I recieved a voucher in the mail saying I won a free cruise on the "imperial majesty" cruise line". So i decided to call the toll free number. I talked to a man named Joseph and he informed me that Ramada Plaza Resorts just opened up there 20th or so resort in Florida and that this was a promotion. And they offered me this opportunity to hopefully obtain more business from me in the future and from my friends and family.
They told me that they have sent many people on these trips. They told me that i would get a 4 day and 3 night stay at the Ramada Plaza Resort. I was informed that I would tour another resort. They told me many wonderful things that i would get for free.
Joseph told me that i have a year and a half to book this trip, but i had to book it 60 days in advance.
So i gave them my debt card info. They told me i could take 3 extra people with me and that me and my boyfriend had to pay a $99 support tax once i called to book the date and the two other friends i wanted to take with me had to pay $129 for the support tax. They also told me that i would have a free rental car waiting for me at the airport.
And that i would have to pay $25 a day since i'm under 25years old. They made it sound like i could do all sorts of shopping and relaxing at this amazing resort. They told me i would leave on the cruise for 4 days and 3 nights and i could enjoy 8 meals a day, a casino, a dance club, and a room with a bathroom. And that all i would have to pay for is any alcoholic drinks and gambling on the cruise ship. They told me they would send me a package with a DVD included of what i could do once we arrived in the Bahamas including snorkeling, scuba diving and swimming with dolphins.
Joseph, the man i was talking to, said he took his 4 little girls swimming with dolphins and told me how much fun they had. He made the trip sound so amazing! And i said to joseph "is this for real? Because it sounds to good to be true". And joseph got ahold of his manager named William Johnson, who upgraded me to a sunroom on the cruise and gave me a $1000 shopping spree to spend in Ft. Lauderdale as a courtesy with my concerns and i bought into it.
So i went through the verification process, which this whole entire process took two and a half hrs to do, to make my "package" official. They also gave me a package number. So i got off the phone and called my mom to tell her about my trip and she told me is was a scam and to call my bank "immiediately" to cancell my transaction.
I called the bank and because i used a debt card they couldn't cancell it, if had used a credit card i could have cancelled the transaction. So my mom called the bank to cancell my account and take the money that was in there and transfer it to my savings account, but she had to leave $798 for the "ramada plaza resorts" to take because since i gave them my info i couldn't dispute it. While my mom was cancelling my account i called the costomer service number to see if they could cancel the whole thing... Money and all... And they transfered me to william johnson, the manager, again and he said that once i get the package to not open it and send it right back and i could get "all" my money back.
It didn't sound right so i called the costomer serive again and they transfered me to james ext. 1490 and he said he understands that i am concerned about this being a scam to he said he would refund me $350 to ease some of my concerns and for the holidays and that they would bump me to a captains room on the crusie and that i would get "all 8 meals at the resort free". So i thought "that was nice of him... Maybe this really isn't a scam". My mom demanded that i call back and cancel it.
So i called back and talked to another "specialist" because apparently James was "out to lunch" for 4 hours mind you. So i talked to this other lady and she tried to convince me and i said i better cancel it and she made me all these offers and upgrades but i said "i just want it cancelled". I told her about what william johnson said about sending the package back and getting my money back and she said " i don't know why he said that because she said the only way i could get my money back is to use it or sell it.
I filed this report because i want to help in stopping this heartless act. I am a 20 year old female working as a paramedic. I save lives and work very hard for my money to pay my bills and live comfortably. I can't even explain the humiliation and regret i felt after having $789 dollars taken from me. I know i could have had a lot more money taken from me, but i am just starting my life out and $789 is a lot of money to someone like me.
Holly
Mobridge, South Dakota
U.S.A.
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