Monday, March 14, 2011

Dissecting the "Expert Watch" of TVI Express -- no relevancy at all

TVI Express have a webpage called "Expert Watch", where they cite various "experts" praising Network Marketing. Among the people named are Bill Clinton, Warren Buffet, and so on. 


Did you wonder where they came from? Did they really talk about Network Marketing? Or are they talking about a particular firm? And was the quote accurate or misquoted? 


And the biggest question... Is TVI Express really network marketing? Let us examine the page. I've highlighted the 9 quotes on the page, and see if they are in any way accurate. (See the screenshot on the right... It's a large file. 


First thing you need to note is NONE of these quotes were properly cited. It is as if TVI Express themselves don't know where these quotes came from. 


Well, let's find out. 


Q1) Did Success magazine actually publish the words "Network Marketers are creating FORTUNES at breakneck speeds!” ?


Search of their website at successmagazine.com shows NO SUCH QUOTE archived on their website. 


Please note that this does not mean they did not say it. It's just that it's not archived on their site. 


VERDICT: Undetermined. 


Q2) Did Robert Kiyosaki wrote in Rich Dad Poor Dad "Network Marketing is The Perfect Business for the average person to create wealth." ?

No. Network Marketing was not mentioned in the book at all. That quote is actually with the one below. 

He did have a video that's archived on Youtube posted by NeefDavidson that explains the mindset to convert from E to B/S and why he recommends network marketing. He cited low cost, and how the company gives you time to learn business skills at your own pace. He did not recommend any company. 

VERDICT:  Sort of


Q3) Did Robert Kiyosaki or Donald Trump said or wrote "Network Marketing: the industry for people who want to change their lives” ?

The quote is actually out of an article from "Success at Home" magazine called "Why We Recommend Network Marketing"


However, what they don't tell you is "Success at Home" is a "custom" magazine published to various Network Marketing companies. Every month, they highlight one company, print 200000 copies, and mainly sell it to various members. 

That particular issue was published in April 2007. And it's a rewrite of this article:


VERDICT: Yes, but not the way you think. 

Q4) Was Warren Buffett referring to a MLM when he said "the Best Investment I ever made…"?

Yes, but it's not the way you think. The full quote was actually:
In fact, Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway holding company now owns three direct sales companies. And Buffett said, "Dollar for dollar, it's the best investment I've ever made". 
The quote is from a book called "Why you're dumb, sick, & broke-- and how to get smart, healthy, & rich!" by Randy Gage. You can read that page here courtesy of Google Books.  It was published in 2006. 

Wait, what did TVI Express write? "Warren owns 51 Businesses today, 3 of which are Network Marketing Companies."  We know that "3 businesses" thing wasn't true in 2009, 2010, or 2011. So THAT is where they copied it from, 2005 or 2006!  

In fact, TVI Express copied more than that, I'll show you later. 

Verdict: Yes, but it was OLD information

Q5) Did Bill Clinton praise the MLM Industry with the quote, "“Your industry promotes core values all around the globe and gives people the chance to make the most of their lives and, to me that is the heart of the American dream" ? 

Here's the FULL video... 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_eGbfTPbGY

He was talking to Direct Selling Association, or dsa.org, the organization that enforces ethics on MLM / Direct Selling companies, of which TVI Express is NOT a part of. 

Verdict: Yes, but he was NOT referring to TVI Express in any way, shape, or form. 

Q6) Did Robert Kiyosaki wrote or said "If you really want to learn how to be rich, you must begin to know and understand the power found in networks. The Richest People in the world Build Networks."?

It can be roughly paraphrased from the stuff above. See Q3. 

Please keep in mind that Kiyosaki's advice are pithy, not real practical advice. It's motivational. 

Verdict: Probably

Q7) Did Donald Trump say "If I lost everything and had to start again, I would find myself a great network marketing company and get to work!"?

Apparently he did say so on the "David Letterman Show". However, you have to keep in mind that David Letterman Show is a "late show" where nothing is treated seriously. It, like the Jay Leno show, usually makes fun of the guest stars. So is it serious advice? Probably not. 


Verdict: Yes, but in a joking manner

Q8) Did Fortune Magazine wrote "The Best kept secret in the Business world... Network Marketing!"? 


That also came out of the aforementioned book. The exact quote was
Fortune Magazine called the industry "the best kept secret in the business world". 
VERDICT: Yes, but it's OLD information, and the source is uncited, making TVI Express a plagiarist


Q9) Did Paul Zane Pilzer wrote "From 2006 to 2016, there will be 10 Million new Millionaires in the U.S. alone, more than double the last decade...many will be from the Direct Selling Industry!” ? 


Guess what, that's ALSO plagiarized from the aforementioned book! 


The exact quote is
Fame economist Paul Zane Pilzer also speaks up for the industry in his latest book The Next Millionaires. He forecasts that 10 million new millionaires will be created in the United States over the next decade and predicts that many of them will be created through Network Marketing. 
The book was published 2006. So that's where they got the "2006 to 2016"... That's sort of but not quite what he wrote!   Here's the REAL link:  http://www.paulzanepilzer.com/tnm.htm


VERDICT: Yes, but the quote was mangled by TVI Express




So what's the verdict? Out of nine quotes:


Undetermined: 1
Sort of: 6
True but with caveat: 2, 3, 5
True but a joke: 7
True but mangled:  9
True but old information: 4, 8


As you can see, TVI Express will mangle quotes, cite old information, and such to make their point. What they cite is NOT the complete truth at all. When they do cite it, it's either old information or mangled quotes.

Furthermore, they plagiarized the book several times to make up their "expert watch", with no attribution, making them a plagiarist.

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