Concept vacation club review: misleading advertising and no discount at all 42

I agree with Dr Marina Kang, this company with glossy brochures, attractive advertising film
and false advertising promises try to find new members, they know how to obsolete membership fee
without any advantages[just less than 3or5% discount in 3 or 4 star hotels is not according membership fee]so dont waste your money with this company. you can find discount hotels, airlines yourself.
Middle east
Iran

I am another victim of the same company from Singapore, we have been duped in the same manner with promises to deliever by substantial margins in discount from the board rate in 4 and 5 Star hotels and with 30% of discounts in the world wide airlines companies. Everything seems to be a big scam and we have lost our fully paid up membership fee and more over they charge service fee every year which also been paid for another three years until 2012.

We do not know how to get back our paid membership fee including our service fee. We have all the copies of the presentation in a written format promised to us for suing them, any body interested to join me, let us know. Unity is a strength than fighting alone.

Gopi from Singapore

Hi Gopi i also sailing in the same boat like you. We joined the CVC thru Garraway Mktg and paid a heavy amt as fee. But ever since we joined we were not offered with any competitive price. also i now understand that it is not just a membership fee and it is a timeshare purchase. I dont know how far its true. If you now any legal person to consult with may be you can share. i will be interested as well.

Stalin from Singapore

Hi Stalin, Well lets fight against these cheaters legally, I want to gather a group of Singaporeans who have lost there savings in a similar pattern and I have collected all the papers as acopy for any legal action what they have promised while doing the sales pitch through Garraways on behalf of Concepts travel and we can bring them to justice. However I need a group to fight these unscrupulous cheaters in a unity of strength. Lets gather them together, you can contact me at [protected]. Thanks

Hi all,
We too have been scammed big time, lots of promises and no deliveries...
We joined on the 2nd of May 2008 and paid SG $26, 360.00, until now we have not been able to use Garraway Enterprises for anything.
We joined this on one of our trips to Singapore and I can tell you now that it's so disappointing that these things are allowed to happen. All the email contacts and tel numbers I have for this company are no longer working, or they simply choose to ignore my email requests.
I will join you all in fighting against these corrupt companies that try and rob as all of our savings with empty promises.
Sandra from Australia (working in East Timor)

hello Gopi, nice talking to you...as mentioned to you on the phone, we're also one victim of this bull ### company Garaaway with empty promises. I've lost SGD9K for the membership, where I've still not been activated. Now a new company called J-Generie B&M Pte Ltd, who're taking over members from Garaaway as they've ceased their operations. Now in order to get out of the contract we've to pay this company SGD2.2K and to purcahse a new vacation club contract for SGD1.3K in total another SGD3.5K...what a shock for us. Now we're abit confused and finding a different way to get this culprits out to the whole. Please call me at 9645 8647 or 9747 9584 (Shanti) for more clarifications.

Hi Shanti, you had already been to the J-Generie B&M Pte Ltd?

I'm also a member of CVC and had been approached by a number of companies saying they will help me recover my $$, but all seems to be like trying to scam me to come out wif more $$.

http://www.timesharepages.com/scam-watch/singapore%E2%80%99s-case-investigates-advisory-firm-d-r-i-chia/

Has anyone been to the i-Generic B&M Pte Ltd yet? Although they send a letter to us saying that they are appointed by Garraway to take care of the issues, are they really claim what they are? Does paying a fee (a percentage of your outstanding amount) to them to get the termination letter of the membership valid? i joined in 09 but didn't pay in full hence didn't utilize the services at all. When garraway ceased its operation, shouldn't my contract ceased as well? Hope someone can enlighten me. You can contact me directly at my email , lets put all these crap pple to justice!

Why do we have to pay to terminate? Doesn't make sense. I want to terminate my cvc membership too. Ive already paid in full for the membership. I just want to write off as bad investment. Didn't want to continue with the annual fees because there weren't any savings. No savings at all when it comes to booking of air ticket.

