Neora has emerged victorious from its almost seven-year battle with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The judge overseeing the case (Fed. Trade Comm’n v. Neora LLC, Civil Action 3:20-cv-01979-M (N.D. Tex. Aug. 9, 2022)) ruled that the FTC’s allegations against the company are invalid.
“We are thrilled with the judge’s ruling, which affirms what we have known all along – that Neora is an ethical company,” said Deborah Heisz, Neora’s Co-CEO. “Our brand partners have worked diligently to build their businesses and this ruling is a testament to their hard work and dedication. We are proud to be part of an industry that empowers entrepreneurs – especially women – and creates real opportunities for success.”
Heisz continued, “Throughout this experience the FTC tried to strong-arm us into agreeing to impact the livelihood of tens of thousands of our brand partners. They didn’t want us to pay any commission to anyone other than the person making the sale, preventing us from rewarding our sales leaders in any way. There is no case law, rules or regulations that support the FTC’s demands. We would not acquiesce and instead chose to fight for the rights of our brand partners and became the first and only direct sales company to take this issue all the way through federal court with a favorable ruling.”
A Powerful Precedent
Neora’s executive team believes this government overreach poses a considerable threat to American entrepreneurs, but that this landmark victory will set a powerful precedent for protecting the rights of legitimate direct selling companies, as well as small business owners in other industries.
“When we proactively filed suit against the FTC on November 1, 2019, challenging the overreach of the FTC, we knew we would have a battle on our hands, but we were supremely confident that the facts and data would show the truth,” said Jeff Olson, Neora’s Founder & CEO. “Living out our mission statement of making people better sometimes means taking the road less traveled, making the hard choice to defend what is right at all costs. This isn’t just a win for our industry, it’s a win for American entrepreneurship.”
Olson continued, “Because Neora has always been built on a solid foundation with science-based products that bring true value to the market; a massive non-distributor customer base that represents nearly 80 percent of the company’s total revenue; and a modern ecommerce sales system that removes the needs for brand partners to carry inventory or incur unnecessary extra costs, we were able to take on and win this important fight.”
This multiyear effort has been a tangible illustration of Neora’s commitment to defending its brand partners through integrity, and the company remains dedicated to continuing and expanding its already robust approach to accountability and transparency.
Staying the Course. Growing Forward.
Heisz shared that the vast majority of its field leaders stayed with the company throughout the course of this trial and have even experienced some of their highest growth periods. All the while building an even stronger customer base because of its strong product portfolio. In the wake of a landmark win, she is even more optimistic about the future of Neora.
