Possible new CLC Scam

AlwaysSceptical · 12 January 2010 at 2:28PM

Hi,

This is my first post, though I have used this forum a number of times in the past for information.

Last year I was plagued by CLC calls after filling in a questionnaire at an airport!

Luckily the calls stopped and I had thought nothing of it, until today! I had a call from an English speaking guy (eve the number he called from was visible!) He told me that I had not won the cast prize but had one a 7 day holiday this easter, to either Costa del Sol or Tenerife. It was to a 5 star hotel and it was free, except for a £29 admin fee.

He then told me, after i mentioned the CLC scam that I did not have to go to any presentation or give any additional information, all I had to do was select a date from the list he gave me and then we could proceed with booking the holiday.

Being sceptical I asked if he could email me the information, which I have pasted below:

Dear [removed],

SPECIAL OFFER

Further to your recent telephone conversation with Jason, I am delighted to attach information on our Special Promotional Offer to the Costa del Sol and Tenerife for your perusal. I have also attached web addresses offering tourist information on the local area around our resorts.

Please take a look at our website and Jason, will be contacting you in due course and will look forward to discussing this special offer with you further.

clublacosta.com/costadelsol
clublacosta.com/tenerife
visitcostadelsol.com
tenerife-information-centre.com

I had to edit the links as I am not able to post them as a new user.

Alternatively, if you have any questions then please feel free to contact us on our free phone number below.

Kind regards
Catherine Sanderson
Administrator
SIV Southend

Tel: 0800 988 0334
Email: catherine.sanderson@clublacosta.com

My feeling is this is a scam.....

Thoughts...

David

dinglebert · 12 January 2010 at 2:37PM

It will be the usual scam. Why on earth would they make such a derisory charge as £29 for a holday you had won.

AlwaysSceptical · 12 January 2010 at 2:41PM

Actually that is very true. IF it was a free holiday due to it being won you would imagine it would be completely free.

I knew my gut instinct was right!

cheers,

David

theartfullodger · 18 January 2010 at 2:56PM

Was called last Friday 15th, number withheld, by "CLC Resorts & Hotels" (allegedly) and given
0800 988 9904 to ring with a "Code" for my "Free" holiday to "Portugal, Southern Spain or the Canaries"... oh, gosh, how exciting ....

I asked for their address and was (eventually) given...
Pembroke House, Pitsea, Basildon...

Companies House does have a company of that name - but different address..
http://wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk/5b...a3/compdetails

but it is "dormant"
Quote:
CLC RESORTS & HOTELS LIMITED
HALLSWELLE HOUSE
1 HALLSWELLE ROAD
LONDON
NW11 0DH
Company No. 05686493

Status: Active
Date of Incorporation: 24/01/2006

Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Company Type: Private Limited Company
Nature of Business (SIC(03)):
5510 - Hotels and Motels with (or without) restaurant
Accounting Reference Date: 31/12
Last Accounts Made Up To: 31/12/2008 (DORMANT)
Next Accounts Due: 30/09/2010
Last Return Made Up To: 24/01/2009
Next Return Due: 21/02/2010
Last Members List: 24/01/2009
(sounds unlikely they will be offering free holidays then...)

I called them anyway (waste some of their time & money ..) Monday to see how long it took me to get the salesman to agree they are in an immoral & evil occupation & really should leave and get a decent, honest job...

(In all of these subsequent conversations I was calm & polite,.. - they weren't too bad but did get very frosty & urgent..)

Spoke to a young lady claiming to be called "Justine" in Basildon... who eventually told me about the £29:50/pp booking fee and airport taxes and that there were no other charges.... but I'd need to go to Presentation in Scotland and would be given £25 or £25 vouchers for my travel costs

She said she worked for "Club La Costa Resorts & Hotels": I pointed out Companies house had no record of such a company & that something fraudulent or dishonest must be going on, and that she should, I suggested, leave her employment forthwith & go an find an honest job.. she seemed no best pleased with this, that they had been operating for 20 years.. I pointed out CLC was only set up 3 years ago..

She said "I will put you through to my supervisor"... jolly good says I...

Justine comes wanting to give me a number of their "Head Office" - I politely declined & asked to be put through, as she had promised (I hadn't asked..) her supervisor...

