"Sweepstakes prize"?

Question

I got a call that said that if we attend a 90 minute seminar for Blue Ridge resorts, that we'll get 4 r/t airline tickets and a Visa gift card. I'm always skeptical and I know you don't get anything for "free", so I asked her what was in it for them. She said this is how they do promotions, and it's worth it for them to get us to listen to their presentation.

Has anyone else done this and actually received airline tickets that worked?

I'd appreciate hearing from anyone who has done this, or known someone who has.

Thanks.

Answer 1

The tickets are usually heavily restricted--- lots of blackout dates where you can't redeem them and a short lifespan, like only valid for 60 days. You also will have to pay some processing fees to redeem them, as well as all taxes (you always have to pay the taxes, even if you're redeeming your frequent flyer miles). The taxes aren't so bad but the fees might be kind of steep. So you might listen to the speech and end up with tickets that can't be actually redeemed for anything. You also might have to split the party up-- even though you have 4 tickets, the airline might only allow 2 to be redeemed on the same flight, so you'll have to travel in pairs or singles.

Usually the 90-minute presentation spills over to the rest of the weekend, too; like you'll stop for a drink in the resort's bar and when the bartender asks you how your drink is, you'll say "it's very good" and he'll launch into a long speech about how the resort is so awesome. So expect the hard sell well outside the official 90-minute presentation and a lot of follow-up calls when you get home.

Overall I don't think it's really worth it just for some free airline tickets.

Answer 2

It'll probably "work" (you'll probably get the free things they promised), but you're right to be cautious. The 90 minute seminar will most likely be a hard-sell where you're pushed into paying a lot more than you would have if you'd just paid for the trip in the first place. They're betting they can make more in sales than they will lose in "free" travel etc. They do it all the time, so it's probably a safe bet.