Great Destinations
reviews and complaints

This company is definitely a scam. They never pick up the phone when you try to make a booking, and when someone finally does answer, they abruptly hang up and send a text asking for you to fill out a form with all your personal details, even your passport information. Why on earth would they need my passport info just to go to ***? Don't be fooled by this company, it's a complete scam!

These folks lied about everything they promised us, we never were able to book any rooms or get discounts. We had another timeshare and they told us to stop paying the other timeshare and go with them, saying it would just go away. They should be responsible for false information. Great Destinations is one big lie, do yourself a favor and stay clear from these folks. They should not be in business, it's all a big scam.

I was first approached by your rep at the Orange County Fair in 2006. The rep told me this purchase would be a big investment in my future. This hasn't been my experience at all. The presentation was really uncomfortable and I felt like I had to buy something to leave the room. Once I got home, I realized I didn't get the right paperwork for my purchase. I'm really unhappy with the fees going up all the time and the resorts aren't as good as they said. I've sent lots of letters to your office to fix this, but no one has replied.

Great Destinations Inc targets the elderly. Can you imagine pressuring people in their 70s to make such a large purchase and take on more debt? That is exactly what happened just a few months ago at the *** resort. Because of our age, we were promised that our sales agent *** would take care of us. Well, after convincing us to open 2 new credit cards and agree to a monthly payment that we could not afford, he promised that he could refinance the loan for us in 10 days to an affordable monthly payment. We got in touch with *** 10 days later and he said it was actually 30 days we had to wait, and since then he has never returned our calls. We believe *** saw both of us as elderly and could be easily lied to and be forgetful enough that he would not have to keep his promise of refinancing the loan. Now we are paying double than we did with our old timeshare and cannot afford this on a fixed income.

I wouldn't recommend doing business with Great Destinations, especially if you're a teacher. Unfortunately, we made the mistake of purchasing from them because they assured us that our week in *** could easily be traded through *** and used for summer cruises, which is the only time teachers can travel. However, the points package they sold us isn't sufficient for summer travel, and we definitely don't have enough points for a cruise. If we didn't deposit our week by a certain time, we would lose points. Last year, we lost both our points and our vacation week due to issues with increasing dues. They never explained the various memberships and associated fees. There seems to be a fee for everything! Initially, they mentioned a $169 charge for booking vacations through ***, but now it has increased to $250 per vacation exchange. Additionally, they promised us free weeks every year, but failed to mention the $250 charge for those weeks and the limited availability in certain areas with a specific expiration date. Great Destinations will tell you everything you want to hear just to make a sale, without disclosing the burdens of owning a timeshare, such as passing it on to your children and them having to pay maintenance fees for life.

Me and my wife bought this in Jan 2019. I agree with everyone about the pressure to buy, but we bought anyway. They told us it was *** dollars, but we had to put down ***, so we did. Our monthly fees were supposed to be 156 dollars a month. We paid the fees for a year, then suddenly they told us we had to pay *** for maintenance fees, which weren't mentioned before. So we had to figure out how to pay those along with our other monthly bill. The app they gave us didn't work, couldn't log in at all. The places we wanted to go didn't have any availability, but that's all background for what happened yesterday. We haven't used the property in 2020 or 2021 due to covid. In March 2022, after our trip, they decided to charge us *** dollars because of covid-related loss of wages. I called them yesterday and said we shouldn't be charged this. Who can afford an extra *** dollars? We can barely pay what we owe now. He then insulted me on the phone, telling me to take out another loan to pay this one. So I asked when this payment would be over, he said I had *** dollars left. I asked how, and he gave me a breakdown of payments from 2019 to present, totaling about ***. So I asked how I owe *** when we've paid about ***. He tried to tell me it's interest, but that makes no sense. You're saying out of *** dollars, only *** has been paid as principal. It doesn't make sense. I asked to speak to his manager, he said he was the manager. I asked to speak to someone above him, and that's when he started insulting me and I started yelling back. This loan they put you in makes no sense, and when you try to get out of it, they tell you it's impossible. I don't use them at all for my vacations, I just want out of it. And it seems they can charge you extra fees whenever they want. I would give this a zero if I could. What's funny is that when covid happened, they continued to take fees even though people had lost their jobs.

