She's On The Money - Kangen Water: Miracle Product or MLM Trap

Starting point is 00:00:00 Hello, my name is Natasha Nabanunga-Bamblett. I'm a proud Yorta Yorta, Kernai, Wolperi and Awadjeri woman. And before we get started on She's on the Money podcast, I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land of which this podcast is recorded on Awadjeri country, acknowledging the elders, the ancestors and the next generation coming through. As this podcast is about connecting, empowering, knowledge sharing and the storytelling of you to make a difference for today and lasting impact for tomorrow. Let's get into it. She's on the money. She's on the money.

Starting point is 00:00:36 hello and welcome to she's on the money the podcast that helps you make savvy financial decisions while dodging financial traps disguised as golden opportunities. My friends, I am your host, Victoria Devine, and today we're going to dive into the murky world of promises, pyramids, and water. Yeah, you heard me right, water. Specifically, the $6,500 water machine that claims to transform your life, your health, and maybe even your finances. If you've been with us for our past episodes on multi-level marketing, you probably already know how these schemes work. And if you haven't, check out our deep dive on why 99% of people lose money in MLMs and why they are so hard to leave. Trust me, you're going to want that context because today we're going to

Starting point is 00:01:47 focus on one particular MLM that's Energic and it's Kangen Water Machines. It's a scheme that is so slick it even markets itself as a movement and as a brotherhood. But here's the twist. This isn't your average multi-level marketing business peddling makeup or candles. Enagic is in a league of its own as a high ticket opportunity with sky-high costs to join and even bigger risks when they go wrong. And that's exactly what I get to unpack today because I have done all of the snooping for you. We're going to be talking about how these steep buy-ins set Enagic apart and why it might be even more damaging than the MLMs we've already covered before. Stick around because this one is a doozy, so grab a coffee or maybe just a cup of plain tap water and we can get into it.

Starting point is 00:02:39 If you've listened to me talk about multi-level marketing businesses before, you will know that the key difference between a multi-level marketing business and a pyramid scheme is that a legitimate multi-level marketing business has a product. So let's take a closer look at the product that sets Kangen Water apart from all those other dubious ventures. Spoiler alert, it's water. But not just any water. This is Kangen Water, which we're told means return to origins in Japanese. It sounds almost spiritual, doesn't it? Like it's going to whisk you away to some primordial utopian version of yourself, except it's still just water. Enagic claims that their machines have been transforming lives in Japan for over five decades. What's their pitch?

Starting point is 00:03:29 Kangam water, quote, restores your body to its original alkaline state. Now, I don't know about you, but I didn't realize my body had wandered off from its alkaline origins. Apparently, regular old tap water just isn't going to cut the mustard anymore. Clearly, I have been missing out on the life-changing power of expensive H2O. Their top of the range machine is going to set you back $6,700. And Enagic makes sure that no matter your financial situation, you still have the brilliant opportunity to buy into their scheme. If you don't have six and a half grand lying around for a Kangen water machine, don't worry though. They are so happy to help offer you financing options to make the purchase completely accessible, they say. These payment plans often come with

Starting point is 00:04:20 interest rates that start, get this, at just 10%. But we'll jump to a staggering 25% if you miss a payment. That's not convenient, my friend. That is a financial trap. And it doesn't stop there. In some cases, distributors go as far as encouraging recruits to turn to payday loans or other really high interest financing options to buy their way into this scheme. According to an ABC investigation, one ex-distributor, get this, this was wild to me, was even directed to a payday lender owned by another Enagic distributor. Talk about a conflict of interest. And it got worse from there. This same person who couldn't even afford one machine was pressured into buying multiple machines to, quote, skip the queue in Enagic's labyrinth

Starting point is 00:05:11 commission structure. Enagic's own policies explicitly prohibit distributors from on-selling machines that they purchase for themselves. The hypocrisy is completely astounding. It's a system that seems designed to push people into financial ruin. You can't even sell it if you buy it and it doesn't suit your lifestyle. But the message here is very clear. Whatever it takes, you just need to get that machine. These predatory payment practices don't just lock people into debt. They actually prey on financial vulnerability. They leave participants in a worse off position than the day that they started. For a company that, quote, sells freedom, it seems like the only people that are getting free are the ones who are cashing in at the very top. It's driving

