GBlist: Re: Living Air

Hal Levin (hlevin@cruzio.com)
Fri, 28 Mar 1997 17:34:35 -0800

>Date: Fri, 28 Mar 1997 18:16:50
>From: hsingh8271@gnn.com (Harold Singh)
>To: hlevin@cruzio.com
>Subject: Re: Living Air
>
>My apologies Hal.
>
> MLM stands for multi-level marketing or network marketing.
>Companies like Amway, Shaklee, Mary Kay, Fuller Brush, etc.,
>use MLM to move their products. Alpine Industries make an
>ozone purifier called the Living Air XL-15. It is a small
>unit that covers between 20-2,500 sq feet. It produces
>about 33-312 mg/hr of ozone and sells for about $600.
>
>Alpine has gone to MLM and this where the big craze or
>hype about ozone filtration unit is coming from. As you
>know many people are heavily defending this product
>because there is a lot of money being made. Many people
>are also caught up in the hype and are overlooking the real
>facts. This is typical with MLM and new products as I mentioned
>below.
>
>Thanks.
>
>>Date: Thu, 27 Mar 1997 20:26:45 -0800
>>From: Hal Levin <hlevin@cruzio.com>
>>Sender: hlevin@mail.cruzio.com
>>To: Harold Singh <hsingh8271@gnn.com>
>>Subject: Re: Living Air
>>
>>Harold:
>>
>> I do not know what an xl15 is or what an MLM is. could you please
>>explain. I would like to clarify those before posting the message you sent
>>on the EBN list serve. Also, I do not know if I know you or if so, from
>>where. Comment? thanks, Hal
>>
>>
>>At 10:05 PM 3/27/97, you wrote:
>>>Dear Hal
>>>
>>>Please post this on the EBN web page for others. Thanks!
>>>
>>>I recently had the opportunity to purchase the XL15 for almost dealer's
>> cost
>>>but decided to do some serious research before handing over the money. I
>>>ran into your website and I must say it has help me in making a decision.
>>
>>>There are several things people are overlooking about this product and
>> the
>>>company. Consider the following:
>>>
>>> 1) There is no UL listing on this product. Why? 99% of home
>
>>>
>>> electronic products must meet this certification.
>>>
>>> 2) Why all of a sudden ozone had become an importance factor in air
>>> purification for home? Take into account that the company has
>>> been around for over 10 years marketing similar products. Why
>>> in 1996, ozone purification seems to be hot.
>>>
>>> 3) Can we really replicate a thunderstorm and its properties with
>>> an electronic box? What size box would we need and how safe
>>> would it be?
>>>
>>> 4) I have not seen an independent report or agency other than the CSA
>>> who that certifies this product. Who is CSA anyway?
>>>
>>> Let me offer some insight into what is really going on here.
>>>
>>> The word is MLM folks!
>>>
>>>First, anyone who is involved in MLM or has been knows how contagious and
>>>enthusiastic dealers get when a new products promises to deliver the
>> world.
>>>Heavy hitters in MLM are seeing big dollars in these products and the
>> natural
>>>
>>>tendency is to keep the "hype" going. MLM is a numbers game and as more
>>>people get involved units sales increase and greater revenues are earned.
>>>Dealers are more interested in signing people up with hype. Many seldom
>>>research the real facts about the products they pitch. In fact I question
>> if
>>>dealers really use the unit for their personal use because they have to
>>>constantly loan it out to a prespective downlines. How many can afford
>> to
>>>shell out $1200:00 for two units; one for home and one to loan out.
>>>Heavy hitters are primarily concerned with making big bucks and then
>> moving
>>>on to the next hype. There is no denying that fact!
>>>
>>>You ought to hear some of the claims that dealers are making about this
>>>product. You would think that it can cure any ailment. MLM is hype and
>> that
>>>
>>>is what this product is. Does anyone remember blue/green algae, shark
>>>cartilage, those magnetic pain healers, air pressure alarms, etc?
>>>
>>>Living Air has committed themselves to the ultimate sin by going to MLM.
>> Mr.
>>>
>>>Converse was reluctant to do so in the first place. See March 1997
>> Success
>>>Magazine. It is pretty obvious that Mr. Converse did a poor job in
>> marketing
>>>
>>>the product before turning to MLM. If the product was that good to begin
