Welcome to our PureTrim Review!
PureTrim is a health and wellness MLM selling weight loss products, but you are probably here to see if their business opportunity is a legit money-making opportunity or a total scam.
That is what we will be showing you in our full review.
First off, it is great to see that you are doing your research prior to buying into any “seemingly good” product.
It is the best way to avoid scams and find only legitimate ways to make money online.
To be completely transparent, we are not associated with PureTrim in any form. We are just here to give you an objective review that will take you through their products, their business opportunity, company overview and some pros and cons.
That way, you can walk away knowing all you need to know about whether this is the right business opportunity for you.
If you are ready to get started, then let’s get into it with a quick product overview…
PureTrim Review Summary
Product Name: PureTrim
Founder: Mark Tahiliani (CEO)
Product Type: Health and Wellness MLM Company
Price: $29 per year & $199 – $399 per month in products
Best For: Experienced Network Marketers
Summary: PureTrim is an MLM or Multi-Level Marketing company that offers a range of health and wellness products based on losing weight. The company is legit, but that doesn’t automatically make it a good business opportunity to be getting involved in. Their products are expensive, as most MLM products are, and they also over-promise on the health benefits.
The joining fee makes it sound like it will only cost you $29 per year to become a distributor, but there is a hidden cost where you will be expected to buy between $199 to $399 worth of products each month to remain active and therefore eligible for commissions. This makes it a really expensive start-up cost.
There is also a huge emphasis on recruitment within their compensation plan, with little reward for actually selling the products to retail customers. It makes it more like a Pyramid Scheme in disguise.
Either way, we have found that most people lose money (we will prove it to you).
Overall, we wouldn’t recommend this business opportunity to you.
Rating: 30/100
Recommended? No
Table of Contents
What is PureTrim?
PureTrim is a health and wellness MLM or Multi-Level Marketing company. It offers a range of health-related products, so could be described as being similar to Amare Global, USANA, Tranont, etc.
Their website doesn’t give you a lot of detail about who is really behind the scenes. It just describes it as a company that was launched just over 3 years ago, although that is out of date. It was originally called Awareness Corp, which was changed in 2014.
Doing a little digging, we can reveal that PureTrim was originally called AwarenessLife Worldwide and the name was changed for legal reasons.
This means we can safely assume the owner behind both is Mark Tahiliani.
He also goes by another name and that is Dr. Marc.
Naturally, you would assume he would put his name against the scheme, but I am guessing it might have something to do with his past, something that he wants to keep hidden from people considering joining the scheme.
Back in 2001, the FTC sued Mark Tahiliani and the MLM company he was running called BigSmart.
The scheme was clearly a pyramid scheme, which are illegal and Tahiliani settled for $5 million.
Here is a excerpt from the lawsuit:
“Operators of an Internet-based business opportunity that promised easy income for investors in an Internet shopping mall network have agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that their scheme was an illegal pyramid operation.
Under the terms of the settlement, Bigsmart.Com L.L.C. and principals Mark and Harry Tahiliani will provide up to $5 million in consumer redress and post a $500,000 performance bond before engaging in any new multi-level marketing activity.
The defendants also are prohibited from engaging in any illegal pyramid schemes”.
The problem is, there are similarities with a pyramid scheme in their compensation plan and may be the reason why he doesn’t want you to know he is behind PureTrim.
The PureTrim Product Line
PureTrim sells a range of nutritional products, such as weight loss and nutritional supplements.
Here is a list of their more popular products:
- PureTrim Mediterranean Wellness Shakes – $39.99 per 7.4oz tub
- Boost Tea – $39.99 per 7.4oz tub
- TrimBar – $29.95 for 5 bars
- Joint Tea – $39.99 per 4.5oz tub
- Joint Mist (joint and muscle spray) – $39.99 for 60-day supply
- Cardio 9 – $69.99 for tub of 30 servings
- Daily Complete (multi-vitamin) – $39.99 for month’s supply
- Experience (constipation relief) – $39.99 for 90 capsules
- LiverMaster – $39.99 for 30 capsules
- SynergyDefense (probiotic/antioxidant) – $39.99 for 30 capsules
- PureGardens (anti-aging product) – $39.99 for 2oz tub
- Clear (immune response product) – $59.95 for 90 capsules
- Female Balance (helps balance PMS & Menopause) – $29.95 for 60 capsules
Overall the products are pretty similar to most other health and wellness MLM company product lines. The same goes for the price of the products.
