No Such Thing As A Free Lunch Part 2

Yeah I wish I was smiling two hours later

For those of you who read Part 1. Here is a blog entry I found on the same thing. Difference, they were smart enough to bail. How we got on their list was a "raffle " in the lobby of Meralco Theater . Show was West Side Story. This person pretty much summed it up.

Ed

http://pandepanda.blogspot.com/2008/04/astoria-bogus-raffle-winner.html

4.30.2008
An Astoria Bogus Raffle Winner

I can clearly remember the number of times I won in a raffle. The very first time was when I was a freshman in U.P. when a blockmate sold me some tickets for P5 each and I bought 5. I won two cakes from Vinzon's Hall! I still have those stubs which I never claimed. I was just so happy I won. Next was when I was working in Makati in the mid-nineties. My first Christmas in my new office and during a raffle draw I won a rice cooker/couscousier. I am looking at that box right now that has never been opened. Just the fact that I won it fair and square also makes me happy. Jump to two years later, during a lunch with my colleagues in the then very trendy Chateau 1771 in Adriatico Malate I left my business card and low and behold, about 5 days before my birthday of the same year they sent me a letter informing me I had won a dinner for two on my birthday. Okay, so it wasn't really a raffle, but from all the business cards that was thrown in willy nilly in their giant fish bowl, mine was the one fished out. I was, needless to say very happy about that one and it was much appreciated and greatly savoured with a good buddy of mine.

Which brings me to today. I am not a happy camper. Someone from Astoria Suite (?) called me Monday to inform me that I had won a free dinner buffet for two at Astoria, but I that I had to claim it the next day (?) in Ortigas. Aside from this dinner I had allegedly won an over night stay for two in one of their hotels (?) in Baguio and that she was most apologetic that it only covers accomodations and not transport. I was not born yesturday and I believe that I asked all the appropriate questions to find out if this was legitimate or they were trying to sell me something. She then informed me that all they asked was a bit of my time to introduce me to the ammenities of their hotel. I guess this is the part where I went deaf, because that "little" time turned out to be 90 (or nine-zero as a certain Arvin confidently told me on the phone). I agreed to go claim my gift certificate after the "introduction" because I was made to believe that I had won the raffle fair and square during our dinner in Tagaytay (that was where I filled out the raffle stub) and I don't recall ever hearing the nine-zero from the first person who called me. Who in their right minds would believe that a tour of a hotel's ammenities would run up to an hour and a half? Something was obviously afoot.

Out of curiosity, more than anything else D wanted to go see what it was really about. I was not keen on going but since he was driving I agreed. After enduring traffic going to Ortigas, and a difficult time looking for Escriva drive we finally got there, but not after losing my temper twice. The nerve of these people sending me a text message asking me to inform them of my whereabouts?! Not satisfied, this nine-zero person even called me to say that they were monitoring (?) the attendance of their guests. Guests?? I guess I wasn't the only one who won (haha, won, that is a good one). The throng of women in the entrance of the Astoria COMDOMINIUM should have been enough to warn us from going down a tight, winding tunnel of a parking space to almost the 4th basement level parking slot.

So, finally we arrive at "Cafe" Astoria. While I was speaking to the woman who was looking for my name on the page (s) of paper on her desk D went in and checked the place out. What finally did us in was the question of one of the women there. "Are you here for the presentation?". My response? "We are leaving". I felt justified in ignoring Mr. nine-zero's call as D drove to megamall where we laughed about the incident over sandwiches and a delicious blackberry, ginseng and vanilla iced tea at Almon Marina.

When I got home I rummaged for the stub and was dismayed to discover that my original insticts were indeed correct. Written in miniscule font (I really couldn't read the words, I had to ask someone with better eye sight to read it to me) below the name Club Astoria were the magic words: holiday ownership.

The moral of the lesson is: before agreeing to fill up any raffle ticket read it carefully and look for any fine print and read it! If anyone calls informing you that you won anything, be sceptical and wait for the punch line. If there is none, be wary and investigate. Ask for a number where you can call them back, ask for names, dates and addresses. It's nice to win and be given free items, but in the world that we live in today most of the time there is always a catch, some more irritating than most.

Posted by Nini at 8:00 AM