Melaleuca
TINA.org investigated Melaleuca as part of its larger investigations into unsubstantiated disease-treatment claims and atypical income claims used by MLM companies.
To read more about TINA.org’s 2023 MLM Income Claims Investigation, click here.
To read more about TINA.org’s 2017 DSA Income Claims Investigation, click here.
To read more about TINA.org’s 2016 DSA Health Claims Investigation, click here.
How We Took Action
2024
February 14
As part of its 2023 investigation into 100 MLM companies, TINA.org notifies Melaleuca of its findings that the company has used atypical income claims to market its business opportunity.
2023
April 13
The FTC sends Melaleuca a Notice of Penalty Offenses Concerning Substantiation putting the company on formal notice that it is unlawful to, among other things, make claims relating to the health benefits, safety, and effectiveness of products without competent and reliable scientific evidence to support them, and that disease-treatment claims must be substantiated by at least one randomized, controlled, and double-blinded human clinical trial of the product.
2021
October 26
The FTC sends Melaleuca a Notice of Penalty Offenses Concerning Money-Making Opportunities putting the company on formal notice that it is an unfair or deceptive trade practice to misrepresent that profits or earnings are the ordinary, typical or average profits or earnings made by participants, and to fail to disclose conditions affecting income, such as expenses borne by the participants, among other things.
June 30
TINA.org sends a letter, along with a list of more than 660 direct selling companies that includes Melaleuca, to the FTC urging it to implement a penalty offense program targeting the direct selling industry and its market-wide practice of using deceptive earnings representations and false health claims.
2020
November 16
As part of its 2020 investigation into MLMs targeted by the FTC for making deceptive COVID-related claims, TINA.org notifies the FTC of its finding that Melaleuca continues to make unsubstantiated health claims and deceptive income claims.
June 5
The FTC sends Melaleuca a warning letter ordering it to cease and desist from making unlawful claims that products treat COVID-19 and deceptive earnings claims.
2017
December 18
As part of its 2017 investigation into all DSA-member companies, TINA.org sends a letter to Melaleuca regarding its use of false and unsubstantiated income claims to promote its business opportunity.
January 20
Melaleuca responds to TINA.org’s 2016 health claims investigation.
2016
November 22
As part of its 2016 investigation into all DSA-member companies selling nutritional supplements, TINA.org sends a letter to Melaleuca regarding its use of inappropriate health claims to market products.
The Latest
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MLMs Continue to Break the Law Despite FTC Warning
Deceptive health and income claims, including some tied to COVID-19, persist in wake of warning from the feds.
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MLM Companies & Coronavirus Claims
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Grading the BBB: Ratings after FTC Actions
TINA.org investigation finds more than a dozen companies in good standing with the BBB following an FTC action.
Is the DSA Ignoring Illegal Health Claims?
TINA.org investigation reveals MLM supplements recommended for everything from cancer to Ebola.
Ad or Not? Melaleuca’s Bright and Shiny BBB Page
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TINA’s List
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