Welcome to our Ibuumerang Review!
If travelling is something that you are interested in and want to know if you can make some money at the same time, then you may have come across a business opportunity with Ibuumerang.
But you also suspect that it may be a scam and wanted to do some research before you jumped in with both feet.
That is fantastic, doing research before buying into any “seemingly good” product is the best way to avoid online scams and only finding legitimate ways to make money online.
For transparency, you should know that we are not associated with Ibuumerang in any way. So, you can relax… we are not here to pitch or sell you anything.
We just want to make sure you have all the facts you need to make a decision on whether Ibuumerang is truly the right course of action for you.
We are going to dive into the details about the company, the products that they offer and the compensation plan to see if this is the right opportunity for you.
Are you ready to see if Ibuumerang is worth joining or not? Let’s get started with a quick product overview…
Ibuumerang Review Summary
Product Name: Ibuumerang
Founder: Holton Buggs (CEO) & David Manning
Product Type: Travel MLM company
Price: $250 – $1,999 + $49.95 – $99/monthly fee
Best For: Those good at networking and recruiting
Pros
- It’s New
Cons
- Expensive to Join
- Pay to Play
- CEO Has Shady Past
- Focus on Recruitment
- Complicated Compensation Plan
- No Income Disclosure
Summary: Ibuumerang is a Travel MLM company. It offers an opportunity for people to make money from offering out discounts for travel, however it is more like a pay to play system where you have to have something called “boomerangs” before you can get someone to use the platform. The compensation plan is extremely complicated and is heavily focused on recruitment rather than the products themselves.
The CEO also has a shady past, and it has a low chance of success.
Rating: 30/100
Recommended? No
Table of Contents
What is Ibuumerang?
Ibuumerang is an MLM or Multi-Level Marketing company based within the travel niche. It offers discounts on travel through their search engine called iGo, and the ability to earn money as an affiliate member and selling their products and recruiting others into the business opportunity.
Before they changed the name to Ibuumerang, it was called Countdown4Freedom.
Here is a quote they have on their company website to describe themselves:
“Here at Ibuumerang, you throw out goodwill and savings and you get reward with a travel savings bonus in cash!
A unique, very cool, and fun way to earn additional income. A side hustle that can potentially become a life changing opportunity!”
Well, that is what we want to put to the test in our review and see if they hold up or not.
Who’s Behind Ibuumerang?
You can learn a lot about a company by looking at the guys at the top running the business.
The CEO’s name is Holton Buggs.
Holton has headed up several MLM’s in the past. He was Organo Gold’s Chief Visionary Officer, which was a popular MLM. Having said that, he has also been involved in promoting a well-known Ponzi Scheme called IQ Chain.
Alongside Holton Buggs, David Manning is the Co-Founder and Owner of the travel booking search engine that offers the discounts customers and members can make use of.
David Manning has been very consistent in the travel MLM niche. He has been involved with MLM since 2012, with one called “The Vacation Network”.
He is also currently involved in a travel company called Xstream Travel.
I think it is important to point out at this point that whilst the travel niche is a popular one for people to consider for making money, the interest from a consumer point of view has been in decline for a while…
Is Ibuumerang a Pyramid Scheme
Some will refer to MLM’s as a pyramid scheme, when that isn’t necessarily the case. There are some that are actually pyramid schemes in disguise and we have already said that the CEO of Ibuumerang has already been involved in one.
But Ibuumerang isn’t an outright pyramid scheme but does have elements of one. Particularly with the Referral Commissions side (recruitment).
Take a look at the picture below:
Part of your commissions from Ibuumerang looks like that picture and is why so many MLM’s are thought to be a pyramid scheme.
The problem is that the majority of your income will come from the recruitment side and building a downline. People will tell you that the money is in building a team and it is true, as you will earn residual income from their earnings as well as your own.
You could sell the services of Ibuumerang directly to customers and earn commissions. But if you were to build a team of 100 people doing the same thing and you were earning from each and every sale. You will have the potential of earning a lot more…
Success is Rare at Ibuumerang
A lot of MLM’s have an income disclosure statement. This will tell you how many of their distributors are making money from the business opportunity or not. It is usually not a great picture and backs up the statement that the majority of people are actually losing money, rather than making any money. In fact, 98% of distributors are making less than $5,000 a year, with most only earning around $2400 a year!!
Ibuumerang is pretty new, so we cannot show you the income disclosure as they haven’t got one yet. But there is nothing we have found that shows that this will buck the trend and be the best route to making money from travel… There are actually studies that show that 73% of people who start MLM lose money and 99% are not earning worthwhile earnings from it.
Most MLM’s show the only people making money are the top 1-2%, with everyone else struggling to make it work…
Ibuumerang Product Line
So, what products do Ibuumerang offer then?
First off, we should say that this is not your typical holiday search engine function. The product is actually called a boomerang.
