Melaleuca
Queja 168723 Detalles

While searching for work online during the month of August 2012, I stumbled across a post that required a resume. I was delighted to get a response and took the request to attend a "business briefing" seriously. In the "briefing" the two speakers made Melaleuca sound like a dream company to work for and as though being a representative would be an ideal way for one to make a living or even become a customer because of their "No Risk" factor, their reputation with BBB and so on. When I was assured by Carolyn Kavarnos that my membership fee would be only $1.00 and refunded if I changed my mind, that if I waited longer to join it might cost more than $1.00 I decided to go for it especially since I desperately needed to work in order to save our utilities from being turned off, our car from being repossessed and from being evicted, etc. When you have children to raise, your primary interest is providing for them. So, I joined and was eager to start training.

My daughter wound up getting very sick and when her illness persisted after a trip to the doctor, I had to take her to ER. Carolyn Kavarnos had said I had 4 days to recruit 8 people as customers or representatives but with my daughter being so sick, I knew I wouldn't have time to go out and recruit people at all. I sent Carolyn K. an email letting her know this. Fearing that she or Melaleuca wouldn't take no for an answer since I kept receiving email from representatives offering classes for me to take (there was a $20 charge for one class. In the briefing, Carolyn K. had said the training was free), meetings to attend, etc., I complained to my bank and explained that I had applied for a job, submitted my resume, etc. I changed my mind about the whole thing once I realized that I'd have to constantly pay money just to be a representative. I was permitted to cancel that card and issued a new one to protect myself from any hassles in case Melaleuca tried to push anything on me.

After receiving the first package from Melaleuca, I phoned their 800 for information on returning the unwanted and UNOPENED package that shouldn't have arrived after I backed out. This was in October. The first representative said that I could remain as a customer instead of a representative but with all the money it would take to be involved with Melalueca, I stood firm on my decision against doing business with them and since I had a lot of running around to do for my sick child and urgent personal matters first. That didn't stop Melaleuca from sending a 2nd package.

When I made a second call to Melaleuca regarding the return of their unwanted packages, the next rep. stated that I would be responsible for the paying the shipping fees!!! A well known rule with UPS is there is no charge for UNOPENED items! I sent an email to Melaleuca letting them know that since I'm unemployed,had backed out BEFORE the end of the month and refused to be responsible for shipping UNOPENED returned packages, the last thing I needed was to be bothered with paying them just so I could be a representative when I need a job where I'm actually paid by the hour. Soon after that, I learned that Melaleuca had found a way to get my brand new card information and caused me to have an overdraft of $197.00!!!!! I immediately contacted my bank who then did a 3-way conference call with Melaleuca. That rep stated that as long as I returned the packages by or before the 25th of Oct., I'd be credited and my account would be restored to normal. He also stated that I'd need to fill out a form to suspend my account with Melaleuca and that a 3rd package was already on it's way. That was on Oct 2, 2012. I phoned UPS and let them know what was happening. UPS reassured me that as long as the packages hadn't been opened, I would not be charged and all I'd have to do was write "Package Refused" or Return to Sender" on each package and they'd go back where they came from. Melaleuca had instructed me to open the packages and put my address on the enclosed receipt supposedly if anything happened to the labels making it impossible for them to read where the package(s) had been returned from. It would have cost me $20 or more to return the packages and it's really not necessary to pay such an amount when simply writing "RTS" or "Package Refused" on an UNOPENED package gets it right back to the sender. On Oct 11, 2012 Melaleuca sent three different emails (one for each package) acknowledging the return had been completed and stated that I would be credited. Instead of crediting my account as they had claimed in their email, by Friday I learned Melaleuca now had me at a $257 over draft!!!! Again, I phoned my bank and now I was informed that I'd have to give Melaleuca until Oct 23, 2012 to credit my account!! I had to send 3 emails to Melaleuca (one for each day they failed to respond)when asked about crediting my account. On Oct 15, 2012 Linden Van Pelt sent an email stating that $34.27 had been credited to my account. They had tried to get more than $34.27 out of me so I sent another email to them about the matter after visiting my bank on Oct 17. 2012.

I scanned and copied the suspension form I filled out for Melaleuca but I also included copies with the packages just in case they tried to play games with me. When I first sent an email with the suspension form attached, Diana Del Castillo claimed that it wasn't attached and asked me to resend it. I sent two more just for good measure.

Melaleuca knows which buttons to push in order to lure you in but they don't bother to inform you of all the things they want you to do in order to cancel business with them. You can ask as many questions as you'd like during the briefing but there are certain questions they refuse to answer right away. Such as "Are representatives required to become members in order to try out the products?" Questions like this aren't acknowledged or answered until they're speaking with you in a one on one conversation. They're even cryptic about how they want you to recruit because they mainly want representative instead of customers. If I had stayed on as a representative, I would have been required to buy $200-$300 worth of products after my first 3 months.