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Beware Of The Mayan Palace. Beware Of Their Time Share Scam!!!

Monica

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A timeshare as an investment...no way!

If you were one of the many who bought MP based on the "investment pitch" and had no use for it you would be pissed too and not just say "ahh schucks they got me".

Being overwhelmed by the beauty and size of the mayan system is easy. Who would think that such a place would be employing such sc#"bags to sell their product. So telling those who wish to voice their outrage to grow up is to me being blind to the truth that of what's happening to countless families.

You're ok with being lied to.....others not so much.

We didn't buy any of our timeshares as investments. If you do, you're going to be very sorry. And as far as being ok about being lied to? We weren't. Everything that was pitched to us on our 1 purchase from the resort itself was true. They are not investments...they are vacation destinations only!
 

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We didn't buy any of our timeshares as investments. If you do, you're going to be very sorry. And as far as being ok about being lied to? We weren't. Everything that was pitched to us on our 1 purchase from the resort itself was true. They are not investments...they are vacation destinations only!

I understand it's not an investment, tell that to the managers who train the sales staff. They couldn't hit their sales projection without the investment pitch. You weren't lied to that's great ....hard to believe but you're happy and that's what matters. I got over being lied to and I too am happy. However I don't agree with the way the sell there and if you been around the resorts enough you know it's a problem. If the resorts weren't as incredible as they are I would have dumped mine long ago.
 

drguy

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Agreed. The fact that people don't read the contract is just plain stupid! By the time it gets to that they're just worn out. Like i said, they get lulled into thinking the whole show is on the up and up and thus are much easier to "trick F##k" as the manager on the video so eloquently put it. That's how they are trained, total disregard for the people they're selling zero ethics.

So blowback like what George is doing is inevitable. I don't know why you all are so against his outrage? You might not like what he's saying, but it doesn't make him wrong, just search this blog and most of what he's covered so far is contained there.

Venting doesn't make him right either. And neither is the venting by other members of this forum.
I see it as wasted energy, serving no good purpose.
If I screw up, I may become upset. That upset is usually with myself for doing/believing something that was a poor choice. Others may get caught in the cross-fire temporarily, but I make every attempt to hold myself accountable for my decisions.
 

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Venting doesn't make him right either. And neither is the venting by other members of this forum.
I see it as wasted energy, serving no good purpose.
If I screw up, I may become upset. That upset is usually with myself for doing/believing something that was a poor choice. Others may get caught in the cross-fire temporarily, but I make every attempt to hold myself accountable for my decisions.

Your right we all need to row our own canoe. I'm not here to defend those videos but I think it will push the Mayan to examine their business model and hopefully conclude that it's not healthy to continue doing business that way. I wish he would not have included the crap about the cartels. Can't prove it, can't say it!
 

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Venting doesn't make him right either. And neither is the venting by other members of this forum.
I see it as wasted energy, serving no good purpose.
If I screw up, I may become upset. That upset is usually with myself for doing/believing something that was a poor choice. Others may get caught in the cross-fire temporarily, but I make every attempt to hold myself accountable for my decisions.

I think George is doing more then venting, there's obviously a larger plan here. My guess would be he's attempting to put together a class action or it's a competitor.
 

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Class action??

Interesting speculation that George is trying to find plaintiffs for a class action. Class Actions were made permissible by the Mexican Constitution only recently and the first Mexican class action law became effective about 2 years ago. This law is very different from the class acton laws in the US. One requirement in Mexico, for the kind of class action George may be interested in, is that there must be at least 30 identified plaintiffs. How do you best advertise for 30 plaintiffs?

The lawyers in Mexico have not focused on creating class actions. It is not anywhere as financially lucrative for a law firm to pursue a class action in Mexico as it is in the US. The percentage of legal fees that can be granted to the successful plaintiff, under the Mexican law, is substantially lower than ours. One needs a significantly large dollar case to make it worthwhile for lawyers seeking compensation from the court. So far, class actions in Mexico have been few, most notably an environment case against BP and some cases against banks challenging their practices.
 

saywhat

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Interesting speculation that George is trying to find plaintiffs for a class action. Class Actions were made permissible by the Mexican Constitution only recently and the first Mexican class action law became effective about 2 years ago. This law is very different from the class acton laws in the US. One requirement in Mexico, for the kind of class action George may be interested in, is that there must be at least 30 identified plaintiffs. How do you best advertise for 30 plaintiffs?

The lawyers in Mexico have not focused on creating class actions. It is not anywhere as financially lucrative for a law firm to pursue a class action in Mexico as it is in the US. The percentage of legal fees that can be granted to the successful plaintiff, under the Mexican law, is substantially lower than ours. One needs a significantly large dollar case to make it worthwhile for lawyers seeking compensation from the court. So far, class actions in Mexico have been few, most notably an environment case against BP and some cases against banks challenging their practices.

Purely speculation on my part. Just that he's or they've put alot of time and effort into the project just to rant. As i said before I think/hope it'll force the Mayan to clean up there act.

Thanks for the education on the differences in class action procedure.
 

Monica

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Trolls writing regarding this topic

I understand it's not an investment, tell that to the managers who train the sales staff.

Didn't you post up above, "If you were one of the many who bought MP based on the "investment pitch" and had no use for it you would be pissed too and not just say "ahh schucks they got me". "? Then you post the first quote that I used to start this reply? So which one are you, Saywhat....you bought as an investment or you didn't? And to set matters straight, I never said or impled "ahh schucks thay got me".

You sound like someone that has a grudge, too. And where is "george"what ever the ending was to his name. He hasn't posted in about 10 days. Where is his short movie showing scam after scan? He must have tired of his rantings, seeing that not many people were getting on his bandwagon.

Trolls....:rofl:
 

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Didn't you post up above, "If you were one of the many who bought MP based on the "investment pitch" and had no use for it you would be pissed too and not just say "ahh schucks they got me". "? Then you post the first quote that I used to start this reply? So which one are you, Saywhat....you bought as an investment or you didn't? And to set matters straight, I never said or impled "ahh schucks thay got me".

You sound like someone that has a grudge, too. And where is "george"what ever the ending was to his name. He hasn't posted in about 10 days. Where is his short movie showing scam after scan? He must have tired of his rantings, seeing that not many people were getting on his bandwagon.

Trolls....:rofl:

Troll? Lighten up Francis. Did I buy for investment? No not really, but it was certainly part of the pitch. Did I try to rent my weeks through the BS brokers and lose the $499? Yes. Do I have a grudge? Maybe you can call it that. We do enjoy the resorts when we go, but to see that those POS salespeople being allowed to just lie their asses off and nada happens...yeah, that doesn't sit well with me.

I repeat Monica, if this makes they Mayan clean up there act that would be a good thing. Do you agree? Having an opinion that differs from yours makes me a Troll, how nice. If I want this kind of abuse I'll just go on a presentation next time back at the Mayan:hysterical:
 

mikenk

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Can't we all agree that the initial sales practices are indeed high pressure and verbally deceiving. I hope over time that the practices will change, but probably won't as long as they work and the backlash is not too great. We hear from a lot of folks mad as hell, but it is a drop in the bucket compared to the number of people going through the sales process - hundreds per day.

That said, nothing is ever just black or white. Those of us that are owners get to see both sides. We see a continually improving resort system with always top notch service. Indeed, they are always offering us new stuff for a price; I have no problems with that; just good business. We also get fair treatment on contracts that all of my kids want to keep - not get rid of.

My biggest problem with George's rants, for whatever reason, is meant to deceive; Yes, he makes valid points on the sales staff canned pitches, but he also attacks the owner personally, and makes all kind of innuendos on all the other Vida practices; everything is black in his mind or the way he portrays it. In my experience, general smear campaigns don't work; I assume there is some sort of financial incentive - just not sure what.
 

