Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona is alerting consumers to
Destinations Unlimited, a travel club that conducts sales presentations for consumers around the country, including in Tucson at the Omni National Golf Resort and Spa.
Since Oct. 15, BBB has received over 20 calls from consumers inquiring about Destinations Unlimited, and expressing concern about phone calls and voice messages left for them by the company’s representatives.
In the calls consumers are told they are “finalists” or have won a sweepstakes, and if they show up at the Omni Golf Resort on a specific day they are guaranteed to win either a car, $25,000-$45,000, or a 27 inch TV. In each case, consumers said they have no recollection of ever entering a sweepstakes.
One consumer who called BBB said she showed up at the Omni Golf Resort, but was turned away when she attempted to show a passport and driver’s license as identification instead of a credit card, as the program directors required.
A spokesperson for the company said they had recently had some “issues” with an outside marketer who was hired to invite people to their events. The spokesperson said the marketer was telling people they had won a new car, when in fact they would just be entered into a national raffle to win a new car.
Despite the company’s claims to have handled the issue internally, BBB has continued to receive calls reporting the same problem up to the issuance of this alert. BBB urges extreme caution if you respond to this or similar offers.
BBB warns that offers of prizes from travel clubs are usually tied to a requirement to attend a presentation of some kind. Presentations conclude with attempts to enroll consumers in travel clubs, to sell exclusive software, to sell access to a special web site, or to train consumers to become travel agents. Customers are told they can expect elaborate and extensive discounts on their travel purchases.
In BBB experience, the upfront costs of enrollment or purchase in these programs are never recouped. Promised travel discounts rarely materialize and legitimate travel consolidators, lodgings, airlines and rental car agencies generally do not recognize credentials issued by these companies and groups.
The spokesperson for the company told BBB that the company name had recently been changed to Destinations Ultimate Travel Club, despite the company being identified as Destinations Unlimited in phone calls. The company gives a physical address of 999 18th St. Denver, CO 80202.
If consumers receive suspicious offers from any travel company they can contact BBB at (520)888-5353, or visit us online at
www.tucson.bbb.org.