How free is a free holiday?
My wife got a phone call today (from 01268 555095), saying that because she had answered a questionnaire in Bolton, she had won first prize in a draw – a seven night luxury 5-star holiday to a European resort (Costa del Sol, Canary Islands, Portugal or the Balearics) in a ‘luxury’ self-catering apartment, flights included, but insurance would be required and there was also a GBP 34.50 admin fee payable per person on booking. The vouchers would also be valid for 18 months. Hmmm… since when does a 5-star holiday involve self-catering?
Being skeptical, she asked what the catch was, but was told “no catch”. “Isn’t this timeshare?”, “No it’s not timeshare”, a point that while truthful is not actually good – see later. All she had to do was ring GVC Travel on 0871 222 8028 quoting a reference number.
On calling this number (which according to saynoto0870.com routes through to another 01268 number – are we getting the picture yet?), she was told that we would both have to collect the documents in person from their ‘Manchester Exhibition Centre’ and bring ID, because they could not send them out in the post. At this exhibition centre there would be a presentation on what is available. Hang on, doesn’t this sound like timeshare?
Now the last time I booked a holiday, the tickets were posted to me. It wasn’t a problem, yet this company are claiming it’s not safe to post a voucher! Methinks the ID is required for signing a contract. And why do we both have to go to collect the voucher? Is it really that heavy, or is it to get us both there to be sold something else?
Also, if we’ve won first prize, surely we’re the only one to win first prize, but a presentation suggests several people would be there. They can’t all have won first prize!
I decided to do some digging on the internet (these companies must hate the internet) and found that although it isn’t technically a timeshare, it is a holiday membership club sold through pressure-selling presentations. It also appears that if you do sit through the hard sell and get your vouchers, then the accommodation is far from 5-star, the dates are restricted unless you pay for the flights which are then more expensive than you could arrange yourself.
Take a look at holidaywatchdog.com, Crimeshare.net, this post on scoobynet and an interesting post from someone claiming to be an employee of GVC (username secretagent):
…we phone people who take part in family lifestyle surveys in town centres, some of which date back to 2000. They don’t take no for an answer either which means calling the same person over and over. I actually was told myself today by a “customer” that it was a con and that she had looked it up, so i did some searching myself and have found out that it is conning people into timeshare!!! I work there and they never even told me and when i asked them they said “no!” So be careful people as they don’t even tell there [sic] staff that it is just one big con.
You can also see that the 01268 555095 number belongs to GVC, meaning that the original call came from GVC themselves – clearly a bid to create the illusion that the original caller was separate to GVC.
We’re not into beach holidays anyway. I don’t think we’ll bother going to collect our ‘prize’.
There is an interesting article on the Citizens’ Advice Bureau site, calling on the DTI to get tough on Holiday Clubs. Some interesting extracts:
People are ending up with holidays that cost far more than they would on the high street, that’s if they can book anything at all.
Companies offer prizes to get people to attend presentations, where pressure-selling techniques are used to push them in to buying holiday club membership. People are assured that it is not timeshare – it isn’t and this leaves them with less legal protection.
A CAB in south London gave advice to a couple who joined a holiday club and wanted to cancel after 24 hours. They had received phone calls and letters from a company saying they had won a ‘free’ holiday and inviting them to a presentation at a hotel in Croydon. They eventually decided to go, after being assured by the company that it was not about timeshare. They were pushed in to joining for £750 and paying a £100 deposit on the spot. As soon as they got home they wanted to cancel, because of the death of a family member abroad. The holiday club said it was not possible, as they had no cooling off period or cancellation rights.
They also offer some good advice:
If you win a prize or holiday which you need to attend a presentation to collect, be wary. Don’t try to claim it unless you want to spend several hours at a high pressure sales pitch for holiday clubs
Don’t be reassured by sales reps promising that it is not timeshare. You have far less legal protection if you are buying holiday club membership
Find out about extra costs before claiming your ‘free’ holiday – they often cost more than a high-street holiday, but offer less choice over dates and destinations.
I have also found a leaflet on the Office of Fair Trading Website entitled: Congratulations, you have not won a free luxury holiday”
I think one of the most important points from both of these consumer sites is this: Because of the timeshare scams a few years ago, the law was tightened to give more protection, but punters have a long memory and for most people timeshare still equates to scam. GVC proudly state that this is not timeshare and although they appear to be telling the truth, what they fail to point out is that you are therefore not protected by these timeshare regulations.
I have also found an excellent article on The Guardian’s website by a couple of journalists who went along to one of these presentations. This is well worth a read.
