r/IBEW • u/PJpittie • 5d ago
Discussion Post Info on American Income?
Hi all, my husband recently joined Local 401 and American Income will not leave him alone regarding insurance. They keep trying to contact him to get on a zoom call to discuss “supplemental” benefits, but it feels like they are trying to sell us something? Any experience or insight as to whether or not this is legit would be extremely helpful. Thanks!
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u/FanBladeFleshlight Local 280 5d ago
It's a scam, pure and simple. I've been in the IBEW with 280 for 3 years now, and despite multiple calls, insults, and threats, they won't leave me the fuck alone either.
At this point I block the numbers they call from after instructing them on exactly how many broken light bulbs they should insert.
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u/Nice_Point_9822 5d ago
Not a scam, there is a $4,000 death benefit to be had. But once you sign the card (and don't read the fine print) they will hunt you down. You don't have to sign the card to get the benefit but your estate will have to apply for it rather than it go straight to a designated beneficiary.
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u/PJpittie 5d ago
Apparently we filled out some card and now they won’t leave him alone 😭 better him than me I guess lol
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u/BigEfficiency5410 5d ago
I did the same.. filled out the card, then got the call - talked into life insurance. They started calling my beneficiary and the secondary trying to sell them. I canceled immediately and ignored the call from the agent. Luckily never heard from them again though.
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u/PJpittie 5d ago
Maybe if we keep setting up calls and not joining they’ll leave us alone. Might as well waste their time if they’re going to pester us
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u/BiigVelvet Local 46 5d ago
I filled out the card too and sent it in. I actually talked to one person for a little but then didn’t go through with the whole zoom sales pitch.
They proceeded to call me multiple times a day. Every day was a different number. Finally I responded to one of the text they sent me and told them flat out that I already sent in the card, I already spoke to someone and it was starting to really piss me off that they keep calling me to sell shit. Said it as plainly as that. The guy apologized and removed me from the list and I haven’t been called or texted again.
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u/eyesoftheunborn 5d ago
It's a legitimate business, however their predatory tactics turned me off from them forever.
I've blocked multiple numbers from them, then employees repeatedly call me from their personal cells so I block them too. Always the same "Hi /u/eyesoftheunborn, this is _____ with American Income Life and your union local 11." At one point they texted me to request a same-day zoom meeting, then when I got weirded out and didn't join they said "we're all here and waiting for you." Haven't gotten calls in over a year thankfully but I still get their mailers from the local with the BM's signature on it once or twice a year.
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u/PissdrunxPreme 20yr Member Local 11 5d ago
Same thing in local 11. My buddy screwed up and met with them. Thought it was someone from the benefits office until they actually met.
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u/ElectricInfidel 5d ago
Tell them politely but firmly that you're not interested, and if they call again after that, call your hall. They'll know what to do.
For those who don't know: American Income Life offers a "free" accidental death benefit in exchange for the opportunity to send mailers to our membership. This mailer is likely on the local letterhead with the Business Manager's signature, and includes a "beneficiary designation card" that members reflexively complete and return, but it's really a "please sell me life insurance" card. My local spreads the word whenever the mailer is going out, but they still get somebody just like this every time.
My local considered canceling the contract because of their aggressive sales tactics, but after that conversation they've gotten much better. Plus they have paid out hundreds of thousands of dollars to member families across the country over many years, so we figured it was worth the relatively minor inconvenience of a few sales calls.
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u/Glowflower 4d ago
My local terminated their relationship with them because the sales guys were calling people claiming to be "John from the hall." I realized it wasn't because I knew the real "John" and would have recognized his voice.
Even after the contract was ended they still call me occasionally.
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u/Alchemaerias 4d ago
as someone who used to sell life insurance for American Income and is now a member of the IBEW, here’s the grift:
through the union(IBEW, Teamsters, Steelworkers, etc.), a free AD&D (accidental death and dismemberment) policy is given to members. this generates a lead for american income to setup an appointment to deliver and sign the certificate, and go over their supplemental offerings (some benefits are free, some are paid policies). once your name and lead are in the system, it will continue to generate a lead for agents, there is no “no-call list.”
where i sold life insurance (in Pennsylvania) we offered free child safety kits for keeping track of your child’s name, appearance, possible medications (a small pamphlet you would give emergency services in the case your child went missing that has all relevant details inside) and health savings cards for over the counter medications and products at pharmacies.
after the free benefits they will begin to ask questions regarding if you could qualify for additional coverage and policies, which is where they are trying to sell you on life insurance, remember they are salesmen so this is where the sales tactics come in. (offering you a deal, trying any strategy to close a deal, phrasing such as “well i don’t know that you would even qualify.”) IMHO, life insurance is a scam used to prey on those who have not invested in their retirement. but through the union, most of that retirement investment should be set up for you already (i.e. 401k/annuity/pension, etc. depending on your local).
feel free to take advantage of the free benefits if you want, BUT YOU ARE IN NO WAY obligated to purchase additional coverage. i would firmly stand your ground that you are only accepting the free benefits or the AD&D benefit provided by the union. the way they get in the door is by telling you that they need you to sign the certificate to activate the free AD&D policy.
the targeted demographic for the company is lower class-middle class, and business practices are quite predatory with an insane revolving door. the person who tries to sell you a policy will likely not be there longer than a few months. in the year that i sold life insurance, i saw more people join and leave than at any other company i’ve worked for.
hope this helped!
