LifeTel Financial and Insurance Services, LLC. Reviews
Jun 20, 2018
I Contacted this company from a CL ad seeking Insurance agents. I was contacted by Jim Hendry Director Of life sales the next day. His sales pitch for his company was very good. He said that to start with them I had to pay $595.00 for contracting and appointments with different carriers. I received the producers packet to fill out and submit.
Not having done my do diligence I proceeded to check the company out with various sources including the BBB . I decided I did not want to work for this company. I had not submitted any paper work for contracting. When I contacted Jim Hendry and ask for a refund of the $595.00 he refused. I am requesting my money be returned as I did not return the producer information for me.
Lifetel advertises in craigslist every week in at least four different counties that I know of. Since they are a "Virtual Office" who knows exactly how many counties they advertise in. They ask for $395 up front saying that you don't have to buy leads and the prelisence training comes at no cost. The reason I am writing this is to help the people who are considering paying this upfront cost. I am hoping that I can help some people avoid becoming part of their turn over rate, income stream.
What they don't tell you is that the free leads are a year old for the most part and, that the fresh pay leads are a minimum of $300 for just 20 leads. I was hoping to work my way up to using the free leads to buy the fresh leads. But there is no training for how to deal with objections from year old leads (ie. "I have already done something", "No longer interested", " I don't remember doing that" or, the most common "That was not me") and, there was no way of talking to someone at lifetel who was "currently" closing year old, leads. After this I could not shake the feeling I would be throwing away more good money on Lifetel.
If you are considering Lifetel and you are already experienced in buying leads at this price then this is may not be for you. But, if you are new and looking to get into the industry there are a lot of shops that will not only train you for free but also, give you leads for free. There is no reason to pay them $395 for the benifit of buying leads from a third party, lead mail house based out of Florida.
If you take all the people, from the unknown number of counties they advertise in, who don't pass the exam, for what ever reason don't believe the company has lived up to their part of the bargain or, if you are like me and simply do not have that kind of budget for leads then, this may be for you. You have to consider how much money Lifetel is making off of the turn over rate, income stream. I would love to know exactly how much money that is every year for them to add to their qualified retirment plan. My advise is to create a buzzword search on craigslist for "insurance" and even check the "telecommute" box (if that is your thing) and, do your homework on all the companies you can find.
I have pasted our last two emails for your review. You decide for yourself if there is any abuse going on here. It also important to note that since my emailed response a month ago, I have been ghosted by the CEO Elly Weatherby.
***
Good morning Chris! I hope you're well and that your Friday is off to a good start. Like we both said last week, if nothing else, at least it's Friday..lol. Hopefully, we can keep things in good spirits for both of us for this Friday and into another much needed weekend. First, I appreciate your patience. Under the circumstances, it was very important to me to be able to review all of my notes and just simply to make sure I'm completely on top of all of the details, as obviously I don't have all information for all agents instantly "at the ready". And, honestly, with another very busy, good busy, but busy week, this is about the first chance I've really had on this. Here's the detail I've deemed most relevant, from my review...
1. When you signed on with us on 11/13/17, practically almost 6 months ago now, you paid us a partial program fee of $395. Most agents pay the full program fee, but I'm sure it was discussed and worked out with Jim and that's perfectly fine. That said, you were unlicensed at the time and we paid for your prelicense course out of that amount, that money obviously paid to an outside company and that cost is not refundable to you or me.
2. I was quite frankly shocked that it took nearly 4 months to complete the licensing process. Something I was clearly completely unaware of when we last spoke, but that's an incredibly long time to get that process completed.
3. From there, and from what I recall and my notes show, we were in regular communication, I feel as though I was always very responsive and there whenever you had questions, needed assistance, etc. In short, from a service standpoint, I really don't believe I dropped the ball there on you and I trust and hope you'd say the same.
4. You worked 2 rounds of free leads. From my notes, I saw absolutely no real sort of barking and/or complaining and then we were right in to a dialogue about a minimum order of purchase B leads and you were all good, upbeat and fine.
