Vollara offers no info on its web site about who owns or runs the corporate.
There may be additionally no company deal with supplied, nonetheless Vollara’s web site does state it has a “manufacturing facility in Bristol, VA”.
In keeping with a press-release account, Vollara was based in 2010 by way of mum or dad firm Electrolux, USA.
That snippet led me down Vollara’s firm historical past rabbit-hole.
Electrolux, USA was based all the best way again in 1924. That’s not the Electrolux at this time.
The Electrolux at this time is Electrolux Group of Sweden, who separated from Electrolux, USA in 1968.
In 2000 Electrolux Group purchased the rights to Electrolux within the US.
That prompted Electrolux, USA to rebrand as Aerus in 2001.
Joe Urso (proper) purchased Electrolux LLC off of Sara Lee (then Consolidated Meals) in 1998.
Urso owns Aerus, in addition to Vollara – who, at the least on the equipment facet of issues, are promoting Aerus manufactured merchandise.
Along with proudly owning Vollara, Urso is the corporate’s Chairman and CEO.
Vollara’s particular origins may be traced again to Alpine Industries, co-owned by Michael Jackson and Invoice Converse.
As reported by The Greeneville Solar in 2015;
In 2000, Jackson purchased Converse’s possession curiosity and shaped a brand new firm, EcoQuest Worldwide, to fabricate the air and water purification merchandise and take over the multi-level advertising community by way of which Alpine merchandise had been offered.
Underneath Jackson’s management, from 2000 to 2006, each EcoQuest’s gross sales and its community of unbiased distributors and sellers elevated explosively.
Firm merchandise had been marketed by way of EcoQuest’s worldwide multi-level community which at one time numbered some 100,000 unbiased distributors or sellers.
Nonetheless, the dramatic progress and growth, coming concurrently drastically elevated market competitors, introduced EcoQuest important monetary stresses by 2006.
Because of the difficulties, together with foreclosures on financial institution debt, most of EcoQuest’s belongings had been bought in March 2009 by the Aerus subsidiary and moved to the massive Aerus manufacturing and distribution facility in Bristol.
EcoQuest Worldwide itself, as a company entity, was pressured to declare chapter in late 2009.
Individually, in early 2010, Aerus re-formed what had been EcoQuest worldwide, and the brand new firm was given the identify Vollara.
Why this info isn’t supplied on Vollara’s web site is unclear.
Learn on for a full assessment of Vollara’s MLM alternative.
Vollara’s Merchandise
Vollara’s flagship merchandise are a sequence of air purifiers and water filters.
Most of Vollara’s air merchandise are geared up with our unique, award-winning ActivePure Know-how that safely eliminates almost 100% of airborne and floor micro organism, viruses, mould, fungus + VOCs.
Moreover, Vollara declare they’ve
spent tens of tens of millions of {dollars} growing merchandise, buying patents and testing them with requirements in varied settings together with chemical research and others in labs licensed to be compliant with US, FDA and EPA requirements and rules.
Purifiers and filters featured on Vollara’s web site embrace:
- Vollara Air & Floor Professional (non-ozone) – “compact air air purifier”
- Vollara Air & Floor Professional+ – “new and improved ActivePure Cell design delivers ActivePure sooner”
- FreshAir Cell – “Our pocket-sized air purifier offers clear, wholesome air once you’re on the go”
- Pet Refresh – “plug-in air air purifier is nice for smaller rooms as much as 50 sq. toes in dimension that want focused air purification”
- FreshAir Focus – “helps take away odors in poorly ventilated areas”
- FreshAir Private – “offers nature’s personal highly effective cleansing properties with a built-in ionizer”
- LivingWater – “a pH-balancing, wholesome alkaline water filter that connects to your sink”
Notice that retail pricing will not be supplied on Vollara’s web site.
That stated, I used to be in a position to observe down a December 2020 Vollara value checklist. I’ve not quoted the costs straight as I don’t know if they’re nonetheless correct.
