Institute for Wealth in Networking (iWin)

"Buy 1 for yourself and get the chance to sell your friends and family 5 and get your downline started!" We examine the multi-level marketing industry, where only the people who come up with the ideas make any money, and everybody else is left unhappy, broke, and tired of reading scripts and selling overpriced vitamins and similarly worthless products. Includes Global Prosperity, Pinnacle Quest International, IRS Codebusters, Stratia, and other new Global Prosperity scams.

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webhick
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Institute for Wealth in Networking (iWin)

Post by webhick »

I was researching the legitimacy of a certain company and discovered an MLM affiliate in the same office complex - posing as a financial services firm, no less.

The Institute for Wealth in Networking website is just...awful. Without even looking at the content, scroll down to the bottom of the page and you'll see where they poorly swapped out their address on the graphic. You can use the Wayback Machine to get the old address.

Their current address is 299 South Main St., Ste 1300, Salt Lake City, UT. Well, not really. If you Google it, you very quickly learn that it's a virtual office address. Well, I guess it's a step above a mail drop and it's an affordable small-business alternative to the overhead of running an actual office.

But if this thing is such a money maker, why can't you afford a real office?

From what I can gather, they sell "coaching" in four different levels and you can join all four levels. All levels include:
  • Live one on one marketing training
  • Live personal telephone sales call tutoring
  • Your sponsor calls & signs up your first two sales
  • Seven days a week member support
  • Residual income for life
  • You receive the commission on your first sale
The first (Bronze) level costs $250, the second (Silver) $500, the third (Gold) $1000 and the fourth (Platinum) $2000. Product/service-wise, there's no real point to joining all four levels. The $2000 package includes everything from all packages below it. I mean, how many times can a girl essentially purchase the same nine videos on "Facebook Mastermind Continuity?" Three. They want me to buy it three times. No, I'm not mistaken. Their Compensation FAQ has an example question involving someone who wants to buy in at the first three levels for a total of $1,750.

They state that they use a deferred 1-up system. According to them, that means that on your first sale, you get 90% of the sale, while your sponsor gets 10%. On your second sale, you get 10% and your sponsor gets 90%. It switches back to the 90/10 for all sales thereafter. Of course, you can only get up to whatever level you invested for each sale and you don't earn anything until your second sale. So, if you only paid for the $250 package, and you sell someone at the $2000, your compensation is based on the $250 you put in. Also, you don't start earning money until you make your second sale.

I'm going to quote directly from their FAQ because the absurdity burns:
Q. Can you provide an example of the Delayed 1-up and demonstrate how it works?

A. Yes. Although the following is somewhat lengthy it will walk you through the
process. Consider:

This example starts with Allen who is already 100% qualified at all 4-levels
and in the example the sale that Allen makes is his third sale…in other words
there are not any qualifying issues involved from Allen’s position. Allen's up-line
direct sponsor is George who is also qualified at all levels.

Allen sponsors Bob who also wants to come in at all 4-levels. Bob sends 90% or
$3375 to Allen to pay his license fee and he sends 10% residual to George who is
Allen's up-line sponsor the amount of $375. This takes care of Bob's initial
purchase and entry into the program.

Now the new member Bob makes his first sale of the program to Mary and she also
comes in at all 4-levels. Since Mary is Bob's first sale and this is a delayed
1-up, Bob gets to keep 90%, or $3375 of the license fee but 10% residual goes to
Allen who remember was Bob's direct sponsor. At this point and on Bob's very first
sale he has recovered 90% of his initial investment and this normally happens
within 24-48 hours.

Next we will continue with looking at Bob's activity. Bob now sells to Sue and she
also comes in at all 4-levels. Since Sue is Bob's second sale she is designated by
the program as Bob's qualifier. This means that Bob has to give Sue's license fee
payment up to his direct sponsor who is Allen. Because qualifiers payments are given
up Sue sends her license fee of 90% to Allen...not Bob...and the 10% of $375 also
goes to Allen because he was Bob's sponsor and he always gets Bob's 10% residuals.
In cases where he receives 90% from a qualifier it would therefore mean in reality
that he receives the whole 100%. This only works this way with qualifiers. This only
applies to those qualifiers from your direct sales

Lets summarize what Bob's situation is at this point.
1- he's paid his entry into the program (sent to Allen)
2- he's made back 90% of his entry (when he sold to Mary)
3- he's 100% qualified (when he gave up the money from Sue)
4- he gets to keep Sue on his Directly Sponsored Down-line
and will receive 10% residuals on her future sale

What happens next for Bob? Well, its happy sailing because he is now 100% qualified.
Every time he sponsors a new person he will get 90% of their entry fee, 10% of
their sales to infinity and on a new person's 2nd sale he gets their 1-up and receives
90% of their entry fee plus the 10% residual for a total of 100% on all directly
sponsored qualifiers.
At least other MLMs pretend to have a product but this one is just shuffling money around. I also somehow doubt that when you make a purchase that you're cutting two checks - one to your sponsor and the other to your sponsor's sponsor. I'm willing to bet that the funds all flow through the online system. How else can you ensure that those who have not made their second sale are receiving money?
When chosen for jury duty, tell the judge "fortune cookie says guilty" - A fortune cookie
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The Observer
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Re: Institute for Wealth in Networking (iWin)

Post by The Observer »

I like the fact that they are really up-front at what you have to do: just keep conning other people to join the pyramid - the only way you earn money here is recruiting people who are are as stupid, if not more than, you are. There is no gimmick like product or services here to sell other than being taught how to recruit more suckers into the scam. I know, I know, they do say that their main product is "coaching." I suspect that is their fall-back position when the authorities start investigating: "Honest, your honor, we sold them coaching sessions on how to market. We only offered a referral fee if they brought more students in. And we did provide the coaching."

And hey, the picture of the semi-cute chick flashing Bennies at you with that come-hither smile has gotta help right?
"I could be dead wrong on this" - Irwin Schiff

"Do you realize I may even be delusional with respect to my income tax beliefs? " - Irwin Schiff
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webhick
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Re: Institute for Wealth in Networking (iWin)

Post by webhick »

The Observer wrote:And hey, the picture of the semi-cute chick flashing Bennies at you with that come-hither smile has gotta help right?
I call her NotClaireDanes.
When chosen for jury duty, tell the judge "fortune cookie says guilty" - A fortune cookie