Fellow Warriors,

I‘ve had very bad experiences with a company that is being marketed with at least one top marketer here and I want to at least share my experiences with this company and complaint case numbers, because it was also in my own signiture link until recently, and I don’t want anyone else mistakenly thinking that it’s a good company - -at least from my point of view.

Note these could just be my unique experiences with the company is question, Coastal Vacations, under the name of several other entities but all having travel vacation packages beginning around $1,295. It says it is not MLM, because it offers the Aussie 2-tier or something along those lines. But as simply a retail purchase, here is what I’ve found:

1. When I decided to test their marketing packages for what they call “Directors,” one main Coastal website seller turned out to sell me a site with misleading automation that supposedly “tracked every visitor, giving me their name and email address & phone number” - -right. Never happened. When I asked about this, I was ignored until the Better Business Bureau helped them reply to me. The company in question said that this technology does not exist and that everyone should know that. (I didn’t, so guess I’m not a techno-geek or something). Anyway, this company did refund my total payment and even reworded their business site after prompting from the Attorney General’s Office and Better Business Bureau.

2. The one so-called “approved” Coastal Vacations’ business online who does lease sites and offer other services and products to Directors via http://www.coanetwork.com/coastal seriously lied to me to get me to order products and services that were NOT at all what they’d said over the phone, nor what they faxed nor what they postal-mailed me about. What I was supposed to get for my $$ and what I actually received were very different - - like sites that would not allow me to edit the products that I wanted to show (for example, I only wanted to show a Level 1 package and was told in writing, on the phone, etc. that this was what I would get but never did. Instead my site with MY contact info sold very much higher packages that I cannot even order which would force sales elsewhere or of course ME to purchase at thousands more, their packages myself via a licensed Director (& giving this Director my 1st 2 sales afterwards - --duh!!!!!!!!)

3. Further testing of my own retail package, which I should have done BEFORE trying to resell, proved that it was worthless garbage, again in my opinion and to me. There were zero, let me repeat, zero activated membership cards at all in the package. I had to jump more hoops and send in $10 to have these beauties sent separately. Plus I’ve yet to find any value in them - like the Roadside Assistance - - there is NO assistance with this card that I found. If I call, they will find companies willing to make a deal to SELL me services at a discounted rate - - right - -while I’m stranded somewhere, like I could call and compare! I’m sticking with AAA, thank you. They INCLUDE services for the price –duh.

And the half-off / discounted cards for all kinds of hotels, food, theme parks, etc. are junk. I live right outside the capitol city of Ohio and there is like 3 “restaurants” in this directory - - and 1 is a cookie making shop (some Dining establishment, huh??) Again, AAA offers much better tickets and deals and no hoop jumping.

4. Finally, last but BIGGEST - -get this: I was NOT allowed to book any travel from my travel package with over 25 trips, because – don’t laugh: I’m married and want to travel alone. (I’m a freelance writer & do this frequently, hence my interest in this package - -but am happily married to a hubby who runs his business in Ohio and doesn’t travel). Married people HAVE to have spouses travel with them. Period. Thought I was in the USA, but must be the Middle East or something….

Anyway, Warriors, please be alert that NOT all speakers at these big marketing events announced by fellow Warriors and linked as affiliates / selling programs (unfortunately even in my own links) are worth your time and effort. The hosts at these events are probably very much unaware, too. And the resellers may be like me and NOT have tested their wares first - - -major error!!!

So look out for your own company and test, test, test things.

If anyone was mislead by my link, I sincerely apologize and do honestly continue testing my own affiliate / jv deals and announce troubling ones like this as soon as I can.

Again, this was my own personal experience with Coastal Vacations, so this only represents my side. Here are case numbers & complaint info on my Coastal dealings for reference (so far most $$ has been refunded):

1. Ohio Better Business Bureau: Complaint #: 1339515, Complaint #: 1346544

2.Ohio Attorney General's Office: Complaint No. 246865

3. NJ Attorney General's Office: OCP Complaint Form ( -Reply) Date: Mon, 05 Jan 2004 16:51:39 -0500

4. Attorney General Florida Office

5. Chase VISA and Paypal have active complaints on file, too.

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Diana Barnum

http://movingaheadcommunications.com