Complaint Review: Consolidated Resorts - Tahiti Village Or Consolidated Tahiti Inc

My husband and I went for a much needed vacation after I had become permanently disabled in 2005 and had 9 surgeries in the next 3 years. In October or November of 2007. We had gone on a "freebie" through Consolidated Resorts - Tahiti Village, which cost about $99.00, but was to stay at the Riviera. When we arrived at the Riviera, our reservations had been messed up and we had to pay an addition $150.00 for my husbands Mother and Father to be able to stay in the same room with us. They were to pay an additional $150.00 to be able to stay anyway, but we had requested 2 Queen Beds and we got a Suite, which was nice, but it only had 1 bed and a sofa that did not pull out into a bed! So we had to rent another room for them for the additional cost.

We knew we would have to go to a "90 minute" timeshare presentation to be able to fulfill our end of the bargain. First they tried to give us the presentation on the next to last day there. If we had done that we would not have been able to use the "extra show tickets and meal tickets" we were to receive after the presentation. Finally they did book us in, 2 days before we left.

When we arrived for the presentation we were invited into a room with a bunch of other people. We were given the rundown of the timeshare experience. Also, on the week we were there they were offering anyone who wanted to do an video taped interview for a sweepstakes drawing, would be able to at the end of the presentation.

This mtg. lasted about 45 minutes. Then we were taken to another room where everyone was split up into groups of 1 salesperson per couple at tables. We were offered drinks and snacks. Then the salesperson began showing us why we would want a timeshare and what it could do for us. Right off the bat I told them we were not able to afford another monthly payment. I told them I was just recently disabled and I had lost the income of 2 jobs. More than 1/2 of our income. The salesperson told us we could turn this into a money making business. We would be able to sell our unit to someone for a few years which would pay off our timeshare. We could also sell the other "freebie" vacations we "won". We won 6 extra vacations anywhere in the world we wanted to go! We were told we would have access to monthly extra vacations and we could sell them also. They told us not to mention it to anyone else though. This should really be added at the end but....Our salesperson gave us her phone number and told us if we ever wanted to sell it back to them to call her and she would help us do that because the timeshare would appreciated so much we could sell for a lot more than we owed! I called her about 12 months later and she said, "Oh no we don't do that. I can add on to your unit for more money though."

We went on a tour of the condo rooms then were hit with very hard pressure sales techniques to sign up. We finally gave in when we felt we could at least get all our money back in the next 2 years and maybe end up making some extra in the long run. We then were told we had to put 10% down on a credit card and pay some fees which had to do with taxes. This all totaled about $2000.00. Then I told them we wanted to do the video intervew for the Sweepstakes. They acted like they had forgot. They finally gave in and took us to the room to do the interview. To tell you the truth I don't think the camera was even on. I never did hear who won the sweepstakes. 4 1/2 HOURS later, we got to leave and were taken back to our room at the Riviera.

This was in Nov. and in January we had to pay maint. fees of $139.00 a year and some other fees which were due and our 1st monthly payment of $204.04 which all totaled approx. $500.00. We got our welcome call later than we were supposed to. The book of our "extra" vacations they gave us to tie up the deal were delivered. Some other stuff came and we were very overwhelmed with all the paperwork. It took me 3 months to just figure out who we were paying the timeshare for and who we went thru to be able to exchange our vacations. Very confusing.

We tried the next year to get into "our" unit for our return visit. We were told they were sold out and would have to stay at Club DeSoleil. Which we did. I tried to figure out how to sell some extra vacations and soon found out you can't do that! I tried to sell our rental unit but first you have to be able to book it before you can sell it to someone, which didn't happen. The "extra" 6 vacations turned out to be a book which has a bunch of different places you can go and stay (which everyone gets) as long as you book them in advance and go through the company who handles these trips for your airfare. We could pick 6. Long story but not anything we were told! Very expensive also.

I proceeded to find out you cannot sell the "extra" vacations because how can you sell something to someone when you don't get the proof of the purchase in the first place until 20 days before you leave. You have to put money down and make your reservation with other options, in case the one you want is not available.

We ended up not making any money anywhere. We were out the $2000.00 down, $204.04 a month for the next 17 months, $139.00 for maint. fees, and $130.00 approx. for Interval Int'l (the transfer company.) Totaling approx. $5600.00! I had to quit making payments in May of '08. I called and told them this just wasn't working out like we were told and wanted to sell it back to them. They said we couldn't. We had signed a contract and we HAD to pay! I refused for the next 4 months and finally they asked if we would refinance and put the past due payments at the end of the loan and be current again. We said yes we would look at the paperwork. When the paperwork came in, I just didn't trust it. I felt like we were digging the hole deeper. We didn't sign. The calls started again. I explained it just really didn't help us at all. Then they got kind of nasty with me. She told me they were going to foreclose on us. I said, "Do what you have to do. I can't afford to pay." I told her all the lies we were told and she said, "Ok I will put down here that you can't afford to pay." I said, "Make sure you put down there that we were lied to also." She said she would. Then I got mad and said, "You know what, we don't want to do this but if we have to we will join the classaction suit which is forming against you all." "You all have lied to a bunch of people, not just us." Then we hung up.

About 2 weeks later we received a contract to give Consolidated back our purchase if we signed the Quit Claim Deed. In lieu of that they would mark our contract with a zero balance and change the Credit Bureau postings to "Settled". I guess we will do this, but we will get ZERO money back. I was told, by someone else, we better make sure we don't have to continue making the maint fee payments each year or pay a big fee along with the Quit Claim Deed, because they did. I just want it all to go away!

Cindy
Owasso, Oklahoma
U.S.A.