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I'm an ex-employee that has seen 1st hand the operation they run in their offices. The company is legitimate, but just manipulates their customers and employees to the extreme.
Example: Customer fills out a form saying they have been qualified to win a free trip. This information is referred to as a "Lead". They then call everyone that filled it out. Not just a few, but all. Then tell them "Congratulations your coming to florida and the bahamas! Welcome Aboard." The entire time the script thats being read allows the customer to think its free. (Bait in switch is this technique) Once the "Setup Representative" finishes the script they pass the call to what is called a "Take Over".
Now this is where it gets interesting. They tell these customers literally what ever they need to tell them to get their credit card information. Even by saying stuff like this "Now we only need the 16 digits on the front nothing off the back or your personal pin and this is so we may get you REGISTERED and ship you your tickets. Its no different then making a hotel or airline reservation, so "Customer" please verified the expiration day. They then give it, they then say ok, please allow me a minute while input this into the computer, ok visas telling me your card should start 4571 (all reality there is no direct access to the credit card systems. They even have the 1st 4 digits of most visas international and thats how they get people to think they're legit. as well as after they charge the card and dont tell them till the end and while in verification the customers like wait your charging today and flips then theres some experienced managers that then get on the call and belittle the customer by saying stuff like why would you give us the credit card number if you didnt expect us to charge it. now customer you see we are still on the phone with you so we must not be a scam. now lets get you back on with the verifier so they may go over everything on a recorded line. Usually when they bamboozle which is what they call it, it usually ended ups trying to cancel in verification unless they dont know english. as well as they allow 30 days to cancel but its impossible to ship a package intl and back with in 30 days unless the customer pays more and if they dont know to do that and it arrives in the office on day 31 they will not cancel it. they hands down tell the customers we do not sell these on a cancellation basis. pretty much they present it as if they can't cancel unless the package arrives back in our office before the 30th day.
Now as well from an employee stand point they like to fraud your checks when you quit or get fired. The Salary for a Setup Rep is $320 when you quit they drop it a minimum wage pay at 36hrs worked for the week, then they make up some fictional bonus to make your check $0.00.
you may contact me at my cell for more of a discussion [protected]
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
job offer letter just to check whether it is fake or not
This is exactly what happened to me. However, I'm no fool and as soon as the lady who, full of excitement, announced I had won a trip to the Bahamas, I realised that something was wrong. First of all I did not remember filling any form to win, because I do not believe in freebies. Secondly, it sounded too good to be true and thirdly she did mention en passeur that it was a discounted trip. then, as you say, i was taken over by a second person, a male, who when realising that I would not attach to his bait became quite impatient and almost arrogant. I told him I would not give my credit card details or even my address. He got impatient and stated that I did not know what I was missing and that if I was going 'to pull off this kind of attitude', he would move on to the next winner (or better 'victim'). I'm glad I did not believe them. The website is www.all-seasons-travel.net
Watch out for the scam!
I also narrowly escaped being a victim !. The "script" is exactly as described above even to the transfer from one person to another and the way in which credit card information is extracted.
The persons are: Edward Teatrea, Robert Sherwood, Ryan Nelson, and a female with a thoroughly professional voice.
Within minutes of getting my information they trasnsferred 980 dollars from my account to theirs...but fortunately I was busy checking them up [ Google] and found your comments. Told them to reverse the charge immediately else I would report them to authorities. And they did I am pleased to say. But I blocked the credit card and now have a new one inaccessible to them...just in case. This from South Africa, but they claim to operate in twenty two countries.
I almost got scammed as well (when i say almost, I had my credit card in my hand about to give away my details, but common sense kicked in). I am from Australia, they called me and said not that I had 'won' a bahamas cruise +accommodation in Florida, but that I had entered online to win a bahamas cruise and accommodation and started telling me all about the package as if i had 'won' it. As mentioned above, I spoke with one person, then got transferred to someone else a little more firm (first a lady (Kerry) then a guy (name unknown). The lady was extremely excited, told me all about the cruise, asked for my marital status, when i said that i had a boyfriend, she asked for his details so she could try to call him (pretty sneaky thinking about it - what a way to collect information and try the scam on someone else). She then put me onto a male, who told me that it was going to cost me $995 for 4 people (although - why would it cost if i had WON it?), i said that i wasnt comfortable giving my details out over the phone. He got really ratty and asked me if i thought they would be working until 8pm at night if it wasnt legit, I replied - "well i would be if there was a chance I would earn millions of dollars", he didnt like that reply much and told me to check out their website www.all-seasons-travel.net and said that it was a real deal, I did which is when i started thinking that they might be legit (although how easy is it to get a website these days!). I ended up lying and saying that I didnt have the money on my first credit card to pay at this stage and could he send me an email with their account details and i would pay into their account, he suggested my second credit card, to which I replied that I also didnt have enough money to pay the full amount at that stage... all of a sudden the phone went dead... lol! Thankfully I trusted my gut!
i am not as clever as everyone else. i was half asleep at the time i got scammed, a couple of weeks ago.can anyone advise me on what to do.