They suckered me in and offered me things that aren't achievable. I remember being in the mall and trying to win a Tesla car, but then I got a call saying I won and had to come claim my prize. When I arrived, I sat in the waiting room with other people. Eventually, we all went into a big room where we had some coffee and a little snack. Then, we sat down for a presentation about a luxurious timeshare experience in various destinations around the world. However, they kept filling us with more and more nonsense, which became overwhelming. Despite that, it sounded good and got us excited, so we ended up signing up.

They didn't tell us about the additional fees we had to pay, apart from the $75 upfront. We later found out that there were maintenance fees, which were not cheap, and we would have to pay them every year. We never planned on using this service, but the representative on the phone only cared about getting us to pay. We decided not to pay any more, but then they threatened to send it to the credit bureau and negatively impact our credit report. All we want is to cancel and have nothing more to do with this company. They deceived us, and now we're stuck in this contract.

I never received my Tesla, just a scratcher ticket that turned out to be a scam. They lied to us and deceived us, leaving us confused. When we realized we were being scammed, they had the audacity to claim they weren't scammers. It's shocking that this company isn't even registered with the ComplaintsBoard.com and has terrible reviews. If they truly cared about their customers, they would be willing to cancel the contract, but all they want is money. They think they can get away with it because they operate within a certain jurisdiction and don't have to follow any rules. They also claim to follow federal laws, but they don't. They have been exposed in two other states for taking advantage of customers.

This company needs to be taken down and put out of business. It seems like they don't want to deal with the ComplaintsBoard.com and prefer handling issues outside of it. Be cautious! The only way I will have any contact with them in the future is through the ComplaintsBoard.com. I'm also reaching out to the licensing board to have their business license revoked. We, as consumers, need to report this business and make sure they face consequences. Once their pockets start hurting, they will have no choice but to change their deceptive practices.

Just so you know, ComplaintsBoard.com, the only way this will ever be resolved is when the contract between me and Great Destinations Inc. is terminated. You can't close the case until I give you permission. And I already know that Great Destinations has no plans to cancel my contract.

I got charged $297 on my credit card by a salesman who I specifically told not to process the charge. I informed him that I would let him know when it was okay to charge me. I'm currently laid off, and as per the company's website, you need to be employed to qualify for this special package. By processing the unauthorized charge, I ended up paying $120 in overdraft fees this month. He had no right to process that payment! I recently found out about all of this last week as I have been recovering from surgery. The charge was made on April 1st. I have been trying to get assistance from the company to obtain a refund, but so far, they haven't been helpful. I am aware that he received a commission for this, so the company should be aware that *** should cover my overdraft charges. I deserve a refund for several reasons: 1) I never approved the charge, 2) I informed him that I would contact him when I could afford it (once I'm back to work), and 3) the company's own website states that I am not eligible for this package. This kind of sneaky sales tactic is the reason why I would never consider vacationing with them again, and I would strongly advise everyone I know to stay far away from this company and any associated resorts or travel agencies.

wen we first purchased our timeshare, we were told that we could go anywhere any time. This has not been true for us. We have never successfully made a reservation. It has been impossible. Now with Covid-19 going on, we dont see ourselves traveling anywhere any time soon. There are too many restrictions. Most places, you can't even go to unless you have the vaccine. This makes our desire to make the timeshare work lessen even more. This was also supposed to be an affordable way to vacation. We were told our maintenance fees would never increase, but that was far from the truth. There have been multiple times where the process date was the same day as the due date and they try to charge us a late fee. Once we got mail sent to us saying a payment was due after the fact. So they charged us extra. It is not right the way we have been treated by this company. We are done being taken advantage of. It is obvious to us now that owning the timeshare was not a good investment. We reached out to VRI about our issues to try and reach a resolution to end our ownership. They then told us we had to have some sort of hardship and would have to submit a lot of financially sensitive information to their *** of *** Thats absurd. They should review our case not based on hardship, but because of the inaccuracies and deception about what we purchased.

My name is *** and I have been a member of Great Destinations since 2017. I have been trying to sever ties with Great Destinations since 2018. That is four years too long! I do not understand why Great Destinations seems to hold me hostage as a member. I have NEVER used this timeshare and I never will. This is absolutely bizarre. Great destinations have affected my credit severely. I went from excellent to fair in the matter of months. I cant even purchase a home! When I addressed this and my hardships with Great Destinations, they completely ignored my request for release and were no help once so ever. They do not care for their owners, only if you are bringing them money. The only offer I have ever received was to pay them $3000 to settle. Is this the treatment a longstanding member deserves? It is disheartening, and their lack of cooperation deepens my desire to sever ties. Even if I had the funds, why would I want to maintain a membership with a company who has poor customer service?I am only looking to be released from this burden mutually. I do not have anything to give, which is why they havent received a dime. Please review my case and help me with the resolution I am seeking. I know it is well within the power of Great Destinations to *** my desire for termination and I will continue to pursue the termination of my membership through whatever channels necessary. Thank you.

