is there a catch to this???

[spongee]

Actually, I already received the same offer from them.

The free dinner/lunch is true - we were able to avail one for free.

Then they'll tour you around their facilities to offer you a membership in Astoria. You can decline or avail of their membership services (that's where the free stay comes in).

It's not really a scam per se.

sir m2 so you did come and avail for the buffet? did they make you pay for anything? say..service tax or what?

[spongee]

One thing you need to watch for is that a lot of these unscrupulous companies use high-pressure tactics to force you to purchase whatever it is they are pushing.

It does not help much if you actually availed of the offer (free trip, free one night stay, etc.) since at that point presumably you are in their location and are pretty much a captive audience, or rather, prey.

The fact that they require both spouses to attend is a give-away that such purchases typically are significant enough to require spousal consent. But then again, as mazdamazda pointed out, there are legit offers, too. You just have to be smart and alert enough to distinguish them.

i guess so...kasi initially she verified if i'm just a plain housewife..then she asked what's my husband's position sa work at kung saang company..siguro if i'm the one earning di na nya insist ang husband ko.

[mazdamazda]

sir m2 so you did come and avail for the buffet? did they make you pay for anything? say..service tax or what?

the buffet was free...

actually, 6 kaming pumunta dun. tapos may promo/discount pa yata sa buffet. I ended up only paying P600+ all-in-all.

[spongee]

the buffet was free...

actually, 6 kaming pumunta dun. tapos may promo/discount pa yata sa buffet. I ended up only paying P600+ all-in-all.

so this was just recent? kasi what they're offering me is dinner just for 2..kako nga wala si husband kaya mga kids ko na lang kasama ko that will make us 3.

[cutedoc]

uy ok yan a sana tumawag din sa akin hehehe, medyo maliit ang astoria hotel, the room are good, parang pinaliit na owakwood, the breakfast buffet is so-so, it offers few choices of food but for free??? kahit ano ok lng=)

[mhelskie]

baka parang sa Days hotel din yan, kesyo nanalo ng overnight stay, pero kelangan mag seminar muna, at nde nila sagot ang pamasahe, accomodations lang, tapos ang lalayo ng hotels. Just ask them directly...

[fireblade]

Actually, I already received the same offer from them.

The free dinner/lunch is true - we were able to avail one for free.

Then they'll tour you around their facilities to offer you a membership in Astoria. You can decline or avail of their membership services (that's where the free stay comes in).

It's not really a scam per se.

This is exactly what I was about to type, I availed of it also.

[oldblue]

baka niluluto lang nila ang mga lumang stock nila sa fridge kasi wala gano kumakain duon ngaun summer season.



joke hehehe

[uls]

This is what they're counting on --- matapos ka mag avail dun sa free meal, they hope mahihiya ka tumanggi sa membership.

[oldblue]

give muna then take

[uls]

Ya... magkano lang naman ung puhunan nila dun sa free meal...

[tawengo]

i have a friend who once worked as a telemarketer with the same style.. she said there is really a FREE thing but they will force you to join or be a member of their club whatsoever. its really up to you.. kung mahina ka tumanggi dont go nalng. pero if you cant be pushed easily naman, you can grab their free dinner offer. sayang din yun

they are requiring your spouse to be present so that if you decide to become a member (which pipilitin ka talaga nila), you wouldn't have an excuse na "i'll ask my spouse first".

and yes, expect a 1-3 hour seminar/tour ek-ek, that is where the marketing happens.

one more thing, if you're going, dont bring credit card or cash.. or at least dont tell them that you have one. they were trained not to accept NO as an answer. so prepare your big NO after you dinner..

[mazdamazda]

so this was just recent? kasi what they're offering me is dinner just for 2..kako nga wala si husband kaya mga kids ko na lang kasama ko that will make us 3.

for two lang ung free na buffet... niyaya ko na lang ang parents & siblings ko na dun na din sila mag buffet since kakain na naman kami dun.

===

naalala ko... may pinuntahan akong ganyan... alam ko na naman telemarketing gimmik yun and since nasa building din namin sila... so ok lang.

free hotel stay yung bait pala nila (VCI Holidays / Days Hotel).

so nung nag-usap na kami ng ahente, tinanong sa akin kung may insurance, pension, etc. na raw ako.

eh ang sagot ko ay YES sa lahat (since meron na naman talaga ako). medyo napakamot ulo ng konti, tapos baling bigla ng alok ng memorial plan.

sabi ko, yung parents ko may memorial / life plan na. kung sakali na kailangan ko gamit yun, transferrable sya kahit kanino. and kung kukuha ako ng memorial / life plan, sa parents ko ako kukuha since ahente kami nun (at shempre may discount). langya, ayaw pa rin magpaawat. lakas ng convincing power - talagang mapapa labas ka ng pera di oras.

nung wala na syang mapuntahan, ayun sumuko. nag draw ako ng destination kung saan pwede i-avail yung free hotel stay. langya, sa Quezon province ang nakuha ko, tapos may kailangan bayaran na P500 na processing fee before availing it (3D/2N pala ang stay w/o food).

:lol:

[sentinel]

May not be a scam but clearly a marketing strategy.

My rule on these is: "If you don't need it, why bother?"

[CaMoTe!!!]

magkano membership nila??? at ano kasama??? parang yung sa hyatt or westin din ba???

[LexTer]

last year may ganyang tawag din natangap mother ko. free trip to malaysia naman. na excite sya. so nagpunta. pagdating dun e seminar nga. tapos para makuha mo yung free trip e bibili ka pala ng condo unit sa malaysia din mismo. napa susmarya na lang mother ko sabay uwi.

[chain]

siguro nga bebentahan ka ng membership sa hotel nila.

I remember this style bring used by a company before. was offered free stay kasi i was one of the lucky winners 'kuno". but the catch was for me to go to the hotel and spend around 90 minutes listening to what they have to say.

after their marketing gimmick, I'm supposed to pick out a stub from whether I won the free stay. as it turns out, yung free stay was in the far-flung places.

so I vehemently refused the whole thing. they called and called after.. medyo naging makulit but I wouldn't budge.

[pup2]

Matagal din aabutin niyang mga seminar-seminar na yan. Dati may nag-alok sa amin ng time-share. Pumunta kami dahil naka-ready na ang mga 'no, thanks' ko at sandali lang naman daw -- 30 minutes lang.

30 minutes nga yung video kaso yung pag-alok nila at pag-tanggi namin inabot din ng halos 2 oras lahat. In the end nanalo daw kami ng time-share accomodation for 2 sa isang asian country.

Ang problema mas mahal pa yung pamasahe tsaka bitin yung bilang ng araw.

There's always a catch but it's not always obvious.