Monica

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Final

Troll? Lighten up Francis. Did I buy for investment? No not really, but it was certainly part of the pitch. Did I try to rent my weeks through the BS brokers and lose the $499? Yes. Do I have a grudge? Maybe you can call it that. We do enjoy the resorts when we go, but to see that those POS salespeople being allowed to just lie their asses off and nada happens...yeah, that doesn't sit well with me.

I repeat Monica, if this makes they Mayan clean up there act that would be a good thing. Do you agree? Having an opinion that differs from yours makes me a Troll, how nice. If I want this kind of abuse I'll just go on a presentation next time back at the Mayan:hysterical:

Quote: Troll? Lighten up Francis. Did I buy for investment? No not really, but it was certainly part of the pitch. Did I try to rent my weeks through the BS brokers and lose the $499? Yes. Do I have a grudge? Maybe you can call it that. We do enjoy the resorts when we go, but to see that those POS salespeople being allowed to just lie their asses off and nada happens...yeah, that doesn't sit well with me.

Sorry about the troll comment. But tt's weird that you showed up after george stopped posting. My bad.

I do want to say not all of the salespeople are POS's, though. I admit, there are a few bad apples. I managed to get one to lose his job after the arm-twisting, and we didn't even make it out of the lobby to the breakfast for the update before I complained!

Rregarding renting out, I know you don't have to do it at the resort. Why didn't you do your due diligence? That kind of stuff of blaming others for your misfortune doesn't sit well with me. That is your fault for not doing your due diligence before you parted with your $499. Once again, I speak of accepting responsibility for your decisions. They didn't make you do that. That topic is discussed heavily on the internet; you would have found that information quite easily. I feel that you are lumping all of them together, and that isn't right either.

Once again, sorry about the troll comment.
 
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saywhat

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Quote: Troll? Lighten up Francis. Did I buy for investment? No not really, but it was certainly part of the pitch. Did I try to rent my weeks through the BS brokers and lose the $499? Yes. Do I have a grudge? Maybe you can call it that. We do enjoy the resorts when we go, but to see that those POS salespeople being allowed to just lie their asses off and nada happens...yeah, that doesn't sit well with me.

Sorry about the troll comment. But tt's weird that you showed up after george stopped posting. My bad.

I do want to say not all of the salespeople are POS's, though. I admit, there are a few bad apples. I managed to get one to lose his job after the arm-twisting, and we didn't even make it out of the lobby to the breakfast for the update before I complained!

Rregarding renting out, I know you don't have to do it at the resort. Why didn't you do your due diligence? That kind of stuff of blaming others for your misfortune doesn't sit well with me. That is your fault for not doing your due diligence before you parted with your $499. Once again, I speak of accepting responsibility for your decisions. They didn't make you do that. That topic is discussed heavily on the internet; you would have found that information quite easily. I feel that you are lumping all of them together, and that isn't right either.

Once again, sorry about the troll comment.

No worries about the comment.
Absolutely, you're right I screwed up twice. For believing the mayan salespeople and not checking out the scam rental company. Like I said before the resorts are just so damn nice, I like a lot of other couldn't believe they owner would allow such a thing to go on. My bad.

Not everyone is hip to the level of lies that occur and we get caught. Lesson learned. But I won't stop expressing my opinion about their tactics as long as they continue to behave so.

I actually enjoy the product now,thanks to the member services in Nuevo Vallarta. When those folks start training salespeople the mayan will be heading in the right direction.
 

aliikai2

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Calling a business a scam is your tactic not mine.

This company is aggressive, and any aggressive sales group, Wyndham, Westgate, Holiday Inn, etc will lie to make a sale, on some level you know I am right. They all talk about prepaid vacations, lock in your future costs, etc.. So I don't see how I am failing to distinguish the crime????

My issue is with people like you that don't travel to Mexico coming here to dump on these threads. So if that shoe fits please wear it.

Posted from Mazatlan MX in our 8th week on this trip.

