# Angry with Diamond Resorts (DRI)



## atlrosie7532 (Mar 6, 2009)

I have had my timeshare since 1999, which was later converted to points,  initially Island Links (Hilton Head, SC), then Sunterra, now DRI.  I have diligently paid my ever increasing MF's year after year.  However, this year I have an unemployed husband & I wasn't sure if I could pay them at all.  With trying to figure this out I only managed to call them Monday Jan 26th to get it paid.  I clearly get MF's were due by Jan 1st, but I understood from the collection policy included with the bill there was a grace period thru Jan 25th, which was the Sunday before, after which the account would become delinquent & late fees would apply.  Of the $1,223 I managed to pay $400 with this years points (8,000).  I put the balance on my credit card, but was told this would cost me an additional $42, a bitter pill to swallow, but also asked they not charge any late fees.  Then I received a bill showing $456 still due.  When I called, I was told the payment with points took 4-6 weeks to process & in addition to the $56, there was another $99 for collection fees.  No collection agency had called me, I had made the call to them to pay!  I explained my situation & asked if they could waive the late fee, collection fee & interest ($155).  "No they couldn't."  I called a second time, "no they couldn't" even when escalated to the customer service manager.  By now I was so frustrated with them being so rigid & unsympathetic in these tough economic times that I called my credit card company to reverse the charges.  I called DRI again to ask what their "cancellation policy" was to be told they didn't have one.  I then told them I had reversed the fees I'd paid & they could "repossess" the points, but was told they don't do this.  My response was, well if you're going to hand me over to collections & ruin my credit for $155 I'd rather make it a worthwhile sum to go into collections for.  When I asked what they'd prefer, paid MF's with no late fees or unpaid MF's, they were unconcerned & either way I'd still have to pay up.  I commented that their hard core attitude was not good for business in this declining economic climate, considering my company has been able to negotiate thousands of dollars of reductions with some of our vendors in an effort to keep us all in business by getting them paid & reducing our payables, so we can perhaps survive this devastating downturn in the economy.  I then emailed the Chairman, who I believe is Richard Cloobeck, via their website "contact us" but I have yet to receive a response.  I have since learned that a co-worker used to work for DRI at a very senior level & knows their MO (modus operandi) is a scam, thinks the MF budget that was mailed out is bogus, totally beefed up, MF per point is outrageous, covers his personal jet expenses among other things.  Also believes the intention is for people to give up their points so DRI can put them back in the pot to be re-sold.  Also when I complained what a waste of money it had been, could see no value to keeping it, because I always struggled to get a unit when it suited me, indicated it was because they'd totally oversold points.  Not illegal, but unethical.  I know this is a very long story, thanks for reading to this point.  I'd like to hear from anyone out there who has also had a bad experience with DRI.


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## timeos2 (Mar 6, 2009)

*Mixing too many issues*



atlrosie7532 said:


> I clearly get MF's were due by Jan 1st, but I understood from the collection policy included with the bill there was a grace period thru Jan 25th, which was the Sunday before, after which the account would become delinquent & late fees would apply.  Of the $1,223 I managed to pay $400 with this years points (8,000).  I put the balance on my credit card, but was told this would cost me an additional $42, a bitter pill to swallow, but also asked they not charge any late fees.



You are mixing a bunch of different issues into one big complaint. If you are happy with your resort operation / availability or not is one. If the fees are fair / reasonable another. And when fees are due yet another.

DRI management or not there has to be rules and time frames for fee payments. Not enforcing those rules or making exceptions no matter how good the reason leads to big problems for a resort. Ask DRI (when they were Sunterra) what happened in Orlando when they took a relaxed approach to that process. 

It is stated in the offer to use points for payments that it takes 6-8 weeks to be credited. Why didn't you make the request in late 2008 so the payment had a chance to be on time? What ever date they choose to be the "drop dead" due date after which penalties and fees are applied has to be consistent and applied equally. If they make the exception for you, despite your personal reasons being valid in your view, then they need to offer it to all owners. Meaning they have changed the due date. So what if another owner misses that for similar reasons to yours? Does it get changed again? Of course not. They need to have a date and stick to it and you as an owner need to make a timely payment or pay the consequences. 

That particular issue has nothing to do with DRI and everything to do with responsibities. Making other excuses and complaining about your resort doesn't change that.  Sorry to be so cold but I've seen first hand what happens when resorts don't take a tough stand and I know anyone can come up with reasons they didn't make a deadline. Doesn't mean the fees should be waived.  Sorry for your financial issues, you are far from alone in these tough times, but its not the resorts / managements place to help you out.


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## csalter2 (Mar 6, 2009)

*I Understand*

I understand where the OP is coming from. She is having difficulty and is not asking to not honor her maintenance fee with DRI, but to offer her a little flexibility. That I can respect. We all go through difficult times. It would be difficult if she were trying to skip paying the fees. 

