Complaint Review: First Class Vacations - BOCA RATON Florida
- First Class Vacations 1515 SOUTH FEDERAL HIGHWAY, SUITE 212 BOCA RATON , Florida USA
- Phone: 800 650 5124
- Web: WWW.FIRSTCLASSVACATIONS.COM
- Category: Cruises
FIRST CLASS VACATIONS INC CRUISE FIREFLY CRUISE FIREFLY, FIRST CLASS VACATIONS BY UNLICENCED SCAMSTER JEFFERY NAHOM BOCA RATON Florida
*Author of original report: CRUISE FIREFLY,RECANTATION, FIRST CLASS VACATIONS INC,
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CRUISE FIREFLY, FIRST CLASS VACATIONS BY UNLICENSED SCAMSTER JEFFERY NAHOM.
FIRST CLASS VACATIONS
CRUISE FIREFLY
Suite 212
1515 SOUTH FEDERAL HIGHWAY
BOCA RATON FLORIDA 33432
(800) 650-5124
Officers, Board Members, Directors, Vice Presidents, Business Partners and Consultants:
-
Richard Nahom
-
Jeffrey Nahom
-
Andrew Smith
-
Wayne Wiggins
-
Jeffery Vanderpol
-
Christina Rosario
-
Brent Snipes
-
HAVE YOU BEEN SELECTED TO RECEIVE A DISCOUNTED CRUISE FROM CRUISE FIREFLY?
-
HAVE YOU BEEN OFFERED 75% OFF YOUR NEXT CRUISE?
-
GET ONE FREE PROMOTION?
IN THE CASE OF CRUISE FIREFLY, FIRST CLASS VACATIONS THE SCAM IS REASONABLY SIMPLE; JEFF NAHOM CHARGES $698.00 BUT NONE OF THE COST OF A CRUISE IS IN THIS CHARGE. THIS CHARGE IS JUST THE CUSTOMERS FRONT END COST. $698 OR ANY AMOUNT DEMANDED UPFRONT PAYS FOR ZERO TOWARDS YOUR CRUISE OR IN FACT ANY VACATION.
HOWEVER, BEFORE WE GET INTO JEFF NAHOM’S NEFARIOUS SCAM BUSINESS, LET’S BREIFLY LOOK INTO FLORIDA TELEMARKETING LAWS TO SEE IF CRUISE FIREFLY OR FIRST CLASS VACATIONS HAS EVER BEEN A LEGITIMATE TELEMARKETER IN ITS PRIOR TEN YEARS OF BUSINESS?
-
Florida's Division of Consumer Services manages all of the licenses for telemarketers. Businesses that wish to telemarket must apply for permission to do so, which includes disclosing criminal histories of all the applicants and copies of all sales scripts to be used in order to comply with licensing criteria. Salespeople for telemarketing businesses must also obtain individual licenses for a fee of $50.00 P/A per person. The business application carries a $1,500 P/A fee, and business applicants must also post a bond of $50,000.
Every licensed telemarketing organization has a valid license number and every sales person has a valid license number issued by FDACS.
Telemarketers may only call between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. in the time zone of the person being called. They may not block their name or number from showing up on the recipient's Caller ID system. Telemarketers can't tell you that you can only pay for their service by credit card or otherwise express any preference for payment method. From the moment you answer the call, the marketer has 30 seconds to state his or her real name, the company’s name, address and telephone number and the goods or services being offered.
Who do telemarketers that don’t have licenses answer to?
The Florida Telemarketing Act governs the actions of these businesses. All non-exempt telemarketing companies must be licensed with FDACS, and post a security bond of no less than $50,000 and have every salesperson licensed prior to soliciting a single potential customer.
Background checks are conducted as part of this process, and individuals with suspicious and / or criminal histories involving fraud are denied licensure. With a continuing focus on protecting consumers from unfair and deceptive business practices, the Department’s Division of Consumer Services partnered with the Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement to conduct a series of inspections on over 250 telemarketing businesses in Florida.
Cease and desist orders were issued to 170 of the businesses and over 1000 salespeople. More than 3000 violations of the Florida Telemarketing Act were cited, resulting in fines being collected and assets seized, frozen and forfeited.
The following are a few requirements set forth in the statute that consumers should be aware of;
Register for the Florida Do Not Call Program by calling 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352) or
-
visiting 800helpfla.com.