Search Engine Hits
It is interesting to note the number of hits I get on this post where people have searched for the 01268 555095 and 0871 222 8028 numbers (see table below) People obviously get the initial call, are suspicious and turn to the internet to check.
|
Month
|
01268 555095
|
0871 222 8028
|
|---|---|---|
| June |
9
|
6
|
| July |
16
|
9
|
| August |
21
|
2
|
| September |
20
|
1
|
| October |
18
|
1
|
| November |
73
|
0
|
| December |
24
|
1
|
|
Month
|
01268 555095
|
0871 222 2566
|
| January 07 |
111
|
46
|
| February |
107
|
145
|
| March |
143
|
3
|
It would also appear from comments I am receiving that GVC have changed their name to Choose Travel (or are just using a different name) and are using a new number: 0871 222 2566. I’m also getting loads of hits for ‘choose travel, 0871, holiday scam’
UPDATE: 12th February 2007
It’s almost a year since I made this post, and I was simply recounting my experience with what we were told and my research at the time. Since then I have been surprised by the response I have received, both as comments and the continuing number of search engine hits for the telephone numbers, ‘timeshare’, ‘scam’, ‘questionnaire’ etc. – an obvious measure of the general public’s suspicions when receiving such a phone call.
UPDATE: 31st May 2007
Other numbers which now seem to be quoted include: 01268 498330 and 0800 4585625. The company name also seems to have changed again, this time to CLC (Club La Costa).
‘2minutedraw.com‘ is also being quoted by the initial ‘market researcher’.
You may also like to read this article on the Guardian website.
Had the call earlier today from a withheld number advising that I had won a holiday. I was sooo cynical and asked the woman how I had won. She explained that I had completed a survery 18 months ago which had the holiday as a prize. I can’t remember what I did last week let alone 18 months ago. Still did not feel right but she told me, ‘it’s absolutely free, you are the lucky winner’. I reiterated the, ‘so there’s absolutely no strings?’ she replied, ‘No… except for a £29.50 pp admin fee’. Seemed reasonable but still could not recall entering the competition so rang the 0800 9889901 number given to get the company name. First thing that comes up on CLC is that it is a timeshare scam – no surprise really but I feel for those people who are a little more gullible and would get caught up in it. Always rememer. you don’t get owt for nowt in this life!!! Thanks for the previous postings – I don’t feel like a plonker now.
I received a call from 01268885650 earlier today.
Again was told i had completed a survey recently. What got me initially suspicious was the caller was using my maiden name. I did not correct him.
He told me i had won this fantatic luxury holiday and gave me the number to call to claim it 0800 988 9901.
I asked him directly if it was a scam and he said it was not. I asked him to confirm which survey I had supposedly completed and he said it was a general shoppers survey. He did not give me the company name of where he was calling from or the survey company name.
I thought it sounded just way too dodgey and politly said goodbye to him.
I have not followed up with the 0800 call. But searched for the number online to see how many others had received a call from this company recently.
I just had a call – NUMBER WITHELD 🙁
Telling me to ring 0800 9889900 as I’ve won a Carribean Holiday. I told them that I’ve not entered the comp, but he said I’ve won anyway, and to call them as it’s 0800 anyway.
So I did. They confirmed that I’m married and living in the UK and we earn 25,000 or more. Then went onto explain the costs (about £70 each in booking fees and airline tax)
then said that I have to sit through the seminar. which I’m really not interested in as I’ve had a very bad experience from this kind of thing before.
Credit to them for trying, but no thanks !
Thanks for having this page Ian, I found it by searching for the company name, which they were happy to give me “Club La Costa”.
Cheers
Griff
I had a call this morning from 01268557600 and I was asked to call 08009889904 to speak to ‘them’ and claim my prize. Rang the 0800 number, ‘guaranteed holiday won, CONGRATULATIONS twice’; confirmed etc etc. Gave them my details (I told this lady that I thought it was a scam), arranged to go to a meeting fairly local in near future. Vouchers worth £50, plus I had to pay £25 per head booking fee etc. Did the customary ‘search’ and here I am posting. Thanks to ‘Nick’ above (post March 25th 2008) for head office number for Club La Costa.
Rang this number at 1750 this evening and said ‘is that Club La Costa’, and that was confirmed, then said I didn’t now want to attend the meeting as I had now looked this up on the internet and it was a scam, as originally thought. Also said I now knew it was a timeshare operation, and she basically confirmed that and said it was. I was told by this lady – Sandra (new receptionist!) that it wasn’t a Free holiday – ‘who told you that?’ – and ‘yes, it is a promotional holiday’ and she will get someone to ring me in the morning. Look forward to the call. Stange how the ‘new receptionist’ said ‘who told you that it was a Free holiday, so quickly!, their ‘receptionists’ obviously learn fast!
