Like many other posters, these people called a few weeks earlier using a number identified as Focus Group on my caller ID.
After a random brief survey they said I had won a free 2 night cruise to the Bahamas on the Imperial Majesty Cruise lines and requested I go to their website www.surveyclaim.com to confirm my information.
I thought this seemed odd so I did some research and found out that the cruise company is out of business and to beware of the next phone call from these people in which they would attempt to get my credit card info.
I passed on the next few phone calls from the 866-829-4442 number, but finally caved in to see what these people were all about.
Sure enough, a lady named Lauren, the same person I spoke with following the automated survey 2 weeks ago came on and described this fabulous cruise from Caribbean Cruise Lines aboard the Bahamas Celebration (so they dropped the Imperial Majesty but have not updated their website) that I could take with 60 days notice over the next 18 months, luxurious accomodations, golf, skiing, eating, drinking etc. Etc. This cruise was apparently given an award by Porthole Magazine, a magazine I have never heard of with a website that looks as fake as the rest of those affiliated with this group
She then asked for my credit card info to process the departure tax of $59 per person which was required by the Bahamas Government. I told her I did not want to do that and she immediately put on this older man who shot the breeze with me for a minute or so and asked me what the problem was. I told him I was skeptical of this whole thing and he began to challenge me. I told him about the Imperial Majesty info that I had learned which he nonchalantly passed off as having worked for them and that they went under due to the fact that they gave away too many free cruises unlike Caribbean Cruises who only offer this deal to a select few... Like myself.
I told him I was still skeptical and that I wasn't comfortable giving my information to him to cover departure tax for a cruise I did not even believe was real. He asked me why he would risk his business to charge people $59 per person in fees that he says, "go to the Bahamian government anyway." That is when I had had enough of this guy.
I am from the Bahamas and spent most of my life there until moving to Iowa for College and Law School. Over the past 20 years of my life, the Bahamas has always charged a flat $15 per person in departure tax, not $59, even with additional cruise fees etc.
Upon informing him of my background and knowledge of fees, he became very loud and rude. He started harping on about how prices change and that gas "used to be cheap too." I told him I was done and not interested and that he was becoming very rude to which he replied sarcastically, "you have a great time back in Iowa City!"
Had this been legit, this "customer service representative" wuld have been much more cordial and understanding of my skepticism, instead he became aggressive, loud and rude and basically hung up on me.
Stay Away From These People.
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