Shell Vacations Club review: We feel we were lied to and sucked! 90

we need more people to stand up together and get stronger. shell vacation victim please join my communite forum at http://antishellvacation.com

My husband and I just booked a Royal Caribbean Cruise on 12/12/08 by costing 10, 000 points. But I was found pregenant on 1/7/09 and OB doctor issue a note that I can not go on any travel within next 4 weeks. So I called Shell and talked to Curtis on 1/7/09, and faxed him the doctor's note. He said he will work with his manager. I left my cell phone number to him and also on the faxed paper. Then I never get a call back. I checked them on 1/16/09. Someone answer me said from their computer note shows I can not get any refund points due to I didn't buythe insurance for the cruise. I checked shell website shows at least 50% refund if cancel more than 14 days. Okey, now I miscarriaged on 1/20/09. I don't want to waste the points(I mean the money we are paying $430.00 per month plus $101.00 per month for HOA), so I called shell on 1/21/09 ask if I can continue the curise. They said the Royal Caribbean has been cancelled and was sold out the whole cruise. At this moment, I feel the famous Shell Vacation Club is like a Robber! They cancelled my reservation from Caribbean and eated my points. How can a company treat the member like this. I just can not believe it. But I believe there is a place to give the fair judge. We are so regreting to purchase this membership couple years ago. It is just at liar.

Shell Vacations Club is a RIP OFF.

We need more people to stand up together and get stronger. shell vacation victim please join my communite forum at http://antishellvacation.com

Why would someone pay $400 a night with Shell Vacations Club points when you can stay at the same Hotel for $150 by booking with Expedia or other website. The economy is in real bad shape and we should let current owner NOT TO PURCHASE MORE POINTS AND MAKE SURE OTHER PEOPLE DO NOT GET SCAMMED ON THIS RIP OFF.
Do not get fooled by FAKE positve comments made by Shell Vacations employees. Read what current pissed owners have to say about.

http://antishellvacation.com

So far I am very pleased with Shell. My only regret is I cannot afford more points at this time. I currently own 4500.

We bought in HI on our honeymoon in 2000. $10K for 2, 500 points, and then on a vacation to San Fran the next year, we bought another 1, 250 points for another $5K because 2, 500 doesn't get you much.

My feelings are mixed...with the highs being when we're actually on vacation and the lows being when I have to pay $500+ twice a year for the maintenance.

Good Point #1...their points system is the way to go if you're doing a timeshare, as you can go for less than a week if you want, and save up points for a really big vacation the next year. Plus you can go virtually anywhere in the world, instead of being stuck in the same rat infested hotel room the same week in July in Florida every year.

Good Point #2...you know you're going to be staying in a top notch resort/boutique hotel when you go somewhere. Could you save money with a little more legwork each year, and just book your own trips? Perhaps...but it's nice to know what your options are, that's it's easy to book, and that you'll most likely have a full kitchen, and can save money on food that way.

Good Point #3...it forces you to take a vacation every year. Let's face it...it's not cheap, but you know it will be nice, and you know that in order to benefit from it...you actually have to go somewhere. If we didn't buy those timeshares, we'd probably never vacation, as it seems we never have money for that. But now we're forced to have a good time! And isn't that what life is about...having a good time?

Now for the bad points...

Bad Point #1...the maintenance dues are not cheap. We paid off our loans immediately so as to not pay interest on top of everything else, but for 3, 750 points a year, we're still shelling out about $1, 100 a year in fees alone. And of course, they NEVER go down...only up each year. Some years they go up more than others. We're going on 9 years into our 50 year deal, and I worry what we'll be paying in dues in another 41 years!

Bad Point #2...if you buy at two different Shell properties, you still pay full maintenance dues and they're treated as two entirely different accounts. I'd like Shell to combine them into one account and give me a discount.

That's really all I have to complain about. My suggestions for disgruntled owners...

1) Pay off the mortgage ASAP so you're not paying interest.

2) Use the damn thing. Use it at least for a night or two every calendar year. If you don't use it, you lose it.

3) If you still want out of the deal and you have a balance, besides claiming total bankruptcy to get it absolved, you may be stuck. But if you have paid it off and just don't want to pay the dues anymore because you don't use it enough or feel like you're getting your monies worth...give it away to a charity that accepts timeshares if you can't sell it .

Overall...the jury is still out on our purchase. I do recall that he told us that we won't start seeing 'value' until after 10 years, as by then, the hotel/resort prices would be up a greater % than what our dues would go up. Of course...I have a feeling that you can find pretty good deals out there right about now.

I also seem to recall that they said that you shouldn't look at it as a financial investment of course...but as an investment in your vacations and the enjoyment you get out of them.

And like I said, we make sure to use it every year, and each trip has been wonderful...so I can't complain there.

