Penny Na’me is a guest contributor for Stay Home Shopping.
Neither stayhomeshopping.com nor Penny are affiliated with or receive any compensation from any of the companies mentioned in this article – including Groupon, World Ventures and Hotels Combined. Opinions expressed in this article are hers alone.
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Editor:
This article was written a fair while ago and we make no claims to its accuracy. Our wonderful staff writer, Penny, has now moved on to greener pastures and we wish her well. We are keeping this article posted because it still attracts many readers.
We believe it still remains a useful resource about World Ventures. Most comparable articles are either written by representatives of WV trying to pitch their business under the guise of ‘independence’ or are unashamed critics of all MLMs. We are neither.
Unfortunately we won’t be pursuing requests for price comparisons and the like and we offer apologies to those who have contacted us about this. You are, of course, free to add comments and these will be published (unless they’re offensive or spam).
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- Amazing cruise specials
- Discounts on things you do every day
- Loyalty program
with Platinum offering extra features such as hotel upgrades, access to exclusive trips and advance access to all trips.
Now, while WV run a number of “Dream Trips” which are group adventures from what I understand, that doesn’t really fit in with the type of travel I like doing. Working my own hours and taking leave when I like, I usually look out for last minute bargains and can disappear somewhere exotic for 4 or 5 days several times per year. In the last 12 months I have spent 15 nights in hotels all up.
It’s why I’m such a huge fan of Groupon whose Getaway section always has massively discounted hotel and vacation packages. The downside to Groupon is typically the requirement to travel at inconvenient times or seasons – but that’s never a problem for me.
Every time I use Groupon for travel I do a quick price comparison to check out its value. This is actually very easy to do when the Groupon is a for hotel accommodation because you can quickly check the price across hundreds of different online travel agencies simultaneously by using a hotel meta search engine like Hotels Combined.
For example, at the time of writing Groupon were offering accommodation at the best Western Antlers in Glenwood Springs, Colarado for $59 per night.
A quick look through Hotels Combined for the same hotel shows that the cheapest price available is $90 per night, with some agencies charging as much as $122 for the same room.
World ventures uses ROVIA as its booking engine. The same hotel came up priced at $82.41, which is cheaper than the best price Hotels Combined could find, but was not as good as Groupon.
However this is not a true comparison because WV members receive discounted rates from ROVIA (and anyone can book using ROVIA anyway) only I couldn’t find out anywhere what that discount would be. (My ‘friend’ had long since disappeared in disgust at me before I could ask her).
Not everyone has the flexibility or desire to use Groupon Getaways, so I have tried to work out what discount WV membership would need to provide to justify the cost of their membership.
Last year I spent 15 nights in hotels/motels in USA and Mexico. Sure, I paid less than most because of my use of Groupons, but, at full price it would have been around $150 per night (Mexico is cheap). That’s $2250 plus about $1000 in flights.
WV gold membership costs $660 per year, so, according to my basic math, WV would need to provide a discount of about 20% off to be viable – and then, that only lets me break even.
Note: all membership fees paid can be used as credit towards a Dream Trip, making these types of holidays the best value when joining World ventures.
Do they? I really wish someone from World ventures could give me that answer straight. I would be surprised.
Of course, many people might spend considerably more money on travel than I do, in which case the discount need not be nearly as high to be of value. Equally, I could refer four others and pay no membership fees. However, I’d still need to be able to first justify the value of paying the membership to my friends before I could expect to refer them.
I suspect also, that WV’s best deals are for the group “You Should Be Here” Dream Trips, where they can genuinely bulk-buy the arrangements, If you can put up with a holiday like that, then maybe you’d find good value in a membership.
I’m happy sticking to my Groupon holidays for the moment. And if I want to make money, I’ll probably just invest in bitcoin!
UPDATE (MAY 2015)
EDITOR:
Since publication many have contributed their opinion about World Ventures. We have deleted the most offensive and inappropriate comments but will continue to publish commentary that is respectful. Please be civil!
I have allowed osiforo’s original comment about the numerous awards ROVIA have won so please don’t repeat that. Your posts will be deleted.
PENNY NA’ME:
There were some things I didn’t know when i first wrote this review, including the capacity to use WV membership fees to offset your Dream Trips. This obviously makes a difference and makes membership far more attractive. Thank you to Stan, Nakia and Chantel (who only just posted as i wrote this) who have helped explain the benefits.
At Stay Home Shopping we don’t evaluate business models, only products.
so the only way to find out whether it’s good value or not is to hand over 200 bucks???
sounds like a scam.
It is NOT a scam. I’ve personally had over 12 trips in less than a year at massive discounts. best money i’ve ever spent and I’ll have my own BMW from it soon too.
Hi
I wanted to help a friend and joined to WV as Platinum member + business. It cost me 500+ US $
i got only 300 DT points.
Since than i was browsing those so called Dream Trips – trying to book something and use
my 300 DT points ( which i paid 530 US $ for those point, LOL)
I am very experience internet user for Travel bookings.! I do myself twice a year up to 6 weeks holiday each time.
I usually build my itinerary myself from scratch and usually stay in – 4-5 * hotels and the very good cruise Lines ( balcony staterooms) and land tours full day must see excursions and plus .
So I CAN NOT FIND ANYTHING which is not ridiculously EXPENSIVE on those Dream Trips!
I can book the same itinenary for much much less on some others websites.
WV offering ONLY packages with NO airfare ,its EXTRA .
and suggesting to use some DT point, only like 200 DT , saying THAT THIS WAY WV REDUCING
price of Dream Trip ???? Really !
I think, i paid for those points like almost 1DT point = 2 US $
I really feel like i wasted my money, and i cannot to do business also – as i don’t want to say what is NOT TRUE to my friends.
Make allot of people join wv ….. do not be lazy and enjoy your trips without spending from your personal savings…ITS THAT SIMPLE….YOU SHOULD BE HERE
Thats great if you can book a dream trip and find the same thing cheaper that is good.
That means you can get that trip free meaning you get to go AND you spend nothing you’ll be WINNING buddy.
YES tats right you get your money back I know people who have claimed this successfully. So if anything you WANT to find trips cheaper.
