• The TUGBBS forums are completely free and open to the public and exist as the absolute best place for owners to get help and advice about their timeshares for more than 30 years!

    Join Tens of Thousands of other Owners just like you here to get any and all Timeshare questions answered 24 hours a day!
  • TUG started 30 years ago in October 1993 as a group of regular Timeshare owners just like you!

    Read about our 30th anniversary: Happy 30th Birthday TUG!
  • TUG has a YouTube Channel to produce weekly short informative videos on popular Timeshare topics!

    Free memberships for every 50 subscribers!

    Visit TUG on Youtube!
  • TUG has now saved timeshare owners more than $21,000,000 dollars just by finding us in time to rescind a new Timeshare purchase! A truly incredible milestone!

    Read more here: TUG saves owners more than $21 Million dollars
  • Sign up to get the TUG Newsletter for free!

    60,000+ subscribing owners! A weekly recap of the best Timeshare resort reviews and the most popular topics discussed by owners!
  • Our official "end my sales presentation early" T-shirts are available again! Also come with the option for a free membership extension with purchase to offset the cost!

    All T-shirt options here!
  • A few of the most common links here on the forums for newbies and guests!

Brutal update at Royal Kona in December

BarbnHank2

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 14, 2015
Messages
6
Reaction score
1
Points
113
Location
Arizona
We own 15,500 points in Hawaii Collection. We originally had 5,000 and in Jan 2016 we registered our Whiski Jack TS into the Club Combinations program and purchased 11,500 points to get us into the Gold Loyalty Level. In March of 2019, after 4 hours resisting the sales pitch at KBC we signed a document saying we owned so many RCI Points and no longer wanted to buy any DRI points in the future.
At our Update in mid December at the Royal Kona we were told that our account had been audited and frozen because we claimed to own RCI points when in fact we own WEEKS that can be exchanged with RCI. We told the salesman we owned WEEKS but somehow the salesman wrote up the original registration as POINTS. Now the representative hammered at us how we had defrauded the company and the only way we could "fix it" was to write a letter, re-register our TS as a WEEK and buy 8,000 more points to legally get us to the Gold Level. He also said we would not be able to use the 15,500 points we already had. We were totally devastated and being the holiday week we felt we had no other option so buckled. My husband and I are in our 80s and we never really wanted the perks we just want to get to Hawaii twice a year and stay in a Scenic unit.
 

awa

TUG Member
Joined
May 13, 2012
Messages
137
Reaction score
37
Points
238
Location
Northern VA
Please follow the instructions to rescind immediately! I'm not familiar with that tactic, but it sounds very much like other things the slimy salespeople do. You can't believe anything they tell you.
 

goaliedave

Guest
Joined
Jan 5, 2019
Messages
1,298
Reaction score
854
Points
123
Resorts Owned
Raintree, Diamond (bought by Hilton), Shell (bought by Wyndham), Sheraton (bought by Marriott), Palace Resorts, a few independants
Yikes. I also had my worst of 100+ presentations at Royal Kona. Thankfully i know the CEO of the resort chain, contacted him, and the salesman was fired during my appointment.

It sickens me when they use scare tactics, esp on nice older folks.

Sent from my SM-A505G using Tapatalk
 

BarbnHank2

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 14, 2015
Messages
6
Reaction score
1
Points
113
Location
Arizona
Please follow the instructions to rescind immediately! I'm not familiar with that tactic, but it sounds very much like other things the slimy salespeople do. You can't believe anything they tell you.
We are past the time to rescind. I think it was 5 days and we signed the paperwork Dec 19.
 

Iggyearl

TUG Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2014
Messages
808
Reaction score
990
Points
203
Location
Ballston Lake, NY
Unfortunately, you have run up against the Diamond Resorts "confuse and conquer" sales approach. You had an imaginary problem that only a new sale would solve. Your only hope is to contact customer service at Diamond and ask (beg) for a rescission and return to your former contract. Unfortunately, you will probably run up against the "verbal representation clause" where the company says that the salesman's statements don't matter - and you signed a binding contract. You might also google the name "Irene Parker," who is a Diamond Resorts owner, and who has been a consumer advocate for those who have been cheated by unscrupulous sales persons. She has contacted Diamond on behalf of wronged consumers - sometimes with positive results. Your description is "elder abuse" in it's highest form. Please don't go to any more "owner updates."
 

BarbnHank2

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 14, 2015
Messages
6
Reaction score
1
Points
113
Location
Arizona
Thank you. I am trying to reach the company but I am sure it will be a waste of time.
 

