Tags: Scams
Ameri-who?
March 7th, 2005, by Rich.
I just got a wonderful telemarketing call …
| Me: | Hello. |
| Me: | Hello?. |
| Me: | Helllllo? |
| Me: | [pauses] |
| Me: | Hello?. |
| Me: | Sorry I’m not receiving any audio from your end, so if you can hear me, hang up, or if you’re an automated dialler I’m just going to keep on so you pay for the call. |
| After just enough time for a generic answer phone message to have completed, a recording began to playback at me: | |
| Recording: | Congratulations! You have just won the jackpot! Hi my name is Michael Smith from the Corporate Reward Centre in Las Vegas. You have just won the jackpot! Please call ring free 0800 091 0084 to claim your prize and matching your claim code: Jackpot. Again that number is ring free 0800 091 0084. Congratulations, and we look forward to speaking to you. |
So, noting that my star sign is Inquisitive (with Curious rising) and knowing that 0800 numbers are freephone; I called them:
| Kitty: | Amerisuites Vacations this is Kitty, how may I help? |
| Me: | Who? |
| Kitty: | Amerisuites Vacations this is Kitty. |
| Me: | Sorry, What Vacations? |
| Kitty: | Amerisuites, like America but without the ca and add Suites. |
| Me: | Oh, OK, I’d like to collect my jackp… |
| Kitty: | *click* *beeeeeeeeep* [Kitty ends the call] |
My telephone number is registered with the Telephone Preference Service a UK body that regulates commercial phone spam, so legally they’re not allowed to call me, but they’re trying to force a loophole where commercial calls are banned but, they theorize, by calling it a competition, they can avoid prosecution.
So, not only has this company cold-called my TPS registered number, but they’ve also hung up on me, that’s just plain rude, I wanted to know who and what they are:
So, I called them, again:
| Carla: | Welcome to Amerivacations this is Carla. |
Carla proceeded to take my first name and asked for the number from which I’d called to check what prize I’d won. I gave her a false number. Surprisingly this had no ill effect because Carla came back and told me that I’d won £1301 towards a holiday in Florida, and that it was part of a prize fund allocated to 100 people and there were only 10 claims left on the fund - [irony alert] what luck!
Being a happy soul about this I mentioned that I’m in the UK, and that Carla didn’t sound local; she told me she was in Orlando Florida, and reiterated that this was a free call for me (just to make me really feel like I was special).
She then went on to explain that to claim my prize I’d need to pay the balance on a holiday in Florida at a Ramada resort near near Disneyworld - the package balance £598 for 16 days holiday for 4 - effectively an 80% discount.
The is is not a competition or a lottery, this company is selling holidays; there is no way to claim a “prize” without actually purchasing something, at which point they’ll discount the value of that prize from the purchase cost.
From the TPS website: “Under Government legislation introduced on 1st May 1999 and replaced on 11th December 2003 by the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003, it is unlawful to make unsolicited direct marketing calls to individuals who have indicated that they do not want to receive such calls.”
Carla also explained that they are trying to rekindle interest in America as a vacation venue. She also explained that they are able to make these amazing offers because they keep their costs low, which they do in two ways:
- Direct Dialing.
- Word of Mouth.
Well, by direct-dialling me, unlawfully, they’ve certainly got a little word-of-mouth advertising.
The comments below add a lot of detail and you might also be interested in this followup article.
March 7th, 2005 at 10:47 pm
So, did you lodge a complaint about them ?
Go on, you know you want too… :-)
March 13th, 2005 at 6:47 pm
This company have been plaguing me for months. I have called them three times and asked to be taken off their call list, but I am sadly ignored. They still call. I complain to TPS each time (I’m signed up too) but they seem to do absolutely nothing, and I only get a standard letter in response about my complaints. Has anyone reading this been able to get rid of these people?
March 17th, 2005 at 9:11 pm
I have received a message asking me to ring 0800 0914 766 to claim a £1300 shopping prize, and when I ring back to quote the code name “shop”. I actually dialled the number, but when the ring tone sounded like an overseas call I replaced the receiver. Has anyone else received this message? I too, am registered with TPS.
April 13th, 2005 at 12:33 pm
AmericaVacations rang us selling a holiday in Florida.
7 days in Orlando,3 days Daytona Beach,
3 days Fort lordadaile and a 3 day cruise to the Bahamas for £598 for up to 5 people.
I actually booked this with my credit card. They claimed they had sold over 10,000 of these holidays in UK.Seemed a bargain.the speel was simular to “america who” email.Getting people back to America etc… However the pack I recieved by DHL gives no idea to what is actually offered appart from what is listed above.