Interesting article! Just one issue that you don’t seem to mention, did you realise that the “membership fees” aren’t really “fees” as such – because every dollar that you pay to be a member can be go towards your DreamTrips? So realistically it isn’t actually costing you anything if you go on at least one trip per year.
Thanks Hayden. OK, that’s good to know. However, if you’re not interested in going on Dream Trips though, it’s still a membership fee, right? And you’d still need to receive a discount big enough to cover the fee to make it worthwhile.
Hayden, are you able to shed some light on what these Dream Trips actually entail? As explained in the article, I’m not personally particularly fond of any type of group travel but I’m sure other readers may?
I’m still really interested in doing a proper comparison of the cost of travel for a member vs a non-member, if you have any info on that.
The advantage of having a membership, is taking the dream trips. The dream trips aren’t group travel. They’re a pre-packaged trip for the member. Not sure where some people are getting their idiotic ideas from. For example you might pick a 4 night stay in China. It may include all meals, day trip excursions, travel to and from airport, tickets to an event etc.etc. You as a member can take whoever you want with you. Airfair is not included but you can use your other travel dollars for that or if you have airmiles from an airline you can use them.
In order to compare, you have to take into consideration all the extras they include, which can be substantial. I did compare for my welcome dream trip, and I saved over 60%. Just me and my hubby on this trip. No one else.
They also offer a complete refund if you can find a cheaper deal within 7 days of booking your trip. It has to match exactly and chances are, you’re not going to find it because these trips are the best you can get.
On the other hand, if you don’t want to take dream trips, you as a member still get the best and lowest prices for air travel, hotels, online shopping etc. For example, I went through my membership to order a computer and the computer company threw in a free pair of headphones valued at $250. Just because I’m a member.
Personally I don’t know why everyone doesn’t have a membership. My gym membership costs about the same yet I can’t go in there and take home $100 worth of protein powder every month. Who else does this!! It’s amazing and I would be a member even if I wasn’t a Representative. Actually I became a Representative after being a member.
Sorry , what kind of Welcome Dream Trip you are talking about ? i am from Australia, and WV has only few ( 1-2) Dream trips here and NO good cost at all!
I can book 5 start hotel + plus all those few activities WV offers and my price will be much much better.
I am going to South America in March 2016 , and i am doing Iguazu Falls and Machu Picchu . i have checked prices with WV and …. NO thank you WV,
i will book my SA trip through some other websites.
I am going to US very often – are there those Dream trips with better Prices ???
People seem to be forgetting if you CAN find a cheaper prices for the same thing that WV is offering thats actually the best thing for a WV member. Any WV member knows this since you can book it show proof of the cheaper alternative get get a full refund can anyone say “Free Trip”? What was that? “FREE TRIP” yup thought so.
As for Australian welcome trips they will start in Jan 2016 from the looks of things Im looking at them now Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Carins and Perth.
Lets pick apart the Gold Coast one for $289 USD of which you can put towards 180 points which will reduce the cost to $109 USD one more thing to mention you get $100 AUD ‘roughly 72 USD’ credit per Platinum Member and the credit is available for use on this DreamTrip only. Effectively bring the cost down to less than a $36 USD.
4 days and 3 nights at Crowne Plaza Surfers Paradise, 2807 Gold Coast Highway, Surfers Paradise, Queensland 4217, Australia.
Featuring Superior Room guest accommodations with choice of twin/double beds or single beds (based on availability), complimentary Wi-Fi and access to fitness center and pool.
3 breakfasts and 1 dinner.
Full-day visit to Dreamworld & Whitewater World; includes transportation.
A surprise souvenir to commemorate your trip.
An In-destination Support Specialist will be provided when 20 or more adults book this trip. Their goal is to ensure you have a great DreamTrips experience from landing to liftoff. They host a welcome reception on arrival day, attend scheduled activities throughout the trip, notify the group of itinerary updates and more.
So ya this is when I drop the mic and walk away BOOM!
They just revamped world ventures in 2017 to allow you to use your points on more than just travel. You can now use your points to buy down the nightly costs of Hotels. (ex: $60 per night instead of $80) You can also get money back (in the form of points) from eating at partner resturants. It comes out to 30%-50% return on your bill. If you wish i can link you to a video describing such changes. I am very interested to see if a seasoned traveler such as yourself can too find value in the product. Knowing this will strenghten my own belief.
If you didnt know there is a way to get even cheaper flights with Rovia bucks. This is only available if your a member of course.
Can you think of anything more hideous than going on a ‘Dream Trip’ with a bunch of moronic, brain-washed, money-hungry, self-centred World Venture scammers? You couldn’t PAY me to go on a trip like that.
Cindy, the feeling is mutual. And I’ll be that. But let me tell you, I’ve been called a lot worse by better than you.
I sure bet you have.
Money hungry? Being a World Ventures representative is an actual career choice and an actual business and it is completely optional. Scammers? How are you being scammed exactly? There are absolutely no contracts involved in.becoming a travel member or business representative. You can quit anytime. And if you join and change your mind you can.claim a full refund within 7 days. World Ventures is the best opportunity and travel life style club on the.planet. If it’s not for you that is cool. No sweat. Move along and keep watching us vacation and build our way to financial freedom.
Cindy are you taking the piss… Money Hungry??? These people are taking their future into their own hands and trying to find a solution to bettering their lives instead of moaning about it till their dead and begrudging the people who become successfully for trying new things, working hard and taking risks… People like you are slowing the world down!
Hi Cindy,
I joined WV 3 months ago and ask this question as I didn’t want to go around on tours with people I didn’t know – i was told I didn’t have to and that the inclusion we there as an addition to the already discounted travel.
I went to Thailand and just did my own thing… The group thing is good for some , however the travel was absolutely cheaper saving me $290 for my stay.
Hope this helps you understand that you aren’t locked in to do anything you don’t want to do.
Joe
Hi Sindy
I did Thailand few times. You can have good 4-5 start holiday there for not a lot of money at all.
And i checked what WV offers – 3 nights with cooking classes for $ 599 US x 2 , as it twin share.
Coking classes 400-500 BT , just few back per hour or you get 3-4 hours per day with good mark down in price.
Hotel rooms are charged per rom NOT per guests .
