I can confirm this company is a dishonest scam. Like Jfrankparnell, I too received a robot call offering a free vacation. Since my phone is registered as a Do Not Call number and this was my second robot call from them this month, I pressed 1 to speak to a live agent.
Chris, the live agent, told me I and been specially selected to receive a 3 day/2 night cruise to the Bahamas free of charge. But before he would give me any information about his company he spent 20 minutes pitching tourist attractions in Florida.
Eventually I learned the the "free" cruise was part of a package including 4 days/3 nights in Orlando and 3 days/2 nights in Daytona Beach. He kept emphasizing a total of 10 vacation days, but only 7 nights of lodging were included. I would also have to attend a condominium sales talk at Vacation Village at Parkway and pay a promotional fee of $798.
Next I was transferred to Trisha, the Promotions Manager. She tried to close the sale. She said the promotional rate had to be accepted immediately or it would be withdrawn. When I told her I would have to discuss it with my wife, she offered to throw in another free 3 day trip to anywhere I wanted to go. Next she tried lowering the price to $598.
I told her if I could have her phone number I would talk to my wife and call back within 1 hour. Rather than giving me a phone number, she wanted to call me. She said their sales office was closed and I would only get a recording if I called them. I insisted I wanted their phone number anyway and she finally gave it to me.
When I saw the complaint had a rebuttal from the company owner, I decided to check into it more closely. After all, scammers often fake their identity and claim they are from a legitimate company. I did not want to post a negative report on an innocent party.
The next day I called the number and asked for Trisha. She was there. I also tried calling the number Greg Eriksen, the company owner, gave as his direct line in his complaint rebuttal. Every time I called his number I got a recording.
I also checked with the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations. Dream Vacations is a fictitious name registered to Global Marketing Solutions USA. This corporation has 3 officers: Gregory R. Eriksen, Scot M. Eriksen, and Thomas E. Gragnaniello. These three men are officers in several corporations and LLCs involving real estate, loans, escrow, investments, telemarketing, and vacation sales. Another partner, Clinton E. Bertucci, is often listed with Scot and Greg Eriksen. Between the four of them, them I found at least 17 different companies. Greg is a principal in 8 of these, Scot in 6, Clinton in 8, and Thomas in 6.
Most of these companies have not been in business very long. Global Marketing Solutions USA (Dream Vacations) was incorporated on April 25 and filed for the name Dream Vacations on May 5. Another 7 of these companies were formed in 2007. Many are out of business, shutting down after a year or two. At least one is listed as involuntarily dissolved.
As for American Dream Lending, the offical name is American Dream Lending Group, Inc. It was incorporated on March 26. It has only one officer, Mr. Greg Eriksen. It's address is 4802 Londonderry Dr., Tampa, FL 33647. This is also Mr. Eriksen's home address and is the same address listed for the Gregory R Eriksen that owns Global Marketing Solutions.
There is also an American Dream Financial Corp. Located at 1580 W. Cleveland St., Tampa FL 33606. It has two presidents: Gregory R. Eriksen (same home address) and Scot M. Eriksen.
While this company may not be an outright scam using fake addresses, they are still a dishonest, fly-by-night outfit looking for a quick buck. No, they didn't get any money from me because I wasn't foolish enough to give them a credit card number. But they willfully disregard FTC & FCC laws and hide their identity until they think they have found a sucker. Furthermore, Mr. Eriksen's rebutal is pure BS.
I have filed a complaint with the FCC and would encourage all others that are pestered by these a*holes to do likewise. Even if your phone number is not registered on the Do Not Call list, it is illegal to use robot calls for telemarketing. Telemarketers are also required to identify their name and phone number at the beginning of the call.
Check out their filing documents with the Florida Department of State here:
Http://www.sunbiz.org/scripts/ficidet. Exe? Action=DETREG&docnum=G08126900343&rdocnum=G08126900343
Http://www.sunbiz.org/scripts/cordet. Exe? Action=DETFIL&inq_doc_number=P08000042140&inq_came_from=OFFFWD&cor_web_names_seq_number=0003&names_name_ind=P&ret_names_cor_number=&ret_cor_web_names_seq_number=&ret_names_name_ind=&ret_names_comp_name=&ret_names_filing_type=&ret_cor_web_princ_seq=&ret_princ_comp_name=ERIKSENG&ret_princ_type=
Http://www.sunbiz.org/scripts/cordet. Exe? Action=DETFIL&inq_doc_number=P07000038007&inq_came_from=OFFFWD&cor_web_names_seq_number=0000&names_name_ind=R&ret_names_cor_number=&ret_cor_web_names_seq_number=&ret_names_name_ind=&ret_names_comp_name=&ret_names_filing_type=&ret_cor_web_princ_seq=&ret_princ_comp_name=ERIKSENG&ret_princ_type=
Here is a list of their registered companies and the company officers:
ADFC Investments (Greg, Scot, Clinton)
All About U Vacations, Inc. (Tom)
All About U Vacations, LLC (Tom)
American Dream Financial Corp. (Greg, Scot)
American Dream Financing & Associates, Inc. (Clinton)
American Dream Financing & Associates, LLC (Clinton)
American Dream Lending Group, Inc. (Greg)
Cityplace Condominium Association, Inc. (Clinton)
EE&B Financial Corp. (Greg, Scot, Clinton)
Fun Time of Pinellas, Inc. (Tom)
Global Marketing Solutions USA Corp. (Greg, Scot, Tom)
Inner Phone Systems, Inc. (Tom)
JTJ Telcom, Inc. (Tom)
Platinum Title & Trust, LLC (Clinton)
Sunshine Title And Trust, LLC (Greg)
Superior Title & Trust, LLC (Greg, Scot, Clinton)
Superior Title Group, Inc. (Greg, Scot, Clinton)
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