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We need to get the word out before more innocent people get scammed. The Villa Group and UVC are in the process of building 2 new resorts and you know what that means, they need more timeshare owners. If only they honored what they sell... that's all anyone wants, no more, no less.
The Villa Group or UVC does not seem to care about their existing customers and they do not tell the truth in their sales presentations. We have tried to fix our issues with just about everyone with the Villa Group and UVC and they have done absolutely nothing. Below is our original complaint sent to UVC and the Villa Group. Since complaining, all 3 of our referrals that are joining us next week at the property were called within the last day and informed that they are "ineligible for the referral program because they are traveling with us" - so they are no longer being offered the round-trip transportation to/from the airport/resort or the $300.00 in resort credit - retailiation? Who are these people? Should we be afraid when we arrive on Sunday? Stay tuned!
To make matters worse, today I get my UVC newsletter in the mail where they are promoting their "referral program" and claim that referrals can stay for $25.00 per night. So why was I charged $987.00 to upgrade my unit to accomidate our "referrals" that are joining us and why did we have go through a travel agent to book an additional night at the resort when our flight was cancelled and we were booked on a flight a day later? (UVC said they were sold out and couldn't help. So what exactly are we getting for the $17K we've spent plus yearly maintence?
Background:
On August 4, 2006 while we were in Cabo San Lucas, we were approached by a Villa Group Senior Sales Representative, Linda Salisbury, about an exciting opportunity to purchase a timeshare at a soon to be developed premier resort called Villa Del Arco. She invited us to tour the property and hear about the exciting pre-development discount pricing being offered by the Villa Group/ResortCom International. Ms. Salisbury then drove us to the property where we were shown the future layout of the resort (still under construction) and an already built and furnished 1-bedroom unit. Liking what we saw, we then sat down with Ms. Salisbury to discuss the details of purchasing a 1-bedroom unit at Villa Del Arco. Following are the contract terms we were promised if we purchased and became owners of a 1-bedroom unit during the summer season (weeks 18 - 43) for the purchase price of $16, 995.00:
1. Two 1-bedroom ocean view/pool view units for the price of one unit - second unit was called a "Gold Week"
2. Guaranteed use of 1 1-bedroom unit for two weeks each year or 2 1-bedroom units for 1 week each year.
3. As a "Gold Member/Property Owner" we would have the right to use our "Gold Week" anytime during our summer season.
4. Guaranteed stay at Villa Del Arco during our time slot or the option to use Interval International to travel elsewhere.
5. Guaranteed owner priority reservations.
6. Guaranteed owner priority upgrades to larger units if available at no additional cost.
7. Guaranteed extended stay at maintenance fee rates.
6. UVC and Interval International membership.
7. Maintenance fees not to exceed $602.00 per unit per year.
8. Complimentary resort shuttle service to and from the airport to the resort.
9. Resort use is exclusive to timeshare owners and will not be available to the open market. This was explained to ensure member use, unlike other timeshares.
All sounded wonderful to us and we entered into a contract and became timeshare owners, paying for our purchase in full.
Issues from the beginning:
Our problems began with our first attempt to stay at the property:
We wanted to use 2 units for 1 week in June 2007 and were told that because of the high demand from owners, the Villa group could not honor the 2nd unit. After a lot of complaining and run around, we were finally granted the use of the second unit. We were also informed that the complimentary shuttle service was not yet being honored and we had to rent a car for the week at a cost of $875.00 Upon arrival at the property we were put in units that faced the swamp next door (no ocean/pool view) and in the middle of very noisy construction. We complained to member services and they informed us that there was nothing they could do - the resort was sold out.
After being at the resort for 2 days and constantly going to the front desk to see about being moved, we learned from the hotel manager that the resort was not sold out and in fact units with views were available but not for "timeshare owners" - the Villa group only owned 35% of the resort and those were sold out. If we wanted to purchase units with better views we could directly from the hotel at a cost of $425.00 per night. This was clearly not acceptable and we immediately went to the member services desk where we literally made a scene. We were quickly moved into the type of units we purchased.
2008 reservation issues:
We elected to not vacation at the resort in 2008 when we were told there was no availability for 2 units - clearly a breach of contract.
2009 reservation issues:
Over a year ago we booked 2 1-bedroom units for the week of 7/12 - 7/19, 2009 - we originally wanted to vacation in June (not July) but even booking a year in advance we were told it wasn't available - so we adjusted our plans and made a reservation in July.
Shortly after two different couples we know were interested in vacationing with us and to possibly buy into the resort. We contacted member services to see about upgrading one of our units to a 2-bedroom so that we could all fit. We were told that the resort was sold out and there was nothing member services could do about an upgrade. We then called the hotel and learned that was not true and 2-bedroom units were available (again through purchase direct from the hotel) we also checked Expedia and Travelocity and sure enough there is availability. We contacted UVC and were told those units were not available to us - the Villa Group only owns 35% of the property. We then called the on-site Villa Group reservation manager, Blanca Montes, who confirmed the same. After many phone calls and threats, we were able to upgrade 1 of our units to a 2-bedroom at an additional cost of $987.00. So much for your referral program. 2 days later we saw on your Villa Group website that we could of and should of been able to upgrade that unit for only $25.00.
