I Won A Cruise!!!!!!

AlphaGamDiva · #1 03-19-2004, 07:00 PM

ok, now b/4 you start getting all jealous/congratting me....hold on.

i got some random call today on my cell phone.....apparently, i won a bahama cruise.

apparently the b/f entered us in a drawing at some chinese restaurant for some cruise, and we "won".....which, yeah, at first sound it's totally saweeeeeet (!).....but then he calls them to see what the story is.....we both have to pay $77 each for something, and then another $99 a piece for some port fee something-or-other.....now, if you "win" something....shouldn't it all be free???? hence the word, "win"...

so....we have 4 days to fully claim our "prize".....is this a hoax b/c it's like $350 we're paying to have won.......or should i just cough it up b/c it's a cruise.

i think we should let this puppy run away....far far away.....

chideltjen · #2 03-19-2004, 07:10 PM

well that was a nice "prize.."

was there any fine print?

The1calledTKE · #3 03-19-2004, 07:11 PM

It is a hoax. You pay all the fees and will have to listen to some sort of sales pitch first before you get it. If you don't mind the sale pitch and paying the fees then go for it.

decadence · #4 03-19-2004, 07:37 PM

The1calledTKE, is it worth paying the $350 and pretending to listen to some spiel for or is the prize value likely to NOT exceed $350 dollars? Cut price is one thing but if it's an out and out con...
Either way it isn't a simple "prize" exactly.

The1calledTKE · #5 03-19-2004, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by decadence
The1calledTKE, is it worth paying the $350 and pretending to listen to some spiel for or is the prize value likely to NOT exceed $350 dollars? Cut price is one thing but if it's an out and out con...
Either way it isn't a simple "prize" exactly.

Look at my first 4 words..... It is a hoax. Enough said.

SoProud2BeAnAlphaXi · #6 03-19-2004, 07:50 PM

I say run far, far away. It's a con.

AlphaGamDiva · #7 03-19-2004, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by chideltjen
well that was a nice "prize.."

was there any fine print?

tell me about it.....barf.

i don't know if there was any fine print....he signed us up when i wasn't with him......sweet thought, though. and if we had only actually won something.....

i agree that it's odd......i mean it could be honestly a legit cruise and all....but why should i pay for something someone is supposedly "giving away"....

James · #8 03-20-2004, 01:40 PM

You don't know if its a hoax. The key thing here is that you entered a contest.

They didn't just call you out of the blue. There are almost always fees to a prize, even if its only sales tax.

I know of people that were unable to claim their very expensive prizes because og tax or fees on something.

Call the chinese restaurant. Or better yet go in person and find out. If you get a 7 day cruise for the both of you for a mere 350 . . . that sounds like a good price to me.

doubleblue&gold · #9 03-20-2004, 02:21 PM

It's a racket!! They "give" you a free cruise but you pay double for transportation to get there. Don't give them a credit card number or you'll pay more than you would have ever spent on your own.

labeachgrl · #10 03-20-2004, 03:13 PM

Not to mention, you may get stuck on a boat that subpar, in a room that's subpar, with meals that are subpar, and drinks that are overpriced. I'd say anything you'd have to pay, but have no control over is a bad deal.

James · #11 03-20-2004, 05:47 PM

Just make sure you find out all the details lol. Damn a lot of doomsayers on here.

Kevin · #12 03-21-2004, 12:59 AM

Any time that you win a contest that you never entered be suspicious.

Good words to live by: If it sounds to good to be true, it is.

aephi alum · #13 03-21-2004, 10:04 AM

Add me to the list of doomsayers...

My gut reaction is that this is either a hoax, or one of those things where you have to go to a sales presentation on how cool their timeshares are or some such thing.

They told you that you "won" ... I seem to recall reading somewhere (don't have the reference handy) that the three most attention-getting words in advertising were WIN, FREE, and SEX.

So when you're told you've "won" something, you get more interested and excited than if you see an ad saying "come take a cruise, only $350".

Take a very careful look at the fine print before you hand over a dime. If it's one of those sales things and you can live with the fees and the presentation, it might be worth it, otherwise... no.

AlphaGamDiva · #14 03-23-2004, 07:14 PM

just a lil update:

we opted not to take the cruise. the b/f found another fee/tax/charge involved, PLUS we found out that his best friend and his wife "won" the same cruise....i just concluded that probably everyone who put their info in to win was chosen, and that's how they make their money....$500 from every person who enters.....someone is running some kinda deal.

oh well.....seeming to have that kinda luck lately....the first time i haven't played the lottery in a few wks and FOUR of my numbers were chosen!!!!!

FOUR!!!!!!!! that woulda been like $500,000!!!!!

isht....

Lady Pi Phi · #15 03-23-2004, 07:19 PM

It'sa con.

My friend won a "free" ski vacation but she had to attend a 3 hour luncehon where they talked about the resort and then offered everyone a free trip somewhere, but to for this second trip she was going to have to pay her own fair, plus nothing was exclusive. All they actually paid for was the hotel room. Plus she was going to have to go at least 3 weekends out of next year to this ski resort on her onw dime. In the end it was going to cost her like $3000