[2008] destination paradise

PerryM · Jun 11, 2009

Destination Paradise - BBB rates it a "D"

I've really enjoyed this thread - state of the art internet marketing via shills.

Here is the BBB review of Destination Paradise - it gets a "D"; there are a lot of problems with this company.

So if you don't mind buying from a "D" company riddled with all kinds of consumer problems then go right ahead but don't come back here bellyaching when you get screwed.

Folks let me tell you that this is very good marketing on the company's part - it is state of the art; and they don't give up easily. This new marketing has shills invade a website and pretend to be just common folk and they will even bash the company but always seem to come around and endorse it.

P.S.
Last time I checked on this company BBB had it at a "C" - it has fallen since then; tough economic times.

P.P.S.
I don't have the time to do this but you could start down the management personnel table and I'd bet each has quite a colorful background. That would be a hoot. Typically the CEO and the marketing/sales guys have the most colorful history. If I had to guess both managers will have been involved with at least 2 prior bankruptcies each - that's how good these guys are.

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I think an "F" pool might be worthy for this company. Just when will all the hard work of this company be rewarded with a BBB of "F"?

I'll start - my guess is December 31, 2009 they will be awarded a BBB "F".

6 more months of hard work here and other websites ought to do it.

(That's my guess and please don't try to piggyback on my winnings; pick your own date please)
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Note to Destination Paradise:

I noticed BBB only has 17 complaints with Sales Practices - you need to work harder if I'm going to win the above pool.

Let me know if you need some ideas - we timeshare folks get lied to all the time and I have a list of whoppers that you can use.

I'm rooting for you......

DeniseM · Jun 11, 2009

Please note that Stefanie19 uses an internet provider in Hawaii where this company is located - this seems very odd, since she claims to be in Texas.

mauihorizon · Jun 11, 2009

stefanie19 SCAM

If you trace the ip address, not only is it a Hawaii internet provider, its location is about 7 blocks from the sales office.

schoof · Jun 13, 2009

Stefanie,

Just so you know, all I wanted was out, I finally got a hold of them, and have worked something out rather than me quitting payments, because I am NOT like that. I am a very responsible young woman for my age, and know what stopping payments would do to A- my credit rating and B- My life, as they could come after me. So I will be RESPONSIBLE enough to pay my dues as my hubby and I did get ourselves into this mess anyways. I haven't done anything with the program yet, and that is why we decided it's not worth it, but since we are still owners and always will be unless we dont pay the yearly fee, we probably will use it, and then pass it along. I just wish I wouldn't have gotten myself into this mess in the first place.

mauihorizon · Jun 13, 2009

Destination Paradise Hawaii Scam

To everyone who feels they have been scammed by Destination Paradise Hawaii, please read the following:

You're not alone. A group of us have filed complaints with the BBB and the DCCA (Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs) both in Hawaii. We managed to have their BBB rating removed for a little while but now it's back to a D. Our complaints ranged from not being able to log onto the website to questioning their business practices and advertising tactics. The DCCA met with Mr. Balicki of Destination Paradise a few weeks ago and had them draft a release of contractual terms. The release promised return of any and all monies invested, including that infamous $250 processing fee that they claimed was non-refundable. Some of us received refunds today. Please, I urge you to file your complaints ASAP with both agencies. They can be done online but you will need to provide paperwork in order to prove that you were in fact in contract with Destination Paradise.

The DCCA is actively working with all those who complain. There is more information about this on ABOUT.COM under Destination Paradise. Again, you're not alone and you will get your money back.

Politico · Jun 15, 2009

Unfortunate

I feel very badly for the people who feel for this. Scamming folks during a recession is beyond the pale. Stephanie is obviously a shill. The timing of her posts alone made clear she was a fraud from the beginning.

To me this shows the importance of doing your research on TUG and elsewhere before making a purchase.

