Let’s be clear on one thing: Mary Kay is a pyramid scheme. This Mary Kay review tells you how the company is in fact a pyramid scheme.
Mary Kay in a nutshell
I was catching up on season 5 of the FX TV show, The Americans, and there was an episode where a Mary Kay consultant showed up at the lead character’s home.
Prior to that, I had heard about Mary Kay makeup but I had no idea they were an MLM company.
I’m not going to come here and pretend I know everything about makeup and cosmetics. I don’t.
So if you are looking to find out if Mary Kay has the best makeup, I’m sorry to tell you that I can’t help you.
However, what I know a lot about are MLMs and pyramid schemes.
If you want to learn about your chances of being successful as a Mary Kay consultant, then you’re in for a treat as you read this Mary Kay review.
I get that some people might not want to sit through this long review for reasons known to them. If you are one of such people, please hold on tight for a minute and read through the following point-form roundup of some important things to know about the company:
- Mary Kay is an actual makeup and cosmetics company
- The company operates a Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) business model
- To become a consultant, you will have to spend $100 to get a starter kit
- Contrary to what the company will have you believe, consultants must purchase $200 worth of products every 3 months in order to remain active
- You have to be an “active” consultant in order to earn commissions
- Consultants need to purchase $200 worth of products within a 12-month period in order to remain consultants. Failure to comply will get them kicked out of the company
- Mary Kay is a product-based pyramid scheme
- This is not a work-from-home opportunity.
What is Mary Kay?
Mary Kay is an MLM-based company that sells cosmetic and skincare products. They were founded by Mary Kay Ash in 1963.
The Products
The first thing you should always analyze when looking into a business opportunity is the marketability of the product you will be selling. The product is usually what separates a good opportunity from a pyramid scheme.
If the company makes you continually pay for products that are extremely difficult to sell, there is a good chance they are a pyramid scheme. Make what you will of that statement.
On to the products…
Mary Kay offers a couple of products across the following categories:
- Skincare
- Makeup
- Body & Sun
- Fragrance (both men & women)
I mentioned earlier that I do not have any real knowledge of cosmetic products but based on what I have heard from my friends and comments I have read online, the general consensus is that Mary Kay products are too overpriced for their level of quality.
This reality means if you want to stand a chance of making sales, you will need to drastically bring your prices down from the suggested retail prices of Mary Kay to the perceived value for the quality of their products. While this could get you more sales, it also means you would earn less profits per sale.
You also have to factor in the fact that you will be competing against eBay prices for Mary Kay products as well. Which rational thinking individual, other than your friends and family who would only do it out of pity or guilt, purchase the products from you when they are available at a cheaper price on eBay?
Remember it cost $100 to become a Mary Kay consultant. Also remember that in order to earn commissions, consultants must purchase at least $200 worth of products every 3 months.
Putting all the statements together tells us that consultants will need to make hundreds or thousands of sales every 3 months if they are to make any kind of substantial profits by selling the products.
For most people, the products are simply not marketable. Period.
The Business Opportunity
Now that we have established how improbable it is to become successful by promoting the products alone, let’s get real and talk about what the real Mary Kay business opportunity is.
The real business opportunity is recruiting. This is where the real income potential lies.
Since consultants won’t have much luck promoting the products and they are incurring costs to stay on as consultants, their next line of action will be to sell false dreams to people in order to get them to become consultants as well.
Doing this requires you to trick your family and friends into this pyramid. To suck other people in, you will also need to give them a false impression that this company has changed your life and you want to help them to the same.
The cycle is typical: You will start by recruiting your friends and family because you are not taught a proper way to get leads. You cross your fingers and hope your friends and family are able to recruit more people and so on.
This continuous cycle is how the pyramid at the company grows, your downline/team grows, your rank advances and consequently, your income grows.
There’s a little twist. You do not make commissions on the starter kit purchase of the people you recruit and therefore, it’s not enough to just get them to become consultants.
After getting them to become consultants, your next task is to get them to invest heavily on inventory. You will do this by having to lie to them that if they are serious about wanting to make money with Mary Kay, they will want to have products readily available because most people wouldn’t want to wait a few days to receive their order.
This is probably the same thing a consultant is trying to do to you right now since you’re reading this review. They will try to get you to purchase inventory and these packages are not cheap by the way. We are talking of $1,800 – $4,800 to get an inventory package. The more expensive package you get, the bigger the commissions the recruiting consultant gets.
Remember you’re most likely going to start by pitching the opportunity to the people closest to you. If you feel comfortable scamming your loved ones of lump sums of money just so you’ll earn a commission, you really should take a good look at yourself in the mirror.
Even if you manage to scam the people close to you, what happens when you have exhausted them? Where and how do you get other leads?
Anyone you approach who is proactive enough to look up this company will find that most people, including ex-consultants, are convinced that Mary Kay is a pyramid scheme. The only people that seem not to think that are current Mary Kay followers who are still “buying into the dream”.
Companies like Mary Kay make me sick to my stomach! They pretend as if they are helping women, when, in fact, they are driving women into debt. No part of anything the company does is designed to help anybody, except themselves.
Did you know that Mary Kay does not have anything to do with customers? All of their revenue comes from selling to consultants and they do not keep records that show where the products eventually end up.
Mary Kay is as obvious a pyramid scheme as it gets.
Is Mary Kay a Pyramid Scheme?
The products are not marketable for consultants. Recruiting is necessary to succeed with Mary Kay. Consultants have to purchase $200 worth of products every 3 months and they are also persuaded to purchase inventory packages. A large chunk of Mary Kay’s revenue comes from consultant purchases.
Mary Kay checks all the boxes of a pyramid scheme.
