Independent Producers of America [IPA] review: Scam 131

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This has to be a scam. HR Reps work on business days only. And I never applied to any insurance company. They didn't even say which site they received my application from.

from: Colorado.career@ushadvisors.com
to: x.xxxxxxx.xxxxxx@gmail.com
date: Sat, Mar 7, 2015 at 4:19 PM
subject: Resume Match - Job Interview (CO)

Dear Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx,

After reviewing the resume you have posted online we are interested in taking the next step of setting up an Interview with you. As a result of recent economic conditions, our clients are looking for viable alternatives to their current programs. This situation has greatly increased a demand for our products and services and we are looking to fill the available sales position in a timely manner.

USHA has recorded unsurpassed growth over the past 5 years and the organization is poised for even more success and further growth over the next 5 years. Please let us know if you will be available for an Interview so we can dig into deeper detail of the position requirements along with the benefits we provide. We continue to achieve record sales weeks; therefore, we are looking to locate another top notch salesperson to join our team.

To accept our Interview offer please reply back at your earliest convenience.

Regards,
The Offices of Ron Smith
Western Division Sales Leader USHA
Phone: [protected]
Email: Colorado.career@ushadvisors.com

Click Here to be removed.

Natasha Andreil
Founder & Editor-in-Chief
Stasia Press

On Sat, Mar 7, 2015 at 4:19 PM, wrote:
Dear Natasha Andreil,

After reviewing the resume you have posted online we are interested in taking the next step of setting up an Interview with you. As a result of recent economic conditions, our clients are looking for viable alternatives to their current programs. This situation has greatly increased a demand for our products and services and we are looking to fill the available sales position in a timely manner.

USHA has recorded unsurpassed growth over the past 5 years and the organization is poised for even more success and further growth over the next 5 years. Please let us know if you will be available for an Interview so we can dig into deeper detail of the position requirements along with the benefits we provide. We continue to achieve record sales weeks; therefore, we are looking to locate another top notch salesperson to join our team.

To accept our Interview offer please reply back at your earliest convenience.

Regards,
The Offices of Ron Smith
Western Division Sales Leader USHA
Phone: [protected]
Email: Colorado.career@ushadvisors.com

Click Here to be removed.

If you're going to sell insurance, you have to have an insurance license, just like if you want to drive a car, you have to have a driver's license. Of course, it's going to cost you to get one, just like you have to
pass a test to drive a car, you have to pass the insurance exam to get a license. This is common sense. If you want to be a doctor, you have to have a medical license. You're not paying IPA, you're paying the state you live in to take the test & process the license. Any idiot knows that, it's common sense. Wake up people. Go to any insurance company & they'll tell you the same thing, if you want to sell insurance, you have to have a license. Duh!

Denver scam.. just wanted to get the word out his name is Mark Allen here. And I figured it out when it took me an hour to find out what company I was interviewing for. Finally put in his cell phone number!

This "company" solicits you by saying they want to interview you for a job, when in fact they are going to try to sell you on their company. There is no one-on-one interview like any normal company would conduct. I was in a room with 10 other people for about 3 hours listening to their pitch. I should have walked out when I realized it wasn't a legitimate interview like they insinuated it would be. What a waste of time... And they say "you only have to close 5 sales a week to make 100K. Well, if each closed sale is an insurance policy of approximately $300/month that would equal $72, 000 per year the company brings in from those sales. They aren't going to give you the 72K. Most sales commissions are between 10-20% if you're lucky. That would leave you, even at the 20% rate, with $14, 400 before taxes. Stay clear of this SCAM!

I am writing to express my gratitude to all that have written in regarding IPA. I recently applied for a sales position there having no knowledge of how insurance sales work - shame on me! The truth is the invitation to interview stated nothing more than 'Account Executive' so I arrived at the interview thinking it was an admin position. Please look closely at the initial comments regarding this company. I called a VP (to cancel an interview) and confronted him with some of the facts I found most credible. Primarily, paying nearly $350.00 up front for an insurance licence when the state doesn't require nearly that much. Any applicant for a new job deserves free training and if after that, they decide to move forward, you take the exam, send in your scores and applicaion for licensure. The company you work for should have no interest in this, as they are not paying for any of it. There was a lot of Huumming and Hawwing and he (the VP) finally decided that 'You are clearly not the competent person who we interviewed and are not the type we want working for us!' WOW! When I was a naive newcomer to sales with no information about who they were or state standards I was a 'Premier' candidate! - GO FIGURE! PLEASE BE CAREFUL. I know a lot of people go with them and make a lot of money. How they make their money is what I wonder about. As a customer of ABBA I am very concerned and looking at other healthcare insurance options as now I doubt the credibilty of the entire organization. (Please note that IAC is NOT endorsed by the BBB and that their stock has had a steady decline for that past six monts.)

I only want to add that I was offered a job at American family insurance which is a reputable company and they paid for the background check before moving on. Then they told me I would have to get my licenses on my own which were through actual licensing companies, not them. So there are 2 differences between that and this company. I did not have to pay for a background check and American family was not getting paid to give me a license. And yes sometimes you do have to spend money to make money but common sense tells you this business is a scam.