When you sign up with Ibuumerang, you get some boomerangs. These boomerangs are a login to be able to access the iGo booking engine.
How many boomerangs you get will depend on the package you got when signing up. We will dig into this in more detail in the compensation plan section.
For you to make money, you will provide customers with these boomerangs that allows them to access the iGo search engine.
That is the only way you have of accessing this search engine, either being a member or having a boomerang provided to you from an iBuumerang member.
But when you run out of these Boomerangs, you will have to purchase more and yet they do not tell you how much these will be…
Once you have access you can then take advantage of their search engines and get discounts on a number of different travel related products.
iGo provides discounts on the following:
- Flights
- Hotels
- Rental Cards
- Homes
- Timeshares
- And more…
When your referrals take advantage of these discounts via your boomerang, you can earn commissions (up to 50% of the cost).
The company also offers additional rewards and activities members and customers can take advantage of:
- Shopping Rewards
- Gift Cards
- Play Golf
- Shore Excursions
- Theme Parks
- Worldwide Tours
- Emergency Travel Services
- Wine Club
- Outdoor Activities
- Restaurant Savings
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How To Make Money with Ibuumerang?
Like many other MLM’s, they offer you the chance to make money from 1 of 3 ways:
- Retail Commissions – Sell products and earn a commission
- Referral Commission – Earn commissions from introducing someone to the business opportunity
- Residual Commission – earn residual income from members continuing to make purchases
But like we have already mentioned, you need to buy boomerangs to be able to earn the retail commissions.
Getting Started with Ibuumerang
The minimum cost to get started with Ibuumerang is $49.95/month. This will allow you to become an affiliate member.
There are also some global packages that you could buy too:
- Coach Class Package – $250 + $49.95/month
- Business Class Package – $500 + $99/month
- First Class Package – $1,000 + $99/month
What is included within each package varies, but the most important thing to know is that you get higher commissions the more you pay.
P.S. This program enabled us to Create a 4-Figure Monthly Passive Income Stream. It’s Free to get started and costs only $49/month to go full-time!
Ibuumerang Compensation Plan
MLM’s always have a very complicated compensation plan, but Ibuumerang have gone even further and made it even harder to understand. We have done our best to break it all down.
In one way they are saying you can actually earn 50% of the 50% savings that your customer books. Sounds simple, but it is anything but.
Basically, when a trip is found for a certain price, you can find that same trip for half price on iGo.
That same trip is sold for half off, plus an additional cost to pay for the commissions.
Here is a breakdown of what the company offers as far as the Travel Booking commissions is concerned:
- Standby rank and Coach Classed Ranked Members will qualify for 12.5% of the 50% of the 50%
- Business Rank & First Class Ranked Members will qualify for 100% of the 50% of the 50%
Referral Commissions
These are the commissions earned when you sponsor a new person to join you. This commission is paid out when they join. You will also earn a commission when they renew their membership in the next month. This will go through the residual compensation plan structure.
Here is the referral commission breakdown for when you introduce a new member into the business opportunity:
- When you refer someone to join as a Coach Class member, you will earn $20.
- When you refer someone to join as a Business Class member, you will earn $40.
- When you refer someone to join as a First-Class member, you will earn $80.
Residual Commissions (Binary Structure)
When both members and customers that are within your downline (team) makes a purchase through Ibuumerang on their second month with the program, you will earn what is called residual commissions.
The company pays this out using the MLM binary compensation plan structure.
If you are not familiar with how a binary compensation plan works, here is a quick breakdown:
Binary Compensation plan structures have two legs. The left and right. To qualify for commissions, you need to have a personally referred member on both your left and right leg to qualify for commissions.
Meaning you need to keep your structure level to earn commissions.
Then with Ibuumerang, you need to factor in that it has several ranks. The higher your rank, the more you can earn in your residual compensation plan.
Here is a list of the ranks and what you can earn:
- TSA Rank – you are capped to $1000 per week and it pays 10% from the sales on your weaker leg
- Director Rank – capped at $1500 per week and it pays 12% from the sales on your weaker leg
- Executive Rank – capped at $2000 per week and it pays 12% from the sales on your weaker leg
- Senior Executive Rank – capped at $2500 per week and it pays 12% from the sales on your weaker leg
- Sapphire Rank – capped at $3000 per week and it pays 15% from the sales on your weaker leg
- Ruby Rank – capped at $5000 per week and it pays 16% from the sales on your weaker leg
- Emerald Rank – capped at $10,000 per week and it pays 17% from the sales on your weaker leg
- Diamond Rank – capped at $20,000 per week and it pays 18% from the sales on your weaker leg
- Blue Diamond Rank – capped at $30,000 per week and it pays 20% from the sales on your weaker leg
- Black Diamond Rank – capped at $50,000 per week and it pays 20% from the sales on your weaker leg
- Presidential Diamond Rank – capped at $100,000 per week and it pays 20% from the sales on your weaker leg
- Crown Diamond Rank – capped at $150,000 per week and it pays 20% from the sales on your weaker leg
- Double Crown Diamond Rank – capped at $200,000 per week and it pays 20% from the sales on your weaker leg
- Triple Crown Diamond Rank – capped at $250,000 per week and it pays 20% from the sales on your weaker leg
Residual Commissions (Unilevel)
Alongside the binary commission structure, you also have the unilevel commission structure within Ibuumerang too.