Closing Thoughts
I am struggling to find anything going for this company. Mary Kay is everything you would call a pyramid scheme. They try to create this environment that makes people believe the company is there is offer women an opportunity to start a business when the only thing they do is help women lose large amounts of money.
If you are truly passionate about cosmetics or anything and you would like to start your own business, why not start a business that is truly your own? None of this recruiting and inventory nonsense that comes with Mary Kay.
If you would love to start your own successful online business, follow the only system I truly recommend.
Mary Kay Review
Product Name: Mary Kay
Price: $100 for a starter kit
Founder: Mary Kay Ash
Overall Ranking: 20/100
Your argument is illogical. Your conclusion is erroneous because it’s based off of a false premise.
Your false premise: “Mary Kay is a product based pyramid scheme.”
Pyramid schemes are, by definition, based on making income from other people’s investments to cover your original investment, which eventually fades out as their are limited number of people existing at one time. No Mary Kay consultant makes money directly from those under them. The corporation pays the commission to the consultants. Though consultants earn from those under them, they are not taking any income from those under them.
The fact the Mary Kay sells product, and consultant’s income is derived from selling a product, it negates your “pyramid scheme” claim.
Therefore, Mary Kay cannot be a pyramid scheme BECAUSE it sells products.
You may not like their business model. That’s your perogative. But your argument is logically erroneous and false.
I’m getting tired of the whole “there are products, so it cannot be a pyramid scheme” rhetoric.
$200 worth of products must be purchased every 3 months. Why? Mary Kay consultants pressure their recruits to purchase an inventory kit. Why? Would you believe if I told you some Mary Kay consultants make way more money from inventory kit purchases of their recruits than they make from commissions to regular customers?
Back to your point of Mary Kay actually paying consultants. Someone makes a purchase, Mary Kay pays the referring consultant a commission. This is no different from any other MLM company – including the pyramid schemes that have been shut down. I don’t understand how this negates my point that it is a pyramid scheme.
Sorry I hate to tell you this but Mary Kay is indeed a scam and pyramid scheme. Just because it has products to sell doesn’t mean it’s legit.
The products are:
1. Overpriced
2. Inferior to most products out there, even the drugstore brands
3. Difficult to sell because of the above mentioned
I would tell anyone to RUN like the wind from this company, you’ll only end up in debt, stuck with inventory that you’ll have to liquidate on craigslist and ebay. Check it out….do the math…..there are thousands and thousands of people on there trying to get rid of all the products they were told would sell and didn’t.
Prospective Recruit….. BEWARE! You’ve been warned.
Tell them, Butterfly. 🙂
? true! This was how I got into debt in my 20s which took all of my 20s to get out of.
Do I love the products though? Yes and so much better than Sephora or drug store I would do anything to have my inventory back if only for myself. My skin was glowing. The products don’t lie but not everyone is interested.
Another thing this article didn’t mention and the reason I backed out of being a consultant is that in order to place your first order and become an “active consultant”, you need to sell $200 worth of product or more. Meaning, if someone purchases $50 worth of product, you have to hang on to their money and their order information until you find enough people to get you to $200. You are a beginner and new to the business so finding people who will purchase is hard enough, but to keep someone waiting say a month to get their items because it took you that long to gather $200 in sales? That’s just bad business.
Brainwashed idiot. You will spend years trying to make money ripping off other hicks by making them buy over-priced garbage. Dumbass!!
100% agree with you! My sister sent me this article after I made the mistake of sharing with my family that I decided to become a Mary Kay consultant. Everyone has been very supportive and then I get reamed out by my sister. I was hesitant to tell anyone because of how judgmental my family tends to be. I then get all these articles bashing Mary Kay from her. I’m not listening to any of it. This is one persons opinion, and I know so many people who are successful with Mary Kay. I know many stay at home moms that make more income than their working husbands. And I still am keeping my full time job, I’m just looking to put a little spending money in my pocket. Thanks for commenting against this article ? I’m glad I’m not the only one that feels this way.
Uh whatever thats not true
I have done Mary Kay with much success and satisfaction for 40 years. Where are you people getting your information?
40years with Mary Kay? You must have your pink cadillac by now or be close to it!
The MK convention in Dallas is where you see them lined up I’m told…, I’ve never seen one but that’s a geographical issue tbf
I personally know 4 people with a pink Cadillac. I see them everywhere. I live in Nebraska. I’m 8 hours from Dallas. I’ve been reading all the remarks. I didn’t understand why someone would hold a $50 order. First of all you should be using the product you are selling. So you order a skin care set a microdermabrasion and makeup and their $50 order. I personally don’t agree with a ton of inventory but I do have the things I like and what others will buy. I keep my eyes open for opportunities like seeing others use department store stuff and I give them a MK birthday gift. They then buy that product from me when they run out. I personally like when others quit because they started friends on MK then they don’t have a consultant anymore I get their business I didn’t have to work for. All I have to do is let people know I have it. I love the golden rule and God is 1st. I love you take an oath. Not many companies do that anymore. I am a postal worker and we took an oath there too. I haven’t made director so I haven’t taken a MK oath but an oath shows integrity in doing your very best. It’s not just a job. MARY KAY isn’t for everyone. Neither is delivering mail. I certainly wouldn’t love being a ditch digger. I do love MARY KAY. Not just the products but everything she stands for.
Thank you! Spoken truth. I love it and I’m successful with it. Mary Kay gives you the opportunity and it does sell itself. It’s up to you what you make of it.
