Bridal Show Scams?

Knottie41822310 · October 2014

Hi - just received a call from a company saying that I "won" the door prize at the Bridal Show that I recently attended. I had to listen to her go over the list of gifts that I "won" and could choose options from. It was clear that it was not a straight door-prize win, but a marketing lead generation technique, which always sound kind of scam-my.

The three prizes I "won" were: 1) Bands from JVL Jewelry OR a 3-Day 2-Night vacation to Wyndam Resorts in either Jamaica, DR or Bahamas (or slightly closer to home locations such as Vegas, Carribbean, etc. 2) $1000 in Grocery Manufacturers Coupons 3) 20-40% Bridal Household products (apparently the company who runs this process.)

The "catch" is that my fiancee and I have to attend a Bridal Household products evaluation at a nearby hotel and agree to a "time slot" for this - immediately. She gave me the option of "tonight" or "tomorrow" in order to "release" the prizes to us, and we BOTH have to attend, in-person. She said that this was "in order to ensure it's the right person".

There is no way in heck we are going to attend or make time for this. However, I was just wondering if anyone else has gone through with the whole process, and in fact, ever did get bands, or a vacation or all those coupons.

Any similar experiences?

Good luck to all the couples out there, this whole bridal process can be overwhelming!

Cheers,
Heather

[Deleted User] · October 2014

LittleWohlscheid · October 2014

I got offered essentially the same thing and did some digging. All of the reviews said they push hard to get you to buy products at their seminar, the free gifts are free *after shipping and handling costs, and the vacations never work. I didn't find a single review of people who actually went on the vacation. They called and there were tons of blackout dates and rescheduling, and several people who wanted a refund (you have to pay taxes on your trip) and never received it.

If you get an offer and think it might possibly be legit, google them, google the whatever the prize is with "scam" after it, and definitely check BBB. The company that offered my "prize" had tons of unresolved complaints.

TL;DR - If the prize sounds too good to be true, it is.

randomnumber041616 · October 2014

Yep. Here's an email I received today:

Congratulations you and your fiancé were selected to receive a

promotional gift package in exchange for attending a 90 minute product preview.

All we ask is for your honest opinion on a new designer line of products not in retail stores.

No Purchase Necessary...

You will receive a gift card from
JVLJewelry where you can select

2 wedding bands any size or style of
your choice $800 value.

Or

A 3 day 2 night all inclusive land package brought to you exclusively from Viva Resorts!

By Invitation Only - Free Admission.

You must attend with your fiancé

To Claim your gifts.....

Register Now!

Limited Seating

Sincerely,

Bridal Dept.

Bride Registries

events@brideregistries.com

631.683.5128 x10

LittlePeachBlossom · October 2014

Ugh, these are so annoying. I went to ONE bridal show within weeks of my engagement. Being the rookie that I am, I gave my contact information to maybe one or two vendors from which I legitimately wanted further information. I've been bombarded with emails and mailings since. From random vendors that weren't even there or are directly associated with them. Never again.

cowgirl8238 · October 2014

I got those exact same phone calls from a number based on LI...I got married in PA and the only thing i did on the Island was dress shopping at Davids!! I am 1000% certain that is who sold off the information and started this chain reaction of junk mail and bull shit up until the wedding date I had provided. Its definintly a scam and I wouldn't take the offer!!!

mikenberger · November 2014

Davids totally sells your info. Absolutely ridic.

Yes, I got a similar scam. I had to sit through, along with my FI, a pitch for cookware to be eligible for our prize. No. No. No.

short+sassy · November 2014

UGH! David's Bridal! I went to a store in NOLA, but filled out that my wedding would be in CA. So, guess what? I got a s**t ton of mail (both snail and e-mail) from vendors in BOTH of those locations. And still got them even months after my wedding.

I also got that phone call the OP is talking about. Thanks again David's. My "gift" was toasting flutes...which I actually needed...plus the bands, plus that weirdo trip. I already knew the trip would be worthless and unuseable (they always are) and the bands probably wouldn't be anything I'd want...but I wanted those flutes, gosh darn it!

