An insiders point of view - take heed
Where do I start, hmmm!? Let's start with what I know I have worked for these liars (the owners, not the employees - they just do as their told) on an off for the last several years. Why you ask; well, it is good money and it's hard getting by on minimum wage, so for some - the ends justify the means!
If it seems like there is no continuity to the events below, its because I have so much to say about these low-lifes who take advantage of people's loyalty and naivety that I just type what comes to mind. I will do my best to keep things relevant. Nonetheless...
The 2 owners, whom by the way are dirtbags (Dan more so than Pete, who, at times, seems like he has a morsel of decency in him when not around DAN) no matter how much money they have; are all about themselves; are wanna be gun carrying gangsters/players; the money went to their heads. They do not care one iota about their good employees (most especially Dan, who will keep a good looking female around before a hard working person - he thinks he's the man while little does he know how much everyone dislikes and has no respect for him) or about the next person (Peter, at least used to).
They used to preach how everyone was family (yeah - someone else's family) They care about the 'bling' more than their sales people who bring in the $ that affords them the cars (Dan about 11 if not more in his yard - what white trash he is) and the cash in their pockets (it's funny how big companies that started small made millionaires of those who were there from the beginning). Everyone sees it - Peter does all the work, always going here and there for the company - while Dan sits around and degrades people, belittling them in front of peers, as he waits to cash in on all the hard work done by the employees'. They have no people skills, no any sales motivation skills - no wonder no one will go out of their way for these 2 jokers.
These agents are here because the money is much better than minimum wage and given many of backgrounds in the building, this is the only place they would be able to get a job that pays this well, that's if you can get a correct paycheck on Fridays (which they don't pass out till after all the banks have closed hmmm no money in the account?) which by the way they have not paid people that have been let go, or for the checks that have bounced. Almost every agent has been shorted money on their paychecks almost every week.
They first started out as Travelcomm - you can find more on them just doing a Google search. They've used names such as Travelcomm, Patriot Travel, IRR (Island Reef Resorts), CMBTT, Sandosvacations.com, are amongst the many others include Cancun AllInclusive.net, cancunbestfares, Cheapticketscancun, I.R.R., Island Reef Resorts, Mexico Marketing, LLC, Patriot Travel, Travelcomm, Travelcomm Industries, Vacations Inc, Vacations IV, Vacations, Inc.
Addresses - let's see currently = 5389 Conroy Road, Orlando FL 32819 in the past = 850 Lakehurst Dr, 7205 International Dr, 5895 Carrier Drive, P.O. Box 300039 Fern Park and several others.
Phone #s - They have used many - and as some posters state, some were from Travelcomm days or linked to one of the many company names they have used.
The most recent customer service / reservation dept/fulfillment dept #866-961-1819 (the sales floor # is 866-961-1818, coincidental? I don't think so) - past # s - (407) 351-9751 / (407) 226-2786 / (407) 248-5178 / (407) 363-6714 / (407) 363-4730 (FAX)
There have been a lot of managers on both the sales floor and the customer service departments (WHICH THEY ARE ALL IN ONE BUILDING) the customer service/reservation dept will tell you that you purchased a vacation package from a vacation sales company and that they are the fulfillment company for X# (pick a number) of vacation companies and have nothing to do with them - hogwash, all one company, same building - although sales and cust service were for a while in separate buildings.
I don't believe they are operating legally right now since I cannot find them listed under any Florida Corps or DBA listing for CMBTT, or Sandos Vacations. As to the sales & customer service agents, no one ever uses their real names, in fact Dan Marshall once told customer service employees to use different names (that same day) because they were having legal issues with the FL Dept of Agriculture. So they just changed the name of the business and shut the other business name down so Dan and Pete could still operate without worrying about the lawsuit and the fines that were given them by the state.
Let's see - lets go down the list - well there's Freddy (no one knows what he does other than get contracts in Mexico, seems like he's Peters "boy" - many have seen Peter get physically violent with him (and others), then there's Rebecca who is Ashley, Stephanie is Gabriela, Alrick is Rick, Wilene is Dee, Suzanne is Kelly, Janice is Tyra, Angela is Patricia, OH and let's NOT forget the "Director" (Dan's Mom) Mary Marshall aka Maggie O'Malley.
The sales floor - Mark Fletcher has gone by several names and Troy Scott, Scott not his real last name, and Mark Nonsant, who like Alrick and Freddy are investors in the company, rumors have it, but who knows because they are treated like everyone else, dirt, so why would they invest in the company (so maybe they aren't and it was just hearsay). I think Jerry Decker's title is Director of Sales and he goes by his real name, but the owners talk to him like they are above him also. I believe the people who have been here the longest are Jerry, Rebecca, Troy, Alrick, Mary, Suzanne and Mark and all get crapped on in one way or another.
