American Eagle Consultants, Will Smallwood Won't release you to work for other conpanies, haven't been paid renewal commissions & they kept 15% of 1st yr. comm. Atlanta Georgia
Agents beware! This agency will rip you off...This agency hires captive agents and also independent agents to sell their life & health products to mainly seniors. As an independent I was paid correct the first year that the part D and medicare advantage products became available in 2006.
When 2007 rolled around I was supposed to get a renewal commission check each month for every policy I sold that was still in force. Well, I got these sporadic checks for amounts that were never correct and hardly ever paid on time. The insurance company's pay American Eagle Consultants, and you get paid from American Eagle because you sign a contract with them and part of that contract states you are signing your commissions over to them. Big mistake, I called and complained and sometimes they would correct their mistake and send me another check for the correct amount.
Well, I was still out selling for them in 2007 and they decided to keep 15% of every policy I sold that year. I was supposed to get the 15% back after 90 days and that never happened. Still haven't been paid the 15%, called about it ten dozen times to no avail, incompetent accounting clerk keeps stating that the money is there, that she is just waiting for Will Smallwood to give the go ahead for her to release it. It has been over a year now and no pay from them. When I try to talk to Will myself, you have to leave a message of course, and he never calls you back.
Now it is 2008 and I am supposed to get a renewal commission on all the policies I sold in 2006 and 2007 that are still in force, right... WRONG....I haven't received a dime since October 2007 and still waiting. It simply does no good to call and there are a lot of other agents just like me out here who have not been paid, just scammed...We know who each other are we think there are enough of us to file a class action law suit.
Such a shame when you have earned the commission and you are still servicing these poor seniors, who call you all the time with questions, they don't have a clue you haven't been paid to service them. You are out here trying to sell to make a living and don't really have the time to fight the agency who is ripping you off, that's what Will Smallwood is probably banking on. There are some captive agents still working there that are SCARED to leave because they have signed so many contracts with them and they are new in the insurance business and don't really know what else is out here or what to do, well, they tell us independent agents what is happenning at the agency. I hear Will goes to Florida almost every weekend with his girlfriend, while the agents are looking for the mailman. Shame, shame and he said he was raised a Christian, and went to a Christian school.
The one thing that is wrong, is you never get released from them once you sign a contract with them to sell the products. Will will promise you a release so you can work directly for the insurance companies and get paid directly from them but he never follows through with his promises.
Isn't there a law about a persons right to work in Georgia? I cannot go to work directly for these companies like Humana and Blue Cross Blue Shield because he won't release me, and I am not getting paid from these two companies because he refuses to release my pay.
I made a bad mistake when I got hooked up with this shameless outfit, I did not realize that I was signing my paycheck over to the agency, or I never would have done it. All the other companies I represent I get paid directly from the company and have no problems.
I am owed a lot of money and I deserve to be paid and released from this agency. I have the right to work for anyone I choose, and this agency is holding me back from earning a living, and that should be against the law.
All you agents out here who are being ripped off from American Eagle Consultants and Will Smallwood let's hear you Yell....
Licensed Agent
somewhere near Atlanta, Georgia
U.S.A.
6 Updates & Rebuttals
King
Rochester,New York,
United States of America
American Eagle paid us what they own us
#7REBUTTAL Owner of company
Mon, August 09, 2010
Update:,,,,,,,,,,American Eagle recently paid us for the commissions that they owed us.
Agents in Rochester, NY
Licensed agent
cassville,Georgia,
USA
Or It May Just Be The Agency!
#7Author of original report
Wed, July 21, 2010
You must be the owner of the company, or one of their loyal two-faced protectors you certainly sound like it. Are you the one in front that some years ago sued one of their sister companies "National Consultants" for commissions due you and won? I guess jobs are so hard to come by that you want to keep yours, so you defend the agency; they need to keep new agents coming in, writing policies so they can cheat them out of their commissions. It is like a revolving door there.
Roll the business, Ha! What a joke coming from you, as everyone in the know was aware that the owner did indeed encourage us in 2007 in a sales meeting to roll all the Humana business over to BCBS because BCBS was a better plan and we would receive a NEW commission. We were also told that if we wrote Humana business we would be in danger of not getting our commission paid because Humana had not been paying the agency correctly, Oh Really? I had been paid my commissions correctly and I don't think this greedy agency would pay me if they had not been paid beforehand. Supplies to write Humana business were not made available in 2007 until the AEP was over a month in. After I was told they were ordered some time ago but hadn't arrived, I personally called Humana, ordered supplies, promptly received them. Later in the month after a sales meeting, I looked into a room across from the supply room and saw 5-6 boxes of Humana erollment forms. Not arrived yet, HA, just another way to discourage us from writing Humana.
The fact is American Eagle wanted us to roll the business so there would be a NEW commissions paid to THEM, then they could decide whether to pay us.
