Vidanta's Latest "offer"

[ColumbiaMDCanadian]

Greetings folks, LONG time lurker, joined in 2009 but first serious post.
We're enjoying our second stay at Vidanta RM. Great resort but made the mistake of going to a presentation on Wednesday - you know, one of the 45 minute ones...
Bottom line is that they made us an offer that was really enticing but had all the earmarks of your standard "three card monte" presentation and we left before signing anything, some 4 hours later. Here's what it boils down to (some numbers approximate as they flashed stuff before us as you'd expect):
They're developing a new phase (Legacy, beachfront at the north end of the resort, behind the Bliss pool area for those that know the place.)

• Asking price for a 2br unit (similar layout to existing ones) is $144,000. That supposedly buys FOUR weeks' usage.
• They "want" our Vistana timeshare and will credit us $24,500 + $1895 to transfer our deed to them through a "US based company".
• According to our salesperson, they don't WANT to sell our Vistana time share (fixed week...), they want to keep it as "something to offer members" and they can "write off maintenance fees as a tax benefit"
• Price now down to $85,600 after Vistana "credit"

And here's where it gets a tad bit bizarre for me (if the above weren't enough already for you)

• They now host the Mexican PGA at Vidanta so they "need" rooms and are willing to rent back two of the four weeks at $5100 per weeks.
  • Option 1: agree to give them what sounds like first right of refusal on the weeks and get $10,200 a year going forward (the projection they showed, with some stupid escalation like 7% per annum meant that in 10 years they would have given us back the full purchase price
  • Option 2: agree to five years and get $51,000 off the purchase price.
    Purchase price now down to $57,500 (or "our best offer"...)
• BUT, since we don't want a 2br, a 1br price is 60% of that or $34,500
  • this is what first made me really sit up and take notice - you mean you're going to give me the same $5,100 credit per week whether it's a 1br or 2br I put into the pool??

The reason I'm posting this, other than to share the latest pitch, is to basically get confirmation of two points:

• We don't want to burden our kids with our Vistana maintenance liability so, even though we've enjoyed it, we want to get rid of it at some point. From what I've read here, I should be EXTREMELY skeptical that this will happen as "promised", right?
• My wife actually favors option 1 - to have them pay us inperpetuity for two of the four weeks that we "own". But I keep asking myself "why the HECK would they do that???"

How many other holes do you see in this presentation? Has anyone here taken advantage of any of these format deals?
TIA!
(BTW, of course, nothing other than a bunch of numbers scribbled on a pad, good cop passes us on to good cop 2, good cop 2 passes us on to bad cop 3 (and I'm STILL regretting not ripping into him), and then to good cop 4 to try to salvage something for them. Predictable or what?)

 

[T-Dot-Traveller]

@ColumbiaMDCanadian - that sure is one whirly-gig of a presentation- even for Vida Sales.

 

[davidvel]

Sorry to say this Doc, but you guys fall for this more than anyone. While I assume in your profession you are not doing drugs, your post makes no sense. You are describing utter gibberish.

If you bought anything rescind TODAY. If not, enjoy the rest of your vacation.

 

[dioxide45]

If you bought anything rescind TODAY. If not, enjoy the rest of your vacation.

They said they left before signing anything.

 

[dioxide45]

There is no phantom credit for the Vistana week. You can get the same price and keep the Vistana week. I don't know what Vistana you own, but you can likely give it away for free and be done with it. Their "US Based Company" may try to get you to pay that sum of money after the fact for them to sell it for you. They really don't want to bother with it, so the $1800 is just a barrier to prevent you from following through. You now own Vistana and Vidanta.

There is no rental of weeks and no $10K a year coming to you.

 

[T-Dot-Traveller]

Greetings folks, LONG time lurker, joined in 2009 but first serious post.
We're enjoying our second stay at Vidanta RM.

The reason I'm posting this, other than to share the latest pitch, is to basically get confirmation of two points:

• We don't want to burden our kids with our Vistana maintenance liability so, even though we've enjoyed it, we want to get rid of it at some point. From what I've read here, I should be EXTREMELY skeptical that this will happen as "promised", right?
• My wife actually favors option 1 - to have them pay us inperpetuity for two of the four weeks that we "own". But I keep asking myself "why the HECK would they do that???"

How many other holes do you see in this presentation? Has anyone here taken advantage of any of these format deals?

1 ) there is no MF burden on your kids / they can refuse any inheritance . [ there are lots of TUG threads that give details of this]

2 ) If you went forward with a "trade in deal" it is very likely that the 3rd party company involved would have a fee .[ noted as $ 1895 ]
[ some trade- ins do work - Vistana is a name brand - however you might well be able to give it away (or even sell it) on TUG & save the 3rd party fee.]

3 ) My guess is that If you were to sign a contract - the written language detailing the contractual payment for " Mexican Open" weeks would be absent.