You are 100% correct The writer of this article has no idea what a pyramid “scheme” is It is exactly as you say I know people who “sell” Mary Kay and who do well and some of those “below” them do better! That also negates the idea of a pyramid scheme I love it how critics of this type of home based business fail to look at companies like Walmart – that sell products and those at the top ALWAYS make more than those “below” them LOL I guess we should all stop shopping at Walmart, or Apple, or.
Hi-former Mary Kay rep here. Here is how it works and why it is arguably a pyramid scheme. First, understand the hiearchy of the company when it comes to those who sell the products. You have at the bottom the lowly consulant. Above her is a senior consultant who recives a 4% commision on the consultants on her team (aka under her). It does not come directly from the lower consultants pocket, but the senior consultant earns off of the others. Next you have the Red Jackets. In addition to 4% commission she gets $50 team-building bonus available when 4th active recruit becomes a consultant and places a $600 wholesale order. Then there is the team leader, who receives 9% commission on team orders, but eligible to earn 13% if 5 active team members place orders of at least $225 wholesale, and has to personally order $600 wholesale. Then you have the Sales Directors in Qualification (DIQ) and above her is the Senior Sales Director followed by National Sales Directors and so on. They all require people under them to have some sort of cash flow into the company to get their commissions and promotions. It’s a pyramid. Or a fancy pink, dimond staircase.
Lol I swear I didn’t make any of this up (no pun intended 🙂 ). Thanks Elizabeth for stopping by.
I️ agree
Great short review of the MKrap product-based pyramid scam.
“Mary Kay checks all the boxes of a pyramid scheme.”
Amen.
Two minor corrections:
“They were founded by Mary Kay Ash in 1953”
1963
“I am strongly convinced a huge chunk of Mary Kay’s revenue comes from consultant purchases.”
As you said earlier in the article, ALL of MKrap’s revenue is from consul… victims of MKrap.
Technically, you’re right. Customers never buy directly from Mary Kay. But, and I stand to be corrected here, couldn’t consultants place orders to be shipped directly to a customer at the expense of the customer?
If that’s the case, I wouldn’t say all of their revenue comes from consultants.
And thanks for correcting the year too. Must have been a typo on my part.
You are correct
You could be Mother Teresa and someone will still find something to criticize. So when you’re able to see criticism as a reflection of the speaker rather than of you, life becomes less full drama and a lot more fun.
Lol what does any of this even mean?
One will criticize when it didn’t work for them. Have a good day ?
It’s working for me because I actually get off my butt and make it work.
My wife has been in the pink fog for 11 years now and she is a sales director. Sounds like a cool title right? In fact, that is all it is…a title. I can say that for a fact it is a pyramid scheme and not a really good one either. After all expenses paid for she has nothing left in her account at the end of the month. This company has destroyed my family and family time. There are continuous brain washing sessions to keep her motivated to work for nothing. I just wish someone famous out there who could expose this fraudulent company. It needs to be brought to light that they are destroying women’s lives and their families. Just like Leah Remini exposing Scientology. Mary Kay’s motto is…God first, family second, career third. Let me ask you guys out there. What legitimate company out there that you can think of that promotes GOD first? Exactly!!! Nothing!!! A company that uses God to lead their flock is called a CULT!!
If I can help another family from going through what I’ve gone through then it is worth every second of me trying to one finger type this shit out at 5am.
Amen, Sonny. I hope you get your wife back soon.
Sonny, your family is in my prayers. Been in the fog going on four months. Brainwashing (yes). Spent way more money than I made. I am too embarrassed to do my actual numbers. The people at the top are bullies and I can go on about this company. Consultants pay for EVERYTHING including red jackets and company cars. It is a CULT, I would suggest run while you can…
Former consultant here. I can attest to MK being a pyramid scheme. I once was dumb and naive and bought into the “make extra money from home” mumbo jumbo years and years ago when I was in my early 20’s. I was told I could make enough money each month where I could look at not working my normal 9-5 job. Exciting, right?! Well, I quickly was given some options of packages to purchase, because I was told nobody would wait a few days and needed their product right then and there, so I needed an inventory on hand. First month I made a TON of money! I was all hyped up and I told my aunt about it. She bought in too, and I received a nice commission. We started hosting MK parties together and they wielded some nice results. So we kept buying. Very quickly (within a few months) we each were about 5k invested. Then we started noticing the people who purchased from us before stopped purchasing because the quality of the product wasn’t as good as a drug store brand and it was too expensive to keep buying it. Then the parties got smaller and the pressure to keep making money and purchasing became outrageous. At the MK meetings, everyone is so happy and thrilled to be making so much money and you’re sitting there wondering how you’ll ever get out of this debt and get rid of your product. My aunt and I talked to the director of our area, asking how we can get out…if we can sell back any product to MK for a portion of what we paid for it. We were basically told we must not be putting in the effort to see any results and we needed to start trying to make money. MK doesn’t buy back any unused product and in the meetings, you get called out for your low sales. Quickly, I was barely able to afford my credit card bills from this stupid inventory purchase and was trying to get rid of product ASAP. The other consultants won’t purchase from each other because that doesn’t go toward their $200 minimum to stay active. It was HELL. My evenings and weekends were never carefree. It was always a hustle to try and sell to make $20 here and there. And you were always expected/told to be wearing the product. So if a client wanted a few things, I’d bring them over to her, but first, I had to get a face of makeup on and pretend like I was having the time of my life. One day, I ended up just throwing hundreds of products in the trash bin and never looked back. I was completely defeated and felt so dumb. The sales director would show up at my house and l had easily 10+ missed calls from her in a day (this was AFTER I told her I was done, to leave me alone, and that I wouldn’t be purchasing any more) and she wouldn’t leave me alone for weeks. Finally, I saw the lady who I joined under, at a coffee shop in town and she tried to get me to re-sign up. I told her how much debt I was in, how I never had a day off in months, that I hated how dumb I was to sign up for this scheme. Then, she told me MK ruined her marriage. That she did this as a way to make some extra money while her husband worked and her kids were at school, because she was bored. After years in it and the stress of it all, she confessed she was $40k in debt and her husband left her because of the stress. She wasn’t sure where she’d be living and she didn’t have enough to put a downpayment on an apartment. She was crushed but said the only way she could start living on her own (after not working a real job for over 10 yrs) was to get more people to buy in, so she’d receive the commission money. So essentially, this woman’s life was ruined because of this pyramid scheme and in turn, she tried to get me and anyone else she could, into major debt to help relieve her of some of hers.