Carriers have not always followed through with paying the 2nd amount out?? Oh Really, Well I went on to write for many other MA carriers and have never experienced a problem with my commissions, 1st or 2nd. So, is it the marketing company when you contact these carriers personally and are told that your full commission has been paid to the agency, the check number, date paid, etc. Well. yes....
Those that have experience in the industry?? Realizing these facts about the Med Advantage market?? How much experience does any of us have? Since it's inception in 2006? I've got that and much more, and that's as much or more than you have. Stop trying to "sugarcoat" the agency. No, it's not been an easy market, everyone who's in it knows that you work very hard for your commissions.
Come on I know there's more agents, let me hear you Yell.... l know the truth.
If you are in this industry it is hard enough to write and conserve your book of business. Being an independent agent is very gratifying, so be independent and get your contracts direct from the company or choose a large FMO with a good reputation.
Now this agency is calling themselves an "FMO" yes, I actually received a recruitment postcard from them when they started announcing this. lmao out loud. Don't let this agency put their hook in you. And remove me from your mailing list....
King
Rochester,New York,
United States of America
We currently worl with this company
#7General Comment
Wed, July 07, 2010
Sounds like you work for American Eagle Consultants?.........However we are indenpendent agents and they still owe us commissions and we have NEVER received renewal commissions from these guys...........NO excuse with regards to the CMS rules changing............If they can not get the numbers correct or the information they need..........GET out of the Medicare Business!...........FYI..........Other FMO's have paid us on time and correctly...........except these guys.........If we do not get paid our commissions correctly we will be filing a number a complaints with a number of agencies!!!!!!!
King
Rochester,New York,
United States of America
We work with this company
#7General Comment
Wed, July 07, 2010
The original report written by the agent is correct!...........We currently work with this group and yes they owe us commissions also!...........We found our that the carrier (Blue Cross) has paid these guys our commissions....but they have not paid us , nor return our emails or phone calls............FYI.......the BBB is a worthless , no authority organization..........All they do is keep complaints in a file.......thats it!....The people who have power over this business is CMS, the state attorney general office, and the department of labor or a small claims court.............which we will be filing with all these agencies if these guys do not pay us what they owe us..........soon!
STAY AWAY FROM THESE GUYS>>>>>>>>>BAD NEWS
Partners
Atlanta,Georgia,
United States of America
It May Just Be The Business
#7UPDATE Employee
Fri, February 19, 2010
The Med Advantage market has not been an easy market, CMS has had issues with approvals over time and carriers have not always followed through with paying the 2nd amount out.
Agents of course feel ripped off when the truth is the Marketing Company takes the brunt of the complaint. Those who have experience in the industry realize these facts about the Med Advantage market, they understand the carriers pay sporadically, incorrect amounts or not at all and it is understandable the agent blames the Marketing Company.
Some carriers pay direct and some only pay through the Marketing Company which requires the agent to assign their commission to the Marketing Company, this affects several things like vesting, renewals and all this depends on the way the agent came onboard. It's not untill problems like the carrier not paying the 2nd amount for Med Advantage that the agent then believes it is their contract that is the problem.
One thing that makes things worse is when agents don't understand how these issues work, they leave the Marketing Company and then try to roll business. They often do this thinking that their renewal will not be affected or the Marketing Company will not react and that is not the case.
And while a Marketing Company will take an agents call and make an effort to explain or correct an issue after a while it is obvious the answer is not what the agent wants to hear so a decision has to be made to move on.
I know as an agent myself for more than 20 years, it's like running a lead, if I sell a lead it's because I'm a great sales professional, if I don't sell the lead it's because it is a lousy lead.
When things are working the way you want them to your with a great company and when things are not working the way you want them to it's a lousy company.
American Eagle Consultants is a great marketing company who has served the industry for more than 35 years, with great agents who have all contributed to our growth.
We welcome anyone to come and talk to us, ask questions and determine the value of a relationship with us based on your own experience.
We wish everyone all the success they are willing to work for.
William
Snellville,Georgia,
U.S.A.
I'm thinking about working for American Eagle Consultants, Inc.
#7Consumer Suggestion
Sat, November 29, 2008
Dear Licensed Agent,
I'm new to the business. I'm concerned about your post and have a few questions.
According to public information this company has been in business since 1991. They have a satisfactory rating with the BBB. After Googling your comment is the only negative thing I have found about this company. If, as you say, there are lots of other agents that have been ripped off by this company where are they and why aren't they complaining also?
Why don't you at least file a complaint with the BBB? So it will be on record there? There have been zero consumer complaints in the last 36 months according to the BBB for this company. Maybe if you file a complaint you can get a resolution to your problem. What about checking with the Dept. of Labor?
You are painting this company out to be a rip off to work for. You've worked for them a couple of years and must be doing ok, otherwise you would have left long ago. Am I correct?
I would appreciate a response from you. If this company is as bad as you say, I'd like to know and maybe you could get some others who have been ripped off to post here as well. Frankly, one comment, by one person is just that. Without further information from you or others I will apply to this company.