Is Wake Up Now Club a scam?

[DiMoN]

I just had a friend join this WUN "business" and he's trying to recruit others. Spamming on Facebook and Twitter and stuff like that.
I personally think that people that join this so called "business" deserve to lose their money.
If you don't have brains to understand that WUN is a pyramid scheme and it may be legal but it's NOT at all ethical then you need to learn a lesson.
WUN does not produce any products or services that you can't get for free. The only way they make money is by recruiting other victims.

Also I looked at their 2013 annual financial report and the company lost over $4.5 million last year.
They owe over $15 million to various investors and creditors and at this rate should be out of business by the end of 2014 if not sooner.
Two of the top three WUN executives have a history of bankrupting companies in past.
In fact only .5% of people in this scheme make their money back. Yes, only 1 out of every 200 people. You have a better chance of winning a lottery or playing roulette.

[Aries11]

replying to the person above me

First off, The company is NOT approved by the Better Business Bureau; thats the first sign for cover. Second off, you can get taxbot and vacation discounts ANYWHERE online so why pay for what you can get for free (unless your just lazy). And by the way, there not DISCOUNTS IF YOU PAY FOR THEM PEOPLE! MOST OF THE STUFF YOU GET DISCOUNTS ON YOU CAN GET ONLINE. Someone whos what these people call themselves (IBO) told me that they got discounts at Waffle House. If you need discounts at Waffle House why would you expect me to buy into something with you. Anyway, This is the final arguement, if this is such a good investment, why arent the truly rich investing in this once in a life oppurtunity? I mean why hasnt Bill Gates invested or just bought this company? Where's Mr. Buffett and Bloomberg, why arent they throwing money at this pot of gold?? Its because they are SMART and they can smell bull**** a mile away. It scares me that so many people are unwilling to truly work hard in this world and spend the time it takes to work hard by looking for easy ways out, im truly scared for our country and our economy. By the way, go on Forbes, and check out how many guys started broke and then they put 100 in MLM's and all of the sudden there life transformed. Never happened sleepy minds; Its called hard work. People please save your time and go build your resume by getting real jobs, read some business (ETHICS) books and stop taking the easy way out. But that probably wouldnt happen because a job and an education means hours of dedication, not just the movement of your thumb on an Iphone.

This may last 1 year or 5 more years but it wont last because the consumer doesnt last WHEN YOUR BUYING MEMBERSHIPS TO USE DISCOUNTS OR VACATION CLUBS. This isnt the first of its kind smh. Like I said before, when it fails, put this on your resume and see how getting the job goes.

[mikesmithibo]

WakeUpNow info

A lot of folks here are extremely misinformed about WakeUpNow. I use the membership only (for now). Yes I was referred to by an IBO of WUN, but I decided to put it on hold and use the benefits. I just didn't have time to juggle my other business and WUN.

What really attracted me to it was TaxBot and the Vacation Club. I personally am no expert on finding deals for vacations and what not, so it helps that WakeUpNow has a ton of deals ready to be booked or purchased. And TaxBot just makes it super easy to track my business expenses and I save thousands more using TaxBot than I ever will spend with the WakeUpNow membership. The price DOES NOT come from the deals you can find in the hub (coupons and promos). That part of WUN is actually completely FREE to anybody who decides they want to sign up as a FREE preferred customer.

The mis-information is not to blame on the people calling it a scam. I don't think you should be so quick to call a company a scam when you never been in the company, or barely have done your research but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. The real problem is the IBOs in WakeUpNow who tend to (as with any company in this type of industry) sell people on the dream and not the benefits. It's simply easier to get people to join in the hopes of making money. Thankfully, WakeUpNow has a strict compliance department and has and will continue to kick IBOs out who violate the Terms of Service.

There's nothing wrong with getting people to join to make money, but the FTC has strict regulations on this. You build a team of recruits so you can train that team to sell product, not necessarily to build more recruits. That's where people get it mistaken. In WakeUpNow, you can get 100 people to sign up as a preferred customer and as they buy things within that month, that will increase your volume and potentially your pay (rank).

There are other products like the coffee and energy drink lines. The skin care lines, etc. There can be a HUGE potential market for the Awaken Energy if people executed it in the right way. It's cheaper than RedBull and healthier. But people LOVE RedBull. Did I mention it taste better? WakeUpNow sent me a free case for winning a contest. I don't usually do energy drinks at all, but that stuff is good.

All in all, the IBOs need to step up and create a better image for WUN. Troy Dooly already warned WUN IBOs of their compliance issues and now works closely with WUN's compliance department.