In September , Great Destinations sent us a cancelation opportunity. We sent a counter offer but haven't heard back yet. It's been 6 months since they sent the potential cancelation opportunity and no word back. We started this dispute in May because Great Destinations sales reps lied about the timeshare and tricked us into buying it. Here's what's going on with our dispute: • We bought the timeshare in May and only used it once. • They said we had to upgrade our contract to get more reservation power. • They didn't explain the cancellation process well during the presentation. • We didn't know the yearly maintenance fee would increase over time. Now we pay $1480 in maintenance fees, almost double from the start. • They said the presentation would last 90 minutes, but we were there for three hours. • They used aggressive sales tactics and phrases like "you aren't getting any younger" to pressure us into deciding. • Even when we said we weren't interested, they kept lowering the price. • They made us believe the deal was only for that day. • During the document signing, they rushed and said it was standard procedure. They didn't explain the documents well. • We feel taken advantage of with the increasing maintenance fees. • We're facing financial hardship due to the COVID-19 shutdown. • We want to be released from the timeshare contract because we're not satisfied with availability and the rising costs.

I am disgusted by this company's constant lies. From the moment my wife and I walked into their establishment, they preyed upon us. This has led to the destruction of our financial well-being. In 2017, we attended a seminar with promises of incentives and discounts for our stay in exchange for 1 hour of our time. That's where the lies began. The seminar we were invited to was instead an elaborate sales pitch for a horrible lifelong agreement. During their pitches, they used forceful, intimidating tactics and exhausted my wife and my rationale. We felt forced into agreeing to their contracts, and they wouldn't take no for an answer. Even after we declined, they would continue to make deal after deal and offer after offer of promises they couldn't keep. This company continued to lie throughout every part of this transaction. They NEVER mentioned maintenance fees that would be added to my account, even though my wife and I have NEVER vacationed at their establishment or used any of their services since signing. They fabricated a beautiful fantasy of affordable vacations, luxurious cruises, and an investment that would pay for itself, while trapping us into a mortgage agreement that ultimately causes consistent financial hardship. AND WE WANT OUT! They offered us a settlement of $6,400, which was a slap in the face, and then lowered it to $3,400. $3,400 is still too high. I have recently had a change in employment, resulting in me working fewer hours, so I can no longer afford to throw money into a bottomless pit any longer. The entire ordeal was very predatory, and everything we had been told was a complete lie! I have tried to resolve this matter with them SEVERAL times, and each time it seems like we get farther and farther from a total cancellation. This matter must be resolved amicably, and clearly Great Destinations has the ability to do so. The settlement must be lowered, or they will continue receiving no funds.

We disputing this purchase since it was sold using completely false pretenses and misrepresentation. We would like it to be known we reached out the ComplaintsBoard.com via email and were ignored. The only response we have received from them is to inform us they see no reason for the dispute. They refuse to acknowledge the complaints within our cancellation letter along with their belief there is no dispute. While attending a festival in Riverside, California, a lady offered a chance to win tickets to Disneyland. So, we entered. We received a phone call telling us we won and where to pick them up. We drove to Ontario, California and when we arrived, we were told we would have to attend a 45-minute presentation to get the tickets. The presenter said some unusual things such as New York or Florida would be hard to book during holidays or peak. He also said using the points for a cruise would be a waste of time and not to do that. After 45 minutes we asked for the Disney tickets we won but were told that the presentation was not over. That is when they offered us alcoholic drinks, we declined. They told us about being able to use it to go anywhere we wanted at any time, also that it would be the best and most cost-effective way to travel and would save us a lot of. They referenced real estate and that it would appreciate over time, and we would be able to sell it for a profit. They started showing us different packages. They told us what they were offering us was a special deal that was only available that day, so we felt pressured to make a decision right then and there. We chose the cheapest offer they made. They gave no option to read through he contract and sign. They said we were now owners and congratulated us. Instead of receiving the free tickets, they gave us a certificate that we would have to redeem for the tickets. When we got home, we called to redeem the tickets and were told the cost would be more than the actual worth of the tickets.

