It sounds good.
I mean. Who wouldn’t want to have extra few hundred dollars? That doesn’t come by every day.
But the thing is…
Is it legit? Is it a scam?
For whatever reason you are checking this Saivian review, whether a friend approached you and presented you this opportunity or you may have already signed up and is still looking for a confirmation that it’s not a Saivian scam or probably you are just curious. We are going to give you what you came here for.
In this review, we are going to know more about Saivian as a company and as an MLM. We are going peel the layers bit by bit. Be ready for an exciting journey as we search for the truth.
The People behind the Company
“An army of sheep led by a lion can defeat an army of lions led by a sheep.”
That African proverb is one of my favorites. Don’t worry. We are still on the same topic. And we are still doing a Saivian review.
“Why?” you ask. Because one of the things that made Saivian stand out are the leaders behind the company. Is Saivian led by lions or sheeps?
Let’s get to know the people behind Saivian.
John Sheehan. Steve Gewecke. Kevin Marino.
John Sheehan is said to be the President of Saivian. He had 20 years of experience in his career which is focused on marketing and MLMs. It was also said that he owned wireless stores in 6 states.
Steve Gewecke is the company’s Chief Marketing Officer. He also had a track record in the marketing industry of over 23 years of experience.
Kevin Marino, on the other hand, is the company’s Master Affiliate. He also worked as a national trainer and a consultant to different companies.
Well. If you base it from there ALONE, you would be able to say that Saivian is backed up by strong and experienced leaders. Then, it is, without a doubt, a company of credibility.
There is one problem, though.
Those pieces of information were not taken off from their website. It was gathered and collated from everywhere. Most of the sources are already outdated and are already more than 2 years old.
If you check their website, you will not be able to see a brief history about the company nor will you be able to see their leaders. This remains to be a question to many. As I dig more about the company and the website, I was able to find out that the website used to include a short biography about Saivian’s leaders. But now, they have already taken that part out. Why?
I also tried to meticulously search these people in social media. They cannot be found. Even pictures are no longer available except for this one old video of John Sheehan giving a talk. It seemed like that they have deleted themselves off from the internet. The infamous question arises again… Why?
Based on different information, sources, complaints, and comments, we were able to come up with this list. These are the people who have been one way or the other associated to Saivian.
Most of these people in the list have been prime movers in network marketing. Some have been linked to companies that have failed.
The authenticity of these sources remains to be unknown. Remember that Saivian didn’t give an official word nor association to them except for this one Facebook page that also is already outdated.
Alright. Well. I like to give people the benefit of the doubt. So Saivian may not have leaders that are willing to wave the flag for them, but does that already qualify for them to be labelled as a Saivian scam?
Honestly. Not quiet. Let’s continue our Saivian review by looking at the company itself.
Saivian as a Company
Saivian made a major buzz during the last quarter of 2015.
If you mention the name of the company, it will right away be associated to its’ 20% cashback program. This program assures members that they will receive 20% money back from items that they have purchased and from their travelling tickets under set conditions.
What also makes Saivian stand out is the fact that it is Multi-Level Marketing Company. MLMs have found a bad light in the industry because of the countless of people who got burned. Then, again, not all MLMs are a scam. There are a lot of successful very legit MLMs.
Saivian has the same business model with DubLi which is also a MLM company.
Though not required, Saivian is not registered in Better Business Bureau.
Right now, Saivian already comes with an app that you can download to help its’ members with their business.
One of the notable things about Saivian is their company logo and how they have changed it thrice in the course of a year.
In Business Insider’s article, It’s Almost NEVER A Good Idea To Change Your Company’s Logo, it stated the different reasons why companies change their company logo and why it’s not a good idea.
Saivian and Its Products
Saivian, unlike other MLM companies, does not have a physical product to distribute. They have two products. These are:
- Retail Shopping Membership- This cost $125 to start. After which it will be payable once every 28 days.
- Global Travel Membership.
Each product provides individuals a 20% cashback shopping. In other words, every time member shop or travel, a 20% cashback can be taken advantage of.
Cashback and How it Works?
To take advantage of the 20% cashback program, individuals need to be a member of Saivian and pay the required amount of $125. Once they become members, they will need to choose top 10 retails stores where they usually shop and dine. With the list now prepared, they will need to let Saivian “know” of their list in a system that is provided to members. From there, members just need to take pictures of their receipt and send it to Saivian and from there they will be getting 25% cashback from their purchases.
Members can redeem their cashback 30 days after their card registration and every 30 days thereafter. In their receipts, the payment method that they used should match with the payment method that they have registered in Saivian file. This is necessary for them to be able to successfully get their cashback.
