# Beware of Vallarta Gardens (2014)



## DonnaD

Do not attend a presentation at Vallarta Gardens. They lie and misrepresent what they have and then scam you in worst way. They are  located north of Bucerias. We looked them up on reviews and rescinded our contract the next day after researching the reviews on internet. profeco is handling our complaint.  We also cancelled our credit cards and the charges from them before they got through the bank. I still can't sleep right after the experience.  I used the rescission letter I found on TUG. Thanks for guidance I found on TUG bulletin boards.  
We knew better but 8 hours in the sales room and we were too tired to read contract while salesman continued talking to us as we read.  They ruined our vacation.
Now if I can just start to sleep better now that complaint has been filed with Profeco


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## Karen G

DonnaD said:


> We looked them up on reviews and rescinded our contract the next day after researching the reviews on internet. profeco is handling our complaint.  We also cancelled our credit cards and the charges from them before they got through the bank.


Congratulations! So glad you were able to rescind in time and cancel the charges with your bank. Sorry it ruined your vacation but perhaps you'll have saved others from a similar fate by posting.


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## DonnaD

*Thanks for all your info Karen.*

Karen, I studied your input on rescinding and it guided me through the process. You have no idea how much you helped us.  We knew better than to bite but they talked in circles so much, it seemed to make sense until we were riding back to our resort and my inner signal started too late to say something isn't right! Thank you for sharing your knowledge.  We are here for 8 more weeks so I am trying to put the experience behind me. The knot in my stomach is starting to untangle finally.  Last night I had a dream that they had us arrested for rescinding....YUCK... I hope I sleep better tonight.  

On the bright side, we are at Club Regina and enjoying fantastic weather and good company of Tugger friends. I have to focus on the good things.


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## Karen G

DonnaD said:


> Karen, I studied your input on rescinding and it guided me through the process. You have no idea how much you helped us.


 You are so welcome! So glad for you!


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## taffy19

DonnaD said:


> Karen, I studied your input on rescinding and it guided me through the process. You have no idea how much you helped us. We knew better than to bite but they talked in circles so much, it seemed to make sense until we were riding back to our resort and my inner signal started too late to say something isn't right! Thank you for sharing your knowledge. We are here for 8 more weeks so I am trying to put the experience behind me. The knot in my stomach is starting to untangle finally. Last night I had a dream that they had us arrested for rescinding....YUCK... *I hope I sleep better tonight.*
> 
> On the bright side, we are at Club Regina and enjoying fantastic weather and good company of Tugger friends. I have to focus on the good things.


Donna, I am so glad that you found TUG and were able to get it resolved.  Are you sleeping better now?    I have no idea where that resort is or isn't it even built yet?

 It was so nice meeting you and other TUGgers last week.


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## DonnaD

*Vallarta Gardens rescission*

Just want to let you all know that Profeco saw our rescission as valid and complaint was handled. We had canceled our credit cards before the transaction cleared and we let credit card company know reason.  Well, our daughter called the other day to tell us that $20,000 deposit that Vallarta Gardens never got from us was refunded to our account.  Think I will wait for them to request the reversal. When they contact us, I think I will say they are the liquidated damages for their fraud on the deal. I know they will get their money back. I am not trying to keep it, but when we presented our rescission letter, the sales manager said we could not get our money back because it was considered liquidated damages and he wanted us to sign an agreement saying so.  We turned that form into Profeco along with a letter explaining the transactional story.
I am sleeping so much better. Thanks Karen for your great tips on handling a rescission. We knew better but got caught up in their lies. Thanks for TUG2.net; it is a great resource.
DonnaD


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## taffy19

That will teach some of these resorts a lesson that there is a limit to how far they can go with their lies. Good for you and enjoy the rest of your vacation!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## DonnaD

*Thanks for your support*

Thanks Emmy....one bully got put down thanks to Profeco. We have about 4.5 weeks left here in beautiful PV and the weather has been fantastic. Are you still here too?
Donna


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## taffy19

Yes, we are and enjoying every day.  The weather is perfect.  


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Karen G

DonnaD said:


> Just want to let you all know that Profeco saw our rescission as valid and complaint was handled.


Great news! Thanks for letting us know.


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## DonnaD

*gratitude beyond measure*

I cannot even express how much gratitude I feel for Tug. When I was up til 5 am night we signed contract and realized the trap that had ensnared us, I felt frantic.  Tug information guided me to follow contract terms of rescission precisely, so we did and we made necessary copies and delivered them to Profeco by 10am, mailed certified copy to Developer sales office and delivered original contract in person to sales manager by noon. He said we signed non-rescission agreement but I showed him contract clause for rescission process. He claimed right to keep our $40,000 deposit as liquidated damages.  I picked up his offer and told him he would be hearing from Profeco where our complaint was filed the next day by fax. He told us Profeco has no power over them. It is like BBB  in USA.
I wrote 6 page letter including his commentary about Profeco and faxed whole packet to Profeco including contract, letter of rescission, proceeding process, and offer from salesman to cancel contract and keep our $40,000.
We had canceled credit card before the deposit had clearedso they had none of our money. We found out VallartaGardens deposited $20,000 to one of our credit cards already so Profeco did see our complaint as valid.  We await a request for a refund.  LIQUIDATED DAMAGES???? I know we will refund the money but it is a relief to be  finished and to overcome the bully tactic of sales manager. Thanks again TUG.


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## 55plus

DonnaD said:


> Do not attend a presentation at Vallarta Gardens. They lie and misrepresent what they have and then scam you in worst way. They are  located north of Bucerias. We looked them up on reviews and rescinded our contract the next day after researching the reviews on internet. profeco is handling our complaint.  We also cancelled our credit cards and the charges from them before they got through the bank. I still can't sleep right after the experience.  I used the rescission letter I found on TUG. Thanks for guidance I found on TUG bulletin boards.
> We knew better but *8 hours in the sales room *and we were too tired to read contract while salesman continued talking to us as we read.  They ruined our vacation.
> Now if I can just start to sleep better now that complaint has been filed with Profeco



Eight hours in the sales room! What were you thinking...


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## MZCandy

We just got sucked into Vallarta Gardens yesterday.  It looked beautiful.  What is the scam?  Is there a chance that we will receive the money from our other timeshare that we sold to them within 120 days? I will be happy to rescind and stop payment on my credit card.  What is their scam?


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## DonnaD

*Vallarta Gardens Scam*

Do a google search for Vallarta Gardens complaints and you find many complaints that buyer for your timeshare is not Vallarta Gardens but a 3rd party company which suddenly goes bankrupt or breaks off contact with Vallarta Gardens.  Our contract to buy our timeshare was only signed by us. a man's name was on as buyer, not Vallarta Gardens, and he did not sign it.  look at your contract. also note that you have to surrender your original contract within 12 days or they won't buy you out. Also note that the annuity is a separate charge that will come to you.  the paperwork for it listed only a $7900=/- single premium but blanks are not filled out. Salesman said that annuity pays 11% a year for 5 years and that at end of 5 years we could sell our VG fractional ownership for $150,000 with the funds from the annuity.  Salesman had an answer for every concern, but they were lies that did not show up in contract.  Then as we tried to read the contract at signing time, he continued to talk to us so that we could not focus.  when we returned the next day after a sleepless night, sales manager, Michael Gordon demanded that they get to keep our $40,000 deposit as liquid damages.  I took his form with his offer (without signing it) and left and then filed our complaint with Profeco. We canceled our credit cards the very night of the sale before they had cleared. I told credit card companies my problems with the contract and called it a fraud.  they never let them go through, canceled the cards, and issued a new number to us. It has ruined at least a week of vacation and some of my trust in people. Cancel immediately.


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## Dandc3

*+1*



morrisjim said:


> Eight hours in the sales room! What were you thinking...



+1

8 hrs only because you them. My time is too valuable to waste on something like that. Glad you could rescind.


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## DonnaD

*Time with salesmen*

The program described by them seemed like a solution for ongoing costs of rising maintenance fees and a way to sell interest at a profit down the road using the annuity. We asked many questions so we could make an informed decision, thus the extended time in sales room. We were so tired and salesman talking while we read contract made it difficult to see differences from promises to contract.
We both were taken in by promises that our radar didn't go off until I read the complaints on internet and realized that their offer to buy our timeshare was bogus. 
We will NEVER attend another timeshare presentation. Promise!


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## PStreet1

mzcandy said:


> We just got sucked into Vallarta Gardens yesterday.  It looked beautiful.  What is the scam?  Is there a chance that we will receive the money from our other timeshare that we sold to them within 120 days? I will be happy to rescind and stop payment on my credit card.  What is their scam?



There are so many things that are part of the scam--one of which is that you can buy a beautiful "pre-owned" timeshare in Puerto Vallarta for pennies on the dollar, literally.  Google timeshare resales and take a look.

The chances of your receiving the money from your other timeshare are slim to none.

Rescind while you can.  Stop the credit card payment.  Follow the directions given on this board and the directions on your contract EXACTLY.  Get a copy to Profecto; hand deliver a copy (after you've cancelled the credit card) to the timeshare office.  Do whatever it takes to get out of it; you've been fleeced--and don't let the ugly things they say to you intimidate you into leaving thousands of dollars with them.


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## DonnaD

*Profeco. May accept late complaint on vallarta gardens*

I spoke with an informed person who says THEY GET SO MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT VALLARTA. GARDENS THAT THEY MAY CONSIDER A LATE FILED COMPLAINT.  
WE FILED FINAL COMPLAINT FORMS IN SPANISH requesting a letter from V.G. saying they canceled our contract. We had received a form from PROFECO.. AND ALSO HAD TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO THEM BY EMAIL.


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## rbandala

*Vallarta Gardens*

I too got suckered into their sales pitch. I purchased a unit in the Sky Garden, which was supposed to be built by August, 2014. Of course that never happened. I had charged the purchase, and was able to dispute the charge and finally won - two years later - but better late than never. The sales people and customer service rep were the nastiest people I have ever dealt with. I would advise everyone to stay away from a presentation at this resort.


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## rbandala

No, you will not receive any money for the timeshare you traded. And you will not be able to rent your extra weeks to pay for your timeshare. Neither will they buy back your contract in two years as guaranteed in the contract. It's a beautiful property, but nothing they say is the truth. I finally was able to catch them in some lies in an email and sent it to my bank. After two years of dispute, I finally got my money back from the credit card company. They are disgrace and should not be allowed to continue to do business. You can rent a villa off the internet if you really want to stay there - just don't buy anything from them!


