Following its Chapter 11 chapter, DreamTrips emerged because the successor to WorldVentures a few yr in the past.
DreamTrips took place on account of Verona Worldwide Holdings buying WorldVentures’, particularly the MLM firm and Rovia (WorldVentures’ in-house journey companies supplier).
BehindMLM reviewed DreamTrips in November 2021, following a November sixteenth launch announcement.
A reader not too long ago wrote in to advise that DreamTrips had up to date revised its compensation plan in July 2022.
In the present day we revisit DreamTrips for an up to date assessment. Not solely on the compensation aspect of issues, but in addition who precisely owns the corporate.
DreamTrips Worldwide Company
One factor that’s bugged me for the reason that acquisition announcement is the failure to reveal who’s behind Verona Worldwide Holdings.
Verona Worldwide Holdings doesn’t have an internet site or on-line presence. It’s a murky Texas entity shaped in August 2021.
What made Verona Worldwide Holdings much more murky was the truth that it was clearly created to pursue WorldVentures acquisition.
In researching DreamTrips for as we speak’s up to date assessment, my first port of name was researching Verona Worldwide Holdings to resolve possession as soon as and for all.
The excellent news is, as per a WorldVentures chapter submitting dated October 2021, I can record Verona Worldwide Holdings workers:
- Michael Poates is Verona’s CEO
- Eric Haynes is Verona’s COO
- Paul Jenkins is CEO of Rovia and
- Simon Davies is Verona’s CFO
The dangerous information is these are workers, answerable to Verona Worldwide Holdings nameless Board of Administrators.
Three names I can affirm are on Verona’s Board of Administrators are Mark Smith, Tammy Smith and Eric Haynes.
Curiously, Eric Haynes has changed Poates as Verona’s present CEO:
Mark and Tammy Smith, DreamTrips’ CEO and Chief Discipline Officer, solely purchased into Verona a couple of months in the past.
“We’re excited to welcome Mark and Tammy as our companions on this funding. They’ve set a transparent strategic imaginative and prescient for the way forward for DreamTrips Worldwide.
We’re lucky to have them on our govt staff and as our companions to develop the Model”, stated Emmett McNulty, a consultant of Verona.
Who’s Emmett McNulty? Or is it Emmert McNulty?
No thought. With respect to Verona, McNulty has no digital footprint exterior of 1 publicly listed WorldVentures chapter submitting (cited above).
As disclosed within the submitting, McNulty is a part of “Normal Administration Group”. That did lead me to this breadcrumb:
If that’s the identical man, then we will conclude Verona Worldwide is a notch on the belt of a faceless company that focuses on scooping up failed or failing firms.
Look, for an MLM firm this degree of disclosure is a foul look. For an MLM firm that operated as a pyramid scheme, with an awfully messy previous, it’s atrocious.
I’m not blaming them solely for WorldVentures’ collapse, however Michael Poates, Eric Haynes, Paul Jenkins and Simon Davies are all former WorldVentures executives.
So as to make an knowledgeable choice, customers must be knowledgeable as to who precisely is behind Verona Worldwide Holdings.
As it’s, it comes off as whoever truly owns Verona and DreamTrips having one thing to cover. And that is compounded by WorldVentures’ collapse.
To say WorldVentures’ collapse was messy is an understatement. Wayne Nugent’s secret chapter funds is only one chapter in a messy saga, all of which BehindMLM documented because it performed out.
Having lined that saga, no matter anything on this assessment – should you don’t know who’s operating Verona and may’t identify each Board Member – don’t join.
WorldVentures didn’t finish effectively and in mild of that getting concerned with a murky holding firm, clearly intent on hiding possession info, is an excessive amount of of a due-diligence purple flag to disregard.
DreamTrips’ Merchandise
DreamTrips markets a reduced journey reserving platform.
Costs aren’t disclosed to the general public until the join an account (notice that is separate to DreamTrips affiliate membership).
