Awards Verification Center aka Silverleaf Resorts aka - that blue postcard in the mail!
=======Awards Verification Center aka Silverleaf Resorts aka - that blue postcard in the mail!
>>>>>>> .r7754I got a postcard from Awards Verification Center - 2400 W. Pioneer Pkwy, Suite 210 Arlington, TX 76013 and found a hilarious post by a guy who went there just to mess with them. The company seems to be Silverleaf Resorts who also doesnt seem to respect telemarketing laws, got busted by the FCC and has numerous complaints at the Dallas Better Business Bureau (BBB)
I really like how this guy dealt with them. It never astounds me at how stupid American society is to aid and abett a company as corrupt and greedy as this one grow to a Market cap of 88 million. This should be a penny stock, not a $2 stock. These guys have 23 million in net income. This crap drives me crazy.
Edited 2006-01-16 - Here are some more links for your reference:
December 17th, 2005 at 3:20 am
hey i used to work for silver leaf resots for two yrs there on pioneer. i just got tired of lying to people about the resorts that they do actually have. i just got fed up with misleading the clients i would talk to on the phone every day fielding anywhere between 100 to 150 calls a day. i know alot more but its not worth it. i will say this they sure know how to dodge the fcc laws somehow. anyway…i thought your comments were right on the money.
January 6th, 2006 at 8:25 pm
Hi,I got a the “blue” letter from this awards verification company saying that I have won one of the following..brand new mercedes benz,bmw,$40000,island adventure,$ 1500 shopping spree,$500 cash.
Called ‘em and gave me the same blah blah you mentioned.what are the odds of me getting atleast the smallest prize mentioned?thx for ur help.
4
January 11th, 2006 at 7:44 pm
I GOT THE SAME BLUE POSTCARD. MY INITIAL RESPONSE WAS…MAYBE THIS IS LEGIT. THEN AS I STARTED TO CONTEMPLATE…I REALIZED THAT AS FAR A I KNOW I NEVER REGISTERD FOR A PRIZE. HOW DID THEY PICK ME AS A WINNER, I THOUGHT? UNSURE ABOUT THIS ANONYMOUS COMPANY I DECIDED TO SEARCH THE WEB BEFORE I CALLED. GOOD THINK I DID!! HA HA.
January 13th, 2006 at 6:38 pm
I wondered how my wife, Vivian, submitted such an entry blank to
this organization for a prize when she is looking down from heaven;
and, hopefully, will ask the Supreme Prizegiver in this universe to
smite these evildoers who prey on the elderly and uninformed.
January 14th, 2006 at 11:32 pm
I got a letter and a followup postcard, and almost thought it was legit that I had won a big prize, but just couldn’t believe it, especially since I didn’t enter any contest. So I googled and found this as well as the better business bureau report on them. As best I can tell, they outright lie to me in the mailings they sent me. Why would I ever want to do business with a company that lies to me the first time I hear from them?
January 16th, 2006 at 4:10 am
I actually just entered a contest a the mail recently (and that company is legit, my FIL won his car there a few years ago) so I thought maybe it was the same type of deal. It’s definately not, judging by what I have read here. I would love to know how they got my name and address, especially since I married a little while ago and most of these bogus letters are easy to spot because they have my maiden name on them. They used my married name. Well, I wasn’t too excited about winning a car, because I figured this was bogus from the start.
January 16th, 2006 at 11:45 am
As a former employee of Silverleaf Resorts all buyers should beware. They will tell you anything you want to hear and make the program sound better than it is just to get you to buy it. They tell you that you were referred by someone so they can lower the price even more. The price was there to begin with, this is just a sales tactic. Then they tell you that you will get Bonus Time. Everyone gets bonus time. They tell you normally it’s $75 a night, but you can have it for $39.95 a night Friday and Saturday, and Sunday throug Thursday FREE. Everyone gets this. But after you sign the paperwork, which you will not read while you are in the closing office. You will find that when you try to make Bonus Time reservations you can never get in. You would not believe the amount of phone calls we would get from people wanting to cancel after they have purchased. You have 5 days to cancel but they will not tell you that and if you call them to cancel before your 5 days they will not call you back until after your time is up. Save yourself the time and most of all money an just don’t do it. The gifts are junk and the trips do not work as promised either. Hardly anyone wins the money or car. You will take home a trip to Las Vegas or Orland and probably win hotel accomodations elsewhere but not a car or money. If you have purchased and complain loud enough and threaten to go the the Attorney Generals office they will cancel your contract and maybe even refund your money. If you have documents that are not complete signed signatures by you or are missing your signature anywhere on the document, than that is not a valid contract and you can cancel it. They will act like they are your best friend while you are on the tour and they will laugh at all your jokes and tell you that you are the coolest person. They will also announce new owners during the day and say they are back in contracts signing they documents. These are called RINGERS. No one is really back in contracts. They just want you to think that all these people are buying their crap.
January 17th, 2006 at 4:12 pm
This would be hilarious were it not for the fact that people do get sucked in to this. I just received the ol’ blue postcard myself. Too good to be true, right? Of course I’m skeptical. Out of curiosity I googled “Awards Verification Center” adding the city and state. Thank God for Google… Google brought up the Better Business Bureau which lists all the pseudo names, phone numbers and all sorts of stuff for these guys. Incredible. Guess I won’t “win” the shopping spree or the BMW afterall!!
January 19th, 2006 at 9:31 am
i got the same postcard and realized that i never registered for any sweepstakes. i tried to get information online and all i got was an entry to enter.what will people do next!
January 23rd, 2006 at 4:42 pm
We just received this card in the mail today and decided to look it up online to see if it was for real.
Of course it’s not real!
I would like to bend over, wipe my ass with the card and mail it back to these @#$holes.
How can these people sleep at night.
One things for sure…Karma is a bitch, and I hope they get theirs.
Well thanks for listening.
January 24th, 2006 at 3:57 pm
just received the flyer. glad i looked it up online. sick of these things.
January 25th, 2006 at 8:55 pm
GAWD, I love the internet. Knew it was a scam.
January 26th, 2006 at 5:21 pm
I just got the letter and know very well how these scams work. My CELL phone number is actually on the DO NOT CALL LIST and I got a message yesterday and the blue postcard today. Really pisses me off too! Can’t I win some settlement for them calling me on my do not call number?
January 28th, 2006 at 5:42 pm
How are you?
I got a small post card issued by Awards Verification Center, adressed same as your company. The awards director is Susan Murray.
Is she working there?
The post card shows “please ask to speak to one of my assistance,” but no phone number.
I am not really sure what your job is.
Could you send me more information of yours?
If Susan is there, to let her send me an email is better.
Thanks.
Have a nice day.
Sangwook
January 31st, 2006 at 1:54 pm
I also received the blue card and thought it was bull. But I called anyway and set up a time for this Saturday (which I can cancel if I find enough evidence that this is crap). Now, I know a lot has been said against it, but has anyone actually gone and listened to the timeshare presentation and then left with nothing? I know all the odds to the prizes, and the “Exotic 5 day, 4 night island getaway” is what almost everyone wins - odds are 53,099 out of 53,130 - ha! Here is my question - My boyfriend and I have been wanting to take a vacation anyway and I was going to start looking online for deals and stuff. Well if I go and get this trip just for listening to a 90 minute presentation, wouldn’t that help me with payment for the bulk of my trip? I know I have to pay airfare, food and spending money already but then this prize would pay for the hotel, no? Am I being stupid? I know I won’t win the $40,000 or one of those cars, all I’m asking about is that 5 day, 4 night trip. Or would I be able to find good deals on vacations online, so it is not worth it to go just for that?? Oh, and I am not going to buy a time share (if I go), it is not something they will talk me into buying. Thoughts anyone?
