Ramada Plaza Resort ripoff Ft. Lauderdale Florida
Just a month ago I received a phone call from this latin telemarketer named Liliana Garcia, who told me that I won a fabulous trip to Florida and Bahamas for an incredible price with savings up to 70%, she told me I was a winner and described me the best vacation I would ever have.
I bought the package vacation at $698 for 4 persons for 10 days, including Orlando, Ft. Lauderdale and a cruise to Bahamas and a compact car rental also, everything seems incredible for that price....
They instantly charged the $698 to the credit card and she never told me that is non-refundable before charging it... she told me that is only transferible but non refundable.. this is a fraudulent scheme of selling.
Reading this I know this company is doing weird things. First of all, all cases read here are similar but they variate in the number of people, price, amenities, etc. We found people that never received the information package, as well as those who took the trip and lived in hell for a few days. They also never tell people about many undisclosed fees that apply once you take the trip, and many other irregularities and abuses. I might add I haven't gotten the information package they promised a month ago.
Now I'm afaid I've lost my money because there's no way I'm traveling with them because I already know there are many hidden charges as well as many abuses including bad hotel rooms, non-luxurious cruise and people trying to sell things along the trip, all these includes sharing time we supposedly had to buy, etc., etc., etc.
What can I do ?? I would really appreciate any help or reply with help or information that would be useful for me and others to get our money back. I hope all this helps to stop this "legal" company with unethical practices. It's not fair...
Carlos
San Diego, California
2 Updates & Rebuttals
#30
Thu, April 11, 2002
After a month of investigating and thinking what can I do to get my money back and don't take the trip, with all the information about the company, they procedures, phone numbers, State Attorneys information, Florida's consumers Attorneys, etc on my hands I decided to call the company as a first step and be rude as they are.
I spoke with a customer service telemarketer and told her first of all "I don't want to take it, I know what you do, I want a refund" she told me is non refundable and all that stuff and I told here " I want the refund" -I can't "You can" then I listed all things that they charge (hotel taxes, parking fees, car rental taxes and all that) which I have not been informed and of course They selling practices, when they call you prettending that you are "winning a prize" and then told her "Until I take the trip that money is mine and you don't have to keep it"
she transfer the call to a supervisor to whom I said exactly the same, he puts me on hold to look for the taped conversation because I told him that I was never adviced about the non-refundable policies(I lied of course, as they did), but of course the selling practices are unethical and I wasn't adviced about the hidden charges; five minutes later she, the telemarketer toke the line and told me "We didn't find the tape I think is in other office, mmm "Well, you don't want to take the trip, and I said NOOO!, ok! My supervisor told me to process your refund It will be ready in about two or three weeks!!! They were afraid!! because they know that they are doing bad things and that I'm telling the truth and demonstrating to them that I'm not afraid and that I know how to manage the case.
To don't make the story longer, today, less than a week before I checked my credit card account statement and found a $698.00 dollars reverse.... I WON!!! IF I COULD YOU CAN DO IT TOO, don't be afraid, talk to them, be rude, be like them and demand your money, remember is your money until you use their services!!!
ANDREW
FT LAUDERDALE,Florida,
WHAT TO DO.
#3Consumer Suggestion
Fri, March 15, 2002
Dear Carlos,
Ramada Plaza is a legitamate company, and one of the largest, doing what they do for a long time. They do not use the best of what they may claim to use (hotel, cruise, etc) but what they do use is not as bad as it could be. If you have already paid for it your only other fees are port and service fees (cruise taxes, reservation fees, etc) ranging from around $100 to $150 per person or so. You also have to pay all your own hotel taxes and rental car taxes (not so bad). and any upgrade fees are of course your choice.
If you don't want this vacation, though most companys allow cancellation within 30 days if you really demand it. If not then you can call your credit card company and have them reverse the charge because you have not recieved what you paid for, and/or are not going on it.
If you do go on it though, it is a state law in california that residents of only that state do not have to attend any time share presentations no matter what the company tells you (same with Maryland. If they refuse you this right, they could be brought up on federal charges.
When they sold the package to you they put you through a process called "verification" in which after informing you, they recorded your vocal authorization for the immediate charge to your card, nothing is processed without this.
Nothing of what they did was illegal, and they do provide all the sevices in which they origionally offered, but they do employ/liscense some extremely darn good telemarketers.
Be more careful in the future especially when you hear the words "won" or "free". And if your looking for a good vacation go on your own, or go through reputable companies like TakeMeOnVacation, Fairfield, Disney, etc.
incerely,
a friend