Right here’s the price of Vollara’s purifiers and filters as of December 2020:
Vollara additionally has a variety of dietary dietary supplements:
- Necessities For Life – “the final word 6-in-1 full dietary complement … with nutritional vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, flora and enzymes”
- HealthySlips – Broad Spectrum Hemp CBD strips
- KetoZone – “one serving of KetoneZone consists of vitamins wanted to assist your physique transition into ketosis”
- Good Begin – “a low sugar, excessive protein creamer created from wholesome coconut fats”
- Re:Take in – “helps guarantee your physique is ready to correctly soak up and make the most of the vitamins you eat”
- Re:Steadiness – “has 12 strains of wholesome micro organism to help and preserve the expansion of billions of probiotic flora”
- Re:Coupe – “B nutritional vitamins will help you get again on observe”
- Re:Flex – “a proprietary mix of enzymes, highly effective herbs and antioxidants particularly formulated to help muscle and joint well being whereas serving to you recuperate extra rapidly from bodily exercise”
- Re:Thoughts – “a balanced supply of omega-3 important fatty acids that promote coronary heart well being”
- Re:Plenish – “a proprietary mix of pink grape juices together with the highly effective Muscadine, Syrah and Cabernet grape juices, which give excessive ranges of antioxidants and resveratrol”
- Re:Sist – “helps the immune system with a singular mixture of pure extracts and nutritional vitamins”
- Re:Vive – “clear pondering and vitality”
- Royal Necessities – “a complement that mixes Royal Jelly, Nutritional vitamins C and B12, complete meals substances and unpasteurized honey to help a wholesome cardiovascular system”
Vollara’s dietary supplements are additionally obtainable in varied bundle packs.
Once more, to present you an concept of pricing right here’s the related merchandise from Vollara’s December 2020 checklist:
Two Vollara merchandise that don’t match into both of the above classes are:
- LaundryPure 2.0 – “(makes use of) chilly water infused with hydrogen and oxygen-based oxidizers to bubble and elevate filth from clothes fibers, decreasing the necessity for laundry detergent”
- SteadyPower – “offers an economical, single-installation option to defend your entire house from electrical surges and spikes whereas conditioning incoming electrical energy to optimize energy issue and cut back static-causing line noise”
Vollara’s Compensation Plan
Vollara’s compensation plan is initially tied to gross sales quantity generated by personally recruited associates.
Throughout increased ranks generations come into play, increasing obtainable commissionable quantity.
Extra rank-based and gross sales quantity bonuses are additionally obtainable.
Vollara Affiliate Ranks
There are 9 affiliate ranks inside Vollara’s compensation plan.
Together with their respective qualification standards, they’re as follows:
- Enterprise Affiliate – join as a Vollara affiliate and generate and preserve 100 PV a month
- Bronze Affiliate – preserve 100 PV a month and generate and preserve 2000 TQV a month
- Silver Affiliate – preserve 100 PV a month, generate and preserve 3000 TQV a month and recruit and preserve two Enterprise Associates or increased
- Gold Government – generate and preserve 200 PV and 5000 TQV a month for 3 consecutive months (alternatively 200 PV and 15,000 TQV in a single month), and recruit and preserve three Enterprise Associates or increased
- Platinum 1-Star Government – preserve 200 PV and 5000 TQV a month, preserve two personally recruited Enterprise Associates or increased and personally recruit at the least one Gold Government or increased
- Platinum 2-Star Government – preserve 200 PV and 5000 TQV a month, preserve two personally recruited Enterprise Associates or increased, preserve one personally recruited Gold Government or increased and have at the least three Gold Executives or increased in your downline
- Platinum 3-Star Government – preserve 200 PV and 5000 TQV a month, preserve one personally recruited Enterprise Affiliate or increased, recruit and preserve two Gold Executives or increased and have at the least 5 Gold Executives or increased in your downline
- Platinum 4-Star Director – preserve 200 PV and 5000 TQV a month, preserve one personally recruited Enterprise Affiliate or increased, recruit and preserve two Gold Executives or increased and have at the least six Gold Executives or increased in your downline
- Platinum 5-Star Director – preserve 200 PV and 5000 TQV a month, generate and preserve 10,000 GV a month, recruit and preserve three Gold Executives or increased and have at the least eight Gold Executives or increased in your downline
PV stands for “Private Quantity”. PV is gross sales quantity generated by way of retail gross sales and an affiliate’s personal orders.
