Independent profile — not affiliated with Herbalife

Herbalife

Herbalife is a global direct-selling nutrition company; Herbalife Ltd. (Cayman Islands, NYSE: HLF) is the parent and Herbalife International of America, Inc. of Los Angeles is the U.S. operating company named on its website and BBB file. This page gives the company's published refund, membership-cancellation and distributor-resignation rules, its 2025 U.S. earnings statement, the July 2016 FTC order and $200 million redress, the 2023 class settlement, FDA recall records, BBB and Trustpilot figures as displayed on October 7, 2026, and this site's archive of 2002 to 2013 complaints.

COMPLAINTS57
VERIFIED PHONE1-888-443-7225
LAST CHECKED2026-10-07
CONSUMER ALLEGATION

Complaints & Reviews on USAComplaints

USAComplaints currently maintains 57 historical complaints about Herbalife, published between 2002 and 2013. No approved complaints have been published on this site during the last three years. For a current reputation snapshot, see the independent sources below.

EDITORIAL

Complaint Themes

Mentions cost of starter packages, leads, coaching or office fees (keyword match)Mentions income claims or work-at-home pitch (keyword match)Mentions recruiting, upline or pyramid structure (keyword match)Mentions money-back guarantee, refund or unauthorized charge (keyword match)Mentions product quality or side effects (keyword match)

Each tag reflects a complaint's single primary theme (not every angle it raised), and complaints outside any problem theme — a positive report, or one later retracted by its author — aren't tagged. Counts may total less than the full complaint count above.

EXTERNAL SOURCE

Independent Sources

Shown for context — not merged with USAComplaints' own numbers.

BBB: 4 reviews, 11 complaints
Trustpilot: 960 reviews,
VERIFIED

Contacts & Login

VERIFIED

Locations

TypeAddress
Headquarters800 W Olympic Blvd Los Angeles CA 90015
Mailing addressUgland House, South Church Street, P.O. Box 309GT George Town
EDITORIAL

Herbalife refunds, membership cancellation, contacts and complaint routes: what to do (checked October 7, 2026)

Three different relationships. People searching for Herbalife complaints usually mean one of three things: a product order (from a Herbalife Independent Distributor or herbalife.com), a Wellness or Preferred membership, or the Distributor business opportunity. The company's Refund Policy page (opened October 7, 2026) gives separate rules for each, and the company calls Distributors 'Independent Distributors'.

Product refunds. The Refund Policy says that, subject to 'certain limited exceptions', if a Retail Customer, Wellness Member or Preferred Member 'is not completely satisfied with any Herbalife product purchased directly from us or from a Herbalife Independent Distributor, the Customer may return it for a refund or product exchange within 30 days from the date the Customer receives the product.' The listed exclusions are 'App Subscriptions, Testing Kits and Personalized Supplements', which 'are non-refundable'. Request a refund or exchange through your Distributor or the Refunds and Repurchase Department at 1-855-757-4747.

Membership cancellation. The same page says a Wellness VIP Member or Preferred Member who cancels 'within 90 days from the date the application is accepted by Herbalife' is entitled to a full refund of the initial membership cost, and that 'a written cancelation is required to initiate the refund process.' Keep a copy of what you send.

Resigning as a Distributor. The Distributor Refund & Resignation Policy says a Distributor who resigns 'for any reason' is entitled to a full refund of the cost of the International Business Pack/Digital Business Starter Kit, unopened products, Herbalife-produced literature and sales aids, and unused U.S. corporate event tickets purchased within the previous 12 months, including taxes and the shipping and handling on the original delivery and return. The policy says Distributors 'may initiate the refund process' through the Online Refund Self-Service Center on MyHerbalife.com or by contacting the Refunds & Repurchase Department at 1-855-757-4747 to arrange pickup of the items; the public page does not state that either step itself submits the resignation. The U.S. Statement of Typical Distributor Earnings says the same in shorter form ('We even pay for shipping').

Who to contact. The Support Center (support.herbalife.com) has a contact form that asks whether you are a Customer, Distributor or Preferred Member. The FAQ page gives Member Services as 1-888-443-7225 (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. PT); a contact form on the Refund Policy page gives a different Member Services number, +1 (866) 866-4744. For concerns about misconduct or a possible breach of the company's Code of Conduct, the Ethics and Compliance page lists a hotline (1-844-539-2285, U.S. only), IntegrityLine.Herbalife.com and [email protected], and says reports can be anonymous where permitted by law.