I live in the Scam Capitol of these United States, Florida

I was recently "let go" from my position for a "health care company" because I fractured my hip. They "simply couldn't continue to carry me on payroll, since I was under 90 dys. I knew this was a scam but thought I would check. It would have been a long 50 some odd miles, not to mention painful, just to listen to someone "pitch" me, then ask me for money. I know why more and more people are going "postal" these days.

I noticed the people that admitted to working for IPA, several made the same comment about laughing all the way to the bank. Of course, that was after the heart hollow speech about "helping" others. "Others" apparently do not include burger flippers, who don't earn enough money to give them that ole belly laugh enroute to the bank. I've never flipped a burger, can't stand the smell but I must be one of the losers, more than on IPA employee talked about that has worked a steady 40+ hrs per wk and was never paid for the true value of my work. And now, I must try desperately not to let age discrimination or my current disability get me down. I am suppose to use crutches 100% of the time but who is going to hire someone that is on crutches, so I grin and bare it while in an interview or attempting to give my resume. We have turned into a pathetic lot, most those that are running to the bank in hysterical laughter. It begs the question, how do they sleep at night, clearly it must be drugs.

I'm a new IPA sales associate. I decided to interview with IPA after receiving an email worded essentially the same as yours. I am however, a licensed insurance agent and I have a 43 year business career where I progressed from entry level and retired as President and CEO. While I really don't need an income, I do need a rewarding opportunity that allows me to stay active in the business community. Having said this, I have now met about 20 other IPA sales associates and listened to their experiances and history with IPA. In addition, I was not asked to pay any fees and I found the area manager and divisional leaders to be very forthcoming with their explanations of the business, clients, products and services.
If you are sales oriented, like helping people, like career flexibility, I think that you will find a very rewarding carreer at IPA.

Wishing you the best!

I worked for that company and was to scammed out of $600, travel 2 hours away every week for meetings and didn't make a dime. Now I have on my credit that I just learned about, owing over $550 for what I have no idea. The Mark B that has committed above is who scammed me into it all and your right does wrk for the company! I have recently contacted my lawyer about this and we will get a class actin suit filed as well as suing for ruining my credit on something I do not owe. Oh and this amount appeared over 2 years after I worked there for only 6 months. They also wouldn't let me work for another insurance company or refund me at the time what was owed to me after 90 dys. I will do whatever I can to win this matter! They are scammers!

How do these people sleep at night? How do people at IPA feel that when you google there company or name all you get is hundreds upon thousands of websites saying their company is a scam! Has anyone sent copies of these postings to a person at IPA to get their repsonse?

I read through the companie's website to find there are many problems for the "independent" employee. First we have to wounder why a company is openly advertising that they are for the universal helthcare plan. First, they are a corporation listed as an LLC (Limited Liability Company) this means the individual owners are not held liable with their own assets only the companies assets. Second, they hire all employees under a 1099 meaning they are avoiding paying taxes on the employees part, where as a W2 employee pays for example half, company pays other half. A 1099 self employed person will pay full taxes and depending on success means around 28% to 40% of income goes to taxes. Third, This is a great way for a company to escape taxes, escape having to pay health care (notice their support for universal healthcare) and overal you sort of think when it all comes together that they are escaping their tax dues, healthcare dues, etc. and pinning it on the "independent" employee. They are not the only ones but keep an eye out for any sales position that hires under a 1099 and boasts about high salaries, its no wounder because the money is not going to taxes right away but it soon will. So in reality there are no high salaries when working under a 1099, plus the company uses the "independent" employee's base salary as a tax deductable. I would consider this a scam and call my congressman and make some changes so companies can not dump their dues on their employees and escape corporate responsibility.

Same here.
I wondering why they are now in jail.

Dear M...

I reviewed your resume on Careerbuilder.com today. I am currently seeking a professional Account Executive with the potential for management in our Sales and Marketing Department . After reviewing your resume, I feel your skills and experience would be an excellent match for this position. I would like to move forward with an interview as soon as possible. I will be available to meet with you on Tuesday, September 6, 2011 at 9:45 a.m. If this time is suitable please contact me by replying to my email address at rslbtripp@gmail.com to schedule an interview. Please provide a good contact number that we may contact you.

If you have a minute please watch a short film on our company and products: http://www.ipafamily.com/our-story/

I am looking forward to speaking with you soon.

Highest regards,

Bruce Tripp
Area Performance Leader
America's Business Benefit Association, Inc.
Independent Producers of America, LLC
4643 South Ulster Street
8th Floor
Denver, CO 80237
Please check us out on BBB: http://www.bbb.org/denver/business-reviews/insurance-employee-benefits/independent-producers-of-america-in-denver-co-90099999
www.abbaplans.com
http://www.independenceholding.com/
www.ipafamily.com
http://www.thebestaffordablehealthinsurance.com/video/index.htm?id=mhunt@abbaplans.com
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Not only is the company's recruiting practices a little suspicious, but the coverage they sell is complete GARBAGE! I still receive calls from clients screaming about the lack of coverage. I hate answering the phone, but I do, which is more than I can say for the company itself. RUN!

