Is TRAVELMAX a SCAM or a GOOD IDEA?
d...@nauvax.ucc.nau.edu
Has anybody here participated in TravelMax, a multi-level travel agency, as
either a travel agent or a traveller?
Can anybody tell me anything about it? How good a deal can they get? Do the
travel agents really make good money? Or just the lucky ones? Or just the
ones who work 40+ hours a week? I've heard that the average monthly income
for Mary Kay (another multi-level company) is $72. Anybody know if Travelmax
is similar? Or a really good investment? Any info anybody has on Travelmax
would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
-David Friedman
Lyle & Bonnie Denning
d...@nauvax.ucc.nau.edu wrote in article
<17OCT96....@nauvax.ucc.nau.edu>...
> Has anybody here participated in TravelMax?
>
> Can anybody tell me anything about it? How good a deal can they get? Do
the
>
> Hi David. Yes, I became a Travel Max referring agent. It seems like a
great idea to me. I haven't had the chance to personally try using any
benefits of being an agent. However, a friend of my sons is in this
business and is doing very well. I have also met some people in Portland,
Oregon that say they are also doing very well. It would seem to me that
you would make money the fastest by setting up group travel. So if you are
connected to the Elks, etc., a painting class, or whatever--that this would
be the place to start. Remember--ones income always depends on how hard or
smart one is willing to work.
"Bonnie" ly...@worldaccess.com
Wayne Marshall
> Has anybody here participated in TravelMax, a multi-level travel agency, as
> either a travel agent or a traveller?
>
> Can anybody tell me anything about it? How good a deal can they get? Do the
> travel agents really make good money? Or just the lucky ones? Or just the
> ones who work 40+ hours a week? I've heard that the average monthly income
> for Mary Kay (another multi-level company) is $72. Anybody know if Travelmax
> is similar? Or a really good investment? Any info anybody has on Travelmax
> would be greatly appreciated.
>
Don't know much about TravelMax but I am an agent with the biggest and
most successful MLM travel agency, World Class Network. I'm booking travel
for myself, friends and family and having a good time at it. Also getting
nice discounts on rental cars and hotels wherever I go. Not making much
money at it yet but it's warming up rapidly. I know a few folks in my
town, Santa Barbara, making really good money at it and I know folks not
doing so well. Luck has nothing to do with it. Like any business, if you
want to make good money, you have to work at it.
But don't settle for a Volkswagon when you call ride in a Lexus, check out
World Class Network. WCN is looking to put the ordinary "card mills" out
of business because they are committed to giving each agent excellent and
complete training in every aspect of booking travel. WCN is currently
booking over $200,000 per day in travel and is the only MLM travel company
that pays residuals on all the travel commissions paid in your group (up
to 7 productive generations) For all the details, have a look at
www.newtravel.com or email me.
Wayne Marshall
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
New World Travel
www.newtravel.com
Revolutionizing the World of Travel
Ray Goldenberg
Wayne Marshall wrote:
>In article <17OCT96....@nauvax.ucc.nau.edu>, d...@nauvax.ucc.nau.edu wrote:
>> Has anybody here participated in TravelMax, a multi-level travel agency, as
>> either a travel agent or a traveller?
>Don't know much about TravelMax but I am an agent with the biggest and
>most successful MLM travel agency, World Class Network.
Hi David,
Wayne forgot to mention that Travel Age is reporting in the October
14, 1996 issue that the judge in Hawaii has ruled that WCN had been
operating as an "illegal pyramid scheme". On Sept. 20 the judge
denied a World Class motion to dismiss the case. A hearing has yet
to be set for figuring the damges on the pyramid scheme. Attorney
Robert Kawamura said his clients lost an average of $8,000 each to
WCN. "Our clients were not able to book their travel, get the lowest
rates, upgrades or the discount they were promised," said Kawamura.
Kawamur also noted that he is pursuing a settlement against WCN for
$3million in damages.
Travel Age went on to report that earlier, in August, WCN was ordered
by Hawaii investment regulators to make full refunds to approximately
2,400 disgruntled members.
Travel Agent then said the Better Business Bureau serving southern
California has given WCN an "unsatisfactory business performance
record." The report on WCN said:"Promised discount travel available,
earnings claims for distributors weere exaggerated and unrealistic,
and travel agent cards weerr not recognized for discounts." The
report also noted, "Other complainants experienced difficulty in
obtaining refunds for poor customer service."
Best regards,
Ray
Wes Grady
Lyle & Bonnie Denning wrote:
> > Hi David. Yes, I became a Travel Max referring agent. It seems like a
> great idea to me. I haven't had the chance to personally try using any
> benefits of being an agent. However, a friend of my sons is in this
> business and is doing very well. I have also met some people in Portland,
> Oregon that say they are also doing very well. It would seem to me that
> you would make money the fastest by setting up group travel. So if you are
> connected to the Elks, etc., a painting class, or whatever--that this would
> be the place to start. Remember--ones income always depends on how hard or
> smart one is willing to work.
