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October 5, 2004
Quixtar Does E-Commerce
By QBlog in
Once upon a time Quixtar.com only sold products to Quixtar IBOs, Quixtar Members and Quixtar Clients. The general public had to jump through hoops to be able to shop on the poorly designed "I-Commerce" Web site. It was NOT Amazon.com by any stretch of the imagination.
So why am I speaking in the past tense? Well, all that's changed (most of it anyway). The Quixtar Web site has been impressively redesigned and now allows anyone, I repeat ANYONE, to purchase products with ease. What a revolutionary concept!
Now one can easily shop from the Quixtar Web site without ever meeting an IBO, without knowing that LOA stands for Line of Affiliation and without signing the dreaded BSMAA (Business Support Materials Arbitration Agreement). Fantastic.
Good job Quixtar. Welcome to e-commerce.
Comments
Try again. I did it yesterday.
It now says:
"Step 1: Referring IBO
Often, people who come to Quixtar.com have been referred by an Independent Business Owner (IBO) affiliated with Quixtar. If you were referred to Quixtar by an IBO, enter their IBO number and complete the form.
Referring IBO Number *
Key *
If you were not referred, please continue below."
So you have the option of buying without a referring IBO.
And at the very bottom it asks you "Do you want to have a servicing IBO?" with a check box next to it.
It seems like you can uncheck the box and now be a direct customer of Quixtar without any IBO involved.
Cool.
If anyone can shop Quixtar, what are the benefits of membership? Other than missing out on the fantastic opportunity to sell tools to your downline....I really don't see the benefits....
Buying without a refering IBO? Hard to believe....Personally, I think it;s great, but I cannot imagine how the IBOA could have approved that.
I stand corrected! Sorry about that. All of the IBO / sign-in scared me off too quickly: I admit I expected some sort of 'catch.' I was pleasantly surprised.
I was in fact able to order a bottle of hand soap for only $11.50 (includes shipping and handling). It would have been only $5.75 if I chose to drive about 400 miles to pick it up.
Other than that, this is a good thing! After 5 years, eCommerce. Finally. Welcome to the game!
Ah. . . so close. But definitely a step in the right direction. Now if they would only allow members to go directly through Quixtar, that would be awesome.
Going directly, one can only buy at retail. I would make up the subscription price with the difference between retail and wholesale on two bottles of vitamins.
Well, maybe one day.
Thanks for the info., QBlog.
Ambivalent
Doesn't this have the potential to screw over some IBOs?
Even if they refer someone, that someone can now log on and order without digging through his/her wallet to look for that pesky IBO number...I would easily remember "quixtar.com", but not a seven digit number, and if I were really just somebody on the outside looking top place an order for a rpoduct I tried and liked, I dunno if I'd go through the extra step.
Imagine if the corp. suddenly set up brick and mortar stores with plain old retailing. This is the e-equivalent, IMO.
Good for the company, easier for the non-IBO customer, and not so good for the IBOs?
I'm a little suprised by this move but not completely. I strongly believe they made this move because of all the negative (but correct) information about the AMOs on the net.
Quixtar realizes now that they cannot continue to compete with this. So in order to keep the biz alive they needed to make a drastic change.
Eventually thanks to the interent the AMOs will all but dissapear eventually. By making this move they hope to at least keep the website ordering of products open if they lose the recruiting portion of the business.
I predict in the future that Quixtar has enough sales and profit from the AMO/Amway days that they will turn into another Amazon.com and turn to advertising to keep the business alive.
If you think about it this makes allot of sense and I have a feeling that they had planned this all along. I believe Quixtar was just a temporary Amway online to take advantage of all the profits left over from the existing and future IBOs until the inevitable happened.
Of course I could be wrong, but can you argue that this would make allot of sense?
Hmmm, so now how IBOs will be able to retail? Retail is quite tough now, no? Or may be to the people who don't know it yet as Quixtar is still not advertised.
Personally, if both are offering me retail, I’ll go to Quixtar to eliminate the possibility of someone bugging me to buy more.
