I received a postcard saying I would receive two tickets on Southwest Airlines anywhere on its system plus two weekend nights at a Marriott Hotel. All I had to do was attend a 90 minute sales program. The postcard mentioned Expedia and SWA so I assumed there was some partnership involved. I called the number on the card to inquire further and the polite young man on the other end said it was true- the company he represented was a travel services organization that preferred to spend it's advertising budget on travel for potential customers rather than conventional methods.
My wife and I attended the presentation and were told by the speaker that, for $9000 up front, we would receive steep discounts on travel. We declined and were given a "travel voucher" to complete and return in order to receive our free travel. I did not read it until we arrived home. The back of the voucher had about 1000 words of conditions and restrictions and required that we send money to some travel agency in Florida in order to pay certain fees.
That seemed like a bad plan, so I ended up in touch with one Branden Vidal, ostensibly the VP in charge of public relations for United Reservation Services. He admitted they did not disclose travel terms and conditions because it would significantly reduce the number of people who would attend the presentations. That said, he proudly advised he was an honorable ex-Marine and his company intended to honor it's obligations to me. In the end, after several e-mail echanges, he still wanted me to send money to some distant travel agent and accept very restrictive terms and conditions. I told him I had no desire to have restrictions for vacation travel and suggested he simply figure out the cheapest tickets he could buy from California to Maine and send a check for that amount. Radio silence ensued, but not before he called me a half-wit in one e-mail exchange.
It's hard to say if there is any real value here but I was not about to send a check to strangers and hope for the best.
P.S. Brandon said there was never any guarantee travel would be on SWA. These guys are not honest.
I attended a 90 minute United Reservation Services and received a promotional gift voucher for attending.
The voucher is from the Travel Center, (see Rip-off reports for 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 the 'port fees and taxes' I was prepared to pay.
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 United Reservation Services (see Ripoff Reports on URS) To no avail. They defended the reputation of Travel Center, a company with a D- Better Business Bureau rating.
The United Reservation Services rep, Brandon Vidal, rolled over and played dead when he was confronted with the worthless voucher. He was helpless when it came to getting it fullfilled by the Travel Center. Brandon Vidal likes to tell you he is a former Marine (see other URS Rip-off reports and also Brandon Vidal's rebuttal) but I never imagined anyone in a customer service position would give up so easlily. Al he could do was tell me to call them.
United Reservation Services, LLC Reviews
I received a postcard saying I would receive two tickets on Southwest Airlines anywhere on its system plus two weekend nights at a Marriott Hotel. All I had to do was attend a 90 minute sales program. The postcard mentioned Expedia and SWA so I assumed there was some partnership involved. I called the number on the card to inquire further and the polite young man on the other end said it was true- the company he represented was a travel services organization that preferred to spend it's advertising budget on travel for potential customers rather than conventional methods.
My wife and I attended the presentation and were told by the speaker that, for $9000 up front, we would receive steep discounts on travel. We declined and were given a "travel voucher" to complete and return in order to receive our free travel. I did not read it until we arrived home. The back of the voucher had about 1000 words of conditions and restrictions and required that we send money to some travel agency in Florida in order to pay certain fees.
That seemed like a bad plan, so I ended up in touch with one Branden Vidal, ostensibly the VP in charge of public relations for United Reservation Services. He admitted they did not disclose travel terms and conditions because it would significantly reduce the number of people who would attend the presentations. That said, he proudly advised he was an honorable ex-Marine and his company intended to honor it's obligations to me. In the end, after several e-mail echanges, he still wanted me to send money to some distant travel agent and accept very restrictive terms and conditions. I told him I had no desire to have restrictions for vacation travel and suggested he simply figure out the cheapest tickets he could buy from California to Maine and send a check for that amount. Radio silence ensued, but not before he called me a half-wit in one e-mail exchange.
It's hard to say if there is any real value here but I was not about to send a check to strangers and hope for the best.
P.S. Brandon said there was never any guarantee travel would be on SWA. These guys are not honest.
I attended a 90 minute United Reservation Services and received a promotional gift voucher for attending.
The voucher is from the Travel Center, (see Rip-off reports for 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 the 'port fees and taxes' I was prepared to pay.
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 United Reservation Services (see Ripoff Reports on URS) To no avail. They defended the reputation of Travel Center, a company with a D- Better Business Bureau rating.
The United Reservation Services rep, Brandon Vidal, rolled over and played dead when he was confronted with the worthless voucher. He was helpless when it came to getting it fullfilled by the Travel Center. Brandon Vidal likes to tell you he is a former Marine (see other URS Rip-off reports and also Brandon Vidal's rebuttal) but I never imagined anyone in a customer service position would give up so easlily. Al he could do was tell me to call them.