-
Don’t answer the phone if you don’t recognize the number on your caller ID.
Instead, let it go to voicemail.
-
Don’t provide any personal or financial information over the phone and don’t be
pressured into making any immediate or impulsive decisions.
-
Don’t send cash by messenger or overnight mail. Using a credit card will allow you to dispute the charges if you don’t get what you were promised.
Report telemarketing scams!
Fraudulent telemarketers should be reported to both FDACS and
the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
Filing a consumer complaint with FDACS can be done online or by requesting a copy of the form from the Consumer Assistance Center.
Either visit 800helpfla.com or call 1-800- HELP-FLA (435-7352) from within Florida, 850-488-2221 from outside of Florida.
-
Florida | Business required - $1500.00 P/A Individual Sales person required - $50.00 P/A |
Florida | $50,000 |
Florida | 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. |
Florida | $10,000 per violation. |
Florida | Yes |
Does the national | Yes |
Does Florida have any | Yes |
CRUISE FIREFLY
FIRST CLASS VACATIONS
1515 SOUTH FEDERAL HIGHWAY
SUITE 212
BOCA RATON FLORIDA 33432
1 (800) 650 5124
Regardless of the unlawful, unlicensed method of solicitation and contact, Jeff Nahom, Cruise Firefly and First Class Vacations want you to believe you are being solicited as part of a selected group of people specially chosen to receive a cruise vacation package promotion that resembles:
A LUXURY CRUISE VACATION PACKAGE
* 7 Night cruise – your choice of Carnival or Norwegian – you choose from most US ports and over 50 itineraries * 4 Night Bonus Cruise – Your Choice of Carnival, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean – you choose from Bahamas or Key West and Cozumel, Mexico * 2 Resort stays...
Once they have you on the line, unlicensed Jeff Nahom, Cruise Firefly and First Class Vacations may describe an exciting vacation and a "luxury cruise" filled with unlimited casino, entertainment and shows, onboard facilities, offshore excursions and never ending Filet mignon & Lobster tail buffets.
Jeff Nahom and the unlicensed fireflies state that the vacation is worth a significant amount, but that you will pay a much smaller amount to receive it, typically $698. Jeff Nahom and his unlicensed call center fireflies urge you to immediately "secure" or "register" the vacation with a major credit card in what the call center industry recognizes as an unsolicited impulse sale or “One Call Close”.
Jeff Nahom’s unlicensed gang insists that you purchase immediately or they will read you scripted rebuttals until you hang up or pay.
In fact, there is no limit to the number of such promotional cruise vacations for sale by Jeff Nahom and the unlicensed cruise Fireflies. Jeff Nahom is relying on a customer’s dumb naiveté to make his nefarious living. So you give your credit card number to the convincing unlicensed call center grunt. Once that is obtained, the unlicensed grunt will pass you over to a "cruise specialist". In actuality, the call is transferred to the "T O or “Take Over” unlicensed sales person who comes on to the line to confirm the details of the sale and relies heavily on your naivety to close the sale and take your non-refundable credit card cash.
How does Jeff’s Nahom‘s, Cruise Firefly & First Class Vacations merchant account – PayPal.com allow this unlicensed and unlawful activity to persist and more crucially, how should it be stopped?
Unlike the sales portion of the call, the "T O verification" is generally recorded. During the verification, the T O will ask for your credit card number again, quickly reviewing the details of the vacation package and, in some but not all instances, tell you “for the very first time” that you will have to pay additional upgrade charges for "port service reservation processing fees" and that the vacation package is "non-refundable". These disclosures occur only after you have provided a credit card number which will be charged within seconds of giving it up.
In the travel certificate industry, the amount a customer is initially charged during the sales call is known as the "front end" fee. This is because you do not receive a vacation for the money initially charged to your credit card, nor does the front end fee pay for any of your vacation.
In fact, most, if not all of the front end fee simply pays Jeff Nahom and the unlicensed call center fireflies for their illegitimate labors and unlawful, misleading sales practices. For your initial money, you receive nothing more than a package about your ‘to be paid for’ cruise vacation.
When you receive the vacation package you discover that you will have to pay more to take the vacation, and you believed you had already paid for it! You find you have actually just paid for the "option" to purchase a vacation and you also realize that you were not really selected for a discounted promotion at all, you’ve been duped!
