Hotel and training centre, Melksham, Wiltshire
High quality accommodation for course delegates, business travellers and the leisure visitor too.

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For 2023 (and 2024 ...) - we are now fully retired from IT training.
We have made many, many friends over 25 years of teaching about Python, Tcl, Perl, PHP, Lua, Java, C and C++ - and MySQL, Linux and Solaris/SunOS too. Our training notes are now very much out of date, but due to upward compatability most of our examples remain operational and even relevant ad you are welcome to make us if them "as seen" and at your own risk.

Lisa and I (Graham) now live in what was our training centre in Melksham - happy to meet with former delegates here - but do check ahead before coming round. We are far from inactive - rather, enjoying the times that we are retired but still healthy enough in mind and body to be active!

I am also active in many other area and still look after a lot of web sites - you can find an index ((here))
Hotel Booking Scam / Cost of calls to 070 numbers

In my email, a juicy hotel booking ... 10 days for five double rooms ... which we shall not be accepting.



Dear Sir/Ma,

I am Andrea Paula,I write to introduce our Ministry " His Grace Ministries". Our main importance of sending this mail is to crave your sense of honesty and sincerity with respect to this enquiry. We want to enquire from you if you can book an accommodation for the Church team who will be arriving Evangelical Program. We would be most appreciative if you would be willing to do so.

Number of Guest: 10
Date of Arrival: 10th OCTOBER 2009
Date of Departure: 20th OCTOBER 2009
Type of Room: Double Bed
Persons Per Room: 2
Number of Rooms: 5



We welcome ... genuine visitors to Melksham, except this one is not genuine (have a look here for other reports). The email goes on:



For prompt action, we would be very grateful, if you can send with the total cost for of the accommodation to effect the prepayment and the following details:

1. TOTAL COST FOR THE ACCOMMODATION (In $USD Currency)
2. FULL MAILING/POSTAL ADDRESS OF HOTEL
3. CONTACT NAME
4. TELEPHONE NUMBER

We would be expecting your prompt response so that we can forward our Credit Card Details for prepayment.

Thank you and God Bless,
Best Regards,
Andrea Paula.



If past experiences reported elsewhere are to be followed, it goes on like this:
a) Booking made and payment taken (note - they want to prepay).
b) Booking cancelled, refund made (to a different account at client's request)
c) Bank says original payment was on stolen card / had another problem and revokes the payment to the hotel. But by this time there's no way to revoke the refund.

Don't be comforted by the UK phone number on the end of the email:



PHONE LINES:
+44 702 408 2930
+44 702 406 4815



Those are to personal numbers ... UK numbers which can then be routed anywhere in the world ... with the bill being picked up by the caller.

To quote The Register "Callers to personal numbers have in the past called 070 numbers thinking they are mobiles and have been shocked at the sometimes high cost of making the call. [snip] Calls to personal numbers from mobile phones can cost as much as [82][c2]ã2 for a 10 or 15 second call."

So ... let's see. The scam can cost you serious money to set up a deal. And theny you're out of pocket when you get stung for the refund. And while you have had those five rooms booked, you've lost further income by turning away other potential bookings. Nasty, Nasty, Nasty!
(written 2009-09-12, updated 2009-09-17)

 
Associated topics are indexed as below, or enter http://melksh.am/nnnn for individual articles
M102 - Well House Manor - booking system
  [864] Add to shopping cart - NO VACANCIES sign - (2006-09-13)
  [1084] Writing terms and conditions for conferences and other events - (2007-02-17)
  [1311] What do people look for on a hotel web site? - (2007-08-20)
  [1554] Online hotel reservations - Melksham, Wiltshire (near Bath) - (2008-02-24)
  [1815] Hotel Guest Surveys - (2008-09-28)
  [1907] Melksham Hotel Rates - (2008-11-25)
  [2377] Wiltshire / Melksham Weddings - guest accommodation - (2009-08-26)
  [2436] Melksham Hotel Rooms - pictures - (2009-10-04)
  [2705] Hotel booking in Melksham made easy! - (2010-04-03)
  [3281] Does Well House Manor Hotel in Melksham offer lots of discounts? - (2011-05-07)
  [3825] Well House Manor - direct hotel bookings help us improve the customer experience - (2012-08-04)
  [3932] River nearly bursting its banks in Melksham - (2012-11-23)
  [3976] Easy pricing, quick and easy checkout - (2013-01-15)
  [4122] Well House - booking through agents - (2013-06-23)
  [4138] Should a hotel accept guests who book for just one night? - (2013-07-11)
  [4144] Getting the best hotel rates - customer and hotelier viewpoints - (2013-07-27)
  [4153] Rooms available tonight - how to code an algorithm from first principles - (2013-08-19)
  [4232] Not wanted here - hotel guests who will not be happy - (2013-12-30)

G910 - Well House Consultants - Scams
  [78] Domain Registry of America - (2004-10-07)
  [178] Calling a spade a spade - (2005-01-15)
  [347] Frightening and from-friend viruses and spams - (2005-06-14)
  [860] Warning - false emails, said to be from Paypal - (2006-09-09)
  [1313] Tratum Technologies - (2007-08-21)
  [1342] Google, wwmdirectory, Freshwater, ATP - new scam? - (2007-09-09)
  [1680] Astroturfing - the online definition - (2008-06-17)
  [1772] Ken Palm, iTime, and Domain Name Tasting - (2008-08-25)
  [1795] What have iTime, honeytrapagency and domain listing center got in common? - (2008-09-12)
  [2373] Translation from Ghanaian to English - (2009-08-23)
  [2524] An update on legal changes from the FSB? - (2009-12-03)
  [2690] The World Company Register - is it another scam? - (2010-03-23)
  [2895] Global Computer Maintenance Department - (2010-07-29)
  [2988] Not mugged in London! - (2010-10-08)
  [3222] Clickjacking - another way to get you to follow a malicious link - Facebook issue - (2011-03-29)
  [3291] Pay and refund scam - alive and kicking against Melksham businesses - (2011-05-16)
  [3480] Direct Message: Really horrible blog about you ... a clever phishing trip, said to be from an MP - (2011-10-14)
  [3859] Youve Been Selected for the 2012 Edition of the Global Registry - (2012-09-16)
  [4385] A booking that looks too good to be true? It probably is too good to be true! - (2015-01-05)
  [4651] Pressure selling in the fire safety business - (2016-02-19)


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This is a page archived from The Horse's Mouth at http://www.wellho.net/horse/ - the diary and writings of Graham Ellis. Every attempt was made to provide current information at the time the page was written, but things do move forward in our business - new software releases, price changes, new techniques. Please check back via our main site for current courses, prices, versions, etc - any mention of a price in "The Horse's Mouth" cannot be taken as an offer to supply at that price.

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