Then in early June we we received a call from Alaska Airlines informing us that our return flight on 7/19 was canceled and we were moved to a flight on 7/20. We immediately contacted UVC about adding an additional night for each unit and were told that we could not - the resort is sold out. Knowing this was not true (we called the hotel and looked on-line) we began making phone calls everywhere. To this day this additional night has not been resolved and we have no idea where we are staying the night of 7/19.
Class-Action Law Suit
Clearly we are not alone in being misrepresented by your company/company representatives. We were contacted recently by an attorney representing 48 other Villa Group/Villa Del Arco property owners about a class-action breach of contract law suit that will seek full purchase price refunds. We have our own file documenting everything as well as the video tape from the sales presentation.
This has become the biggest nightmare and possibly the biggest investment mistake we have ever made. We have spent numerous hours trying to work with your company and have no choice but to keep our reservation this year, but still need an additional night. We also do not feel we should have had to pay the additional $987.00 for the upgraded unit since we are bringing people who are set up to hear your sales presentation. We also do not yet know how we are getting to/from the airport to the resort - apparently your shuttle service is "still not available." (current status: we booked on own final night through a travel agent - UVC still couldn't help us)
We look forward to hearing what your/your company plans to do to rectify this situation and ask that we receive an email back within 24 hours. We would also like to inform you that our family attorney will also be in Cabo San Lucas the same week we are there to do his own investigation on our behalf. We refuse to be taken advantage of and also feel an obligation to ensure this never happens to anyone else.
Sincerely,
Ernest and Terri Silva
Member #: 16-25063
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We were lied to by Ryan Bilton at the Villa del Palmar in Cancun in November 2012. He sold us a membership by fraud. He represented to us that by buying a membership you also get unlimited getaways at any and all of the Leading Hotels of the Word by American Express. He stated to us on two occasions that The Villa Group had an arrangement with American Express whereby Villa Group members can stay at any of the hotels listed in that book for a very small fraction of the cost of a room. He gave as an example that we, or any member of our family, could stay at a 5-star hotel in NYC for $900 for a week. This is the only reason we bought membership at Villa Palmar. Has anyone had the same experience? Also, can someone tell me if in fact an Attorney General is investigating this issue and what is his name and contact information.
Vaggi
You all need to realize the main point here.You purchased in Mexico(a foreign country) and the government or courts there will do nothing to help you.They will however very nicely take more of your monies.To hire a lawyer is useless as there is not much they can do if you are past the 5 day time period.
In the case of the Villa Group it is controlled by an individual named Sahsha.He also has a timeshare resales business. The main goal of these sales people are to sell these timeshares no matter what they have to say.This is the same with most all timeshares in Mexico.The Villa group is probably among one of the worst offenders along with the Mayan resorts.It is correct that they Villa Group only owns 35% of said resorts and are usually grossly oversold.There are no controls to stop them from doing so.True also they will show you the Arco, but try going right after you purchase and get a reservation when you want it(impossible). Also be forewarned that they can not take another timeshare in trade(In the long run you will still have it and all its costs)The sales people at the Villa group are now trying to force, yes force their new point system on people at additional cost to you.If you don't then well you might and might not get a reservation in one of their resorts. A big scam that they also have going is their so called rental program.Do you really believe that they will rent your week out (and charge you to do so up front I might add).Wake up this is a business to make money.They are going to rent out their inventory first and yours last and will most likely tell you they could not rent it.
One of the biggest points to bring out about the Villa Group is the UVC offices are located in both San Diego and Los Angles California.Now the catch starts! If you decide to attempt to say legal action, stop paying them or whatever they can/will come after you like a fly on stink, but when you try to do something to them you must remember they are in Mexico and have offices in the US to collect their monies from all the scammed individuals.
Something you might want to check out.Look at your credit reports and you will find that UVC or whomever you are making your payments too(usually in San Diego) does not show up on it! Why I do not know, but it is a little strange don't you think.
A few thing to remember.
1)Not all timeshares are a ripoff there are good ones.
2)Buy in the US due to the fact they are lifetime ownership will-able and transferable.
3) If it sounds too good to be true it most likely is just BS to get you to buy.
4)If you do purchase(even in the US) read the contract carefully and make sure everything you were told is on it.If not and they wont put it in then tell them to "kiss your shinny behind and goodbye." I repeat if what you were told is not in the contract then do not sign.If you were told the membership includes certain things, but it need not be listed then read the new owners items before signing and if its not there then avoid being scammed and refuse to sign and "LEAVE."
What exactly happens at a timeshare presentation by the Villa Group in Loreto?
We’ve all seen, and complained at times, the peddlers at the cozy Loreto airport wooing arriving gringos, promising all kinds of freebies. Free breakfast. Free souvenirs. And, of course, free tequila. All you need to do, they say, is hop on a bus at a pre-arranged time, and be whisked away to a special “presentation”.
