Phoenix, Juice+, Ann Summers, Bluebella and the rest - What's the downside?

[Jon]

Interesting

what does this mean

University faculty seeking to apply for a grant should contact the company directly at grantinformation@juiceplus.com.

does that mean that the uni's got a grant if they looked into Juiceplus?

 

[kimmscott]

That's how most research works these days as I understand it

 

[FreeSwagSites]

I take that on board.

There are no official studies I know of that I can point to but I know from customers that have taken the product and then run out or not taken it on holiday etc that they have noticed the difference. My husband was using the capsules and then stopped basically because he was too rubbish at remembering to take them and he noticed a big difference in his energy levels. Needles to say he is back on them now.

I agree with your comments regarding clean eating. After my two children were born I followed Slimming World for a while and a lot of the food I was eating was low fat and processed. Light cereal bars low fat yoghurts etc full of sweetener and not something I could do again.

This for me has worked for me and my family and is starting to come together as a business opportunity.

It isn't for everyone I know that and I can also see some of the questions people have ie the control studies etc and I take the point.

I have always been very suspicious of these "points-based" slimming systems - they are nonsense because life is not that simple and it's not just about calorific values.
I read a very interesting article in Time Magazine last month about Sat fats not being as bad as previously suggested and that the real enemy was actually carbs. Didn't understand most of it, but very interesting. I have always argued that a little bit of butter is better than a lot of Margarine etc (nasty stuff - almost as bad as diet fizzy drinks).

I think it's great that things are working out for you and your family in this way.
Good luck with it.

 

[kimmscott]

Thank you much appreciated!

 

[FreeSwagSites]

That's how most research works these days as I understand it

Sadly, I think that this is correct.
Unless Governments fund research, someone else has to pay the Scientists and that usually just leaves ...

 

[Jon]

do you do any other earning online at all Kim?

 

[kimmscott]

I've got my own baby accessories website which I set up when on maternity leave in 2010 too.

 

[TelsMummy]

Hello Everyone

Thank you Jon, for the invite... I know you have invitied me a few times, I wasn't ignoring you.

Everytime I clicked the link it was giving me a warning.. Today I decided being you had asked me a few times to ignore the warning and come say "Hello"

I'm with DsDomination, have been since March this year..

I know how hard it is to find legit, decent work from home without falling for all the scam's that are out there. I have done my fair share of Avon, Kleeneze, Betterware etc over the years and DS really suits my hetic family life..

I'm not here to pitch to you guys but happy to answer questions & give advice.

 

[Jon]

Hiya

Thanks for coming over, there's tons of info on here to help you boost your income from home

Can I ask

What made you want to join DS? Was it because you had done your time
With the other franchises and wanted to try a different method of selling?

How many hours of manual work do you put in and how much do you earn from it

 

[TelsMummy]

Yes, I had done my time with the other franchises and wanted to try something different..

I saw an ad on a selling site. It peaked my interest but at the same time I thought it seemed to be good to be true. Anyway the girl messaged me a video, which I watched with my husband Nathan. We were quite shocked! It actually had been something we had thought of doing but the other way round... (for those that don't know. Ds provides you with training to Drop Ship. This is sourcing items on places such as Amazon then copying the information & pictures over to eBay to sell at a profit. Once the customer buy's they pay you direct to PayPal and then you use that money to buy the item from Amazon who then ship it out for you). We had thought about buying items on sale and selling on eBay.

There was part of me that thought, well it looks simple enough why do we need the training.. So I spent the next month researching. Found good and bad reviews just like in any company. I saw that other's were doing this successfully and thought it was worth a try, even just for 1 month.

It cost's £12 a month for membership & another £6 if you wish to be an Affliate (Build a team)

I am a SAHM & a student so I spend an hour a day hense I am not earning as much as everyone else is. I joined in March and up to date have earnt £1,500 in Profit. (that is average £300 a month)

The thing I like most compared to other companies I have worked for is 1. You keep 100% of your profit - After usual eBay/PayPal fee's The £12 a month is ALL you pay & 2. The added Support via FB Groups, Live Hangouts & Masterclasses.

I am not saying it's all sweetness and light.. I have had the most awkward customers and items going AWOL... But Communication is Key. Amazon are really good at helping.

I have 100% feedback (So far) I am now eBay Top Rated & a silver Powerseller so for me It's working but I appreciate it's not everyone's cup of tea

 

[FreeSwagSites]

Yes, I had done my time with the other franchises and wanted to try something different..

I saw an ad on a selling site. It peaked my interest but at the same time I thought it seemed to be good to be true. Anyway the girl messaged me a video, which I watched with my husband Nathan. We were quite shocked! It actually had been something we had thought of doing but the other way round... (for those that don't know. Ds provides you with training to Drop Ship. This is sourcing items on places such as Amazon then copying the information & pictures over to eBay to sell at a profit. Once the customer buy's they pay you direct to PayPal and then you use that money to buy the item from Amazon who then ship it out for you). We had thought about buying items on sale and selling on eBay.

