Friday, May 9, 2008

Strange Business This MLM


I just checked into a few of my "favorite" blogs and I noticed something peculiar. Most of the MLM characters are not relying on MLM to earn them a living. Maybe they see the light.

Regina Osei has her blog devoted to YTB; yet one of her other blogs is focused on selling leads to other MLM zealots. If it is such a good lead program and YTB is such a great moneymaker, why not just follow the self imposed advice and become a Level 10 Director and be done with it?

Doug Bauknight
's blog is no different other than he is hawking self help books along with lead generation programs. Again, if it is such a good program, why the need for these other "opportunities". He even maintains another blog that is called Success Pro. It is blank--just like the book he wrote. What's up with that?

While not quite as bad, Gail's Travel blog also offers all sorts of lead generating links.

Didn't any of these people attend the seminar? The three I have attended plainly told me that earning money in YTB is as simple as asking everyone you see to go to your website and if the price is the same, lower or competitive, to buy from me. Apparently that is not working too well for YTB as there are countless schemes out there to supplement the program and to maybe try and get it to work.

What is interesting is the psyche of the folks that buy these supplements. YTB is not working for them, so they must buy or endorse a product from another YTB member who also does not have the program working for them. Kate blogged about some guy name Holton Buggs who says he has the secret and for $30 it can be yours. Well if the secret works, why are there only 136 directors in YTB out of 303,000 representatives?

It's too bad that I cannot sell cars to YTB people--they already sell them to themselves. But if I could, I bet I could make a mint preying off this mentality:

ME: Welcome to CarLand, YTB Family
YTB:
Oh, thank you, we are looking for a car.

ME:
Well this one is the one for you. It is only a one time fee of $499 and then monthly fees of $499 a month for 6 years.

YTB: Oh wow, what a great deal we will take it. Three weeks later, when YTB Family returns to the dealership:
YTB:
This car is not working like you promised!

ME: Oh really? Well it likely is because you don;'t know how to drive it. It is not my fault.
YTB:
Oh yes, you are probably right, we will have to work harder at how to drive.

ME: Well, you know, if you really want to learn how to drive that car well, you probably ought to invest in this car right here.
YTB:
Oh really, why is that?

ME:
Well, by driving this car, you will gain the experience you need to drive that car, and then when you are done with this car, you will be such a successful drive oif that car.

YTB:
Oh that makes SO much sense. You are absolutely right. Boy are we lucky to have found you!

ME:
Yes you are. Well, this car is only a one time fee of $4999--no monthly fee at all.

YTB:
Thanks you so much for showing us what we were doing wrong, here's our credit card.
ME: Can I interest you in some flowers, a trip to Tahiti, or some camping gear?
So, what we have here is the weak preying on the weak. Very interesting concepts for sure!

74 comments:

  1. Oh no!!!
    People have more than one source of income

    ReplyDelete
  2. Well, I can see it now. One day in the not so distant future we sill see a blog post by JF here that will be titled....

    YTB IS DANGEROUS

    Then we will read that an RTA got a speeding ticket last week and YTB didn't do anything about it.


    So you see folks isn't it obvious that travel and MLM don't mix.

    ReplyDelete
  3. "Oh no!!! People have more than one source of income"

    Its been proven, and is recommended in many of the books referred to on Doug's site even, that people who concentrate on one, maybe two sources of income do much better than those who join dozens of different programs thinking that the few dollars from each program will put them on the road to riches.

    When I see a site like Doug's with dozens of affiliate links on it, it says one thing to me: "Lazy".

    ReplyDelete
  4. umm John, maybe you haven't looked at your site in a while but you have ads by google all over it. I am not sure but i assume you would see some revenue from that?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hey John you missed the perfect opportunity to sell them the $499 plus $49.00 per month learn to drive package! Didn't you learn anything in Coach's sales training?

    ReplyDelete
  6. By the way, how are sales going with the women's clothing and Star Trek action figures, John?

    ReplyDelete
  7. "Most of the MLM characters are not relying on MLM to earn them a living."

    Who the heck cares???????????
    Is this the best you could come up with today Johnny? What, not enough bad news for YTB today? lol!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. http://www.inc.com/resources/travel/articles/20080401/wild.html

    ReplyDelete
  9. John, you are such a pinhead. As such an anti-MLM zealot, one would think you would have studied or at least know a little bit about MLM. But, alas, such is not the case.

