WATCH OUT PREMIER MEMBERS

We got our contract out of collections and paid up to date. We got reservations for June 1-13. We got 8 free AI weeks with our new contract. With the price of AI going up it was work keeping. Especially since my contract does not limit the number of free AI I can use a year. I figure the 8 AI weeks are worth about $16,000 at todays rates. Who knows a few years from now.

 

When I am there in June I will renegotiate my contract. When I was there last time they were willing to throw in two more weeks on top of the six I have and VIP yacht which means I can use it for free while I am there. If I paid off the balance.

 

My 2 cents and my new campaign (PLEASE READ BEFORE YOU GO TO TEMPTATIONS AND GET INTO THE SALES ROOM)

I am in the boat of people that bought a few years ago (summer of 2007). For 20K I got 5.6M RCI points over 25 years, 9 weeks a year at Premier resorts. They also agreed to take our old timeshare in Orlando off of our hands in a trade-in. We pay $500 a year in fees that can be applied to our AI fees when we book. These fees can be rolled over from year to year. Your weeks meant that you were to get the room free and pay the AI fees (supposedly a $500 value).

We were told at the time there was an unlimited use on points for RCI points partners (this included flights). At the time you could fly anywhere in the US or Central America for $49 plus 90,000 points. Also, there was no fee to use more than your annual allotment of ~220K point per year. We were told at the time we bought that they had rental program where you could rent out weeks you didn’t use and that the average owner was renting 4 to 5 weeks a year at $500.

We bought our first timeshare at a very young and with very little understanding of finance. Once we learned the truths of timeshare we sat through dozens of presentations and took the free gift before going to Temptations for the first time in 2007. I am now a CPA. If you have a strong understanding of two concepts, time value of money and opportunity cost you can do the math and understand that almost no time share is ever a good investment. I say almost because by the numbers, this one was a good investment when we bought it. It was worth it at the time for three reasons, the unlimited use of you RCI points for points partner items (flights), the supposed rental program and not being locked into maintenance fees for life.

Since we purchased the following has occurred:

1. A year in, RCI backed out on the deal they made with Premier and limited the points partner usage to 60K point per year. (Item 1 that made the investment make sense – gone)

2. We found out that the so called rental program is a sham. After paying the fee we submitted 5 of our weeks for 2 years the way we were instructed and each year we were told no weeks rented. Later I read somewhere that some disgruntle Premier employees admitted that no rental program actually exists. Supposedly if you raise enough sand, you can get them to say you "rented" one week. (Item 2 that made the investment make sense – flat out lie)

3. The first year we were there, Owners received top-shelf alcohol, 2008 gone.

4. In order to try and “fix” the problem, on our trip last summer (2009) they offered us the wonderful “new” package in which the actually had they balls to ask us to pay more to switch. Do the math, even if they gave you the “new” package on an even swap it is not worth as much as my old package even with all that was taken away (or never existed in the first place). I was highly insulted at this gesture.

5. They never actually took my old resort. I had to donate it to a charity last year to get rid of it.

6. I just called about booking this year and found out that AI prices for owners have been raised ~$75 per night per couple over what we paid last year for owners. I looked up the same trip for non-owners on the internet at a random all-inclusive site and found that if I booked the same room I would pay 1750 (with airfare, tax tag and title) compared to 1715 plus the cost of our flight as an owner. And what would we get extra, four upgraded dinners and canned Dos Equis in the room. Obviously we are not getting the room for free with our 9 weeks.

We have been very patient about this, hoping that Premier would make good. NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!!! Look, we will use all 220K RCI point per year, including 60K toward a pair of flights (until they take that away) and we will let our $500 build up and take a trip to Temptations or Desire every couple or few years (I sure they will take away the roll-over at some point also) and we may still come close to a break-even point with all inputs factored in. BUT, IT IS NOT WHAT WE PURCHASED!!!

I have hit my breaking point on this now. I will not try to discuss it with Premier anymore because it is a waste of my time and breath. I will however do everything I can to cost them a hundred times what they have failed to deliver to me. There is one way to effectively fight this. I will tell everyone that I know going to Temptations our story. The weeks I go to Temptations or Desire, I will sit in the pool and warn everyone I can, NOT TO BUY. I will encourage all of you to do the same. You must realize that if it works it will most likely diminish your purchase even further or wipe it out totally. At this point I do not care about the 20K anymore. I am so sick of customer no service!!!

If you have read to this point, thank you and please take this to heart. These are the facts and if you read around enough you will find my story is backed by many people.

Get naked and have fun,

No Worries in GA

 

Premier and Profeco complaint settled

WE followed through to the bitter end with our PROFECO complaints (14 total) against Premier by Original resorts. The main thing is that we had to play hard ball with Premier and they finally gave us something we found to be reasonable. If you have a PROFECO complaint in process let us know how we can help get your case settled. When we replied to PROFECO we also CC'd Premier AND the Resort owners. That seemed to get a faster reply to everything.

