This review is from a real person who provided valid contact information and hasn't been caught misusing, spamming or abusing our website. Check our FAQ

Verified Reviewer New Reviewer

TRAVEL membership SCAM

Update by user Jun 20, 2013

Platinum Travel/ VNI fraud... they have eventually refunded half the amount after prolonged and painful negotiations with my credit card company.

We've filed with the Better Business Bureau who they claimed to have membership in despite it having been revoked, and are in process of working with them through the BBB site.

We're still out the $3,146. They offered to reinstate our membership instead of refunding our money which given the restrictive reservation policy, quality of the accommodations and yearly renewal fees, is still way overpriced at half the original cost paid.

Original review posted by user May 14, 2013
SCAM!!! Run away! They should be shut down! You can get the same deals through Living Social and Travelocity with NO membership fee and with great cancellation policies. They charge you a huge membership fee & yearly renewal fee for NOTHING. They pretend you will get deluxe accommodations and they have an extensive inventory to select from. The truth is the properties are mostly average, and they have to wait for other companies to have an overstock to make an offering. Their policies are outrageous, making you wait months and months to get your booking, with a it's all we have take it or leave it attitude, and you have to cancel more than 60 days in advance for a refund. We were never told about the reservation policy during the presentation. Don't believe a word of the presentation. If it's not in the contract you won't get it. They are smooth talking thieves. The "free" plane tickets is also nearly worthless as you are charged a surcharge to leave from Austin, flights can't be booked two weeks before and after any public holiday, must be booked a month in advance and only valid for a year after validation which means about 10 months. You have to pay $100 for the tickets as well and of course don't have a choice of the connection times.
View full review
Comment
Helpful 0 Not helpful 0
Report
ID
#408744 Review #408744 is a subjective opinion of poster.
Loss
$3146

Travel Scam, huge outlay for mediocre properties & outrageous reservation system

We were lured to the site saying they were a wholesale full service travel agency specializing in luxury properties and we'd be given a pair of free airline tickets to check out their services. They are a professional scam agency which lulls you into a false sense of security. They promise 5 star properties, justifying huge outlays of cash to become a member (which are discounted 50% only if you purchase that night). You are guaranteed a frozen rate for properties for the future with approx $300 yearly maintenance fee. We were not shown the arduous, lengthy reservation system which requires 30- 90 days for them to reply to you, even for non peak travel. The properties they came back with were mediocre and would cost us the same amount if we purchased them online if you include their weekly rate plus the yearly maintenance fee. Also, I would choose a better property than they offer and need immediate response. They claim to be full service, but require extremely lengthy lead times. Supposedly they'll do the airline reservations etc to accompany the travel and guarantee the lowest cost per the presentation. However, once you've waited 90 days the best rates are no longer available. We were not provided the company names beforehand to check out the business. They cover themselves very well as nothing is written in the contract that shows the savings you incur or the type of properties offered. It's only in the presentation and invitation letter that state the properties are luxury. You are much better off signing up for free travel promotions through Travelzoo and Travelocity.
View full review
Comment
Helpful 0 Not helpful 0
Report
ID
#374096 Review #374096 is a subjective opinion of poster.
Location
Hico, Texas
Loss
$5300

Companies Similar to Platinum Travel

Justairticket reviews and complaints

Justairticket

1.1
8 Reviews

“I got Justairticket's succession that I need to contact the customer service of Justairticket tel....“
Super com reviews and complaints

Super com

1.5
2903 Reviews

“This is HORROR TRAVEL NOTHING SUPER ABOUT YALL. How in the *** dod yall steal my damn money and NEVER...“
Sundance Vacations reviews and complaints

Sundance Vacations

1.6
196 Reviews

“The Presentation was all lies, Tried to book a trip several times and prices that were giving at the...“
LBF Travel reviews and complaints

LBF Travel

1.2
157 Reviews

“Buenas tardes, favor su ayuda, Mi nombre es Zuleika Maria Garcia Garcia, tengo una reserva con ustedes...“
See more Travel Agencies Businesses ›

Travel Agencies Expert Talks

Vacation Rentals: Refund, Cancellation and Safety Tips

Nov 6, 2020

How to refund or cancel a vacation rental? How to avoid a scam? We’ve asked Mary Branum, a vacation rental expert, and experienced homeowner, to answer top consumers questions about vacation rentals.

Read full article
Mary Branum
Mary Branum

Mary Branum is a vacation rental expert, owner of Galveston Island and President of STROAG.

Why Trust Reviews on PissedConsumer?

  • Professional auto and live moderation
  • 100% user-generated content
  • Equal opportunity and protection
  • Zero tolerance for fake reviews
  • Verified content

For more information read Blog article