Peninsula Bay Resort in Bali - Misleading Sales!

[Jackson Mboje]

Misleading Sales, Zero Accountability – Stay Away

My wife and I were recently caught up in a high-pressure timeshare sales presentation at Peninsula Bay Resort in Bali. We were convinced to put down nearly $7,000 for a timeshare supposedly worth $22,000, based on what we now know were completely false promises.

The salesperson, Mark, told us repeatedly that we’d be able to book unlimited extra weeks at resorts around the world for just $350. That was the main reason we decided to go ahead. We were told this would be available through their partner platforms like Interval International and 7Across. But after following up, we discovered this simply isn’t true, and the Peninsula Beach resort itself is not even priced that way. Mark blatantly lied.

To make it worse, they’ve since denied our refund, even though nowhere in the contract does it state that the purchase is non-cancellable. After we pushed further, they even cut off our Interval International membership without telling us. That alone speaks volumes about how dishonest the entire operation is.

We’re a young family living a nomadic lifestyle with a toddler and another baby on the way. For us, this wasn’t just a vacation thing — it was meant to be a smart investment in travel and family planning. Instead, we’ve been completely taken advantage of.

We’ve had no communication, no help, and no action — just silence and avoidance.

We’re asking for our money back minus the small fee to 7Across. That’s it. If they don’t resolve this, we’ll be leaving reviews everywhere and sharing our experience as widely as possible to prevent others from getting scammed like we were, we will also to take further legal actions too.

 

[tseebach]

Not sure what the cancellation rules are for timeshare you purchased or Bali or Indonesia, but you should try to find out and cancel before it's too late.

 

[WorldT]

Misleading Sales, Zero Accountability – Stay Away

My wife and I were recently caught up in a high-pressure timeshare sales presentation at Peninsula Bay Resort in Bali. We were convinced to put down nearly $7,000 for a timeshare supposedly worth $22,000, based on what we now know were completely false promises.

The salesperson, Mark, told us repeatedly that we’d be able to book unlimited extra weeks at resorts around the world for just $350. That was the main reason we decided to go ahead. We were told this would be available through their partner platforms like Interval International and 7Across. But after following up, we discovered this simply isn’t true, and the Peninsula Beach resort itself is not even priced that way. Mark blatantly lied.

To make it worse, they’ve since denied our refund, even though nowhere in the contract does it state that the purchase is non-cancellable. After we pushed further, they even cut off our Interval International membership without telling us. That alone speaks volumes about how dishonest the entire operation is.

We’re a young family living a nomadic lifestyle with a toddler and another baby on the way. For us, this wasn’t just a vacation thing — it was meant to be a smart investment in travel and family planning. Instead, we’ve been completely taken advantage of.

We’ve had no communication, no help, and no action — just silence and avoidance.

We’re asking for our money back minus the small fee to 7Across. That’s it. If they don’t resolve this, we’ll be leaving reviews everywhere and sharing our experience as widely as possible to prevent others from getting scammed like we were, we will also to take further legal actions too.

Your contract should have a cancellation clause with a specified timeframe. If you are still within that time, follow the instructions to cancel. Keep the records and open a dispute with your account issuer within the specificied timeframe (most credit cards in the USA give 60 days). If you are past that time, it would be difficult. But you can still contest it with your card. For example, if your contract comes with paid access to Interval International, and that is not provided, then the resort is in violation of the contract. That will be a reason to ask the credit card to open a dispute and request a refund.
Unfortunately, you experience isn't unique to this resort. Universally, timeshare sales people irrespective of the country or resort are know to lie all the time.

 

[montygz]

While timeshare purchases in the U.S. typically have a recission window, Indonesia might not have one.

You state there is nothing in the contract that says you can't cancel, but is there anything in the contract that says you CAN cancel with instructions on how to do it? Is there a "cooling off" period?"

Unless there is an overriding local law, what you agreed to in the contract would seem to be binding.

Since you told them that you longer want the timeshare, it sounds like they did indeed cancel it. However, it looks like they want to keep the $7,000 since you aren't paying the full $22K.

As for the lies about booking timeshares around the world for $350, this sounds like the Getaways feature of Interval International. Right now with a quick search, I see one 1BR timeshare weeks available for $350 in Orlando and Las Vegas.

Most getaways do cost more,. but using a sliver of the truth to get you to buy is unfortunately a big part of the timeshare world.

As a nomad, if you plan to someday return to Indonesia, I would do some research to make sure when you do return you don't get in any legal entanglements when entering the country.

Is having a timeshare a good idea for a nomad? I can certainly see the benefits if you understand how timesharing works and learn how to not get taken advantage of by salespeople.

However, before I would recommend anyone acquire a timeshare, they need to do a good deal of research to understand what they are getting in to.