Whee! I just got a phone call (8:20pm at night!) from a computerised service offering a holiday to Florida…
Hello. Your family has been chosen in a competition for a free holiday to Florida. If you would like to receive your free holiday with flights and accommodation paid, please press 9 now.
I pressed 87##08** and it hung up on me. A WINNER IS ME! I beat teh syztem 
After mentioning this to a few friends one (Hipichic) mentioned she heard this is a scam to get money from you. If you accept the holiday they ask you to type in your credit card details as it’s not really a free holiday but half-price. Well, they takes your cc details and suck the money out of your bank. Then it’s gone. Other websites mention that if you hit ‘9′ you are connected to a premium charge phone line and they start charging a high price like $30 per minute or something. One paranoid person said even if you hang up straight away it charges you for 10 minutes. Not sure about the validity of that, but I’m not answering surveys or free holidays from America or TrendWest.
Damn thing ringing at this time of night. The voice has an American accent so I’m just lucky they aren’t ringing at 3am Australia time. I suppose it’s possible and will probably happen to someone.
Here’s a bunch of links about it along with an excerpt:
Warning over Florida holiday scam callers
RESIDENTS have been warned of con artists offering bogus prizes of holidays to Florida in return for handing over bank details.
People are told they have won a £3600 trip and all they have to do is use their credit card to pay £6.98 over the phone.
Myrtle Brown, 62, of Mayfield, who has been targeted, said: "The man who called me wouldn’t say which organisation he was calling from and when I asked for a phone number to call back he hung up."
http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/edinburgh.cfm?id=493792005
http://boakes.org/ameri-scam/comment-page-39/
http://episteme.arstechnica.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/34709834/m/674008927731
http://www.guitar-forum.net/uk/OT_Phone_scams_181698.html < This one is from 2004!!
February 11th, 2006 at 7:03 am - Edit
Yep, we’ve had those phone calls too, I just delete them from msg bank and also hang up when they call..
February 11th, 2006 at 8:59 am - Edit
Trendwest aren’t a scam - my ex and I signed up to them a couple of years ago & enjoy it. Nice to know how to beat the phone scammers though
When I get the human callers from Bangalore, I just say “hang on a tic, have to turn the stove down”, then just leave them hanging. Come back about 10 mins later, and they’ve gone.
February 11th, 2006 at 10:09 am - Edit
Trendwest not a scam? They get you to fill in a competition form to win a holiday then tell you that you have won accommodation but have to pay your flights then sit you down to an hour plus talk trying to force you to sign up to their Timeshare apartments and hardsell them to you.
Perhaps ’scam’ is not the word, but misrepresentation or perhaps bad morals is closer to the truth.
September 13th, 2006 at 5:12 am - Edit
My name was giving to TrendWest by a friend of mine that actually signed up with them. The hounding phone calls should have been my first red flag. Eventually I was enticed in with “free” gifts: $60 gas card, a weekend getaway, and a $100 on-line shopping certificate (this by itself is a scam too- they send you to their website where all you have to choose from is a list of their stuff. It’s all JUNK!! And they make YOU pay for the “shipping and handling”, which is actually what you might pay for this junk in any discount store.
I am in sales myself, I went in with an attitude of “I’m not going to buy ANYTHING, I’m just here for the “free” stuff and information”. The whole process was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. They were GOOD!!!! It didn’t seem like I was being sold anything. These were all my friends that wanted to help me “enlighten” my life through travel. I even told the people several times that I was just here for information. Cut to me 30 minutes later signing a $12,000 contract for something that I don’t need, and was never in the market for in the first place. It turns out that the finance charge alone is actually more than the purchase price, who in their right state of mind would ever buy something for $20,000 when it’s only worth $10,000 (if that). They were all coming around high-fiving me and congratulated me, yes, congratulations on me giving you my $1,000 down payment. Can we say MANIPULATION!!!!!!!
