Full width home advertisement

Check the Reviews Here

Learning Center

Post Page Advertisement [Top]

If you are struggling to understand the ins and outs of doing business online and not sure which is the right online training website, this article ‘The Wealthy Affiliate Scam and Complaints – Are These Real?’ will give you a better insight. I will share my view of Wealthy Affiliate (WA), what they offer besides online training, its strengths and weaknesses, and why it’s the right product for beginners and advanced affiliate marketers alike.

Wealthy Affiliate Scam

Wealthy Affiliate a Scam?


If you think Wealthy Affiliate is a scam and is all out to rip you off, then this review will help you decide.

I have been writing online since 2011 and was exposed to several genuine and scam sites. My online presence is to make some decent money, and I will not jeopardize this position by writing something that will not work. So to your question, is it a scam? No.

This article will show you that it is legit and with their free membership package, you can check them for yourself.

First, let me give a brief intro on how I started this journey.

It Is Never Too Late to Learn


I started learning online business just before I retire and most of my family members think that it is too late to learn.

But why is it too late for someone who passed the 50-year-old barrier to having a website or do online business?

I guess it depends on how you look at it.

Age has never been an issue for me and to quote Bikram Choudhury:

“Never too old, never too late, never too sick to start from scratch once again"

And from Karen Lamb’s

"A year from now you may wish you had started today"

I was motivated by these two quotes, which now become my daily mantra.

The “Time is Now’ is even more apparent when you passed the 50-year-old barrier. But “Time is Now” also apply if you had delayed working on your goals. Goals, such as Financial Freedom.

Whichever way you look at it, it is never too late to start.

Please go through this review so that you can form your opinion.

NOTE: I want to inform you upfront that this website makes money through an affiliate link. This is one way how I earn extra cash from my online business.

Now that that’s out of the way let me take you through this Wealthy Affiliate review.

About Wealthy Affiliate

Kyle and Carson of Wealthy Affiliate
Kyle & Carson of Wealthy Affiliate

Product Name: Wealthy Affiliate
Product Type: Training website to create and grow a successful online business
Website: www.WealthyAffiliate.com
Price: Free for basic membership
Proprietor: Kyle & Carson
Overall Rank: 98 out of 100
Who it’s for: From Newbie to Expert

What is a Wealthy Affiliate Program?


If you are serious about that extra cash, network with others with the same mindset, get support and support others, then

The Wealthy Affiliate Scam
WA four simple steps to create success

Wealthy Affiliate IS the foundation of your internet business. Besides being a toolbox that teaches you everything to succeed online, the community here is very supportive. When you are new to this business, every jargon or lesson may be strange to you. You dare not ask in case people say that’s a stupid question. You may not be web-savvy. At WA, that doesn’t matter. You get the answer and help when you need it.

That to me is very important as I was new and there were many questions that needed answers.

What is Affiliate Marketing?


Affiliate marketing is one method of doing business online. You earn your extra cash through a commission by promoting someone else’s products. Amazon, Wal-Mart, and eBay are some examples of companies that offer an affiliate program. WA, besides providing courses on building a website and doing business online, also offers an affiliate program.

I choose to do affiliate marketing leveraging Wealthy Affiliate platform as my first website at WA. I can’t think of a particular niche to write on. Hence, for starters, I prefer to go in with someone who will guide and support me, i.e. Wealthy Affiliate! There’s an exclusive WA Affiliate Bootcamp for that. It shows you how to get started and post it online. If you are new to online business and website building, I suggest you do this (should you decide to join WA). After all, it is FREE for starter/basic membership, and you can always opt out with no obligation if you feel it is not for you. Click on this link if you want to try the Free Wealthy Affiliate membership or on the banner below:




The Truth - Wealthy Affiliate Pros and Cons


To me, the most important criteria are the courses. It has to be easy to follow and with videos. I am technically challenged when it comes to computer jargon, website building, HTML, etc. The written instruction can also be challenging, but if there is a video to explain the steps, then it will be easy. Wealthy Affiliate has all these and trusts me; it is easy for me to move from one course to the next.

Nothing is perfect, and WA has its fair share of imperfection as well. Here are my list of its pros and cons:

prosWhat's so great about Wealthy Affiliate?


  • FREE to get started and you get access to ten courses, two free domains and free hosting for these domains – when you are on a tight budget, this is ideal.

  • The Getting Started Training Course is simple to follow with written and video guide – great if you are not computer savvy. This is one example of the video training that you will see at WA, this video is on How to Create a Website in Under 30 second.

  • Besides video training, tutorial training and courses, there are forum sites, live chat & interactive help, and blogs – this makes your learning curve much easier.

