WELCOME TO OUR INFORMATIVE WEBSITE THAT PROVIDES THE INSIGHT INTO WHAT IT TAKES TO BECOME A HOME-BASED TRAVEL AGENT IN ADDITION TO WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW, BOTH AS A TRAVEL AGENT AND CONSUMER TO AVOID THE TRAPS OF THE PSEUDO TRAVEL AGENT CON ARTIST.
The purpose of this website is to make consumers who love to travel and the serious travel agent who is genuinely interested in serving those consumers aware of a growing problem in this segment of the travel industry.
The problem is the huge influx of the so called referral travel agent (RTA) that are being recruited by the multi-level-marketing companies known as MLMs/card mills. These untrained travel agents are really consumers that have been recruited by the MLMs to recruit other consumers. The MLM primary revenue source is the recruiting of consumers to sell travel and the sales of travel websites.
The focus of this website is to help educate you with regard to MLMs, how they operate, and the potential harm to you, the traveling consumer and the professional travel agent. The header above depicting a sinking ship is merely to bring to your attention the seriousness of this problem.
EXPOSING THE MLMs and CARD MILL AGENCIES- "CONSUMER BEWARE, If your travel agent affiliates with any of these companies."
I think it's always good to know who these vultures are that prey upon the travel agent and consumer. The vultures are the companies only and do not reflect upon the few serious travel agents among them. I do not address why these serious travel professionals belong to such trash, however, it is their business and their decision.
I just cannot understand why some suppliers support the 95% of these MLM affiliates when they are just consumers trying to discount their vacation. Some suppliers will say they support these companies because they can't separate the consumers from the serious agents. The solution is to stiffen the requirements for all incentives to travel agents. Of course, there are those suppliers that feed on pure greed for a sale and allow consumer affiliates to book travel and provide commissions. ( It's called "commission rebating" or throwing manure against the wall to see what sticks). It's OK for the suppliers but not the travel agent to rebate commissions. Suppliers who really care about the travel professional would not advertise on the MLM websites or display at their "smell the money" conventions. A supplier does not need to terminate the MLM agency, they just need to toughen up their requirements as to who sells their products and who goes on a FAM.
The following companies are either MLMs, card mills or financially troubled host agencies. If you know of others please let me know and I will add them to the list that will be printed twice monthly. If you find that I am incorrect in listing one of these companies, I will do a retraction in the following issue.
A-1 TRAVEL-VACATION.COM
ALL TRAVEL and CRUISE CENTER, INC
AMERICAN TRAVEL BUREAU
AMERICAN VOYAGER TRAVEL a/k/a GRAND VOYAGER TRAVEL
CASH CARD WORLDWIDE, now known as TRAVEL REACTION
COASTAL VACATION CLUB
GATEWAY ASSURANCE SYSTEM
GOLDRUSH GETAWAYS
EE TRAVEL BENEFITS
GLOBAL TRAVEL INTERNATIONAL
FUN TIME VACATION CLUB
GAZOOBA TRAVEL
GT TRENDS formerly PRT TRAVEL
HOLIDAY PLANNERS a/k/a INFINITE FRONTIERS and formerly AMERICAN VOYAGER, not to be confused with Holiday Planners , Branson, Missouri.
INTELETRAVEL(terminated by IATAN)
KE TRAVEL
JOIN CRUISE TO CASH
PROTRAVEL NETWORK, not to be confused with ProTravel International
TRAVELBRIDGE
TRAVELOGIA already cooked
TRAVELSTAR (JOYSTAR)
TRAVELWIZE a/k/a CYBERWIZE
TRAVERUS
ULTIMATE CHOICE TRAVEL
WORLD VENTURES TRAVEL
YTB INTERNATIONAL (Terminated by IATAN, RCL and Perillo Tours). YOUR TRAVEL BIZ, YTBCARS, YTB TRAVEL NETWORK and REZconnect TECHNOLOGIES operate as separate companies under YTB International may not be affected by the terminations. For example, Vacation Central, under Rezconnect is not affected.
I have only heard of three agency terminations by RCL effective November 9, 2007. They are YTB, GLOBAL INTERNATIONAL and JOYSTAR. I understand RCL reinstated Global. IATAN terminated 4 agencies, two of which are YTB and Inteletravel. If you know of others please let me know.
My material is well researched and my comments are straight forward.
It is my hope that any consumer, travel industry professional, travel organization and media along with the government authorities perform their own research and due diligence into this important problem.
Anyone agreeing with my thoughts concerning this "out of control" industry should forward this website address to other interested parties. Your comments are appreciated.
