Complaint Review: A Travel Emporium LLC

On 6/5/13, we attended a presentation at A Travel Emporium, LLC, a Florida business entity, form unknown. The founding company of ATE is SaveOnResorts.com, LLC. Luanne of ATE gave the presentation where many promises were made. Craig, no longer with ATE, and the owners did the sale. Also present were 2 witnesses.

We can get you a Cadillac Escalade for $189 a week, if you sign today;

We can get you into any hotel you want, anywhere, if you sign today;

We have “hundreds” of golf resorts in Puerto Rico, you can golf for 5 weeks a year for $199/week, if you sign today.

We signed up for ATE for $5,995.00 with a 3-day right to rescind. We never got the Membership Enrollment Agreement, Terms and Conditions or “other documents” referenced in the PA. Knowing that we were leaving the country and wouldn’t be able to validate Luanne’s promises in 3 days is bad faith. We signed and initialed their “Purchaser’s Acknowledgment,” (PA), got a copy of it and a glossy brochure in a folder and sent on our way.

The PA and the brochure make contradictory statements. ¶1 of PA states renewal dues are US $189/year where the brochure says, “[t]his group … ensures members a lifetime … of vacations … without the annual obligations….”

¶8 of PA says “Best Rate Guarantee is defined as identical travel arrangements that are available to the general public.” However, if “ a better rate is available to the general public, [ATE] requires written proof to be provided to SaveOnResorts.com within 48 hours.” Luanne promised the lowest rate. She assured us ATE had a 110% guarantee to refund the difference between ATE’s rate and our own rates. Turns out there’s no refund, only Reward Credits.

¶11 of PA “assures … that rental rates will always remain very favorable as compared to market rates….” Favorable rates are not the lowest rate. Luanne promised the lowest rates, NOT identical travel available to the general public or favorable rates. ATE’s brochure promises “[r]est easy with our Best Rate Guarantee.” In virtually every instance, the rates we found were ALWAYS lower than ATE’s.

Timely communication is impossible. On 6/13/13, we left a word we could not find any golf resorts in Puerto Rico. No call. Instead, ATE sent an email embedded in their website asking if our number was “a good contact number to reach [us].” Obviously it was, as we supplied it. On 11/17/13, we got an embedded email containing a “compilation of the most popular Golf Resorts in Puerto Rico.” On ATE’s website, golf tee times don’t even include Puerto Rico. On 11/17/13, we asked Philippe, who works for ATE’s servicing agent, SaveOnResorts.com, to rent an Escalade for $189/week in Florida. He couldn’t find an economy car at that price. He asked how much we paid ATE. “Oh my God! They shouldn’t have promised you that! I am so sorry. That’s a lot of money.”

On 9/5/13, we left word we couldn’t use ATE for a trip to Costa Rica as no hotels we wanted were on the website, contrary to Luanne’s promise. On 9/6/13, we got an embedded email that ATE would call – they never did – and also to contact ATE. These are dilatory tactics, not the superior customer service promised.

Luanne promised if we sent flight itineraries, we’d receive Reward Credits for travel. On 7/17/13, ATE told us to email our itineraries from Europe – which we did -- for credit. To date, no credit.

ATE’s website is full of lies, misrepresentations and “bait and switch”. On their “Recreational Discounts” page, it says “[c]hoose from hundreds of … deals.” 15 results. On “Dining Discounts,” 14 results. Hotels on the website are “plants” to puff up ATE’s inventory. There is never availability. Using ATE’s website for hotel availability, we get error messages.

We relied on Luanne’s false promises and based upon them joined. We were lied to and deceived. We received no benefit of the bargain.

From 11/14-18/13, we left word with ATE to rescind the contract and refund a prorated amount. On 11/23/13, Luanne and 2 men called and when we asked for a refund based on inability to perform as promised and no benefit of the bargain, she told us “[t]hat’s just not gonna happen.”

Carlos, Rochester, NY