tags: Scams
Ameri-who?
March 7th, 2005, by Rich.
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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.
May 22nd, 2005 at 5:48 pm
All I want 2 know is how do I get my money back. I am from the UK and is this legal what they ar doing or illegal because if its illegal then they can get wrong. However if what they are giving you is true just costly they’re not criminals are they? Please reply soon.
May 22nd, 2005 at 6:15 pm
I too have been scammed out of £700 and am now trying to get my money back. I’m so glad i have found this sight. I’m not sure which is the correct address for Amerisuites though as three have been mentioned. Could you please let me know if you know. I haven’t received my package yet so will take your advice and refuse to receive it and am planning to write a letter to them to cancel it within 7 days.
I can’t believe i have been so stupid, i am too scared to tell my husband as £700 is a lot of money. I’ve told my credit card but they said the same and that it was too late as the money had been taken as i had authorised it. Should i now cancel my credit card in case they try to take more money?
Any help in what to do would be great. I will be writing and making complaints to the various organations as you’ve mentioned.
Thanks a lot.
May 22nd, 2005 at 6:39 pm
Sadly, based on the above comments, it appears that all of these things have happened.
May 23rd, 2005 at 10:09 am
I’m trying to send amerivacations an email, please could someone confirm their address for me, thanks.
May 23rd, 2005 at 10:22 am
Well I’m sorry for all those that did fall for this, but i didnt, but curiosity did kill the cat (im a leo) so i googled their telephone number and found this blog - not that i wanted a holiday in Florida anyway…
Anyway, I’ve been ringing the phone number all morning, asking the tele-home-workers (just had one where I heard a radio in the background) how they sleep at night and seeing how long they stay on the phone costing the amerishite criminals some $s in phone bills.
I hate all forms of unsolicited direct marketing - and its the credit card cos who are to blame, they sell your details to all and sundry. Since I applied for my CC 6 months ago I now receieve twice as much junk mail as I used to, and rising ’cause those companies then sell them on too, even though I’m a member of the TPS and MPS. Tell me, anyone here received this phone call who hasn’t a CC? Bet there isnt one. And I always make sure I ring the freefone number on the junk mail (or website) to order them to take my address of their junk lists.
May 23rd, 2005 at 12:54 pm
Their email address is customersupport@amerivacation.com . They probably won’t reply your request to cancel the whole deal but it is important that you send them an email and keep a copy of it in order to have proof that you did want to cancel the trip within 7 days.
Good Luck,
May 23rd, 2005 at 5:40 pm
May 23rd, 2005 at 6:56 pm
Dear All
As promised updates as I get them.
Rich, what a fantastic piece of work I have added your site as a link to my mails to Govenor Bush and the D.O.A.C.S .
PERHAPS IF THEY LINK TO YOUR LATEST PIECE OF WORK THE MENTION OF THE WORD TERRORISM MAY MOVE THINGS ALONG!
Anyone else who wants to e-mail Govenor Bush or Mrs Joan Green at the D.O.A.C.S links are attached.
Mr. O’B,
Your complaint has been forwarded over to our agency from the Governor’s office. We need your complete mailing address. We do everything by US mail. Please send that info to me.
Thanks,
Joan Green
Consumer Services greenjp@doacs.state.fl.us
Governor Jeb Bush [mailto:Jeb.Bush@MyFlorida.com]
Thank you for your recent e-mail to Governor Bush regarding VIP Holiday and American Vacation. I understand your concern and appreciate the opportunity to respond.
To better assist you, I am sharing your comments with Charles Bronson, Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services. If you wish to call or write him, you may contact him at the toll-free telephone number 1-800-435-7352, or write:
The Honorable Charles Bronson,
Commissioner,
Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services,
The Mayo Building,
Tallahassee,
Florida 32399-0800,
office phone 850/488-2221.
Thank you again for writing.
Sincerely,
Rex T. Newman
Citizens’ Services
May 23rd, 2005 at 7:09 pm
Whilst not wanting to make light of what is a serious site.
In refrence to my previous addition.
If the D.O.A.C.S do send in Charles Bronson ; now that will be a result!!!!
May 23rd, 2005 at 7:41 pm
I live in America, my sister who lives in London just rang me in a panic, she has been taken in by this Ameri Vacations Club free vacation nonsense. You won this its free! but give us your credit card number we will not take any money, but guess what 700 quid has been put on her credit card, the credit card company can’t do anything about it because it was verefied.
My advice to her was that it sounds like fraud ring the FBI 850-224-4107 (fraud line in Tallahassee Florida). She did, their response was it sounds like fraud, ring Scotland Yard ,who told her to report it to her local police and seek legal advice. All of which she is doing as I type.
I would sugest that all affected do the same, if the big agencies get enough calls on this matter it then becomes an issue to be investigated.
Good Luck All!
Karla