    Part of being successful in MLM is helping others be successful, unlike traditional cutthroat business models. If you train one of your employess about all the ins and outs of the travel (or mortgage, real estate, landscaping, or whatever) business, after two years, guess what happens? That employee opens up shop down the street and is your competitor, using the knowledge you shared against you. With MLM, you teach others everthing you know, and if they go out and build their businesses, you benefit from their success. MLM is about pursuing leads (as in any business), effective communication, and self-improvement. Regina and Doug offer resources to those interested in purchasing those items. I notice they're not selling risque apparel or toys, but items relevant to MLM. And so if they make a few bucks commission from that sale, who cares? Don't you work on commission?

    I don't know what 'seminars' you're talking about that you attended (I thought you went to business presentations), but telling people about your website is how to sell travel, which is different from MLM. I though we went over this in a previous class. Pay attention!

    ReplyDelete
  10. You obviously didn't read the article posted above. But that's okay, you're just an RTA and don't actually offer any expertise or customer service.

    ReplyDelete
  11. fast eddie -

    One man's opinion.

    I doubt that his comments created shock waves in the board rooms of Orbitz or Priceline.

    Yes, certain business travelers who read Inc. Magazine are great customers for TTAs.

    There are still plenty of travelers who do not need (or want) someone to hold their hands.

    We will continue to prospect those who like to help themselves.

    YTB and TRAVEL: A Great Mix!

    ReplyDelete
  12. That's okay slow minded and Mixed Up. Your an RTA with little training or inclination to save anyone money on their travels. Your websites can be beaten in price on just about anything and the funniest part is sometimes Travelocity beats you too. People who shop YTB don't realize they are paying too much and you, as a RTA, don't care if they do!
    What a racket.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Traveling? Why pay a travel agent $30 to $100 more in fees for that airline ticket when you can go on-line and book it yourself and help fight cancer too! Click on this link...
    National Foundation for Cancer Research

    Olescorekeeper

    ReplyDelete
  14. eddie -

    Ignorance on display.

    Travelocity does not beat us on airline tickets and hotels. We are WCT for those venues and the price is the same.

    You and your TTA buddies are not our competition.

    The major online websites are our competition.

    For the average consumer that shops Travelocity, Orbitz and Expedia, we will get our share of them coming our way.

    We don't need them all, Eddie, so you can still keep your job.

    We just need 10-15 Travelocity, Expedia or Orbitz customers per RTA and we will do just fine.

    Hint: 10-15 customers per RTA also shows pursuit of profit and here comes those home business tax deductions.

    That's where $50 a month turns into $300-500 a month.

    This is fun!

    YTB and TRAVEL: A Great Mix!

    ReplyDelete
  15. eddie -

    Ignorance on display.

    Travelocity does not beat us on airline tickets and hotels. We are WCT for those venues and the price is the same.

    You and your TTA buddies are not our competition.

    The major online websites are our competition.

    For the average consumer that shops Travelocity, Orbitz and Expedia, we will get our share of them coming our way.

    We don't need them all, Eddie, so you can still keep your job.

    We just need 10-15 Travelocity, Expedia or Orbitz customers per RTA and we will do just fine.

    Hint: 10-15 customers per RTA also shows pursuit of profit and here comes those home business tax deductions.

    That's where $50 a month turns into $300-500 a month.

    This is fun!

    YTB and TRAVEL: A Great Mix!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Sorry about that.

    But, then again, maybe Eddie will get it if he reads it twice.

    YTB and TRAVEL: A Great Mix!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Ohhh a whole $300-$500 a month. Yeah that will make you a living and pay your mortgage. Don't quit your day job

    ReplyDelete
  18. anonymous -

    "Ohhh a whole $300-$500 a month. Yeah that will make you a living and pay your mortgage. Don't quit your day job"

    That's a great idea!

    But . . . we've already thought of that one.

    Our RTAs don't quit their day jobs.

    Our RTAs are multi-taskers.

    An extra $7000-10,000 per year in tax savings, commissions and travel savings fits average Americans very nicely.

    Certainly worth a mere $50 a month.

    YTB and TRAVEL: A Great Mix!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Anonymous said:
    Why pay a travel agent $30 to $100 more in fees for that airline ticket

    Are you saying if I book on this ytb website I won't pay service fees?

    I just pulled a flight on a ytb website from springfield to los angeles and guess what they had service fees.

    The difference is I tell my clients exactly what the fee is and you try to pass it off as an airline imposed fee, when in reality it is a fee that the provider charges so the customer really doesn't know the whole truth of what they are paying for.

    Sounds deceptive to me!