The sales dept sends out faxes (unsolicited) for their marketing, which is illegal. They sell a 6 day / 5 night vacation to Cancun or the Mayan Riviera (Sandos resorts specifically) they also do Puerto Vallarta and Costa Rica (which doesn't cost them anything but charge up $200). They don't disclose all fees that a person will have to pay when trying to book the vacation through their "customer service" dept. After the sales dept sells the vacation package'. Good luck trying to talk to the original rep that sold you it is nearly impossible, you will be bounced around like a pinball. The taped verification is scripted so that it plays in their favor, not yours.
This is how they get you - After going through a taped verification which they state is a 3rd Party Verifier - Baloney again, just more agents reading off that script, which is read so fast that all you have time for is answering yes. If you do not heed this report then at least be prepared - SO before you get on tape, have everything on paper that you want from this package and everything the sales agent said you would get (be detailed as to what the sales rep told you), take as much time as needed, even if you have to call back or they call you back to VERIFY the order such as - promised ocean view room, no hidden fees such as Peak or Holiday Season, and have them state on tape that your dates are NOT PEAK OR HOLIDAY SEASON
So before you agree to it being non-refundable - let them know on tape that you WILL GET THAT OCEAN VIEW ROOM (not ocean front resort) and that YOUR DATES - DO NOT INCUR PEAK OR HOLIDAY SEASON FEES and the biggest one is that you do not have to take a TOUR OF ANY TYPE.
Once you have paid the money for the "promotional price" or whatever the sales agent wants to say, you will be instructed to sign the receipt of purchase and fax it back in. They now have you signing a contract/agreement that you agree to be non-refundable (so MAKE SURE whatever is promised on tape is on the document). You cannot even get questions answered with the cust serv dept about the vacation (per the owners & Maggie O'Malley) without sending that in (If you can even get through).
They have maybe 6 or 7 reps to handle a call volume that needs at the very minimum 15 agents. Customer service will state that once they get that receipt signed, it will "Activate" your account, THEN you can start the process. The scare tactic of non-refundable and you need to activate your acct/pkg and that they have you on tape is BALONEY - they just want you to sign that receipt so they can lock you in on the NON-REFUNDABLE part of the document, your account is already active! Do not sign it if you want to do a chargeback or a refund!!! - it will be harder to do once you sign that paper.
So for those who want to close these jokers down as read all over the internet in posts and complaint boards buy buy buy, don't sign anything, do not agree to anything they say on tape - then CHARGEBACK they can't operate without a merchant account! If they have too many chargebacks, the merchant will close their account!!! Their chargeback ratio is so high - why? They can't give good (even fair) customer service.
After that, depending on when you want to go and where, you are limited to the days which are non-peak (not many days are non-peak or holiday) where there are no additional fees. The peak and holiday fees are BALONEY - and it does not have any bearing on what the resort charges them, it is just more money for the company and commission for the agents.
They will start high and do the drop (in price) if you choke on the first amount stated, but they will push telling you the pkg is non-refundable etc., etc. As to upgraded properties and fees for upgrades - just more commission the agent is trying to make, those are just semantics - they don't have lower end resorts to put you in. The $99 taxes and gratuities that need to be paid to the resort is what covers their cost of sending you there, everything else is just money in the bank. Then they have the rule of NO REFUNDS - because they need to keep as much money as they can.
Here's the funny part - the owners always cry about having no money, so their solution = fire customer service agents (the ones DAN doesn't like), lessen "payroll", and pile more workload on the already stressed agents. So who suffers? - the customers and the company's chargeback ratios - serves them right! Then when that agent who gets fired leaves, good luck to the customers that agent was helping - they are lost - and not found until they call to find out if their reservation is ready because they travel tomorrow!
HA - then who has to deal with the burden of hearing the crap on both the customer end and the owners end - the agents left to pick up the slack, and who do the 2 jokers take it out on? Yup you guessed it, the remaining agents, so what does that mean - Yup - someone else is going to be made example of and be fired - so what happens to those agents customers - yup - a viscious cycle. Its a wonder their business is still around.
Why can't you ever get hold of anyone - there aren't enough people in the dept to handle the call volume - don't blame the agents - its the owners that have failed the customer - so as a consumer - why would you want to deal with a bunch of idiots. When you can't get through and the complaints find there way to the owners (especially Dan), they start the power trip thing and start F'n this and F'n that, and you people suck! Answer the g'damn phones or I'll fire you right now, acting all high and mighty, instead of listening and coming up with solutions.
Like it's the agents fault that they can't get to the calls or return calls, they are overwhelmed and have no help from the owners. When the agents try to give some input (since they are on the front lines) they are "all excuses" and just "do your damn jobs!" are what spill out of the 2 owners mouths! If the agents try to come up with solutions, the owners are first to shoot it down and state that the agents are just "wining" or "complaining".