I had a problem with the maintenance fees and an agreement I felt was not being handled appropriately. I was happy that Spence gave me the name of someone to connect with that helped me resolve the matter. I did initially speak with customer service and they seemed to be very uncaring and they probably did not have the authority to help me. 

I was given the name of Jeff Shelton, Manager of Hospitality for DRI. He was very helpful in resolving my problem. His email address is Jeff.Shelton@diamondresorts.com

I was a very happy customer like you and then became very angry like you too. I believe that your request is reasonable and may be able to he accommodated.


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## youmehs (May 2, 2009)

*My problem taken care of...*

You know none of us can help you...If we could we'd be G-d. So using this to complain has got you where?
I've had some problems with DRI (my problem, not theirs) and the resolving department they have is really very much geared to us members.
They call is HSIRM...some guy Patrick Duffy sorts thing out for many membrs on the Yahoo forum. You should get him involved.
I don't have his phone number, but can bet your lengthy letter could have been a cliff note and your, like my frustration reduced too.
Call DRI and get in touch with him. Don't fester.
Terry


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## JoeMid (May 2, 2009)

atlrosie7532 said:


> I have had my timeshare since 1999, which was later converted to points,  initially Island Links (Hilton Head, SC), then Sunterra, now DRI.  I have diligently paid my ever increasing MF's year after year.  However, this year I have an unemployed husband & I wasn't sure if I could pay them at all.  With trying to figure this out I only managed to call them Monday Jan 26th to get it paid.  I clearly get MF's were due by Jan 1st, but I understood from the collection policy included with the bill there was a grace period thru Jan 25th, which was the Sunday before, after which the account would become delinquent & late fees would apply.  Of the $1,223 I managed to pay $400 with this years points (8,000).  I put the balance on my credit card, but was told this would cost me an additional $42, a bitter pill to swallow, but also asked they not charge any late fees.  Then I received a bill showing $456 still due.  When I called, I was told the payment with points took 4-6 weeks to process & in addition to the $56, there was another $99 for collection fees.  No collection agency had called me, I had made the call to them to pay!  I explained my situation & asked if they could waive the late fee, collection fee & interest ($155).  "No they couldn't."  I called a second time, "no they couldn't" even when escalated to the customer service manager.  By now I was so frustrated with them being so rigid & unsympathetic in these tough economic times that I called my credit card company to reverse the charges.  I called DRI again to ask what their "cancellation policy" was to be told they didn't have one.  I then told them I had reversed the fees I'd paid & they could "repossess" the points, but was told they don't do this.  My response was, well if you're going to hand me over to collections & ruin my credit for $155 I'd rather make it a worthwhile sum to go into collections for.  When I asked what they'd prefer, paid MF's with no late fees or unpaid MF's, they were unconcerned & either way I'd still have to pay up.  I commented that their hard core attitude was not good for business in this declining economic climate, considering my company has been able to negotiate thousands of dollars of reductions with some of our vendors in an effort to keep us all in business by getting them paid & reducing our payables, so we can perhaps survive this devastating downturn in the economy.  I then emailed the Chairman, who I believe is Richard Cloobeck, via their website "contact us" but I have yet to receive a response.  I have since learned that a co-worker used to work for DRI at a very senior level & knows their MO (modus operandi) is a scam, thinks the MF budget that was mailed out is bogus, totally beefed up, MF per point is outrageous, covers his personal jet expenses among other things.  Also believes the intention is for people to give up their points so DRI can put them back in the pot to be re-sold.  Also when I complained what a waste of money it had been, could see no value to keeping it, because I always struggled to get a unit when it suited me, indicated it was because they'd totally oversold points.  Not illegal, but unethical.  I know this is a very long story, thanks for reading to this point.  I'd like to hear from anyone out there who has also had a bad experience with DRI.



Overselling points is illegal and unethical, DRI does not do this.  You may feel that they do because you do not plan in advance and by the time you decide that you want that July 4th weekend (you decide on May 1st) you find it to be unavailable.  Unavailable not because points are oversold but because it is a popular time and the members who know how to use their points booked it last June (13 months prior) or last September (10 months prior).   How do I know that you don't plan, look above at your Maintenance Fee story.

Yes, it would be nice if DRI could bend over backwards for every owner, but the cost of making exceptions for people like you is enormous in terms of employee time.  They don't do that as a matter of course but Jeff Shelton Jeff.Shelton@diamondresorts.com in Executive Resolutions  or Patrick Duffy patrick_dri@yahoo.com or patrick.duffy@diamondresorts.com something like Chief Experience Officer  could probably have helped you and may still be able to do so.

Does DRI do a job of sweeping up points and re-selling them, in a better economy they were doing that regularly, maybe not so much now?  Hey, points are points, they get them back for next to nothing and sell them at retail!


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## Bill4728 (May 3, 2009)

Since this is nothing about buying or selling, I'm moving this thread.


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