Additional Information for Phoenix USA

Phoenix USA is no longer operating in our area. They have apparently changed their name to Paragon USA, Inc. and moved their offices to 5783 Mining Terrace, Suite 6, Jacksonville, FL 32257. Their new contact number is 904-262-2221. All complaints should be forwarded to the Jacksonville, FL BBB.

This company is a wholesale distributor/shipping facility for a variety of products. This company offers personal care - mineral supplements - water processors; internet marketing, etc., sold through Independent Contractors. According to Phoenix USA's product price list, these independent contractors sell Aromatherapy Bar Soaps, French-Milled Oval Bar Soaps, Therapeutic Bar Soaps, Nourishing Hair Care, Herbal Body Care, Bio-Syntrex Nutritional Formulas, Pet Nutrition, Nature's Elements Cleaning Solutions, and Water Filtration Equipment and Accessories Products. Water Filtration products include Whole Home Units (500,000 and 750,000 gallons); Standard Sealed Countertop & Undercounter; Replaceable Cartridge Countertop & Undercounter w/Ceramikx; and Shower Filter w/Adjustable Head.

According to the Greenville SC BBB, this company advertises in the "Help Wanted" section of the newspaper stating employees are needed to work for a National Internet Company. Callers responding to the ad are told to come in for an interview. However, the interview is actually a series of seminars promoting a business opportunity company of which consumers may invest up to $5,000 which includes herbal products and water purifiers.

The Richmond VA BBB reports, "While not required, the company encourages representatives to take a 2 day training seminar that costs $200. Representatives must sell $5,000 in merchandise to become managers."

On November 27, 2002, Macon, GA BBB reported that a BBB representative shopped this company and found that Teranova d/b/a/Phoenix USA is a wholesale distributor/seller of such products as: water filtration systems, filtered watered bottles, household cleaners, soaps, lotions, fat-reducing tablets, and herbal & mineral supplements. The products are sold by independent representatives who can have their own business as a franchisee of Phoenix USA. Each representative places an ad in a local newspaper at his or her own expense in either the "general" or "sales" section of the Help Wanted ads. Callers are told to come in for an interview and to ask for a certain person when they arrive.

The interviews are actually mini-seminars held in a group setting. The interviews consist of company promotion by the Regional Manager and the Executive Director about how much money can be made selling the product and how you advance to the next level after selling a certain cash amount. There are varying levels within the company: Representative, Manager, Supervisor, Regional Manager, and Executive Director. Each level is achieved by reaching a sales quota. Each representative has a manager over them. A representative can become a manager by selling a certain dollar amount of the products. They can then have representative(s) put under them. A supervisor can have more than one manager under them. When a manager's representatives reach a group sale of products, $5,000 for example, each level gets a percentage of the sales. The Greenville SC BBB reports that this company is NOT a member of any Better Business Bureau. The Greenville BBB has asked them to remove the Better Business Bureau name from its question and answer format sheet. The company has stated they do not have any literature which refers to being a member of the BBB. However, the company further states that the item in question obtained by the Bureau was from someone once worked for them at an affiliated company named Global Technology. Global Technology is a Training Center for Phoenix USA. As of May 2001, this company appears to be out of business in the Greenville area; phone numbers have been disconnected and the company has vacated their premises.
The company also has offices in Virginia Beach and Richmond, VA; Knoxville, TN; Louisville, KY; and Jacksonville, FL.
The Bureau recommends that anyone considering being an independent representative of this company should read very carefully the Terms & Conditions of the Application and Agreement with Phoenix.

The Virginia Beach, VA BBB, reports that Paul Radlbauer stated that he got his start with the old Equinox and Andros companies. He, Wally Ponder and Bwana Thurman are the "founders" of this company called "Phoenix USA".