World Discovery Club Review: $20,000 travel club?
After the MLM travel club explosion of 2008 and 2009, it’s been a while since we’ve seen a new startup in the niche.
This is in part no doubt due to the fact that most of these travel club MLMs offered services that weren’t tied into their compensation plans and were simply paying out commissions on the membership fees of new members.
Seeking to resurrect the niche comes World Discovery Club but are they too late to the game with their $19,997 premium travel club offering? And more importantly, do they manage to pay members out on the use of the services they offer, rather than just the membership fees paid to join?
Read on for a full review of the World Discovery Club MLM opportunity.
The Company
World Discovery Club launched in November 2011 and was founded by Matt and Catherine Willis (photo right), Ryan Bifulco and Jon Shugart who are all listed as co-owners at the time of launch.
Serving as CEO and COO respectively, Matt and Catherine Willis seem to be the head of business operations for the company.
The Willis’ have previously launched a MLM lead generation system called ‘Cutting Edge Technologies’ and Matt was involved in nutrigenomics based MLM company ‘GeneWize Life Sciences’ (I’m not sure if Catherine was involved in this venture) in 2008.
Travel wise the pair have been involved in Coastal Vacations, Mor Vacations and DreamStyle Vacations – all various travel clubs which appear to be the foundation for the launching of World Discovery Club.
The World Discovery Club Product Line
Like most MLM travel clubs, World Discovery Club don’t themselves offer any products or packages that can be sold at a retail level to retail customers.
Rather the actual product being sold is membership to the World Discovery Club, of which there are six membership levels on offer.
Each membership level differs with what’s on offer but the general idea is that the more you pay in membership, the more third-party travel offers and services are made available to you.
Through its membership levels, World Discovery Club provides access to
- a large inventory of rental condos, luxury condo resorts, homes and luxury villas
- exclusive hotel prices
- over 600 private airport lounges
- luxury ocean cruises at up to 75% off.
- discounted airline tickets
- vacation packages
- preferred golf tee time booking
- arrangements for live performances including plays and concerts
- dining reservations
- theme park tickets and special reservations
- discounted car rental / auto hire arrangements
- travel products not available to the general public
I’d go into what each of the membership levels offer specifically, save for the fact that within the context of the World Discovery Club MLM business side of things there’s not much point.
None of the above services and offers if used provide you any type of commission as a member of World Discovery Club. You only earn a commission when you sell a World Discovery Club membership (or your downline does).
The World Discovery Club Compensation Plan
The World Discovery Club compensation plan utilises a unilevel model. This unilevel structure means that for each new member you recruit, a new leg is placed underneath you. This is called your first level and is as wide as the amount of members you personally recruit under you (no limit).
As members on your first level recruit their own new members, this forms your second level. Your second level’s recruited members form your third level and so on and so forth (no limit).
In order to qualify for commissions, members must make two membership sales on the level they wish to qualify to earn commissions on. Note that by purchasing a membership level yourself, this counts as one of your sales.
Once members are qualified, within the unilevel structure World Discovery Club pay out commissions each time new members join the company. These commissions are either direct commissions or downline commissions.
Direct Sales Commissions
For each new member you bring into World Travel Club, the company will offer you a direct sales commission depending on which membership level is sold:
- Silver Life – $150
- Gold Life – $450
- Platinum Life – $1,050
- Platinum Executive – $3,000
- Platinum Chairman – $4,050
- Platinum President – $6,000
Note that your first qualifying sale that your eligible to earn a commission on is halved. For example if you’d already sold two Platinum Executive memberships your third sale would be your qualifying sale and you’d earn $1,500 instead of $3000. All following Platinum Executive membership sales would net you $3000.
Downline Commissions
As the members you’ve brought into World Discovery Club recruit their own new members, your downline grows and on each sale generated by your downline World Discovery Club pays you out a commission.
Using the commission payout on Platinum Executive ($3000) as an example, on the second level of your unilevel organisation (the members recruited by those you’ve directly recruited yourself) each Platinum Executive membership will pay you out $3000.
On the third level (the sales your 2nd level make), the first sale made is half the regular commission payout ($1,500 using the Platinum Executive example) and then the regular payout for each sale made thereafter.
