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Comments:
i cannot believe tis company has the nerve to call this website a con and not legit.Blagger doesnt con people out of loads of money and offer them fake holidays.back in 2004 i was 8months pregnant when i got the pop up on my computer so i call up oh yes i was that special person who won the amazing holiday i only had to pay £500 in return for travlling round the hottest spots in america.as i started giving my card details i felt really pressured in to doing it and started crying saying i really didnt want to do it as i was moving out and expecting my first child soon he was quite mean but agreed.
Then i get sent through the holiday so i called my bank and they had taken the money out when we agreed i wouldnt be going through with it.I call brillant holiday and in order for me to get a refund i had to send the pack back to them i did so striaght away.im still waiting for a refund now does anyknow if there is anything i can do to get it back or is it to late there a vile company.i live in the UK
Now appears to be known as Summer Bay Resorts - as part of RCI - Resort Condominiums International.
Now targeting Australia! (this week)
I was one of the lucky 1,000,000th winners. Gave my credit card details and then decided to trust my gut and pulled out. I'd spoken to a sales guy, then his supervisor (who halved the cost from $299pp for each of 2 ppl, to $299 for both of us), and then two people from the 'legal' / 'verfication' areas.
I got nervous after the call and CANCELLED MY CREDIT CARD. Interestingly enough, the guy at the bank said I was the third person that day to do so for the same reason. He's passing the info on to their fraud department.
You've got to watch out, after giving my phone number early in the conversation, they phoned me back after I 'cut out' part way through the call. They really sound legit, but I'm never comfortable having to commit before the end of the first phone call and after reading more, I'm really glad I did, or rather didn't!
Some credit cards allow you to cancel a payment after it's happened, if you get caught, you might want to check into that.
***PLEASE BE AWARE***
This company is the same as TWA, Sandy Vacations, Brilliant Holidays, Destination Center, Fulfillment Center, My Discount Holidays, and several more new ones. They also own the crappy, old Days Inn Maingate East which they will try to accomidate you in. This place is a joke. They will take your money and the only way you will be able to get it back is to actually come into their office with the police. I am sad to say that I worked for this company. I reserved these joke vacations for people. When I refused to collect money from people to have the "UPGRADED" into a nicer hotel, I was fired! Please do not purchase anything from these companies. They're a TOTAL RIP OFF. If you are sucked into their, "1 MILLION VISITOR" ploy be advised that they will charge you to return the package back to them. Usually £79 or if you are in the US $79.
i booked a holiday with these guys as a gift to my parents, once i got the brochure, disovered that it was not what they said, i then phoned them up and said that i am canceling the holiday , they then said tho return the brochure with in 30 day ( wich i did) and and they will refund the money within 2 months i said this was not acceptable, but could not do much about it as they had already taken the money out.
the time passed and still no refund.
i have contacted them several times and they stated that it is in the process of going through, several weeks later nothing.
i have just contacted them and got through to some one else this time and they sent me an email stating that it will be difficult for me to get my money, but should contact the credit card firm.
can anyone sugest what i should do, or the likeyhood of getting my money back
This is the only way to get your money back. Got to the following address...
www.800helpfla.com/ccform.html
...and select the 'File a Complaint'. option at the top of the page. Tell them you have been denied a refund as allowed under Florida Law (30 day cooling off period) and they will do the rest. They will probably mail you a form to complete and sign - do this and answer as much as you can. Post it back and you will have your refund within 30 days.
It IS a SCAM. I in a weak moment accepted the holiday and gave my details. I then found out that there was one room for four. This was not acceptable, so I cancelled. My refund documents arived well within the 30 days, confirmed by email. The regs said that I would receive my refund within 30 WORKING DAYS or 6 WEEKS. I am still waiting after 39 days. Several emails were sent and they replied that my refund was being processed. That was on 26th November. They took only HOURS to take my money, why so long to send it back? They have just been stringing me along, and I will probably NEVER get it. I have emailed BBB, the Florida GOVERNMENT, AND THE FLORIDA HERALD (BUISINESS SECTION). I do not suppose that they care. I did send a copy of each email to them, but they have now blocked my emails. A bunch of unworthy people that only want to take your money. Incidentaly, are the "GOOD" items here written by friends?