> "Bonnie" ly...@worldaccess.com
If you go to a local travel agent, in your home town and ask to become
an outside agent, you would make more money and be helping a local
business over some unknown company. Plus, since you have absolutely no
way of knowing whether or not this company is legitimate, or how long it
will stay in business, you may find yourself liable if they fold and
take your "client's" money with them.
--
Wes Grady
Wayne Marshall
In article <54ntos$l...@ocean.silcom.com>, r...@lighthousetravel.com wrote:
> I will leave it to others to judge whether the judge who ruled your
> company was running an illegal pyramid scheme or to your opinions on
> what you are selling. BTW, I have no vested interest as I am an
> independent contractor as you purport to be. The difference is that I
> really do sell travel and I do not refer people to an inside person
> along with a PIN number so I can collect and sell others on an illegal
> pyramid schemes.
Hi Ray,
Some judge called Amway an illegal pyramid scheme years ago and it was
totally cleared. Chain letters are illegal pyramids because they have no
product. A legitamite MLM company like WCN, NuSkin, Herbal Life etc sells
tangible products and is therefore completely legal. Why is that so hard
for you to understand? BTW, I really do sell travel too, I just don't
write up the tickets, I let an inside person do that. The difference is, I
will be getting paid on not only the travel that I book, but the travel
that hundreds of agents that are in my group will book. Many of our top
agents are earning a commission on the bookings of thousands of other
agents. Do you have any idea what kind of income that makes? It's a hell
of a lot more than any one travel agent will ever make, no matter how much
travel you can book.
We all have something to sell Ray or we wouldn't be talking here. It's
just that I have a service that seems threatening to your service. Well,
there will be less work for small agencies no doubt but we are also going
after people who can afford to but that don't currently travel. We're here
to stay Ray, and you might as well get used to that.
Regards,
Wayne
Ray Goldenberg
>(Wayne Marshall) wrote:
>To return the question to Ray: Who is one to
>believe: you who have a vested interest in preserving the status quo or
>the documented facts regarding the legality and the success of World Class
>Network. I will leave that decision to those that are following this
>thread.
Hi Wayne,
I will leave it to others to judge whether the judge who ruled your
company was running an illegal pyramid scheme or to your opinions on
what you are selling. BTW, I have no vested interest as I am an
independent contractor as you purport to be. The difference is that I
really do sell travel and I do not refer people to an inside person
along with a PIN number so I can collect and sell others on an illegal
pyramid schemes.
Best regards,
Ray
LIGHTHOUSE TRAVEL
800-719-9917 or 805-566-3905
Wayne Marshall
> >Don't know much about TravelMax but I am an agent with the biggest and
> >most successful MLM travel agency, World Class Network.
>
> Hi David,
>
> Wayne forgot to mention that Travel Age is reporting in the October
> 14, 1996 issue that the judge in Hawaii has ruled that WCN had been
> operating as an "illegal pyramid scheme". On Sept. 20 the judge
.....blah blah blah
David,
Ray forgot to mention that Travel Weekly of 10/14/96 printed a very
positive report on WCN including this:
"In August, (WCN) settled with the state of Hawaii, which had determined
WCN was operating in violation of the state's securities and endless-chain
(pyramid scheme) laws. WCN agreed to restrict the number of training
manuals a distributor could buy for re-sale, eliminating override
commissions."
later in the same article...
"Figures presented to Travel Weekly showed August sales of about $2.44
million made through ARC. The top carrier in booking is United, followed
by Continental and Delta"
and... Premier national travel trainer Lynne Sorensen described the Travel
Business System which she wrote and said:
"Everyone with a business card that says he or she sells travel should be
trained as a professional, booking what a client wants efficiently, at the
best possible value for money."
and after showing the temporary ID and full exam that a trainee must
complete in order to get a regular ID...
"I defy anyone to call this a card mill"
To Ray and other sceptics: This is no card mill and this is no small time
operation. WCN is trying to put the card mills out of business and I
believe it will. Like it or not, the face of travel is changing forever
and for the good I think.
Ray Goldenberg
> (Wayne Marshall) wrote:We're here
>to stay Ray, and you might as well get used to that.
Hi Wayne,
I will continue to warn others of your schemes that have been ruled
illegal and what Better Business Bureau's have said about your
schemes. Ain't free speech great? <;+)
Best,
Ray
Joseph Goodman
Wayne,
>Some judge called Amway an illegal pyramid scheme years ago and it was
>totally cleared. Chain letters are illegal pyramids because they have no
>product. A legitamite MLM company like WCN, NuSkin, Herbal Life etc sells
>tangible products and is therefore completely legal.
Whether you are selling a product or not isn't the determining factor on
being a pyrimid scheme. A New York Judge declared NU-Concepts, who is in the
same business as WCN, an illegal pyrimid scheme. Based on you premise above,
WCN can be considered an illegal pyrimid scheme
It is interesting to note that several other state Attorney Generals have
WCN under investigation, not just Hawaii. It is also interesting to note
how many states WCN is not permitted to do business in, I believe Florida is
one of them.