February 1st, 2006 at 11:45 am
Got the same awards letter today. Good thing i checked online first, i was having serious doubts on this one. Lynda, a normal company which gets about 150 calls a day doesn’t give away money in any form. You may be lucky if they feel a change of heart and decide to give you some from all the money they have been collecting by duping people, but i feel its highly unlikely. A company thats dishonest in its practices doesn’t really care about you.
February 1st, 2006 at 5:32 pm
I got the same, blue mail with return address stating that I won mercedes blah,blah,blah. I thought to myself how did they got my name and exact home address and how my name were included at the sweepstakes claim letter and so on. I went on the net and found this site. It is so useful. Thanks to you all guys for the warning. I used to got this kind of prizewinner and other scrupoulous things over the e-mail and letter. Again thank you all and beware to all….
February 2nd, 2006 at 11:10 pm
I got the same note, esto es pura MENTIRA, ESTAS PERSONAS BUSCAN A QUIEN ENROLAR EN SUS JUEGOS DE _ESTAFAS_ TENGAN MUCHO CUIDADO, PUES SI TE HAS GANADO ALGO, PORQUE NO TE LO LLEVAN DIRECTO A CASA?, PUESTO QUE YA TIENEN LA DIRECCION VERDAD, ES NECESARIO UNA INVESTIGACION DEL F.B.I. OK., THANK YOU ALL…..
February 8th, 2006 at 7:46 pm
I got one of these postcards as well from AWARDS VERIFICATION CENTER 2400 W. PIONEER PKWY, SUITE 210, ARLINGTON, TX 76013. I know it is a total scam because my husband received a similar card a year ago. We called and they said we had to come out to a timeshare presentation (which was an hour away from us) and after the presentation, they would give us the prize.
Well, we went there and it sucked of course. It was horrible! We went through the presentation because they told us we had to in order to get our prize. So when it was over, we said No. They sent over like 5 other people to convince us to buy the property. We said we didn’t want it and they finally sent us to get our prizes.
We had to scratch of a scratch-off ticket of 20 spaces. If you matched 5 of the spaces, you would get one of the prizes which consisted of a BMW SUV, a Mercedes SUV, or a Porshe SUV or $40K. It is almost impossible to scratch of 5 of the same thing out of 20 spaces! So we were disappointed. So they gave us the next prize - the trip to Orlando. The trip was a 3 day 2 night trip to Orlando, that did NOT include airfare and you had to leave on a Tuesday. Most working people don’t leave on Tuesday, we have to work!
Don’t fall for their worthless schemes. These people should be ashamed of themselves for preying on the innocent!
February 9th, 2006 at 11:18 pm
I got the same bs letter…. thanks for saving me the hassle.
February 16th, 2006 at 2:28 pm
Got a call on a very busy and stressful day in my home office. Gentleman asked to speak to me, made such a mockery of pronouncing my name that I had to laugh so I listened…I had my air horn on my desk and was ready to give them a quick blast of contained air…but he was nice, so I listened…ok, a mercedes and a cash prize…ok…he gave me a minute to write down a phone number and asked me to call Mark Jones at 1-888-362-4836 with Awards Verification Center. I knew it smelt, but wanted to vent my pent up hostilities on some poor defenseless telemarketer. I hadn’t made anyone cry today and was feeling a little blue. Before the gentleman hung up, I asked him if he had a web site I could visit. he said no…but I searched anyway…I hung up and called them….I *70′d my phone so they wouldn’t see my number come up on caller ID…just as they answered, my search for Awards Verification Center came up and I saw that it was a resort scam…I hung up. First of all, how did they get my darned number??? I am on a DO NOT CALL ME CAUSE I AM A BITCH list. Many thanks for all of you putting your messages on here…I feel sorry for all those people who get suckered into this crap…..much love - Cathy
February 19th, 2006 at 11:30 pm
thanks to all the cool consumers of the world for sticking together and trying to fight the good fight… i knew as well that this was a scam but as someone above stated.
THANK GOD FOR GOOGLE.
i almost feel more sorry for the employees than the people who are suckers… (thats their own damn fault. but everyones gotta earn a living though. heh)
poor bastids… having to be the devils advocate all day.
February 23rd, 2006 at 7:08 pm
I did not get the card, but I got a phone call at a number I have only had a few weeks. Got the “My boss has been trying to reach you because you have won a Mercedes, etc” pitch. I was supposed to call him right back. Needless to say, I didn’t. I had their name on caller ID and also asked for their name and location. Same outfit.
March 8th, 2006 at 2:15 pm
I got that same phone call. His boss needs to talk to me about a car I won. Sounded like he was in a warehouse full of people talking on the phone. This guy must have a ton of assistants. I need to get into the business of giving cars away. I hate Slimy people….
March 12th, 2006 at 1:22 am
I received the same letter. I thought I was special (guess not). Thank god for people who puts this kind of information out.
March 15th, 2006 at 2:50 pm
Someone close to me got the same “prize winning” notice.
It was a scam as I suspected generated more than likely
from an AARP or some other list. Thank goodness for Google which had this information readily available. I had my confirmation that it was most likely a scam in mere moments.
April 7th, 2006 at 3:58 pm
My mother recieved the blue card saying she won the prize. she wasnt home so I called her at work. I thought we had really won something, I guess its because im young, but we won a free room makeover from Disney a year ago and I thought it was the same deal. when I talked to my mother she said what I now know- that its a scam. i feel really bad for believing it and hope others wont do the same. I just whish I coud do something about these people, But what can I do if so many know what there all about, yet do nothing?
April 7th, 2006 at 6:22 pm
I just got one that was a Yellow Letter that had “Western Express” on the outside. To make it look all official, I am sure
Same scam, different look.
April 11th, 2006 at 9:25 pm
Yup. The Internet has empowered those willing to be. I’ve been getting calls from Awards Verification Center 817-525-1025 for a good month. Starting to piss me off. And now they’ve left two messages. I’m going to wan them that if they call again, I’ll be filing an online complaint with the Dallas BBB.
April 18th, 2006 at 9:15 am
BEWARE DONT WASTE YOUR TIME ALL B/S
i recieved same blue card in my mail and i knew its fake but after 2 days i got another letter so i just called in my free time to see what the hell is that so they told me to attend the seminar and pick your prize bmw and cash. i was only ten minute away from my house so i went there listen to there b/s then got we scracth card and got nothing totally waste of time and over the phone guy was like just come and drive your car you dont have to buy anything and there is no susan murray awards director working there she a whore i find out.and i filled online complaint againt them.Thanks for reading….
April 18th, 2006 at 4:14 pm
i recieved a white letter in my mail today too but it was for my dad but i opened anyaways. first thing i saw was a BMW car, $40000 cash award!!!!oh my god, we really win some award????? BMW my dream car???? so i picked up my phone and about to call them, but wait, my dad never goes anywhere, and especially he never does anything nonsense like this. so i didn’t call them instead i go online and search for it.thanks so much u guys!!!!! thanks for making this website or else i’ll feel like a dumb a$$ right now :)so yeah to all the people out there, don’t believe those kind of letters sent to your house, go check online first. maybe you will win a BMW or $40000 cash award for real, but incase go check up first…..thanks again!!!!!!!
April 23rd, 2006 at 5:58 pm
CRAP!!!! I got this yesterday and went today. We stupidly bought into it and now we own a week! I know we have 5 days to get out of this…HOW??? Anyone try getting out of it?
Thanks!
April 26th, 2006 at 4:23 pm
Hey all!! We bought into the crap as well.Husband and I bought a sampler pack ($800 worth)and had it now for about 7 months. Of course we never won any car or cash while we were there and they promised us the world, of course to find out they have nothing to offer and don’t live up to what they say. Anyways now anytime we try to call or schedule our week we can never get in and they don’t want to even speak to us.As for the “BIG” Vacation package they offer its all a gimick and at the bottom of the contract states it expires on your initial visist. PLEASE don’t buy into it. Save the time and money most of all!
April 26th, 2006 at 6:31 pm
Thanks a lot for finding your comments ! We got also this “famous blue letter” and we scheduled a presentation
with this people. But now we know ! We are out of this
“mess” .
April 28th, 2006 at 10:52 am
Wanted to sale time share, was told that I could not until it was paid off because wife previously file for bankruptcy. Noted that payments were always made and wife was not principal cardholder for automatic deductions. Seems to be a different response to every issue, even if they are the same problem.
April 28th, 2006 at 5:42 pm
got the call as well …i said i din t enter anything so how cld i win ??
She replied “I m only a messenger, we are paid to make the calls when a winner needs to be reached urgently” - yeaaa right! I was told to ring immediately and ask to speak to Mr Hall -
Now do you know any customer service person that will make you re read the number back to you to ensure you got it right??? comcast … sbsc .. nope, it never happens!!!
Of course i rushed to Google and here it is, a scam as i suspected!!!
April 29th, 2006 at 12:30 pm
Yeah, the signed name at the bottom of the postcard was a nice touch, so I googled it and came here, figured as much, seeing as reciepent is my father, who passed away almost 2 years ago… Hehe, google is your friend.
May 1st, 2006 at 4:13 pm
I got the same “blue” letter with my name and adress on it! I have no idea how they got exact same name and adress and it made think. So I went on GooGle and I found this website wich really helped me! Thank u guys!
I hope there could be more web-sites that can help us with our decision!
May 2nd, 2006 at 11:10 am
Hello,
Just recently got a call from the “Award Varification Center”. I read all your online comments and then I called them!!! Why? Because they called me! I wanted to take up some time of theres and not allow them to make a sell! Of course I got the phone hung up on me! So I had to call back! I wish I could find away to call these telemarketers and lock there line…. I am slso having a problem with the “Girls Gone Wild” bunch. They have got to be the rudest people there are! They call your house late and then put you on hold! WHY?!?!? They will also hang up on you! Let me in on some telemarketing pranks! Cause I ain’t scared to use them!
WE NEED TO FIGHT BACK! Telemarket them!
May 2nd, 2006 at 8:45 pm
I found a cool site thet explains ways to keep the telemarketers on the phone.
REMEMBER…….
They can’t make a sell if there phone is tied up.
Here is the link.
http://www.searchlores.org/realicra/annoyingsales.htm
Have some fun with them!
May 3rd, 2006 at 12:07 am
I got that “special” letter also. I called, set an appointment and made the hour drive to the resort for the sales pitch. Not to buy, of course. Just to get the free prize. I was in a big room filled with tables, each containing a sales dude or sales wench and one or two perspective suckers. I got the little tour. Not impressive. we went back to the table to discuss the resort and how I really deserved to sign up. I said no. “But you just agreed that you needed a vacation!” he said. When I replied “Not here, though” he sent for another sales moron. All through this, you could hear salesmens jumping up and exclaiming “Yes!!! We have another happy family who just joined!!” …Yeah…right. The ‘ringers’, I assume. When I said no for about the 10th time, the sales prick said, with a big smile on his face, “Well, lets go claim your PRIZE!!!” As soon as we passed through the door and it shut behind up, he was a comepletely different person. “Go though that door and claim your prize”. No more smile or glee in his voice. My prize? Two airline flight vouchers only good on certain days and only if I booked room reservations at one of the “approved” hotels. (REAL expensive, I checked.) Yep, It’s a scam. DO NOT buy into their crap. Much thanks to my common sense and to GOOGLE for verifying this crooked outfit.
May 3rd, 2006 at 9:26 pm
I got one of those SPECIAL letters today. I am so tired of these bulls*&$ offers. They should be pinned to a wall and skinned slowly. Then they should throw salt on the open flesh. Okay, I’ll stop. I just wish they would too!!!
May 4th, 2006 at 4:23 pm
I accidentally picked up my husband’s cell phone today and I just got a call from these people. When I answered it as if it were a business, they got flustered and hung up. I googled the number and found this. I have no idea where they got the phone number. My husband only gives it to business contacts and family. And I have registered this number on the national no-call list. They are breaking some rules somewhere.
May 7th, 2006 at 1:27 pm
i got that shitty card 2. heh i knew it was fake when i got the postcard. heh they even called my house i asked my family members if they had entered me in any contest lately or at all they said no so im all like “fuck this shit this crap aint real they only wanna get my info!!!”
well yeah if they ever call don’t say anything…just HANG UP! oh yeah and if they start talking just say ” yeah…uhuh…..no…..yeah….etc. then in the end be all like NOT INTERESTED!”
May 9th, 2006 at 7:08 pm
Silver leaf resorts is an absolutely worthless company. For any of you thinking about going just to claim a prize, I warn you that they are complete thieves and truly deceptive. They try to sell you their timeshares at 1000 times their value. I kid you not, literally a 1000 times. People are desparately trying to get rid of these timeshares on ebay for less than $50. If you are even thinking about it smarten up.
May 11th, 2006 at 8:18 pm
It was so hard to choose between Mercedes Benz, BMV and Porsche!
Therefore, I put them into trash. Do the same!
May 13th, 2006 at 10:50 pm
I have 2 things to say….
1- I own with Silverleaf….no I dont work for them…I am a proud owner of a awesome timeshare up in the Texas Hill Country. Silverleaf really is a good company, that gets a bad rap from the sales dept. Once you get past the hoakie sales pitches, its really a nice thing to be apart of. They let us stay for almost 2 weeks for free when the hurricanes drove us away from our home. I must say its been a very positive experience so far.
2- Yes the sales part of Silverleaf sucks. I hate it…in fact its a total turnoff….It turned us off at first. THEN I went and bought the same thing on ebay for pennies on the dollar and I get all the perks as if I bought from Silverleaf and paid 20 or 25 thousand dollars.
hey if vacationing all over the country in very comfortable plush accomodations (2 bedrooms, TV’s, jacuzzi’s, pools, golf courses, etc, etc.) isnt your thing, then please stay away, so there is more room for me and my family.
May 18th, 2006 at 5:25 pm
HELP! We got sucker in! Now how do we get out??? Can anyone out there help us and tell us how to get rid of this thing??? We have a Red week…..anyone want it? Can we just stop paying?? That’s what happens when you turn to old retired people loose…..any help is appreciated! Do any of you ex-employees of Silverleaf have any suggestions??
May 24th, 2006 at 2:08 pm
I say we all book the same date and all of us show up and take the money and cars. I’m glad I found this site. Thanks everybody.
May 25th, 2006 at 3:30 pm
We bought in also after doing it once before and telling them no. The whole sales pitch is complete BS. We are now trying to just stop making payments and are willing to just have them foreclose just so we don’t have to deal with them anymore. However the rep tells my husband that he will continue to call every day for as long as he wants. My husband tells the guy look I’m not arguing with you or anything I’m willing to let you foreclose blah blah and the guy is just totally rude. Some how they got my parents number and now they are harassing them. I chalk this experience up to the joys of growing up and hopefully this will be the only really stupid mistake that we make. If anyone as any ideas on how to these people to leave us alone please let me know. Thanks.
May 26th, 2006 at 10:22 pm
EVERYONE ON THIS WEBSITE THAT IS WHINING AND CRYING ABOUT SILVERLEAF RESORTS ARE PEOPLE WHO EITHER WENT THERE AND DID NOT GET WHAT THEY WANTED OR ARE JUST TO CLOSE MINDED AND SCARED TO COME AND EXPRIENCE IT!!!! THEY DO NOT MISLEAD IN ANY WAY…THEY TELL EVERYONE UP FRONT WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN WHEN THEY GET TO THE RESORTS. GREED ALWAYS GETS THE BEST OF PEOPLE SO EVERYONE ONLY HEARS THE BIG PRIZES BUT DON’T REALIZE THAT THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF GETTINF A SMALLER GIFT….SO HUST BECAUSE YOU DIDN’Y GET YOUR WAY….QUIT GETTING ON WEBSITES AND WHINING ABOUT IT!!!!
