My Free Travel/Grocery Rebate review: fraudulant claims 63

I live in Canada and was taken for a ride with this company as well. The other thing was that the person who gave me the certificate advertised it just as $500 in groceries, so when I won I was expecting a gift card for the grocery store, not this garbage certificate. I knew right off the bat that there was something fishy about it, but stupidly I paid the registration fee anyways. I notcied right on the certificate that they say to check them out at the BBB because they have an "A" rating, I looked it up and the rating had been removed while they were being investigated. Then I recently looked it up again and they had an "F" rating and their BBB accreditation was removed. I don't know who to be more peed off at, the guy who gave me the thing and told me it was all legit(get this he is a financial planner!), or that stupid company.

I, too, have been burned by this company. I purchased a washer/dryer from Grant's Appliances in Chicago who encouraged me to register for this program. I will try to get my $9.95 from Grant's although I'm not too optimistic as Grant's has totally blown me off regarding a $200 rebate I should have received for my washer/dryer. Hard to know who to trust any longer. I did file a complaint with BBB. I guess we all should be thankful that we're out only $9.95.

The fact that the customer service rep has made several posts on this site offering to make things right says great things about the company in my opinion. Sounds like the customers just like to complain and are too stupid to take the necessary steps in getting their product redeemed.

I am also waiting for my rebates, and this is the second time I've been involved trying to get my "free" rebates. I'm in California and made two purchases at Linders in October 2008. I was given the forms to fill out for free gas and free groceries, and of course, the company went belly-up. Then Linder's "fixed" it and set me up for more rebates through this company, and I'm out $9.95 plus all the "free" groceries and gas rebates. Yesterday, I received my December receipts returned to me by the post office with a "return to sender" notation. Good grief. I will also be filing complaints with the BBB.

To all of you that have been taken in by this scam - keep pushing it with everyone you can think of. I have done the IL AG complaint. I was ready to send in my local state AG paper work when I decided to give the store a heads up first. They must have been pressured by many as they have decided to run their own redemption. Just got my coupons in the mail today. Guess they want to keep their reputation. I also sent a letter to the Arizona AG office. You can get the info from their website. The 'parent' company is Loyalty Products International in Mesa, AZ. Look at their website and you will see the array of brochures they promote. I did call them and actually talked to a 'salesman', which I think was more than that, but he did get extremely defensive, said it was all the fault of My Free Travel etc. Since my complaint is with My Free Travel and the local store first, I sent a letter rather than making a formal complaint with Arizona. If enough people send letters, maybe they will investigate this company also. Let's all keep up the pressure and maybe we can get rid of these companies! What does it take to keep these same people from opening up another business under a different name in a different state? I know this country has more pressing problems than this but I still think it is all worth pursuing.

I also have been waiting for rebates . Bill Kolb Subaru in New York offered a $500.00 gas gift card last March whaen I leased from them. The first company went bust, then they gave me a $600.00 grocery rebate from My Free Travel. Same thing happened to me in August as it did to an earlier writer; I didn't give the required info, fee etc which was all bogus . I called and told them to get it right or I would report them to the Attorney General. I received one Visa $25.oo card in which I activated and then when I went to use it it wouldn't work. I complained again and it was activated. That was in Dec., now I tried to call them and their number is disconnected. I called Subaru and was told to call someone else. So since Subaru's ad and my lease last March I have not received my $500.00 "bait". This is going to the Attorney General as well as corporate Subaru.

Two college students rang my doorbell one day selling this great rebate program where if I wrote them a $25 check right then, they would give me coupons I could mail in with $100 grocery receipts and receive a $25 VISA gift card back in the mail. The booklet they gave me said to send in $9.95 with your registration form but when I went on the website to register, it clearly said do not send money with your registration form. So, I try calling the number listed in the booklet and got a "this number is no longer in service" message. Sketchy? Let's just say that I cut my losses and wrote off the $25 as a donation to a couple of college students personal lives. It was the same booklet someone has posted earlier about this rebate program.

I'll never entertain any students that come to my door asking for Donations via Magazine subscriptions so they can win a competition and receive cash, or a trip abroad.