TQV stands for “Group Qualifying Quantity”. TQV is gross sales quantity from personally recruited Silver Associates and decrease ranked associates.
Notice that from Silver Affiliate, not more than 50% of required TQV can come from anybody recruited affiliate.
GV stands for “Group Quantity”. GV is PV generated by an affiliate and their total downline.
Retail Commissions
Vollara associates earn a retail fee on the sale of merchandise to retail clients.
Retail commissions are calculated because the distinction between the wholesale and retail value of merchandise ordered, minus a 4% “processing price” (utilized to the retail value).
One instance supplied by Vollara associates is the air air purifier. The air air purifier prices $538 wholesale and retails for $1499.
This generates a $961 retail fee per unit offered to a retail buyer.
Recruitment Bonuses
Vollara associates earn a $200 recruitment bonus if a personally recruited affiliate purchases a “Vollara Builder Pack” once they join, or inside their first three months.
Vollara refers to this preliminary three-month interval because the “Quick Begin Interval”.
Sure Builder Packs additionally set off a recruitment bonus if bought outdoors of the preliminary three-month interval:
This consists of the primary eligible Pack bought by the brand new Affiliate outdoors of Quick Begin Interval.
Specifics are usually not supplied.
One other recruitment bonus is tied to SFSGV.
SFSGV is gross sales quantity generated by purchases made by a recruited affiliate throughout their three-month Quick Begin Interval.
The SFSGV recruitment bonus is decided as follows:
- generate 10,000 SFSGV and obtain $500
- generate 15,000 SFSGV and obtain $750
- generate 20,000 SFSGV and obtain $1000
- generate 25,000 SFSGV and obtain $1500
I’m assuming the SFSGV bonus is calculated month-to-month (despite the fact that there’s a three-month qualifying interval), nonetheless this isn’t explicitly clarified in Vollara’s compensation documentation.
Recruitment Commissions
Vollara associates earn a fee on any merchandise bought by recruited associates throughout their “Quick Begin Interval” (their first three months).
- Enterprise Associates to Silver Associates earn a 20% recruitment fee price
- Gold Executives and better earn a 35% recruitment fee
Notice that recruitment commissions are coded, that means 35% is paid out on every newly recruited affiliate buy.
If a Enterprise Affiliate to Silver Affiliate earns a recruitment fee, the system searches upline for the primary Gold Government to pay the remaining 15% out to.
TQV Commissions
Group Qualifying Quantity commissions are paid on gross sales quantity generated by personally recruited Silver Associates and decrease ranked associates.
- Enterprise Associates earn a 5% TQV fee price
- Bronze Associates earn a ten% TQV fee price
- Silver Associates earn a 20% TQV fee price
- Gold Executives and better earn a 35% TQV fee price
Notice that TQV Commissions are coded, that means 35% is paid out on all TQV.
Enterprise Associates, Bronze Associates and Silver Associates earn TQV commissions at their relevant fee price.
The system then searches up line for increased ranked associates to pay the remaining 15%, 25% or 30% too.
Notice that this remaining 30% can go to a number of associates.
E.g. a Enterprise Affiliate generates TQV and earns their 5% for the month, leaving 30% to pay out.
The system searches upline and discover a Silver Affiliate first. They’re usually paid 20% however 5% has already been paid out on the quantity, so that they obtain 15%.
This nonetheless leaves 15% to pay out, so the system continues to look upline for a Gold Government or increased to pay the remaining share out to.
