Welcome to The Tuesday Slot with another look at some of the many complaints received by Inside Timeshare, this review has been written by Patty Boyak who as we all know has been staging many protests outside some of the resorts. One thing that will strike you the reader is the similarity in the complaints from people who have never met, yet we always hear the same thing “We are not responsible for what our sales agents say”!
Why we need Secret Timeshare Shoppers – Especially in Vegas
Timeshare Buyers Need to Record Las Vegas Timeshare Presentations
Seven Timeshare Complaints against the same sales agent
“The long term strategy is, if there are (exit) companies out there that really are legitimate, which we haven’t seen yet,” Flaskey said, “then they need to be regulated the same way our (timeshare) industry is regulated.”
Michael Flaskey, Diamond Resorts CEO
In Nevada, hundreds of timeshare complaints have been dismissed with:
“You Signed a Contract.”
This is regulation?
July 23, 2019
By Patty Boyak, Diamond Platinum Complaint #28 out of 101
Branden and Patty Boyak
#2 of 7 Complaints
Jean Paul H, Principal Broker Nevada
This is our complaint sent to the Nevada Real Estate Division July 7, 2019.
A recording of Alaa C defrauding a 28 year old disabled veteran was provided to NRED over a year ago.
Sent To Hospitality, Michael Flaskey, CEO
Our purchases:
- 19 December 2017 – Palm Canyon Resort, Palm Springs, CA
- 6 May 2018 – Cancun Resort, Las Vegas, NV Purchase price for 15,000 points: $55,000 Down payment: $11,075 on a Barclay card Amount Financed: $151,079.65
Trevor W had previously sold us points in Palm Springs promising a maintenance fee relief program if we bought “member” instead of “owner” points. There is no such thing as “member” vs “owner” points.
Several Diamond members were pitched this:
https://insidetimeshare.com/fridays-letter-from-america-59/
When we next met with Alaa C we were unaware that we had been deceived by Trevor because we had not attempted to sell points back at $.30 per point. We missed the window period Trevor explained – that we had to turn in points by November 30 and had to have 20% of our loan paid to be eligible for the maintenance fee buyback program. In no way would we have 20% of the loan paid in such a short time. The delay avoided the rescission period.
On 06 May 2018, we went to Las Vegas Cancun Resort where we met Alaa C. C introduced himself as a Platinum Counselor. Alaa said that as Platinum members we should be using our points at $0.20 each to pay maintenance fees and said there were NO restrictions on the amount of points we could redeem. We brought up that Trevor Wood in California had told us about the $.30 per point to pay maintenance fees, so why was this $.20 a point? C said it’s not $.30.
Using his phone, he showed us rebate checks we could receive at $0.20 per point. There were several checks in a row on his screenshot on his phone. We didn’t see the exact amounts, but we had asked about the legitimate rebate program because we were already aware of Diamond’s Travel Reimbursement program. This was not the reimbursement program we knew, C assured us.
C gave us his phone number and said he would be our Platinum counselor. We attempted to call him multiple times. He only called the day after we purchased to ask about incentives we had attended. He never returned calls after that.
C said that by purchasing 15,000 additional points, we would be able to redeem points at $0.20 per point. C said we would have enough points to pay all our maintenance fees with 50,000 points and still have points to travel. The first time we attempted to use the point redemption program, we were told by Platinum customer service no such program existed.
Reviewing our files, Alaa informed us that none of our previous contracts had been wrapped and that wrapping them into a single contract would stabilize maintenance fees. C told us the only way to wrap the contracts was by purchasing an additional 15,000 points and if we did, the maintenance fee increase would only go up by 4%, whereas if we had six contracts, the maintenance fees would be much higher, in the 10 to 12% range. This turned out to not be true. It would be highly unlikely for maintenance fees to go up by 10 to 12% just because there were six contracts instead of one. Fees have not decreased. In fact, we incurred an additional $2600 in maintenance after purchasing the additional points.
Patty and Brandon Boyak and another Platinum couple protesting in Las Vegas. It would be unusual for educated professionals to go to this much trouble over buyer’s remorse.
It is common for Platinum members to have made several prior purchases. Trust ensues. If the member refuses to pay for a recent purchase, they risk walking away from all points purchased; the money spent exceeding $200,000 or more. A 180-page report summarizes 101 Platinum up-sells. The similarities are glaring.
Alaa C complaint #1 is a 90% disabled Army veteran. He recorded the second hour of a five-hour sales presentation because C refused for an hour to return their credit card and driver’s licenses. Alaa told them that because they did not get “the letter” from Apollo they were not grandfathered in so would have to buy additional points or pay $250,000 in maintenance fees over 10 years. Member complaints frequently begin, “They said we should have received a letter.”
Alaa C complaint #3 A Y, age 79 Platinum complaint #72 out of 101
Mrs. Y’s first language is Cantonese. Her husband, age 80, is diagnosed Alzheimer’s. Typically, Diamond points sell for $4 per point. Buyers are shown a price listing points at $9 and a warning the price will appreciate in the subsequent year. Buyers are not told Diamond points are worthless on the secondary market. Mrs. Y did not know the total amount they spent to buy 80,000 points, but at $4 per points an estimated price would be around $360,000. Platinum 52,000 points
October 10, 2018, Nevada
In 2018 October we attended a meeting in Las Vegas and met with sales agent Alaa C. We agreed to buy 100,000 points more but ended up buying 90,000 additional points. Alaa C said that if we purchased these points, we could use 50,000 to pay maintenance fees by redeeming points and still have 50,000 to travel. We turned it down. The manager Maher F said we don’t need 100,000 points, maybe 80,000 points.
