a college athlete, I have been taking supplements for many years now, people get lost in the self absorbing ego, and have the need to post their irrelevant opinion to somehow prove that its right.
The issue is not the company Le-Vel nor is it their product Thrive, if it works for people, let it work for them. After spending 400$ + a month at GNC for the same sorts of products, when I discovered Thrive, I was excited of its simplicity and the fact that it was cheap! Also, the referral program worked wonders and I now get my product free.
At some point, we need to learn to respect people and stop letting our egos get in the way. Thrive is nota scam, its just way Le-Vel has chosen to sell their product, through direct selling. This allows people who may not be the brightest crayon in the box, a chance to make a decent living.
If they want to sell the product, let them. Just as your opinion is irrelevant, so is mine. From personal experience it as worked for me and now that I decided to promote the product, I have some extra cash each month, to put in my savings.
Thrive on!
The issue is indeed the company and the product… that’s what the topic of the article is about. If you want to discuss something else you are free to visit another website and discuss it.
Since it can be difficult to differentiate between pyramid schemes, or even impossible, it is important to look for red flags.
When I’ve seen MLMs giving away free product for referrals it has been part of a “refer 3 get yours free” plan. This is a huge red flag with regard to excessively priced products such as Le-vel Thrive. If you saw a gas station offering you free gas if you referred people to buy $8 gas, I think it would be obvious to most that it is a scam. It seems like the same thing to me.
In case you are unaware, 995 of 1000 people involved in MLM lose money. These schemes victimize the people who are not the brightest crayons in the box.
Everyone is entitled to sell product, but buyers of the product and people looking to spread the scheme should have the information available to them.
Patrick R said: “The issue is not the company Le-Vel nor is it their product Thrive, if it works for people, let it work for them.”
The issue is quite clearly with company and their bogus products. There’s no tangible evidence that it “works” (whatever that means) for anyone, but if it did, how could we possibly stop it from working for them? A vapid comment.
Patrick R sad: “After spending 400$ + a month at GNC for the same sorts of products, when I discovered Thrive, I was excited of its simplicity and the fact that it was cheap!”
Wow! Five grand a year blown on supplements! You must love burning money. Simplicity in what sense? This supplement BS isn’t exactly rocket science. Does it really need to be dumbed down ever further? The product isn’t cheap either. Like all MLM products, it’s priced roughly 20-30 times what the ingredients are actually worth to support the pyramid.
Patrick R said: “Also, the referral program worked wonders and I now get my product free.”
It’s not free. You’re simply defraying the cost by ripping of at least 3 other people. It’s kinda like saying your rent was free this month because you mugged 3 little old ladies and stole their purses.
Patrick R said: “At some point, we need to learn to respect people and stop letting our egos get in the way.”
Nope. I never ever need to have respect for scammers or their hopelessly moronic scams. Liars, predators, and overbearing cretins merit not an even an iota of respect. What we need to do is call a spade a spade and not turn a blind eye when people try to prey on our brothers and sisters.
Patrick R said: “Thrive is nota scam, its just way Le-Vel has chosen to sell their product, through direct selling.”
Yes, it’s a scam, and the method they chose to market the product is not called direct selling; it’s called multi-level marketing; and the reason you don’t refer to it by its actual name is that you and your fellow predators know full well that the name MLM has a reputation so bad that people run at the mere mention of it. Get real!
Patrick R said: “This allows people who may not be the brightest crayon in the box, a chance to make a decent living.”
Hardly. These scams are purposely designed to prey on people who “aren’t the brightest crayon in the box” because they are the ones most susceptible to getting suckered into absurd snakeoil pyramid schemes.
Patrick R said: “If they want to sell the product, let them.”
Again, that’s an extraordinarily vacuous comment. Are we somehow not letting them? Shouldn’t you be saying “if people want to criticize the product, let them”?
Patrick R: “Just as your opinion is irrelevant, so is mine.”
Your opinion is irrelevant because it’s shallow and devoid of both facts and insight. The same can’t be said of the criticism.
Patrick R said: “From personal experience it as worked for me and now that I decided to promote the product, I have some extra cash each month, to put in my savings.”
So the validity of Thrive is contingent on the anonymous and vague pseudo-testimonial of some meat-head who sells the product? Thrive doesn’t do squat and you’re making rice-picker wages, at best, for exploiting naifs. Stop posturing.
Okay well it’s not a scam.. I’ve literally been taking these vitamins for over a year and when I was prone to getting sinus/upper respiratory infections, I haven’t had once since. I haven’t been sick at all over the last year and I work on an airplane.. not to mention the fact that I used to have issues with my gut and since taking thrive have been going regularly and manage to lose over 15 lbs without a change in diet or exercise.. hate to burst your bubble but the products do work.. they’re the only MLM products that have worked. Don’t knock it because you don’t understand it
They are far from the only MLM product that people claim “work” when the company itself won’t go through the scientific methodology to show that they work.
I’ve categorized dozens of companies and probably over a thousand cases of people making similar claims in the comments. In a more rigorous analysis, Truth in Advertising did a lot more here – https://truthinadvertising.org/industries/mlm-health/. There are a number of reasons why people may think or feel the products work. I’ve covered them in detail here: https://www.lazymanandmoney.com/no-your-mlm-health-product-does-not-work/.
It’s important to point out that an anonymous comment of an anecdote is not nearly the evidence of extensive scientific evidence.
Bri said: “Okay well it’s not a scam.. “
That’s quite a threadbare attempt at a rebuttal. The fact that it is a scam has been well documented (e.g., by the FTC, Truth in Advertising, Lazy Man’s blog, among others). A disembodied voice on the internet attempting to whitewash the facts by unilaterally declaring “not a scam” looks laughably ridiculous—scammy one might even say!
Bri said: “I’ve literally been taking these vitamins for over a year…”
As opposed to figuratively taking vitamins for over a year? Not to get all grammar-cop on you but it literally pains me to see twits who abuse the word “literally” like that.
Bri said: “…and when I was prone to getting sinus/upper respiratory infections, I haven’t had once since.”
Clearly science and logic are not in your wheelhouse.
1. Third rate vitamin supplements like Thrive don’t prevent infections. They also can’t be legally marketed for such purposes and the company even has a disclaimer that contradicts your claim. Nonetheless, the company (and its shifty nitwit distributors) try to skirt the law, hence the FTC busting Le-Vel for illegally marketing their products for COVID. For shame!?
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2020/07/ftc-order-stops-marketer-thrive-supplement-making-baseless-claims-it-can-treat-prevent-or-reduce
2. There’s no reason to believe anything an anonymous voice on the internet claims about anything in the absence of evidence, doubly so with scammy MLMs like Thrive, with a long track record of dishonesty and wildly moronic cure-all claims that a grade schooler could see through. In other words, can we know with any degree of certainty whether or not you ever had a sinus or respiratory infection? Clearly not. That’s why even attempting to make such claims is futile; worse, it’s idiotic, and insulting.
3. Even if you didn’t get an infection in a year, that would not be evidence of anything Thrive did. There are a myriad of factors unrelated to Thrive that could account for such an outcome, and it’s easy to confuse correlation for causality.
Bri said: “I haven’t been sick at all over the last year and I work on an airplane.. not to mention the fact that I used to have issues with my gut and since taking thrive have been going regularly and manage to lose over 15 lbs without a change in diet or exercise..”
Again, see comment above. You could be straight up lying (highly likely given the company’s track record, as well as the artificial manner in which you say “I work on an airplane” as opposed to “I am a flight attendant” or “a pilot”), or attributing an outcome to Thrive that had nothing to do with the product.
Bri said: “…hate to burst your bubble but the products do work..”
You didn’t burst anyone’s bubble, you just peed in the punch bowl and made a spectacle of yourself.
Bri said: “Don’t knock it because you don’t understand it”
That’s laughable! We understand this simplistic BS scam far better than you do. It’s the exact same playbook with all the Utah MLM snakeoil scams. The only thing I find hard to understand is how someone can be so morally bankrupt as to try to blatantly exploit people like this for profit.
Bri said: “Okay well it’s not a scam.. “
That’s quite a threadbare attempt at a rebuttal. The fact that it is a scam has been well documented (e.g., by the FTC, Truth in Advertising, Lazy Man’s blog, among others). A disembodied voice on the internet attempting to whitewash the facts by unilaterally declaring “not a scam” looks laughably ridiculous—scammy one might even say!
Bri said: “I’ve literally been taking these vitamins for over a year…”
As opposed to figuratively taking vitamins for over a year? Not to get all grammar-cop on you but it literally pains me to see twits who abuse the word “literally” like that.
Bri said: “…and when I was prone to getting sinus/upper respiratory infections, I haven’t had once since.”
Clearly science and logic are not in your wheelhouse.
1. Third rate vitamin supplements like Thrive don’t prevent infections. They also can’t be legally marketed for such purposes and the company even has a disclaimer that contradicts your claim. Nonetheless, the company (and its shifty nitwit distributors) try to skirt the law, hence the FTC busting Le-Vel for illegally marketing their products for COVID. For shame!?
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2020/07/ftc-order-stops-marketer-thrive-supplement-making-baseless-claims-it-can-treat-prevent-or-reduce
2. There’s no reason to believe anything an anonymous voice on the internet claims about anything in the absence of evidence, doubly so with scammy MLMs like Thrive, with a long track record of dishonesty and wildly moronic cure-all claims that a grade schooler could see through. In other words, can we know with any degree of certainty whether or not you ever had a sinus or respiratory infection? Clearly not. That’s why even attempting to make such claims is futile; worse, it’s idiotic, and insulting.
3. Even if you didn’t get an infection in a year, that would not be evidence of anything Thrive did. There are a myriad of factors unrelated to Thrive that could account for such an outcome, and it’s easy to confuse correlation for causality.
Bri said: “I haven’t been sick at all over the last year and I work on an airplane.. not to mention the fact that I used to have issues with my gut and since taking thrive have been going regularly and manage to lose over 15 lbs without a change in diet or exercise..”
