Surveys/Contests Anyone ever win anything?

**peanut** · 08-04-2008, 10:46 PM

I just got a phone call saying I was one of three people who won an all expense paid trip to Orlando, Florida and Daytona Beach. They (eTour) are footing the bill.

Has anyone had any experience with these guys? As I understand it we have to have a tour of one of their hotels. Is this going to be a problem guys? Or is this a high pressure sales scam?

I won this through the Net by answering a survey. Thanks...

Jean

**McD** · 08-04-2008, 10:52 PM

I would google search the name of the company and the word scam. See if anything turns up.

**elphie** · 08-04-2008, 11:42 PM

The recently called me also... mine was not all expenses paid but a VERY good deal ($289 for a total of 8 days, 7 nights also in Orlando and Daytona plus a rental car we can pick up locally to drive down). I had them send me the paperwork, I got it today. Ours says we have to tour BOTH properties (Orlando and Daytona), 90 minutes each. Also, I specifically asked about hotel taxes on the phone and she told me there were no other charges... got the paper work and neither rental car taxes or hotel taxes are not included. I am looking more thouroughly into the company and still have a few days to decide.

My dad keeps saying "If something seems to good to be true it probably is." However, I know people who have taken advantage of vacation deals to take these tours where they try to sell you a timeshare package... no one I know who has done this has gotten ripped off but I'm still being very cautious.

**peanut** · 08-04-2008, 11:54 PM

I just checked the Florida Better Business Bureau and they weren't very complimentary about the company. I'm phoning to cancel tomorrow morning.

Jean

**elphie** · 08-05-2008, 12:08 AM

ahh yes, my dad is usually right, his most annoying quality

Although I do have to say that I read many of the complaints on a ripoff website and a lot of the people complaining were really not listening to the salesperson on the phone. I completely understood everything that I was receiving, financially responsible for, and what was required by me. I also understood that they were soliciting me based on a paid survey I had completed, that they were selling me something and I had not won anything. I asked lots of questions and she seemed very forthcoming with her answers. However, there is the matter of the discrepency in additional hotel taxes. Makes me wonder what else she wasn't so upfront about.

In the end dh and I have decided to cancel mostly because a few of the complaints dealt with having a hard time confirming a reservation... one site booked when the other was available or both available and the car rental wasn't, etc.

I guess we stick with our original plan of a trip within our own state next summer... Branson here we come!

ETA: Thanks, peanut, for the Florida BBB link. I was doing a search on the main page of the BBB site and was getting very generic answers about vacation packages in general instead of the specific company. Very helpful!

**jas** · 08-05-2008, 08:48 AM

You can bet it would have been an all out hard sell on the part of the hotel to get you to buy! If you have a hard time telling people no DON'T go to these things. You may get a nice little vaycay out of it along with a lifetime of grief buying into one of these things that are real hard to get out of.

A friend of mine and her husband bought into one here on Cocoa Beach. The place was nice enough. Since they lived nearby they had access to the pool and stuff and could use them anytime. They only had the room for whatever week they paid for though. Sitting around the pool chatting with other guests they found out most of them were there for super cheap on one of those deals. They were paying out the ying yang for one week a year, plus maintenance fees ect... She was mad!

In trying to dump this thing (they had even bought another week on the alternate year so now they had one week a year) They realized they would be into this thing for literally forever.

It was in the contract, of course, they just didn't realize what it really meant. If they did not sell/get rid of this place they would literally be obligated to pay forever! Until whoever was president of the USA at the time of purchase and ALL their decendants were dead 10 years. They bought one when Clinton was president and one when George W. was President.

They finally did get rid of them but had to pay thousands of dollars to have someone take them off their hands.

**elphie** · 08-05-2008, 09:24 AM

I don't have a problem saying no to a hard sell but I still chose to pass... I don't want to do business w/ people who prey on others even if it does mean a cheap vacay.

**jas** · 08-05-2008, 09:32 AM

Originally Posted by elphie

I don't have a problem saying no to a hard sell but I still chose to pass... I don't want to do business w/ people who prey on others even if it does mean a cheap vacay.

