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Report: #195813

Complaint Review: Ameriplan USA - Plano Texas

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  • Reported By: Topeka Kansas
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  • Ameriplan USA 5700 Democracy Dr. Plano, Texas United States of America

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I had an experience with this company recently that was very negative. I have been searching on the internet for a decent, work-at-home opportunity, and at first glance, Ameriplan USA seemed to be what I was looking for.

I contacted one of their National Sales Directors, who made the opportunity sound really good. I wouldn't have to pay for leads, I could build a residual income of $50,000 a year, and they would train me. The rub came when they wanted $95 up front, plus $35 a month to cover a website and apparently, the dental coverage.

I don't have a problem with paying for certain business expenses, but I admitted that money was tight for me right now, and I might need a day or two to come up with it. I also mentioned that I would need some time to do some due diligence, because in the back of my mind, the old adage, "if it's too good to be true, it probably is," kept coming up.

Things were reasonably friendly between myself and the National Sales Director, whose name shall remain unknown. I did a search on Google for complaints and was quickly directed to the RipoffReport.com website. I don't always believe everything I read, being a skeptic by nature. But I was astounded at the lengths to which these so-called IBO's from Ameriplan went, to rebut complaints. Instead of seeing anything specific, it looked like most of the rebuttals from Ameriplan reps were mostly personal attacks.

The minute I told the NSD about the Ripoff Report, he immediately got defensive. All of a sudden, I was a problem to him. I think his real problem was that I am a person who deals in specifics, and he didn't like that. I asked him for a specific description of my role in the marketing of Ameriplan, including advertising costs, training, etc. I asked for specific information about when and and how I would be compensated.

In trying to get set up with Ameriplan, I used a temporary debit card, because I have been burned with purchases I've made online before, where they say they'll withdraw one amount, and then continue to keep withdrawing more money once they have your account number. Ameriplan refused to accept the debit card; they obviously wanted something in the order of a "blank check," and thus confirmed my suspicions.

I wouldn't give out my bank account or credit card information, because I hadn't had a chance to see anything in print that confirmed my compensation arrangement or contractual obligations. I think that's just good business. I was willing to give them $95 up front, and then furnish bank information, once I got rolling.

Evidently, there must be a high rate of failure among Ameriplan reps because there is no reason that I can think of, to refuse a Visa debit card, even if it is temporary, that had more than $95 available credit on it. My guess is, that if I had offered to pay for the whole year on that debit card, they would have discovered a way to take that debit card. In other words, I think the NSD, despite his claims of success in the busines, was more interested in his "commission," than he was in "making a client."

After trying to decipher all of the pros and cons of Ameriplan, here are the conclusions I reached:

(1) I think the company selectively chooses who they'll compensate and who they won't compensate, leaving you entirely at the mercy of either the company or the IBO above you. This way they can show a few "success" stories in order to cover up what has to be a long list of failures.

(2) I tried to call Ameriplan on a customer service number that was not even toll-free, and was handled very unprofessionally. They gave the name of a person I hadn't even talked to, who was supposed to get back to me about my "New Broker Benefits Agreement" form, and of course, never did. The company makes you do everything through your IBO (read: upline), and I think, in this way, they escape any responsibility for anything that heads south without their direct knowledge.

(3) I think the true nature of the business is deceptively hidden, emphasizing only the dream, and not the precise amount of work it takes to reach that dream. Lead costs are not disclosed, which can be substantial. I saw a web site I was supposed to log on to, that listed a series of links to lead venders, and all of them expect you to order on a monthly basis. No doubt these were "approved" venders by Ameriplan, and my guess is, that Ameriplan gets a cut of this cost, as a fee or commission for doing business.

As for the "product" itself, it seemed clear to me that it will work in very specific situations, thus encouraging a few token testimonials that are probably real, but leaving the majority out in the lurch. Case in point: there is only one dentist in my area of Topeka and he's not even in the phone book, so he must be brand new.

The company has been in business since 1992 or 1993. Surely, that's long enough to be represented by more than one dentist in a town of 100,000 plus people. In areas where Ameriplan has been more active, the plan probably works OK. In areas where they haven't signed up dentists or doctors, it probably doesn't work well at all.

