Comments on: Gateway Bride? Free Vacation? I’m not that stupid

By: K

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 07:23:18 +0000

Dear All,
I posted on this site last October (2009) and was cleaning out my bookmarks and thought I would check up on the state of things. First, let me just say that after reading this site (and a few others like it), my fiance and I turned down the repeated “you’ve won something wonderful” offers and just did things the old-fashioned way. We got married in July, paid for our own honeymoon (on a budget), and are now happily married and more in love than I could have ever dreamed. Being married is the most magical, marvelous thing on the planet!

But I digress. My hope of this post was to mention a few things I’ve learned along the way:

1. We never even attended the bridal expo where we apparently “signed-up” to win this great honeymoon/cookware/etc. giveaway. I did sign-up for the expo online, but I didn’t end up going. When the lady called to tell me I had won, she specifically stated that they had selected my name (one of the special few, of course) from the people who had signed up at their booth at the recent expo in BlahBlahville. So she straight up lied. They got my information off of my online registration, which was clearly sold to this company. Be advised.

2. Although my husband and I are poor graduate students, who have managed a cross-country relationship for the last 4 years, that included planning our wedding and subsequent move (we are finally in the same location! Hooray!), we found ways to make it work. That means saving for our honeymoon and furnishing our house, among other things. Granted, we have been INCREDIBLY blessed by caring friends and family, many of whom gave us great wedding presents to help furnish said house (apartment, actually), but the point is that we didn’t end up needing the “free” prizes from “Gateway Bride”. And we certainly didn’t need the stress that it would have likely brought with it. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Brides, this is your special time — take a deep breath, relax, and know that life is just about to get so much more wonderful, “free” honeymoon or not.

3. Finally, thank you all for posting here. Although I was terribly bummed to find out that the whole deal was mostly a sham (I was soooo excited when the lady told me I had won… even though I knew she was lying about our entry and had been sold our info, I was still thrilled. I even remember telling her, “You know, I’ve never won anything like this in my life! Thank you for making my day!”), reading this website really helped ease my mind and soften the blow of the situation. Thanks again, Internet!

Happy marriage to you all! Life really is beautiful!
~Kristy

By: Danni

Danni — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 21:53:29 +0000

Hello. I just saw your blog when I was looking for a website for a trip voucher that I myself received.

I actually used to work for a cookware company (Celebrity China and Cookware) in Salt Lake City. I used to call the “lucky bride winners” of our drawing and get them to come in to a demo. I had the job for about two weeks before I couldn’t take it anymore. How did I get a job like that, you ask? I was a naive young engaged girl (only 18 at the time). We had gotten the very same call that I myself ended up making only a couple of years later. We went to the presentation, and we were stupid enough to buy the stuff. We bought a full $2500 cookware set and received a “$500 cutlery set” as an added bonus. (By the way, the cookware was not NEARLY as “fantastic and fabulous” as they lead you to believe and the cutlery… a $500 value? Give me a break. I’ve had better knives that I bought at Walmart for $15 a piece.) We also got the vacation voucher. It was for a cruise. We never redeemed it and lost the paper before we could. So, we were indebted to these people and I had to pay them back somehow. Hence, I worked for them.

When I got remarried only a few months ago (this time 27, not so young, and most definitely NOT naive), I received the same call from a different company. I knew what it was, and what they were going to do. I also knew I would get that voucher if I went. So, begrudgingly my husband-to-be went to the presentation with me. We got the paperwork for the vacation along with some other incentives. As we walked out, they asked us why we didn’t want to buy. I just told them “I know you only have these prices tonight only (yeah, right… until the next time they come around), but we just can’t do it right now because of the wedding costs. You understand.” And we left. Simple as that. They looked at us with mouths completely agape, but I didn’t care. I got what I came for. An hour and a half out of the house, and some free stuff.

I know there will be tacked on extra fees, but we’re still going to redeem the thing. I don’t care if it’s a bit-rate 3 star place. It’s free aside from a few fees. The extra fees won’t be as much as it would cost to pay for the whole “all-inclusive” trip on our own. I’ll have to bookmark this page and let you know how it went.