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## Rovinmoses

*Vallarta Gardens*

We attended a presentation a couple years ago; it cured us forever. Somehow got duped into giving them my credit cards for a few minutes. We did not buy, but when we got home found someone was using the two cards to buy pizza, groceries -- about $3,000 fraud.  Cards were cancelled and new ones issued. I wonder who could have stolen my card info!


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## kenmurphey

*Trying to get our money back from Vallarta gardens*

We rescinded the next day via registered mail return receipt. Never have received the returned receipt. Also, returned all sales material after making copies as per contract along with copy of receipt and letter mailed. Another rep from VG sat with us and would not give his name. They would not sign a release and told us we had a 45% liquidation fee. This is not per contract or Mexican law article 56. He then threatened to have us arrested and we were escorted off the property.  We started the complaint process with profecto in PVR in person but have not heard back from them yet it has been over a 10 days. The credit card company was also notified but of no help so far.

Any suggestions?

Best

Ken


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## Mike jansen

*Experience*

I purachased there in march 2014 and loved the place perfect setting they bought my timeshare and was transfered out of my name already i received all the monies upfront and are looking forward to coming january reservation has been confirmed and excited to use the grounds ... Didnt have a bad experience the 2 bedrooms are super nice ....


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## Karen G

Mike jansen said:


> I purachased there in march 2014 and loved the place perfect setting they bought my timeshare and was transfered out of my name already i received all the monies upfront and are looking forward to coming january reservation has been confirmed and excited to use the grounds ... Didnt have a bad experience the 2 bedrooms are super nice ....



I'm a bit skeptical of your post since your IP address shows you are posting from Puerto Vallarta. You  wouldn't be a timeshare salesman who is trying to trick us, would you?


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## kenmurphey

*IP Address*

Thanks Karen for pointing this out. How do you find an IP address and then know where it is from? VG said they had my IP address and wondered how that worked. Thanks for this site and pointing out what I somehow knew.


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## kenmurphey

They are nice. the 2 bedrooms that is?


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## Karen G

kenmurphey said:


> Thanks Karen for pointing this out. How do you find an IP address and then know where it is from? VG said they had my IP address and wondered how that worked. Thanks for this site and pointing out what I somehow knew.


You can Google "IP Locator" and if you have the IP address (which Moderators can see on TUG) you just paste it into the IP Locator and it tells you where it's coming from. I'm not tech savvy enough to know how to get it otherwise.


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## kenmurphey

Hi Karen:

Looks like we will hire an attorney to help us with this. Profecto is helping but they are very slow. I have looked and spoken to a couple that charge a minimal fee after the deposit is returned. One even puts them on a blacklist on their website once confirmed. Do you have any experience or recommendations on attorneys that are reputable? Don't want to get duped twice.  Thanks Ken


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## Karen G

kenmurphey said:


> Hi Karen:
> 
> Looks like we will hire an attorney to help us with this. Profecto is helping but they are very slow.



Sorry, I don't have any experience with reputable Mexican attorneys. I think I'd wait a bit longer for Profeco. I believe their office was closed for the Christmas holidays and won't reopen until January 7 or so, based on another post someone had made.

You have your proof from the post office that you rescinded within the legal time period.   Be adamant with the credit card company that you have rescinded and file whatever claim you need to.


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## Tristagal

We filed with Profeco today and with Chase a few weeks ago. We kept hoping it wasn't a scam. But they are never going to build the "ocean garden" 2BR units that they promised would be delivered in August 2014. They now say they will build one bedroom units in those buildings. Of course, they haven't broken ground on either of the ocean front buildings. We had a miserable experience in January in the "reef" units which I posted on trip advisor. They have refused to settle this amicably. We decided to escalate the situation after they refused to honor their "buyback" clause. We tried to meet with Michael Gordon about the situation but he dodged us and dumped us on "Ian" who told us that he would get back to us and never did (surprise, surprise.) None of the amenities promised were delivered and they are still advertising their affiliation with REMAX. An affiliation which does not exist according to multiple sources. They also threatened legal action if I communicated our story online. I guess that they don't believe in freedom of speech.


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## easyrider

Vallarta Gardens is located north of Bucerias. It is an older fractional condo complex that was built maybe 25 years ago. The buildings are built so that very few of them have a view. The developer is selling pre-construction units in two towers. Neither of these buildings have been started. The sales team has been offering 6000 pesos to qualified prospects to attend a presentation. Some prospects are disqualified during the presentation. 

The main reason for disqualification are misrepresenting your timeshare ownership. If you own any resale timeshares you are disqualified. Many people unknowingly reveal too much information and are subsequently disqualified. These people will sit in the waiting area with no word on their promised 6000 pesos for hours and will eventually leave empty handed.  

Bill


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## 1950panda

*I am in trouble and need help fast*



DonnaD said:


> I spoke with an informed person who says THEY GET SO MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT VALLARTA. GARDENS THAT THEY MAY CONSIDER A LATE FILED COMPLAINT.
> WE FILED FINAL COMPLAINT FORMS IN SPANISH requesting a letter from V.G. saying they canceled our contract. We had received a form from PROFECO.. AND ALSO HAD TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO THEM BY EMAIL.



We bought at Vallarta Gardens on March 10, 2015.  I am sooo stupid and should have known better.  I checked on Trip Advisor and they seemed to have a good rating but I should have done more research.  And I am a former member of TUG.  What was I thinking.  
I would be happy with the purchase if I believed it was going to happen as in the contract.  However part of the agreement is that they will buy our timeshare.  Now after being on the internet almost all day I understand that could be a problem.

We own at Star Island and are no longer interested in Florida.  We wanted more time in Puerto Vallarta and this seemed a good solution for us.  I got a strange email from them beginning "Next April 2015, our Financial Department will begin to implement collection policies for delinquent Clients".  I asked why I got this email and they said for information purposes.  I was a bit perturbed but was busy with some friends visiting us for a few weeks.

They had said they would take us out for dinner at the Marina to a restaurant for a follow up meeting.  We never got contacted so I contacted them.  This changed to a brunch or lunch at the resort.  They were really pressuring me to pay off the contract to avoid the interest charges and I said I wanted to wait for the escrow to complete. I got a little concerned. So yesterday I had some time and started doing some research and was appalled by what I saw on line.  

I went into the website www.pvservices.info/about.html which is the company that is supposed to sell the timeshare.  There are a few links and pictures but each one opens and asks for your contact info for someone to contact you.  While the contract with the property management company says it guarantees selling and our contract with Vallarta Gardens shows that there is credit coming from the sale of the unit, I am now concerned that they will come back in 180 days and tell me I owe the whole amount.

I have a follow up meeting with them on Tuesday.  I do not want to have a confrontation face to face.  Is there anything I should be asking to get information if I have to make a complaint about fraud?   If I am over the 5 day cooling period do I have any options.  I am in Puerto Vallarta for another week.  I do have your draft letter.  I will report to Profeco.  The down payment is already on my card.  

There is a payment due on Apr. 15.  Now I know why I got the letter. 

They were anticipating this.

Is there any chance that they would sell my timeshare?  Is there anything else I can do?  Is there anyone specific at Profeco that we should talk to.

Any guidance as soon as possible would be most appreciated.  You can see how much this is bothering me by the time in this post.


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## Karen G

1950panda said:


> I have a follow up meeting with them on Tuesday.  I do not want to have a confrontation face to face.  Is there anything I should be asking to get information if I have to make a complaint about fraud?   If I am over the 5 day cooling period do I have any options.  I am in Puerto Vallarta for another week.  I do have your draft letter.  I will report to Profeco.  The down payment is already on my card.


According to this website there is a Profeco office in Puerto Vallarta.  It might be worth going to their office and talking with someone there about what you can do.

Best wishes for a successful outcome--do let us know what you find out.


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## arby58

Karen G said:


> I'm a bit skeptical of your post since your IP address shows you are posting from Puerto Vallarta. You  wouldn't be a timeshare salesman who is trying to trick us, would you?



They are still actively marketing their property, that is for sure . . . 

We were alerted by many of the posts on this Forum (and others), and I am hopeful that it helped us 'see the light' just in time. On 3/17/15, we purchased a 2BR 1 week with an option for an additional 3 weeks in perpetuity for around $51,000. As what was later termed a 'side agreement - but not their agent' with another company, Berkshire Financial Group of Oklahoma City, OK was to liquidate our two existing timeshares for a total of $57,000. Upon reviewing the terms and conditions, my wife and I became concerned about the agreement to liquidate our existing timeshares, since those were to happen within 180 days, while our $51,000 was due within 60 days. It was helpful to learn here (and on other forums) that many people had the re-sale fall through, at which point they are stuck holding more property than they wished - and I mentioned that to the VG sales people as a major concern. 

I had also researched Berkshire and could find little about them - they are not registered as a corporation with the Oklahoma Secretary of State, the address they use on their website (with an obious misspelling of the word their on one of their front pages) shows up in Google maps as a vacant lot, their CEO doesn't show up in a Google search, etc.  Of course, the VG salesman talked all that away (not convincingly).

We returned today (3/20/15) and expressed our concerns and suggested rescinding the contract (as provided within 5 days in clause 11 of the contract). At that point, the original salesman 'Jeff' (and his brother 'Chris') started getting very 'assertive' that we could exercise our right but would be on the hook for 'liquidated damages.' I pointed out that clause 11 allows us to cancel with no penalty. Then the tune changed to 'the liquidator has already disposed of the property and there are damages as a result.' I pointed out that they couldn't dispose of the property as we still held title to it, but if they wanted to liquidate at the agreed upon price, it was fine with us. Then the tune switched to the fact that we had signed an agreement waiving our 5 day right to rescind - but when we pushed them to show us where, that claim went away.

Around and around and around we went. They finally agreed (probably because we might disrupt other possible sales) to cancel the contract in return for 'reasonable damages' on their part. They brought in their 'legal representative' who told us she would settle for 6 percent of the downpayment - $900 (an absurd amount for a couple of sales pitches, some excursion tickets and two breakfasts - and what customer pays for this 'cost of doing business' with prospective clients?). I said 'put an agreement in front of me to consider.' It arrived with a confidentiality clause, at which point I told her we would exercise the right to cancel by noticing them there and sending a certified letter with a return receipt. 