*********
FYI - In 2010 in Mazatlan; we had the rent weeks back for a golf tournament presentation.
It was a NCAA / College tournament at the Puerto Penasco Mx. Mayan Palace location.
[ legit tournament as I recall - may have been "pre- season warm up"]

We were told we should buy 1 or 2 studios [ hotel rooms] for $ 5K each and we could make lots of rental income.
LOL

 

[davidvel]

They said they left before signing anything.

Right, I said If not. . . . But then this babbling post from them, so they may go back.

 

[T-Dot-Traveller]

Hi @ColumbiaMDCanadian
I re-read your post and realized you had listed the $ 1895 fee to transfer your Vistana TS from your name - so I edited my post above.

To explain further for you and any future readers.
1 ) Vidanta does not want your Vistana TS & there is no tax credit & the "discount / price reduction is simply a sales ploy [ie - Vida Sales smoke & mirrors]
2) The $ 1895 fee is your payment to a 3rd party transfer company . Basically you are paying them $ 1895 to list it on ebay for $ 1 or TimeShare Nation for free etc.
3) Name brand timeshares ( Vistana etc.) are more likely to be acquired via this process and therefore leave your name- however the TS does not leave your name until someone out there wants it .
4) You could likely save yourself $1895 by listing your Vistana in TUG Marketplace or TUG Free TS Forum.

 

[RX8]

Welcome to TUG isn’t really appropriate since you joined 15 years ago so I will say Congrats on your first post yesterday!

It is all predictable. The salesperson will say ANYTHING to get you to sign on the dotted line. If you expressed any interest in what they are saying they will expand those lies further. There are no multiple perpetual guaranteed $5100 rentals per year. They will not deed your current timeshare to themselves. Your gut says it is too good to be true and it is.

 

[ColumbiaMDCanadian]

Thanks for the quick replies folks!
Yeah, I admit I rambled on a bit - it was late after a great day of diving!
I just thought I would go into more detail because after 39 years of owning a TS week and having made the mistake of going to the "update" presentations several times, I'd never heard of the "we need to rent your week back from you" angle.
Getting rid of Vistana and having some income had my wife seriously considering going back to sales today, also because we really like the place.
With what you confirmed - plus my own suspicions of the fuzzy math and really illogical offers that were being made, I was much more reluctant, figuring worst case was we could beat them way down and get a couple of weeks here - with *usage* instead of MFs.
My wife just said that we should forget the whole thing and enjoy our last couple of days here instead!

 

[davidvel]

Thanks for the quick replies folks!
Yeah, I admit I rambled on a bit - it was late after a great day of diving!
I just thought I would go into more detail because after 39 years of owning a TS week and having made the mistake of going to the "update" presentations several times, I'd never heard of the "we need to rent your week back from you" angle.
Getting rid of Vistana and having some income had my wife seriously considering going back to sales today, also because we really like the place.
With what you confirmed - plus my own suspicions of the fuzzy math and really illogical offers that were being made, I was much more reluctant, figuring worst case was we could beat them way down and get a couple of weeks here - with *usage* instead of MFs.
My wife just said that we should forget the whole thing and enjoy our last couple of days here instead!

Good idea, listen to the wife and save your money.

 

[LvntheDream]

Greetings folks, LONG time lurker, joined in 2009 but first serious post.
We're enjoying our second stay at Vidanta RM. Great resort but made the mistake of going to a presentation on Wednesday - you know, one of the 45 minute ones...
Bottom line is that they made us an offer that was really enticing but had all the earmarks of your standard "three card monte" presentation and we left before signing anything, some 4 hours later. Here's what it boils down to (some numbers approximate as they flashed stuff before us as you'd expect):
They're developing a new phase (Legacy, beachfront at the north end of the resort, behind the Bliss pool area for those that know the place.)

• Asking price for a 2br unit (similar layout to existing ones) is $144,000. That supposedly buys FOUR weeks' usage.
• They "want" our Vistana timeshare and will credit us $24,500 + $1895 to transfer our deed to them through a "US based company".
• According to our salesperson, they don't WANT to sell our Vistana time share (fixed week...), they want to keep it as "something to offer members" and they can "write off maintenance fees as a tax benefit"
• Price now down to $85,600 after Vistana "credit"

And here's where it gets a tad bit bizarre for me (if the above weren't enough already for you)

• They now host the Mexican PGA at Vidanta so they "need" rooms and are willing to rent back two of the four weeks at $5100 per weeks.
  • Option 1: agree to give them what sounds like first right of refusal on the weeks and get $10,200 a year going forward (the projection they showed, with some stupid escalation like 7% per annum meant that in 10 years they would have given us back the full purchase price
  • Option 2: agree to five years and get $51,000 off the purchase price.
    Purchase price now down to $57,500 (or "our best offer"...)
• BUT, since we don't want a 2br, a 1br price is 60% of that or $34,500
  • this is what first made me really sit up and take notice - you mean you're going to give me the same $5,100 credit per week whether it's a 1br or 2br I put into the pool??