Starting point is 00:05:57 me insane. The more research I do into this, the more angry I get, which should come as no surprise because it's me. But then, get this, we're not just talking about the machine. We're not just talking about financial ruin because obviously that's what makes me angry in the first place. Then let's get into the science behind Kangen Water. Because if there's one thing I cannot stand, it's pseudoscience being sold as facts. According to the Investigating the Health Claims and Regulatory Considerations of Kangen Water study, a legit study, imagine your business having a study done on it. Anyway, the magic of Kangen water comes from a process called electrolysis, which makes the water alkaline and supposedly filled with antioxidants thanks

Starting point is 00:06:42 to dissolving hydrogen gas. Sounds kind of impressive, right? Magic, maybe. But here's the kicker. The actual scientific backing is as thin as a discount supermarket piece of toilet paper. The study does go on to point out that while molecular hydrogen might show antioxidant effects in controlled lab settings, there is zero concrete evidence proving kangen water delivers anything meaningful to your health. And hydration? Sure, alkaline water hydrates you just like every other kind of water. The study outright says that there is no significant advantage over regular tap water or filtered water. And according to the University of Texas, the pH of the body is tightly regulated. If you change your diet, you might actually see some changes in the pH of your

Starting point is 00:07:30 saliva or your urine because these are waste products, but that is it. In fact, if you were able to physiologically change the pH of your entire body, you would die. Your body fights to maintain its regular pH. So what are you really paying for with that $6,500 machine? Well, it's a whole lot of marketing buzzwords and honestly, false hope. It doesn't stop there though. It's driving me insane. The regulatory oversight for their outlandish claims is practically non-existent. They market this as the holy grail of health while the science barely scratches the surface of plausibility. The study rightly calls this out as misleading and honestly, from my perspective, it's predatory. People are forking out thousands of dollars,

Starting point is 00:08:19 thousands of dollars that they arguably don't even have, believing that they're investing in their health and getting wealthy when all they're really doing is lining somebody else's pockets. If you've tuned into our past multi-level marketing episodes, you're going to know that one of the most predatory tactics these schemes use is selling the idea of community. It's not just about the product or even the money. Honestly, it's about creating a sense of belonging for people who currently don't have it. These schemes thrive on targeting people who feel stuck, stuck in maybe their jobs or their finances or maybe just their lives in general. And what do they offer? This company, it offers transformation. It offers freedom. It offers an

Starting point is 00:09:02 escape from the so-called rat race. It's not just a sales pitch. It's a lifeline for people who are desperate for change. But here's the twist. With Energic, the product, the $6,500 water machine, it's not the main attraction. Their $6,500 product isn't even the thing that they talk about that often. The big players in this game, they barely even talk about the machine. What they're really selling is a lifestyle. It's a fantasy of financial freedom, of self-improvement and living your best life all while getting to work from home or from your traveling caravan or more accurately from your phone. And this makes me so mad. They know exactly who to target. We're going to take the rural financial movement as a really good example. This group, they prey

Starting point is 00:09:59 on regional and rural women, promising them a chance to break free from the limitations of geography and circumstance. Literally, that's what they say. Then there's the Legacy Brotherhood, which is just another one, which takes a different angle, offering men a brotherhood to improve their health, their wealth, and their purpose through a very supportive community. It's not just about selling water machines. It's about creating a sense of identity for those who might have felt like they're lost on their way. And if you're wondering how far they'll go to reel you in, the Legacy Brotherhood doesn't just sell a sense of identity. They're going to charge you $599 for the privilege of even starting the journey. Their Men's Legacy Mastermind promises to help men take

Starting point is 00:10:46 control of their health, their wealth, and their purpose in just a few days. Honestly, it sounds transformational when you start reading into it. You're like, this is pretty good. Like, this makes sense to me. People need this. Like genuinely, men's mental health is important. So when I started to read into it, even I started to slip down the slope of going, yeah, you're right. Men's health is important. Like men need to talk more about money. And like, I would love to have more purpose. They had me as a female thinking that a brotherhood was definitely something I should be thinking about. But what you're paying for really is a very vague motivational talk and a lot, And I mean a lot of buzzwords. The only guaranteed transformation that's going to happen here is the

Starting point is 00:11:27 $600 that is going to transform into not being in your bank account. It's not just about creating a sense of belonging. It's about monetizing it from the very first step. And let's not forget the top tier sellers in Australia who run the Freedom Era. This is a $99 a month subscription based coaching platform, right? So that's how they get you in. They're not going to be saying, hey, V, welcome. We have this $6,500 water machine. And I'd be like, well, I don't want to buy that. They sell a lifestyle. They don't even post about this damn water machine anywhere. They post about their freedom era. It's all over social media. You can go and look at it. I'm probably going to be blocked from them after this episode drops. So you go ham. Please have fun. But this

