A Perfect Con
Posted by james on May 28, 2007 in personal | 7 comments
Please note: This is MY PERSONAL opinion. By reading past this point, you agree that you are entitled to your own opinion, and will not judge me (or sue me) for recounting my own experience.
I got phoned by Thulani from Rhino Marketing about a guaranteed prize that I had to claim. Here’s how the call went, starting from when I pick up the phone (there are a couple of free lessons at the end):
me: Hello James speaking.
thulani: Hi. Sorry, who’s speaking?
me: James
thulani: Ah yes, that’s who I’m looking for. I just want to tell you that because you entered a competition by filling in a survey, you have won a guaranteed prize.
me: What survey?
thulani: Either a survey at a petrol station or shopping center. You may not remember it because it was quite a while ago.
me: Ok.
thulani: You have won either a laptop, a 42″ plasma screen, R50000 in cash, a weekend away, or a quad bike.
me: Ok.
thulani: You can come and collect it on Thursday, either at 3:30, 5:30 or 7:30 in the evening. Which time is convenient for you?
me: Do I have to listen to a talk about Holiday Club?
thulani: No, you just have to fill in a survey about crime and South Africa.
me: Ok. And I’m not going to have to buy time share or anything.
thulani: No. Not at all. Just fill in a survey, answer any way you like, whether negative or positive, and you will still receive your guaranteed prize.
me: Ok. Definitely no holiday club?
thulani: No. Do you want holiday club?
me: Definitely not!
thulani: Ok, so will you come to collect your prize?
me: Fine. 3:30pm.
thulani: Ok. GREAT. Can I have your cellphone number so that I can contact you and confirm the time with you? And help you with directions?
me: Sure. It’s #########
thulani: Thanks. Sorry, I just need your surname.
me: Hmmm. It’s (what ever it is)
thulani: Will you be bringing someone? Liek a wife or girlfriend?
me: No, I’ll come by myself.
thulani: Are you married?
me: Yes.
thulani: But you’ll be there by yourself? I just need to confirm numbers.
me: I’ll be there by myself…
thulani: Ok, thanks. See you tomorrow. Don’t forget!
So, what can I learn from the above?
- If it’s too good to be true, it is!
- If they say you’ve won a prize, and you need to come fill in a survey, it’s for Holiday Club.
- If they say it’s NOT for Holiday Club, it’s for Holiday Club.
- If they PROMISE you it’s NOT for Holiday Club, it’s for Holiday Club.
- If they LIE to you, it’s NOT for Holiday Club, it’s for Holiday Club.
What typically clever con tricks did they use?
- I said my name, and they pretended they knew it.
- They asked for all the details that they SHOULD have already had. Especially my cellphone number. Any competition form will ask for this, and I will give it. And, come ON now! Would I not give my SURNAME?!?!?!
Anyway, I did realise what was going on from the start, but I decided to play along. I even went to the little survey thing, and almost made a grown man cry in disbelief when I didn’t sign up for the Holiday Club, but THAT is a story for another day.
You can read even more about this stupid scheme here: “Profiling gone wrong“
7 Comments
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I have had the same experience. They said a charity sms competion. Now thats disguisting, saying charity when its holiday club. My husband told the telesales lady that he was unemployed and has been for the past 6 months, she confirmed that it was not time share and that him and his wife had to come to collect our prize. What a waist of petrol to drive an hour to a holiday club thing when we were assured it was not. We are 4 adults and once toddler and i am the only one employed so it was really hard for us to understand how heartless one can be after you have told them that there is no money that we can spend. I asked the woman who give the mid-week voucher away if she ever gives out other gift and she said NO! what a big surprize. Something should be done about the Holiday Club, they should be banned from advertising faulely.
I totally agree with you. THEY ARE SHARKS!
I was completely lied to on the phone as well!
There are so many people being ripped off by these holiday club groups, me included.
Do you have any reports of a group called Global Grand vacation club.
I have been caught out big time by them and need to communicate with other people who have the samne problem
I have a feeling all these vacation clubs are a scam, but unfortunately (or fortunately) I haven’t heard anything about Global Grand vacation club.
I hope things get sorted for you.
I had exactly same experiance. Went to listen but refused to sign. Was still allowed to draw my 5 balls out a box, but sure as have it, the balls will not give you the Laptop or TV or Quad bike or the R75000-00 home make over. I find I get a 3Day midweek or 2Day weekend at a Holiday club thingie, but hear this, I must still pay a handling fee of R299 and this voucher is only accomodation. What have I really won. They can stick this voucher where the sun does not shine.
So many people have been caught out by these cons, but yet they continue to get away,
I eventualy managed to get out of their useless contarct by just leaving them with no chance of any refund,,,,,,,,,, I was told, take it to court, it will just cost you more,
So I wrote off and got out……….. +- R9000-00.
May the receiver of that money get endless punctures from the tyres that he buys with my money
Hallo I had the same experions, we bought 4 years ago and paid upto now more then R 15000 for 8 points. My wife is a teacher so we only can use the points in public Hollidays, to bad there is nothing availible then. Sofare we had only 1 long weekend in the Cape, but we even had to leaf on Sunday (School te next morning). So for a holiday weekend of 2 days we paid R 15000. I lost my work last year, so we can’t pay the yearly contribution. We tray, but they even charge more then 23% intrest. Because we are behind we can’t use the points. Next month 15 points are going to disapear (3 Years). But we still have to pay contibution another R 2000 of so. Selling is no opsion. If you have paid every thing you can sell the points for max R 300 because they are second hands as if there is a exp.date on them. New points are still over R 1200. Wen we bought this shit they garantied use the points will keep there valua and we can sell with a big profit over time. Forget about this. So I dont have a income thus can not pay, we can not use or sell the points so we are going to lose out R 15000 plus the other contributions we still have to pay. Wat can we do? If all people who has lost out on this can be organisted and go to court as a group, we must be able to take them on and win this.
R 100.000 court cost over 100 people ofso is R 1000 a person. We have already lost so much so R 1000 is a small price to pay for a change to get your money back.