Vancouver Forum: Primerica's Training Program???

okay... my mother and her husband gave up 4 years of their life and a shitload of money for Primerica... it promises a lot of things, and it'll slip you a bone every now and again to keep you hanging on for the "big prize", but my suggestion is? Unless you have a lot of money and time to waste, don't bother.

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SaucyEnchilada, thanks for your advice!!  I rejected that woman today so I hope they'll never bother me again.

I have heard so many rediculouse opinions from people on here. Calling Primerica an MLM or a pyramid scheme is naive and uneducated. People fail at things and want the world to think it's not a good opportunity just because they didn't have what it takes to win in our business. For those of you who are questioning the credability of Primerica let me just give you some FACTS and I strongly urge you to do research in some places that have a lot of credability.
1. Primerica is a member of Citigroup. We are the distribution arm for Citigroup. Citigroup is the #1 company in the WORLD. They are represented on the global forbes and the dow jones. The Dow Jones looks at the 30 industries in the world and takes the top company in that indusrty. For fast food, it's McDonalds, for soda pop it's coca-cola, etc. Mcdonald's sets the standards for every other fast food restaurant so they are the most highly regulated. This also means that Citigroup sets the standards for every other financial services company and they are THE MOST HIGHLY REGULATED. Schemes and such illegal opporations could not happen here.
2. Citigroup has over 1 trillion dollars in assets, what that means is that if you take every bank in North America and add up all of their assets, Citigroup is bigger than all of them combined. Why on earth would Citigroup need your $200.00 if you really think about it when they are going to turn around and put you through approximately $2000.00 worth of training and licensing. Then to top it all off, after paying that, having us teach you our stratagies, educating you on how to handle your money, at best, and taking you on 3 training appointments to find out if this is for you, you can get reimbursed for $150.00 dollars of that. You also get payed on any loans and pre-paid legal programs that occur during that training appointment. Citigroup is taking on more of a risk than you are by investing all of this time and money into you.
3. The way that Primerica is expanding right now is the exact same way that real estate expanded when they knew the baby boomers would all be moving through their industry buying houses. We are now in a point in time where there will be a huge wealth movement and this company is offering you to open and own your own business for an investment of $200.00

With all of this said , don't you think you ought to march yourself into an opportunity meeting with whoever invited you and check it out for yourself instead of listening to people that are so bitter they want to come on here and ruin your opportunity just because they don't have the gumption for it themselves? These people are either quitters who didn't want to do the work it takes to build a business ro they are our competition who is now losing in this industry due to our educational approach about their rip off policies

http://www.ripoffrep...rimerica&q6=&q7=


Read about Primerica at the link above.  Definitely a rip-off.  Stay away from them.

I went to one of their meetings last year. The meeting was in POCO and I had to take the skytrain and a cab. The meeting was arah rah, isn't it great to make moeny with shouts from the congergration(which I found later were staff members posing as the general public). On the surface it'sabout insurance and annuities, but to make the big bucks, you have to convinceother people to become agents, and then you get a kickback from their action, of course you have to kickback your cut to the person above you. I could never do that to my poor friends.

Amanda - what office do you work out of? My husband is F/T in the business and I am P/T. We just got back from Palm Springs which was absolutely amazing. Wouldn't be anywhere else! Your post said it best.

Job seekers aware of:
Never ever talk to anyone from Primerica Financial Services.
tell them up front: never ever call me, or i will report to RCMP

Primerica Financial Services STOP CALLING JOB SEEKERS GET LOST!!!!!! OR I WILL REPORT TO RCMP.

I got a call from a lady yesterday evening (Oct-08-2005) around 6:45pm.
Saying '' I got your resume from my associate and we are looking for individuals like you to be the managers.''

I asked her ''who is your associate?''
she replied, oh I can't give out her name.''
 
I told her upfront, never ever call me, if you do, I will report to RCMP.
she hang up on me.

This is not the 1st time it happend to me, every time when I put my resume up on either hotjobs.ca or monster.ca
they are the first one to call me.

I am going to report to both companies to take some actions.
In fact, I have blocked them from hotjobs.ca
now, they can't see my resume.

