Holiday Membership by Smith & Baron

[Tigerwoods]

Can another one here help ?

My friend bought a 10 yr membership and later regretted and go back to this company to cancel the agreement. He bot it @$8000 if I can remember correctly.

 

Thinking that the cooling off period is 2 weeks (similar to Timeshare) this company manager say that the agreement cannot be cancelled and my friend LL has to take it as the 2 week period applies to Timeshare by gov regulations. This ruling does not apply to Holiday membership. Is this true ?

 

What can he do to get his money back ?

 

 

[Vextan]

if this is not time sharing programme then what is it ? but this money is going to be very diffucult, next to impossible to get back. Tell your friend (or yourself) to lodge a complaint at case or small claims court.

[Genie47]

You will not get your money back. This is a dubious timeshare resale company.

 

If want timeshare, get Marriott, Hyatt or Hilton.

 

If not, go to www.redweek.com or equivalent and leech off real timeshare owners who have too much holiday rental in their disposal.

[Mustank]

go to small claims tribunal to cancel it.

 

do not go to any other companies to cancel it.

 

 

[Tigerwoods]

According to him, it works as a Membership only service in which the members only TOUR agent will do all the Holiday planning and bookings like Air ticket, hotels, car rentals, tailored tour packages, everything for you - Catch - @ as much as 70% cheaper than the regular going rate ?

 

So since its not Timeshare model (which you own a Unit of an Apartment for 2 weeks per year ), the 2 weeks colling period does not apply ? Something like that..

[Mustank]

apply or don apply is not for the company to say

 

it is for the court to say

 

just ask your firend go to small claim tribunal, problem solved.

[Jman888]

According to him, it works as a Membership only service in which the members only TOUR agent will do all the Holiday planning and bookings like Air ticket, hotels, car rentals, tailored tour packages, everything for you - Catch - @ as much as 70% cheaper than the regular going rate ?

 

So since its not Timeshare model (which you own a Unit of an Apartment for 2 weeks per year ), the 2 weeks colling period does not apply ? Something like that..

 

looking at the bright side is to travel 4 times a year for next 10 years and make the 'investment' worth !

[Vextan]

i dont understand how can people sign up for these holiday programs. my MIL is a case in point. she is a veteran business woman and yet she effectively lost almost 30k in these programs.

[Ace]

one word greed and of course their sales tactics as well. They wear you down mentally as those sales talk is about 2-3 hours

[Jman888]

i dont understand how can people sign up for these holiday programs. my MIL is a case in point. she is a veteran business woman and yet she effectively lost almost 30k in these programs.

 

dun like that say lah, I was one of them more than 10 years ago [bigcry] (but not $30k!)

[DavidLee]

there must be grounds for cancellation

misrepresentation is one

 

[Skunk]

she is a veteran business woman

 

that means still not veteran enough hehe

 

[Tigerwoods]

go to small claims tribunal to cancel it.

 

do not go to any other companies to cancel it.

Shdn't it that the go to CASE ?

[Yeshe]

i dont understand how can people sign up for these holiday programs. my MIL is a case in point. she is a veteran business woman and yet she effectively lost almost 30k in these programs.

 

 

cannot like that say, the marriots vacation club is serving me well so far. worth every penny spent

[Mustank]

case no teeth

 

small claims is machiam court level already

[Maz0608]

one word greed and of course their sales tactics as well. They wear you down mentally as those sales talk is about 2-3 hours

 

I remember going through one of these talks many years ago, they were very forceful in pushing through their sales. After failing to get me to sign on the agreement after poloso me for a few hours, the sales person got the manager to intimidate me. He blamed me for wasting their time and that was then that I raised my voice back at him for wasting mine as I had wanted to leave earlier. Come to think of it, not many people would be able to resist from these kind of strong selling tactics.

[Tigerwoods]

I remember going through one of these talks many years ago, they were very forceful in pushing through their sales. After failing to get me to sign on the agreement after poloso me for a few hours, the sales person got the manager to intimidate me. He blamed me for wasting their time and that was then that I raised my voice back at him for wasting mine as I had wanted to leave earlier. Come to think of it, not many people would be able to resist from these kind of strong selling tactics.

The last I heard, my friend paid up to use the membership.

I hope he can get really good discounts for the holidays. He and family goes for 2 major holidays /year without fail.

 

If $8k/10 yrs 1 year = $800/yr membership so he has to get at least $1600 savings/yr to really benefit it.

 

I will post update to tell you guys whether the discounts are real or not.

If real, I also go and try to get the $3k one (hear got as cheap as $3k/10yr)

Edited March 1, 2010 by Tigerwoods

[Genie47]

cannot like that say, the marriots vacation club is serving me well so far. worth every penny spent

 

Marriott different lah. This type of timeshare is legit and got real hotel/resorts to back up. Those TS companies loan from the hotels/resorts to make the TS.

 

Of course Marriott serves you (and me) well. They got name to protect. These fly by night TS companies don't have name to protect. Like "Abdul Hafiz's Closing Down Carpet Sale" shop. Everyday also closing down sale to attract unsuspecting customers.

 

I went to the Empire Place one. Wah! I was served hand and foot by the Marriott staff.