My husband and I have purchased a Universal Vacation Club membership from the Villa Del Palmar Flamingo's Beach Resort and Spa in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico.BIG MISTAKE!!!Have been told lies after lies and still have not been able to use it!!
We purchased a Right to Use Studio Floating weeks that are unlimited unspecified weeks checking in any day of the week.This came with the Gold Membership for use at all the existing and future Villa Del Palmar resorts around the world.It would provide also credit towards airfare, maintenance fees, resort services like golf, bars, restaurants etc, and cruises.Was also given Free Interval International all over the world where we would only have to pay airfare.Come to find out we only have 1 week every year 2 person only studio in winter!
It all happened while we were on our honeymoon that this salesman kept harassing us while we were out on the beach sitting or walking around.Finally after days of this going on, we gave in to the guy Garcia so he would leave us alone.We were told that we would be going to sit in a room at the hotel for a presentation about it.Told us it was not a timeshare many times!He lied!Was told it would be about 75-90 minutes!He lied again!We were still stuck there after about 5 hours and in the mist of the timing had to run back to our resort to get ready for our dinner boat that we almost missed! Because The Villa Palmar was in a different time zone then our resort 2 hotels down!
During the pressured presentation with Lynette, we were walked around the hotel grounds, shown the different rooms, had lunch and then after was put into another room to explain options for buying a timeshare. Wait I thought this wasn't a timeshare!!?? Wrong it was!! Lied to!!So we told them we weren't interested and they kept pushing us to sit down and they will explain it. It's not what you think a timeshare is. There are plenty of bad timeshares out there. Can guarantee that we aren't one of them.At this point my husband and I are upset bc we have already wasted 3 hours there and this by no means was a way to relax during our honeymoon to spend time together!
We sat down with Candy first and then manager Edgar Cuevas (and later Luis Chavez)came and he went over a bunch of info so fast no one would have been able to keep up. We didn't have a chance to question when we tried or read anything.And that is what they wanted! They didn't want you to realize you were being scammed and that they were there to take away all of your money.During this lecture of a sales pitch we were asked why are you not interested and what could we do to change your minds from another guy that they brought out from the back to ask us. We told them we have no use for it and that we don't vacation a lot. But you could reserve units of different sizes during whichever year you wanted to come down to vacation and that you would pay a maintenance fee during the time you vacationed only. Told them again we don't vacation a lot. And got Of course you don't that is why this is an investment and you won't use it but that is why we rent it for you and you make 2 to 3 times your maintenance fees.They explained that the maintenance fees are not yearly and that the prices will not go up.Both Wrong! The maintenance fees are yearly and have gone up drastically!During the whole time Edgar was writing down prices on a yellow sheet of paper and then the other guy would take it and go away for a couple of minutes and come back a say that a great deal just opened and these are your new prices. We were still stuck there and the only ones left in this selling room and at that point the doors were locked with a gentleman standing at the doors and then the why are you not interested guy standing behind our chairs.We were trapped and basically were forced to sign if we wanted to leave.They even brought us drinks throughout the presentation and then at the end even before we signed anything while telling them no several times throughout; the champagne bottle was out while gathering all the employees to clap and cheer.We haven't signed but needed to if we wanted to get out of there.
We came back in the 24 hours to cancel our timeshare and get back our deposit. Was told that the manager Luis Chavez to do that was very busy and to come back later. Left our names and went back to try to enjoy our honeymoon.This went on all day with us walking back and forth to the resort to cancel.We got nowhere fast.Still tried bc we were told 5 days also to cancel.Still nothing.This ruined our honeymoon! After arriving back to the States we tried to contact someone over the phone to say that we canceled still nothing and no phone calls back even when messages were left.A letter was sent within the 5 days to cancel. No response from that either.Nobody had time to talk, call back or respond. We were stuck with something that we were forced to get!We felt we had no way out so we decided to book a room for our 1 year anniversary and the girl on the phone asked questions to book and then asked our birthdays.Told her and she stated that we weren't able to occupy unless we were 25 years of age.Excuse me? Come to find out after she told us and she sent us a book that we aren't even allowed to own and occupy.We would have to wait another 2 years! So now I'm paying for something that I shouldn't even own let alone now paying these yearly maintenance fees.Tried calling thru the 2 years to get resolution on this and to not have to pay these outrages fees but was told they can't even talk to us about it until we are of age and when we have good standing with the fees. So now they are going back on their own written laws.And then during our last call was told we have to wait 5 years to use the room anyways, so call back then!Excuse me again?So now I'm paying for another 3 years and I can't even use the room.He tells us we have moved the first 5 years to the back end of our contract.What does that mean?We never discussed anything like that ever! Told then But then when the time would come to use the timeshare we would have to book only 60 days in advance and if we wanted to rent it was 1 year in advance.
So here we are at the end of the 5 year span and we want a full refund of everything that was given in Mexico, final balance that was paid in full/ owed, all of our maintenance fees that we had to pay so our credit wouldn't be ruined and we want a canceled contract!Its been lies after lies. We are completely appalled that there is a business out there this shady that has unethical business values that are misrepresented, deceptive, unacceptable, fraudulent and morally wrong. |