- Report: #338726
Complaint Review: Global Services Inc. - OVERLAND PARK Kansas
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Global Services Inc.
5320 COLLEGE BLVD OVERLAND PARK, 66211 Kansas, U.S.A.
Phone:
913-451-0960
Web:
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Global Services, Inc. - Global Services Network - Global Connections bait and switch: promises but never delivers airfare to anywhere in USA OVERLAND PARK Kansas
On August 8, 2007, I received a postcard stating that I had been selected to receive "Two Roundtrip Airfares to Anywhere in the U.S." and "3 days, 2 nights at a hotel", and that I should call 800-413-5613 for details.
The postcard did not identify on whose behalf the promotion was being conducted, but had a large "Delta" name and Delta logo, and said "IN CELEBRATION OF OUR ANNIVERSARY ... You will receive at your request Two Roundtrip Airfares to Anywhere in the U.S.! ... Bonus 3 DAY / 2 NIGHT HOTEL STAY".
On August 9, 2007, I called that number and spoke with a man who identified himself as Patrick McKinna. He stated that I would receive a complimentary gift of 2 round trip airfares from the nearest international airport to my home to any major city with an international airport in the US, Mexico, or Canada, plus 3 days, 2 nights hotel accommodations for 2 at a business class chain hotel. He said that all my wife and I needed to do to get this gift was to attend a 90-minute advertising presentation by Global Services Network in Columbia, MD. He said that I would have no obligation to use the company or to buy anything.
The address he gave for the presentation was:
Global Services Network
9710 Patuxent Woods Dr., Suite B
Columbia, MD 21046
I asked him what conditions or restrictions, if any, there were on the award travel. He replied, "You would be responsible for hotel and airline taxes."
I asked for any other travel restrictions that he hadn't mentioned. He replied, "You can not travel on holidays, and you must give at least 30 days notice prior to travel."
I asked whether we get to pick the travel dates, he said "Yeah, I think so. They are a travel company, and they want you to take the vacation so that you can see what they have to offer.".
I agreed to attend the presentation.
On August 12th, my wife and I fulfilled our end of the agreement by attending the Global Services presentation in Columbia, MD. After the presentation, Global Services tried to give us a "Vacation Extravaganza" certificate from "Worldwide Travel Center" in Deerfield Beach, FL. The certificate had many additional conditions not in the original agreement (made over the phone), such as:
- we had to put down a $100 deposit, to be returned if and after we completed the travel,
- we could only travel on a Tuesday,
- we had to submit 3 sets of possible travel dates separated by at least 30 days, from which they would select one set for our travel
- we could not travel within 7 days before or after a holiday
- they could change the terms and conditions at any time without notice
- accommodations were subject to their availability
- accommodations might be a "motel"
We refused to accept that certificate, pointing out that it did not meet the terms of our existing agreement. They noted our refusal, but didn't do anything about it. They informed us that the telephone call in which the existing agreement was formed had been recorded, and that we could complain to the Global Services headquarters if we wanted to.
On August 13th, I called the Global Services headquarters at 913-451-0960 to complain about the bait and switch. I spoke with a man who identified himself as "Ryan". He took full details of my complaint, and promised to have someone call me back.
On August 20th, I had received no return call from Global Services as promised, so I called Global back at the same number. I spoke with a female who identified herself as Brittney. She saw in her records that I had complained on August 13th, but said that she did not see why they should call me back because, in her words, "we don't owe you anything." She stated that since I don't have their alleged promise in writing, I don't have any grounds for complaint. I explained that an oral promise is still legally binding, and that anyway they had recorded the call. She replied that she still didn't see why they owe me anything. I told them that I would file a case with the Better Business Bureau, and see what they (the BBB people) think. She told me to wait one more week and they might call me back. I waited another week and a half, and they never called me back.
I filed a case with the Better Business Bureau. Global responded by admitting that they had a recording of the phone call in question and offering to give me a copy. When I said, "Yes, please give me a copy. It will prove my case." they refused to provide it. They said that they listened to the recording and that they don't owe me anything because:
1. There was no "meeting of the minds" on the phone, so there could be no legal contract.
2. There was no written agreement, so it could not be legally binding.
3. The "Worldwide Travel" certificate's terms and conditions were consistent with what I was promised on the phone.
The Better Business Bureau, over my repeated objections, closed the case and marked it as "Company addressed the complaint issues. The consumer failed to acknowledge acceptance to the BBB." (I have written to the BBB on three separate occasions notifying them that the matter is not resolved. The first time, they re-opened the case, then closed it a couple months later. The next two times, they ignored me. So much for the BBB being an impartial arbiter.)
On October 17, 2007, I filed a case against Global Services, Inc. in the Small Claims Division of the General District Court of Fairfax, VA.
On December 7, 2007, the case went to trial. A non-lawyer employee of Global showed up to represent Global. I presented a chronology of the relevant events to the judge, and cited the following legal causes of action:
- Breach of Contract
- Violation of several sections of VA's Consumer Protection Act:
- 59.1-200(2) (Global's initial postcard to me was made to look like it came from Delta Airlines, even though Delta had nothing to do with it.)