    ReplyDelete
  20. But we were told that with YTB you dont need a JOB (Just over Broke). Now the opposite. So how are you supposed to make mucho dinero if your working all day at another job?

    Multi-tasking...funny. Thats what real agents do everyday for clients. Call airlines, issue tickets, process visas, do exchanges, book packages, call hotels, and the list goes on. Now a real TA whos home based, does all that plus take care of the kids, clean the house, cook dinner, walk/feed the pets, change baby diapers. Thank the gods for wireless headsets :)

    ReplyDelete
  21. Oh and OLE, I just priced a ticket I purchased today for client on your website which was $684. The price I got was $504..how is that saving someone money? Air Canada by the way. 22JUN-26JUN YYC-IAH RT if you doubt me. Nonstop.!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Joe-TheTravelGuy said...

    OleScorekeeper said: Why pay a travel agent $30 to $100 more in fees for that airline ticket..

    Joe asks..."Are you saying if I book on this ytb website I won't pay service fees?"

    No, service fees are combined with taxes just as you will find with Expedia. My point is, why pay a travel agent $30 to $100 more..above and beyond those fees?

    BTW, for Eddie..I have a guy who joined YTB after doing 20 comparison bookings. He found YTB to be the same or better in 17 out of the 20 he compared. These were side by side comps done at the same point in time.

    Olescorekeeper

    ReplyDelete
  23. "The difference is I tell my clients exactly what the fee is..."

    Kudos for being up front and telling the clients you're ripping them off. Do you at least offer Vaseline with that?

    ReplyDelete
  24. TL, your $504 does not reflect taxes and fees and then your extra $30 to $100 fee you will hit your customer up for.

    This is the YTB deal. Not bad at all.

    Adult Ticket Price: 1 x $547.00
    Service Fee: 1 x $10.00
    Govt. Taxes and Fees: $118.78

    Sub Total: $675.78

    OleScorekeeper

    ReplyDelete
  25. TL -

    A majority of the people in America book travel online.

    Apples and oranges.

    They want to DO IT THEMSELVES.

    Sorry TL, BUT YOU ARE NOT NEEDED in the minds of a majority of Americans.

    Online travel is here to stay.

    And so is YTB.

    Ole -

    That CAN'T be right about those 17 out of 20 bookings cause ol' Eddie says YTB "websites can be beaten in price on just about anything"

    Eddie knows - he's a YTB expert.

    YTB and TRAVEL: A Great Mix!

    ReplyDelete
  26. No Ole,

    Fare Summary
    Passenger Type Adult
    Flight 1 - Departing airfare 139.00
    Flight 2 - Returning airfare 139.00
    Navcan and Surcharges 135.00
    Taxes, Fees and Charges
    Canada Airport Improvement Fee 20.00
    U.S.A Transportation Tax 31.36
    U.S Agriculture Fee 5.09
    Canada Security Charge 7.94
    U.S Passenger Facility Charge 4.58
    Canada Goods and Services Tax (GST/HST #10009-2287) 22.05
    September 11 Security Fee 2.55
    U.S.A Immigration User Fee 7.13
    Total airfare and taxes before options (per passenger) 513.70
    Number Of Passengers 1
    Total 513.70
    RBC Travel Insurance (declined) 0.00
    Grand Total - Canadian Dollars $513.70

    $504USD plus $30 is $534 still much less then you are selling for on your website. Nice try though.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Mix

    Your funny. My clients seem to have me on their minds. Same ones I've had for years, and I handle multi-million dollar accounts, bands, and entertainment industry.

    I ain't worried. :)

    ReplyDelete
  28. Ole, I can find prices thru Amadeus on airfares that will beat YTB all day long, including my fee. And my customers get real help when they need it.(Az just canceled my pax flight from VCE to CDG, so he callsfrom Europe and I have him refunded and rebooked on AF in 4 minutes). And you obviously don't know much about Travelocity if you don't think they offer different fares thru different services. They do, so get over it! Good for your comparison shopper...another internet shopper who likes to pay more.
    Its obvious why you are an rta and not a ta. Your'e right...no competition at all.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Eddie--

    Thanks for the link, but honestly, who reads Inc. Magazine or Inc. Online.

    If you want a real answer with the truth you need to read Success From Home. That is where you will find out all about the truth about YTB!

    ReplyDelete
  30. anonymous said:

    Kudos for being up front and telling the clients you're ripping them off.


    Excuse me anonymous

    I spend a good amount of time finding the BEST buy for my clients. I beat ytb every day on price several times a day. It sounds like your the only one ripping someone off.

