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Festiva takes over resort

FestivaRep

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I don't know what kind of points are being offered in the Church Street auction, but they are not Equivest or Festiva, as you couldn't even get a night's lodging for 20 points under either system.

I haven't seen the specific auction that is mentioned for the Church Street 'points' but from my experience this sounds like a deeded week from Church Street that was purchased prior to Festiva introducing the points Club in 2006.

When weeks were being sold at the Church Street Inn, that particular resort allowed their owners to use their week within the usage year as either 7 nights, or to split the week up into shorter stays. To keep track of this, a value of '20 points' was assigned to any deeded week at CSI. This was something that was only offered at CSI, for CSI owners.

It has/had nothing to do with the current points system of the Adventure Club or the FAC. It could only be used by Church Street owners, and only at Church Street.

I'm not sure when this option first became available to CSI owners (it was already there when I started working here in 2005) but may have existed prior to Festiva purchasing the property in 2002.
 

tombo

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Just to clarify, Outfield Marketing is not a subsidiary of Festiva Resorts, but is a third party company that we have a contract with to sell FAC memberships at Southcape.

The attorney general in Missouri filed a suit against Festiva in 2005 which was settled in 2008. Festiva settled and paid restitution of over $324,000. When you responded on a previous thread you said that it was a 3rd party company handling the sales in Missouri, not Festiva. If I hired a sales force to do a job for me and they operated totally against my sales procedures and guidelines causing me to lose $324,000, I would sue them to recoup my loss. Why was there never was a law suit filed by Festiva suing that 3rd party sales force you hired? They were hired by Festiva to do a sales job for Festiva. There were many complaints lodged before the Missouri AG ever got involved. Why wait to terminate the 3rd pary sales force until after the AG files suit? The 3rd party company should have been fired because of all of the customer complaints well before the law suit was even filed. The fact that a 3rd party is marketing your points doesn't absolve Festiva of responsibility which a $324,000 settlement proves. Festiva recruits the 3rd party company, they hire them, they give the 3rd party guidelines they want adhered to (or at least they should), and they authorize them to represent Festiva when they enter into contracts with customers. Whether it was Festiva or a 3rd party making false claims and making threats to owners makes no difference. Festiva hired the 3rd party so Festiva was/is responsible for the 3rd party's actions no matter what spin Festiva tries to put on it IMO and apparently in the opinion of the Missouri AG since he filed suit against Festiva.

Fast forward to 2009. You now say that Outfield Mktg is not a subsidiary of Festiva, but it is a 3rd party company hired to sell memberships at Southscape (Hmm, this sounds familiar). There are many owners complaining here about Outfield Mktg, their claims, and their sales tactics (once again seems like old times). Festiva of course does not condone any false or misleading sales tactics, but they repeatedly hire 3rd party companies to market for them that allegedly do just that from what I have read on posts here on TUG. Why would a company hire a 3rd party sales force and set them free to do what they want after the same tactic cost you $324,000 in 2008? I wonder how long and how many complaints it will take before the AG files suit against Outfield Mktg. Of course if there is a law suit filed it won't be Festiva's fault because it wasn't Festiva's sales force, it was a 3rd party sales force (hired and authorized to sell by Festiva). Who keeps hiring and training these third parties to sell Festiva' memberships? Is Festiva so removed from the sales process that they use no oversight and have no control over how a 3rd party markets Festiva's points? Will it once again take action by an AG to resolve the complaints at Southscape, or will Festiva begin to activelly answer and mediate customer complaints on Outfield Mktg's alleged misrepresentations and threats posted here on TUG ? If the AG files suit will it end up being Festiva's fault or Outfield Mktg's fault after the dust settles? As we saw in Missouri, it will once again be a suit filed against Festiva, not the 3rd party. Can anyone say "Deja Vu"?
 