Eventually I speak to a "Sharon" in Pitsea (near Basildon..) . Shazza wouldn't give me her name until I told her mine (I did..) - how shy compared to other Essex girls I've known.

She wanted to know what I wanted & what my complaint was.. I explained I didn't want anything from her, had no complaint, but that Justine had decided to put me through....

Then I asked who she worked for .. She said worked for "Club La Costa".. I asked which "Club La Costa" - She said "Club La Costa"... I then explained there were 8 "Club La Costa"s..known to Companies House, and read them out...
Quote:
02448397 CLUB LA COSTA PLC
04569527 D CLUB LA COSTA HOLIDAYS LIMITED Dissolved
06868473 CLUB LA COSTA LEISURE LIMITED
SC159128 CLUB LA COSTA OPTIONS LIMITED
03448182 D CLUB LA COSTA PROMOTIONS LIMITED Dissolved
03700665 CLUB LA COSTA TRAVEL CLUB LIMITED
03123199 CLUB LA COSTA (UK) PLC
SC184002 CLUB LA COSTA VACATION CLUB LIMITED
She said it was Promotions she worked for & she'd worked there 9 years... Odd says I they were dissolved by the authorities in 2008...

I suggested again that this all sounded very fishy & dishonest, fraudulent & immoral and she should leave her employment forthwith & find an honest job...

She didn't seem happy about this.. and kept wanting to give me "Head Office's 'phone number" - I explained I didn't want that thank you very much and was very happy talking to her...

She said she'd terminate the call - I asked did she know what Essex Trading standards thought of her company - she said she didn't know.. I suggested this was dishonest & she did know..and she should find an honest job... eventually, sadly she hung up...

Only took 23 minutes... hopefully cost them something...

Bunch of c****s, I wouldnae touch them with a barge-pole...

Cheers!

Lodger

Requiem · 18 January 2010 at 3:18PM

theartfullodger wrote: »

Was called last Friday 15th, number withheld, by "CLC Resorts & Hotels" (allegedly) and given
0800 988 9904 to ring with a "Code" for my "Free" holiday to "Portugal, Southern Spain or the Canaries"... oh, gosh, how exciting ....

I asked for their address and was (eventually) given...
Pembroke House, Pitsea, Basildon...

Companies House does have a company of that name - but different address..
http://wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk/5b...a3/compdetails

but it is "dormant"
Quote:
CLC RESORTS & HOTELS LIMITED
HALLSWELLE HOUSE
1 HALLSWELLE ROAD
LONDON
NW11 0DH
Company No. 05686493

Status: Active
Date of Incorporation: 24/01/2006

Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Company Type: Private Limited Company
Nature of Business (SIC(03)):
5510 - Hotels and Motels with (or without) restaurant
Accounting Reference Date: 31/12
Last Accounts Made Up To: 31/12/2008 (DORMANT)
Next Accounts Due: 30/09/2010
Last Return Made Up To: 24/01/2009
Next Return Due: 21/02/2010
Last Members List: 24/01/2009
(sounds unlikely they will be offering free holidays then...)

I called them anyway (waste some of their time & money ..) Monday to see how long it took me to get the salesman to agree they are in an immoral & evil occupation & really should leave and get a decent, honest job...

(In all of these subsequent conversations I was calm & polite,.. - they weren't too bad but did get very frosty & urgent..)

Spoke to a young lady claiming to be called "Justine" in Basildon... who eventually told me about the £29:50/pp booking fee and airport taxes and that there were no other charges.... but I'd need to go to Presentation in Scotland and would be given £25 or £25 vouchers for my travel costs

She said she worked for "Club La Costa Resorts & Hotels": I pointed out Companies house had no record of such a company & that something fraudulent or dishonest must be going on, and that she should, I suggested, leave her employment forthwith & go an find an honest job.. she seemed no best pleased with this, that they had been operating for 20 years.. I pointed out CLC was only set up 3 years ago..

She said "I will put you through to my supervisor"... jolly good says I...

Justine comes wanting to give me a number of their "Head Office" - I politely declined & asked to be put through, as she had promised (I hadn't asked..) her supervisor...

