Fun Times Travel Senior Citizen SAVED by her credit union Philadelphia Pennsylvania

On January 25 2017 I attended a "seminar" at a well known hotel in the Sacramento area. I had received a postcard in the mail. After talking with several of the people who were waiting with me, I discovered that some had received the same postcard and some had been contacted by telephone. We had been given different information about starting times etc.

When they finally opened the door they sent away three couples with the cerrtificates that the rest of us would be "given" after the 90 minute presentation. Their reason was that due to sickness they were short on staff and would only have enough people to spend question and answer time with after the presentation.

I was already on alert by this point due to their unprofessional demeanor prior to starting and during the "seminar". As a "widow" I was allowed to attend alone and everyone else had a spouse or the person they cohabited with. That was another red flag that I should have immediately walked away.

Because I really wanted to travel this year I was willing to stay and listen and because I had rescheduled other plans that I had for that evening I requested that they let me stay as I felt my time was just as valuable as anyone else there. The "manager" pulled up a chair and seated me at the back of the room.

Finally after the "seminar" people started to leave with their "certificates" and the first staff person that was freed up came over to talk with me after moving me from my single chair to a table. The cost of $8995.00 quickly dropped to two other "options" the final one being $2995.00. The man was not "pushy" but obviously was trying to "close a sale".

The manager came to our table and said something to the person talking to me very quietly so I could not hear what was being said. I then told them that I was NOT prepared to pay any money without thinking about the offer.

He responded that in California there is a "cooling off" period and that all I had to do was write a check that evening and I still would have time to cancel. Yeah! Right! I strongly said No and asked for my certificates which he grudgingly signed and gave to me.

Thank goodness my credit union "knew" about this company and showed me the information which protected me from sending them two cashiers checks for $200.00 each. I walked away with not sending them money and then being asked for more money after that.

My friend was not so fortunate and sent in her money orders only to find out after I had attended how they operate. She called me to ask if I had sent in my registration and I was able to tell her how my credit union prevented me from being another victim of this scam. Unfortunately they are not returning her calls now so she is apparently out the money.

I am making this report because being a senior and a widow of a veteran and a home owner I don't understand why the government has not shut them down so I am hoping that by sharing this information will "save" someone.

I am an educated and very aware woman who works for over 30 years for the Federal government and even I was almost taken in.