its a real company have any of you given your credit card details had money taken out and not recieved anything or not had the money returned . I dont think so so stop with your [censor]. how can you say it is a scam if you were never scammed. even the guy who gave the credit card details said they gave the money back . what great scammers to take money and give it back [censor]ing [censor]s
AND FOR THE GUY WHO GOT HIS MONEY BACK THEN CANCELLED HIS CARD "JUST IN CASE" YOU ARE A [censor]ING IDIOT. IF SOMEONE IS TRYING TO SCAM AND SUCCEEDS IN GETTING YOUR MONEY BELIEVE ME THEY DONT GIVE A [censor] ABOUT POLICE THREATS THEY ARE IN THE BUSINESS OF PRISON AND JAIL IT IS NOT WORRYSOME. TRUST ME I KNOW. IF YOU GET YOUR MONEY BACK THROUGH A REFUND OR POLICE THREATS ITS BECAUSE ITS A LEGITEMATE COMPANY AND THEY DONT WANT TO GO TO JAIL [censor]ING [censor]S. USE COMMON SENSE IF A CRIMINAL HAS YOUR CREDIT CARD DETAILS, YOUR MONEY WHY WOULD HE EVEN CONSIDER GIVING IT BACK OR EVEN TALK TO YOU. HE WOULD HANG UP NEVER SPEAK TO YOU AGAIN AND BUY [censor] WITH YOUR MONEY AND DISAPPEAR FROM YOUR LIFE. PLEASE EDUCATE YOURSELVES ON HOW LIFE WORKS IN THE WORLD
AND STOP SAYIN THEY SAID I WON NO THEY DIDNT. YOU QUALIFIED LISTEN. NOBODY HAS CALLED ANY OF YOU SAYING YOU WON AND THE ENTIRE TRIP IS FREE. YOU ALL ARE [censor]ING DUMB FOR ASSUMING THAT CONGRATULATIONS YOU QUALIFIED AND COMING TO FLORIDA AND BAHAMAS MEANS THE SAME THING AS YOU WON AND YOUR ENTIRE VACATION IS FREE AND PAID FOR. LISTEN TO WHAT IS BEING TOLD IF YOU DONT UNDERSTAND ASK [censor]ING IDIOTS
These bunnyfrakers have called me five times now. First time was couple of years ago. I gave them a expired bankcard(not creditcard) information and still they are calling me, i didnt give sec.code or exp date so they hung up. When they call, my phone doesnt give me a number just a call 1. I usually press the red putton at this point. Good luck getting my money aholes XD. Somebody should sent a goats head to these [censor] :P
..Johnnyboy there seems to be still on their payroll
I did enter one of these competitions, and I got the phone call to say that I was going to Florida and the Bahamas, and went through the same rigmarole, he did however tell me that there would be charges and that I would need to pay around $900.00 and that he would charge it to my credit card today, I told him that didn’t have that kind of money and that I was not comfortable paying for a holiday that I knew nothing about, nor did I appreciate making a decision right there and then about this holiday without discussing it with my partner or having something physical to look at, I asked him if he could email me the information so I could make an informed decision, he told me that he was only the informant and could not send me anything until I registered, in the end I told him I was not interested in the holiday, which he could not quite fathom. I don’t know whether this is a scam or not, but I defiantly did not feel comfortable giving out my credit card details out over the phone.
Oh and JohnConors, you obviously have no idea how the modern day scam works, if a company gets all these people to fork out $900.00 each, how many people do you think know how to get their money back?, I can tell you, not many. They only charge once, as if they did multiple transactions, the customer has more grounds to complain and say that the transactions are fraudulent. Get with the program sunshine, maybe you should have a clue next time you call someone an idiot.
my husband and i got the exact same phone call saying we HAD WON not qualified for a free holiday to florida and the bahamas. the bloke on the phone continued to explain what was involved in the holiday. at the time it sounded to good to be true at this point in time, till we had been transfered to 4 different people. we were then told there was a hidden cost of $998 plus a cost of the docking fee for a cruise of $300. soon as we gave our account details and they realised there was not enough money there to take out they had hung up the phone without even giving us any other information on what we could do if it was a ligit holiday.
There are still trying to get peoples money. They do say you have won.. then go on to say "to register with your credit card we need the small amount of $998" when I asked for some evidence they put me onto the site but it didn't have the links she was refering to, so then I got suss about this small amount of money and the non working internet site. [censor].
Has anyone taken them up on their offer? Or know anyone who has? I've got to say, it does sound like a reasonable deal and I'm almost a little tempted. I got the "qualified" phone call today, but didnt give them a credit card number, they said they would call me back tomorrow. Has not one of you people who has paid up the money been tempted to ask for your holiday?
I just received the same call at my work phone number in Melbourne Australia. The scammers new my name and business address details. Robert and Curtis is who I spoke too. Same as all the other. As soon as I questioned why he would need my card details he stuttered and I knew. He then pretended to act like the phone was having technical issues and then hung up. I even asked them at the start of the call if it was a scam and Robert confirmed, This is surely not a scam... I buy a lot of stuff from the US on my Credit Card and it is scams like this that make me hesitant.