Things get a little vague here as World Discovery Club then go on to claim that using this same pay out structure get paid
to unlimited depth on each and every leg.
Imagine commission overrides of $3000 and more rolling up to you from unlimited depth!
If we imagine one member with 10 levels of recruits who have all bought Platinum Executive membership, that 10th level sale would have to pay out $3000×8 plus $1,500 which comes to $25,500 off a single total membership fee of $8,497!
Unless World Discovery Club have got their compensation plan wrong, that’s $17,000 they have to create out of thin air. And if that 10th person recruits someone, the number only increases each time!
The only way I can see this working is if World Discovery Club only pay out the downline commissions on the first sale of each member. In this way the company is banking on the additional membership level purchases and sales made by a member to cover these commissions costs in the longterm.
Of course this also means they’re counting on not too many people buying the $19,997 Platinum President membership outright (as this opens up all commission on all membership levels instantly), and instead will work their way up to it.
You need to either sell or buy different levels of membership to become qualified on them and with the 2 sale minimum qualification pre-requisite, I haven’t crunched the math but I guess that could work.
Otherwise if the downline commission is paid out on every membership purchase in the downline, I’ve got no idea how World Discovery Club are paying out these commissions over gigantic downlines with no reduction in the commission amount paid out to each member in the downline.
Joining World Discovery Club
World Discovery Club has various levels of membership options available to those wishing to join the company.
Each level of membership offers differing access to the third-party travel services World Discovery Club provides. There are six levels of membership and they are as follows;
- Silver Life – $497
- Gold Life – $1497
- Platinum Life – $3,497
- Platinum Executive – $8,497
- Platinum Chairman – $12,997
- Platinum President – $19.997
World Discovery Club members must either purchase each level of membership separately and make one sale of them, or make two sales of each level of membership, in order to qualify to earn a commission for membership sales on that level.
Alternatively, purchasing the highest level of membership, Platinum President, at $19,997 opens up commissions at all membership levels instantly.
Note: There seems to be some discrepancies with the membership prices on the World Discovery Club website and in their compensation plan video. I’ve gone with the compensation plan video prices but the World Discovery Club website currently lists the cost of Platinum Life and Platinum Executive membership as $2,497 and $6,497 respectively.
Conclusion
Like nearly every other travel club MLM opportunity I’ve reviewed before it, the biggest problem with World Discovery Club is that the compensation plan structure is completely disconnected from anything the company offers other than membership.
And that’s because all services offered by World Discovery Club are provided by third-party services which the company has affiliate agreements with (they make money when you book anything, but you don’t).
What this means is that you the member can only earn a commission on memberships to the company and that my friends is a glorified ponzi scheme.
I say glorified because unlike your traditional travel club MLM with one flat rate membership fee, World Discovery Club have upped the game with six levels of membership.
Also whereas most travel club MLMs offer membership anywhere between $300-$1000 or so, World Discovery Club have gone for gold and pumped up top-tier level of membership to $19,997.
Most noticeably the only real difference in these membership levels are a few years added on here and there to some services provided and at the top-level an invitation to a company getaway.
Case in point? If you got rid of five of the membership levels offered by World Discovery Club the compensation plan and commissions would still work in much the same manner.
The only reason membership is scaled is that World Discovery Club know that virtually nobody is going to join at the $19,997 level and will need to work their way up. This means multiple membership purchases which in turn draws the maximum the company can make off one member out.
That and if they just offered the $19,997 Platinum President option they’d likely have 0 members, so the company needs to ‘feed’ people towards this option with the other five various membership fee levels.
At the end of the day though the value of the memberships is only in the commissions able to be earnt at each level and ultimately it is the opportunity itself that is being sold, rather than any travel services or product.
In this sense World Discovery Club is no different to the lower tier MLM travel club recruitment scams out there.
I mean really, would you join World Discovery Club for $20,000 just to use the third-party services they ‘provide access‘ to?
So-called Travel MLM is bogus because they are pretending to be a “travel club”, but all the members are actually recruiters. TVI Express is the same way.
A real “club” don’t need recruiters. They need REFERRALS, and would never promise big $$$ for referrals, because that’s illegal.
