I fell victim to this scam known as Primerica. It all started one day when an unknown number called my cell phone and left me a voicemail. I listened to the voicemail and couldn't even hardly make out the name of the company from which the guy said he was calling. In the voicemail, he asked if I was still looking for employment.
As a recent college graduate desperate to find a job in this sluggish economy, I gladly called back and set up an interview. So I met with the guy who was to become my "field trainer" or whatever and he explained to me what I would be doing, and as a journalism major in college, I hadn't the slightest clue or interest in selling insurance, which is what I got out of the interview, but desperate to work, I agreed to a second interview, and the really weird part is that he asked me if I wanted to meet at the local office or if I wanted him to come to my house (strange).

I always felt really pressured when I met with him, and I found it strange the way he always had me write down names of people who I knew. He told me that there was a $99 fee but that if I didn't have it, I could do a "scholarship" program to where I go with my field trainer on three "successful" interviews with prospective buyers/victims in my "warm market" (people close to me - friends and family) to waive the $99 fee, which is what I chose to do.

So we went on several interviews to houses of people who I knew and the whole process just seemed a little strange to me. I found it weird how I wasn't participating (I would just sit at the kitchen table watching him explain all this information to my friends who were just as confused as me) and how he always left papers with everyone and asked them to fill out names of people who they knew. Even to customers who didn't or wasn't interested in the whole process, he would constantly call me and ask if I had gotten the list of names. Finally after the third client, my field trainer just stopped calling me and that's when I knew that I had been scammed. I could tell from the beginning that it was a little strange and didn't seem like a real job, but being the desperate unemployed college graduate that I am, I accepted.

I feel absolutely embarrassed to have to tell my friends that it was a scam and I am constantly apologizing to them for putting them through this and for giving out their personal financial information to these crooks at Primerica. These cronies are a weird bunch as well. My field trainer told me that I needed to go to the weekly meetings which were every Tuesday night and this was during the summer and Tuesday nights were volleyball nights for me so I rarely showed up and just made excuses as to why I wasn't there.

The few meetings that I went to were absolute repeats of one another. The same people got up in the same order and talked about the same old stuff - about how great Primerica was and how it's changed their lives, etc. I spent the entire time asking myself, "What am I doing here with these scammers?" To top it off, my field trainer told me that I needed to go to a regional meeting in St. Louis, which was the biggest joke and waste of time of my entire life.

All of these Primerica people are the most brainwashed and ridiculous-acting people I've ever met. I thought to myself that it was just a big cult.  Their phony postings here and elsewere, along with countless fake blogs and websites are indicative of the caliber of mediocrities that this organiziation attracts, and should be a red flag to any potential recruits or customers. To anyone who comes into contact with these people, I would say hang up the phone or slam the door immediately before they lure you in before it's too late. I made no money but lost no money either - only thing I lost was some respect among my friends and a great deal of time that I could have spent looking for other jobs.

Hey guys,I've read through quite a few of the posts in this forum and couldn't resist throwing in my opinion.Unfortunately, I had been involved with Primerica full-time for about 2.5 years. I can honestly say without a doubt that joining this company was the single biggest mistake of my life. The second biggest mistake of my life was staying in it for as long as I did.I know those that are Primerica reps will disagree and probably have some rehearsed lines that they always use for comments like mine, but save your breath. I know all the lines because, ashamed as I am now, I've used them myself in the past. For all the readers that are even thinking about joining this company, please don't. I'm not just saying this as someone that "couldn't make it" or anything like that. But I just don't want anyone to lose all the time, money, self-respect, and confidence that I did. It's now been over two years since I've left and, trust me, not a day goes by that I don't curse myself for ever joining this ridiculous company.I don't want to get into too much detail, but long story short, this company (at least in my experience), preys on those that are desperate, looking for work, and literally just wants to get the most out of them as possible.PLEASE, if you're in school, stay in school, find a decent job, anything! If you're just looking for work, do telemarketing if you have to for a little while until you can find a better job. You'll be a lot better off in the long run.

Uggnh!!!! A Primerica branch occupied the offices directly above where I work for several years (they finally moved out last fall, thank OG!). High pressure, multi-level marketing sales of iffy financial services was their thing.