  • With basic training and tools provided for FREE membership, you can start your online presence – this also allows you to earn while you continue to learn.

  • Very supportive and helpful community of WA members – important when you are struggling to get help.

  • Most secure hosting – completely private & protected against scammers.

  • Help and support from Kyle & Carson – WA owners, who interact literally with every member.

  • WA is always updating the training tools – this will make it relevant to the constantly changing internet world.

  • Has been in this business successfully for over 10 years – not many companies can proudly claim this.

consThe Wealthy Affiliate Complaints



  • You need to upgrade to a paid premium membership to gain access to more courses at WA. I list this as a disadvantage as most newbies may not have the technical knowledge to grasp the online business world fully. They need to have access to more courses. At WA, you don’t get ‘a-get-rich-quick’ scam. They teach you how to make real, sustainable & long term income online.

  • Too much to learn and absorb. To solve this problem, I learn at my own pace and sometimes, revert to previous courses to refresh my memory.

  • You will be addicted and spent too much time on the site – that shows how good the program is.

  • There’s a tendency to socialize with other WA members and be distracted from learning or writing your post – to solve this, learn to prioritize.

  • You may be discouraged when you read other members’ success story - how fast and how much they make. Don’t be disheartened. They work hard for it and if you put into practice what you learned, your time will come.

  • When you post a question, sometimes it takes a while before you get a respond – just be patient!

  • Posting by some members is not always relevant - this happens at all sites.

In conclusion, the cons or complaints aren’t that significant. The advantages that WA offers far exceed it.

Is Wealthy Affiliate for Beginners?



Yes, because of it's easy to follow courses and you don't have to be web-savvy to start building your website.

No, because the course is fully comprehensive and covers for all levels of expertise including for most advanced marketer.

If you have something you love, say Coca-Cola memorabilia, then WA can show you how to monetize this passion through their detailed yet simple training lessons.

It is for people looking for financial freedom and needs a good vehicle to take them there.

So in a word, EVERYONE, not just for beginners.


Training and Tools at Wealthy Affiliate - Good?


There are many tutorials and classes within the main course that WA offers.

The Wealthy Affiliate Scam and Complaints

It is easier to understand this from the screenshot on the right.

I circled in red WA's Training and Tools menu. Under Training, you will see the sub-menu for Classroom (and the sub-sub-menu that list out all the classrooms). There are also the certification courses which are:

  • Online Entrepreneur Certification - Getting Started (Level 1). There are 10 lessons in Level 1 and it is free for basic membership.

  • Level 2 -Level 5 are only for Premium members and these are:

    • Building Your Own Traffic Producing Website (Level 2)

    • Online Entrepreneur Certification - Making Money! (Level 3)

    • Online Entrepreneur Certification - Mastering Social Engagement (Level 4)

    • The Business of Content - Achieving Maximum Success Through Content Creation (Level 5)

To give you a feel of Level 1 Getting Started course at Wealthy Affiliate, click on the link for Lesson #2 that covers Understanding How to Make Money Online. Besides text tutorial, there's also a video tutorial. Please go through it and you will understand why I say it is easy and simple to follow through this WA program.

Besides the above-structured courses, you will also get training posted by the owner Kyle & Carson, and other community members on a regular basis. This link will show you one example of such training, it is by Carson on how to set-up an email address for a domain hosted at Wealthy Affiliate.

The Wealthy Affiliate Complaints

As you can see, the training is comprehensive and organized, and you get regular training update by Kyle, Carson and other members at WA. It covers all levels of expertise, and you get both text and video tutorials. Currently, there are over a thousand training modules, and more are added every year. If you feel overwhelmed by these, don't. Because it covers the complete online business model to generate a different business. You don't have to go through all of them if it is not related to your business niche. Some of the blogs posted may also give you tips on 'how to' & etc.

You also get access to ALL the tools required to run an online business. Tools such as Web sites Building, Hosting, Keyword Tool, Rapid Writer, Link Tracking and Keyword Lists (if these terms are strange to you, it will be explained in the course program). These are the 'all inclusive' tools needed to get your online business running.

If you upgrade to Premium membership, you get access to the weekly live webinars. If you missed the live telecast you could come back anytime for the replay - this is what I normally do!

Any Wealthy Affiliate Support?


If you are lost in the maze of instruction and information, will there be someone to give immediate attention? And a quick resolution to your problems? Without direct personal contact with customers, online support can be challenging, especially when WA customers are spread all across the globe.

