On January 8 while in Aruba, we (two couples) were asked to look at a vacation plan at the Royal Holiday Resort. We have seen some of these before and enjoy Aruba, so we thought that we would take a look at what they were offering. We currently each (two couples) own a time share in Aruba, and because we have large families we were open to find inexpensive ways to be able to invite family and friends to come along with us.
A brief description of their program is this.instead of buying a timeshare, you buy vacation time that you can use at vacation resorts around the world. The time that you buy is sold in credits. The program is for 30 years. The amount of credits you need, depend on where you might like to go, and what time of year it is. You may borrow or accelerate credits from last year in the 30 year program to the current year, to give you double the credits.
If your vacation choice requires more credits than you purchased per year, this allows you to take your vacation at that location. The amount of credits you purchase are up to you. The credits come in certain increments, such as 10 thousand, 15 thousand, 20 thousand and so on. There is also a annual club fee that you must pay which varies depending on your package. Mine was in the amount of $535.00.
When we were being told about the acceleration part of the program, I asked the sales person named Rob, how much the annual fee would be if you accelerated a years worth of credits from the back. He told me, my wife, my sister, and my brother in law that the fee would be $535.00. That's it.
I also asked, Seeing that we are only one week into the year, when does the start date take affect? Rob responded, thirty day form the signing, and I will pay the first years fee for you.
They also entice you to buy, by throwing in a vacation package full of valuable certificates that you can redeem for vacations. There were cruises, 5 one week stays at their resort. There was also 30 days at your choice of 3 places. They were Mexico, Dominican Republic and one other location that I can't recall. Rob said that this was a bonus and not part of the deal, but the value of everything in this package was about $30,000.00.
Then came the negotiations, Rob gave me and my sister prices on packages that we chose. My sister thought the price he gave her was too high. Rob left and came back with a much lower price but said that it would not include the bonus package. This is the same one that he said had nothing to do with the deal. I then told him that I would not purchase at the price he offered me, and he left to see if he could do better. While he was gone, we discussed how he said the package was not part of the deal and was just a gift.
When he came back, we questioned him and he now threw it back into the deal for my sister. This is a common tactic used in sales. When you take something back during negotiations, and then give it back the buyer feels like they got something better, than if it was never done. Next he gave me a new price of over 12,000.00 and I said that I would consider it, if he could drop it to 12000.00 even. Rob left again and returned with the price of $12000.00.
Now we had to decide if we would in fact, make the purchase. I thought it would be a good deal, because
we would be able to accelerate one week each year and have enough credits for our children to be able to stay at the same resort we own our timeshare at. They would be able to come for 15 years and then the program would be over, and at an annul fee of $535.00 for the 15 years. My sister thought it would meet some of her needs also.
Once we agreed to go ahead with the deal, their legal person named Daniel came out to explain the contract. When we started going over the contract, I again asked about the annual fee during the years that you accelerate. He said that if you accelerate a year, then you have to pay 2 years of fees during that year that you accelerate credits. I said that, that is not the way it was explained by Rob. Daniel said, well this is the way it is.
Now, I thinking that instead of $535.00 per year for 15 years, now it would be 1,070.00 per year if I accelerate the credits. This equals $8025.00 more than I anticipated based on the presentation. So, now I don't know what to do. We've been here for almost 5 hours, when we should be enjoying our vacation and here we are getting hot and tired. Rob offers a solution, he says to us as he looks to Daniel for acknowledgment, that our bonus package has 5, one week certificates to stay at their resort, and that this could solve our immediate problem for 5 years. Daniel nod's in agreement that it does include this, and that this would work. I consider this, and we move on into the rest of the contract.
Next Daniel said that the contract would start in January. I again said that we were told that it would start in 30 days, so which is correct. Daniel says and Rob agrees that, because the bonus package has so much vacation time to use up, and some within limited time, that they automatically make it one year so that we can use the time in the bonus package. After all, how much vacation time can one use in a year.
Then we come to the part that says that once you sign, that's it. There is no 24 or 48 hours to reconsider the deal. The contract does say though, that the buyer may cancel the agreement if the seller or the club are in default in any of their obligations derived from the agreement.