They said we could trade in points for $15,000 every year. They said you turn in January and it would take 30 days to process. Both Alaa C and Maher F told us this. They said only Diamond has this program.
Alaa C Complaint #4
An attorney contacted us and asked if we knew of Alaa C as he has received a complaint against him.
Alaa C #5 B W, age 57, Platinum complaint #86 out of 101
May 23, 2019
The maintenance fees after 2014 escalated. In California, they kept saying they were going to go public. They told me our kids would have to inherit the points unless I bought additional points. They said, “Your kids won’t be able to have a choice whether to keep it or not if you don’t buy additional points.”
I met with Alaa C June of 2018. He told me everything that happened in CA wasn’t true. In order to give me what I was already supposed to have, I was told I needed to buy 25,000 additional points. I asked C if I could record. He said no. C told us about a program to pay maintenance fees. If you book through travel services you could get $.30 per point toward maintenance fees. I took a picture of his picture pitch.
Alaa C #6 complaint, age 73, (resolved) Platinum complaint #85 out of 101
Al C sold me 25,000 additional Diamond Hawaii points March 2019 for $90,750.
C said at this new Platinum Legacy level, there would be an option for “travel cash” which I could use to pay maintenance fees. He even showed me how to calculate it. He said if I bought these points I would be at the highest level and there would be no reason to buy any additional points in the future. However, at my next presentation at the Palm Canyon Resort in California April 26, 2019, Trevor told me I needed to buy additional points.
At the Palm Canyon April 26 presentation, Trevor told me that there is no such thing as travel cash. I WOULD NOT HAVE BOUGHT THE LAST PURCHASE FROM C IF THIS TRAVEL CASH TO PAY MAINTENANCE FEES HAD NOT BEEN SOLD TO ME as a way to offset maintenance fees. C had multiplied the number of points x 30 cents to illustrate how to pay for maintenance fees.
Trevor showed me a graph of maintenance fees showing maintenance fees increasing. Trevor had said that the way my contract with Al had been written, my maintenance fees were at the higher rate of increase. Al had said my maintenance fees would be at the lower rate of increase. Al did not provide me with a “summary of maintenance fees.” Diamond’s CLARITY promise, which promotes clear, concise, accountable and transparent information says, “You will receive a summary of maintenance fees.”
Al also said I needed to buy additional Hawaii points so that my heirs would not be responsible for maintenance fees. I have learned heirs would not be responsible.
Trevor told me I would need to purchase 75,000 additional points for an additional $125,000 to take care of the mess Al created. Trevor and Brad also stated that Al sold me 7000 more points than I needed to be platinum.
Al said to put part of the down payment on my own credit union mastercard. If I called the next day he would switch the money to my Barclaycard so that I would have a 0% interest for 6 months. He put his cell number in my phone. I called him the next day with the required information. Al never responded to my next texts.
Since the meeting on April 28, I go to bed every night worried about my fees, wake up in the middle of the night and think about what to do, and wake up in the morning thinking about fees. This is making me ill.
Yes, I met with the QA representative, and he may have witnessed Al telling me what to put on the why-did-you-make-a-purchase-today sheet in Cancun. Yes, I bought to have platinum status, but only because I was told this included travel cash, lowest maintenance rates, and the right of my heirs to refuse the points.
#7 “Al” complaint Leo Gomez, deceased at age 71
Army, Vietnam veteran Agent Orange 100% disabled
September 10, 2018
To: Hospitality
Michael Flaskey, CEO
Barclays President’s office
Association of Vacation Owners
We only bought points because we were told ILX went bankrupt. In March of 2017, I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, stage 4. In September 2018 I was told there was nothing that could be done. I have been given a few weeks to a month to live. I have been approved for Hospice.
We only owed about $6,000 on the loan before Al said we had to convert our PVC points to US Collection. The presentation was exhausting, over four hours. Al knew I had pancreatic cancer and was exhausted because of that. ILX 15 years ago $17,500 was the purchase price
I have learned it was not necessary to convert our PVC points. They said our maintenance fees were $2,200 for 2018 and would go up to $3,000 January 1, 2019, if we did not convert. They said at Silver the maintenance fees will not go up. Especially under the circumstances, we are upset that we were lied to. We bought 15,000 U.S. Collection points July 16, 2018, at Cancun converting PVC points to U.S. points purchased for $33,000. Amount financed: $28,000.
Leo Gomez
Leo’s last words to us, “I want my story told.”
https://www.opednews.com/articles/A-Fourth-Agent-Orange-Vete-by-Irene-Parker-Fraud-180917-513.html
We seek to provide timeshare members with a way to proactively address membership concerns; to advocate for timeshare reform; to obtain greater disclosure from the company; to advocate for a viable secondary market, and to educate prospective buyers.
https://everythingabouttimeshares.com/consider-exchange-options/
Free at Last Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/groups/623703881470577/?ref=share
Free at Last Timeshare Support Course offered by Straight-A-Guide
Bluegreen Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/groups/180578055325962/
Wyndham Facebook
New: https://www.facebook.com/groups/376743609795740/
Sapphire Starpoint New: https://www.facebook.com/login/?next=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fgroups%2F292083584642570%2F%3Fref%3Dshare
Diamond Resort Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/groups/DiamondResortsOwnersAdvocacy/
Gold Key Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1639958046252175/
Inside Timeshare Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2213231165610648/
Thank you Patty for your time and effort and we hope that your next round of protests goes well. We are also very sorry to hear that your own complaint was turned down. We have with your kind permission attached a PDF of the letter you received from the Nevada Real Estate Division.
That is all for today, if you have any comments, views or just need any information please use our contact page and get in touch.
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