Group items tagged

Welcome to Birds 4 You Aviary. We are a private parrot breeder specializing in hand raising and hand feeding parrots ranging from large Macaws, Congo African grays, and Amazons. To smaller parrots like Sun Conures, Indian Ringnecks , Quakers, and Parrotlets. We are located in Central Florida, just 10 miles north of the Tampa Bay Area in Trinity, FL. We are not open to the public on a daily basis but if you wish to see our birds please contact us and schedule a visit. What makes us different from other breeders is that we go the extra mile in hand taming our birds assuring that you will get the best possible bird available. Our staff has over 20 years experience in breeding and training large parrots. We do not sell birds to be show pieces or breeders. We wish for all our parrots to become a loving member of their adopting family. We make sure all our large birds are well socialized with both male and female humans as well as other birds of different sizes and species. In addition to hand feeding our birds we make sure each is allotted a specific amount of play time each day. Each parrot is weaned onto pretty bird gold pellets and gets a daily ration of fruits and vegetables to provide them with the proper nutrition that they require and deserve. Purchasing a parrot is a huge commitment. Some parrots like blue and gold macaws, and congo African greys can live in excess of 70 years with proper care and diet. All to often people jump into ownership head first without knowing what they are getting into. Macaws and CAG's are highly intelligent and have a mental capacity that rivals dogs, cats, and even dolphins. African Greys have been know to recognize colors, shapes and even associate human words with meaning. So it is very important your bird gets the attention and love that they deserve. Parrot Speceis that we offer for sale. We offer a number of different macaw species for sale. Our most common and most recommended would be the traditional Blue and Gold Macaw

The insurance fraud in Changwon uncovered by the Financial Supervisory Service is both shocking and disturbing. It involved as many as 1,361 people, mostly residents of the South Gyeongsang Province city, who either posed as fake patients or exaggerated their illnesses. Collectively, they claimed 9.5 billion won from 33 insurance companies between 2007 and 2011. At the center of the scam ― the largest ever in terms of the number of people involved ― were three unconscionable hospitals in the city, which recruited fake patients systematically in cahoots with insurance brokers and solicitors. They did this to increase revenue and ease their financial distress. The main ploy used by the hospitals was to share a patient, meaning they would arrange for a patient to check in the three hospitals alternately for a different disease. For this, they faked his illnesses and prepared false documents. For close cooperation, they shared patient information among themselves. This scheme helped patients pocket more insurance money. They all purchased multiple private health insurance policies before hospitalization. On average they received some 7 million won per person. In one example, a man in his 50s was hospitalized for a total of 564 days over three years, collecting 95 million won in insurance. The Changwon case followed a similar one that took place in Taebaek last November, involving more than 400 people in the declining mining town in Gangwon Province. They got a total of 14 billion won in insurance payments. As with the Changwon scam, three financially distressed hospitals in the city played a central role. The two cases suggest that insurance fraud is a fairly common occurrence in Korea. According to the FSS, the number of insurance-related crimes has surged in recent years. Last year alone, more than 70,000 people were caught for insurance scams, with the amount of false claims they filed reaching 423 billion won. Yet the figure represented just the tip of the

It was agreed by nonprofit housing counseling agencies and housing rights advocates that foreclosure rescue scams are still common in the Bay Area, and there's no need for homeowners in distress to empty their pockets paying for private attorneys. Because of the sudden death of the family's primary breadwinner, Tatakamotongas of East Palo Alto suffered from mortgage payments. They decided to seek help with obtaining a loan modification to lower their monthly payments and due to this they came into contact with a scammer rather than legal help. "The advice they gave me was 'Don't make any more payments at all. The longer you are backed up, the more we can help you.' And so of course I believed them," says Mele Tatakamotonga. The scammer was a private attorney. He told them to stop paying their mortgage so that they will qualify for a modification and charged them $3,000 for the assistance. But as expected from a scammer, after paying the fee the phone number had been disconnected. "Foreclosure rescue and mortgage modification scams are continuing and getting bolder," says Vanitha Venugopal, program director of Community Development and Investment at The San Francisco Foundation. Homeowners must pay for help with loan modifications and other housing issues because scams continue to be rampant, advocates say. The Tatakamotongas finally found Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto, a nonprofit law office, which collected the family's money from the dishonest attorney, and assisted them with obtaining a loan modification. Maeve Elise Brown, Executive Director of Housing and Economic Rights Advocates (HERA) in Oakland, another organization that offers free legal aid, warns that scams are commonly carried out by unscrupulous attorneys. Brown also says that the media needs to be wary of running scammers' advertisements. Many homeowners looking for help contact scammers that they find through television and radio ads. According to Leah Si