This company has started doing call ups around houses. My wife recieved the deal over the phone. They were very convicing and reasuring, my wife gave her credit card details on the deal/promise that they would takeout the money on the following friday.
I couple of hours later, we recived a call from the bank saying that they had blocked two withdrawals.One by a company called:
EZ Vacation = £750 and the other
Brilliant Holiday = £750
[QUOTE]Brilliant Holiday IS a legitimate company, sell a legitimate holiday, they are licensed by the State of Florida, and have no outstanding complaints with the Florida Better Business Bureau. Brilliant Holiday is in NO way associated with SOHO Vacations, or any other company that has been labled a blagger. They have a great Customer Service Department willing to assist the traveller's every need.
David BH CS at 20th Aug 2004, 01:51PM [QUOTE]
Oh yeah? then how come they were at Eastern Pacific Holdings,LLC (formerly SoHo and formerly TravelExpress Investments, LLC) just the other day monitoring the verifications dept? The guy TOLD me his office was on Southland Blvd, (which IS the address for Brilliant Holliday) near the Home Depot. Ain't anything else there but a little strip mall and an empty bank.
AS for other complains about this company, go here.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g34142-d218800-Reviews-Summer_Bay_Resort-Clermont_Florida.html
or here
http://las-vegas-hotels.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g45963-d296425-r2814485-Summer_Bay_Resort_Las_Vegas-Las_Vegas_Nevada.html
What do you guys do..go on these sites and and try and make these companies sound legit?
I just came from 'visiting' these places where they send people.
1. Island Club Resort and Spa
3100 Sand Mine Road
Davenport, Florida
(what a joke) I've seen government subsidized housing that looked better than that.
2. Celebtation World Resort
County Road 545
Kissimmee, Florida
Sits on the edge of a swamp. No wonder it's full of mold.I would hesitate to give it 1 star much less 5.
3. Inn at Summer Bay
9400 US 192
Clermont, Florida
a tacky little motel across the road from the actual SummerBayResort, that looked like it was built in the '40's or '50's. This is one of the places where they put you when they are overbooked, which apparently happens more often then not. Against the law BTW.
And what's up with the skanky incense..and you DO KNOW WHAT I MEAN.
As promised i'm finishing my report on this company. We extended our stay so we could honeymoon and again Nina was exceptional in that she not only got us additional accomadations but had over to her home to have dinner and meet her family. I've done quite a bit of travelling over the years and i must admit,never before have i met a company whose employees have worked so hard to please its clients. BRAVO
it may be ok taking the holiday-i still doubt it
this sounds like some promotional advert.i was offered-3nights orlando 2nts pt lauderdale-2nts-t-bahamas-1week free hire car. the itenary was sent.asking if it was a scam megan kelly assured me it was not and to e-mail reservations@mffc.com tospeak to her personally.
my first e-mail was refused 2more and no reply
its just one big conspiracy.michelle marie eddie alicea megan kelly are all in it .thiscompany
should be on bbc watchdog .all losers should contact them to see if they can put a brake on them -a.wilson
As a Brit living and working in the US i have been the mark in more scams than you can possibly imagine, so imagine my suprise when my girlfriend (who lives in London) told me about a holiday she had bought from a company that uses POP-UP adverts. After I had calmed down a bit she explained to me that though a bit skeptical she had been persuaded by a representative to part with £598 for a holiday sight unseen, I became even more irate. To allay my fears she said that if it was as i suggested a scam Barclays would get her money back.
Well to make a long story short we're in Fort Lauderdale (where the shopping is fantastic), and so far the holiday has been absolutely wonderful. In fact we've decided to tie the knot on the cruise to the Bahamas. The accomodations were far better than we expected and since we started the holiday with open minds, we've actually enjoyed it more than our summer holiday (Cyprus) which cost a hell of a lot more.
Before we leave Florida we plan on visiting their offices so we can not only meet the agent (Nina Guitterez) who sold her the holiday; (yes she took names) but to commend them on a beautiful getaway.