Primerica Financial Services GET LOST

Primerica is one of the biggest MLM scams going.  It is a huge joke, and the internet is filled with detailed descriptions of this scummy operation.   If you want to meet some of the most unbelievable losers, failures, religious freaks, and dropouts you will ever see, then by all means attend one of their pathetic cult-like sessions held in one of their shabby meeting halls.

Usually, it's Christian evangelists who are suitable for this job.

Sell something fictional; they're quite familiar with that.

i have my life insurance through Clarica Financial, is that company a scam as well?

Internet: clarica is a legitimate company. No worries there. Primerica, on the other hand, as so many people have pointed out, is a complete mlm scam.As with all mlm's, you will never meet as many con-artists, liars, and deluded fools. 

Supposedly easy money.

All these uneducated idiots deserve to be ripped off!

"they are recruiting people to be trained so these people can then train others....what the hell is she talking about? "

Train my ass! Shouldn't the government make it ILLEGAL for MLMs to HARASS people like this?

LOL, ok losers do some research before posting. Primerica is NOT a scam, but it is an MLM. So if you're good at selling life insurance, and recruiting others to sell life insurance (you basically work from home), it could work for you.

But yeah I agree they really need to stop harassing ppl...theyll do anything for a recruit.

go ahead & call the rcmp, they will only laugh at you because primerica is a leagal company. ALSO YOU are a loser.

Check out www.primericabuster.com it has all the facts about how it is such a rip off and the people defending primerica are pieces of shit. It may be "legit" but they are still scamming..getting away with it. Doesn't mean its good just because it's legal. People shouldn't have to pay the employer to get trained, it should be the other way around. IT IS NOT WORTH IT!!!

I got a phone call from Primerica, this lady called me to offered me a job, and when I asked her who gave her my phone number and name, she said " oh well you know I get names from different people, etc, so I don't remember who gave me your info!!!!" what a freak! Then she started to ask me where I was from, about my husband, etc. This is a total abuse to personal information and identity!!! Please freak get a real job!!!!

Amanda you totally lost any credibility from this point forward: 
"Citigroup is the #1 company in the WORLD."

according to who?
according to what?
why?
you sound young, uneducated and full of yourself to say the least. what a ridiculous blanket statement.

PRIMERICA's tactics are guerilla marketing and it is a pyarmid scheme that ensnares thousands of hopeful, and sometimes desperate, people every year. 

I don't know about #1 in the world but they are listed #3 in the Global Fortune 500 money makers.

I used to work for Primerica in the licencing department.  The manager Ms. Val (can't remember her last name) was always on the phone with her boyfriend or making appointments for a facial, manicure, pedicures, and massages.  Her assistant Mary Corac of Mississauga, Ontario would always find gossip of other fellow co-workers and report it to Val.  There was one time that I remember that she disliked a new employee who became pregnant and she advised Val to get rid of her.  That new employee was walked out the door. I will never forget how cunning she was and she did not realize how early I showed up at work that day and I overheard the conversation of her telling Val to get rid of her for no reason.

I also remember that a lot of employees got free trips to Las Vegas and I can't remember the other location that they got free trips to go to.  Also, I remember how much staff they went through at head office.

With the licensing payments...I remember that the most important task was to be sure that all the cheques were cashed in the second it arrived.  They would have one employee check for incomming  mail at least six times a day (because some money arrived by special delivery).  I also remember how some people would come in and tour the Canadian head office and as they pass by my department I would sometimes hear comments from these hopefuls "I can make really good money and it would be so easy!"  But little did they know, they were just fools always writing out cheques to Primerica.  I also noted back then, that these hopefuls did not appear to be very well educated and still did not understand what they were getting into but acted like they knew what they were doing because of the staff who worked in the sales/recruiting department.  They led them to believe that they too can afford to buy a large house if they sign up with Primerica (that was shown in a video). 

I really felt sad for these people.  I wonder how many of them became millionare's after they went through Primerca's in-house training and all those cheques they had to mail to Primerica?

Why would ppl have to give them money? For what?? They don't sell anything.