The required additional payment, or the "back end" fee, is due when you actually try and book your cruise. Booking the cruise is a separate fiasco for another day. Cruise Firefly, First Class Vacations may state that the back end fee is for "port reservation processing fees or upgrades". In fact, the back end fee pays for most, if not all, of your "cruise" and your vacation accommodations.
Should you call and attempt to cancel your vacation option it is flatly stated that unlicensed Cruise Firefly First Class Travel have a "no refund" policy and that you cannot cancel your initial purchase. If you read the fine print on the back of the reservation vouchers that are included in the mailed vacation packages, you will discover that there is actually a return policy within a specified number of days, depending on the state in which you live.
If you return the vacation option package, even following the instructions on the back of the reservation voucher, you inevitably receive your package back, often several times, until you either give up or call the FTC, a law enforcement agency, the Better Business Bureau, your credit card company or a private attorney.
People who seek third party assistance generally receive a full refund immediately.
Those who do not are generally stuck paying for the misrepresented vacation option package. Should you be one of those relatively few people who decide to pay the extra "back end" fee to take the vacation you may find that the vacation is not what you bargained for. The cruise ship you're booked on may look more like a tug boat. The hotel accommodations provided may be shabby, and if you wish to stay at the better-known hotels and resorts referred to in the solicitations and brochures, you must pay yet more undisclosed "upgrade" fees; otherwise you must endure the substandard accommodations provided.
It should be no surprise that unlicensed Jeff Nahom, Cruise Firefly First Class Vacations features customer testimonials not from its actual customers but from its employees;
Firefly Travel booked the last two cruises I have taken. I just cruised to The Caymans and Jamaica. The cruise was great and the booking was effortless. Barbara is so pleasant and was always there to answer any questions. Her suggestions for excursions were fantastic! When I received my booking information in the mail, she had all of the information right there. She even sent me luggage tags! Barbara, get ready! I want to go to Alaska for my next cruise! Thank you for all of your help!
-Jen P. Florida
(Barbara could have walked the booking information over to Jen P aka employee Jennifer Pioli rather than wasting postage)
Of course it’s of no shock that First Class Vacations original web presence remains shuttered (fcvonline.com)
Below are examples of Jeff Nahom, Cruise Firefly and First Class Vacations reputational damage that cannot be SEO’d off the Internet
Jeffery Nahom, Cruise Firefly and First Class Vacations are regulars to Ripoff Reporters:
Better Business Bureau claims:
First Class Vacations, Inc. is not BBB Accredited
First Class Vacations, Inc.
Customer Complaints
Summary 41 complaints
7 closed in last 12 months
Complaint Type Total Closed
Complaints Advertising / Sales Issues - 20
Billing / Collection Issues - 2
Delivery Issues - 1
Guarantee / Warranty Issues - 2
Problems with Product / Service - 16
Total Closed Complaints 41
See more at: http://www.bbb.org
Firefly Travel Corp.
Firefly Travel Corp (Cruise Firefly) is not BBB Accredited
Customer Complaints
3 complaints closed with BBB in last 3 years
2 closed in last 12 months
Complaint Type
Total Closed Complaints
Advertising / Sales Issues 1
Problems with Product / Service 2
Billing / Collection Issues 0
Delivery Issues 0
Guarantee / Warranty Issues 0
Total Closed Complaints 3
- See more at: bbb.org
As always with all Call Center offerings, particularly those from Boca Raton unlicensed call centers, if it sounds too good to be true…. it’s generally not true.
Enjoy your Vacations
This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 02/10/2014 07:51 AM and is a permanent record located here: https://www.ripoffreport.com/report/first-class-vacations-firefly/boca-ran-florida-c-jeffery-1122424. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year. Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report. READ: Foreign websites steal our content
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#1 Author of original report
CRUISE FIREFLY,RECANTATION, FIRST CLASS VACATIONS INC,
AUTHOR: MajorDamage - ()
SUBMITTED: Thursday, March 06, 2014
TO BE APPENDED TO WWW.RIPOFFREPORT.COM
~
http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/FIRST-CLASS-VACATIONS-INC-/BOCA-RATON-Florida-33432/FIRST-CLASS-VACATIONS-INC-CRUISE-FIREFLY-CRUISE-FIREFLY-FIRST-CLASS-VACATIONS-BY-UNLI-1122424
THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS AND DECLARATIONS REPRESENT A TRUTHFUL RECANTATION OF THE ORIGINAL POSTING OF RIPOFFREPORT.COM FILE; (http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/FIRST-CLASS-VACATIONS-INC-/BOCA-RATON-Florida-33432/FIRST-CLASS-VACATIONS-INC-CRUISE-FIREFLY-CRUISE-FIREFLY-FIRST-CLASS-VACATIONS-BY-UNLI-1122424)
AS FOLLOWS;
1) CRUISE FIREFLY, FIRST CLASS VACATIONS BY UNLICENSED SCAMSTER JEFFERY NAHOM.
