Fairfield Resorts ripoff trying to pressure ud into buying a useless time share Orlando Florida
Like most of you who filed on this site, my parents have been totally ripped off by fairfield. Having been Fairfield/Rci/Geo/Cresent owners for over 3 years now. They have been paying out and the rates and fees keep going up. To this date they have never been able to stay anywhere.
And all the annoying phone calls from fairfield about special deals where they want you to bring a few couples for any weekend but they must make at least $50,000.00 per year. The last phone calls my parents got i just happened to be there and really got em. I kept asking all the questions they couldn't give me a straight answer to till she hung up on me. Like how could we have any weekend set aside anywhere we wanted to bring some couples if as ownder we can never get a place to stay .
Her response was oh well we set aside so many days per month to host these bring a friends weekends. I asked well if we can go any time we want then how can you have so many days set aside, would that mean you have set aside the whole year for this. She couldn't answer this and said I'd have to talk to customer service for a answer. This went on and on and on, I kept asking questions and she kept saying I'd have to talk to customer service. Then I hit her with the big question. How many people own time share in fairfield and how many places owns fairfield actually have and how many people usually reserve for the bring a friends deal. She said over 100,000 owners and only about 26 resorts and on a average there are about 300 couples each weekend at all the resorts on the bridg a friends deal. Then I really let her have it. I asked the big question, if there are over 100,000 owners and only about 26 resorts and you set aside all these bring a friends weekends how is it possible for a ownder to stay anywhere anytime. Do the math on this one. She said, well no everyone goes at the same time. Well no sh**. Then she told me again to call customer service to get a answer to my questions.Thes she had the balls to ask me again if I'd like to go ahead and reserve a weekend on my credit card to bring a friend so they can be pressured into buying a useless time share.I asked her again to just give me a answer to my question and she hung up on me.
Dont fall for these scams and let your friends fall for it either.
Jason
Albertville, Alabama
U.S.A.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
Estelle
CHARLOTTE,North Carolina,
U.S.A.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN FEES NOT GOING UP!!WHAT DO YOU CALL YOUR MAINTENENCE FEES THAT GO UP 10-15% A YEAR.
#4Consumer Comment
Mon, April 10, 2006
I am a Vip owner with Fairfield. When I first bought in 2000 my maintainence fees were 80 a month. They are now 135.00 a month A 75% INCREASE .
This is outrageous. I have not bought any more points, and I was told my fees would never go up.
So I suggest you look again at your yearly costs.
Candie
Trafford,Alabama,
U.S.A.
Addressing fees and calls!!
#4Consumer Comment
Sun, April 09, 2006
I did not mention in my original comment but thought it was noteworthy...
Our fees and Rates have NEVER gone up except for when we bought MORE points because of how much we enjoy our timeshare. When you buy in you sign a written contract with all of the financial information.
I suggest that you read it carefully before signing. If at all possible when buying into Fairfield do NOT agree to every other year and never agree to their original offer. Tell them that you can't afford that amount...do this several times and they will bring in the good deals. They always have some special packages where things fell thru with the original buyer for whatever reason. But they will only let on about these as a last resort.
We have also discovered that buying packages from indiviuals thru resells is a MUCH better deal. The next time we get ready to upgrade to more points this is how we plan to do it. And be careful about buying into more than one resort. You will have double the maintance fees as well as your payments.
some resorts points and maintance fees are MUCH higher. But really if you do it right, where you have your points does not matter. Although they will tell you that it does. If you are at another resort and they have a better deal with more points for the money. Have the points and deed transfered to that resort. DON'T buy seperately!!
Their points are supposed to be guarunteed not to change. The only thing as far as points that are allowed to change is the season. If one season has an increase of visitors they can change it to prime and so on.
Also we NEVER receive calls from Fairfield about specials. As a matter of fact after finding out about a special we would of liked to have gone to, we complained to the management of our host resort because we did NOT get the call with the offer to participate in the special.
For those who have recently bought in or are thinking of doing so. Another little piece of advice to remember. Everytime you visit any resort for a vacation or short stay they will ask you to meet with someone. They will tell you that they just want to talk to you and see how you are enjoying your timeshare and so on and for this you will recieve some type of gift. Usually a gift certificate to eat or tickets for some local attraction or show.
This is nothing more that a high pressure sales pitch that takes just as long as your original one where they try to talk you into buying into their particular resort or buy more points. This is NOT REQUIRED. All you have to do is decline to have the meeting. Although sometimes they will try to pressure you or ask why, but again it is NOT required.
If you want a free meal or tickets just be prepared to sit thru two hours of crap. And they also have something called Ambassador rewards where they ask you to list ten family and friends that might like to come do a tour and you supposedly can get rewards for this too. This has never worked for us and again is NOT required and it will keep your friends and family from being subjected to their phone calls. If you know how to play the system a little bit then it works out great.
Some of their policies can be a little tricky but if you read all info and paperwork carefully you can stay on top of things and know how to work it to your advantage!
Candie
Trafford,Alabama,
U.S.A.
We have no trouble getting reservations!
#4Consumer Comment
Wed, December 28, 2005
My husband and I own with Fairfield and aside from the first year where we did not have that 10 to 13 month window to reserve, we have always been able to get reservations exactly where we want to go. The trick is to book at least 10 months in advance...if you own with the resort you want to go to then you have 13 months to reserve. We have been to Destin twice, Daytona, Orlando, Branson, Nashville, Smokey Mountains, Fairfield Glade and have TWO 3 bedroom cottages reserved for Myrtle Beach for this JUNE! And we are NOT even VIP status! I know a lot of people don't make vacation plans 10 to 13 months in advance...but we started doing this after having trouble getting reservations where we wanted during our first year of membership(we wanted to go to the beach but settled for Branson). This also allows you the time to know that if you can't get where you want then you are in that window to Bank your points which we did this past year and were able to book the two 3 bedrooms (before the new year of points start). The banked points are available fot TWO years instead of just one. That is not to say that we don't have some complaints about Fairfield...but to get reservations where you want to go...the trick is to book at least 10 months in advance and it is VERY easy to check availability on Fairfields site now that they have the new setup!