To become an agent and hope to make money if you recruit more people.

What a joke.  Primerica is a company which makes a profit; and yes, that does rate it higlhly with regards to other financial service companies and insurance companies.

Here's the problem:  Their insurance policies are built to NEVER pay out (good luck affording a term life insurance policy in your late 60s when most death claims are made ie: thousands of dollars per month).  Meaning that the people who buy the policies will never get their "large sum of tax free money".  I work in the industry, for a reputable company (one which does not turn up lots of negative feedback when you google it), and we find it ludacris that you could represent yourself as a professional in your field (when you work part time and half of the training you DID recieve was about recruiting) when you know nothing about how to service your clients.  Just like WFG, if all of your training is on how to recruit more people... when exactly do you learn how to properly advise your clients?
And by the way........ ADVOCIS?  Ever heard of them?  They are the Self-regulated organization for all financial advisors in the country -- from ALL companies.  They set all of the standards to make sure that all clients are treated appropriately...  its funny how there are no Primerica agents who are members... not one.  Care to comment on that?  I didn't think so....

All I talk about is the pyramid scheme, of course, this is never related to any company with which we are talking but since I heard the word Pyramid so many times I have to share.....

The strategy is to use a social obligation to ask a friend if they will just look at the product.  Slowly and surely, someone will answer and purchase the product.  The 3% rule, guarantees that 3 of every 100 will respond to anything.  If you are selling roaches door to door, and use the appropriate marketing strategy, 3% will buy. 

Companies like this get a list of people you know, with the marketing strategy that asks you to obligate your associates in helping you to "start your own business."   When you start it sure feels real, they can show you some videos that summarize the Rule of 72, show some lending laws, and say you're on your way.  After that it gets a little tricky...

The first few weeks, one depends their social network when marking their products.  Thats the only way one can market: lending laws prevent a representative from opening a table at a fair or going door-to-door for they are not licensed to contact strangers.  One is introduced to slamming laws, DNC, and a host of other laws which show that family and friends are the only legal options. The videos make it feel real.

A problem that one runs into is that they deplete their social network quite quickly with their sales attempts but some make enough money to pay the fees.  For those people, a new option emerges....no longer does one have to worry about using the rest of their network, they can become a recruiter.  The recruiter is a greater advantage--a promotion if you will--because one made the initial sales, got to the next level and all the fees back, he is ready to show others how to do the same.  New bonuses are introduced....those who recruit get a percentage back on the sales of the candidates they recruit, and if these candidates make it and decide to recruit, even more money is earned.

No longer does it matter that the social network is depleted, for it is time to shift from sales to recruiting and get others to do the same.  The new recruiter is now chanting the new phrase he heard on the first day, "I did it, so can you!" At a career fair, the representative is now summarizing his success.  This feels even better!  "Never mind the dirty looks from the other tables, hundreds are coming asking me for a job and I know at least 10 pecent will show." With the new promotion and change of title a new recruiting pyramid develops much like the one they tried to fill with the sales but more promising. 

Once one gets people under the pyramid, they are now making more money than they ever would selling and all they have to do is keep the chain going. You find john, make sure he gives at least 100 recruits because only 3% will respond and those 3 are more valuable than john now.  John is done after his marketing attempt, he is either locked in recruiting or so angry he got ripped off that he will never talk to you again.  This has nothing to do with the entry fees he got them back.  However, John lost friends in his marketing attempt and the job ends because he cant gain new clients outside of his network.  But that doesnt matter anymore; John was an asshole.  The key is to make sure that John's recruits bring in 100 more names each so you can get to the next level.  If you can do this six or eight times, you become a millionaire! 

Often sellers give into deceptive temtation as they destroy their close relationships. Uncles, brothers, friends, etc. in a tight social network are asked a simple but harmless favor "Will you just do me a favor and help me start?"  The three percent rule is firm in that not everyone will apply and you need to do this with more than 200 people you can obligate others and get started. 

