Is Nature’s Sunshine A Scam? An Honest [Review]

Nature's Sunshine Lawsuit

There is some history of lawsuits regarding Natures's Sunshine including bribery and corruption for having paid over US$1,000,000 to Brazillian officials to lift import restrictions and permit their product to enter the Brazillian Market. 

The SEC caught wind of that and fined the, US$600,000 due to cooking the books accounting wise and trying to hide their misdemeanours.

There are also allegation of violating SEC regulation by their Auditors KPMG, of which an out of court settlement was made where Nature's Sunshine admitted to nor denied the allegations.

There certainly appears to be a very poor bunch of decisions made by the executive management team. 

This is a huge company with a massive product line. It is impossible for me to list every single one of their 600+ Products. 

I am, myself overwhelmed as where I should start here!. 

Let's make this much easier for both you and I as it is with large companies like Melaleuca and Norwex, that have a lot of different products available it is best to list the main product categories as it is not necessary to know all about all 600+ products sold. 

1. Amino Acids
2. Antioxidants
3. Body Cleansing Solutions
4. Brain Health
5. Vitamins
6. Weight Loss
7. Digestion
8. Energy Vitamins
9. Enzymes
10. Personal Care
11. Essential Oils
12. Herbs

Each of those if you noticed address a particular function in your body. Nature's Sunshine guarantee their products to be made only from natural ingredients. 

Currently their best selling products are: 

• Dieter's Cleanse 14 Day supply:  Aimed to Cleanse and detox your body in only 14 days. 

• Paw Paw Cell-Reg,  180 capsules: Designed strengthen your immune system.

• Food Enzymes 120 capsules: This product is designed to aid your body’s ability digestion of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. 

• Liquid Cleanse 16 fluid ounces.: This is designed to give support for your bowel, intestinal and liver health. 

• Heroes Probiotic Power: Probiotic tablets to help your children to a stronger immune system.

• Mind-Max 90 capsules: This is a product for your brain health which is made with powerful herbs to help give you boost in clarity and concentration.

• Love & Peas 675 grams: This is a protein product with 20 grams of pea protein and 75% of your daily nutritional value for 18 Vitamins & Minerals.

• Probiotic Eleven 90 capsules: Aimed to help you to maintain good intestinal health by the use of healthy probiotics.

• Para Cleanse 10 Day supply: As it sounds a 10 day body detox and cleanse. 

• Silver Shield with Aqua Sol 18 ppm, 4 fluid ounce: An immune system booster.

• The Legacy Compensation Plan:

• Member Rank: Simply sign up and Join Nature’s Sunshine as a distributor. 

• Manager Rank: No Information regarding qualification for this rank is provided. 

• Star Rank: Qualifying for this rank requires you to have recruited Manager ranked distributor.

• District Rank: To achieve this rank you need to have recruited 2 Manager ranked distributors. 

• Area Rank: To get as high as this rank you must have 4 Manager ranked distributors and have a minimum of 5 Manager ranked distributors in your MLM downline team. 

• Regional Rank: Obtaining this rank requires you to have recruited 6 Manager ranked distributors and have a minimum of 15 Manager ranked distributors in your MLM downline Team. 

• Divisional Rank:– Qualifying here you need to have personally recruited 8 Manager ranked distributors and have a minimum of 40 Manager ranked distributors in your MLM downline team. 

• Senior Divisional Rank: Reaching this far you will have recruited 10 Manager ranked distributors and have a minimum of 70 Manager ranked distributors in your MLM downline Team. 

• National Rank: Obtaining this rank you must recruit 12 Manager ranked distributors have a minimum of 100 Manager ranked distributors in your MLM downline team. 

• Senior National Rank: To qualify you will need to have personally recruited 15 Manager ranked distributors and have a minimum of 200 Manager ranked distributors in your MLM downline team. 

• Global Elite Rank: as per Senior National Rank, you must have 3 of your personally recruited Managers must come from three international countries and 50 of the 200 Managers in your downline team must come from 5 “international markets”. 

Note: The downline manager ranked distributors must be discovered in the first 5 levels of your downline team. 

This is for both the legacy and the classic compensation plan.

The term International Manager mentioned in the Global elite rank criteria refers to distributors that are not from within the same country as the distributor that recruited them. 

Distributor Purchase Rebates

Nature's Sunshine has a rebate offer for all distributors own purchases. How much the rebate is is dependent on how much you order based on and calculated as a QV - Qualifying Volume as follows: 

• Classic Compensation Plan:

• 0-99 Qualifying Volume: Zero rebate
• 100-299 Qualifying Volume: 10% rebate
• 300-599 Qualifying Volume: 12% rebate
• 600-999 Qualifying Volume: 18% rebate
• 1000-2999 Qualifying Volume: 27% rebate
• 3000+ Qualifying Volume: 30% rebate

• Legacy Compensation Plan:

• 0-99 Qualifying Volume: Zero Rebate
• 100-499 Qualifying Volume: 10% rebate
• 500-999 Qualifying Volume: 15% rebate
• 1000+ Qualifying Volume: 20% rebate

The main difference here between the two compensation plans is the classic compensation plan has rebated fat beyond the 1,000 Qualifying Volume at a higher rate than the Legacy Compensation Plan. 

