Here’s the thing about timeshares: they’re supposed to be fun.
At least according to the timeshare sales agents.
They sell you the dream of a special place where you can leave your worries and stress behind and, if you do it right, make a little money on the side.
But too many times the reality of a timeshare ownership means…
…more stress
…more worry…
…and more money problems.
Just ask Michael and Mandy. We found the Gahanna, Ohio couple’s worrisome tale among the 2,170 pages of complaints against Diamond Resorts publicly available in the Florida Attorney General’s office.
Michael has been a Diamond member since 2012 – so you know he’s been to quite a few sales presentations. He’s purchased upgrades over the years but the last one didn’t go as planned.
“When I made the purchase, I was told I was merely upgrading by adding more points. What actually happened was they sold me a completely new and separate contract, causing us to have two contracts instead of one.”
How did THAT happen?
“When we arrived at the Mystic Dunes resort, I was again told I MUST attend another owner’s presentation… [the sales agent] insisted that if we wanted ‘nicer’ vacations at more ‘desired locations’ the only way that was possible was to purchase more points.”
“After hours of pressure and [the agent] not accepting my refusal, I agreed to purchase 5500 points.”
Sounds stressful.
“Instead of merely upgrading me, they created an entirely new contract, and I was not aware of it until later. I now have 2 open contracts with Diamond and am paying maintenance fees in excess of $1800 a year. On top of that I am paying monthly loan payments and fees that total over $600.”
“It has become nothing more than a money pit that we cannot afford.”
Sounds expensive.
“We can easily book the same vacations through any online travel site for less than what we pay in monthly fees and maintenance costs. The vacations we have taken since this purchase have been subpar at best.”
That doesn’t sound very special at all.
“We struggle to make ends meet and pay our day-to-day bills. We now have 4 children and have spent over $40,000 for this timeshare with not much to show for it.”
“It’s all just a racket!”
Sadly, that’s the reality for a lot of timeshare owners.
It’s time Mark Wang had a reality check. He’s the CEO of Hilton Grand Vacations, which purchased Diamond Resorts in 2021.
Let’s email him at mark.wang@hgv.com and ask why there’s such a big gap between the dreams his customers were promised and the realities they experience with Diamond.
Maybe Jason Gamel, the President and CEO of the American Resort Development Association (ARDA) can tell us. He represents timeshare companies in Washington, DC.
Jason’s email is jgamel@arda.org
Is there more your timeshare company could do to make dreams come true? You can find the contact information for its leaders in this list of ARDA VIPs and let them know.
Had a harsh dose of reality with your timeshare? Let us know at info@timesharefacts.com.
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