To those who promote WUN. You have many different niches in WakeUpNow that can actually make you a lot of money by selling the product alone. C'mon. People love energy drinks and coffee. They love to vacation. Let's face it. You know damn well when your friends and family book a vacation they DO NOT get 7 night stays at luxury condos for as low as around 100 dollars (in some cases yes families do, but I'm talking to the younger crowds). We're speaking of the average person here. They don't. Spring break comes around and they book something by a beach at a dirt cheap nasty hotel.

WakeUpNow provides so much more for the price. If you look up the individual products and add up the cost of the monthly membership, the product prices exceed the membership price.

Even if WUN did charge people for the deal hub alone (which they don't), it doesn't give anybody the right to bash it and say "Oh, well you can get deals anywhere. Just do a Google search for free." PEOPLE PAY FOR CONVENIENCE all the time even if they can get it for free by wasting their life searching the internet. Google DOES NOT give you a central hub and compiles the best deals on the internet (and free deals). In fact, WakeUpNow just released the Local app, which brings up the best local deals in your area for restaurants, etc. I just used it the other day.

You know what's funny is my girlfriend and I can never think of a good place to eat. The local app not only helped us pick a place (by the deals) but it helped us get deals that we normally wouldn't bother going out of our way to find.

If people would suck it up and use the benefits to their full advantage, there would be nobody screaming scam at this company.

And for those who say people aren't making money and just faking it. Or telling people they're lying when they say they're making a certain amount. First of all if people weren't making money why would they bother wasting their time to tell you that you can make money? You are the one who is in La La Land. The proof is all over the internet and if you can't differentiate real opportunity vs a scam, you are only hurting yourself.

I hope this helped! Now I'm off to do whatever this cool smiley is doing, because i like what he's doing.

[igniterep]

Probably because 99% of them are not very ethical and will with 100% certainty always bottom out.

This is not true. Maybe the ones that you have come across, but I have come across plenty that are legitimate and make people money. You shouldn't let your own bias keep others from enjoying the dream that you can't see.

[btctony]

MLMs like WUN are not scams. I don't participate in this one, but I do make money in other ones. Why all the hate for MLMs here?

Probably because 99% of them are not very ethical and will with 100% certainty always bottom out.

[igniterep]

MLMs like WUN are not scams. I don't participate in this one, but I do make money in other ones. Why all the hate for MLMs here?

[Aries11]

Re

I agree as I am sure it can def bring in money. What I worry about is those who have little to no understanding how business and MLM's work. When one says it can "for sure" bring in money, that's obvious. But do you want to bring in money ethically? Just because you can make money doesn't mean its ethical. Also, most of these salesman have not read their policies and procedures, and it is evident in their treatment of their teams and those they need to sell too. I am not against the corporation, because initially it seems the company wanted to help families gain financial freedom by bringing extra cash flow on a monthly basis. I have a BIG problem with anyone having the ability to be their own IBO. Im sorry but its my truth. The reason why these companies dry up (besides being illegal or unethical) is that they have uneducated individuals trying to run a business. I apologize for my hard words but most of these individuals don't have much cognitive brain activity going on upstairs anyway. I mean to think that you should be a business manager and not have gone to college, business school, a high school diploma? You have to be living in a fantasy world. Overall, my big issue is the unethical practices by the people not by the product. They have below average people selling an average idea and that's why it will eventually dry up. People if you want to get rich, take the time out to read your own policies and procedures for your company because when the **** hits the fan, the company will protect itself not you. So BE ETHICAL!

[EmzieAtInfinity]

Referral marketing is what you and I do when we watch a great movie and we tell others. Or the reverse, the movie was terrible and we share that. You definitely need to be wise in what you affiliate yourself with. But there is money to be had. My mom didn't go get a second job to feed me, she found a networking company that she did on the side. We had a car, and a passive income with a mom that was home when we got home from school.

Wake Up Now can for sure bring in money.

[Everyday expenses]

Check out Troy Dooly

Referral marketing is what you and I do when we watch a great movie and we tell others. Or the reverse, the movie was terrible and we share that. You definitely need to be wise in what you affiliate yourself with. But there is money to be had. My mom didn't go get a second job to feed me, she found a networking company that she did on the side. We had a car, and a passive income with a mom that was home when we got home from school.