Interesting to see what happens when I try to take the holiday?
April 14th, 2005 at 4:48 pm
I too received a call saying the same as everyone else’s and like Colin I also agreed the holiday but with quite a bit of reluctance [I just wasn't happy to give my c/c number] I’ve been on the net to try to see if I can find anyone who had actually gone on one of their holidays - any ideas. Anyhow I then took cold feet and contacted my credit card company who advised not to give my c/c details and that there was no way of getting a refund unless I write a letter and send it recorded delivery within 7 days. I think I’ll do that
April 25th, 2005 at 9:16 pm
I’ve been getting quite a few of these calls. Stupidly, I failed to keep a record of them. On the last but one, I called their freephone number, explained about the TPS, and told them not to call me again. I don’t think the person that I spoke to was at all interested in doing anything about it.
I later went onto the TPS web site, and found out about the Information Commissioner. See http://www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk/eventual.aspx?id=785 There you can download a PDF official complaints form. This is probably much more effective than complaining to the TPS.
Anyway, today I received another call, so I called back and asked if they knew about the TPS. She gave me their customer services number: 0800 094 4761. I called this number and spoke to someone who admitted that the calls are all made by computer and assured me that she would ask for my name to be removed from their list. I’ve also kept a recording of the call, and made a note of the date and time. The address of AmeriSuites, who are making the calls, is 600 Suite 102, Orlando, Florida, 32839. If they call me again, I’ll fill in the rest of the Information Commissioner’s form and send it off.
April 25th, 2005 at 9:29 pm
A bit more info. This is from the Information Commissioner, in the Electronic Communications Guidance document (http://www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk/cms/DocumentUploads/Electronic Communications Part 1 Version 3.pdf). The regulations in question are the “Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003″.
“How do the Regulations apply to automated calling systems?”
“This is what the law requires:
1. Marketing material cannot be transmitted by such a system without the prior consent of any subscriber. This is where the subscriber has told the caller that he/she consents for the time being to such communications being sent on that line, by or at the instigation of the caller (Regulation 19(1) and (2) refer).
3. All marketing messages sent by this method of communication must include the identity of the caller and an address or freephone number at which the caller can be contacted. (Regulation 24(1)(a) refers)
Also: “The mischief that Regulation 19 seeks to address is where a subscriber receives a marketing call which is a recorded message and where there is no opportunity to speak to a “live” person. In our view, even if an opportunity is provided at some point int he message, e.g. “to speak to a live operator, press 1″, such a call would still be covered by the prior consent rule because not all telephones are “touch tone” phones. Such calls are particularly intrusive and can be unsettling for the recipient. We will therefore be taking a firm line on this point.”
It looks like Amerisuites have broken the law on two counts here. They must have prior consent to make automated calls, and they do not include the identity of their organisation in the message.
I encourage everyone affected by this to submit a complaint to the Information Commissioner.
April 26th, 2005 at 6:18 pm
I have just returned home from work to find out my teenage son, who has special needs, has been conned into giving his card details as well as passport information to this crowd He says the spiel he was given was identical to that described above
I immediately called his card emergency line and cancelled the card
We too subscribe to the TPS - surely out telecomms providers have a responsibility here if there are complaints about a UK 0800 number?
…………and I will be making a complaint to the Information Commissioner
April 26th, 2005 at 9:33 pm
I got a call from ammerivacation on Saturday saying that I had won a cruise to the bahamas, I phoned the number, and got through to america. I was told that I had to pay £698 towards a holiday in florida, and I would recieve a £1399 saving. I asked if I had to pay the money that day, and they told me no. They asked for my credit card details and told me that they were only going to be used as ID on check in to the hotel, stupidly I fell for this. I then got very worried at what I had done and cancelled my visa, but it was too late and they had taken £698 from my visa on the Saturday. I have been on the phone to them, they say that I agreed to this and that they don’t give refunds. I got a phone call today saying that I could have a refund, at the small cancelation fee of £250. I have been on the phone to trading standards, watchdog and my visa company to see what I can do. If anyone else has a runin with this so called company, complain to everyone so they can be stopped.
April 27th, 2005 at 9:18 am
I have to admit I did give them my details, yet when I spoke to my bank who I receieved the visa card from they said they could do nothing as they had the money authorised.
Can anyone give me any emails or contact details for me to try and re-claim my money, or for the first time in my life have I been conned and do I put being £500 down to experience?
It looks like my only holiday will be sitting on the grass and making out it is Florida.
The money does not go out until the 28th April, but it looks like the Visa company get there part of the profit no matter what I say!