Complain about a product or service

Mayan Resorts

Daniel of Lake Tapps WA (05/20/07)
On April 4, 2007 we attended a 90 minute time share presentation at the Mayan Palace in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. After a sales pitch that lasted 5 hours and was full of lies, we signed a contract. Later that night we read the 5 day cancellation policy on the contract, and decided to return to the office and cancel the contract. On April 5 we returned to the Member Services office at the resort to cancel. We were told that we had waived the right to receive a refund of our deposit, which was $9,870.00 when we signed a recital.

Not wanting to lose the deposit, we accepted a different contract for a lower price and they kept the higher deposit. Upon returning home we still felt that we had been victims of fraud. Finally, an internet research revealed that it is illegal in Mexico to waive the 5 day cancellation period or to not accept a cancellation with in that period. Six weeks later, we are again trying to cancel the contract and get our deposit back.

The sales people opened a credit card for us to put the deposit on. We now owe $9,870.00 on that card. We have contacted the credit company to dispute the transaction. We have a bill due to the Mayan Palace on June 3, 2007 for the amount of $6,350. I will not pay this. I am concerned about damage to my credit because of this.

Michelle of North Vancouver, British OTHER (05/18/07)
My husband and I purchased a timeshare with a local affiliate of RCI - Point to Point Destinations of Vancouver, BC in August 2005. RCI membership is mandatory with our PTP membership and we receive 24,000 annual points to use at RCI resorts.

We booked a week's vacation over Christmas at Xpu Ha Palace Resort in the Mayan Riviera. We were told on the phone by RCI staff that we would be charged 31,000 points plus roughly $1500 Canadian dollars for the mandatory all-inclusive add-on fee (the 31,000 timeshare points were to cover the room only). We agreed. I went on to purchase non-refundable airline tickets two days later.

A couple of weeks later we received our printed confirmation in the mail from RCI. Not only was the all-inclusive add-on fee not $1500 Canadian, it was $2800 US! We had been quoted the amount applicable only up to and including December 16th; from December 17th to 29th, the price would jump to $2800. When I spoke to a customer service manager, she said they had made a note that they quoted us $2800 US and that I was the one in error. She went on to say she would be happy to find me another resort that might be closer to the cost we were expecting. I said that was absolutely unacceptable, as Xpu Ha Palace was the only resort we wanted to visit and had only agreed to Christmas week (Dec 22-29) because that was the only week available in the next year or so. She then said she could move us to December 1st at the same resort (at which point it would only cost $1500 US), though there had been no December 1st availability when we had called to make the booking in the first place, plus we would also end up with a fee to change our now-booked airline tickets.

When I checked the palace resorts website and went through their online booking process to secure a room from December 17th for 7 nights (within the December 17-29 range that RCI notes a $2800 add-on charge for all inclusive) I was quoted a total of $2400 US for my husband and I to stay, all inclusive.

I'll say it again... to book this hotel without the timeshare was $400 cheaper than using my RCI points, and that doesn't take into account that I have spent several thousand dollars on my timeshare!

We have $2,000 in non-refundable airline tickets booked for a vacation that will cost us a little over $1200 more than we had planned for (and could afford), PLUS the fact that booking outside of the timeshare program is $400 cheaper. That is absolutely criminal.

N of Tahoe City CA (04/13/07)
I was convinced by Mayan Resorts sales people that an upgrade to my timeshare from Mayan Palace to Mayan Place Regency would make it easier to rent and more saleable. I entered into a contract for $6,720.00 to complete this upgrade. I have since learned that this upgrade is doing nothing for me as I try to sell and rent the unit.

The list of benefits is this:Elite Reservations rental program (which I had available before),RCI enhanced pkg, certificates for cruise and vacation discounts, 50% off golf green fees (previously it was 20%), senior certificare (I'm NOT a senior), no mandatory maintenance fees after 5 years if I don't use the property?? Lots of free extra benefits and vacation bonuses but nothing tangible.

I owe a cash out of $4,368.00. I wonder what the consideration of this contract is? I have all the paperwork and had to email the sales office to get a list of benefits I paid for.

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