681 Comments

• lenbapt says:

  22/07/2006 at 18:08

  Having read this site I am very concerned. I promised my sisterinlaw and her new husband to be the use of the package which I received in the mail because my timing at work does not permit me rest time ant time soon. I got my package in May 2005. I was given until Nov 2006 to use it. Now I am ready to make arrangements my calls have not been returned and emails unanswered.
• donna says:

  23/07/2006 at 15:52

  I replied to a pop up on the internet thinking i was winning a holiday idont have money to blow away but its looking like ihave been well and truly conned is there anyone i can complain too as me and my husband have paid £600 and they shouldn’t get away with it and its a lot of money gone
• mike mastrocola says:

  26/07/2006 at 22:51

  i was called by best world vacations that i won a discount trip while i was on the phone with them i gave them my credit card info,and then while i was onr the phone my friend looked up the site and it said it was a scam so itold the person on the phone to wait while i canceled my credit card on my cell phone thank god my card was not charged.after i refused the deal he got pissed off and said i messed with the wrong person and i was getting scamed .thank god for my friend!!!!!!!!
• dallas says:

  27/07/2006 at 13:18

  hey crew just got scamed

  pop up saying concradulations your the 10’000’000 visitor to a website you have won a holiday call this number the rest is like every one elses experiance i have lost $453 aust dollars before i could cancled my card can any one send some info re: getting my money back
• Rich says:

  27/07/2006 at 13:32

  For a fairly comprehensive list of suggestions see “Florida Vacations – How to Cancel“… and if you’re up to it, tell us more: the who, the how, the the numbers, the websites, etc. Everything you can mention will help the next “unwitting customer” who searches for the things you mention.
• Lesley says:

  29/07/2006 at 23:12

  I too was hoodwinked by celebrationpromotions in May 2005. Got the pop up on internet etc etc.Said could take vacation anytime within the next 18 months.
  It wasn’t until April 2006 when I tried to call & book
  that I realised (when all the lines were dead etc)it
  was all a Scam! Then,thank goodness I found this site
  & followed the advice given.I contacted the D.O.A.C.S
  & my CC card company. Just wanted to report that I got all my money back to the tune of £606.00 in July 2006.
  I hope that others conned by these unscrupulous people,
  dont give up ! Dont be beaten
  Once again thanks a million for this site-I wouldnt have got my money back without your help.
• Yvonne says:

  02/08/2006 at 20:14

  I was caught by the Royalty Holiday con. I have had the most frustrating 8 months but I am happy to report that I got my money back from my credit card company. My message to anyone caught in this net is DO NOT GIVE UP. That is what they expect, indeed I believe they bank on it. If only a few people relentlessly demand their money back, they always profit from those who dont. Not to mention the interest they make from our money if they hold if for months before being forced to refund.

  I called, wrote, kept records of my calls and letters and reported them to the Texas Attorney General’s office and the Carrollton Police department (who were very responsive). My documentation and reports convinced my credit card company to support my position although they got involved almost 5 months after the money was received by Royalty. I should have gotten interest on my money!….nevertheless although I did not, I am relieved to have all of the original sum back. Wont happen to me again!!!

  Dont stop fighting, tell everyone you know, report it to every appropriate body.
  GET YOUR MONEY BACK !!
• aljo says:

  04/08/2006 at 15:07

  Hi Folks,
  Glad there is an internet community to help protect against this CRAP. This AM, in Nova Scotia Canada I got pulled in like many others and pressed “9″ to be transferred to Bernie with Best USA Vacations. $598 for a 14 day vacation/cruise. I got nervous when he asked for credit card info and declined the deal. I did reveal a phone no. at the university I attend, my first name, my province, and the fact that I have credit cards (didn’t give any actual numbers)…I’m probably safe, but feel creeped out.
  I had an unusually long disconnect after the call, nearly 30 seconds). I googled the scam, and here I am! How can these guys keep pulling this crap?!
  I called my phone co immediately after getting the call and they made a note about a suspicious call and said they should be able remove a charge if it shows up on my bill.
  I’m going to try and contact some of the Canadian consumer protection agencies to see if there’s anything else than can be done.
  Thanks for this blog…lets see if we can shut these guys down once and for all!
• ronan turley says:

  04/08/2006 at 22:55

  Great report done by Rich on May 2005. I would agree. rip off artists. tell you a story and say they are just checking your card to see if it live and after they have done same money is already out of the account.