Again, see comment above. You could be straight up lying (highly likely given the company’s track record, as well as the artificial manner in which you say “I work on an airplane” as opposed to “I am a flight attendant” or “a pilot”), or attributing an outcome to Thrive that had nothing to do with the product.
Bri said: “…hate to burst your bubble but the products do work..”
You didn’t burst anyone’s bubble, you just peed in the punch bowl and made a spectacle of yourself.
Bri said: “Don’t knock it because you don’t understand it”
That’s laughable! We understand this simplistic BS scam far better than you do. It’s the exact same playbook with all the Utah MLM snakeoil scams. The only thing I find hard to understand is how someone can be so morally bankrupt as to try to blatantly exploit people like this for profit.
Someone in our mailroom was trying to push these. I assumed it was supplement non-sense but figured I’d give it the benefit of the doubt and look for an honest review and so I find myself here.
I came for the article but I stayed for the commentary. Reading through the Ana/Vogel debate was especially amusing. Saying Ana was getting “shellacked” is putting it kindly. I’m not sure if it’s a case of Ana not being able to state her argument as concisely as Vogel or that she simply didn’t have one but in any case she made a pretty poor show of it.
Also,
Ana- “if I “got schooled” you would have changed my thinking.”
Ahahahahahaha. It’s hard to even dignify this with a response but in my limited experience when someone is losing an argument they tend to dig in, name call and change the subject, typically in that order.
I was actually enjoying the Sarah/Vogel debate because I thought she was holding her own and her position was defensible but then it all fell apart. It’s the internet so I’m immediately dubious of any claims that someone has medical credentials especially when it’s used to bolster an argument via a faulty implication of authority. But honestly where it falls apart is where Sarah uses an ad hominum attack… Sarah -“Vogel, You really sound like someone who is suffering. From what, I cannot say and I’ll keep my speculations to myself” (where we again see the fallacy of implicit authority) and then accuses Vogel of making ad hominum attacks. Not sure how they reasoned that out
Sarah @ Vogel – “I hope that you get some relief from whatever it is that ails you and perhaps learn to participate in discussions without becoming so impassioned that you lose your cool, over and over again.”
Look I only found this site today so I have no inherent bias here but what the hell are you even talking about? Vogel’s arguments on this article have been so cool I could use them to chill my beer. If you’d called him a little condescending I could understand but there’s a big difference between being a bit condescending while you efficiently clean someones clock with your fact based argument and “losing your cool”.
The fact that Sarah can’t make that distinction reflects badly on her despite what ever dubious expertise she might have.
Cheers Alex! Thanks for the kind praise. Public service like this is a mitzvah.
Hi! As someone who no longer is promoting for le-vel for various reasons, I wanted to tell you exactly what is wrong with this company from an inside perspective. First I wanted to clear up a couple bits of misinformation in the comments:
1: Le-Vel fits every single point on the “is this a pyramid scheme” video, but one. You DO NOT have to buy inventory, in fact, you are not allowed to have inventory. People purchase directly from the site. You also DO NOT have to purchase anything to start promoting as your first customer will “activate” you. Once you get two customers, your product will be free the following month, so except for shipping, you literally NEVER have to pay for anything. The problem is that most promoters tell their new recruits that they have to buy an upgrade pack to become active. This happened to my husband and I in our time of need…we were told we HAD to purchase an upgrade pack.
2: Promoters pay exactly the same as the customer autoship price. This is different from most direct sales type of companies as le-vel promoters DO NOT get a discount of any kind.
Now, here is what is wrong: The product is fine. Most of the effects are probably placebo. It works for some just because they want it to, others because they have genuine deficiencies that were somewhat alleviated, and for others because they feel they have so much more energy. I fell into the 3rd category, but it only lasted for a matter of weeks. Once my body got used to it I noticed NOTHING yet coming off of it was a headache and lethargy filled hell that no amount of coffee fixed. Looking back at my customers, pretty much everyone with the exception of 4 people, stopped taking it after 2 months. They either A: Got sick from it after a period of time or B: did not think the results justified the cost. So, you have an uber expensive product that has zero clinical information backing it up and the only people that generally last on it are benefiting from the financial aspects of slinging it. The promoters state that it is more absorbent than other vitamins and that their are no fillers and that our soil is deficient and bla bla bla. The promoters have created a hype surrounding the product especially on social media. It becomes like a cult. They bash you if you aren’t doing what they expect you to do and talk down to you if you aren’t as aggressive as they are. It’s a money hungry business where you become someone’s cash cow. The compensation plan is crazy complicated. You never earn incentive off of a promoter unless they purchase an upgrade pack and only the first time they purchase it. You do get handsomely rewarded for volume though and their purchases count towards that. It is not uncommon for someone high up in the foodchain who thinks they are God to say to their team: “First 3 promoters to purchase a $400 upgrade pack will get this amazing 5 cent piece of aluminum foil! Ready go!” And people do it! They actually do it. It’s sick. If you weed passed the hoopla that the promoters generate (including the “success” stories on the le-vel fanpage on facebook – which is almost always written by promoters), you will see very little in terms of customer satisfaction over a significant period of time.
I want to shake some of the arrogant, condescending people up the line and say “you are selling vitamins dude, VITAMINS.” You aren’t curing cancer. Get over yourselves!
And just in case you were wondering…I wasn’t scorned… I was actually rather successful and even bought a car that was covered through their auto bonus program. I just can’t be a part of something I don’t believe in and be amongst people that are so fake.
Thanks for the comment Jameson.
1) I want to review the Le-Vel compensation plan to see what qualifies someone to remain active, but it appears that their website is currently down, so the documents are unavailable to me. Typically, in order to remain active, so level of personal volume has to be achieved. While this can be done through sales of the product, the problem is: Why Would Anyone Buy an MLM Product? People aren’t going to fork over this kind of money for VITAMINS (as you say). So typically people in MLM end up satisfying the personal volume requirement by buying the overpriced vitamins themselves… i.e. “Pay to Play.” This is where it starts to become more clear as a pyramid scheme.
I don’t think Le-Vel is different, but again, I can’t confirm because the website isn’t working for me.
2) It’s usually trivially easy to become a promoter. If promoters were to get bigger discounts than the customers, customers would just sign up as promoters and not promote (i.e. buy for themselves). This is HUGE problem in MLM/pyramid schemes, because it disguises the people who are failing due to the nature of the scheme. They would look exactly like promoters who are not promoting.
The best (and really only way I can see) to solve this is to do what Apple does with authorized dealers. If you want to buy a big authorized dealership you can get some discount and make money by pushing a lot of volume. If you want to buy the product, just buy it from the authorized dealership. This would quickly put an end to the people making crazy claims.
For the last 2 weeks I’ve sat silently amused at my co-workers. I’ll paint the scene a bit before I continue; I work in an office building that employees on average 120 people. Some are paid minimum wage (not knocking them so calm down – I believe that anyone willing to get off their ass to make an honest buck is admirable) and some of us are paid much more. The Thrive craze started with a mother and daughter team (historically they spend 80% of their compensable time peddling the next best thing around the office while some of us faithfully use our time to complete our work) but then it spread to upwards of 60 other nieve grown adults. The dynamic duo convinced these people that their recent and sudden ability to focus, work harder (an illusion – they’re the type that do a great job at looking busy but accomplish very little), and new found energy was a direct result of “Thriving”. They used company time and resources to promote the hell out of this product. Now understanding that grown adults who make minimum wage do so for a only handful of reasons which may include (a) poor choices earlier in life (b) just plain laziness (c) life changing event (divorce/previous career choice became automated/injured) that dictates they start over in life (e) ignorance or something of the like. **Take Note that I didn’t say all minimum wage employees are stupid and lazy l, so again – Calm down… sometimes it’s just the hand we’re dealt** Anyway… most of these likely make them vulnerable in some way. These types of human beings are the ones that will buy Girl Scout cookies and raffle tickets from every one of their fellow co-workers because said co-workers children are trying to earn a trip of some kind. They can’t really afford it but that doesn’t stop them. So naturally they jumped all over the Thrive opportunity because (1) How many Girl Scout cookies can one person eat and (2) this time it was going to benefit them, maybe even change their life. So back to my silent amusement (also a bit saddened) — I’ve watched them pop, patch and shake themselves for hours each day, and then subsequently converse about it for several more. It was like a f’n Zoo but one that feeds their animals crack, then qualudes. Their up then down, high then low and it at the end of then day not a damn bit of work gets done. So,… those of us not Thriving make sure it gets done. Not because I give a shit about the Thrivers but because I have goals and aspirations in life. Which brings me to my point… for the most part the Thrive craze has ended (with the exception of those that still believe it’s their ticket to early retirement) and all of these people still work for and with me. I’m now listening to them all complain about the money wasted, the effort wasted in trying to recruit minions and the odd or in some cases painful bathroom breaks. I just keep asking myself – How the hell did they not see this coming? Sonto any of you trying to justify this scam… Shame on you. And I call Bullshit!!
Jason – literally laughed out loud as I read your message. That is EXACTLY what it’s like! I never did fit the bill – I couldn’t be the thrive cheerleader that they expect you to be. I was so happy to finally rid my facebook of all of the nonsense. It is sad that it sucks you in the way it does. The business opportunity, as they call it, preys on people who aren’t in the best circumstances and makes big promises. I came to once my upline began talking down to myself and my promoters when we didn’t listen to one of the 5,000 weekly calls or partake in a “living room local” or host our own call. They would tell us we weren’t serious about our business. They would tell us that we clearly weren’t motivated. As I this began, I started to come to and really pay attention. It all became so obvious. Such a genuis scam! Now I am ashamed of myself for every falling victim.
Lazyman – If you have a promoter account which is very easy to come by, you just click on resources, then downloads in the backoffice and you will see the comp plan. It is complicated because they don’t clarify much. They upline will tell their potential new recruits “we don’t sell a compensation plan, we sell a product that works.” I never took that approach as I think it’s important to be knowledgeable. Any questions you have, I would be happy to answer :) Also, yes, if you are seeking to achieve “rank” then you may have to buy your own product to get there, since it is a volume thing. Or, you will hassle your promoters to do it for you by offering insulting incentives from your personal bank account or supply of cheap art products. Lol.
