YTB International Inc. cuts 17 positions

YTB Travel News:(press release) Just two days after YTB Travel International Inc. laid off 25 employees from it's Wood River, Ill, headquarters; YTB Travel International Inc. Has now disclosed that they are now eliminating 17 positions which was revealed to The Telegraph through a e-mail statement



YTB International Inc. cut 17 positions at its Wood River, Ill, headquarters this week, according to a published report.

"YTB International Inc. eliminated 17 positions today (Wednesday), representing less than 5 percent of our work force, as part of a reorganization to reduce operating expenses and curtail redundancies," Tony Green, assistant to Chief Executive Scott Tomer, wrote in a statement e-mailed to The Telegraph. "This move places the company in an even better position to realize its goals and effectively manage its continued growth."

A request from the Business Journal requesting comment was not immediately returned.



For More Information Contact:

Daryl D. Alex
Regional Executive
Traverus Travel and TelVerus Cell Phones
1.800.781.3254
1.877.744.3431
225.590.7700

YTB Travel International Inc. Laid-off 25 employees?

YTB Travel News(Press Release): After doing a little private investigative work YTB Travel News has uncovered some very disappointing news
as reported by Cynthia Ellis of The Telegraph; YTB Travel International Inc. has began to lay-off some of it's employees from it's corporate
headquarters as of Wednesday August 27, 2008. However, the following story can
give us better insight as to "WHY" these alarming steps were taken:

By CYNTHIA M. ELLIS
The Telegraph

WOOD RIVER - YTB International Inc. reportedly terminated the employment of 25 people from its corporate headquarters on Wednesday.

A laid-off employee, who asked to remain anonymous, said that he and two dozen others were told their positions were being eliminated due to the "current economic environment in the United States," and that the company's management "regret this necessary decision."

The man said company officials knew Tuesday that positions would be eliminated, because they scheduled meetings with the employees Wednesday to inform them about the situation.

"I was told by my manager there would be a meeting, and I had no idea what it was about," he said. "I didn't know if I had done something wrong. I was stressing all night."

The man said that ever since the California Attorney General's Office filed a lawsuit against YTB Travel International Inc. in early August that claimed the company was operating a "gigantic pyramid scheme," company officials have been telling employees that "everything is fine."

"I don't think it's fine," he said.

Legal action was taken against YourTravelBiz.com, a subsidiary of YTB International Inc., for allegedly recruiting tens of thousands of people with deceptive claims that they could earn huge sums of money through its online travel agencies.

So far, the lawsuit is the toughest one filed against the company since it started operations seven years ago. YTB Travel International Inc. runs Web sites for referring travel agents, online agencies that sell flights, cruises and vacation packages and earn a commission.

Since the filing of the California suit, a class action lawsuit has been filed in federal court in East St. Louis and a third in Madison County Circuit Court. A judge has scheduled a hearing for Sept. 2 in the circuit court case filed in Edwardsville by Terry and Teresa Braswell, in which the couple claim that YTB Travel International Inc. Chairman J. Lloyd "Coach" Tomer "repudiated" a contract with the couple that called for them to receive about $10,000 per month.

The company has defended itself against the legal actions.

"As a matter of policy, we do not comment on pending litigation. However, we can tell you that YTB Travel International Inc. believes the allegations we've heard are without merit, and we will vigorously defend ourselves," YTB Travel International Inc. Chief Executive Officer Scott Tomer said recently in a prepared statement.

Tomer said the company is proud of its business model and how the operations are conducted in an ethical and transparent way by management. Last month, the company announced that it was contemplating the replacement of its referring travel agent business model with a franchise operating system, to start in 2009. The model, if adopted, would be similar to other franchise businesses; however, details about the plan still are in the works.

YTB Travel International Inc. officials did not respond to an e-mail sent by The Telegraph, asking questions about its layoffs or whether any legal actions have had a financial impact on the company.

