AfroVeda Response Letter.....

[Poranges]

I agree. The person in the video is if I may say so a bit clueless about business. Aloe prices couldn't have gone up because whole foods hasn't raised the price? News flash - aloe prices fluctuate daily - whole foods is eating some of the cost and the vendor is taking the biggest hit. If the vendor price goes too high wf will drop them. Overall raw ingredients have gone up a whole lot over the past five years - this is the case for all raw materials not just the ones used to make hair products so shea butter's not exempt.

And one more thing 2 years is not a long time in business - she's still basically brand new and obviously is making mistakes (as anyone would in her shoes). Lots of indie businesses make the mistake of underpricing their products and then have to deal with the fall out when they realize they aren't making any money. As stated above she needs a professional adviser and probably would benefit a lot from some mentorship because as she's finding out business isn't just about mixing some butters, putting them in a jar and selling them to fans. In fact she should put this product line on hiatus until she works out some of the issues. Never used afroveda products and never even seen them in person but this is my opinion.

Yea girl but Aloe is really not that expensive. She's really not using many exotic, rare natural products in her stuff. They're not dirt cheap, but they're very affordable especially in bulk and they're not worth the $10 dollar price increase. I tried some of her products once and when one of them spoiled I was done with that.

 

[rufus12]

Gurl..........when she said, "however", and rolled her eyes, I was LMAO! I will not purchase Afroveda, she should have really rethought a price hike and maybe took a price reduction instead.

lol, rufus12

 

[ms.blue]

Afroveda has been out longer than two years but just recently became popular. Anyway, her prices went jump to high to quickly and that is what really turning people off from either trying to buy or repurchase her products. Luckily, my hair did not really like her products anyways so this price increase is not affecting me.

*that youtube video is funny and honest*

Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk

 

[bronzebomb]

AfroVeda, if you want top dollar for your products, give us a top notch product to purchase!

 

[makeupvixen]

THANK YOU SO MUCH LADIES FOR WATCHING MY VIDEO!

I just couldn't take the letter she wrote and not comment on it, LOL. What a load of crap!

 

[Charz]

I agree. The person in the video is if I may say so a bit clueless about business. Aloe prices couldn't have gone up because whole foods hasn't raised the price?

And one more thing 2 years is not a long time in business - she's still basically brand new and obviously is making mistakes (as anyone would in her shoes)

@Tiye

For the first part why does her observation about aloe vera at wholefoods make her clueless about business? You don't have to be condescending, it's an observation.

For the second part, I have yet to see a natural product company raise their prices threefold. So to say that anyone would make these kinda mistakes is a cop-out.

 

[makeupvixen]

@Tiye

For the first part why does her observation about aloe vera at wholefoods make her clueless about business? You don't have to be condescending, it's an observation.

For the second part, I have yet to see a natural product company raise their prices threefold. So to say that anyone would make these kinda mistakes is a cop-out.

I wasn't even going to comment on that post. She mus be the type that needs to see pie charts and graphs, or read the NASDAQ reports in order for a statement to be true. No worries, to each their own.

I wasn't about to sit and make some long video about facts a figures, lol.

Plus I bet that when the cost of these RAW Materials that she claims to be using will Fluctuate back down her prices wont drop back down.... Think! My property taxes fluctuate as well on my home and unless I call my lender to ask for a new rate guess what.... I still have to pay the price that it was when it was high as hell. i can't be the only one that knows how fluctuation actually works in the economy...

Thanks Charzboss!!! You my rock Gurl! LOL

 

[Charz]

I wasn't even going to comment on that post. She mus be the type that needs to see pie charts and graphs, or read the NASDAQ reports in order for a statement to be true. No worries, to each their own.

I wasn't about to sit and make some long video about facts a figures, lol.

Plus I bet that when the cost of these RAW Materials that she claims to be using will Fluctuate back down her prices wont drop back down.... Think! My property taxes fluctuate as well on my home and unless I call my lender to ask for a new rate guess what.... I still have to pay the price that it was when it was high as hell. i can't be the only one that knows how fluctuation actually works in the economy...

