Can you really lose weight by drinking coffee? Cellis says you can. Cellis is a new Multi-Level Marketing company that offers a weight loss coffee, nutritional supplements, and an income opportunity.
Product: A Direct Marketing Business Opportunity
Website: cellisnow.com
Cost: $536 or $1036 to get started, then $67/month autoship.
Owner: Korey Johnson
Opinion: Not Recommended
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Cellis Joe+ and the Cellis Health Opportunity:
Cellis was created by Korey Johnson, a former top distributor with Valentus and there are many similarities between the two companies.
Like Valentus, Cellis is Focused on Recruitment. The primary focus of the company is to recruit distributors who buy the Cellis opportunity by either paying $536 for a Lifestyle Pack or $1036 for a VIP Lifestyle Pack. The difference between the two packs is the products they contain and compensation.
In addition to purchasing either a Lifestyle Pack or a VIP Lifestyle Pack, a distributor must also commit to monthly auto-ship. The minimum auto-ship costs $67 a month. For $67, you get 30 servings of Cellis Joe+ instant coffee. That’s $2.23 a serving.
To put the cost of Cellis Joe+ into perspective, Folgers single serving instant coffee costs about 15 cents and Starbucks single serving instant coffee costs about 65 cents. Neither Folgers or Starbucks promotes their coffee as a weight loss beverage.
Read Why Affiliate Marketing is Better Than MLM.
Why is Cellis Joe+ So Expensive?
There are two very good reasons why Cellis Joe+ costs 15 times more than Folgers. In a moment I’ll explain in detail why Cellis Joe+ is so outrageously expensive and how that inflated price is integral to the Cellis money-making scheme.
However, for now, I want to show you why Cellis Joe+ is different.
Cellis Joe+ Magic Dust.
In addition to instant coffee, Cellis Joe+ also contains added caffeine and a proprietary blend of Garcinia Cambogia, L-Theanine, and Dihyderberberine.
Garcinia Cambogia.
Drugs.com cites several small medical studies that indicate Garcinia Cambogia may help with weight loss. However, they emphasize the medical studies were limited.
Also, they cite that the dosage in the studies ranged from 1,500 to 4,667 mg. We don’t know how much Garcinia Cambogia is in Cellis Joe+. 90 servings of pure Garcinia Cambogia costs about $20, or about 22 cents a serving.
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L-Theanine.
L-Theanine is a phytochemical found in green tea and some mushrooms. It can foster relaxation without drowsiness and is said to be a powerful stress fighter.
Again, we don’t know how much L-Theanine is in Cellis Joe+, but the recommended dose is 100-200 mg once or twice a day. 500 doses of pure L-Theanine costs about $16 online, or about 3 cents a dose. That’s enough to last several months.
Dihyderberberine.
Dihyderberberine appears to have the potential to help the body maintain healthy cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL cholesterol levels. Unfortunately, Dihyderberberine may also cause stomach upset and may interact with antibiotics and some medications.
Like the other ingredients in Cellis Joe+, we don’t know how much Dihyderberberine is in it. However, the recommended dose is 500 mg taken three times a day. 400 doses of pure Dihyderberberine costs about $40 online, or approximately 10 cents a dose.
Over Two Bucks a Teaspoon!
A single packet of Cellis Joe+ is 4.2 grams. 4.2 grams equals one teaspoon. When you buy a single serving of Cellis Joe+, you are paying $2.23 for a teaspoon of instant coffee with added supplements that would cost very little if you bought them separately.
To look at it another way, a single serving of Cellis Joe+ is 4.2 grams or 4200 mg. The recommended serving of Garcinia Cambogia, L-Theanine, and Dihyderberberine totals 2200mg (Garcinia Cambogia 1500 mg, L-Theanine 200mg, Dihyderberberine 500mg).
If Cellis Joe+ provides a full serving of these supplements, that will leave less than ½ a teaspoon of instant coffee in a serving of Cellis Joe+.
