BookVIP operates as an online travel agency that offers promotional vacation packages and sales of vacation ownership interests.
Despite reflecting over 10 years of active business and over 5 years of Better Business Bureau Accreditation, BookVIP has recently come under scrutiny from consumers.
Many consumers report feeling fleeced out of their money while others have had confirmed bookings canceled without prior notice.
There is an undeniable pattern of complaints reoccurring with BookVIP and as you are about to find out, some reviews regarding BookVIP do not reflect the sort of experiences any consumer would wish to experience when trying to enjoy a vacation.
With that in mind, let’s begin.
How does BookVIP Work?
BookVIP functions like any other online travel agency.
You visit their site (BookVIP.com), browse their various deals or you can search for vacation deals via destination.
After you’ve found a potential vacation deal, you can either register and lock in your spot for $99 or if you know the dates you can book through their offer.
Among the top destinations of BookVIP include:
- Cancun
- Orlando
- Cabo San Lucas
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- Montego Bay, Jamaica
- Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Supported hotel and cruise partners of BookVIP are Ramada, Hyatt, Four Points by Sheraton, Marriott, Novotel, Accor Hotels, Carnival, Starwood and more.
Cancellations are said to be free, free to be rescheduled and can be booked 24 months in advance – or so BookVIP says.
BookVIP Complaints
Shared below are relevant complaints we found regarding BookVIP:
Victoria A – “I have the same experience!. this company is a fraud I paid for a 4 star hotel in south padre. I called them to confirm the date. they told me that within 2 weeks, the hotel will contact me of the name/location of the hotel. 1 week before the trip and I still have not heard back regarding the location. I called them and they sent me over the hotel info. it was 2 STAR HOTEL, and the online pictures/reviews were so bad. I have to wait for 3 hours, talking to several customer rep who said they cannot do anything for me because the trip was confirmed. finally, after I got upset enough, they send me over to their supervisor. the supervisor tried to scam me again by saying he’s going to give me 100 hotel credit. if you travel enough, you know that hotel credit does not translate directly to usd dollar. a 1000 hotel credit might only equal to 100 usd in real life. I finally had enough and tell him to refund me my money. my vacation is now canceled because of them”
Cathleen B – “Thank God I am only out my $60 deposit”
Bryan S – “IT is a SCAM!! We made reservations in Miami. Showed up and were sent to the 2nd floor to sign documents committing us to go on a tour in the morning. We went back to the front desk and were told we had to come back at 5pm to be assigned a room. We were assigned a room straight out of 1980. Moldy and gross. WE went to the front desk and they said it was all they had for us. We said it was not ok to put us in a Motel 6 room from a horror movie. The front desk made us go to a closed office on the 2nd floor to plead our case. Since the office was closed the front desk said there was nothing they could do about it. There was no way we were staying there. We called and left a message for the lady in the office. No return call. We went to different hotel that was beautiful. We call again in the morning. Nobody answered. Later our credit card was charged $300!! We disputed it unsuccessfully with our CC company. Just before this we “won” a free trip and paid $100 as “taxes” When we called to book it they couldn’t do it and then accused us of owing $300- It is all a scam!! Stay away from their terrible business practices!!”
Taneka D – “They were horrible!”
These complaints, and more, can be found at TripAdvisor.com.
Popularity
The popularity of BookVIP.com has been steadily declining according to the data acquired from SimiliarWeb.com.
Over the past 6 months, BookVIP.com went from over 400,000 monthly visitors down to 270,600 as of February 2020.
Whether the public scrutiny regarding BookVIP has contributed to the site’s relative decline in reputability lately we are uncertain but we imagine it plays a considerable role.
BookVIP Reviews
Shared below are 3 recent positive reviews we found regarding BookVIP:
Pani Iarosski – “I had a great time in Puerto Vallarta with Book Vip.com!! Resort and stuff was very organized and friendly!! Definitely I will use them again for my next vacation.”
Bethanie Murray – “We just returned from our trip to Playa del Carmen using BookVIP.com. I love using BookVIP.com and recommend it to everyone I meet. The upgraded suite was amazing! We stayed in the Grande Luxxe Deluxxe part. The resort staff at Vidanta was very nice and the place was beautiful. The many pools were gorgeous with plenty of seating. The beach was clean with lots comfortable cabanas. There were several restaurants onsite, what we ordered was good. There were many quaint locations for photo ops. I loved the little marketplace at night. Housekeeping was top notch. Doormen and concierge were always helpful. Overall the place was fantastic. There were a few little things that could have been better. The food and drink servers were not as accommodating as we’ve had in other resorts. They didn’t seem to want our business. We actually walked out of 2 places after being completely ignored. The property was huge, shuttles were the best transportation but we spent a lot of our vacation waiting for them. I didn’t realize the resort was jungle themed. The jungle was a bit oppressive. The boardwalks were confusing with unclear signs, also completely walled off with jungle. We never got our bearings during the stay, because the sky was barely visible. Our lovely top floor balcony was useless because the trees were taller, blocking any view. I would stay there again. But I’d ask more questions about were my room is in relation to the many beautiful amenities. Thank you again BookVIP.com, because of you I’ve enjoyed some amazing adventures.”
Swann J – “enjoyed the venue, accommodations, and hospitality of the staff. It was greatly appreciated!”
These reviews can be found at TrustPilot.com.
Is BookVIP a scam?
Despite the excessive complaints surfacing regarding BookVIP, they appeared to be used by thousands of travelers who enjoy their platform while they reflect a BBB Rating of A, therefore we do not feel that BookVIP is a scam but we do feel that there are better solutions available to prospective travelers.
3 Points To Consider
- BookVIP is still used and trusted by consumers
- BookVIP has had a large volume of reoccurring complaints
- BookVIP has been steadily losing monthly visitors when compared to their overall monthly visits back in September 2019.
BookVIP Scam Review Recap
Even though we are facing unprecedented times due to the Coronavirus and the idea of booking a vacation seems to be the last thing on people’s mind, it is important to only use trusted travel agencies to book prospective vacations.
This is not to suggest in any way, shape or form that BookVIP is an untrustworthy travel agency but given the collection of pending complaints, and the pattern of these complaints, we do feel that there are better opportunities available to you.
With this in mind we are going to bring our review to a close but if you have a personal experience to share please drop a comment below to inform other readers regarding your travel experiences with BookVIP.
Outcome: Pursue BookVIP At Your OWN Risk!
Site: BookVIP.com
Please share any experiences, insight or feedback you have below!