Dont let them cheat/deceive you

Please send any legal info to mjdeangelo@msn.com. We are definately interested in participating.

I was able to get a refund on my down payment and cancel the sale. Basically you just write the company and tell them you have changed your mind. Make sure you copy Profeco. I was within the 5 day window (and that does not include weekends). I sent certified copies of the cancellation to the hotel, and the office in california. I emailed the initial copy within the timeframe and then sent certified letters to both offices--that is a little pricey--$60. But I did not want to take any chances.

I mentioned the sales tactics in my cancellation letter (they told me I had waived my right to change my mind, for example). My credit card was refunded in full and they did not use any guerilla tactics.

I did not get a refund on the $499 to rent my Velas weeks so I will ask Profeco to work on that one. I asked Velas to refund that portion but they referred me too the rental company. Of course, since there was no contract, I am getting more of the runaround. But again, I'll just let Profeco work on that one.

Regarding your $499.00. Was that with Sierra? That, I was able to get refunded. I called them serveral times sent them a copy of the cancellation letter. Advised them that there will be litigation with Velas and that Sierra will be dragged in too, if they don't refund. They did. Try that, speak to Lauren, (I think her name was) Good luck with that. Let me know if it helped.

I am interested in joining in on the lawsuit against Velas. My email is mai_tran2000@yahoo.com. Pls send me more info.

I am very interested in finding out more about Velas law suit my e-mail address is fefe927@comcast.net Here is my latest update it gets better!!!! On Sept 3rd I had a meeting with Velas thru Profeco. I was fighting to get my deposit back and cancel contract since June. I disputed the deposit with my credit card company and as of Aug I received the credit. When Profeco had the meeting with Velas they had stated that monies were credited back (whichthey were) and contract was cancelled. Profeco called me to verify I stated that yes credit card was credited and they offered to close case. WELL LONG BEHOLD !!! on Sept 7th I get a call from credit card company Velas came back with a rebuttall stating that there is a signed contract and were requesting the $9800 deposit back! SO my creidt card was charged back again! Just proving once again the slime ball people they are! Furious I called Profeco and demanded this case be reopened I had obtained a new meeting date which they gave me Nov 13th so here I sit waiting again for this so called meeting. It is so frustrating that Velas Vallarta can get away with robbing people lying and cheating. I am in this fight to the end anything that I can do to stop or prevent this I will do !! It is hard enough for us hard working people to stay afloat in such a tough economy and these lying cheating people just continue their lying and cheating misrepresentation tactics!!!!! It is so unfair!!

STAY AWAY FROM VELAS VALLARTA !!!!!!!!!

Phyllis

Velas is a total scam. I was also told that I could not cancel because the timeshare was previously owned. I am in the process of trying to cancel. I found this pretty good site: http://www.sws-llc.com/mescam/

They write about ways of canceling after the 5-day grace period.

Hi,

I eventually talked to lauren. She says that I should have a refund in 15 days . . . . thanks!!

resolved

Hi, we were also misled by club velas. We bought the unit since 2006. They promised to sell or rent our current timeshare in Toronto with in 90 days, but nothing happen since. We have been able to extend our maint. fee until this year and we were told to paid by the end of the year , if we don't, we will loose the timeshare and won't be able to sell in the future. Please advise how to get our money back.

thank you for your help. Laura (kechau@rogers.com)

I am in the process of filing a number of complaints against Velas, they are now stating that I did have the right the cancel as stated in the contract. I would like to get a petition started to send to PROFECO from others whom were also told they waived their right and did sign a waiver form with Velas. Please email me at dpascal806@hotmail.com if you are interested in signing this petition and I would glad to share this list also.

Out of curiosity, did anyone buy this time share and then a few years later they made it totally impossible for you to even make a reservation as they tell you they are booked solid for one to two years??? Or did you have the option of transferring points at the end of the year to RCI and then RCI has nothing available all over the world for over two years from today???

resolved

Elimar Ocean View , Albufeira Portugal. I know I have nothing to do with your time shares, but just for the record, our time share apaprtment block has been sold without any one telling us and we apparently can do nothing about it!! Reading through your stories, we were told the same things when we bought our time share in 1992. Pack of lies. Resell within 90 days at huge profit, the aprtment is yours for ever! What a load of rubbish. I hope you are all lucky. For us, and there are many of us, it is a nightmare. All our money just thrown away. Good luck to you all. Lee, British Forces in Gemany.

We just got back from Velas Vallarta for 2 weeks. We got suckered in by Roberto Garcia telling us they would buy 1/2 of our weeks back as they have oversold, blah blah blah.

