Westin "scratch offs"

Driving into Galion to go to Tropical Wave this morning we we approached by a nice French dude with scratch offs for the Westin. My wife scratched and we had 3 "7"s which he said was a miracle and we just made his week because the commission off that ticket would net him $400. After hearing the prizes, either $1000 gift card for the island, 4 night stay at the Westin, or an iPad (cheapest model probably) that we could win after the 1.30h sales pitch we politely declined. I figure the winning of the top two prizes was slim pickings and a cheap iPad that I already own wasn't worth an hour of my time.

Has anyone else gotten one of these 3 x "7"s and actually gone to the Westin to check it out? He said they give out 1 card with this prize per day on the island. Other gifts included free drinks, a bottle of champagne etc on other cards, I would find it hard to believe people would give up 1.30h of their vacation for such trivial prizes.

Thoughts?

Oldest trick in the book! Unless your interested just say no thanks and walk away

Those tickets are ALL winners, and the 1 hour presentation is at least 2 hours, and very high pressure. As the other poster said, unless you are seriously interested (or maybe if it's pouring rain), I would skip it.

Everyone wins and no one wins. Every card is a winner. 1.5 hours will turn into half a day and you will find strings attached to the prize. He only makes the commission if you buy.

Yesterday there were two young ladies at Orient flagging down cars with the same pitch

I feel so much better now. I figured it was with some strings attached. I attach an "hourly rate" to my life and even the free iPad wasn't worth my time since I'm not buying.

I had 3 "7's" a few years ago on the boardwalk in Philipsburg. All I "had" to do to get the $500 shopping spree was to go to an hour presentation (don't remember which hotel this was for). I politely declined to spend even a few minutes of my vacation listening to sales pitch.

We just wave back at those folks who try to flag us down in oyster pond. On the boardwalk, we tell them " we live here". Works every time.

Everybody gets the 3 X"7"s.... They are set up at the entrance to Oyster Bay and on the road to Captain Olivers. Just another scam.

Everything everyone else said.......it's a scam. Just wave them off and keep driving.

<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> Contessa

Every time we cruise to sxm, we here of at least one person say they wasted their whole cruise stop and saw nothing else.

That's so sad.

We did the Dawn Beach Club tour last year since it was raining. As we didn't show interest in paying $25,000 for a timeshare, the tour only took 90 minutes, but we had to wait another 30-40 minutes to see what we won. If you show an inkling of interest, I'm sure you would be there much longer.

Our gift was the 4 night stay which is what most, if not all get. However, the "free" vacation as they call it costs $86 per night. $20 is for the resort fee and $66 is for taxes and the service charge. The Westin charges 5% for taxes and 15% for service, so they're calculating the $66 on a $330 per night room rate even though the rate when we stayed was only $219.

The Westin's rate may be over $300 in high season, but the "free" vacation is blacked out from December 18th to March 31st. So in exchange for one's time for the tour, the Westin is just filling empty rooms in the off-season at a reduced rate.

I thought the government stopped this scam a few years ago.

Congratulations on your win. You, and at least another four or five hundred people also won that huge winning prize!!!! I saw a bunch of people win the same thing at Mullett Bay last month!! Some people were jumping up and down. LOL

No presentation is only 1.5 to 2 hours. It will take much longer...and the prize you win on the ticket probably won't be what you walk out of there with. LOL

It's a SCAM, and has been for years. Those people that work the beach are well trained on giving away the ''winning tickets.'' You were smart not to follow through with it...unless you want to actually buy a place at the Westin.

Just act real excited. Spend a lot of time asking questions on how and where you claim your prize and then blow them off. They are willing to waist your time so return the favor.

This scam has been going on for years...we just said, "We live here" and they backed off quick.

There seems to be more people hawking the time shares this year than in the recent past. A number of years ago they would track you down if you even slowed down on the road or asked for directions. That appeared to almost stop for the last few years, but thus year they are back at almost every speed bump and also down town?

<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Groovin.gif" alt="" />

I think a sign of better sales and maybe more vacationers returning to purchase. A couple of the resorts ( time shares) that we have visited with friends have price lists for units available units with higher than in previous years. Do not know if they are selling again but they appear to be trying!

I generally just say, "No thank you," and keep walking. End of discussion. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

We do the same now Georgia!! Especially the ones on top of the hill in Oyster Pond. They way they stop cars right there is very dangerous.

It's hard for me to say that at Mullet as I'm getting into a white Corolla with the tag R-11. I just say "no thanks, I'm happy with my 3 weeks and need no more....nor do I wish to lose trip time even listening."...as I keep moving.

I got the 3 7's a couple of years back, we went to the presentation. They were very nice not pushy at all. It lasted an hour we got a free lunch 2 drinks each and a cabana on the beach for the day. It was worth the hour.