Wow! That’s a lot to take in!
I’m sorry you had to go through that and I hope people who are considering the Mary Kay business opportunity read this detailed and personal comment and think twice about joining.
Thanks for sharing! I really do appreciate it and I hope you bounce back strongly.
This information is 100% false. Mary Kay has a BUY BACK Guarantee for every single consultant. They allow you to ship 100% of your products back and refund 80% of your cost. Period. You can get out any time. I have been using and selling Mary Kay since 2001, I do not have one single person “u def me,” and my Director has never once pressured me to have “inventory on hand….” lies…. I gather order requests each month from my clients, place my order myself, then deliver it and get paid. I do not “hold people’s money for months” just to get enough to place an order. You can place an order for $10 or $100,000 it’s up to you. Also if a customer wants they can go to your website which costs only $30 per year and MK updates it monthly for you, they can order and use a debit/credit card, and ship the product from
Mary Kay right to them, and I get the credit because I am their consultant. I have zero inventory, never have had, only $100 starter kit which has over $400 in product in it. The only MK products in my home are my starter kit, that I demo out of, and my personal make up. I have never went $1 into debt. I make 50% of every dollar I sell, and I enjoy a great relationship with hundreds of customers who order repeatedly. These products sell very well, and are updated often to keep up with the times and technology. MK now has a 100% natural line with nothing man made in it. It is a great way to make side money, if you want to recruit others I am sure it could be a total career, not just extra income. Also, my National Sales Director, who is on her 19 Pink Car has never texted me 10 times in 1 day, shammed me, or demanded anything from me. She is a Christian wife & mother who supports the ladies in our Unit. We are all friends. I am not required to go to ANY meetings to sell MK. I choose to go to a Tuesday Night meeting on occasion if I am not busy with family, or my main job, Bottom Line, this company is now over 50 years old, and it’s doing better than ever. The products are high quality, updated very often, and sell very easily. You all have very negative attitudes, and you are only listening to a few people who had a bad experience or just wasn’t good at sales in general. Why would you ever “just throw products in the trash” when MK would just buy them back from you? They also guarantee 100% if customers do not like a product, it can be replaced for free, exchanged for free, or they can get 100% of the money back for it, even opened and used. No questions asked. You need to do WAY MORE research if you are going to bad mouth a company online, I can prove myself that more than 75% of the things said on this page about MK is lies, rumors, or just incorrect in general. So keep on hating, I will keep on selling what I want, when I want, and making extra money. That’s the great thing about America!
You are so right! I have never been pressured to sell from my director. I help my customers to order online using their credit cards, and I don’t have tons of inventory. You don’t have to order every 3 months, and as promised they will take back 100 % of inventory if you want. A pyramid scheme is illegal, and they have been in business for over 50 years. The products aren’t expensive, and you get what u pay for.
BRAVO BMcGee! I too am a consultant, I started in ’92. The artical is a bunch of falsehoods. The products are great, always being updated. My director doesn’t call and pester me saying I have to place orders or anything. I haven’t been to a meeting in years! I stay connected with the company through their website and monthly magazine.
I say if you’ve never done it the right way, don’t say anything
And as for selling on Ebay or any place else other then parties, it’s not allowed. Consultants when they start, all sign contracts stateing they will not sell products unless at the parties they do, or reorders.
I love the Mary Kay Charcoal mask, it’s my favorite thing. I bought it for retail price today for $24 plus tax, but found it on eBay for $11 with free shipping, unopened, never used & brand new. I am never buying retail ever again.
Maybe not your particular director doesn’t do these things but I just bought my kit and I’m ready to quit already. My director is extremely pushy. She told me I needed to have inventory on hand and that I should take out a loan to get them. She calls me so much and also demands that I call her. I feel as if she’s trying to get me to get her in the position she wants and I don’t like it. I was told I would make money off my first party but when I did make some sells, I was told that money goes toward my inventory. I don’t like this feeling of being duped. There probably are some directors that don’t behave in this way but most of what the poster before you said, I’m seeing with the team I’m on already. Ive been using Mary Kay since I was a teenager but never the make up. I don’t care to wear foundation it blush, only lipstick and eyeshadow. I was told I need to wear foundation since I’m now a consultant. I feel like I’m in a cult.
