[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by SilverSmoke

Such scams are operating till now?

Was my first thought.

I experienced something similar, almost 15 years ago. In Bangalore. Much before social media went wild. Similar to the experience of what the FM describes, I ended up waiting for over an hour during that first meeting. I got fed up and told my fiance, lets get out of here. I had no further patience for this nonsense. The thought of it being a 'scam' was not in my head at the time. I was impatient. I hate it when someone says it will take "x" amount of time and not respect my time for being there.

What boggles my mind is the number of people involved (It was the same back then too). A chain of different people and their ability to hire a property to run these scams. The hosting hotel should atleast verify who these people are before taking on their business. God only knows if Shivam and Brijesh are their real names.

[rajivr1612]

Whenever such canvassing agents approach me - online or offline, the first and only question I ask is " Do I have to pay?".
They say "yes", and I walk away.

As someone who purchased a Honda City earlier this year, I too received such a call, I spent some time chit chatting for timepaas and left the call. They called back again couple of times which I didn't respond to.

[Naetik30]

Originally Posted by livealike

I agree that we need to be vigilant, especially with our personal data, but I do believe that dealerships and businesses also have a responsibility to safeguard customer information. It’s not just about us blocking calls; it's about holding companies accountable when they mishandle personal data.

At times, we need a reality check. Some brutal honest feedback to oneself to understand how gullible we are. I have been in these situations too.

But about this particular situation you got into, in this day and age!!! If you have not heard of time share holidays and how they run, that too living in a metro city - I have to say - this was all on you. Take it as a lesson to be more vigilant. Time shares are and have always been a scam. They started in US several decades back and reached Indian shores long back too.

Not trying to be harsh, I have been in these situations too. My recent one is from about 5 years back. Got a call that said a child in an orphanage needs some urgent help. I fell for it. And the caller wanted to come home and collect a cheque. Some how, I wasnt convinced but still did not want to turn it down given the mental state I was in. Went to the orphanage itself and met with the manager and asked about this specific case. The answer I got was - "Sir, we engage some sales people and they may have made a story". But they still need money to run. I did give a cheque.

[sagarpadaki]

This data leak is done by dealerships only. We received calls from similar entity in 2018 when I purchased Tiago. I confronted the dealer and as usual they denied. I had not received RC card even after 2 months. So, I called the sales guy whom we had interacted with, for follow up on RC. He had quit the dealership and joined a competitor brand dealership nearby. In that conversation, I casually commented that I have not received the RC card but received so many promotional calls. He replied that the Dealership team shares the details of the owners of all the cars sold every week to these marketing companies in return for some commission. So, the dealerships are the source of data leaks

[ajay0612]

Originally Posted by saket77

Also, never got around my head that why I need to get a membership of a Club XXX chain to enjoy any vacation. For normal working class, it is max 1-2 vacation per year, which we can plan as per our convenience and budget, free from the caveats of these useless clubs. You pay what you avail and the biggest plus- no such unscrupulous corporate spoils your vacation.

These pests hover around star hotels too. Always luring like a magician, making one fall for free drinks/ lunch/ dinner/ voucher. Sometimes a simple puzzle is offered as a challenge and winner obviously feels worthy to receive free gift.

As we are habitual of expecting free all the time, free data, free software, free advice, free service, etc), it is easy to fall in the trap, extremely difficult to wriggle out thereafter. They will make you appear not caring for your spouse and kids, making wriggling out not a pleasant experience.

The best policy is, 'Never accept any free offer which reaches you on its own'. So simply cut the phone call which offers freebies.

[Ford5]

Originally Posted by scorpian

So I was also continuously being bombarded with calls.
As per my knowledge Truecaller itself shares data.

You are 100% right and this is exactly what I’ve posted on the True caller thread.

Spam calls start coming in the moment we use Truecaller because it is the source of leaks claiming to be a spam protector.


Slightly OT: How do we bar all
Incoming like calls like we used to be able to do in the 2G/3G days?

The option to bar incoming calls just doesn’t exist in modern day smart phones! Auto disconnect is allowed, but the lady’s voice saying “Barred all incoming calls” was like a solid message not to call/pass around the number anymore.

[the.dogfather]

Data leakage is becoming more common day by day. My friend got scammed by the fake RSA scam soon after buying his car. It can either be the dealership or the insurance provider, but someone does leak details soon after you make a car purchase.

