Comments on: Eat and Stay Free / Freedom Escape scam? http://www.desmondlee.net/eat-and-stay-freedom-escape/ Thu, 11 Mar 2010 10:13:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: John http://www.desmondlee.net/eat-and-stay-freedom-escape/#comment-19724 John Mon, 11 Jan 2010 06:05:00 +0000 http://www.desmondlee.net/eat-and-stay-freedom-escape/#comment-19724 Don't tell me Freedom Escapes, or whatever name they are using now, are still in operation! Almost got caught 2 1/2 years ago. Paid the money, realised it was not what they promised and tried for a refund. No joy at all from the Dept of Fair Trading, but managed to get my refund through my bank. Told them we were interested in the 'Eat and Stay Free' deal, particularly in Sydney City and Cairns. Discovered that the hotels named to us were not part of this deal. Only two hotels in the Cairns area - one in Cooktown and one on the Atherton Tablelands. Also only two in Sydney - one in Woollahra and one some distamce from Central Station but restricted to Monday to Friday only and reservations only 14 days in advance. Also discovered that if you only want cereal and toast for breakfast, you pay for a full breakfast and if you only want main course and coffee for dinner, still required to pay for full meal. Some minimum charge would have been reasonable, but a full meal!!!! This was only part of the problem - my full letter to Dept of Fair Trading, my bank and Freedom Escapes, detailing broken promises and unexplained restrictions ran to three typed pages. Very surprised to find they are still operating under whatever name they now use. There are any number of genuine good deals available nowadays if you want to get away for a few days. Don’t tell me Freedom Escapes, or whatever name they are using now, are still in operation! Almost got caught 2 1/2 years ago. Paid the money, realised it was not what they promised and tried for a refund. No joy at all from the Dept of Fair Trading, but managed to get my refund through my bank. Told them we were interested in the ‘Eat and Stay Free’ deal, particularly in Sydney City and Cairns. Discovered that the hotels named to us were not part of this deal. Only two hotels in the Cairns area - one in Cooktown and one on the Atherton Tablelands. Also only two in Sydney - one in Woollahra and one some distamce from Central Station but restricted to Monday to Friday only and reservations only 14 days in advance. Also discovered that if you only want cereal and toast for breakfast, you pay for a full breakfast and if you only want main course and coffee for dinner, still required to pay for full meal. Some minimum charge would have been reasonable, but a full meal!!!! This was only part of the problem - my full letter to Dept of Fair Trading, my bank and Freedom Escapes, detailing broken promises and unexplained restrictions ran to three typed pages. Very surprised to find they are still operating under whatever name they now use. There are any number of genuine good deals available nowadays if you want to get away for a few days.

]]> By: Judith http://www.desmondlee.net/eat-and-stay-freedom-escape/#comment-19718 Judith Thu, 07 Jan 2010 07:37:21 +0000 http://www.desmondlee.net/eat-and-stay-freedom-escape/#comment-19718 We just received a call from "Andrew Jackson", accent not aussie or anglo. He talked for about an hour. My husband was convinced, the offer was real - pay only $209. You have 18 months in which to take 14 nights accommodation, in 200 locations across Australia. No extra charges whatsoever. Andrew provided details such as the company's name and address, Lifestyle Dynamics Pty Ltd, level 7, 71 Walker St North Sydney 2059, ph 02 946 04178, ABN 0294604178.We checked the ABN online during the call - it's been in place since 2005. My husband had given out all our contact details, and was giving him our credit card details when I put my hand over the card, stopping him, smelling a scam. We have since tried to find specific scam reports online. The closest I can find is this site. The name Andrew Jackson came up in my search of 'holiday accommodation scam phone calls'. I concluded the phone conversation, asking Andrew to call back tomorrow. We need time to check it out. He phoned back in about half an hour, asking for the credit card number again. I told him he was being pushy, and that we suspected a scam. He quickly hung up. Please if you have more info on Lifestyle Dynamics p/L it would be useful to share it. The story is so close to Eat and Stay, and Freedom Escapes, even though meals were not mentioned. We just received a call from “Andrew Jackson”, accent not aussie or anglo. He talked for about an hour. My husband was convinced, the offer was real - pay only $209. You have 18 months in which to take 14 nights accommodation, in 200 locations across Australia. No extra charges whatsoever. Andrew provided details such as the company’s name and address, Lifestyle Dynamics Pty Ltd, level 7, 71 Walker St North Sydney 2059, ph 02 946 04178, ABN 0294604178.We checked the ABN online during the call - it’s been in place since 2005. My husband had given out all our contact details, and was giving him our credit card details when I put my hand over the card, stopping him, smelling a scam. We have since tried to find specific scam reports online. The closest I can find is this site. The name Andrew Jackson came up in my search of ‘holiday accommodation scam phone calls’. I concluded the phone conversation, asking Andrew to call back tomorrow. We need time to check it out. He phoned back in about half an hour, asking for the credit card number again. I told him he was being pushy, and that we suspected a scam. He quickly hung up. Please if you have more info on Lifestyle Dynamics p/L it would be useful to share it. The story is so close to Eat and Stay, and Freedom Escapes, even though meals were not mentioned.