During the past several years, YTB Travel International Inc. has grown significantly; last year, it was ranked 26th in a survey conducted by Travel Weekly magazine, selling $414.5 million. Reports show that nearly three-quarters of its revenue came from selling new agencies rather than from actual travel sales.

YTB Travel International Inc. employs between 300 and 350 people at its headquarters at 1901 E. Edwardsville Road, where it is spending $25 million to expand the facility it purchased more than two years ago.

Wood River Mayor Fred Ufert said he hates to see employees lose their jobs. He said the layoffs would hurt the city economically, as well.

"Some of the employees live in the city," Ufert said. "It's a bad thing for everyone. We can only hope they will get through it."

The former YTB Travel International employee said the situation is upsetting, but he has come to the conclusion that he doesn't need to be working for a company that cannot be honest with its employees. He said it is likely that more positions will be terminated.

"We could clearly see something was going but were assured everything was OK," he said. "Does it seem OK if they are letting people go?"

In closing, YTB Travel International Inc. doesn't appear to be as recession proof as it has everyone thinking I mean to make such a bold step as this just days before YTB Travel International is to meet with a circuit judge to answer the allegations pending from The California suit, The class action lawsuit that has been filed in federal court in East St. Louis and a third in Madison County Circuit Court is a sure sign that everything isn't at all what YTB Travel International Inc.Chief Executive Officer Scott Tomer and others are confessing them to be, it's funny that I choose the word "CONFESSING"
maybe it time that YTB Travel International Inc. began to do just that "CONFESS" it's wrong doing and set their captives FREE!!!!!!!

For More Information Contact:
Daryl D. Alex
Regional Executive
TraVerus Travel and TeleVerus Cell Phones
1.800.781.3254
1.877.744.3431
225.590.7700

More YTB Travel Problems this time in Houston

YTB Travel News(Press Release): More YTB Travel Problems have been reported this time In Houston where a group
of School bus drivers and their families had dreams of taking a vacation
only to find out that they had been involved in one of many of YTB
Travel scam:






Come on YTB Travel don't you think that a enough is enough?



For More Information Contact:

Daryl D. Alex
Regional Executive
Traverus Travel
1.877.774.3431
225.590.7700

More YTB Complaints from The BBB

YTB Travel News:(Press Release) More YTB Travel Complaints


A Fallbrook, Calif., woman complained to the BBB that after a day-long seminar, she purchased a Web site from YTB Travel for $499 in order to become an online travel agent. She said she thought this would be a good way to make money from home and obtain travel discounts for personal travel. She said that she needed to book $1,200 a month through her Web site in order to be eligible for personal discounts, but everyone that she told about her site said that they “did some research and found that they could book travel more cheaply elsewhere.” She also said that “IATA(International Air Transport Association Network) rescinded their affiliation with YTB Travel and that was the main way for us to obtain travel discounts.” The BBB assisted her in obtaining a refund.

When contacted by the BBB, a representative of the IATAN confirmed that their relationship with YTB Travel was severed due to “failure to maintain standards of accreditation.” In an official statement IATAN indicated that YTB Travel was terminated for “violating the standards which provide that ‘IATA numeric codes shall not be lent, subcontracted, or hired to a third party.’" Furthermore, IATAN “found that the Referring Travel Agents recruited by YTB Travel -- and to whom YTB Travel gave credentials which contained the IATA numeric code -- were "third parties" over whom YTB Travel had no control.” YTB Travel disputed IATANS actions, but upon review the actions were upheld.

For the first quarter of 2008, only 12.5% of YTB Travel’s net revenue was derived from online travel sale commissions, while almost 80% came from the recruitment of people joining its online travel business. Based on the number of RTAs listed in these filings, the average amount made by each RTA through the sale of travel through their Web site for the first quarter was $27.75; on pace for a yearly income of $111, according to filings with the Security and Exchange Commission.

J. Kim Sorensen is the president of YTB Travel, J. Scott Tomer is the CEO and J. Lloyd Tomer is the chairman of the board, according to the company’s Web site.

