Complaint Review: Travelbridge Air Land Sea - Scottsdale,AZ,Ft. Lauderdale, FL, Palm Springs,C A AZ, FL, CA

MY BROTHER IN LAW THAT IS A SENIOR CITIZEN JUST PURCHASED A TIME SHARE ALTHOUGH I ADVISED HIM NOT TO, JUST GOT INVOLVED IN THIS TRAVELBRIDGE MESS. IT SEEMS HIS TIME SHARE DID SOME INFO SHARING! I DID SOME RESEARCH AND LOOK WHAT I FOUND!! YOU MAY WANT TO BREEZE SOME OF THESE HORROR STORIES. THEY SEEM TO PREY ON OLDER MORE VULNERABLE INDIVIDUALS! Travelbridge Air Land Sea, Scottsdale,AZ, Ft. Lauderdale, FL and Palm Springs,CA This business has a web site at http://www.travelbridge.com. I WAS PRESENTED WITH TRAVELBRIDGE AT A TIMESHARE TYPE MEETING. EVERYONE WAS PLACED IN A ROOM AND PRESENTED A PACKAGE THAT WOULD MAKE ME A CO-TRAVEL AGENTS FOR 5995 DOLLARS. I WAS NOP COMPLETELY SOLD. I ASKED TO BE SHOWN FACTS ABOUT HOW MUCH I COULD SAVE, WHAT IF THE COMPANY WENT UNDER, AND MANY OTHER QUESTIONS. THEY WOWED ME WITH PICTURES AND PROMISES AND I DECIDED TO GO FOR IT. I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE NICE TO MAKE MONEY ON THE SIDE SELLING TRAVEL. I PAID THE $5995 FOR MEMBERSHIP AND THINGS HAVE GONE DOWNHILL SINCE. THE RATES THEY SUPPLIED ARE THE SAME AND MANY TIMES HIGHER THAN THOSE THAT CAN BE OBTAINED FROM ONLINE AND CALLING THE COMPANIES DIRECTLY. TRAVELBRIDGE NEVER RETURNS MY CALLS AND WHEN I TRY TO CALL THEM THEY SAY EVERYONE IS BUSY OR CANNOT SPEAK RIGHT NOW. NOW I SEE THERE ARE MANY WARNINGS HERE AND ON OTHER CONSUMER WARNING GROUPS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH TRAVELBRIDGE. MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE BE **VERY** HESSITANT BEFORE PAYING OR SIGNING ANYTHING. I AM NOW IN A BATTLE TO GET MY MONEY BACK. :::::::::::::::::::::::::: MY WIFE AND I SPENT OVER AN HOUR IN THE ROOM WITH THE SMALL TABLE ETC. THE PRESENTATION WAS HI POWERED AND DESIGNED ONLY TO GET YOU TO SIGN UP. THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THEY ASKED FOR WAS INCREDIBLE FOR THE NEBULUS SERVICE AND DISCOUNTS THEY SEEMED TO BE OFFERING. UPON DECIDING TO PASS ON THE OFFER THE CLIMATE BECAME CHILLY TO SAY THE LEAST. WE WERE USHERED OUT THE BACK DOOR AND STOOD IN FRONT OF A CASHIER TYPE WINDOW TO RECEIVE OUR " FREE TRIP" TO THE GRAND CANYON. WHAT A RELIEF TO GET OUT OF THERE! ON THE RIDE HOME WE CAREFULY READ THE CERTIFICATE AND THE RESTRICTIONS ARE SUCH WE THREW IT IN THE CARBAGE. WISH I HAD THE HOUR BACK WE SPENT THERE. OH, AND THEY NEVER MENTIONED THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS, ONLY FIFTY NINE NINETY FIVE. THAT IS WHAT THE WHOLE PLACE IS WORTH. FIFTY BUCKS. HOW CAN THEY STAY IN BUSINESS? DON'T BE A SUCKER!! I WISH I HAD INVESTIGATED TRAVELBRIDGE PRIOR TO ATTENDING THEIR PRESENTATION. I WAS REASSURED EACH TIME THEY CALLED ME TO SET UP AN APPOINTMENT THAT THIS WAS NOT A HIGH PRESSURE SALES PRESENTATION AND NOT FOR TIMESHARES. TRUST ME THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS AND WHEN NO ONE WAS INTERESTED