I used to tell them I lived here but they got to be such a PITA that now I take out my phone & say let me call my friend in immigration so he can come check your papers....They curse me but disappear in a flash!!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" /> I like this method because then they stay out of this area for awhile..... <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" />

We do exactly the same Georgia. I say we actually live here and we could sell you a condo. They then apologize for stopping us and tell us to have a nice day.It is true they can be very annoying, but for the most part they are just trying to make a living.

They are doing their job, they need to make a living. Yes they can be pushy but I just smile and keep walking. They get the message

We always say No Thank-you. They sometimes ask if we live there and we say yes.

Our friend just went and they received 4 nights at The Westin.

Most every day during the past 3 weeks as we traveled by car from near Bikini Beach along the water road towards Club O there were both men and women trying to stop our car, holding up a piece of paper. Most times it was near the Alamanda Resort. We kept moving and waved to them as we passed. After a week they recognized our car and didn't even bother to stand. We did see a few people stop their car to talk to them. I realize they are only trying to make ends meet by trying to get you to scratch off the winning ticket, but it does get annoying. Oh yeah, years ago we also won, but when we wound our windows up and put the car in drive, they backed away from the front of the car.

These guys are French, in what is essentially France. Calling immigration on a Frenchman on the French side would do no good.

We were on island April 17-26 this year and there definitely were more of them than in the last few years - at least our anecdotal experience certainly supports that. I do not mind (too much) people trying to make a living with obnoxious cold call sales jobs but I do mind when they use flat out lies to try to get your interest and when they just will not shut up and leave you alone when you tell them "no thanks - not interested." One guy who approached us at a salt pond parking lot was really a pain - we were trying to discuss our own plans and he would not shut up and go away.

Since when is the Westin on the French side? I'm confused..

They may be French but they harass people on the Dutch side of the island also. They really are a PITA and a few of them even get nasty after you tell them you are not interested. One morning they were in the Mullet Bay Beach parking lot, when security came by and they took off like rats.

Even on a holiday this morning in Marigot, I still got approached. I have to say this seems like this is the most I have seen of these people. It's almost like they are gremlins and they got wet and multiplied.

Because it is illegal for them to hawk timeshares on the street on the Dutch side, the Westin hawkers all work the French side.

Oh, ok. But what about the people who stand by the side of the road going by the ATrium and Buccaneer, etc.?

Another way to send them on their way, is to tell them this is your last day on the island going home tomorrow.

Remember in the 90's? The speed humps near the Saphire seemed to be so that they could jump out at you? <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Yikes.gif" alt="" />

We succumbed to this scam this past February. After 90 minutes they weren't finished and we told them their time was up. Our lovely sales lady immediately became a sulky bitch. What we "won" was also the 4 night stay that would cost us $86 as mentioned by bksm. With black out dates totally useless to us and as expensive as the nice studio we rent in Orient. So, we learned our lesson. Never again. I lost about 3 hours of my precious vacation time to those scumbags!

Carol, They actually have an onsite booth on the street there. Or they just disregard the laws.

They pull up in cars or run from along side buildings in Simpson Bay all the time & they are French without papers to work on the Dutch side. We cannot walk anywhere in season without them approaching us. When we are in the car they leave us alone because we have resident plates.

ALL of the tickets are "winners". The folks who give the tickets out put on quite an act. On the other hand, the property is excellent.

I ask them if they want to buy my timeshare at Caravanserai!!!

A few years back we scratched off our ticket and had "Three Fishes" which the girls said they had never seen before and it was a 1 in a million chance of winning. As a result of my winning ticket I have now been the owner of the Island of Saint Maarten for 3 years. As owner of the Island you are all welcome to continue to vacation here as long as you wish. All because I had THREE FISHES!!!!

Heck, I won St. Barts.

Here is my take on this. This could be very dangerous, much like the "Bump and run" where you get a "good" tap and then you get out only to find that there guys hiding and quickly rob your car while you're assessing the damage. This happened to a friend of mine around Terra Basin area. LOL they picked the wrong guy!! Former Marine head of HLS-ATF!!! That didn't end well for those guys!!! But stopping for these people that look like they are on the side of the road broke down or flagging people down for a "free" vacation could lead to much worse things. I won't even stop for a flat tire!! Just not worth our safety and our lovely time at "our home away from home"!!! IMHO Don't ever stop!

<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Rofl.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Rofl.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Rofl.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Rofl.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/duh.gif" alt="" />

BTW.. it's "Terres Basses"..... not Terra Basin <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

I had that happen a good number of years ago at Orient. My reply was to ask if I could do the tour naked. The pusher laughed and went away.