800-231-1298

This is Florida Bahamas Cruise Vacations and you have won (not a FREE) but a deeply discounted cruise from that Homeshow/Bridal shower/etc that you were at last weekend.

DO NOT DO THIS. It is not necessarily a 'scam', but it is not what they make it out to be. The 'cruise' is more of a ferry ride on a tugboat, and if you want to stay in the Ramada like they say you will, you must pay about 300 more dollars than expected, among other things.

If you DID go too far like we did, and you try and cancel, then put on your dancing shoes. They will not take no for an answer. GEORGE is who you will most likely get after speaking to the first cust care rep and saying you'd like to cancel. He is rude. Rude rude rude. You can give any reason under the sun for wanting to cancel and he will not take no for an answer. If you ask for a supervisor he will tell you that he is the only one to talk to. Ask for Jonathan, Lauren or Taryn. If that doesn't work, hang up, call back and try it again. I got George again the second time, and again he told me that he was the ONLY person to speak to. After fighting with him and being verbally abused for 10-15 minutes, he transfered me to a supervisor (Taryn) who canceled for me almost immediately (She did try and reduce the price AND extend the amount of time I had, but I just politely turned them down). I received a confirmation number for cancelling and will update if I get it!

They say you won a cruise trip to the Bahamas about a form I filled at a beer fest and are super excited about it, telling you all the details about the travel and then once you bite to the bait, they ask you for your credit card number to reserve the trip for 299$ per person. I refused to give my credit card number and said that if I won a trip, I don't see why I have to pay anything and then they say it is a 2500$ trip, but you just pay the extra for an open ticket that you can take over 18 months and started to be very insistant. Anyways, I just hang up, but I am quite sure this is just a dirty trick to get money from my credit card, mostly by how much he became insistant and almost agressive on the fact that 300$ was nothing for that awesome travel and that I really have to pay it right now otherwise I will lose my chance, etc.. etc...

In or around Edmonton, AB
just received a call about winning the cruise! from Florida Bahamas Cruise Vacation from the form I filled out at the Beer fest.
This is the reason, I only put in my name and phone number on the form.
If it's free! it's free. Don't say free then ask for $300.00!

I can see how people fall for this stuff. They confuse you with all of your Perks/winnings then ask for your CC number.
8 day vacation, $2500.00 value, Mazatlan, Nassau, rental car.. etc

Stop them and ask if you can call back. That's what I did, and I got the response, "that it's now or never, there are many people that want the vacation", blah blah blah...
Under no circumstances release any CC info!
numbers to be aware of:
1.800.231.1298  <-- Florida Bahamas Cruise Vacations
718.228.0775  <-- Rahman (the sales rep)

i got a call from this company telling me i won a vacation to bermuda and bahamas ,7 days-8 nights, first class, everything included. as i gave my name and adress at the rodeo country fair , i was very happy, especially as the agent gave me hid id and everything, than he mentioned i would have to pay $299/person to secure the places.i agreed and made the payment, stupid me, and only after that i called the cs # again, and i was surprised that the agent couldn't give me their website.after i insisted she gave me a site , i tried to search for it but nothing.so i called visa and they are actually going to charge me $700.called them back and they agreed to refund me half, even if i insisted for cancellation, so you are lucky they agreed to cancel your package.now i have to wait and dispute the charge with visa, as i haven't authorized the $700 they are charging me.so, guys, don't make the mistake to give your cc info , even if you won a trip to the moon

Same issues as above charged the money to my visa I am kicking myself...  I am disputing this with visa as well, considering I am trying to cancel within one week I find it bull that they are only offering to refund half of it.

This is basically a scam where they feed you false information and suck you in thinking that you have won something. It caught me on a bad day and now I have to waste a bunch of my time trying to get some of my hard earned money back.

Just an update for anyone who falls for this in the future.  After doing some research I found this website:

http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm ... 933.HTM&Title=->2008->Ch0559->Section%20933#0559.933

Clearly stating that by florida law you have 30 days to get a FULL refund.  This still was a bit of a challenge with this company.  I had to call multiple times, first they told me I could only get 50% back and that was the best they could do.  I told them I was calling visa, I opened a claim with visa but they suggested I try and work thinks out with the company because it would be easier.

Next time I called I said no I want the full 100% back, they asked why I settled for 50% which I never actually did.  When you call into this company you are first talking to a travel advisor or whatever they call it, when you say you want to cancel they transfer you to a "specialist".

What I found out is the specialist cannot refund your money but only make you about a million offers that you don't want when your cancelling.  I told her multiple times "I am aware of my rights and the law (even read the number of the law)"  Finally after she was out of other great offers for me...  I was transfered to her supervisor.

The supervisor was actually very nice and I had to tell him a few white lies about why I was cancelling.  But finally I did get a cancellation number.  

So it is possible to get your money back from these guys, just make sure you know your rights and the law from the link I pasted above.  I hope this helps someone else in the future!

July 16, 2009 I received a call from a person informing me that I had won a trip from the draw I entered at the New Westminster Show and Shine draw. I had indeed submitted my name and phone number in draw at that event which caused me to make the mistake of believing that good fortune was apron me. The sales person was very good at there job and I am very embarrassed to admit that sold me a package, and I paid $598.00 on my VISA. I had not hung up the phone before I realized I had made a mistake. I called them back the next day and told them I had changed my mind and wanted a refund, and spent an hour on the phone with one of there’re so called “specialist” they said that refunds are not in there company’s policies, and just kept trying to sell me on it. I believe the company name is Florida Bahamas Cruise Vacations, and there website is www.book4florida.com 1(800) 231-1298
I will follow the directions on the website and call back first thing Monday morning, I really hope it works and I see that money again.

