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06/13/2003 Archived Entry: "I helped someone!"

As Cory Doctorow says "Blogs save lives!". :) Actually, I probably saved this guy an afternoon and much annoyance once he found what a scam Primerica was.

This is mostly about Primerica / Coquitlam. I got a call from someone purporting to have received my resume. I believe this means he saw my resume online. He didn't ask me any questions, just wanted to set up an interview time. Which I did. But something seemed odd. I mean, why would an employer waste time with an interview when he could ask a couple quick questions just to make sure there was a point to meeting.

So I went to Google and found your comment in your blog - though I had to search pretty hard to find it! In the search, I discovered you were recently in Bear Creek Park . . . and that you just got married and you live near my mom! You even drink at a bar I used to drop in on! What can I say, I had some time to kill. I'm not working these days . . .

Anyway, thanks man, you've saved me a wasted trip to Coquitlam!

I like how you're able to have comments added to your blog automatically. I've been searching for something like that for my website. I'll go off now and see what I can find out about the solution you're using.

Take care,
Larry.

My own connection to Primerica was much the same...except I fell for the "interview" and it took me an afternoon to figure out that the guy had MLM written all over him. You've got to be the lowest of the low to sucker the jobless into a scam.

Replies: 13 comments

Spoken like a true colon polyp (see also: brown noser,corporate suck up). 9 times out of 10 people that need the cash get ripped off because it takes so long to extend your branch of the tree, i mean, if you only make 10% of what your underlings bring in from theirs, you may as well eat the startup cash. At least you would have some fiber in your diet. Posted by Will @ 06/29/2003 05:14 PM PST

Have to agree, Will. I call Primerica a scam principally because the guy who tried to get me involved wasted an afternoon of my VERY valuable job-seeking time with lies and deceit. If he had just been up front about that Primerica was, that would be one thing, but as I say "If you've got to hide it, you probably shouldn't be doing it". After that, the (literally) hundreds of tales of people being scammed that are available show that something is not quite right in Primerica's book of ethics. Posted by Greg @ 07/01/2003 05:11 PM PST

Primerica: Brian - i think that is your name - please remove your head from your ***. The numbers don't lie as well as plenty of verbage on line to support the fact that these guys are a scam. That Citigroup is involved or owns Primerica tells me a lot about this large US Company - have a look at some of their practices as well. Brian why don't you take your fishing pole to the Fraser and try your luck - maybe just maybe you'll hook into a forgotten treasure chest...mabye its a case of hook line and sinker Posted by jack @ 08/13/2003 10:21 PM PST

Primerica: Brian - i think that is your name - please remove your head from your ***. The numbers don't lie as well as plenty of verbage on line to support the fact that these guys are a scam. That Citigroup is involved or owns Primerica tells me a lot about this large US Company - have a look at some of their practices as well. Brian why don't you take your fishing pole to the Fraser and try your luck - maybe just maybe you'll hook into a forgotten treasure chest...mabye its a case of hook line and sinker Posted by jack @ 08/13/2003 10:25 PM PST

It's obvious to me based upon your comments that you'll never be successful at anything you do! You have to have a winning attitude and a decent work ethic. Nothing that's worth anything is easy. Primerica is not a scam, it's an opportunity for people to earn a decent living by telling people the truth. It's not a get rich quick scheme or MLM. The part of it that you think is MLM is just icing on the cake. There is a real opportunity to make 6 figures in under one year, if you work for it. And that is just by being a producer (a hard worker). If you're not willing to work for it, then you should just as well be happy just where your at. The only person stopping yourself from being successful is YOU! You have to think like a winner to be one. Take a look at your current situation and attitude and do your own soul searching. If not Primerica than someplace else, but the key is YOU! Posted by Primerica Winner @ 09/03/2003 06:17 AM PST

I believe that there is no such thing as a get rich quick scheme. In order to make 6 figures or more you need to either inherit money, win the lotto, or work hard. Regardless of what steps you take to own your own business (for example whether you choose Farmer's Insurance, Real Esate, or Primerica) it will always be rough in the beginning. The only advice I can give is to find something that you believe in and something that is exciting to you and be prepared to work extremely hard. Sure, eventually the dust will settle and you will be able to live out your dreams and work when you want and relax a bit...but it will take some time to get to that point. So be prepared. Your other option is to be content working for someone else for the rest of your life knowing that at any given moment you could be laid off. I am not a member of the Primerica family, but I do not rule out becoming one. I believe the key in anything is to do the research. Each office is run differently. If you end up in an office that is run in a way you disagree with, don't bash them...simply say no-thank-you and search for a different office where you can receive your training and eventually start your own office and run it the way you see fit! Posted by Chandra @ 09/06/2003 10:41 AM PST

I have to agree with Chandra. The key to a successful Primerica business is the management of the office you join with. I was never tricked, nor was anything hidden from me in my opp meeting. My RVP is a great leader, and we are given strong leadership and education. My upline trained me with great attention to detail. Having once been in the training and development field, I was impressed with the attention to detail and focus on positive leadership skills. I have heard that unfortuneately some offices are not focused on training, and are run poorly...almost like a "scheme". I guess I got lucky, I am doing quite well already with my own team...and I am working from home...and as a previous working Mom....it is great. I will never trick or scam anyone into Primerica...the key is complete education and honesty. No opportunity is going to be perfect for anyone...and that goes with any job or career out there. Posted by Alex @ 10/24/2003 09:35 PM PST

