The 'Little Shampoo Business' Selling False Hope to Women

Some women claim they are making a lot of money from selling shampoo.

They post pictures of themselves with nice cars and in nice places.

They say they make money by selling for a big hair and skin care company called MONAT.

The company's sales pitch is not just about making money.

It's also about spending more time with family and having a better life.

Women are told they can leave their regular jobs and build a business in their free time.

But some people say that beneath the nice social media posts, there are problems.

Some former sellers say that top earners cheat to get to the top and most sellers make little or no money.

They say women are sold a dream of being independent and making money, but it's not true for most.

Now, the company is being looked at for possibly breaking the law with its sales practices.

One woman, Sarah, had a turning point when she was on a trip in Mexico.

She had built a team and was making money, but she felt something was wrong.

She saw women treating the top earners like stars and it didn't feel right.

Sarah first got interested in MONAT in 2022 and started selling in 2023.

She was drawn in by the idea of helping other mothers and making money.

She already had a big following online and thought it would be easy to sell.

In her first month, she made over $3,000 and was excited.

But then she started to build a team and things got complicated.

To sell for MONAT, you have to buy a starter pack and pay a fee every year.

If you don't pay the fee, you can lose your customers and team.

There are 12 levels in MONAT and you have to sell and recruit to move up.

The higher you go, the more money you can make, but it's hard.

Sarah says she was making good money, but it wasn't as much as she claimed.

She feels bad for bringing other women into the company and is speaking out.

She thinks the company's practices are wrong and hurt women.

Some women are suing the company for treating them unfairly.

The company is being looked at for possibly breaking the law.

A professor says that companies like MONAT can be misleading and hurt women.

She says they target women who are vulnerable and promise them a better life.

But the reality is that most women don't make much money selling for MONAT.

The company's own numbers show that most sellers make very little money.

In Australia, over 90% of sellers are at the lowest level and make no money.

The company says it's committed to following the law and being transparent.

But some people say that MONAT is like a pyramid scheme and is hurting women.

The government is being asked to look into MONAT's practices.

A lawyer says that MONAT's structure is like a pyramid scheme and is unfair.

He says the company makes money from sellers, but the sellers don't make much.

The case is still in court and no decision has been made.

Some experts say that companies like MONAT use 'femvertising' to target women.

They promise women a better life and more money, but it's often not true.

Women are warned to be careful of companies that promise too much.

The government says that pyramid schemes are illegal and people should be careful.

Consumers should be wary of schemes that promise easy money.

The names of some women in this story have been changed to protect them.

The story was reported by Melanie Vujkovic and Michael Atkin.

The editor was Heidi Davoren and the graphic designer was Sharon Gordon.

The photographer was Glyn Jones and the digital producer was Melanie Vujkovic.

Related topics include advertising, beauty, and consumer protection.

The story is about Australia and women's issues.

It's also about online safety and consumer goods.

The main topic is women and how they are affected by companies like MONAT.

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