I hope everyone defrauded by this company pursues all legal remedies to shut these guys down once and for all.

sigep100 · Jun 17, 2009

Destination Paradise Scam

Another Sad Story.

I was on my Honeymoon at the beginning of June and decided to go to Oahu, Hawaii. Like most of you I was walking down the street minding my own business when I was approached by a gentleman who advised of all these discounts he could provide us if me and my wife would go to a presentation about vacation packages. Thinking we would attend and leave at the first chance, we decided to go. Who could pass up such great offers?

Well, we got caught up in the moment. The sales pitch was good and the closer did what he needed to do to sell us. My wife was excited about the deals she heard and thought it would be great for our family. She thought we deserved to go on more vacations and especially at the prices of the condos and hotels they had. Wanting to please my wife, I decided to run with it.

We were on vacation for two weeks and this is the first chance I've gotten to look at there website. I am very dissapointed in the locations, prices, and availability of these condos and hotels. The savings were very minimal and the locations were not attractive. I could not believe we were sold this in Hawaii yet they have very limited locations we can actually go to in Hawaii. Please let me know what I can do to possibly recover some of my money.

Any recommendations on recovering my money or cutting my losses? Please Help.

mauihorizon · Jul 1, 2009

Hope this helps:

To the people who are writing asking if we got our monies and if our credit was affected, about 23-25 people filed with the DCCA and YES we got a refund of our downpayments at Destination Paradise (DP) ranging from the processing fee of $250 to thousands of dollars and MOST of us got a refund from Universal. However, because DP offered us the option of using their product for free, some of us got billed the annual fee of $189, even though we didn't accept the terms of the offer. Personally, I don't want any dealings with DP and this is what I'm trying to square off because none of us have gotten a letter from Universal (for those who used Universal for the financing) that we are no longer responsible for the debt. Also, as far as credit is concerned, Universal's account never showed up on my credit reports, only as an inquiry so for all of you concerned about that, I suggest investing a little money in credit monitoring to make sure no negative feedback shows up.

For those that haven't filed a complaint with the DCCA/BBB, you need to do it right away. Don't wait for the DCCA to come to you because it's not. Everything can be found online. All you have to do is fill out the complaint and send in your paperwork to the DCCA. They will follow up with your case.

As a group that succeeded getting refunds, we have discused the fact that we need more exposure. Problem is we were all tourists in Hawaii/Waikiki and the only way to get the word out is word of mouth, perhaps standing near the offices of DP and dissuade people from becoming the next victims.

PerryM · Jul 1, 2009

BBB just dropped rating this turkey

The BBB dropped the "D" rating and just stopped rating it at all - it's a con - you all knew that didn't you?

Hopefully folks doing a Google search will find this thread and save their hard earned money from these con men.

Mari1969 · Jul 1, 2009

Thanks Perry M

LIKE PERRY M SAID, Destination Paradise has no rating with the BBB. More and more complaints are pouring in to the DCCA. I am the one that posted the information that MauiHorizon has so graciously copied and pasted and I thank you for it.

New information has surfaced and Destination Paradise has an affiliation with Global Escapes which offices are located in Florida. Look them up please...look at their website...Identical to the one that Destination Paradise used to have a few weeks ago but suddenly has closed down.
www.destinationparadisehawaii.net no longer exists. The have a .COM website which is spanking new and different from the .NET one and I'm sure it is to convince us there is no connection with GLOBAL ESCAPES. I'm glad I printed the .NET website before it closed down.

WAKE UP PEOPLE. FOR REAL...DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO TO GET YOUR COMPLAINTS INTO THE DCCA ASAP AND THE BBB. THESE PEOPLE ARE LIKE NOMADS AND THEY'RE READY TO SET UP SHOP ELSEWHERE TO MAKE MORE MONEY AND TO TAKE THE HEAT OFF THEIR BACKS.