Just know what you're getting into and what you will get out of it, before you buy anything.

We experienced the same thing everyone else has. Sucked into it, purchased a timeshare at the "Inn at the Opera" in San Francisco, have tried repeatedly to "exchange" our week for a week at another resort and it has been nothing but a pain. We have owned this lead weight for years and are tired of it. We have contacted shell and the owners "contacts" at "Inn at the Opera" (Brian Project Co-Ordinator-Who will NEVER RETURN YOUR CALL!) to see how we can go about selling it. They pretty much just laugh at us. DO NOT GET SUCKED IN BY THESE PEOPLE! I can PROVE my point. We have decided that we are going to find the first hooker on the corner and sell this to her for 200.00. Maybe THAT will get Shell to treat their customers a little more like humans. And the "team" at Inn at the Opera are the worst customer service people in the country! They are professionals at transferring you into oblivion! This company SUCKS! I suggest that everyone who owns one of these take the loss, sell it to the worst person you know and let Shell deal with them.

We just got back from our Hawaii trip and I have to say the way we were treated at the presentation was almost enough to undo our enjoyment of the rest of the vacation. Our agent was nice enough at first- textbook kindness like so many other complaints have mentioned. Not long after came the high pressure salesforce who wouldn't take "no" for an answer; could not possibly give us 24 hours to consider their offer because it "wouldn't be fair" to other people who had to decide that day, and also wouldn't let us leave when we asked. Actually, they did let us go- 40 minutes after we told them we wanted to. Our sales rep. wanted us to talk to her manager first, then his manager, and finally, the person who signed us out- all of them making yet another sales pitch, ignoring our direct statement "We thank you for your time, but we reeeeallllly want to go. Now." I've never bought something as cheap as a toaster without taking some time to compare it to other products and evaluate if it was right for me, so to have these people tell me they couldn't give a person 24 hours to consider my $30, 000 investement in a "fractional ownership" business deal, (meaning: you don't "own" a damn thing), really didn't fly. Once we escaped, I imagined myself treating each of them that way when they least expect it- like trying to get a cup of coffee or buying some clothes.

Can everyone check some of the figures in their contracts to see if the same thing happened to you.

1. For the ones that kept the sheet of paper were they gave you an overview of your fees called "Purchase Proposal" at your presentation. Is the annual interest rate 17.65% but some how in your contract is written as 18.16% a whole 0.51% higher.

2. On the page listed as "Exhibit B" the amount written dows as your "Amount of Payments" inside the rectangles. Is it different from the one in your payment vouchers, some how about $19.56 dollars more with an additional $4 for "Other Payment Due" amount.

3. Lastly, do you get charged $15 late fee for your annual maintenace but in you payment voucher the late fee is listed as $10

This are just the major mistakes I found in the contract conveniently in their favor, among other strange fees I was never told of, The $4 service fee and the $3 convenience fee.

I'm not and expert in accounting but I took a couple of classes and I noticed that on the Income and Expense Maintenance Fee Budget 2009 there was a profit of $19, 000 dollars last year and they still raised the maint. fees 1.97 % although they say it was under 1%

I feel so stupid, if you think about it, these people have sold us something that doesn't exist, just the illution that we own something or that we were going to save so much money. The fact is that it's more expensive to book a room through them than directly with a hotel.
The sales man told us that we were part owners, but if you look in your contract on the page titled "Purchase Agreement", on the bottom right it says that we don't own any real estate. They are pretty much they are a one man operation. The sell us, finance us, and now collect on us. Is like we have sold our souls, and what's worse is that is "Forever" this amazing timeshare doesn't expire like others.
The reason of getting this amazing membership was to save money and keep costs down, yet since I bought it two and a half years ago the maint. fees have gone up 6.15% as I'm sure the point cost for booking your hotel will.
Please let us unite and fight this scoundrels like they did in Washington. http://www.kirotv.com/consumer/1971396/detail.html

Wow! Am I glad I'm not the only who thinks he got screwed, lied to and scammed. I felt so stupid but I already talked to an attorney about it all.

On January 17, 2009, my girlfriend and I went to a vacation home presentation in a hotel at 12021 Harbor Blvd., Garden Grove, CA 92840. We were “matched” with a sales person who went through his sales pitch. We had no intention of buying anything. They offered us an $80, 000 package, then $50, 000, then $20, 000 and kept on going down. We said no to everything and then another closer came in. He said he had an introductory package to offer us. The cost was around $2, 000 and we would have 6, 000 points. The last closer, Jonathan Chappell, showed us all the places we could go to. We made it VERY clear that we were looking to go to Asia, Europe and Africa. He assured us it was a great plan for us to start with and showed us the possibilities and numbers with his book. He told us that with 6, 000 points, we would get a minimum of 2 ½ weeks worth in more than 5, 000 hotels around the world. From his calculations, it would amount to about $138/night in a room worth well over $500/night. With everything he had showed us, it sounded reasonable and because my girlfriend and I travel quite a bit, I put down $185 and we bought the package. Here is a short list of the places we wanted to go and Jonathan said we could with what we bought: Madagascar, Japan, London, Australia and China. He made it clear that we could split 2 ½ weeks between any of these places.