Cancellation of membership is an option that members have.
The Reason behind the Product
Why would a company give 20% of his money back for a receipt?
Over and over again, people who have joined Saivian likened their method to Facebook. Facebook doesn’t earn money from people signing up. They earn from advertisers. Everytime an individual in Facebook likes, shares, and comment, they keep track of those activities and provide companies those pieces of information. In return, these companies will then know what kind of products they can show you every time you check Facebook out.
Saivian relates the same principle. They sell the information that they get from your receipts to different companies. The companies then will be able to know what the market’s buying trend is.
Their cashback is not the cause of the outcry of many. It’s their compensation plan.
Let’s go one level higher in our Saivian review.
The Compensation Plan
Since Saivian operates under MLM, it definitely has a compensation plan. Saivian’s compensation plan is rather simple. If a member wants to earn more and get a commission, they simply need to recruit.
They call their compensation plan Flex Build with a mantra “Bring three. And it’s better than free.”
What does it mean?
It means that members have to recruit three people. Once there are three people, they then will need decide how to position them. They have three options to choose from:
- Position all three recruits under them.
- Position two people under the member and then the third person under either recruit 1 or 2 also known as your binary system.
- Position all three down directly where the recruits are placed under each other or most commonly known as unilevel.
After that is set, here is how a member earns. Saivian has certain requirements that a member needs to meet in order to qualify for a commission. Here is how it looks.
If you look closely and intently, there is just one major requirement in order for a member to progress to different levels. RECRUITMENT!
Yes. That is correct. If an individual can recruit people who will take advantage of the cashback program and also do the business with them, then you can get a commission.
No recruit. No commission. These recruits should also stay active to be able to qualify for the commission.
Is it a Saivian scam? Or is It Legit?
So right now, you might be wondering what really the real deal on Saivian is. Looking at the different factors in this Saivian review, allow me to point three things to you- the good, the bad, and the ugly.
- The Good
The shopping aspect of Saivian seems legit. Considering that cash back program is not new to many consumers. Banks use cash reward program to promote its’ consumers to use their credit card to shop. Facebook’s marketing strategy is also legit. So if we put these two things together, which is basically what the product of Saivian is, then we can infer that it is possible. It is possible for people to get a percentage of their money back by simply taking a picture of their receipts.
- The Bad
One of the things that was very notable from the very beginning are the controversies that are linked to its’ leaders. If they believe in their company so much, why disappear?
If Kevin Marino, Saivian’s Master Affiliate, is bold enough to randomly comment on people’s post and market their product in 2015, why doesn’t he have the same passion as now? More importantly, where is he now?
In fact, where did all the leaders go? Who runs Saivian? Who is the person responsible and accountable to the many people who joined to be members?
The lack of leaders in Saivian makes us wonder the legitimacy of the business. The changing of logos thrice in a year makes us ask this question, “What are they trying to avoid?””Why do they want to make it appear fresh all the time?”
- The Ugly
If there is one thing that is cringe-worthy about Saivian is its’ sole emphasis on recruitment. This reminds me of one thing- Ponzi Scheme.
For the sake of argument, Saivian cannot be categorized as a ponzi scheme because of the existence of a product, which is their retail shopping membership. Then again, if you look at their compensation plan, this is where all the doubt will sink in and will make you add another question to the already lost list of questions?
ASIDE FROM RECRUITMENT, WHERE DOES SAIVIAN GET PROFIT?
So let’s say, they got it from the cashback program. But how much is the cut that Saivian gets? What is the basis of these companies in paying Saivian? What are the companies that they sell the information to? And if these companies benefit from Saivian, how come there are no endorsements?
Yet another obvious question will arise.
IF A MEMBER STOPS RECRUITING AND EVERYONE ELSE STOPS, WHAT HAPPENS?
So is it legit? Or a scam?
IT.IS.A.SCAM.
Conclusion
One of the things that make an MLM stay and grow is not just the compensation plan, it is actually the PRODUCT. Most people who do not like MLM but love the product that they offer would become part of an MLM. Even if people stop recruiting, with a good product on hand, members can still continue to grow their business.
Yes. Saivian is still there. People are still able to take advantage of the commissions that they get from recruiting. With the kind of product that they have and the lack of leaders, it is just a matter of time where people will be out screaming that it is a scam. (There has actually already been a lot!)
So if you haven’t joined yet, then don’t.
If you have, then you can get out.
If you are earning and doesn’t want to stop, then be watchful of the signs where inconsistencies in the company happens. That will be the best time to get out before you lose the money that you have earned.