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Tropical Grand Vacations

Tropical Grand Vacations review: A professional holiday scam 22

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Author of the review
7:37 am EDT
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This review was chosen algorithmically as the most valued customer feedback.

Holiday scam - they gave the name tropical grand vacations and also gave us the site www.Calypso.
Com to view.
My husband answer the phone whilst i was out to a very polite but persistant person (Mary) advising about a holiday that we could take to calypso kay resort orlando, also visiting daytona beach and fort lauderdale. There would be a 60-90 minute preview where a buffet brunch would be provided. All we would have to do is pay for our flights and a one-off fee for two adults and two children of £498. He said we couldnt afford it so they said that he could pay half now, which unfortunatley he did. Although we have tried to phone but told all the systems were down and emailed several times - no response or refund.
Please dont be tempted. We now cant afford even a cheap weeks holiday now. Thanks tgv!

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22 comments
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gregory
newbury, GB
Feb 11, 2009 7:54 am EST

10-02-09 I also received a phone call about this holiday.I was scammed out of a lot of money about 2 years ago by a firm called Celebration which went bust. This firm that phoned had all my details and I think its the same people under a different company firm.The person that contacted me was, if its his real name, is STEVE
CLENDANIEL, If this helps anybody else being scammed I will be pleased.Greg

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John
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Sep 29, 2008 5:20 pm EDT

The people had called my father this evening and we have lost nearly one thousand and two hundred dollars these people are criminals and i am only 11 and i know that.

Don't listen to these guys!

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Kevin
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Sep 28, 2008 12:55 pm EDT

These people should be arrested. Stay away. They're bad news. Currently in legal battle to retrieve money taken without consent. Thanks to all on website. Support helps.

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Bob Collyer
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Sep 17, 2008 12:37 pm EDT

Had similar phone call 10 minutes ago from Mike Jones promising me a great holiday. I asked if I needed to pay anything today, he said no, gave me the ten minute spiel and then asked for £249.00 per person!
I told him I wasn't prepared to pay out anything today, it wasn't going to happen. He hung up on me. I smelled a scam and found this site. Moral...never part with your cash without checking first.

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John Green
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Sep 10, 2008 10:12 pm EDT

Interesting to read all these complaints --- we have also been duped way back in November 2007 --- it all sounded great and I gave c.card details as I was promised we could send back package within certain time and get a refund which we did. We have had numerous phone calls, emails, etc and the latest phone call with Sally Jay was three weeks ago when she told us to send a letter authorising them to get monies back from the 'old' company that Tropical Grand Vacations had taken over ---- that was the reason given as to why it was taking so long to get our money. We were also told that they could organise a holiday for us in lieu if they couldn't refund the money --- how stupid -- we had just declined the initial holiday.
We sent the letter she requested us to send by Registered Post International - costing us over A$11.00 but that was over three weeks ago and we haven't heard a thing. I am just about to send another email to Sally Jay - who I must admit was very plausible and friendly on the phone telling me that the new company was doing it's utmost to put things right with all the people owed money, because they were good guys they didn't want to get a bad name.
Some time ago we contacted the American Consulate concerning this but received no help from them except to tell us to contact Amex (our credit supplier)- which we did --- they have travel insurance cover and on the phone they indicated that they would be able to help but then we had a letter saying that we had waited too long to put in a claim. We have lost over $600.00 --- surely there is something we can all do about this --- we are thinking of fronting up in person at the American Consulate with all our copies of emails etc. Our contacts have been Krystal Jones, Sally Jay, Tania (Initally someone called Gerry Mc Kay, and James Anderson. Why do we continue to let America walk all over us? We are pensioners and can't afford to lose this sort of money --- we intend to take it further. If anyone has any ideas we would be interested.