How’s That Joe Taste?
If Cellis Joe+ is half chemical supplements and half instant coffee, I can’t imagine it tastes very good.
At this point, I think it is reasonable to conclude that Cellis Joe+ either contains a proper serving of weight loss supplements and tastes like a chemistry set. Or, it tastes like instant coffee and does not contain a proper serving of weight loss supplements.
A single serving of Cellis Joe+ is a teaspoon. There simply isn’t enough volume in a teaspoon to provide both a proper serving of supplements and coffee.
It’s NOT About the Coffee.
Cellis is not about coffee. Cellis is about the so-called business opportunity. More precisely, it’s about funneling large sums of money from the masses at the bottom of the organization to a handful of people at the top.
A Pure Pyramid Scheme.
To better understand the true nature of the Cellis opportunity, it may be helpful to understand how a pure pyramid scheme works.
A pure pyramid scheme makes money solely through recruitment. The only product is the opportunity. Recruits pay a large amount of money to join and may also pay a monthly fee to maintain their membership.
In exchange for paying to join the scheme and for paying a monthly fee, members can then sell the same opportunity to others and earn commissions.
An Example of a Pure Pyramid Scheme.
A pure pyramid scheme might charge a recruit $500 to join and then charge them $60 to continue as a member. In return, the new member can recruit others.
With each recruit who pays $500 to join and $60 a month to continue, their sponsor gets a portion of the money received. The remainder of the money filters through the upline to the top of the organization. Each level of the upline takes a portion of the money, but most of the money goes to a handful of people at the top.
Pyramid schemes are illegal in most countries. In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission defines a pyramid scheme as dependent on recruitment and with little to no retail sales to non-members.
The Covert Pyramid Scheme.
Most pyramid schemes conceal their true nature by promoting expensive products and present themselves as Multi-Level Marketing organizations.
Instead of requiring a recruit to pay a large fee to join their scheme plus a monthly fee, covert pyramid schemes require a recruit to buy overpriced products and to continue to buy overpriced product each month.
Ask yourself, what is the difference between paying $500 to join an obvious pyramid scheme or paying $536 for $36 worth of product like Cellis requires? In both cases, $500 of pure profit goes to the upline.
In a similar comparison, what is the difference of paying $60 a month to maintain membership in an obvious pyramid scheme and paying $67 month for $7 worth of product? In both cases, $60 of pure profit goes to the upline.
A Humorous Look at MLM schemes:
Success with Cellis Might Be Impossible.
If you hope to succeed as a Cellis distributor, you will need to get very good at persuading people to pay a minimum of $536 upfront and $67 per month for a dubious product they don’t want, and they don’t need. That’s a tough way to try to make money.
At best, as a Cellis distributor, you will be building a business inside a business. Ultimately, Cellis controls your business. As a Cellis distributor, you will be at the mercy of the company and the Federal Trade Commission.
If the FTC shuts down Cellis, you will lose your business. If Cellis goes bankrupt or the owners run off with the money, you will lose your business.
As a Cellis distributor, you can only promote Cellis products. If you’re a Cellis distributor and people stop buying the Cellis products, what will you do?
Like Pushing a Noodle.
If people were willing to spend $2.23 for a serving of instant coffee with added supplements, the big coffee companies would be selling it.
There is NO MARKET for over-priced instant coffee.
Trying to talk people into buying an expensive product they don’t want, and they don’t need is a lousy way to try to make money.
It’s like pushing a noodle. It takes a lot of effort, and at the end of the day, there is very little to show for it.
Click to Discover a Proven Path to Financial Independence!
How to Succeed at Sales Without Really Trying.
Successful sales professionals don’t try to talk anyone into buying anything. Successful sales professionals find someone with a problem, and then they find a product that will solve that problem.
Sales professionals help people solve problems. It’s so much easier to make money that way.
Successful Affiliate Marketers are sales professionals too. The difference is they use the internet to help lots of people solve problems.
