10/2/2014

Not sure why there are so many low reviews.  Their program is pretty good.  You join to be a travel agent.  My goal is to save on my own travel.  I have 5 children and travel extensively and I know over my lifetime I will be able to take advantage of the commission savings and other perks presented.  They have a lot of classroom and web training.  If you are half way good on the computer the instruction makes very good sense.  The instructors are great as is the telephone support.  And once you get the instruction you are good to go.

9/29/2014

My wife and I have been Agents for Goldrush Getaways since 2004. We pay about $136.00 a year for the both of us and are certified Travel Agents. We have had very positive experience with the staff at Citrus Heights being attentive to our needs and our lack of the travel industry knowledge.

Last November we booked a cruise for the two of us and another couple to New Zealand and Australia. While on this cruise,

the four of us were given a champagne reception on the ship, a free land tour, and a visit to the Captain's Quarters. No one else on the ship were afforded these opportunities. This was done by an an affiliate Goldrush Getaways Travel Agency.

After the cruise we received a commission for about $950.00 from Goldrush Getaways. We frequently book trips for our friends and relatives and give them back the commission.

We are reluctant in attending meetings or webnets to keep inform, but we do rely on the staff at Goldrush Getaways to assist us and so for ,they have never failed us.

9/23/2014

We are extremely pleased with Goldrush Getaways! They are helpful when we are booking and whenever we have questions.
Micki King was especially helpful when we had to cancel a cruise to my husband's accident. Thank goodness we purchased travel insurance just as she recommended. Diana W., Sac

9/13/2014

Micki King was very helpful to us when planning our next trip. She was always there to promptly, positively and cheerfuly answer all our questions. She had lots of helpful suggestions and her experience showed. She is positive, quick to respond and follow through
Thanks Micki, we are so looking forward to our trip.
Thanks, also to Teena who was helpful in finding a condo in Punta Cana for us.
I have read some of the negative reviews and have concluded that the persons who have such a negative view of Goldrush have not put in the effort it takes to learn something new. The travel business is a complexed business and there is a learning curve as with everything worthwhile. With a little effort I am sure that you will be traveling soon and saving lots of money. A good place to start is with the classes. All the agents/employees have been very helpful.
Happy traveling!
Glenda H

6/23/2014

We "entered" at the Placer County Fair, read all the small print and then came to Yelp and saw all the negative reviews. We almost didn't go to our "appointment" because of all the negative reviews here. We decided to go and just see. We already knew the price from some of the reviews on here, and knew that they were wanting to sign us up to be travel agents, and thus get travel discounts.
The presentation was well prepared, and the presenter did a great job. The information was very interesting and believable. Pressure to buy was much less than we've experienced at other "presentations" and yes, they asked us several times, but it wasn't high pressure at all. In the end, we didn't buy only because of timing issues. We have two daughters getting married in the next 8 months and all our extra money will be spent on those two weddings.
Yes, the "free" trips are not free, and you have to jump through a ton of hoops to get them, but the presentation and information provided was useful and almost got us to join.
If it weren't for the wedding, we probably would have bought into the program, as we do travel often enough to get the deals. If it was a year from now, we would join. But we can't go back for 2 years now. :-(

6/4/2014

We enjoyed the short presentation and received all the prizes that we where promised to us. We also won $500 cash. Worth the drive and the time. No pushy sales people. We had fun and were treated very professionally. I would recommend this invitation to anyone looking to save money in the future on travel packages.

5/14/2014

Just got home from a trip to Ireland with Cynthia L. the Agency Manager and had a terrific time.  She created a once in a lifetime tour for 18 of us.  Some travelers went on to different European locations before & after our tour.  They commented to me how pleased they were with the support form Goldrush Getaways staff in their current and past travels.  I can only say that I have been with Goldrush since 2004 and am very happy with the program...gripers who fuss about how they were introduced to the program have missed out on great travel for themselves and their families.

4/5/2014

Love the discounts! Just went to Hawaii, hotel right on Waikiki beach was free, we just paid the taxes!! God half off on Dinner cruise and Submarine Adventures and 10% off on guided tour and transportation to Pearl Harbor. Yay!!! I am loving the benefits. We are now planning a trip to Aulani where we can get 40% off with our Goldrush Getaways membership. Woohoo. I love to travel and do the research, I think that's what makes it work for us.
Best wishes to all!

