Complaint Review: Melaleuca

Just an update, Melaleuca did cancel my account with no problems, thank goodness. But in response to the last post I do not have to like Mela products just because you choose to. Obviously you think they are the best products you have ever used, but I didn't have the same experience. You wouldn't tell one of your children that they have to like a certain food just because you like it would you? And if everyone had the same opinions on everything it would be a boring world and there wouldn't be a need for this website. I'm truly happy for everyone that loves Melaleuca and the business, but I didn't have such an awesome experience and am glad that I have the right to say so~

I am sorry your experience with Melaleuca was not positive. As with any company there are people who do not comply with the companys mission statement. The entire company should not be blamed for the actions of one person. It sounds like you enrolled and were left alone and not instructed on product usuage and policy. I gather that you are very busy. Did you make yourself available to your enroller or phone her with questions about things you found confusing? Your enroller should have been the first person you called.

You said that the products do not work half as good as ones you can get at the local grocery store. That is absolutely not true. The products are excellent and since you have young children are much safer for you than grocery store brands. If your children should accidently ingest a Melaleuca product it is not fatal. Can you say that about other cleaning products? I have used Melaleuca products for years. I have not found any other cleaning products or beauty products that meet Melaleuca' quality.

The cancellation policy is for the customer's protection. A hardcopy letter with your signature is far better than an email that anyone could send on your behalf.

In order to be enrolled in Melaleuca you had to give the woman who was phoning you all of your personal information including your bank information. If you did not want to enroll you should have said no. This is a perfect business for a person who cannot leave the house often and I am sorry your enroller was not more of a help to you.

If you went into your local grocery store and you had an obnoxious clerk, would you say the store was bad? Melaleuca should not be judged based on one Marketing Executives overzealousnous.

I'm sorry you had a bad experience. But, know that most people associated with Melaleuca are not going to use these tactics. Personally, I don't want someone on my team unless they want to be there. I have had many people that I have told "If you are not able to do this financially, I'll check back with you in a month." I don't want anyone to put themselves in more of a financial bind. You know your finances, I dont.

As for the products, if you only tried a few, you're being incredibly harsh. Personally, I started with a Value Pack, so I have tried probably a hundred items total. I haven't found any I don't like. Quite the contrary. I have an asthmatic daughter. We were doing 4-5 breathing treatments a day with her. Within a week of switching to Melaleuca products and getting all the toxic chemicals out of our home, her symptoms went away completely. Her "bad season" is from Aug-March. This was in November. Its now July & she hasn't had any asthma symptoms.

You are absolutely right. Not everyone likes the smell. But, this is true of every product on the market. I personally like the smell (my husband compares it to the smell of eucalyptus). Even if I didn't care for the smell, my daughter's health would be more than reason enough to get use to it!

As for feeling sorry for our children, don't. I am now able to stay home with my children. Before, I was away from them all day & only saw them long enough for dinner and bedtime. I now work around my kids' schedules. Yes, I do work hard. But, it is all well worth it. No one ever gets anything without putting in a little elbow grease!

I hope you find what you're looking for and that your family is in a much better place financially.

