NEWARK
- La Bonne Vie, a vacation travel business
located in Manalapan, and Dream Vacations
International, Inc., a Nevada-based corporation,
have been named as additional defendants in
the lawsuit filed last month by the Office
of the Attorney General and its Division of
Consumer Affairs.
In
May, the state filed suit against Daryl T.
Turner and his businesses, Dreamworks Vacation
Club (also known as Dreamworks Vacations and
Dreamworks), Bentley Travel and Five Points
Travel Company. These businesses had previously
operated out of locations in Parsippany, Sewell
and Westampton.
Following
the filing, the Division began receiving complaints
about sales presentations for vacation packages
being held by La Bonne Vie Travel, located
at 600 Park Avenue in Manalapan. The Division
then determined that the business is being
operated by Turner and that it is engaged
in the same practices alleged in the initial
filing.
“Acting
on additional consumer complaints, our investigators
found that Turner is the person behind La
Bonne Vie Travel and that he is continuing
his attempts to defraud the public,”
Attorney General Anne Milgram said. “The
state will continue its efforts to halt Turner's
deceptive business operations and to hold
him accountable for his actions against consumers.”
To
date, the Division has received 16 consumer
complaints against La Bonne Vie Travel. In
total, the Division has received more than
200 consumer complaints against Turner and/or
his businesses.
“Turner
clearly has no remorse for the victims whose
money he took, as shown by his continuing
efforts to deceive consumers by offering travel
packages that he will not deliver,”
said David Szuchman, Consumer Affairs Director.
“We want to end his ongoing cycle of
consumer fraud.”
Consumers
paid $1,200 to $8,000 upfront to purchase
a vacation travel package after attending
a sales presentation, but ultimately did not
receive what they had contracted for, the
state alleges.
In addition to not providing the contracted-for
travel packages, the defendants also did not
provide any of the free gifts that consumers
were led to believe they would receive which,
at varying times, included seven-day cruises,
round-trip airline tickets for two, hotel
accommodations, dinners, car rentals and/or
gas coupons. 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 packages.
Even if they attended the presentations, consumers
were not provided with the gifts.
The
state's amended Complaint was filed in State
Superior Court in Morris County on Friday.
Consumers can file complaints with the Division
on its Web site at 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
Attorney General Gina M. Betts of the Consumer
Fraud Prosecution Section is representing
the state in this action. The investigation
of Turner and his companies began with the
Burlington County Consumer Affairs Local Assistance
(CALA) office, and was referred to the Division
of Consumer Affairs for joint investigation.
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