THE Smart Start Bonus (US ONLY!)

This Smart Start Bonus is only is for newly recruited distributors orders that generate a minimum of 100 Qualiying Volume. 

Classic Compensation Plan Distributors can get up to 30% on those first orders. Their direct manager ranked (or greater) distributor upline sponsors earn a 10% bonus. 

A further 2 additional manager or above ranked upline sponsors earn a 5% bonus each. 

The Legacy Compensation plan earns the recruiting distributor a commission of up to 40%. 2 further upline commissions of 5% are also paid. 

No details of the "up to 30%" and "up to 40%" bonus commissions are calculated or paid in the compensation plan document. 

This bonus is only available to Distributors in the USA. 

Unilevel MLM Commission Earnings

The MLM or residual commissions are paid using the unilevel compensation model which is very easy to follow and explain - It is designed that way - I'll explain that in a moment!. 

In the Unilevel compensation model you are placed at the top. Every time you recruit someone into your downline they are placed below you and on to your level 1. 

When your level 1 manage to recruit new members they are placed below them and on to your level 2. 

The unilevel compensation model continue in this fashion for all subsequent levels with their recruits getting placed below them on the next level down.

The principle benefit of the Unilevel compensation plan is the ability to go infinitely wide on level 1, your direct recruits. 

The earnings are paid as a percentage of your sales volume generated by distributors in your downline team. How much you can earn is entirely based on your rank. 

• The Classic Compensation Plan

• Star Rank: Can earn a 12% commission on their level 1 only.

• District Rank: Can earn a 12% Commission on their level 1 and a 4% commission on their level 2. 

• Area Rank: Can earn a 12% commission on their level 1, a 4% commission on their level 2 and a 2% commission on their level 3.

• Regional Rank: Can earn a 12% commission on their level 1, a 4% commission on their level 2 and a 2% commission on their  level 3. 

• Divisional Rank: Can earn a 12% on their level 1, a 4% on their level 2, a 2% commission on their level 3 and a 0.5% on their level 4.

• Senior Divisional Rank: Can earn a 12% commission on their level 1, a 4% commission on their level 2, a 2% commission on level 3 and a 1% commission on their level 4. 

• National Rank: Can earn a 12% commission on their level 1, a 4% commission on their level 2, a 2% commission on their level 3, a 1.5% commission on their level 4 and a 0.5% on their level 5. 

• Senior National Ranks and Global Elite Ranks: Can earn a 12% commission on their level 1, a 4% commission on their level 2, a 2% commission on their levels 3 and 4 and a 1% commission on  their level 5. 

Note: Distributors that qualify beyond level 5 (Global Elite Rank) if and when they have 100 international managers. There is no details as to the percentage offered beyond this level. I suspect that the 1% commission will be continued on for this level. 

• The Legacy Compensation Plan:

• Star Rank: Can earn a 10% commission on their  level 1 only.

• District Rank: Can earn a 10% commission on their level 1 and a 7% commission on their level 2.

• Area Rank: Can earn a 10% commission from their level 1, a 7% commission from their level 2 and a 4% commission on their level 3.

• Regional Rank Can earn a 10% commission from their level 1, a 7% commission from level 2 and a 6% commission from level 3. 

• Divisional Rank: Can earn a 10% commission from their level 1, a 7% commission from their level 2, a 6% commission from their level 3 and a 3% commission from their level 4. 

• Senior Divisional Rank: Can earn a 10% commission from their level 1, a 7% commission from level 2, a 6% commission on their level 3 and a 5% commission from their level 4. 

• National Rank: Can earn a 10% commission from their level 1, a 7% commission on their level 2, a 6% commission from their level 3, a 5% commission from their level 4 and a 3% from their level 5.

• Senior National Rank: Can earn a 10% commission on level 1, a 7% commission from their level 2, a 6% commission from their level 3, a 5% commission on their levels 4 and 5.

• Global Elite Rank: Can earn a 10% commission from level 1, a 7% commission from level 2, a 6% commission from their level 3, a 5% commission from levels 4, 5 and 6 and a 1% commission on level 7 and beyond.

Note: To qualify beyond level 6 (Global Elite Rank) you must have a minimum of 100 international managers in your downline. 

remember I said there was a reason as to why the Unilevel compensation model was per popular? 

Additional Bonuses

There are other carrot dangling bonuses available with both classic and legacy compensation plans. 

