Reviews

It Works Review – An In-Depth Look At This MLM Company

There are several multilevel marketing (MLM) businesses today, each rendering different services. It Works is a weight loss brand with an MLM structure. People looking to lose weight can take the company’s green tea leaf extract.

However, this It Work review is not solely on the weight loss products offered by the brand. It focuses majorly on the company’s MLM structure. We will explore the history of the company, how it works, its products, and whether you can make many from it.

About It Works

It Works is a multilevel marketing (MLM) business in the health and beauty industry. It is a somewhat young business compared to other MLM founded less than 20 years ago.

It Works operates as a classic MLM by allowing its distributors to earn money from their own sales as well as from recruiting a productive downline. Complaints about the company are quite numerous, and some of its products are hotly debated.

The company is also said to have terrible customer service. Some customers have complained that they called customer service and were dissatisfied with their response.

It Works MLM Products

It Works Company Overview

History of It Works

It Works is a relatively new company; it was founded in 2001. The company was founded by husband and wife team Mark and Cindy Pentecost. The couple had their own side business a few years earlier in the telecommunications industry.

It Works

The Pentecosts were struggling to make ends meet financially. They developed a plan to earn an extra $500 per month in a telecommunications home-based business. 

Mark quickly moved up the ranks in this new business venture, and he soon became a top earner in the company. This new financial freedom allowed the Pentecosts to explore ways that they could help people achieve the same level of financial success.

It Works - Wrap Ultimate Body Applicator Set

The company’s first product, the Ultimate Body Applicator, was released in 2001, and the It Works business was born! The business grew quickly, and new product lines like dietary supplements were introduced. In addition, the business began expanding internationally into countries like Australia and parts of Europe.

In 2009, It Works became debt-free and sales began to skyrocket. As of 2022, It Works had annual revenues of approximately $620 million. They had also grown a distributor network of about 100,000 people. They have several product lines for losing wealth and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including supplements, body wraps, and apparel.

It Works is not accredited by the Better Business Bureau.

Company Investigations

It Works has seemingly been able to avoid any major scandals during its less than 20 years in business. There are no documented instances of formal investigations by the FTC or other regulatory bodies like many MLMs have encountered. However, there have been a few scenarios that have caused some people to develop an extreme dislike for the company.

The main complaint against the company revolves around improper marketing practices. Since the products that It Works sells are not regulated by the FDA, they are free to make some pretty extraordinary claims about the products. Many people feel like their claims are too good to be true, and that the products do not work as advertised.

The other issue that people have with the company is that distributors are encouraged to sign people up for recurring/automatic shipping and billing without the customer fully understanding that they will be charged on a monthly basis.

People have found it very difficult to cancel their subscriptions, and they continue to be charged after they thought they had canceled. There are many previous distributors who have spoken out against the company and these seemingly dishonest practices.

As a result, there are several negative reviews with consumers alleging that It Works does not send the goods paid for. It is also hard to get a problem resolved even if you contact customer service.

Current Company Structure

The founder, Mark Pentecost, still serves as CEO of the company today. The company has moved its headquarters into a large, new office in Palmetto, FL. In addition, the company has global headquarters located in Dublin, Ireland, and Seoul, South Korea. The company has even purchased its own private island near the corporate headquarters where it holds company events for its top distributors.

Today, the company has a network of around 100,000 distributors. In contrast, it only has just over 300 full-time employees. While it still has annual revenues of around $620 million, those revenues have been declining over the past few years. The company reached a peak social media frenzy a few years ago, and revenues, along with the number of distributors, have been declining since.

It Works house

It Works Products

The original product, the Ultimate Body Applicator, is still the top seller today. This product is a skinny wrap that is said to shrink targeted areas of the body. It is used as an alternative to cosmetic surgery or restrictive shapewear for losing weight.

It Works - Supplement

In addition to the body wraps, It Works now offers dietary supplements. Some of their currently popular supplements include items that are meant to support Keto diets. Those products include Keto coffee, ketones, and Keto Go. Keto Go is a liquid supplement of amino acids and other proprietary blends that help you to maintain your keto diet throughout the day.

It Works -  Keto Coffee

It Works also offers anti-aging and other beauty products. These include mostly different types of serums and creams and hair skin products. You can also purchase apparel and accessories like gym bags from the company.

If you look at It Works products from a health perspective, it looks good because they are supposedly made with natural ingredients. However, there is no clinical study to support these facts and most of their products contain preservatives and cheap additives. So, if you have a pre-existing medical condition or peculiar medical needs, see your doctor before buying It Works products.

Furthermore, the retail price of It Works products is quite high. The average loyal customer will spend about $254 monthly to buy a blender bottle, diet pill, four body wrap applications, two days’ worth of the cleanse, and 15 days’ worth of the green blend.