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Renate
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Sep 05, 2008 10:13 am EDT

just some 2 houers ago i get a phone cal...i get a holiday... £485, really good if price of that is more than £3000, i gave my address, but when they was asking my bank details, i told - sorry, i dont want to give them...they put me on hold... i started tocking with men by name RON JORDAN, he asked just 1% of help 4 him, i told, i dont think to give my bank detaiils, they are mine, and only i can have them, so nearly i start trust him, because he shoved me address www.calypsocay.com... its looks i can trust him... and phone nr. [protected]...and i have 30 days to cancel it...i have to give him just 1% help - my bank details...
so... i gave him my address, phone nr, and nearly gave my bank details, when my boyfrind grab the phone of my hends and stop it...i'm vorried now... did they can make something if they know my address, and bank with wot i'm...but not all bank details...
holiday in florida was nice dream...

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Andrew Gardiner
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Sep 03, 2008 6:13 am EDT

I just received their 'offer' by phone and I was interested. I did, however, think it was too good to be true.

When they asked me to pay £498 I told them I was pleased with the offer but wouldn't pay them anything till I had something in writing, even by email.

The fact that they refused to give me anything in writing proved to me that they are dishonest.

This isn't a scam this is theft, and fraud.

It's a real shame that nice people or those under pressure might fall for this, and a greater shame that someone hasn't put them in prison.

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Dave
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Aug 25, 2008 8:54 am EDT

The same thing happened to me back in April and I'm still trying to recover the money. They managed to catch me at the exact time I was looking to book a holiday and unfortunately I was conned into taking up their offer.

All I can suggest to other people who are in the same position is to make a formal complaint to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs - http://www.800helpfla.com/complnt.html . I completed an online complaint form with them just over a month ago and the formal legal paperwork arrived in the post from the US a week or two later. I think that they are going to take the matter up with Matza Marketing Inc. directly under US/Florida state law on my behalf. Make sure the detail you give is as comprehensive as possible and provide them with as much of a paper trail as you can - hopefully some of these so-called 'agents' who have been calling through will have been stupid enough to use their real names, which means that they stand to be prosecuted further down the line if the company is not legit. Both Stephen Rice and Tiffane Jordan seem to be names which have cropped up several times - it's just a matter of time before this pair get sorted out.

Incidentally, I tried to cancel the holiday on four separate occasions, having still not received the documents/proof of payment etc more than four months later! I gave up dealing wiith those f****** idiots ages ago because they just don't get it. I might just pay their offices a visit when I head over there later in the year...I will keep everyone posted on whether or not I see the $750 again!

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Emma
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Aug 18, 2008 6:46 am EDT

I got a call from them over the weekend 16th Aug 2008 it is the same as above you press 9 get through to an over enthusastic american who tell you that you have won a holiday I stop her in her tracks and ask her is it going to cost me anything and do I have to hand over my credit card details she tell me she tell me "No you dont give me your card details " and them proceeds to spend spends ten min telling me all about it . I had nothing better to do that Saturday so thought I would see what she had to say. I then got put through to "the Directior" who told me I can have this hoiday worth £4000 for £250 I then told her I was not intrested and that to be honest I have just stayed on the phone as I was board this afternoon and thought I would amuse myself. she then told me that I have just been paying for this phone call and calls me swetheart, I ask her how much and she tells me it cost $5 connection and then £5 min after that so I think it may have cost me about £60 but I have not checked my bill yet to see if this is correct.

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Joe
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Aug 16, 2008 3:30 am EDT

thanks for the report they called me today 5th august 2008 and telling me the same as like you that £249 per person trip in florida for 11 day and asking for credit card details i am lucky that i read your testimonial and told them call me tomorrow i need to make desition . now i will refused them thanks so much .

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Joe
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Aug 16, 2008 3:28 am EDT

I received a phone call From Tropical Grand Vacations also congratulating me on winning a holiday with 80% off the original price, for an 11 day stay. That included a stay at calypso resort (5 star hotel), stay at Daytona Beach Miami and a stay at Lauderdale and also included 2 hopper passes. The only payments we had to make and arrange were our flights and also the amount of 398 that they were asking for, guess what I fell for it gave my card details over the phone and within seconds the money had been withdrawn out of my account... i tried to ring back and it now says they are closed. The number they gave me was completely different to when i rang 1471 and this number isnt reconised at all. When I rang my bank the companies name was different to the phone call. They sound very convincing and genuine.
They also say they give you 30days to cancel when receiving all your paper work and dont worry we want you to have a vacation not a divorce with your husband and also there is no problem in giving us your details over the phone.

