Build Your Business Dynasty With Cruise to Cash!

Remember Dynasty? The money? The power? The big hair? Well apparently you can be just like Alexa and the rest of the gang just by joining Cruise to Cash!

Cruise to Cash has everything you could want in a travel MLM. Testimonials with College Professors. Celebrity endorsements by none other than Ken & Barbie. The ever important $10,000 per week earnings claim. In fact you can earn giant piles of cash with no travel training what so ever just by joining cruise to cash! And of course Cruise To Cash has Jesus, and lots of it! Cruise to Cash claims that their opportunity is the number 1 internet business opportunity. Just look at their website at http://www.no1homebasedbusiness.com/
Now maybe you’re not sure who to choose for your sponsor in Cruise to Cash. This guy claims that he talks to the owners of Cruise to Cash all the time, and is making more money than he knows what to do with.

So here we have yet another mlm scam that claims to be legitimate, honest ethical, God fearing, and the best homebased business opportunity on the planet. But if you look at their recruiting messages, their false earnings claims, their You Tube videos and more, it just screams scam! How is it even possible for someone to get sucked into something like this?

Wait-isn't this the exact same marketing message that YTB uses? Big piles of cash with no work or training? Endorsed by Jesus and other celebs? Legal? Ethical? Where have we heard this all before?

CLIA..suppliers, are you watching this??

A Ponzi Scheme Defined

This was originally in a MSN article, but I could not copy and paste the slide show into this blog, so I have recreated it. It highlights many salient points that are appropriate with the travel MLM/Card Mills that are operating today.  As you read through this, most likely you will be nodding your head in agreement. Is it no wonder that Jerry Brown and Lisa Madigan have taken notice and taken action? With the California and Illinois Attorneys General either prosecuting or investigating, are others far behind?

How Ponzi Schemes work

Since Charles Ponzi defrauded thousands in the 1920s, investors have continued to fall prey to such schemes. Here's why.  --Source: The North American Securities Administrators Association

# 1 Ponzi's allure

• Ponzi schemes work by paying old investors "dividends" from new investors' principal.(YTB pays the lion's share of bonuses from money received by new RTAs. This is substantiated by their SEC filings)
  

# 2 Variety and confusion

• A flood of new investment vehicles has made it difficult to identify frauds. (While not dealing with investments, yet, YTB is adding all sorts of ancillary products. In addition, with the other MLM outfits like Traverus and GTI, it does become confusing to determine legitimacy. YTB counts on this.)
  

# 3 Greed

• High rates of return and "guaranteed" low-risk strategies lure even conservative investors. (If anyone has attended a YTB "Opportunity Meeting" they flash the success stories like Julliet St. John and Ron head, but neglect to mention that their own income disclosure indicates that the vast majority of participants earn nothing. The low risk is the minimal investment and no investment programs.)
  

# 4 The appearance of success

• Early investors receive "proof" through high initial returns. (Undoubtedly the top people in any pyramid scheme will receive the high initial returns. Look at Ron Head, Rick Ricketts, Andy Lakey, Bill Hoffmann and others who are always highlighted and paraded as "proof" of success.)
  

# 5 The herd instinct

• Those investors then promote the scheme to friends and others. (When you have tens of thousands of people all led by financial earners, they will take that success as an indicator of theirs and promote it to anyone and everyone. As a matter of fact, one of the key "tools" in MLM is to promote the opportunity to everyone within a three foot radius of you. It is called the Three Foot Rule.)
  

# 6 Fear

• As the scheme unravels, some still promote it for fear of losing out amid mass withdrawals. (YTB is currently experiencing this right now. In March of 2008, they had 138,000 RTAs and right now they are just about to go under 90,000 and are losing about 300 RTAs per day. Yet there are many, the majority, who do not see the warning signs--IATAN, RCCL, dropping RTAs, lawsuits, falling stock prices, and most recently the decision by NCL to terminate them. These people will continue to believe and promote hoping for success that is out of reach and they will continue to do so until the company eventually collapses. One onlly needs to look at the loyalty some of the Joystar agents exhibited who are now in dire straits.)
  

# 7 The Tooth Fairy syndrome

• Some refuse to relinquish their faith in the business acumen of the alleged mastermind. (Well, I am not sure there is ANY business acumen in ANY of the alleged masterminds. None of them have ANY experience in travel and they all have experience in questionable MLM outfits. AL Williams, selling fuel additives, etc. Their acumen is suspect when they deal only with Board insiders and make sweetheart deals with privatelyheld sister companies. However, they ALL talk a great talk and have amassed a large loyal following. The followers of YTB management are quite literally zombie-like.)
  

Is Illinois Preparing To Make A Move On YTB?

I have a feeling that the State of Illinois, who is currently investigating YTB, may likely be taking this to the next step soon. Maybe now that Lisa Madigan is done with Rod Blagojevich, now she can have her office pay a little more attention to YTB. I did notice that both she and Jerry Brown were at the Inauguration of President Barack H. Obama last week! I wonder if they had a chance to grab a bite to eat and talk shop and swap notes?

