Glad to share with you.. Here is our own prolonged path to cancel (and we are being careful to be factual and not to be critical...) Hope this helps, but I also hope that other TUG members will point out where we could have done better.
The timeshare model offered by Vida was interesting and seemed to offer several advantages. The Riviera Maya property is beautiful and the staff great. We booked a presentation meeting for more information. The sales approach for us was relatively low key. We were assured that our vacation needs would be met; the price was lowered repeatedly and significantly, and we were allowed to get credit for the properties we wanted to keep but still for us to retain title. We were told by Sales that as exchangers, we would not be allowed to trade back in to any Vida resort within a 5-year period (their documents were all stamped with a large red "5" and we were shown a framed document with II letterhead announcing the Vida 1-in-5 program). Knowing we had 5 days to reconsider, we signed and took our "welcome to Vidanta" package back to study.
Then we decided to rescind --
1) We met with Member Services in person.
After finding nothing on the map, getting no information on the phone, asking two different concierges, and being sent to the wrong location, we finally had some help in finding out where they were and making an appointment (we were advised you could not just walk in).
We explained to the member services representative that we were there to rescind. This process took almost two hours, and involved a series of "sales should have explained that better," we can give you "better offers," "didn't you read what you signed," etc. We did get the Settlement and Release Form signed (two copies, signed by both sides) but were told that we could not leave until the processing was complete. At this point, we went silent and just sat in the office and waited. At last, the real supervisor came in to talk with us and made a truly wonderful offer -- far better than anything we had seen before. We refused and left with our signed Settlement and Release form.
2) We followed up with an email to our Member Services representative confirming our cancellation, and we received an email confirmation back.
3) In the weeks following, we repeatedly emailed to Member Services questions on the status of our refund. These went unanswered.
We sent an alert message to Profeco (thank you, TUG) copying Vida Member Services. Profeco answered quickly with information on their process.
4) Despite our "cancellation," we received a telephone call from the timeshare exchange company to move forward on our transfer of timeshare week. When we explained that we had cancelled, we were told that this happened fairly frequently and that they would contact Vida with that information.
4) For Vida, the Settlement and Release form specified that we would get a full refund of our down payment within 15 days after cancellation. It also specified that we were to send a copy of the agreement to Brett Estes within 30 days. Hence, our concern about his contact information.
After 15 days, we had no refund and felt it necessary to contact Estes. We were unable to find any contact information (phone, FAX, email) for the name or office at the address in the Settlement and Release Form. Calls to the sales offices were not helpful.
We finally....
documented in a letter to Mr. Estes our full experience, with contract details, meeting dates, email dates, discussion points, date of dispute filed with credit card company
we sent copy of this letter in an email to Member Services
sent certified letter to Mr. Estes with copy of the Settlement and Release form (signed by both parties) and copy of the emails to/from Vida confirming our cancellation. FedEx would have cost us ~$60. US Postage cost us $15, without guarantee of when it would be delivered. We decided to go Postal.
sent copy of our documentation to the credit card company.
sent daily emails to Member Services (our only email contact) asking for our refund, reminding them that they were out of compliance with their Settlement and Release agreement and counting out how many days they were past due on our refund.
5) Monitoring our credit card account daily, we finally saw our refund hit in full -- 24 days after we cancelled. There was no communication from Vida.
Things we could have done better (and some things we did do right):
When you talk with sales, find out who (and where) their contact is for follow-up questions and for cancellation.
Make an appointment right away to talk with Member Services (or their equivalent) -- within the five day period -- to ask follow up questions or to allow yourself time for rescission in person. Do not expect a same-day appointment.
Make copies of pertinent documentation before that meeting. Take the originals with you -- they demanded we return all documents. This made sense for coupons, offers, etc, but I do not believe we should have returned our copy of the contract and related legal documents.
If possible, do get signed copy of the Settlement and Release agreement -- read it carefully and comply with any special provisions. Ours had a do-not-bad-mouth us provision, and I am working hard to be factual.
Email a clear cancellation (see TUG advice on this).
Keep an email string going reinforcing your position. (Do not expect an answer.)
Contact your credit card company with documentation of your experience. Keep monitoring your account.
Thank TUG members for their help!
I really really do hope that your experience is successful and that you will share what works for you.
