I am your average consumer. I work hard for my money and vacation when I get the chance. My wife and I took our second vacation to Mexico and had a great time. We listened to several timeshare presentations and had previously purchased one. Our timeshare has worked out pretty much as we had expected. Not always the best, but pretty good and at least we feel we got a good deal. But then we sat and listened to a presentation at a Grupo Mayan Resort in Cabo San Lucas. Nice man did a good job, but we were not interested. Then came the "closer" and they got us to buy. They promised us something we really wanted for a "fixed" price.
When you buy something for a fixed price, what does that mean to you? If you are promised a cruise or a room or travel accommodations for a fixed price of $500.00 is that reasonably what you would expect to pay? If that ballooned to $4000.00 would you feel ripped off? If the company that sold you the fixed price discount said to read the fine print, would that seem fair? Anyone who has purchased the Taste of Paradise program knows about the "Welcome Aboard Cruise Certificate" It looks like a real deal. Enjoy special pricing NOT available to the general public, cruise vacation for TWO (up to 10 nights) choose from THREE FIXED PRICE CATAGORIES. $799 $599 $399. Over 38 Ships, 5 Cruise Lines, 50 Itineraries to choose from. Wow this sounds like a great deal, right?
As timeshare owners we understand that in most cases a person can and does get a pretty good deal on resort packages. But when we as consumers are told that we can get a fixed price rate for a particular travel accommodation and then the bait and switch, hide behind the fine print nonsense starts, we feel cheated and ripped off. RCI has been fairly good as well as Interval International. But HSI is not a product or service would recommend. My rating would be an "F"
To get us to buy in to their "Taste of Paradise" program they offered what is in our opinion a false and misleading promise to take a cruise for two for a "fixed" price of $399-$799. This is completely misleading to the average consumer. This fixed price rate is nothing as it seems. The fine print hidden on the back page that is never discussed or reviewed in the sales presentation may add in thousands of dollars to that "fixed" price. Clever advertising made to mislead the public. I don't like companies that do business that way.
I want up front and honest representations especially when I hand over nearly $3,000.00 What one believes is going to be a real discount proves to be false. As other reports and complaints on this website confirm, you can go online match or beat any of the discount cruise rates that HSI offers. Why pay them $2,000,$3000+ when they cannot truly deliver on what they promise or what their sales representatives have led you to expect? You can find the same prices they offer on your own. We would advise anyone considering this program to AVOID THIS COMPANY |
