Bargains Galore With YTB Travel and Zam Zuu

Where else can you be promised cash back on your purchases, buy something at a $1,600 premium, and get $50 taken from your bank account all at once? YTB and  Zam Zuu!

Yes, this woman was told all about the great cash back when you buy through Zam Zuu. So she buys 4 airline tickets at $1700 each for a total of $6800 expecting to get cash back as she was promised.  Now mind you, her independent research showed that the tickets were readily available at many other sites for $1300 a piece, but she felt that she would be getting the cash back. (Now assuming a 25% cash back on an airline ticket is pretty naive in any respect, but that is not the point).

And to add insult to injury, the same day, YTB and Zam Zuu debited her bank account for $50 for her monthly website rental fee.

With discounts and cash back like this, coupled with that average annual income of $94, and the average annual fees of $700.  One has to wonder why everyone is not flocking to sign up.

Shop.com Zam Zuuzles Zam Zu

http://techcrunch.com/2010/12/15/market-america-acquires-bill-gates-backed-shopping-site-shop-com/Becoming the largest Internet retailer by 2020 may have just gotten a little more difficult for YTB and Zam Zuu as competitor Market America acquired the giant shop.com.

The acquisition will combine SHOP.COM’s strength in technology and merchandising, providing customers with the latest, high-tech online shopping, with Market America’s high-touch, personal shopping experience, including the industry’s only unlimited cash back program.

It will expand the current people-powered, relationship-based shopping portal into a content rich destination that informs, entertains and guides customers in their shopping experience.

Wow, before the acquisition Market America had 2500 stores and UNLIMITED cash back.

Travel Agent Cards Are Back In Vogue

It seems that the Travel Agent Cards are back in vogue at YTB. But something that never went out is wondering what is happening with Royal Caribbean and why there is no answer from headquarters!

Just Too Funny

Seven hours after I predicted there would be no Funshine this year, there is a big announcement on Kim Sorensen's facebook page!  Funshine this year is April 4th and 5th.

But, it is not on a weekend like before, it is on a Monday and Tuesday. No biggie. Oh yeah, and there will not be a meeting. Just send $10 into YTB and you can watch a seminar online. Yes, it will be a virtual event. Many organizations do virtual events--Travel Weekly does many of them but they don't charge. Hmm.

And this year, YTB is selling gift certificates for the holidays (3:18). Kim suggests that these be sold if a client does not want a Carnival Cruise and their certificates. These are non-refundable in denominations of $200 and up and are good for any travel with YTB. I guess the small print says "as long as they are around." Seems like YTB is looking for ways to improve their cash flow! The girdle sales must be slipping.

But, perhaps the most amusing moment came when Kim was describing where the YTB clients can go when they buy a YTB travel certificate for Christmas--yes, according to one of the most influential men in travel, they can go to "Puta Canta" (3:50).

For those not fluent in Spanish, it translates to "Sing Bitch". Way to represent! I am sure the folks in the Dominican Republic are pleased--especially those in Punta Cana!

Ain't No Funshine Yet

Here we are, 100 days (approximately) from when the Funshine Conference was to be held. The Funshine saw drastically reduced attendance between 2008 and 2009. It was canceled for 2010. At the ZamZuu Convention it was promised to be in March 2011.  But here we are and there still is no date set. Unless they are planning for it to be held in a tent in the parking lot of the K-Mart in Wood River, my guess is that there ain't no Funshine this year!