Diamond Resorts International |
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Consumer reviews about Diamond Resorts International |
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Vacation Owner
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Dec 10, 2011
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Lies
Folks if DRI does not raise the point values needed to stay at what was once your home resort interval. It is a way to sell you more, so they can tax you more next year. This is part of the big magic points program DRI or any other points program for that matter, it's like printing money. They get to control the value of the points system not some fair market program like EXPEDIA and real US Currency or any other world currency for that matter, this is a global PROGRAM Diamond resorts in Running (Ruining is more like it).
"a business that makes nothing but money is a poor business"
H. Ford
CVO
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highmaintenance
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Dec 11, 2011
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exorbitant maintenance fees
I have owned my time share with Diamond resorts for 5 years, since then my maintenance fees have doubled and I to am in the Hawaii collection, which I never know would hold me responsible for all Hawaii Resorts. So now I to have received a extra bill of 1400.00 This is crazy. I will never purchase anything more from these scam artists, and I will make sure I warn as many people as possible to never buy a time share with Diamond Resorts. At this rate, it will not take long and most timeshare owners with Diamond Resorts will be warning all visitors to Hawaii not to buy with Diamond resorts. Some may even wait by the businesses that help promote Diamond Resorts timeshare presentations through discount rates on activities and warn people there, not to do it. Unfortunately they have made their own name mud.
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Vacation Owner
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Dec 14, 2011
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poor customer service
Donna,
Sorry they got you too, In my humble opinion these guys are skilled CROOKS as they have changed the rules to suite their SCAM, they lie and cheat their way in to your wallet, so they can continue to rip you off. It seems the only way to get justice with these CROOKS and SCAM ARTISTS is to keep making noise so others do not get Damaged by their tactics. Hopefully there will be noone left to buy all the foreclosed points and deeds. Then who is going to feed the beast?
I have been complaining on the public forums since Nov. 2010 after receiving another ASTRONOMICAL EXTORTION LETTER from these heartless BASTARDS (always just before Christmas too, I wonder if that too was planned). I have complained directly to them on several occasions regarding these RIP OFF A$$ESSMENTS and the UNDERHANDED, UNFAIR BUSINEES PRACTICES with no result except an earful from their customer dis-service department. They do not buy back anything that program always just closed. They will however gladly foreclose on you, put your credit at risk, torment you over the phone regarding collection of past EXTORTION FEES and make your life miserable for as long as they can squeeze another nickle out of you. I personally believe they LOVE PISSING OFF THEIR MEMBERS, so they can foreclose and get more power on the Resort Boards, recover more magic points to OVERSELL FRESH MARKS with their LIES and DECEITFUL HIGH PRESSURE SALES TACTICS.
These CROOKS were still selling Hawaiian Collection Magic Points (probably still are in fact) without disclosure (except maybe buried some where in their CONtract paperwork which they gloss over during the force feeding frenzy of paperwork). They are CROOKS through and through and they plan is to steal as much money as they can under the false pretense that they are doing it within some legal guidelines (forget about ethical or moral those character traits are non existent with this bunch). Meanwhile they defy court orders as in the St. Marteen case and change the meaning of the HOA Articles of Association to suite their GREED LUST and PROTECT their SCAM to FLEECE all OF THEIR MEMBERS.
Currently there are several groups of Diamond Resorts Members and Resort Owners gathering names of individuals, so please join one or all of these groups and keep SHOUTING the TRUTH about these CONMEN (and Women). (current count in excess of 2, 000 IRATE MEMBERS in total and climbing)
drip.enjin.com DRI Protestors (mostly UK folks a friendly enough lot, but a US and Canadian presence is building the current list is approaching 1900 members there. Then there is the Magic points members and owners at Poipu in Kauai
www.poipuowners.org
And the Kaanapali Beach Club owners and points members
KBCowners.com nearly 1, 000 when combined with Poipu group.
These lists of protesting members are growing as Diamond Resorts Really stepped in it this time with their mis management of the resorts and now the damage is so bad at Poipu they damn near need to rebuild the resort.
I am sure they will try and spin it that this damage was there when they took over Sunterror, but that was nearly 5 years ago and they have done nothing to mitigate the situation nor have they disclosed their knowledge to potential buyers at least not forthright with the disclosure and it's impact on the buyers wallet.
Diamond Resorts International = FRAUD, SKULLDUGGERY, EXTORTION to put a name to the face...
