Business History Books » Business Consultant » Agent FAM Trip – Royal Caribbean 7 nights – $238.00 pp – W. Caribbean
Agent FAM Trip – Royal Caribbean 7 nights – $238.00 pp – W. Caribbean
Question:
Are you associated with cruisemates.com??? Not that I have anything against cruisemates; just thought I’d beat the other Paul to the punch. Dean in Peoria > Several Members of my group, Travel Works International, just returned > home from a 7 night Western Caribbean Cruise on Royal Caribbean, > Outside cabins, for $238 pp. This is known as an Agent > Familiarization trip, where Travel Agents are wined and dined to > promote the Ship to their patrons.
…snip a bunch of CR*P…
Response:
>SCAM alert!
What scam ??? The $238 did not include port charges …that’s what makes it sound so cheap … and once we shoveled half the coal from the bin into the boiler we had plenty of room in our stateroom … Meals were not included … but there was plenty of vermin to catch and cook over the open fire … for very little extra charges … and the tips were NOT automatically added to our bill !!!! In the Village …. I am not a number … I am a free man !!!!
Response:
<spam snipped> Why do I get the feeling that if I contacted this fellow, it would cost me hundreds of dollars to join his outfit?
Response:
[snip Multi-Level-Marketing spam] Now, THAT was an advertisement!
Response:
> [snip Multi-Level-Marketing spam] > Now, THAT was an advertisement!
It sure was! Julie
Response:
SCAM alert! SCAM alert!! From Travel Weekly and the American Society of Travel Agents: For Informational purposes only: Agent I.D. Scams, or, The Instant Travel Agent This faq was written to clearify the purpose of and create a public discussion of travel agent I.D. card scams that exist in the travel business and have infiltrated the internet and Usenet in particular. This post will become a frequent posting on rec.travel newsgroups and anywhere else ID card scams feel they can lure unsuspecting consumers. As legal action grows against the companies involved, additions will be made regarding specific legal rulings. Already, one court in New York has ruled these operations as "illegal pyramid schemes" (see article below) The travel industry is full of varying types of scams and bad deals. From the selling of stolen tickets, to the selling of phoney tickets, to false advertising of prices, the less-than honest have been able to take widescale advantage of the public’s infatuation and misunderstanding of the world of travel. One of the more popular scams in existence today is the so-called "agent I.D." card scam, in which a company claims to sell "agent qualifications" to anyone who can fork over the hefty fee they require. With this "I.D. card", which is often only a made-up business card and a list of the 800 numbers of airlines and cruise lines, the company promises it’s holder can do amazing things like "travel at travel agent rates", travel for free and reap huge discounts on all their travel costs, without ever having to go to the trouble of working professionally as a travel agent and without ever earning the discounts by selling travel. These companies often operate from legitimate travel agencies and profess that you will be listed as an "outside agent", an agent that works outside of the office. The fees for this can range from 295.00 for most bogus deals and up to 3 or 4 thousand dollars for other even more bogus plans. All such offers operate on the fringe of the law or respectability and countless companies have taken people’s money and ran, leaving the consumer stranded (for an excellent article on just this topic, see TravelAge West [contact 647- 1995, page one, "Learnng the Hard Way" by Scott Bittle] Most individuals who are initiated into these scams end up eating their losses quickly and seek out other scams to waste their money on. Still others, who believe they are now travel agents, often grow into the industry and stay to become respectable travel consultants, eventhough they now realize that whatever fees they paid to get where they are were totally unnecessary. The fact is that travel agent travel discounts are too few and too small for the professional full-time travel agent and even smaller for the character who does not actually sell travel. Real discounts come when an agent has actually produced volume in sales from the supplier they wish to get discounts from. Regular discounts are often more expensive or the same price as the cheapest package or special price that a hotel or airline is offering. Further, due to the increase in agent I.D. scams, travel suppliers are now accepting I.D. cards only from fully accredited I.A.T.A.N travel consultants. To drive my point even closer to home, earlier this year in Yonkers, New York a well-known I.D. card scam operation was ruled by a City Court as being an illegal pyramid scheme, due to the fact that these businesses mostly make their profits by increasing membership and not from their "travel sales". Like any pyramid scheme, new members are expected or required to recruit new members in to the pit. The whole focus here is the hefty fees taken in from the membership cost, not the sale of travel. Most of the advertisements seen in the rec.travel newsgroups promissing travel agent credentials and discounts are a product of this rule of the pyramid. In the case of New York, the scam business was forced to repay a buyer of their package for damages caused. Every agency and industry association. organization and trade magazine (except the association for free public travel and the promotion of phoney ID cards and business scams) has united against the selling of I.D. cards for profit. In a recent bold move, ARTA (Association of Retail Travel