Royal Holiday offers RIP OFFS instead of vacation time. Their time is sold / purchased in units of credits for a period of 30 years. Our sales person, Rob explained, that I could accelerate weeks from the end of the program to a current year. When questioned, what extra expenses would be incurred I was told there wasn't any. I even questioned how that was feasible for them. He explained, via marketing and networking through satisfied customers it was cost effective and there were no additional annual fees. I DOUBT THEY HAVE ANY SATISFIED CUSTOMERS.
I explained, I wasn't interested in traveling around the world due to my limited vacation time. I was only open to finding inexpensive ways to be able to invite my family and friends to Aruba during my vacation weeks. Rob told me I could bank my credits for five years because I was going to receive a bonus package worth $30,000.00 filled with valuable certificates that I could redeem or give them away as gifts (i.E. Birthdays, weddings etc). If I wasn't able to use all of the vacation time offered. Their package included: 5 one-week stays at their resort in Aruba. Cruises, 30 days at an island resort.
Rob worked out a price for 15,000 credits, I wasn't interested because the price was too high. He left and returned with a much lower price and told me he couldn't include the bonus package with the new offer. Leading me to believe that the bonus package had a true value. I told him if the package wasn't included I wasn't interested, again thinking it was of value. Only then did he agree to include the bonus gift. Decision time based on what was provided. The ability to accelerate my credits (30 yrs 15 yrs) I'd have enough points to allow my children a stay at my home resort for fifteen years with only fifteen annual dues. Contract time Daniel (legal department) reviewed the contract with me.
Acceleration program: I questioned how the acceleration program worked and he told me I had to pay two fees, the current and the accelerated. Feeling the sales pressure after five hours I (nor they) recalculated how this would impact my costs & decision. Knowing they were going to lose the sale Rob offered a solution, he said to me (and Daniel nodded in agreement), that their bonus package had 5 one-week certificates to stay at their resort, and that this could solve my immediate problem for 5 years. They agreed it would work so we moved on to the rest of the contract. Daniel stated the contract would start in January. I questioned, what happened to the 30 days after signing. Daniel said and Rob agreed that the bonus package has so much vacation time to use, some within limited timeframes, that they automatically make it one year so that you can use that time for the bonus package. After all, how much vacation time can one use in a year
Cancellation: They don't give you 24 or 48 hours to reconsider the deal. The contract does say though, that the buyer may cancel the agreement if the seller or club are in default in any of their obligations derived from the agreement. I was also told by the salesman (Rob) during his sales pitch that if I was not satisfied for any reason Royal Holiday would buy back my unused credits, however, I have not found that in writing.
Bonus presentation: Bags, tee shirts, hats, towels etc along with the cardboard boxes that contain the so-called bonus package. Free vacation time, more than I could use, and what great gifts they would make (their words). I would be able to give friends and/or family members a vacation that they might not be able to take on their own. The gifts and bonus packages were opened and reviewed later that night. RIP OFF
The bonus package was full of certificates for a discounts off regular prices, and coupons found in travel magazines. The 5 one-week vacations were for $99.00 per week for couples only, 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 their nightly rate to stay at their resort. This was intended for my children who do not meet their requirements. Their solution for the first 5 years was false. Every bonus item had a $ amt attached, nothing was free. RIP OFF
I went back to their resort on the following morning at 9:00 am, I explained I was misled and asked for a refund. They told me they didn't have the authority to issue a credit and the paperwork was in transit to New Mexico. However, their main office in FL would need to make that decision. RIP OFF I later found out their Florida office is an answering machine. Tilo, (?) another accounting person was brought in to meet with me. I was also told that I should purchase more credits to resolve my family's vacation problem. RIP OFF While reviewing the bonus coupons, Daniel said he could make some changes to the coupons. RIP OFF
Again, I requested they issue a refund. I was also told their Florida office would call my resort the following day. On January 10th, Daniel called to tell me to expect a call (at home) from their main office on the following Monday, the 16th at 10:00 am. I explained I would still be in Aruba so they should call my unit instead. On January 16th I sat by the phone ready with my contract and list of concerns. No call Around 11:00 am I called Daniel to find out what was happening. He told me the Florida office was closed due to Martin Luther King Day. I asked him to have the office call me the following day to date I haven't received that phone call. Lies start to finish
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