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Tara Lang
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Aug 14, 2008 4:20 am EDT

Happened to me today...I did not look at this site first been sucked in! called my bank they cant stop the money and low and behold I can not contact the company back! I asked several times during the call no money to be taken - they said no every time! Now going to take this as far as i can as this is appauling and i hope that the calypso hotel etc realise the bad press they are recieving throughout the world! What a joke and I only have myself to blame.

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Joe
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Aug 11, 2008 9:39 am EDT

Tropical Grand Vacations
Posted: 2008-08-10 by Anne Murdoch [send email]
Fake holiday offer scam

Complaint Rating:
Company information:
Tropical Grand Vacations
Florida
United States
www.tropicalgrandvacations.com

I received a phone call on May 18, 2008 from Tiffane Jordan of Tropical Grand Vacations, USA offering me an 11 day holiday for 4 in Orlando & Daytona, Florida to be taken within the next l8 months. It was transferable & expendable with no restrictions. It sounded too good to refuse, so I gave my credit card details knowing there was a 30 day cool-off period. The following day, I decided not to go ahead with the deal so tried ringing the number they provided for 2 days. It does not exist in the USA. Its a Northern Ireland number. The internet address given to me does not exist.

I googled TGV. The phone number for "Australia" is actually for the Calypso Bay Resort in Florida. I spoke to them to cancel the offer& left my phone & email details & still haven't heard back. I canceled my credit card that day, but it was too late, they'd already debited my account. I've not received anything from Matza Ltd or TGV in 2 1/2 months & of course my cool off period has well & truly expired. I'm now trying to recoup the money they debited & would appreciate hearing from someone involved in Matzo Ltd of Tropical Grand Vacations urgently. I've been duped, sucked in & scammed & am very unhappy.

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Joe
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Aug 10, 2008 6:33 am EDT

Total set of ### !

They hang on the phone for ages and let me check them out with the better business bureau based in Florida.

The BBB say there have been no complaints, but the BBB doesn't endorse companies.

This doesn't mean a thing to say Tropical grand vacations are with the BBB, they are not regulated and can take your money and have no come back.

What a load of #unts. Robbing people who want a cheap holiday, people who may have very little money and think this is a holiday of a life time.

If it sounds "TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE ", that because

IT IS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE!

Never give out credit card detail to anyone full stop !

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JULIE ASTON
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Aug 10, 2008 5:44 am EDT

Tropical Grand Vacations Complaints - Fake Holiday offer scam
Review all Tropical Grand Vacations complaints
Tropical Grand Vacations
Posted: 2008-08-10 by Anne Murdoch [send email]
Fake Holiday offer scam

Complaint Rating:
Company information:
Florida
United States

I received a phone call on May 18, 2008 from Tiffane Jordan of Tropical Grand Vacations, USA offering me an 11 day holiday for 4 in Orlando & Daytona, Florida to be taken within the next l8 months. It was transferrable & extendable with no restrications. It sounded too good to refuse, so I gave my credit card details knowing there was a 30 day cool-off period.
The following day, I decided not to go ahead with the deal so tried ringing the number they provided for 2 days. It does not exist in the USA. Its a Northern Ireland number. The internet address given to me does not exist.
I googled TGV. The phone number for "Australia" is actually for the Calypso Bay Resort in Florida. I spoke to them to cancel the offer& left my phone & email details & still havent heard back . I cancelled my credit card that day, but it was too late, they'd already debited my account. I've not received anything from Matza Ltd or TGV in 2 1/2 months & of course my cool off period has well & truly expired. I'm now trying to recoup the money they debited & would appreciate hearing from someone involved in Matzo Ltd of Tropical Grand Vacations urgently. I've been duped, sucked in & scammed & am very unhappy.

