Oprah Sues MonaVie

Sorry to tell you….but this product has done MIRACLES for me. The quality of my life have vastly improved since I added monavie to my already healthy lifestyle.If you were to read the label you would clearly see that monavie does not claim to cure or prevent any illness. When I drink monavie I don’t have to take advil or aleve before I run. I am all-american 13 times in DII track and field. I no longer suffer from headaches, or menstral cramps. SO…call it a scam if you can, but I make 400 extra dollars a month with monavie, and I haven’t caught a single cold in two years, Thats how long I’ve consumed this product, I won’t stop now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

@ Casey

You’re hardly a source for unbaised information Casey. In fact the revelation that you make an extra 400 bucks a month selling this snake oil only serves to render your claims about its health benefits suspect.

Look, I used to take flax seed every morning. For the longest time I thought I was really benefiting from it. I felt better, I was healthier and happier. Turns out that I was kidding myself. I stopped using it when I moved a couple of years back, and felt no different than I felt when I had been using it.

See, the trick was that while I was using it, I had made improvements to my lifestyle in other areas to match. I put my improved health down to the flax alone, but it ultimately had nothing to do with how I was feeling.

So maybe if you’re feeling better, you ought to consider that it might not be Monavie’s product that’s made you feel that way. Maybe it tricked you into making improvements in your lifestyle that you wouldn’t have otherwise made had you not gotten caught up in the hype of the thing. Or maybe it’s just the placebo effect in action. Who knows? All I know is that this crap doesn’t do anything that having an overall healthy lifestyle doesn’t do on its own.

Scott, you ignore the placebo effect, which might be the “if you take or drink something and it helps you feel better than it works for you.” It’s entirely not true.

There’s no reason to accept anonymous claims on this website, because I could ask 20 friends to do the same. Anonymous claims, without showing the value of how they got their claims are not relevant.

Scott said:

Every one has a story about there life, and you who criticize have yours as well. If it works for some and not for others than so be it, thats our story. Did you ever think that because it may not work for you does not meen it may not work for someone else?

Umm, well I if criticize the story of the world being flat, does it mean that it “works for some and not for others than so be it” – I hope people are smarter than that.

“Did you ever think that because it may not work for you does not meen (sic) it may not work for someone else?”

Umm, did you think that caviar “works for some” so let’s see how that works for all! Do you think that 1920 red wines also “work for some”? and people should pay thousands for that?

The idea is that the circumstances matter. Good try Scott, but you fail

One other quick coment on my failure to make a point is as simple as this. I own a manual transmission car, I love it, it gets good gas mileage and it works great for me under almost all driving situations. My wife can not drive a manual transmission car, therefore under the very same conditions it does not work for her at all. This is a situation where something works for me and not for someone else using the same product under the same conditions. You fail to undrstand it IS very possible for something to have a different result for two completely differnt people.

I understand that, I was simply voicing a point of view. I dont remember seeing MV specificly saying it was endorsed by Opra or OZ, but maybe a distributor has, I cant comment on that because I simply dont know. Grape juice though, thats a good product there, well at least it tastes good anyway.

I is no more a poor arguement to say what I said as you started your comments with this>>”world being flat, does it mean that it “works for some and not for others”he simple fact is the see you stated something completely different as well. The simple fact is the product and or juice is what I am refering to and not a company, MV does not make any difference, yet I believe thier product does, as do about 100,000 others. You also fail to explain the oxidation state of the apple from the time it is picked until it reaches my hand. We all know by now that fruit and vegtables do NOT retaian all of the value from the time its picked fresh, and the longer you wait the less value it retains. Simply put I like the MV products, I have belief that the product has health benefits for me and others who drink it, and simply put I can spend 5 bucks at BK or MCDS or I can drink my ozs and try to feel a little better. My points are made very well and since I can not grow my own apples here in michigan during the snow I have no choice but to purchase the from stores. Best regards and good luck with you fight to take down a billion dollar company. What other companies are you going after as well? since there are many that over charge and under diliver?

Scam,
It looks like our conversation is simply down to our opinions on the subject at hand and nither of us will budge on our beliefs, thats what makes this a very interesting conversation between us. You have a strong opinion on the subject as do I and nither of us can 100% prove the other one wrong so I will leave it where it stands. I personally have my own story with the product which I happily share with anyone who would like to know.I do not expect MV to endorse my story, its just that MY story. I have had some positives come since I started drinking MV active and I will not stop drinking based on any ones opinions or news articles.I am sure some one or maybe even you got involved with the company and had some bad results, bad team work, or maybe no desired results which makes you want to warn off anyone attempting to pursue the product, either way its your choice. I can honestly say it is nice for a change to have someone who will argue and stand for what he believes in and actually have the ability to back up what your point is. Its been fun, and best of luck in your future.
Scott from Muskegon, michigan.