Thanks Charzboss!!! You my rock Gurl! LOL

Hehe no problem.


Bulk Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera liquid (clear) Bulk | Camden Grey Essential Oils

$61 for 35lbs

61/560 ounces = about .11 per ounce

Bulk Unrefined Shea Butter

Shea butter, ultrarefined Bulk | Camden Grey Essential Oils

$207 for 55lbs

207/880 ounces= about .24 per ounce

You don't have to be an Accountant like me to do the math...

 

[Kurlee]

@Tiye

For the first part why does her observation about aloe vera at wholefoods make her clueless about business? You don't have to be condescending, it's an observation.

For the second part, I have yet to see a natural product company raise their prices threefold. So to say that anyone would make these kinda mistakes is a cop-out.

and the breakdown of cost is . She is so lying.

 

[Rastafarai]

Hehe no problem.


Bulk Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera liquid (clear) Bulk | Camden Grey Essential Oils

$61 for 35lbs

61/560 ounces = about .11 per ounce

Bulk Unrefined Shea Butter

Shea butter, ultrarefined Bulk | Camden Grey Essential Oils

$207 for 55lbs

207/880 ounces= about .24 per ounce

You don't have to be an Accountant like me to do the math...

Supposedly, its costing her much more than the above to obtain the purest and most organic form of raw material.

Mala's second response directed to CurlyNikki:

Hi Nikki,


I completely understand the feelings of many of the customers who have commented on my reasons for the price increase. I've ready many responses that suggest that the reasons I listed were untrue. Nevertheless, they are true. In March of this year, the vendor that I purchase aloe vera products from (juice, gel and oil) increased their price from $40/gallon to $70/gallon. They gave no explanation why. I decided to look for another vendor and tried 3 different companies, only to find that their quality was not what I wanted for my products. In the end, I went back with the original company and paid the additional money because I liked the fact that what they offered was pure and organic. The same thing happened with the vendor that I purchase unprocessed Fair Trade shea butter and cocoa butter from. Their price increase wasn't as drastic, but it was considerably more than I had been paying. Those are not the only items that increased in price, only the two most dramatic ones.


I made the decision, despite the recommendation of my advisor, to absorb these additional costs and as I posted on the website, am now unable to continue this process. I could have stayed with the "inferior" products (which I don't really think are inferior, they were just not the highest quality), or used much less of the more expensive products in my formulas. Either way, in my mind, it would have yielded an AfroVeda product that did not meet my own standards -- which is unacceptable to me.

It has been recommended to me on numerous occasions that I find a "lab" to reproduce my products to cut down on costs. However, when researching this option I have found that it would actually be more expensive for me, especially since I have already developed specific formulas for them to follow. What makes this option cost effective is when a person uses the already-formulated bases designed by the lab, and then only add a few additional ingredients to make it "their own". It is easy to do because there are labs everywhere, but that is not the AfroVeda way.


I am committed to making products that perform the way they are intended, and will never compromise on quality. With the help of my chemist/consultant, I have improved the formulas for the hair butters so that there are no more issues with separating. I have also switched to eco-friendly packaging, and have upgraded the bottle labels so that they are now smudge-proof and water resistant. I have added a customer service phone number (which is posted on the website) and am now offering customers the option to call in orders, which wasn't an option before. All of these things I handle (with the help of an occasional intern/contract employee) while hand-making, processing, packaging and shipping 30-40 orders per day.


This explanation may not diminish the frustration of the customers who have supported me and AfroVeda to this point, but it is the truth. It is never my intent (or any business's intent I hope) to anger the very ones who have kept me in business. I greatly appreciate the customers who have embraced AfroVeda and apologize that this business decision has left them with unfavorable emotions about the company. It is my sincere hope that they have a prosperous hair journey, and that they would reconsider AfroVeda in the future.


Thank you again Nikki, for allowing me the opportunity to respond.

In perfect peace,


Mala Rhodes
Founder and CEO of Afroveda

Mala Responds: AfroVeda Price Hikes | Curly Nikki | Natural Hair Styles and Curly Hair Care

 

[Solitude]

This video was excellent. The crazy part is that Afroveda will probably continue to get business from people.

