Complaint Review: Sedona Pines Resort - Sedona Arizona

Hi Darren,

I am pleased to hear at least someone has had sucess with Sedona Pines (and more generally timeshares).  Believe me, your case with a small minority and is quite uncommon.

Sedona pines, and obviously the majority of timeshare, engage is SCAM related business practices.  Essentially preying on people who have no business 'owning' a timeshare.  These include preying on people who either:

(1) Lack finances
(2) Lack time
(3) Falling for high pressure sales.

I have the finances, but fell for the high pressure sales knowing I had no time to own a timeshare...

I do hope you find comfort that the actual value of your property is at most 10% of the price you have paid...

Thanks,
--George

My wife bought at Sedona Pines Resort years ago, in 2002 to be exact, before we met.  We have used her ownership each year since our marriage and have had the most fantastic vacations in the world for a very very low cost.  She paid off her package and actually upgraded and we bought more together.

She originally had a bieannual package and she was only billed maintenance fees in the year she received her points.  Later we got an annual package and now and only now are we billed annually.  The membership with RCI (where you get lots of vacations all over the world, discounts on airfare, car rental, etc and can purchase additional vacation time for a small amount per week) is an annual membership fee.  We pay ours for five years not annually however.

Further, our ownership is worth many thousands of dollars to us because in one trip allow to Cabo San Lucas we priced it without timeshare and it would have cost us well over $5600 but we paid only the RCI exchange fee, $164 for a week in a 5 star resort, airfare which was only $49 using our points and we took $1500 in cash and brought home $1100 after all our food, fun and sovineurs.

When we traded in our bieannual for an annual package two years ago, we received 100% of what my wife originally paid.  If we just did not want our ownership, sure it would not be worth what we paid - everyone with a clear head knows that timeshare is for your use and to save thousands and have fantastic trips all over the world, not to turn a profit.

I can only say as an owner for over 7 years - this works, everyone at Sedona Pines Resort (everyone) treats us great, gave us the best value and we love the resort and we love RCI.  There is NO better way to travel.  And if you tried it, you would find that out like everyone who we meet on our trips - the smart money is on Sedona  Pines Resort and RCI.

Thank you

Another update...

Seems their game is drown you to death in maintenance fees and late fees:
---
1. Any account unpaid 30 days after it is due will be considered delinquent.  A $50.00 late fee will be added to all delinquent account.
2. Delinquency also results in the following: (list of common penalties)
3. Any account that is still unpaid 60 days after it is du will be charged an additional $50.00 fee in order to reinstate the account.
4. The following collection fees will be added to all delinquent accounts of 90 days past due
a) $50.00

'board action'
1) Report to the credit bureau
2) Submit delinquent accounts to an attorney
3) Engage a professional collection agency
4) Record a Claim of Assessment Lien
5) Institute a Small Claims suit or legal action
6) Use for rental on behalf of the Sdona Pines Resort Vacation Club

All related costs for the above will be added to the delinquent owners account.
---
Simply stated, even 'owners' who pay off their 'loan' can still loose their 'property' for an inflated maintenance fee.

So in summary:

(1) By the time I paid off the loan, I would have paid at least $15,000.00 for a property, whom even the owner feels is only worth at most $1179.50
(2) This is a bi-annual property, but I am required to pay at least $410.00 in maintenance fees yearly!
(3) if you do not pay the maintenance fees, basically  will loose the property.
(4) You cannot give the thing away! (believe me, I am trying)

Why do people make stupid choices?  I need to see a shrink!

Personally speaking, I would not be in disbelieve if these individuals had something to do with the 2 deaths in the local sweat lodge.  They sure love to recoup peoples properties.  You know the headlines:

"2 die, 19 others overcome in sweat lodge at Sedona resort" (http://www.azcentral.com/12news/news/articles/2009/10/09/20091009sweatlodgedeaths-CP.html)

btw, for those interested, their website and address:

http://www.sedonapines.com/

Sedona Pines Resort
6701 West Hwy 89A
Sedona, AZ 86336

Resort Operator -
Member Services -
(928) 282-6640
(877) 697-3767

(928) 204-1573
[email protected]

Just received a call from Sedona Pines....

Slander???

With the exception of crossing out my name, this email is taken verbatim from a transaction I received from Sedona Pines. I guess signatures on official emails are considered private information?  As you can see, this is an official sedona pines email address...  (unless this information is already removed before you see this posting.)

--G