Work-work-work, work-work, work-work! (pyramid)

[Arizona Lively]

So, my grandmother has gotten in this door-to-door sales thing called Legal Shield which is supposed to provide 24-hour legal services and insurance regardless of whether you've been fined or even detained simply for being a witness to a crime or as a suspect to a major felony (must be a member 15 days before being accused).
I wonder if anyone here has done Legal Shield 'cause I'd like to know if it's reliable. My grandmother is really excited about trying to get my mom and dad and I into it and we're really leery about it because my dad was sucked into a couple of pyramid scams before and got burned. But just like the dude in the video said, the key to becoming unbelievably rich is owning your own business or at least owning stock in a business.

I'd like to know more about the Shield, ya know, that isn't put together by a biased member of the group or seller of the product. I mean, they include bits about a couple of guys each with his own problems being bailed out because they had Legal Shield. But that could all be bogus. There's no real way to know without consulting someone who has really used it.

So, anyone?

[Shorty]

It sounds like something I wouldn't buy into. I feel like you get what you pay for when it comes to legal service. Perhaps Raist can elaborate, but it sounds like a scam to me.

[Yar]

I don't know if this is a scam or not, but it sounds like another one of those crazy abstract "services" that a rich person tries to convince you that you need so he can have your money.

My dad is currently involved in a get-rich-quick scam. He asked me if I wanted to join, and I said no, explained to him why I thought it was sketchy, and then he said I was the crazy one. Okay dad just give a thousand bucks to someone you don't know. Good financial decisions!

[Goldenboko]

If it doesn't sound like their actually selling you a product, you shouldn't buy it.

[Bunny]

I don't know if this is a scam or not, but it sounds like another one of those crazy abstract "services" that a rich person tries to convince you that you need so he can have your money.

My dad is currently involved in a get-rich-quick scam. He asked me if I wanted to join, and I said no, explained to him why I thought it was sketchy, and then he said I was the crazy one. Okay dad just give a thousand bucks to someone you don't know. Good financial decisions!

I could use a thousand bucks. Gimme his digits.

[Madonna]

Looking into it, it does look like a real, legitimate business, and has been so for twenty-eight years. The company's website does clearly advertise what the company is selling: a lot of over-the-phone legal advice and minor services for a small monthly subscription. To see exactly what services they provide (and where it abruptly ends), you can check out here (LegalShield Plans) and choose a state/province, giving you an overview of what you get and for what rate. This is all well and fine.

Where it gets shady or misleadingly bad is where you can join LegalShield as an "associate" and sell plans to your friends, family, or go door-to-door (or what-have-you). At the expense of these other people paying a monthly fee for a plan you sold them, you get a commission for the sale. Looking at videos promoting LegalShield, you see a lot of people saying how great the company is and how they are raking in lots of cash while selling plans part-time. That sounds good too, but how often do you get to make a sale? Pre-Paid Legal (LegalShield's former name) reported in 2005 that less than twenty-five percent of their sales representatives sold more than one plan. So hustling friends and family is probably your best bet to make any profit, and I am sure there is more than a little expense in getting started as a sales representative.

I would go with "scam", not because it is certifiably so, but because there is no real benefit for being a salesperson for it, and unless you know how you want to make use of its limited legal services, not terribly much benefit for being a customer.

[Psychotic]

I don't think it's a scam but I also would not personally invest in this, as I can't see any potential for profit. Let me ask you three questions.

But just like the dude in the video said, the key to becoming unbelievably rich is owning your own business or at least owning stock in a business.

1. How long has it been an ambition of yours to own a business? Since seeing this video - the purpose of which was to get you to buy into this business, remember - or a long time?

2. How much of a market do you think there is for a company that sells legal insurance? Would you ever take out such a product? Would you buy it from a door-to-door salesman? (A very outdated way of selling things)

3. If you do believe that investing in a business is the way to get rich, why this business specifically? Because it's the first one to come along? Why not do research into many other businesses before taking the huge step of investing in something?

[Pant Leg Eater from the Bad World]

Legal Shield is legit.

I don't use their services, but about a half dozen of my friends do. I don't think they really take it seriously and try to make money off of it. Only one of them actually goes around selling it. But they all use it a padding of legal protection.

I just don't really see it being worth that much to me.

[Raistlin]

I have never heard of this before and have no experience with it, but just going from what's been posted in this thread, I would be highly skeptical. If you're using it as a cheap legal reference for minor crap, I suppose it can't do too much harm, but if you're ever in serious trouble, I would advise getting a separate lawyer (or a public defender if you can't afford one).

The door-to-door sales thing combined with the "sell our insurance for money" makes it sound all the more sketchy.