June 2nd, 2006 at 4:50 pm
I just got a call from Silverleaf to come to their presentation tomorrow. Thank goodness I looked up the company online and read about all the scams associated with Silverleaf and Awards Verification.
June 5th, 2006 at 12:33 pm
Thanks to all the “honest” people out there. I am glad I found this web page. People like these guys need to work at McDonalds.
June 5th, 2006 at 10:55 pm
Silverleaf and Avards Verification center have been doing illegal telemarketing for years. Google “telephone consumer protection act” and see how to sue telemarketers. i know of several people who have sued Silverleaf and have settled for THOUSANDS of dollars for illegal telemarketing. Also google “tcpa silverleaf” to find some of those prople.
happy hunting!
June 9th, 2006 at 2:26 pm
I went to Silverleaf resorts for the great prizes. I knew that I wouldn’t win the luxury car or the nice prizes, since the odds of winning that Silverleaf has on its official rules shows that most people are going to win an island vacation of some sort - to Hawaii, Jamaica, Puerto Rico etc. I ended up choosing the trip to Maui. I know I have to pay for my own transportation. Have any of you actually gone on this trip?
I did get the $40 worth of gas coupons which was nice. The Vegas or Orlando trip is only for leaving on a Tuesday. I don’t know the catch to the Cruise trip. Anyone know?
The presentation itself was really bad, after the presentation, “the closer” comes to try to manhandle you into buying. I ended up getting into an argument with him.
But, if the vacation thing works out, it might have been worth it.
I thought it was interesting that the majority of people waiting to meet with folks at Silverleaf were people of color. Anyone have the same experience?
June 16th, 2006 at 9:40 pm
I got several letters, each saying it was my “Final Notice”. What a bunch of crap! How many final notices do I get? Latest letter is yellow and labeled “Western Express”. I might call anyway just to have a little fun.
June 18th, 2006 at 5:48 am
We receive these letters at least once a month. Same things as EVERYONE ELSE! Says we entered into their instant gold giveaway…NEVER, never enter into this crap!!
We are GUARANTEED either the 4-day Royal Caribbean Cruise w/meals and entertainment or complimentary round trip airline tickets with two nights hotel accommodations for two to Las Vegas or Orlando….
And you only have 21 days from postmark on envelope…cracks me up because THERE IS NO POSTMARK! My prize is an unlimited TIME! YEA!
I scanned all the stuff and sent it to fraud alerts. They love this stuff and submit everything to the all the governmental agencies.
If we are going to pay tax dollars to stop people like this they need all the info they can get.
June 27th, 2006 at 6:56 pm
Yay, I received the blue card today!!!
I’m lucky to have received this card today. I’m also fortunate to be such the giving person that my mother always taught me to be. So here’s how I shall give back (and I hope you will too)…
Prerequisites for gift-
Blue card from Silverleaf, scissors, scotch tape, blank envelope.
1) Cut-out a rectangle of the return address (Awards Verification Center - 2400 W. Pioneer Pkwy, Suite 210 Arlington, TX 76013) from the blue card.
2.) Cut-out the Presorted First Class U.S. Postage Paid stamp from the blue card. (Silverleaf wants us to use it:)
2.5) IMPORTANT: Turn the stamp over and cut/remove your name from the stamp. Be sure not to cut the stamp itself.
3) Tape blue rectangle of AVC address onto the center of white envelope. No return address needed. Do not place anything into the inside of the envelope (the post master might snoop through the gift and its not insured).
4) Tape the blue First Class Stamp to the upper right of white envelope.
5) Seal the empty envelope.
6) Drop envelope into a random Post Office BLUE (oh this is fun) Mailbox.
7) Blush for being giving!!
June 29th, 2006 at 5:27 pm
Just shred the darn thing! Any thing to GOOD to be true is.
July 4th, 2006 at 8:53 pm
Thanks everybody for the heads up. Very happy for the feedback on this website. Don’t call and Don’t do it!! Nothing is free in this world you have to work for it.
July 6th, 2006 at 3:03 pm
I just received my fabulous blue postcard, which somehow had my maiden name on it, telling me that I was the “Grand Prize Winner.” I called the 888 number and at the same time searched the net for this place. I came across this site and and read off a few comments to chronic liar on the other end of the phone. He got all huffy and hung the phone up on me. I guess being a “Grand Prize Winner” doen’t include VIP status. Thank you everyone for the info!!
July 6th, 2006 at 3:10 pm
I just received the blue postcard, which happened to have my maiden name on it, announcing that I was the “Grand Prize Winner” and that I need to call within 72 hours. I searched the net for their web site and came across this one. I called the 888 number and bagered the poor guy with questions like how I was entered, are they approved by the BBB, if I filled out a sweepstakes card recently them why don’t they know my real name…he couldn’t answer anything to I kindly read him a few comments that were listed here. He got all huffy and hung up on me. I guess being a “Grand Prize Winner” doesn’t entitle you to VIP status. Thank you all for the info!
July 10th, 2006 at 4:10 pm
i like the one where you wipe your ass w/ it and send it back
July 13th, 2006 at 4:54 pm
I just received the same letter and as people have said, thank God for the internet. I really hope these people get theirs at some point. How awful are they. I am thankful to all of you who spared me a hellacious day of harrasment.
July 14th, 2006 at 8:18 am
Hi there.
I too got the blue card. I was considering going just to get the trip. BUT. Now I find out that you can only leave on a tues for the orlando airfare? Does anyone know what the worst thing they can get is? Is it worth going just to get something? The cheapest thing they have listed is the 500 cash which I know I woul dnever get but getting the airfare would help with my vacation.
Can someone let me know? Thanks
Kim
Karisma1105@gmail.com
July 20th, 2006 at 12:12 pm
i’ve been getting calls from these asshats for about a month now. they only let it ring 4 times before they hang up which is never long enough for me to get there. this morning i was actually by the phone when they called so i picked it up. they asked for a Mr Banks or something like that, told the lady she’s got the wrong number but then she started going on about her boss told her to call this number because it was entered into a contest and won or some bullshit like that. i told her that was bullshit, she protested that she needed to talk to Mr. Banks or whoever the owner of the number was. at this point it’s obviously a scam. i told that bitch to never call again, i dont need those scammers calling me up for money every other day. she protested again that they were not asking for money, i cut her off and repeated that they never call again. these telemarketer bastards never listen though, next time they call i’ll be ready with a script of my own.
her: “hi, can i speak to mr. ban-”
me: “dont you dare say another word. i’m flat busted. i cant buy food or pay my bills. the phone is the only thing still on and it will be on for another 3 days then they cut it off. i’ve finished writing out my will, not that theres much to leave behind. (i chamber a shell in my shotgun close to the phone so that it can be heard on the other end) you hear that? thats 00 buckshot. i’m about to kill myself now since there’s nothing left to live for. my girlfriend left me and i have no children. my parents are dead and the rest of my family hates me. i’m about to shove this barrel in my mouth and pull the trigger so unless the next words out of your mouth are ‘i have a fat sack of cash for you, please tell me where i can deliver it within 24 hours.’, i suggest you hang up now so i can eat my lead in peace.”
after that, unless they have cash for me (which they wont) i’ll fire off a shell into the ground from the front porch then drop the phone onto the deck and leave it active. after they finally hang up, i’ll call some buddies i know in the FBI to send out a party van and have them detained for funding terrorism. i fukken told them not to call again.
