VIP Travel reviews and complaints
The good, the bad, and the ugly - discover what customers are saying about VIP Travel
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refund not full
I had a travel voucher for air and car rental anywhere in US. I paid $125.00 via certified letter as requested on11/22/10 upfront for the reservation to be used in a year. I placed my request 60 days in advance as stated.
I was denied travel and rent a car. "Unable to find availability within our allotment ". At that time I could have booked a flight and car to Charleston without a problem. I even wrote on the request what I would like, but I waited for their response and was disappointed. So I sent back the request for refund since my year is over.
I called many a times and had a hard time to find a real person to talk to. Finally I talked with a lady and asked when my refund would be. I had sent a letter too and they received it. She said $125.00 will be sent to me in a few days. It arrived week or so later but $20.00 was deducted for activation fee since cancel prior to booking. I tried to email [protected]@viptravelreservations.net but unable to get thru. I will not cash this check since $125.00 is due. How can you book with them if they can't find allotment for it? One has to work and just can not take off work for a few weeks at any time. I had explained that to them too.
The real cost of a &free gift&?
I posted this as a reply to another similar comment, but I thought it might get a quicker response from the company rep, Kim, who has posted in response to other comments about this "offer") if I started a new thread.
Hi Kim
It's nice to have a contact to respond to questions before we commit money in addition to the time we already invested. We have "certificates" for "free" airline tickets and a Celebrity cruise, advertised as " Gift #4: Cruise: Two adults over 21. Seven day cruise with air". The language is identical to that quoted by Greg above.
There are important questions before we part with the $174 in "refundable deposit":
1. How much will we have to pay to get this "gift"? How much is the "reservation processing fee" for both cruise and airline? $5 or $5, 000?
2. What are the "surcharges"? Who imposes them?
3. "We can not guarantee that you can combine this certificate (airline) with your cruise certificate". How is that a "7 day cruise with air"? Under what conditions might the certificates not be combinable? How often does that happen?
4. Under what conditions are the deposits refundable? How about if the cruise and air don’t match? If you can’t get a date that works for us or if the only option offered is to fly at 2am? What is the process for getting a refund?
5. "Certain departure ports such as New York, Baltimore, Seattle, ..." will incur an additional surcharge. What is the full list of surchargable ports? How much are the surcharges?
6. The certificates must be mailed (airline) "no later than 21 days from the Sponsor's issue date" (blank on the form) and (cruise) "within 21 days of the registration date shown on your registration form". What is the registration form? Again, there is no date under "issue date". Does the date refer to the date of the time share presentation? Hardly, because the first sheet selecting the gift had to be mailed with 30 days of attending the presentation. This is material because the certificates have a limited time period for which they are valid. The cruise is only good for September to December months, and we don't want to preclude traveling in any part of December 2011 by sending in the certificate before the end of December 2010.
7. There is no indication that the air tickets associated with the "seven day cruise with air" are round trip. Are they one way or round trip?
It seems that VIP Travel would have a much better name if you posted the answers to these and other questions on a traceable web site of your own. In the meantime, I look forward to your response here.
Many thanks!
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
scam
Our local DirectBuy offered a free 3 day/2 night stay at any Marriott property, plus $100 gas card and $30 dinner certificate if we came to listen to a 90 min presentation at their showroom. We were given no info about the travel offer until after we listened to the presentation and got the high pressure sales talk. We didn't join, but we were given a form and told that DirectBuy didnt handle the promotion themselves, but that we had to go through VIP Travel.
We followed all the fine print to the letter, sent in the $75 money order and requested our travel days and hotel 3 months ahead. The form said that VIP needs 60 days notice to make reservations. We recieved a letter back from them 59 days before our travel date (not flexible because we already bought our plane tickets) and the letter said VIP was unable to confirm our requested reservations. After much time and effort, I finally got ahold of a person at VIP and was told that there were NO hotels available in Florida in January!
