New Jersey Sues Travel Company Owner (Again)

The State of New Jersey has filed a lawsuit against travel company owner Daryl Turner alleging deceptive marketing practices. The process was familiar because the state sued Turner and his company previously for the same reason.

In February New Jersey settled a multi-million dollar lawsuit alleging a pattern of deceptive business practices carried out by Turner's numerous vacation travel membership companies.

Failed to fulfill promises

The six-count complaint filed this week charges Turner, individually and d/b/a Reservations, his wife Robyn B. Bernstein, and their Marlton-based company, Travel Deals Limited Liability Company, as well as VIP Executives, LLC, with violating the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act and Advertising Regulations, by failing to fulfill promises of complimentary cruises and airfare used to induce attendance at sales presentations, and failing to provide the luxury vacation packages at discounted prices represented during the sales presentations.

A judge temporarily enjoined the defendants from transferring or disposing of any assets related to the matter, and specifically enjoined Turner from any involvement in the business operations of Travel Deals or from otherwise engaging in the advertisement, offering for sale, and sale of vacation packages to consumers in and outside of New Jersey.

At the same time, the New Jersey attorney general is taking Turner back to court on the state's allegation that he is in violation of the recently agreed-to settlement.

Too-good-to-be-true offers

“As we allege in our lawsuit, Turner is in clear violation of his settlement with the State,” said Attorney General Paula T. Dow. “Every indication points to Travel Deals being yet another of Turner’s companies that dangles too-good-to-be-true offers of free cruises and international vacations in front of consumers, defrauds consumers of their hard-earned money, and then leaves them with little more than heartache and frustration.”

Dow's office says it has received complaints from 15 consumers, the majority of whom paid between $2,500 and $5,194 for vacation packages, which as alleged in the State’s new lawsuit, turned out to be essentially worthless.

Dow says the alleged scheme is similar to the one that was the subject of the previous lawsuit against Turner. According to that lawsuit, filed in 2009, Turner and his various vacation travel companies took payment from consumers and then repeatedly failed to provide the contracted-for vacation packages, or refund the money.

More than 670 consumers affected

The defendants also failed to deliver various promotional items promised to consumers in return for their attendance at promotional seminars. More than 670 affected consumers were identified in that lawsuit, which named Turner and his travel companies as defendants, namely Dreamworks Vacation Club a/k/a Dreamworks Vacations a/k/a Dreamworks, Five Points Travel Company, Bentley Travel, Modern Destinations Unlimited, Blue Water, Vacation Clubs LLC d/b/a La Bonne Vie Travel, Dream Vacations International, Inc., and Away We Go Promotions, LLC.

This week's lawsuit seeks to bar Turner from the travel business and require him to repay consumers nearly $2.2 million for vacation packages and/or complimentary items never provided.