The Amway business model is designed to allow anyone, from any background and any walk of life, to get started as an entrepreneur – no business expertise required.
Direct selling/multi-level marketing is a great way to earn some extra money while being your own boss. But many people see it as a huge risk: How much will it cost? What if I don’t like the products? What if I join and change my mind – am I signing my life away?
In fact, fear of risk is one of the most common barriers people face when considering starting their own business. A little research on the company you’re considering should provide those answers.
Amway recently made that research easy by creating the AmwayPromise, a simplified version of all the company’s consumer protections, guarantees and warranties. It shows very simply that Amway is a low-cost, low-risk business model.
While many countries have consumer protection laws, the AmwayPromise aims to go above and beyond those wherever it operates. The United States has some of the most vigorous consumer protection laws in the world, evolving from almost nonexistent before the 1960s to a constantly growing set of laws and protections.
Amway’s insistence on exceeding what the law requires has allowed it to stay ahead of expanding regulations, and to earn a reputation as a respected and reliable company. In addition to benchmarking against industry standards, Amway also surveys the consumer protections of other consumer product companies and competitors.
“Complying with local laws is not enough for us,” said Judy Jones, Amway’s market research lead. “We wanted to go further, to go the extra mile, to help ensure that customers and business owners can have full trust and confidence in the company.”
One way this is measured is by Amway’s adherence to the Code of Ethics established by the World Federation of Direct Selling Associations (WFDSA). The code sets stringent guidelines for earnings representations, product claims, sales and marketing techniques, and policies for order cancellations and returns.
The AmwayPromise has five pillars: Low-Cost, Low-risk Opportunity; 90-day 100% Satisfaction Guarantee; Warranty Programmes; Customer Services; and The Right to Know.
The pillars not only ensure that the business has a low start-up cost, making it a low risk to enter, but it also ensures that business owners and customers will be satisfied with their experience once they get started. It’s a philosophy that is built into the company culture. And, for the millions of people worldwide who are forging their own path to success, it is working.
With a long history of strong satisfaction guarantees, warranties and customer service, Amway is committed to ensuring everyone who engages with the company has a positive experience – even those who decide the business or products are not for them.
The AmwayPromise builds on that tradition by pulling together all the information about customer service and consumer protections into one accessible platform. The company’s goal is to deliver the most comprehensive customer service and consumer protections in the direct-selling industry.
According to the 2020 Amway Global Entrepreneurship Report (AGER), a global research study conducted across 25 countries surveying nearly 24,000 people, 57% of respondents are interested in owning their own business either now or in the future.
For potential entrepreneurs, Amway is a great choice. First, starting an Amway business is inexpensive compared to many other business models, which often require a significant capital investment. It costs less than US$100 to start an Amway business in any country where the company operates. In Malaysia, it only costs RM60 and B$30 in Brunei.
Amway believes that everyone deserves the opportunity to get ahead. That’s why the company promises to always provide a low-cost, low-risk opportunity to earn extra income. That will never change.
In Malaysia and Brunei, Amway offers Amway Business Owners more than 450 high-quality products to sell, and the training to help start and build a business. With a guaranteed refund on the initial startup cost and a 100% satisfaction guarantee* on all Amway products, the possibilities are great, and the risk is low.
If you’re not getting what you expected from your Amway business or Amway product, the company will work tirelessly to make sure you’re 100% satisfied.
A key part of the first pillar is reflected here. The company offers a satisfaction guarantee on all products* and the business registration fee. If, for any reason, you’re not satisfied with the product or the opportunity, you can obtain a refund within the timeframe specified.
Customers typically have a variety of return options when it comes to products, including shipping them back to the company, returning them to a local Amway shop or working with the Amway IBO who sold them the products or sponsored them into the business.
Whether it’s a refund, product exchange, or money back on a business registration fee, the company is committed to ensuring customers and business owners are satisfied.
Amway’s premium durable goods, such as the Atmosphere SKY™ Air Treatment System and the eSpring™ Water Treatment System, come with limited warranties in addition to the satisfaction guarantee.
The company is confident in the quality of its durable products and stands behind that confidence with innovative service, repair and warranty programmes. These services are tailored to each type of product and each market where it was purchased, making it easy to address consumer concerns.
Each year, Amway receives millions of enquiries to its customer service centres across the globe. It is a point of pride for the company to help each person get help easily and quickly.
Amway has invested millions of dollars into improving customer service and support to achieve that standard.
“If you have a problem or have questions, we’re dedicated to making it easy to get the answers you need,” said Len Iakiri, who led the rollout of AmwayPromise in the Philippines.
“We feel so confident about our products and business opportunity that we’re willing to make a promise to our customers and business owners,” Iakiri said. “If it isn’t what we said it was, we’ll work to make it right. If the product wasn’t what you expected, we’ll make that right, too.”
Amway promises to clearly communicate and make easily accessible all information related to consumer protections and any additional provisions regarding buying back inventory and cancelling registration.
This pillar is about the company’s commitment to making all consumer protections easy to understand and use. It also references the company’s policies regarding Inventory Buy-Back and the Cooling-Off Period.
When an ABO starts an Amway business or when a customer purchases product, there is a Cooling-Off Period during which they can cancel their business or return product and receive a refund, should they change their mind.
“Starting a business is a big decision,” said Jones, from Amway’s Market Research team. “Putting pressure on prospects to open a business in the moment, or on customers to purchase product, has been something of an issue in the direct selling industry over the years.
“Amway is committed to ensuring that everyone has a positive experience from the moment they register, even if they decide that the business or the products aren’t for them.”
Amway stresses that all its business owners should educate themselves about Amway’s consumer protections and to highlight them to their team and their customers.
“Amway has always been a people-to-people business,” Iakiri said. “Since 1959, it’s always been about two people sitting down and agreeing to build something special together.
“That’s why we don’t just promote a seal that certifies our guarantees, we stand behind them with a promise—the AmwayPromise.”
