All right – so you want to know whether 4Life is a scam, right?
I have done my research, and believe me it took me several days to come up with this review.
I did not find any signs of a scam, but I did find out that it is really difficult to make a living with 4Life.
I will show you also the income proof so you can get an idea of how much a person at the bottom can make.
I don’t mean to be disrespectful when I use the term “at the bottom” but if you think about joining the 4Life or any other MLM company, it is where every newbie starts.
If you want to know more about 4Life, just stay with me and I will reveal to you exciting information about this MLM company.
In case you were searching for ways how to make some money on the side I think I can help you with that as well. It won’t be any MLM company, no pyramid scheme nothing like that.
Before we dive into the 4Life review, let me share with you that at this time and age, the best way how to make some money on the side is through internet marketing.
I know it may sound difficult but it is not harder than writing emails.
Well, I admit it is not super-easy, but with proper tutorials and guidance, you can build your own website and learn how to monetize it.
But Let’s dive into the 4Life review.
Disclaimer
Please note, that I am not a member or an affiliate of 4Life.
This review is based on research and information available online in the public domain. Any recommendations and conclusions are only opinions and may not apply to all persons or situations.
4Life Overview
Name: 4Life
Website: www.4life.com
Price to Join: $25 + Price for products
Recommended: No
What Is 4Life?
The founder is David T. Lisonbee, who has more than 30 years of experience in network marketing.
The headquarter is in Sandy, Utah (just like many other MLM companies, including Rain International, or Tranont).
4Life is an MLM company that manufactures and distributes healthcare products. The company offers supplements that support the immune system, nutritional meal packs, products for teens and kids, and general wellness.
It was founded in 1998, and the headquarter is in Sandy, UT USA. They operate worldwide with more than 5,000 employees.
Other than that the company does not reveal too much detailed information about its business.
It is estimated that they have offices in 24 markets on five continents.
Another source says that they sell their products in 50 countries.
You can find on their website many awards for the products they have won over time.
On the other hand, I also must mention that the company in 2016 received a warning letter due to misleading marketing practices (a lawsuit was filed against the company).
The result was an internal warning that if any of the distributors make such a false claim about the product, they will be suspended. Since then no major issues have been recorded.
Is 4Life a Pyramid Scheme?
You may be asking what is the difference between an MLM company and Pyramid Scheme.
In a few words – an MLM company offers a product to the market, whereas the pyramid scheme does not have a real product and is based on the recruiting of other people, only.
Here is a video on how to spot the pyramid scheme and how difficult it may be to see the difference between MLM and a pyramid scheme:
With that being said, 4Life is the MLM company. But the truth is that the majority of people do not make (almost) any money.
We will check the actual 4Life income report to see what percentage of distributors make money.
As a side note, here is a quick “checklist” so you can protect yourself to see if the company fits the pyramid profile.
Ask yourself these questions if you are not sure whether the company is a pyramid scheme.
Does 4Life fit that profile?
Well, even though it may seem that it has some aspects of it I believe it is just a legit MLM company.
The thing is that they do have products to sell, and people seem to be quite happy with those products.
The bottom line is, that more than 80% of people who join the 4Life as distributors do not make more than a couple of hundreds of dollars per year!
What is the Price to Join?
There is a $25 fee to join the 4Life. It can be done online by filling up the application available on the 4Life official website.
To become a distributor, one must buy products (like a package) that cost $29.95. The distributor can then buy the products at a wholesale price.
What I see as a disadvantage, he can’t sell any of the products unless he buys them first.
There is a minimum amount of product distributor needs to buy per month, to maintain that “position”.4Life offers some rewards for their customers (or distributors).
These 3 are preferred:
- 25% Product Saving – This includes the wholesale pricing
- Loyalty Program Benefits – It is possible to earn product credits (the product will be selected by 4Life and it cannot be exchanged or returned)
- Instant Discount – There is a 25% discount at checkout on qualifying purchases (not applicable for the first order with 4Life)
To me with every reward comes some kind of catch. Like there is no linear reward.
In other words, you can get this reward A, but you have to do additional things – or you can get it but you also have to buy this or that.
If you looking for a simple way how to make some money on the side (or even a full-time income) you should consider affiliate marketing.
