Amazing Living, an affiliate marketing venture initially focused on soursop tea, launched in late 2017. Following an initial surge in recruitment, the company experienced a rapid decline in website traffic, according to Alexa statistics. This downturn prompted a significant shift in its business strategy.
To revitalize the company, National Sales Trainer Larry Williams introduced a "Brand New Concept Video" on his personal YouTube channel on April 27, 2018. In the video, Williams announced a new initiative, claiming Amazing Living was attempting "something that has never been done before in human history." He described a system linking an everyday prepaid debit card to a publicly traded company. Users would earn free trading stock on their routine purchases, whether for goods, services, or gas. These stocks, Williams explained, could be accumulated or sold for cash.
Williams did not name the publicly traded company associated with this new debit card program. The card, however, is offered directly through the Amazing Living multi-level marketing opportunity. This arrangement means Amazing Living itself is involved in issuing or facilitating the issuance of shares to its participants. The company's legal disclaimer states that participation in Amazing Living "shall in all respects be governed by the laws of the state of Florida, U.S."
A search of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) EDGAR database at the time yielded no registration filings for Amazing Living or any related entities. This absence of registration is a critical point. Any offering of shares by Amazing Living, regardless of whether they represent a third-party publicly traded company or Amazing Living itself, constitutes an unregistered securities offering under federal law. The Securities Act of 1933 generally requires that all securities offered to the public be registered with the SEC, unless an exemption applies. Registration ensures investors receive full and fair disclosure of material information about the investment. Without it, investors face heightened risks due to a lack of transparency and regulatory oversight.
Williams highlighted the potential for stock value appreciation, suggesting shares worth $10 today could be worth $20 tomorrow. He stressed the need for affiliates to help distribute these prepaid cards, stating, "We need hundreds and thousands of affiliates to help us pass these cards out. To get people signed up for this prepaid card." Affiliates would earn not only stock rewards but also commissions. These commissions would be paid on purchases of products and services specifically tied to Amazing Living, which, at the time, primarily remained the soursop tea.
Amazing Living appears to be passing a percentage of the commission it receives from the debit card issuer to its affiliates when the card is used. This structure raises questions about whether the primary incentive for affiliates is recruitment, a concern given the original Amazing Living business model's limited retail focus. The video indicated the debit card stock concept had not yet launched, providing no specific launch date. Prospective affiliates were simply advised to sign up and "position" themselves.
Offering unregistered securities carries severe legal risks for companies and individuals involved. The SEC possesses broad enforcement powers, including the ability to issue cease-and-desist orders, impose significant civil monetary penalties, and require the disgorgement of ill-gotten gains. Individuals who aid and abet unregistered offerings, or who act as unregistered brokers, can also face substantial penalties. The lack of registration means investors are not afforded the protections mandated by federal securities laws, leaving them vulnerable to fraud and misrepresentation. The risks to participants in an unregistered offering include the potential loss of their entire investment and limited recourse through regulatory channels. As of July 9, 2018, the video detailing this concept remained publicly available.