It Works Products Ingredients

There are different ingredients used in making It Works products. This includes vitamins and minerals, stimulants, digestive enzymes, probiotics, essential oils, amino acids, and proteins. The key ingredients are:

  • Green Tea Extract: It has a natural flavor and is a fat fighter. Green powder made with green tea leaf extract will remove toxins from your body and improve digestive health.
  • Guarana: It helps to improve focus, energy levels, concentration, and metabolic rate.
  • Spirulina: It is used as a greens powder, and is known as blue-green algae. Spirulina has essential fatty acids, B vitamins, Vitamin E, and sodium benzoate.

Other ingredients are citric acid, apple cider vinegar, and gluten-containing ingredients. So, if you want a product that is gluten-free, you can’t get it from It Works. Also, It Works advocates that its products improve overall health and the digestive system, serve as a fat blocker and burn calories, improve skin texture, and make the gut healthy.

Note the ingredients to ensure you don’t have an allergic reaction to any of them.

It Works Company Marketing Practices

It is no secret that social media has played a huge role in the success of It Works. Distributors began posting before and after photos on social media, and they also started recruiting new distributors. The opportunity basically went viral, leading to peak sales and sign-ups around 2015. Social media is still a large marketing avenue for the company, and they sell almost exclusively through their main website.

Making Money With It Works

As a traditional MLM, distributors make money when they make sales, and they also make money by recruiting a downline that can make sales. Top earners within the company make over $1 million per year, but how common is that? The answer is not at all.

Many people who sign up as an It Works distributor end up losing money instead of making money. Per the company’s own Income Disclosure Statement, the average monthly income across all distributors in 2018 was $173. That may sound decent, but that number does not include any expenses that the distributor may incur in marketing or running their business. Given that fact, it is easy to see how most distributors make nothing selling these products.

How to Enroll as an It Works Distributor

The enrollment process is easy and straightforward. Simply go onto the It Works website and click the link to enroll. If you want to sign up under a specific distributor, you can do so. Otherwise, one will be assigned to you as your upline. In order to sign up, you must purchase a starter kit. The cheapest option is $99.

You will also pay a monthly membership fee associated with access to your own personal website where customers can place their orders. As if the fees were not enough, there are minimum order requirements each month for a distributor to remain active. The distributor must either sell or purchase approximately $80 each month to stay active and eligible for commissions.

It Works Logo

Compensation Plan

The It Works compensation plan is somewhat complicated, using Personal Volume, Group Volume, Personal Bonus Volume, and other confusing terms in calculating a distributor’s overall commission. To further complicate things, a distributor can have multiple legs in their downline, but there are minimum order requirements to become eligible for commissions on those legs.

In its simplest form, a distributor will earn a 10% commission on both Level 1 and Level 2 sales. The distributor can then earn commission from 5% down to 2% all the way down to 6 levels in their downline. 

Again, remember that the monthly minimums apply each month for a distributor to be eligible for commissions. Lastly, signing up Loyal Customers (those who agree to at least a three-month auto-shipments agreement) is preferred and leads to more value and commission. Ultimately, distributors are not getting a good deal which explains why some of them scam people.

It Works Sales and Marketing Techniques

Social media is the most proven method of making money through It Works. Since their most popular product, the fab wrap, is said to get rapid results, people often host parties where they perform demonstrations. 

An independent distributor will invite people to the “wrap party” and then attempt to sell the wraps after the demonstration. This method has proven to be quite successful for high earners in the company.

It Works Compared to Other MLMs

Compared to other MLMs, the opportunity with It Works is average to below average. Company sales and distributor sign-ups have been declining for the past three years, and average earnings are meager.

This is not to mention the required minimum orders and monthly fees associated with keeping your business active. The company’s auto-ship agreement practices turn many people off. Given these facts, this is likely not the way to make money.

Conclusion: It Works Review

It Works has more bad reviews from customers and past distributors than good ones. From complaints of expired products to placing an order and getting the wrong goods, the company is a waste of money for both distributors and customers.

Therefore, if you are interested in an MLM business, it is better to search for the one that better meets your needs. On the other hand, you can look at alternatives to MLM businesses. Whichever option you opt for, ensure you get your money’s worth.

Overall Rating: 3.58 out of 5

Kevin Martin

Kevin is an ambitious entrepreneur that is obsessed with all things related to finance. From a young age, Kevin has always been involved with side hustles ranging from online selling to freelance work. Over the years, Kevin graduated from side hustles and started launching multiple online and offline businesses. Kevin is a serial entrepreneur who loves starting new businesses and exploring all things related to business and finance. He is constantly looking for new ways to save money, invest money, and create income streams.

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