Is Mannatech a Scam? Why Did They Pay a $11-Million Fine?

is mannatech a scam
Mannatech homepage

“Transformational products! Changing lives! Your opportunity!” That’s what Mannatech offers based on their website. Could this be the next business opportunity that would transform also your life or is Mannatech a scam?

Maybe some of your friends have invited you to hear about this opportunity or you have heard about it on the Internet. I decided to write this Mannatech article to give you a little bit more information about this company.

Even though the company is listed on NASDAQ and it has around 25 years of experience in the industry, there are a few things that you may want to consider before joining. Let me show you!

Mannatech Review


Name: Mannatech

Founded: In 1993 by Samuel L. Caster

Type & Industry: Nutritional supplements. Multi-Level Marketing.

Short Review: Mannatech has its own strengths with enthusiasm and helping people for a healthy. However, several lawsuits, bad reputation, downslide for 15 years and overpriced products don’t make their business opportunity so attractive. I would think at least thrice before joining this system and I certainly don’t recommend it for most people.

My #1 work from home recommendation is Wealthy Affiliate because it has helped me and thousands of other people to make a living online. It’s not a get-rich-scheme either but if you go through the training, you are able to make a nice income online. In addition, it’s completely free to get started, unlike Mannatech.


is mannatech a scam
Mannatech homepage

What Is Mannatech? – Is It Completely Reliable?

Mannatech is a multi-level marketing (MLM) company selling nutritional supplements, skincare and some home products like essential oils. The company has been around already for 2,5 decades as the company was founded back in 1993 by Samuel L. Caster. Their stock has been listed on NASDAQ so it’s publicly traded.

All of these signs sound very good and made me think it would fall into the same category with other big MLM-companies like Herbalife, LifeVantage, Usana, and others. However, the closer look at the company has revealed some “not-so-nice-facts” about the company.

Over the years Mannatech has been involved in several lawsuits and some people have tried to get them out of the business. Reasons for these lawsuits vary but Mannatech distributors have, for example, claimed that their products are able to cure cancer or other severe illnesses which certainly is not true.

Well, that kind of claims is quite popular within MLM-companies. Some Herbalife distributors have also said that their nutritional shakes were able to cure heart illnesses and get the women pregnant who weren’t able to have a baby before. Soon they’ll probably claim that MLM-products will give you some superpowers and make you fly… I wouldn’t be even surprised!

In several cases, Mannatech has paid millions of dollars just to stay in the business. They never admitted that they aren’t doing anything wrong as a company. Well, somebody could ask why they are then paying if they don’t do wrong?

If you are interested in reading more details about their lawsuits, you can check them out on this website. The following graph on Google Trends also clearly shows that the popularity of Mannatech has been going significantly down during the past years.

is mannatech a scam
The graph shows Mannatech popularity from 1.1.2004 until 10.10.2017.

Controversy or not, let’s have a closer look at their products. There are still thousands of people who completely love Mannatech and uses their products daily.

Mannatech Products

You probably saw the categories of their products above that are:

  • Integrative Health
  • Targeted Health
  • Weight + Fitness
  • Skincare
  • Home Living (essential oils, etc.)

We can honestly say that all these products are typical MLM-stuff. I don’t have a specific data about this but after researching tens and tens of MLM-programs, I have come to a conclusion that there is probably the most network marketing systems in the nutritional supplement industry. Essential oils have also another booming industry during the last years. Some famous programs are doTERRA, Young Living, Wakaya Perfection, etc.

I think these industries are so popular because the profits are high for selling each product. Often MLM-companies offer even 25-30% profit for selling some protein shakes, for example. Think about how much extra there are the prices compared to their real value!

Mannatech has also so-called “MLM-extra” in their pricing. It means that they are way more expensive than similar products in the supermarket.

is mannatech a scam
Mannatech nutritional shake

It’s always good to remember that it’s possible to get false results also from “scientific tests”. One famous example is a research that spread to millions of people claiming that eating chocolate can lose your weight. Like common sense says, it was complete BS and chocolate won’t lose your weight even though the results were in the biggest newspaper in Europe.