I and many of my friends and family have enjoyed Melaleuca's wonderful products for up to 18 years. We have not missed one month of ordering because we cannot live without our products. Our company has a 95% reorder rate month to month and we can fax in our termination in a heart beat. We are growing at 11% per year - will be a billion dollars/ yr in sales. Doesn't that tell you that customers are satisfied with the company and its products? OUr products beat the prices of our competition in the work place!! It is designed to have us simply switch dollars we have already budgeted to Melaleuca, no more. No one is supposed to pressure anyone into joining this business. That is something that is rare indeed and certainly not company approved. Do not judge this wonderful company without finding out what is the norm. The norm is happy customers and thrilled business builders. Our products are environmentally safe - chlorine bleach and ammonia are harmful to the environment, and focuses on natural. They have reduced my husbands cholesterol substantially, helped my eye sight and joint pain remarkably, they cut my work in the kitchen by at least 50% because the products work so much better and I do not have to wear gloves or a mask. Any one who does not like the products have not had the discipline to study ingredients of our products and our competitors, and to take the time to notice how they work in comparision to everything else out there. It takes time to measure results and adjust to different smells. Plus my husband and I have had over 1000 customers in our business over the last 18 years and 50% of them are all getting checks month after month, year after year. There is not one other company out there that will provide a residual income you can predict like that, plus have the products delivered to your door. YEs, you have to learn to approach people if you want a substantial check. Some people just feel uncomfortable in doing that or they cannot do it in a way that gains peoples trust so - they are just customers. If there are customer issues the company has always tried to work with any of our people. Go to your support line - they will help you resolve any issue you may have with this company. I give this company a 10 plus for how it has handled its customers through the years and handled its amazing growth.

Hello Kristen,
I am very sorry that you did not have a positive experience with Melaleuca. I have had the exact opposite, and am glad that I found this opportunity.

There are legal reasons why you have to send in a letter to cancel the membership, just as most banks, etc, can only perform certain tasks in person or by mail. Emails, faxes, etc, are just not accepted some times.

I understand that you are busy raising your kids, but I don't understand why it is so hard to send in a letter. If you only have a PO box, and no mailbox with a "outgoing mail" flag, why can't your husband/neighbor/friend take the letter to a post office or drop it into a drop off box somewhere?

Anyway, I am sorry to hear that this did not work out for you.. in my experience the products are great- and I have been amazed by how many people have asked me about them simply because I have them at work or heard me tell others about them. I do not ask anyone more then once if they want to join, because I don't want to be treated that way either.

Again, sorry about your experience, but please know that not everyone feels the same way that you do.

I sent the letter to close out my account with Melaleuca today. I talked with a rep from Melaleuca and she said they would need the letter by the 25 of this month to close out the account and for me not to be charged again for next month. I sent the letter priority mail so it would get there even faster and made a copy of the letter for my records. Just praying that there won't "lose" the letter!

Juliet is right. I have done alot of research also on this company. Here on this site alone it has a heck of a history. Another aka for this company is "The Mom Team". I have read other people's experiences where their account was hit repeatedly and when they attempted to resolve the problem they were expired with frustration. I know closing accounts is a major hassle. Been there done that but you need to do damage control. And if your account gets over drafted because of a hit then you will owe the bank on top of fighting with the company. Contact your bank ASAP! Also look at what has happened to others with this company and their aka "The Mom Team" on this site alone and you will not waste a minute in Closing it! I have read some real horror stories here and the BBB.

Kristen, if you gave them access to your bank account, CLOSE IT and open another one. I realize this is NOT easy for you to do, given the one car situation, but if they have access to your BANK ACCOUNT - i.e. YOUR CASH - don't leave it at risk!

If you used your debit card, get a new debit card issued with a new number, and STILL close the original bank account.

I am not saying Melaleuca is a thieving company, NOT SAYING THAT AT ALL. But from what I've read on here, memberships can take a month or two to "actually" get cancelled, and while they may refund your money, better not to let them get it, to begin with.

It sounds like you live on a tight budget and can ill afford to have any amounts withdrawn that you didn't intend to spend. The "domino effect" of one unexpected withdrawal that causes an overdraft, even if refunded later, can be catastrophic to your finances.

For one thing, they will only be refunding the fees they charged you. They won't be paying for any overdraft fees the unwanted withdrawal caused, or pay for the items that bounce, because of the unintended withdrawal by the company.

If you used a credit card, you can do a dispute and chargeback the charge via your credit card company, but even then, if you are close to your limit on the card, this could cause you over the limit fees, for one thing.

I'm sorry to be so negative, but would hate to see you in a horrific financial bind due to the company not processing your cancellation as immediately as you need them to.