I decided to post my incident with Astar having read and benefited from the complaints I found on this site. One year ago I entered a draw online and was later informed that I won a vacation with Astar. As this was not a random ad that I clicked, I thought that maybe indeed I won a prize (after all, some people do win real prizes). Astar called me one year later! There was the typical blabla - a package of only $998 with Astar covering 85% of the expenses - that sounded good. The agent then asked my for my credit card details and after I refused to give in, he called the "security department" where another man tried to intimidate me and then hung up (when he realized I wasn't giving the card anyway). 1 month later Astar called me back around 30 times and I finally answered to get rid of them. This time, there was a lady slicker and smarter than the previous agent. After a lot of useless convincing, she realized I wasn't giving my card details on the phone and offered to verify her identity (I asked for that). She gave me her name and travel agent number. I called the toll free number on Astar's website and they confirmed the identity of my interlocutor. In the meantime, I had the opportunity to call a couple of friends to see what they think. They suggested I google Astar and stumbled upon this website. Needless to say that when the agent called back, I told her about my findings but then she answered that this is a ripoff attempt by some blackmailer and asked me to go to www.easy/link removed/ (which doesn't exist!) to verify her claims. At this point I ended the conversation.

Having spent a bit more time on the net, I found the following: Astar vacations do take place but their quality and actual expenses are far different from what they claim (http://boakes.org/talk/topic/astar-vacations). In addition, it seems that they try to sell timeshares (http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071122051805AAJXnma). The full scheme is described here: http://boakes.org/florida-travel-vouchers/. So the deceit is subtler than what it first seems to be.

I'd like to thank the people who posted here before for helping me figure out this scam.

This morning I got the same exact call (24/03/2012)
I couldn't believe that i had won. . .
Lucky for me I have a very sceptical partner and am not a major credit card holder.

I can't remember the name of the first person i spoke to but i was passed on to a so called travel coordinator by the name of Dan O'Brien travel I.D-9026
He explained the travel package I had won:
7days and 6 nights at the Hilton Hotel in Orlando Florida
with a tirp to Radison Studios and Disney World
and an array of other activites
the choice of a 7 day car rental or theme park tickets
and then a 7 day cruise from Florida to the Bahamas
and a whole array of activities compliments of Astar Travel
all this for a family of 5 or 4 adults
all for a mere U.S$996 all up
all we would have to do is purchase our own plane tickets
After all this he asked for my card details. I asked why he needed that info, he said it was to confirm the holiday package. I informed him that i didn't have a credit card but my partner did and he said that would be fine.
So I passed the phone over and they spoke for about 5-10 minutes and my partner turned out only to have a Visa Debit Card.
He was told that he had to be a major credit card holder to claim the prize and that if he got one within 90 days to call back and we'll be able to claim it my partner said OK and the guy hung up. My partner told me the guy said he already gave me the company's details and they would hold the package for us he would even throw in 3 nights to Vegas.

Funny thing is I never got any such details and I thought my partner was being a right arse so i decided to get online and search for
Dan O'Brien thinking i was going to miss the trip of a life time. So i type this in google (Dan O'Brien travel coordinator 9026)
and i come across this website.

I just want to say thank you to all those who felt they needed to warn everyone else about these scammers.
- A really gullible Kiwi

I was lead to believe someone from the company who after speaking to took money from my visa debit plus card.Can I get refund back before they send the travel details. Can't believe that this is a scam !

they did the same to me by not allowing to cancel the package and refund me 499 US dollars.. I searched their address (All Seasons Travel, 4104 W. Linebaugh Ave., Tampa, FL, 33624) on google earth/google maps, and on street view. It's written "Mangrove" on the building. I think it's an organized crime. We must put a stop to them. I gathered also technical information about them. They got number of websites just to mention a few: www.all-seasons-travel.net, www.astartravel.com, www.astar-travel.net with different contact information and they got dozens more. They are full of scam. They obviously lack ethics, and are sure criminals. Another information I came upon is on this site: http://boakes.org/florida-vacation-cancel/. Looks like they are not following the laws of Florida, which is under section 559.933 in Florida list of statutes: http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0500-0599/0559/Sections/0559.933.html.

It's unbelievable that this company is actually registered in Florida. Search "ST35841" in license field on https://csapp.800helpfla.com/cspublicapp/businesssearch/businesssearch.aspx. We must stop these scammers!!! People are working very hard while their credit card details are leashed by their conning tactics.

File a complaint and act against their organized crime company on https://csapp.800helpfla.com/CSPublicApp/Complaints/FileComplaint.aspx

They must face justice, and refund all people that requested a cancellation to the packages and refund.

Don't leave this! Fight to get your refunds back!!! Don't let those scammers get away!