I have been an Avon Representative since January or February 2008. In my opinion, being an Avon Representative doesn’t pay. I want to tell other people who are thinking of becoming a representative what I think of Avon Products, Inc.
First of all, did you know that Avon Products charges it’s representative for the brochures that they are to give to their customers in order to receive orders from them? Yes, that’s right, representatives are in fact billed for the brochures they order to give to potential and/or existing customers.
Next, Avon charges it’s representatives for samples they purchase to give out free to their potential and/or existing customers. Many customers will request these, believing that their representatives get a wide assortment of samples free through Avon. This is just not the case. Representatives pay for every single sample they receive from Avon.
Many times when representatives receive their customer’s orders, the products are damaged because Avon doesn’t properly package the products when they ship them out. They put no padding or protection inside the boxes they ship their products out it. One of my customers complained that she bought a skin softener and the lid was completely off in the box when she received it. She wasn’t too happy about that, as the skin softener cream ended up all over the inside of the box, and on the other products she ordered that were in the box.
Avon Representatives should also watch their Avon accounts for erroneous charges by Avon Products, Inc. I have been billed many times for later ordering fees, when in fact the order I placed was on time. The charge for a late order fee is $7.00. I have had to call Avon Products and request (or demand) that the charge be removed on several occasions.
Customer returns can add up as many customers don’t like the colors of products, or how the products work (or don’t work) after they receive them. The representative is responsible for having to ship the product(s) back to Avon Products if the customer returns them. The Avon Representative has to pay the return shipping when the products are sent back to Avon.
Also, with the rising gas prices, driving all around to deliver brochures and customer orders isn’t very economical. I spent a lot for fuel when I was delivering brochures and customer orders. After considering what I made in commission (versus fuel costs), I didn’t profit anything.
If you are considering an Avon career, keep all the above in mind. I have not been able to realize a profit by selling Avon merchandise. In today’s economy, it’s really not all that possible to earn money selling Avon. I have certainly not been able to do it. If you would still like to try to sell their products to earn some extra cash, or to start a career, I do sincerely wish you luck. Maybe your success will be much different than mine. I certainly didn’t have any success with selling Avon.
