Complaint Review: Eldorado Resorts - Grandview Las Vegas - Fort Lauderdale Florida

We were very excited to be on a 4 week holiday in USA, and arrived in Las Vegas on the 6^th April, booked into the Excalibur Hotel on the strip, and were taking our luggage up to our room when we were pulled aside by a lady asking us if we would like to go to a free show while at Las Vegas. As we had intended to go to a show we said yes, she said a new resort had been built in Las Vegas and all we had to do was inspect the resort giving an opinion of the resort which would include a breakfast and would take no more than one and a half hours, two hours at the very most.  At no time were we informed that this was a time share/ holiday club. We were given over to a male at the counter who showed us the variety of shows and asked us which ones we preferred and reiterated what the woman had said. He then asked for a deposit of $20.00 each which was to be returned to us with the free tickets after viewing the resort.  And as we are very nave we didnt connect it to some sort of sales pitch.

On the morning of the 7^th April we meet at the rear entrance of the hotel along with numerous other couples who also had been booked to go on this same tour. We then all had to fill out a form with our details. (Alarm bells should have started ringing then). We were then all taken on a 15 minute drive towards the dessert to this resort called the Grandview Las Vegas and then had to wait for our name to be called, we were then taken upstairs to a very large area were about 30 other couples were all sitting at individual tables with a  salesperson. Our salesman was Kevin, and asked us if we knew this was a time share/holiday meeting (when we told him, No we had not been informed it was a time share), and if we had heard of RCI. He then said that we were supposed to be informed it was a time share, and we can put in a formal complaint. Kevin then started telling us about this wonderful opportunity to own a bit of dirt in Las Vegas, a time share/holiday package, and how there so called company is the fastest growing company in the world. We told him we didnt believe in them and werent interested, and he then started on this story how he felt the same when his best mate had booked one of these same meetings when on holidays to Las Vegas. He said he went along with him to stop him, and was so impressed he also bought a time share, and has since bought 4 more, and how wonderful it was.

He then offered us a deal of 1 week, plus 2 extra weeks for $39,000, which we could exchange anywhere in the world. David was dead against it, so Kevins supervisor (Michael) came over and said he will ring his boss and see if he can give us 4 weeks extra, plus the 51^st week of the year which apparently they dont give out to many people. At some point this Michael took Davids drivers licence for identification purposes, David kept saying no, but they would not take no for an answer. Michael then asked David for his credit card which was in his wallet on the table. At that point David grabbed his wallet from the table and said Youre not having my credit card and I will have my licence now. Both Michael and Kevin now moved into top gear. We were kept there for 6 hours, under duress and constant badgering wasting precious time of our holidays. They kept up the pressuring until we were bullied into signing and attacking Davids cautious character with comments like you need to loosen up, enjoy life, and stop worrying you could die tomorrow. Michael went on to say he had 2 sisters that we very famous Doctors and they tell him the most dangerous thing to do is worry. That I need to loosen up.

Totally exhausted and deflated David said to Glenda If you want get it, but its on your head use your own credit card. We were then taken to the Signing room they said do not ask the lady (Anne) any questions because she hasnt got time to answer, just sign the papers. At no time were we left alone so we could even discuss this together, or even with any other potential buyers, even to the point when David went to the toilet men in suits always appeared as well. We felt as if we were harassed  and pushed into an agreement we did not want, with no time even to discuss it. Michael also took my credit card (xxxxxs) for the deposit and I did not get it back till all the papers were signed. (Over an hour). When we finally got back to our hotel and David was so upset that he let 2 men pressure him into buying something he didnt want, that he felt so weak for not standing up to them, and that he was conned. We had endless fights over the next few weeks of our holidays, and believe our holiday of a lifetime was wrecked because of this deceitful affair.  

At 1.30 in the morning of the 9^th I rang Kevins mobile crying and left a message and said we wanted to get out of deal, and could he ring me back. Of course we never heard from him. David was so upset with them, and me, I put the bag of information in the bottom of our luggage, we did not look at it till we got home, because the less spoken about it the better. After we returned back in Australia, David Goggle searched Grandview, Eldorado Resorts and Birkley. To our horror but not surprise the litany of lies were evident from other peoples stories and experiences from other people who have also been conned. The most distressing aspect is the price we paid, which will blow out to somewhere near $40,000.00  when a quick search on the internet suggests prices ranging on E-Bay for $1,000-$5,000 with many people paying between $5000-$1000 at the presentation (depending on how long you hold out).

We were constantly told our time share could be sold for a profit or rented out to friends. This is another lie as the endless comments on the net where people have been trying to sell the same Grandview deal that they were also conned into. We were also informed that this is something we can bequeath to our children when we die.

On our return to Australia, Citibank has informed us xxxxxxs credit card has been compromised, which we find interesting because Eldorado Resorts was the only business where her card had been used. Since April the 7^th when we were pressured into this so called great deal David has been depressed, not sleeping and also had pain in his chest and arm. His health has suffered, and our relationship has suffered. Our finances are now under extreme pressure due to the understated cost and upkeep of this sham, due solely to our inability to look at our current financial situation on the day of our entrapment at the Grandview, through the constant bullying, manipulation and pressing to sign up.    

We tell everyone we hated Las Vegas and never want to go back again, and it is all from the experience we had there. We both think as well as revoking the contract we should also receive our deposit back.

We write this letter in deep shame and humiliation that we were allowed to be scammed in such a way and disappointed the holiday of a lifetime has soiled by this underhanded and deceitful affair.

Remember: NOTHING IS FREE IN LAS VEGAS. NEVER LET ANYONE HAVE YOUR CREDIT CARD OR LICENCE