Avon.com review: becoming a sales rep is a big mistake 66

My mom and I became Avon reps. It seemed like an easy way to make money, but like Kendra I do agree that they really don't care about helping you if you have a problem. I had a website which I cancelled and they keep billing me over and over again for a website that doesn't exist. I've cancelled orders and they still send it and charge me for it. I love Avon, but I'm very dissapointed with the way the company handles themselves. They charge you for too many things and by the time you add things up you make no money at all. Perhaps those people that have 50 or more customers can make a little money, but that's not the norm, unfortunately.

I work at avon cs, and rep are always complainig about little stuff...why i havent received my order? DAH BECAUSE U DIDNT PAID ITS ON HOLD! why do i have to return items and pay for the return fee? because no ONE FROM THE AVON BUSINESS CAN GO PERSONALLY AND PAY IT FOR U, AND BESIDES AVON STATES THAT U CAN RETURN THE ITEM BUT THERES NO SAYING THAT THE COMPANY WILL PAY FOR THAT, so ladies be smart and tell customers that avon policy is that yes u can return items but avon is not paying for the return unless the item was damaged... so they either pay the return or buy the item 'cuz is not fair for u reps.
when we cancel order we give u the greeting "We send the information in order to get your order cancel, but there might still be a chance it doesnt"... Yes maybe avon DOES charged u for a lot of stuff, but they have a reazon..they charged u 7dll fee for late order 'cuz the transportation line they are associated with, charged them MORE THAN THAT for delivering an order outside time rules...also if u received a order in "x" time u have 14 days to pay the amount outherwhise u can get a 5 dlls fee for late payment, 'cuz avon has people working there and they dont work for nothing u know! If avon did something wrong it can always be fixed, and if it didnt its because u maybe let so many time pass or u just didnt care that much...about dsm well i think that dsm u had/have has something personal against u...

yes, I believe avon is to hard on thier reps we do all the work and get little in return. Sorry, thats just simply the way I feel.We should always have arep discount of 50% off .we work hard for it. The people they have working for them ohh thats another story . If you take offense to any of these storys then you never had to put up with a bunch of bull%$# from avon. so dont hate . these are our personal stories you were not there so you cant say anybody was wrong or anything about anotherthat you dont know.Ive had my f$##%d -up experiances with avon and far as i knownone of you haters were in on the conversations.So, buzzz off
"You dont understand"

I am a sales rep and i havent had the above problems. I accepted the terms of buying brochures etc. I do have a huge problem with sales tax. It seems as if Avon charges sales tax on clothes. I am in new York and I cannot legally charge sales tax on clothes I didnt think Avon could either. I have called Avon and asked why I get sales tax charged they said someone woudld call me at their accouting department but no one has. I ahve been paying ovber 8 perent sales tax on clothes for 2 years now and i sell a lot of clothes. Anyone know why or what i should do?

I've been an Avon Rep for 11 years, I agree with some of the issues... such as customer service being answered in India, having to pay for the returns, and the list goes on. My point is that even of all this issues I'm a happy successful Avon Representative I've been able to meet great people and helped many of them achive their dreams with Avon. I've accomplish some of my dreams as well such as paying cash for a brand new car, family vacations (at least 3 a yr), I'm buying a comercial property (10, 000 sq. ft.) and in 2010 we are taking a family vacation to Spain for an entire month. All of this thindgs have been done out of my Avon Income. Life is what you want... You can complain about all the negative things, but there is good and bad. I don't let little things get my attetion of the good ones... I'm my own boss I decide my hours and rewards, I've been able to raise my family which was the reason I joined Avon. Avon has chaged my life and like I said I've been able to change others peoples life as well.

My mother has been selling Avon for a little under a year for supplemental income and I manage her books. I agree with the complaints that there are a lot of fees that I do not recall being presented by the rep that recruited her. Then again, I do fault her and myself for not reading the recruiting documents. I am sure they are in there. But they are minimal and to me (I have a MBA) are usual costs to running a business. The order Processing Charges and taxes (in most states) are transferred to the customer so I don't understand the purpose of the Order Processing Fee - sounds the same to me. It's minimal, so I will simply write that off on the taxes as an expense. Shipping is free and the internet usage is waived if you receive an order on line, which these days you should have at least one online order. At the same time, if you do not build your customer base, it seems as if you are loosing money. Finding and keeping customers are the key. Like I said, it has only been a year, and like any other business, time is needed for it to grow. The IRS allows a loss on a business for two years before they see it as hobby and assess a hobby tax on the income, so if she does not start to make a profit after the second year, we will find another way to supplement income.

