Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council Recommends Zallevo Discontinue Certain Earnings and Health-Related Product Claims

McLean, VA – August 31, 2023 – The Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council (DSSRC) of BBB National Programs recommended that Zallevo, LLC modify or discontinue certain earnings and health-related product performance claims, including claims that communicated the message that Zallevo products are effective at treating a number of serious health-related conditions. 

These claims were made by Zallevo, a direct selling company that markets health and wellness products, as well as by Zallevo salesforce members in videos and on social media. The claims touted the efficacy of the Company’s products, including that the products promote weight loss and anxiety reduction. 

The health-related product performance claims at issue in this decision include but are not limited to:

• “If you’ve been exhausting all of the options for a stressful medical condition, these products may be just the answer to your prayers.” 
• “My 13 year-old was losing 75% of her hair due to a skin condition…doctors had us try laser procedures costing us thousands of dollars with little to no progress…we tried everything…until Zallevo came along. With consistent intake of these 3 products, her skin condition is nearly gone & her hair is growing back strong and healthy”
• “My arsenal of formulations that I NEVER travel without. Being out of your routine or away from home does not have to mean set backs, discomfort, sickness or feeling crappy when you have superior formulation that travel with you”
• “Any hard physical labor sent me into chest pains, but that was my life for 35 years…all my muscles had atrophied … In that three hours [after using the Zallevo product] I hadn’t had happen in seven years, I did not have an energy drop…my health just got better and better and better. And now I can go outside and I can work, last weekend I went out and worked for six straight hours.”
• “You get to take advantage of these master formulations that drive incredible results from weight loss to weight maintenance, to lean mass gains, energy, stamina, performance, libido, gut health, cardiovascular health, cognitive health, the list goes on…”
• “The weight started coming off…I maintained and continued losing… I have lost 50lb.”
• Certain testimonials on the Zallevo website.

The earnings claims at issue in this decision include:

• “It's amazing to see people just like you and me earning free products EVERY month and earning an extra income for our families…Imagine what an extra $500+ a month could do for you just by sharing this gift in the pockets of your time.” 
• “…everybody could use extra income you set your salary…start making a little extra money…replace your income” 

During the inquiry, Zallevo removed certain earnings and product performance claims, which DSSRC determined was necessary and appropriate. For two product performance claims, DSSRC determined that in the context of the social media posts, the claims would not mislead a reasonable consumer.

With respect to the remaining product performance claims at issue, DSSRC determined that Zallevo did not provide sufficient evidence to support the claims or could not demonstrate that the claims represent results that would be generally expected by users of the products. It is a fundamental principle of advertising law that an advertiser is responsible for any reasonable interpretation of the claims that it communicates in an advertisement and must be able to substantiate its claims, both express and implied, including in advertising by salesforce members.  

DSSRC stressed that claims about the health benefits or safety of foods, dietary supplements, drugs, and other health-related products require substantiation in the form of competent and reliable scientific evidence. In the absence of such evidence or substantiation, DSSRC determined that Zallevo’s remaining product performance claims were not supported and should be modified or discontinued.

Regarding the earnings claims, DSSRC appreciated the good faith efforts taken by Zallevo to facilitate the removal of the two posts at issue in this inquiry, which DSSRC determined to be necessary and appropriate.

Though Zallevo made efforts to have a salesforce member’s “replace your income” claim taken down, it remains in circulation. DSSRC recommended that Zallevo continue its efforts to have the claim removed, including taking disciplinary action and, if necessary, ultimately terminating the salesforce member who disseminated the post. 

DSSRC appreciates Zallevo for its responsiveness in the inquiry, as well as its ongoing efforts to remove or modify the rest of the claims from circulation.  

All BBB National Programs case decision summaries can be found in the case decision library. For the full text of DSSRC decisions, visit the DSSRC Cases and Closures webpage.