When people ask “What is Scentsy,” or “Is Scentsy a MLM,” they are usually referring to the business plan more than the products. And yes, Scentsy is a MLM business.
In this review, we will find out if becoming a Scentsy consultant is worth your time and effort or if it’s yet another MLM trap.
Table of Contents
What is Scentsy & Is it an MLM Scam?
Could something as soothing as Scentsy’s scented candles, and other fragrance products, be marred by claims of an MLM scam?
Stick around to find out
| Product Name | Scentsy |
| Founders | Kara Egan and Colette Gunnell. Purchased by Heidi & Orville Thompson in 2004 |
| Price to Start | $99.00 initial fee + every quarter $150.00 product purchase + $10.00 P/Mth website maintenance fee |
| Product Type | Scents Products for Home and Personal care |
| How Marketed | Multi-Level Marketing scheme |
Origins of Scentsy
Capitalizing on the notion that fragrances can stir up memories, have a calming effect, and connect us with friends and family, Scentsy first took shape in Salt Lake City, Utah in 2003.
But what makes Scentsy different?
The home-based business owners, Kara Egan and her sister-in-law, Colette Gunnell, developed a scented wickless candle heated in decorative ceramic warmers, proving it to be a better alternative to wicked candles.
One year into their business, the founders sold the company to husband and wife team, Orville and Heidi Thompson.
Moving Scentsy’s headquarters to Meridian, Idaho, the couple also gave the company a new marketing spin by using an MLM strategy.
In the upcoming years, Scentsy followed a rapid ascent to success, featuring in Forbes magazine 2011 list of “America’s 100 Most Promising Companies”, and in 2018 list of “America’s Best Midsize Employers”.
Today, Scentsy has over 120,000 independent consultants throughout North America, Europe and Australia.
In 2017, Scentsy made an estimated $450 million in sales, placing it at number 44 of the top direct selling list on the Direct Selling News list.
What Does Scentsy Sell?
Over time, Scentsy moved on to sell more than just wickless candles. Its rich repertoire of products also includes:
- Scent: over the years, Scentsy has created over 1,000 scents! Take your pick between spicy, fruity, as well as Disney and men’s categories.
- Scentsy Room Spray is a popular Google search.
- Scentsy Warmers & Wax: 60 warmer designs and 80 wax fragrances.
- Diffuser & Oils: all-natural scents of different fragrances and strength.
- Fan Diffuse & Pods: portable & plug-in diffusers.
- Laundry & Cleaning: from Scentsy laundry liquid to bathroom cleaner, dish soap and everything in-between.
- Personal Care: skin-pampering products. From scented bar soaps to body lotions.
- Kids-approved Fragrances: a selection of scents designed especially for children.
- Pets-friendly Products: from shampoo do deodorants.
- Other Accessories: Scentsy also has a collection of toys and home décor accessories.
You have to admire Scentsy’s entrepreneur spirit by capitalising on their fragrance expertise to create more products and expand their market reach.
How To Become A Scentsy Consultant
There are two steps to joining Scentsy:
- Find a sponsor, i.e., a Scentsy consultant. If you don’t know anyone personally, their website has a search option to help you find the nearest one to you.
- Buy the starter kit for $99 (plus local tax and shipping).
The Starter Kit includes:
- Scent testers
- Product samples
- Personal website. Free for the first three months and $10/ after that.
- Catalogues, product forms, marketing materials
Can you make money as a Scentsy Consultant ?
Once you’re part of Scentsy, there are two things you can do to earn money:
- Sell Products
- Recruit new members to build your own team and earn various bonuses.
Compensation plan
There are eight levels of hierarchy within Scentsy MLM, as you can see here.
While they’ve tried to make their table visually appealing, it can be a little confusing to understand, which is not uncommon for an MLM Company.
For a more detailed explanation, check out this video:
Generally, however, when you first start out, you earn 20% in commission. As you hit $1,000.00 in Personal Retail Volume (PRV) sales, the commission goes up to 25%. Plus, if you start recruiting new consultants, you can earn additional bonuses on the total volumes of sales that your team makes.
Note: To remain in active status, you have to make at least $150 in sales every three months.
The Pros
Scentsy is a household name known for its quality and long-lasting scented products, making it easier for you to sell them. If you make a lot of sales, Scentsy will reward you well with bonuses.
It’s also worth mentioning that Scentsy is also a member of the DSA (Direct Selling Association), giving it more credibility and reliability. In other words, not a scam.
The Cons
Scentsy still relies on old-fashioned recruiting and selling methods, mainly, home parties. So it’s no surprise that Scentsy has – like most MLM – a high-failure rate.
By selling to your family, friends, and co-workers, you’ll see that your candle-selling business will soon lose momentum, making it hard to make it big. In fact, looking at the chart below, the average income is very low.
It is not bad enough to be listed on our 7 worst MLM’s though.
Conclusion
With a BBB rating of A+, Scentsy is a legit company, miles away from being a scam or a pyramid scheme.
However, because of their MLM business model, making money with Scentsy will be an uphill battle.
Rating: 6/10
Elena. info@vivaldocopywriting.com
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Hi there, Scentsy is not a scam, it’s a legit MLM business opportunity where anybody can make money. The bad news is that majority of the people who joined Scentsy failed to even recover what they’ve invested.
I think Scentsy products are very expensive. Scentsy claims that their products are superior with better quality and technology.
Anyone can join Scentsy to pay a $99 one-time fee to purchase their Scentsy Starter Kit and a free website. You need to send traffic to your customized website. When they purchase anything through that website, you’ll earn commission.
I want to ask you how can I buy the Scentsy products in the UK?
Thank you for your great comment on Scentsy
Thanks for sharing this! I’d have to agree with you. Like most MLM marketing schemes, people will often lose money. I personally block people for even sending me a cold message trying to sell me their crap.
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You won’t believe me but I had never heard of Scentsy before your article and it sounds like a great company for the owners who took it over. Wow, what tremendous growth and adaptability. They really do deserve the awards that they have won. I can see that it is a nice stable company using the MLM structure and I have worked within Amway and can see that it can really work for some people. If they are good at selling and getting other people to join.