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Is this a scam?
LB
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
I know, I know, the answer is that if you have to ask that, it's a scam. But sometimes it's not, right?
A few months ago, I was in the Bahamas, going through customs to get back on a cruise ship, when I saw a free internet area. The only catch was that to use the computers, you had to fill out a card offering to put you in the drawing for a "free Caribbean vacation." Whatever, I figured. Internet is prohibitively expensive on the ship, and they weren't asking for anything other than my name, email address, and phone number. I filled out the card and promptly forgot about it (and never received any spam mail, either).
Today, I get a call from a company claiming to be called Back to the Caribbean, telling me I won! I never win! The deal is this: I pay $500 now, and I get two week-long vacations for two: one to Florida, Las Vegas, Sedona, etc, within the next 18 months, and then another to either Aruba or Cancun within 18 months of that one. I have to pay my own transportation, but the hotels are super nice. I looked them up and the hotels, at least, are legitimate.
I am interested in this trip, because $500 is a sweet price to pay for two weeks of vacation for two people, but I don't want to be scammed out of my money. I looked up their website, but it's pretty sparse, and while it has some codes for travel sellers, I can't actually check them because you need to sign into these websites to do that. I tried to call the Florida 1-800 number to see if they had any complaints from the company, but I can't connect to it. I tried to call the two hotels in Aruba and Cancun, but I only have a cell phone and I can't call internationally. I called the hotels for Florida, but no one knew the answer.
Does anyone have any idea how I can verify that this deal is for real?
A few months ago, I was in the Bahamas, going through customs to get back on a cruise ship, when I saw a free internet area. The only catch was that to use the computers, you had to fill out a card offering to put you in the drawing for a "free Caribbean vacation." Whatever, I figured. Internet is prohibitively expensive on the ship, and they weren't asking for anything other than my name, email address, and phone number. I filled out the card and promptly forgot about it (and never received any spam mail, either).
Today, I get a call from a company claiming to be called Back to the Caribbean, telling me I won! I never win! The deal is this: I pay $500 now, and I get two week-long vacations for two: one to Florida, Las Vegas, Sedona, etc, within the next 18 months, and then another to either Aruba or Cancun within 18 months of that one. I have to pay my own transportation, but the hotels are super nice. I looked them up and the hotels, at least, are legitimate.
I am interested in this trip, because $500 is a sweet price to pay for two weeks of vacation for two people, but I don't want to be scammed out of my money. I looked up their website, but it's pretty sparse, and while it has some codes for travel sellers, I can't actually check them because you need to sign into these websites to do that. I tried to call the Florida 1-800 number to see if they had any complaints from the company, but I can't connect to it. I tried to call the two hotels in Aruba and Cancun, but I only have a cell phone and I can't call internationally. I called the hotels for Florida, but no one knew the answer.
Does anyone have any idea how I can verify that this deal is for real?
LB on
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I've seen these before.
Is it this one: http://www.backtothecaribbean.com/ ?
we had a time share deal like that where my wife (before I met her) paid some amount to stay at what is now planet hollywood in vegas. it was an "ok" deal but not super good. you get a decent price on hotel and in exchange you get pitched hard - really hard - to buy this time share. you will know real quick if it's a deal like this - they will ask you if you're married and if you make x amount of money a year some time soon.
This wasn't a red flag at all?
He probably means the 1-800 number for tourism Florida. At least, that's how I read it.
Looks like the only reviews I can find with a cursory Google search are negative. They're not responsive, and it's hard to book the trips.
"Hey, potential sucker who handed me enough personal information on a little card to enable me to get your address: You 'won' two vacations that you have to send me $500 to never see. Please send me something for nothing, Mr. Sucker! Pleeeeeeeeease?"
This is a scam. You pay $500, they vanish, and you get more of this stuff in the mail as a confirmed sucker. Forget they called.
I can has cheezburger, yes?
And yes, the 1-800 number was a phone number I got off the Florida tourist website, not something that they provided.
I can has cheezburger, yes?
Expect to be hounded big time to attend that 90-minute pitch.
So it's "optional" in the sense that you are given the option of paying full price for the trip.
Ahhh, timeshare scams. I recently had to work to convince my sister that the gradual bait-and-switch of "You've won a trip to Las Vegas through a raffle entered at a booth in the grocery store!" to "Here's where to call to get your reservation!" to "Bring your spouse and just sit through this teeeensy presentation to get your Free Gift!" was in fact not worth it.
No, the free shit they give you isn't actually free: think $100-off hotel "coupons."
Two of us had to give up an afternoon back at home and half a day when out there, but for that we got flights and seven days in a nice plush apartment all for the cost of the airport tax. Had to sort our own transport and dodge the over friendly sales person a few times whilst out there but I definately feel we came out much better on the deal. The easiest way to avoid the salesmen is just to always be out somewhere enjoying yourself.
Note that they give these huge open dates for when you might go to disguise the fact that it will always be deep in the off season.
The problem with these are they also only usually let you go during the 'off-season'. We tried one of these and after a year of never being able to get our cruise i got our money back. They aren't worth it. They suck you in a sell you hard on these timeshares. I'd rather put hot pokers in my eyes that sit through one ever again. (they also lied saying ours would be 90 minutes but kept us there almost 3 hours).
Your better off searching deals through travelocity or whatever. With as bad as the economy is i'd bet you can get a killer deal on a vacation without the scam/timeshare crap.
I appreciate the help!
Your name got pulled out of the hat in the sense that every name in the hat got pulled out of the hat.
No need to rain on the guys parade lol.