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Paradise Blue has changed it's name to Just Dreams. From my research online it seems that this company has been every where from Florida to Texas and Several Islands in Hawaii. They have changed their name at least 4 times that I can see.
Let me tell you our experience...
We didn't even make it to the presentation, and from reading the reviews I am sorta glad we didn't! So we were approaced on the street in Wakiki, come check us out, get free tickets, blah blah blah. My husband and I just had just gotten married on Wakiki and were on our honeymoon. They offered us super cheap tickets for a sunset cruise so we thought sure, no big deal we'll check it out...
The rep on the street didn't say anything about any qualifications, just that a free shuttle would pick us up from our hotel. We weren't super happy about having to get up at 6:30 A.m on our honeymoon to make it to the presentation, but we complied. When we arrived one of the reps that were taking us up the elevator with another couple that was also picked up by our shuttle driver told us that when we got up there to make sure that we marked that we made more than $75 k a year or they would send us back. We thought this a little strange, but we happened to meet this requirement so we went a long with it. However I think they should tell you when your signing up for the presentation that you must be married and meet certain income requirements, otherwise they are seriously wasting people's time.
So we get into the room where about 4 other couples are waiting. We feel out their little survey form, marking how much we make, give ID's, etc. Then all the other couples are called back but us. The manager comes out and starts asking my husband and I where we work, how often we get paid, and what our take home pay is. I was appalled! Those are very personal questions, and we certainly weren't applying for a loan with this company, at least not that we were aware of! I told the manager (Shay) that we had already marked our salary range on the survey and that we didn't need to answer these questions. I asked him why he didn't ask any of the other couples these questions, my husband happens to be African American and I felt as thought they were discriminating. He got all hostile with me, told me just a moment, and came back, practically threw $20 at me and said here is your deposit back, your free to leave.
We were dumbfounded! We wanted our free gifts that we got up at 6 Am for! I told the guy that they were discriminating and we proceded to leave towards the elevator. He followed us to the elevator and was basically harrassing us! When I finally told him he was harrassing us, he left. When we got downstairs we went to the ticket office to see if we were still going to receive our discount tickets (we were highly doubting it at this point) noone was in there, so we waited. Here comes the manager again (all the way down from floor 6) to yell at and harrass us again. I asked him why they ran their business this way, and how are they going to start asking us all these questions, when they are trying to sell US somehthing! I asked him how much he made, how often he got paid, and what his take home pay was! He would't answer of course. He said that he can always tell when couples are lying because they react the same way I did (he wasn't calling me a liar of course though). Interesting... so couples are more than willing to just blurt out how much they make and when they get paid to a perfect stranger trying to sell them something... I THINK NOT! My question is... if you mark on the survey how much you make (within a range) why do they select some people and start cross examining them about their pay details? What difference does it make?
To me it seems that this company is more worred about being cheap and saving a buck by not offering discount ticktes to people who they don't think will buy then running a professional company. Who would buy something from a company that interrogated them in the first place? I also informed him of his elevator employee that told us to lie! He seemed to be aware of this! He ended the conversation by saying he would have his ticket girl "take care of us" and left. When she came back she offered us tickets for $2 below the retail price. What a joke! Shame on them. And that manager (Shay) should go back to kindergarten to learn basic communication skills and a little etiquette!
Please be ware! And don't make the mistake of wasting your valuable vacation time at this hole in the wall. We wasted our last morning of our honeymoon to be harrassed and put in a bad mood!
![Krystal International Vacation Club [KIVC]](/images/business/48-48/110399/110399.jpg){kind=small}
JUST DREAMS IS A COMPLETE SCAM!
NOTHING THEY SAID IN THE PRESENTATION WAS TRUE
A FRIEND AND I WERE ON VACATION IN HAWAII & WE WERE LURED INTO THE JUST DREAMS PRESENTATION- WE BOUGHT INTO THE PACKAGE THINKING THIS WAS A GREAT OFFER AND THAT ALL MENTIONED IN PRESENTATION...
Just Dreams is a SCAM! AKA Paradise Blue(changed their name 4 times)
We went for the "free gift" and the "30" mintue program that lasted over 2 hours.
We had to hand over our cell phones so someone could personally turn them off. We were told that we would not be allow to use the restroom, so please go before the program started. THAT IN ITSELF SHOULD OF THREW UP RED FLAGS...But get the
gift and leave. Right? Wrong! The program LOOKS Great! To Good to be True! And your
on Vacation..You want to go back on Vacation.
So the Program starts at $9, 000 - Drops to $7, 000 by the time it was over we will give it to you for $4, 000 with a FREE Vacation (air fair not included) plus $183 or so a year. GIVE US YOU CREDIT CARD NUMBER!
But IF you change your mind you have 3 DAYS TO CANCEL NO QUESTIONS ASK!
YEAH RIGHT!
Just Dreams will not let you walk out of the building by yourself if you buy the program. They put your binder with all your information in a brown paper bag and escort you into elevator, into a waiting van that takes you back to your hotel? (Whats that all about?)
As soon as I got back to the room I check the internet, find how many times Paradise-Blue had changed their name, all the bad reviews, BBB RATES THEM AN "F". I had to check the BBB in Flordia, because they are really listed in Flordia? with an Hawaii address?
We go back to Just Dreams and TRY TO CANCEL WITHIN (1 HOUR!) Just get our money OFF the Credit Card. Which at that point had not even been post to our account!
NO WAY - They WON'T DO IT. Just Dreams dropped the price to $2000 then to $1, 000 plus the free vacation & the yearly fee. Paradise-Blue just would NOT take No for an answer! After we made a scene & we refuse to go in the back office people were starting to leave.
