12 Questions to Ask Any Final Expense Call Vendor
A checklist for vetting any call or lead vendor, with our own answers alongside.
The short answer
Before buying calls from any vendor, ask where the calls come from, whether you can see the ad and greeting, whether each call is sold once, how the buffer is counted, what is never billed, how credits and refunds work, and whether every call comes with a recording and a license check. Here are 12 questions, with our own answers beside them.
- Read time
- 4 min
- Sources, linked and dated
- 8
- Useful whether or not you buy from us
- Free
This checklist works for any vendor, including us. Where our answer is not final yet, it says so. Several items come from a lead buyer's checklist published by a media buyer for final expense agencies (Elevarus).
The 12 questions
Where exactly do the calls come from?
- Why it matters
- A media buyer's own checklist says to get the source mix in writing and calls a refusal to name sources a red flag (Elevarus).
- A good answer
- Named channels (TV, video, social, search) and the brand the consumer called, in writing.
- Our answer
- Ads Axel PR writes, pays for and runs itself on video, social and search. No call is bought from another vendor.
Can I see the ad and the greeting?
- Why it matters
- The most common complaint is callers who expected something free, which traces back to the ad (buyer reviews).
- A good answer
- Yes, both, before you buy.
- Our answer
- Yes. The greeting is published word for word on how calls work, and each receipt names the ad. The full ad library is Planned.
Did the consumer dial, or did someone dial them?
- Why it matters
- It decides what you are buying, and how much telemarketing risk travels with the call.
- A good answer
- A plain answer: inbound, transfer, or a mix with the share of each.
- Our answer
- Inbound only. The consumer dialed us.
Is each call sold once? Is it ever resold?
- Why it matters
- Exclusivity is easy to claim and hard to check, so ask for it in writing and for proof on each call.
- A good answer
- Each call goes to one buyer, is never resold, and the caller's details are never sold onward.
- Our answer
- Yes. Each call rings one agent, is sold once, and every receipt says so.
What is the buffer, and when does its clock start?
- Why it matters
- A buffer counted from the dial includes greeting and ring time you never spoke in (Elevarus).
- A good answer
- A number in seconds, counted from when you answer.
- Our answer
- 90 seconds on every call, counted from when you answer.
What is never billed?
- Why it matters
- Missed calls, voicemail and wrong states should never reach your bill in the first place.
- A good answer
- A written list, applied automatically.
- Our answer
- 7 things, applied automatically, listed on the billing rules page.
How do credits work, and how fast?
- Why it matters
- Buyers report refunds promised but not paid and replies that came a month late (buyer reviews).
- A good answer
- A dispute window, reason list, and a published answer time.
- Our answer
- Request within 7 days; written answer within 1 business day; approved credits return at once.
Can I get unused money back?
- Why it matters
- Many vendors make balances credit-only or non-refundable.
- A good answer
- A written refund policy that says when, how much and how fast.
- Our answer
- How unused balance is handled is written into your agreement, which you read before you add a balance. Ask us to walk you through it; we would rather you know before you fund.
Do I get the recording of every call?
- Why it matters
- Refusing recording access is a red flag; recordings are how both sides settle a dispute (Elevarus).
- A good answer
- Every call, kept for years, available without asking.
- Our answer
- Every call, kept 5 years, on the receipt.
How do you check my license?
- Why it matters
- A caller routed to an agent not licensed in their state is a problem for everyone involved.
- A good answer
- Per state, before the first call, and again over time.
- Our answer
- Per state against your NPN before your first call, and re-checked on a schedule.
Are there fees besides the call price?
- Why it matters
- Platform subscriptions and card surcharges add up, and buyers notice.
- A good answer
- None, or all listed up front.
- Our answer
- None. No platform fee, setup fee or card surcharge.
Can you show me real results, with sample sizes?
- Why it matters
- Close-rate claims without a period and sample size are hard to trust, and testimonials must be real and typical (FTC Endorsement Guides, FTC reviews rule).
- A good answer
- Dated numbers with sample sizes, and references from current buyers.
- Our answer
- Not yet, honestly: we are new. The report card publishes our numbers, with sample sizes, after 30 days of live calls.
Start small
Agents in forums advise asking current buyers for references and running a small trial before scaling (agent forum discussion). A trial of 5 to 10 billable calls tells you how the vendor handles credits and whether callers expected what you sell. That is why you start with a small $325 balance, about 5 calls, and add more only once you like what you see.
Signals worth trusting
- Prices and the buffer published, not behind a registration wall
- The ad and greeting shown before you pay
- A written credit policy with an answer time
- Numbers with dates and sample sizes instead of star ratings and urgency counters
- Claims made to you on sales calls that hold up in writing: since 2024 the FTC's telemarketing rule bans misrepresentations in business-to-business calls too (89 FR 26760)
Ready when you are.
Exclusive inbound calls, missed calls never billed, and our side of the deal measured on your desk.
Sources
Read in October 2026. Vendor figures are what those companies publish about themselves, so treat them as directional.
- Elevarus, pay-per-call insurance leads guide (vendor)Vendor, self-reported
- Elevarus, media buying guide for final expense agents (vendor)Vendor, self-reported
- Elevarus, pay-per-call buffer settings by vertical (vendor)Vendor, self-reported
- Trustpilot, AllCalls.io buyer reviewsBuyer reviews
- Insurance Forums, FE telesales leads threadBuyer reviews
- 16 CFR Part 255 (Endorsement Guides), Cornell LIILaw
- FTC, final rule banning fake reviews and testimonials (2024)Regulator
- FTC, Telemarketing Sales Rule amendments, 89 FR 26760 (2024)Regulator
Keep reading
Inbound Calls vs Live Transfers vs Shared Leads
Who started the contact, how many agents bought it, typical October 2026 prices, and which fits which agent.
Read the guide
What a Call Buffer Is and Why It Matters
What counts toward a buffer, what a vendor may and may not do inside it, and how 60, 90 and 120 seconds compare.
Read the guide
Billing Rules, Credits and Refunds
When a call is billable, the never-bill list, credit reasons and timing, the prepaid balance, and our side of the deal.
Read more
Get started
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