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American Income Life Insurance

American Income Life Insurance review: poor service! 21

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Author of the review
12:00 am EDT
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I've been looking online lately for complaints about American Income Life. That is the life insurance company that deals with present union workers and past ones also. The point is... I wanted to make sure people heard this concern for people this year.

American Income is not like the other insurance companies. They make you believe you are so important and need to work for this company. In fact when I worked for them, the same company in another city didn't even know I was working for them and tried to recruit me for American Income... the same company tried to recruit me for the same company!

Anyway, I want everyone to know they just want bodies. Bodies that will work for them free for 12 hours a day. Calling people to book appointments. You have to book appts each Monday and Thurs from 4pm till 9pm. 7 a day is what they want. There are no excuses why you can't or won't. The worst was when my husband was hurt and needed me, I had to have a meeting with the boss who gave me the third degree. The worst was when my kids had a concert at school and all I got was, "Can't someone else go instead of you"? It wasn't a request, it was a demand! That was it. No more of 12 hours a day..no more, "What happened why didn't you sell the appt" I wasn't going to be bullied anymore from a company that didn't pay me except when I sold the appt. I didn't get gas money nor mileage. I knew I was selling insurance but I thought insurance people sell where ever they are. Whether at home or at the office. This company wants you at the office twice a week to be at a meeting and book appts as I said.

If anyone calls you and says, "We say your resume on Monster, you qualify for management at American Income" HANG THE PHONE UP FAST! Don't waste money going to the interview, especially getting your temp insurance license. They only want bodies to make more money for them!

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21 comments
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Jennie Race
, US
Oct 23, 2023 3:59 am EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

We have had several representatives calling us. We tell them to remove us from their call list and they refuse to. They say we are on a review list. It's different numbers each time.

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jess4uandme
Danville, US
Mar 18, 2013 6:29 pm EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I actually an a past policy holder and I had to end up filing a complaint with the BBB to get the issue fixed. I purchased a policy, they drafted my checking account religiously, but they never sent me a policy ever. I called and cancelled the policy and they continued to draft my account the next month. A rip off!

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dhncali
Paso Robles, US
Feb 13, 2013 2:18 pm EST

I cant believe it, i cant even find any list of prviders or anything from this CO. I believe all of these things that you all have said. What a scam. Should of known, nothing is for free. And bad plans. !

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fail88
, US
Mar 03, 2010 3:39 pm EST

To: Delshi

I can't believe I wasted 30 seconds of my life reading your innate rambling. And what policy holder goes on to a website to defend that company? You're either lying or a ###. I'm betting on the latter.

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delshi
Chippewa Falls, US
Feb 21, 2010 7:53 pm EST

Wow i can't believe I just wasted my time reading sentences from uneducated lazy individuals who don't have anything better to do than complain about something they don't seem to understand. wow. Then again, I must be just as bad because I am a policy holder along with my Uncle who was in the military for 23 years, along with my Grandmother and Mother...and none of us have anything bad to say about AIL.

In fact, I had a coworker decide not to continue with the company anymore ( she was in college) and they cancelled it on the spot with no questions asked and no fees.

DO we all really want to be complainers when something doesn't go exactly how we wanted or thought it would? No business or person is perfect and not one company can fit everyone- ever!

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mjd100
, US
Jul 29, 2009 7:30 pm EDT

To Poznir,

WTF is your problem?

" I would like to see more complaints from consumers who have purchased their policies then from employess who could not make it as an insurance agent."

What gave you the impression that these complaints are from employees that couldn't make it as insurance agents? Regardless, why would you want to be associated with a company that treats its employees in this manner anyway? If you weren't such a ###, you would know how and where to get information on Insurance companies regarding claims paying abilities, solvency, ratings, etc.

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Poznir
, US
Jul 04, 2009 7:00 pm EDT

I have been looking all over the internet for complaints about AIL, but all I find is employment complaints. I do not find any complaints from consumers about the company. Do they pay their claims promptly or do they pay at all. How easy is it to cancel a policy. I would like to see more complaints from consumers who have purchased their policies then from employess who could not make it as an insurance agent.

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geminiman
Houston, US
Jun 27, 2009 10:38 pm EDT

I wonder if policyholders who were denied claim can post their comments. Anybody?

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Peter
Cadiz, US
Mar 19, 2009 6:23 pm EDT

We signed up for American income partners insurance and got our insurance card just to find out that all the, Dentist and Chiropractic, eye and ear care are all out of town and not one of them is listed near us, what a SCAM! only 2 Pharmacies are listed in which we do not care to associate with! Sorry just another Scam for us union members and retires In my opinion do not bother with it!