That evening I went home, still in the natural “high” feeling that I got from all my “friends” at Trendwest. Cut to me later in the evening after a few glasses of Pinot Grigio. “Did I just incur a $10,000 debt, oh I’m sorry, I mean a $20,000 debt?” Reality was setting in. I did the calculations, this is actually costing me more than what I would ever spend on vacations in a year. I felt bamboozled. I woke up on Sunday, thinking it was all a dream, nope!
On Monday I was quick to the fax machine after filling out the recession form. It’s a good thing that the State of California has required them to attach this precious form to the front of the mounds of paperwork. My recommendation is to stay away from these “Timeshare Money pits”. They even stated several times, plan early, and be very flexible where and when you want to go.
Yes, that sounds like a relaxing time trying to plan a vacation. PEOPLE: Go on your vacation on your own terms, go where YOU want to go WHEN you want to go, in the long run it is less money and less hassle.
July 19th, 2008 at 10:02 pm - Edit
Yes I got ripped off big time by mygrandvacations.com - ALL ABSOLUTE LIES AND DISHONESTY!!!!! They promised to refund my money and have done nothing!
Here is an outline of communivations I have tried to retreive my money - they took about $650 from my account and have sent me nothing since December 07:
Tuesday, 8 January 2008 10:00 AM
Hello,
I have tried to call both the Australian and American contact telephone lines to speak with someone and have left several messages asking for you to make telephone contact with me. As yet I have had no response. I would like to cancel my booking and ask that my money be returned as a matter of urgency. I can be contacted on …………
Cheers,
Confirmation number GV120607166
Wed, January 16, 2008 9:43 am
Hello,
After many phone calls and emails and then spending approximately 2-3 hours on the phone today trying to get help from youir customer service, I have decided that I will make a formal complaint to Consumer Affairs. Not at any stage of my many phone calls did anyone try and offer any propper assistance. I consider Joseph’s lame advice and assistance as poor service to my real issues.
Yours sadly,
Confirmation Number GV120607166
Thu 17/01/2008 4:36 AM
May I ask what number you were calling so I may figure out why no one was able to assist you to your satisfaction. Also may I ask what you need help concerning so that I may get this matter rectified on your behalf. Please feel free to reply back when you have a moment and I assusre you we will get this matter taken care of.
Regards,
Stephen Rice
Customer Service Manager
Wed, January 16, 2008 2:56 pm
Hi Stephen,
I rang the number I was given when speaking with Sebastian, Mark Snider and Gerry McIve in December. That number was 1800 069 385 and I have rung it numerous times before throughout December and January. I have also rung the direct number to America which was 0011 1 (800) 684 2058. The same people answered the phone and I got the feeling that they were playing games with me - big time. I was put on hold so many times it was unbelievable. I was transferred to voice mails so many times I couldn’t believe it even when I mentioned I was from Australia, it was the middle of the night and I wanted to speak with someone directly. If that is what you call customer service it may be time to employ genuine, sincere, helpful and honest telephone assistants whose priority is to ‘help the customer’. I just hope that the 1800 number was a free call service for me otherwise I am up for a massive phone bill.
I am in desperate need of my money back which was withdrawn from my account on the 12th of December and want to organise this immediately. I am prepared to take this matter further if I am not assisted promptly as I am totally disgusted by the service I was given at a time when I could have been sleeping and resting in the middle of the night in Australia.
I am extremely unhappy about this.
Fri 29/02/2008 9:53 AM
This is to confirm our conversation today and your account has been marked for cancellation and you will be receiving a full refund in the amount of the $598 USD within the next week.
Best Regards,
Stephen Rice
Sat 19/07/2008 8:05 PM
Hello Stephen,
I am still waiting for my full refund you promised in your email below. I have commenced writing online complaints about your company and will continue to do so until you refund my money.
Yours sadly,
Confirmation Number GV120607166
August 5th, 2008 at 3:08 am - Edit
Our 6 year old son answered the phone and pressed 9. He was then kept on the line spelling his name out. We are now waiting for the phone bill - don’t let your children answer the phone!