If you’ve recently stumbled upon the Ann Summers MLM (or pyramid scheme depending who you talk to) and are wondering what it’s all about, I’ve put together this in-depth review sharing the top 9 things you need to know before joining, including: 

• What Ann Summers is;
• The Ann Summers compensation plan and how it works;
• Pros and cons of this MLM;
• Whether they’re legit or not, and more.

Let’s jump right in!

1. What is Ann Summers?

Ann Summers was founded by British entrepreneur Michael Caborn-Waterfield in 1970 as an adult store selling lingerie and sex toys.

The first shop was located on Paddington Street, in London. In 1972, the founder decided to open six more shops across the city. 

The first shop in Wardour St was eventually sold by the founder to David and Ralph Gold in 1981. 

It was then when Jacqueline Gold, the Gold’s daughter, became a part of the company as well. The company caught some heat in 1982 when she tried to implement a similar model as Amway Corporation (the MLM business model). 

Amway Corporation had been sued for being a pyramid scheme in 1979, so Ann Summers was also under scrutiny at this time. 

However, Ann Summers eventually developed its own compensation plan which has worked for them since then.

2. How does the Ann Summers MLM work?

As I mentioned above, the business model of Ann Summers is the multi-level marketing model. 

The MLM model allows companies or businesses to hire independent distributors, who they call product ambassadors. 

Their Ambassadors are equivalent to independent distributors or consultants who host parties in their house or any place of their choosing. 

They are also given an option to open their own online store through Ann Summers’ website where they can sell their products without having to pay for inventory or shipping costs, which is what most MLM companies do when it comes to supplying goods to their representatives.

So, in a nutshell, the product ambassadors are allowed to sell the products of the company, and in turn earn commissions from their sales. 

They also have the opportunity to recruit more product ambassadors, which will enable them to earn on a commission basis as well.

3. Pros of joining the Ann Summers MLM 

• Their product line is pretty unique

This is one of the things that sets Ann Summers apart from other MLM companies out there because their products are quite unique compared to the other companies that sell cosmetics and organic supplements.

This means that you won’t have to worry about directly competing with a bunch of other MLMs who are selling the same things as you because there aren’t many that sell the same thing. 

• The company has been around for decades

It’s been operating for over 40 years in the UK. When you join a company that’s been around for this long you know there will be a lot of support, training and proven strategies to help you grow your business.

This also means having an established market with customers who are willing to buy.

• No experience required 

The Ann Summers MLM opportunity is great if you have no experience. The business model is simple and easy to replicate and there are lots of resources to help you get started.

There is no need to have any kind of direct selling or business experience to join Ann Summers as an ambassador or to be successful with the business. 

4. Cons of joining the Ann Summers MLM 

• They’re not competitive

Even though the company offers a good variety of products, it seems like they are not as competitive in terms of pricing. And this is one of the main reasons why people are turned off when they hear about the company.

Think that people will always compare prices before they make a purchase. And if you have an associate with similar products, but at lower prices, then you have no choice but to buy from them instead.

• Complaints of forced recruitment

As an MLM business, Ann Summers relies on the recruitment of new members to increase its sales and reach. As such, distributors are incentivized to bring as many people into the network as possible.

However, one of the biggest problems for this company is that some distributors have complained about being forced into recruiting new members

According to them, there is a lot of pressure and stress when it comes to recruiting new members. This issue has been a red flag for many people who were planning on getting into the business.

• There’s not detailed information about their compensation plan

In the Ann Summers MLM opportunity, you don’t get a copy of the compensation plan. You have to visit or call a rep to get more info.

When an MLM opportunity doesn’t disclose its compensation plan, it could mean that they’ve got something to hide.

• It takes a lot of work to get anywhere in an MLM.

You’ll often hear people say that it’s not hard to sell products because they’re so good. 

But while it may be easy to sell a few products here and there, the reality is that 80% of people make less than $500 in their first year with MLMs like Ann Summers. 

Most people end up quitting within a year. Why? 

Because selling isn’t as easy as some people would like you to believe.

There are no guarantees that you will make money with Ann Summers. It takes months to build up an inventory and a customer base, and it can take even longer to start making significant money. 

Some people never do.

5. How to make money with Ann Summers 

With Ann Summers, you can earn by selling their products or recruiting other people to sell their products.

The company does not state how much commission you will earn when you refer other people to join the business opportunity, nor how much paid commission you’ll get per product sale.

If you want to get more details about this, you’ll need to contact the company through their website. 

6. Ann Summers MLM compensation plan

Their compensation plan that Ann Summers offers its product ambassadors depends on how much sales they were able to generate for the company, as well as the number of recruits that they have made for other product ambassadors. 

The percentage of commission varies according to total sales and number of recruits. 

However, there’s no details on their website about the compensation plan.

7. Is Ann Summers legit or a scam?

While Ann Summers it’s not a scam, there’s a huge lack of transparency when it comes to building a business with them and making money. 

In general, I don’t recommend MLM businesses because I believe they don’t offer what they claim they will give to people. They promise freedom, time flexibility and financial security, but that’s just too good to be true! 

So what do I recommend?

The best way to make money online is by starting your own lead generation agency. 

It’s a legitimate business model where you get paid a monthly fee for bringing leads to businesses who need them, without having to sell someone else’s product or recruit people into your downline. 

You can learn more about it here.

8. Other things to consider before joining Ann Summers

As with any MLM, there are a few other things to think about before you sign up:

• How much is the joining fee? While that’s not detailed anywhere, you will have to buy stock upfront. This usually costs around $200 to $500, but can be more depending on whether you purchase the starter pack or not. If you don’t make sales and earn rewards, this is money that you could lose.

 

• Do you want to make money from commissions alone? The Ann Summers MLM scheme does not offer any tangible career progression rewards. You can only earn commission based on your sales. If you want to work for a company where you can earn more than just commission, perhaps the Ann Summers MLM scheme isn’t for you.

 

• Are you ready to be a salesperson? Have you got enough confidence in the products and the business model? Do you have enough free time to organise parties or events? I can understand why you would want to get other people to join so that you can build a team, but it is also worth thinking about whether or not you are comfortable with pushing people into something they might not be sure they want.

 

You need to think about all of these things before you decide if Ann Summers is right for you.

9. Final words on Ann Summers – My honest reviews

While there’s potential to achieve good returns from Ann Summers and it’s a decent way to make money, I don’t recommend MLM businesses because you are very limited working on the company and have to watch for scammers. 

Also, Ann Summers in particular lacks information and real-life examples of success we can trust. 

So, consider this post a friendly warning: if you’re considering becoming a representative for Ann Summers, make sure you know what the business is really like!