Have You Tried Affiliate Marketing?
Are you searching for a genuine way to make money on your terms? Consider Affiliate Marketing.
Affiliate marketing is not difficult to learn, and it should not cost much either, but it does require patience and commitment to see results.
The FREE Starter Level of the Online Entrepreneur Certification Course is the place to start. It doesn’t cost a dime. You’ll learn the fundamentals of Affiliate Marketing, and you’ll meet a community of marketers eager to help you succeed. You’ll never have to go it alone.
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Related Articles:
Why Affiliate Marketing is Better than MLM
How to Evaluate an MLM Company
Is MLM a Scam?
If you found this article helpful or have experience with Cellis, please leave a comment below.
I disagree with all of you about network marketing. Everything you buy has markup for the company to make money and pay those that sell the product. A retail store buys a shirt for $9.00 and sells it to you for $40.00. Wow is that illegal, of course not. I have been in network marketing for 30 years and have introduced and help many make life changing income. If you work you will make money. Anytime there is a product to the user it is not illegal. I wonder why Amway, Avon, Mary Kay, Shaklee, Ambit energy, and other companies are still in business and many making life changing incomes. Because they are not illegal. Those who try to tell you that network marketing is illegal, is trying to push their on company. I suggest that people get educated before making claims that are untrue. I still love you all even though you are misinformed and fell for it.
Hi, Mickey!
Research shows that less than 1% of people who try MLM/Network Marketing/Direct Sales will
earn more than they spend on product. Read Jon Taylor’s report on 300 MLM conmpanies. It’s
published on the FTC’s website.
Most will lose money. And, of those who manage to earn more than
they spend, very few will earn more than minimum wage when they
account for their time.
For an industry that leads with the promise of opportunity, a 99% rate of failure
shows there is very little opportunity to be had.
Also, most MLM’s, if not all, earn more from forcing their distributors to
buy product than they earn from legitimate retail sales to the public.
If MLM was such a good opportunity, it would not have such a high
rate of turnover. As a 30 year veteran of MLM, you know that without
continual recruitment, the organization will collapse.
I don’t doubt some people make life-changing money with MLM. However,
they are the rare exception.
Mickey, I hope you will respond again and tell us how the people who
make the big bucks were successful when so many others failed. What
advantage did they have? What did it cost them to make it in MLM?
Where did they learn to recruit, manage and motivate a huge
downline?
Or, were they just lucky and joined the opportunity
on the ground floor?
Thanks for stopping by,
Gary
I was personally harassed by a “friend” trying to sell the benefits of Cellis for my diabetic child. She claimed that she had sold the product to other type 1 diabetics and it amazingly helped control their blood sugar. I was appalled. Anyone who knows anything about type 1 diabetes knows that there is no wonder product out there to help control blood sugars in a type 1 other than manufactured insulin. I voiced my misgivings to her upline and suddenly they stopped promoting it in this manner. I was immediately turned off to the product as a result of this and even if I was interested in the other claimed benefits I would not support this company as I feel the training they provide their direct sales people is inadequate, not to mention the pyramid scheme controversy.
Hi, Donnet,
Thank you for sharing your experience with Cellis.
I’m sure it had to be painful for a “friend” to push an expensive and dubious product on you.
Managing a child’s diabetes is difficult enough. You surely don’t need someone peddling
snake oil and magic coffee.
The FTC would probably be interested in Cellis’ claim of helping Type 1 Diabetics.
In my experience, nothing good comes from MLM/Network Marketing/Direct Sales.
Thanks for stopping by,
Gary
I have never heard of this Cellis Joe but I have been lured a Herbalife distributor. They had an ad on the internet saying something like you can earn 5000 a month or whatever. When I told my sister about it she immediately told me to look up what a piramide scheme actually is and in an instant Herbalife came to my screen. I canceled the meeting and I got a reply saying it was my loss. Haha, what a wankers.
