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I signed up with a company called Players Vacation Club (PVC). I authorized a one-time transfer of $29.95 from my checking account, and the $59.95 balance was to be paid any way I saw fit. But PVC took two $59.95 payments from my account, and when I called the company, it informed me I had two more payments scheduled, and that I couldn't cancel without returning the membership materials first. I put a stop payment on the account, which cost $20, and waited to get the membership kit in the mail in order to return it. I'm still waiting for my money back.
Your wait is almost over, and your refund of $119.90 is on the way -- but you're out the $20 in bank fees and the $29.95 for shipping and handling of your membership kit. PVC's director of operations says the company acted in good faith, but that you must have misunderstood the membership terms and the bank-transfer authorization you gave.
I'm not surprised: PVC's telephone operators run hard-sell tactics. I had trouble getting any information from them about what exactly the company does (much less the cost and refund policy) because they were so busy trying to extract my bank-account number.
PVC is a Georgia travel club that says it finances 80 percent of members' vacation packages, offering a $2,000 "credit line" at 12.9 percent interest. Membership costs $239.80, which PVC takes in four installments, plus the $29.95 fee.
Members pay for 20 percent of their trips upfront, and PVC deducts monthly payments from their checking accounts for the balance. To sweeten the offer, PVC says it will even send travelers on their first trip with no finance charges.
Sound like a good deal? Take a closer look: All travel must be booked through the company, which concedes it doesn't always have the lowest rates or even guaranteed availability -- all big warning flags for travel deals.
So why bother? PVC says it caters to the average American with dreams of exotic vacations, but who can't afford to travel. That's why it takes monthly payments from travelers' bank accounts, rather than accepting credit cards, which it assumes they either don't have or have already maxed out. The lure is low monthly payments for tropical vacations -- but the reality is travelers may end up paying much more for that convenience, if they can manage to book the trips they want.
You're not alone in your troubles with PVC. The company's tactics -- and resulting consumer complaints -- attracted the attention of the Georgia Governor's Office of Consumer Affairs, which handed a "Notice of Contemplated Legal Action" to the company's president in May. PVC may have violated several sections of Georgia's Fair Business Practices Act, including misrepresenting consumers' ability to cancel their contracts and get refunds, failing to deliver goods that consumers paid for in advance, and deceptively withdrawing funds from consumers' bank accounts without authorization.
The office of Consumer Affairs is negotiating a written "Assurance of Voluntary Compliance" with PVC to settle the allegations. Consumers from any state can add their PVC complaints to this file in Georgia, but they must do so in writing. Consumers can download a complaint form and mail it in.
You can also file complaints with the Attorney General's office in your state, or with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which regularly launches high-profile crackdowns on travel companies. Call 877-FTC-HELP, or fill out a complaint form online.
The FTC offers these tips on avoiding trouble with travel companies in general:
