Menu
For Business Write a review File a complaint
CB Timeshares and Vacation Rentals Review of Orange Lake resort orlando
Orange Lake resort orlando

Orange Lake resort orlando review: Change rules of ownership on a yearly basis - Misleading elderly couple 71

P
Author of the review
9:48 pm EDT
Review updated:
Featured review
This review was chosen algorithmically as the most valued customer feedback.

My elderly parents were talked into buying a weeks timeshare at Orange Lake Resort, Orlando, Florida. They attend a yearly conference during the same time every January 2nd or 3rd week. When considering the purchase, they asked repeatably if it would ever be a problem to change weeks because the conference tends to vary by one week year to year. They were assured that this would never be a problem. They had some difficulty last year switching the date by one week. They informed Orange Lake Management one year before what the date would be this coming January. They were given specific directions on who and when to call for confirmation of dates. When calling October 2, 2008, they were told that the rules had changed and they would not be able to switch dates anymore! If they wanted to switch the date, they would have to "upgrade to a new unit & time" and pay $12, 000.000 additional for the same 3 bedroom condo. They already fully paid for the original in the amount of $16, 000.00. If this is not the old "Bait and Switch", I don't know what is. What can they do

71 comments
Add a comment
T
T
tptmk
Ringgold, US
Aug 25, 2011 8:25 pm EDT

At 10:45am August 22, 2011 I spoke with a friendly gentleman named Ross (#36497) and paid all remaining items from our account. After speaking with Ross he transferred me to another pleasant girl named Bianca. We discussed the fact that I currently had 181, 000 points to use and the difference in all the numbers associated with our account. After much discussion she made a reservation for me using 96, 000 points to stay at Orange Lake Oct 8-12, 2011. We then discussed that it would leave a balance of 85, 000 points and I would need to use these prior to 12/31/2011 or they would be lost. I asked about rolling them over and she stated I had already done that once and there would be a fee associated with it should I roll the remaining 85, 000. We discussed making a reservation at Smokey Mountain Resort which is our home resort and she inquired about a date of November 11th. We discussed booking fees and housekeeping fees and the fact that it would be 45, 000 points and would cost $99 for this reservation. I explained that I would call back after I spoke with my husband and book that reservation should we decide on it. I agreed that I didn't mind losing the 40, 000 remaining points for we didn't have the money nor the time to use them and there would be a deposit of 131, 000 points deposited on 1/1/2012. She explained that I could book into my home resort 10 to 13 months out and the cancelation policy along with that. She gave me the information I needed to get on the website and stated that it would be updated within four hours where I had made my payment and the reservation. We ended the call on pleasant terms and with the understanding I would return a call soon. Approximately 5:45pm I jumped on the website to see what was on it and saw that it was showing only 35, 000 points as a balance. I called the call center and spoke with Crystal. She tried to accomidate me but could not see where the points were nor why they weren't showing up. She placed me on hold several different times and have 30 minutes of not finding them I requested to speak to Bianca or a supervisor. Being placed on hold yet again she stated that a supervisor would not speak to me that they would return my call tomorrow. This is unacceptable. No one should ever be told they can't speak to someone that is a position to help them. She placed me on hold and finally someone named Leslie (with a foreign accent) came on the line. Leslie was no help whatsoever and only tried to appease the situation. There is no appeasing someone that realizes they have been duped or that someone is trying to take something from them that rightfully belongs to them. She and Crystal are trying to say Orange Lake only gave us 131, 000 points. What they are not taking into consideration is that we have used NO points since Orange Lake took over Crown Park Resort. Our points were rolled into the Holiday Inn Club. That would require there were more than 131, 000 just as Bianca had said at 10:45am. There were 181, 000. I am highly upset and Leslie has stated that I would not even hear anything from a "manager" in maybe 48 hours! TWO DAYS! Really? I explained that I expected more for my money than what I was getting and I expected a call tomorrow. Someone needs to listen to the telephone tapes and see that there is some shady things going on. I realized that I will not get those 50, 000 points back. I am not naive enough to think that Orange Lake would do the right thing and honor what their representatives tell the customers. I have unfortunately read all the press out there on Orange Lake and was willing this morning to disregard it since I had had such a pleasant experience. Not so much now. Seems there is a hint of truth to the press. I may be jumping the gun here since I have not recieved a call as of yet but I do want my displeasure noted. Should I not recieve a call tomorrow I will be following up with the BBB for NO ONE should lose what they have struggled to pay for. We have had such a hard time keeping our timeshare up to date on payments and have also had pleasant experiences dealing with Karine on keeping it all current. The economy is in such dire straights that we may never be able to use our timeshare again. Short of bankrupting we don't see how we can continue to pay, pay, pay, only to be taken advantage of. Please note that should a call not be recieved tomorrow regarding the location of these "missing" 50, 000 points we will have no other alternative than to contact our attorney and the BBB. Please be assured that all paperwork is in order and there will be no hesitation...a call was received and as expected THEY listened to the phone call and didn't hear ANY of this! Imagine! So like most of the other complaints above we too are out our points and maintenance fees will hit in two months! No telling how much this is going to hit the pocketbook since we've complained