There are those kinds of directors out there that pressure you into putting inventory on credit. I think that is the biggest problem in my area. I had quit my job making $76000 a year. We were hurting and losing everything. I didn’t have any money but went to a MK facial because I was so stressed I needed a break. I didn’t sign up but my friend did. I went to her grand opening and saw how much help she got from her director. I still didn’t have any money but I was being sent to postal training and they gave me hotel money. I was told I would make the $100 back before I needed to pay the hotel bill. While at hotel the director called me to do orientation. She wanted me to buy a huge inventory package. I told her I used postal money to buy the kit and had to pay for my room. She then tried to get me to put it on credit. I told her it was destroyed because I quit my job 3 months before. She then had me call my daughter to get her to co-sign. She couldn’t get a loan either. So the director told me I couldn’t succeed without inventory but I could sell products and make my money back that week. She then wouldn’t accept my phone calls. I had no idea what to do. I found out later there was pearls of sharing and weekly meetings. I started having my own facials without ever having a grand opening. By May I had a new director that moved up. I had a grand opening 2 months after signing up. I didn’t get the training because the new director didn’t show up until the end. I was told many times that I needed to call my director everyday because if I don’t then I’m not wanting to go up and she has to put her energy to those that want to go up. When I did call and tell her I was being porched she said I was being negative and negative people don’t get anywhere. I wasn’t being negative I was telling her my issue needing advice on what to do. So yes there are those that push and if you don’t follow through you are not going to work. That was all 3 years ago. I love MARY KAY. The actions of others are not stopping me from being successful. The tax benefits alone are enough to keep me having a small business. The good people that I have met and being in a positive environment is a bonus. I’m a MK lifer.
Had a friend who became a brainwashed “pink lady” about 10 years ago. She kept emailing me to join her at meetings, which I’d always decline. Then she started emailing me with the chance to “win a free lipstick” or “a chance to win a purse” by calling a long distance number and listening to a 25 minute sales pitch.
I told her I wasn’t interested and could buy my own lipstick or purse if I so desired. But she kept hounding me until I finally told her I had absolutely no interest in Mary Kay as a buyer or seller and to please quit asking me. She replied with “some people like Coke and some like Pepsi”. What the hell????
A few months later she contacted me because she was putting together gift bags to send to soldiers, with hand cream and lip balm, for a “mere $25” each. She asked if she could count on me to help out at least 4 of our service members. I told her I was sorry, but I couldn’t do it. Then she asked if I could do 2 gift bags. Nope. How about 1? Still nope. OK, then I could just send her $12.50 and she’d put it together with someone else who would only do $12.50.
Told her to please quit bothering me with Mary Kay stuff, since I still had absolutely NO INTEREST in it. She hasn’t spoken to me since. No loss.
After reading your review and all the remarks I will say this: it is easy to take facts (some true, some not, some twisted) and come up with a review on ANYTHING. A review that can be great or one that can be damaging depending on what the writer wishes to convey to the public. AND it is easy to write a negative response to the review if one has been not been successful in a business, ANY business. A person has to ask after reading such a response, did this person have any ownership in what happened to them? Of course they will say no, however, it is my experience in many areas of life that one has the freedom to do or not to do and if they get “burned” that it is their fault.
Mary Kay? I do know these facts: 1. One has to buy a kit at $100 and then only has to order $225 once a year to remain a consultant. One does not have to order $200 every 3 months. 2. One doesn’t have to recruit, that is the consultant’s choice. If one doesn’t recruit, one can still make good money selling product. Of course one needs to work consistently. It is a job after all. And consistently can be 1-2 appts per wk which is about 2-4 hours or it can be ran full time. 3. One doesn’t have to start with inventory, although if one is serious about starting a business it is a good idea. Imagine starting a shoe store without shoes to sell. However, it is one’s choice. If one chooses to start with inventory and gets a loan or uses a credit card, that should be the ONLY time to buy on credit. When one sells the product, 50% is profit, 50% goes to replace product which was sold. If one finds themselves deep in debt, that is their own fault due to their own choices. Again, imagine that shoe store owner, never opening it’s doors, and yet ordering more and more shoes on a credit. Store would be deep in debt and no sales. Who’s fault would that be? 4. Mary Kay is a business opportunity which gives one choices. What choices one makes is one’s choice. It’s no one else’s choice, just the consultant. So when I read all the above comments of being deep in debt, ruining a marriage, being pushed to do this or that, I question what THEY were doing or shall I say NOT doing? If one starts that shoe store and they are the owner, they are in charge of making all the choices: hours to be open, what to charge for shoes, how many styles to carry, etc.? The choices are the owner’s to make. Same thing in this situation: become a consultant – how many hours a week are you “open”, what is your business plan, will you have inventory, how much, etc? And by the way, why would anyone allow any business ruin their marriage? It’s all choices.
I would venture to say after reading the negative reviews, they are written by those who made bad choices and don’t want to take responsibility for those choices. Every choice comes with a consequence. Good or bad.
As for the writer of this review, I would suggest you get your facts straight when you review something, anything. As I started out this review; some true, some not, some twisted. I read many reviews of products and companies and when I see on the review that they are in some way associated with what they are reviewing, I quit reading, they can’t help but be biased. And when I see what I saw on yours ” I’ve been enjoying the adventure of making money online LEGITIMATELY for a while now, and I believe you can too.” I realize the writer is simply using the forum to make someone look bad so he can look good which makes the review self serving.
I’m sure you will have some sort of comeback, don’t waste your time. You have shown you are the scam. sir, or at least not to be trusted. Show how bad some other company is and maybe people will want to work with/for you. A good review should have no association with what they are reviewing nor should the reviewer have an “offer” to make to people reading the review.
Omg YES thank you Randi!!! All so true!!
I signed up to be an MK consultant on 8/8/19. When I signed up, it was with the express purpose of “kitnapping”, bc buying the kit was a better deal to get what I wanted than buying the products outright from the consultant. Even though I had no intention of selling, I was still willing to check out the business *just* in case I might want to sell later, so I consented to do the orientation via video chat w/ my bff, who also signed up the same night. Because I’m truly blessed, I was unable to sign online, but bff went through the process (total yawnfest, as I’m told) and the info she relayed to me after the orientation confirmed what I believed, which was that this is a complete money grab at the expense of the “consultant”… & yes, in order to stay active, you MUST place an order every 3 months totaling at least $200 before tax & shipping. If that’s not true, I invite you to reach out to MK corporate & ask them why their orientation videos give that “false” information, when the “true” information is so much more acceptable. Please post the answer for us!!
