Senior Travel Genie Membership

Why should I join Senior Travel Genie?

• Only registered members can add photos, travel tips and reviews to the web site.
• Only registered members can submit new destination cities to the web site.
• Only registered members can receive e-mails informing them when new destinations have been added to the web site (if you elect to receive these e-mail alerts).
• Only registered members have access to coupons, money saving offers and travel alerts (when offered).

How much does membership cost?

Membership is free for Senior Travel Genie, the Forum and Blog.

Can a husband and wife share a membership?

Yes. However, keep in mind two things:

1. You will both need access to the e-mail account you give us so you can read any e-mails we send to you, such as for a forgotten password.
2. You can only use one member's name per membership, not Mr. and Mrs. The name you use when you join STG will be the name that appears above the reviews and travel tips you submit.

Will Senior Travel Genie share my personal information?

No. Senior Travel Genie will not disclose your personal information to third parties, except to the extent necessary to provide you with a service you request or under circumstances required by law. To learn more, please read our Privacy Statement.

Forum Issues

How do I post comments and questions to the Forum?

You must be a Registered Member in the Forum to log in. Registration is free. After you log in to the Forum, click on the topic that interests you. Next, click the "NEWTOPIC" button to post a comment or question. To post a reply to comments, click on the "POSTREPLY" button. You must have a topic open before you can post a reply.

Why must I have a separate Membership and Login ID for the Forum?

The Forum utilizes a different database than Senior Travel Genie, so a separate user ID is required. To participate in the Forum, you must log in with your Forum user ID and password even if you have already logged in to Senior Travel Genie.

Where do I register for the Forum?

After you click the Forum tab on Senior Travel Genie, you will be on the Forum Page. The Register link is very small, located between the FAQ link and the Login link on the top right hand side of the page. If you still cannot find the registration link, be sure that you are looking in the light blue bar under the Search Box.

I registered for the Forum, but it will not let me post. Why?

For security reasons, the Forum administrator must approve your registration before you can become a Registered Member. Only Registered Members can post to the Forum. The administrator usually approves new registrations within 24 hours.

How will I know that I am approved as a Registered Member for the Forum?

You will receive an e-mail from Senior Travel Genie informing you of your new status.

How long does it take to get approved as a Registered Member?

The Forum administrator usually approves new registrations within 24 hours.

Why do I have to wait to get approval before I can post to the Forum?

The Forum administrator has to first identify and remove all spammers who are attempting to post ads on the Forum.

Why was my registration rejected?

The Forum administrator identified you as a spammer. If this happened in error, please click the "Contact Us" tab and explain the situation so we can help you get registered on the Forum.

What is a spammer?

A spammer is someone who registers for the purpose of flooding the forum with unsolicited advertisements.

How is the Forum different from the Blog?

The Forum allows all Registered Members to post opinions, questions and responses. Forum members can start new travel topics and influence the direction that the Forum takes. In contrast, the Blog only allows Subscribers to post comments about articles, not write the articles. Only Contributors may write articles for the Blog.

Blog Issues

Do I have to register to post a comment on the Blog?

Yes. Only Registered Members of the Blog may post comments about articles. Blog membership is separate from Forum membership and Senior Travel Genie membership.

How do I post a comment on the Blog?

1. Log in or Register if you have not already registered on the Blog. The Log In and Register links are located on the right side of the page above the gray bar. After you register, you will not be able to post a comment until you log in using the password e-mailed to you.
2. To get to the Blog Articles after you log in, click on Senior Travel Genie - Visit Site located in the black bar at the top of the Dashboard page. Below each article there is a link in red labeled No comments or Comments.
3. Place your mouse over No comments or Comments and click.
4. Scroll down to the box labeled "Post a comment" and enter your comment.
5. Click the "Post comment" button.

Can I contribute an article to the Blog?

You can if the editors approve you as a Blog Contributor. To get approval, click the "Contact Us" tab on the Senior Travel Genie Home Page to tell us about yourself. In the e-mail, include a sample article you would like to submit to the Blog. We will notify you by e-mail whether or not you have been accepted as a Contributor. When you become a Contributor, you will be able to submit articles using your same Blog user name and password. However, the editors must approve articles before they are published online. For faster publication, send us an e-mail telling us you have submitted an article.