Outside routes. The FTC's ReportFraud site takes consumer reports about fraud and bad business practices; the FTC's page on multi-level marketing explains the difference between selling to retail customers and recruiting. For a serious reaction or quality problem with a dietary supplement, the FDA's MedWatch page says it takes reports about dietary supplements and gives 1-888-INFO-FDA (1-888-463-6332). Your state attorney general's consumer office and the BBB also accept complaints. Pay by card where possible, because a card issuer's dispute process is separate from the company's refund policy.

Older posts on this site. Most complaints in this site's archive (2002 to 2013) are about work-at-home pitches that led to a Herbalife distributorship, often through third-party sellers. They are described under Complaint record below and are not evidence about the company's current policies.

EDITORIAL

Regulator actions: FTC 2016 order, state and federal matters, FDA recall records

FTC order, July 2016. The FTC's press release of July 15, 2016 says Herbalife International of America, Inc., Herbalife International, Inc. and Herbalife, Ltd. 'agreed to fully restructure their U.S. business operations and pay $200 million to compensate consumers' to settle FTC charges. The complaint (FTC v. Herbalife International of America, Inc., et al., C.D. Cal. No. 2:16-cv-05217) alleged unfair and deceptive practices: that the companies deceived consumers into believing they could earn substantial money, and that the compensation structure rewarded recruiting over retail demand. The stipulation filed July 15, 2016 records the defendants' position in the Findings: 'Defendants neither admit nor deny any of the allegations in the Complaint, except as specifically stated in this Order.' The Stipulated Order for Permanent Injunction and Monetary Judgment is dated July 25, 2016 (Hon. Beverly Reid O'Connell).

What the order requires (per the FTC and the company's 10-K). A $200,000,000 monetary judgment for consumer redress; a prohibition on misrepresenting distributors' potential or likely earnings, including claims that members can 'quit their job' or enjoy a lavish lifestyle; a revised compensation system in which, per the FTC, at least two-thirds of rewards must be based on verified retail sales and, companywide, at least 80 percent of product sales must be comprised of sales to legitimate end-users in order to pay compensation at current levels (otherwise rewards must be reduced); restrictions on opening Nutrition Clubs before a Distributor's first year and training; and a seven-year Independent Compliance Auditor. The company's 10-K for 2025 says the auditor's term ended on May 28, 2024 and that the FTC 'continues to have the right to inspect Company records and request additional compliance reports'.

Redress payments. The FTC's Herbalife Refunds page (dated March 2023) says checks were mailed in January 2017 and May 2019, resulting in 'nearly $194.3 million in refunds', and that a third round of 42,713 checks totaling over $4.2 million was being mailed to people who previously cashed a check and paid Herbalife at least $50. In the sources checked on October 7, 2026 I did not find an open claim period for this matter.

The company's position. In its July 15, 2016 statement (Form 8-K exhibit) Herbalife said the settlement terms 'do not change Herbalife's business model as a direct selling company' and that, 'while the Company believes that many of the allegations made by the FTC are factually incorrect', it believed settlement was in its best interest because of the cost and distraction of protracted litigation.

Illinois Attorney General. The same company statement says Herbalife and the Illinois Attorney General 'also reached a settlement' under which the company agreed to pay $3 million, and that, with that investigation concluded, the company was not aware of any other active state attorney general investigation. I did not open an Illinois Attorney General document, so these terms are the company's description.

SEC and DOJ (China, FCPA), August 2020. The company's Form 8-K says that on August 28, 2020 the SEC issued an administrative order finding the company violated the books-and-records and internal-controls provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in China, and that the company separately entered a court-approved three-year deferred prosecution agreement with the DOJ, with payments of approximately $123 million in aggregate. The matter concerns operations in China, not U.S. consumer sales; I did not locate a filing showing the deferred charge's dismissal.

California injunction. The 2025 10-K refers to 'the 1986 permanent injunction entered in California' and says it required changes to the network marketing program; I did not open the 1986 order.

