Time Share Ripoffs
Word is getting out that Royal Holiday timeshare is fraudulent operation
Victims of the Royal Holiday Club timeshare operation are fighting back with websites and news stories publicizing the fraudulent practices of this business. In addition, a major television newsmagazine is gathering stories of victims for a possible segment on their show. It also goes by the name Premier Royal Holiday.
Groups with names like “RoyallyScammed”, Royal_Holiday_scam, and Royal-HolidaySucks, have all been started by victims of the company that targets travelers on vacation to get them to sign illegal contracts and relieve them of thousands of dollars. RH has sales agents primarily in Cancun and Cozumel, but also in the Bahamas and other Caribbean locations.
They have joined to share their stories, tips on how to help new victims get refunds, and press for changes that will put Royal Holiday out of business. So far, their one small victory has been to get Royal Holiday to stop listing Hyatt, Marriott and a host of other big hotel chains as ‘affiliates’ on their website (although RH still makes this claim in their printed material).
Other changes they would like to see are the credit card companies refusing to process incoming charges from this fraudulent company, or at least immediate process chargebacks on the basis of a fraudulent transaction (rather than a mere contract dispute).
Other changes they would like to see are the credit card companies refusing to process incoming charges from this fraudulent company, or at least immediate process chargebacks on the basis of a fraudulent transaction (rather than a mere contract dispute).
How does this happen to supposedly intelligent adults?
“They’re so slick. They have this veneer of respectability because they have a huge office off the main lobby of the hotel,” said one victim on the RH scam site. RHC does not actually own any of the resorts in their slick, thick catalog. They claim at least part ownership; in fact they nervily claimed in a letter of Dec. 2004 that they had just acquired the “Park Royal Los Cabos”, and also that they had added a “strategic alliance” with Mexicana Airlines so as to offer its members special packages.
In fact, the sales reps for RHC make up anything to get a sale. They offer fictional air packages/discounts/flyer miles; they offer fictional golf packages; and lately they reportedly offer fictional annuities!
Mike, the head of the Yahoo group, Royal Holiday scam, has summed up all the company’s angles very succinctly.