Pueblo Bonito Scam

You can do that without the company assistance within the rescission period. If you are trying to convince someone to use that company than you are a scammer. NEVER pay anyone money upfront to get out of your contract. Scammers troll the forums posing as satisfied customers to lure you to their website and rip you off. If you are within the rescission period you don't need to pay someone to get out of your contract. If you are past that time then nobody that claims they can get you out can help you. If they claim they can get you out for an upfront fee then they are a SCAM !!

We have been owners of 3 weeks at Pueblo Bonito Blanco, 2 weeks at the Rose', and 1 week at Sunset. We have been owners for 15+ years. They are floating weeks. We have NEVER, EVER had problems getting accommodation until last year. In 2014 we HAD NO CHOICE but to cancel our 3 October weeks because of the hurricane. The airport was closed and we had absolutely no way of getting there. In July 2014 we attempted to re-book the same weeks for 2015 and were told that there was nothing available at any of the 3 resorts and that we should have booked one year in advance - something we were never notified to do. I called back when they said we should and was told that they had nothing available at any of the 3 resorts. I managed to get 3 weeks for May, 2016 for which I had a confirmation number. The Manager told me to call him in October 2015 for October 2016. He went a step further, which I thought was very commendable, and said that he would make a note on his calendar to call me if I did not hear from him. I called on October 1st as instructed and made several more calls in October, left numerous messages for him and did not receive any calls back. I continued to call through November and December (at least 2-3 times per month) and was horrified when, after leaving messages for him with 7 other people who do reservations, that I no longer had a reservation for May and that it had been cancelled. I had never spoken to anyone about a cancellation and assured these 7 people that this could not be as I had a confirmation number and had not cancelled the booking. Each one told me that they had looked it up and it was definitely cancelled. I then left a message for the manager, who had still not returned my call, letting him know that he left me no choice but to go to the owner who I happened to know ... and hallelujah ... he called me back. When I told him that I was really upset that the May accommodation had been cancelled by someone and that I was upset that it took all these phone calls and eventually a threat to contact the owner to get him to respond. He skirted this by saying he was looking up the May booking and that there must have been a mistake when I was told that it had been cancelled. He alluded to the fact that 7 people who I had spoken to could be new agents and did not know how to check. When I said they all told me that they could see it had been cancelled he skirted this too by saying he was going to check his inventory and see if he could get me the dates I wanted in October of 2016. Lo and behold, he had accommodation available and I now have 3 weeks in May and 3 weeks in October.

Now for another problem. We had now accumulated 14 weeks because of missing out as a result of the hurricane and not being able to get any other bookings in 2014 or 2015. By January 1st, 2016, we will have accumulated another 6 weeks which will bring our total of unused weeks to 20 weeks, and we have now received a letter from the owner telling us that by January 1st maintenance fees for 2016 have to be paid.

Owners, especially those with floating weeks, are being shunned by the resorts. Six friends of ours have just returned from Los Cabos and spent the two weeks before this week (Christmas week) at Blanco, Rose', and Sunset. They were struck by how empty the resorts were saying they did not have problems getting chairs on the beach and there were hardly any people at the pools - YET WE WERE TOLD THEY WERE FULL TO CAPACITY and they had nothing for us those same weeks.

We would actually like to be done with Pueblo Bonito and wonder if anyone knows whether this is possible by just walking away from them or what! HELP!!!

marcelleb3 wrote:

We would actually like to be done with Pueblo Bonito and wonder if anyone knows whether this is possible by just walking away from them or what! HELP!!!

You could stop paying maintenance fees but then you run the risk of collection agencies, black marks on your credit score, and other negatives that would occur just as if you defaulted on any loan or debt.

You could also try asking the resort if it will take your unit back, although Mexican timeshares are usually Right-to-use instead of deeded property. Maybe say that, in no uncertain terms, you will not be paying another dime in maintenance fees and it would be best for both parties for the resort to take the unit back (or release you from your contract).

The other thing to watch out for are these companies and so-called law firms that claim they can quickly cancel your contract. Some of them even have shills on these boards claiming that these companies work miracles. They will charge you a large, upfront fee for something that you can do yourself.

