Becoming a Travel Agent

Can you tell me anything about the companies that let you become a travel agent, like YTB or Traverus? This seems like a good idea: You get discounted travel, earn a buck or two (having a hard time getting a job).

–Jason, Kalamazoo, Mich.

Let me be blunt: Don't do it. I won't go so far as to call it a scam, but don't take it from me—take it from the attorneys general in a number of states. Many have launched legal proceedings against YTB.

For example, California Attorney General Jerry Brown sued YTB in August 2008, calling it "a gigantic pyramid scheme that is immensely profitable to a few individuals on top and a complete rip-off for most everyone else." Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan is also investigating, as is Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum.

If that's not enough, there's a class-action lawsuit that was filed in 2008 by former YTB agents accusing the company of false marketing and fraudulent business practices.