We were also scammed by Royal Holiday while on vacation in Puerta Vallarta in January. The salesman gained our confidence with his friendliness and explanations of being a family man and with Royal Holiday for over 15 years. We trusted him while we spent four hours listening to a presentation and waiting while he supposedly checked different things.
He explained the various benefits from becoming a member that day:
-You could redeem 100 points for a hotel room about anywhere in the world at any time. If you purchased 25000 points, you could stay for 25 nights around the world each year.
-You would receive a voucher for 30 free nights for 1 to 6 people in Cancun, Acapulco or the Dominican Republic. I verified back to him that this was a free 30 day stay and he said absolutely.
-We would receive several certificates for cruises, special vacations, friends, etc.
He showed us the cost of each (from $99 to $399) and stated that was the total cost. He did not mention activation fees or additional fees required to use the certificates.
-He told us that we could use our 25000 points to bank three weeks with another company and they would pay us $1100 a week for each guaranteed.
We told him we could not afford to purchase another vacation package and then he offered to purchase our existing timeshare in Breckenridge Colorado. We were no longer interested in owning our timeshare so when they offered the amount we paid for it, we started to think about joining. My husband asked to talk to the top level manager of the office in Puerta Vallarta and our salesman told us that he was in charge. (Not true as we later discovered.)
We repeatedly asked if all the information was accurate and the salesman said absolutely, he would not lie to us or mislead us. He gained our confidence. We committed to buying 25000 points and when the paperwork came back, he had opened new charge accounts in each of our names with Bank of America thru RCI. The timeshare sale was not included. The salesman insisted that this was perfectly OK, when the timeshare sold the dollars would be applied to our new charges.
We believed him and after being tied up over four hours and after having two complimentary drinks, we signed. The salesman then said the auditor would go over the forms with us and not to ask any questions or mention the timeshare as that would just take a whole lot longer and he knew we were anxious to go. He personally guaranteed that everything was legitimate.
Of course, nothing turned out the way we were guaranteed by our salesman. All the certificates require all kinds of fees to use so that you end up paying more than if you had booked the reservation on your own. The 30 days of free nights cannot be used unless you pay a per diem per person for the all inclusive food which ends up costing more than booking on your own. Twenty-five thousand points get you only seven days at one of their better resorts. And of course there was no purchase of our timeshare and we cannot sell our points for the dollars promised. Lies, lies and more lies by their salesman.
Betsy
SPRINGFIELD, Illinois
U.S.A.
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