This is a very "legit" company to Career Builder, however upon further research the dots do not add up. I contacted the Fraud department of Career Builder who told me that they were a legitimate business. I was quite curious to the legitimacy of the emails based on the numerous complaints on various websites about it. I contacted the "home office" who was a paralegal. I'm not familiar with why a Paralegal will be the first point of contact for a business. Second, they gave me the email with a 717 area code. When I contacted the personal they stated the person who sent the email was next to them. However, how can you represent that you are in Dallas, Texas when you're in Colorado. I have questions about the actual legitimacy of the address. I quickly declined the opportunity by sending an email to a gmail account. If you're a legitimate company why have 3 separate websites promoting itself. My question is if the address in the email is a legitimate address why is it separate address than what's on its website? Further, why are they under 2 separate companies--America's Business Benefit Association a non-profit and Independent Producers. I thought this was insurance, since when is selling insurance a non-profit activity? Standard Security Life Insurance Company of New York
Madison National Life Insurance Company, Inc.
Independence American Insurance Company
IHC Health Solutions
healthinsurance.org
Independent Producers of America
IHC Risk Solutions
MedWatch, LLC
Hospital Bill Analysis
Actuarial Management Corporation
American Independence Corp.
Those are the "companies" they represent so why is it that they're under ABA? I don't see them listed. This does not add up. Please DO NOT fall for this scam. I'm not sure about anything but I declined it. I contacted the rep at the number provided in the email at [protected] Ext 4005. To no surprise the extension was invalid. The person I did get in contact told me that they rerouted their extensions and were told this morning.

I reviewed your resume on Careerbuilder.com today. I am currently seeking a professional Account Executive with the potential for management in our Sales and Marketing Department . After reviewing your resume, I feel your skills and experience would be an excellent match for this position. I would like to move forward with an interview as soon as possible. I will be available to meet with you on Tuesday, August 30th, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. If that time is suitable please contact me by replying to my email address at rslddeneui@gmail.com to confirm. Please provide a good contact number so we may contact you.

If you have a minute please watch a short film on our company and products: http://www.ipafamily.com/our-story/

I am looking forward to speaking with you soon.

Highest regards,

Michael Pugh
Recruiting and Sales Support
[protected] Ext 4005
michaelpugh.abbaplans@gmail.com
Independent Producers of America, LLC.
1825 W. Walnut Hill Lane
Suite 102
Irving, TX 75038

Earning significant wealth while being a wealth of significance

Contacting for:
Kent Jacobsen
Divisional Manager
America's Business Benefit Association, Inc.
Independent Producers of America, LLC.
1825 W. Walnut Hill Lane
Suite 102
Irving, TX 75038
www.abbaplans.com
http://www.ipafamily.com/
http://www.independenceholding.com/
http://www.thebestaffordablehealthinsurance.com/video/index.htm?id=mhunt@abbaplans.com
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The sad part, Career Builder allows this to happen. I contacted them about a possible scam and they told me it is a valid company. Sad. I feel bad for those who actually fall for this.

SAME EMAIL HERE IN DALLAS, TEXAS..THESE PEOPLE ARE A CANCER...CAREERBUILDER SHOULD BE ALL OVER THEM..

Independent Producers of America, LLC.
blatant lies and misleading info and spam using Career Builder as an in..
from Dan Deneui CandidateEmail@site.careerbuilder.com
reply-to rslddeneui@gmail.com
to
date Tue, Aug 2, 2011 at 11:19 AM
subject CareerBuilder: Interview on Tuesday, August 9th at 10 am
mailed-by site.careerbuilder.com
signed-by careerbuilder.com

hide details 11:19 AM (17 hours ago)

Dear Kevin,

I reviewed your resume on Careerbuilder.com today. I am currently seeking a professional Account Executive with the potential for management in our Sales and Marketing Department . After reviewing your resume, I feel your skills and experience would be an excellent match for this position. I would like to move forward with an interview as soon as possible. I will be available to meet with you on Tuesday, August 9th, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. If that time is suitable please contact me by replying to my email address at rslddeneui@gmail.com to confirm. Please provide a good contact number so we may contact you.

If you have a minute please watch a short film on our company and products: http://www.ipafamily.com/our-story/

I am looking forward to speaking with you soon.

Highest regards,

Michael Pugh
Recruiting and Sales Support
[protected] Ext 4005
michaelpugh.abbaplans@gmail.com
Independent Producers of America, LLC.
1825 W. Walnut Hill Lane
Suite 102
Irving, TX 75038

Earning significant wealth while being a wealth of significance

Contacting for:
Kent Jacobsen
Divisional Manager
America's Business Benefit Association, Inc.
Independent Producers of America, LLC.
1825 W. Walnut Hill Lane
Suite 102
Irving, TX 75038
www.abbaplans.com
http://www.ipafamily.com/
http://www.independenceholding.com/
http://www.thebestaffordablehealthinsurance.com/video/index.htm?id=mhunt@abbaplans.com
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If your employment status has changed or you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can update your privacy and communication preferences from your resume by logging onto CareerBuilder.com: If your employment status has changed or you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can update your privacy and communication preferences from your resume by logging onto CareerBuilder.com:

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This email was sent from Account ID A7I37S6QK36Z3MHNHVN and by this logged in User U7I3J368P5S4HC46Y1W

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I have received a recent email from them and have the same story as everyone else. They rented a "virtual conference room" in Alpharetta, Georgia for block periods of time. Not very professional. I might go to the interview and mess with them just for kicks.