The bottom line, is that the modus operandi of this company seems to be, to let a few people succeed, and to let a few people receive some benefits, at the expense of many who fail, and the many who are too embarrassed to take the time to report it when the plan doesn't work for them. The reason I say this, is because what few times I attempted to reach either the NSD or the company, they used a very sophistocated screening procedure on their phones to make sure I was someone they wanted to talk to.

Otherwise, I would probably just be leaving voicemail messages that would never be answered. As it was, I placed two phone calls to the NSD I had contacted about the business that went unreturned; I had been advised to e-mail him with questions, and when I had some "due diligence" questions, he blocked my e-mail with "Spam Cop."

Ameriplan obviously wants people who don't think for themselves and are willing to spend untold and undisclosed amounts of money to "build their business," and apparently want the right to draft a bank account or credit card account at any time. I asked the NSD repeatedly if this was Multi-Level-Marketing and he said "No," but I think it is at the very least, a variation on that theme.

I have no doubt that my NSD probably was successful, but just because successful people recruit you, doesn't mean that they will allow you to be successful. In my case, had I gone forward with this, I think I would have just been used until my bank account was depleted, and available credit on my credit card depleted.

I was still strongly considering doing the business, but when he couldn't wait for me to give him a checking account number or a credit card number that they could continue to keep drafting, we parted company. Understand that I had seen nothing in writing that explained what my duties and contractual rights would be, as a marketing representative with Ameriplan, and yet they wanted all this money on blind faith.

Maybe a level playing field out there doesn't exist with any company, and while it may be true that 20% of your sales people provide 80% of the company's business, it's still no excuse to selectively decide who succeeds and who doesn't. My gut feeling is that this company allows some people to succeed who don't "question" their marketing methods, and then forces them out, if they either become too successful by management standards, or don't remain a player.

If I could sense this type of treatment early on, I didn't need to wait around until it happened again. Some of the other complaints I read, where the company took residual income away from other reps illustrates my point. The company needs a few success stories to stay in business; I think they treat the majority like they're some kind of useful idiots.

It's too bad, because I think Ameriplan has a good concept: offering discounted medical services at the time of use. The problem is, they've gotten greedy. In the areas where they get the doctors and the dentists to cooperate, it probably works OK. In the areas where the doctors and dentists don't, they just keep selling the "dream."

If this "dream" were all that achievable, you wouldn't see 100 different Ameriplan reps advertising websites on the internet. They'd be able to contact people directly on their own. The opportunity is advertised all over the internet, making me wonder if the market is already saturated.

This opportunity may be for some people, but I think you better have deep pockets for advertising, deep pockets for telephone expenses and answering services, deep pockets for lead acquisition costs, and an extremely tenacious desire to sell. I was told that "interested people would contact me." I'll bet that's a very small percentage of the people you actually sell.

Good luck to anyone who tries this.

Justin Topeka, Kansas
U.S.A.

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This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 06/10/2006 02:56 PM and is a permanent record located here: https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ameriplan-usa/plano-texas-75024/ameriplan-usa-deceptive-business-practices-work-at-home-ripoff-plano-texas-195813. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year. Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report. READ: Foreign websites steal our content

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REBUTTALS & REPLIES:
0Author
3Consumer
0Employee/Owner

#3 UPDATE Employee

Responding Jeff's post

AUTHOR: C - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Hello Jeff,

I'm responding to your post. As you know I'm an IBO for this company. I don't have all the answers, but I'm willing to answer what I can. I will not mislead you. I'll only provide you with facts...

First to answer your question about purchasing leads. Or in your words "How much you were spending on lead acquisition costs, or disclose any of your other business expenses""

My answer is: I DON'T purchase any leads. My reason is simple. 1) They cost to much!..2)You have to know how to work them!.Which I don't!..3)I'd rather spend that money on something else!..4)LEADS DON'T PROMISE NOTHING! "EXCEPT", GIVING PERMISSION TO CALL A POTENTIAL CUSTOMER AT THEIR HOUSE!!!

As for having another business...I don't!!!

Yes after doing this business, when you run low on supplies. You would have to purchase more. JUST LIKE ANY OTHER BUSINESS!

