EGG HARBOR TWP.- The NBC 40 newsroom has been inundated with phone calls and emails from consumers in Delaware, Pennsylvania and across New Jersey that believe the new vacation club company operating out of Egg Harbor Township is ripping off South Jersey residents, just like they were.

These postcards offering a free 8 day 7 night birthday cruise on board a reputable cruise line of the lucky recipients choice, is bringing a lot of interested customers, like Joanne Bezak of Ocean County to Blue Water in Egg Harbor Township. "I received a seven nights 2 airfares and it says right here...all I have to do is pick it up."

In operation for about three weeks now, blue water has canvassed all of South Jersey, inviting recipients to attend their exclusive 90-minute seminar in exchange for a cruise.

But after learning that blue water is owned by Daryl T. Turner, the same man that is named in an open lawsuit along with several of his other vacation club companies, South Jersey residents are canceling appointments and stopping payment on their credit cards for what county officials are calling a sham. "The guy lets face it, he's a scam artist and he's just a bad person," said Bob Howie, Director of the Atlantic County Division of Consumer Affairs.

But when asked about Blue Water's owner, Daryl Turner and the state lawsuit against him and his other companies, a Blue Water manager, who refused to go on camera told us Wednesday night before their six o'clock meeting that quote "They won that lawsuit already which is upsetting".

Thursday, a spokesman with the Attorney General's Ooffice denied that statement and says the case has 'not' been dismissed or cancelled. Since it's an open investigation it has not yet gone to trial.

Like Turner's other companies, consumers told us Blue Water charges, on a sliding scale, thousands of dollars in lifetime membership fees for promised steep travel discounts.

While Blue Water has not been named in the lawsuit, the State Attorney General's Office alleges Turner and his other vacation club companies lured consumers into their meeting with the promise of a freebie, similar to the cruise South Jersey residents are being offered.

But the Attorney General's office also alleges members never got what they paid for.

People like Joanne Bezak who take cruises and travel often are under the impression Blue Water will be a cheaper travel agent to work with. "I'm thinking I travel a lot and they said they're not a time share, so I thought maybe it would be a new travel agency."

But the same Blue Water representative who wouldn't go on camera said in a phone conversation that they are just that...a timeshare.

And angry consumers believe Bezak and others are being misled.

A Linwood woman we interviewed who stopped payment on her $37 hundred-dollar membership with Blue Water after hearing about its affiliation with Turner says the cruise is anything but free...you have to pay taxes, fees and surcharges to even book it.

And experienced travel agents are calling this free cruise a scam that's taking business away from reputable agencies. "The cruise lines are really against rebaters and they really come down hard on a lot of internet companies that offer rebates because its not fair to the brick and mortar agency that's doing them good...doing them justice," said Carol Salden, Owner of SoJern Travel in Somers Point.

Howie says paying anything for this so-called free cruise is all a sham. "Well the state law in New Jersey for the consumer fraud act...free is free. There are no miscellaneous charges, service charges, taxes, fees, even paying for postage...it's free."

Egg Harbor Township Police says since no one has complained about Blue Water they cannot investigate.

Anyone who believes they may have been scammed by Blue Water or any of Turner's other vacation club companies listed in the lawsuit (Modern Destinations Unlimited, Dreamworks Vacation Club, Dreamworks Vacation, Five Points Travel or Bentley Travel) is asked to file a complaint with the State Division of Consumer Affairs.

To file a complaint or for more information call 1-800-242-5846.