8775003990

HERE IS THE SCAM - NOT SURE IF IT THE SAME PEOPLE CALLING - BUT YOU CAN FILE COMPLAINTS WITH THE TX ATTORNEY GENERAL

Texas Shuts Down Travel Club
Victims paid thousands for 'worthless' memberships

March 18, 2010
The State of Texas has charged a Dallas-area travel firm and three of its principals with violating the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act by marketing worthless travel club memberships.


According to court documents filed by the state, Royal Palms Travel Inc. and All Inclusive Excursions promised prospects they would get steep discounts on travel purchases if they signed up as members of Sealand Travel club, which Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott says was nothing more than a shell company.


The state maintains the memberships actually had little or no value.

In response to the state's enforcement action, a Dallas County District Court issued a temporary restraining order against the defendants that prevents them from continuing to violate the law. A temporary injunction hearing is set for 2 p.m., March 30.

Among the defendants charged with legal violations were company principals Adrian D. Miller, William H. Bailey and Christy Spensberger. Other named defendants were Travel Services Inc., Funseekers Vacations Inc. and Royal Palms Travel. According to state investigators, Royal Palms Travel and a related entity, All Inclusive Excursions, unlawfully misled potential customers and relied upon improper high-pressure sales tactics to sell worthless travel club memberships.

Abbott says he's seen this kind of scheme before. It's similar, he says, to other illegal travel scams he's shut down in the past.

Lots of Restrictions
The state's court documents show the defendants lured customers to sales presentations by offering free trips, airline tickets -- even gasoline.

However, seminar attendees were informed that their free trips and tickets were contingent upon paying a deposit and submitting receipts for vouchers or rebates. Customers also discovered that the "free" trips were subject to restrictions that rendered them effectively worthless.

The defendants urged other prospective customers to join Sealand Travel Club, which claimed to provide significant discounts and the lowest prices for travel. The state's enforcement action reveals those claims were false and thus unlawful, and that Sealand is an unincorporated shell company existing in name only.

The defendants routed Sealand memberships they sold customers to a mail drop at a UPS office in Kansas City, Mo. In turn, Travel Services Inc., a Delaware corporation also known as Funseekers Vacations Inc., received the forwarded Sealand memberships at an office in Litchfield, Ill.

Sealand charged its members from $2,000 to $8,000, but customers received little or nothing of value, as they were unable to book travel at lower prices than they could find without the Sealand membership. Thus, prices under the "Sealand" banner were no more discounted than ordinary prices quoted on the Internet, according to Abbott.

To prevent further unlawful conduct and prevent additional Texans from being harmed, the attorney general is seeking a temporary injunction that will extend the temporary restraining order the court granted has already granted. The Office of the Attorney General is also seeking civil penalties of up to $20,000 for each instance the defendant violated the DTPA.

Because Travel Services Inc. unlawfully failed to obtain a certificate of authority for conducting business from the Texas Secretary of State, the attorney general also charged the defendant with violating the Business Organization Code - a violation that renders the defendant liable for franchise taxes from 2008 through 2010.


Read more: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2010/03/texas_travel.html#ixzz0idsQN9Uv

Texas Shuts Down Travel Club
Victims paid thousands for 'worthless' memberships
 
March 18, 2010
The State of Texas has charged a Dallas-area travel firm and three of its principals with violating the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act by marketing worthless travel club memberships.

According to court documents filed by the state, Royal Palms Travel Inc. and All Inclusive Excursions promised prospects they would get steep discounts on travel purchases if they signed up as members of Sealand Travel club, which Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott says was nothing more than a shell company.

The state maintains the memberships actually had little or no value. In response to the state's enforcement action, a Dallas County District Court issued a temporary restraining order against the defendants that prevents them from continuing to violate the law. A temporary injunction hearing is set for 2 p.m., March 30.

Among the defendants charged with legal violations were company principals Adrian D. Miller, William H. Bailey and Christy Spensberger. Other named defendants were Travel Services Inc., Funseekers Vacations Inc. and Royal Palms Travel. According to state investigators, Royal Palms Travel and a related entity, All Inclusive Excursions, unlawfully misled potential customers and relied upon improper high-pressure sales tactics to sell worthless travel club memberships.

Abbott says he's seen this kind of scheme before. It's similar, he says, to other illegal travel scams he's shut down in the past.

Lots of Restrictions
The state's court documents show the defendants lured customers to sales presentations by offering free trips, airline tickets -- even gasoline. However, seminar attendees were informed that their free trips and tickets were contingent upon paying a deposit and submitting receipts for vouchers or rebates. Customers also discovered that the "free" trips were subject to restrictions that rendered them effectively worthless.

The defendants urged other prospective customers to join Sealand Travel Club, which claimed to provide significant discounts and the lowest prices for travel. The state's enforcement action reveals those claims were false and thus unlawful, and that Sealand is an unincorporated shell company existing in name only.