If you are like me and are tried of the many YTB Travel Complaints that have and are being leeved on YTB Travel then maybe it's time you take a look at Traverus Travel Network and TeleVerus Cell Phones

For more information contact:

Daryl D. Alex
Regional Executive
Traverus Travel and TeleVeus Cell Phones
1.800.781.3254
1.877.774.3431
225.590.7700

YTB Travel International deceives yet another member

YTB Travel News(Press Release): Here is another story of misrepresentation by YTB Travel International as reported by The St. Louis Business Journal - by Kelsey Volkmann

Ana Temple wanted to make some extra cash to supplement her income as a finance and human resources director for an architectural firm.

So when a family friend told her aboutYourTravelBiz.com and how she could set up her own online travel agency, she jumped at the chance in April.

She paid nearly $500 to set up a Web site through Wood River, Ill.-based YTB International. The company told her she'd make 60 percent commission off every trip she booked.

But then she got her paycheck: $3 per airline ticket.

That's when the company told her travel agents make 60 percent of what YTB Travel makes, she said.

"I feel so deceived," said Temple, a Copiague, N.Y., resident. "They told us people could retire off this and take free trips. It's all a bunch of bull."

Several YTB Travel agents vigorously defended YTB Travel at the company's national convention in St. Louis this week, saying they had made money and received discounts on personal travel.

"That's because they got thousands of suckers underneath them and they're making money off us," said Temple, 38.

When she tried to cancel, YTB Travel refused, saying it was past the five-day cancellation period. But Temple said she didn't receive her packet informing her of the cancellation policy until after the five- day period expired.

YTB Travel denied this and she was still required to read the online terms and conditions before paying.

"They gave us so much false information," she said. "Total, total lies."

I know how Mrs. Temple is feeling because like her I too was deceived my YTB Travel International when told that I too with earn that same 60% commission on every thing booked from my site. However, I too was never ever told that it would 60% of what was left after YTB Travel International was paid by their hosting company. Now if that isn't misrepresenting I don't know what is and if YTB Travel International lies about this then what else has YTB Travel International lied about?

For more information contact:

Daryl D. Alex
Regional Executive
Traverus Travel
1.877.744.3431
225.590.7700
Traverus Travel Update

St. Louis slaps YTB Travel with Class-action lawsuit

YTB Travel News(press Release): Just like The Morton Salt Box States "When It Rains It Pours" this time that statement rings true for YTB Travel Just day after one of YTB Travel's Annual Conventions which was held in St. Louis this year more trouble was announcement by
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH:

Another layer of trouble has landed on Wood River-based travel company YTB International, this one in the form of a class-action lawsuit filed Friday in East St. Louis.

Attorneys representing two agents and sales reps for the company say it is an "illegal pyramid scheme" and "employs an illegal chain referral sales technique" in violation of Illinois law. They are seeking $100 million in damages for the at least 140,000 agents who have joined YTB Travel.

In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the company said it "intends to vigorously defend the case."

The suit's charges echo those in a suit filed last week by California Attorney General Jerry Brown, who called the company a "gigantic pyramid scheme" in which 140,000 "referring travel agents" pay $450 up front and $50 a month to sell travel but rarely earn any money on commissions. Meanwhile, sales reps — including many of those travel agents — receive commissions and bonuses to sign up more agents.

"These are all different components of the same pyramid scheme," said Christian Montroy, the East St. Louis attorney who filed the suit.

The Illinois attorney general also is investigating YTB Travel, and the local chapter of the Better Business Bureau(BBB) slapped YTB Travel with a negative report last week.

Also on Monday, YTB Travel disclosed in an SEC filing that its application for listing on the American Stock Exchange was withdrawn Friday. The company's stock is currently traded on the Over The Counter bulletin board and it has been trying to get on a more prestigious exchange.

The company didn't say why it withdrew its application to AMEX and didn't respond to questions Monday.

However, the only thing that is different from that morton salt box and YTB Travel is the little girl on the box has an umbrella and YTB Travel doesn't.