Agents) announced plans to set up a joint web site to lure prospective agents away from what are known in the industry as "card mills". (this faq will be updated with its web site as soon as it is completed. For now, consult with Travel Weekly’s editors [http://www.novalink.com/travel] Reference: isue number 94, volume 54, November 27, 1995, front page, "ARTA Net Site Set to Counter ID Card Mills"). Further, state governments around the country have been busy in the last year coming up with new ways to make it more difficult to set-up travel offices. On January 1 in California and other states all sellers of travel will be required by law to register with the state as such and pay registration fees to conduct the sale of travel. [consult with your local district attorney's office to find out if your state requires travel sellers to register as such to legally sell travel in your area] The reason for this industry-wide fight against travel agent ID scams and instant agent packages is not due to a fear of competition from small companies, nor is it a new tactic for the collection of revenue from the business sector- it is nothing less than an attempt to legitimate the industry itself. Just as we in concert stand against prostitution tours in Bangkok, or misadvertising of fares, or fly-by-night businesses- all of which hurt the industry as a whole -legitimate travel sellers seek to maintain a clean image of their trade in the eye of the traveling consumer. To conclude, a word of advice for the 2 types most lured by the I.D. card scam; If you would like to become a professional travel agent, because the industry seems attractive to you, check into a local travel agent training school. These institutions will effectively train and educate you to become a successful travel consultant and even help you with job placement. Another option is to ask a local travel agency if they will allow you to become a serious outside agent. If they are a legitimate company they won’t charge you a fee because you will hopefully be earning the agency money with the sales that you eventually bring in. When you have reached a certain level of production, you will then be allowed on the agency’s I.A.T.A.N list and be able to get some of the benefits offered to full time travel agents, the most common of which is long work weeks and low salaries. If you’re just looking to travel "for free" you’re better off spending your time and money on something else altogether. Go camping, or get your head office to sponser some incentive travel for you, or keep hitting-up your frequent flyer plan for bonuses and upgrades. Become a flight attendant! Buy a private jet! Nothing comes for free. Better still, find yourself a good travel agent who can help you consistently find the best deals on travel that are available and stick with them. If you would like to consult with any of the major travel agent associations, please, feel free: Association of Retail Travel Agents – http://www.waveconcepts.com/arta/ American Society of Travel Agents. – http://www.astanet.com C.L.I.A. – http://www.ten-io.com/clia/ Outside Sales Support Network – http://WWW.OSSN.COM Trade Magazines: Travel Trade – http://www.traveltrade.com Travel Agent – email Doug Finley, Travel Weekly – http://www.novalink.com/travel __ Exerpts from Travel Weekly regarding legal action against one instant agent scheme: ASTA to Federal Trade Commission: Halt Phony Card Mills’ Operations WASHINGTON — ASTA formally petitioned the Federal Trade Commission to put an end to "travel agent credential mills" that sell "bogus" identification cards enabling consumers to pass themselves off as professional agents. "Travel industry credential mills are an all-too-rapidly expanding field, with virtually unlimited potential to bilk the public, defraud travel industry suppliers, unfairly compete with legitimate travel agencies and damage the travel industry," ASTA told the commission. The Society said card mills are undermining "the dignity and respect accorded the travel agent profession" and are "an affront to the bona fide travel industry of the United States." The petition was based on the premise that unscrupulous card mills violate federal law prohibiting unfair and deceptive practices. Moving on two fronts, ASTA said it soon will file a similar complaint with the National Association of Attorneys General, alleging that such conduct violates similar state laws. The Society said it will write to major suppliers, urging them to communicate support for the complaints to the FTC and National Association of Attorneys General. NU-CONCEPTS RULING SETS PRESIDENT In a precedent-setting decision in a Yonkers, NY, municipal Court, Judge Thomas Dickerson Awarded a plaintiff $1,065 in damages against a defendant who sought to promote a $495 "fast-start plan" offered by NU- Concepts in Travel, Santa Fe Springs, CA to become an "instant" travel agent. "There is nothing new about NU-Concepts," said Judge Dickerson. "It is an old scheme, repackaged for a new audience of gullible consumers mesmerized by the glamour of the travel industry and hungry for free or reduced-cost travel services" "Stripped of its clever disguise as a recruiter and educator of outside travel agents, NU-Concepts is nothing more than a pyramid scheme." Judge Dickerson also stated that NU-Concepts violated state law prohibiting "chain distribution schemes" in which a person buys the … read more »
Response:
>Several Members of my group, Travel Works International, just returned >home from a 7 night Western Caribbean Cruise on Royal Caribbean, >Outside cabins, for $238 pp. This is known as an Agent >Familiarization trip, where Travel Agents are wined and dined to >promote the Ship to their patrons.
