Hi,
My partner and myself have been members of GVC/Sunterra for 4 years now and every year our holidays have been great.
The first year we had a free holiday to Santa Barbara Golf and Ocean Club in Tenerife which was excellent and it was totally free.
We were invited to a meeting with our rep and the GVC/Sunterra people on 1 day and it was sales talk.This was to see if everyone was happy with the points they had or if they wanted to buy more which may i might add was optional.We did not buy any more points and that was fine there was no hassle.
As for booking holidays it goes by availability so you are better booking 1 year in advance which we normally would anyway.
My partner is one for reading every bit of small print and if he wasn't sure then he wouldn't buy.
We received a telephone call also telling us we had won a free holiday and we are glad we took it. :thumleft:
GVC Sunterra - Is it a freebie?
by Laura Muir on Mon Apr 18, 2005 15:02 pm
"Hi
Can anybody tell me about GVC Sunterra. I was recently surveyed in the street for a 30 sec questionairre and I have now had a call from GVC Sunterra saying I have won a holiday with them.
Is it timeshare? Can I, phone the number given and my wife and two very small children go on holiday with them without the the hard sell etc.
Is it really a freebie holiday with no strings attached etc?
Has anybody else experienced this?
Appreciate any advice
8) 8) 8)" --- Bazza
I have just been made the same offer and told them I was not interested in time share, or vouchers. They promised it was only a 90 min presentation and I would have a holiday at the end of it, wherever and whenever I picked. Have a date set for the visit, know I have no intention of buying time share or vouchers, now not sure if I should go.
Can anybody tell me about GVC Sunterra. I was recently surveyed in the street for a 30 sec questionairre and I have now had a call from GVC Sunterra saying I have won a holiday with them.
Is it timeshare? Can I, phone the number given and my wife and two very small children go on holiday with them without the the hard sell etc.
Is it really a freebie holiday with no strings attached etc?
Has anybody else experienced this?
Appreciate any advice
8) 8) 8)" --- Bazza
I have just been made the same offer and told them I was not interested in time share, or vouchers. They promised it was only a 90 min presentation and I would have a holiday at the end of it, wherever and whenever I picked. Have a date set for the visit, know I have no intention of buying time share or vouchers, now not sure if I should go.
- Laura Muir
- Posts: 0
- Joined: Mon Apr 18, 2005 14:42 pm
by wilma on Mon May 16, 2005 20:59 pm
These people are still on the go - now in and around Somerset.
I got the call tonight and being suspicious got straight online and found the previous comments on this page.
I was asked to make an appt at the booking centre but when I said I couldn't attend either of the next 2 weekends was told the same deal may not be available thereafter.
If I had really "won" this holiday why would the deal change?
Incidently- as I couldn't book an appt in the next 2 weeks to go along they can't send out the details. they said I could phone back when I am able to go and see what was on offer - they'll not be hearing from me!
I got the call tonight and being suspicious got straight online and found the previous comments on this page.
I was asked to make an appt at the booking centre but when I said I couldn't attend either of the next 2 weekends was told the same deal may not be available thereafter.
If I had really "won" this holiday why would the deal change?
Incidently- as I couldn't book an appt in the next 2 weeks to go along they can't send out the details. they said I could phone back when I am able to go and see what was on offer - they'll not be hearing from me!
- wilma
- Posts: 0
- Joined: Mon May 16, 2005 20:44 pm
by aviss on Tue May 17, 2005 07:58 am
There is no such company as GVC travel, the name changed 2 years ago to Sunterra.
We are one of some 60000 members of Sunterra and are very happy with them, much better value than timeshare and far more flexible.
There has been bad publicity of timeshare sales methods along with Sunterra in the past but they are improving I understood that 'you have won a holiday' method was no longer used but some companies operate as afranchise and they may not be as good.
We are one of some 60000 members of Sunterra and are very happy with them, much better value than timeshare and far more flexible.
There has been bad publicity of timeshare sales methods along with Sunterra in the past but they are improving I understood that 'you have won a holiday' method was no longer used but some companies operate as afranchise and they may not be as good.
- aviss
- Posts: 0
- Joined: Sun May 15, 2005 08:36 am
by Astute on Sat Dec 03, 2005 17:38 pm
I have just returned from the presentation which you have to attend in order to get the 'free' holiday and I, along with the majority of the people there left before collecting the holiday. Here's why, so that anyone else may make an informed decision whether to attend.
