allianz north america / Game plan financial Termination atlanta, Georgia

Hi,  i just got a phone from this company (Game Plan Financial) and it was a recorded message, to which i pressed the "1" key, to hear more - about their opportunity, selling their Annuities, with their "Leads", that would (supposedly) cost me NOTHING... which i assume meant "no money"... i.e., "Free", etc..  So, i got transfered (screened) from one person to another, till i finally got to talk with the person in charge...  But now, the "leads" were no longer "free".. exactly...   

They are "free", once you make a certain number of sales, and they know that the probability of you making SALES from those "leads" are substantial...  But, (for a new agent starting off) here's how it works:  (1) You pay them $1,700.00, and they have a company that mails out 3,000 professional looking MAILERS for you.. So, $1,700.00 divided by 3 = $566.66 per THOUSAND mailers... 

 That's not a bad price, BUT, the PROBLEM with that, is the fact that (once the people that are "interested in annuities") mail back the "Reply Card(s)" - they ALL go directly to their Marketing company, and NOT directly to you...  Why is that so important?  Because (a) You have NO way of KNOWING for SURE that they MAILED OUT that many mailers, (b) You have NO way of KNOWING for SURE, that YOU got ALL those "leads", that came back - from the people that were "interested", and (c) There is no way of preventing that "marketing company" from COPYING and SELLING those "Leads" (that YOU PAID FOR) to OTHER AGENTS... and that holds true - with Telemarketed leads, especially.. even more so..

  (I am not alleging or insinuating anything here... It's just that (especially today) - if you don't give someone the OPPORTUNITY to cheat you, then you KNOW you're "safe"... and will sleep very well at night..  I learned that from many painful experiences..)

  After that phone call (i got today from this company (Game Plan Financial) i figured i would come here (to Ripoffreport.com) and see what kind of reputation this company has, out of curiosity - i guess..  The one report (that i am commenting on now) has to do with someone who claims they were "Terminated Without Cause", after they had worked for this company for awhile.. but since i have no experience (working with this particular company) i really can't comment on it all that much... 

 However, i have read reports from other people - (here at ripoffreport.com) about agencies they had problems with, and those agencies vigorously tried to refute their claims and assertions...  And (in this case here) Game Plan Financial never posted a reply, or counter-claim - to this person's claim..  So, (possibly) they either are ignorant of the fact that there's a Report filed here (against them) or they have no defense..??

 As for my own "experience", I have no axe to grind with Game Plan Financial, and they could (very possibly) be on the "up and up" - BUT, if you yourself are considering going to work for them, the ONE thing i  would advice, is DO NOT PAY THEM $1,700.00 - (for their "Return-Mail LEADS).  For THAT price, you will be a LOT better off, if you Set up YOUR OWN LEAD SYSTEM...   It may very possibly turn out, that your "Out-of-Pocket" costs - come out to about the same, and you will be very happy that you have your own Lead System..!!!

  Also, you need to take this into consideration... The more YOU pay for LEADS, the More COMMISSION you SHOULD be EARNING, on all the sales you make..!!!

  If an agency is giving you leads for FREE, or if they help you make a LOT of MONEY, THEN they "deserve" an "OVER-RIDE" (commission) on the sales you make...  And if you set up your very own Direct Mail Program, then you should NEGOTIATE and NEGOTIATE, and KEEP NEGOTIATING (with the Insurance Companies you will be selling through) until you get the absolute HIGHEST PAYING COMMISSION the INSURANCE COMPANY(s) give(s) out..!!! 

  So, if it were me, and i was considering - going to work - for "Game Plan Financial", i would find out what commission level they are paying the agents that get their "free" leads, (the ones that cost $1,700.00 for 3,000 leadsd) and then, i would DEMAND a HIGHER-PAYING contract than that, since i'd be setting up, and PAYING FOR MY OWN LEAD SOURCE..

  NO Insurance Agency DESERVES to get an "over-ride" off you, unless they are HELPING you a LOT - to MAKE YOU a LOT of MONEY...  And by SEPARATING yourself from "their lead source", you should get a higher-paying contract, PLUS you will have TOTAL CONTROL of YOUR LEADS and YOUR DESTINY...  :  )

  MAKE THE EFFORT...  Go down to the U.S. Post Office (one that handles BULK MAIL - nearest you) and talk to them.   They will go over everything with you, concerning the fees involved.  (PLEASE NOTE: Not all U.S. Post Offices charge the same amount, when it comes to Outgoing and Incoming - or "Return" Mail.)

  Ask them for a list of names - of companies they deal with, that will help you - with the process of preparing all the thousands of Mailers..  Then call - and get quotes from at least 3 (three) of them, to get the lowest possible price..  Find out which types of Mailers get the BEST RESULTS, and which days are the best - to drop all of that off at the Post Office.

 Some of those companies will give you a choice - of paying a certain price (based on you using their permit) or paying a lower price - if you use your own permit...  

  Just be SURE that YOUR NAME and YOUR RETURN ADRESS are printed - on ALL the Mailers you send out... AND - that once each Mailing is ready to give to the Post Office, that YOU yourself physically SEE that ALL those mailers are mailed off.. 

  And if ANY company refuses to do that for you, (to set it up to where ALL the REPLY MAIL comes DIRECTLY to YOU) then keep looking, until you find someone that WILL accomodate YOU..  

  By far, DIRECT MAIL is the ABSOLUTE BEST type of LEAD SOURCE you can have..!!  And one more BENEFIT of using DIRECT MAIL is this: a LOT of people (nowadays) are on the "National DO NOT CALL" LIST, which means you can not CALL them on the phone, but you CAN MAIL them something, to interest them in your product or service... AND, once THEY fill out the Mail Piece, and THEY write down THEIR phone number, THEN you CAN CALL THEM... 

  BUT, when it comes to using DIRECT MAIL, the BEST way to USE those LEADS, is to (1) Keep your mailings confined to a very tight geographic area, and (2) Once you get a Return Reply - back in the mail, DO NOT CALL THEM to set up an appointment, ESPECIALLY if you are selling "Final Expense" Insurance or "Funeral Plans".. just take a stack of leads, and DRIVE OUT THERE to them...  Go from one house (lead) to another, and simply knock on their door(s), until you find all the "Decision Makers" at home...

   OOOOPS... it appears i wrote a "novel" here.. sorry...