As an agency owner for several year I can assure anyone reading this the agents are not wined and dined anymore than anyone else on a cruise. Occassionally I have been wined on a ship inspection in port but often even then no food.
Response:
Paul, Who owns the client list? Tracy
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Several Members of my group, Travel Works International, just returned > home from a 7 night Western Caribbean Cruise on Royal Caribbean, > Outside cabins, for $238 pp. This is known as an Agent > Familiarization trip, where Travel Agents are wined and dined to > promote the Ship to their patrons. > We are planning a similar trip this summer. > Travelworks is a licensed bonded certified travel agency with a > worldwide network of Independent Travel Agents. Approved by > International Airlines Travel Agent Network (IATAN) and Cruise Lines > International Association (CLIA), Travelworks is endorsed by the > world’s major airlines and travel suppliers. > By becoming an Independent Agent for Travelworks International, you > are provided many tools and services that allow you to manage and > operate your own Home based Travel Agency. We also provide a fabulous > Online Booking and Training System which helps you promote and market > your Travel Agency online and learn how to use the travel tools. > These tools and services are provided to all Travelworks International > Independent Agents as part of our "Become A Travel Agent" Program. > OUR PRODUCTS > Travelworks International is a 12 year old Travel Agency that has made > it possible for individuals to become Home Based Independent Travel > Agents! > As a Travel Agent you’ll have the opportunity to save thousands on > your own personal travel, or MAKE thousands helping others with their > vacation planning! By purchasing the Travelworks International > "Become A Travel Agent" Package, you will learn how to become a real > Travel Agent and will receive: > Personal Travel Agent ID Card > After you have completed the Travelworks Training Program, you will be > able to receive your Travel Agent ID card. This ID Card is exclusive > to Travelworks International Travel Agents and includes the > Travelworks IATA (International Association of Travel Agents) Number > which identifies you as one of our Independent Travel Agents. Use > this card to receive huge discounts and FREE upgrades on travel, hotel > accommodations and rental cars. You can save thousands on travel > benefits with this exclusive Travelworks Travel Agent ID Card. > 50% Commissions For All Bookings > Earn 50% of our Agency commission on any airfare or cruises that are > booked through the Travelworks International Booking Engine. Even > though airlines have cut out commissions on "Published" fares, we have > Consolidators where you can still earn on last minute tickets to major > cities. > Personal Online Traveldesk > Our "Personal Virtual Office" includes everything you will need to run > your Independent Travel Agency and Book Airline and Cruise > Reservations. This is your own "Start Page" or "Client Page". You > design this portal the way you want with the tools and information you > need. The Personal Online Traveldesk will soon include your own > Contact Manager, Address Book, Calendar, Schedule, Web Based Email, > Todo List, and Much More – in addition to your educational tools and > services! > Online Booking Engine Hosting Subscription > By purchasing the "Become A Travel Agent" Package from Travelworks > International you will receive the Online Booking Engine and > educational tools hosted on your own web site. This package includes > thousands of dollars worth of online business building tools and > marketing systems to help you build your own online presence and > access the travel tools and services – and is available at the minimal > subscription fee to all Agents! > For more information > http://www.mytwi.com/paul.html > 1-800-242-0363 x 5779#
Response:
Several Members of my group, Travel Works International, just returned home from a 7 night Western Caribbean Cruise on Royal Caribbean, Outside cabins, for $238 pp. This is known as an Agent Familiarization trip, where Travel Agents are wined and dined to promote the Ship to their patrons. We are planning a similar trip this summer. Travelworks is a licensed bonded certified travel agency with a worldwide network of Independent Travel Agents. Approved by International Airlines Travel Agent Network (IATAN) and Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), Travelworks is endorsed by the world’s major airlines and travel suppliers. By becoming an Independent Agent for Travelworks International, you are provided many tools and services that allow you to manage and operate your own Home based Travel Agency. We also provide a fabulous Online Booking and Training System which helps you promote and market your Travel Agency online and learn how to use the travel tools. These tools and services are provided to all Travelworks International Independent Agents as part of our "Become A Travel Agent" Program. OUR PRODUCTS Travelworks International is a 12 