See the difference yourself.
Penny, this is a good post by you. I’d like to comment on a few things. First, full disclosure I am a WV member.
As a person pointed out, the up front cost and monthly dues are converted to points that you can use towards some dream trips (about 90% of the trips allow to use points)
I have personally saved about $1400 on two trips last year, and another $1000 on another coming in Feb. I used my points as well, so the up-front cost went into my vacation.
As for the group travel – it’s not a big deal. You can be a part of the group or not. No one is forced to be a part of anything they don’t want.
Rovia is a good tool, if you use it correctly. Meaning, using it to book your travel so you earn back travel dollars (which also applies to the on-line mall).
It’s not for everyone, but if you can use the product, you can really make it a value for yourself.
I personally like the idea of a pre-packaged vacation. It suits me and saves me the hassle of trying to plan anything myself.
Penny and the other people that think WV is a scam, have you ever actually gone to a meeting? With Groupon, you have to do price comparison yourself. With WV, they do the price comparison until the day you leave for your trip. However, if you do find a price lower than WV within 7 days, you get money back. I’ve never seen Groupon guarantee that. Does Groupon allow you to shop through an online mall and apply the money you’ve saved to a trip? Did I hear you say no? Would you ever try to explain a hair cut over the phone?
Nakia, I never called WV a scam and don’t think it is. However I have been bewildered at how little detail seems to be available online.
It seems a bit strange to say that “with Groupon you have to do price comparison yourself” when this article is entirely about price comparison. I wanted to know if WV membership genuinely provides a worthwhile discount on travel and still have only a sketchy idea. Dream Trips sound like they might be good value, but i have not much information outside of that.
Are you able to give me some prices so we can do a proper comparison?
Nakia, there are a lot of travel companies that provide price guarantees on their products – some better than others. In order to know how good the WV price guarantee is, I think our readers would like to see the fine print.
Are you able to post a link?
Thank you for posting comments.
Penny
contributor
stayhomeshopping.com
Penny, they will NEVER provide you with exact comparisons or the fine print. They’ll tell you that you have to go to a meeting. At the meeting they’ll tell you that you have to join first.
that was the issue i had at first. i wanted to know more about it before i went to a meeting but after going i do understand why they do that. there is so much the company offers that i actually thinks its unfair not to give people all the information for them to make an informed decision.
Heres a bit more information about world ventures that I found out after researching and joining to test it out for myself
• DreamTrips Rewards points
• Membership covers you and one other
• Or membership covers you and spouse and children
• Rate shrinker (no need to wait before booking)
• Price pledge
• 24/7 concierge (personal assistant)
backed up by Rovia, a 25+ year old company
• Rovia’s Group-Booking Technology
• VolunTours (volunteer trips)
• RARELY ever beaten on price for packages (DreamTrips)
• Low monthly fee and the money is again given back to you as points ($1=1 point same on the initial joining fee)
• to use against trips (save more in the long run)
• Single DreamTrips
• option to upgrade to a superior package
Awards
• Pinnacle Award in 2009 by Carnival Cruise Lines
• Golden Apple, Premier Apple and Platinum Apple awards for exceptional quality and service
• Travel Weekly in 2012 with a Gold Magellan Award for Best Community Involvement Program
• Silver Magellan Award for best Travel Guides/Ratings/Reviews
• 2014 World’s Leading Online Travel Agency
• 2014 World’s Leading Travel Club
• 2014 Africa’s Leading Travel Club
• 2014 Asia’s Leading Online Travel Agency
• 2014 Asia’s Leading Travel Club
• 2014 Europe’s Leading Travel Club
• 2014 North America’s Leading Travel Agency
• 2014 North America’s Leading Travel Club
• 2014 United States’ Leading Travel Agency
• 2013 World’s Leading Travel Club
• 2013 North America’s Leading Travel Agency
• 2012 World’s Leading Travel Booking Website
Nominated for (2015
• 2015 World’s Leading Online Travel Agency
• 2015 World’s Leading Travel Club
• 2015 Africa’s Leading Travel Club
• 2015 Asia’s Leading Online Travel Agency
• 2015 Asia’s Leading Travel Club
• 2015 Europe’s Leading Travel Club
• 2015 North America’s Leading Travel Club
Associated
• member of all travel associations like, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA)
• Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC)
• American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA)
• International Association of Travel Agents Network (IATAN)
I’m happy that these companies are legit and in network marketing. Check out our video on WV company if you want to know more contact the channel containing the video.
http://youtu.be/Fz-MzGZAy6I
Just wanted to add, as a member you have access to an “online mall” that allows you to make commission on your own purchases in the form of Rovia bucks that you can apply towards your tracel (airfare or DreamTrips etc). Groupon is a vendor in the mall- so you could earn points back by shopping on Groupon, and just about every other store out there- The reason no one posts prices is because the price is really determined by your membership level. Also the perks are determined by your membership level as well. I’m a platinum so I can use 20% more points towards trips. Also I get private airport transfers, extra excursions, road side assistance, teledoc, emergency evacuation services and much more. There is much more value to being a member than the price of the trip- however the trips are deeply discounted. Like you I price compare on trips, because if I can find it cheaper I get to go for free. It isn’t just the cost of the hotel room that determines the value of these trips- it’s what included.
HI Chantel
Ian Platinum also, but when i started to checking those – above in your post – benefits
-Private transfer no in every Dream Trip
few excursions – don’t cost extra membership you have to pay as platinum ( to gold)
road side assistance – ? haven’t seen that yet in Dream Trips on offer
emergency evacuation services – only if group of 20 and not on all destinations, see small print
concierge – for group of 20 + AGAIN
much more ..????
I am straggling to find any trip/ benefits just to be even at list to money i have already paid and HAVE to pay more to use first lot.