I was rang today on the phone they said I won a holiday in Florida.I said that was brillant, then they asked for my credit card I said I dindnt have one they then said they would have to move on to somebody erlse because they needed the credit card to register it on board the cruise ship .They said they would pass me by for now but put me back in the entries they may be calling again.
Iain from Ireland...
I got a call from this dirty [censor] on 11/01/11 while at work and had no chance of even thinking properly, as everything happended so fast. I got transferred from one person to another, then was put through to a guy called Curtis and was pressured to give my credit card details otherwise they would offer it to someone else. Due to the excitement, i got sucked in and they got $1046.00 out of my account. I tried emailing, calling them several times, the email address is invalid, unable to call them either. I have reported them to my bankm also to the police and will go ahead reporting them to US authorities as well.
Has anyone gotten their money back? Can someone advise me how they went about this... I dont have $1000.00 to waste on [censor]ers like this... i work hard every day for this. Whatever happened to these guys, happened to me... they wanted to get my bf's contact details as well... i gave them my details, thinking i had 45 days to change the dates or cancel. After checking their website, i realised it was a full fraud... it a primitive basic site... anyone can build and have ...
Can someone help me, please?
Marina
Sydney, Australia -
Hi Marina. My boyfriend told me about how you can report a fraudulent card transaction in Australia. Google it up. I'm also in Australia and have been victimised by the same group. I rang up my bank and asked them to cancel my card. Good thing, it hasn't been posted yet so I am hoping it'll be enough for me to dispute the transaction. Good luck to us. I pray that this doesn't happen to anyone. Next time someone rings me up to offer any promo or prize or whatever, I'll simply hang up.
My wife just got me on a hook-up phone call with one of their operators. The line they used was exactly as scripted in the official complaint. I told my wife to hang up immediately, and I did the same. I called her at work and said straight out, "It's a scam!" She told me that she filled out a form on Yahoo, and they got in contact with her. I had been googling holiday scams, and found some stuff that sounded like this, but when she sent the email that they sent her, I googled their name with the word 'scam' and got thousands of hits. Fortunately they didn't get her credit card details. Stevet.
Hi Marina.
I also received a call on 23/2/11 from the same people. I have had the money deducted from my account, contacted the police, prepared a stat dec, reported to the equilevant of the Department of Fair Trading and ACCC. However, I am on my own as my bank said that I provided the details. I have not heard back from anyone but received the vouchers so I emailed them back asking for a refund but not looking good.
I also received a phone call from these people on 19/2/11. It was early in the morning and I was definitely not up to making these decisions - however I stupidly did. I gave them my details and they deducted $499 USD from my account immediately. After I got off the phone I got concerned so looked them up (they called early and my computer wasn't on!) and found alot of complaints. I called my bank but was told that it was my responsibility because I gave them my details. I did receive an email from them a couple of hours later confirming the payment (with a receipt number) and I immediately replied to them telling them to cancel and refund my money. A couple of days later I received the package via email - so I replied to them again and told them I wanted my money back. I finally got a call from them today (1 week after I'd sent the original email) and spoke to James. He really tried to talk me into not cancelling (apparently they don't actually have a cancellation policy!) and got a bit shirty when I told him i was the customer and by law I have the right to cancel and demand a refund (particularly because it was within 30 days of purchase). He eventually gave in and told me that they would be refunding my money in full - they will put through a credit note and it will go through the cycle...apparently I will receive my full refund in approx 20 days. Let's see what happens...
I suggest you don't give up. This sounds like a great holiday deal..and I would have loved to go there...but there's way too many negative comments about this company on the internet.
As yet another former employee I can tell you that, in my opinion, this is a complete rip-off. If you have been scammed by these people, CALL THE BANK THAT ISSUED YOUR CREDIT CARD IMEADIATELY! Tell them that you have been scammed by this company, and you will get a refund through your bank! Don't waste your time with ASTAR, they will only give you excuses, hoping you will eventually give up. This company has changed its name several times to make it harder for people to use an Internet Search Engine and find out they are a FRAUD.
These are all the same company...
All Seasons Holidays
ASTAR
All Seasons Travel
Owner: Larry Flynn
Evening shift Manager is his brother Curtis Flynn, who just finished a 10 year sentence in
Prison for a Narcotics Charge.
Here is the exact script that is supposed to be read by the openers, the people that call you and try to get you crazy with excitement before the travel-coordinators, (or closers) try to get your credit card details. Keep in mind that this part is not recorded, so most employees will exaggerate, misrepresent, and leave out details, and outright lie because they want you so excited you give the "closer" your credit card details before you realize that you have WON NOTHING, and this package is not a very good deal, especially since AIRFARE IS NOT INCLUDED, The Cruise FEES ARE NOT INCLUDED, and THE HOTEL TAXES ARE NOT INCLUDED!
INTERNATIONAL SCRIPT Effective Date 11-8-10
Hello, is ____ there, this is (employee name) calling long distance from ALL SEASONS HOLIDAYS in the United States. Can you hear me okay? GREAT! Recently you filled out a request for a Florida / Bahamas Holiday on the Internet. Do you remember doing that?
(pause) I have some great news for you! You have been qualified to take the trip designed for travel agents. Isn't that GREAT!
