Complaint Review: Primerica Financial Services - State College Pennsylvania

A couple years ago, I became close friends (so I thought) with a coworker, who was also acting interested in me. He flirted at work, asked me to carpool, invited me to several parties that never happened, made plans to hang out, etc. I thought I had a friend, or was on the way to a date. But I was never sure why he sought me out. I was deeply flattered and went about it as one would pursue a romantic interest.

In one of our conversations, he mentioned "another job" he was working in addition to our mutual one. Interested in making a few extra bucks, I asked him what he did, but he was very vague about it and told me, "We help families to save money." I responded that I liked to help people and that the opportunity sounded great. He said they were always looking for new recruits. End of convo, as he wouldn't divulge more information.

One night, I asked if this dude could cover my shift at work. He said that he would, if I would come to a "banquet" at his other job. Apparently, there was this meeting going on and if he brought a guest (me), he would get the next day off. He also promised drinks and pool after the meeting, and since I liked him, that was an incentive. So I did him the favor, so I could have the time off that I needed for myself.

The "banquet" turned out to be a "power-up meeting" for the pyramid scheme, but I didn't know that. I was directed into a room with other "guests," where I watched a very vague "what is Primerica" video and got a speech about how much money I could make and how I would be an entrepeneur without a boss. After the meeting, they asked not if I wanted to apply, but how many hours I wanted--eh? I didn't recall applying for a job. But I wanted the cash, so I filled it out.

I was then invited back for an "interview," where I was asked to serve up $199, but was then told that the position was commission-only, and you aren't even paid for your training. When I asked how you make money in this thing, they told me it involved calling up 25 of your friends and trying to get them to come to one of those "guest" meetings so that you can "recruit" (read: rope in) more people. I told them I wasn't keen on calling my friends to bother them, and was told that "If they don't want to do this, then they're just not your friends." Ex-cuse me?

I also learned that even my training would involve bothering someone (usually a boss) who I could 'practice' selling life insurance to. It had to be someone I knew, who was married with kids. Building a client base was to come through recruiting others (I was never clear how), and you were paid only when your "clients" bought insurance.

But...all of this was to come after taking and paying for a "license" and course in marketing and insurance sales. You were essentially paying to go to work.

I was very hurt by their tactics. Behaving as friends or boyfriends just to collect $200 and pass Go, and risk not even getting paid beyond that. "Job," my eye. It's a criminal scam.

Anonymous

State College, Pennsylvania
U.S.A.