If you are not familiar with how the unilevel compensation plan works, here is a quick summary:
- 1st Level – the first level will only have your personally sponsored members on it (those you have introduced yourself)
- 2nd Level – the second level has the team members that your referrals have sponsored into it.
- 3rd Level – these are the team members that your referrals referrals have introduced
- This continues endlessly
These residual commission are paid out from your team’s monthly membership fees and from any booking purchases that your team makes.
There are Seven ranks within this structure, the higher the rank the higher the earning potential.
Here are the ranks, for which you would need to qualify for each:
- TSA Rank – 10% commissions on level 1 only
- Director & Senior Director Ranks – 10% commissions on levels 1 and 2
- Executive Rank – 10% commissions on levels 1, 2 and 3
- Sapphire Rank – 10% commissions on levels 1, 2 and 3. You will also earn 8% on level 4
- Ruby Rank – 10% commissions on levels 1, 2 and 3. 8% on level 4 and 7% on level 5
- Emerald Rank – 10% on levels 1, 2 and 3. 8% on level 4, 7% on level 5 and 6% on level 6
- Diamond & Higher Ranks – 10% commission on levels 1, 2 and 3. 8% on level 4, 7% on level 5, 6% on level 6 and 5% on level 7
If you don’t think it isn’t complicated enough yet, there are also a generational unilevel bonus too
Generational Unilevel Bonus (Leadership)
Based on the unilevel commission structure, the leadership bonus pays out on the Sapphires that are in any single leg of your unilevel pay plan.
If there are no Sapphire ranks found, then no leadership bonus is offered.
Basically, how the unilevel works, every member that you personally sponsor is considered one leg.
For example, if you have 4 Sapphire ranked members within a single leg, you have 4 generations of Sapphire ranked members in that leg.
If you personally qualify to earn from 2 generations, the you will get paid a matching percentage down to the second Sapphire Ranked member.
Depending on the rank that you qualify for will mean the money and generations of members you can earn from. (But they all need to be Sapphire ranked, at least).
Here is a summary of what that looks like:
- Sapphire Rank – When you qualify for this rank, you will be able to earn 2% on all members up to 1 generation of Sapphire Ranked members on every leg of your unilevel compensation plan.
- Ruby Rank – When you qualify for this rank, you will be able to earn 3% on all members up to 2 generations of Sapphire Ranked members on every leg of your unilevel compensation plan.
- Emerald Rank – When you qualify for this rank, you will be able to earn 4% on all members up to 3 generations of Sapphire Ranked members on every leg of your unilevel compensation plan.
- Diamonds and Higher Ranked Members – When you qualify for these ranks, you will be able to earn 5% on all members up to 4 generations of Sapphire Ranked members on every leg of your unilevel compensation plan.
Bonus Pool
We are not too clear on what this looks like, as the company is relatively new. But they also offer a company-wide profit bonus pool. They will take a percentage of the profits and put it into a pool and divide it all out to those who qualify.
That is the part we don’t know, who actually will qualify.
A lot of detail within their compensation plan. If you would prefer, you could watch this video where the CEO of Ibuumerang goes through it all. (please note, the video is an hour-long!!)
Can You Make Money with Ibuumerang?
In short, I would have to say yes you could. If you are good at direct selling or recruitment, there is an opportunity to make money with Ibuumerang.
Would I recommend this to a newbie looking for a way to make money online… I would have to say it is very unlikely.
MLM’s are extremely difficult to succeed at, and with the lack of an income disclosure there is nothing to base a decision on. But as it is a really expensive gamble you would be taking by signing up, I would advise you give this one a miss.
What We Liked About Ibuumerang
Here is what we liked about Ibuumerang:
#1 It’s New
If you have an established MLM, it makes it extremely difficult for a newbie to come in and climb high enough in the pyramid to make money. But as this business opportunity is relatively new, it will make it easier to get in there before it becomes too congested. This might play to your advantage if you are already established in the travel niche…
What We Didn't Like About Ibuumerang
Here is what we didn’t like about Ibuumerang:
#1 Expensive To Join & Pay to Play
This is an expensive way of getting started with the hope of making money. To unlock the higher commissions, you need to spend $1000 and also sign up to a $99 a month subscription.
