Sep 16, 2007 10:34 AM
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I received a phone call from a representative of Country Club, Bangalore (Mr Azam) that I had filled in a form at Garuda Mall and had been chosen as the ‘lucky winner’ from 2, 500 applicants. Mr Azam offered three ‘free gifts’ – which included a Rs 25, 000 worth holiday (one week’s stay at a five-star hotel in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Goa or Kerala), a one-day free outing at Country Club Sarjapur Rd, and a free ‘crystal’ kitchenware.
With so many freebies on offer and since their office was near Forum Mall, Bangalore, I decided to have a brief ‘dekko’ at their set-up after a shopping spree at Forum on a holiday. There were enough warnings on the internet about Country Club. Some of my friends had also warned me about the workings of Country Club. Notwithstanding, I decided to have a first-hand experience. So, this is how it went.
3. Their modus-operandi is to ask the husband and wife to witness a two-hour long grinding sales pitch. Each couple is dealt at a separate table with a salesperson armed with a laptop and a long form requiring all personal details of the couple. It was fairly obvious that the salesperson was attempting to find our spending habits and our credit card details. They also made it clear that the ‘freebies’ could be collected only after hearing their entire long-winded sales pitch of about two hours. Also, they wanted both the wife and the husband to be present (possibly to jointly sign on their various forms). My husband who had flatly refused to attend the con, was not present anyway and it took me about fifteen minutes to realize their modus operandi. So I walked out fifteen minutes later, sans the ‘FREE CRYSTAL’ kitchenware or any of their other promised freebies. A total waste of time – but a curious experience nevertheless, of how some devote their entire energies in to conning gullible people.