Basically, you have your own website where you add useful content for your visitors. People search for help on google and they land on your site – you don’t have to chase them.
You educate them about the best option or product (if you do product reviews) and they make their own decision about the purchase.
They are happy about being educated and about the purchase – and you are happy that you make them happy 🙂 and yet you earn a commission.
It is a Win-Win situation.
You don’t have to bother anybody.
Products, That 4Life Offers
As already mentioned, the company offers health-related products.
They have more than 100 different products (for skincare, basic wellness, personal care, dental health, multivitamins, and even animal health).
But their number one is the Transfer factor plus.
According to the company, this particular product is the most selling immune system product.
There are 60 capsules in it and it is recommended to take 2 pills per day.
The price is something over $70 on Amazon and $76 on the 4Life pricelist.
People taking the transfer factor plus usually have a good experience with the product. There are some complaints about the price, though.
Generally, regarding the products, the company says that all their products are backed up by research and science. According to them, they employ scientists and physicians to create these products.
Although the details of the research are not revealed.
Another thing is that a placebo plays a big role and also many reviewers underline it.
In my opinion, if that helps – then nothing wrong with that. Assuming there are no side effects (have not seen any in those reviews).
The downside is the high price though.
How Can You Make Money with 4Life?
A simple answer would be – Hardly.
To dig down a little bit there are 2 ways how to make money:
- Selling the products – that is difficult due to a lot of competition between companies trying to sell similar products
- Recruiting other people – mostly relatives and friends. It jeopardizes good relationships and you might lose them (assuming you have a good relationship with at least half of your family and friend 🙂 )
Here is a screenshot from the 4life income disclosure.
You see that less than 1% make a decent living.
And in 2020 it was even worse.
You can check the entire 2020 4Life Income Disclosure.
This is a common thing with most MLM companies.
One point regarding recruiting people;
I don’t know how you feel about that but to me, this is probably the worst part since you promise people to do what you do and that they can earn a lot of money.
In reality, you don’t make much as per the income report above, so how can they trust you?
Why would they join?
It is extremely difficult to convince someone to be part of something that does not work.
Also at this time and age, people simply go to the internet and make a purchase online.
That is why, if you are looking for an opportunity to make money, you should go in that direction as well – create your own website and learn how to monetize it.
4Life Pros and Cons
There are actually more cons than pros, but let’s have a look at the individual points.
- 4Life has been founded more than 20 years ago. In my opinion, there is good leadership. People working directly at 4Life Research seem to be happy. On the other hand, independent distributors do not do so much…
- Their product seems to be working – although it might be just a placebo effect, I believe nothing wrong with that. It is said that the mind can create all the chemicals we need to heal up.
- 4Life is also involved in charity work
- More than 85% of distributors make less than $1,000 per year. That is less than the minimum wage in Ukraine
- All of these distributors are “advised” to recruit their family members, relatives, and friends. In other words, these distributors eventually might get their closest ones into a similar unfortunate position as themselves (the distributors)
- All of the products are expensive and very hard to sell
- 4Life does not provide its distributors with any kind of training on how to sell, how to create a website, and how to make promotions. All distributors are on their own when it comes to the necessary education.
- Distributors need to keep buying the minimum amount of product to remain “in the game”
Oh and regarding the healing I mentioned in the second point in the Con section – I just would like to refer to the source of that thought.
Some Thoughts at the End
Their products might work. It also depends on the individual. The truth is that they are expensive.
Also depending on where you live, you may have your own way of treatment. I mean some people rely on proper food, tea, and exercise. Others may have already chosen their supplements – cheaper than 4Life’s products.
If you are interested in their products, by all means, go ahead and try them.
But if you think about joining 4Life as a business opportunity I do not recommend it.
Mostly due to the fact the majority of people do not make enough to pay their checks.
Better ways to earn money on the side
Of course, there is and the easiest way is affiliate marketing.
In one particular article, I compare both, MLM Vs. Affiliate marketing. You can check the post to determine which business model fits you the best.
This Might Be a Better Alternative
As you have seen, it is not easy to make money with 4Life.
Their products are not easy to sell because of the price. If you are OK with bothering your friends and family, you can try that, but there is a chance that you will lose most of your close relatives and friends.
