Is Sunrider International a scam or not? Many people have asked this exact question over the years about this network marketing company. This health and wellness MLM has been operating since 1982, but does that mean you should join it? Have too many people already heard of Sunrider or been involved in Sunrider in the past?
Let’s take a closer look and uncover the truth…
Over the MLM grind and make money scams?
Company Name: Sunrider International
Founders: Dr Tei-Fu Chen
Price To Join: $120
My Rating: 5/10
~ The Sunrider International Review ~
What Is Sunrider International?
Wow, yet another MLM company operating in the health and wellness niche. At least this company has a few extra products in their range, which include skincare, cosmetics and household products.
Sunrider International started way back in 1982, so the company is well into its fourth decade of business. It was founded by Chinese American, Dr Tei-Fu Chen and his wife.If you want to get into selling and recruiting for a network marketing opportunity, it's much easier with your own website. Check out the free training at Wealthy Affiliate. Creating a website is far easier than you might think.
The Sunrider International Products
The key emphasis with Sunrider products is the fact that they are herbal based and all natural. I won’t go deep into the products here as this review is more focused on the business opportunity side of Sunrider, but I will cover them briefly.
These are the categories available at Sunrider International:
- Sunrider Herbal Foods & Beverages
- Sunrider Herbal Concentrates
- Vitalite Weight Management
- Kandesn Skincare
- Kandesn Cosmetics
- SunSmile and SunBrite Household Products
Sunrider actually have quite a wide range when you dig into the 6 different categories. While you don’t want to have too many products to focus on, having something in addition to the typical health and wellness fare is a positive thing, as that niche and its staple products has seriously been done to death.
As is the case with products in all MLM ventures, the prices are super expensive. As an example, a bottle of SunBrite Laundry Liquid sells for a whopping $51.15!
That’s an enormous price. Unheard of. The washing detergent would want to actually wash, dry and fold your laundry for you at that price.
The MLM Business Opportunity
Multi level marketing companies are more about sharing the business and expansion than they are about just retailing their product line. Sunrider International is no different to the multitudes of other MLM companies out there doing business daily.
Personally I don’t like this business model. Companies choose this method of distribution and sales because of all the money it saves them and other advantages. MLM always favours the company and those at or near the very top of the ranking system. The majority of people in these organisations are nothing more than an army of worker ants, doing most of the work for the least amount of reward.
Let’s think about it for a minute. In the case of Sunrider they essentially get themselves a massive workforce that toils away, day after day for free. Yes, they do promise commissions and bonuses once you achieve certain milestones, but in the meantime they have tens of thousands of people working for them worldwide, for no wages, promoting the business, buying and selling the products, using the products, and expanding the operation by recruiting.
Since the main customer source for MLM is the actual distributor base, the more distributors the company can get on board, the more ready-made customers they have to sell to. Most MLM businesses expect people to purchase starter kits to get involved, and also purchase or sell a minimum amount of product every single month to remain eligible for bonuses and commissions.
It’s really a bit of a rort in a number of ways.
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The Sunrider International Compensation Plan
Although Sunrider has been operating since 1982, and that sounds like a good thing, it also means there is a heck of a lot of competition within this organisation. It’ll be harder to advance up the ranks by recruiting, and that’s the only real way to have a chance of making some decent money with the MLM style of compensation.
The last MLM I wrote a review on – Sisel International – had a 36 page PDF to explain their compensation plan. That’s almost a novel. Sunrider’s PDF is only 2 pages, so obviously a lot easier to follow and digest. You can read it here.
There are always two main methods of making money with MLM, and those are:
- Via direct sales
- Through constant recruitment
It’s recruitment that really generates an income with the MLM format. You will never make much through direct sales because the prices of the products are so damned expensive.
There are 9 different ranks to achieve in the Sunrider International opportunity, and they are:
- IBO
- Star
- Star Prime
- Star Elite
- Ace
- Ace Prime
- Ace Elite
- Ace Royal
- Hero
The various ways you can earn income include:
- Direct sales
- Referral commissions
- Rank advancement bonuses
- Development bonus
- Check match bonus
Sunrider call starting opportunists IBOs or Independent Business Owners. The thing is, though, you never own a business in MLM. The company does. You’re really just a sales rep and nothing more, and you have to pay them for that privilege.
Is Sunrider International An Illegal Pyramid Scheme?
All MLM businesses operate on a pyramid compensation structure, so does that mean Sunrider International is an illegal pyramid scheme?
No necessarily.
What’s known as a naked pyramid is the illegal version. This is defined as a structure in the form of a pyramid where the income depends entirely on recruitment. The illegal pyramid scheme also has no real products.
As Sunrider has plenty of products, it cannot be classified as an illegal pyramid scheme.
Target Audience
MLM companies appeal to people looking to get involved in something that’s already established. It also helps if you are very passionate about the product base.
What I Like
- The company has been around since 1982
- They offer quite a few products and not just health and wellness supplements
What I Don’t Like
- The products, like all MLM, are super expensive, ridiculously so
- Because the company has been around for so long, it’s going to be very hard to advance within the Sunrider ranks
- You need to recruit like mad to put yourself into a position to make any real money
- 95% of people who join a MLM opportunity fail to make any money
- Those that do make money only average about $500 before subtracting expenses
- The company was charged with tax evasion and money laundering in 1997
- MLM is one of the hardest ways in the world to make any real money
How Much Does Sunrider International Cost?
To become an IBO for Sunrider International you will first need to purchase a Starter Kit for $120. This will equip you with business materials, as well as samples of Sunrider products.
Is Sunrider International a Scam?
It’s not a scam, but Sunrider is typical MLM, with all the advantages going to those at the top while most of the IBOs (those doing all the work), make nothing or next to nothing. The prices of their products are astronomical as well, so it’ll be a really hard sell regarding moving products or recruiting people.
MLM of any kind really is an arduous way to try and earn some cash. There are much better ways. Read below to find out how I make a great online income…
Forget MLM – Make Money With Affiliate Marketing
I do affiliate marketing for a living and there’s no way I’d ever go back to doing MLM (like I’ve done in the past). Affiliate marketing is way simpler and far more lucrative. It takes time and work, I’m not saying it’s easy, but it’s way less complicated than trying to earn money with multi level marketing.
Let’s glance at just a few of the benefits:
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Darren Burton
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