Diamond Resorts International Sampler nightmare

[GailBeatty Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close GailBeatty]

I am looking for others who have been victims of Diamond Resorts International sales tactics so we can take it to the media, the authorities, and make a lot of noise to have our issues resolved, and to warn others before they get scammed.
Our story:
Last month my husband and I were vacationing in Sedona Arizona. We were stopped on the street by someone from Diamond Resorts who "invited" us to attend a 90 minute presentation, "no strings attached" at the Ridge at Sedona Gold Resort. The 90 minute presentation was almost 4 hours of HIGH PRESSURE tactics which included, by at least three different sales people, charm, anger, intimidation and almost threats. They were so good- I would describe it as being hypnotized or drugged by this team of professional con artists. We - like cult victims - ageed to purchase the Sampler, a $1,700 vacation package that in million years would never have paid one cent for if we had our wits about us. Once the "hypnosis" wore off I called to demand a refund. Well you know the rest- we were told the Sampler is non-refundable--unlike their timeshares, which has a 24 hour refund period. WHICH NO ONE EVER TOLD US DURING THE PRESENTATION!!! All my other calls and letters have been ignored. If their product is so great, why have to resort to these types of tactics?
Please write if you have had a similiar experience, there has to be something we can do to get resolution for ourselves, and, to warn the public to STAY AWAY. It will cost Diamond Resorts a lot more than our $1,700 refund would have cost them if we can get the word out to as many people as possible.

[Carolinian Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Carolinian]

DRI's predecessor, Sunterra, was known, particularly in Europe, for conning people into virtually useless small point packages, and it was the uproar from that which led to the fall of Sunterra, and DRI picking up the pieces. There were several anti-Sunterra websites developed (now down) such as www.sunterror.com and www.sunterrafied.com (or they may have been .co.uk) The former was run by one upset couple while the latter was put up by an organized group that called themselves the Scottish Action Group Against Sunterra. The Scots bought an old ambulance had it repainted as the ''Scambulance'' with various anti-Sunterra slogans and drove it to picket various Sunterra sales sites around the UK.

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

I suggest you contact the following individuals at DRI:

Patrick Duffy Chief Experience Officer
Jeff Shelton Executive Resolutions

[dougp26364 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dougp26364]

And be nice! If you come off as threatening, they'll be more likely to not respond at all.

[timeos2 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close timeos2]

Yes, be nice! You DID sign up for a non-refundable product so anything they agree to do at this point is a favor to you. Unlike a timeshare purchase as you now know there is no cooling off period from the trip packages. In the future you had better realize these types of sellers hold a BIG advantage over you and can make things seem a great value that maybe, with a good look & financial review, aren't as they appear to be. Be prepared in the future or don't accept these preview offers.

Good luck.

[Ryne08 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ryne08]

I suggest you contact the following individuals at DRI:

Patrick Duffy Chief Experience Officer
Jeff Shelton Executive Resolutions

Please contact these two (2) ASAP.

[GailBeatty Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close GailBeatty]

I am following up on my earlier post regarding our experience with Diamond Resorts International in Sedona, Az. A day or so after I posted it, I was contacted by Patrick Duffy, Chief Experience Officer of DRI, who agreed to cancel our contract and refund our deposit. Within days, the matter was completely, and satisfactorily resolved. My husband and are very relieved to have the experience behind us, and appreciate Mr. Duffy's intervention on our behalf.

[timeos2 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close timeos2]

Thanks for the update

I am following up on my earlier post regarding our experience with Diamond Resorts International in Sedona, Az. A day or so after I posted it, I was contacted by Patrick Duffy, Chief Experience Officer of DRI, who agreed to cancel our contract and refund our deposit. Within days, the matter was completely, and satisfactorily resolved. My husband and are very relieved to have the experience behind us, and appreciate Mr. Duffy's intervention on our behalf.

VERY happy to hear that things ended up OK for you. While the overall sales approach of DRI remains too aggressive & more than a bit misleading IMO, and that is not only DRI but most timeshare sellers, over the past couple years DRI seems to have taken on at least a relatively reasonable refund policy when pushed. That is an improvement and they are to be recognized for even that small change. Hopefully with the economic downturn and other pressures the whole ts industry will try to clean up their act.