If you want to know I will email you, all you need to do is ak for my address and I will give it to you. And it has not been PROVEN not to have any effects or to have effects on people, actually a plecebo has no value what so ever and even if MV has a small orac value acording to your sorces it is still more than a placebo then. Like I said I can offer my results should you choose, the bottles at distributor cost are NOT 45 either ( nice home work on that ) I also bet your juices main ingredient is water and is filtered as well. You make claims on a product based on what you read and yet you fail to try it for yourself, I can sit here and say you way of life is worthless but if I choose not to live ot your way do I really know? simply put you cast out stones based on others opinions and what they say. Funny how a critic like yourself can talk so much about something you never take part in. To quote BEN FRANKLIN ( a founding father to our country ) ” any fool can criticize and most fools do ” When you personally do your own tests let me know what you find out, until then I can read the same stuff you do. I can read stuff negitive about everything and anything, what type of car do you have, where do you live, your religion ( if you have faith ) your type of cloths, shoes maybe? I bet your a nike kinda guy right? see Give me something and I will prove you ride the coattails of some one else saying different things. Based on what you have given me to work with should I stop drinking MV ? based on your opinion? Tell me what you stand for, answer my questions on something your strong an=bout besides this topic and I will email you scientif links, or negitive coments about anything you can put up that is a part of your life. At some point you become a waste of time, you are so closed minded that you will continue to slam a product or company to whom you have NEVER taken part of. To be quite frank with you you are a scorned little man ( or woman ) who is unhappy and feels the need to continue negitivity where ever and what ever you choose to. I am truely sorry you have such a desire to think on the negitive and not open you eyes to the possiblity that you or anyone else comenting agains this that for one second you might actually be wrong. Best of luck to you again, and good luck with your apples.

simply put your influence maybe great or it maybe small, it makes no difference to me. You make your claims not really based on independent studies nor do you have any or have had any consumption of the product, you can not question the cost considering it can be purchased for less than 30$ in diffenent instances. You also asume it is a large part of my paycheck when you have no idea of how much anyone makes, if 140$ is a large portion of your check than maybe you should look for something better to supplement your income. All I see is a bitter person with a personal agenda, good for you. Eating anything healthy has a positive affect on ones body and health, period. It is proven that MV has nutritional value regardless of what Percentage therefore it is more nutritious than you say. A plecebo is simple a drug ect. that has NO affect, and if MV has the same as an apple than you say the apple is worthless as well, good point for you on tha one. one more thing on the money, what is to expensive for you is not for others. Have you ever drank a fountain pop? Did you know that a 44 oz soda costs the average retailer about 12-14 cents and they charge what? 1.49-2.00 area, not a bad markup is it. What about some beers at a bar? 2-4.00 bucks not bad for profit is it? See I am in a business where I sell a certain type of car, american made none the less. People like you feel selling a product for a profit is bad, hey simply put if a person of sound mind makes a purchase of there own will and the sale produces some profit than it is not a bad thing. Simple put again, if you cant afford it, dont buy it. I cant afford a yacht so I will stick with my Nitro bass boat, that in my opinion is fast but to a drag racer I am sure its slow, but hey thats my testimonial on that as well. Scamm you can continue to try to right the world, go for it, but you only quote what you read or have read, you have done nothing on your own, so until you get your own lab results and spend your own time figureing things out on a true unbiassed scale you have no true ground to stand on. Good luck with your new job search, I am sure YOUR more than a qualified canidate and that your company or business is non profit as well. PS I bet like most of us you trade your time for money as well.

Scott 18,
You make some points on different thigs, but let me ask you this as far as my market goes. When our great govnt decided to stimulate our economy this year in the auto industry why did they let the imports take advantage of these as well? I dont think that our money that was used to purchase say a KIA for instance, did anybody much good considering they are made, assembled, in Korea where we as the united states are not allowed to inport even 1 car back, not a bad deal. As for the median income of the US of 14k, if thats the situation for that income level I am sure not many of those people can afford the major theme parks as well, and probably dont do what people who make 60k do. I also would figure not many of that bracket drink MV as well. Simple put on that IF you cant afford it dont buy it. When it comes to retirement comment, what are we as a nation doing to change any of that? we buy cigs, spend it at the casino, buy lottery tickets, ect. all of which at the end you wish you hadnt done, common no one can say they have used there money wisly to the last dollar, not even you I am sure. But the fact is it is a choice and you have the final say, buy it or dont buy it, I have no regrets, some others may. Is there a part about a choice that just is not understood? While you choose to punch a time clock, or even better take on a salary its the money you earn and the time you give, do with it as you please. Lat thing DR. Schouss has a dvd called the power of acia, last time I checked he didnt say MV’s levels were insufficient. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2mxWPpOMiw . I will take his side over yours fellas. I love your justification of my cant afford it. “What people can afford today might not be what they can afford tomorrow” wow if there ever was a case where some people purchased something and couldnt get there money back. I bought a car when I was 16, it broke down soon after and cost me alot to fix, I probably shouldnt have purchased it, I wish I could get that money back. Not a good reference. Asperin is used to traet pains and for head aches some people swear buy it, it doesnt do a thing for me, I guess I should call everyone who says it works for them a liar making false claims, sorry doesnt fit either. Mens journal, a great book I am sure, also a great place to get vital life changing aspects in your life as well. If we all have a choice ( which we do ) and we make our own for the best interests of ourselves ( which sometimes we dont ) then it is plainly simple aspect. IT is our own choice. If all these false statement exist and are NOT backed by MV then why isnt this getting reported to the govnt? why hasnt the FCC stopped MV, why hasnt the FDA stepped in yet? I am not writing to gain support, I am but one of hundreds of thousands who feel the same way I do about MV, and there are thousands of critics as well. The same with anything on or about any product.

