22/08/2002 00:00
TW
0

Dear Sir,
My wife and I have just returned from a five day break from Majorca. We stayed at a two star hotel the Saint Michell at Portals.
The hotel was basic but very well managed, the staff also were very helpful. During the course of our stay we used taxis to travel to Palma Nova.
I was very impressed with the area and how clean it was, also the taxi drivers were all very polite and helpful.
I wonder if any of your readers could help me with an answer to a question.
One day whilst in Palma Nova my wife and I were approached by a young lady who said she was Dutch, she asked some questions to establish if we were married and told us she was working for a company that sold holidays over the internet.

I was very interested as this is how we came to visit Majorca.
After a conversation she produced two scratch cards and asked me to rub off to reveal two euros, she said that if we took a taxi the following day to Santa Ponsa (a free return trip) then we could have a chat with her office and they would give us a bottle of Bacardi.

Whilst she was saying this I rubbed off the other scratch card and this had four euros on it.
The lady's attitude changed and she was desperate to get us to go to Santa Ponsa, this was because with four euros we had won (1) 600 euros. (2) a dream holiday for four out of the Thompson platinum or gold brochure (3) a Digital video camera or DVD player.

This was she said the first four euro scratchcard she had seen for some weeks and she would be paid £50.00 for taking us to the office.
I decided that I would follow this through and she took us to the office. When we arrived we were met by another young lady who asked us several questions.
(1) were we married to each other (2) did we have a visa card (3) were we on any medication.
She then scratched a further box on the card and told us we had won the dream holiday, we would however have to have a tour around the office that would take 90 minutes.

At this point a gentleman opened another office door and peered round the corner.
The telephone rang and the girl said that it was the wrong extension. She then said that nobody was able to show us round and that we would have to return the next day at 10.30am.

Another lady appeared and took us outside to guide us to a free taxi back to Magaluf saying we should present a VIP card she gave us and that would get us a free taxi back to the office the following morning.

What I would like to know is why with a captive audience we were sent away.
If any of your readers can answer my question What was the scam?
I would appreciate knowing.

Yours

John Stephenson. Yarm. England