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Nick
Sidney, US
Mar 09, 2009 3:05 pm EDT

When I first started at AIL, my car died. I told my management that I would not be able to run appointments for almost two months while I had to gather the money elsewhere to pay for repairs. The response I received was very encouraging. They told me to take the time I needed to get my affairs in order, and then, come back when I had my issues resolved. I have never been with an employer who was willing to let me take time off to resolve my personal matters.

As for those who complain about the hours, remember: you get what you put in, and if you are not willing to put in a 10-12 hour day, go flip burgers. I have worked in factories where I had 3 sick days and where I had to work 60 hours a week to make 400-500 dollars. I would stay working with American Income Life any day of the week, especially in comparison to what jobs I left behind to join this company.

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becca
,
Nov 29, 2008 12:24 pm EST

i recently started with the company and at first all was wonderful. then the truth came out i started running out of good leads and somehow when i went to a higher paid agent the money on my checks was lower?. How does that work good question. It is true about the office you are there two days a week and are required to book 7 appointments a day and try to run late because we are busy people. once i worked a ten hour day in the office, which you dont get paid for and was not permitted to take a lunch. needless to say im tired of chasing people and getting my ### reamed all the time by my boss to generate more referrals from my clients. im sorry i have morals and values and respect people. everything the others wrote is completely true kiss your families good bye and your valuable free time

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michelle
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Oct 09, 2008 11:34 pm EDT

I'm michelle
and i currently work for AIL
to answer everyones questions !
i think you can possibly make the job work for you if your single living with your parents and have way too much time on your hands because if i didnt have my spouse, there is no way i could do this job.! They make you work 6 days maybe even 7 depending on how much your boss needs your ALP (annual life premium) to pay for there personal shopping. My boss actually asked to take my business and give it to a co-worker so they could get thier bonus! ummm isnt that illigal or something? but just for anyone who is getting phone calls from HR saying they recieved your resume on monster or whatever website yeah they arent HR at all they are a college student who gets paid 5$ every interview they schedual same as if you are with a union it's the same people calling you and the reason its a cell phone is because the company dont provide any office phones to use for setting appointments as for if you need to sign for a beneficiary for your AD&D i'm not sure but yeah it's just an excuse to get in front of you and give a sales pitch for insurance same as with the child safe kits all your info is on the cards you put in that yellow box or give your manager
Sorry but thats the truth of it

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Stacey
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Aug 21, 2008 8:36 am EDT

I am so grateful that I found these comments about this company. I can not say anything bad or good. But I was called by them twice today and both women asked the same exact things and no one gave me any information. I found it quite interesting that they found my Resume on Monster.com and said that I have all the qualifications for a management position, when I have never managed any company. I am in the health care field. I thank all of you for putting up all your thoughts and experiances with this company. I am now not going to the interview because I am a mother of 3 and do not want a comision based job and I can't work that many hours in a week for little to no pay. Once again thank you for all the good and bad critisism.

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Darcy
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Aug 07, 2008 7:07 am EDT

I worked for this company. You pay $50 a week for 3 leads a day. The 3 leads are generally in thier 60's or 70's and couldn't get insurance if they tried.I would drive 1-2 hours away for nothing. The people that are successful are the managers that take all the policies from new agents that make it a few weeks then figure out the scam. They do train you to mislead people. They do not protect your information (Name, Social Security, address) as the agents can pull up your policies print them out and carry them around. I have seen them just throw the information in the trash (without shredding) or they are pilled up in thier car to be trashed who knows where. There are good insurance companies to work for so keep looking and go with a reputable company. The manager I had was screwing the new chics and his boss was a coke head. Buyer Beware and New Agents Beware.

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Sharon Smith
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Jul 09, 2008 9:50 am EDT

