"Rainbow" (rainbeaux)
10/23/2019 at 13:19 • Filed to: None
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"Rainbow" (rainbeaux)
10/23/2019 at 13:19 • Filed to: None | 0
| 16 |
A little bit ago was Atlanta’s pride parade and I went with that girl I’ve been seeing. We both went to a booth for a travel agency and they were having a contest to win a free trip for two to Disney World. I asked them if there was a catch, and they said right to my face that they’re only doing it to get their name out there and they wouldn’t contact anyone except the winner. So, we entered. Fast forward to the other day, and I get a call from an unknown number. I expect it to be one of the jobs I’ve applied to, but then they ask “is this Evelyn?” I apply to jobs with my birth name, so I was confused, but I said yes. “Congratulations! You recently signed up for our contest at Pride and we’re calling to let you know that you were selected as our winner!” My heart stopped for a second. It’s not like I’ve been dying to go to Disney World, but any free vacation is a good one. They went on for a few minutes talking about how I’d get free airfare there and back as well as a $500 Visa giftcard for food and souvenirs. At this point I was beyond excited. God knows I could use that money. But then they went on to tell me I’d be departing on a cruise immediately after my stay in Orlando. That wasn’t mentioned at Pride, so I’m confused again, but I’ll take it. A few more minutes go by as they discuss all the stops that the ship will make and all the amenities I’d be getting, like another $200 in alcohol vouchers. So I’m excited again.
Then they ask for my credit card number. I ask what the deal is and they tell me there’s a $99 booking fee for myself and my guest. I tell them I don’t drink, so they can keep the vouchers and use that to cover it. It doesn’t work that way. Obviously I know it’s a scam at this point, but I try again: “So why are you paying thousands for me to go on a cruise but you can’t cover an extra hundred bucks?” There’s a moment of silence before they make up some BS that I don’t even remember. So I tell them I left my card at home and I’ll call them back when I have it. That’s not gonna happen.
Really, I'm only mad that they chose such a wholesome event to do their shady stuff. It makes me question the credibility of the other booths. How many of these random churches are only claiming to be welcoming to get us through the door and then "save" us? How many businesses are just preying on a vulnerable crowd for information to sell?
functionoverfashion
> Rainbow
10/23/2019 at 13:49 |
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Funny you should mention it, my in-laws recently won a Disney trip and are talking about taking us, but now I want to ask them a lot of questions... I *think* it was something from their company, but I’m not positive.
Nick Has an Exocet
> Rainbow
10/23/2019 at 13:51 |
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You can’t even trust the Girl Scouts these days.
Stapleface-Now Hyphenated!
> Rainbow
10/23/2019 at 13:52 |
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I imagine every entity that wants your name/address/phone is up to no good. I either don’t sign up for anything, or I give bogus information.
And those churches, I wouldn’t be surprised if you were correct. I imagine the vetting of organizations isn’t that intense when they are setting up vendors/participants. If you pay for the booth, I’m sure that’s all the organizers really care about.
dogisbadob
> Rainbow
10/23/2019 at 13:52 |
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Report them to the
FTC or whoever is in charge of prosecuting that shit, and also report them to GLAAD or whoever runs the pride
parades
farscythe - makin da cawfee!
> Rainbow
10/23/2019 at 13:53 |
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over here we now apparantly have a bunch of people going door to door pretending to be medical staff taking blood and emptying old peoples bank accounts
its flu season so thats how they talk their way in
course...this isnt exactly a business....just asshole scammers
nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul
> Stapleface-Now Hyphenated!
10/23/2019 at 14:12 |
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Every event I've been to that there's a ring of tablets on stands asking for your info is just a means to funnel info to those time share and "you won a vacation" companies. I'm quick to tell people as I walk by not to bother, it's a scam, you'll thank me later.
Michael
> Rainbow
10/23/2019 at 14:28 |
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If you’re getting something for free, you’re not the customer. You’re the product
BigBlock440
> Rainbow
10/23/2019 at 14:41 |
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It probably wasn’t a scam, per se, if you paid their $99 fee and sat through their presentation you’d have got the vacation under their terms. It’s just that during their presentation, they’d try to sell you vacation packages several different times using standard sales tactics and hoped you’d cave and buy some off of them. If you held out and kept saying no, you’d still probably get the original vacation. They just count on most people caving and buying stuff when they have them in person and somewhat captive.
HammerheadFistpunch
> Rainbow
10/23/2019 at 15:25 |
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I remember “winning” a trip like this once. Once you dig into the details it gets pretty shady.
PatBateman
> Nick Has an Exocet
10/23/2019 at 15:25 |
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You could NEVER trust the Girls Scouts. They just want your money and to give you the ‘Beetus with their cookies.
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Nick Has an Exocet
> PatBateman
10/23/2019 at 16:31 |
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XJDano
> Rainbow
10/23/2019 at 17:07 |
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Did your friend get the same phone call?
It does suck that this crap happens. And other people are more gullible to pay the $99.
I rarely sign up for stuff anymore, maybe that because after filling out all the publishers clearing house stuff for my mom and not seeing any results years ago. Not because my mom wanted me to, but because at that young age, I thought I’d have a chance.
If I am getting something free right then, I’ll use an old address I used to live at. lol I get jun k mail from time to time for the previous owners.
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Rainbow
> XJDano
10/23/2019 at 17:13 |
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She actually didn’t, but it could still be coming.
And yeah, I'm always hesitant to sign up for stuff unless I've heard of the people running the contest. Usually I throw out a junk email and use the address for the White House because it's the only one I remember other than my apartment and my parents' house.
MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick)
> Rainbow
10/23/2019 at 20:21 |
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I’m not sure if anyone else has mentioned this but there is likely some kind of authority you can report them to. It likely won’t go anywhere but it could end up helping, and random tips break cases all the time. Or maybe give their number to the Scientologists.
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MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick)
> dogisbadob
10/23/2019 at 20:24 |
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Yeah! I didn’t even think of that, contacting the organizers
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MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick)
> nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul
10/23/2019 at 20:27 |
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You should just start flipping those bastards. Anyone gives them crap tell them it’s literally what Jesus did.