Customer ReviewsforSmart Travel & Incentives, Inc.

****************This company is such a scam. After the horrific customer service and the attempts to book reservations for which we already sat through the sales pitch, these folks had the nerve to (on their second offer) to say that they had nothing available because they didn't have any sales pitches in the area's that we were trying to go, so after trying to book our second attempt to no avail, I just said, send me my $100 dollars back. I received a letter in the mail with a check for $80 dollars and a letter indicating Terms and condition-"If you cancel your request prior to booking, you will be subject to a $20 activation fee per voucher." ALERT ALERT-YOU COULD'NT BOOK ANYTHING FOR ME AND I ASKED FOR MY MONEY BACK.....HOW IS THAT A CANCELLATION? Just to be clear, when I discussed this with the aforementioned horrific customer service to get my money back, she didn't mention any fee's and was just happy to get off the phone.To: BBB-How does a company with such bad reviews get an A- Rating???? Is there a Negative Star Rating?

Dear ****************,I am sorry you had issues requesting your reservations. We do provide instructions on how to do that in the terms and conditions of your voucher. We also provide a website that shows the airports we use for these vouchers listed in alphabetical order. In addition, we provide our phone number so you can call us with any questions. I see that your first request included departure from an airport we dont use. We sent you a letter stating so and provided the link to the website again. You then submitted a new request with valid airports but did not give the required 60-day notice. So that 1st date could not be checked. The 2nd date on that form was valid and you were emailed a travel offer on 10/16/23 for the 2 round-trip tickets and 2 nights hotel stay in *******, **. The total cost for the taxes and fees we requested you pay was $335.92 and the agent gave you 3 hotels to choose from. Most customer think that $168.00 per person for airfare and 2 nights in a hotel is a great deal. I honestly have no idea what you mean by not having a sales pitch in the area. We are not a travel club, dont have any kind of sales pitches, and only have the one location. I dont know if your confusing communication from your sponsor with us or if you misunderstood the travel offer emailed to you. Unfortunately, I cant offer any insight into this since any kind of sales pitch wouldnt have anything to do with us or our vouchers. We received your cancelation notice on 1/2/24 which was dated by you on 12/18/23. You signed the line at the bottom of your Travel Request Form that states, To cancel this voucher and receive a refund, please sign below and then mailed that into us via the post office, so Im unsure why you would state you did not cancel your voucher. The terms and conditions do state that if you request travel but do not book it, then a $20 fee is deducted from your deposit. We do that because of the amount of time an agent spends looking up your specific reservation requests, finding the best airfare and multiple hotel options for you to pick from. This is something you signed agreeing to in the terms and conditions when you activated the voucher, and again twice more on both Travel Request Forms. I am sorry you were unhappy, but you were given a travel offer for what you requested and could have chosen to accept it. We have an A rating because we have tens of thousands of customers throughout the U.S. Most of our customers are happy travelers. We rarely have issues but when we do its usually because a customer did not read or chose not to follow the terms and conditions of their voucher, and then blamed us for it.Best regards,

Here is the review promised to Smart Travel Incentives - Vacation Advisor, whom we regret dealing with from start to finish. After stopping by their booth at the Placer County ***************** in ******, my wife and I were suckered into handing over a $20 deposit toward a vacation club presentation to be conducted by zoom meeting. We were lured into attending with the promise of a ********** vacation that would include Hotel accommodations for 2 nights, and up to $200 rebate off ********** tickets. We were also promised that our $20 would be returned, after we attended. Instead of returning our deposit, they sent my phone some sort of non-physical, virtual discount coupon thing that turned out to be worthless (we're not even sure how to redeem it)....and kept our $20 deposit. Jumped through many hoops, $150 in deposits, went to D-land, stayed in cheap motel, & returned. After following their instructions practically to ***, and submitting copies of our tickets and all other requested materials within the specified time frame in order to receive our $200 rebate...they screwed us over. They tell you everything must be sent "certified mail", which I thought meant "sent through **** with proper postage"...and hadn't realized "certified mail" is a special service through **** that you have to pay extra for. I sent everything that was requested right away upon our return, and didn't hear back from them for a few weeks (while they sat on it until specified time frame expired). Then they send me a letter saying how "Unfortunately they can not give us the rebate because it was not sent by certified mail." I emailed them, and pleaded for the chance to resend by certified mail (now that I understood correctly what is was), but to no avail. They told me that it wouldn't be fair since I hadn't done exactly as they stated, and besides the required time frame had expired. Should've known we'd get burned dealing with this shady outfit, who don't even deserve 1 star.

Dear *****************,You have ** confused with your sponsor. We do not offer travel clubs or gives presentations. Your sponsor, who did all the things you mentioned, gave you one of our promotional travel vouchers. I do see you used that voucher, and we booked your vacation as you requested. Im sorry that you were not happy with the *************************************************, in **********, **. It is a 4-star property on Trip Advisor and most customers seem to enjoy it. Im also sorry that the rebate portion of your voucher did not work out as you desired. We do require all the terms and conditions of the rebate be followed to issue them. Just like a grocery store wont accept an expired coupon, or an appliance company wont issue a rebate if the form has even one blank spot. We also require all steps to be followed to issue any rebate. We do put all of this in writing in our terms and conditions and provide multiple ways to contact us if you have questions. Im sorry that you thought Certified Mail was just the act of mailing it in, but thats not our fault and does not make us a scam. We did exactly as we stated we would in the terms and conditions. Again, I do hope you enjoyed the hotel stay we booked you.Best regards,

DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME! We wasted a whole day between travel and pressure to buy into their vacation plans. After paying the $100 via cashiers check and sending via certified mail, we have yet to get any vacation booking. Were on our second set of requests, first one of these has been turned down. Where can you get a $350 ticket? Were submitting requests within 2-3 hour flights. The fine print is ridiculous. Trying to figure out allowable airports is nearly impossible . I just want our $100 back at this point. Were not going to get our 3 day, 2 night, rental car and free travel for 2. The $100 free dining certificate that we were promised was nothing more than a card good for one buy one get one free meal at specific dining establishments. Skirting as close as possible to being a scam. Terrible experience. We are very disappointed. Caveat emptor!

