Is Max International a Scam? Pyramid Scheme in Disguise?!

Welcome to our Max International Review!

I’m guessing, you’ve been approached by a friend or family member raving about an amazing opportunity called Max International, where you can become healthier and wealthier at the same time.

But you’re not entirely convinced that it’s all Legit.  Is Max International a scam or even a pyramid scheme?

First off, it’s great to see that you’re doing your research before buying into any “seemingly good” product.

That is how you avoid scams and find only legitimate ways to make money online!

To be completely transparent with you, we’re not associated with Max International in any form.  We’re not here to pitch or sell you anything.

Instead, we’re here to answer all of the questions you probably have about this business opportunity and even some answers to stuff you hadn’t even thought of yet.

Max International isn’t a scam, but that doesn’t mean their business opportunity is always right for you.

Let me give you this upfront…

Over 99% of their associates worldwide are in DEBT… 

If you don’t believe me, keep on reading and we’ll show you the proof.

Max International Review Summary

Product Name: Max International

Founder: Steven K. Scott, in 2007

Product Type: Health and Wellness MLM Company

Price: $49 for Starter Kit + $25/year + $100/monthly

Best For: People who are good at networking and recruiting

is-max-international-a-scam-logo

Pros

  • Proven History
  • Backed by Scientific Studies
  • Positive Product Reviews

Cons

  • Stockpiling
  • Lawsuits
  • Expensive Products
  • Hidden Monthly Expenses
  • Pyramid Scheme in Disguise?
  • Low Success Rate

Summary: Max International is an MLM company that sells health and wellness products related to glutathione.  They also offer a chance for everyday people to make money selling these products.

Their products do appear good with some clinical testing to show for their patented products.  But their business opportunity is another matter.

It appears impossible for you to earn money through their compensation plan.  It just appears like your typical MLM recruitment scheme, and the proof exists that over 99% of their members failed.

Rating: 20/100

Recommended? No

Table of Contents

What is Max International?

Max International is a Utah-based health and wellness MLM or Multi-Level Marketing company which sells a range of health and wellness products that are based around glutathione.

Their missions statement is to “empower people to build a legacy of significant change in their lives and the lives of others”.  They call themselves “The Glutathione Company” as their entire nutritional supplement range is based on Glutathione.

Max International is consdered to be a leader in the research, development and distribution of Glutathione products that fight free radical damages in the body.

Whats Glutathione?

Glutathione (GSH) is the primary protector and detoxifier of the human cell.  It is the first line of defence and reduces inflammation at the cellular level.  Our body produces it naturally, but as we age, that production slows.

According to studies into GSH, the benefits to the body are:

• Antioxidant defence
• Metabolism regulation
• Cellular regulation
• Anti-aging
• Detoxification
• Reduces inflammation
• Accelerates recovery
• Promotes endurance stamina
• Increased immunity and protection against disease

Max International has their own team of doctors and scientists who had done their research and come up with this new nutritional formula that increases the production of glutathione and supports it in the body.

Here’s a 4-minute video that will help you understand a little more about Max International…

Who’s Steven Scott?

Steven K. Scott is the founder of Max International.  He’s an entrepreneur and an author of many best-selling books.

Scott, along with Joe Voyticky and Jim Stevralia, founded Max International.  Joe and Jim act as the CEO and president of the company.

Max International was founded back in 2006, and since then has received numerous accreditations, one of the most notable ones being their A+ rating from BBB.

Is Max International a Pyramid Scheme

No, Max International is not a pyramid scheme.

Max International offers a legit range of products, and members can earn an income just from selling these products without the need to recruit anyone.

But many MLM’s do have a focus on recruitment, so a much better question to ask would be “is Max International a pyramid scheme in disguise?”

What’s A Pyramid Scheme?

A pyramid scheme is a company that promises payment in return for recruiting people into the company, instead of actually selling any products or services.

They have been made illegal in most countries around the world, as it is impossible for everyone to make money in a structure based solely on recruitment.

This diagram from Wikipedia explains why they are unsustainable…

pyramid scheme

Many MLM’s make it really hard for their members to actually achieve an income by just selling their products.  Mainly down to them being overpriced, and then hitting them with a monthly sales quota.