We came back home happy with our purchase but didn’t start planning our vacation just yet because we already had one coming a week later. Then upon our return from that one, I had another trip planned and to top it all off, we are in the process of moving. We just recently started thinking about our summer vacation because my girlfriend needs to decide on her vacation time now. For the first time since our purchase, I started flipping through the book I thought was the same we were shown by Mr. Chappell but much to my surprise, I had received a different version with A LOT less choices. It quickly became obvious that we had been duped. I immediately called the number given for Customer Service. As soon as I mentioned the word “Cancelation”, all of a sudden no one was available to help me. I left messages at their center here in Southern California and no one called me back. I was then told by a secretary to try the Northern California office, which I did but in vain. After many tries and pressure on my part, I finally talked to someone who told me they would not refund any money because it was part of the contract. My point to all this is misrepresentation. I would be happy to pay for what they promised me but they obviously lied in order to get a sale and that is wrong and illegal.

Here’s an example. Please keep in mind that Jonathan Chappell showed and told us we would get AT LEAST 2 ½ weeks worth for the 6, 000 points we were buying. One of the destinations we had in mind was London, England. I looked up the book Jonathan gave us and came up on the ONLY hotel offered for London: the Two Hyde Park Square. Let’s just say we decided to go during the LOW season and took a regular 1 Bedroom hotel room. If you look at the chart, it would cost us 1, 150 points PER NIGHT! That’s only 5 days for $2, 000 or 4 days if we go in the high season. You don’t have to be a Finance Major to know that first off; it is VERY far from 2 ½ weeks (or 17 days) and secondly, who would buy a $2, 000 hotel stay NOT including airfare when you can get a 5 STAR accommodation INCLUDING airfare for less than $1, 000/person and I am sure I could find cheaper. When I talked to the customer service representative, she said that with my points, I could go to Anaheim, Napa… Why would I spend $2, 000 to go to Anaheim and Napa when I live in Southern California? These people are laughing in our faces and it is very insulting.

We were lied to in order for them to make a sale. They were dishonest and knowingly fabricated a story to entice us to buy. This is not right and it is illegal. It is a clear case of misrepresentation. The Manager of the Garden Grove office was suppose to call me to discuss the matter but never did.

I know that I only bought a small package compared to some of you who signed up for life and I am sorry you are in such a bind. I will provide any kind of information given by my attorney to help anyone who needs it. I am also willing to be part of a class action suit or even be a witness for anyone wanting to sue.

They cannot go on like this, ruining honest people's lives...