The address on the letter was for the Wychnor Park country club, but when we got there we were told we had gone to the wrong place, but it was just down the road. When we got there, the sunterra 'office' is at a Petrol station forecourt in what appears to be an abandoned little chef.
Despite having previously given details on the 'competition' entry form and again over the phone, we were asked once more for our details.
A rep (Norris) then escorted us into the presentation room and interviewed us as to our holiday habits. Though he was friendly, it was apparent that these question were designed to assess a sales patter rather than truly whther it would be right for us, though we were reassured that it is not for everyone and we would have a choice.
Point 1. The information given on Sunterra being around since 1980's is not strictly true - I had reseached this on the internet and Sunterra in it's present guise was formed two years ago, seemingly following bad press and an appearance on watchdog.
Point 2. The american company that we were told now owns sunterra appears to be in some financial difficulty from what I could gather on the internet. For your own clarification as to whether I, or their reps are telling the truth do some searches.
Point 3. We were told during the presentation that today would be our only chance to join and the point at which you can set the amount of points you have each year - a bit of a concern if points 1 & 2 are founded as they would have you pledge a large sum to a company that is in financial difficulty.
Point 4. They claim in the presentation to be ABTA & ATOL protected, though in a way that if you dissect what they have said, their booking service for flights is ABTA & ATOL protected, not necessarily the large amount of money they want you to pay to them. If you check with companies house there are several companies registered in the Sunterra group, one of which might be their bokking come travel agency. If they were fully ATOL & ABTA protected, wouldn't they have the logos on their website?
Point 5. This is where we, and most of the room left. The presentation finishes and they say they are going to do a tour of the Wychnor Park Country Club, where afterwards we will get the free holiday. We were asked by 'Norris' what we thought and I said it was fairly clear that the scheme was not for us as the 'quality' of the hotel is not what we are looking for as in our experience there is little difference between a 2 and 4 star room, it is merely the rest of the hotel that the hotel rating is based on and we don't have a need for a concierge service as we want to see the area we are staying in, not necessarily the interior of the hotel. But the part that made us leave without collecting the 'free' holiday is that you are marched from the presentation out of a back entrance to a waiting minbus. Up until that point I could have left when I wanted and I certainly was not going to hand this power over to them, neither was most of the room. I told Norris that we had already been to the country club, and it was clear that what they were offering was not for us. He asked "well why did you come for a free beach holiday if it isn't for you? All the information and brochures are there" So we just told him that we wouldn't bother. Two mini buses were waiting, one went but was mostly full of reps.
Final note:If you like pantomime, then the presentation is entertaining, but please Think it through;
They claim it is expensive to print brochures and adds �80 onto everyones holiday. But how much does it cost to hire 8 reps, 5 days a week. If someone picks up brochures from a travel agent they will, undoubtedly be planning on a holiday of soem sort. Someone collecting a prize is certainly not always looking to make a holiday decision.
The 'free' holiday will cost around �70 in fees, which they are upfront about. But does the 'free' car hire take the place of airport transfers and how much is the insurance? If it is going to cost you over �150 per couple then look at last minute options on various websites as you are into that territory and don't have your holiday choice made for you.
The undisclosed until the trip by minibus prices, when you get the price, remember to factor in predicted flights and transfer costs. Bear in mind that flights are the cheapest they have ever been at the moment, though rises have alreaady begun due to increases in fuel prices.
Though they say the point cost won't go up, the management fees definitely can and will if you read up on posts at forums like this from former members.
My own personal prejudice is not to trust anyone over 30 who still works weekends in sales (pub landlords an exception). I believe there is some truth in that somewhere.
The address on the letter was for the Wychnor Park country club, but when we got there we were told we had gone to the wrong place, but it was just down the road. When we got there, the sunterra 'office' is at a Petrol station forecourt in what appears to be an abandoned little chef.
Despite having previously given details on the 'competition' entry form and again over the phone, we were asked once more for our details.
A rep (Norris) then escorted us into the presentation room and interviewed us as to our holiday habits. Though he was friendly, it was apparent that these question were designed to assess a sales patter rather than truly whther it would be right for us, though we were reassured that it is not for everyone and we would have a choice.