They then signed the cancellation papers. BUT they still did not take the charges off our Credit card! PLUS they CHARGED a $250.00 PROCESSING FEE! $4250.00
SO We went Back the next day when all the "New couples" were coming in (I told as many as I chould that it was a scam & I was there to get my money back - check the BBB & internet before they buy) most of the couples thanked me & walked out. Just Dreams did not like that, I reminded them of "Free Speech" and I would continue to do that until I got my money back.
I just wanted the $4, 225.00 off my credit card (4) days & talking numerous times to Credit Card Company POLICE THATS WHAT IT TOOK! ITS A SCAM!
Just Dreams ripped me and my wife off in 11/2010 on our honeymoon. There deals are no better than Travelocity, orbitz, kayak, or priceline. And all those companies services are FREE! We paid approximatley $6, 000 for the uber special "Software license" only to find run down properties and virtually no "short term deals" they mention in the presentation. Not to mention NO DISCOUNTS beyond what the free sites can get you. I filed a complaint with the Department of Consumer Affairs in Hawaii, and the company they used to finance me responded with a letter saying they would no longer charge me anymore. Although my app fee and such was not refunded, nor were my first 4 payments, but I dont care. I have an official letter from them saying the Hawaii Attorney General contacted them, and that I no longer owe money. They must have gotten scared. Anyhow, YES they are a total scam. And YES, contact the DCCA they can get it taken care of. They are the same company as paradise blue. They keep changing their name to avoid detection.
All you knuckleheads who paid $7 grand to buy a software license, you can get the same deal for free on the internet. I highly suspect the positive posters are Just Dreams employees. My wife and I spent 9 days in Maui June 2010 for $2100. That's airfare from Alabama, condo, and rental car. There are a ton of internet resources to get better deals than Pacific Dreams for FREE! Don't waste your money! Don't believe me, do the the research for yourself and you will see I'm right.
If I had been snucker into dropping a huge wad of cash on a software license I did not need, I would also probably be talking it up just to feel a little better about my bad investment.
Just Dreams...
Complaints for this company allege that the company lures consumers to attend its sales presentation by offering discounted or free activities tickets on the street. The company uses high pressure sales tactics to sell software licensing for a program that promises discounted prices for vacation accommodations. The licensing cost ranges anywhere from $2, 000 to $9, 000. Consumers were given 3-day cancellation period, however, the company did not give program access information to consumers for 1 week or longer. Upon accessing the actual program, consumers found that the discounts promised were not available in the type of accommodations and in the amount referred in sales presentation, and that prices offered through the company's program were comparable to prices found at travel discount web sites that do not require fees to use.
While on our honeymoon to Oahu, we were approached by a man asking if we'd like tickets to a free dinner cruise for a half hour of our time and a continental breakfast. "Not a time share and no pressure to purchase anything...it's an internet thing." We had been getting up really early and nothing opens early anyways so we said yes.
Here's how it went...
The next morning we show up and of course there is no breakfast. We meet the age, marriage and income requirements so they bring us into another room along with 6 other couples and ask us about our traveling habits. They have us turn off our cell phones and tell us that to go to the restroom as they don't want us to leave during the presentation. About 30 mins after our start time the actual presentation begins. They give you an up front cost, and run through their program which is about half information and half trying to get you excited about traveling. (Just to give you an idea there is one employee for every couple and they clap, hoot, and cheer for the wonderful "Deals" they can get you in on) Overall they are trying to get you to buy "Ownership" writes to a website that only members can access. They also claim that this access gets you deals that far exceed that of the free sites. At the end of the presentation they tell you that you can get an even better deal if you sign up "Today." The sales pitch ended about an hour and 45 mins after our start time...and we were starving! ...But all-in-all the deal didn't seem too bad. As we asked questions (which they always had an answer for or simply just asked you a different question) different people came over and offered us better and better deals, starting at $10, 000 and ending around $2, 200. There were zero down offers with financing and so on and so forth. We weren't saying no, we just wanted to go to breakfast, talk it over, and maybe google the company name to see what came up. We asked if we could get the best deal if we came back "TODAY" and signed up. At that point...2 and half hours after we arrived, they simply told us to get our gift and go.
We went to breakfast and my husband looked up the "Just Dreams" company name and the above postings and many other complaints and warnings of a scam were found within seconds. We did not buy and do not recommend this unless you are willing to spend two and a half hours, and have no problem saying no. My Husband and I are smart and I can argue with the best of them so this wasn't that much of an issue for us... though I am sorry to hear it is all a scam. If some one could offer what they are offering for real, it would be cool but just as always if it seems just too good to be true...IT IS!
We have no yet taken our dinner cruise but we did call the company and they had our reservation and is fully confirmed and paid for. Hope this helps! Blessings to you.
Just Dreams Scam waikiki
Complaints To The Dcca Of Hawaii - HERE IS FURTHER PROOF THE SHEER NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO BEEN SCAMMED BY DESTINATION PARADISE LLC IN HAWAII. LISTED ARE COMPLAINTS, TO THE DCCA OF HAWAII, THAT HAVE GONE UNRESOLVED.
Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 1213N
OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.
Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 1197N
OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.
Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 1196N
OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.
Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 1195N
OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.
Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 1194N
OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.
Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 1184N
OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.
Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 1173N
OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.
Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 1164N
OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.
Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 1143N
OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.
Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 1134N
OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.
Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 1096N
OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.
Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 1085N
OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.
Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 1077N
OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.
Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 1060N
OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.
Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 1044N
OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.
Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 1028N
OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.
Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 1018N
OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.
Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 1017N
OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.
Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 1001N
OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.
Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 1000N
OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.
Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 0974N
OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.
Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 0947N
OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.
Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 0919N
OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.
Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 0918N
OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.
Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 0878N
OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.
Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 0845N
OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.
Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 0815N
OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.
Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 0809N
OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.
Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 0732N
OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.
Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 0730N
OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.
Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 0568N
OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.
Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 0565N
OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.
Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 0489N
OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.
Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 0470N
OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.
Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 0468N
OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.
Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 0458N
OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.
Complaint No: OCP- 2009- 0345N
OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.
Complaint No: OCP- 2008- 1243N
OUTCOME: THIS IS A PENDING COMPLAINT. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.
Complaint No: OCP- 2008- 1212N
Here is the Better Business Bureau Rating iof this company:
Based on BBB files, this business has a BBB Rating of F on a scale from A+ to F.
Reasons for this rating include:
• 73 complaints filed against business
• Failure to respond to 14 complaints filed against business.
• 13 complaints filed against business that was not resolved.
• BBB Accreditation was revoked because business failed to comply with agreed BBB standards.
• Business has failed to resolve underlying cause(s) of a pattern of complaints.
Here is the company Business Contact and Profile:
Business Contact and Profile
Name: Destination Paradise LLC
Phone: [protected]
Fax: [protected]
Address: 2250 Kalakaua Ave Ste 301
Honolulu, HI [protected]
Website: http://www.destinationparadisehawaii.com
New Owner Date: March 2008
Principal: Mr. Michael A. Balicki, Manager
Customer Contact: Mr. Michael A. Balicki, Manager - [protected]
Entity: Limited Liability Company
Incorporated: March 2008, HI
Type of Business: Travel Clubs
BBB Accreditation: This company is not a BBB Accredited business. Paradise Blue is opening another office in Maui. Paradise Blue has changed to Pacific Dreams on Maui.
Any questions or problems concerning getting out of your contract with Destination paradise Hawaii(Paradise Blue and Pacific Dreams) please contact:
Mr. Jeff D'Amato- Sales Manager in Maui [protected]
Mike Balicki- Sales Manager in Honolulu 808.222.4085
Seyi Faodu - Sales Manager in Honolulu 612.310.6484
Chuck Roubalard - Owner of the product and Leader of the entire scam. 763.772.6535
EXCUSE THE CAPS AS I AM NOT SCREAMING...JUST TYPING WITH ONE FINGER RIGHT NOW...
FOR THOSE WHO QUESTION WHY SOME PEOPLE FEEL JUST DREAMS IS A SCAM AND WANT PROOF AND SCENARIOS OF SUCH AND ACCUSE AN EMPLOYEE OF POSTING SUCH INFORMATION, PLEASE ANSWER ME THESE QUESTIONS...
WHY WOULD A COMPANY WHO FEELS ITS PRODUCT IS SO GREAT CHANGE THEIR NAME FROM VALUED GUESTS LLC TO DESTINATION PARADISE TO PARADISE BLUE AND NOW PACIFIC DREAMS MAUI?
WHY WOULD YOU OFFER A PRODUCT THAT YOU CANNOT VIEW UNTIL YOU ACTUALLY GET YOUR PASSWORD TWO WEEKS LATER AND BASICALLY 12 DAYS AFTER YOUR CANCELLATION PERIOD HAS EXPIRED?
WHY GIVE CUSTOMERS A HARD TIME IF THEY DON'T WANT TO SIGN UP AND CHANGE THE PRICE FROM AS HIGH AS $9995 TO JUST THE ANNUAL FEE OF $189?
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DID BUY INTO IT, DID YOU LOOK AT THE BINDER YOU RECEIVED AND HOW GENERIC IT IS? DID YOU NOTICE THAT DESTINATION PARADISE IS NOT MENTIONED ANYWHERE IN THE LAMINATED PAGES JUST ON THE BINDER ITSELF?
I BOUGHT INTO DESTINATION PARADISE IN 2008 AND THERE WAS NO INFORMATION ABOUT THE COMPANY ON THE INTERNET. THE ONLY WEBSITE THAT EXISTED WAS THE ONE YOU WOULD LOG INTO TO VIEW THEIR SO-CALLED DISCOUNTS THAT WHEN COMPARED TO OTHER TRAVEL WEBSITES WERE HIGHER PRICED. DESTINATION PARADISE, VALUED GUESTS LLC, PARADISE BLUE AND THE ACTIVITY STORE ARE ALL THE SAME COMPANY. THE ACTIVITY STORE SUPPLIES THE "FREE" TOURIST ATTRACTION TICKETS THAT ARE OFFERED ON THE STREET TO ENTICE THE BUYER TO ATTEND THE PRESENTATION OF OVER TWO HOURS IF YOU DON'T BUY INTO IT RIGHT AWAY AND THE TICKETS ARE NOT FREE BECAUSE THE PERSON THAT APPROACHES YOU ON THE STREET ASKS FOR A $20 DEPOSIT.
FOR THOSE WBO HAVE USED THE SOFTWARE AND RAVE ABOOUT IT, PLEASE LIST THE NAMES OF THE HOTELS/RESORTS/CONDOS YOU STAYED IN?
SO ANNIE, EXPLAIN HOW A PERSON SAVES MONEY OVER TIME INVESTING $2K TO 10K PLUS INTEREST IF FINANCED PLUS THE ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP FEE OF ALMOST $200 BOOKING 1-4 WEEK SAT A CONDO AT #700/WEEK AND IF YOU NEED TO CANCEL THE TRIP FOR WHATEVER REASON, YOU CANNOT GET YOUR MONEY BACK? WHERE'S THE SAVINGS? PLEASE EXPLAIN...OR PERHAPS YOU OR YOUR FRIEND ACTUALLY WORK FOR THESE PEOPLE?