Thank you brother for you solidarity and support, we most probably will need you to gather strength in numbers in order to get some of our money back.
Please let us know what your lawyer tells you and I will do the same in my quest for justice.
You are right this must stop, not only are they taking our hard earned money, but they can ruin your credit. Just about 2 weeks ago I recieved a threatening bill telling me that if I didn't pay $215 dollars from the first 3 months of my Maint. fees they will send me to collections and that I would be forced to pay the complete years annual fees and what ever cost they incur in the collection before I could use my membership. I can't believe that after paying in full my membership over $13, 500 dollars just a month after I signed up with them and only geting measly 2, 500 points, they are going to send me to collections over missing 3 months of maint. fees. I guess this was the winning strategy their CEO was talking about that turn them around, read the following quote from one of their press release articles:
"As our CEO, Sheldon Ginsburg pointed out at the time, we had “a cow that was eating grass and not producing any milk”.
Isn't that ironic, but is now us who have that cow that eats our green dollars and doesn't give us much in return. further in the article he points out;
"Some of the key “surgical” sales and marketing elements involved standardizing things that were previously far from standardized. This included company-wide pricing strategies, points packages, first-day incentives, sales and marketing collateral, and even a standardized sales process. From Kauai to Canada, everything was the same!" NOW WE KNOW WHY WE ALL HAVE THE SAME COMPLAINTS, ALL OF THE SALESMAN ARE TELLING US THE SAME LIES AND HIDDING THE REAL COSTS. Further in the same articles he reveals the secret to his success:
"it’s all about the people that we have recruited, trained and motivated. The PEOPLE! They are the ones who have taken us from the brink of bankruptcy to our current position of respect and sustained competitive advantage." WOW, I'M SURE WITH THAT CODE OF ETHICS ANY COMPANY WOULD SUCCED.
I think if we will have any chance to get some or most of our money back we should do the same thing that the people of the state of Washington did and complain to the DA. Thank you brother for you solidarity and support, we most probably will need you to gather strenght in numbers in order to get some of our money back.
Please let us know what your lawer tells you and I will do the same in my quest for justice. You are right this must stop, not only are they taking our hard earned money, but they can ruin your credit. Just about 2 weeks ago I received a threatening bill telling me that if I didn't pay $215 dollars from the first 3 months of my Maint. fees they will send me to collections and that I would be forced to pay the complete years annual fees and what ever cost they incurr in the collection before I could use my membership. I can't believe that after paying in full my membership over $13, 500 dollars just a month after I signd up with them and only geting measly 2, 500 points, they are going to send me to collections over missing 3 months of maint. fees. I guess this was the winnig strategy their CEO was talking about that turn them arround, read the following quote from one of their press release articles:
"As our CEO, Sheldon Ginsburg pointed out at the time, we had “a cow that was eating grass and not producing any milk”.
Isn't that ironic, but is now us who have that cow that eats our green dollars and doens't give us much in return. further in the article he points out;
"Some of the key “surgical” sales and marketing elements involved standardizing things that were previously far from standardized. This included company-wide pricing strategies, points packages, first-day incentives, sales and marketing collateral, and even a standardized sales process. From Kauai to Canada, everything was the same!" NOW WE KNOW WHY WE ALL HAVE THE SAME COMPLAINTS, ALL OF THE SALESMAN ARE TELLING US THE SAME LIES AND HIDDING THE REAL COSTS. Further in the same articles he reveals the secret to his success:
"it’s all about the people that we have recruited, trained and motivated. The PEOPLE! They are the ones who have taken us from the brink of bankruptcy to our current position of respect and sustained competitive advantage." WOW, I'M SURE WITH THAT CODE OF ETHICS ANY COMPANY WOULD SUCCED. If you want to read the complete article here's the link: http://www.shellvacationsclub.com/shownews.html?id=190
The more I search the ugglier it gets. I think if we will have any chance to get some, or most of our money back we should do the same thing that the people of the state of Washington did and complain to the DA. For all of you who are wondering I have the web link to Kamaka Harris the DA of San Francisco:
http://www.sfgov.org/site/frame.asp?u=http://www.sfdistrictattorney.org/
who is first? It might not be easy since they were sued in 2003 they have revamped their contract. I was just reading it this morning and there was a page were they had me and my wife initial like 10 to 15 times and there were clauses like: the contract was explained completely and that we understood all of the rights we waived. That any verbal promise from the salesman won't be legal, That they can change things in the contarc or raise fees as they see fit, and many other things that I'm sure covered their butts.
And to make things worse in May of 2007 they merge in to Shell Hospitality where they are now renting the rooms that don't get occupied by the members. which means that it will be even harder for memebers to get availability. So this company is maximizing their profits, they're using our money to buy or develop properties and allow regular people (non members) to rent a room when supposedly they considered will not be occupied by a member. Is that legal, or is it double dipping? read the article:
http://www.resorttrades.com/articles.php?showMag=Management&act=view&id=270

most of this article is in Shell's own web page but they omitted some stuff that wasn't good for them. Here is the link to the same article in Shell's site dated May 17 2007 date read an compare:
http://www.shellvacationsclub.com/shownews.html?id=259
I belive that no matter how strong their conatrct is, I beileve that our strenght in numbers it can be broken and end this HELL VACATIONS ORDEAL

!UPDATE!

Hello everyone!

Just like all of you, I dread the day I have to submit payment (not to ruin my credit) to Shell Vacation for a product I was promised but did not receive. I shared my experience 2 weeks ago and mentioned that I would have my attorney send Shell Vacation a letter. Well he did, requesting the termination of our contract and the refund of all payments already made. I went online to pay today and to my surprise, my account was invalid. I got excited, hoping SVC got smart and made the right decision by canceling my contract and avoiding further legal battles. YES! For once, SVC played it smart. Of course, they were not professional enough to inform me but in any case, it was a pleasant surprise. I checked my credit card statement and they had even already refunded my $185 deposit. They know they are dishonest and are lying to people so when they are exposed, they have to fold. Stay positive people and please let me know if I can be of assistance. Good luck.

Out of 120k owners, it seems that your all the small percentage of people that are never going to be happy no matter what. You bought this program because you wanted a change. Remember exactly WHY you bought it...

I feel like I was also completely lied to and scammed. It is not anything they say it is! This is definitly the most asinine thing I have ever done! They made it sound like you can convert your points into money on an american express card and you can you it anywhere as long as the place accepts american express.. LIE! You get a special card that only allows the money to be spent on the hotel. No extra stuff, no dinner, no transportation. no shopping. Basically, nothing they said it was. AND, for every 700 points is only worth $100. I feel so stupid and cheated and like this will never ever pay off. They also told me I had 7 working days to cancel. Well I went to do that thinking I was only on day 5, but they said no, it's 7 calendar days, even though they aren't open 2 days of the week. So I was screwed with a timeshare that is horrible and nothing they say they are. Oh and about the stuff they add on is only during the week and it's nothing they say it is again, what do you know? And it expires! This place is a joke!

