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  • Report:  #818962

Complaint Review: Insphere Insurance Solutions LLC.

Insphere Insurance Solutions, LLC. HealthMarkets, MEGA, Chesapeake Took advantage of agents and keep all agent money! North Richland, Texas

  • Reported By:
    disgruntled ex Insphere/Healthmarke — Chicago Illinois United States of America
  • Submitted:
    Fri, January 06, 2012
  • Updated:
    Mon, June 11, 2012

PLEASE DO NOT JOIN INSPHERE.  I was a good producer and maybe made $30K.  I calculated, had I been an independent broker, I would have made approximately $100K instead.  You can purchase leads yourself from various companies, such as Insure Me and Norvax on your own for less than what Insphere charges you, by the way, so really, other than a couple of training sessions and the occassional free food and reunion, there isn't much they offer.

I am writing this because I had a horrible experience with Insphere.  They suffocate all agents, top producers down to newbies.  They tell you that you should be paid "advances", which really means a money loan that you can't understand and can't ever pay off.  They add interest and so many confusing fees on top of fees, that your agent balance never goes down!  You WILL NEVER SEE A RESIDUAL INCOME FROM ALL THE BUSINESS YOU WRITE THROUGH INSPHERE!!! 

They also pay commissions that are MUCH LESS than industry average.  For instance, you go out on your own as a life, health producer and contract on your own with Blue Cross/Shield, Humana, Aetna, United,  etc. and you will have 8-14% commission, depending on production level and state.  Insphere, is maybe 5-7% at best. 

But it gets worse.  What most people don't get is that they only advance you 1/2 of the year.   They then keep the other half to "pay down your agent balance".  This technically means that they advance 1/2 of 5-7%, which is really 2.5-3.5% of the total commission per policy.  YOU WILL NEVER BE INDEPENDENTLY WEALTHY WORKING FOR INSPHERE.  They don't allow these carriers to offer their bonuses to Insphere Agents.  I missed out on a $9K bonus from Aetna because I was contracted under Insphere!  You also get paid more with the life, disabililty and long-term care carriers contracting on your own by the way.

I eventually caught on and starting contracting myself with other carriers they didn't offer because I needed to make more money.  Here I was, getting awards from Insphere and verbal recognition, but no money and could hardly pay my bills.  I decided in late 2011, not to renew my Insphere Contract.

Now they are trying to come after me for thousands.  I WAS A TOP PRODUCER IN THE COMPANY AND MADE LESS THAN MINUMUM WAGE WITH THE HOURS I WORKED.

If anyone else has gone through this too, please contact me or reply and perhaps do something about this.   I think everyone is scared of them.  But they can't keep all my back end and other 1/2 of the year commissions, deny me bonuses carriers offer, keep all my clients, deny me access to carriers and then try to come after me for basically the same amount that they advanced!  It's fraud, plain and clear.  They have to be stopped before they do this to hundreds of other agents.

8 Updates & Rebuttals


Internet_hunter

Cunningham,
Tennessee,
U.S.A.

Insphere Insurance Solutions Research.

#9General Comment

Mon, June 11, 2012

I received an email requesting an interview with the company in Nashville and decided to do a little research on my own. After about 2 hours I found that this company has more complaints that complements and that is scary. I found at least a 20 to 1 ratio for individuals who have worked in the insurance industry for years and how much they ultimately lost working with this company.

I had received the email through Monster.com and have asked Monster to do their own research regarding the employer. With people out of work and trying to make ends meet we cannot be spending hours of research to determine if every company is going to make large profits off of us while abusing their own people.

I would suggest that you beware of this company. There are many companies out there who truly care about the service they provide and the people who work for them and this company does not sound like one of them. Do your own research and decide for yourself. I am not saying they are a bad company but there are way to many reports that just don't add up on their side.


Avie DFW

Burleson,
Texas,
United States of America

Current Employee

#9UPDATE Employee

Mon, May 14, 2012

I've been working (part time, I wasn't making money so i have a full time position elsewhere.) for Insphere, and I have to say, I really wish I hadn't been involved, even though I have made some money, I believe I could do much better with out them. The advances are hard to understand, but NOT impossible. I see people in my office driving porche, land rover, benz, etc. But it seems like everyone is split right down the middle. There are the ones that are rolling in the money, and then there are the ones that are driving the older cars, struggling for anything to come through. I'm wary, a little less now that I've actually made money from a few life policies, but I just dont see how this could ever become a career without being one of the  "chosen ones". I dont exactly have a horror story, but its not enough to sustain your household at all.I honestly dont think its a scam, just, a little shady. Its not like they took my money and Im out with nothing, Ive had extensive training from them, free business cards ( very nice ones, no BS office max ones), all the free advertising I can handle, So I guess its really up to you if you can afford to risk the amount of time it takes to make some money, I didnt. Good luck to all!


