Bali scam (longish)
 

A recent Fodors bulletin about popular scams prompted me to post this. It was going to be part of my trip report, but that's grossly overdue, so I'll post this out of context.

Nobody likes to admit they’ve been suckered, but if nobody owns up, nobody will be warned. In our defence, at least we didn’t buy.

Here’s how it went. It’s June last year, we’re in Sanur, haven’t got any plans for the afternoon and decide to pick up a few things at the supermarket, Hardy’s Grosir on the main drag, Jl. Danau Tamblingan. As we walk out, we’re accosted by a pleasant young man handing out win-a-prize tickets, courtesy of the Bali Tourism Board or some such. The prizes are a Sony video camera, or US$500 in cash, or a week in a resort. Amazingly, we win the camera! All we have to do to claim our prize is attend a one-hour presentation on Bali tourism, with a cab there and back provided. In fact, he’ll escort us, because he gets to claim extra commission for selling the winning ticket.

Anyway, we’re whisked off to an office on Jl. Uluwatu in Jimbaran, about 15 minutes away, where we’re excitedly informed that “our manager, Chris, will see you! He’s Australian too!” (oh, goody).

After registering at the reception desk we’re greeted by a genial Chris, who ushers us into a large room filled with desks, all occupied by obvious company representatives talking to mostly Asian couples. From the “Royal Resorts” posters on the walls it’s clear that this operation has nothing to do with any tourism authority.

“Chris” sits us down, orders coffee and with no sense of urgency starts a meandering monologue dealing mostly with his past career in Adelaide, his family and his decision to move to Bali. As an old salesman myself I can see we’re in the rapport-building phase, which I can do without. Eventually, after quite a bit of prodding, he comes reluctantly to the point, which is an outlandish timeshare offer involving several weeks of guaranteed luxury accommodation every year in one of Royal Resorts’ many properties or, through reciprocal deals, hundreds of others of staggering luxury - chateaux in France, villas in Tuscany, a Manhattan club - for a tiny charge.

Time drags, and our increasingly testy attempts to extract the price of this once-in-a-lifetime offer are getting nowhere as our new best friend doggedly grinds through his script. We’re introduced to his boss, a decidedly unpleasant-looking New Zealander, the sales pitch groans on, and we allow ourselves to be taken off to see an example of a Royal Resorts property, a moderately flash apartment in a gated complex not far away. Later I suspect that it’s been rented for the purpose.

I suppose a sensible person would have left well before now. Probably some long-dead Scottish ancestor was sending me a message from beyond the grave.

Back in the office, the pressure is ratcheted up. To take advantage of this staggering opportunity we must sign on the dotted line right now, or miss out on a golden opportunity. Of course we can have our lawyer back in Australia review the contract and bail out then if we want to, but on no account can we take it away unsigned, nor will we get anything in writing summarising the deal, or even a hint of the bottom line.

At this point we politely inform “Chris” that we’ve had our intelligence insulted enough for one day and would appreciate our promised taxi back to Sanur. Faced with our churlish ingratitude our new mate’s demeanour turns frosty; his boss, informed in sorrowful tones of our failure, turns downright nasty and fixes us with a malevolent glare when I tell him that despite having been silly enough to turn up here, we haven’t come down in the last shower.

Of course the company’s entire stock of Sony Handycams has vanished, but not to worry – the consolation prize is a week in a probably non-existent Royal Resorts property in Goa. Subject to availability, that is. We also get a dinner voucher (worth the grand sum of perhaps $20) and the promised taxi.

On the way out we notice that business is still brisk – a few Westerners but many more Asians, some possibly Javanese tourists, are getting the treatment. And they’re still coming through the door. I’m sure they’ve all won the camera.

Incidentally, if you Google “royal resorts scam” you’ll see that this crowd has been very active. Quite a few people claim to have been screwed by them.

Anyway, be warned.

So, the tried and true timeshare scam has hit Bali.

Tourists being lured to timeshare presentations and the subsequent hard sell are common practice in places like Hawaii, Florida and Las Vegas. I've never been approached by a timeshare salesperson outside of the US though - does this go on in Australia too, Neil?

My husband and I were once chased down Daytona Beach by some psycho in a car who was trying to lure us to a timeshare presentation. It was a bit freaky.

These days we can spot a timeshare salesperson a mile away. We then separate, as these folks tend to prey on couples.

I was wondering where that trip report got off to...