In order to get my money back, I have to send a letter by certified mail, taking more of my time and effort. I hope this helps someone to avoid this scam.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
I got 2 certificates one for a 7 night cruise and 1 for airfare that could be used together. The first time I screwed it up and I didn't sent them in certified mail and tried my hardest, begged, pleaded, threatened, everything and they wouldn't take it, it was void. I went back to the people I got it from they gave me new ones, I sent them in and the first date was not available but the second was. They booked my air to Ft. Lauderdale, the booked my cruise to Nassau, St Thomas, San Juan, and Grand Turk, and they booked me an extra night in Ft. Lauderdale before my cruise at a good rate. So, it isn't a scam they will book you but I can vouch for it when you say yes, YOU MUST FOLLOW ALL TERMS AND CONDITIONS!
All of our certificates asked for multiple dates in case one was not available, did your not? I had 2 certificates 1 for air line tickets and the other for a 7 day cruise. I opted to use them separately. My tickets are booked for the end of March to Indianapolis and cost me all taxes and fees right at 1/3 of what I'm used to. My cruise I requested for September out of my local port, Port Canaveral. I'm a local and got my certificate from PDI and so far most everything has seemed very reasonable and has worked good.
I find myself wondering if you realize you sound like an entitled, spoiled, brat - you didn't follow the terms and conditions and are mad because of the time and effort you spent in doing so? Guess your time and effort would have been better spent reading those terms and conditions so it wasn't wasted, but HA, no time for that? Of course not, that's just silly, We should all get what we want when we want, right? I had a certificate for a 3, 4, or 5 night cruise during low season. We ended up not being able to use it because my wife had to have surgery. But the reservation process seemed fairly cut and dry, mail certified the registration form with a $99 deposit, request dates, be told what the availability is, and in my case have to decline and request a refund :( But yes I did receive my refund. All is good, I just hope we get to utilize the certificate next time if given the chance!
I am with the first comment as to why you would make plans in advance of a confirmation from them, that seems silly on your part and very impractical on your part. We were aware from the very beginning that it was based on what was available to VIP and it sounds like we had the same thing. I had the World Class Retreat promo, which included 2 nights hotel, a dinner card and a gas rebate certificate. I stayed at the Crown Plaza in New Orleans, it was a great hotel in a great locating right on Bourbon St. we had a Blast, I love this town, its a great place to live and visit! We got the dinner card and gas thing with our confirmation the dinner card we used at Olive Garden and it was just like a dinner card you would get as a gift, and the gas rebate is just that, it is through a different company though that is not VIP somebody promotions or something, I sent it in and I've gotten 2 rebates for $20 so far. some ups and downs but all in all a good experience.
Other than the gas and dinner card I think mine was similar, I have 2, well had, what they call enjoy certificates. They were both good for a 2 night hotel stay. I got to use both of them in the past few months, 1 in Las Vegas and actually got a third night free, and the other I used a week or so ago in Gatlinburg to see the season change, it was so pretty. All I had to pay were my hotel taxes at the property. The first one I got my $50 deposit back about 9 weeks after we traveled and I just sent in my receipt from the hotel on the second one. If I get the chance to use VIP again I will.
Knows Better Now: I do apologize for any inconvenience. I have looked at all of our files for customers with a hotel stay from Albany, NY (29) but of those I find no one that fits what you've stated above, especially no one that requested anywhere in Florida, as you state above. Our form however, does very clearly ask for 2 or 3 specific dates and 2 or 3 specific, different destinations depending on the certificate, in case the first request is not available (as it doesn't sound like that is what you gave us). So I am confused as to why a representative here would have said there were "no hotels available in Florida" as our certificate clearly doesn't allow one to simply choose a state rather than a destination, we have no effective way of checking "all of Florida".
If you haven't already requested to cancel, also please note, it does not have to be sent be certified mail, but yes it does have to be sent in writing. I'm not sure where the confusion came in, but I do apologize.
Happy Holidays! But I don't agree ~ I had a certificate with VIP, but my presentation was with a company up here. I had the certificate for 2 airline tickets, which I used to go to Salt Lake City at the beginning of the month, and I got a 7 day car rental which I used last month in Florida. The people at VIP were very helpful and efficient and I will be using them again in the future. Both of my certificates did say that they had to be sent certified mail though, which I did with my deposits, and then just had to send in the dates I wanted, it worked great for me.
