You know those guys who are at the Cyclones games trying to get you to enter for a free vacation to Vegas? That's Smartravel..

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/4/prweb9450731.htm

Ugh I hate those people. Didn't we already have annoying vacation company people in the park?

I'm disappointed. When I go to the park I'm already heckled to get a picture, I don't want to be heckled for a contest every time I go to the park.

Bad company...they also harass folks at Reds games. Shame that KI would let them in the park.

Oh my God. No, just no.

Another reason why CF gets on my nerves at times...

They pay to be there. They get business from park patrons, else it would not be worth their while.

Oh yeah - I'll warn you now. If you enter their "contest" you automatically win. They take you in this back room and try to upsell you stuff. I fell for it once and drove all the way to Blue Ash from Kentucky, thinking I had won a vacation for two to Vegas. I showed up and walked up to the counter, only to be handed a clip board with a pile of paperwork to fill out. I then noticed that there were about 20 others in the waiting room filling out the same paperwork. The first thing I did was flip to the fine print on the last page. One of the first lines in the fine print read, "Your chances of winning this contest were 1 in 1." Realizing that giving away free vacations isn't a sustainable business model, I quickly figured out quickly that ths was extremely shady. I returned the clipboard to the desk and said that I had a major appointment and didn't have time to fill out the paperwork. They said that they understood, and if I came back, I'd get TWO free vacations. Great deal, huh?

So yeah, don't enter the contest. Don't show up at their office. It's not legit. I'm a little disappointed that Kings Island would do business with them. I've noticed that if you told them that you had already entered their contest, they'd leave you alone.

So again.... BEWARE!

"If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is."

"If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is."

Totally! Fortunately I thought to look at the fine print first. They already made me make a fruitless 40 minute drive, I wasn't going to waste another half hour listening to a sales pitch.

Shysters often work on others wants. You THOUGHT you were getting a prize. Satellite television vendors often run similar contests. Sometimes, teens, in particular, have been known to enter others in such contests, just to con them. Whenever you give up your name, address, etc. (a lead), consider that the other side is generating a sales list. They often are.

I'm just surprised that KI would allow this. What a lapse in judgement.

Money. What if a bordello were willing to pay to generate leads? In the back of Fest House. Tastefully, of course. A contest. Everyone wins. Some would say that's okay.

By the way, SIX lets vacation dispensers run contests in their parks, too. Red Gold is their official catsup this year, too.

Oh yeah - I'll warn you now. If you enter their "contest" you automatically win. They take you in this back room and try to upsell you stuff. I fell for it once and drove all the way to Blue Ash from Kentucky, thinking I had won a vacation for two to Vegas. I showed up and walked up to the counter, only to be handed a clip board with a pile of paperwork to fill out. I then noticed that there were about 20 others in the waiting room filling out the same paperwork. The first thing I did was flip to the fine print on the last page. One of the first lines in the fine print read, "Your chances of winning this contest were 1 in 1." Realizing that giving away free vacations isn't a sustainable business model, I quickly figured out quickly that ths was extremely shady. I returned the clipboard to the desk and said that I had a major appointment and didn't have time to fill out the paperwork. They said that they understood, and if I came back, I'd get TWO free vacations. Great deal, huh?

So yeah, don't enter the contest. Don't show up at their office. It's not legit. I'm a little disappointed that Kings Island would do business with them. I've noticed that if you told them that you had already entered their contest, they'd leave you alone.

So again.... BEWARE!

My wife and I went through the whole setup, they promised a free vacation for two for a cruise. It's like a time share but you have to pay a yearly membership to get vacation deals that we couldn't afford so we were sweeped away out of the room and was told we still have the free cruise and only thing we have to pay for is port fees and taxes which had to be paid for within 90 days when we booked the cruise. Not even a week later we get a phone call saying that we must pay now and not like they said before and of course couldn't afford it so we lost are chances on the cruise.

From the tales I've heard from those who did pay, be glad you couldn't. Very, very glad.

All the people involved in this high pressure, arguably deceptive selling get high commissions. Not much is left for the travel/lodging providers. Not exactly a delightful time to recreate for those who live life in the Fast Lane.

If this was such a good deal, why the misleading tactics to "give away" that which is being sold?

By the way, a good friend of mine works in the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Protection as an attorney. She enters these things listing her title, office address and office phone. Even though the chances of "winning" are 1 in 1, not once has she been contacted that she has won.

It's a mystery!

I would think that KI or CF would not be that gulliable and naive to let a con go into the parks, and "hunt" people for fraudulent reasons, but they are who they are, only making this past years occurences on my "i dont like you list".

Anyone remember the encyclopedia booth or the Kayak swimming pool display?

Mike B.

http://www.mysmartravel.com/faqs.php#7

Ah, yes. The fine print. My friend in the consumer protection office didn't meet their "certain demographics." Imagine that.

Well, the Smartravel booth was outside the front gates, off to the side where it could be easily bypassed at a distance great enough to not be hassled. If it stays over there the whole season (which I hope it does), it'll be easy to ignore.

Yeah, I noticed it, but they didn't notice me. Seems harmless enough over there.

I just hope that no one from these forums gets scammed by them. That's the only reason I shared my experince.