All these “clubs” that pays out big $$$ for recruiting are de facto pyramid schemes.
Get your facts straight. My timeshare company offers me $2000 for every referral and you pay a hell of lot more than what a $2497 life time membership with WDC will cost you.
Every business in the world is a reseller of a manufacturer or developer. Lets get real… Every discount travel service on the internet is a reseller including EXPEDIA who has a 1000 employees.
I have saved over $600 using my membership at WDC after searching for 45 minutes looking for a better deal online. I haven’t even booked a condo yet. If you are going to bitch and moan get your facts straight.
A real business offers products and services. A real business has sales people and customer service. Get a life…
You are arguing something else entirely.
Pay commission on SALES is legal
Pay commission on RECRUITMENT is ILLEGAL
These MLMs try to confuse you on what’s recruitment and what’s sales by mixing them together, and they clearly succeeded, because you are confused.
@J. Fuller
And what facts would those be?
Is that the only commission they offer? If so, then that’s a scam too.
Even if we take your ridiculous assumption that there are no primary producers in the world, World Discovery Club aren’t even that. They’re not a reseller, they merely ‘provide access’ (their words) to third-party services. World Discovery Club themselves do not handle the sales of the services they provide access to.
Just because you searched for something… doesn’t mean you saved any money if you didn’t buy anything. Have you actually bought anything from one of the services or are you just equating ‘hey look, I can save $600!’ with ‘Hey, I actually saved $600 because I purchased something!’
I hope you’re not using this sales tacticts to recruit new members with.
That was my point entirely. What products and services beyond membership to the company do World Discovery Club offer? Providing mere access to someone else’s services and products is not a viable service or product in itself.
Cheers, sounds like World Discovery Club members are a real pleasure to deal with.
@Oz
I believe the timeshare company’s reward may be legal.
He has only described what they pay him, and says nothing about the company’s business model. The reward for referrals may be in an ‘additional market’ for the company, while their ‘main market’ may use other methods.
Yeah, that’s why I asked if it was the only commission they offer. If they are paying members commissions then there’s obviously some buisiness relationship there and if new membership commissions are all that exists in this business relationship then that’s highly questionable.
I’ve been in the networking marketing industry for 24 years. I’ve been in travel for 9 years. YES – TVI Express is a recruiting game. Totally agree with that.
What I don’t agree with is your assessment of World Discovery Club. Our product is the focus – period. There’s not cycling, no bs, no bull.
We are partners with our team members, we training them, and we work to assist them in their success. We could charge for this as some have done, but instead we partner with them and make a percent of their sales. Fair way to build a sales team.
@Jay NaPier
I may agree partially. This article and thread is partially based on an answer in another thread, where the matherial available was a ‘presentation’ and some other stuff. People may run a business differently in real life.
People looking for a business opportunity will be heavily focused on the income possibility, more than they focus on the services or products. As a business model this is heavily dependant on recruitment, but it may work differently in real life. It may be possible to attract people that are more ‘retail customers’ than ‘income opportunity seekers’, people that are genuinely interested in the product rather than the opportunity.
If this business is able to attract real retail customers, then it should focus more on that part than the income opportunity. The presentation focused on both parts, but slightly more on the opportunity than the service. We have simply evaluated it out of how the business is presented to the public.
Your comment doesn’t change the impression of being focused on the opportunity, but a business may work differently in real life.
Trouble is though, all that’s being sold is membership to the company – there is no retail product offering tied into the MLM business model and therefore no true retail customers.
World Travel Club is just like TVI Express in that way as all they sold were memberships too.
As a non-member of World Travel Club, I can’t buy anything except membership and as such memership is all existing members have to market, as that’s what they’re selling.
Given that membership fees are all that’s being sold, 100% of World Travel Club’s commissions are therefore derived from membership fees…
Huge red flag.
I am not sure who wrote this review but whoever they are has obviously not done enough research on this company or product to write this review.
The ‘author’ obviously has no experience in timeshare or the travel industry because if they did, they would understand that the product has immense value as a product in itself, business opportunity aside.