At that point, they signed an acknowledgement of our exercising our first requirement to cancel the requirement, security escorted us to the door of the property, and we took (and paid for) a cab back to PV.

We then went directly to the Prefeco office in Puerto Vallarta and met with a very helpful woman. She pointed out some useful points for those who may find themselves in our situation:

1. It is not possible to waive the right to the 5 day contract recission - it is also notable that it is five *business* days.

2. There is no right to withhold a portion of the downpayment on a rescinded contract for 'damages.' If they have your money and you execute a valid rescission, they have 15 days to return the funds to you.

The discussion also made clear some other false claims by 'Jeff' and 'Chris.' We indicated that our current timeshares were a purchase of property (and have title/deed to it). We asked if that was the case here, and they said it was; however, it appears that under Mexican law, the contract is only (and given its proximity to the water can only be) for a right to use the property, which provides far less recourse should things fall apart. They also claimed that there was an active secondary market for resale but failed to mention that resale would require a title transfer fee of 5 times the annual maintenance fee (nearly $5,000). And on and on.

The good news is the Prefeco representative walked us through the remaining steps to cancel the contract and also provided us contact information to follow up should there be any additional 'issues.' Needless to say, we have alerted our bank and our credit card company to the fact that we have done a valid recission of this contract and that we do not authorize any payments to Vallarta Gardens. I am hopeful this will be the end of it - but I'm maybe only 80 percent confident of that.


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## Karen G

arby58 said:


> They are still actively marketing their property, that is for sure . . .
> 
> We were alerted by many of the posts on this Forum (and others), and I am hopeful that it helped us 'see the light' just in time. .


Thanks so much for your post, and I'm so happy you found TUG in time to be helpful. Welcome to TUG!


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## Karen G

arby58 said:


> We then went directly to the Profeco office in Puerto Vallarta and met with a very helpful woman. She pointed out some useful points for those who may find themselves in our situation:
> 
> 1. It is not possible to waive the right to the 5 day contract recission - it is also notable that it is five *business* days.
> 
> 2. There is no right to withhold a portion of the downpayment on a rescinded contract for 'damages.' If they have your money and you execute a valid rescission, they have 15 days to return the funds to you.


These two points are so important for people to be aware of because unscrupulous sellers often try to make buyers think otherwise.


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## PeteL

We had a very bad experience at the beginning, the original promoter was a bit aggressive and we didn´t actually want to buy anything from him, fortunately for us, they switched after a while, we had a bad experience with the original one, so we asked for something in return. They gave it to us,  grundgingly however, they agreed to let us stay for another day for free. We had some issues with the contracts too, the fine letter is deceitful, indeed, so we chose to ask for a lawyer for a revision, we complained with them about those things they didn´t mention in the presentation. We somewhat forced them to actually do what the contract stated, we are currently happy, althought not too much, because the  fees are indeed high.


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## LannyPC

PeteL said:


> ...we didn´t actually want to buy anything from him... we are currently happy, althought not too much, because the  fees are indeed high.



If you are not too happy, why spend thousands of dollars on such a product, especially if "the fees are indeed high"?

If you have a chance to rescind, I strongly recommend you do so.  Make sure you follow the instructions very carefully including how to send you letter.


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## PeteL

LannyPC said:


> If you are not too happy, why spend thousands of dollars on such a product, especially if "the fees are indeed high"?
> 
> If you have a chance to rescind, I strongly recommend you do so.  Make sure you follow the instructions very carefully including how to send you letter.



My daughter loved the place, so did we, we are currently happy with everyhting but the price(that's why I said not too happy), we will take your advice into consideration, however.


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## Kyah

*Vallarta Gardens*

I, too, fell for the Vallarta Gardens scam.  I should know better!  I am past the five day cancelation period.  They have my deposit and the remainder is due mid-April.  I won't give them any more money, but I would like to re-coup some of my losses, if possible.  I have notified my credit card company that I believe this is a fraud and I have contacted Profeco (but haven't heard back from them).  I have not yet told Vallarta Gardens that I cannot afford to pay any further fees to them and I want to cancel my membership.

Does anyone have any advice?  Thanks so much!

In a future post I will tell more of the story so others can learn from my mistake.


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## LannyPC

Kyah said:


> I won't give them any more money, but I would like to re-coup some of my losses, if possible.  I have notified my credit card company that I believe this is a fraud and I have contacted Profeco (but haven't heard back from them).  I have not yet told Vallarta Gardens that I cannot afford to pay any further fees to them and I want to cancel my membership.
> 
> Does anyone have any advice?
> In a future post I will tell more of the story so others can learn from my mistake.



I highly doubt you will be able to "re-coup some of [your] losses".  That being said, do not fall for any scams out there that claim they can "re-coup some of [your] losses" if you pay an upfront fee.  They also may make great-sounding promises such as "Cancel your mortgage; end your TS agreement; sue the sales person and/or developer", etc.  But they will charge you an upfront fee and make off with your money.

Also, when you say you "want to cancel [your] membership", this raises the question Did you buy a timeshare or a travel membership?

You can follow the suggestions in previous posts about contacting Profeco or Customer Service at the resort.

As for "[telling] more of the story so others can learn from [your] mistake", you're certainly welcome to do so but practically everyone on these boards know exactly how these slimy salespeople work and somehow get unsuspecting people to plop down thousands of dollars (that they probably don't even have) for a product that can be found resale for pennies.


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## Passepartout

Kyah said:


> Does anyone have any advice?  Thanks so much!



Yes. In the future, READ WHAT YOU SIGN! It's probably too late to get back anything you've already paid them. DO NOT sign up for any of the 'We'll get you out of your timeshare' scams. They will ask for money for any number of worthwhile reasons, taxes, fees, appraisal, you name it. 

I'm going to guess that if you don't pay them any more, about the only thing that will happen is you won't get back what you've paid and won't be able to go back to the resort. Do you really want to go there anyway? They can't hold foreclosure over you, you don't own anything. Just the 'Right To Use' a certain number of weeks.

I'm not all that familiar with credit reporting between Mexico and Canadian citizens, but it may not be all that big a deal if you default on a travel club type deal. Or, for that matter if you get to answer a bad credit report with explanation. Even a bad credit report will eventually go away.

Either way, I wouldn't pay them anything. Mexican timeshares sell for next to nothing every day, and sometimes people will pay you to take them.

Best wishes, and Welcome to TUG. I wish you'd found us before those 5 days had passed. We would have had much better news to give you.

Jim


----------



## arby58

Karen G said:


> Thanks so much for your post, and I'm so happy you found TUG in time to be helpful. Welcome to TUG!



As a follow-up to my prior story:  American Express has informed us that they are reversing all charges.  While there is a protest period for Vallarta Gardens, I suspect they will not protest - I've now raised my confidence level that this is behind us from 80 to 95 percent.  

For those who are in a similar situation, we were told by the person at Amex that a detailed recitation of the facts is important, the complaint confirmation through Profeco is helpful, but most important is to rescind the contract (and document that recission) within the 5 day period.


----------



## Karen G

arby58 said:


> As a follow-up to my prior story:  American Express has informed us that they are reversing all charges.  While there is a protest period for Vallarta Gardens, I suspect they will not protest - I've now raised my confidence level that this is behind us from 80 to 95 percent.



Great news!


----------



## 1950panda

*VISA has 14 day cooling off period for timeshare purchases*

As you may note from previous post I too got sucked in and purchased March 10.  I was past the 5 day Mexican law cooling off period when I happened to google Vallarta Gardens to check out their website and noticed the links with scam and read the TUG posts as well as other websites.  
While we were in Mexico I contacted the bank and the advised me to request to rescind the contract within 14 days and if the money was not returned 15 days after the request, they would initiate a dispute investigation with VISA.
The are NOT treating this as fraud as I willingly gave them my credit card.  I was thinking I needed to prove fraud as there was misleading information to entice me to sign the contract.  
I did not fully understand this but apparently VISA has a 14 day cooling off period and all I had to do was get the request to cancel the contract within the 14 days, which I did.  So, I may have another window here.  apparently this process could take two months.  VISA does the investigation, allows Vallarta Gardens to respond and then I get a chance to respond to their response.  But, the key factor appears to be that I gave the request to cancel within the 14 days.  
Keep your fingers crossed that it goes in my favour.
Actually, if the banks started reversing these charges on a regular basis it would smarten up these scammers!
Will keep you posted as to the outcome.


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## alvinblake

Hi - we also purchased in March and think we are getting a "bait & switch" from the companies that are alledgedly selling our Grand Luxxe time share. Our second payment is due tomorrow and I have told Vallarta Gardens that we will not pay until sale goes thru but have not gotten response

Any suggestions


----------



## Passepartout

alvinblake said:


> Hi - we also purchased in March and think we are getting a "bait & switch" from the companies that are alledgedly selling our Grand Luxxe time share. Our second payment is due tomorrow and I have told Vallarta Gardens that we will not pay until sale goes thru but have not gotten response
> 
> Any suggestions



Are you saying that you bought a TS contingent on their either buying (trading in) a TS you own, or them selling it for you? I can't ever remember any of these deals ending successfully for the new buyer. They end up with two timeshares and two maintenance bills.

If you have paperwork that says they will buy or sell your Vida property, don't make that next payment unless their end of the deal is fulfilled. If it was a verbal agreement, you probably own two timeshares.

Good luck. I wish we'd met before- or within 5 days of- your purchase.

Jim


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## easyrider

The deal at Vallarta Garden is that they will purchase your contracts using an outside vendor. They then assess your timeshare contracts in a different room.  So my best guess is that Vallarta Gardens facilitates the sale of your contracts and doesn't actually buy them. I was surprised that my VDP's were worth more than what VDP sells these for. I was offered $47,000 for 3 contracts. They claim they sell these weeks to outside vendors like expedia and then show the client a program of luxury hotels and condos you can reserve.

What you are buying at Vallarta Gardens is an old condo complex that is not built to International Building Code and a promised development on the beach that if or when built will totally block the view of the few view condos that are there now.

At the end of the presentation when you say no thanks they try to talk you into purchasing a piece of the imaginary action. What this means is that you buy in for a little and they rent out your share so that you will profit from your imaginary investment.