If you take the trim bar range for example, $29.95 for 5 bars seems really expensive:
Personally, I would not spend that much on a health bar. Especially when you can get better options online for a fraction of the cost. A quick search on Amazon provided a host of choices where you could get at least 12 bars for less than $20.
This is something you really need to take into account as you will be expected to sell these expensive products to people for you to make money, yet you will have better and cheaper options from competitors.
This is partly why MLM is such a difficult choice for someone just starting out on a business opportunity.
How to Make Money with PureTrim
PureTrim is an MLM company, so it provides you the usual two ways of being able to make money with their compensation plan:
- Retail Commissions – sell their products to people for a commission
- Recruitment Commissions – Recruit people into your downline and earn commissions when they recruit or sell the products
However, when we get to their compensation plan you will see that there is a much bigger focus on recruiting others over actually selling the products. This makes PureTrim more like a pyramid scheme. But a better description would be to say that it is a pyramid scheme in disguise… Here is why:
Haven't Made Your First $1 Yet?
Is PureTrim A Pyramid Scheme?
Not all MLM’s are pyramid schemes, although many get incorrectly labelled with the title as the distributors are more focused on recruitment over selling the products.
This is all dependent on how the compensation plan is built.
I would better describe PureTrim as a pyramid scheme in disguise. To help explain this, first check out this image which describes a typical pyramid scheme:
This is what a true illegal pyramid scheme looks like.
There are two ways a pyramid scheme can take place, they are:
- There is no product to speak of, and recruitment is your only option to make money
- There is a product, but sales and commissions come from recruiting new distributors and not from retail commissions
As PureTrim does have retail products, people will assume it is just a legit MLM company. However, I feel it is more likely to fit very nicely into the second category. This is what I call a Pyramid Scheme in disguise.
This is because there is no incentive to make retail sales. The compensation plan is based solely on recruiting more and more distributors into your downline.
On top of this, to remain eligible for recruitment commissions, you have to buy between $199 and $399 in PureTrim products every month.
This encourages their distributors to recruit other people in, as they will benefit from these people having to buy these products every month.
That is why I would say they are a pyramid scheme in disguise, if not a real pyramid scheme.
Another reason why Tahiliani is keeping himself in the background, hoping if it does get outed, he can hide away from distributors who have lost their income.
Success Is Rare At PureTrim
The people who have already signed up with PureTrim and are struggling to recruit people will not be revealing the whole truth to you. If they told you the truth, you wouldn’t want to sign up with them. But the fact is that between 73% and 99% of people who join an MLM lose money instead of making money.
MLM’s rely on outdated methods to sell their products and unless you have experience in network marketing or direct sales, you will find this a really tough route to take.
People really underestimate how difficult it is to make sales and recruit others. Let me tell you that both are really hard, but recruitment is even harder. Especially if you have no financial prove to show someone it is working for you.
MLM’s typically have a small percentage of people who are successful, but the rest are struggling to cover their costs, so they rely on recruiting others to help but they just end up recruiting friends and family into financial hardship chasing a dream.
MLM products are really expensive, which makes it hard for you to sell them and in order to make any significant amount you will most likely have to recruit hundreds of people into your downline.
Can you honestly think how you are going to recruit that many people? The truth is that you can probably think about a number of your friends and family, but are they really geared up to sales and recruitment and do you want to put that on them?
65% of people quit MLM due to the awkwardness of selling to family and friends.
I am not saying it is impossible to make a go of it, but you really need the right MLM opportunity and this is not it…
Recommended: Why Affiliate Marketing is 100x Better than Any MLM!
Getting Started at PureTrim
On the surface, it looks like a really low start-up cost to join PureTrim. They ask for an annual fee of only $29.
That sounds reasonable, however there are hidden costs that really start to stack up if you want to be eligible for any commissions.
In order to qualify for MLM commissions, as in make money from your downline, you have to buy $400 worth of products in a single month.
That isn’t where the costs stop either.
If you have 3 retail customers that sign up to auto-shipment, a monthly subscription, you need to spend $199 per month to remain eligible for MLM commissions.
If you don’t have 3 retail commissions, you will have to pay $349 per month in auto-shipment yourself, to be eligible for MLM commissions.
Or you can just buy $399 worth of products to remain eligible (per month).
This can easily add up to $4,000 per year!
PureTrim Compensation Plan Explained...
