Network Twenty One - Controversy

Controversy

In May 2007, the UK Government's Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) petitioned to ban Network Twentyone and Amway after a year long investigation alleging practices revolving around distributors being more focused on selling their motivational books, tapes and seminars to salespeople than peddling Amway merchandise. The complaint also focused on recruitment tactics that inflate income estimates for new salespeople. The petitions were dismissed after certain "defects of the old business model" were changed such as Amway allowing "misrepresentations" of its business by independent sellers in years past and failing to act decisively against the misrepresentations.

In 1997, Network 21's "training material" was depicted in the Polish film Welcome to Life. The director and producer were later acquitted on the charge of disseminating false information.". The film, banned for 12 years, was one of the highly anticipated movies of 2009's Warsaw Film Festival and was described in the press by one of the promoters as a "scary movie about brainwashing" that depicts hard-sell "pep rallies" and distributors stating meetings were operated similar to the Communist Party and methods of recruitment that confusingly resembled those of a sect. A best-seller on the local video black market., the film was later banned and its producers fined for using Network 21's copyrighted material. As of 2009 the film was still banned due to an ongoing case brought by "private individuals" ridiculed in the film.