It’s summer! And from the temperatures most of the U.S. is experiencing, that’s not a surprise to anyone. With summer comes wonderful, relaxing, exciting vacations for so many of us. And wouldn’t it make your summer even better if you won a 5-day, 4-night vacation in the Bahamas? Well, it seems that you certainly have an opportunity to win it, but is it too good to be true?

Let’s take a look at one in particular that has gotten a lot of traction in the forums on the travel website, TripAdvisor. This one started waaaaayyy back, about eight years ago. A travel company was contacting people who entered a raffle or contest that they were the recipients of a “free” trip to Grand Bahama Island. However, when those winners contacted them to find out the details, it raised a lot of questions about whether or not it’s real. Well, we have found out some of the information on this one.

It's a Scam?

First, this one is not necessarily a scam. On the website for this particular company, anyone can enter a vacation photo contest for a chance to “win a FREE BAHAMAS CRUISE & RESORT STAY.” There merely require you to send in a photo and fill out a form with your name and email address. No phone number required. No processing fee required. Just your name and email address.

That’s not so bad, is it? What happens when they do tell you that you are the lucky winner is a little more, shall we say, not on the up and up.

Once these “winners” contacted the company to find out how to claim their prize, they found out they had to pay a fee to set up an account with them. Then, they added “admin fees” of a couple hundred bucks. Then there’s the island “entry fee.” Oh, and if you want transportation to the island, that’ll cost you too. So, is it a scam?

Travelers did report that it’s a real trip, but they also reported spending far more money than they would have if they’d booked it themselves. The whole scenario is really just a marketing scheme, perhaps unethical, by the company to get people interested in travel to book more trips through them.

Claim Your Prize

Here’s how this one goes.

• A representative from the company contacts you at the email address you provided.
• Within 72 hours, you need to “claim” your prize.
• After claimed, you have 18 months to book it.

The catch? You have to pay all the other fees and stay at their partner resort.

Recipients have reported paying over $3,500 for this “free” trip when all is said and done.

So, it’s not necessarily a scam, but this and any company that promises you free travel should be thoroughly vetted before giving any personal information. And most definitely, you should be very confident you want that trip before giving out payment card information. Let’s face it, nothing is ever “free.”

There is no doubt many similar offers are out there and of course a lot are true scams. If they require a processing fee up front, you should be suspicious. Do some additional research to find out if others have gotten a real trip or were scammed by similar offers. Read reviews. They are a sandcastle full of great information. And if you do decide you want that beach trip, just make sure you’re willing to shell out some money for your “free” trip to the beach.