FDA recall records. The openFDA food enforcement database, searched on October 7, 2026 for recalling firm 'herbalife', returned four voluntary, firm-initiated recalls, all with status 'Terminated': F-1059-2013 (Class I; Formula 1 Vanilla Dream packets, undeclared milk protein allergen; initiated February 20, 2013), F-2239-2017 (Class III; Protein Bar Peanut Butter, may contain a trace amount of fish gelatin; initiated May 1, 2017), F-0860-2022 (Class II; Protein Bar Deluxe Chocolate Peanut, undeclared egg allergen; initiated March 1, 2022) and H-0390-2025 (Class II; Relaxation Tea, 5,888 units, 'incorrect ingredient was received from supplier and used in manufacturing'; initiated July 21, 2025). This is the database's record, not a statement that no other recall exists; check the FDA site and Herbalife's own notices for a product you hold.

EDITORIAL

Herbalife: company background and how the Distributor model works

Who is who. Herbalife Ltd. (NYSE: HLF) is the Cayman Islands parent that files with the SEC; it was named Herbalife Nutrition Ltd. from April 27, 2018 until April 11, 2023 per EDGAR. The herbalife.com footer copyright and the BBB headquarters file name Herbalife International of America, Inc., and the FTC defendants were Herbalife International of America, Inc., Herbalife International, Inc. and Herbalife Ltd. The company's Form 8-K of April 2026 describes Herbalife International, Inc. as a wholly owned subsidiary of Herbalife Ltd.

Business. The 10-K for fiscal 2025 (filed February 18, 2026) says Herbalife is 'a global health and wellness company' that sells weight-management, targeted-nutrition, energy/sports/fitness and outer-nutrition products 'in 95 markets' through a 'direct-selling business model' in which 'Members include consumers who purchase products for their own personal use and distributors who wish to resell products or build a sales organization.' Net sales were $5,037.5 million for 2025 (company figure). The company says it was founded by Mark Hughes in 1980. It lists corporate executive offices in downtown Los Angeles, a North America regional headquarters in Torrance, and U.S. manufacturing in Lake Forest, California and Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

How the U.S. Distributor model works (company statement). The U.S. Statement of Typical Distributor Earnings (published June 2026) says you join by buying the International Business Pack/Digital Business Starter Kit ($54.95) and that 'There is no other required purchase.' It says a Distributor can buy products at a discount, sell to customers for retail profit, and recruit others and earn commissions and bonuses on their activity, and that 'You cannot earn any money by only recruiting or only sponsoring someone.' Nutrition Clubs are described by the company as independently owned and operated by Distributors, and the FAQ says a U.S. club operator must have been a Distributor for 12 consecutive months, completed a required training course and completed a business plan.

Recent corporate events. The company's Form 8-K of August 31, 2026 says CEO Stephan Gratziani 'will transition from his role as Chief Executive Officer, effective October 31, 2026'; its Form 8-K of August 5, 2026 says CFO John DeSimone will retire effective December 31, 2026, to be succeeded by Scott Schaefer on January 1, 2027. In April 2026 it issued $800 million of 7.750 percent senior secured notes due 2033 (Form 8-K). On September 8, 2026 the company announced that its board 'authorized the repurchase of up to $250 million of the Company's outstanding common stock over 3 years'; the release says the program 'does not obligate the Company to acquire any amount of common stock and may be suspended, modified or discontinued at any time' (company press release). The Herbalife website FAQ still names Mr. Gratziani as CEO.

What the company's own statement says (U.S., 2025). The Statement of Typical Distributor Earnings 2025 (published June 2026) says: 'In 2025, about 107,769 U.S. Distributors ordered products for resale from Herbalife and about 96,000 of them earned money from their sales and the sales of those they sponsored. In a typical month, about 47,000 earned money.' For a typical month before expenses it reports, for First-Year Distributors (about 6,000; the statement says about half earned in two months or more in 2025), that 50 percent earned more than $166, the top 10 percent more than $1,174 and the top 1 percent more than $5,552; for All Other Distributors (about 41,000; about half earned in seven months or more in 2025), 50 percent earned more than $320, the top 10 percent more than $5,442 and the top 1 percent more than $21,893. It adds: 'The majority of Distributors in 2025 joined only to receive a discount on Herbalife products and do not sell products or recruit others,' and 'There are no guarantees for success.' These are the company's figures, before expenses; they are not combined with any other number on this page.

