So you’ve discovered ACN and are trying to figure out if this is a legitimate opportunity. And you’re quickly finding that sorting through reviews on the internet has become a rabbit hole of a task. What sources are legitimate? Can anyone post reviews? How can so much conflicting information exist? You may quickly notice that most of the ACN reviews are written by former members of the company, who obviously have a skewed perception. Former members of any company are probably not going to have many good things to say about the company they left, right?
So from a source unaffiliated with the company, here are some facts about ACN to dispel some rumors and get the record straight.
What is ACN?
ACN formerly stood for “American Communications Network,” but now simply goes by ACN. It was founded in 1993 by four entrepreneurs – Greg Provenzano, Tony Cupisz, Robert Stevanovski and Mike Cupisz. The company partners with a number of service providers, including Sprint, Verizon, T-Mobile, Dish Network, Vivint, and Direct TV, to resell products to consumers in various packages. Their list of services is vast, and includes:
Home services:
- Digital, local and long distance phone service
- Wireless internet
- Energy
- TV service
- Home Security & Automation
- Technical Support
Business Services
- Phone Service
- Energy
- Merchant Services
- Security & Automation
- Satellite TV
- Technical Support
How does ACN work?
Individuals interested in working with ACN become Independent Business Owners (IBO) who earn a commission from selling these services and building a sales team who also sell these services. The model is quite simple – the more you sell, and the more members of your team who sell, the more you earn.
Is there an ACN scam?
Several reviews from disgruntled former-company members call ACN a scam. Reports made to the Better Business Bureau (BBB) investigates all claims of fraudulent behavior, and ACN has an “A” rating with the BBB.
Those who accuse ACN of being a scam seem to be those who were unsuccessful with the company. Perhaps they lacked the skills necessary to make sales or motivate a team. There are many inspiring stories of people who built their way up to great wealth with ACN with seemingly little education or experience, which motivates many people to join believing that they will have the same success. However, work ethic cannot be bought or learned in a classroom, and the difference between those who make it and those who don’t usually boils down to work ethic and interpersonal communication skills.
ACN is not alone as far as scam accusations by disgruntled former members are concerned. Direct sales companies as a whole are often labeled as scams and pyramid schemes. This is because they are presented with the opportunity and the stories of those who worked hard and made a lot of money, and they think it will be easy to get that success for themselves. But when they don’t meet their own unrealistic expectations, they blame the company.
Is ACN a pyramid scheme?
But isn’t recruiting members under you, and them recruiting members under them, the definition of a pyramid scheme? No, and this is a common misconception. Pyramid schemes are illegal because they take advantage of people while delivering no product or service. They promise members profits as they recruit more members, but offer no goods or services. While the concept of building a team and earning commissions on your downline is similar to the business model of a pyramid scheme, ACN and other direct sales companies do not rely solely on recruits to earn money. Attracting loyal customers by offering a legitimate, quality product or service is essential to the success of ACN and any direct sales company. Without customers, there is no money. This distinction is validated by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which stated, “MLM’s actually sell their product to members of the general public, without requiring these consumers to pay anything extra or to join the MLM system. MLM’s may pay commissions to a long string of distributors, but these commissions are paid for by real retail sales, not for new recruits.”
ACN is transparent about their services and business model. Real people make real money through the company, but as with any other job, some people don’t. It’s not the right fit for everybody, and for those with the right work ethic and vision, ACN can be a great opportunity.