5. You asked me for some additional selling assistance, to hone your pitch and approach, and I referred you to Jim for some discussion, as, again truly, Jim has been just about the single best individual producer we've ever had. According to Jim and his records, it appears you guys exchanged a couple of voicemails, but Jim believes he left you the last and you never attempted to get back in contact with him again and he doesn't recall, and nobody's recollection is always completely perfect, but he doesn't remember past the last voicemail he left you as there being any additional contact between the 2 of you.
6. You did ask me for an additional agent contact, but quite frankly Chris, we're under absolutely no obligation to get you in contact with any of our other producers and they're entitled to their own privacy, just as you are with us, and it's not their or your responsibility to act as junior recruiters and/or additional sales or marketing trainers. I put you in contact with the only guy you really needed to speak to and you didn't follow it through. Entirely your choice to do so or not, but I do honestly believe I provided you with a good and extremely qualified outlet for the assistance you were asking for.
7. Regarding your potential purchase B lead order, you even forced me to go back over and scrutinize our standard credit card form and there's absolutely no "legalese" having anything to do with your program fee and/or any other reason that would keep you from following through with that order. Again, you're not required to purchase leads and whether you decide to or not is entirely your decision. But, other than your own choice not to, there shouldn't have been any other obstacle moving forward on that. And, as lead purchases are not required, of course I'm not going to chase and hound you on a $40 lead order. Clearly, for all obvious reasons, that just not something I would ever do or should be expected to do.
8. Finally, and very important I believe here, is your statement about "crushing it on the free leads". I have to say I didn't really click on that fully when I first read it or even heard it during our last conversation. Who ever said anywhere, in presentations, in conversation that anyone was "crushing it" on the free leads only. We don't make that assertion in our complete overview presentation, we don't make it in our training modules, we don't make it in our first leads presentation.. We don't make that assertion anywhere. In fact, it's quite the opposite. All of that material asserts that there are a handful of cases to be written out of the weekly free leads and absolutely there are. Far, far from "crushing it", however. Can you use the commissions from a handful of free lead sales to help get you "off the ground", reinvest some that commission in to better quality leads and by that help get you better launched.. Yes! Nobody throughout our entire ranks lives and/or would ever expect to live by free lead sales alone. That's a completely unreasonable expectation and we didn't set that expectation from free leads only to you or any other agent. Heck, there's a 44 page thread on the Forum talking about all of that in very deep detail from agents of ours talking at length about the need to supplement your base free leads to truly be "crushing" it.
Chris, I honestly like you and this email already turned out to be far more detailed than I really intended. I sincerely apologize for that. Having said that though, I thought it was important to address each claim you made to me, because I didn't want there to be anything not at least responded to. I suppose if I'm being extremely fair, and based on everything I covered above I don't think I necessarily have to be, but I could offer you one of 2 different solutions. If you insist on throwing in the towel, the $95 of the $395 goes to prelicensing and I'll split $300 with you. If you go that route, I'll issue you a credit of $150 today. OR, get back in the game. Seriously, I could give a d**n about the $40 on the purchase B's and if you would have raised whatever the concern was prior, I would have just sent that order to you for free. It's $40 flippin' dollars, Brother. On the whole, we have to charge something for them, but I wouldn't let $40 stand in the way of a situation like yours to see if you could get us both something written. If you'd like to still press forward, I'd still send you that order on me. I say it all the time, Chris, probably even too often, but I do always try to be fair. I just require that same courtesy be given in my direction as well and I think I've sufficiently covered everything here to ask for that fairness.
Let me know which option works best and I do truly appreciate your consideration of all here - Thanks Chris:)!! *** Hi Elly,
You are right. This is very detailed so I will go down the list. Not to be curt but, I will try to keep these points as concise as possible.
1. Subtracting the class fee is fair. Details to follow.
2. You are right again. I did take long time to complete the licensing process and, I kept you guys in the loop. I even complained to you about it over the phone several weeks ago. If you want to revisit this timeline we can but, since you have just indicated that you are still willing to work with me. I don't see that is relevant to this conversation.
3. Your keeping of an open line of communication is not in question here but, there are topics that need to be elaborated on.