We are too late to get the 5 day cancel, but are interested in more information in how to get out of this. We had a 1 bedroom and they conned us into a 2 bedroom saying there would be NO MONEY OUT OF OUR POCKETS. HA! None of the paperwork says anything about them buying back 1/2 our weeks. Of course the upgrade comes along with an $800+ yearly fee.

We just got home last night and today I found our "contract" from Dreams, with another $800 yearly fee, stating our weeks weren't actually bought back and they could not tell us that they would be.

Screwed again. Washington regrets

I would love to join a class action lawsuit against these people. I have been fighting to get my money back but since I have already paid my credit card off they wont refund the money. Profeco said they would contact me but that's been well over 2 months ago. The WA Attorney General (where I live) has been in contact with them and they have offered to lower my timeshare to a Studio during the silver time frame (may-Oct) and say it's paid in full. I would rather have my money back but at the same time I almost feel I should take it because something is better than nothing. Please email me any info you have at kjcasper@gmail.com

Hey Washington regrets,

Don't feel bad, many of us were tricked.

I was able to get out of my contract 6 months after it was signed, It is possible, a good place to start to get the contract cancelled is here: http://www.la.bbb.org/BusinessFind.aspx?Target=c

Also contact velas and let them know you filed a complaint and that they need to respond in a week. CC everyone and their mothers in your email.

Now getting your money back takes more time and you should do it through PROFECO, they're great and its important to stay in close contact with them.

dp

Thanks for the information. I think LA BBB is the only one I haven't contacted. I filed with Profeco last September and finally got a response this week that said the first hearing will be on March 16th. I'm just so frustrated that they can keep scamming people. It's obvious they have been doing this for years. I thought about taking the lower timeshare they offered just so I could go down there and tell other people in their lobby not go through the presentation. I would probably end up in a Mexico Prision for life. Hopefully I will get my money back but I'm not going to hold my breath.

Thanks again.

The last time I went there I threatened to do the same thing. Tell everyone at the resort about their tactics and not to buy there. They threatened to have me thrown off the property. I threatened to call the Better Business Bureau and my Attorney, and they gave us several comps for activities and a discount on one day for our all inclusive meals. I can't believe there isn't a good attorney out there willing to take this on.

Hopefully there are people thinking of buying at other locations that are reading this thread! We have a week at (what we have in the past considered a top rate location) Playa Grande in Cabo San Lucas, but they have adopted similar sales practices. They are also adding the sale of units they don't have available, then switching the purchasers to like kind in another of their developments.

But we went through the "We'll purchase your weeks" routine with them and Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach. Both of which refer you to a third party seller that has no connection to the sales resort.

After reading through the comments here (again, and again), all I can say is, "If is isn't in writing, don't believe it!" The sales people can, and will, say anything to get their commission - period. The resort won't be bound by what they say, explaining that the contract rules.

I read about the compliments of PROFECO, but if PROFECO were really effective, the abuses would stop. This thread is but a very small representation of un-informed purchasers/suckers out there that go out of country to buy their timeshares.

By buying out of country, you have next to zero leverage, brick walls in between you and any support services to get the matter corrected.

If it isn't in writing, don't sign, say no, leave the place with your money! DON'T assume you can straighten it out when you get home!

And even if it is in writing, be VERY literal about what the documents say. If the representative tells you how it works, and the language doesn't specifically state what is going to happen, figure it won't. MAKE them write the contract the way YOU want it, not their way. Specific wording, if needed to cover your situation, should be in the contract. If it isn't - DON'T SIGN!!!

Even more important, look the paperwork over in the quiet of your room, overnight or a couple of days, BEFORE signing! If they won't let you take it to review, there is something crooked. If they don't want you to leave to think about it, they are afraid they will lose the sale.

For THOUSANDS of dollars, you would have a professional not related to the transaction review it, why not here? Contact a Notario Publico (attorney) in the area and have them review the contract or don't sign/pay anything.

Why, when we go on vacation, do we leave all our common sense at home? We improperly assume that all countries have consumer protection laws ours has, and when it comes to South America, we are wrong!

Good luck if you are trying to get your money back, you might consider stopping your losses by not paying annual fees and letting the property default. Consider that 60% of the purchase price went to 'selling costs' and that might be part of the reason they don't want to give the money back. The resort has already paid out those expenses to sales people, vendors, and incentives to you.

I don't expect to ever get my money back, but I am no longer going to pay the dues. They can have it back. I've seen these units for sell on the internet for $500. Between the large dues, the increased all inclusive fees, and the price of airfare we don't plan on going back to Mexico. I'll spend my money in the states for the time being. Maybe if enought people follow suit, they won't be in business that much longer.