| PMA USA/conseco |
| PMA USA/conseco washington national, bankers life No matter how bad you need money do not work for these people! carmel, Indiana |
| 6th of Apr, 2011 by User217699 |
I know that if there are a few of us that actually report, there are hundreds more that have been used and abused by this company.
PMA preys on new insurance agents promising them big money. I'm embarrassed to say I'm not a new agent ,I am seasoned and i still got took. Being an insurance agent, I am very much aware of the expenses envolved in my occupation. Gas, car, liability insurance, leads etc. not to mention the self disipline, unpredictable income from one week to the next. It is a tough industry to get started in and to stay in. Run as fast as you can from this insurance job, they are unethical and unscrupulous. You will not make any money, even if you make sales. When I think about what they are getting away with, and ruining peoples lives in this economy they should be reported to every department of insurance in the country. They should be shut down and not be allowed to treat agents like this. I don't know how they sleep at night. And yes all those managers know how PMA USA/CONSECO operate. They are scared to death to leave themselves because they know that they would get charge backs as well if they have been there less than 5 yrs.
THis is how they work: they recruit you, you memorize your script, run you around your whole state running up gas and hotel bills. you make a couple of sales and may break even. You stay 3 months or so, you want to quit b/c your exhausted, broke and disappointed. They keep your sales and charge you back the advanced commissions, due to some section in your contract that I still am not able to locate.
This grows their book of business and and it cost them nothing! They gain policies by recruiting and terminating. It's a vicious cycle. This is a form of money laundering. They pay, charge back, and keep the profits. The irony is as an insurance agent I have to take anti money laundering classes! An insurance sale is a tough sale no matter what product you represent. Carriers need agents to show and explain and impress the need for insurance. That is why they pay commissions. I don't get paid unless I sell. Most agent are 1099, which means, no salary, no benefits, no sick time or vacation, it's usually feast or famine.
I sold over a dozen policies with pma, most all of them were pretaxed, which means they are locked in that premium until their next enrollment period and had several groups i sold/opened during my short time. I got a termination letter in dec and just wrote business for nov effective. No reason, they knew they would get advances back by as mentioned before small print in contract. It was just spiteful and unethical. This had never happened to me before with an insurance company. If I was terminated, it was because of no production after being with them a year or two.
In my experience, the definition of a chargeback was if for some reason the policy was cancelled, death, not taken etc. the monies you received were expected back usually minus the months that the insured was paying premiums or your incoming commissions covered the loss. My policies were still in force and I got charged back for all I wrote. 2 yrs later I got a letter telling me my policies' premiums were under $250 mth. So they had received premiums on l my sales all that time. That's just wrong on so many levels! Of course after my termination, they turned me over to a collection attorney who added another $500 to my balance, my credit was ruined, they reported me to Vector one and I got 1099 from the year a was with them and another the next year that I wasn't with them. Every time I asked them to send me validation of debt, they would send me my commission statements. HA! I called conseco and they couldn't talk to me, referred me back to col. atty. THey would not show me where any of my clients had cancelled because they didn't. If this has happened to anyone else, i feel that they are violating the unfair business practices act and maybe you can pursue them in small claims court or if enough of us report their behavior, a class action suit. This company should be banned from all job recruiting sites and every insurance agent should be warned. |
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Performance Matters Associates (PMAUSA) offers an outstanding opportunity for anyone with an entrepreneurial spirit and strong work ethic. We provide you the sales system, training, income, awards and recognition while you build your own business as an independent contractor insurance agent.
Our system has proven successful for many folks who are making more money than they ever thought possible, building renewal income for their future while helping Americans through the outstanding supplemental health and life products we are proud to market for Washington National Insurance Company.
This business is not for everyone – perhaps your personal lifestyle does not allow you to commit, perhaps you just don’t have what it takes to be a true self-starter with that entrepreneurial spirit.
