Two years ago, while living in Louisiana, we were contacted by Calypso Cay resorts located in Florida about one of their get a ways and tour. Since we were planning a business trip to Orlando in about 4 months, we decided that we would make this trip into a business and pleasure trip. As far as the initial trip was concerned, we were placed in a one room "suite"; if you don't count the restroom as a room. I guess they were able to call it a suite because a half wall separated the queen size bed from the sleeper love seat in the very cramp living area in which the coffee table was three feet from the dinette table. I won't bore you with all the other annoyances because they were many and these are but a small portion of our Calypso Cay experience.
On the day of our tour, they took us to see the suites that we were told we would be staying in. They were very nice. Now comes the hard sell. During the sales pitch, we were told that the maintenance fees and taxes were normally $380 per year, but because I was purchasing a two bedroom for every other year, my fees and taxes would only be $190.00 per year. After much consideration because I hated the thought of paying $200 per month for financing and then owing additional money on April 1, right before taxes are due. After the closing of the deal, my wife and I were taken a small room tat they called their financial dept. We sat in that small room for over three hours while they tried to dig up paper work or something. We kept complaining that we had not eaten for many hours and were starving. They kept telling us that we were almost finished. When we finally finished, we were literally pushed out the door with a bag full of documents that we had not read due to not receiving any of them prior to having to wait three hours. Because we were exhausted and famished, we only scanned the documents before signing.
Flash forward to April 1 the following year. I opened a letter that stated that I owed $380.00 in taxes and maintenance fees and I had until May 1 to pay that amount. What made things worse was that the business trip netted me a new job in Orlando. I owed Uncle Sam in taxes and the move had left me tapped and now I owe this amount while making $200 a month finance payments. I pulled out the documents that my wife and I signed and began to read them. After an hour or so of reading, I had to stop because I was getting so angry. The more I read, the more I realized that I didn't own anything, but they owned me: how that I had purchased myself into a hell of no return. Now was I not only destined to pay the $200 per month plus whatever what ever the association sets in fees and of course there are those taxes, but that I will have to still pay them additional fees for the right to use what I supposedly purchased.
Now comes year number two.in March, my wife and I purchase a new home. April 1 comes another bill for $398.00. Remembering the anger all over again, I just decided that I wouldn't deal with it until our finances were able to recover from the house purchase and moving expenses. The next thing I receive is a phone call from a collection agency telling me that I owe them, not Calypso Cay, $533.00 and I had better pay it now. I couldn't believe it. We had yet to use the stupid resort and we were turned over to a collection agency after one notice. (Of course they claim that they had sent out dozens warning us, but we only received one letter from Calypso Cay). Today, I paid their $533.00 and I will make sure that I get my money's worth. I call them weekly asking them how to use this thing I bought. Our mistake was letting them wear us down so that we wouldn't feel like reading the contracts to their fullest. At the time, my wife, who is a diabetic was getting sick and we should have walked out long before the three hours. Well, you have been warned. I hope that when you buy one of these time shares, you love vacationing whether you have the money or not because you will be spending a great deal of money whether you vacation or not.
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