I've read quite a few of the comments and believe me unless you've been on this dream holiday you should bloody well keep your traps shut. Cheopstroi, Manchester & NYC
A bit more information:
While describing the offer to a friend I remembered a detail incorrectly. I checked where I had noted down the offer as I was on the phone realised I had it wrong but I thought it would be a good way to test the customer services.
So I called at 17:25. I dialled a UK freephone number, but noted that it didn't list UK opening times anywhere (although the US times equate to 2-10pm) so didn't expect an answer. I got one, not only that, the woman on the end listened to my query and gave me the answer, then offered to check further. I said yes and was put on hold for under 30s before she returned and read out all the details of my booking.
So the customer services so far have proved polite, curteous, well informed and helpful enough to do a bit more than required. Now I haven't been able to say that about ANY company except a couple of PC suppliers for years!
(I also posted this in another page referring to BH.)
This post adresses a few of the comments in the posts below. I am in no way connected with the company by the way, but I have taken up an offer and hope it's worthwhile.
One thing I have noticed about all of these comments is that no-one has actually taken a holiday with them! If I owned a holiday business in a country still suffering tourism affects from 9/11 and devastating hurricanes I'd be trying a few tricks to get people back as well.
Incidently, recording telephone conversations is the norm everywhere in the UK and if you listened when you phoned any customer service numbers they all tell you that, just not as clearly as Brilliant Holidays. If they do not tell you the conversation is being recorded then it is not admissable in court as evidence. It should be in their favour that they make all this very clear to you, not against them.
Instead of panicking about what they might be doing in your paranoid minds, why not look at what you actually get and see how it measures up?
List the holiday they are offering and go to a travel agent and price it. I have, you'll find their quoted retail cost for the holiday is undervalued!
Second, list what could go wrong.
Well you paid by credit card right? Well if it is a complete scam the credit card company have to refund your money so no problem there. (Note major credit card companies usually refund your money and while they investigate)
As with most holidays like this, the price is PER ROOM. If the room takes 5 people then obviously the other 3 are free. And let's face it 5 people spend more money than 2 so for no extra cost to them, they bring in more money.
If you don't enjoy a holiday like this then it's your fault for being a boring idiot and taking the wrong people with you. :-)
I can't think of anything they could do that would spoil it for me, even if the accomodation is well below that offered it's still a good deal. Of course anything seriously wrong would, again, involve a refund from the credit card company.
So let's face it, this offer isn't 'too good to be true' it's just 'good'. I have been through all the information I have so far and there are no real catches that make the offer not worth taking.
Incidently the confirmation e-mail I have received (promptly) has status as 'pending' until I take further steps to agree to take it.
Now I'm gonna take the holiday, and report back. Probably not for a few months though. Then we can have a true opinion instead of the rubbish here.
Notice everyone seems to be saying 'I've been trapped by a scam' when NONE of them have actually been trapped? (bet no-one would comlain if the exchange rate went the other way and they got more money back)
So if you have any worrys about them, use your credit card to pay, not your bank details. Then, how bad could it be?
Last night I received a POP-UP saying I was the 1,000,000 customer and was given a claim number to call an 0800 number. As it was a FREE call I thought there would be no harm in calling it.
I called at 7pm UK time and got through to a really cheerful young lady who told me all about the prize which totalled to approx £1100 off a holiday they were offering. She said that it was so that we can come back and tell all our friends. She told me her name was Valerie and said that she could be contacted on 0800 032 3562 and valerie@brilliantholidays.com. She continued in telling me that the holiday I had won was for two people with a futher two people who would be FREE. There would be a cost of £598 which will include 6 nights in the Days Inn Maingate East hotel in Orlando outside Disney World. We woould be given £500 of entertainment vouchers which include full entrance to all parts of Disney World and Universal Studios with the Shuttle Service. It will also include a further 2 nights in another destination and a 3 day cruise with Carnival cruises to the Bahammas. All we would have to pay for are meals!
I said to her that it sounded great but where's the catch - she was very cheerful and said there was no catch, although I would have to make a decision there and then.
Of course I thought this was a bit too soon to decide and she went on to ask me if the funds were available to pay for the holiday. I told her they were not and if there was a payment plan. She said that it could be arranged and passed me over to another very cheerful guy who called himself Blake Neal.