AND MS. STEFANIE19...YOU SEE WE'RE ONTO YOU SO STOP YOUR NONSENSE (BS) ALREADY. I HOPE YOU'RE GETTING PAID FOR YOUR SUPPORT BECAUSE WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS ABSOLUTELY WRONG. YOU'RE JUST AS GUILTY AS EVERYONE ELSE AT DESTINATION PARADISE THAT'S IF YOU'RE NOT ON THEIR PAYROLL ALREADY. AS A MATTER OF FACT, GLOBAL ESCAPES HAD SOME TEXAN CONNECTION...RIGHT STEFANIE19?

mauihorizon · Jul 3, 2009

How To File A Complaint With The DCCA Hawaii

How To File a Complaint

To file a complaint about a particular company or individual, you can obtain a complaint form from the web site at http://hawaii.gov/dcca/areas/rico/forms/, by calling 586-2653, by going to the Office of Consumer Protection (OCP) and Regulated Industries Complaints Office (RICO) of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA), or by writing to the Consumer Resource Center, 235 South Beretania Street, 9th Floor, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813.

mauihorizon · Jul 9, 2009

Complaints To The Dcca Of Hawaii

HERE IS FUTHER PROOF THE SHEER NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO BEEN SCAMMED BY DESTINATION PARADISE LLC.LISTED ARE COMPLAINTS,TO THE DCCA OF HAWAII, THAT HAVE GONE UNRESOLVED.

Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 1213N

OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.

Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 1197N

OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.

Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 1196N

OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.

Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 1195N

OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.

Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 1194N

OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.

Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 1184N

OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.

Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 1173N

OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.

Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 1164N

OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.

Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 1143N

OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.

Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 1134N

OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.

Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 1096N

OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.

Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 1085N

OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.

Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 1077N

OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.

Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 1060N

OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.

Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 1044N

OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.

Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 1028N

OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.

Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 1018N

OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.

Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 1017N

OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.

Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 1001N

OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.

Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 1000N

OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.

Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 0974N

OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.

Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 0947N

OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.

Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 0919N

OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.

Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 0918N

OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.

Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 0878N

OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.

Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 0845N

OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.

Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 0815N

OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.

Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 0809N

OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.

Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 0732N

OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.

Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 0730N

OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.

Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 0568N

OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.

Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 0565N

OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.

Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 0489N

OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.

Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 0470N

OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.

Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 0468N

OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.

Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 0458N

OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.

Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 0345N

OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.

Complaint No: OCP- 2008- 1243N

OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.

Complaint No: OCP- 2008- 1212N

mauihorizon · Jul 28, 2009

Paridise Blue

Looks like Destination Pardise Hawaii changed their name to Paradise Blue to avoid all the negative press.They changed names in Texas and the Attorney General still shut them down.

sigep100 · Aug 31, 2009

Any new information?

I was wondering if anyone has any new information in regards to Destination Paradise. I have filed a complaint with DCCA and BBB and was told by the BBB that my complaint shows as unresolved. I have not heard from DCCA and was told that do to Destination Paradise putting the 3 day cancelation policy in the contract I was going to have a hard time canceling or getting out of my contract.

Universal has started contacting me about my outstanding balance and I'm not sure if I should start paying them before I ruin my credit with this horrible purchase. Please help with any advice.

mauihorizon · Sep 8, 2009

Another Scam From Destination Paradise hawaii who has now changed to Paradise Blue.

