It seems that my posts might be getting back to YTB. On February 6th, I discussed (in parody) the fact that the YTB packages for the Olympics must not be selling since the number of packages sols reflected "9" consistently on all of the packages. Somehow, I did not feel it was a coincidence. Well, it seems YTB has taken action.
Not the kind of action that would make sales, it appears that on the website, all the packages now have put in the ">=9" in that field. I guess that will allow them to claim they have sold some ubiquitous number greater than 9. (Edit: the direct URL does not work. Makes it difficult to sell. Go to the link now--a RTA site and in the bottom left corner is a photo/link to the packages)
And to be honest, it makes more sense to let the consumer know how many spots are LEFT!
Yeah, I guess those packages are just flying out the door!
We will have to watch the YTB sales performance closely....watch for cheating.
ReplyDeleteIt has been rumored that YTB Reps are doping with HGH and Steriods to be able to compete at the Olympic level. (This is in addition to the Viagra that they need to take to get the web traffic back up there).
Which brings up a good point. Should RTA's be required to take a urine test before they are allowed to sell Olympic packages?
This also could be the cause of all the anger and frustration that RTA's have.... ROID RAGE!!!
It all makes sense now!
Do they realize how stupid and how unprofessional putting up a >=9 in packages sold looks? HAHA. But then again you don't have to be smart to sell travel.
ReplyDeleteThat just looks dumb plain and simple. Why not just leave the number off. Why not >=22, or >=120, why would you just leave it at 9.....
When I click on the link to look at the website, I see "No Agentid."
ReplyDeleteIs there a screen shot captured, or a working link?
Just checked...same thing...No Agentid
ReplyDeleteYes I see that. It is odd, one would think they would make it easy to go there but....
ReplyDeleteI modified the link---go to Doug's booking site (the link) and then in the lower left corner there is a picture/link for the China Tours!
They might as well put >=9 but <=2billion.
ReplyDeleteI can see it now. We sole >=9 China trips, but <=2 billion....AMAZING!
'Preciate that John!
ReplyDeleteIf you’ve been following along the last couple of days, it’s asking you for an “Agent ID” because everything we do is attached to an “Active RTA”. You can’t just copy and paste the url at the top. There is a specific code with unique Agent identifiers to get to that page.
Here is a direct link to the Olympic Packages
for your “up to the minute” updates. ;-P
PS - If you would have inserted number 24635 and hit submit, up will come the link.
"Which brings up a good point. Should RTA's be required to take a urine test before they are allowed to sell Olympic packages?"
ReplyDeleteThe RTA's should be required to take a urine test before they post here!
John, how many Olympic packages have you sold?
ReplyDeleteWhat's that? Speak up!
Oh, that's right... NONE!
So, YTB has sold 9 more Olympic packages than you have... LOL!!!
Doug--do you want me to edit that last comment? I assume that is your RTA number and Proud To Be YTB (The Level 2 Florida Director) has told me several times that the numbers is an incredibly sensitive number and should be guarded as carefully as you would your social security number.
ReplyDeleteProud...I have sold none. Sold the Olympics in SLC, ATL, and TOR and all were a nightmare to be honest so that is not my market. You can have it.
ReplyDeleteHere is a question for you? How many RCCL cruises have you sold lately? Oh, that's right ZERO! Funny, I am making a deposit on a small Alaskan cruise tomorrow when my space releases.
But see the difference? I sell some travel, but don't put out the press releases talking about it. It works for me. But apparently the word of mouth YTB says drives the business is not working out too well since you have 14 (I think) packages to the Olympics and they could not get 140,000 people to sell any of them. So, might as well issue a press release.
Only Proud would be happy that 140k+ people in YTB sold 9 packages.....oh wait those were up when the page was thrown up, so that is zero.
ReplyDeleteWell Proud IS a bit math challenged so we can forgive him. But hey, I guess I can say that I have sold as many Olympic Packages personally as YTB did as a company with 140,000 RTAs.
ReplyDeleteHow is THAT for a press release??
John,
ReplyDeleteI think I finally figured it out! That HUGE news event we have been waiting for. I bet 140K+ YTBers sold one....YES ONE OLYMPIC PACKAGE!!! AMAZING!!!
Math challenged? You're the one stating that figures don't add up when they are sitting right in front of your face. When Doug and I try to explain the numbers to you, you just sit there with the old "deer in the headlights" look. You're the math challenged one here.