When bff told the consultant that she wasn’t willing to go into debt (using the MK credit card) to have items on hand, they gave her the shoe store analogy too… Thank God she’s a rational intelligent person and realized that dumb analogy does not hold water. Below are just 2 reasons why:
1. A shoe store is a brick & mortar business that doesn’t search out customers and beg them to buy. Customers search out the store with the express purpose of buying, which makes the sale substantially less work for the seller.
2. Yes, a shoe store increases it’s chance of success by having inventory on hand, but unlike an MK consultant, a privately owned shoe store isn’t REQUIRED to buy a certain amount of stock within a certain amount of time to be allowed to stay in business. In fact, they can call themselves a shoe store, but only sells vintage purses, and as long as they pay for the brick & mortar space, they’re all good. MK consultants cannot sell other goods/non-MK products at MK events.
This is what makes privately owning a shoe store different from “owning” a business as an MK consultant. It’s like comparing pumpkins & watermelons, they both have seeds, but are completely different.
In truth, MK is my second go round with MLM sales, the first being with Pure Romance. I stopped being a PR consultant when it became apparent that they expected me to purchase each new product line, each quarter, regardless of how much product I had left from the previous line. Perhaps this isn’t your experience with MK, but in my experience (& that shared with me by consultants representing multiple MLMs) it’s hard to sell last season’s inventory, whilst showing this season’s catalogue, which does not highlight (or sometimes even include) last season’s inventory… imagine trying when you’re 2 seasons passed.
Even though I made a fair chunk of change in my first few months with PR, I got out after I didn’t break even for 3 consecutive months. During those months, I was actively working & expanding my pipeline, diligently sharing the “opportunity” with other women, party swapping to fill openings on my schedule and attending all team meetings, trainings and group outings, as well as outside networking events, yet I was still struggling to make sales. Absolutely ridiculous. I make more now in 9-5 sales with a brick & mortar company, Plus, when I come home, work doesn’t.
After reading these comments and hearing the information from the orientation videos, MK sounds just like all of the other MLMs… a scam, and after reading your comment, you sound lost in the “pink fog”… either that or you’re a corporate plant, which wouldn’t even be surprising. I’m glad I won’t be selling for MK… now, if I could just get the sales director & consultant to take “no” for an answer…
I have never had inventory except what I personally use. My customers go online with my help and place their order that comes in 2 days. By doing this I still get paid from the company. And you only have to order once a year to stay active. And my starter kit was on special for $39 when I signed up.
I only read to the part about staying active. You do not have to buy every 3 months to stay active. You have to buy$225 a year to stay active. You have to buy every 3 months to keep getting. 50% discount and get commissions from recruits. Let’s say you signed up in January. You bought $225 for yourself. You actually received $450 in product. You don’t buy anything til December. You can buy $50 but you will only get $50 in product. If you bought $225 in product you would then get $450 in product. If you bought nothing you would need to buy in January to stay active. If you are using the product it lasts 3 months or longer. I can’t go to Walmart and buy a cleanser that will last 3 months for $20. Let alone at my $10 cost. Misinformation could have been the reason for failure.
Bravo Randi! You told the 100% truth.
I couldn’t care less if you’re in a pyramid scheme or not, makes no difference to me! It’s only because the make up is overpriced for the quality that I give it a hard pass! Stop getting your bloomers buckled up your crevices! ?
Well, this isn’t a Comeback. This is the current truth! I just signed up for MaryKay and was told that ALL I needed to invest was $119 for the starter kit plus tax. Then, I had to pay for my business cards, stickers, and stamps which came to $40. Ok, reasonable. Then I had to pay $30 for my website. Ok, I’m getting a little concerned, but the $30 was for the entire year. So, I’m ok. Then I had to pay $40 for some Pro-Pay vendor to process Credit cards. Now I am getting irritated. So I am in the whole a total of $229 when I was told that ALL I needed to spend was $119. And I know you have to invest money in a business to get it started, but the pink ladies should have told me the real total cost from the beginning. I asked and they said $119! But, what really pissed me off was when I found out that I had to purchase $600 worth of inventory in order to get the WHOLESALE price. I was originally told that I would make a 50% profit off of all sales, but they didn’t tell me that I had to buy $600 worth of inventory up front.. And I only found this out while messing around on the site to see the wholesale vs the retail price. They didn’t tell me. This was completely misleading. And for these ladies to call themselves Christians and to be for empowering women is a bunch of crap. Shame on them. They should have disclosed these additional costs at the beginning. I asked and they $119.. I thought they were on the up and up since they claimed to be Christians, studied the Word, and were for helping women. Yeah right! Helping themselves. If you do decide to become a consultant, expect to have startup costs of around $800 – $1000 to get started and to position yourself to make some money. This should be disclosed at the very beginning. This is what I don’t like about my experience with MaryKay. If they had been honest up front about everything, I would have more respect for them. Don’t mislead people. Be honest, because one day, you will be held accountable. The $229 is not going to hurt me financially. It’s the principle and moral responsibility behind it. But, there are some women out here who are living pay check to paycheck and $229 means a lot to them. So, if any of you Pink recruiters are reading this, be straight up about the total costs involved. Have some decency! I am going to pray for them because sooner or later, God will clean house and shut them down! I will just take this as a business loss and write it off on my taxes. Thank God I didn’t buy any Inventory.
I hope people read all of this. Thanks for sharing, Detra.
