Anybody Involved in Pre-Paid Legal &/ or Pyramids

[tld221]

to me it seems like a pyramid scheme, sort of like how the "free ipod" thing works... or rather, it works a lot like Vector/Cutco knives.

the way it was "presented" to me (i have friends who do it) is that you buy the service first, which is $24.99/month. that includes 24-hour access to the "best lawyers in the nation." its supposed to be the poor-man's way of being able to afford legal services like the middle/upper class can. (again similar to CutCo. CutCo makes you buy the knife set for like $300). and then you sell the service to 3 people. then you move up to whatever the next level is. then you sell 5 more, and you get some kinda bonus. and you keep going up and up until you become an "executive." not sure what that entails, but i think it means you get more money per client you take on.

to me, i hear it pays a LOT but thats if you go really hard at it - as in setting up lots of "presentations" and having a high rate of people buying the service. supposedly PPLS is really reputable cause its been around for years, but ive only heard of it since my sophomore year (about 2 years ago).

[f8nacn]

PPL is a pyramid...although not really a scam... I know someone who does this as their primary source of income. There are advantages and disadvantages that they do not tell you about before signing up.

One advantage....you can get paid by direct deposit whenever you make a sale (normally next day I believe).

One disadvantage is that you have to continue to recruit...because if someone cancels the service you will have to pay the company back.

[kddani]

This is a really interesting subject that I admittedly know nothing about.

But as an attorney, I really wonder about some of the ethical and professional responsibility affects that this sort of thing can have...

[f8nacn]

Originally Posted by kddani

This is a really interesting subject that I admittedly know nothing about.

But as an attorney, I really wonder about some of the ethical and professional responsibility affects that this sort of thing can have...

Can't respond to that above --- not sure what the attorney's cut is should someone actually need their services.......never used the service so I thought it was a waste of money...they do have an identity theft watch program that may be okay....

[OOhsoflyDELTA#9]

I signed up for PPL back in 2000....I was working at First Union and my supervisor convinced me to sign on....I can't remember all the details but I remember it cost like $500 to get in and I may have signed up 8 to 10 people...I had to many other things going on in my life at the time, so I end up just letting it go......it had that "cult" like pressure thing about it also..like your group leader calling to motivate you, then the regional leader calling to motivate you and so on and so on..it was more contact then I wanted.....a friend of mine attempted to use the "letter writing" aspect of the service a couple of years ago and it didn't happen/work and she was VERY upset about it...I'll have to call her to get details to post.....

[ProspeKt]

PPL, just like many other pyramids are effective and can prove very beneficial. I signed up with ppl around this time last year with not much success due to the afore spoken of having too much other stuff going on...especially school. Nevertheless I was and am thankful for the learning experience.

The problem with ppl and many other pyramids is that they are too old (10-15+yrs). As a result, by the time you get in, you're so far down the "pyramid" that you have to work extra hard to see the fruit of your labor. The people who generate the most revenue from them probably got into it at its early stages. Whether the product is bad or awesome and in high demand, if you can get set up in a network marketing oppurtunity in its infancy then you are bound for success.

There is a new product that just launched about a month ago. Not only is it brand new, the product itself is and proves to be a very hot commodity. So much so that the man under whom I am under generated $18,000 his first three weeks. Since I am under him, I am now 5th from the president of the company.

It is said that the three sure ways of income are real estate, stocks & bonds, and network marketing. I've taken notes and grabbed the first and last and am reaping the benefits. PM me if you would like to get in on this opportunity.

[SouthernSweet]

Originally Posted by ProspeKt

PPL, just like many other pyramids are effective and can prove very beneficial. I signed up with ppl around this time last year with not much success due to the afore spoken of having too much other stuff going on...especially school. Nevertheless I was and am thankful for the learning experience.

The problem with ppl and many other pyramids is that they are too old (10-15+yrs). As a result, by the time you get in, you're so far down the "pyramid" that you have to work extra hard to see the fruit of your labor. The people who generate the most revenue from them probably got into it at its early stages. Whether the product is bad or awesome and in high demand, if you can get set up in a network marketing oppurtunity in its infancy then you are bound for success.

There is a new product that just launched about a month ago. Not only is it brand new, the product itself is and proves to be a very hot commodity. So much so that the man under whom I am under generated $18,000 his first three weeks. Since I am under him, I am now 5th from the president of the company.

It is said that the three sure ways of income are real estate, stocks & bonds, and network marketing. I've taken notes and grabbed the first and last and am reaping the benefits. PM me if you would like to get in on this opportunity.

I have a couple of friends who are making six-figure incomes in network marketing companies, however, how can you be 5th from the President of the company?

The owner of a network marketing company is usually not at the top of the chain, it's the next person he recruits that is at the top.

The only way you can be 5th from the President of the company is if your MLM has the TITLE of President, for whoever is at the top of that branch...and whoever he signs up personally, can technically be right under him, but that doesn't mean they are making a dime.

MLM are worthless unless there is a way to move up the ladder, and very few MLM companies have this feature built-in to their system. Otherwise, if the person that recruits you fails in their responsibility to help you grow your area of the business, then they stay and reap the rewards of your hard work and they can sit back and do nothing.

Most of the newer MLM have taken the "fixed position" feature out of their system....if your production surpasses that of your sponsor, you get to move "up" the chain and move past them so that someone that is llazy cannot continue to draw money off your work unless they are actively participating. Yes, your sponsor doesn't get fully penalized for recruiting a winning business builder, but as you move past them in the ladder, they make less and less off you until eventually they make nothing.

[Kimmie1913]

Originally Posted by kddani

This is a really interesting subject that I admittedly know nothing about.

But as an attorney, I really wonder about some of the ethical and professional responsibility affects that this sort of thing can have...

I am an attorney who worked for the Pre-paid legal firm in MD for about a year 5 1/2 years ago. It was no different than working in any other law firm. And your professional responsibility is never going to change regardless of how the business is coming in. National PPL contracts with local firms to be on call to provide legal services. The firm provides the very limited group of included benefits and then charges for the rest. The additional services are to be discounted off of whatever the firm usually charges. When I was there, clients automatically were entitled to letter/and or phone calls on matters ((but limited to two letters or calls on any one matter) and a will, also access to advice 24 hours a day. Also defense of simple traffic violations (speeding tickets) was included. If the traffic charge was more severe (usually DUI or some other criminal moving violation) then there was a charge. Everything else had a charge. Some simple matters (divorce with no property, consent custody agreements, bankruptcies -before the law changed) had flat fees. Everything else was discounted to $325 an hour.

The firm (not the attorneys in the firm) were paid a per member per month fee for participating in the program. The attorneys were paid as they would be in any firm with- i.e. salary and bonuses. If a matter was for fee there was some fee sharing. Also the attorneys had to each work a phone shift on the 24 hour a day help line. This is where members called when they needed a letter or a will or a question answered. It was also a lead generator for the matters that required a fee.

People used to get pissed off all the time about the limited scope of free services. We would track those complaints to help the company identify the dishonest sales people who actively misled about what was covered. One guy used to go to the criminal court building and sell to people awaiting arraignment and lie and say criminal matters were included. They were not.

I could see if you absolutely had no way of figuring out how to find an attorney why it would be attractive but if you had the ability to find an attorney on your own through a referral from a friend or family member, it seemed like a waste.