Is Farmasi a scam? I’m going to answer that question and many more in this post.
I came across Farmasi when I saw someone on my Facebook feed promoting it. It seems like a new company in the U.S., so I wanted to do some research to see what it was about.
It looks to be another Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) company in the makeup and beauty industry. It was started in Turkey, and operations in the U.S. started in 2018 in Miami, FL.
After taking a look at Farmasi, there are definitely some good things about this company.
Unfortunately:
There are downsides, too.
Let’s dig in!
What Is Farmasi?
Farmasi is a Turkish-based makeup and beauty company, which was first started as a pharmaceutical manufacturing company in the 1950’s by Dr. C. Tuna. Today, according to their website, Farmasi is divided into two entities:
- A makeup manufacturing company
- A direct selling company
We’ll be focusing on the direct selling portion of Farmasi in this post.
Farmasi’s products include things such as toothpaste, massage gel, shampoo, men and women’s fragrances, makeup and nail polish.
How Does Farmasi Work?
Because Farmasi is a direct selling company, this means that independent distributors go out and sell the products. Farmasi calls these distributors “Beauty Influencers”.
What’s interesting to note is that the also put in parentheses “Entrepreneur”. We’ll get back to that a little later.
Farmasi is a Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) company because Beauty Influencers recruit people to join their team and they therefore make a percentage of their money from their team (downline).
We’ll go over the compensation plan in a bit.
How Much Does it Cost to Join Farmasi?
At a minimum, you can join for just $19.99 with the Basic Kit. From there, you can add on with one of the other two kits. Here’s what each of them includes.
1. Basic $19.99 Kit
You get 4 bags (2 larger and 2 smaller), an opportunity catalogue, skincare guide, product catalogues, website. You get 50% commissions when you sell the products and a 50% discount when you buy the products yourself.
2. $49.99 Kit
Get everything in the Basic Kit, plus lash and eyebrow serum, mascara, eye liner, lipstick, lip liner, one cream eyeshadow, blush, tea tree oil serum, eye cream (or some other anti-aging product).
3. $125 Kit
You get everything that’s in the Basic Kit, everything that’s in the $49.99 kit, plus a makeup primer, BB cream, CC cream, 3D mascara, tea tree oil cream, calendula cream, deep hydration calendula cream, charcoal cleanser, Age Reversist moisturizer, aloe cream, detox peeling mask, firming peeling mask, garlic oil hair mask.
There are no monthly quoats, monthly fees or yearly fees.
Let’s dig into the compensation a plan next.
How Much Money Can You Make with Farmasi?
If you sell the products, then you get 50% commission on whatever you sell. That’s the easy part. There’s also the bonuses and different levels and all that fun stuff.
Here’s a Beauty Influencer going over the compensation plan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uwqzvb9k7UM
If you’d rather not watch, here’s a breakdown of what she said.
Welcome Program
First 4 months after you join. Maintain 200 PV each of those months and you’ll earn free products to use or sell. (200 PV = $400 retail)
Founder’s Club
The first 100 Beauty Influencers that reach the rank of Director (5000 GV or higher) maintain that rank for 4-5 months. Will earn a trip to Turkey. Free shipping. Free monthly samples. Website exposure. Earn free leads from the company.
Team Building Program
Every 2 Beauty Influencers you bring in and they go active with 125 PV, you earn $40 on each, plus you earn $40 for each Beauty Influencer than comes in for that same month.
Personal Bonus
Earn bonuses from 3% – 25%. 25% bonuses are earned when you do 5000 GV, which gives you $250.
Group Bonus
This is based on everyone personally enrolled by you. If your friend has a GV of 2000, she gets a 15% bonus. You have a GV of 5000 and you get a 25% bonus. Then you subtract those two and that leaves you with a 10% bonus. You get 10% of your friend’s GV, so $200 in this case.
Leadership Bonus
You get this bonus when you’ve reached Director Status and you have leaders in your downline that have also hit the 25%. You can earn 4% – 8% on your leaders who reached Director with this bonus. There are also car allowance bonuses, cash bonuses and travel bonuses.
Here are the different Director levels with the different amounts that you can earn. You can read the plan from Farmasi’s website.
Don’t you feel like you need a PhD to understand all of this? I sure do! MLM compensation plans are so confusing!
Farmasi Positive Reviews
Here’s a YouTuber, Emina, who reviews a few of the Farmasi products. This was a mostly positive review of the products. She’s not a direct seller, so she’s just trying them out:
The other YouTube videos on the Farmasi opportunity were obviously biased since the women doing them are trying to get people into the opportunity. But I’m sure they are genuinely happy with Farmasi – for now. 🙂
Here’s someone who loves what she’s doing:
She talks a lot about different companies she was involved with. I found it interesting when she was talking about one of her companies being like High School, and she felt like she was being bullied when all she wanted was to run a business.
I’ve heard that a lot from people in MLMs. That’s what makes that “Entrepreneur” title interesting….
A true entrepreneur wouldn’t have those issues.