Recantation;
To the best of my knowledge, Jeffrey Nahom is not a scamster as described in the title. Jeffery Nahom is the President and Chief Executive Officer of a) Firefly Travel Corp aka Cruise Firefly and First Class Vacations Inc., located at 1515 South Federal Highway, Boca Raton Florida 33432. Mr. Nahom has operated First Class Vacations Inc., as sole shareholder and operator since approximately 2004. Mr Richard J. Nahom serves as financial executive and Treasurer of First Class Vacations Inc.,
2) Officers, Board Members, Directors, Vice Presidents, Business Partners and Consultants:
Recantation;
Richard Nahom
According to Sunbiz.com, Richard Nahom is Vice President & Treasurer of First Class Vacations, Inc and Firefly Travel Corp. http://search.sunbiz.org/Inquiry/CorporationSearch/SearchResultDetail/EntityName/domp-p04000082760-7c2bdff5-4633-4d67-97db-f2c6ea849b3b/First%20Class%20Vacations%20inc%20/Page1
Jeffrey Nahom
Sunbiz.com states that Jeffery Nahom is Officer, Secretary and sole Director of First Class Vacations Inc., & Firefly Travel Corp http://search.sunbiz.org/Inquiry/CorporationSearch/SearchResultDetail/EntityName/domp-p04000082760-7c2bdff5-4633-4d67-97db-f2c6ea849b3b/First%20Class%20Vacations%20inc%20/Page1
Andrew Smith
Andrew Smith is not an Officer, Board member, Business Partner or Consultant to either First Class Vacations Inc., or Firefly Travel Corp.
Wayne Wiggins
Wayne Wiggins is not currently or has ever been an Officer, Board member, Business Partner or Consultant to either First Class Vacations Inc., or Firefly Travel Corp.
Jeffery Vanderpol
Jeffery Vanderpol is not an Officer, Board member, Business Partner or Consultant to either First Class Vacations Inc., or Firefly Travel Corp.
Christina Rosario
Ms Rosario serves as an Independent Consultant for First Class Vacations, Inc and Firefly Travel Corp. hired on an ad-hoc basis to create and provide business planning documents to the aforementioned Company.
Brent Snipes
Brent Snipes is not an Officer, Board member, Business Partner or Consultant to either First Class Vacations Inc., or Firefly Travel Corp.
3)
HAVE YOU BEEN SELECTED TO RECEIVE A DISCOUNTED CRUISE FROM CRUISE FIREFLY?
HAVE YOU BEEN OFFERED 75% OFF YOUR NEXT CRUISE?
GET ONE FREE PROMOTION?
Recantation;
I am unaware if First Class Vacations Inc., or Firefly Travel Corp use any of the above terms or phrases to promote or sell any vacation products, including but not limited to Cruise Vacations.
4)
IN THE CASE OF CRUISE FIREFLY, FIRST CLASS VACATIONS THE SCAM IS REASONABLY SIMPLE; JEFF NAHOM CHARGES $698. 00 BUT NONE OF THE COST OF A CRUISE IS IN THIS CHARGE. THIS CHARGE IS JUST THE CUSTOMERS FRONT END COST. $698 OR ANY AMOUNT DEMANDED UPFRONT PAYS FOR ZERO TOWARDS YOUR CRUISE OR IN FACT ANY VACATION.
Recantation;
I have no knowledge of the inner workings of First Class Vacations, Inc or Firefly Travel Corp. It is unknown how the business operates its pricing structure, nor is it known what markups, fees or charges are used by the Company in its day-to-day operations. I am unaware of how Customers’ payments are allotted to the cost of vacations bookings, versus commissionable elements or markups. Therefore it is impossible to deduce how the Company’s cash flow operates on a per capita basis per booking basis. First Class Vacations and Firefly Travel Corp. have a stellar reputation, has been in business for almost 10 years without government actions or lawsuits and has an A+ Rating with the Better Business Bureau.