    Don't insult me or any other tta by trying to say that if you don't do it with ytb your ripping them off. That is simply not the case we are upfront with our clients and our clients gladly come back to us year in and year out. And my clients refer people back to me daily. Referrals account for over 50% of my business. People who know my professionalism and my integrity.
    In most cases, when you go through ytb, you are dealing with someone who has no idea how to book travel or any thing else for that matter.

    Its time for ytb to get out of the travel industry and giving REAL agents a bad name and a bad rap.

    Oh and if we are not needed as tta, then why are more and more people going to tta's than ever before!!!

    ReplyDelete
  31. I thought World ventures was Success from Homes new 'darling'

    ReplyDelete
  32. Ole, you may not be aware of this, but in the service industry it is standard practice to charge for your services. Lots of people do it. That's how they make money. Someone that offers really good service can charge more than say, someone who is new. It's not "ripping people off". It's called providing a service and charging what you are worth.

    Because all you are doing is pointing people to a website, your service is worthless. Because my services benefit the clients and add value, I can charge for it. That's because I am a professional service provider. Get it??

    ReplyDelete
  33. ole-Hate to burst your bubble but your cancer charity IS not one of the better organizations to give $$$ to for cancer research.

    What an idiot!

    ReplyDelete
  34. "Oh no!!!
    People have more than one source of income"

    RTA's CLAIM they make TONS of money. Not the case. A lot are involved in secondary MLM's to make money. The point is NONE of you RTA's including the esteemed Mr. Doug makes nearly the money from YTB as you all claim. Very easy to figure it out. And, how many of you RTA's have bad credit and other nefarious actions against you?

    Let's face it you are not making money and you are either too stupid, too deluded or just plain too stubborn to admit it ain't working for you.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Surely you jest. $141 difference more from buying from YTB Cancer Website should go to a reputable cause. Might want to consider selling vasoline on your YTB site too :) So shafting the client doesn't hurt as much.

    ReplyDelete
  36. joe schmoe -

    "Its time for ytb to get out of the travel industry and giving REAL agents a bad name and a bad rap."

    Now THAT'S an original idea from a typical TTA.

    Sorry, Joe . . . it ain't gonna happen.

    You sell high touch.

    We sell online.

    You and TTAs serve a great purpose to those who want and need their services.

    You add your service fees to customers who want your help.

    We sell online travel to the MAJORITY of Americans who want to do it themselves.

    Not ripping people off, Joe.

    Just doing online business . . . the place where millions of Americans go to buy their travel.

    And they keep doing it . . .

    Over and over and over again.

    YTB and TRAVEL: A Great Mix!

    ReplyDelete
  37. anonymous said -

    "Let's face it you are not making money and you are either too stupid, too deluded or just plain too stubborn to admit it ain't working for you."

    Let's see who is stupid and deluted.

    Spending $50 a month to get back $7000-10,000 per year in tax savings and commissions part-time?

    Sounds good to me.

    And a whole lot more people who understand the value of a home business.

    YTB and TRAVEL: A Great Mix!

    ReplyDelete
  38. anonymous

    lets see who is the professional someone who books millions of dollars of travel or someone who is too stupid to even figure out that diluted is spelled diluted and not deluted.

    YTB the quickest growing travel company in the industry, but yet they only have less than a quarter of their revenue derived from travel sales in a year, by their own numbers.

    Funny how that math works

    ReplyDelete
  39. Kate Holmes said..."Ole, you may not be aware of this, but in the service industry it is standard practice to charge for your services. Lots of people do it."

    Oh..I'm quite aware of that Kate and long before Expedia and the like existed, we used to book all our travel through Carson-Wagonlit. It was horrible. The agents made too many errors and we were always calling them to correct matters. I was lucky to find one business trip that came out without a hitch. So when on-line do-it-yourself booking came along, it was quite a relief. I've never looked back. Now, why should I pay a so called professional travel agent $30 to $100 to screw up my reservations? Sorry to offend you, but it's the truth!

    Traveling? Why pay a travel agent $30 to $100 more in fees for that airline ticket when you can go on-line and book it yourself and help fight cancer too! Click on this link...
    OleScorekeeper

    ReplyDelete
  40. OLE

    Sorry to hear that your TA sucked. But then the company should've changed agencies. Many now have "online" booking tools for corporate accounts that offer the best of all worlds. Service, discounts and self booking if thats what you prefer. But to tout that "agents" are ripping people off with service fee's is not correct, since the fare I got for my client was much less then YTB could offer.