This is a holiday package designed for up to 4 people, are you married or single?
IF SINGLE:
You would not have any problem bringing a friend or relative along
with you, right?
IF MARRIED:
What is your (husband/wife's) name? Have (NAME) get on the other line,
grab a pen, and a paper so I can give you both all the details.
SPOUSE UNAVAILABLE: I am sure you can eccept the holiday for both of you today, right?
First I Need To Verify A Few Things On Your Survey.
1) You are at least 21 years of age.
2) You are familiar with the quality and reputation of the Radisson and Hilton Hotels, Right?
3) You are a major CREDIT CARD holder with VISA or MASTERCARD, right?
4) You will be responsible for your flight to all destinations.
Now I am going to explain your vacation in full detail, if you have any questions, ONCE I AM
FINISHED, please ask, Okay?
This is a special holiday offer and if left unclaimed, you risk losing the opportunity to travel with us, at this price. THEREFORE, after I give you the complete information concerning
your holiday, you just need to let me know if you would like to accept the offer. FAIR ENOUGH?
(Name) ALL SEASONS HOLIDAY will begin your dream holiday in Magical Orlando, Florida, home of Walt Disney World, MGM, and Universal Studios... You will need to purchase your own flights
to Florida, Okay? (GET A YES) GREAT!
Once in Orlando, you will enjoy 7 days and 6 nights in the Radisson or comparable hotel,
conveniently located near Orlando's wonderful attractions, including UNIVERSAL STUDIOS, SEA
WORLD, EPCOT CENTER, and of course everybody's favorite WALT DISNEY WORLD!...
While in Orlando you may pick up a 7 day consecutive rental car or for your entertainment
we will include 2 adult two-day passes to Universal Studios Florida's premier theme park.
Also included with the passes are two tickets to Orlando's hottest night spot, Universal City Walk, where you can enjoy Margatitaville, Hard Rock Cafe`, NASCAR Cafe`, and NBA City; and
once again it is your choice of which you receive either the car or the tickets...Okay...
Have you been to FLORIDA before? YOU'RE GOING TO LOVE IT!
After your 7 days and 6 nights in Orlando, you will be on your way to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida,
to embark on your 4 day / 3 night cruise to beautiful NASSAU in the BAHAMAS aboard Carnival
Cruise Lines. Will this be your first time aboard a cruise ship? (Name) You are going
to love the FUNSHIPS OF CARNIVAL CRUISE LINES. The ship is an 8 level ocean liner
Featuring the TWO level MONTE CARLO CASINO! You can enjoy sunbathing on the bridge deck,
or relax in the spa and take a dip in the heated pool, In the evening enjoy the shows and go
dancing 'till dawn in the nightclubs. Be sure to bring your appetite along, because ALL THE
GOURMET FOOD IS INCLUDED ABOARD THE SHIP!
Once you arrive in the BAHAMAS, you'll have an unforgettable day, watersports, golf, tennis,
deep sea fishing, glass bottom boat rides. You can relax on some of the world's most
famous beaches or shop at the international shopping bazaar where everything you purchase is
tax and duty free! Late in the afternoon, you will re-board the Carnival Cruise Ship to
commence the second leg of your cruise back to Florida, which of course, can be a WONDERFULLY
ROMANTIC MOONLIT EXPERIENCE, or a Fun-Filled night of LAS VEGAS style entertainment, or
maybe even a little of both.
AS A SPECIAL REMINDER, if you chose to take the Cruise portion you will be responsible for
the Bahamas option fee and that's just $299 (US) per person, and that is not paid until
you make your final reservations for you actual cruise dates...
After 4 fun-filled days of cruising, your holiday will take you to sunny Ft. Lauderdale, Florida where you will spend 2 nights at the Hilton or Comparable hotel. While in
Ft. Lauderdale, you will enjoy miles of white sandy beaches, world famous boardwalks, and fabulous restaurants, or just relax poolside.
Your holiday travel package will be emailed to you within the next 3 business days, and it
contains everything you need to start your holiday: full color brochures, and of course your
holiday documents. Keep in mind we will reserve your desired Florida travel dates today,
but if you want to change them later, you may reschedule you reservations once without charge
as long as your request is made at least 45 days prior to the date of arrival, and as long
as you travel within the next 18 months. You have a full 18 months to use your package and
your package is 100% fully transferable, which means that you can give or sell the holiday
to a friend or family member as long as they are at least 21, however, I'm pretty sure
you would not want to do that! Your only other expenses while on holiday will be for your meals on land and any incidentals such as room service, if you use it, hotel tax of approximately 10-20 dollars per day and of course any long distance calls you make.
The only reason we can offer you this holiday for the small promotional fee is while
you're in Orlando we ask for 90 minutes of you time to view one of our timeshare resorts,
it's fun and informative.
YOU CAN DO THAT, RIGHT?... GREAT!
Please Hold While I Transfer You to a Travel Coordinator!
SELF-CLOSERS WILL CONTINUE WITH SCRIPT...
