I signed up with UGA / Mega with the understanding that my sales commissions would be advances, and I did read my contract. I tried to wade through the complex schedule of payment, but most of it is hidden in formulas that are not accurate, and the rest changes with your standing with the company, so this is a futile attempt.
There are a lot of RA RA sessions, smoke and mirrors, and seemingly happy agents prancing about telling everyone how great UGA and MEGA are to work for, but don't be fooled. You will starve before you make enough to pay your rent. Fortunately, my husband worked and supported us, and I took the job as just a way to get some extra spending money. Even so, I ended up paying more out of pocket once I counted my travel expenses (all appointments have to be in person, so there's a lot of driving) clothing, and of course, Marketing. You will only get B (years old) leads to start, and you have to pay for all of your own training and licensing. If you want to succeed you need to start purchasing your own leads early on - which I did. You will also have to commit to making 100 plus phone calls per day, although now they use auto dialers, so it's easier if not quite kosher.
That said, I gave it my best and made my 13 week goal. I was hailed as a "Top Producer" and yet I still had very little money! When was the money going to break loose??? I watched dozens of wonderful people and good sales people drop out because they simply could not pay their rent. I would have quit much sooner if my husband was not supporting us. Eventually, I quit but only after giving it my ALL. They tell the new agents that the stuff they read online about the company is just from "disgruntled agents" and go on with stories of agents who did something wrong and got caught. Truth is, most agents just run out of money, or they figure they are only digging themselves into a larger hole and they leave for another company.
My recommendation to any top notch sales person looking at this company? Do yourself a favor and go elsewhere. They will shower you with love, dazzle you with songs and stories, promise you the moon and stars, and then leave you penniless. And just when you think it's all done and behind you... THEN they will send you a BILL for any scraps of money they did "advance" to you.
Just remember that since they are a captive agency (they will not allow you to work for any other company or sell any other insurance) their claims of you being an "independent agent" go against the IRS definition. The IRS has an entire web page dedicated to defining an independent contractor, and the agents at UGA / MEGA do not fit this description any more than the employees of UPS do (as defined in a recent lawsuit involving UPS.) UGA cannot simply make their agents work for free, which is what they claim once you quit - "you got advances, now we want them back" all the while dictating to these same "independent" agents that they can only sell MEGA insurance. They are trying to get the best of both worlds, and I hope someday a class action suit will land the whole lot of them in financial ruin - just like they do to so many innocent agents they dupe. Beware.
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