    Many people will go online and search the best fare with sidestep, kayak etc. YTB isn't going to get these people if they cannot offer "web" fares as demonstrated above. And also just because you "hide" your fee's doesnt make it right.

    ReplyDelete
  41. TravelLisa said..."Surely you jest. $141 difference more from buying from YTB Cancer Website should go to a reputable cause. Might want to consider selling vasoline on your YTB site too :) So shafting the client doesn't hurt as much."

    You pretty much have grabbed frist place for crudeness here Lisa. It appears you have been compeating for that top position with Martha.

    Anyway, I'll bet your clients probably don't know what a sweet person you really are if all they are hearing is the Vaseline jokes.

    Just because Martha is gone, please don't try to reach down to the depths of her crude level. You're too professional to do that..I guess.

    OleScorekeeper

    ReplyDelete
  42. joe schmoe wrote:

    "lets see who is the professional someone who books millions of dollars of travel or someone who is too stupid to even figure out that diluted is spelled diluted and not deluted."

    Work on the "lets", Joe, and sentence formation before you tell us how to spell.

    Guess what . . . I do know how to spell.

    You need to talk to your fellow TTA who does not know how to spell.

    I quoted him (or her) with the word deluted.

    Hope he learns how to spell those airport codes right.

    Might end up at the wrong airport.

    I'm not happy with the $414 million in travel that we sold last year.

    I want a whole lot more.

    And you can bet we will sell a whole lot more.

    And sign up a bunch of RTAs, also.

    YTB and TRAVEL: A Great Mix!

    ReplyDelete
  43. Ole and Mixed Up, Anyone who takes a look at airfares or cruises or packages and buys from YTB is paying too much and getting to little. Your websites are incredibly basic and you offer no value.

    We all know that none of you care as long as it's a nickel in your pocket. The customer be damned. YTB is a disgrace to the travel industry and injurious to the traveling public.

    ReplyDelete
  44. Oh I'm sorry If I offended anyone with the vasoline comment. I was simply making a point. As for it being the crudest thing on this website..with that I will disagree when one of your brethern told Martha I believe to go back to the abortion clinic. As for worrying about what my clients think of me, I can put you in touch with a few and you can ask yourself. I've had many of them for about 18 years now. I'm quite sure if I was as unprofessional as you may think, they'd have been long gone by now. But no, I go above and beyond in what I do..and they appreciate that.

    I'll try to tone down my comments as to not offend the virgin eyes/ears of the ADULTS on this blog.

    ReplyDelete
  45. Just write as though your children are looking over your shoulder. Model the behaviors that you will be proud to see the little ones imitate as they grow older. Just a thought.

    OleScorekeeper

    ReplyDelete
  46. Some anon said, "Your websites are incredibly basic and you offer no value."

    97-98% of the time we are as good or better then Expedia. The value is there. I've asked folks how our website compares with Expedia and I've received comments on how professional it looks. After all, it works for Expedia and it works for YTB. Show us you’re booking engine Anon.

    OleScorekeeper

    ReplyDelete
  47. "Show us your booking engine Anon."

    REAL travel agents don't use a booking engine on their website, we provide a service that people PAY us for.

    ReplyDelete
  48. Oldcrotchkeeper - I didn't go anywhere. I was working. That's a subject you have no interest in or knowledge of, you lazy old turd! Don't pull your "I'm so holy" attitude with me, Winkie. You're a MLM con artist ripping off people trying to get them to join YTB. I asked you once before and I'll ask again, how much did your website generate in donations to your charity? You gave me a percent last time, I don't want a percent, I want a monetary figure because 5% of nothing is still nothing.

    John said....."Doug Bauknight's blog is no different other than he is hawking self help books along with lead generation programs. Again, if it is such a good program, why the need for these other "opportunities". He even maintains another blog that is called Success Pro. It is blank--just like the book he wrote. What's up with that?"

    It's blank because it would be like Mother Teresa having written the Happy Hooker. He isn't a success and he isn't a pro. He's a MLM recruiter that thinks he's a journalist and travel agent. I'll give him this though, at least he's posted 2 of my responses as of late.

    YTB and TRAVEL: How much did you lose today?

    ReplyDelete
  49. I find it hilarious how serious you TTA's take yourselves. You act as if there is a 4 year degree attached to being a travel agent. If you want to preach about education and training, then jump ship to a real important gig. TTA's-little mice in the corner fighting over some cheese.