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somerville

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Just to clarify, Outfield Marketing is not a subsidiary of Festiva Resorts, but is a third party company that we have a contract with to sell FAC memberships at Southcape.
Whether a subsidiary or not, Festiva is responsible for the actions of its contractors and agents. At least that is what we learned from the Missouri Attorney General, and now Governor, Jay Nixon.
 

FestivaRep

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Will it once again take action by an AG to resolve the complaints at Southscape, or will Festiva begin to activelly answer and mediate customer complaints on Outfield Mktg's alleged misrepresentations and threats posted here on TUG ?

By jumping from wishing to have your issues resolved here on TUG to going straight to the AG, you are skipping an important step. My advice is to send your specific complaint(s) in writing (via mailed letter, not e-mail) to our Owner Services department in Asheville. This is honestly the best way to have your issues directly addressed, mediated and resolved; particularly if there is a high volume of complaints from many members about one specific issue (i.e. Outfield). It's much easier for us to address issues when we have your specific information, situation, etc., rather than just a collection of general complaints from nameless people in unknown circumstances.

While I can provide certain information and answer general questions here on TUG, this is not a forum for solving individual issues. This is why we have an Owner Services department, and if you are organized and persistent enough in your communication with them, you will see results.
 

Sou13

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Outfield Marketing/NEVS partnership

He was very nice and informative. Our conversation led me to believe that there is not as much going on negatively as has been presented or possibly assumed.

Mr. Hagberg seems to be a professsional and also indicated that he is a property owner at Southcape who stated that his interests are in making Southcape the best Southcaoe it can be.

He stated that there will be transparency in the budgeting and dealings, and that to the extent Festiva ends up with a Points system, it will be optional, and they will not have voting rights as the voting rights will remain with the deeded owners.

He stated that New England Vacation Services LLC of which he is one of four principals, or managing members, and the other 3 are principals of Outfield Marketing.

He stated that the special assessment would raise sufficient funds in his professional opinion to upgrade and make neccessary repairs and improvements and taht there would be a budget and source and use of funds sheet prepared and distributed.

He stated that the Board of Trustees of Southcape was contemplating establishing an advisory council of selected owners to particiapte in decisions and assist in distributre information to other owners etc.

Further that the similarity between Southcape and Sandcastle were such in that he is the owner of a different entity that is involved in that. http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?p=679004#post679004

From Sanford's post we learn that New England Vacation Services is in partnership with Outfield Marketing. How else can there be three principals of Outfield Marketing on Southcape's Board?
 

tombo

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By jumping from wishing to have your issues resolved here on TUG to going straight to the AG, you are skipping an important step. My advice is to send your specific complaint(s) in writing (via mailed letter, not e-mail) to our Owner Services department in Asheville. This is honestly the best way to have your issues directly addressed, mediated and resolved; particularly if there is a high volume of complaints from many members about one specific issue (i.e. Outfield). It's much easier for us to address issues when we have your specific information, situation, etc., rather than just a collection of general complaints from nameless people in unknown circumstances.

While I can provide certain information and answer general questions here on TUG, this is not a forum for solving individual issues. This is why we have an Owner Services department, and if you are organized and persistent enough in your communication with them, you will see results.

I appreciate that you have a customer service department, but having to write complaint letters (not e-mails) to the customer service department is a time consuming task that most won't do. If someone feels so mistreated and ignored that the only way to get anyone's attention at the home office is to be persistent and write numerous letters, why not write the letters to someone who will listen and care like the AG's office?

If Festiva really cares about what is being said and done in the sales presentations, then why doesn't Festiva do what so many businesses do and send "secret shoppers" (hire both current owners and potential owners) to some Outfield sales presentations to see what is being said and done. You might be surprised to hear what they say to try and make a sale. On the other hand you might already know what is being said by Outfield, but would rather be able to appear shocked, surprised, and dismayed in court by the tactics your 3rd party sales force used without your knowledge, just in case another law suit is filed against Festiva. I am sure that it would be easier to defend yourself against a suit filed due to the wrongful actions of a 3rd party sales force if you could claim that you had no idea that such tactics were being used, than it would be to defend yourself and your employees for using the same tactics. Could that be why Festiva uses 3rd party sales forces to sell FAC rather than doing it with Festiva employees?