WOW!!!
This very definitely doesn't bode well for those individuals trying to build their "businesses powered by quixtar".
I'm sure that the quixtar MOs are trying to keep hush hush about this one. No doubt that if you ask any IBO what they think about this new strategy, their response will be "what new strategy?"
To quote the lines of a famous song by that one hit wonder group Steam:
Na Na Na Na.....Na Na Na Na, heeeeeeyyyyyy, GOODBYE!
I'm not renewing this year and maybe I can get a few products I like without my xupline getting the benefits of my puchases.Lord knows he made a killing on tools.
Somebody call Matt Drudge! This is unbelievable! What are they thinking?
This move may FURTHER REDUCE the already low percentage of retail sales which comprises IBO volume!
I think that's fantastic.
If I was an IBO I would not think that's fantastic.
I wonder what the hell?
What I'm also wondering is whether or not people can get onto ditto delivery through the Corp?
Seems to me that the Corp. is almost trying to distance itself from distributors, because now, the Corporation itself is competition for all the distributors.
I would be curious to understand what all of the IBO's were told, and also wonder if anyone knew that this was in the works?
So...buying product through an MLM, you cut out the middle man, you save money.
But now, Quixtar is cutting out the middle man. Brilliant!!!
So...the 25% or more that is being paid to IBOs is being saved.
Which means Quixtar could lower its prices by 25%, and actually do what distributors have been preaching for years: saving consumers money.
How ironic.
>I cannot imagine how the IBOA could have approved that.
I can. Here's how I think it works:
The diamonds agree to allow quixtar to sell direct to the consumer.
Quixtar taxes the money it would have paid to IBOs, and pays it directly to the diamond and above.
Quixtar get more sales.
Daimonds get more bonus money.
The rest of the IBOs get screwed.
Reason #539 not to be an IBO.
JR:
You nailed it, pal. Well said.
Even Chris can't put a sun-shiny Quix-spin on this one. Dude has to be devastated!
There's always the tool business for these morons. Oh wait, that benefits the "top of the pyramid" too, right ?!?!?
All of the postings regarding the supposed new ability for non-IBO's to purchase products directly from the Quixtar site are incorrect. The individuals that posted these observatiosn markedly jumped the gun and did not run through the complete procees. On the new Quixtar site, you can browse through all sorts of products, core line and otherwise, and when you add it to "your cart" this action takes you to a page that requires you to either log-in as a client, member or IBO, or register as a new client, member or IBO only with a referring IBO's number, or finally shop, only with a referring IBO's number. No where on Quixtar's site, is the ability for anyone to purchase any products or services from Quixtar, without a referring IBO number somewhere in the process.
I am a former IBO, for many years, whom has recently decided to go inactive, or quit, due to the years of tool system secrets and abuses. However, for the sake of accuracy and truth, those whom are so vehemently opposed to the Quixtar business should carefully research their facts before making very bold and profoundly indciting statements for the world to read on the Internet, without first checking facts and truths. Thank you.
Phil,
I too, questioned this, until I tried to place an order. I was given a client number....It may be attached to someone's IBO number....but even this is wrong in my eyes. The order went through without any refering IBO number needed...SCARY
DF wrote: “Even Chris can't put a sun-shiny Quix-spin on this one. Dude has to be devastated!”
I would love to put my $0.02 on this one. Great post QBlog, I know that you have been critical of the Quixtar site design in the past but with their recent upgrade you have showed nothing but praise. For someone who comes off to many IBO’s as an anti-Quixtar blogger, you have been showing yourself as the opposite in many instances.
Now let’s talk about this post.
The option for an individual to order a product without being referred by an IBO has been around for a while now, maybe even as far back as the launch of Quixtar. Being that I had never tried to order a product directly from Quixtar without a referring ID, I am not sure of how long it has been available on the site. I know for a fact that it has been available online at least as long as the new site upgrade, but it may have been available on the older version of the Quixtar site as well.