At Wealthy Affiliate, there are several ways to get support 24/7.  For any technical problems with your website, you can reach WA's support team through their website manager, SiteRubix (24/7/365 for premium members only). For any other problems or questions, you can turn to the community either through:
  1. Live chat and connect with anyone who is online, and this can be the owners, Kyle & Carson.

  2. Post question through WA's dashboard

  3. Search for any similar question asked by other members before
Personally, I prefer option #3 before doing #2 and usually, ALL my queries are resolved. Live chat is subject to whoever is online. If he/she don't have the answer, you have to hang around for the question to be answered.

Not many online training programs have this 24/7 support for good customer experience.

How Much is Wealthy Affiliate?


As I mentioned earlier, Wealthy Affiliate is FREE for Starter Membership. This gives you immediate access to two training classrooms, over 500 training modules, two FREE websites, and hosting. But limited access to live chat, commenting and keyword tools. Upgrading to paid premium membership gives you unlimited access to all the facilities at WA. The table below summarizes what you get for Basic & Premium.

wealthy affiliate scam review

You can stay on forever on the FREE Starter Account and still have your two free websites and web hosting in WA. You are not obligated to upgrade to Premium. But as you can see from the above table, upgrading to premium give you better perks and facilities to learn & earn more. For Premium membership, WA has yearly payment ($359) in addition to monthly payment structure. Yearly payment will work out at almost $30 per month, cheaper by 36%!

I upgraded to premium on yearly payment as there are so much to learn and it is all here in WA. Hence, my decision to pay the yearly fee.




VERDICT - Final Opinion






Wealthy Affiliate is not a scam site. It is legit. It has ALL there are required to get you started on your online business. It has been around for more than 10 years and helped over one million people to be Internet Entrepreneurs. I will not jeopardize my online reputation to recommend an unreliable site. I have gone through the mess of being scammed and I want to help people steer clear of this waste.

My final verdict - My advice to you is to start on FREE starter membership and check it out for yourself. You have nothing to lose. If you think Wealthy Affiliate is the right platform to take you to financial freedom, upgrade to premium. The first-month fee for premium is a special fee of only $19. Before this one month is due, decide if you want to continue and pay either the monthly or yearly fee. If you decide to quit Premium, you can always go back to the FREE Starter membership.

When you join, I will be there to welcome you. Your first task is to set-up your account. Then take advantage of the free live help for the first 7 days. Go through the course material and if you don't understand, ASK for help. I will follow you, and if you need additional help, I will do my best to sort it out for you.

38 comments:

  1. WA is definitely leading the charge when it comes to earning money from a website! How are you finding your experience? I'm in deep now and no turning back. I love creating content for my page now and the community there is 2nd to none. This is a great review for all those interested in Wealthy Affiliate.

    Keep it up buddy.
    Kyle

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is a very good review of a program I totally believe in. With the content on your page hopefully more people will be educated into the benefits of Wealthy Affiliate and the way you have explained how Wealthy Affiliate works I dont see why anyone would hold back. Thanks for a great review.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi, Kyle. Thanks for dropping by. I am now addicted and spending my time either learning, reading the blogs & tutorials or commenting on them. Yes, you are right the community here at Wealthy Affiliate is fantastic and supportive. Have a great weekend Kyle.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi, Gdodd. Yes, I truly hope people will at least sign up for the free offer and take a look at what WA has. There's so much at WA that I wonder how I missed this program before! It has been around for the last 10 years and I only found it recently! So many years and money wasted! Thanks for swinging by,

    ReplyDelete
  5. I can imagine that it must be really nice to work and learn in a community that is known for being totally legit (for once!). I may have to take a closer look at this platform myself at a future date! Tell me, what are the tools like there and are there any extra payments after the monthly bill?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Chris, thanks for asking this important question. If you upgrade from the FREE starter account (which you can stay on as a FREE member forever if you want to) to Premium account, and opt for the monthly payment plan or yearly plan, there are NO OTHER ADDITIONAL PAYMENT to be made, You have access to ALL the tools at Wealthy Affiliate (keyword search, keyword list, link tracking) courses, tutorials, free 50 websites and free hosting, weekly live webinar and many more. Of course, as I mentioned in my post, upgrading to PAID premium membership is OPTIONAL. You don't have to. You can still stay on as a FREE starter member, but with limited facilities (see comparison table as listed in my post). I hope you will give it a peek and see it for yourself.Cheers and have a great day.

    ReplyDelete
  7. There's a lot of things that are holding me back. Time is one of them. Will it take too much of my time learning this wealthy affiliate program?