All of us know instinctively there is some kind of pressure cooker sales process involved. In this case it’s a new condo development south of Loreto.
Loni mentioned earlier in a post, that we took one for the team. So what happened?
The Hook
As we strolled downtown Loreto, taking in the colors, the shops, the overall sleepiness, and as usual scoping out new places to eat or snack, a “tourist information” official approached us. I think it took us less time than a Loreto mosquito identifying it’s next victim, to realize, ok here we go, timeshare hustle!
This was a new location for the sales people to hang out though. Typically we’d see them across from Cafe Ole (close to the Villa Group sales office) or, as mentioned, at the airport. They caught us on Salvatierra after a light lunch down the street at La Cascada.
They were most gentlemanly this time, unlike the often hyper aggressive guys we’ve encountered annoying visitors. After all, these were “tourist information” officials, not commission-hungry reps.
The Pitch
So we entertained these 3 fine Villa Group chaps, seated at their table, map of Loreto behind, and important paperwork in front. We were interested to know more about the new development. Pricing? Location? Floor plans? Time frames? All the usual things we like to dig into when evaluating real estate.
The lines were the same: a lot of free stuff for an hour of your time.
When it seemed like we were going to walk away, out came the sweeteners. Tequila! Luxury spa!
No obligation. Just sign here for one of the presentations which is offered “every hour” for a group of people. Translation: we have a sales person hungry to talk just to you.
We agreed on a time to be picked up at the Inn at Loreto Bay. 9:30. They would arrive. Drive us to Hotel Posada de las Flores for a sunny rooftop breakfast, followed by a presentation at the sales center across the street.
The Pick-up
Just before 9:30, Loni and I headed curbside to the roundabout at the Inn at Loreto Bay. We were greeted on time by a standard taxi. We were the only two. We hopped in. The taxi proceeded to the Paseo, where a second van, with Villa Group logo and sales person in tow, followed us to Loreto.
This Bourne Ultimatum like arrangement must be a workaround for the ban the Inn has on Villa Group entering it’s grounds.
So we have two vans headed North to Loreto. A/C blasting fine. Stomachs anticipating the breakfast ahead.
The Butter-Up
We were dropped at the steps of the Flores Hotel. There we were greeted by a hostess seated at what appeared to be a makeshift table, again with lots of paperwork. She was to sign us in. We needed to show a credit card while covering all the digits for privacy save for the last 4. Sign more paperwork. Take receipts.
We meet our sales person, a pleasant enough woman who will escort us upstairs and join us for breakfast.
It turns out she lives in Loreto Bay, renting a Casa Chica. She speaks well of the development, but occasionally emphasizes the flexibility of a time share arrangement.
Another gorgeous, sunny day in Loreto. The sun streams across the rooftop, and I’m thankful that Loni again made me slather sunscreen all over myself. SPF 55.
The buffet style breakfast is very good. Nice European and Continental selections. I splurge. Two pastry, sugar-encrusted, twisted something-or-anothers. Something like a donut, muffin and cake combined to look like legitimate breakfast food. With Loni’s low-fat Fruit & Yogurt special a distant memory in San Jose, these pair wonderfully with the decent drip coffee.
Conversation with our sales person is going fine. She worked at Villa Group in other locations such as Cabo San Lucas. While we are talking she is taking notes, filling a form. Lead qualification continues.
We discover some math about the cost related to our lifetime vacationing habits. Hotels, airfare, meals, entertainment. It all adds up. Our long weekend drives up to Bodega Bay are looking like a real steal.
The Cooker
Now we’re seated in the small, wooden office of Villa Group. Breakfast was good, actually very good. We’re comfortable and on track. No surprises.
Photos of the upcoming resort, Villa del Palmar Loreto, line the walls. We’re offered sodas and water.
We learn about the development, the location, and the success of the developer. A draft term sheet sits in front of the rep and she attempts a close at seemingly predetermined points in the process.
The key highlights:
Timeshare condos are the only offering at this point, to be completed in 2009 (?)
Fully owned units may be offered in 2010
1 bedroom condo for 1 week/yr, about $30, 000
Special promotion if you sign, an extra week included, price also drops to about $25, 000
You can choose floating or fixed dates, the latter more expensive
There are two seasons: winter (peak) and non-winter
HOA for 1 bd about $750, 2 bd $800s per month
You can use the Villa Group swap program for properties in the network, across the world
The floor plans were nice, if not typical, with a lock-off option for the 2-bedroom providing rental flexibility.
Then it came time: are we interested? Now’s the time to buy! Sign here. We didn’t. And explained we preferred full ownership. At this point, the sales person called in her superior. A gregarious man walks in, firmly shakes are hands, and makes small talk. Then asked if we would buy if the price were $5, 000. Really?! Wow. Well not really… a standard sales technique to discover if price is the real objection. We danced a little, all in professional manner.
The Takeaway
When it was done, we shook hands, and parted ways with the information, thanking them for their time and vice-versa.
Villa Group delivered on their promises.
We never felt like they were wasting our time, considering we obliged to the process and were legitimately interested in what they had to tell us. The sales tactics were not overly aggressive or beyond standard real estate practices that we’ve seen many times over.
