The Weekly Wrap: User Comments & Discussion, May 17-22

Before we update you on the latest comments made about YTB International this week (following its recent settlement in the California court system and pending suit in Illinois), we wanted to bring a familiar name, JoyStar/TravelStar, back into the fray.

JoyStar Bankruptcy Details Revealed 

The controversial agency recently came back into the headlines when a creditors filing revealed some details of the company's bankruptcy. To no surprise it's got some agents and readers chomping at the bit, concerned the company's leaders will pull a Carmen Sandiego. For instance, Diane Mason wants CEO William Alverson and his wife, CFO Katherine West, to know they are being watched, saying:

The are nothing but common thieves! You'd  think that the IRS of all people would have put a halt to this crap by now and both Bill and Kathy would be in Jail with NO futher access to incoming commission checks! The nerve of them to continue to take the agents hard earned commissions and pay themselves! Good crooks like them know what they are doing and when they think that the Feds are closing in, I'm sure they'll flee the country to avoid jail time.  The good thing is - we're TRAVEL AGENTS and WE travel the World Bill and Kathy and we will be looking for you no matter where you try to hide!  You can live your life looking over your shoulders!

Jack Danials joined Diane in the call for incarceration, commenting:
They should both be put in jail, or at least be brought up on charges, if this is not illegal they will keep on doing it, what about their mansion on Florida, is the court aware of that, they should be forced to sell that to pay their agents, this is not the first time for them either, remember Travelstar, they fled to Mexico for 3 years, I'm sure they are getting their suntan oil ready for another trip.

Illinois Takes YTB to Court

Last week, readers were all about the California Attorney General's suit against YTB. This week, Illinois leaps to the forefront, where the state's Attorney General is filing a case of her own. As usual, there are defenders as much as there are attackers. Barb, for instance is a staunch supporter of YTB, writing:
Why is it that when people make a wrong decision, like they didn't know they had to work to make money in YTB, they are looking for someone to blame. Kinda like suing the fast food industry for getting fat from eating fast food! If you work YTB, you do make money selling travel!! It's a great company that continues to do more and more for us and help us grow our knowledge of travel and our business. SHAME on those that badmouth YTB!!

Meanwhile, looks like Tracy is not cutting the company or its employees any slack on the matter, saying:
Being a real travel agent, it is about time that someone does something about YTB and their fraudulent active about being able to call themselves travel agents. I would 24/7/365 for my clients, I book their travel not my website. I answer their questions, given them information about their destinations for very little pay at the end of the day. I have heard numerous complaints from people all over the country that have had problems using YTB and their websites to know that many will no longer use a real tarvel agent as these people misrepresent who and what they are, the general public thinks all travel agents are bogus now. YTB and their ilk have damage the image of real travel agents. And it is about time that something is done about them.

As some readers state their arguments, it appears others are starting arguments of their own. First Carole, a YTB member, stated the following:
I am a YTB RTA and I don't want their money. I book travel and have made far more than 39.00 I open my mouth and tell be to book travel on my sight they do. I have made back my investment big time.
Key word not put YTB out of business but stop network marketing that is the real problem. And give money back to the poor stupid RTA please the state will make the money just like CA. Doe sthe word franchise sound better to the average person. LOL

JJ apparently was upset at what Carole wrote, and he commented:
IF you are serious about booking travel there are other options out there that will pay you a better commission split, are reputable without all the baggage YTB comes with. This should be a business decision NOT an emotional one. What CA did not do, IL will. Don't be naive. YTB is not a viable option at this point. Carole-Your post makes absolutely zero sense. Perhaps you need to take that money you made with YTB and get your GED.

More On Generation Y 

Last week, a story about the challenges in training the next generation of young professionals evoked one reader to label Generation Y (aka the millenials) as rude with a sense of entitlement. But recently, a reader didn't so much defend the Net Generation against the comment but encouraged dialogue between ages groups in the workplace. Jacqueline believes separate generations can learn from each other, saying:
It is very important for older generations to understand the younger ones so we can train them and work with them in a way that will make them, and in turn us (their leaders), successful. It is a reality that different people learn in different ways and it shows great vision when we accept this fact and adapt accordingly. I feel very fortunate to live in a time when each new generation is analyzed not only for the music and fashion they have but also in how they think, see the world, behave in the workplace and how older generations can get the best of them by knowing what makes them tick.

Not sure about you, but after a couple of jabs at readers and companies over the past few weeks, we find Jacqueline's approach to constructive conversation quite refreshing.