Viridian Review

Welcome to our Viridian review!

There has been some buzz about this company so we decided to investigate what it was all about…

Some say it’s a scam while others Viridian reviews are saying legit so what is it?

The good news is we are going to walk you through the company, products and compensation plan so you can make the right decision.

Let’s dig into this Viridian review…

Viridian operates in the MLM niches of travel and utility.

The company Viridian is located in Connecticut in the US and was founded by Michael Fallquist.

Fallquist founded Viridian in 2009 and is the former COO of Commerce Energy.

At present, Fallquist is CEO of Crius Energy, named as a “strategic partner” of Viridian. Paul Booth is the CEO of Viridian.

Booth has 30 years of network marketing experience according to his Viridian corporate bio.

He is also the founder and CEO of Data Paradigm Inc.

DPI is a nationwide renowned network marketing advisor and designer of compensation plan.

The system of DPI supports various companies with many distributors and gross sales over $1 billion annually.

Viridian was fined $60,000 in 2012 by the state of Maryland for “false and deceptive marketing practices.”

Connecticut’s Public Utilities Regulatory authority declared in 2015 that it was reviewing Viridian’s contracts, customer notification, contract renewal, and enrollment procedures.

Again, a class-action lawsuit was filed against Viridian in Maryland and its parent company, Crius Energy.

That lawsuit is ongoing as of December 2017. A Status Conference report filed October 18th, 2017, shows settlement negotiations between the parties are continuing.

Read further for a full review of the Viridian MLM opportunity.

Products of Viridian

Viridian offers residential and business utility services including electricity, natural gas and solar, and also access to a travel-booking engine.

Details on Viridian utilities depend upon where a potential customer lives. The pricing are not offered unless a customer signs up and provides Viridian with personal information.

The cost to gain access to Viridian’s Travel Light booking engine costs $99 and then $39.99 monthly.

You can book “hotels, cars, cruises, activities & more using Viridian TravelLight.

The Viridian website cites a “Travel Light 4 Free” option but fails to go into further detail.

The Compensation Plan of Viridian

The compensation plan of Viridian merges direct commissions with residuals given out via a binary team.

A matching bonus based on generation is also available, as well as additional performance-based bonuses.

Affiliate Ranks of Viridian

There are 15 affiliate ranks within the compensation plan of Viridian.

They are as follows Along with their respective qualification criteria:

Associate : sign up as an affiliate of Viridian
Active Associate : qualify MLM commission
Senior Associate : create 40 PV monthly and employ and preserve at least 1 MLM commission qualified affiliate on both sides of your binary team
Consultant : create 70 PV monthly and preserve at least 1 MLM commission qualified affiliate on both sides of your binary team
Senior Consultant : create 100 PV monthly, recruit and preserve at least 2 MLM commission qualified affiliates on both sides of your binary team and create and preserve at least 140 GV in weaker binary side volume over a rolling 4 week period
Executive Consultant : create 130 PV monthly, preserve at least 2 MLM commission qualified affiliates on both sides of your binary team and create and preserve at least 250 GV in weaker binary side volume over a rolling 4 week period
Director : create 160 PV monthly, recruit and preserve at least 3 MLM commission qualified affiliates on both sides of your binary team (3 must be Consultant or higher ranked) and create and maintain at least 500 GV in weaker binary side volume over a rolling 4 week period
Senior Director : create 190 PV monthly, preserve at least 3 MLM commission qualified affiliates on both sides of your binary team (4 must be Consultant or higher ranked) and create and preserve at least 1000 GV in weaker binary side volume over a rolling 4 week period
Executive Director : create 220 PV monthly, recruit and preserve at least 4 MLM commission qualified affiliates on both sides of your binary team (5 must be Consultant or higher ranked) and create and preserve at least 2000 GV in weaker binary side volume over a rolling 4 week period
Partner : create 265 PV monthly, preserve at least 4 MLM commission qualified affiliates on both sides of your binary team (3 must be Director or higher ranked) and create and maintain at least 5000 GV in weaker binary side volume over a rolling 4 week period
Platinum Partner : create 310 PV monthly, recruit and preserve at least 5 MLM commission qualified affiliates on both sides of your binary team (4 must be Director or higher ranked) and create and preserve at least 10,000 GV in weaker binary side volume over a rolling 4 week period
Diamond Partner : create 355 PV monthly, preserve at least 5 MLM commission qualified affiliates on both sides of your binary team (5 must be Director or higher ranked) and create and preserve at least 20,000 GV in weaker binary side volume of Viridian over a rolling 4 week period
Ambassador : create 400 PV monthly, recruit and preserve at least 6 MLM commission qualified affiliates on both sides of your binary team (3 must be Partner or higher ranked) and create and preserve at least 50,000 GV in weaker binary side volume over a rolling 4 week period
Platinum Ambassador : create 450 PV monthly, maintain at least 6 MLM commission qualified affiliates on both sides of your binary team (4 must be Partner or higher ranked) and create and preserve at least 100,000 GV in weaker binary side volume over a rolling 4 week period
Diamond Ambassador : create 500 PV monthly, recruit and preserve at least 7 MLM commission qualified affiliates on both sides of your binary team (5 must be Partner or higher ranked) and create and preserve at least 200,000 GV in weaker binary side volume over a rolling 4 week period