year old Travel Agency that has made it possible for individuals to become Home Based Independent Travel Agents! As a Travel Agent you’ll have the opportunity to save thousands on your own personal travel, or MAKE thousands helping others with their vacation planning! By purchasing the Travelworks International "Become A Travel Agent" Package, you will learn how to become a real Travel Agent and will receive: Personal Travel Agent ID Card After you have completed the Travelworks Training Program, you will be able to receive your Travel Agent ID card. This ID Card is exclusive to Travelworks International Travel Agents and includes the Travelworks IATA (International Association of Travel Agents) Number which identifies you as one of our Independent Travel Agents. Use this card to receive huge discounts and FREE upgrades on travel, hotel accommodations and rental cars. You can save thousands on travel benefits with this exclusive Travelworks Travel Agent ID Card. 50% Commissions For All Bookings Earn 50% of our Agency commission on any airfare or cruises that are booked through the Travelworks International Booking Engine. Even though airlines have cut out commissions on "Published" fares, we have Consolidators where you can still earn on last minute tickets to major cities. Personal Online Traveldesk Our "Personal Virtual Office" includes everything you will need to run your Independent Travel Agency and Book Airline and Cruise Reservations. This is your own "Start Page" or "Client Page". You design this portal the way you want with the tools and information you need. The Personal Online Traveldesk will soon include your own Contact Manager, Address Book, Calendar, Schedule, Web Based Email, Todo List, and Much More – in addition to your educational tools and services! Online Booking Engine Hosting Subscription By purchasing the "Become A Travel Agent" Package from Travelworks International you will receive the Online Booking Engine and educational tools hosted on your own web site. This package includes thousands of dollars worth of online business building tools and marketing systems to help you build your own online presence and access the travel tools and services – and is available at the minimal subscription fee to all Agents! For more information http://www.mytwi.com/paul.html 1-800-242-0363 x 5779#
Response:
Several Members of my group, Travel Works International, just returned home from a 7 night Western Caribbean Cruise on Royal Caribbean, Outside cabins, for $238 pp. This is known as an Agent Familiarization trip, where Travel Agents are wined and dined to promote the Ship to their patrons. We are planning a similar trip this summer. Travelworks is a licensed bonded certified travel agency with a worldwide network of Independent Travel Agents. Approved by International Airlines Travel Agent Network (IATAN) and Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), Travelworks is endorsed by the world’s major airlines and travel suppliers. By becoming an Independent Agent for Travelworks International, you are provided many tools and services that allow you to manage and operate your own Home based Travel Agency. We also provide a fabulous Online Booking and Training System which helps you promote and market your Travel Agency online and learn how to use the travel tools. These tools and services are provided to all Travelworks International Independent Agents as part of our "Become A Travel Agent" Program. OUR PRODUCTS Travelworks International is a 12 year old Travel Agency that has made it possible for individuals to become Home Based Independent Travel Agents! As a Travel Agent you’ll have the opportunity to save thousands on your own personal travel, or MAKE thousands helping others with their vacation planning! By purchasing the Travelworks International "Become A Travel Agent" Package, you will learn how to become a real Travel Agent and will receive: Personal Travel Agent ID Card After you have completed the Travelworks Training Program, you will be able to receive your Travel Agent ID card. This ID Card is exclusive to Travelworks International Travel Agents and includes the Travelworks IATA (International Association of Travel Agents) Number which identifies you as one of our Independent Travel Agents. Use this card to receive huge discounts and FREE upgrades on travel, hotel accommodations and rental cars. You can save thousands on travel benefits with this exclusive Travelworks Travel Agent ID Card. 50% Commissions For All Bookings Earn 50% of our Agency commission on any airfare or cruises that are booked through the Travelworks International Booking Engine. Even though airlines have cut out commissions on "Published" fares, we have Consolidators where you can still earn on last minute tickets to major cities. Personal Online Traveldesk Our "Personal Virtual Office" includes everything you will need to run your Independent Travel Agency and Book Airline and Cruise Reservations. This is your own "Start Page" or "Client Page". You design this portal the way you want with the tools and information you need. The Personal Online Traveldesk will soon include your own Contact Manager, Address Book, Calendar, Schedule, Web Based Email, Todo List, and Much More – in addition to your educational tools and services! Online Booking Engine Hosting Subscription By purchasing the "Become A Travel Agent" Package from Travelworks International you will receive the Online Booking Engine and educational tools hosted on your own web site. This package includes thousands of dollars worth of online business building tools and marketing systems to help you build your own online presence and access the travel tools and services – and is available at the minimal subscription fee to all Agents! For more information http://www.mytwi.com/paul.html 1-800-242-0363 x 5779#
