YTB still sales FLASE DREAMS to CONSUMERS

Here's more YTB Travel News; It has been brought to my attention that YTB has once again made headlines this time in Louisville, Ky in an article written by Charla Young for Wave- TV in Louisville, Ky

LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - The Better Business Bureau is warning consumers about an online travel company recruiting people to work from home. The company promises big money, but many people have complained that those promises were empty.

Theresa Simons was searching the Internet recently, looking for a way to make money when she happened upon a website that caught her eye.

"This is what I came up with," Theresa said. "It was a very great way for me to come up with money. It was a piece of cake. And I could do it sitting at home, at my own desk."

The company Theresa found is called Your Travel Biz International Inc. Its website boasts of lucrative income opportunities by becoming an online travel booking consultant. And the company says you can earn up to $100,000 in bonuses.

"I influenced some of my closest friends and some of my closest family members," Theresa said. "And they got scammed, too."

But Theresa and others claim the company left them with wallets as empty as the promises by requiring substantial sums of money upfront (which should always be a red flag).

"I knew I had to put a small amount of money in," Teresa explained. "I was expecting that - but not as much as they wiped me out of."

Theresa claims she lost at least $500, and has nothing to show for it.

Charlie Mattingly with the Better Business Bureau says his agency gave an "F" rating to Your Travel Biz International.

"Anytime you sign up with a business where you realize your success is going to depend largely on recruiting others to work under you, you ought to think very carefully about it. Because we see lots of those things that don't work out to be what people think they are."

Over the past three years, Louisville's BBB chapter has received 112 complaints about Your Travel Biz International, and has released the following statement about the company:

"The earnings claims are exaggerated, and the testimonials are invalid as evidence of the truth of the company's advertising."

Mattingly says he understand why people sometimes fall victim to misleading claims.

"A lot of people are looking for work now and they see this as an opportunity," Mattingly said. "But it unfortunately often turns out to be a hollow hope and a false opportunity."

We contacted Your Travel Biz International and spoke with President and Chief Operating Officer Andrew Cauthen, who had this to say about the BBB's statement:

"The information the BBB is reporting is inaccurate. We answer each and every complaint within a 24 hour period. We always refund money no questions asked."

We checked again with the Better Business Bureau and was told that Your Travel Biz International has made settlement offers to 114 customers, and that 88 people accepted the offers. We're told 41 of those offers involved some monetary refunds.

YTB is also saying there are currently no open cases with the BBB. When we asked about Theresa's case, we were told that YTB contacted her with an offer, but Theresa says the offer was unacceptable.

For more information contact:

Daryl D. Alex
Regional Executive
TraVerus Travel TeleVerus
1-800-781-3254