It’s posts like this that make surfing so much plrusaee
As an example of a DreamTrip- we went to Austin for Nee Years. stayed at the Hilton downtown. Paid 400 out of pocket for 2 adults and one child. The trip included airport transfer, catered private parties, an urban scavenger hunt, and an all expenses paid dinner to Fogo de Chao. Couldn’t stay at the Hilton alone for that price. We went on Carnival Cruiselines for $69 per person port fees and gratuities- 5 days 4 nights to Cozumel/Progresso. Total per person was $260. Carnivals price was $900. We’ve done all inclusive to Riviera Maya- $550 per person and $50 for children plus 1500 in resort credit (received more in resort credit than the cost of the trip). We’ve done Vegas at the Palazzo for $600 for 5 nights and that included extras like tickets to Rock of Ages, airport transfers, resort fees and wifi etc (yes wifi is extra there). We’ve done South Padre, TX which included horseback riding on the beach at moonlight as well as massages for $400 for 4 nights at the Pearl. Just amazing vacations. We’ve taken 7 DreamTrips so far and the level of luxury and customer service is unparalleled.
It’s like you’re on a misosin to save me time and money!
Thanks Chantel – I just updated my post at the same time you must have written yours.
When i write for stayhomeshoppimg.com I try to give our readers an objective analysis of the products I review. It’s impossible for me to do that with the information you gave. For a proper review I need to be able to say “WV charged this and Company X charged this” etc
I would also like to hear from a WV member who wasn’t also part of the business. That’s what we want to review.
Chantal, are you selling the WV business or are you just a customer?
It makes a difference! (to us, anyway)
Penny
“Paid 400 out of pocket for 2 adults and one child.”
PLUS there went my monthly fee (12×$100), PLUS bonuses from my downline organisation. If you had no people under you in the organisation, that sums to $1600.
See, I am in another MLM. If my company sends me to an incentive trip, can I say, that this company is the best travel company, I just traveled to Bali for $0?!? Can any dreamtrip beat *that*?
Be honest, and include the fineprint!
Actually you CAN go on a DreamTrip for $0 by using a combination of Dreamtrip points and Robia bucks!
Sounds a bit complicated to me…I’ll just stick to my Groupon deals, which we use regularly, with happy results. I’m not really one to push anyone into purchasing stuff they don’t really want.
http://www.groupon.com
I’m not sure if anyone has mentioned that WV members have the rovia price guarantee. If you find the same deal cheaper in 24 hrs of booking they refund 150% back. They also state that if you find the same dreamtrip cheaper they refund you and still send you.
In response to the comment about travelling with everyone. You don’t have to take part in the group to enjoy your trip. It’s not compulsory.
I have had holiday in rooms that should be £110 per night for £45. That discount works for me.
It is like any membership at a gym or discount club Read and use everything that is available to get your money worth. It’s not for everyone but it works for us. I hope this helps. I am happy to help if there are any questions
Sorry to add that members also receive gut enters lowest price flights. So if your flight price changes (goes down) after you have booked they will refund the difference back to your card
World ventures are shut down in sereval countries because this is a pyramide scheme
This is incorrect, we started in 12 countries 3 years ago when I joined and are now in over 20+
If you only do the vacation club and not the business all you have to is refer 4 people to a person who is a representative and your fees are waived. You’re using the club benefits for free and still get to accumulate and use the 600 dreamtrip points = $600 to discount to the already ridiculous prices of the dream trips.
Second every time you buy at the mall or use the rovia engine to book regular airfare,hotels, cruises, rental cars etc, they pay you a percent in commisions in the form of Rovia bucks that you can in turn apply to trips to get even more discounts.
Lastly most sites like expedia, travelocity not all of them have booking fees. With the Rovia engine you don’t have any booking fees and you get RateShrinker. If you book aircare or hotels, it will look all over the internet up to last moment of your trip and if it does find it cheaper it will book it under the cheaper price and refund you the difference.
Wow. This is WHY they have the meetings. I was not for this at ALL until I went to a meeting because I complete trust and respect the professional that invited me. I love to travel, can’t do it much, and saving money means a lot to me. I have used Groupon, Expedia, everything: you name it, I’ve done it.
Here’s is the DEAL. A MEETING will help you to understand the 3 basic “memberships” and remember: this is “access” to discounted travel. AND as another person mentioned, unlike the health club, suntan city or whatever other “membership” the money every month goes into your “piggy bank”, so it’s more like a Christmas savings account, it is not a SCAM, you can quit anytime you want. It is NOT a pyramid as they are ILLEGAL and WV has been in business for 9 years and is listed in Forbes Magazine as one of the top companies to be a part of and was features in OPRAH due to the volunteerisms they do: do you know that they have built 34 schools in Guatemala??? How many organizations have done that??? I have just recently joined, used ROVIA a LOT. They have been SOOOO helpful. You can go on to DREAMTRIPS and see the trips they have. Talk to someone who has been on one. They are REALLY special and the PERKS are great. The whole concept is BULK BUYING and you LOSE nothing unless you don’t go on a dream trip!!!!! You can earn Rovia bucks (money to spend on your trips) by purchasing your stuff (walmart, walgreens, home depot, stein mart). There is SOOOO much detail, that this is why they have the meetings. Yes, you sign up 4 and your fees are great. You don’t have to go SEARCH for 4, just explain it to anyone who wants to go on ONE vacation a year, or several weekends a year: even if it’s not just around where you live. Go to a meeting of someone you know and like. See for yourself. If you don’t like it, don’t do it! If you sign up as a basic member, you can always UPGRADE or just leave it or quit!!!! This is NOT a SCAM and it is not a PYRAMID. I haven’t even signed up 4 yet. 3 as of now and can’t wait to go on a trip. Those of you who are talking bad; why talk about it at all? Just walk away from it if you don’t like it. You clearly don’t understand it; AND whoever signs you up needs to give you constant and follow up so that you do get the most our of what you are looking for! Call ME because I am happy to do this and I’ll sign you up! 🙂
Penny, I really think you should re-write or remove this article since you did not and do not have the full information on WV. In order to write a review and compare Groupon to WV, you really need to have used both, since you have never used WV you are clearly biased and this article should be taken down. It is pure slander toward WV a company you know nothing about.
I have saved about $2000+ a year traveling with them. We are one of the most awarded travel clubs and one of the top 20 network marketing companies, network marketing has gotten a bad name and there are many companies I would NOT join but WV I WOULD be a part of 1000 times over. We bring a good name to network marketing. I just booked a trip to stay at the Parc 55 in San Fran, look it up, it’s $399 a night, I will save $719 in 3 nights plus I get a FREE full day will tour, FREE breakfast everyday and FREE trolly pass x 2 people when you add that up I basically get my lodging for free.