For more Information Contact:
Daryl D. Alex
Regional Executive
Traverus Travel and TeleVerus Cell Phones
1.800.781.3254
1.877.744.3431
225.590.7700

Illinois launches probe into YTB Travel

YTB Travel News(press release): More YTB Travel News as members of YTB Travel International the
Wood River based travel company, gathered in St. Louis for The YTB Travel Annual Convention, the unthinkable event was announced on
the heels of a eariler report this week that California Attorney
General called YTB Travel "A gigantic Pyramid Scheme" and just a day later The Illinios Attorney General's Office announced it also has launched a probe into YTB Travel International.And the local chapter of the Better Business Bureau(BBB) issued a report detailing complaints it has heard of misleading offers made by YTB Travel International sales reps.And just as before YTB Travel International has denied any wrongdoing. However,The Illinois Attorney General and Better Business Bureau(
BBB) probes are the latest signs of deeper problems of the fast-growing company, which sells cruises, flights and online travel agencies websites in which people can earn commissions selling cruises and flights for a start up cost of $450 up front and a monthly fee of $50.

Nevertheless, by the end of March, YTB Travel has made claims to have sold 139,000 of these agencies and had claimed that YTB Travel
has more than 340,000 sales reps, who pay nothing But, are earning commissions for each agent they sign up.


Natalie Bauer, a spokesperson for The Illinios Attorney General Lisa Madigan would not say exactly when the Illinios probe started,did state the probe had indeed been opened for a while now and are in the process of conversing with The California Attorney General's Office in hopes to gather information of their findings. Her office has received 70 complaints about YTB Travel since 2002.

For More Information Contact:

Daryl D. Alex
Regional Executive
Traverus Trave and TeleVerus Cell Phones
1.877.744.3431
225.590.7700
Traverus Travel Update and TeleVerus Cell Phones

California YTB Travel Faces Lawsuit

YTB Travel News(press release):

In a story released by Doc Bunkum Stowaway YTB Travel has once again been found to be
an ILLEGAl online pyramid Scheme this time in the state of California. A stated in many of my older blogs I have stated that YTB Travel has been deceptiing of many of YTB Travel member with the concept that as YTB Travel Reps one could earn large sums of money by joining YTB Travel . Now, I'm not saying that this is not total true, for the minority of YTB Travel members, 75% to 85% to be more exact are not seeing any money in this YTB Travel opportunity while only 15% to 25% are making ALL the money off the backs of YTB Travel reps. But, maybe
you are tried of here this from me So, I'll let Mr. Stowaway come to my aide and reveal what has been found by The California Attorney General found.

Here we go again...

Embargoed Until 10:00 p.m. Pacific Time on August 4, 2008
Contact: California Attorney Generals Press Office 916-324-5500

Ca. Atty. Gen. Brown Sues To Topple Online Pyramid Scheme

LOS ANGELES--California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. today sued YourTravelBiz.com for operating a gigantic pyramid scheme that recruited tens of thousands of members with deceptive claims that members could earn huge sums of money through its online travel agencies.

“YourTravelBiz.com operates a gigantic pyramid scheme that is immensely profitable to a few individuals on top and a complete rip-off for most everyone else,” Attorney General Brown said. “Today’s lawsuit seeks to shut down the company’s unlawful operation before more people are exploited by the scam.”

YourTravelBiz.com and its affiliates operate an illegal pyramid scheme that only benefits members if and when they find enough new members to join the scam. Once enrolled, members who join the pyramid scheme earn compensation for each new person they enlist, regardless of whether they sell any travel. The company lures new members by offering huge income opportunities through online travel agencies yet the typical person actually makes nothing selling travel.

According to company records there were over 200,000 members in 2007 who typically pay more than $1,000 per year--$449.95 to set up an “online travel agency” with a monthly fee of $49.95. In 2007, only 38 percent of the company’s members made any travel commissions. For the minority of members who made any travel commission in 2007, the median income was $39.00--less than one month’s cost to keep the Website. There are at least 139,000 of the company’s travel Websites, all virtually identical, on the Internet.