Point 1. The information given on Sunterra being around since 1980's is not strictly true - I had reseached this on the internet and Sunterra in it's present guise was formed two years ago, seemingly following bad press and an appearance on watchdog.
Point 2. The american company that we were told now owns sunterra appears to be in some financial difficulty from what I could gather on the internet. For your own clarification as to whether I, or their reps are telling the truth do some searches.
Point 3. We were told during the presentation that today would be our only chance to join and the point at which you can set the amount of points you have each year - a bit of a concern if points 1 & 2 are founded as they would have you pledge a large sum to a company that is in financial difficulty.
Point 4. They claim in the presentation to be ABTA & ATOL protected, though in a way that if you dissect what they have said, their booking service for flights is ABTA & ATOL protected, not necessarily the large amount of money they want you to pay to them. If you check with companies house there are several companies registered in the Sunterra group, one of which might be their bokking come travel agency. If they were fully ATOL & ABTA protected, wouldn't they have the logos on their website?
Point 5. This is where we, and most of the room left. The presentation finishes and they say they are going to do a tour of the Wychnor Park Country Club, where afterwards we will get the free holiday. We were asked by 'Norris' what we thought and I said it was fairly clear that the scheme was not for us as the 'quality' of the hotel is not what we are looking for as in our experience there is little difference between a 2 and 4 star room, it is merely the rest of the hotel that the hotel rating is based on and we don't have a need for a concierge service as we want to see the area we are staying in, not necessarily the interior of the hotel. But the part that made us leave without collecting the 'free' holiday is that you are marched from the presentation out of a back entrance to a waiting minbus. Up until that point I could have left when I wanted and I certainly was not going to hand this power over to them, neither was most of the room. I told Norris that we had already been to the country club, and it was clear that what they were offering was not for us. He asked "well why did you come for a free beach holiday if it isn't for you? All the information and brochures are there" So we just told him that we wouldn't bother. Two mini buses were waiting, one went but was mostly full of reps.
Final note:If you like pantomime, then the presentation is entertaining, but please Think it through;
They claim it is expensive to print brochures and adds �80 onto everyones holiday. But how much does it cost to hire 8 reps, 5 days a week. If someone picks up brochures from a travel agent they will, undoubtedly be planning on a holiday of soem sort. Someone collecting a prize is certainly not always looking to make a holiday decision.
The 'free' holiday will cost around �70 in fees, which they are upfront about. But does the 'free' car hire take the place of airport transfers and how much is the insurance? If it is going to cost you over �150 per couple then look at last minute options on various websites as you are into that territory and don't have your holiday choice made for you.
The undisclosed until the trip by minibus prices, when you get the price, remember to factor in predicted flights and transfer costs. Bear in mind that flights are the cheapest they have ever been at the moment, though rises have alreaady begun due to increases in fuel prices.
Though they say the point cost won't go up, the management fees definitely can and will if you read up on posts at forums like this from former members.
My own personal prejudice is not to trust anyone over 30 who still works weekends in sales (pub landlords an exception). I believe there is some truth in that somewhere.
- Astute
- Posts: 0
- Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2005 16:50 pm
by JayneWarner on Mon Dec 19, 2005 20:04 pm
Thank God for the internet. I had the call this evening - no timeshare, no selling, just an admin charge, we will send the documents in the post to you, etc, etc. I had filled in a brief market research questionnaire. It just seemed too good to be true. I have already made one huge mistake with Select Holidays a few years ago when they collared my husband and I whilst in a relaxed mood on holiday. Was not about to make the same mistake again. They swore they were not selling anything and that all I had to do was collect the documents from the nearest office which was at Burton on Trent - I might add a good hour and half from where I live. I wonder how many people have been conned by thinking they get things cheap. Reading that guys comments, tot up how much you paid for your flights, etc, management fees - bet you that you could have sorted it on the internet for less! About time the law stepped in to stop these people, they are scamming people out of thousands at a time.
- JayneWarner
- Posts: 0
- Joined: Mon Dec 19, 2005 19:52 pm
by secretagent on Fri Feb 24, 2006 00:53 am
"Hi
Can anybody tell me about GVC Sunterra. I was recently surveyed in the street for a 30 sec questionairre and I have now had a call from GVC Sunterra saying I have won a holiday with them.
