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Won a Chevy Spark from World ConnectSo by now you have either received, or shortly will receive a phone call from someone saying they are from a company called “World Connect” I received my 3rd call for this year on Tuesday, and was informed that I was one of 15 finalists for a competition that I entered via sms on the 30th of June. 30th of June…that’s odd for a couple reasons. However on this particular Tuesday afternoon I was feeling upbeat and was happy to talk to the consultant on the phone for a while to see what he had to say. Apparently I had entered this competition to win a Chevy Spark, and I was one of 15 finalists. I was also informed that “no matter what” I would win one of the other prices which comprised of Quad Bikes, GPS, Ice Makers, Weekend Away packages etc. The catch of course, is that I had to attend the draw held in Midrand, and it was insisted that I brought my wife with me. After informing the person on the other side of the phone that my wife would not be able to attend, he insisted that I had to have her there to sign when I won (not a legal requirement just out of interest). Obviously since I had heard this pitch before during the year – but on previous occasions I had just told them I could not attend- I asked the consultant if this was a time share sales pitch. I was informed that it was most definitely not. So my next question was, “are you sure you are not going to try sell me something, cause I get a lot of calls which are total bull$!*^ ” I was interrupted at that point with “Mr ***** this call is recorded for your security and I know that there are people like that out there, but I promise this is real and you have won a prize” Ok hang on a second… There are only 15 finalists, of which I am one of them by some miracle considering I have not entered this competition, but it doesn’t matter what time I choose to go I will be there for the draw. Dinner? What if I go at 2?, and what if I can ONLY go at 2 but the other 14 people agree to go at 6pm, then what??? Clearly this is a total scam, but I’m still playing along on the phone. “Great, I can’t wait, can you send me directions” I asked. 2 minutes after hanging up from the consultant of World Connect, I decided to do a search in Google for “World Connect” (possibly what you have just done to get here) and what a big surprise, there are tons of sites with literally HUNDERDS of complaints about this company. The exact same speech given to each person, and the same number that you can call back on, which just rings. Now granted I am not going to the draw tonight, but from everything I have read on the websites from people who DID attend, it is a sales pitch to buy some type of ‘time share’. When I received a call from the ‘event co-ordinator’ this morning to give me directions, I said to the person “listen, I really don’t wanna go to anything that is going to try sell me time share or try make me buy something” the reply was “ok bye” and the phone was quickly put down by the person on the other end. City: All Country: South Africa Related posts: October 22nd, 2009 | Category: Fraud and Scams |
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108 comments to Won a Chevy Spark from World Connect |
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O goody….Just got the exact same speech.
Thank goodness for your review.
Isn’t it illegal to advertise a competition and then not actually give away the prize?
And who does get the prize at the end of the day?
The hosts themselves?
Typical South Africa.
Yes, you would think it would be illegal, however they are very clever with their wording, and clever with how they give away the car…
Admittedly, I have not gone to their ‘prize giving evening’ but from people I have spoken to, there is a draw that takes place, if you’re lucky numbers are drawn, then you win the car. You will probably find that your chances are as good as winning the lottery. (Let me just re-state, I have not been there, the above is just from what I have heard and my own assumptions).
They do however ALWAYS give away a prize, by “they” I am referring to every company like World Connect. They will give you a prize that costs them nothing, so if they happen to own a timeshare scheme, then they would give you a “free holiday” which would only be valid during the week (their nice and quiet time) and you usually have to pay a levy, or a booking charge, so they even make some money from you. The worst case scenario, they have to put you up for a night or two in one of their hotels/B&B’s etc whilst receiving minimal funds in return, but they might possibly give you exposure to a place that you really like and end up returning to as a full paying customer, or even end up paying for the original deal they were trying to get you to sign. This puts them in a win-win situation.
I think due to the fact that they give away SOMETHING every night, they get away from been sued.
Glad that you took the time to search for it and found this review, and hopefully it saved you time, money and frustration
Hello, just found your blog but I have to admit that it seems nice. I fully agree with you. Have a nice day, keep up the great work and I will definitely keep reading.
