Sierra Marketing Holiday offer... dodgy?

WonkyJ

Took a call the other week asking some marketing questions about holidays. About a week later got a call from the company asking if we'd be interested in a "5 star villa " holiday somewhere in europe (list of decent countries provided) with flights for nominal cost of £50 per head.

Was assured was nothing to do with sales / time share etc etc and we were asked to attend a 2hr viewing and collection at a location in the midlands... they were pushing the fact this was a genuine holiday offer and that it was only open to small number of people from certain demographic. They said they made £ from the high % of return bookings , word of mouth sales etc etc.

Must say they would not issue the invite to us until they'd spoken to both me and the Mrs to make sure we were going to attend... even phoned us back at specified time to talk to other person. Also theres a list as long as your arm for what you have to be to qualify for the offer.

Sounds dodgy as a £6 note to me but the Mrs wants to go see. Looks like Sierra Marketing are based in Exeter from the invite we've jsut received... any one seen or heard of this before?

PFLOYD

WonkyJ wrote: »

Took a call the other week asking some marketing questions about holidays. About a week later got a call from the company asking if we'd be interested in a "5 star villa " holiday somewhere in europe (list of decent countries provided) with flights for nominal cost of £50 per head.

Was assured was nothing to do with sales / time share etc etc and we were asked to attend a 2hr viewing and collection at a location in the midlands... they were pushing the fact this was a genuine holiday offer and that it was only open to small number of people from certain demographic. They said they made £ from the high % of return bookings , word of mouth sales etc etc.

Must say they would not issue the invite to us until they'd spoken to both me and the Mrs to make sure we were going to attend... even phoned us back at specified time to talk to other person. Also theres a list as long as your arm for what you have to be to qualify for the offer.

Sounds dodgy as a £6 note to me but the Mrs wants to go see. Looks like Sierra Marketing are based in Exeter from the invite we've jsut received... any one seen or heard of this before?

We have had a similar offer from Sierra marketing - I'd really appreciate it if you would let me know if you found out if it was a scam or not. We're due to go on Saturday & I think it sounds a bit odd.

dzug1

Well it depend on what you mean by dodgy.

The presentation you go to will be a high pressure sales pitch where they play you off against the Mrs. Meaningless figures will be bandied about.

The holiday (if it exists, it probably does) will be from an airport of their choice to a resort of their choice (OK you can express preferences....) at possibly very short notice. If you refuse the offer you'll lose the £50.

In resort you will have to attend another sales pitch

What they are selling probably won't be timeshare in the strict sense but will be a variation of it - holiday points or a holiday club most likely. Both of them are appalling nay excreble value and with annual fees to pay that's it's difficult to get out of.

So if you are flexible about dates etc and firm about saying NO at the sales pitches, there's a chance of a cheap holiday. People have done it.

On the other hand rather more have succumbed and said YES and bitterly regretted it.

m4ttya

dzug1, is that from experience with this particular company or from other companies offering similar things? The conversation I had on the phone with one of their reps went along the lines of (and I asked her to reiterate certain points), the airport would be my choice and there would be no payment of £50 / head until we had booked the holiday. I assumed that this seminar would be to try and get us to book something there and then but I was told that I had up to 2 years to take the holiday and could take brochures away with me.

To be honest, the only thing going through my mind on the phone was scam, but I don't know why but this one intrigued me. Probably because if you hold out, you'll get a cheap holiday but I'd rather not waste 3 hours of my life at some crappy meeting with someone trying to deprive me of my hard earned.

dzug1

m4ttya wrote: »

dzug1, is that from experience with this particular company or from other companies offering similar things? The conversation I had on the phone with one of their reps went along the lines of (and I asked her to reiterate certain points), the airport would be my choice and there would be no payment of £50 / head until we had booked the holiday. I assumed that this seminar would be to try and get us to book something there and then but I was told that I had up to 2 years to take the holiday and could take brochures away with me.

To be honest, the only thing going through my mind on the phone was scam, but I don't know why but this one intrigued me. Probably because if you hold out, you'll get a cheap holiday but I'd rather not waste 3 hours of my life at some crappy meeting with someone trying to deprive me of my hard earned.

