Status Update About Voiceleads.us

[Newby]

Who knows if agents will ever get fined on these BUT ignorance of the law is never a defense in court. A lot of agents don't understand DNC laws, scope of appointment rules, or rebating laws. That's no excuse. It's your job to know.

If your robo call vendor gets fined he will definitely turn his books over and there will be a very simple paper trail of who is paying.

$ 16,000 fine per call is nothing to sneeze at.

Finally you are dealing with someone that does not follow any rules. You are paying for exclusive leads. What do you think that lead vendor does when he gets a 2 nd order in your zip code? If you are selling a higher priced brand and all the sales you made are followed a week later with a 2nd agent with a better offer...not good for you.

 

[paige23]

Hi Everyone. Just wanted to thank you for all the feedback. I got a little happy at first because it seemed like a good, fast way to stay productive while I wait for some mail to hit..I I'm
not going to order any more...I am going to chill out and wait for send mail to arrive or use one of the lead sources Todd recommended.

.

 

[seeknulfind]

Turning in the agent would have accomplished what exactly? Agent will claim he purchased a lead from a vendor and most likely still has the MP3 of the voice recording claiming you asked for more info.

I've gotten a few robocalls and just hung up but if I "pressed 1 for more info" and said "Yes please call me at blah blah blah" the agent that purchased that lead and followed up with me isn't liable for anything. He has a recording of me requesting more info and the lead wasn't generated by him but by a lead vendor. The most you could do is demand the agent give you the lead vendor's info and you can pursue them.

The more I think about it the more I'm thinking an agent can pretty much never get in trouble for purchasing and using a robodialed lead. On which grounds would they be in trouble? As long as they didn't generate the lead themselves and have the voice recording of the potential client requesting more info I don't think any punishment can occur.

Probably why not a single one of you can produce a story or link to a time when an agent has gotten in trouble for using one of these lead types. Thousands of agents out there and tons of these leads are being sold so surely by now someone has gotten in trouble right? By the way some of you talk it's as if dozens of agents have been caught......but that isn't true is it?

I think the truth is technically only the vendor using a robo dialer and acquiring the leads is breaking the law. An agent that purchases a lead that comes with a voice recording of a client requesting more info (i.e. giving permission to call) is never going to get prosecuted.

Until one single example is given otherwise I think this is pretty much the way this is working. So go ahead agents, if you feel morally fine with buying these leads and using them than what's stopping you? Just because of a few veteran agents around here are spreading fear based on nothing?

I take it you part of your response is directed at me. Surely I'd talk to whoever called and suggest s/he cease and desist as well as stop buying the leads. And, yes, I'd very likely give the agent a break if s/he divulged the name of the lead company.

However, if someone is calling a "prospect" whose number was obtained illegally. The person following up on the illegal lead is just as guilty as the lead company. Some consideration might be offered if some sort of effort was made to ensure the lead was bona-fide. That wouldn't be up to me.

Okay, now, let's assume I'm one of the "good guys". I just continue to hang up on robocalls. Great. Whose to say someone else won't just get the caller's name and report them? If they are connected to illegal leads, then they could get into some hot water anyway.

Maybe you're correct. Someone can buy leads that were obtained illegally and follow up on them with no qualms whatsoever. But it sounds like a weak argument at best to me.]

Andy

 

[TwiLight]

Until one single example is given otherwise I think this is pretty much the way this is working. So go ahead agents, if you feel morally fine with buying these leads and using them than what's stopping you? Just because of a few veteran agents around here are spreading fear based on nothing?

So what I hear you saying is that the Gov't never goes after anyone just for the sake of going after the little guy.

All you have to do to see a gov't agency running amuck is to look at the State of IL Suing Agents for selling a Life Product Legally (IUL or Indexed Annuities) because the current AG calls it a security. When FINRA has the AG in their pocket, is the little guy ever safe in Illinois?

Politics is Politics and if it suits the Gov't - The Evil Greedy "little guy" Agent will PAY.

 

[jdeasy]

So what I hear you saying is that the Gov't never goes after anyone just for the sake of going after the little guy.

All you have to do to see a gov't agency running amuck is to look at the State of IL Suing Agents for selling a Life Product Legally (IUL or Indexed Annuities) because the current AG calls it a security. When FINRA has the AG in their pocket, is the little guy ever safe in Illinois?

Politics is Politics and if it suits the Gov't - The Evil Greedy "little guy" Agent will PAY.

And the lead company will pass it down to the agent if they get in trouble. Just like the MA companies do whenever there is a CMS question. Blame the agent.

An agent may never be caught or prosecuted over theese leads. But what if you are the one?

If you calim ignorance don't you think they will have this website to show otherwise? The person they catch they are going to want to make an example out of.

Look at the Gleen Neesham case. I don't know enough about annuities to know if he is guilty or not but I do know that it doesn't matter as far as his career. He's been ruined either way.

 

[Stephen]

At the end of the day the agents that purchase and run illegal leads will probably not get in trouble for it, it will be the next ethically questionable business decision that they make, or the one after that, or the one after that.

 

[Todd King]

Slushpuppy, I can tell you for a fact that the agent involved can get nailed as well.

I had an agent order leads through a lead company that I WAS using. They didn't bother to tell him the leads generated were generated by the press 1 method. They got caught and were fined.

The agent was fined as well, but the lead company paid it. Of course, they wouldn't reimburse him the $1500 he paid to them to begin with.

 

[slushpuppyking]

After all this one person comes forward with an "I knew a guy who knew a guy" who got fined story.

Since we are all talking out of our asses I say we drop the matter. Only time will divulge the truth. Until I see actual evidence (a news article, insurance blog piece, something) I have no reason to think otherwise. We can all agree robo dialers are illegal and the companies that buy them are breaking the law, but as of right now no confirmed agent has ever gotten in trouble for purchasing this lead type.

I don't condone those leads, I think robo dialers suck, and I don't use those types of leads, BUT I also deal in facts and evidence and this board is full of many that are honestly acting like plenty of agents have been fined and you are playing with fire. I just don't think that is very responsible.

Since we all want to *win* our own arguments I am sure many of you here will revel in the victory of having a "crack down on agents" article to post some day. Until then I will have my own victory and post once every 3 months: So......any agents fined for these leads yet?

Oh and Todd sorry to dismiss your story so quickly but I really am looking for something more concrete. Perhaps you could give us the info for that lead vendor and I'll call them up and question them about their leads and if they have ever been fined or an agent has been fined. Curious to see how upfront and honest they are about it.

 

[pcbinsurance]

"this board is full of many that are honestly acting like plenty of agents have been fined and you are playing with fire. I just don't think that is very responsible."
********************************
I think it's eminently responsible to point out the worst case scenarios. I'd much rather know what could happen rather than what probably won't happen

 

[moonlightandmargaritas]

You guys and gals make it sound like these "press one robocalls" are illegal? Why hasn't this been discussed on the board before?