Why is it taking so long to get my article approved and published?

It is possible that we simply overlooked the pending article. To speed up the process, we recommend you send us an e-mail alert every time you submit a new article for the Blog. Click the "Contact Us" tab on the Senior Travel Genie Home Page to e-mail us.

How do you choose Contributors for the Blog?

We are looking for seniors or baby boomers to write articles about travel-related topics. The articles should be pertinent to seniors and have one or more of the following characteristics: witty, insightful, unusual, tastefully bizarre and/or educational.

How do I change my Blog password?

Go to the Dashboard page. To get there, click Site Admin, which is located above the search box on the right side of the page. When you are on the Dashboard page:

1. Click Profile (located in left menu area.)
2. Scroll down the page until you see New Password near the bottom of the page and type in your new password in the two boxes.
3. Click the "Update Profile" button.

How do I submit an article to the Blog?

Go to the Dashboard page. To get there, click Site Admin, which is located above the search box on the right side of the page. When you are on the Dashboard page, click the gray button labeled "New Post" located at the top of the page. On the Add New Post page:

1. Type the title of your article in the long box that is found directly below "Add New Post".
2. Type your article or cut and paste your article into the large box just below the title box.
3. If you are not ready for the editors to approve the article, click the "Save Draft" button in the first box located on the right side of the page.
4. If you are ready to send your article for approval, click the blue button labeled "Submit for Review".

Password Issues

I forgot my Senior Travel Genie password. Can you send it to me?

Yes, click the green "Sign In" tab to get to the Forget your password? link. The link is located below the blue "Sign In" button. Click the Forget your password? link, then enter the e-mail address that you use to log in to Senior Travel Genie and click the "Continue" button. Your password will be immediately e-mailed to you and the log in form will be re-displayed.

How do I change my Senior Travel Genie password?

You cannot change your password at this time. If you feel that there has been a breach in security, please e-mail us using the e-mail address you use to log in to Senior Travel Genie and request that we change your password.

Submitting Reviews, Photos, Travel Tips & New Cities

Who can submit photos, reviews and travel tips to Senior Travel Genie?

Registered members of Senior Travel Genie can submit photos, reviews, travel tips, new business listings and new destination cities to the web site as long the Terms and Conditions are followed. Members must log in to make submissions.

What are your rules regarding submitting information to Senior Travel Genie?

Before submitting anything to Senior Travel Genie, please read the Terms and Conditions. By uploading to the site, you agree to abide by these terms and conditions.

How do I add a new destination city to Senior Travel Genie?

Click the Add a Destination link found just below the blue tabs located at the top of every page. You can also find this link in the "Explore Destinations" navigation box on every page. Fill out the short form and click the "Submit Destination" button when you are finished. The new city will usually appear on Senior Travel Genie within 24 hours. Even though it will be "Under Construction" until all categories are populated, you will be able to contribute photos, travel tips, new listings and reviews for the city.

Can I submit data for a city that is "Under Construction"?

Yes. We encourage you to do that. Members may start submitting photos, travel tips, listings and reviews for a city labeled "Under Construction" as soon as it appears on Senior Travel Genie. Your submissions will be placed online after we have reviewed them, usually within 24 hours. We review all submissions to ensure that no offensive material is posted.

What does "Under Construction" mean?

"Under Construction" signifies that the destination city is new on Senior Travel Genie and needs photos, reviews and travel tips. We like each destination city to have photos, travel tips and business listings in each of the categories (food, where to stay, things to do and getting around) before we remove the "Under Construction" label.

What is the difference between Add a Destination and Add a Listing?

Add a Destination allows you to add a new city to Senior Travel Genie when the city you want is not already on the web site. Add a Listing allows you to add a new business listing to Senior Travel Genie when the business you want to review is not already on the web site.

How do I review a business?

Find the listing for the business that you want to review. If you cannot find the business you want to review, read the instructions for the next question. Below the business's phone number is a link labeled Submit Reviews. Click this link to get to the form you need to submit your review. You must log in to Senior Travel Genie before you can submit a review.