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How to Get Started with Mannatech?

is mannatech a scam

If you want to join Mannatech MLM-business, you have to pay a fee of $49,99 per year and buy one of their three packages:

  • Basic Pack – Price $99 to $169
  • All-Star Pack – Price $499
  • Premium All-Star Pack – Price $999

We quickly see it’s not the cheapest program out there but not the most expensive one either. Still, in order to buy one of their packages and getting started with the system, I would like to be sure that the program is really worth joining. I give you credit that you are making your homework and reading this article which helps you to decide is Mannatech worth it or not.

Once you start with the company, you’ll receive some training about the company and products. You’ll also get a mentor who is the one that introduced you to Mannatech system. It’s highly important that you have a good mentor. At the beginning of starting a business you need lots of support and help to get started and the ball rolling. I know it from my own experience from building an online business. I’m glad I found a great online business community that has helped me all the way.

Once you have received the training and the basic information of the company, you can start selling products and recruiting new people into the system. If you do this with the “old-school” strategy, you’ll arrange appointments and home parties with your friends, family members, and neighbors. More modern way to get leads is to use the Internet because then you can reach thousands of people automatically by setting up systems working for you.

=> Learn How to Get Thousands of Leads to Your MLM-Business!

Mannatech Compensation Plan

One of the most interesting thing when analyzing an MLM-business opportunity is, of course, having a look at their compensation plan. How much can you earn? How does the system work? Until how many levels can you earn commissions and passive income?

You can check out official 16-page Mannatech compensation plan here. I’ll let also Mannatech associate represent the system for you in the video below. Note that the booklet and the video are both created by their team members and they are highly promotional. The video shows the new compensation plan which was launched in July of 2017.

Even though I almost always find MLM compensation plans exciting (I love numbers. The numbers are flowing in my blood!) I still know that exciting numbers can’t make a shady business good. That’s the case with Mannatech. Let’s also have a quick look at what other people have been saying about Mannatech.

Mannatech Reviews & Complaints

As I mentioned above, there has been lots of controversy about the company. People seem to have a hard time trying to trust the company that has been involved in so many lawsuits during their history.

After reading several reviews of Mannatech, one question comes to my mind strongly, “How on Earth they are still surviving in the business if they have had so negative reputation for years??”

However, even though Mannatech has several downsides they still have a large number of customers who still use their products. They don’t mind paying a bit extra for their nutritional products. Mannatech representatives are obviously drumming the message how effective their products are.

Some reviews say, “THIS IS THE BEST OPPORTUNITY I HAVE EVER JOINED.” In my experience those people have been involved with the system less than a month or two.

Mannatech complaints question their products, system and even the whole business. I wouldn’t go so far but I must admit that the company’s history hasn’t been perfect. If they aren’t going to make a shift for better, they have hard times ahead.

Conclusion – Is Mannatech Worth It?

Meh. Nah.

I wouldn’t join Mannatech. There are way too many things that just make it look unattractive. Imagine that you are trying to sell the system to your friends and they check the information on the Internet.  They realize all the negative stuff that’s going around the company. How should a Mannatech representative go to respond to that? Well, a typical response would be, “Haters gonna hate… I’m making money!” That’s what greedy businessmen use to say. 😉

Anyway, the world is full of amazing opportunities. Especially today in 2017 (or the next year in 2018) we have the Internet that has opened awesome business opportunities. I see people every day who are making a living online and celebrating success. In addition, they aren’t only helping themselves but only people who they reach through the Internet.

That’s also possible for you.

If you are interested in earning a living online, I highly recommend taking a look at this comprehensive step-by-step training. It won’t make you rich overnight but the training and the community (including myself) are going to help you all the way until you make good money online and even further. It’s not an MLM-scheme.

=> Want to Become Your Own Boss? Start the FREE TRAINING Today!


Do you have experience of Mannatech or similar MLM-programs?

Do you prefer generating leads online or offline? What kind of strategy do you use?