]]> By: Daniel http://www.desmondlee.net/eat-and-stay-freedom-escape/#comment-19178 Daniel Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:54:30 +0000 http://www.desmondlee.net/eat-and-stay-freedom-escape/#comment-19178 THey are not exactly as they promised; they need to give more training to their sales staff that over exaggerating will not get extra sales. Once you have the vouchers you can get your monies worth by planning it out; ie you have 24 months to use em, pick the best hotel and use the 2 nights for one deal. If you use the eat a stay free version, pick the hotel where the food is worth going for; maybe not Walhalla in SA but then you are only paying 50 bucks for 2 dinners and 2 breakfasts (cos the accomodation was 125 anyhoo) re: Wally above. ok if the foods good. THey are not exactly as they promised; they need to give more training to their sales staff that over exaggerating will not get extra sales.

Once you have the vouchers you can get your monies worth by planning it out; ie you have 24 months to use em, pick the best hotel and use the 2 nights for one deal. If you use the eat a stay free version, pick the hotel where the food is worth going for; maybe not Walhalla in SA but then you are only paying 50 bucks for 2 dinners and 2 breakfasts (cos the accomodation was 125 anyhoo) re: Wally above. ok if the foods good.

]]> By: KAREN http://www.desmondlee.net/eat-and-stay-freedom-escape/#comment-18869 KAREN Sun, 11 Oct 2009 11:52:48 +0000 http://www.desmondlee.net/eat-and-stay-freedom-escape/#comment-18869 Well, I did purchase a 7 night lot of vouchers for $99 and have not used them. As someone else mentioned you could get accommodation etc cheaper by booking straight with the accommodation where you wish to stay. It isn't until you checkout the website or get a sample of costs with your vouchers that you realise, that you don't just have to buy meal /s, you gotta spend a certain amount. (way too much). I think my loss of the cost of the vouchers is better than the extra money it will cost me if I use them. Well, I did purchase a 7 night lot of vouchers for $99 and have not used them. As someone else mentioned you could get accommodation etc cheaper by booking straight with the accommodation where you wish to stay. It isn’t until you checkout the website or get a sample of costs with your vouchers that you realise, that you don’t just have to buy meal /s, you gotta spend a certain amount. (way too much).
I think my loss of the cost of the vouchers is better than the extra money it will cost me if I use them.

]]> By: A. Caccamo http://www.desmondlee.net/eat-and-stay-freedom-escape/#comment-18122 A. Caccamo Tue, 16 Jun 2009 03:17:01 +0000 http://www.desmondlee.net/eat-and-stay-freedom-escape/#comment-18122 Please beware of callers from Freedom Escapes. I answered my work switchboard at about 1pm today. And you know what? When it sounds too good to be true that's because it is... I found them to be very pushy and manipulating. In fact, I kept trying to speak, explaining that I was at work and couldn't be kept on the phone listening to their sales pitch about holiday accommodation at dirt cheat prices. Finally, I insisted that I had to get off the phone, thanked them for their call and hung up. Two minutes later they called again. I reiterated that I was not interested, politely of course. I kept saying "thank you but I'm not interested". The caller kept insisting to explain their deal further. Eventually I had to say, "Excuse me, I have told you I am not interested and please do not call us again." Please beware of callers from Freedom Escapes. I answered my work switchboard at about 1pm today. And you know what? When it sounds too good to be true that’s because it is… I found them to be very pushy and manipulating. In fact, I kept trying to speak, explaining that I was at work and couldn’t be kept on the phone listening to their sales pitch about holiday accommodation at dirt cheat prices. Finally, I insisted that I had to get off the phone, thanked them for their call and hung up. Two minutes later they called again. I reiterated that I was not interested, politely of course. I kept saying “thank you but I’m not interested”. The caller kept insisting to explain their deal further. Eventually I had to say, “Excuse me, I have told you I am not interested and please do not call us again.”

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