EDITORIAL

Herbalife complaint record: BBB, Trustpilot and this site's archive (as displayed October 7, 2026)

BBB and Trustpilot (as displayed on October 7, 2026). The BBB headquarters file for Herbalife International of America, Inc. (Los Angeles) shows BBB Accredited, rating A+, 11 total complaints in the last 3 years, 4 closed in the last 12 months, and '2 /5 stars' from an average of 4 customer reviews. The BBB page data show the file accredited on April 19, 1990, business started February 26, 1996 and incorporated April 23, 2004. BBB lists many other separate 'Herbalife' files for individual distributors and clubs, which are not used here. Trustpilot shows 3.0 from 960 reviews (196 in the last 12 months; 48 percent 5-star and 43 percent 1-star), a claimed profile since February 2013, and notes that the company has not recently invited reviews and has not replied to negative reviews. These two sources are different samples and are not combined.

This site's archive (2002 to 2013). This site has 57 archived complaints whose offender field names Herbalife (or Herbalife International) itself, dated May 2002 to January 2013, and 35 more, shown as secondary links, whose offender is a third-party business selling the Herbalife work-at-home opportunity under names such as 'Online Business Systems', 'IOffice', 'E Team Marketing' or 'Vertical Skip Marketing'. They are unverified consumer submissions, not findings, and none is dated after April 2013. Keyword counts across the 57 primary posts (a post can match several): income-claim / 'get rich' or work-at-home pitch: 30; mentions recruiting / upline / pyramid or MLM structure: 25; mentions cost of starter packages, leads, coaching or 'office' fees: 42; mentions product quality or side effects: 15; money-back guarantee, refund or unauthorized charge: 20. Counts are of keyword matches and say nothing about how common the experience is among all customers or distributors.

Why third-party sellers appear. Many archive posts say the writer answered a radio, television or internet work-at-home ad, paid a small amount for an information package, and was then offered coaching, 'leads' or an office/website package before learning the product was Herbalife. Those are the writers' allegations about the sellers, whose relationship to the company is not established by this site. The company's current Refund Policy and earnings statement (above) are the primary sources for what Herbalife itself offers today.

EDITORIAL

Herbalife lawsuits: class settlement, pending cases and other dockets

Rodgers/Lavigne class settlement (C.D. Cal.). The 10-K for 2023 describes a purported class action filed September 18, 2017 in the Southern District of Florida (Rodgers, et al. v. Herbalife Ltd., et al.) alleging violations of Florida's Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices statute and RICO, unjust enrichment and negligent misrepresentation. The court transferred the claims of four plaintiffs to the Central District of California on August 23, 2018 and ordered the other four to arbitration. Herbalife 'continues to believe the lawsuit is without merit' and settled 'without admitting liability or wrongdoing' for $12.5 million. The C.D. Cal. docket (captioned Lavigne v. Herbalife, Ltd., No. 2:18-cv-07480) shows a Judgment entered November 16, 2023 granting final approval, dismissing the claims with prejudice, and awarding $4,000,000 in fees and $337,926.03 in costs to class counsel; no entry beyond that judgment is relied on here. The settlement website (herbalifeclassactionsettlement.com), checked on October 7, 2026, says: 'Claims continue to be reviewed by the Claims Administrator' and that 'once the review process is complete, valid claims will be sent payments.' The claim filing deadline of August 4, 2023 has passed. The site also lists the non-cash terms Herbalife agreed to for no less than three years from final approval: amend its U.S. Rules of Conduct and Distributor Policies to say event attendance 'is not mandatory and does not guarantee financial success', allow distributors to cancel U.S. corporate event ticket purchases within 24 hours of purchase, and preclude purchases of more than two tickets per Distributorship for a given U.S. corporate event.

DeSimone v. Herbalife Ltd. (Los Angeles Superior Court). The 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026 (filed August 5, 2026) says the company and certain executive officers were named on October 31, 2024 in a purported class action alleging California Labor Code violations, including misclassification of distributors as independent contractors, with a Private Attorneys General Act claim added on February 21, 2025; damages are unspecified, the company 'will vigorously defend itself', and it does not believe a loss is probable. I did not open the Superior Court docket.

