Victim Location 93908
Total money lost $7,000
Type of a scam Travel/Vacations
I am 63 yrs old and was on vacation in Honolulu with my 14yr. old niece. While looking at a snorkeling tour at the visitors center booth we were refered to IDS WORLD discovered travel club for a presentation. If we attended our snorkeling package would be half price. We attended the presentation which promised great wholesale discounted travel prices for airfares, accommodations, rental cars, cruises, all inclusive resorts, as well as week long villas and condos. I was promised better prices than I could find on line with Orbitz, expedia Priceline or any other companies. If I did they would meet or beat that price. I was promised a personal concierge service to meet all my needs 24 hours a day. The membership was $7,000. with yearly annual fees of $200. Based on the sales pitch presented you could not lose unless you didn’t travel. Two or three vacations would pay the investment fee, if it were true! I asked to finance the entire amount which they did sending the account to Monterey Financial. I had not even gotten home before they began badgering me for $299. to initiate the membership. I paid it as well as August payment of $200. In September I tryed to use the service it was a complete disaster! The flight I thought I booked to Colorado from Calif. the rental car I thought I booked didn’t go through, yet my reservations said thank you for booking with us. We were DENIED several times on the hotel accommodations due to the message that read "denied duplicate card error". I was unable to contact anyone only a recording, I left a message. We booked our hotel through Priceline at a cheaper rate. Then I realized the rental car was $30. cheaper as well. I spent several days attempting to contact the company, leaving messages requesting contact, e-mails sent with no response and when I finally got a person she switched me to an agent which again went to a recording. Eventually I did get a real person who related the following : my flight reservation didn’t go through. My rental car could be canceled because it had not gone through and they could not meet or beat Priceline. The Hotel accommodations were booked and confirmed after being denied twice, also at a higher rate than we booked at Priceline. She would NOT meet or beat our cheaper price booking nor was she able to cancel the reservations. We now have 2 rooms at $1200. If you call all numbers provided you get recordings no concierge. Evidently there are 2 companies IDS the provider and World discovered as the sales company. IDS is suing Worlddiscovered for breach of contract, each says contact the other is responsible, not their problem. This is far from the presentation sales pitch I thought I was signing for. I can get cheaper prices on my own free and without the frustration. If I don’t pay the $7,000 I will be turned into collections but I am unable to use the service that costs more and is not the product promised. I have been scammed! This may qualify for elder fiduciary abuse as well. I need help ASAP.