In the year and a half that I worked for this company I saw and experienced things that would make your skin crawl.
It all starts with the consumer receiving a fax or recorded phone call stating that they have "won" a vacation or whatever hook is necessary to get a response. When the consumer calls in they get the same scripted pitch every time. IE: This is the last vacation! Once you agree to this they ask for a check (this particular company does not take any other form of payment short of you sending a money order, this way it is harder for you to get your money back) and send you through to a third party verification which is a recorded statement that states what is included in your vacation, that it is non-refundable and you must take a tour etc. This is where the real nightmare begins. They either don't get the "package" to you or when you go to make reservations the hotels are booked up or something else happens. The advertised resort is not usually the one that you will be staying at, it will most likely be one of the run down 2 star or less hotels that they also use.
It all boils down to one thing, if a deal sounds to good to be true, it probably is. Especially when check by phone is the only method of payment. The owners only care about getting the money into their pockets and will say just about anything to get a sale. If you did buy a package through them and are having a hard time receiving a refund, persistence is key. Otherwise you will fall through the cracks.
The owner's names are Douglas Kaplan and Lance Sawyer. When working for their company I was sexually harassed by Lance mostly. He would say lewd things and make references to his own annatomy. Doug moved his office three times while I was employed there. In his wake he left hundreds of thousands in cell, credit card and telephone bills. Doug would offer more money to employees if they would let him use their social security numbers for new phone accounts and business liscences etc. For this reason it is very hard to find any information on the man. He also cannot use his own credit and he has been shut down by the attorney general already.
His two cars which were both Lexus RX 330 were not even in his name. The people that work at this place are mostly drug addicts and ex-cons who cannot get a job anywhere else.
There are good people there too that are just trying to make a living but these kind of companies need to be put out of business. Please do all you can to spread the word about Vacation Showroom and companies like this.
Also before making any purchase, do your homework, it can save allot of time and money. I have also heard from a few sources that he is starting a company having to do with Mortgage refinancing, please be leary of these calls too as they are probably also scams.
Thanks
Michelle
Casselberry, Florida
U.S.A.