Recently I got a new internet connection and noticed that soon after that, the spam calls coming to my number have increased. It is next to impossible to stop these scams as there are essential times when you have to share numbers (I refuse to share my phone number with restaurants and grocery shops when they ask for it), and scammers take advantage of it. I promptly report these numbers using the TRAI DND app, and it comes down after a few weeks, after a few numbers get blocked.

My brother had come to India and got a new sim card and soon after activation, the first call he got was some spam. Even after activating DND, there were constant calls for loan offers and schemes and he got so irritated that he just removed the sim card and decided to add data roaming to his international sim card. We have got way too accustomed to scams and our laws permit us to get scammed quite easily.

The time sharing schemes were started by some genuine firms, and are sold mostly with pressure tactics. Some of the schemes did make sense earlier, but most of the lucky draws in malls and airports are only for data collection for such schemes.

[SilverSmoke]

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki

This data leak is done by dealerships only.

RTO too is no loyal.
They sell all your data to anyone that can warm their pockets. Shameless guys.

[Engine_Roars]

I can never wrap my head around how people get trapped in these scams. Not trying to blame the victim here but if you really want to keep out of these, it is actually very easy.

I live by the below when it comes to unknown people trying to talk to me:

1. There are no free lunches, no matter how tempting it sounds. I might have lost 1-2 genuine free lunches but it is worth it.
2. If you have done nothing wrong, there is no need to worry about customs/telecom departments/hackers etc. I refuse to entertain such calls, the moment I hear telecom department/custom department, I hang up. If it is genuine, authorities will reach my doorstep, they really can.
3. No, I do not really need any tips to earn lacs, neither do I need any part time jobs to get me easy money. I believe in hard work & there is no easy money, simple as that. Again, I simply hang up, no discussions, no arguments.

I hope, I can stick to these & keep myself away from these parasites as much as I can.

[greenhorn]

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route...ake-sense.html (Club Mahindra / Time Share Memberships - Make sense?)
Existing thread on scammy time shares (which is pretty much all of them)

[livealike]

Originally Posted by khanmaj

I wish the OP get his refund soon. I believe that dealers are sharing customer data, and it has nothing to do with the OEM.

Under Indian privacy laws, especially the Information Technology (Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures and Sensitive Personal Data or Information) Rules, 2011, and the more recent DPDP Act 2023, customer data cannot be shared with third parties without explicit consent, particularly when it's for purposes beyond the original intent. The DPDP Act 2023 further clarifies this and imposes penalties of up to ₹250 crores for breaches, depending on the severity.

What I'm emphasizing here is that OEMs are also accountable. They need to ensure their dealerships comply with the DPDP Act and that customer data is handled responsibly and legally. I've already raised this issue with MSIL, including their Data Protection Officer (DPO) and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), urging them to investigate any potential breaches and enforce corrective measures.

While data privacy might seem lax in our country, it’s crucial not to overlook our rights. We should escalate these issues to the appropriate authorities, starting with the OEMs, giving them a chance to rectify the situation. If they fail to act, they’ll eventually face the legal consequences.

At the end of the day, many people are losing significant amounts of money due to scams like these, and it’s vital to address the root cause. OEMs must take a proactive role and cannot absolve themselves of responsibility.

Originally Posted by autotranny

This was a very common offer prevalent in the early 2010s - but not everything is bad about it, if you tread carefully, and so I wouldn't call it as scam.

We chose a resort in Ooty. Mind you , the stay is not 'free' like they claim - they charge for utilities or some such thing and more importantly, its a very narrow window of dates that you can really use it for. Anyway, I was fully aware of this from my colleague and actually, it still worked out much cheaper than booking a hotel of similar stature.

They may give you "free" vouchers for stays, but then charge for utilities and other hidden costs. Isn’t that a scam if they don’t disclose it upfront? They recover their costs through these charges, ensuring they don't face any losses. In my opinion, based on my experience, if you book directly with a hotel, it often turns out cheaper, depending on the location, time of stay, and the hotel itself. Plus, you get to customize your stay to your preferences. But of course, it comes down to individual choice.

That said, holiday clubs like ClubResorto function more like middlemen posing as hospitality providers. They charge hefty annual maintenance fees to plan vacations, but in reality, they’re better suited for people who:

• Prefer someone else to handle all the booking details.
• Struggle with language barriers or lack confidence in using travel websites or apps.
• Don’t have the time to plan vacations and are fine with outsourcing the task.
• Value convenience over control and don’t mind paying extra for it.
• Are okay with fixed, pre-packaged holidays with limited customization.
• Are willing to pay more without comparing prices for better alternatives.
• Prefer a basic stay just to rest overnight and then explore, rather than indulge in resort activities.

