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.
June 2nd, 2005 at 7:54 pm
I FOUND IT (!): The cancellation period of Florida and the EU timeshare directive is exactly the same: 10 days
http://www.flsenate.gov/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=Ch0721/ch0721.htm
VACATION PLANS AND TIMESHARING
721.06 Contracts for purchase of timeshare interests.–
3. You may cancel this contract without any penalty or obligation within 10 calendar days after the date you sign this contract or the date on which you receive the last of all documents required to be given to you pursuant to section 721.07(6), Florida Statutes, whichever is later. If you decide to cancel this contract, you must notify the seller in writing of your intent to cancel. Your notice of cancellation shall be effective upon the date sent and shall be sent to (Name of Seller) at (Address of Seller) . Any attempt to obtain a waiver of your cancellation right is void and of no effect. While you may execute all closing documents in advance, the closing, as evidenced by delivery of the deed or other document, before expiration of your 10-day cancellation period, is prohibited.
So if they claim that those false contracts can not be cancelled they violate the law.
June 3rd, 2005 at 5:21 am
Hello Rich,
Thx for the update. By the way, would you happen to know if cancellation periods are applicable for travel agents as well? The whole situation is most unclear. My credit card was charged by ‘amerisuites vacation club’. When I looked it up on google it turned out to be indeed a timeshare company. That is why I assumed that the timeshare regulation was applicable. I mean if their real name is Discount Holiday LLC they shouldn’t be charging credit cards under a different name, should they? Is that not illegal too?
Peter
June 3rd, 2005 at 2:26 pm
On the website of the Florida attorney general I have found another confirmation that we all have the right to cancel our ‘fabulous vacations’ within 30 days.
http://myfloridalegal.com/pages.nsf/4492d797dc0bd92f85256cb80055fb97/8140f2cf06fc01b785256cc900693171!OpenDocument
June 3rd, 2005 at 8:20 pm
WE DIDNT ACCEPT THE PACKAGED THAT ARRIVED SO WE DIDNT SIGNED ANYTHING SO WHAT IS MY CANCELLATION DATE? IT HAPPENED LAST 12TH LAST MONTH.
FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION REPLIED ON MY COMPLAINT. THEY ARE SOUNDS MORE HELPFUL THAN THE DOACS. http://WWW.FTC.GOV.
CAN ANYONE PLEASE TELL THEM ABOUT THIS WEBSITE SO THAT THEY UNDERSTAND MORE OF OUR CONCERN.
June 3rd, 2005 at 9:59 pm
to noonoo, i want know what happen to your complained to FBI, what did they said, tried to phone them and kept leaving messages.
to vickey, the better business bureau is a local site in america. How can you submit the complain if they are only asking the state there?
June 3rd, 2005 at 10:11 pm
there is website called Fraud.org. we shouldfile a complain here.
June 4th, 2005 at 10:48 am
Hello again,
Since so many of us have the same problems maybe we should consider contacting the attorney general of Florida.
Main office mailing address
Office of Attorney General Charlie Crist
State of Florida
The Capitol PL-01
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1050
Main office telephone numbers
Switchboard: 850-414-3300
SunCom: 994-3300
Citizens Services: 850-414-3990
Florida Relay/TDD: 800-955-8771
Florida Toll Free: 1-866-966-7226
Fax: 850-410-1630
SunCom Fax: 210-1630
June 4th, 2005 at 11:09 pm
here is my latest call to them.
June 6th, 2005 at 1:19 am
i too have been scammed! i tried to view the article but you have to pay, to see it can you paste it on the site? i live in australia so i dont have access to the paper. thanks
June 6th, 2005 at 1:26 am
this site has been ever so uplifting, at least i am not the only one that has been taken advantage of but has any one taken the holiday yet? i havent received the package yet so i dont know what it is all about? i would really like to read the articles but cant access the site, can anyone post the articles here so i can see them? thanks again