The insurance fraud in Changwon uncovered by the Financial Supervisory Service is both shocking and disturbing. It involved as many as 1,361 people, mostly residents of the South Gyeongsang Province city, who either posed as fake patients or exaggerated their illnesses. Collectively, they claimed 9.5 billion won from 33 insurance companies between 2007 and 2011. At the center of the scam ― the largest ever in terms of the number of people involved ― were three unconscionable hospitals in the city, which recruited fake patients systematically in cahoots with insurance brokers and solicitors. They did this to increase revenue and ease their financial distress. The main ploy used by the hospitals was to share a patient, meaning they would arrange for a patient to check in the three hospitals alternately for a different disease. For this, they faked his illnesses and prepared false documents. For close cooperation, they shared patient information among themselves. This scheme helped patients pocket more insurance money. They all purchased multiple private health insurance policies before hospitalization. On average they received some 7 million won per person. In one example, a man in his 50s was hospitalized for a total of 564 days over three years, collecting 95 million won in insurance. The Changwon case followed a similar one that took place in Taebaek last November, involving more than 400 people in the declining mining town in Gangwon Province. They got a total of 14 billion won in insurance payments. As with the Changwon scam, three financially distressed hospitals in the city played a central role. The two cases suggest that insurance fraud is a fairly common occurrence in Korea. According to the FSS, the number of insurance-related crimes has surged in recent years. Last year alone, more than 70,000 people were caught for insurance scams, with the amount of false claims they filed reaching 423 billion won. Yet the figure represented just t

The insurance fraud in Changwon uncovered by the Financial Supervisory Service is both shocking and disturbing. It involved as many as 1,361 people, mostly residents of the South Gyeongsang Province city, who either posed as fake patients or exaggerated their illnesses. Collectively, they claimed 9.5 billion won from 33 insurance companies between 2007 and 2011. At the center of the scam ― the largest ever in terms of the number of people involved ― were three unconscionable hospitals in the city, which recruited fake patients systematically in cahoots with insurance brokers and solicitors. They did this to increase revenue and ease their financial distress. The main ploy used by the hospitals was to share a patient, meaning they would arrange for a patient to check in the three hospitals alternately for a different disease. For this, they faked his illnesses and prepared false documents. For close cooperation, they shared patient information among themselves. This scheme helped patients pocket more insurance money. They all purchased multiple private health insurance policies before hospitalization. On average they received some 7 million won per person. In one example, a man in his 50s was hospitalized for a total of 564 days over three years, collecting 95 million won in insurance. The Changwon case followed a similar one that took place in Taebaek last November, involving more than 400 people in the declining mining town in Gangwon Province. They got a total of 14 billion won in insurance payments. As with the Changwon scam, three financially distressed hospitals in the city played a central role. The two cases suggest that insurance fraud is a fairly common occurrence in Korea. According to the FSS, the number of insurance-related crimes has surged in recent years. Last year alone, more than 70,000 people were caught for insurance scams, with the amount of false claims they filed reaching 423 billion won. Yet the figure represented just t

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, March 20, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ - Researchers find high incidence rates and deaths in first-ever analysis of the disease impacts in Latin America Today, Latin American researchers and global health leaders revealed preliminary results from the first-ever study to estimate the burden and costs of meningococcal disease in the region. The study found a need for improved surveillance and better understanding of meningococcal epidemiology and information on costs to help devise meningitis vaccination programs. This new research was coordinated by the Sabin Vaccine Institute in partnership with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the International Vaccine Access Center at Johns Hopkins University (JHU's IVAC) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Dr. Ciro de Quadros, Executive Vice President of the Sabin Vaccine Institute in Washington, D.C., said, "Clearly, meningitis is a real health and economic burden in Latin America. Too many children are debilitated or die from this serious disease, yet it is preventable by vaccines. Our new research proves that we need to improve our strategies to fight meningococcal disease." Dr. de Quadros spoke at the conclusion of the first Regional Meningococcal Symposium, convened by the Sabin Vaccine Institute and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO). The symposium, which took place March 19 and 20 in Buenos Aires, brought together more than 150 researchers, vaccine experts, economists and others to evaluate the extent and cost of meningococcal disease and what obstacles impede its prevention through vaccination. "Few diseases have as much power to cause panic among the population as meningococcal disease, said Dr. Marco Aurelio Safadi, Head of the Pediatric Infectious Disease Division at Sao Luiz Hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil. "This is primarily because of its potentially epidemic nature. The rapid on

