Have you been approached by someone telling you that you can join a private program that can pay you while you travel the world? Have they talked to you about how “you should be here” living the #dreamtripslife with them?
While it all sounds great in theory, it’s not all as easy as it may sound. Honestly, let me explain to you how exactly their program works – and then you can decide for yourself if you want to invest your time and money with them or if you prefer earning your money some other way.
Important DreamTrips updates:
Update: In May of 2017 a Pyramid Scheme lawsuit has been filed against WorldVentures (company that owns and operates DreamTrips) in U.S. The case is still ongoing in 2020.
2020: There are 170+ of complaints about WV, you can read them here.
Update June 2019: Taipei prosecutors charged the US owners of WorldVentures Taiwan (operators of Dreamtrips) on allegations of running a pyramid scheme.
I’ve Been Earning a Full Time Income Online Since 2007.
Here is my story.
What is Dreamtrips?
The person that approached you, probably talked to you about this exclusive “lifestyle” or “community” or travellers. They are probably very vague about it, but there is a promise of travels and vacations, for practically no money. Be careful – the person that approached you is probably a seller and only wants to make a commission off you. They are particularly active on Instagram, posting pictures of themselves #makingalivingliving as a #travelpreneur in exotic locations.
Dreamtrips works in a very simple way – first you have to become a member of their community to have access to amazing travel tours and discounts.
(the cheapest membership I found is an initial 250$, with a 50$/month fee. That doesn’t include any trips.).
Their products are the tours they offer. Here is an example:
It might look legitimate at a first glance – but as a person that has traveled a lot in the past, I urge you to consider the following things.
- The airplane or transportation ticket is not included in the price
- Will you be available exactly on these dates?
- The savings are negligible once you consider the fact you have to pay them a 250$ sign up fee and 50$/month even if you don’t go on any trips
- You can’t see what trips/prices are until AFTER you sign up with their program
The person that is trying to sell you this program will argue that you will never have to pay the actual price in dollars, because as a member or WorldVenture, you can earn “Dreamtrips Points” to exchange for these trips. (Guess why they want you to sign up so bad? They want those points themselves!)
And what they’re doing is what you’ll be doing – pitching a lifestyle and an amazing opportunity to people through social media.
What is WorldVenture?
Dreamtrips is only one of the products offered by the company called WorldVenture. Other products are called Dreamtrips life, VolunTours and Luxury Dreamtrips.
World Venture is a “direct sales” company – in other words an MLM (multi level marketing). There are basically two ways you can make money using their program.
- Sell people vacation products such as Dreamtrips, Dreamtrips life, VolunTours or Luxury Dreamtrips
- Recruit other people as WorldVenture sellers, and earn commissions off their sales.
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Is WorldVenture a scam?
While I would not call WorldVenture and their products such as Dreamtrips a scam, I would not consider them a reliable way to make money online. Simply the high price of their membership you will have to pay every month are probably going to cost you more than you will ever earn. And their “exclusive” tours are simply not that great compared to non-exclusive travel tours, where you also have the complete freedom to shop around and compare prices with others.
While researching WorldVenture I stumbled upon a document from FTC (US Federal Trade Commission) where we clearly see that 99.97% of WorldVenture participants lost money in 2008. This means that out of 10,000 participants only 3 will actually make a profit. I honestly don’t understand why anyone would join an MLM with these odds.
Making Money Online
There are plenty of travel tours you can promote online that do not require any subscription fees to join. This concept is called Affiliate Marketing (something I have been doing for the past 10 years) and you can absolutely earn money in the travel industry by promoting all kinds of tours and tickets to people online. You simply have to promote a good tour, and you earn a commission if someone buys! All without the risk of being stuck paying some kind of monthly fee. If you want to try it out, and become a real digital nomad and internet entrepreneur – it will not cost you ANY money but only some knowledge and hard work. Most of “tour websites”, airlines and hotels have affiliate programs and they are free to join.
When I started learning about online business possibilities I stumbled upon a training platform in late 2007. I decided to try out their training and I loved it. I built my whole online business with them and I am still an active member to this day. Their community is simply awesome, their training is constantly updated and very easy to follow. The best part? It’s completely free. The Starter account doesn’t cost a dime and doesn’t even require you typing in your credit card number. So yes, there are legit and reputable platforms that will teach you how to actually build a real online business.
If you have any questions please do use the comment form below.