Hi, MelnQ8. Re the trip report, I'm now trying to decipher my handwriting - anything I can't understand I'll just have to make up.

Living in unworldly Canberra I hadn't encountered this racket, but I'd be surprised if they haven't turned up somewhere in Australia - the Gold Coast would be a likely location.

There's a sucker born every minute, isn't there? Some time back a lawyer in Melbourne actually fell for a Nigerian email, worse luck for his client's trust fund deposits.

Neil - thanks for the information. On the very few occassions that the Pandas find themselves subject to this type of misleading practice, I abandon all notions of civility and demand that they cut to the chase. The result is a poorly presented, obvious botch job. We decline and exit. At least we don't waste much time.

Neil, Your Scottish ancestor may be spinning 6 feet under, but you sure got me laughing! Sometimes I think the entire Bali real estate market is one massive pyramid scheme. I can't wait to read your entire trip report.

(Actually your account reminded me of the old joke in which a person tells about getting an obscene phone call and complains, "they went on and on for hours!")

Bali, too? You run into these all the time in Mexico, Hawaii, Florida, California. Just be glad it hasn't hit Australia yet. I get offers in the mail all the time for this kind of thing.

Thanks for the heads up about it, Neil.

Time shares now abvailable in Cambridge. republicans especially welcome.

These Cambridge timeshares no doubt involve a lot of ... "Hope"

We got hit with the same type of scam on our first trip to Bali 4 years ago. We were approached in Kuta by two young men and were told we won a $1000 shopping spree but had to go to the office for some presentation. At that point we said no thank you, realizing it was some sort of scam. Later that evening, we got a phone call from their boss at our hotel! They remembered what hotel we said we were staying at and had the nerve to call and yell at me for not attending whatever it was they wanted us to attend. I was so angry that the hotel desk put them straight through without asking us first and let the management know in no uncertain terms that I was not happy.

Hi,
My daughter and I ran into a similar thing on Maui. They offered a free day of horseback riding. I recognized it was some sort of timeshare but my daughter thought the 2 hour presentation was worth it.
She's over 21 and has been living on her own in Taiwan for 5 years, but she really wanted to sign on the line.
Same sort of deal -- sign immediately and cancel later.
I kept saying I couldn't sign a mortgage deal without getting it pre-approved by my government agency. My daughter wanted to sign over her $25,000 in savings. I finally got them to let us go out the door on the pretense of speaking with her dad. Once we were outside, I asked her to tell me what she thought we were buying. It was some sort of points scheme and we would still have to pay monthly maintenance on something we couldn't really touch. After 10 minutes she got to where she could see my point. We went back inside and said her dad wouldn't give her the money (at least she had sense enough to never tell them she had the savings on her own.)
It was another hour of hard sell, but my daughter had broken thru the desire and held strong.
They did give us the day of horseback riding.
It may have been worth it to my daughter to be able to sit thru a hard pressure sell and understand how to stay detached and evaluate what was being sold.

My wife has the biggest bleeding heart of any woman I have ever seen, I don't think she has ever told anybody no! ( and hey Andy, she is a republican!)

Anyway she got caught up bad on our first trip to vegas, I warned her all about it on the flight out there "don't talk to strangers" " don't take flyers from people on the street" that sort of thing. Out first steps out on the strip my wife takes the cards and flyers people are shoving at her, I said " april, look what's in your hands!" she scremed really loud and threw them on the sidewalk.

The scam started later that day, I went to get something to eat, came back and my wife was talking to some scammer guy, it was totally obvious from the other side of the room what was going on! As I get up there I hear him say, all I need is your credit card before I give you your free shopping spree and come check out our new luxury hotel. I said "we don't have a credit card" the guy goes" you came to vegas without a credit card?" before I could respond my wife says" honey we have............" that's when I grab her hand and we leave with the guy yelling at us!

No matter if its vegas or bali, its vacation and I don't want my wife to be taken in!

Remember these sayings, "If its too good to be true, then it isn't"
or "there is no such thing as a free meal" etc etc etc.

Kathie,

It hit Australia about 15 years ago. You get it on the Gold Coast and other major beach resort areas in QLD, but also in other States....it's just a bit more subtle.

This is common here in California and has been for decades. We know to stay clear. Maybe newbies into California fall for it. Happy Travels!

I'm glad that the scam was only to try and sucker you into buying some time share thing.

My mom's voice is running through my head "Don't ever get into a car with a stranger."