I HAVE BEEN USING MONA VIE FOR 3 MONTHS NOW AND I CAN TELL YOU FOR A FACT THAT IT HAS HELPED ME. I HAVE IBS AND HAVE TRYED EVERYTHING OUT THERE INCLUDING EATING EVERY FRUIT AVAILABLE AS MENTIONED ABOVE AND NOTHING HELPED ME. MONA VIE HAS HELPED ME AS LONG AS I CONSUME MY MONA VIE TWICE A DAY I HAVE NO PROBLEMS WITH MY INTESTINES. AS WELL AS I WAS HAVING SOME PRETTY SEVERE BLEEDING THAT HAS COMPLETELY STOPPED. I ALSO HAD SOME PAIN IN MY KNEES TO THE POINT THAT I HAD TO TAKE PAIN PILLS. IT IS GONE AS WELL. I WENT TO MY DOCTOR AND HE TOLD ME IT DOES CONTAIN ANTIOXIDANTS AND THAT HE DOES BELIEVE THAT THE MONA VIE IS WHAT HAS HELPED ME. SO MAYBE I CAN BUY FRUIT JUICE CHEAPER BUT NOTHING HAS HELPED ME THIS MUCH AND I AM NOT A DITRIBUTOR. SOMEONE CLOSE TO ME WHO WAS CONCERNED ABOUT ME IS GIVING IT TO ME AT NO COST. SO SAY WHAT YOU WILL BUT TO ME THE PROOF IS IN THE END RESULT.

Michelle,

You mention that you ate fruit. Most unprocessed fruit have more antioxidants than MonaVie and any reputable doctor should know this.

Secondly, you use the “I am not a MonaVie distributor, but…” construct, which is typically hard to believe. I suppose if you have a close friend willing to give it to you for free, that’s a different story – you have nothing to lose by trying. For everyone else who isn’t getting it from a friend for free, they stand to lose a good deal money.

So a “marked increase in my ‘getting older’ body” means that it actually made you feel older? Ouch, I don’t think I’d want that.

You can buy cheaper placebos, so perhaps you should really look into that.

I think there’s still evidence out there that glucosamine might not help aches and pains as much as it thought. Wikipedia notes: “there is conflicting evidence as to its effectiveness.” It goes on to say, “Two recent randomized, double-blind controlled trials[12][13] have found no effect beyond placebo in reducing pain, while one found an effect beyond placebo.[14]”

So there is a chance that glucosamine itself is a placebo, which means you would be asking me why one placebo (glucosamine) wouldn’t work for while another one does (MonaVie). I think the difference between the two could have been how they are presented to you.

Also, perhaps the small amount of vitamin C (or some other vitamin) in MonaVie works well with glucosamine, so maybe you needed to take the glucosamine with a multivitamin. Or maybe it glucosamine works well with sugar, so maybe you need to take it any fruit juice.

As you can see, your experience falls in what is called a testimonial. It isn’t scientific evidence. For all we know you could work for MonaVie. Even if you deny a connection to MonaVie like this employee did. I’m not saying you do work for them, but it’s a possibility.

Perhaps you can explain why there are hundreds of thousands of medical claims for dozens of juices that are sold through network marketing and close to zero for products that you buy in a store. You don’t see people shouting from the rooftop that Welch’s grape juice cured their medical conditions.

Perhaps you can explain why MonaVie isn’t undergoing clinical trials to be FDA approved to help “aches and pains.” It would be worth billions to the company. Maybe they know something you do not.

Yes there are a few millionaires, but it’s an extremely small percentage compared to the supposedly 2 million distributors.

So it’s great that you know some because the odds of you becoming one are long… and it’s getting worse and worse as the Income Disclosure Statement shows.

What exactly is “presenting the opportunity?” That sounds like pitching a business, not sharing a tasty beverage.

It’s all about how distributors go about “presenting the opportunity” that is misleading.

Do you open up MonaVie’s Income Statement and show that 85% of the people actually sponsoring people and being active make less than minimum wage. There are millions who don’t even reach that level.

93% of the people in that list average less than $13 an hour which is pretty poor.

TxDiamond, if I can assume by your name you are diamond level, you are one of about 160 people who have had “great success” (your words) out of the reportedly 2+ million distributors who tried.

Those odds aren’t that much better than winning the lottery, and it’s a hell of a lot less work. Plus nearly all lottery money does go back to help the local community. I’m not advocating playing the lottery as a smart financial decision, I’m just putting “the opportunity” in perspective.

MONAVIE, A COMPLETE SCAM FULL OF PROMISES WHILE I PURCHASE ABOUT $1,200.00 WORTH OF PRODUCTS TO ONLY GET MY TEETH STAINED. I BELIEVED IN A FRIEND THAT PROMISED ME THE WORL!!! I GOT RID OF MONAVIE AND THE SO CALLED FRIEND.I DID NOT ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING. I DECIDED NOT TO PUSH THIS PRODUCT TO MY FRIENDS BECAUSE WHENEVER I ASKED QUESTION TO THE HEADS THAT REPRESENT THIS PRODUCTS, THEY TOLD ME THAT THWY DID NOT LIKE TO DEAL WITH PEOPLE THAT ASKED TOO MANY QUESTIONS. THEIR ONLY INTEREST WAS ONLY TO SELL AND TO SELL, THIS COMPANY READY DOES NOT CARE ABOUT THE REAL RESULTS TO YOUR HEALTH.
PLEASE DO NOT GET TAKING FOR A RIDE, YOU CAN GET ALL THE BEFENITS JUST FROM EATING LOTS OF VEGETABLES AND FRUITS.MOVAVIE IS NOT A NATURAL PRODUC AS THEY CLAIM, THERE ARE PRESERVATIVES DERIVED FROM A LITTLE WORM TO KEEP THIS PRODUCT WELL BUT NOT BETTER THAN IF YOU WERE TO COMSUME NATURAL FRESH PRODUCTS. SINCERELY. BLANCA COYNE