The entire dealio stinks like scam. The old property is not that nice and the opulent towers are only conceptual. Most of the old condos have no ocean view.

I asked for a piece of the action up front using their resources. They then said adios Bill. We didn't go for the 6000 pesos but did receive huicol art originally priced at $900 usd and a very nice meal with an ocean view. 

It was an interesting and enjoyable presentation for us. 

Bill


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## Helene4

This is the reason it always amazes me that people actively seek out timeshare presentations to attend for a "free" ticket or some cash  My time is worth too much to spend sitting in one of these offices for hours on end while I am on vacation. 

....and what ever happened to walking out? Are North Americans too afraid of looking rude?


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## easyrider

alvinblake said:


> Hi - we also purchased in March and think we are getting a "bait & switch" from the companies that are alledgedly selling our Grand Luxxe time share. Our second payment is due tomorrow and I have told Vallarta Gardens that we will not pay until sale goes thru but have not gotten response
> 
> Any suggestions



Its not really a bait and switch. They are selling time in the old condos and also selling time in the imaginary beach towers. 

I really don't know if your Lux will sell as there is a huge ownership transfer fee involved and your dealing with "who really knows in Mexico". 

In Las Vegas a friend of mine sold his Jocky Club TS for Diamond Points. Diamond actually was involved with this deal and they are very happy with their deal. 

It might be best to contact Vida and nix the transfer and then really read your Vallarta Gardens contract for a possible misrepresentation.

Bill


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## Thomas55972

*Vallarta Gardens Scam*

We traveled to Puerto Vallarta in late March 2015 and unfortunately also got involved with Vallarta Gardens. It appears the way their whole scam works is to suck you into signing a contract with them by having offering a contract with a marketing contract to bring to help offset your costs. Unfortunately the companies they use do not exist. In our case they told us the company they would be using was Berkshire Financial Group. We looked into this "company" and found out that the address given was a vacant lot, no information on CEO or the company itself showed up on a google search even though company was supposedly around since 2011, Oklahoma Secretary of State had no record of them, a search on their website domain showed the site went live on Jan. 27, 2015 which happens to be the timeframe when sales manager said they started using Berkshire. The search also showed that whoever started site went to extremes to hide where site was set up and operated from. It appears this May have been a front company started by Vallarta Gardens themselves. We tried to sign onto the website in early May and it was shut down and all phone numbers were disconnected. No surprise there!!! We looked into companies they have used in the past and found they don't exist either. My advice to anyone looking into Vallarta Gardens would be to run away as fast as you can. It would be nice if we could all get together for a class action suit against them. These people, especially sales manager Jeff Johnson should be in jail. We are in dispute process with our credit card company and are contacting Profeco and the US consulate. Does anyone know how to file a criminal complaint on them in Mexico?


----------



## taffy19

Thomas55972 said:


> We traveled to Puerto Vallarta in late March 2015 and unfortunately also got involved with Vallarta Gardens. It appears the way their whole scam works is to suck you into signing a contract with them by having offering a contract with a marketing contract to bring to help offset your costs. Unfortunately the companies they use do not exist. In our case they told us the company they would be using was Berkshire Financial Group. We looked into this "company" and found out that the address given was a vacant lot, no information on CEO or the company itself showed up on a google search even though company was supposedly around since 2011, Oklahoma Secretary of State had no record of them, a search on their website domain showed the site went live on Jan. 27, 2015 which happens to be the timeframe when sales manager said they started using Berkshire. The search also showed that whoever started site went to extremes to hide where site was set up and operated from. It appears this May have been a front company started by Vallarta Gardens themselves. We tried to sign onto the website in early May and it was shut down and all phone numbers were disconnected. No surprise there!!! We looked into companies they have used in the past and found they don't exist either. My advice to anyone looking into Vallarta Gardens would be to run away as fast as you can. It would be nice if we could all get together for a class action suit against them. These people, especially sales manager Jeff Johnson should be in jail. We are in dispute process with our credit card company and are contacting Profeco and the US consulate. Does anyone know how to file a criminal complaint on them in Mexico?



Here is the link how to contact Profeco.

http://profeco.gob.mx/english.htm

I would send this thread

http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=205006&highlight=Vallarta+gardens+scam

to your credit card company to let them know that you are not the only victim of fraud and it may help you to get your money back to you faster as Profeco will take a very long time but I would send your letter anyway in case you still owe money.  I don't believe that you have to make more payments once you have started your  complaint to this agency in Mexico.  

Good luck.


----------



## taffy19

There are attorneys in the USA who practice Real Estate Law in Mexico but it may be too expensive to go that route and I wouldn't trust the companies that advertise that they are attorneys and will get you your money back but first you have to give them a big fat check before they even read your complaint.  They may be scam artists too.  I don't even know if they have class action lawsuits in Mexico.


----------



## Thomas55972

Thanks appreciate your help


----------



## LBK

*HELP*

Hey you guys,
We just left Vallarta Gardens a few hours ago...sick at our stomachs.
We think we signed something that said we can't back out but it seems that some of you have.
Help? This was 12 today, its 8 here? Panic has set in

Any help out there?? LBK


----------



## pittle

Check all of your documents and rescind according to those.  You can go back there and do it, but realize how much pressure they will put on you.  (If you thought the pressure was tough today to get you to sign, just kick it up a notch, but DO IT -  Hold your ground!!! 

Do your best to get it done before you leave PV.   Look for the Profeco office that is mentioned in several of these posts for assistance.  But the main thing is to rescind as soon as you can.

Call your Credit Card Company and tell them to cancel because you are doing so. Let them know that you purchased under extreme pressure and are planning to cancel this purchase ASAP. If necessary, have them send you a new card to arrive when you get home and cancel this number.  (This is a reason to always have 2 cards when you travel.)

Good luck!


----------



## easyrider

The letter you signed saying you can not cancel is a scare tactic only. Indeed you can cancel. Read this entire thread and you should have enough info to cancel. If you have more questions, ask , but please read the covered info on this thread before doing so. This way you will understand what to do.

Bill


----------



## geist1223

*Mexican Timeshare Contract*

Several years ago we made a mistake and bought Gran Mayan in San Jose del Cabo. We went back to where we were staying and did some online research and discovered they were being sued in several different States. We talked to a kind soul where we were staying and learned that under Mexican Law you have 3 or 5 days business days to back out and cancel. Saturday is a business day. It has to be in writing. Everyone that signed the contract has to sign the Revocation. The signatures have to be Notarized. After you get all that done you will want to make several copies. Then you go back to the Sales Office and deliver it in person. I went back by myself and carried no credit cards. Without telling anyone why I was I asked to see the Lady that had witnessed and signed the Contract for Gran Mayan. I had to wait a bit but then handed her the Original Revocation. Two additional people tried to talk me out of the Revocation. But it got done.


----------



## LBK

Are you suggesting that we write the revocation letter and have it notarized before we go back to the sales office?
We are supposed to go back in the morning...


----------



## LBK

Thanks easyrider
We have a meeting scheduled in the morning with the seller (?) We thought they wanted something...but weren't sure what.
Wondering if we should keep the meeting, or notarize a letter first? Thoughts?


----------



## Karen G

LBK said:


> Are you suggesting that we write the revocation letter and have it notarized before we go back to the sales office?
> We are supposed to go back in the morning...


You don't have to have your signatures notarized and you should not go back to the sales office.

Write a simple letter stating that you are rescinding your contract dated XXX. You have the right to rescind under Mexican law but you just have five days to do so. Everyone who signed the contract needs to sign the letter.

If there is an address on the contract you signed, mail the letter to that address with proof from the post office of the date you mailed it.  Alert your credit card company that you are cancelling the contract and disupute any charges made to it.

If you can get to the local Profeco office, they can help you. If not, just be sure to mail the letter with proof of the date you mail it.


----------



## MuranoJo

What Pittle and Karen said.  You don't need notarization, and really you shouldn't need Profeco at this stage, as long as you follow the rescind instructions (which should be in your contract) to the 't.'  If for some reason you can't find rescind instructions after reading carefully, don't worry.   Just draft a simple cancellation letter signed by all who signed the contract and make sure you have proof from the Post Office that you sent it within 5 days.


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## easyrider

http://www.pvguide.org/blog/consumer-rights-protection-in-mexico/

The address and phone number to Profeco is in this article. 

Do what Karen and Pittle said unless you are actually the type of person that is able to give the letter to Vallarta Gardens without changing your mind and are the type of person that is hard to intimidate.   

According to article 56 of the Mexican consumer protection laws your cancellation can be an email, letter or face to face but I think you would need to document your cancellation. You might call Profeco and see if you can email your cancellation with a cc to Profeco or have Profeco forward a letter or email to Vallarta Gardens for you. 

Good Luck

Bill


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## LannyPC

LBK said:


> We have a meeting scheduled in the morning with the seller (?) We thought they wanted something...but weren't sure what.



They probably want to convince you to reverse your decision to rescind.  They will probably throw in a few extra (but of little value) perks if you change your mind.  Do you remember the pressure the sales people put on you to buy during the presentation?  Well double that and you'll get an idea of what you'll be up against.  Remember, your decision to rescind is literally pulling cash out of their pockets.  They are relying on this sale for their commission.  If you rescind (or should I say "*when* you rescind"), they will be losing a big, fat pay day.

Just follow the rescission instructions carefully including how to send them off.


