I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT SUNSHINE PROMOTIONS IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PROMO GIFTS...THE MEMBERSHIP THAT THEY PRESENT TO YOU IS GREAT, GOLD CROWN RESORTS HAS PUT MY FAMILY IN SOME OF THE BEST PLACES I HAVE EVER SEEN. EVERYTHING THEY PROMISED US WAS EXACTLY WHAT WE RECEIVED. ALOT OF THESE COMPLAINTS THAT I HAVE READ ON HERE ARE AIMED AT THE WRONG COMPANY.

Using Deceptive Advertising Practices, this Boiler Room Operation is officially under Federal Investigation. Over 300 complaints from the NAAG and FTC prompted this action. Craigslist Fraud Center created several decoy ads with phone numbers included, to see which businesses would solicit them against TOU policy. Sunshine Promotions scanned these Craigslist ads, phoned the telephone numbers in the ads using Spoofed numbers, and solicited Vacation Packages. Although 42 inch Plasma's, $2500 Cash and a brand new Lincoln Navigator were also being given away, no single attendee has ever won anything, in fact of the over 300 complaintants, they all were scammed into believing they had won something, but were aprised of fees associated with travel, subpar travel lodging and timeshare solicitations. This company's owner has been bouncing around for several years, stealing from others, using deceptive practices and fraud to steal honest peoples money. The Federal invesigation with assistance from Craigslist, NAAG and the FTC began April 14, 2010. Criminal charges from 318 separate victims have been filed today in court.

Please advise the FBI or IC3 if you have also been victimized by this scam.

I received a postcard stating that I had been selected to receive an 8 day/7 night cruise and if I responded within 72 hours two free airline tickets to any where in the U.S. When I called I was told that I would have to attend a 90 minute presentation with no obligation to buy any thing. After arriving in Washington after a 90 minute drive we sat through the presentation asking you to join a travel club. We were passed from one level to the next after we would not agree to join. After three hours I finally cracked and agreed to join the club. When they were going over all the details we were told that we would have to send $500 within 30 days to the cruise company to hold the certificate and $50 to the airline company to hold the air tickets. This is not "free" to me. Then they started telling us how hard it would be to use the "free" tickets. The company does everything to make it almost impossible for you to take advantage of the trip. If we do not use this they will offer us a bonus on joining the travel club. I said yes just to get out of the place. I told them I had an awful headache and all I wanted was to get out of the place. I am so sorry that I did not get up and walk out of the place. This was a week ago and I am still sick. I can't sleep at night and I am so depressed . This cost me $5, 500. and we travel once a year. My husband is retired and I will retire soon. Once I retire we will never have the money to travel. I think Sunshine Company is a scam and all they want is your money and you get nothing for it. So we did not take advantage of the "free" trip because it would cost me $550 and got ripped off $5, 500.

I received a postcard stating that I had been selected to receive a complimentary cruise as well as complimentary air fare for two. When I called, I was told that I would have to listed to a 90-minute presentation about a unique travel service first. I was also told that I would have to pay ONLY a $50 per person refundable deposit to hold the airline tickets, but that all other benefits would be without any charge.

I made an appointment and drove well over an hour to hear the presentation. When I declined the offer to join a travel club, I was given two promotional certificates. The airfare certificate requires a $50 per person deposit, but also states that the deposit amount MAY be higher depending on the amount of unspecified "fees." The cruise requires the payment of $249 per person, non refundable, for unspecified "taxes and fees."

This is entirely contradictory to the flat promise that was made to me on the telephone stating that the cruise and airline tickets were FREE.

A caller with a very heavily accented English asked for me by name to inform me of my winning a sweepstake submitted during December 2008. Since I don't participate in sweepstakes, I promptly asked him to remove my name and phone number from his list and hung up the phone.

He called me back right away to push further... For verification purposes, I asked him for his company's name again (Sunshine Promotions), phone number (7186736170), and address (901 31st St., NW Washington, DC 20007), web site (didn't give any), and his name ("Joe Shafer"). After he mentioned the winning number (03458) and the condo., I had enough-- I told him to stop calling and that I'd be reporting him/his company right away. I hung up for the second time.

He had the audacity to call me right back again; I didn't pick up that last time. He didn't leave any verbal message--the answering machine had only recorded loud S-S-S/equipment-hissing back ground sound (just like in the beginning of his previous phone calls); I wonder if he/company will call again... I hope no one falls for this bold conartist/scam.