Facebook has blocked "Rippln Blitz" recruitment links, citing widespread user complaints of spam. The social media giant's action follows a similar ban on Empower Network links, signaling a consistent policy against aggressive, unwanted promotional content from multi-level marketing operations. Rippln affiliates began reporting the blocks earlier this week.
Rippln introduced its "blitz link" system weeks ago. This change moved away from a drip-feed invite model, effectively giving affiliates unlimited invitations. Technically, blitz links allow mass recruitment with a single code, rather than time-sensitive activation codes for each invite.
This new system led to a significant increase in Rippln recruitment spam across the internet. Rippln itself acknowledged this surge as the reason for the Facebook ban. The company informed affiliates that "Facebook users have marked the link as 'spam,' and once this happens a number of times, it is automatically blocked." Rippln stated it has contacted Facebook and awaits a reply.
Separate from the Facebook ban, Rippln also revised its affiliate membership costs. Previously, commission-qualified affiliates paid an annual fee of $69.95 and a monthly fee of $25.
Rippln recently emailed affiliates about these adjustments. The annual $70 tracking system fee is now gone. Instead, members face a one-time activation fee of $95 for the Rippln Tracking System, followed by $30 per month for the Rippln Rewards System. This change effectively raises the yearly cost and increases the monthly fee by five dollars.
Many affiliates reacted negatively to the new fee structure. One user questioned the value, stating, "So we have to pay now? pfff thank you for wasting my time." Another asked, "And if you can't make money without SPENDING money.. and getting a bunch of other people to spend money too, so that 'they can make money too' before you've even made any money, how is that not a typical MLM scam?" These changes have sparked a debate among participants about the true nature of the Rippln business model.