Is Vantel Pearls a Scam? Unique MLM, But Something is Fishy?

Welcome to our Vantel Pearls Review!

This is definitely a different take on the jewellery MLM concept.  This business is all based on Pearl based Jewellery.  They even offer the opportunity for you to receive your jewellery with an oyster, so you can open it up for your very own pearl.

But is all as it seems, or are there things that make us question the opportunity?  That is what we will tell you in our review.

We have found out all the details you need to know about this company and the business opportunity and will share it with you in this review.

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 Vantel Pearls in any form.  We’re not here to pitch or sell you anything.

Instead, I just want to share with you what we found, so you can make an informed decision.

Vantel Pearls Review Summary

Product Name: Vantel Pearls

Founder: Joan Hartel Cabral

Product Type: Jewelry MLM Company

Price: $99 Membership Fee

Best For: People Who Love Jewelry and Are Good Are Direct Selling/Recruiting

Is Vantel Pearls a Scam

Summary: Vantel Pearls has a unique take on the MLM business model and is based on Jewellery featuring Pearls.  They have been in business for over 20 years, which is long standing for an MLM and shows they are legit.  Having said that, there are a few concerns that we have around this company.  Between lawsuits, product quality issues and the fact it is an MLM have us worried about recommending this opportunity.  MLM is tough and also has a really low income potential, coupled with the other issues we do not recommend this program to you.

Rating: 20/100

Recommended? No

Table of Contents

What is Vantel Pearls?

Founded in 1990, Vantel Pearls is a Jewellery MLM or Multi-Level Marketing company.  It was founded by Joan Hartel Cabral and it currently operates out of Massachusetts, USA.

The story goes that Joan was on holiday in Hawaii in 1987 and she was in awe at the tourist attraction of opening pearls themselves to find Pearls.  It somehow got turned into a home party money making opportunity, or rather a lot of people showing themselves opening them on Facebook Live.

Vantel Pearls provides an MLM opportunity related to Pearl Jewellery and other Pearl-related jewellery.  It is similar to other MLM companies like Touchstone Crystals and Stella and Dot.

a screenshot of the vantel pearls website showing it works

But these are not just any pearls… these are pearls you are going to open yourselves at home.  Some of the products will included a sealed oyster for you to open. 

The oyster will contain a pearl that you can then send back to them to place inside a necklace or ring, etc. of your choosing.

Vantel Pearls focuses more on the product selling than the recruiting new sellers, which is not normally the case with MLMs.

Vantel Pearls Lawsuits?

Vantel Pearls has seen its share of legal issues over the last few years.  

In our research, we found this thread from the forum for pearl information.

There was a class action lawsuit against Vantel Pearls, which stemmed from delayed shipments and the quality of the jewellery.  Attorneys from ClassAction.org were hired to look into the issues.

Examples of issues raised were:

  • Shipments taking several months to arrive
  • The jewellery was breaking part easily
  • The jewellery was changing colour
  • The pearls are fake and displayed into oysters
  • Jewellery pieces aren’t delivered as promised. An example would be sterling silver jewellery were not in fact sterling silver.

This didn’t surprise me, especially after them trying to fob you off that their pearls are Akoya pearls and they are nothing of the sort.

Vantel Pearls Product Line

Vantel Pearls Product Line includes:

  1. Anklets
  2. Bracelets
  3. Cage Necklaces
  4. Candles
  5. Chains and Extenders
  6. Charms
  7. Earrings
  8. Extenders
  9. Necklaces
  10. Bridal Jewellery
  11. Rings
  12. Wine Stoppers

You can order the jewellery ready-made, or you can order the jewellery piece casing along with a sealed oyster which includes a pearl.

The idea is you get to experience finding your own pearl and then fitting it yourself. It is supposed to be fun, I kind of get it.  But then again, it can get messy.  I know Gem would not be thrilled, lol

The website details all the prices and products, so transparency isn’t an issue there.

There is a range of colours for the pearls, all with a meaning which you can see in the image below:

Vantel Pearls is a member of the Direct Selling Association, which adds to its legitimacy.  They are also BBB accredited with an A- rating.

Their pearls are imported from Japan and the South Pacific.

Does the Vantel Pearls Product Work?