Hello

I also could rant on and on about this, but i wont. I had a good friend/lawyer tell me this...

If you dont want it dont pay for it they can not come after you for this. He even bet me that if it did show up on my credit at all he would pay the whole amount. So i took his advice stopped paying for this over 3 years ago and have never had one mark on my credit from them. So about 6 month ago we was talking about this again and i ask him man how did you know that they wouldnt come after me. He stated well i knew cause they was never reporting to your credit and loans like this a very high risk loans that they have to carry themselves
My advice to all of you would be to check your credit to see if indeed Shell is reporting to your credit as they never did to mine not once while i was paying them nor after i stopped.

This was also at the Legacy Resorts Off 32nd St in Phx

and if it is on your credit report? Because I know it is on mine...

Buddmann has a great suggestion... I think also the key to get out of this is to NOT USE your points... It's hard to claim you don't like a service and you want out of it when you use it every year... I'm just saying... I was one of lucky few who was able to get out of it completely but I also had not used a single point since I realized it was a scam (almost right away!). Anyway, as I mentioned before, I had my attorney write a letter stating the facts and since SVC know they are in the wrong and scamming people, they simply canceled my contract and refunded all monies paid (just got the final refund check today!) as it would have cost them much more to go to court. Stand your ground and please let me know how I can help. Good luck!

OMG if anyone has a way of getting out of this i really would like a mssge, we went for the free disney dollar thing too and got screwed
we had 30 days to cancel and we did, we even got a lawyer involved to cancel the contract and now those ###s are all like they apparently received no notification about a cancellation and now they continue sending letters
we tried ignoring them but they even got a registered letter sent today and now we're screwed cuz they know we're getting their letters
someone PLEASE help it would be EXTREMELY appreciated
finally012@hotmail.com

after reading all of the comments on this page, i'm convinced that the 2 positive comments about SHELL's program were probably posted by their own people/staff...the truth is that the evidence is overwhelmingly in favor of this being a 100% scam.

I also bought into Shell. I have also had problems booking and getting time to stay at a time share even in Phx, AZ . The person that signed us up is no longer avail to talk with (phone was disconneted). I bought into it April 09 and everytime I have called to book they say I dont have enough points and can only book for 2 days in a studio. I was invited to the time share for a Time Share meeting this Sunday July 5th. I want them to know that we are not happy and wish to probably sell (if we can). We also where lied to by the representative. He said we would be able to use our points anywhere. That is not true and only would have to call a wk before going (that also not true) I was told have to book 6 months in advance. I do not want to do that. Also we got the lowest points and we can not use them outside of the AZ area. Our deed says we own it in Chicago. (what is that about) I was told we don't own it yet until paid off in 6 yrs or so). Then you do not get your points after that. They also did not tell me that if you make a reservation the first 2 are free but after that you get charged a $25.00 fee. And you might as well not ask if you can rent one they tell you all booked. The Resort if you call them directly they say they have them avail but you have to call Shall. You pay atleast by the time you finish as the Assistant on the phone told me $125.00/dep and fee + use up all your points. I am very upset about this but what can I do.

Marcy from Phx, AZ

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OK! LET'S MAKE THIS SHORT!
WE'RE ALL GO TO THE OFFICE IN CA AND BURN DOWN THE PLACE, KILL ALL SHELL VACATION CLUB, DESTROY ALL OF THEM. KILL THEIR FAMILY, FROM ALL 3 GENERATIONS!

WE RISE AND KILL ALL OF THEM! I'M IN TEXAS AND I HAVE LOADED WITH GUNS, GRENADES, BOMBS, ENOUGH TO BLOW UP 2 MILES RADIOS.

SVC is a scram, lying, and cheating us

We bought a SVC for 2500 point for the amount of $16, 000.00 and we paid around $500.00 a year for a fee. At the day that we bought the Sale man said with 2500 point we should get 1 to 2 weeks every year for 2 bedrooms. When got the member binder book and look at the point chart we only get 2 to 3 nights with 2500 points a year. The second part is the sale person showed us, the rci.com website with the "last call vacation". He told us it is available every where any time in the US, it turned out it is only available in a few states such as CA and FL. We signed the contract with them on may 27, 2009. But we can not book a vacation or check online throught rci.com until July1, 2009 which is a month later. When got a member binder book on june 5, 2009 about two weeks later and find out that they scam and lying to us. We try call them to cancel and they response back to us on july 10, 2009 which is a month later and they said we can not cacel because we passed 7 days within cancel period. I wish I can go to court with them and tell the jude this is a scram company and should be shutdown right away. With $500.00 a year to pay the fee to them, we can get any resort any hotels we want to stay at any time. it turned out to be a nightmare for us to buy SVC.