There are a few things wrong with this set-up and as a former business owner, I can see what's wrong a mile away. Firstly, anytime someone says you will be an independant contractor, buyer beware. Being an IC means no benefits, usually no salary (commission only) and you have to pay your own taxes quarterly since they won't be taking them out for you. it also means they are covering their collective butts if you do something illegal. They can wash their hands of you legally and say you acted on your own. Then it would take an investigation by the FBI to prove you were only doing what you were trained to do.
The other problem with this whole set-up is how many people, including myself, that said we didn't want to do sales and AIL assured us it was a management position, not sales. Clearly from what I see written here, it's sales-pure and simple.
For those of you making money from this company, good for you. But forgive the rest of us for being just a bit suspicious snd cynical when they use so many dishonest sales tactics just to get you to interview with them! From my phone call alone, I experienced where one person wrote how they are trained to wait 3 seconds after you are done speaking to make you nervous and how, after informing them I wasn't interested in sales, I was told it was a management position but was given no other details. Then, to hear the interview process, including training with no pay and having to pay a fee to get licensed (which is a legit fee in every state regarding selling insurance, but not in this manner)just to start working? Sorry, but that all adds up to "scam" or just "unscrupulous" at best.
I, for one, am grateful I did a search on this company and this site came up during my search-I did not actively seek a complaints site for this company as one employee suggested, but sure am glad I found it because this company and their so-called employment offer was just a waste of my time.

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Jennifer
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Jun 19, 2008 1:24 pm EDT

Russell Thiessen,

When I used to work there, they told me it's better to be late for your appointments, so that you have the impression of being very busy seeing lots of people. As a matter of fact, my boss would actually do it on purpose to be late, even when we had plenty fo time to go there!

People who work there will always try to defend it to the end. I'm just upset they don't tell you the whole story. They don't tell you that you have to work 18 hours a day 7 days a week to make a mere $200. And they don't tell you if you don't sell anything for a month, then it means you don't make any money, because it is all 100% commission.

So if you go on vacation, you don't get paid, you call in sick, you don't get paid, you go on maternity leave, you don't get paid. Other insurance companies give you a base salary to help you out. That's what AIL should do.

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rita
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May 08, 2008 12:56 pm EDT

The reason this company gets a lot of slack is simple. When you become an agent, as with ANY insurance company, you become a business owner, which means as long as you comply with the laws and regulations reguarding insurance set by your state's commissioner, the way you build your business and the manner in which you conduct yourself is entirely up to you. now this can be good or bad. For someone like me who has been with AIL for five years, who is a christian and wants to do the best I can for my self AND my clients, the job is rewarding and the customers are happy. But there are people who this just is not cut out for. They end up hating it, wasting their time, and in many cases upsetting clients. Most people come to AIL from jobs where they work for a boss and are payed a wage. this is very different. I love my clients, my co-workers, and my ability to make good money and have a healthy wealth building sytem of renewals (residual income). BUT I have many good friends whom I love who would NOT want the responsability and raw dedication running your own business entails. I respect them for doing jobs I could not do, like carpentry, and they respect me for the work I do. You see, its all about finding the right fit. Our office in Eau Claire, WI is run with integrety and honesty. We tell people up-front in the interviews that this is NOT A JOB, it is an ENTRAPENURIAL OPPORTUNITY, which means you have your own buisiness expenses and you can make more money the harder you work and the more you care. I love it but no, its not for everyone!

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Natalie
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Apr 21, 2008 7:41 pm EDT

I find it absolutely hilarious that there is actually a website for people that weren't able to cut it in the business, to come on here and say ridiculous things. To all of you out there, why would you go to look up complaints on companies when you are looking to go on an interview? Why not look at the good things that it does for people. The bigger the company, the more complaints they will have as a whole. I find this completely disturbing considering that I have worked for this company for 3 years now and the group of people that I work with operate with the very highest levels of honesty and integrity. We do what we do to help other people. The by product of that is that we make great money.

By the way, the reason we ask you to dress professional is because you would be surprised at the amount of people (regardless of the background) that can't seem to figure out how to dress for an interview. Then again, you people that can't figure out how to dress are probably the ones that spend all your time coming up with this garabage!

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Justine
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Apr 06, 2008 10:48 am EDT

American Income Life / National Income Life encourages all complaints to be addressed by email to: jmsvacina@ailife.com

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oz
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Dec 03, 2007 10:22 pm EST

I AM SORRY I DON'T KNOW WHO YOU WORKED FOR, BUT THAT IS HORRIBLE. AND THAT HAS NEVER HAPPENED TO ME. JUST TO LET YOU KNOW THOUGH AIL IS LIKE A FRANCHISED ALMOST WHERE DIFFERENT OFFICES ARE OWNED OR OPERATED BY DIFFERENT PEOPLE. SO THEY ARE NOT CONNECTED. JUST TODAY I HAD TO COVER FOR A COWORKER WHO HAD A TRAGEDY IN HER LIFE. SHE WASN'T GIVEN TE THIRD DEGREE.

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RUssell thiessen
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Nov 17, 2007 11:09 am EST

I have had three appointments to receive my benefit pack and all three times the field reps have been over 45 mins late. I dont have time for this company any longer.