If Festiva really cares about how their customers are treated, why wait until they have already been mistreated and are mad? Rather than expecting owners to be "persistent and organized enough" to get the attention of Festiva's service department, how about Festiva being proactive in handling customer complaints. There are plenty of complaints listed here and I am sure if you had a post sales presentation survey to be filled out after people had been through the presentation (with pre paid postage) that you would get a good idea of how the majority of attendees feel about what was said and how they were treated. If your only criteria for Outfield's success is the total number of sales and sales dollars they generate, then of course you wouldn't care what those who didn't buy think even if they are currently owners at the resort. If Festiva doesn't care, why would your 3rd party sales force care either? :shrug:
 
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elaine

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Festiva Rep--thank you--questions about Atlantic Beach

Thank you for coming back to answer questions at TUG. I am a Peppertree Atlantic Beach Owner. I would like to know whether any Festiva-associated people are on the Board of Directors at Peppertree Atlantic Beach and also what plans Festiva has for Peppertee Atlantic beach--whether drastically remodel, new kitchens, build more units, etc. At this point, I am neutral about Festiva--but hearing all the issues on TUG makes me very worried. thanks, Elaine
 

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Public Offering Statement

Here is the "Public Offering Statement" of the Festiva Adventure Club:

Club Membership Timeshare Interest
Public Offering Statement
Festiva Resorts Adventure Club
Effective Date: August 11, 2006
Purchaser: _____________________________ ____________________________________
Print Print
_____________________________ ____________________________________
Print Print
This Public Offering Statement is presented to prospective purchasers in compliance with the requirements of the Vacation Time Sharing Plans Act, South Carolina Code § 27-32-10, et. seq. (1976, as amended). Capitalized terms shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Declaration and related Club documents for the Festiva Resorts Adventure Club.

1. Seller. The seller of the vacation time sharing plan is Festiva Development Group, LLC, a Nevada company, whose principal address is One Vance Gap Rd., Asheville, NC 28805 ("Seller").

2. Time Sharing Plan and Club Description. The Declarant is offering "Memberships" in Festiva Resorts Adventure Club (the "Vacation Club" or "Club"), which is operated by Festiva Resorts Adventure Club Members Association, Inc., a non-stock, non-profit corporation organized under South Carolina law (the " Association"). The Declarant has established the Club as a uniform plan under which it will acquire Resort Interests, which may or may not be interests in real property, that will be placed in Trust in order to provide Accommodations for Members under right-to-use programs, using points denominations in conjunction with the reservation system more fully described in the Club documents. The Declarant will cause or has caused the Resort Interests to be transferred to a "Trustee," free and clear of all Blanket Liens or with a Non-Disturbance Agreement in place with respect to any Blanket Lien that continues to encumber such Resort Interests, to be held in the corresponding "Trust" for the benefit of the Association and its Members. Prior to each such conveyance of Resort Interests, the Declarant will assign values denominated in a currency known as "Points" to the subject Resort Interests based on various factors, including supply and demand, location and time of year, as well as by comparing each Resort Interest with others. Points are the currency of use in the Vacation Club through which Members have the right to reserve and use on a recurring, non-priority, annual basis recreational accommodations in timeshare units ("Club Accommodations") available by reason of the conveyed Resort Interests. The Club Accommodations are and will be located in various U.S. and Caribbean resort locations ("Component Sites"), which are listed in the appropriate Club documents.

Members in the Club are either “Converting Members” or “New Members.” A Converting Member is the holder of legal title to a Resort Interest in a resort who has elected to acquire a Membership in the Vacation Club by signing and delivering to the Declarant a Purchase Agreement, an Assignment of Beneficial Use Rights, and all other required documents and instruments. A New Member is any Member who is not a Converting Member.

A purchaser should not rely upon representations other than those included in the contract and this disclosure.statement.