I have got to agree with the last 3 comments here. I have heard that there are some offices in which individuals misuse the system, but fortunately the one I have recently come into is up front and honest, as Alex's sounds. I don't dount that there are those who would gladly rip people off in any business, however in one example I heard of an RVP who was mistreating his downline, as soon as they found out about it he was kicked out, and that sounds to me like at least attempted regulation of employee morality. As far as it being a scam or MLM, the system is much more similar to real estate, with brokers and agents, only in real estate your broker will not encourage you to open your own office because you would be their competition. Depending on how you use the resources available to you, Primerica can benefit you greatly. For instance, the $200 CDN I paid when I sent in my Independent Business Application will be paid back, $100 for every 3 of 6 field training sessions I do. And EVEN if it were not, the financial knowledge that I have gained by simply investing that sum and some of my time is worth far more. Plus they paid for me to take the Life Insurance Pre-Licensing Course, and my upline provided me with the manual to study from in advance, and I was able to pass that my first time... plus he helped me get set up for my Provincial Exam. Mind you, the government will want $90 for that, but then I can legally work for ANY insurance company... not just Primerica. Sorry to make such a long post, but I hate to see such a heated argument over something like this. I don't want to call anyone here ignorant, I know that is not the case. I'm sure that you will respect my opinion, as I respect yours. To those who disagree with me, I would like to add something... This job, like all others, requires hard work, and valuable time to be successful. If you are not willing to put those two commodities into it, then you are guaranteed not to get very much out of it. The same goes for me. I will succeed based on my work ethic. Before you judge someone, you should get to know them. The same goes for Primerica. If you want to call it a scam, make sure that you know for yourself beyond a doubt that it is. Hearsay can go back 1000 people and dozens of corporations and still be hearsay. Also, many sources of rumors are in fact the competition, whose view is no less subjective than Primerica's itself. If you do decide to invest an evening of your valuable time, go with an open mind, but also judging everything that you hear, not just taking it for granted. Make your own decision. Neither I, nor many representatives I know, would force you to make a decision against your will. Whatever you do, I hope you succeed, each and every one of you. See you at the top! Posted by Andrew @ 10/26/2003 07:53 PM PST

I just went to a Primerica interview, and what a joke!!!! The guy couldn't have seemed more insincere if he'd tried. I had read about the scams about an hour before the interview, so I went in it very guarded. In fact, I even tried to make myself seem like a bad candidate, just to see if they'd still want me. I wasn't shocked to see that they still wanted me...probably because I have a pulse or something. When I asked questions about how compensation works, etc, he evaded every single question. He even had the audacity to bring God into the mix of the conversation...whatever dude. When I had told him that I also work for NBC News at times as a consultant for outdoor recreation in the southwest, he immediately ended the interview. Ha!!! Shows you that he had something to hide...I didn't realize that until I was driving home that he probably thought I was an investigative reporter. I'd rather scrub toilets for a living than work for them. Posted by Geneva @ 11/08/2003 02:47 PM PST

THIS PRIMERICA IS A TOTAL SCAM. PEOPLE THAT ARE TALKING GOOD ABOUT IT GET PAID TO GO TO THESE BOARDS AND AND SAY GOOD STUFF ABOUT IT !!!!!!!!! DONT FALL FOR IT PEOPLE!!!!!!!!! Posted by SCAMM @ 11/21/2003 02:32 PM PST

The problem with Primerica is that they are just middle-men with high commissions. Any consumer can do a lot better by shopping around and using a fee-only finacial planner, cpa or anyone else. Posted by LightBulb @ 12/23/2003 07:34 AM PST

Hey, "verydim" LightBulb that has to be the dumbest, (and there are some really dumb posts here), statement I have ever read. Fee-only, cpa's, or "anyone"...like your Uncle blacklight (on the porch), your cat named "10 watt", one of special education teachers...yea anyone else can do much ("a lot" is land you live on it does not=much, many, more) better by shopping around. Everyone gets paid commissions, can you put that many syllables together. EVERYONE, EVERYONE, EVERYONE you moron. Same licenses, same exams, same commission, synonyms of the word commission: FEE, EXPENSE, COST, CHARGE, PAYMENT. Your dipsh$ted advise is a FEE (or Commission)-only Planner, that requires an upfront payment (commission) and charges (commission) you any ongoing fees (commissions) you might require after the initial setup. A CPA that charges (commissions) you an upfront fee (commission) and any additional costs (commission). Then there is anyone else...Have you read the reports from the gov't, courts, MSN Money, CNN, or other publications. The financial crisis our U.S. family's are in. The most bankruptcy's ever, the most debt ever, the least savings ever. Then here you are the "o-so-bright" lightbulb telling these people to stay away from the Primerica middle-people with high commissions, because they can do much better by shopping around and using anyone else. Procrastinate, shop around, what's the rush there is always next year. Ask me for advise, I am lightbulb the financially savvy, smart, babyboomer, that filed bankruptcy a few years ago and I'm OK, so you'll be OK, too. The gov't will take care of us. The company we worked at for 30 years wouldn't screw us, would they? My children will take care of me. I'll inherit from my parents when they die. WAIT, I'll spend my current savings on the lottery, if I play all $30,000 worth at one time I have to win at least that much. You people are arguing over non-sense. You don't want to work with them, then don't, but the Financial Plan is something you should have done YOU NEED IT. You want to shop around, good shop around, but have the financial plan done first YOU NEED IT. Don't like your Representative, fire him/her, and talk to someone else. It is not a scam. A scam is cheating, rip-off, trick, dodge, or con. A represtative can not scam a client. It is not possible. To many hoops, and governing. They do recruit and they do mess-it-up recruiting. Most people are slaves, and sheep, and dependent on someone to provide a means of income. Primerica is for the rebel, the alpha, and the independent that can tough it out. Obviously, most of you are sheep. Keep on BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-ing. Posted by RMS @ 01/07/2004 05:19 PM PST