Hey, nice post. I stumbled upon this blog, but I will definitely visit regularly. Have a great day.
Thank GOODNESS! The review was word for word what has been happing to me this week: I’ve been bugged by these people for the best part of last week… The draw is tonight, and I realy do not have time to waist! I asked these people the following questions:
1) Is there a presentation of any sort? No.
2) Are you representing a other company? No.
3) Are you part of any timeshare, holiday package or telephone sales? No.
4) Am I going to waist my valuable time? No.
I thought this was too good to be true! If I had to ask time off from my already swamped desk, and left work early to attend to this scam – geee! They would’ve heard a lot from me tommorrow!
Thank you for the review!
Wow, very interesting! Got the call today, was busy @ work asked him to call later. He called 3 hrs later. I believed it because he referred to a raffle ticket for a Nissan Lavina I purchased in October last year @ Greenstone Mall, Edenvale. The draw was supposed to be held end of October. He said draw was post-poned, but had now just been done and my ticket was one of the winners. Price no longer a Nissan, but now a Chevy Spark.Price could not be divulged over the phone, but next Tuesday. Asked if I still had the slip (obviusly no!), said I may be disqualified, but gave me a ref. no, J***. Asked me to bring my ID, valid driver’s license, and witness who should also bring same documents, to come in smart casual for prize presentation, photos with the media. Prize presentation @ 28 Guildford Rd, Carlswald, Midrand, Tuesday 9 Feb, @ 14:00hrs. SMS followed after the call, with venue / time details, Call Centre no. Will go, feedback on Tuesday!!
Prizes are as follows :
1.Chevy Spark (guaranteed)
2.GAMIN GPS
3.Suzuki Quad Bike
4.Apple Nano Ipod
5.Ice Maker
6.Holiday Voucher (Botswana), with family
It will be great if someone does go so that we can get the true facts about what they are really up to. It’s clearly a scam of some sort as nothing they say adds up.
I am looking forward to reading your follow up.
Hi there
Also got the same call on Friday for the 3rd time already. They insist it is not time share/holiday points etc. Luckily I checked the web first. My husband also got the same call last year. Funny how they insist you entered the competition by sms if you know you never did. then they also have the audacity to say it is for charity.
I told them nicely today that we won’t be able to attend!! Who has time to waste on this nonsense?
Hi there…. they’ve been calling me for months now…i get a call from World Connect and another one in Design Quarter….offering the very same prizes. I told them to stop calling, but then a different person calls. WHERE ON EARTH DO THEY GET OUR NUMBERS FROM???
Hi Linda, I’ve had many calls from World Connect, but I have not heard anything from the place in Design Quarter. Do you know what they are called? Would be good to put a review up about them as well to warn people.
My guess is, they have populated a database with EVERY cell phone number in the country. They have some trendy software which allows them to call each number and mark it as a valid number or not. This database then could of course be sold on to someone else, and purhaps World Connect didnt make the database, but maybe they purchased it from another company that has done the above. The above of course is just a guess.
I just had the same call from a person name Bridgette from World Connect. The numbers that were used, 0878052350 and 0878052365. I must be in Midrand at 14h00 on Friday the 5th of March 2010 and I must bring a partner. I never entered a sms competition.
Jay, thank you so much for your report because I also received a call from World Connect, Tracey is the consultant that i must be in Midrand by 18h00 today with a partner and or a friend then i’ve decided to goggle the place before that’s how i read your story…astonished part i didnt remember entering the competition in August 2009 if ever why so long for final draw.
Hi There,
I got the same call on Saterday from Tracey telling me that I won on of 3 prizes. Either a Chery QQ, a Quad bike or a ice machine. And that I would be guaranteed a prize. I was really ecstatic until one of the people I work for got the same call and I decided to look this up.
They are really convincing!!!
She also said that the prize giving will be held on Tuesday 01/03/2011 in New Road, Midrand.
I enter alot of these types of things to win things so I would have been a sucker and would have fallen for their scam!!!