Blake told me that it was about 3pm and the weather was beatiful outside and he had just come from his lunch on the beach. He congratulated me on winning and said he had launched the prize through 3 large organisations - BT, NTL and AOL. (I don't have any of these)He went on to tell me that there had been 200 winners on Saturday and that they would like to invite us over to experience the holiday so that we could tell all our friends.
I explained that I did not have the funds available, however I was currently thinking of planning a holiday. Blake told me I could pay over 18 months. I said to him that I will need to have a confirmation of the prize via e-mail so that I can have a look. He said that I will receive one within 5 minutes although it can take up to 30 mins to arrive. I said that I was interested and he told me that he just needed to pass me through to the verification department where they could verify my card and arrange for the installments.
I was passed through to another guy who said he was going to record the conversation and send me the tape for my piece of mind - I thought that it was a bit weird but continued in confirming my details including my card details. As soon as I had told him my card details he put me on hold then came back and told me that the payment was declined. I told him that I had told the person before that the funds were not available until I get paid on Wednesday. He said OK on Wednesday can we take half? I explained about the agreement but he said I had to lay something down. We agreed £149 as the first payment to be taken on Thurs 28th.
When I got off the phone I waited and the e-mail has not arrived. I tried to call back at 8.30 which would have been about 4.30pm USA time but the phone went straight to a voicemail with Blake's voice saying it was outside office hours. I called Valerie's number and it just kept asking me to input my card details.
I looked at the site - the hotel is 1 room with two double beds and is 2 star and normally costs about £23 per night per room.
I found this site and I have just cancelled my card - No money has been taken so I thank everyone on this site for the WARNING.
Blagger.com is in itself the biggest scam! Blagger is a scam! Blagger is a scam. Be aware of this site! Do not give these people your e-mail address! This company puts false advertisements or statements on its sites to block out existing competition. In no way shape or form should you beleive that these are truly customers of any business in the U.S. or the U.K. This site is under investigation and in litigation with several competitors. People are allowed to make false statements about people and companies and are paid to keep this crap up. Not only that but your e-mail address is sold to thousands of other companies!!!!!!!!
Do not beleive a word of what these people say if you are any type of intelligent person please investigate on your own and do not get sucked up into this crap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Blagger should be shut down soon enough!
i was offered £1100,offapackage holiday-3nights in orlando- 2 nights ft. lauderdale,2nights- the
bahamas and 1 week free hire car.the holiday is for 4 people .this was confirmed by them after me e- mailing about doubts. according to the itenary i have got 21 days left to cancel and send it all back .my credit card is tied up.
is this a genuine offer ?
Hi everyone!
Today I've just been trapped in this scam! and as the people on the phone where all talking i had no chance to check their company before i give them my credit details! however i told them that i don't know how much credit is available to me right now, i told them the wrong date of birth. now they are going to call me back to make sure my credit is available right now, and i am going to cancel this! but in the meanwhile i'm worried if they are able to misuse my credit details; what should i do? tnx
In a moment of stupidity I agreed to pay $1060 for a vacation package as I am visiting Florida in December. At the initial sales process there was NO mention of TIMESHARE. I only agreed to the package because I was told I had a 30 day cooling-off period. Once I received the pack I realized I was obliged to sit through 3 timeshare sales meetings at 3 different locations.
I immediately returned the pack to claim my refund.
So far I have received only $793 refund as the company claim I must pay $89 per cancellation. I am currently in dispute with the company and have reported them to both the BBB in Florida and to the Florida DEpartment of Agriculture & Consumer Affairs.
I have also retained the advert on my computer. This initially said that the offer must end on 1 September ....... BUT, the date changes every day so if I open the pop-up add now it tells me the offer must end on 14 October ---- Need I say anymore.
Local Phone Number: (321) 281-9041
TOB Classification: Travel Agencies & Bureaus
Web Site URL(s): http://www.brilliantholiday.com
The information in this report has either been provided by the company, or has been compiled by the Bureau from other sources.
Customer Experience
The Bureau has processed no customer complaints on this company in its three-year reporting period.
Licensing Information
This company is licensed by Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The license number is ST35583. Sellers of Travel are licensed by the Department of Consumer Services. To verify the current status of a license you can call 1-800-HELP FLA.