This all started when I got a call from Great Destinations telling me that my wife and I won a free trip from a list of places. We had looked into timeshare ownership before meeting with Great Destinations but found out it was too expensive. On June 30, we met with *** at Great Destinations office in Ontario, California. He seemed like a nice guy and was really happy. He told us we won a cruise to Hawaii (we never got our trip and no one returned my phone call about it), *** told us how easy it would be to use our timeshare. He said we could use it anytime and even trade our week in and convert our weak points. *** convinced us with lies and told us everything under the sun to get us to buy. Once we had our points, we tried to use them and it was really hard. There was nothing available when we wanted to go on vacation. The few times we used it, we had a very limited selection and ended up having to pay more money once we got there. I don't want my kids to have to pay for this when I'm gone. The rising cost of the maintenance fees is crazy and I remember asking if my fees would go up and *** said "no". We have been trying to contact Great Destinations for months to address our concerns. We have been talking to *** the president and CEO of Great Destinations and his response to our detailed experience with this company is "I’m struggling to understand your concern and if you pay off your loan we will help you." This company has shown they don't care about us. We are not going to pay off our loan or give any more money to a company that not only uses unethical sales tactics but also doesn't care about us. They only care about getting our next payment. We need this company to reach out to us and take responsibility for our experience.

Fer starters I'm a 100% disabled Iraq/Afghanistan war vet with cognitive impairments. Durin' the several hours of the sales pitch from a GD rep that wasn't yet a certified sales agent my disability was disclosed. After bein' pressured into buyin' a membership I was able to speak with my VA case management team and realized I made a huge mistake. I then sent a letter requestin' a refund but it turned out I missed the refund request date by a few days. I then drove to the GD office and explained my case but was rejected and told to use it for what planned it for as he pointed at the sales agreement ( which is what the non-certified sales agent told me to write). It's been a year now and I'm requestin' a 75% refund for the membership ( which I believe is more than fair considerin' the sales rep lied to me). Fer starters I was told I would be able to sell trips, concert tickets, and plane tickets to friends and family "which can easily pay for the membership" said the sales rep, turns out I can't do that. Next, which is my biggest complaint, 'cause it was the sellin' point fer me, is I was told that I would be able to get a 40%-60% discount on all my flights which is a complete lie. Outta the 6 flights I took this year I received zero discounts. I was told that I would receive exclusive deals and discounts for events and stuff turns out the deals are the same if no less than deals found on ***. Even some of the hotel discounts are less than my veteran discount. To add the maintenance fees alone are enough to rent a vacation home fer a few weeks which make the point's value almost nothin'. This poor pressured purchase has not only been a stressful financial burden but has also cost me a relationship. Fer the reasons stated and the fact I haven't used my membership I believe a 75% refund is more than fair. I humbly ask fer this 'cause although the monthly payments may not seem like a lot they can make a difference fer someone on fixed income.

I purchased a vacation/cruise package from this company after receiving a solicitation call from a rep (*** have been her name?). I requested that the details be emailed to me. I never received an email. I have called the company number multiple times. Never has a call been answered. I have left at least 5 voicemails. The name on the voicemail is “Bob Martin’” (sp?), & the actual name of the company is never mentioned. I have just now disputed the charges with my bank. This whole company seems suspicious & illegitimate.

Great Destinations used Equiant Financial for the monthly payments. The Sept and Oct payments were made according to the schedule. However, Great Destinations changed the mailing address without giving notice to customer[s] which caused two payments to be delayed. They said a notice of the problems were sent to the credit bureaus. Nevertheless, the credit agencies downgraded the credit score several points. Customer learned Equiant was the one who had control of sending the reports of customers to the credit agencies. The individual in charge was Ms. *** [***. She knew the problem was the fault of theirs, and not this payer. Even Great Destinations officers agreed the problem with the address change was their fault, but they said *** had the ability to change the reporting. As such, they will not do anything to correct the problem mainly because this payer is an African American man.

