[Resolved]  Club Mahindra Holidays — Not refunding though promised

Dear Sir/Madam:


We had taken membership of a Red Studio with MHRIL on 22nd January 2008 and paid Rs. 41, 880 (Rupees forty-one thousand eight hundred and eighty only) towards the initial payment. Subsequently some of the terms of the special offers that were verbally conveyed to us at the time of registration were not honoured by MHRIL, namely the following:

The 2-weeks international holiday offer through RCI for travel at any time for a period of 2 years, with a minimum of 3 days' stay at any one destination. It is now described to be "not valid for travel during peak school vacations and festival periods", with minimum 7 days’ stay at any destination. Subsequently the offer was downgraded to 2-weeks ClubMahindra domestic holidays instead of the international holidays offered earlier.
The special offer of 6 free Air Deccan tickets, on which we have been subsequently asked to pay all 20taxes and fees amounting to over Rs.2000, while the understanding was that the tickets were completely free, as specified by MHRIL executives Mr. Ranjan Shukla and Sanjay Kumar Shaw.
All this had left us feeling cheated, with the belief that ClubMahindra does not honour the commitments made at the time of booking membership, and secures members under false pretences. A prolonged exchange of emails ensued and MHRIL promised to meet us in person to sort out the matter, which also was not done.
We therefore requested MHRIL on March 1, 2008 (through fax and email) to cancel our membership and give us a full refund immediately. The same was acknowledged by their call centre[protected] on March 4, 2008 at 5:25 PM by one Deepa (cancellation reference no. 639488), and we were promised a full refund within 30 – 45 days.
Despite our cancellation notice on 1 March and request to stop collecting further EMIs, MHRIL attempted to collect the EMI on 7 March 2008 through our credit card authorization, though the card was blocked by us in anticipation of such an action.
A complete silence on emails or any other communication regarding the refund was being maintained by MHRIL since the Company’s last email dated 16th February from one Ms. Parveen, asking to meet us. Subsequent to our lodging of a complaint (complaint ID 138608) on 16th April 2008 against MHRIL with the National Consumer Helpline with a fax to ClubMahindra intimating them of the same, MHRIL communicated with us again, and told us that no refund would be given, quoting a clause in their membership rules. However, a copy of these rules were never received by us, and we have no way of verifying the same.

MHRIL took our money and enrolled us as members under false pretences, and though we have not used any of their facilities offered, they now refuse to give us a refund (though the same was promised earlier within 30 - 45 days).

Please help us.