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HOLLY
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Aug 09, 2008 3:17 pm EDT

I had a call today from this company i had no intention of giving any details but let them say their speil! It is very tempting as they say all the things you want to hear.They told me i would py £398.00 for a £4000 holiday to florida, Datona beach and a cruise in the Bahamas this would amount to much more than £4000 in reality! The give away was when he was transferring me to the so called 'managing director' to personally congratulate me on my 'win' only to forget to press the hold button and i heard him shout to someone on the other side of the room 'Alliff ive got one here, your being the managing director' ha ha it was hilarious but DO NOT BE FOOLED by this scam if it seems yo good to be true it usually is!

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JULIE ASTON
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Aug 09, 2008 3:28 am EDT

regarding th comment made by Tiffane Jordan Reservations at Tropical Grand Vacations.
Why is it then if you try and cancel before the set 28 days you cannot get a refund, as your company did the same to me. We were contacted by phone by your relative Mr Jordan saying that we could have a 14 night holiday which consisted of nights in Datona, Florida etc. Unfortunately we saw all these complaints regarding your company on this site, but it was too late, as you had already taken our money immediatley when we gave our credit card details to you. I was told by your Tania that I could have an immediate refund. I have e-mailed her four times now and she has not replied to any of them, let alone refunded our hard earned money. I am still waiting since the 23rd of July 2008. Mr Jordan promised flights from Manchester at discounted prices and quoted that if we give at least 4 months and book within that time the flights would be £120.00 per person as you could get discounted prices, when we looked on the flight site you gave to us they were over £500 four months in advance!. So you can agree your company will worry people and be suspicious of a Florida Holiday package which seems too good to be true. Regarding the satisfied customers - when I looked at your site there were a total of 2 people which only wrote a couple of lines?.

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Tiffane
Longwood, US
Aug 08, 2008 12:48 pm EDT

There are many companies that offer these types of vacations. We here at Tropical Grand Vacations do indeed provide the customer with accomodations at many locations. We have many satisfied customers who do travel with us. In other words they get more than they have paid for. If you are not interested in taking advantage of a holiday and do not want to make that purchase...please don't give out credit card details... when you do we make it VERY clear that you are PAYING TODAY. We are a fully licensed and bonded travel agency in the State of Florida, you can always check that information out .
Tiffane Jordan Reservations Tropical Grand Vacations

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kathleenrobson
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Aug 08, 2008 6:02 am EDT

same thing happened to me one hour ago
I refused my visa number felt it was too good to be true then checked out tropical grand vacations and calypsocay .com
obviously my suspicions were founded.
many thanks

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chrissy
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Aug 08, 2008 4:21 am EDT

same just happened to me today, , , , , but hung up before they had time to do any scamming thanks

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Onika
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Jul 31, 2008 10:31 am EDT

I received a call today, and I asked them to call me back once I had my card - as this would allow me the time to do some research beforehand.

Paula Jones' (Promotion Director) information regarding card processing and authorisation of the initial payment they required and the hard sell of a prize did raise my suspicions.

Having delved som more, the compnay website information is also inadequate.

I am very grateful for your comments as this has given me all of the information I need to make my decison.

Stay clear!

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Anonymous
Brighton, GB
Jul 29, 2008 4:13 am EDT