Hi all,
I am also a vicitm of this time share scam. I would like to join your group if there is any joint effort.
Vincent vjohn@yahoo.com.sg

Hi all,
I am also got victimised by CVC and garraway. Are there any lawyers in the group? We can jointly file law suit on a wini-win basis.
Contact me vjohn@yahoo.com.sg

Hi All, I have been in the receiving end as well, can anyone advise if we can get CASE to help consolidate a group
of people who want to vote out of this CVC membership. I have even written to them and got their reply on membership queries as below;
From: membershipservices@conceptsvacationclub.com
To: Me
Subject: RE: Termination of Membership request for Contract No. 78xxxxxx
Date: Sun, 13 Nov 2011 22:00:21 +1000

Dear Singapore CVC Members
Effective July 1st 2011 CVC has appointed the following servicing companies to replace Concepts Travel Services Pte Ltd in the delivery of travel and membership services for CVC in Singapore Connection Tours Pte Ltd, a Singapore licensed travel agency, has been appointed to perform all travel servicing (including collection of annual dues) for CVC in Singapore
I-Generic B&M Pte Ltd has been appointed to undertake all other member servicing/enquiries in relation to CVC Memberships purchased from marketing agents in Singapore.

Connection Tours Pte Ltd contact details are as follows:
Connection Tours and Travel, 400 Orchard Road #04-24, Orchard Towers - Singapore 238875, Tel : (65) [protected], Email : concepts@connectiontours.com.sg

I-Generic B&M Pte Ltd contact details are as follows:
I-Generic B&M Pte Ltd, 89A Killiney Road Singapore 239534, Tel: (65) [protected] or (65) [protected], Email: enquiries@igenericbm.com.sg

CVC with its new service partners will continue to provide members great resort accommodation deals and other travel services together with exceptional membership servicing.

We encourage you to contact our new service partners for all your travel and member servicing needs.
Yours sincerely,
Concepts Vacation Club

Dear All, another victim here. We were at i-Generic @Killiney Road Singapore today.
Was told to pay $3500 to terminate my membership with CVC. This Indian lady Nur kept showing us documents after documents proving they are the appointed agent to represent CVC. She tried to convince us with courier & even letters from CVC corporate office in British Virgin Islands (PO box address) on letters of quite a number of Singaporeans' discharge letters. We didn't pay or sign any documents as everything is just from i-Generic, payments is also to iGeneric. We are not comfortable at all. I have been a members since 2008 but have not enjoy any savings or services. This is our worst nightmare. What I can say is: please do not rush into signing any documents unless you are very sure about this i-Generic, afraid this is another scam. I can sympathise with those like me out there, so desperate to get out of this mess. If there is anyone out there who has successfully gotten their letter of discharge, please do show it to CASE OR write to CVC to validate the letter of discharge.

Christee

I am also a victim of the cheating Garraway with all the pressure and lies. Feel that we should not pay a single fee, even for termination. Do put me in the loop should there be an intention to unite to fight for the cause. Have heard of another agency - Connection Tours and Travels who also claim to be CVC representative with the name in the CVC website. Anyone been there? Are they helpful?
Do contact me at sales@yewaikhung.com
Jaceson

Hi Guys,
I'm one of the victim of Garraway, CVC ###.
But I believe the law is on our side
In the Fair Trading Act it states:
Meaning of unfair practice:
It is an unfair practice for a supplier, in relation to a consumer transaction -
a.. to do or say anything, or omit to do or say anything, if as a result a consumer might reasonably be deceived or misled,
b. to make a false claim;
If we all get our act together and pressure as a group, those scamers, government angency etc together, we can give them big time headache.
Lets start to form an informal group first and exchange ideas and info and see where we go from here. Payback time.

Fred . pt7711@gmail.com

Same for me too! I went to the office located @ Killiney Road last month, basically going through the same episode as what the others had experienced. The two staffs was polite to claim to help the members, but at the end had suggested an avenue to terminate the membership at the expense of a fee, in turn depending on the number of membership years. They even mentioned that the annual maintenance fee is going to raise to 330 SGD from the current 80 SGD, without the intervention of members are allowed!
On top of that, I was allowed travel reimbursement in the event I manage to secure a package better than what CVC can offer (after I made numerous complaints to Garraway then). This was clearly documented in the Garraway letter-head. Now, they claimed that this should be the responsibility of Connection Tours and I should check it up with them by myself. They commented that they merely took over the contractual activities from Garraway without giving further details...
With all the nonsenses and upcoming nuisances, I believe we should act fast before the damage is done.
I like to be part of the group and pursue appropriate action jointly.

