Cause Marketing Solutions, Inc.

Feb. 4, 2010 - PRLog -- MY FREE TRAVEL PROGRAM UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR FRAUD

Dear Loyal Customers of Cause Marketing Solutions, Inc.,

In recent weeks, Cause Marketing Solutions, Inc. (“CMS”) has received hundreds of consumer complaints concerning the FOOD AND GAS REBATE PROGRAM by MY FREE TRAVEL, which CMS and its distributors offered for sale to the public from June 2009 through December 2009.  When CMS entered into a business relationship with My Free Travel in June 2009, we believed that My Free Travel was a legitimate company and that its Food and Gas Rebate Program was a legitimate program.  However, we recently learned that My Free Travel is under investigation by the Illinois Attorney General’s Office for fraud, and that CMS and its distribution companies are but a few of the thousands of innocent victims of a nationwide scam.  

A recent review by the Better Business Bureau of complaints concerning My Free travel reveals a pattern of consumer allegations. The majority of the complaints allege receiving offers for gas and grocery rebate vouchers with the purchase of a product at participating retailers. Consumers claim that when they tried to redeem their rebates, My Free Travel denied them based on requirements that were not previously disclosed to consumers when they signed up and after paying a processing fee to the company.  Consumers are also told after being denied their rebates that they are no longer eligible for the program.  Other consumers allege being denied their rebates through various programs based on not fully complying with the terms and conditions of the offer that were not previously disclosed to them.

On December 17, 2009, My Free Travel laid off its entire staff and ceased operations.  On December 30, 2009, the Better Business Bureau revoked My Free Travel’s accreditation for failure to comply with BBB guidelines and failure to address customer complaints.  Furthermore, My Free Travel is under investigation for fraud by a number of consumer protection agencies and government bureaus, including the Illinois Attorney General.  CMS is in full cooperation with the Illinois Attorney General’s office and has turned over 64 pages of documents, including fraudulent insurance documents which My Free Travel provided to CMS at the time of the sale for this program.  

CMS has been in business since 2001, and this is the first time we have purchased third-party product for resale to the public.  CMS has been overwhelmed with the number of calls concerning My Free Travel.  We ask that you be patient with CMS as we are working very hard to address all customer complaints.  To date, CMS has exhausted its cash reserves by paying out over $15,000 in refunds.  While we intended to seek reimbursement from My Free Travel’s insurance company for these amounts, we recently learned that the insurance documents provided to us were as fraudulent as the product offered for sale.  Accordingly, CMS is no longer in a position to offer cash refunds to individuals who purchased My Free Travel’s Food and Gas Rebate Program through its distributors.  However, CMS remains vigilant in its dedication to customer satisfaction, and is now offering to replace the Food and Gas Rebate Program with one of its other products, up to a value of $60.00 for each participant, in recognition of its commitment to its customers and to the communities where our distributors sell our products.

CMS strongly urges all consumers with complaints against My Free Travel should contact the IL Attorney General’s office by calling the Chicago Consumer Fraud hotline at 1-800-386-5438, or 312-814-3580.  We are hopeful that, with your cooperation and the cooperation of all of the companies defrauded by My Free Travel, those responsible for this injustice will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Signed,

Deirdrea Renwick, CFO
Cause Marketing Solutions, Inc.
February 3, 2010