It really sucks cause I thought my luck was finally turning around!
lol, im reading all the stories, same with me, 0878052350 phoned me and i won…lucky i see whats happening…my goal now is to tell them on 2010/03/05 is that i am jobless and that i am gonna bring my whole family to the event (22 persons) to witness my win…wonder who is gonna eat the food when we don’t pitch up… gonna try it.
I worked as a timeshare salesman for about 6 months, our catch was to offer a free meal for two at a good restaurant but when they arrive they have to sit and listen to my presentation first.
The presentation would end when they buy the timeshare or they couldnt wait to leave and would have long forgotten about that free meal…
my brother got caught by one of these okes recently and R25000 later and paying a monthly levy he uses it once a year when available…. TIMESHARE IS A SCAM…If you think otherwise the salesman was really good
I just got called by World connect, they said i had won either a chevy, quadbike, holiday, garmin or icemaker. Is this a timeshare scam? please somebody advise me.
thanks for saving me the trip, got the same call and the same promises of dinner , definately winning something if not the Chevy Spark. I enter a lot of competitions and so would have fallen for this scam. I got the call after requesting insurance quotes online
told them they were a bunch of scammers and the phone wasa thrown down (cell number 087805 2350)
Quick update:
So I’ve done a lot of research into World Connect, I’ve done searches for the phone numbers you have all pasted in your comments and found thousands more websites with complaints about them. However, another interesting factor that I found while on my searching.. They don’t just use the name World Connect, I have found the same complaints down to the letter under a total of 14 different company names, two of which are
Quality Vacation Club :
Need I say more?
Carlswald in the Design Quarter :
As Linda mentioned above, she had the same story from a company at the Design Quater. By doing some crazy amounts of searching I found the same complaints under the name ‘Carlswald’ ….. hang on a second…. isn’t that the address that we have all been given by World Connect??? Read the comment above by Aggrey “28 Guildford Rd, Carlswald, Midrand”
More research done and I noticed a trend with what Rita has said above “I got the call after requesting insurance quotes online” If you have recently requested an online quote, and then received a call from World Connect or Carlsward in Design Quater, let us know.. this could be how they are getting our phone numbers.
I have just received yet another call (3rd this year alone and it’s only March) from World Connect. This has happened to me in prior years as well.
So what do you do if they keep on trying to waste my time? Well, I decided that maybe if I waste their time (and dinner) they will take me of this database as someone costing them money without attending. So, everytime they phone me, I accept their invite. They then phone me on the day to confirm, which I do. I even tell them how excited I am to come and receive my prize. And then just don’t pitch.
Well, this does not work either.
I have now resorted to “So sorry, I am emigrating next month”. The beauty is that they (the wingnuts on the other side of the phone) do not have a script to deal with this answer. AND this even works on telesale calls for insurance and cellphone contracts too!!
I got the call today and the speech! Goodness…talk about power of suggestion! I knew I had not entered a competition nor SMSed a key word in a draw for a car. And then they got to the attendance part…man, I just put the phone down. Thank you very much! Not to be deterred, the young man took that to mean that he could call back. Of course I ignored the call the second time.
I had read about this before, but it was not until it was happening to me that it finally clicked. WHo is selling our contact numbers to there bozos?
Yesses this guys almost got me to, what ever they say is a lie coz, i dont enter competitions even the lotto, so i could have never have entered this.
Anyway they’ll be expecting me tommorrow morning, they should’nt hold their breath.
Tuesday 23 March I received a phonecall with the same speech. After I asked them If there is going to be a presentation, are they going to try to sell any timeshare, holiday package, they answered NO.
On Thursday 25 March we drove 200km to Midrand and was told to sit down and fill in some form. My husband confronted them and they told us we can go through for the luck draw. We “won” a holiday but the e-mail address they gave us to make the booking – http://www.gvc.co.za is only a index page and nothing to display.
I think is time we take these bastards down – What about Carte Blanche???
Its so amazing received the absolutely same call 5 minutes ago. i cannot remember entering any BP win a car competition so found it very strange. i decided to google it and all of these complaints popped up. Thanks for making us aware of these scamsters.