Company-filed commercial case. Herbalife International of America, Inc. v. Eastern Computer Exchange, Inc. (C.D. Cal.) is a suit the company filed in 2022 against a former technology vendor; per the 10-Q, an April 2025 trial produced a verdict for the company including a $1.5 million judgment on its fraudulent-concealment claim, with a punitive-damages trial set for September 8, 2026. I did not find a later report.

Other dockets. CourtListener and Justia also list individual lawsuits against Herbalife International of America, Inc. whose docket headers give an Americans with Disabilities Act cause of action (e.g., N.D. Ill. No. 1:25-cv-13767, filed November 10, 2025; D. Minn. No. 0:26-cv-02607, filed May 13, 2026). The headers state no outcome and I did not review the filings. Securities and tax disputes disclosed in the 10-K (for example Brazilian and Indian tax assessments) are not consumer matters and are not described here.

EDITORIAL

Is Herbalife Legitimate?

Herbalife Ltd. is an SEC-registered public company (NYSE: HLF) whose operating U.S. entity, Herbalife International of America, Inc., has a BBB headquarters file rated A+ and BBB Accredited (accredited April 19, 1990 per BBB page data) with 11 complaints in the last 3 years as displayed on October 7, 2026. It sells nutrition products through independent distributors and states net sales of $5,037.5 million for 2025.

The record also includes a 2016 FTC order, entered on stipulation with the defendants neither admitting nor denying the complaint, that imposed a $200 million consumer-redress judgment, an earnings-claims prohibition and a restructured U.S. compensation plan; a 2020 SEC/DOJ FCPA resolution concerning China; a $12.5 million class settlement (final judgment November 16, 2023) in which the company denied liability; four FDA recall records from 2013 to 2025; and a pending California misclassification class action. In the FTC and class-action matters the company did not admit the allegations, and in its 2016 statement it described its business model as sound.

This page does not rate the company. Whether a purchase or the Distributor opportunity suits you is a personal decision: the company's own earnings statement, refund rules, the FTC's page on multi-level marketing and your own expected costs are the primary inputs. Check any seller who offers a 'Herbalife' package by name against herbalife.com, because the company's Refund Policy applies to what you bought from the company or a Distributor, not to a third-party coaching or lead package.

PUBLIC RECORD

Court & Public Records

CaseAuthorityDatesTypeOutcomeSource
Federal Trade Commission v. Herbalife International of America, Inc., Herbalife International, Inc. and Herbalife, Ltd.
Docket 2:16-cv-05217
U.S. District Court, C.D. California
SettledSettled

Stipulated Order for Permanent Injunction and Monetary Judgment dated July 25, 2016 (Hon. Beverly Reid O'Connell). The defendants stipulated that they 'neither admit nor deny any of the allegations in the Complaint, except as specifically stated in this Order.' Terms per the FTC: $200 million judgment for consumer redress, a ban on misrepresenting distributors' earnings, a restructured compensation plan and an Independent Compliance Auditor for seven years; the company's 2025 10-K says the auditor's term ended May 28, 2024 and the FTC retains inspection and reporting rights.

Source
Rodgers, et al. v. Herbalife Ltd., et al. (C.D. Cal. docket captioned Lavigne v. Herbalife, Ltd.)
Docket 2:18-cv-07480
U.S. District Court, C.D. California—
SettledSettled

Class action by former distributors alleging Florida deceptive-practices and RICO violations (as described in the company's 10-K). Settled for $12.5 million without admission of liability; Judgment entered November 16, 2023 granting final approval of the class settlement and dismissing the claims on the merits and with prejudice, with $4,000,000 in attorney fees and $337,926.03 in costs awarded to class counsel. The settlement website says claim review continues and valid claims will be sent payments.

Source
DeSimone v. Herbalife Ltd., et al. (purported class action, Cal. Labor Code misclassification)Los Angeles County Superior CourtFiledFiled — no final outcome recorded

Per the company's 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026: purported class action alleging California Labor Code violations including misclassification of distributors as independent contractors; PAGA claims added February 21, 2025; damages unspecified; the company says it will vigorously defend and does not believe a loss is probable. No outcome reported; the Superior Court docket was not opened.