They provided all the information and answered all of our questions.
In the end, though, for us, a timeshare is not the right fit.
However, if you are interested in timeshares, I think the Villa Group is worth at least checking out. They do have a successful network of properties in Baja. You will be treated fairly through the pre-sales process, although we can’t vouch for actual purchase experience. Perhaps we’ll hear from folks over time that have purchased.
As a Villa Group timeshare owner I asked how to make a reservation for my vacation week and the answer is: Timeshare reservations can be made directly with the Universal Vacation Club (UVC) by calling [protected] or online by visiting www.myuvc.com
I can call Contact Universal Vacation Club (UVC) at [protected] or the resort's direct telephone number to reconfirm my reservation for my timeshare/exchange stay at my resort.
I understand there may be "special" package rates for attending a timeshare presentation, I just need to Contact Universal Vacation Club (UVC) at [protected] for special timeshare package rates.
http://www.villagroupresorts.com/faq
xwvzvgr613
we just came back from Loreto and bought a time share with Villa Group, we don't know anything about this company
if anybody can share their personal experience experience with us
johngiancaspero@yahoo.com
All of these complaints could be our story, exactly! Going thru the same thing every year. Sold out and surprise, any Internet travel site has rooms readily available. I am extremely interested in the class action lawsuit. If you could please point me in the right direction, maybe contact info or whatever I need to do the join the suit. I'm am absolutely appalled at the breach of contract and straight up lies we've been told. And then when you finally do get a room, they want you to sit thru another sales pitch, like I would invest more in this ridiculous situation!
My wife and I were lied to by a salesman in July of 2013 in Nueva Vallarta, Nayarit, at the Villa del Palmar. We were tricked into getting a studio when we thought we were getting a 2 bedroom unit by a salesman who has a criminal record in the US and was deported (see Cano Carreno vs US). I think Villa Group finds these types ideal employees as I have not had any luck finding anyone there who is committed to making a good faith effort to resolve any consumer complaints. This is probably why they are not BBB accredited. I have filed a police report here in Omaha, NE, contacted the Attorney General for my state, and have written to several newspapers hoping they will run an add warning others. I have plenty of ideas that will make up for my loss. I have started a "Boycott Villa group Facebook page and have poste a petition on the White House petition site. Let's organize against these tourism terrorists. jlara@mccneb.edu.
gIVE ME DETAILS ON THE CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT JLARA@CCCNEB.EDU
Hi there! i'm sorry you got caught, villa del palmar is actually one of the most fraudulent timeshare companies in Mexico. Why don't you try to cancel the contract? you should check out this forum with more complaints about this company, maybe you can get some ideas from there:
http://www.timesharescam.com/resorts-black-list/2-villa-del-palmar-timeshare-complaints/
don't let those crooks to get away with it
I know how you feel, and it seems like this is a common problen in Mexico. I purchased a travel program through Sandos Playacar at Royal Elite Timeshare Resort in Playa del Carmen last March and I requested to cancel within the 5 day grace period but they still have not refunded my down payment of over $9000 US dollars. I have been in touch with people there and they say they are working the process but it takes time. It has now been almost 5 months and I am losing faith they will ever pay me back. This is another forum with more complaints about this company:
http://www.timesharescam.com/timeshare-complaints-resorts-black-list/6-royal-elite-sandos-timeshare-complaints/
I believe we should do something about it, as I understand Mexican regulations forbid the offering of gifts, free vacation certificates or any other promotion strategies without informing the consumer the specific purpose of the offer. I want to complaint with PROFECO about this, and get my money back
Please count us in as well for the class action law suit. We were talked into buying 4 weeks in Puerta Vallarta in 2007 with the
promise that we could rent the unit and recoup our investment in 5 years. We are both professionals but somehow did not see the
writing on the wall that this is a big scam. Unfortunately due to illness we were not able to resolve this matter but after reading this site we too like to join the class action law suit.
soekoro1@verizon.net
UVC sales scam 2009 Flamingo. Yep. I was suckered into 60 weeks of vacation. How stupid is that? I too have had buyers remorse every day since signing that contract. This week I have was contacted by a legal firm in Mexico The Prefeco. They say they are working in the interest of tourists being swindled by the timeshare industry. They say thay have a class action suit in the works. Has anyone heard from this group? I did not provide them any personal information just a dollar amount I would love to recover. I am sure it is another sub scam from the industry but I had to try something. I should have added the counseling fees I have paid to get over my anxiety about this financial burden. Here is part of the e-mail I recieved "Subprocaduria de Servicios de Verificacion with Procuraduria de Profeco, the department that has been commissioned to address this issue. Profeco has specifically been tasked with establishing the degree of dissatisfaction experienced by Members.
"This is a complex process involving several Government agencies. However, Subprocaduria de Servicios de Verificacion, affiliated with, and under the auspices of Profeco, is the principal orchestrator in the execution of laws and regulations set forth by the constitution of Profeco. Such laws have been developed to protect visitors vulnerable to fraud, to address complaints, to investigate unlawful practices at the expense of foreign visitors to Mexico, and to repair damages if any have been suffered." Lic. Armando Sandoval AvilaProcuraduría Federal Del ConsumidorTel: [protected]
Fax: [protected]
Somebody weigh in I will appreciate your views.