They NEVER told me my fiance had to go also until their "reminder" call the day of. No way that was going to happen, which is what I told the rep. So that was that. But I wasted so much of my time talking to the first chica, plus the never ending phone calls before and even after that conversation.

glitch104 · November 2014

In my previous engagement this happened to me after attending a bridal expo. At the time my ex and I l lived in different states and the only way we could get our "gift" was to have us both attend. Which that wasn't going to work. I told the lady if we wanted to go through with this product review/seminar/BS when he was in town I would contact them ahead of time to schedule it. They called me at least 3-4x a week for weeks after trying to set it up. Finally I went off on the person who called and told them where to shove their strings attached "gift".

Cookie Pusher · November 2014

I luckily didn't get contacted for any scams. Of course, I only ever gave out a fake name, fake email address, fake phone number, and fake wedding date. I contacted any vendors we were interested in on my own after the show. No prize was worth the massive amounts of junk mail, phone calls, and scams that would surely head my way.

[Deleted User] · November 2014

Oh my gosh, I never even knew these kinds of scams were around! Thank goodness for this thread. Now I can be prepared. Fake info for everyone I guess.

Knottie08363462 · November 2014

I got the same phone call today from Bride Registries that people her are talking about. It did sound too goo to be true, so I'm glad I did some research before we both wasted 1 1/2 hours learning about products we'll never use. Thanks!

KimCagle · November 2014

Someone called me about household items. They couldnt even tell me what their company name was or what they were selling. She couldnt deviate from her sales pitch.

Knottie72036676 · November 2014

I just got almost the identical phone call not even half an hour ago, and did some digging - how I ended up back here. I haven't come across a single person who has actually gotten the prizes/vacations, at least not without a lot of taxes and hassle. Definitely feels like a rip off, and like it's not worth it. So glad I researched first!

roxiebelle · March 2015

I got a call and email about this and was skeptical. They told us the same things -- that we had won a choice of the prizes (trips, rings, etc). I went through the whole process with the woman on the phone, setting up our appointment for the showing, fully intending not to go. But we did some research on the rings themselves and the company and figured, why not? We were doing anything that night and it was only a few minutes from our home.

The showing was about a really expensive line of cookware and knives. The guys putting it on did a good job -- it was very entertaining. We got to sample food and even watch them prepare it. We were there for about two hours. In the end, we chose not to purchase anything, and they accepted that. There was no pressure to buy at all. We took our gift card and that was it.

If you have nothing else to do, it is certainly entertaining. Now we are getting wedding bands for (almost) free!

Dreamergirl8812 · March 2015

It's probably too late, but create a new email address for wedding-related correspondence. It will quickly get full of spam. I didn't do that and still get unsolicited emails from vendors in Florida. Why florida? I have no fucking clue. I live and got married in San Diego.

julieanne912 · March 2015

I bought tickets for a Bridal Expo that I didn't even end up going to. Since then I keep getting calls from Madison, WI offering me things. Latest was some kind of prize for attending a "culinary demonstration" with my FI. Seeing as he pretty much has zero interest in anything to do with culinary anything, other than eating, I declined. Plus, I'm sure it's like going to a time share sales pitch... hard hard hard selling for something.

FutureMrsKristinOtto · March 2015

So I went to one of these demonstrations. My fiancé and I are both just about to graduate college and pretty broke, so we figured what is an hour of our time if we get a free honeymoon? We got it, registered, and then kept getting emails asking for more money. Before we payed anything after the (thankfully refundable) deposit, fiancé did some digging and found out it's a bit of a money sucking ponzee scheme. So we requested the refund for the initial deposit and hopefully get it back! Now we're in search of a honeymoon spot we can afford (aka someone's vacation home gifted for a weekend, or else a cardboard box)