I BOUGHT INTO THIS. I CAN PROVE IT AND I CAN ALSO TELL YOU THAT A FEW OF US THAT BOUGHT INTO THIS BETWEEN 2010 AND 2011 ACTUALLY GOT ALL OF OUR MONIES BACK BECAUSE WE BOMBARDED THE DCCA IN HAWAII AND THE BBB WITH OUR FORMAL COMPLAINTS AND EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT OUR CLAIMS WERE TRUTHFUL. AFTER THE INVESTIGATION, WE PREVAILED SO FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO BOUGHT INTO PARADISE BLUE, DON'T LOSE HOPE. DON'T STOP YOUR COMPLAINTS BECAUSE MONEY IS NOT EASY TO COME BY THESE DAYS.
just Dreams did the same thing to me and my wife.Try to cancel four days after we sign, they refuse saying it was to late. I'm declaring war on Just Dreams.
I wonder that with many claims/complaints from Visitors (from all the States to Hawaii), what have the Department of Consumer Affair in Hawaii, the Hawaii Police Department and the FDI had done to help these victims?
I think the DCCA should have a way to protect or to warn Hawaii's visitors about these scams. If not, the Paradise will not be longer a Paradise. This matter will chase the visitors away.
If some one knows the most effective way to file a claim/complaint and to get the refund ASAP, please advise. Many thanks.
Keep filing with the consumer protection agency and also write the mayor and the governor with copies of the paper work you receive your just dream and be honest of how their contact with you begin. Don't forget to mention the turn off your cell phone bit.
also this is what i did, make copies of the hold package for your record, and send copies of your complaint to the governor, mayor and to just dreams stating the presentation is not the same as your soft ware prices and demand a refund. Send your package back to Manager Cole R. good luck and don't give up. I got my refund in two months because i didn't give up.
TO ANYONE THAT WILL HELP US OUT. WE JUST BOUGHT INTO THE PACKAGE, CAME BACK TO THE HOTEL & READ UP ON IT. WE QUICKLY REALIZED THAT WE WERE SCAMMED. WE WENT BACK THE VERY NEXT DAY & THEY SAID THAT OUR CREDIT CARD WOULD BE REFUNDED WITHIN 7 TO 10 BUSINESS DAYS, EVERYTHING EXCEPT FOR THE $250, I FEEL THAT WE SHOULD GET THAT RETURNED TO US ALSO. I WAS WONDERING WHO WE GO THROUGH TO TRY & GET THIS BACK, & SHOULD WE BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE GOING TO RETURN OUR MONEY! PLEASE LET ME KNOW!
If you purchased with a credit card, just remember that you are protected against scams. To start, just call your CC company and explain the situation. They will ask you to send a detailed letter of cancellation via registered/certified mail and if you have not received your money back, the CC company will credit you back and begin an investigation. As long as you can prove that you cancelled within 7 business days - there is an excellent chance that you will also get back the $250. The reason is that Just Dreams charged your CC for ONE charge. That is the amount of the sale + the $250. So when the CC company credits you back, it will be for the whole amount. If you are outside of the 7 days - still pursue this because their sales document/contract is a joke. Any lawyer will tell you that this contract is unable to be enforced in any court of law in this country. I will not go into details for the obvious reason that I would be helping those fools that are employed by this pathetic company fix their amateur contract.
I am a new customer that got scammed in Honolulu by Just Dreams. I could repeat my scam but it is closest to Justdreams.scam and Just-Dreams. We did put the cost orf the scam on our credit card and I expect to contact our Credit Card company immediately. I will file a complaint with the DCCA, the Governor, The Mayor, the FBI, BBB and even a new option: INVESTIGATING REPORTERS of the local TV STATIONS, ABC, CBS, HBC and FOX. I am not the best at Editing and Deleting all needless photos and junk of complaints listed above. I hope one of our group could consolidate all of these complaints and return the consolidated copy to all of us. ( GOOD JOB ABOVE justdreams.scam). Also if possible, include the complaints from other web sites (if you can find any)
that may have posted complaints about Just Dreams, Paradise Blue, Pacific Dreams and other previous names. I am so positive that someone in Hawaii will listen.
In regard to there contact as being unenforceable, I agree. THIS IS MY OPINION "Write a reply with a Recission Letter and sent it to Just Dreams within a week ( Certified Return Receipt)" Lets work together and bombard the media, officials and government agencies.
For anyone interested in filing a complaint, Hawaii's Consumer Protection agency has a downloadable form available at: http://hawaii.gov/dcca/ocp/consumer_complaint/consumer-complaint.html
I urge anyone unsatisfied with the company to file a complaint. My girlfriend and I participated in one of their presentations, but did not purchase their product. Nonetheless, I was appalled to read about the complaints above (especially given how insistent they are to get your credit card info on-site) and don't want to let the experience go unnoticed. It'd be particularly unfortunate if these companies turn tourists sour on Hawaii.
I didn't buy into this whole thing so I can't really file a complaint. The reps were really rude and began insulting me in front of my 12 year old child when I wouldn't buy into the program. The manager came over and began harrassing me and insulting me as well. So, I asked why would they do so if they are trying to sell me something. Not a good way to "make me want" the program! However, I finally got tired of their little game and said, "Ok, give me all the paper work I will need to fill out to sign up and I will have my ATTORNEY look it over. I don't sign anything like this without my attorney." That did it for them, I was asked to leave, got my tickets for my son and myself for two activities for FREE because I wasn't leaving without my "deposit" and my promised discounted tickets...which then became free when I mentioned the attorney! :) Glad I was smart enough to mention that little tid bit! I walked out of there with my money, free tickets and my dignity! I am so very sorry for anyone who did buy into this program. My heart goes out to you and I pray you get every cent back! Good luck and don't give up!
hey we are not agree with all these issues regarding just dreams scam!
last month me and my family went to hawaii..they really did a great job to handle all of us..services of hawaii are very good..i dont know about past but now its much better..dont know why guys post negative feedback to this company..i think there are lots and lots of competitors in the market and all of them wants to pull down each other..its against the humanity and i dont know why google agree with this without confirming any issue..kindly check and confirm all the issues by your own and make a decision!