***(Poster's Commentary, This is the script, but different closers all have their own methods of getting your credit card. One of the biggest things they leave out is that your Credit Card is being charged TODAY. The other big misrepresentation is they tell people that the 998 US Dollars is only the taxes for the package, and that the $299 US per person for the Cruise is for the taxes on the Cruise ship, when it is not, you are actually paying for the entire Cruise.)***
(Name) for accepting our invitation today, you and your guest will enjoy your 7 days and 6
nights in Orlando... Your 4-day/3-night cruise to the Bahamas aboard the Carnival Cruise Lines, with all of your meals and entertainment included aboard the ship. Your fun-filled
day in the Bahamas, and 2 nights in Ft. Lauderdale All for only 998 US Dollars approx ____,
which will cover up to 4 adults. Now that is being charge today and will appear on your
next billing statement as ALL Seasons Holiday.
Now we are emailing your package to (read email address).. is that correct?...Great!..Now
we are registering your vacation...so which Credit Card will you be using Visa or MasterCard?! (fall silent)...The expiration date?...The account number... And the name
as it appears on the card?...Is there a middle initial?...One last thing, your CVV code
on the back of the Card. (3-4 digit#).
(after card is taken)
Now, (name), on behalf of All Seasons and the participating hotels, I'd like to be the first
to say WELCOME ABOARD! Do you still have your pen handy? OK, what you need to do is write
down our company information...
We are: All Seasons Holiday
and our corporate address is 4104 W Linebaugh Avenue, Tampa, Fl. 33624
Our customer service number is [protected]
Should you have any questions whatsoever, please do not hesitate to contact us. Our
representatives are available Monday through Friday from 10am to 6pm EST.
(Get Travel Date)
(Name) So do you have a specific travel date in mind? (if yes write down date)
(if no, use the following to narrow the date down):
Mr./Ms. _____ So we can better manage our inventory with the participating hotels, we need to
set a travel date tonight. If you need to change it later we will work with you any way we can. Just give us a 45 day notice. OKAY? What time of the year do you normally vacation?
Spring, Summer, Winter, Fall
Do you normally vacation in the beginning or end of the month? What day of the week do
you typically like to start your vacation. Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat?
We have scheduled your travel date as ___/___/___. Remember, if you want to change your
arrival dates, you can just note the changes on your confirmation form you'll be receiving in the mail. Keep in mind you can change your dates one time free of charge, anytime in the next 18 months as long as we get a 45 day advance notice. Okay!
POST CLOSE
Now, again, your package will be emailed to you within the next 3 business days and
it contains everything; your travel related information, full colored brochures and holiday documents.
Remember, you are receiving our special holiday offer which is your 13 night Florida/Bahamas
holiday which includes your 3 night cruise to the Bahamas with all of your meals and
entertainment included aboard the ship and your bonus holidays.
Again, the only charge applied today is 998 US Dollars, approx, ______.
Your only other expenses while on holiday will be for your meals on land, your transportation-and we assist you in finding the lowest possible airfare at the time of ticketing, any incidentals such as room service if you use it, hotel tax of approximately 10-20 dollars per night and of course any long-distance calls you might make and the $299 cruise fee if you choose to take the cruise..AND THAT'S IT!
The All Seasons Holiday V.I.P. Customer Service phone numbers is [protected]. Office
hours are Monday through Friday 10am to 6pm Est. If you have any questions at any time,
please do not hesitate to call that number. Our corporate address is 4104 West Linebaugh
Ave, Tampa, Fl 33624 and our website address is www.allseasonsholiday.us
Also, I'm sure that you are aware that whenever you leave the country you do need to show proof of citizenship. You will need a passport to get into the states and the Bahamas and also for bonus holidays.
(Customer name), now, I am going to transfer you to our shipping and verification department where they will verify your holiday details and postal address for quality assurance purposes. Please keep your Credit Card information handy, as they will need to reconfirm
that information to make sure it is correct. I do want to say that it's been a pleasure talking with you, and welcome aboard! You're going to have a great time! Please hold on while I transfer you to verification.
PLEASE HOLD (Customer Name)!
When I first started working for this company I was in disbelief of how cruel the owner was, and such a racist. While in a meeting with sales mangers Lawrence (Larry) Flynn made the comment “Australians are so [censor]ing stupid there’s no need to lie to them they want understand you anyway”. Reservation specialist are taught to charge customers for all ASTAR charges, then bill additional charges for other companies such as Carnival Cruise line, rental car upgrades and various other charges. As a result customers have received outrages NSF fees from their bank. Mr. Flynn is about making a profit and screwing everyone else in the process. Employees are informed to charge all ASTAR charges come first, after that is not the company’s problem if they receive fees from their bank. After all ASTAR has secured funds to cover ASTAR charges.