I have to ask why on earth you would EVER purchase plane tickets before having your confirmation from them if you didn't plan on doing it on your own anyway... the form asks for 2 dates for a reason, so I can't figure why you would be so silly to just assume it was available. I didn't go to Florida, but as it's cold every where else I can see where Florida would be busy in January. To me your complaint sound more like the whining of a spoiled brat. Any how, this was my first time ever working with vip, and I got their certificate from going to a travel club presentation. The presentation was longer than promised, but they gave me the hotel certificate which came with a 2 night stay, a $30 dinner card, and a $100 gas rebate card. When I got my paperwork it came with a list of probably 30 "friendly suggestions" of places to travel, I pick 2 of those and 2 dates, I got my first city and date requested, and my confirmation came with the dinner card and the rebate card. The hotel was nice, not the ritz, but nice and the rates on the door were $129 per night and hotels.com said it was a 3 1/2 star property, so not bad. The dinner card we used during our stay at Long horn steak house and had no problem with that. And the only thing we paid was the taxes of $15.48 per night. When we got back we had to send our receipt from the hotel to VIP by certified mail. And we did just get our refund a little over 7 weeks later, and they told us it would be 6 - 8 weeks. The gas card was the only problem, it's not actually through VIP they just send it out, it's through a company online, that you have to renew a magazine subscription or take a survey or something and then the gas comes back in $10 increments. Any how, I gave that to my little sister, she loves to sign up for stuff and has time to keep up with it. All in all I had a good experience with VIP travel and would do it again!
Misrepresentation
On 3/20/08 we went to a VIP Travel presentation in Birmingham, AL which we could not attend due to them overbooking it, but we were still entitled to their "Wings" vacation. This certificate specifically indicates Wings - This certificate provides two adults with Two Round-Trip airfares from the major airport nearest your home to any other major city in the continental U.S! So we followed the instructions and mailed in the certificate. They send it to a company called CMI who we paid the $55 redemption fee. CMI sends it to PTS Travel who we paid $4.95 to receive our Passport to Travel Certificates which indicates that they do not fly out of Birmingham, AL. which is our nearest major airport and the presentation was held in Birmingham, AL. I have been in constant contact with both VIP Travel and CMI requesting the refund of our $55 due to the misrepresentation. VIP Travel not longer answers their phone and CMI now indicates that they don't do business with VIP Travel. Although their emails to me indicate differently. These 3 so called travel agencies are all incahoots to scam honest people. How can I get my redemption fee refunded. I know I have not lost as much as others and I understand the lost and fustration of being taken. Another scam not to get caught up it is the Ramada Plaza Resort "Gold Key" beach front resort and cruise in Ft. Lauderdale. My husband and I are trying to get our money back on that. If it seems to good to be true, it usually is.
Chapter #11 Bankruptcy
We purchased a membership Sept. 2007. Tried to use the membership, VIP Travel could not accommodate. Asked for our money back. Was told no refund. Tried to use membership again. Finally, after months of trying to resolve the issue, I filed a complkaint with South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs in January 2008. The South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs must have had many complaints against VIP Travel, because the South Carolina Department filed a lawsuit against VIP Travel in April 2008. We received notice recently that VIP Travel filed Chapter #11 Bankruptcy July 25, 2008, in US Bankruptcy Court District of South Carolina Case #08-04363-hb 1100 Laurel Street Columbia SC [protected]
If all the problems with VIP weren't enough headache! Now a company called Resort Reservation P.O. Box 2264 Columbia, SC 29201 has taken over where VIP left off! Scamming, Scamming, Scamming you out of money. I was unfortunately a member of VIP before it went bankrupt in 7/2008. Resort Reservation contacted me and said they were a "vendor" of VIP, and that VIP had filed bankruptcy and they could offer me the same services at the same price. I did not respond because I had already had enough problems with VIP, never getting any services from them for the $1916.76 I spent. I had already tried to cancel my membership with VIP and they told me I was "locked in by my contract". Now, Resort Reservation has decided to start billing my credit card I had on file with VIP without my consent thru a billing company called Universal Account Servicing, LLC. P.O. Box 147 St. Joseph, MO [protected]. They are very rude and said they "took over" VIP's contracts. I am now getting an attorney and suing Resort Reservation for their fraud and unauthorized use of my credit card. Please do yourself a favor and DO NOT get involved with this company, you will regret it forever. If you are being charged on your credit card and did not authorize it, call the BBB, the state attorney general, and your attorney! They are ruthless! BEWARE RESORT RESERVATION IS A SCAM!
hats off to you Mr. Butler for keeping everyone posted on this company! I have read SEVERAL of your articles and am so glad there is someone out there informing people of these scam artists! I worked there and know what they have done to sooooooo many people. I am truly sorry you had to undergo this catastrophe but I hope it is a lesson to others! CROOKS CROOKS CROOKS!