5)
HOWEVER, BEFORE WE GET INTO JEFF NAHOM’S NEFARIOUS SCAM BUSINESS, LET’S BREIFLY LOOK INTO FLORIDA TELEMARKETING LAWS TO SEE IF CRUISE FIREFLY OR FIRST CLASS VACATIONS HAS EVER BEEN A LEGITIMATE TELEMARKETER IN ITS PRIOR TEN YEARS OF BUSINESS?
Recantation;
As previously stated (#5), it is egregious and without merit to fairly state that the business practice is either (i) Nefarious or (ii) a Scam. It is unknown if the Business has operated as a unlicensed telemarketer at any time in its history since 2004 to the present as described in 501.605 Licensure of commercial telephone sellers in The 2013 Florida Statutes parts I – VI as defined; http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0500-0599/0501/0501.html
Florida's Division of Consumer Services manages all of the licenses for telemarketers. Businesses that wish to telemarket must apply for permission to do so, which includes disclosing criminal histories of all the applicants and copies of all sales scripts to be used in order to comply with licensing criteria. Salespeople for telemarketing businesses must also obtain individual licenses for a fee of $50.00 P/A per person. The business application carries a $1,500 P/A fee, and business applicants must also post a bond of $50,000. Every licensed telemarketing organization has a valid license number and every sales person has a valid license number issued by FDACS. Telemarketers may only call between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. in the time zone of the person being called. They may not block their name or number from showing up on the recipient's Caller ID system. Telemarketers can't tell you that you can only pay for their service by credit card or otherwise express any preference for payment method. From the moment you answer the call, the marketer has 30 seconds to state his or her real name, the company’s name, address and telephone number and the goods or services being offered.
Who do telemarketers that don’t have licenses answer to?
The Florida Telemarketing Act governs the actions of these businesses. All non-exempt telemarketing companies must be licensed with FDACS, and post a security bond of no less than $50,000 and have every salesperson licensed prior to soliciting a single potential customer.
Background checks are conducted as part of this process, and individuals with suspicious and / or criminal histories involving fraud are denied licensure. With a continuing focus on protecting consumers from unfair and deceptive business practices, the Department’s Division of Consumer Services partnered with the Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement to conduct a series of inspections on over 250 telemarketing businesses in Florida. Cease and desist orders were issued to 170 of the businesses and over 1000 salespeople. More than 3000 violations of the Florida Telemarketing Act were cited, resulting in fines being collected and assets seized, frozen and forfeited.
Commentary: This is a statement directly from Licensure of commercial telephone sellers in The 2013 Florida Statutes
The following are a few requirements set forth in the statute that consumers should be aware of;
Register for the Florida Do Not Call Program by calling 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352) or
visiting 800helpfla.com.
Don’t answer the phone if you don’t recognize the number on your caller ID. Instead, let it go to voicemail. Don’t provide any personal or financial information over the phone and don’t be
pressured into making any immediate or impulsive decisions.
Don’t send cash by messenger or overnight mail. Using a credit card will allow you to dispute the charges if you don’t get what you were promised.
Report telemarketing scams!
Fraudulent telemarketers should be reported to both FDACS and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
Filing a consumer complaint with FDACS can be done online or by requesting a copy of the form from the Consumer Assistance Center.
Either visit 800helpfla.com or call 1-800- HELP-FLA (435-7352) from within Florida, 850-488-2221 from outside of Florida.
Florida Telemarketing License
Business required - $1500.00 P/A
Individual Sales person required - $50.00 P/A
Florida Telemarketing Surety Bond $50,000
Florida Telemarketing Curfew
8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
FSA 501.616(6)
Florida Telemarketing Fines
$10,000 per violation. FL Code 501.059 (8)
Florida State Specific DNC List - Yes
Does the national DNC list also apply? - Yes
Does Florida have any Mandatory Disclosures, Prohibited Statements, or Cancellation Rights?- Yes
Commentary: These are mandatory statements and consumer protection statements directly from Licensure of commercial telephone sellers in The 2013 Florida Statutes & FDACS and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) http://www.freshfromflorida.com/Divisions-Offices/Consumer-Services/Consumer-Services/Consumer-Protection/Scams-and-Fraud/Phishing & http://www.ftc.gov/
6)
Regardless of the unlawful, unlicensed method of solicitation and contact, Jeff Nahom, Cruise Firefly and First Class Vacations want you to believe you are being solicited as part of a selected group of people specially chosen to receive a cruise vacation package promotion that resembles:
Recantation;
It is unknown how Cruise Firefly. First Class Vacations Inc., solicit or contact potential customers, nor is it known what form of promotion or solicitation any potential sales takes. Therefore it egregious and incorrect to state that any form of promotional marketing or sales that the Company makes to be unlawful or unlicensed.