Employees receive incentives such a 42” flat screen TV, Xboxes, laptops, and huge bonuses. All while paying their employees minimum wage according to the state of Florida $7.25 and hour, or $10.00 for the first week of training. Employees also receive cash bonuses nightly based on the amount of sales per agent that was verified as a clean deal. If the agent offer a 30 day pitch their paid less and the commission is lower. The goal is to provide clean deals without any 30 day cancels offered. Employees are ripped off when the owner terminates employees based on likeability. Once final for payroll all advances are then taken from the employees paycheck for example an employee hours calculate to $400, but they are terminated in the system by the owner an received bonuses/ advances this amount is deducted from their paycheck. So if the advance/bonuses paid total $300.00 this amount will then be deducted from that person paycheck, so instead of receiving $400 their paycheck would be $100 and if the headset charge of $30.oo and License agent agreement which cost $50.00 is deducted the employee would then receive a paycheck in the amount $20.00. If paychecks are not picked up the owner then voids the checks and not picked up. The money should be submitted to the state of Florida as unclaimed money. The company does not offer direct deposit and paycheck are not released until after 5:00pm, the majority of the sales staff is from a drug treatment center, so really you should question who your really giving your credit card information to. If his bother in law stole money from employees, what do you think will happen to your credit card information? All calls are suppose to be recorded for security purposes, but never really happen especially after the customer realize they provide them with their credit card information and the agent then charge the card on the spot and the charge will show pending until finalized the following business day.
This company operates like a cult and could care less about the financial struggles of anyone. After the floods in Australia customers were calling in to cancel their Holiday and employees were trained to show not sympathy nor refund the money. When customers email the shipping address in which the vouchers are received the emails sit untouched, I was shocked to find customers requesting refunds from as far as 2009, without any success of a refund. The only way refunds are issued if customers threaten to report them for fraud at this point a refund is then requested. The environment is unsafe to work in the owners brother in law arrived to the office after a huge dispute Mr. Flynn and his brother in law were actually fighting, holes were knocked in the wall the altercation placed all of the staff in harm’s way. The brother in law was made because his brother was fired for stealing money from employees for holiday packages that were sold. The Better Business Bureau rates this company as “F”. As company policy you most mail the vouchers back for a refund, while the emails sit untouched for months by this time 30 days have passed so you want get a refund.
All I can say is hang up the phone yes, it's to good to be true. Mr. Flynn is smiling all the way to the bank.
I am very worred now because I have paid for my holiday, I have read all the comments and everyone has said it was a scam and they didnt pay, i want to know if anyone has actually gone on this holiday? or have i just thrown my money away, if i go there do i actually have a room to stay in or is it all a scam? or is the scam just that i have paid to much?
All the complaint are valid, everything that (ASTAR is a scam) is true. This is some straight bull*$%#! One thing in the script that has changed is the company name (ASTAR), they still say that they are ASTAR and they've been in business for over 20 years. On script the company's name is SUNCOAST HOLIDAYS. I am recently a former employee. I am educated and have street knowledge. In telling you all this, I knew from the start that this company was a scam. When I read the script I questioned its validity. And people it does say (QUALIFIED) not that you (WON) anything, but everyone does have their methods. I called individuals in Austrailia, Malaysia, Singapore, England, and Canada. I'm not in the business of misleading people, so I didn't last long there. In reality, this scam is not discounted! How are you going to tell consumers that they have to pay for their flights over here on top of paying $998, and a cruise fee of $299...shoot, they're paying for the whole trip. This is not a good deal! Sorry for you all who lost money. I did contribute, but I never got a sale, I only transferred the calls to the people who took the CC# and they were snakes. I over heard a conservation and it wasn't pretty. I remember that Curtis guy sizing me up one night. He looked criminal, like he had been to jail before. I can tell. And most of the employees there look like they were on drugs and some young employees there as well. They wanted employees to look professional and dress up while your talking on the phone. The night they let me go or fired me I was taken into a separate room upstairs next to the call center and told "you know how this business goes, you didn't generate enough up (lead), and I politely stated, " how can I when this sales gimmick is a fraud, but you all think its good business. All I can say is I can't believe people fall for this, especially when I was on the phone, and I was glad that people hung up on me. Language barrier! I questioned the fact of why are we calling these people early in the morning and they are either going to work or sleeping. We worked from 6 to 11pm and sometimes stayed later, and it was 5am-12pm in that part of the world the next day. I just didn't feel right. But hey, trust your instincts, If it sounds fishy, it is. They (ASTAR/SUNCOAST HOLIDAYS) are currently calling Australia, New Zealand (Hey Mates), Malaysia, and Singapore.
Dear people, I was called today by a guy named Eugene from FloridaResortTravel.com. He then transferred me to Peter Zook. I had won a package to Florida and cruise in Bahamas - under Radisson and Hilton hotel. I need to pay only 25% (USD 998). Flight, I have to pay by my own. I was given time to browse my email and the company's website. All look OK to me. Then I tried to search for scam keywords on the company but I didnt find any. However, I looked at the address above and it's the same with the one which called me. So, they just changed the company name after being compained and acted upon. Those in USA, please help and advise us overseas on whether this company is cheating people or not?