I am an OPC for SHell Vacations (Not a salesman but the guy thst signs people up for presentations), and reading all of this is very disheartening. And I will be researching into this further. If I find I'm working for a scam company than I've gotta quit. I will say this however, about 19 out of 20 owners I meet out in the field seem happy with Shell. I do meet people that complain every once in a while, but most of the time the resposnse is positive. However, reading all of these comemnts is disturbing so I've gotta look into it. I would never work for something that I think screws people over like this.

I am one of the victim. I still keep paying the loan until now, i found out the point worth nothing. who can help me out?

DON'T buy ANY Timeshare! We have an RCI Points timeshare and we can NEVER find a place to stay. It seems everything is booked AT LEAST one year in advance. If you have kids...FORGET IT! For every spring break, holiday break, summer break, etc...they are Booked! Just try and get rid of your timeshare. Only if you want to give away your "DEEDED" real estate you own.. and yeah... real estate always goes up in value...yeah right! All Real estate...BUT YOURS! AND, we have a premium Orlando, FL Timeshare. 5 minutes from Disney! Nope, save your money and stay in 4-5 star hotels and you're be better off!

Wow I am surprised by all of the complaints! But hey, I guess this is a "complaints board". I own will Shell and have had nothing but great experiences. I read the fine print ahead of time and new exactly what I was getting... In addition, I purchased something I wanted that I COULD AFFORD. It seems like so many are complaining about the cost when it was something they agreed to! So many numbers and calculations are being thrown around in this board; why couldn't this have been figured out from the get go? Shell offers great products and great incentives. Their customer service is A+ and really a step above the rest. Every representative that I have spoken to has assisted me with 100% intelligence, accuracy and concern. They know the products, they answer questions accurately and are helpful with getting you where you want to be. SHELL VACATIONS IS GREAT!

I have actually sat through the Shell sales pitch twice, both times in Kauai to get discounts off of our activities. Did not buy either time, but I did end up getting about $200 in discounts both times. (I fulfilled my end of the deal by listening to the sales pitch.)

The largest problem I have with the plan is the maintenance charge. My understanding is that it includes property tax, insurance, and property services. For a two bedroom in Kauai, the deal was basically $28, 000 for the purchase of one week, and $1, 500 a year for the maintenance charge.

In Kauai, an apartment on the beach (which this one was) might be appraised for $1M, so you could use the logic that one week might be worth $20, 000. The bigger issue is that you will pay $1, 500 a year, which will likely increase due to inflation. (Kauai does have somewhat high tax rates, plus I assume their insurance is high, since they are living on top of a volcano.)

Frankly, I just don't see the logic in paying for an asset (one week of the year) and a yearly fee. It might make sense if you plan to come back to the same one or two locations, but even that seems to include some risk as to whether a timeshare will be kept in good shape or if you can get the time and place you want.

But, to pay a form of maintenance fee (which still seems exaggerated, when you assume that everybody for that one apartment will be paying $1, 500 a week) seems very excessive. $78, 000 per two bedroom apartment per year in insurance, taxes and upkeep? (Yearly tax for a $2.5M home is only $10, 000 per year, insurance is around the same I would guess, so we are talking about $50K in profit for each two bedroom apartment for each year.)

Is this a scam? I would initially say no. I think the deal is just very bad. I also don't think it is a very good idea to invest in real estate in which you have little control over the property, and that includes the resale. The fact that they can control the resale, and place you at the end of the queue seems to hurt the value.

I also believe that you can build your own vacation over the Internet much less (and with more flexibility) than the timeshare route, but that is my opinion and others may disagree.

I still think the best part of the experience was when I mentioned that I was married to a girl from Thailand, and he remarked that his first wife was Thai. I quickly asked what her first name was, since Thais usually have first names that have a meaning of some sort. He looked confused and said he did not remember.

"You don't remember your ex-wife's first name? Really."

My my this story seems to be repetitive - is anybody else beating a broken drum here? What gets my goat is that we purchased in 2006 just after Hurricane Katrina (8/2005) and were told that the yearly maintenance fee would only be a few hundred dollars and that it had been like that for several years. So upfront we paid our $10, 000 dollars and our first year maint. fee of about $314.00. Since then it has risen dramatically with no end or limit to what they can "force" us to pay...$557 2007, $700ish in 2008 and now $904 dollars. Mind you, we have never used the timeshare (our own fault, but we now live 1500 miles from our home timeshare location) but seem to have dole out the cash as they demand. So basically according to contract if the raise the annual fee to $5, 000 we have no choice but to pay or they take us to a 3rd pay claims agency and destroy our credit. We do not mind paying a little more each year but to have it triple in 4 years this is unbelievable. I want to call me congressman and complain about their unethical behavior, because lets face it - they have us by the ca hones. A Shell representative (Raven) told us on the phone that there were no president or vice president that we could speak with - come on a company that is huge like this that has no Bard of Directors and a Pres., V.P. seriously, do they think we are idiots? I guess we are, after all we listened to their "lies" and fell prey to them like the rest of you here.