I had read the compensation plan in the past. The website was down for me before and unavailable (mobile response).
Have you guys read this guy’s review of the Le-Vel scam?
http://makemoneyonlinescamsexposed.com/le-vel-thrive-weight-loss-scam/
You’ve got to check this out and start sharing this and get it viral – let’s use social media to destroy this social network marketing (lol) business. Share with everyone, retweet, etc.
Lazy man – how can i get in touch with you privately?
Halloween Whopper, I have my Contact link on my website. That’s usually the best way. Fill out the form and it sends me an email and I can email you back.
Any plans to move on to a new holiday named food? We are too far away for McDonalds Shamrock Shakes.
I am on pins and needles to learn the info Whopper has discovered. I believe Thrive to be a cult like scam, in that its “promoters” are so over the top with their testimonies, I can’t help but think they are weak and brainwashed. Its sad to watch them make fools of themselves.
A tipster sent me an email with evidence that Le-Vel Thrive is planning a Facebook flood to appear to be going viral tomorrow, Dec. 10th at 8AM CST.
I’m not a fan of such manipulations, but if you happen to see a “Rise and Thrive” message at that time, you know what’s going on.
Thanks for this incredible breakdown of the information. I’ve tried the product from a friend’s mother, and frankly, it didn’t do the justification of what it proclaimed to be. I got the patch and the supplements and it didn’t make me more energized or took pain away. I felt terrible for not ordering from her, but I really can’t afford to spend almost two hundred a month and not seeing or feeling results. I even have gotten sick more this time of the year than last prior to taking that product. In closing, I just don’t know what is real and what is the things that people are trying to fish you into. I’m so happy that I found this forum and article dissecting exactly how I felt taking these supplements. Yes, activated charcoal somehow worked better for me and just simple things. Thank you!
All – After seeing a comment online to this effect, and using my secret sources to confirm, I learned recently that all of these “patch changes” (going to black label, different colors, sizes, styles, etc.) aren’t anything other than a ploy to get around FDA approvals. There is a way to keep re-developing product and testing, etc. and extend the FDA deadline for needing to answer any of their questions.
LOL @ this scam! Can’t wait to watch it come burning down.
If you go over to Supplement Geek, specifically his thread regarding Thrive W, you will find tons of people telling their brief unappealing stories in the comments. Also, one of the more recent comments stated that one’s aunt passed away and that said aunt was an aerobics teacher and very healthy. She died of a heart attack and has been on thrive for 3-4 months. The family thinks it is the Thrive.
very very helpful! A friend asked me to look this product up on the web for her and I’m glad I came across this page. Thanks again. Definitely a scam!
The below quote is from Paul Gravette, the “CEO” of Le-vel. He is posts typically follow this same format, “inspirational” and “feel good.” This one stood out to me though, it was posted this morning and in it he is flat out telling the gaggles of blind supporters to take their commissions and buy more product from him. Its shameless.
“I want to address this “home-based” business industry,
IT DOES YOU NO GOOD to start a “home-based” business if you are using the money to buy things you don’t REALLY need!
The PURPOSE of a “home-based” business is to create an income stream that allows you to BUILD IT BIGGER!
YES!!!!!! Put more money BACK into the business with product purchases and incentives for the sales reps building what YOU called them about in the first place!
The “home-based” business industry is THE BEST business school in the world…FOR THOSE willing to treat it like one!
FACT: You’ve NEVER seen a business in your town survive by not purchasing MORE of what they sold…the first time!
THINK…if you SERIOUSLY want to become FINANCIALLY FREE in the long haul!
Success….it’s NEVER an overnight thing…but it’s WORTH it!”
It seems he’s confusing MLM which is a terrible thing that isn’t really a business with legitimate businesses that one can perform from home.
Interesting what Paul Gravette had to say. Also interesting is what his other co-founder Jason Camper had to say about the Le-Vel logo showing up in Times Square on NYE. Le-Vel paid to have their logo show up in a few digital advertisements in Times Square, and then Camper goes on Facebook and shows a picture of that, and calls it “VALIDATION”.
First of all, paying to put your logo up somewhere doesn’t validate your product, only clinical studies do. Of which Thrive has none.
Second of all, why do they feel a need to tout “validation” if their business and products are legit?
What a sham. The sad thing is, this business preys upon people who can’t see through this stuff and think for themselves. The government should be doing something about this.
My GF’s friend pushes this stuff. _We are so sick of getting Facebook tagged to death and called on the phone from here! I tried it twice. Zero. Might’ve felt a tad better after the pills but that was prob. just the caffeine. And I take supplements, so I figured that is all this is. Can’t wait for this “craze” to end.
I was very disillusioned with the results or lack there of. I did the 8 week challenge and got absolutely nothing out of it. I was told that I needed to down 8 oz of water with the “vitamins” before my feet even hit the floor of my bedroom. I decided that if I had to take this stuff precisely the way they said, then it must not be all that great. AT the end of my 8 weeks, I was left 300 dollars poorer and just as heavy as before. I had about 20 vitamin packets left and a few months later, I decided to try taking the “vitamins” they way they said to. I found that my energy level skyrocketed to a point that I felt almost nauseous. That’s when I decided to read the ingredients. I compared them to my daily multiple vitamin. One major thing I noticed was my daily vitamin has 12 mcg of B12. That is 100% of what you need daily. The Level “vitamin” has 100 mcg of B12. That is 1667% of what you need daily. On top of that, the ingredients also include caffeine, coffee bean and green tea. Now I know why I was so jittery all day and could hardly sleep when bed time came. I gave up Mountain Dew because of the amount of caffeine, I don’t need to replace it with this. Thank you for your article. I knew something was fishy and wanted to know that I was not alone.
Let me give you a great example of how stupid this clown (Jason Camper) is, who runs Le-Vel…
His facebook page today says the following:
“Thrivers, major congratulations!! Last year, 2015, you accomplished to sell over 1,000,000 30 day units of standard green DFT in a single year! That’s a total of 30,000,000 DFTs lol. This doesn’t even include, DFT Ultra sales, Black Label, Pink, Purple, Camo, you get the point. This is incredible, here’s a toast to you and the 2 million you’ll sell this year”
At the same time…. he is boasting on facebook of having 2.5 million customer accounts.
So if I do the math here, 2.5 million customers ordered 1 million sets of the patches. Hmmmmmm…… So 40% of your customers placed one order, but in reality, what is likely is that a far far lower percentage of “customers” ordered more than once to the active customer number is ridiculously low as a percentage of overall customers meaning, people sign up, realize it is a scam, and run away.
GREAT BUSINESS MODEL! TOTALLY SUSTAINABLE.
LOL
No two statements these people make tie together and are consistent. NOW THAT IS VALIDATION
i find it funny how the author of this article says… “in just 5 months ive squirreled away $500!! thats funny…. cause in 1 week i make $2200usd….. plus i feel better then i ever have…. plus i go on 4 free vacations a year…. plus i drive a FREE Mercedes ML550 suv….. man i just HATE that thrive…. lmao
Dave,
Truth in Advertising covers those the Le-Vel Thrive experience well. Good quote by Le-Vel Thrive, “The earnings of Le-Vel Brand Promoters relating to Le-Vel Brands LLC and Le-Vel.com are not necessarily a representation of the income, if any, that a Le-Vel Brand Promoter can or will earn through his or her participation in the Le-Vel Compensation Plan.”
I’ve bolded the “if any” for you.
There’s a big difference between saving/”squirreling away” money and making money. They aren’t mutually exclusive.
Care to give us details of your retail sales to the public (people without a Le-Vel Thrive agreement), so we can compare it to the FTC guidelines to see if it is an illegal pyramid scheme based on recruitment?
That’s where most have it wrong. You make money based on what you sell. You make anywhere from 4% – 20% of your sales back in commission. It’s no different from a local car salesman or furniture salesman.
Le-vel is a side “job” for me so that roughly $8000usd a month I make gets put away in a savings plan so ultimately is the same as your squirrel thing. Except it will take u a hell of a lot longer lol
To each their own, give the products an honest try and they work for everyone and will change your life. Some people just aren’t ready to step out of their own way, or think out of the normal everyday old fashion 9-5 box
In any MLM you can make 4-20% in sales, but the problem is that it’s almost impossible to do. I covered this in the article where I wrote, “As mentioned above, the pricing is banana pants crazy, which is one of a few reasons why no one would buy a MLM product from you.”
I was talking with Robert FitzPatrick of Pyramid Scheme Alert recently and he said that he’s study MLM for somewhere around 20 years and he’s not aware of anyone making a profit selling product.
As I said before please upload an image of a breakdown of your monthly earnings from retail sales. If we use the average of your commission (12% is equally between 4% and 20%), we can determine that you’d have to sell $66,666 of product each month to make your reported $8000. That’s a lot of overpriced snakeoil to peddle. Do you show them Truth in Advertising’s section on Does it work? to make sure your customers are properly informed?
If people are ready to step out of the 9-5 box, this is the website for them. That’s why I created this website.
You seem to misunderstand the difference between saving money aside in an emergency fund (squirreling away money) and earning money (making $8000 a month). They are very, very different things and any legitimate entrepreneur would understand it without having it explained to them three times.
Just wanted to give you some real numbers, again I am no longer with this company (thank goodness), but used to be. I (myself and my downline) sold 54,700 in 6 months and made just a hair over 5 grand. About 10%. I am just waiting for this company to come crashing down… So many things make me angry. They tout this product to be pure, non gmo, all natural, organic etc. There is no proof of any of this. In fact, if it were sourced from all natural whole food ingredients, they would have the whole food items listed in the ingredients. They don.t If it were all natural (which by law only requires 10% all natural to claim) wouldn’t it say so on the box? Same with organic and non GMO. They make so many false claims. It’s a matter of time before the truth comes out. People, if you have been drinking coffee or other caffeinated beverages for years and you do not have one headache after replacing with Thrive…isn’t it obvious?? It is full of stimulants that simply replace caffeine. How is that healthy? How can these people shame coffee drinkers? Grrrr. Anyway, Rant over.