Acknowledgment of Receipt of Public Offering Statement

I/we have received a copy of a Public Offering Statement effective August 11, 2006, and consisting of three (3) pages and one (1) exhibit as required by Section 27-32-100 of the Vacation Time Sharing Plans Act, South Carolina Code § 27-32-10, et. seq, (1976, as amended).



(Signature Date Signature Date Signature Date Signature Date)


3. Points. Points are the currency of use in the Vacation Club through which Members have the right to reserve the use and occupancy of Club Accommodations in accordance with the terms, provisions, and conditions of the Vacation Club Instruments. Each Member shall be allotted a specific number of annually recurring Points in his or her Purchase Agreement, which number shall be entered in the Register of Members. If a Member acquires multiple Memberships, then the Points allotted annually to each such Membership may be aggregated for reservation purposes. As a matter of convenience, each time that a Membership is issued or the number of Points ascribed to a Membership changes as entered in the Register of Members, the Association will issue a Points Certificate indicating the number of Points associated with the particular Membership purchase or transaction of a Member. The precise details of a Member's Points and how they are used within the Club are outlined more fully in the Club instruments. Specifically, the Club Rules and Regulations govern the reservation, use, and occupancy of Club Accommodations.

4. Interval International. The Club has an agreement with Interval International, Inc. ("ll") of Miami, Florida, wherein II has agreed to provide its exchange program to Club Members. II is an independently owned and operated service company. Seller is not an agent for II and no representations or promises made by Seller or its agents are binding on II. II's responsibility for representations regarding its exchange program, as well as II's current or future services, is limited to those made in written materials furnished by II. Purchaser's participation in such exchange program is voluntary and subject to the payment by Purchaser of such Membership, exchange, and other miscellaneous fees as are required from time to time by II. Seller makes no representations concerning the current or future services to be provided by II or the availability, continuance, success or failure of the II exchange program.

5. Charges to Which Purchaser May Be Subject. To efficiently and effectively provide for the administration of the Club by the Members, a non-profit South Carolina corporation, known and designated as the Festiva Resorts Adventure Club Members Association, Inc. (the "Association"), has been organized, and said corporation shall administer the operation and management of the Club. The Association has the authority and power to enforce the provisions of the Club instruments, including levying and collecting assessments, and adopting and enforcing Rules and Regulations governing use and occupancy of the various Resort Interests of the Club and any Common Elements, and Limited Common Elements. In this regard, the Association may assess and collect fees for the use of amenities and services, including but not limited to late penalties, holdover penalties, extraordinary cleaning costs, costs for damage to units, reservation fees, and other reasonable fees that the Board of Directors determines to be in the best interest of the Club. The Association is further authorized to enter into a management agreement whereby the Association may delegate some or all of its powers and authority to a managing agent. In such an event, the managing agent may also have the authority to levy and collect assessments and fees and to enforce the Rules and Regulations and other Club instruments.

6. Description of Furniture, Fixtures, and Appliances. Due to the variety of inventory in the Club, a general description of all furniture, fixtures and appliances to be located in the accommodations at each resort location is available from Festiva's Owner Services Department.

7. Management Agreement. Seller has entered into a management agreement with Festiva Management Group, LLC ("Manager"), for the operation, administration, and maintenance of the Club and its various accommodations and facilities. The original term of the agreement expires on August 11, 2011, and the agreement automatically renews for successive five (5) year periods unless terminated. Pursuant to the management agreement, Manager is responsible for organizing meetings of the Members, preparing annual budgets, maintaining financial records of the Association, collecting assessments from Members, hiring operational and maintenance staff, and maintaining and repairing the premises. In' order to effectively perform its duties under 1he management agreement, Manager is further authorized to subcontract any of its management functions to third parties.