i went to mv meeting last night. expensive juice i must say. the only way to make $$ that i see is if people u recruit are wiling to spend $200 every month on drinking juice. i wish people well with thier business but i just don’t see how it can work. well, i’m hungry now;i think i will eat some chicken and veggies and have an apple for the orac value.

Tom, I’d follow what MonaVie themselves released when new FTC guidelines came out:

http://monaviemediacenter.com/blogs/5-tips-every-monavie-distributor-needs-to-know-about-the-new-ftc-guidelines/

They basically said, that all claims have to be typical of the experience one might have. I think it’s safe to say that glucosamine may help with joints and ligaments, but I don’t think there’s anything “typical” that would explain why MonaVie would better than a capsule. And I don’t think there’s anything in MonaVie that would help your muscles – except for very small traces of amino acids.

As a body builder, you probably know the things that help you build muscle: lean protein (usually a mixure or whey and casein), creatine, amino acids, etc. There’s really none of this MonaVie. At best there might be some amino acids, but there’s no telling how much. It’s much cheaper to supplement it with a pill or powder and you’ll know exactly what you are getting.

Mona Vei Scam,
Are you Pharmaceutical Sales Representative? It seems like the majority of these people have had a positive experiences with this product. I am curious to know why you have this huge smear campaign against Mona Vei. Am I to believe that you would take the time out of your busy day to provide people with the “truth”. I mean I have googled this to know end and your name seems to continuously pop up. So I have 2 questions. Do you have a job? I mean you are on here a lot! If that answer is yes then do you sell drugs to doctors? I mean your logic is if your sick take a pill and make the pharmaceutical companies an untold amount of money for something that doesn’t “legally cure” anything OR buy fruits and vegetables from the store. You being the student that you are realize that in order to eat anything that hasn’t been tainted by chemicals put into the American farm system, you would have to eat organic. And of course you being the smart guy knows that this is a little expensive. By the way, I don’t drink Mona Vei or sell it. I just can’t stand people like you. Good luck in life with that attitude buddy!

I’m an ex-marine who suffers from re-occuring back pain. Iv’e tried many health alternatives. As of today i can surely say without any doubt, Monavie(active) WORKS FOR ME!!! and this type of pain can’t be misunderstood for any Placebo effect, it’s real! I do agree what works for some may not work for all, yet im a happy customer of Monavie.

The reason why there are so many positives about it is simply because there are a lot of distributors trying to protect their business… not because of the value of the product. If I said that Kraft cheese was a scam would you see so many people come defend it? No, people would just ignore it as being a silly argument. It’s odd that people get in such a huff when it’s MonaVie. It only makes sense that people are upset when they can’t rationalize why $45 bottle juice is any better than $4 bottle juice (and in some cases worse).

I’m certainly not “taking” another product. You “take” medicine, not juice. You “drink” juice. It’s clear that Rainey thinks that MV is a medicine.

Rainey, you might want to look through the site and see what product I’m endorsing before you make the argument. I tell people to only look at cheaper alternatives that you can get in the grocery store as well as plain old fruit. I make no money when you buy these products.

Maybe I’m endorsing wallets because I want everyone’s to be fat in these economic times. Hmmm. that’s a good idea, every get really fat wallets and then you’ll have to buy more of them from me when they wear out quicker.

To each there own what works for me may not work for you. Don’t you know that just because you don’t notice a difference doesn’t mean it doesn’t work just means your body doesn’t need it. Mona Vie is not a miracle drink but having the ingredients it has will will help with your health. In these times anything that you can get that is good is great, buying your fruit and veggies at the grocery store is just filling you with cancer. My say

Elaine,

There’s no evidence that MonaVie is better than buying anything at a store and a lot of evidence that it’s not as good (you lose many of the vitamins and minerals in most fruits as well as much of the fiber). Plus you get no veggies from MonaVie, so you have to buy those from the store anyway.

It’s ridiculous to make statements that buying from a store fills your body with cancer. Feel free to buy organic if that’s a concern. MonaVie isn’t certified organic, so you are better off there.

Remember that MonaVie itself says that it’s not a substitute for eating fruit. You still need to find a way to get those fruits without filling your body with cancer or else you aren’t filling your body with the things it needs.

In these economic times spending $1500 on fruit in a bottle with little nutrition (scientifically proven from all known sources to have tested it) doesn’t make much sense.