I have been working with PROFECO the past few weeks, as they contacted me on Jan 30, 2014. It is regarding a timeshare I purchased in 2009 with Mayan Palace. They indicated that SECTUR (Secretary of Tourism) has settled with many timeshare companies accused of unlawful business practices and there are monies to provided to victims of this fraud. I am close to receiving my settlement but the process requires me to make a "marginal deposit" of 16% of my settlement. This deposit is to be returned to me with the settlement. Both in the form of wire transfers handled by Banco de Mexico. PROFECO is the consumer protection agency of Mexico. Has anymore else been contacted or proceeded in recovering damages through this process. Obviously I am very skeptical after going through what I did with the timeshare company and now this. Please help.
fdw017c it is a scam, be careful. Profeco does not contact people out of the blue. Consumers approach them, not the other way around. You are on the scammers list of possible victims. You will not see your deposit back once you give it to them. Do not continue working with them!
Yes this is a Scam ! They are really professional con artists... They have every story covered. Thank goodness my bank would NOT allow me to wire the money. The key is the e-mail address they use is NOT the government site. See the difference between (.) and( - ). I feel so stupid... But glad I saw the lught in time.
Please post any information on class action law suit, we want in.
We are not getting anywhere with the long distance calls, emails, etc...
As anyone heard of Rivera & Gomez attorney's in Mexico? I called to get info on getting out of my timeshare and a refund from Acro Villa group in Cabo after totally getting scammed and then deathly sick after the fishing boat they sent us on! He answered the phone saying hello, I said is this Gomez Law firm, he said yes (thought someone would answer by there law firms name) and I gave him the info about my contract and such and said he could help me, no money up front until I win my case and refund, seems to easy, anyone with info or results?
The whole country is a mess. Here's what just happened to me. If there is a class action suit, how do I get involved?
This is a very engaging scam. I dealt with Mr. Victor Mendoza, theoretically with the Mexican Government on a movement to fix the timeshare industry. The Villa Group in Nuevo Vallarta lied to entice me to buy a Christmas Week timeshare and I’ve been trying to find resolution for years. After writing up and submitting my Claim, Mr. Mendoza informed me that I would relinquish my ownership and get my money back plus a 30% penalty but that he was unable to get back my maintenance fees. All the paperwork looked very official. Mr. Mendoza put me in touch with Mr. Oliver Gonzales from BBVA Bancomer, Bank of Mexico, to arrange the payment. I checked his phone number [protected] and it was answered by a woman as Bank of Mexico. Then he asked for $2131.48 as a verification deposit and I knew I was being scammed. So close. I hate the Villa Group enough to keep trying to get restitution, but not enough to keep investing good money after bad. - See more at: http://insidethegate.com/gatehouse/2014/08/mexico-timeshare-fraud-news-august-23-2014/#comments
Ernest - I would also like information regarding the attorney's contact information and class action suit. I am having similar problems with them not honoring our contract or responding/returning calls. Thanks!
HELP - how can I get added to the Class Action Lawsuit against the Villa Group Timeshare sales? We purchased one in 2008. Having problems making reservations at other Villa Group locations, even though we were told verbally that we could book at all existing and upcoming Villa Group resorts and not to be worried about that it wasn't noted in our contract. They are now not allowing members to book at other resorts. Someone please email me at expectinghisbest-01@yahoo.com about how we can join the class action lawsuit.. Anxious to learn more. Thank you.
We got screwed over by Villa Group also how so we get intouch with the attorneys any suggestions/ Dustin
November 2010 Got conned into UVC group. They were adamant that we could resale our weeks in the rental pool for approximately 1500$. I put two weeks into the rental pool this past year and they provided 350$ total compensation. That doesnt even cover the maintenance fees associated with the timeshare. Spent approximately 9k on the 1 week annual floater every other year and its a total rip off. Essentially paying 1200$ for 1 week, which is absolutely insane. I have tried to contact them and no response. I've emailed them regarding surrendering the property but that puts me out 10k right away plus they want me to pay maintenance to surrender it.
I'd like to participate in the class action suit, if you could provide me any information regarding this it would be greatly appreciated. Saldrin@hotmail.com.
writing to express our dissatisfaction with the poor and deceiving way your company does business.
We bought this membership on April 12, 2014 at the Flamingos and as we indicated to Bob Henderson and Michael Miller the reason we bought it was we had plans to come back for three weeks for my birthday in August and that we intended to stay at villa del palmar because we had stayed there many times in the past and loved the place and location. Before we made the decision to buy they reassured us that the 1700 points would cover our studio at that location during that month. They also told us that though we financed half of the cost Mr. Miller could authorize our phone reservation for August as long as we paid the balance off before our trip.