YourTravelBiz’s extensive marketing materials include videos of people driving Porsche and other luxury cars, holding ten-thousand dollar checks, and claiming to be raking in millions of dollars in profits. The company advertises through its Website http://www.ytb.com, and at conventions, workshops and nationwide sales meetings which have been held in California locations such as Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Francisco and San Diego.

Brown charges the company, its affiliates, and the company’s founders J. Lloyd Tomer, J. Scott Tomer, J. Kim Sorensen and Andrew Cauthen with operating an “endless chain scheme,” an unlawful pyramid in which a person pays money for the chance to receive money by recruiting new members to join the pyramid. Brown also charges the company with unfair business practices and false advertising practices including:

* Deceptive claims that members can earn millions of dollars with the company
* Operating without filing legally mandated documents with the attorney general and the Department of Corporations
* Selling an illegal travel discount program

Under California’s unfair business practices statute, the company is liable for $2,500 per violation of law. Attorney General Brown is suing YourTravelBiz.com to get a court order that:

* Bars the company from making false or misleading statements
* Assesses a civil penalty of at least $15,000,000 and at least $10,000,000 in restitution for Californians who were ripped off by the company.

From August 6 through 10, thousands of members are preparing to travel to St. Louis for a national convention to learn new techniques to recruit more victims into the illegal pyramid scheme. Last year at least 10,000 people attended a similar national conference. For more details on the company’s plan to perpetuate its scheme visit:

http://www.yourtravelbiz.com/bizRep/Biz ... -18-08.htm

For more information on pyramid schemes visit:

http://ag.ca.gov/consumers/general/pyramid_schemes.php

Any consumers who believe they have been bilked by YTB Travel should send a written complaint with copies of any supporting documentation to:

Office of the Attorney General
Public Inquiry Unit, P.O. Box 944255
Sacramento, CA 94244-2550

Or through an on-line complaint form:
http://ag.ca.gov/contact/complaint_form.php?cmplt=CL.

Today’s lawsuit against YourTravelBiz.com, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court today, is attached. The lawsuit also names affiliates which include YTB Travel Network, Inc., YTB Travel Network of Illinois,Inc., as well as the company’s founders J. Lloyd Tomer, J. Scott Tomer, J. Kim Sorensen and Andrew Cauthen.

# # #
Doc Bunkum
Stowaway

Now, I don't want anyone to think that I'm bashing YTB Travel or any other company in these blogs because I'm not and nor do I take any glory in the negative events that YTB Travel has be apart of in the past year are so, My main goal is to help a person make the Best Educated Choice as to what is the best vechile to achieve their goals and dreams.

For More Information Contact:

Daryl D. Alex
Regional Executive
Traverus Travel
1.877.744.3134
225.590.7700

YTB Travel News: Bermuda Sun Investigation reveals card mill

YTB Travel NEWS:(PRESS RELEASE)
"A Bermuda Sun investigation suggests that most people investing in YTB Travel in the U.S. make their money by recruiting new subscribers, rather than from selling travel.

Mr. Furbert - who plans to launch YTB Travel in Bermuda next month - denied yesterday that the company is a pyramid scheme.

The Bermuda Sun investigation also revealed that U.S. travel organizations are beginning to back away from YTB Travel, calling it "a card mill" because its agents lack bona fide travel credentials.

Cheryl Hayward-Chew, vice president of Meyer Franklin Travel, confirmed travel suppliers are beginning to refuse discounts to YTB Travel. She said people should do their research before signing up and warned that the people who are likely to make the most money are people at the top - those who buy in early.

There is heated debate on the Internet as to whether YTB Travel is a pyramid scheme - whereby the money of new investors ends up in the hands of those at the top. "

How much more water can The YTB Travel row boat take on before the call "YOU snaked my battleship" is cried out?

For More Information Contact:

Daryl D. Alex
Regional Executive
Traverus Travel and TeleVerus Cell Phones
1.800.781.3254
1.877.744.3431
225.590-770
Traverus Travel Update