Got a call from a sales person at Sunterra Resorts. We have friends that own a time share there and we have stayed with them there and it is nice. They asked us to come and take a tour and for a 90 min sales presentation we could stay in the resort for 3 days and 2 nights (over the weekend starting Friday). The sales person stated that we would get a resort unit that had a Jacuzzi, Fireplace, balcony, kitchen, dinette, 2 bed rooms, etc. We knew it well—we had stayed there before. There was a $99 non-refundable charge they stated. I agreed to pay that based on the agreement which was to be firmed up in a "Terms and Conditions" certificate to be mailed later.
When I got the "Terms and Conditions" the only thing that even remotely looked like the originial agreement was the "No refunds"... There was no resort stay (a local seedy hotel)... There was no use of the resort facilites... The pool, etc... Nothing. The 90 presentation now said, "Min of 90 minutes..." and some language stating that you had to stay until the sales presentation was over, etc. A lot of new conditions...
I would never go to a something that could be a high pressure sales presentation with a way to buy something... I would leave my checkbook and credit cards at home (or in the car). The agreement further stated that I would have to show my driver's license and a major credit card. I didn't agree to ANY of this... And had signed nothing.
I contacted them and told them I did not agree with the terms. They said it was no problem and would refund my credit account. This was never done... Many calls later they still had not. I filed a dispute with my credit card and sent them all the documentation. They seemed to think I had signed something or had agreed to "No Refund"... I stated I agreed to a vebal contract which included lots of terms and conditions and one of those items was "No Refund". I stated that Sunterra had breached all the verbal agreed upon terms and conditions and I was no longer in agreement and should be entitled to a refund.
The credit card company finally issues a charge back with a statement that if Sunterra disagrees then the charge will be restated. Of course they disagree... They are a dying company... Can't even pay up their taxes in Spain... They are grabbing at various frauds and squeezing their members for fees and reducing the value of the vacation point system so members have to supplement in cash... What a racket!!!
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