I don’t understand how promoters can go on and on about how great it is that they don’t have to drink coffee anymore when the product contains green coffee. I have to admit that I don’t know what “green coffee” is, but it sure sounds to me like it contains caffeine. Yet the promoter who sent me to his site so I could access the ingredients list said it did not contain caffeine.
Thank you for the article. I am just now hearing about Thrive, surprisingly. I am no stranger to pyramid schemes: I live in Utah. I don’t even know how many of my friends are involved with doTerra, ItWorks!, and now Thrive. I wish more people would seek out information similar to what you offer here.
Ash, if you tell four friends and they tell four friends… :-)
Today I saw the latest stupid post from the clown, Jason Camper that owns the Thrive company. Read this post, and you can see what a douche this guy is. What a narcissistic, grammar-challenged and spell-check disabled clown:
Watching this guy, and waiting for his downfall is one of the greatest free sources of entertainment in life.
Quote below:
———————————————-
Smell brings back memories:
Getting my boots shined up for the local in Minneapolis tonight (so I don’t let Shylo down). They say that the sense of smell has the strongest memory… As this was happening it reminded me of the lowest point in my life financially. About ten years ago, I was so broke I couldn’t afford to shine my shoes, as I was at the airport headed to an interview, with no cash and a completely maxed out credit card. So I ended up in the bathroom buffing my extremely distressed dress shoes with soap and paper towels, it somehow conditioned the shoes and got the job done. This was also about the time that the only thing I bought at the grocery store was .79 cent cans of tuna and $1 macaroni, this stage of my life went on for what seemed like eternity. On the inside I was spiraling and against a wall, on the outside I tried desperately to keep it all together. The moral of the story is – the adversity is what makes you who you are. I look back at challenging times in my life, and realize they were stepping stones, and they forged the person I have become, and Lord willing, the things I’ve been able to accomplish. Through adversity and struggle is how you grow and how you become more than you already are. The struggles are to be remember and cherished. Those without struggles never really appreciate or understand the good things that follow. Have I struggled as much as some in life? No, there’s always someone who’s struggled more. But I will never forget these challenges and the meaning in my journey they represent. ?#?ThriveOn?
—————————————
I have been taking the thrive products now for a few months, I have to say I feel amazing! I love all the great energy and I love how it’s all natural. As I live a healthy organic lifestyle and no matter how great I eat, i need to supplement my nutrition. I have tried everything out there and this is by far the best. I also use doterra oils and love them too. Most of the people on here with opinions I am sure have not even tried the product. I would say before you give an opinion or an article you should have something to go on…and you have nothing!
Thrive has not only changed my life but my husbands and my best friend. As far as price goes you get what you pay for…if you want cheap you won’t feel amazing but if you want premium you have to pay for it. I know this may be hard to believe too but I have gotten my product free since my second month by referring two people. I am sharing this not because I have anything vested in this company but to let people know that they should give it a try before they believe what people are saying (that never tried it!)
A friend of mine does sell it and she gave me 3 days to try…I knew by day two it was something good.
Also I want you all to know I looked up every ingredient before I took anything!
The person above clearly didn’t read anything above, and is obviously one of the few 400,000 “followers” who still use the stuff after 8 weeks.
#crashingandburning
#wrongfuldeath
#lawsuit
#endisnear
I guess it doesn’t matter to these people that Thrive is a pyramid scam that a few people get rich off of while most suffer and those who are getting rich DO NOT EVEN USE THEIR OWN PRODUCT (CEO).
Hi,
Wondering where you found out that the CEO’s don’t even use their product, I would love to see this! Thanks!
I would like everyone to know there is a Thrive distributor in Minot ND that is sleeping with the men to get them involved in selling Thrive. This is shady and disgusting.
I have a question. Could you give me a man’s list and a women’s list of complete products we would need to purchase two equal to one months of thrive for each sex? You have put together a great article however it’s a little confusing on whether everything you listed as alternatives are equal to or if there are several options for each.
There’s nothing that’s “equal”, because the formulas will always be different. It’s like asking how you buy something equal to Coke or how you buy cookies that would be equal Chip’s Ahoy.
The important thing to note is that scientists agree you shouldn’t waste money on vitamins.
Thanks for writing this. I was hit up on fb to try free samples of thrive. I was sent instructions on how to go about getting it, one of the instructions gave a phone# to call to listen to a recording about thrive. The recording consisted of nothing but how much money thrive had made in the past 3 years. Needless to say I will not be putting any of their product in or on my body.
I searched for LazyMan’s review of this scheme after it popped up on my Facebook, as I have followed his articles on Nerium and Rodan+Fields schemes. If I thought the people who promoted those were off their rocker, it’s nothing compared to these so-called “Thrivers!”
Reading these comments is like watching a train wreck! I’m forced to conclude that the skincare cult members seem to be relatively intelligent, albeit somewhat desperate, stay at home moms compared to the grossly uneducated, nonsensical nitwits who are defending Thrive!
Oh how I wish MLMs would just disappear. I am losing faith in our education system, when so many of my educated friends are falling for these things! At any rate, thanks for the entertainment, LazyMan.
I’m very sorry to hear that this company is suing you. There are so many things about this company that make absolutely no sense to me.
This company is supposedly revolutionizing the health and wellness industry but neither of their CEO’s have any background in health or wellness. What they do have a background in is jumping from failed MLM to failed MLM. They also state they have “millions” of customers. They do have millions of customer accounts. Many of which are multiple email addresses for their promotors, their kids, family members etc. as well as the email addresses–“customer accounts” that they beg for on social media because you won’t get any spam. So they can say that they have millions of customers. After doing research on the company after initially hearing about it, I discovered that there are ingredients in their products that are on the NCAA’s banned substance list. If these substances are too dangerous for some of the country’s finest athletes, why would I want any part of them? And why by deciding to sell these products do you automatically become a health and wellness expert? Sorry, I will take my advice from someone who has extensive training.
And speaking of which, SHAME on those selling these products that are using their occupation (doctor, nurse, nutritionist, etc.) to promote these products. Are you doctors REALLY prescribing this to your patients? Malpractice perhaps? Or are you using your title as a way to earn peoples trust so you can make money off of unsuspecting people?
I have to admit that their auto bonus is brilliant though. After not being in the company very long at all you qualify for your “free car” that all your friends will want because…who doesn’t want a luxury vehicle??? Unfortunately for you, the company has absolutely no stake or responsibility in your free car because even though it was a “free car” you still had to go to the dealership and get a loan or a lease. So you can NEVER stop selling their products because then you are left with a vehicle that you probably couldn’t afford in the first place…who are these lenders anyway??? That’s another blog post I guess.
I just see so many people who are being suckered into this stuff because it is going to change their life… I have yet to see these lives being changed.
Hi,
Wondering which ingredients in their products are on the NCAA’s banned substance list? Would like to see this research! Thanks for sharing, this is messed up!
In response to Sorry’s post,
In every job position you will have lies, scandals, manipulation, and deceit. Sadly, as noble of a profession as a healthcare representative is, there are people who frequently abuse the trust. My father is in the dermatology field, and luckily for me, he is one of the people who entered with a desire to help others, and has a genuine passion for what he does (I understand most people will say this about their family members so you can take that with a grain of salt). He did however reject multiple offers to get into cosmetic skin surgeries (worth triple what he currently makes), and never encouraged patients to get surgeries unless it was ABSOLUTELY paramount, or the patient had the money and insisted. Perhaps the best way that I can justify his morals, is by continuing to lend my support and time to forums like this.
With that being said, as capitalism and success in the country being based around money as the primary description of a person’s power, connections, rank, and any other synonym revolving around social make up it is easy to find corruption. As the famous saying goes, absolute power corrupts ABSOLUTELY. Doctors and others in the medical field have a unique power, because there are very few checks and balances once they get their degree and there are quarterly postings of the doctors that get reported, put on probation, suspended, and REVOKED. The crimes that doctors commit are just as heinous as someone in the barrio (ghetto). There is no limit to the degree in which human beings will take advantage of one another, and education/profession is not directly indicative of whether someone is going to be trustworthy. It is a sad and sick world we share with our fellow man.
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I must say, this thrive thing is different than what I expected. I “thrived” for 8 weeks and what I learned is that it’s basically legal speed. I felt great for sure but who doesn’t feel great on uppers? If someone is looking to lose weight then for sure thrive would be great, you never see an overweight speed junkie.
If you don’t need to lose weight and you are one of those thrivers that say “Thrive changed my life” well guess what, You’re a speed junkie Lol. You ever wonder why people want to do cocaine? Or why people get hooked on ephedrine? Well now you know. There is even an ingredient that is essentially ephedrine!
It’s sad but true and I was actually really excited about the product before I did my own research and “thrived” for 2 months. I stopped because I could tell it was basically speed… And I’m not the type of person that wants to be hooked on speed. Also I can not with a clear conscience suggest to any of my family or friends to become a thriver because behind the ridiculous Superman/Wonder Woman crap it’s just a bunch of people high on uppers.
They call it “premium nutrition”, yes it has nutritional things just as a multi vitamin does. But the “proprietary blend” is uppers and stimulants.
And the DFT patch is basically a Garcinia Cambodia patch. Do your research people. All of these uppers and stimulants are bad for the heart and cardiovascular system.
The company keeps everyone hooked by giving it for free if you get two people to sign up. Then they give you a car for getting more people to sign up and become “thrivers”. Would I like free speed? Heck yeah, but I’m not a junkie so no. Would I like a free car? Heck yeah, but I’m not gonna turn people I know into speed junkies so I can have that car.
And when you stop thriving, you get super sick like you’re going thru withdrawals. No joke. So how can that be “premium nutrition”? it’s all marketing tactics with this “lifestyle” “premium nutrition” “join the movement” crap.
Check your morals people, check your morals.
#dontbeaspeedzombie
Lmao! Definitely not speed. Nor is it anything like Adipex. Which Adipex actually showed up on a drug test as amphetamines and prescribed by a Dr. I have lost 20 lbs using thrive, but you cant just lay around thinking it’s going to work. You have to get up and move, which is called exercise. It has pro and prebiotics also. Have you checked the price on buying those seperate, yeah pretty expensive. I’m not a promoter, I just use the stuff so until you try it dont knock it. As far as speed have you actually tried speed??