Whatever travel membership the author is referring to for $300, can in no way be compared with World Discovery Club and I get the feeling the author has made a generalized review here, based on whatever knowledge they may have of other travel memberships.
World Discovery Club uses RCI who is the largest travel provider of timeshare properties in the world. To realize the value of having access to RCI, one only needs to visit the RCI.com website. Normally you have to purchase membership at a timeshare resort to have that priviledge.
A typical timeshare membership costs people $15-$80,000 (plus yearly fees) and when they refer others, they will earn a referral bonus or points in some cases.
As someone who used to sell timeshare, I can tell you that it is a hot market, and the travel ‘niche’ has never had any issues with buyers. For someone to say the travel niche is in need of being ‘resurrected’ is not based on facts.
People are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars every day on timeshare memberships and timeshare resales.
Another ‘red flag’ pertaining to the author’s credibility comes from the fact they give incorrect information including costs of the membership which are actually $497, $1497, $2497, $6497, $12,997, and $19,997.
And yes, people DO pay those prices (and more) to have access to these exclusive timeshare resorts when they purchase a timeshare.
As a product, World Discovery Club offers better value to the public than purchasing a timeshare or timeshare resales and give them more flexibility because they are not commited to paying yearly maintenance fees or exchange fees anymore.
As a business, it offers people commissions of up to 30% for referring it to others, which is enough to change most people’s lives.
Bottom line: World Discovery Club has a value driven product even without the business opportunity. As a business it offers a lucrative compensation plan to anyone who understands that people love and always will love to travel, and get the best value for their money on vacation.
Many people are purchasing it for the product alone, and not even promoting the business.
Enough said. Before you bash another company, I suggest you get your facts straight.
@Rebecca
1. World Discovery Club is not a timeshare, it’s a MLM company so all your waffle about timeshares is completely irrelevant.
2. Per your own admission all travel relates services are provided via third party vendor RCI. World Discovery Club themselves provide no travel services. The only thing World Travel Club members are able to market and the only thing actually sold through the company is memberships.
100% of the commissions paid out in World Discovery Club are from membership commissions, meaning the company is dependent on the recruitment of new members.
3. You appear to be unable to read. The membership prices you provided are clearly stated in the “Joining World Discovery Club” section of the review
Let me guess, you saw the commissions stated in the compensation plan section and read that as the membership cost.
Oh dear.
Look, at the end of the day if you’re selling membership 100% of the commissions paid out are from membership fees and 100% of the money coming in is from members. Textbook pyramid scheme.
@oz
I think you are the one who is not understanding things here…
1. WDC TOTALLY relates to timeshare as the product is a direct comparison. Anyone who owns a timeshare will see the value in the WDC. I sold timeshare so I know the value and how it compares. I am not saying WDC is timeshare. Please read before you respond.
2. You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. Of course all travel is sold through a third party. There’s no argument there. But try to find a better price an a condo anywhere and WDC is hard to beat. Period. You obviously don’t get out much.
3. You are simply making arguments where none exist. World Discovery Club is an amazing deal and if you travelled at all you’d know that.
Enjoy your life!
(or get one)
@oz oh yeah… and by the way…the prices are quoted are the membership prices. Don’t know where you got your numbers. Probably while skimming the WDC website so you could write half hearted review of some sort.
@Rebecca
No it doesn’t. It has nothing to do with the compensation plan.
Great. So all that’s sold through World Discovery Club is company membership, with members required to recruit new members if they wish to earn commissions.
So you’ll agree it’s a pyramid scheme then. No amount of ad-hominem attacks changes that.
@oz You obviously don’t know anything about timeshare, vacation membership, or World Discovery Club. Done.
@Rebecca
All I know is World Discovery Club has no retailable products themselves. With members only able to sell membership to new members in order to earn commissions and new members being required to do the same in order to earn anything, this defines World Discovery Club as a pyramid scheme.
No commissions are earnt (via World Discovery Club) on the sale of timeshares through third-party vendors, making them entirely irrelevant to the compensation plan. Fact.
@Rebecca — without the ad speak, how EXACTLY do you get paid by WDC?
By selling membership to WDC, right?
So you are NOT selling timeshare, or travel. Right? Merely access to it?