Notice that any time a Gold Government is discovered, they’re paid the full excellent share and nothing additional is handed up.
Generational Bonus
The Generational Bonus is paid to Platinum 1-Star Executives and better.
The Generational Bonus is paid out by way of a unilevel compensation construction.
A unilevel compensation construction locations an affiliate on the high of a unilevel workforce, with each personally recruited affiliate positioned straight beneath them (degree 1):
If any degree 1 associates recruit new associates, they’re positioned on degree 2 of the unique affiliate’s unilevel workforce.
If any degree 2 associates recruit new associates, they’re positioned on degree 3 and so forth and so forth down a theoretical infinite variety of ranges.
Vollara defines a technology inside the unilevel workforce when a Gold Government or increased is present in a leg.
This affiliate caps off the primary technology for that leg, with the second technology starting instantly thereafter.
If a second Gold Government or increased ranked affiliate is discovered deeper within the leg, they cap off the second technology for the leg. A 3rd technology begins after them.
Utilizing this technology definition, the Generational Bonus is paid on gross sales quantity generated throughout as much as 5 generations per unilevel workforce leg:
- Platinum 1-Star Executives earn 15% on one technology per leg
- Platinum 2-Star Executives earn 15% on the primary technology and 4% on the second per leg
- Platinum 3-Star Executives earn 15% on the primary technology, 4% on the second and three% on the third per leg
- Platinum 4-Star Administrators earn 15% on the primary technology, 4% on the second, 3% on the third and 0.5% on the fourth per leg
- Platinum 5-Star Ambassadors earn 15% on the primary technology, 4% on the second, 3% on the third, 0.5% on the fourth and 0.25% on the fifth per leg
Automotive Bonus
Gold Government and better ranked Vollara associates can qualify for a $600 a month Automotive Bonus.
To qualify they have to generate 10,000 TQV and 2000 TQVFS a month.
Notice that not more than 50% of required TQV and TQVFS can come from anybody recruitment leg.
TQV is gross sales quantity generated by personally recruited Silver Associates and decrease ranked associates.
TQVFS is TQV generated inside these affiliate’s Quick Begin Interval (their first three months).
Rank Achievement Bonus
Bronze Associates and better obtain the next one-time Rank Achievement Bonuses:
- qualify at Bronze Affiliate and obtain $50 product credit score
- qualify at Silver Affiliate and obtain a $100 product credit score
- qualify at Gold Government and obtain a $200 product credit score
Notice {that a} 100% product credit score match can be awarded to the affiliate who recruited the qualifying affiliate.
Government Quick Begin Bonus Enhance
The Government Quick Begin Bonus Enhance is paid to Gold Executives and better.
There are seven tiers to the Government Quick Begin Bonus Enhance:
- generate 25,000 GV and 2000 TQVFS and obtain $1000
- generate 50,000 GV and 2000 TQVFS and obtain $1500
- generate 100,000 GV and 3000 TQVFS and obtain $2000
- generate 200,000 GV and 3000 TQVFS and obtain $3000
- generate 300,000 GV and 4000 TQVFS and obtain $4000
- generate 400,000 GV and 4000 TQVFS and obtain $8000
- generate 500,000 GV and 5000 TQVFS and obtain $10,000
Whether or not these are accrued or month-to-month necessities will not be specified.
Becoming a member of Vollara
Vollara don’t present affiliate membership prices on their web site.
Based mostly on advertising displays I’ve seen, Vollara associates can join vanilla affiliate membership or pay 1000’s for a “builder pack”.
The beforehand referenced December 2020 Vollara value checklist particulars a free affiliate member possibility together with the builder packs:
Take the above pricing as a information. I do not know if the quoted figures are nonetheless correct.
Vollara Conclusion
EcoQuest primarily collapsed as a result of it wasn’t aggressive. I get the sensation that’s nonetheless the case at this time with Vollara.
Earlier than we get into that there’s Vollara’s main disclosure downside.