Exercise (without supplements) is also shown to help people lose weight. So it sounds like you are just talking about the difference of getting exercise and not the effects of using the products.
It’s been awhile, but I think I bought some probiotics awhile back. They were relatively cheap. I’m happy to compare some products if you tell me which Le-Vel product you’d like me to compare to.
Tawny said: “Lmao! Definitely not speed.”
Speed-like subjective effects anyway. It appears to contain a pretty hefty dose of caffeine as the main active ingredient, which like amphetamines, is a central nervous system stimulant and appetite suppressant. That aside, the use of appetite suppressants like caffeine or amphetamine-like compounds is not a particularly healthy way to lose weight and it’s not a viable long-term strategy for weight loss. They promote yo-yo dieting rather than fostering sustainable healthy eating habits, so as soon as one stops taking the appetite suppressant, the weight starts coming back on.
The key point here though is that caffeine is a dirt cheap ingredient and it’s foolish to grossly overpay for products like Thrive’s when, at best, all you’re really getting is a crappy caffeinated multivitamin.
Tawny said: “I have lost 20 lbs using thrive, but you cant just lay around thinking it’s going to work. You have to get up and move, which is called exercise.”
Actually, simply getting up and moving is not generally considered “exercise” per se, but if you were getting real exercise, that alone would account for the weight loss. No need for an unreliable and extraordinarily overpriced product like Thrive; not to mention that it’s unconscionable to support a deceptive predatory pyramid scheme when there are a plethora of vastly superior non-scammy alternatives.
Lastly, even your claim to have lost 20 lbs is dubious because the anonymous claim is unverifiable and, therefore, essentially worthless, especially considering that BS claims are the bread and butter of MLMs and scammy supplement schemes.
Tawny said: “It has pro and prebiotics also. Have you checked the price on buying those seperate, yeah pretty expensive.”
That’s a very misleading statement. The Thrive label doesn’t specify the actual amount of pre/probiotics in the formulation, which makes it completely worthless and unreliable as a source of pre/probiotics. Hence the value in that respect is zero.
Tawny said: “I’m not a promoter, I just use the stuff so until you try it dont knock it.”
That claim doesn’t ring true at all. You even promoted it in the same sentence in which you denied being a promoter (i.e., “until you try it…”).
The old “you can’t knock it unless you try it” trope is straight up BS. Product labels serve the exact purpose of consumers not having to try a product in order to knock it. One look at the Thrive label and price tag makes it an incontrovertible slam-dunk loser. The litany of examples of the company’s deceptive advertising seals the deal. Completely unworthy of the public’s trust.
Tawny said: “As far as speed have you actually tried speed??”
Nope, but something tells me you have.
I’ve used thrive off and on for over a year. I’m done with it. I feel great the first week… Then anxiety, headaches & blood pressure through the roof. Funny, when I quit taking it, it all gets better. I know of a few others with same symptoms. A friend of mine sells it, but recently had to be put on anti-anxiety meds. She still takes her thrive. Her anxiety was never as severe as it became on thrive. I think for me it is the caffeine. I can’t handle it. I still have free credits with thrive for more product. No thanks. Thanks for writing this article.
I used thrive for about 3 weeks felt fine at first then bam out of the blue all the negative side effects started. High heart rate , and high bp. Then one day I actually fainted sent to er and my bp was stroke level and my hr 140s. After I started reading more about thrive I am certain that thrive caused all of these symptoms. I will not be taking it again.
Wow. I FREAKIN LOVE GOOGLE!! Ugh, however I am a tad bummed my gut instincts are as usual dead on.. my neice has been involved in this the past few months and I can’t give you all many gory details as frankly I don’t have any at this writing, they DID insist she “consider” getting a new car, and that if she were to get a BMW, Caddy, Mercedes – something highline, the payments would be reimbursed up to 800.00 a month. Yikes, she stopped by to show me her new Caddy today. She had a package from them delivered here and came to pick it up, I got curious after she left – and well here I am lol.
SO. I went to message my Sister just know regarding all of this, and yup there it is.. she is “thriving” GREAT GOOGLEY BOOGLEY!! Her whole bloody facebook page is LITTERED with thriveology!! If that wasn’t scary enough – just as outlined above, there is a massive pack of Thrive moonies tagged in every post, complete with pictures of patched arms, stickers, good grief it is worse than Beanie Babies, Pet Rocks, Hacky Sack, and every other ghoulish fad that ever came down the pipes!! It is EVEN worse than Joan Rivers face lift fad which has seemingly stricken half of Hollywood men and women alike with the Jaquiline Wildenstein cat lady face!!
Hold me PJ I’m skeered!! WHAT do I do?!! Should I have an intervention? No joke, every other line on all the effected individual’s facebook page is thrive this and thrive that.. “I threw away my cain today praise thrive!” “I no longer need my 12 medications!! YAY THRIVE!!” We are talking full on CREEPY. My sister is acting like some kind of bloody robot, like Stepford wives – without the hot wives. LOL! I am serious, I inject humor when I am upset, sarcasm is my life, and Thrive is potentially going to leave these poor people I love in ruin.
Do I tell her she is up to her knockers in a scam and risk what could be a huge rift?! Advice people, this is not a joke – even though yes parts of it are funny. I am stupefied that my college educated niece was sucked in by this – it took me less than 60 seconds on Google to find this and a dozen other pages of cold hard facts. HELP.
Great post Scott! Keep that sense of humor. You’ll need it on the road ahead.
I saw a sickening post by an old school friend on FB just today, going on about his DolTerra essential oils and Visalus V-shakes. Holy #$%@-ing &*%@!!!
Long ago I said that I’d have more respect for these people if they were pushing illicit drugs. At least the product sells itself; doesn’t require cheerleaders spewing mountains of BS; and you don’t try recruit your mother mother and sister.
I respect your opinion and I will like to share mine, I had 7 surgeries in 2012 where I died in the surgery table and come back, I have put in my body more prescribes drugs that I never knew need it in my life, I lost my hair, gained over 40 pounds steroids cause so many side effects that I was more sick than better, so I quit all medicines, I was very weak all the time and to the point that I became depress, I have been on thrive for 5 months, I am doing things that my doctors told me I was never going to do again, in fact I did tough mudder, I feel better than ever before I am 47 and have lost more than 20 pounds, and I am happy all the time , it works for me, maybe is not right for everybody, but I dont think what you are sharing here is absolutely correct, I think you are just mad at them or this is your job, but is a good product and people should have the right to try for themselves, have you try this before, because if not, how can you give a 100% opinion of the products, thank you!
So the doctors brought you back to life from being dead and you don’t trust them Denise?
Denise I’m sure speed makes you feel good. People wouldn’t become speed addicts if it didn’t. Do you know what you’re ingesting?? You don’t trust people with medical degrees but you’ll take health advice from whatever housewife is pushing these products? I’m glad it works for you, but be careful. Try not using it for a week and see how you feel. I’ve heard speed withdraws are awful.
The thing I find funniest about Le-Vel is they keep publishing all these posts about winning awards and being featured on magazines.
This is all hype that they pay for. This isn’t actual press coverage. They have a PR company, that also owns a magazine that features Le-Vel from time to time because they pay for it.
The whole thing is a scam, all the way around. Nothing they are doing is real.
While I appreciate your sense of dedication to follow the article through to the end, there are some glaring errors in not only your information, but also your logic.
1. Pyriamid schemes require investments, like a ponzi scheme. Le-Vel does not require purchase to promote or earn commission. period.
2. To compare ingredients in THRIVE to ingredients in Kirkland Signature vitamins, and to say look these are the same is using the same logic as to say that well… this engine in the Ferrari is an engine, and look, Honda too sells an engine, so Ferrari is scamming people because they are saying their engine is exotic, even though they are both engines.
3. If you dig enough you can find a hater of any product, service, or company. I’m sure there are people who hate ben and jerry’s ice cream, and say they use the same cream as Safeway Select ice cream… but everybody is entitled to their opinion.
The proof is in the results. Many people have nutritional gaps, with the crap that we are eating today, and thrive is designed to clean out your system and help your body function more efficiently. For some people that means no more inflammation in their joints, for others it’s getting restful sleep. Le-vel does not make crazy claims, but real testimonies, well over 600,000 all speak to how life changing proper nutrition can be for the body. So I’m seeing why the company would sue you… because you are making some bold claims, even though they are not.
Anthony,
1a. Are you aware that the FTC shut down Vemma for being a pyramid scheme?
2b. Are you stating that Le-Vel does not require “qualification?” Let’s be clear about this.
2. I believe that vitamins are vitamins… and science agrees that you should not pay for them.
2b. Hey Mobil sells gas and Shell sells gas too. Let’s not jump to a conclusion that doesn’t support the information.
3. Well I didn’t try to dig very hard. Also Truth in Advertising seems to have a lot of issues as well.
Indeed everyone is entitled to their opinion, which Is what I’m writing about.
I believe that if product can show results, they should get FDA approval by showing that they are clinically effective. As you say, “the proof is in the results.” I challenge Le-Vel to put their product to the FDA test.
That’s fair, right?
I never said I did not trust my doctors, hahahaha, and no housewife, stayed at home mom with nothing to do push me to buy this….lol.
Thank you guys, the problem with this sites is that there is NO RESPECT of opinion, and people attack you instead of having a communication that can actually help somebody that may be wrong, but insulting, calling people names only tell me one thing, you guys really do not care about people. If you are to bring positive educated comments that may actually help somebody that may be in the wrong and doesn’t know it, I am wrong by taking this products, ARE YOU HELPING ME to understand that I may be wrong by calling me names, stupid, ignorant, etc, NOOOOOO you actually are going to drive me away like you just did…. GROW up and use your talents to make society better. I bless all of you and wish you success in this job of yours, which I don’t see the point, pointless……
Thanks Denise. However I’ve spend 10 years writing and respecting people’s opinion.
