Comment Number: 522418-11532
Received: 7/17/2006 12:57:42 PM
Organization: Quixtar
Commenter: Alec Thomson
State: VA
Subject: Business Opportunity Rule
Title: Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
CFR Citation: 16 CFR Part 437
No Attachments

Comments:

Thank you for the opportunity to comment regarding this proposed legislation. To begin, my wife and I have been Quixtar IBOs since their launch in 1999 and prior to that an AMWAY Independent Distributors since 1996. As a full time engineer, this opportunity suited both my time constraints and my professional background. The business ethics with which Quixtar and Alticor operate are extremely high. I have always seen an effort by Quixtar to properly educate and regulate their IBOs to be professional and effective. Our first goal as IBOs was to supliment our income and allow my wife the option to stay at home and raise our children. We have achieved that goal. Our next goal has been to assist our parents as they near retirement. Not only the income earned, but the personal and financial mentorship provided through Quixtar has afforded my wife and I a very blessed life. Regarding the proposed legislation specifically, the seven (7) day waiting period does not serve any purpose but to slow the growth of an industry which does millions of dollars of business on line every year. Quixtar offers a complete and very easy 100% money back guaranttee. This allows a prospect 365 days to make a decision, even "try" things out. Another propsed article regarding references concerns me greatly. While I might be very selective in my choice of prospective IBOs, people who end up downline in our business my not be. This could mean that my wife and I's personal contact information is readily avaialable to people who we would not wish to have it and may not even get into business with us. I certain no one at Home Depot provides me references of other customers or employees before I buy the generators. The most troubling item proposed regards disclosure of lawsuits past, present and pending. At this very moment, someone could be "alleging" something about you or I and bring suit with or without real merit. To my knowledge Quixtar and Alticor has always attempted to exceed Federal Trade Commision regulations but has still been sued multiple times. These lawsuits are often very misleading in their heading but typically involve independent acts by individuals. My local car dealer does not have to provide me such documentation, but I am confident that they have multiple law suits filed and/or pending against individuals who work or did work for them (some with merit and some without). In short, I appreciate the intent to help protect individuals from deception regarding the direct selling industry. However, it was my responsibility to ensure that the company and people I was entering into business with met my expectations and standards. Individuals who seek to profit through deception will always find a way, but should innocent companies which are serving to grow the US economy be slowed or damaged because of these illegal actions? Thank you again for allowing us the opportunity to respond to this proposed legislation. Also thank you for taking the time to consider the responses that you have received.