 

[makeupvixen]

The day that AfroVeda went up in price I ran to her vendors to place my order of the Shea Amla before their prices changed too! Well ladies I ended up getting the New Jar with the obvious New Formula. This mess is watered down. The smell isn't strong like before! The color is obviously different! It's like a freaking milk and not a butter.

I am so freaking glad Mala is being exposed for her lies!

Look at this crap!!!

 

[Sistaslick]

Hold on...did she say 12.50 to 21.50.. man. Just flipped the 1 and 2. LOL

 

[chebaby]

The day that AfroVeda went up in price I ran to her vendors to place my order of the Shea Amla before their prices changed too! Well ladies I ended up getting the New Jar with the obvious New Formula. This mess is watered down. The smell isn't strong like before! The color is obviously different! It's like a freaking milk and not a butter.

I am so freaking glad Mala is being exposed for her lies!

Look at this crap!!!

lmao thats what i was trying to tell people. everyone keeps yapping about screw afroveda because of the price when you should really be saying why my ish look different every time i get it

and the funny part is i have ordered shea amla several times and it doesnt look like your first or second jar.

WILL THE REAL SHEA AMLA PLEASE STAND UP

 

[chebaby]

and i had no idea there was an ingredient change, besides the fact that she took out that lame line about the chocolate shea butter smell.
what are the old ingredients? does anyone know so i can go to her site and compare.

 

[LittleLuxe]

The day that AfroVeda went up in price I ran to her vendors to place my order of the Shea Amla before their prices changed too! Well ladies I ended up getting the New Jar with the obvious New Formula. This mess is watered down. The smell isn't strong like before! The color is obviously different! It's like a freaking milk and not a butter.

I am so freaking glad Mala is being exposed for her lies!

Look at this crap!!!

lmao thats what i was trying to tell people. everyone keeps yapping about screw afroveda because of the price when you should really be saying why my ish look different every time i get it

and the funny part is i have ordered shea amla several times and it doesnt look like your first or second jar.

WILL THE REAL SHEA AMLA PLEASE STAND UP

Wow...and she was raising prices to protect the consistency...NO ONE KNOWS what the consistency is, lol.

 

[makeupvixen]

and i had no idea there was an ingredient change, besides the fact that she took out that lame line about the chocolate shea butter smell.
what are the old ingredients? does anyone know so i can go to her site and compare.

Well I would think that her "chemist/consultant" that stands up for the "quality" of her product has changed. She has changed her story so many times now that it's hard to follow the BS from March 2010 to the BS of October 2010. She said that she tried other raw material from other companies and it wasn't up to her wack @zz standards, WTH!

What Standards! I just showed everyone proof that this ***** aint following no recipe, don't have standards, don't have a quality product, and here is your proof PEOPLE!



What more can I say?!?!

BOTH ARE NEW JARS. THE OLDEST ONE I GOT 2 WEEKS AGO AND THE NEWEST ONE I GOT 30 MINUTES AGO!

 

[Kurlee]

lmao thats what i was trying to tell people. everyone keeps yapping about screw afroveda because of the price when you should really be saying why my ish look different every time i get it

and the funny part is i have ordered shea amla several times and it doesnt look like your first or second jar.

WILL THE REAL SHEA AMLA PLEASE STAND UP

wow, my shea amla looks nothing like any of those. it has the consistency of shealoe and is not quite white, but barely beige.

 

[chebaby]

kurlee thats how mine looked.
im going to use up the cocolatte i have if it doesnt spoil. its already half gone and it works pretty good so ill finish it.

even if she drops her price i would never purchase from her again. just too much going on.

 

[AmyRose92]

LOL Man that just made my night!

 

[Truth]

..I need her to give up now.. no real explanation... No matter how hard she trys... it's crap.. even the price hikes make no difference.. the incosistency is enough to drive the consumer away.. smh..the fact that those 2 look NOTHING ALIKE..smh..