----------



## Thomas55972

LBK said:


> Hey you guys,
> We just left Vallarta Gardens a few hours ago...sick at our stomachs.
> We think we signed something that said we can't back out but it seems that some of you have.
> Help? This was 12 today, its 8 here? Panic has set in
> 
> Any help out there?? LBK


  Vallarta gardens tried to scam us as well, may I ask what "company" they said would market your unit or sell your existing timeshare? The company they set us up with didn't exist and then they shut down website and phones. Am glad you are getting out if your contract on time. Thanks


----------



## Thomas55972

*Vallarta Gardens-VP Services Scam*

We were scammed by Vallarta Gardens in late March when they used a fake marketing company to induce us into signing a contract with them. I want to give everyone the heads up that is thinking about signing with them or has signed recently that they have changed the marketing company name that they are using but it is just as fake as the last one. (Berkshire Financial Group) The new "company's" name is VP Services and they claim to be out of Brownsville, Tx. A google search of the address shown on website shows it as a mall which has no VP Services as a resident. All residents in this mall have suite numbers, VPS address does not. The Texas Secretary of State does have a VPS on their register-it was incorporated in Texas in 2011 but address is not the same and company is not involved in property management/liquidation. The company is located in Lubbock-approximately 9.5 hours from Brownsville. The website itself (vpservices.info) was copyrighted in 2005. The WHOIS information however shows the domain name registration occurred in August of 13. The "company" website is set to expire in 5 more months. The site owner (more than likely Vallarta Gardens) has also chosen to hide their name and address by using a proxy service. This has been Vallarta Gardens method going back years-they induce people to sign by offering a contract with a fictitious marketing company, tell them contract is no good down the road due to company bankruptcy or poor performance (Berkshire) and then offer you a contract with the next fictitious company they come up with. Of course this next contract comes with a new fee. It appears like VPS will be around for  5 months max and may be gone sooner if word gets out. The address comes up on one of the pages if you google VPservices.info. A simple search on Google and www.domaintools.com will give you all information you need to know


----------



## terminator

*Soliciting credit cards (companies) used*



> We had canceled credit card before the deposit had clearedso they had none of our money. We found out VallartaGardens deposited $20,000 to one of our credit cards already so Profeco did see our complaint as valid.  We await a request for a refund.  LIQUIDATED DAMAGES???? I know we will refund the money but it is a relief to be  finished and to overcome the bully tactic of sales manager. Thanks again TUG.




This post is directed primarily to those who have monies owing to them by VG, or a credit card company. There will be a concerted effort by at least a couple of us, and hopefully more, to put a halt to the fraudulent activity at Vallarta Gardens. We are asking that "victims" post with the name of the credit card company, and the results achieved with the c/c company - if any - and to indicate if they are willing and able to contribute their personal experiences to the cause. Having the name of the marketing company that was to liquidate your timeshares, or rent your newly purchased VG ones, would also be very helpful.  A personal email address will be provided for future commuication if you would like to communicate with us.
Thanks!


----------



## Passepartout

terminator said:


> This post is directed primarily to those who have monies owing to them by VG, or a credit card company. There will be a concerted effort by at least a *couple of us*, and hopefully more, to put a halt to the fraudulent activity at Vallarta Gardens. We are asking that "victims" post with the name of the credit card company, and the results achieved with the c/c company - if any - and to indicate if they are willing and able to contribute their* personal experiences* to the cause. Having the name of the marketing company that was to liquidate your timeshares, or rent your newly purchased VG ones, would also be very helpful.  A personal email address will be provided for future commuication if you would like to communicate with *us*.
> Thanks!



Who is 'us'? With all due respect, a first post from an unknown person, asking for personal contact information and credit card information, and referring to "us".

You are not associated with TUG, and offer no credentials- like are you a law firm building a case against fraudulent timeshare sales, or what?

I would caution readers to proceed carefully unless/until more information is forthcoming and verified.

Jim


----------



## Thomas55972

*Vallarta gardens/credit card company*

I can tell you that I have had many email conversations with "terminated" and can tell you we are trying to help others and ourselves in this cause. We are in the same stage of dispute with credit card company and are trying to find out what works and what doesn't. There are no credit card numbers or anything more personal than an email address. The reason for being interested on the credit card company is to see if we have the same company to possibly take action against them for being complacent by not flagging these purchases.


----------



## terminator

Passepartout said:


> Who is 'us'? With all due respect, a first post from an unknown person, asking for personal contact information and credit card information, and referring to "us".
> 
> You are not associated with TUG, and offer no credentials- like are you a law firm building a case against fraudulent timeshare sales, or what?
> 
> I would caution readers to proceed carefully unless/until more information is forthcoming and verified.
> 
> Jim



I don't post to see myself in print. But, in your case, 13,000+ times as a member of the "review crew"? Wow! On the other hand, considering what I read in this forum, I am surmising that many of your posts don't represent a positive contribution to the issues being discussed here. Just saying, just wondering. Who are you, Jim?
Try reading the post before you jump all over it. I didn't ask for personal info. I asked for marketing companies associated with VG, and to name the credit card company, i.e. Visa, Am/Ex, Discover, etc. The problem with forums is that nothing really gets accomplished. Gee, I wonder why?
 I have been victimized by VG, despite having bought our first T/S 19 years ago. That T/S development changed hands a few years back, and now 1200 members m/l, of 15,000 +, are plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit, which we will win. Speaks volumes, huh, about listening, reading, researching, and taking action, as opposed to whining and doing nothing. There is strength in numbers. That's a fact. Yes, we have a need to vent, and share, and caution others. C/C companies who provide merchant services at VG are very much part of the problem. Without the ability to charge your card, VG would not be in business, doing what they do, which is hardly described as a scrupulous business entity. Would they? How many of us take a check book to Mexico? How long a period have these c/c companies been aware of "consumer issues" at VG? Answer I'd say is a considerable amount of time, long enough we might even suggest "aiding and abetting". Yes, that's a stretch, but you pull out all the stops with activity such as we've seen. How many have contacted the FBI with allegations of Internet fraud ("marketing companies")? Received any documents from them by post? That's mail fraud. Have you phoned the c/c company and accused them of collusion, when you made allegations of fraudulent activity - of all types? Anyone thought about how much money the c/c companies earn in these disputes? Anyone wonder how this "business" continues to operate with cancelled contracts and payments?
So how about contributing to the cause, instead of playing cop? Send an email to the post below mine, and I will call you, Jim.


----------



## terminator

Thomas55972 said:


> I can tell you that I have had many email conversations with "terminated" and can tell you we are trying to help others and ourselves in this cause. We are in the same stage of dispute with credit card company and are trying to find out what works and what doesn't. There are no credit card numbers or anything more personal than an email address. The reason for being interested on the credit card company is to see if we have the same company to possibly take action against them for being complacent by not flagging these purchases.



Documents alleging fraud were submitted to Visa mid May, 2015. Berkshire Financial Group was the "marketing company" that was to liquidate one timeshare, although 4 were on the worksheet. Berkshire's address was not a legitimate address in OK City, nor was the phone number. It was a voip #, located 60 odd miles SW of OK City in Andarko. Berkshire also was not a registered company in USA, or elsewhere. The website was bogus - now off-line - a  case of Internet fraud.


----------



## Thomas55972

Vallarta Gardens has recently started putting out postings/blogs about scam prevention and how they are not a scam. One post on July 8 is actually titled Vallarta Gardens Scam Prevention. I find it astonishing that a company that is the biggest scam artist in the history of timeshare/fractional ownership is putting out such dribble. They started putting these posts out in mid June. This shows how important it is that if you have been scammed by VG like I have that you post your stories in these forums or better yet post your own blog also. Keep fighting!


----------



## 1950panda

*I got my money back after the 5 day cooling period in Mexico*



1950panda said:


> As you may note from previous post I too got sucked in and purchased March 10.  I was past the 5 day Mexican law cooling off period when I happened to google Vallarta Gardens to check out their website and noticed the links with scam and read the TUG posts as well as other websites.
> While we were in Mexico I contacted the bank and the advised me to request to rescind the contract within 14 days and if the money was not returned 15 days after the request, they would initiate a dispute investigation with VISA.
> The are NOT treating this as fraud as I willingly gave them my credit card.  I was thinking I needed to prove fraud as there was misleading information to entice me to sign the contract.
> I did not fully understand this but apparently VISA has a 14 day cooling off period and all I had to do was get the request to cancel the contract within the 14 days, which I did.  So, I may have another window here.  apparently this process could take two months.  VISA does the investigation, allows Vallarta Gardens to respond and then I get a chance to respond to their response.  But, the key factor appears to be that I gave the request to cancel within the 14 days.
> Keep your fingers crossed that it goes in my favour.
> Actually, if the banks started reversing these charges on a regular basis it would smarten up these scammers!
> Will keep you posted as to the outcome.



Just an update.  Even though I missed the five day cooling off period in Mexico, I was able to cancel the contract through VISA.  VISA did credit my account with the down payment that I made and did an investigation.  They have now confirmed that my credit will not be reversed.  This took about four months.  So please make sure that people in trouble are aware of this option as well.  I am lucky that even though I made a stupid mistake I was able to recover from it.


----------



## Karen G

1950panda said:


> Just an update.  Even though I missed the five day cooling off period in Mexico, I was able to cancel the contract through VISA.


Thanks so much for that valuable information! So glad you were able to cancel and get your money back.:whoopie:


----------



## eugeniia

*Vallarta Gardens Scam Be aware!!*

Past Feburary, we were in Vallarta having a great vacation when we were invited to a timeshare presentation at Vallarta Gardens; we were offered a membership there with "great benefits". They offered that we could trade our weeks for airfair, activities, rental cars, etc. We could not even had the chance to use the membership because when we got back home we recieved an e-mail informing us that our membership would be cancelled because Vallarta Gardens didn't pay for our affiliation.
We have contacted Vallarta Gardens and they were saying in a very rude way that they don't know anything. We have tried to contact them again but they don't even respond. 
We want our money back because we feel defrauded and dissapointed. If somebody know how to help us, please let me know.

DON'T GO TO VALLARTA GARDENS!!


----------



## Karen G

eugeniia said:


> We want our money back because we feel defrauded and dissapointed. If somebody know how to help us, please let me know.
> 
> DON'T GO TO VALLARTA GARDENS!!



Contact Profeco, the Mexican consumer protection agency at  this website.


----------



## melissaj

eugeniia said:


> Past Feburary, we were in Vallarta having a great vacation when we were invited to a timeshare presentation at Vallarta Gardens; we were offered a membership there with "great benefits". They offered that we could trade our weeks for airfair, activities, rental cars, etc. We could not even had the chance to use the membership because when we got back home we recieved an e-mail informing us that our membership would be cancelled because Vallarta Gardens didn't pay for our affiliation.
> We have contacted Vallarta Gardens and they were saying in a very rude way that they don't know anything. We have tried to contact them again but they don't even respond.
> We want our money back because we feel defrauded and dissapointed. If somebody know how to help us, please let me know.
> 
> DON'T GO TO VALLARTA GARDENS!!




Did you contact the resort or a timeshare cancellation company?


----------



## LannyPC

melissaj said:


> Did you contact...a timeshare cancellation company?