4, 5, & 6. I did receive two rounds of free leads. We have spoken about this on two separate phone calls. I did complain after the first round via the phone. I complained that they were a year old via the phone. At which point you said you would pick my next round of leads yourself. There were five more Ohio leads than the first round but, still a year old with the exception of one or two that were seven or eight months old. I did purposefully not request anymore free leads and, no else offered them.
7. You are right again. There is no need to worry about "legalese" on the purchase form for B leads.
Needed Elaboration: During my time with LifeTel it has been rare for me to read about an insurance product and not read about how the that particular product was created out of an evolving need from consumers at that time. And, in the age of the internet I am sure that the consumer has evolved faster and has become more sophisticated every year more so, than any other time in insurance history. Not only do consumers evolve but so do the companies that provide service to them. To even quote you Elly from your recruiting recording, "Evolve or die!" This is a phrase you used in describing how your business came in to being so many years ago. I am sure that it is a safe bet that even you and Jim have evolved. I know that both you and Jim both have enough momentum in your business that neither of you have had to call on any of free leads in a very long time. In fact it has probably been a number of years for either of you.
In any case, getting back to companies evolving, your company has also demonstrated how you manage the lead system has also changed. I am quoting you word for word here Elly from your recordings, in at least two of the training recordings you say that we get free B leads. In the "Leads and Leads Program" webinar you say that we get "B to C leads" and, the purchase B leads are "not the sixty day B leads. They are the two week to thirty day" B leads. In your most recent recording "Instructions for working your free leads" mp3 you state that not only that we get B leads but, also that we "get ten to fifteen really good quality B leads". Later you also say that we can purchase additional B leads "they will be of the same quality of what your getting on the phone with what I am sending you know, a set number for nothing."
The reason for bringing up these quotes to your attention again from a previous email is not to get B leads reincorporated in to our free leads but, to show what used to be considered a free lead, has also changed. This is to emphasis why I had asked both you and Jim to let me talk to someone who is "currently closing free leads". 8. The term "...crushing it" was only used one time. Even in that email it was used to request being able to talk to "someone who is currently crushing it on free leads". But by phone and email I repeatedly asked to talk to someone who is "currently closing free leads". This request was overlooked, neglected, and ignored at every turn. I know you have revisited the emails I sent you stating this. But I also need to include that with each voice mail I left Jim that if he did not have availability for me after 9 am on any of the days we tried to connect that, that was fine. But, that "I am actually looking to talk to someone who is currently closing free leads." Maybe the specificity of this last part will stand out in Jim's memory regarding my voice mails. Maybe, it won't. But, it should.
To elaborate for you further Elly, when I was looking for an opportunity in this industry I purposefully avoided the craigslist postings from brokerages that indicated that a budget for leads is needed. That is why I responded to your ad and not theirs.
Also, I have to respectfully tell you, that the fact that you have a 44 page forum talking about the "need" to purchase leads only supports the fact that telling someone that they are "not required to purchase leads" is MISLEADING.
Conclusion; For $395 I should have the option to learn from someone who is currently closing free leads. Not from someone who did it years ago, in a different market, with softer leads. Furthermore, I am no longer interested in learning from someone who is currently closing free leads. Nor am I looking to be coerced into buying leads so that I can "get off the ground".
1. (continued) I am still requesting the full amount minus the Pre-license class fee. Pre-licence sells the course for $69.99 with a twenty dollar discount to "referring managers". So unless you are willing to swear to me that you have never taken advantage of the referring manager discount, the price for the class will be $49.99 ($50). For the reasons stated here I am hereby requesting the full amount of $345 to be refunded ($395 - $50). Thank you again, for your time and consideration in this matter.
I Contacted this company from a CL ad seeking Insurance agents. I was contacted by Jim Hendry Director Of life sales the next day. His sales pitch for his company was very good. He said that to start with them I had to pay $595.00 for contracting and appointments with different carriers. I received the producers packet to fill out and submit.
Not having done my do diligence I proceeded to check the company out with various sources including the BBB . I decided I did not want to work for this company. I had not submitted any paper work for contracting. When I contacted Jim Hendry and ask for a refund of the $595.00 he refused. I am requesting my money be returned as I did not return the producer information for me.