Fraud
My partner and I went to a presentation and thought it was a great idea...life long vacation discounts. Instead of the two free airline tickets, we were offered an extra week per year, so we took that.
Every time i have called them for a reservation, either everything is booked or they're waiting for a call back from someone. I called for airline reservations and car rental and the price they gave me was higher than any of the other online companies. I told Melissa this and she got a major attitude and then went to Travelocity and offered to book the cheaper flight for me...WTF? I could do that myself!
I am looking at what legal action I can take and may even go down there in person to deliver my complaint.
Anyone have any suggestions?
My wife are nearing retirement and VIP Travel sounded wonderful. We paid them several thousand dollars for their services offered.
2 days after signing we wanted to cancil the contract as the web site they promoted was nothing as described. They offered us a $1, 000.00 travel credit to stay with them. Now I can't even find their web site to expore an option for our 25th anniversary and when I called their number I got a message saying their number was not available from my calling area.
Should have stayed with our insticts and canciled. Last thing I want is to get involved in a class action law suit and throw more good money after bad.
It sadens me to know these lowlifes are getting away with stealing 100s if not 1, 000s of hard working peoples money.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
This company is a scam operator preying on senior citizens. I attended a presentation for which I was awarded a travel certificate. Because I have cataracts in my eyes, I could not read the fine print which said I had to send $50 and send the form in by certified mail to receive my "free" plane tickets. The form was otherwise completely and properly filled out. I would have been happy to correct the errors if given an opportunity. The form was returned to me with a big VOID stamped across its face so that I was not able to correct the errors and receive the promised award. DO NOT PATRONIZE THIS BUSINESS!
We purchase a membership Sept. 17, 2007. Have tried to use our membership without success. Finally after months of trying, filed a complaint with Department of Consumer Advocate South Carolina, a TV station in SC, and several internet complaint boards. Here is part of their response to all three areas:They said:
'they had explained, and stated at the seminar where we bought the membership, and in their membership pack, any request for accommodation outside their 'major areas of concentration', was not promised their service.
Well, I am printing, directly from their membership packet:
'The VIP Travel Plan is unique in the fact that 'each' time you travel you will enjoy substantial savings. Whether you enjoy luxurious condos, cruising, all-inclusive reports, 3, 4, and 5 Star hotels, discounts on theme park tickets, restaurants, golf or RV rental, we can accommodate 'all' of your travel needs while saving you and your family money.'
(1) That's what we were told at the seminar, when we bought the membership;
(2) that is what is published in their membership pack.
It appears they do not abide by their own membership publications. I have not attaacked them anywhere. I have, however, stated fact, after fact, after fact.
Please review here and other internet complaint boards, do a search on
'VIP Travel' and you can decide for yourself if you wish to do business with them.
Let me know, can I go with you? Joni Spires (The exact thing happened to us, only we never took the trip, my husband has terminal colon/liver cancer, with so many wiats on the phone, no call backs, and higher prices, now he is really too sick to travel. )
I find their website of little use to be honest. I have called twice now and both times the office is closed or they are on the phone and it is well before 7 p.m. EST. I am waiting on a call back.
I do agree that during the presentation, a "condo" was shown. It was not a condo and I called the guy on it. He admitted it was instead a hotel. He just wanted to show a high rise "condo" . This is deceptive. So far I have found nothing that compares to the trips he quoted during the presentation.
I am very dissapointed in this company. Please keep us informed on an resolution any one gets from this company.
Scam!
We attended the VIP Travel presentation in Columbia, Maryland on 3/24/08. We were promised two free airline tickets if we attended the presentation. The first thing they wanted was a photo ID and then asked for a credit card. I wasn't about to show them a credit card and they told me I couldn't attend the presentation. They then said that they just needed to see that the name on credit card was the same as mn other form of ID. I didn't have a problem with that as long as they didn't take my card number.
