TARA TALKS: LYONESS CASHBACK WORLD - Falsely Claiming National Retailers are Merchants

If you go onto the Cashback World website, you can search for participants of their scheme.
http://www.cashback-solutions.com
National Retailers logos are displayed:

And various Facebook pages have been set up which also state that all these retailers are

Cashback World Loyalty Merchants:

But unfortunately, a lot of these National Retailers don't actually accept this card:

'...I'm afraid we don't, sorry'

'...don't accept any loyalty cards apart from Morrisons More card.'

'We are not anything to do with cashback world loyalty and we do not give away any cards or cashback for free...'

'...this isn't a Loyalty Card that we accept in our stores.'

'...I am really so sorry, no, we do not accept this loyalty card.'

'...our operational support team have advised this card isn't accepted within our stores.'

'...we don't take Cashback World Loyalty Card.'

' I can confirm this is not a company we are affiliated with. So the cashback would not apply.'

'...we don't accept (Cashback) World loyalty card.'

'...we're not familiar with the Cashback World card.'

'...I have spoken with my team and they have informed me that we do not accept a loyalty card from CASHBACK WORLD.'

'B&Q have no affiliation with this site.'

'...and our team(at the Strand shop)have advised that we do not accept Cashback World Loyalty cards.'

'We are sorry to inform you that we do not accept Cashback World Loyalty Card in store or online.'

And from the Cashback WorldUK Facebook page:

The Cambridge Satchel Company say:

'No sorry we are not part of that scheme'.

The Bed and Bath Emporium:

They say: ( in answer to 'Do you take Cashback World Loyalty Card)

'No, I am afraid we do not.'

All the above companies have denied being a Merchant for Cashback World, and yet Cashback World claim they are 'Loyal Merchants' and have their own Merchant ID's.

Which is clearly a lie.

And many retailers are also listed twice, for instance, 'Curry's'/ 'Currys PC World' and Top Man/Top Man Acadia, who have different points listed, but are the exact same company.

There are some national retailers however, who do take this card:
ARGOS, Banana Republic, Halfords(Ireland), Europcar - and I'm waiting for replies from many more, but I'm not so sure they know what they've signed up to.
I had this interesting reply from INTERFLORA:

'Good Morning Tara, You would need to follow the link to our website on cashback world to get the loyalty from what I understand. This is an offer from cashback world not Interflora directly.'

The terms and conditions on the Cashback World website state:

'... a shopping community that enables participants (members) to receive Member Benefits by making a purchase from a Loyalty Merchant...'

'Members are registered...enabling them to purchase goods and services from Loyalty Merchants...'

Which is conclusive proof from Lyoness, that if a Retailer hasn't signed up to Cashback World, members

can't spend with them or earn from them.

And if LYONESS haven't got as many Merchants as they claim to have, then where does all the money come from to pay out Cashback?
Can it really all come from the Merchants it does have?

Merchants have to pay for their initial chosen package, a dependent monthly fee of £14 and another 'one-off' fee of £210 to join the Cashback World online shopping community:

But just look at all the benefits that thousands of free customers supposedly get:

The money that Merchants are paying - mostly small businesses remember - would hardly scratch the surface of the tens of thousands of pounds supposedly popped straight into (millions) of free members bank accounts.

So what makes up this 'free' money?

It seems to come from three areas:
1/ Merchants
2/ Online shopping
3/ Referrals

Merchants:
Merchants pay LYONESS for their chosen business package which consists (amongst other things) of free cards, which they can distribute to customers.
When free members go into a shop ( or online shopping) displaying the Cashback World sign and use their card, those members are supposed to get a variety of freebies which include discounts, shopping points and cashback payments which (if they choose) could then qualify them for the 'friendship bonus'.

Online Shopping:
Many of the sites listed on Cashback World have direct links to that companies website. But the contact details for the store have this email address:
service.uk@cashbackworld.com
And the phone number listed is mostly LYONESS as well.

Many of the benefits listed say you'll receive vouchers from online sales. But there are lots of vouchers universally accepted in retail stores/online and anybody can purchase them.
The message from Interflora proves that there is no direct link between Cashback World and (some of) the Merchants, so Cashback World can pay members from money generated from other means - like referral sales?

Referrals:
To be a member of Lyoness, you need to sign up under somebody. That could be the Merchant, or a friend/colleague.
The 'friendship bonus' pays 0.5% commission to every Lyoness member when their referrals also make purchases in approved Cashback World sites.
And their referrals make commission on their referrals purchases... so the referral triangle gets a bigger and bigger base.

This is just one of many diagrams showing how one LYONESS member can generate income from the members beneath them.

They give these triangles different headings, but they all have the same thing in common: Bring in new members, with new money, and you'll get paid for doing so.

