I found an interesting column on another blog this morning and I think Peter has some outstanding points. I think that CLIA really needs to take a stand here. I personally know of many traditional agents that are not renewing their membership because of the stance they have NOT made. Some have received some very carefully crafted responses, and many others have not receive ANY response. Personally, I would think that an Association owes it to its members to respond to concerns. Read the entire column at Peter Stilphen's Homebased Travel Agents Blog.
This plan of attack could also apply to the other rodents or critters we refer to as MLMs/card mills. The food supply in the case of the MLM/card mill operations is CLIA. At one time the card mills used their own agency photo ID cards many times appearing similar to the IATAN card in order to try and fool suppliers who accepted these cards into thinking the holder of one of these cards was a real travel agent. As more and more hotels, car rentals, etc. began to see through this charade the card mills were forced to seek other means for touting cheap travel to consumers. They also needed something that would give them more credibility at the same time. The answer was CLIA.So, what do you think?
Is this the same Peter that allegedly sold his travel agency to a MLM company? This was from a commentor on his blog.
ReplyDelete"How bout you being a hypocrite and selling Coral Sands to Travelwize an MLM company in 2002.
http://www.usps.com/judicial/2002deci/md02-404id.htm
Posted by: john | November 03, 2007 at 02:25 PM "
Well, since CLIA controls the issuing of their own cards, if they didn't want YTB's RTAs to have them, they wouldn't allow the YTB RTAs to take tests and receive the cards along with the points that go with each and every CLIA test.
ReplyDeleteIne more thing... in our issued cards... you know, the other ones... They don't say "TRAVEL AGENT' They say "REFERRRING TRAVEL AGENT".
Here's a second helping of crow for you. I hope you're hungry.
Right. Like "Referring Travel Agent" isn't SUPPOSED to be misleading. It SHOULD read "Genuine Accredited Spurious Travel Agent Placebo"...that would be more accurate.
ReplyDeleteIs this the same Peter that allegedly sold his travel agency to a MLM company? This was from a commentor on his blog.
ReplyDelete"How bout you being a hypocrite and selling Coral Sands to Travelwize an MLM company in 2002.
http://www.usps.com/judicial/2002deci/md02-404id.htm
Posted by: john | November 03, 2007 at 02:25 PM "
JF, are you the same John that posted this on Peter's blog?
Nope not me. Had not heard about that. Don;t know much about it at all!
ReplyDeleteCoral Sands Travel is still owned by Mr Stilphen.
ReplyDeleteAppears Bill Alverson of Joystar has some issues with this guy.
ReplyDeleteposted on 8/27/2007 7:41:01 AM
contributed by Bill Alverson
Why is Peter Stilphen such a Grumpy Old Agent?
Why is he obsessed with us and why does he write lies about our company? How can he call us a card mill when we've never issued a card? Why does he say we are an MLM when we are not nor ever have been?
Doesn't he care that by doing this he is attempting to hurt all of us (travel agents)?
I get these questions every now and then with a link to his pathetic blog. I don't think much of the comments because I know the truth and because, well, I'm busy.
I also have three years of email exchanges where he has stated, "I write these things in my blog in jest, and I consider Bill and his wife Kathy my friends.
What Peter failed to realize with his failed attempt to be witty is that a prank stops being funny when it hurts someone. And, when you start messing with Joystar agents and attempt to disrupt their livelihoods, you've crossed the line to a very bad place.
Ironically, at one time Peter and I were in discussions about him joining Joystar's Enterprise program because he was losing so many agents to us. He said he appreciated one of the terms of the agreement protecting the existing relationships a host has with its agents.
His agents would have been happy because they would have access to all of the benefits of Joystar membership including higher commissions, better technology and much more support . He could have been happy knowing he did the right thing. But, because he had been saying bad things about us, he was afraid of losing credibility.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, Peter, but you have no credibility. Instead of worrying about yourself, you should instead have been worrying about the success of your agents and how your actions, or failure to act, is placing them at a competitive disadvantage. Credibility? Shame on you!
Back to the question at hand.
One delightful Joystar agent recently remarked that maybe it was because of an insane jealously towards me because of Kathy, my wife. If you've met Kathy you would understand the logic. Although Peter has been seen following Kathy around like a puppy at travel industry events, I doubt (this) jealousy is the primary factor driving his fraudulent statements and unethical business practices.
