I signed up for SeneGence around February 2017, right in the thick of the Out Of Stock (OOS) Apocalypse. I signed up under a local woman I befriended. I’d been wanting to help my husband out a bit by taking the financial load off his shoulders and possibly “going back to school” with some online courses. I was excited at first. I paid my $55 (ie over $60 after S&H and taxes), joined every Facebook distributor group I could, listened to my upline for guidance and listened to and observed from other distributors because I was the new kid and they obviously knew more than I did about how these things run, right?

When I signed up, my upline kind of but not really made me aware of how dire OSS was. She flashed me her phone, showed me all the stuff that was OSS, but reassured me that there was plenty of LipSense to get me started with, and I needed to order right away. Order business cards. Order packaging. Start a group. Plan a party. Indiscriminately add friends to it because if they wanted to leave and not support me, they would, and friends that wanted to see me succeed would stick around.

Recruit recruit recruit. Sell sell sell. Party party party.

(Even as I’m writing my blood is boiling to think of how I got suckered into this mess, despite being such a cautious person.)

I listened to her because I thought we were friends. I listened to the group chatter when things were really bad and NOTHING was in stock but skin care products no one cared about because all we’re ever told is “Our lipstick is the best and it sells itself”. Hint: it doesn’t sell itself.

I continued to listen. I continued to front load when I had no money to do it with. Another reason I started this was to help with debts, not add to them! But over and over again I read “front load” from uplines that we as newbies are supposed to be able to trust and look to for guidance. I read so many stay positive, God’s got this type things. I’m a follower, but I have a hard time believing God is in something that felt so off for me.

This went on for months. I’d feel discouraged about why I did this in the first place and I’d consult with my upline, she’d give me a generic pep talk and ask a lot of questions about why I started this to begin with, building a business, etc. All I wanted to do was pay some bills and maybe further my education! Not build an empire!

Over time I realized how I’d been used. That alone made me mad, but what made me even angrier is that I didn’t even see it coming.

There’s two kinds of distributors: ones that just sell product, and ones that sell possibilities. The ones that sell possibilities build big teams, get big commissions off those big teams, and give them the cheery pep talks when there’s an impending mutiny because nothing is in stock. Those are the ones who were sickengly positive all the time, discouraging any sort of questioning the situation and squashing it as “negativity” and “if you aren’t succeeding, you aren’t working hard enough” which is utter and total bullshit. I realized it too late after I’d spent hundreds if not a few thousand trying to stick it out, keep positive, and “girl boss” my way out of a bad situation.

It’s so easy to fall for the tactics. I really do like the lipstick but the pitches I was advised to give to sell product never felt genuine. I felt like I was misleading everyone when I tried to sell a whole overpriced kit when you don’t even really need the remover (it tastes awful anyway), or to act super pumped for a product that I hated or didn’t work (looking at you, mascara and lip volumizer).

I lasted about four months before I jumped ship. I was not happy doing this business. I wasn’t excited. I was super jaded about the company and their shadiness, their misleading methods of selling product, the distributors chugging that SeneBlue Kool-Aid and trying to get others to shut up and chug it, too. I got so sick of it all and was really depressed for a while because I felt like a failure.

I sold off what I could in a final going out of business (GOOB) sale, and sent the rest back to the company. I got reimbursed, not fully, but enough. I feel burned by someone I trusted, too. I really felt like she knew how bad it was and glossed over it to get me to sign up. She was really convincing and reassuring, and I totally fell for it like a complete sucker. I doubt she’s going to pay me for my extra leftovers I gave her, too.

I know not everyone’s experience was like mine. I should have known better, should have trusted my gut about this company and MLMs, but I was pulled in by playing to my best intentions.

Moral of the story: if it doesn’t make you happy to do, don’t do it. And don’t fall for pushy sales tactics, no matter who they’re coming from.

I will never, ever do an MLM again. I’d sell a kidney if I needed money that badly.