The problem is, companies like ClubResorto often promise premium experiences, but end up giving stays at 3-star hotels—something you could easily book yourself for a lower price. They shouldn’t misrepresent facts like that, especially when promising something far more luxurious. And those vague annual maintenance fees and hidden charges only add up over time.

[livealike]

Originally Posted by Naetik30

At times, we need a reality check. Some brutal honest feedback to oneself to understand how gullible we are. I have been in these situations too.

But about this particular situation you got into, in this day and age!!! If you have not heard of time share holidays and how they run, that too living in a metro city - I have to say - this was all on you. Take it as a lesson to be more vigilant. Time shares are and have always been a scam. They started in US several decades back and reached Indian shores long back too.

Not trying to be harsh, I have been in these situations too. My recent one is from about 5 years back. Got a call that said a child in an orphanage needs some urgent help. I fell for it. And the caller wanted to come home and collect a cheque. Some how, I wasnt convinced but still did not want to turn it down given the mental state I was in. Went to the orphanage itself and met with the manager and asked about this specific case. The answer I got was - "Sir, we engage some sales people and they may have made a story". But they still need money to run. I did give a cheque.

OT: It's not that I’m unaware of holiday clubs. In fact, I’ve stayed at Sterling Resorts in the past, and back in the late 90s, there were no heavy promotions. We booked through a trusted acquaintance, and it worked out well. Even in 2006, when Club Mahindra invited us to a presentation, they were quite straightforward. We attended, collected the voucher, and there was no pressure to buy, although we didn’t end up using it due to scheduling conflicts.

Fast forward to today, I’m not here to play the victim card, nor am I unaware of the "no free lunches" rule. The issue is that the game has changed. These companies have become much more aggressive and misleading, and that’s exactly what I’m trying to convey. From what I can see in the comments, many people suggest going in with a closed mindset and simply declining any offers or calls. But the reality is, even if you visit them with caution, the tactics they use can still catch you off guard.

Like I mentioned earlier, given the excitement of buying a new car and planning trips, I made the decision to visit them. I also didn’t want to immediately let down my better half by rejecting the packages, as that’s what initially drew us in, so I decided to take a chance and paid an amount, relying on my willingness to take risks that I can manage. It’s worth mentioning that, even in this day and age, many people from metro cities fall victim to these scams, often paying the full amount upfront. That’s why I shared my experience—to inform those who might not be aware.

What would be more beneficial for the community is to focus on raising awareness about these scams rather than conducting post-mortems after the fact. That way, everyone benefits from a more informed perspective.

[livealike]

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

God only knows if Shivam and Brijesh are their real names.

Yes, I have my doubts about that as well.

Originally Posted by SilverSmoke

It certainly does.

I saved my arbitrary name in True Caller profile as Hyu Fuigt, & guess what, I used to get spam messages by SAME name.
It's difficult to pronounce otherwise spam calls would have also started.

That was the last day I ever used True Caller.

Absolutely true, you can mask your identity by setting a random name in your Truecaller profile. I did something similar, using a combination of my pet names. Once, I started receiving promotional messages addressed to that alias, not only did I uninstall the app, but I even changed my phone due to concerns about truecaller origin. Yet, I still occasionally receive messages that seem to have stemmed from that initial data leak.

[livealike]

Originally Posted by livealike

What would be more beneficial for the community is to focus on raising awareness about these scams rather than conducting post-mortems after the fact. That way, everyone benefits from a more informed perspective.

Clarification:

The reason I’m not inclined toward dissecting what happened is that it’s genuinely painful. You wouldn’t know how many times I’ve gone over the “what ifs” and “had I nots…” or how many reviews I scoured across forums afterward. It took considerable time for me to gather the emotional strength to write this review, and revisiting those regrets only amplifies the frustration.

I’m hoping the community can stand together to address the core issue here: data leaks and scams that often come with car purchases. While getting my refund is important, my primary aim with this thread is to bring attention to these holiday club scams and how they keep evolving to catch people off guard.

[hrman]

Originally Posted by livealike

Background:

With his persistence, I eventually agreed......

Your whole issue can be summarised in this one sentence.

Just be careful in the future is all I can say!