TVI Express: fails the 11 question test of a legitimate MLM

Consumerfraudreporting.org have a list of 11 questions you need to ask about a MLM opportunity. How does TVI Express score on this test? VERY badly. A real MLM should score no more than 2 out of 11. TVI Express scored 6 out of 11, indicating a HIGH probability of fraud. If you throw in the various falsehoods the TVI Express distributors are spreading, the score climbs to 7 out of 11.

Here is a detailed analysis of each question, answer, and the score given.

1. Is there a joining fee?
Yes, TVI Express's joining fee is $250, or $275, or other, depending on how you pay. While you supposedly get a 7-day 6-night accommodation at 5-star hotel and return domestic ticket for that, so far redemption is almost impossible, and most hotels seem to be in India, and are of 3-5 stars. Thus, the $250 buys something of "dubious value", not any goods or service that you can resell.

+1


2. Does the promotional literature indicate unrealistic earnings (eg "make $100,000 a month legally")?

Yes, it's right on the TVI Express website, it says "plus the opportunity to earn $10000 per week..."


+1


3. Do participants earn commissions primarily from selling products or services, or are financial rewards largely dependent on recruiting others into the scheme?

TVI Express emphasizes recruiting. The $10000 payout is from cycling out of two 2 by 4 matrices, and that involves a LOT of downlines. Everything else in the compensation package is left vague. There's some mumbling about "residual income", but it was never defined anywhere on their website. There's something about commission, but it was never explained, nor were the terms "power pool" or "bonuses".

+1


4. Are the products commercially viable?

While the alleged product, travel-related products, is viable, the problem with TVI Express is its own FAQ says you don't need to sell ANYTHING. Still, the answer is yes, it's viable.

+0 (hey, it's fair)


5. Is the number of products required to be purchased or ordered by the participants reasonable?

Yes, because the number is NONE. PASS.

+0


6. Does the promotional literature offer benefits such as "a life of happiness and prosperity", or "it’s easy to sign up new distributors"?

Yes. Right from TVIExpress.com

"At your fingertips, is the power to skyrocket your income into orbit, regardless of your age, level of experience, or background. Isn’t it the time to go from unsure... to unstoppable?"

+1


7. Does the promotional literature contain testimonials from people who are not easily available for possible checking (eg "RS of Auckland writes ..")?

There are all sorts of Testimonials from the website, and there seems to be a lot of real names and pictures. However, it is not possible to verify the testimonials.

+0.5


8. Does the promotional literature contain claims such as "this is not a get rich scheme" or "this scheme is legal"?

No. It is all the secondary promoters (i.e. TVI Express "distributors") that are putting out all the "TVI Express is not a scam" posts and articles (which are all BS, read them yourself). The company itself says nothing of the sort.

+0 (alternative score: +1)


9. Does the information about the scheme suggest that the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Commerce Commission or another government department or agency has endorsed or approved the scheme?

No, it does not. While it does imply a lot of endorsements from some experts, there are no stated or implied government endorsement / approval.

+0


10. Does the promotional literature fail to provide a street address, so that you cannot contact a person for further details?

While there is an address listed in Cyprus, it does not match its own claim that it is headquartered in London. Also, the address is shared by at least three other companies with no room number or suite number, thus it appears to be a virtual office.

+0.5


11. Does the scheme provide ongoing training and sales support?

No. All the promo stuff is about recruiting, nothing else.

+1


So, let's see... out of 11 questions, TVI Express scored... 6. That's VERY bad. A real MLM company should score no more than 2.

For an illustration: how would Amway, a known legitimate MLM company, would have scored?

1. +0.5 (does charge an entry fee, but it's relatively low, about $50 or so, less than 1/5th of TVI Express's entry fee of $250 or more
2. 0 (does NOT promise crazy income)
3. 0 (earnings comes from SALES, your own, and your downline's)
4. 0 (nutritional supplements, everyday stuff, and more are definitely viable)
5. 0 (yes, the number is not excessive)
6. 0 (no, the promo material doesn't promise to change your life)
7. 0.5 (promo material does have some testimonials, but hard to verify)
8. 0 (no)
9. 0 (no)
10. 0 (there is a real street address, easily found via Google, and on any promo material)
11. 0 (yes, plenty of training on sales)

TOTAL: 1 out of 11

So there you go. TVI Express cannot be compared to a legit MLM whenit comes to "is this a scam" questions. A regular MLM scored 1 out of 11, and TVI Express managed to score 6 out of 11, making it a very likely scam.