Just hours after Neora posted their press release about suing the FTC for improperly changing direct selling laws, The FTC posted its own press release stating alleging that Neora, formerly Nerium International, and its Chief Executive Officer, Jeffrey Olson, operates an illegal pyramid scheme that pushes distributors or brand partners to focus on recruiting new distributors, […]

In a statement released today, Neora, a leading skincare and wellness products direct selling company, states that the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) has recently targeted the direct selling industry, trying to change the way direct sales companies can operate without going through the proper legislative process or formal rulemaking. Not only has Neora rejected an […]

As President of DSA, it is my job to evaluate and report on cases like the recent Federal Trade Commission announcement regarding AdvoCare dispassionately and to analyze the impact on the direct selling channel and assist our members in charting a course forward. Nonetheless, it is difficult for me to believe the investigators got all […]

DSA Brings Together Government Officials, Industry Leaders to Discuss Vital Issues for Direct Selling On October 7–8, the Direct Selling Association (DSA) hosted its annual Legal and Regulatory Seminar in Washington, D.C. The seminar brought together industry leaders to discuss legal and regulatory issues impacting the direct selling business and how companies and the Association […]

As was announced on October 2, AdvoCare and its former chief executive officer agreed to pay $150 million and be banned from the multi-level marketing business to resolve Federal Trade Commission charges that the company operated an illegal pyramid scheme that deceived consumers into believing they could earn significant income as “distributors” of its health […]

AdvoCare and its former chief executive officer agreed to pay $150 million and be banned from the multi-level marketing business to resolve Federal Trade Commission charges that the company operated an illegal pyramid scheme that deceived consumers into believing they could earn significant income as “distributors” of its health and wellness products. Two top promoters also […]

In our January 2019 issue of Direct Selling News, we published a story on some best practices to employ when responding to misleading facts about your company or negative criticism of the industry. The article illustrates that sometimes it’s better to leave things alone because it can just bring more attention to the story. But, there are times when […]

Vigilance, continuous learning are industry’s best defenses against cybercriminals. It has become a painfully common headline: “Cyberthieves breach company’s system, steal credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, birthdates, passport numbers . . .” High-profile corporations such as Target, Equifax and Marriott all have been robbed of massive amounts of valuable consumer data in recent years, proving […]

The US Direct Selling Association (DSA) has announced that its Board of Directors unanimously approved the establishment of a third party self-regulatory program. The Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council (Direct Selling-SRC), which will be administered by the Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB), is designed to ensure high standards of integrity and business ethics which remain the guiding […]

Lois Greisman, Associate Director of the Division of Marketing Practices, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) lauded the establishment of the Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council (DS-SRC) at the Direct Selling Association (DSA) Fall Conference in Arlington, VA. In addition to providing an overview of the January 2018 FTC Business Guidance Concerning Multi-Level Marketing, Associate Director Greisman characterized […]

For nearly as long as direct selling has been in existence, our business model has been the subject of skepticism, and often by virtue of the fact that it’s one with which many aren’t familiar. That uniqueness—that flexibility to operate one’s own business with an unparalleled degree of support from an established brand—is what inspires […]

We all know how Amazon has impacted competition on the product side of our business, and the emerging gig economy players that rely on independent contractors have brought even more disruption to the marketplace. What makes direct selling so attractive—our commitment to creating a more supportive world for independent contractors—is central to who we are […]