Complaint Review: Unlimited Vacation Club - Miami Florida

The hotel/resorts that UVC own and operate are gorgeous.  In fact, I gave the resort at Puerto Vallarta where we stayed over Xmas 2015 a 5 star review on Trip Advisor.   Food was good, room was beautiful, pool and amenities were top notch.

Now that's out of the way, here's the warning: They want to provide you with $400 worth of coupons upon check in provided, however, you listen to a 20 minute presentation on their memberships.

The last thing I wanted to do after getting out of the house, driving to the airport and all the attendant hassles, flying time, driving time from aiport to hotel is listen to a presentation...all I wanted to do was check in and get a drink.

I had to bully my way past their "check in" agents and I hate doing that to the folks trying to make a living and ultimately after putting up a stink for 20 minutes they let me check in ONLY if I promised to come back and listen.   Every time I walked out of the lobby I was pestered about the presentation.

After 3 days of sun, food and adult beverages I let my guard down and sat through the appointment.   

These guys operate like every bad movie you've ever seen about land sales, timeshares, or any fast talking sterotypical salesperson.   The pictures they paint, the collateral material they show you make it all so fantasy like.   

Now, I'm pretty good with numbers and watching the young man and woman work their magic dazzled me.  I was doing the math with them and it sure seemed sound but that is precisely what they want you to believe.

I agreed to purchase a "membership" for 15 or 20 years, I've forgotten now, but the membership can be shared, can be passed on and all these wonderful things.   My wife and I agree to pony up a bit over $20,000.00.  Yes, that's how easily a fool and his money can be parted.

We then proceed to the "closing" and they have their "representative" present who proceeds to shower us with page after page of documents spending barely enough time to review them, let alone allowing me to take them to an attorney.  Has to be signed on site, of course.

After a good 2 hours of this we're exhausted and simply want to get out.   We leave, after they pop the champagne for us, and a combination of feelings sweep over us...what did we just do?  Did we just spend $20K?  

After we get home, I proceed to immediately FEDEX a letter of complaint insisting that the contract be voided.  I submit all my arguments and after a day I get a phone call from a gentleman who specializes is "saving" contracts.  He's very smooth and even tempered.

We discuss, me with some animation, the proceedings and how we've changed our mind and no longer want this "membership".  After many hours and a few days worth of conversations, he has convinced me to reduce my membership to a 5 year deal that winds up costing me $5k +/-

And for that, we will be rewarded with 7 FREE nights at any of their resorts except Zoetry...

Well, now after all the conniving and misrepresentation and not counting my half drunken stupor I was in when I originally signed the document comes the real disappointment:  the resorts we want to go to require a 2 for 1 night stay...meaning my 7 free nights is really only worth 3.  And, of course, limitations apply to holidays and high season.

So, shame on me for listening to their spiel, shame on me for signing while I was half toasted but shame on them for their unseemly and confusing "fine print" which none of them bothered to point out.  Why should they?  If they did, they'd never sell any memberships.

Take home value:  Go and enjoy your vacation at any of the resorts, you'll have a good time I'm sure.  But do not under any circumstances take their coupons in exchange for a "simple 20 minute presentation, no strings attached".