WCN is considered an ID Card mill. The main product being offered by them
is a Travel ID Card, hence an ID Card Mill. I should note that this card
is becoming worth less and less every day. It is NOT accepted by airlines,
it is NOT accepted by some of the major hotel chains, tour operators, and car
rental companies. Hertz just became the latest in announcing that it will
accept ONLY the IATAN card, which is NOT the WCN Travel ID Card..
I have a relative (through marriage) that is a member of WCN. He was going
to New York for a few days and was in my office going through my hotel book.
He called at least a dozen hotels in New York asking about an agent discount
based on him being a member of WCN. Every one of them turned him down with,
there are no rooms left for travel agent discounts, and/or we are booked up,
or we do not give tarvel agent discounts, etc. Just on a whim, I called the
same hotels and gave them my identification with my IATAN number, all of a
sudden the rooms appeared, and at a discount. I will admit that five of the
hotels still did not have room for me, but the other seven did. Needless to
say, my relative is pretty upset with WCN and what they told him about the
use of their ID Card.
None of us have a crystal ball that we can see the future with. As humans we
must look at the past, look at the present, analyze what we see happening and
then predict what we think is going to happen (future). From what I and
can see and read, the WCN's of today have no long term
future. The suppliers, vendors, wholesalers are getting on the band wagon and
NOT accepting their members as legitimate travel agents. As a result they
will not have their major product, Travel ID cards, to sell.
I could be wrong, but this is how I and many many others see it.
Joe Goodman
Why is that so hard
>for you to understand? BTW, I really do sell travel too, I just don't
>write up the tickets, I let an inside person do that. The difference is, I
>will be getting paid on not only the travel that I book, but the travel
>that hundreds of agents that are in my group will book. Many of our top
>agents are earning a commission on the bookings of thousands of other
>agents. Do you have any idea what kind of income that makes? It's a hell
>of a lot more than any one travel agent will ever make, no matter how much
>travel you can book.
>We all have something to sell Ray or we wouldn't be talking here. It's
>just that I have a service that seems threatening to your service. Well,
>there will be less work for small agencies no doubt but we are also going
>after people who can afford to but that don't currently travel. We're here
>to stay Ray, and you might as well get used to that.
>Regards,
>Wayne
d...@nauvax.ucc.nau.edu
Fine... That's WCN, though. What about Travelmax? Does anybody know if
Travelmax is likely to go the way WCN appears to have gone, or if it is as
legitimate as any non-pyramid travel agency? From what I understand,
Travelmax referring travel agents can get an IATA#, but only after having
referred a certain number of reservations (or something like that). Does
that testify as to its legitimacy?
-David
Ray Goldenberg
d...@nauvax.ucc.nau.edu wrote:
>Fine... That's WCN, though. What about Travelmax? Does anybody know if
>Travelmax is likely to go the way WCN appears to have gone, or if it is as
>legitimate as any non-pyramid travel agency?
Hi David,
Travelmax works with the same formula as all of the other companies in
this scheme. They pay you to sign up others and oh by the way, you
can refer travelers and yourself to an 800 line for travel
arrangements where a "real" travel agent will handle the details.
Many have had a great deal of trouble even reaching these 800 numbers
as the company matures. But, hey, go out there and sign up more of
your friends and relatives to beccome "instant travel agents" and get
all of the perks and benefits of a "real" travel agent. <;+)
Best,
Ray
guinn...@aol.com
David
You are correct in saying that a TravelMax referring travel agent can get
an IATA # only after having referred so many people. However, that is an
IATA rule, not TravelMax's. IATA is an organization that requires a
travel agent to refer roughly $4000+ in commissions before they will issue
ANYONE an IATA number. If one of TravelMax's referring travel agents
makes this quota that IATA sets, then TraveMax will apply to IATA on
behalf of that travel agent and get them an IATA number.
The initial investment to become a referring travel agent with TravelMax
is $470.00 which is the cost of the referring travel agent tutorial only,
that does not include the cost of joining the binary compensation program.
The tutorial is a program which, once completed, will get you an ARC
card. This card states that you are a referring travel agent and you can
use this to try to get upgrades and/or discounts at hotels, on airlines,
for car rentals, and various other travel related businesses.
It's actually a pretty good deal if you aren't shy about asking for
discounts and/or upgrades. Just remember that it is up to the supplier
(ie: Hertz, or American Airlines) to decide whether or not to give you the
benefits, the ARC card is not a guarantee of getting anything.
Ray Goldenberg
guinn...@aol.com wrote:
> The tutorial is a program which, once completed, will get you an ARC
>card. This card states that you are a referring travel agent and you can
>use this to try to get upgrades and/or discounts at hotels, on airlines,
>for car rentals, and various other travel related businesses.
Hi,
This is totally WRONG! There is no such thing as an ARC card. These
folks issue you a little plastic worthless card that anyone could make
on their color printer and then laminate.