Dear **********************,We are sorry to hear you are unhappy with your voucher. Were not the company that you drove to and were offered a vacation plan to purchase though, that would have been your sponsor. Your first request to travel was for an airport that we do not use with these vouchers, which is why it was denied. We do state in the terms and conditions that we use specific major airports and provide a website with a complete list. We also ask our customers to read the terms carefully before signing that they agree to them. We do that in the hopes of preventing these sorts of issues from happening. Unfortunately, we do regularly see customers not reading the terms, then getting surprised by them and blaming us for it. We book customers vouchers daily, and it is very common to find air tickets for less then $350.00. I am sorry that your specific requests did not work due to the air cost being too high. Im unsure why you felt you had to figure out which airports are allowed. We provided you a website that has them listed, in alphabetical order of city. To cancel your voucher you just need to request it in writing. You can do that via email, fax or mail simply by stating that you want to cancel your voucher and receive your deposit back. You can also sign the line at the bottom of your Travel Request Form that states, To cancel this voucher and receive a refund, please sign below. You can then fax, scan and email, or mail us that form back. Whichever is easier for you, will work for us. Best regards,

As close to a "legal" scam as possible! Yep, attended the seminar for our "Free" vacation. It requires a $100 Cashiers check deposit. Read all the fine print, and went forward anyway. Received Vaca Planning Package. More T&C's. Promised anywhere in the continental US. New fine print, anywhere with ticket of less than $350! Received vaca offer. Southwest Air, old hotel, cheap ticket, but Airport Fee, Taxes, Hotel Fee, etc... We're spending $200 more to do the same trip with a better hotel, ***** *** (better?) and our flight choices. Request refund. New T&C! "If you cancel your request prior to booking, you will be subject to a $20.00 activation fee per voucher." Yep, lesson learned! Not worth giving up my time for the seminar, and definitely not worth the effort for a "Free" trip. They didn't get us for a much as they could have, but I hope others check this out and do not play!

Dear Mr. *****, We are sorry that you were unhappy with the travel offer you received, but that does not make your voucher or us a scam. We did not add terms and conditions on every form as you implied, they were in fact the same terms and conditions repeated on every form. We ask our customers to read them very carefully before signing that they agree to them. Had you done that you would have seen that nowhere does it state we promise to book you anywhere in the continental U.S. In addition, you would have seen there was a website provided in term C to look at the airport options. You would have also seen the $350.00 per ticket maximum listed in term B, and the cancelation policy listed in term D. In term B you would have also read where there is a $75.00 per person reservation fee, and that you were responsible for the airline and hotel taxes, and any surcharges. The travel offer you received was for the $75.00 per person reservation fee, airlines taxes of 78.62, hotel taxes of $40.38 and a $63.00 surcharge. Again, all thing we stated we would charge on the original activation form that you signed agreeing to. A company that does exactly what they state they will do, is considered by most people to be the opposite of a scam. Again, we are sorry you were unhappy. Best regards,

I believe this is a scam. Paid them money based on Promise of cruise, airfare, hotel. Got NOTHING. They kept the money. Very difficult to work with. Beware. Really not even 1 star.

You activated your travel vouchers with us on 5/15/2019 and never requested any travel. The vouchers are only valid for 18 months which is stated in the terms and conditions that you signed agreeing to. We even gave you a year extension so you could travel if you wanted to. You still did not request any dates. The voucher expired on 11/15/2021. The terms state that the deposit must be claimed by then or will be forfeited. You did not even request a refund until 9/1/2023, almost 2 years after that timeframe. I am sorry that your unhappy, but we are not a scam and followed the terms of our vouchers. You could have either traveled or received a refund had you also followed them. Regards,

I am one of those travelers.... I checked in weekly knowing that I wouldn't get a date until 45 to 60 days before but continually ask them if it looked like everything looked good if I needed to do anything if there's anything else I could do to help the process. I was assured there was nothing I needed to do that the dates look good that I would get a phone call or an email and just to touch base in a week or two called today and our travel is not going to happen very disappointed very sad and now they're saying pick another date but we don't have more vacation time. I'm just so disappointed and sad. I do understand that it's based on availability but I really just was hoping that this wasn't a scam

Dear Mrs. *****, We are very sorry that your first choice did not work out. We have seen an unprecedented amount of travel in the last several months, most likely due to the previous Covid lockdowns. The entire world seems to be going on vacation which has caused rates to increase as much as 47% above normal. You also chose dates over 4th of July which is a peak time in Hawaii, during one of their busiest months. We are a full service Travel Agency, not a scam. We send our customers on vacations every single day, but certainly cannot pay almost $2500 just for one customer’s vacation. When Customer Service looks at a request they can tell if the dates are in the system and the request is valid to be checked. That is why they tell you that everything looks fine and an agent will contact you with the availability. Your voucher does not expire until 10/12/23 so you can request new dates so we can try again, or you can cancel and get a refund. Best regards Smart Travel

We have received our request form to request new dates! Fingers crossed that this works out! I am hopeful and optimistic and do understand that things happen. Looking forward to getting additional vacation dates approved at work so we can mail this for approval!!