  Dont go near Calypsocay.com with the 08009177462 number.
• ALLAN KELL says:

  09/08/2006 at 12:46

  I have been trying to get a refund of $1052 (this equates to £615 GBP) After almost a year from the Florida Tourist Bureau address as given on their company headed paper at 3501 West Vine Street, Suite 382, Kisssimee, Florida 3434741 (Telephone 407-518-5532)

  I phoned in August of 2005 to cancel this holiday and even put it in writing to the customer service department (addressed F.A.O. Pam Michelle with a self addressed envelope alongside other names as Lisa Morales).

  Lo and behold I checked my visa card statement on August 7 2006 and there was a charge of £598 GBP for the same holiday allegedly booked on 28 July 2006, for to which I have no knowledge.

  Can anyone help me?
• Rich says:

  09/08/2006 at 13:23

  Hi Allen,

  If you’ve not already read it, see the how to cancel article.

  Since you can probably prove that you have attempted to cancel the (original) holiday within the legal time limit you can contact your credit card company who are legally obliged to pretect you in such cases (because they are the “Credit Provider”).

  In the most recent case, it might be down to a clerical error, but you’re safest course of action is to contact your local Police department and ask their help.

  Do let us know how you get on!
• vicki says:

  10/08/2006 at 12:12

  Please help me,I’ve been scammed by calypsocay of $927.02 AU.

  I feel violated, deeply saddend, and ripped off. Ive put a dispute in with my CC Company and I also need to do my part in this to retrieve my money im getting married on 26/8/06 and the money that we needed toward wedding has is now somewhere in the US.

  Please can you give me some guidence to get my money back. I have not recieved any documentation from calypso nor had any form of communication from them responding to my emails, and all I get is an answering machine when I ring 1-800-092-368.

  Emails they have givin me are http://www.calypsocay.com or http://www.uonetrip.com or http://www.bestvacationsworld.com. Please help me though I made a big mistake I wont rest until I get my money back and I wont give up.

  Im so sorry for any one else who going through the same experience as myself. We all have valuable lessons to learn in life I’m certainly learning mine and I hope the scammers get karma back to them 10 fold.

  Who can I speak to or email over in the US? I feel very limited with the infomation I have here in Australia.

  Thank you VICKI
• Don McGregor says:

  14/08/2006 at 22:53

  Sadly I fell for Soho Vacations Fun Pak offer and emailed £several hundreds. When my wife fell ill and was unable to travel I asked for a refund. Impossible I was told by a very charming’Stephen’apparently the top finance man.
  I have tried many times to reach ‘Stephen’and finally I was told
  Soho Vacations had been taken over by ‘celebrationspromotions’
  No joy from them at all!!!

  Any advice other than ‘forget your money and don’t fall for any other
  scam’??
• Erin Stokes says:

  15/08/2006 at 17:34

  I got a call from these guys called royalty holidays, they asked me for my credit card #(stupid me)i gave it to them, told them i was getting married and that i could use the vacation for my honey moon.
  7 days later i decided that i didn’t want to take the trip called and cancelled, sent cancellation slip back, they said it would take 14-21 days to credit my account that was in the middle of june, it’s the middle of august and i’m still waiting. None of the phone #’s on the website work. i’m $600 in the hole.

  scam company – royalty holidays
  1415 halsey way – carrollton texas-us
• Mary Ellen says:

  15/08/2006 at 20:24

  Hi,
  I am one of the victims of the Ameri-scam holiday package. Do you have any information to pass on to me to help in the recovery of my money?
  Thanks
• farrah kashmiri says:

  29/08/2006 at 22:27

  hi
  i recieved a call from royalty holidays they said i won a holiday for four people in
  any of their 3500 resorts all over the world, i stupidly got brainwashed an gave my
  credit card number i was told the money would be put aside until i use my package
  when i recieved the package i didnt like the flimsy paper work and it looked fake
  so i sent a 10 pound delivery back to them and when they recived it they said it was
  too late and i had to take the package i was in touch with my credit card company
  but they said i had to give paper proof which i didnt have as it was a telephone
  conversation. i decided to use the package but i havnt been able to get in touch with
  them i just saw these messages from all the other poor people like myself who have been ripped off. Their website is fake and i am absolutely stunned i have thrown 400
  pounds away i am very angry and i want my money back as i no longer have the package
  please please help me to get my money back can my credit card company help?
• Marcel Bal says:

  30/08/2006 at 12:19

  Hello,

  I live in the Netherlands and recieved a phonecall in March this year with an offer from A Resort Week. I could have 3 different holiday weeks, at different location for 798 euro p/week. I would recieve vouchers for these weeks and my creditcard would be charged after!! I made my choise of location. But they directly charged my creditcard for 798 euro. I returned the vouchers in a registered letter and demanded my money back. No reply! I phoned and they told the finance department was working on my refund. After two months I send a new registered letter. No reply. Phonecalls learned me that they were not able to make refunds. I am still looking for a way to get my money back. I hope someone can help me to show the right way!!

  Friendly greetings,

  Marcel
• carolyn says:

  31/08/2006 at 18:38

  Carolyn say’s:

  Try contacting the Attorney General’s office, they will help you.
  They will tell you what you have to do. They will send you papers to fill out and return to them with all the information you have and any papers you have pertaining to Calypso Cay. Good Luck! Carolyn
  Carolyn
• Jay says:

  31/08/2006 at 20:11

  This is the kind of Crap that gives the legit companies like us a bad reputation and make it so difficult to do what we do. As you will all learn, not all travel companies are scams, and not all people who advertise by fax or email are bad people. We do all we can to protect our clients and to make sure that they receive all as told and promised. I hope these guys get what they deserve!
• Rich says:

  31/08/2006 at 22:06

  Hi Jay, you seem to have a gripe with people communicating information about their rights and how to ensure they are upheld, which would be silly, so I’m sure I must be misinterpreting your “kind of crap” generalization.

  People communicating openly and honestly about their rights and their attempts to discover and enforce those rights should be encouraged – it helps ensure the good travel companies can stay in business by alerting the authorities to dubious business practices of scam companies at the earliest opportunity.

  Do you think this is a good thing? I think probably you do, but are trying to respond from both sides of the fence, so your message is becoming ambiguous.
• James says:

  07/09/2006 at 11:51

  I live in Adelaide South Australia. I too have just been ripped off by these b******s $900 which I too can’t afford. They were going by the name of ‘bestvacationsworld‘ and said we had won $1101 and to call 1800 157 243 to collect.

  After ringing them they requested credit card details and described a dream holiday going to Florida with free passess to Disneyland, also going to the bahamas for 3 nights and a cruise on a cruise ship for a further 3 nights.

  I told them I didn’t want the holiday but would like the $1101 that they said I had won, they told me that would be fine and that they’d put it in my credit account.

  After hanging up I then got suspicious and rang my credit card company and found out what had happened. Is there any way you can possibly help me get my money back pleeeaaasssee?
• Amanda says:

  15/09/2006 at 12:31

  I live in Australia and I am glad I have found people with the same problem. I too got scamed! Calypsocay got me and I have been trying for 12 months to get my money back – I am a single mother trying to put myself through university. How can they be so dishounerable we should get an Current Affair investigator television programme to confront these people for us or wack them with a massive lawsuite from combined SCAMED people – People unite! I say and lets get our money back.

  The web site for Calypso Cay has the wrong phone number on the front page but when you log in there is the correct number and they have two different customer service numbers – not suprsing one of them leads to a dead end also. The contact person for my refund is apparently lsevilla@calypsocay.com. And this was the latest excuse for not contacting me with an update of my refund.

  > Dear Mrs. Phillips,
  > We are experiencing severe thunderstorms and expecting a hurricane. Our
  > phones have been going in and out as well as the computers. Please
  > forward your inquiry in writing via fax. I do not have an answer or
  > update regarding your refund. I do not handle refunds or issue them in
  > this department. Please forward your inquiries to my vendor relations
  > manager lsevilla@calypsocay.com for updates and status. It was turned
  > over to him for follow up. Any inquiries regarding the refund should be
  > sent to him.
  >
  > Thank You,
  >
  > Lisette Del Rio
  > Customer Care Department
  > US Toll Free: (800) 824-1533
  > UK Toll Free (0800) 091-0919
  > Australia Toll Free (1800) 092-368
  > Direct: (407) 997-1732
  > Fax: (407) 997-1729
  > 2921 A Vineland Road
  > Kissimmee, Fl. 34746 USA
  > Hours of Operation: Mon-Fri // 9:00 am – 5:00 pm EST

  Gee a 12 month Hurrican who wants to go there for holiday anyway!