Recently I was asked if I wanted to be part of a bootcamp-trainer group or something. I was interested and showed up for a formal introduction only to discover that I could be a trainer but I could only earn money if I could get people to take Herbalife meal replacing shakes. I went along with it because I wanted to see what it was actually about but when I understood what the product was and that there are like 31354343843 ingredients in one product I blew it off.
So sneaky how they try to get to you with nice promises about making money, like the video shows. But eventually you will have to work really, really hard to sell the products which you paid for up front. There is actually a whole documentary about it on YouTube.
Anyways, thanks for sharing.
Hi, Jonathan!
I can relate to your Herbalife experiences. You know if they can’t be transparent it’s not a good deal. Back in the 80s and 90s, I tried several different MLMs and only ended up spending a ton of money, wasting a lot of time and ticking off everyone I knew. It was a horrible experience.
The internet has made it very easy for MLMs and pyramid schemes to do business. Fortunately, people are wising up and the MLM industry is in decline. The trend is to online marketing.
Thanks for stopping by,
Gary
I love the way you spelled it out, so succintly and clearly, anybody can follow it! It makes sense to me. I would hate to have to try to make a living trying to push something that’s over-priced and I dIdn’t believe in. It makes much more sense to provide a helpful service for others and match needs with suppliers!
Thanks for the great information, keep up the good work! Can you do a review of MSW (the Money Sucking Website)?
Hi, Robin!
Thank you for your kind words. I’m pleased you found my article informative.
It took me many years to understand how to properly sell to others. It’s so much easier when you promote a product that helps people, then all you have to do if find they people who would benefit from your product. The entire process then becomes charged with good energy.
Thanks for suggesting I do a review of the Money Sucking Machine. I’ll look into it.
And, thanks for stopping by,
Gary
MLM “opportunities” are so awful! You basically harass your family, friends and coworkers to take their money. It’s despicable. Another one exposed thanks to you! 🙂
I was trying to find weight loss techniques and that’s how I learned about this. I swear, scams are getting stupider and I still fell for it. I didn’t buy it but I was interested.
Thanks for the review. You saved me tons of time and probably money, as well. 🙂
Hi, Kate!
I’m pleased you found my article about Cellis Joe helpful. I agree, the MLM so-called opportunity is indeed awful. The line between MLM and a blatant pyramid scheme is becoming razor thin too. Very few people succeed with MLM. In my experience people who succeed with MLM are the ones who create the organization and people who ruthlessly sell the dream.
Thanks for stopping by,
Gary
Just reading this made me uncomfortable. Whenever I hear the words distributor, auto-ship, and recruiting…I head the other way. This is absolutely nothing new…new product but same strategy and pyramid platform.
I just don’t see how these types of “opportunities” keep popping up. My only answer is that they work for the ones who start them…and no one else.
Thank you for investing your time and effort in researching this. I think you have saved quite a few people some pain and frustration.
Hi, Tim!
I think you’re right. MLM mostly works for the people who start them. In the end, they are little more than machines for funneling money from the bottom tier to the few people at the top. There are so many MLM/pyramid schemes popping up online that the FTC can only go after a few each year. They usually target the biggest fish.
Thanks for stopping by,
Gary
Hi
Thank you for this article, and for getting straight to the point of whether you recommend it or not. I found this very helpful.
In answer to your question. Yes I have tried affiliate marketing but not this company.
Cellis Joe seems a little on the pricey side for what they are offering. When I say a little I am trying to be kind, because along with the initial costs there are more costs to consider. I really do not get it.
If they are promoting health surely this will only confuse consumers and as you mentioned there are no real benefits to be gained by using this product.
So it looks like by joining you are making the supplier richer and you will be stuck with a product that does not deliver.
Thank you for this very informative article which highlights all the reasons this is not a good idea
Thank you
Jennifer
Hi, Jennifer!
I agree. Cellis Joe + is indeed pricey. I doubt people drink instant coffee for any reason other than convenience. Very few instant coffees truly taste like coffee. And, if someone wanted the benefits of the supplements in Cellis Joe+, it would much easier and far more affordable to simply buy the supplements and add them to a beverage of their choice.