This is general experience/knowledge - not this particular company. The finer details might vary, so indeed she may be telling the truth about not having to pay until you book. Or it may be 'not quite' the truth in that you don't have to pay until you put in your booking 'request'. You do need to take ANYTHING they say with a large pinch of salt.

In any case the sales pitch won't be to try to get you to book a holiday, it will be to sell you either a timeshare or holiday points or membership of a holiday club. You do NOT want any of these, particularly the last, and if you do there are far cheaper ways to get them.

m4ttya

Thanks dzug1.

pfloyd, If you do decide to go Saturday do you think you could update the forum with your experiences?

PFLOYD

We have just got up to go to Taunton, having thought long & hard whether to go or not. However I just 'Googled' Sierra Marketing & have come up with an item from a newspaper in Exeter dated October 2009 concerning 'St Francis Marketing'. The company is being accused of 'unfair trading practices involving the alleged way in which holiday products were sold' with 300 customer complaints & impending court cases. In a forum it states that this company is now trading under 'Sierra Marketing' at the same address.

Needless to say, the trip to Taunton is off!

m4ttya

Spot on mate. That's enough for me.

budgetflyer

I really thought everyone in the world was aware of these marketing techniques.
Obviously not!
No wonder new company after new company spring up selling the same stuff , just different mugs.
Does anyone really think they are "specially chosen" for the "FREE" holiday, kitchen, alarm system etc etc?
To even remotely think you struck lucky with any of these promotions, puts you in the " VERY STUPID" catagory.
If I was ever skint in Spain or Canaries Id go and work for one of these "scratch card" outfits. Most sellers have no trouble bringing along 1 or 2 idiots a day (at 100 Euro commission a pop) to these " Oh my gosh-I don't believe it-you've won- come and collect your prize " presentations

julie_heron

WonkyJ wrote: »

Took a call the other week asking some marketing questions about holidays. About a week later got a call from the company asking if we'd be interested in a "5 star villa " holiday somewhere in europe (list of decent countries provided) with flights for nominal cost of £50 per head.

Was assured was nothing to do with sales / time share etc etc and we were asked to attend a 2hr viewing and collection at a location in the midlands... they were pushing the fact this was a genuine holiday offer and that it was only open to small number of people from certain demographic. They said they made £ from the high % of return bookings , word of mouth sales etc etc.

Must say they would not issue the invite to us until they'd spoken to both me and the Mrs to make sure we were going to attend... even phoned us back at specified time to talk to other person. Also theres a list as long as your arm for what you have to be to qualify for the offer.

Sounds dodgy as a £6 note to me but the Mrs wants to go see. Looks like Sierra Marketing are based in Exeter from the invite we've jsut received... any one seen or heard of this before?

We've just come back from 3 hour sales pitch in Hatton, Warwickshire. They are selling fractions of a yacht. Previous trading name of St Francis marketing was taken to court in Exeter. Everything the phone call tells you is untrue!It is hard sales, you do feel pressured, it is a type of time share, it is very expensive, they do try and get you to sign up whilst you are there, the light refreshments consists of 1 cup of tea or coffee! Be warned everything they send you they take back, so difficult to prove what they've said or done. No business cards, no telephone numbers, nothing. When we declined the offer one of the men was downright rude and said he'd paid £200 for our time! That's not even true because we can't use the 'free' holiday as it is not at times suitable to us! Nothing is free but this seems to have conned a lot of innocent people.

spud999

hi, we went along as we've been on a couple of these types of things before and had some great holidays!! So they are not always such a big con- but choose carefully. This one however seemed really unprofessional and really dragged out and we didn't get the hard sell- it almost felt like the salesman was wittering along to try and keep us there without giving any info which eventually led us to walk out after a short while. It is about buying into a boat, which even when they explain the basic details sounds pretty rubbish even before you get to hear the price!

I'd say don't waste your time as the person who also went to warwick said. and yes they were right in the fact that what they tell you on the phone is very different to what they tell you when you are there.