It seems we are not the only ones who had trouble with the sales staff at the El Cid Resort at El Moro Beach in Mazatlan. We were picked up at the airport but our transportation was prearranged as we already owned points in El Cid. It seemed strange to us that the girl from El Cid hopped into the cab with us. After some small talk, she proceeded to set up our presentation for a $20 fee that would be refunded and free cab fare back to the airport. They want to get you while you are still foggy from a long trip.
When we went to our presentation, the first man we talked to, Enrique, was nice and asked us about any other timeshares we owned. When we told him what we owned and any problems we had with them, he asked if we would be interested in renting them. He immediately went and got Robert Revelle to talk to us. Bob told us he had a real estate license in California and owned his own business in Santa Cruz, which did nothing but rent timeshares. He even showed us a piece of paper that appeared to be a real estate license from California. He said if we purchased more points, he would rent out any we would not use and our week in RCI and any other unused points and would make enough to pay for the purchase of the extra points in El Cid and, in the future, be an additional income for us. He even gave us a phone number that he said was his personal cell phone. Of course, none of this was ever put in writing.
When we asked how much this would cost, the only dollar amount we heard was $14,000, which could be put on a credit card they would get for us. We were told that payments would begin in Feb. 2009. We thought this was the credit card payment but the first credit card statement was waiting for us when we returned home. The payment that was to begin in Feb. Was for an additional $9,600 we would still owe El Cid. This amount was never mentioned to us nor was the total amount of these extra points. This amount was financed throught ResortCom International, we think in the form of another credit card, which we also knew nothing about. The interest on this international card is 26.74 per cent unless paid off within six months. The payment amount to pay it off in six months is $1,600 per month, which is almost our entire monthly income from social security and a small retirement check.
We were told of the 5 day period in which we could change our minds and we came very close to trying this, but after reading other complaints, I'm glad we didn't wast our time. We had already spent a lot of our vacation time with sales and with security, as someone came into our unit while we were asleep and took our cell phone. We really just wanted our vacation back.
When we got home and caught our breath, we started looking very closely at all the papers that were given us. It was then we discovered the many discrepancies contained in them. We discovered the true amount we were paying for these additional points, which we were never told before. We also discovered that, on the credit card application, (we're not sure which one—maybe both) someone had written over the amount we had put down as our yearly income and upped it by $60,000.
We then got on our computer at home and started doing some searching. We found out California has no licensed agent by the name of Robert Revelle and Santa Cruz knows nothing of his business. When I tried to call his cell phone, I found out that number was also fake. I got on the computers at El Moro but had trouble searching and did not want to spend my vacation on a computer.
It is a shame they feel they have to use these tactics to sell points as we have been happy at all the El Cid resorts we have visited. The accommodations are nice (although El Moro Tower could use some work) and the grounds, pools and restaurants are nice. We do know that we will not attend another presentation at any El Cid. We will pay our own transportation even though we shouldn't have to.
I am sending copies of this report to the Californai Attorney General, The Indiana Attorney General, Profeco (the branch of the Mexican government concerned with consumer protection), ResortCom International, and Bank of America which issued the first credit card.
I hope this is read by anyone visiting El Cid in Mazatlan.
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