With the only way of people getting access to the system through these boomerangs too, makes it more like a system where you pay to play.
But there are plenty of affiliate programs within the travel industry where it is free to promote their products… For example, TravelSupermarket has an affiliate program where you could promote their services and earn between 20%-50% commission without paying any fees.
With the right training, you could earn money without having a huge outlay.
#2 Holton Buggs (CEO) Has a Shady Past
Don’t get me wrong, he has promoted a number of legit MLM opportunities. But he has also been behind proven Ponzi Schemes (Scam) before too.
#3 Money Relies on Recruitment
Whilst you can earn money from selling directly to customers, the real money lies with the recruitment side. This is what makes it extremely difficult for people and why so many people fail at MLM!
#4 Complicated Compensation Plan
If you got your head around their complicated compensation plan, then I applaud you. It is so technical and really unclear on how everything works. But the fact they focus so much on the recruitment side is why many people will think this could be a pyramid scheme in disguise. There is very little to encourage you to sell their products direct to people, yet huge incentives to go and recruit a huge team under you… I am not saying they are a pyramid scheme, as they have products. But they could be focusing more on recruitment as that is the owners way of building up a huge network of people paying them a monthly fee that it could be close to being described as a Pyramid Scheme in Disguise…
#5 No Income Disclosure to Base a Decision On
This one might be unfair, as the company is relatively new. But without an income disclosure there is nothing to base your decision on. There is no way of knowing if this is really the business opportunity, they claim it is.
Considering the COVID-19 situation at the moment, this is probably not the time to experiment with the travel industry either.
#6 Travel Niche is In Decline
This is apparent on a couple of factors. Travel is not happening at the moment with the Corona Virus situation. But even without that, the travel MLM route was a declining market anyway. People are just too used to searching on Google and finding cracking deals on trips. So, why would they come to an MLM where the prices will be a little higher…
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Ibuumerang Alternatives?
If you are interested in exploring the travel niche, then my advice would be for you to take a less risky option. Affiliate Marketing would allow you to explore your interest a little more without having to sign up to an expensive product MLM where you are pressured to recruit and recruit until it hurts.
With affiliate marketing, you can promote products and services related to travel without the need to pay a fee. Like I said earlier, you could earn 20% to 50% commission on anything you promote from TravelSupermarket and you wouldn’t need to pay anything for the privilege. Affiliate Programs are free. There are tons of affiliate programs within the travel, holiday, etc. niche. All you need to do is learn how to implement affiliate marketing. But it isn’t that hard, but there is no pressure to be up and running by the time you have signed up with an MLM.
Both MLM & Affiliate Marketing are legit options. But we have found that MLM has a really low success rate as they are expecting people to be ready from day one. Affiliate Marketing has a much better learning curve and the costs are so much lower as the costs come from learning and your website. Not from the affiliate programs themselves.
If you take Ibuumerang, you are going to need to pay $49.95 – $99 a month and have to learn a hell of a lot to be able to make money from their program and you are tied to that one MLM company.
Or, you could try our top recommended training program and learn affiliate marketing. Their premium membership costs $49/month. You will get everything you need to get started and as the affiliate programs are free to sign up with, you are spending less and have a much higher chance of success. Even better, they have a free starter membership to try it out…
The decision is entirely up to you, but we took the affiliate marketing route a few years ago and have never looked back. Best decision we ever made, and with training like that at Wealthy Affiliate – there will be no need to sign up for a difficult MLM again.
My Ibuumerang Review - Final Conclusion
In our opinion, Ibuumerang is not a scam. It does offer a service where you can make money from offering out travel discounts to customers.
My concern is more around if this is a viable business opportunity for you. If you have experience in the travel industry and are good at sales and recruitment, this might be a good option for you.
If you are a newbie thinking this is a way of building a business in your passion of travelling or holidays, then we would suggest you explore it with affiliate marketing.
How We Make Money Online
I’m not a fan of MLM, not because it’s illegal or not profitable, but because of all the restrictions and expensive costs involved.
Instead, Affiliate Marketing is our top recommended business model for anyone looking to make money online
The reasons are simple…
- You can promote anything you want and aren’t restricted to only promote products from one MLM company
- You don’t have to recruit anyone to make money
- You never need to sell to your friends and family
- It’s free to get started
In fact, with affiliate marketing we’ve been able to Create a 4-Figure Monthly Passive Income Stream. If you want to learn more, click here.
Thanks for checking out our Ibuumerang Review! If you have any questions or comments to add, then please write them in the comments section below. 😉
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Ibuumerang
$49.95/month + upto $1000
Pros
- It is New
Cons
- Expensive to Join & Pay to Play
- CEO Has a Shady Past
- Money Relies on Recruitment
- Complicated Compensation Plan
- No Income Disclosure Statement to Base Decision On