Back in the states I called Mr. Miller at the number on the card he handed me and was unable to reach him. I spoke to the person that handled payments and changed my payment arrangements and requested information about the dream weeks. He and other people I talked to said that Mr. Miller had to address that question and forwarded two or three emails with my questions to which he never responded. In the meantime I kept calling the reservation desk to find out the availability for the studio in August and they would not provide that information to me because my membership was not paid in full. They only advised me to pay it as soon as possible so I could get in. Since Mr. Miller was I unreachable I paid it off the balance on June 5th.
When I called the reservation number on June 6th to book my three weeks in Villa del Palmar from August 3 thru August 22nd I was very disappointed to hear they were booked thru August 8th and shocked to hear the resort was closing on the 15th. So We had to change our plans and book one week in Villa and the second week at Flamingos. They offered me the two for one studio deal which I was forced to buy from you for $450.00 as I wouldn't have enough points for Flamingos. On top of that since our vacation was planned for 3 weeks and included my mother traveling with us part of the time I had to search for a hotel nearby and ended paying another $650.00 for a stay at Friendly Vallarta from August 3rd thru 8th. So this vacation costed me an extra $1100 just because of your lack of good customer service and honesty (the hotel has confirmed to us they knew way before April they would close in August for remodeling). But worse than the extra expense is the stress of having to coincide stays, dates and places and the huge stress of having to change hotels three times during our vacation. And this is from a company that prides itself in providing world class vacations! For us you have done just the opposite and have pretty much ruined our plans and spoiled our vacation in mNy ways.
Another consequence of being forced to change plans was our stay at Friendly Vallarta. The only reason we booked it was that is is next door to Villa del Palmar and to minimize the hassle of moving from one hotel to another. This is the place where I took my mother in her first time in Mexico. That place turned out to be the nastiest, ugliest, lowest class possible hotel with the filthiest and grossest food I have ever seen and the worst possible customer service (they don't even sell bottled water in their restaurants or carry straws for drinks). We got sick from their food on our second day and the morning of August 5th I walked in to villa del palmar and was very surprised that they had immediate availability for us to move that same day! That is how by using the remainder of our 1700 points we ended leaving Friendly Vallarta on Tuesday August 5th and loosing the money we paid thru August 8th. I really don't understand how as Villa preferred members we were not able to book initially our stay there for our first week. It takes the "preferred" status to a new different level! The only good thing about this experience (and not new to us) is the excellent customer service we always get by the Villa del Palmar staff. They are the most helpful and caring people!
Another thing that was wrong from the beginning while booking was that even we explained our travel plans and my mother being there thru the second week we were never offered the option of getting a bigger unit to accommodate the three of us until that point. So we ended moving again to a bigger unit for an additional $20/night. Our point is that your reservation representatives provide very poor customer service, rushing you and not caring about your exact needs and making sure you will have a great vacation.
Another event we want to complain about is the unnecessary solicitation for time share presentations we had been subject to after attending yours last April. Not even a month later, on May 10th I was contacted by Tony villareal from SaveNvacations who offered me a very good deal for Best western Puerto Vallarta. I asked him how he got my name and he said it was through Villa Group. I asked specifically If I could use that promotion this coming August (thinking possibly to extend my vacation further) after having attended the Villa presentation in April and having bought the trial membership. He got back to me on that and assured me that it was possible because it was a different hotel. I ended up buying it and paying for it on May 17th and after getting my certificate was prompted to contact the hotel directly to find out on May 29 that I could not use my certificate because best western is part of Villa Group and I had attended the Flamingos presentation in April! I requested and got my money back however I keep getting solicited to attend these presentations because of your business practices. Another indicator of how disadvantaged we have been by Villa Group. We will not ever recommend anyone doing business with you and at this point we expect the worst when we try to use our dream weeks in the future. And lastly, this is not a letter we should be spending our vacation time writing. We request an immediate review of this complain and we hope to get a formal apology and any compensation for the extra expenses we had to incurr due to your lack of professionalism. And we are insisting that our 1700 points be return to us! The response from the Villa Group was sorry your unhappy. We were told that we would get some type of dream weeks and they wont give them to us.. But they sure had no problem takling all of our money
I'm not posting as a owner/potential owner or rep. I'm posting as someone who almost decided to apply for a sales position with the Villa Group. I want to thank you all for posting all of your experiences. I would have up and moved myself to Mexico only to find out I made a different kind of mistake. I was so close to believing the "sales pitch" on their website, to be a sales rep. I decided to do some research about the company and ended up on this website. I hope of all you can somehow find closer in these circumstances posted!
We almost bought at Villa Del Palmar last month, but decided to do our homework first. As hard as it is, you have the right to say no. You also have 5 days to cancel if you can't say no. Nothing you sign can take that right away. 5 business days, PERIOD!. Our thought was to come home, do our research, and then make an informed purchase. We thought that Villa Del Palmar was a good place to own, until reading these complaints. We'd really like to own a timeshare, but the horror stories are overwhelming. I wish it could just be as simple as "this is what you get and this is how much it costs". Our worst fear is not getting what we are being sold.