These all seem to be a bit weird and they can be pretty pushy.
They never have anything official, other than a well used piece of paper with names and donation amounts on, something I could easily produce with 5 minutes, a few different pens and a rough, old, piece of paper.

I'm sure f they were 100% genuine there would be a school contact number (That could be verified via the Internet or yellow pages)

Just wanted to agree with all above comments, got the 500 in grocery rebates first time around, then this company took over, supposedly didn't send correct id.. which I did. So they kept my 9.95. Never received anything since sending receipts in October and got my December receipts back in the mail saying "moved left no address". Luckily, my veterinary who gave me the offer has refunded me $15.00 for my troubles, but no more grocery rebates. Should've known it was too good to be true after the first attempt. Good Luck!

Just to let everyone know, BBB is no longer taking complaints against My Free Travel, since now they have declared bankruptcy. So don't bother. I work for a company that gave out these certificates, so I see the other side as well. We are out a lot of money purchasing them. The first company went out of business and the second company that "took over" made us pay for the second batch of certificates, too!
Now we have angry customers that feel we owe them $500. If we did that, WE would be out of business in a week. We thought we researched them (been in business for over 25 years, A+ BBB rating, etc.) but don't all Ponzi schemes make sense until they are caught? Thanks for letting me vent, I'm going to try the AIG and/or National Union Insurance you guys mentioned. Thanks.

I received My Free Travel packets for both groceries and gas at Altmans Billiards and Barstools in Bloomington, Il as an in store promotion for buying furniture. Registered and sent off my $9.95 for each segment and have not received a dime back. Registered in September and sent receipts off in October. Was not until January that I received my envolope with receipts as " Return to sender ". Checked the website at My Free Travel and of course they do not have the funds to send $25 rebate cards. Sent all of my information to Illinois Attorney Generals office in mid January. Consulted with an attorney in Bloomington, Il who is recommending several courses of action including going after Altman's Billiards and Barstools, seeking enough people for a Class Action Lawsuit at My Free Travel, and going after the advertisers listed on the My Free Travel Flyer. Please throw my name in if there is enough for Class Action. My attorney discovered that a Daniel Bullock is the owner of My Free Travel since [protected] based on Incorporation. Interestingly, prior to 9-28-06, a Daniel Bullock, get this that his first name was spelled with an e instead of an a dissolved the same corporation he formed in 3/10/2003. The company from 2003 to 2006 was called My Free Travel, INC while the company from [protected] is called Incentive Travel Services, Inc with the assumed name of My Free Travel.

I work for a small company that purchased a large number of these certificates to bring in business (as all know it is getting very difficult to compete with big box stores and stay in business especially with government getting involved into every aspect especially collecting taxes from any business larger than 3 people). At the time of purchase we looked into their BBB rating which was excellent, very few complaints compared to volume for 22 years of business. They also state on the front left corner of the certificates that they are insured. Who wouldn't think that this seems stable and a good deal for all around. Well after our customers paid their "refundable" processing fee to My Free Travel and submitted all of their receipts. (You wouldn't believe all their terms and conditions) the problems began. Wouldn't return calls. Wouldn't answer emails or registered mail. Million and one excuses. Even was able to talk to the marketing company, which is actually the cause of their going out of business (Selling these things left and right without working with My Free Travel to make sure they could keep up with onslaught.) A nightmare come true. Customers blame us, lawyers call us even though it was disclosed up front several times they were a third party responsible for all aspects of payout and administration of rebate. And what do you know, even the signed copy of their insurance contract is fraudulent. The Attorney Generals (government again) won't do a thing. It is entirely possible it will also cause our demise, though we are in no way responsible. People just want to blame us though not involved with those companies at all. There is a possible Class Action Lawsuit against My Free Travel, Customer Loyalty International (the Marketing firm who is doing excellent - why not collected billions of dollars and didn't have to provide anything but worthless certificates, ) Kidz Idz and Michael Pouls is in the works Capital Six, Rebate Recovery Program is the name of the company setting up a class action suit. If anyone has information on how to contact this company please post.

