Wealthy Affiliate is a Scam or What?

If you have reached here, chances are that you’re wondering whether Wealthy Affiliate is a scam or what. Well, let me tell you in no uncertain manner, Wealthy Affiliate is not a scam. It is one of the most legitimate Internet marketing products you will find.

by KEVON WILSON

What is Wealthy Affiliate?

Wealthy Affiliate is an online community and platform that offers training and tools for affiliate marketers, bloggers and online entrepreneurs. The training covers virtually everything an entrepreneur needs to know about starting and running an online business.

Founders Kyle and Carson started Wealthy Affiliate back in 2005 and have been adding benefit upon benefit and feature upon feature to make the transition from job to joy, from employee to entrepreneur a reality for thousands of people all over the world wishing to start a business online. All you need is passion and internet access to take advantage of what Wealthy Affiliate has to offer.

Why Wealthy Affiliate is Not a Scam?

There are so many Internet marketing training programs out there. Many are legitimate and offer excellent help in a number of areas. However, to date, I have not found any one solution that offers quite the comprehensive coverage similar to Wealthy Affiliate. It provides a solid foundation, especially for those now starting their online business.

So, you are wondering whether Wealthy Affiliate is a scam or what. Here are twenty (20) reasons I’ve put together to prove that Wealthy Affiliate is not a scam.

#1. It is Free to Join

First of all, Wealthy Affiliate is free to join. There are two options you can choose – the Basic Membership (free account) or the Premium Account. The free account is similar to a lite version of an application. Some of the really cool stuff are restricted in the free option, but you get to keep your account. One of the things I absolutely love is that Wealthy Affiliate never tries to up-sell you. They never send you countless emails trying to get you to go premium. Sure enough, they do encourage the premium account and show you a video demonstrating what you get in the premium version. Also, when you sign up you get a seven-day free trial to test the premium version. And the superb thing is that you don’t have to give your credit card details to get access to the free trial. Many other programs ask for you for your credit card and tell you that you can cancel at any time. However, if for some reason you forget to cancel before the required time (and this happens more often than you think), your account automatically upgrades and your card is charged. This is NOT the case at Wealthy Affiliate. So, it is truly risk free.

However, if you are serious about becoming a real online entrepreneur and starting a truly successful online business then the premium version is a must. The hallmarks of a true entrepreneur are willingness to take risks, willingness to invest money and time in their business, commitment to making their business a success (no matter what it takes), and openness to learn as much as possible to take their business to the highest level possible. The free version is therefore, for the curious. The premium version is for the serious. And if you are truly committed there’s no doubt you’ll go for the yearly option (which, in case you were wondering, makes better financial sense as you’d be saving over $200).

#2. You can Cancel Your Account at Any Time

If you do decide to go with the premium version, and I highly recommend that you do, you can cancel at any time you want. Although, I can’t understand why someone would cancel. But I guess running a business is not for everyone and I respect that.

Lack of patience is one of the biggest reasons people cancel. Many people find out about Wealthy Affiliate and think it is a quick and easy way to make money. Well, sorry to burst your bubble, there’s nothing quick and easy about building any business, online or otherwise. Sure, there are ways to make quick bucks, many are shady, but these never last very long. People eventually see through the gimmicks and games. Scams do not last for long. And Wealthy Affiliate is no scam. But those who understand what it takes to start a business stick with it for the long haul. Remember, the name of the game is to stay in the game until you win the game.

#3. They Never Ask You to Buy Any Additional Products

I have been with Wealthy Affiliate for some time now and since then they have never tried to sell me any additional products. Apart from the initial registration and setting up of my premium account they have never tried to sell other programs, products or solutions.

One of the things I hate a lot, and I’m sure it’s the same with you, is being lured in with a low-priced product and later being bombarded with requests to buy higher-priced products that you may not necessarily want in the first place. Now, one up-sell is not too bad, as long as you can see the relevance and the benefits you’re getting from buying the product. After all, up-selling is a legitimate marketing strategy used by thousands of companies worldwide. KFC, McDonalds, Burger King and virtually the entire fast food industry try to up-sell their clients. For example, super-sizing is the most common form of up-selling. So yes, up-selling is a legitimate strategy. However, it is quite another thing to be bombarded with email after email or video after video trying to make you feel as if you need this latest product or another. I have NEVER experienced this at Wealthy Affiliate. My experience has been pleasant, spam free and without up-sells.

#4. My Personal Experience as a Member Proves it is not a Scam

Another reason I know that Wealthy Affiliate is not a scam is from personal experience. I’ve been a member of Wealthy Affiliate since 2014. I joined at a time I was not ready to take the plunge into the online business world, so I did not take it seriously then. A few months later (after having forgotten all about it) I rediscovered Wealthy Affiliate and re-joined. I went premium during the 7-day trial period and later upgraded to yearly membership. (Who doesn’t want to save over $200.)

