With the cost of travel skyrocketing, consumers are increasingly susceptible to fraudulent offers for special deals on vacations, and Better Business Bureau is warning vacationers to be wary of joining "travel clubs."

Complaints to BBB show that many travel clubs promise huge discounts on hotels, airfare and cruises but fail to deliver despite the high cost of joining.

Thousands of complaints have been filed with BBB about travel clubs in the last three years, and all tell a similar story of being lured- either in person, over the phone or through the mail- to a highpressure sales presentation with the promise of receiving free airline tickets, gas cards or tickets to shows.

During the presentation, consumers are told they may take advantage of remarkable deals if they join the travel club for a fee of up to $8,000.

The "deals" offered by travel clubs were no better- and often worse- than what customers found on their own.

Nearly a dozen state attorneys general have held investigations into travel clubs, and the Florida Consumer Services Division recently warned consumers that the number of complaints against travel clubs was on the rise.

Travel clubs are prevalent in popular tourist destinations such as Branson, Mo.

One company, Travel More Now, lures tourists to their sales presentation with offers of free show tickets. At the presentation, the company claims they can set people up as travel agents, allowing them to take advantage of hidden travel deals for a membership fee upwards of $8,000.

Complainants felt misled by the sales pitches, and many were shocked to learn that they had given up their right to rescind their membership within the promised threeday window by accepting a gift certificate to Red Lobster. Red Lobster is not affiliated with Travel More Now.

BBB serving Tucson reports that Arizona residents have received suspicious cards in the mail claiming they've won two roundtrip tickets to anywhere in the U.S. and need to call a phone number to receive their prize.

Consumers were led to believe the cards were from Southwest Airlines because the company logo was prominently displayed; the cards were actually from Show Me Destinations.

Complainants state that they were required to attend a sales pitch where they were told that for between $3,000 and $6,000 they could purchase software that would allow them to access special travel deals. Complainants who purchased the software felt that the salespeople misrepresented the availability of vacations and had difficulty getting refunds. The free trip was also difficult or impossible to redeem. Consumers often were not refunded "good faith" cash deposits required to schedule the "free" trip.

Advantage Travel LLC, also doing business as Great Escapes, has received 110 complaints from consumers in 14 states. Over the phone and through mail solicitations, Advantage Travel lures people to their sales presentations with offers for "free" gas cards or vacations.

Complainants who signed up paid a membership fee ranging from $1,000 to $7,000 and eventually found that the sales staff misrepresented vacation availability and the amount customers would save on travel.

There are a number of reputable travel clubs operating in the U.S. Before signing up with a travel club, vacationers should first do their research and check the company's Reliability Report with BBB at www.bbb.org.