    ReplyDelete
  50. Ole---I am gonna call bullshit on your tale about your former bricks and mortar agency. You have referenced them in several comments and said you used them extensively over the years and they were always screwing your travel plans up. Yo also claim to be in YTB and want to be the "biggest" in the world. You would think that you would know the name of the agency. They are the #1 or #2 (depends on the year) agency in the world and it is CARLSON WAGONLIT not Carson Wagonlit. You have consistently misspelled that and for someone that is at least minimally knowledgeable of the industry it is a mistake that should not happen.

    The majority of the US doe NOT book online. Can someone source that for me? Last time I heard, there were some airlines that had greater than 50% booking ratios, but the majority of travel booked online--not a chance. If I had to guess, I woudl say that 70% of the packaged tours are booked by a person and 80% or more of the cruises. I may give you air, car and hotel.

    ReplyDelete
  51. "I find it hilarious how serious you TTA's take yourselves. You act as if there is a 4 year degree attached to being a travel agent. If you want to preach about education and training, then jump ship to a real important gig. TTA's-little mice in the corner fighting over some cheese."

    Well, many of us have 4 year degrees. I do. As a point of fact, the B&M I used to work for was owned by a lady who had a Phd in Russian Studies, and went on to be President of ICTA. How about you?

    ReplyDelete
  52. $100 says he has no clue what ICTA is.

    ReplyDelete
  53. anonymous -

    I could care less who has a PhD in Russian Studies.

    And John calling bullshit is the pot calling the kettle black.

    I, for one, do not diminish the need for TTAs.

    But there are millions of consumers booking their travel online.

    I will beat the drum one more time . . .

    We are interested in the people who book their travel online.

    We are not trying to compete against you.

    We are competing against Orbitz, Expedia, Travelocity and Priceline.

    Case closed.

    Go enjoy a good Russian book.

    YTB and TRAVEL: A Great Mix!

    ReplyDelete
  54. Ann, CTC said..."Well, many of us have 4 year degrees."

    And, very few of you do have "degrees". Just walk into any agency and you can see for yourself.

    But, I once was introduced to a travel agent who had over 100 degrees. Turns out he was just a thermometer. ;>)

    OleScorekeeper

    ReplyDelete
  55. I don't usually post over here, but today I must.
    To the dipstick who posted this...
    I find it hilarious how serious you TTA's take yourselves. You act as if there is a 4 year degree attached to being a travel agent. If you want to preach about education and training, then jump ship to a real important gig. TTA's-little mice in the corner fighting over some cheese.

    I actually have a degree in Travel and Tourism from Ohio Univeristy. It's in a nice shiny frame on the wall of my nice shiny office.

    You people have no business being in this industry.

    Lisa, please post about vaseline whenever you feel like it.
    John, love the blog. Keep up the good work!

    ReplyDelete
  56. the one with the degree -

    Next time you brag about your education, learn how to spell University.

    It undermines your credibility rather quickly.

    "You people have no business being in this industry".

    Sorry, "educated".

    We are here.

    We have been here for a number of years.

    And we will be here in spite of educated pinheads like you.

    Welcome to John's blog, by the way.

    We are here to keep the TTA "experts" in check who think they know all about YTB.

    When this was advertised as a anti-MLM blog, I just ignored it.

    But when John decided to turn this into a daily obsession with YTB, some of us brave folks decided to hang out and keep tabs on the whine-fest.

    Such rancor and frustration from these professionals.

    Ole and I (and others) are here like conservatives on "The View".

    The banter from the TTAs reminds me of those angry women on the above-mentioned daytime show.

    Join the happy crowd, "educated".

    YTB and TRAVEL: A Great Mix!

    ReplyDelete
  57. Anonymous said...
    $100 says he has no clue what ICTA is.

    ICTA stands for Institute of Certified Travel Agents.

    ReplyDelete
  58. Oh I can see it now, send YTB only $499 and they will send you a 4 year travel degree!


    YTB and College...A Bad Mix!

    ReplyDelete
  59. OLE--you are a hypocrite....

    One side of your mouth says you could care less of anyone's PhD..yet the other says...look at Dr. Bob Seligman PhD. He has a PhD from Oxford (FALSE) an MBA from Harvard (FALSE)and many more.

    You say you don't compete against us but that is a lie as well--if you read the YTB 10K right there on PAGE 3 FRONT AND CENTER:

    Our competition can be classified into three separate types of companies: online travel providers; retail travel
    providers; and electronic distributors of travel information and services.


    So who is your competition?