That is just my advice since my aunt was doing this when I was a teenager. She tried to convince my mother to join but she refused.
Eventually, my aunt stopped doing that.
But I am sure you want to learn something about the alternative.
The opportunity I am about to tell you about does not require any selling any recruiting and you can do that from your home. It is called affiliate marketing.
In a nutshell, you create a website about something you are passionate about. You create content and make that website “visible” for search engines, such as Google and Bing/Yahoo.
I know that this might sound difficult for you, but with proper training, anyone can do that.
The training you will find inside the platform called Wealthy Affiliate.
This platform has been founded in the early 2000s and today there are more than 300,000 active members. Many of them are 6 figure earners.
You can check it out for free, no credit card is required.
I know that you might have a lot of questions, so do not hesitate and ask them in the comment section below.
I will do my best to give you an answer within 24 hours.
Hi Mike
I am glad I found this review this morning as I was thinking about joining 4 life but after reading through this review I feel it’s just another MLM promising you a wonderful life of health and wealth and as we all know it takes a miracle to make it to the top in MLM.
The people who own the company are laughing all the way to the bank while everyone below them gets a small % of what is earned.
I see you have a link to Wealthy Affiliate as an option and I am very happy to see this as I have read some amazing reviews on this type of business and will definitely be joining to learn how Affiliate marketing can benefit me
I know I will need to work hard and learn well but at least I will own my own business and will not have to prey on family and friends to make a small amount of money- Yay. Thank you
Hello Vicki,
You are absolutely right. 4Life is basically not different from any other MLMs.
They are selling dreams.
Regarding Affiliate Marketing, in my opinion, it is a much better business model than the network marketing (or MLM).
As you mention, it is not easy either, but if one works hard the result will come.
Wishing you all the best,
Mike
Hello Mike, its a nice review you have here. The zeal to make online money is everywhere as a result of the ease involved in it when making this money. The health and wellness niche is one good one ti make money and that’s why its one of the most crowded niche in the market. 4life being a pyramid scheme would drive away anyone who is into business and understands how a pyramid scheme works. Thank for sharing this post.
thanks for your comment.
Well, yeah – 4life strongly resembles the pyramid scheme, although it was not officially called that way (yet).
It is unfortunate how many people fall for such a scheme.
There are much better ways of how to make money. People don’t have to bother their friends and family members and still make a nice living.
In fact, if done properly, even 5 digits per month is not an impossible income. It is all about proper education.
Cheers,
I enjoyed this article very much. I’ve rarely seen anyone post this topic without being noticeably biased in one way or another. It’s quite difficult at times to get to the bottom scams or MLM’s, and it’s nice to know there is a place to go for the information while at the same time, being presented an alternative to an online business. Well done.
Glad you like it.
I do my best to give an unbiased review, although sometimes it is not easy, especially when I am not a big fan of MLMs.
But I still try to find something positive in it.
Hope it will help others to make a better decision.
Cheers, Mike
To be totally honest, I think the only people that would make money from this are the owners of the business. I have seen other businesses like this – Isagenix for one.. a similar company but one that purports to offer a detox diet for those of us that are over weight, with shakes, detox drinks, quick snacks, bars, and at the same time they encourage you to sell to others spreading the business out like an umbrella. the more people you pull in the more you benefit from them , a pyramid scheme by another name. I honestly feel that it plays on peoples weaknesses and worries about health and at the same time try to profit from them. but also fooling those into thinking this could be a side hustle when the figures don’t add up. How did you hear of 4life? have you tried any of the products? I tried isagenix, they made me sick.
Hello Helen,
I agree with you. The money is being pushed to the upper level only. The majority of “independent business owners” working for 4Life lose money or don’t make much.
How did I hear about 4Life?
A friend of mine was involved in 4Life. I mean he did mention the Transfer factor. Honestly, I was curious about why the product – why it is so expensive. Then I started to dig into it a bit more and found out that it is an MLM.
When I was a student I was involved for a while in another MLM company and wanted to find out whether 4Life would be a better business opportunity – just out of curiosity.
It has turned out that not really. Too bad for people who want to change their financial situation, they become 4life distributors but the majority of them are eventually disappointed.
In my opinion, they should be aware of the fact that there are better ways how to make some money on the site. I am not saying that internet marketing will work for them, but I believe they should be informed about the alternatives.