7)
A LUXURY CRUISE VACATION PACKAGE
* 7 Night cruise – your choice of Carnival or Norwegian – you choose from most US ports and over 50 itineraries * 4 Night Bonus Cruise – Your Choice of Carnival, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean – you choose from Bahamas or Key West and Cozumel, Mexico * 2 Resort stays...
Once they have you on the line, unlicensed Jeff Nahom, Cruise Firefly and First Class Vacations may describe an exciting vacation and a "luxury cruise" filled with unlimited casino, entertainment and shows, onboard facilities, offshore excursions and never ending Filet mignon & Lobster tail buffets.
Recantation;
It is unknown what form of vacation the Company markets. Therefore any descriptions or content including but not limited to; Cruise Lines; Hotel accommodations; Entertainment; Excursions; Flights; Destinations; Resorts; Flights or any other part of the Company’s products are by definition incorrect and misstated.
Jeff Nahom and the unlicensed fireflies state that the vacation is worth a significant amount, but that you will pay a much smaller amount to receive it, typically $698. Jeff Nahom and his unlicensed call center fireflies urge you to immediately "secure" or "register" the vacation with a major credit card in what the call center industry recognizes as an unsolicited impulse sale or “One Call Close”.
Jeff Nahom’s unlicensed gang insists that you purchase immediately or they will read you scripted rebuttals until you hang up or pay. In fact, there is no limit to the number of such promotional cruise vacations for sale by Jeff Nahom and the unlicensed cruise Fireflies. Jeff Nahom is relying on a customer’s dumb naiveté to make his nefarious living. So you give your credit card number to the convincing unlicensed call center grunt. Once that is obtained, the unlicensed grunt will pass you over to a "cruise specialist". In actuality, the call is transferred to the "T O or “Take Over” unlicensed sales person who comes on to the line to confirm the details of the sale and relies heavily on your naivety to close the sale and take your non-refundable credit card cash.
8)
Recantation;
I have no knowledge what method of sales presentation the Company produces telephonically to make sales of its wares. Therefore, notwithstanding Recantations: #4, 5 ,6 as previously declared, it is unknown what vacation inventory or vacation stock the Company holds on hand, or owns as principal prior to being telephonically offered for sale to the general public. It is further unknown if the Company employs scripted presentations and /or rebuttal techniques. Furthermore, it is extreme and unfair to claim that the Company seeks naïve customers, or in any way takes advantage of a customer’s credit card transaction.
How does Jeff’s Nahom‘s, Cruise Firefly & First Class Vacations merchant account – PayPal.com allow this unlicensed and unlawful activity to persist and more crucially, how should it be stopped?
Unlike the sales portion of the call, the "T O verification" is generally recorded. During the verification, the T O will ask for your credit card number again, quickly reviewing the details of the vacation package and, in some but not all instances, tell you “for the very first time” that you will have to pay additional upgrade charges for "port service reservation processing fees" and that the vacation package is "non-refundable". These disclosures occur only after you have provided a credit card number which will be charged within seconds of giving it up.
9)
Recantation;
It is unknown what methods are used in the cash flow of the Company’s day-to-day business activities, therefore not withstanding Recantations # 4, 5 & 6, it is an incorrect statement to declare that a credit card transaction is either (i) unlicensed or (ii) unlawful. It is further unknown what methods of verification are used to complete a transaction by any person or persons, in which manner Customers are informed regarding upgrades, port fees, processing fees, or terms and conditions regarding refunds, or the timeline to complete a credit card transaction.
