It Pays to be Ignorant

I recently did some research and found the following good reads on Direct Selling and Pyramid Schemes:

Link: http://www.directselling411.com/about-this-site/
Description: DirectSelling411.com – your one-stop resource for information about direct selling.

Link: http://www.directselling411.com/forms/CompanyFormPublicMembers/search?action=find
Description: A complete list of all legitimate DSA members.

Link: http://www.directselling411.com/for-sellers/who-can-help/the-dsa-code-of-ethics/
Description: DSA Code of Ethics and what it means.


Some information which you may want to take note of:

• Not every country has regulation which requires a company to have a license to run a direct selling model.
• Example: In the UK, there is no requirement for a company or an individual to have a license to operate a direct selling business. (Source: http://dsa.org.uk/about/legislation)
• What it means if a company is not a member of DSA?
• It means association with the company is totally "at your own risk", as the company does not have an obligation to abide by DSA's Code of Ethics.

Here's a case study on a company which has recently made quite some furore in our local market.

This company is no where to be found within the list of DSA members even though:

• They "made a commitment to being the most-trusted name in the direct-selling industry through our transparent business processes and open management philosophy." Link
• They originated in the US (Plano, Texas). Link
• They started way back in Dec 2005. Link
• They just recently obtained a 2-year license to operate in Malaysia (Don't ask me. It beats me. Malaysia Boleh!). Link 

Other interesting things that I have found about this company's operation in Singapore:

• They were not listed in DSAS's list of companies. Link
• They claim that even a famous celebrity is IN! Don't pray pray! (I guess when there's nothing much of a happening in the entertainment scene, even the celebrities would have to find alternative source of income.) Link

So what?

What it means if a company is not a member of DSA? It means association with the company is totally "at your own risk", as the company does not have an obligation to abide by DSA's Code of Ethics.

Other good reads:

Link: http://www.directselling411.com/for-sellers/myths-facts/#myth6
Description: Top 10 Myths & Facts About Direct Selling.

Link: http://dsas.org.sg/about-us/faqs/
Description: FAQs from DSAS website.


It pays to be ignorant. Get the right information.