ComplaintsforAlways Travel with Us, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  09/18/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  09/18/2023 A travel agency in ******* called "Always Travel With Us, **** who claimed that they were affiliated with Vacation Village at Parkway asked me to pay a deposit of $99 which will be refunded back to me along with a $200.00 **** gift card and 3 day 2 night hotel stay voucher on the condition that I would need to show up to a hotel tour/presentation as a part of their promotional package. Sales talk was so good, I gave in to the deal, but hindsight 20/20 I realized there were huge red flags and upon searching up the Always Travel With Us, *** reviews, so many people had flagged this company as scam. So here are the issues I'm concerned of:1. In order to pay the 90 dollar deposit, they asked for my debit card number along with it's expiration date and 3 digit CVV/security code number. I was hesitant to give it to the lady at first but she told me that it's safe and that she understood my concerns but that I shouldn't worry about it. It felt so forced, I didn't know how I gave in to that but maybe that's how scammers convince/deceive people.2. Before I paid them, I asked them if it's possible for me to call back and pay later coz I wanted to ask my husband for input first before paying, but they told me that if I cut the call, I won't get the promotion package anymore.3. The things they told me verbally over the phone about the "terms and conditions" of the package were limited compared to what they put in the written vacation certificate which they emailed me after I paid the $99.00. Also they kept adding new conditions when I complained and called such as I needed to schedule the required tour presentation ASAP in order to get the $200 gift card and hotel stay voucher otherwise all the rewards will be invalidated. When I complained as to why I wasn't told these things prior to paying the $99 deposit, they didn't give a clear response and instead gave me a 6 months time frame for scheduling the tour presentation, and 18 months validity for the hotel stay voucher as a form of "compensation". 4. Also, the terms and conditions they gave me prior to paying and after really didn't match. Prior to paying, they said the $99 deposit is "fully refundable" but after paying, they said it's only fully refundable if I show up to the timeshare presentation. Prior to paying them, they said the hotel stay will be all covered and free and all i would need to pay is the "state tax" upon checkout (I clearly wrote it down my notes). Meanwhile after I paid, they sent me the payment receipt with attached file stating that I also have to pay the resort fees. To top it all off, I asked them for a complete copy of all the "terms and conditions" for the specific promotional package I paid for coz they kept verbally adding conditions that weren't even discussed to me before I paid, nor were written on the receipt/vacation certificate they emailed me after I paid. Unfortunately, they said they don't have a written copy for it. How can a business like this operate and ask people to pay them with only verbal terms and conditions???? I hope you guys can help me out. I looked up "Always Travel With Us, **** and 99% of all reviews were saying they got scammed too.

  Business response

  09/21/2023

   

  Complaint ID#: *******
  Consumer:Ma **** Tuozo
  Company:Always Travel With Us, Inc.
  
  
  To whom it may concern:
  
  Thank you for sending us the communication from the Consumer named above. We have reviewed the Complaint from the Consumer with our ******************** Manager.
  
  We deny the allegations that Consumer was forced to do anything and that any details of the offer were not properly presented to Consumer. In addition to the verbal information that was presented to the Consumer, written confirmation was sent to the Consumer as well; no new conditions were added. That said, we are pleased to inform you that the refund was already issued to the Consumers credit card account as a courtesy. A copy of the Refund Voucher is attached.
  
  We feel it is important to point out that all terms of the promotional vacation package were disclosed verbally and in writing to the Consumer. Written confirmation of the vacation package purchase after the payment was made. The written confirmation disclosed the details of the vacation package purchased as well as the cancellation policy.
  
  There was no wrong doing on the part of the company but we understand that there are times when there is a misunderstanding. As such, we are happy to resolve this request to the Consumers satisfaction. We thank the Consumer for taking the time to write about his concern and appreciate your attention to this important matter.
  
  Please feel free to contact me if you should require any additional information.
  
  Very truly yours,
  *******************
  Corporate Relations Manager

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  12/20/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  The transaction occurred July 27th. I was given misinformation of the package. They verbally told me twice that I would receive a refund for the charge, and I never did. I have been in contact with them several times and they said they have no record of me even calling, or of the refund that was promised. I have disputed with my credit card company, and I still did not receive the refund. The customer service is unreal and very unprofessional. I was told at first I had a year to get a refund, then told 30 days, both on the same call. I called back and they said they still did not have record of me calling, after I had just called that day. This company does not need to be in business and is a huge scam. They also said they sent me an email stating that if I wanted a refund, I needed to send them a letter. I told them I did not receive an email with that or otherwise I would have sent the letter. They said it was not there fault that I didn't receive the email, that It was on me.

  Business response

  12/22/2022

  BBB Case #********
  Consumer: ************************
  Business: Always Travel With Us, Inc.
  
