Scam.

[aalden13]

A friend of mine got a random voice mail saying he had been picked to go on a 8 day 7 night eastern or western carribean cruise. And said he was able to on several cruise lines including RCCL. I decided to call RCCL before he made any other calls and they said it was false and nothing like that was running at the time.

 

Just thought I'd share incase anyone else who gets this call doesnt get sucked in to it.

 

Beware!

[kc320]

It isn't RCCL making the call...it's a Travel Agency....I've gotten the call several times....dates are very limited..and by the time you pay their taxes & "fees" you could book a better cabin for less thru RCL...

[OKCruiseMan]

Not saying this was not a scam, but people do win things. My wife and I went on a nice vacation to Nassau that we won. However, a few things to watch out for.

 

1. First, did you enter to win a cruise. If you didn't enter, the chance you won something are pretty slim.
   
2. Who is the sponsor. Calling RCCL is a good idea, but if the prize was sponsored by a travel agency, RCCL may not know about it as they are not "giving" it away. Assuming the sponsor is someone you recognize, call the main number direct and ask questions.
   
3. Search on-line. Many of these scams are described on-line in great detail. If there are lots of stories about people "winning" the same trip, watch out.
   
4. Do they want money or personal data? At some point, they will want your SSN for 1099 purposes, but they should never need money. Afterall, you won, right.
   
5. Is the prize worth it. Some prizes are real, but the cost to claim is too high. They may cover a three day cruise, but no flights or hotel costs, etc..
   

You are probably right, there are many scams out there, and I see them all the time. I like to enter on-line sweeps, and you do win, but caution is the name of the game.

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

OK, CruiseMan, thank you for that excellent advice. Two thumbs up for your post.

[welikepalms]

Thanks for the great heads-up. I am the huge nay-sayer in our house about scams and things of that nature but even I, being a cruise nut, may think twice if I got a call like that.

 

Happy Cruising

[kyriecat]

Unfortunately those things happen often. I get a call or two a month about "winning" a "free" cruise or getting a "free" cruise for joining their club. It's always been a travel agent not a cruiseline. I always hang up on them. There is always a catch!

 

My mom got suckered into one of those "offers" recently. I'm still irritated about it - with her for not reading the fine print and them for preying on elderly widows. She got a call from a "travel consulting" group offering her a "free" 4-night cruise for two plus discounts of "up to 70% off list prices" for future cruises if she paid "just" $400 to join their "exclusive" cruisers club. She gave them her credit card number (canceled that card!) and was all excited about her "free" cruise.

 

The "free" cruise was for the lowest category inside cabin and did not include port fees or taxes. Holiday and peak sailing times were excluded. If the lowest category inside cabin was already "sold out" then she can't book on that sailing date, even if she wanted to pay the difference in fare to upgrade. My mom requires a wheelchair accessible cabin, which is not offered in the lowest category, so she would have to pay the fare difference to upgrade no matter what sailing she picked. Most 4-night cruises run under $200 per person without taxes and fees so her $400 club fee was really paying for the "free" cruise. It would cost her at least another $200 for upgrade, fees, and taxes plus any travel expenses (flight, hotel, etc.).

 

The "list price" discount is also bogus. It's very rare for someone to pay "list price" for a cruise unless it is a holiday or special sailing. Cruise "list prices" are like hotels - the maximum they think they can get for the cabin. Hotel rooms on Bourbon Street have list prices of $2000+ per night. However, that is generally the Mardi Gras price. You can book the same room for $200 per night for other times.

 

She might take her "free" cruise or might not. I think I convinced her not to book any other cruises with that group, even at their "discounted" rates. Their fees are ridiculous - $50 booking fee in addition to the cruise fare, cancellation fees, change fees. :eek: They don't seem to have any "perks" for booking either. In the past I have arranged her cruises and used my travel agent to book it. Hopefully the $400 will be a learning experience for her and she won't get suckered like that again.

[papaflamingo]

We did a time share preview that was 4 nights in Orlando and a 5-6 day cruise. We did the 4 nights.... good deal if you want an inexpensive 4 nights at Disney, but you do have to go to the "dog and pony" show, about 2 hours if you are strong and can say no. Anyway we got the "free" cruise certificate. It was an ok deal. Problem was we had to pay for "taxes and fees." Well, the "taxes and fees" amounted to about $250 per person for an inside cabin. You had to commit with a $100 per person non refundable deposit, use it within a certain time and only certain cruises were eligible. Well after looking at the cruises I realize that for about the same amount I could book the cruise at my leisure. I think I would save about $100 total for 2 by using the certificate.

So these things, although real, aren't always a "good" deal. Personally we decided that we don't want an inside cabin and don't want to be directed to when we can cruise, for a $100 savings. If I was retired I may do it as my time would be more flexible.

[Paul65]

It may or may not be a scam. As OKCruiseMan said, if you didn't enter some kind of drawing for a cruise, then you probably didn't win. But often these vacation giveaways are just a form of marketing where you get some part of a vacation free, but to claim it, you end up paying other fees, and it's not really free. (Some might consider that a type of scam.) Other times it's a different type of marketing, where you get a "free" vacation in exchange for attending some kind of sales pitch about time shares or such.

 

Usually, I just say my no-thank-you and hang up.