Both parties are right, but do not be confused. You never pay for a job. EVER! Background checks etc are always free. BUT ON THE FLIP SIDE, IPA doesn't sound like a job. It sounds like every other multi level company that offers a fee to get you in place for financial freedom. They are giving you an opportunity to write your own check and be wealthy. Scams? I think of them more like lottery tickets. These companies kind of bet against you and yes, the odds are against you. All these companies show success stories and can be very legit. I knew a fellow with one of these companies with a Lamborghini and I saw it with my own eyes. But how many failed to that one success? Probably 100s, 1000s. These jobs are a test to yourselves and honestly the easiest cheapest ways to get rich in my opinion. I see how people can think of them as scams. But these are not for job seekers. These companies are for entrepenuers. People who are tired of having bosses. These companies do prey on the weak, but if you bust your butt and actually get sales, you will get rewarded in anything you do. Would I pay to get a job? Never. Would I pay for the chance at wealth or financial freedom? Yes. Hell, I have paid for lottery tickets. Never won, but that aint a scam. It's a risk. You have a better chance earning 6 figures with something like this than anything else. Start a business on your own? It will cost you at least 5 figures and in some cases 6. If you are looking to sit back, do an average job and not solicit, DO NOT JOIN THESE TYPES OF COMPANIES! If you are hungry for more than being an average income citizen and are inspired by movies like "The Pursuit of Happiness", THEN TRUST ME, THESE TYPES OF COMPANIES HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO SET YOU FREE! Make the choice best for you people. In this economy, $285 is alot to give away. But if you want to do this, trust your skill, work hard and pray your blessings double. Good luck everyone.
P.S. I do not work for IPA, nor represent them, but have found my freedom:)
Lee Malone

What upsets me the most with IPA/ABBA is that I have seen posts where the company responds to the claims that there company is a scam and to be honest these posts dont do them justice. There response is so unprofessional and appauling. There is even a posting about sexual harrasement against IPA/ABBA higher management! You know what there response was ? To contact the legal department? THIS DISGUSTS ME SO MUCH I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE IT! I have never worked for a company that would say this? who has a legal department for HR Issues? Now I know it is a scam! Clearly by the disgusting and uneducated responses these people couldn't find a real job in corpoarte america so they developed a scam. Seriously who would hire these people?

First off, if you work for this company why are you degrading people? If you want people to believe you and believe this company is NOT a scam you would not be calling people names. You would handle all complaints in a professional manner. It seems like All the same people posting under different names. Grammar and punctuation are all the same in each post. Funny that they are getting so defensive about people posting about this job being a SCAM!
Secondly, if it WAS NOT a scam the emails sent would include all cost up front. A real company would NOT make you drive to an interview then tell you there are cost. BE UP FRONT ABOUT COST. And since I have no sales experience and my career history has been in the transportation industry I have ran background checks they do not cost. And DOT background checks are more in depth than most.
Thirdly, the emails that are sent out are generic. It is a script that they copy and paste.

I would rather be living in a box eating bread crumbs than work for a company that has "independent contractors" that have no morals and are rude. I wonder if your customers knew how you talked to others your big money making business would end really fast. And before you try to insult me make sure I will value your opinion. Just remember that it only takes a handful of negative feedback to make a company questionable. With "independent contractors" like the ones that have posted on here I can only see why people feel this company is a scam.

Would someone working as an agent with IPA please respond?
I interviewed with them in Orlando, FL. and was pleasantly surpised by the professionalism they displayed. The presentation was excellent. They ask me to join the "team", I have reservations about a few things and have been stewing over this for a week now. My gut tells me this is legitimate...the parent company is a public company making a lot of money. If you wanted to be an independent financial planner, you would not believe the annual and monthly fees involved,
it's in the thousands...large companies do sometimes absorb these fees, and then take pay out low commissions. The real question here is how hard is this stuff to sell?! If you can work hard and have sales skills it sounds like a decent situation at IPA...

Here's what I want to know: How many leads do you have to call to get an appointment, and what kinds of response do you generally receive when you call these leads. Where do the leads come from? I am looking for a new career direction but cannot quit current job and jump into this business...will they let me work part time until I build it up?
Is the term insurance with living benefits being well received?

If you could tell me what a "typical" day is like...It would really be beneficial to me. I really don't enjoy having to call someone 50 times just to get an appointment.

I like the product because people really do need it!

All I know is that I'm a PSYCHOLOGIST who purposely posted my vitae ANONYMOUSLY on careerbuilder in an attempt to avoid SPAM, yet what did I recieve? Yep, an email from IPA about a job that is LIGHT YEARS away from what I do! ARGH!

Really, all you do is PISS PEOPLE OFF when you do that!

I'm so impressed by the communist whiners on this site. Phony?! Really?! If you people decided that $285 is a scam here's a clue. I've done my research and MOST insurance companies that hire INDEPENDENT agents require money up-front because they are in the business of making money, not spending it on people who may or may not perform! Would you be willing to shell out money for state REQUIRED background checks, individual websites, and expensive sales leads (all of which may be wasted on unmotivated idiots)? I highly doubt you would.
This, for the uneducated and uncouth liars on this site, is a small business oppurtunity! The way I look at it though is this, if you're too stupid or lazy to get off your hind ends by all means, leach off the government! I, on the other hand, will gladly take all the leads and business that would have gone to you for myself. I'm proud to say that I am an Independent Agent of IPA! Any of you that disagree with me can take your opinions and shove it.
Oh, and one more thing, all of you that want to razz on people about their punctuation and grammar, might want to look at your own. Just a thought.
To all of my fellow IPA agents that have commented, have a blessed day!
To the rest of you government moochers, kiss off!
Jennifer Cobb