    ReplyDelete
  8. JTan, we all have the same issue. When I started on Wealthy Affiliate, it took me almost one month to complete Level 1, Getting Started course. There's a lot to be learned here. But due to my busy schedule, I wasn't consistent and there were gaps of days in between lessons. But I finished Level 1. So, don't worry. You can go at your own pace and there is no pre-set time for you to finish any particular lesson. The good thing about the courses is their easy to follow text and video that accompany each lesson. So if you are a newbie, it is super easy.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I am a member of the Wealthy Affiliate, so when I saw your headline: "The Wealthy Affiliate Review – A Scam Site?" I became intrigued. I must say that I really like and agree with your review. The Wealthy Affiliate is a fantastic place where you can learn affiliate marketing and how to make money online fast. Highly recommended!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Sandy, I couldn't agree more. Besides a fantastic place to learn, Wealthy Affiliate has one of the most helpful and supportive community, so to get help is easy. Thanks for dropping by Sandy.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi,

    I've been working online for a similar amount of time to you it would appear! I to have tried multiple different programs aimed to help you make money online!

    I haven't encountered any outright scams, although I have come across the odd program or two which has promised a fair bit more than it has been able to deliver.

    I'm happy to say that I joined Wealthy Affiliate about a year or so back and haven;t looked back since! It's a great product and delivers and what it says it well!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi, Nate. thanks for sharing your own online journey and I am glad to hear of your positive experience at Wealthy Affiliate. Wishing you success all the way.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Great review! Says everything I'm wanting to say in my own review. Having just turned 51 myself and just starting out (day 5 or 6 already lost track) it really spoke directly to me :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hi, Dennis thanks for sharing this and welcome to WA. Give me a shout if you need some assistance.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hey!
    Really nice review! Love it how you have outlined Wealthy Affiliate. There are so many programs and sites online to make money that I can say that it really is hard for anyone, for me it was-:) to make money. Wealthy Affiliate is an exception. There are no upsells. You get to test what the community is like before buying anything.. and the best is that you get so much help from thousands of internet marketers not mentioning the amazing live chat support that is always LIVE.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Yes ayman, the LIVE chat support is so active sometimes it is hard to catch up with the buzz. Thanks for sharing your own personal experience and I am glad to hear that Wealthy Affiliate works for you.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hello Mazlan,

    You have done great job on this review. The information is very detailed and well presented and if I wasn't already a member of wealthy affiliate this article would makes me want to sign up. I am completely agree on that "It is never too late to learn" !

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hi, Nadine Thanks and I hope you are doing great at Wealthy Affiliate. Wishing you success all the way!

    ReplyDelete
  19. I can't believe the words "scam" and "complaints" are used in the same sentence as Wealthy Affiliate. It's free to join so how can it be a scam? And what's there to complain about? Free is free!

    After struggling for too many years to make respectable money online, I had the good fortune to stumble on Wealthy Affiliate. I couldn't believe it was the real deal.

    Like a lot of people, I had been scammed a few times and was gun shy, but the free membership was really free. I didn't even need a credit card. That made me a believer.

    I didn't start making right away, but the training was so well organized and logical, I knew it was only a matter of time.

    It took four months before I made my first dollar. A few months later I made $500 in two days while I was camping at the beach.

    Revenues continue to increase and I now have two profitable websites and also earn revenue helping local businesses with their websites and local SEO.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hi, Gary. Yup, it can't be a scam when it's free. And you can'r compaint either if it is free. Unfortunately, there are sites that try to entice people with 'freebies'. Fortunately, WA is not one of them and I am happy to hear of your success here at WA. Well done and more success to come. Gary, thanks for dropping and sharing your experience,

    ReplyDelete
  21. I came across a similar revew before but I didn't give it much though. Then I saw your review and will be checking this WA out.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Hi, GFhna. I’m glad you made your way back here for WA. Do check it out as the free courses are really useful & educational even if you are not inetrested in online business.

    ReplyDelete
  23. ... [Trackback]

    [...] There you will find 75407 more Infos: startingnewonline.com/the-wealthy-affiliate-scam-and-complaints/trackback/ [...]

    ReplyDelete
  24. Wealthy Affiliate seems like it is a good place to start. Before I decide to join, I do want to know if there are any hidden fees besides the paid membership? Is there a hosting fee? Do I have to pay for my own domain names and if I do how much do those cost?

    ReplyDelete
  25. Hi, Kurtis. Good questions and I am glad that you asked. WA's fee is a one flat price that is inclusive of Domain Cost, Privacy Protection (at least $3 per year at other sites), SSL Certificate (other hosting site will charge at least $10 per year), Email Accounts ( $15 and more at other sites) and Premium DNS (at least $4 per year with other sites). And with no Upsells! All these for only $13.99/year and no additional hosting fee!This is probably the best deal you can find anywhere online. See you on the inside soon!