Hmmmm.
Isn’t the internet wonderful? Now the ‘wind up’! Do ‘they’ read about themselves on these websites I wonder?
Surprise surprise I just had a call from 01268 557600 telling me I have won a FREE holiday and flights package- all I had to do was phone 0800 988 9904 to claim my FREE prize! Being the suspicious type that I am I entered the details on the web and came to this page- thank god I did. These people must think we are stupid not to realise that there is no such thing as a free holiday- and from what I have read it isnt.
Thanks again for this page- and for saving me wasted calls and time.
Sue
Just received such a call and naturally Googled some of the details the lady on the phone mentioned. Notably CLC and ‘lifestyle survey’, one of which I apprently completed recently.
Wonder where they get our details, because I’d only ever give my mobile number to reputable companies whose T&Cs promise they wont spam, after getting junk text messages in the past.
I completed a survey in WH Smiths, Lakeside, last Saturday and have just had a phone call to say I’ve won a free holiday. Why are Smiths allowing this company to do this in their store?
What a suprise to here they are still at it just had the call 01268 557600 you have won a free hol What a laugh .thanks for warning Not going to bother calling the 0800 number cant be bothered with this kind of CR::.
Hello, may I just be a voice of reason, I had a call, ‘we have won a holiday!’, straight away, as it was an 0800 number and the web site showed a real company, I contacted them, told them straight up that we are not ‘holiday’ people as such, I have never been abroad, and in no way interested in ‘timeshare’ holidays, assurances were given that we have won and were offered a nights accomodation in a top hotel in London plus a meal for two in the west end. O K I knew we would have to (potentially) sit through at least two hours of sales talk, but what of it, we still had a day to do the sight seeing. We booked a cheap coach ticket from S Wales to London, returning next day, found the venue, having walked from Victoria Station, past Her majesty’s pad (B’Palace), had lunch in Green Park, walked the Mall to Admiralty Arch, enjoyed the ambience of a very busy Trafalgar Sq, proceeded up Charing Cross Rd to Totenham Court the West End, found the venue, asked for our cup of coffee (others didn’t ask and didn’t get!). Now the feeling of Wildebeasts and Hyenas came to mind as we sat there, hardly darring to make eye contact with fellow ‘victims’ as the Hyenas pounced, taking us out couple by couple, our turn came ushered into a very large room, Sales reps competing to be heard above the noise, our rep, very politely introduced herself, a bit of light banter, then I struck! ‘We are not really holiday people, and have no intention……..etc etc, never been abroad… and so on, she lifted herself up off the floor figuratively speaking, ‘I’ll just have a word with our manager’ she returned, a few awkward moments passed as we awaited the arrival of the manager, ‘Hello, I am ….. thanks for your honesty… our reps work on commission only…… we will honour everything in your letter, including your holiday, please feel free to go and return at 5pm to recieve your vouchers for the hotel, meal and hol, thanks again for coming’ It was lovely spring afternoon, we strolled around the West end, went back got our hotel confirmation booking and voucher for our meal and details of the holiday entitlement. We set off down Oxford street, found our hotel near Marble Arch booked in, changed walked back to the West End had a lovely Italian meal and enjoyed a late evening stroll back to the hotel. Next day had a sumptuos breakfast, booked out from our hotel, paid £1.50 for the paper delivered to our room, spent a good time in Hyde Park and V&A meuseum, made our way back to Victoria bus station, returned home, what a great weekend in London for the cost of the coach fare oh and £1.50 for the paper (and £1.95 for a map), thank you Club La Cost. We have decided to take the holiday in Cornwall, so if we end up having any hint of the hard sell we can just up and leave (bit difficult if your in Spain etc relying on flights!) So, go with a determination not to get sucked in, better still, as we did, take the wind from their ‘sales’ first, 20 min it’s all over and a great time can be yours.
I should have say that should you be of the particular ilk, that you can be easily persuaded by sales talk then please do not venture to try the same as we had done, if in doubt keep well away. it is dangerous ground. We’ll think twice before we take up the offer of their ‘free’ holiday in Cornwall, if we do go, we are prepared to leave early if the ‘hard sell’ starts, that’s the main reason we are not taking up the offer of Spain/Teneriffe or Portugal as the thought of being a captive audiance doesn’t appeal, nor the thought of having to, in haste, book flights back to the UK should the need arise.
Still operating-Bath, not going to both even ringing the 0800 number-would rather choose how to spend my hard earned time….