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Walking away from El Cid Mazatlan

pdxjim

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I have never used my points. Signed and paid for the El Cid while there vacationing. It is free and clear. Been paying the maintenance fees forever. Suggestions for walking away/disposing would be appreciated!
 

theo

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I have never used my points. Signed and paid for the El Cid while there vacationing. It is free and clear. Been paying the maintenance fees forever. Suggestions for walking away/disposing would be appreciated!

Walking away is self explanatory. Stop paying the fees and you'll default, the contract will be terminated at some point and you will obviously forfeit your ability to access and use the property in the future. The place is in Mexico, so maybe you need not be particularly concerned about any U.S. consequences after defaulting.

Have you directly asked the facility if they will just let you out of the contract, even if for a fee? (let them mention any fee --- don't introduce it yourself). They might. You won't be able to sell the contract (...or likely even be able to give it away for free, for that matter), so this option might just be your best option to pursue.

Good luck.
 
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Carol C

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I had two El Cid pts contracts I used with Wyndham membership. Have you considered buying a Wyndham pts contract...a small one...on ebay or some such place, then combining all the pts into one maint fee and using them at Wyndham resorts in the US? If you like to travel it can work well for you. But if you don't travel much anymore, you can try to get El Cid to take the membership back. When my hubby became disabled I got them to take the contracts off my hands...but it took several contacts and persistence did pay off. Good luck to ya!
 

pdxjim

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After reading through all my documents, I wonder if I can just walk away from my unit. I paid off the purchase price and windham sends me the maintenance fees. Contracting for this unit in Mexico makes me wonder about the walk away. They reference the Mexican federal law enforcing the contract. Suggestions? I don't want to pay any more money for a "transfer" or whatever they would like to collect additional fees on.
 

theo

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My $0.02 worth...

After reading through all my documents, I wonder if I can just walk away from my unit. I paid off the purchase price and windham sends me the maintenance fees. Contracting for this unit in Mexico makes me wonder about the walk away. They reference the Mexican federal law enforcing the contract. Suggestions? I don't want to pay any more money for a "transfer" or whatever they would like to collect additional fees on.

This reply is not intended as legal advice or legal guidance of any sort. Moreover, no one here has the benefit of seeing or reviewing whatever the documents are to which you make reference. My reply below merely constitutes a few observations of fact and some expression of personal opinion:

"Mexican federal law" (...whatever that may be) has absolutely no jurisdiction or meaning whatsoever here within the U.S.A. None --- period, amen.
This ain't Mexico --- and Mexico isn't in the U.S.A.

That being said however, I'm genuinely puzzled by the fact that you are reportedly billed by Wyndham (obviously based here in the U.S.A.) for a property in Mexico.
If (...and only if) there is some direct business affiliation or connection between Wyndham and the property at issue in Mexico (as would certainly appear to be the case if you get billed directly by Wyndham for your maintenance fees), then it is entirely possible that U.S. collection efforts can indeed be initiated against you here within the U.S. even for a property located in Mexico if you choose to just stop paying.

It's your decision to make, but you might want to at least make some direct inquiry as to the options available to you (...if any) for contract termination. You state that you don't want to pay any fees for termination, but you may very well have to adjust that position if you want to "get out cleanly" and don't want to endure annoying collection efforts and the prospect of a U.S. credit report "ding" in the event you choose to just default and walk away. It's your effort and your call to make.

P.S. You were specifically advised (...over two weeks ago now) to contact El Cid directly to inquire about any options for "getting out cleanly".
You overtly stated that you would do so. It's two weeks later now; did you ever follow through? If so, what was the result? If not, why not?
:confused:
This situation won't just magically resolve itself or disappear. Ultimately, you're just going to have to exert some effort on your own behalf to gain any closure.
 
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am1

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If it is a wyndham el cid contract then I believe if you stop paying then it reverts back to just an el cid contract that you can use at their 5 resorts in Mexico, some in Europe and some of the old fairfield resorts. Wyndham washes their hand of it.

Also since it is RTU when does it expire? Hopefully if you have never used it then it is somewhat new.
 

ace2000

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Definitely contact El Cid. I was able to give my 300K point contract back to them about a year and a half ago - hopefully they're still receptive to that.

I think I had to pay something - but it was less than $500.
 

pdxjim

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ace, do you have a contact number for El Cid? All I could find was resort reservations.

Thanks!
 

ace2000

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Hopefully you're asking about El Cid vacation club - I had points. I had to dig through my old emails but here's the number I used back then - 1 866 552 7320.
 

jules54

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If the points are Wyndham El Cid points and not ECVC El Cid Vacation Club they will take the points back. Someone was going to give me a small point El Cid Wyndham contract but before I would take it I told him he had to pay all transfer fees. When he finally decided he would do that before I took it I suggested he contact Wyndham and try to give it back. He contacted me and thanked me and said they took it back with no added expense.
 

pdxjim

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Update. I called El Cid and they gave me another number to call which was Member Services number 877-322-1881. They said to send them an email telling them I wanted to terminate my contract and I did that to:

memberservice@elcid.com.mx

Awaiting their response.
 

Idomeneus

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I had a TS in Mexico that I recently got rid of. It was a simple process of sending a notarized form giving up rights to the unit. No cost and took about 3 weeks.
 

pdxjim

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I received via email a cancellation form from El Cid. I signed and returned it to El Cid. Quite simple.
 

carl2591

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Joined TUG '96, Wyndham Grand Palms AKA, Presidential Villas at Plantation Resort, 3 bed lockout.
NICE... see that was not so hard.. :)

now stay out of mexico and don't buy anything you can not use. ;)
 

GettingOut

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Definitely contact El Cid. I was able to give my 300K point contract back to them about a year and a half ago - hopefully they're still receptive to that.

I think I had to pay something - but it was less than $500.

I’m trying to get out of my El Cid contract, but they’re telling me I can’t. Did they give you trouble at first to where you had to keep trying, or was is simple from the start?
 

GettingOut

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I received via email a cancellation form from El Cid. I signed and returned it to El Cid. Quite simple.

Did they push back at first when you requested cancelling? And did they make you list out your reasons?
 

Passepartout

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Did they push back at first when you requested cancelling? And did they make you list out your reasons?
Just stop paying. You are simply a member and don't actually own anything. All they can do is stop you from using your RTU, and that's what you want anyway.

Jim
 

LannyPC

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Did they push back at first when you requested cancelling? And did they make you list out your reasons?
Keep in mind that you are replying to posts over four years old so your chances the previous posters replying to yours are slim. You can apply Passepartout/Jim's suggestion to just stop paying. There is also a thread in the Mexico forum that discusses what happens if you stop paying for a Mexican RTU or travel membership.
 
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