Penny, you stated this above…” However, what has been singularly disappointing is the failure of any WV rep to show how a WV trip is cheaper/better than using a comparison engine like Hotels Combined and particularly Groupon” Here it is, I WILL SHOW YOU!
Same hotel Parc 55, same dates…
Using Hotels Combined, your beloved website, 3 nights is $1,197, no breakfast, no trolly, no wine tour, right there I saved $719 using your website of HotelsCombined! Plus I get all the freebies. Of course there is savings or why would people be a part of it??!
To answer: YES, we do get our membership fee back as points and we spend those points on trips, there is concierge 24/7 through Rovia, there is an online mall. NO, you do not have to be on the trip with the group, my husband use the trips as anniversaries. I agree, come to a MEETING and learn more before you knock us. Contact our heads of the company Marc and get your questions answered, but please do not post lies and non-investigated info when you do not know anything about our company! I do not want mis-information out there about this wonderful travel company I adore. We will be the Facebook of Travel one day, just watch!
Please remove this post or re-write to be accurate, it is just plain wrong and offensive.
Calling this article slander (I think you mean libel) towards WV is way over the top and totally misrepresents what the article was about. You do yourself and WV no favors with such a negative and aggressive response to my article.
Let me make this clear.
I’d be more than happy to post details of a proper price comparison and if they show that WV is good value then I’ll post it and let everyone know. Why would I want to do anything else? I don’t have anything against the company.
My problem has been that no-one has been able or willing to do a price comparison. That was until now, I hope.
OK, so you’ve given some prices for a trip you’re doing but it’s bit hard to test your figures without all the details.
This is what I need to do for any comparison, so please provide us with:
Hotel details: Parc 55 San Francisco
Date of travel: ??
No of people booking ??
Type of Room ??
Extras – tours etc you have mentioned
and then provide a screenshot of your booking with costs so we can know you’re not making it up. (don’t include personal details)
When I receive that, I’ll have a look around and see how that deal compares with other online booking agencies – including Groupon – if they have it. I’ll post a screen shot of what i found.
To make the article even better (and so it’s not seen as ‘cherry picking’) it’d be great if you could do this for 3 different hotels/dates etc.
As an incentive, I’ll even post your affiliate link or whatever it is you have, so that any interested people can sign up under you, which they’ll want to do when they see how good the prices really are. Sound fair?
Don’t hold your breath, Penny. People like Wolff make claims that WV is cheaper etc but will never actually provide any testable evidence when confronted.
Look, i hope Wolff does reply.
In order to send a screenshot she’ll need to email us which she can do through the site, but we’ll wait to hear from her.
is there anyone an email should be directed to? also im not seeing an easy go to link…i’ll search more
Cindy,
Did you receive notice that i provided testable evidence? Id like you to stop holding your breath now.
I just did 6 of these price comparisons. I’m not able to post the screenshots that I have on here though. I’m happy to send them to you though, if you’d like.
A couple points I’d like to clarify, as I’ve read the post and many of the comments…
All membership fees are converted to Dreamtrip Points, $1 = 1 point. These can be used towards paying for Dreamtrips.
If, at any time, you find a comparable trip, with everything that Dreamtrips includes, for a lower price, let them know. They will send you on the trip for free.
Concierge service (available at the Gold and Platinum level) is available to members at all times, not just when they are on a Dreamtrip.
Emergency Evacuation is available to Platinum members, regardless of how many are on the trip.
You aren’t traveling as a group. You are simply going on the same vacation that someone else is. Just like any other vacation, there will be other people there.
Many of our members like the Groupon Getaways too, and we purchase them often. But we purchase them, for the same price, through our online mall (Gold and Platinum members). This way, we are paid commission in Rovia Bucks, which we can then use towards Dreamtrips or other travel through Rovia.
You mentioned that you like to take last minute, short trips. There are so many 3 and 4 day trips available at the last minute. It’s possible to book the day before a trip in most cases.
As a Gold member, you pay a total of $500 for the year, including the initial payment of $199.99 and the monthly fee of $49.00. I have examples of trips that will save you that much on just one vacation. That makes financial sense to me, especially when you add in the fact that you can then use that $800 to pay for your travel.
I will see if I can find an email address on the site to send you some of the price comparisons that I just put together, using Expedia and Dreamtrips.
Hey Wolff and other WV Members/Reps, stop trying to convince this Penny nobody who’s clearly too lazy to actually go to a WV Presentation to find out what she claims she so desperately wants to know, but does nothing about finding out about. Her friend invited her to take a look at how WV work
Who cares what her opinion is? We’ll continue travelling the World at the best prices possible, and she and the other dills here will continue to pay retail. This is how WV functions – we only want as Members those who are prepared to get the facts. The others can pay retail. Who cares???
I see you wanted a comparison so i will be sending an email shortly.
Just sent you an email so you have our address. Apologies for not having easy contact details on the site – we removed our previous contact page because of the spam we were getting into our email system.
We’ll be restoring our contact page shortly.
This shows how much each Dreamtrips’ discount is (some are not shown because they are too cheap):
https://premiumclub.dreamtrips.com/Marketing/PriceComparison
I would like to also explain how “WV trip is cheaper/better than using a comparison engine like Hotels Combined and particularly Groupon”.
If you book hotel or airline through WV/Rovia with a member login, and you find the other website got a cheaper price. You can do a Price Pledge and get 150% of the difference back as Rovia Bucks (like a credit can be used anywhere in the related website). Here is more information: https://corp.rovia.com/rovia/PricingPledge
To use the Price Pledge service you have to become a member of WV first:
https://premiumclub.dreamtrips.com/Marketing/becomemember
Will you be in Orlando???
Hi everyone,
I’ve had some great correspondence recently re this article and will be trying to find the time to do a proper update. I believe that (finally) I may have found people who can help me do a more informed independent review.
My contributions to this site are only part-time as i juggle the other things i do in my life. I don’t get paid to promote any product when i write. I only get paid to write (and not much, sorry editors)
So, please: a warning: I am NOT a WV representative and will not be joining, so please don’t try pitch me. I also have NO problem with WV or MLMs per se. The value of this article relies on my independence.
