Additional Due Diligence
This tab is for those whose first research invariably starts with a scam search and get spooked and quit researching. Ironically, "scam searches" move such articles higher in rankings, appearing on your search results higher up the page. People who are bloggers trying to make money know this and write articles with the word "Scam" in it to drive traffic to their site. You participate in this unwittingly when you click on their articles. Watch the video at left to have this explained.
At left, Brian McGinty Debunks Ethan Vandebuilt's Claims, showing he didn't do honest and proper research AND misleads the public for personal gain (collecting on Google Ads). He shows the general and specific reasons not to do scam searches without first doing proper research. The scam--article-writing business ironically is a bit of a scam since the research is usually insufficient and the reader has no way of knowing the truth QUESTION: How would you know if a writer reports accurately on a company if YOU don't know the facts? 15 minutes and worth your time to be an educated consumer
Two of the articles most commonly found in scam searches are dealt with on the pages below.
COMMON SENSE QUESTION: "Do you believe MasterCard would risk their reputation, without investigation, on a global payment system, on an illegitimate business? Of course not. This is a secondary argument; read the primary arguments for Karatbars being a legitimate business on the tab of Due Diligence.
Included below is information on the Karatbars Mastercard you would receive as an affiliate like the 350,000+ in 124 countries who have gone before you over the past five years.
The Karatbars Pre-Paid MasterCard was given the Card of the Year award in 2013 for design. Click on the card logo at left for more information on the function of the card. The Karatbars Prepaid MasterCard can be used worldwide online, at ATMs, & in stores at over 32 million locations, wherever you see the MasterCard Acceptance Mark. At an ATM, in whatever country you are in, you get out the currency of that country.
Karatbars in Quebec
to be updated
A couple affiliates in Quebec made income projections,which is explicitly against company poicy, and invited problems for everyone else in Quebec. The rest of Canada is unaffected and this situation is almost resolved.
Rebuttals of Reports from the Internet
KARATBARS OVERCOMES SPECULATION!
If Brian NcGinty's video above doesn't convince you, see what author James Matthews has to say about Mr. Vanderbuilt, the self-proclaimed #1 scambuster on the internet. In his rebuttal to Ethan Vanderbuilt, Matthews shows Vanderbuilt is simply a blogger who is trying to drive traffic to his site when he writes on "Scam" articles; it looks like he is trying to be the #1 blogger, if you know how blogging works. Look at all the articles he has done and see if you believe him or James Matthews, author of the article at the URL below, when he takes him down for his hypocrisy, character assassination, insufficient research, and shallow analysis. BEFORE you read this self-proclaimed "Most Trusted Scambuster's" article on Karatbars, read this article ON HIM when Mr. Mattews investigated HIM for slanderous accusations of someone else and their business.
http://theinfinitydownlinetruth.com/ethan-vanderbuilt-is-he-a-scam-yes-he-is-in-my-opinion/
Another dubious authority writing on Karatbars is the duo, Ace and Rich. Their article is full of holes, is poorly researched and poorly written; their own poor writing undermines their credibility while they cast aspersions on Karatbars and Harald Seiz. Their 4 red flags are a joke. They make their writing sound like the Better Business Bureau raised the red flags. The BBB would not have anything to say about Karatbars as they are not an American company. Karatbars makes no income projections on their website, and there are high standards they have to meet every quarter. Where did Ace and Rich get their income projections? They did not do primary research.
Click on the image on the left for a quick rebuttal of Ace and Rich. Their lack of researching first hand sources is widely evident from so many inaccurate assertions. Also, count how many times on their landing page that you see commercials for what they are really after. You may not know enough yet to decide for yourself, so do your due diligence from reliable sources---not by a scam investigation shortcut since you do not know nor understand if their allegations are accurate, trustworthy and complete. You only cause bloggers like these two to move up in their rankings. Most of us have done this, but now we know better.
Get back with the person who sent you to this site for further answers to questions.