Mike,

The part that I dislike most about this product is that distributors are making claims like the FDA has a 1,000 cancer patients in ongoing studies of MonaVie. I have seen no evidence that this clinical trial is underway. It would be great if it was, but I suspect it’s like everything else with the company, distributors can say whatever they want to try to make a sale and no one is policing them or holding them accountable for spreading false or misleading information (such as Elaine’s previous comment about everyone filling their body with cancer and no evidence to back the statement up).

at $20/bottle you will lose $8-10/bottle…….show me where I can buy it at that rate and you have my sale. i am the biggest skeptic there is, but I must admit I do buy lots of juices and vegetables to consume, but when i use the Monavie there is a difference and I feel it in my training in the gym as a competitive bodybuilder. I used it, stopped to test no using and re-started. the results were there clearly. I have cut the dose by 50% and still see the results……one way to reduce the extreme cost

I had to to do this. First, it’s “chemical”. Second, hormones, steroids etc work only in the original recipient. they are abosrbed, metabolized and deliver the result from the drug. it then dissapates and cannot be passed on to do the same. it is not uranium or some element that has a half life….stick to the scientific facts people and we will garner much more from each other’s experiences/knowledge

Tom
If you can get the juice for $10 – $12 a bottle. I have a bunch of ex-Amway and Royal tongan Limu distributors in south Texas we can recruit. Maybe we could start our own MLM scheme.

not a good typist either in case you noticed…:~)

I did not know that……must be at a loss or they are getting a deal most don’t get……a fake maybe…who knows, but I will check it out

Elaine this might clear up your organic concern. A quote from Dr. Blackhurst states.

“The blend consists of a total of 19 fruits and unfortunately it is not possible to organically certify all of the fruits in MonaVie and thus the finished product. For example, MonaVie’s wolfberry is harvested in China, and the Chinese government does not have a recognized organic certification process”.
Dr. Blackhurst
Sr. Manager, Technical Services
MonaVie Product Development

I probably didn’t do a very good job of expressing myself when I told Elaine that I didn’t care if she wanted to spend 10X what something was worth. What I should have said was. Yes, it makes me sad also, when people are taken advantage of, because they are lied to and don’t have the facts. It makes me sad when people spend 10X – 20X what something is worth because they don’t know the value of the product and can’t get good information. Elaine appears to be an intelligent person with facts available. She appears to be able to make rational decisions with the information at hand. With that in mind, it’s OK with me if she wants to spend too much. That’s her choice.

Good point.
I enjoy this site very much. The comments are intelligent, insightful and for the most part respectful. Keep up the good work

I know this is off topic, but taking a look at the income disclosure statement, doesn’t it look a little like the income distribution of a 3rd world country? A few rich at the top and many many poor at the bottom. My question is; where are the middle class in Monavie????

It’s kind of like a company with several exec’s making millions and the rest of the employees with a janitor’s wage….

NewStart said,

“I know that it wasn’t just a placebo effect because my body(knees) was able to do things which I was unable to do prior.”

Then you obviously don’t understand the meaning of placebo.

NewStart said,

One cannot receive the benefits that Mona Vie offers by eating a piece of fruit. You would need to eat multiple servings a day to gain such benefits.

Actually one apple seems to blow away the nutrition in MonaVie.

NewStart said,

So,Yes, you’re paying more for this product. Yet, the benefits are more and easily accessible to the hard working Americans in today’s busy society.

First, there’s no mention of what these benefits are on MonaVie’s website. Second, they are not easily accessible to hard working Americans in today’s busy society. Hard working Americans know where the grocery store is and need to go there to get groceries. Fruit is easily accessible in these grocery stores where MonaVie is not. Fruit also doesn’t require refrigeration.

NewStart said,

Some examples of money being wasted; expensive cellphones, three-wheelers, flat screen TVs, some cheap beverages and foodstuffs. (which can cause diseases to setup the digestive system for failure)

For the most part all the products you mentioned are near their peers in price. An expensive cellphone or television usually isn’t 10 or 20 times more expensive as an equivalent cellphone TV like MonaVie is with other juice (Tropicana and V8 Fusion are two examples). If you can find an example, I’ll write about it.

I choose to spend my money first on that which will enhance my health. So,therefore cost isn’t a question. Everything else is immaterial.

Except that MonaVie provides marginal if any benefit to your health. There’s no evidence that it is better than a piece of fruit or a mutli-vitamin. If you blow $5000 a year for a family of four to drink this juice, how is that going to effect your health in the future where health care is up in the air. I’d rather have the $5000 each year which will buy a lot of gym memberships, personal training, and healthier food choices. The choice is pretty obviously when you analyze that MonaVie isn’t very healthy.

My husband fell for this crap in 2008 and finally came to his senses a year later. I researched the product extensively and could find no scientifcic proof for the claims, just lots of ‘It made me feel better” claims and people willing to shell out $140 plus a month for this nonsense. One of his friens works for a company that sells food to hospitals and facilities that take care of the sick and old, he would have been a great distritbutor for Mona Vie but the company could not provide the necessary science and numbers behind their claims just their vague promo bills. Give me a break. I was so glad when my husband dropped this crap. He still believes it made him feel better but in listening to him for that year despite his claims of joints feeling better he did not realize he still complained about all the same stuff many times. The cost is ridiculous! I don’t see why people always need some quick ‘magic’ fix. Staying in shape takes work, you body will get old and there is no magic elixer to fix that. Eat better, exercise even just a little. This is a simple pyramid scheme, everyone wants to be on top of their own pyramid so they buy into this stuff…I saw my husband, his mother and the guys he work with all fall for this nonsense. I’m glad we’re out, I have better things to spend my money on – like a vacation drinking in the natural sunlight and fruit juices, bet you that’ll make my husband feel better too.

