i am not touching Ytb it is damaged goods 

Thanks!

It's weird, after thinking they were all gone, I've had several people in social areas (ibotoolbox for example) to reach out to me who are YTB reps...

JP

Hello Jon,

The last news we received regarding YTB Travel was that an investor had purchased their assets. The company Jamraval Inc was reported to have purchased the YTB assets for 3.5 million dollars.

At this time, we have seen no further info on YTB Travel or their bankruptcy but will see if we can find more info at the beginning of the week.

YTB Bankruptcy / Investor to Resurrect YTB

- Admin

Greetings,

If I remember correctly, they were sued, and I thought they'd declared bankruptcy.  Honestly thought they'd closed down, but are they still open and running after a restructure?

JP

I loved the concept on line travel and I made money when people booked travel with me but at $3 an airplane ticket not much $ to be made. A friend introduced me to the shopping genie and Ive earned multiple checks every week now for about a year. Great opportunity dont take my word for it check it out for your self. Can you imagine not only travel but literally 1000s of affilliate storesand you get paid on all business not just travel. I still love the idea of making money on line but why just travel when I can make $$$ on everythinggo to www.myshoppinggenie.com/mj . And oh by the way I get paid when you down load our free online shopping tool that will get you the best price on every thing www.myshoppinggenie.com/mj

Stay tuned.  Turns out the whole thing will soon be thrown out or a compromise reached.

This doesn't bode well.  It makes me wonder if the YTB execs knew it was coming, and thats why they were hastening to change their business model to a 'franchise model'. Thoughts and comments? Can the company survive?

The last time this happened, I recall it was NuConcepts in Travel, World Class Travel, and the AG made some sweeping shutdowns about ten years ago. Of the big three at the time, TravelMax stayed open only to shut down a few months later ( that one resulted in several lawsuits against the owners and execs.

This is from the Attorney General of California page:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Gareth Lacy (916) 324-5500

Brown Sues To Topple Online Pyramid Scheme

LOS ANGELES--California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced a lawsuit against YourTravelBiz.com for operating a "gigantic pyramid scheme" that recruited tens of thousands of members with deceptive claims that members could earn huge sums of money through its online travel agencies.

“YourTravelBiz.com operates a gigantic pyramid scheme that is immensely profitable to a few individuals on top and a complete rip-off for most everyone else,” Attorney General Brown said. “Today’s lawsuit seeks to shut down the company’s unlawful operation before more people are exploited by the scam.”

YourTravelBiz.com and its affiliates operate an illegal pyramid scheme that only benefits members if and when they find enough new members to join the scam. Once enrolled, members who join the pyramid scheme earn compensation for each new person they enlist, regardless of whether they sell any travel. The company lures new members by offering huge income opportunities through online travel agencies yet the typical person actually makes nothing selling travel.

According to company records there were over 200,000 members in 2007 who typically pay more than $1,000 per year--$449.95 to set up an “online travel agency” with a monthly fee of $49.95. In 2007, only 38 percent of the company’s members made any travel commissions. For the minority of members who made any travel commission in 2007, the median income was $39.00--less than one month’s cost to keep the Website. There are at least 139,000 of the company’s travel Websites, all virtually identical, on the Internet.

YourTravelBiz’s extensive marketing materials include videos of people driving Porsches and other luxury cars, holding ten-thousand dollar checks, and claiming to be raking in millions of dollars in profits. The company advertises through its Website www.ytb.com, and at conventions, workshops and nationwide sales meetings which have been held in California locations such as Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Francisco and San Diego.

Brown charges the company, its affiliates, and the company’s founders J. Lloyd Tomer, J. Scott Tomer, J. Kim Sorensen and Andrew Cauthen with operating an “endless chain scheme,” an unlawful pyramid in which a person pays money for the chance to receive money by recruiting new members to join the pyramid. Brown also charges the company with unfair business practices and false advertising practices including:

* Deceptive claims that members can earn millions of dollars with the company * Operating without filing legally mandated documents with the attorney general and the Department of Corporations * Selling an illegal travel discount program

Under California’s unfair business practices statue, the company is liable for $2,500 per violation of law. Attorney General Brown is suing YourTravelBiz.com to get a court order that:

* Bars the company from making false or misleading statements * Assesses a civil penalty of at least $15,000,000 and at least $10,000,000 in restitution for Californians who were ripped off by the company.

This Technology can be placed on every Reps Replicated Website and generate more signups

http://www.masterpiececorp.com/C2TLead.html

questions email sales@masterpiececorp.com

Several top YTB reps joined Mandura after the legal problems hit.  They are having great success and invite all YTB reps to join them.  Contact them at mandurastore@aol.com.

Several articles hit the news today about YTB Travel ( Your Travel Biz ) considering a changeover to a franchise business model...does this spell the end for the MLM / Network Marketing arm of YTB? And what happens to existing RTAs.  This sounds similar to the BurnLounge scenario where the rep base built up the company, then they had some issues, and dropped their MLM model.

From the St. Louis Business Journal

YTB International Inc., a provider of Internet-based travel booking services for travel agencies and home-based independent representatives, said Tuesday that it is contemplating the replacement of its referring travel agent business model with a franchise operating system, potentially in 2009.

The company expects that a franchising model, if adopted, would facilitate the YTB's expansion into additional markets by providing more comprehensive training and a new proprietary e-commerce platform.

Details regarding price, product offerings and the conversion plan are all under consideration.

The company hired iFranchise of Chicago for consultation on this switch, said Scott Tomer, CEO of YTB, in a statement.

If a franchising model is adopted, its distribution is expected to be managed by the current marketing arm of the company, YourTravelBiz.com, also known as YTB.com.