PS I don't own any Grupo Mayan or Vida Properties any longer. So I am Not supporting Their Scam .

fwiw,

Greg

This is simply not true in anything but the most superficial way. It's like saying a speeder and an arsonist are both criminals, technically true but showing no ability to recognize the significant difference and impact of the "crimes." There is no comparison to how you are treated in a Marriott/Starwood/Hyatt presentation and how you are treated in these presentations. There is no comparison to the level of lies and misrepresentations. None.

And I'm sure on some level you know that.

The fact you need to force the comparison tells me that on some level you feel the need to justify your support of this scam.
 

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Mexican Consumer Protection for Timeshare WORKS

You can also contact Profeco, the Mexican Consumer Protection agency, here.

Go to Profeco immediately We too were mercilessly harassed into buying by Grand Mayan sales team in PV in 2008. I went online after we agreed to the scam, and found TUG. Should have joined then. We actually stopped in a small town nearby when we saw sign for a Mexican attorney. Got his advice at reasonable cost, and he sent us with some paperwork to Profeco office in PV to file it canceling our purchase. This was 2 days later. ( FYI You don't need the lawyer, go to Profeco website and office, it's easy.) Came back and gave it to the big boss at Grand Mayan and he wasn't happy but he didn't argue. He tore up our agreement and refunded the credit card charge. We wasted vacation time and added a lot of stress to our week, but we learned our lesson. Do not agree to any timeshare presentation no matter what they offer.

Oddly, husband retains fond memories of the Grand Mayan resort itself and wants to go back! He forgets that if you are not an owner, your unit will overlook the parking lot and garage. We only got a sea view when a pipe broke and they quickly moved us. That won't happen again unless we break the pipe….
 

mikenk

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Actually, within 5 days of purchase, you could have just taken the paperwork directly to member services and cancelled - no attorney, no costs, and no Profeco. i have done it - no problem, no hassle, it is written in the contract you can do so.

The other lesson I hoped you learned is to read any contract that involves transferring your hard earned money to anyone for whatever reason.

Mike
 

VacationDeb

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these "customer service" email addresses

Earlier in the thread, there are a number of email addresses to customer service people, in which people are getting helped out following high-pressure sales tactics.

We bought way back in 2002, way before I'd heard of this and other warning sties, and back when I was young enough to not know that high-pressure salespeople will lie to you outright in order to make the sale. By the time I was home and figured out selling my other timeshare and renting out my weeks for so much money was a total lie, I was well-past any recission period. Have focused on just making the best of it. I generally deposit my weeks to SFX and trade them back out to, ironically, my original timeshare.

What I'm curious about... has anybody used any of these complaint vehicles years after their purchase? the original poster and some other people got satisfaction after sleazy sales tactics, but the sale was in the recent past. Has anyone tried this for a sale long past?
 

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Need advice on getting out of Mayan Palace Contract PLEASE

Well...sadly I got talked into a Mayan Palace timeshare while in Cancun in May 2014. Now, like most of the people I'm reading about, I find that many of the claims were lies. I put $2000. down on a credit card about 6 weeks ago, and owe the balance of $6,000 in August. My questions for anybody who can help, or point me to some help are:
1. Is it even possible to cancel my contract? Or do they pursue you to the ends of the earth???
2. Are the Mexican lawyers who advertise online, who say they can help, also a scam?
3. What will actually happen if I dispute the credit card down payment and do not pay the balance due in Aug.
4. Has anybody had any luck with negotiating the contract down to a reasonable dollar amount with the Mayan Palace people?
5. If it goes to collection has anybody had luck with negotiating a reasonable contract reduction amount through the collection agency?
6. Part of my deal was that they would sell my existing timeshare. If I pay the $795. fee will this actually happen, or it this also another scam?

I apologize if these questions were already answered somewhere else....I couldn't find much information on what has worked for other people who are trying to get out of the Mayan Palace contract.