Here is a little study I did the other day. It concerns the differences between MLM and Affiliate Marketing.
Personally I have not used any 4Life products.
Thank you for sharing your experience.
I appreciate it.
I hope you don’t have to take any of these products (regardless of the brand)
Mike
The main issue I was able to discover about online businesses like 4life is that, no mater how nice their offer is, it can’t be useful for those willing to benefit from it, this is mainly because of the kind of model they operate with, all MLM companies have this same problem and that was what made me decide not to have anything to do with them. It really nice and helpful that you did this review.
You are right – the entire MLM kind of business model is made for those at the top.
Only a small portion on lower levels do make a nice living – but what is the cost? Unless you have tons of friends, it is almost impossible to generate consistent revenue.
Thank you for your comment
Mike
Hi, I was looking into this kind of “schemes” for a couple of days. Now in my opinion, 4Life is not a scam per se, but a surefire way to not only not make money, but loose a ton of it. And is not only them, it’s all of them. I’ve recently saw a few youtube videos regarding people loosing LOTS of money and even friendships and families tying to make a living by selling this MLM marketing products.
But at the end of the day, they do provide you with “training” and a product to sell, so you pay that initial $25 for that I guess.
Anyway, thanks for the info, it provided a nice insight into 4Life
Hello Walter, thank you for your comment.
It is very unfortunate how MLMs work. I was involved in one as a student so it was not my primary focus, but still. I mean for people who do this full time it must be frustrating to maintain the required sales, report to the sponsor, search for the new prospects – and what is the worst of it – searching for new prospects within the family and friends.
I also hear stories that people involved in MLM, disappear from the previous life – the lost their friends and family members as well.
It is understandable that people look for ways how to make money on the side, or even want to start with a business, but don’t have enough resources to open the brick and mortar business.
These days, it is easy to do it online though.
Here is a little study I did – it concerns the difference between MLM and Affiliate Marketing.
I include the pros and cons of both business models so one can decide which model fits him/her the best.
If 4life is an MLM pyramid scheme then it will be a better option to just stay away from it because it will not work perfectly and one will find it very hard to make any money at all. I called it an MLM pyramid scheme because they have almost the same model and style. There are better ways to make money though but this business model is not a good one. Nice review you put together here.
I see what you mean. The majority of MLM companies operate in this way – making money just from recruiting.
But as I explained, technically 4Life is not a pyramid scheme.
Either way, it does not make sense to get involved in any of the MLM companies – it is a waste of time, energy, and in many cases money as well.
Thank you for your comment,
Mike
I appreciate your review of 4Life. I have started looking at reviews of business ventures before just joining because I was getting scammed out of money and time. Thank you for sharing the video on Pyramid schemes also. I learned so much. With Wealthy Affiliate, will there be expensive services I will have to buy later down the line? I love that I can join without adding my credit card and then actually be a part of building a website. Nothing to lose, I guess. Thank you
Melissa
I hear you, Lisa.
It is always frustrating being scammed out of money and time. I hear from you. I hope you have not suffered that much financially.
As time pass, we always look at those experiences as life lessons. At least we should be, otherwise, we don’t progress.
Regarding the Wealthy Affiliate – yes you can create your account just by using your email. No credit card required. As a starter member, you can take 7 days course for free. Then you decide whether to take full advantage of this platform or you just want to keep the starter membership
(The training will not be accessible thought, but you can still keep your WA account for free)
WA Premium membership costs $360 per year. If you want to have your own domain, you pay about $15 on top of that, per year.
You can start to run an online business for less than $380 per year.
That’s it.
No additional expenses, no hidden fees.
In fact, there is a Jaaxy Keyword Research Tool included (for a WA Premium Member for free).
It is a good to be part of something that actually works.
Cheers,
Mike
Thanks for sharing review of 4life. You lifted up the burden. Multiple Level Marketing (MLM) companies have become so numerous these days. One thing I hate is referring people to and also to sell physical products. It is not easy a bit; very stressful and one could end up selling nothing!
I recommend Affiliate Marketing for anyone looking to make money online.
Glad to help.
I couldn’t agree with you more about the MLMs.