We’re sorry for those who did not succeed with us and sincerely wish you the best for the future. However, what we absolutely know for sure and stand behind 100% is that if you combine a strong commitment to working the system with all the tools and resources we offer success is indeed achievable! |
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PMA sorry? What a joke, if they were truly sorry they would fix the issues and reimburse past and present agents. But they did tell one truth when they said the business is not everyone, that's correct, it's not for anyone period! They were also right when they said that perhaps you, we, just don't have what it takes...I don't have what it takes to be conned or to con clients, so their right again. Unfortunately a lot of life insurance sales are rip offs either for the agent or the client, or both. But there a few good ones around, and fortunately I found one.
I don't have to go into another lengthy detail since the first poster already did a good job of that. |
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Good thing I saw this before I called Pma. They just sent me a job offer.
Sounds a lot like a Credit Card company called Heartland Payment Systems. They have about the same MO |
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| I have been an agnt with PMA for going on 5 years now and in my experience they fullfilled 200% of their promises. I work 4 days a week and earn 4 times more money than I ever had in a sales position. It sounds like from your statement that you have been terminated from multiple companies for your lack of prodution. Work ethic is a must with this profession and those that do, get! Compliance and ethics are priority one with PMA and I believe it to be the best company I have worked for in the 20+ years of sales I have had. I maybe biased but this job pays well to those that perform and if is not for you then its not. |
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I just rec'd a job "opportunity" via email. Anymore I do a google search on the company. If there is any bad press or questionable info, I just delete the email or better yet, send it to spam.
You can't hardly trust job offers by email...Most honest and legitimate companies will call you to talk.
This is about the 4th type of scam employment offer I've gotten, but in hard times it makes the scam artists drool all the more.
NOTHING SAYS FREE ENTERPRISE LIKE HARD TIMES AND PEOPLE WILLING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOU. |
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I worked for Conseco from Nov. 2006 to January 2007. PMA (Conseco) has created the BIGGEST nightmare ever for me as an agent. They placed a Vector against my insurance license. I have sent countless letters in the last six years trying to clear this matter and they repeatedly deny everything.
Dont ever, ever, ever, work for this company. They wil use you to sell policies and then lie and say all of the policies were cancelled and send you a bill for chargebacks. If you dont pay the chargebacks, they place a vector against your insurance license and send a debt collector after you. |
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Have been in the insurance biz for 5 years and got started with a company similar to PMA. Charge backs just don't happen for no reason, they happen when you take advanced commissions and the policy terminates before a year. 12 policies is weak by the way and if they have a minimum quota and you didn't meet it, getting rid of you was probably in your own best interest. Complaining about salary, benefits, sick time, etc sounds to me like you should stick with being a W2 employee. There's nothing wrong with that, just saying. You actually don't work for an insurance company (unless you work at their headquarters) you work for yourself selling their product. Selling insurance is what you make it. You have to have ridiculously strong work ethic. It's a numbers game and over time you learn to operate smarter and more efficiently thus making your numbers better. I guarantee a lot of people have made good money at PMA and have earned a flexible schedule. I guarantee a lot more haven't and a lot of those people blamed everyone but themselves.
As far as them going after you, I will say that's a little extreme. I will also say companies like PMA that are more of recruiting companies than insurance companies are on the bottom of the barrel when it comes to insurance but I would still take that to being a W2 employee any day. Selling insurance is not for everyone but what other job offers you almost 100% job security (you are your own boss), flexible hours, renewals, and if you want a raise just work harder. You completely control your own destiny. I will say there are a lot better insurance opportunities out there than PMA like working for an agency, being a broker for several companies but that's hard to start from scratch. Companies like PMA get a lot of people out of their unsatisfying salaried jobs and into the self employed mind set, they are a good starting point, I wouldn't recommend staying around for a long time w/ one of their recruiting insurance companies unless you want to work your way up the ladder but it is a good starting/learning point. |
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| I'm a current agent with PMA and have been licensed to sell WNIC policies since 12/2008. I have had my share of ups and downs but what seperates the successful agetns fromt the ones that fail is hard work and most important, Determination! I will say that I have seen many people come and go with our company with the hopes and dreams of having a better life for themselves and family. Unfortunately wanting something and earning it are polar opposites. Just because PMA recruited you and gave you the chance to succeed does not mean we will coddle and hold your hand along the way. Go back to your "punching the clock" lifestytle and quit crying about why the sky is falling chicken little. |
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It is amazing to see the issues posted here. I am just getting ready to start with PMA. I have been licensed since 2007, so I have come to realize that the insurance business is very challenging. My background was in real estate, so I have come to see that insurance is not an easy sale. But, I work this as a broker. I sell health, life, critical illness, accidental, annuities, medicare advantage. From my experience of doing real estate, you have to do more than one thing. Not everyone is ready to buy a home, buy insurance, or anything else, but if you are hungry, you will find them.