LifeTel Financial and Insurance Services, LLC. Reviews
I Contacted this company from a CL ad seeking Insurance agents. I was contacted by Jim Hendry Director Of life sales the next day. His sales pitch for his company was very good. He said that to start with them I had to pay $595.00 for contracting and appointments with different carriers. I received the producers packet to fill out and submit.
Not having done my do diligence I proceeded to check the company out with various sources including the BBB . I decided I did not want to work for this company. I had not submitted any paper work for contracting. When I contacted Jim Hendry and ask for a refund of the $595.00 he refused. I am requesting my money be returned as I did not return the producer information for me.
Lifetel advertises in craigslist every week in at least four different counties that I know of. Since they are a "Virtual Office" who knows exactly how many counties they advertise in. They ask for $395 up front saying that you don't have to buy leads and the prelisence training comes at no cost. The reason I am writing this is to help the people who are considering paying this upfront cost. I am hoping that I can help some people avoid becoming part of their turn over rate, income stream.
What they don't tell you is that the free leads are a year old for the most part and, that the fresh pay leads are a minimum of $300 for just 20 leads. I was hoping to work my way up to using the free leads to buy the fresh leads. But there is no training for how to deal with objections from year old leads (ie. "I have already done something", "No longer interested", " I don't remember doing that" or, the most common "That was not me") and, there was no way of talking to someone at lifetel who was "currently" closing year old, leads. After this I could not shake the feeling I would be throwing away more good money on Lifetel.
If you are considering Lifetel and you are already experienced in buying leads at this price then this is may not be for you. But, if you are new and looking to get into the industry there are a lot of shops that will not only train you for free but also, give you leads for free. There is no reason to pay them $395 for the benifit of buying leads from a third party, lead mail house based out of Florida.
If you take all the people, from the unknown number of counties they advertise in, who don't pass the exam, for what ever reason don't believe the company has lived up to their part of the bargain or, if you are like me and simply do not have that kind of budget for leads then, this may be for you. You have to consider how much money Lifetel is making off of the turn over rate, income stream. I would love to know exactly how much money that is every year for them to add to their qualified retirment plan. My advise is to create a buzzword search on craigslist for "insurance" and even check the "telecommute" box (if that is your thing) and, do your homework on all the companies you can find.
I have pasted our last two emails for your review. You decide for yourself if there is any abuse going on here. It also important to note that since my emailed response a month ago, I have been ghosted by the CEO Elly Weatherby.
***
Good morning Chris! I hope you're well and that your Friday is off to a good start. Like we both said last week, if nothing else, at least it's Friday..lol. Hopefully, we can keep things in good spirits for both of us for this Friday and into another much needed weekend. First, I appreciate your patience. Under the circumstances, it was very important to me to be able to review all of my notes and just simply to make sure I'm completely on top of all of the details, as obviously I don't have all information for all agents instantly "at the ready". And, honestly, with another very busy, good busy, but busy week, this is about the first chance I've really had on this. Here's the detail I've deemed most relevant, from my review...
1. When you signed on with us on 11/13/17, practically almost 6 months ago now, you paid us a partial program fee of $395. Most agents pay the full program fee, but I'm sure it was discussed and worked out with Jim and that's perfectly fine. That said, you were unlicensed at the time and we paid for your prelicense course out of that amount, that money obviously paid to an outside company and that cost is not refundable to you or me.
2. I was quite frankly shocked that it took nearly 4 months to complete the licensing process. Something I was clearly completely unaware of when we last spoke, but that's an incredibly long time to get that process completed.
3. From there, and from what I recall and my notes show, we were in regular communication, I feel as though I was always very responsive and there whenever you had questions, needed assistance, etc. In short, from a service standpoint, I really don't believe I dropped the ball there on you and I trust and hope you'd say the same.
4. You worked 2 rounds of free leads. From my notes, I saw absolutely no real sort of barking and/or complaining and then we were right in to a dialogue about a minimum order of purchase B leads and you were all good, upbeat and fine.