Edmund
edmundgcc@hotmail.com

Hi Edmund,
DON"T pay them a cent. They can't touch you.
http://www.case.org.sg/downloads/central/090205%20CASE%20TAKES%20A%204TH%20COMPANY%20GARRAWAY%20TO%20COURT.PDF
http://www.case.org.sg/downloads/central/180610%20CASE%20entered%20consent%20judgement%20against%20Garraway%20Enterprises%20Limited%20Singapore%20Branch.pdf

Anyway, we are on our own. But we need to group to pressure the government to act too
It should be a CAD case too !
Any idea how to form a group ? Maybe we start a closed forum first ?
Fred

DON'T pay them a cent. They can't touch you.

Hi, anyone has information about Connection Tours Pte Ltd and Connection Tours and Travel. If not wrong, their office is at Orchar Tower. Seems active now telling CVC members they provide the service of terminating their memberships. Some members pay their annual membership to them. Are they related to Concept Club Services or Garraway or I-Generic B&M Pte Ltd? Interesting!
Jane

My friend & myself are victims of Garraway too. We not only suffered financial losses but we are emotionally and mentally affected too. These people really have no conscience. For the past few months, we have been receiving lots of calls from unknown parties promising to help us out of the situation only to find out that we need to come out with more money. It is physically and mentally frustrating to attend these presentations only to find out that they merely wanted more money from us. We were at i-Generic @Killiney Road Singapore yesterday.
Was told to pay $3500 plus to terminate our memberships with CVC. Mind you, this termination fee changes by the day. The lady told us that if we do not terminate on our first appointment, the termination fee will go up to $5, 000 if we come back to termiante another day. This is daylight robbery.
We were driven to depression. This is a nightmare. Can somebody with the knowledge and legal expertise please advise and help? We are desperate.
Please count us in. We are in it together.
danych@singnet.com.sg

Dear Friends & fellow Singaporeans,

This is Gopi here, my sincere apologies for not answering any on your calls regarding Garraways. I was busy and have totally forgotten about this issue and the money being scammed.

Well, I would like to loop all of you together and will meet up to discuss further on the same soon. Please liaise with me through emails. Please send your emails to amitgik5@hotmail.com. Meanwhile my humble request, please do not entertain any more scamming calls calling themselves as from legal board, or other legal entities for all kind of sweet talks and promising words. I have already gone through this myself to gauge their movements and found to be same group of scamming experts.

I will pull through all the contacts to create a database through the emails received and will see how to go about in the best possible way with out hurting our pockets to resolve this matter.

Gopikrishnan - Spore

Hi All, I am also a victim of the Garraway & CVC crap. Having been trying to find ways to get out of this but to no avail. Yesterday evening went down to i-generic B&M at Killiney Road. The 2 guys who spoke to me are Ram Russell and Eddie Muthi, whom I was told that he is the boss of i-generic. They showed me letters of discharge claming is from CVC Spain. Like Shanti and Christee, was told to pay $3.5k for termination of CVC contract and the cost include a new 1 year contract which is to supercede the current one that I have which is 20 years. Upon expiry of the 1 year contract, I will have totally nothing to do with CVC. They also said that the membership fees has gone up to $330 per annual and will likely to go up again, claiming some members having to pay $770 per annual. They also said that there are members who signed up for 1 - 5 years, I though the CVC membership is all above 10 years? Can anyone verify? Lastly, can the CVC or any of the company sue me if I did not pay the annual membership fees? Heard that they will usually wait a few years until the amount is quite big before they send lawyer letter to ask for payment. Is it true? Anyone experience this before?
I will also like to be part of the group to take appropriate action.

