Tocara Review: Midrange imported Chinese jewelry


Tocara was based in 2007 and operates within the jewellery MLM area of interest.

The corporate is predicated out of Canada however does additionally function within the US, via a PO Field company tackle in Vermont.

There’s a UK prelaunch video on Tocara’s official YouTube channel, dated July sixteenth, 2022:

Tocara’s UK prelaunch started August seventh. Unsure when the complete launch is however that makes three international locations Tocara operates in.

Heading up Tocara is founder Randall Markus (proper).

Markus is referenced within the “about” part of Tocara’s web site however, past co-designing Tocara’s jewellery, no details about him is offered.

Tocara is a member of the Canadian DSA, and there we study a bit extra about Markus’ background;

(Markus) has had an extended profession within the jewellery commerce, which incorporates the manufacturing, advertising and marketing and design aspect of the enterprise.

He based Bijou Chateau Jewellery a wholesale, manufacturing enterprise in 1979, supplying lots of North America’s most interesting jewellery shops, shops, tv procuring channels, web retailers and direct gross sales companies.

In 2008 he based Tocara after an extended relationship with Avon Merchandise Inc. the place he developed his ardour for the direct gross sales trade.

I’ve cited Tocara launching 2007, as per Markus’ LinkedIn profile. Markus cites himself as President of Bijoux Chateau since 1978.

Curiously Avon isn’t referenced on Markus’ LinkedIn profile. For extra perception on that relationship, we flip to a 2019 article on Direct Promoting Information;

By the mid- to late Eighties, Markus had designed and manufactured proprietary items that caught the curiosity of a giant direct vendor: Avon.

“I constructed a large enterprise with Avon Canada,” Markus says, “I designed jewellery, and I manufactured it for them.”

So far as I’m conscious, Tocara is Markus’ first MLM enterprise as an government.

Learn on for a full overview of Tocara’s MLM alternative.

Tocara’s Merchandise

Tocara markets an ever-changing vary of gold, silver and chrome steel jewellery.

Backed by our restricted lifetime guarantee, all of our jewellery is constructed with rhodium-finished sterling silver (.925), hypoallergenic surgical-grade chrome steel or 10K gold.

Jewellery is introduced on Tocara’s web site throughout 4 classes; Classique, Avant Garde, Pour Hommes and Z-Inspiration.

Once I clicked on any of those classes, I bought the message “no objects discovered”:

Within the navigation bar of Tocara’s web site extra product classes (that truly work) are discovered: bracelets, earrings, necklaces, rings, equipment and males’s.

Merchandise could be considered on Tocara’s web site straight, or via season catalogs. Each choices present full retail pricing.

With respect to manufacturing, Tocara states;

Each bit is created in our studio in Montreal, Canada and designed by our founder Randall Markus and our in-house jewellery designer Nathalie Bégin.

Our precedence is to create items which are timeless, fashionable, practical and of the very best high quality.

The present Tocara catalog obtainable is Spring/Summer time 2022.

Tocara’s Compensation Plan

Tocara offers a two-page compensation abstract on their web site. Half of that particulars affiliate membership choices.

There’s sufficient there to represent a compensation introduction, however not sufficient for due-diligence.

I’ve supplemented the next breakdown with extra info I’ve sourced, principally from Tocara affiliate internet marketing efforts. Info cited was printed inside the final one to 2 years.

Tocara Affiliate Ranks

There are ten recognized ranks inside Tocara’s compensation plan.

Together with their respective qualification standards, they’re follows.

  1. Marketing consultant – join as a Tocara affiliate
  2. Senior Marketing consultant – recruit two associates and generate and keep $1200 in PV and $2400 in GV a month
  3. Silver Director – recruit 4 associates and generate and keep $1200 in PV and $4000 in GV a month
  4. Pearl Director – not offered
  5. Ruby Director – not offered
  6. Emerald Director – not offered
  7. Diamond Director – not offered
  8. Vice President – not offered
  9. Three Star Vice President – not offered
  10. Senior Vice President – not offered

PV stands for “Private Quantity”. PV is gross sales quantity generated by retail orders and an affiliate’s personal purchases.

GV stands for “Group Quantity”. GV is PV generated by an affiliate and their downline.

Retail Commissions

Tocara associates earn a 25% to 40% fee on gross sales to retail prospects. This may be on-line or in-person.