So far, so good.  If Pearls is your thing, this is an opportunity to get some pearls relatively easy… 

However, we found a HUGE BUT!

We have found an issue with the product itself.

Some people have pointed out that the Pearls sold to you from Vantel Pearls are not in fact Akoya Pearls as advertised.  This means that the pearls you are paying for are not in fact real pearls.

What we mean is that they are just run of the mill pearls that can be purchases at wholesale for about $3.50.

Basically, there are two types of Pearls, freshwater and saltwater pearls.  There are also naturally occurring pearls, but these are extremely rare and valuable.  Both freshwater and saltwater pearls are “cultured” or grown by workers.  They insert a piece of oyster shell into a mullusk and incubate it for anywhere from 6 months to 6 years in order to product a pearl.  They can then market it.

Akoya Pearls are made from Akoya sheels in Japan and China, whilst the freshwater pearls are cultivated in lakes and ponds.

But the problem is, freshwater pearls are actually harvested from Molluscs and not actually from Oysters.  All they do is insert the pearl into an oyster before they put into the packaging.

Check out the comments below about someone asking about Akoya pearls:

facebook thread talking about the quality of the pearls

So, at best your pearls might be freshwater cheap Chinese pearls.

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How to Make Money with Vantel Pearls

The only way you have to make money with Vantel Pearls is to sell their products.  You sign up as a member and you will earn commissions on every product you sell.

However, you are going to need to generate at least $500 in personal sales over a 2-month period to qualify for any commissions.

Any products you buy for yourself, do not quality against this figure so you need to get selling and quickly to reach those targets.

Direct Selling is not as easy as it may seem, it is a high-pressured system that requires sales experience.

consultant describing what it is really like

Getting Started with Vantel Pearls

To become a member, you will be required to pay a $99 joining fee and then you need to meet the minimum quota ($500 every two months) to be able to earn any commissions.

Vantel Pearls Compensation Plan

Vantel Pearls compensation plan follows a unilevel compensation structure.

Here are a list of the different ways you can earn money from Vantel Pearls

Vantel Pearls Commission

This is the commissions you can earn for selling products to the public, you will need to sell at least $500 every two months and as mentioned before, anything you buy for yourself does not count towards this figure.

The amount of commission you can earn will depend on your rank:

  1. New Recruits – earn 25% on sales to retail customers
  2. Consultant – earn 25% on sales to retail customers. This increases to 30% when your sales reach $4000
  3. Star Consultant – earn 29% on sales to retail customers. This increases to 34% when your sales reach $4000
  4. Leader – earn 32% on sales to retail customers. This increases to 37% when your sales reach $4000
  5. Star Leader – earn 33% on sales to retail customers. This increases to 38% when your sales reach $4000
  6. Director/Executive Director – earn 34% on sales to retail customers. This increases to 39% when your sales reach $4000
  7. Star Executive Director – earn 36% on sales to retail customers. This increases to 41% when your sales reach $4000

Residual Commissions

There is also the chance of earning commissions on any sales made by your downline, this can range from 2% for Consultants to 13% for Star Executive Directors.

Vantel Pearls Rank Bonus

You can earn a one-off bonus for reaching certain ranks and holding that rank for 3 months.

  • Become a Director and earn a $500 bonus
  • Become an Executive Director and earn a $1000 bonus
  • Become a Star Executive Director and earn a $2000 bonus

Vantel Pearls Monthly Sales Bonus

The higher ranks also can benefit from a monthly sales bonus, based on their sales performance:

  • An Executive Director selling $60,000 through their downline can earn a $600 bonus
  • A Star Executive Director selling $80,000 through their downline can earn a $800 bonus

Is Vantel Pearls a Pyramid Scheme?

This question always comes up when you start talking about MLM.  All MLM’s have an element of a Pyramid as the more people you can recruit into your downline, the more money you are likely to earn. 

It is why a lot of MLM’s get bad press, as too many people try to recruit a downline rather than sell the products. 

It is partly why it is extremely difficult to make money with MLM, as the products are normally really expensive and in a competitive market and if you are not a salesperson, you will struggle to shift the products.

The same can be said for the recruiting a downline side, as you don’t have the ideal product to build a team around you to make money.