my wife and I had the same exact problem. the company this time has morphed into Paradise-Blue(.net). we got the same deal as everyone above but at least we had access to a computer within 24 hours after we gave them our credit card and signed the papers (for "only" $6995...) - chilly surprise when we got to see who they are... we looked for a fax number to fax them our cancellation notice. guess what - no fax number anywhere. Of course not since a fax cannot be contested in the court of law! ok then we needed to do something else then:
1. The next day (a Saturday - they work on Saturdays) we went to the same site where we had that presentation by them and we asked for a fax number so we can "fax some documents to complete the deal" - at first the receptioniste was reluctant to give us one but then she called the "manager" which gave us the fax number (we will see soon if this number is fake or not...). We will fax the cancellation notice as well - just in case - but read further below...
2. Next step was to contact the local Hawaii Waikiki police and got a police officer as witness to our cancellation process/event, just in case the things are going out of hand and just to make sure we have an official witness to our cancellation. And guess what, they (Paradise-Blue)where very pissed and offended by the fact we came with such a witness but unfortunately for them, while we were signing the cacellation papers in front of the police officer, another cuple showed up yelling about the deal being a scam(!!!). imagine what a coincidence! They had no choice and accepted the cancellation notice in front of the police officer.
3. We asked the credit card company (AMEX) to cancel the transaction and we explained them everything we've gone trough with Paradise-Blue. AMEX got the entire picture so they won't be surprised next time somebody else will do the same.

I'm not sure we are out of this yet but as a personal thought: I don't think anyone can prosecute this kind of business... I think they have enough cover-up to get themselfs over law suites for the scams. The fact that their service sucks is not a legal matter... we have all signed for this - sorry but look again through the papers we all signed...
I believe the only way to kill this type of business is to make more popular their practices.

DANIELA2424 · Sep 16, 2009

Email Me!!!!!!!

ATTENTION TO ANYONE AND EVERYONE WHO HAS BEEN SCAMMED BY DESTINATION PARADISE!!!!

pls email me asap upon reading this thread. I am looking to take legal action!!!

The email you can contact me at is

danielacaruso_@hotmail.com

mauihorizon · Oct 3, 2009

Paradise-Blue SCAM

Another Victim:
Just came back from Hawaii and also got schemed out of my $250.00. I paid $4500 for this package. It has not been two weeks and I have not received any user or log in, but I am honestly thinking about just not paying them. I can't beleive Ron (the salesrep) acted like he was so honest and then Chester (the manager comes over and tries to work with you as if hes doing you a favor). They should all go to jail in my opinion. Even the woman from Minnesota who does the convincing presentation. Everyone from my group purchased this package. I tried to print a complaint online from the DCCA website but the file was damaged. What is the next step after contacting DCCA? I wish I would have done my research. I let my traveling bug get in the way of my intelligence to "google"

mauihorizon · Oct 4, 2009

Paradise Blue Scam

How To File a Complaint
To file a complaint about a particular company or individual, you can obtain a complaint form from the web site at http://hawaii.gov/dcca/areas/rico/forms/, by calling 586-2653, by going to the Office of Consumer Protection (OCP) and Regulated Industries Complaints Office (RICO) of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA), or by writing to the Consumer Resource Center, 235 South Beretania Street, 9th Floor, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813

studying1 · Oct 9, 2009

use of timeshares

it has been a while since i have posted to you. i have been reading the current posts and can confirm that they use one of the timeshare resorts we own in australia - sandy point. it is very nice.

i understand that they buy unused weeks of timeshare resorts and sell them to dp owners. i guess for the usa people coming to australia is a long trip and probably wouldn't be done much.

we are looking to go to europe i 10 and are going to try and use all our timeshares to get us to where we want to go/stay as long as possible.

we initially had problems accessing the site but eventually they resent our passwords and i have been on the site looking around at timeshares, hotels and cruises. i have spoken to the staff several times to get the help i needed to better understand how to access the site/resorts i wanted and they were very helpful over the phone - they called me in australia.

only problem now is the fact that the repayments have not been made and that was our card providers fault as they froze the card as it was a replacement one and i only found that out last week and i have now sent a further email to the contracts area to see what has happened/will happen with the repayments to be taken that have not been taken.