In the travel certificate industry, the amount a customer is initially charged during the sales call is known as the "front end" fee. This is because you do not receive a vacation for the money initially charged to your credit card, nor does the front end fee pay for any of your vacation. In fact, most, if not all of the front end fee simply pays Jeff Nahom and the unlicensed call center fireflies for their illegitimate labors and unlawful, misleading sales practices. For your initial money, you receive nothing more than a package about your ‘to be paid for’ cruise vacation. When you receive the vacation package you discover that you will have to pay more to take the vacation, and you believed you had already paid for it! You find you have actually just paid for the "option" to purchase a vacation and you also realize that you were not really selected for a discounted promotion at all, you’ve been duped!
10)
Recantation; not withstanding recantations # 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8, I am unaware of what portion of a transaction is allotted to a customer’s vacation, booking fee, front end fee or overall cost of the product sold or the cost of goods sold. I have grossly misstated that the Customer may have only purchased an ‘option’ to purchase a vacation product, nor is it correct to state that the Customer was not selected for a preferential or special promotion, ergo the statement “you’ve been duped” is a preposterous misstatement of the fact.
The required additional payment, or the "back end" fee, is due when you actually try and book your cruise. Booking the cruise is a separate fiasco for another day. Cruise Firefly, First Class Vacations may state that the back end fee is for "port reservation processing fees or upgrades". In fact, the back end fee pays for most, if not all, of your "cruise" and your vacation accommodations. Should you call and attempt to cancel your vacation option it is flatly stated that unlicensed Cruise Firefly First Class Travel have a "no refund" policy and that you cannot cancel your initial purchase. If you read the fine print on the back of the reservation vouchers that are included in the mailed vacation packages, you will discover that there is actually a return policy within a specified number of days, depending on the state in which you live. If you return the vacation option package, even following the instructions on the back of the reservation voucher, you inevitably receive your package back, often several times, until you either give up or call the FTC, a law enforcement agency, the Better Business Bureau, your credit card company or a private attorney. People who seek third party assistance generally receive a full refund immediately.
Those who do not are generally stuck paying for the misrepresented vacation option package. Should you be one of those relatively few people who decide to pay the extra "back end" fee to take the vacation you may find that the vacation is not what you bargained for. The cruise ship you're booked on may look more like a tug boat. The hotel accommodations provided may be shabby, and if you wish to stay at the better-known hotels and resorts referred to in the solicitations and brochures, you must pay yet more undisclosed "upgrade" fees; otherwise you must endure the substandard accommodations provided.
11)
Recantation;
I am unaware of what the cost of goods sold to a Customer maybe in any given transaction, therefore it is a misstatement of the fact that any ‘back end fee’ is further required to be paid when booking a vacation through the Company. It is an egregious and unfair statement to describe the booking processes as a (i) Fiasco. It is further unknown what costs or fee’s Customers are required to pay or contribute to complete a vacation transaction. Notwithstanding recantations #5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10; it is unknown how the Company handles terms and conditions with reference to complaints and / or refunds. It is further unknown what quality of cruise ship or accommodations is provided within the cost of goods sold, or if undisclosed ‘upgrade’ fees are required to be paid prior to the completion of a transaction with the Company.
It should be no surprise that unlicensed Jeff Nahom, Cruise Firefly First Class Vacations features customer testimonials not from its actual customers but from its employees; Firefly Travel booked the last two cruises I have taken. I just cruised to The Caymans and Jamaica. The cruise was great and the booking was effortless. Barbara is so pleasant and was always there to answer any questions. Her suggestions for excursions were fantastic! When I received my booking information in the mail, she had all of the information right there. She even sent me luggage tags! Barbara, get ready! I want to go to Alaska for my next cruise! Thank you for all of your help!
-Jen P. Florida (Barbara could have walked the booking information over to Jen P aka employee Jennifer Pioli rather than wasting postage)
12)
Recantation; From information provided by the Company; the testimonial published was from a lady who was not an employee of the Company at the time of the booking of the vacation. Therefore, the testimonial provided and published can be deemed as a member of the public and evidently a satisfied customer.
Of course it’s of no shock that First Class Vacations original web presence remains shuttered (fcvonline.com)
13)
Recantation; From information provided by the Company, the above referenced URL was closed and superseded by several alternative URL’s to better enhance and manage the web traffic used by the Company in its marketing and SEO efforts, therefore making www.fcvonline.com redundant.
