Timeshare Warning from a Resident

by Duke Phillips

Senator Maria Cantwell,
Thank you for your willingness to work with me on this problem.

I am involved in an effort to get my money back from a timeshare located in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. It’s called the Velas Vallarta and they run a shady operation. They make all kinds of promises while trying to sell you your timeshare. I told them I couldn’t afford it ($33,000?) but they go on showing how one can rent out your weeks and walk away with enough to go back and stay at another hotel and enough money in your pocket to pay for you vacation. Then they have you sign up with a third party which will handle the rental aspect. That costs about $600. Maria, the weeks DON’T RENT!! Not one has rented since 2006. And I’m not the only one in this boat. They also tell you at the time of signing that this is previously owned so I did not have the right to change my mind after signing. This is another lie! Mexican law allows you a 5-day right of rescission. But, of course, you have no way of knowing this till you get back home unless you travel with a laptop. I am now at the point where I no longer want to play the game of waiting for the weeks to rent. On my second trip there in March of 2009, they were sympathetic but said I needed to upgrade to a two bedroom. Then it would be easier to sell or rent the weeks. Plus I had to join a new rental company, Dreams RSI. Another $650. And again I heard the same story again, that it was previously owned and no 5-day right of rescission. I’m done with all of this.  I want my money back………ALL OF IT!  






I recently started a Facebook Causes page devoted to this effort called VelasResortsScam.
You can find it here: http://www.causes.com/causes/495784. The Velas are aware of this. I intend to comb thru online forums and gather as many others to the cause as I can.

But I need the help of my government also. In a recent email from Roberto Garcia, who maybe manages their contracts (phone 011 52 322 221 0091 Ext. 5618)  (contracts@velasresorts.com), he reminded me that the jurisdiction of my contract is in Mexico, and  I get that. But that doesn’t mean they have a right to lie and deceive. I am hoping you may have some leverage and could pull some strings to convince them to cancel my account and return my money to me. All of it. They should not be allowed to profit from this. I realize President Obama is busy and has more important things on his mind, but I figure he has a large staff that works on his behalf. I tried to send a copy of that letter to Mexican President Felipe Calderon, the Governor of the state of Nayarit, Ney Gonzalez Sanchez, which is where the Velas Vallarta is located, and to Profeco, the Mexican federal agency who’s job it is to look out for tourist, but I have not heard back. 

Maria, timeshares are fleecing a lot of money out of Americans and Canadians. Besides getting my money back I would like to see a new program on the books, similar to the Better Business Bureau’s ratings, where all timeshares are graded and complaints compiled. During presentations they would have to disclose this information to the prospective buyers, whether in the USA, Mexico, or the Moon. IF they choose not to do this, then the prospective buyer should walk away quickly.  This way a consumer database is easily available for consumers. Thanks you for any help you can offer me.
Duke Phillips

VelasResortsScam@gmail.com       







Velas salesman Dean McLean
| 11 comments
by Duke Phillips
May 23, 2010 
Dear President Obama,

First, I want to thank you for what you are doing to get our economy back on track and for taking on the thugs on Wall Street. Also, thank you for the creation of a consumer watchdog agency. We need someone like this on our side.

But I have a problem I’m hoping you can help me with. In 2006 I made the mistake of going to Mexico and ended up deep in debt from a timeshare purchase, the Velas Vallarta in Puerto Vallarta. When I told them I couldn’t afford something like this they showed me how I could pay for it with income from renting up to six of my weeks each year. Plus, I had to pay a third party for the privilege of renting these weeks. Only problem is they don’t rent. Also, I was told when signing the paperwork that this is a previously owned contract and because of that I would not have the lawful five day right of recession. 

