Don't Drink the Koolaid

Everybody had heard of pyramid schemes that a friend has gotten into.  They try to sell you on just about everything under the sun:  Amway, vitamins, health food, and others.  You end up buying excess inventory to meet a quota and it stock piles in a spare room or garage.  Then, what do you do....

There is a new kid on the block, called Team National.  No products to sell.  You pay a membership fee to gain access to online shopping discounts, and with the lifetime plan, you get a commission on the items you buy through your own personal web site..  That is the premise.....

The attraction is the money they pay you for building a network of partners.  Each partner buys a lifetime membership and you are rewarded with a referral fee.  Guess where the money comes from, yep, the money paid in by your partners.

Each time your network adds another level of partners you again get paid.  They limit the number of levels on which you get paid, but you  can start up additional networks to continue the referral income money.

I checked several sites, but found very little negative information. It looks like you have to pay an annual fee of $75 for access to your website. There are discounts, but you can often beat the prices with a little Google searching.  And why pay a fee to get discounts.

Sales presentations are pretty slick, and they feed on your desire for easy money, just like all the pyramid networks.  Listen, take notes, but do not sign anything.  They give you a three day window for a refund, which passes quickly.  Ask to see the actual discounts from the stores with examples. 

Please do not "drink the Koolaid" on the first date.