Previous Review from Barbara R. on 1/14/2014 - 4 Stars:
I've been super happy with it!! We have saved a ton on vacations and hotel stays. The free vacation was disappointing because they gave us a crappy hotel :( But that was Spirit Incentives, not Goldrush. They have been helpful when I had questions. I booked an vacation for my friend right away and she had a fabulous time and I got her a great price!! You do have to get the CLIA card, but you just have to plan ahead for that. There are great savings on everything from Disney to hotel rates! We are definitely getting our money's worth and we have only had it about 8 months. I think the satisfaction depends on whether you really learn how to use the benefits. They offer tons of classes to teach members, which is the key, I think to getting good use of membership. We got half price at the Disneyland hotel last August and can't wait to go on the Disney Cruise for 149.00 per night per person!!!!!!! SO CHEAP for Disney Woohoo!!! Also going to Hawaii in 2015! If you have it or get it, I hope you enjoy it! Takes a little homework, so worth it. Also, DON'T pay 8K for it!!! We paid 4!! They will come down on price. Also, why we are happy, didn't cost as much for us as some are stating :) Happy Travels to all

4/1/2014

My friends and I are going to Jamaica  in June and instead of buying the tickets on line  we decided to work with a agent. I was referred to this company by a friend and I have to tell you I highly highly recommend them for your next trip.  I was lucky to get to work with Deborah .....she kept me inform through every details.  Worked with our budget and answered all the questions we had and she was always available to us . She really took care of all the details for us and we all thank her and we appreciate all her hard work.......great job Deborah

3/10/2014

Elizabeth at Goldrush Getaways went over and above the call of duty for me. I am a new member and I needed some "hand holding". She was so gracious in helping me sort out my travel plans over the week end (she was supposed to be off those days). Thanks again Elizabeth for your help. I look forward to working with you again.

3/3/2014

We would like to take this opportunity to thank and commend the staff at Goldrush Getaways. We have been members now going on our third year and the experience has been excellent. We never intended to become to become independent travel agents, but the traveling and learning experience has been rewarding.When we have questions and or issues to deal with  the staff at Goldrush has alway been there to assist us. We have become much more comfortable in our planning and traveling. Looking forward to many more traveling experiences with our friends and family.

3/2/2014

Presentation stuck to the 90 minute guideline. Awesome!
The presenter was pleasant and the concept is the best by far; I would much rather choose this above owning a timeshare.

2/28/2014

I have been with Goldrush Getaways since 2005. This past summer I went on my dream European vacation.  Fortunately for me Cynthia, the best travel agent there is, caught my time zone mistake and made sure I booked for the correct number of nights in Venice.  If she hadn't paid such attention to detail I would have not had a hotel room on my last night.  I would highly recommend Goldrush Getaways.

2/25/2014

A friend recommended Goldrush Getaways to me and I joined. I have since then booked a cruise to Alaska which was FANTASTIC. I was able to book the cruise very easily after taking the Goldrush Getaways Membership Introduction class. I also got some friendly help from the travel agents they have on staff. Her name was Cynthia.She made sure I received all Goldrush Getaways "Friends and Family" benefits and I saved $878.40 on a cruise package AND had the time of my life!

2/24/2014

Well after ALL the time researching, reading, attending classes and networking, I can say it's really paid off. I save $$$ thousands every year traveling. Yup, I'm partly retired but to everyone that says "it's not worth it" . . . . don't give up.
Keep putting in the time to really really understand the business of travel - Goldrush has a lot of 'pros' on their team and it takes a while to learn everything they can offer.
At the start, especially enjoyed the Citrus Heights classes from our trainer (Karen) and then networking with other more experienced members.
On our actual trips ( you'll meet wonderful people in the groups ) our last was on an Avalon Romantic Rhine cruise - 5 stars to all the other Goldrush TAs who were with us, 5 stars for how Goldrush set up the entire program and then mentored us. 

Also helps to attend a 'Learn at Sea' when they come up if not for the shear 'networking' value with the other experienced TAs. Also enjoy getting reinforced with all the trainer's tips & techniques . . . . I'm never too old to learn.
Looking forward to continue to take advantage of Goldrush's leverage in the travel business. For me, their office is convenient in Citrus Heights, CA - but understand they also do webinars . . . . nice touch.
The more you learn, the easier it gets. Keep CRUISIN'.

2/24/2014

I have been with Goldrush Getaways since 2008. I have booked some great vacations and received wonderful service from Goldrush Getaways, as well as discounts and commission on top of that. The staff are wonderful, they have help me so much in getting started and making my reservations. I just book a cruise for 2015, cant wait for my trip to the Mediterranean.

1/28/2014

Wow, I am a new member Joining three months ago. I have read many of the reviews and and noted that some of you think this is a scam. Before I Joined went to the presentation four times. Hey, I know excessive. I only took my wife once.
Each time the presentation was somewhat different based on who gave it, but the core information was the same. This can and will save you money on travel if you travel in the First place. If you plan to take advantage of the business side of it ,
you get out what you put into it. You have to go into these sort of things with your eyes open as effort on your part is always needed to reap a benefit. But in no way do I believe this is a scam where the just take you money and run. I know the people in Campbell and Irvine are very good/sweet and will help you. I can tell the workers in Critics heights are more stressed out and have to deal with everyone.