So I made a second trip to Puerto Vallarta in March of 2009 to see if they might buy it back from me. Instead they told me it would be easier to rent out the weeks or sell my timeshare if I upgraded to a two bedroom deluxe, which I did. Now it’s been almost four years since I first bought from the Velas and I’m still waiting for these weeks to rent out. It all seems to have been a lie. They don’t rent!  Now I just want my money back. Both of the times I have dealt with the Velas they told me the new contract is previously owned so this five day right of recession doesn’t apply to me. Nice, so you can’t go check them out on the net first. Now it’s beginning to affect me paying my bills. Is there anything my government can do to help me with this? For some reason Mexico seems to choose to keep allowing these people lie and rip off Americans/Canadians. Velas Resorts should be added to a ‘travel advisory watch list’ for unscrupulous timeshare operators, listed by country. Thanks for any help my government can do to help me get my money back from the Velas and thanks for taking on major causes affecting our nation. 

KLP





23 de mayo 
Estimado presidente Obama,

En primer lugar, quiero darle las gracias por lo que ha estado haciendo para conseguir que nuestra economía vuelva a un buen camino y por encargarse de los rufianes de Wall Street. Necesitamos a alguien como usted de nuestro lado.

Pero tengo un problema que espero me pueda ayudar. En el 2006 fui a México y cometí el error de endeudarme con la compra de una propiedad vacacional de tiempo compartido. Cuando les dije a los Velas que yo no podía darme el lujo de hacer semejante compra. Según ellos me mostraron como yo podía hacer la compra y pagar con los ingresos procedentes de alquilar mis semanas de tiempo compartido. Todo sonaba muy bonito pero la realidad era otra. Por alguna razón las semanas de tiempo compartido no se rentan. Encima de esto también he tenido que pagarle a un tercero por el privilegio de alquilar estas semanas. Al firmar el papeleo me dijeron que el contrato era revendido y debido a esto no tendría derecho legítimo a los cinco días de reflexión.

Así que hice un segundo viaje a Puerto Vallarta en marzo del 2009 con la intención de revender la multipropiedad de regreso a los Velas. Pero ellos me dijeron que seria más fácil vender el tiempo compartido o alquilar las semanas si actualizaba a una unidad de dos dormitorios de lujo. Cosa que yo hice. Hace casi cuatro anos desde que les compre a los Velas y aun sigo esperando que las semanas se alquilen. Pero no se alquilan. Ahora solo quiero que me regresen mi dinero. Las dos veces que he tratado con los Velas me dicen que el contrato nuevo también era revendido y que no tenia derecho a los cinco días de reflexión. Ahora todo esto empieza a afectar la economía de mi hogar. Hay algo que mi gobierno pueda hacer para ayudarme. Por alguna razón México deja que estas personas sigan mintiendo y estafando a los estadounidenses y a los canadienses. La cadena de Resort los Velas debería ser agregada a una lista nacional "turística de asesoramiento" por operadores de multipropiedad sin escrúpulos. Gracias por cualquier ayuda que mi gobierno pueda darme para lograr que los Velas me regresen mi dinero. Nuevamente gracias por tomar acción en las causas mayores de nuestra nación.

KLP
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Welcome

by Duke Phillips

Hola,
Do you feel you've been scammed by any of the Velas Resorts? Please feel free to sound off here! I first joined in October 2006. First time in Mexico and I couldn't even get through the stupid airport without making that fatal mistake of connecting with a timeshare salesperson. Only I didn't quite realize it then. I was more intent on getting to my hotel and the promise of a free taxis ride and all new surroundings were the only things on my mind. At the presentation I told them I couldn't afford something so expensive. But they showed me how I could rent my weeks out. Not only that but I would have enough money from the sale to stay somewhere less expensive and have travel money to boot. Sounded good to me so I went for it. But they also said that once I signed I wouldn't be able to change my mind because it was previously owned, whatever that meant.

In the spring of 2009 I went back with the intention of selling it back to them. But instead they showed me again how the weeks would be easier to rent out if I upgraded. Or sell. So like a dumb ass I went along with it. And again they lied to me and told me this was previously owned so I could not change my mind and come back and exercise my 5-day right of rescission.

Now, more than a year later NONE of those weeks have rented. So I've made up my mind.........I WANT MY MONEY BACK!! Roberto Garcia, are you reading this? Tell your boss I'm not going away. I'm going to do everything I can to put a dent in his pocketbook.

Anyone else want to tell your story? Feel free.
Duke Phillips
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