@K Chang WDC pays commissions, just like any sales job. 20% of your first sale, and then 30% of all sales after that. When I sold timeshare last year, it worked the exact same way.
People buy a membership to access resorts that are reserved only for members. The sales person makes a commission. The customer gets a membership to vacation for less for the rest of their lives in luxury resorts for as low as $199/week.
Note: There is no price between joining the WDC business, than becoming a customer. There are some companies (like ACN or YTB which I agree was a scam) who charge a huge fee to become a rep, and in that case, I can see your point. They are making money on the sign up fee. WDC does not do that.
There are a ton of people who purchase this membership and do not promote the business, simply because it gives them better value than other travel products out there.
If people are buying a product and they are getting value and improves their life, it is a valid product. Do you own a timeshare? If you do, and you compare what you get, you will see what I mean.
I guess it depends if you see value in a travel membership or not. Timeshare owners certainly do. But some people don’t. I know timeshare owners who switched over when they saw the value inside the WDC membership.
So to answer your question, anyone promoting the business, gets paid commissions on any sales they make.
To answer your last comment, we work the same way any timeshare resort does. No we are not selling timeshare. We are selling a vactaion membership that gives better value that timeshare.
@oz If that is true, then the entire timeshare industry is a pyramid scheme. And if what you say it true, then they are all spending money on a product that is not retailable. Think about it.
Travel membership is a huge market. One of the largest in the world. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are spent daily on people who purchase vacation membership worldwide. And that’s a fact.
I am really done with this conversation but thank you for expressing you viewpoint. Gives me a chance to reconfirm my belief in the product:) Unfortunately, we will never agree on this so it probably best to go our separate ways.
I see value in travel memberships, like many people, and you don’t. That’s fine. I also believe in giving people the opportunity to earn money in their own way, so they can break free from whatever situation they may find themselves in. I believe wholeheartedly in home based business, and it looks like you don’t. That is fine too. I hope you have a job you love. Really.
No hard feelings towards you by the way, simply because we have different perspective on life.
Selling membership is not the same as selling timeshare.
One’s access to a product, the other’s a real product.
This is the exact same argument raised a year ago. How different people repeat the same arguments, eh?
https://behindmlm.com/companies/world-discovery-club-review-a-20000-travel-club/#comment-45399
@Rebecca
If you are selling membership and getting paid out on multiple levels using a MLM compensation plan, you are in a pyramid scheme.
Whether you see value in the membership or not is irrelevant.
The timeshare industry is not the MLM industry. Again, comparison fail.
Irrelevant, we’re discussing the MLM industry.
It is worth noting though that in MLM, the travel niche is probably the largest contributor of membership based pyramid schemes to the industry I’ve analysed over the years.
Bottom line? Selling memberships with no retail product + an MLM compensation plan puts you in a pyramid scheme.
There’s no justification for this.
Pyramid schemes will require chain recruitment, “members recruiting members recruiting members”, where all of the members have the right to recruit additional members and earn commissions.
It doesn’t have to be DIRECT recruitment, so trying to bend the rules by using a matrix with spillovers won’t make it more legal.
Chain recruitment is the same as selling the right to earn commissions on selling the right to earn commissions. Normal sale is about selling products or services to end users, rather than selling the right to earn commissions.
Timeshare is about selling the right to use resorts for a specific period of time to end users, not about the right to earn commisions if they recruit other recruiters.
Timeshare can PROBABLY pay commission or incentives when an end user is recruiting other end users.
Like I said, the customer in your example will indirectly get a “product” or a service, rather than the right to earn commissions for recruiting other recruiters.
Membership in that example is a method to organize a service as a tradeable “product”. “The right to lower prices” and “reserved only for members” can both be tradeable, and you CAN sell them as a “membership package”.
In World Discovery Club, you’ll have to PAY for the right to earn commissions on each level, directly or indirectly?
Paying for the right to earn commissions is clearly a sign of a pyramid scheme. It’s a typical “pay to play”. Indirect payment doesn’t make any difference, e.g. that you can recruit 2 other members instead of paying.
