Complaint Review: Universal Action Travel - Tampa Florida

NORTH DAKOTA CRACKS DOWN ON TIME-SHARE MARKETING ABUSES February 18, 2008 10:10 PM Age: 123 daysBY: NORTH DAKOTA ATTORNEY GENERAL WAYNE STENEHJEM BISMARCK Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem has taken comprehensive action to address the time-share sales industry's marketing practices in North Dakota, conducting eleven investigations and obtaining eleven settlements from marketers throughout the country.A flurry of complaints relating to a vendor at the 2007 Fargo RibFest prompted the investigation. There, consumers were told they could enter a contest to win a free vacation in the Bahamas; however, the entry slips with consumer contact information (known as "leads") were then sold to telemarketers working on behalf of time-share companies. Some of the telemarketers violated North Dakota's do-not-call law, home solicitation law, contest-prize notice law, made misrepresentations to consumers and engaged in high-pressure sales tactics. Virtually every complaining consumer was told he or she had "won" the "free" trip; however, the trip contained hidden costs and fees and consumers going on the trip are required to sit through a time-share sales presentation.Separate from RibFest, the Attorney General also took action against other time-share marketers who came to North Dakota to conduct events without proper transient merchant licensing or whose sales contracts failed to give consumers adequate notice of cancellation rights, and against telemarketers who used prerecorded calls in violation of North Dakota's do-not-call law."I think it is important to send a message to the time-share industry from the lead generators to the telemarketers to the time-share companies all the way up the chain, that they will be held accountable for violations of North Dakota law," Stenehjem said. "No longer can time-share companies turn a blind eye to the methods, sometimes illegal, used by their marketers."As a result of the Attorney General's investigations, 53 North Dakota citizens received refunds totaling $28,088.50; the Attorney General recovered $19,500 in lieu of civil penalties and secured a judgment in the amount $10,044. The parties that settled with the Attorney General include: David Biddick, Jennifer Donohue, Eric Lewenstein, Sharon Pincous, Great Vacation Destinations, Inc., Plaza Resorts, Inc., Universal Action Travel, Inc., Resort Tours & Accommodations, Inc., Jacob Wood, Club Resort Intervals, LLC and Kenneth Jon Decker.

I would like to start out by saying thank you to Rip Off Report for the service you so graciously provide to consumers. I have dear friends that were personally ripped off by Universal Action Travel. And I can say for a fact the report is factual. N Dakota Residents must have had a target on us for some time because we were hit with a barage of solicitations by this company among many others. The news channels covered it to some extent warning consumers about the sales practices of this company and the high pressured tactics used to obtain consumers credit card information. Several people filed petitions to have them investigated resulting in their own state reviewing their initial business licensing etc. The bottom line is this.... When in doubt check them out! If their own competitors are taking the time to report them, then there is definitely something wrong. This isnt just a simple mistake made on an application. This is clear neglect, and an attempt to hide the true nature of their business.. which in my opinion is to rob poor unsuspecting consumers of their money. Thankfully all the governing agencies stepped in and allowed this to be revealed, to warn other states of this company. Use common sense people, when these people call you do not give them your credit card number. Hang up the phone and register on the national "DO NOT CALL LIST". That will put a stop to them calling you in the first place. Oh and yes the people of Northa Dakota who were tricked did in fact get their money back, it took some time But we faught for it. So beware unless every state is as diligent as we were you may be next. Remember the name..."UNIVERSAL ACTION TRAVEL"

As you can tell by reading the response, the person filing the complaint oddly enough, seems to know what we are referring to, once again proving that this is a COMPETITORS unprofessional attempt to defame our company and the good people that work here. Once again: 1. The involuntary ERROR made in our application has been corrected as of 2007. Any questions in regards to this, please check with the State of Florida. Universal Action Travel, and it's staff would like to thank our customers for taking the time to have read the posting and make their own decision. We are in no position or have no interest in continuing to answer to unfounded "complaints" as we are busy making sure our travelers enjoy their vacation. We have never had to resort to "slander" and are not and will not "stoop-down" to the competitors level. This was CLEARLY something done by a disloyal competitor and would like to clarify that the "complainer" in this report are competitors and NOT consumers. Having said such, we wish everyone the best, and in light of focusing on our travelers and industry partners, we have nothing further to say in regards to this matter. Best Regards, Universal Action Travel, Inc.