  And lsevilla@calypsocay.com should be sacked for not doing his job proberly.

  Amanda
• katie dillon says:

  20/09/2006 at 22:19

  I was also told I had won a “fantasic” holidy (via a pop up on my computer), a freephone number was given, the travel company: sohovacations.

  I called the number, and was subjected to 1.5 hrs of hard sell where I was told I had to leave a deposit of around £580 (I cant remember the exact amount) I wasn’t sure, and this is why the call was so long. I was also put in contact with the”manager” who said I could pay half but tried to discourage me, telling me what (I know now) were lies. After this I did reluctantly give in my card details after a chat with my husband and a sleep, I phoned back the next day to inform them of a change of mind and that I wanted a refund for at least half the amount, the abuse I recieved from the guy on the telephone, and then I was put in touch with a manager I spent over 2 hrs on the phone now fighting to retrieve some of my money.

  I was then told (after much fighting and arguing) to call back at a certain time which I did and again had to fight for around 1 hr. After this I think he clearly could see I wasn’t giving in, he quickly agreed to give me a refund and slammed the phone down.

  I did get the refund back for half the amount but was fooled/scammed out of the other half, I do feel extremely silly as I dont ususually fall for anything like this but I had a young daughter and was exited by the chance to take her to Disney, I did get back half the amount but no holiday to Disney.
• Ja says:

  27/09/2006 at 22:35

  I fell for this scam. I managed to get my credit card company to reverse the payment marked “disputed”. However, because I had given the 3 digits on the back of the card they said they had to honour the transaction. They had received other complaints. I was sold the holiday under the impression that it was being promoted by my credit card company – therefore this was mis-selling. Having thought I had said goodbye to my money – holiday and tried to live with the fact I had been so stupid ~ I received a telephone call this week saying that as I had not taken up the option the Manager of Calypsocay didn’t want to disappoint those customers of VIP Holidays, who were only an agent, here comes the catch! I would need to part with a further £210, as the offer has been improved over the last 12 months and increased in value! Wow!! Very plausible, pleasant Chelsey in the Finance Department! I can look on the website. Could she put the same credit card details through to hold this offer open for the further time period. I said no as that card and all my others have been cancelled. That put a spanner in the works – as how could I pay?!! She referred to her Manager and even tried to put the transaction through but it failed – ahhh! I will now try and get a refund and contact the credit card company again and pursue them. No doubt there will be others taken in. Next step Esther Ranzen and Lyn Faulds-Wood!!! They are very good.
• owsley stanley says:

  29/09/2006 at 15:40

  beall of this is true sunshinetravelescapes-black diamond marketing-bestusa vacations-fla travel-go broadcasting-all one company-principal players Joseph p maher and Japheth Paramananadam-check them out on sunbiz.org
• owsley stanley says:

  29/09/2006 at 18:45

  owsley here again-4525 vineland rd orlando fl tel # (1 of them)407- 9-999-0000 sunshine travel escapes bestusavacations (a subsidiary of Black Diamond Marketing) they will lie and tell you they are simply a Fuffillment center.(try sunbiz.org and do some research on these companies include Traveler Information Network,FLA travel,Go Broadcasting which is the name on the door at the vineland rd–also look at Interstate Welcome Centers–check out the names Joseph p Maher r and Japheth Paramanadam (on sunbiz.org)—bestusa has 3 sales offices in orlando,7800 southland blvd #112,another on the 600 block of wymore e rd,and another on Lee rd-call Sophie and her coworkers at the Dept of Agriculture for the state of florida–call Richard Burnett at the Orlando Sun-Sentinel (a reporter and ask about his articles)–call your your bank and immediately cancel or dispute any and all purchases from these companies (the charges on your credit card will not even appear as the company you purchased from) START WITH YOUR BANK OR CREDIT CARD COMPANY—YAY BOAKES
• Lee says:

  03/10/2006 at 15:06

  My question to you all is, did you give out all your credit card information? the number and expiry date? They have no way of charginig a credit card without all the information? I just got a call and was half a sleep but part waythrough asked only for my expiry which i gave and then red flags hit me. im going to the back in a bit to cancel the card and get another one. If they have my whole number just to be on the safe side.
• owsley stanley says:

  03/10/2006 at 15:26

  Hello more from owsley…

  On Friday the 29th of September BestUSAVacations (aka-SunshineTravelEscapes – Black diamond marketing etc.) did not pay any of their employees (sales agents). [source required]

  The excuse (sic) was that they lost another Merchant account i.e. the people that they process your credit cards through. Credit card processors drop them becaause they have too many charge backs, disputes, cancellations etc.

  Basically irate purchasers that call their credit card companies and want their money back (and legally, as the credit provider, the credit card comany must oblige if the product or service has been missold). It’s the most surefireway to get a refund.

  So keep up the good work!

  Sometimes the company in question will refund money to the consumer if they think they might lose a dispute, in an effort to keep their mercant account active. Many people never get their money back at all. Different tricks include changing the name of the company and stating that the previous company is “no longer in business” or “went bankrupt” and that they are “just the fufillment company”. None of which is true.

  Ok back to the original premise. If a company does not pay it’s employees would you the consumer want anything to do with them?
• Keith says:

  03/10/2006 at 22:25

  We fell into the trap about 3.5 years ago with Funpak Vacations – we signed up for a package visiting Cancun, Ft Lauderdale, etc. but couldn’t take it within the allocated window due to us falling pregnant. We’d kissed goodbye to the money but then received a call from ‘Ryan at Calypso Cay’ informing me Funpak had gone bust, they’d recently bought out all their information and we had around $1100 on record as we hadn’t taken up the offer. Seemed a little weird to me. I was then told they’d spent the last 8 months since improving the packages since taking over Funpak and they could now offer me a better package than the original, all for an additional cost of just $399, but still having to attend a 90 minute timeshare presentation. This would be for a 3 night stay at the Calypso Cay resort (including 2 day passes to Universal Studios), a 2 night stay in Miami at a Sheraton/Radisson/Weston Hotel, a 6-hour cruise to the Bahamas from Fort Lauderdale, and a 3 night stay at the Island Resort (?) in the Bahamas, all to be taken in any order we preferred. All sounded a little bizarre. When asked if they were anything to do with AmeriVacations the response was “not anymore”. didn’t fill me with confidence. When asked for credit card details I declined, stating I needed to discuss it with my wife – as well as doing some surfing. They said they could only hold it for 48 hours but I got them to call me back after a few days. When they called back I asked more questions and they are due to phone me back in a couple of days, as they “can only hold it for another 48 hours”. I asked why, as they weren’t travel agents (nor were they agents trying to sell pre-bought weeks at Calypso Cay, apparently…) and was told they only had a limited number of packages left to offer.
  Is this yet another scam? – I’d never heard of Calypso Cay, but would love to take my wife and kids to Florida. Does anyone have any positive feedback, or any other warnings? I’m thinking of giving it a miss, but don’t want to miss anything genuine… ;o)
• Raymond says:

  05/10/2006 at 16:08

  Thanks for the information on this site. Yes, the scum are still at work. My mother just got a call yesterday. We are going to cancel it through the credit card company. It is sad that theives can be jailed but phone thieves can hide behind dumb rules and operate with impunity. One of these days they are going to piss off the wrong people ….. and then we can all rejoice in justice being done .
  In Canada, report them to PhoneBusters ( http://www.phonebusters.com/english/reportit.html ). But if you are in US, I guess you have to track them in the local BBB of Orlando.
  I guess in the meantime, do NOT trust anyone who calls you and wants to sell you something.
• Raymond says:

  05/10/2006 at 16:14

  The BEST USA VACATION is a scam. Their phone number is 407-843-0336. It is a total scam. They tell you you have won, and all you have to pay is about $600. But of course, the package is a lie, and the trip will not happen. but by the time you try to claim it, the company will have gone out of business, and a new one will have been setup.
  Try to file a complaint with Florida State Attorney’s office. You can also file a complaint with the US Post Office, because they are using MAIL to perpetrate their fraud. US Post Office is very good about following up on scams.
• Domenic says:

  06/10/2006 at 04:31

  Best USA Vacations is a scam! THe same thing happened to my father. They offered a vacation package worth $10,000 for $600 US – we’re in Canada. THey told him that he didn’t have to take it, but they would send an informational package – although they needed his credit card number, although they would not charge it untill/if he decided to take the incredible deal!