— Jaded And Not Blue

#SeneGence #LipSense #frontloading #outofstock #cult #MLM #antiMLMmovement #truestory

Photo by Tyler McRobert on Unsplash

I signed up in January 2017. My upline (she lives in Texas, I'm in NY and we've never met) showed me an album with tons of beautiful colors that I was super excited to order. I started a Facebook group, she told me to use her albums to show my customers the lovely colors I could offer. I went to order my stock, and there were about 5 colors available. I had 2 that I had purchased from her, but I didn't want to demo them because my friends couldn't buy them. I placed an order with what I could and once they came in I did live videos enthusiastically trying on what I had, even the colors I didn't love. People purchased a little, but I ended up breaking even bc in NY our tax is super high, plus I had to ship everything & pay for packaging. So I scrounged up some money & placed another order. But most people don't need 20 colors, just one or two. Sales dried up. People watched my videos & we had fun, but nothing moved. Then for months there was literally 1 color available everyday. I have a full time job & cant spend 24-7 staring at the website, so 99% of the time I missed out on anything that came back in stock. I never heard from my upline, but one of my customers did when my upline asked her to join her team 😞. Then my team got a new CP, and while I couldn't get a gloss to move, she's making 10s of thousands off of us.

Several straws broke this camel's back. I truly think the encouragement of front loading isn't because uplines think stock sells, it's because stock makes them huge commission checks.

This was a heart breaking experience for me. I work 2 jobs & saw what these other girls were doing, and thought I could quit one of my jobs & do something I loved. It seems that if you didn't get in early so that you're one of those girls at the top of the “non-pyramid”, it's very difficult to not only get ahead but get anywhere. Since June, I've sold everything I had at a discounted rate, including my personal stash, and still haven't broken even. But no SeneGence product will ever touch my face again. It's just not a product or company I can stand behind.

— TAF

#SeneGence #LipSense #MLM #distributor #debunked #truestory

I'm 61 with health issues and my husband is totally disabled. I was going to purchase a collection for myself but was also duped into thinking this DS company was “different” and I'd finally be able to supplement our income.

Well, was I WRONG! I started in January and wasn't told about the OOS issue. I, like an idiot, purchased the most expensive distributor collection (unaware that it didn't count towards PV)!

Then as other colors came in, I purchased a few at a time (if I could log on before they were hoarded and OOS). Most times I only got 20-30% discounts because I wasn't buying 20 of one color 😡.

I'm in NY, and aside from online competition, there are so many boutiques and department stores (offering discounts and/or specials) it's really been difficult for me to sell the products.

I'm in debt because of this, on a fixed income — I can't invest another dollar. I was enthusiastic early on (about recruiting) ... but when I saw that the OOS problem was not going away, I stopped trying to recruit.

In addition, since I joined in January, I'm furious that I have outdated books and unicorn 🦄 colors! The company had to have known they were eliminating these colors, thereby making the books obsolete as well.

I'm one of those distributors trying to recoup most of my investment back by offering discounts or free shipping. What I thought was going to give us a cushion, turned into a nightmare.

— VW

#SeneGence #LipSense #MLM #distributor #debunked #truestory

I became a distributor because I liked the products. I'm a born saleswoman — I love sales, and have been a recruiter for 8 years. This business was perfect for me, I have never done an MLM before (I also own my own business), and I evaluated all the numbers my upline told me, as far as earning potential to sell the product alone (I did have girls sign up under me), I was repeatedly told there were two ways to make money — selling the product and building a team ... ok I'm good with that ... except that was not the case AT ALL.

There was zero stock available, so I had to fight to buy 10 of 3 different colors when colors came out to get to $750 PV. Crunching the numbers buying under $750 PV just didn't make any sense. Anyway now I'm $1,000 in the hole and I have learned sooooo much about SeneGence's business practices that I frankly feel disgusted.

The things that bother me the most ... the fact that the Fast Start program was taken away — why? This makes it SO difficult to get started, spending $750 (which comes out to be closer to $900 after shipping and handling and prepaying taxes) ... it's such a huge risk.

Putting girls I love (my downline) in this situation makes me feel very uncomfortable. I know their financial situation and they want to make an honest buck — but I do not feel SeneGence is honest at all.

The other thing that REALLY bothered me was on my upline pages they would promote posts on how to “make money on sales alone” they say — buy $750 and sell for $1,500 make $750 profit (which you re-invest right back into SeneGence of course). THERE IS NO WAY IT IS POSSIBLE AT ALL TO MAKE $750 PROFIT OFF OF A $750 INVESTMENT. Simply — the exorbitant shipping and handling charged FROM SeneGence negates that profit margin entirely — it's impossible even if you happen to have sold exactly everything you bought (like that's going to happen), and what about testers?