Source
CONSUMER ALLEGATION

Related Complaints

Names this company in a role other than the primary subject — not necessarily current or complete.

VERIFIED

Company Relationships

  • Affiliated with: Herbalife International, Inc.
  • Affiliated with: Herbalife International of America, Inc.
EDITORIAL

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get a refund on Herbalife products?

The Refund Policy page says a Retail Customer, Wellness Member or Preferred Member who is not completely satisfied may return a product 'for a refund or product exchange within 30 days from the date the Customer receives the product'. App subscriptions, testing kits and personalized supplements are listed as non-refundable. Contact your Distributor or the Refunds and Repurchase Department at 1-855-757-4747.

How do I cancel as an Herbalife Distributor and get my money back?

The company's policy says a Distributor who resigns for any reason is entitled to a full refund of the starter kit, unopened products, Herbalife-produced literature and sales aids, and unused U.S. corporate event tickets bought in the previous 12 months, including shipping. After resigning, the policy says the Distributor may initiate the refund process through the Online Refund Self-Service Center on MyHerbalife.com or by calling 1-855-757-4747; the public Refund Policy page does not specify how to deliver the resignation itself, and the U.S. earnings statement says only that 'you can cancel your Distributorship at any time' and gives 855-757-4747 for more information. Purchases from third-party coaches or lead sellers are not covered by this policy.

Is Herbalife a pyramid scheme?

In July 2016 the FTC charged Herbalife with unfair and deceptive practices (deceptive earnings claims and a compensation structure that rewarded recruiting), and the companies agreed to a stipulated order, neither admitting nor denying the complaint, requiring a restructured U.S. compensation plan and a $200 million redress judgment. The FTC's press release does not use the phrase 'pyramid scheme'; the company says many of the FTC's allegations were factually incorrect. The FTC's consumer page says an MLM that is not a pyramid scheme pays 'based on your sales to retail customers, without having to recruit new distributors'.

How much do Herbalife distributors earn?

The company's U.S. Statement of Typical Distributor Earnings for 2025 (published June 2026) says about 107,769 U.S. Distributors ordered products for resale, about 96,000 earned money in the year and about 47,000 earned money in a typical month; of the first-year Distributors who earned in a typical month, half earned more than $166, and of all other Distributors who earned, half earned more than $320, before expenses. It also says most Distributors joined only to receive a discount.

Who owns Herbalife and where is it based?

Herbalife Ltd., a Cayman Islands company listed on the NYSE (HLF), is the parent; the company's FAQ says it has no single owner. The consumer-facing operating company named on the website and the BBB file is Herbalife International of America, Inc., with corporate executive offices in downtown Los Angeles per the 2025 10-K. The company says CEO Stephan Gratziani will transition from the role effective October 31, 2026 (Form 8-K of August 31, 2026).

Is there an open Herbalife class action settlement or refund I can claim?

The $12.5 million Rodgers/Lavigne class settlement reached final judgment on November 16, 2023 and its claim filing deadline (August 4, 2023) has passed; the settlement website says claim review is still under way. The FTC's Herbalife Refunds page describes three check-mailing rounds (2017, 2019, 2023) to people who had already been identified. In the sources checked on October 7, 2026 I did not find an open claim period for either matter.

Has Herbalife recalled any products?

The openFDA food enforcement database lists four voluntary recalls by Herbalife, all now terminated: Formula 1 Vanilla Dream packets (2013, undeclared milk), Peanut Butter Protein Bar (2017, possible fish gelatin), Protein Bar Deluxe Chocolate Peanut (2022, undeclared egg) and Relaxation Tea (2025, an incorrect ingredient from a supplier). Check the FDA site and the company's notices for any other product.

How do I contact Herbalife or complain about an Herbalife distributor?

Use the Support Center contact form at support.herbalife.com, Member Services (1-888-443-7225 per the FAQ page; the get-started form gives +1 866-866-4744), or the Ethics and Compliance hotline at 1-844-539-2285, IntegrityLine.Herbalife.com or [email protected]. You can also report to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, your state attorney general or the BBB.