Throughout this time,they face challenges to their ethics and ask themselves "will this work? Is it right?"  That's what the meeetings are for: At the meetings, there are people who stand in front with lots of status, applause, and make it seem possible and ethical. Everyone is in a suit, everyone is seeking to impress the next person and energized.  What the beginner doesnt realize is that the big corporate meeting is really just a bunch of candidates that will leave after the first day when they realize what a rip off this is.

During this meeting, the only success involves the six people on the stage but the 400 in the meeting just dont know that. They think that everyone is making lots of money and by the time they realize that it doesnt work, they are no longer at the meetings. Its energetic, it feels great but it is one of the greatest rip offs known to man.
 
These companies also put people in legal jeporady.  What they fail to do is introduce the proper training involving trade practices and lending laws.  Videos regarding regarding slamming laws, ethical obligation, and discrimination, right to privacy, etc. are provided as law required  However, they are forgotten now and the key is to sell, sell, sell! Nobody took notes and they they unknowlingly become the target for a predator who wishes a lawsuit. 

Some stranger who is angry that they were introduced to a rip-off advises that their privacy was violated, they were discriminated against, or not made aware of the costs with the product.  This happens often becasue nobody in the company has ever seen lending laws before, just the few videos at the home office.  EEO FHA HMDA ADA Truth in Lending, Disparate Treatment, all become issues...not because the issue happened but because the person in training failed to understand how to document a case or handle an allegation....It's not the company's fault, he did it to himself when he didnt learn the training material!  The alligation doesnt have to be true, for the agent cannot afford a lawyer.  He is the mere idiot in the crowd that thinks everyone is a millionare. Those suing, are often justified--They were ripped off and its time to get even!  The poor representative is stuck without enough money for a lawyer as someone else is using the legal system much the way he used his practices to get the sale. The legal help line that is given has withdrawn and he recieves a letter of termination for violation of practices.  Im sure by this time the stress level is 10.

Of course, one never sees these people at the meetings, for they have stopped coming.  Perhaps they are in jail or paying out large fines and told they can never come to another such meeting.  The company's position is that the sales rep should have paid attention to the training. Never mind that it was just a one-time video that few ask to see again.  The beginner never expected a predator to attack him with the laws. 

Of course, this is only a general description and a worst case scenerio. Most who try a pyramid scheme get past one or two levels, they upset their friends, and they they leave....the fees are paid cover the costs and its done.  Others who try to make it work lose their friends and learn how to decieve people.  They change their ethics to justify their actions and practice knowing they or anyone else will never get to the level that makes them rich.  However, it pays the bills for the company and the successful agent.  Still others who are stupid and give into temptation, violate laws they were told on the first day and forgot all about.  This person is never seen for he cannot say "I was victimized by poor training"  he signed a contract saying it was his responsiblity to understand the practices and he failed to do so. 

These companies have lots of ways to protect themselves and if you try it, follow the rules. Just realize that once the social network is depleted, the lending laws prevent you from going anywhere else and you are stuck as a recruiter or stuck trying to obligate every new friend you meet.  What about the status of such companies?  On a resume, they might be an insta-pitch....so there is a one or two year gap with a sigh in an interview that says "I tried MLM."  Hopefully that confession wont wreck the next interview. 

If you try it, I wish you well. Just be careful.

ha ha primerica ia a great company........i have a family member in this business and they have an office and make tons of money.....so i see this first hand.........whatever ppl says bad about htis company is very very very wrong and closed minded...........<br>

I LOVE PRIMERICA...........THIS COMPANY CHANGED MY LIFE

So do I....... I love the company....  helped me to get out of my bad debts really quick...  such as...  car loan, student loan, credit cards... etc.

I am now debt free...... Have a lot of money available to save, invest, shop, help poor, etc...

Thank you Primerica......

SCAM

This forum is a great example of social study.

 

Hey people - have some fun!

Life is good!

 

Our company is expanding, the families we serve are so happy after seeing their last statements – so I am not getting all the people posting sad notes here.