Also, just like any other business, you need cash flow. We are learning this the hard way. You should have funds (i.e. a line of credit or a credit card) set to the side to pay for your merchandise so your customers will not be waiting and they work with Avon later on returns, credits, etc. Any retailer will tell you that they have "credit limits" with their merchandisers when they make orders. Avon reps are no different. You have to pay for the merchandise before they will continue to send you more. I do not like the fact that Avon bascially "penalize" reps for returning merchandise. If the customer changes their mind or returns something, they have a right to. I think Avon's idea is that you sell it to someone else in lieu of sending it back. They are in the direct sell business, so if they wanted to run a catalog operations then they would not need reps - get it? I don't like it too much, but it is what is it. It was only $10 to start and I don't think we have lost too much. Every "business" is a risk. You count your loses (right it off on your taxes) and move on to something else.

I wanted to make some extra cash too, so I became a sales rep. I didn't realize how often I would be receiving phone calls in the middle of the day & during class when I specifically told the the District people not to call... I couldn't make meetings because of my school schedule AND the meetings were too far for me to drive on a school night. Whatever... I just wish at my "$10.00 meeting" that my manager had told me all of these things. It's unfortunate but I just started ignoring calls because they were starting to annoy me. Luckily I haven't been bamboozled with the whole returning products and accounting freezing issues. I just need to figure out how to cancel my rep status because this DEFINITELY isn't for me.

I'm having the same problem . I have just signed on with them, in sept. I have gone through a divorce and have been diagnosed with a rare nurological disorder which left me with permant damage . I have just been released from the hosp. from a 10 day stay . I have had only one order which was for 39. dollars and have had several returns. my 39 dollar order, I have had difficulty getting the girl to pay. Unfortunately, I'm on a disability and have had exactly 12 dollars, after my rent, lights, and phone with no frills were paid and I have no car, I have no other income and no help, no credit cards nothing so could not pay it for her, she has put me off and put me off, now she has put me off until next Friday. I'm too ill to fight it at this time and Avon has my bill up to 180 dollar, though my manage did get it down to 80 but another lady put an order in, though hers did not all come in and she has said she could not pay yet either so, I will not even mess with it and am sending it back. I have noticed that I can not get in to send back. I am really sick of the games AVON plays and do not like them. Also the products are cheaply made and fall apart . Once this mess is cleared, I will be finished with AVON.

oh, MY BIGGEST PROBLEM IS THE CUSTOMERS, I WANT MY MONEY UP FRONT. BEFORE i PUT THE ORDER IN. YOU PUT THE ORDER IN AND THEN THEY NEVER HAVE THE MONEY AND IT HAPPEN ALL THE TIME TO ME . I DO NOT KNOW WHERE ALL HOW THESE WOMEN ARE GETTING ALL THIS CASH AND BEAUTIFUL STUFF THROUGH AVON SHORT OF TAKING DOWN AN ATM MACHINE BECAUSE i SURE HAVEN'T SEEN IT HAPPENING, YET I SEE SOME THAT IT IS WORKING FOR OR THEY SAY IT IS BUT THEY HAVE HUSBANDS WITH BANK ACCOUNTS TOO.

I have read all the entries and the one thing I can agree with is the customer service dept. The people in India don't understand American slang, so they can't understand most of what you are telling them. I have found out that the fees are crazy and out of hand. As for the e-rep fee ($7.50), I was advised to have my husband place a order and then I don't have to pay the fee, not a bad ideal, and you make 40% on INTERNET sales. I have also made a payment and then place a order a few minutes later. They recorded the payment asap, but the order on the next day. That meant they were able to charge me a late fee. This has happened to me several times. I talked to my DSM about the problem and she told me she would get the fees returned. I have been in sales for over 35 years and only selling Avon for 3 months, so I agree with Sara about ordering all the perfume. It may look like you can make a lot of money but if you don't have at least 2x the customers then don't order the perfume. (ie 25 bottle w/5 free and you only have 5 to 6 people who place orders, who's going to buy the rest?). I think my biggest problem is support. I expected to get a lot of ideas and maybe even a phone call when I was suppose to place my 1st order, but I got nil. I guess I am lucky I know how to be a independent sales agent, I also sell Real Estate. I joined Avon because I needed to make money, I soon realized it will take a few years and lots of hard work to pay for a car. I have met my DSM and know I can get all the help I want from her but, will I keep selling for 3 or more years? I don't agree with Sara about the returns. When you become a rep. you are responsible to follow company rules, and Avon says you can return anything. Good luck in keeping your customers.