I have sold MK for years. I dont use propay, or anything. I order only when I need things, there have been times when I only ordered once in a year. I am not pressured at all. I have never even been to a convention. I absolutely love their products and my skin looks amazing. My daughter who is a make up artist/cosmetologist uses many of their products as well. I make a little more than 40% off every sale. It’s definitely a win win for me!
i am currently a MK consultant. First off, I do want to say that i believe Mary Kay Ash had good intentions- she started a company on her own and ended up doing really well and touching people’s lives. Second, some MK products really work! Especially their skincare. Yes, they are expensive, but many good skincare products tend to be, like skincare you find at Sephora.
Having said this, I do know women who have been in MK all their lives and are successful. But it is not for everyone. I went in because i loved makeup, and i am good at speaking with people. However, i am beginning to believe it is not for me. I am in debt with products i bought for my inventory, but only about $8000. I realized that I don’t just want to use MK products, but i want to use all different makeup brands. In fact, i NEVER use MK makeup anymore. Only their skincare which really did work and cleared up my acne.
As far as MK being a pyramid scheme, i get it. It is a mlm company and those can be dangerous. I am not an expert on marketing. I do know that sometimes spending a ton of money on these products is not a smart thing, and i learned it the hard way. I have tons of inventory in my basement, and only some customers. I actually “donated” 70% of my inventory to my church craft fair. I just needed to get it all off my hands.
In MK, it is highly recommended that you only use MK makeup. I decided i couldnt do that, i love makeup much too much, and no offense but MK makeup is boring. No glitters or fancy powders! My director would shudder, but i have tons of non MK makeup products i use everyday now displayed on my desk.
I must say this: my directors do not hound me. I have not spoken to my directors in months, and not once have they annoyed me. I get the emails because im on the list, but i never get phone calls or texts. I hear stories about other directors making consultants lives a living hell, and that def does happen. Thankfully i was blessed with angelic directors. I think they know im not working anymore and not trying. The main reason is the debt: i cant put myself into anymore debt.
Technically im still an active consultant. Im very scared to sign off for some reason. I dont know why, i promise myself many times i will.
All i can say is that if you’re thinking about being a consultant, you need money, brains, and knowledge of makeup. Ive been told the most you spend on your MK business is 20 hours a week- wrong. MK is on your mind 24/7. And if you are trying to do it while going to school or working another job, it will get crazy stressful. I feel a lot of the MK consultants i know are older retired women who have time on their hands, no offense. And just to be clear, there ARE successful women in MK. But, you cant just jump right in, buying inventory, spending money all over the place. Just like any business, it takes thought, time, and more than just the $100 for the starter kit.
Im only 22, so im glad i got in and will get out before i get married and have kids. I do not want the burden of debt and unused inventory in my life when i have a family. Yes $8000 debt for 22 is crazy, but im paying it off week by week. Im praying i win the lottery or something, so i can just pay it off.
Fyi- i have not recruited anyone because i do not feel it is fair. Its not just $100 and alittle time to get the business started. Its a ton of money and working all day, everyday. I will never recruit anyone. In fact, one girl locally contacted me online, interested in being a consultant. I laid everything on the line. I listed the pros, but especially the cons. I told her about the costs, the inventory and the workload. And unlike my directors, i told her about having to spend $250 every 3 months BEFORE she was possibly recruited. She read my last text message months ago and never responded, and im relieved. I didnt want to recruit her, i did not want to drag her into an unfair deal.
Thank you for reading.
Wow thank you for this comment!!
It is an obvious scam…and a pyramid scheme. The guy up at the top who said:
“Pyramid schemes are, by definition, based on making income from other people’s investments to cover your original investment,”
He described a ponzi scheme, not a pyramid scheme, so he clearly does not know what he is talking about.
My wife has a friend who just signed up to be a consultant. She bought a product to help her out, but it was basically her giving money to charity in her mind. Her friend works a min wage job and has a mental disability, and these are the type of people MK preys on to get them to sell their products. We have discussed telling her to drop it, but she is so excited about this “prospect”. It’s sad to watch, quite frankly.
I am so sad about this company. I went to a party given by someone at church . I thought she wanted to be my friend but now realize she was grooming me to be a consultant. I did like some products at the party- (even though my skin burned a little). When I contacted her about purchasing them she offered me a “START KIT” for $100.00. I had a check in my spirit and googled the kit before I responded. It all began to make sense. I communicated that I was only interested in the products I wanted to purchase- she still has not responded. I will never go to another MK party or any other “Home Business” party again. I don’t like feeling manipulated- the wall is now up!
In response to Randi:
One absolutely CAN give a review if one is associated with whatever he/she is reviewing. A review is subjective by nature and is based on the reviewer’s oersonal experiences. It is up to the person reading the reviews to do his/her own research.
And to everyone else making comments, THANK YOU for sharing your thoughts and experiences.
I decided to be a MK consultant a few years ago, I spent money on the starter kit and I think I spent over $500. That was my limit. I was spending time and money. It’s not easy to sell their products. They kept pushing me to buy over $5000 inventory. I don’t think so. They told me “Can you get a loan?”. They’re so unethical. As long as they get their commission, they won’t mind leaving people in debt. I know, we’re all adults and make our own choices but they try to do a brainwash and persuade women into this successful business dream. When they started to push I jumped out the boat. No Mary Kay. Thanks.
It’s a scam! Run if you are thinking about doing Mary Kay ! The numbers just don’t add up 50% payout you keep the other 50% but you have to pay taxes on the whole 100% . So you really making 20% not counting commissions! Don’t waste your time if you want to be in debt so bad start your own business at least you have a 50/50 chance of making money In the long run!