I have owned Shell for four years, have never had a problem with places to stay, using points, getting what was promised. the finance fees are crazy, but i knew that. Dont blame Shell, blame the deadbeats that use the free stuff and then don't pay the bills.

We bought points in Las Vegas in 2007 and use them in Hawaii. The first thing we did, at the suggestion of the sales person, was to refinance the purchase through our credit union. Paid off in 4 years, low interest. Maintenance fee is reasonable and indeed the total cost is less that comparable lodging at hotels. The real saving comes in preparing some of your own meals - no need to eat at restaurants continuously. We have been Timeshare owners for 15 years (different resort on Kauai) and have never considered this as an investment. It's an excuse to take vacation and we've seen some great spots on exchange. IMHO - you have to be willing to understand what it is you bought and then be willing to use it. We've even given some points to friends and family to use and still consider this to be a great purchase.

I too am a Shell Vacation owner and just purchased more points (3rd time). Part of the reason I like this so much is that I never went on vacations. I went camping but never stayed in a hotel because I hate them! This is not like staying in a hotel! And since I own it and amy paying for it, I go as often as I can, usually on small trips.

I've stayed at the Peacock Suites to take my granddaughters to Disneyland and at the Legacy Golf Resort in Phoenix (2x). My son stayed at one of the resorts in San Francisco and loved it. His wife is very particular and she really enjoyed herself. My granddaughters and I have really enjoyed every trip. We are going to the Desert Rose in Las Vegas next weekAny issue that I have had has been addressed to my satisfaction. They always answer my questions and are very helpful, on the phone and at the resorts.

I have not yet used the RCI exchange but hope to next year. Also, I arrange my own financing since the Equiant rates are astronomical. You really need to understand what you can afford and what you want before you buy. I've gone to several owner updates and simply said I couldn't afford to buy at that time. I was out in much less than 90 minutes and they fed me and my granddaughers. Always a pleasant experience.

I'm sorry for all of the people who had negative experiences but you really do need to educate yourselves before you go.

I would like to ask people who left positive feedback and happy to have business with SVC. Could you do me a favor buying my points.
I don't want to complain about service because I haven’t had any problems with that, but financial side of the deal is questionable for me...
Few years ago we bought a small package. We used our credit line to pay off timeshare, and was feeling good as a owners of SOMETHING, but one year latter we got a bill with increased maintenance fee. After that moment our "SOMETHING" come to "NOTHING". You can ask "why".
Originally our SOMETHING save as about $150-250 (my "math" is simple: regular price of room minus club fee per year) and this small amount of saved money would give us a chance to re-sell it. One year latter maintains fee was significantly increased, hence, owing this time share doesn't make any sense for us at this point, since it would be cheaper for us to buy a regular room every time we go for vacation. For example, this year we spent our points for 2 years on a 5-days vacation in January (staying i a suite), which we spent on about $1300 as maintenance fee for 2 years plus $300 for extra points. However, the same hotel was offering 2 bedroom suite with kitchen for $250 per night, meaning $1250 for 5 nights! As you can see, the cost of club membership is actually higher than cost of room for non-members! So, can anybody explain the advantage of being a member of Shell Vacation Club?!
I would greatly appreciate it if somebody could buy my points or find a buyer for them. If anybody happened to successfully sell their membership and could share the experience, I would also appreciate it.
adevivye@gmail.com

When I went to the presentation at which I bought, I knew the maximum I could afford to pay off the loan immediately in CASH, and didn't let them sell me more than that. The maintenance fees seem reasonable to me, and I've never had difficulty reaching them by phone.

I'm single and would never take a vacation except to see family if I didn't own SVC points. I own the bare minimum, but it's been enough for a short week in San Francisco several times now. A couple years ago, a friend and I used my points for a week at the beautiful Holua resort near Kona on Hawaii and had a blast. It's great to be able to cook your own food, because you can get healthy, inexpensive fresh fruit and veggies at the farmers' markets on the side of the road, and fresh seafood at the beach. There's even a Costco there, where we stopped the first day and bought our beverages. With the money we saved on overpriced restaurants, we rented a convertible and went to the beaches, went SNUBA diving, and drove to the other side of the island to see the volcano!