[bigeck]

OK, CruiseMan, thank you for that excellent advice. Two thumbs up for your post.

 

Thunbs or fingers???

[cruisnseas]

That's a common one. Along with Caribbean Cruise Lines' commercials and phone calls. Royal gets calls about this stuff all the time. Particularly when someone paid something and now wants their cruise.

 

It is sad the levels folks will stoop to in order to steal your money.

[NorbertsNiece]

I've developed a tactic with all cold callers. I am always pleasant and happy to receive their call and I tell them so. This puts them right at ease. I then advise them that I charge £50 per hour (one hour minimum) to listen to them and please may I have their name and contact details for billing purposes. Works every time.

[OKCruiseMan]

I've developed a tactic with all cold callers. I am always pleasant and happy to receive their call and I tell them so. This puts them right at ease. I then advise them that I charge £50 per hour (one hour minimum) to listen to them and please may I have their name and contact details for billing purposes. Works every time.

 

Great idea. Not sure what it is called outside the US, but I've always said I would like to replace my home phone number with a 900 number. One the caller pays so much a minute to call you. Should reduce the number of calls I get, or at least I would make money listening!

[mjldvlks]

We regularly get a fax at the office claiming that we can get something like 3 days at Disney World, a 3 day cruise, and airfare included, all for $99. We have never considered that offer either.

[nbsjcruiser]

Watch for the call that claims to come from Caribbean Cruiselines. Notice they dropped the leading Royal.

[nbsjcruiser]

I've developed a tactic with all cold callers. I am always pleasant and happy to receive their call and I tell them so. This puts them right at ease. I then advise them that I charge £50 per hour (one hour minimum) to listen to them and please may I have their name and contact details for billing purposes. Works every time.

 

Good one. Have to remember that one. I typically keep them on the line for 30 minutes or more. I feed them false names and credit card numbers. When they say my credit card doesn't work I get them to double check the number I gave them and I tell them they have two numbers reversed. Then I'll tell them they have the wrong expiry date. Or I'll suddenly remember that that card is over the limit and I'll go get another one. Someone will come to the door or I'll have another call, "I'll be right back". I can string them along for 20 minutes easy before I let them off the hook.

[Tapi]

Good one. Have to remember that one. I typically keep them on the line for 30 minutes or more. I feed them false names and credit card numbers. When they say my credit card doesn't work I get them to double check the number I gave them and I tell them they have two numbers reversed. Then I'll tell them they have the wrong expiry date. Or I'll suddenly remember that that card is over the limit and I'll go get another one. Someone will come to the door or I'll have another call, "I'll be right back". I can string them along for 20 minutes easy before I let them off the hook.

 

Honest question. Do you do this for self amusement? To teach them a lesson? To stop them from ever calling again? It sounds like a lot of hassle and wasted time....:o JMHO

[NorbertsNiece]

Honest question. Do you do this for self amusement? To teach them a lesson? To stop them from ever calling again? It sounds like a lot of hassle and wasted time....:o JMHO

 

When you get daily calls, as happens here sometimes..... the option of simply hanging up is always there but my time is my own and I may as well enjoy it...... sometimes I will go into great length describing what I am watching on television with great enthusiasm..... they usually giggle and get that they are being given a brush off but at least it's fun....

[wwcruisers]

I've developed a tactic with all cold callers. I am always pleasant and happy to receive their call and I tell them so. This puts them right at ease. I then advise them that I charge £50 per hour (one hour minimum) to listen to them and please may I have their name and contact details for billing purposes. Works every time.

 

ROTFLMAO!!!:D

I'll have to try that sometime! Even though our phones are all unlisted, and on the state & federal "do not call" registries, we still get many unsolicited calls. We try to do a good job of screening, but some "robo" and other annoyance calls still manage to get through. :mad:

 

But as to the OP's post, that old saying still holds true: "If it sounds too good to be true....." :rolleyes:

[brillohead]

About a decade ago I got a phone call one evening about a "free vacation" in Florida. My son was only 2yo, and his daddy traveled on business all the time, so when the phone rang, my son came running.

 

DS: "Wanna talk Daddy!"

 

Me: "It's not Daddy, it's a salesman."

 

DS: "Wanna talk salesman!"

 

Me: <evil grin> *hands phone to toddler, returns to reading newspaper*

 

 

DS proceeded to tell the salesman all kinds of things for about five minutes, then he handed the phone back to me with an "all done salesman" comment.

 

I felt so sorry for the salesman that I went ahead and listened to his spiel... but I didn't feel badly enough to fall for his "free vacation" offer. Would have been an okay deal if it were within driving distance -- one of those time-share things where you have to listen to their sermon -- but paying for airfare to Florida for a "free" vacation makes it not be very free in the end, so I declined.

 

Now, in addition to the "Do Not Call" registry, I also have my home phone programmed to not accept anonymous calls (ones that don't include their name in the caller ID), so that has cut down on a lot of the nuisance calls. Still get those darn political robocalls, though. :mad:

[rosebud1g]

Another scam agency that has called me more than once

is called:

Back to the Caribbean.

good thing we have google. This company must be desperate.

They also claim you have "won" something and want your credit card info.

I did not fall for their scam since I had read all about them on the internet.

I even told the man on the phone. His reponse was "you can't believe everything you read on the internet"

I told him to remove me from his list and do not ever call me again.