| One of the most common complaints made by Diamond Resorts timeshare owners? …They can never get a reservation when they want. So, we were very surprised to discover that Kate, a Diamond owner from Beverly, Massachusetts, was having the exact opposite problem. Yup. Diamond was making reservations for her that she didn’t even want!!! We came across Kate’s email in the 2,170 pages of complaints against Diamond Resorts on file in the Florida Attorney General’s office. Kate’s timeshare at Bryan’s Spanish Cove in Kissimmee, Florida was owned by Club Navigo until Diamond Resorts bought the property a few years back. And that’s when all the trouble began. “I have owned a timeshare for 30+ years and have enjoyed it. Since Diamond Resorts took over Club Navigo and Island One, it’s been nothing but a giant pain.” “This week, I received an email from them saying ‘Your Vacation is Confirmed!’ which stated that my husband and I were ‘confirmed’ for a vacation at Bryan’s Spanish Cove.” There was just one catch. “We never booked this vacation.” That’s just crazy. But you know what’s crazier? “This was the second time they had done this.” Seriously? “The first time, I ignored the email and lost all my timeshare ‘points’ for the year since they considered us no-shows and we forfeited all our points.” Wait a minute. How could Diamond take away points for a reservation Kate didn’t even make? Apparently, that’s just how Diamond rolls. “We straightened that affair out, but to get this notice again, after I had asked them over the phone not to send such notices, really irked me.” We hear you, Kate. But Diamond apparently is tone deaf… they don’t even really care about avoiding unwanted bookings in the future. “There is no way to opt out of the ‘Your Vacation Is Confirmed’ emails. I checked the fine print.” “Could you ask Diamond Resorts International to cease and desist with these mailings?” That’s a good question, Kate. And it’s one we should ask Mark Wang. He’s the CEO of Hilton Grand Vacations, which purchased Diamond Resorts in 2021. Let’s email Mark at mark.wang@hgv.com and see if Diamond will stop making reservations people didn’t ask for! And especially to quit robbing owners of their hard-earned points? We should also reach out to Jason Gamel, the President and CEO of the American Resort Development Association (ARDA), which represents timeshare companies in Washington, DC. Let’s ask Jason whether he thinks Diamond’s unsolicited bookings strategy is a good look for the industry by emailing him at jgamel@arda.org. Want to know whether your own timeshare company thinks unsolicited reservations is a good idea? Use the contact information in this list of ARDA VIPs to find out. Have some reservations about your timeshare company’s booking practices – solicited or otherwise? Let us know at info@timesharefacts.com. |