In the end the last and Final offer they proposed was accpeted.

• 4 FREE AI weeks to be used beginning in 2011. (ill spare you the details)
• 1 New RCI account - Premier to pay the fee to open the account and pay the first year fee.
• $299 credit in our account for the now defunct rental program that never really existed. THey only paid members who raised concerns or made inquiries about the program.
• 20% off published WEB site pricing. (This isnt a big deal since they offer it to everyone and its still higher then what you can get online. If you bring it up to the reservation office Ive been succeful in getting them to lower my price as a member)

In addition to this, during our 2008 visit we were able to get Premier to waive the yearly Maintanance fee of $499 a year.

As of today I am content with our settlement and will go back atleast to use the free AI weeks. I will be using MAX RCI points per year for Airfare, Visa gift cards and vacation rentals close to home just to burn points faster.

For those members who do not check out the RCI website Points partner purchases. YOU SHOULD! They are offering members a deal for VISA gift cards that do not count towards your points partner purchases. Max of 3 per account

• 20,000 points + $34 = $200 Visa gift card
• 15,000 Points + $34 = $150 Visa Gift card

With our two accounts this year alone were getting six (6) $200 cards for a total of $1,200 in gift cards.
Thats 120,000 points (60,000 for each of our accounts) + $204 to process. Net gain is $996. If they continue this program for the life of our contract we can get back over $20K just in gift cards.

One way or another I will exploit the RCI points the best I can to gain maximum vacation savings. Since we purchased the membership we have already saved $14K in vacation costs. WE paid $22K. Were pretty close the the break even points in a little more then 3 years.

 

My problem is using up points. I have 275,000 in my first account that has the point cap on air fare that I am now paying $99 a year to roll over. And the newer account that they put 150,000 in a year.

 

RCI points

We have figured out ways to use MAX points per year.

Two condos in Hawaii this year cost us 370,000 points for two weeks each. 55,000 points for airfare to Hawaii, 60,000 points for Visa Gift Cards. Just this year alone we are using 485,000 points and we still have 6 months of the year to go. Were going to book one more condo in our local market over Thanksgiving for 120,000 points.

Granted, this is not a typical year for us but I know we can atleast use the 240,000 points and 60,000 points in both accounts each year for something in our local area or buy airfare for family to come visit.

 

Just got this from Premier,

Dear member;
As part of Premier Collections department notifications; be informed as of now, if Premier membership is assigned to Collections Agency in USA (membership assignation is carried out when account shows 4 monthly payments due), RCI ID will be cancelled automatically.
Even paying the existent debt with Collections Agency; member will have to pay to Premier Collections department, administrative cost again ($400 USD) to obtain a New RCI ID.
Please keep in mind this information and maintain your balance up to date to avoid this regulation.
Regards.

 

For those members still making payments or those thinking of buying a membership this is the latest email I got. So this is what they do to members and I was only eight days late.


Your account is being transferred to a collections agency. Over a period of several months, we have offered every possible means for a friendly settlement of your account. We must now assume that you choose not to deal directly with us in settling this matter.

Now we have no alternative but to turn your account over to a collections agency in the U.S.A. and cancel your RCI membership, this will be effective immediately.

We want to inform you that this collections agency is not going to request the delinquent amount, but the remaining balance, in addition to penalty fees. Remember that this collections agency will report you to the credit bureau making your credit rating unfavorable.

Before we proceed any further, we are giving you a final opportunity to make your payment in order to avoid unnecessary expenses.

We urge you to send in payment for 2 months, for the amount of $847.32 USD.

Once you have paid your balance owed with the collections agency, you will be able to request another RCI membership, but keep in mind that you will have to pay an administration fee for this.

Please get in touch with us at the telephone numbers or email address below to carry out your payment by credit card, so we may forestall this unpleasant action.

If we do not have a reply from you before MARCH 15TH 2011, this company will be instructed to collect your amount due plus administrative cost and collection charge. You can spare both of us the embarrassment and cost of this action only by making payments at once.


Sincerely,

Liliana Padilla
Ejecutivo de Cobranza
Collections Executive
collections4@originalresorts.com
877 464 8641 USA / 866 812 9055 CANADA / 01 800 509 3040 MEXICO
00 52 (998) 881 7900 Ext. 7095 EUROPE & LATINOAMERICA
FAX: 011 52 (998) 843-2439
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This is why I would never invest money in a country that can not even protect its own police against drug lords.

 

I just sat through a sales presentation down there and the sales people were very nice, but trying to crunch the numbers down there I could not see how I would save ANY money as a member as opposed to going as a member. There are some great perks, fast reservations, yacht usage and a couple of other things. My gut feeling was it wasn't for me. Now after reading this forum I KNOW it wasn't for me.. Thanks for the info here. Hope your problems get resolved soon.