I’ve just returned from travelling and will try to overhaul this post in the next few weeks.
Stay Tuned.
Hi Penny
I’m very happy to have come across this post! Those of you that feel the article is useful or useless, it did solicit some very useful dialog/debate for people like myself that are considering joining WV.
I am a NON-member and have just returned from Costa Rica using a Dreamtrips package. My friend that I went with is a member and a representative. She solely asked me on the trip as a friend, so I had no idea what Dreamtrips or WV was. All I know is that it was the most amazing trip I’ve ever been on which included SIX excursions, breakfast, lunch and most dinners, airport transfer, a dreamtrips concierge and local tour guide, welcome gifts and a $50 credit for use on the resort; this also included the hotel and resort for 6 days, 5 nights.
I’ve paid $500 for this entire package not including airfare but the tours alone cost more than $500. You’ll see when I send the info.
Please send me the email address so I can send a snapshot of what I paid and the itinerary of the trip. Thanks!
Hi my name is Deante…im the type of person that does his research before sharing an idea with anyone…. I don’t like not knowing what I am talking about so I learn as much as possible. With that being said this is in no way an exhaustive review but just an example to answer some questions as to the value of the membership. As I can’t put pictures on here you can find me on WordPress my username is enternationaldotme (as of typing this the page is not posted…give me til 3/17)
1) The point of the club is to offer Vip EXPERIENCES… that is to say that you not only get your hotel but you have a host as well as excursions on most dreamtrip. For example there is a dreamtrip to Vegas you stay at the Linq hotel 3 days 4 nights… you get a helicopter ride over the strip at nite with a champagne toast, breakfast every morning at the flamingo buffet and dinner and a show at planet Hollywood. That is 330$ for 2 ppl
Groupon don’t offer that hotel but they have some other nice ones…the best deals are during weekdays not weekends (when the average American has time off work)… but for the compare I will use the weekday price… a comparable hotel the Hard Rock (based on star ratings) on Groupon there was a deal 3 nights came to about 145 then you pay resort fees at the hotel for a total of about 200$
(Cont.)
That same hotel for the same night is available to members at about 160 after fees… saving 40$ right there if all you want is hotel… plus members earn rovia bucks for using there site (rovia bucks are a currency that can be used to book anything on enternational.rovia.com)… so you save money and get some back. But back to the trip… Groupon has the helicopter ride for about 70$ per person and the same show for about 40$ saving 30 and 15 respectively from retail… so not bad but this already puts you at 320$ and you have no breakfast no dinner and no transport to any of your events (the buffet alone is 20 per person per day) so just including breakfast you save 110$ against Groupon which is the closest ppl to touch what is offered by the company
2) the club gives you everyday savings… the savings offered, if used, has the membership value itself. My brother got married last September he told me 2 weeks prior that he wants my 2 year old to be ring bearer… I had to get a tux. Men’s warehouse had some for 140 plus tax.. The lowest place around that had one that fit and went with the wedding. Being a member I get 50% off at men’s warehouse savinging me 70 plus tax on this one purchase. My membership fee was 50$.. So if I got the tux and paid the fee I still saved 20$ on this one place.. They have over 1000 retailers from oil changes to dry cleaning (my fees are waived) which leads me to number 3
3) you can get your fees waived! Refer 4 pay no more. As long as at least 4 ppl you refer stay members you have no more fees… you still get all the perks and still earn all the points as if you were paying you just don’t have the cost… value right there. ( if you took an amazing trip at an unbelievable price you will share it… it’s that simple. Example 4 days 3 nights Le parker Meriden in NY with a lunch cruise and Broadway show for 2 including transportation to both as well as breakfast every morning and not no cheap continental breakfast for only 380$ total for 2 ppl…who wouldn’t share that)
4) last thing I will mention… the club let’s you earn vacation… that’s right EARN. Along with discounts like what’s mentioned in number 2 and the rovia bucks from any booking thru the rovia site you also get an online shopping mall it as over 1000 retail stores from Walmart to Coach to Halloween costumes to home depot and you can anywhere from 3 to 30% commission in rovia bucks for using your mall and shopping for stuff you were already going to spend money on! (Again rovia bucks are dollar for dollar… simple math… and can be used to book anything from flight to cruises on enternational.rovia.com ) not only that but whenever you refer a friend you earn dreamtrip points ( you can also earn them from dining out at certain restaurants… some restaurants offer exclusive appetizers and drinks for members only and convert up to 40% of their tab to dreamtrip points) earn a set amount of points and enter executive status which let’s you book a dreamtrip at no out of pocket cost
Contact me for more info… I don’t want this to get blocked if contact info is prohibited so I will do another message
To sign up or for more info email me at deante07@yahoo.com
If you want to check out deals from rovia go to enternational.rovia.com also ask me how to become a FREE preferred member so you can get my member discount price
, with all of that being said I am not saying the Groupon is not a good thing they do offer some deals that we can’t touch namely the ones including flight but who is to say you can’t take advantage both for example a flight to the Bahamas my cost about $400 per round trip you might be able to find a Groupon deal they give you are all inclusive resort Plus flight for $500 you can simply book that and books a dream trip and has an extended vacation had now you really got the best deal available
I have 0 interest in joining WV as a rep, but a friend of mine pitched the membership packages to me today. Prior to signing up for what seems like a good deal, I set out to do some research online about the value of the membership. Unfortunately, just about the only information I can find online is reviewing the company from an employee standpoint, which I have no interest in. The winding road that is the internet led me here.
Although I haven’t yet signed up, I have access to all information regarding trips EXCEPT for price. But I can get that by speaking to my friend. So in this comment, I’m going to share the details of a two different trips to give you a basis for a direct price comparison for the trips. By the time you’ve been able to get a price to which to compare the DreamTrip, I’ll know the price of the trips I’m telling you about from my WV contact.
Trip 1:
“Outdoor Adventures in Costa Rica”
August 9-15.
7 days, 6 nights.
2 nights stay at the Wyndham San Jose Herradura Hotel and Convention Center, General Cañas Highway, San Jose, Costa Rica.