Like we said, to become eligible to earn commissions inside of PureTrim, you will need to either:
- Maintain a monthly $199 autoship order and have 3 retail customers and/or recruited affiliates on monthly autoship;
- Maintain a monthly $349 autoship order; or
- Purchase $399 worth of PureTrim products each month
Then, the PureTrim compensation plan is typical of most MLM companies. It is long, hard to understand, uses loads of jargon and just downright confusing.
For simplicity, we are just going to detail the main things that you should know.
Affiliate Ranks
There are 7 ranks that you can climb up within PureTrim. You can increase your rank by hitting certain goals. There is a reward for going up each rank as well. Here are the ranks:
- Executive Promoter
- Direct Promoter
- 1 Star Promoter
- 2 Star Promoter
- 3 Star Promoter
- 4 Star Promoter
- 5 Star Promoter
- Presidents Club
The main route to go through the ranks is through recruitment and you will get to the second rank by buying $400 in products. Once you do this, you will be eligible for recruitment commissions.
Retail Commissions
Retail commissions are paid on products ordered by retail customers. You can earn anywhere between 10% and 35% on every retail sale you make to customers. The percentage is dependent on your rank.
Residual Commissions
PureTrim pays residual commissions through a unilevel compensation structure. This type of structure looks like this:
How far down the pyramid you earn from and the percentage you get will depend on your rank.
Here is what you can earn, depending on your rank:
- 1 Star Promoters earn 5% on level 1 recruits (your direct recruits)
- 2 Star Promoters earn 5% on level 1 and level 2 recruits
- 3 Star Promoters earn 5% on level 1 to level 3 recruits
- 4 Star Promoters earn 5% on level 1 to level 4 recruits
- 5 Star Promoters earn 5% on level 1 to level 5 recruits
- President’s Club earn 5% on level 1 to level 6 recruits
Gold Bonus
This bonus is for those who reach the 3 Star Promoter rank and above.
This bonus allows you to earn up to the 10th level and increases the percentage you earn on levels 4 to 10.
All Star Matching Bonus
If you are able to recruit 7 Direct Promoters in the first 30 days of joining, you will get a $700 bonus.
Fast Start Bonus
$100 bonus when you recruit an affiliate that qualifies as a Direct Promoter
Frontline Bonus
You will receive a 10% when your Direct Promoter recruits buy products.
Luxury Car Bonus
2-Star and higher ranked PureTrim affiliates can qualify for a monthly car bonus:
- 2 Star with $12,000 in wholesale sales volume across two unilevel team levels receive $150/month car bonus
- 3 Star with $28,000 in wholesale sales volume across three unilevel team levels receive $300/month car bonus
- 4 Star with $70,000 in wholesale sales volume across four unilevel team levels receive $400/month car bonus
- 5 Star with $175,000 in wholesale sales volume across five unilevel team levels receive $750/month car bonus
- President’s Club with $350,000 in wholesale sales volume across six unilevel team levels receive $1500/month car bonus
P.S. This Program helped us Create a 4-Figure Monthly Passive Income Stream. It’s Free to get started and only costs $49/month to go full-time!
What We Liked About PureTrim
Here’s what we liked about PureTrim:
#1 Products Have Potential
Whilst the products are expensive and unique, the reviews online seem to show that they have potential.
However, most of that feedback comes from PureTrim distributors, so you may have to take that feedback with a pinch of salt…
What We Didn't Like About PureTrim
Here is what we didn’t like about PureTrim:
#1 No Income Disclosure Statement
As part of our research into any MLM, we like to consider the income disclosure statement. It gives you an idea of how many distributors are actually making any money from their business opportunity. But that is a problem with PureTrim. That is because we cannot source one. This backs up our claim that as it is heavily geared towards recruitment, we feel it is definitely a pyramid scheme in disguise and that their distributors are not making any money with their business opportunity.
#2 It is a Pyramid Scheme in Disguise
Whilst you may get commissions for selling products, you can clearly see their compensation plan is geared more towards recruiting people.
You are recruiting other distributors to buy the products, so the company is making money because their distributors are buying all these products to qualify for commissions.
#3 High Costs
Don’t get fooled by that $29 annual fee. There are much higher costs associated with PureTrim than is made clear.
In order to be eligible for MLM commissions you will need to buy $199 to $399 per month and every month. This will cost you several thousand dollars over the course of a year.
#4 Pay to Play
It is clear that their compensation plan rewards you more for how much you spend and not based on how much you sell. This is part of the reason why we feel this is a pyramid scheme in disguise and not a great opportunity at all.
#5 Auto-Shipments
This shows that the money the company is making is from their distributors being tied into expensive auto-shipments and not from selling the products to actual people.
