Troubleshooter: Couple gets tricked by vacation 'giveaway'
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- Getting a vacation advertisement in the mail can be tempting, especially when the offer makes it sound like it's free. But many times, it is not what it seems. One local couple found out the hard way.
The offer stated "Your flyaway getaway awaits you!" It caught the attention of Pat Gerney and her husband Glenn. In order to get the travel incentive, they had to attend a local sales presentation for a travel club.
They didn't buy the vacation club membership, but wanted to take advantage of the travel certificates that they got for 2 round trip airline tickets and a 3-day hotel stay.
"We did according to the instructions, we mailed the tax money in for the flight," Glenn said.
They mailed in a total of $148 to Eagles Fly Away Vacations for taxes and fees.
"So we got one package it said, enclosed is your tickets," Pat said. "We wanted to book a flight to LA; instead of booking the flight they sent another brochure asking for more money."
The Gerney's kept getting more paperwork with instructions on whom to call to book the flights. The paperwork states that there are restrictions on the flights, and each offer could be fulfilled by a different provider and could cost more fees.
That's when they said they called Eagles Fly Away Vacations.
"Every time you try and call them you get a different name," Pat said. "Everyone claims it's not our department, call someone else."
After paying $148 with no flights, the Gerney's were frustrated.
"At this point we don't want the tickets, we just want our money back that we invested in this," Pat said.
When they say they couldn't get their money back, they reached out to ABC11 and we called Eagles Fly Away Vacations.
A representative said they had no record or the Gerney's calling and they don't advertise their product as free, it's an issue with the company that offered the program.
Eagles Fly Away Vacations did work with the Gerney's and the couple did get a refund check for most of what they paid Eagles in the mail.
The Gerney's say the next time they get a travel offer; they know it's not for them.
"If we had not been smart enough to stop at this point, we would have invested more in it than the free flight," Pat said.
A representative with Eagles Fly Away provided us with this statement.
We are a Certificate Incentive company only. We provide incentives to companies across the country to market and promote their products. We constantly receive bad reviews because companies tell their clients that promotions are 'Free' when the client signs to the fact that they are not. We have absolutely nothing to do with Marketing or Fulfillment of promotions. We do not promise anyone Free vacations. Unfortunately, we are always caught in the middle between Marketing companies, fulfillment companies and the client. We are a Certificate Whole seller. Several companies buy our certificates in bulk and re-sell them. We have no knowledge as to whom they are sold. The client always contact us, because we are the easiest to get in touch with. Our staff always responds to emails and phone inquiries. We make every attempt to help the client and if we are unable to do so, we will promptly refund any activation fees paid to us (Eagles Flyaway Vacations). All of our certificates carry the following disclaimer below:
'Eagles Flyaway Vacations and its vendor partners accept no responsibility for any verbal or written representations made in conjunction with this offer by any distributor or agent other than those included in this offer.'
When you get a vacation offer in the mail, the best advice is to read all of the fine print. You can't listen to what you are told verbally, you have to read exactly what the paperwork states. Again, if it sounds too good to be true, it typically is.