WE ARE TOTALLY DISAGREE WITH ALL THESE!
JUST DREAMS SCAM IS NOT A SCAM!
Extremely professional, did as he said would do, great contact, would use again!
According to me, I dont think that Just Dreams do any scam with any person.
This is my own experience..its superb not bad
JUST DREAMS - PARADISE BLUE -DESTINATION PARADISE - PACIFIC DREAMS
Any company worth their salt would be proud to display their name and logo at the preview location.There is NO reference to the company name on my contract.The fact is that changed their name 4 times and changed the location numerous times.Look up PARADISE BLUE, PACIFIC DREAMS, DESTINATION PARADISE, AND JUST DREAMS SCAM.
Few Guys are absolutely wrong! its look totally fraud and seems to be a competitor of Just Dreams, i show all of you a proof of Just Dreams that how it deals with their customers! i got it from one website where one user left his review, here it is:
""""""I can say I am extremely happy with the Just Dreams Company, and I am glad I bought their product. The 2 things that I like the most about Just Dreams is that the savings and quality of the accommodations is extraordinary, and it also really pushes you to travel more. Life is short, so I’m glad that I have extra motivation to see all the awesome places the word has to offer."""""""
Guys we think competitors wrote large fake details so that it seems to be original.
We hope peoples are not mad and differentiate between good or bad from its own sense. Conclusion is that JuSt DrEaMs ScAm is not a SCAM! its my own experience, we spent a memorable time in just dreams, there are lots and lots of words to say here but i do not express, i think you guys experience by your own, go and enjoy!
Just Dreams Scam is not a SCAM:
Today i show some proof regarding this matter:
First of all just check the post of above user named "RipppedOff"...i think this guy is a scam guy and post same post with different users names on internet to make peoples fool..i show his scam proves:
1. http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1057092
Username: mauihorizon
Location Hawaii
Date of Post: Date: May 13, 09 (almost 2 years ago)
2. /link removed/
Username: Clamato
Date of post: Thursday, November 25, 2010
Location: Virginia U.S.A.
3. http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/233413/page/3#c816121
Username: Just-Dreams
Date of Post: 171 days ago
4. http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/just-dreams-c378887.html?sort=datea&page=2
Username: RipppedOff
Date of post: 2 days ago
These are very few clew we conclude from internet, we follow this person from last 2 months and got this information. Dont you guys thinks that he make fool all of you..if he was true then why he changed his name all the time and post on different different sites. Also he posted same comments from last 2 years on different websites, he seems to be a big competitor thats why doing all these foolish things.
We register a legal complaint against him, we have more evidence against him but this time not show here.
So, I urge all of you guys beware of that person, he and his few fraud friends makes few fake ID's and post fake post against good firms.
I also urge Complaints Board to register complaint against this guy and ban him from this site and also his IP address. He is responsible for few firms who lost lots of business from his spam comments.
Actually we post this message one month back but we conclude few more evidences against him, i think its fair enough to prove him scam or fake guy.
JUST DREAMS..
Just Dreams is not a SCAM, its true!
Today i got some important information from internet, its a good and positive review from one of its customer, see this...
"Testimonial from Terry VanBooven"
A few months ago I was on a mission to find out whether or not Just Dreams Hawaii was a scam. My husband and I were in Waikiki and we were approached by a gentleman offering us free luau tickets to attend a sales presentation. He assured us it was not timeshare, and that all we had to do was watch a 90 min sales pitch on a web based travel company called Just Dreams.
Well, we were intrigued by the offer and saving $150 on luau tickets was appealing, so we went for it and signed up for the sales presentation 2 hours later. Fast forward 2 hours, and now we are checking in at the Just Dreams Showroom. We filled out a form, and walked into the presentation expecting to be in and out with our gifts without purchasing a thing. We were expecting it to be some b.s. overpriced spin on timeshare, and we weren’t really in any position to be dropping a bunch of dough on a timeshare.
Well, it turns out that the presentation was nothing like we expected. It was a very cool and innovative program, and it was unlike anything I had ever seen. My husband and I had been to a couple timeshare presentations before, and we weren’t ever very impressed with the timeshare or the price of the timeshare. However, Just Dreams seemed to be extremely flexible and the price was super affordable.
My husband and I were really just trying to figure out what the catch was. We even asked the sales person what the catch was, and he gave us a very straight up answer. He said that there is just a ton of unused timeshare inventory, especially with this economy, and the timeshare companies and timeshare owners associations need a way to unload it. If they did so through expedia or travelocity or a site like that, it would make their owners quite upset because they would see this timeshare that they paid up to 50k for being unloaded at deeply discounted rates. Because of that predicament, they would much rather sell them through a private offer like Just Dreams.
All said and done, we decided to give it a shot. It was quite inexpensive for what we were getting, and we figured it would push us to travel more. We felt good about our purchase and went home back to Missouri happy campers.
Then…, I got online, and things changed. I decide too look up Just Dreams Hawaii on google, and up pops this complaints board posting with some people expressing their unhappiness with the program. However, the postings were very strange because most of the people who were writing bad stuff didn’t purchase the product, and the ones who did claim they purchased were writing their posts in a very strange manner. They were overusing the term Just Dreams way too many times in a short post, it appeared they were trying to trick google into getting better ranking.
When I saw this, I immediately called one of my best friends who does search internet marketing, and had him take a look at it to see what he thought. After looking at it, he told me that it looked like obvious foul play. He said that in his 5 years of internet marketing he commonly sees this kind of behavior, where rival companies will pose as clients of their competitors and bad mouth like crazy. He told me that the way that the keywords were overused and placed properly on the complaints board posts, these were obviously not genuine clients. He told me he was 100% sure that.