Tropical Grand Vacations SCAM
HAHAHAHA HERE ARE THERE REAL DETAILS!
There REAL number is ( from the UK ) IS
001-[protected]
and NOT the number they provide you with.
I also got scammed by theese con artists .
I received a call with an automated voice saying that i had WON a holiday & to press 9 to claim it. Once I pressed 9 I was put through to a guy who CONGRATULATED me on WINNING the holiday! he went on to tell me about the wonderfu holiday that i had supposidly WON . After a long pitch about this holiday that i had WON i was put through to
Paula Jones Promtional Manager from Tropical Grand Vacations Scammer number 2 who went onto tell me in a 2nd lengthy pitch about the 3 different luxury locations/ places I and 3 others would be staying at . I was told to type into my address bar the calipsocay. com to look at it and was then told that i needed to provide my card details so the holiday I had WON from them would be valid. I stupidly gave her my number and was then asked to wait as I was put through to Barbara Megrew from Tropical Grand Vacation Scammer number 3 from there financing department to give her my details which I thought odd as I had allready given my details to Paula Jones from Tropical Grand Vacations Scam . When I spoke to Barbara Megrew from Tropical Grand Vacations Scam and I was told to NOT ASK ANY QUESTIONS about what was being asked whilst I was answering her questions which was being taped apparently for MY security & TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS AFTER the TAPED CALL .When she started to tell me that I would not be staying at the hotels I had been told about and that I would be asked to provide 3 different choices and they would give me the choice that was available & not the holiday that I had supposidly WON I DID ask a question whilst being taped and the question was CAN I PLEASE HAVE A REFUND and her answer was YES you have 30 days to get a refund .
As soon as I put the phone down i Googled Tropical Grand Vacations and found out that Tropical Grand Vacations have been operating under different names for a number of years scamming people out of there money then going bancrupt once they had peoples money . I immediatly called my bank to stop Tropical Grand Vacations from taking my money and i ws too late it took them 5 miniutes to take out my money from my bank which was not authorised by me . I stopped all of my cards etc and the bank told me they were going to investigate .
I got a name from the internet who is linked to ALL of theese scams.
Stephen Rice from Tropical Grand Vacations has been scamming people out of there money for years using different names when in fact they are not companies just scam artists.
I called the number provided by Tropical Grand Vacations which is the same number on the Calipsocay.com web-site and got answer machine messages in the hours of buisness that they provided for people in the UK from 5pm until 11pm and repeatlidy got an answer phone message asking me to wait and wait . I had a thought and it WORKED
I did a 1471 on my phone and with-held my number when low and behold they picked up the telephone call .
I spoke to Carol Adames from Calipsocay.com who was suprised i got through to there number and she asked me why i wanted a refund i told her that i just did and she said you have read whats on the internet haven't you and again i told her that all i wanted was a refund for my money . I was told me to wait for my package I told her that i wanted a refund now and to not bother sending me a package for anything . After a lenghty talk I was given Tropical Grand Vacationd REAL number & the first person who answered was a startled Sarah Saring from Tropical Grand Vacations who firstly was very suprised that i had there number . I was asked why i wanted a refund and i told her that it was none of her buisness and that all i wanted was my money back that they took out of my account . She said you have read about us on the internet haven't you and she thenwho told me to wait for my package I told her to keep my package and that it took them 5 miniutes to take my money out of my bank and that I wanted my money put back in my bank . She was very angey and verbally abusive and she shouted at me she told me that I was stupid for accepting a holiday if i had cancer and that i should not travel or go on holiday and she was very spiteful ( i wont go into everything she said right now ) she told me she could not refund my money when asked why she told me that she was not from the finance deprtment and that i would have to wait for my package so i asked her to put me through to there finance department and i was placed on hol for a few seconds when I was then put through to a lady called Linda from Tropical Grand Vacations who was even more angry spiteful and rude than the lady that put me through to her and she shouted at me telling me i was a stupid grown woman and that i should not give my details out to people in another Country on the phone and that i should learn my lesson from this and that i should not go on holiday with a medical condition and she would not let me get a word in edgeways . I told her that i went to LA last year and was going again in a few weeks time and that her information on going on holiday with an existing medical condition was absolutly none of her buisness and I made it clear that her manner was not only rude and intimidating but i would also be lodging more complaints about them not only to the police but i would also let everyone on the internet no what scam artists they were as I was extreemly shocked at her angry manner and if talking to someone in the manner she spoke to me is customer services then she and her assistant should not be a customer service rep as i have never known anyone from any company to talk to people the way i was spoken too . I wont go into all of the details right now however she was extreemly spiteful and rude and at the end of her discusting talk i was told i would receive a refund and that it would take from 5 days to 30 days to get back and then she put the phone down on me. Thankfully my bank sorted this out proptly and i received a refund for the money they stole from me . I would advise anyone to call the direct number i have given or with-hold youre number when tring to get trough to Tropical grand Vacations as they pick u the phone when that is done . They have our numbers on there system and they are not going to pick up a call from people they have allready scammed . I hope this helps and for anyone thinking about accepting the " YOU HAVE WON A HOLIDAY " from Tropical Grand Vacations or there counterparts please do NOT as they are scammers and have been doing this for years and have scammed people out of millions over the years .