At any rate, thank you for this article. It was most certainly an interesting read and I hope it actually helps people in the future.

By: Tim Nowaczyk

Tim Nowaczyk — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 02:26:09 +0000

Hey, just happened on your blog. Wanna say that I used to work for Hy Cite Corporation, the company that owns the Royal Prestige line of cookware and china. It’s a little like Amway or Kirby vacuum cleaners. The person owns and runs their own business, but they sell that specific product line – in this case Royal Prestige cookware. It’s not as tightly knit as a franchise situation would be. I don’t think Hy Cite has a ton of say in how the product distributors sell their products. Hy Cite does say, though, that you’re not allowed to claim that the cookware will cure cancer or Alzheimers. I guess there was a problem with that. I own a pan or theirs, and it’s not bad. I like my All Clad better though.

By: Heart of Texas Bride to be

Heart of Texas Bride to be — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 01:57:46 +0000

I got a call a few weeks ago from a lady from American Prestige and it is kind of the same thing that has been discussed here…The lady got my voicemail and left me a message and after i was done listening to it i thought it was a TOTAL scam…I called the lady back and she was saying how i had bee selected as well as a few other bride to be’s in Central Tx to win a free Bridal Package and all i had to do was my fiance and i had to show up for a 90 min presintation of there cookware (which actually was only an hr.) Well the guy was very nice and did a great job and my fiance at first did not want to attend and he was so intuned, and i might add that he is not stupid or a fool, before we went i talked to some of my friends and co workers and a few people had heard that that kind of deals are Legit, my boss has actually done it before and said it is real so we will see if my fiance and i recieve are cookware we bought in a week, the two free wedding bands we have a gift card for, our all inclusive 3 day 2 night vacation from Viva Wyndam Resorts and $1,000 worth in Grocery coupon =) I will let you know, If not i guess we will learn our lesson

By: Vince Dima

Vince Dima — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 19:23:39 +0000

Elizabeth…..I’m not sure how Getaway bride came to being. We are not or use the phase getaway bride. Our company VIPVacationsNY has been in business since 1979. We have sent Hundreds of Thousands of Customers on vacation. We are not involved with timeshare …we offer a legit vacation voucher to the consumer. We believe in fair and honorable treatment for all our customers. All are welcome to call or email our office at anytime.

By: Ashley

Ashley — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 22:24:40 +0000

i got the call myself a month back…they left me a voicemail. i never responded. i just got another call a few minutes ago. she went through her spiel and told me she’d call back when ‘they were in my area’ to pick up my prize. she said multiple times that there was no presentation to sit through, like those crazy timeshare people (hah) and free vacations, no money involved, grocery coupons, etc. reading these consumer reports and hearing of people’s stories made me so sad. i mean, no one forces anyone to make a purchase like that, but NO good, honest business person tells someone to lie on their credit application in order to get approved. shady contracts not allowing products to be returned? no thanks. i think i’ll just pay for a real honeymoon and save myself the headache.

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 23:49:36 +0000

Vince Dima- Please address why the Better Business Bureau has no record of Gateway Bride. My fiance and I are planning to go to the seminar, and we are giving you the benefit of the doubt.

By: Emily

Emily — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 18:43:04 +0000

Yes, I this is EXACTLY what happened to me yesterday. I received a call asking me to meet them in Joplin to receive my price. I guess I get the name “GATEWAY” now. Thanks for the info.

By: Renee

Renee — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 20:12:22 +0000

Thank you for this! I just received a call from them that I had won a bridal package, and decided immediately to research it. There is no way in h-e-double hockey sticks I’m putting up with this crap or falling for it. Thanks again!

By: megan

megan — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 10:50:19 +0000

Many companies use this same free gift tactic as a selling tool. Get as many people to hear a product pitch and then give them a a “free gift”. No one is going to call you with a free vacation without strings attached. And the sad fact is if you are offering mass vacations at one time the trips quality is not going to be the best.

It’s very sad but many times young couples getting married are the ones to fall prey. When you register at bridal registries or even with Bride Magazines the names are resold at masses. Making them prey to these type of scam reliefs