Well, after getting lots of reassurance from my internet marketing friend, I felt better, but I knew I still would not feel fully reassured until after we took our first trip. Well, we just got back from our first trip using Just Dreams Vacations, and it went off without a hitch. We actually ended up going back to Hawaii with it, only this time we went to Maui and Kauai. It was an absolutely incredible experience, and I can say in all honesty that the program did everything they said it would. We had to play with the dates a little bit, but in the end it worked out perfect and the savings was awesome.
I am so glad and grateful that I listened to my gut, and didn’t follow the naysayers on complaints site. I am also super grateful that I had a friend who reassured me that the funny sounding posts on there were 100% Just Dreams competitors playing dirty, and not genuine owners of the product.
I can say I am extremely happy with the Just Dreams Company, and I am glad I bought their product. The 2 things that I like the most about Just Dreams is that the savings and quality of the accommodations is extraordinary, and it also really pushes you to travel more. Life is short, so I’m glad that I have extra motivation to see all the awesome places the word has to offer. =)
i and my father went ot the presentation...and bought into the club...first. we were treated very well byt he fellow who set up the presentation whom we met at a stall next o our hotel..in HOnolulu, second they asked when it was convenient for us to go to a presentation..and whether w ewanted a cruise tkt sunset cruise or Macy $100 gift card...we were set up with apick up limosine...that saturday at 10 am we were picked up and told by driver he could not answer anything but to just listen and enjoy . well we did/... i am a Travel Agent...so i listened and then we bargained the price down to a price u would pay for one of those programs u can only use for 4 weeks a year...please.
we got a $100 since they were out of Macy gift cards ...in cash by the way. thne we received $500 gift certificate for a free vacation anywhere...and then shown to a private room to buy the memebership and given a lovley bag and binder and all the owners forms we needed and shown on computer how the program all works... i asjed many questiosn since i know about travel...listen...u get last minute deals here too...daily!...these deals are all at classy condo units all over the world...it is Travelocity to get to Hawaii but now i will use Just-Dreams...Ann was lovely to me and my Dad...and so many others... i can under stand the complaints but many people have been duped by many presentations...but this one is real...and over 1 MILLION HAPPY MEMEBERS WORLDWIDE...NEW NAME...WELL, , , , I DONT CARE...BUISINESSES DO THAT TO RESTRUCTURE FINANCES ...TIMES HAVE BEEN TOUGH IN THE TRAVEL BUSINESS...BUT THERE IS ---NO OTHER ----CLUB LIKE THIS...LOTS OF REALESTATE AND RESORTS HAVE EMPTY CONDOS SO THEY RENT THEM OUT THIS WAY UNTIL THEY SELL...MUCH LIKE HOTELS.COM...
I agree with triplovers in that it is obvious that one person has posed as at least 3 different people that have slightly different negative stories and different names. This is obvious foul play!
I am an owner of Just Dreams, and it works very well. It is definitely one of those purchases where it cost a small chunk of money, but it was well worth it and I am an extremely satisfied customer. I agree that it is a little restrictive compared to hotels. However, compared to the money saved, the increased room size and accommodations, and the fact that I am a little flexible, I dig it.
Anyone who owns this product and maximizes it knows the benefit very well I'm sure.
Wow...
Spin control.You can access this same program free online.As for the posts above its obvious that they are Just Dreams employees.They all must be illiterate.Look at the grammar and spelling on the above posts.
I just went through the scam presentation of the year this morning.Funny thing though; I didnt say NO ever but they dropped their pants 4 times from $9995 all the way down to about $2000 without even trying to sell me on the program.That threw up all kinds of flags so I politely declined and went downstairs for my free tickets.My advice if you want to scam people is to hire some SALESMEN then maybe you will catch more fish.Had me going for about 3 minutes then lost me at the first discount.Good news is you can get very good tickets for next to nothing if you can sit through about 2 hours of poor salesmanship from a lady who is kind of amusing that says she is from N. Dakota.
Just Dreams is a SCAM! AKA Paradise Blue(changed their name 4 times) We went for the "free gift" and the "30" mintue program that lasted over 2 hours. We had to hand over our cell phones so someone could personally turn them off. We were told that we would not be allow to use the restroom, so please go before the program started. THAT IN ITSELF SHOULD OF THREW UP RED FLAGS...But get the
gift and leave. Right? Wrong! The program LOOKS Great! To Good to be True! And your
on Vacation..You want to go back on Vacation. So the Program starts at $9, 000 - Drops to $7, 000 by the time it was over we will give it to you for $4, 000 with a FREE Vacation (air fair not included) plus $183 or so a year. GIVE US YOU CREDIT CARD NUMBER! But IF you change your mind you have 3 DAYS TO CANCEL NO QUESTIONS ASK!
YEAH RIGHT! Just Dreams will not let you walk out of the building by yourself if you buy the program. They put your binder with all your information in a brown paper bag and escort you into elevator, into a waiting van that takes you back to your hotel? (Whats that all about?) As soon as I got back to the room I check the internet, find how many times Paradise-Blue had changed their name, all the bad reviews, BBB RATES THEM AN "F". I had to check the BBB in Flordia, because they are really listed in Flordia? with an Hawaii address? We go back to Just Dreams and TRY TO CANCEL WITHIN (1 HOUR!) Just get our money OFF the Credit Card. Which at that point had not even been post to our account! NO WAY - They WON'T DO IT. Just Dreams dropped the price to $2000 then to $1, 000 plus the free vacation & the yearly fee. Paradise-Blue just would NOT take No for an answer! After we made a scene & we refuse to go in the back office people were starting to leave. They then signed the cancellation papers. BUT they still did not take the charges off our Credit card! PLUS they CHARGED a $250.00 PROCESSING FEE! $4250.00 SO We went Back the next day when all the "New couples" were coming in (I told as many as I chould that it was a scam & I was there to get my money back - check the BBB & internet before they buy) most of the couples thanked me & walked out. Just Dreams did not like that, I reminded them of "Free Speech" and I would continue to do that until I got my money back. I just wanted the $4, 225.00 off my credit card (4) days & talking numerous times to Credit Card Company POLICE THATS WHAT IT TOOK! ITS A SCAM!