But we both know that Cellis is not about the coffee. It’s about the so-called “opportunity,” which is really just an opportunity to give your money to your upline.
Thanks for stopping by,
Gary
I absolutely HATE multi-level marketing schemes and anyone that falls for these at this day and age is not thinking straight. Every one of these programs promises the world, but what they don’t tell you is that you will eventually run out of people to bring in…very quickly in fact. I’m glad you brought this up so people will see what a scam this is. 🙂
Hi, Shannon!
I’m with you. I gave MLM more than one thorough attempt back in the 80s and 90s. It proved to be a horrible waste of time and resources. Very few people succeed with MLM.
Thanks for stopping by,
Gary
Hey Gary,
Thank you for bring another MLM company that operate an illegal Pyramid scheme to awareness.
The bad thing about MLM business is that more emphasis is placed on the recruiting of members than the selling of the actual product. In today’s economy, there is simply no need to sell consumers the overpriced products that MLM firms usually offer, and they lure other people in to securing memberships with the promise that succeeding memberships will make them unimaginable amount of cash, in this case Cellis Joe+ definitely fit one of those scheme.
Always remember that a legitimate enterprise will make sellers earn their living and not profit from them and the affiliates get paid by the company and never, ever the other way round. Therefore if you are being asked to pay then I strongly suggest you don’t especially those require huge joining and monthly autoship fees.
Have you ever consider Affiliate Marketing? Take Gary’s advice and learn how to succeed with Affiliate Marketing the legit way.
Best Wishes.
Shui Hyen
Thank you for sharing this post. I have met many site which help people to make money but this one is extraordinary in price. Anyway does it help people to make money or to take their money? I am with you i could not recommend cellis joe+ to any of my friend instead i can recommend Wealthy Affiliate which seems to have achievable goals.
Julienne
Hi Gary,
this program with coffee doesn’t seem promising at all. I love coffee and I would never buy product with half chemical supplements and especially wouldn’t be involved in such business.
Important part is also what you said – if they are shut down, or run off with money, I get nothing.
There are maybe some good MLM programs, but that doesn’t work for me, I’m not into that.
I like real opportunities, real improvement and collective in which you can grow as a person and grow your business – like Wealthy Affiliate.
Regards,
Strahinja
Yes, I’ve tried my hand at Affiliate marketing.
This article is very informative from recap prospective thank you for sharing. I do agree helping others rewards itself. Being resourceful, but discreet shows Readers the Authors Site is there to help, not just turn a profit.
Thank you again for this Article as a helpful reminder to Affiliate marketers. Lakesha
Thanks for writing this review of Cellis Joe+. Although, I’ve never heard of them, the company seems way overpriced at $535.00 for a Lifestyle Pack and $1,036. for a VIP Pack. I run pretty darn fast when I find out that I have to opt for auto-ship. I really dislike that concept.
And why are they adding extra caffeine to their coffee? What? That seems unnecessary and doesn’t promote health, which should be the backbone of their company if they’re promoting health foods and supplements, which seem overpriced. To top if off, pyramid schemes are really scammy and based on recruitment, so recruiters will promote the company at any cost because that’s what they need to make money.
Everyone should join Wealthy Affiliate instead, which is the real deal. I enjoyed reading this comprehensive and thorough review!
Hi, Holly!
I agree. I hate auto-ship commitments too and $67 a month for instant coffee is insane. Agreeing to auto-ship is like creating an unnecessary monthly bill. Who needs that?
Since the arrival of the internet, MLM has been losing ground. I think the truth is getting out about how difficult it is to make money with MLM. I tried it years ago with several companies and it only cost me money.
Affiliate marketing is so much better and Wealthy Affiliate is indeed the place to learn. It’s where I finally learned how to make money online the right way.
Thanks for stopping by,
Gary