Just to add my 2c to the herd.
There is a group of people who operate under various names and basically phone people, tell them they’ve won a car or something and then make them attend a prize giving where they discover they’ve won nothing but then subsequently get lured into some contract holiday garbage which invariably ends up costing them way more than they expected. This bait and switch operation is the very definition of a scam.
Long story short, if someone phones you and says you’ve won something, don’t believe them… alternatively you can tell them to drop off the car at your house when they have a moment 
In the mean time, another South African blogger wrote some stuff about the scam on his blog and QVC are subsequently trying to sue him for over half a million rand, which is basically their way of saying “We’re bigger than you”… well, they might be, but they’re not bigger than all of us.
You can read more about this case here and here
ps QVC, aka Quality Vacation Club, aka Prestige Business Solutions, aka Unique Connections, aka World Connect/VIP/VIP World Connect, aka Prime Vision, aka Media Magic, aka Mega Communications, aka Ezweni Communications, aka Dynamic Communication, aka Real Communications/Real Communication, aka Ecoworld, aka Market Matrix.
Why would a legitimate business need so many aliases?
I encourage other bloggers to get this story out into the wild so that these con artists start to feel the google crunch.
puffy, dude, you made my day. Now go read some books.
its just a scam.I tried to get of it. its very difficult to get out of it. Please help.
i also just got a call from a certain Khanyi woman that told me i had entered a competition to win a Nissan Lavina and i must attend a presentation on Saturday the 15th in Midrand no 28 Guildford road, i was very suspicious as i do not recall entering any competion, thank goodness for google.
I have been there, completed the form and wanted to cancel but now they are hounding me. They threaten with legal action and I’m really in a fix.
MAJOR SCAM!!!!!!!!
My wife fell for the same trick 8 years ago, she lost her job before she could use this scam, she notified them that she is jobless and that she cancelled the membership (we never even used this scheme “Scam”). They first told her she must sell her membership and later on they accepted the cancellation. Now after 8 years they phone her and tells her she owes them R120k for something she never used or they will take legal action.
We have started a group on Google Groups as points owners to collectively share ideas about what to do next about this issue.
Together we will have more options bandied around. In addition, we may be able to use our collective sense to approach influential bodies like industry ombudsman and Customer Protection.
Join us be registering http://groups.google.com/group/thc_action?hl=en_US
The group is a private group, meaning you must be registered to take part in discussion threads.
i just got a call from the same people (QVC) informing me that i had won a holiday in one of their new resorts. The only condition is that i had to attend a prize giving in Midrand.
It’s actually very elaborate because the “call centre agent” actually gave me a reference number, direct and switchboard number, and an address. If i must be be honest, they nearly had me…
P.S. did u know if u say tomato backwards really slowly, that it almost sounds like gullible?
Identical situation! Yeah thank goodness your blog popped up when i tried looking for the place! life saver!
Yip, also being hounded by these people…..I’m reserved for 2 o’clock lunch at the presentation in Midrand tomorrow…..Guess I’m not going to show now. Thanks folks.
Is there any way to get out of this QVC??
Bad experiance,was also a runner up in a “chevvy spark competition”,had to travel up to Pretoria for the draw.After a good sales pitch i was guarinteed that over and above the 37.5k i paid that all points accumulated could be resold if not used within a 3 year period.Guess what i can only sell my points bought and the offer is only a tenth of what i paid. What a rip off.I intend to recover as much as possible,cancel the stop order and write the whole experiance off as a very bad dream.
I am also trying to get out of the QVC Club, but they refused me and said I must try and cell the points, that is the only way to get out. (So that the next person can get stuck with it) I also need help Please. I want to get out.!!!!
A very good friend of us, she’s 70 years old, were caught by QVC even though she could not afford it. I would like to help her getting out. Any luck with your attempts to get out?
Thank u guys for this website,juss got a call that l have won a 5 day holiday and need to collect ma voucher on a luncheon 2morrow at Midrand,Guess l am not going coz this surely is a scam!
jip folks, we all were sucked in by this company. they did exactly the same with me about 11 years ago. the transaction offered was very different to the one I received. tried to get out of it, but once you sign, you can NEVER get out of it. the contract was signed by the owners nephew himself. he now has coverted to Christianity (the nephew), but has not yet given my money back. If you try to sell, there are a few companies (proppably assosiated with them ) that claim the will buy your shares, but at a hell of a loss. sad to see that these “good businessmen” continue to survive, regardless of the continius bad reporting,,, but like the owner say’s…”there is an asshole born every minute”
I have the same problem with QVC. I paid all bills and everything works nice till this year (after 3 years of membership), now if you want to make a booking, there are no availability of places to go and if you not made a booking in the year, you loose all your points. I realised now that this is a hundred percent scam which they running legally!!!! Is there anybody who can give me advise how to cancel this thing. I have paid a company to get rid of this thing and I will give it away for free.
Please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How does one get rid of this cancer? Carte Blanch perhaps??????
I tried to contact Carte Blanche but got no response. They can sue me if they chose – I would rather pay lawyers that pay QVC – the biggest con that SA has ever seen.
Wow people this is still going on, i just received a call from a 0878052350 number stating i’ve won a 5 day voucher to 1 of their resorts, this I must collect at no 28 Guildford Road Midrand bring my partner with and some form of identification. well well well this is happening on the 23 of august 2012. this thursday.If it’s a scam i tell u the consultant who called know her staff.when I asked whats the catch? she giggle and answered we only pay for accomodation the rest is up to u…it sounded legit shame..
thank God for google and you.
I agree Neon. Same thing happened to my today 27.08.2012. Same story “You are a lucky winner of a 5 day holiday at any of our resorts? What the hell? do these people really thing that we are so stupid? The first thing I ask the lady that phoned me is how must is this going to be? She said that everything is for free, and that we don’t have to pay for anything. I just need to bring my partner otherwise I do not qualify? the only way to keep them out of you life is to stop the conversation by just saying that you are not interested, and that they can give the so called “free holiday to the guy on street” he will appreciate it.
Complete SCAM. The guy behind it is Ian Wilcocks. He was Chairman of the Social and Ethics (irony) Committee of the Mooikloof Home Owners Association and is being investigated for fraud.
and guess wot? a lady called Fiona just called me from this number 0878052390, same story, won the holiday….blah blah blah…..they still obviously very much scamming all the way, some guy called kenneth will call me tomorrow to give me directions…..haha as if….cant wait to tell him his fortune….
Hi Guys, Ive got the same issue. Came accross this article, this is the angle I’m taking with them.
http://www.justanswer.com/south-africa-law/6z6sk-time-share-points-12-years-fully-paid.html
I am slightly relieved that i am not the only one hounded by this qvc pest – l hope the authorities will finally get to hear about it and deal with this menace. All the stories are exactly similar and this proves that this is indeed a scam.