Travel Club Membership

Travel Club Membership

October 19, 2006

Travel Service Network (Batavia, IL) Star Vacation Club (San Diego, CA) Infinity Incentive Group (Scottsdale, AZ) Unbelievable! I managed to find at least 12 related complaints on Complaints.com about this company, its many agency representatives (other companies that funnel money to Travel Service Network), or affiliated companies (Infinity Incentive Group). They have operated under the name of Travel Service Network, TSN Travel, 123Free Travel, and many, many, more. They've taken (suckered) consumers in the states of AZ, MO, IL, FL, TX, and many more to now include CA. I might be the first CA residence who has caught on to their scam. They are operating as Star Vacation Club in San Diego, CA. Let’s take a step back and explain the events leading to today’s email. Like some of you, I received the typical marketing call guaranteeing a prize, in this case 1 of 5. I attend the sales presentation that promises club membership with too many good benefits to be true. I fall for the scam and we start talking price. Membership starts out costing me $8,500 (discounted from the standard price of $10K) and is dwindled down to $2,295 because I get sticker shock. After charging my card and having me sign several agreements, they give me a scratcher with a “lucky” penny to help reveal one of the 5 prizes I’m guaranteed to win. I scratch and say "darn" because it's not the Cadillac Escalade. It’s a voucher from Infinity Incentive Group for a free vacation, the voucher scam that hit some Complaints.com complainants. Everything in the information package that I received after being duped out of $2,295 this evening showed the name of Star Vacation Club, even their member website (starvacationclub.com). Notice the similarity to Travel Service Network's site (tsntravel.com), of whom some of the Complaints.com complaints are directed. Everything showed Star Vacation Club, except the sales receipt which showed Travel Service Network. So, I got home and noticed this and said "huh?" That's when the online research ensued and I’m just dumbfounded by the amount of activity this company has been engaged in. Several BBB chapters show unfavorable ratings for this company and some of its “affiliates,” as well as numerous documented court cases brought on by state attorney generals. The San Diego Better Business Bureau has no complaints filed on record. Even though the San Diego BBB shows this company's file open in 2002, the sales person told me that they opened up shop three months ago, maybe too early for victims to be the wiser. I’m going to follow Star Vacation Club’s three day cancellation policy written in the agreement. I expect that they’ll give me the standard run around Illinois consumers received by Travel Service Network….lip service and no refund. I’m prepared for that. My credit card company will be informed not to pay that charge and I’ll show good faith by following their cancellation policy. By the way, I’m not going to submit the travel voucher. Fool me once, and thanks to some of you, not twice. I hope to prevent other Californian’s from being duped too. A complaint was filed with the CA State Attorney. I’ve filed a scam report with the Chicago BBB in hopes that they’ll share their information with the San Diego chapter. I’ve filed a consumer fraud alert with the local TV station to investigate them, hopefully on the air. And finally, I’m educating ya’ll here who helped me realize how stupid I was. By the way, thank you to the folks at Complaints.com for availing this forum to us.

Comment On This

Hi Jeff, I just read your complaint. The same thing happened to me in Atlanta, Ga. The whole glowing production,of media show and free prizes. First time I've ever been scammed in my life. Why isnt someone filing criminal charges against these scum bags. I'm looking for a class action suit, if possible. Haven't talked to anyone in the State's attorney's office yet. If you have any info pls. E-Mail me. Lousianagirl1-@bellsouth.net. I honestly think 60 Minutes or some big exposure show should be contacted. Apparently, Star Vacation Club has been doing this a long time under different names.

Comment On This

I have also had a run around with star vacation club, I canceled in the time allowed but they still processed the loan after the fact. They have taken the money from the loan company and the loan company then has trashed my credit rating because they gave the money to star vacations. GTE and first funding are the two that finance the loans for star vacation club. If anyone is filing a class action against SVC Id like to be on board. you can contact me at williamsonjeff AT hotmail.com . By the way~ I have filed a complaint with the Colorado State Attorney General and they have been in contact with me. We will see.

Comment On This

We just went to one of their "seminars" yesterday. Luckily for us we saw through the whole scam and did not sign up.

However, we did receive our "free gift" of airline tickets. Now we are very cautious to redeem them because it sounds like we will be applying to another club to redeem the actual tickets. Wow, how can they get away with this!

I suggest you complain as loudly as you can to the highest

place you can. A TV station should know about this!