{"id":4771,"date":"2010-03-04T19:40:18","date_gmt":"2010-03-05T00:40:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/johntedesco.net\/blog\/?p=4771"},"modified":"2024-12-26T14:44:00","modified_gmt":"2024-12-26T19:44:00","slug":"offer-for-free-cruise-getaway-not-so-free","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/johntedesco.net\/blog\/2010\/03\/04\/offer-for-free-cruise-getaway-not-so-free\/","title":{"rendered":"Offer for free Caribbean cruise getaway not so free"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ever wonder what happens when you get a telemarketing offer that seems too good to be true, but instead of hanging up, you stay on the line to learn the catch?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I did. And in the process, I got to to know a wonderfully clever woman named Caroline, who went all \u201cGlengarry Glen Ross\u201d on me as she tried to get my credit card number to reserve my spot for a \u201cfree\u201d cruise getaway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve always been fascinated by the tactics of people in sales who make hard-sell pitches. To make the sale, they need an answer for every objection, and Caroline\u2019s performance with me was brilliant. Here\u2019s how it went down \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cruise offer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In an automated phone call I received last week, a jovial man asked me to take a phone survey, and in return I would receive a free cruise getaway. After I took the survey and registered for the promotion, a woman called me a few days later. She identified herself as \u201cCaroline,\u201d a senior cruise line specialist with Caribbean Cruise Line. The number on my caller ID was 561-424-0845, which is in Palm Beach County.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Caroline sounded like a pleasant woman in her 50s. She assured me I was one of the lucky few who qualified for this promotion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have a lot of people who register but the computer doesn\u2019t pull everybody up,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She asked if I\u2019ve ever been on a cruise and I told her no.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Related: Home sellers could pay hidden fee to real estate developers for generations<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re in for a treat. Because cruising is definitely the best way to vacation, especially with us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before she gave me the \u201cexciting details,\u201d she asked if I was over the age of 18, and told me a minimum of two people could go on the free cruise. She then addressed the proverbial elephant in the room \u2014 why would a cruise line give away a free cruise?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI know everybody wonders why,\u201d she said. The answer was that it\u2019s a \u201cwin-win situation.\u201d The customer gets \u201cthe best food, the best service, and the best amenities.\u201d And in return, the company receives precious word-of-mouth advertising. The customer might come back for more trips, or persuade friends and family to take the cruise. \u201cWe want you to go home and tell everyone you had a great time,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Caribbean<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hard sell<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

She described the ship as \u201ca floating resort full of non-stop fun.\u201d I\u2019d get to eat three gourmet meals a day, watch Las Vegas style shows, gamble, relax in a glass swimming pool, go down a 180-foot water slide, and visit the spa and fitness center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Caroline said there were a limited number of cabins and here\u2019s where I finally got to hear the catch: I had to give Caroline my credit card number to pony up $118 in port taxes for me and my guest. By paying that fee now, it entitled me to a 75 percent discount off their \u201cextended stay packages.\u201d To me, it sounded like the cruise line wanted to give me yet another sales pitch to upgrade my free trip and spend more money, once I committed to the trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe only thing we need is a major credit card,\u201d Caroline said. \u201cWhich one would you be using?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At that point the game was up. I said I wasn\u2019t ready to make a decision yet, and asked if I could call back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUsually we don\u2019t have any call backs,\u201d she replied. \u201cWe appreciate that you want some time to think about it. But you have to understand this is a promotion. It\u2019s not going to last long.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There were people waiting in line for this deal, she assured me. \u201cIt\u2019s a one-time opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I said I simply wasn\u2019t comfortable giving out my credit information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI appreciate your concern about credit cards,\u201d she said. \u201cWe should all be concerned.\u201d She said the cruise line couldn\u2019t stay in business if it defrauded people. Paying the port tax saved my spot on the cruise ship, she said. \u201cWe\u2019re going to hold your cabin for you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I wasn\u2019t budging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIs there anything I could do or say?\u201d she asked. \u201cWe\u2019ve been in business a long time. We\u2019re with the Better Business Bureau.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A friendly grandma<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Caroline took it to a warm, cozy, personal level. \u201cI\u2019m a grandmom,\u201d she said. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t do anything that wasn\u2019t proper.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She said the cruise line was a \u201ccertified company\u201d with the credit card companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not going to jeopardize our reputation or have any problem with $118. Trust me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Related: How to contact an investigative reporter in Texas<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I said I really ought to talk this over with my girlfriend. Caroline pointed out I had 16 months to take the cruise, so we could travel just about any time we wanted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why we give you a year and a half,\u201d she said. \u201cWe know you\u2019re going to sit down with your family or whoever\u2019s coming with you and discuss your travel plans. We understand your concerns.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Again I declined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s nothing that\u2019s going to hurt you,\u201d she assured me. \u201cIt\u2019s only $118. It\u2019s not a whole bunch of money. So let\u2019s just get you signed up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I declined yet again. Caroline finally tired of the chase and gave up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSorry I have to let it go,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The real Caribbean Cruise Line<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