5. You asked me for some additional selling assistance, to hone your pitch and approach, and I referred you to Jim for some discussion, as, again truly, Jim has been just about the single best individual producer we've ever had. According to Jim and his records, it appears you guys exchanged a couple of voicemails, but Jim believes he left you the last and you never attempted to get back in contact with him again and he doesn't recall, and nobody's recollection is always completely perfect, but he doesn't remember past the last voicemail he left you as there being any additional contact between the 2 of you.
6. You did ask me for an additional agent contact, but quite frankly Chris, we're under absolutely no obligation to get you in contact with any of our other producers and they're entitled to their own privacy, just as you are with us, and it's not their or your responsibility to act as junior recruiters and/or additional sales or marketing trainers. I put you in contact with the only guy you really needed to speak to and you didn't follow it through. Entirely your choice to do so or not, but I do honestly believe I provided you with a good and extremely qualified outlet for the assistance you were asking for.
7. Regarding your potential purchase B lead order, you even forced me to go back over and scrutinize our standard credit card form and there's absolutely no "legalese" having anything to do with your program fee and/or any other reason that would keep you from following through with that order. Again, you're not required to purchase leads and whether you decide to or not is entirely your decision. But, other than your own choice not to, there shouldn't have been any other obstacle moving forward on that. And, as lead purchases are not required, of course I'm not going to chase and hound you on a $40 lead order. Clearly, for all obvious reasons, that just not something I would ever do or should be expected to do.
8. Finally, and very important I believe here, is your statement about "crushing it on the free leads". I have to say I didn't really click on that fully when I first read it or even heard it during our last conversation. Who ever said anywhere, in presentations, in conversation that anyone was "crushing it" on the free leads only. We don't make that assertion in our complete overview presentation, we don't make it in our training modules, we don't make it in our first leads presentation.. We don't make that assertion anywhere. In fact, it's quite the opposite. All of that material asserts that there are a handful of cases to be written out of the weekly free leads and absolutely there are. Far, far from "crushing it", however. Can you use the commissions from a handful of free lead sales to help get you "off the ground", reinvest some that commission in to better quality leads and by that help get you better launched.. Yes! Nobody throughout our entire ranks lives and/or would ever expect to live by free lead sales alone. That's a completely unreasonable expectation and we didn't set that expectation from free leads only to you or any other agent. Heck, there's a 44 page thread on the Forum talking about all of that in very deep detail from agents of ours talking at length about the need to supplement your base free leads to truly be "crushing" it.
Chris, I honestly like you and this email already turned out to be far more detailed than I really intended. I sincerely apologize for that. Having said that though, I thought it was important to address each claim you made to me, because I didn't want there to be anything not at least responded to. I suppose if I'm being extremely fair, and based on everything I covered above I don't think I necessarily have to be, but I could offer you one of 2 different solutions. If you insist on throwing in the towel, the $95 of the $395 goes to prelicensing and I'll split $300 with you. If you go that route, I'll issue you a credit of $150 today. OR, get back in the game. Seriously, I could give a d**n about the $40 on the purchase B's and if you would have raised whatever the concern was prior, I would have just sent that order to you for free. It's $40 flippin' dollars, Brother. On the whole, we have to charge something for them, but I wouldn't let $40 stand in the way of a situation like yours to see if you could get us both something written. If you'd like to still press forward, I'd still send you that order on me. I say it all the time, Chris, probably even too often, but I do always try to be fair. I just require that same courtesy be given in my direction as well and I think I've sufficiently covered everything here to ask for that fairness.
Let me know which option works best and I do truly appreciate your consideration of all here - Thanks Chris:)!! *** Hi Elly,
You are right. This is very detailed so I will go down the list. Not to be curt but, I will try to keep these points as concise as possible.
1. Subtracting the class fee is fair. Details to follow.
2. You are right again. I did take long time to complete the licensing process and, I kept you guys in the loop. I even complained to you about it over the phone several weeks ago. If you want to revisit this timeline we can but, since you have just indicated that you are still willing to work with me. I don't see that is relevant to this conversation.
3. Your keeping of an open line of communication is not in question here but, there are topics that need to be elaborated on.