Alex
I was chatting with a colleague in a bar while on a business trip when he mentioned Dream Trips to me. First off, I don’t like the fixed packages of dates, tours, etc. I much prefer to plan my own trips and earn hotel reward points or stay in Airbnbs. Either way, our casual chat about Dream Trips intrigued me so I decided to Google it. Luckily I found this article and am now aware of MLM travel schemes. I’ll stick to the best travel agent I know – myself.
Thanks for the insight!
Sadie, I totally agree with you. Working online has allowed me to visit 30+ countries but I always do my own research and I am 100% sure I find better deals than any service could offer.
I also dislike fixed dates and tours in general. But hey, I don’t think DT is trying to provide amazing travel deals, recruiting paying members seems to be the main goal.
So I have a friend who is attempting to have me sign up today in 2019. There’s a lot of negative comments about the company from this post saying the company would fold in 2018, but it’s still kicking. Any updates or changes to post in regards to the fact that they company is still going?
This is unbelievable. A few days ago I met a pretty woman on the Staten Island ferry who described this sort of business to be so simple and profitable. Just travel and get paid. Also, I feel they hire very experienced reps who could talk you in.
If you do enough research you’ll see that many of their recruits fails rather quickly and some manage to get into a significant debt. It seems like you did stumble upon a good salesperson. But you know, an amazing sales person can sell anything, good or bad 😉
Alex I’m interested in legitimate travel promotion ideas, affiliations, etc., as you mentioned.
Can you point me in that direction?
Feel free to email me 🙂
Hi David.
Most airline companies have affiliate programs (of course all free to join). The same goes to most travel booking websites.
You can also look into affiliate networks such as Commission Junction, Rakuten, ShareaSale, they have several travel related offers you can promote 😉
Alex
Hi Alex
How do I join the affiliate marketing.
Hi Lawrence.
Affiliate Marketing is not a company but rather a business model. You can take my free affiliate marketing course.
I am trying to join just for the saving in packages . Alex can you tell me if this is a good Idea?
Hi Rosa.
I have heard several reports from people involved that there aren’t really any savings.
You’re better off using proper websites to find good deals on trips.
Damn it! Damn it! I already signed up… something told me when I looked at those horrible prices that it was a scam. I had already planned on dropping it but reading this information solidified my choice. $150 down the drain.
Hi Tiffany.
It’s unfortunate that you lost money, however it happens to most of us at some point. I lost quite a bit of money to scams when I was first starting to learn about independent online work. I call it a lesson 🙂
Alex, if you’re gonna write about a company, first know how to spell the name of the company, based on what you wrote you never sat down with the owner or taken a tour at the corporate office which is offered! I have had much saving and experiences. Example; took an island trip we (6 of us adults) spent $132. each for 5 days all inclusive, got my airfare $100 cheaper through Rovia, it’s #1 booking search engine, we did the research and I could not get this experience anywhere else! We consumed $9,450. food, drinks, fine dinning! Do your research! This company encourages others to be their best, it’s constantly strives to give the best of trips, teaches members to be servant leaders; helping others locally and globally, the best part, co-create a world that people want to raise their kids in! Glad I said Yes!!
Hi, Theresa.
I almost missed your comment as your domain name comes up as SPAM/SCAM so your comment gets blocked by several services. I certainly do not meet the owner of the company in order to voice my opinion. There are numerous reports from people who joined WV (DreamTrips) and felt scammed, ripped off and manipulated. There is no denying that.
Thanks, unfortunately I have already joined with my 100 dollars,i have read all the comments and I believe its true and all about convincing people to join and earn a commission.
What you are taught before joining is different to what they teach you after signing up. I can not recommend my friend to join.
Thanks all for your comments
Hey Abel, it’s unfortunate to hear that they got you.
Best of luck to you!