July 21st, 2006 at 1:43 am
WOW! I’M GLAD I CHECKED THIS OUT, MY HUSBAND MADE PLANS FOR US TO GO TOMORROW MORNING. WERE NOT GOING! I TOLD HIM IT WAS PROBABLLY A SCAM, BUT WE FIGURED WE’D GO FOR THE FREE TRIP. THANK GOD FOR COMPUTERS!!!!!!!
July 22nd, 2006 at 9:26 pm
I am so damm glad I looked this up because my wife really sucked me into this. I also thought this was real until I saw this site. Thank you also google for being on top of all of this #*it. I’m not going and I am sure I will have to deal with the calls soon but i’d rather do that than drive for 3 hours with a full car and get there for nothing. Man You all saved my weekend. Thanks
Bob
July 24th, 2006 at 2:07 pm
they called me 5 minutes ago. I already knew it was a scam, so I pretended to be another telemarketer offering her a free trip to Orlando with free airfare. Needless to say, she got tired of me trying to sell her stuff and asked if I was done. I said no and told her to never waste my time again.
July 25th, 2006 at 12:31 am
Ok. I feel like crying. Just a couple of days ago, I’m telling my mom how I just wish one thing in the world could be free. Just one aspect of my life good without me having to struggle so hard. I have been praying to God to just help me out somehow. Well, this morning i got the letter and I just knew that God had answered my prayers. “I’ll finally have something good come to me!” Even my mom said that maybe this is what I have been hoping for. Well, now I know otherwise….
I even asked the guy on the 1-800 line if this is really real and he was like “yeah well I’ve been working here for 3 years and I have got to tell you that this is one of the best programs I have ever seen…..Yeah, well, we have to pay for advertising somehow. So even if you don’t buy with us we just know you will go home talking about it”
Thanks for the rude awakening…
I guess I’ll just have to keep on truckin
July 25th, 2006 at 4:24 pm
Haha! Ok, well I figured it would be crap, but as long as they don’t get my credit card number I’ll call and see because my wife applies and enters every-damn-thing. I feel like and idiot for even calling. The cheessy as hell guy couldn’t even puch in the “verification number” correctly, which I doubt exists. Then when giving the “ONLY” times available to meet I told him I work, he them stumbled and said “well, ok a 2:30 just came up!”…ok, they transfer me to the “verification specialist” which according to the background noise was sitting right next to him. She told me her name was Kerry York, which I later confirmed. I asked for her phone number so I could call her back if i needed anything. She gave 1-800-364-4085. She was overly nice. After we got off the phone, I googled to see if it’s worth going to and walla.
Best Part:
I quickly called back. “Hi, can I speak to Kerry York?”…”Kerry YORK?? Uhh…hmm, hold on a minute.”…”Hello this is Kerry York”…”No your not, Kerry is a woman”
After listening to him try to explain that he was the only kerry york who worked there and the female Kerry had lied to me, I hung up.
God I only hope I don’t get phone calls from them.
July 25th, 2006 at 4:35 pm
By the way, the signature of Susan Murray that is slightly off-center and appears to be in pen is a copy. It is 0 identical to the electronic copy sent through email.
July 26th, 2006 at 12:41 pm
I just got the call, about 5 minutes ago. They seem to know what they are talking about. I’m glad that my mom didn’t raise no fool. I knew she was lying when I asked her about Canyon Lake and she did not even know where it was. Luckily for me I had just been there last weekend I knew that this was a lie. Why is it that these people can get away with this? What ever happened to false advertisement? I think these people should be stopped.
July 28th, 2006 at 1:30 pm
Nice try idiots. Generally anything that
is stamped *****AUTO**** with your zip code
represents it as an “automatically mailing”
The clock is ticking my 72 hours will expire soon
oh my should I call ? NOT. You should be ashamed
of yourself!
July 29th, 2006 at 5:48 pm
Ok first of all I like it to be put on record we don’t scam anyone if have won you have won simple and easy as that. Second there is a rumor that we barrow cars from dealerships and you sign up for them well you signed up for it take responsiablity for it! Third we give at least the 500 cash and a choice of Orlando, Las Vegas trip for two and a Royal Caribbean Cruise. Now all you have to do is take a 90 min tour of the resort and we do say you DO NOT HAVE TO BUY ANY THING, SIGN ANYTHING, OR LEASE ANYTHING so if you have some kind of intellgience try it out. And about the barrowing cars thing again Mercedes probably would have shut us down oh about 20 years ago when we start. So before you curser silverleaf and the awards verifications center GET YOUR FACTS STRAIT!
July 31st, 2006 at 5:25 pm
this is for all of the silverleaf enthusiasts on here…. HOW MANY cars have you really given away? seriously.
shouldn’t western union be able to sue for trademark infringement with these ‘western express’ letters, too?
August 17th, 2006 at 1:08 pm
At the bottom of : http://www.silverleafresorts.com/html/tour04/participation_ma.05.html
i found:…
You may stop future mailings by contacting the promoter at the address below. Attn: Do Not Mail Dept. This offer is sponsored by Silverleaf Resorts, Inc., 1221 River Bend, Suite 120, Dallas, Texas 75247. THIS ADVERTISING MATERIAL IS BEING USED FOR THE PURPOSE OF SOLICITING THE SALE OF TIMESHARE INTERESTS.
So I’m sending their stupid letter back to them.
If they do it again, Dallas BBB will hear about it.
-f
August 18th, 2006 at 2:23 pm
what all you people need to relize is that it is a marketing promotion!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!if they were to call you and tell you that silverleaf wants to sell you a vacation ownership……….they would go out of business!!!!!!!!!!! if you like to vacation and save money in the long run you may show up expecting to win a mercedes, but buy into the program and have more family memories than a bmw could have given you anyway, there are slimey people working in every industry, dont judge a book by its cover, this company has allowed me to buy that mercedes and make a comfortable life for myself and family, i have gained alot of owners as friends also!!!!!!! stop hating on us!!!!
August 21st, 2006 at 10:01 am
I belong to SilverLeaf Resorts and I love it, It might be little costly until you pay it off but I think it’s worth it, I don’t understand all the hate? I get a week every July at Cannon lake Resort, It’s great, also get like one or two weekends inbetween, the rooms are big and nice, it’s like a two bedroom apartment, also you can go to any other resort in America, I just got back from a weekend at Cannon lake resort, They are nice, after you finish paying on it It’s yours for ever, I went to Vegas and everything, I enjoy my week every summer, It did sound fishy at first and I didn’t want to invest my money into something like this but now I did and glad, I love the resorts, It’s not a hoax’s like so many of you think,
August 23rd, 2006 at 4:32 pm
I got this letter in the mail without having any knowledge of this forum.
I called in and asked if this was legit and of course they said, “Yes Mr. xxx xxxxx, congradulations” and so on.. I scheduled an appt. for “Hill Country Resorts” and had my hopes up…
I came online and found this thread.
=( I left my phone number with them.
While reading through this thread I received a phone call confirming my appt. for the next day. I let the person know that I wasnt going to attend after all, being that I found out that this was all a scam. He responded as a complete jerk.
These people have no heart.
I told him, “I’m just not interested anymore, sorry.”
He responded with, “Well I’m glad I wasted your time.”
Damn ‘Susan Murphy’ in blue in ink!
Careful!
August 24th, 2006 at 7:45 pm
I also starting getting the little blue postcards from Awards Verification Center and threw them away as soon as I got them. I assumed they would just stop coming and knew they were a scam. Now I have starting getting calls. They started on 8/24/06 around 9:00 p.m. I picked up to let the caller know that I was on the Do Not Call registry and not to call this number again. All I got was a series of beeps when I answered. The calls repeated every 15 minutes with the same beeps when I picked up. Filed a complaint with the FCC on the Do Not Call website. I encourage everyone who gets a call from “Awards Verification Center” and is on the Do Not Call registry to file a complaint at http://www.donotcall.gov/. Make sure you give them the name and also the number.