What's a timeshare cancellation company going to do?  Wave a magic wand and make the timeshare disappear into thin air?

One doesn't need a cancellation company (whatever that is).  All you need to do is follow the rescission instructions that come with the package.


----------



## melissaj

LannyPC said:


> What's a timeshare cancellation company going to do?  Wave a magic wand and make the timeshare disappear into thin air?



I speak from my experience. I used to have a timeshare that I want out. I read my contract very carefully and found out the clause about the cancellation. I wrote a timeshare cancellation letter, sent it to the resort. I followed all the instructions stipulated in my contract and the resort didn't do nothing. Also I contacted PROFECO, but I was out of my period of 5 days, and they couldn't do nothing for me. So I contacted this company that helped me cancel my timeshare. And since then, I have no strings attached to the resort, and I do not owe anything.


----------



## eugeniia

melissaj said:


> Did you contact the resort or a timeshare cancellation company?



I have tried to contact them but they don't  answer my calls. Also, I contacted PROFECO and I am waiting to see what the can do for me.


----------



## Karen G

melissaj said:


> I speak from my experience.


How come you say you are located in the United States but you are posting from Mexico?  If you plan on next posting the name or contact info for this company that supposedly got you out of your timeshare ownership, don't bother. Advertising is not permitted in this forum.


----------



## melissaj

Karen G said:


> Advertising is not permitted in this forum.



I'm not adversiting. I would have posted a link or something which I wouldn't.


----------



## melissaj

eugeniia said:


> I have tried to contact them but they don't  answer my calls. Also, I contacted PROFECO and I am waiting to see what the can do for me.



I really hope PROFECO can help you. Let us know.


----------



## LannyPC

melissaj said:


> So I contacted this company that helped me cancel my timeshare.



Maybe we're splitting hairs here but this company did not cancel your timeshare.  The timeshare is still there.  It might have a different owner but it is still there.  What this company probably did for you was find another owner to take over or somehow convince the resort to take ownership back, but it did not cancel.

That's why I previously asked about a timeshare cancellation company.  That is a serious misnomer.


----------



## Thomas55972

The key is to go to your credit card company and they will walk you through what you need you need to do. There are a lot of good posts on redweek detailing the actions that people have taken to get there money back. We were also scammed by them and after we presented all of our evidence the cc company ruled in our favor. Vallarta Gardens didn't even bother responding. They use bogus marketing companies to entice people to sign their contract and then tell people company has folded or they are no longer affiliated with them. The company they used on us and all companies they have used thus are are fictitious. The one they used on us had an address that was a vacant lot. When I questioned them on it they shut down the "company's" website. Gather all info you can on this scam and give info to your cc company


----------



## taffy19

I would also send a link to this thread so the CC Company can read it and see how many other people are told the same lies and the tricks they play with bogus companies, etc.

It may help your case and the next victim too.


----------



## mcgugant1

*Vallarta Gardens - Still be aware*

They continue to play games.

We bought and cancelled within three days in February 2015.

Signed the cancellation papers and left the island and were told we would be repaid within a month.

Turns out they lost our cancellation and never happened to include that in our papers.

A year of going thru Perfecto was the only way we saw our money come back.

They will try to offer you half or other things, stick with the Mexican law (Perfecto) and get it all back eventually.


----------



## Passepartout

mcgugant1 said:


> They continue to play games.
> 
> We bought and cancelled within three days in February 2015.
> 
> Signed the cancellation papers and left the island and were told we would be repaid within a month.
> 
> Turns out they *lost our cancellation *and never happened to include that in our papers.
> 
> A year of going thru Perfecto was the only way we saw our money come back.
> 
> They will try to offer you half or other things, stick with the Mexican law (Perfecto) and get it all back eventually.



They didn't lose anything. They tried to defraud you. Glad PROFECO was able to help. Just in  case someone has been taken by a timeshare sales fraud, here's the contact info for PROFECO, the Mexican Consumer Affairs office that deals with timeshares:

The Profeco has a dedicated office to assist non-Mexicans who are already outside the country, the Conciliation a Extranjeros. You can reach them by email at extranjeros@profeco.gob.mx or by phone at one of the following numbers:
 (0155) 52 11 17 23,
 (0155) 56 25 67 00,
 (01 800) 46 88 722


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## DonnaD

*update on Vallarta Gardens*

In my original postings, I said Vallarta Gardens refunded $20,000 deposit to my credit card but that I had cancelled the card and blocked the payment. I failed to post that the credit card company had reversed that payment from Vallarta Gardens since they did not owe it to me.
In July, I got a call from Vallarta Gardens demanding their $20,000. I told them that the amount was reversed but they had no record of it. I just got an email from a collection agent demanding payment on a loan.  Issue had been resolved via Profeco in summer of 2014. 
This site is being monitored by Vallarta Gardens so I am only posting here to notify them that I do not have their money and do not owe them any money.


----------



## Pokerbabe

*Vallarta Gardens nightmare*

I have not been as fortunate as some with regard to my experience in purchasing fractional ownership at Vallarta Gardens.  These folks are the most unscrupulous group of scam artists I have ever come across!  During the presentation you are guaranteed that they will execute sales of other timeshares you own to offset the cost of their timeshare.  Michael Gordon, their sales director assured me at the presentation and through a series of emails that this was the case.  I am later told by Daniel in their finance department and Alec Fernandez (who is no longer an employee) that the developer who owns the property has no control over what sales people say and it's my greed that made me make the purchase!  Daniel yesterday informs me that they are a legal entity in the US and a collection agency is going to pursue me!  Does anyone have any information as the where they operate from in the US?? I was a fool to believe them however I hope that no one else gets duped into their nefarious business practices!!


----------



## tornelas

*Vallarta Gardens scamed me and I dont know what to do*

I just found out that all the money we paid was not to buy a time share with Vayarta Gardens. They sold me a service like expedia. I am in Nayarit trying to at least get the weeks they told me I was buying. I am making a complaing with PROFECO but I need more information on them. The documents I have are a joke. I spent all this time waiting for the supposed real documents. I need help. If anyone can help me with any information on them I really appreciate it. I though I was getting something nice for my family and instead I just lost all of our savings.


----------



## Karen G

tornelas said:


> I am making a complaing with PROFECO but I need more information on them.



Here is a link to Profeco.


----------



## sammyvelvet

We got scammed into it early this year.  We were making the purchase along with my friend and his wife. The part that sold us was their promise to sell off our existing time shares AT A PROFIT .  Then they ran the annuity scam which would get us ALL of our money back in 5 years. Then they kept throwing extra weeks at us that we would not even have to pay for unless we used them ( at 1200 US dollars a week ). Then they said not to worry about paying for the weeks because they would rent them out at $3000 each so we would net over 12,000.00 US dollars a year ... OK can we say how STOOOOOOPID we were.  So we pulled the trigger because the resort was beautiful and the terms and conditions they gave us were amazing ... LOL .. yah amazingly impossible .  Well when we left the resort I started looking into this place and all of the third party entities they used for the annuity and resale.  Well come to find out that they use these third parties ( who charge you a fee ) for a period of a year or so and then they go out of business. The Annuity is even worse the proposal they send you is a bad cut and paste document with multiple misspellings and errors. It's one page and out of date address and dead phone number. But they send you an email telling you to make sure you make the payment to a different entity so that the money will not be mistakenly sent to your account. 
  So after pointing all this out to the other 3 involved I was finally able to convince them to "Rescind" the contract. Now the real work started. I tried to connect with Vallarta Gardens to return the contracts and items to them as per the terms of the rescission. They would not answer. The one time they did I was put on hold and cut off. So I went to the post office and sent a certified letter to them and had it notarized to confirm the date we chose to execute our right to rescind ( While we were still there ). I made multiple attempts to contact them to no avail. So we actually drove from Old Vallarta to Vallarta Gardens to drop off a copy of the rescission and the contracts. The guard at the gate would not allow us onto the property and said we needed to have an appt to enter. We asked him to call and ask for the sales office to have someone assist us. He did call from the gate and said NO ONE WAS AVAILABLE TO HELP US and told us we had to leave or he would have to call the Police as we were now trespassing. So we left. 
 I got on the phone with my Visa and had them dispute the deposit.  Visa also informed me that they have a 14 Day right to recession on Time Share purchases. So I put that in place. But I also had done what was requested  and tried to return the contracts but they made it impossible.  I provided all of my documentation and contract copies to Visa. I also contacted PROFECO and did my complaint app to them.  Of course when Vallarta Gardens got the request to refund my money to Visa I got a phone call and emails from VG.  They were not pleased and said I should just be done with my efforts as they will not give back the money. Well long story short I did get ALL of my money back. Once I got back to the US I again sent registered letters and cancellation of contract letters to VG, the third party who was supposed to sell our Time Shares and was totally unable to get hold of the Annuity service who sent me an email requesting payment to them which I ignored.
 It will take you a good amount of effort but if you find yourself in this predicament do this for yourself.

1. While you are there Look up ANY COMPLAINTS  about the resort / timeshare you are at and ask them to explain why the complaint.
2.  Tell them you want to record the conversation. If they say NO then say thank you and leave. If they have nothing to hide then they should have no issue with that .
3. Ask for Business Cards with their PRINTED names and all contacts on them.
4. Ask the sales person for their ID as they now have yours. So you can verify who they are for real.
5. DO NOT RELINQUISH YOUR CREDIT CARD. DO NOT LET IT OUT OF YOUR SIGHT. YOU CAN SHOW IT TO THEM BUT DONT GIVE IT UP.
6. GO OVER AND OVER AND OVER HOW TO RESCIND YOUR CONTRACT IF YOU DECIDE TO DO SO AND BY WHAT DATE IS THE LAST DATE U CAN DO SO.
 The time share sales person is just that .. they are not your friend .. they do not care about your dog or your kids or your family. THEY ARE THERE TO MAKE A COMMISSION  and sell you a product.  It is YOUR money so keep control of it. and trust me ... " If it sounds too good to be true ... IT IS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE" ... LESSON learned here.
PS: on another time share presentation we went to the price started at $56,000 US Dollars... by the time we were almost out the door they hit us with $2600 US for the exact same thing. We said NO THANK YOU.They need YOUR money YOU dont need them.  Only buy a time share if you are going to USE it all the time.


----------



## dice934

As a moderator she has access to IP addresses, as a person who frequents many forums....a person with no post history is generally a troll or in this case a person with vested interest.


