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Report: #418354

Complaint Review: Ramada Plaza Resorts - Nationwide

  • Submitted:
  • Updated:
  • Reported By: halifax Nova Scotia
  • Author Confirmed What's this?
  • Why?
  • Ramada Plaza Resorts www.florida333.com Nationwide U.S.A.

Ramada Plaza Resorts Entered a "Contest" Where Everyone WHo Entred "Won" a Free Trip Nationwide

*General Comment: Use your Brain

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I attended a consumer trade show in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, in which there were multiple booths selling cruise packs and one in particular which was raffling a "Free" cruise to the Bahamas. Of course I entered, isn't it everyones dream to go on a FREE all inclusive vacation with your significant otther? I was optimistic and thought I was definitely going to win though the power of positive thinking.

A few days later as I was sitting with my Fiance at the computer I got a call which came up as "PRIVATE CALLER". That should have been my first clue. I figured it was my mother because she has a private number due to her job. I answered, and the woman, Meryl, enthusiastically asked me if I remembered entering a contest, I said yes, and she exclaimed "WELL KATE, YOU WON!!" I couldn't believe it, I never win anything! She began to describe a trip that sounded absolutely amazing, which the only thing I had to do was attend a tour of the resort grounds to "pay" for the trip. Fair enough, I thought. My next clue was when she said what the value of the trip was. $2500, she told me. Hmm I said, that seems quite low for a first class all inclusive cruise to Florida and the Bahamas. Oh well, I figured that retail prices were much higher when advertised. She then asked me if I had a credit card. THAT is when I should have hung up. But she convinced me that it was like any other reservation and that i was just paying the taxes. $299 for both my Fiance and I. I had paid taxes on areoplan flights before so I assumed this was customary.

I was then connected three way with another customer service representative presumably from one of their many other call centers. I forget her name, but she sounded unprofessional. I got my reservation number and gave my credit card number. She said the call was being taped for "my safety". That was that. I was going on a cruise!

I excitably told my friends and family about the trip, only to find out that two of my other friends and a girl working at the trade show ALL GOT THE SAME CALL. I was FURIOUS, as we all we all realized that we had been scammed. One girl called right away and got her $149 back, the other was charged $800 but only got HALF back, so I was scared.I immediately called my credit card company to try to reverse the charge but they said they already saw it on my account. My credit card representative was very helpful in telling me that they would back me in a formal complaint if I could not get my money back. Here's where the fun started.

I searched "Ramada Plaza Resorts" on Google, and just pages and pages of scam alerts and complaints. My stomach dropped. I began to panic and read some of the rip off reports. I decided to call the customer service number they gave me. One they gave did not even work, so I called the other and it sounded like the call center was in a god d**n McDonalds or something! People swearing, yelling, and horsing around. The first guy I talked to said that he didn't deal with cancellations or refunds so he would transfer me to a supervisor. Funny that they didn't tell me then that they didn't do refunds. After trying to sell me more crap on my "cruise" and extend the time in which I could use it, the guy tells me that the trip is non-refundable and I cannot cancel. I said to hell it isn't, EVERYONE has the right cancel and the right to a refund. And he said well as you were told when you bought the package, that wasn't an option. I said NO ONE EVER told me that i could not cancel or get a refund, and I was told I won something, this isn't a contest it's a promotion on a crappy cruise. I also was never told that I had to pay for my flight AND attend a 4 hour timeshare presentation. After him trying to convince me that I still had won something, I finally snapped and screamed that I wanted my money back. He kept saying no, and I adamantly tried to level with him and said look, I know this is your job, but I know you CAN cancel the trip, you just WON'T. He threatened to bring up the taped phone call and I said go right ahead. What I agreed to is not what I was actually getting.So finally, he gives me back 75% of what I paid, $449, and tried to make me feel bad for doing so.

I called right back because I knew this company's organization skills were crap and that I could probably get my other $150 back with a little politeness and sticking to my guns. I got on with "Katrina" and told her that I would please like a refund of my $149 and the cancel and that was it. She kept trying to sell me things and asking me had I ever been to Florida ect ect ect, I don't see how that mattered. She asked me why i cancelled the trip and I said that it was false advertising, and I was told I won a trip when I had not. She said how do you know, and i told her about all the reports. She then tried to convince me that the hundreds of reports were false. I even told her that I found an actual Police scam alert notice form a district in Canada. But since there weren't charges filed, I shouldn't pay attention to them. Yea right. I kept being polite and she actually cancelled the trip and refunded my money.

I am so sorry to anyone who actually took the trip. I was physically sick after learning I was scammed. I am a smart, straight A University PSYCHOLOGY honours student and they still took me for my money. I should have listened to my instincts, because as I now know, they are NEVER wrong.

Kate87
halifax, Nova Scotia
Canada

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This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 01/30/2009 06:31 PM and is a permanent record located here: https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ramada-plaza-resorts/nationwide/ramada-plaza-resorts-entered-a-contest-where-everyone-who-entred-won-a-free-trip-natio-418354. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year. Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report. READ: Foreign websites steal our content

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#1 General Comment

Use your Brain

AUTHOR: QuitWhining - (United States of America)

POSTED: Tuesday, March 23, 2010

I think everyone who whine's about this cruise and vacation package should open their eyes. First of all, anytime something sounds too good to be true, it usually is. Second of all, be SMART - do your research. Third, I went on the cruise and the Ft Lauderdale stay with a buddy who purchased the package. While Ramada itself wasn't bad, the staff stunk but ya know what.....I wasn't paying for it, it was FREE.  BIG HINT: if it is free, don't expect the best.  As for the cruise, it was great, clean, no issues whatsoever, other than them trying to make money, but who doesn't? A drink will cost you 1/2 an arm and an excursion with cost you both the arm and leg, but again.......the cruise was FREE.

I had a good time overall and I spent possibly $500 all told, this included the airline tickets that it tooks to get to Florida, all the gifts that I bought in FL and Bahamas, the Dophin encounter and pictures, etc.

And ya know what? After I got back, I went out to find another free cruise and bought their entire package. Although, we argued on the price a little and by the time I got done, I had 3/2 in Ft Lauderdale, Cruise, 3/2 in Lucaya Resort on Grand Bahama, 7 day rental car, 4/3 in Mexico and 3/2 in Dayton Beach all for under $500.

So yeah, I was pretty happy with both the cruise and with the next deal I got and you can bet I will use them and not whine about anything that may happen with rude people. Those people are all around, including the ones that are usually whining on here.

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