I have learned an important lesson (Although something I thought I already knew), and in the future anyone calling me to try and sell something, I am going to tell them that I do not conduct business over the phone. I would be interested in knowing if anything else that attended the Show and Shine in New Westminster is experiencing the same situation.
Also I am trying to locate a Address for the company including city, state, and zip code?

Thanks
costar2000

same story as everyone else, i got charged $299. so i skipped calling the company, and i called chevey chase bank. i told them i wanted to cancel it, and im being investigated for fraud. theyre sending me a new card. just go through your banking company, and let them know you believe its fraud.

Did you ever receive your refund?

Dan,

Did you end up getting your money back?

Dan,

Were you able to get your money back on this???

Are you located in the state of Florida? They told me that if you live in the State of Florida your only entitled to these rights... Is that true? They conducted business over state lines...

Pretty much the same accept I was luckily enough to have had a full account at the time.  I told them it would not go through for 299 and she apparently tried 87 times to put it through at different amounts.  Got my card number changed.  Scam Scam Scam.  She couldn't give me a website that worked, and then she hung up on me.

got a call and they gave me 1 800 231 1298 as customer care, and then 24 hours after I made the purchase I called to cancel. They transfered me to "specialists" at 1 800 221 8200 which claims that they are the fulfillment centre. I asked her for a refund and said that Florida law allows 30 days for a refund. She said that since I live in Canada, that didnt apply to me! I called back many times as I know that once a package is received that I could also cancel that way with 30 days after I receive it. I spoke to different people all the time and they said they would send it but I never received it. Finally, with no package and no one else to turn to, I called my visa company. They said that Florida law clearly states that they cannot refuse to give a refund within 30 days of purchase (and since its a Florida company it applies to everyone) or cancel within 30 days of receiving the package whichever is later. Since I had them on both accounts (still within 30 days and no package received yet), my visa company called them on my behalf and was transferred many times before getting a "manager" who he read the law to and finally ended up giving me a full refund. I had waited half an hour on the phone for my visa company, and it was worth the wait! I love my visa company!

THIS IS A SCAM--DON'T DO IT!! The call came from 718-228-1763 saying I had won a Florida Bahamas vacation. The "customer service" number to call them back is 1-800-231-1298.  I can't believe I was dumb enough to give them a credit card number...I wasn't comfortable with that from the beginning but they talked me into it and promised I could get a full refund if I changed my mind. So I googled the number and saw all the bad reviews and immediately called back to cancel the charge...
I couldn't get a refund. They just run you around in circles with illogical arguments, repeat themselves, refuse to let you speak with a supervisor and avoid answering anything directly ("Now maam, I never said I would not give you a refund but first you have to hear me out...."). This went on for 30 minutes before the guy put me on hold and I finally hung up when he didn't return for several minutes. So now I am going to try to fight this through my credit card company, but AHHH such a waste of time!!!
The guy I spoke with is George and he sucks, don't bother trying to talk to him--he's rude and too stupid to reason with. I'm wishing very bad things upon him right now...
WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT GIVE THEM YOUR CREDIT CARD NUMBER--DONT MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE I DID.

does this only cover those who live in Florida?

Had a look into the law:
its states this:
so therefore you will be covered, regardless of if you live in floria or not

(6) "Prearranged travel, tourist-related services, or tour-guide
services" includes, but is not limited to, car rentals, lodging, transfers,
and sightseeing tours and all other such services which are
reasonably related to air, sea, rail, motor coach, or other medium of
transportation, or accommodations for which a purchaser receives a
premium or contracts or pays prior to or after departure. These terms
also include services for which a purchaser, whose legal residence is
outside the United States, contracts or pays prior to departure

Like everyone else here, I got a phone call from a nice guy explaining that I won the contest at an International Beer Festival for a *discounted* vacation to Florida and the Bahamas. I was immediately skeptical and was not convinced that it was legitimate. So I asked several questions about the festival and the contest and the information he had about me and I mean wow...he had a good answer for everything. Now, against everything I thought I knew not to do, I gave this stranger my credit card number and was charged $598.00!!!! I guess it's what he explained but I thought it was a small price to pay for a sweet 8 day vacation in the Bahamas for 2 people. I believed it right until I got off the phone and received a txt from a friend who had just got the same call (she was smart enough not to accept). Now I am stuck with trying to get a refund but the situation is looking bleak as to whether I will get my money back.  
Calling the company results in interruptions, hostility and total non-compliancen with any of your requests for your money back. They give out false information (such as the mailing address which I looked up to be entirely wrong) and lots of times they just hang up on you.
Contact your credit card company immediately and report it. They won't be able to do anything until the charges officially appear on your account then you can start the lengthy process of filing a claim against them. I don't expect to see my money back and neither should you but don't give up on at least trying. I am still in the process of getting this settled.

Now I am totally embarrassed and seriously wanting revenge.

Update - I managed to swindle a refund. Yay me!

Did you recieve your money back which are going through the same thing.