i need to tell you i am having more trouble with a resort in maui that was booked here in australia for our trip in march 09 - they didn't give us the room we paid for, the room overlooked a cement roof/was glarey and the think they have done enough to refund dry cleaning and waive parking fees. this isn't enough as we paid heaps for the room and we were there 5 days and action only happened when we filled out comment cards - free bubbly finally came after the feedback form was sent - on checkin was told it would be in the room by the time we got to the room. i can tell you royal lahina in maui are bigger ripoff merchants than dp. have lodged a complaint with the alha ceo, your consumer affairs in hawaii and am awaiting to hear from both of them. followed up on the person the alha ceo gave me as the person looking into this matter and still no word. don't use royal lahina/hawaiihotel resorts - there are only two of them - one in maui and one on the big island. they rip you off so much it isn't funny.

robyn

mauihorizon · Nov 2, 2009

Anybody who signed up for the Dstination Paradise Hawaii(aka Paradise Blue)scam there is a way out, if the contract was signed before June of 2009.The cancellaton policy (3 days) was buried on the last page of the "terms and acknowledgement".They had to add a seperate page to acknowledge the 3 day cancel policy.Any contracts signed before June 2009 are "null and void".Good Luck

HawaiiChuck · Dec 31, 2009

good work maui horizon

Good work Maui horizon guy. You seem to be right on top of these folks with a ton of info for the rest of us. I saw you even got the info on the June 09 thing nailed down. Are you a lawyer or something ? Or maybe just that guy from Bluh Chunks Investments that has been in violation of that Federal law they call "Deceptive trade Practices" and the state laws are probably piling up too since they passed that new "Internet harrassment" law. 8 months now ? That's pretty dedicated in your own efforts to control your marketplace. We'll stay on the high road however and at some point be vindicated . . .

Snow · Jan 2, 2010

Hi everyone,
My parents just returned from a trip to Hawaii where they signed up with Paradise Blue! It seemed too good to be true, so we looked them up on line. After reading the various sites, blogs and this forum, we realized it was all a scam. Unfortunately it has been more than 3 business days so they cannot cancel it. What can they do now? Is there a legal way to terminate the contract? How about canceling the credit card? Will it affect the credit rating in Canada? Is there a way to recover the $250 processing fee? Thanks in advance for your advice.
S

Paradise Dreams Maui Rip Off · Jan 3, 2010

Paradise Dreams Maui Rip Off

Paradise Blue has opened another office in Maui. Paradise Blue has changed its name to Pacific Dreams on Maui. It has opened in Old Lahaina Center, a Harry and Jannette Weinberg Foundadtion property.
Any questions or problems concerning getting out of your contract with Destination paradise Hawaii (Paradise Blue and Pacific Dreams) please contact:
Mr. Jeff D'Amato- Sales Manager in Maui 210-542-6135
Mike Balicki- Sales Manager in Honolulu 808.222.4085
Seyi Faodu - Sales Manager in Honolulu 612.310.6484
Chuck Roubalard - Owner of the product and Leader of the entire scam. 763.772.6535
I've done a lot of research on both Destination Paradise Hawaii (DPH) and Global Escapes in Texas and these are the same people. Once they got shut down by the Attorney General in Texas, they came to Hawaii. These companies exist to scam unwitting tourists. The owners and employees left San Antonio and started working in Hawaii. I'd like to see them shut down as a service to past, current and future victims. Here are links to the steps the Texas Attorney General took to shut them down. Just like they keep changing their name in Hawaii (Destination Paradise, paradise blue and now Paradise Dreams all within 18 months!), they used many names in Texas also: Escapes Austin, Global Escapes, Blue water, Escapes Midwest, Sun Tree Escapes, Escapes Midwest. Etc...

IT IS THE EXACT SAME SCAM JUST A DIFFERENT DESTINATION - INSTEAD OF RIPPING OFF PEOPLE IN TEXAS THEY ARE RIPPING OFF PEOPLE IN HAWAII

Please, please, please read the injuctions websites below:

INJUNCTION: http://www.oag.state.tx.us/newspubs/releases/2009/040109globalescapes_pop.pdf

BANK ACCOUNT SEIZURE: http://www.oag.state.tx.us/newspubs/releases/2009/040109globalescapes_tro.pdf

Here is what an article in a Texas newspaper said about them:

A family of Florida-based travel companies doing business in Austin and San Antonio are facing charges of deceptive trade practices and other business and commerce code violations from the Texas Attorney General’s office.