Either way, the Pyramid title comes from the fact that the people making the most money are the people at the top with a huge downline team under them.

Brand new people struggle to break into the market and end up losing their money.

Vantel Pearls is not a pyramid scheme as it has a product and a true Pyramid Scheme only has the recruitment side.

Having said that, it will be extremely difficult for anyone to make good money with this, especially with all the complaints about the products they are wanting you to sell.

What We Liked About Vantel Pearls

Whilst I have tried to remain objective in my review, I couldn’t find anything positive to write about this company.  The reasons will become apparent in the next section.

What We Didn't Like About Vantel Pearls

Here’s what we didn’t like about Vantel Pearls:

#1 Lawsuits & Fake Pearls

I won’t harp on about it, but the lawsuits say a lot about this company and the fact they are trying to sell off freshwater pearls as saltwater pearls shows they are misleading people. 

Any company that is misleading people is definitely not a good partner to be in business with.  If the business gets closed down due to a lawsuit, there goes your business.  You are solely reliant on them to make money.  If it went away, you wouldn’t have anything, and you will lose any money you have invested too

#2 Low Earning Potential

MLM has an extremely low success rate, in fact 99% of people lose money when getting into MLM and I cannot see any reason why Vantel Pearls would make me change that impression.

Do you think you have the networks needed to sell this jewellery and earn the required sales figures to earn commissions?  Jewellery is a highly competitive sector and you will find that you will need to dedicate long hours to market the products.  Do you think this would work as a home party concept?

If sales is your thing and you have the connections, you might be able to?

#3 High Quotas

Quotas are a part of it being a sales-driven environment, but to stay in the commission program you do need to make $500 every two months just to stay in the program.  If you do not meet that, you don’t earn any commission.  Even if you have managed to sell something!

It will be difficult to rank up and also to maintain your membership too because of the quota. 

#4 Expensive (and Low Quality) Products

The products range in price from between $28 to $128. If the quality was great, people would probably pay it.  But we have found the products not to that good.  The quality has been called into question, the Pearls are not what they say they are and yet to make money you need to convince people to shell out high prices for them…

That is why members will find it difficult to make money from selling these products.  Especially when you compare the products against other retailers that have a higher quality product and for a better price.

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Is Vantel Pearls a Scam?

Vantel Pearls is a legitimate MLM company, it is a member of the Direct Selling Association and offers a business opportunity for you.

But having gone through what I have found as part of my research, I cannot recommend it as a way for someone to earn a full-time income from it.

MLM is a difficult route for someone just starting out anyway, and throw in the stuff around the lawsuits, product quality and the high prices it just goes to show why so many people fail at MLM.

You will be competing against more established businesses and retailers that have a much higher quality product and they have a much lower price than you will be offering.  That is why we feel it is not worth you invest your time or money into this business venture.

Recommended Post: How to Increase MLM Sales – Effective Tips to Improve Network Marketing Success

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
  • 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 Vantel Pearls Review!  If you have any questions or comments to add, then please write them in the comments section below. 😉

Vantel Pearls

$99 for membership
2

Training

2.0/10

Support

2.0/10

Money Making Opportunity

2.0/10

Overall Rating

2.0/10

Pros

  • ???

Cons

  • Lawsuits & 'Fake' Pearls
  • Low Earning Potential
  • High Quotas
  • Expensive & Low Quality Products

12 thoughts on “Is Vantel Pearls a Scam? Unique MLM, But Something is Fishy?”

  1. I have never heard of Vantel Pearls before and wow, there are really so many MLM companies nowadays. I wonder if that was from the influence of the rich dad poor dad guy. 

    I think that it is best to promote the MLM that has the human needs products such as food, supplements or daily essentials. This might be a good program for someone that is already in the jewelry business. But yet again, their pearls may be fake and they are facing lawsuits, i do not think that it is a great mlm to join. Mlm is already hard as it is.

    Thanks for the review, I will not join the program. I rather do affiliate marketing, less headache. 

    Reply
  2. Hi, I think that any MLM is a very hard way to have a long-term business. There are high fees, and the products are quite often things that are harder to sell. and there are more opportunities than ever to have a low-cost business. These can be kept relatively low while still getting access to the mentorship that you need to.