We went on a vacation to Cabo San Lucas and attended a presentation at The Villa Club we were there from 8am till after 3 pm they gave us booze we kept telling them that we couldn't afford after going through 4 sales people we just gave in and was never told of the 5 day cancelation they got $2700 down and then when we wanted to cancel it they told us we couldn't and that we had to pay the balance of $9100 we haven't used it and now they are sending us to collection the sales person told us that if we decided that we didn't want it that they would buy it back, well now he says that it is imposable, We want out of this nightmare is there anyone out there that knows what we could do to get out of this Interval International membership with The Villa Group. PLEASE HELP we are willing to loose the down.
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Silva,
Thank you for your post and update. We would like to join a class action law suit for the unethical fraud and coercion we've experienced with The Villa Group. Our sales person was Sherri Wenzel. She told us our timeshare would go up in value. She said if we wanted to sell it, we could sell it back at any time or she would even sell it for us. As we all know now, there isn't TRUTH to any of these promises. Regardless, it is what we believed we were getting. The monthly payment has never been the amount they said it would be. The same goes for what they said the maintenance fee would be. We purchase a studio in March, 2013. We were able to go in March, 2014. Our view on the balcony was a tree. I like palm trees while on vacation. But, I don't want it waving in my face while I'm sitting on the balcony. This whole experience has been a nightmare!
Sandie Drzewiecki and Jim Leech
We were persuaded into buying "points" from the Villa Group in Cancun. We too feel remorse, especially after reading such horrible reviews. I don't want to lose any more money on this, as we left a $1000 deposit. I was hoping the "dream" was real but after proper research, have found this to be nothing more than a scam. I too would like to join a law suit against this fraudulent company. Reach me at dorothy82@aol.com (I just returned from my trip 3 days ago)
I have read this thread and have not seen where a class action law suit has been started. Every trip I make to Cabo has been filed with problems. I have been there on several occasions when there was less than 20% occupancy at the entire resort and was told there was no availability to change my reservation. I enjoy my stay at the resort but I should not have bought into the time share and instead just deal with the resort. I was told on one of my visits the salesman I dealt with had been fired due to making promises that could not be upheld. Can someone email me and let me know if there is a group to join.
Timmy15902@me.com
We purchased an annoyance of a timeshare on our honeymoon January 2010 and we were told that we had so long to cancel, we tried to but our rep did not answer the phone number he gave us and we were within the time to cancel. When we got back we never sent more money and we tried to contact them about what was going on, could never get a straight answer from anyone. We then got sent to collections with the amount that we owed on the timeshare, we borrowed money from our parents to pay off because at that time we were trying to get a house since I was pregnant. We have since paid back our $11, 500 but I have not been paying on maintence fees because we can not afford them. We have been trying to sell but have no luck. Our sales rep promised he would help with the sale of my grandfather's RCI timeshare that I inherited but we kept trying to get a hold of someone and no one would help us. It has been years and we have just given up on trying. We would love to get our money back and get rid of the monthly bill that keeps coming in for the maintence fees. I feel like we were promised all this help and time to make a decision yet nothing was every followed up with once we purchased. Our sales rep even said if we wanted to sell it back to them, he would help with that.. too bad none of that is true. Now to read we have to spend even more money to use it! I thought RCI was bad, but they seem like a piece of cake compared to what we have been through with the Villa Group. Ours is for Villa del Palmer in Cabo. I hate the idea of timeshares from this experience, I refuse to go to another presentation.
I believe we've all been tricked, scammed, and lied to into signing a timeshare contract with the villa group. I signed a contract with Villa Del Arco (Constructoras Los Arcos, del Cabo S.A. de C.V.) on May 1st, 2015. After being pressured into signing the contract, I read through the details and it was definitely not as proposed by the sellers.
We ended up buying one week of a studio unit and paid a down payment of $5, 638.00. We were explicitly told on multiple occasions that we could not back out of the deal once it was signed. To emphasize this they pointed to a 'liquidated damages' clause. They had my partner and I initial specifically at the liquidated damages line, and they stated that that part was the most important part, because once it has been signed, the deposit would now be non-refundable.
I had big time buyers remorse the next day, but we were under the impression that we could not cancel the deal. So I thought maybe if I could just pay it all off, I could be done with it. Once we returned back to the States we reviewed all the documents, including the 'Membership Purchase and Security Agreement'. While reviewing this document I came across a clause for 'cancellation rights'. This was on the backside of the contract, which coincidentally didn’t require a signature, and consequently we were not aware of it. Of course the sales representative and the 'verification officer' repeatedly lied to us that the contract could not be cancelled. They also lied by telling us that we would lose our deposit if we tried to terminate this agreement as specified in the 'Liquidated Damages' clause on the front side of this document.
As it turns out, we had a right to cancel without penalty under Mexican law and that this cannot be waived regardless of what the resort representative said. We then tried to terminate this agreement. Unfortunately we were not able to prevent my credit card company from paying my down payment to Constructora Los Arcos del Cabo. Now I am reaching out to you in plea of helping me get out of my timeshare contract and to get my deposit back. Had I known that I could cancel within the 5 day period, I would have talked to the sales agent about cancelling the timeshare account rather than trying to pay it all of rather than to deal with it. I hope you will be able to shine some light on the matter. Attached are some documents that may help. I have tried to dispute the downpayment charge with my bank and they are also working on it. They said it will take another week or so. I have been trying to cancel my timeshare but have not been able to contact anyone other than the seller, who gave me her e-mail address when we met for presentation. She said that the VLO named Aldo will be contacting me, but he hasn't contacted me at all.
