is this a scam??

snow_queen

Hello, Im wondering if you guys can help me?

I recieved a letter from Holiday VIP's offering me a 1 week paid holiday abroad for £35 each as long as we write a letter about our stay, and we have to go and visit their holiday show in slough where we can view the holidays etc

any advice welcome

Thanks

Cullumpster

Couldn't tell you definetely if it is or isn't, but usually if you have to ask whether it is a scam it usually is !!

;D

snow_queen

Hiya

well I actually think it looks ok!!! but Im just so dubious of these things and was wondering if anyone else had heard of them or anything!

Thanks

Fortyfoot

Seems like the old "Time Share" trick to me. Go along and see what they are offering. I know people who have been taken abroad free to view properties which are for sale.

Enjoy the trip but read the small print before you sign anything.

Fortyfoot
8)

Finishrich

Probably is a time share type thing. Either that or the dates you'll be able to go won't be available ::)

imported_sallyd

Do not sign anything or pay more than the £35 requested.
.
This is surely a "time share thing" and you will probably have to sit through long presentations and heavy, heavy sales patter - these people are ace at selling.Do not give into the pressure they put you under and you may well get a holiday for £35.

donnie_darko_3

This firm was based in coventry and now work out of Halifax and its a timeshare thing. They were featured on telly not so long back. We had the letter too a while back. There is no address on the envelope or landline number as I recall. Always a sign to be cautious. See copy of article below

Holiday VIP is run by Doug Cooke and his son Alan. They used to run a similar firm in Coventry before moving on. It sells holiday club packages in Timelynx, a Spanish holiday club which promises bargain holidays.

Cooke and his associates charge some £5,900 for membership, but will take less - they hand over around £600 a member to Timelynx. Whether Timelynx is a bargain compared with internet booking once you factor in financing costs, membership fees and any other annual charges is a debateable point.

meggyloo

dont touch it if its a timeshare
long story i was on holiday and a uk woman give me a free scratch card

so i scratched it and she nearly clapsed on the floor shouting WOW i dont believe it you have WON you have WON..

THE NEXT THING

she tells me i will have to get in a taxi to get the money from there head office and have my photo taken

so i reluctantly went

shes still screaming at me wow ive never thought anyone would win

i arive at a posh hotel were there are lots of couples lol

and we relised it was timeshare by this time the woman that should be a actor for a living had vanished..

i then found her and she said oh you have won blah blah blah

just take advantage or all the free food and chapage

the next thing i know this guys telling me how he has children to feed and if i sign a form he gets commission and when i get back to the uk i cancel

so ive had a few i say ok

the next thing the guy jumps up gongratulations mr edwards has just got a time share

everyones clapping

he asked me for a small deposit that i didnt have


when i got back from my holidays i had only put the key in the door and the phone was ringing from a finacial service asking me how i will pay it

told them i wanted to cancel

they told me you cant do that you signed the contract

got lots of nasty phone calls and letters made me sick with worry

talked to a solicitor and because they never recieved the money deposit

the transaction was invalid

i still feel sorry for all the people that gave deposits that day and to this day

as they are committed

im sorry for my spelling i know its really bad

imported_sallyd

Signing is confirming your intention to enter into the contract. If you cancel you would more than likely loose any deposit paid and could be sued for breach of contract. Never sign anything unless you are completely satisified with the details set out in the contract.

MarkyMarkD

I personally think that it is not worth getting a dubious holiday for £35 per person when you could get a self catering last minute deal for £99 any time you like, without getting scammed into something you don't want or need by high pressure sales people.

It's all very well to say that it's ok if you can resist signing up, but as earlier posts say these are VERY skilled sales people who apply huge amounts of pressure and lie as much as they like to get you to sign up.

As soon as you think it's too good to be true, it IS too good to be true.

jellyhead

it sounds like they give you a load of free drinks so you lose a bit of self control and get persuaded to do things you wouldn't do if sober :-(

i 'won' a free holiday like this last year and the company wouldn't leave me alone, they called me three times a day for a month, kept writing to offer me appointments at their showroom, etc. they were a real nuisance. i told them over and over that i wasn't interested but they wouldn't take no for an answer. if they were that pushy just trying to get me into the showroom imagine how pushy they'd be once they finally got me there!