Additional Business Names
This company also does business as Brilliant Holiday.
Additional Telephone Numbers
Additional phone numbers for this company include (321) 281-9042 and (800) 418-9152.
Report as of: 10/9/2004
Copyright: 2004 BBB of Central Florida, Inc.
As a matter of policy, the Better Business Bureau does not endorse any product, service, or company. BBB reports generally cover a three-year reporting period, and are provided solely to assist you in exercising your own best judgment. Information contained in this report is believed reliable but not guaranteed as to accuracy. Reports are subject to change at any time.
The Better Business Bureau reports on members and non-members. Membership in the BBB is voluntary, and members must meet and maintain BBB standards. If a company is a member of the BBB, it is stated in this report.
I have just spent £598 on a Brilliant Holiday which, having read the comments on this site, now realise I will probably never enjoy. The offer sounded plausible and extremely convincing. However, some doubts remained throughout the conversation, and I checked on the internet immediately after the telephone call to find the whole thing is probably a scam. I tried cancelling the payment before they could take the money but my credit card company had already pre-authorised the payment and will not proceed with my request unless I can produce something in writing from Brilliant Holiday to say they have cancelled.
I am one or the travel agents that you reach when you call that number and I resent these false insinuations. I know for a fact that any complaints from even just skepticism are responded to with a full refund I have seen the correspondence between the banks and my company as well as the banks acceptance of the refund. There is a full dialogue through the bank, merchant, and the maker of the claim the discussion and the response.
Though two requests for refund I recently saw were unfounded other then as buyers remorse the money as deducted in dollars was fully returned to the credit account in every case in the exact dollar amount that I have seen.
I live here in Orlando Florida and I can assure you that the Vacations are real the Time Share resorts that underwrite them are real they are in fact the exact vacation we describe when people call in.
If anyone that has been complaining about us here actually took the vacation they would feel foolish for their whining and wish they would have saved money with one or our wonderful sponsored vacations.
I was just searching a legitimate website for work purposes when their ad popped up. As it was an 0800 number I gave them a call. Once they'd gone through all the details I thought that it was intersting an intersting offer and the price was a pretty reasonable. I smelled a rat when they started to give away loads of extra's (including 2 extra people free). Anyway I gave them some false details and explained that I wasn't prepared to part with money today and no such decision could be made without discussing it with the family first.
It's such a scam. I'm just glad I found this website to check if they were legit or not!
Add a comment about this blagger
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Comments:
Then i get sent through the holiday so i called my bank and they had taken the money out when we agreed i wouldnt be going through with it.I call brillant holiday and in order for me to get a refund i had to send the pack back to them i did so striaght away.im still waiting for a refund now does anyknow if there is anything i can do to get it back or is it to late there a vile company.i live in the UK
Now targeting Australia! (this week)
I was one of the lucky 1,000,000th winners. Gave my credit card details and then decided to trust my gut and pulled out. I'd spoken to a sales guy, then his supervisor (who halved the cost from $299pp for each of 2 ppl, to $299 for both of us), and then two people from the 'legal' / 'verfication' areas.
I got nervous after the call and CANCELLED MY CREDIT CARD. Interestingly enough, the guy at the bank said I was the third person that day to do so for the same reason. He's passing the info on to their fraud department.
You've got to watch out, after giving my phone number early in the conversation, they phoned me back after I 'cut out' part way through the call. They really sound legit, but I'm never comfortable having to commit before the end of the first phone call and after reading more, I'm really glad I did, or rather didn't!
Some credit cards allow you to cancel a payment after it's happened, if you get caught, you might want to check into that.