I am the biggest skeptic, but it did provide a difference when I did or did not use it. We cut our dosage in half and get similar results……did the same juices but did not get the same boost etc..

i agree, much too expensive…..I paid the $39 to be a “distibutor” and get it at $29/bottle, but my wife and I wish it was cheaper. I am 50 and a competitive bodybuilder and I do feel it improve my joints even better than the supplemtanl glucosamine I also take….it’s a conundrum because you feel you “need” it….

and unfortunately that’s what I think they count on, that sense of ‘need’ or ‘must have’. I just cannot buy into that. The concept just disturbs me too much. The pyramidal nature of it is just a harbinger of ills in my mind. My husband would say how much better he felt but i would still hear him complain aboutthis or that, he’d just say his joints hurt less. Live and let live I say, $29 dollars in my mind is a still a handy sum of money for that stuff, enough for a really decent bottle of wine also.

please don’t read into things that much, it’s not meth…..let’s just say that when I use it and do full squats from 200 lb sets to 4oo lb sets and a complete leg work out with 30 minutes of cardio, the knees don’t ache….when I do not use it, they do….
I always drink lots of different juices including blueberry and acai, but that doesn’t seem to be enough

Tom,

I never said that MonaVie is meth, that was you reading into it too much.

I know a lot of people would say that they feel good when eating a cheeseburger from McDonalds for instance. Most people may argue that it’s not that healthy.

Also people often say they feel good after exercise. Most people would say that IS healthy.

Lastly people often say they feel good after doing a good deed. Most people would say that doesn’t physically impact their health.

My point with all three of these is that feeling good does not equate to health in any shape or form. We should measure health impact of products by objective means of measuring health.

We have the technology. We have used the technology. MonaVie has clearly failed.

I personally tried out the whole entire MonaVie route, and the thing about the business is that it is a waste of money. They basically brainwash you into thinking that anyone can sell this stuff. The funny thing is that this stuff is NASTY! Who in the world would want to buy this stuff? Jamba Juice tastes better, is cheaper, and has the same quality. This is a scam. If you don’t believe me, feel free to reply to this. I am sad to say that I wasted 600 dollars on this stuff because they basically said this, “If you don’t accept this offer, you are an idiot for denying such a once in a life time offer.” So, I being gullible to the world accepted thinking I could conquer the world. Only to find that the people that I had met were telling EVERYONE the same exact thing. Do not, and I repeat.. Do not spend you’re money on this.

To Maria from Feb.
Wow Maria just think of the money your husband could be making right now off of the Mona Vie if he would have stuck with it. I have a friend who is making over $1500 a week and has only been with Mona Vie a little over a year. If you take the product and enjoy the product will work both health and financially. It’s all in the team.

to Feb, is it? Sorry, I just don’t believe it. I just don’t see it. I have tried the koolaid and pass. I regret the money lost to it but am glad that’s all that was spent. The Team seems pretty sketchy to me. One of the guys at my husband’s job is part of a team. He has spent a crapload of money and i really don’t see the pay off. I think he’s just putting good money after bad out of pride and an attempt to bring it around somehow. I wont’t ever recommend it and will always speak against it when possible. Good for your friend…but that’s alot of what I hear…i have a friend who…call me skeptical about the truth of all those friends.

One of the claims made by the Wellmune ingredient supplier that is contained in MonaVie is : “$250,000,000 invested in R&D” and “several peer reviewed clinical studies”? I am no genius but it seems like a huge amount for such few results. I think developing a pharma product costs much less than what has been invested into this dietary supplement.

The people who wrote this must either think we consumers are not very intelligent or this is some kind of biotech Ponzi scheme.

wow, i hear all the experts, but the sales keep increasing year by year……but that’s just because we are all lemmings….

Tom,
You don’t have to be an expert to read what MonaVie’s own reports say. According to their latest Income Disclosure Statement, the top 1% will make money. The bottom 93% will make less than $80 per week (on average). Who’s reaping the benefits of the increased sales? As far as health benefits, according to MonaVie’s web site “It is not the purpose of a natural product like MonaVie to treat, cure, or prevent disease”. Even the term “natural” is open to interpretation. According to an accepted definition. “Natural is a term widely used but with little meaning and sometimes misleading since all foods come from natural sources. No legal definition seems possible but guidelines suggest the term should be applied only to single foods that have been subjected only to mild processing, i.e. largely by physical methods such as heating, concentrating, freezing, etc., but not chemically or ‘severely’ processed”. I’m not sure if you are Lemmings. Misguided and ill-informed, probably.

Elaine, I believe that you left out a decimal after the 15. I’m sure you meant he makes $15 per week, not $1500.

No, the company did not spend $250,000,000 in R&D. I work in a food R&D lab now. I can tell you, that figure is an absolute lie.

Tom, I haven’t seen any sales figures for 2009. Have you? If not, then you may be speculating.

The sales of meth increase every year. Should we invest in that, as well?

Credentials by names are not important. We’ve seen what credentials do for Paul Clayton (check the comments). What is important are the papers, the science, and the basic logic showing that MonaVie is a scam.

It’s not a problem for the company or distributors to make a profit. There’s a difference between a company and it’s distributors making a profit and the product providing value to consumers. I have no problem with Mary Kay or Pampered Chef for instance. Why, because their products aren’t priced at 10-20x more than competing products of the same quality. They don’t justify this by making claims the product is better than it is.