Good to hear that you that you would not have fallen for the hard sell. Sadly though there are many out there that fall victim to them and the promise of a lifetime of great vacations at a very high cost.

My sil and bil just went to one had a great time for 3-4 days enjoyed the beach and pool sat through the spiel and said no thanks.

**peanut** · 08-05-2008, 10:48 AM

I agree Elphie...I don't want to be part of a hard sell crowd. I do have problems saying 'no' to people.

But more importantly, it is already proving problematic for us. They offered us a rental car to drive there. Well it's a four day drive from where we are to Florida. And they aren't paying gas, accommodations or meals on our way down and back. Plus we have to use the car to manouvre between Orlando, Daytona and Key West. Doesn't leave much time for sightseeing. Also, I have health issues that make me really nervous about driving through the SE States. Plus, we need to put the time and money we have into home renos and the kids university, not into traveling different places to listen to timeshare hard sell.

I phoned this morning to cancel and Omar told me my information hadn't been entered into his system yet. Apparently it takes awhile to go from the salesman to the service department. He suggested I phone back in a couple of hours. I'll be phoning again this evening, before they close. If not then, then tomorrow morning...etc., etc., until I do get them. He told me I had 15 days to cancel and was actually very polite...so far.

Jean

**elphie** · 08-05-2008, 11:05 AM

I canceled this morning with no problem. Not a toll free number and they put me on hold (we don't have good cell coverage as we live in the boonies) wich irritated me. They of course asked me why and tried to get me to transfer the package to another person but I only had to say no once, no high pressure.

The other stuff w/ gas and food... I knew that was an expense going in, like I said earlier, I knew I had't "won" anything like they said but also knew that it could be a good chance to save money on a vacay we've wanted to take anyway. In the end though the hassles of scheduling coupled w/ my moral dilema of who I really want to do business with won out over cheap. We will still have a vacay, maybe a little more expensive (but still on budget of course!) and prob not in Florida but I have been to many places and in my experience family vacations are not really about where you decide to go anyway. The week long break from responsiblity and time spent together is just as great wether you are camping at a local river or going to Europe (have done both several times, among other vacays, and the most fun didn't hinge on location but who was there!)

It would've been nice for the kids finally get to go to Disney though. **sigh**

**JustMegan79** · 08-05-2008, 02:37 PM

Yep, time share crap. I live in myrtle beach and they are on every corner telling people heres a hundred dollars all you gotta do is see a property....yeah and get stuck there 3 hours with a super high pressure sales guy in a little office...no go. I tell them I am a local and they still dont care!

Good for you for not falling for it!

**catlover** · 08-05-2008, 06:53 PM

hi, i am a canadian too, and last year( at the same month, august) my husband was contacted by the same company for 7 days trip,for 2 people, to orlando, florida.
they told him, that he won by buying somthing from a shop.
anyway, they contacted us to go on a certain hour to a center in the west of toronto, we went, and their, they will give you papers to fill, from the information i was filling, i discovered immediatly it was a scam, they ask about the the family income, you last trip, you home( rent or own),your job.....etc.
when the receptionest by accident sdiscovered that we have a new baby, suddenly she lets us go, with no explanation.
at that point , i was happy, because that what i was going to ask
so all i am saying is be very, very carefull.
and good luck.

**brandlniche** · 08-05-2008, 10:08 PM

i am glad to hear you got out of it without any problems.

**peanut** · 08-06-2008, 12:43 AM

I haven't got out of it yet. I phoned again at suppertime and they claimed I wasn't in their system yet. That their computers have been down 3 or 4 times today and to wait 24 hours before calling to cancel. That would be tomorrow morning again. I'm not very pleased, but what can I do. If I'm not in the system, I'm not in the system. i hope I'm not in the system because of the computer crashes and people not being speedy on the job...and not because I really got taken...

Jean

**kmsinsa** · 08-06-2008, 05:51 AM

Next time you get someone on the phone, ask to speak to the supervisor. Inform the supervisor if the issue isn't resolved now, you will be filing a report about them to the Better Business Bureau. NOt sure it will work, but it might.