L
L
Lazy River Fan
Lake Park, US
Sep 26, 2011 8:05 am EDT

I recently visited Orange Lake on a sales promotion with my elderly mother and mentally handicapped sister. I can see some of the issues described yet my sister loved the lazy river and it was a dream world to her. I don"t understand all the time share stuff but we would like to visit in swimming season again. We live 200 miles away and maybe, if reasonable, we could use some unused days. firemanmike54@hotmail.com

D
D
dpang33
red lion, US
Apr 02, 2013 7:28 pm EDT

i looked over my contract and it does not say anything about raising the maint fee. in factit says we agree to pay 441.00 per week, we own 2 fixed weeks and its paid off. but i am being threatened forclosure because my maint fee. now if the contract says 441.00 with our signiture how is it we are paying 750+ per week. I have the contract so time to FIGHT! everyone should look at their contract as well

D
D
Deb Kay
Camp Hill, US
Jun 20, 2013 11:37 pm EDT

I was talked into buying in Oct 2010. when we tried to use it we found out that the points didn't work the way they explained. We asked to return the time share because we were misled. They said there wasn't any proof. So the only recourse was not to pay them. After three months of trying to talk to them we stopped payment. When we signed we were told we didn't have to pay maintenance fees till 2012 because we didn't officially start owning till April 2011 for we were making payments from Oct 2010 to March 2011 for the down payment. When we got a bill for the 2011 fees in April we explained what was told to us and again they said that we couldn't prove it. They wrote off our loan in 2012. I was talking to a lawyer to help us but once they wrote off we couldn't do anything. I believe something has to be done to stop these type of practices. I would of kept the time share if it worked they way they explained. Everything they told us was just a lie including the sales person. We asked if we could think about the sale for a day or two but they pressure you to sign right then. I will never purchase anything again that won't allow you time to think about it. I wish there was a way to sue them and clear it from my credit.

C
C
CG Banks
Lexington, US
Dec 26, 2013 3:26 pm EST
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

My wife and I purchased (their) time share over a year ago, I said their time share because I have yet to see where I now or ever will own the time share they supposedly sold us. Nevertheless, thousands of senior citizens are in a seemingly hopeless situation, most will not complain, many that do will eventually give in to the loss, and a few will continue to fight. I do not appreciate nor will I ever willingly allow a bunch of crooks to take my hard earned money without a fight. It takes patience and courage to fight, a good fight invigorates and sustains the warrior. Before you know it the victory is won.

W
W
Woody490
Lymington, GB
Feb 04, 2014 2:06 pm EST
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

We purchased one week in a villa in West Village in 2000 for 10000 dollars. With the exception of maintenance fees rising steeply all was fine. In early 2011 we decided to sell the week so began advertising. Later that year we took a vacation at Orange Lake through RCI. During our stay we were approached by an Orange Lake representative who attempted to sell us our existing week on a points system. We were told that we had already been advised that the vacation format had changed from weeks to points. This was untrue and for the next hour three individuals attempted to sell us our week for an extortionate price. As one failed the next took over with a reduced price. We held off and came away disgusted with our treatment following up with an email to Orange Lake which they failed to respond to.
We are left with is a worthless timeshare with an annual maintenance bill of 850 dollars.