It’s all a matter of how you look at things and what you want out of your life. Mary Kay is not a scam or scheme. If you want to be your own boss and run a business then you need to invest a little and do the work. Does that mean buy your $85 start up kit and own business cards etc.? Yes of course it does!
If you work in an office you’re buying work clothes and shoes are you not?
You can’t sign up and just think you’re going to make instant money. You have to work at it. Actually it’s not even that difficult.
I’ve been using Mary Kay for years and I’m now a consultant. I signed up as a smart shopper to get my products at 50% off for myself and family. Kind of a no brainier. The products are top quality and awesome. Not over priced at all. In fact, cheaper than Clinique and Lancome. Plus 100% money back guarantee. And you can try them all out before you buy. Just find yourself a Consultant. Easy!
I don’t have to go to the mall, or drug store, for any products ever.
Mary Kay is much more than a cosmetic company. But no one has mentioned all the good they do. So let me share.
Mary Kay donates 97 cents from every dollar donated. They also give millions of dollars in Grant’s to domestic violence shelters to help woman and children. They also have the ‘look good feel good’ program that’s helps women who are battling cancer. They also plant millions of trees around the world to help our environment.
This is also why I love Mary Kay so much. It’s a community full of kindness and woman encouraging and supporting each other.
No scam here!
So again, it is what you make of it, just like anything in life. But no one is forcing you to sign up or pushing you to do anything.
Buy the products or don’t. But do try them before you criticize and do educate yourselves before you judge.
If you need to put down other companies and people in order to be successful than you might want to rethink your business plan and ethics.
Remember the Golden Rule. Mary Kay sure does! This is why the company has been successful for 56 years! They’re no joke people.
Amendu, good luck with your business here too. I’m sure what you’re selling can work for others as well.
If I’m my own boss, why is the director hounding me daily? Texts emails and phone calls.
This article is too one-sided and the nay-sayers in the replies all have the same gripes… *yawn* The fact of the matter is that you get out what you put into it.
I pretty much refuse to sell to friends and family. When I do, I sell at a discount. I dont carry much inventory, but my unit has a fully stocked studio so my clients can test anything in the book and shipping is super fast.
The true trick to being successful is having a good upline. My director is patient with me and keeps encouraging me, she also hustles to find us ways to generate fresh leads that dont involve friends/family. But that means WORK. It means dressing up as a dragon and playing with kids at an event while my teammates get the mamas’ contact information. It means setting up a booth and maybe not getting any leads at all. You have to hustle to make your business be successful!
I signed up for Mary Kay 7 months ago. Let me start by saying it was the absolute worst decision in my life. It all started when a friend invited me to a “spa party”. It was a Mary Kay party she had been conned into attending and turned around and conned us all with a promise of a day of mimosas and relaxation. WRONG! We all show up to the address given at it’s a Mary Kay studio. Reluctantly I go inside to see what this “spa day” is going to be. It’s a room with a circle of tables, mirrors and a tray with a tiny amount of product on it. We are told to put our own stuff on and remove with a cloth and a bowl of water. This is a Mary Kay party set up to sell products.
The lady was nice enough to us all and my friend knew her from school so ok go with it. She’s crazy nice and passes out papers asking for phone numbers and people to refer. That was a no from me but I like the face wash and the eye remover. So I pass along my number to order some product. She convinces my friend to go ahead with the starter kit since us girls all want something from it. She’s already got it halfway sold. Now I’m thinking ok this looks easy enough.
Friend signs up and the recruiting started about 2 days later. So since I want to try a few things the consultant convinces friend that I only have to pay a discounted rate since I’m a referral. This is not true in my case. For some reason or another I can’t get that rate blah blah blah but my 3 friends I “bring” with me will get the discount. Still not buying it I hold off on the kit. About a week into this the consultant calls me everyday, we talk like best friends, she acts like she gets my fear and wants me to join her at a meeting at a hotel convention center. I arrive and they tell me it’s 50$ just to get in this meeting. Ummmm no I’ll go now. The consultant comes out says I’m a guest. I enter for free. The meeting was fun all these woman taking about making a million dollars, driving thier 19th car all paid for by MK. Going on cruises and conventions in Las Vegas. It sounds so amazing. Ok I’ll buy the dang kit. What can 119 hurt when you can gain independence and a brand new car. Right??
WRONG!
So I sign up and get my kit! Whooooooooo come on big bucks and a personal website!
Nope not how it works you get the kit, it’s several different colors of cc cream, primer, face wash and a few other best sellers. No business cards no samples. Just one of each full size product to let people try
That’s when the daily calls started at 8 am. When am I buying inventory, when am I doing my first order so I can qualify for the 50% off discount. Because you don’t just get that you have to buy like 500$ worth of product before that discount kicks in.
Next the website first it’s not free, you pay a fee to get that started but after you pay that fee and get it started you can’t actually take online orders and payments. You must first set up a propay account which you guess it is not free there is yet another fee.
So ok I buy the min inventory that I want because she won’t stop calling me every single day, voicemails, text messages, fb messages, fb voice recordings and this went on from 8 am till 10 on on the daily. All the while she pretends to be your friend while trying to sell you this dream any problem in your life. Mk will solve it. Depression mk offers friends- might be true u made zero, need money mk will solve it. Not! So far I’m out around 500$ I’ve made a whole 20$
I still have a box full of product under my bed no one wants. I can’t even give it away. I get emails constantly about needing to make more orders to stay active and pay more to propay for them to secure my account.
I stopped taking her calls because all she wanted from me was to buy more, recruite my family and make false claims for a company I never seen. I still like the face wash but never ever again