One of the criterias for a pyramid scheme is “A plan or a system, where the consumer gives consideration …”. Consideration is any type of contribution from the consumer. Recruiting 2 other consumers is a contribution.
People are clearly paying for the right to earn commissions rather than paying for products or services, atleast partly.
The right to earn commissions is NOT a tradeable product, and you can’t legally earn commissions on it either.
I checked the first two member packages, and they contained only marketing material.
Discount cards are normally not tradeable products. The normal use of discount cards or vouchers is to use them as marketing tools, i.e. give them away for free.
The $497, $1497 and $2497 packages contained only discount cards or vouchers, not any tradeable products. They are not tradeable when they are added to the other packages, either.
For something to qualify as discount, the discount itself has to be free. We can’t SELL discount as some type of product or service.
These MIGHT be tradeable products. 100% discount makes them more similar to some type of giftcard or something:
This is only marketing material:
These are only marketing material:
The “value” added here is plain and simple cheating. Give away memberships have no real value for the member, other than as marketing material.
These are not tradeable products, but the company CAN charge for the cost:
INVITATION to something is not a retailable product or service.
@M Norway The WDC travel product as more value than what thousands of people pay for timeshare every single day. Value is value. WDC has a value as a pure product. Done.
@Rebecca
Too bad time share and the travel product has nothing to do with how World Discovery Club affiliates are paid.
All they are paid to do is recruit new members. No retail and no product, it’s just membership which provides access to third-party products.
@Rebecca
Then plase give me estimated or exact retail prices for the different discount cards? There’s 2 different discount cards.
From my viewpoint, discount cards and vouchers are marketing material rather than tradeable products.
Discount is a METHOD used in sales and marketing, e.g. to attract customers in a price sensitive market. Discount is not tradeable in itself.
Please correct me if I’m wrong, e.g. if the discount cards actually are sold in retail to end users, if there is a normal retail market for them? Show me some examples for both cards?
Not sure what “discount cards” you mean. Members get direct access to book worldwide condos for as low as $99/week. They just log into the website, browse properties in the country or city they are going to, and book with a credit card.
I have never used a discount card of voucher to book anything in World Discovery Club. Are you sure you are not mixing it up with another travel company?
If you are familiar with the membership, just go inside and book something directly. You will not need any voucher.
@oz WDC affiliates are paid a commissions (20-30%) on each membership they sell. If you go to the sellyourtimeshare dot com website and have a look at what’s on the resale market, you will understand the value in travel memberships.
Does that membership they sell includes rights to earn commission like the way it was sold to them?
@Rebecca
The value is irrelevant when commissions are solely paid on membership.
You join WDC, recruit new members who pay membership fees and earn a commission.
Travel… what travel?
Yea. I just heard of them. I did my due diligence. Just recently in September 20121 they are no longer partners with the ARDA.
Also the Gwennitt Chambers as of April 2012 they were no longer partners, and you cannot find them on the BBB at all. IDK everything seems to be shutdown.
The partners on their webpage are no longer their partners and everything shutdown near the same time makes you wander. I am calling Georgia to see if they are legit also, but so far all the information about them having partners is not good.
They are\were a real company at some point but recently none of the partners heard any word from them.
Check the website at look up everything before you participate. Due the research because if they are not in business and still asking for money that is bad.
Ah.. but members get the USE of the condo.. sorry, it’s NOT a scheme and that is why NO one can touch them..
I’m not a member but I have been in MLM’s and since there is use involved it’s more than likely the reason they stay in business. If you think not OZ, call the State’s Attorney’s Office and have them checked out! Stop talking the talk and walk the walk and do something about it if you think it’s wrong.
I agree, OZ, you have a point but until it’s proved otherwise you or I can’t do a thing about it. They WILL continue to make money and to me that in itself is not a bad thing. But your questions are relevant, so do something about it..
And by the way, more power to you, you’ll need it, lawyers ARE very powerful and if their Ducks are ALL in a row, well , let’s just say, you better stay away. But hey, what do I know.. I have been in businesses that had nice set-ups and it favored them and not their employes and not me or anyone working for them could touch them.
And man the things I heard from their big wigs would make your toenails curl.. you can guess I got out of there.. take care.. And if you do go through with it all they have to do is offer is a little somethng to sell and they are fine.. cya..