Jeremy
speedyguz77@gmail.com.

Dear ALL,
Please read the following forums
@ http://sgforums.com/forums/4027/topics/438856
@ http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/travel-accommodation-89/must-read-time-share-scam-awareness-dont-next-victim-940968-53.html#post60066269

I was also scammed by Garraway in 2009. I signed up for 20 years membership fee waiver given by Garraway. I've received so many calls about selling my membership and getting back money and went to couple of those callers and sensed it to be fraudulant as they always keep saying special offer and do not apply once I walk out of the door.

Since Oct 2011, I have recieved emails with pdf attachments that I-Generic B & M Pte Ltd is now serving CVC members that were previously under Garraway. So, I decided to meet them once and find what are the options I have.

The guy said as Garraway is closed, I have to pay the membership fees and CVC will come after me after 5 years. If I choose to terminate, I need to pay him around 4K and offer valid only on that day and I can get refund of upto 8K (after 3 years) and I need to sign up for MTF (Money Tree Fund www.moneytreefund.com). I escaped from there somehow.

What are the options I have? Will CVC come after us for membership fee? As I see so many people around, can we get together for any action against these perpetrators so that these dubious companies can't taunt us again and again for one mistake we have done.

Hi All, I am also a victim of this CVC & Garraway scam in 2008. As you all have experienced, we realised that this membership is all waste and we can get better prices from any other travel agents. We never used CVC services. Recently, contacted by a company to come down personally so they will return our money as we are not using the services. After going there is a different scene, they ask you to pay the annual membership fee and threaten you for legal actions or ask us to pay penalty to terminate the contract. I want to join you all in fighting against this. We not only lost our money, but is both physical and emotional stress and so depressive to get repetitive calls from so many of them. I completely believe and agree in Gopi's statement that Unity is Strength, especially in cases like these. Can we alert the media & the Government? Did anyone of you try going to the police? something must be seriously done against this so that atleast we don't lose any more money & live in peace.

Hi All, Count me in. Another victim of CVC & Garraway. Same story with I-Generic. Contact me at cristan80@gmail.com. Have you all met already? Any action is taken?

HI All, Today i got SMS saying that : Please take note that unless u make full payment of SGD $1300 + 300 as penality for late charges . We will be sending the your matter to the leagal department and you will be liable to appear in the court with regards to the cvc matter. This is final warning and this message will be used against you in the court.-- CVC Collections department . Sri.

Hi, there.
I am one of the victim. Bought a life time membership that is so costly ... and now they close shop!
i dont even enjoy any great discounts as they promise! True Liars
The truth, its the Singapore government that allows this foreign swindlers to be in Singapore . They cheated Singaporeans legally in black and white.
I have engaged a lawyer and was carefully advised. Singapore is not the transparent Singapore... so its hopelsss to depend on the authority to listen to small people like us.
In Singapore, Swindlers can robbed you in broad daylight by using legal papers.
So please inform others not to be cheated.

Sincerely
Han

Hi there,
I am also a victim of this CVC & Garraway scam in 2009. As you all have experienced, I realised that this membership is all waste and I can get better prices from any other travel agents. We never used CVC services. Recently, contacted by I-Generic B & M Pte Ltd @Killiney Road Singapore. The 2 guys who spoke to me are Ram Russell and Eddie Muthi, whom I was told that he is the boss of i-generic. They said as Garraway is closed, I have to pay the membership fees and CVC will come after me. If I choose to terminate, I need to pay them $7K for termination of CVC contract and the cost include a new 1 year contract which is to supercede the current one that I have which is 10 years and I can get refund of upto $10K (after 3 years) and I need to sign up for MTF (Money Tree Fund www.moneytreefund.com). I have been called up again last week to make balance payment of $3K latest by tomorrow.
What should I do? Is Money Tree Fund a genuine product run by Standard Charterd Bank in Hongkong as what Eddie said? Can I trust them on the MTF? I really very panic and trouble by all these issue. Can anyone or legal firm help? I will also like to be part of the group to take appropriate action.

