My wife and I were at the Home Show when we were approached for a (free trip / and $50 cash) if we attended a sales presentation by Reservation Services International (RSI). We had to put down a $20 deposit (which we got back) so, we decided to attend.
The staff worked the crowd (perhaps 8 couples), which included a PowerPoint presentation offering bought-in-bulk / sold-at-wholesale discount travel vacations. The cost of membership was listed at $8995 plus other sign-on and $299. yearly fees Plus a $199 application fee.
Also, you can only use $10,000. worth of savings each year.
After declining, they dropped the price to $5,000 + $299. yearly fees Plus a $199 application fee.
Then to $2,500.00 + $299. yearly fees Plus a $199 application fee and a total of $2,500. in savings a calendar year.
During a total period of two hours, a sales representative , and individual identified as his manager, and an individual identified as an office sales manager tried to convince us of the value of their deal. My wife and I had three requests. The first was a desire to review, for ourselves, the kinds of travel vacations, destinations and discounts their web site allegedly offered. This was denied. (In the office: yes – on our own: no). The second request had to do with the organization's reputation. (One should spend serious money with those one knows and trusts, or at least has the opportunity to research via the web or BBB.) The third had to do with the contract, regarding its terms, exclusions, limits, etc. It was upon asking for the opportunity to better understand the firm and review their contract that we were shown the door by the sales manager.
So we were not the victims of a monetary loss, just the loss of an evening. But being denied the opportunity to review the contract terms struck me as being unethical and potentially illegal, hence the filing of this report.
While a rip off was successfully avoided, and they did give us $70 cash. The big lessons learned here were simple. Always ask to see, and review, any contract before signing. If a deal is good today, and will be offered to others next week, there is no legitimate reason why an offer made to you cannot be accepted after you've done your due diligence. Walk away if you are not given the opportunity to review the contract, or must put money down to do so. When you ask to better understand the merchandise (in this case the breath and value of vacation values) and you are instead get only a for-you-a-better-price pitch, seriously question the value. Finally, pay careful attention to your surroundings. For a travel service allegedly in business for more than a decade, there were precious few indications in their offices, or on the marquee outside, that they had been in business for any length of time.
When there are no family pictures on the desks, only stock art on the walls, and the stories about families, ages, and vacations taken have inconsistencies, consider all this a red flag.
We were given a vacation voucher and $50 cash + $20 deposite as promised, upon or leaving. The Perfect Select Rewards voucher appears to have little value based on numerous experiences reported by others nationally. Warning - Do not do business with accessrsi.com they are a fraud. Thank you.
The staff worked the crowd (perhaps 8 couples), which included a PowerPoint presentation offering bought-in-bulk / sold-at-wholesale discount travel vacations. The cost of membership was listed at $8995 plus other sign-on and $299. yearly fees Plus a $199 application fee.
Also, you can only use $10,000. worth of savings each year.
After declining, they dropped the price to $5,000 + $299. yearly fees Plus a $199 application fee.
Then to $2,500.00 + $299. yearly fees Plus a $199 application fee and a total of $2,500. in savings a calendar year.
During a total period of two hours, a sales representative , and individual identified as his manager, and an individual identified as an office sales manager tried to convince us of the value of their deal. My wife and I had three requests. The first was a desire to review, for ourselves, the kinds of travel vacations, destinations and discounts their web site allegedly offered. This was denied. (In the office: yes – on our own: no). The second request had to do with the organization's reputation. (One should spend serious money with those one knows and trusts, or at least has the opportunity to research via the web or BBB.) The third had to do with the contract, regarding its terms, exclusions, limits, etc. It was upon asking for the opportunity to better understand the firm and review their contract that we were shown the door by the sales manager.
So we were not the victims of a monetary loss, just the loss of an evening. But being denied the opportunity to review the contract terms struck me as being unethical and potentially illegal, hence the filing of this report.
While a rip off was successfully avoided, and they did give us $70 cash. The big lessons learned here were simple. Always ask to see, and review, any contract before signing. If a deal is good today, and will be offered to others next week, there is no legitimate reason why an offer made to you cannot be accepted after you've done your due diligence. Walk away if you are not given the opportunity to review the contract, or must put money down to do so. When you ask to better understand the merchandise (in this case the breath and value of vacation values) and you are instead get only a for-you-a-better-price pitch, seriously question the value. Finally, pay careful attention to your surroundings. For a travel service allegedly in business for more than a decade, there were precious few indications in their offices, or on the marquee outside, that they had been in business for any length of time.
When there are no family pictures on the desks, only stock art on the walls, and the stories about families, ages, and vacations taken have inconsistencies, consider all this a red flag.
We were given a vacation voucher and $50 cash + $20 deposite as promised, upon or leaving. The Perfect Select Rewards voucher appears to have little value based on numerous experiences reported by others nationally. Warning - Do not do business with accessrsi.com they are a fraud. Thank you.
Thank you so much for posting this. I got a phone call and they left a message that they had exciting news for me in regard to something I filled out at the Tarpon Springs Art show. I was going to leave msg. when I got the idea to check them out on the internet.....and I was lucky enough to find you. Thanks again for saving me the trouble. S.N.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for posting this. I got a phone call and they left a message that they had exciting news for me in regard to something I filled out at the Tarpon Springs Art show. I was going to leave msg. when I got the idea to check them out on the internet.....and I was lucky enough to find you. Thanks again for saving me the trouble. S.N.
ReplyDeleteAs one who already got scammed by a different "vacation" organization I was skeptical of this one. It does pay to do one's due diligence, and it is becoming hard for these outfits to scam people when the internet is so handy to check them out. Thanks to your posting, I'll save myself a few hours listening to a sales pitch by not going ...
ReplyDeletewe did purchase it tonight, at a much reduced price..but there is a 3 day refusal policy, which I think will be happening tomorrow...I didnt like that we wouldnt get our access until Thursday, which is after the 3 days...to...Thank You
ReplyDeleteWe payed the $20 last week at the Largo pie fest.
ReplyDeleteWe should have known it was another high pressure time share.
Your blog is much appreciated, and we will not be wasting our time today attending the presentation.
Wish I had read this nine months ago. They got us. You were so right to walk away. I can't tell you how bad our choice was. Nothing but a rip off.
ReplyDeleteWish I had read this nine months ago. They got us. You were so right to walk away. I can't tell you how bad our choice was. Nothing but a rip off.
ReplyDelete