I'd like to take some proactive steps to resolve this if anybody has suggestions. Appreciate it!!
 

pjrose

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Well...sadly I got talked into a Mayan Palace timeshare while in Cancun in May 2014. Now, like most of the people I'm reading about, I find that many of the claims were lies. I put $2000. down on a credit card about 6 weeks ago, and owe the balance of $6,000 in August. My questions for anybody who can help, or point me to some help are:

1. Is it even possible to cancel my contract? Or do they pursue you to the ends of the earth??? If you deal with their customer service contact, NOT the sales people, you may be able to negotiate something. Karen Rose, customerservice@grupomayan.com or by telephone at 1-800-292-9446. Also, contact PROFECO, linked a few posts before yours in this long thread.

2. Are the Mexican lawyers who advertise online, who say they can help, also a scam? I'm not going to say they are an actual scam, but I haven't read posts here from anyone who was helped by them

3. What will actually happen if I dispute the credit card down payment and do not pay the balance due in Aug. Nothing to lose by contacting the CC company, at least that should put the whole thing on hold. But if the CC company doesn't go along with you, you could mess up your credit rating.

4. Has anybody had any luck with negotiating the contract down to a reasonable dollar amount with the Mayan Palace people? Yes, see number 1. Look at posts 15 and 16 on this thread; the OP responded there that they were able to reach a settlement. And look way down through this forum, and you'll find some.

5. If it goes to collection has anybody had luck with negotiating a reasonable contract reduction amount through the collection agency? don't know

6. Part of my deal was that they would sell my existing timeshare. If I pay the $795. fee will this actually happen, or it this also another scam? scam. do not pay it. This will not happen. When your MF comes due you'll find out you still own it, and then when you complain to the group that you thought was promising to sell it, you'll find that all you paid for was advertising (and who knows where and to what extent)

I apologize if these questions were already answered somewhere else....I couldn't find much information on what has worked for other people who are trying to get out of the Mayan Palace contract. No apologies needed, this is part of what we help with!

I'd like to take some proactive steps to resolve this if anybody has suggestions. Appreciate it!!

You've come to the right place; I hope others will chime in with more info to help you!
 
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drguy

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6. Part of my deal was that they would sell my existing timeshare. If I pay the $795. fee will this actually happen, or it this also another scam?

They did for us, but our fee was about $500, not $795. They got 5 Monarch Grand Vacations accounts and our Pahio Bali Hai account out of our names in about 90 days, saving us roughly $6000 per year in mfs.
 

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6. Part of my deal was that they would sell my existing timeshare. If I pay the $795. fee will this actually happen, or it this also another scam?

They did for us, but our fee was about $500, not $795. They got 5 Monarch Grand Vacations accounts and our Pahio Bali Hai account out of our names in about 90 days, saving us roughly $6000 per year in mfs.

Think there's a difference here Doc. RLA I believe is expecting a broker to resell something for which he'll receive some proceeds, total scam.

You on the other hand, i think did an equity exchange, which does as you stated gets the old T/S out of your name. You were probably told you received a credit for the T/S and that credit was discounted from the purchase price......scam light.....but in the end you got out from under a huge M/F obligation....so you both gained.
 

drguy

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An equity exchange is all that Vida has offered to us, so I interpreted the other comment as that. I don't see Vida becoming involved with resales of other timeshares. I would run from an offer from which I would be expecting a paid broker to sell the timeshare and then pay me for it. I also do not see the benefit for Vida in that scenario.
 

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Thanks for all the info on each of my questions. I really appreciate it.

I re-read the paperwork for the "trade-in" of my old timeshare and the language seems to indicate that I am transferring my deed to "Equity Acquisition Services" (EAS). They are charging an administrative fee to quote: "properly record and transfer rights of said "Unit" from Seller to EAS".

My Mayan contract states I am trading-in my current T/S for a specified credit amount toward the purchase of the Mayan unit.

Anybody see any snags with that contract language? There is absolutely no mention of marketing the unit. The contract states I am to deliver the deed and it will be transferred to EAS where they will become the owner.

