From: ted@eslvcr.wimsey.bc.ca (Ted Powell)
Subject: Hawaii trip "contest" (was: Is this a scam)
Organization: Entropy Limited, Vancouver Canada
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 92 18:52:06 GMT

I'm quoting the whole article because I've added another newsgroup.
Apologies to those who've read it before.

In article <1992Oct08.180203.12792@sco.COM> paul@sco.COM (Paul Jackson) writes:
>A friend of mine has "won" a trip to Hawaii and we're wondering if this
>is legitimate or if it is a scam. I'd appreciate it if anybody who KNOWS
>would reply (replies by people who actually took them up on this would be
>greatly appreciated).

If it's a legitimate case of "winning" then (at least in Canada):
    (1) Your friend was asked a skill-testing question. Typically, it will
be an arithmetic problem; it won't be over-difficult, but it won't be
trivial either--they want you to stop and think, rather than blurting out
something that's a silly mistake.
    (2) Before they asked the question, assuming it was verbal, they asked
your friend's permission to turn on a tape recorder. Without this, the
"win" is suspect.

This information is based on the report of a friend of mine who won a car
about ten years ago. After going through the procedure just described, he
asked the contest representative about it, and was informed that it was a
legal requirement. I've since been told that there has to be an independent
auditing firm involved, too.

Even if the deal described is not a legitimate "win" it might still be a
good deal. However, as Paul points out, it _does_ require caution. If it's
such a good deal, but is not a real contest, then why does it need to be
_represented_ as a contest?

Here is the remainder of Paul's article. Any comments from sci.skeptic?
Anyone know anything about "Vacation America!"?

>The trip was part of a package from a local health club Fitness Connection
>at 900 Don Mills Rd, although the return address on the envelope containing
>the Hawaii information says L&R Fitness Ent. Ltd., 900 Don Mills Rd.
>
>The deal was that, if one joined the health club for a "free" membership
>costing $250 one won a free trip for two to Hawaii (airfare only). According
>to the brochure, one had to stay at a particular hotel for at least 7 days.
>Checking in a guide book, the hotel actually exists and is listed as a 4 star
>hotel costing about $US 115 a night.
>
>One has to book the deal through a particular travel agent :
>Vacation America! (the exclamation point is part of the name) at 7320
>Griffin Road, Suite 105, Davie, Florida 33314.  They are registered with the
>state of Florida as a Seller of Travel, Registration #10058
>
>The deal is $69.50 per person per night. There is some fine print "Based on
>double occupancy, run of house, and rates year round" which I also don't
>understand. All communication has to be done with the travel agent, it all
>has to be arranged at least 60 days in advance (and paid for 45 days in
>advance) etc.
>
>So, it looks like for about $US1000 one gets 2 airfares and 7 nights
>accomodation in a good Hawaii hotel. This seems a little too good to be true
>(and so, probably, is).
>
>As far as we can tell this isn't the normal situation where you pay $1000
>for something worth only $800. So, it would seem to be either actually worth
>something (presumably the health club is willing to spend something to get
>new members) or it is an outright scam (the Travel Agent will go bankrupt
>the week before the trip and you lose the $1000). Being more than a touch
>sceptical, we suspect the latter. However, sometimes one does get honest to
>goodness bargains and I'd like to be convinced that this is one.
>
>Has anybody had experience with this? Does anybody know how, exactly,
>everybody is making money off it? Is this indeed too good to be true?


-- 
ted@eslvcr.wimsey.bc.ca   {ubc-cs,uunet}!van-bc!eslvcr!ted   (Ted Powell)
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