A well-planned operation
Dear Sir,
I was approached recently by a couple of people at a hypermarket, seeking my name and phone number. When asked for the purpose, they replied that it was to give away some free passes for shows in Doha. Believing them, I gave them the details. The next day, a woman called me, saying that I had won a gift and was invited to an office to collect it.
My wife and I went to the site. But when we reached there, we were invited to sit through a presentation about a timesharing proposal offered by a group. The presentation was quite eye-catching with pictures of various resorts and “details” of schemes. They told us that the payment for joining the scheme, normally, would cost about $6,575 but as a special case now would reduce it to $4,930. In return, each year we could have a free holiday for a week at any one of their resorts in a country.
I told them I did not have enough money with me and would think about it. But they insisted with whatever money I had I could join the scheme initially. In good faith, I then told them I had a small amount in my account. They made me use my credit card to withdraw the amount I had in my account.
I was then asked whether I had a credit card from another country. I had. They took hold of that card from me and withdrew an additional amount from it. They now said they could accept a cheque for the balance. I told them that I did not carry my chequebook with me to which they promptly responded that they would send a person to my house and collect the cheque.
A man then followed us to our home and collected the cheque for the rest of the amount. It seems they wanted to collect the entire amount for the scheme without giving us any time for thinking, for reasons best known to them. When I handed over the cheque to the person who came with us, he promised to issue a free voucher within three weeks.
Now whenever I telephone their office number, no one answers most of them times, and at others, the person on the other line gives a number of excuses for the delay in giving the free coupon.
This appears to be a well-planned operation.
VS
(Full name and e-mail address supplied)
Welcome move by SEC
Dear Sir,
The report that the Supreme Education Council (SEC) has allowed private schools in the country to schedule their winter vacation according to their convenience (Gulf Times, December 30, 2014), is warmly welcomed. This solves a major problem in scheduling vacation plans by parents having children studying in Doha.
The council’s recent circular to schools against changing the uniforms repeatedly also deserves praise. A few schools used to do this for their financial benefits.
Biju Abraham
(e-mail address supplied)