4 nights at the Mountain Paradise Hotel, Arenal Volcano, Fortuna, San Carlos, Costa Rica.
Standard accommodations, 1 king bed or two double beds.
6 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 5 dinners.
Zip lining and horseback riding adventure in the rainforest; transportation and lunch included.
Rafting adventure on the Sarapiqui River; transportation and lunch included.
Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge adventure; transportation and lunch included.
Rappel (4 waterfalls and 1 rock wall) and canyon adventure; transportation and lunch included.
La Paz Waterfall Gardens and nature exhibits; transportation and lunch included.
Daily breakfast at the hotels.
Welcome dinner at the Mountain Paradise Hotel.
Special dinner at Café Mediterraneo in La Fortuna de San Carlos.
Special dinner at Kioro restaurant at Kioro resort.
1 hour of cocktails at Kioro restaurant before dinner.
1 dinner at the Tabacon Grand Spa Thermal Resort.
Farewell dinner at Wyndham San Jose-Herradura.
Water and fresh fruits during transfers to and from San Jose and Fortuna de San Carlos.
English-speaking guide for entire trip.
2 airport transfers, on the days of your arrival and departure.
Air transportation is not included. The closest commercial airport is Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO).
Trip 2:
“Climb Canyons and Waterfalls in Brazil”
June 5-12.
8 days, 7 nights.
3 nights at the Royal Tulip Brasilia Alvorada, SHTN – Trecho 01, Conj. 1b – Blocos C, Brasilia, Distrito Federal 70800-200, Brazil.
4 nights at Pousada Recanto da Grande Paz, Rua 2, 322, Estância Alto Paraíso, Alto Paraíso De Goiás, Chapada Dos Veadeiros, Goiás 73770-000, Brazil.
Daily breakfast.
4 lunches and 3 dinners.
3 snack kits with fresh apple or tangerine, energy cake, cereal bar, 500 ml bottled water and 200 ml juice box.
See itinerary for more information about included meals.
Rappelling behind a waterfall and zip lining over a canyon.
Guided canyoneering tour in Raizama Canyon.
Multiple waterfall tours and swimming opportunities in Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park.
Vale da Lua (Moon’s Valley) tour.
Brasilia city tour.
Round-trip transportation between hotels and activities.
Souvenir with Brazilian motif (1 per person).
Tour guides with English, Chinese and Portuguese language skills.
Due to the nature of this DreamTrip, a host will be provided with any number of guests attending.
A welcome check-in on the day of arrival and welcome reception will be provided to members and their guests.
2 airport transfers, on the days of your arrival and departure.
Also, for anyone who cares, this is a fake name with a dummy email account, because I wouldn’t give you internet crazies a sliver of my legitimate information for all the free vacations in the world. : p
I can and will send screenshots of all needed info once I have the email address for the site.
Hi Penny,
Do you know that you can do your own research? How? You enroll in pending without necessary pay anything and do your own homework as best as you can… If you do not pay your membership in 14 days it will be inactivated…
And also you can pay your membership (just customer not rep) and resign within 14 days with your full money back.
You know what I tell to all my friends? Enroll and make all the comparisons that you like within those 14 days and than you decide if you want to stay. And guess what? They stay :)))
It is that simple…
Good luck!
But wv actually has groupon in their online mall that kicks back a percentage after you book any toward their next trip…on top of that if you book through your website and find a trip else where cheaper you will be refunded 150 percent of the difference if younreport it insuring you get the best value. ..and thats not even including the rate shrinking tech that applies to flights as well as hotels
I am not interested in trying to convince you to change your opinion. I would love to give you a side by side comparison. Are you still interested?
I’m saddened that you went ahead with publishing this review without being fully informed!
I’m a member with WV in Australia. For the year it costs me $850 if I am a Gold Member which as you know dollar for dollar for dreamtrips points. In the last year I have done numerous trips (not dreamtrips) booking everything through Rovia tailoring things to my needs. On each trip i saved by using Rovia & if it wasn’t I could use price pledge to get my refund of 150% of the difference! That $ I can spend on flights/hotels/events/excursions/transfers etc later.
Trip 1 – Sydney – NYC Savings $400 on airfares/$70 p/n 1 night at the conrad & $30 p/n @ the Westin TImes Square (7 nights) on another one (savings of $680).
Trip 2 – Adelaide Airfares $130/car hire $80 (savings of $220
Trip 3 – Adelaide Flights $160/car hire $80 (was upgraded for free from a standard to a small SUV with leather/sat nav) $240 Trip 4 – Brisbane Airfares $60.
So for the 4 trips I’ve done personally i’ve saved $1300, recovered the $ I spent on fees & have $450 in my pocket. A platinum membership is about $1500 so thats almost paid for itself too!
That’s all before using my dreamtrip points yet, the Gold Coast Trip I’m about to take i’ve worked out about $500+!
I love that my fees are also going into to charity & community projects around the world. I also love that my foodie lifestyle also supports my travel addiction because when I eat out at resturants I earn dream trip points. I can wait till the dreamtrips mall launches here too!
There’s just no downside for me!
I love groupon too & have used it for non travel deals but they just can give me things like cash back on my flights after I book…..oh yeah no travel agents or travel site can do that…..it a win/win for the travelbug!
I apologise for my error in maths trip 2 was a savings of $250 not $220
I believe comparing Groupon & a Dreamtrips membership isnt really comparing apples to apples because the actual product is quite different
Informative piece . Incidentally , people want a WV DoR IT-140 , my company filled out a fillable version here
https://goo.gl/wLG4qNHi Penny, just another little saving nugget. Did you know you can use ebates on groupon trips. You can earn back cash …real money. Just thought I would let you know. ?