Let me know in the comments below! 🙂

By Roope Kiuttu

Hello! I am Roope "Robert" Kiuttu, the founder and owner of YourOnlineRevenue.com. I created this website back in 2015 to help you to make money online. You can ask me anything and I'll be happy to help you out. I help people daily to make more money online and I love seeing people succeeding. If you want to get my 1-on-1 support and help to make money online as well, get started HERE.

32 comments

  1. I don’t think Mannatech is a scam. If it was a scam company it would not have existed for 25 years. However, I also believe that it is not the best way to make money. I don’t think people can actuallly make money from MLM copmpany. It is difficult to sell the products and recruit people. If you cannot sell products or recruit people you cannot earn from MLM company.

  2. It’s unproven to do anything other than in their own research, which was contradictory. They did two studies. First one was no effect, second was was “yes, it’s effective”. Guess which one they quoted?

    Mannatech was issued a “cease and desist” by the Nobel winning scientist Gunter Blobel, founder of glycobiology, to stop using the scientist’s name in Mannatech’s marketing research, as Blobel had never worked for or was ever sponsored by Mannatech and never agreed to have his name ever associated with Mannatech. Thats a bad sign right there

  3. Sometimes, companies make exaggerated claims in order to invite more people to patronize their products. Even how rare to hear that cancer can be cured, there are still people who testified that they are cured. However, this will depend upon the disposition of one’s body if the supplement is effective or not.

    Claiming that a product can cure cancer is a big no as far as the law stated in our country. That is why, for any food supplement, there is a phrase stated outside of its box as “No therapeutic claim”.

    1. Aa yeah, that fine print saves it all 😉

      Some claims of these MLM-programs are even pretty hilarious. Then they say in the end, “No therapeutic claim” to save their skin.

  4. My favorite line ““Haters gonna hate… I’m making money!” That’s what greedy businessmen use to say. “. People need to care less about their pockets and more the customers they are serving. With that being said, the lawsuits, the bad reputation, and the pricing of the product makes the company less savory.

    I want to work for a company I’m proud of. A company I could defend confidently and comfortably.

    1. I like your attitude. Working for a good company (or creating a good company yourself) is a good goal.

      To be honest, I have heard that phrase from some network marketers. Someone tried to sell his system to me. I pointed out that the program is quite shady and there are many reasons why it’s not worth it. His response was that there are always gonna be haters but he’s making money and that seemed to be the most important thing in that situation.

      Great companies care the most of their customers.

      1. Exactly! I am a part-time freelancer and it is very important to me that I satisfy my customers. Don’t these people worry about customers coming back to repurchase? Being shady and dishonest never wins! Being a good and loyal business person does!

        1. You are right. Shortcuts don’t pay off in the long run. The best strategy is to provide good service. People will like the company and recommend it for other people as well.

  5. Too many MLM companies have been around the Philippines for as long as I can remember so this kind of scheme is an old news to me. To be fair, there were few people that really made a fortune out of networking but personally knowing several individuals that didn’t find success in this industry was more than enough for me to not get my hands on it.

    1. Yes MLM-systems have been around for long. I just checked and the first network marketing companies were created already back in 1800’s.

      The truth is that only 1-5% of members make good money. Other members work for them. That’s one reason why I’m not so interested in these systems. I want everyone to succeed instead of just myself.

    2. I am also invited to countless MLM. When I was younger, I tried and worked my butt off in Forever Living. A similar company like this Mannatech company. At first they will say, you don’t need to work, you just need 2 people. and then those 2 people need only two people.

      And after some time you’ll realize you’re working your a** off to do everything. But in reality doing it 24/7. Eventually, people and friends will avoid you because they know you’ll just talk them into joining. Haha. There are those who are lucky, but not me during my first attempt. At the end, I just used the products I am endorsing and they are good products but I wouldn’t put all my faith in them.

      1. Yeah, that “just invite 2 and they’ll invite two” it’s a typical story that MLM-companies like to tell. I’ve also heard many similar experiences like you said. I think promoting to friends and family can be done in a good and “not-so-good” way.