It appears to be on the up and up...but then again everything seemed straightforward during the sales pitch!!!!

I'm thinking I need a quick visit with my lawyer at this point. I've spoken with the MP Contract dept. several times and they seem very professional and are polite. They even appeared concerned about misrepresentations their sales staff was making. No one has ever been defensive, or indicated that I was the one who misunderstood. Nice of them.... now we'll see if they do anything to stand behind their product. And the saga goes on....
 

tschwa2

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This is my take from reading dozens of posts about this topic here and on other complaints boards. Equity trade ins are common in timeshare in general and especially common with Mexican Timeshares. The developer you are buying from doesn't expect anything in terms of equity and may even be paying the broker something out of pocket to help "dispose" of your unwanted property. Mayan has been doing this for years. 5 and more years ago, you could probably rely on the transfer taking place 99% of the time. The only time it wouldn't is if there was some kind of problem with the title.

Fast forward to today, the disposal brokers are absolutely overwhelmed trying to find someone or even questionable entities who are willing to accept timeshares even for a fee. I certainly think they will make a good faith effort to give it away to anyone who will take it. If they can't find a taker they may even be willing to pay up to the amount you paid them to have someone accept your timeshare. At that point if they can't, they will in all likelihood come back to you tell you that you can keep your discount and your old timeshare. If you protest I think they will give it another round of good faith trying. At that point if they can't find any takers, they will just give up and you will be on the hook for your old timeshare.

So do you think you have a timeshare that you or someone else could give away if you paid the closing and/or transfer fees. If you have a fairly desirable one you probably don't need to worry. If they can't do what they say, they will probably refund your fee and then you would have to do it yourself. If you have something with high MF's and/or at a high PPPN AI fee mandatory resort, or a smaller unit at a 2nd or 3rd tier resort especially with restrictions as to which weeks you can reserve. If any or all apply to your timeshare than your chances that they will successfully dispose of it goes way down.
 

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An equity exchange is all that Vida has offered to us, so I interpreted the other comment as that. I don't see Vida becoming involved with resales of other timeshares. I would run from an offer from which I would be expecting a paid broker to sell the timeshare and then pay me for it. I also do not see the benefit for Vida in that scenario.

Well, what they did is inflate the starting price so they can show a "credit" for your trade ins, so essentially you received zero for what you traded in. And you may be ok with that because you shook the 6k per yr in m/f's.. The benifit on their side is they pick up a sale were there may not have been one. You probably would not have piled more on top of what you already had. Those equity companies don't give the resorts any proceeds they make off the trades. The resorts are happy just to have that tool. It accounts for about 25% of sales at the resorts the use that method.

Its an old car selling tactic, nothing new. it's just that the resorts don't want to get involved in reselling other inventory.....(they find it hard enough to sell there own) and those equity companies absorb the hassel.
 

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Laguna Niguel, CA
Hi,
Can someone help me???!!! I got suckered into buying or should I say trading my timeshare for one at the Mayan Palace on 5/21/14. I signed a contract from Equity Acquisition for an amount of $745 for them to process the trade. They contacted me a couple of weeks later regarding the trade and then offered me the option to buy back my TS for $1,800. They stated that I have a 1st Right of Refusal which gives me that option. That didn't sound right. How can they give it back to me and for that price.

I told them I needed to research this further. Luckily, I have NOT given them anything and was told by someone in the timeshare field that this was a tactic to get me to buy a time share at the Mayan by stating they would trade my timeshare to offset the cost of purchasing one at the Mayan.

Can someone help me and figure out what my rights are? Do I have to pay them to transfer anything? Why would they offer me the option to retain it for a higher fee (when in fact, it was never sold??). I know I was scammed at the Mayan as I am reading so many negative posts. What can I do to get around this. I do need to sell my timeshare in Palm Springs to pay for my mess.

Signed Desperate in CA. :bawl:
 
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