Because you’re not an entrepreneur in an MLM. It’s not your business. But she seems happy to be a part of Farmasi, so more power to her.
Farmasi Complaints
I think Farmasi is a little too new in the U.S. to have a lot of complaints stacked up. I did find two complaints for Farmasi.ba, which looks to be the Bosnian version of Farmasi.
Here’s a snippet of one I thought was interesting. You can read both complaints here.
It’ll be telling as time goes on what kind of receptivity this company will have here in the U.S. Will they get more and more complaints stacked up against them? We’ll have to see!
Related Articles:
- Is Arbonne a Scam? [5 Reasons Why You Should Be Careful]
- Is Younique a Scam? [You’ll Want to Check This Out, Hun]
- Is MONAT a Scam? [May Your Hair Beware]
Is Farmasi a Scam or Legit?
Is Farmasi a scam? Technically, these type of MLMs are not scams because they have a product to sell to consumers. If you start to make most of your money from recruiting people into the business versus product sales, then it teeters on the edge of a pyramid scheme.
Pros
- Inexpensive start-up price, if you get the Basic Kit
- Don’t need to hold inventory
- Just starting in the US, so you have a slightly better chance of making money right now
- Most of the products aren’t as expensive as most MLMs
- No minimum monthly requirements
Cons
- People at the bottom always lose money in an MLM
- While there are no monthly requirements, you can be sure that you’ll be pressured to buy more products from your upline
- You’re not actually an entrepreneur because it’s not your company
- As with all MLMs, you have to chase sales
- 99% of people do not make money in MLMs
- You have to hustle hard to get good growth in an MLM
I don’t care how good the products are, MLMs exist to make money for the people at the top. And how do the people at the top make so much money? From the people below them.
And this is where the shady part comes in.
In order for you to make money in an MLM, other people have to lose money. That’s just how it works.
Farmasi Alternative – Affiliate Marketing
I was in an MLM not too long ago, and I realized I didn’t like it because there was a lot of pressure to set up parties and online trainings and talk to everyone you come in contact with.
Being successful in an MLM requires recruiting and training, recruiting and training, over and over and over again. It is NOT passive income and you have to hustle your butt off to get anywhere with it. Plus the fact that I was buying way more products than I was selling. Oh, my upline made a bundle off of me.
I ended up moving over to affiliate marketing.
Let me tell you, it’s so much more chill.
–> Read MLM vs Affiliate Marketing – Why Affiliate Marketing is 100x Better <–
There’s no:
- Hard selling
- Recruiting
- Chasing friends and family
- Uplines or downlines
- Inventory
- Buying tons of products so you can “be the brand”
Instead, affiliate marketing is creating content, helping solve problems for people and promoting other people’s products that you enjoy and would recommend to others.
Based on keyword research, you can learn how to attract people to YOU. You don’t have to chase anyone.
You never have to tell a soul in your personal life what you’re doing if you don’t want. lol
If you want to learn more, you can read my free guide, How To: Affiliate Marketing for Beginners.
Conclusion
I hope this article helped you come to your own conclusion about whether Farmasi is a scam or not. As far as MLMs go, there is a low start-up cost and it doesn’t seem to have as many overpriced products as most.
But the fact that it uses the pyramid model and people on the bottom have to lose out in order for the people on top to earn big, it should at least give you pause and make you think about joining.
There are many ways to earn a living working from home and MLMs are definitely not the easiest or the most lucrative. You will have to hustle and grind your way to the top, and you’ll have to hope that your downline isn’t like a bunch of bullying High Schoolers.
If that doesn’t sound too good to you, check out affiliate marketing and see if it’s a better fit.
Other related articles:
Great question! I had heard only a little bit about Farmasi so I appreciate you digging a little deeper into it. Generally I’m not the biggest fan of MLMs, so at first glance I’m a little suspicious. It’s nice to know that at least Farmasi doesn’t have as many overpriced products as with other MLMs, and at least there are no monthly requirements. I agree with you though, it can be difficult if not impossible to be at the bottom of that pyramid, and affiliate marketing is definitely a better system. With affiliate marketing I like how there is no traditional salesmanship involved and that you can be your own boss, so much better than having people breathing down your neck. I’ll definitely check out your links further and I’m looking forward to seeing more, well done!
Affiliate marketing isn’t a walk in the park by any means. It still takes some consistent work, but it has so many more benefits than an MLM. It’s hard to even compare the two.
I know someone in an MLM may disagree, but chances are they’ll see the light once they realize it’s almost impossible to make money.
I have not heard of Farmasi yet and I do not know of anyone selling or buying it. My question is, can you purchase the products without having to be part of the MLM, selling etc? I know of one company like this that you can buy from them, but if you are not a member or selling it, you have to pay a higher price for the product…and they are very good products. Great article!
It looks like you can order directly on the website. This is one of the MLMs where I’m not sure what the point of it is, exactly? You can already buy the products yourself, so why would you need to go through an independent consultant?
I suppose they just help get the word out?