If you are single, under the age of 24, and make less than 50k a year, or married and under 27 (each person) and make less than 50k/yr good luck because you are considered NQ (not qualified) meaning that the resorts want a certain demographic and income bracket because when you do their mandatory tour, they want a chance of you buying into their vacation club, timeshare, or whatever you want to call it.
If you are NQ they only have so many slots per month to place you and at only 1 resort. So if you are told that they are sold out and don't have any availability till several months down the road, its because your NQ and they are out of room allotments for the months following what you are told.
The owners both carry guns to the office, its no secret to anyone, but why? Have they F'd over so many people that they have become paranoid? If they did things on the straight and narrow, they would have nothing to hide or fear. They always brag about them, and they say they joke around when they brandish them and say things like "you better not F—k with me or I'll put a cap in your ass!" They place fear into the whole office, fear of losing their jobs more than anything (especially in this economy) more than the guns, but still no place for fireams.
I started doing some more searching and here are a few more things I have found - they pay everyone as independent contractors - well here is what the IRS has to say about that
Which are you?
For federal tax purposes, this is an important
distinction. Worker classification affects how you pay your federal income tax, social security and Medicare taxes, and how you file your tax return. Classification affects your eligibility for employer and social security and Medicare benefits and your tax responsibilities. If you aren't sure of your work status, you should find out now. This brochure can help you.
BEHAVIORAL CONTROL
These facts show whether there is a right to direct or control how the worker does the work. A worker is an employee when the business has the right to direct and control the worker. The business does not have to actually direct or control the way the work is done as long as the employer has the right to direct and control the work.
They make us punch in and punch out - they tell us how to do our jobs, what we are allowed and not allowed to do.
INSTRUCTIONS if you receive extensive instructions on how work is to be done, this suggests that you are an employee.instructions can cover a wide range of topics, for example:? How, when, or where to do the work - what tools or equipment to use
MAKE US PUNCH IN AND PUNCH OUT - HAVE TO DO THINGS THEIR WAY - CAN ONLY WORK IN THAT OFFICE WITH THEIR PHONES, PRINTERS, COMPUTERS, ETC.
TRAINING if the business provides you with training about required procedures and methods, this indicates that the business wants the work done in a certain way, and this suggests that you may be an employee.
THEY TRAIN YOU AND ARE GIVEN A SCRIPT TO READ OR MEMORIZE TO TO THE SALES PITCH
FINANCIAL CONTROL
These facts show whether there is a right to direct orcontrol the business part of the work.
Opportunity for Profit or Loss if you can realize a profit or incur a loss, this suggests that you are in business for yourself and that you may be an independent contractor.
THERE IS NO OPPORTUNITY FOR LOSS OR PROFIT - NO MONEY SPENT, NO MONEY LOST
RELATIONSHIP OF THE PARTIES
These are facts that illustrate how the business and the worker perceive their relationship. For example:
Employee Benefits if you receive benefits, such as insurance, pension, or paid -
AT ONE POINT AGENTS WERE OFFERED AND HAD INSURANCE UNTIL IT WASN'T IN THEIR BUDGET ANYMORE
What I get from this TAX EVASION plain and simple - they do not want to pay a portion of Income Tax, SSN Tax, Medicare - that's alot of $ they do not have to pay out, more money in their pockets!
Looking into Florida corporations here are some things that all link back to Peter (Pedro, Rigoberto, who is Peter's dad) Sotolongo &/or Daniel Marshall - just look these up in Sunbiz.org - I added some links
TRAVELCOMM = http://sunbiz.org/pdf/30011293. Pdf
IRR (Island Reef Resorts) = http://sunbiz.org/pdf/50209475. Pdf -
(which by looking at sunbiz.org was just recently renewed - hmmm!)
THE VILLA TRADER - http://sunbiz.org/pdf/30259783. Pdf -
THIS IS ANOTHER ONE OF THEIR COMPANIES - You can Google this to see the "RAVE" postings with this company! This is a whole other story - illegal - they sell buyers!!!
DP REP & TOW = http://sunbiz.org/pdf/60860976. Pdf -
LOOK AT THE INCORPORATOR ADDRESS 2D PAGE - ADDRESS LOOK FAMILIAR? They run 1 of many Villa Trader Call Centers out of this building
Then Look at the Registered Agent for all - coincidence, I don't think so!
This is just the tip of the iceberg - I could probably dig deeper but I think everyone gets the idea!
CMBTT, Sandosvacations is owned an operated by the 2 jokers above. Deal with them if you want - but don't cry if you didn't do your due diligence!!!
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