This company is the same as TWA, Sandy Vacations, Brilliant Holidays, Destination Center, Fulfillment Center, My Discount Holidays, and several more new ones. They also own the crappy, old Days Inn Maingate East which they will try to accomidate you in. This place is a joke. They will take your money and the only way you will be able to get it back is to actually come into their office with the police. I am sad to say that I worked for this company. I reserved these joke vacations for people. When I refused to collect money from people to have the "UPGRADED" into a nicer hotel, I was fired! Please do not purchase anything from these companies. They're a TOTAL RIP OFF. If you are sucked into their, "1 MILLION VISITOR" ploy be advised that they will charge you to return the package back to them. Usually £79 or if you are in the US $79.
the time passed and still no refund.
i have contacted them several times and they stated that it is in the process of going through, several weeks later nothing.
i have just contacted them and got through to some one else this time and they sent me an email stating that it will be difficult for me to get my money, but should contact the credit card firm.
can anyone sugest what i should do, or the likeyhood of getting my money back
This is the only way to get your money back. Got to the following address...
www.800helpfla.com/ccform.html
...and select the 'File a Complaint'. option at the top of the page. Tell them you have been denied a refund as allowed under Florida Law (30 day cooling off period) and they will do the rest. They will probably mail you a form to complete and sign - do this and answer as much as you can. Post it back and you will have your refund within 30 days.
I couple of hours later, we recived a call from the bank saying that they had blocked two withdrawals.One by a company called:
EZ Vacation = £750 and the other
Brilliant Holiday = £750
Thank Goodness Barclays has common sense.
David BH CS at 20th Aug 2004, 01:51PM [QUOTE]
Oh yeah? then how come they were at Eastern Pacific Holdings,LLC (formerly SoHo and formerly TravelExpress Investments, LLC) just the other day monitoring the verifications dept? The guy TOLD me his office was on Southland Blvd, (which IS the address for Brilliant Holliday) near the Home Depot. Ain't anything else there but a little strip mall and an empty bank.
AS for other complains about this company, go here.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g34142-d218800-Reviews-Summer_Bay_Resort-Clermont_Florida.html
or here
http://las-vegas-hotels.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g45963-d296425-r2814485-Summer_Bay_Resort_Las_Vegas-Las_Vegas_Nevada.html
What do you guys do..go on these sites and and try and make these companies sound legit?
I just came from 'visiting' these places where they send people.
1. Island Club Resort and Spa
3100 Sand Mine Road
Davenport, Florida
(what a joke) I've seen government subsidized housing that looked better than that.
2. Celebtation World Resort
County Road 545
Kissimmee, Florida
Sits on the edge of a swamp. No wonder it's full of mold.I would hesitate to give it 1 star much less 5.
3. Inn at Summer Bay
9400 US 192
Clermont, Florida
a tacky little motel across the road from the actual SummerBayResort, that looked like it was built in the '40's or '50's. This is one of the places where they put you when they are overbooked, which apparently happens more often then not. Against the law BTW.
And what's up with the skanky incense..and you DO KNOW WHAT I MEAN.
this sounds like some promotional advert.i was offered-3nights orlando 2nts pt lauderdale-2nts-t-bahamas-1week free hire car. the itenary was sent.asking if it was a scam megan kelly assured me it was not and to e-mail reservations@mffc.com tospeak to her personally.
my first e-mail was refused 2more and no reply
its just one big conspiracy.michelle marie eddie alicea megan kelly are all in it .thiscompany
should be on bbc watchdog .all losers should contact them to see if they can put a brake on them -a.wilson
Well to make a long story short we're in Fort Lauderdale (where the shopping is fantastic), and so far the holiday has been absolutely wonderful. In fact we've decided to tie the knot on the cruise to the Bahamas. The accomodations were far better than we expected and since we started the holiday with open minds, we've actually enjoyed it more than our summer holiday (Cyprus) which cost a hell of a lot more.
Before we leave Florida we plan on visiting their offices so we can not only meet the agent (Nina Guitterez) who sold her the holiday; (yes she took names) but to commend them on a beautiful getaway.
I've read quite a few of the comments and believe me unless you've been on this dream holiday you should bloody well keep your traps shut. Cheopstroi, Manchester & NYC
While describing the offer to a friend I remembered a detail incorrectly. I checked where I had noted down the offer as I was on the phone realised I had it wrong but I thought it would be a good way to test the customer services.
So I called at 17:25. I dialled a UK freephone number, but noted that it didn't list UK opening times anywhere (although the US times equate to 2-10pm) so didn't expect an answer. I got one, not only that, the woman on the end listened to my query and gave me the answer, then offered to check further. I said yes and was put on hold for under 30s before she returned and read out all the details of my booking.
