Last week we attended an "update" meeting at Kaanapali Beach Club and received an offer to purchase additional points. If we accepted the offer (on the spot), our water intrusion fees for the Hawaii Collection would be waived. That simply isn't right. That means that when DRI calculated what each of us would be assessed for the water intrustion fees, they estimated how much would be waived for those purchasing extra points and set out fees accordingly so there would be sufficient monies collected to pay for the project.
When we got into the Hawaii Collection in 2009 it was via upgrading (purchasing additional points) from owners of Kaanapali Beach Club. DRI failed to disclose that there was a water intrusion problem at Poipu Point, but ensured they told us how fabulous the property was and that we needed to book a reservation there. After receiving the surprise bill for the intrusion fees and seeing the reports indicating the fees billed to the owners of Poipu and the Hawaii Collection, we are convinced that the Hawaii Collection offerring was designed and marketed as a vehicle to spread the water intrusion fees over more unsuspecting owners.
We agree with the many, many reports posted on this website about the unscrupulous practices. Two years ago we attended an owner's update at Poipu Point and filed a complaint with DRI as to our treatment. We were put in contact with someone and arranged to meet during our December stay in Las Vegas. The individual would not set an appointment, but said to call when we got to Las Vegas. When we arrived at the timeshare in Las Vegas, it was late on a week night. When we checked in we were not given our keys.instead, they were given to another individual at the counter. That individual was a high pressure salesman who proceeded to tell us that our room would be too small to put our suitcases in and would be very uncomfortable. He insisted that if we were to book an update, he would upgrade our room. We told him three times that we were not interested, but he never took a breath. Finally, he practically threw our keys at us. I turned around and realized that we still didn't know where our room was. I had to go back to the first counter to get that information. The next day, I called to arrange the appointment with DRI and was told the individual was no longer there and they would call me back. They called me 10 days or so later. At that point, I made another complaint about.
As far as fees, we agree wholeheatedly that the fees are ridiculous. We could stay at the best hotels with much greater flexibility as far as locations, dates, weather, etc., for less than the annual fees and assessments, let along the payments on the timeshares, themselves. We would not be subject to having to save points by certain dates or lose them, we would not have to pay for insurance to prevent losing points if we were to cancel, etc., etc. We could use the money we would save on the fees and assessments to get dollar for dollar on cruises or other items, rather than getting credit for pennies on the dollar for their so-called benefits they keep adding.
We recently contacted DRI to see if we could sell or even give them back the timeshares. We have two collections. They said absolutely not. They offerred to set us up on an installment agreement for the fees and assessments. We explained that since purchasing these timeshares, my husband has become disabled and forced to retire. Our income has decreased due to that and cuts in my pay due to the state of the economy. Meanwhile, their fees are increasing astronomically and surprise bills like the water intrusion fees are crreating financial difficulty.
We have been looking at ways to sell or give back our points to avoid pulling money out of our retirement accounts to make payments (incuring taxes). Everything we've determined is that no one wants to deal with DRI and our points are absolutely worthless.
We would support any effort to hold DRI accountable legally or to inform the public so they don't get ripped off.
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