Free vacation, on one condition.

[Ensign Steve]

I think this qualifies as "travel." I got a voucher in the mail for a free vacation (up to 1600 value) from Ramada Plaza Resorts Orlando/Ft. Lauderdale Vacations. Has anybody done one of these before? How was the experience? I've gotten the offers before, but I've always ignored them because of the whole paying for transportation to Florida thing. But now that I live just around the corner from there, I figure maybe it's worth considering? It doesn't say anything about "port fees" which I've heard can be upward of $300. Here's all it says:

This is an offer to sell travel. This Vacation package includes nationally recognized Ramada(r) Plaza Resorts Gold Key Award Winning accommodations for three nights South Florida, two nights Orlando, FL, round-trip Carnival(r) Cruise or Imperial Magesty Cruise with meals and entertainment included to and from Nassau, Bahamas, and an economy rental car for seven days with unlimited mileage while in Florida. Ramada(r) Plaza Resorts, Orlando/Ft. Lauderdale Vacations, a franchisee, markets and is resonsible for quality travel packages to promote specific hotels and resorts in Orlando and Ft. Lauderdale, which it exclusively owns and opearates, and in return requires the attendance at a presentation on the sale of independent vacation ownership resorts.

Participants will also receive four days/three nights in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and three days/two nights in Las Vegas, NV, which may be enjoyed after primary itinerary. Offer is subject to change without notice and no valid in conjunction with any other offer. Transporation to and from Florida, hotel and rental car taxes if applicable and meals on land are the travelers' ressponsiblity. Please only one call per notification.

The front of the thing says to reply within 72 hours (48 hours if I want to add Mexico and Vegas), but the Terms don't say anything about that. You get a fake time limit at the gym, when they want you to answer without thinking. I bet it's the same with this. Now I'm just guessing shit. Anybody have any real information for me? ;)

[lisarea]

It's a scam, mos def. Especially (sorry Floridians) seeing as how they're located in Florida. Florida loves confidence men.

Here's their whois information:

Organization:
Plaza Resorts, Inc.
Russell Moss
351 S. Cypress Road, Ste.: 200,
Pompano Beach,, FL 33060
US
Phone: 954-580-0555
Fax..: 954-580-5619
Email: jmax379@hotmail.com


Here's an overview (http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/tmarkg/trvlfrd.htm) of how most vacation thingies like this work.

Anyway, just searching on the business name "plaza resorts, inc."

Here's a list of enforcement actions by the FTC (http://www.ftc.gov/os/1999/08/statecases.htm) (Operation Trip-Trap) where they got in trouble as such:

National Travel Services, Inc., Plaza Resorts, Inc. d/b/a Ramada Plaza Resorts, Daniel Lambert, James Verrillo and Robin Leach
Arkansas Attorney General
Complaint for Permanent Injunction, Civil Penalties and Restitution; state law Pulaski County Arkansas
Press Contact: Darrin Williams (501) 682-2007
Staff Contact: Kay Barton (501) 682-6150


...which means, basically, that the Arkansas AG doesn't want them doing business in Arkansas anymore. (Ha ha! Robin Leach.) See similar actions on the same page in Arizona, Connecticut, the District o' Columbia, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Here's North Carolina kicking their ass (http://www.aoc.state.nc.us/www/public/coa/opinions/2002/011096-1.htm).

Here's a good part from that:

The State of North Carolina has had dealings and litigation with plaintiffs prior to this suit. North Carolina, along with fifteen other states and the District of Columbia, filed actions for unfair and deceptive business practices against plaintiffs.

FIFTEEN other states! That's two more than on the FTC page, no?

Anyways, if you search on other DBAs and stuff, you'll probably find lots more scammin'.

So, anyway, don't go. OK?

[viscousmemories]

Hell I almost deleted this thread as spam just from the title.

Ha ha! Robin Leach.

[Ensign Steve]

Aw, I thought it was too good to be true. Thanks for the info.

[lisarea]

Aw, I thought it was too good to be true. Thanks for the info.

Yeah, sorry.

You can still call them up and tweak them if you want, though. I fucked with some company like that really hard once. Recorded them trying to scam me and get my routing numbers and everything. They broke like a million different telemarketing laws, and I told on them to the FCC.