8. Protection of Purchaser's Interest. In order to protect purchaser's interest from loss due to foreclosure on an underlying financial obligation, Seller has entered into a Trust Agreement and an Escrow Agreement with InterCity Escrow Services, and, pursuant to this agreement, Club accommodation must be unencumbered prior to being available for use in the Club. Additionally, all deposits paid by purchaser shall be retained in a trust account and shall not be released to Seller until all liens and encumbrances secured by the accommodation or timeshare interval have been paid and satisfied in full.

9. Assurances of Completion. All Club accommodations, units, and facilities are complete or substantially complete as of the date of sale. All Club amenities and facilities are complete at the time of sale. Seller is obligated to maintain sufficient Accommodations within the Club to satisfy all points which have been sold to purchasers in the Club, which ensures that it maintains the legally required accommodations to Member ratio.

10. Salesperson Obligations. Salespersons for the Club represent Seller and not prospective purchasers.

11. Personal Use. You should purchase a Club Membership as a vacation experience and for your personal use and enjoyment. You should not purchase a Club Membership as an investment or for profit upon its rental or resale.

12. Resale. Seller currently has no resale program, but purchasers may seek to resell their Club Memberships on their own or through a licensed real estate broker of their choice. Seller requires that all outstanding fees and payments, including the entire outstanding loan balance, be paid in full prior to any transfer of ownership. Any incidental benefits included with the purchase of a Club Membership are transferable to a resale purchaser at the sole discretion of Seller. Membership in Interval International is not transferable. In the event of a resale, Seller and/or the Association reserve the right to charge a reasonable fee for processing the transfer of ownership to a resale purchaser. There are no differentiations in the usage of Club Memberships purchased by a consumer through someone other than Seller.

There is a lien or lien right against each Membership to secure the payment of assessments or other amounts due from obligors to the association in accordance with the operating budget and special assessments and to secure payment of assessments for ad valorem real estate taxes. A purchaser's failure to make the required payments may result in foreclosure of an assessment lien. Assessment liens may be foreclosed in accordance with judicial procedures established by law or with a nonjudicial procedure established by Article 3 of Chapter 32 of Title 27 of the Code of Laws of South Carolina. By purchasing a Club Membership in the Club/timeshare plan described in this public offering statement, a purchaser acknowledges and agrees that any assessment lien against the Membership owned by a purchaser may be foreclosed by a nonjudicial procedure and agrees that the notice of a foreclosure by a nonjudicial procedure may be made by the use of certified or registered mail. The purchaser is required to provide an address for the delivery of aIl notices required by law and to inform the managing entity of any changes in the purchaser's notice address.

NEVS/FAC/9-30-08

It is clear to me that Festiva is actively engaging Outfield Marketing to convince, coerce, or scare deeded Southcape owners into "converting" to Festiva "points" so that Southcape can be taken over by Festiva Resorts. If this were not the case, how did Southcape become incorporated into the Festiva "Family of Resorts"?

When we Southcape deeded Interval owners first heard of Festiva, it was in the introductory letter (linked in my signature below) accompanying a $70 increase in our Maintenance Fee. We were led to believe that we were being offered an "exciting opportunity" but the telemarketers wanted to set up appointments in our homes to "explain the changes."

There's a difference between "opportunity" and "changes" and the difference is IMVHO that by "changing" we are giving Festiva Resorts the "opportunity" to take over Southcape Resort.

According to the budget for 2009 there are at least 1800 deeded Interval owners who should be attending the Annual Meeting on the 16th of May. This does not give NEVS the 51% majority to make decisions for us. We need to put an item on the agenda to expand the # of Board members to include a representative # of Unit Owners. This is all spelled out in the Master Deed in my signature below.

I'm posting this info here instead of in the "Southcape Resorts" discussion because we need to reach out to other deeded resort interval owners to warn them to BEWARE OF FESTIVA and BEWARE OF OUTFIELD MARKETING!
 