    ANd when I call BS on you because you don't know the name of the $1 travel company in the world and someone you had done business with for years...I DO think I am justified. Just like I am justified in calling bullshit when Dr. Seligman says that he was a "direct report" to Barry "Dillar". Again, maybe it is the fact that the average IQ of a YTB participant is slightly lower than normal, but one would think they would know how to spell their boss's name--especially when it was one of the top executives in the world! Quick, who's the President...Busch? Just like the beer?

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  60. There are a lot of really great, really dyslexic people in this world. I happen to be one of them.

    But I would rather be dyslexic and goof up typing the word university, than be a jerk like you.

    I believe you were trying to make the point that travel is not an occupation that would require a degree. Several major universities offer 2 and 4 year degrees in travel. I chose to go this route, because it never would have occurred to me to jump into a career without educating myself first.
    There is no way that you can pay $499 to join an mlm and be a travel agent. At the very least you people should be required to pass the TAP test.

    You can't service clients and ensure their travel experience when you have no travel training.

    Travel & MLM. An absurd mix!

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  61. "Let's see who is stupid and deluted.

    Spending $50 a month to get back $7000-10,000 per year in tax savings and commissions part-time?"

    Again, show us the numbers! You can't . Show us your great credit scores. Again, you don't have great credit scores. What you do have is bad credit, no education and a trail of bounced checks and unpaid bills.

    Most of you are NOT making anything off of YTB that's why you all have other income streams or are in other MLM's.

    As to your competition being Expedia and not us, please give that a rest. RTA's would like nothing better than TTA's to die out so you can get all the business. That is not going to happen.

    BTW-I have an MBA and my CTA.

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  62. Good or bad credit scores have no real bearing n this topic. To be honest education or lack of it has little bearing as well.

    You don't need a degree to sell travel. But you should have some training and education IN THE INDUSTRY. This is something that YTB tries to provide yet so far has very few take them up on it. They may be trying to go legitimate, and offer more training, but when the classes were not attended they changed the requirement to get the ID card--more money for YTB in training fees.

    MLM in general does prey on the lower income people.They either state or allude that riches are just around the corner just after you send in the next payment. As has been demonstrated tie and time again--the majority fail. ANd when there is the occasional opportunity to sell some travel, I suspect the temptation to take the money and run is much greater for someone of lesser means. I almost believe that is human nature.

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  63. John said...
    Ole---I am gonna call bullshit on your tale about your former bricks and mortar agency.

    OK..I'm listening.

    You have referenced them in several comments and said you used them extensively over the years and they were always screwing your travel plans up.

    That is correct..over 10 years worth.

    Yo also claim to be in YTB and want to be the "biggest" in the world.

    Now, that would be nice!

    You would think that you would know the name of the agency. They are the #1 or #2 (depends on the year) agency in the world and it is CARLSON WAGONLIT not Carson Wagonlit.

    Yes. Sorry, OleScore left out the "l".

    You have consistently misspelled that and for someone that is at least minimally knowledgeable of the industry it is a mistake that should not happen.

    Oh really? Why don't you take a look at your next post to me regarding Carlson and see if you can find an error on YOUR part "that should not happen"?

    OleScorekeeper

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  64. John said...
    OLE--you are a hypocrite....

    OK. I'm listening again.

    One side of your mouth says you could care less of anyone's PhD..

    Wrong buddy boy. I never said I could care less. Never even mentioned a PhD, now did I?

    ..yet the other says...look at Dr. Bob Seligman PhD. He has a PhD from Oxford (FALSE) an MBA from Harvard (FALSE)and many more.

    Wrong again. If you go back to the very first posts about Dr. Bob, you will find a day or two after the release of the audio recording, the OleScorekeeper said he was suspicious of whether Dr. Bob was the real deal.

    You say you don't compete against us but that is a lie as well--if you read the YTB 10K right there on PAGE 3 FRONT AND CENTER:

    Did OleScore say that? I don't think so. I do agree with the statement below.

    Our competition can be classified into three separate types of companies: online travel providers; retail travel
    providers; and electronic distributors of travel information and services.


    ANd when I call BS on you because you don't know the name of the $1 travel company in the world and someone you had done business with for years...I DO think I am justified.

    Your calling BS on me because I left out the "l" in Carlson while you call them "the $1 travel company in the world"? Now that's funny..what will they do with that whole dollar bill? Was that just a typo, or was that deliberate on your part? OleScore won't pass judgment. Now you really got me ROTFLMAO.