More Blah Blah Blah From A YTB Supporter

Round two from Bob Cushman from Endless Journey Drivel Travel.

 

As you are probably aware, many network marketing companies have tried to do what YTB is actually doing, and none have succeeded.  Our travel sales are proof of our success and impact.  YTB didn’t cause the paradigm shift, the internet did.  All we did was recognize an opportunity to capitalize on the consumer fulfilling their travel needs on the internet instead of calling a travel agent.  The only thing Barry Dillar (Expedia) got wrong was the power of word of mouth vs. advertizing.  Simple as that.  What YTB has done is take that model and put the relationship back into the transaction.

Sure it was disheartening to see the California AG filed a lawsuit, (key word ‘accusing’ ) but YTB wasn’t surprised it happened…they were only surprised it took them so long.  Who do you think put pressure on the AG to do so?  It will be amicably settled, just like the one before it and the one previously filed in Florida and the one in Rhode Island.   Just like Art Williams took on the entire insurance industry, as Primerica Financial Services and refused to give in to those who vigorously opposed them…YTB too will ultimately prevail.  If you were to read Art Williams’ latest book, “Coach, the A.L. Williams Story…you would see the parallels.

Sure sales are down…as they are across the entire economy and just like other companies; YTB has taken appropriate measures to compensate.  I served our great country for 22 yrs, and have learned the meaning of loyalty, commitment and the values that determine a great leader.  What I believe is not important; I look to a person’s actions which reveal true intention.  Yes, there are those like yourself who believe YTB is a cult and/or some illegal pyramid scheme.  Professional Network marketers are a rare entrepreneurial breed, and the ones who have chosen to build the foundation of YTB will be justly and richly rewarded.  Controversy is just part of what our CEO calls Success Tax.

I am right here; aware, informed, educated and taking action.  I will continue to build relationships with my clientele who will book with me.  I will also continue to share the YTB opportunity with others who seek a genuine home based business opportunity.  YTB isn’t for everyone…but many do want to learn how to: earn commission on their own personal travel and that of their friends, family and co-workers - save money on their travel - and take advantage of the legal tax benefits that are available to those that work their business with a clear intention to earn a profit.  Our Founders along with our legal department will continue to vigorously defend our rights to do so.

Who needs IATA or even IATAN?  RCCL "DEMOTED" Lisa Bauer for the decision to not do business with us because we did $13 Million in business with them before they made one of the biggest mistakes EVER!  In response, we sold more cruises in ONE DAY with Carnival, setting the record for the ENTIRE INDUSTRY (not just MLM) for the most cruises EVER sold by one agency in a single day. 

If I were you, I would be careful of what you say because you might have to eat your words later. 

So Much For Tossing The Suit Out

Well, I am not sure who to believe? In one corner you have the blessed few RTAs that have received special permission to continue their blogging and Craigslist efforts and then you have the Madison County Record.

One group informs me that the Class Action lawsuits against YTB have no merit and "as a matter of fact" have already been dismissed. To them, they do not even exist!

Yet the Madison County Record says that the two suits have been consolidated and on they go!

I am inclined to believe the reporter from the paper. But it seems that the Class Action suits are not the only ones moving forward. Apparently notices and subpoenas are flying out of the Attorney General's office as well. I wonder if they have contacted John or Jane Doe 1-100 yet?  Maybe they can find a good defense attorney in Aisle 19?

More Trouble For YTB's Board of Directors

2008 did not seem to be the best year for YTB's Board of Directors. Bob Dickinson was in, and then out. Burt Saunders was in, and then out so he could "consult" with YTB. John Simmons was just plain out.

This Board has a record of approving all sorts of shady inside deals. YTB bought a plane from a Board member, their land is secured by notes from a bank formerly owned by a Board member (that was seized by the Feds last year), and the actual land they own was purchased form a Board member.  Then there is the whole deal with Beryl Martin being owned by Lloyd "Coach" Tomer, Scott Tomer and J. Kim Sorensen. You remember that company, the privately held one that built a $6 million dollar styrofoam statue for YTB--the publicly traded company (YTBLA).

It seems missteps are all over the place and 2009 does not look to be any different. Apparently the land company owned by two of their Board members is being foreclosed upon. Yes, it seems that Clay Winfield and Tim Kaiser (who have mysteriously dropped out of contact) are in a bit of trouble. I wonder if any of the YTB properties are affected?

But if this is the type of leadership and direction that YTB attracts to their Board of Directors, one has to wonder about the company as a whole. I have not counted but I have to guess that 90% of anything YTB touches ends up in some sort of controversy. Pink sheets, Dickinson, statue, earnings, Olympics., California's Attorney General, Class Action lawsuits. When will it end?

Now that Lisa Madigan, Attorney General of Illinois is done with the Rod Blagojevich scandal, maybe she can turn her attention this. Remember YTB claims to have upwards of 112,000 paying RTAs and over 300,000 Reps. Now they have just added a new MLM to their line with Aisle 19! Lisa Madigan--are you listening?