In May, YTB reported that its increased promotion and international expansion helped the company post a 77 percent increase in first-quarter fiscal 2008 sales, but that its loss widened due to expenses related to those efforts.

Wood River, Ill.-based YTB International Inc. (OTCBB: YTBLA) provides Internet-based travel booking services for travel agencies and home-based independent representatives in the United States, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas and the U.S. Virgin Islands. It operates through three subsidiaries: YourTravelBiz.com Inc., YTB Travel Network Inc., and REZconnect Technologies Inc.

Another article states that the current RTA base would be treated 'favorably' under its forthcoming proposal. No doubt, this is going to happen. Its just a matter of when, and how the current RTAs will be compensated.   http://www.npros.com/2008/7/16/ytb-travel-considers-dropping-network-marketing-model/

Any other details on this? Have Reps been notified or are they finding out via the Internet about developments in their own company?

Denise,

Thanks for the response.  At this time I really have to say I think the real culprit was Payless Rental Agency.  I called there, and spoke with one of the managers of the Vegas branch, and it turns out .... the manager was the one that didn't honor the booking at the counter.  The customer service person on the phone (even if it was answered overseas ) did make every effort to call the branch and rectify the situation.  Sadly, I don't know exactly where the booking process broke down, but I do feel it was more on the shoulders of Payless Car Rental than YTB Travel. To date, though I've been promised follow up, I haven't heard anything back from Payless.  YTB however seems to have done their part by taking the booking, establishing it with the rental agency, and the individual at the office didn't honor it.

So... how has your personal experience been with YTB?

JT

I'm very sorry you had they type of experience. That's unacceptable! I've never experienced anything like that with YTB. I know things may happen, however, from time to time. Please accept my apologies on behalf of the company! denyse www.TravelWithDenyse.net

I'm not a YTB Rep, but I had this experience with YTB Travel and YTB Travel's booking and reservation department over the weekend.

I was scheduled to be in Vegas for a wedding. My in-laws were flying in from Tennessee. I booked them a rental car via YTB Travel after clicking on an ad that said "15.00 Per Day Car Rental".

The reservation was booked through YTB Travel, and they charged my credit card $2.99 for securing the reservation.  At the time, it appeared that the YTB was the actual car rental agency but in reality, they are just an intermediary forwarding the booking to a car rental agency in Vegas called "Payless"

I received confirmation and provided it to the in-laws. Upon arrival, they took a cab to the Payless rental location. Upon arrival, their confirmed booking was refused at the counter. The rental agent said it would be $39.00 per day for the car.  The rental agent at Payless - which YTB represents as having a relationship with YTB Travel - would not even acknowledge the booking confirmation from YTB, and didn't know who or what YTB was.

They left.  I called YTB Travel's reservation line.  It was answered by Mark.  In New Delhi. I explained the situation to Mark.  He was very polite and helpful. He said he would call the rental agency directly.  He did.  They did not answer his call.  He told me I should call them and give them the confirmation number and they should honor it.  They had already NOT honored it at the counter, I wasn't very confident that they were going to do anything over the phone.

For hours, up until they closed, I tried to call the Payless office - the phone was only answered once, I was immediately put on hold. Never picked up. After that if went to voicemail and I was never contacted back. I realize much of this reflects very poorly on Payless as much as it does on YTB Travel.

End result, the in-laws  took another cab ride from the rental agency to the hotel ( total cab fees about 30.00 airport to agency, agency to hotel ) and were without a car the entire time.

Anyone else had this type of experience with YTB Travel's booking process?

-JT

YTB International: Wall Street's Next Online Travel Darling?

This brings us to the stock we believe investors should consider - a company called YTB International (YTBLA.PK) (hereinafter “YTB“).

YTB International is a rapidly growing company in the online travel space. While both PCLN and YTBLA operate in the online travel space, their core business models are so different that it makes most comparisons of their respective businesses less than meaningful - it would be like comparing apples with oranges. However, we see much commonality between the two companies from an investment standpoint - with PCLN as a model of the kind of stock price appreciation that could be achieved by a company in this space under the right circumstances. Simply put, we see potential for investors in YTB stock to earn the kind of return long term PCLN investors have enjoyed.

YTBLA is currently traded on the pink sheets and we have never recommended a stock that trades on the Pink Sheets before. However, YTBLA is current on all listing requirements, expects to be listed on the OTCBB within the next few weeks and we fully expect that the company will be listed on a national exchange before the end of this year. We have also never recommended a company with a multi level marketing model, though We have reviewed many of them over the years and can appreciate the wealth and value created by billion dollar companies like Avon (NYSE: AVN), Tupperware (NYSE: TUP), Herbalife (NYSE: HLF) and PrePaid Legal Services (NYSE: PPD). Despite these two factors, we are still recommending YTBLA because we believe they are poised to be a significant player in the online travel space and we further believe that investors in the stock at today’s prices could see Priceline type gains over the next few years and possibly sooner.

As mentioned previously, YTBLA’s business model is very different from PCLN and EXPE, each of whom operates a website that is designed to be a portal through which consumers book travel online. PCLN and EXPE spend millions of dollars in advertising each quarter to attract consumers to their websites in hopes that they will book travel thereby earning the company commissions or merchant revenues. YTB spends very little on advertising, relying instead on a network of “referral travel agents” (hereinafter “RTAs”) to book travel through their own private labeled YTB website. These referral travel agents pay YTB a start up fee (around $499), then a monthly fee ($49) to host their online booking engines. The referral travel agents then earn a commission on each booking, a small percentage of which is retained by YTB. Thus, YTB earns revenue each time a new RTA signs up, then earns monthly hosting fees and commissions from each RTA.