Vacation dupe!

[beerbaron105]

My gf and I went to sexapalooza the other weekend, we both filled out vouchers for a vacation lottery for an 8 day trip to the bahama's.

i get a call today saying i won, wowee, so the girl starts fillign in all the details of the trip over the phone, confirms my info, then says its a $3500 package but the only fee is 299 a person to hold the spots for 18 months and kept referring back to the $3500 package deal.

im like ok whatever, then she brings up my visa and asks for the number, i stop and question why i need to give her my visa over the phone, she goes back over the massive savings ill have

so once again i say no, she becomes very rude, and questions why i wouldnt want to have such a nice vacation, then ends up hanging up on me the 3rd time around me saying no!

so just a warning...if its too good to be true it is! lol

[beerbaron105]

this is the number and 411 info i could pull up

(212) 741-7606 is a land line based in New York City, NY
The registered service provider is Verizon**.
Detailed listing information is not available.

[ullyeus]

I'd say this is so common it's right up there with nigerian princes.

[midnightskulker]

I got the exact same thing. They take all the ballots and call every person that filled one out in hopes of getting some suckers. I called the Director of Sexapalooza and she said she was sorry and that they'll make sure it doesn't happen again.

I posted my thoughts in the Travel forum and people said "if they say it's free but costs ANY amount of money, then it's not free", in other words, "not legitimate".

[ji2o0k]

actually I find most the vacation contests at large exhibit shows to be a scam.

Exact same thing to my gf and I when we went to the Autoshow (I think it was the Auto Show).

We each filled out some ballot for a vacation contest and we both received seperate calls at our home claiming we won. My gf was excited (as was I at the time) but once they started mentioning the fees (like taxes and airplane fees), we wised up.

So yeah, watch out.

[goobelygoop]

I'd say this is so common it's right up there with nigerian princes.

Hah no kidding -- I think I heard of this scam for the first time when I was 10 years old (and I'm 22 now LOL)

[najibs]

Hah no kidding -- I think I heard of this scam for the first time when I was 10 years old (and I'm 22 now LOL)

Yet there's still hundreds of people lining up at those ballot boxes at car shows giving all their personal info to try to win a 'free' car or a vacation :rolleyes:

[beerbaron105]

ya ill never do that again!!! at least im not alone!

[Grassgreen]

I have been getting calls lately from the Bay (allegedly) saying similar things, but it is all automated.

I just hang up, but I get this call at least 3 times per week.

[Raf15]

Just got the same call, at first I was excited but a little suspicious. He told me about all the great things I will get, 3 day stay in florida, cruise to bahamas and 3 day stay at the bahamas. He also told me i get some other complimentary stay in las vegas and florida. It all sounded great until he asked for my credit card number which I didn't understand why he needed.

He told me they were at sexapalooza and their a legitimate and registered company in ontario and once I pay my 600$+ something I will be guaranteed my vacation.

I asked him what company he is from and he said "FBvacations" which he said stands for florida bahamas vacations.

He then quickly jumped into saying "so i'm gonna need you to give me the digits starting with the first, go ahead ... "

I told him I didn't have enough money on my credit card to which he replied that they can take a small deposit for now.

ANYWAYS, i told him I didn't feel comfortable giving my information. He then went crazy about how this is limited and he will move on to the next person if he has to and that I'm missing an opportunity of a lifetime.

I said no and he quickly said "well we will just move on the next person then" and hung up.

The number was ... 718-228-0785

[okaywithme]

Any time someone calls asking for personal information over the phone, I always ask them to leave their number and organization so that I can call them back. 9 out of 10 times they don't want to do that. Problem resolved.

[longitude]

... we both filled out vouchers for a vacation lottery for an 8 day trip to the bahama's.


First mistake.

Do not give out personal information.

[Owbist]

If you MUST enter these scams you might consider changing just one letter in your name then watch the junk snail mail it generates. Even selling names seems big business.

I never fill any form in where I am going to get a prize, they leave the sur off of prize till later when the surprise becomes shock or rage :)

[angekfire]

I made the same mistake like 2 years ago. Went to the show with my GF, filled it out, and then we both got calls. They asked for my CC and I was like "No, I don't feel comfortable giving that out over the phone" and they were like "It's perfectly safe" and I said "I don't care" And he was persistant so I said whatever and hung up. My GF was considering it, but I told her it was 100% a scam and she listened. They tried calling me back another 3 times and I just told them they had the wrong number and they stopped calling.

The vacation is supposedly legit. But you have to go TO the cruise location on your own, and apparently it's a pretty crappy outdated ship. So the price you have to pay ends up being a mediocre deal at best.

A coworker bought into it though, and gave them the deposit, then realized it was a scam. He tried to get his deposit back and it took him like 2 months of fighting with them.

[winterfreshgrin]

Not to say that all draws for prizes are scams at exhibits and shows - i did know someone who won a car.

Piece of advice - don't fill in a ballot at a show/exhibit if the ballot asks 'which type of credit card do you have?" or "do you plan to take a vacation within the next 12 months?" or anything similar to that nature. those are guaranteed scams as they are used to prequalify you in this some timeshare presentation using a vacation as bait.

[Deadmau555]

All scams, sorry.

[Shaner]

It's not exactly a scam, but it's definitely not free either. If you read the details, you'll see it's a timeshare. You do get everything they promise you, but you have to go to numerous meetings that take up your day. Also, the hotels are run down and filled with cockroaches, and the boat is so old I'm surprised it still floats.

[Zedix]

Hey OP,

When did you attend Sexapalooza? I attended it when it was in Ottawa, over a month ago, and at the time they had the SAME scam. They even sent an email to all the ticket purchasers saying someone at the booths were collecting info and calling with telemarketing/scam whatever you want to call it.

If over a month later they are still doing it, the organizers need to get their sh*t together and stop 'em.

[angekfire]

It's a once a year event AFAIK, so it was probably the same one. It takes some time for them to get the calls out once the event is over.