I am a gold member and I recently took 2 dreamtrips but 3 in total.Will speak on the 2 most recent. My wife and 2 kids went on a Dreamtrip to Disney Sept 2-5, 2016. The dreamtrip included a stay at the Crowne plaza Orlando, double queen standard accom., daily full buffet breakfast, four 2 day park hopper passes, transportation to/from the park, a host (Scott), a welcome party with a free drink per adult, a souvenir bag (when we got to the hotel and picked up our tickets from Scott he told us they threw in a 3rd day access to the blizzard beach and typhoon lagoon at no additional cost). As a member the starting price for all 4 of us was $1515.96. But after applying 150 points and $108.10 in rovia bucks I accumulated using the online mall, I only came out of pocket $1257.86. Let me add that if i was a Platinum member, I would’ve also received four 1 day passes to Universal Studios and would’ve paid $30 less because Platinum members get use 20% more points. I did a price comparison with Expedia.com since it was the cheapest of the bunch and the same 3 night stay at the same hotel/room would’ve ran me $489.36. The 2 day park passes online via Disney would’ve ran me $1069.28. That’s a total of 1558.64. Now that was just the tix and hotel with no breakfast and park transportation. Even if I didn’t have any points or rovia bucks, the member price was cheaper and offered more things/value. Don’t forget they threw in the water parks and the welcome party. I also had an issue due to the hotel conceriage and I had a direct contact with Scott who took care of the matter for me while we still made our way to the park with no delay. My 2nd trip was just my 14 yr old son and I, of which we went to Orlando again Nov.19-21, 2016. It included a stay at the Hilton Orlando, Daily breakfast, two 1 day park hopper passes to Universal/Island of Adventures, transportation to/from the park, a welcome party and souvenir bags. The total for both of us $477.99 after taking off 50pts. I didn’t do a price comparison for this trip because I’ve done plenty of others earlier in the year trying to look at other trips I was considering taking (but I didn’t book due to a my grandmother passing and a personal matter I had to spend my money on instead) and by that point I was already convinced I’m saving as without a doubt and didn’t feel the need to waste my time looking. But ironically, while on the trip I wound up looking up the price for a 1 day/1park pass because I didn’t think we’d be able to do both parks in 1 day due to it being a Saturday. I found out that price for two 1 day park hopper passes would’ve ran me $338 plus tax had I had to buy them myself. Do the math…478-338=140. The Hilton Orlando average nightl is definitely not $46 per night, which is basically what I paid. I’ve done other regular bookings and have seen the savings. My 1st trip to Cist
I am a gold member and I recently took 2 dreamtrips but 3 in total.Will speak on the 2 most recent. My wife and 2 kids went on a Dreamtrip to Disney Sept 2-5, 2016. The dreamtrip included a stay at the Crowne plaza Orlando, double queen standard accom., daily full buffet breakfast, four 2 day park hopper passes, transportation to/from the park, a host (Scott), a welcome party with a free drink per adult, a souvenir bag (when we got to the hotel and picked up our tickets from Scott he told us they threw in a 3rd day access to the blizzard beach and typhoon lagoon at no additional cost). As a member the starting price for all 4 of us was $1515.96. But after applying 150 points and $108.10 in rovia bucks I accumulated using the online mall, I only came out of pocket $1257.86. Let me add that if i was a Platinum member, I would’ve also received four 1 day passes to Universal Studios and would’ve paid $30 less because Platinum members get use 20% more points. I did a price comparison with Expedia.com since it was the cheapest of the bunch and the same 3 night stay at the same hotel/room would’ve ran me $489.36. The 2 day park passes online via Disney would’ve ran me $1069.28. That’s a total of 1558.64. Now that was just the tix and hotel with no breakfast and park transportation. Even if I didn’t have any points or rovia bucks, the member price was cheaper and offered more things/value. Don’t forget they threw in the water parks and the welcome party. I also had an issue due to the hotel conceriage and I had a direct contact with Scott who took care of the matter for me while we still made our way to the park with no delay. My 2nd trip was just my 14 yr old son and I, of which we went to Orlando again Nov.19-21, 2016. It included a stay at the Hilton Orlando, Daily breakfast, two 1 day park hopper passes to Universal/Island of Adventures, transportation to/from the park, a welcome party and souvenir bags. The total for both of us $477.99 after taking off 50pts. I didn’t do a price comparison for this trip because I’ve done plenty of others earlier in the year trying to look at other trips I was considering taking (but I didn’t book due to a my grandmother passing and a personal matter I had to spend my money on instead) and by that point I was already convinced I’m saving as without a doubt and didn’t feel the need to waste my time looking. But ironically, while on the trip I wound up looking up the price for a 1 day/1park pass because I didn’t think we’d be able to do both parks in 1 day due to it being a Saturday. I found out that price for two 1 day park hopper passes would’ve ran me $338 plus tax had I had to buy them myself. Do the math…478-338=140. The Hilton Orlando average nightl is definitely not $46 per night, which is basically what I paid. I’ve done other regular bookings and have seen the savings. My 1st dreamtrip to Costa Rica was amazing and deserves it’s own post but I don’t have the time to do it right. Great membership, great company, great savings, great choice. I’ve seen the membership improve every year and seen the company innovate so many times. You can email me at jvny1681@gmail.com if interested in the membership. Don’t be so skeptical and look at it like BJ’S, Costco and Sam’s club. You pay for a discount. But they don’t turn around and give you your fees back. WV does.
This article was SO helpful. As a bargain shopper for some reason I’ve never looked at the Groupon Getaways section. We just joined Dream Trips (under a friend at the Basic level) and I was looking for ways to get the most out of the program. Now I see that Groupon offers FAR superior discounts!!
Someone (i won’t mention their name) shared some choice and very negative words with me about World Ventures. This led me to do more research and I found that many people have had bad experiences. Honestly, WV has some great vacation packages and thats why I became a member. At the time I just didn’t care to make any money, but wanted to be apart of the fun vacation clubs. 5 star treatment just for being a member. It helped me to ball on a budget if that makes sense. I know people paying almost twice as much as I am to take the exact same trips. Any how, all this negativity led me to write a blog addressing the curious as well as all the negative Nancy’s out there. You can check it out here: https://reallybigrings.blogspot.com/2017/10/the-select-few.html
I have been a member for over 5 years and i must say the most phenomenal vacations of my life.
Got to celebrate my 50th in New Orleans a few yrs back.
I use Groupon as well. Have booked trips, bought my cell phone and take excursions witj Groupon. What is cool is that i get discount from Groupon then also get kick back from dreamtrips.
In a few months will be skydiving through Groupon with perks from dreamtrips.
Whoo hooo…