This is another sign that it is a pyramid scheme.
#6 Tahiliani’s Past
The final nail in the coffin is the CEO, Mark Tahiliani has been previously involved in an illegal pyramid scheme. He was sued by the FTC and settled for $5 million for running an illegal pyramid scheme.
With the way PureTrim is operating, it shows he hasn’t learned anything from that experience and isn’t particularly interested in helping people make money.
Haven't Made Your First $1 Yet?
Is PureTrim a Scam?
After reviewing all the information available about PureTrim makes us even more convinced that PureTrim is a Pyramid Scheme in disguise trying to operate as a health and wellness MLM company.
There are too many red flags…
From the owner who has a history for being involved in a Pyramid Scheme, to a compensation plan that is totally obsessed with recruitment over selling products.
Then you add the expensive autoship that the distributors will be tied into, shows that the sales the business is making is coming from their distributors buying them rather than distributors selling their products.
With the expensive product line making it extremely difficult to sell them on the retail space, and recruitment being extremely difficult I would suggest that if we did see their income disclosure, it would back up our claims that 99% of people who join an MLM lose their money.
I would not recommend you sign up with PureTrim, getting involved with this company would end up with you losing your money and feeling compelled to reach out to friends and family which would have a horrible effect on any relationships you value.
If you want a better and less risky opportunity to make money, continue reading. But steer clear of PureTrim.
How We Make Money Online
We are not a fan of MLM, not because it is illegal or that it isn’t profitable, but because it is really restrictive, and the expensive costs involved.
That is why we recommend Affiliate Marketing. It is our top recommended business model for anyone wanting to make money online.
The reasons are simple…
- You don’t have to recruit anyone to make money
- You have the freedom to promote any products or services you want and not get restricted by only promoting products from one MLM company
- NO face-to-face Selling is involved
- It is FREE to get started
In fact, with affiliate marketing we are close to earning a 4-figure monthly passive income stream. With the right help and guidance, you can too. Click here to find out about our top recommended training platform for learning affiliate marketing:
Thanks for checking out our PureTrim review. If you have any questions or comments to add, then please write them in the comments section below. 😉
Affiliate Marketing Vs MLM – Which One Is Best Option For You?
Financial Education Services Review – Legit MLM or Pyramid Scheme?
PureTrim
$29/annual fee + $199-$399 on products a month
Pros
- Nothing
Cons
- No Income Disclosure Statement
- It is a Pyramid Scheme in Disguise
- High Costs
- Pay to Play
- Tahiliani's Past
Personally, I see why you can say that you don’t want to recommend this to anyone because it is an MLM business and I have tried some MLM too and I know that they are not all that lucrative because just like this puretrim, they are usually very expensive to join and the income potential is also very low.
Hey Jay,
thanks for checking out our review. It isn’t necessarily due to it being an MLM, but more being an MLM that expects you to fork out money just to remain qualified for commissions is why we feel this is not the best MLM.
Plus, the fact that the owner has had a dodgy past with a known pyramid scheme shows this is not going to be an easy ride to achieve sales…
All the best
John
These days, among the many jobs and products offered on the Internet, it is very difficult to recognize what is a scam and what is the truth. Thank you very much for your extensive PureTrim review and for pointing us to the fact that this is most likely a pure MLM business. What I definitely don’t want is to spend my time on a job where someone else will reap the fruits of my hard work. Affiliate marketing is a much better option.
Hi,
thanks for checking out our review. It is an MLM, but we are also pretty sure it is a pyramid scheme in disguise due to the added pressure of having to recruit to make it worthwhile. That is the main reason why we would not recommend this program to anyone.
All the best
John
This is the first time that I have heard about Pure Trim, so thank you for the informative review of this MLM company. I am not a fan of the multi level marketing business model as I worked for a MLM and I know how difficult it is to make money without continuously having to recruit new team members and to build a downline.
Pure Trim sounds no different to me and indeed seems to be a pyramid scheme in disguise. I regard the monthly commitment of buying products of up to $400 per month to stay active, as excessive. This, together with the fact that the owner was previously found guilty of running a pyramid scheme, makes it a no-brainer for me to avoid Pure Trim.
Hey Line,
thanks for checking out our review! The need to buy products to stay active and therefore eligible to receive commissions is criminal in our view. It is making it extremely difficult for a beginner to get anywhere.
An experienced network marketer may be able to soak up the costs whilst they get started, but a newbie will end up in tons of debt.
It is a shame that these MLM’s do not do more to support newbies.
All the best
John