12/19/2013

I had another great experience when I went into the office. I attended the intro again and then Melonie spent as much time as I needed reviewing things with me and even set up a one to one meeting to help me get listed with the vendors so excited to learn more about the cruises and the great free inside cabin I will get upon completion of the princess academy. Thank you again for the VIP treatment. We are thrilled with our membership and so are our kids . They even like taking the quizzes with us. Happy holidays and many thanks. Mari & Don

10/17/2013

My partner and I attended the Sunday presentation and were quite impressed. I had not heard of FAM trips except at a glance here and there and had no idea that they could be such fabulous deals.
Jim, the presenter, was wonderful to work with later, during the "sell" portion of the program, as it is being called here on Yelp. He explained things very clearly and cleanly, and was most easy to understand. I have been to many time share presentations, and this presentation was anything but. We were greeted as we came in with robust smiles, from people who obviously love what they are doing and are not out to do anybody wrong. I have experienced the opposite of this in other sales presentations, and my dealings with Goldrush Getaways did not smack of any of that kind of thing at all. It was a most pleasant experience, a great way to spend our Sunday afternoon.

If my circumstances had stayed the way they were 7 year ago and the economy and the real estate market had not collapsed all around us since then, I would be a member now, at one level or another. I was most impressed with everybody there.
I intend to keep in touch with Jim, who I also found to be a delightful person in general. And an excellent sales person, the kind I highly respect. The world needs respectful and intuitive sales people who have nothing but your best interests at heart, nothing gets done unless money keeps moving and flowing, and that's what sales people are for. If I had now the kind of predictable and trustable income flow I had had 7 years ago, things would be very different in my life. And I would have joined up.
I think it's a great organization and give it my highest rating.

9/27/2013

We are independent Travel Agents and had ten people joining us on a Rhine River Viking Cruise. We thought we had covered everything before departing for 5 weeks in Germany. Paid all the bills and set up almost everything we could think of. We were about 3 days in Germany only checking e-mail once in a while. We received an e-mail that Viking had sent some packages to the Citrus Heights office. Viking had my home address and we work from the Ontario office, so could not figure out why they sent something to Citrus Heights. Because of time difference and the weekend my inquires did not do much untill the first of the week and we were on a cruise ship with poor internet. Our son wrote that Brian Carr had called inquiring about our plans with Viking Cruises.
The end results was the Citrus Heights office forwarded the parcels to our home and our son contacted the other travelers to pick up the items and everything continued smoothly because of Mr Carr's help. Where we were we did not know how to reach the office if they had not called first.

7/25/2013

My husband and I went to the presentation in Campbell on Saturday.  We both enjoyed the presentation and felt that it was a pretty good idea.  Even though we do not travel much due to our work schedules and putting a kid through college, we decided we would do the 1 week condo a year option at $3990.  They do not provide you the opportunity to really discuss between yourself if the opportunity is right but they do offer a 3 day cancellation so we went ahead.  After going home, praying about it and looking at the fact that right now we do not go on any sort of long vacations we decided that it wasn't the best time for us and we decided that we were going to cancel the contract.  I followed the basic instructions, faxed my Notice of Cancellation letter to both the Campbell office and the Citrus Heights location (although it took 3 fax numbers provided to me by the receiptionist to finally get one that worked), and I sent via priority mail with tracking all of the documents required, I was pleased to find out when I call 2 days later and spoke to Tim that my deposit was already processed as a credit back to my credit card.  In a few years when our son is through college and we have more time I would look into this opporunity again.  I honestly was thinking that getting my money back was going to  be a hassle but it wasn't and I was pleasantly pleased with our overall experience.  I do feel that Joe in the Campbell office is a bit cocky and pushy, and before my husband and I even agreed to it was shaking our hands and congratulating us and then announces to the whole room we were new members.

6/27/2013

We have been a member for about 10 years. We love what they have to offer. We have gotten our moneys worth with the travel agent rates and we just received a great commission check last week with a european cruise that we booked for my sister-in-law's relative.
Plus they offer alot of training.

1/26/2013

I signed up after attending a seminar in approximately 2004.  I did a bit of haggling and got 8 x 1 week timeshare stays anywhere in the world (up from the 4 they give yearly). That alone is worth the $ if you use them.  The cruises, hotels etc. rates are awesome, travel agent prices.  Like John F. said, if you're an active traveler and use your membership benefits,  it will be repaid many times over.  I haven't used it as much as I should have (divorce sucks), but am looking forward to being able to travel again where I'll use it extensively!!  I've always had courteous service and help from the staff.  No I'm not an employee, just a cop in Chico  :^)

12/12/2012

I am a former member of Goldrush Getaways. In response to the negative reviews I must say that I always found the benefits of my membership to be extremely valuable. I love to cruise. I was quite frequently able to book travel at exclusive travel agent rates which could range as much as 40% to 80% below market value. That means I saved hundreds to thousands of dollars on my cruise vacations depending upon the length and accommodations of the cruise lines. I also saved great money on hotel rooms and rental cars. As a travel agent, travel companies provide incentive pricing so that you will recommend their products to your potential clients and friends. If you do a great deal of traveling or you book for your family and friends, you also share in the commissions paid to the travel agency by travel vendors.



I have to say that I paid the cost of my membership many times over. The only reason I am not currently a member is that I moved to Oregon and am too far from the office to be able to take advantage of the great benefits. I so wish they had an office in Portland.
Yes, the sales presentation seems slick but the gifts are real and the program is very worthwhile.