Viewed from the outside, it looked like a real meat-grinder, and I rarely saw the same faces returning year after year. Those who did were inevitably in-your-face sales types with attitudes that oozed insincerity. We have limited parking for our building and they regularly had recruitment drives that would flood the lot with their marks' cars which would cause absolute chaos and no small amount of fury when multiple idiots would double or even triple park their rusted out vehicles. The foot stomping chants and cheers as the cretins rallied around the cause of bilking their 'clients' just compounded the headaches (did I mention that they were directly above my office)?

The building manager hated their guts and would regularly complain about building doors being left unlocked overnight and the disgusting condition of the upstairs bathroom. After about the sixth time they clogged the toilet and flooded the bathroom he decided to rip out the toilet paper dispenser altogether and replaced it with those dispensers that distribute really thin tissues that are so low-grade you can still see chunks of wood in them. Never piss off a building manager.

I'll give them credit for one thing though, they were smart enough not to try to hard sell any of the other tenants. That would have crossed a major line would likely have ended up with them getting booted from the premises. The only reason the owner put up with them in the first place was the rent they were paying. Of course, that only gave the weasels a monumental sense of entitlement to add to their already inflated egos.

Phew...did I mention that I'm really, really, really, happy that they're gone?

I was accosted at the local Wal-Mart today by a two-person Primerica team. While my immediate assumption was that they were husband and wife, I quickly picked up on the fact that they were more likely a mentor/mentoree team instead. I wasn’t so much offended by their cheesy tactics as I was baffled by them.

How many people are actually so gullible as to think a successful insurance salesman or money manager goes to the local Wal-Mart to drum up a sales team? If these Primerica shills were as successful as I would think they’d hope to be in a similar business, they wouldn’t have to step foot in a Wal-Mart to interview prospective employees. These people aren’t selling financial products so much as they’re selling themselves.

Sadly, neither of these two jamokes grasped the first step of making a successful sale which is to divorce oneself from the desire for the outcome. From moment one they reeked of trying to delve into my pocket and social network at any cost.

No thanks.

When you sell yourself to family and friends, you do just that. If you get them to buy, you have perhaps put a few quick dollars in your pocket, but in so doing you traded integrity that you once had with the people who trusted you most. This same integrity, mind you, is integrity that you cannot easily buy back. Regardless of how big your sphere of influence might be, staying on this path will guarantee that your well will eventually run dry.

Granted, those very few select big wigs at the top of the Primerica pyramid (by the way, if you’re reading this then it’s too late to join their ranks) may earn a livng, the newest recruit however will simply soil his reputation to family and friends.

Not my bag, Baby, and if you’re smart, it won’t be yours either.

stop bullsh*tting people ...if you're a supervisor there or one of the liers just indicate so without having to lie to people. You sure don't need a resume to get a job because any schmuck can work there which is indicated by your case. You sure are your own boss , YOUR OWN BROKE A$$ BOSS with nothing but a security bill to pay to these thieves and people that hate you because you stalk them 30 times.  The average failure there earns the whopping sum of 5K/year, as admitted by Primerica itself:

http://www.primerica.com/public/primerica_disclosures.html

Hello Ms. Forte

I think you need to take action againts these vicious cretins.  First they spam your site with fake postings trying to promote their activity.  Then they post abusive comments against anyone who dares complain about them, and demand that any negative posts be removed.  Then they post defamatory slanderous accusations againts your person, followed by threats to extort  you.

Now, this Grossman idiot, who apparently is in charge of that particular office, is employed by Primerica Financial Services Canada (a seperate entitiy from the American head office I believe) -

Primerica
2000 Argentia Road
Plaza 5, Suite 300
Mississauga, Ontario,
L5N 2R7

Telephone: (905) 812-2900
Fax: (905) 813-5310

You may also wish to contact the Finanical Services Commission of Ontario, which is responsible for licensing insurance agents in Ontario and investigating breach of conduct:

http://www.fsco.gov.on.ca/en/About/contact/Pages/default.aspx

There is only one agent listed for this "office" on the Primerica website, not the big gang of 45 that this "Ray Anchetta" imbecile has mentioned, and that agent is Tal David Grossman.  The "Ray Anchetta" may be another one of his bogus aliases or someone acting on his behalf.

Good luck with your efforts and keep us posted.  These people are an embarrassment to all those in the financial services industry and need to be dealt with.