ReplyDelete(now John will add a sales/commission comment below)
You can keep your RCCL. I've ben on their cruise-line. They don't offer anything more than what Carnival offers. Wait, there's one thing... HIGHER PRICES!
Proud--if you feel the difference between CCL and RCCL is pricing, I truly feel sorry for your "clients".
ReplyDeleteJohn, I am talking from experience here. This has noithing to do with YTB, for I have been cruising long before YTB came to be.
ReplyDeleteDoug--do you want me to edit that last comment? I assume that is your RTA number
ReplyDeleteNo need to edit it John, I’ve had my RTA number open for everyone to see in my blog signature for years. (Since December 2005)
You may have misunderstood what Proud was telling you. (I don't know what he said.) It is however like a Social Security Number that ties you to bookings and on some of our links.
For example, when I make a client booking directly with Holland America on Monday, (You may also know of the 2-week View & Verandah Sale with Holland America.) I’ll have them note my RTA number so the Home Office knows who the booking belongs to when it comes in. I will also submit a commission claim form in my back office with the booking number and client information, however this additional RTA number is a way to ensure checks and balances on the Holland America documentation so that I get paid.
All the back office stuff I use such as BookCCL.com, TripTailor.com, and CCRATravel.com also note my RTA number as my user ID.
In addition, I’m starting to find that certain suppliers are beginning to recognize that the lower the RTA number, the more time and experience you have with YTB. This has become an additional benefit for me when either booking for clients or requesting a reduced rate on my own Travel.
No I did not misunderstand, because at one point Proud put down the website of a person in his downline daring me to identify the RTA number and I did and he was shocked and said it was going to be handled by YTB Corporate--has not yet. But I could not find that comment but here is one of them....
ReplyDeleteProud to be YTB said...
The RTA number is the RTa's personal Identification number, and is NOT listed on the website for security purposes! Would you give someone your social security number? Well it's like that.
"You and your clients" is spelled out perfectly clear! it doesn't say "you or your clients". The word "AND" is a conjunction which means TOGETHER!!! "OR" means one or the other.
December 8, 2007 9:44 PM
Here's the rant from before...
ReplyDeleteJohn, i have been up and down that website... on every page and every link. I still didn't find that number. I am also sure that the average person is going to go onto the website to book travel instead of hunting for a hard to find I.D. # if it is at all on the travel website. The only place I know of that my I.D. # is posted is in my own back office where the clients don't have access.
December 10, 2007 12:01 PM
John said...
Well, is the number correct or not? Email me the link to your travel booking site and I will email you back with your YTB ID#
john@jvegroup.net
I promise any further communication will be here or at your initiation.
December 10, 2007 12:08 PM
Proud to be YTB said...
Is this how you found her number? Did you gain control of her user-name and password, and go into "agent login" and get into her back office?
If so, that's illegal John!!! There's a lot of personal info in an RTA's back office... including their credit card info, upline info and downline info... not to mention order history, paynment history, sales history... etc. If she have you permission to go in there, she could also be terminated.
If a back office was meant to be accessed by clients, it wouldn't be password protected.
December 10, 2007 12:09 PM
John said...
Are you serious? I just randomly guessed her password? Come on!
No, tell you what, give me booking websites for 3,5,10 RTAs and I will tell you their YTB ID#.
Not their passwords, their ID numbers. Just list the links here and as soon as I see the comment I will come back with the numbers to you--just be sure you can verify them.
December 10, 2007 12:20 PM
Proud to be YTB said...
This post has been removed by a blog administrator.
December 10, 2007 12:49 PM
John said...
This post has been removed by the author.
December 10, 2007 1:08 PM
Proud to be YTB said...
Yes, that's it. Now delete it, and tell me how you dug around and found it.
December 10, 2007 1:11 PM
John said...
Deleted along with your previous post with the link. It was not on the site you sent me but as I said it is on the TRAVEL booking site. I clicked to their BOOK TRAVEL link and voila. No digging. The delay was in responding to the email!
Now as to your security--hopefully YTB encourages complicated passwords and requires them to be changed periodically.
December 10, 2007 1:17 PM
Proud to be YTB said...
I still didn't see it posted on the website... even in the "Book Travel" part. Now, you also mentioned replying to an e-mail???
