Travel Club Scams

The fees can be high and the rewards few if you join a travel club to gain access to exclusive travel discounts

People that like to travel are always on the lookout for discounts. This can make them succeptible to travel club sales pitches. Travel clubs offer discounted travel packages to their members. To get in on the deal a membership fee is required. These travel club membership fees vary and can be as little as a few hundred dollars to as much as $10,000, with annual renewal fees of $150 to $300. That's a lot of money to pay up front for a discount. The sad truth is that many of these clubs are nothing but a scam.

Travel Clubs Often Tareget Seniors

Travel clubs target seniors because they have both money and a yearn to travel. That's a great combination for someone trying to make a sale. The brochures are loaded with photos of beautiful locales and the presentation by the sales staff will details the advantages membership will bring you. They'll promise to take care of any obstacle that lies in the path between you and fabulous vacation settings. You're aleady lockd into a time-share? No problem, they'll help you sell it at a generous profit that makes membership all the more affordable. Some clubs even offer to set you up with 1 year-no-interest financing. Whatever you need, they're there to help.

Guess what happens should you decide to jump on the vacation gravy chain?

Discount Travel Clubs - Reality Check

Any money paid to these clubs is probably wasted. What do you get for your membership? Nothing less than the opportunity to purchase vacations at discounted prices. This benefit would certainly justify paying a small fee were it not for a few minor problems. These are:

Are these vacation packages really discounted? How could you even know?

How does these packages compare with others? You might be able to find out yourself but the details of the package could make a fair comparison difficult.

Memership fees can be outrageous. How much you pay up front for your membership could indicate the degree to which you are getting scammed. You could argue that every penny is wasted if the travel club's packages aren't priced at a discount.

The truth is that many of these clubs collect fees both from you and the travel suppliers they work with. Travel clubs that serve social needs with modest dues that cover no more than club expenses are your best bet.

More Travel Scam Information