  To whom it may concern:
  
  Thank you for sending us the communication from the Consumer named above. I have reviewed the Complaint from the Consumer along with the file for the Agreement at issue. We appreciate the opportunity to respond to Consumers communication and Complaint. We deny Consumers allegations in the Complaint. There was no misinformation provided to Consumer and there were no representations made regarding any refund.Additionally, we have the following information to provide as our response to the Complaint:
  
  On July 27, 2022, the Consumer elected to purchase a 5-Day/4-Night ******* Vacation Package from the Business at a cost of $299.00. The purchase of the Vacation Package allowed for the travel to ******* to be completed within twelve (12) months of the date of purchase, July 27, 2023. The Vacation Package also provided Consumer with the opportunity to receive a $200 **** Gift Card and a bonus vacation certificate for a 4-day and 3-night stay in *********, ****** upon attendance and completion of the required guided sales tour and presentation during their stay in *******,*******.
  
  On July 27, 2022, after the purchase of the Vacation Package was completed, the Business sent to Consumer the Vacation Certificate to Consumer via email. The Vacation Certificate was sent to Consumer at: *********************;this is the same email address provided by Consumer within this BBB Complaint.The Vacation Certificate that was sent to Consumer clearly confirmed the purchase along with the necessary details, terms, conditions and eligibility requirements as well as the cancellation policy for the Vacation Package. The cancellation policy as provided to the Consumer states as follows: You may cancel and receive a full refund without any penalty or obligation within thirty (30) days from the date of purchase or receipt of the vacation certificate, whichever occurs later. To cancel, a signed and dated statement that you are cancelling should be mailed with a postmark or hand delivered to Always Travel With Us, Inc. at ***********************************************************************************. Except as provided herein, once a vacation reservation is made and confirmed, this Vacation Certificate is no longer cancelable.
  
  Yesterday, December 20, 2022, nearly five (5) months after purchasing the Vacation Package, the Consumer called the Business with a request for a refund. This was the first form of communication that we received directly from Consumer. Consumer was advised that a refund is not available since the Vacation Package was purchased nearly five (5) months ago and that refunds are only issued for cancellation requests made within thirty (30) days of purchase.
  We stand firm in our position of no wrongdoing however; we are willing to provide Consumer with a complimentary six (6) month extension to the Vacation Certificate, as a courtesy. This will allow Consumer the opportunity to complete their travel and enjoy their 5-Day/4-Night ******* Vacation Package prior to January 27, 2024.
  If Consumer would like to accept our offer of a complimentary six (6) month extension and schedule their amazing travel dates, they may contact our ************************ Director, **********************************. ****************** is available by telephone at ************, by fax at ************ or by email at **************************************************************.
  
  We look forward to welcoming the Consumer on their ******* vacation in the very near future. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.
  
  Sincerely,
  *****************
  Corporate Relations Manager
  
  
  

  Customer response

  12/27/2022

   
  Complaint: 18617472
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
    The statements made by this company are completely false. I contacted the company 3 times prior to the call that was 5 months after. When they stated that I would receive the refund and I did not, I disputed the charge with my credit card company but was unsuccessful. They state that they do not have the recordings of the calls that I made prior to that day. I also never received an email stating that the refund could be made via mail. When I asked the representative about not receiving the email, they stated that there was nothing they could do since they had sent it out on their end, and it was "not their fault that I had not received the email."

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

  Business response

  12/28/2022

  December 28,2022

  
  We are rejecting Consumer's Complaint and follow up response for the following reasons:
  The statements that Consumer has made are not correct.
  The details regarding the vacation package were disclosed to Consumer verbally and then also followed up in writing on July 27, 2022.
  The written confirmation disclosed all of the details that were verbally discussed as well as all other terms and conditions.
  The Consumer was NOT misinformed about the cancellation policy or any other details regarding this vacation package.
  The Consumer did NOT make any contact directly with us for several months.
  There were no representations made to Consumer verbally that a refund would be issued.
  The credit card dispute was resolved in our favor by Consumers ******************* because of the above details and the written documentation that we provided (to the Credit Card Comp and the BBB) which supports our position.
  There is no scam; we are fortunate to have thousands of satisfied customers that travel on the vacation packages that we offer year after year.
  In closing, we encourage Consumer to enjoy the vacation package that she purchased six (6)months ago and the complimentary six (6) month extension that we have offered.Consumer also has the opportunity to receive the additional gift of a $200 **** Gift Card and a bonus vacation certificate for a 4-day and 3-night stay in *********, ******.
  Thank you,
  *****************
  Corporate Relations Manager
  
  ...

• Initial Complaint

  09/02/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On June 4, 2022, I received a 'prize' vacation from a radio station through Always Travel With Us. In order to keep my place, I had to pay Always Travel $298.00 that day. I made the payment knowing that there was a 30 day refund guarantee. On June 23, 2022, I attempted to reach out to Always Travel by phone to cancel and receive a refund but there was no answer and no option to leave a voicemail. So, that same day, I emailed Always Travel to request cancellation. I received no response. Later, on June 28, 2022, I reached out to Always Travel again by email to request cancellation and refund that I did not use the service and do not intend to use the service. I advised I would reach out to BBB if no response. I received a call from Always Travel's **** ******** who informed me to write a letter with Certification# and reason for cancel and then Always Travel could cancel and issue refund. I wrote and mailed via **** and emailed Always Travel a copy of my cancellation letter and demand for refund that I am entitled to. On July 5, 2022, I followed up via email with Always Travel and received no response. I again followed up with Always Travel on August 17, 2022 via email, I received no response. I attempted calling Always Travel on September 2, 2022 with no luck and no voicemail option. I want my refund of $298. Always Travel is not responding to me via email or phone.