United we can...
CVO
CVO
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Kathy and Mel
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Dec 15, 2011
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exorbitant maintenance fees
We bought our timeshare 5 years ago and now we want out. Our maintenance fees are so high now we can't sell and we can't forfeit our time. I think that we should all get together and get a lawyer and find out what can be done about this as there has to be some legal way of getting out of this????
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Janeene
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Dec 19, 2011
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poor customer service
It's a nightmare! We too are in the same boat with those agonizing over ludicrous maintenance fees. Since we bought our timeshare with Diamond resorts in 2009 our fees have doubled. I feel that they use false advertising and deceitful sales tactics to force you into believing you are making a wonderful contribution to your quality of life. Also, the hugest fraud of all is that they sell people on the idea that you will actually be able to travel all over the world. There is never anything available. We've used it twice and once in Las Vegas the room didn't even come with a bed. Once in Arizona and the pool was being fixed. We have small children and had to sneak into another hotel to use the pool. SAD. VERY SAD
The thought of this makes me sick to my stomach. I must have been a thief in my last lifetime to be enduring this KARMA. These people are crooks. White collar crime taking place right before our eyes---who is going to finally, once and for all bring justice to this terrifying, unethical business.
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Can't afford new fees
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Dec 22, 2011
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poor customer service
Any body suing Diamond resorts class action suit I can get in on? They doubled my maintenence fees and I cannot afford the new rates and am at a loss of what to do.
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olisbos
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Dec 22, 2011
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poor customer service
If you can't sell it check into donating it.
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rick salinas
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Jan 1, 2012
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poor customer service
sailing down with you all. keep me in the loop if there will be a class action.
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ann55
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Jan 1, 2012
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poor customer service
We also have been taken advantage of by Diamond Resorts. Our fees are not up to 2600.00. They keep going up by enormous amounts yet the resorts that we visit are not being updated. They just keep buying more resorts and not taking care of what they already have. Try and get any answers is like trying to talk to the President!!! The people that care about their reputations and struggle to pay these enormous bills are paying for the people who just "let them go". We have tried to sell at least some of our points but can't even give them away. The best we found was a company that wanted us to PAY them 7, 000.00 to take it !!! What the h...
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Chowderhed
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Jan 1, 2012
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poor customer service
If my natural charm can't get me laid I naturally resort to international diamonds.
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rodney32
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Jan 16, 2012
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Fraud and cheating
Quite interesting. Never have I seen an athletic head of a corporation display such paranoid behavior, especially on national television (CBS Undercover Boss). I doubt that the airing of the episode will win them a substantial number of new customers, when likely paired with the investigative reporting on websites such as this, that will also find new life in a number of highly publicized new stories throughout the internet and all types of media, from print to broadcast and everything else. It seems as if Mr. Cloobeck is extremely worried someone will come after him-which is hardly a surprise, given the number of complaints here and elsewhere. But to show such paranoia on national television? Wow...just wow...also, something I can say after taking a look at the detailed complaints at RipoffReport.com then there's the added mystery that somehow this guy knew when to buy a Lambourghini from a Southern California dealership the very same month 54 such cars were bought and never paid for. News reports indicate Mr. Cloobeck owes well over $300, 000 for his. Mr. Cloobeck strikes me as a quite personable guy who may want to do the right thing, especially when it makes him look good publicly, but possibly in way too far over his head in a business model that relies on a never ending parade of suckers. Timeshares are notoriously poor investments, and a building far more prestigious in Las Vegas than DRI's Polo Towers, Planet Hollywood's Westgate Towers, also has numerous complaints for fraud and other timeshare related issues. Mr. Cloobeck is driven by ego and a desire to be admired (same as Arnold Schwarzenegger) that is almost a DSM-IV level condition. A very decent person when he wants to be, but also one who can't help but use charm and intellect to get his way, no matter how trivial or important the matter may be. I think he just is in way over his head, which is a shame, because he's clearly talented and personable, and the paranoia is off the charts. Still, the guy is very likeable, just don't buy a timeshare from him (or anyone else) or trust him in any manner. That's my observation, anyway.
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Vacation Owner
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Jan 16, 2012
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Fraud and cheating
Well said Rodney
He truly is an ego-maniac I do not know if he is personable as I have never met the man, however his actions are that of a man full of himself and total lack of conscience when it comes to screwing over anyone else. He is all about how Rich he is and has no clue what the rest of the 99% must do just to make it, and frankly he does not care about the 99% as long as they keep paying him is extortion fees to run his resort acquisition machine.