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, March 20, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ - Researchers find high incidence rates and deaths in first-ever analysis of the disease impacts in Latin America Today, Latin American researchers and global health leaders revealed preliminary results from the first-ever study to estimate the burden and costs of meningococcal disease in the region. The study found a need for improved surveillance and better understanding of meningococcal epidemiology and information on costs to help devise meningitis vaccination programs. This new research was coordinated by the Sabin Vaccine Institute in partnership with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the International Vaccine Access Center at Johns Hopkins University (JHU's IVAC) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Dr. Ciro de Quadros, Executive Vice President of the Sabin Vaccine Institute in Washington, D.C., said, "Clearly, meningitis is a real health and economic burden in Latin America. Too many children are debilitated or die from this serious disease, yet it is preventable by vaccines. Our new research proves that we need to improve our strategies to fight meningococcal disease." Dr. de Quadros spoke at the conclusion of the first Regional Meningococcal Symposium, convened by the Sabin Vaccine Institute and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO). The symposium, which took place March 19 and 20 in Buenos Aires, brought together more than 150 researchers, vaccine experts, economists and others to evaluate the extent and cost of meningococcal disease and what obstacles impede its prevention through vaccination. "Few diseases have as much power to cause panic among the population as meningococcal disease, said Dr. Marco Aurelio Safadi, Head of the Pediatric Infectious Disease Division at Sao Luiz Hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil. "This is primarily because of its potentially epidemic nature. The rapid on

Source : http://www.valueinvestingnews.com/scam-review-springhill-suites-houston-medical-center http://springhillgrouphome.multiply.com/journal/item/61/A_Scam_-_Review_of_Springhill_Suites_Houston_Medical_Center Springhill Suites Houston Medical Center/Reliant Park: Traveler Reviews Ranked #91 of 425 hotels in Houston 50 Reviews 50 reviews from our community Trip type Family reviews (16) Couples reviews (6) Business reviews (17) Solo travel reviews (5) Friends reviews (3) "A Scam!" - While this hotel is clean, I would NOT recommend staying here, especially if you need to rely on taxis for transportation. First, we asked for three days in a row for the drain in the bath/shower to be unclogged, which was never done. Standing in inches of water while taking a shower is not my idea of fun. Much worse however, was the scam the hotel seems to be running regarding taxis and car service. The last night of my stay, I requested an early morning cab to go to the airport. I was told it would be taken care of. Shortly after, the front desk called my room, asking if I wouldn't prefer a town car. I was told this was suggested because the cab drivers had been adding extra distance to rides to drive up the cost of the fare. Since I had taken a cab from the airport to the hotel, I had a sense of the cost, and felt confident that I could be firm with the cab driver, especially since the cost of the town car was quoted at $10 more. The next morning, I showed up in the lobby at 4:45 am for my cab. The person at the desk informed me that no cab had been called, that 'cabs don't work that way' here, and strongly suggested (again) that a town car be called, since that was the only way to be sure of a quick arrival. The price this person quoted me was now $5 more than a cab ride, and feeling desperate, I agreed. Once in the town car, I asked the driver if there was any arrangement with the hotel to pass along part of the fare to the hotel. He acknowledged that there

