tags: Scams
Florida Vacations - How to cancel.
June 16th, 2005, by Rich.
Warning: apache_lookup_uri() [function.apache-lookup-uri]: Unable to include '/pics/2005/ameriwho/beachball' - error finding URI in /home/www/boakes.org/htdocs/mods/plugins/boakes-depicticon.php on line 65
Several people have emailed me, or left messages asking for help in getting a refund from Florida based holiday companies (such as AmeriVacation, YourVIPTravel, etc), either because they have bought in haste, or feel they have been misguided by the sales person. In this article I hope to condense all the comments from other stories into a simple action plan.
Your Rights
According to Florida State Law “You have a right to cancel your purchase and receive a refund within 30 days of the date of purchase” after which, “the seller has 30 days from the time of receipt of your notice of cancellation to send you a full refund”. [source] [corroborating source]
The law exists to regulate Sellers of Travel to and from Florida, as well as Sellers of Travel whose place of business is in Florida - it helps to maintain the reputation of Florida as a welcoming vacation destination and protects the citizens of any country by forcing licensed sellers of travel to follow strict rules, including the ones about refunds; so the suggestions listed here are valid from any country.
Action 1 - Call
- Call the number you originally dialled.
- Politely and clearly state that you are calling because you wish to cancel a contract.
- Ask them to confirm the company name and address to which you should send a cancellation letter.
- If the person on the other end bluffs or prevaricates, remind them that Florida State Statute 559.933 is quite clear on your right to a full and prompt refund.
- If they verbally agree to send you a full refund, accept this happily, but you should not stop yet because if they were to forget to send it, or lose the note to say that you’d called, or had a computer crash, (etc. etc.) then you’d have no evidence that you called within the 30 day cancellation period.
Action 2 - Write
- Write a letter of cancellation.
- This is a generic letter template.
- This is an AmeriVacation template.
- Send the letter by an international recorded delivery service.
- From the UK you could use International Signed For.
- Sometimes the companies will state that “you have to return the package”, this is usually just an obstruction tactic, but if they insist, take photographs (and scan or photocopy) everything that you return (example).
Action 3 - Complain always
If you you’re unhappy about the experience and wish to air your grievance, then please do. Lodging a formal complaint will quickly raise the profile of your scammer so the DOACS can monitor them better:
- Complain to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (who regulate the selling of travel in Florida) using this form.
- Inform your “local” national press so that others do not go through the same experience.
- In the UK there is the BBC’s Watchdog Programme
- In the Netherlands, there is Opgelicht.
Action 4 - Write to your credit card company
- Write to your credit card company and tell them that you are seeking a refund from the vendor.
- Explain why you feel the company misrepresented itself.
- Include a copy of the letter you sent to the vendor.
- Use local legislation if necessary:
- If you’re in the UK and the vendor refuses (or is unable) to provide a refund, then the Consumer Credit Act 1974 section 75 is your fallback. It makes the credit card company equally responsible for any misrepresentation (which in the case of AmeriVacation there has been), so should attempt to claim the refund from your credit card company.
Action 5 - Help Others
If you succeed in getting a refund, using this or an alternative method, let others know by describing your success below, I’ll modify the above steps as appropriate.
March 3rd, 2006 at 11:27 am
Hi Venus. Without more info on “AG-Guys” there’s no obvious connection that a layperson such as you or I could or should make between the two companies. There is a company of that name that sells pharmaceuticals for “laboratory experiments” so perhaps (through total coincidence) you were the victim of an unrelated fraud attempt at the same time - i.e. where a company called “AG-Guys” received an order using your credit card, but with an alternative shipping address. I’m sure this is something your credit card company will be delighted to investigate.
March 5th, 2006 at 10:46 pm
dear all,
thank you for posting on this site it has made very interesting reading. my friend is a victim of the ‘celebration world resorts promotions’ scam.
she has asked for her money back to no avail. we are currently researching different options.
i do wonder if this is a case of, together we stand, divided we fall?
here are other web sites worth looking at…
good luck
ps: IF we are lucky enough to get the money back then i will post as such on this web site.
March 6th, 2006 at 4:11 am
Success story from Sweden,
We got our money back from Sunshine Travel Escapes (€800), after following the advice on this page. Just don’t give up, keep a record of everything, and copies of all correspondance. Send this to Florida department of agriculture and consumer services. Make sure the company gets your cancellation letter within 30 days. Call and confirm until you get a good representative on the line. It took about 2 months, but we got the money back. Don’t be afraid, the law is on Your side, and the department of consumer services is very helpful.
Thanx for the info here, it really helped.