Below are examples of Jeff Nahom, Cruise Firefly and First Class Vacations reputational damage that cannot be SEO’d off the Internet. Jeffery Nahom, Cruise Firefly and First Class Vacations are regulars to Ripoff Reporters
1.http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/FIRST-CLASS-VACATIONS/BOCA-RATON-Florida-33432/FIRST-CLASS-VACATIONS-JOHN-SIMS-AND-JEFF-AND-HIS-BROTHER-WHERE-THERE-DO-THERE-BEST-NOT-TO-1041049
2.http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/first-class-vacations/boca-raton-florida-/first-class-vacations-rip-off-on-a-cruise-vacation-boca-raton-florida-1039124
3.http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/First-Class-Vacations/Boca-Raton-Florida-33432/First-Class-Vacations-Taking-advantage-of-senior-citizens-plus-more-they-are-a-scam-Boca-829842
4.http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/First-Class-Vacations/Boca-Raton-Florida-33432/First-Class-Vacations-BUYER-BEWARE-designed-to-rip-off-unsuspecting-travellers-Boca-R-990104
5.http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/First-Class-Vacations/internet/First-Class-Vacations-mycruisepackagecom-First-Class-Vacations-Mycruisepackagecom-no-953512
6.http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/First-Class-Vacations-Inc/Boca-Raton-Florida-33432/First-Class-Vacations-Inc-First-Class-Vacations-targeted-Texas-nurses-and-received-500-913577
7.http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/First-Class-Vacations/Boca-Raton-Florida-33432/First-Class-Vacations-Cruise-and-Vacation-Scam-Boca-Raton-Florida-825843
8.http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/First-Class-Vacations/Boca-Raton-Florida-33432/First-Class-Vacations-Complete-Rip-Off-Scam-Artists-Boca-Raton-Florida-814497
9.http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/First-Class-Vacations/Boca-Raton-Florida-33432/First-Class-Vacations-is-a-Rip-Off-in-Boca-Raton-Florida-778084
10.http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/First-Class-Vacations/Boca-Raton-Florida-33487/First-Class-Vacations-Deceptive-Overcharging-Travel-Company-Boca-Raton-Florida-630671
11.http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/First-Class-Vacations/-Boca-Raton-Florida-33487/First-Class-Vacations-2-for-1-cruise-Boca-Raton-Florida-584484
12.http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/First-Class-Vacations/internet/First-Class-Vacations-BAIT-SWITCH-WARNING-WARNING-WARNING-RIPOFF-LIARS-Internet-578315
Commentary; The list of existing third party complaints on www.ripoffreport.com are the result of the Company selling thousands of vacation packages. From Information provided by the Company, this is a representation of an extremely small percentage or a ‘minority’ of dissatisfied customers. All of whom have been contacted at one time or another in an attempt to resolve their complaints.
Better Business Bureau claims:
First Class Vacations, Inc. is not BBB Accredited
First Class Vacations, Inc.
Customer Complaints
Summary 41 complaints
7 closed in last 12 months
Complaint Type Total Closed
Complaints Advertising / Sales Issues - 20
Billing / Collection Issues - 2
Delivery Issues - 1
Guarantee / Warranty Issues - 2
Problems with Product / Service - 16
Total Closed Complaints 41
See more at: http://www.bbb.org
Firefly Travel Corp.
Firefly Travel Corp (Cruise Firefly) is not BBB Accredited
Customer Complaints
3 complaints closed with BBB in last 3 years
2 closed in last 12 months
Complaint Type
Total Closed Complaints
Advertising / Sales Issues 1
Problems with Product / Service 2
Billing / Collection Issues 0
Delivery Issues 0
Guarantee / Warranty Issues 0
Total Closed Complaints 3
- See more at: bbb.org
Commentary; The list of existing third party complaints on www.betterbusinessbureau.com are the result of the Company selling thousands of vacation packages. From Information provided by the Company, this is a representation of an extremely small percentage or a ‘minority’ of dissatisfied customers. All of whom have been contacted at one time or another in an attempt to resolve their complaints.
As always with all Call Center offerings, particularly those from Boca Raton unlicensed call centers, if it sounds too good to be true…. it’s generally not true.
Enjoy your Vacations
THIS RECANTATION WILL BE APPENDED BY THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR TO THE POST
Submitted: Mon, February 10, 2014
Updated: Mon, February 10, 2014
Reported By: MajorDamage
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