I just got a phone call from a travel representative at the Ramada Plaza Resorts because I was demographically chosen out of 1000 entrees at an event I attended a few weeks ago. He called to tell me that I was chosen to receive a Florida to the Bahamas vacation package. My first words were an exclamed, “REALLY?!!”, but his hesitation in joining me in my excitement made me realize that this was not so much luck as it was my being a 24 year old single white female. He explained the details to me and slowly I realized that by securing a payment now, I would have a cruise guaranteed for me in the future, provided that I also flew down to Florida. He spent 5 minutes going through his little bit and then I got him to clarify the expenses. That I would have to pay on the phone right there and then to secure a trip I could maybe take sometime in the future. I realized at this point that their are two types of people: those that can make impulse (and I mean impulse) over the phone and those who cannot. I was one who cannot. He was going off about suites and spas and orlando and free car rental and I was thinking about plane tickets and medical shots and how much money I would waste shopping if I were sent down south. I was adding up how much everything would cost in time and money and before he finished his speech I had figured that it would be more than the “deal” I would get on this package. I could not do it. Damn him for making my heart race with thoughts of sand and turquoise sea.
I later did some googling and found some testimonies of these vacation packages at the Ripoff Report. I was right to think it’s a “scam”. Not just that they make you feel you are getting something for free, but they don’t tell you of your obligations to sit through several 2-hour long sales pitches for time shares. Still, I’m amazed at the alarm that rang in my head as I continued talking to the Ramada fella.
We are so used to people trying to rip us off that if someone actually wants to give something away, we find all the strings attached. All the contests, and sweepstakes, and sales, and surveys that you fill out to enter and win BIG… …they are not taken seriously because they have been abused. They are abused. Is there anybody who does not abuse them? Is there anybody who is really going to give something away for free. It bugs me that I don’t think so.