Response:
Paul, Who owns the client list? Tracy
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Several Members of my group, Travel Works International, just returned > home from a 7 night Western Caribbean Cruise on Royal Caribbean, > Outside cabins, for $238 pp. This is known as an Agent > Familiarization trip, where Travel Agents are wined and dined to > promote the Ship to their patrons. > We are planning a similar trip this summer. > Travelworks is a licensed bonded certified travel agency with a > worldwide network of Independent Travel Agents. Approved by > International Airlines Travel Agent Network (IATAN) and Cruise Lines > International Association (CLIA), Travelworks is endorsed by the > world’s major airlines and travel suppliers. > By becoming an Independent Agent for Travelworks International, you > are provided many tools and services that allow you to manage and > operate your own Home based Travel Agency. We also provide a fabulous > Online Booking and Training System which helps you promote and market > your Travel Agency online and learn how to use the travel tools. > These tools and services are provided to all Travelworks International > Independent Agents as part of our "Become A Travel Agent" Program. > OUR PRODUCTS > Travelworks International is a 12 year old Travel Agency that has made > it possible for individuals to become Home Based Independent Travel > Agents! > As a Travel Agent you’ll have the opportunity to save thousands on > your own personal travel, or MAKE thousands helping others with their > vacation planning! By purchasing the Travelworks International > "Become A Travel Agent" Package, you will learn how to become a real > Travel Agent and will receive: > Personal Travel Agent ID Card > After you have completed the Travelworks Training Program, you will be > able to receive your Travel Agent ID card. This ID Card is exclusive > to Travelworks International Travel Agents and includes the > Travelworks IATA (International Association of Travel Agents) Number > which identifies you as one of our Independent Travel Agents. Use > this card to receive huge discounts and FREE upgrades on travel, hotel > accommodations and rental cars. You can save thousands on travel > benefits with this exclusive Travelworks Travel Agent ID Card. > 50% Commissions For All Bookings > Earn 50% of our Agency commission on any airfare or cruises that are > booked through the Travelworks International Booking Engine. Even > though airlines have cut out commissions on "Published" fares, we have > Consolidators where you can still earn on last minute tickets to major > cities. > Personal Online Traveldesk > Our "Personal Virtual Office" includes everything you will need to run > your Independent Travel Agency and Book Airline and Cruise > Reservations. This is your own "Start Page" or "Client Page". You > design this portal the way you want with the tools and information you > need. The Personal Online Traveldesk will soon include your own > Contact Manager, Address Book, Calendar, Schedule, Web Based Email, > Todo List, and Much More – in addition to your educational tools and > services! > Online Booking Engine Hosting Subscription > By purchasing the "Become A Travel Agent" Package from Travelworks > International you will receive the Online Booking Engine and > educational tools hosted on your own web site. This package includes > thousands of dollars worth of online business building tools and > marketing systems to help you build your own online presence and > access the travel tools and services – and is available at the minimal > subscription fee to all Agents! > For more information > http://www.mytwi.com/paul.html > 1-800-242-0363 x 5779#
Response:
>Several Members of my group, Travel Works International, just returned >home from a 7 night Western Caribbean Cruise on Royal Caribbean, >Outside cabins, for $238 pp. This is known as an Agent >Familiarization trip, where Travel Agents are wined and dined to >promote the Ship to their patrons.
As an agency owner for several year I can assure anyone reading this the agents are not wined and dined anymore than anyone else on a cruise. Occassionally I have been wined on a ship inspection in port but often even then no food.
Response:
<spam snipped> Why do I get the feeling that if I contacted this fellow, it would cost me hundreds of dollars to join his outfit?