Karen G

Moderator
Joined
Aug 17, 2004
Messages
9,470
Reaction score
1,983
Points
749
Location
Henderson, NV
Resorts Owned
Once owned these: FirstFairway@Walden X 2; Lawai Beach; ManhattanClub; PuebloBonitoRose; 4 South Africa--now timeshare-free
Thankfully i know the CEO of the resort chain, contacted him, and the salesman was fired during my appointment.
goaliedave, do you think you could contact the CEO and let him know about this blatant case of elder abuse that the OP reported?
 

moonstone

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
2,762
Reaction score
2,769
Points
599
Location
Moonstone, ON
Resorts Owned
The Beach Club at St. Augustine Beach, FL (1 floating week, purchased in 1982)

77,000 RCI points (Sunrise Ridge Resort, TN)
To the OP, I just read your (I assume it's your) story on the Facebook group "DiamondResortsOwnersAdvocacy". I am sincerely hoping Irene & her group can help you and also put a stop to Diamond selling points to people over a certain age. When we did the owners update (strictly for the freebees) at Mystic Dunes in October we saw several couples that were in their 70's or 80's in the sales presentation room. I felt like loudly shouting I hope you people are not conning these older folks into buying more points!!
Wishing you can get a happy outcome!


~Diane
 

goaliedave

Guest
Joined
Jan 5, 2019
Messages
1,298
Reaction score
854
Points
123
Resorts Owned
Raintree, Diamond (bought by Hilton), Shell (bought by Wyndham), Sheraton (bought by Marriott), Palace Resorts, a few independants
goaliedave, do you think you could contact the CEO and let him know about this blatant case of elder abuse that the OP reported?
Lol sure that would be my new full time job :) Luckily someone already does this, irene parker, as mentioned in the post after yours. She does it well and full time.

Ps if you want to tag a poster to notify of a post, you need the @ symbol ;)

Sent from my SM-A505G using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:

goaliedave

Guest
Joined
Jan 5, 2019
Messages
1,298
Reaction score
854
Points
123
Resorts Owned
Raintree, Diamond (bought by Hilton), Shell (bought by Wyndham), Sheraton (bought by Marriott), Palace Resorts, a few independants
To the OP, I just read your (I assume it's your) story on the Facebook group "DiamondResortsOwnersAdvocacy". I am sincerely hoping Irene & her group can help you and also put a stop to Diamond selling points to people over a certain age. When we did the owners update (strictly for the freebees) at Mystic Dunes in October we saw several couples that were in their 70's or 80's in the sales presentation room. I felt like loudly shouting I hope you people are not conning these older folks into buying more points!!
Wishing you can get a happy outcome!


~Diane
Diane why not do that? Last time i was at an update, the 70ish couple alone at the next table asked for my advice on whether to turn in their deeded week and buy points ... 30 seconds later my salesman came back, ushered me out without update for my gift.

Sent from my SM-A505G using Tapatalk
 

moonstone

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
2,762
Reaction score
2,769
Points
599
Location
Moonstone, ON
Resorts Owned
The Beach Club at St. Augustine Beach, FL (1 floating week, purchased in 1982)

77,000 RCI points (Sunrise Ridge Resort, TN)
Diane why not do that? Last time i was at an update, the 70ish couple alone at the next table asked for my advice on whether to turn in their deeded week and buy points ... 30 seconds later my salesman came back, ushered me out without update for my gift.

Sent from my SM-A505G using Tapatalk

Oh I have been so tempted many times but I'm just too shy I guess. I have, on many occasions, talked to the sales rep in a loud voice about the benefits of buying resale and use the many, many, thousands we saved by doing so to take more vacations. That usually gets us out pretty quick. I always carry many copies of my TUG info page (about how to rescind and buy resale) and hand them out to people discretely at/after presentations or around the resort.


~Diane
 

goaliedave

Guest
Joined
Jan 5, 2019
Messages
1,298
Reaction score
854
Points
123
Resorts Owned
Raintree, Diamond (bought by Hilton), Shell (bought by Wyndham), Sheraton (bought by Marriott), Palace Resorts, a few independants
Oh I have been so tempted many times but I'm just too shy I guess. I have, on many occasions, talked to the sales rep in a loud voice about the benefits of buying resale and use the many, many, thousands we saved by doing so to take more vacations. That usually gets us out pretty quick. I always carry many copies of my TUG info page (about how to rescind and buy resale) and hand them out to people discretely at/after presentations or around the resort.


~Diane
Nice work!

Sent from my SM-A505G using Tapatalk
 
Top