Trip Vista Trip Assurance Bait and Switch Scam St. Pertersburg Florida

I won a trip through TripVista by filling out a post card at my local resturant back in April 2013.  I listened to a recording explaing what I had won and what I nneded to do in order to secure this free trip.  The recording said I would receive all information in the mail after my initial payment of $99.98.  I received a receipt for said payment. I was hesitant but it still sounded like a good deal.

I received a package with more information, a video and some vouchers explaining that I should fill them out with 2 dates I was looking to travel.  I did this.  In the meantime I paid 3 more payments on my credit card (automatic payments) for fees I agreed to.

I was suppose to travel on August 9, 2014.  This past July 17, 2014 I got a call asking what hotle did I decide to saty.  They said that hotel would be an extra $69 per person per day.  This was never mentioned.  In all the paperwork I have - it was nevr mentioned.  They said it was detailed in the recoding you listened to almost a year and a halg ago.  It was not.  I would not have booked this "FREE" trip hadi it been.

So now I have 2 plane tickets to Florida (alomost $700) which I have to cancel and will lose a lot of money becuase of it. I tod them I want to cancel.  They said I would not get most of my money back as most is non-refundable.  On their vouchers they send for the passenger infomation and the 2 dates you want to travel (the trip is not actually booked by these vouchers.  The vouchers hold the dates) it states "you may cancel this contract without any penalty or obligation within 30 days from the date of purchase or receipt of the vacation certificate, whichever occurs later.

I have not received the vacation certificate.  I called them today, July 22, and asked when I would be receiving my vacation certificate and was told theat it gets mailed to me when I choose my hotel.  So I told her being tht did not happen I should be reimbursed in full.  She then tried to backtrack and say the vouchers were the certificate.  I told her that was not correct becuase you cannot file out a certificate unless you had the information - which they have not yet because I had not officially choosen the hotel.  And I didn;t choose becuase once I told then where I would like to stay, this past Thursday, July 17  that's when I was told of additianl fees.

There are a ton of complaints regardin this particular compnay and they all have the same story.  There needs to be protectoin for the consumer against scammers as these. 

I do not mind paying for a trip.  I agreed to all fees up until 3 weeks before I am to leave becuase they keep adding more fees and conditions then what was originally promised.  I have all of it in writting and notion about extra if you choose a \certain hotel.  I choose one of their selections.  I do mind people taking advantage of me and using whatever loophole they can think of in order to do so.