I won a Trip?

[Big Dave]

:confused: Weird thing just happened, I received a phone call from some travel agency saying I "won a trip to Florida and the Bahamas", on a cruiseship. I filled out a "win a cruise" card at the St. Paddy'sday parade we had in Vancouver and I won. I'm not sure what to think, I have the confermation number for the trip and they'll phone back tommorrow to speak with my wife as well. I don't win stuff and I don't know what to think. If they don't ask for my credit card number, then it's all good. I'm just thinking that this is some sort of scam, either that or I'm just paranoid.

[Verlyn]

This sounds like the same group that was at the Mid Atlantic Winter Celtic Fest. We won a weekend stay at a Mariott and were in running for a trip to Scotland, but had to go to Phili (2 hour drive) that night to see a presentation on what they offered to be eligible for the next stage. Sounded too much like a time share pitch to me so we passed.

[Mr. Kilt]

My ex-wife won one of those years ago. Same scenario. My advice...run away. Run away fast!!

[LoftGuy]

Hi Big Dave,

I have to agree with Verlyn; it does sound very much like a time share promo to me, also, but it doesn't hurt to listen, just keep your eyes open and your sporran closed. BTW, there are a number of reputable time share operations out there, so its not necessarily a scam and most do offer trips as an incentive but you'll have to sit thru their presentations.

Bob

[ronstew]

It's a time-share deal, but not likely to be a scam. I have done okay at time-share presentations since I made the mistake of buying one. I got $100 for going to one presentation in Orlando, $50 for one in Reno, $50 worth of real attraction tickets at another one in Orlando, and a good live show in Las Vegas. And the incentives I was offered when I bought the one in Vegas - 4 nights in an Oregon Coast hotel and one week in Orlando with airfare from Seattle turned out to be genuine and great trips.

Some things to look for:

These outfits often have a minimum income for their "prize winners." If they ask you up front what your income is and they tell you that you don't qualify, well, no great loss. If you arrive at their presentation and then they ask for your income and they tell your you don't qualify for the trip, well, then you need to demand the trip. Now, I have seen your picture, Big Dave, and I doubt that they'll give you trouble.

Find out in advance what the details of the trip are on the phone. Write them down. Make sure that your schedule will allow you to make the trip. When you get to the sales-person, show him/her what you wrote down and make sure they are prepared to deliver exactly that before you invest another minute. Before the sales-pitch, have them show you the certificate that they will be giving you at the end of the presentation. The advance people don't know what's on the certificate, so they'll tell you what they think you want to hear. Lesson learned the hard way when the incentive was supposed to be four sports tickets for any regular season NFL, NBA, MLB or NASCAR event but turned out to be verrry restricted and required an up-front payment before they would tell me what events I could choose. Supposedly my up-front payment would come back to me after I used the tickets, but I elected not to find out.

Another scenario - they provide accomodation, but they require that you pay for the flight and book the flight through them. DEFINITE SCAM. The price of the flight will be ridiculous. Use profanity before you hang up on them.

If they provide accomodation but you have to make your own way there, it may be a good deal. Two hours of your life (it is never 90 minutes like they say) for a week's accomodation in Florida can be a worthwhile trade-off. Under these circumstances, I would say a week should be the least you accept, because even discount flights are pricey.

Most of the time-shares that are being actively sold are super deluxe and very nice to stay in. I have been to one dog on an exchange, but the exchange office did warn me that it would be lower grade. It is all I could get in Reno during Air Race Week.

Some newer time-shares have multi-configuration rooms. If a door between the two suites is opened, you have one suite with two bedrooms, a lovely ensuite, a hot-tub in the living room, a very nice kitchen and a smaller kitchen. If the door is closed, one suite is very nice, and the other has a small bedroom, a partial kitchen and no hot tub. As a result, two couples staying at the same resort might have significantly differing opinions about their experience.

Whatever you do: Do not buy a time-share and do not allow yourself to feel guilty for saying no. 95% of the people say no and collect their incentive and leave. Be part of the 95%. These sales people make a good commission on the few time-shares they sell, and it's not your fault that they offered you a trip without obligation.

The short answer for why you should not buy a time-share is you lose a lot of flexibility in the type of vacation you can take and the times that you can take that vacation. Don't buy the idea that you can exchange your weeks - that is always subject to availability, and there is never availablility when and where you want it. And don't believe that time-shares have a resale value - they don't. Check eBay and look at the difference between the asking prices and actual bids on time-shares.

If you do decide that you like the property that is being offered - buy it on eBay. It will show up, if not this week, then next week. For a lot less - a LOT less than the "sign today or the price doubles" price that you will be offered.

[Pour1Malt]

run fur the hi'lands! it's a scam....