[Resolved]  Sterling Holidays — A company comprising of fraud, unethical, rude and liar 'Sales executives'

Address:	Mumbai City, Maharashtra, 400090
Website:	www.sterlingholidays.com

My name is Kelvin Shah. My Sterling Holidays membership no is 1212453

I have bought Sterling membership in December 2013 from your executive Mr Rameshwar Lal. Mr. Rameshwar Lal had come to my home to explain about the product to sell it. He said that right now Sterling Silver Jubilee Offer is going on for first 25 enrolments, wherein lot of additional and substantial benefits will be given [Refer attached Blue Studio Document], but you will have to enroll on the spot right here, right now to avail all those benefits. Some of the benefits promised by him were:

1] 7 nights/8 days complimentary stay every year for next 25 years at Sterling property & more than 6, 500 Affiliated resorts through RCI domestically or internationally

2] 3 bonus weeks for 6 Adults every year from RCI for next 25 years at no additional cost – Only exchange fees payable viz. Rs 6, 300 per week for India, Rs 9, 700 per week for Asia and Rs 14, 500 per week for Rest of the world.

3] Split your week with Sterling as well as RCI in India, Asia and International

The offer seemed to me too good to be true. Thus, I again and again questioned him about the 3 bonus weeks from RCI anywhere in this world at no extra cost and split week. But he kept on promising me that I will get it if I book right now as this scheme is under Sterling Silver Jubilee Offer for first 25 enrolments. I have his hand-written documents, where in again and again he was giving me assurance of 3 bonus weeks at no extra cost [only on payment of fixed exchange fees]. I also have the agreement copy, where again he mentioned about the same.

Still I was hesitant in buying Sterling Holiday Membership and I asked him to give me a day or two to decide. On hearing that, he said that he can make the deal more lucrative by increasing the number of days to 10 nights and 11 days membership instead of 7 nights/8 days. But the condition was to enroll at that moment only. Finally, I decided to go ahead with the membership and gave him the cheque for down payment and in few months I made the whole payment.

However, to my utter shock and surprise, I realized that most of those promised benefits were utter lie to fraudulently sell Sterling Holiday Membership. In December 2016, for the first time when I decided to avail the benefits of Sterling Holiday Membership, I called up RCI to book my holiday abroad. While I was asking them to provide me some of those promised benefits by Rameshwar Lal, they said that such benefits are not there with the RCI and whoever has sold that membership has lied to me.

When I speaking to RCI executive for availing 3 bonus weeks outside India [as promised by fraudster Rameshwar Lal], they said that you will have to pay more than Rs 50, 000 per week for your destinations. I was shocked to hear that as fraudster Rameshwar had told me that only exchange fees would be payable and that too only Rs 14, 500 per week for 6 Adults for Rest of the World. When I told RCI executive that I have been told to pay only exchange fees by Sterling Holiday executive, the RCI executive told me that I have been cheated by Sterling executive as there is no such scheme with RCI wherein you will get 3 bonus weeks on payment of above-mentioned exchange fees. Moreover, RCI executive told me that the fees to be paid for availing 3 bonus weeks is not fixed. It depends upon the region, hotel and demand-supply during that time. It completely varies from place to place, from time to time and from hotel to hotel.

I also enquired about the split option with RCI executive which was also promised to me by fraudster Rameshwar Lal. Again to my utter shock and surprise, that RCI executive refused to provide me with any such option. He said that split option is only available with very few handful of properties in Asia and it is not available with any property in Rest of the World.

Based on the above conversation with RCI executive, I had to cancel my trip and me and my family had to go through the embarrassment, mental trauma and frustration as we were not able to fulfill our dream of booking our dream vacation. Rather than creating special memories, relaxing and rejuvenating ourselves, we landed up suffering from humiliation, mental harassment and the worst experience of our lives.

After few days I decided to visit Sterling Mumbai office to report the scam of fraudster Rameshwar Lal. There I met Mr Jayesh Makwana whom I explained the entire situation and showed him all the proofs. On going through all the documents in my possession, he acknowledged the false promises of fraudster Rameshwar Lal. However, since Rameshwar was not in Mumbai at that time, he asked me to visit the Sterling Holidays office in January 2017 so that things can be discussed infront of him. On agreeing to confront Rameshwar face to face, I left the office.

In the second week of January 2017, I called up Mr Jayesh Makwana to check whether Rameshwar was back in the Mumbai or not. Mr. Makwana confirmed that Rameshwar was back in town and asked me to visit the office at 5:30 in the evening so that we can discuss things infront of him. When I reached office and enquired about Mr Jayesh Makwana, the receptionist told me that he wasn’t in office. So I called him on his mobile number and he told me that he was stuck in a meeting somewhere and wont be able to reach office on time. Hence, he asked me to speak to some senior person called Kachnar Bhonsle who was in office at that time. Hence I asked for Kachnar Bhonsle at the reception. The receptionist looked around for her and told me that she was busy with another client. So she asked me to talk to Mr Ritesh Thakkar. As a result, I spoke to Mr. Ritesh Thakkar and explained him everything. He called Rameshwar also in the discussion. On realizing that Rameshwar has done mis-selling and has lied about the benefits, Mr. Ritesh went on backfoot and started saying that now we can’t do anything about the membership and all that we can do is to help and assist you in booking your next holiday. He even refused to take any action against Rameshwar Lal and said that I know that the membership has been fraudulently sold to you, but we cannot do anything. I was shocked to hear that, hence I demanded a meeting with Kachnar Bhonsle and refused to leave the office. When the receptionist went and explained the situation, she refused to meet me saying that now its 6 p.m. and she wants to leave. [Can there be anything more arrogant and irresponsible?]
I got very furious and angry, and refused to leave the office until I get to talk to Kachnar Bhonsle. Looking at my anger, Kachnar agreed to meet me. In that meeting I explained her my situation and how I have been fooled and how Rameshwar has lied to me. After hearing everything and looking at all the documents, even she told me that she can’t do anything and I can go to court if I want to.

I am more surprised and shock to see how a professional company like yours hires such people who don’t have any sympathy/empathy towards your clients, and how your employees treat clients once they have bought the membership.

I hope this mail reaches someone in your organization who is saner and helps me in getting justice. I want to cancel my membership and want reimbursement of all my money with interest and penalty and want to completely discontinue my association with Sterling holidays.

In case if I continue to receive such a hostile response and cold shoulder from Sterling employees, I will be left with no option but to seek legal course of action.

Awaiting justice.