The letter came in early December, demanding a payment of $1600 in past membership fees and threatening to take us to court. The letter was from Sea Land Travel, a travel club my husband and I joined 10 years ago.

We Were Naive

Without checking out any comparable services, we were lured in by an offer of a free cruise, something we never took. And the promises of discount prices for hotels, cruises and package deals seemed just too good to be true. They were!

Paid the Fee the First Three Years

I paid the fee of $199 annually the first three years. And we used Sea Land to help us find quite lovely lodging outside Yellowstone in the second year of our membership.

Health and Finances

But then health issues, finances and the arrival of a grandson made it seem that much travel would be impractical. Grandsons don’t normally halt travel, but my daughter, a single mom who lives with us, depends upon us for a lot of care for her son, now 7. My husband has dementia on top of that, and we’re both just slowing down.

Tom Lee’s Calls

Every year Tom Lee from Sea Land would phone me to see about our dues renewal. And he was very nice when I explained that we just couldn’t travel at the moment. He said that wasn’t a problem. Sea Land, he explained, understands that people’s needs change and they’d be there when we were ready to go. I hadn’t heard from him for several years. I had no idea yearly dues were building.

Our Contract

But we had signed an agreement to pay a yearly fee. The contract Sea Lane provided when I phoned about their letter made that clear. I talked to an attorney, who said we could fight this. But Sea Land offered to settle for $1,000. And attorney’s fees would quickly eat up that amount. I could have taken my chances and ignored it. I talked to both the Better Business Bureau and Attorney General’s Office, who said they had similar complaints.

So I Paid

So, Merry Christmas Tom Lee, I paid. I’m sure travel clubs are hurting this year with fewer people signing up and fewer traveling in the age of COVID. Maybe that’s why they dusted off old dormant contracts and began sending demand letters.

So Why Am I Writing This?

I’m not eager to let the world know how foolish we were for signing up, that’s for sure. But I want to warn others. Be careful what you sign. If something sounds too good to be true, it is. And you can search out your own travel deals without Sea Land or any of the other names such companies use. Just beware and be wise.