I have been selling for about a year now and I don't have these problems. I agree, it is hard to understand CS because of them being out of India. That much I don't like. Other than that, I have had a very good experience. I have had to do 1 return all year. As far as ordering the large quantities, you are not conned into it. It's your choice. All you have to do is say no. They are not forcing you to take them. I mean, really, why would you want to buy 50 bottles of one kind of perfume? Do you think every woman is going to want JUST THAT KIND? That's just silly. I've never bought that much of any product and I'm turning a profit. I don't keep any inventory at all. Sorry you had so much trouble with AVON, but really, do you have to try to destroy the reputation so bad that the rest of us won't succeed along with you? That's just really childish.

AVON IS A SCAM. PERIOD. DON'T BE FOOLED BY SOMEONE WHO IS TRYING TO RECRUIT YOU. BELIEVE ME I WAS ONCE A REP AND THE DARN THING SUCKED ME DRY!

I think all you women are in the wrong business, but then again like me im a rep for Beauticontrol and love the products so I see where your from with beauticontrol you and your clients get 100% customer and rep satisfaction and help and no the calls do not go to India lol..Thats the kinda business you get with an avon consumer. Beauticontrol is based in texas! I can return the product if damaged and my company will and has returned it at no cost. Also if the client does not like it or finds something wrong with it they will refund them and the client does not have to return the product they can KEEP IT! So explore your opportunities ladies This type of work doesnt always have to be work! In my business I can spa everyday and get paid for IT!

I have been a rep for almost 5 mos now and I like the selling and I like the discount stuff i get however, I don't go over board. I don't go for those big deals because that's not part of why I wanted to be a rep. I just wanted a part time job that I could parlay into something if I lost my job, especially in this economy. However, I did want to share that there is a lot of BS that goes on and some bad business practices. As I said I have been a rep for almost 5 mos and I signed up for Quick pay almost immediately, when you can pay directly from your checking account. I opened a new checking account just for my Avon business and I sent them a voided check from the account however, it was a starter check. Nothing in the application for Quick pay says you can't send starter checks and why does imprint information matter when yo should be verifying the account and account holder's name and information anyway. In any event, for 3 maybe 4 months Avon has accepted my Quick pay payment but this past campaign when I went to make my payment, I couldn't use my quick pay, they said that I was not enrolled. When I inquired further they told me that I sent a starter check and they didn't accept starter checks. They told me that I would have to re enroll and sent a check with my information printed on it. I informed them that it was not an account that I would be writing checks from so it would be stupid for me to order checks it would be cheaper for me to get a visa debit card and use that checks would cost me about $25 and the check card is free. Oh don't let me forget to tell you that they held my order, which was really just samples and demos for myself, until I made a payment. So I used a credit card, but that means now my accounting is going to get more complicated at the end of the year. I now have to pay that part of my bill before the next billing cycle and then write a check to pay me back for what I charged. Oh and when I called the help line and told them I wanted to complain because I had received no notification about the status of my Quickpay account they insisted that a letter had been mailed to me. Yes it had, I got it at 4pm that same day. So I called back and informed them of this and let them know that I wanted to file a complaint. I think Jay ( the specialist I spoke with) pretended to put the information in the computer and told me that he forwarded a complaint to the proper individual, but I will be following up.

I became an Avon rep in February. Paid all my accounts for campaign 5, 6 and 7. I got a letter from Avon the other day saying they've tried to contact me several times ("despite our efforts to contact you...etc). for money I owned for campaign 8 (47.00) which I never ordered from, and this is the first time I've heard about this issue. I called the "customer service" line and got someone from India who I could barely understand. After 20 minutes on the phone with them all they could tell me was that I ordered something from campaign 8 but they couldn't say what, they didn't have that information. I've tried to get on the representative website, which is always difficult, doesn't recognize my account number, and the district number only allows me to enter in 3 digits, and my district number is 4 digits. I've tried to contact my district manager and my phone calls have not been returned. Despite their efforts to contact me? Give me a break. Contacting the President would be easier than contacting them. Now this morning I get a call from a COLLECTION AGENCY! Thanks Avon for screwing my credit and giving me nothing in return. Don't fall for this scam. I'll have to bite the bullet and pay them $47.00 for something I (and my former customers) never received. Oh, but I bet they'll get the CHECK HUH? Avon sucks.