i-GENERIC sent a letter, asks me to pay 8-year of OVERDUE CVC membership at $2640+$231.(penalties)
They have not contacted me in the past 8 years. I did not use CVC services in the past 8 years.
I do not have any more CVC contracts as they were being taken by those companies who promised to get my money back. I was “CONed” .
Anyone also recseivsed letters from i-GENERIC? angryman492@yahoo.com.sg

hi
i want to know about cvc representative in iran .beacause i have contract in 2010 with them in iran but now there is nobody or office to answered me.please informed me at:m.golshahri@yahoo.com

Hi;
I am lim, also suffered from CVC membership, is exactly like what was faced by "angryman492"
Is I-Generic B&M Pte Ltd a real agent appointed by CVC Spain?
I tried to call CVC Spain on 14/10/13 around 11pm this 4 no: +[protected] /6079 / 6080 / 6096 (found on the last page of CVC Yellow color brouchers)
total 4 numbers called, 1st no nobody answering; 2nd no someone answered me his business is Pets Control; 3rd no nobody answer; and the last no was answered by a lady speaking in Spain (I don't understand her language).
This is something abnormal, is CVC Spain really exists?
What can I do now? Should I pay the Termination Fee SGD4800.00 to them on this coming Sat, which I am going to meet them at Killiney Rd?
My Email No: lim_cc@ymail.com

Hi, all, we are victim of concepts vacation club membership also. We bought the 15 yr membership from LGM in 2003, paid abt 10k for so call cash-back reward, think get $800 back in 2008. We never use their service at all. We thought just treat our money was lost after LGM closed down few years ago. Recently we received phone calls and letters from I-GENERIC, asked to meet them, pay 3K+ for 9yr of overdue membership fee and penalty. Has the group to deal with them form?

I have received letter form i-Generic B&M and mentioned that we did not attend the 1st briefing last year and also have not requested for assistance to waive the outstanding subscription fees. I-generic asked for paying the outstanding subscription fee that are remain unpaid and overdue by 7 years and with penalties.

This issue seems never ending, first is LGM time share scheme, then CVC, now coming this. I though I already get out of this nightmare. can some one help to advise how we should deal with this. Tks.

James

We received a similar letter as James. Anybody paid them?

Received similar letter from i-Generic to pay overdue fees. I just ignored them & throw the letter away.

Take note that all of us have paid the full amount when we purchased the CVC membership. Just like any membership, you have to pay member fees if you want to enjoy the so call discounted fares or hotels or utilize their facilities / services.

If you don't pay up you simply can't enjoy the membership benefits. You only need to pay up later on to make your membership current if you intend to use the services in future.

Don't worry, they can't do anything to you. Just treat it as BAD DEBT & lesson learned with a heavy price so that we don't fall for such SCAM again.

FIGHTERS

Hi Fighters, Your message is so comforting and reassuring. When LGM closed down a few yrs ago, we did not hear anything after that. Was relief with that and thought this has been settled although a very costly (lost about $23K in total, 1st the Calypso and then the CVC pay-back) and painful lesson learnt.

Then the nightmare started again with another Devil called i-Generic. We have also received similar letters from i-Generic asking us to pay the overdue annual subscription fees for the last 10 yrs by end Sep 14. Failing which, they are taking legal action against us. My brother and friend told us to just ignore them. We took their advice and ignore the letter.

Loosing the huge sum of money (earned from our hard work and sweat) and loosing sleep over this matter has been tortuous. Can't they just leave us in peace!

I hope our Government and CASE could do something for us and stop these Devils from threatening us and disturbing our peace.

May the Righteous wins and the Unrighteous has their retributions!

Hi SSELB, I have kept all documents pertaining to LGM Just waiting for them to bring me to court, if they dare, so that I can reveal all their scams and see how they respond in front of the judge.

I went to CASE for help but they really have no bite & can't help much.

Went from one company to the other but they are just sucking my money will all their lies.

In the end, I cancelled my timeshare membership with the resort directly as I do not want to continue paying the rising maintenance fees.

For LGM, I just put everything behind me & move forward.