There are many forms of tactics (scams if you must). While some such sales organizations are legitimate from the standpoint of offering a bona fide commodity; there are ploys that they even use to lure prospects into the organization. I have attended a couple so called "interviews"; shortly after arriving I noted the masses pouring in... all scheduled for an interview at the same designated time. It is a proverbial cattle call! A business rep walks in and basically goes through a roll call. In each of these circumstances the rep appeared to have some sort of check list with names of the predetermined targets. Being that I have managed millions of dollars in accounts... I was on that list. So now it's Showtime; after seeing who was in attendance, the target employees are named, as well as a few others who are in the audience to round out the numbers, and they are asked to go into a conference room ("My God, they recognized my value - at last an emotional highpoint after being ignored in the job market!"... is what they are banking on) as they say sorry to the unselected and announce that they can apply again at a later time (we are the chosen few!)

I have worked in nothing except professional organizations; here interviews were always conducted on a purely individual basis! In this meat-market interview, I could tell the interviewer knew almost no details of my resume and background (accept for the stand out one line "account manager with ownership of 26 million in account activity) obviously why I was a successful target (um I’m sorry… I meant candidate)

Here are a few things to keep in mind if you wish to evaluate if a sales/service provider is a worthwhile future employer...
1) A widely respected and highly reputable entity will offer a base salary as well as commission, for at least some specified period of time, after which they reasonably expect you to have established a client base.
2) The sales farms will show little knowledge or concern about your resume and past performances; since the company is not offering any advance pay or compensation, you only earn if and when you sell, they have nothing to lose accept the time it takes to spew well rehearsed rhetoric (and perhaps tax write-off training costs) so they just keep on processing warm bodies!

Hello to you all! I had just received an email from this Scam Artist place, they want me to interview with them on Tues 04/12/2011. I did some research and happened to stumble across this page. So, what I did was copy & paste all of these reviews and sent it to them using the email address they wanted me to use to confirm the interview time and day. LOL! I hope they like it. Cant wait for their feed back. Hi Mark BS:)

Hello To All, these Scam artists just sent me an email about interviewing in 3 days from now. So I just happen to find these reviews. So, what I did was copy and paste all these reviews back to the email address they want me to use to confirm my interview . LOL! I cant wait to hear there response. Hi Mark BS:)

I got the same email from careerbuilder. It seems the interview times are always 10am. I went today and was smart enough not to fork over $626, they said would cover everything, the class, the background check, fingerprints, test, cards, and website. I told him I didn't have money in the account and he said leave your debit card number and put cash in today and we can debit the card tomorrow. I said no. I do research before paying for things. It may be a good company but I like the other lady am upset I wasted $20 on gas and half my day to go when they should have told me ahead of time it was a sales job that entails forking out money. I don't have money to waste. I need a salary job at this time. It may be valid or may be a scam, I don't know. All I know is my friend has her own company and got her license online and sells auto, home and life. She said you have to really hustle to sell health insurance. I think I'll keep job searching. This was in Ocala, Florida

My name is Wade Beard and I live in Austin, TX. I "interviewed" with IPA on Tuesday last week. I understood from the presentation that I would be working as an independent agent. I understood that the $285 was a small investment and what exactly those fees will cover: website, training, business cards, etc. Seems like a minimal amount for any start-up. I also understood that I would need to take a class to prepare myself for an exam by the state to get my license to sell insurance in Texas. I understood that fee would be separate from the fee I would pay to IPA. I also understood that this work, if I so choose to do it, will not be easy.

I see a lot of complaints and a few positive remarks. But I don't see where anyone has done any research on IPA or it's parent company Independence Holding Company. I have. I found a Better Business Bureau listing in West Florida that gives IPA an A-. I don't think a fictional company, or one that is scamming anyone, would get a good mark from the BBB, much less be an Accredited Member. I think most of the complaints are coming from people that just want a regular, steady paycheck without really working for it. This is Sales, folks. Sales positions are difficult, and you have to work to succeed. And that's why you see so many successful sales people. I'm sorry some of you didn't like the wording in the email you were sent. I'm sorry you felt duped. Perhaps my interviewer was more informative than some of your's. An opportunity is still an opportunity, even if it's not the right one for you. I'm sure there are other positions for which you may interview and though the company may in the end offer you the position, you feel likes it's not right for you. Perhaps you can think of this one the same way without bad mouthing it when you don't have the research to back it up.

I just received an email from Bruce Tripp as well. My "Red Flagg" on this one was that Bruce Tripp reviewed my resume via Careerbuilder.com at 2:00 AM MST. I thought to myself there's no way he is that much of a work-a-holic to be going through resumes at 2 in the morning on a Monday. So, I googled his name for Denver, CO and found this complaintsboard.com website. THANK YOU GOOGLE & COMPLAINS BOARD! I'm unemployed & benefits are about to run out and still looking for a job in Colorado. I've reported [censor] like this before to the FTC and will report these guys as well. Do us all a favor and report scams to the FTC. The email I received from Bruce Tripp is VERY similiar to all the other postings on this complaintsboard.com so it's obviously a scam. The only thing he did not include was a phone number. When in doubt, when you get that gut feeling, follow your initial thoughts and check it out before you give in. Your gut feeling is ALWAYS right.