There was part of me that thought, well it looks simple enough why do we need the training.. So I spent the next month researching. Found good and bad reviews just like in any company. I saw that other's were doing this successfully and thought it was worth a try, even just for 1 month.

It cost's £12 a month for membership & another £6 if you wish to be an Affliate (Build a team)

I am a SAHM & a student so I spend an hour a day hense I am not earning as much as everyone else is. I joined in March and up to date have earnt £1,500 in Profit. (that is average £300 a month)

The thing I like most compared to other companies I have worked for is 1. You keep 100% of your profit - After usual eBay/PayPal fee's The £12 a month is ALL you pay & 2. The added Support via FB Groups, Live Hangouts & Masterclasses.

I am not saying it's all sweetness and light.. I have had the most awkward customers and items going AWOL... But Communication is Key. Amazon are really good at helping.

I have 100% feedback (So far) I am now eBay Top Rated & a silver Powerseller so for me It's working but I appreciate it's not everyone's cup of tea

Hi there and welcome to TMS.

Congratulations on your earnings so far - is this all profit from sales, or is some of it from "referrals"?

I have a couple of Qs about this business model (I have been aware of DS Dom for a while):

1. What happens when the Amazon item is out of stock and you need to have it supplied to the ebay purchaser?
2. Is this business model not a breach of Amazon / Ebay terms and conditions? (I know that you can't use Amazon Prime to do it)
3. Are your ebay sales auctions or do you set a price?
4. Is it obvious to the customer that the goods have come from Amazon? If so, hasn't anyone noticed and complained (I think I'd be pretty annoyed and feel very stupid)

The reason I ask about terms and conditions is that I have heard of people having their ebay seller accounts suspended / banned or getting bad feedback due to supply issues - obviously any one of these things can destroy the business in one go.

Are there really still daft people in the world that overbid / overpay on ebay without checking Amazon first!? and also they are overbidding by enough to create a profitable arbitrage situation even allowing for transaction costs?

The final thing that occurred to me when I considered the DS Domination model is that I would need to pay for public liability insurance (including legal expenses insurance). Many people don't realise that if you sell directly to members of the public in this way, you have a contract with them and are bound by the Sale of Goods Act 1979 and other Product Liability legislation. So, if the goods are supplied in a defective condition, you are primarily liable for any losses suffered. It doesn't matter whether you have directly supplied the good to the consumer and had nothing to do with creating the defective situation, you sold them and you have no defence - buyer simply has to prove that you sold the goods and that they were defective. You would have to then try to sue the person from whom you bought the goods from in the first place to recoup your losses.

Whenever I have a client that has bought defective goods I always sue the seller rather than the manufacturer or anyone else further down the line for the simple reason that it is much easier to prove a breach of contract against the seller than some sort of negligence/breach of duty on the part of the manufacturer etc.

I was also worried about the situation where Ebay found in favour of a buyer and provided a full refund and Amazon took a different view and refused to refund me? My experience of the 2 companies is that Amazon is much easier to work with as a seller whereas Ebay always sides with the buyer (even when it means that they get an undeserved free item).

 

[TelsMummy]

The £1,500 is Profit from the Drop Shipping. I have made 9k in Sales since March

I have $160ish Dollar's in my back office from commissions - I have chosen to be an Affiliate and build my own team. I currently have 9 of which I earn $6 per person per month.

I shall answer your questions as best as I can.


1. I would firstly try and source the item elsewhere, even if it means taking a small loss. If an item can not be sourced then I contact the customer and explain that the item is currently out of stock, of which I was not updated by the supplier in time and give them a full refund. I would then contact eBay, explaining I am unable to fullfill the transaction and have it cancelled.

2. No, It isn't. You can not use Prime as that would be a breach of Amazon's conditions. eBay uk Are not fan's of drop shipping but they don't shut down accounts unless your not operating properly. In our training with DS we are taught to move over to selling in the US as eBay.com welcome Drop Shipping.
http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/product_sourcing.html

3. They are all Buy It now prices

4. I have in my listings that I use an 3rd Party Supplier to fullfill the order which may result in their logo's being displayed on the packaging. The item is also sent without the invoice. I haven't had one customer contact me as yet to ask about why the item has come from Amazon. I have 100% positive feedback

I check my prices & stock levels several times a day so that I do not have many issues of needing to refund an item due to stock or price changes.

I think people still think eBay is the cheapest place to buy things online and therefore don't do their homework.

However, it's just like going to Tesco and buying a loaf of bread that you could have brought at Asda cheaper.

When I list items I find item's that are on sale. So I stick to the RRP as much as possible. I usually make about £3 profit per item that is sold (after Fee's)

I didn't know about the public liability insurance, but I will look into it. As far as I was aware we are covered under eBay & Amazon for the products. If there is a defect, I would refund the customer and then contact Amazon who will arrange to collect the item and then refund me. There should be no need to sue someone for that!

I have found eBay & Amazon to be very helpful. I've not had any issues with either one. But This of course is only my view of things...