The only route left really is recruitment.  The members who are making a decent income are those that do recruit a huge downline team.

But when recruitment is the key focus, it makes it appear more like a pyramid scheme in disguise…

Here’s a 5-minute video that shows you how you can spot these pyramid schemes in disguise…

So, now let’s talk about the success rate at Max International…

Success is Rare at Max International

Success is going to be really hard to find at Max International.

Especially when their own income disclosure statement shows that 98.72% of Max International Associates are losing money.

The reason for this is that MLM’s have a monthly sales quota for you to achieve to remain active and eligible for commissions.

If you aren’t able to sell this level of products, you have to buy the products yourself.  People keep on buying in the hope that they become their own boss at some point.

But it’s also the reason why thousands of MLM members are losing huge amounts of money before they are able to recruit their first member.

MLM’s don’t want you to know this, but their biggest customer group is their own distributors…

How Does Max International Work?

Max International is an MLM that sells health and wellness products.  these are nutritional supplements that contain glutathione, which aims to help the immune system.

They also offer everyday people the chance of becoming their own boss by selling these products to friends and family to earn commissions.

It sounds like it’s a good deal for both parties… But Max International gets the better end of the deal.  They save millions of dollars a year on advertising and marketing costs.  They also leave the harder task to their Associates.

Let’s take a closer look at their product line…

Max International Product Line

is-max-international-a-scam-products

If you’re going to consider selling these products, you need to understand what they are all about and what they offer.

Max International sells health and wellness products, specifically designed to boost the body’s glutathione levels.

Their products include weight management supplements, dietary supplements, and a few meal replacement products.

Here are some of their products:

  • Cellgevity ($79) – a health supplement that contains prime nutrients which help strengthen the body’s cellular structure.  It helps in cell regeneration and imprvoes body detoxification.
  • MaxOne ($75) – this is a health supplement that protects the body from experiencing too much stress.  It also detoxifies the body from harmful chemicals and toxins, whilst reducing allergic reactions.
  • Switch ($75) – this is a supplement that aids the body’s metabolism.  It also aids weight loss in a healthy manner due to its antioxidants.

Whilst their products do sound unique and all, you should know that there are thousands of MLM companies all offering a very similar product line…  Examples include:

They all claim to be special, and they all offer the same business opportunity, just with different packaging on the products.

So, is there anything that makes Max International stand out from the crowd?

Max International Flagship Product – Max GXL ($69)

is-max-international-a-scam-max-gxl

Max GXL is their flagship product that is claimed to help your body produce more Glutathione.  It also supports the body’s cellular structure and improves organ function.  It also fixes the body’s deteriorating cells, oxidises the bloodstream and gets rid of harmful toxins and chemicals.

Haven't Made Your First $1 Yet?

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Can You Make Money with Max International?

You can, but it’s going to be really hard to make decent income with Max International.

They may be a few who are earning money, but it will be slightly above the minimum wage.  They’ll also be working as full-time sales managers, with a big downline team.

But their income disclosure statement shows that very few people are making an income here.

How To Make Money with Max International?

Just like any other MLM opportunity, there are two main ways for you to make money with Max International:

  1. Sell their products and earn retail commissions
  2. Recruit people and build your downline teams for bonuses and commissions

Please note that you don’t actually earn money for recruiting people, that would make it a pyramid scheme.  To get around that, you earn bonuses and commissions based on the sales your downline team make.

Before we get into their compensation plan in more detail, let’s first understand how to get started and actually qualify for those commissions…

Getting Started with Max International

Before you get started, there are a couple of fees you need to pay.

The first is a one-time subscription fee of $49.  This gives you a Max Starter Kit.  Inside this kit, you get examples of sales materials, welcome brochure, and a USB to help you get started.

Secondly, you are also require to pay an annual fee of $25 to help maintain your Virtual Office.

Then the third cost is the enrolment pack.  There are 3 options, which are:

  1. Personal Package – $150
  2. Professional Package – $549
  3. Premiere Pack – $999

But, that isn’t the end of the costs that you need to factor in…

Max International Monthly Costs

Then there is the fact that there is a monthly sales quota you have to achieve to remain eligible for commissions.  With Max International, it is 100 PV.