So the customer services so far have proved polite, curteous, well informed and helpful enough to do a bit more than required. Now I haven't been able to say that about ANY company except a couple of PC suppliers for years!
This post adresses a few of the comments in the posts below. I am in no way connected with the company by the way, but I have taken up an offer and hope it's worthwhile.
One thing I have noticed about all of these comments is that no-one has actually taken a holiday with them! If I owned a holiday business in a country still suffering tourism affects from 9/11 and devastating hurricanes I'd be trying a few tricks to get people back as well.
Incidently, recording telephone conversations is the norm everywhere in the UK and if you listened when you phoned any customer service numbers they all tell you that, just not as clearly as Brilliant Holidays. If they do not tell you the conversation is being recorded then it is not admissable in court as evidence. It should be in their favour that they make all this very clear to you, not against them.
Instead of panicking about what they might be doing in your paranoid minds, why not look at what you actually get and see how it measures up?
List the holiday they are offering and go to a travel agent and price it. I have, you'll find their quoted retail cost for the holiday is undervalued!
Second, list what could go wrong.
Well you paid by credit card right? Well if it is a complete scam the credit card company have to refund your money so no problem there. (Note major credit card companies usually refund your money and while they investigate)
As with most holidays like this, the price is PER ROOM. If the room takes 5 people then obviously the other 3 are free. And let's face it 5 people spend more money than 2 so for no extra cost to them, they bring in more money.
If you don't enjoy a holiday like this then it's your fault for being a boring idiot and taking the wrong people with you. :-)
I can't think of anything they could do that would spoil it for me, even if the accomodation is well below that offered it's still a good deal. Of course anything seriously wrong would, again, involve a refund from the credit card company.
So let's face it, this offer isn't 'too good to be true' it's just 'good'. I have been through all the information I have so far and there are no real catches that make the offer not worth taking.
Incidently the confirmation e-mail I have received (promptly) has status as 'pending' until I take further steps to agree to take it.
Now I'm gonna take the holiday, and report back. Probably not for a few months though. Then we can have a true opinion instead of the rubbish here.
Notice everyone seems to be saying 'I've been trapped by a scam' when NONE of them have actually been trapped? (bet no-one would comlain if the exchange rate went the other way and they got more money back)
So if you have any worrys about them, use your credit card to pay, not your bank details. Then, how bad could it be?
I called at 7pm UK time and got through to a really cheerful young lady who told me all about the prize which totalled to approx £1100 off a holiday they were offering. She said that it was so that we can come back and tell all our friends. She told me her name was Valerie and said that she could be contacted on 0800 032 3562 and valerie@brilliantholidays.com. She continued in telling me that the holiday I had won was for two people with a futher two people who would be FREE. There would be a cost of £598 which will include 6 nights in the Days Inn Maingate East hotel in Orlando outside Disney World. We woould be given £500 of entertainment vouchers which include full entrance to all parts of Disney World and Universal Studios with the Shuttle Service. It will also include a further 2 nights in another destination and a 3 day cruise with Carnival cruises to the Bahammas. All we would have to pay for are meals!
I said to her that it sounded great but where's the catch - she was very cheerful and said there was no catch, although I would have to make a decision there and then.
Of course I thought this was a bit too soon to decide and she went on to ask me if the funds were available to pay for the holiday. I told her they were not and if there was a payment plan. She said that it could be arranged and passed me over to another very cheerful guy who called himself Blake Neal.
Blake told me that it was about 3pm and the weather was beatiful outside and he had just come from his lunch on the beach. He congratulated me on winning and said he had launched the prize through 3 large organisations - BT, NTL and AOL. (I don't have any of these)He went on to tell me that there had been 200 winners on Saturday and that they would like to invite us over to experience the holiday so that we could tell all our friends.
I explained that I did not have the funds available, however I was currently thinking of planning a holiday. Blake told me I could pay over 18 months. I said to him that I will need to have a confirmation of the prize via e-mail so that I can have a look. He said that I will receive one within 5 minutes although it can take up to 30 mins to arrive. I said that I was interested and he told me that he just needed to pass me through to the verification department where they could verify my card and arrange for the installments.