For those who are not aware, Customer Loyalty International was the company that sold the rebate cards that My Free Travel redemed. If you go to CLI`s web, click the products tab and then scroll to the bottom of the page you will see cards almost idenical to the ones you have. They have moved from Joliet Ill. to Seatlle Wa. I have a series of emails from the man in charge of CLI. They start out pleasent then go bad. He basically admits they were selling cards even though they knew MFT was going under. I am working with the Iowa AG. Would be glad to share

One of our local High Schools, Pioneer High, was duped into selling these as a band fund raiser. They collected our money ($50 & $100 increments) and sent 50% of it to the scammers.

I initially went to the website in early December, followed all of the rules step by step and waited until January (the first month we were eligible) to file my first claim. I had heard a rumor that the project was a possible scam, so I sent mine registered mail.

Of course my envelope of gas reciepts came back as "no forwarding address." I will be filing a police report tomorrow in Woodland, CA.

Wow - you all must check out the information Tyler listed, because my certificate looks just like it! How in the world is it possible that this company cannot be affiliated and not share some sort of responsibility with My Free Travel?! Calling the AG and filling out their forms does seem to sound like it's going to be a complete waste of time...anyone have any other contacts for the class action?

@FitnessTownHater... Looks like your posting got deleted. Send me an offline msg if you see this post. Thanks.

PLEASE, everyone that was scammed by this company - fill out the Fraud Complaint form through the Illinois Attorney General. Send in all of your documentation. The more compaints they get, the more seriously they will take this. I did receive my $10 back and the first $25 card, but that's it. As far as I'm concerned, MyFreeTravel, or their parent company, or Grant's Appliance owes me $475. Grants sent me a waiver to sign in lieu of a 20% discount on a future purchase! What a joke! It doesn't take long to fill out the form, but hopefully we can get something back out of this. They are STILL advertising these programs on MyFreeTravel and this constitutes FRAUD.

If you want to contact Steve Horwitz, who was the owner of My Free Travel (even though he will tell you he only worked there), you can call him direct at [protected].

Tyler, the company Customer Loyalty International was working with My Free Travel. MFT was the fulfillment center and their responsibility was to fulfill the cards. They received the money to fulfill the cards and then they shut down. You can see more proof at www.myfreetraveldocuments.com. The scam artist here was Steve Horwitz with My Free Travel and now Vacation Consultants International.

stevebostic, my free travel was the little man. If you look at CLI's history this is the second co that CLI has done this to and it will not be the last. The big man with CLI is now working on his 3rd co in WA Odensa. They are still using rebates and they are also using the Life Time Travel book that My Free Travel came up with.
We are all pointing fingers at this little co and not looking at the big picture... CLI and the man that owns that.
As for people that bought a big ticket item do to this stupid rebate... Why... why would you do that to only get $25.00 a month for 12 months or so.. Why do you think that the appliance store or any one else owes you money.. It's your own fault that you spent $475.00 for a rebate..

To Andyshink: That is because the Big Man at CLI is using the same rebates.. Why don't all of you Ignorante People realize that.. This man at CLI is the con artist he is USING little co to make money.. He is the one that is making all of the money here... We All need jto pull together and get the AG's of all the states to go after him...

havsmfn2 - IF CLI is to blame, then why does the guy who owned it provide proof that he sent hundreds of thousands of dollars to My Free Travel (www.myfreetraveldocuments.com)? It looks like they did their part and My Free Travel disappeared. You can still contact CLI and they are open to talk about stuff but Steve Horwitz (The child predator) is hiding and won't talk about it. Let's see, do I trust a child predator registered in the state of IL or a guy I can pick up the phone and call who has no record? I'll go with the latter.

Funny thing is that when I google "havsmfn2" it shows a personal ad for someone in the the Chicago area of IL. Hmmmm...maybe you know the child molester and you are trying to defend him...or you ARE him.

I have to be honest and say that the businesses passing these stupid things out should be ashamed as well. Maybe not responsible for refunding people or whatever, but they used these stupid certificates to get business and once they passed them out, they did not have nay responsibility for it. In my case the guy called it a prize at a baby show. They are all cheap people who just wanted to pretend to be great without having to give out money of their own!

UPDATE: Newest phone number for Steve Horwitz is [protected]. EXT 301 IS HIS DIRECT EXTENSION. He now runs Vacation Consultants International and is registerd in IL as a sexual offender with a minor.

[protected] - That's the newest phone number for this child molester and scam artist.