How do I submit a review for a business that is not listed on Senior Travel Genie?

Click Add a Listing located in the left menu area or click the Add a Listing link found just below the blue tabs located at the top of every page. You must type in the name of the business, its address and phone number before you review the new business. Be sure to include the phone number's area code. You must log in to Senior Travel Genie before you can submit a new business listing.

How do I submit a photo?

Click Submit Photos found in the left menu area of city and listings pages or click the Submit Photos link found just below the blue tabs at the top of every page. Photos must be in .jpg format and under 1 MB in size. The process is similar to sending an attachment in an e-mail. Click the "Browse" button to find your photo file. After you have selected the photo(s) and entered the accompanying information, scroll to the bottom of the page and click the "Upload Photos" button. You must log in to submit photos to Senior Travel Genie.

How do I submit a travel tip?

Click Submit Travel Tip found in the left menu area of city and listings pages or click the Submit Travel Tip link found just below the blue tabs at the top of every page. Each travel tip may be up to 800 characters long. You can type or copy and paste your travel tip into the text box. Click the "Submit Travel Tip" button at the bottom of the form when you are ready to submit your travel tip. You must log in to submit travel tips to Senior Travel Genie.

Will my name and hometown appear on the reviews and travel tips that I submit?

Yes, your name will appear and no, your hometown will not. The name you enter when you sign up for membership in STG will be the name that appears above your reviews and travel tips. No other identifier is attached. To maintain the integrity of the site, we do not allow anonymous postings.

How do I keep my name from appearing on reviews and travel tips that I submit?

The only way to keep your name from appearing on a review or travel tip you submit is to create a new membership using only your initials. Your membership name will always appear on the reviews and travel tips you submit. If you have multiple memberships and would like us to cancel one of them for you, please send us an e-mail with the request.

General Questions

Why isn't there a Full-Page Ad for all of the business listings?

Businesses have to pay us to have a Full-Page Ad. Most business owners do not realize they can get their photos, web site link, PDF file of a menu or price list, etc. placed on their listing by buying a Full-Page Ad. Contact the business in question and tell them you would like to see their Full-Page Ad on Senior Travel Genie.

Why don't you have more coupons?

Each Full-Page Ad may have two coupons posted on it at a time. It is up to the business to offer coupons. Contact the business in question and ask them to offer coupons on our web site.

Why can't I access the coupons?

Only registered members in Senior Travel Genie can access coupons. Membership is free, so join now.

Why don't you have a Handicap Rating for all business listings?

Handicap ratings are only available for listings that have a Full-Page Ad. It is the business owner's choice whether to post the Handicap Rating. Contact the business owner in question and request that they post the business's Handicap Rating on their Full-Page Ad.

Why aren't the business listings in alphabetical order?

Listings are displayed in the order STG members send them to us. The only way to move a listing up on a page is for the business owner to pay for a Premium Listing. Premium Listings are displayed at the top of the page in the order received.

Do businesses pay to get a good review?

No. We only publish reviews submitted by seniors who are members of Senior Travel Genie.

Advertising

Why should I advertise on Senior Travel Genie?

Senior Travel Genie attracts thousands of savvy senior travelers every day. In order for them to see more than your business address, phone number and reviews, you must participate in our Paid Advertising Program. Paid Listings (called Premium Listings) and Banner Ads are available. Premium Listings are displayed above free listings in the order received.

How do I advertise on Senior Travel Genie?

Click the Advertise With Us link located at the bottom of every page. The advertiser section describes the payment options available, allows you to place your order online and links you to the Senior Travel Genie Ad Manager where you can create and edit your ads.

What are the advertising terms on Senior Travel Genie?

We require a minimum 6-month advertising commitment on Senior Travel Genie. We offer one free month if you choose the Flat Fee annual payment option. There are no refunds.

How do I get my listing moved to the top of the page?

All listings are displayed in the order received. The only way to move a free listing up on a page is to purchase a Premium Listing. Premium Listings are displayed above free listings in the order received, not alphabetically.