This is the detail of their affiliate programme, all EIGHT levels:

So how do you advance up this ladder of levels? Like this:

"I was introduced to Lyoness by my father in 2010. He told me that I could get cash back with every purchase, for free. Since this sounded like a great idea to me, I registered myself in 2010, and at the same time purchased 3 units (for 150 euros) in accounting category I (then called 'economy class').
Shortly afterwards, my father's upline (and his son) showed me the Lyoness system, and said that if I would down pay 2,000 euros on future purchases now, I would receive 16,572 euros over the next few years, and even more!!! On the condition that I would have four directs under the me, with at least one unit in accounting category I, either through payment or purchases.
He also said the company had been around since 2009 and has been approved by the Chamber of Commerce.
He also told immediately afterwards that it was now possible to purchase units to benefit from the consumption in the American market, again with a minimum of 2,000 euros in down-payments on future purchases. In one to two years, I would benefit from my investments, without doing anything - it would go automatically. And if at some point, I would no longer be interested, I would get my down-payments back in vouchers, thus: zero risk.

This sounded unbelievable to me and like a big chance to earn money, even though I had not yet understood how it was supposed to work.
Thereupon, I subscribed with my father for a business package, since I was only 17 years young and therefore still a minor.

And because I thought that this was the chance of my life to earn from the American market, I down paid immediately another 2,000 euros on future purchases.

Thereupon I tried to understand how the system worked and learned that the Lyoness system is not exactly true, but just somehow logical. I then also used the so-called Unit Calculator and the outcome surprised me a lot. According to the calculator, one 50 euro unit in AC1, after having been put through all accounting categories, is worth 19,458 euros.

I went to an info meeting at Graz airport and had a good look, since I had not understood everything the first time. Then I received from my father's referrer sponsor films by Gerry Seebacher, to enhance my understanding of the system.

The only thing that actually became clear to me was that I will not be given my down-payments in vouchers back, if I do not first pay the full value myself. Moreover, I would be so stupid if I would pay the value of my down-payments myself, because then I would not get more for my units and also my personal billing system would not fill up. Because indeed, down-payments always render huge profits.

My father's upline took me to a huge event of Lyoness (Sensation) on 29.05.2010, where I agreed to go, because I wanted to see it for myself.

I was amazed by the mood of the more than 3,000 or 5,000 people there and them and me felt awesome.

All I thought to understand after half to three quarters of a year was: WOW, amazing, there is no better way to make money, so easy and sooo logical.

On 18/09/2010, on the next Lyoness Sensation (entrance price €99) in Bratislava and I, as an enthusiastic Lyonesse, immediately went out to find an amazing beautiful experience and motivating day. They had not promised too much, when they said 8,000 people from all over the world, already active in Lyoness worldwide, traveled all the way to be present at this event.

To make sure they would not only provide the people with information, they also had Groove Coverage there to play live on stage. At this day, they also announced the TÜV and ISO certifications.

I do not remember it exactly, but Mr. Freidl said something like this: "Other companies must subject themselves to such tests - we have done it voluntarily. We are proud that we have obtained and kept them."

Late 2010, my father's upline said, one must make a deposit in America in the Accounting Category IV, because else one loses bookings, if the other open units (in the other categories) are all filled. Therefore, I down paid another 1,200 euros. I did not know why, but I believed him.

I told others what all is possible with Lyoness, but only a very few believed me, and the others warned me, but I could not imagine that's a bad thing.

I was told that you should leave these people alone - they are wrong for this business. A little later, the Indian, Middle East and Africa (IMEA) markets were opened. It was called gigantic market, huge purchasing volume, millions of people who shop there you just have to go along, and earn from this potential.

I then down paid the next 2,000 euros for IMEA.

In the meantime, I went to seminars and other meetings of Lyoness. As time went by, the next Lyoness Sensation was due. I, as a sworn-in Lyonesse, understood it was how they described it. I went on 17.09.2011 to the Papp Laszlo Budapest Sports Arena in Budapest/Hungary (ticket price €199), to be there live and as a present for coming, we received a unit in the continental Asia Accounting Programme. It was booked on 19/09/2011 - the official opening of Asia was at the end of July 2012.

Budapest was the absolute max - 11,000 people from all over the world had traveled there. To beat the other sensations, Shaggy was also invited. Top speaker Karl Pilsl was also there. Something he has said, I will never forget saying: "We live in a time of pioneers, we live in a time of visionaries, we live in a time where people are willing to do things other people are not willing to do."

The idea of Lyoness grew bigger and bigger, nothing could take me down anymore, I neglected and forgot all the negative and sunk, so to say, in the world of Lyoness.

A month later, Spain was opened and again I down paid 2,000 euros for Lyoness units.