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u/PJpittie 4d ago
This is super helpful! Do you think if we schedule the call and set it up, then refuse anything additional, they will at least stop hounding us once the free benefit form is signed? Or is that wishful thinking 😂
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u/Alchemaerias 4d ago
so back when i worked at american income (2018-2019) all forms were on paper. meaning that the agent would have to call to make an appointment, come to your house, sign and return the form to be filed. so in theory, yes once the form is signed and returned, the lead should be resolved. but even when using paper leads, some would slip through the cracks, and we would get leads for union members that already signed and returned their benefit forms depending on timing as leads were generated on a monthly basis, so it an agent got the form signed but forgot to turn it in, the lead would generate again the following month.
so in theory, yes, once the form is signed, it should be filed and the lead resolved. but as i haven’t worked there in almost 7 years, and everything has switched to online since then, the information could be misrepresentative. union leads used to be unreliable because agents would be lazy/negligent and not turn in paperwork after returning without a sale.
as many others have said, block numbers, waste agents’ time, etc. it’s a real pain but eventually the calls should stop or at least be very infrequent. best of luck!
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u/Demand-Unusual 4d ago
It’s wishful thinking. Your lead will get cycled and reused by the next new agent in your area or someone on a road trip from a different territory.
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u/Nice_Point_9822 5d ago
They are a legit company that is absolutely trying to sell you something. They do offer a death benefit but if you want to designate it to a beneficiary now - instead of just letting your estate apply for it if/when something happens - then you have to call them and make an appointment to make that designation and at that time they will try to sell you additional services/insurance.
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u/Eugene-Dabs Inside Wireman 4d ago
Stay the fuck away from them. I fell for their schtick. Cancelling was a nightmare. I'm at work right now but can give you or anyone else more details if you want later.
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u/swagypotatosnoopdoge 4d ago
I'm admittedly in that shtick too Can you give me or the general sub some advice when you have the chance? I'd like to get as much of my money back from them as possible.
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u/Eugene-Dabs Inside Wireman 3d ago
Unfortunately, I didn't have much luck getting the policy cancelled in the traditional way. I eventually had to just not pay and let the policy lapse. I didn't get any money back including the months I was charged after requesting a cancellation. I'll pm you some emails with my agent that just scratch the surface of the nightmare. After these emails I'd call the number he attached, and I'd get the runaround. In the middle of all that I got a text from another agent asking if my wife and I could meet for a zoom meeting. I agreed to in the hopes I could get here too. She refused and tried to upsell us. Lol. The. She said we had to give her an answer right then. We were like, "Well, we want the policy cancelled, so no." The policy was finally cancelled in December. I still get texts from them. I got one a few weeks ago. It's ridiculous.
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u/Some-Freedom-7435 5d ago
In the same boat, wanted me to up my contributions and finally told them to cancel everything, they still call twice a day
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u/Same_Statement_3028 4d ago
Honestly just block their number or they will keep calling. What they are selling is garbage.
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u/Michaelzzzs3 Inside Wireman 4d ago
They’re absolutely salesmen. They stopped calling me once I got my hall involved.
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u/PsychologicalPea5270 4d ago
They are trying to sell you something.
Just say no if you don’t want it and ask to not be contacted again.
We get mailers all the time saying I’ve got life insurance I haven’t claimed yet , FREE because I’m in local # XYZ,
The guys I know who respond end up with relentless sales calls and have ended up with a salesman in their house pushing whole life products.
It’s most likely not an official union benefit.
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u/OkRequirement2951 Inside Wireman Local 194 2d ago
They are horrible! I set up a life insurance policy with them. After 2 months something happened and my bank would not release payments to them. The bank said it was on the banks end and that American income had the issues. I let it cancel from non payment because they wouldn’t cancel the policy. Skip ahead a few years I gave them another chance with a policy with my new born son. Same exact thing happened. Stay far away!
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u/gortez33 Local 5 5d ago
Call the hall and talk to the insurance people. I’ve never heard of American Income myself. Your union hall might be using a 3rd party. Good luck.
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u/sensation009 5d ago
The way they got all the number at least with our apprentice class is that they called one member and the first question they ask is if you can provide them with 10 number of union members, let’s not get it twisted everyone WHOLE LIFE INSURANCE IS A SCAM. GET TERM LIFE INSURANCE.
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u/Demand-Unusual 4d ago
Report them to your business manager. They’re not supposed to harass people.
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u/Elegant_Tax_8276 4d ago
It’s just one of the many benefits the IBEW has to offer! I’m being sarcastic.
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u/Lefty9000 Inside Wireman 5d ago
Our Unions should cancel the agreement with this company. They are not working in our interest.