It’s interesting that there’s no controversy on my articles about: Things I Like: NutriBullet Super Blender, Why I’ll Try to Buy a Palm Pre Tomorrow, or a vast number of products I review.
I work very hard to help society. If you read my articles over the last ten years, you’d know that.
Anthony said, “1. Pyriamid schemes require investments, like a ponzi scheme. Le-Vel does not require purchase to promote or earn commission. period.”
So you are saying that the monthly autoship to continue using Le-Vel products is not an investment?
You bring up the famous OPTIONAL argument I mentioned from another thread. Do you think any distributors are promoting Le-Vel, and not using the products themselves? Aren’t you the most reliable vehicle to make sure you qualify for commissions and bonuses by purchasing the monthly autoship, until you have two people below you that decide to buy the autoships? This is about as optional as me jumping off of a bridge…sure it is technically possible, but clearly not rational.
Anthony said, “2. To compare ingredients in THRIVE to ingredients in Kirkland Signature vitamins, and to say look these are the same is using the same logic as to say that well… this engine in the Ferrari is an engine, and look, Honda too sells an engine, so Ferrari is scamming people because they are saying their engine is exotic, even though they are both engines.”
Wow…this can’t be a serious comparison? Vitamins are vitamins PERIOD…there is no science to make a SUPER vitamin A. Ferrari has targeted a certain market, and utilized engineering and science to create a very powerful engine that works well with the body dynamics of the car. Honda, opts for a more economical car, and focuses more on reducing costs to the end user. Kirkland and Le-Vel have the exact same science behind vitamins, because they are what they are…this is a terribly strange point to make.
Anthony said, “If you dig enough you can find a hater of any product, service, or company. I’m sure there are people who hate ben and jerry’s ice cream, and say they use the same cream as Safeway Select ice cream… but everybody is entitled to their opinion.”
Do you not find yourself “digging” to make a positive spin? Do you not realize the weird, erroneous points you have made? Even in the last part…again there is an error. Safeway ice cream is a reduced price, because they do not put as much science and effort into their ice cream, AND they don’t have to pay for real estate on their shelves like Ben and Jerry’s does. This gives them a price advantage when trying to make a profit. They are two different products, and they have two different target markets. Again, vitamins are vitamins…you can’t change their design…
Anthony said, “The proof is in the results. Many people have nutritional gaps, with the crap that we are eating today, and thrive is designed to clean out your system and help your body function more efficiently.”
Well…according to the CDC as stated here, “http://www.cdc.gov/nutritionreport/pdf/ExeSummary_Web_032612.pdf” about 10% of people are vitamin deficient, and most of them are either low income or a minority. That means, the people who can not keep up with their vitamins are not the people in Ferraris, or even Honda’s…they are in 1971 Pinto’s. They need to find the easiest, and cheapest solution possible…and certainly don’t need to be on an expensive monthly plan. This product, as you are stating, does not meet the target market’s needs.
Funny how you can type in any name and post comments, so I am posing as the third Denise Ocasio. The first and second posts under this name, BUT, are not by the same person. The grammar, the style, the spelling…what a farce.
Who ever post this using my name, the previous two messages yes, it was me a puertorrican with an accent and few grammar errors, not sure what are you trying to say? actually I think is a “phony” that wants to hear more about what I have to say….I respectfully ask to be removed of this page, for me it is a waist of time and it was my mistake to comment in here to begin with, I should know better than to be part of sites like this, people can be very rude and they forgot that is people here we are talking about, human beings, why you guys have to be so hateful and mean?????? It is all a matter of perspective and respect of opinion, but some here are far from that, I may have few spelling errors and a heavy accent but my mind is greater than you all seem to understand!
Peace to all of you….
why dont you use your own name and stop using mine if you are not Denise Ocasio why are you posting with my name???? Please STOP doing that.
“Funny how you can type in any name and post comments, so I am posing as the third Denise Ocasio. The first and second posts under this name, BUT, are not by the same person. The grammar, the style, the spelling…what a farce. – See more at: http://www.lazymanandmoney.com/le-vel-thrive-scam/#comments“
Excellent article. Very informative and well written. Thanks! PS I’m convinced the product only works through subconscience the way a placebo works. It gives people the motivation to do what they should be doing in the first place….stop being a glutton, pay close attention to what youre eating, and move your body and dont be sedentary.lol
Ugh, these guys are stooping as low as shady Nick and the Visalus team and are now marketing a product towards kids called Thrive K, that came out in their national cult fest in Dallas this weekend. The marketing says that “Thrive K=essential vitamins and minerals to fill nutritional gaps and provide a foundation.” Presumably, providing a “foundation” for buying 1000% overpriced, useless vitamins for both you and your children. I couldn’t attach a picture of the packaging, but I kid you not, the bottom of the package actually has the warning “Keep out of reach of children. Store in dry, cool place.” So basically they’re admitting that it’s a poison that should not be given to children. Unbelievable! How dumb can this company be?
You know what….. Who cares about the haters! I mean seriously if you try a product and don’t like it.. Don’t buy it again!! I have been on thrive only 3 weeks it has helped me in so many ways, sleeping better, going to the toilet more (I was lucky to go once a week had constant constipation) I bounce out of bed in the morning (before I’ve even taken my product). I have more energy for my kids and achieve so much more in a day. Is it a placebo???? You know what I really don’t care!!! It’s the first product that has worked for me and I’ve done it all Herbalife, isagenix you name it!!! If I can feel like this the rest of my life count me in!!
If it didn’t work I wouldn’t keep buying it.
You can stop your autoship at anytime without having to call you simply go to your account and hit cancel – big wow that’s so difficult.
Try the product if you want to it may change your life…. If not least you tried!
Don’t take someone that’s never tried its word for anything!!! You be the judge!!!
Tammy said, “You know what….. Who cares about the haters! I mean seriously if you try a product and don’t like it.. Don’t buy it again!!”
Maybe you should eat a piece of humble pie? You are coming onto this thread to be a hater of the topic…but I’m sure you didn’t realize that.
Tammy said, “I have been on thrive only 3 weeks it has helped me in so many ways, sleeping better, going to the toilet more (I was lucky to go once a week had constant constipation) I bounce out of bed in the morning (before I’ve even taken my product).”
First of all, 3 weeks isn’t long enough for any scientific study of medicine to be conclusive (especially from someone with no science background). Second of all, you should be careful with your claims as they can be considered misleading. Le-Vel does not brag about their product helping you to poop better, therefore if anything, it is a side effect (Possibly harmful).
Tammy said, “Is it a placebo???? You know what I really don’t care!!! It’s the first product that has worked for me and I’ve done it all Herbalife, isagenix you name it!!! If I can feel like this the rest of my life count me in!!”
This statement is truly amazing…If you don’t care that you are seeing a placebo effect, then can I interest you in my excrement pill? It is 100% natural and is made fresh daily…I claim it works great for losing weight and increasing energy levels…and the best part it is literally the best version of recycling.
Herbalife is currently under a massive investigation by at least 3 different agencies, and Isagenix is constantly being reported on for being a scam…It would seem you don’t like to your lesson easily and have been duped again…
Tammy said, “If I can feel like this the rest of my life count me in!!”
It may be time to do some real work, and go see a psychiatrist to help get you on some real medication. You clearly seem diluted from previous statements, and the amount of exclamation points you use is giving me diabetes.
Tammy said, “Try the product if you want to it may change your life…. If not least you tried!
Don’t take someone that’s never tried its word for anything!!! You be the judge!!!”
I can also take a scientists research into account…and I can discredit someone that has fallen for multiple MLM nonsense before. Isn’t that fair?
Tammy said: “I have been on thrive only 3 weeks it has helped me in so many ways, sleeping better, going to the toilet more (I was lucky to go once a week had constant constipation) I bounce out of bed in the morning (before I’ve even taken my product). I have more energy for my kids and achieve so much more in a day. Is it a placebo????…Try the product if you want to it may change your life…. If not least you tried! Don’t take someone that’s never tried its word for anything!!! You be the judge!!!”
Well Tammy, I have in front of me a cup of magic air. It believe that it gives you energy and makes you go to the toilet more. It sells for $50 a cup. Try the product if you want to; it may change your life…. If not at least you tried! Don’t take someone that’s never tried its word for anything!!! You be the judge!!!”” Reasonable right?
The thing is, there ARE differences in vitamin qualities, there are different forms of magnesium that have different benefits and different absorbability. There are synthetic vitamins and vitamins from real food sources. Those of us with the MTHFR gene mutation can’t take synthetic B12 and folic acid, we can’t absorb it. That’s real science. Guess what Thrive has….synthetic vitamins and otherwise the cheapest forms possible. The truth is, the Kirkland vitamins likely have better quality vitamins in it! A friend tried to talk me into trying Thrive and I asked for the ingredient list because of my MTHFR mutation. Sure enough, it’s the low quality stuff I’m not supposed to take.
I came to the site for some insight. I had no idea I’d be so entertained. Hey Tammy and whomever else enjoys the product, good for you. To Geoff and a few of you, thanks for the laugh, who knew that trolls had this kind of time on their hands. and to Lazyman, wow, i can feel the pretentious ego glowing through, keep up the unbiased articles, you’re doing great!
From a doctors view…..woohooo for an icredible article. And you have really brought out thrives cult’s bad sides especially in the comments sections. Oh my. As a doctor with extreme interests in diet and disease prevention, I looked into thrive after being bombarded on Facebook by its followers and no matter what medical sound advice I may have, they cannot be convinced. Many people do feel better with caffeine and at is enough for these people to say they feel better. But I believe you can get almost everything needed from a healthy diet. Thing is, it’s easier to drink a shake and take caffeine and you don’t have to change your diet from all those foods you are addicted to. Also, to convince someone who has a vested financial interest in a company, which most users have, is to ask them to admit they have been wrong to all the people they have sold thrive too, that they have lied about a product to everyone they know including themselves, and that they are going to lose money. Let’s see if thrive is around in five years for the real truth. There are no studies, no valued nutritionists or doctors supporting this unless they are also part of the cult. If you have steered one soul away from this scheme, you’ve saved at least twenty under him so you are doing good stuff. Keep up your non-biased reporting and ignore the followers. The truth will reveal itself. Reminds me of a bumper sticker I love, Jesus, save me from your followers.
https://www.truthinadvertising.org/what-you-should-know-about-thrive/
Friend approached me about this company. I’m involved in another. She said good luck. I googled this company and IRS. Interesting the company SHE wished good luck to me, had at least 2 ads. Interesting to see. If the products have the ingredients in that are claimed, the quality is good and the price is comparable to other companies let people make up there own mind.
http://www.ironbeaverfitness.com/articles/2015/8/12/scam-dujour-thrive-by-le-vel
Have you guys seen this link? It dismantles the Le-vel BS pretty well.
