4 Free airplane tickets

[falmouth3 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close falmouth3]

OK, so I "won" 4 free air tickets at a travel show. It's being offered by Inn Season to go see "The Falls" in Ogunquit, ME. I asked if I needed to book hotel rooms to get the tickets and they said no, I could book a hotel of "my choice". Somewhere in the conversation they mentioned a catalog so I'm thinking it's my choice at one of their pre-selected hotels.

The resort isn't too far from my home and I figure it's as good a thing to do with a Saturday as anything else in this cold spring weather.

Has anyone had experience with this company and "offer". BTW, I asked if there were any other gifts available and they said no, just the air tickets, and a $25 restaurant certificate that could be used while I'm there. Makes me leery about every getting these tickets.

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

I love Maine. I will be at the Samoset in July I hope. Wife is saying that she does not want to go so I might be going solo.

Ogunquit and Kitterny are two of my favorite spots.

[falmouth3 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close falmouth3]

I used to live in Falmouth, Maine, hence the moniker. We try to drive up there on a day trip once or twice a year. So, this will be our spring trip. And we adopted Abby (see picture) while we were living there.

I'll report on how painful this sales activity was when we come back. Our appointment is in 2 weeks.

Sue

[falmouth3 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close falmouth3]

Cancelling our trip

I found this while doing some research on the resort tonight. I guess I won't be going to see the resort.

Let me start by saying that if you have found this because you Won 4 "free airline tickets" and you are checking Google to see if it is real, be very happy that you have been warned. Earlier this year, I received a call from Inn Season telling me I had "won" the tickets and all I had to do was come up and get it. I filled out a raffle at the wine festival and figured this sounds good but also sketchy. So I said fine, made an appointment and hung up. I called back later and asked for a manager. I asked straight out if there were any strings attached or conditions of use with the tickets and the manager assured me that they were vouchers that I could use as I pleased. Now lets fast forward:

I arrived on time and sat with a salesperson who was rude, and offended my girlfriend a number of times. She asked very personal questions about us, stuff that is absolutely none of their business and unrelated to me buying a timeshare. The applied as much pressure as possible and would not let us leave until I was firm about it. Finally we found out that the plane tickets were bogus. They are only valid if you stay at their resorts at an inflated price for a required amount of time. At this point we decided to leave. The manager was condescending to us and told me that nothing is free in life. They were rude and I don't recommend ever going there.

Also, the grounds looked like a best western with a little extra landscaping. This place is a shady operation be advised.

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

I found this while doing some research on the resort tonight. I guess I won't be going to see the resort.

. Finally we found out that the plane tickets were bogus. They are only valid if you stay at their resorts at an inflated price for a required amount of time. [/I]

I can tell you from my own experience. I received a similar deal years back. The tickets were a nightmare to use. I had to send them a check with the form (they do not cash the check), then they sent me a another form which I filled out. Then they call you after they receive the next form. After you agree to book 3 nights at about $500 for a resort in Orlando they book it. Now I did get a choice if I wanted a cheap hotel or there top resort. I will say that the resort grounds were 1000 times better than I had thought. The room they gave me was the pits. I fought at the front desk paid a little more and got a nice room. They was on I Drive next to Ripley's. We got in late at night so we could not see the grounds but it looked like it was a dark and creepy place. When we woke up to see the grounds we were in shock, Looking from the outside you would never believe the grounds that are there, full of ponds and mini walking bridges with a restaurant named gators which served Gator, in the center was a huge pool. I will never forget this place because I was playing ball in the pool with my son who was at the time maybe 9 or 10. A 2 year old baby that was next to his father fell into the pool and no one noticed but me. I pointed to my son who was 5 feet away and he pulled the baby out. The pictures do not do this Wyndham
resort justice.
Wyndham Orlando Resort

Here is a video of the place, You have to copy and paste it.

http://www.vfmii.com/exc/cs4/470/1050449/40468/ds_40468_1050449_470.html?trans_id=3fe7bad36d6647a 5_16282_1176005239116&pt_iq=ids^^40468~~ipid^^0786 ~~oic_cpm^^149904~~sessionid^^a7un7g9cmte9~~comman d^^invoke~~&pt_rids=40468&ids=40468&vc=1&pop=N&ses sionid=a7un7g9cmte9&pid=1050449&tpl=470&autoDetect ionString=bandwidth-999998



You have to copy and paste this as well.


http://orlando.com/hotels/hotinfo.asp?currencyCode=USD&locale=en&live=on&pro pertyType=1&hrnQuoteKey=188A18230004236149&city=Or lando&stateProvince=fl&country=us&hotelId=106412&h otname=Wyndham%20Orlando%20Resort&hotaddress=8001% 20International%20Dr&arrivalDate=04/21/2007&departureDate=04/24/2007&numberOfAdults=2&numberOfAdults2=&numberOfAdu lts3=&numberOfAdults4=&numberOfChildren=0&numberOf Children2=&numberOfChildren3=&numberOfChildren4=&n umberOfBeds=&numberOfBedrooms=&numberOfRooms=1&loc ation=UNIVERSAL%201%20MILE&shortDescription=<b& gt;Location.</b>%20The%2042-acre%20Wyndham%20Orlando%20Resort%20in%20Orlando,% 20Fla.,%20sits%20on%20a%20tranquil,%20lagoon-laced%20oasis%20two%20miles%20from%20Universal's%2 0theme%20parks%20and%2012%20miles%20from%20Walt%20 Disney%20World.&thumbNailUrl=/hotels/thumbs/ORL_WYRE-exter-1-thumb.jpg&supplierType=&supplier=H&propertyName=&m inStarRating=


Going back to the tickets The only reason why I took the deal was because I needed the extra 3 days. BTW At that time, It had to be midweek weekends were double the price. I could have booked the hotel on my own at a thrid the price but with the air it was wotrth it. They way they get you is the free vacation is for 2, They make you pay dearly for extra people. When Would I ever do it again Hell no.

[dougp26364 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dougp26364]

If they made you pay up front $500 for three nights my guess is they got you again. I did a quick check of rates and it appears that the pre-pay rate for the run of the house rooms goes for $147, which is less than $500 for three nights. Considering the passage of time I'd bet it was even less back then.

Of course, you did get the free tickets.

edit: one day I'll learn to read with comprehension. I see you coud have had the room for one third the price.

[Carolinian Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Carolinian]

I almost went on one of these things some years ago offering ''free'' airline tickets. The tour was in Myrtle Beach, as I recall. The printed materials simply said ''free'' and did not list any conditions. A friend of mine who got the same mailer went and came back with a voucher for the airline tickets. They had to be used in conjunction with booking rooms at one of the destinations through the tour company. There was a curious provision that if one contacted one of those resorts directly the voucher was void. There are other ways to find out rates, and my friend discovered that the room rates were so inflated that they paid for the ''free'' tickets. He had thrown away the printed material he had received in the mail, and did not want anything more to do with it.

I was tempted to go and then try to hold their feet to the fire to get what was offered in the mail piece, free airline tickets rather than the fraud they were giving people.