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somerville

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By jumping from wishing to have your issues resolved here on TUG to going straight to the AG, you are skipping an important step. My advice is to send your specific complaint(s) in writing (via mailed letter, not e-mail) to our Owner Services department in Asheville. This is honestly the best way to have your issues directly addressed, mediated and resolved; particularly if there is a high volume of complaints from many members about one specific issue (i.e. Outfield). It's much easier for us to address issues when we have your specific information, situation, etc., rather than just a collection of general complaints from nameless people in unknown circumstances...
"Mediated" imlplies the engagement of a third party mediator. Is Festiva offering to pay for a nuetral mediator to help resolve all disputes?
 

Sou13

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Mediation

"Mediated" imlplies the engagement of a third party mediator. Is Festiva offering to pay for a nuetral mediator to help resolve all disputes?

Here's how disputes get "arbitrated":

21. ARBITRATION:

In the event of a dispute between Purchaser and Seller with respect to Seller's performance hereunder, the matter in question may, in Seller's sole discretion, be settled by arbitration in accordance with the commercial arbitration rules of the American Arbitration Association. If a matter in dispute is referred to arbitration, Purchaser and Seller shall each pay one-half (1/2) of the fees and expenses required to initiate the arbitration proceedings. The parties agree, however, that the costs and expenses of arbitration, including attorneys' fees, shall ultimately be borne as determined by the arbitrator. The parties further agree that any arbitration proceeding in connection with this Agreement shall be conducted in Lexington County, South Carolina, and that the decision of the arbitrator with respect to any such matter in dispute shall be final and binding and dispositive of the respective rights and obligations of the parties hereunder.

22. CHOICE OF STATE LAW AND FORUM: WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL:

Except to the extent preempted by the laws of the United States of America, this Agreement shall be exclusively governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of South Carolina without regard to such jurisdiction's choice of law rules. Subject to Section 21 above, any legal action or proceeding arising out of or in any way relating to this Agreement shall only be brought in an appropriate court of competent jurisdiction sitting in Lexington County in the State of South Carolina and the parties hereto, on behalf of themselves and their respective successors and assigns, hereby irrevocably submit to the jurisdiction of any such court and agree that venue properly lies solely in such courts to the exclusion of all other judicial and non-judicial forums. EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE PROVIDED BY APPLICABLE LAW, SELLER, PURCHASER, AND ANY OTHER PERSON CLAIMING RIGHTS OR OBLIGATIONS BY, THROUGH, OR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE DEEMED TO HAVE WAIVED ANY RIGHT THEY MAY HAVE UNDER ANY APPLICABLE LAW TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN CONNECTION WITH ANY SUIT OR LEGAL PROCEEDING THAT MAY BE COMMENCED BY OR AGAINST ANY OF THE FOREGOING PERSONS CONCERNING THE INTERPRETATION, CONSTRUCTION, VALIDITY, ENFORCEMENT, OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OF THE CLUB INSTRUMENTS.

Have I emailed you a copy of the "Terms and Conditons" for membership in the Festiva Adventure Club?
 

FestivaRep

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If Festiva really cares about what is being said and done in the sales presentations, then why doesn't Festiva do what so many businesses do and send "secret shoppers" (hire both current owners and potential owners) to some Outfield sales presentations to see what is being said and done.

There is actually a 'secret shopper' program in the works. I'm not sure when it will start, or where it will start, but I know that it has been approved and will move forward.
 

FestivaRep

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I appreciate that you have a customer service department, but having to write complaint letters (not e-mails) to the customer service department is a time consuming task that most won't do. If someone feels so mistreated and ignored that the only way to get anyone's attention at the home office is to be persistent and write numerous letters, why not write the letters to someone who will listen and care like the AG's office?

I did not mean to imply that the only way you will get anyone's attention at the home office is for one person to write numerous letters. I meant that letters from several different owners regarding the same valid issue or problem would stand out.

Each and every letter that is received in owner services does receive a response. If there are multiple letters from different owners on the same subject, you may have a better chance of getting the change that you desire. By going straight to the AG, you are denying Owner Services the chance to assist you by contacting them personally.