MonaVie’s pyramid is not the same as others (though you may sell it that way). If you want to be the CFO of a company, you don’t start out sweeping floors. You get an advanced degree in finance and you “start out” pretty high up the corporate ladder. Does MonaVie offer this? I can just start out at the Bronze Executive level with my degree? Awesome!

I don’t know anything about Mangostien, Celsius or any other networking beverage company. At some point, I may look into them. If they are charging $45 dollars for juice that isn’t shown to be better than $4 juice, then they look to be just as bad as MonaVie in my mind.

who’s asking you to invest, i am just trying to determine the actaul benefits fo the product versus perceived or possible placebo……it does work for me, as for the business aspect, it’s another Amway and I didn’t get a masters to sell juice.

Again…
I see once again it doesnt take long for some simply trying to make a apoint to be called a name, or put down for thier opinion. For mike in Texas, to refer to people as ” lemmings ” I am FOR sure you are not one now. I am sure YOU do not get up and leave to work for some one else, I am sure you : make your own money by your terms, You dictate how much, and when you do it. YOU do not follow a system of life jsut like your peers. Instead of reffering to people who do the same thing with MV as lemiongs, you should stop and take a long look at yourself and make sure this is not you, that you simply swim up river when everyone else floats down, if this is true, THAN YOU ARE NOT A LEMMING AFTEER ALL. I will say this for SCAM. you made good points in different business levels BUT The owner of my dealership started as a wash rack kid and EARNED his way to ownership ” bottom up ” the owner of formally REDEKER Ford { sold and retired this year } started as a wash rack kid as well, he went on for 50 years as an owner. I can tell you in the car business you dont get into a possition with a ” degree ” from colledge AND you will never be a cfo with out any prior field experience. Every position in the car business is a earn as you go, if you dont produce your out, simple as that. It is OK to have a job where everyone starts out equal and earns their way up, I dont want the guy next to me making the same as me when he sits all day while I work. I am sure every one feels that way ( maybe not mike in Texas ). Simply put the models are sound, its not for everyone, because its hard, thats why so many people fail in my business as well. The price of a product is determined by ” market value ” http://www.investorwords.com/2994/market_value.html which meens if something is over priced it will not sell, and last I checked MV is still selling for now. Last note agaon on mike, the definition of success is NOT what you said, http://www.thefreedictionary.com/success , I beleive this can be determined by the my own opinion, not yours. What you do for a career and or living in your mind is a success ( or not ) in my mind it may be a failure. So to me MV is a successful product and my by others above me minimal income level, I am content. I will leave with this quote,( not mine ) “I’ve learned that ‘making a living for yourself’ is not the same as ‘making a life for yourself’

Scott,
I’m not sure the statement that “everyone who posts anything positive on here will begin the onslaught of name calling and ridicule”. As a rule, I think the opposing views posted here are civil and respectful. Are the attacks you’re referring to the scientific FACTS presented here, regarding MonaVie? Maybe it’s the references to MonaVie’s Income Disclosure, where they state that any money made will be by the top 1% of the pyramid and that you may not make any money. I respect your opinion and your right to express it, but anecdotal results are not facts. I have seen statements by “people with credentials by there name” touting MonaVie. The first one to come to mind is “Dr” Lou Niles of Florida. He’s referred to by MonaVie distributors as a “cancer specialist”. He refers to himself as a teacher and wellness counselor. He is a MonaVie distributor with a disgusting YouTube video. Another one is Dr Alexander Schauss, the co-founder of a company called K2A. They sell freeze-dried Acai powder to MonaVie. These “experts” have an agenda, to recruit distributors. You say you are “about 3 levels down on the income scale” which gives you extra income and pays for you juice. Suppose you and your partner resolve faithfully to consume the product every day. Wholesale prices typically run between $1 and $1.50 per ounce of juice, and the highly flexible recommended daily intake seems generally to hover between 3 and 4 ounces per day, so you would probably be shelling out between $2,200 and $4,500 annually for the beverage, not counting shipping and handling. Assuming your “about 3 levels down”, your annual income would be between $1,800 and $3,950. Clearly, not much extra income. The great majority of people who sign up will not even manage to pay for their juice habits. Making money with great ideas and hard work is what it’s all about in our great country. MonaVie makes it virtually impossible to make any money selling their product. And what they don’t tell people is that the product is virtually useless to their success. The only way to make money is to enlist more distributors. There are other super juice pyramid schemes out there. XanGo Mangosteen and Zrii juice are a couple of product based pyramid schemes that operate basically the same way as MonaVie. Curiously they are both based in Utah, close to MonaVie’s headquarters and have been in the same kind of trouble with the FDA as MonaVie. Celsius is a drink marketed thru health food stores and grocery chains at a fair price. The bottom line is that these companies take advantage of people through dishonest and deceitful practices. For people dealing with these hard times, who sadly decide to get into an MLM scheme, these companies are extremely cruel.

For pity’s sake. Again, people commenting without reading. Tom in Long Beach is the one who used the word “Lemming”:

# Tom, Long Beach, California Says:
February 23rd, 2010 at 2:39 pm

wow, i hear all the experts, but the sales keep increasing year by year……but that’s just because we are all lemmings….

Mike in TX actually stated that he wasn’t sure MonaVie distributors were Lemmings:

I’m not sure if you are Lemmings. Misguided and ill-informed, probably.