Starting point is 00:12:12 freedom era, right? You sign up to them because you see them on socials and you think, this is great. I would love to live a life exactly like they do. It's a $99 a month subscription-based coaching platform, and it's less about teaching you to sell water and more about selling yourself. They kind of teach you how to craft the illusion of success on social media so that you can pull others into the same web. The machine, it's absolutely secondary from everything I have looked into. What they're really selling, it's a dream. A dream at that, for most, that turns into a nightmare of debt and complete disappointment. So while doing some research, I discovered one chat script that was given to the subscribers of this freedom era. And according to the ABC,

Starting point is 00:12:58 it included, quote, an invented boyfriend that you've been able to retire because of your multi-level marketing success. It's a legitimate script that they give you so you can make up a boyfriend so that you can convince people that you have a life you do not have. Obviously, I'm going to share that with you. So let's go. Here is the script. I totally relate. Having retired just in last year from the mines, I understand how hard it feels when you are sacrificing your time for money. I would love to share more info with you on how I've been able to change my life. When do you think you'll have some time to watch a quick video? I'm so excited to be able to connect with you and guide you to create the life you deserve on your own terms. No wonder

Starting point is 00:13:44 people often refer to these multi-level marketing companies as cults. They don't just sell a product or even a business opportunity. They're selling an entire way of life. They isolate you from outside perspectives. They draw you into this tight-knit community where questioning the system is taboo. Don't do that. And they make you feel like failure is your fault, definitely not theirs. They prey on your vulnerabilities. They convince you that their way is the only way that you are ever going to achieve success, happiness, and freedom. It's not just manipulative. It is down right predatory. And that's exactly why I am here to shine a light on it. I'm going to take a quick break because I'm getting way too heated. But when we come back, I'm going to share a story that

Starting point is 00:14:26 stopped me in my DM tracks. One of our community members reached out about her underage brother. It's shocking, it's predatory, and it perfectly exposes just how far these tactics are going to go. So don't go anywhere. I'll be right back. Welcome back, my friends. Before the break, I mentioned a story that perfectly illustrates how predatory these schemes can be. And honestly, this one floored me. It's about a young boy. He was 17, who was drawn into the web of an MLM under the guise of helping his family. The details, they are outrageous, and they are going to show you just how far these recruiters go. This community member shared a Facebook post that one of the recruiters had written about her brother and shared publicly. So here's what it

Starting point is 00:15:15 said. Moments like these make me realize how much of an impact I'm actually making. This person traveled two and a half hours on the trains from Northern Brisbane to come down to the Gold Coast to meet me about Kangam Water and find out how it can help him and his mother. The knowledge I have is valuable. Don't take it for granted. I have a voice and I'm going to use it to improve this world we live in, not to harm it like a lot of people out there. Oh, did I mention he's 17, finished high school last week? This kid has his priorities straight, health and wealth. Hashtag year of growth. Now the community member, this young boy's sister, told us more about what was really happening behind the scenes. She said, my brother was 17, but all I can compare it to

Starting point is 00:16:06 is grooming because the conversations were going on for months prior to this meeting, going back to when he was 16. He was hearing nothing of what I was saying. Basically me begging him to not get involved because he was essentially being brainwashed. My mom was struggling hard financially, and they really held onto that to make him think he was going to be able to save her from this. Now, you might be thinking, surely this is illegal. And you know what, my friend, you would be absolutely correct. It is absolutely even against their own terms and conditions. And NAGIC explicitly states in their terms and conditions, all individuals who are distributors must be at least 18 years of age and must not be a student. So recruiting a 17-year-old

Starting point is 00:16:52 fresh out of high school boy, completely against the rules. But here's the thing. When you've got thousands of dollars to pay back for your so-called miracle water machine, it seems the moral or the legality line starts to really blur. This particular distributor tried to convince a 17-year-old to sign up under his mum's name, and luckily he didn't. These schemes thrive on desperation, and recruiters will often resort to literally any measure, even targeting underage kids, it seems, to keep their own financial heads above water. It's unethical, it's exploitative, and it shows just how little accountability these multi-level marketing structures enforce when money is on the line. And speaking of exploitation, let's dive in to Energic's baffling

