The company response was: I was beyond my 30-day cancellation period, I never sent back my package materials and I gave a verbal agreement to charge my card.

I wasn’t aware of the cancellation period or many other aspects of their dodgy deal until after the fact.

Has anyone else been rejected by DOACS and if so what did you do/what can I do next?

Can you clarify your points about “not paying employees properly” – is this personal experience or hearsay?

You suggest that the managers are serial con artists – can you give examples of their other “work”, or is this unsubstantiated? Also, if these managers are pro-scammers, were the owners also conned?

… or is there no evidence to support your claims? If you’re going to say these things you have to be able to back it up (and you should probably be saying them to the DOACS and the police).

No one you get a telemarketing call from is a real representative of the resort, only a telemarketer; also people who get “pop-ups” saying that they are “the grand prize winner! you won 1101 in travel rewards or dollars” that’s a lie.

EVERYONE is the so-called winner and you really didn’t win anything except a 30 minute phone call with someone who is going to give you a fake name and get you to give them your credit card number.

The last employer I worked for claimed to sell vacations for the resorts mentioned above, except they were really called “Matza Marketing“. They didn’t pay their employees correctly and they probably didn’t give their customers their vacations as promised. Some of the so called “promotional directors” there went by the names of Denise Atkins and Vincent Coviello. Those arent their real names. Denise is really a 20 year old high school drop out and her boyfriend is the other “promotional director”. They run scams all over and then relocate and dont pay their employees.

The second call I got a little impatient, told them I already asked to be taken off their list, that i am on the National Do Not Call list and that they are in violation of the National Do Not Call Act (or whatever it’s called). The marketer accused me of calling them. I asked for a supervisor, explained all the same above info and SHE HUNG UP ON ME!!!! I never said one foul or insulting word. These people are disgusting human beings!!! NEVER BUY A TIMESHARE AT CALYPSO CAY RESORT!!! Here’s their number: Calypso Cay Resort 407-997-1600

Then again, i suppose those who go on it, realise they have not been scammed if they can actually go to the resort?!?

I have searched several sites about this and it looks as if people are taking it as a ‘scam’ where take money unlawfully and give you nothing.

I disagree with this as they do clearly tell you that they are giving you money off a holiday, if you are willing to pay the remaining £598.00 balance, and they do ask if you wish to participate and ask for your card details. If anyone who gives their details without actually understanding what they are offering you, it is not the companies fault as they have told you what the offer is, and you dont have to give your details if you do not want to take the offer!

i don’t think this is a scam but alot of people do not understand it properly. I have not participated myself as i do not want the holiday but listening to them and reading what people say, it is fairly obvious what they are doing.

I agree the way they call is wrong, but they will get away with it as they are based in America and state that you have ‘won’ the discount.

Don’t give anyone your card details unless you understand what they are offering you, as they do explain it, so you can only hold yourself to blame if you lose money through this offer.

I was estastic! As I had been off for several months at the time, money was a bit low, but I had £800 worth of savings that I thought was worth spending for this amazing once in a lifetime holiday. I gave my details over the phone, and they said they would send everything out.

About 5 day later it arrived, by then I told my boyfriend and he said that it was more than likely a scam and that they shouldnt have done anything as I was very well medicated! So I rang them back and said that I wanted to cancel, theysaid it would cost £200 to cancel but all I had to do was send EVERYTHING back, (if anything was left out I wouldnt get any money at all.)So I did I got proof of postage and left it a couple of days and rang them they said they had it and I wrote something on there which I asked them to read (which was right)they said it would be about 2 months before I got the money refunded.

I then went to my bank who said they could do absolutely nothng without proof of refund – I had sent EVERYTHING back including the terms and conditions, they were no longer available on line and the website was closed for some reason.

I am still fightinG it now, but without the terms and conditions Im not ot getting anywhere if ANY BODY HAS THESE PLEASE COULD YOU LET ME KNOW? I AM STILL DOWN £700 WHICH SEEMS TO BE MORE THAN SOME PEOPLE ABOVE!!!

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.

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.

1. Problem 1
   No Package “This contains the only reference and details to the holiday”
2. Problem 2
   Unable to cancel within 7 days.
3. Problem 3
   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

1. you do not receive the goods (and you will not in time to cancel) or
2. you do not get to cancel

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.