        Instead of seeing friends and family members as targets, I recommend network marketers just helping them in a way they want to be helped. If somebody doesn’t have any interest in this kind of systems, then leave him. However, if there is somebody who is business-minded and likes to work hard, then this kind of opportunities could be for them.

  6. I don’t want to join Mannatech. Because of the negative thoughts about them, it is hard to find a customer that will buy products from Mannatech. It is okay if you can locate those people who patronize the products of Mannatech. It is the best way to earn here.

  7. Well, from the looks of things and the law suits that the company is facing, I’m not surprised that that graphs of its decline is almost at the rock bottom. As much as I agree that some of the company’s products and supplements are good, the exaggeration of the potency of some of their drugs is actually doing them more harm than good.

    I would really recommend in my opinion, the selling of the company and rebranding together with repacking of their products and services, with vast public relations and advertising campaign to help rejuvenate the business.

  8. Well, all I can say about the company is that, it is really on the edge of fading out. Because in every organization or brand, reputation matters, and theirs have been smacked to the ground, which is a very bad thing.

    Their products may be good but I don’t think people would like to cast their die on a company with such reputation and negative clap backs.

  9. I wouldn’t be taking the risk of joining Mannatech either considering that in these days of technology, people tend to search on the internet about products that they want to buy. That alone will scare potential buyers off, thus making one run a loss about joining them.

      1. Yeah, and the act that it might make one lose ties and trust of friends once they discover you sold an expensive product to them while there are other cheaper substitutes in the market makes it more a negative path to follow. I can’t just sell products that I won’t feel comfortable using to my pals no matter how profitable the business looks.

  10. The prices (both for joining and for the products) are high. I don’t know anyone who’d buy those products so it’s definitely not for me. Maybe if you have friends at the gym and are into that healthy lifestyle where you use those kinds of things you could make a business out of that but I don’t think there are that many people interested in these products.

    1. Yeah, gyms would be good places for selling nutritional supplements.

      My recommendation would be selling through the Internet. There are already more than 3,5 billion people on the Internet so you’ll always find people who are interested in these things. Also, you could automate your sales by creating systems and sales funnels. It works in every niche, not only in fitness.

  11. I’ve heard about this company because one of my friends joined them last year. Mannatech provides health products and will convince you to have referrals based on what has been told to me. My friend tested the products she purchased for getting her skin whiter and smoother.

    After six months, she experienced something differently on her body, her skin got tiny bubbles and very itchy as she said. They coordinated skin dermatologist and found out that the lotion she’s using is contaminated with a high solution which is not appropriate to human skin if it is applied too much. She filed a complaint against the company but they just ignored my friend, be careful in using their products.

    1. I’m sorry to hear about what happened to your friend. I was recently reviewing some other MLM-program and many people had exactly similar experience after using their skincare products. Still, the company was advertising, “This is the best skincare product in the world! You will never need something else!” You are right that we really need be careful with these companies and their products.

    2. I feel very sad for your friend and lots of kind of this products have the same bad effects but not all. Have you heard about the Jhonsons products news who just recently spread out on internet that they are using an ingredients that is used in dead bodies? I know this is very disgusting and discouraging share but I just want all to be aware about this. We should be careful nowadays because people are not concerned in our health, all they want is the money from us.

      1. Wow that sounds bad. I have never used Jhonsons products but before consider buying I would like to make sure that the company isn’t doing that kind of things. I’m not sure if they are even operating in the countries where I live.

  12. I think the biggest problem with this is the lawsuits. I do understand that some companies do pay out even though they haven’t done anything wrong in some cases because the bad publicity and money spent for the court cases just aren’t worth it, but to pay $11 million sounds pretty bad. And the fact that their popularity has been dropping massively isn’t a good sign either. It’s probably best to stay away from Mannatech

    1. Yes, and that $11 million case isn’t even the only one. They’ve had several lawsuits over the years. Who knows what will happen for them in the future if they continue like this?

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