[Aries11]

WUN not accredited

Well.... I am not sure how I feel about this MLM for those interested in joining the company. However, I would never be interested when others who are not financially stable or advisable on finances ask if I want to get rich quick. Also, you are not innovative or starting a company when you didn't create it yourself. Even if it is a legitimate MLM, the salesman or "team leaders" will take this company out because of their horrific sales pitches. Being angered when someone questions your company or your product usually means you yourself don't know what your marketing (or you question the legitimacy of your business). Finally, the company is NOT BBB approved, it says this as soon as you type in WAKEUPNOW BBB on any search forum and on the BBB website itself. This company will run its course and people...if you want to get "rich" quick, then you probably will never build sound wealth. Sound innovation for the consumer, along with foundational investments produce wealth. People who put down those who work 9-5 are just living in a fantasy when... we live in a country where those who are wealthy, generally break their backs to do so. Any innovator who has achieved monetary wealth(legally) in the United States most likely worked their ass off to get where they are(and stay where they are). If you truly feel that this is the get rich opportunity of a lifetime than go for it. But I can guarantee you will not keep that monetary flow because you are working in a company that relies on sales to other potential investors. This company alone has MAYBE 5% that achieve "wealth"? How are you supposed to achieve wealth if everyone around you, that you rely on to make sales, wont because they wont be as wealthy as you. A company cant work with the promise of getting wealthy to all its members, while all of the people want to get rich for themselves. That's ridiculous. But good luck to those involved, but to put down those who truly work hard, you know the 9-5 people (your relatives and friends im sure) and then want to sell them a get rich fallacy...I really worry for you. Don't make money your God, working hard and doing something you love is about helping others find their needs and expectations in life, not digging into their pockets constantly. Oh yeah I hear people talk about how NFL players and Soulja Boy are involved in WUN. Good for them Im sure Mike Tyson and MC Hammer are on their way to their website now. When Jay-Z, Leonardo Dicaprio, Justin Timberlake and other entertainers/ businessman get involved then let me know. WHEN IT FAILS AND YOU DO NEED A JOB IN MARKETING OR BUSINESS, PUT WAKEUPNOW TEAM LEADER ON YOUR RESUME. SEE WHO GETS THE JOB; YOU OR THE 9-5 "MORON"

For those who question the fact that WAKEUPNOW is not accredited, go onto the website of BBB it is in between the overview and the name of the company. BTW the fact that it is not accredited and has so many complaints doesn't look good for the future of the company.

[EmzieAtInfinity]

Didn't read all of the post I just skimmed through them, but there seems to be a lot of misguided people here. Wake Up Now is actually a LEGIT affiliate marketing program. It DOES pay, although it is one of the "crappier" versions of affiliate marketing, there is many more affiliate marketing programs out there that are BETTER than Wake Up Now. I am personally involved with a affiliate marketing program that does pay, and I am all about affiliate marketing, I must say though, I do have friends who use Wake Up Now and they like it. I personally don't care much for their compensation plan because I think it's sorta weak compared to the better ones out there. I am a affiliate marketer, it's legit, but like I said, it's not not the best, or even close to one of the best. MLMs aren't always pyramid schemes, but trust me, pyramid schemes do exist.

-Emzie

[lorraineb]

But the other part is because, even if it is shady, they understand an MLMs' ability to make a fast buck if you can get in early enough to milk it while they can.

That is the main issue with all MLMs -- people view it as an easy way to make a buck when the reality is, you will be making others money, but rarely will you be the one making it unless you are one of the first to join. By the time it appears on sites like this, that time is long over.

[Tabs]

I actually have an MBA so let me give you a real definition of a pyramid scheme.

This thread is old, but I just wanted to touch on this because of my own personal experiences.

I once had a co-worker-- an extremely nice and intelligent woman I want to add-- who also had an MBA, and she too was into a particular MLM that sold time shares (that they marketed as "real estate ventures"). She tried to recruit me, and I politely declined.

But it really boggled my mind that she would be into this sort of thing, despite all of her work experience and academic credentials. (However, I also believe that MBA was actually from one of those for-profit online schools like Phoenix Online.)

Suffice to say, there are indeed seemingly fairly intelligent people who are involved in MLMs. I think part of it is because you CAN have MLMs that are NOT scams. But the other part is because, even if it is shady, they understand an MLMs' ability to make a fast buck if you can get in early enough to milk it while they can.

That said though, I would not touch any MLMs with a ten-foot pole myself, and for that matter, I have actively protested against MLMs in the past. I haven't looked into this particular one, but in general, this just isn't an honest way to make a living.

Bottom line: Even an MBA can be questionable depending on source. And even then, even some seemingly intelligent people can be fooled, or be knowingly involved in shady cons.

Edit: Read some more of this thread, and some of the respondents does seem to exhibit that typical, abusive, cult-like personality. (Our MLM can do no wrong. You are wrong. You should shut up. You are ruining our dreams. You are a bad person.)

[wakeuptoTheTRUTH]

This book needs way more exposure!

[QUOTE=hamchan;378714]In fact, many MLM schemes are VERY cult-like.



Wow. More people need to read this book! Thank you for posting it!

[samuelwright]

I been with this company for 2 months and i'm a f4 making almost 3k a month

Lies.