Umndeni wezinkampani zezokuvakasha ezizinze eFlorida owenza ibhizinisi e-Austin nase-San Antonio ubhekene namacala emikhuba yokuhweba ekhohlisayo kanye nokunye ukwephulwa kwekhodi yebhizinisi neyokuhweba evela ehhovisi loMmeli Omkhulu wase-Texas.
Abamangalelwa, i-Escapes Austin LLC kanye ne-Escapes Midwest LLC, abenza ibhizinisi ngaphansi kwamagama e-Global Escapes, Blue Water, Sun Tree nabanye, basolwa ngokusebenzisa izipho ezingamanga ukuze bayenge amakhasimende ukuba athamele izingqungquthela zokuthengisa ezikhangisa izinhlelo zesofthiwe ezingenamsebenzi ezihlobene nokuvakasha. , ngokombiko wezindaba ovela ehhovisi lommeli-jikelele.
Ummeli Jikelele uGreg Abbott uthe ihhovisi lakhe lifuna ukubuyiselwa kubathengi baseTexas abangaba ngu-5,000 okungenzeka bakhohliswe ekuthengeni isoftware. Esabela ezenzweni zommeli-jikelele, iNkantolo Yesifunda Yama-73 yase-Bexar County yakhipha umyalo wokuba kumiswe impahla yabamangalelwa.
Izinombolo zocingo ezixhunywe kumahhovisi e-Global Escapes' Austin nase-San Antonio ziye zanqanyulwa lapho zishayelwa ngoMsombuluko. Omele insizakalo yokubhuka yenkampani uthe wayevinjelwe ukunikeza noma yiziphi izinombolo zocingo zenkampani. Inombolo engu-1-800 esohlwini lwe-Web site yenkampani ibilokhu ikhala njalo imatasa ngoMsombuluko ekuseni.
Imibhalo yasenkantolo efakwe umbuso iphinde ibize isikhulu esiphezulu uJames Carey III kanye nelungu eliphethe uGwendolyn Carey. Ngokusho kwecala lombuso, abamangalelwa basebenzise izingcingo eziqondile kanye nezingcingo ukuze bazise amakhasimende angaba khona ukuthi “bawine” uhambo lwamahhala lomkhumbi, ukuhlala emahhotela, izimoto, izindiza noma amawashi abizayo. Nokho, abamukeli batshelwa ukuthi kufanele bahlele isikhathi sokuhambela isethulo sokuthengisa ukuze bathole umklomelo wabo.
Labo abakhethiwe nabo batshelwe ukuthi badinga kuphela ukukhokha intela okufanele bayikhokhe ngezipho. Abamukeli abazange baziswe ngemikhawulo, izindleko ezifihliwe, inani lilonke lemiklomelo noma ukutholakala okulinganiselwe kwemiklomelo. Ngokwabaseshi bombuso, imiklomelo bekunzima ukuyihlenga, kubiza ukuhlenga, noma ingatholakali ngezinsuku ezithile.
Ngesikhathi sesemina yokuthengisa eyisibopho, abamangalelwa baphakamise “ubuchwepheshe benjini yokusesha yesoftware,” abathi buzovumela abathengi ukuthi bathole futhi bagcine amadili okuvakasha ku-inthanethi. "Abamangalelwa babe sebesebenzisa amaqhinga okuthengisa anengcindezi ephezulu ukuze baqinisekise amakhasimende ukuthi ithuba labo 'lelayisensi yesoftware' lidlula wonke amanye embonini," kusho ukukhululwa. "Abamele abadayisi babamangalelwa babevame ukuthi 'baxoxisane phansi' besuka ku-$12,000 ngentengo yokuthengisa yesofthiwe iye ku-$7,000, $4,000, noma 'ekwehlisweni kwentengo kanye' ngo-$2,200."
Amakhasimende ayengakwazi ukukhokhela inani lokuthenga anikezwa uxhaso lwezimali. Kunokuba bagcine isikweletu somthengi esisele, abamangalelwa babevame ukusithengisa ezinkampanini zangaphandle zokuqoqa izikweletu noma izinkampani zezimali.
Ngokwamaphepha, ngemva kokuthenga umkhiqizo, amakhasimende amaningi awakwazanga ukungena kuWebhusayithi okungenani amasonto amabili. “Lapho abamangalelwa ekugcineni benikeza omazisi abadingekayo namagama ayimfihlo, amakhasimende amaningi ahlangabezana nezinkinga zobuchwepheshe. Amakhasimende akwazile ukufinyelela ngokugcwele ohlelweni athole ukuthi amadili ohambo ethenjisiwe ayengekho ngempela.”
Phakathi nezingxoxo zokuthengisa, amakhasimende atshelwe ukuthi angabuyisela umkhiqizo ukuze abuyiselwe uma ayenganelisekile ngokuthenga kwawo. Kodwa-ke, lapho amakhasimende ezama ukukhansela izinkontileka zawo, abamangalelwa bathi inkontileka yokuthengisa iyawabopha. Ekhathazekile ngokuthi ama-ejensi aqoqa izikweletu angonakalisa izilinganiso zawo zezikweletu, amakhasimende amaningi aphinde akhokhele izimali zokusekelwa zonyaka "zokuthuthukiswa kwesofthiwe", ngisho nalapho engakwazi noma engazange asebenzise uhlelo.
Ngaphansi kwe-Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, abamangalelwa babhekana nezijeziso zomphakathi ezifika ku-$20,000 ngokwephula umthetho ngamunye, kanye nesijeziso esingu-$250,000 uma ukuziphatha kwakuklanyelwe ukulimaza umuntu oneminyaka engu-65 noma ngaphezulu. Isenzo sokuphoqelela sicaphuna ukwephulwa okuningi kweKhodi Yebhizinisi Neyohwebo yeTexas Contest and Gift Giveaway Act. Ukwengeza, u-Attorney General wabeka abamangalelwa icala lokwephula uMthetho Wokudalulwa Kwezimfihlo waseTexas, ovame ukubizwa ngokuthi umthetho waseTexas No-Call.