It was sort of fun. Like a little vacation, in a way.

[Ensign Steve]

I did catch it a little bit, though. From lisarea's first link:
High Pressure/Time Pressure Tactics. Scam operators often say they need your commitment to buy immediately or that the offer won't be available much longer. They typically brush aside questions or concerns with vague answers or assurances.

<snip>

Don't be pressured into buying. A good offer today usually will be a good offer tomorrow. Legitimate businesses don't expect you to make snap decisions.



See, I can be a crafty consumer, sometimes. Gyms totally do this, though. Even though they are a legitimate business otherwise. Oh, except when I let my membership expire (that I had paid upfront for), they started billing my checking account monthly. I called and they said, "You never told us you didn't want to renew." I was like, "Did I ever tell you I did?!" Scheisty. Too bad, because gyms are cool otherwise. Just the nature of the beast I guess. Like used cars. And introductory interest rates. Oh, don't get me started!

[viscousmemories]

Hey I'm not one to talk. I've been suckered into buying a lifetime membership at Bally. Twice. And I once bought a 2 year subscription to several magazines in response to a call from a telemarketer. He/she woke me up, started off talking about free samples with no obligation, and an hour later I was signing a contract (brought to my apartment by courier) that meant paying like $20 a month for 2 years. :doh:

[Ensign Steve]

Bally was my gym, too. It's a bummer, cuz they are such nice gyms* with great equipment and classes and staff. Why do they think they need to resort to shady sales tactics when they have a good product that people would buy anyway? The only reason I didn't renew was that I have a free fitness program with my job. ;) And for just $4, I was able to transfer the balance of my membership to a friend when I quit.

*Some locations are nicer than others, of course. Long Beach was huge, and Encino was just plain posh. North Hollywood was a dump, but they let me switch to Encino once I realized my mistake, even though it was disallowed by my contract.

There's a joke on Family Guy where Stewie is thinking about joining a gym, and the big, ponytailed salesman tells him the special will only be going for the next seventeen minutes. Stewie goes, "That's odd." Heh.

[Ensign Steve]

Hell I almost deleted this thread as spam just from the title.

That's right, vm. All these years I've been pretending to be your friend, gaining your trust, luring you into a false sense of security. So that one day, when you least expected it, I could start spamming your board.

**Get a Free IPOD!!!!!**
**Get paid 10,000 to lose 30 pounds!!!**
**Hi, me and my friends made a website. Let us know what you think!!**

[viscousmemories]

That's right, vm. All these years I've been pretending to be your friend, gaining your trust, luring you into a false sense of security. So that one day, when you least expected it, I could start spamming your board.

**Get a Free IPOD!!!!!**
**Get paid 10,000 to lose 30 pounds!!!**
**Hi, me and my friends made a website. Let us know what you think!!**
AHA! I KNEW IT!

[Weaselboots]

Just don't fall into the "free trip to Bali with $500 spending money" as nine really stupid Aussies did last week. Only one condition - tape several kilo's of heroin to your body and try and smuggle it back to Australia.

Hmm Indonesia- death penatly for drug smuggling :doh:


sign me up for Florida....

[squian]

That's right, vm. All these years I've been pretending to be your friend, gaining your trust, luring you into a false sense of security. So that one day, when you least expected it, I could start spamming your board.

**Get a Free IPOD!!!!!**
**Get paid 10,000 to lose 30 pounds!!!**
**Hi, me and my friends made a website. Let us know what you think!!**

Finally, a reputable source for mail order Viagra! Can you help me get lower mortgage rates? I keep meaning to help the Rwandan royalty get millions out of a Swiss Bank account but I've just wanted help from somebody I know.

[MooseIBe]

There's no such thing as a free holiday sadly :(. I remember a few years ago we started getting really persistent phone calls from someone company offering us free European holidays.. they seemed desperate to get us to sign up. I knew there'd be a catch and there was, though right now I can't remember what the fuck it was.

I guess the upshot is, no big company is ever gonna truly offer you something that good for nothing.

[CaDan]

These folks send a shitload of junk faxes, too. That puts them high on my shitlist.

Moose can tell y'all what happens to people who send junk faxes. For some reason, their money ends up in Cumbria . . . . :D