LANDO RESORT CORP. is a Real Estate "developer" now representing VACATION VILLAGE at PARWAY a TIMESHARING RESORT, as its selling Agent. Both "institutions" located in FORT LAUDERDALE, FL. The ripoff is perpetrated by the LANDO agents, with complete knowledge and complicity of Vacation Village Management and its owners. They enjoy the great distintion of being kick out of BBB membership for their unwilliness to solve the hundreds of complaints from disaffected consumers. (Find names of management and ownership at the BBB special report on this group)
How is perpetrated: When you happen to inocently fell in their hands if visiting, like me, their resort at WESTON, minutes away from Fort Lauderdale Airport. I was there just to enjoy a week rest obtain through an exchange off my membership with a Vacation Exchange service.
As soon as you check in, they ask to register your car on the next desk. There, you get ask if it is your first time with them and whatever your answer, you get greeted with a "FREE" wellcome breakfast the next day, for which you have to advance $20 dollars right there and then if you like to get a PARKING tag for your car. If you pay, you get to sign acceptance to attend their selling presentation the next day after "breakfast" and only if you do, you get a visa to refund the cost of you breakfast.
THE "SELLING" rip-off: A rank-and-file gives you the rundown ending with a offer to buy an ALL YEAR week for 34,000, at their brand new development in ORLANDO, FL. The offer gets described and shown samples units next door to the WESTON resort, as 2 SEPARATE GEMINI UNITS located next to each other, with EACH unit featuring 2 bedrooms, formal dining and large living rooms; full kitchen; balcony yacoozzi and private laudry.
According to a complex system of POINTS given to you in a separate program, whose contract has FIVE 10x17 pages written in the finest small print you can imagine, "you will get the benefit to use your week as many times as you please during each year" just by making use of those points given by the program you will never understand until is too late.
THE 50% "DISCOUNT": As soon as I told my wife, -the enthusiatic purcharser at the time- that it sounded too good to be true, the master rip-off manager/supervisor, with authority to lie at will appeared with a wide smile as fake as a lead silver dollar. HE COULD MAKE US OWN all the benefits described " for half of the illustrated price of 34K (!!!!????) Yes sir, "only today" you can get the 2 "units" for only $14.490. I NEW he was liying through his teeth, but I imagine just a trickly presentation showing a fake price at the begining and then dropping it to the real price as soon as the victim start reatreating.
When we were presented with the long pile of paper to sign, I told them we needed a few days to read all in detail. The argument was firm and solid, the "special" offer was only valid TODAY. The master ripoff artist insisted we can cancel "no questions asked ANY TIME" and that the attorney serving the paper took on full responsiblity about the fair content of the paper work.
THERE ARE 10 days to cancel and get refund, which start to run the momment you sign. The next trick chapter is that they HOLD your papers 3 days after signing. We only got to learn that the "2 Units" shown was just ONE 2 bedrooms, after being back in NY 8 days into the "free lokk refund period" "No, no, there were never 2 separate units. it is ONE with 2 bedrroms, and yes you can cram 8 people in it, no problem" We also learned that the ALL YEAR week was now week 12 during the worst off-season. And it was a "Biennial" unit wich meant that our Timesharing was only the ODD YEARS.
I managed to FEDEX the letter of cancellation to them in time. Lets see still if I get lucky enough to get our down money back.
supermom23
Chicago,#2Consumer Comment
Mon, October 19, 2015
With all due respect...you were less than honest about your presentation. You were offered $100 visa plus your $20 deposit and free parking. Not just your deposit back. Second of all, you were shown 2 units side by side, with one main entrance...and two separate doors to two separate units. This was called a 2 bedroom lockout, which could be used all at once, or split into two vacations. Third...every single thing was explained to you in closing and you signed line by line.
I have a similar unit, but with a different company. And yes... I went to the presentation to get free Disney tickets. I promised myself I was only looking. I bought a 3 bedroom lockout unit, which I can split into 3 units in a one bedroom. I bought every third year...a tri-annual. And I love it.
Staying in hotels is OK for a night or two. But after that, eating out 3 times a day, plus drinks and snacks gets expensive and exhausing. A longer stay requires kitchens and separate sleeping quarters and separate bathrooms...at least for us. We can't stand sharing facilities. And we don't all sleep together in one room at home..nor do we like to on vacation, where we are supposed to be having a BETTER time than home.
If you lied about your income to get into the presentation...then I understand why you returned your membership. Otherwise, just be happy and write a good review for them honoring the guarantee. That's called good customer service.
Some people just want to complain, no matter what you do for them. Maybe more freebies would have made you happy.