players club rip off
 

Okay I know I am a fool but am looking for advice. A year and a half ago I received a call/offer from Players Club International and Mini Vacations for a vacation package - <BR>599 for trips for two to Vegas, Orlando, Carnival Cruise and a mini vacation (no airfare just accomodations). I was going through a major custody battle at the time and foolishly saw this as a way for my daughter and I to spend future quality time together. <BR> <BR>Guess what - a year and a half later my certificates are ready to expire and I have not been able to book one vacation (can't get in on the lines, everytime I send a confirmation with fees I get a letter back that is is unavailable (this even so I have picked the most off peak time you can think of). I have written numerous letter to both companies requesting some type of refund or at least one trip verification and have received no response. Any suggestions? I refuse to call again because folks, especially at Mini Vacation are soo soo rude - nevermind neither company has a 1 800 number and waiting times can be up to 15 minutes. <BR>As you can see I have been cheated out of $600 and am very upset so please no responses about how stupid I was in the first place.

Wow Anne: <BR>That stinks!!! <BR>How did you pay...credit card, check? <BR>Even though it is 18 months later, if it was a credit card maybe that company can help. Stranger things have happened. A straight forward letter to them with the facts is where I would begin. <BR>If you paid by check or credit card, a letter to the Attorney General of the state they do business in is in order. Better Business Bureau, too. <BR>Do you have an attorney that can write to them? I wish you luck!

Oh, man. This is a tough one. <BR> <BR>Anne, AC is correct that you should quickly seek relief through your credit card company if you used a credit card. <BR> <BR>If not, you should send the letters AC described, making sure you copy the company on the correspondence. You might also contact your local radio/TV station if they have a reporter who specializes in consumer protection. <BR> <BR>As a desperate, last-resort measure, you could sue in small claims court. You could win, but you would have a hard time collecting if the company does business out of state. <BR> <BR>Does anyone have an idea of whether it is worth the time to contact the providers (e.g. Carnival) directly to see if they can bring some pressure to bear? <BR> <BR>Six hundred dollars is a lot of money (to me, anyway), but frankly, I wouldn't bother with anything but a couple of letters and a phone call to a news organization. I just don't think you'll see the money again. I'm really sorry.

<BR> <BR>I think contacting the better business bureau is a good suggestion. I seem to remmember references to web sites where companies are rated and consumer reports are given. Is anyone familiar with? <BR>Maybe posting on those sights about these companies can at least alert others.

Definitely contact the attorney general's offices in both your state and in the state where players club is located. They may have received complaints from other people who got ripped off and even if they can't help you get your money back, may be able to stop the company from operating. I would also recommend writing the company and telling them that you plan to sue them in small claims court if they don't come through with a refund. You never know, it might work. Don't feel stupid, these people are trained to be great salespeople.

Thanks to all for the kind messages and helpful suggestions. I had written to both companies 4 separate times with threats to go to AGs office and small claims court (first couple of letters just asked for a trip but got made in the latter two) prior to posting originally. I have received no response. I will follow up with other suggestions but think I will go on other websites with posts so others do not have to go through what I went through.

I might think about writing a letter to Conde Nast Traveler's Ombudsman's column. They only pick a handful of problems to deal with each issue but they seem to get results. I think your problem is unique enough that they might be interested in tackling it. Just a thought.

Anne, one more idea. Write to the company one more time asking for a vacation slot. Include your requested dates. Then include a second choice of dates, a third choice and so on until you have requested every single date available between now and the expiration of your certificates. Request dates even if you know you are unavailable. Then add that you will take any date after the expiration of your certificates through the end of the year 2001. <BR> <BR>Here's the point. This letter will eliminate the "tough-luck-you-asked-for-unavailable-dates" argument. Send the letter certified mail (or is it registered mail?) so that you will have iron-clad proof that the letter was received. If you go to court or a consumer advocate with a letter like that and no response, you will look awfully reasonable.

If this scam is like the others I've seen, there is probably a limit of one request at a time so Sympathy's good idea may not work. <BR> <BR>Anne, I think you're out of luck. I'm sure the company's lawyers have structured the contract you signed to give them what they believe to be sufficient protections against any legal action you pursue. And I'm sure they didn't allow you to pay with a credit card - they most likely required certified funds. This is a pretty good scam and they should have their toenails ripped off for it. <BR> <BR>Your best bet is to lodge a complaint with the BBB and the Attorney General in the State they're licensed to do business (this may be tough to determine), alert others to this scam (as you have here) and chalk it up as a learning experience.