They are working Dallas Texas area now!

WOW - I had no idea what this was when BRIAN TRIPP sent me an email about an Account Executive position available, though the scheduling of my interview ahead of time gave me pause. I've been suckered into this type of "interview" by Insurance Companies, but this path is definitely a new one. By the way, due to many mentions of NO PHONE OR WEB SITE, their new email shows both! Thank you for posting your comments, it was VERY helpful!

Highest regards,

Bruce Tripp
Area Performance Leader
America's Business Benefit Association, Inc.
Independent Producers of America, LLC
4643 South Ulster Street
8th Floor
Denver, CO 80237
www.abbaplans.com
http://www.independenceholding.com/
www.ipafamily.com
http://www.thebestaffordablehealthinsurance.com/video/index.htm?id=mhunt@abbaplans.com

If they contact you and tell you that you have an interview, but they make no mention of any fees, there is something wrong. I got my email this morning. I've been out of work for a few months now and I have been looking hard for a job. So I get this email, and immediately I knew something was up. No one, AND I MEAN NO ONE ever sends out emails stating that you're scheduled for an interview when you haven't even spoken with anyone. It's BS.
And all you people saying "there are fees" when you're looking for a career...you're all [censor]s. No there isn't. There are no fees for banks, insurance companies, IT companies, or any other type of company when they are truly looking to hire people. The only ones charging you a non refundable fee are the one that are ripping you off for whatever the cost of that fee is.
BS...plain and simple.

Thank you for posting this! I posted my resume on career builder and got an e-mail from them asking if I would come in for an interview. I listed to the videos on their websites, and found it funny that they were try to sell themselves to me. Shouldn't it be the other way around? The BBB says they are a creditable business, but everyone here says otherwise. Either way, I do not have money to fork out to them (that's why I'm looking for another job in the first place). I wouldn't give them a dime even if I did.

>
I believe this to be Misleading MLM. A few churches and job fairs ban these types of companies from attending their EVENTS.

As a member of one of Forbes Magazine's Top 200 companies to work for, we are experiencing outstanding growth in the industry.   We need top performing individuals to be a part of that!]

U. Producers of America (IPA) will be conducting interviews for positions in your area.  We realize that finding the right company can be both exciting and challenging.  Therefore we have created an efficient and professional interviewing process.

Step 1
We identified qualities in your resume that may be a good fit for our organization. (Completed).

Step 2
Please view the following video which will get into specific details of our company, products, job description, and our exciting compensation package.  http://www.ipafamily.com/media/survey/

Step 3
If you have sincere interest at the end of this video and feel you would be a good candidate, please contact me at ipacareers.ga@gmail.com be considered for an interview.  We will be conducting interview this week in our Alpharetta office on Wednesday.

I look forward to hearing from you.  Thank you.

Sincerely,

Michelle Sackos
Team Expansion Specialist
Independent Producers of America, LLC
ipacareers.ga@gmail.com

I posted my resume on Careerbuilder yesterday morning. About 4 hours later I received an email from IPA requesting an interview. At first I thought it was strange because I have absolutely no sales background and was curious as to why I would receive an email requesting an interview..I confirmed the interview and had full plans on attending the interview tomorrow morning and everything. My husband came home and told me to google the company and I came across this! I couldn't believe it. .After reading these posts I noticed a few names like Mike Burns and Mark Hunt. These are the names of the people in the email I received from IPA. I am pissed off that people are doing this. I could have wasted my time, money, and gas if I would have went tomorrow! This is not right for people to do this to honest individuals that are truly looking for a job. I had a feeling it was too good to be true. Below is the email I recieved. It is exactly the same as others have received except the names are different:

I am looking to fill the position of Outside Sales & Marketing Executive representing American Business Benefits Association. We provide Small Businesses and Families an opportunity to save thousands of dollars on a variety of Products and Services. I feel you possess the skills and background I am looking for to fill this position. These skills include an outstanding work history, a desire to lead others by example and the ability to overcome adversity. The ideal candidate has a high level of confidence, integrity and a strong work ethic. I would like to schedule an interview with you on Thursday, February 17th at 10am.

The purpose of this interview will be to discuss specific details such as compensation, training, and the product line we represent. To confirm the interview, please contact my office via e-mail at tpafla.abba@gmail.com and include your contact information. Please specify which interview day and time you prefer. I will provide you with specific directions to our office when you confirm the interview day and time.

If you would like to learn more about our organization, American Business Benefits Association and our parent company, Independence Holding Company, please link to http://www.ihcgroup.com/ and http://www.ipafamily.com/.

I am also interviewing for leadership opportunities at this time. With the changing economy, I have limited time and we are a forward thinking organization looking for like people. Your timely response is of the utmost importance.