On its public-facing web site, Vollara fails to supply:
- company info;
- a company deal with;
- retail pricing;
- affiliate membership prices; and
- compensation particulars.
With respect to MLM due-diligence, these are pink flags that shouldn’t be ignored. They’re additionally potential violations of the FTC Act.
For an MLM firm that may hint its roots again to 2000, that is, fairly frankly, unacceptable.
Vollara’s lack of retail pricing particularly is telling. And brings us again to competitiveness.
Vollara associates are inspired to buy their air purifiers in a “5-pack” for $2699. Vollara associates check with this as an “funding”:
Whereas Vollara don’t disclose pricing on their web site, as you’ll be able to see above the wholesale value of every air purifier is $538. That is what Vollara associates pay (the above screenshot is from mid 2021 and is cheaper then the beforehand quoted December 2020 pricing).
The retail value for one air purifier is $1499.
Vollara’s retail clients are anticipated to pay virtually triple the wholesale value, as a result of commissions.
Vollara make an enormous deal about their “ActivePure” know-how.
The Vollara Air & Floor Professional combines a number of complementary applied sciences, together with HEPA, activated carbon, and
ActivePure Know-how.Patented ActivePure Know-how is essentially the most highly effective floor and air purification ever found.
It has been confirmed to cut back over 99.9% of many frequent airborne and floor contaminants.
The filters have “ActivePure cells” in them, that are marked “replaceable”.
One attention-grabbing side of Vollara’s filters is the Covid-19 advertising.
As above, final December ActivePure (which is a stand-alone firm inside the Aerus ecosystem), utilized for emergency FDA approval for its filters.
This ties into the filters killing COVID-19 within the air. And naturally Vollara associates had been fast to combine this into their advertising:
I couldn’t discover something additional on the FDA software, so I’m assuming it was both denied or nonetheless pending (?).
In any occasion, whereas air purifiers would possibly kill COVID-19 in a lab atmosphere, how efficient is that out within the wild?
Should you’re in a room with somebody who has COVID-19 and is respiration/coughing/sneezing it round, a little bit air purifier within the nook of the room isn’t going to catch all the things earlier than you’ve breathed some in.
The place I can see them being efficient is in cleansing out a room after somebody who’s contaminated has left. However that is assuming the world was cleared after they left and the air purifier was given time to work.
That’s not occurring in your typical enterprise atmosphere as pitched above.
With respect to Vollara’s air air purifier advertising outdoors of COVID-19, possibly 99.9%+ contamination removing was a factor 20 years in the past.
Lately nonetheless it’s customary, if not anticipated. And competing models solely value just a few hundred {dollars}.
This makes Vollara’s $538 air purifier wholesale value in all probability what the precise retail value ought to be about.
You’re nonetheless paying a premium for ActivePure however you’re sitting on the high-end of retail house air purifier system choices.
$1599 is ridiculous and I can’t see too many individuals going for it outdoors of the MLM alternative.
And that’s an issue.
The advertising for Vollara’s MLM alternative focuses closely on signing up with a 5-pack of purifiers. Then you definately receives a commission recruiting others who do the identical.
Clearly 1000’s of {dollars} on purifiers every month doesn’t work for autoship, so for that there’s the dietary complement line.
And that’s the meant enterprise. Retail merely exists as a risk, it’s not a spotlight.
That is evidenced each in Vollara’s compensation plan in addition to advertising displays.
Outdoors of Vollara’s air purifiers there’s the water filter, once more extensively obtainable. The corporate additionally sells a “energy conditioner” and detergent-free laundry machine.
I had a short look into energy conditioners and their main promoting level appears to be finding out static and safety from surges.
Once more, possibly this was a factor 20 years in the past? Lately in case your meter doesn’t have a protector then your energy board ought to.
Static may be a problem in terms of sound. When you have an issue with this then possibly a conditioner is an possibility.
I can’t converse from private expertise right here as a result of I’ve by no means had a problem with this.
Vollara do market SteadyPower as “enhancing effectivity”, nonetheless that doesn’t appear to be a promoting level elsewhere.