We purchased a time share with Great Destinations on Nov.3, 2019. We hoped to use this vacation club for the spring/summer time of 2020 When our business typically slows down. We called Great Destinations on March 11 and spoke to a customer service representative to tell her we want to cancel our contract due to the Coronavirus health risk that has taken place just recently as we are 62 years old with pre existing health issues and cannot use this vacation club membership. We have been paying for this for a short time and have not used it at all. We don’t want any money back from them, we only want the contract to be annulled and voided out completely. As we do not have a death wish. The representative mentioned we could opt out but we would be charged a fee for early cancellation. This is unethical under these health risk circumstances as they have received $1,100 from us and we have not benefited anything from this travel agency. Please assist us in resolving this issue. Thank you

Great Destinations representatives made many promises that have gone unfulfilled. I was told many lies regarding price, availability, incentives, and exclusivity. The fees, which were never mentioned as lifelong, are a commitment I am not willing to make. I feel this entire process was a bait and switch and I am left with something I never would have purchased. Because of my poor experiences with this timeshare, the unending commitments, and the deceitful fabrications about points and perks – I wish to completely terminate this agreement and NEVER use their service again. Additionally, I found most of “my” contracts, didn’t even have MY name on them! They listed another couples names and all their personal information! It began when I received an offer for a hotel stay in Palm Springs from Great Destinations. I was never able to take advantage of the offer due to work constrictions. A few months later, Great Destinations contacted me again. They told me because of that hotel stay offer, I was entered into a raffle and WON! To claim my prize, I needed to sit through their seminar. Later that same month, I attended the seminar near Woodland Hills, CA. When I arrived I was introduced to several employees, including my sales representative, *** (ID #***), and a Sales Director named ***. *** and *** asked me about my many vacation fantasies and explained how this program would assist me in reaching them. They told me this timeshare was different from other timeshares because it was a deeded property. They advised me that now would be the BEST time to purchase a timeshare through Great Destinations because they were offering a deeply discounted price. If I didn’t accept THAT DAY, it would expire. I felt immensely pressured. The deal they were offering was approximately $3,000 off an $11,000 purchase, PLUS a ton of “Vacation Points.” After declining several times, bonus items were stacked on but they did not prove fruitful to me and were not “free.”

We are disputing the purchase and continued obligation of a contract that was secured by the willful and deliberate misconduct of the Great Destinations employees described below. We will continue to dispute this purchase until our demands have been met. We were invited to enter for a chance to win a vacation with no strings attached, by a man in a booth at the Marin County Fair. Once he baited us to his booth, he quickly added to his pitch, an invitation to participate in a presentation about a new vacation website. He promised additional promotional trips just for attending, so we signed up for both the free vacation and the presentations. On arrival to the presentation at Great Destinations in Pleasanton, California we were first instructed to remain in the waiting area, then were met by a representative who escorted us into a large conference room. Along with a few other customers, we viewed a power point presentation that was narrated by a man whose pitch was charismatic and convincing. We were shown photos of the *** in the Bahamas and a price comparison between booking with online sites or through Great Destinations. We were also shown other 5-star luxury resort dream vacations at incredible prices. We could travel the world under this membership, by exchanging points through Interval International. It all seemed too good to be true, but our interest was piqued. After the presentations concluded, we were escorted to a small table where a representative repeated the details shared at the presentation. We were then joined by another sales representative named *** who was a more practiced salesman. *** asked if we owned a home and we replied that we did not. He quickly responded that purchasing with them would be like purchasing a home. He stated that it was real estate and would gain value, therefore would be an incredible investment that could also be claimed on our taxes. When we asked about selling, should we run into problems, he very excitedly answered, “Of course you can sell, but why would you want to? Instead, you can rent the place for a profit and keep your property for whenever you want to travel.” Our vacation time was controlled by our full-time employers. We explained this to ***, who reassured us we would not have any problems. When discussing our finances amongst ourselves, *** interjected with a purchase proposal. When he could not gain our agreement, he continued to push by dropping prices, offering bonus points, free vacations, and even promised to pay our first annual maintenance and membership fees. He pushed that we could own this property for ONLY $9100 and it would enable us to vacation forever. Several hours since this started, we finally gave in, but not because we were convinced, but that we were there far too long and were exhausted and famished. We realized this would not end until we agreed. *** gave us his personal phone number to solidify our trust in him and his word. We were then taken to yet another room and after a long wait, were met by a lady who hurriedly pushed papers in front of us to instantly sign. She kept insisting that she wanted to get us out of there since we had been there for such a long time. We did not have a moment to read the fine print and to find the misrepresentations that we later discovered. The entire high-pressure sales experience was incredibly overwhelming, and by the time we walked out of there, we were hopeful but filled with a sense of foreboding that remains today. Our fears were realized when finally receiving the escrow letter that enabled us to log into their website. We were anxious to plan a vacation but quickly found the website to be complicated. It also did not include the same resorts that were shown at the presentation and subsequent sales pitch. In particularly the *** Resort. We also could not find any 5-star resort for our dates or locations as alternatives.