We would request that you preview this message from our National Performance Leader, Mark Hunt before attending your interview, by linking to:
http://www.ipafamily.com/media/survey/

I look forward to meeting with you.
Respectfully,
Mark Burns
Area Performance Leader
Independent Producers of America, LLC
A Member of: Independence Holding Group (NYSE: IHC)
Representing: America’s Business Benefits Association (ABBA) and/or
Independence American Insurance Company (IAIC) Rated A- (Excellent) by AM Best

A bunch of professional complainers is right, alot of that cost covers business cards among other things, yes it is a sacrifice but it also proves to the company that you are really serious and want the job. This company does not take just anyone! So if you didn't make it in I am really sorry! I have worked for enough companies to know a bad one from a good one! This is the best out there! Do you have to work hard? Yes! But the rewards outweigh what little bit of money you fork over and you get it back later. Everyone in this company works as a team and helps each other out. You are given free leads every week and the best training I have ever seen. They go with you on the appoinments and close the sales for you without asking for a dime of money no strings attached and they do it for as long as you need help. You can call anyone at anytime and the will call you back or help you in an appointment if you are stuck alone! You get your commissions within days! I am proud to work for this company the Abba protection along with our other companies are the best out there!
We are group rated, you are covered on or off the job, you and your Dr decide your treament not the insurance company, you can stay in network and go to any hospitol in the US and be in network, the network is huge and you can keep your own doctors most of the time, you can't be cancelled out for anything except for not paying your claims, it covers overseas for 90 days. We have HSA's very few companies can have them, you have to be the best of the best to be approved! We also have Fixed Imdenity Plans. We show people how to save money and get the best value for their dollar, and offset the cost. We are the best in teh Health Insurance Market today and I am tired of you negative professional whiners that are just a bunch of sore losers or misimformed. I am truely blessed and thanks Jon for being true to yourself and the Company. Thanks all IPA Suporters!

This Scam has come to Greenville, SC...DO NOT FALL FOR THIS ...There are so many better jobs in the upstate ...These people post an ad on career builder every week!

This is definitely a SCAM! I just recieved an email from Missi Chancey from "Independent Producers of America, LLC" (which is not a real company) and the email reads as follows:

Hello, my name is Cliff Bell and I am the Regional Performance Leader of Independent Producers of America. I have reviewed your resume and believe you have the skills and background that we are looking for to fill one of our Account Executive positions in your area. Of the resumes I have reviewed for consideration, only a few meet our requirements and for that reason, I would like to offer you an opportunity to interview with us.

The attire for your interview is Business Professional, it is mandatory for your interview.
The purpose of our interview will be to discuss specific details such as compensation, company leads, training, products and to answer any questions you may have.

I have an available interview time for you on Wednesday February 9th, 10:00am at our Charlotte Regional Office

Executive Suites at Southpark
5960 Fairview Rd. Suite 400
Charlotte, NC 28210

Please RSVP by replying to this email and to confirm your interview time. In your email, please include the best phone number in which you can be reached and which interview you will attend.

Please review the following video to get a better idea of the position.

http://www.ipafamily.com/media/survey/

If you would like to learn more about IPA and America's Business Benefit Association, please visit http://www.ipafamily.com/ and http://www.ihcgroup.com/.

I look forward to meeting with you personally to discuss this career opportunity.

Respectfully,

Cliff Bell
I.P.A. - Independent Producers of America, LLC.
A Member of Independence Holding Company
(NYSE: IHC)

DO NOT RESPOND AND PLEASE REPORT THEM IMMEDIATELY!

This is definitely a scam! I just recieved an email from Missy Chancey form this "company" and the email reads:

Hello, my name is Cliff Bell and I am the Regional Performance Leader of Independent Producers of America. I have reviewed your resume and believe you have the skills and background that we are looking for to fill one of our Account Executive positions in your area. Of the resumes I have reviewed for consideration, only a few meet our requirements and for that reason, I would like to offer you an opportunity to interview with us.

The attire for your interview is Business Professional, it is mandatory for your interview.
The purpose of our interview will be to discuss specific details such as compensation, company leads, training, products and to answer any questions you may have.

I have an available interview time for you on Wednesday February 9th, 10:00am at our Charlotte Regional Office

Executive Suites at Southpark
5960 Fairview Rd. Suite 400
Charlotte, NC 28210

Please RSVP by replying to this email and to confirm your interview time. In your email, please include the best phone number in which you can be reached and which interview you will attend.

Please review the following video to get a better idea of the position.

http://www.ipafamily.com/media/survey/

If you would like to learn more about IPA and America's Business Benefit Association, please visit http://www.ipafamily.com/ and http://www.ihcgroup.com/.

I look forward to meeting with you personally to discuss this career opportunity.

Respectfully,

Cliff Bell
I.P.A. - Independent Producers of America, LLC.
A Member of Independence Holding Company
(NYSE: IHC)

DO NOT RESPOND TO THEM AND REPORT THEM IMMEDIATELY!

You all are right about this company. Stay away! It’s a presentation, not an interview. You will get an email making you think you have been chosen. But when you get there, you will find yourself and 30 others sitting in an hour and half of presentation filled with bull crap. They will tell you that you will make $100k/year easy. You will not. You will be lucky if you make 6k. They will take your money, which is $285 and call it an “appointment fee” to sign you on as a 1099 contractor. You have to pay for EVERYTHING out of pocket. You are on 100% commission. You will go for at least 8 weeks without making a penny while in training learning the products. You have to finish the REACH books that will take you about a week extra in order for you to be able to sell. They will tell you to come to a whole weekend of training and week night training and every Friday meeting, which is the same lies week after week after week.
Jenny Heafey and her husband Robert run the Arizona office in Chandler, and Monica Gambrel in Glendale, and will lie straight to your face to get your money. They will tell you that get advanced commission on six months and then get the next six months as earned or as customers pay their premium monthly. But you will never see the next six month. So if you sell 40000 in AV (Annualized volume), which is the monthly premium of a sold policy times 12month to get that, and you make 17% in commission to start, you should see $6800 in commission. But what they do is give you half of that upfront when you sell and you NEVER see the other half. Trust me! I was with them for a year. They will tell you it is going to pay your debit account, because they are advancing you a loan and charging you 1% interest month in and month out. As long as you take advances, you debit account keep growing, and you growing more in debt. You will be in deep trouble owing money you do not have.

