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WEBVTT >> THERE IS A LITTLE BIT OFSOMETHING FOR EVERYBODY.EMILY: LU-LA-ROE CONSULTANTS FORTHE LAST 19 MONTHS, JILL ANDJEREMY WHALEY HAVE TURNED THEIRLIVING AND DINING ROOM INTO ACLOTHING BOUTIQUE.SO FAR THEY'VE INVESTED ABOUTIT THE EIGHT DOLLARS ANDCURRENTLY OWN 3000 PIECES,INCLUDING COLORFUL DRESSES,SHIRTS AND THE EVER POPULARPATTERNED LEGGINGS.>> THIS IS MORE THAN JUSTSOMEONE BUYING A PAIR OFLEGGINGS OR A DRESS.IT IS A COMMUNITY SO I DON'THAVE A DOUBT THAT THE BUSINESSWILL CONTINUE TO GO ON AS LONGAS WE HAVE THAT COMMUNITY.EMILY: THE WHALEYS SAY THEY ARENOT WORRIED ABOUT THE LAWSUITTHAT CLAIMS THE COMPANY RECRUITSCONSULTANTS THROUGH MANIPULATIONAND MISINFORMATION.OFFERING PART TIME WORK FOR FUTIME PAY AND INUNDATING PEOPLEWITH THE SLOGAN BUY MORE, SELLMORE.>> THERE IS NO MARKETING FROMTHE COMPANY THAT I HAVE EVERSEEN THAT HAS BEEN PUSHED AT MESAYING, IF YOU BUY MORE, YSELL MORE.THAT'S JUST NOT THE CASE.YOU BUY MORE, IF YOU'RE GOING TOSELL IT.EMILY: THE WHALEYS SAY LIKE ANYSMALL BUSINESS, SUCCESS DEPENDSON SETTING REASONABLE GOALS ANDWORKING HARD TO ACHIEVE THEM>> THIS IS A BUSINESS AND IF YOUGO INTO THIS THINKING IT'S GOINGTO BE EASY MONEY, YOU'RE WRONG.WE STARTED OFF SMALL AND THEN IMEAN, WE'VE DONE WELL.EMILY: THE WHALEYS CONTRACTUALLYCANNOT SAY HOW WELL THEY'VE DONEIN PROFITS BUT SELLING LULAROEFULL TIME IS ENOUGH TO SUPPORTTHEIR FAMILY OF SIX.WE REACHED OUT TO FIND LOCALCONSULTANTS WHO HAVE HAD ANEGATIVE EXPERIENCE WITHLU-LA-ROE AND DID NOT HEAR BACK

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A lawsuit filed against clothing company LuLaRoe does not concern two local consultants based in Anderson Township. Jill and Jeremy Whaley told WLWT they got involved in LuLaRoe in Feb. 2016 and while they've had some challenges, overall, their experience has been a success. "The initial investment, its minimum around $5,000 and we started off with that around $5,000 investment and we knew that this is what we wanted to do," Jeremy Whaley said. "We were passionate about it so we grew our inventory because we thought that's what was best for us." The Whaleys started with 300 pieces of inventory and currently have 3,000 pieces including colorful dresses, shirts and lots of leggings, for a total investment around $50,000. "This is more than just someone buying a pair of leggings or a dress. It is a community, so I don't have a doubt that the business will continue to go on as long as we have that community," Jill Whaley said. The Whaleys said they cannot contractually discuss how much money they have made, but it was enough for Jill to quit her full-time job in marketing and support their family of six. Jeremy previously was a stay-at-home dad with their four children before he started selling with Jill. "When we have a good month, we take responsibility for it and when we have a bad month, we take responsibility for it. At no point during our 19 months has it been anybody's fault for our success or for our failures, period," Jeremy Whaley said. The lawsuit claims LuLaRoe is a pyramid scheme and recruits its consultants through "manipulation and misinformation" offering "part-time work for full-time pay" and inundating people with the slogan "buy more, sell more." "I have a complete faith in this company. I know what a pyramid scheme is and what it isn't. We sell product to customers, to our friends and I'm not worried about the lawsuit," Jeremy Whaley said. "We would never do something or make a decision that we didn't feel was in the best interest of our business even if someone ever suggested to us, which LuLaRoe does not suggest to us, how much inventory to purchase or you're going to make this much money," Jill Whaley said. "Running your own business you have to be wise and make wise decisions." WLWT reached out to find local consultants who have had a negative experience with LuLaRoe and did not hear back from anyone. LuLaRoe released this statement: "LuLaRoe has grown exponentially over the last four years. Our success has made us the target of orchestrated competitive attacks and predatory litigation. We take all litigation – regardless of its lack of merit – seriously. We have not been served with the recent complaints, but from what we have seen in media reports, the allegations are baseless, factually inaccurate and misinformed. We will vigorously defend against them and are confident we will prevail. "LuLaRoe’s focus is to support the more than 80,000 Independent Fashion Retailers who make retail sales to consumers. Our Leadership Bonus Plan only includes incentives that reward retail sales to consumers. As a result of our business model, Independent Fashion Retailers have sold more than $2 billion of LuLaRoe apparel directly to consumers from January to October 2017, far more than double the same period in 2016. These sales have put hundreds of millions of dollars in the pockets of Independent Fashion Retailers across America who are building their own small businesses."