Meanwhile that has nothing to do with commissions, which are paid on the recruitment of new members.
I don’t have any time or interest in doing so. This is an information site, I believe you might have mistaken it for the Ghostbusters.
Next door down on your left.
Making money in a blatant pyramid scheme is most definitely a bad thing. You might not be able to look beyond your own hip pocket but we take a much broader view of red flags here.
Oh please.
WV: Waaaah, he said we’re a pyramid scheme!
Judge: Explain yourself Oz.
Oz: *holds up FTC definition of a pyramid scheme* They pay commissions on the recruitment of new affiliates and have no retail.
Judge: Is this true?
*awkward silence*
Quick update on this thread regarding World Discovery Club as a product and as a business…
I bought the product back in 2012 and still use it. Most recently, I got a 2 bedroom condo at Georgian Manor in Collingwood for $355/week (Dec 2014) and it was listed as $179/night for regular customers.
My prices was even better than timeshare owners could get it for.
This membership has more than paid for itself over the last few years and has given me access to great condos that I would not have otherwise had access to.
In the whole debate on whether this company is a scam or not, all that really matters is that the product has value to the end consumer.
Most people are not interested in the opportunity to promote it and make commissions in the big picture of things. What matters is that the customer ends up with something they use and get value from.
Out of the 6 membership levels, there are two with the real, solid value. They are the Gold membership ($1497 one time for 10 years) and the Platinum ($2597 one time for 50 years).
Those are the only two I recommend because they really do give families access to incredible properties around the world at great prices, and I have personally gotten a ton of value from my membership.
I feel it was a worthwhile purchase.
Who was the travel actually booked through? Typically these companies let anyone sign up.
When the only way to earn commissions in an MLM opportunity is to recruit affiliates, this is a load of garbage.
What matters is you’re able to demonstrate the selling of a product or service to retail customers. That’s not happening here.
“Scam or not” isn’t about that type of value.
It may be about whether people pay money for the opportunity to earn rewards based on the recruitment of other people.
Then why do they have that opportunity?
It should normally have some type of business function. The only function I can see here is that some people may feel attracted to the income opportunity and may be willing to pay more money than they normally would have paid.
That’s about “cheating consumers”. It may be profitable but it’s also risky.
Bring out the fire extinguishers, something is changing and a lot of people are paying close attention.
WHEN something tragically a car accident happens, there really isn’t anything most people would do. I had moved over to a shake company, my “friend” who was with the shake company refused to even visit me when he was in Atlanta!
World discovery club has had growing pains – like any other economic change. No one can predict the future, however the big hearts and started the company didn’t have just themselves in mind.
Without opening up a bunch of stupid stuff… I will still say that knowledge AND applied knowledge make a difference. Matt has a big heart and he shows that with “world discovery cares”.
People should consider the age of something that is almost 8 years old! Even Amway had to be the trail blazer! Anyone who might have trouble understanding this can consider that I started my travel business with $500 on a wing and a prayer!
@Jay
Are affiliates still the primary membership purchasers?
No retail sales = pyramid scheme.
These people advertised on Entrepreneur magazine for a franchise opportunity. I applied and got a call from a male rep who instead of talking about how I could invest and make money was more aggressive on selling their 6 tier membership plans. I discontinued the call.
The next day the CEO Matt called and re-started the conversation. He sounded very important and caring. However, he has a very pushy way keeping you in the loop of promise that any investment is sure to be a money spinner with their model if you put an effort on by buying a plan spending your money on advertising.
Fair enough. I accepted a webinar two days later.
In the interim day I found out that Matt is not in Georgia USA but in the Dominican Republic. He and key staff use Gmail/Yahoo not a corporate email domain. Their website is un-accessible.
I cancelled the webinar by email and on the next day got a call from Matt asking about the season.
I said my research flagged me of an unscrupulous motive of Matt & company. He accused me a liar & rude with no basis. I, in turn, called him a scam.
I was looking at a decent franchise to invest in my money and a good effort for a decent return. These people should be reported to law enforcement in (US & Dominican) and that’s what I’m doing now.