The defendants, Escapes Austin LLC and Escapes Midwest LLC, which do business under the names Global Escapes, Blue Water, Sun Tree and others, are accused of using false gift giveaways to entice customers to attend sales seminars that marketed worthless travel-related software programs, according to a news release from the attorney general’s office.

Attorney General Greg Abbott said his office is seeking restitution for some 5, 000 Texas consumers who may have been deceived into purchasing the software. In response to the attorney general’s actions, the 73rd District Court of Bexar County issued an order freezing the defendants’ assets.

Court documents filed by the state also name chief executive officer James Carey III and managing member Gwendolyn Carey. According to the state’s lawsuit, the defendants used direct mail and telemarketing calls to inform potential customers that they “won” free cruises, hotel stays, vehicles, flights or expensive watches. However, recipients were told that they must set up an appointment to attend a sales presentation in order to receive their prize.

Those chosen also were told they only needed to pay taxes due on the gifts. Recipients were not informed about restrictions, hidden costs, the prizes’ overall value or the prizes’ limited availability. According to state investigators, prizes were difficult to redeem, expensive to redeem, or unavailable during certain dates.

During the mandatory sales seminars, the defendants touted their “proprietary software search engine technology, ” which they claimed would allow purchasers to locate and reserve bargain travel deals online. “The defendants then used high-pressure sales tactics to convince customers that their ‘software license’ opportunity surpassed all others in the industry, ” the release states. “The defendants’ sales representatives often purported to ‘negotiate down’ from the software’s $12, 000 retail price to $7, 000, $4, 000, or to a ‘one-time price reduction’ of $2, 200.”

Customers who could not afford the purchase price were offered financing. Rather than retain the purchaser’s outstanding debt, the defendants frequently sold it to third-party debt collection or finance companies.

According to the documents, after purchasing the product, many customers were unable to log on to the Web site for at least two weeks. “When the defendants finally provided the necessary user IDs and passwords, many customers encountered technical problems. Customers who were able to fully access the system discovered that the bargain travel deals they were promised did not actually exist.”

During the sales negotiations, customers were told they could return the product for a refund if they were dissatisfied with their purchase. However, when customers attempted to cancel their contracts, the defendants claimed the sales contract was binding. Concerned that the debt collection agencies could ruin their credit ratings, many customers also paid annual support “software upgrade” fees, even when they could not or did not use the system.

Under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, the defendants face civil penalties of up to $20, 000 per violation, as well as a $250, 000 penalty if the conduct was designed to harm a person aged 65 or older.

_____________________________

Here is the Better Business Bureau Rating iof this company:
Based on BBB files, this business has a BBB Rating of F on a scale from A+ to F.
Reasons for this rating include:
• 73 complaints filed against business
• Failure to respond to 14 complaints filed against business.
• 13 complaints filed against business that was not resolved.
• BBB Accreditation was revoked because business failed to comply with agreed BBB standards.
• Business has failed to resolve underlying cause(s) of a pattern of complaints.

Here is the company Business Contact and Profile:
Business Contact and Profile
Name: Destination Paradise LLC
Phone: (808) 685-7071
Fax: (808) 931-6024
Address: 2250 Kalakaua Ave Ste 301
Honolulu, HI 96815-2545
Website: http://www.destinationparadisehawaii.com