If the new IBO was to listen on to the training calls, Some major cities have meeting places {if your do have one, I'd recommend going to it to get more training and meeting other business owners and ask them questions as well}

IBO's also get training on the websites. An IBO"s sponsor is supposed to guide them and show them how to be successful. {I should say a GOOD SPONSOR WILL!} But the sponsor should not do the work for the new IBO. It's the new IBO's business not the sponsors....Me personally I like to encourage my new IBO's, help them out in any way I can, I'll help them out the first time, so they can get there feet wet. The second time I would let them do it and if they have questions they can always reach me or my wife on our cell phone's...

As for the pre-paid credit card. I've never came up with this issue. And I just don't know the answer for that one...

I'm sorry your experience with your sponsor was a bad one. I'm sorry you didn't get all your answers answered.

I hope my posting's are helpfull. I try to clear up confusions and try to the best of my knowledge state facts...

My last advice to anyone doing this business that just recently started. Is keep constant contact with your sponsor. Ask them questions. Ask for guidance. If they don't help you, request to speak to your upline. {that person is higher then your sponsor} inform your upline, your sponsor is not giving you the help you need. And that you are requesting help from them. Your upline WILL help you out...

There are many ways to get the help you need. Your upline is one. Going to the meeting's is another, getting on the LIVE TRAINING CALLS is another. And just asking other MOTIVATED IBO's that are doing well. They don't mind helping out. My sponsor and my upline, and other IBO's that I have come in contact with helped me out alot especially when I just started. They gave me idea's and told me to never burn bridges. This is a really great support system. JUST ASK FOR THE HELP..

God Bless & Good Luck

Respectfully,

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#2 Author of original report

Response to Opinion Greatly Appreciated, but...

AUTHOR: Jeff - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, June 13, 2006

This is in response to "C's" comments from San Diego. By the way, in response to your comments about serving in the Navy, I have a brother who serves over in Afghanistan who was recently hit by some ammo from an AK-47. He survived, but the other two with him were killed. When he's stateside, he lives in Escondido, north of you.

My complaint about Ameriplan is basically this. I spent about three days doing due diligence on this company. I should have spent more. Like I said in my complaint, I don't doubt that some people have had success with this, and it sounds like you have.

I already knew what the $95 was for, and the recurring $35 a month charge for web hosting, and so on. With all due respect, your explanation of those charges was moot. You didn't say how much you were spending on lead acquisition costs, or disclose any of your other business expenses.

What annoyed me was how when I confronted the IBO who was recruiting me with some of these questions, as well as how I was going to be trained, and then asked about the Ripoff Report, there was a "day-and-night" change in the attitude of that IBO. Whenever I would call him, he had a call screening device on, which obviously let him know who was on the line, so he could decide whether to take the call or not.

How do you explain his use of "spam cop" to block an e-mail of mine, in which I thought I was saving us both some time by asking some rather tough, but well-thought out questions? This was after he had told me to "e-mail him, if I had questions he didn't have time to answer by telephone."

It's possible my issues were just with my IBO, but the man was an NSD, and thus I made an erroneous presumption that the man had paid his dues and could be trusted. His website wouldn't accept my debit card so he told me to fax the new broker paperwork to Ameriplan directly. They used the excuse that they "couldn't read" my fax, when the real problem was that they wouldn't take a prepaid debit card. They lied. I knew they had, but even so, I politely sent an e-mail to this IBO, asking about this, when he sent me a message back, notifying me that I had been "blocked." This after only talking to him for two days, and sending only two e-mails.

When I called Ameriplan, you get yet another screening device which runs you through a series of menu options. The first choice was, "If you are calling to cancel your plan or membership, press 1." To someone who never had any previous dealings with Ameriplan, this struck me as odd. I read in other complaints posted to this Ripoff Report site, that Ameriplan only accepts cancellations in writing. To me, this suggests a high rate of cancellations.

Finally, after spending three long days, trying to examine whether Ameriplan was right for me, they wasted two more days, avoiding my questions about my prepaid debit card. Finally the IBO calls and asks me to either pay a year in advance or give him a checking account number or a permanent credit card number. At this point, I didn't trust him. I had specifically asked about using debit cards when I tried to sign up, and they did not say they made a distinction between a prepaid debit card, and a bank-issued debit card.

If Ameriplan is working out for you out there in San Diego, I am not here to discourage that. I'm just saying I was mistreated and that if this is the typical way they treat people, I don't want any part of it. The two phone calls I made to Ameriplan, which my IBO should have made, not me, were handled very unprofessionally, and in fact, were rude.