    Reply
    • Hi Jake,

      There are too many MLMs and it has become a crowded market, especially within the jewellery and health/nutrition sectors.  The products are expensive, without the guarantee of quality and yet they expect people to sell these products when people are more careful about their spending than ever.  

      There was a time for network marketing but it is not now, unless you are an expect salesperson.  Affiliate Marketing has a much better learning curve without sky high prices.  That is our we feel Affiliate Marketing is 100x Better than MLM.

      thanks

      John

      Reply
  3. Interesting that you can order a pearl in an oyster. How is it sent? Doesn’t the oyster get dry on the way?

    I was wondering whether these pearls were genuine or cultured, and then you confirmed my doubts, the pearls are cultured. So, that makes their value much lower. Is Vantel Pearls advertising them as real pearls? Judging by the customer inquiry that you show in the photo, they are clearly avoiding the issue and giving vague answers, so it looks suspicious. 

    Having to generate at least $500 us to get your first commissions paid is a little high, isn’t it? I find that that puts a lot of pressure on the sales representative, especially if he or she is just starting. I do like that this MLM focuses more on sales than on recruiting, but they set the bar for comissions too high. There are also many cons. If the jewelry turns your skin green, then it is indeed low quality, and I would not want to sell low quality products, so this MLM company would be a no for me. I don’t like MLM companies anyway, but even if I did, it is important to have good products that you can sell with confidence.

    Reply
    • Hi Christine,

      it is often that pressure to make sales that ends up hurting you the most.  You often have to pay upfront to join, and then the training inside assumes you know how to sell.  But selling is an art form and you either have it or not.

      They are extremely vague about the pearls, and yet the cheapest product in their range is $29 without shipping.  Would you pay that for a cheap Chinese freshwater pearl, that you have to open up yourself?

      It is definitely not a great option, in our opinion.

      thanks

      John

      Reply
  4. Okay I understand that Vantel Pearls is a company with high reputation and nice Products. Afterall they’ve been operating for 20 years now. However, I’m interested in the make money opportunity of this company only to find out from this review that I’d need to meet a requirement of $500 every two months. As a beginner, that would not be an easy task. I love the commission structure and the bonuses but I don’t think I can look towards this direction anymore.

    Reply
    • Hi,

      It is a high figure to reach for someone just starting out, and it could take a while before you reach that point and you find you are working for free.  it is hard for some to grasp, and they will walk away empty handed.

      Not a great option

      John

      Reply
  5. MLM, in itself, is a big red flag for me. The question: is Vantel Pearls a scam? Well, upon reading your brilliant review, the use of rubbish products means no return clients, and the fact of recruiting someone puts me off.

    I never understand why they make it so hard for starters to make any money with a bit ease? It will only make them more successful.

    Your recommendation of Affiliate Marketing and especially the Wealthy Affiliate program is 100% spot on. A member myself, the lessons, and over the shoulder step by step training is second to none; the community is super knowledgable and helpful. 

    Affiliate marketing is the way to create an online business to last and make a consistent income online.

    Thanks,

    Jordan. 

    Reply
    • Hey Jordan,

      great comment.  It is like they have this process and why change it.  The company gets money off you to start up, if you sell anything they make money.  If you walk away they keep your initial investment.  That is a no-brainer for them.  They don’t seem to have a moral compass as to the fact they are putting honest people into debt, but they don’t care.

      Corporate greed, I suppose?

      Affiliate Marketing benefits both parties, and that is why it is our top recommendation.  Glad you agree!

      All the best

      John

      Reply
  6. What a fascinating post.  I love finding posts that teach me something I didn’t know anything about.  I know absolutely nothing about pearls and found myself very intrigued with all the fabulous information you have. 

    Your review was well written and I really enjoyed it.  There sure seem to be some huge red flags most importantly the idea that they are being looking into by Classaction.  For that reason alone, I would no be a part of their company.  Also it seems a bit unrealistic to sell $500 of products every 2 mos.  You would need to be an incredible sales person.

    Thanks for the fabulous review.

    Reply
    • Hi Coralle,

      thanks for checking out our review.  It is a high figure to earn commission and puts it out of reach for those starting out.  I agree, too many red flags…

      thanks

      John

      Reply

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