I have tried to become an Avon Rep but after doing an application online and receiving an e-mail no one contacted me.I called the phone # that was sent to my e-mail several times and left messages to no avail.After reading these complaints I guess it"s a blessing in disguise that no one returned my phone calls .

I don't understand what is wrong with their "EZ Returns" department, but it's a nightmare. I was asked to return 2 pairs of shoes for which only ever got one pair. So I put the return on one line and an explanation for the other line at the bottom. (But I suspect the people handling returns don't speak/read English as a first language.)

So I sent an email via my YourAvon.com account. They sent an email back saying the issues was cleared up. But I got another letter, both by mail, and a threat in my invoice (well after I was assured it was taken care of) to please return the shoes or I'll get charged.

I emailed CS again and they again said not to worry about it, but I suspect I'll get billed for them anyway. And you cannot imagine how many sales it will take for me to replace that $20 bucks. (after expenses, I'm lucky to walk away with $3 profit on an order.)

"I don't understand what is wrong with their "EZ Returns" department, but it's a nightmare. I was asked to return 2 pairs of shoes for which only ever got one pair. So I put the return on one line and an explanation for the other line at the bottom. (But I suspect the people handling returns don't speak/read English as a first language.)"

First Avon doesn't have an EZ Returns department, it is just returns -- and it is in SPRINGDALE OHIO USA -- they can and do speak english as a first language.
second if you use EZ returns PROPERLY you would know a billed and missing item is a CODE 30 and Avon doesn't expect it back. The returns are done one at a time.

You can check your own EZ returns to see if it is cleared. There is training and help link for EZ returns, which if you have half a brain is easy.

Who is stupid? I took the EZ Returns training. And guess what Avon salaried personnel call it? A department. EZ Returns + a department = EZ Returns department, or, if you prefer "just returns". It matters not what I called it; like that's a big deal.

The people working in the returns department may very well NOT speak English. An old friend of mine who's ex-husband was from the Phillipines and couldd NOT speak English worked for Avon packaging. Who's has half a brain again?

I had TWO lines show up on my return -- when I only asked to do an exchange.

Avon wanted me to return TWO pairs of shoes, both the same size size, and I only ever possessed one. It should have been a one-to-one exchange, resulting in a line that $0.00 owed to Avon. Instead, I had one line that said $0, and another that said I owed them $19.99 if I didn't return the shoes.

Who has half a brain again? Nice rep.

Correction: "worked for Avon packaging..." in the UNITED STATES.

Wants to order AVON products and claims she sent check. Check for avon products never recieved but a fake check for the same amt she claims to have paid. T his fake check was from a college. Seems to be a scam! I will NOT send Brenda Gray products.

I bought multiple DVDs and apart from them being poor copies, both DVDs I bought refuse to work after the first showing.

There is no legislation that really protects consumers from unscrupulous business that exploit consumers with substandard goods such as DVDs and music.

Avon has two problems I see representatives go through which I gathered from personal experience watching my wife as an Avon Rep and reading this blog site:
1. Customer Service is "F" when things don't go as planned
2. Some Managers don't know how to manage

My wife received emails saying her RMA Returns were received yet the credit wasn't applied. When I called their India call center they said that the items haven't been received. Now she is getting mail saying she needs to pay. The customer service is trained not to help the representative, but to deflect Reps complaints about the return policy and save Avon's money. The hidden charges wasn't disclosed when my wife was interviewed to become a Avon Rep nor is there a way to explain it when calling the Avon number - they just expect you to pay it and want you to get off the phone.

Second point is some Managers don't know how to manage. When my wife called their home number, which they gave to her, they yelled at her telling her not to call on the weekend. Owning my own business for 2 years I realize that you don't have weekends and if you delegate this process to another person then you better expect a phone call from your Reps especially if you give them the number. Instead of addressing the issue and trying to find a solution, which is one of the things managers do, they go on the defensive and user personal attacks on their characters. Reviewing the posts on this site you can see this happens when one blogger comments that if you don't know how to use the EZ Returns then you are stupid or have half a brain - this is poor management. I think Avon should make it mandatory to take customer phone calls before becoming a Manager and then give training on how to address complaints.