- 59.1-200(3)
- 59.1-200(8)
- Violation of several sections of VA's Prizes and Gifts Act:
- 59.1-417(A)
- 59.1-417(C)
For damages, I cited:
- the travel certificate's own statement that the certificate is worth up to $3,000.
- the cost for round trip airfare and 2 nights hotel for two to/at a place of my choosing on dates of my choosing was $2,800 (not including taxes) based on the lowest price quoted by Travelocity.com
- the VA code provides statutory damages of $1,000 for intentional violation of 59.1-200(2)
The defense made the same argument as before:
We owe the plaintiff nothing because:
- There was no meeting of the minds
- The contract was not in writing.
The judge ruled that Global had, indeed, breached its contract with me and had violated Virginia's statutory law. The judge then awarded me $1,000 (statutory damages) for Global's intentional violation of VA's Consumer Protection Act.
You can find Worldwide Travel's vacation certificate on their site:
www . worldwidetravelcenter . com / SALES / pdf / WWTC-VE-Brochure.pdf
Also, try googling their marketing phone number:
800-413-5613
and you'll see the testimony of lots of other victims.
Rembrandt q. einstein
Kingstowne, Virginia
U.S.A.
The postcard did not identify on whose behalf the promotion was being conducted, but had a large "Delta" name and Delta logo, and said "IN CELEBRATION OF OUR ANNIVERSARY ... You will receive at your request Two Roundtrip Airfares to Anywhere in the U.S.! ... Bonus 3 DAY / 2 NIGHT HOTEL STAY".
On August 9, 2007, I called that number and spoke with a man who identified himself as Patrick McKinna. He stated that I would receive a complimentary gift of 2 round trip airfares from the nearest international airport to my home to any major city with an international airport in the US, Mexico, or Canada, plus 3 days, 2 nights hotel accommodations for 2 at a business class chain hotel. He said that all my wife and I needed to do to get this gift was to attend a 90-minute advertising presentation by Global Services Network in Columbia, MD. He said that I would have no obligation to use the company or to buy anything.
The address he gave for the presentation was:
Global Services Network
9710 Patuxent Woods Dr., Suite B
Columbia, MD 21046
I asked him what conditions or restrictions, if any, there were on the award travel. He replied, "You would be responsible for hotel and airline taxes."
I asked for any other travel restrictions that he hadn't mentioned. He replied, "You can not travel on holidays, and you must give at least 30 days notice prior to travel."
I asked whether we get to pick the travel dates, he said "Yeah, I think so. They are a travel company, and they want you to take the vacation so that you can see what they have to offer.".
I agreed to attend the presentation.
On August 12th, my wife and I fulfilled our end of the agreement by attending the Global Services presentation in Columbia, MD. After the presentation, Global Services tried to give us a "Vacation Extravaganza" certificate from "Worldwide Travel Center" in Deerfield Beach, FL. The certificate had many additional conditions not in the original agreement (made over the phone), such as:
- we had to put down a $100 deposit, to be returned if and after we completed the travel,
- we could only travel on a Tuesday,
- we had to submit 3 sets of possible travel dates separated by at least 30 days, from which they would select one set for our travel
- we could not travel within 7 days before or after a holiday
- they could change the terms and conditions at any time without notice
- accommodations were subject to their availability
- accommodations might be a "motel"
We refused to accept that certificate, pointing out that it did not meet the terms of our existing agreement. They noted our refusal, but didn't do anything about it. They informed us that the telephone call in which the existing agreement was formed had been recorded, and that we could complain to the Global Services headquarters if we wanted to.
On August 13th, I called the Global Services headquarters at 913-451-0960 to complain about the bait and switch. I spoke with a man who identified himself as "Ryan". He took full details of my complaint, and promised to have someone call me back.
On August 20th, I had received no return call from Global Services as promised, so I called Global back at the same number. I spoke with a female who identified herself as Brittney. She saw in her records that I had complained on August 13th, but said that she did not see why they should call me back because, in her words, "we don't owe you anything." She stated that since I don't have their alleged promise in writing, I don't have any grounds for complaint. I explained that an oral promise is still legally binding, and that anyway they had recorded the call. She replied that she still didn't see why they owe me anything. I told them that I would file a case with the Better Business Bureau, and see what they (the BBB people) think. She told me to wait one more week and they might call me back. I waited another week and a half, and they never called me back.
I filed a case with the Better Business Bureau. Global responded by admitting that they had a recording of the phone call in question and offering to give me a copy. When I said, "Yes, please give me a copy. It will prove my case." they refused to provide it. They said that they listened to the recording and that they don't owe me anything because:
1. There was no "meeting of the minds" on the phone, so there could be no legal contract.
2. There was no written agreement, so it could not be legally binding.
3. The "Worldwide Travel" certificate's terms and conditions were consistent with what I was promised on the phone.
The Better Business Bureau, over my repeated objections, closed the case and marked it as "Company addressed the complaint issues. The consumer failed to acknowledge acceptance to the BBB." (I have written to the BBB on three separate occasions notifying them that the matter is not resolved. The first time, they re-opened the case, then closed it a couple months later. The next two times, they ignored me. So much for the BBB being an impartial arbiter.)
