Claiming a prize is strictly up to the winner [no where on our site do you find the word free].
If it is 80 then 50 is a refundable reservation guarantee, which would not be necessary if everyone did as they said.
The only money that comes to us is the $3.75.
If $1,000 in Restaurant discount coupons is not a value don't claim it.
If 3 days 2 Nights in a hotel is not worth 30 bucks to you don't claim it.
If $1,000 in the grocery coupons is not a value to you don't claim it.
If a free companion airfare is not a value to you don't claim it.
It is all that simple, if the mini vacation and the rebates is not a value to you then pass it by.
You agreed to the terms when you entered.
A scam is where some one unfairly makes money off you.
We can't ship for $3.75 and pay even our labor, let alone the material cost and postage.
The fulfillment can't make a reservation and pay the hotel tax for the 30 bucks.
Again, Claiming is strictly at the option of the winner.
Have a great Day.
Webmaster
East Arkansas Trader wrote:
I did read the FAQ...
The "you only have to pay $3.75 shipping" is a lie.
Whomever wins also has to ante up $80 to go on your trip offered as a "sweepstakes prize".
I'm not interesting in paying for anything that is supposed to be free.
Scammer.
Jason
----- Original Message -----
From: ACT Awards
To: East Arkansas Trader
Sent: June 15, 2009 7:40 AM
Subject: Re: Jason, Last Reminder
Hi Jason
Report us to whom ever you choose. If you check the winners list you will see several thousand people do not agree with you.
If you had checked the FAQs you would see a direct link to the BBB and Our BBB report.
Vacation Executive Network handles about 150 Vacation Sweepstakes. The chances of winning run about 100 - 160 to 1. The winners are drawen by our "Computerized Automatic Drawing System" (CARDS).
Each sweepstakes restarts each calender quarter. A person can not win twice in the same sweepstakes, in the same quarter. However, if a peraon enters our sweepstakes consistantly the numbers show that they should win 8 - 12 prizes per year.
About Vacation Execs
Vacation Executive Network (Vacation Execs) is a subsidiary of Coastal Vacation Travel. With both companies being sister companies to Inter-Mex Ministries and are registered in Heldago County in the State of Texas.
NOTE: Due to the fact that the Company "Coastal Vacations" operated and managed by N. B. Management* of Kissimmee, Florida. is receiving a lot of bad press that has continued to build and the name Coastal Vacation Travel was being mistaken for the Florida Company. The Coastal Vacation Travel owners made the decision to register and operate a new company called Vacation Executive Network.
Vacation Execs is managed by Henry Dorsey:
Mr Dorsey worked in the travel industry outside the US for 25 years. Working as General Manager of Mexico and Latin America (including the Bahamas) for Get-Aways Inc. a travel company which was based in California. Mr Dorsey worked very close with the Government Tourism Departments and Hotel/Resort Associations as well as individual hotels and hotel chains.
While in the travel industry working off shore, Mr Dorsey watched travel scams come and go. But after 30 years in the industry, he has learned a thing or two about marketing and filling hotel rooms as follows.
A hotel says, I average a given percent of oppucancy, say 70%, I will give away 30% of my rooms. I will pay the labor to maintain and keep them up, but I can't pay the tax out of my pocket for 30% of my hotel. So here are the rooms - Give them away.
The hotel can not advertise free rooms or advertise them for the amount of the taxes - they will be under cutting their wholesale contracts and put themselves out of business.
Ok why would you give me the rooms for tax only?
Because it levels my labor cost allowing me not to contract expensive and unexperienced temporary lobor. My hotel has a better image with the rooms full and of course, a certain percentage of the free people will spend money in my hotel. This increases our efficiency and ability to provide better service.
Now we are faced with 2 more problems.
We have rooms - Who is going to handle the reservations and who is going to give them away. All of this cost money and labor.
A Fullfilment center says, if it was just one we would do it as a favor, however, with this volume and the fact that there is no advertising and promotional cost. OK, we will take on the reservations at this discount rate and fit it in with what we are doing now.
So now we have a fulfillment center.