It seems to me that if an issue or complaint is so pressing that it must go to the AG, it would warrant the few minutes of time it takes to first print and mail a letter directly to the company. It doesn't seem that much more time-consuming than an e-mail if it is a serious issue. Personally, I would do both. It's not going to help your case if you do not first make an effort to contact Owner Services to address your complaints.
 

FestivaRep

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I am sure if you had a post sales presentation survey to be filled out after people had been through the presentation (with pre paid postage) that you would get a good idea of how the majority of attendees feel about what was said and how they were treated.

I think this is actually a very good idea. I've never worked in sales (of any kind) and i have a background in customer service. While I cannot promise that it can or will be implemented, this is something that I will personally present to a couple of different people in the company who could potentially make it happen.
 

ecwinch

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Be gentle

TUGGer's - just my opinion - but can we dial down the adversarial tone. A number of timeshare related companies have had reps participate on TUG.

And for the most part those reps soon go the way of the dodo bird. In no small part to the angst they receive from the membership. Just saying that if we want FestivaRep to continue to post we should tone it down a little bit, and afford him/her a little more tolerance.

Recognize that they do not run the company, they are not going to interpret the contract, they cannot right every wrong, fix every problem, and I am sure have just as tough of a time getting answers to questions we raise. And in some cases they cannot get answers either.

But having them here is far better then having no one. Consider the history with the II and RCI reps among others.
 

FestivaRep

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Thank you for coming back to answer questions at TUG. I am a Peppertree Atlantic Beach Owner. I would like to know whether any Festiva-associated people are on the Board of Directors at Peppertree Atlantic Beach and also what plans Festiva has for Peppertee Atlantic beach--whether drastically remodel, new kitchens, build more units, etc. At this point, I am neutral about Festiva--but hearing all the issues on TUG makes me very worried. thanks, Elaine

Hi Elaine;
I am waiting for a response on how the board at PAB is comprised; I believe the person who has that answer is gone for the day, but I will let you know when I hear back.

As far as I know, there are plans to make repairs and improvements throughout the resort as needed for 2009 - roofing, stairs, decks, handrails, siding, etc. - things that are necessary because of weathering at many beachfront properties. Some units have been refurbished with new interior paint and outlet/light switch plates.

Other than that, I don't think there are any current plans for drastic remodeling, and I'm fairly certain there will not be any new construction there in the near future.

Within the next few weeks we will be sending out the PAB newsletter to owners by e-mail. If you wish to receive this, send your name and current e-mail address to myemail@festivaresorts.com.

I will let you know when I have the information about the board.
 

FestivaRep

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TUGGer's - just my opinion - but can we dial down the adversarial tone. A number of timeshare related companies have had reps participate on TUG.

Thanks for your support, Eric. I am and will continue to do my best to provide what answers, suggestions, information and guidelines I can. I choose to ignore most of the abusive stuff and will most likely not respond to redundant questions that I have made clear that I cannot personally answer.

Thanks again!
 

Sou13

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Is it OK to launch a discussion here of what kind of offers Outfield Marketing is making to deeded interval owners? Why and how is it possible to join the Club as a "New" member? Is it OK to post how much it costs for how many points as opposed to how much it costs to convert?

Well, we have really lost sight of the purpose of this discussion, which is supposed to be about the offers made by Outfield Marketing and why it wasn't possible for Southcape owners to join as "New" members. Or was it, and we were never told?
 

tombo

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There is actually a 'secret shopper' program in the works. I'm not sure when it will start, or where it will start, but I know that it has been approved and will move forward.

That would be great start if Outfield knows you are going to do it, but they don't know who or when.
 
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tombo

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Each and every letter that is received in owner services does receive a response. If there are multiple letters from different owners on the same subject, you may have a better chance of getting the change that you desire. By going straight to the AG, you are denying Owner Services the chance to assist you by contacting them personally.

The Attorney General is not hired, fired, or intimidated by CEO's at Festiva. The AG is hired by the voters to protect the people in his state. Sending a copy of the complaint letters one sends to Festiva to the AG gets the attention of both much more than just sending a letter to one of them. There is no threat of monetary damage to Festiva as a result of owner's complaints, but complaints from the AG's office are a different story.