J Bond from Malaysia
My wife just had this call, all the usual stuff as detailed. Fortunately our new born woke up so I took over. A couple of lines that got me suspicious (before I knew of the fee). "sir, take your time, I get paid by the hour". Fairly unusual thing to say... I asked for more information, I.e. an email or the brochure, so he tried sending it again and nothing showed up immediately. I asked if he could call back in 15 mins "I'm sorry our phones are on autodial, as soon as I hang up, it calls the next person in line" (having seen the outbound collections call centre at a bank I know these exist). At this point I knew I could hang up on him at anytime, and he can't, supposedly, bother me again. We spoke a little more, found out about the fee, saw through the whole thing. Just hung up on him out of the blue, and surprise surprise, the phone rings... So I ignored it. Still never received the email. While I was 'waiting' for the email with him on the phone, I was on google learning about how they operate. Oh and lastly, if the line is crackly, it's called a voice over IP like (VoIP). Real professional companies might use this type of connection, but it'll sound crystal clear. Companies like these use them to save on toll calls.
I was scammed today, half asleep I might add. I have cancelled my card and reported to the bank. Just had a sinking feeling after I hung up :( However I do believe in Karma.
Do you report this to he FBI over there? They are making alot of money out of us idiots :/
They have just tried to scam me as well. I couldn't remember filling in the survey. While I was talking to the first 'dude' I Googled the company and realised its a scam. I hung up. I wish there was a way to catch these ###!
Irene
New Zealand
I am usually quite cynical about 'free prizes', but I have won a few things over the years... little things but. Still, these guys are so... convincing. There patter is well done. I was tired and the promise of an 'exciting' holiday seemed dreamy. I googled the tax thing (the reason you have to pay money they say is because in the US - all free gifts are charged a hefty gift tax... and by paying for a small part of the package for (the 4th person) this bypasses the gift tax) and it seems legit but the site did say that usually the gift tax is payed by the person (donor) giving the gift NOT by the person RECEIVING IT! They also mention that you have to sit thru a time-share presentation... which to me also seemed legit. I know these things happen. I have been taken in and should have googled their company name to check for scam reports. Why didn't I? Taken in...I was. $966 poorer...I am. I feel uttlerly foolish and ashamed of myself. Have cancelled credit card and spoke to bank who ... cannot assure me that the money will not be paid (by Visa). There bank has asked for the money from my bank. The money (yesterday) had not been sent... but if the bank thinks it isn't a scam... the money will be transferred. Because I paid by Visa, if I do not receive the goods and services as offered in their emails (KEEP ALL COPIES OF THESE FOR THE BANK), by the due date (which is months away) then THE BANK will follow it up for me. Perhaps all is not lost... it will just take time to sort out and give me a guilty feeling for months. Why is this SCAM not on the front page of our newspapers? ALL AUSTRALIANS need to know about it ASAP! Where is Today Tonight when you need them?
Hi everyone,
I got ripped off as well.
I'm French but I was in Australia when they called me. I really don't know what to do. What should we do ? Is there a way to get our money back ?
We need help !
Is complaintsboard.com able to help us ?
As Above, I recieved a phonecall on 15/02/2012, at 7.00 am eastern Australian time, telling me I had won a two week trip to Florida, including Disney World, Sight seeing tours, and a four day Bahamas cruise for four people, and required $925.00 to confirm booking. I gave him details of a cancelled card, and he was insistant, so I said I would check the card, he gave me his contact details as, David Newbury of All Seasons Travel, Florida, PH, [protected]. Luckily for me, I checked this before continuing, so I guess I am one of the lucky ones who parted with no money. I dont know if the phone number is legitimate, I dont make international calls. Maybe someone in Florida or the US can check this, sure would like these fellows caught. At least out of all this, I will travel to Florida next year to visit friends there, but am using a local travel agent
My mum received a call from these scammers this morning. She was told she'd won a holiday through a survey she had done. She called me (thankfully!) since my husband & I are planning our own trip to Florida to visit family. As soon as she told me that "someone from America had called her telling her she'd won a holiday & they needed her credit card details right now" alarm bells began ringing. I asked her what the company was (which she hadn't thought to question) & they said All Seasons Travel. I asked for the website & the guy on the phone didn't even know! I got my mum to forward the email they sent her to me & used the company details to google it for scams. Then I found this!
The guy on the phone was getting very impatient waiting for an answering & started threatening my mum, saying someone else will win. More like someone else to be conned out of their hard earned money.
I told mum to hang up on him. If someone wants your credit card or personal details over the phone like that, NEVER give it! Not only can they take your money but also your identity!
I am just so glad my mum called me before making that mistake.
Since I work for Channel 9 in Australia, I think I should pass on this info to our current affairs crew & see if we can warn more potential victims about this scam.
I was also a victim of these people.I was rung and told that i had won a holiday and after a bit of fast talking was told that it was actually $998 usd for a 4 person holiday, and stupidly gave my credit card details and while i was still on the phone and without my permission they deducted $1241 nz dollars straight off my credit card.after getting off the phone and googling the company i realised it was a scam so rang my bank and thankfully they were able to stop the money going through.they said they would refer me to the fraud department within the bank if they were unable to get it back.what i couldnt understand is that i have not found one site with people saying they have been on the actual holiday, if they are a legit company wouldnt someone have gone on this fantastic holiday there offering?and why if there is not great holiday do they keep getting away with taking peoples money?