Ameriplan may be working out all right for some, but I don't think it works out for the majority. At least some of the IBO's and at times the company, appear to have been involved in confiscating people's hard-earned residual incomes. They remind me of the "company store" where you go to work for the only company in town, and because you have to buy all of your "supplies" from that company, you wind up "paying" them for the privilege of working.

I think the whole IBO system allows them to "use" their downlines to enrich themselves. Some IBO's are probably fair-minded and give some of their people a chance to succeed, like in "C's" case in San Diego. But if they continue to have problems enrolling doctors in their plan, I think you'll see the greed of the IBO's intensify. Long term, I don't see how this company is going to succeed.

I was still going to sign up and probably would have if I hadn't been treated so unfairly. I still couldn't identify who was going to pay me my supposed commission checks and when. My IBO told me a lot of things, and what few things he told me, turned out to be not true.

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#1 UPDATE Employee

Your opinion is GREATLY appreciated, But here are some FACTS!!

AUTHOR: C - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, June 12, 2006

Hello Justin,

I'm an IBO for this company. I'm responding to give you information that are facts. You might see some of my rebuttals in other Reports.

The reason I take my time to do this. Is because I want people to know the facts, and not be misguided and try to help them.

What IBO means is that I'm AN Independent Business Owner {in other words I'm like a contractor Marketing AMERIPLANS packages}

I've been doing this for almost a year now. Right now I have two jobs. This one, and proudly serving my country in the United States Navy.

Because of this company I am now looking to getting out in April 2007. With the core values we learn in the service of HONOR, COURAGE, & COMMITMENT. I can honestly say this is a real and legal business marketing DISCOUNT BENEFIT PACKAGES.

To answer some of your questions:

The $35.00 a month is to keep your business going {basically it is your monthly operating cost} It keeps your 5 websites going.

One website is to track your business. Another is for you to train on, to help you become more successful in marketing your business. The other websites are for your potential customer or future new IBO's.

The main reason we have these websites is so it is easier for us physically and financially.

What I mean is, anyone that is Physically Disabled will be able to do this business at their own home. And they can show their potential customers and/or IBO's the websites which contains facts.

Also we have them so you don't have to drive all over town or across the country to give people information about our services and company.

This helps us in two ways: 1} It makes it easier to conduct business, ESPECIALLY if it's long distant. We can reach out to people from one side of the country to the other side in a matter of minutes, and present them the facts with our websites. 2)We save alot of money, By NOT having to drive everywhere including out of state, to reach our potential buyers. Which saves us anywhere between $450.00 to $600.00 in gas alone per month.

Now the $95.00 is your basic broker start up kit. This is the supplies you need to start your business and to get you to the next Level. You only pay this one time.{basically to get you started}

I'm an R.S.D. {soon to be S.R.S.D.} I'm not an N.S.D. yet. I started this business and currently doing it part time.{reason I'm not doing it full time, is because my full time job right now is Serving My Country} In April me and my family of seven {yes I have 5 kids} will be departing the service. And I will be doing this business full time.

The reason why we have many websites and not work with just one is because we are all IBO's.

Our contact information is on the websites. For anyone that is interested, they can contact us and we can enroll them.

If we shared the same website then how can we as INDEPENDENT BUSINESS OWNERS get paid for our services. We are the ones marketing the plans. What is my gaurantee that another IBO is not getting paid for someone I brought in? The simple answer is our own websites, this way we get credit for bringing someone in and we get paid for doing our own business.

AMERIPLAN is not out to DECIEVE anybody. The IBO's are only trying to make a good living. This is not a scam. For every body that signs up one day then decides to pull out a week after. We as IBO's have to pay back the commission we recieve to the company. There fore we lose out.

And let me tell you this. I AM NOT IN THIS BUSINESS TO GO BROKE! With a family of SEVEN I would be better off staying Navy then to work for a scam.

Finally, people that work this business like a business and not like a hobby will be successful.

I hope this answers your questions. I would like to give you my information so you can contact me if you have any more questions. But I'm not going to advertise it to the world.

I'm just trying to help as much as I can. GOD BLESS YOU.

Respectfully,

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