Diamond Resorts-is it a scam?

SpammyTheSpammer

I wish that I had had £7,800 ten years ago to buy an option to get a room for a one week holiday somewhere, plus remembering that I would be paying a total of £4431 over the next 9 years, plus saving another £795 for this year's maintenance fees.
So that's a total of over £13,000 for ten weeks of room rental.
.
HOW MUCH!?

(https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/33324041#Comment_33324041)

I certainly would not have blown a sum like that on a dodgy timeshare, I would have spent about £1,000 the first year on a darned good one week holiday somewhere and that would have paid for the flights, food and drink. The rest I would have invested, it would have paid for more holidays and I would still probably had the majority of the sum left over.

slugs

Guest101 wrote: »

Not really, just think people should be more careful with what commitments they make. Always read all the paperwork, and only sign if you agree. At the end of the day its your money, so why be frivelous with it?

Guest 101, when we joined it was with GVC and things were ok then Diamond resorts took over my £320 week went to £740+ in under two years but im out now, diamond changed all the original rules to suit them, too many greedy men in suits have spoiled it,my exclusive week we bought into is no longer exclusive, the same week can be bought over the net cheaper than what we the owners pay in fees, thats one of the reasons we can't get the weeks we want, also they are still selling them to unsuspecting holidaymakers,and giving them a free week, that can never be right,some of us knew what we bought into, the contracts have been changed out of all preportion,to suit them, without our consent or vote.

slugs

crits,just a quick reply to your post,I am out of Diamond now,no more fees all £700+ no more RCI membership, and i still have luxury holidays through ASDA travel at my old gold crown resort last week, 2 bed app sleeps six for £380. I actually had a bigger duplex app than my old one,with dates to suit mid week to accomodate the flights.

dangoo

I am new to this site but want to get out of Diamond resorts, due to a change in finaces we will be unable to pay the maintenance next year nor will we be able to use the points. i have been reading this site for quite a while,i have also registered with drips, also travel and leisure will try and sell my point's!! althought nobody wants them,i have not parted with any money nor do i intend to. i am worried if i stop paying my maintenance next year will i be hounded by dept collecters, i see some of the comments from people that they have stopped paying dating back to 2008 i wondered if any off them were taken to court? Also the last comment on here was from slugs who said he was out! how did you do it?

slugs

Dangoo,I am a senior member of drips,we found a loop hole in our contract which allowed us out, however once you get the info from the drips site you will know not one of the two thousand plus members have been taken to court,the letters from the debt collectors were binned as we were in dispute,once you tell them of your dispute they should NOT contact you again,if they do let them know they are breaking the law,drips managed to get quite a few members out at the end of last year although it did come with a gagging clause.ps i go under another name on drips.

CynicalGal

Hello, I'm posting on behalf of my mother who purchased a timeshare - I have no idea who with initially - in 1997 and she paid £1200 for it. Since then we've been to it once and the cost for that was more than we would have paid for a last minute break away. Since then she "banked" her week, which allows the resort manager to use or sell her week, though sh has never seen a penny of any income they may or may not have received. However she has had to pay £500 in "maintenance" costs annually since purchasing the timeshare. Even assuming there is just the one apartment in the complex - there are approximately 100 - if everyone who owned a week on this same apartment this equates to £26000 annual maintenance. Extrapolate that out to the remaining apartments, that's one hell of a lot in service charges!!

Anyway, she too wants to get out of her contract and has been told its virtually impossible and what's more she has been advised that the contract she signed is in perpetuity and will pass to her offspring - that's me and my sisters - when she dies.

We have advised her not to pay the service charges this year and see what happens but I wonder if anyone has any real experience of knowledge of such matters. I see there's a lot of personal experience here but nothing that seems to approach sound advice, though I admit I haven't read every post.

Apparently the sticking point is that the contract is written following Spanish law but I can't believe another European partner has such draconian law.

Can anyone advise help?

CynicalGal

Oh and to be clear the management company is Diamond resorts.

Also I see that some members have made reference to DIPS. What is that?

mumx3

Also I see that some members have made reference to DIPS. What is that?

CynicalGal...It's DRIPS ...Diamond Resorts Protesters, there you will find over 2000 members all in the same boat, it's free to join and full of great help and info.

http://drip.enjin.com,

Dicky_Heart

Cynical Gal,
Don't let your mum pay another penny in maintenance charges to DRI. Send a resignation letter to DRI and give them your mum's circumstances. DRI will probably say you can't resign - well you can.
If you get resistance from DRI, get in touch with Lancashire Trading Standards (Clare Box) and request her to get DRI to allow your mother to cease her membership with DRI.
Don't pay DRI any money for getting out.
As a matter of interest, over 2,000 members have refused to pay their maintenance - some for many years - and DRI has never taken anyone to court. If they did then 2,000+ members would be willing to attend a court to assist the defence.:T

skeggygirl

Hi guys just been reading abour diamond resorts scamming people. Alot of us have been scammed by the above resort badly. They use Barclays Partner Finance for their loans which are simply credit card agreeements. They tell you its a buy to let programme and that they will sell it within the next 2 yrs and your loan will be paid off and you will have a small pofit!!!!!! Yeah rite you will . There is no Buy to let or resale programme at this resort. You sign up they give you 2 yr Rent then drop you in the S---! you are lumbered with a loan you dont want!!!!!! Total fraudsters alot of us been caught out mostly those who they have dealt with in the past and they have preyed on their good nature. DO NOT GET A TIMESHARE AT THIS RESORT!!!!! if you have been scammed by this resort please get intouch we are trying to bring a case together at this present time thanks Skeggygirl