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.
February 15th, 2006 at 6:57 pm
SUNSHINE TRAVEL ESCAPES Is this the company that is” all in one scam” ?
I invested $350.00 into it. I have been going in circles with them about all the details. They seem to talk in circles and keep telling me to send my paper work in with reservations…THEN they can help me. It sounds like the “cruise” is a scam also. They want to charge $200 for tax and port charges!
HELP- can I do anything about this? Has anyone got there money back?
February 22nd, 2006 at 4:31 pm
I found this site while looking for info on a “free cruise” I was offered recently. I turned it down, and felt good about doing so. But, I started to wonder if anyone had ever taken one of these offers and if it was worth it. From everything I’ve read, I can tell you it’s not.
First, I’m an American and I’m so disappointed to find out this is happening. We have enough problems without scammers making people say, “Yep, Americans, there they go again.”
For anyone who has been offered this opportunity and is still wondering if they should take advantage of it, PLEASE DON’T. From what I’ve read they’ll charge you more than what you could have booked the trip on your own. They’ll keep blocking dates until your “free trip” is no good, etc. It’s a scam. Apparently, even if you do get to go, you’ll stay in the worst places. I was offered a cruise on the “Imperial Majesty”, which I’ve read is a 50+ year old ship, and not very nice.
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
February 24th, 2006 at 10:06 pm
hei i just calld up a guy from calypsocay and he sad i had won 80% discount off my hollyday, and i gave him my kreditcard number for 2 hours ago,i got the phone number from the internet site,and it sad that i where nimmber 1 billion visitor on the site. so do any one know if i have been scamed.
February 27th, 2006 at 11:35 am
I was led from a reputable web site to the usual congratulations junk you have all already been told about. I am normally pretty rigid about online security. But the whole process was slick. I only agreed to pay a deposit however of £200.00.
The funds were debited on the 21st of Feb (£230.00) and having not received the “Package” my options were limited. They did not respond to calls to cancel, in fact the last time I was able to speak to anyone was on the Phone the night I initially gave my details. I was told that funds would be debited to next month’s statement allowing time for the package to get here and cancel should I choose.
No Package “This contains the only reference and details to the holiday”
Unable to cancel within 7 days.
The now had my details available to them.
Solution
Call your card company [and this - Rich]
Tell them everything [about how you are] not be able to cancel when you try. They have learned from the initial errors.
From the date of the transaction there will be a delay of 30 days. If in those 30 days
then the fraud will be rectified by the card company.
I don’t feel stupid, these matchstick men are very good at that they do.
My suggestion to you all is to email anyone you class as a friend or contact and make them aware of the company and the con that lies behind them. They rely on the internet to further their crooked marketing systems. We can use their medium of choice against them. So get firing the emails.
If anyone has any additional information about this “group” please post here and I can provide contact details. My card company will be looking into these companies, I would like to give them any information that will nail them and prevent any other individuals loosing hard earned money to this.
March 9th, 2006 at 8:24 am
I had a call form a crowd from Royalty Holidays, saying that this was a deal for the first 100 visa card users. Anyway i stupidly took the deal. I received and amazing package delivered by DHL, which made me think that this was all above board and it gave details on cancelling. So i called to cancel(hurricane Katrina was in full flow then). Now this guy David Davenport the 3rd, as he told me, was a great sales man then when i rang to cancel i recognised his accent straight away and he said he was security and to ring back later. However , at this stage i wasn’t that stupid and i told him i recognised his accent and he
said ‘oh sorry, you want to cancel, ok, done. I thought something wasn’t right so i ranga uk based no later and got a great girl who told me that she was putting me on speker phone as this was a serious complaint, this guy named David too i think put meonto his boss who i have to say sounded genuinely concerned and said that they would include more for the same price. Now these people were on the phone for a good 30mins and gave me his own ext. to call him back - i have to say they were going to alot of bother for a scam and the package was first class - black folder, vouchers, all info on Royalty holidays. However, i live abroad so after i went my sister who is manageress of the post office sent the packaged, signed delivery etc. but of course i never checked my credit card details, when i did in Jan 2006 of course it wasn’t cancelled. Now my sis can’t finnd the receipt for posting but my bank did say something about ‘maybe’ being able to help, but as i won’t be home until July 2006, i don’t know what to do, Can you help???
May 4th, 2006 at 1:19 am
Hi. Myself, along with many othere in my town, have recently received the “you have won a free cruise..please press 9″ phonecall. There are rumors that if we DID press 9, charges with be sent to our telephone bills. Does anyone have any information??
May 25th, 2006 at 10:03 pm
Bought the pacakge sometime back and fought like a terrier to get a refund. It took nine months but eventually got a credit. Lost out on the difference in the exchange rate between start & finish which cost me about £90.00 from memory. Have had a phone call once every two months telling me the Credit still shows against my name (even though a refund was issued)
May 25th, 2006 at 10:10 pm
Quoted them & faxed acopy of their own Federal Law stating terms & conditions for selling vacation packages over the phone. The gist was that unless they compled with the letter of the Law they were subject to huge fines (& possible imprisonment) for each count against them as well as the risk of losing their license. I suspect that American Law is more valid than our own toothless regulatory bodies as it hits them closer to home.
May 25th, 2006 at 11:15 pm
Florida Stae Law - States Cancellation Rights ~@ 30 Days
559.932 Vacation certificate disclosure.–
“YOU MAY CANCEL THIS CONTRACT WITHOUT ANY PENALTY OR OBLIGATION WITHIN 30 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PURCHASE OR RECEIPT OF THE VACATION CERTIFICATE, WHICHEVER OCCURS LATER.”
“This contract is for the purchase of a vacation certificate and puts all assignees on notice of the consumer’s right to cancel under section 559.933, Florida Statutes.”
(a) The purchaser may cancel the contract without any penalty or obligation within 30 days from the date of purchase or receipt of the vacation certificate, whichever occurs later.
559.9335 Violations.–It is a violation of this part for any person:
(11) To misrepresent or deceptively represent:
(g) That the recipient of an advertisement or promotional materials is a winner, or has been selected, or is otherwise being involved in a select group for receipt, of a gift, award, or prize, unless this fact is the truth.
559.9355 Administrative remedies; penalties.–
(b) Imposing an administrative fine not to exceed $5,000 for each act or omission.
559.936 Civil penalties; remedies.–
(2) The department may seek a civil penalty of up to $5,000 for each violation of this part.
(4) Any provision in a travel contract, certificate, vacation package, or other brochure or travel material from a seller of travel that purports to waive, limit, restrict, or avoid any of the duties, obligations, or prescriptions of the seller of travel, as herein provided, is void and unenforceable and against public policy, unless it is necessitated by contractual arrangements with travel service suppliers and fully disclosed.
June 1st, 2006 at 5:06 am
Hi im Deborah From Australia, I had the same call with the same wording I queried and they put the ’supervisor’ on. I said let me call you back and I will then give you my credit card (like hell!) he said “no you have to take this live call and promotion now..its a one and one only to special customers.” No thanks… the next day…. hello hello?… this is calypso cay you have won a bahamas cruise, accommodation etc… same guy… asked for my name I changed it; and same speil.
Please dont give your credit card details; he is convincing. I wish I had a salesman working for me like this guy!