Jenny Heafey and her leadership team are good at sales. Recruiting is sales. They will sell you on joining there team. Do not fall for their lies. You will be a captive agent, which means you cannot sell any other products...you will meet so many people you cannot help simply because you do not have the products to qualify them into.

Do not fall for the attractive idea of being self-employed. Not with this company. You are an employee of this company. They will terminate your contract if you do not have a sale in eight weeks. Trust me; eight weeks go by very quickly. You will not see your money back because they will not tell you that it is non-refundable.
You will pay for your gas to go to training. You will pay for your business cards and flyers. You pay for your networking events. You will pay to join chambers. Get the theme? And if you are making no money, you are losing money!
Hang around the office long enough, and then you will start seeing the disrespect displayed towards other agents. If you think they love you and care about you, think again. As soon as you start having issues, personal or not and cannot produce, or your production goes down, you are chopped.

Pretty soon you will see how unethical this company is, but take it from me, just do not lose everything you own like I did thinking I am building a business that will thrive. You will go broke before you make $10k/year if you work hard. They will use you to brand their company. You cannot set yourself apart from your fellow agents, because everyone has the same business card and flyers, which are mandatory that you have to have and will not be able to produce your own without having to go through compliance. That takes about a year and then comes back totally not what you submitted, then it’s available to all the agents to use and only change their name on it.

This company is complete waste of time. If you really want to be self-employed and have the flexibility, there are lots of companies out there that you can contract with. Steer away from the trap of IPA/ABBA Americas Business Benefit Association.

Jenny Heafey is very selective on who she wants on her leadership team. Even though she makes it sound, It is not based on production and how hard you work and give your time to the company. It is based on who she likes. So do not fall for her statements of her promoting from within based on how much you give to the company but rather on favoritism. You can be gone for months without being productive, and if you come back and she likes you, she will promote you.

Invest your precious time elsewhere. There is no money here, just broke people. The only person you will see making money and a decent living and even that is under $60k/year is the agent that work 12 hour days. She has no life and it is all her business. This person does not see here kids or spend any time with them even on a Saturday. If you are a parent don’t believe you will be able to work here, make money, and have a family life.

You all are right about this company. Stay away! It's not an interview. You will get an email making you think you have been chosen. But when you get there, you will find yourself and 30 others sitting in an hour and half of presentation filled with bull crap. They will tell you that you will make $100k/year easy. You won't. You will be lucky if you make 6k. They will take your money, which is $285 that they ask you for to sign you on as a 1099 contractor. You have to pay for EVERYTHING out of pocket. You are on 100% commission. You will go for at least 8 weeks without making a penny. They will tell you to come to a whole weekend of training and week night training and every Friday meeting, which is the same lies week after week after week. Jenny Heafey and her husband Robert run the Arizona office and will lie straight to your face. They will let you that get advanced on six months and then get the next six months as earned. But you never see the next six month. So if you sell 40000 in AV (Annualized volume), which is the monthly premium of a sold policy times 12month to get the and make %17 in commission to start, you should see $6800 in commission. But what they do is give you half of that upfront when you sell and you NEVER see the other half. They will tell you it is going to pay your debit account, because they are advancing you a loan and charging you 1% interest month in and month out. You will be in deep trouble owing money you don't have.

Jenny Heafey and her leadership team are good at sales. Recruiting is sales. They will sell you on joining there team. Don't fall for their lies. You will be a captive agent, which means you cannot sell any other products...you will meet so many people you cannot help simply because you don't have the products to qualifying them into.

Don't fall for the attractive idea of being self-employed. Not with this company. You are an employee of this company. They will terminate your contract if you don't have a sale in eight weeks. Trust me, eight weeks go by very quickly. You will see your money back because they will not tell you that it is non-refundable. Then you will start seeing the disrespect displayed around the office. If you think they love you and care about you, think again. As soon as you start having issues, personal or not and cannot produce, you are chopped.

Pretty soon you will see how unethical this company is, but take it from me, just don't lose everything you own like I did thinking I am building a business that will thrive, because you will go broke before you make $10k/year. They will use to brand their company. You cannot set yourself apart from your fellow agents, because everyone has the same business card and flyers, which is mandatory that you have to have and cannot produce your own.

Complete waste of time. If you really want to be self-employed and have the flexibility, there are lots of companies out there that you can contract with. Don't fall into the trap of IPA or ABBA America's Business Benefit Association.

Jenny Heafey is very selective on who she wants on her leadership team. It's not based on production and how hard you work and give your time to the company. Its' based on who she likes. So don't fall for her statements of her promoting from within based on how much you give to the company. It will not work. It's about favoritism.

Invest your precious time else where. There is no money here, just broke people.