Don’t Pay A Telemarketer $500 Up Front For A Discount Travel Club Membership

VRM_tours_vip_cardEveryone loves bargains, and there are some discount cards that are worthwhile. However, if someone calls you up and offers to sell you a discount travel card for only $500, save your money for your actual travel instead. One woman who purchased one of these cards wishes that she had saved her money instead: now that she’s bought the card, she can’t actually reserve any travel.

For some reason, the company, isn’t returning her phone calls now that they have her money. Sure, the giant “passport” and VIP membership card look fancy enough, but they’re not worth $500. The California woman who paid for a travel club membership thought she might be able to use it to get some flight discounts: after just a few flights to Florida, it would pay for itself, right?

She called the company repeatedly, trying to make her discounted reservations. They didn’t get back to her. The “club” has a website, but it doesn’t list any prices, and to get actual information you have to pay a “processing fee,” even if you’ve already paid $500 for the “VIP Card.” That’s not much of a bargain.

She contacted CBS Sacramento: usually enlisting a media outlet prods companies into some kind of action, but they didn’t respond to the station’s calls. While paying with a credit card would let a customer dispute the charge for a useless membership, she paid with a check, so she’s going to file a complaint with the state attorney general.

Call Kurtis: I Can’t Get Travel Deals After Joining $500 Travel Club [CBS Sacramento]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.