T
T
Thrlmccoy2
US
Mar 10, 2014 5:18 pm EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

From the begining Orange Lake has lied, broke the contact I had with them and then sue me for the fact they broken our contract.
If anybody bought into their timeshare time in 2002, then Orange Lake has committed frad and actually committed GRAND THEFT by stealing over $2 million dollars. I know that they stole from me about $45, 000.00 total and I have actual proof and it is in my contract.
They sue me and I counter-sued them because of their preach of our contract that they had to hire another law firm to take me on by myself. This law firm lied to the court but claiming that they notified me of a court day but they lied so that I could not show up and thus I lost my counter-lawsuit. Orange Lake lost their lawsuit in the first round but because I was not able to show up for my counter-lawsuit (Because I had to travel by plane to Orlando).
Here is are the reason as to why they committed GRAND THEFT against me and if they did this to me then they did it aginst everybody else too in 2002.
In my contract it show that my wife and I paid maintenance fees for 2003 so when can use it, but in the contract it clearly states that the purcher can not occupy any unit until after closing. Well my contract and the closing paper work shows that closing did not take place until 4 Feb 2004. Well our time to use the unit was not until November 2004. Yet in 2003, the building which our unit is located in was NOT build thus we were to have credit against the maintenance fees. Well, inaccordance with Florida Attorney General office that it is against the law for charging for maintenance before closing.In my contract it clearly states that purschures is no longer responsibile for any payments if the Title Insurance is NOT RECIEVED within allowed time. Thus the sellor MUST return all funds. Well, I NEVER recieved my TITLE INSURANCE and NEVER RECIEVED ANY OF MY FUNDS BACK to this date (Friday 27 December 2013). The funds to be returned is about $45, 000.00 but yet Orange Lake attorney in my counter-lawsuit did not want to loose against somebody who is NOT attorney that they lied in court so they can win.Strange that Orange Lake parent company is the Hoilday Inn, a company by which I have membership in their PRIPORITY CLUB. Yet they treat members this way.I paid my mortgage and maintenance fees yet Orange Lake denied me access to use what I paid for because they made mistakes in place my maintenance in the mortgage for at that time all payment where send to 2 different Post Office Box number that had the same address. Thus the US Postal Service place the payment in the wrong PO Box but it is my fault. Thus they refuse to correct my account, thus they refuse to correct my account Becausse of they mistakes the messed up our credit and to this date they were to correct it but they have notI have actual pyshical proof of each claimed against Orange Lake Country Club and Resort.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT ANYBODY WHO BOUGHT INTO THEIR TIME SHARE TO TAKE YOUR CONTRACT TO A BUSINESS ATTORNEY BECAUSE ORANGE LAKE MAY HAVE BREACHED YOUR CONTRACT LIKE THEY DID WITH MINE AND STOLED FROM YOU TOO!

C
C
Chikito57
US
Mar 16, 2015 10:17 am EDT

I am also a owner at Orange Lake Resort. I become an owner in 2012, and I owned a 2 bedroom. All the information given at the presentation were all LIES. My sales agent Frank Thompson is the worst LIAR I have ever encountered in my life. I loved to take my kids on vacation and love for us to be able to do 3 to 4 weeks of different vacation in a year. Orange lake told I will be able to get 3 to 4 weeks using maxtime that has never worked out. Frank also said my maintenance would never go up; that was a big LIE because each new year there is a $50 to $200 more added to it. Their customer service is horrifying; the worst I have ever encountered. ORANGE LAKE RESORT IS A NIGHTMARE TO ALL HUMAN BEING.

T
T
Thrlmccoy2
US
Mar 20, 2015 8:38 am EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Everybody
Please send a complaint letter to the Florida Attorney General because this is the only way to get Orange Lake (Holiday Inn & International Hotel Group) to clean up their act. If the Florida Attorney General gets enough complaints against OL then they will began to everybody seriously and do something about them.