If someone goes to Quixtar and wants to become a Member or an IBO, but does not have a referring IBO number, then the company will refer that person to a Platinum in their area based on their zip code. If that person just wants to shop as a Client, then the Platinum IBO will still receive the volume, and that Client will show up in their member/client list in their virtual office. Quixtar may also send an email to the IBO to let them know that a new Client has just registered in their business.
Phil – I know that it seems like somebody can’t shop without a referring IBO number, but they can. Try it yourself. You cannot become a Member or an IBO without one, but you can register as a Client and order products. You just fill out the form, buy the products and the volume from the transaction will go a Platinum in your area based on zip code.
However, if there was a mistake made, like you referred someone to the site and they lost your IBO number and registered as a Client and were referred to someone else, then all you would need to do is call Quixtar with that clients information and/or invoice number from their order, and Quixtar will make the necessary changes to make sure that the referral counts for you.
There are no conspiracy theories here and this is not Quixtar’s attempt to cut out the middle man. They are doing the same thing that they have always done. When someone goes directly to Quixtar, then that person gets referred to a Platinum in their area. The fact that they let that person place an order right away if they want to be a client is a smart move for the Client, Quixtar and IBO’s. The Client's purchases are still connected to an IBO like they should, and the client doesn't have to wait to be contacted to place an order.
The only thing new is the upgrade from Quixtar 1.0 to the Quixtar 2.0 site, and that was a great change, and shows how Quixtar is willing to grow and change to make the opportunity better and more appealing in the future. If it is true that this particular function of the site was not available until the Quixtar 2.0 site, then that was another great feature of the upgrade, but it has been available over the phone for some time now.
Hopefully this clears up the confusion and answers some questions.
Chris,
Good points. I just want to be clear that this was NOT available with the old Quixtar. Yes, ordering over the phone was available, you're absolutely right. But ordering from the Web site, and only the Web site, was not natively part of the original Quixtar.com.
I spoke with an IBO tonight who confirmed this. Keep in mind, this is from memory and experience (his and my personal experience) so there may have been a way to do it online before but that way WAS NOT EASY TO FIND... if it existed.
This new version is basically like Amazon.com or eBay. It's easy to use, no hassle and ALL ONLINE. I commend Quixtar for making this change but I feel confident that this was NOT an option prior to the upgrade.
The courts would be tied up for years if they really did cut out the IBO's.You know it would be too good to be true.
I was wrong; Chris can still put a spin on even this change.
>"The only thing new is the upgrade from Quixtar 1.0 to the Quixtar 2.0 site, and that was a great change, and shows how Quixtar is willing to grow and change to make the opportunity better and more appealing in the future. "
Keep shaking those pom-poms, it covers up the sound of the vacuum cleaner taking the last few dollars out of your pocket.
Ray, you are right.
What the IBOs don't understand is that they aren't losing physical customers in this move. What they are losing is the *opportunity* to attract new customers.
IBOs don't understand the concept of opportunity cost; because, if they did, they wouldn't have signed up in the first place!
Evan, once again to clarify this issue for everyone. It has always been the case, since the launching of Quixtar on 9/1/99, that anyone calling the 800 order processiing number and now on the Quixtar 2.0 site, can place an order for products without a referring IBO number and the Quitar site as well as the live order processing staff will attach the PV/BV to the nearest Platinum IBO based upon zip code. NO PV/BV goes anywhere without it first being correlated to some IBO number. That Platinum IBO will then contact and service the customer unless the customer has stated over the phone or checked a block on the website, to not be contacted.
Although it appeared that your order was processed without a referring IBO number, as soon as you placed the order, the PV/BV was automatically tagged to a local Platinum. This has always been the case since the launching of Quixtar and is 100% in line with what was advertised by the company to all of the lines of sponsorship before, during and after Quixtar's launch. Phil
Phil,
That must have been the case, as, like I said in a previous post, I highly doubt that the IBOA would let an order go through without someone receiving PV. Nevertheless, I'm sure a lot of people would rather have the PV go to an unknown, than many of their upline team.
How can the pv/bv go to a randomly selected, unknown platnum?