[awooton Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close awooton]

I am in a similar situation

I am following up on my earlier post regarding our experience with Diamond Resorts International in Sedona, Az. A day or so after I posted it, I was contacted by Patrick Duffy, Chief Experience Officer of DRI, who agreed to cancel our contract and refund our deposit. Within days, the matter was completely, and satisfactorily resolved. My husband and are very relieved to have the experience behind us, and appreciate Mr. Duffy's intervention on our behalf.

Hi GailBetty,

I am in a similar situation as you were. On 10-31-2010, I Manipulated by the sales represenatives of DRI at the The Summit in Sedona, AZ, I was talked into purchasing the Sampler Program. Once the brainwashing wore off and reality set in, we tried to cancel about 2 weeks later. However the reps we worked with were very cold and told us "the contract was a no-right-to cancel" contract. Whoever heard of such a thing?! But you're right, those sales agens were very good at their jobs! Their tactics were brainwashing and convincing. Our presentation was 5-hours long and we were reluctant the whole way through! I contacted Patrick Duffy as per your previous posts. thank you. We will see how the turn out goes. I really hope he will be just as helpful as he was with you.

[awooton Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close awooton]

not sure how this works

[longtimer Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close longtimer]

For those of you who are considering any TS, don't take the bite from the sales presentation. Take some time to read these forums. There are several different systems available, points versus weeks, and varying amounts of availability in some locations. Many TS can be bought on the resale market for pennies. Remember - the cost of a TS is eternal! Even once you pay it off, you will have annual maintenance fees (often $500 or more for each week) and you may also be billed for special assessments.
TS has been a wonderful experience for us, but we have had to jump through hoops to learn how to get the most out of what we own.

[GailBeatty Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close GailBeatty]

Good luck!!! Keep us posted.

Hi GailBetty,

I am in a similar situation as you were. On 10-31-2010, I Manipulated by the sales represenatives of DRI at the The Summit in Sedona, AZ, I was talked into purchasing the Sampler Program. Once the brainwashing wore off and reality set in, we tried to cancel about 2 weeks later. However the reps we worked with were very cold and told us "the contract was a no-right-to cancel" contract. Whoever heard of such a thing?! But you're right, those sales agens were very good at their jobs! Their tactics were brainwashing and convincing. Our presentation was 5-hours long and we were reluctant the whole way through! I contacted Patrick Duffy as per your previous posts. thank you. We will see how the turn out goes. I really hope he will be just as helpful as he was with you.

[GailBeatty Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close GailBeatty]

Good luck! Keep us updated on the outcome.

[blgros Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close blgros]

I'm curious as to why you're trying to get your money back? Are you just needing the money? Or have you tried to book a vacation and can't for some reason?

I just spent a week at the Lake Tahoe Vacation Resort, and went through the sales pitch and after saying no a few times, was offered a sampler package. I didn't consider the sales pitch that high pressure, although we did go through the usual course--first sales guy, manager, and then the "closer".

The sampler pack didn't seem like a bad deal on the surface. We may have tried it if we didn't have a TS week already (and RCI points we're trying to use). But if the resorts in the sampler are not actually available to book, then it wouldn't be useful. But then again, it wouldn't entice you into the system either, which is their main goal.

[GailBeatty Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close GailBeatty]

First, we actually got our money back months ago, so the entire unsavory DRI experience is long behind us. To call their sales pitch high pressure is much too mild. It was unbelievable, and should be illegal. Second, part of the Sampler deal is that you have to sit through another sales pitch, and there was no way we were going to subject ourselves to that again. And lastly, now that we are back to our senses, we truly cannot comprehend why anyone would lock themselves into paying for a timeshare forever. We take a lot of vacations, go where we want and when we want, on our terms, and when it's over, so are our bills for it. Buying a timeshare makes no sense to us whatsoever. We felt like fools for falling for the pitch and wanted out. And thanks to this website, we were advised about whom to contact at DRI, and were able to put the whole miserable experience behind us. Next time someone offers us a free trip just for "listening to a 90 minute presentation" we are running, not walking, away.