The answer is simple: Peter Stiphen is Joystar's competitor. The fact still remains Joystar has been very disruptive to Peter Stilphen and other lesser-funded, non-innovating, grumpy old agents out there trying to fake it as Host Agencies.
We get up every day and beat him in the business of hosting travel agents.
That is why his agents are leaving him. That is why he resorts to unethical behavior, that is why he is a grumpy old agent, and that folks, is why Peter hates Joystar.
The question I've been hearing lately from our employees, shareholders, agents, supplier partners, technology partners and yes, even some of our competitors is, When is this guy going to shut up?
I doubt Peter will ever shut up. I say this because I think he actually thrives on telling lies and spreading negativity. Add to this, a $29.95/mo. blog subscription and the morphine like high that comes from appointing yourself President of that cockamamie scheme of a host agency association (PATH), and old Peter is in, well, hog heaven.
For all of you Joystar stakeholders who get upset with Peter for being the grumpy old agent he is, we should instead be giving thanks that he and his rinky-dink agency, Americas Host Agency/Coral Sands Travel are our competitors. And, we should continue to welcome with open arms, all of his agents that leave him for Joystar or one of our 70 host agency Enterprise members who offer them a superior value proposition.
Let this rube keep digging his grave.
Let this hog wallow in his self-made quagmire of mediocrity
Side Bar:
Many of you have asked me about Peter's pathetic trade association (PATH).
Stay tuned for information on ill-conceived trade associations and the Antitrust violations including price fixing, unfair competition, restraint of trade and other potential criminal charges all association members may face because of the potential criminal activities of a few very bad eggs.
I did not see Joystar in the list on his blog and that post (wherever it came from ) is old, but it does sound like Classic Bill Alverson.
ReplyDeleteThis is the guy that has created this website:
http://www.grumpyoldagents.com/
and he is also behind the deactivated site www.royalmistake.com
I don't think anyone (perhaps except RCCL) feels Joystar is a card mill.
That is halarious John!! LMAO
ReplyDeleteWhile RCL has never said why, I don't believe they're issue with Joystar ever was a "card mill" issue - and actually, I'm not sure that RCL every really said that?
ReplyDeleteI suspect their actual issue had more to do with rebating commissions to clients ....
They took down "Royal Mistake"? I had not idea that they might suddenly smarten up on that one...
Bill Alverson is a putz anyway. In Las Vegas in December, he tried to strut around like a peacock, but his booth was the only host agency booth that had practically no one visiting it!
ReplyDeleteIMHO, the RCCL boot of Joystar probably had to do with their "Enterprise" program where someone could join it and create their own "mini host agency" and have their own agents.
ReplyDeleteMaybe off topic, but this thread seems a bit slow.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know who the #2 MLM travel company is?
I'm guessing it's Traverus then World Ventures. I looked at WV news headlines on their site and they are pretty old. Are they going under? Does anyone know how they rate with the other MLM's? Traverus seems to be going strong!
Does anyone know who the #2 MLM travel company is?
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing it's Traverus then World Ventures.
Neither…
Global Travel International beats both combined. Coastal Vacations probably does as well. I’m also assuming you are talking about both Marketing AND Travel Bookings.
I’m very concerned about what I’ve seen from TraVerus based on what’s going on in the industry right now. They seem to think their “doing it the right way”. I’ll defer to John to answer that for you.
John;
Personal opinion of course, but gumpyoldagents.com fits Peter to a “T”. ;-P
You’ve stated either here (or somewhere) that YTB is nothing but a Cash Cow for CLIA. Does this change your positioning?
Grumpy Old Agents was Bill's answer to Peter....of course it fits him to a T--the photo is a caricature of him.
ReplyDeleteAs for YTB being a cash cow for CLIA, not this just reinforces my opinion that each year CLIA sends YTB a very nice Christmas Card. Without YTB, I suspect that CLIA might indeed be close be being out of business.
Aren't you supposed to be watching a game?
Peter at one time had Joystar on his list. I emailed him about that, as I have had both Coral Sands Travel and Joystar as my host agency in the past. I assume that he did some more digging and took Joystar off the list, like his disclaimer says he will if shown otherwise.
ReplyDeleteAs for Bill Alverson, there is no love lost here for him. Many folks already know the story of my getting tossed out of Joystar by Bill for simply asking questions on the in-house Joystar bulletin board that were perceived by him to be negative. I will point out that I was happy with the rest of the company's support, and they very helpful in getting my existing bookings moved to another host agency. It is only Bill Alverson that I have any bad feelings for.