My wife and I didn't buy in but it soured us on hawaii. We won't be back and we will be starting a campain to educate others on this scam in hawaii and prevent them from having this experience and possibly from visiting altogether.
Take everything wrong with Timeshares and their selling practices, multiple by 50, add in a whole lot of nothing for an expensive price and you get Pacific Dreams.
My fiance and I travel quite a bit and have been known to go to time share presentations to get discounted stays or activities now and then. We are used to the high pressure sales and the rapidly decreasing price over time. When we sat in on a presentation by Pacific Dreams in Maui, we didn't realize that a company would outright lie just to get business.
We were warned by the sales person about somebody who had been posting fake scams and ignorantly we bought into it. Like many things it was a while before we had another opportunity to travel and when we went to do so we realized just how big of a SCAM this really is. By this time it was definitely to late to cancel so we're just hoping to help others to not make the same mistakes we did. Remember, for every person who complains there are tens if not hundreds of people who just chalk a mistake up to a bad decision or they don't want to admit to getting scammed. I'll admit it though, we bought it hook, line, and sinker.
We had a three major problems with the service which is why we had to warn others. The least of all is the software. It looks like it is written 15 years ago and it is as hard to navigate as anything i've seen here on the web. Worse is that you can't book trips to any place you would actually want to go. Thinking of a romantic trip to Paris? Not even an option. We weren't able to find any major city anywhere in the world that it allowed. The worst clincher though is even when you find a far off remote place and you are supposed to be getting some great deal, the prices where over twice what we found in a quick 5 second search of accommodations on the web. The one thing they say they are good at, getting great deals around the world and their prices don't even come close to what's competitive.
It is a waste of several thousand dollars for us from this scam. I hope others don't make same mistake!
We put 250 bucks down on Monday, changed our minds on Tuesday, went to see John at the agreed upon time and he gave us the 250 back with minimal trying to convince us otherwise. The sales pressure is high but they treated us fairly when we came to our senses. Aloha people. Bill and Pam Vollrath...
anyone ever got a refund from them what about Universal group the company who does the billing? they basically collect until the 'bill' is paid out I can't get out of this scam!
I am the Director of Sales at Pacific Dreams in Maui. I have made the follow offer to EVERY complaint on this site...
"If you will provide me your name, purchase date and membership number, I will be happy to make the following offer to you. If we are unable to provide you a great value for your very next trip/vacation I will see that you are refunded the money for your purchase. I stand by the product and services we offer. If you will contact me at [protected] I will see that you are serviced well or you receive a complete refund of your purchase. "
To date no ONE person has taken me up on this offer.
I am the Director of Sales at Pacific Dreams in Maui. First of all we have NEVER changed our name and public records clearly show this. Secondly, we have the highest rating of any timeshare/travel company in Maui with the BBB and this is very easily verified. Lastly, I have made the follow offer to EVERY complaint on this site...
"If you will provide me your name, purchase date and membership number, I will be happy to make the following offer to you. If we are unable to provide you a great value for your very next trip/vacation I will see that you are refunded the money for your purchase. I stand by the product and services we offer. If you will contact me at [protected] I will see that you are serviced well or you receive a complete refund of your purchase. "
To date no ONE person has taken me up on this offer.
Seyi did our presentation.Here are some red flags.Just Dreams is a SCAM.
1. The original person who offered us the presentation and tickets at the "free activities booth" specifically told us to lie and mark a higher pay range on the application at the sales pitch. Also, no mention of the company names "paradise blue" or "just dreams" were included by the activities booth.
2. Once arriving, they claim that they have a lease on the entire 6th floor of the Bank of Hawaii building (this isn't true though as there are vacant offices on that floor). Additionally, if you look at the buildings directory, as well as the plaques on the wall next to the office doors, you will see NO MENTION of the names "Paradise Blue" or "Just Dreams." Thus, there is no proof that they are there to "stay" so to speak, and they can up and leave any moment.
3. After arriving and filling out paperwork, we sat in the waiting room with a few other couples that were already there. It's very possible these couples could have been "dummies" and were planted there.
4. Upon arrival of our sales representative and being ushered into the presentation room, we were REQUIRED to turn off our cell phones IN THE PRESENCE OF the representative! HUGE red flag! We also could not use the restroom while in the presentation.
5. Our presentation was given by a gentlemen named "Seyi" who was very persuasive (I've seen his name mentioned in other complaints as well). He mentioned the price of $10, 000 at the beginning of the presentation, claiming that was the final price and that there was no other hidden costs aside from the yearly renewal fee.
6. During the presentation, they mention that they help "subsidize" costs by paying part of the hotel/condo/cruise booking costs. They also showed slides that indicate the amount of savings one would receive. Each buyer is entitled to "X" amount of fictional vacation dollars to spend towards hotel/cruise/condo reservations ($3, 000, for example). When you book a stay, they take money out of this fund, which is replenished yearly.
They DID NOT, however, specifically say HOW MUCH you can take out of this fund AT ANY GIVEN TIME. Seemed very evasive and vague, and I have seen complaints stating that you CANNOT USE THE FULL AMOUNT TOWARDS A SINGLE VACATION STAY. This makes the cost of the condo/hotel/cruise EXACTLY the same as it would be on orbitz, hotels.com, hotwire, etc.