Is it timeshare? Can I, phone the number given and my wife and two very small children go on holiday with them without the the hard sell etc.
Is it really a freebie holiday with no strings attached etc?
Has anybody else experienced this?
Appreciate any advice
8) 8) 8)" --- Bazza
hi, i work there so know how it all works. we phone people who take part in family lifestyle surveys in town centres, some of which date back to 2000. They don't take no for an answer either which means calling the same person over and over. I actually was told myself today by a "customer" that it was a con and that she had looked it up, so i did some searching myself and have found out that it is conning people into timeshare!!! I work there and they never even told me and when i asked them they said "no!" So be careful people as they don't even tell there staff that it is just one big con. Someone even told me that we got them into huge financial difficulty through our lies so please don't fall for it too.Also they use other names so don't trust anyone. Well thats it for me, all thats left is for me to find a new job!!! Any ideas??? Good luck and can you spread the word to the others please.
Can anybody tell me about GVC Sunterra. I was recently surveyed in the street for a 30 sec questionairre and I have now had a call from GVC Sunterra saying I have won a holiday with them.
Is it timeshare? Can I, phone the number given and my wife and two very small children go on holiday with them without the the hard sell etc.
Is it really a freebie holiday with no strings attached etc?
Has anybody else experienced this?
Appreciate any advice
8) 8) 8)" --- Bazza
hi, i work there so know how it all works. we phone people who take part in family lifestyle surveys in town centres, some of which date back to 2000. They don't take no for an answer either which means calling the same person over and over. I actually was told myself today by a "customer" that it was a con and that she had looked it up, so i did some searching myself and have found out that it is conning people into timeshare!!! I work there and they never even told me and when i asked them they said "no!" So be careful people as they don't even tell there staff that it is just one big con. Someone even told me that we got them into huge financial difficulty through our lies so please don't fall for it too.Also they use other names so don't trust anyone. Well thats it for me, all thats left is for me to find a new job!!! Any ideas??? Good luck and can you spread the word to the others please.
- secretagent
- Posts: 0
- Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2006 00:34 am
by secretagent on Fri Feb 24, 2006 00:57 am
Ps. some of the staff are even saying you came first or second in our valentines prize draw and were "awarded" NOT "won" a holiday so watch out for that one. Just a hunch but i reckon there will be an "Easter" prize draw. So many holidays all day every day??? Arent we generous!!!!!
- secretagent
- Posts: 0
- Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2006 00:34 am
by paypwip on Wed Mar 08, 2006 08:59 am
"There is no such company as GVC travel, the name changed 2 years ago to Sunterra." --- aviss
Well they appear to have changed it back because that's who the initial "you filled in a questionnaire and you've won a free holiday" caller tells you to call.
Incidentally, has anyone noticed that the original call originates from 01268 555095 which is a GVC Sales number
http://www.touchsouthend.com/business/list/bid/3186381
. You have to ask why GVC pretend to be someone else on the first call and then claim to be referring you to GVC.
We received the call yesterday and were immediately suspicious. They made all sorts of strange claims such as "you have to both collect the vouchers in person and bring ID, because it's not safe to post it" Not safe to post a voucher??!! So how do all other travel agencies manage to post your air travel tickets? I suspect they ask you to bring ID so you can't say you don't have any on you when they pressure you to sign the contract.
Searching the internet found several references to GVC and the 01268 and 0871 numbers, including this forum.
We won't be going to the 'presentation'.
Well they appear to have changed it back because that's who the initial "you filled in a questionnaire and you've won a free holiday" caller tells you to call.
Incidentally, has anyone noticed that the original call originates from 01268 555095 which is a GVC Sales number
http://www.touchsouthend.com/business/list/bid/3186381
. You have to ask why GVC pretend to be someone else on the first call and then claim to be referring you to GVC.
We received the call yesterday and were immediately suspicious. They made all sorts of strange claims such as "you have to both collect the vouchers in person and bring ID, because it's not safe to post it" Not safe to post a voucher??!! So how do all other travel agencies manage to post your air travel tickets? I suspect they ask you to bring ID so you can't say you don't have any on you when they pressure you to sign the contract.
Searching the internet found several references to GVC and the 01268 and 0871 numbers, including this forum.
We won't be going to the 'presentation'.
- paypwip
- Posts: 0
- Joined: Wed Mar 08, 2006 08:46 am
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