MLM Commission Qualification

To be qualified for MLM commissions a Viridian affiliate must be “active”.

Active qualification needs an affiliate of Viridian to create 15 PV monthly.

PV is created through the purchase and sale of Viridian’s services:

Travel Light memberships (includes an affiliate’s own membership) = 15 PV
new energy account = 5 PV
solar installation (US) = 5 PV
new green energy account = 1 PV
Travel Light savings = 15% of generated savings (counted every 4 weeks)
affiliate website = 25 PV
each personally recruited MLM commission affiliate = 15 PV

Direct Service Commissions

Viridian seems to bundle retail and enlisted affiliate direct service commissions.

The same commission is given out on a service subscription regardless of whether the subscriber is a Viridian recruited affiliate or retail customer.

The Viridian compensation plan’s Quoted commission rates for available services are as follows:

residential or small commercial energy account : $30 plus $10 to the first qualified upline
large commercial energy account 75% GV created trough usage
Travel Light Membership : $50
savings created via Travel Light engine : 10% to 80% match
residential solar installation (US) : $1000 plus $50 to the first qualified upline

Commercial solar installations give out a commission based on 75% of $50 per kw of the final installation system one-time.

The upline commissions need MLM commission qualification.

Recruitment Commissions

When a fresh affiliate of Viridian qualifies for MLM commissions within their first 28 days and recruits 2 affiliates who do the same, they are paid a $100 “Trio Bonus”.

The first MLM commission who qualify upline affiliate is paid a $50 commission.

Residual Commission Volume

Residual commissions are paid by Viridian based on generated sales volume.

Corresponding sales volume based on the sale of Viridian services is as follows:

Trio Bonus = a one-time 25 GV
new energy account = a one-time 5 GV
residential per month energy bill payments = 0.5% of usage in GV
commercial energy per month bill payments = 25% of usage in GV
Travel Light initial membership = a one-time 15 GV
Travel Light monthly membership fees = 15 GV
Travel Light savings = 15% to 30% of savings in GV
residential solar installation (US) = a one-time 100 GV
residential solar payments per month = “based on system size, 20 years”
commercial solar installation (US) = “25% of deal value”, total is paid weekly across 52 weeks
green energy bill payments = 1 GV per bill paid

Residual Commissions

Residual commissions are paid by Viridian through a binary compensation structure.

An Viridian affiliate is placed at the top of a binary team by a binary compensation structure. It is split into 2 sides (left and right).

The 1st level of the binary team holds 2 positions. The 2nd level of the binary team is created by dividing these first 2 positions into another 2 positions each (4 positions).