    Just like I am justified in calling bullshit when Dr. Seligman says that he was a "direct report" to Barry "Dillar". Again, maybe it is the fact that the average IQ of a YTB participant is slightly lower than normal, but one would think they would know how to spell their boss's name--especially when it was one of the top executives in the world! Quick, who's the President...Busch? Just like the beer?

    Johnny, it's clear you're doing some finger pointing here, but I see your other three fingers pointing right back at you guy. Your two posts to me are full of spelling errors which comes as a surprise from such a famed columnist and special guest travel reporter for PMSNBC. ;>)

    OleScorekeeper

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  65. $ and # is a mistype/typo. Calling an agency you dealt with for "10 years" by the wrong name consistently is not a typo. Calling it by the wrong name when you claim to be in the industry is just ignorant!

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  66. Hey John-Hate to disagree with you on credit scores. But good and bad credit scores do have bearing here. They are relevant. Credit scores follow you your whole life, employers even use them to weed out employees now. They play a huge role in financial situations through out your whole life.

    "Credit scores have become one of the most important numbers in the lives of Americans," says Stephen Brobeck, executive director of the Consumer Federation of America. Employers, for example, increasingly look up prospective employees' credit scores to judge their level of "personal responsibility," he says.

    I am willng given the jail to Penn mentality, preying on low income people that the majority of YTB RTAs have a low score. And, that is indeed relevant given the importance of a good credit score in conducting business, getting loans, gaining employment etc. And YTB takes people without a basic credit check. Just hand over your cc #. Most responsible people have a decent credit score there are exceptions of course such as illness. But I am betting most RTA's don't fall into that category. Basically they can't manage money and/or finances.

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  67. Ole, your losing it....typical YTB responses. Keep lying, keep calling names, your just burying yourself deeper and deeper. Your a joke.

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  68. ytbscam -

    Go back to crashing weddings.

    You said you have never been part of any MLM.

    You said you are not a TTA.

    Thus, your opinions on this topic have no relevance whatsoever.

    Speaking of burying deeper and deeper . . .

    Go crawl back in your hole.

    YTB and TRAVEL: A Great Mix!

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  69. YTB and TRAVEL: A Great Mix! said to SCAM, "You said you have never been part of any MLM.
    You said you are not a TTA.
    Thus, your opinions on this topic have no relevance whatsoever."

    Mix, Scam has so much airspace between his ears you could drive a 747 between them. That's why nothing of real substance comes from his posts. He repeats himself often and no one really pays much attention to him. Maybe that's why he needs to post here.

    Since speculation is one of the main processes of the blog owner, I would offer this scenario. It appears SCAM's Aunt got him into YTB (even though he won't admit to it) then, when he realized he had to go to work, he whined and wanted his money back after the rescission period ended.

    One great thing about old SCAM. He does offer a form of side show entertainment to the blog.

    OleScorekeeper

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  70. Oldcrotchkeeper - When I have asked you something or anything, you ignore it. You will argue issues, but when confronted with a direct question, you pretend like you never saw it or something.

    I asked you several questions. So have other people. You ignore them. Your YTB website has no contact information. Is it any wonder you garner no respect? That's why you're a turd. That is my professional opinion and there was no service charge to tell you that.

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  71. John said..."Ole---I am gonna call bullshit on your tale about your former bricks and mortar agency."

    Now John, I know this is your blog, but must you use such filth? First you posted a photo of an innocent child giving the finger and now this? I know that the wholesome Rev. Coach would not approve and neither would any of the holy rollers in YTB. I should know. I only used the half of that naughty word over on Doug's bog and you would have thought I had removed my bra and uttered the F word.

    Please John, remember that it's OK to scam over a hundred thousand people out of $500 and $50 more a month and still remain a good Christian without using dirty words or photos.

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  72. martha -

    You are definitely a piece of work.

    The clueless TTA Peter Stilphen is known as The Grumpy Old Agent - male version.

    Martha is The Grumpy Old Agent -female version.

    Go enjoy your "glass half-empty" drink.

    Your outlook on life mirrors it.

    YTB and TRAVEL: A Great Mix!

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  73. Once again, Olescotchtaper can't read. You finaly repeat what I have been telling you. And once again you say I was in a MLM. Which is it? You can't figure it out. And once again, I will tell you I have NEVER been in any MLM.

    I guess I'm about as credible as ole Mixer there...since he has proven nothing other than being Doug, hiding behind a anonymous name.

    Crotchkeeper, you haven't answered any questions thrown your way either. Deflect deflect deflect.

    And as far as me having no experience in this issue, my travel experience ranks up there with about 99% of those in YTB. So your comments are about as useless as mine, according to you.

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