The World Wide Web consortium is one of the well-known partners in business. Due to the growing demand of the business industry, firms use the triple W in order for them to reach their customers across the world. And well as to make their business reached by their customers at their most convenient approach. At large, these businesses that are into the modernization are the one who makes physical goods such as cars or pipes in which then they sell at a profit and even shopping. Consumers can purchase goods 24/7 through online or e-commerce- the selling and acquiring of products or services over the internet with the use of different shelling out methods and feels like you are safer than using the conventional way of shopping. But did you know that in taking the number of the advantages can make you down in the dumps in just a minute, giving the disadvantage of it? What are the possible occurrences in paying using those methods? How surely that you are so secure? Debit Card, Credit Card,Gift Certficate, Paypal Account, Paypal Alternatives, Money Order, Web Certificate and other payment methods can rip-off by the growing swindlers or scammers across the web. But the most spot of such feeding frenzy is your Paypal Account in which can take everything and be as one of their victims of the said scam. It is an act of taking your money through giving you the imitation of someone's personality with an imaginary addresses as well as phone numbers, counterfeit photos and template letters that can absolutely loose cannon. As an online shopper it's better to become aware about the growing scam. Then, it is good if you do so. If you think that you are safer from scams when you use PayPal, you're not. PayPal users are the specific targets of an email scam that results to PayPal Scam. Scammer behind the PayPal scam sends PayPal users an official-looking email asking them to verify their account or identity. The email is addressed "Dear PayPal User" and the em

The World Wide Web consortium is one of the well-known partners in business. Due to the growing demand of the business industry, firms use the triple W in order for them to reach their customers across the world. And well as to make their business reached by their customers at their most convenient approach. At large, these businesses that are into the modernization are the one who makes physical goods such as cars or pipes in which then they sell at a profit and even shopping. Consumers can purchase goods 24/7 through online or e-commerce- the selling and acquiring of products or services over the internet with the use of different shelling out methods and feels like you are safer than using the conventional way of shopping. But did you know that in taking the number of the advantages can make you down in the dumps in just a minute, giving the disadvantage of it? What are the possible occurrences in paying using those methods? How surely that you are so secure? Debit Card, Credit Card,Gift Certficate, Paypal Account, Paypal Alternatives, Money Order, Web Certificate and other payment methods can rip-off by the growing swindlers or scammers across the web. But the most spot of such feeding frenzy is your Paypal Account in which can take everything and be as one of their victims of the said scam. It is an act of taking your money through giving you the imitation of someone's personality with an imaginary addresses as well as phone numbers, counterfeit photos and template letters that can absolutely loose cannon. As an online shopper it's better to become aware about the growing scam. Then, it is good if you do so. If you think that you are safer from scams when you use PayPal, you're not. PayPal users are the specific targets of an email scam that results to PayPal Scam. Scammer behind the PayPal scam sends PayPal users an official-looking email asking them to verify their account or identity. The email is addressed "Dear PayPal User" and the em

By Romesh Navaratnarajah: Cases of residential mortgage fraud in the US done in collusion with mortgage industry professionals dropped 35 percent between 2010 and 2011, according to the LexisNexis Risk Solutions Mortgage Fraud Report. The report tracked actual cases of mortgage fraud or misrepresentation by mortgage sector professionals, as reported by lenders and other financial institutions. These include cases of borrowers falsifying information on mortgage documents but only if they conspired with mortgage industry professionals. One reason for the significant decline is because mortgage loan originations fell to its lowest level in 2011 since 2001, indicating a sharp reduction in sales of new and previously-occupied homes. Another reason is that fewer fraud schemes are committed when a buyer is trying to get a home loan. However, the FBI noted that loan fraud involving selling or buying homes is more common at some stages of foreclosure, adding that mortgage fraud investigations led to 1,082 convictions in FY 2011. According to the LexisNexis study, home appraisal and loan application fraud, along with misrepresentation, accounted for the biggest category of fraud investigated by lenders in 2011. Related Stories: Fixed-rate mortgage in demand despite cheaper tracker-rate loans 15% discount on mortgages reappears in Shanghai US mortgage rates fall to new record lows More from PropertyGuru: Fixed-rate mortgage in demand despite cheaper tracker-rate loans 15% discount on mortgages reappears in Shanghai US mortgage rates fall to new record lows HK mortgage numbers shrinking