Please clarify, because I don't go around people's YTB websites looking to find their I.D. #.
Also, thank you for promptly deleting those posts.
December 10, 2007 1:52 PM
Proud to be YTB said...
Just to let you know, I am being open-minded about this.
I just want to find out why it is that YTB tells us the rules about our I.D. #'s compared to how accessible it is for clients to find it. I want to know, so i can bring this forth with the YTB HQ.
December 10, 2007 1:57 PM
Interesting reading. It is pretty much up to the consumer traveler if they want to purchase the 2008 Olympic Tour Packages now available on all YTB RTAs' websites. All my links work. My clients/customers are more interested in purchasing with a confirmation message than how many packages are left. Also is is not just YTB, it is a joint venture with YTB RTAs, YTB Travel Network, and Spring Tours.
ReplyDeleteYeah--anonymous I think everyone knows it is a JV between YTB and Shanghai Spring Tours.
ReplyDeleteI am sure when someone does book they will want a confirmation number (unless they join YTB when they can get a commission)
I don't think John wants to book one (I could be wrong) and he was just commenting that it still seems like YTB has not sold a single package for the Olympics.
Maybe you have some other information to the contrary, But if they had, would not have they put out a press release saying how good the sales were?
Insider;
ReplyDeleteJohn already has MY Olympic Tour brochure, if he's going to the Olympics he's going with me! (Screw his own commission.)
John;
Like I said, I didn’t know what was said and I wasn’t going to take the time to research it.
Proud;
If you know how our coding works with URL’s the RTA number is in the coding with almost all of our vendors, it’s how they know the booking came from me vs. you. I send these types of direct links all the time via e-mail, and also have links embedded in my blog.
The best example I can give you is our group cruise page. If you look at this URL you will see my number embedded in the code YTB24635.
https://www.ytbtravel.com/grouptravel/main.aspx?YTBID=YTB24635
There are other links as well that I’ve used, but that’s just one example that I use to find out how old or new an RTA is. I can pretty much tell you down to the day when someone signed up based on this number. (I compare it with my own team.)
Yes Doug, I too know all the #'s to al in my downline and can research the same.
ReplyDeleteWhat I meant about our number is that it is not and never should be intended for client use. This means that a client should not be allowed to take it upon his or her own to use our number to book anything for themselves... even if it is to get us a commission from the supplier. This has been explained to us. If a booking is done directly with a supplier, and a YTB ID # is given, is better be the RTA who is doing the booking... not a client.
Also, since I too have booked directly with the suppliers, and have access to their sites via agent permissions, the suppliers have my number on file as well as your's.
I did send in a notice to YTB HQ about it, and they said they will be looking into it. I will send another one in as a follow-up. Doug, maybe you should do the same, and maybe you'd like to stop giving out your number. If a client calls a supplier, using your number... and not knowing a single thing, the supplier may think it's you, and may think you know nothing... when in fact, you do. Of course, you can do what you want. No big deal.
I just sent out a group message to all on my team (upline and downline). They will probably also be sending support tickets into HQ about this.
ReplyDeleteI have sold one Olympic package for 4 pax with Cartan. I think that will be all for me as I am not pushing it.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how many RTA's went to China with the 899.00 package? And I really wonder why YTB gives it such poor placement on their webso sites?
Proud,
ReplyDeleteAs much as it pains me to do this, I have to be fair.
I too send out a weekly Team Newsletter to my upline and downline. Here just one of my entries from the fist of the month.
Down-loadable, customizable E-Brochures are NOW AVAILABLE in your Travel Portal! Simply go to "RTA Tools" and click "E-Brochures" at the bottom of the page. Custom packages with YOUR Information (Name, website, and phone number) will be generated in a PDF for China, Europe, and the 2008 Olympics! A DYNAMITE tool from Spring Tours!
Download a sample of the 2008 Olympic Brochure
Please note the very last page, at the very bottom of the Brochure and contact information.
Contact Information If you have any questions or concerns about these Terms or if you need further assistance with respect to the services offered by Spring Tour International, you may contact our Customer Service department.
Spring Tour International will attempt to respond to your questions or concerns promptly after we receive them. E-mail: ytbchina@spring-tour.com ytbeurope@spring-tour.com Mailing address: Customer Service, Spring Tour
International, 1212 S. Atlantic Blvd., Suite 201, Alhambra, CA 91803 Telephone: (800) 627-0886 (within the United States) (626) 571-5200 (Fax inside the United States) Be sure to read and understand these terms and conditions
before you confirm your reservation.
