VIP TRAVEL RESERVATIONS, INC If you don't buy, apparently there will not be availability Port Orange, Florida
I rec'd the card in the mail - come to our showroom, listen to our presentation and we will give you two free nights in a Holiday Inn, Carlson, or Marriott properties hotel, $100 gas certificate and a Red Lobster or Olive Garden $25 gift certificate. We didn't end up getting a membership (Direct Buy) but got our information for how to get our "free" hotel and gift certificates.
After jumping through hoops - certified mail to send in the proof that we went to the presentation, getting information mail back on what we had to do - VIP had to be notify 60 days before dates of travel, select your first choice and dates and your 2nd choice of dates, send back certified mail and they will let you know 30 days prior to your travel date what they came up with. Lets not forget, you have to send them a money order for $75 to secure your place.
Rec'd our certified receipt that they received our request on Feb. 22, 2010 (our travel dates for the hotels were May 4 & 5 in Williams AZ (Tues & Wed) or May 6 & 7 in Las Vegas NV (Thurs & Friday).By April 12 didn't hear anything from them and couldn't get anyone on a phone- finally found an email and did get an response - claimed they sent a letter on April 2nd that there was no availability for any of those dates that I never rec'd. They would send me another letter.
I responded back to the email twice and never got another response. Rec'd the supposedly 2nd letter on April 16th and it said no availability - choose other dates but still have to give them 60 days notice, send ceritifed mail again etc etc.
For Las vegas I can believe no availibility on a friday night. For Williams Arizona on a Tuesday and Wednesday night I do not believe there was no availability. This room should have been booked in February when they rec'd my requests. I called places in Williams 4/16, all the motels/hotels that I called had availablity, the train still had plenty of seats available and there was no special occasions or events going on. I am convinced that no matter when I try, there will be no availibility.
This is our vacation for the year and the certificate is only good for a year so we are out of luck. Cost us my time, $12 for certified mail, $1.10 for money order, two trips to the post office (15 miles each way) and now have to go through hoops to try and get my $75 back I am sure.
This place is a RIPOFF
3 Updates & Rebuttals
Kara
Port Orange,Florida,
USA
Correction
#4UPDATE Employee
Thu, December 02, 2010
Jayne,
I apologize if what I wrote came off as unprofessional, I was not being sarcastic when I wrote it, nor was it my intention for it to read like that. I was very serious when I stated that we provide our vouchers to Direct Buy, Chevrolet and Mary Kay, along with hundreds of other companies. I am sorry if you felt you were not given enough notice that the dates were not available, we did sent that notice out 32 days prior. I do not know how long it took for you to receive it. We send all our paperwork out via USPS first class mail. I do see that you chose to only send in the one request form and have now opted to cancel. I am sorry that we will not be able to travel you. Refunds do take between 6-8 weeks to process from the date we receive the cancellation notice. Yours was received on 11/18/10.
Kara Gallagher
Office Manager
Jayne
Hudson,New York,
United States of America
unprofessional
#4Author of original report
Wed, September 29, 2010
Very unprofessional of you ".... from Direct Buy, Chevy or Mary Kay" sarcasm is not necessary. I did try twice and both were rejected - off season times and during the week. By the time you get your 60 day notice and then contact us within 30 days (which I might add I was contacted in less than 30 days from the date of my travel) - airplane and other arrangements have to be made, time off from work arranged - so we have to know whether or not we have reservations. So if I spend another $20 getting all the info to you by certified mail - I might or might not get a room. Really nothing is free.
Kara
Port Orange,Florida,
USA
VIP Travel does not sell anything
#4UPDATE Employee
Wed, September 29, 2010
Jayne,
I was able to find your file from the information you provided in your complaint. It does not matter to VIP whether or not you purchase anything from Direct Buy, Chevy or Mary Kay. We honor our travel vouchers no matter who your sponsor is. We provide a lot of different types of business's with our vouchers to use as a promotional items. I am sorry if you got the idea that your dates weren't available because you did not purchase a membership with Direct Buy. If you read the terms and conditions on your travel voucher you will see where is says availability is based upon our allotment. What that means is because this is a promotional item we will only book a room for you that is available in our GDS travel software as entry level. If the reservationist inputs your dates and locations and no rooms come up as being available is the specific properties we use with your voucher in the code for entry level then it is not available to us. If you had supplied us with a new set of dates i am sure we could have booked your next reservation. Your voucher does not expire until 1/28/11 if you would still wish to do so.
Kara Gallagher
office Manager