100 PV is equivalent to $100.  If you’re unable to sell this amount of product, then you are obliged to buy it yourself.

Considering that is going to be difficult when you first start out, here are the costs for the first year…

  • $49
  • $25
  • $150-$999
  • $100 x 12 = $1,200

Minimum Costs for Year 1 = $1,424 to $2,273

That is before you taking into account any other expenses that go with running a network marketing business, such as training, marketing, travel, fuel, etc.

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!

Max International Compensation Plan

Another thing that MLMs have in common, is that they all love an overcomplicated compensation plan.  The idea is it looks like there are tons of ways to make money, but the truth is that there are just the two ways for you to make money.

We’ll try to keep our explanations as simple as we can.  There are four main ways for you to earn money as a member of Max International.  These are:

  • Fast Start Income – earn between 10% to 205 bonus for your sales within the first 60 days of enrolling
  • Preferred Customer Income – earn 25% in bonuses for each sale made by any preferred customers and if you’ve generated at least 50 PV
  • Max Living Bonus – earn $250 to $750 bonus every month once you are able to reach the Platinum rank
  • Global Bonus Pool – earn 1% of the total global sales of the company, if you can each 1,000 PV
is-max-international-a-scam-affiliate-ranks

I know, that probably doesn’t make it any easier to understand.  It’s completely normal for you to not understand MLM compensation plans.  But there is just two things you need to know when it comes to making money here:

  1. Sell their products
  2. Recruit people into your downline

Most people are only able to earn from the recruitment side (Binary Team Income).  Only a very small percentage of people are actually benefitting from the top levels of income potential.  You’ll need to recruit a lot of quality downlines members and maintain it all, which is a lot of work.

But when you go back to their income disclosure statement, it shows that 99% of members FAIL!

If you want to know more about their compensation plan, you can watch this 15-minute video…

Is Max International a Scam?

No, Max International isn’t a scam.  The company sells a range of legit products and it also pays its members just like they say they do.

So, why do many members end up calling it a scam?  Well, that is mainly down to them becoming annoyed with all of the false promises that their sponsors and the company keep on saying about the income potential.

Anyone can give you an income potential, you can just pluck a figure out of the air.  It doesn’t mean you are going to earn it.  But when you are expecting something and keep on dropping $100 worth on products every month, you get to a point where you leave.

Most leave call it a scam.  Even thought it isn’t technically a scam, just a very difficult business model to succeed in.

The rest of our Max International review will reveal to you all of the other facts that you need to know, so that you can make an informed decision about whether its right or not.

Just to be completely transparent with you, I’m not a distributor of Max International, nor do I endorse Max International in any way.  I have researched the website, testimonials, and information available on the internet to get the details about what this program genuinely does.    I do this, as I have been caught out by a scam in the past, and am trying to help others avoid a similar fate…

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What We Liked About Max International

Here’s what we liked about Max International:

#1 Proven History

Most MLMs don’t get past the 5 year mark, with only 3 out of 10 getting past the ten-year mark.

Max International has been around since 2006, which is a good sign that the company won’t be closed down anytime soon, or that the FTC is concerned with how they are operating.

#2 Backed By Scientific Studies

Unlike most of the health and wellness companies that are on the market, with questionable products, Max International have products that have clinical backing.

There are several studies they’ve completed on their products.

They also have a patented compound called RiboCeine which is present in most of their products.

Max International has done a lot of research, studies, and some clinical tests on their products. (at least what we see from an outside perspective).

They also provide a full disclosure of product ingredients on their website too.

#3 Positive Products Reviews

Their products do appear to get positive reviews online from real users.  Here’s a couple of examples I found…

is-max-international-a-scam-amazon-reviews

They are a little dated now, but still show people found they good.

What We Didn't Like About Max International

Here’s what we didn’t like about Max International:

#1 Stockpiling

This is something you should avoid, especially when the products have a shelf-life to consider…

Max International asks their Associates to purchase as many products as you can and then keep that stock in your house.  The idea is that you can then resell these products to your retail customers.

But this is an outdated strategy, even for MLM.

If you need to stockpile your inventory, many people will run into the trouble of having “dead stocks”, which means extra products that you didn’t manage to sell.