I have to say that my experience has been extremely positive. Coming from a corporate background as a business consultant and from the banking industry, I understood too well the dog-eat-dog competitiveness of the world of business. However, being at Wealthy Affiliate was a culture shock for me; a breath of fresh air. Instead of cut-throat competition, at Wealthy Affiliate I found cooperation and community spirit. I had to get used to the notion of people actually helping me without expecting anything in return. Other members were sending me messages to welcome me to the community, people were offering advice, and when I had a question in the Live Chat, surely someone was always around to answer me. And the interesting part was that none of them were being paid to be friendly or helpful. None of them were getting any form of benefit or remuneration to offer advice. I remember early on, one member actually going through my entire website and giving me real feedback to make it better. I was in total shock. I just love the sort of community vibe Wealthy Affiliate has going on.

Then there is the training. Don’t get me started with that. I can’t tell you how much I’ve learned at Wealthy Affiliate. There are thousands of lessons. I have not even touched to tip of the ice burg as yet. And I know I will never cover everything. But it is comforting to know that if I ever need to learn something, sure enough, I will be able to find some sort of training on the subject. After getting training at Wealthy Affiliate I feel as if I was ripped off for the thousands of dollars I spent on my university degrees. They were nothing close to the sort of real-world benefit I got (and still get) from Wealthy Affiliate.

Another positive experience for me was how easy it was to build my websites, the foundation of my businesses. When I built my first website, I had no technical skills about programming or website development. However, the tools and techniques that Wealthy Affiliate had at my disposal (from selecting and purchasing a domain name, to finding a theme, and adding pages, posts and plugins), are second to none. I had my website up in literally a couple hours.

#5. It is Not an MLM Program

I know that Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) programs have come a long way from what they used to be, but for some reason I still don’t trust them. The fact that the top levels benefit from the hard work of the lower levels seems unfair. Evidence shows that it is the people at the top of the so-called pyramid that truly make money. Also, many MLMs are set up so that members only benefit when they buy in to a higher pay-out level. Often they have to spend hundreds on products and training in order for them to start getting high commissions. I’m not saying that all MLMs are bad, but I generally don’t trust them and I know that many of you reading have a similar sentiment.

Wealthy Affiliate is NOT an MLM nor is there any evidence that it expects to become one anytime soon. Rather than sharing the profits with up-lines they all go to the member who actually made the sale. In fact, Wealthy Affiliate offers nearly 50% in commissions on each sale ($23.50 for the $49 monthly subscription or $175 for the $359 yearly version).

#6. The Training is Real – Not Trying to Sell or Up-sell anything

Twice this happened to me. I found a really interesting training program online (won’t say the name here) that seemed fantastic. I opted in to their mailing list and paid a small fee (I think it was less that $50) to download an ebook on a topic of interest. Lo and behold, the ebook turned out to be really a sales gimmick. I mean, they did have some training in the book but the ultimate objective was to get you to buy something way more expensive. The book sold the author, proved how he was making millions online, showed his lavish lifestyle, made brief mention of how he did it, and then proceeded to say that I too could earn lots of money online just like the author. How to do it? I simply had to join their masterclass for a small payment of $2,000 (done in “four easy installments”).

At Wealthy Affiliate, the training is real. There are no gimmicks or sales ploys. From page to page and video to video it is 100% training and 0% selling. Wealthy Affiliate is totally legitimate in this regard. I love that about Wealthy Affiliate and this is one of the reasons I continue to be a member to this day.

#7. You Can Talk to Other Members and Get Their Opinion Before Joining

Being able to connect with other members and see their activity and interaction at Wealthy Affiliate is another reason you can feel safe that it is not a scam. Before buying a product it is nice to be able to get the views of others who have already bought it. The free 7-day trial allows you to communicate with other members. You can ask their opinion of Wealthy Affiliate and see if it makes sense for you. You can review the blogs and training. Read the success stories and much more.

#8. You can Contact the Owners Directly – They are Real People

You can even reach out to the owners of the company – Kyle and Carson. During the free trial and as a premium member you have direct access to the owners of the company. I’ve had experience of communicating with them directly when some issues could not be solved in the community or through support. Plus, Kyle emails members from time to time to see how your progress is coming along. If you ever come across a business or training program and you either do not know who the owner is or how to contact them, that should be a first red flag that it is a scam. However, this is not the case at Wealthy Affiliate. The owners are real people and you can communicate with them. This is another reason I know that Wealthy Affiliate is not a scam.

#9. There is 24/7 Support

Being able to get direct support 24/7 is another reason to clear your mind as to whether Wealthy Affiliate is a scam or not. Once one of my website’s was down and I contact Site Support. After submitting my request, I got a ticket number for my query and an email notifying me that my request was received and that they are working to resolve the issue. Within a couple hours the problem was solved. Scammy websites or programs do not have any support whatsoever. If you have a problem, too bad for you.

#10. New Training Created All the Time at No Extra Charge

Many scam products create set training and that’s that. There are no updates and nothing new. In fact, whenever or if ever they come out with something new, they treat it as an entirely different product and you have to pay separately for that. At Wealthy Affiliate, there are live weekly videos and new training being posted in the open education program all the time. All are included in your subscription at no extra cost to you.