We forgot to mention that a large part of our inventory is dedicated to testers. I recognize it takes money to make money, but the way SeneGence promotes making money is TOTALLY DISHONEST. I absolutely can not compromise my integrity just to get someone to take the bait and become a distributor and front load a bunch of product. I would rather eat my $1,000 loss then to propel the lie posed by SeneGence and their successful distributors. There is no legit income opportunity to sell the products alone. I can ask on my upline's page “Who is making a profit on sales alone” and out of over 1,000 — it's crickets — maybe one person claims to make a profit months down the line ... My time is waaaay more valuable than that.

Let's talk about the Shipping and Handling and TAX from SeneGence. You are charging way too much — just skimming every which way you can to make money off your distributors. WHY ON EARTH DO YOU CHARGE TAX ON SHIPPING???? HOW IS THIS EVEN LEGAL???? Just further proves that you are skimming in anyway possible.

Let's talk returns, you are supposed to send us the colors that were returned — but now you just give a credit — you don't return the tax paid on it and we have to pay S&H AND TAX again on these returned products! Come on give us a break ... also why are there WAY more colors available — almost all of them — on the Australia's distributor site, when the colors are shippped from the USA? We all know you are trying to create a fake supply and demand to create this buying frenzy ....

– Distributor 2

#SeneGence #LipSense #MLM #distributor #debunked #frontloading #inventory #truestory

I personally signed up for the LipSense. Having sold other MLM companies I wasn't new to this so I hopped on board.

Wow, was I wrong, I had never logged into a site to order products and there was nothing to order. My upline didn't tell me this little bit of important info. I just made a game out of it, called it the Hunger Games and went to trading sites where that is a whole new blog post.

I have a great team, meaning, myself and my recruit and her recruits I had a great team when I sold another MLM, so I felt that I could do this, with that being said with “front loading” that is pure bull shit!

I personally don't have credit cards and pay cash for everything, so I don't understand why a person can't just give me their credit card info and plug it into YOUR system and have the product shipped to me or THEM! Ohhhh, that may make sense ...

And let's talk about the personal website, can we get in the same century? If I logged into that I would get out and drive to Walmart to buy something. Geesh. Even the website needs updating. Maybe I don't know what I'm doing, but some of the product knowledge, why do we have to listen to it?! Can't we read it?? I'll get off my soapbox now.

— Holly Harris

#SeneGence #LipSense #MLM #distributor #debunked #frontloading #inventory #truestory

Dear Joni,

We are writing you in the hopes that you will take some time to understand what we are saying, and where we are coming from. We love and believe in your products. We are distributors because of that love and belief.

It saddens us to see the rapidly growing negativity all over the internet regarding the company. There are literally hundreds of groups on Facebook where distributors are going out of business and/or selling stock at crazy low prices. They are terrified, because during the OOS months, they hoarded colors and products because they didn’t know when those products would become available again. Now, everyone is panicking and trying to get out of the debt that this has caused.

The products simply cannot sell fast enough. We are each, only one person. We cannot spend 23 hours a day promoting, selling, packaging, marketing, shipping, invoicing, taking orders, and so on, to try to earn a profit. We have families and children, careers and lives. We signed on because we believed we could have fun, sell a product we loved, and earn some extra income on the side.

We have all been distributors for several months, if not longer, and even with steady sales that have kept many of us busier than both our day jobs and our families do, we can say that most of us still have not made any profit. Most of us are in debt, some of it running into thousands of dollars.

There are a few reasons why it’s not profitable to sell your product, and we believe that with a few changes, it could be the amazing and life-changing company you claim it to be. Not just for a select few Crown Princesses, but for all of us.

The key to a company’s success is to hold on to integrity, and not get swallowed up in the greed. We see the women pushing their downlines to order 300pv and “front load”, so they can earn their commissions. That is pure greed. Many of us have downlines, but we refuse to climb to the top on their backs. There has to be a better, more humane way.

If things continue with no changes, SeneGence will end up like LuLaRoe. A passing fad that is in its death throes now, with their $25 leggings going for $5 all over the internet. We don’t want to see this happen to SeneGence, and if you think it can’t happen, you’re wrong. As fast as it exploded is how fast it can implode. Life on the web moves fast.

Here are a few ideas we have collectively put together, with the hopes of saving the company, and our business investment in it.