We'd also like to know if anyone has initiated a litigation against these guys - a lawsuit we could join. Please post a comment. I have read through these comments and the circumstances are virtually the same every time. I was contacted by a group called "Boardman Park Resorts" who offered to purchase the timeshare at an unbelievable price. Too good to be true.
Is there really a lawsuit going against these guys?
There are several things that need to be noted about the Villa Group.1)they oversell their resorts and this is why in the case of the Arco in Cabo and the Palmar in Cancun it is a 2 year plus wait for a reservation.2)their sales people bounce from one company to the next and really will tell you just about anything to get you to purchase and do not understand "NO" at all ! 3)beware if you own that I have been contacted probably a minimum of 20 times a month by a resale company asking if I want to sell or rent my property in Mexico(I only am a member of the Villa Group and not an owner.This is made quite clear by the management).The question to ask is how did they get this information to begin with.When asked te resale people will say its public record.But it is not.I have been contacted 3 times by a representative of the Mexican government to inform me that my information was sold to these companies and that they are looking to prosecute(yeah right in mexico).Long story short is that if they did sell said information then how much did they sell.Financials, name, address and phone and even worst social security numbers ? If so we are all in danger of identity theft because of their want of the almighty dollar.
Also beware that they have a difficult time living up to anything they tell you.One thing to note is that if it is not in the contract they do not do it.Which means that if they stated they could take something in trade and there is no contract they wont do it.Also if you purchase at the Arco tell them you want an assigned week(they wont do it).Remember it is oversold.Best thing to do is just pass on anything and do not purchase, Better yet dont even do the presentation !
If there is indeed a lawsuit, please let me know. These guys just try to rip you off over and over again. We keep paying but can't get the time or space we want. Someone has offered to try and rent our space for a fee and that has yet to happen. When we signed up we were made a bunch of promises that have not come to fruition. Thanks
Has anyone been charged $35 per room when you try to reserve more than 1 room? They call it a "guest registration fee" I have 4 weeks available and want to use 3 of them in the summer of June 2016. I simply asked for 3 rooms for 1 week and have done so in the past at no additional charge.
I'm on the phone with them now and they refuse to book more than 1 room unless I pay them $70 for the other two rooms.
I could be wrong however I don't remember these charges being in the contract.? Anyone know?
George C. Bowlin
butchbowlin@sbcglobal.net
We bought in 2014-04-14. we fell for the scam and now they are not living up to their own contract. We were a Use Benefit for Senior Membership which, because of our age, allows us to us a week from the end of our contract with a week from the front end of the contract. We used this last year in Cancun and now as we are trying to book again they are telling me that we have no such agreement. The Rep., after fighting with him for 20 minutes stated that the manager will call me back in 5 minutes. That was an hour ago. It appears that they feel that they don't have to live up to their agreements if they, at a whim don't feel like it. I want out but don't know how.
I would like to also join in the class action suit - we were ripped off and have not been able to even get a reservation at all. After speaking to 8 different people over a weeks time, we have not been able to use our purchased weeks.
Nanette Faccilonga
[protected]
Hi everyone,
I recently bought a TS with Villa Group last December 26, 2016. Only after plenty of hours of research on the internet from different forums like trip advisor.com, Tugbbs that I learned what a big of a mess I got myself into. The mandatory 5-day cooling period was not disclosed to me and instead told me that if I cancel my contract I have to pay the TS in full (as it is financed) as stated in their "Membership Purchase and Sales Agreement" I returned to Canada and later found out about the cooling off period that is mandated by the Mexican Government on TS sales. I purchased the membership at Villa del Arco in Cabo and during the entire sales pitch the words "owner" and "ownership" were used loosely that gave me the assumption that I "own" something. And I verified this to the sales rep and confirmed it. I want to end this and participate in a class action suit against Villa Group who are continuing to make business transactions under gross misrepresentation of product and fraud. Many members and owners have posted their disatisfaction from the service of Villa Group and are still finding resolution to their situation. I am positively sure I will go through all those problems soon if not later. Obviously, the ultimate common denomitor in all of the complaints is Villa Group.
My scam was the dream vacation. I was told I could go to any of the resorts but that I had to return to the one I started from for my first dream vacation..so I did. If i had known it was only for one vacation I would of gone somewhere else. The remaining six vacations were interval international cards that offered some kind of discount but you still have to pay $300 or more to use the interval weeks. They are limited time wise (interval is very hard to get good vacations and I told them at the presentation I hated interval for that reason). I was certainly surprised that my promised vacations turned into interval international weeks that I am already a member of. I will never go to another presentation in Mexico, no matter what they offer. It was a very expensive free ride to my resort!