NEWARK – Modern Destinations Unlimited, a travel company currently operating in Manalapan, has been named as an additional defendant in the lawsuit originally filed in May by the Office of the Attorney General and the Division of Consumer Affairs against Daryl T. Turner, Dreamworks Vacation Club a/k/a Dreamworks Vacation a/k/a Dreamworks and Five Points Travel Company d/b/a Bentley Travel.
The state’s lawsuit alleges that the defendant travel companies, all owned or controlled by Turner, failed to provide contracted-for vacation club membership benefits and related services to consumers and misrepresented their relationship with hotel, airline and car rental companies through the unauthorized use of their corporate logos.
Modern Destinations Unlimited is located at 600 Park Avenue, Suite 200, Manalapan, the same location where another travel company owned by Turner, La Bonne Vie Travel, was operating earlier this year.
“The company names change but we allege the common thread of fraud and deception remains, all of it linked to Mr. Turner,” Attorney General Anne Milgram said. “Our goal continues to be obtaining restitution for defrauded consumers and ensuring that these defendants comply with our laws and regulations.”
The state has amended its original lawsuit three times since the May filing, earlier adding as defendants Dream Vacations International, Inc. and Vacation Clubs, LLC d/b/a La Bonne Vie Travel and now Modern Destinations Unlimited, all additional travel companies under which Turner has conducted business.
“Consumers need to file complaints with the Division if they have been defrauded by any of the defendants,” said David Szuchman, Consumer Affairs Director. “Filing complaints helps our investigators and also ensures that we know who the affected consumers are.”
The Division of Consumer Affairs has received 389 consumer complaints to date against the defendants, 23 of which are against Modern Destinations Unlimited. Dreamworks Vacation Club, Bentley Travel and Five Points Travel Company, had previously operated out of locations in Parsippany, Sewell and Westampton.
The state also alleges that the defendants forwarded mailings to consumers which indicated that they were entitled to receive free items (i.e. seven-day cruises, round-trip airline tickets for two, hotel stays, free dinners, car rentals and/or free gas coupons) yet when consumers contacted the "800" telephone number listed on the mailings to claim their gifts, they were informed that they had to attend a 90-minute sales presentation for vacation membership packages. Even if they attended the presentations, consumers were not provided with the gifts.
Consumers paid $1,200 to $8,000 upfront to purchase a vacation club membership package, but were not provided with the airline, hotel or other travel arrangements at the price and quality represented by defendants prior to purchase.
Consumers can file complaints with the Division on its Web site at http://www.nj.gov/oag/ca/ocp/ocpform.htm or by calling 1-800-242-5846 (toll-free within N.J.) or 973-504-6200.
Deputy Attorneys General Gina M. Betts and Lorraine K. Rak, Chief of the Consumer Fraud Prosecution Section, are representing the state in this action.
Dreamworks Vacation Club Complaint
