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Mayan Palace, Puerto Penasco, AKA Grupo Mayan, PO BOX 27701-464, Houston, TX 77227 Unetical Time Share Sales. Ripoff Puerto Pinasco Sonora Mexico
Having seen on your site several complaints about the Majan Palace Time Share sales, I would like to document my experience with them, and confirm that I will be available as a witness to support any litigation on this matter.
I spent the week-end of May 25, 2007 at the Mayan Palace of Puerto Pinasco. While checking in I understood I had bought time share nights availability from a time share member of the Mayan. I got interested and wanted to know how the time share arrangement was working, asked a few questions. I was therefore invited to a free breakfast and a presentation that should have lasted max. a couple of hours. I did that the morning of May 27th, Sunday.
We skipped breakfast as the line was too long and got directly into the presentation.
A lady sales person made sure I understood that the only opportunity to by time share space with the Majan Group, was going to be that same day, after that the purchase could not be done. She explained that there were two levels of membership, practically one was the "Standard", and the other was the Exclusive. Many other amenities were attached to the one or the other, I will not take the time to describe all the sale process, but as a summary, the Standard had fewer possibilities of re-selling or exchanging Time Share weeks, while the "Exclusive" was guaranteed for that by the Mayan Group. Prices started at $399,000..... I believe it was for the "Exclusive" membership for four weeks per year, plus other amenities. Maintenance fees at $70.00 per day per year, but very good, only if the time share weeks were used....
I told them I was interested in only one week per year for not more then $10,000. After a lot of pressure and discussions, I found out that I could have two "Standard" prime weeks every two years plus two secondary weeks, but I had to sign right there. I went for it... gulp!
I requested to have the time to read the documents I had to sign. I was told that as the time was limited, they had prepared a cover page that was summarizing the content of the main document, and that by reading the cover page I could be reassured that I was not signing anything different. I read the cover page, I underlined that point 9,was saying that the contract: "... once Active could not be cancelled, and the customer would loose all deposits if he/she wanted to cancel...". This by Mexican Law. We than started to go through the main contract. Every point was practically as in the cover page. We went to the last page of the main contract (I believe 5 of 5), and the sales lady was very careful in pointing out that the last and only paragraph of that page, before the signatures, was repeating what read in point 9 of the summary page, I.E. that the contract could not be cancelled by Mexican Law, and:" Please -she said- just initial this box to validate that I told you this". I initialed the box. I had a witness with me through all the process. He told me several time not to buy and go.... I signed the contract and paid 30% deposit.
To end this story, the same night I found out through other people staying at the Mayan that it was quite impossible to book any time with them, they had tried for two years and only got three days of the four weeks for the first time.
I got scared and decided that I was going to loose my deposit but for no reason, I was going to pay the balance. I was convinced I could not cancel. These people also told me that they tried to cancel the contract several times, but they could not.
That night we reviewed the contract to find out that the paragraph of page 5/5 was not saying that the contract could not be cancelled, but on the contrary, it was saying that the contract could be cancelled in the first five days, it was therefore "active", only after five days from signing. The sales lady was very careful to leave us under the impression that the contract could not be cancelled. By the time we had returned to USA and got to a Lawyer, the five days would have gone by and I would not have been able to cancel the contract.
I went back to see their CPA,Lance Dobbs, the morning of the 28th, told him I wanted to cancel, told him I had been misinformed during the sales process... He cancelled the contract, returned the deposit and gave me a cancellation letter. Since then there were two attempts to collect made by the Desarrollo Marina Vallarta organization, of Houston, Texas and Dallas, Texas (Grupo Mayan). I sent them a copy of the cancellation letter, and copied BBB and the Attorney General of both cities. I hope I am not going to hear from them further. The above for your info.
Linda
scottsdale, Arizona
U.S.A.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
SophieM
Des Moines,Washington,
Mayan Palace Timeshare Scam
#4Consumer Comment
Fri, May 23, 2014
I bought a Mayan Palace timeshare in my early 20s and it was one of the worst financial mistakes I ever made. I never intended to buy it, but I cannot suckered into going to a presentation to get free show tickets when I was in Puerto Vallarta. The high-pressure sales person convinced me to sign on the dotted line, and I ended up with a timeshare. It was one of the hardest things to get rid of, and I lost about $20,000 in the process. It was an expensive lesson learned.
StephieW
Hayward,California,
Mayan Palace Timeshare Scam
#4Consumer Comment
Mon, December 16, 2013
The Mayan Palace timeshare SCAM in Nuevo Vallarta, my husband and I were also duped with gifts to come and see this timeshare scam. I kept asking for a "guarantee" or "proof" to everything they promised. They just kept double-talking and repeated themselves over and over again. After 5 hours, the price went from $90K to $9K and we bought (temporarily). Back at our hotel, I looked up the Grand Mayan and two days later we went back to cancel. They refused to let us cancel (which is illegal).
They wanted us to make an appointment the morning before our flight left. I didn't have 5 hours to argue with them again so we sent an email cancellation from the hotel. I got home and sent a fax cancellation then sent a certified letter to the hotel. Finally they acknowledged my cancellation (within the 5 day period). I also contacted Profeco. Who knows, maybe they are paying everyone in Mexico off to keep quiet. Fortunately, I realized soon enough what a scam this place is. For your family's money do not buy at the Mayan
VC32
Hayward,California,
Mayan Palace Timeshare Scam
#4Consumer Suggestion
Mon, March 25, 2013
Mayan Palace has ruined my life. I believed in their false promises in return Im stuck with this useless membership which has cost me thousands of dollars. Their timeshare is so bad that they must lie in order to sell it! Although once they realized you are mad enough to take action against them due to their fraudulent and unscrupulous sales strategies, they make silly offers to calm you down. Its stupid the way they conduct business; if I wouldnt be so broke due to the money I have gave to Mayan Palace, I would take legal action against them. We are not the only ones, this is a good article from Mexican Timeshare Solutions on how most of the mayan palace timeshare scams are committed:
http://www.timesharescam.com/blog/51-mayan-palace-timeshare-scam/