That is exactly right. You have a bunch of stuff in your garage (or in your bedroom) laying around, nobody wants to buy it. If you are lucky you will sell it with no profit, or even worse, you may end up losing money.
People do buy stuff online.
It is more and more commons so why would they buy overpriced products from a “friend”.
Anyone who wants to make money on the side, should check out internet marketing. It does not require a big investment and you can learn at your own pace.
Thanks a lot for your comment,
appreciate it,
Cheers, Mike
I’m a stay home mom and I have a couple of businesses I do online to help my husband in the financial aspect. I’ve encountered so many scams online and I have acquired a lot of experience from them. During this expedition, I discovered that MLM companies are not so lucrative as their claims use to be, 4life might be legal but it still doesn’t change the fact that it’s an MLM and it has nothing good to offer. It’s thoughtful of you to share this information.
Waw – you are really busy woman.
Respect.
4life is definitely not a way to go. In fact, as you mention, none of the MLMs have a lucrative offer. I also know some persons involved in the MLM’s company (including family members) and they are either struggling or they just quit with zero profit.
It is a shame how they act as a great business opportunity, but only the first 2 levels actually make the profit.
Thanks a lot for sharing the information.
I only have one legacy I laid down for myself or maybe for some people who’d love to take it and it is that I’ll not participate in any business with any MLM companies nor will u recommend to anyone because it’s always difficult to make earnings from them. I believe you inputting your efforts in a business leaves you with the chance of benefiting from it, but in MLM, it’s otherwise. 4life is no way different from others.
I hear you. It is very difficult to make money with any MLM.
Even it looks promising at the beginning but the reality is that for most people MLM does not work.
Recruiting is just bothering people, yet your closest ones. One can easily run out of friends and family.
4Life for me is a platform that I would not deal with for many reasons. Training is not provided, profits are not high and it is difficult to sell products as they are very expensive. The experience of your goddess urges me not to. The Wealthy Affiliate is the opportunity I was looking for and I really want to upgrade it. Thanks for your enlightening and useful article.
I agree with you.
It is just not worth it to join the 4life.
And I think at this time and age it is much more important to concentrate on the internet business. More and more people buy stuff on the internet and 2020 will be even bigger.
Thank you for your comment
Of course No; 4Life does not resemble a scam in anyway since they have physical products they sell and the products are meeting the needs of the consumer. But it is an MLM company. MLM business is one of the most difficult business I have seen in my life and it may not be profitable at last. Only those that are on top of the game can benefit.
4Life is not worth the time and effort; no MLM is worth it.
I recommend Wealthy Affiliate platform.
Yes, you are exactly right. It is just an MLM company. Sometimes it is not easy to see the line between what is a pyramid and what is still legit MLM.
As far as I was able to find out there have not been any major legal issues with 4Life.
But as you correctly point out it is difficult to make money his way. The income report proves that.
Thank you for your comment.
Hello Mike, I must say that this review is very helpful and informative. I found your article by looking for 4Life review as I wanted to give it a try when it comes to promotion. Based on your opinion I think I will avoid it as earning potential is not looking so great. Also, the products, you are right, it is pretty hard to sell high-ticket products as people “like” cheap. Thank you for sharing such useful info.
thank you Danijel for your comment.
As for the earning potential – that is exactly right -> it is not worth it to join the 4Life.
Simply by looking at the income report, it is obvious that it is almost impossible to make a living.
There are certainly better ways how to make money without bothering others. With proper education, one can have a 3-4 digit income (per month) within 6-8 months, not mentioning the potential down the road-
-Within a year there is a big chance to become an authority in a chosen niche and then people will approach you for help.
This is a very good review and I honestly think that it is very cool that you can come out honest with it. I have not seen anyone write anything this honestly about any platform for a while now. This is rare. I like the fact that you could point out all the goods and bad here. Like you have said here. It is very true that MLM schemes are not the best place that one should try to make any money from because making any money through them is only a waste of time. Nice post!
I try to do my best to remain unbiased. It sometimes requires to stop researching and get back to that work the day after, since sometimes there is a tendency to lean on one side or another.
“Each new day offers the chance to start afresh” 🙂
But eventually I do not recommend joining the MLM – as you correctly said, it would be just a waste of time,
Thank you for your comment.