Starting point is 00:17:42 compensation plan. I've mentioned before that MLMs love to bamboozle recruits by overly complexifying commission structures, right? But let me tell you this, Energic's plan is one of the most confusing I have ever seen. And trust me, I'm a legitimate finance expert and it gave me a headache trying to decipher it. You can imagine what it would be like for the average person who can't read a spreadsheet, doesn't understand it and doesn't have the capacity to do so. What it would be like if you were being pitched this quote opportunity. So here's a little peek into this chaos that I've been able to decipher. Enagic uses something called an eight-point commission structure, which it has a warning itself to not be confused with an

Starting point is 00:18:25 eight-level structure. Because of course, why would you make it simple? Each product, like their $6,500 Kangen water machine, generates commission points based on the seller's rank. But wait, there's of course more. Your commission also depends on the model of the water machine that you sell, the number of units you've sold historically, and even the payment method. For example, a 1A distributor might earn like $290 per point on a Kangen water machine sale. Whereas somebody who is a 6A distributor, they're going to earn $1,740 per point for the same sale. Exactly the same sale. Are you still with me? Good, because here's where it gets worse. If you want to keep your higher commissions, so you want to stay at your 6A level,

Starting point is 00:19:11 you're going to need to sell regularly within really strict time frames if you don't meet those quotas your earnings shrink faster than your bank account after buying one of those machines and if you haven't made a sale in two years you actually get kicked out you lose your ability to earn entirely these layers of complexity are designed to confuse recruits making them feel like the potential earnings are just around the corner if they work hard enough and sell another machine It's like a financial obstacle course, only the people at the top of the pyramid, I mean, structure, Dorito, really stand a chance of winning. The rest, they're left running in circles. They're trying to decode the fine print while sinking deeper and deeper into debt.

Starting point is 00:19:55 It's no wonder so many people quit before they even see a single dollar. I have tens, I would say nearly a hundred messages in my Instagram DMs when I asked about Kangam Water of people saying they had bought the six and a half thousand dollar machine and seen not one dollar in a return. Let's dig a little bit more into Enagic's own earnings disclosures, because if their compensation plan wasn't enough to scare you off, the reality of what people actually earn might. So starting at the bottom of the pyramid, 60% of Enagic distributors sit at the lowest rank. They earn a median yearly income of $285. That's less than $24 a month, barely enough for a coffee subscription, let alone a side hustle. Next, we move to the second rank. So we step up a little

Starting point is 00:20:44 bit. We're only 14% of distributors actually, quote, make it. Already, we're seeing a massive drop off of people advancing in this structure. The median income here, $580 per year. And then in the third rank, where only 5.3% of distributors get to sit, the median income jumps to a whopping $1,032 every single year. Let's put that into perspective though. 80% of participants are earning a median of less than $1,100 a year. That's less than $100 a month. And I don't think that we are forgetting this, but the Kangam water machine alone costs $6,500. Not to mention the training subscriptions, the marketing materials, and potentially financing interest if you didn't have the cash up front and went for a buy now, pay later, or some type of payday loan. Let's not

Starting point is 00:21:39 even get started on the time invested that is needed to keep up with the sales quota and the recruiting that you'll have to do. And now let's go all the way to the top of the pyramid where the real money supposedly is. At the very top tier, where only 0.02% of distributors sit, there are exactly, in the whole country, get this, seven people. Yep, seven. According to the earnings disclosure, they're the ones who have cracked that elusive million dollar mark that gets touted as a realistic possibility. That's seven people out of more than 30,000 people that are currently signed up. So when you hear claims of limitless earning potential, just remember the actual numbers. The odds of success are staggeringly low and the cost of trying, well,

Starting point is 00:22:30 they're painfully high. The reality is for most people, this isn't a business opportunity. It is a financial trap. And let's not forget about the buzz around legacy payments that they talk about. Oh my God. Instagram post after Instagram post, I've seen so many TikToks about people saying, I do this because I'm setting my children up for a financially secure future with Enagic's legacy payments. Because if there's one thing multi-level businesses love, it's sprinkling vague promises of generational wealth to real people in. Legacy payments are touted as one of the ultimate rewards for hitting the top ranks in Enagic. With the promise that these payments can even be passed down to your children after you die. Sounds amazing, right? I love the idea