 

[Jon]

The £1,500 is Profit from the Drop Shipping. I have made 9k in Sales since March

I have $160ish Dollar's in my back office from commissions - I have chosen to be an Affiliate and build my own team. I currently have 9 of which I earn $6 per person per month.

I shall answer your questions as best as I can.


1. I would firstly try and source the item elsewhere, even if it means taking a small loss. If an item can not be sourced then I contact the customer and explain that the item is currently out of stock, of which I was not updated by the supplier in time and give them a full refund. I would then contact eBay, explaining I am unable to fullfill the transaction and have it cancelled.

Is that not lieing?

How can any business be built around that?

 

[TelsMummy]

No..

That's telling them the truth that the item is out of stock. I could of said that the item has been damaged and therefore not fit for sale.

I have also mentioned my supplier so I'm not trying to fool anyone to think I am the person sending the item.

I also use a tracker for my items and if it's not updated or I haven't checked the site then I wouldn't have been updated in time to change the listing.

 

[FreeSwagSites]

Thank you for your detailed response to my queries.

I think that this will always be a business model that will provoke disapproval from some quarters. I can see the arguments on both sides.

Everyone has to make their own Judgments as to what they are comfortable doing. I wasn't entirely comfortable when I researched at the start of the year and I found the Army guy's marketing video very off-putting, but this was as much to do with practical concerns rather than ethical ones. At the end of the day, it's not illegal, so I suppose it has to be considered legitimate.

Are you required to provide any sort of disclosure statement anywhere on the listing to explain that the goods are being suppled by someone else? Amazon require its affiliates to declare their interests to visitors. Do they impose the same requirements on drop-shipping sellers?

I hope you don't find the questions too hostile. I have been on the receiving end of similar ones (as have others) and I think that it really helps people to get a fully informed understanding of the business opportunities that are available.

 

[Jon]

What are the most negative of negatives that you have come across while doing DS Domination?

 

[TelsMummy]

Your welcome.
I expected some what of a grilling.. Afterall there are so many scams out there. People need to know everything before getting involved.
When I approached for more information I tell them straight, No sugar coating No BS.

This business isn't for everyone. You are correct in that it will provoke disapproval from some areas.
I admit to feeling wary at first like I was doing something wrong selling items at a higher price but then I thought. I'm not making people pay my prices I am not saying I am the cheapest around either. I have actually pointed people in the direction of Amazon or other online retailers when I've been asked to post to another country as it is cheaper for them to buy direct. Or even when people have asked for my help to source other items that I do not list.

I know the video you are referring to and it is off putting. That one is to explain the marketing side which is an off putter for anyone. Have you seen the Actual Video from Roger?
I'm in the UK and we have made our own video.. which in my opinion doesn't really explain anything which is frustrating. People want and need to know what they are signing up to.... In order to make a informed decision.

We are not required to have a disclosure as Drop Shippers. But I feel it's better practice to have something in place.

 

[TelsMummy]

What are the most negative of negatives that you have come across while doing DS Domination?

Some things could be better explained upfront.... For example

If you are new to eBay/PayPal then they will want to build a level of trust with you. In order to do this they will put restrictions on your PayPal account. This means when you sell an item you will have a hold placed on your funds. Therefore you will need to buy the item you self. Once dispatched you would add the tracking info Amazon supplier you with and sometime within 21 days you would have your money released.

Now for most people they want to work from home because they can not work for whatever reason and need money. This is not going to be ideal...

You do get awkward customers like I am sure you get anywhere in any business.

 

[Jon]

To me, it looks like the audience for DS Domination are people who have little to no experience with using eBay and how it works.

Also, once you have got the concept and how it all works, why keep paying the monthly sub (unless you are having to do that to be an affiliate?)

 

[ecoliving]

Hello everyone. I have been invited to join this page to introduce myself and my business. I work from home as an independent distributor for Wikaniko who I joined because I love their huge range of different eco-friendly, natural products and the fact that I'm doing something worthwhile, rather than just 'trying to sell something'. The company is very young, British and offers exceptional support. There's no pressure in terms of targets etc. with Wikaniko, just constant encouragement and great incentives.

There is no large registration fee to pay to become a full distributor, unlike most other work from home companies! There is NO contract either. You can cancel at any time without penalty. There is a small initial administration cost of just £12.95 to set up your Wikaniko website, online supermarket, members area, access to the distributor forum and Facebook group , plus full online training, and have access to all the facilities. Thereafter, it costs just £3.50 per month to maintain your shop with all the up to date products prices etc. You can cancel this at any time.

I understand that direct selling/MLM is not for everyone - I was sceptical at first – but I think you just need to find the right Company. To make it work, it is essential to a) be enthusiastic about the products and company that you choose and b) have a long-term vision that will keep you going. It's also perfect to do alongside something else as it gives you flexibility.

With Wikaniko, there are so many ways you can promote the products other than just catalogues and it is really up to you how you build your business. There is no pressure to build a team unless you want to, and you can still earn a good income.

Wikaniko also has a Co-operative 'share' scheme for all distributors, allowing them to actually own a part of their company.

I hope this information is helpful.