Inteview of "V, the Guerilla Economist"
video at left published on Apr 23, 2015 35 minutes
V discusses the state of the economy
The Accusations of Pyramid "Scheme," Never Making Money, & MLM
Look at the image at the right. Some people see network marketing and throw around terms like pyramid, ponzi & more. If this is one of your accusations, perhaps a little education is in order. the image at left shows the business model structure of corporate America, perhaps even the company you work for. Note that there are increaslingly more people the farther you go down in the structure. The contention is that the structure is something bad and to be avoided, but that is not true unless you are condemning ALL entities that are in business to make a profit. The real issue for business is DO THE CUSTOMERS GET VALUE for their purchases? Click on the image and watch the 8 minute video that addresses this.
On the other hand if an objection is either making money, or that they have to ACTUALLY TALK TO CUSTOMERS or others interested in a home-based business, then only the Karatbars gold savings account and not the optional business plan is for them.
Below are some summary points in the 8-minute video.
Illegal Pyramids vs. Legal Distribution
The key questions are:
Are there customers buying a product or service
vs.
simply recruiting more recruiters?
Do customers get value for their money?
Do they get their "product" in a timely manner or as advertised?
If yes, this is the model of manufacturers and governments!
idea (the product or service)
Money flows up manufacturers
to company
wholesalers wholesalers
distributors distributors distributors Value flows
back to customers
retailers retailers retailers retailers retailers
customers customers customers customers
service, perks
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Another often-heard objection:
People above you always make more money simply because they got in earlier, so later entrants cannot make as much.
This is not true in Karatbars. While a sponsor will always have a bigger organization, he/she could have SIGNIFICANTLY FEWER people directly sponsored, and therefore less commissions, bonuses and incentive rewards. There are 7 ways to receive compensation and those last four reward work, not ancestry.
It would be helpful to study the compensation plan if you are concerned about making more money than those who come after you.
More On Pyramid and MLM
Video at left by Financial Advisor Matt Rettick, on why Karatbars is not MLM and Pays More.
Below is a partial answer someone wrote, with reputable legal sources supplying definitions.
Is Karatbars International a pyramid scheme?
NO! According to Criminal.FindLaw.com, 'Pyramid schemes follow a predictable formula.'
Usually, one person, known as the “recruiter,” will create a fraudulent business which requires others to pay a fee to join. The people he recruits to the business then recruit others to join as well, and pocket the fees. This cycle of recruitment is supposed to continue indefinitely, so that everyone who joins the “business” will continue to receive the recruitment fees of the newest recruits.'
This is ILLEGAL in the US and elsewhere.
Are Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) Businesses equivalent to Pyramid schemes?
No, they're not.
Again, according to Criminal.FindLaw.com, 'an MLM business involves a central corporation that creates a product, and then convinces other people to pay a fee in exchange for the right to sell its product. Unlike a pyramid scheme, MLM businesses make their money by selling products such as cosmetics, cooking implements, and fashion accessories; they don’t rely on an unsustainable stream of new recruits to make their money.'
So, is Karatbars International an MLM?
No. This company is not recruiting people and asking them for fees so that they could pay the earlier investors. Also, an MLM requires a fee in exchange for the right to sell its product. Since affiliates do not sell anything, there is no fee to license affilitates to sell products or services. All affilates are placed into the Unilevel Pay System---at no charge. It comes with opening the gold savings account. You are also given an online back office---at no charge, ever, unlike MLMs. See the Unilevel compensation plan to see how you can earn without spending any money if you have customers who buy the various denominations of karatbars or products from Karatbars International.
Affiliates of this company do not sign up to sell gold to people. They do not sell anything. They refer people to the company to change paper currency into gold money, which has More value. It's like taking $65 from your left pocket, exchanging it for gold money, and putting it in your right pocket. The price includes access to a developing worldwide system of exchange with merchants and others via the credit card sized karatbar.
Karatbars International has products for sale as well as well, so you may become a saver and a buyer of some of their products like polo shirts, hats, collector cards and more.