  Mastercard was of no help. They did the investigation thing, but Best USA Vacations – but it was their word against ours.

  Here is some info so Googlers could find this posting

  Website : http://www.bestusavacations.com
  Best USA Vacations
  851 E State Rd, 434 Suite 180,
  Longwood, Fl. 32750-5366

  Telephone #: 407-843-0336
  Fax # : 407-843-1838

  E-mail : info@bestusavacations.com
  reservations@bestusavacations.com

  FOR THE PHILIPPINES AND ALL OF ASIA
  Good News Campaigns Inc.
  Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines

  Telephone #: 63-9062337117

  E-mail : goodnewscampaigns@yahoo.com
  as authorized by Lewellen Enterprises International, LLC
• Simon says:

  06/10/2006 at 10:04

  Hi Rich, i cannot beleive these scammers are still going, i myself got scammed in May 2005 and have posted several times on this site and thanks to it, i received a full refund, not from the theiving morons but from my credit card company.

  As mentioned on my posting on October 21st 2005 (page 39) your credit card company know of these dodgy characters and they are already under investigation, all you need to do is make a note of all your calls and emails to them, every single bit of info you can get, this site will provide you with more than enough info to prove that these companies are scammers.

  Eat humble pie, tell your credit card company you have been scammed and supply them with all the details and chances are they will refund you, after all you bought the holiday in good faith. As mentioned earlier the credit card companies know of these scams but they will not refund your money unless you approach them.

  Be also aware that some people who have been scammed are still trying to pass these “holidays” off to unsuspecting people via certain internet auction sites.

  summerbayresort.com and summerbaygetaways.com seem to be doing the rounds at the moment, along with summerbayvacations.com who keep disappearing and reappearing on the internet.

  Oh and by the way i still keep getting emails from “my friends at calypsocay”, friends, yeah right!
• george says:

  10/10/2006 at 10:55

  hi everyone, I visited the website of Calypsocay and I was told that I had won some 4 person vacation to U.S. (florida, Bahamas) and was given a special 4 digit number to verify it and then made a call and the person whose name was (407) Mr. John Moore said, that I had won it,but I needed to pay some 500 euros, receive a package and after arriving get some 2000$ coupon. so can anyone tell me how real it is? thank you.
• Alan says:

  10/10/2006 at 13:37

  Here’s one that will cost them! These guys are currently running a scam where they make outbound calls that tell you that you have won a contest, and to press 9 to collect. Of course their “free” trip is only $600.

  But try this: press 9, then mute your phone. An agent comes on the line, says “Best USA travel…” When he or she figures out that the line is dead, they disconnect. Hold the line. After a few minutes, you get ringing again and another agent. This repeats for a while. You may get various tones designed to make you think the line has dropped, but keep holding. At some point, you wind up with the agent side of conversations, where you can listen to their whole script without hearing what the victim says. Some of you may want to call the victim after their phone number has been read back to them, so you can let them know that they should put a chargeback in at the bank.

  The really fun part of this is that for everyone who hangs on the line, you tie up an outbound line. They probably have 24 or fewer outbound lines, so it doesn’t take much before their system is locked up and unable to call out. They’ll have to restart it to get rid of you.

