amieee

So, I'm not sure if this is the right thread but couldn't find anything that fits. This thread is to find out information, as well as share information on JCS Enterprise promotions etc...

So my mom and I went shopping a few weeks ago and filled out some contest forms for winning a car OR 4 round trip tickets. We thought, why not. So my mom got a call today (voicemail) saying she's the winner and to call this guy back. My mom, being skeptical, asked me to call and see what it's about, so I called. The guy tells me he's calling from JCS on behalf of Wyndham and that I filled out an entry form at the mall and I've won their "biggest prize" 4 round trip tickets to over 30 locations worth up to $4500!!... completely free... He kept saying that I've WON and that it's "mine"... but all they ask of me (me pretending to be my mom) -- and my "husband" to visit Wyndham in Manhattan and take a tour of the hotel. He passed it off as if this is how Wyndham is doing their advertising, and they want to show us the hotel up close and have us join their "club" but that it's not required and I can take the offer or leave it but at the end I'll still get the 4 vouchers for the free flights booked through a prepaid agency... I was already even more skeptical... Anyways, he asked me for some dates and I said I would need to speak with my husband since I don't know his schedule and he said to call back tomorrow.

I had a few questions after reading some BBB and other sites so I called him back. I read on one site that they make you purchase hotel from them and minimum stay of 4-7 days at their "discounted" rates... so I asked him... if I wanted to get the flight only, no hotel, can I do that? and he said no, the promotion (now it's a "promotion" and not a prize that I've "won")...

I really don't mind sitting thru 1-2 hours of their presentation knowing I won't buy anything but I don't want to waste my time if I have to buy hotel thru them knowing I can either get cheaper or stay with a friend...

So my question for this one is... If I've supposedly "won", by FTC sweepstakes rules... can i get the tickets without buying any hotel thru them, etc.? Has anyone come across this situation and able to get the flight without hotel thru agency?

Also, any actual successful winners?

JDiver

The only thing there are are "winners" of timeshare presentations. Google JCS Enterprises; you'll get a pretty good drift of who these people are. And having "fishbowl" coupons / cards is a main source of shady condo cloggers to get "winners" ("winners" are anyone who calls them).

Many of these scams add on a variety of "fees" and "taxes" to the "won" travel arrangements, so it's rarely free.

arollins

A true contest entry form will never ask question such as salary, household income, own or rent.

Counterpointing

So true

LondonElite

I think you should walk away from this. Whenever something seems to be too good...you know how it goes.

http://www.jcs-tbtireceivership.com
http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/JCS-EN...ize-an-1014560

amieee

i figured that much but the fact that they were running this "sweepstakes" in a highly populated mall with a nice expensive car in the mall made me think that maybe it was somewhat legit... also the fact that it was part of a Wyndham promotion.

They also have not asked for anything except for name, age range and email address... and if "i" (my mom) was married and for my husbands name for the reservation.

Oh wells... Sad that I'm not a big winner. I did report them to BBB in hopes that they will give me my winnings without having to use their agency for hotel.

It's like saying, "you've won a free TV! but you have to get cable through us to get the TV"... or... you've won 4 tires, but you have to buy a car from us to get the 4 tires lol derp.

JDiver

These sham sweepstakes (everyone who deposits a card or fills out the form is contacted and if they meet the sales requirements, they "win") also often end up requiring the winners suckers to be within a specific age range, meet minimum income requirements, attend as a couple and often enough even require identification be brought to the meeting.

These are all hallmarks of time share scams, which for some reason many otherwise legitimate companies at least tolerate - though searches reveal Wyndham actually approves and defends the scammers from detractors. Wyndham is frankly notorious for these, and is, if not the worst at shameful scams and lying salespeople, one of the very worst. Google Wyndham timeshare scam or Wyndham resorts scam, etc. and you will come up with more results than you can shake a stylus at.