A car bonus is available on both as follows, based on rank: 

• Regional Rank: US$250
• Divisional Rank: US$400
• Senior Divisional Rank: US$550
• National Rank: US$700
• Senior National Rank: US$850
• Global Elite Rank: US$1000

There are annual events and conferences of high performing distributors. 

Watch the videos below for an excellent explanation of the Nature's Sunshine Compensation Plan. 

Moving on and continuing with where we left off earlier with a check into the companies back ground. We uncovered some rather shady and questionable legal history. 

Let's now have a good look at how they are seen by other professional organisations such as The Better Business Bureau. 

I can confirm that they are fully accredited with the Better Business Bureau and are perfectly rated at an A+. 

I am delighted to report that Nature's Sunshine are a member of the Direct Sellers Associations. 

I thought I would check this one out given their runs in and the allegations put forward a few years back and they fact they are a Publicly Traded Company on the NASDAQ. 

I can confirm that Nature's Sunshine are indeed registered with the SEC. 

I checked the Truth In Advertising Website and, I'll be honest here I was expecting to find something!. 

The Truth in advertising uncovered 23 instances of false or unsubstantiated income claims across a variety of social media platforms including YouTube.

If any distributor is making income claims ask for proof!.  

The most common complaint being made around the internet is the lack of an income disclosure being present on their website. 

While this is not a legal obligation for all network marketing companies it is most certainly obliged legally by the ones that public companies. 

Which mean in no uncertain terms Nature's Sunshine are breaking the law by not having and income disclosure statement available.

Poor show!

This is a very subjective question and very opinion based. 

Nature's Sunshine are a very well known brand and a very profitable business generating hundreds of millions of dollars every year in revenue and do appear to have well priced and good quality products (yes, I have bought their products in the past!). 

So, yes in my opinion they are a good brand.

No, 

Their product do not appear to be natural either. Take for example a randomly selected product, (see below). 

The chemical names (like Thiamine, Riboflavin, Niacin etc) prove that they use the chemical equivalent of vitamins and minerals in their products and not natural or organic vitamins. 

The claims that they go "beyond organic" iscompletely false!. 

Also, 

There is no indication anywhere that their products are USDA certified as organic. 

Nature's Sunshine are headquartered in Lehi, Utah and have a manufacturing facility in Spanish Fork. 

Their products are made in the USA!. .

No, 

The Food And Drug administration do not approve of any dietary supplements for the treatment, prevention, management or curing of any known diseases. 

I can confirm that their products are manufactured to known safety and hygiene standards and are NSF certified as compliant with Good Manufacturing Practices. 

Naturally speaking there are side effects associated with Nature's Sunshine Products. 

Just because a products is a vitamin, mineral, a herb or natural health supplement they still alter you body's chemistry and therefore can have known side effects and cause negative interactions with any mediation you may be taking. 

Before taking any health supplements do consults with a physician. 

There is a lot to like about Nature's sunshine, here are what I liked about them: 

• They are fully accredited with the Better Business Bureau and perfectly rated at A+.
• They are Members of the Direct Sellers Association. 
• They are a well known and well established Brand. 
• Known for having top quality products
• Good support system for their distributors and tools to help them.

There are some things that I did not like about natures Sunshine. 

• The have some legal history, some very messy legal history. 
• They are not very transparent. 
• Their distributors and thus the company with some very questionable marketing techniques focused around false and unsubstantiated income claims on several instances. 
• No income disclosure available.

It is in my opinion that a you cannot make money with Nature's Sunshine. I will happily revise my opinion when presented with an updated income disclosure statement for this year. 

In lieu of  and income disclosure statement have a look at the findings of Dr Jon Taylor, a leading expert in the network marketing industry after studying over 250+ leading MLM opportunities. 

Check out the 4th and 5th from bottom Misrepresentations and The Naked Truths. 

1. Who are MLM opportunities heavily weighted towards?
2. MLM's are riskier than what? 

Answer below in the comments areas if you find the answers!. 

In my opinion Nature's Sunshine is not a Pyramid Scheme and are fully compliant with anti-pyramid scheme laws and regulations. 

Yes, 

Nature's Sunshine are a multi-level business opportunity. This is clear and easily seen due to the company paying their distributors over more than 1 level. 

In my opinion Nature's Sunshine is not a scam. I have seen no indication of any acts of deception or fraud that would cause you to be at a financial loss.

Nature's Sunshine might be an absolute giant and grand father of all network marketing companies - that still does not make them necessarily a good opportunity to join or automatically equate to you being able to earn a living with them. 

After uncovering the rather dark legal history which amounts to nothing more than bribery and corruption of foreign state officials it really strikes me as a company that you should not be doing business with.

If they are willing to do that to the big guys - they would not think twice about screwing over little guys like you or me.

The lack of an income disclosure statement just confirms to me there is very little money trickling down to chain - otherwise they would be as proud as punch to publish one.

I advise you skip this one and seek out less complicated and more fun ways of making money.

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