 

 8 Ideas for the optimistic ones:

•  

  You and people around you need to change. Recommended books: “Thou Shall Prosper: Ten Commandments for Making Money” by   Rabbi Daniel Lapin; or “Secrets of the Millionaire Mind” by T. Harv Eker.
• Get out of debt and start savings, so you and people you care about can be financially okay from 65 till 100.
• “Spend less than you make” or “make more than you spend”; or just “make much more than you are making now”.
• Learn simple concept: “Rule of 72”
• Invest $30 into buying a financial calculator.
• If you love the world “tax-shelter” - just max-up your RRSP’s and RESP’s first.
• Keep it simple, and have fun.
• The more you have the more you can give.

 

If you are looking for a new carrier, could you see yourself teaching others the simple concepts? I am seeking a well-rounded individual to join my business.  If you are from BC, please check our website at: www.primerica.com/dawidkmiotek.

Thank you, Dawid Kmiotek Vancouver, BC.

this is a scam.
beware of primerica.
you may be wasting your time.

I have been a Primerica Agent for 3 months now.  I'd like to tell you my story and my thoughts on my journey so far.

Primerica was first introduced to me by one of my neighbors.  This neighbor is well known in the area as "that guy".  You know what I'm talking about.  Every time a new "opportunity" comes along, he calls everyone he knows and asked them to "check it out". So when my phone rang and the caller ID said it was him, I hesitated more than a few seconds before answering.  He asked me to take a look at this thing he was being trained on.  I said I would. The plan was to call and cancel during the next week, however, the day came and I forgot to cancel.  I only had 30 minutes before I was to meet with him and felt it would be rude to cancel so close to the time, so I went to his house.

Let me tell you about me.  I hate sales people.  Well, hate is sort of harsh.  I dislike people that are fake.  People who pretend to be your friend but have different motives.  I also do not like contention and go out of my way to be friendly to everyone.  However, whenever I am in the presence of a sales person, my walls go up and my personality changes (according to my wife).  This meeting would be no different, so I thought.

A guy who was training my neighbor how to do the business started presenting the "opportunity" to me when I stopped him and told him I was short on time and asked him to cut to the chase.  This caught him off guard. 

 

More about me:  I have been working on self improvement for over a year now (ex: Books and CD’s like “Rich Dad, Poor Dad”, “Secrets of the Millionaire Mind”, “The Total Money Make-Over”, “Think and Grow Rich” and numerous others).  I had studied Robert Kiyosaki’s books a lot.  His books totally changed the way I think and view life.

 

The Primerica guy then started explaining that there were four different ways to make money in the world.  As soon as I heard this, my ears and mind opened up.  This all sounded so familiar to me and even though the PriGuy thought he was educating me on money, I already knew AND believed the concepts because I had learned them months before in my own quest for learning how to become financially free.

 

I feel it’s important to mention here that in the past I have disliked multi-level marketing and direct sales (due to my dislike of sales and fake people) and had vowed to never be a part of them.  However, I realized about six months ago that if I was going to make it in life and reach the goals I had for my family, I would need to have a business.  I could either start my own from scratch (I tried twice), I could buy a franchise (too much $), or I could find a direct selling company I trusted and have them help me build a business (never thought I actually would though). 

 

So, during this meeting, a few things hit me really hard.  First, I can have chance to have my own business.  Second, this business would be teaching people financial concepts I already knew and believed.  Third, when ever you work in an industry, you learn everything about that industry over the years you work there.  If I work at starting a financial service business, I will learn over time everything about loans, mortgages, insurance and investments.  My thinking was, even if I get in and completely fail at this whole “business” thing, I will never get ripped off by an insurance agent again!

 

Following that appointment, I decided to attend some of their training and business overview nights.  I was still skeptical but decided I would study the company so that I could make an educated decision. 

 

The first thing I did was go online and Google “Primerica”.  I then spent a few hours going over their website and reading numerous blogs and bulletin boards stating both negative and positive things about the company.  What stood out to me was that most of the negative comments were coming from people who were upset with representatives from Primerica, not the company.  I knew that the reps were all Independent Contractors and there were bound to be more that a few “loose screws” out there who have signed up and using bad practices.

 

My wife and I decided to give this Primerica thing a try.  I filled out their independent business application and submitted the $199 start up fee. 

