The Laguna Redang Island Resort is claiming that the recent RM399 offer for a 3D2N holiday at their resort is a scam by Umance!
Umance, who sold it to over 9000 people, insists it is not a scam, and is now offering a replacement deal instead.
Find out what is going on with this dispute about the RM399 package between Laguna Redang Island Resort and Umance!
RM399 Laguna Redang Holiday : A Umance Offer
Umance is apparently an entrepreneur who made his name selling seafood online.
On 11/11, he branched out into the hospitality business, offering a 3D2N holiday at the Laguna Redang Island Resort for only RM399 (~US$99), with 7 meals included!
Laguna Redang Island Resort : Umance Offer Is A Scam!
After Umance sold his RM399 holiday package to over 9000 customers, Laguna Redang Island Resort denounced him as a fraudster.
Umance has disputed this. Here is a rough timeline of what happened.
11 November @ 1:57 PM
Laguna Redang Island Resort issued a terse announcement that they do not endorse, and neither are they participating, in any third-party 11/11 event or Facebook live event.
It has come to our attention that there are companies falsely advertising for our package, we wish to clarify that Laguna Redang Island Resort do not endorse nor participate in any third party 11.11 event or Facebook live event.
11 November @ 6:31 PM
In a second announcement, Laguna Redang Island Resort did not authorise the deal, or consented to it.
Dear Valued Guest(s),
It has recently come to our attention and knowledge that there has been a deal circulating in Facebook in relation to the stays package(s) by promoting and/or selling with conditions of non-expiry permanent tickets, waiver of surcharges, under name of Laguna Redang Island Resort.
Kindly be informed that Laguna Redang Island Resort has never come to consensus in approval, authorized and/or consented to such deal or transaction.
We reserve all our rights. Any inconvenience caused is utterly regretted.
Best Regards,
Laguna Redang Island Resort
尊敬的客户，
最近一项在脸书Facebook上 （以拉古娜热浪岛度假村名义）以永久门票、免收附加费的条列流传的宣传促销及住宿配套交易引起了我们的关注。
谨通知您，拉古娜热浪岛度假村从未批准、授权、同意或与此类交易达成共识。
我们保留所有法律权利。 对于这起事件而造成的任何不便，我们深表歉意。
拉古娜热浪岛度假村
11 November
This screenshot of a bank transfer of RM 100,000 from Ricksman MS Sdn Bhd (Umance’s company) to Laguna Redang Travel was shared online, as evidence that Umance had indeed booked those rooms.
12 November @ 11:10 PM
Laguna Redang Island Resort confirmed that they received RM 100,000 on 11 November 2020.
However, they insisted that they never agreed to the deal, and asked the bank to reject and return the sum.
They also insisted that Umance was a fraudster impersonating as an agent of Laguna Redang Island Resort, and asked those who purchased it to lodge a police report.
LAGUNA REDANG ISLAND RESORT (“LAGUNA”) would like to alert the public of fraudsters pretending to be agents of LAGUNA in order to defraud the holiday makers of their money. These fraudsters will defraud the public online or through social media and impersonate as agent of LAGUNA with “attractive packages” which are obviously NOT offered by LAGUNA.
Please note that LAGUNA has no connection with such deceptive practices, and does not, under any circumstances, offered such “attractive packages” nor request anyone to transfer funds to bank accounts that are not under LAGUNA’s name.
On the recent incident circulating in Facebook in relation to an “attractive packages” offered, LAGUNA would like to alert the public that LAGUNA has no connection with such “attractive packages” nor has offered and/or authorized and/or consented to such “attractive packages”. An unauthorized sum of RM100,000.00 was banked into
LAGUNA’s bank account on 11 November 2020 without LAGUNA’s knowledge and authorization and LAGUNA had on 12 November 2020 instructed the bank to reject the receipt of the said sum of RM100,000.00 and requested the bank to remit the said sum of RM100,000.00 into the sender’s account.
For those who have conducted transaction with the suspected fraudsters, please report the matter to the police immediately as LAGUNA has lodged a police report on 11 November 2020 to protect our interest and to prevent further fraud.
Umance Replaces Laguna Redang with Tanjung Rhu Langkawi!
At around 5:30 PM on 14 November 2020, Umance posted a video, in which he reiterated that it was not a scam.
However, due to technical issues (likely Laguna Redang refusing his booking), he will fully refund all purchases, or replace it with a 3D2N holiday in the Tanjung Rhu Resort in Langkawi.
In a second video, he shared that the Tanjung Rhu 3D2N holiday package will be managed by Fantastic Tour Services Shd. Bhd. with these features :
- Tanjung Rhu Resort room on a twin-sharing basis
- includes 1 day Langkawi road tour
- includes 3 meals x 2 days
- no expiry date + ability to change name or date
- free luggage bag with every 2 tickets
He also offered this Tanjung Rhu 3D2N holiday package to those who missed the earlier offer, at RM399 per person or RM798 per room.
Laguna Redang To Tanjung Rhu : Bait & Switch Scam?
Now, it appears that Umance did indeed send Laguna Redang Island Resort RM100,000 as deposit, but it does not mean that he actually had an agreement to book so many rooms with them.
Sharp-eyed netizens also pointed out that Fantastic Tour itself is offering a much better deal at only RM244 per person!
You would actually save RM355 (39%) per room if you purchase the Tanjung Rhu deal directly from Fantastic Tour Langkawi themselves, albeit without free meals and different freebies.
This makes the whole RM399 Laguna Redang holiday package look suspiciously like a bait-and-switch scam.
In such scams, customers are “baited” with an incredibly good offer, but later they will discover that what they purchased was no longer available.
That’s when the “switch” happens – you are persuaded to accept a cheaper replacement instead of a refund, or upgrade to a more expensive alternative.
While we cannot be 100% sure it is a bait-and-switch, it is interesting how fast Umance came up with the Tanjung Rhu replacement package.
Heck, he was actually in Langkawi today to record his Facebook Live video with his team, and both reps from Tanjung Rhu Resort and Fantastic Tour!
One thing’s for sure – Umance is a businessman, and businessmen don’t go into the business to lose money… Caveat emptor! Buyers beware!
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