DreamTrips gives 4 tiers of entry to their journey reserving platform:
- Customary – $199.99 after which $69.99 a month; entry to “DreamTrips curated experiences”, rental and cruise reservations, “actions tickets” and “membership loyalty advantages”
- Plus – $399.99 after which $99.99 a month; entry to Customary plus brief time period keep trip leases, RV leases, “membership advertising choices” and “customized journey choices”
- Precedence – $599.99 after which $129.99 a month; Customary and Plus with “world main concierge companies”, “airport lounge entry”, “greatest worth promise” and “loyalty level help desk” (can solely entry twice a yr)
- Elite – $2499.99 after which $499.99 a month; Customary, Plus and Precedence with “non-public jet choices”, yacht rental, limitless entry to loyalty level help desk, “unique elite DreamTrips” and “luxurious resort and villa choices”
DreamTrips additionally gives equal subscriptions that bundle collectively its MLM alternative:
- Dream Pack – $999.99 after which $159.98 a month; Precedence subscription equal with “Discounted Uncover DreamTrip Expertise” obtainable for an additional $599
- Uncover Pack – $1499.99 after which 159.98 a month; Precedence subscription equal with “Discounted Uncover DreamTrip Expertise” included at no further price
- Uncover Elite Pack – $2499 after which $529.98 a month, Elite subscription equal with “upgraded Uncover DreamTrip Expertise” included at no further price
DreamTrips’ Compensation Plan
DreamTrips’ compensation plan revolves across the sale of journey reserving subscription packages – each to retail clients and recruited associates.
DreamTrips Affiliate Ranks
There are eighteen affiliate ranks inside DreamTrips’ compensation plan.
Together with their respective qualification standards, they’re as follows:
- Affiliate – join as a DreamTrips affiliate, both for $29.99 or with a subscription package deal and preserve 50 PV a month
- Traveler 1 – preserve 50 PV a month and recruit and preserve one Affiliate or larger
- Traveler 2 – preserve 50 PV a month and recruit and preserve two Associates or larger (positioned one on either side of the binary staff)
- Traveler 3 – preserve 50 PV a month and recruit and preserve three Associates or larger (min one on either side of the binary staff)
- Voyager 500 – preserve 50 PV a month and recruit and preserve 4 Associates or larger (positioned two on either side of the binary staff), and generate and preserve 500 GV a month
- Voyager 1K – preserve 50 PV a month and 4 personally recruited Associates or larger (positioned two on boths sides of the binary staff), and generate and preserve 1000 GV a month
- Voyager 2K – preserve 50 PV a month and 4 personally recruited Associates or larger (positioned two on either side of the binary staff), and generate and preserve 2000 GV a month
- Voyager 5K – preserve 50 PV a month and 4 personally recruited Associates or larger (positioned two on either side of the binary staff), and generate and preserve 5000 GV a month
- Voyager 10K – preserve 50 PV a month and 4 personally recruited Associates or larger (positioned two on either side of the binary staff), and generate and preserve 10,000 GV a month
- Sapphire – generate and preserve 75 PV a month, preserve 4 personally recruited Associates or larger (positioned two on either side of the binary staff), and generate and preserve 15,000 GV a month
- Ruby – preserve 75 PV a month and 4 personally recruited Associates or larger (positioned two on either side of the binary staff), and generate and preserve 25,000 GV a month
- Emerald – preserve 75 PV a month and 4 personally recruited Associates or larger (positioned two on either side of the binary staff), and generate and preserve 50,000 GV a month
- Diamond – generate and preserve 100 PV a month, preserve 4 personally recruited Associates or larger (positioned two on either side of the binary staff); one recruited affiliate have to be Sapphire or larger and recruited within the final month, or have two Sapphires in your downline but in addition recruited within the final month, and generate and preserve 100,000 GV a month
- Blue Diamond – preserve 100 PV a month and 4 personally recruited Associates or larger (positioned two on either side of the binary staff); one recruited affiliate have to be Ruby or larger and recruited within the final month, or have two Rubys in your downline but in addition recruited within the final month, and generate and preserve 200,000 GV a month
- Black Diamond – preserve 100 PV a month and 4 personally recruited Associates or larger (positioned two on either side of the binary staff); one recruited affiliate have to be Emerald or larger and recruited within the final month, or have two Emeralds in your downline but in addition recruited within the final month, and generate and preserve 500,000 GV a month and 50,000 GV from a “shared leg”
- Crown Diamond – preserve 100 PV a month and 4 personally recruited Associates or larger (positioned two on either side of the binary staff); one recruited affiliate have to be Diamond or larger and recruited within the final month, or have two Diamond in your downline but in addition recruited within the final month, and generate and preserve 1,000,000 GV a month and 100,000 GV from a “shared leg”
- Royal Diamond – preserve 100 PV a month and 4 personally recruited Associates or larger (positioned two on either side of the binary staff); one recruited affiliate have to be Diamond or larger and recruited within the final month, or have two Diamond in your downline but in addition recruited within the final month, and generate and preserve 2,000,000 GV a month and 200,000 GV from a “shared leg”
- World – preserve 100 PV a month and 4 personally recruited Associates or larger (positioned two on either side of the binary staff); one recruited affiliate have to be Diamond or larger and recruited within the final month, or have two Diamond in your downline but in addition recruited within the final month, and generate and preserve 5,000,000 GV a month and 500,000 GV from a “shared leg”
PV stands for “Private Quantity”. PV is gross sales quantity generated by subscription gross sales to retail clients and an affiliate’s personal journey companies subscription (if relevant).