It seems like there is a lot of room for favoritism/prejudice....
As the was the case in Amway, when a person called the Corporation inquiring about eing a distributor or needing a product(let's say they used to be a customer and wanted a distributor in their area) they would be referred to a Direct Distributor in the area.
That is still the case in Quixtar. They are asked to register as a client, Member, or IBO to determine price and then they are referred to a Platinum in the area based on zip code.
Phil is correct. I double-checked with Quixtar to verify the process before responding here.
Mystery solved. No conspiracy against the IBOs or the IBOIA.
Business as usual..except that it seems more seamless on the website.
Who, other than an IBO, would want to go online to buy overpriced vitamins or knock-off Red-Bull ?
This is still a mystery to me!
How the heck has Amway/Quixtar even stayed in business? They've been surrounded by such negative controversey for so many years.
Bob, many successful companies have had much negative contraversy and have been able to survive it. Much of what we hear on the news or from critics is usually negative, but remember, there is a positive view held by millions as well. If all you were exposed to were the negative views of some, you wouldn't get the full perspective because there are many that view Quixtar as a positive company and an exciting opportunity.
DF, although you still don't believe it, there are thousands upon thousands of people that believe that XS Energy Drink is much better than Red Bull, and the $2 per can retail cost makes it a very competitive product.
You can claim that the vitamins are overpriced, but for the quality they are priced well. There is much proof to back up their quality from seed to finished product, and there is a market for customers who want to supplement with a product that they can trust will do the job.
I have asked many negative critics of the Nutrilite line of products to try to prove that there is a better line of supplements at a better cost, and no critic has been able to prove that there is one. So for the best on the market, you can expect to pay a little more, but you get what you pay for. Bottom Line.
Vitamins are vitamins are vitamins !!!
We already had this discussion in previous threads -- do we have to go over it again.
So, again why pay more for the same thing?
DF,
All vitamins and supplements are not created equal, so you would not be paying different prices for the same products. If that were true, then I would just buy whatever were the cheapest prices, and I might not even buy vitamins at all if I were unsure if they would even benefit me.
With Nutrilite vitamins and supplements, I am sure of the quality and I am very aware of the health benefits I can receive from those vitamins. I am not as sure about those things from other vitamin companies. And even if I were sure, I still have not found a better vitamin company. And even if one existed, I am proud to be able to advertise and market the line of Nutrilite vitamins because they are quality vitamins with a history and story that is great to be able to talk about.
If these things are not important to you, and a vitamin is just a vitamin, then I would suggest buying the cheapest ones, or not buying them at all. But if someone is interested in quality supplements and want to obtain optimal nutrient levels to increase their health and limit risk to various diseases, then I would recommend Nutrilite supplements.
Jeez Chris. You sure bastardized the word "vitamins" in that last post.
My best friend works in the supplement and health food industry. He is aware of Double X, and while my friend concedes it is a good vitamin, its terribly overpriced, and has an extremely limited market.
You should shorten your posts man, you've lost me more than once. Not because I didn't understand, but because you made me not care enough about it anymore to finish reading your exausting posts.
Brevity is the soul of wit
I make my posts longer than usual, only because I don't have the time to make them shorter.
Understood, but a good point is easy to make.
You just look like you're stickhandling too much when you type volumes of lore defending your prices (which I now know for a fact to be too high).
If someone is right, they're right. No amount of effort will change that, and no amount of typing will change that.
It makes you look irrational, is all.
Sometimes less is more
Rocket, on the other hand, I personally appreciate longer answers that have more content. I agree that sometimes I don't have the time to edit a comment, which is much needed, but I think that shorter responses often do not fully answer the questions and so everyone ends up debating on and on something that could have been concluded.
Well, I tried it, and you still need an IBO number to get in. If you don't have one, you have to send off for a 'servicing' IBO.
So, truthfully, you really can't just order from Quixtar.
This doesn't seem any different than before. What am I missing?
Posted by: Porkchopjim | October 5, 2004 9:41 AM