[Resolved]  Club Mahindra Holidays — Cheating, mental torture & zero compliance to the general definition of holidays

Address:

Mumbai City, Maharashtra

Club Mahindra cheated me and mentally tortured me for more than 6 years. I had opted for a top season Club Mahindra membership, the Red studio more than 6 years back. (Just for information: Less than 3 years back they added Purple season membership which curtails the top season utility value & the rights of the Red season. This is completely unethical in the first place. This is the least of my concern, though). The long list of my complaints runs as below: 1) Red season ranks above than the white & blue season. I am entitled to 7 days of free stay in the resort of our choice in a peak season. My past holiday history confirms that I have been taking holidays in a weaker season which is as per my choice. I paid more than 3 lakhs as membership charges for 25 years. However, since the very 1st year of buying the Mahindra time share I have always had to compromise on my a) choice to resort, b) type of accomodation (studio, 1bhk, 2 bhk, etc). For people planning a holiday brings joy on their faces. Not for me, it starts with an uneasy friction with the internal ever changing policies of the resort company. It is really unfortunate that I have been punished for patronising Club Mahindra which happens to belong to one of the topmost business houses in India. 2) Booking are never available in the resort of one's choice inspite of trying to book more than 3 months in advance each time. Earlier they had a policy for members to book 3 to 6 months in advance (can any salaried person apply for a leave 3 to 6 months in advance? this goes against the basic essence of holidaying). 3) The preferences of holidays is given to a) Corporate bookings (club Mahindra is tied with several banks & organisations for the holidays of their employees. This booking can be confirmed within 1 month duration between booking & holidaying). b) Local bookings (each club Mahindra resort acts as a profit centre head & has their own daily, weekly & monthly targets to be achieved & c) Lastly the preference is given to the club member who has paid a whopping sum to become a member. I have a series of mail complaints made to them & in equal number of incompetent responses received from them which starts with an apology & ends with an apology without resolving the crux of the query asked). There are more no. of complaints against club Mahindra than the total members they have made till date, which explains that the business house couldn't bother less on the matter of consumer apathy. This season too started with a friction with their tele booking officers. As usual they do not have availability in the Lonavla resort on the dates asked for between 21st & 31st March 2015. I was asked to call on 1st March 2015 to book. On asking what were the chances, there is no response, they say that call & check, because they have a waiting list also. My question is if there is no availability showing today, how are things going to change in 8 days & that too inspite of having a long waiting list. The worst part if due to this approach by club Mahindra I have 3 weeks of holidays banked with them till date. And still worse is if I don't book my holidays till 30th April 2015, around 6.8 days of my holidays would lapse due to no utility. My situation is that on one hand I am not given my holidays in the resort of my choice & the time duration of my choice & on the other hand I am punished for forcing me to not use them in their prescribed format & parameters. On top of above all, Club Mahindra imposes an annual maintenance charge to their members. As per my last communication, I have refused to pay my AMC if my booking (in waiting) is not accepted. There is not authority in Club Mahindra who would take any responsibility of who would call back if case of any queries. Their customer service mails are generic in nature & doesn't carry contact details of a resolution unit individual who is entrusted a complaint / case. My last complaint with their tele booking officer, Ms. Nimisha @ 3.45 pm on 20.2.2015 with reference no. 2695818, was yet another experience of a holiday gone bad... Please help me resolve this problem once and for all. Many Thanks & Regards, Amit Rajput [protected] (mobile no. registered with Club Mahindra)