ATLANTA - Cases of residential mortgage fraud reported by institutions in the home financing industry fell last year for the second year in a row, according to a new study. The LexisNexis Risk Solutions Mortgage Fraud Report released Wednesday tracks verified instances of home loan fraud or misrepresentation by mortgage industry professionals, as reported by banks and other financial institutions. The fraud could include a borrower falsifying information on loan documents but only if the borrower was conspiring with a mortgage industry professional. The study found that mortgage fraud reports declined 35 percent between 2010 and 2011. One factor in the decline is that mortgage loan originations sank to their lowest levels since 2001 last year, reflecting a sharp drop in sales of new and previously occupied homes. Another is that fewer mortgage fraud schemes are taking place at the point where a buyer tries to get a home loan. Mortgage fraud involving the buying or selling of homes in some stage of foreclosure is becoming more common, according to the FBI. Mortgage fraud investigations by the FBI resulted in 1,082 convictions in fiscal 2011, the agency has said. Loan application and home appraisal fraud and misrepresentation made up the largest category of fraud type being investigated by lenders last year, according to the LexisNexis study. Among the trends identified in the report: Instances where buyers and sellers potentially colluded in a home sale or purchase transaction are running at an elevated pace. One red flag of collusion in a real estate transaction is when there is an undisclosed relationship between buyer and seller, or agent, which could potentially lead to a conflict of interest. Unless disclosed, real estate transactions are expected to be arm's-length, or with buyer and seller having no relationship to each other. In 2011, lenders reported that transactions where such a relationship was not disclosed declined t

ATLANTA - Cases of residential mortgage fraud reported by institutions in the home financing industry fell last year for the second year in a row, according to a new study. The LexisNexis Risk Solutions Mortgage Fraud Report released Wednesday tracks verified instances of home loan fraud or misrepresentation by mortgage industry professionals, as reported by banks and other financial institutions. The fraud could include a borrower falsifying information on loan documents but only if the borrower was conspiring with a mortgage industry professional. The study found that mortgage fraud reports declined 35 percent between 2010 and 2011. One factor in the decline is that mortgage loan originations sank to their lowest levels since 2001 last year, reflecting a sharp drop in sales of new and previously occupied homes. Another is that fewer mortgage fraud schemes are taking place at the point where a buyer tries to get a home loan. Mortgage fraud involving the buying or selling of homes in some stage of foreclosure is becoming more common, according to the FBI. Mortgage fraud investigations by the FBI resulted in 1,082 convictions in fiscal 2011, the agency has said. Loan application and home appraisal fraud and misrepresentation made up the largest category of fraud type being investigated by lenders last year, according to the LexisNexis study. Among the trends identified in the report: Instances where buyers and sellers potentially colluded in a home sale or purchase transaction are running at an elevated pace. One red flag of collusion in a real estate transaction is when there is an undisclosed relationship between buyer and seller, or agent, which could potentially lead to a conflict of interest. Unless disclosed, real estate transactions are expected to be arm's-length, or with buyer and seller having no relationship to each other. In 2011, lenders reported that transactions where such a relationship was not disclosed d

ATLANTA - Cases of residential mortgage fraud reported by institutions in the home financing industry fell last year for the second year in a row, according to a new study. The LexisNexis Risk Solutions Mortgage Fraud Report released Wednesday tracks verified instances of home loan fraud or misrepresentation by mortgage industry professionals, as reported by banks and other financial institutions. The fraud could include a borrower falsifying information on loan documents but only if the borrower was conspiring with a mortgage industry professional. The study found that mortgage fraud reports declined 35 percent between 2010 and 2011. One factor in the decline is that mortgage loan originations sank to their lowest levels since 2001 last year, reflecting a sharp drop in sales of new and previously occupied homes. Another is that fewer mortgage fraud schemes are taking place at the point where a buyer tries to get a home loan. Mortgage fraud involving the buying or selling of homes in some stage of foreclosure is becoming more common, according to the FBI. Mortgage fraud investigations by the FBI resulted in 1,082 convictions in fiscal 2011, the agency has said. Loan application and home appraisal fraud and misrepresentation made up the largest category of fraud type being investigated by lenders last year, according to the LexisNexis study. Among the trends identified in the report: Instances where buyers and sellers potentially colluded in a home sale or purchase transaction are running at an elevated pace. One red flag of collusion in a real estate transaction is when there is an undisclosed relationship between buyer and seller, or agent, which could potentially lead to a conflict of interest. Unless disclosed, real estate transactions are expected to be arm's-length, or with buyer and seller having no relationship to each other. In 2011, lenders reported that transactions where such a relationship was not disclosed declined to