JWinchester

United States of America

Potential employee...

#9General Comment

Thu, February 02, 2012

Hi, I just was interviewed by one of the managers at Insphere yesterday. I was a bit uncomfortable at the mention of residual income, which we all know means it's a pyramid scheme. I see you've been with them for 9 years and it was hell for you, in terms of the money promised and never seen. I think I will be taking your advice and backing out when the gentleman calls me, not that I have money to get my license or the background check, the latter of which they should be paying for themselves as any good employer does. I mean, I came to them seeking employment because I need money that I don't have and I have to foot the bill to get hired? That sounds really off to me. I could deal with getting the license on my own but anything else is supposed to be paid for by the employer.

As much as I need the money right now, I just don't have what they're asking for to be employed with them. Not that I should be paying anything to get employed with them besides using my JC Penny's card for a new work wardrobe! Anyway, thank you for your posts and I am truly sorry you were scammed for nearly a decade. Good luck to you!


disgruntled ex Insphere/Healthmarke

Chicago,
Illinois,
USA

Insphere...bad for agents and especially for clients

#9Author of original report

Wed, January 25, 2012

Of course they seem and act professional....they have to be to recruit and burn through thousands of agents.  And no, they were not the first agency I worked with.  I learned most of my training on my own.  You can choose to disregard the countless statements made by several ex-agents and live in lala land, go burn and churn through clients in order to barely pay your bills, and then when you come to the realization that you won't get ahead with them, be stuck with a huge debt to them.  Good luck with that!

Or, you can do your research.  There are literally hundreds of other agencies out there, big and small that can provide training and allow you to be independent, while giving you a decent commission percentage.  You don't care that all you'll be getting for your health policies is about 2-3%?  Really?  Just for giggles, try calling the carriers themselves and ask them what they pay brokers.  Each carrier provides tons of training too.  Local area managers and webinars.  You'd actually walk away with better knowlege of products if you went directly through each carrier.  And as I mentioned before, Insphere charges MORE for leads than you would get through direct lead buying. 

Oh yeah, and if you want decent bonus instead of Insphere's joke of "award per q's, selling direct through carriers is the way to go.  I'd rather have money than worthless points towards over priced goods anyway.....

Again, good luck.


Quinn

USA

Re: Disgruntled

#9General Comment

Wed, January 25, 2012

Insphere is not paying me anything. I am simply looking for info about their training (as I may work for them soon) and since you were there for at least a couple of years I thought to ask about it. Yes, there are many small agencies but none that I am aware of that seem to have their model for indoctrinating a new agent into the business. Only reason I mentioned a particular office or region is so that I may steer clear of it myself. But I have spoken with the local office who seem very professional regarding the opportunity. As for the reduced commissions I am not concerned as I will be learning much in the beginning anyway. I also saw ads for USHealth which seemed similar to Insphere. Are you familiar with them at all? You seem to have a good knowledge of the industry now so Insphere apparently benefited you at least. Are you now working for one of these smaller independent type agencies?


disgruntled ex Insphere/Healthmarke

Aurora,
Illinois,
United States of America

Don't let Insphere get you too

#9Author of original report

Tue, January 24, 2012

Interesting Quinn....how much is Insphere paying you to try to find out who all the unhappy ex-employees, agents and consumers of their products and services are so that you can come after us for defamation?  Like I'm really going to share which office/region I'm from.  The company is nationwide.  Therefore, the commission structure is also nationwide. 

I was at Insphere for long enough to see that people who were there for 9 YEARS never saw a dime of their back end commissions. A couple of years was long enough for me to see that 1/2 of 1/2 of industry average commissions is NOT ACCEPTABLE (1/2 of 5-7%).  It's not rocket science.  It's called taking advantage of agents Quinn.


Quinn

USA

Re: Disgruntled

#9General Comment

Tue, January 17, 2012

Sorry to hear about your issues. Could it have been that you didn't stick around long enough to get the back end (second half) of the annual commission? How long were you there? And, which area/region/office were you in? Maybe it's isolated to a manager or region. Otherwise, did the training help you greatly learn the business?


Lesson learned

sun prairie,
Wisconsin,
United States of America

Absolutly correct

#9UPDATE EX-employee responds

Thu, January 12, 2012

Maybe there should be an investigation on this company they are crooked.

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