Well my significant other went to a bridal show (we are getting married) and she won a raffle for a trip to the bahamas. The contest was through a hotel (best western).

Im skeptical though. I have to go to some hour and a half meeting thing at the hotel to get the trip. I have to pay for transportation but they pay for everything else, food, room, activities for 3 days and 2 nights in the bahamas.

Im a big fan of the saying "Nothing is ever free"

Is this a scam arfcom?

Originally Posted By x5060: Well my significant other went to a bridal show (we are getting married) and she won a raffle for a trip to the bahamas. The contest was through a hotel (best western). Im skeptical though. I have to go to some hour and a half meeting thing at the hotel to get the trip. I have to pay for transportation but they pay for everything else, food, room, activities for 3 days and 2 nights in the bahamas. Im a big fan of the saying "Nothing is ever free" Is this a scam arfcom?

In short, you've won 3 nights in a hotel ($150) in exchange for sitting through a mind-numbing sales pitch that will leave you thinking you're evil for not buying a timeshare/condo/whatever from the salesperson, who will probably be in contact with you throughout the trip.

I've won several of these - and threw them all away.

YMMV, of course.

Originally Posted By arowneragain: Originally Posted By x5060: Well my significant other went to a bridal show (we are getting married) and she won a raffle for a trip to the bahamas. The contest was through a hotel (best western). Im skeptical though. I have to go to some hour and a half meeting thing at the hotel to get the trip. I have to pay for transportation but they pay for everything else, food, room, activities for 3 days and 2 nights in the bahamas. Im a big fan of the saying "Nothing is ever free" Is this a scam arfcom? In short, you've won 3 nights in a hotel ($150) in exchange for sitting through a mind-numbing sales pitch that will leave you thinking you're evil for not buying a timeshare/condo/whatever from the salesperson, who will probably be in contact with you throughout the trip. I've won several of these - and threw them all away. YMMV, of course.

I have an incredible amount of anti-sales personality traits =)

I dont like people badgering me and have little to no problem telling them to leave me alone.

However supposedly we are suppose to be tasting foods or something for the hotel.

Sounds like a timeshare scam to me, run fast!

My wife went to a bridal show before we were married. She came home saying she won a trip to Sandles in the Bahamas. I was skeptical.

We just paid for the airfare and went for 5 days. It ended up being legit. Yours does sound like some kind of time share deal though.

So, do you get to go too?

You have to suffer through the sales pitch, yes. If you can deny them the sale, you'll get your free stuff.

But make no mistake, you earn it by refusing them for 3 hours of mind numbing psychotic sales pitches. They will go for the jugular, so be prepared.

I'm talking Jack Bauer style sales pitches. Don't be afraid to draw down if it gets too hairy.

Post pics.

Originally Posted By x5060: Originally Posted By arowneragain: Originally Posted By x5060: Well my significant other went to a bridal show (we are getting married) and she won a raffle for a trip to the bahamas. The contest was through a hotel (best western). Im skeptical though. I have to go to some hour and a half meeting thing at the hotel to get the trip. I have to pay for transportation but they pay for everything else, food, room, activities for 3 days and 2 nights in the bahamas. Im a big fan of the saying "Nothing is ever free" Is this a scam arfcom? In short, you've won 3 nights in a hotel ($150) in exchange for sitting through a mind-numbing sales pitch that will leave you thinking you're evil for not buying a timeshare/condo/whatever from the salesperson, who will probably be in contact with you throughout the trip. I've won several of these - and threw them all away. YMMV, of course. I have an incredible amount of anti-sales personality traits =) I dont like people badgering me and have little to no problem telling them to leave me alone. However supposedly we are suppose to be tasting foods or something for the hotel.

Last summer I 'won' a trip to my choice of several different destinations around the world.

The longer I looked, the more I realized that if I could afford airfare, paying for the hotel wasn't a big add-on expense anyway.

this is what free marketing is all about.

nothing is free.

you walk in for free lodgings, but you'll end up spending that savings on something else

I'd buy more gun stuff

any pics?

Originally Posted By x5060: However supposedly we are suppose to be tasting foods or something for the hotel.

Read between the lines
Time share translations:
Free Texas BBQ=hot dogs.

I went to a presentation in town that went well. Others I have gone to were a waste of life. This one gave me $100 for Home Depot and a very nice free breakfast. I told the sales guy I wasn't interested and why. Absolutely no pressure sales at all. At that point he wasn't even going to waste his time with a tour, but I wanted to see the facilities. I would be very skeptical about any timeshare that I would have to waste any time traveling to.

My wife "won" something like that as well.


It required going to a sales pitch. I was aware of flight and hotel costs enough before hand to know that with a little work on my end I could get flights and accommodations for less than what they were charging. I also wouldn't have to pay hundreds of dollars of yearly account maintenance fees.


Furthermore, my idea of a good vacation is taking a week and spending it camping in a rural forest service campground or at the family cabin - I do not vacation every year at resorts, and have no desire to do so.


I passed. They tried guilt, manipulation, and a disgusted "you aren't ever going find travel to Hawaii this cheap" (actually two years earlier I had traveled there cheaper) on both me and my wife.


The bullshit hotel voucher we got for attending their meeting was an absolute joke too. It went in the file cabinet, and I threw it away after a few years.


It was valuable exposure to high pressure sales tactics - and I will NEVER strike a deal with people who do business in that manner.

If you really want to have a timeshare, check out the resale market-timeshares have GM rental car like resale values.

Donate it to charity and tax the tax write off!

Well the jack bauer sales tactics dont bother me cause Ill go vampire jack bauer on them (think about the scene from the first episode this season).

[link]www.bauercount.com/v3/boxes/clip.php?m=jjafuller.com/clips/24/season6/bauer_count_1.mp4&keepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=375&width=612[/link]

I guess I should show up early and take a look at the voucher to see if its worth sitting there.

My fiancee won a 4 day 3 night all inclusive honeymoon to any Sandals Resort in the Caribbean at a bridal show. No catches, no timeshare meetings, no anything. We just have to use it one year from the date of issue.

I used to sell timeshare. Made good $$$ and was off work each day at 1 or 2 pm. :)

Anyway, I took them on the tour, did my pencil push (you can get all this for only $20K!, just sign here!!1!1) and then when they refused I went to get them their Disney tickets.

Of course, the Disney tickets were only issued by my TO (take over) and he would ask me if I simply thought they were there only for the tickets, or if they were really interested. No use him to spend much time with them if they were solid against it.

That said, I never have owned TS or even gone to a presentation.

BTW I made about $600 per sale, and that was over 20 years ago. I just didn't like selling something I personally don't believe in.