Variable retail fee charge qualification standards will not be offered.

Quick Begin Bonus

Tocara rewards new associates for hitting gross sales targets inside a set timeframe:

  • promote $800 price of Tocara product in your first 30 days and obtain a $100 jewellery coupon
  • promote $1200 price of Tocara product in your first 70 days and obtain a “Tocara watch”
  • promote $1600 price of Tocara product in your first 70 days and obtain a $200 jewellery coupon
  • promote $2400 price of Tocara product in your first 70 days and obtain a $300 jewellery coupon
  • promote $4000 price of Tocara product in your first 70 days and obtain a $400 jewellery coupon

Whether or not the promote necessities embrace an affiliate’s personal purchases is unclear.

Further Quick Begin Bonuses can be earned based mostly on recruitment:

  • recruit one affiliate inside your first 70 days and obtain a $100 jewellery coupon
  • recruit two associates inside your first 70 days and obtain a $200 jewellery coupon
  • recruit three associates inside your first 70 days and obtain a $300 jewellery coupon
  • recruit 4 associates inside your first 70 days and obtain a $400 jewellery coupon

Residual Commissions

Tocara pays residual commissions through a unilevel compensation construction.

A unilevel compensation construction locations an affiliate on the high of a unilevel crew, with each personally recruited affiliate positioned straight beneath them (degree 1):

If any degree 1 associates recruit new associates, they’re positioned on degree 2 of the unique affiliate’s unilevel crew.

If any degree 2 associates recruit new associates, they’re positioned on degree 3 and so forth and so forth down a theoretical infinite variety of ranges.

Tocara caps payable unilevel crew ranges at six.

Residual commissions are paid as a share of gross sales quantity generated throughout these six ranges as follows:

  • degree 1 (personally recruited associates) – 5%
  • degree 2 – 6%
  • degree 3 – 4%
  • degree 4 – 3%
  • degree 5 – 2%
  • degree 6 – 1%

I think what number of ranges a Tocara affiliate can earn on is decided by rank. This nevertheless will not be specified.

Recruitment Bonuses

Tocara associates earn Recruitment Bonuses down two ranges of recruitment.

Recruitment Bonuses are paid when recruited associates qualify at Director and Management ranks.

  • degree 1 recruited affiliate qualifies for Director = $500 bonus
  • degree 1 recruited affiliate qualifies at Management Rank (any Management rank) = $500 bonus
  • degree 2 recruited affiliate qualifies for Director = $250 bonus
  • degree 2 recruited affiliate qualifies at Management Rank (any Management rank) = $250 bonus

Director ranks begin at Silver Director, nevertheless it’s unclear whether or not that is the rank Recruitment Bonuses set off on.

I’m assuming Management ranks begin at Vice President however this isn’t specified.

Management Bonus Pool

Tocara’s compensation plan has a Management Bonus Pool.

Particulars will not be offered.

Rank Achievement Bonuses

Tocara rewards associates for qualifying at Silver Director and better with the next one-time Rank Achievement Bonuses:

  • qualify at Silver Director and obtain $500, a “$1000 retail worth pattern pack” and an “unique sterling silver appeal bracelet”
  • qualify at Pearl Director and obtain $1000, a “$1000 retail worth pattern pack” and a “real pearl appeal”
  • qualify at Ruby Director and obtain $1500, a “$1000 retail worth pattern pack” and a “real ruby appeal”
  • qualify at Emerald Director and obtain $2500, a “$1000 retail worth pattern pack” and a “real emerald appeal”
  • qualify at Diamond Director and obtain $5000, a “1000 retail worth pattern pack” and a “real diamond appeal”
  • qualify at Vice President and obtain $10,000, and a “real diamond and black diamond appeal”
  • qualify at Three Star Vice President and obtain a “customized piece”
  • qualify at Senior Vice President and obtain a “$600 month-to-month automobile allowance for two years” and a “customized piece”

Residual Rank Achievement Bonuses kick in at Vice President and better:

  • Vice Presidents obtain “$500 in free merchandise every flyer and $1500 in free merchandise every catalog”
  • Three Star Vice Presidents obtain “$1000 in free merchandise every flyer and $2500 in free merchandise every catalog”
  • Senior Vice Presidents obtain “all new merchandise free”

I consider this pertains to merchandise being despatched out with every new Tocara promotion, together with seasonal catalogs.