So now we were on the spot, not wanting to pass up a good deal, but not liking the pressure either. Now they brought out lovely bags with tee shirts, hats, towels etc along with two big boxes that contain the so called bonus package. Again, it does sound pretty good, all that free vacation time, more than we could use, and what great gifts they would make (their words). We would be able to give friends and/or family members a vacation that they might not be able to take on their own. So, we signed, happy for now, looking forward to get back to our resort and relax on the beach.
Later that night, we opened up the gifts and the bonus packages. They bonus package was full of certificates for a discounts off regular prices, and coupons like you would find in travel magazines. The 5 one week vacations were for $99.00 per week and only if you were a couple, making $70,000.00 per year and you had to go to their sales presentation.
If you did not meet the requirements then you would be charged the nightly rate to stay at their resort. My children did not meet their requirements and so now there was no solution for the first 5 years as they made us believe. The rest of the coupons and certificates in the package were all at a cost, nothing was free like they led us to believe.
I barely slept that night, tossing and turning, because I felt we were mislead in so many ways. My sister and I went back to the resort on January 9th @ 9:00 am. This was less than 18 hours of signing. We told them that we felt mislead, explained why, and wanted a refund. They told us that they didn't have the authority to do that, and that their main office would have to make that decision.
Then Daniel offered a solution to my problem. He said that I should have purchased more credits! I couldn't believe my earsWe went over the reasons why we were unhappy, and they said that they could make changes on the coupons, but I told them that I could not believe them, as I don't think they were honest and up front in the first place. I thought it would be best for everyone involved that they issue a refund, and we would walk away with no hard feelings, rather than be forced to stay members of a club we resented.
They also said that the main office would call our resort the following day. I told them I would not wait by a phone all day for them. Daniel said that they would call at 10:00 AM. The next day, I waited until 10:45 and called Daniel, he said the main office was closed for Martin L King day. He said they would call us on Tuesday. They never called us at our resort, and we were there for another full week. They never called us at home either.
Here is the list of lies and misleading promises that make them suck.
1. First we were mislead about the double annual fee, Then their solution to the problem turned out to be a lie. See #2
2. They said there were 5 one week vacations at their resort that our children could use. This is a lie because our children don't meet their requirements
3. The bonus package had a value of $30,000.00. This is a lie. It is full of discount coupons and advertisements for their resorts, and you would still have large out of pocket expenses. They will say that this doesn't matter, because it was free and not part of the deal. I say it was because they used this as a negotiation tactic more than once, which does makes it part of the deal. First they took it away from my sisters deal when they offered her a lower price, and then threw it back in to get her to buy. Then they used it to convince me to buy, because they said it would solve my issue caused by #1 above. If not part of the deal, it should have never been mentioned during negotiations.
4. When asked about a start date, I was told 30 days from signing, and that the first years fees were waved according to Rob, who still says it, but it is not anywhere in the agreement. Rob still says he will take care of it. What happens when he no longer works there, or has a memory lapse when we go to use it.
5. They do not give you this bonus package until you sign and are leaving, so you don't really know what you are getting, or that you're being misled until you get to your destination.
6. We spent almost 6 hours to get all our questions answered, so we could make an informed decision, by being educated consumers, but they were able to mislead us anyway.
7. They also accepted the packages that we returned, which I believe means that they have somewhat accepted the fact that we would, or should get a refund.
8. Their agreement states that the buyer can cancel if they default in their obligations. They say that they can rewrite and make amendments, but their own contract says that they may not. See # 7 on page two of the agreement. They also made promises (see # 2) which were lies or misrepresentations at best. I therefore believe that is constitutes default.
My analogy of what they do is this. If you buy into our program, I'll give you a free car. It's right outside, under that sheet.
Now you don't know whether that's a new car or a used car, or whether runs or not. But I can keep making references to it about how its worth $30,000.00, but I don't tell you that you have to put $29,900.00 into it, to make it worth $30,000.00. It is misleading and wrong
I will picket the place the next time that I am in Aruba Count on it!
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