GV stands for “Group Quantity”. GV is PV generated by an affiliate and their downline.
Observe that whereas DreamTrips’ compensation plan has “shared leg” necessities, no definition is offered.
“Shared leg” is a non-standard MLM compensation time period so I’m unclear what it refers to.
Referral Commissions
DreamTrips associates earn a referral fee on the sale of a subscription to retail clients and recruited associates:
- promote a Customary subscription and earn $50
- promote a Plus subscription and earn $75
- promote a Precedence subscription and earn $100
- promote an Elite subscription and earn $400
Recruitment Commissions
DreamTrips associates earn a fee after they recruit an affiliate who indicators up with an affiliate-only subscription:
- recruit a Dream Pack affiliate and earn $150
- recruit a Uncover Pack affiliate and earn $200
- recruit a Uncover Elite Pack affiliate and earn $400
Residual Commissions (preliminary charges)
DreamTrips pays residual commissions by way of a binary compensation construction.
A binary compensation construction locations an affiliate on the high of a binary staff, break up into two sides (left and proper):
The primary degree of the binary staff homes two positions. The second degree of the binary staff is generated by splitting these first two positions into one other two positions every (4 positions).
Subsequent ranges of the binary staff are generated as required, with every new degree housing twice as many positions because the earlier degree.
Positions within the binary staff are stuffed by way of direct and oblique recruitment of associates. Observe there is no such thing as a restrict to how deep a binary staff can develop.
On the finish of every week DreamTrips tallies up new subscription quantity on either side of the binary staff.
- sale of a Customary subscription generates 100 GV
- sale of a Plus subscription generates 250 GV
- sale of a Precedence subscription generates 400 GV
- sale of an Elite subscription generates 875 GV
- recruitment of a Dream Pack affiliate generates 600 GV
- recruitment of a Uncover Pack subscription generates 500 GV
- recruitment of a Uncover Elite Pack subscription generates 875 GV
DreamTrips units residual fee charges on preliminary charges based mostly on rank:
- Traveler 2s earn a 5% residual fee charge, capped at $500 per week
- Traveler 3s earn a 7% residual fee charge, capped at $500 per week
- Voyager 500s earn a 9% residual fee charge, capped at $500 per week
- Voyager 1Ks earn a ten% residual fee charge, capped at $1000 per week
- Voyager 2Ks to 10Ks earn a ten% residual fee charge, capped at $1000 per week
- Sapphires earn a 15% residual fee charge, capped at $1500 per week
- Rubys earn a 15% residual fee charge, capped at $2500 per week
- Emeralds earn a 15% residual fee charge, capped at $5000 per week
- Diamonds earn a 20% residual fee charge, capped at $7500 per week
- Blue Diamonds earn a 20% residual fee charge, capped at $10,000 per week
- Black Diamonds earn a 20% residual fee charge, capped at $12,500 per week
- Crown Diamonds earn a 20% residual fee charge, capped at $15,000 per week
- Royal Diamonds earn a 20% residual fee charge, capped at $20,000 per week
- Globals earn a 20% residual fee charge, capped at $25,000 per week
Matching Bonus (residual commissions on preliminary charges)
DreamTrips associates earn a Matching Bonus on residual commissions earned by downline associates.