The business is so awesome and simple, it must simply function.

It did not take long before the next country opened: BRAZIL! There were the same reasons as to why everyone should participate: huge purchasing volume, etc ...........

It was also made possible for people with little money to join in. When many, small contributions count too.
One should until 1,999 euros, order 200 euro shopping vouchers and from 2,000 euros order 500 euro shopping vouchers.

Since I was running out of money, and nevertheless I wanted to join in (coming anyway umpteen times as much back), I down paid 350 euros (in 150 euro and 200 euro vouchers in AC1) into Lyoness.

One month later came Asia. Asia, the largest market in the world, billions of people shopping and earn on this continent, by doing nothing! Just down pay. The thought of that ............ simply unimaginable.

Therefore, I decided again to put a deposit into the continental Asia accounting programme, worth 700 euros. It was possible to deposit 3 times 7200 euros. Our executive called those deposits the three wishes, the bigger the wish, the more one should deposit. If you wish for little, you should deposit little. Everyone must decide for themselves.

Another successful year had passed and to celebrate, there was the next sensation on 15.9.2012 in Vienna. One had to have the premium status in order to be entitled to be present at this event. As a gift for coming, everyone received a unit in the National Action booking in India. At the end of this event, Mr. Freidl also told us that the people who register online from today on the website would get Lyoness Premium Members. Customers I still did not get today.

As I was low on money again, I thought twice before buying myself a new computer. Instead, I down paid in Asia, so that I could soon buy myself 20 new computers.

So I put down my second deposit in Asia (of 650 euros).

I did not like the broadcast of ORF Report on Lyoness. I thought it were all lies, and that is what all true leaders said too - the ones who criticise this company must not have understood it. I also thought Lyoness could not possibly be ILLEGAL, because Lyoness exists far too long, and has also received awards.

Approximately two weeks later, there was another ORF Report episode on Lyoness. Then, I believed everything would be forgotten again in about a week (which was not the case).

In late 2012 or early 2013, there was another seminar at Hotel Nova Park, conducted by Mr. Psaridis, with over 500 participants. The atmosphere was excellent and all the negative was forgotten again. Purely by chance, at the end of the seminar, he showed a slide about India and how the economy looks like there, and that everyone would work there mostly being (partly) self-employed, and that there were billions of such people there. Closing remarks by the President: "I think we all know that we have the hottest business and what is coming towards all of us sitting here. We will all be a president someday - there is no 'if', only 'when', it cannot be avoided." Therefore, I decided to make a deposit into India again.

Immersed in the world of Lyoness, I gathered all the money that I had left to join in one more time. I down paid 2,000 euros into the National Indian market. According to the Unit Calculator, my down-payments were now worth the incredible, overwhelming amount of 1,787,956 euros (if put through all accounting categories). Naively, I thought that now I would never have to worry about money again. I knew that I would not get this amount of money right away, but in the next few years.

This spring, someone wrote to me on the Internet and said that everything Lyoness told us is incorrect. I got a number that I should call and from that day, the Lyoness world collapsed for me...'

This is just one story from a former affiliate of LYONESS, and there are many, many more on this website:
http://cc-lyoness.blogspot.co.uk

More Information:

Mastercard have confirmed LYONESS are not customers.

UKIP were pitched LYONESS, but they declined:

https://www.ukipdaily.com/theres-always-another-one/

“Some time ago, a party official introduced the Lyoness scheme (specifically see this) to the NEC with a proposal that the Party join the scheme and officially promote it to our members. The Party was told we would earn a commission. Upon interviewing the introducer, the NEC discovered that he was also going to earn a commission, which prior to our questioning, he had failed to disclose to us. We also performed our own due diligence on the scheme and decided to reject it. The Wikipedia page and the reference links on that page will give you a good indication as to why we reached such a decision.

“We became aware that the party official in question intended to promote the scheme to Party members at official UKIP events despite the NEC’s rejection of the scheme. The NEC resolved that “Lyoness shopping card shall not be promoted at UKIP events or by UKIP officers to UKIP members, and that such promotion in breach of this motion shall be deemed to be bringing the Party into disrepute“, and the Party Treasurer was directed to inform the official in question of this resolution of the NEC.

“I understand that at the UKIP chairmans’ conference yesterday, the official in question apparently willfully defied the resolution of the NEC and promoted the scheme to branch (and other level) chairmen regardless, apparently with the intent that the chairmen promote the scheme to their members.

“I believe that it is important that all the branch chairmen are made aware of the NEC resolution (branch chairmen would come under the ambit of “UKIP officers” of the NEC resolution) and I believe that our members should be warned of the issues surrounding this scheme and be informed that UKIP not only does not endorse this scheme but that the NEC have resolved to distance ourselves from it.”