We have owned 2 weeks at Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach for several years and have been generally pleased. We recently converted weeks to points, which does offer more flexibility. Just a word of caution to anyone sitting through a PBSB sales pitch: Do not believe that you are getting many extras that sound too good to be true, such as $1,000 to $2,000 per year in resort credits (for spa, all-inclusive, excursions, etc.) through Pueblo Bonito Preferred, or preferential all inclusive rates that are less than the promotional rates the resort offers to others, etc. etc. Simply decide whether the weeks or points will deliver you the value (which we believe it has for us), but don't be set up for disappointment by believing you can actually use the vacation credits promised, the lower all inclusive rate, or the resort renting out your unit for you. These are promised "frills" that you will not likely benefit from. There is buyer beware, and there is buyer be scammed. Be skeptical and beware.

Hello-

We were recently at Pueblo Bonito. We bought our vacation package through Costco. We are not the type of people who would jump into offers of Timeshares or memberships. In fact for the past 15 years that we have vacationed at Welk’s Resorts and Wyndham properties, we have attended a couple of them and we’ve successfully managed to decline the most tempting of offers.

Unfortunately, for some twist of fate - we were talked into buying the Pueblo Bonito Membership on the sales pitch that our “membership purchase value” is an investment towards buying a property owned by the Pueblo Bonito Group of companies should we decide to in the future. And, since we were actually looking at investments, this was the deciding factor for us. We were happy.

However, upon coming home and looking into the legal paperwork we signed, we found several attachments missing. And we are now in the midst of going back and forth with the Sales Director.

My husband went on line and read all of of these “scam” posts. Now we are questioning the authenticity of the membership agreement we got into and what our next move should be.

You mentioned that you own 2 week’s of Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach for several years now and have been generally pleased. We were told that we only have to pay the “member’s daily rate” on the accommodation we choose to get based on the number of people going. No cleaning fee, no maintenance fee. But based on what we read, there are fees being charged.

Can you please tell us, how and what your experiences were when you went for your succeeding vacation reservations?

Hoping to hear from you.

richardb500 wrote:

We have owned 2 weeks at Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach for several years and have been generally pleased. We recently converted weeks to points, which does offer more flexibility. Just a word of caution to anyone sitting through a PBSB sales pitch: Do not believe that you are getting many extras that sound too good to be true, such as $1,000 to $2,000 per year in resort credits (for spa, all-inclusive, excursions, etc.) through Pueblo Bonito Preferred, or preferential all inclusive rates that are less than the promotional rates the resort offers to others, etc. etc. Simply decide whether the weeks or points will deliver you the value (which we believe it has for us), but don't be set up for disappointment by believing you can actually use the vacation credits promised, the lower all inclusive rate, or the resort renting out your unit for you. These are promised "frills" that you will not likely benefit from. There is buyer beware, and there is buyer be scammed. Be skeptical and beware.

Maria B, keep in mind that you are responding to a post that is over 2.5 years old. Chances are slim that that poster will come back here to read and respond to your post.

With that in mind, you should rescind your purchase if it has been no more than five days since you signed the contract. You seem to be expressing doubts over your purchase as well as concerns that what the sales person told you does not jive with the contract you signed.

What can you do if it has bee more than 5 days and you discover that the ontract is not what you agreed upon when you call to make a reservation?

yolandag65 wrote:

What can you do if it has been more than 5 days and you discover that the contract is not what you agreed upon when you call to make a reservation?

The written contract content (not the meaningless verbal babbling of a lying sales weasel) is what you agreed to --- voluntarily and under your signature. The verbal fairy tales told by the lying sales weasels mean absolutely nothing.

After the 5 day contract rescission (cancellation) period provided by law expires, there isn't much else you can do except to decide to pay nothing further and just walk away. If you make that choice, you will obviously forfeit any deposit money you have already paid; that's a difficult personal choice and decision to make. You won't be getting any money back in any imaginable scenario, so you now need to decide if you want to send more good money after bad.

Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay Resort & Spa is really nice, although the beach is rocky and you can't go in the water in starting in May and summer because of the small stinging jelly fish. We paid $14,000 up front to be a "Member", and once we were ready to make a reservation, the price was $748 HIGHER than a non-member! Just call their reservation number and get both prices (Member vs. Non-member) and you will find out you have been had! sucks, they shot themselves in the foot, we are never going back there.