Final thought, the life of being a lion is rough, but when they get hungry they hunt. Get around people who have the same mindset, and they will show you what they know, and hopefully they will show you how to do it. There are millions of people who only have a job. That lifestyle bores me because employers seem to make you wait until you are literally out of money before they hire you. Don't be a SLAVE. You are free. This is the F...n. United States, and this is a free enterprise economy. You have to find people who needs your goods and services; otherwise, you can work for someone who will let you take care of the shop at minimal pay. |
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| You just saved my career by what you wrote. I ALMOST got hooked... BLESS YOU!! A million thanks!! |
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| PS: I have had experience in the past with the likes of these, and had been "duped", and had financial ruin in the past... You get awful leads... put a ton of miles on your car simply to find out it's a dead end, and much unethical practices... I did not have access at the time to places such as these at the tip of my fingers to do some investigating before I left my current job... again, thanks to: 6th of Apr, 2011 by User217699. I would have been taken, for sure, because they had a great sales pitch. My interview was set for this coming week... thanks again!! |
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As an agent for PMA for almost 3 years, I can say that if one puts forth the effort, the reward is definately worth it. I left a job paying $120k...Didnt have a plan B. Good thing I didnt read all of this negativity from individuals. I made over $300k in 2012. Didnt happen by accident, I worked my butt off. Oh and by the way, I do put a ton of miles on my car, and I try to create as many of my own leads as possible(that is the PMA strategy). I have recruited many people over the last 2 1/2 years. Some have done well, some not so well. But the thing I can say for sure is that those that leave the company, leave because they are deficient in some area.(Why in the hell, as a manager, would I terminate someone for low production? I get overrides regardless of what they produce. I have a vested interest in making them successful. If they succeed, I make more $$$. Again, part of the PMA strategy)Dont want to travel, refuse to learn the sales script properly, refusing to follow the prescribed sales strategy. Its simple. One will get out of it whatever they put into it!!!
As far as chargebacks. What a bunch of ignoramuses. One gets an advance on first year commissions. If they dont stay long enough, yes the company is going to try to recoup their money.
Signed,
A pretty well of WNIC/PMA agent |
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| Looking to hear back from WHOcares2013 and RealDeal 3670. Are you still working for PMA USA and have your opinions changed? Thank you! |
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I am not here to complain but to say shame on anyone who defends this companies chargeback practices. People are trying to explain that the business theyw rite is being CANCELLED AND REWRITTEN by another agent, hence, an unnecessary chargeback.
anyone truly IN the insurance business knows this is shady and deceptive to say the least. Most reputable companies would simply change the account to a house account and keep the commissions, but not these guys evidently. A reputable company would also not rewrite policies in the first year if they are active and being paid AND if they have advanced an agent commission on said account.
if you want to get into health insurance, dig around. And contact others in the business for guidance. Some brokers will even let you 1099 under them and get you contracted with all the carriers you couldn't access or reach on your own.
best wishes to all
sincerely
a real insurance veteran, not just a PMA veteran reciting generic talking points they have have bee silly enough to believe. |
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| Well now I have no idea if I want to go to this interview or not. |
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