Many other companies are working on the premise that you get your customers to oder online and that they can either pick up the products themselves, or have them shipped to their house.

There are much better opportunities out there, and you should have to deal with loads of stock in your house.

#2 Lawsuits

Max International has had it’s share of numerous lawsuits…

  • In 2011, the company paid a $1.2 million settlement to another MLM called Melaleuca.  This was due to Max International being accused of poaching members from the Melaleuca’s sales force (Source: Deseret News)
  • Max International was also accuesd of patent infringement by Tripharma.  It was claimed that Max International allegedely engaged in false and improper marketing, labelling and advertising. (Source: MLM the Whole Truth)

#3 Expensive Products

When an MLM has overpriced products, it starts to make me wonder if they are a potential pyramid scheme in disguise.  When they are more interested in profit marings, over offering affordable products that work, it shows their focus is more on recruitment.

The prices of competing products are nowhere near has high as those at Max International.

#4 Hidden Monthly Expenses

The second tag that makes them a potential pyramid scheme in disguise is that they slap their members with a monthly sales quota.

You need to sell at least $100 worth of products every month to remain active and being eligible to earn bonuses.

But most new members will not be able to achieve this, and then they realise that they have to buy $100 worth of product themselves to remain active.

This is common in MLMs, and makes their members the biggest customer as their agents have to keep on buying products in the hope of becoming their own boss.

#5 Is Max International a Pyramid Scheme in Disguise?

Trying to sell overpriced products, and being stuck paying $100 a month to stay active is a hard lot.  The only way to avoid this horror, is to recruit people into your downline team.

But that makes the structure in the company look like this… 

pyramid-scheme

But to avoid that, you need to recruit a lot of people who are themselves stuck buying $100 on products every month for you to benefit…  That isn’t ethical to me…

#6 Low Success Rate

This is the most concerning thing about this business opportunity.  If you take a look at their income disclosure statement, you’ll see some worrying stats…

is-max-international-a-scam-income-disclosure

As you can see, 97% of their members are falling within the ranks of Associate to Silver.  The average annual income for Silver is only $4,085, which works out to $340.40/month.

Bassically, the majority of Associates are making less than $340.40 per month, but they are investing hundreds or even thousands of dollars into this business opportunity.

That doesn’t make much sense to me.

Even those in the Gold rank aren’t earning a realistic sustainable income.  Gold members are earning an average annual income of $10,161.03, which is $846.75/month.

I mean you can pay off some bills and mortgage with that amount.  But you have to remember the amount of money these members will have invested to get to that level, which will be far more than they ever earned.

So, from Associated to the Gold rank, that represents 99% of the members that operated in Max International.

That works out as 99% of members are failing at Max International.

One last thing the income disclosure told us is that the average monthly commission paid to all Active Associates in the U.S. was $140.50, or $1,686.03 USD annually.
Once again, according to the table above, only less than 100 people in the entire company are making the huge money. I believe these are the top leaders in the company.

What makes this harder to work out is that this information is outdated, and there hasn’t been an updated income disclosure statement since 2011.

Why are they trying to hide what their members are earning?  I’m guessing the figures are even worse than they were then, and they don’t want you to see how bad the opportunity is…

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!

Haven't Made Your First $1 Yet?

Studies have shown that more than 70% of the people who want to make money online have not made their first dollar yet. So, you’re not alone!

My Max International Review - Final Conclusion

Max International has a range of legit products in the health and wellness niche, and might be of a benefit to some.

But as for their business opportunity, I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.  Their income disclosure statement proves that their members are losing more money than they make.  The products are expensive, and the monthly sales quota are both signs this is a possible pyramid scheme in disguise.

Only less than 100 in the entire company are earning a sustainable income.

My advice would be to avoid this opportunity.

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 Max International Review!  If you have any questions or comments to add, then please write them in the comments section. 😉

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Max International

$49 + $25/year + $100/monthly
2

Overall Rating

2.0/10

Pros

  • Proven History
  • Backed by Scientific Studies
  • Positive Product Reviews

Cons

  • Stockpiling
  • Lawsuits
  • Expensive Products
  • Hidden Monthly Expenses
  • Low Success Rate

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