IN THE ORIGINAL OFFERING THEY STARTED MARKING THE PRICE DOWN AND ADDING ADDITIONAL PERKS. I WAS AMAZED THAT MY HUSBAND DID NOT MAKE A SCENE OR BOLT FOR THE NEAREST EXIT, BUT WAS ACTUALLY AMUSED BY THE ENTIRE EXPERIENCE. I TOOK THE "FREE" TRIP BECAUSE I FELT LIKE WE HAD EARNED IT FOR SPENDING A COUPLE OF HOURS OF OUR TIME LISTENING TO THEIR PITCH. TO MAKE A VERY LONG STORY SHORT WE OPTED FOR THE "FREE" GRAND CANYON TRIP AND SENT OUR $50 MONEY ORDER TO START THE PROCESS IN JULY 1999 TO SCHEDULE OUR TRIP FOR SEPTEMBER 1999. IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO DEAL WITH THEM TO SCHEDULE THE TRIP BECAUSE IT WAS ALL DONE VIA MAIL, THEY DON'T GIVE YOU A PHONE NUMBER UNTIL AFTER YOUR TRIP IS TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED. I ENDED UP SCHEDULING IT FOR JANUARY 2000, DOES THAT TELL YOU ANYTHING? MY HUSBAND AT THIS POINT SAID WE SHOULD JUST LET IT GO, BUT I WAS DETERMINED. WHEN WE TOOK THE TRIP WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE IN THE FRAY MARCOS HOTEL, BUT ENDED UP AT THE FAIRFIELD A NICE HOTEL, BUT NOT WHAT WE HAD THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO GET. OTHERWISE, THE TRIP WAS GREAT AND WE ENJOYED IT. NOW, FOR THIS FREE TRIP I HAD TO SUBMIT "MY" CREDIT CARD. HOTEL AND TOUR TAXES ARE DEDUCTED FROM THE $50 DEPOSIT AND THE BALANCE IS SUPPOSED TO BE REFUNDED TO YOU WITHIN THIRTY WORKING DAYS FOLLOWING YOUR DATE OF TRAVEL. MY DATE OF TRAVEL WAS JANUARY 7, 2000 AND I RECEIVED MY REFUND TODAY, APRIL 7, 2000. MY TOTAL OUT OF POCKET COST WAS $22.61. WHEN I HAD NOT RECEIVED MY DEPOSIT REFUND BY MARCH 8, 2000 I CALLED TRAVELBRIDGE AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY WERE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THEIR ACCOUNTING SYSTEMS. I HAD TO CALL SEVERAL MORE TIMES BEFORE I RECEIVED MY REFUND. THERE ISN'T A COMPLAIN DEPARTMENT AND THEY DON'T RETURN THEIR PHONE CALLS. I AM VERY GLAD THAT WE DID NOT PURCHASE THEIR "WONDERFUL" PACKAGE BECAUSE IF IT IS THIS COMPLICATED AND FRUSTRATING FOR THE "FREE" TRIP I CAN ONLY IMAGE WHAT PROBLEMS I WOULD HAVE HAD.. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::: HAD TO TAKE THEM TO COURT BECAUSE PROMISE OF FREE TRIP TO RENO WAS NOT FULFILLED. SETTLED FOR $500.00 IN MEDIATION AT SCOTTSDALE COURT. MY DEALINGS WITH THREE DIFERENT MANAGERS WERE ALL VERY NEGATIVE. IF I HAD NOT TAPE RECORDED THEIR CONVERSATIONS I WOULD HAVE BEEN OUT OF LUCK!! I WOULD SUGGEST CONTACTING THE PHOENIX BBB AND THE MARICOPA COUNTY ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS COMPANY. ALSO A COMPANY OFFICIAL SAID ON TAPE THAT THEY ARE A MEMBER OF ASTA, BUT WOULD NOT PROVIDE THEIR MEMBER NUMBER. TRAVELBRIDGE AIR LAND SEA, LTD IS NOT A MEMBER OF THE BBB. BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE I WOULD NEVER AGAIN TRUST THEM. :::::::::::::::::::::: I RESENTLY HAD THE PLEASURE OF ACCEPTING BASICALLY A BRIBE TO LISTEN TO WHAT WAS TOLD TO ME TO A SPEACH ABOUT THE COMPANY