RECEIVED A CALL THIS MORNING SUPPOSE TO BE AT MIDRAND TONIGHT AT 18H00 FOR THE DRAW, THEY CAN KISS MY A*******S
I got a “the call” on friday (30th April), same ref no as other ppl (J351), the prize list has changed a bit – the stakes are now higher (they have replaced the Ice Maker with a Nissan Qashqai). I must say when I got the call I was excited, but 5 minutes later realized that I had never entered no competition, decided to contact Mr Google and voila!!!. I agree with the Carte Blanche expose
wow guys, i am speechless, i am trying to understand how they get away with it? also has anyone ever won the “spark”, i got the call yesterday and they advised that i won the prize, now what i couldnt understand was how can a draw happen at different times also the woman was pressing that i bring my boyfriend with to the event as in she was bullying me!!!!said that if i go in at 14:00 ill be out at 14:30, i advised i have an exam on the ‘draw’ date and was told ill be disqualified and my prize will go to the main winner!!!! i really think Carte Blanche idea is fabulous!!!!
Same thing happened to me today, I was so exited to be part of a prize draw, but the saying goes……….if its too good to be true, it usually is. Luckily I stumbled upon your blog. Thankx a lot. I am not married and they tried to get me to send someone who is, duh.
I was called by Angie 087 805 2365 and told I was one of five finalists to win a Chev Spark and must be at VIP Lodge 28 Guildford Road Carlswald Midrand at 2:00 pm on Friday for the draw. Thank heavens for all your comments exposing it as a scam as I live six hours drive from Jhb and would not have been charmed at all to arrive there to all the b***s*** you have exposed. I agree that Carte Blanche should expose these scumbags and maybe they will stop scamming people.
Hi i just got the exact same call, just wanna know if this really is a scam.
Just received the same call! How do we get Carte Blanch to investigate???
Hi, I got scammed. I believed them after they’ve told me the 10th time, it’s not timeshare, it’s real. I got a weekend for 2 as prize – lotto type draw. The fact that one of the 5 that attended would have won the car, was obviously another blatent lie. Boy oh boy, was I mad. I tried to phone Shiela from World Connect afterwards, but strange enough, just never available to take my call. I can’t believe that World Connect blatantly lies to people and get away. When I spoke to the people at the ‘draw’ I was told, but they did not lie, it’s not timeshare, it’s a point system – I nearly strangled Christopher. I hope Carte Blanche or whoever, can take them on, because this is really a total waste of time to attend. It’s a sick bunch of people.
Well, i was lucky enough to have entered for a chery qq. Now – firstly, I’m a power person – subaru, 4×4, Honda S and cadetts etc etc. Anyhow – so I’ve now entered for a little qq – with my family of 5!!!!!!!! Well, before it could actually go anywhere, the call got cut off and I didn’t get the dear lady’s name. But I’m very glad I looked it up anyhow – I don’t appreciate people who waste my time. Hey – she just called back (Shireen) – and congratulations cause I’m one of the lucky finalists.
Hold thumbs guys – i’m not even married.
The point is that apparently you have to go with your spouse – wonder how i’ll get past that one.
I have to be at Midrand – Guilford Road – @ 14:00 for lunch and the final draw tomorrow nogal and they had the audacity to tell me that I better not be late!!! And apparently people are dying to get entry to this venue (and free meal) since without my special lucky draw number J548 the security guards will not let me in. Shiela and Shireen I am really sorry but I will be busy watching the World Cup opening ceremony and can’t attend the draw after all…. please donate my lunch to the homeless.
And just a hint – did they start calling you just after you placed an advert in the Junkmail… or responded to an advert in the Junkmail?
Got the call today. And yes My add is running today. Junkmail is an easy source of names and numbers.
I just received a call same nonsense and my colleage did sometime ago and she actually went for the evening one and it was just a sales pitch non of the prices they mentioned was won, but there was a draw where she won a voucher for about 300
I just “submit a Story” on the carte blanche website… so let’s see what happens.. Maybe more ppl should actualy submit the story to carte blanche instead of just suggesting it???