Lazy Man, you seem a little grumpy. Can I get you a Thrive Sample?
To all the Thrive Promoters Commenting….don’t forget the Terms you agreed to:
2.20. Drug/Medical Claims.
Promoters understand that they will not say directly or indirectly that any Le-Vel product is FDA approved, or discuss or suggest that any diagnosis, evaluation, prognosis, description, treatment, therapy, or management or remedy of illness,ailment or disease can be improved by consumption or application of the product. Promoters understand that Le-Vel products are not offered, intended or considered as medicinal treatment of any disorder or disease, either mental or physical.
https://media.le-vel.com/Documents/Policies_Procedures.pdf
Why doesn’t the FTC bust these Pyramid schemes? Herbalife has been repeatedly exonerated.
Lori Hansen said, “Why doesn’t the FTC bust these Pyramid schemes? Herbalife has been repeatedly exonerated.”
This is a complicated point, but the main reason is money. It is extremely expensive and time consuming to put together the evidence needed to take one of these monsters like Herbalife down in court.
The FTC’s budget is just under $350 million dollars for 2017 (35 million dollar increase) https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/reports/fy-2017-congressional-budget-justification/2017-cbj.pdf, and that is to police all businesses in the United States.
It is very easy to overlook how expensive one of these court cases are, and they have a lot of fire power in attorneys to delay time frames and raise costs. The worst part is the amount of time it takes to see one of these things through. The FTC has been dealing with Herbalife for 2 years now, and there is a current article suggesting it may result in a settlement ($200 million dollars if that gives you any idea how powerful these companies are).
http://www.wsj.com/articles/herbalife-nears-resolution-of-ftc-investigation-1462487999
Bringing this back to Le-Vel, they are a pimple compared to Herbalife, and it is more important that the investigation with Herbalife brings in new legislation against these companies as a whole. That is the best way to take them down in a timely and cost efficient manner. Also, we need to get rid of all the ridiculous lobbying for these companies, and the members of the legislative branch that are attached to their hips.
http://www.theverge.com/2014/4/8/5590550/alleged-pyramid-schemes-lobbying-ftc
To add to what Geoff said, the inability and lack of initiative to successfully prosecute MLM companies is a direct result of a concerted effort on the part of MLM companies to obstruct regulation of their industry. The door for fraud swung wide open with the passing of the 1994 Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, spearheaded by Orrin Hatch (R-Utah); the trend continued with Bush’s 2001 appointment of former Amway lawyer Timothy Muris to head the FTC; was exacerbated through campaign funding and various lobbying groups setup by MLM and supplement companies to deregulate their industries (e.g., Direct Selling Association, Natural Products Association, etc); and culminated in the 2006 establishment of the so-called “Supplement Caucus” within congress (co-chaired by Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah) which pushes for further deregulation.
Deregulation initiatives that weasels like Chaffetz, former member of NuSkin, have pushed for include The Free Speech About Science Act, which sought to give supplement sellers virtually free rein to make fraudulent medical claims about their worthless bogus products.
https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/the-free-speech-about-science-act-h-r-1364-health-freedom-and-misinformed-consent/
So it’s pretty clear why the FTC hasn’t done more to go after the perpetrators of these scams. The perpetrators have poisoned our legal and political systems through the corrupting influence of campaign contributions — it’s really just that simple. They bought politicians, the majority (though not all, e.g. Dan Burton and Jared Polis being exceptions) being Republicans, and with a skew towards Utah, the Wild West Mecca of the MLM and supplement scam industries. Just follow the blood money trail.
All,
I think you should use what works best for you. I have never seen someone taking just regular brand vitamin and lose weight. To lose weight you need to have a balanced diet and exercise regularly. Supplements that boost your metabolism are good to help minimize the aging effect. Le-Vel is just one of many products in the market. I have seen people use all sorts of products. My husband have used Thrive for a while now and it works for him. He lost weight and has better energy. But this is just a supplement to his exercise and diet. It has helped him accelerate the weight loss process and better his mood. I know that some of you may not like this comment but it is a true statement. He just used their website to purchase the product. There was no MLM on his purchase. I am sure that if you guys research, you can find many other brands that will fit whatever needs you may have. If you do not like something just do not buy it. Buy what you like. For the author of this page, if you are going to drive people to read your page, you should at least try the product at this point and then write a real personal experience. If not, you can try a different product and write about that. I bet you will increase the amount of article views. Have a great day. Enjoy life to the fullest. (p.s. I did not provide my email or real name – I do not want advertisements). Thank you.
Ana that’s ridiculous. I don’t need to try speed or method or cocaine to tell people it’s bad for them. Science proves it is. I don’t need to try it. And by the way, any of those drugs will make you lose weight, give you energy & put you in a good mood. Until you stop using them of course. Please let us know how your husband is doing when he stops “Thriving” and is having withdrawals. And I’m curious about what web site he ordered from that you think didn’t contribute to the pyramid. My friend gave me the web address I could use to place an on line order. It was his URL, so he gets credit, which is fine if I wanted to buy overpriced caffeine and mystery ingredients. But I’m not under some silly illusion that I wouldn’t be contributing to the MLM. I have another friend who purchased some and raved about it on Facebook. The only comment under her post was “Great! Did you get two people to order so you can get yours free??” So it’s not enough for her dealer that she enjoys the product? She replied that she would rather just pay for hers and not deal with all that. She hasn’t said one word about “Thriving” since them, so I have to wonder if she realized it wasn’t that great and stopped using it. She still talks about going to the gym and doing stuff with her kids like she did before. So the only people I see who have life changing claims about Thrive are the people pushing it.
Ana said: “Supplements that boost your metabolism are good to help minimize the aging effect.”
In fact, precisely the opposite is true. High metabolism is associated with faster aging. It’s annoying when boneheads pontificate about science as thought they understand when it’s painfully obvious that they don’t.
Ana said: “Le-Vel is just one of many products in the market.”
Right, and Le-vel’s products happen to be the stupidly overpriced ones that are used as bait for a pyrmaid scheme to ensnare suckers.
Ana said: “For the author of this page, if you are going to drive people to read your page, you should at least try the product at this point and then write a real personal experience.”
That’s an idiotic suggestion. The author uses facts, commonsense, and logical reasoning to arrive at strong conclusions. It’s no more necessary for him to try the products than it would be for you to jump off a bridge to test gravity.
All,
the reaction from Maggie and Vogel was expected. It was exactly what I thought it would be. lol. I am glad you guys are spending so much energy talking bad about this product. Enjoy your life and continuing thriving. At the end of the day you are creating a even bigger marketing for that company. Personal experiences are great Vogel and Maggie because it drives people like yourselves to continue to read and respond. I bet you will even be incline to respond to this post again. This after all is some sort of finance advice site. It is just a suggestion for the author to drive viewers like you and hopefully provide him some repeating business for the adds that he has on his page. Stay away from drugs folks. It is not good for you. We were talking only about vitamins/supplements. Don’t go that far. That is just crazy talk people. This is my last post. Have a great night.
I have been in the health and fitness business for over 30yrs. Over those many years I have seen so many “Quick Fix” products come and go. Most of them being pushed by MLM schemes. The bottom line, there are no short cuts, pills, patches, wraps or special diet that will help you get and stay healthy and fit. Everyone wants a magic pill. What ever happened to hard, consistent work? These products are just to prey on the lazy and uneducated to make a profit. It is so sad that so many buy into the lie. Get off your ass, work hard, learn how to eat clean day in and day out. Stop looking for the easy way out. There isn’t one.
I hear they are coming out with a Thrive Suppository but based on what I have read here, you might as well just stuff them up your ass for all the good they would do.
Thanks for sharing. Wouldn’t freedom of speech protect you from being sued by Thrive? I do not understand how they can sue you for doing research and sharing it.
These “Thriver” clowns have recently been posting everywhere about how Le-Vel was “featured” in the USA Today in an article about how the economy is turning into the “Youconomy” and 9-5 jobs are coming to an end. It compares Le-Vel to the likes of Uber, Etsy, Taskrabbit, and shockingly Le-vel is rated the highest for “unlimited income”, “no skills required”, “no assets required”, etc. All of the promoters use the same line, “Well if USA Today says this, then it can’t possibly be a scam.” Seems a little suspicious, right? If you look closely at the front page of the article, it says “A special supplement to the USA Today from the publisher of Success magazine”. You mean the same Success magazine that publishes all the other MLM propaganda crap? Yes, that one. Le-Vel paid for this article to be distributed in the USA Today and clearly wrote it, since like 90% of it is about Le-Vel is going to be the next big thing. How does anyone with an ounce of brainpower not see right through this ridiculously deceptive marketing?
It’s true. You can find the same ingredients for far less money. The people saying it helped them, well, I can direct you to similar products for much cheaper and it will still help you. That’s the point of this article. You’re wasting money because you don’t understand what’s in your product. Once you learn this, you can start saving. Derp.
hello, and thank you scott.. I too tried the Thrive 3 step program, as I just had a baby and my friend has been on it for over a year (even though it’s only supposed to take 8 weeks, right?) and in the two weeks that I took it, not only did it bring back, in full force, all of my dreaded panic attacks that had been gone for some time, but it also caused more gastric ulcers that had gone away too. I immediate stopped and asked my rep about the anxiety and was told that would never happen on Thrive…however after doing extensive research on my own… it does and will due to the ingredients that they use to make this so called diet wonder.. so I’m with you Scott! and I think the FDA should get involved now as this is a growing trend, and it makes me sad how many believe, and what they could potentially be doing to their bodies. Thank you Scott
I wondered why a Facebook friend always spammed her feed every other day or so with that Thrive crap. I finally had to unfollow her feed because I got tired of hearing about how wonderful Thrive is all the time. I knew it was some kind of MLM so I should have expected cult-like behavior.
