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Original Message:

Re: Club Navigo is a rip off (by Steve M.):

markl460 wrote:
I've been ripped off too, in a similar way to the person who posted the initial post in this thread and from the same place (florida) though I don't remember the names of the people who sold us the timeshare.

We have had a lot of trouble booking accommodation. The only accommodation we managed to secure was when we booked some hotel for a couple of friends of ours in Mexico, though the points and prices are far different to what we were quoted by the sales agents. Plus we did not receive our free hawaii vacation, nor our free cruise as was promised when we signed up.

I also noticed that our maintenance fees and taxes are about $1200, which is a similar price to what it would cost us to book a weeks accommodation in the same building as our timeshare anyway without owning the timeshare! what was the $25k for then if we aren't saving anything? And why do we lose all our points if we don't use them in a year? I was told we could keep them indefinitely and they just rolled over. Now I find out I've been paying thousands in maintenance and taxes and in paying off the timeshare, and they didn't even roll over, so sheeze this has been a huge money drain for no benefit. Basically lost $25k, and I don't see the value in paying the $1200 a year in maintenance fees anyway for 1 week in accommodation that I can't get booked for when I want it anyway. There were so many lies told to us when we got sold the accommodation.

Island one / clubnavigo can try to make themselves look good by posting on this forum and hiding behind statements like 'Because we don't know your specific circumstances.. blah blah' but talking to them on the phone, they KNOW that their scheme is of no value to anyone and they know full well that they are scamming people. I was told that my 1 week in Florida would be worth 5 weeks in other locations like new zealand (where i live) and australia and that it would only cost me $156 to transfer my points. That's why I joined. That was a total lie, and now I'm stuck paying this rediculous bill every year that i can't get out of without it affecting my credit rating etc.

There is so much more to say, the amount of lies told to us was unbelievable.

You posting leaves me wondering just how hard you have tried to make a reservation. You say you are paying 1200, and I take it you are at Liki Tiki, that would mean you have a 3Br unit, and should have 8000 points or less each year. And you say you can not get a reservation, and could rent the unit for the same price.

Well you can rent the units for about the same price as the fee, but only if you travel in low season. And only if you just let your extra points, not used in low season to make a reservation, just die, instead of banking them into next year. If you are going in high season, when you would use all 8000 points, you will pay upwards of 1600 for a 3Br, and then pay 13% tax on top of that, so you are hardly paying the same as your fees for that room.

If you are having trouble making a reservation, then I have to wonder if you are paying your fees in a timely manor? Are you current in your mortgage? If you wait until a month before you are traveling to make a reservation, and are going in a high (popular) season; why are you surprised that there are no openings left. You snooze, you looze.

Make your fee payment early, and you can get first crack at reservations. If you pay late, you are very unlikely to be able to reserve a high demand week.

I personally have 26000 points to use each year, from 4 ownerships (2 x 2Br and 2 x 3Br). That is over 3 times as many points as you have to use. I have always been able to make reservations. Some times it is a week earlier or later than I originally wanted. Some times I had to go to a neighboring resort, or over to the Ormond Beach area. But I always get my reservations. But I pay early, and make reservations as soon as the checks clear.

Bottom line people - find out all the tricks to maximize your usage, and USE them. Pay early. Plan far in advance. Bank unused points into the next year. Bank into Interval or RCI if needed, and go to another resort in those systems. You can always find a way to use your ownership, if you put in the effort.