@ R.
Good idea indeed.. I will submit this story on their website as well.
Ironically, I received a call last week, the woman on the other side of the phone said “I’m calling in connection with a SMS competition you entered…….” I paused her in mid sentence and asked if she was from world connect. She put the phone down on me, no big surprise. The big surpirse really is that they are not even keeping record of how many times they have called me… I think this makes it about 5.
I also heard about this from my office colleague, same scam from the tracy woman. He googled the company and wow, this is what he found.
Ok Ive just joined the club!!! I am such a sucker for these things because I always enter competitions so I usualy cant remember when where etc. I am learning though and am very greatfull that you guys have this page up else I might just have convinced my poor hubby (Who I might add asked me 100 x are you sure its not a scam????) to go all the way there!!!
So from hubby and I Thank you!! How do I list it as a scam on Carte Blanche? I guess I just go onto their website>>>
Claire
I received the same call but her name was Belinda. i knew that i never enter competitions so i didnt really listen to her in the beginning but she started sounding very serious. she lost me again when she insisted i come with my boyfriend and asked for his number. she said that competition had been running through shoprite (weird coz i dont shop there). so today i decided that before i waste my time and go to midrand let me google their number(087 805 2350) and came across this page. im still waiting for her to call me and give me the address in midrand.im gonna give her a piece of my mind.oh and their prize has been changed to a Cherry instead of a spark.
I can’t believe this I have received another call from them telling me I have won a competition, a chance to win a cherry GG a competition I entered last year!! So I asked where and she said in Kempton just told her sorry I can’t attend!! Who is this company?
Hi, I just received a call from Elizabeth. O87 165 5443. Said that the draw will take place at Monateng Safari Lodge in Pretoria on Saterday 11hoo. Ref nr. J***. Is this a scam or not? Must I go? Also the Lunch thing was mentioned. I’m in Witbank and it’s not far. But my husband said that he’ll moer someone if it’s a scam…!!!
Yes it is a scam. Don’t go. I got the same call today from a Patric.
What can we say – different company same modus operandi it seems (I had a call from Pinnacle on the Westrand last year). When they phoned me on Monday (2nd) I was apprehensive but definitely interested because I could “really, really” do with a new car – nothing ventured nothing gained but I will most certainly not be going tonight (4th August) after receiving confirmation from all you kind people that it is a scam. I phoned Tracey this morning 073-133-5150 and asked diplomatically what the programme was for this evening and after a very rude and abrupt answer told me to phone Lizzy on 087-805-2365. Lizzy was a little more polite and assured me no agenda no programme not a time share scam just be there the draw will take place, then prize giving followed by a nice dinner. Yeah right. Where do they get your cell phone numbers from.
I got a call today from Interways. The prize at Tuesdays draw is a Cherry QQ with the obligatory quad bikes, holidays, weekend away and ice makers for those who miss out on the car!!! Everyone will go home with a prize! They are also throwing in the 2 free meal vouhers – this one is at the Design Quarter (well actually they couldn’t tell me the name of the shopping centre because they are ‘not familiar’ with the area but it’s at the corner of William Nicol and Leslie = Design Quarter) and that I will get a call on Monday with details and directions. My reference number is J231. I was called by Kelly 0878052390 and I should expect a call from the events coordinator Anna on Monday with details. I was given a ‘hotline’ number should I have any queries 0878052390. I was told I have to be there by 6:00 and gates close at 6:20 sharp so if I’m late I won’t be able to get in. Figured it was all a scam to decided to google it. So, I just wanted to warn all to beware of the new name used in these scams – Interways!