1. Lower shipping costs or provide free shipping for orders of 300PV and higher.

2. 50% discount for distributors who purchase 300pv. 750 pv is really high and it's partly to blame for causing the OOS issues and the overstock issue that current distributors have. This is causing tons of going out of business sales all over the internet, where the product is being sold to customers for up to 50% off. We've seen LipSense as low as $11!

3. Low cost personal website — we need modern, well-designed and user friendly sites, where our customers can place their own orders, and we receive commission on the orders.

4. $40K a month is just greed. At 150 Crown Princesses, if they each earn $40K a month, that is costing the company $72 million a year. That is insane. How about capping that monthly commission income for the Princesses, and using some of that to make real changes to help the majority of your distributors, who are the majority of your workers, and making pennies.

5. Training — ones we don't have to pay $2,500 for. $500 for a weekly call? Why?

6. Branding. Please do something current and attractive ASAP. To be selling your products for the amount they’re priced at, they need to look like luxury items. They don’t at the moment, because of the amateurish logo, packaging and marketing materials.

7. End the monthly PV for commission earnings, stop “pay to play” (which is sailing very close to the wind with illegal pyramid scheme definitions) and give us credit where credit is due, we shouldn't have to purchase to earn commissions!

8. Bring back incentives for new distributors to sign up. Right now, there is ZERO reason for anyone new to sign up.

9. Release the new colors and products at the same time, so everyone has equal chance to get it if they need it.

10. STOP NEW DISTRIBUTOR SIGN UPS when there is no inventory to sell them!

11. Retroactive “Fast track” for those who were ineligible when they signed up.

12. Employ a UX / information design specialist to redesign Back Office so we can find things, and documents are arranged in a logical, systematic way.

13. Cap the “hoarding” of stock during times of OOS, putting limits on how many of each item a distributor can order at any one time. This is the reason for the going out of business sales all over the place. All that does is hurt those of us who are trying to sell the product at full retail.

14. Don’t use Crown Princesses and Queens as your communication channels. It becomes one big game of Chinese Whispers, with rumors running rife. One way of making sure distributors get clear information directly from you is to send out emails of updates and action plans.

We truly appreciate you taking the time to read this, and hope that you and your team will sit down and carefully consider the points we have made.

Sincerely, Your Distributors

#SeneGence #LipSense #MLM #distributor #debunked #frontloading #inventory #truestory #openletter

I started SeneGence with high hopes, believing in all the talk of “momentum phase” and getting in early. I am a business woman, have been for a decade and do very well with my full time business. With that said, I am always looking for an opportunity!

I read once that every millionaire has 7 streams of income coming in. Once I signed up however, I quickly realized that in order to be successful and earn the real money, I'd have to trick ladies a little in order to get them to sign under me and push them to spend $460 (give or take depending on your shipping costs) in products monthly.

The OOS issues, as you all know, caused me to panic-buy. I have customers, waiting for colors, and had no idea when the color was going to come back. Early on, I asked the uplines if this was “the game”. Creating urgency to buy. They assured me NO, it was not, it was the company exploding in popularity and blah blah blah.

Now, after several months, I have 45 color tubes and 15 glosses that have not sold. That is over $1,000 in product. It happened so fast.

Groups are popping up all over Facebook where girls are selling at half price, making selling at full retail close to impossible.

I'm really disappointed in this company and the way they are treating their distributors, and that is why I hope they will hear us and make some changes.

— Distributor 1

#SeneGence #LipSense #MLM #distributor #debunked #frontloading #inventory #truestory

This is an anonymous blog where some real SeneGence distributors will share their experiences and thoughts with you. These blog posts are the personal opinions and experiences of people who have been or are still distributors. Your experience of SeneGence may differ, you might be one of the lip bosses who actually got this business to work, and good luck to you.

We all got in this to make some extra money selling a product we love, or to gain the financial freedom that is dangled out there.

But is that really attainable?

Let's talk about that! No-one should get into financial ruin here, and we see so many on that road. We’d like to be a part of helping. We hope we can all figure this out together, and help each other make good business decisions.

We also have suggestions for SeneGence on how to improve their operations, based on our experiences. We would like anyone thinking of signing up as a distributor to know the full story of what’s going on with the company. By all means sign up, but be informed of the issues as well.

We want to help you make good decisions!

#SeneGence #LipSense #MLM #distributor #debunked #truestory