I'm sure the Managers in Avon had the same experience that they are now giving to their Reps - if they had a good experience with Avon then they will treat their Reps with respect, but if they were S#@$ upon then they treat their Reps the same.

This treatment is indicative to most MLM companies I've worked for and Avon is no exception.

I myself was a rep from [protected] in 2008 I had a school fundraiser that I did... Total in all $12, 000 in sales in a 4 week period. I put in the orders, and unfortunately the day that my orders came in I was in the ER with my middle son who needed stitches in his face from playing. I got home & SHOULD have had 14 boxes in total... I had 4... I called CS they referred me to my DSM so I called her... Left a message, waited 2 days for a call back and got NONE, called AGAIN and left a message, waited another 2 days... again no call back... they then informed me at CS that if I paid half they would ship the replacements... I did pay half and they shipped NOTHING AT ALL... this went on for FOUR MONTHS... calling & getting told I would get a call back and never getting a call not from the DSM and not from CS... After the 4 months... I was "inactive due to non-payment" Please tell me HOW they expect me to pay for $12, 000 in products when I didn't even get $2, 000 in products? I have since gone on to another company where I ALWAYS get 50% and I am MUCH happier... anyone who wants the info can e-mail me at Trejo_Home@yahoo.com as I do not believe in spamming boards... I would not EVER recommend anyone working for AVON unless your gonna do the minimum to get the 50% and just sell it in baskets or at stores etc...

Most of you people are right, Avon does completely suck balls. The products are cheaply made and way expensive. I avoid the Avon women (about 5) that solicit my neighborhood just like Jehovah's Witness. Anyone that would pay over about $6 for a lipstick is a fool.

Some situations regarding avon errors are really understandable, when we (customer service) know that the situation u are facing on is an avon error and we cannot solve the situation we feal badly for u (avon reps) but unfortunally we have some guidelines to follow that we not always agree on. But when u enroll on the company u get a kit...an appoinment kit...that explains things such as the terms and conditions of the company, how to do payments on time, what happends when u dont paid on time, how to do orders, etc...if u dont get the kit from the recruiter theres 2nd option, youravon.com, if u dont have internet or dont know how to used it, u can learn more about how the company works in your 3rd option wish is US customer service...if u are receiving asisstance from cs in india and u dont understand him/her...requets a transfer to CS in america, or a supervisor, almost all of the situations can be fixed personally on youravon.com except price adjustments, ez returns is very easy BTW theres no such thing as an ez returns department LOL is just CS although not all agents have the training for that program so thats why they said things as "i will transfer u to our ez returns specialist" ...etc. if avon asked u to return 2 pairs instead of 1 probably was because u didnt do it correctly, ez returns doesnt have a brain on her own to add more items then the ones u mark LOL i agree that avon has some exagerated fees and some of them can be very unfair but u can avoid them by paying on time, doing orders on time, etc.

im still an avon rep an have been for about almost a year now during the beggining things have been going fine i got alot more orders now its kind of dead although im sending out forwardable emails to my ecustomers staying in touch with them and also ordering brochures putting up fliers making ads & placing listings even making youtube vids. I dont know where ill end from here ive read a majority of all the comments that were placed on this post & also agree with the negatives and postitives im glad that there are people out there that arent playing games doing there avon bussiness the right way although i hope for a better turn out in mines im going to continue & give it another year to see what happens i hope throughtout all my hardwork it will pay off with avon if not ill find something different. if anyone would like to email me with tips ideas maybe even just advice from another rep my email is lilymarie009@yahoo.com

I was an Avon rep for over 2 years and after having a big problem with the "returns department" for over a year, I have finally decided to close my Avon business. One thing I want to mention to any rep NOT accepting returns is that you are violating Avon's rules and you could be cut off for not accepting returns! They MAKE you accept returns and then they charge you to ship them back... Avon currently owes me over 100 dollars for items that they "didn't receive" or decided to take their time processing (up to 6 weeks) for no reason at all. I personally have very sensitive skin and have had to return things because of allergic reaction from time to time but Avon really does not uphold their own stated policies to take back items for "any reason at all" let alone a legitimate allergic reaction! I think it's a real shame because Avon does make some really good products (skin cream) even if some of the other items do lack in quality but they do focus on screwing over reps more than really sticking by their products. Reps are the ones who take the risk here, not the "Avon people" who seem to all be outsourced to India and have "no idea" what's going on. I think that Avon DOES know what's going on and they will avoid everything possible to act like an upstanding business model. I just can't take it anymore! I recommend that entrepreneurs stick with creating your own business online (easy to do these days) so that you can make up your own rules and be in charge of your own life and time. Do your research and find something that works... Avon should really change their moto from "The business for women" to "The business who screws women" . It works for some but not for most!

