This one has been pointed out by someone at the Anti-USANA facebook group. As can be seen with wikiscanner, the USANA IP address has been used to remove content from wikipedia describing acusations (not even actually accusing) USANA of being a pyramid scheme, among other things.
Wikiscanner search for USANA's IP
Wikipedia article history showing USANA removing "pyramid scheme allegations"
In this case, USANA was actually careless enough to use their own internet connection to edit Wikipedia. Who knows how many edits they may have made through proxies, alternate accounts, etc., not to mention edits made by reps from their home computers. Also note, USANA seems to have outsourced the discussion-suppressing spam on their Yahoo finance board.
Update(12/12/2008): The link to wikiscanner seems to be broken. However, the records of Usana's vandalism still exists in the wikipedia article history:
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Usana&diff=147293679&oldid=147291762
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Your posts on this blog are full of misinformation. I have also just seen your posts on scam.com, and they are also full of misinformation.
You have also just been found out to be a liar. You said in one post '' I went to some meetings, but I never joined''. In a later post you said ''I tried to sell their products, door to door in fact''.
You are a liar and a fake.
Chris - I'm curious to know if you have so much righteous indignation over USANAs misinformation or over the fact that Ladd McNamara lied and claimed to be a Doctor, Gil Fuller lied and claimed to be a CPA, Timothy Wood lied and said he had a PhD in Biology, Denis Waitley lied and claimed to have a Masters. Were you at all upset when it turned out that Myron Wentz had neglected to inform shareholders that he had renounced his US Citizenship? Any of this set you off? I'm not condoning what the blogger here did because it's a pretty stupid thing to do and I doubt he's going to gain anything from it (unlike the "gentlemen" above) but are you an equal opportunity moralist or only when it suits you? Here's a curious idea - point out what is said here that is misinformation.
In this case, as a proud MLM'er, not with Usana, I am merely defending the truth that Usana and the business model they use is fully legal, and not a scam. The blogger is wildly misinformed about what is MLM and what is a scam, and my arguments are solely about this subject.
Chris - Congratulations you managed to avoid answering every question. I can see how you'd be successful at MLM.
The misinformation from the blogger?
That Usana is a pyramid scheme and a scam.
The other stuff about individuals?
I know nothing about any of it, other than what you posted here. I only comment on subjects I know about, which in this case is the difference between a Legal MLM and a pyramid scam.
If you have any questions about this subject, dont hesitate to ask. If you want to talk gossip about individuals, then I'm not interested - it has nothing to do with whether or not the company is a pyramid scheme.
Chris, what is your opinion about what defines a pyramid scheme?
For me, the main question would be ''can the last person in, still make money?'' In other words, if someone joined as a distributor, could he/she make money WITHOUT sponsoring anyone?
The only way to do this, of course, is by retailing the product, and making the mark-up as profit.
A person in a pyramid, can only make money by signing up new people.
OK, Chris. How about this situation: it is possible to sell the products, but it is easier to sell the business.
Would that be a pyramid scheme? What if it were possible to sell, but it gets harder with each new level of members who join? What if the products are very expensive, and people won't likely buy them unless they are doing so to be in the business?
Chris, you are replying to a post in which I have provided a link that DIRECTLY proves what I have stated and saying that I'm giving you misinformation?
You also said I'm a liar because I said I never joined. I never did join. I went door to door alongside a Usana rep and helped that person try to sell. I never signed up as a distributor and I never received any pay from Usana. I did this to research the opportunity.
Chris - You seem to be confused. One minute you're saying that the blog is full of misinformation and the next you're saying that you are only commenting on the legality of USANAs business model. Which is it?
If it is that the blog is full of misinformation I would love to hear how you have more knowledge of who vandalizes Wikipedia than Wikipedia itself. In fact I'm certain they would love to hear it as well.
I'd also suggest that you do some further research into USANA or some research at all as the case may be. The problems concerning the claimed credentials of their employees and promoters is a fact accepted by USANA itself and it has a great deal to do with whether or not the company is a pyramid scheme.
I've read through your posts and you seem oblivious of the many problems associated with this company. You said that you don't comment on subjects you know nothing about and I applaud those words but how about putting them into action?
The credentials of the directors/owners of the company, actually have nothing whatsoever to do with it being a pyramid scheme. Take a look at the FTC definition of pyramid scheme and you will see there is nothing about owners credentials.
I think its you who needs to do a bit or research first.
Chris, you said that a company is a pyramid scheme if the last person in cannot make money.
In Usana, there is nothing explicitly preventing the last person in from making money. However, Usana rewards and encourages recruiting far more than retailing. The product is in fact quite difficult to sell. Because it is available from ebay for a lower price, and because no customers actually have to pay retail price. All customers can sign up as preferred customers and get the same price as the distributors. This is quite difficult to compete with, isn't it?
Now if you recruit, you get someone under you who is guaranteed to buy 100 or 200 pts from you on a monthly basis. They don't even have to want these products, they are required to buy them to stay in the business.
Recruiting is much more encouraged in Usana. By their training, the nature of the comp plan, and the high price of the product.
Chris, if your "last person in" test is your definition of a pyramid scheme, then your definition is not the same as the FTC's either. The FTC definition of pyramiding from the MLM article, is that the company pays you to recruit, which as I've just explained, Usana does.
See also this MLM article from the FTC.
"If a plan offers to pay commissions for recruiting new distributors, watch out! Most states outlaw this practice, which is known as "pyramiding." State laws against pyramiding say that a multilevel marketing plan should only pay commissions for retail sales of goods or services, not for recruiting new distributors."
Chris - You seem mistaken yet again. Their lies are relevant because it is an indication of the type of people who are controlling this company. I never said it was part of the FTC definition. How silly of you to think that. Add to the mix that these lies were brought to light by Minkow's report which USANA claimed contained no truth and you have to start wondering what else was right in that report.
Are you aware of how many claims USANA successfully brought against Minkow? Just a little homework for you. It couldn't hurt for you to learn more.
Perhaps you should take a closer look at whatever company you do "business" for. Never know what you might find when you actually put some effort into looking.
You've also neglected to respond to whether or not the blogs are full of misinformation or if it was simply that singular point where your opinion diverge. Come now Chris - Wikipedia is waiting.
Look at Barry Minkow's track record.or over the fact that Ladd
"McNamara lied and claimed to be a Doctor, Gil Fuller lied and claimed to be a CPA, Timothy Wood lied and said he had a PhD in Biology, Denis Waitley lied and claimed to have a Masters. Were you at all upset when it turned out that Myron Wentz had neglected to inform shareholders that he had renounced his US Citizenship?"
None of that is true. I know where you got that info and it was from the internet on court statements that were accusations of the plaintiff. Doesn't mean they were true. My cousin is a corporate lawyer.
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