If you use your points with the SVC-owned properties, they go a lot farther. I can't wait to visit the one in Napa Valley! The all-inclusive in Puerto Vallarta where we used the incentive weekend (the days after Thanksgiving, no less!) was a beautiful setting and a decent hotel. We didn't take the $32/day/person all-inclusive option because we wanted to experience the local eateries, nor did we waste another 90 min. listening to another presentation. They weren't really thrilled with us, but what could they do?

I'm happy with my purchase. I don't want more points, but I go to the presentations for updates on what's new (and whatever gift they're offering!), and they serve great lunches. I'm not selling, I'm including it in my son's inheritance.

Fortunate for us, we purchased shell 7 years ago and have had a great timr with our points. Turning yhem into airline tickets, dining cards etc... Yes, when you go to the 90 minute, it doesn't matter what company you go with, RCI, SHELL etc... they are all agressive. The thing is to make sure it is for you. In hine sight, we would rather of purchased a condo in mexico at the time, prices were good.

I tried the explorer package and it was a huge mistake. The customer service, after a lengthy hold to get to them, is okay at best. Most have to place you on hold for long periods of time to ask question. I was told as long as I booked my flight before my points expire then it would be ok. Not so much. I now have 2 weeks to plan a trip somewhere to not waste the money. They also won't let you fly the airline you want. The only airlines they allow charge for luggage and the points can't be used for that.

If we all get together we can start a class action suit! there are consumer protection laws to prevent this kind of con! I filed a complaint with the better business bureau in my state! nothing was done they just make excuses! I want my money back! I paid over 7 grand for 1250 POINTS at Crotched Mountain Resort! it was pet friendly when I bought the GHETTO timeshare... they went & changed everything before we couldeven use it! on top of that I pay a RIDICULOUS amount monthly for maintenance fees, ON A TIME SHARE I CAN'T EVEN USE!
for those who want to perticipate in this class action law suit please reply to- complaintsvc@gmail.com
let them know where we stand!

We went to the sales pitch 2008 on Hawaii, of course hated it, $ 20, 000.00? Any ways came back to California & bought same deal with extra points of 2weeks, worth for $4, 000.00 at " time share.com" but still regret it! After that we tried to book every year to any Hawaiian island [we are scuba divers], never got their nice condominium but second grade hotels. Membership fees are now almost $1, 000.00 a year. If you book early you can get nice hotels for that price any where & when you want without any restriction. If you save so called points, did any body tell you it cost money to save & reuse it not to mention there is expiration date? please do not buy any time share or vacation club, it is total waste! We tried to sell ours on line but cheaper price & more saved points deals are popping out everyday because of the bad economy. At the same time membership fee $1, 000.00 is dew next month again. Every time we think about we get so bitter! Kim California 09/22/2010

I have been an owner since 2003 and love it. Bought another unit in 2006 and bought another 2 yesterday. I have never had a problem booking anywhere, even on March Break in Orlando. Service has always been amazing. My maintenance fees actually dropped this year.

I have been an owner with Shell for 5 years and have been very happy with the service and availability. You cannot expect to get a last minute reservation at a popular resort. In general, the staff have been great. When I did have a complaint, I was called at home to discuss it. I have had 3 good experiences with owners' updates. My experience with Shell has been much better than my experience with HSI, whose sales people are much more aggressive and definitely dishonest.

My husband and I have been with Shell 15+ years and until now would not be able to utter a bad word about them. HOWEVER like they say "everything comes to an end" this too is one of them. Now that we have fallen behind in our maintenance payments, we are called several times during the day and sent e-mails. We have tried on many occasions to try to resolve this situation but the lack of communication is remarkable. You call and no matter who you speak to, its the wrong person. You trying calling the "right" person and they refer you back to the "wrong" person and on and on we go. They have dinged our credit and we have no idea how to deal with this anymore. These are very hard times for everyone and even though we have been with them a good amount of years and continued to purchase additional points to be "elite" members, (yes, I know ... STUPID) there is no help given. Has ANYONE got any suggestions?

Well, my wife and I love the club we purchased at, Vino Bello in Napa, CA. I can't remember if I asked the first time I bought whether the HOA and club fees would go up, but every time I have asked since, they said yes, but that is decided by the HOA which includes all owners, hence HOA. We decide, apparently. So let's not bump up that rate guys. What doesn't change is the value of the points; the number of days/nights you get for the number of points you have depending on where you bought (what your home club is). If your Home Club has a high value the trade value will be high. Where you get the value is in having more points. Buddy, go in for an update and consider how many points you have. If you go on vacations, the more points you have, the more you can leverage them for really good discounts. If you own a week, you get a week. If you own at the Premier level however, you can start leveraging. Don't fret my friend. Too bad you got a bad sales person. The Shell Vacation Club is the best.