DreamTrips pays the Matching Bonus by way of a unilevel compensation construction.
A unilevel compensation construction locations an affiliate on the high of a unilevel staff, with each personally recruited affiliate positioned immediately underneath them (degree 1):
If any degree 1 associates recruit new associates, they’re positioned on degree 2 of the unique affiliate’s unilevel staff.
If any degree 2 associates recruit new associates, they’re positioned on degree 3 and so forth and so forth down a theoretical infinite variety of ranges.
DreamTrips pays the Matching Bonus on as much as 4 generations per unilevel staff leg.
DreamTrips defines a era as any affiliate in a unilevel staff leg incomes $1000 or extra in residual commissions on preliminary charges.
What number of generations a DreamTrips affiliate earns the Matching Bonus on is set by rank:
- Rubys earn a 5% match on one era per unilevel staff leg
- Emeralds earn a ten% match on one era per unilevel staff leg
- Diamonds earn a ten% match on the primary era and 5% on the second era per unilevel staff leg
- Blue Diamonds earn a 15% match on the primary era, 10% on the second and 5% on the third per unilevel staff leg
- Black Diamonds earn a 20% match on the primary era, 12% on the second and seven% on the third per unilevel staff leg
- Crown Diamonds earn a 20% match on the primary and second generations and 15% on the third and fourth per unilevel staff leg
- Royal Diamonds earn a 20% match on the primary to 3rd generations and 15% on the fourth era per unilevel staff leg
- Globals earn a 20% match on as much as 4 generations per unilevel staff leg
Residual Commissions (month-to-month subscription charges)
DreamTrips pays residual commissions on month-to-month subscription price funds by way of a 3×10 matrix.
A 3×10 matrix locations an affiliate on the high of a matrix, with three positions immediately underneath them:
These three positions kind the primary degree of the matrix. The second degree of the matrix is generated by splitting every of those first three positions into one other three positions every.
Ranges three to 10 of the matrix are generated in the identical method, with every new degree housing 3 times as many positions because the earlier degree.
I’m not 100% certain and it isn’t laid out in DreamTrips’ compensation plan, however I consider matrix positions are stuffed each by recruited associates and referred retail clients.
Month-to-month subscription price funds throughout the matrix are paid on $69.99 to $499.99 a month recurring subscription funds:
- fee of a $69.99 a month subscription generates a $4 residual fee
- fee of a $99.99 a month subscription generates a $6 residual fee
- fee of a $129.99 a month subscription generates an $8 residual fee
- fee of a $499.99 a month subscription generates a $20 residual fee
What number of matrix ranges a DreamTrips affiliate qualifies for residual commissions is set by rank:
- Traveler 1s earn residual matrix commissions on one degree
- Traveler 2s earn residual matrix commissions throughout two ranges
- Traveler 3s earn residual matrix commissions throughout three ranges
- Voyager 500s earn residual matrix commissions throughout 4 ranges
- Voyager 1Ks earn residual matrix commissions throughout six ranges
- Voyager 2Ks earn residual matrix commissions throughout eight ranges
- Voyager 5Ks earn residual matrix commissions throughout 9 ranges
- Voyager 10Ks and better earn residual matrix commissions throughout all ten obtainable ranges
Observe that residual matrix commissions are paid out every month so long as month-to-month subscription funds are made.
Buyer Acquisition Bonus
DreamTrips associates earn “factors” based mostly on what number of subscription clients and recruited associates they’ve paying month-to-month charges.
Observe that clients might be retail clients or recruited associates.
- $29.99 month-to-month subscription fee (affiliate membership price) = 5 factors
- $69.99 month-to-month subscription fee = 25 factors
- $99.99 month-to-month subscription fee = 50 factors
- $129.99 month-to-month subscription fee = 75 factors
- $499.99 month-to-month subscription fee = 150 factors
The Buyer Acquisition Bonus (CAB) is tallied up and paid month-to-month:
- generate 500 factors in a month and obtain a $100 CAB
- recruit three associates who qualify for the CAB in a month and obtain $250
- recruit three associates who every recruit three associates who qualify for the CAB in a month and obtain $1000
Becoming a member of DreamTrips
Fundamental DreamTrips affiliate membership is $29.99 a month.
