Here are some comments on the “con” side of the Primerica debate. The most common complaints include reps who aren’t knowledgeable, overpriced products, and low commissions for the actual seller.
From Yahoo Answers:

• I learned first hand, thankfully without suffering loss, that it is a scam. It is designed as a legitimate employment opportunity, but as they say, the Devil is in the Details. When you are hired on to a starting position [the only position available], you are an independent contractor. You do not have available to you any income that you do not generate from commissions after passing the training phase. Also, while in the training phase you are either purchasing your training materials or incurring debt within the office that you are going to be working off later. The latter is not very likely as most people do not make it that far anyway. Is why you will always see them hiring. It seems that they are much like a pyramid plan, they higher you are in the chain is going to depend on how many people you recruit or are appointed to you. STAY AWAY FROM THIS ONE!

Also from Yahoo Answers:

• I worked with Primerica for a while. It is a multi-level marketing scheme where you work your life away recruitiing and harassing friends and family to join your company under you and or let you refinance their house and sell them life insurance. They will invite you to a very pumped up, testimonial driven recruiting meeting and tell you all of these great stories about big money and taking control of your future. They will show you their nice cars and their big checks etc. Don’t do it. You will waste alot of your time making the people above you money and not much for yourself. You will still need another source of income because it is 100% commission based. Yes, they will ask you for two hundred dollars to get started with them. No you will never see it again. Any real job will pay you to be there, not make you pay them? If that’s not obvious enough I don’t know what is! Good luck with the everything.
• Primerica is legit however they are not the great opportunity they seem to be. My husband was contact several years back and went to an opportunity meeting and it took several months to get these people out of our lives. Most of their life insurance and mutual funds are extremely expenses compared to others. Do your research and search Primerica scams and Primerica ripoffs for more first hand stories.

More from Yahoo Answers:

• As big as Primamerica is…. they have a terrible reputation. The biggest problem is their selling network & high expenses. Many investments & poicies are sold inapropriatley…… Try to stick to life insurance companies licenced in New York (some of the best consumer protection laws). Make sure the company is highly rated (if they go out of business… you lose). In general, Term Policy’s are the best for most people. I like the “term certain” the best. We purchased one that was 30 years certain (quaranteed rate and coverage). There are special reasons to look at other types but remember; Life Insurance is not (NOT) an investment vehcle. Most people are better off with Term. Whole Life is the worst with Variable Annuities even worse. Good luck!
• Since I am now retired and no longer an insurance agent (which prohibits saying derogatory things about another insurance company), I would tell anyone I know NOT to work for or do business with this company. The agents are poorly trained, and most that I met had little experience with insurance. Some of the things I heard that agents told prospects boggled my mind, and they were purportedly singing the tunes that the company told them to sing. I personally know people who lost thousands of dollars by being talked into exchanging a long-standing policy for one that not only didn’t perform as well but had limitiations the person could ill afford. As in any industry, there are good and bad people. IMO if you are looking for a job in this industry go to an established company with a good track record. If you are looking to purchase life insurance go to someone with lots of experience who can help you choose the right type of policy for YOU. The amount of misinformation out there is mind boggling. Good luck!
• Primemerica recruits unlicensed people to the business. They will teach you enough to sell your friends and relatives policies and induce them to join the business. No experienced agent would join them.
• It depends on what you mean by “scam.” Primerica is a legitimate company (especially since being acquired by Citicorp) with quality products; but the operation is still a hoaky multilevel marketing ploy. Granted, they still follow the irresponsible “buy term, invest the difference” model that their founder, A.L. Williams pioneered, but much of the industry has long been on that bandwagon as well.