Despite being bordered by the likes of Amway Russia, Poland, Ukraine, and Scandinavia, the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia have until this week been officially excluded from the Amway family. I say officially because it’s clearly not been the case unofficially! Many times in the past decade in Scandinavia I’ve encountered citizens of those countries who had been buying and using Amway products for many years – some were even ABOs. When looking at google search trend data, Lithuania has also been, per capita, the number one country in the world for people looking for information about Amway.
Well, as of May 4, 2010. Citizens of those countries may no register with Amway Poland as “member plus“. Member plus is an option in some European markets where you can purchase Amway products at ABO price, and you can build a downline organization – but you’re not allowed to resell the products, and you can’t receive a bonus on downline volume. You can still receive a rebate on your own purchases though, which means they become cheaper and cheaper as your downline volume grows. This option is essentially available so people can get started without needing to be concerned with acquiring official business licences. They can try out the products and business, and later convert to full “Amway Business Owner” status and acquire the necessary licences.
For now, the citizens of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia can not officially yet register as ABOs, their member plus registration must be down through Amway Poland, and while their mailing address may be in the baltic states, their product delivery address must also be in Poland. The goal is to start local deliveries by then end of the year.
Frankly this is a pretty weird initial setup! Indeed, not only weird, it makes me more than a little angry. A letter from Amway about the market openings, posted on Amway Talk, reveals that Amway is even giving advice on how to change your mailing address from Poland to the Baltic states – in other words, fully acknowledging and legitimising large numbers of ABOs that have actively and knowingly breaking Amway’s rules by operating in those states and importing products from abroad. ABOs, like myself, who have been following Amway’s rules and actively been rejecting requests from citizens of those countries to join Amway have essentially had it confirmed that Amway’s rules are apparently mere guidelines and don’t need to be followed. I’ve previously encountered this problem, with active retail websites selling Amway products online in Scandinavia – complete with Amway approval numbers – despite Amway rules explicitly stating that such sites are not allowed.
This type of laissez faire attitude to their own rules is what resulted in Amway UK being threatened with closure, and is also the source of a lot of Amway’s reputation problems. If ABOs don’t know what the rules are, and what’s to be followed and what doesn’t have to be followed, then they quite simply a left to make it up as they go along.
Amway – shouldn’t every single ABO who requests a change of address to the Baltic states for their Amway Poland business have their businesses terminated? Shouldn’t their leadership be terminated?
In any case, it’s good news these markets are now opening. I hope Amway Bulgaria, Amway Belarus, and Amway Azerbaijan are not far behind as I have many contacts there who wish to get started. Of course, it appears I’ve been wrong in delaying them and I can probably go sign them up now. Amway will assist in changing their registrations when they’re ready.
Welcome to the Amway world, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia!
Obviously IBOFIGHTBACK never operated on non open market.There are people who need this business more than you do,but on an open market as Sweden everything is more than easy.Do you know what is zero tollerance rule applied in practice?Do you know what is to have a silver volume and all your network suddenly dissapears from the LOS.You know what,stay home ,keep warm and better keep your mouth shut.
Im from Estonia. Prices are not high. (in UK are less bonuses too). Im in this business about year, Baltic states were opened last year and thats great, more more peolpe want to use these products or be a ABO. No bad wrods at all. Average monthly expenditures/costs are lower than buying from the store.
Hi, I am from Lithuania. I’ve been registred in Poland Amway for three months, but I found Amway in UK where prices are much more cheaper!!! So, nowadays i am registred in Amway Uk, buying form there and sell here in LT. Why?
First problem, we do not have Amway in LT. Second problem Amway Europe (Poland) has very higer prices.
For exmp. Glister 6833 :
Price from Poland for me as ABO 6 euro,
Price from UK for me as ABO 4 euro already with transport expenses.
or Premium SA8 100115: Poland – 23 euro, UK – 15 euro.
Prices should be the same!!!! It’ s a BIG problem of Amway marketing policy.
Hi Di, Amway is now in Lithuania. Prices are set on a market by market basis, so you need to make Amway Poland (which also runs lithuania) aware of the price discrepancies.
first – map is 200 years old 🙂 please put this one: http://kalafudra.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/baltic_states-map.jpg
second – amway products in Lithuania is already ~20 years. Now with EU rules you can’t restrict people to buy/sell what ever they want. so they can easiuly buy from UK cheaper and ship to Lithuania and sell there. It’s strange for me why Amway still has different price level in EU. should be the same price everywhere.