Eventually I speak to a "Sharon" in Pitsea (near Basildon..) . Shazza wouldn't give me her name until I told her mine (I did..) - how shy compared to other Essex girls I've known.

She wanted to know what I wanted & what my complaint was.. I explained I didn't want anything from her, had no complaint, but that Justine had decided to put me through....

Then I asked who she worked for .. She said worked for "Club La Costa".. I asked which "Club La Costa" - She said "Club La Costa"... I then explained there were 8 "Club La Costa"s..known to Companies House, and read them out...
Quote:
02448397 CLUB LA COSTA PLC
04569527 D CLUB LA COSTA HOLIDAYS LIMITED Dissolved
06868473 CLUB LA COSTA LEISURE LIMITED
SC159128 CLUB LA COSTA OPTIONS LIMITED
03448182 D CLUB LA COSTA PROMOTIONS LIMITED Dissolved
03700665 CLUB LA COSTA TRAVEL CLUB LIMITED
03123199 CLUB LA COSTA (UK) PLC
SC184002 CLUB LA COSTA VACATION CLUB LIMITED
She said it was Promotions she worked for & she'd worked there 9 years... Odd says I they were dissolved by the authorities in 2008...

I suggested again that this all sounded very fishy & dishonest, fraudulent & immoral and she should leave her employment forthwith & find an honest job...

She didn't seem happy about this.. and kept wanting to give me "Head Office's 'phone number" - I explained I didn't want that thank you very much and was very happy talking to her...

She said she'd terminate the call - I asked did she know what Essex Trading standards thought of her company - she said she didn't know.. I suggested this was dishonest & she did know..and she should find an honest job... eventually, sadly she hung up...

Only took 23 minutes... hopefully cost them something...

Bunch of c****s, I wouldnae touch them with a barge-pole...

Cheers!

Lodger

I would loved to have heard a recording of their responses. Well done :P

theartfullodger · 18 January 2010 at 3:34PM

I would loved to have heard a recording of their responses. Well done :P

Thanks...

Well, maybe next time I'm minded to have-a-go I'll use again ...
.
http://www.recordyourcall.co.uk/
.
- trouble is it ain't that cheap... but you do end up with a wee .mp3 recording to listen to...

Cheers!

Lodger

Requiem · 18 January 2010 at 3:45PM

theartfullodger wrote: »

Thanks...

Well, maybe next time I'm minded to have-a-go I'll use again ...
.
http://www.recordyourcall.co.uk/
.
- trouble is it ain't that cheap... but you do end up with a wee .mp3 recording to listen to...

Cheers!

Lodger

If the inclination does take you in the future, it may be cheaper to do so through Skype (providing you have a headset). Afaik, you can record your own Skype calls with free downloadable software. (But I couldn't say for certain, haven't used Skype in ages!)

LuckySeven_2 · 28 January 2010 at 4:19PM

Thank you so much for all the detailed information in this thread! :beer:

I had a call from CLC Travel this afternoon claiming I had won a 7 night holiday to one of 5 destinations of my choice. When I hesitated because I couldn't remember filling in a survey, I was told the date I did it, the website address I did it through and even my address! :eek:

I took as much info as possible, was given a freephone number to call and a code. I then googled and came across everyone saying the same thing - it's a SCAM!

How totally immoral and dishonest can a company be? Thanks for all your wonderful research Lodger - you have saved me a lot of time and bother. :T

jonned1 · 22 February 2010 at 3:58PM

Simple.

Thanks to people for spending the time and effort to save others from being conned. I wouldn't have anything to do with them, no matter how much legitimate information they gave me.

They told me I had completed a survey on planet49,co,uk (.'s) the thing is I've never been on that website, and me filling in surveys, unlikely!

thanks and steer clear.

marleyboy · 22 February 2010 at 7:28PM

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=462241

Its still an on going issue with them

AliVadgama · 23 February 2010 at 4:12PM

Just received a call from CLC earlier today. I too have won the usual 7 night holiday for 4, with flights and accomodation paid for. Just need to call a free number and quote my own special code etc etc.. thanks to this site, a lot of my time will be saved. Some great comments, love the one from the 'lodger'!!:T

Possible new CLC Scam

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