My two cents
CVO
BTW did not watch the S.O.B. on the See B.S. U C Boss...
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rodney32
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Jan 16, 2012
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Fraud and cheating
10 to 1 this guy is associated with and bought DRI from Dennis Hof, another Las Vegas area timeshare con artist who parlayed his fortune into the prostitution business. They're practically brothers on the surface, although I doubt Hof has anything close to the degree of paranoia shown by Cloobeck on the show-for those who missed it he has a bodyguard who drives him everywhere and he ditched the traditional budget hotel after his bodyguard inspected it and found it lacking. Needless to say, he certainly didn't stick to the diet of canned foods and inedible crap other CEO's on the show have traditionally had to endure. Instead, he checked into a luxury hotel-and not just a hotel, a suite. Naturally, Undercover Boss did NOT show him taking on the job of time share salesman, for which he knew he would be torn apart. Quite a sham of an episode, really.
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dogood
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Jan 16, 2012
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poor customer service
I totally agree with all of you. I own two timeshares in Florida. Besides high maintenance fees we are being assessed special assessment fees not for maintenance but to help pay legal fees. Our resort decided to change management from Diamond Resorts to another and they are being sued. Does this sound like fraudulent expense and we are being forced to pay it. I have tried giving them back, they don't want them. Charity refuses them and we can't sell them. We are forced to keep paying whatever our risk our credit rating. Anyone have any ideas?
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Lexis1
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Jan 22, 2012
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poor customer service
We totally agree with all of you, we was down to Florida last year, and we was talk in to renewing our time share under Diamond resort because tempus was no longer with our resort . I just know that I need a good Lawyer to look into all of this, something not right but we will get to the bottom of it all TRUST .
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gregory.rentschler
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Jan 31, 2012
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poor customer service
I'm interested in being part of a class action as well. Total nightmare and the sales people lie straight to your face to make the sale. Then to make the slap in the face even worse you can now rent a week in Orlando at "our" complex for $400. I'm paying $1600 in maintenance fees alone to use that same week. Total BULLSHIT. Add in the $20K I paid in principal and interest and the fact that the deeded property has NO value and it only gets better. The sales associate couldn't say enough how valuable these would be down the road. Email me with any opportunity for a class action at [email protected]
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kschmidt5
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Feb 24, 2012
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Fraud and cheating
Did anyone ever find out how to join a law suit or get action against the rise of maintenance fees and that "Special Assessment" fee for another property? Our maintenance fees have more than doubled, and it's not right that DRI should get away with this? We stupidly or was convinced through sales pitch to trade our deeded one week into a points system the DR club? The maintenance fees went up by $500 a year, but now doubled to $3900+ and we've only been part of this points system for a little over one year. We can't afford this and now in collections and not sure what to do? After 10 years of owning one week and being fine with that, do we have any recourse or do we really walk away after all that? We were sold into something it's not, and especially the fact, they knew that Special Assessment fee was coming up the pipe and we had no clue. They should not be allowed to sell into DRI points or club knowing something wrong like this. We'd like to join a complaint or law-suit or something stating that DRI should not be able to do this to people?
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JoeW1949
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Mar 6, 2012
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Lies
Very interesting, I have a time share since 1993 thru Royal Holiday Club, RHC, the maintenance was 205 per year, and the cost 4500, for a 30 year lease(?), can't actually own outside of the US. Over the years the prices have gone wild, and now all are all inclusive, and the maintenance is going thru the roof. My initial reason for purchasing the 'time share' was to save money, eating out, all units had kitchens and appliances, could shop locally in Mexico or the Carribean, and save tons of cash and only eat out several times during our weekly stay. Would I have purchased another timeshare now, the answer would be 'NO", I am not a member of Diamond Resorts but only last year got a condo for less then an actual owner, in Las Vegas. Talking to owners, they knew about the saving by just going on line and checking availability and saving their points, we all should love the internet, because with knowledge comes power. Wishing you all happiness and to forget about the lies told and just enjoy you points, life is too short.
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NIH
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Mar 19, 2012
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Lies
Do the math. Their 'cheap' option will cost you over $30, 000 over 10 years - and it won't even buy you a weekend in a lock-off during peak season (4500 points). We were told that the 90 minute meeting would be no-pressure. The meeting took 3 hours and we didn't 'chat'. We were pressured to make a decision that day because all offers were removed if we left and took time to think about it. Nobody could 'prove' to me that the points we were purchasing would be able to buy us the vacation that we wanted. Everything was too variable and flimsy.