There is another problem in Lithuania with Amway. As a lot of Lithuanians live in Ireland and UK they register people living in Lithuania with UK address, and a lot of UK products now are in Lithuania market. As we know prices of Amway products in Eastern market ( in the future in Lithuania too) are extremely bigger then prices in UK. I’m not sure how it possible to do some business in LT legally, if there a lot of cheap products imported illegally. You can find a lot of websites where these cheap products are sold. Is it possible to control this mess?
Bruce, I’ve reported it several times. The first time, he paid up. Ever since then, he says he doesn’t have to roll it up and since the rule is so vague, it is virtually unenforceable. If he wants to be like that and think it’s ok, even though people quit over it, fine. You can rest assured that I don’t run my business that way.
Jeffrey – have you reported that problem to Amway?
I am a Canadian IBO. In Canada the rules were somewhat lax for a while, and I earned bonus on downline pv/bv even though I did not meet the 50 pv retail rule.
However, since the transition back to Amway Global from Quixtar, and since the trouble in the UK, the company is enforcing the rule.
I have to report retail volume through the Amway.ca website, or have the sales through my personal website (http:// amway.ca/mywebsitename)
I trust these changes will hit other countries as well.
Clarification: The bonus money is from a an IBO that is downline from me that has earned a bonus because they are over 3%, but they only get a bonus on their personal volume since they didn’t meet the customer volume requirement. Then the differential is >>supposed<< to roll up to the first IBO that has met the customer volume requirement. I had a downline that I thought he was paying the differential to but he wasn't, even though they qualified for it, and they quit. You might think it's nit-picking, but I say it is keeping people happy and keeping them in the business. If you disagree, that's ok, I'll respect your opinion. I just don't want to run my business like a tight-@$$.
I’ve been told by the rules department that the money is paid to the Platinum, then they roll it up (or actually down) to the first IBO that has met the customer volume requirement, which in my case would be me. He says he doesn’t have to pay it, so he doesn’t. Maybe he doesn’t, but when I go Platinum, I will certainly pay it to the ones that qualify for it. Why wouldn’t I? It’s not really my money. It’s just another rule that is vague and can be interpreted how it is most advantageous to the person interpreting it. Unfortunately, some IBOs won’t ask about it or won’t turn in the offending upline Platinum, maybe out of fear of retribution. Instead, they just quit and the Platinum then thinks they are just another quitter. I’ve reported it, and once he begrudgingly paid me, then I reported it a second time, and his secretary said that he no longer had to pay it. For last month, he owes me $43.43 but I know I’ll never get it. Cheapskate. But I’m bigger than that. I’m not going to quit over it, however it is still a sore spot with me. He knows that he owes me, and if he (or any other Platinum that doesn’t roll it up) can live with it and have it not bother him, I guess that’s his problem.
This is just like the Bonus Roll-Up rule that says that the bonus is given to the Platinums that roll it up to the first qualified IBO that meets the Customer Volume Requirement, but for some strange reason (maybe greed), my upline doesn’t think it applies to him and refuses to roll it up. I don’t think that either Amway or some of their big pin IBOs realize that these are some of the very reasons people quit and when they do, they don’t go quietly.
Jeffrey – have you reported that problem to Amway?
Jeffrey,
I’m confused. Are you saying that a Platinum is obligated to give the downline differential (from an IBO who doesn’t meet the 50 PV Customer Volume Requirement) to the next qualified upline IBO?
I don’t think that’s true, if that’s what you are saying. It’s my understanding that all monies roll up to the Platinum, and they keep it. And are allowed to keep it. If they weren’t, then Amway wouldn’t pay the bonuses out that way. The bonuses are automated to go to who is supposed to get them. If a Platinum isn’t supposed to have that money, why would it end up in their account/check?
Amway’s had this problem for a long time Alex. The rules are essentially written in such a way as that Amway can pretty much interpret and apply them as they wish.
I don’t like it, but even with this “weakness” I still think it’s a great company and great opportunity.
I do find it incredibly frustrating when I see people soliciting illegally, let alone The fact that Amway Global is looking for a loophole for future ABOs in that area. I love my business, but Amway Global walks on a fine line between being loved by the general public, and being absolutely hated. If bad word gets out about them stretching the rules like this, it may make it very hard to build a team for us legit ABOs.