I was passed through to another guy who said he was going to record the conversation and send me the tape for my piece of mind - I thought that it was a bit weird but continued in confirming my details including my card details. As soon as I had told him my card details he put me on hold then came back and told me that the payment was declined. I told him that I had told the person before that the funds were not available until I get paid on Wednesday. He said OK on Wednesday can we take half? I explained about the agreement but he said I had to lay something down. We agreed £149 as the first payment to be taken on Thurs 28th.
When I got off the phone I waited and the e-mail has not arrived. I tried to call back at 8.30 which would have been about 4.30pm USA time but the phone went straight to a voicemail with Blake's voice saying it was outside office hours. I called Valerie's number and it just kept asking me to input my card details.
I looked at the site - the hotel is 1 room with two double beds and is 2 star and normally costs about £23 per night per room.
I found this site and I have just cancelled my card - No money has been taken so I thank everyone on this site for the WARNING.
Unbeleivable!
Blagger.com obviously refute the claims made in the post.
Administrator at 25th Oct 2004, 09:14AM
Do not beleive a word of what these people say if you are any type of intelligent person please investigate on your own and do not get sucked up into this crap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Blagger should be shut down soon enough!
bahamas and 1 week free hire car.the holiday is for 4 people .this was confirmed by them after me e- mailing about doubts. according to the itenary i have got 21 days left to cancel and send it all back .my credit card is tied up.
is this a genuine offer ?
Today I've just been trapped in this scam! and as the people on the phone where all talking i had no chance to check their company before i give them my credit details! however i told them that i don't know how much credit is available to me right now, i told them the wrong date of birth. now they are going to call me back to make sure my credit is available right now, and i am going to cancel this! but in the meanwhile i'm worried if they are able to misuse my credit details; what should i do? tnx
I immediately returned the pack to claim my refund.
So far I have received only $793 refund as the company claim I must pay $89 per cancellation. I am currently in dispute with the company and have reported them to both the BBB in Florida and to the Florida DEpartment of Agriculture & Consumer Affairs.
I have also retained the advert on my computer. This initially said that the offer must end on 1 September ....... BUT, the date changes every day so if I open the pop-up add now it tells me the offer must end on 14 October ---- Need I say anymore.
Go to http://www.bbb.org
Better Business Bureau
BBB of Central Florida, Inc.
151 S Wymore Rd, #100
Altamonte Springs, FL 32714
(407) 621-3300
BRILLIANTHOLIDAY
7632 Southland Blvd Suite 100
Orlando, FL 32809
View Location Map
Local Phone Number: (321) 281-9041
TOB Classification: Travel Agencies & Bureaus
Web Site URL(s): http://www.brilliantholiday.com
The information in this report has either been provided by the company, or has been compiled by the Bureau from other sources.
Customer Experience
The Bureau has processed no customer complaints on this company in its three-year reporting period.
Licensing Information
This company is licensed by Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The license number is ST35583. Sellers of Travel are licensed by the Department of Consumer Services. To verify the current status of a license you can call 1-800-HELP FLA.
Additional Business Names
This company also does business as Brilliant Holiday.
Additional Telephone Numbers
Additional phone numbers for this company include (321) 281-9042 and (800) 418-9152.
Report as of: 10/9/2004
Copyright: 2004 BBB of Central Florida, Inc.
As a matter of policy, the Better Business Bureau does not endorse any product, service, or company. BBB reports generally cover a three-year reporting period, and are provided solely to assist you in exercising your own best judgment. Information contained in this report is believed reliable but not guaranteed as to accuracy. Reports are subject to change at any time.
The Better Business Bureau reports on members and non-members. Membership in the BBB is voluntary, and members must meet and maintain BBB standards. If a company is a member of the BBB, it is stated in this report.
Though two requests for refund I recently saw were unfounded other then as buyers remorse the money as deducted in dollars was fully returned to the credit account in every case in the exact dollar amount that I have seen.
I live here in Orlando Florida and I can assure you that the Vacations are real the Time Share resorts that underwrite them are real they are in fact the exact vacation we describe when people call in.
If anyone that has been complaining about us here actually took the vacation they would feel foolish for their whining and wish they would have saved money with one or our wonderful sponsored vacations.
It's such a scam. I'm just glad I found this website to check if they were legit or not!
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