Lyoness Australia has issued the next statement:
“Lyoness rejects allegations raised by the ACCC, and will vigorously defend the proceedings commenced by the Commission on 28 August.
Lyoness is a shopping community, customer loyalty program and network marketing business.
Benefits are exclusively generated by shopping activities within the Lyoness community. Members receive benefits when they shop, whether they introduce other members or not. Lyoness members may introduce members and receive benefits when the new member shops in the Lyoness community, but no benefits come from the introduction alone.
Lyoness has been active for 10 years and in none of the 46 markets in which it is active has Lyoness been found guilty of or convicted for operating a pyramid scheme.
Over four million members take advantage of the Lyoness benefits at over 40,000 loyalty merchants around the world. In Australia, there are now 780 Lyoness loyalty merchants, including many small and medium sized enterprises.
Lyoness is committed to full compliance with the law and to dealing honestly with Australian consumers.
Daily business is not affected. This court action has no effect on Lyoness members, loyalty merchants or staff, and Lyoness may be contacted by them in the usual way.
Since the proceedings are before the court, Lyoness
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Australia Sues Lyoness With Pyramid Allegations
by Ted Nuyten • • 0 Comments
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has instituted proceedings against Lyoness International AG, Lyoness Asia Limited, Lyoness UK Limited and Lyoness Australia Pty Limited (together ‘Lyoness’) for operating a pyramid selling scheme and engaging in referral selling.
Although Lyoness has been investigated by regulators for conduct in other countries, this is the first court action taken against Lyoness alleging that the Lyoness Loyalty Program constitutes a pyramid scheme.
Pyramid schemes involve new participants providing a financial or other benefit to other existing participants in the scheme. New participants are induced to join substantially by the prospect that they will be entitled to benefits relating to the recruitment of further new participants. Pyramid schemes may also offer products or services, but making money out of recruitment is their main aim, and often the only way for a member to recover any money is to convince other people to join up. In contrast, people in legitimate multi-level marketing schemes earn money by selling genuine products to consumers, not from the recruiting process.
The ACCC alleges that Lyoness has operated the scheme in Australia from mid-2011 and that it continues to operate the scheme. The scheme offers ‘cash back’ rebates to members who shop through
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Lawsuit: Nu Skin Paid MLM Compensation To Chinese Distributors
by Ted Nuyten • • 0 Comments
Several former Chinese distributors of Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. claim the marketer of skin care and nutritional supplements authorized sales representatives to earn compensation on their “downline” network in violation of the country’s regulations, according to a consolidated putative class-action complaint that was filed last month in Utah federal court against Nu Skin.
Nu Skin misled shareholders, orchestrating a “massive expansion in China knowing that Nu Skin’s form of multi-level compensation violated many of China’s regulations on direct selling and prohibitions on pyramid schemes,” the lead plaintiff State-Boston Retirement System, a government pension plan, alleged in the 124-page lawsuit filed on June 30.
Plaintiffs in the consolidated complaint have requested certification of a class of shareholders who purchased Nu Skin securities including options between May 4, 2011 and January 17, 2014. The end of the class period roughly coincides with a precipitous decline in Nu Skin’s stock price (NUS: NYSE), following revelations that the Chinese government was investigating its business practices.
Plaintiffs have alleged violations of Section 10(b) of The Exchange Act and Rule 10(b)(5), and Section 20(a) of The Exchange Act.
“We continue to believe the allegations are without merit and intend to defend ourselves vigorously,” Nu Skin spokesperson Kara Schneck said. “Nu