Dream Yacht Club, stuck after intro cruise

[almost_firsttimer]

Hello, need some advice from the group.

We bought a timeshare in Puerto Vallarto thinking it's a good investment since the sales people promised 8 years of guarantee rents that would break even and made money on the timeshare. The purchase came with free 7-year membership to Dream Yacht Club, and they also gave us a free introductory cruise the next day. Well, timeshare is hardly an investment and the promise of guarantee rent is probably from a fly-by-night travel agency. So we cancelled the contract within the 5 days period, but we did take the cruise as part of the membership.

The problem is that the timeshare said when we took the cruise (which is not part of the "free gift" of attending the presentation, but part of the timeshare purchase), we signed a waier with the Dream Yacht Club. That yacht waiver contained the usual about ride at your own risk, etc. , but it also had a clause that said "if I stop being a member of the yacht club, I have to reimburse the introductory cruise of $1500 USD". That' $1500 for a 3 hour small boat ride with 4 people, I think the going rate for a 3-hour boat ride with 4 people is about $400.

Dream Yacht Club let me stayed with the membership without the timeshare, but it's ridiculously expensive ($8500 USD membership, plus $320 per year for 7 years). So ditching the timeshare and pay for the membership myself seem like a rip off by itself. I think that's how the timeshare works with the Dream Yacht Club to hook you back in to the timeshare deal.

I don't want to buy a timeshare just for the yacht membership, and I don't want to pay for the Yacht membership myself ($8500+$320x7). The cheapest option seem to pay for the $1500 fee according to the waiver.

I am seeking advice on whether people were sucessfully negotiate down the $1500 "intro curise" fee from these fractional yacht membership. I am thinking that having bad reviews on them would be a good bargaining chip, any other suggestions? Can that cruise waiver contain a fee clause?

Thanks in advance

 

[Passepartout]

I can't see that the Yacht Club has any leverage on you. It isn't like they can repossess the boat ride you took. At worst, if they have a CC number, call the CC issuer and get a new account number.

You ask if anyone has negotiated anything down with a Mexican supplier, Maybe someone has, but the best plan is just to walk away. IMO.

Bad reviews placed where prospective marks would see them has been known to get some TS outfits to 'forgive' certain obligations- usually with the 'buyer' recanting the bad review. Another way might be to get Profeco involved, saying that you rescinded the timeshare purchase within the required 5 days, yet the TS outfit wants this inflated price for an introductory boat ride and that it was your understanding that the TS and the yacht club were 2 different deals.

I'd just blow off the bills and send back any notices marked 'refused- return to sender'.

Any time you put your name on a piece of paper in Mexico, you open yourself up to grief! We see it here every day.

Best wishes, and welcome to TUG!

Jim Ricks

 

[carl2591]

Dream Yacht Club, Puerto Vallarto

Hello, need some advice from the group.

We bought a timeshare in Puerto Vallarto thinking it's a good investment since the sales people promised 8 years of guarantee rents that would break even and made money on the timeshare. The purchase came with free 7-year membership to Dream Yacht Club, and they also gave us a free introductory cruise the next day. Well, timeshare is hardly an investment and the promise of guarantee rent is probably from a fly-by-night travel agency. So we cancelled the contract within the 5 days period, but we did take the cruise as part of the membership....

rule #1 when dealing with timeshare or vacation/club sales people..

when their mouth is open, mostly what is coming out of it is not TRUE..

pay the $1500 only when you get confirmation in writing that will fully cancel the contract and do not send a personal check. Use money order or cashiers check only..

why.. send a personal check and they WILL empty your checking account out.. not maybe,, will..

then spend a while reading why TS, Club salespeople and the real truth are not friends

just reread jim responce.. I AGREE... tell them to shove it.. call your credit card and say you lost it or it got stolen. they issue new card and your golden..

 

[almost_firsttimer]

Excellent advice Jim! We decided to ignore the phone calls from the sales people, why even give them a chance to change your mind?

We know the strategy is working since the sales guy just left us a voice mail saying that we signed a waiver on the 5-day cancellation period, "so sorry that you lost your deposit, but call me to see if a smaller unit would work for you....". I have been doing a lot of reading lately and, in Mexico at least, the cancellation period is a constitutional right that cannot waived. So I know he was gasping for air since the yacht club trick wasn't scaring us into submission. :rofl:

For others reading this, here is the section of law from Profeco:

Article 56 of the Federal Consumer Protection Law states: "The contract will be perfected within five working days from the delivery of, or the signature of the contract, whichever occurs the latest. During this period, the consumer will have the right to revoke his consent without any responsibility. The revocation will have to be by means of warning or delivery of notice, in person, by registered mail, or another method of average reliability. The revocation according to this article, will terminate the contract. In this case, the costs of shipping and insurance will be the responsibility of the consumer."

Besides, this right cannot be waived according to the Art. 1 from the Federal Consumer Protection Law.

Also good advice from carl2591 not to give out more personal information than we did already. Definitely the best way to deal with the sales guys are to ignore them completely.

Thanks all!