With respect to the detergent-free LaundryPure 2.0 machine, Good Housekeeping examined it and located it “didn’t zap stains any higher than plain water.”
Good Housekeeping examined three units, with LaundryPure 2.0 coming it at double and a 3rd once more the price of the opposite two units ($600 vs. $300 and $397).
Vollara’s merchandise being super-expensive appears to be a working theme right here.
LaundryPure 2.0 works by mixing chilly water “with hydrogen and oxygen-based oxidizers”. This creates ozone.
In January 2021 the California Air Sources Board revealed a examine that includes LaundryPure 2.0.
They discovered that LaundryPure 2.0 “emitted ozone at ranges that will lead to well being results”.
The best enhance of room ozone focus from a single use was from the laundry water therapy system.
The room ozone focus progressively elevated to ranges above the extent of the 1-hr California AAQS for outside ozone, and peaked at about 0.25 ppm.
Because of customers’ proximity to this product, the focus of ozone that customers truly inhale may be even increased.
Extra testing confirmed that for one wash cycle, customers could also be uncovered to a mean of 0.42 ppm ozone, which accounts for about one-quarter to one-half of the ozone {that a} typical California resident could also be uncovered to in someday.
Granted that may not be a problem in case your machine is in a well-ventilated space, through which case there’s additionally this to think about:
Because of its sturdy oxidative capacity, ozone is extensively marketed for odor removing and disinfection.
Nonetheless, the advantages of ozone-generating merchandise as claimed by their producers are usually not properly supported.
For instance, to kill fungi and micro organism, ozone concentrations at the least 5 ppm or increased are required, which is increased than the extent that almost all home equipment can produce and within the unhealthy vary for people.
Vollara’s dietary complement vary was fairly ho-hum. A mishmash of merchandise available elsewhere with pricing unknown.
Transferring onto Vollara’s compensation plan; as a complete its very top-heavy, that means the vast majority of commissions are geared to and/or solely paid to high-ranking associates.
Preliminary quantity commissions are coded, seeing associates pass-up what they don’t qualify for. Generations, the majority of MLM commissions paid out, don’t kick in until Platinum 1-Star Government.
It is a mid-tier rank. What we usually see in MLM corporations is almost all of associates not making it previous the primary few ranks.
This implies there’s a superb probability the overwhelming majority of Vollara associates don’t even qualify for the majority of MLM commissions paid out.
The TQV and TQVFS bonuses (quantity generated from ranks beneath Silver Affiliate), appear to strengthen the “join with a 5-pack of purifiers and recruit others who do the identical” advertising.
Signing as much as autoship can be incentivized, by way of waiving of the month-to-month 100 PV requirement for six months.
New Associates who join any Subscribe + Save get a 100 PQV Credit score for qualification functions solely throughout their first 6 month interval.
What recruited associates truly do with the five-pack of purifiers they’ve signed up for wasn’t a priority.
For his or her half Vollara doesn’t require retail gross sales, audit retail gross sales or have any retail quantity qualifiers of their compensation plan.
Maybe essentially the most damning indication Vollara’s MLM alternative is recruitment centric was this query from one of many firm’s leaders:
Hey, not everybody desires to retail … however how about constructing a workforce?
This led to an affiliate autoship recruitment pitch, targeted on Vollara associates “registering individuals who purchase the product at the very same value they purchase the product for”. I.e. signal them up as affiliate recruits to entry wholesale pricing.
I can’t touch upon the general well being of the corporate, however as an MLM alternative after twenty-one years Vollara is in tough form.
I’d infer neglect however that’d be hypothesis my half. I do nonetheless get the distinct impression that Vollara is only a company money-spinner for Aerus, versus an MLM firm run by passionate folks.
This begins with the corporate’s faceless company web site, full lack of retail focus and top-heavy compensation plan.
Should you’re a potential Aerus affiliate and somebody has hit you with the “join with a 5-pack” pitch, run.