If one of Festiva's CEO's hadn't stood at our annual meeting last year and said that he had control of the majority of the votes in Phase 2 at Blue Ridge Village, and that he could do whatever he wanted to do at the resort, I might feel that there was a chance that complaints to the customer service dept, and to the board at the resort, might bring some desired changes for owners. However once a CEO says to the owners at the annual meeting" if you don't like it get out. we will let you deed your weeks to us and you can leave" (not an exact quote, but it is real close), I have doubts that the customer service department can overide his mandate. He can hire and fire employees who work for the customer service dept, and he can vote anyone he wants on or off the board because as he said, he controls the votes and can do whatever he wants. I didn't get a warm fuzzy feeling from his welcome to Festiva speech which was delivered to the owners at Festiva's first annual meeting at Blue Ridge Village. You don't get a second chance to make a good first impression.
 
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wmauryd

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Festiva Rep Questions

Thank you for your post offering to answer questions:

Are you, or is Festiva, or is Outfield Marketing operating onsite at Southcape? If no, are you, Festiva, or Outfield Marketing operating from any Southcape units? Or a single SC unit?
 

FestivaRep

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Thank you for your post offering to answer questions:

Are you, or is Festiva, or is Outfield Marketing operating onsite at Southcape? If no, are you, Festiva, or Outfield Marketing operating from any Southcape units? Or a single SC unit?

It's my understanding that Outfield is operating onsite at Southcape selling the Festiva Adventure Club. I haven't actually been to that property, so I don't know exactly where on the property they are. There are no actual Festiva employees there.
 

FestivaRep

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Well, we have really lost sight of the purpose of this discussion, which is supposed to be about the offers made by Outfield Marketing and why it wasn't possible for Southcape owners to join as "New" members. Or was it, and we were never told?

I'll look into this. Just to clarify, by joining 'new' members, do you mean whether the option is available to keep your week at SC, and join the FAC?
 

FestivaRep

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Thank you for coming back to answer questions at TUG. I am a Peppertree Atlantic Beach Owner. I would like to know whether any Festiva-associated people are on the Board of Directors at Peppertree Atlantic Beach and also what plans Festiva has for Peppertee Atlantic beach--whether drastically remodel, new kitchens, build more units, etc. At this point, I am neutral about Festiva--but hearing all the issues on TUG makes me very worried. thanks, Elaine

Elaine,

There are no Festiva employees on the board at Peppertree Atlantic Beach.
 

Sou13

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"New" FAC Members

I'll look into this. Just to clarify, by joining 'new' members, do you mean whether the option is available to keep your week at SC, and join the FAC?

If you will go back to my "Public Offering Statement" post you will find this:

Members in the Club are either “Converting Members” or “New Members.” A Converting Member is the holder of legal title to a Resort Interest in a resort who has elected to acquire a Membership in the Vacation Club by signing and delivering to the Declarant a Purchase Agreement, an Assignment of Beneficial Use Rights, and all other required documents and instruments. A New Member is any Member who is not a Converting Member.

When I kept my appointment with Greg Hughes, onsite Outfield Marketing sales rep located in Southcape Unit 32 he never offered me the option of joining the Festiva Adventure Club as a "New" member. The focus of the meeting was on scaring me into "converting" to FAC by forecasting escalating special assessments for deeded owners while reasoning (not exactly promising) that maintenance fees for FAC members would remain lower than those for deeded Southcape owners.

In reality, I learned that the MF he offered was actually not the MF for 2009. It was the MF for 3500 points in 2008, but that was raised to $602 for 2009, which is actually higher than the MF for Southcape.

I also learned that converting members no longer have access to the benefits of deeded members, including those promised by NEVS in the link to the letter in my signature below.

FestivaRep, can you find out for me why the members of the Southcape Board are "principals of Outfield Marketing"?
 
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