4, 5, & 6. I did receive two rounds of free leads. We have spoken about this on two separate phone calls. I did complain after the first round via the phone. I complained that they were a year old via the phone. At which point you said you would pick my next round of leads yourself. There were five more Ohio leads than the first round but, still a year old with the exception of one or two that were seven or eight months old. I did purposefully not request anymore free leads and, no else offered them.
7. You are right again. There is no need to worry about "legalese" on the purchase form for B leads.
Needed Elaboration: During my time with LifeTel it has been rare for me to read about an insurance product and not read about how the that particular product was created out of an evolving need from consumers at that time. And, in the age of the internet I am sure that the consumer has evolved faster and has become more sophisticated every year more so, than any other time in insurance history. Not only do consumers evolve but so do the companies that provide service to them. To even quote you Elly from your recruiting recording, "Evolve or die!" This is a phrase you used in describing how your business came in to being so many years ago. I am sure that it is a safe bet that even you and Jim have evolved. I know that both you and Jim both have enough momentum in your business that neither of you have had to call on any of free leads in a very long time. In fact it has probably been a number of years for either of you.
In any case, getting back to companies evolving, your company has also demonstrated how you manage the lead system has also changed. I am quoting you word for word here Elly from your recordings, in at least two of the training recordings you say that we get free B leads. In the "Leads and Leads Program" webinar you say that we get "B to C leads" and, the purchase B leads are "not the sixty day B leads. They are the two week to thirty day" B leads. In your most recent recording "Instructions for working your free leads" mp3 you state that not only that we get B leads but, also that we "get ten to fifteen really good quality B leads". Later you also say that we can purchase additional B leads "they will be of the same quality of what your getting on the phone with what I am sending you know, a set number for nothing."
The reason for bringing up these quotes to your attention again from a previous email is not to get B leads reincorporated in to our free leads but, to show what used to be considered a free lead, has also changed. This is to emphasis why I had asked both you and Jim to let me talk to someone who is "currently closing free leads". 8. The term "...crushing it" was only used one time. Even in that email it was used to request being able to talk to "someone who is currently crushing it on free leads". But by phone and email I repeatedly asked to talk to someone who is "currently closing free leads". This request was overlooked, neglected, and ignored at every turn. I know you have revisited the emails I sent you stating this. But I also need to include that with each voice mail I left Jim that if he did not have availability for me after 9 am on any of the days we tried to connect that, that was fine. But, that "I am actually looking to talk to someone who is currently closing free leads." Maybe the specificity of this last part will stand out in Jim's memory regarding my voice mails. Maybe, it won't. But, it should.
To elaborate for you further Elly, when I was looking for an opportunity in this industry I purposefully avoided the craigslist postings from brokerages that indicated that a budget for leads is needed. That is why I responded to your ad and not theirs.
Also, I have to respectfully tell you, that the fact that you have a 44 page forum talking about the "need" to purchase leads only supports the fact that telling someone that they are "not required to purchase leads" is MISLEADING.
Conclusion; For $395 I should have the option to learn from someone who is currently closing free leads. Not from someone who did it years ago, in a different market, with softer leads. Furthermore, I am no longer interested in learning from someone who is currently closing free leads. Nor am I looking to be coerced into buying leads so that I can "get off the ground".
1. (continued) I am still requesting the full amount minus the Pre-license class fee. Pre-licence sells the course for $69.99 with a twenty dollar discount to "referring managers". So unless you are willing to swear to me that you have never taken advantage of the referring manager discount, the price for the class will be $49.99 ($50). For the reasons stated here I am hereby requesting the full amount of $345 to be refunded ($395 - $50). Thank you again, for your time and consideration in this matter.
Chris
I Contacted this company from a CL ad seeking Insurance agents. I was contacted by Jim Hendry Director Of life sales the next day. His sales pitch for his company was very good. He said that to start with them I had to pay $595.00 for contracting and appointments with different carriers. I received the producers packet to fill out and submit.
Not having done my do diligence I proceeded to check the company out with various sources including the BBB . I decided I did not want to work for this company. I had not submitted any paper work for contracting. When I contacted Jim Hendry and ask for a refund of the $595.00 he refused. I am requesting my money be returned as I did not return the producer information for me.