>>>with, why was the company not able to achieve success with traditional
>>>marketing during the past 10 years? If ozone is the best air
>> purification
>>>process, every home in America should have one. Just imagine striking a
>> deal
>>>
>>>with home builders to put the unit in during construction. What a coup
>> that
>>>would have been. I believe that MLM will be the undoing of this product.
>>
>>>
>>>Another factor that is against Living Air is that the product is not
>>>consumable so there is no repeat sales. Most MLM experts agree that to
>> make
>>>money in MLM, you have got to have consumable products that are
>> affordable
>>>which generate repeat sales. Also, $600 retail is no small change when
>> you
>>>consider that the unit probably cost less than $100 to manufacture. The
>>>markup is way too high and this is why many dealers are making $20,000 a
>>>month. The theories behind MLM were to eliminate middlemen, advertising
>> and
>>>marketing expenses. The monies save from these expenses were to be past
>> on
>>>to consumers. However, MLM has replaced the middlemen with large
>> commissions
>>>
>>>to uplines. What a joke. Consumers are not saving money. In fact, most
>> of
>>>the time the products are more expensive. $600 is paying a lot of
>> people's
>>>commissions.
>>>
>>>I don't think that the unit is worth it. Those people who have paid $600
>> are
>>>
>>>probably getting their monies worth in psychological benefits. When was
>> the
>>>last time you saw a dust mite die? Have you noticed that the dust is
>> heavier
>>>
>>>because it is clumping better? Who is to say that you are not breathing
>> in
>>>that dust as it is falling. How does ozone smell? What does it do to a
>>>houseful of plants that are producing good breathing air?
>>>
>>>Does anyone remember Quorum? Quorum is a prime example of what happens
>> to a
>>>company that lived and died by hype. Quorum's home alarm system used air
>>>pressure to trigger an alarm. Millions of people thought that it was the
>>>greatest invention since bread and butter. I know I did! The alarm
>> system
>>>was a piece of junk. Guess where Quorum is now? It would not surprise
>> me if
>>>
>>>some of the dealers are pushing XL15.
>>>
>>>Finally, I am happy to have done some research to convince myself that I
>> was
>>>
>>>not being swept up by another hype. If this unit does proves to be
>> worthy, I
>>>
>>>will be happy to pay $1000:00 for it. However, right now I am not
>> convinced
>>>that the XL15 does what it claims and whether ozone in the house is good
>> for
>>>you.
>>>
>>>Living Air sales has rocketed and will continue to do so for another 12
>>>months. I would expected the company to be in the hundreds of millions,
>> but
>>>be warned it will not last long. If ozone is the thing, I predict that
>>>within 6-12 months there will be similar units in retail outlets, i.e.,
>>>Kmart, Sears, Walmart, etc. If this is so hot I doubt other companies
>> will
>>>sit still and let Living Air capture the market. As soon as the
>> knock-offs
>>>come, Living Air sales will suffer and then the MLMers will move on to
>> the
>>>next hype. Quorum's home alarm was such a dud that other alarm
>> manufactures
>>>decided not to copy the technology. Guess what? You would have to search
>>>hard to find a Quorum alarm or similar units. Time will tell if ozone
>> air
>>>purifier is the thing.
>>>
>>>Oh by the way, I did tried the unit and I am suffering from a minor
>> throat
>>>irritation. Oh yea! I was told I had the unit turn up too high. Also, I
>>>noticed that the odor was quite different than what I would experience
>> after
>>>a thunderstom. I should know we get a lot of rain and lightning here in
>>>Florida.
>>>
>>>
>>>Sincerely,
>>>
>>>Harold Singh
>>>Sanford, FL.
>>>
>>>.-
>>>
>>>
>>
>>Hal Levin <hlevin@cruzio.com>
>>
>
>.-
>
>

Hal Levin <hlevin@cruzio.com>

__________________________________________________________________
This greenbuilding dialogue is sponsored by Oikos (www.oikos.com)
and Environmental Building News (www.ebuild.com). For instructions
send e-mail to greenbuilding-request@crest.org.
__________________________________________________________________