----------



## dice934

Ok so we went to a time share presentation here, they call it fractional ownership. We got 6000 peso for attending breakfast and we were out of there in a hour. I pulled out my cell phone and stated I was going to recorded the conversation and the person slammed the lap top closed and we went to the room to await our money. It arrived in 5 minutes and we were off.  The sales rep ate breakfast with us and he requested that we pay the tip?? We did so but it was then that I knew that I was not willing to even play the game....hence the can I record this.


----------



## GERUM

My wife and I purchased a fractional ownership in Vallarta Gardens back in 2012, they promised us an income of the weeks we were not going to use, but we used all four weeks in 2013, 2014, 2015 in exchanges with Registry Collection exchange company, my God, what a great places in that catalogue.


It was not till 2016 were we did not use all 4 weeks, we called the company they told us to call and, we deposit the 2 weeks of Vallarta Gardens we were not using with them early in January, and we did in fact get the rental income money by February, it was not a fortune, but… we were able to use that money for spending cash…


 The villas and the entire place at Vallarta Gardens are very gorgeous; the service was pleasant, immediate response in the issues that arouse in the place, we went fishing and the fishing boat came to pick us up right in the beach of the property, and brought us right back to the property a few hours later, we had the next day one of the chefs grill the fish in our privet patio next to our privet pool and it was glorious… One more thing… I am not a millionaire by any stretch of imagination, but… when you have a privet chef cooking for you in a million dollar villa… My God… It sure atmospheres like if I was.  

I just have to tell you people, we are very happy with our fractional at Vallarta Gardens…


One More Thing… In 2015 Exchanging with Registry Collection we land a two bedroom villa in Cabo San Lucas Mexico in a magnificent resort Called ¨Monte Cristo¨ and we attended a sales presentation, the prices there for the exact same fraction we got at Vallarta Gardens was outrageous. We got to appreciate the more what we got and the moneys we payed     


We Are Going To Use the entire 4 weeks this 2017 during winter right back at Vallarta Gardens, we really love it there.


----------



## Passepartout

Color me skeptical^^^^^^^


----------



## GERUM

They offered us $5,000 pesos to show up to the presentation at Vallarta Gardens, we loved it, we purchased it, we use it…


The Last Time We Were There, we were surprised by the high level of guest around the gardens and beach, lovely high-end people…


the exchange company call Registry Collection is INCREDIBLE, the options are the best in the world, we did RCI for long time as we are a timeshare users since 1985 and, we only used RCI to exchange, the resorts in RCI are nice but, there is no way you can compare with the luxury of the resorts of Registry Collection…


The problem with your colors of skepticism Sir lays in the truth that you need $45,000 USD to get in this level Sir, however Sir, I respect your colors…


----------



## Ty1on

GERUM said:


> My wife and I purchased a fractional ownership in Vallarta Gardens back in 2012, they promised us an income of the weeks we were not going to use, but we used all four weeks in 2013, 2014, 2015 in exchanges with Registry Collection exchange company, my God, what a great places in that catalogue.
> 
> 
> It was not till 2016 were we did not use all 4 weeks, we called the company they told us to call and, we deposit the 2 weeks of Vallarta Gardens we were not using with them early in January, and we did in fact get the rental income money by February, it was not a fortune, but… we were able to use that money for spending cash…
> 
> 
> The villas and the entire place at Vallarta Gardens are very gorgeous; the service was pleasant, immediate response in the issues that arouse in the place, we went fishing and the fishing boat came to pick us up right in the beach of the property, and brought us right back to the property a few hours later, we had the next day one of the chefs grill the fish in our privet patio next to our privet pool and it was glorious… One more thing… I am not a millionaire by any stretch of imagination, but… when you have a privet chef cooking for you in a million dollar villa… My God… It sure atmospheres like if I was.
> 
> I just have to tell you people, we are very happy with our fractional at Vallarta Gardens…
> 
> 
> One More Thing… In 2015 Exchanging with Registry Collection we land a two bedroom villa in Cabo San Lucas Mexico in a magnificent resort Called ¨Monte Cristo¨ and we attended a sales presentation, the prices there for the exact same fraction we got at Vallarta Gardens was outrageous. We got to appreciate the more what we got and the moneys we payed
> 
> 
> We Are Going To Use the entire 4 weeks this 2017 during winter right back at Vallarta Gardens, we really love it there.



Liar, liar, pants on fire.


----------



## GERUM

Reading all the posts in here, one thing came to my attention, is all negative…


I wander about all the people that are happy and satisfied with their purchased at Vallarta Gardens?


¨THE SALESMAN IS NOT YOUR FRIEND… BLA BLA BLA¨


well… of course is not, he is there selling his product, we never knew again from the gentleman that sold us the product, not that I wanted, why?


My wife and I got friends with another couple there by one of the pools; the lady was a plastic surgeon and the man own and asphalt company in Illinois, we still in contact with them.


Are we the only ones with good things to say about Vallarta Gardens?


Our first Timeshare we got was back in 1985 in Florida, we collected 6 timeshares contracts over the years, we are very happy to tell you that we have nothing but lovely experiences everywhere we have visited… (well… almost)  


Sir, I have a question for you:


Have you ever lodge yourself and your family in a million dollar vacation privet villa?


You should try Sir… is rather stunning.!!


----------



## Ty1on

Let me make this as clear as I possibly can...

Vallarta Gardens is a known scam.  This has been verified by countless victims or would-be victims.  One person who signs up to TUG for the singular reason of shilling for the scam and falsely claiming all the benefits of it is not going to change our understanding of Vallarta Gardens or dissuade us from steering victims away from your scam in any way we can.

You are the only ones with good things to say about Vallarta Gardens because you are a fraud.  All of you should be in prison.


----------



## Karen G

GERUM said:


> Are we the only ones with good things to say about Vallarta Gardens?


Apparently you are! Since you are posting from an IP address in Mexico, we are suspicious!


----------



## Passepartout

GERUM, you gave yourself away with pretty good English- though certain things indicate it is not your first language. You just signed up to TUG today then post glowing reports of a resort we KNOW is a scam. You post from a Mexican IP address. You mention $5,000 pesos- no American would write it that way. You know too many terms that would be familiar to a timeshare salesman, 'fractional ownership', 'Registry Collection' others. You mention that you 'and your wife'your first timeshare in 1985  (note by your chosen avatar that you identify as female). That's over 30 years ago, and you just found TUG today??? Amazing.

I suspect you are a timeshare salesperson. These and others are just a few of the red flags thrown up. Your lack of consistency gives you away.

If you are simply a Mexican National, who owns at this resort, you have our sympathy. You overpaid, and for those (purported) $45,000 USD you claim to have spent, you could have bought or rented a lot more luxurious vacation accommodations for a lot less.

I wish you no ill will, but your claims here are not valid.


----------



## GERUM

Ok Sir, that is real nice...

You certainly made it clear…

My Wife and I Still a happy owners at Vallarta Gardens and that is that.

Whatever happened to your ENDLESS VICTIMS, well… I don’t know…

All we have to tell you Sir is that we went there, we liked it, we bought it, we use it, and we are happy with the purchase.

I’m here to tell you Sir that we pay $45,000 for the fraction at Vallarta Gardens, we love it, we use it, and we have never in all of our years of timesharing our contracts had ever sated as much as we did in Vallarta Gardens, it is gorgeous…


I’m aware of the stretches that a salesman can go to get his sale, but Sir you would have to be complete mental case to NOT be able to know how much truth is.

Come on…

Please don’t tell me that you are as gullible as to believe that you are going to get $1,000,000 USD for the timeshare contracts that you paid $3,000 USD…

Come on…      

When the salesman told us precisely that, we laugh about his proposal…

We purchased Vallarta Gardens, because… WE LIKED VALLARTA GARDENS and the exquisite higher level of vacation possibilities via REGISTRY COLLECTION, and nothing more.

You Sir Ty1on, would have to be and IDIOT to believe something like that…

We bought Vallarta Gardens because we loved Vallarta Gardens, and that is that.

The salesman was a salesman, and I Sir, was a buyer, and I don’t buy stupid things as I am not buying your negativity.

We still have 3 of our old timeshare contracts, and up in the crown of our timeshare experience is my procurement in Vallarta Gardens.

Mr.Ty1on, when you get $45,000 USD to luxury purchase a property of this caliber, maybe that day you would stop Tying One On in the obscure corners of a negative timeshare website and explore what the world has to offer.

Good day Sir.


----------



## Ty1on

GERUM said:


> Ok Sir, that is real nice...
> 
> You certainly made it clear…
> 
> My Wife and I Still a happy owners at Vallarta Gardens and that is that.
> 
> Whatever happened to your ENDLESS VICTIMS, well… I don’t know…
> 
> All we have to tell you Sir is that we went there, we liked it, we bought it, we use it, and we are happy with the purchase.
> 
> I’m here to tell you Sir that we pay $45,000 for the fraction at Vallarta Gardens, we love it, we use it, and we have never in all of our years of timesharing our contracts had ever sated as much as we did in Vallarta Gardens, it is gorgeous…
> 
> 
> I’m aware of the stretches that a salesman can go to get his sale, but Sir you would have to be complete mental case to NOT be able to know how much truth is.
> 
> Come on…
> 
> Please don’t tell me that you are as gullible as to believe that you are going to get $1,000,000 USD for the timeshare contracts that you paid $3,000 USD…
> 
> Come on…
> 
> When the salesman told us precisely that, we laugh about his proposal…
> 
> We purchased Vallarta Gardens, because… WE LIKED VALLARTA GARDENS and the exquisite higher level of vacation possibilities via REGISTRY COLLECTION, and nothing more.
> 
> You Sir Ty1on, would have to be and IDIOT to believe something like that…
> 
> We bought Vallarta Gardens because we loved Vallarta Gardens, and that is that.
> 
> The salesman was a salesman, and I Sir, was a buyer, and I don’t buy stupid things as I am not buying your negativity.
> 
> We still have 3 of our old timeshare contracts, and up in the crown of our timeshare experience is my procurement in Vallarta Gardens.
> 
> Mr.Ty1on, when you get $45,000 USD to luxury purchase a property of this caliber, maybe that day you would stop Tying One On in the obscure corners of a negative timeshare website and explore what the world has to offer.
> 
> Good day Sir.



