In July I visited Villa del Palmar in Puerto Vallarta. At the airport I tried to get a taxi and I ended up signed up to look at the Universal Vacation Club timeshare. At first the presentation was low pressure;however, once you show any interest then the pressure is on.
I was newly divorced and told them I could not afford it - I just showed up to get the free tour tickets. They used various marketing tactics (like cutting the price over and over) and finally it was too good to pass up. After several hours they had talked me into it. They told me that for $10000 /- I could get a package that gave me one free week at the Villa del Palmar or an alternate location in the winter every other year for 30 years.in addition the package would include two weeks during the summer of every year and the company would automatically buy one week back at $2000 a week every summer for 5 years. That really got my attention because that paid for the whole package!
In addition they were going to give me 12 FREE weeks every year at "getaway" locations through another program called Interval International. They told me that the ONLY money I would have to pay besides the $10,000 was a maintenance fee of $500 /- every other year (because I only had my winter week every other year). With the terms that they outlined the package was essentially paid for with the 5 year buy back and then I would get 15 free weeks a year for thirty years (the 12 getaway weeks the two summer weeks and the winter week) (14 on the years when I did not get the winter week). They rush you through the paperwork and if you try to take the time to read it they tell you can read it later and that you have several days to read it and cancel if you want.By this time it is 5 hours later and you just want to sign and get out of there.
I did just that and then reviewed the contract and found that it did not reflect the terms we had agreed on. I immediately called my sales person, Israel Cuni, the day I signed and told him that it did not say that I got the two weeks in the summer or anything about the buy back and it said that the Getaway weeks were discounted not free. I told him that I needed a letter outlining exactly what we had agreed. He told me that he would bring it to my hotel the next morning. I did not receive it. After that I asked for the letter every day that I was in Puerto Vallarta and did not get it.
I called and called after I got home and spoke to him on more than seven occasions. Every time I spoke to him he told me that he would send the letter that corrected the terms of the contract. He was very friendly and said that of course we needed to get the correct terms in writing and that he would get it out right away. I told him that I kept the original notes where he outlined every thing on several pieces of paper.
I never received anything. That went on for about four months. Now he won't return my calls. Now the company is saying that all that my package gives me is one week at the Villa del Palmar or equivalent every other winter period for 30 years PERIOD. For that I have to pay over $10,000 and $500 /- in maintenance fees every other year (CORRECTION: Today I got a bill and now they are trying to charge me a maintenance fee every year even though I only get to use the hotel every year!!!)
Who in their right mind would ever pay $10000 for 1 week vacation every other year with an obligation to pay another $15,000 in maintenance fees!!! Clearly I did not agree to that and the salesperson lied to me each time I talked to him. He was obviously just trying to get me past the time when I could cancel the contract by promising the letter and never delivering it. I don't know how he sleeps at night.
When I asked about my two summer weeks they said that I could have one (they say there is no buyback of the second) if I want to pay another maintenance fee!!! As far as the Getaway weeks they only pay for the first year enrollment fee so for the next 29 years you have to pay over $160 a year to even use the program (even though they told me I would have 12 free weeks a year with no payment). They say that the Getaway weeks are not free but are just discounts on hotels that are only selling excess inventory. I tried to book one of these weeks at one of their hotels (there aren't any in major cities like LA, NYC etc) and their so called discounts would only have saved me $10!!
I have called the salesman, his supervisor, the contracts department and have even written to the board of directors.in the past two months I have placed more than 15 phone calls and I have not had a single return phone call. I regret the day that I walked into the Villa del Palmar hotel. I hope that some of you are on your iphone in the bathroom (if you try to leave even for a few minutes to think about it the deal is off) googling the company and that my experience will save you thousands of dollars and a huge mistake!
If anyone has been successful in getting any of the benefits you were promised and didn't receive or if you have had any luck getting out of this type of contract PLEASE PLEASE let me know.
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