7. During the presentation, they used screenshot slides that were still shots of their website. They DID NOT use the Live Software to show ANYBODY any price on any given destination.
In my experience, any presentation that DOES NOT show live software is HIDING SOMETHING.. I know because I've seen it done in other companies that I've worked with in an entirely unrelated industry. They use the excuse that the presentation would drag on too long past the 60 minutes they had if they used the live software, since everybody would want to see their destination of choice.
8. At first, we were spoken to by our sales representative. When she quickly discovered that we were skeptical, a manager was almost immediately brought in to pressure us more.
We were brought into a private office in the back and after being further skeptics they brought in the "big guns" a.k.a. the presenter/VP manager of the office who gave the presentation. He further pressured us into purchasing the program.
9. The price plummeted. It was $10k originally, then went to $8k, and drastically dropped as low as $2, 500 for a budget friendly package. Any product whose price drops this much should have it's legitimacy questioned immediately.
This is not only a shady marketing/sales tactic, but the manager blatantly told us that "nobody else got this same offer that you did..." Yeah right.. that's a blatant lie, as I've seen many other complaints online stating that they too received the exact same drastic price drops and offers, including the "free vacation voucher" that they toss in to try and sweeten the pot.
10. Speaking of private offices, the office we entered was very "sterile" and BARE! If this is in fact a legitimate business, and the resting place of this company, wouldn't there be personal effects in there? No pictures on the wall or on the desk, just a bare desk with a keyboard and monitor. I'm guessing this is so they can get out of there quickly if another DBA name change is needed.
Also, when we went back to cancel 2 days later, the return private office we spoke in was also bare and had no personal effects.
11. We decided to buy just to get out of there. After paying (with our credit card) and leaving, the anxiety and panic sunk in. We started thinking logically and wondered what disastrous thing we had done.
Sure enough, not a lot of legitimate complaints exist out there for Just Dreams yet. It seems that's the case because this name is fairly new, so not a lot of places exhibit legit complaints yet.
12. 7 day cancellation policy, but it's obvious you wont get your key code to access the software for AT LEAST 7 days. This is another HUGE red flag, and they will manipulate it and "talk" around it all day long, claiming that the filing process takes several days to activate your account and gather your keycode.
This is ridiculous. I sign up for programs online frequently, and there is no such process to go through to get an activated account. You can register online for any number of discount hotel/flight/car rental programs (hotwire, orbitz, etc.) and your account is activated almost IMMEDIATELY, giving you the right to utilize their services right away. This is the 21st century after all.
13. After deciding to cancel, we went in on Monday morning to the office to cancel. We were taken into another private office (which, as mentioned above, was also bare), and we were given a huge retention push. It was obvious that he was trying to retain us as a customer and get us to keep the program, but we were determined to cancel.
14. After trying to cancel, the manager continued to follow us outside and asked us questions about why we cancelled, etc. It seemed like he wanted to hear legitimate feedback, so I was inclined to give it to him.
Every time I mentioned one of these red flags, the guy simply evaded the real question at hand and gave us vague and manipulative answers. The manager would simply NOT give me a decent straight forward answer.
If this company was legitimate, wouldn't they gladly be receptive to positive critical feedback? Many, MANY other individuals have posted complaints and have mentioned MANY of the same red flags that I've mentioned above, yet he talked his way out of every single one of them.
15. When asked, the manager said he DID NOT HAVE AN EMAIL ADDRESS. Who in this day and age of business does NOT have a direct email address?
After that, I asked him for a business card. He handed me a card which was simply a generic business card for Just Dreams, and did not have a direct number for him or his name anywhere on it. Yet another red flag.
I argued for a good hour or so, after which we finally discovered it wasn't worth it to keep arguing and we left. The guy sure did try hard to make us feel bad about cancelling though, but in the end I'm incredibly glad it didn't work.
Avoid this place like the plague. Our 4-5 hours of wasted time on our Hawaii vacation wasn't anywhere worth the $160 or so in free gifts that we received. If I see credit card charges come across for this company I will go to war with them and do anything in my power to get it back.
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Even though I did not buy the program, i was harrased to do so until last minute. We had to spend 3 and a half hours in there!, they almost forced us to sign, but we stayed strong.
First of all, why nobody can go to the bathroom?! that is just nonsense, and let me tell you why, its because you can go and search up on the internet about this company, that is why they make you turn COMPLETELY off your cell phones. (it just doesnt make any sense!), why cant you just put in on silence?, A lot of things did not match, we wanted to take the papers and think about it for a bit, and they just did not let us go, it had to be THEIR WAY OR THE HIGHWAY. that is just stupid, no other respectful company does that!, Im so glad I did not sign.. poor people that actually did. Ill pray for them.
VACATION BREEZES SCAM WAIKIKI
These dirty motherfke* need to be put in jail. Almost had me, i signed up for a 3000.00 package after going home and doing some home work on the company i found nothing to back up there claims in fact i found nothing on this shell company at all. I returned the next day with a recisned letter as stated in the contract and voiced my displeasure with them about stealing from the public. The workers and staff there acted as if they where oblivious to my claims. Thanks to [redacted] i now know i was correct in my findings.
My friend and I were also scammed in March 2011, we missed our 3 day window to cancel and believed all these years we didn't have a choice but to take it and pay up, i fell on difficult time and after a year my friend took over the payments, we are listed as co-owners although i'm the primary owner, they knew we were not married and lived in separate states and they said it was fine, i have the lesser income (half of his), so anyways he's going through some troubles of his own now and our account was sent to collections and the calls have begun. Early on I did try to get the 17% interest rate reduced and they said no. What can I do at this point if anything? Please advise.