Knottie21448372 · April 2015

OH WOW ok so I JUST got back from a 90 minute (really more like a 2 hour +) demo presentation at The Radisson in New Rochelle. I got a call after a bridal expo stating we 'won' a free gift from Bridal Registry Events Promotions.
We were SO interested! Let me explain why...
SOOOO the free gift was $1,000 in coupons (which it turns out you need to pay $5 to mail in and 'redeem', not to mention their offers actually suck), plus you can choose between two offers of 2night/3day vacation at an all inclusive hotel, or more destinations at a non all inclusive package (WHICH It turns out there is FINE PRINT stating you need to pay $178 upfront before you can even talk to a travel agent, and you Must check in on a Monday or a Tuesday, AKA no weekend vacations!), or a $700 value of titanium/tungsten rings (which I found the coupon code online to get them free with $25 shipping anyways). So at the time we were interested in the all inclusive vacation.

We get to the presentation, there are a few other couples, and we are educated about a company called 'Cook World' cookware.
Turns out the pots seem pretty legit. But once he brought up the price of $2000....everyone in the room was like NOPE!...Until he mentions that you ALSO get a 7night/8day stay at almost any hotel in the world you want - aka honeymoon paid for. SO WE WERE IN!!....problem is, no paperwork. You are only given a limited amount of time full of excitement and thrill about to make a impulsive decision while the representative ('JERRY' - WHO WAS ONE OF THE RUDEST STRANGERS I EVER CAME IN CONTACT WITH, I'll explain) half pressures you into deciding what you want to do. But when I asked my representative named JERRY for the terms and conditions BEFORE I sign on any dotted line, he came up into my face, got very loud so the entire room could hear it and told me that if I was interested in purchasing for the vacation and I wasn't interested in the POTS then I shouldn't even purchase. My non-confrontational fiance and I were pretty taken back.

We ignored his absolute disrespect, and when I asked him again for terms and conditions, he quickly snaps 'there are none! Do you see any terms and conditions? There are none! I am giving you my cell phone number, you have my word, I will write down '7 night 8 day stay' and you will initial it!'.....so....no terms and conditions eh? Well not in that room, but there are ALWAYS terms and conditions especially when you are signing a contract you don't even get to read before you agree to abide by it (not even sure how this whole ordeal is legal to be honest). He interrupts every word I or my fiance try to get in and insults us by hollering in front of the other couples (part if his business tactic - peer pressure, fear, demeaning, etc) to 'go sit down and figure it out', and when we do, he mumbles loudly 'I have 5 kids, I know how to deal with kids'. OK WOW.

From that point on we decided Forget it, A. he is obviously hiding something if he feels it necessary to conduct his business in this fashion, B. I dont even want to give him the sale right now with that kind of mouth, C. This is sounding reallllly sketch and I dont have a good feeling about it. So we decided to drop it and leave with our 'free' 2 night/3 day stay' (which is only to 5 hotels that are OK - [ex: Wyndham Aztec and Maya], that you must Only check in on a Monday-Tuesday, you obv pay taxes and airfare, but you also are required to pay fees ahead of time before 'redeeming' it or speaking to Any travel agency, which I don't trust).

I did my research this morning....and it turns out it is a VERY good thing I did NOT go through with the purchase because I then read the terms and conditions of all of our 'free' gifts, and guess what..WE FOUND THE SAME POTS (different company but same manufacturer, same exact thing with a different sticker slabbed on top) ON AMAZON FOR $250!!! MIND YOU, he was selling them for $2,000 and explaining what a great deal that was! HAH!!! He claimed the ENTIRE night it was 'LIFETIME WARRANTY' which in fact was a LIMITED lifetime warranty...oh I can go on and on about how Sketch this was.

SO I don't want to say 'oh it is a 100% scam' because I think I read how people have gone on these vacations and jumped through all of these loops and holes, but in the end, the saying 'too good to be true', once again, wins. Praise GOD for revealing this to us before it was too late.

Do your research.
I will be getting the pots (with over 100 4-5 star real reviews on amazon) Amazon for 1/10th of the price, and hopefully I can still get a good deal on my honeymoon through a MUCH less sketchier means:) But I wish I could go back in time and stick up for myself to the rep, as well as help the other couples realize this information before they went through with their purchase.

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