August 25th, 2006 at 3:15 pm
Thanks guys for that website!!!Looked it up on google just to be 200% sure
Blue card,luxury car, Susan Murray, sounds about the same, right? 
Who sold them my new address?? I hope all those people who work (lie) for them will get it back somehow and for all of you who used to work there and now letting us know it’s a scam-better late than never, so thank you.
August 25th, 2006 at 8:21 pm
I have a feeling these guys got my info from my car dealership. My name is mispelled on all their mailings and these guys did the same thing. Needless to say the dealers are getting a call tomorrow.
August 26th, 2006 at 1:02 pm
Thanks for the advice folks! Isn’t google wonderful? I received my FINAL NOTICE today that I was going to loose out on my prize! I think I’m a winner in the longrun for not calling them and googling first.
I’m pretty sure they got our address from other time share owners that we know.
August 28th, 2006 at 12:38 pm
I received a similar letter last week. Just to make sure, called today to find about the whole deal. It is same as mentioned above. Two years ago, I visited the resort for the presentation and to collect the prize. But returned empty handed with a travel cost to the resort. It’s surprising with so many laws around, how these people are openly preying/marketing for business.
August 28th, 2006 at 4:50 pm
OMG I was so happy after i got “my lil blue letter” that I even quit my job =O! yes im that stupid. the day I recived the letter I couldnt go to sleep so I decided to do a lil research on our internet god(google). I was trying to search for my name to see If it was alrdy posted as the prize winner and then… here I am, reading my reality. Now im trying to get my job back but I swear im gonna get a prize from those fuckers even if I have to go to court. I bought my self a tape recorder and save all those wonderfull letters which they will come handly later ;-). Ty so much GOOGLE.
August 28th, 2006 at 4:58 pm
OMG I was so happy after i got “my lil blue letter” that I even quit my job =O! yes im that stupid. the day I recived the letter I couldnt go to sleep so I decided to do a lil research on our internet god(google). I was trying to search for my name to see If it was alrdy posted as the prize winner and then… here I am, reading my reality. Now im trying to get my job back but I swear im gonna get a prize from those guys even if I have to go to court. I bought my self a tape recorder and save all those wonderfull letters which they will come handly later ;-). Ty so much GOOGLE.
August 28th, 2006 at 11:40 pm
Some guys and I rent a house together; same address but all different last names. Today in the mail, we received not one, but TWO of these little blue cards from the “Awards Verification Center”. I was leafing through the day’s mail, found the first one (addressed to someone who had recently moved out) and was thinking whether to bother forwarding it, when I flipped past it and found one addressed to me as well. “Wow, two Grand Prize Winners, right in the same house! What are the odds!?”
Googled the street address and ended up here. Thanks for a good laugh - the linked story almost had me in tears
August 30th, 2006 at 8:14 pm
Yeah I also received a blue postcard, from a 2400 W. Pioneer Pkwy postal return address, the post card had a really lame description of ‘Guaranteed Prize’
About a week later an official looking yellow envelope, with “WESTERN EXPRESS”in bold black font, the content of the official looking letter was the same lame description of some ‘Guranteed Prize’ as well as some fake looking file number lol! how lame..
I do feel sorry for the folk who fell for the sales pitch, that is not funny.
I hope that whatever outfit is behind the ‘WESTERN EXPRESS’ letter gets sued by WESTERN UNION
and that will be funny…
oh, and if you received one of those yellow envelopes, do contact Western Union to complain
August 31st, 2006 at 4:54 pm
Okay, so after having received my first-ever blue postcard, I feel part of the family.
I’ve just finished reading through EVERY link and EVERY comment (and every comment associated with every link) … I’m concluding that out of say, 100 different opinions on this whole resort business/scam, only about 5 of them have anything favorable to say about SilverLeaf resorts. (Couldn’t help but notice that the favorable comments were the ones with the worst spelling…does that say anything about their authors’ intelligence, when coupled with the fact that they support companies who go to such lengths to “advertise” their product?) I do have to admit, my own parents got a free vacation from one of these deals, and they enjoyed it…that was because when the sales pitch was made to them, they were able to say in all honesty that they are already in debt and have no money to invest!! Still, I am grateful for sites like yours that warn the other 95% of us who are not going to be so lucky as to have a favorable experience. I’ve learned a lot by browsing these sites and links. Thank you very much!!
September 2nd, 2006 at 7:49 am
JA JA JA
DUMB ME i WAS ABOUT TO CALL, BUT I DECIDED TO LOOK UP IN THE INTERNET FIRST. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS WEBSITE.
September 3rd, 2006 at 12:34 am
I am utterly bewildered!! I just found this site just 6 hours after signing the contract for a blue week. We were so incredibly tired, the baby was crying and the pitch went from needing $2500 down to $100 down. I am reading the comments and do not know what to do. I read that you have five days to pull out. Does anybody know if that is true? We want so bad to believe the people who said positive things about Silverleaf. We saw a lot of people there haveing a wonderful time in Canyon Lake today at Silverleaf. How can all of those people be hating this timeshare? If there is no availability, how did all of those people manage to get booked?
September 7th, 2006 at 1:21 pm
Got a call today telling me to call Travis Thomas at 866-362-4836 as he had been trying to reach me regarding winning a car and $1500 cash. I asked if this was a sales call and was told “definitely NOT, you really won this” so I googled the phone number and got this site. I am also on the ‘don’t call’ list, and wonder how they can get away with this. Who really falls for this stuff? the same guys who buy bridges in the desert?
September 12th, 2006 at 1:53 am
I have learned a lesson 7 years ago. They got me!! Bought in under the impression there was to be a new resort ground breaking in by KC in a year. Never seen it, but always in the making. On vacation at Silverleaf in Desoto,MO first two years. Nothing available anywhere else. Third year Desoto had no more horses, no fish ever caught in one lake (the other dried up) security gate no one there and the additional condos to be built there were invisible. Asking questions and complaining did’t work. Got fed up wanted to sell but told I couldn’t. It was not worth it to keep paying so thats, that. I am out of thousand $$$$ and still want my money back!!!!!!!!!!!!!
September 12th, 2006 at 1:28 pm
Got my call today….told the lady i didnt trust it and wasnt interested. She insisted that I “may” have one a mercedes, and that I needed to call her boss. Again, I told her i was not interested, informed her that i was the owner of 2 businesses, and new that there was a catch. Again, she insisted that they were not asking for any type of personal info, and that she was just relaying a number for me to call. Reluctantly, I took the number, and was told to call “MR TRAVIS THOMAS” at 888-815-4031. She then asked me to repeat the number. I did, she thanked me, I hung. What a joke.
September 13th, 2006 at 5:40 pm
THANK GOD FOR YAHOO!!!!!!!!! I am going to the resort meeting but only for the $20 gift card to Olive Garden!!! HAhahahhaha!!!
September 13th, 2006 at 5:54 pm
Just say to telemarketor’s You have the wrong nuber and you will not be called again. If they keep on say take me off the do not call list. If they call again ask to speak to the manager then say If you call me again I will sue you for everything you got so if you wanna keep putting food on the table for your family I suggest you stop calling this number!!!
September 14th, 2006 at 6:58 am
I moved to Arlington, TX in August ‘05. It’s now September ‘06. If I have received one blue card from “Susan Murray” then I’ve received 5 or 6. Each card is more agressive than the last. With card # 6, I decided to go online. I LOVE INTERNET! Just as I thought, the blue card is a peice of crap. I’d like to call the 888 phone number and tell them that I know this is “BS” and ask to be removed from their “scam-list”.