AND WHAT THEY DID. FROM WHAT I COULD GATHER IS THAT THEY WERE BASICALLY TRYING TO GET YOU TO SPEND $4995.00 TO BECOME SOME SORT OF "MEMBER" TRAVEL AGENT. THE WORD TIME-SHARE DID COME UP IN THEIR TALK. I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY WERE DOING IT BUT I THINK THEY SOMEHOW GOT YOU TO BUY INTO SOME TIME SHARE THING BY SELLING YOU ON SOMETHING ELSE LIKE BEING AN "AGENT" AND GETTING SPECIAL PROMOTIONS ON CRUISE LINES AND SUCH. THEY WERE NEVER ABLE TO PRODUCE A CUSTOMER LIST, SHOW ME ON EXAMPLES OF SAVING I WOULD BENIFIT FROM BECOMING THIS "MEMBER" ETC. JUST LOTS OF WORDS AND NICE PICTURES.... IT JUST DIDN'T CUT FOR ME. I GUESS I GOT THEM A LITTLE NASTY ASKING ALL THE RIGHT QUESTIONS IN FRONT OF THE GROUP OF PEOPLE MOST OF WHICH WERE SENIOR CITIZENS. THEY WERE DOWN RIGHT RUDE TO ME WHEN I REFUSED TO BUY ANYTHING FROM THEM. I ALSO DID NOT ACCEPT A FREE TRIP AS PROMISED BY JUST "SHOWING UP" AND LISTENING FOR AN HOUR. THIS IS JUST MY EXPERIENCE. :::::::::::::::::::::::::: ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO, THEY COLD-CALLED ME WITH A TRAVEL "SURVEY," AND IF YOU ANSWER THE QUESTIONS, YOU'LL BE IN A DRAWING FOR A FREE VACATION ..."WHAT KIND OF VACATIONS DO YOU TAKE?", ETC. LAST WEEK, THEY CALLED BACK SAYING I HAD "WON" A 3-DAY VACATION AT THE GRAND CANYON, OR IF I ALREADY BEEN THERE, I COULD GO TO NEVADA SOMEWHERE. THE ONLY REQUIREMENT WAS TO LET THEM MAKE A 1-HOUR PRESENTATION ABOUT WHAT TRAVELBRIDGE DID AND WAS. IT WAS NOT A TIME-SHARE THING, SHE SAID, BUT SHE DID NOT PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT IT. I ASKED FOR HER NUMBER SO I COULD CALL BACK. INSTEAD, HAVING DONE A LITTLE RESEARCH ON THE WEB AND FINDING ONLY A COUPLE OF WEBSITES FROM INDIVIDUAL TRAVELBRIDGE "MEMBERS/AGENTS", AND THE TWO ENTRIES HERE, I NOW KNOW I AM NOT INTERESTED, AND WON'T WASTE ANY MORE TIME ON IT. THEY WERE NOT RUDE, JUST NOT VERY FORTHCOMING ABOUT WHAT THE PRESENTATION WOULD BE ABOUT. IT MAY WELL BE A GOOD BUSINESS IF YOU WANT TO BE A TRAVEL AGENT. BUT FROM THE TWO PREVIOUS POSTS, IT SOUNDS LIKE A HIGH- PRESSURE SELL. ::::::::::::::::::::::::: I WAS CALLED MANY TIMES BY THIS COMPANY, THEY ARE BASICALLY SELLING IATAN CARDS WHICH IS THE CARD ISSUED TO TRAVEL AGENTS WHO WORK FULL TIME AND SELL SO THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF TRAVEL EACH YEAR. I AM A TRAVEL AGENT AND WORK VERY HARD AT MY JOB. I RECEIVED A IATAN CARD AFTER WORKING ONE YEAR, WHICH IS THE LENGTH OF TIME YOU MUST BE A FULL TIME TRAVEL AGENT BEFORE YOU CAN RECEIVE A LEGITIMATE IATAN CARD. THIS CARD USED TO HELP TRAVEL AGENTS RECEIVE GREAT DEALS IN THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY SO WE COULD EXPERIENCE FIRST HAND THE DIFFERENT VACATIONS THAT WE SELL TO OUR CLIENTS. SINCE THAT TIME HOWEVER, MANY OF THESE SO CALLED TRAVEL AGENCIES THAT ARE ACTUALLY ONLY "IATAN CARD MILLS" HANDING OUT THESE CARDS TO ANYONE WHO WILL PAY THE HIGH FEE, AND THE 150.00 YEARLY RENEWAL (WHICH REAL TRAVEL AGENTS RENEW FOR 15.00) HAVE CAUSED THE CRUISE LINES, TOUR COMPANIES, CAR RENTAL AGENCIES AND AIRLINES TO GREATLY CUT BACK WHAT USED TO BE OFFERED TO REAL TRAVEL AGENTS. IT IS BECAUSE OF COMPANIES LIKE TRAVELBRIDGE THAT TRAVEL AGENTS NO LONGER HAVE ACCESS TO THE TRAVEL OPPORTUNITIES WE ONCE HAD, AND THEREFORE NEITHER DO THE "FAKE TRAVEL AGENTS" GET MANY BENEFITS FROM THEIR "IATAN - TRAVEL AGENT CARD". ::::::::::::::::::::::: WE WERE INVITED INTO THEIR BUSINESS WITH A PROMISE OF A FREE TRIP WITH NO STRINGS ATTACHED. WE WERE GIVEN A QUICK TOUR OF THEIR FACILITY AND THEN LED INTO A ROOM THAT RESEMBLED ON OF A "TIME SHARE" FACILITY. EACH TINY TABLE IN THE ROOM HAD A COUPLE SEATED WITH A COMPANY REPRESENTATIVE OR SALES PERSON. THE PERSON WE WERE SEATED WITH TRIED TO BEFRIEND US. WHEN THE PRESENTATION BEGAN, ALL WAS LIGHTHEARTED. IT WAS A VERY GOOD PRESENTATION. AFTER 1 HOUR, THE PERSON WE WERE SEATED WITH EXCUSED HERSELF AND ASKED IF THE SPEAKER WOULD SIT AND TALK WITH US. IT RESEMBLED THAT OF A HIGH PRESSURE SALES PITCH, WE WERE LED TO BELIEVE WE COULD PAY $4995 AND SUDDENLY BECOME A TRAVEL AGENT. AFTER AGREEING TO BUY INTO THIS IDEA, THE SPEAKER STOOD UP, THE GIRL CAME BACK AND ANNOUNCED THAT WE WERE THE NEWEST TRAVEL AGENTS WITH THEIR COMPANY. THEN EVERYONE APPLAUDED. TIME SHARES DO THE EXACT SAME THING!!! WE FOUND OUT LATER THAT THIS COMPANY HAS HAD PREVIOUS COMPLAINTS AGAINST IT AND THAT IN ORDER TO RECIEVE A CARD TO CONFIRM A TRUE TRAVEL AGENT, IT TAKES 1 YEAR TO EARN IT. HAD WE KNOWN THEN WHAT WE NOW KNOW WE NEVER WOULD HAVE WRITTEN THAT CHECK. ::::::::::::::::::::::::: THIS IS A HIGH PRESSURE SALES ORGANIZATION (TIME SHARE STYLE), THAT ATTEMPTS TO CONVINCE UNSUSPECTING INDIVIDUALS THAT AT A BARGAIN RATE OF $5,995, YOU TOO COULD BECOME A TRAVEL AGENT AND IMMEDIATELY RECEIVE ALL THE BENEFITS RECEIVED BY FULL TIME TRAVEL AGENTS. SUBSTANTIAL DISCOUNTS ON CRUISES WERE TOUTED AS WELL AS SAVINGS ON ACCOMODATIONS. THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY ACKNOWLEDES MEMBERS WHO RECEIVE "IOTA" CARDS WITH OFFERS OF "FAM" TRIPS, DISCOUNTS, ETC. IT IS QUESTIONABLE THAT LEGITIMATE IOTA CARDS CAN BE DISTRIBUTED FREELY TO "NON-WORKING" TRAVEL AGENTS WHO BECOME MEMBERS OF TRAVELBRIDGE SOLEY FOR THE PURPOSE OF RECEIVING DISCOUNTS LEGITMATELY PASSED ON TO FULL TIME TRAVEL AGENTS. THERE WERE NO ASSURANCES OR GUARANTEES GIVEN AS TO THE AMOUNT OF SAVINGS ONE COULD EXPECT. I WOULD BE VERY WARY OF THIS COMPANY AND WOULD INVESTIGATE THEM THOROUGHLY BEFORE I WROTE THEM A CHECK FOR $6,000. THE FREE TRAVEL TICKET OFFERED DOES HAVE STRINGS ATTACHED. ONE MUST FIRST PAY $50. FOR THE PRIVELEGE OF USING THIS TICKET AND THERE ARE MANY RESTRICTIONS ON TRAVEL. RESERVATIONS MUST BE MADE AT LEAST 60 DAYS IN ADVANCE. THE HOTEL ACCOMODATIONS PROVIDED ARE LESS THAN SUPERIOR. AGAIN, BUYER BEWARE! IT'S NOT WORTH THE TIME SPENT LISTENING TO THE 1 HOUR PITCH!

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