We received a postcard in the mail offering a free cruise just for listening for 90 minutes about a travel membership that was not a time-share. Sounded great. My husband called the phone number on the card to make sure the cabin would not be an inside cabin. So we went to the presentation. It was funny and entertaining. A lady dresses as a stewardess. Afterward we were lead out to a round table with a gentlemen to sell us the membership. There were different levels: $8,000 or $4,000. Our kids could use the service also and could inherit it as long as we paid dues of $299.00 per year. Our older son loves to travel with his family and sometimes we go also. Silly us, we signed up and when it came to the free cruise; WOW, what a ruse. We had to pay fees of $224.00 non-refundable and they couldn't promise it wasn't an inside cabin, and on and on. We balked and so they said they'd reduce our cost by $1,000. We could have the platinum package for $6,999.00 We fell for it. Should have walked away on Oct.
In Dec Princess emailed me with a great price on the trip I had been wanting. South America! Santiago around Cape horn to Rio for $1,099 per person not including air fare. We have miles so I checked AA immediately. Seats available. Called Travel Services to see what they could do for air fare. Maybe we'd save our miles or use them one way. They gave us a quote via email that was very vague. We called for details which they couldn't give. Couldn't separate the price of cruise from airfare. How hard is that? They promised to get back to us. Days later my husband asked to speak to a manager and that went no where for 2 days and another manager and nobody could help us. The cruise was sold out. I'm angrier than a wet hen! Who knows when such a great price will be available again. I'm talking to their attorney. Imagine, they have an in-house attorney! Must be lots of litigation.
After some research, I've discovered they used to go by the name of Worldwide Travel Services in Valencia, which is where the attorney is located in the corporate offices. The names are DBAs, not corporations, so I need to discover the real corporate entity behind them, if any. I've found other written complaints online at Yelp and Scambook against them describing the same sales procedure. The agents don't work on commission. I asked the manager Mark how they made money and he hemmed and hawed about fees and subscriptions. What a pyramid scheme. Then they move and change their name and set up in a different city.
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