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Following are some of the most deceptive Unlimited Certificates
Disclaimer: I am not saying all Unlimited Certificates are deceptive, but the last time I checked what I could find on the company's Terms and Conditions most had something that the distributors and businesses probably not aware of, because if they were, I don't think they would want to be marketing them or distributing htem.
About Wholesale Certificates
Hotel Cash or Savings Cards,
Some of these cards simply apply the card value as a discount from the “retail room cost”, not the discounted room cost that you will find on the popular online hotel booking websites. Its just a discount off the standard room rates and it seems in most cases less of a discount than the online websites offer.
For example: The consumer received a $250 Hotel cash/savings type of card and they want a 7-night vacation. The Card's website shows a price of $200 a night ($1,400 for 7 nights). When you minus the $250 card value, the consumer will pay $1,150 for 7 nights. HOWEVER, the online hotel booking websites could be much lower than the $1,150 room cost. This means the consumer actually paid MORE for the room with their special Hotel card than if they just went online to a hotel booking website
Dining Cards
Some Dining Cards will limit your monthly usage to $25 a month.
They could also require the user to reactivate their card every month or it is deactivated. The problem is the company's don't make that clear to the Distributor, so the Distributor can't make it clear to the businesses. But the Company has their "cover their butt" phrase of "did you read our Terms and Conditions, that's your responsibility as a Distributor and it explains it all in there" (their 5, or 10 page attorney written impossible to understand Terms and Conditions)
Imagine when a consumer goes out with their family expecting to save $10, $20, maybe $50 or more, only to find out, their card is not valid..
Vacation Certificates
A LOT of Resort, All-Inclusive, Cruise, etc Certificates are tied into a Timeshare or Vacation Club Presentation. They no longer just ask if the consumer wants to participate in a presentation, they use what the industry calls a “soft hook”.
When the consumer calls up, the representative on the phone will say how most people don’t find out about some of the most enjoyable activities until the last day, and they would like to offer to have someone take them around and show them all of the enjoyable activities, and things to do there. If the person agrees, they’ve just agreed to a timeshare or vacation club presentation. If they do not agree, there is a very, very good chance there won’t be any rooms available on the dates the person wanted. If they agree and then refuse to participate when they are at the property, the terms could obligate them to pay FULL retail price for their vacation.
The company does book some people rooms so they don’t look bad. But understand the ONLY way they are going to recoup their cost is by selling time shares. They can’t sell them, if people don’t go through a presentation. Not what most people are expecting from their vacation certificate.