How big a fee does the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society get for booking Jehovah's Witnesses into Convention Hotels?

by Balaamsass 34 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Balaamsass

  Curious. I know travel agents and on-line sites get a kickback or fee for booking hotels. How much is this fee?

  It must be a healthy amount for WTBT$. This arrangement seems to be the BIG cash generator ever since food service was eliminated at conventions. JWs are told to be obediant to this arrangement and to boycott Hotels that don't participate. The Watchtower Society is adament about "following direction" on this.

  It troubled me because I traveled to San Francisco frequently for business for YEARS, and routinely booked 3-4 star hotels near the Cow Palace and SFO cheap on-line or through my motor club.

  At my Kingdom Hall a single struggling mother asked me about the hotel she had obtained through "The Hotel list". (It was a 1-2 star flea bag in a high crime neighborhood 30+ minutes away from San Francisco....at a 3/4 star hotel price). I did not have the heart to tell her HER BROTHERS had ripped her off. She was over paying $40 dollars extra per night and commuting! I did suggest she go online and call around, but she wanted to be "obediant".

  The last S.F. Convention we attended, we stayed in a 3/4 star waterfront hotel SUITE, 5 minutes away from the Cow Palace, AT A DISCOUNT. It was closer, nicer and CHEAPER than hotels on the "LIST". No JWs there, becauseIT was not on the "List"...I wonder..did the Hotel refuse to pay a big "fee"?

  Also- The list is far from fair. In the past, as soon as the C.O./P.O. gets the list most have their wives copy it and set up reservations ASAP and tell close relatives and friends BEFORE the list is ever read or posted at the hall. "Too bad..soo sad" for the rank and file..elderly, widows and struggling single parents.

  How does this reflect Holy Spirit or Christian love.........? Just a $30 kickback for a 3 day Convention would be 30 Million dollars for every One Million JWS!!!
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  OnTheWayOut

  I truly hate all things JW, but I don't want to make them worse than they are.

  Yes, it is terrible that they insist on this and act like it is a matter of obedience and how they say they cannot negotiate such "great" deals for the brothers if people go off on their own. I imagine that if they were simply honest about it, they would lose very little money. They could just explain their kickback system and members could book it to benefit them. But it is a dangerous mind-control cult.

  As far as how much, I doubt it's even as high as you suggest. Having used the list for years, the prices are not really cheap, but they aren't inflated either. They were typically slightly better or the same as the rates I could find on the internet. I cannot imagine they get much of a kickback at all, maybe just a couple dollars per room. Still, it's money for nothing obtained through guilt and intimidation.
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  3rdgen

  Well, that would be rich if the WT$ actually got half of what you estimate the "kickback" COULD be. $140,000,000 would be some sweet bonus. I got fed up trying to figure out why the "good" (meaning good room fair price near the assem, site) rooms were gone the first day the list came out. Cheesy rooms at the same price as much nicer much closer rooms made me scratch my head. FINALLY it makes sense if the "kickback" was in play! Never was it more obvious than in Reno, Nv. Rooms at Circus Circus were $39 but not on the list, instead we were supposed to stay at rickety old motels far away for $79. What a SCAM!!!
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  Balaamsass

  Just went on Google, I am surprised the Hilton group makes their commision rates available. 10% even IF the client gets a group discount. My favorite Hotel was a Hilton group property so it was willing to pay 10% and it still was not on the list. WOW. Here is the policy;

  Hilton Centralized Travel Agency Commission Policy

  All commission checks are processed centrally and cut once a week. Travel agencies will be paid in their local currency, unless otherwise requested by the travel agency. Commission inquiries must be submitted within 6 months of guest departure.Each brand has a standard rule of operations regarding travel agency commissions:

  Doubletree Hotels

  Each hotel will pay up to 10 percent commission on all general public and other commissionable rates for all nights of a stay. The full commission will be paid.General public and other commissionable rates include:

  • AARP Rates
  • AAA Rates
  • Government Rates
  • TMC/Consortia 'Parity' Rates
  • Best Available Rates.

  Embassy Suites

  Each hotel will pay up to 10 percent commission on all general public and other commissionable rates for the first 7 nights of a stay. For any stay less than 7 nights, the full commission will be paid.

  So Thurs-Sat-Sun 2-4 nights. $70 -$100 x 3-4 nights. x 1-2 Million JW Hotel rooms= $$ plus donations.
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  3rdgen

  So if the WT$ is not willing to accept a "mere" 10% undoubtedly they're receiving more. WOW
• 

  DesirousOfChange

  I cannot imagine they get much of a kickback at all, maybe just a couple dollars per room.

  I suspect their "bonus" is in free rooms for the big-wigs. GB, COs, DOs, Bethel speakers, international delegates (missionaries) all stay for free. I'm sure they get x number of free rooms for x number of rooms booked. Probably 1 for 10.

  Same for internation convention delegates. Did you ever look at the rates you pay to go to Europe, Russia, Africa conventions? You could easily take a 4/5-star vacation to these exotic places for much less than the cost to attend the intenational convention. YOU are paying for all the freebie delegates of the GB, DOs, COs, Bethelite Brass, etc.

  DOC
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  Balaamsass

  Doc :10% minimum for Convention Hotels, just 1 Million JW rooms for 3 nights 20-30 million NET. Beats Hoagie sandwiches and bad coffee!! WTBTS NEVER TURNS DOWN A BUCK.

  Tours; I knew some JWs who had a small travel agency. Every GROUP tour had a couple of "Tour Guide" positions built in. I would imagine that is how Brass is fit in on the group thing. 3 friends got a JW trip for $200 that way.
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  DesirousOfChange

  BalaamA: You are so right about the Tour Guides. Also, every international convention delegation has COs and DOs and Bethel speakers. Do you think WTS is paying for those seats on the plane or paying for those hotel rooms? The 80 or 90 "approved publishers" from various congs all paid 10% or 20% higher costs to supplement the "special guests".

  It wouldn't surprise me if they book the original block of rooms through a brother who is a TA and recieve his commission or part of it or perhaps they have an official TA dept as do many Fortune 500 businesses who then book all their own corporate travel and pocket the commissions that would traditionally go to an Agency, although this was likely more popular when there was a commission on airfares as well. Base on the fact that corporate America does it, I would be surprised if WTS did not do it. They are big business. Thus I don't know if it's really any more unethical than the business world other than they set rules about NOT booking any "unapproved" hotel, and in fact, any appointed brother who does so will find himself in the back room with his feet to the fire.

  DOC
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  james_woods

  I don't know if they are making a lot of money off this - but I just wanted to observe that this is practically as insane a control-freaking mechanism as anything else the society has thought up in past years.

  They are effectively saying that ordinary witnesses are now too stupid to book a hotel room for themselves, and they are being disobedient if they do this on their own.

  This was, incidentally, never done to my knowledge in all the 20 years I was associated with the JWs - 1960s and 1970s.
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  Balaamsass

  James we were clearing pennies slapping sandwiches together in the 70s. This is soooooo much cleaner and more profitable. When you deal with large numbers the effect is so magnified. 7 MILLION ACTIVE JWS and many more Convention attendees. Cost $0 for the program. Internal rate of return -infinate!!!!!!