You still can not negate the fact that you lied on application to prevent yourselves from beinmg registered properly. All these Other strange comments you made are only an attempt to take the focus off yourself and honestly your customers want to know about not some strange comments about topics they know nothing of. I'm very concerned because knowing you have several complaints against your company and knowing you have lied before, As a consumer I would make very certain to do a complete background check. You really should focus on your short comings and how you became a business in the first place because knowing the fraud you have committed against others is slowly coming to the forefront and you cant run from your lies and manipulations. You especially cant expect to slander and defame others to take the focus off your own misdoings and expect to be rewarded.

Universal Action Travel, will like to reassure all its customers and partners that the allegations made in this report are completely FALSE and have been made by COMPETITORS in the Tampa Bay area. Yes, it is true that in the year 2007 our company was notified by the State of Florida that a mistake was made when we filed our documentation for our sellers of travel application and such mistake was CORRECTED and process immediately on our behalf. If you have any doubts in regards to this, please contact the Department of Agriculture and Consumers Services in Tallahassee, Florida, and they will be more than happy to verify all our corporate information - SOMETHING OUR COMPETITORS POSTING THIS "COMPLAINT" cannot say. We are fully bonded and THANK the Department of Agriculture for their assistance in getting such resolved for the best of our company and our travelers. In regards to the State of N. Dakota, our company was notified that a consumer had complaint against one of our partners in the industry, NOT against us directly and as a sign of good faith, 2 consumers were refunded their entire amount purchase and since then this has been cleared up. We are not seeking to defraud, steal, mislead, cheat or misguide anyone, just to be sure that those who travel with us are 100% satisfied and get their money's worth. Unlike the "competition" who posted this report: 1. WE DO NOT OPERATE UNDER SEVERAL NAMES OVER A COURSE OF NUMEROUS YEARS. WE HAVE BEEN SINCE DAY 1 UNIVERSAL ACTION TRAVEL, INC. AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE FOR YEARS TO COME. 2. WE DO NOT HIRE MINORS, AND OTHERS WHICH ARE CHEATED OUT OF THEIR PAY. 3. WE ARE NOT UNDER STATE AND FEDERAL INVESTIGATION FOR TAX EVASION, MONEY LAUNDERING, SHARK LOANING, LABOR LAWS INFRACTIONS & WIRE-FRAUD 4. WE DO NOT PLACE COMPANY ASSETS UNDER FAMILY/FRIENDS NAME TO EVADE TAXES AND/OR BILLS WHEN THEY ARE DUE. 5. WE DO NOT STEAL FROM THE CHURCH WE ATTEND OR ARE BEING SUED FOR EMBEZZLEMENT FROM ITS OWN PASTOR. 6. WE DO NOT LIVE IN MILLION DOLLAR HOMES, HAVE NUMEROUS ASSETS, OR PLACE SUCH PROPERTIES UNDER OTHERS PERSONS NAMES TO AVOID THEM BEING TAXED OR TAKEN. 7. WE DO NOT EMPLOY PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND TAKE THEIR SOCIAL SECURITY CHECKS WHEN THEY COME IN FROM THE GOVERNMENT TO PAY OUR OWN BILLS. 8. WE DO NOT PLACE OUR TRAVELERS IN ACCOMMODATIONS LESS THAN THEY ARE PROMISED OR IGNORE THEIR CALLS WHEN THEY ARE READY TO SUBMIT THEIR RESERVATIONS. 9. WE DO NOT OWE ANY RESORTS FOR PAYMENTS, OR ARE BEING SUED BY BUSINESS PARTNERS FOR HAVING THEM CHEATED IN BUSINESS VENTURES. 10. WE DO NOT USE OUR OWN'S CHILDRENS NAMES AND IDENTITIES TO PLACE MERCHANT ACCOUNTS UNDER TO HIDE WHO IS TRULY BEHIND THEIR BUSINESS OPERATION. We would like to INVITE all of our travelers and business partners to come visit our offices whenever they please, or call us if they have any questions. We like to set the record clear that we have nothing to hide, and while our company like in every business has had its hurdles, we do not hide or run from our problems; we affront them and by doing such we are putting our company in a better position to better serve our travelers and partners in the industry. For anyone having any questions, please don't hesitate in contacting our offices directly, and hope that by bringing the truth of what others are doing, consumers can be sure with who they are putting their trust on. -Universal Action Travel, Inc.