WorldVentures MLM Review - Can You Make Money Selling Travel Memberships?
One of the main reasons people want to have their own online business is so they can travel. At least, that's the dream, right? But what if your business was actually selling travel memberships? Wouldn't it be great to get all the perks of travel without the high prices? That's what WorldVentures is all about. In this WorldVentures MLM review, we'll look at the memberships offered to customers to see if this is a winner for you. I wouldn't start packing just yet.
What is World Ventures MLM?
WorldVentures is a multi-level marketing company founded by Wayne Nugent and Dan Stammen in 2005. The company is headquartered in Texas. The product isn't a tangible one. Its travel membership packages are sold to customers under the DreamTrips brand. There are two memberships: Gold and Platinum. The membership packages have different features depending on the type of membership.
Unfortunately, WorldVentures has run into a few legal problems. They also filed for bankruptcy a few years ago. They may be turning a corner, though.
Are WorldVentures Products Worth Their Price?
There are two products that members can buy. The Gold Membership and the Platinum Membership. The Gold Membership is $199.99 and the Platinum Membership is $299.99
There's also a monthly membership fee of $99 for customers. The monthly membership fee is converted to DreamTrip Points that are used toward future travel.
One very important thing to note here. Airfare is not included and prices are advertised are for double occupancy. So if a customer is traveling solo, the price is actually higher.
According to the Terms and Conditions, members are not guaranteed any specific travel arrangements, upgrades, or amenities. And airfare is not included. So why do you need a membership?
Are the memberships worth the price? No. Why? For starters, customers who buy these memberships have to wait at least one year before they can book travel using their TravelPoints. And they have to have enough TravelPoints to qualify for travel packages. And most importantly, airfare is not included. That's usually the most expensive part of any travel itinerary.
Product Reviews
It is difficult to find anyone who has anything positive to say about being either a representative or a customer. There are, unfortunately, many customer complaints. According to the BBB (Better Business Bureau), there are over 120 customers who claimed fraud, cancellation of membership without notifying customers, customers losing points due to membership cancellations, and more.
The WorldVentures Opportunity
Becoming a representative with WorldVentures is pretty straightforward. You buy a membership of your choice. Then you start selling memberships. There's a Representative Business System to buy as well which gives you the marketing tools you need to help you sell memberships.
The opportunity is two-fold. Sell memberships to customers and convert those customers to representatives who then sell memberships and become part of your downline.
How Much Does It Cost To Join WorldVentures?
There are two types of memberships available for representatives. But, it's going to cost you some serious money.
The Gold+ membership is $1,099.99 and the Platinum+ membership is $1,299.99. Both have monthly membership fees of $24.99.
New representatives can also buy the lower memberships of Gold ($199.99) and Platinum ($299.99) that is also sold to customers.
There's also the Representative Business System for $49.98 that includes sales and marketing tools, customer support, and the Business Back Office. This would be their version of starter kit.
Can You Make Money With WorldVentures?
The product here is quite expensive and would only be appealing to a very targeted audience. According to my research, there are no real commissions here. Representatives earn bonuses instead.
Tier 1 - $200 Bonus: Sell memberships to four (4) customers and generate at least 1,600 in Lineage Sales Volume in a calendar month.
Tier 2 - $500 Bonus: Sell memberships to five (5) customers and generate at least 4,000 Lineage Sales Volume in a calendar month.
Tier 3 - $1,000 Bonus: Sell memberships to six (6) customers as a sponsor and generate at least 10,000 in Lineage Sales Volume in a calendar month.
After this, it starts to get a little messy. To qualify for weekly team bonuses, you must have four (4) customer sales in a month and be at the qualified rank or above. The bonuses are paid when your Binary Tree completes a "cycle." This is equal to 1.5 sales credits on the left and right sides of your tree. The weekly bonus pays up to $50. Then there are Double Cycle bonuses and monthly residual commissions. All of which means you must have members on your team.
Think about the price of the memberships, the monthly fees customers have to pay, and the number of sales you have to make before you earn a penny.
Income Disclosure Statement July 2018-June 2019
Below is the most recent income disclosure statement available for WorldVentures for the 2018/2019 time frame.
Only the top 1% of representatives made over $36,152. And 50% of WorldVentures representatives only made $50 during that time period. Pretty pathetic, right?
Pros
Voluntourism: WorldVentures offers its members an opportunity to participate in voluntourism where they can give back to the community they visit as well as enjoy a vacation.
Flexible Schedule: memberships can be sold whenever you have extra time in your workweek.
Discounted Travel: members can enjoy discounted travel packages all over the world.
Company Restructuring: Not sure if this falls under good news or bad news but the company exited bankruptcy back in 2020. The company will be restructured with the help of Verona International Holdings.
Cons
Airfare Isn't Included: One of the biggest expenses of any travel is airfare. Unfortunately, it's not included in any of the membership packages.
Expensive Products: these memberships are quite expensive for the average person. Especially when you factor in the monthly membership fee.
No Commissions for Reps: Representatives are not entitled to receive any commissions or bonuses on membership packages they purchase for themselves.
Lawsuit: A class-action lawsuit was filed in May 2017 alleging that WorldVentures promised representatives they "would make a fortune." According to the suit, 99.7% of WorldVentures representatives averaged net losses over $1,000 per year and only made an average of $140.
Cancellations: According to WorldVentures Terms and Conditions, they can cancel a program at any time. So if a customer was saving up points for a trip, they have no recourse if it's canceled.
Is WorldVentures a Scam?
There are a lot of red flags with this one. The lawsuit and bankruptcy are especially troublesome. The company may not be a scam but there are certainly a lot of reasons to avoid this opportunity.
Final Thoughts
Selling travel memberships will be a tough sell here because they are very expensive and will only appeal to a certain market. The bonuses may be difficult to achieve as well.
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