September 15th, 2006 at 6:52 pm
just got the blue card today. thx for all the posts warning the public about these guys.
September 16th, 2006 at 1:07 pm
got the same blue card today. thanks to all for the posts describing this sham. a demonstration of power from the internet and to responsible people.
September 18th, 2006 at 4:11 pm
thank you guys I love internet, I got the same blue card today of my old address that’s BS
September 19th, 2006 at 8:08 am
What a ridiculous story! Thank you all for your comments. I got this same blue post card signed by Susan Murray, awards Director. Shame on her! You do not put your name down knowing that is not a real thing. Best regards to you all,
Albert
September 21st, 2006 at 6:43 pm
Thanks to you all!
Thanks again for all of the alarm letters. I just got the BLUE card this evening and felt that there must be something wrong with it. Thanks Google, thanks you all.
September 21st, 2006 at 11:50 pm
Thank you so much for posting this. I got a call about 5 days before getting the letter that only had my first name on it. I hope these guys go to jail soon.
September 28th, 2006 at 1:03 pm
after i have read all of this i went there just for fun and gave them hard time.
first after 30 min listening i said ok i’m baying, then everybody came around me and start chearing
then i said, no, i’m not baying his crap, everibody looked at me like i am an allien, then i start laughing like an idiot. then i said ok game over just give me my gift i’m going home, they where so mad on me but i dont care they use our time for nothing.
September 29th, 2006 at 12:51 pm
I got letter from them the day before yesterday. I decided to call them today from my work # since it is a 800 #. Some old rude guy answered my call as if he did not want to take the call, so i hung up on him as he was trying to get my confermation #. Called back and got the same guy so i hung up again. When i got home i found this website. I wish there was someone out there that could beat them at their own game. Thanks to everyone for there comments.
October 4th, 2006 at 5:55 pm
I also received the blue postcard about winning a car or $40K. Thank you for putting this up it saved me the time and effort!!!
October 6th, 2006 at 12:14 pm
Susan Murray the Awards Director should be receiving a call from the US Attorney Generals office. This interstate Fraud Case is being investigated. The CEO and the FCO will fall just like ENRON Executives.
Ahh, nothing like the “smell of napalm” in the morning!
Enjoy your stay Susan and your executive officers, at the resort, reserved by the US Attorney’s Office. No Perks, No Frill, just Federal Time without Good Behavior. Three hots and a cot is the prize Susan will get or whomever fills that position (Awards Director).
October 6th, 2006 at 12:30 pm
The following statement is from the Dallas BBB: this is for information only:
Additional File Information
If you have received an award letter from this company, it does not mean that you have won a contest. You will receive a free gift if you attend the sales presentation, but the chances that you will receive a major prize such as a car or cash are very slim. Most consumers receive the ten one-day holiday package, which allows use of resort facilities during the daytime only. Overnight accommodations and transportation are not included. The company can not say which award you will receive until you attend the sales presentation. The odds of receiving each award are listed in the company’s confirmation letter.
In general, the Bureau recommends responding to sales promotions of this type only if you are interested in what the company has for sale, and not just for the sake of a free gift.
If you are considering the purchase of vacation property, be sure to review the contract carefully before signing. Find out whether the contract can be cancelled if you change your mind. Most timeshare contracts do not allow for cancellations or refunds. Determine what steps are required to make reservations, and be sure the contract clearly states which weeks your timeshare is available to you.
Additional DBAs, Addresses, and Telephone Numbers
Additional DBA Names
Silverleaf Resorts, Inc.
Silverleaf Vacation Club
Villages Resort
Awards Verification
Awards Verification Center
Additional Addresses
PO Box 388
Dallas, TX 75221-0388
1225 Riverbend Dr.
Suite 400
Dallas, TX 75223
Additional Phone Numbers
(800) 815-4023
(800) 711-9184
(214) 630-1951
(800) 544-8468
(888) 603-9116
(888) 815-4023
(888) 568-4541
(800) 925-9525
(888) 815-5617
(800) 544-8431
(877) 498-8646
Industry Tips
Prize Promotions
Many companies offer prizes or awards as incentives to persuade consumers to purchase merchandise. These free gifts are often misrepresented, and are usually not as valuable as they sound. The Bureau recommends cautious consideration before accepting any offer that requires you to pay a fee, call a 900 number, attend a sales presentation, or purchase merchandise in order to receive a prize or free award. You should respond only if you are interested in what the company has for sale, and not just for the sake of the prize or award. The Bureau also warns against giving your credit card number, bank account number, birth certificate, or driver’s license
BBB Definition:
license - A permit or accreditation required by the State, Province, County or Municipality where a company is located indicating competence or professional certification that allows the company to provide products or services related to their particular field or industry.
information to a company you don’t know. You do not have to give a credit card number, debit card number, or checking account number, or pay money by any other means if you have actually won a prize. Giving confidential information to strangers may result in you becoming a victim of identity theft.
Reselling Your Timeshare
——————————————————————————–
Report as of October 6, 2006
Copyright© 2006 Better Business Bureau®, Inc.
BBB reports may not be reproduced for sales or promotional purposes.
The information in this report has either been provided by the company or has been compiled by the Bureau from other reliable sources.
As a matter of policy, the Better Business Bureau does not endorse any product, service or company. BBB reports generally cover a three-year reporting period, and are provided solely to assist you in exercising your own best judgment. Information contained in this report is believed reliable but not guaranteed as to accuracy. Reports are subject to change at any time.
October 9th, 2006 at 6:41 pm
We just received a similar call: “We’ve been trying to reach you” Mercedes M-Class and $1,500 cash “Instant Gold Giveaway”. Please call Mr. Travis Thomas at 816-217-8202.
I did a google on the phone number, but found nothing. Then I tried “Instant Gold Giveaway” and “Mercedes” and found this site.
Thanks for your warnings.
Fred
October 11th, 2006 at 1:42 pm
I am so glad I looked this up online. I knew it was a scam but just wanted to check. People– If it sounds too good to be true– it’s a scam. There are millions of people out there just trying to make a sucker out of you and take your money. Don’t be stupid. You get what you earn. Nothing is free. Trust me. ducky
October 13th, 2006 at 3:15 am
Geez, I’m so glad I looked this up here! Like the majority of others who posted, I smelled something fishy with this. So I googled it (Thank GOD for google!) and found this website. Well, needless to say, the blue postcard has been ripped up and thrown away. Sorry Susan Murray, you didn’t get me with your scamming.
October 13th, 2006 at 12:09 pm
I called these guys today and after looking at the BBB, FTC and other websites, this is a total scam. I called the sales rep named Travis Miller back to cancel and he was a total jerk about it and hung up on me! What a bunch of jerks.
October 16th, 2006 at 11:53 pm
WELL I THINK THE POST ABOUT GETTING OUR INFO FROM A CAR DEALERSHIP IS CORRECT, LAST WEEK I APPLIED FOR CAR LOANS AND LOOKED AT SOME DEALERSHIPS, THEN TODAY (OCT 17) I GET THE I WON A CAR LETTER, IF THE VACATION PRIZE IS REAL I MIGHT SIT THROUGH IT JUST TO SAY NO SO I CAN GET IT, EVEN IF I HAVE TO PAY THE AIR FAIR, ITS STILL A FREE HOTEL MIGHT BE WORTH IT
October 17th, 2006 at 8:17 am
Thank you all for your confirmation of my gut feeling. I also remember my parents having to suffer through a six hour tour and presentation for a time share on a lakeside development back in the late great ’80s. All we got out of it was an inflatable dinghy. What a joke! My parents had enough sense to say no, but we wasted a whole Saturday with it.