Happy New Year… was introduced just a few days ago but because I have been scammed before I don’t really believe in all this and after reading all this comments I do believe I can never never be scammed again… and good luck to those who do join enjoy… thank you Alex
The new social media ploy for WV in November of 2018 is to flood Glassdoor.com with fake reviews from corporate employees. Unfortunately for WV, other employees and ex-employees are writing real reviews about what is going on there, including more confirmation that WV is in dire financial problems, owing reps and vendors millions combined. Also news that an investor has been found and will probably own the company by the end of the year. Here is part of one of the comments…
No review here could really do justice to the turn around this place has gone through in the last 3 ish years. suffice it to say we were at over 500k members and growing 3 years ago and are now around 180k…steady decline and no plan or end insight to turn things around at this point… other than opex cuts across the board. most importantly due to the triangle shape of the business model with less and less and less members willing to sign up on the mlm side and new competition in the mlm+travel space (former seniors here left to start their own travel mlm) the company is in dire straights financially and we are in a cash crunch that is closing around us like a vice. we managed to find an investor but there deal terms are so unfavorable to us they will likely own the company by eoy. less members = less travelers= less revenue=less employees=…well you get the idea. we are now facing yet another round of deep cuts and we owe huge sums to vendors, we are being sued on multiple fronts with reps/leaders claiming we are not paying their commissions (hint “worldventures lawsuit south africa” in search for fun reading) and when rawanda calls you a pyramid scheme and wont let you do business there its only a matter of time folks. i mean norway decided it was awhile ago, ps they are in the EU so who knows when that will spread. we pay more in legal fees than generally any other department gets…
look most people here are simply getting paid well enough to look the other way, but even they are jumping ship at this point. we had a new cfo for like a month before she was called by god to go somewhere else. she was like the 3rd ot 4th. similarly we are on like the 4th or 5th cto. like the third coo/ceo…all in the last like year. on the plus side though generally we dont have much to work on day to day so the hours are good. but to be sure anyone with any sense around here expects the doors could be bolted shut at any moment, either due to legal or financial problems. some have reverted to retaining only a paper-bag and minimal personal affects around the office just incase. folks it is going to be a really bumpy ride until the train comes to a stop.
Hey Rob! Are you one of the members at Dreamtrips/WorldVentures? I am very curious where the information about posting fake reviews on Glassdoor comes from.
Also it’s a very interesting comment you posted. I assume it comes from someone inside the company. Could I possibly get a source for that comment? It’s cute how they’re calling it “the triangle shape” business.
Alex
Happy Holidays Alex!
I was a WV member and rep. I still know people who are in the program, trying to get their money back (doubtful at best at this point). The info on the Glassdoor fake posts come from the corporate employees themselves. If you read the reviews, it’s mentioned a number of times that HR is actively getting employees to write false reviews.
The above comment comes from Glassdoor.com. I think it is on the second page of returns from the Worldventures Holding in Plano, TX entry.
It was written by a present manager at the Plano office. It is titled “180,000 reasons to run away” and is dated Oct 19,2018.
Sorry this took so long, I’ve had some other things to do recently.
Hello, I respect your opinion a 100 Alex, but what resonated with me in your “research” is the fact that you so call highlighted the so call “bad things” about this company or the industry for that matter, but you are out here promoting whatever “affiliate marketing” is, that is bad for business my friend. With that being said, I am representative of this company you took the time out to research and it has been marvelous for me thus far, while some persons are not interested in making money from this company, they do enjoy their DREAMTRIPS! And those who actually take the business serious are making serious money from it, I believe living in a 3rd world country such as Jamaica, this company has been a blessing, it has given us opportunities that many of us have not dreamt of, so please, I am imploring you to do proper research and keep updating your posts on stuff like this. All the best in your endeavors.
Hi Ridani.
I base my opinion on facts, such as documents from FTC which reveal that 99.97% of WorldVenture participants lose money. I don’t think there should even be an argument about this company or a business model.
The only reason I talk about affiliate marketing so much is because it’s an amazing business model. It does not cost a single penny to join and you can work with most reputable companies such as Amazon, eBay, WalMart and many many others.
As you suggested, I do “update” my research from time to time but it seems like whenever I look at the news about WV or DreamTrips there is always a new lawsuit against these companies not paying out their pyramid reps. Should I go on?
Affiliate marketing just like multilevel marketing is a kind of business and not a particular company. I think Alex was just trying to make a comparison between affiliate marketing and multilevel marketing.
will Dream Trips be responsible for your visa as a member or you need to secure your visa yourself.
Of course they will not be responsible for your travel. It’s all on you.
World ventures are selling Flye card. What is the take
I haven’t heard of Flye cards so I can’t comment on that.
However the latest news I’ve heard is that a pyramid scheme lawsuit is files against World Ventures in the US! That’s the important news.
Alex
Is that the Yiru RICO case in Dallas Federal Court that you’re talking about?
Yes Rob, I am talking about the Melody Yiru case.
