Quixtar has launced an updated site at www.quixtarfacts.com. The site looks great and should be a good resource for IBOs and prospects – as long as they read it! Too often I find prospects do a quick google, find some "negative stuff" and run screaming from the opportunity? Why is this? Isn't it important to get all sides of a story before you make a decision?

Some interesting quotes from the quixtarfacts.com website –

Internet information – 

There is plenty of information about Quixtar circulating on the internet, but not all of it is accurate or even truthful. QuixtarFacts.com is one place where you can be sure you're getting the straight story on the Quixtar business. 

Quixtar's culture – 

Quixtar's culture celebrates achievement and rewards efforts to help others through partnership. Its culture demands integritypersonal responsibility. Quixtar and its participants also believe strongly in free enterprise and an individual's personal worth in that system.  

"Cult" allegations –

It's true that some of the IBO Lines of Affiliation have a very loyal following and a strong sense of identity. Perhaps that has led some detractors to inaccurately accuse these businesses of being cult-like.

Politics –

While Quixtar's founders and their families have long supported the Republican Party, they respect the right of others to support their own political and personal interests.

…

As always, Quixtar Independent Business Owners are free to have their own political views and to support the political parties and candidates of their choice. The Quixtar business podium should never become a platform for the promotion of political causes not related to the business or other issues of an intensely personal nature.

I'm not an American, but if I was, I'd be a registered Democrat. In 9 years of being an IBO (not always actively) I have never experienced any "political" pressure from Amway or other IBOs

Religion –

Quixtar's co-founders and their families are Christians and support many causes that reflect their personal faith as well as other causes that reflect their political and personal views. They have always protected, however, the right of others to differ in their personal views

…

organizations developed by IBOs will include many others who share the same beliefs because these are the people they know and see on a regular basis. This is a characteristic of companies involved in network marketing, and certainly it is true for Quixtar IBOs as well. IBOs who are evangelical Christians are more likely to register other evangelical Christians, just as Mormons are more likely to know and approach other Mormons.

This is something I've been saying for a while. When I joined I worked in the IT world – and lots of people I sponsored were, not surprisingly, in the IT world. A "geek" cult? Perhaps? The founder's of Amway are professed christians and would have sponsored their friends and associates who also were christians and so on and so on. Some of the leaders of large Amway/Quixtar organisations have very strong christian beliefs. Organisations always tend to reflect the beliefs of their leaders, so it's not surprising those organisations have strongly christian representations.

Me, I'm an atheist. I wouldn't feel comfortable in that kind of environment. But the group I work with, while the founder's are christian, is highly multi-national and multi-ethnic and multi-faith – I've never felt uncomfortable at all, and never felt anyone pressing any other belief system on me.

If you're part of a group with a "culture" that makes you feel uncomfortable, perhaps you should try another group? But don't blame the business model. 

BSM (Business Support Materials) –

Not surprisingly, the organizations that produce BSM and most IBOs who supply them earn money from their talents and efforts.

It's always kind of surprised me that people are "surprised" that companies that supply thousands, and in some cases, hundreds of thousands of people with business support and training materials are actually for-profit companies. As a business person before I got involved with Amway, I just assumed this. Why wouldn't they?

Environment

Quixtar is committed to offering high-performance products that have a minimal impact on our natural environment.

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Access is dedicated to environmentally sound manufacturing practices. It monitors government programs that endorse "environmentally preferable" products but does not participate in them because there is little consistency from state to state and because their standards for environmentally sound manufacturing are typically inferior to those already used by Access

Maybe not important to you, but this is vital to me.

Scott Larsen

Scott Larsen operates a website critical of Quixtar and the Independent Business Owners (IBOs) it supports. His motivations for doing so are unclear, as he was an Amway distributor for only a brief time in the early 199s (March 1993 to February 1994).

 I think his motivation is "fame". It makes him feel important.

Eric Scheibeler

Eric Scheibeler is a former IBO who has been extremely vocal in his criticism of Quixtar for years, ever since his failed efforts to sue Quixtar for millions of dollars.

..

While Mr. Scheibeler at first achieved considerable success in the Quixtar business, eventually his business failed, as have his efforts to use the court system to blame that failure on others. He chose not to appeal the court's ruling, instead embarking on a smear campaign that includes an e-book, a website, press releases, and more.

I think Eric Scheibler had some legitimate gripes, but much of his efforts and his book are disingenuous to say the least. You'll note he never mentions in his book how much he was actually earning from Quixtar – he just reports taxable income – and you can bet that as a former auditor, he claimed every single tax deduction he could. What gets me the most though is the faux "shock" he reports in his book about his first depth bonus. I remember getting told again and again and again that the depth bonus is normally incredibly small when it starts, but over time can grow to be the largest bonus. Reading the Quixtar rules shows you how it's calculated, so it's easy and obvious to know this is the truth. I'm certain Eric Scheibler knew this too – but he prefers the "shock" for his book.

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