According to No Lawyers, Only Guns and Money, the Bradys now have their own travel site. They are advertising it over on their own site too. As I am wont to do when it comes to our opponents, I did some digging. If you go to the BradyWorldTravel.com web site, you will notice that it redirects you to what is essentially a YTB Travel Affiliate. The site is run by an organization known as YTB International, which is a multi-level marketing firm, located out of Wood River, Illinois. Sounds like a swell bunch of guys to me:
California Attorney General Jerry Brown and former employees sued the company in early August, 2008, alleging it to be a pyramid scheme, among other claims. The Illinois Better Business Bureau and Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan joined Brown in investigating the company.[20]
Brown sued the company for $25 million in early August 2008, charging unfair business practices, false advertising, and operating a “gigantic pyramid scheme that is immensely profitable to a few individuals on top and a complete rip-off for most everyone else”.[21] U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings showed that the company’s three creators earned more than $2 million in 2007, a dozen salespeople earned more than $800,000, and dozens earned more than $100,000.[11] Brown’s lawsuit indicates that 45,000 sales reps earned an average of about $90 in 2007 and of their 200,000 total agents, some 125,000 earned nothing and 37,000 earned less than $39.[11] On May 14, 2009, California authorities settled their suit with YTB for $1 million. As part of the settlement, YTB agreed to restructure, possibly hastening a transition to a franchise system. That same day, Madigan filed a similar suit in Illinois.[22] Brown said the agreement would put an end to the $450, $50 per month unprofitable personalized websites.[15]
Their Wikipedia page also notes that:
However by late 2008, YTB laid off 17 employees, a move that was part of a reorganization.[12] Later that year it announced plans to sell an office building and its corporate Learjet.[13] In 2008 the company’s revenues were $44.8 million.[14] YTB said its independent audit at the end of 2008 expressed “substantial doubt about our company’s ability to continue as a going concern”,[15] a sentiment the company itself later echoed.[16]
The company hit trouble spots in 2009, operating at a loss of $1.9 million for the first three months of the year. Revenue in that quarter dropped 49% to $21.8 million[15] and then to $18 million in the second quarter.[16] The company’s paying members also declined substantially in number, from a high in April 2008 of 138,000 to 60,414 in mid-2009.[17] In 2009 YTB also sold RezConnect, by then its technology and booking arm, to two of RezConnect’s officers. Under the terms of the sale, YTB would indemnify the new owners for any YTB-related liabilities.[18]
Sounds like they are a perfect match for the Bradys, since their future seems to be just about as bright, and their product is a lie. John Richardson notes, “I guess when donations are down you’ll do just about anything to stay afloat.” How right you are, because that would seem to involve jumping into partnership with people who are highly questionable, at best, and then hawking it to their presumably unaware members.
Members? The Brady Campaign has members?
That’s odd. My data indicates they just have an email list of pro-gun people checking up on them and telling them they are liars.
Hehehe… OK… maybe people on their e-mail list rather than members :)
At least the NRA is a bit more discriminating. The wine club, insurance, car rental, hotel alliances… are all on the up and up.
You’d think that an outfit with the esteem, credibility, moral authority and outright superiority of Brady would be just a bit more careful who and what they strike up an alliance with.
Then again, I’m not at all surprised.
The wine club is silly, but yes, I don’t think it’s shady.
I have this nagging memory of getting e-mail alerts from them awhile back for something real similar. This may be another go at it.
This is like a gun-free school zone. Who the hell would fly on an airline that goes out of their way to advertise that everyone on board is not only unable, but also unwilling to defend themselves? It’s like fish in a barrel…
Bwaahahahaha!! Wine clubs are good for supplying a variety of flasks at which to shoot. Remember to clean-up your range responsibly.