[Resolved]  Royal Goan Beach Club — False promises & refusal to refund amount

Dear Sir/Madam,

This is to bring to your notice the way some Timeshare holiday companies (ROYAL GOAN BEACH CLUB)are making fool of customers and not providing them with the facilities promised earlier.


I had gone to goa for a scientific conference with a friend. i stayed with him at THE HAATHI MAHAL RESORT owned by the ROYAL GOAN BEACH CLUB. i was impressed with the resort and thought that i could also be a member.
during their presentation i was told that they would provide me & my family a 7days and 6 nights stay every year for 25 years. if i took their platinum membership i would be given their Imperial apartments which are really worth the money.
as an ongoing offer i was told that i would also get the Membership of DAE (Dial and Exchange) holidays which would enable me to enjoy holidays anywhere in the world. i was told by royal resort manager that this membership is only for royal resort platinum members and that its cost is Rs.40, 000/-. but as a platinum member it would be included in my membership package.

beside i was also told that only royal resort had a tie up with ICE CRUISE HOLIDAYS, AUSTRALIA which would give me and my family to enjoy cruise vacations every year for 25 years and that the membership fee for this is Rs.75, 000/-. again i was told by their executive that Royal resort was the only company with which ICE Cruise has a tie up.

i was given a total package of Rs.4, 15, 000/- which included the platinum membership of royal resorts, their affiliate resorts, DAE membership and ICE CRUISE membership for 25 years. as an ongoing offer if i paid this entire amount in 90 days i would need to pay only Rs.3, 00, 000/- .
now a discount of Rs. 1, 15000/- was too good to resist and i took their membership and paid Rs.30000/- as advance and came back from goa to my home in bhopal.

when i checked the website of DAE www.daelive.com i was astonished to find that the DAE membership was absolutely FREE and that any one who is a member of any timeshare holiday package could become a free member!! and i was told and presumably charged Rs.40000/- for it.

Now i checked the ICE website www.icevacations.com.au and sent an email to them to know the details of membership. again i got a reply that the membership fee is only Aus $ 250/-( Rs. 8000/-) and not Rs. 75000/- as told to me by royal resorts!!

this is not all, when i called up to know the status of my platinum membership i was told that it did not include Imperial Apartments and that i was supposed to pay another Rs.65000/- to avail of the imperial apartments!!

i feel grossly cheated and do not wish to continue my terms with this company which has started a 25 year customer relationship with a bundle of lies!!!

even my friend with whom i stayed was shown an IMPERIAL APARTMENT at the time of becoming member and was made to stay in an ordinary apartment!! now he is being told he has to pay 65000/- extra if he wants to stay in IMPERIAL APARTMENT!

the sales executive of the company will take you to their presentation hall and "explain" the package to you. he will lure you by giving false promises like free membership of cruise and give you a very high figure. he will also tell you that this amount is valid only for today. he will then call his manager who will come and as a "Special Offer" will reduce the price to almost 50% and again tell you that this offer is valid only for today.he will take you and show the Imperial Apartment & tell you that you will get the same apartment when you go on a holiday. actually when you arrive the first time for a holiday you are given an ordinary apartment and on asking are told that you need to pay Rs.65000/- to get Imperial apartment!!!

i am not the only person being cheated by these companies they have been cheating thousands of consumers!!

a similar scam was brought to light by the sting operation carried out by ABC News in USA last year.
please check this link for the sting carried out by ABC News
http://www.thetimeshareauthority.com/2008/04/29/royal-holiday-timeshare-making-t...⇄

it's not just the question of money but of trust on a company for the next 25 years.
i need your help in this regards.

the company executive is now denying that he ever told me this and is refusing a refund.
i feel your organisation could also bring this to the notice of general public who are constantly being fooled by such companies promising them wonderful holidays and taking them for a ride!

kindly reply to my mail and guide me how to approach this problem

thanks

regards

Dr Pramod Sharma