Response:
[snip Multi-Level-Marketing spam] Now, THAT was an advertisement!
Response:
> [snip Multi-Level-Marketing spam] > Now, THAT was an advertisement!
It sure was! Julie
Response:
SCAM alert! SCAM alert!! From Travel Weekly and the American Society of Travel Agents: For Informational purposes only: Agent I.D. Scams, or, The Instant Travel Agent This faq was written to clearify the purpose of and create a public discussion of travel agent I.D. card scams that exist in the travel business and have infiltrated the internet and Usenet in particular. This post will become a frequent posting on rec.travel newsgroups and anywhere else ID card scams feel they can lure unsuspecting consumers. As legal action grows against the companies involved, additions will be made regarding specific legal rulings. Already, one court in New York has ruled these operations as "illegal pyramid schemes" (see article below) The travel industry is full of varying types of scams and bad deals. From the selling of stolen tickets, to the selling of phoney tickets, to false advertising of prices, the less-than honest have been able to take widescale advantage of the public’s infatuation and misunderstanding of the world of travel. One of the more popular scams in existence today is the so-called "agent I.D." card scam, in which a company claims to sell "agent qualifications" to anyone who can fork over the hefty fee they require. With this "I.D. card", which is often only a made-up business card and a list of the 800 numbers of airlines and cruise lines, the company promises it’s holder can do amazing things like "travel at travel agent rates", travel for free and reap huge discounts on all their travel costs, without ever having to go to the trouble of working professionally as a travel agent and without ever earning the discounts by selling travel. These companies often operate from legitimate travel agencies and profess that you will be listed as an "outside agent", an agent that works outside of the office. The fees for this can range from 295.00 for most bogus deals and up to 3 or 4 thousand dollars for other even more bogus plans. All such offers operate on the fringe of the law or respectability and countless companies have taken people’s money and ran, leaving the consumer stranded (for an excellent article on just this topic, see TravelAge West [contact 647- 1995, page one, "Learnng the Hard Way" by Scott Bittle] Most individuals who are initiated into these scams end up eating their losses quickly and seek out other scams to waste their money on. Still others, who believe they are now travel agents, often grow into the industry and stay to become respectable travel consultants, eventhough they now realize that whatever fees they paid to get where they are were totally unnecessary. The fact is that travel agent travel discounts are too few and too small for the professional full-time travel agent and even smaller for the character who does not actually sell travel. Real discounts come when an agent has actually produced volume in sales from the supplier they wish to get discounts from. Regular discounts are often more expensive or the same price as the cheapest package or special price that a hotel or airline is offering. Further, due to the increase in agent I.D. scams, travel suppliers are now accepting I.D. cards only from fully accredited I.A.T.A.N travel consultants. To drive my point even closer to home, earlier this year in Yonkers, New York a well-known I.D. card scam operation was ruled by a City Court as being an illegal pyramid scheme, due to the fact that these businesses mostly make their profits by increasing membership and not from their "travel sales". Like any pyramid scheme, new members are expected or required to recruit new members in to the pit. The whole focus here is the hefty fees taken in from the membership cost, not the sale of travel. Most of the advertisements seen in the rec.travel newsgroups promissing travel agent credentials and discounts are a product of this rule of the pyramid. In the case of New York, the scam business was forced to repay a buyer of their package for damages caused. Every agency and industry association. organization and trade magazine (except the association for free public travel and the promotion of phoney ID cards and business scams) has united against the selling of I.D. cards for profit. In a recent bold move, ARTA (Association of Retail Travel Agents) announced plans to set up a joint web site to lure prospective agents away from what are known in the industry as "card mills". (this faq will be updated with its web site as soon as it is completed. For now, consult with Travel Weekly’s editors [http://www.novalink.com/travel] Reference: isue number 94, volume 54, November 27, 1995, front page, "ARTA Net Site Set to Counter ID Card Mills"). Further, state governments around the country have been busy in the last year coming up with new ways to make it more difficult to set-up travel offices. On January 1 in California and other states all sellers of travel will be required by law to register with the state as such and pay registration fees to conduct the sale of travel. [consult with your local district attorney's office to find out if your state requires travel sellers to register as such to legally sell travel in your area] The reason for this industry-wide fight against travel agent ID scams and