Starting point is 00:23:19 of intergenerational wealth, right? So let's peel back the layers here because if there's one thing I want, it's a clear story when it comes to multi-level marketing businesses. Like if I'm going to do something, I'm going to do it right. So you know what I did? I picked up the phone and I called them and they hit me with the classic multi-level marketing runaround. First, a really vague line about it having to do with your rank and then your sales. And then I was told that if I joined as a distributor, their quote sponsor would explain it all, but I had to join first. And then when I pressed further, because you know, it's a massive financial commitment, I was told to send an email request. The email, obviously they never replied. Transparency

Starting point is 00:24:00 apparently isn't part of this package. So what's the real story here? From the research that is available online, these legacy payments aren't as simple as Enagic makes them sound. In fact, when I call them, they can't even explain them. Sure, if you reach and maintain a certain rank through continued sales, you're going to become eligible for these payments, but here's the catch. They aren't just free and clear passive income streams like you'd get if you invested money. It's not money that your money makes making money. To keep these payments going, your kids or whoever is going to inherit your coin legacy, they actually have to take over your distributor spot and maintain sales to remain eligible. So they're pipelining their business. That means that

Starting point is 00:24:42 these aren't true inheritance payments. There's nothing legacy about that. They're just another way to keep people locked into the system and then a way to keep their kids locked into the same system. Your legacy isn't wealth. It's ongoing pressure to sell overpriced water machines. Misleading? Absolutely. Because while the idea of leaving something for your children is very powerful. The reality is much closer to passing down a liability than a financial windfall. Plus, these so-called legacy payments aren't even guaranteed. They reportedly happen at a nargics discretion, meaning even if you manage to hit the elusive rank and then you meet all of the lofty sales targets, you might not actually see a cent and that's completely legal.

Starting point is 00:25:24 All right, I'm done here. I will probably talk about these guys again because you best believe I have a lot of fun diving into the who, what, why, when, where, and how. I've seen every single Instagram, every single TikTok on these people. I have called them. I have stalked them. In fact, when I did call them and said, oh, I'm going to need some more information, they very easily handed over a password to their password protected website, thinking that that was a way to get me in. Sorry, guys, if you're listening to this, I did use that information to make this podcast maybe talking about you. So let's wrap it up. What makes Energic stand out from other multi-level marketing companies is its position as what they call a high ticket opportunity.

Starting point is 00:26:09 The Kangen water machines cost a draw dropping six and a half grand, meaning recruits are stepping into significant debt before they even get to sell one. They can't even sell it on or put it on Facebook marketplace if they decide it's not for them. This isn't the usual buy some inventory and get started up, set up. This is a really high stakes game from the get go. And that price tag creates a cascade of problems from predatory financing schemes to really relentless pressure to recruit and sell just to stay afloat. And at the end of the day, Enagic and its Kangen Water empire thrive on big promises and little accountability. They don't just sell water, guys. They're selling dreams. And for most people, those dreams come at a devastating cost.

Starting point is 00:26:51 So what do I want you to take away from this? If something sounds too good to be true, my friend, it probably is. I'm going to stick to tap water. You should too. It's cheaper, just as effective, and it's not going to lock you into a lifetime of debt. Remember, you deserve better than overpriced pseudoscience wrapped in false hope and water. If today's episode fired you up just as much as it did me, and you want to join me on my crusade against multi-level marketing businesses, make sure you follow my personal instagram because the girls at cheese on the money aren't letting me have the rants that i have over there it's victoria underscore divine and i'm always sharing updates insights gossip and the occasional sassy takedown of schemes just like this

Starting point is 00:27:33 and while you're at it i'd love it if you hit follow or subscribe on the podcast so that you never miss an episode it's a really helpful way of supporting us to continue to create content together we can keep shining a light on these really shady practices to help more people make informed, savvy financial decisions. So I guess let's stick it to the multi-level marketing companies, one glass of water at a time. The advice shared on She's on the Money is general in nature and does not consider your individual circumstances. She's on the Money exists purely for educational purposes and should not be relied upon to make an investment or financial decision. If you do choose to buy

Starting point is 00:28:17 financial product, read the PDS, TMD and obtain appropriate financial advice tailored towards your needs. Victoria Devine and She's On The Money are authorised representatives of Money Sherpa PTY LTD ABN 321 649 27708 AFSL 451 289.

She's On The Money - Kangen Water: Miracle Product or MLM Trap

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