Complaint Review: Cachet Partners Group - Toronto Ontario

 I entered a ballot to win prizes at the mall.

I received a phone call saying I'd won a stay at Ramada Inn which would be sent in the mail. Nothing ever came.

Later on I received another phone call, from a private number, advising that I'd been selected a winner and just had to attend a 1.5 hour presentation starting at 7 pm at a hotel over an hour away to claim one of five prizes (TV, laptop, Florida trip, $1500 cash, or $1000 off furniture) and I was guaranteed to go home with a prize. We went to the presentation and were not given our prize until 10 pm, so we were subjected to a high pressure sales pitch to purchase an $8500 membership + $200 yearly fee so we could buy stuff at discount pricing through them for 3 hours, not 1.5 as promised. We declined repeatedly but they did not let up.

Eventually we were given a "Florida trip", which includes accommodation ONLY at a place such as Days Inn or Ramada Inn, but we first have to mail in the certificate plus a $25 cheque to Vacations of the Future located at 1767 Lakewood Ranch Blvd. #115, Bradenton, FL, 34211. The small print at the bottom states that the dates of the vacation can be changed and we get "all money paid refunded minus a $50 fee"...not sure how you can take 50 away from 25 dollars, so it seems like there would be further fees and charges involved. It also states that from January 1 - April 30, from June 2 - September 1, and from November 5 - December 30, you have to pay a surcharge of $13 per night. We would also be responsible for taxes and fees on whatever the room charge would normally be. I googled a Days in in Orlando, Florida and the price that came up was $54 per night. So $13 + unspecified "taxes and fees" could easily bring the total to the regular nightly rate or beyond.

This does not sound like a "free" vacation.

I googled Vacations of the Future in Bradenton, Florida, and the number listed is NOT a phone number to a place called Vacations of the Future. The person who answered did not know anything about Vacations of the Future.

The name on the google search in connection with this business is Walt Cymansky, who apparently has multiple identities and ages listed on search sites, more than one of which has worked at Vacations of the Future.

There are also records of previous disconnected phone number and previous business name "Great Orlando Vacation Co." with the same address in Bradenton, FL, but no valid current phone number to be found.

BBB gave Walt Cymansky's operation a rating of "D" and stated it is not an accredited business.

The whole thing sounds like a scam and these people should not continue to be allowed to defraud unsuspecting people out of their money or time by false promises.

They also promised that if we gave them $8500, which we should take on as debt, when we refinanced our mortage through them, not only would the $8500 debt "disappear" because of their great rates, but we would also save $27,000 on our existing mortage of $67,000 because they know a "great and sweet financial advisor who can really help you".