This website is very positive about timeshare.  What it is negative about is frauds, scammers, and lying shills like you.

I'm sure you don't buy stupid things, and I would submit that you haven't bought into this fictitious Vallarta Gardens, but are merely trying to counterattack the exposure this thread generates on web searches.


----------



## TUGBrian

sometimes they just make it so obvious!


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## GERUM

*deleted....nonsense...rule violations...bye


----------



## Ty1on

We all have a life here.  I would suggest you follow your own advice, get a life, or shill your fraud on Redweek instead of here.


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## Passepartout

Must've touched a nerve here somewhere.


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## GERUM

Red Week.?
LOL...
God Day Sirs.!


----------



## Ty1on

Seems a large amount of the stupidity is centered on an IP address in Mexico today.


----------



## raygo123

Oh Cisco . . . Oh Pancho

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk


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## Ty1on

raygo123 said:


> Oh Cisco . . . Oh Pancho
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk



You're revealing your age LOL


----------



## Cate

*We are Vallarta Gardens' most recent VICTIMS!! *

I have read this entire thread and am absolutely horrified! We are way past the time frame to get out of this with any sort of a refund of our deposit. We owe more, but we want out NOW. I don't want to give THEM another penny.

Does anyone out there know if anyone is actively pursuing any sort of a suit against them, as a group? I have so many questions, but I read that Vallarta Gardens is "monitoring" this site. So I am reluctant as to what I dare to say here...

Can anyone update me on anything "new" they might know since the most recent post above on Jan. 6, 2017? I saw no mention of ASCOM, who is the current third party handling the supposed sale of our current timeshare, etc. (We are NOT going to be giving them a copy of our deed, as I know now that this sale will never happen.)

Any comments on this post are very much appreciated. THANK YOU!!


----------



## TUGBrian

Karen G said:


> Contact Profeco, the Mexican consumer protection agency at  this website.




quoted for the most recent post


----------



## Cate

My husband contacted Profeco on Monday but we still have not heard anything from them three days later. I have read that they are slow...but I feel like we should have at least received some sort of an acknowledgement from them by now?? Does anyone know if this is typical? (He's reached out to them at least 3-4 times, actually. And I have been unable to call them at the numbers provided.) I'd appreciate any advice or thoughts any of you may have on this/Profeco!

Also, I have read several times on this thread that it's not worth hiring an attorney/firm to terminate, that people can likely quit paying without any major repercussions other than a poor credit reporting for awhile. And that in time this will go away, also. Well, we have reached out to _Resort Release_ and the BBB gives them an A+ rating. We have read several reviews and they have several satisfied customers. They seem very good and honest. While I hate to spend more money on this, we are strongly considering doing it for peace of mind. Has anyone heard anything about them? Or do you recommend someone else? Or does anyone have anything to share about it truly being a waste of money?


----------



## easyrider

Hi Cate. Did you send a letter of rescission to Vallarta Gardens or have any way to document you tried to rescind within the 5 day rescission period ? An email, fax or whatever, in writing, to Vallarta Gardens, stating that you are rescinding the contract is what you need. Profeco would want to see this as well. Verbal promises from VG hold no significance on the mater.

If your past the 5 day rescission window it has to be proved to Profeco, and possibly in court, that VG did something unlawful, to rescind your contract. The Mexican court system is different that of the USA and you would probably need to find an attorney to sort it all out. 

Bill


----------



## Passepartout

Bill, they have owned for some time-it looks like this is one of those trade-in deals. 

Cate, I don't have much advice. If you make clear that you are not paying another nickel to them, I think there is a good chance they'll eventually give up. In Mexico, there is no deed, nothing to foreclose, and It's questionable  that there is a penalty for non-pay other than you lose the membership- and that's what you want anyway.

We wish you good Luck. Keep us informed. 

Jim


----------



## LannyPC

Cate said:


> Well, we have reached out to _Resort Release_ and the BBB gives them an A+ rating. We have read several reviews and they have several satisfied customers. They seem very good and honest. While I hate to spend more money on this, we are strongly considering doing it for peace of mind. Has anyone heard anything about them? Or do you recommend someone else? Or does anyone have anything to share about it truly being a waste of money?



We generally do not recommend here on TUG using these "Get out of your timeshare contract" companies.  A lot of them are scams.  Others just charge you a lot of money to do what you can do yourself.  

As has been recommended above, perhaps contact the resort and mention that you are not going to pay anything further into this.  Check your contract.  It might say something about what happens if you stop paying.  Likely it will just mean a termination of membership.


----------



## Monica71

Cate said:


> *We are Vallarta Gardens' most recent VICTIMS!! *
> 
> I have read this entire thread and am absolutely horrified! We are way past the time frame to get out of this with any sort of a refund of our deposit. We owe more, but we want out NOW. I don't want to give THEM another penny.
> 
> Does anyone out there know if anyone is actively pursuing any sort of a suit against them, as a group? I have so many questions, but I read that Vallarta Gardens is "monitoring" this site. So I am reluctant as to what I dare to say here...
> 
> Can anyone update me on anything "new" they might know since the most recent post above on Jan. 6, 2017? I saw no mention of ASCOM, who is the current third party handling the supposed sale of our current timeshare, etc. (We are NOT going to be giving them a copy of our deed, as I know now that this sale will never happen.)
> 
> Any comments on this post are very much appreciated. THANK YOU!!



Hi Cate,

What was your outcome? Have you paid anymore money to Vallarta Gardens?


----------



## Sherby Ong

rbandala said:


> No, you will not receive any money for the timeshare you traded. And you will not be able to rent your extra weeks to pay for your timeshare. Neither will they buy back your contract in two years as guaranteed in the contract. It's a beautiful property, but nothing they say is the truth. I finally was able to catch them in some lies in an email and sent it to my bank. After two years of dispute, I finally got my money back from the credit card company. They are disgrace and should not be allowed to continue to do business. You can rent a villa off the internet if you really want to stay there - just don't buy anything from them!


How did u managed to get money back?


----------



## T-Dot-Traveller

Bump - 
Read and be forewarned .


----------



## T-Dot-Traveller

Bump - read & learn


----------



## Abigail Sheen

This thread is sounding scary, but so glad I found it and skimmed through it.

Is it a big mistake to have paid for a discounted stay at Vallarta Gardens with compulsory sales pitch? As long as I survive the presentation without buying anything, all is good, right?


----------



## T-Dot-Traveller

Abigail Sheen said:


> This thread is sounding scary, but so glad I found it and skimmed through it.
> 
> ..... stay at Vallarta Gardens with compulsory sales pitch? As long as I survive the presentation without buying anything, all is good, right?



It is a real resort - 

the thread forwarns you of their sales format and the reason (IMO) the resort  exists .


----------



## T-Dot-Traveller

Bump - time again 
- be warned / Vallarta Gardens is a real resort location / with SCAMS  as the primary purpose it exists - IMO .


----------



## kevint336

I must say I was skeptical at first as I never tried a Luxury vacation Villa before. I was convinced by sister in law to try it and I must say it was really incredible quality time. This place was absolutely incredible and I would say I will definitely suggest this to others who don't want to the typical hotel scene but also don't want to miss the services of a resort. It was truly the best of all worlds. The chefs were awesome as they cooked for us at our villa while we did a late afternoon pool party. We were just minutes from Puerto Vallarta but we didn’t need to have all the crowds bother us.


----------



## T-Dot-Traveller

kevint336 said:


> ....... We were just minutes from Puerto Vallarta but we didn’t need to have all the crowds bother us.



45 minutes .


----------



## LannyPC

kevint336 said:


> This place was absolutely incredible and I would say I will definitely suggest this to others who don't want to the typical hotel scene but also don't want to miss the services of a resort. It was truly the best of all worlds.



Yes, timeshares can be great ways to spend vacations.  However, one must do a lot of research before buying one.  If unsure, it's often recommended here to try renting first, then you can see whether or not owning will be right for you.


----------



## T-Dot-Traveller

LannyPC said:


> Yes, timeshares can be a great way to spend vacations....
> 
> ....... one must do a lot of research before buying one. .....



Yes TUG is a great place to do  research on :

Vallarta Garden - La Cruz de Huanacaxtle  Mexico
 (may also list as   - A Boutique PRC)


----------



## William Walker

I own at three different places around Puerto Vallarta and Nuevo Vallarta.

I have read reviews from others about Vallarta Gardens. I believe they are just plain complainers who weren't bowed down to, or "plants" from other "timeshare" companies. I have "vacationed" here MANY times and NEVER ran into any circumstances that are mentioned in those "reviews".


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## T-Dot-Traveller

William Walker said:


> I own at three different places around Puerto Vallarta and Nuevo Vallarta.
> .......I have "vacationed" here MANY times and NEVER ran into any circumstances that are mentioned in those "reviews".



Hi William ,

- Glad you like  PV -NV & enjoy vacationing there .

The TUG member who started this thread in 2014 - had a very different sales experience at Vallarta Gardens - chose to rescind that contract - and had various complications - as describe in the thread .

Welcome to TUG .


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## LannyPC

William Walker said:


> I own at three different places around Puerto Vallarta and Nuevo Vallarta.
> 
> I have read reviews from others about Vallarta Gardens. I believe they are just plain complainers who weren't bowed down to, or "plants" from other "timeshare" companies. I have "vacationed" here MANY times and NEVER ran into any circumstances that are mentioned in those "reviews".



For the most part, I don't think the majority of complainers are complaining about the actual resort.  They are probably complaining about the sales tactics that got them to spend way too much money to buy.  Add to that that 1) one can often rent there for less than the MFs and 2) the resale value is far lower than what was originally paid, then you can see why many people are directing their harsh criticism and complaints against the VGs.


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## T-Dot-Traveller

Bump - again / Feb 2020


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## T-Dot-Traveller

Bump - June 2020


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## T-Dot-Traveller

Bump for fall 2021 / winter 2022
It's been 18 months / read and avoid
*******

And may Karen G - who spent many years moderating the Mexican Forum and helping those who's first post required help in how to rescind -
rest in peace.

And I hope her 16 helpful posts in this thread will continue to inform new readers.


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## DonnaD

I was the original poster and I stand by my report of my experience. Karen was a great help when I was very flustered and I hope she sees how many people she helped fas she looks back from the great beyond.


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