W
W
Wrencher
Austin, US
Mar 24, 2015 11:21 am EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

The honesty of the sales or customer service on the phone is not there. I talked to one of them in December who notified me that my debit card had expires and my account was in jeopardy of going 30 days late. I did everything this person asked; I checked my credit this weekend and they reported 30 days late despite doing everything asked. They feel that they can do anything they want because they can report anything to the credit bureaus. I hate to be lied to and everything they said in December was a lied and I feel they do not care about their customers. They only care about extracting money. I hate Orange Lake and I want to find a way to get away from them ASAP.

L
L
lillik
US
Apr 09, 2015 7:16 am EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I WILL BE JOINING A CLASS=SUIT AGAINST

ORANGE LAKE COUNTRY CLUB AND RESORT !

and will be blogging about it...
ladylil@mac.com

M
M
maritza berrios
US
Mar 27, 2019 8:22 am EDT
Replying to comment of lillik

please adv mberrios118@gmail.com thanks

E
E
Ejhayden
US
Aug 15, 2019 4:47 pm EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more
Replying to comment of lillik

Is there a class action to join

R
R
Rledogar
The Villages, US
May 07, 2015 5:10 pm EDT

We bought in March 2012 and everything we were told were lies and untruths. Something needs to be done about the Holiday Inn Vacation Club. They either lie or fail to inform you of the downsides of owning a timeshare. A class action needs to be filed against them. We were told they would resale if we changed our mind at a later time and even the commission they would charge but we later find out that they do not do re sales. If you by chance are able to sale the points system is no longer valid and a person would be locked into your week Long with there high fees. I was referred to Timeshares Only and I am now thing they must get a kickback from them. You can take a vacation for less than your yearly fees.

R
R
Rledogar
The Villages, US
Jul 16, 2015 11:11 am EDT

Please sent complaints for Holiday Inn Vacation Club/Orange Lake Resorts to:

Department of Business & Professional Regulation
Bureau of Consumer complaints
1949 N Monroe St.
Tallahassee, FL [protected]
[protected]

L
L
Lorane Benjamin
US
Oct 19, 2015 4:58 pm EDT

I agree with most complaint, it has proven all these people could not be lying about Orange Lake or any other Time Share Resorts for that matter. It seems to me Time Sharing has became the biggest Ponzi Scheme in America and the world. It shoud be band world wide. When one TS Resort have enough complaint where the are fine they change names and merge with other Resorts who continue to do only what they are use to doing lies, deceit and fraud.

AUG- SEPT of 2015 many family members were in FL. We had stopovers in West Palm later on to Orange then on to Miami for a cruise to the Bahamas. However my vacation was spoiled with Orange Lake Resort High pressured sales pitched, with many sales representative trying to break up down.

I'm am currently caught in Orange Lake Resort web of deceits and unscrupulous Practice. Having unauthotized charges and auto Pay against my personal debit acct. I am still trying to understand how these resorts who are destroying lives with there criminal, preditorial practice against innocent, naive or totally ignorant people to the time share Scams seems to go unnoticed. With the millions of complaints I'm reading on various sites, Why has the Government agencies turn a blind eye towards these criminal enterprise called TIMESHARE?

Many of complaints I have seen people, who filed with Attorney Generals, BBB, fraud hotlines, consumer protection hot lines. Yet time share schemes and scams continued to flurished without been put out of business and sent away like Bernie Madoff for 150 years.

N
N
Nightmare continues
US
Dec 30, 2015 10:03 am EST
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I am also stuck with an Orange Lake Timeshare too. Was harassed into buying it, told it would be an investment and they did Re-sales, told couldn't get out of it, paid lots of money to try and sell it twice. Waste hours of my time trying to use points on RCI going to places I don't want to go, fees are rising continually and my salary has dropped significantly so now I can't actually afford to pay anymore. I am sick to death of the stress of it all. Have tried to give it away for free. No one wants it. Don't know what to do!