#11. They Don’t Force You to Promote Their Products – You Can Sell Whatever You Want

Have you ever joined a program only to realize that the main purpose of the training is to get you to sell their products? I’m sure you get annoyed at that just like me. At Wealthy Affiliate, you can choose from thousands of niches and products. Wealthy Affiliate merely gives you the foundation to build your online business. What you decide to sell is entirely up to you. They do give you the option to become an Affiliate Member of Wealthy Affiliate but this is purely optional. And the training for this is set up in a completely different classroom called the Affiliate Bootcamp. This way, people who are not interested in promoting Wealthy Affiliate are not inundated with unnecessary training about their affiliate program. Super cool. And that’s another reason why Wealthy Affiliate is not a scam.

#12. You Don’t Have to Recruit New Members to Stay in the Program

One of the things I hate about some programs is that a requisite to remaining a member is having to recruit a certain number of members each year. Not at Wealthy Affiliate. You do not have to recruit anyone. I guess the owners completely believe in their product that they know existing satisfied customers (like me) will talk about it on their own. And that’s the best form of marketing really. No games. Just pure honest feedback from personal experience.

#13. You Get a Bunch of Free Tools

At Wealthy Affiliate, you get more than what you pay for. Apart from the website hosting, training, and community, there are lots of tools that you can use to grow your business. Some of these added benefits include website health monitoring tool, a keyword tool, a content writing tool, 25 free websites using the powerful SiteRubix platform, Site Feedback, Site Comments, Affiliate Link tracking tool and much more.

#14. It Teaches Honest Ways to Make Money Online

Not only is Wealthy Affiliate not a scam, but it also never encourages its members to scam others. Wealthy Affiliate teaches you honest ways to make a real living online. In fact, the terms and conditions of becoming a member strictly forbid dishonest behavior or spamming. Breaches are taken seriously and strictly enforced. So much so, that residents of certain countries that are known for their scam tactics are blocked from even becoming members. If you are found scamming others your membership rights are immediately revoked.

#15. Spamming is Never Tolerated. Never!

Not only is scamming not allowed, but neither is spam. I hate it when people bombard me with unnecessary emails that I didn’t opt into and cannot opt out of. At Wealthy Affiliate, while you are able to communicate with any member at any time, if you are found spamming certain rights will be suspended, e.g. being able to email others or in severe cases membership is discontinued and the person banned from ever becoming a member again. In the community chat area or the different forums, you are not allowed to talk politics, religion or to sell anything, even subtly. They are all good for me and I have no complaints about that. Do you?

#16. There are Many Success Stories on Wealthy Affiliate

The proof is in the pudding, as they say. At Wealthy Affiliate, there are many examples of success stories of people who are doing well in one form or another. There’s even a forum for members to post their success stories. When there are examples of success of real people just like you, then you can be certain that the program is definitely legitimate. Here are a few examples of Wealthy Affiliate members most of them beginners, who have shared their successes with the community.

#17. 800,000 Members Can’t be Wrong

There are over 800,000 members at Wealthy Affiliate. This makes Wealthy Affiliate the largest internet marketing community in the world. This community is made up of members from 195 countries, according to wealthyaffiliate.com. It is no surprise that every day there are tens of thousand of WA members communicating and connecting with each other within the community. If this is not proof that Wealthy Affiliate is not a scam, then I don’t know what else will do.

#18. Wealthy Affiliate has Been in Existence for Over 10 years

Let’s face it. Scams never last for a long time. The fact that Wealthy Affiliate has been around since 2005 is concrete evidence that it is not a scam. As Bob Marley said, “You can fool some people some times, but you can’t fool all the people all the time”. Wealthy Affiliate’s continued existence and its growth over time is testament to its legitimacy.

#19. They Don’t Charge High Prices

For less than $1 a day to get access to so many features and benefits, there’s no way that WA could be a scam. Some programs ask for thousands of dollars. I paid $2000 for a three-month training program on only one topic – how to use surveys to grow your list. Another personal development coaching program from Bob Proctor was asking for as much as $25,000 for one year of coaching. Neither programs were scams mind you, but you are generally less trusting of programs that are asking for too much money. With a free 7-day trial, $19 for the first month you get over a month of virtual risk-free access to Wealthy Affiliate. Not a bad deal huh?

#20. There are Virtually No Bad Reviews of Wealthy Affiliate 

If you do a search on Google or any other search engine I bet you won’t find any real bad reviews. Sure enough, no product is 100% perfect, so you may find someone griping about some small incident or other. But generally, you will not find any bad reviews about Wealthy Affiliate. I did some searches and could not come up with any myself. I found one that reported that there was too much training and it was hard to keep up. That’s not a bad review in my book. Another said that members could get carried away with small talk and gossip in the community forums, but if you know what you are about and are serious about building your business I can’t see how you’d be affected by this. So no bad reviews means that Wealthy Affiliate is the real deal. It’s not a scam.

Check out my other detailed review of Wealthy Affiliate.