Yes, my husband and I almost attend the prize giving draw tomorrow, 11 August 2010 at 14:00 at 28 Guildford, Carlswald, which mean it would have been travelling costs, UNPAID leave, etc. if I did not look up on internet to make sure about the safety and honesty of World Connect. I was also told by Johan, number 0878052365 that I won a sms competition after a charity event, and if not the lucky price winner of the car, I will definite go home with one of the other prices, such as a dream vacation or weekend break (in Kenia!) icemaker, quad bike, etc. and then the free dinner at the restaurant thereafter! They almost catch me! Luckily for this website I can now avoid this disappointment tomorrow by just not goiing! (Lucky ticket number J449)
I see somebody mentioned that they could maybe get your details from Junk Mail. That’s makes me wonder about the safety of advertisements nowadays on this network? Can anybody complain? They could get my number there, as I currently advertise a stove on the website. Just after my advertisement, I had various sms’s and phone calls (I still have the numbers!) where people asked me my bank details so that they can pay in the money for the stove so that I keep it for them. What makes me suspicious, is the fact that I was not asked the age of the stove, neither requested to see it, no, everybody was just interested in the bank details to pay in the money!!! I therefore requested the safety of giving out my bank details from my local branch. They told me never to supply the details of a account where your salary is paid into, nor a cheque book account, as a stop order / debit order can be placed against this account (it seems as if the details of a savings account is save and thus better) I therefore, just to see what is going to happen, supplied them with the details of my overdraft account, where money can be paid into, but nothing can be drawn from. I received an e-mail with “proof of internet payment” and request to immediately deliver the stove. I however promised to deliver within the next day or two, as our vehicle was at that stage not available. Now, more than a week later, the money is still not available in my account, and I have not received any calls regarding the fact that I have not delivered the stove yet! I was also interested in buying a pug puppy advertised in the Junk mail for R750, and request if it was still available. I first receive a photo of the puppy, with a few questions, but after my reply to that, received an e-mail back, mentioned it will be delivered at my home once I supplied my address as well as proof of payment (suddenly not R750 anymore, but 290 DOLLAR together with delivery charges! Maybe thus from someone outside the country? I therefore accept it as a scam, and just let them now I am not interested anymore. Is it thus safe to place advertisements on junk mail? I seem as if junk mail is misused by all the wrong people nowadays! Please comment if anyone had the same experience?!
I just got the call and it cut because of bad signal before I could get the whole speech.What I do is tell them how excited I am about winning and hope I get the jacuzzi or something.I take the directions and promise to be there but never attend .If on the day they contact me I say I took a wrong turn and not sure where I am and ask them to please wait for me. I have attended one such session in the past and won the weekend away .When you contact that company you soon realise that they are also a timeshare co and the circle continues.Best is just waste there time like they do ours.
Odd, i just received a call from the number 0878052350. I didn’t answer but a message was left… same thing, i won an sms competition… a thing that i never entered. I googled the number and this page came up! Good thing too. Thanks!
I just received my call 0878052365. I’m 1 of 5 finalist who have entered a sms competition and I have definitely won 1 of 5 prizes and I in the draw for a Chery! Guess i will confirm and just not pitch!
mmmmmmmm Just searched for the address 28 Guildford etc….we actually went to the presentation / draw thing. Being sceptical and having asked my wife whether this was timeshare etc….I was suspicious. I noiticed that there were no signs etc except VIP Offices….being a corporate animal this immediately wondered why there was no branding etc or material related to the type of business enterprise etc….ok so in we go to aroom with a DVD player and large screen television and a clipboard asking for personal details…id…address…LSM category etc AND the biggie “do you own any form of holiday accomodation?” Needles to say I filled in the form with totally bogus info such as Mr URA Wonker, Address 12 Hotashell Street Mars, Tel 0860 FARKYOU etc some of the stuff I cannot…. At the entrance
Next thinng in rushes a burly bloke who thought he would intimidate me and tries to rush me out of the rear exit….mmmmm mistake…this boy is going out the same way he came in…through front with a lot of noise so that everyone can hear. The funny part about this is that he was more angry than I was as I caught him red handed at his own data fishing expedition….
Ok so what am I on about…I am careful about who I provide personal details like i.d. numbers etc to as it is becoming easier and easier to commit id fraud.
All in all an amusing Teusday afternoon – Stupid Wonkers