October 18th, 2006 at 10:24 am
I have received letter from Award verification centerdated 10/18/2006.Here is my E-Mail reply me at:
syed_shahid68@hotmail.com
My verification No
NRH-YJR 136577120 - 0037
October 19th, 2006 at 1:04 pm
I just got my little blue post card ( that had my last name wrong) in the mail. It said To: Danielle Taylor and that isnt my last name. but it had the right address. I figured id search out this hoopla to see if it is worth it but after reading most of these I must say… Im all set. Thanx for the tips.
October 19th, 2006 at 4:58 pm
Oh brother!! How many times will people fall for this crap?
I got my “blue card” today. Looked at it and tossed it in the trash, where it belongs.
Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
Nothing for nothing my friends.
PJ
October 19th, 2006 at 5:41 pm
You guys are lucky. All I got was a ***-ass yellow card. I’m jealous. I think I’ll cry now. Should I cry on their “comfy” pillows?
October 20th, 2006 at 2:35 pm
I recieved the same post card today. First I thought it was some junk mail but on my way from work I looked at it in my cup holder and decided what the hell. So I called the number and the lady was all nice and set me a date. So I called back to find out the exact location. This time I talked to someone different and he told me since my husband was in Iraq I should call back when he comes home. So when I hung up I thought about it the card says respond within 72hr to avoid forfeiting your status. And the first person I talked to told me even though my husband was gone I could bring family or friends. So I decided to look it up on the net and im glad I did. I should call them back and curse who ever answer the phone the hell out. But im not. Its all good they will get whats coming to them.
October 21st, 2006 at 12:27 pm
Yeah like everyone else I did get the blue postcard too. I think I recieved this before long time ago and dismissed it ’cause I knew it was a scam…like Publishing Clearing House, etc, that tries to lure you into buying something and never getting anything in return. Rarely anyone wins these tempting prizes through the mail especially from a suspious piece of mail. Sure at first when you read it quickly, you are almost convinced that you won a prize…but What Prize? HHmmm, the mind wonders, you read it again and ready to make that call. How clever the paragraph is written and sadly most people buy into the sales pitch. Have you ever noticed on the blue postcard that your name is spelled wrong? Infact they go around the consumers mailing “Privacy Rights” by slightly misppelling your name and incorrectly saying your name wrong on the phone…think about it, they have your real name on file. Even if you “OPT-OUT” on junk mail from coming to your home, it doesn’t stop marketers by calling or mailing. So they have a sneaky way of violating your “Privacy Rights” in another way without breaking the law. You wonder how they got your name? It’s no big secret that your name and information is being sold or distribute to a second and third party. Everytime you open up a new credit card, bank account, shop online or at a store (using a Credit Card), enter a contest, etc., your personal information is taken from that company and selling it to another without you knowing it. Scary isn’t it!!??? Therefore there are so many scams and indentity theft everyday. But you have the right to “OPT-OUT” from this shared information. Read very carefully what contract you sign and highly recommend requesting the “Privacy Disclosure” letter. All credit card companies, banks, etc. are suppose to have a “privacy disclosure for the consumer to give them rights and protection if they choose to “OPT-OUT” on shared information. It is worth taking the time to reduce junk mail than having someone using your personal information for marketing use. So use Google to search for “Stop Junk Mail” or “Stop tele-marketers” because they are so many many many ways to protect yourself from scams.
October 21st, 2006 at 4:08 pm
Got ours in the mail yesterday too. Funny thing is the person who lived at the address before recieved their blue card today. I was skepitcal with the first card, and then knew it was a scam with the second one. I was curious what they were hawking so thanks for the posts on here to help satisfy the curiousity.
October 21st, 2006 at 4:52 pm
I got the letter too. Thanks for saving my time and money.
This should result in a long stay at club fed. 10 to 20 yrs. would be for starters.
Anybody with more than 5 years with this company should get free Club Fed. room and board for 40 yrs. Thanks for good website justice.
October 23rd, 2006 at 5:17 pm
WHAT A JOKE !
October 24th, 2006 at 12:38 pm
THIS COMPANY SEND A BLUE CARD TO MY HUSBAND THAT HE WON ALL THIS PRIZES A CAR AND VACATION SHOPPING SPREE AND OTHER THING. NOWING HOW NUMERUS OF ACCOUNTS OUT THERE ARE CHEATING PEOPLE OF THERE MONEY. I DECIDED TO LOOK THEME UP IN THE INTERNET,I GOOGLE THEME…. I FOUND THAT THIS COMPANY GOT BUSTED BY THE FCC AND HAS NUMEROUS OS COMPLAINTS AT THE DALLAS BETTER BUSSINESS BUREAU (BBB).
PLEASE PEOPLE BE SMART AND DUE YOUR HOMEWORK, BECAUSE TRUST ME THEY ARE DOING THERE HOMEWORK AS WELL.
October 27th, 2006 at 11:54 am
go to the FCC’s website, you can fill out a complaint form about this.
Awards Verification Center TX
October 27th, 2006 at 3:29 pm
Thank you all for saving me a bunch of time. I have received a few of their blue cards.
Googled the name “Awards Verification Center” and saw all your posts.
October 27th, 2006 at 4:37 pm
thank you for putting this on the internet ..i recived my postcard today 10/27/06 i was going to call ,but decided to look on the internet .i found this thank you again
October 27th, 2006 at 6:24 pm
OMG
I LOVE EVERYOEN WHO HAS MADE A POST U KNOW WHY!!!
OK RIGHT NOW ITS FRIDAY>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> AND I CAME FROM SCHOOL AND MY MOM WAS TELLING ME ABOUT A CALL SHE GOT (SHE DOESNT SPEAK ENGLISH TOO WELL) AND TOLD THEM TO CALL LATER) SO>>>>I CALLED THEN FOR MY MOM AND I WENT THRUOUGH EVERYTHING I WAS SOO HAPPY BY THE END>>>>>THEN I GOT EVERYTHIGN SCEDULED AND GUESS WHAT>>>>>>>>>I GOOGLE THIS PHONY BOLONY AND I FIND OUT I WANNA SMACK THEIR A$$E$ RIGHT NOW >>>>>>>>I GOT EVERYTHIGN SET UP FOR TOMMOROW BUT U KNWO WHAT IM NOT GOING IF THEY CALL ME AGAIN IM SERIOSLY GONNA DO SOMETHING>>>>>>>>>I GOT MY MOM INTO THIS WHOLE MESS SHE WAS SOO HAPPY TOO AND NOT I TOLD HER ITS A SCAM AND SHES LIKE ALL SAD >>>>>>MY DAD SAYS TO NEVER BELIVE THEM SO WHEN THEY CALLED BEFORE HE HUNG UP ON EM>>>>> AND THATS MY ADVICE HANG UP ON EM>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
IF YOUR WONDERING >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>IM ONLY 12 =)
DUDE NONE OF U GUYS SHUD EVERY WASTE TIME>>>>>>>>>>>>>AND I WANNA DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!!.
October 28th, 2006 at 4:27 pm
Quit complaining. If you care so damn bad take your name off the list. Its not a scam if it was they wouldnt be in buisness. And people quit needing to take there anger out on the employees, their just trying to make a living.
October 30th, 2006 at 7:54 am
Tell Susan Murray the Awards Director I know how she got her position in the company I was there that night…I feel sorry for her husband
October 30th, 2006 at 4:49 pm
is anyone intrested in finding a good son of a bitch of a Lawyer and fileing a class action suit with me! We wont win but it could be a lot of fun pissing these assholes off!!!
October 31st, 2006 at 1:19 am
JUST TO LET YOU KIDS KNOW WE ARE REGISTERED WITH THE “BBB”….NO IT DOES NOT SAY ON THE LETTER OR POSTCARD YOU RECEIVE IN THE MAIL THAT T