March 10th, 2006 at 9:15 am
Dear All, I am right now going through the same nasty experience with Calypso Cay Resort and Amerisuites,and what’s worse I am a Romanian citizen and it’s a bit more difficult to reach them. However, I have already sent the package back together with a letter
of cancellation. I received an e-mail from them saying they will refund as soon as they get it, but now, having read the messages on this site I wonder if it would not be better to start the chargeback action.
Please, advise me,
Ligia
March 16th, 2006 at 10:16 am
Hi. my name is sharon i’m writing on behalf of my mother who got sucked in by these scams it just really sucks how it takes only a few seconds to take the money but so long to get any thing in return you know its just sad that now we will have to take it just that step further my daughter who has worked in media of the papers and the television which is where i will be taking these matters to sending all my paper work and numbers to channel 7 A cuurent affair, radio stations and any other media to get these scum money hungry bastards out of buisness my mother and father work hard for their money they thought it would be a good idea for a holiday which is why they got caught up in this stupid scam my family has been had too many times and this is the last straw we will go to any extreme if we have to just to take them down not only for the money for us but for all tose other innocent people getting sucked in and just a message for all of the above WISH YOU ALL GOODLUCK AND HOPE YOU GET BACK ALL WHATS OWING TO YOU. From Sydney Australia.
March 17th, 2006 at 12:31 am
Hi guys! I am one of teh people who make your life and dinner miserable. lol. Anyway, I am really not a bad person, and so I will
tel you how it works.
It is true that if you get the computer generated message, the sales rep cannot call you back. Also realize that these people work on commission, so it costs them a lot to stay on the phone with you as you dont seem like a potential sale.
Most of us are students, so we need the cash. If we hang up, it is not coz its a scam, but, coz we have to save time. More calls we answer, more chances of sales. This is an advice to all of you. When you do book a package, do NOT panic. these people record your conversation. To make sure that you are not scammed, always reconfirm everything in the second and third legal call as these are taped.
When they say you will stay at ramada inn, say something like are your sure it will be ramada inn and not a sister resort?
This will protect you.
Also, ask some misleading questions. This will determine if the company is legal. Ask them stuff like, I cant afford X dollars now, can I pay Y dollars. If they say yes, hang up - or ask something like I wanna stay at Hilton instead of Summer bay, Again the yes means theyre fake.
The sales rep can make the package look better, but cannot add anything extra to the package.
The extra costs like taxes come to around 100-150 bucks, these are not charged at once, they will onky charge u the 349 per person, or 689 for 4 ppl… thts what i sell.
Its still worth i tho.
Also, at the resort, carry your package, and say, that it shows my room will look like this… they dont want to create scenes so most probabaly they will give it to u.
PLZ BEWARE COZ MOST OF THESE PPL ARE SCAMS. if you like, you can ask me about it and giving me the website they gave u, and i will check it out 4 u… tell u the danger signs.
K am late for work so bye!
March 18th, 2006 at 6:15 am
alright - isellthesepackages - how about greatvacationdestinations.com?
March 20th, 2006 at 6:39 am
I was also a victim to these leeches.I had given my credit card
details to at least 3 people but I got suspicous and rang my credit
card company and blocked my card.They had tried to take the amount
of $410.00 wich I was told would be $299.thank god I was on to them
quickly.To all you internet users next time u hear from these
parasites tell them where to go.To the florida swamps where they
belong.jemma from australia
March 24th, 2006 at 6:30 pm
I also had a run-in with Great Vacation Destinations after my wife entered a draw at a home show in Saskatchewan Canada. They were very high-pressure and they tried all the tricks in the book to get me to give them my credit card information right then. I have experience in sales, and I can tell you that every alarm bell in my head was ringing.
I don’t trust them, and you shouldn’t either. Any company that won’t give you time to research them before committing isn’t worth dealing with.
March 29th, 2006 at 3:13 am
My wife and I were at a flower show on Saturday 03 25 06 and we both entered into a drawing for a free vacation. Today which is Tuesday 03 28 06 Great Vacation Destinations called my wife and promised the it’s to good to be true “package”. This fellow used every trick in the high pressure bag to ply her credit card from her. She told them that she would not give them her card number unless she could verify thier authenticity. Finally the sales person put us on a conference call and he tried everything to get our card numbers. I told him that if we could not verify his company or his integrity we would not buy his product. He was still very forward and we finally hung up on him. Please be careful, these people not only are trying to decieve everyone, but they are putting a blight on the name of a very fine industry. If you want to buy a cruise, call a cruise company or an agent that you know and trust. Lucky today, Alan