I ordered some avon and I went to pick it up, there were others there to pick up avon also. When I ask about my order, Carla Moore, said, "Oh, I JUST SOLD IT TO this lady here. You see she wanted it. This happened about 3 times. Then they told me they Carla Moore and Judy Kennedy (her sister) said, they stop selling avon. I called Mrs Lewis, the Dealer. I ask why will they not sell to Black women (ME). I do not know, but they do not work and sell avon anymore. That was two years ago and they still sell avon and give the order to Mrs. Lewis and on Sunday she picks up the money they have collected and any new orders.
I do not have any photos, but I did call mrs Lewis.

Vera Trice

Call Avon headquarters and report them.

WHAT A NIGHTMARE! Every month I was a rep I was shipped things I did not order! The company refuses to pay for the returns! I was shipped 11 boxes of crap I DID NOT ORDER!@! I told them they needed to have UPS get back out here and pick these back up, they refused! The cost to throw it out my self will be over $25 since it will not fit in my garbage! Customer service! BAH! Even if you are even lucky enough to get an Indian operator that speaks partial English, they never do much to help you! Can not believe I fell for this companies sales ploys! Let me add that my district reps NEVER call me to check in, they then change their emails without notifing me, and never respond to thier AVON account email! WARNING! Do not become an AVON Rep!

Yes, I know exactly about Avon stealing returns and not giving the reps credit - saying they never received the returns or they were later! I sold Avon for about a year with no problem. My DM told me and a friend I recruitied (so sorry!) to just save up all the returns and return them all together - which we did - they deinied receiving the box, even tho I have a signed receipt! I told them I was not paying for theose items and they cut me off for non-payment! They are real scammers!

People that willy-nilly sign up for businesses without reading the fine print get what they deserve. Who goes right into a new business and orders a jillion bottles of perfume? really? without a customer base? "it was only ten bucks to sign up..." = not a serious seller. My DM has never once tried to get me to buy anything. Of course, I know how to say hell no if she ever did. Avon does have it's flaws, but reps should do the training and get a clue before they jump in with both feet. I can't believe all the crazy crap all these posts have...misinformed, lazy reps .
Oh, and I never even had an upline.. and my DM is nonexistent. Some of us are motivated though to suck it up, figure it out and sell!
And no rep should ever pay an erep fee... that is just too easy to avoid!
And paying for returns... so? Would you rather pay for the occasional returns OR FOR SHIPPING YOUR ENTIRE ORDER EVERY 2 WEEKS? UMM, I'll pick the returns!
No instant credit... you still get credit; just takes longer.

Good Grief.. what a bunch of whiners. Send me your customers!

I have been selling Avon for many years. and yes i have had some problems. if you do not pay your bill within 3 campaigns.
yes they will put you in collections. they did it to me, after so many times my manager tried to help me. it was my fault cause i just ignored it. but i was one of the lucky ones and after paying off the collections, i had a really helpful manager and i was able to become a rep again. but with one exception, i had lost my seniority and i had to start all over again. but this was my fault not the company.no matter how large or small your bill is, you must make a payment within 3 campaigns, or Avon will not only put you in collections but will also be remove you from avon. but like i said i was lucky. a another thing, don't make the mistake i made and buy more so much more then your customers do. and don't ask for credit too many times, you will have to lose your instant credit, and you will have to send back your merchandise back first before they can can give you credit and try not to send much back after that if you want your instant credit back. as far as calling customer service, try emailing them that is much more helpful then making that call, as well as not making a long distance call. there is one good thing about calling,
instead of being put on hold they give you the option to get a call back with the next available server.and they tell you how long it will take. when you first sign up and get a kit, that only includes your books an order book and perhaps a few samples. all your other supply's, suck as bags and samples and more. your should order in your first order, and yes you must pay for them including more books. but what do you expect for only $10.00 for a kit.
but a little advice, try to find other reps that order books in bulk that you can get your books through. most fliers and sales booklets are usually free and they are sent to you automatically. except for the outlet. you have to order and they only cost a dollar and something. but make sure you tell your customers that everything in the outlet is on clearance and there is a chance that those items could be sold out.
in the first 5 campaigns i think you will get 50% on. after that your earnings depend on your sales .but i tried selling other products such as Mary Kay that gives you 50% every sale. and the district leader once told me that if you want to be successful with anything you have to put effort into it. well i did not go any further with Mary Kay, because unlike Mary Kay, Avon dose not expect you to have any kind of an inventory. but you can have an inventory with Avon if you'd like, but that's your choice.