The defendants routed Sealand memberships they sold customers to a mail drop at a UPS office in Kansas City, Mo. In turn, Travel Services Inc., a Delaware corporation also known as Funseekers Vacations Inc., received the forwarded Sealand memberships at an office in Litchfield, Ill.

Sealand charged its members from $2,000 to $8,000, but customers received little or nothing of value, as they were unable to book travel at lower prices than they could find without the Sealand membership. Thus, prices under the "Sealand" banner were no more discounted than ordinary prices quoted on the Internet, according to Abbott.

To prevent further unlawful conduct and prevent additional Texans from being harmed, the attorney general is seeking a temporary injunction that will extend the temporary restraining order the court granted has already granted. The Office of the Attorney General is also seeking civil penalties of up to $20,000 for each instance the defendant violated the DTPA.

Because Travel Services Inc. unlawfully failed to obtain a certificate of authority for conducting business from the Texas Secretary of State, the attorney general also charged the defendant with violating the Business Organization Code - a violation that renders the defendant liable for franchise taxes from 2008 through 2010.




Read more: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2010/03/texas_travel.html#ixzz0idsQN9Uv

They called my phone today. Didn't answer but they left as mesage...same as the ones you guys are stating above.  I WILL go to the suite...obviously no one there and burn it down.  I hope in my lifetime I get to meet a real telemarketer or someone who does this so I can punch them in the face lol. Get a life people and stop bugging my phone before I hunt you down!!

I too received the "call: from 1 877 500 3990. Tried to look them up in reverse lookup, nothing. Then ran across article in Wicked Local.
Now I am going to report them as I don't want repeated calls.

Business Mentioned:
Central reservations
Marriott
Olive Garden
Bahama Breeze

Obviously a scam.
Got a call stating that I had entered and won a contest. Prize: 2 round trip airline tickets, 3 nights hotel, dinner at the Olive Garden, and gas allowance. Beware!!! It's a trap!

This is amazing. I just won a free trip and dinner at the olive garden!!!!!!!! My wife and I enjoyed a nice long weekend in Orlando with everything included. AWESOME

called & left msf on my 16 year old's cell phone.  said she won (from a contest she entered last year) a round trip to "anywhere", dinner for two at the olive garden & a $150 gas card.  all she had to do was show up at 225 water street bldg c in plymouth to claim her prize.

Got a call from this number on a cell. Didn't answer. No message left.

My husband and I both received calls from this number today on our cells. Amazing..we won to flights to anywhere we chose from the nearest airport! Of course we just hung up. It's obviously a scam and I hope nobody takes this seriously.

did you actually win that? because i got the same call!

I too just got a call from this number, and it said the same thing. Letting me choose from Detroit, Ft Lauderdale Florida, or Las Vegas. Told me to call within 24 hours. The business name they gave me was International Incentive. Didn't say my name though..thought that was strange. Didn't call them back thanks to you guys!

Just got the same call on my cell phone. it was a restricted number so i let it go to my vociemail. listened to the message...sounded great but after getting a bunch of similar calls after getting married i figured it was a similar scam.  i found this webpage and it confirmed by doubts. I feel bad for the people that actually call back!! because it does sound really awesome if your ready for a break from work! :-)

Says I just won a Carnival Cruise from a drawing entered last year. offered 2 ppl cruise, 2 airfare America west and gave 1-877-500-3990 as a callback # with a deadline of 24H to redeem.

me too.  scam or legit?  tell me your thoughts?

I got the call yesterday. same message cause I don't answer unknown calls. is there anyway to report them to the BBB?

Received a message on my Google Voice phone number (I do not disclose this number to anyone except for people I know.) They left a message stating that "This is Dallas Roberts from the promotional department of America West... " The message was to advise me that someone in my family filled out an entry form and we have won an all expense paid 7 day, 6 night cruise on Royal Caribbean as well as free airfare. But this offer can only be held for the next 24 hours.

I didn't call back.

Called my 12-yr-old's cell phone and promised free carnival cruise and airfare .

I just got called from this same number 877-500-3990 left a message saying that "This is Dallas Roberts from the promotional department of America West... " The message was to advise me that someone in my family filled out an entry form and we have won an all expense paid 8 day, 7 night cruise on Carnival Cruise as well as free airfare. But this offer can only be held for the next 24 hours. Unfortunately, I called back and the message stated to dial 2 to no longer get calls from them in the do not call list. I used to be  telemarketer so I know this law very well. It said to leave my name and number, then the lady said, sorry, just your number. I didnt leave my number I just hung up. This is a scam, too good to be true! No one gives anything for free, and no one knows my current address or phone to sign me up for a drawing last year. I avoid those "fill this out and win a car" type contests.

Received voice message claiming I had entered some drawing last year and that I had won a 7 day cruise with paid airfare.  

Thanks for posting this, I won't be calling back.

I recieved a call on my cell from this number and ten minutes later my husband recieved one on his cell. Must have picked them at random. Never inter contests using our cell phone numbers.