The Wyndham Timeshare Scam

Chris Elliott: Time share sales: hard sell or scam?

egger

I got a call last night from someone at JCS who informed me I've won a "highly valued" prize of 4 round-trip air tickets. (I'd filled out a card at a local street fest in Chicago a couple of weeks ago.)

I think LondonElite is right. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. On the call, the JCS rep continues to confirm if I have a significant other or am single, and they continue to want me to confirm my income. Apparently, if I make less than $70K a year, I'm ineligible for my prize. It's very suspicious that there is an income requirement for a "prize"!

Based on everything I'm reading here and other places online I'm not going to go to the 2-hour "walk and talk" tour of the local Chicago Wyndham property where "I'll be under no obligation to purchase anything". Why would I ever need to purchase anything to get a prize?

Also based on everything I've read, it sounds like it will cost more in taxes, fees, minimum hotel stays, to redeem my "free" tickets than to just have bought them myself.

Amiee, if you find that there's any way to claim these "free" plane tickets without staying at their approved properties, or attending their talk, I'd love to know.

As of right now, I'm definitely not spending my Saturday morning at the 2-hour tour/talk/timeshare pitch on Saturday.

If anyone has had a similar experience with them, please let me know. I'd love to hear about it.

aBroadAbroad

As this is not specifically an award program discussion, it is off topic for the Info Desk. I've moved it here to the TravelBuzz forum, as it doesn't seem to fit any other area, but the forum mods may feel it is a better fit elsewhere.
Thanks.

Moderator, Information Desk

pinniped

Oldest scam in the book. I remember when I was a kid, my parent bit on a low-tech version of it that included a "free" weekend in Branson, Missouri. Thankfully they didn't buy, but I still remember traipsing through the woods looking at vacant lots. (The timeshares weren't even built yet!! )

Since then, I've only done the very occasional timeshare presentation with Marriott or Hilton. Those two offer tasteful presentations that you can say "no" to without feeling like you need to go home and take a shower afterwards. Starwood is probably okay too, but I haven't ever done one with them.

I've stayed in a Wyndham timeshare though: you can buy off-peak week certificates off of eBay, sometimes for $1. The place we stayed was a dump. Even though it was literally free, we left after 4 nights and spent the rest of the week in a Holiday Inn Express. (No, I am not kidding.)

CarolynUK

It's a scam!

I've won "free holidays" for up to 6 people but in order to claim my prize I have to have a joint income in excess of £20K per year, and show up to a presentation with my husband!

Now - at the time I met the earning criteria all on my own - and my hubby has about as much interest in free holidays to the Spanish cost as as I do in his holidays to the Munros of Scotland so no way was he coming anywhere near the place with me.....

They wouldn't even let me register for the "presentation" even though I had enough income ( well in excess of it in fact!) because I wasn't attending as a couple, they didn't want to know..... Their loss - I found a reputable place and bought a resale at a fraction of what it would have cost me through them!

backprop

See that car they had? I noticed one of these at a local mall years ago. Looking at the fine print, I saw that the contest ran for literally *years* - they dragged that car around to malls around the county for 30 months, with people lined up to put their name into the bowl. Of course they give away the car after the 2.5 years are up. One person wins a 3-year old car and the company gets hundreds of thousands of leads for the low price of $20,000.

MaxBuck

I dunno, sounds legit to me.

Think I'll take my free tickets to Lagos, so I can finally meet the Nigerian prince who's giving me half his inheritance. I'll be in the chips for good!!!

Tchiowa

Timeshare scam. And it is a scam. Avoid it. If you do end up with tickets you'll find that you have to pay all the taxes (of course) plus an assortment of "handling fees" and then the ticket will only allow you to fly on odd numbered days in even numbered months in odd numbered years departing from airports that start with X and arrive at airports that end in Z and only from non-English speaking countries.

DaveBlaine

Is that the Prince who owns the oil field? Or is it the diamond mine? I forget which.