That is where we come in - we will promote the giveaways because a certain percentage of the entrants will take advantage of the promotional package we offer. All of this sounds good, but to reach the volume needed to satisfy the amount of rooms to be given, we can't give just one away, that would be easy at no cost, we have to reach some volume.
We really have 3 goals:
Is to give as many families who can not afford a vacation - a vacation they can afford. Not just 1 all free like most companies, We want hundreds and hundreds of families to have the opportunity for at least once in their life enjoy a 3 or 4 Star Deluxe hotel stay that they can afford, even if it is only a few nights.
Is to help the hotel increase their effeciency.
Of course, is to show a profit on our promotional opportunities, so we don't go broke.
All cost are disclosed in the terms, then itemized in the Frequent Asked Questions. Therefore, one can say, Oh scam, but the hundreds of people who claim our prizes, take time to read the FAQs and make the choice to claim. This is the option of all winners.
Wouldn't a scam be where someone tries to make money from a claim? It is free pick it up or if we ship at $3.75 the shipping cost does not even cover labor. [In 2006 we shipped 1,358 prizes. 1,358 X $3.75 = $5,092.50 Divided by 52 weeks = $97.93 per week. We can't even hire someone for that amount.]
Why don't we give them away free?
It would throw us outside our budget, we would be out of business and the hundreds who want to claim, would not be able too. Our goals would go down the drain.
Over the 15 years we have been running sweepstakes we have had the complainers. However, we always get many more emails thanking us, singing our praises, than complaining. So we are still in business.
Those who will not share in the shipping cost @ $3.75 S&H are the ones who miss out. Many of those who think it is a scam will not change their minds and that is OK. We are sure glad that there is a difference of opinion or we would all be chasing the same man or woman.
If one just watches the directories, we advertise new sweepstakes weekly, you will see all of them sooner or later. Our sweepstakes restart each quarter, conceively a sweeper could win hundreds of times a year. However, our data shows that if all our sweepstakes are enter consistantly, one should win 8 - 12 prizes a year. The "Computerized Automated Random Drawing System" CARDS works.
I do respect those who differ in opinion - may not agree - but do respect them.
God Bless You and Yours
Webmaster
VACATION EXECUTIVE NETWORK
* Coastal Vacations of Florida is a good company and provides a good product. Their problem is their lack of control in their marketing system, which allows a scammer to work right along side the good guy, making it very difficult to tell the difference.
East Arkansas Trader wrote:
Your contest is a sham. I shouldnt have to pay anything if it was a true sweepstakes. I'm reporting your contest to the authorities.
Jason
----- Original Message ----- From: "Awards Manager" <
awards@atcoastaltravel.com>
To: "Jason"
Sent: June 15, 2009 12:14 AM
Subject: Jason, Last Reminder
Jason,
If you have claimed your prize PLEASE IGNORE THIS EMAIL.
At AtCoastalTravel.Com you entered our sweepstakes on 06/03/2009, from 74.194.104.43 IP address. Jason has been drawn as a winner in our sweepstakes.
Simply go to
http://atcoastaltravel.com and click on "Redeem Prize" at the site and enter
your username is *******
your password is *******
For security you must click on the SUBMIT BUTTON or it will not work.
This is your final reminder you must claim your prize within next 2 days or it will be placed back into the sweepstakes for another winner. Please click on the "Frequent Ask Questions" link for all details are there.
Jason, Yes, we are real to know about our company click on the link about Vacation Execs, (most likely at the bottom of the page)it will tell you all about who we are, what we do and how we do it. There is also a direct link to the BBB report on Vacation Execs, you will find it on the FAQ page.
Jason, Again CONGRATULATIONS!
Sincerely,
Henry Dorsey
Vacation Execs
6405 Weber Rd Suite K2
Corpus Christi, TX 78413
1-800-230-7405
To delete yourself from our database click this link
http://atcoastaltravel.com/cgi-bin/maillist/fump/register.cgi?un=gwX9kCJ6YdS3, If the link is not active cut and paste it in your address string in your browser. You will receive a confirmation and no more email from our company.