    ReplyDelete
  26. This is something that I must check out. Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  27. Hi, Sebastian. Thanks for dropping by and do check it out. After all, wealthy affiliate is free to try.

    ReplyDelete
  28. social share count

    xrhhlnqos ucxcg nmyjuyu fnoc yfwjeahsqnktmjy

    ReplyDelete
  29. When I rolled through Wealthy Affiliate’s doors a while ago they said they will show me exactly how to build a website around my interest and attract visitors to accomplish making conversions.
    They didn’t promise overnight riches, instead they said success is purely down to your determination to keep writing posts in order to achieve high rankings. Their invitation for a free week’s trial plus the promises of no ties if I chose to go premium shows legitimacy in my view.

    I agree with you regarding information overload as everything regarding running an online business is on the WA platform, there is a wealth of information. Like you mention, I just go at my own pace, take the training and implement the system into my website.
    It’s all about attracting visitors, those who can achieve this have the ability to create a superb business however attaining high rankings with the search engines does take time.

    Have you completed the training with Wealthy Affiliate? I’m about a third of the way through.
    Simon.

    ReplyDelete
  30. When I rolled through Wealthy Affiliate’s doors a while ago they said they will show me exactly how to build a website around my interest and attract visitors to accomplish making conversions.
    They didn’t promise overnight riches, instead they said success is purely down to your determination to keep writing posts in order to achieve high rankings. Their invitation for a free week’s trial plus the promises of no ties if I chose to go premium shows legitimacy in my view.

    I agree with you regarding information overload as everything regarding running an online business is on the WA platform, there is a wealth of information. Like you mention, I just go at my own pace, take the training and implement the system into my website.
    It’s all about attracting visitors, those who can achieve this have the ability to create a superb business however attaining high rankings with the search engines does take time.

    Have you completed the training with Wealthy Affiliate? I’m about a third of the way through.
    Simon.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Nice post. In my experience with online money making sites and complaints is that most of the complainers don't want to put in the work required. Nobody promised the get-rich-quick rainbow at Wealthy Affiliate. Yes, too much information may be a lot to absorb, but so what? It's a reality check of what you need to know. if you have the patience and perseverance to learn it all, you're way ahead of your fellow internet marketers who a after the same traffic as you. Yes, we have a lot of chatty members, but no one is forced to read all that. BUT, it sure does feel good when someone gives you a great comment on your accomplishments or post. Thanks again.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Nice post. In my experience with online money making sites and complaints is that most of the complainers don't want to put in the work required. Nobody promised the get-rich-quick rainbow at Wealthy Affiliate. Yes, too much information may be a lot to absorb, but so what? It's a reality check of what you need to know. if you have the patience and perseverance to learn it all, you're way ahead of your fellow internet marketers who a after the same traffic as you. Yes, we have a lot of chatty members, but no one is forced to read all that. BUT, it sure does feel good when someone gives you a great comment on your accomplishments or post. Thanks again.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Hi Simon. Thanks for sharing your views and experience with Wealthy Affiliate. Wow..come to think of it, nope. I have not completed the training program and was going through it at my own pace! At the same time, trying to keep my site active. I must manage my time more effectively and allocate some for the overdue training! Thanks for the reminder.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Hi Warren. How true. I guess the downside of WA is the amount of training available BUT it is also a GOOD disadvantage. You are accessible to all the updated trainings to make you a better online marketers. As I had mentioned in my response to Simon's comment, I have yet to complete the training program!

    ReplyDelete
  35. I have heard some of these complaints too. Usually, the one that you need to upgrade.

    It makes sense that people love to get free stuff. But Wealthy Affiliate is providing you a web host, a keyword tool, a great community and the best training for affiliate marketers.

    If you want all the tools and resources for free then you are not serious about starting your own business.

    Also, you will not find them for free or cheaper elsewhere.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Hi, llias, yes you are right. It can be more expensive elsewhere

    ReplyDelete
  37. Hi, thanks for this information on Wealthy Affiliate. I myself have been a member for over a year, and I agree with a lot of it. It is nice to see somebody go through the effort of putting in some legitimate cons for the program as well, it seems to me that too many of these reviews don't bother to point out the faults of Wealthy Affiliate. With that being said, however, I can say the pros far outweigh the cons, and that this is a place that is definitely worth getting involved in.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Hi, Jacob. Thanks for the feedback and happy to hear that you are already a Wealthy Affiliate member. 

    ReplyDelete

Bottom Ad [Post Page]

| Designed by Colorlib