J
J
jodimid
US
May 13, 2016 7:19 am EDT

Unfortunately we bought as well. I actually didn't have a problem with it but we were naive and didn't realize that with interest we were paying double what they sold it to us but it is almost paid off right now. We even more stupidly, after 3 hours of sales pitches, bought a second one. We were told we could use our points to pay the maintenance fees but turns out that wasn't true. I filed a complaint, I complained to them, tried calling the person that sold it to me and no one calls back. So we talked to a place that will go to court to get rid of it. I have no problem getting rid of the new one because we haven't paid much into it but as far as the first one, we have paid almost 20, 000 and it's almost paid off. I know there are still maintenance fees but I'm not sure getting rid of it for nothing is the best option. It just feels like throwing $20, 000 out the window and we get nothing for it. Has anyone had any success selling their timeshare? We are trying to decide whether we get rid of it through a lawyer which will cost us money. So we will be paying someone to take it from us. Any advice? Please!

S
S
Sophia Barnes
US
Nov 03, 2017 11:34 am EDT

I realize this thread goes back some years, but an internet search lead me here. My sister bought from Orange Lake several years ago. Never used the timeshare; so I purchased it from her at quite a savings. She had week 47, which was Thanksgiving week every year EXCEPT for leap years. In comes Holiday Inn Vacation Club. I rarely use my Orange Lake Week and exchange it with RCI, but I noticed that this year, and next year, week 47 falls on the week following Thanksgiving. When Holiday Inn bought it, I was given the option of upgrading and buying into the Holiday Inn Global program (or whatever). My fixed week would be converted to a point value and I could exchange for other weeks at Orange Lake or other Holiday Inn Vacation Clubs. It would have cost me like $10, 000. Umm... NO THANKS! Besides, Thanksgiving week is a good fixed week to have. I imagine people that had Christmas Week, New Years week, and some others felt the same. So... This is what the sneaky [censor] did at some point. They changed how they number their weeks! Week one starts with January 5th or the Friday on or immediately after January 5th. This year, 2017, started on a Sunday. You would think that would be week 1, right? But NO... Week one starts that Friday and continues through the following Sunday (check-in) date. And guess what... My week 47 that was originally purchased as a fixed week that feel during Thanksgiving every year except for leap years, not falls a week AFTER Thanksgiving week. They couldn't get us to pay more money and hand over our high demand weeks; so they changed the resort calendar on us. Instead of me having my week fall over thanksgiving 3 out of 4 years; it will now fall over thanksgiving 1 out of 4 years. JUST SLIMEY! I was googling thinking there had to be some class action suit over this, but I have not run across anything. Wanted to document here in case it helps someone else or leads to come action.

C
C
chillical
CA
Jan 05, 2018 9:06 pm EST
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I am the owner of a studio at orange lake. The dues are now 912 US, as a Cdn that is close to $1300. I cannot pay that. It would be a lot cheaper to take an all inclusive for a week which includes air to a different destination. They can do what they like, but we have barely enough money to make ends meet and cannot keep up the increase every year in the maintenance. BL from BC Cda

M
M
maritza berrios
US
Mar 27, 2019 8:17 am EDT

my name is Maritza berrios I own a timeshare since 2009 I only had 2000 more to go to pay if off on 7-14 I had surgery on my voice box I wanted to go to the time share to rest on 7-16 2 days later I was pressured to do a timeshare i was told it was just 90 min i was there for 5 hours i was suppose to sign a paper to get 3 free day stay I am unsure how I eneded up buying another time share so I/o owning them 2000 now I own them 25000 when u look at my contract u can see where I even put the wrong date I was not in my sound mind and I asked to be removed from this contract and they declined I am not paying one cent made a report to bbb and looking to hire a lawyers any suggestion please help they took advantage of me if u see a person that cant talk and even wrote the wrong date u should not go forward but they did shame on them for taking advantage of me

N
N
Need a Vacation
US
Jul 22, 2019 9:54 pm EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I am interested in joining a class action against OLCC. Please advise. Thank you.

L
L
Lauraspidey
US
Jul 24, 2019 7:02 pm EDT

I am also interested in a class action against OLCC,

E
E
Ejhayden
US
Aug 15, 2019 4:52 pm EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I am interested in class action as well

C
C
Cherrill Bennett
US
Mar 10, 2022 12:57 pm EST

I was also lied to didn't even get you used the points they claim rolls over to help with maintenance fees. When I asked about that they claim the points was ineligible. Plus this is not investment at all if it's consistently taking and giving nothing in return add me to the lawsuit as well.