Diamond Resorts-is it a scam?

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Comments

  • cddc
    cddc Posts: 1,164 Forumite
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Going to the seminar and have several hours of hard-core sales pitching is the price you pay for your cheap break.
    Just say no, grin and bear it, for the hours it takes and enjoy the rest of your stay.
  • krispey
    krispey Posts: 55 Forumite
    We are members of Diamond resorts and have been happy with them. It is not a scam and but it is not cheap. It is for people who want good quality accommodation. If you are the type who is happy with a last minute deal in cheap accommodation then it is likely not for you. If you are someone who has plenty of time to take lots of trips and wants higher quality accommodation then it may be worth a look.
  • ricc
    ricc Posts: 2 Newbie
    we joined lsi back in the last century, been through gvc and sunterra to diamond. it was good value when we started in pre internet days, minimum points were never enough, but we bought more privatly at a massive discount.
    20 plus years on its a different game, were more fussy where we want to go , elderly parents mean we want to book and go , no way we can book a year in advance, theres never any availability where we want to go when we can go, yet you get the phone calls offering bonus weeks at the resorts we cant get into, go on google you can book a week at the same resorts for peanuts no problems instant availability.
    diamond wont let us leave...why does the company not want our points back gratis so they can sell them for 20k plus to a new punter??
    no problem were several companies on from the one we signed with, diamond ...whove now been bought by someone else..who havnt actually been in contact with us.(whoops forgot to tell diamond when we moved house and changed email addresses) havnt been able to keep to their end of the contract for several years, we aint paying anymore, see you in court and the press and on the web if you want the publicity.
  • SpammyTheSpammer
    SpammyTheSpammer Posts: 1,773 Forumite
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    edited 11 October 2016 at 8:31AM
    Sorry to hear about your problems with DRI.
    Hope that you can escape from them.
    I am a cow so cannot speak Bullshine but I do recognise its smell when I come upon it.
  • red7800
    red7800 Posts: 3 Newbie
    Hi,

    New here. I have been a member of DRI since 1994, through several of its iterations and after the fees going from circa £800 2016 to just over £1000 this year have decided to "opt out".
    This and the last holiday we went on, when "they" tried to sell us more points for £10,000 after telling us that the number of points we owned would not get us anything worthwhile in the future.
    Has anyone got a generic DRI get out letter or does anyone know where such a letter can be down loaded from.
    Cheers

    I have just posted this on another forum on the same site.
  • SpammyTheSpammer
    SpammyTheSpammer Posts: 1,773 Forumite
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    red7800 wrote: »
    ...the fees going from circa £800 2016 to just over £1000 this year...

    Are these the maintenance fees or some other sort of fee?
    I am a cow so cannot speak Bullshine but I do recognise its smell when I come upon it.
  • red7800
    red7800 Posts: 3 Newbie
    Something called "EU collection based charge" and a "per point charge"
  • crits
    crits Posts: 14 Forumite
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Red7800, seems you've been a Member for 23 years(since 1994) - I joined in 2002 (15 years ago) and have enjoyed 25 various trips with friends since.
    Yes, the annual fees have risen - in my case, from £325 in 2002 to £964 in 2017, but you must agree the accommodation is kept in an excellent condition & refurbishment & enhancement is on going. The annual fee has always included a Base Charge and a Per-Point charge, so the fee effectively depends on how many Points one actually owns.
    Booking is easier now than 15 years ago, availability is online, avoiding lengthy phone calls as in the past. One can also book 13 months in advance.
    There are various options if one chooses to surrender ones Membership - may I suggest you contact DRI in Lancaster,UK for all the details.
    Enjoy your vacations & Happy New Year.
  • easilyparted
    easilyparted Posts: 38 Forumite
    If you really, really, REALLY want a TS there is a second hand market where you can buy one for peanuts. I bought a TS at Cameron House, Scotland in about 1992 and have tried to sell it without success. I have refused to pay the annual maintenance fee and risk being taken to court. Each year we go to Spain for a few weeks in the winter and spend less for renting an apartment than the annual charge for the TS.
    Do not buy a TS, you will regret it, just take the freebies and run
  • SpammyTheSpammer
    SpammyTheSpammer Posts: 1,773 Forumite
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    easilyparted wrote: »
    ...Each year we go to Spain for a few weeks in the winter and spend less for renting an apartment than the annual charge for the TS.
    Do not buy a TS, you will regret it, just take the freebies and run

    This is the point that I have been trying to make throughout this thread, that Timeshares are expensive, costing more than just booking the accomodation directly.

    And frankly, I would not even bother with the "freebies". They will suck out a day of your life. If you are that desperate or mean for such an experience with a timeshare rep, then you deserve it
    I am a cow so cannot speak Bullshine but I do recognise its smell when I come upon it.
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