Yes, the point is that they are a family-owned company and “Influencers” get the name out there while helping their own families. The products are inexpensive (I’m super cheap, and that’s my opinion, anyway), as long as you don’t just buy one or two things and then have to pay s/h. I don’t have a lot of experience with the quality, but so far it seems good. They are better quality (health-wise, plus cruelty-free, etc). And lots of people like the idea that if they are buying something, part of that money is going to some real person who needs it, rather than someone like the Walton family (Wal-Mart owners). It all depends on your preference.
To be fair, real people work at Wal-Mart too. And I’m sure the owner of Farmasi is making plenty of money. Nothing wrong with that, but I have an issue with MLMs in general because the people at the bottom have to lose money in order for the people at the top to make money. The people at the bottom are essentially the customers for the people on the top.
But, it sounds like you’re an influencer for Farmasi, so I wish you luck.
Ummmmmm…..Farmasi is based in TURKEY…98% MUSLIM country! These are the people that hate us and also tried to destroy America on 9/11. How could any true Christian or American not only purchase, but make a country like Turkey rich when there are a TON more options from this country and companies that are Christian? Makes no sense how this is continually ignored about this company.
I can help you if you would like to try some products.
No thanks. I really don’t want to support a company where 98% – 99% of people will lose money.
And good try with trying to spam my comments. I know how desperate you guys are for sales and recruits. (Been there, done that.) But leaving your link in the comments – especially on anti-MLM posts – isn’t going to get you very far.
great answer Christina!!!
I’ve never been a fan of MLM companies, however I did sign up to be a Farmasi Influencer after trying a few samples. I just want to say our uplines don’t breathe down our necks, they do not pressure us, they actually help us. Farmasi does not require a monthly quota, Influencers get 50% commission on all sales. You touched on some good points, however, I can promise you, there’s no breathing down our necks or pressure. It’s actually been a very fun and profitable experience. I’m also huge on customer service, I have high expectations when dealing with companies that get my money and I will say, the customer service at Farmasi in the US has been nothing but helpful and responds very quickly. I hope the experiences people have with Farmasi and their products is a positive one, while also keeping in mind, you can’t please everyone!
Thank you for stopping by and sharing your experience with Farmasi. Of all the MLMs I’ve looked at so far, Farmasi seems to be the most reasonable. I certainly don’t have anything against Farmasi or Beauty Influencers, it’s just the structure of MLMs that I have an issue with. In order for someone to win, it means that others have to lose.
But I am glad that your upline is helpful and not pressuring you. I wish you the best of luck.
You are extremely ignorant and uneducated about MLMs and their “structure.” That’s probably why you didn’t succeed. There’s no such thing as losing money- you have a conscious decision to purchase things or not to; you’re an adult who can make her own choices. If you feel pressured to buy, that’s on you. So, MLMs- it’s actually a fair chance for anyone to get recognized, promoted, and move to the top of the company. You couldn’t do that in corporate America or any other job that I know of. You don’t need a degree or to nail that difficult interview. It’s an option for everyone who is willing to work hard and be consistent- and that says a lot about someone, to most. Direct selling is about providing people with inspiration, humor, encouragement, and daily VALUE- and with that you will gain more of an audience/following. Being authentic. People don’t remember what you say, it’s how you made them feel that they remember. And if you become a consistent, positive influence to others and work on self development everyday, then you & your paycheck will grow. (Your wallet will never grow bigger than your mind does.) Because people buy people, they don’t buy products. In other words, if people like you, you’ll be successful.
I know exactly how MLMs work. And if you’re one of the .003% that can actually make a living at it, then that’s great. I hope that works out for you!
Sounds like they got to Lauri…..like beyond drinking the Kool-Aid….she had it intravenously injected!! Show me a stable amount of time in an MLM, tax returns and STEADY paychecks…..oh yeah the excel spreadsheet of how many people you stepped on the way up and all the friends that have blocked you on their phones and FB and other social media platforms. It makes me ill when all these Zombie beauty “influencers” call everyone “Sista” and “beautiful” and all the crap that they all spout out word for word. All these things are exactly why six figure earners get out of these companies. What a joke they ALL are…..and Farmasi will run it’s course. No sincere people….you have to BLEED others dry of their money, self esteem, family time and other personal pursuits to make any real $$$ in these MLM’s. Name says it all.
Also, I saw Farmasi at Sephora. So, why wouldn’t someone just buy it there instead of the hassle of going through a beauty influencer?
(And the answer to that is they would only do it if they thought they could recruit people who could recruit people who could recruit people…)
Farmasi is a game changer in the US makeup industry and I switched over from my high end cosmetics to save money and look better!
That’s fine and all, but from the perspective of making money from it, I think it will prove to be very hard just like any MLM. Especially when you can get the products directly from the website, or even from Sephora.
Hi, thanks for the great explanation! I noticed they ask for your sss when signing up. Is that normal? Why would they need your social?
You would give your SS for tax purposes. I had to do that for Young Living too.