There is a lot of talk going around about the websites GovX and MemberDeals and if they are legitimate ticket discounters or not. From reviews to forum posts, there are many opinions about their services and if they are worth using or not. So we decided to do our own detective work to see how “discounted” the tickets actually are vs. Disney and other proven wholesalers. The results were…shocking to say the least.
GovX Discount Tickets Website
The GovX website is mean’t to be used by Government and State employees only and is supposed to offer them great discounts on theme park tickets including Disney, Universal, Knott’s, Busch Gardens and local entertainment including movie theaters. At first glance the website does look exclusive and you do have to create an account in order to book. Beyond that though, you can really associate yourself with almost any government group and be approved.
As we moved to look at actual tickets and pricing we realized that GovX is simply an affiliate of MemberDeals for certain products including theme park tickets. This means that GovX isn’t actually providing the “discounts” but sending you to their affiliate link from MemberDeals do you can purchase. In return, they receive a commission when you buy.
Getting right to the theme park tickets, specifically Disney theme park tickets, their initial pricing looks great. They highlight the 3-Day Park Hopper ticket for Disneyland as their biggest and best savings. It says you can save up to $30 per ticket, “up to” being the keywords here. Once clicked on, we were provided with more information about the ticket itself and adding adult or child tickets to your cart.
Up to this point everything looks great. They are advertising a price of $359 vs. Disney’s gate price of $390. That’s a savings of about $30. So we added 1 adult ticket to our cart and continued to check-out. The next page offers a summary of your cart, still showing the $359 price. When you go to complete your check-out, this is where things take a bit of a turn.
The next page, where you fill-out all your information to purchase the tickets shows an actual summary of what you have PLUS it adds taxes and fees to that once nice discounted price of $359. So all of a sudden the ticket costs $380 instead of $359. That’s a BIG jump from what you thought you were going to pay and the advertised price to what you now actually need to pay.
A couple of things: first, we realize that there is still a savings of $10 on the ticket. No one can dispute that. You would save $10 buying from them then you would Disney.
Second, we think a lot of people just overlook the taxes and fees or simply don’t care at that point that they are being added. They should, but we think a lot don’t. Our biggest issue with them adding “taxes” is that even Disneyland doesn’t charge taxes on their tickets per an agreement they have with the city of Anaheim. So when MemberDeals sys they are charging “taxes” we’re not sure what those are exactly. We think they say it because it looks better than saying they are charging over $20 is fees. Really though, that’s what they are doing.
This is a very sneaky and, in our opinion, criminal way to advertise a discount. A guest should be shown the full price up front. Too many people have been tricked by the last-minute “taxes and fees” method. Don’t let them fool you.
Now about that $10 savings they still offer. If you read the reviews on GovX and their affiliate MemberDeals, they are not great. Most people regret buying from them because their return policy and customer service are awful. Is it worth saving $10 per ticket to have to deal with a company with a poor reputation? Not in this day and age. Especially when there are other reputable wholesale companies who offer free returns on their tickets, not to mention better pricing.
It’s unfortunate that hard working government and state employees are given the “great discounts” for their service only to not actually receive anything great.
GovX and MemberDeals Reviews and Ratings
A brief Google Search of GovX or MemberDeals will show you that not many guests of theirs are happy with their service. Even their Facebook pages which look unmaintained have several negative reviews. Trust Pilot has them at a 1.3 our of 5 which is awful. The most recent review there states, “Literally the worst company ever. Sold us vouchers that someone else used to an inoperable park, refused the refund saying all sales are final. We wanted TICKETS not vouchers that have already been used. Avoid at all costs you will be disappointed and overcharged for something you can’t ever use.”
The one below that says, “If I could give a Zero rating for this company I would. I purchased 5 tickets for Six Flags for yesterday. Getting the whole family together and have the same day off was a nightmare. We bought these tickets for $300 for the day yesterday. We drive 2.5 hours to get to the park and the park is closed due to full capacity. I called and talked to Cassidy, the customer service representative for Memberdeals and she was extremely rude with no intention of assisting me. This company prides itself on helping first responders by giving deals but doesn’t provide any sort of reimbursement. I was told there isn’t anything they can do. They do not offer any kind of refund or assistance. This company is such a scam. We should have looked at all the reviews, the reviews are terrible for this company.”
Needless to say both companies seem to fail their clients when it comes to customer service. Again, if your’e looking for a discount on your theme park tickets, we highly recommend an authorized wholesaler who can offer you a better discount, free returns and amazing customer service.
MemberDeals and GovX FAQ’s
Is GovX Legitimate?
Yes. GovX is a legitimate website that offers government and state employees discounts too many things including theme parks, theaters, and hotels as well as clothing and apparel for jobs including military, police, firemen and first responders. Accounts can be made for free and discounts are given once this is done. The GovX website has been around for over 5 years and has a Trust Pilot score of 4.5. Most offerings on the GovX website is affiliate-based so members don’t actually purchase from them; rather they are sent over to a partners website to purchase and receive the discount and GovX receives a commission kickback.
Can anyone buy from GovX?
Yes and no. While the website is mean’t to be for government and state employees like first responders, creating an account is free. However, during the sign-up process you must select your job and provide a photo ID from your work or other documentation to prove you in fact work for the state or government. Keep in mind that GovX is mostly an affiliate website so most deals and offers don’t actually come from GovX, rather, they have partners who provide the actual discount and merchandise and then GovX receives a commission kickback. As of Nov. 17th, 2021, the registration process still requires you to provide proof of where you work. Travel deals though do not and guests who click on Travel or Tickets are sent over to MemberDeals which does not require you to provide proof of work in order to purchase.
What companies use GovX?
As of November 2021, the following companies were partnered with GovX to offer discounts:
- Under Armour
- Oakley
- Vortex Optics
- YETI
- Benchmade
- Rothco
- Danner Boots
- Viktos
- Grunt Style
- 5.11 Tactical
- SPY
- Ray-Ban
- Born Primitive
- Garmin
- Magpul
- Shellback Tactical
- Vuori
- ALTAMA
- Leatherman
- OluKai
- American Classics
- Nitecore
- American Spartan Apparel
- Fox Tactical
- Costa
- Tru-Spec
- Theragun
Is MemberDeals Legit?
The MemberDeals website is a legitimate discounter website for travel and entertainment. While they do offer discounts to major theme parks, resorts, travel and local entertainment, one should be cautious of the actual discount that is being received. MemberDeals.com has been called out in recent years for making offers look better than they are by advertising one price and then at the last minute adding taxes and fees that significantly increase the price. In many cases this has significantly decreased the actual discount to almost nothing. Guests should always add to cart and look to find the actual price of the item by going to the final check-out page. Here they will find the final cost and can compare it to other websites who offer discounts.
Can I buy Disneyland and Disney World Tickets from MemberDeals?
Yes. As of November 2021 MemberDeals offers tickets to both resorts in Anaheim, CA and Orlando, FL. Their quoted savings on tickets range from $5 all the way up to over $40 per ticket. Guests should keep in mind that the advertised price and savings is not final as taxes and fees are added to each ticket only on the final check-out page. This significantly increases the price of the ticket and most savings are lost. Always compare the final price here with other online wholesalers before purchasing.