The reason I'm posting this, other than to share the latest pitch, is to basically get confirmation of two points:

• We don't want to burden our kids with our Vistana maintenance liability so, even though we've enjoyed it, we want to get rid of it at some point. From what I've read here, I should be EXTREMELY skeptical that this will happen as "promised", right?
• My wife actually favors option 1 - to have them pay us inperpetuity for two of the four weeks that we "own". But I keep asking myself "why the HECK would they do that???"

How many other holes do you see in this presentation? Has anyone here taken advantage of any of these format deals?
TIA!
(BTW, of course, nothing other than a bunch of numbers scribbled on a pad, good cop passes us on to good cop 2, good cop 2 passes us on to bad cop 3 (and I'm STILL regretting not ripping into him), and then to good cop 4 to try to salvage something for them. Predictable or what?)

We have been members for 21 years and have upgrades several times over the years, probably half of the time in Riviera Maya. My husband and I are both executives experienced in reading and understanding contracts. In spite of this, every time we have upgraded in RM, we find we were either blatantly lied to or at a minimum deliberately mislead by both sales and member services. We have also been lied to in NV, however, not in every case and usually not to the degree we have in RM. When we would ask for a verbal promise to be put in writing, they might say things like "oh, corporate won't allow us to modify this contract" or some other excuse like that. Sometimes, the verbal promise was kept.... for a while anyway.... and then in other cases it was not. Bottom line, if you are serious about wanting to become a member, I would first pursue buying a contract on the resale market. But if you are insistent upon buying from the resort directly, you absolutely HAVE to read and UNDERSTAND your contract before the recission period is over (yes, during your vacation time) and ensure that any important details about your agreement are CLEARLY stated in writing in your contract or an addendum to your satisfaction. We have also been burned by the written terms being interpreted one way when we sign and then differently when it no longer works for corporate so watch out if it is at all ambiguous.

 

[geist1223]

If you really want to have fun before you sign add terms in writing and ask the Sales Manager to sign the changes. They will go nuts.

 

[T-Dot-Traveller]

We have been members for 21 years and have upgrades several times over the years, probably half of the time in Riviera Maya. My husband and I are both executives experienced in reading and understanding contracts. In spite of this, every time we have upgraded in RM, we find we were either blatantly lied to or at a minimum deliberately mislead by both sales and member services. We have also been lied to in NV, however, not in every case and usually not to the degree we have in RM........

Hi @LvntheDream
You are not the first TUG member / Vidanta owner who has mentioned the scale of credibility difference between the NV & RM Vida Sales Presentations.

I also believe that the 3rd party transfer company in NV has a better record.
[note - I am not suggesting trade ins are a good idea or good value ]

 

[pittle]

If you really want to have fun before you sign add terms in writing and ask the Sales Manager to sign the changes. They will go nuts.

Hey - I have actually done that! We have 3 addendums that address our issues and they are signed by the Sales Manager and are in the packet we brought home! I have a scanned copy that I take with me when I go. When we were in Puerto Penasco a few years ago, I had our original contract and the Sales Manager there wanted to make a copy of an Addendum. My husband went with him to make the copy because he did not want that page to disappear - hence the copies now.

 

[shomitax]

Realize this post is old but I was just offered something similar for “lease back income” for 2 of the 4 weeks.
Any updates from anyone, that is a pretty blatant lie from a large company if not true. There is a renegotiation at year 6, so it could go to 0, be rescinded??

 

[davidvel]

Realize this post is old but I was just offered something similar for “lease back income” for 2 of the 4 weeks.
Any updates from anyone, that is a pretty blatant lie from a large company if not true. There is a renegotiation at year 6, so it could go to 0, be rescinded??

No updates. It was a lie then and still a lie.

 

[4TimeAway]

Thanks for the quick replies folks!
Yeah, I admit I rambled on a bit - it was late after a great day of diving!
I just thought I would go into more detail because after 39 years of owning a TS week and having made the mistake of going to the "update" presentations several times, I'd never heard of the "we need to rent your week back from you" angle.
Getting rid of Vistana and having some income had my wife seriously considering going back to sales today, also because we really like the place.
With what you confirmed - plus my own suspicions of the fuzzy math and really illogical offers that were being made, I was much more reluctant, figuring worst case was we could beat them way down and get a couple of weeks here - with *usage* instead of MFs.
My wife just said that we should forget the whole thing and enjoy our last couple of days here instead!

The part I dislike is that they plant the seed of doubt on vacation in our minds.

As people the deal sounds so good, the guard is let down and we want the fun times to continue. The seed they planted of in us to WIN at the Timeshare Game while on vacation is what grows. They know a portion of people will fight about it and end up buying. We get a high for a bit but eventually the truth comes out.

That's great you walked away and had a great vacation. The whole point of being on vacation was the vacation and not to buy another timeshare.