MVI, Mini Vacations, Iron Horse Mini Vacations rip off and still in existence- update on State of Florida and what they are doing! Tampa, Florida

On Sept 19 2005

www.traveltrade.com/headline_news.jsp?articleID=7234 - 20k -

Among other partners, MVI did business with the Tampa-based travel club Iron Horse Vacations, which filed for liquidation on Sept. 7, 2005, in Tampa's Hillsborough County bankruptcy court.

The failed company was registered, under the Florida Sellers of Travel Law, for more than five years with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (DACS), which administers the law.

However, the Florida DACS was also reportedly aware of several problems at MVI, including: 433 complaints on file with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) of Clearwater, FL, ?in the last 36 months,? according to the BBB report obtained by Travel Trade. The Florida Attorney General, according to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, referred 165 complaints to the Florida DACS, and another 26 were active in the DACS' own investigative file.

According to a published comment from a DACS spokeswoman, an investigator from the department visited MVI's Tampa office in December, but was given satisfactory reassurance from an unnamed employee that customer service problems were being rectified.

Last week Travel Trade learned that New York-based Michael C. Fina Jewelry, with a retail store on Fifth Avenue, has for months been working with MVI to handle travel prizes for its ?Win a Honeymoon Cruise Contest? operated as an incentive to jewelry customers.

Cruise Vacations The monthly bride-to-be contest winners received cruise vacations on Carnival, Royal Caribbean or NCL, arranged through MVI.

John Tan, a contact in the Michael C. Fina marketing department who administered the contest, was surprised by the news of the MVI shutdown. ?We had no idea. Oh my gosh,? said Tan.

Likewise, a contact named ?Cecelia? in the advertising department of Brooklyn Bride, a supplement of Brooklyn Papers co-sponsoring a readership bridal honeymoon contest with Michael C. Fina, was unaware of the travel partner's shutdown.

According to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, MVI's Burke, who was last registered as a resident of Brandon, FL, could not be found for comment last week.

This should be a good start. Please let me know theres any thing that can be done. How could the State of Florida allow this.

Thank you

Linda

AND THERES ANOTHER COMPANY OUT THERE STATING THAT IF MINIVACATIONS RIPPED YOU OFF THEY WILL compensate ???????? For $$$$$$$$

"www.orlandomagicvacations.com"

For the FREE Florida vacation from "Florida Wants You Back and Is Giving Orlando Vacations To All That Ask" offer -

"In a spirit of cooperation in an otherwise extremely competitive and fragmented industry, Orlando Magic Vacations has announced that it will provide free, no questions asked, the ability to download and print a selection of their vacation certificates to companies and individuals holding travel vouchers or certificates from the now defunct Mini Vacations, Inc.

Mini Vacations, Inc., one of the industry giants since 1988, recently went out of business leaving thousands of their vacation vouchers in the hands of the traveling public. Orlando Magic Vacations has voluntarily agreed to provide free access to a portion of it's stable of vacation certificates to all that hold any of Mini Vacations, Inc. certificates. These certificates can be downloaded and printed for free from the Orlando Magic Vacations website - www.OrlandoMagicVacations.Com

"The demise of one of the greats in our industry is a shame." said Greg Garner, Orlando Magic Vacations spokes person, "But the traveling public should not be the one to suffer. We are reactivating this replacement program as a public service since we are all in the same industry and we will do whatever we can to ensure the fair and equitable treatment of the traveling public."

Mini Vacations, Inc., based in Tampa, Fla., closed it's doors and shut down their web site last week. The company was a leading supplier of vacation and travel certificates to individuals and businesses that use them as sales incentives, marketing tools, and promotional giveaways.

"Orlando Magic Vacations does not want any consumer or company to suffer from the actions of a few. We want it to be said that we step up to the plate to protect the traveling public and attempt to soften the blow of the demise of one of our brethren." said Garner.

"While it's true that our industry has developed something of a bad reputation from companies going out of business, leaving unfulfilled travel requests, Orlando Magic Vacations will do whatever it takes to try to remedy that reputation. We provide fulfillment and actual administration of our travel certificates rather than being a marketing company. Our company prides itself on providing quality service and fulfillment to its traveling public." he explained.

He said that he hopes to reassure discouraged company owners and managers by voluntarily stepping up to the plate to provide thousands of free replacement vacation certificates to the customer base of Mini Vacation, Inc. - both Companies and consumers. Those interested in the exchange program should visit the Orlando Magic Vacations website at http://www.OrlandoMagicVacations.com where they can select any of the listed certificates and download and print them out for free or call Orlando Magic Vacations toll-free at 888-238-1232.

Contact: Greg Garner 888-238-1232 Greg@OrlandoMagicVacations.com

however when I went back in to find more info I had to go thru google cache to bring it Feb 14, 2006 G o o g l e's cache is the snapshot that we took of the page as we crawled the web.

To link to or bookmark this page, use the following url: http://www.google.com/search?

q=cache:CzwchxAuw14J:www.orlandomagicvacations.com/+&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=1 Orlando Magic Vacations. Com CustSvc@FloridaBureauOfTravel.Com

Linda Lacavelle

Linda WINTER SPRINGS, Florida
U.S.A.

Click here to read how MVI Marketing /Mini Vacations Inc. Refunds! MVI contacts Rip-off Report to give YOU a Refund or replacement certificates.. in the name of ?Good Customer Service?

Click here to read other Rip Off Reports on MVI Marketing Mini Vacations