Last spring we attended the presentation on Fruitville Road because we wanted the free Mexico vacation they gave away as the incentive. We promised each other that we would not fall for any time shares or clubs since we had both previously been burned by time shares.

The presentation was wonderful! I usually put our trips together and we take a few each year, I spend hours on the computer looking for the best deals in nice places and put together our itineraries. They made it sound as if you would just call them up with your dates and destination and they would handle everything. So of course we said yes! They even gave us a discount on the fee down to only a few grand! We were stoked about using them - it was going to be a breeze to book vacations for now on - right!?!

WRONG! First let me start with the promised Mexico trip. We sent in the voucher with our chosen dates and followed the rules given plus sent in our $100 deposit. All three dates we chose came and went and we heard nothing from them! Once we started calling them we were not only given the run around but promised that someone was looking into it and would contact us back. NOPE! After months of threatening to go to the BBB they refunded us our $100 Mexico vacation deposit. There went he incentive!

And those $499 a week destinations they have…WRONG again! We planned a ski trip and called them six months in advance with our dates and destination. Two months out from our leave, we had no place to stay even though we contacted them weekly about it. We were told to hold out for ‘hot sheets’ with deeper discounted prices on them and were assured that all would be great. Two WEEKS out from our trip - we still had no place to stay. Getting desperate they told us they could book us at a wonderful ski resort for the $499...we couldn’t even find the resort they wanted to put us at on the maps! There was no information anywhere on line about the place they wanted to put us at so we said no thanks.

In the end we booked the trip ourselves in a place we found on Craigslist at a beautiful resort in Copper Mountain. The only thing Star did for us was book a hotel for us for while we were driving out to Colorado…although the rate they got it at was no lower than the rate I found it online for. No savings there. In fact the past year we have been members, Star has not come through for us one time! Any trip we have tried to book with them - they have returned our request with a great deal but during the wrong dates or wrong locations, no matter how many times we told them we couldn’t be flexible.

My advice (other than to keep your money and steer clear of these scam artists) is to do your research and book your vacation on your own. They cannot give you any better deals then what you can get yourself online. Even airfares we booked through them were the same prices online as to what we paid for with them booking it. So really - we paid some couple a few grand just to type in our reservations for us…they haven’t done anything that we couldn’t have done ourselves!

RIP OFF!

I got a call this evening from Star Vacations saying that I was a finalist in a sweepstakes I entered. First thing I thought about was that they called me on my home phone and I just moved and just got this new number (which I don't even know yet) so I thought it sounded like a scam. I don't give my home number out to anyone since I don't know it! I listened to all her (Georgia) information and was told that I was promised to win 1 out of 5 gifts (Lincoln Navigator, $45K, $2500, vacation for 2, or at the very least a 32" flat screen tv. All I had to do was come to the 1 1/2 hour presentation with my prize claim number and 2 forms of identification (ID and major credit card or check book). They were very adiment on asking if I was single (married, dating, etc). I still don't understand this but thought it seemed a little odd. Then I mentioned that I had my young child at the times they told me I could come (4pm, 6pm or 8pm) and they said kids weren't allowed (also very strange).
Anyway, I was scheduled to go this Friday, Feb. 1st but I am not going since I found very similar information on this complaint board. I don't see any other complaints for Denver so maybe I can help prevent YOU from being scammed.

They call even though I've sent the do not call list complaints; they say they are located in Del Mar... they keep calling once a month for the past 4 months... then I file another complaint with the do not call it website.

I even filed a complaint with the AG of CAlifornia.