The insurance fraud in Changwon uncovered by the Financial Supervisory Service is both shocking and disturbing. It involved as many as 1,361 people, mostly residents of the South Gyeongsang Province city, who either posed as fake patients or exaggerated their illnesses. Collectively, they claimed 9.5 billion won from 33 insurance companies between 2007 and 2011. At the center of the scam ― the largest ever in terms of the number of people involved ― were three unconscionable hospitals in the city, which recruited fake patients systematically in cahoots with insurance brokers and solicitors. They did this to increase revenue and ease their financial distress. The main ploy used by the hospitals was to share a patient, meaning they would arrange for a patient to check in the three hospitals alternately for a different disease. For this, they faked his illnesses and prepared false documents. For close cooperation, they shared patient information among themselves. This scheme helped patients pocket more insurance money. They all purchased multiple private health insurance policies before hospitalization. On average they received some 7 million won per person. In one example, a man in his 50s was hospitalized for a total of 564 days over three years, collecting 95 million won in insurance. The Changwon case followed a similar one that took place in Taebaek last November, involving more than 400 people in the declining mining town in Gangwon Province. They got a total of 14 billion won in insurance payments. As with the Changwon scam, three financially distressed hospitals in the city played a central role. The two cases suggest that insurance fraud is a fairly common occurrence in Korea. According to the FSS, the number of insurance-related crimes has surged in recent years. Last year alone, more than 70,000 people were caught for insurance scams, with the amount of false claims they filed reaching 423 billion won. Yet the figure represented just th

The insurance fraud in Changwon uncovered by the Financial Supervisory Service is both shocking and disturbing. It involved as many as 1,361 people, mostly residents of the South Gyeongsang Province city, who either posed as fake patients or exaggerated their illnesses. Collectively, they claimed 9.5 billion won from 33 insurance companies between 2007 and 2011. At the center of the scam ― the largest ever in terms of the number of people involved ― were three unconscionable hospitals in the city, which recruited fake patients systematically in cahoots with insurance brokers and solicitors. They did this to increase revenue and ease their financial distress. The main ploy used by the hospitals was to share a patient, meaning they would arrange for a patient to check in the three hospitals alternately for a different disease. For this, they faked his illnesses and prepared false documents. For close cooperation, they shared patient information among themselves. This scheme helped patients pocket more insurance money. They all purchased multiple private health insurance policies before hospitalization. On average they received some 7 million won per person. In one example, a man in his 50s was hospitalized for a total of 564 days over three years, collecting 95 million won in insurance. The Changwon case followed a similar one that took place in Taebaek last November, involving more than 400 people in the declining mining town in Gangwon Province. They got a total of 14 billion won in insurance payments. As with the Changwon scam, three financially distressed hospitals in the city played a central role. The two cases suggest that insurance fraud is a fairly common occurrence in Korea. According to the FSS, the number of insurance-related crimes has surged in recent years. Last year alone, more than 70,000 people were caught for insurance scams, with the amount of false claims they filed reaching 423 billion won. Yet the figure represented just the tip of the

Source : http://www.valueinvestingnews.com/scam-review-springhill-suites-houston-medical-center Springhill Suites Houston Medical Center/Reliant Park: Traveler Reviews Ranked #91 of 425 hotels in Houston 50 Reviews 50 reviews from our community Trip type Family reviews (16) Couples reviews (6) Business reviews (17) Solo travel reviews (5) Friends reviews (3) "A Scam!" - While this hotel is clean, I would NOT recommend staying here, especially if you need to rely on taxis for transportation. First, we asked for three days in a row for the drain in the bath/shower to be unclogged, which was never done. Standing in inches of water while taking a shower is not my idea of fun. Much worse however, was the scam the hotel seems to be running regarding taxis and car service. The last night of my stay, I requested an early morning cab to go to the airport. I was told it would be taken care of. Shortly after, the front desk called my room, asking if I wouldn't prefer a town car. I was told this was suggested because the cab drivers had been adding extra distance to rides to drive up the cost of the fare. Since I had taken a cab from the airport to the hotel, I had a sense of the cost, and felt confident that I could be firm with the cab driver, especially since the cost of the town car was quoted at $10 more. The next morning, I showed up in the lobby at 4:45 am for my cab. The person at the desk informed me that no cab had been called, that 'cabs don't work that way' here, and strongly suggested (again) that a town car be called, since that was the only way to be sure of a quick arrival. The price this person quoted me was now $5 more than a cab ride, and feeling desperate, I agreed. Once in the town car, I asked the driver if there was any arrangement with the hotel to pass along part of the fare to the hotel. He acknowledged that there was. I believe this is re