I received a call from this number 718-228-1157 as well as 718-228-1154 & 212-736-6919 a few times now after attending the "Everything to do with Sex Show" in Halifax, NS where I filled out ballots to win free trips and so on but apparently it's a HUGE SCAM!! DO NOT GIVE THESE PEOPLE YOUR CREDIT CARD NUMBER!!! People have fallen for this and have lost money because there is no trip and the person calling probably isn't even using their real name!! They never leave messages either! Apparently, they say they're calling from Majesty Cruise Lines or something like that.
Do not give in to the cruise from Florida Bahamas Cruise Vacations. It costs 598 for two people and is a SCAM. I fell for it, do not let them scam you. They will give you a website to visit www.book4florida.com where you put in your access codes, but it is all FAKE!
I just got a call from these guys. I entered my name in for a door prize drawing at a big festival a week ago and today they called to tell me I 'won' a prize from that drawing. They described a big, fun, fancy vacation package that got me very interested, they then told me it would cost $598 to get everything. They explained that the $598 charge was so that I wouldn't have to pay the 33% luxury tax for winning the prize. I asked if I could have them mail or email me something to submit my information with instead of doing it over the phone...they refused. They tried to give me some line about this being a limited time promotion and that I needed to conduct the business over the phone. Wait..I thought I won a prize? Oh, the site they sent me to was bahamascelebration.com, it looked very similar to the floridabahamascruise.com
I politely told the caller that although the company's business model wasn't likely a scam, I wasn't interested in participating in it. He then tried to appeal to me by saying "I'm doing the best I can, these are the policies of the company". I'm sure I would have had to sit through a time share pitch or something to get these tickets. I have better things to do with my time and money, like play the slots here in Las Vegas (probably a safer bet).
I was called by a travel company (Florida Bahamas Vacations) and told that I won a trip while visiting an expo event. I entered a “dream vacation” contest while passing by a booth at the event. A few days later, I received a phone call that I was selected as one of the lucky winners. The FBV customer service representative advised me that I had been selected for a dream package that they had for Orlando and Fort Lauderdale and the Bahamas and a bunch of other offers and promotions (like two more mini-vacations free). To secure the trip, I was charged $598 to my Amex. Two days later, I did a bit of research online and quickly realized this was a scam. Trying to get my money back was a huge hassle to no avail. FBV representatives kept saying the “Statute of Limitations” on the travel package have passed even though Florida law allows for 30 days for full refund. Once I informed them of Florida State Statute 559.933, they told me because I am in New York I am not eligible (also false claim because Florida law specifically says 30 days for anyone involved in a travel promotion TO or FROM the state of Florida). After getting the run around, and literally, being placed on hold over a dozen times that tallied over 3 and a half hours (my VOIP phone logged all the calls), not to mention the blatant disconnects (I heard someone say “Hello?” and then hang up) I was finally transferred to a manager. Speaking to their manager was a nasty experience as she “dared me” to report the company and “wished me luck in getting the refund” because I had already accepted the offer and it was my fault. Perhaps it was my fault for being so gullible but if you read others experiences, it is clear that although we were fooled, we are not idiots, but merely innocent victims. This crooked company setup a professional booth, had all our information, and called us with very tempting offers, however, it was all false advertisement and just a “dream” of a real vacation. Instead what this company offers is a lot less then what they claim, and for anything more, you would either have to pay an additional charge (i.e. an additional $299 to even book the offer) to getting a “sorry this offer is no longer available” message. This is a pure scam.
I’ve read many other reports from people who had fallen for this same scam. Try even typing ‘florida Bahamas cruise’ on Google.com and instantly google returns “florida bahamas cruise scam’ as the top search assist. That tells you something right there, thousands are searching for help on this matter. I wish there was some way that innocent consumers can be protected from these types of scams, i.e. a new law introduced to get rid of these horrible companies or some type of class action suit. The evidence is out there, all over the internet, I am including links for situations very similar to mine. This company should be taken down! They operate under many other false aliases but it all seems to link back to the same scum.
My wife had spoken with them and say all the same flashy things as others had stated about a great vacation offer and all you have to do is pay $598 to reserve and we would receive confirmation within 24 hours. We did not receive that confirmation and began the dispute process with my credit card company. However, they stated that I should try calling them and determining what can be done through that avenue. After almost two weeks, I finally received the package and began to read through the material. I still had no desire to go forth with this and wanted to cancel. Within the package is a "Notice of Cancellation" which allows the purchaser to cancel within three business days. After researching as reading forums such as this, I also had been informed of the Florida Statute.
I decided to listen to my CC company and called them on the number listed with the charge. I had informed them I wanted to cancel due to financial issues and the respresentative said he understood and was generous enought to offer a refund of $298 stating their own contractual issues with their vendors. I said I understood, but then qouted the Notice of Cancellation Policy and the Florida Statute. First of the statute, he claimed that refund policies only apply to which the state you live in, in my case NY, therefore I only had three days from the date of purchase, which was over a week and a half ago. So using the statute as a defense only works if you live in Florida or if your state has a better policy than NY.
I then proceeded to talk about the Notice of Cancellation and the three business days it states I have to refund for full cancellation. To fast forward this is where they try their hardest to screw you, however, this was their Waterloo, my success. On their end, he stated that the notice was processed on 11/10/2009, which meant I was beyond my third business days. I also told him that it may say the 10th, but I do not live inside the office building you are located, it takes more than 1 day for the USPS to deliver mail from FL to NY. However, as I then told him, according to the envelope in which it was sent, the package was postmarked on the 11/14/2009, which meant I was still within three business days. He responded with a stupified "Oh", put me on a "silent hold" for a few minutes and then returned to tell me all my money was being refunded. So my advice, check your postmarked date for any of those out there who still have not received the package, there is still hope.
At this point, I still have no opinion on whether or not this is legite or a scam, but I am offering my advice to those who wish to back out.