I've read numerous compliants on various websites about the Premier Holiday Travel Club scam. I too have been scammed back in November.
I was approached by the guys in the airport offering a free jet ski jungle tour (I've done the jungle tour before and it costs around $90.00 for 2 people) They said all we had to do was go to the Hyatt Gran Caribe and have breakfast and a tour of the new rooms/suites offered at the hotel.
We went on the jungle tour, had lots of fun then the next day honored our commitment and we to the hyatt for breakfast and a tour. Did all that and then they sat us down with a salesperson who kept trying to sell us this travel club package. Also offering us drinks (tequila) as we listened to his sales pitch. We kept saying no not interested but we too were unable to leave. We kept being stopped by another person then another person. We ended up signing up (stupid!!!). We had to pay $2500.00 membership fees and $100.00 a year for dues, for 30 years. They promise 2 free weeks and 265 days of 5 star hotel nights at $65 a night during off peak and $75 and night during peak seasons. Ok, 5 stars at those rates we thought good deal.
NOT!!!
I booked 1 trip with them to the Gran Caribe Real it was through email and faxing Raul Cardenas in the financial dept. He had me go through a miami travel agent for my airfare. He had me book an all inclusive which was not under the "special' rates. He said he had gone to the hotel recently and it was very very nice. Well when we got there it was NOT a 5 star or a 4 star. More like a 2 1/2 star with flies all over the restaurants, really gross. We were miserable the whole time.
When we got back I called Raul again to say we were very disappointed with our trip and he could care less. I asked him to send me a updated book with all the hotels that are included in the club. He said there is no book. Use the one that came with the package. Well that one has no particular hotels listed just cities that they offer hotels in but no actual hotel names.
Then we wanted to take a quick trip to Miami, so I looked up some hotels in the smaller book that came with the package that was called Great American Hotels and lodges. When I called some of the hotels none of them heard of Premier Holidays and said they were not affiliated with them. Then I called Premier Holidays to try to get them to send me a new updated book and what was with the Great American Hotels book. They said oh, don't use that book we changed affiliates, so I said ok send me a new book. What is going on? How hard can this be? He said he would send me a new book and never did.
I then stopped paying them any money and now I too have collection agencies calling me. The same one that keeps calling the other people MC or MCT in Carlsbad California. They call all hours of the day and night and then threaten to take legal action and ruin my credit report.
My suggestion to everybody out there do NOT talk to anyone in the airports of Mexico. They are all out to scam you. It's a shame because I love vacationing in Mexico especially Cancun and only have had wonderful experiences there. It's a shame no one cares and protects the tourists since this is their biggest source of income to the state of Quintana Roo. I really can't believe a reputable hotel chain like the Hyatt would allow these rip off artists run their scam right there in the hotel. They should be partly responsible for this. I can see getting ripped off by going somewhere off the beaten path but this was inside the Hyatt Gran Caribe where my friends parents have stayed as hotel guests!
I hope no one else gets scammed by these people. If there is anyone out there who this happened to and has a solution to my problem or suggestion please help.
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