- Report: #322434
Complaint Review: Coral Beach Travel & Tours - Coral Springs Florida
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Coral Beach Travel & Tours
9600 W Sample Road, Suite 402 Coral Springs, 33065 Florida, U.S.A.
Phone:
954-345 7504
Web:
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Coral Beach Travel & Tours targets the vulnerable elderly via international telemarketing Coral Springs Florida
This company now appears to trawl internationally via telephone, targeting and preying on the vulnerable elderly, selling them trips that can't possibly be taken.
My 85 year old aunt, who suffers from cancer and some dementia, was coerced into providing her Visa card details to this company who subsequently removed $689AUD from her account.
She thought that she was buying a book about a particular location, not a deposit on travel that she cannot take, particularly when she lives in Australia!
While she obviously provided her credit card details to this company over the phone(!), she clearly did not understand the sales pitch and what was being sold to her. She says that she told the person who called that she was a senior and was not well enough to travel to the USA.
This apparently was not enough to warn off the unethical telemarketer representing this company, who continued pushing the sales pitch until she provided her credit card details.
Needless to say, there is no paperwork to be found and nothing received from this company other than the withdrawal of the money which is of course traceable via the bank which issued the Visa card.
As a result of this, I have taken on her enduring power of attorney and I have contacted the company via email directly to demand return of the monies, but have had no reply as yet.
I have reported this company's behaviour to her bank; to the Australian Federal Police; to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) FIDO Consumer watchdog branch to add to their unlicenced overseas callers and scam lists. I am also pursuing the reporting of this unethical behaviour to the travel industry and other bodies internationally.
I am cynical enough to assume that there will be legal loopholes and subcontracting arrangments for this company to hide behind even if they do actually reply to my demand for return of the money.
I am appalled at this company's reprehensible behaviour and I post this report to publicise it and reduce the possibility of this happening to other elderly people who may not be able to complain as long and as loudly as I can on my aunt's behalf.
I note that this will join several other complaints about the questionable activities of Coral Beach Travel and Tours.
Angry Aussie
SEAFORD
Australia
My 85 year old aunt, who suffers from cancer and some dementia, was coerced into providing her Visa card details to this company who subsequently removed $689AUD from her account.
She thought that she was buying a book about a particular location, not a deposit on travel that she cannot take, particularly when she lives in Australia!
While she obviously provided her credit card details to this company over the phone(!), she clearly did not understand the sales pitch and what was being sold to her. She says that she told the person who called that she was a senior and was not well enough to travel to the USA.
This apparently was not enough to warn off the unethical telemarketer representing this company, who continued pushing the sales pitch until she provided her credit card details.
Needless to say, there is no paperwork to be found and nothing received from this company other than the withdrawal of the money which is of course traceable via the bank which issued the Visa card.
As a result of this, I have taken on her enduring power of attorney and I have contacted the company via email directly to demand return of the monies, but have had no reply as yet.
I have reported this company's behaviour to her bank; to the Australian Federal Police; to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) FIDO Consumer watchdog branch to add to their unlicenced overseas callers and scam lists. I am also pursuing the reporting of this unethical behaviour to the travel industry and other bodies internationally.
I am cynical enough to assume that there will be legal loopholes and subcontracting arrangments for this company to hide behind even if they do actually reply to my demand for return of the money.
I am appalled at this company's reprehensible behaviour and I post this report to publicise it and reduce the possibility of this happening to other elderly people who may not be able to complain as long and as loudly as I can on my aunt's behalf.
I note that this will join several other complaints about the questionable activities of Coral Beach Travel and Tours.
Angry Aussie
SEAFORD
Australia
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Angry aussie
SEAFORD,Australia,
Australia
Coral Beach Travel & Tours international marketing and the vulnerable elderly
#2Author of original report
Wed, April 02, 2008
Much to my surprise I was emailed by the owner of this company within 24 hours (I gave him 48 hours to reply) who claimed that after the "30 days provided for by Florida law as stated in the package", it is "company policy" not to give refunds, and that "perhaps she could pass the travel vouchers on to a family member..." unfortunately along with some rather patronising remarks. On my further investigation, apparently there WAS a package delivered to my elderly aunt by an international shipping company in January. She refused to accept it, and it was taken back immediately by the delivery person unopened to return to sender. The owner's response to my second email acknowledged that the shipping company had failed to return the package to the USA and that the refund would be made to the credit card within two weeks ("fast-tracked(!) from the usual 4-6 weeks"). I have replied that this is an acceptable outcome. We will wait to see if this refund happens by the promised date, and if the full amount is refunded. In fairness to the company, this should be a potentially positive and appropriate response to my complaint and an end to the matter. Nevertheless, I am still concerned that their aggressive and inappropriate international telemarketing will catch another vulnerable person who does not have the resources or the knowledge of where to go for assistance. I will not be recalling my complaints lodged with Australian authorities about this company's telemarketing activities in this country, although I will acknowledge their response and promised refund in this case.