I attended the presentation and it was pleasant, the girl was very nice. But when I asked if we didn't want to sign up today what did we need to do and was ignored and wasn't given a answer. We then got a high pressure buy now pitch, which we declined, and didn't get any info on how to sign up later. We then got our free ticket voucher to mail out. It states that it will take a month, due to high volume, and then an additional two weeks to get dates. I then looked up the company on the website 'complaintsboard.com' and saw that this company has been scamming people all over the country under different scams from vacations to timeshares.
What I don't understand is how these people haven't been arrested and nothing is being done. We were lucky not to have given any money, but others aren't as fortunate. I cant say for a moment I wasn't tempted and could have signed up.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
We purchase a membership Sept. 17, 2007. Have tried to use our membership without success. Finally after months of trying, filed a complaint with Department of Consumer Advocate South Carolina, a TV station in SC, and several internet complaint boards. Here is part of their response to all three areas:They said:
'they had explained, and stated at the seminar where we bought the membership, and in their membership pack, any request for accommodation outside their 'major areas of concentration', was not promised their service.
Well, I am printing, directly from their membership packet:
'The VIP Travel Plan is unique in the fact that 'each' time you travel you will enjoy substantial savings. Whether you enjoy luxurious condos, cruising, all-inclusive reports, 3, 4, and 5 Star hotels, discounts on theme park tickets, restaurants, golf or RV rental, we can accommodate 'all' of your travel needs while saving you and your family money.'
(1) That's what we were told at the seminar, when we bought the membership;
(2) that is what is published in their membership pack.
It appears they do not abide by their own membership publications. I have not attaacked them anywhere. I have, however, stated fact, after fact, after fact.
Please review here and other internet complaint boards, do a search on
'VIP Travel' and you can decide for yourself if you wish to do business with them.
Also, VIP Travel was sued by South Carolina Department of Consumer Advocate in April 2008. Must say something about VIP Travel.
Deceptive & dishonest sales!
I caution anyone who receives an invitation to attend a sales presentation from VIP Travel to check with the BBB first. This company uses deceptive and dishonest sales and marketing practices to entice prospects to become members of its travel club. It gives examples of very attractive travel deals it says it offers its members which it says will shortly offset the membership cost which runs in the thousands of dollars. I tried four times to book something with VIP and each time the savings were non-existent. I was even told by one of their travel agents not to bother using them for air transportation and car rentals because I could do just as well going directly to the airline or rental company myself. That's definitely not what the sales guy said! I demanded my money back from Michael Mitchell, the president, and got a form letter back saying he refuses to do it. This is not a reputable company. I've never entered into an agreement before with a company I didn't know until now and I can't tell you how much I regret having done so with VIP.
We purchase a membership Sept. 17, 2007. Have tried to use our membership without success. Finally after months of trying, filed a complaint with Department of Consumer Advocate South Carolina, a TV station in SC, and several internet complaint boards. Here is part of their response to all three areas:They said:
'they had explained, and stated at the seminar where we bought the membership, and in their membership pack, any request for accommodation outside their 'major areas of concentration', was not promised their service.
Well, I am printing, directly from their membership packet:
'The VIP Travel Plan is unique in the fact that 'each' time you travel you will enjoy substantial savings. Whether you enjoy luxurious condos, cruising, all-inclusive reports, 3, 4, and 5 Star hotels, discounts on theme park tickets, restaurants, golf or RV rental, we can accommodate 'all' of your travel needs while saving you and your family money.'
(1) That's what we were told at the seminar, when we bought the membership;
(2) that is what is published in their membership pack.
It appears they do not abide by their own membership publications. I have not attaacked them anywhere. I have, however, stated fact, after fact, after fact.
Please review here and other internet complaint boards, do a search on
'VIP Travel' and you can decide for yourself if you wish to do business with them.
Also, VIP Travel was sued by South Carolina Department of Consumer Advocate in April 2008.. Must say something about VIP Travel.
Scam and cheating!
We signed up for a "vacation plan" for $7,500.00. We were not asked how much we wanted to put down. The just took out $7,596.00. We signed it and went home. We thought it was a great idea, but came home and checked it out on the web. They have so many complaints and everyone is calling it a scam. They can never get these people on the phone to plan...
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