  I’ve held the line for two hours at a time. I kind of hope they keep calling!
• Tracy Sarich says:

  10/10/2006 at 22:58

  I purchased one of the YourVIPholiday so called packages. Never used it but have tried to ring up to book it and no answer and the email address is no longer of use. Their street address for anyone who may want it is 600 North Highway 17-92 Suite#120 Longwood. FL.32750 Don’t fooled like we were obviously.
• CelexaPH says:

  13/10/2006 at 07:31

  I have information regarding an emerging operation being setup as I type this response by actual individuals who claim to be working under the website (URL provided but withheld). I reside in an asian country and cannot disclose this information yet. If any of you have information on how to report these people, your suggestions woudl be appreciated . The information I have shared is valid and we have to act ASAP so that we can put this people where they belong.
• Martin says:

  17/10/2006 at 03:38

  Hi I just helped my parrents cancel their credit card after giving up their credit card information. They got the popup through the site below, and thrilled with winning a cruise they handed over their info.

  http://www.laundrysrestaurants.com/

  The popup mentioned the following address:
  http://www.cruiseflorida.com/

  Canceling the credit card should secure my parents, but what is the scam? Are all the money lost? Do you actually get the vacation, but no cruise or what?
• Jerry says:

  19/10/2006 at 11:39

  Look you freaks of nature, not all marketing companies selling Best Usa vacations are scams. If I could find the source of this slander you would have to deal with this TEXAN!!! I have a good business and one of ethics so get lost. Let me know where to find you and I will come face to face with you. you best leave my name out your remarks and comments-GOT IT???
• LizzyT says:

  20/11/2006 at 14:08

  Hi all … think my partner has been right royally scammed too.
  He bought a “Fantastic Florida Getaway” costing £390 after being cold-called by Royalty Holidays … after falling for their oh! so slick sales patter he thought that this was a good deal as it was valid for a full year with the option to extent for a further year and as we travel quite a bit then this was ideal for a spur of the moment break.
  Have been trying for the last two weeks to contact them at all there various telephone nos. … and guess what … no-one available to take any calls or just constant ringing.
  I googled their name and found that their website is just surface gloss and then looking through your site that the wonderful vacations offered seem to be so much hot air … so fellow scamees one more here for the ranks !!!
• Avery says:

  20/11/2006 at 22:12

  I just got a cold call from timesharescentral.com. They offered to sell my getaway weeks. timesharescentral.com is listed as one of the questionable IPs in one of the posts. It shares the same IP as expertholidays.com, a website listed in the original poster’s article. I’ve requested a the license number for doing business in Florida real estate. I’ll keep you updated.
• Rich says:

  20/11/2006 at 22:45

  Yep, TimeshareCentral.com are mentioned in comment 12, but interestingly the current site just opens up a frame which displays content from TimeshareCentral.net, which is on a different server altogether.
• Avery says:

  22/11/2006 at 06:27

  Here’s Document 1 of 4 that she sent me. None of the four contain license numbers enabling them to operate as real estate agents in Florida, license numbers which I specifically requested.
  …

  Timeshares Central Inc.

  Thank you for requesting information on our services. As you may know, the timeshare business is making its presence known as the largest growing segment of the travel industry. Timeshares Central Inc. specializes in co-op advertising, marketing, and promotion of timeshare resorts worldwide. All advertising methods are utilized and done on a frequent basis and updated bi-weekly.

  Our clients maintain full control of their properties. We do all the marketing and advertising of your property. You have the option to either accept or decline any offer. Once you accept an offer you will receive a formal letter of intent to sign and return. We will then provide you with a list of title companies and work with the buyers on their financing. The finance company will send you a check for the full sales price, excluding any balance owing to the resort.

  Now in order for these Corporations to know your week is available we have to put the week on the market. Timeshares Central Inc. Has a one time, life time up front fee of $ 1500.00. This covers all the marketing and advertising cost for the rental and sale of your property for the life that you own your week.

  There are some advantages to not being the biggest. That is why Timeshares Central Inc. prefers to be the best! If you would like more information on the professional services that we offer, please contact us at http://www.Timesharescentral.com

  Sincerely,

  Nicole Miller
• Avery says:

  22/11/2006 at 06:28

  Document 2 of 4

  …….

  Timeshares Central Inc.

  Dear Client:

  Welcome to Timeshares Central and allowing us the opportunity to advertise, market and promote the availability of your timeshare property to our international list of potential buyers and renters.

  With the success of our advertising and marketing campaigns, and because the timeshare business is the fastest growing segment of the travel industry, the inquiries we are receiving for rentals and re-sales greatly outnumber our inventory. We guarantee that if you, any company, broker or real estate firm can get your unit rented or sold faster, at the same price that you’ve listed it with us for, we will refund 100% of your advertising cost.

