In response to an e-mail I received a few weeks ago in which an offer was made for a free hotel stay (2 nights/3 days) in Las Vegas, I replied by email indicating my interest. Subsequently, I received an e-mail on 9/26/03 indicating an 800 number to call to make the arrangements for the free hotel offer. On 9/27/03 at about 10:30 AM (EDT) I called the 800 number to get the free hotel offer per a prior discussion with my wife. The following is an outline of the telephone conversation:
1. The man who answered asked what I was calling about and I said the free hotel offer in Las Vegas. He put me on hold for a minute or so. He then asked for the certificate # which I had received in the 9/26/03 e-mail, which I read to him. He put me on hold again for a minute or so. He asked for my telephone number, which I provided. He put me on hold again for a minute or so. He then said rather firmly that he was going to provide me with all the information I needed, that I should get a pen and paper, so that I did not need him to repeat everything as he had many other callers to respond to.
2. He then asked which dates I wanted the free nights and where. I said Nov 27 and Nov 28 in Las Vegas. He put me on hold again for a minute or so. He came back and inquired whether I would need a rental car. I said no. He wanted to know why and I said I had other arrangements. He wanted to know more details of my arrangement but I told him that it was unrelated to the free hotel offer I was calling about.
3. He put me on hold again for a minute or so. He then said those nights of Nov 27 and Nov 28 were not available. I said it was hard to believe since it was 2 months from now. He said his Ramada chain was one of the world's largest and that Thanksgiving nights were never available.
4. He said I should choose another package if I wanted those two nights. I said I just wanted the free package. He said no one would want to stay in Las Vegas for just 2 nights at Thanksgiving. I said I did. He persisted in offering me another longer package, 4-7 nights which could be offered "at a discount". I said no, I wanted the free offer.
5. His tone then changed to slightly abusive asking "don't you want to save money?" I answered that I did, by taking the free offer. He said that it was not available and again in a more abusive tone asked why I did not want to "save money." At that point I told him I did not appreciate the abusive tone, no longer desired to discuss the matter, and hung up.
Geoffrey
Silver Spring, Maryland
U.S.A.
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