If I'm buying something I want to get competitive quotes, have time to think, be totally aware of the benefits and costs. It's sad that people commit themselves to tens of thousands of dollars after 90 minutes (to 3 hours) of a presentation.
I loved the Powhatan Resort, but there is no 'deal' here, just a company going after my hard earned cash. Also the 'free vacation' we were promised that could be taken any time was complete BS. There are 3 inches of small print that go against everything that we were told prior to the meeting.
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Abused in Hawaii
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Apr 5, 2012
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exorbitant maintenance fees
True, we need a class action lawyer, given the misrepresentation, heavy-handed and misleading sales tactics. The Diamond Kaui resort wants an additional $2000 towards water intrusion, in addition to excessive maintenance charges. Other owners are also suffering, and we should join together.
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Robin Hardy
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Aug 5, 2012
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job scam
I used to work for this company and I want to beware other people - do not work with them! They awfully treat their employees, with no respect and honour. They hold my salary and they treated me like a slave! They think that everyone have to work for free and be happy working for such company! Stay away from them!
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kathie
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Jan 3, 2013
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can't have our refund
We have been paying Monarch Grand Vacations each month, but recently they have sold their company to Diamond Resorts International, and now the new owners do not approve our payments, saying they don’t have our money! Meaning, that we can not get a refund as well! Is there a solution to this problem? Can anyone help us??!
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djlaing
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Mar 4, 2013
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Assessment fees 2013
In Dec./12 I rec'd my 2013 assessment notice which was pd. in full by U.S. money order mailed Dec. 17/12. This past week I rec'd a "reminder notice " stating that I was in arrears for $228.80. ( this was showm as an overpym't credit on the Dec. statement ) plus late fees plus interest. I called and spoke to a male representative @ approx. 1315 Fri. aft. Mar. 1 and was totally frustrated by his responses. He was very blunt and did not appear to want to hear my side of the story. He stated that I now owe Feb. interest on a balance I didn't know I had and that even though my statement states the $228.80 is a credit his"computer does not show that". I found his attitude and tone of voice quite rude and told him so but that only made things worse. I have written a cover letter and sent copies of my statements to you and would ask that you give this matter your earliest attention. Your coustomer rep. also informed me that this situation is affecting my credit rating with Diamond which I think is totally unfair as I paid my statement in full for Jan. 1/13 as soon as I got your statement and cannot be held responsible for mail delays. Perhaps these statements could be mailed out a month earlier???
I too am unhappy with the extra assessmnet for the Point of Poiupu resort and feel that we are being assessed for problems that should have been addressed years ago upon purchase of the resort. Unfortunately if we do not pay then we cannot book until these extra $$ are pd. and also affects our credit rating with you. I sincerely wish I had not bought Diamond points and am considering selling before my children inherit these problems. Jean Laing
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Carlos1954
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Jun 26, 2014
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RUN FROM DIAMOND RESORTS INTERNATIONAL
After Enron went broke since I worked in an Enron owned company in Venezuela, I took part of my retirement fund and paid in full the mortgage for my (then called Embassy Vacation Club International) @ Grand Beach, Fl, USA since there was a risk to loose my job and I didn't want to get to a point of not being able to made monthly payments on the mortgage. Since then I called the property administrator SUNTERRA, to get mpthe original of my deed, in order to proceed to sale my share. But to my surprise SUNTERRA had applied formChapter 11. I spent the next year trying to get my deed,mcalling directly to property, but the response was that I had to call to SUNTERRA, where the answer was always the same NONE. I never received by email, nor by regular mail maintenance fees invoices, so I had to call at the beginning of every year to find out about maintenance fees and pay them using my Venezuelan Credit Card. But in this country since 2003 there is a currency exchange control and the amount alloted wasn't enough to cover those fees, as they were outrageously rising. Furthermore, since I couldn't afford to travel given the currency exchange controls in Venezuela and myself without a permanent job and income I didn't space bank my week,cnor made any reservations since 2002 so they could rent it and not loose income because of me, so once again I call the property to put my week for rent and that the proceedings be applied to my maintenance fees, but I was told, among other things that they didn't do that anymore. Mind you that I HAVE NOT USED, RENTED, EXCHANGE OR EVEN BLOCK BY RESERVATION my week since 2002, but given my situation I tried every year to make reservation within my Red (gold?) periods just to check if it was in demand and found out that there was never any availability for those dates, which means that they we're renting the unit, and I wasn't getting paid for it. I even asked them, since I saw in the Sinterra web page a link to put your week for rent, but they told me that they didn't dimthat either. I once again requested to be sent the original of my (fully paid mortgage) deed, so I could sell it using one of the timeshare resellers, but they told me I had to go to the court appointed to manage Sunterra's Chapter 11 to get it. Funny, since I CANNOT TRAVEL IF I DON'T have the US$ to do so.