  The fact is that Timeshares Central gives you more timeshare exposure than any other company. As advertising and marketing professionals, Timeshares Central advertises the availability of your timeshare until rented or sold utilizing a various methods, including:

  * Your property listing on the World Wide Web for your specific week and unit

  * Print advertisements in local, regional and national publications.

  * Direct e-mail advertising to 50,000+ timeshare buyers & renters

  * Direct marketing to travel agencies, airlines, car rental agencies and major

  corporations whose executives frequently travel to these resort destinations

  In addition, we regularly advertise and promote our availabilities to pro sport teams, booking agencies, managers, entertainment companies and travelers who frequently buy and rent timeshare resorts on the resale market and not resort direct.

  Again, thank you for joining Timeshares Central and allowing us to advertise your available timeshare resort to the world.

  Sincerely,

  Nicole Miller
• Avery says:

  22/11/2006 at 06:31

  Document 4 of 4

  …….

  Dear Sir/Madam:

  Thank you for requesting information on our services. As you may know, the timeshare business is making its presence known as the largest growing segment of the travel industry. Timeshares Central specializes in co-op advertising, marketing and promotion of timeshare resorts worldwide, offering rapid exposure for the availability of timeshare resorts.

  On behalf of our clients, we market and promote weekly listings to travel agents, tour groups, convention coordinators, large corporations, professional sports teams, entertainment companies, artist managers, tour promoters and booking agents.

  There are 6 basic methods utilized by us to expose timeshare resorts:

  *Print *E-mail Advertising *Web Sites *Direct Corporate Contact *Broadcast Faxing *U.S. Mail

  All methods are utilized and done on a frequent basis and are updated bi-weekly.

  There are some advantages to not being the biggest. That is why Timeshares Central prefers to be the best! If you would like more information on the professional services that we offer, please contact our Marketing and Advertising Department at (866) 210-5935 or 407-857-5394..

  Again, thank you for considering the services offered by Timeshares Central Inc.

  Sincerely,

  Nicole Miller
• Avery says:

  22/11/2006 at 07:03

  timesharescentral.com’s current ip (216.69.164.115 – http://whois.webhosting.info/216.69.164.115), is also used for STARR-GETAWAYS.COM. Here are sites that report problems with that domain:

  http://www.wereldwijzer.nl/archive/index.php/t-9712.html

  and

  http://www.ripoffreport.com/view.asp?id=149238&view=printer
• brad gillam says:

  23/11/2006 at 20:21

  Just wanted to make a comment. Just a few minutes ago, I received a phone call from uwonatrip, or something like that promising the best vacation in the world, at the low price of 699.00$usd for four people. When I began to him and haw, the lady put her director on and he tried to get me with even better terms. When I explained that I couldn’t take advantage of it, he hung up on me in mid-sentence. Guess he figured this fish wasn’t going to bite.
• Therese Dykun says:

  28/11/2006 at 16:59

  Hello, just writing from Manitoba, Canada. I just got the call this am that I had won! Went through the spiel and when I refused to give my credit card, they said “I don’t care I still get paid”. I have emailed BestUSAVacations. If they are not involved and have been told about this scam, then why doesn’t their web page say anything???

  These solicitators would be unable to use their web page if there was a warning on their pages. So are they innocent of scamming??

  Thanks for creating this web page so people can warn others and vent about what has happened. Remember: nothing in life is free and the only time you can WIN is when you have purchased a chance to win (ie. a ticket)
• june burden says:

  02/12/2006 at 12:25

  My daughter who has cerebral palsy has a dream to swim with dolphins. Until http://www.starr-getaways.com contacted me this seemed like just a dream that would never come true. Being a lone parent I thought that I’d never get to take her to Florida. I gave them my card details and told them that I could only afford £380 which I’d been saving for a holiday that year to Sussex – they seemed very genuine! After many phone calls I still (18 months later), have had no promised holiday and don’t think I ever will. The guy I spoke to knew my daughter was wheelchair bound and knew I’m a lone parent but still scammed me. I just hope that he can sleep at night.
• owsley stanley says:

  05/12/2006 at 17:11

  do not buy!!! seeaech boakes for more comments–call your credit card company and DEMAND to CXL