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I have had trouble with an affiliated organization to the Mayan Palace known as the Great Vacations Club (GVC). This is the final step before you are out of the slimy high pressure timeshare sales presentation. It comes off as a survey to ensure you were treated right but moves to another sales pitch, one I was foolish to sign.
I signed the contract November 28, 2006. I canceled by telephone (calling the GVC Texas Customer Service office) November 30, 2006, well within the five day cancellation period allowed by Article 56 of Mexican Consumer Protection Law. I even have documentation confirming their receipt of my cancellation and refund request. However, Great Vacations Club / Mayan Palace never gave me a refund.
I am considering a lawyer in the US as well as a lawyer in Mexico to recover my $5,999 US. Although the contract states "an active membership may be canceled at any time but the membership fee is non refundable." the grounds for my lawsuit is that cancellation took place within the 5 day period allowed by law and that the membership should never have been activated.
I am also contacting Profeco, Mexico's Consumer Protection Department to get their help in making Great Vacations Club live up to the law. They are violating Consumer Protection Statutes in Mexico (Artile 56 of Consumer Protection law), Texas where their office billed my credit card (Texas Business and Commerce Code Ann. Sec 39.001) and California where I reside (California B&P 11024).
Here is where you come in...
NO ONE SHOULD EVER DO BUSINESS WITH THE GREAT VACATION CLUB, MAYAN PALACE (OR OTHER MAYAN RESORTS), OR VENTAS RIVIERA MAYA! DO NOT GO TO THEIR TIMESHARE PRESENTATIONS NO MATTER WHAT GIFTS THEY GIVE YOU. PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD TO ALL FRIENDS & FAMILY THAT LIKE TO VACATION IN WARM WEATHER PLACES. TELL THEM TO STAY AWAY FROM MAYAN PALACE AND GREAT VACATIONS CLUB!
I will broadcast this message across many websites, and other media as I continue other means to get them to refund my money as required by law.
Dan Altenburg
San Diego, CA
We too were fraudulently scammed. We made such a mistake believing Mayan Resorts that the timeshare would pay for itself either by donating the weeks as tax write-offs or by renting the weeks out. We have disputed charges and are complaining to every consumer protection agency I can in both the US and in Mexico.
If anyone knows of an attorney that can help us, please respond via email.
We too were ripped off by this company. We can never get on their website and were promised to get discount rates on cruises for $500.00. Please stay away from Great Vacations Club because they are still up and running in Mexico!
We too were fraudulently scammed, we should get togheter and sue them!
Please contact me if you want to get togheter on this and get the money back!
My wife and I purchased a time-share from Mayan Palace seven years ago and have been VERY happy with our purchase.
Time shares are not investments that will pay for themselves. Only an uninformed fool would be led to beleive that. They are only worth the purchase if you use them. If you don't plan to vacation on a regular basis, it is not worth the purchase.
Time shares are not scams, they are vacation ownership and nothing more. You people need to quit whinning and go on vacation. You might be pleasently surprised at how nice Mayan Palace resorts are when you realize what a time share is.
B Jones, perhaps you are not aware of the definition of a scam. B Jones said “Time shares are not investments that will pay for themselves. Only an uninformed fool would be led to believe that.” In the sales presentation, they make claims and flash numbers that are extremely exaggerated and false, one of which is contrary to your statement. I think people should continue to complain about the “snakes” (sales people) that will say and promise anything to make money. The resort itself seems very nice, but the sales presentations are highly unethical, designed to deceive and coerce people out of their money.
I sell timeshare in Sedona Az. and have had several of my guests tell me of the outright lies told by the sales agents in Mexico in general AND what a great value their ownership has been! I just think it sucks that a great product is hawked using snake oil tactics. syaosc@yahoo.com
In a separate message to promote my own self interests AND possibly turn your sows ear into a silk purse - I will be happy to offer an alternative that might in the long run help make life better. Being a licensed real estate agent I am subject to very precise State regulations unlike my Mexican counterparts. So, if you are interested, drop me a line - no obligations on your part. Hey, it's just email not a Mexican jail! If you like my idea go with it. If not, say la vee -
Hi Dan,
It doesn´t surprise me to read these types of comments, these developments always operate in unethical ways. Don´t give up and continue fighting for your timeshare cancellation. I recommend you read this article.
http://www.timesharescam.com/timeshare-cancel/do_you_always_have_5_days_to_can-10
Profeco will do nothing for anyone I tried. I would be interested in a lawsuit if anyone wants to email me.
My wife and I went to Acapulco for our honey moon in May 2008 and got scam into buying a timeshare at the Mayan Palace for $10, 400. Its was a big mistake. We went for a free tour and end up attending a 3 hours sale presentation. They use a lots of sale tactics to trick you into thinking that everything sounds so good. They told us that if we don't use the 2 weeks that we have, we can rent it out for $1000 each and within 5 years we will get our money back. They said its was a good investment for the long term, the value of the timeshare will go up. All are lies. Timeshare are not like real estate, they will not go up. They didn't even tell us about the cancellation policy. I recently did research online and found out that there were many people in the same situation like us. They are all been scam by the mexico timeshares. I hereby encourage that everybody stay away from Acapulco, but if you do go, stay away from the Mayan Palace Timeshare. If anybody offer you a free tour, do not take it. There are consequences behind it:
http://www.timesharescam.com/blog/51-mayan-palace-timeshare-scam/