Two sue multilevel marketing company

Tuesday, Nov. 30, 1999 | 11:02 a.m.

A former sales agent with Worldwide Consumer Direct Inc. of Carrollton, Texas, sued the multi-level marketing company alleging it owes her more than $10,000 in commissions and overrides for recruiting members and selling the company's nutritional supplements in Las Vegas.

The Clark County District Court suit was filed by Robyn Williams and Anthony Marnell III -- the son of Anthony Marnell II, consultant and former CEO of the Rio Suite hotel-casino.

They allege Worldwide Consumer Direct breached an agreement by refusing to pay her commissions and to continue assigning a portion of her interest in the commissions to Marnell, in exchange for a loan he made to her.

The suit said the company, which sells nutritional supplements, vitamins and other products to its agents for resale in Las Vegas, had paid only a few hundred dollars of the loan to Marnell.

Williams said she is entitled to receive commissions because she was a preferred member who met the minimum order quota each month. A commission is paid on sales made by those whom they have recruited. Williams said she's a preferred member with a downline of more than 200 individuals.

The suit said members, whose applications have been approved by Worldwide Consumer Direct, begin as ground-level sellers of Worldwide Consumer's products -- which they buy from the company at a substantial discount.

The members, who can also recruit others into the program, can qualify to become "preferred" members by ordering a minimum amount of product measured by a suggested retail price from Worldwide Consumer.

Worldwide Consumer could not be reached for comment.