On October 17, 2007, I filed a case against Global Services, Inc. in the Small Claims Division of the General District Court of Fairfax, VA.
On December 7, 2007, the case went to trial. A non-lawyer employee of Global showed up to represent Global. I presented a chronology of the relevant events to the judge, and cited the following legal causes of action:
- Breach of Contract
- Violation of several sections of VA's Consumer Protection Act:
- 59.1-200(2) (Global's initial postcard to me was made to look like it came from Delta Airlines, even though Delta had nothing to do with it.)
- 59.1-200(3)
- 59.1-200(8)
- Violation of several sections of VA's Prizes and Gifts Act:
- 59.1-417(A)
- 59.1-417(C)
For damages, I cited:
- the travel certificate's own statement that the certificate is worth up to $3,000.
- the cost for round trip airfare and 2 nights hotel for two to/at a place of my choosing on dates of my choosing was $2,800 (not including taxes) based on the lowest price quoted by Travelocity.com
- the VA code provides statutory damages of $1,000 for intentional violation of 59.1-200(2)
The defense made the same argument as before:
We owe the plaintiff nothing because:
- There was no meeting of the minds
- The contract was not in writing.
The judge ruled that Global had, indeed, breached its contract with me and had violated Virginia's statutory law. The judge then awarded me $1,000 (statutory damages) for Global's intentional violation of VA's Consumer Protection Act.
You can find Worldwide Travel's vacation certificate on their site:
www . worldwidetravelcenter . com / SALES / pdf / WWTC-VE-Brochure.pdf
Also, try googling their marketing phone number:
800-413-5613
and you'll see the testimony of lots of other victims.
Rembrandt q. einstein
Kingstowne, Virginia
U.S.A.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Sucata Chatarra
NY,New York,
U.S.A.
Part Victim/Part Rebuttal
#2Consumer Comment
Tue, July 22, 2008
PART VICTIM/PART REBUTTAL This is "part victim" because I got taken for $200 by Spirit Incentives (SI) and "part rebuttal" because I bought into GSN (before learning about SI). I applaud Mr. Einstein's court action and the court's decision! TRAVEL PROMO SCAMS When I lived in the Metro DC area, I took the travel promo bait. At the time it was SI which made it impossible to travel under their terms and conditions (T&Cs). I had to put $200 to hold the tickets until I had time to "fit" the T&Cs. My times & their times never did "fit" and the certificate expired -- in the end it was a rip-off. Avoid these kinds of promos unless them come DIRECTLY from a major league player like the major hotel chains (trying to sell timeshares). Their promos are legit (buyers pay the tab in the cost of buying new timeshares [never buy a new timeshare unless you want to buy into their closed trading system]). Although I didn't go to court, in the end I had the last laugh (see "REBUTTAL" below). GSN'S DeMEANor GSN's treatment of Mr. Einstein, although inexcusable, does not surprise me. They can be a rough bunch to deal with at the customer service rep level where their responses are largely programmed and pre-determined. They can't seem to handle the real world of management by exception (travel plans are always full of surprises) too well. In my personal experience, I have found GSN supervisors and management reasonable to deal with -- they're not going to give away the store but they do try to meet you halfway (within the confines of stretching the interpretation of the contract to the limit). GSN TRAVEL PLAN (THE "REBUTTAL") Here's the rebuttal: It cost's plenty to "join" GSN; however, due to their pre-contracted rates with RCI-type timeshares, I recouped my LIFETIME contract cost within the SECOND year of using GSN. The condos are not the Ritz, Marriott, Hilton, or Starwood luxury timeshares; however, they pull from the vast pool of fair-to-excellent RCI timeshares. All in all, GSN has been great and saved my family a small fortune. GSN even beats last minute timeshares and desperation sales on Redweek, TUG and related websites. They are definitely legitimate and a great deal -- they just need to direct their subcontractor to stop using travel scams to lure prospects to the presentations. GENERAL ADVISE Here's my advise about GSN, and any travel plan for that matter. Go to the presentation only when you have a few days after the presentation to go over every word of the contract and to STUDY THE PLAN (to make sure it REALLY meets your NEEDS). If you like what you see DURING the presentation, sign up with the EXPECTATION of cancelling in TWO days (leave 1 flex day for Murphy's Law). ONLY pay with a MAJOR credit (not debit) card that can reverse the charges should you decide to exercise your 3-day right of rescission. CONTRACT ADVISE After the presentation, ask for the contract RIGHT AWAY. Read the contract (and other papers) with your spouse then and there asking for clarification as you go along. If they make any claim in answer to your questions then MAKE THEM SHOW YOU IN THE CONTRACT where the contract supports their answer. Take all night if you must, they will stay to get the huge commission (BTW, they are *NOT* GSN employees -- they are subcontractors -- by day they work their "regular" jobs). I hope this help anyone contemplating joining GSN or any other LEGITIMATE membership travel service. They ARE great IF AND ONLY IF they meet your travel NEEDS. FOOTNOTE: Legally, I suspect the court judgement was against the GSN subcontractor and not GSN proper. It would be interesting to see this point clarified. Happy Travels !