The Flye card has been a total disaster for WV and is one of the main reasons that WV is in such bad financial straits. After 3 years and hundreds of thousands of dollars, the card still does not work as promised. It still cannot be offered to the public in it’s condition. Reps got taken to the cleaners by WV yet again, with slick but untrue promises about the card (like the memberships themselves, they were supposed to sell themselves). Unfortunately, more people are going to Android Pay, Google Pay or ApplePay, which are free and run by reputable companies.
Its really a pity these kind of little minds. I love the fact that you believe more in Web sites that anyone writes than in your own friends and family.
I am a member. I’m a representative also. me and many of my friends too. I think it’s a huge joke that you talk so badly about this company and I see right in front of my eyes that this works for everyone around me. because staying out and criticizing is the easiest job I’ve ever known in life. I think having people by my side who had had the freedom to leave the jobs they had to dedicate themselves to know the world and travel it’s really amazing. but it’s just a scheme, right? ahahah
in fact, what gives me the most joy in it is meeting people like you. which are limited to any data and report everything as if they had been there and if there was anything that life taught me was to speak only with my own valid arguments. but I will always love to see you on earth while we have the life we have always wanted. no millionaire was a millionaire on the first day of his employment. but he believed he would.
Nobody is a professional tourist here on the first day, but it’s not what happens if you do not want to.
stop thinking small if you want a great life.
I understand how you feel, Tina.
However, one does not need to believe my opinions. You can simply look at the facts:
1. “99.7% of WorldVentures (DreamTrips) representatives average net losses of over $1000 per year, and gross revenues of $140.”
2. A Pyramid Scheme lawsuit is filed against this company in the US in 2017 (still ongoing)
3. World Ventures is deemed a pyramid scheme in Norway
If you want to be a part of an alleged pyramid scheme – it’s your choice.
Tina how may I earned $2000 residual income in a month with worldventures
Morrison, as the lawsuit against WV has determined, “…“99.7% of WorldVentures representatives average net losses of over $1000 per year, and gross revenues of $140.”. So the simple answer is that you need to be in the top 0.3% of the company to earn money. Good luck with that.
You are too late. the top earners are already set in their positions. If you join now, all you’ll be doing is paying the people above you.
You getting paid Tina?
WV hasn’t been paying reps or vendors since October 2017.
For reps, no commissions, residuals or Dream car/home payments.
People are having their homes and cars repossessed because WV refuses to pay them the wages they earned and are owed.
They are laying off people almost monthly from the corporate headquarters in Plano. They can’t even make payroll for their corporate employees.
They’ll fold by the end of the year.
seems as if they are still going strong and its wayy past the end of the year
Making any money Tina?
The RMDs I know haven’t been paid since September of 2017. They are due high 5 figure monthly checks.
Individually, just one of them is owed a high 6 figure/low 7 figure check for the total time they haven’t been paid. I know about 4 RMDs in the same predicament.
That’s a lot of money for WV to be owing their employees for services already completed.
You getting paid?
I know RMDs here who still haven’t been paid since September of 2017. It’s beginning to look like WV will be sold before they see a cent of what they worked to earn.
Hello, thank you Tina… I just joined with the company and I actually meant the people that was on these trips and the videos….there will always be people like these people that will try and talk bad on something good and haven’t even tired the matter… I’m booking my trips and my children,family are gone having,fun catching fights across the world while these people staying in their feelings!
Nice try Lakaya 😉
Hi Alex
We signed up with Dream Trips a week ago. I was thinking that I could mass market the membership to a data base of 40 000 cell numbers I have.
Then I saw the oppertunity to mass market all these customers as an affiliatte. Could this work?
Hi Graham.
The thing with mass marketing is that it doesn’t usually work. I mean if 40,000 numbers you have are authentic and these people signed up to receive promotions from you then it could work. If you purchased this list from someone then it probably wouldn’t result in any sales, regardless of what you’re promoting. Spamming these people would be illegal in Canada, not sure about US.
When was the last time you opened an unsolicited email and purchased those p*nis enlargement pills? Or when was the last time you received an SMS claiming you won a free trip to Hawaii and actually clicked on the link in that text message? Those 40,000 numbers will react in the way, they’ll ignore the unsolicited message.
Alex
As a Representative of this scam, you are a paying employee of the scam. You are paying the company money to promote it. They can shut off anytime, close it down anytime. You will lose your time and money. Fat cats will retire and a new campaign will start. Seen this over and over. Money for jam and these parasites do not care. Usually they prey on the desperation of young and old to make them feel important and offer them a false impression of been successful and professional. Do not enter or pay for this bullshit, who pays to be employed ffs.