© 2008 YTB Travel Network, Inc. RTA ID:24635
YTB puts your RTA Number there so your clients CAN call or e-mail Spring Tours direct in California and YOU get the credit.
If John would have called back at the Carnival One Day Sale and had my RTA Number handy, he could have booked with the home office as well.
I do agree with and I beleive that you may be thinking of the Agency Identifier.
A client will not get past pretending that it’s you without first identifying themselves tied to an “Agency” first. (That is the number that should be kept private Proud.)
I have no problem with a client calling a supplier Direct and wanting to give me credit, but without knowing the “Agency Identifier” first, they will know the “client” on the other end is not connected to our Agency but a “client”.
AGencY Identifier? Is this the CLIA number that is on all of the RTA cards and all over the Internet or is it a different number?
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I don't see a client calling and pretending to be anyone---are they going to pretend to get the commission?
I also disagree that if you are an agent--referring or otherwise, the client should be dealing with you and NOT the vendor.
But if I wanted to pretend to be a RTA, I can easily get the CLIA number of YTB and then the RTA number of ANY RTA in the system and do so.
While I know you don’t agree with it John, some of the largest suppliers we have are very generous in helping us book for clients. Spring Tours is just one example. You have to admit that this China Package has many nuances that can be very difficult even for a seasoned professional like yourself.
ReplyDeleteSpring Tours partnered with us specifically because we could send an enormous amount of clients their way. They pay nothing in advertising, so they can afford to staff people with the savings. Carnival did it for us back in November and booked 12,000 passengers in one day with no overhead in advertising expenses. LVI and Thomas Cook are making the same commitment with our YTB Fly Free program. Once the client information is entered and the $300 is paid, it’s pretty much out of our hands.
Now tell me Doug how in the world is the agency identifier supposed to be kept private when it is blasted all over the internet... especially John's blog?
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry Doug. We both may be YTB, but I do believe that my job involves calling the suppliers for the clients, and not giving out my number to the clients for them to use in my name... even if it is to give credit for a commission. If a client wants to do it that way, I might as well turn them into RTAs and get them their own website. I don't know your team (downline), but on my team, we put emphasis on telling our RTAs to get clients and get the training to be able to serve those clients in ALL available ways! If my clients don't have internet access, I will take their info and book it for them. If it's a more complex booking, I will call the supplier directly. If the client would rather not give me their info via e-mail, or by phone, I will either have the client come to my home... or I will go to them and book their trip with them present.
Welcome back YTBSCAM MAN! Funny, when you disappear, so does your Anon twin. Very obvious. Oh well, your post's are some what of an amusement to us.
ReplyDeleteObviously, someone is a little dillusional here. YTBSCAM hasn't posted since 2 days ago.
ReplyDeleteI think this person was referring to ytbscam. I have noticed that when he or she is not here commenting so are a lot of anonymous people not here.
ReplyDeleteWhat a surprise the YTBers, and anonymous at that, have the inside source on me now also. Nice try, I've never had to hide under anonymous nor would I have to. But make yourself feel good thinking that. Oh look two anonymous claiming I'm posting anonymous. There is nothing for me to hide, I can assure you of that. I have posted under this nick for awhile now, and I don't shy away from anyone.
ReplyDeleteMaybe this person was referring to me. How sad. I have stated over and over again that "Proud to be YTB" is and forever will be he ONLY name I post under on this blog. As Proud to be YTB, you don't know me personally, so why woul I even bother posting anonymously?
ReplyDeleteAnd YTBScam, I stuck up for you in the previous post by calling the other anonymous dillusional. no need to thank me. I know you won't anyway.
Why thank you Proud. I was totally confused by what was being posted to be honest with you. It amazes me that people will think they know everything, and then post under anonymous names. And it didn't even make sense, since I didn't post anything recently.
ReplyDeleteAnd for those that don't get it, just because someone doesn't post doesn't mean we aren't reading.
It doesn't make sense, I could post under anonymous or under Scam. Does it really make much of a difference? Nope.
Exactly what I'm saying.
ReplyDeleteHey, at least we can agree on something.
BTW... you're welcome YTBScam.