i quit selling avon in june 2011, before that i signed up in sept 2010 i loved it at first, then i signed up to be a leadership rep and guess what the dsm loved me like she was my best friend in the world . after a few months had past i felt like i was doing her job for her she would give me leads and i would sign them up it got to the point where my vehicle was running on its last leg, my mother had gotten cancer, my fiance and i were fighting all the time and my kids missed me cuz i was always on the go or when i was home i was working on the computer or on the phone with either a downline rep or a new customer. so i talked to my dsm about it she gave me space for a while and then asked me to do this incentive that i could win 5000 dollars so i did it it took a course of three months after said and done march 2011 i was fed up with it all i was burned out i started ignoring calls from the dsm i did that one day cause i was with my mother in the hospital and the dsm had threatened to take my 5000 away from me . I got pissed i called avon and our divison manger she was wrong she couldnt do that . so i was nicey nicey to the dsm untill may i did everything for her she asked just incase the division manager was wrong i sure didnt want to loose my 5000 in betweeen that time my van had surely went to hell i needed a new one, i was trying to redo my kitchen and help out with my mother june 15th came around to make along story short my 5000 came in the mail and i quit that very same day ought me a new van, my mother survived her cancer and me and my fiance are still together . but i will tell you all something before i quit avon lauched the new believe program it is a great program and thats where your money is yes i lost my downline when i quit but i still keep concact with them and thy share there success stories with me and yes they still ask for help from me because thy dont like the dsm either. i regret the money that i had coming in it was enough to spoil my kids and i could have bought the new vehcile without the 5000 but my kids and family come first before i get something new . If i ever sell again my one promise to myself is to never have contact with that dsm again.

I decided to give Avon a try to earn some extra money to go towards my school fees. I signed up on the website and forgot all about it, anyway I kept getting calls from Avon that I couldnt answer because I was at work/in class etc. I was always gonna call back when I had time, but jeez these people do not give up! At one point I had seven missed calls in the space of one hour! CREEPY. So i decided to avoid because theyre desperation is offputting. Anyway the area manager got wise and called me from a number I didnt recognise, I eventually decided to give it a go, see where it would take me. I had an area manager visit my house and this is where I learned of AVONS UNPROFFESSIONALISM she was really overfriendly and innapropriate and I couldnt get rid off her, eventually she left me with a bunch of brochures, I made sure she knew that I was not going to commit myself yet, she said that was fine. Anyway next day 8 MISSED CALLS AND VOICEMAILS! ALL OF THEM OFFERING FOR HER TO COME ROUND AND HELP ME PLACE MY ORDERS WTF?!? IS THIS A JOKE? I MEAN THAT BEHAVIOUR IS NOT JUST WEIRD ITS DAMN RIGHT CREEPY! In the end I just didnt want to deal with them, I kept recieving voicemails, missed calls, emails, they basically scared me off. lol

I was an Avon Representative for about two (2) years and became thoroughly disgusted. When there was a problem and you called the phone number all you got was people that didn't understand English. It was a waste of time trying to explain to them the problem. They failed to credit my account not once but twice, saying that payment was never made, when in fact, the one payment which was check, had been deposited into their account and the 2nd payment was made by a debit card and was taken out of my checking account by them. I have sent items back and told they were never received, I refused to pay for them since I had proof of sending them back. It was a waste of my time. The icing on the cake was when they turned over a balance that they said I owed (even though I knew I owed nothing and my account balance on the my avon site showed a .00 balance) to a collection agency who I am still arguing with. I received absolutely nothing from them stating I owed them anything until I received the letter from the collection agency.