As for the idiot who says they are not criminals get a grip on life mate, there the best type of criminal. They are smart, organised and very aware of how to get away with taking your money.These people are professionals who have been doing this for years and will be for years to come.Why would they hang up on you after they have got your credit card details?they dont want to alert you there is anything wrong because if you can get to your bank within 24 hours of the money comming out they can reverse the transaction and you dont have to go through the tireless process of trying to get your money back through them.They've already spent it!
I was another sucker of this audacious scam which happened at the end of January, 2012. As soon as I got off the phone I had a sinking feeling which was made more clear to me by my savvy daughter who saw their names on the scamwatch site here in NZ. Asked for my money back after cancelling my bank card and received half, then was pestered for a couple of months after that every day or other day by ' Barbara " when I told them I'd take further action. Finally, three months later, the full amount was paid in and I thank the Florida Agricultural and Consumer Affairs for their input as I had gone by the 30 day pay back rule. To all of you who have been ripped off, never give up !
I live in New Zealand and was phoned this weekend. The woman (Derica Wilson) initially told me I'd won the trip via an online survey I'd filled out about holidays but later stated it was 75% subsided - which made it actually seem a bit more legit to me. She repeated my name, email address, then WORK address back to me, so I know roughly where they got the info from as if I'm filling out anything online I'm unsure of, I give my work address instead of home address, so this "lead" is from one of those "make money by filling out surveys" sites. Anyway, she was fine, I asked if it was a timeshare thing and she said I'd have to attend a sales pitch etc, and I feel she represented fairly, then I got put through to a bloke who she called a "travel advisor" (Charles Climer) who was quite aggressive and wanting my credit card details. As the previous woman had checked my address and said they were posting the info, I told him I wanted to wait to read over the details. He was quite insistent that I'd already had the opportunity to read the details when I filled out the survey for the trip in this first place - which is simply not true, and I kept telling him so - I've never, ever seen this trip or anything like it online and certainly never agreed. He was basically trying to make me feel like I'd already agreed, had plenty of time to previously print out the information online and even been prompted to do so, on this mythical original travel survey a few weeks prior, and it was my own fault for not doing so. I couldn't see why he wouldn't let me wait for the woman to post the brochures to me to have a look at them - it sounded like a reasonable deal and I was definitely interested! However, he was so pushy and told me to look at their website and he would wait on the phone. I lied and said technology in rural NZ was such that you can't talk on the phone and use your computer at the same time(!) and he offered to call back. I said that's fine, but to reiterate, I would not be giving anyone my credit card information until I had seen hard copies of the information. Then he states once he terminates the call the offer is no longer valid and I'm missing out, blah blah, and I'm thinking "Why wont they let you study the info at your leisure when the deal seems reasonable?", which made me think there was definitely something wrong with the whole thing. So he kept saying "Have a nice day" in the way Americans do when you know they're actually giving you the finger behind your back and that was the end of that. Glad I didn't hand over the cash - not cause I think the deal was unreasonable, but because the sales methods were shocking.
I have also been rung by two different guys since cancelling everything with them and they are persistent. Got the Florida authorities involved and got all my money back, but still called by them and I guess that'll happen for some time yet. Don't let them get you so keep on at them until all your money's safely back in the bank. Better still, don't get sucked in by these scammers !
I just received a phone call from the same company (now they are called "All Seasons Escape"). Every waor was the exact same, as in the script.
When I got to the closer and the manager they kept on saying the only way they could give me this trip so cheap was because of the timeshare deal. That kind of sounded legit, but I kept on saying I wouldn't give up my credit card information on the phone, and when I do use it online, I usually check up on the site I am using, to be sure it is legit. They tried to make me give up my cc info, but I had my mind set from the beginning. When something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
But the timeshare bit sounded legit, as timeshare companies uses this kind of deal all the time to get people to atten their sales pitch. I am sure I could go to such a meeting and just ignore the pitch. But I still wouldn't give up my cc info on the phone.
Have anyone actually got the trip for the price, or is it a total scam?
Hi All,
I received a call today 2/10/12... they sounded professional but made me think when they said I had to pay? What I won a trip I have to pay for... so I went along with it and the Agent gave me his ID No. 3086... then I spoke to his Team Leader and he gave me his Corporate ID No. 24772... this guy ask for when my Credit Card Exp. Date: then he started with blahblah credit card number, that when I said I'd have to ask my partner but need to wait as he is at work! He said you know once I hang up the Offer is gone and I will miss out... He then said well if you give your credit card details I will hold for 30 days then I can decide and call back with a Yes or No... This guy then asked for his number to call my partner I said cant he on the road... so they said I don't usually do this but i will give you 24hrs and call back once you have spoken to your Partner... Thank GOD I wen with my Gut and held off after reading all this stuff about them on the Net has made me think what I did was the right decision... Because I had her about all these SCAMS it was TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE..! If you are weak give them fake numbers in your middle 8 numbers of your Credit Card if you are not sure..! HOPE THIS HELPS... Nick...Auckland, NZ
i got the call this morning and got the whole spill and was tempted to take it but as the saying goes if if sounds to good to be true then it is..
i ended up hanging up the phone after i was told i will be tranfered to someone else to register and got on net and found this page so i am happy that i hung up...
there is another company doing the same but they are offering really cheap flights and other deals but you have to book everything with them..