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.
Hi,
Have just been called by the same people CLC and have to say that i knew there was going to be a catch. Weirdly my parents signed up to a similar thing years ago and we had some great family holidays using GVC. However the way that they are now going about selling these timeshares leaves a lot to be desired and for that reason I will not be taking up the offer.
Hi,
The number I was called from is 01268 557600, then I was instructed to call 0800 988 9904, I was to do this within half an hour as I would be called back. How can I get myself taken off there list as they wont stop ringing. I think when they call my work again I will tell them Michelle has left the company!!
I cannot believe that we cannot stop this kind of **** from con artists. I’ve been in the same boat as many of the above – and i cannot believe there are 2 years worth of this going on on this site alone. Same as all of you – smelt a rat and googled the number and hey presto – you get nothing for free without a high price. How can we stop these idiots – those that are sensible enough to realise it are merely annoyed (well driven to distraction) by excessive phone calls from demetented idtiots but the more trusting amongst us are at real risk from these scams. How do we combat it?
Today myself and peter my husaband went to one of the leeds presentations with a very open mind. yes we new it was timeshare but having lived in spain for years we were familiar with the scams they pull over there. We have just got back home from the 2hr speel and I would like to say it was not really hard sell at all. I was very suprised as before we went in ther building I was wonddering how it would go. All the info was laid on the table, yes it was timeshare approx £12k for 1 week until the year 2067. they offered a trial package of approx £3800 for 7weeks to be taken within a 34 month period. we could work it out for ourselves if we thought it was cost affective. e.g for a family who take a couple of expensive holidays a year it would work out ok but for us i sat and totalled up what we normally spend per year and it was not work it. no hard sell although the info they agve you took two hours it was very drawnout.
Iwant to say give it a go. Ihave my m& s £25 voucher to get some vino . and am trying to work out whether the scam , if indeed it is one extends to the point I Pay my £29.50 fee pp to get the free holday o/seas.
HAS ANYONE BEEN ON THE O/SEAS BREAK ?????? either spain, portugal of tenerife ? Did they get the accom of a decent standard or was it ppor, did they have to go thruogh any more speel overseas etc.. IS THERE ANYONE OUT THERE WHO HAS BEEN ON THE FREE WEEK?? I have accom and flights for 4 persons. please let me know . Jo
Hi
Yesterday my husband & I spent 3 (rather pleasant hours) at Duchally Country Estate as part of the sales pitch of CLC. We had a nice lunch afterwards in the leisure centre. It was not a hard sell and we did get our £25 vouchers(us Scot’s must be cheaoer to bribe!!). Like Joanne and a few others, has any-one ever been on one of these holidays? £29.50 plus airport taxes could add up and I am abit reluctant to send a cheque for £29.50pp.
Cheers Kat.
Hi all…
Part of me wants to slap myself and say ‘WAKE UP GIRL!!’
I had the notorious phone call this morning, from CLC…telling me to “Phone 0800 9880335 and quote REF; HP69515, because id won a FREE HOLIDAY BLAH BLAH BLAH”
So what did i do?……D’OH……i phoned!!!
All sounded WAAAAAY too good to be true……i asked the woman on the end of the line (who actually seemed really nice!) Ok…so whats the catch? Extra Expences? Written Contract info, Timeshare etc….to which she replied ….’NONE…..you have WON a competition, the only cost is £29.50 pp plus airport taxes
…..hmmmmmmm ok then (feeling gullable but somewhat lucky)…..
As i DID actually enter a competition!! Maybe i COULD have won something!!
WOOOOOOHOOOOOOO
She then went on to say, that because i had to travel to pick up my tickets, (living in Bristol) …..i would get an overnight stay in the 4* Shaftsbury hotel LONDON, dinner for 2 and breakfast in the morning…..JUST FOR PICKING UP TICKETS!! She then reassured me that this place was stunning and told me to visit londonnights.com to have a look around.
Wow sounded great…..not only do we get a free family holiday, but we now get a luxury overnight stay, all expenses paid in London.
This by now had put my suspision to rest….definately a con…..waaaaaaaay tooooooo good to be true!!! I then Googled the number given, and low and behold……a whole new world of conned innocents!!
GUYS…..THE MORAL OF THE STORY IS….JUST SAY NO!!!!
Nothing in life is ever free….thank you to all of you lot on here for confirming that these scum sucking pondlife are most definately a con and you’ve saved me the travelling expence and embarrassment of actually turning up to get “MY PRIZE”.
Cheers
Kerry
And here was me thinking I’d been really lucky- actually I didn’t believe a word of it, but wrote down the details so I could ‘Google’ them!
I was told I been ‘awarded’- not won, I might add- a 7 night holiday for up to 4 people including flights which could be worth up to £1500! Part of me would have loved to have believed it all, but NO. No, No, no no- no way!
All the details others have mentioned were checked through with me too and I was told to call the holday advisor to go through it all. I told her I was rather dubious and she just replied that the number was freephone so I had nothing to lose!
0800 9889901 and an alphanumerical code to quote…. or not quote as it will be!
Very interesting what a Google search turns up!
I just had a call.
They are using now
01268 557600
My sister actually did one of these and apart from the hard sell for a few hours on holiday, she said she loved it.
However, I will not be doing the same.
Hello there,
Well, let’s start like this:
I just had a call and am quite cross now after having read your stories.
An annoying sounding sales person called saying I have good and bad news: you haven’t won the carribean holiday BUT the good news is: you’ve won a holiday to Europe.
I had to call 0800 988 9900 and quote a reference. Same story: 7 nights, 4 people, pay £29.50 per person plus airport taxes. Valid for 18 months.
I called them. Lady was actually nice (poor girl who has to work there). I have to go to an exhibition in Leeds during the week. I can’t take time off work (thank god).
If they say free, WHY do we have to pay something?
I am going to call them later and ask to take me off their list.
If they want to send me free holiday tickets that’s fine, they can but I am not going anywhere to listen to a sales pitch or to pick up tickets.
Good luck to you all.
Lina
Hi
a big thanx to your site i googled the number that i was asked to ring and hey presto found that it was a con.
Ive been recieving calls at around this time 6.45 to 7.30pm for the past few wks but when i answer the line goes dead. when i checked the net this often happens when companies want to get a rough idea when people are at home!!
Today I had this call which I allowed the poor person to ramble on about a ‘free, all expenses paid 5star’ holiday….yeah right. They wanted me to ring by 8pm tonight (which won’t be happening). Of course i thanked the man, took the number then pressed caller id………no number. So I dare say that they’re onto this page by with holding their number.
Many thanks for saving my time.