This friend tried to get my wife to buy Thrive and get into the MLM, but my wife told her we don’t really have the money to put into it. The friend said, “That’s OK, you don’t even have to take it, just lie and tell everyone how great it is and how good it makes you feel.” Well, if she’s going to say this, then what makes me think her personal testimonies are so reliable?
Could you please write an article on Melaleuca.
You should be getting sued! You do not know what you do not know! You have made such a fool of yourself! ?
Hi I was looking at joining Le vel or some good mlm company
I find your posts interesting
Can I ask owner of this site -is he against all mlm company’s and that method of operation or just those which he feels are scams !
If so could he recommend at good way to make a few extra quid and or a 10 k per month income ?
I’ve studied mlm for few years now and have joined some companies but never go by business off the ground ! Could be me but I got to believe 100% but as I haven’t really worked the plans set out I have only myself to blame
Is an ambition of mine to build a solid business that can benefit others long term !
Due to pending litigation mentioned in the article, I’m refraining from commenting on this article. Any questions for me can be directed here.
Barbara said, “You should be getting sued! You do not know what you do not know! You have made such a fool of yourself! ?”
I’m guessing Barbara has never been sued before, and doesn’t understand how this works.
Mickey said, “Hi I was looking at joining Le vel or some good mlm company
I find your posts interesting”
Mickey he has written many articles describing MLM as a whole. I would look into reading those, and you will get a good idea of what is going on.
Mickey said, “If so could he recommend at good way to make a few extra quid and or a 10 k per month income ?”
If you go to the main page, then you will see many non-MLM related articles. He talks a lot about saving money, and he also talks about generating extra income.
Mickey said, “I’ve studied mlm for few years now and have joined some companies but never go by business off the ground ! Could be me but I got to believe 100% but as I haven’t really worked the plans set out I have only myself to blame
Is an ambition of mine to build a solid business that can benefit others long term !”
If you have studied MLM for a few years, and been involved in MLM already, then it could be time to take the hint and stay away. There is no reason to keep trying any business that you can’t understand after that long, and MLM is probably the worst thing you can spend your time with. I would suggest pan handling before trying to make money with MLM…the overhead is 0 and you will generate an income.
Mickey said: “I’ve studied mlm for few years now and have joined some companies but never go by business off the ground! Could be me but I got to believe 100% but as I haven’t really worked the plans set out I have only myself to blame. Is an ambition of mine to build a solid business that can benefit others long term!”
Wasted years and money; what a shame. Studying MLM should involve all dimensions of the business including the preponderance of negative aspects. If you had done that we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now. You would have run as fast as humanly possible from all things MLM. It’s too bad you didn’t find this site sooner.
If you failed to get your business off the ground, it was almost certainly due to the fraud baked into the MLM cake rather than a failure of belief on your part. The self-blaming is a haunting reminder of the cult-like tactics that MLM predators use to brainwash people. Your paycheck shouldn’t depend on believing in anything. I have never had a job in my life where even 1% belief was required to get paid.
The payout plans are designed to screw as many as people as possible — distributor and customer alike – and reward a few as much as possible. MLMs are virtually never a good value because roughly a half to two-thirds of the company’s gross profit goes to paying off pyramid “commissions”. This requires extraordinary markups on exceedingly ordinary products, which can only be sold through deception and exploitation. The deck is similarly stacked against the peon distributor, the real grist for the MLM mill (non-distributor retail customers are about as common as unicorns).
MLM is close to the last thing you should be considering; it’s the antithesis of what you described. It is an extremely shaky business that consistently delivers far more cost/misery/exploitation than benefit and has chillingly grim long-term prospects.
I can’t believe anybody thinks they’re going to make money in an MLM, but I guess once they go to a seminar and get blinded with dollar signs and sold on the idea of vacationing in Maui, they fail to see the realities of how MLM’s work to take money from the new recruits and send it up the chain to those who got in very early, if not from the very beginning.
The problem with MLM’s is that they’re set up so that the vast majority of people like Mickey will fail, and when they do they blame themselves. Mainly because when they’re recruited they are told how much money they could theoretically make. But the very real problem with MLM is that if everyone in town is selling the same product, everyone is a distributor but nobody’s a customer. It would be like having a McDonald’s on every street corner. They can’t all turn a profit if there’s so many of them all selling the same product.
I agree with Dennis, This product has changed my life. I had 5 children, I had no energy even though I was drinking a case and a half of pepsi every day for 15 years, I was borderline diabetic and didn’t care cause I lived off of pepsi. I was 198 lbs and a smoker, I would smoke a carton a week and I new I needed to change my life or I wouldn’t live to see 40. I heard about Thrive and seen what people were saying about it and I took that leap of faith and tried it even though I was skeptical, all I can say to people is its changed my whole way of thinking, I quit smoking and I even stopped drinking pepsi. I couldn’t have done it without this product. The pills I was on from my doctor did not help me and the doctor can tell you, I now have my doctors taking this product with me and now there family is also on this too! Now if my doctors are taking this, and telling there patients to take it and recommending this product, how in the world can you say it’s harmful? If Jesus was here right now, I would have him take this product and experience this then put his experience in the bible for everyone to read!! This product is in fact a blessing and I am also now a proud brand promoter for this company!!! That’s how much I love this product and I thank Jesus everyday for bringing this product into my life and giving me a second chance to live longer!! God bless
Dee Combs said: “I was drinking a case and a half of pepsi every day for 15 years, I was borderline diabetic and didn’t care cause I lived off of pepsi. I was 198 lbs and a smoker, I would smoke a carton a week…”
So in other words, you’re pretty much the last person on earth who should be dispensing lifestyle and nutritional advice.
Dee Combs said: “I heard about Thrive and seen what people were saying about it and I took that leap of faith and tried it even though I was skeptical, all I can say to people is its changed my whole way of thinking”
Clearly, you don’t know the meaning of the word skeptical.
Dee Combs said: “I quit smoking and I even stopped drinking pepsi. I couldn’t have done it without this product.”
So you, a distributor of this laughably shitty product, are making a marketing claim that Thrive is effective in helping people to quit smoking and drinking Pepsi. What laughable BS!
Dee Combs said: “The pills I was on from my doctor did not help me and the doctor can tell you, I now have my doctors taking this product with me and now there family is also on this too! Now if my doctors are taking this, and telling there patients to take it and recommending this product, how in the world can you say it’s harmful?”
Um, what’s this alleged doctor’s name? How about that for a start? Do we really need to waste our time going through the exercise of debunking your BS claim about some idiot doctor allegedly using Thrive?
Dee Combs said: “If Jesus was here right now, I would have him take this product and experience this then put his experience in the bible for everyone to read!!”
Poor Jesus! What kind of an asshole would squander an opportunity to meet Jesus by trying to sell him pyramid scheme snakeoil. You really are the worst!
You guys are vicious. I take thrive at a low dose and feel the energy . I am 56 and lead a physically active lifestyle. I don’t eat sugar and I work out. I don’t care about the pyramid and I have been on doctor prescribed vitamins that did nothing for me. Bashing things that you have never personally tried is not a fair assessment. No I am not a major promoter, I just like feeling good.
@Dee Combs said,”If Jesus was here right now, I would have him take this product and experience this then put his experience in the bible for everyone to read!!
Dee, Jesus’ experiences are already in the bible: He walked on water,made multiple loaves and fishes out of nothing, and turned water into wine–maybe he was on the 8 week Thrive experience already! Signed, a Skeptical Atheist with a Brain
Tamra said: “You guys are vicious.”
How so? Because I called out Dee the blasphemer for trying to sell pyramid scheme snakeoil to Jesus??? WTF is wrong with you?
Tamra said: “I don’t care about the pyramid…”
ROFL. No of course not. Because caring about it being a pyramid scheme would negate your efforts to exploit people.
Tamra said: “…and I have been on doctor prescribed vitamins that did nothing for me.”
BS!
Tamra said: “Bashing things that you have never personally tried is not a fair assessment.”
Have you tried eating glass? No? Get back to me with your fair assessment, dolt.
This is the first time I’ve visited your website, and now I want to read every single article. And every single comment.
I knew Thrive was a scam. Seeing it all over facebook sucks. What I think is hilarious is that all these “pro-Thrive” comments seem like they’re a part of a planned marketing event themselves. It wouldn’t be surprising to find that the promoters were told to post on articles that portray Thrive in a negative light.
It is amazing how Thrive cures any ailment the promoter, I mean user, happens to have. I have read about it curing cancer, diabetes, tumors, and many other ailments. It also causes weight loss due to the apparent weight problems of every spokesperson, and give one unending amounts of energy. It is almost as if it is an illegal drugs but it obviously is not.This product reminds me of “Uncle Jim’s Curative” from some “B” western.
I went to the truth in advertising website and the first non-truth I found was the Le-Vel has an F rating with the better business bureau when in fact it has an A+ rating.
Not sure anything thing the article says after that can be considered truth if a simple fact check disproved such a basic claim.
Check it for yourself
http://www.bbb.org/dallas/business-reviews/vitamins-and-food-supplements/le-vel-in-frisco-tx-90405051
I have seen BBB ratings change over time. Just because it appears different today than it was previously, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the Truth in Advertising was incorrect at the time they reported the information.
Maybe it’s best to learn more about the BBB and Truth in Advertising, before throwing the baby out with the bathwater
I am interested to know if you ever tried the product yourself.
I have been using it for two weeks and it is everything it claims to be. When a product s as effective as this one is, it is easy to jump in board spreading the word. I am not expecting to get rich promoting Thrive, but I certainly am offended that you describe it as a scam. How is a product that does what it says, a scam?
Alison Hanna,
I’d love to give you my opinion on that, but I’m going to need you to get Le-vel to drop their lawsuit against my freedom of speech first. Let me know how it goes. Thanks.