instant agent packages is not due to a fear of competition from small companies, nor is it a new tactic for the collection of revenue from the business sector- it is nothing less than an attempt to legitimate the industry itself. Just as we in concert stand against prostitution tours in Bangkok, or misadvertising of fares, or fly-by-night businesses- all of which hurt the industry as a whole -legitimate travel sellers seek to maintain a clean image of their trade in the eye of the traveling consumer. To conclude, a word of advice for the 2 types most lured by the I.D. card scam; If you would like to become a professional travel agent, because the industry seems attractive to you, check into a local travel agent training school. These institutions will effectively train and educate you to become a successful travel consultant and even help you with job placement. Another option is to ask a local travel agency if they will allow you to become a serious outside agent. If they are a legitimate company they won’t charge you a fee because you will hopefully be earning the agency money with the sales that you eventually bring in. When you have reached a certain level of production, you will then be allowed on the agency’s I.A.T.A.N list and be able to get some of the benefits offered to full time travel agents, the most common of which is long work weeks and low salaries. If you’re just looking to travel "for free" you’re better off spending your time and money on something else altogether. Go camping, or get your head office to sponser some incentive travel for you, or keep hitting-up your frequent flyer plan for bonuses and upgrades. Become a flight attendant! Buy a private jet! Nothing comes for free. Better still, find yourself a good travel agent who can help you consistently find the best deals on travel that are available and stick with them. If you would like to consult with any of the major travel agent associations, please, feel free: Association of Retail Travel Agents – http://www.waveconcepts.com/arta/ American Society of Travel Agents. – http://www.astanet.com C.L.I.A. – http://www.ten-io.com/clia/ Outside Sales Support Network – http://WWW.OSSN.COM Trade Magazines: Travel Trade – http://www.traveltrade.com Travel Agent – email Doug Finley, Travel Weekly – http://www.novalink.com/travel __ Exerpts from Travel Weekly regarding legal action against one instant agent scheme: ASTA to Federal Trade Commission: Halt Phony Card Mills’ Operations WASHINGTON — ASTA formally petitioned the Federal Trade Commission to put an end to "travel agent credential mills" that sell "bogus" identification cards enabling consumers to pass themselves off as professional agents. "Travel industry credential mills are an all-too-rapidly expanding field, with virtually unlimited potential to bilk the public, defraud travel industry suppliers, unfairly compete with legitimate travel agencies and damage the travel industry," ASTA told the commission. The Society said card mills are undermining "the dignity and respect accorded the travel agent profession" and are "an affront to the bona fide travel industry of the United States." The petition was based on the premise that unscrupulous card mills violate federal law prohibiting unfair and deceptive practices. Moving on two fronts, ASTA said it soon will file a similar complaint with the National Association of Attorneys General, alleging that such conduct violates similar state laws. The Society said it will write to major suppliers, urging them to communicate support for the complaints to the FTC and National Association of Attorneys General. NU-CONCEPTS RULING SETS PRESIDENT In a precedent-setting decision in a Yonkers, NY, municipal Court, Judge Thomas Dickerson Awarded a plaintiff $1,065 in damages against a defendant who sought to promote a $495 "fast-start plan" offered by NU- Concepts in Travel, Santa Fe Springs, CA to become an "instant" travel agent. "There is nothing new about NU-Concepts," said Judge Dickerson. "It is an old scheme, repackaged for a new audience of gullible consumers mesmerized by the glamour of the travel industry and hungry for free or reduced-cost travel services" "Stripped of its clever disguise as a recruiter and educator of outside travel agents, NU-Concepts is nothing more than a pyramid scheme." Judge Dickerson also stated that NU-Concepts violated state law prohibiting "chain distribution schemes" in which a person buys the … read more »
Response:
>SCAM alert!
What scam ??? The $238 did not include port charges …that’s what makes it sound so cheap … and once we shoveled half the coal from the bin into the boiler we had plenty of room in our stateroom … Meals were not included … but there was plenty of vermin to catch and cook over the open fire … for very little extra charges … and the tips were NOT automatically added to our bill !!!! In the Village …. I am not a number … I am a free man !!!!
Response:
Are you associated with cruisemates.com??? Not that I have anything against cruisemates; just thought I’d beat the other Paul to the punch. Dean in Peoria > Several Members of my group, Travel Works International, just returned > home from a 7 night Western Caribbean Cruise on Royal Caribbean, > Outside cabins, for $238 pp. This is known as an Agent > Familiarization trip, where Travel Agents are wined and dined to > promote the Ship to their patrons.
…snip a bunch of CR*P…