New Owner Date: March 2008
Principal: Mr. Michael A. Balicki, Manager
Customer Contact: Mr. Michael A. Balicki, Manager - (808) 685-7071
Entity: Limited Liability Company
Incorporated: March 2008, HI
Type of Business: Travel Clubs
BBB Accreditation: This company is not a BBB Accredited business. Paradise Blue is opening another office in Maui. Paradise Blue has changed to Pacific Dreams on Maui.
Any questions or problems concerning getting out of your contract with Destination paradise Hawaii(Paradise Blue and Pacific Dreams) please contact:
Mr. Jeff D'Amato- Sales Manager in Maui 210-542-6135
Mike Balicki- Sales Manager in Honolulu 808.222.4085
Seyi Faodu - Sales Manager in Honolulu 612.310.6484
Chuck Roubalard - Owner of the product and Leader of the entire scam. 763.772.6535

________________________________________

This Company is not a BBB Accredited business.
Business Management
Additional company management personnel include:
Mr. Harold (Sunny) Lewis - Marketing Manager 808-222-1229. This is the guy that heads up all of the people on the street in Honolulu to get you to go to the presentation
Mr. Moa Mahe
Ms. Pearl Helsham - Office Manager
Mr. William M Campbell, IV
Mr. Kenneth D Stafford
Mr. Oluseyi Famodu - Sales Manager in Honolulu 612.310.6484
Mr. Chuck Robillard - Mastermind and OWNER of this scam!!! 763.772.6535
Mr. Mike Balicki 808.222.4085
Mr. Jeff D'Amato- Sales Manager in Maui 210-542-6135

They have opened on Maui as of Dec. 1st 2009 and they are using a marketing company called Tickets on the Rock owned and operated by Mr. Pete Carroll. They have Activity booths all over Maui, Mainly on Front Street, Maui. This is the company that gives you discounts on your activities to attend the presentation on Maui.

If you see any of these locations on Maui or Honolulu:
Destination Paradise Showroom
Pacific Dreams Showroom
Paradise Blue Showroom
Preview Center Showroom
Activity Store Kiosks
Valued Guests Kiosks
Tickets on the Rock Kiosks

PLEASE DONT BUY A THING----YOU WILL JUST GET RIPPED OFF!!!

travelpro2 · Jan 23, 2010

Destination Paradise/Valued Guests/Activity Store

Never mind the gossip - This is what the BBB has to say about them
:wave:

http://www.bbb.org/hawaii/business-reviews/travel-clubs/destination-paradise-in-honolulu-hi-53004251

mauihorizon · Mar 21, 2010

HelloHawaiiChuck

The fourth-most complained-about industry, travel clubs, had not ranked very high in complaints until last year, but has been on the BBB's radar for some time.

"You pay a fee to be part of this travel club, and through their membership they're able to negotiate good deals to prime locations around the world," Ellenwood said. "That can sometimes be a sketchy type of business that we keep an eye on."

Ellenwood said travel club complaints spiked in 2009 because of beefs against one business; she declined to name the business. However, according to Hawaii BBB statistics, there were 66 complaints last year against Destination Paradise LLC.

According to the BBB's complaint history, customers alleged that the company's sales presentations misled the actual savings realized by using the company's program, and that they were unable to examine the program within the cancellation time frame. Customers also cited difficulties in reaching customer service.

Destination Paradise did not return calls for comment.

The company is under "active investigation," said Christine Hirasa, spokeswoman for the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. She could not comment further, except that the Office of Consumer Protection is handling the investigation.

The state DCCA has 44 pending complaints against the company. The agency lists the company's associated names as "Paradise Blue" and "Paradise Dreams."

The company had its BBB accreditation revoked last August, and has not responded at all to 17 complaints filed with the BBB. That would be 17 too many, according to Ellenwood.

"One unanswered complaint can and will result in an F BBB rating," she said. "We at least expect the businesses to respond in good faith, to work with us ideally to some mutual satisfaction to the business and customer."

Ellenwood said the level of trust in companies is lower today after the 2001 Enron scandal, so it's important that businesses put on a good face and stay accredited.

"Consumers always come back and say accreditation matters," Ellenwood said. "With the diminishing consumer trust that we've seen, it really does make a difference