Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona is alerting consumers to Patterson Bell and Hoffman Sims,  self proclaimed ?Awards Redemption? agencies  mailing letters to local consumers that state the recipient has won free airline tickets.

Since Dec. 10, BBB has received over 30 inquiries about Patterson Bell from consumers seeking to determine if the offer is legitimate. Consumers who spoke to BBB said they had no recollection of ever entering a sweepstakes or contest for the airline tickets.

Consumers say the letter states that they have qualified for an ?award? of two airline tickets that have a retail value of $1,400. The letter claims that Patterson Bell has attempted to contact the consumer multiple times and if the consumer does not contact them by a specific date the airline tickets will be given to an alternate recipient.

According to consumers, Patterson Bell?s address in Tucson is 4811 E Grant Rd, STE 261 85712, and its Web site, www.pattersonbell.com, says the company has additional locations in New York, Florida, Utah, New Jersey, Texas, California, and Oregon.

BBB has also received a number of inquiries about Hoffman Sims, another ?Awards Redemption Agency? in Tucson whose Web site, www.hoffmansims.com, is similar to Patterson Bell?s, and claims to operate in the same cities.

Consumers who called BBB concerning Hoffman Sims say they too received a letter indicating they had won free airline tickets. A Hoffman Sims representative told BBB over the phone that they the mailings were sent on behalf of Southwest Travel Inc., a Tucson-based travel club. BBB has not been able to locate an Arizona address or contact information for Southwest Travel, to confirm the business relationship between the two companies.

Phone calls to Hoffman Sims and Patterson Bell each led the same representative who declined to provide any information regarding the mailings and refused to disclose either company?s Tucson address. The representative also refused to say whether Patterson Bell and Hoffman Sims were in any way affiliated.

BBB warns that offers of prizes from travel clubs are usually tied to a requirement to attend a presentation of some kind. Presentations conclude with attempts to enroll consumers in travel clubs, to sell exclusive software, to sell access to a special web site, or to train consumers to become travel agents. Customers are told they can expect elaborate and extensive discounts on their travel purchases.

In BBB experience, the upfront costs of enrollment or purchase in these programs are never recouped. Promised travel discounts rarely materialize and legitimate travel consolidators, lodgings, airlines and rental car agencies generally do not recognize credentials issued by these companies and groups.

If consumers receive suspicious offers from any travel company they can contact BBB at (520)888-5353, or visit us online at www.tucson.bbb.org.

This company appears to be a scam.  They are either a collection agency or probably a company trying to get your personal information (remember, you cannot hide your identity on 800 number calls).  It may be  perhaps payment or timeshare solicitation.  The letters they mail indicate they have tried "multiple times" to contact you providing "an award...." and tell you have 2 days to claim.  All along, not telling you why you have one, through what contest, etc.  
To be clear, they did not call, but they have populated the "web" with nonsense postings and solicitations.  I thought this the best place to begin the dialogue as to real or not real.