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Want to be an instant travel agent? Beware!
Questions to ask before you jump into a potentially sketchy situation
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You can find ads like that everywhere from the telephone pole on your corner to your grocery store bulletin board to your daily newspaper.
While you may find these ads appealing, especially if you can't work outside your home, proceed with caution. Not all work-at-home opportunities deliver on their promises. As a matter of fact, most don't. And that's especially true in travel.
In the past, the "standard" get-rich-quick schemes involved stuffing envelopes, assembling crafts, or medical billing. But today, it seems that travel opportunities are fast climbing to the top of the list.
Three years ago, I wrote a column on travel scams and "Becoming A Travel Agent" was in the top five. Unfortunately, things have not changed.
Each month, I get 10 or 12 emails inviting me to participate in some new travel scheme. Very few, if any, are legitimate. Consumers deceived by these ads have lost thousands of dollars, in addition to their time and energy.
Some are "travel clubs" where you pay a membership fee for "discounted" travel, but I would like to focus on the new scourge of the industry — the "Business Opportunity."
Most of these "opportunities" are nothing more than Multi Level Marketing (MLM) which, as an industry, has very few success stories. They are reminiscent of Pyramid and Ponzi schemes where only the initial investors will make any substantial money. They claim that you can become a "credentialed" travel agent as soon as the check clears the bank. They promise upgrades, discounted air, free travel, and discounted travel for your friends and family. They claim you will be selling travel and earning a slice of the worldwide $525 billion dollar pie. (World Tourism Organization, 2003)
In reality, most times, you are buying a sub-site on a larger Web site and pressured to recruit more travel agents under you. There is very little travel sold by these "instant" agents. When you go to one of these sites like YTB, the focus is on joining the ranks and reaping the benefits. Notice the small link to actually book travel? These travel requests are not handled by the "agent" but by a call center. So, the consumer is once again duped. You think you're working with an agent or someone you know, but in reality it's a minimally-trained, cubicle-dwelling, order taker in a call center.
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On the "credentials," the reply was "Once the Affiliate Travel Agent or Platinum Travel Club Member creates the California minimum of $1,500 in travel sales, that person will receive our own official company issued Travel Seller ID Card that they may present to any travel vendor that will accept it." So, the credential is their own — and not that of professional organizations such as IATA, ARC, OSSN, CLIA, ARTA, or any of the other recognized travel industry associations.
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"The best of all! Someone can become a Travel Agent instantly for anywhere from $99 a year to thousands of dollars — just depends — but — indeed, they are instantly a travel agent. No tests — no classes — no internships — nothing but paying a fee. Then they just need to get the word out and start booking travel. In the meantime, while waiting for customers to arrive — they can access Fam Trips and show their ID Card to Disney World and get in free. They can get upgrades at 4 and 5 star hotels by showing their ID card. The wonderful world of travel."
Um, Mr. Jones, can I please have another glass of that purple Kool-Aid? As a legitimate travel agent and a consumer, I am not feeling too comfortable with this philosophy. Are you?
Still not convinced? Take a look at this YouTube production from a pair of YTB travel agents. I am not rushing to the post office to mail them a check!
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