 

NOTE: I was concerned at first about the $199 and wondered where the money went and if the money was part of how they kept the business going.  I later learned that the $199 is really a “good faith” deposit to make sure the people coming in are serious.  You see, the financial service industry is highly regulated.  There are background checks and you have to be licensed by the state.  It cost a total of $945 to get licensed in my state (that’s mortgage and life insurance licensed, schooling, books and test).  The $199 goes to Primerica and they cover all the other costs.  That is a great deal.

 

It took me one month to pass my life insurance test (I was able to get mortgage certified right away).  During that first month, my trainer (a guy who had been in the company four years), helped me set up a few appointments with some of my close friends and family. 

 

NOTE:  I was afraid this would happen, but I then realized two things.  People do not go looking for financial services.  No one looks up “financial services” in the yellow pages.  These services are distributed best face-to-face, friend-to-friend.  Also, I told my friends and family that I was just checking this out and asked them to let me know if they notice anything sketchy or bad.  After my first two appointments, I was hooked.

 

It feels great to know that you are helping people.  Do the products work for everyone in every situation?  No.  Can someone get better prices on insurance and find lower interest rates on loans?  Probably.  But I do not believe they can get a better value then they can through Citigroup.  It’s been three months and I am now convinced that we do what’s right for people 100% of the time.  My wife’s parents are going to be out of debt - home, cars, and credit cards - all gone in eight years spending $450 LESS than they were before!  That is amazing.  A buddy of mine is now properly protected with life insurance paying $25 LESS a month than he was before.  Some insurance agent “hooked him up” (more like ripped him off) with a 10 year $650,000 policy.  My friend has diabetes and was unaware that his policy would increase to over $700 per month in a couple of years once the term was up.  It makes you feel good to know you’re making a difference.

 

Between helping my family and friend, I have made $1800 so far.  I realize from a “job” point of view, that is not very good for two months of work.  However, it only took me about seven or eight hours of work to make that.  You have to understand that it takes time, effort and patience to build a business.  I get more excited everyday.

 

Well, sorry this is so long.  I guess I’m pretty passionate about this.  Actually, I’m pretty surprised at how much I have changed over the past few months.  Things are really starting to take off.  I’m working off of a pure customer referral basis now. 

 

Is it hard at times?  You bet it is.  Do I want to quit sometimes?  At least once a day.  Why am I still doing it?  I believe in the concepts.  I’ve seen the products give hope to people.  I want to make my goals and dreams of taking care of my entire family a reality.  I will not fail.

 

I realize that some people (that is if anyone takes the 30 min to read this) will think I’m a fake.  Some will think I’m exaggerating or making this up.  Some people will think I’ve been deceived.  Some people will dispute what I’ve said (I’m actually kind of excited to come back and read some of it).  I just have to let all of you know, this is how I feel, Primerica is a good company.

 

They give people like you and me a chance to make something of ourselves.  Does everyone who signs up make it (become successful)?  No.  How many people do make it?  My experience is everyone who shows up and works will make it.  It’s kind of like the gym.  Lots of people sign up, but the only people who end up getting healthy and strong are those who don’t give up and work hard. 

 

Have an open mind.  Don’t believe everything you hear and read.  Don’t even believe what I’ve said.  Find out for yourself.  You don’t want to miss out on your opportunity or chance in life to reach your goals and dreams just because the road there is less traveled or “unpopular”.

 

My favorite saying: “If you keep doing what you have been doing, you will keep getting what you have been getting.”

 

God bless.

I was contacted last Friday by a primerica rep and he said that we could meet up on tuesday evening at 7pm. Thats tonight and now I am thinking after reading all the stuff about Primerica that I do not want to go, infact I do not want to call him either but I guess its best to let him know I am not interested.

i replied in an another thread. there's no point tryign to convince the ppl that are too close minded or have been pulled the wrong way by representatives. yes there are bad MLM companies out there, there are also good MLM companies. those who are afraid to look at something different will probably never suceed in life. if you're on the right team, you will acquire a complete new outlook on life. this is an incredible opportunity if it is done right!