Table of Contents
Introduction
The health and wellness sector is one of the markets served by the multi-level marketing (MLM) business Vestige Marketing, which works in this sector. The corporation asserts that the items it sells are of the highest possible quality, and that being a distributor gives individuals access to a profitable business opportunity. On the other hand, various objections and concerns have been voiced in regard to the business methods of Vestige, including their insistence on making customers make forced e-commerce transactions. In this post, we will investigate Vestige Marketing and the debate that surrounds its use of coercive tactics to get customers to make online transactions.
What is Vestige Marketing?
In 2004, Gautam Bali, Deepak Sood, and Kanwar Bir Singh laid the groundwork for what would become Vestige Marketing. The firm is in the business of health and wellness and sells a variety of items, such as nutritional supplements, personal care products, and household appliances. Since Vestige Marketing is a multi-level marketing (MLM) organization, its distributors may earn commissions not only from the sales they themselves generate but also from the sales generated by other distributors they bring into the business.
Vestige Marketing asserts that it is a client-oriented business that places a priority on providing high-quality goods and ensuring complete customer satisfaction. Despite this, there have been various criticisms and concerns voiced about the business methods of the organization, notably with regard to their obligatory online shopping.
Compelled Online Shopping Transactions
The need that customers to make mandatory purchases through e-commerce is one of the primary causes of worry about Vestige Marketing. In order for distributors to be eligible for commissions and incentives, they are needed to complete a particular number of purchases via the e-commerce platform that the firm provides on a monthly basis. The term “monthly PV” or “personal volume” is used to refer to this need.
The minimum amount of PV that must be sold each month varies from one distributor to the next within the firm. For instance, distributors who want to achieve the title of “Silver Director” need to have a minimum monthly PV of 6,000 rupees, which is equivalent to around $80 in US currency. In order to achieve the “Diamond Director” status, distributors need to have a minimum monthly PV of 1,50,000 rupees, which is equivalent to around $2,000 USD.
Distributors are strongly urged to make purchases of items for their own use or for resale, but it is not required of them to do so in any way. Nevertheless, distributors who are not eligible for commissions or incentives because they do not reach the monthly PV minimum are allowed to continue selling the product. Because of this, distributors are put in a position where they feel obligated to make purchases from the e-commerce platform maintained by the corporation on a monthly basis, regardless of whether or not they need or want the items.
Issues of Concern and Critical Thoughts
The necessity that customers make compelled purchases via e-commerce has raised a lot of issues and has been met with a lot of resentment from customers. The following are some of the most important concerns:
Exploitative business model
Many people believe that the demand that distributors make purchases via forced e-commerce is an unethical business strategy that takes advantage of the distributors’ vulnerable financial position. In order for distributors to satisfy the monthly PV requirement and become eligible for commissions and incentives, they are sometimes required to make purchases of things that they do not want or desire. This places an additional financial burden on many distributors, many of whom are already fighting a daily battle to make ends meet.
Absence of openness and honesty
The opaque nature of Vestige Marketing’s operations is a frequent point of criticism. Distributors are not provided with sufficient information about the company’s business procedures, particularly the necessity for monthly PV volume. This lack of openness creates an atmosphere in which distributors may feel as if they have been led astray or tricked.
a lack of control by regulatory agencies
Companies that engage in multi-level marketing like Vestige Marketing do business in an area with ambiguous legal boundaries. In many countries, the multi-level marketing (MLM) sector is not well-regulated, which means that businesses such as Vestige Marketing may be allowed to operate with very few regulations or penalties.
Methods of making sales under a lot of pressure
Distributors for Vestige Marketing are often instructed to use high-pressure sales practices in order to increase their sales and attract new distributors. This might result in an unpleasant and pushy sales atmosphere, which can be off-putting to prospective consumers as well as distributors.
A detrimental effect on one’s interpersonal connections
It has been reported by a significant number of distributors for Vestige Marketing that their engagement with the organization has had a detrimental effect on the quality of their personal relationships. The high-pressure sales atmosphere and the obligation to make purchases via e-commerce might potentially cause stress and conflict with one’s family and friends.
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