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The allure of earning extra cash from home has long captivated many consumers. Social media feeds often teem with friends and family promoting products and services from various work-from-home companies. While some of these companies may be multi-level marketing (MLM) businesses or posts from affiliate marketers, a new trend is gaining traction: Master Resale Rights (MRR). Consumers may soon encounter MRR on their social feeds.
What are Master Resale Rights? Master Resale Rights allow potential small business owners to resell the rights to a product or digital information to others. Some businesses might refer to MRRs using more appealing terms like “blueprint,” “plan,” or “course.” MRRs are often confused with Private Label Rights (PLRs). PLRs permit business owners to buy digital marketing content such as white papers, reports, and e-books and rebrand it for personal or commercial use. The critical difference is that MRRs enable buyers to resell to other consumers, who can also resell these rights, which is impossible with PLRs.
Given many marketing terms, small business owners might find it challenging to discern legitimate business opportunities from poor choices. Before purchasing MRRs, consumers should thoroughly vet any work-from-home opportunity that promises income.
BBB provides the following tips for consumers:
What will you be selling?
- Identify the product or service you will be selling.
- Compare prices and quality with other products and services.
- Ensure that any marketing materials are truthful and that claims about the products are substantiated.
Learn about the company
- Investigate the seller’s track record and reputation.
- Look for business reviews and complaints on BBB.org.
- Conduct an internet search using company names and terms like scams or complaints.
- Search for news articles related to the company.
Understand contracts
- Clearly understand the terms and conditions of the rights usage.
- Ensure all information is provided in writing.
Ask questions
- Inquire about the seller’s business history.
- Ask about their earnings and expenses from the previous year.
- Find out how much product they sold to customers.
For more information
Consumers can file complaints at BBB.org/Complaint.
If individuals have spotted a scam (whether or not they’ve lost money), they can report it to BBB.org/ScamTracker.
Thinking of starting a business? See BBB's new business page for more tips and resources.