About 2005 I stopped receiving answers to my calls or e-mails, and I couldn't even try to use my week. Then, in 2009 it started again. I received a letter 4 months after it was put in the mail (bad Venezuelan postal service) from DRI stating that I owed them maintenance fees. Since the, every year I have been calling to try and work out this issue and relinquish my property. Until in 2009 someone from the collection department, after I explained my situation and the fact that I have never received any answer to y requests, told me to write a letter transferring the property to "The Association" and fax it to him. The fax machine wasn't working, so I scanned the letter and emailed it to him, requesting delivery notification and acknowledging of read, which I got. Then again the communication stopped, I didn't received answer to my email, and didn't get any more bills.
You would think that I had successfully relinquished my property. But no, in 2013 I received a new bill and lates fees that tripled the amount I was billed in 2009, when I though I have ended my relationship with Grand Beach and DRI by sending the letter to the person how told me to do so and who received my letter and read my email. So once again I called the collection department, where I was informed that the person who told me so didn't work there anymore. Once again Inexplain the Benezuelan situation regarding currency exchange control, my own situation, jobless, and they told me once againg to sign in front of a US public Notary (my wife, my daughter and myself) a transfer of property to the association. I even receive a call late at night (Caracas time) on Chrismas Eve. By then the diplomatic relations between the Venezuelan régimen and the US had affected the ability to promptly get an appointment in the Consular Services (which includ a Public Notary) of the US Embasy in Caracas. So when it finally was possible, in April 2014, we called the collection department to inform them that we had got and th appointment for signing before the Public Notary, but SARA told my wife that that wasn't necessary anymore, that the foreclosure was in progress and like for many Venezuelans we wouldn't have to pay anything. We would just loose the property of our week. To our surprise we recently received a letter from a collector agency stating the owned maintenance fees (of a property we haven't used, reserved, rented, or blocked Diamond or Grand Beach from renting it to others) plus the legal costs of the foreclosure. We immediately call (considering the time difference with Nevada) to inquire why we're we told somenthing and the the opposite happend. We were told that SARA wasn't there but to,leave her a message, we did and we haven't still got a return call. We tried talking with another agent, but told us to call the departmen of foreclosure, we did but there's always the answering machine and no return call. We called the phone number in the collectors agency letter and their answer was that they are only in charge of mailing the letter (regular mail which will probably be added to the charges being accumulated).
In sum after paying the mortgage before time, and trying to relinquish the property for more than 10 years, we seem to be in a not getting out and an endless loop of stalking, harassment by collection department and agencies, which if we were able to pay, would start to run again because there's not getting rid of the property. So if you're thinking on purchasing timeshare RUN AWAY FROM DIAMOND RESORTS INTERNATIONAL, it's all lies, from the sales pitch to management of customers concerns and complaints.
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polwap
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Apr 4, 2015
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Close Call
Just returned from Las Vegas where we attended a DRI presentation. They run a boiler room operation and apply high pressure sales techniques to get you to purchase a time share
Steer clear of these scam artists and thieves. What they tell you is a pack of lies and pressure you to sign up for thousands of dollars. We attended the presentation in order to get $150 credit at a local restaurant on the strip. We were staying at one of there resorts in Vegas. We have had experience such as this and knew what we up against before going in. It pays to do your homework in order to save thousands of dollars. Many people were coerced into buying at the time of presentation. Our closer "Jeremy" was such a jerk he even went on to insult us after we refused his final offer. There are so many complaints I am sure there will be a class action suit to follow since so many people were scammed by these
people who care less about you and just want your money. Once you pay the trouble just begins, Just look at all the complaints on the web. Do you due diligence before investing your hard earned dollars. The only positive thing out of this is that we did enjoy dinner on them and they got zero money from us.
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