DreamTrips Conclusion
WorldVentures operated as a pyramid scheme as a result of the Rovia offered journey aspect of the enterprise wasn’t retail viable.
COVID-19 escalated its collapse, however WorldVentures was on the rocks earlier than the journey business got here to a grinding halt. Merely put, the success of WorldVentures was tied to recruitment; it had nothing to do with journey.
I wasn’t impressed with DreamTrips preliminary November 2021 providing. The July 2022 revised compensation plan is extra fleshed out – however the core pyramid scheme stays intact.
In truth DreamTrips’ journey providing is controversial even much less viable than WorldVentures’ was.
WorldVentures’ Rovia plans topped out at $850 after which $149.99 a month.
DreamTrips Titanium provides entry to a “devoted concierge”, curated experiences, $2000 in constitution jet credit score, $1000 in constitution yacht credit score, a world visa service, “precedence entry” to “unique occasions”, room upgrades, golf course entry, every day breakfast, early/late examine in/out, most well-liked airport lounge pricing and Hertz Presidents Circle.
DreamTrips’ equal is $2499.99 after which $499.99 a month. That’s a hell of lots of outlay to make again in reductions.
Though the information won’t ever be revealed (exterior of a regulatory submitting), I’d like to know what number of Elite subscribers DreamTrips had (who by no means signed on as associates) – each at the moment energetic and whole signups.
The pyramid scheme DreamTrips continues might be summed up as signing up as an affiliate and both buying a journey subscription to self-qualify for commissions, otherwise you paying extra for a bonus journey.
Then all you do is give attention to recruiting associates who do the identical – and also you’ve obtained your self WorldVentures’ pyramid mannequin.
Except for it being the middle of a suspected pyramid scheme, I famous DreamTrips screws affiliate over on residual fee charges (preliminary charges).
Traveler 1 via Voyager 1K is capped at $500 – regardless of a 5% to 10% fee charge enhance.
All this does is have associates hit the cap sooner. Voyager 2K raises the cap to $1000. DreamTrips may simply have made incremental will increase between $500 to $1000 – however they as an alternative selected to maintain the cash.
Issues don’t get any higher between Voyager 2K and Voyager 10K, with associates now operating right into a $1000 per week cap.
Within the larger ranks, until I’m lacking one thing, WorldVentures units its associates up for failure.
Diamond rank introduces obligatory “contemporary” recruitment quotas every month. Both one new ranked recruit or two new oblique ranked recruits from someplace in your downline.
This might be a nightmare to maintain up month after month and additional emphasises recruitment over retail all through the corporate.
I’ve shared my ideas on Verona Worldwide Holdings disclosure points earlier within the assessment so I gained’t repeat them right here. As a conclusory notice nevertheless, I’ll add that DreamTrips is fully reflective of the enterprise being run by a faceless funding oriented company with no MLM expertise.
Mark and Tammy Smith apart, Normal Administration Group have retained executives who had no drawback with WorldVentures being a pyramid scheme.
In the meantime Mark and Tammy Smith’s greatest MLM success is Nerium, now Neora. The FTC filed go well with in opposition to Nerium/Neora in 2019, alleging it’s a pyramid scheme.
Contemplating the Smiths’ made tens of millions in Neora, they’re additionally not more likely to have any objections to DreamTrips’ pyramid centric compensation plan.
Pyramid schemes collapse when recruitment inevitably slows down. In WorldVentures this was an extended drawn out course of.
The primary signal of hassle was non-payment of commissions. Wayne Nugent made certain he was getting paid, and when there wasn’t sufficient coming int to cowl govt salaries and funds, WorldVentures filed for chapter.
DreamTrips hasn’t reached the recruiting frenzy WorldVentures did in its golden years, however it’s rising within the US and Italy.
Sadly the FTC by no means sunk its tooth into WorldVentures. WorldVentures’ regulatory points elsewhere on the planet are well-documented (Norway, Malaysia, Jamaica, South Africa, Rwanda, Tonga and Taiwan).
As a potential DreamTrips affiliate, the least you are able to do is ask your potential upline how they’re assembly their month-to-month PV requirement.
In the event that they don’t have at the very least two retail clients on a journey subscription, they’re operating a pyramid scheme.
As was confirmed with WorldVentures, math ensures the vast majority of members in pyramid schemes lose cash.