Succeeding levels of the binary team are created as needed, with each new level holding twice as many positions as the previous level.

Positions in the binary team are filled via direct and indirect recruitment of affiliates. There is no limit to how deep a binary team can grow.

Residual commissions are based on created on binary team sales volume.

Viridian tallies up sales volume on both sides of the binary at the end of each week.

An affiliate receives15% of matched volume created on the weaker binary side, up to a maximum weekly amount determined by rank:

MLM commission qualified affiliate = $500
Consultant ranks = $1000
Director ranks = $5000
Partner = $10,000
Platinum Partner = $15,000
Diamond Partner = $20,000
Ambassador = $35,000
Platinum Ambassador = $50,000
Diamond Ambassador = $100,000

On the stronger binary side the leftover volume is carried over the following week.

The rank determines how much volume can be carried over is again.

MLM commission qualified affiliate and Consultant ranks = up to 5000 GV

Director ranks = up to 10,000 GV
Partner, Platinum and Diamond ranks = 20,000 GV
Ambassador and higher ranks = no limit

Check Match Bonus

A Check Match Bonus is paid by Viridian on residual commissions paid to downline affiliates.

Senior Associate and higher ranked affiliates get a 10% match on residual commissions given to personally recruited affiliates.

Consultant and higher ranked affiliates receive a residual Check Match Bonus.

The residual Check Match Bonus is paid by Viridian through a unilevel compensation structure.

An affiliate is placed at the top of a unilevel team by a unilevel compensation structure. Each personally recruited affiliate placed directly under them (level 1).

When any level 1 affiliate recruits new affiliates, they are placed on level 2 of the original affiliate’s unilevel team.

When any level 2 affiliate recruits new affiliates, they are placed on level 3 and so on down a theoretical unlimited number of levels.

The residual Check Match Bonus is given out based on generations.

A generation in a unilevel leg is defined by Viridian based on the amount of Consultant or higher ranked affiliates in it.

When an affiliate ranked Consultant or higher is found in a unilevel leg, they cap off the first generation for that leg.

The 2^nd generation starts immediately after them, and is capped off when another Consultant or higher ranked affiliate is found in the leg.

If no such affiliate exists, the 2^nd generation extends down the full depth of the leg.

Generations in a unilevel leg are defined independently of the rest of the unilevel team legs.

Viridian pay the Consultant and higher ranked affiliates a residual Check Match Bonus on up to 5 generations per leg based on this generational structure within a unilevel team:

Consultants earn 2% on the 1^st generation
Senior Consultants earn 4% on the 1st generation
Executive Consultants earn 6% on the 1ts generation
Directors earn 9% on the 1st generation
Senior Directors earn 12% on the 1st generation
Executive Directors earn 15% on the 1st generation
Partners earn 17% on the 1st generation and 2% on the 2nd
Platinum Partners earn 19% on the first generation and 4% on the 2nd
Diamond Partners earn 21% on the 1st generation and 6% on the 2nd
Ambassadors earn 22% on the 1st generation, 7% on the 2nd generation and 1% on the 3rd
Platinum Ambassadors earn 23% on the 1st generation, 8% on the 2nd, 2% on the 3rd and 1% on the 4th
Diamond Ambassadors earn 24% on the 1st generation, 9% on the 2nd, 3% on the 3rd, 2% on the 4th and 1% on the 5th

Rank Achievement Bonus

Viridian pays them a one-time Rank Achievement Bonus if an affiliate qualifies at the Director and higher ranks:

Director : $500
Senior Director ; $1000
Executive Director : $2000
Partner : $5000
Platinum Partner : $10,000
Diamond Partner : $20,000
Ambassador : $50,000
Platinum Ambassador : $100,000
Diamond Ambassador : $200,000

The Director Bonus is paid at $250 over 2 months.

