VIP Travel Or Elite Escapes VIP TRAVEL or Elite Escapes Travel Scam Lexington South Carolina
Were promised two round trip airfares if we went to their
presentation. After the 90 minute presentation, they want you to make a decision to finance $9,000 for a company with a postoffice box in South Carolina. I said that I would use the free airline travel I was
promised and they could contact me in the future, after I found out more about the company and its services. That wasn't acceptable, they needed a decision right now. So my decision had to be no if the offer was off the table if not made immediately.
Such an offer is a red-flag for me and I don't have money to throw away. The "free" round trip airline tickets and rental car for 7 days was a worthless scam offer. You are given a form after the presentation
which you have to mail in. Then about a month later you get another crude form with the misleading information that they are members of the better business bureau. Most people don't check that out. If they did, they'd find that this claim like all the other affiliations made
during the presentation, are false.
The second "redemption" form has to be filled out with credit card information and sent in. The redemption fee is $55. Then it says after redemption the only charges
are $4.95 plus a tax deposit of $50 per person.You then receive a "Reservation Request Form" about a month later, fill that out and wait for a response. The most common is that their airline ticket inventory
is sold out for the year and cannot be fullfilled.
If you don't heed the red flags: the tickets are only good for SELECT (that means a handful) of Major International Airports, all travel requires a minimum of 90 days reservation notice, not permitted 7 days
before or 7 days after any State or Federal Holiday. All vacation offers are subject to availability and promotions inventory. (in other words if the inventory is sold out, you can select from a few othe junk "prizes" available, which your redemption fee will go toward) then send them your money. They're counting on getting enough of these $55 dollar deposits because they all add up.
These scammers stay in a Howard Johnsons etc for as long as they have willing suckers in a town. They've been in Omaha for 7 weeks so far.
Did you ever hear of the scam where you have to spend a lot to save a lot. This is all about giving them money with nothing in return for it. check their website to see what affilations they claim to have. The bottom of one of their mailings had the Better Business Bureau logo on the bottom, now thats a joke!
Screwed in omaha
Omaha, Nebraska
U.S.A.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
Mrsdiggyman
Colorado Springs,Colorado,
U.S.A.
So what happened?
#4Consumer Comment
Wed, June 18, 2008
I too went to the presentation by Elite Escapes International here in Colorado Springs. We declined the offer because it was too expensive for us. We received the paper containing the po box to respond to for our "free" gift of 2 round trip airline tickets in the continental US or various other things including a 2 night cruise to the Bahamas, a 3day/2night stay at a Hard Rock Hotel which included a $30 dinner card and $40 worth of casino action, and a certificate valid for 2 adults for 3days/2nights hotel accomodations at one of over 600 locations, including a $30 gasoline rebate coupon and $30 in dinner certificates.
I am skeptical and wondered if "screwed in Omaha" who posted about his experience, ever contacted the company, and if things were ever resolved. Please let us know!
Eei Help Desk
Las Vegas,Nevada,
U.S.A.
Sorry you feel that way...if given a chance I think we can help!
#4UPDATE Employee
Wed, June 04, 2008
Dear Sir/Madam;
On behalf of Elite Escapes let me apologize that you felt badly about our promotional gift opportunities. We distribute literally thousands of these weekly to folks all over the Country and have very few complaints. Nevertheless, we do take seriously our goal to make everyone happy with these items. I am not sure that you ever contacted us in an attempt to correct the situation. If so I feel confident we could have dealt with it directly for you.
While sites like this have their place in the world it is never as good as direct talk from well intentioned people. Also, this company is not associated with the former VIP Travel we simply service their membership base and used some of their marketing companies during the transition that is what may have prompted you to think incorrectly that we are the same company. We are not and plan to make this situation right if at all possible.
I would like you to contact me via email at rogerh@eliteescapesinternational.com and allow me the opportunity to make this right.
Averagestiff
Omaha,Nebraska,
U.S.A.
For What Its Worth..I had a good experience
#4Consumer Comment
Mon, May 19, 2008
Stumbled on this posting and thought for what it is worth I would add my 2 cents . I went to this presentation too...I don't know maybe I am a hick or whatever....but I didn't buy anything from these folks and they still treated me and my wife good and they gave me this thing certificate or whatever worth 2 airline tickets. They told me right off about how to use it...anyway yeah it cost me about $125 for 2 airline tickets and I couldn't fly during holidays but whatever it saved me about $800-900 .... we are going to San Franciso for a long weekend in a few months....I sure wouldn't have been able to go without these tickets....it was worth 90 minutes of my time!