But you do go a long way towards bringing credit to the idea that consuming MonaVie juice impairs comprehension and critical thinking.

Qiuckly towars mike and candace, Mike, MV is not my true source of incmoe nor do I try to make it one, I do not plan on being in the 1 percent, and I am ok with that, as for the science of it, I personally have not done the work on eitherside so I can not form an opinion just a feeling. Candace makes a very good point, I have also had months were I have earned more that my manager and my co sales man, but not every month, and in the MV payscale I have earned more money than the person who signed me up as well, I also have a person to whom I signed up earning more than me as well, so is this a TRUE pyramid then? If a person below you on the enlistment scale can earn more than the person above them? Candace, I love the car business like your hubby I am sure ( 25 years is fantastic ) can the detail guys make more than him? how about the sevice advisers ( not manager ) lot guys, office personell, the answer is NO, they will never have a chance to out earn him in any given year unless they move to a different department, to which any college degree will not get them there. Also ask him if the finance manager, sales manager, gm, or owner had any prior experience in the field befor getting his/hers position. You know better than anyone else this is a prosper or die business and the hungry survive why the others starve. Thats the way more business should be set up, earn it or lose it. Maybe based on these ideals our country would not be in this ” free to all ” position. I also would like to say that my views are my own.

A Pyramid Scheme, as defined by the FTC.
http://www.ftc.gov/speeches/other/dvimf16.shtm

It appears that the “juice business” you are involved in does indeed fall into that category, as defined by the Federal Trade Commission.

Since
Since candace will no longer reply to any additional comments, then this will go to waste. Her husband is a manager wich his degree did not play into his role, experience did. The office personell which is hourly, and most service advisors are hourly as well. Which meens as long as their performance is adequate then they retain thier positions. I find it very hard to believe that an hourly person in a dealership can out earn a sales person even in tough economies, there for there are about 10 percent sales guys making money while the others starve. As for the ongoing training, every dealerships company has classes, tests and brand get together for furthering in product traing, not general college. Same goes in MV you start low, and EARN your way up to the top like candaces hubby did, Im sure his time there was productive earning him his different positions. He did not make manager as a subpar salesman, or service consultant. You want to make it to the top in MV earn it, dont wait for a hand out. I also am a manager, and the guys who do not perform do NOT stay. As for the govn telling what is illegal and legal, I have more faith in, well I wont go there, since it is ok to be illegal and live in this country fully supported by those who earn an income. I am out of this for a while as well, Just thought I would stir the pot a little bit.

MonaVie is a business and the persons involved pomote the health and wealth benefits of its products and service. It would seem to me if you like MonaVie and believe in it and then go on to promote it you cannot help but expect those of us who disagree with you to say so. To take it as some some sort of bashing seems a bit self-righteous in its own way. To Elaine I don’t think it is fair to assume one is sitting back and hoping to make money just because one may disagree with MonaVie’s product or business practice. But I think that is part of the ’sell’ for this product. You can develop your own pyramid and in doing so allow yourself a bit of sitting back time. This should not an assault on any one person just the aspects of a business that seem suspicious and dishonest. And in a pyramid scheme people above and below can make more money due to the strength or weakness of their entire ‘team’, but it all flows upwards adn the top of that pyramid no one can earn their way into.

There’s a lot to wake up to here.

First of all, keep the language on here civil.

Second, Scott did mention a lot about the car industry. I think there are very few industries where you work yourself up from the janitor to the president of the company. I don’t think that I’ve seen one car salesman ever try to sell me on being a car salesman. They simply sell cars. That’s a big difference to MonaVie.

Third, Market Value doesn’t apply to MonaVie. Please continue the discussion about MonaVie’s market value there not here.

Fourth, since we are talking about cars, it does make sense to bring up one of my MonaVie and car analogies.

A couple of thoughts and then I’m out. Don’t want to get involved in a debate.

Here’s some facts of MINE:

1. I was involved with TEAM in the Quixtar days and then into the Monavie days. I was involved for 5 years. I did EVERYTHING I was supposed to do. After 5 years, I filed for bankruptcy. Maybe it was just me and I did everything wrong… so

2. As of today I have 350 people under me. That number hasn’t changed much since I stop being active. Out of those people, most are not active. The ones that are active are not making any income at all (I can see their pin level). There is no one under me in 5 years that is making money. The $200 or whatever amount they make in a certain good week doesn’t count when on average they have more money going out to buy the product and tools. None of the “leaders” above me outside of the original big guy is making money either. Most have dropped out.

3. “The product can’t be counted as an expense because it’s something you use.” That statement is false. The big complaint that TEAM has with Quixtar and sued them over was the fact that people were forced to buy product they don’t use to get a paycheck. Nothing has changed. It’s the same thing. If the product was so good, wouldn’t I still buy it after I stopped being active in the business? I personally never found much of a benifit from using it and it’s unGodly expensive. Everyone person under me that no longer is active in the business has stopped buying the product. Every one of them. Even some of the poeple that are still trying to build are not buying the product.

4. Two years ago I would have been totally on here defending the business and saying all the things the pro-monaviers are saying. That’s because I was still in it and still sold on it. My comments now are made with experiance. Again I say, I was in it for 5 years and I really did everything I was taught to do. Believe it or not. In those 5 years, there has not been one person that has come and gone or stayed that has made it. Not one.