I attended a 90 minute sales presentation by a travel club (not Travel Center) and received a promotional gift voucher for attending.
The voucher is from the Travel Center, and offers a cruise. The offer terms state the cruise voucher is for an inside cabin, and I am responsible for port fees and taxes approximately $55 per day. It also requires a $59 registration fee.
I paid my fee and submitted a cruise request. I received a price quote for the full fare; same $ as pricing I got from Carnival and other online cruise pricings. No discount, and much more than 'port fees and taxes'.
I researched port fees. They are the costs imposed by the port of call by the port; the cruise line does not establish port fees. Any travel agent can tell you what the port fees are for a particular cruise.
I told the Travel Center that I know what the port fees and taxes are for the cruise, and that I was willing to pay that amount. To no avail. They said "The price quote stands as-is"
I sought help from the travel club that gave me the voucher, United Reservation Services (see Ripoff Reports on URS) To no avail. They defended the reputation of Travel Center, a company with a D- BBB rating.
Travel Center screens my calls and won't return them. Supervisor Crystal Dillon and owner Ray(aka Rusty Dillon, Vernon R Dillon) 301-515-1201
John
Grand junction,#2REBUTTAL Owner of company
Sat, February 28, 2015
We fell victim to their scam. We purchased a trip to Hawaii, 7 nights, 6 days. This was from firstselecttravel.com. Paid 450.00. There were 13 of us who purchased. We were sent to the travel center after our wired checks were cashed ( our bad first red flag). Travel center hides behind the "we have papers you signed" trying to make it look like they are some innocent 3rd party that has nothing to do with the scam companies that refer them. Believe me....they know. As we were jumping thru the hoops to get to the end game of when we could actually book our vacation, I sent several questions to the travel center. Why do we need to pay you 69.00 each if your only referring us to another company? Their answer? "We only process the voucher, and the other company will book it". I asked " I do not see the vacation I bought as a choice on the website you gave me, and none of them have round trip airfare included, why is my package not there? Their answer? "you will get the vacation you ordered, round trip airfair is included".
So by the time we got this far in the game ( which by the way from payment to actual quote for our vacation took 2.5 months) we get a quote from their Funtime vacation staff ( same address as the travel center) for 2000.00 more than if I went on cheap tickets.com and bought the same package myself...only I could have a rental car to boot!
I spoke with my bank, they told me they could have reversed the charges of the e-check if I would have been in the 60 day window. Aha!!! That is why the travel center makes you wait and takes so long, they know this. They are stringing you along until that window closes.
Then their defense is "you signed this paper and understood we are not apart of that other company, we only refer you and book the vacation you want" ( note not the one you bought).
Yes et they are all scamming together. The fact is they do provide you with an overinflated quote, it's not their fault if you don't want to take them up on it. So no to a refund, they say they did what they were supposed to do. The things they MAKE you sign if you have any hope of redeeming the vacation you think you bought is their defense. People go the distance to get their quote because they falsely believe this is a reputable company that will make good on what ever it is you purchased.
Beware, very aware. By the way, I went on cheap tickets.com. Not only did they spend an hour on the phone with me so I could get even a better deal than what their website offered ( which was the lowest out of all my searches for what I wanted) they knocked off another 150.00 on the trip on top of that. I had it booked and confirmed in an hour, and they bent over backwards. Travel center why don't you start up an honest business like that, and quit bilking people out of their hard earned money.
Mark
Winterville,#3Author of original report
Fri, June 28, 2013
I didn't ask for my money back. I asked for a cruise according to the terms of the offer.
When I finally got a callback, the Owner, Rusty Dillon, aka Ray Dillon, said NO!
Rusty Dillon said he is not repsonsible for the terms of an offer (the OLD voucher) issued by my travel club, United Reservation Services. (see rippoff reports for United Reservation Services if you have a lot of spare time). ??? Then why is he the fulfillment contractor????
Rusty Dillon gave me two options: 1. take a refund, or 2. pay MORE (lmfao) registration fees to get the NEW voucher!!!
I didn't agree to either option.
Yes, I did cash the refund check!
RUN !!!!!!!
The Travel Center
Clarksburg,#4UPDATE Employee
Fri, June 28, 2013
After review of Mr. Smith's file, our company decided in both parties best interest to refund Mr. Smith. He has received his refund check and has cashed it. We have closed his file.
Mark
Winterville,#5Author of original report
Mon, June 17, 2013
The Travel Center rebuttal says the same the thing they told me, "It's not my problem". The Travel Center is obliged to fullfill the voucher if that is what their agreement with the voucher provider stipulates. Too bad if they don't 'like' the terms of the voucher.
Unfortunately, the provider of the voucher, United Reservation Services (see United Reservation Servides ripp-off reports also, if you have a lot of time) does not stand up to the Travel Center and enforce the terms of their gift to me.
The Travel Center
Clarksburg,#6UPDATE Employee
Mon, June 17, 2013