So is this a scam or did I pass up a fantastic cruise vacation?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is a company called Caribbean Cruise Line, and it hired Carmen Electra as a sexy travel guide in a Web video promoting a cruise ship, the Bahamas Celebration<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But wait. If you Google \u201cBahamas Celebration,\u201d a different company comes up as the owner: Celebration Cruise Line, which has similar logos and a similar promotional video starring Daisy Fuentes. The cruise line\u2019s flagship \u2014 and only ship \u2014 is the Bahamas Celebration, which was originally a Norwegian cruise ferry. You can read reviews of the ship, many of which are unflattering, at Cruise Critic<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So who actually owns the ship?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Glenn Ryerson, vice president of marketing for Celebration Cruise Line, said his company owns and operates the Bahamas Celebration. Caribbean Cruise Line is an entirely different firm that markets vacation packages. It\u2019s not actually a cruise line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really an outside company that puts together packages that they sell,\u201d Ryerson said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That makes sense. The incorporation papers of Celebration and Caribbean list different addresses in Florida, and different company officers. Robert Mitchell is named as Caribbean\u2019s corporate director.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And while Celebration only filed papers to do business in Florida, Caribbean Cruise Line filed incorporation papers in Florida and many other states, including Texas, which suggests Caribbean conducts a broad marketing effort across the country. In addition to telemarketing, Caribbean Cruise Line also mass-mails vouchers promising cheap vacation deals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why the hard sell from Caribbean Cruise Line?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI can\u2019t speak to that. It\u2019s not our company,\u201d Ryerson said. \u201cWe just do traditional cruises.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sales tactics<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

But Celebration at least approves of the sales tactics, I pointed out, since they\u2019re doing business with Caribbean. Ryerson chuckled when I told him about Caroline\u2019s grandmom comment, but he emphasized that Caribbean conducts its own marketing efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe give net rates to a number of wholesalers,\u201d he said. The wholesalers, he said, are the ones who market the deals, which is no different from any other cruise line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My conversation with Ryerson was the closest thing to the truth I had heard from either company. When I called back the number Caroline had called me from, I got the telemarketing center for Caribbean Cruise Line, and the man who answered insisted Caribbean owned the cruise ship. He acted like he had never heard of Celebration Cruise Line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And during my phone call with Caroline, she was incorrect in her claim that Caribbean Cruise Line is a member of the Better Business Bureau. There are several companies under that name that are listed in a directory produced by the Better Business Bureau, but none is an accredited member, and one of the companies racked up more than 180 complaints from customers who claimed they did not receive refunds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It turns out there was one more catch that Caroline hadn\u2019t told me. The \u201cterms and conditions<\/a>\u201d page on Caribbean\u2019s Web site says participants must listen to a time-share presentation during the getaway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the sales pitches don\u2019t end when you hang up the phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Related: More insight into telemarketing cruise line<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ever wonder what happens when you get a telemarketing offer that seems too good to be true, but instead of hanging up, you stay on the line to learn the catch? I did. And in the process, I got to to know a wonderfully clever woman named Caroline, who went all \u201cGlengarry Glen Ross\u201d on … <\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":13604,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"generate_page_header":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,4,5,744],"tags":[47,85,87,187,722,745,634],"class_list":["post-4771","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diversions","category-express-news-stories","category-journalism","category-reviews","tag-bahamas-celebration","tag-caribbean-cruise-line","tag-carmen-electra","tag-fact-checking","tag-journalism","tag-reviews","tag-telemarketers","infinite-scroll-item","masonry-post","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-50"],"yoast_head":"\nOffer for free Caribbean cruise getaway not so free | John Tedesco<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/johntedesco.net\/blog\/2010\/03\/04\/offer-for-free-cruise-getaway-not-so-free\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Offer for free Caribbean cruise getaway not so free\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Ever wonder what happens when you get a telemarketing offer that seems too good to be true, but instead of hanging up, you stay on the line to learn the catch? 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