Senior Vice Presidents seem to obtain every new jewellery piece Tocara brings out at a no value.

Becoming a member of Tocara

Tocara affiliate membership is

  • $17 for a Petite Equipment, comes with a bracelet and $45 jewellery voucher
  • $99 for an Elite Equipment, comes with a bracelet and $450 jewellery voucher

Tocara Conclusion

For essentially the most half Tocara do an awesome job of offering info on their web site.

Lacking government info for Randall Markus is a minor oversight, however failing to offer full compensation particulars is a significant compliance challenge.

By failing to offer full compensation documentation, Tocara makes it inconceivable for shoppers to carry out full due-diligence on their MLM alternative.

Within the US, this can be a potential violation of the FTC Act.

From what I collect Tocara is principally an MLM firm constructed round Markus’ jewellery enterprise.

This begins with Bijoux Chateau Inc., which additionally goes by Chateau D’argent. Bijoux Chateau is a “department” of Chateau Jewellery.

All these corporations are owned and operated by Randall Markus.

Chateau Jewellery is registered as an importer of jewelry and imitation jewellery from China.

Whereas Tocara’s jewellery may be created in Canada, the uncooked supplies seem like sourced from China.

This isn’t essentially a detrimental, I’m simply pointing it out right here as a result of none of that is disclosed on Tocara’s web site.

Be it Tocara or Markus’ different jewellery companies, there doesn’t seem like any high quality management points. That is price noting as a result of, outdoors of Tocara, Markus has been within the jewellery import enterprise for many years.

Tocara’s major advertising and marketing methodology is the celebration plan.

We delight ourselves on having essentially the most beneficiant on a regular basis Host Program on the market!

The crème de la crème of our Host program are the on a regular basis presents that may earn you free jewellery and mega reductions! And if that’s not sufficient, often we high it off with a Host Bonus!

Now why wouldn’t you need to be a Host?

On common, our Hosts earn $245 in free jewellery of their alternative!

Hosts are rewarded with jewellery based mostly on buyer purchases throughout a hosted celebration. A part of this can be a 75% low cost, if the next extra standards is met:

-Schedule a Get together

-Submit your Visitor Record

-Have 10+ shopping for Company at your Get together

-Have 1+ good friend(s) schedule their very own Get together

-Have 3+ good friend(s) schedule their very own Get together

The final two clauses appear redundant however that’s what’s on Tocara’s web site.

Sadly I can’t offer you a 100% full evaluation of Tocara’s compensation plan, as a result of the corporate doesn’t present that info to shoppers.

From what I’ve seen the becoming a member of prices are cheap, there didn’t seem like any month-to-month dedication, and obtainable rank standards didn’t elevate any crimson flags.

There aren’t any retail quantity necessities, which might lend itself to stock loading relying on how excessive month-to-month rank quantity necessities get.

Senior Marketing consultant requiring $1200 in PV and $2400 in GV a month is already a reasonably excessive bar to clear.

Once more whereas it’s not point out on Tocara’s web site, I additionally got here throughout associates being given “superior buy of retired liquidation jewellery”.

Seems like they get first dibs on discontinued traces. Unsure how that matches into the compensation plan however hopefully there are some inner quantity limits.

I ordered Tocara’s catalog by worth and solely three items are available at over $100 (a watch, a “laurette bracelet” and a “denise necklace”). This modified once I particularly chosen necklaces, revealing a number of items operating into $150+.

Between this and the “no objects discovered” error, it appears Tocara’s on-line catalog might do with some work.

All the pieces else in necklaces was $87 and beneath. Different jewellery classes tended to hover between $70 and $150. This appears fairly priced on the higher low vary or decrease midrange.

Costly sufficient that you just’ll hold on to it however not an excessive amount of in order that if you happen to misplace a bit you’ll tear your hair out.

Presently 95% of site visitors to Tocara’s web site originates from Canada. The dearth of Tocara catching on within the US might replicate challenges with establishing the model within the UK.

Assuming there are not any hidden strings connected, $17 for a $45 jewellery voucher and $99 for a $450 voucher looks as if fairly respectable worth to get you began.

Take a look at Tocara’s the catalog, don’t fall into the entice of spending greater than you’re incomes on stock and see the way you go.

I’d reassess at three months (run a full accounting, factoring in time spent on the enterprise), and proceed from there.