What's behind the postcards offering two round trip tickets?
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Thousands of people in the greater metro area are getting personalized post cards in the mail that offer two round trip airline tickets. The fine print says it's not a time share presentation, so what's the deal?
The cards come in the mail with your name carved in sand. The heading reads, "Reservation Notification."
On the flip side it says, "In celebration of our grand opening in your area, you have been selected to received 2 round trip airline tickets!" Respond within 48 hours, and you also get a 7-day cruise. By now you may think it's a time share gimmick, but the postcard makes a point to say it's not. The mass mailing is post marked in Whatcom county.
I called the number to find out what's what. It turns out, the card is from a Bellingham company called Way To Go Travel, Incorporated. I checked state records online. The Department of Revenue shows Way To Go Travel, Inc. has been licensed since January of 2008. It's classified as a travel arrangement and reservation service.
On the phone, owner Mike Flannery explained it's a travel Club. Flannery says it's membership-based club that provides reservations for camping and condo accommodations at deeply reduced rates. The program involves a one-time membership fee plus annual dues. When asked about specific costs, Flannery told me the membership is $3,495, with yearly dues of $109 for the travel portion and $200 for the camping portion. Flannery says the discounted accommodation fees are based on the volume buying power on the part of suppliers. Flannery added that members have access to the inventory of Condominium Travel Club and Resort Parks International.
According to Flannery, if you got one of these post cards, you fit the profile of someone who is 35-72 years old, owns their home and takes regular vacations. The card is an invitation to a presentation to learn more about the club. Flannery says there's a 7-day window to change your mind and the club currently has 2,000 members.
As for the two airline tickets and the 7-day cruise, the company makes it clear: They're not free. You pay taxes, fees and deposits, which come to just under $600 per person. The airline tickets and cruise are a promotion, with tickets purchased by the company at discounted rates.
Regarding the "grand opening" mentioned on the post card, Flannery says he's considering adding a Way To Go, Inc. office in Kent. The post cards are designed to gauge interest.
The Better Business Bureau gives Way To Go an "A" rating, one of the highest ratings given, for responding to and resolving eight complaints over the last three years.
The cards come in the mail with your name carved in sand. The heading reads, "Reservation Notification."
On the flip side it says, "In celebration of our grand opening in your area, you have been selected to received 2 round trip airline tickets!" Respond within 48 hours, and you also get a 7-day cruise. By now you may think it's a time share gimmick, but the postcard makes a point to say it's not. The mass mailing is post marked in Whatcom county.
I called the number to find out what's what. It turns out, the card is from a Bellingham company called Way To Go Travel, Incorporated. I checked state records online. The Department of Revenue shows Way To Go Travel, Inc. has been licensed since January of 2008. It's classified as a travel arrangement and reservation service.
On the phone, owner Mike Flannery explained it's a travel Club. Flannery says it's membership-based club that provides reservations for camping and condo accommodations at deeply reduced rates. The program involves a one-time membership fee plus annual dues. When asked about specific costs, Flannery told me the membership is $3,495, with yearly dues of $109 for the travel portion and $200 for the camping portion. Flannery says the discounted accommodation fees are based on the volume buying power on the part of suppliers. Flannery added that members have access to the inventory of Condominium Travel Club and Resort Parks International.
According to Flannery, if you got one of these post cards, you fit the profile of someone who is 35-72 years old, owns their home and takes regular vacations. The card is an invitation to a presentation to learn more about the club. Flannery says there's a 7-day window to change your mind and the club currently has 2,000 members.
As for the two airline tickets and the 7-day cruise, the company makes it clear: They're not free. You pay taxes, fees and deposits, which come to just under $600 per person. The airline tickets and cruise are a promotion, with tickets purchased by the company at discounted rates.
Regarding the "grand opening" mentioned on the post card, Flannery says he's considering adding a Way To Go, Inc. office in Kent. The post cards are designed to gauge interest.
The Better Business Bureau gives Way To Go an "A" rating, one of the highest ratings given, for responding to and resolving eight complaints over the last three years.
Of course it's not free, it's just a catch for you to attend a timeshare presentation. You have to be very fool to fall for one of these scams. Here you can read more  about this:
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http://www.timesharescam.com/blog/84-timeshare-presentation-free-breakfast/
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if it sounds too good to be true, don't fall for it
$3500 doesn't sound very free to me.
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I get these occasionally, and with no actual company name listed on them other than the unaffiliated cruise company, I just throw them away.
 @therunner I must have missed where it says it is free.  I think people get hung up on their own misinterpretation of an advertisement.
smelled a scam 3 nano seconds after looking at the card
Sounds like a $6.9 million scam.
 @jcman With free advertising in the form of pseudo-news.
 @RamblinGirl Even though the article doesn't explicitly condemn the company, it does expose the fact that the trips aren't free, a point people might easily miss given the carefully crafted wording on the postcard.
 @RamblinGirl  @p those kinds of cards get a free ride to my recycle bin
 @relatively Free trips? Pffft. I just throw that cr@p away.Â