  Business response

  10/11/2022

  Consumer Complaint: #********
  Company: Always Travel with Us, Inc.
  Consumer: ************************
  
  To whom it may concern:
  Thank you for sending us the follow-up communication from the Consumer named above. This matter has been reviewed and we apologize for the delay our part in completing the cancellation for the Consumer. We thank the Consumer for taking the time to write about her concern and are pleased to confirm that a full refund has been issued to the consumer in the amount of $298.00 to the MasterCard ending in 6574.
  
  We appreciate your attention to this important matter. Please feel free to contact me if you should require any additional information.
  
  Thank you,
  ********************
  Corporate Relations Manager

• Initial Complaint

  08/30/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Shows different addresses9501 Satellite Blvs, ********************************** On 7/28/2022 I won a vacation pkg by answering a question on the radio. I spoke with Always Travel With Us who said it would only cost $299. I initially got a contract from them showing $899 so called with concern and they sent me corrected contract. I then researched resort and there were many negative complaints. I decided that after so many negatives and I havent even left for vacation, I called to cancel. I was told that I could not cancel over the phone and that I would need to send cancellation in writing within ********************* contract..9501 **************************************************************. I did this and received the unopened letter back in Mondays mail..just after 30 days so they would have received in time if they had put the correct address is the contract. I called and spoke with ******* who was very flippant and non-caring saying Non-refundableit was her Representative that told me to send the letter and she had all the dates as well. They were not professional and gave me fraudulent information from the beginning. I would like help with refund of $299. Thank you for your assistance!

  Business response

  09/02/2022

  Re:      BBB Complaint ID #********
  Filed by *********************** (the Consumer) against Always Travel With Us
  
  To whom it may concern:
  
  Thank you for sending us the communication from the Consumer named above. I have reviewed the Complaint from the Consumer with our ************************ Director. We regret that the Consumer was confused in any way in their experience with us. That said, we are pleased to inform you that the refund of the $299.00 will be issued to Consumer in the manner in which it was paid. This means that we will issue a credit to the credit card that was used for payment on July 28, 2022.
  
  That being said, we feel it is important to point out that all terms of the vacation package promotion that Consumer elected to participate in were properly disclosed to Consumer verbally prior to payment. Additionally, written confirmation of the purchase along with the cancellation policy was presented to the Consumer shortly after the purchase was made. The written confirmation disclosed all of the details that were verbally discussed as well as all other terms and conditions. Therefore, we deny the allegation that the Consumer was misinformed about the cancellation policy or any other details regarding this vacation package.
  
  Despite the fact that all terms were properly presented to the Consumer prior to the payment of the deposit, we thank the Consumer for taking the time to write about her concern and, as previously stated, are pleased to confirm that a full refund to the Consumer will be provided as a courtesy.
  
  We appreciate your attention to this important matter. Please feel free to contact me if you should require any additional information.
  Sincerely,
  ********************
  Corporate Relations Manager
  

  Customer response

  09/07/2022

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

• Initial Complaint

  04/18/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  This travel agency pays for commercial air time on radio stations, hosting free vacation contests, when you call the number provided they identify as said radio station in order to scam callers. In my case it was Jam'n 94.5 iHeart Radio I was listening to. The question was what country has the letter "a" in it 3 times? I called and provided my answer (Australia), was told I was correct and because I was in the top 25 they'd be calling me back in 2-3 business days. When they called me back they said I won 2 vacations, one to Orlando FL and the other in Las Vegas NV, with a combined value of over $2,000. I had to pay a $299.00 registration fee which I reluctantly paid via credit card as they falsified their identity and reassured me that they were indeed Jam'n 94.5 iHeart Radio. Immediately after I realized what had happened and did extensive research. This scam has been going on for 5-6 years now, Always Travel With Us, Inc has been paying radio stations for commercial air time in order to scam callers into believing they were speaking with and participating in a contest by a legitimate radio station. I spoke with a Vanessa today, their phone number is 888-974-9873. According to their vacation certificate that was sent to me via email I have to mail or hand deliver a statement requesting cancellation of the "contract" within 30 days of purchase or receipt, whichever occurs later, free of penalty or obligation. I requested to cancel via phone but Vanessa insisted it had to be via mail. Only problem is everyone online that had attempted to receive a refund by following their instructions never received a refund. This of course is in violation of Florida Statute 559.933, which they claim to abide by.. The letter I mailed today was by certified mail with a signature required. If a refund is not honored I will be filing a dispute through my credit card issuer which they have already been made aware of. Business address: **** ***** ******** *** **** ******* ** *****

  Business response

  05/05/2022

  This vacation Package has been cancelled and the customer has been refunded. There is no wrong doing on our part. We consider this case closed. 

  Customer response

  05/11/2022

  I have received a full refund from the business, Always Travel With Us. Thank you! 

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