888-576-1256
 | Buyer Beware 2008-03-26 13:07:57 Telemarketer |
This is from consumer complaints against phone numbers 800-413-5613 and 800-582-6024.
Please check out this expose on Utopian Travel that ran on KATU in Portland, OR.
http://www.katu.com/news/specialreports/16372721.html
Travel club's 'exclusive' deals don't exist, many say
By Thom Jensen and KATU Web Staff
Video BEAVERTON, Ore. - Did you get one of those 'travel itineraries' in the mail promising free airline tickets? Lots of people did and many are saying they were duped into giving away thousands of dollars for exclusive travel bargains that don't exist.
The travel vouchers have logos that look like they come from the airlines but don't be fooled. Everyone who gets one of the itineraries is told that if they attend a Utopian travel seminar at a business center in Beaverton, they will get two free airline tickets.
However, while there many are persuaded into buying travel club memberships that cost anywhere from $3,500 to $12,000 with promises of free cruises and exclusive member bargains.
Once Larry and Nila Butler got home from Utopian's seminar, they said they realized the promises did not exist and tried to cancel their credit card payment. But by then it was too late, the payment had already gone through and the money was gone.
Customers like Ross Villegas paid thousands of dollars for lifelong bargains. But when KATU News logged onto Utopian's Web site using Villegas' customer ID and password (with his permission), we did not see any real deals, like exclusive hotel bargains.
In fact, the prices were $20 to $30 more on Utopian's Web site than what we found on free Web sites. And the same was true for airfare, cruises and tropical resort packages. You can find the same or better deals on Web sites like Orbitz, Travelocity, Hotels.com and Priceline.
We found the owner of Utopian Travel, Janet Wilson, at the company's Beaverton office and she swore several times she would sit down and give us answers for the customers who felt they were scammed.
After we never heard back, we returned to look for her. We were confronted by her son, Bryan, a Utopian salesman who said she was in but still had no time to talk to us despite her promises that she would answer our questions.
At one point, we finally did catch Wilson in the doorway and she said she would reimburse anyone who wanted their money back.
However, those who bought the expensive packages aren't so sure that will happen. The Butlers received a letter from the company stating they could not obtain a refund and that refunds were not offered simply due to buyer's remorse.
Under Oregon law, refunds are supposed to be available within three days of purchase. The Butlers applied for a refund within one day and were still denied.
The Attorney General's office in Oregon has received more than 20 complaints against Utopian and is investigating. Meanwhile, Utopian's attorney said owner Janet Wilson will not be answering any of our questions.
The company has had problems in other states. The Attorney General offices in Indiana and Wisconsin also investigated complaints against Utopian's vacation travel club and fined them. In Missouri, where Wilson used to work in the vacation travel club's home office, the company received a record $1.9 million fine.
Please check out this expose on Utopian Travel that ran on KATU in Portland, OR.
http://www.katu.com/news/specialreports/16372721.html
Travel club's 'exclusive' deals don't exist, many say
By Thom Jensen and KATU Web Staff
Video BEAVERTON, Ore. - Did you get one of those 'travel itineraries' in the mail promising free airline tickets? Lots of people did and many are saying they were duped into giving away thousands of dollars for exclusive travel bargains that don't exist.
The travel vouchers have logos that look like they come from the airlines but don't be fooled. Everyone who gets one of the itineraries is told that if they attend a Utopian travel seminar at a business center in Beaverton, they will get two free airline tickets.
However, while there many are persuaded into buying travel club memberships that cost anywhere from $3,500 to $12,000 with promises of free cruises and exclusive member bargains.
Once Larry and Nila Butler got home from Utopian's seminar, they said they realized the promises did not exist and tried to cancel their credit card payment. But by then it was too late, the payment had already gone through and the money was gone.
Customers like Ross Villegas paid thousands of dollars for lifelong bargains. But when KATU News logged onto Utopian's Web site using Villegas' customer ID and password (with his permission), we did not see any real deals, like exclusive hotel bargains.
In fact, the prices were $20 to $30 more on Utopian's Web site than what we found on free Web sites. And the same was true for airfare, cruises and tropical resort packages. You can find the same or better deals on Web sites like Orbitz, Travelocity, Hotels.com and Priceline.
We found the owner of Utopian Travel, Janet Wilson, at the company's Beaverton office and she swore several times she would sit down and give us answers for the customers who felt they were scammed.
After we never heard back, we returned to look for her. We were confronted by her son, Bryan, a Utopian salesman who said she was in but still had no time to talk to us despite her promises that she would answer our questions.
At one point, we finally did catch Wilson in the doorway and she said she would reimburse anyone who wanted their money back.
However, those who bought the expensive packages aren't so sure that will happen. The Butlers received a letter from the company stating they could not obtain a refund and that refunds were not offered simply due to buyer's remorse.
Under Oregon law, refunds are supposed to be available within three days of purchase. The Butlers applied for a refund within one day and were still denied.
The Attorney General's office in Oregon has received more than 20 complaints against Utopian and is investigating. Meanwhile, Utopian's attorney said owner Janet Wilson will not be answering any of our questions.
The company has had problems in other states. The Attorney General offices in Indiana and Wisconsin also investigated complaints against Utopian's vacation travel club and fined them. In Missouri, where Wilson used to work in the vacation travel club's home office, the company received a record $1.9 million fine.
| Awingnut 2008-02-27 04:05:48 Telemarketer |
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