NEC Dive Show competition winner - Hmmmmm!

[Paul Beal]

Has anyone else has had a phonecall saying they have won a holiday from a competition they entered at the NEC dive show?

I have just been assured by someone who had got my details from somewhere and was clearly in the know about the NEC dive show that this is genuine and I really have won a free holiday. Probing a bit deeper there are a lot of spelling mistakes in their literature and there are a few rather dubious suggestions about extra costs. Although nothing directly indicating they are a time share or a holiday club.

It seems I am not the only one who has received this already
(http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=2067849) and a Google search on their address brings up all sorts of different companies registered to the address including timeshare companies.

Has anyone else had this call and found anything positive?

Paul

[Vic]

I have just been assured by someone who had got my details from somewhere and was clearly in the know about the NEC dive show that this is genuine

Someone you don't know, and who you don't remember giving your details to tells you that you've won a competition you never entered.

If it sounds too good to be true...

and I really have won a free holiday.

Did they tell you you *have* won, or you *may have* won? This is the usual bait - you've actually "won" something of much lower value.

It seems I am not the only one who has received this already
(http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=2067849) and a Google search on their address brings up all sorts of different companies registered to the address including timeshare companies.

It's a standard timeshare-stylee scam. You're suckered in on the promise of a holiday (you'll never actually see that), and you'll get the hard sell on timeshare.

Note that the domain they use is a quick way to build this sort of website (they only get a subdomain; the main domain is a website builder/reseller). Note that they are going to call you in the first instance before "booking your appointment" for the sales meeting - that generally anulls your right to cancel. They want both signatories to the joint account to attend, and they want you to bring along the sort of ID you'll need for a binding credit agreement...

Avoid this. This "free holiday" could easily be the most expensive mistake you ever make.

Vic.

[ChrisA]

Yeah , similar format , mine was from a time share company , to get the holiday you had to attend a sales day plus loads of other restrictions , personally I couldn't be bothered.

[Ron Evans]

Yeah , similar format , mine was from a time share company , to get the holiday you had to attend a sales day plus loads of other restrictions , personally I couldn't be bothered.

Is this diving holiday in Nigeria??

[Steve Walsh]

if the words Club La Costa are included its not going to be a free holiday

[IainC]

Looks like a con, smells like a con,

It's a con..

Iain.