Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona is alerting consumers to postcards being sent out across the Tucson area promising two round-trip airline tickets, a three day hotel stay, and a $50 Priceline.com Hotel Cash Card.

The postcards, which display the logos of US Airways, Priceline.com, and several well known hotel chains, urge consumers to call a toll free number where they’re told they need to attend a sales presentation for a vacation club in order to claim their vouchers.

Consumers who contacted BBB said they attended a sales presentation conducted by a company called Travel Authority, located at 1880 River Rd. Ste 100, in Tucson. BBB has attempted to contact the company to learn more information about them, but has yet to receive a response.

BBB warns that these types of presentations conclude with attempts to enroll consumers in discount or wholesale travel clubs, often promising steeply discounted rates for hotels, cruises, flights and travel packages.

In BBB experience, the upfront costs of enrollment in these programs are rarely if ever recouped. Promised travel discounts rarely materialize, customers find they must navigate a myriad of blackout dates and legitimate travel consolidators, lodgings, airlines and rental car agencies in some cases do not recognize credentials issued by these types of groups.

The company that fulfills the airline and hotel vouchers, Smart Travel and Incentives, is based in Orange, Florida, has a ‘D’ rating with BBB and has received 42 complaints since February of 2012. In response to past complaints, Smart Travel has stated that they sell their vouchers to third party companies- in this case Travel Authority- who use the vouchers as an incentive for a product or service the company offers.

A copy of Smart Travel’s terms and conditions for the airline tickets states that a deposit of $100 is required to collect the tickets, as well as a $75 processing fee for each ticket. Consumers are charged additional surcharges for travel during “peak season,” during conventions, and seven days before and after holidays.

For more information about travel clubs or other consumer issues, visit www.tucson.bbb.org or call (520)888-5353.

Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona is alerting consumers to Southwest Airlines-branded mailers being sent out across Tucson, claiming the recipient has been “selected” to receive two round trip airfares on Southwest Airlines.

Consumers who call the number on the back of the card are told that in order to claim the airline vouchers they must own a timeshare, and they must attend a seminar this Saturday, Sunday or Monday at the Hilton Tucson East, located at 7600 E Broadway Blvd, in Tucson.

BBB advises consumers that the offer of airlines tickets in the mailer is not in any way affiliated with Southwest Airlines, despite the company’s logo appearing on the front of the card. In BBB’s experience “airline vouchers” given as incentives for attending presentations often include hidden fees and a numerous blackout dates for travel.

In the past two years BBB has seen a marked increase in timeshare related scams across the country. The scam usually involves a reseller that charges timeshare owners thousands of dollars upfront, promising to quickly sell the timeshare property. Victims of these scams tell BBB that a buyer for the timeshare never materializes, and the reseller often disappears, or points to fine print in the contract as a reason to not refund the upfront fee.

BBB offers the following advice to timeshare owners who are looking for help in selling their timeshare:

Use a Business You can Trust – Make sure the timeshare reseller you use is a BBB Accredited (more…)

*See bottom paragraph for the latest update regarding this company

Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona is alerting consumers to Patterson Bell, Harris Fields, Lexington Duke, Henderson Gill, Robinson Rhodes, Madden Hall, Nicholson Barnes, Jefferson & Greer, Welsch McCormick, Shelton White, Zimmerman Cain, Davidson Powell, Morrison Banks, Sutton Perry, Gilbert Turner, Sullivan Lang, Stanton Carney, Emerson Ross, Swanson Carr, Thompson Fuller, Richardson Blake,  and Hoffman Sims,  self proclaimed “Awards Redemption” agencies  mailing letters to local consumers that state the recipient has qualified for airline tickets.

Since Dec. 10, BBB has received over 30 inquiries about Patterson Bell from consumers seeking to determine if the offer is legitimate. Consumers who spoke to BBB said they had no recollection of ever entering a sweepstakes or contest for the airline tickets.

Consumers say the letter states that they have qualified for an “award” of two airline tickets that have a retail value of $1,400. The letter claims that Patterson Bell has attempted to contact the consumer multiple times and if the consumer does not contact them by a specific date the airline tickets will be given to an alternate recipient.

According to consumers, Patterson Bell’s address in Tucson is 4811 E Grant Rd, STE 261 85712, and its Web site, www.pattersonbell.com, says the company has additional locations in New York, Florida, Utah, New Jersey, Texas, California, and Oregon.

BBB has also received a number of inquiries about Hoffman Sims, another “Awards Redemption Agency” in Tucson whose Web site, www.hoffmansims.com, is similar to Patterson Bell’s, and claims to operate in the same cities.

Consumers who called BBB concerning Hoffman Sims say they too received a letter indicating they had won free airline tickets. A Hoffman Sims representative told BBB over the phone that they the mailings were sent on behalf of Southwest Travel Inc., a Tucson-based travel club. BBB has not been able to (more…)