An offer I just had to refuse

You know when you're flitting around the Internet looking for something perhaps meaningful, enlightening or even slightly interesting, all these pop-ups appear...congratulations! YOU have WON!, YOU are the lucky winner!..or YOU are our millionth visitor and have WON....etc and sometimes you get the junk email saying ...this is not junk mail...this is genuine...please read and find out how YOU can win....
It's hard to escape it all and sometimes you are lured into clicking on the box..just in case it is geniune..after all, someones got to win, just like the lottery, you've got to be 'innit to winnit', haaa you know full well that you are just kidding yourself and the little men sitting on each of your shoulders are having a discussion through your ears 'yes I've won' says lefty, 'don't be so stupid' says righty, 'well I wont know unless I have a look' say lefty, 'god you are so gullible' says righty and so on....before you know it you are filling out your details to win the holiday of a lifetime or the chance to win a dream home. Then you've opened the floodgates to the junk mail that's been hovering around in interstellar just waiting for the foolish to invite them in and your time spent online intent on writing to your neglected friends gets swallowed up in sorting your mail into the good, the bad and the ugly.
Well here is a word of advise.....don't go there...its just a total waste and you could find yourself on the end of the phone line to some hard sell scam.....like me yesterday evening. This is what happened..
Paul calls me from the other room, "Pizza ready in 5 minutes!"
My mobile rings, "hello"....."Hi is that Sallysparkle?" returns the broad American male accent 'yes'...I say, thinking...do I know any Americans?...."Hi Sally and CONGRATULATIONS! YOU have been chosen at random along with 25 other British contestants to enjoy our 10 day holiday cruise of a lifetime to Florida sponsored by Universal studios and the Radisson Hotels chain for only $249 dollars for 4 people to include a mini cruise to the Bahamas, you will visit Atlantis the top island resort of the rich and famous, you and your group will have a luxury outer cabin, all meals inclusive....back in Florida..have you been to Florida Sally?" "uh no", I reply a little bemused by it all "you haven't! oh my god you are in for a real treat, YOU will be chauffeur driven to Disney world with free passes and then off to visit Universal studios with VIP passes and then we fly you to Las Vegas to stay in the top luxury 5 star hotel with fabulous meals and full use of all the facilities, swimming polls, jacuzzi, the incredible casinos where we give you $200 for you to place your stakes....hey, if you win your millions Sally, remember me, just send me a postcard, haa haa..."
Pizza's on the table!" another call from the kitchen.. "I'm sorry but I don't remember entering for this at all'...thinking...I wonder if I did when I was idly flitting around on the Internet....."Well Sally, you are Sallysparkle right? from 10...drive, Edinburgg [his pronunciation not my spelling error] we have your details right here that you filled in and we picked out at random, we don't just look through the telephone directory and cold call, you must have entered or we wouldn't be calling you, so this is your lucky day, like I said we are not giving this away for free, this is a special one off promotion and by doing this, Radisson will gain $thousands of dollars just from you and others like you having a terrific time and spreading the word'.. all great promotion for them and far more successful than advertising...remember though that this does not include flights but we can offer you the cheapest deals and your tickets for four are open and so you can book your fabulous holiday for whenever you want". Once you have these tickets Sally, if you change your mind about going you can always sell them, on eBay they will fetch $1600 dollars each so you cant lose on this one, I will send you an email confirmation and the tickets Will be in the post to you today, all I need is your authorisation and acceptance"...
by now I'm stunned and convinced that I have actually won something!...my mind is working overtime assimilating the info...Paul comes into the room with a puzzled look on his face miming eating actions and I just grin back...."so Sally have you got your Visa card there? I need you to confirm with payment of the $249......hello....sally"...... "No I'm sorry," I say, "I don't do that, I don't give my card details over the phone, if you send me the confirmation details first then we can proceed," "Sally I don't understand, whats the problem, its just a simple transaction there is no way you are in any danger of losing your card details here, I'm in America, you are in Britain right, we have different legal systems right, you are not signing your card to me, I cant use it for anything but this payment" his voice pitch has raised a little..."well if you can send me details first then phone me back we can go ahead" I say ,now reverting back to normal cynical and suspicious mode, "well I can send you the details but I wont be phoning you back with this offer you will have to pay full price", "okay that's fine give it to someone else my pizza's getting cold". with that he hung up.

Life soon went back to normal and after diner we sat and watched Grand Designs on more 4 like you do on a Saturday night.