The affiliates of Senior Director and higher are paid 10% of the corresponding Rank Achievement Bonus monthly for 10 months (rank must be maintained).

Promotional Pay

Again, there are no clear details provided on Viridian’s Promotional Pay.

A captioned photo in the Viridian compensation plan points out the Promotional Pay is a yearly event that differs from year to year.

Viridian Membership

Viridian affiliate membership costs $299.

The affiliates can also choose to sign up with Travel Light membership for $249, which MLM commission qualifies an affiliate (as long as they continue to pay $39.99 a month for Travel Light membership).

The Viridian website asserts the $249 membership is a “limited time offer”. It is not clear how long Viridian have offered the $249 membership.

Further, affiliates of Viridian are able to buy up to 3 compensation plan positions (binary team).

This most probably adds to the initial cost of Viridian affiliate membership though no pricing is provided.

The compensation plan of Viridian also mentions a Personal Website Subscription.

It is unclear how much Viridian charge for a Personal Website Subscription.

The marketing material of Viridian suggests the website fee is essentially mandatory, as it includes a replicated Viridian, Travel Light, and solar power marketing website.

A Personal Website Subscription is also needed for access to the Viridian’s Catalyst mobile app.

Summing Up

Typically utilities based MLM companies have extremely complex compensation plans because of the varying providers and rates tied to the locale of subscribed services.

A great deal of generated volume is non-specific based on utility usage. However, percentages of used volume are universal.

It is hard to ignore 3 class-action lawsuits and regulatory action relating to Viridian’s pricing.

That the class-action lawsuits seem to have been filed by affiliates point out that there might be an issue with the retail feasibility of Viridian’s utilities offering.

At $99 and then $39.99 monthly you can recover only a little of $540 in the 1st year and $479 yearly thereafter.

The catch is, travel might be booked just to recover the continuing Viridian membership spend, leading to sunk cost fallacy versus actual savings.

Travel Light also seems to be Viridian’s defacto monthly autoship option. Though entirely optional, it is perhaps not a coincidence that 15 PV is both the minimum for MLM commission qualification and how much an affiliate’s Travel Light monthly fee generates.

Trio Bonus gives a deadline on creating 15 PV monthly and recruiting 2 others who do the same.

An issue might arise if there’s a distinct lack of retail Viridian Travel Light memberships being sold and maintained.

Until you sell thousands of Viridian Travel Light memberships though, the big money is in Viridian’s commercial accounts.

Practically companies with large enough energy accounts to matter probably already have a relationship with their provider, so this definitely going to be a tough market to break into. Energy is already competitive, commercial energy even more.

An affiliate of Viridian might be able to solely self-qualify for MLM commissions initially but PV doesn’t let up as they increase in rank.

With relatively low PV values created per individual spend; the idea is clearly that sales beyond an affiliate’s own purchases are needed.

The Personal Website Subscription fee seems to be a monthly affiliate fee packaged as some sort of exclusive web service.

Basic marketing tools should be provided by an MLM company to affiliates as part of their membership.

Viridian affiliates are able to buy additional business centers and it is possibly the biggest compensatory red-flag.

As per Viridian’s latest Earnings Disclosure Statement (May 2016 – April 2017), 88% of affiliates were making $124 or less a month.

Amusingly of the total Viridian affiliate-base, 61% don’t qualify for MLM commissions at all.

As a prospective Viridian affiliate, any one will want to ascertain whether my potential upline actually has retail customers.

The first thing you can inquire is if the Viridian affiliate qualified for the Trio Bonus. In case they did, ascertain if it was through their own Travel Light membership purchase and the same of those they enlisted, or did they actually sell utilities?

You can also ask them what rank they are, match that with the corresponding PV and ask how they’re creating that each month in Viridian.

If it is downline affiliate volume and their on service subscriptions, it points out that Viridian’s offering might not be competitive enough in a retail environment.

It is important as without significant retail sales, an MLM company is operating as a pyramid scheme.

Approach with caution.

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