Class Action Against Diamond Resorts?

Hi I am interested in a potential lawsuit against DRI I hope there are enough people who feel the way I do? The more people who are interested will allow us to hire a good lawyer Jeff

We are another statistic of the Gold Key/Diamond hell that most of you are living. I have read a lot of the forum and we all have similar experiences. Is there a remedy? I am still paying on a Gold Key timeshare we bought in VA Beach. We went down for our deeded week in October and went to a presentation to "learn how to better use our timeshare". We got roped into the sampler package, which I just found out can't be used like we wanted (and they told us it could be). We can't afford these payments. It was our mistake to sign up for it, but they led us to believe that it would be totally worth it in the long run. Shame on us! Is there any way out of this? We've even considered filing bankruptcy.

Tina There is a Gold Key member/owner sponsored Facebook. One of the members is a licensed timeshare resale broker in Virginia. She has worked the deeded market for years. She does not charge to list a deeded week. Points are worthless. If you join that Facebook, they can point you in the right direction. The only family that had to file bankruptcy of the 568 Diamond members who have contacted me was a retired letter carrier living on probably a $40k pension upsold to $2700 a month in Diamond loan payments. The senior couple charged the $2700 to credit cards until their daughter found out. A credit card company does not care what you charge. This the link to the Facebook. Adam Strichman and his wife are admins. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1639958046252175/

Our timeshare maintenance fees for Los Arbregados in Sedona went from $1200 in 2017 to $1500 in 2018. How can this possibly be legal? where does it end? Something needs to be done, I’m all in for a class action lawsuit !

Thanks for the information. I've requested to join the group. I don't have to file bankruptcy, but have seriously thought about it because I don't know any other way to get out.

Tina PM the admins. They will be able to give you sound advice.

Has anyone tried filing a civil suit against the SALESPEOPLE for fraud? If you went to the presentation as a couple it would be 2 peoples' word against one

wesl22 wrote:

Our timeshare maintenance fees for Los Arbregados in Sedona went from $1200 in 2017 to $1500 in 2018. How can this possibly be legal? where does it end? Something needs to be done, I’m all in for a class action lawsuit !

That is very strange. I have a 1 br annual deeded timeshare (originally from ILX) and my maintenance fee for this year was $862.20, the year before that it was $855.20; and the year before that it was $988.19. Did you let them talk you into converting from a deeded timeshare to a points/membership scheme? Some bargain, wasn't it?

davidk689 wrote:

Has anyone tried filing a civil suit against the SALESPEOPLE for fraud? If you went to the presentation as a couple it would be 2 peoples' word against one

Not necessarily. Sometimes the sales team send in two or three people, one after the other. Even if it is "2 peoples' word against one", the contracts clearly state that what is said at the presentation has no bearing but what is in the written contract does. That's why there are written contracts. So if there is ever a dispute between what the sales person said and what is in the contract, the contract is there for the record.

Don't get me wrong. I am not defending the sales people or the timeshare companies. And if someone decides to sue the sales people, I hope that person does come off victorious according to the law. I'm just saying that, with the way the law is, chances are very slim that a plaintiff in such a case will win.

It would be impractical to sue the sales agent. In California and Nevada you file a complaint against the sales agent with either the CA RE Division or NRED the Nevada Real Estate Division. They launch an investigation. We did this for two agents earning respectively $2.4 million a year and $2.6 million a year. Both have been fired but replaced by sellalikes. It never ends. In other states you file a complaint with the AG. NRED will respond you have no proof, but according to an attorney who helped me write an article about this, when we have a report of 20 complaints against the same agent, this serves as proof as the volume and pattern is compelling. I attended a whistleblowers summit in Washington DC and found a sympathetic US Attorney and a sympathetic California Congresswoman. If nothing is filed nothing will happen. Diamond is the only major timeshare with a class action ban forcing arbitration. Arbitration is private and binding. The arbitrators are paid $400 to $800 an hour, unlike a civil case that assigns a judge supposedly at random. I spoke with someone who went through arbitration against my advice. The rulings are private and confidential, unlike a public filing, but the family said it was the worst experience of their life. We have gathered 571 Diamond complaints, 71 are Diamond Platinum members, all describing how they were upsold into insolvency, buying additional points promised the additional points would allow them to sell points or pay maintenance fees. The article we have being published Tuesday explains how a volume of complaints serves as proof. Our Diamond member sponsored Facebook of 2400 members was launched by an economics professor. We have a team of advocates answering regulatory and law enforcement (IC3.gov) filings. The FBI definition of white collar crime is "deceit concealment, violation of trust and bait and switch." Members check all of the above. Two of the Platinum members are organizing a protest outside Polo Towers in February. https://www.facebook.com/groups/DiamondResortsOwnersAdvocacy/

Diamond is one of the only major timeshare companies to have a class action ban in their contract, forcing arbitration. I don't feel RedWeek should be used as a platform to solicit business for lawyers. I have left a message for the lawyer. There is a Hawaii lawyer who filed a lawsuit 11/15/17 on behalf of Mary Bowling, formerly the #2 top producing Diamond sales agent based on Kauai.

I bought DRI US COLL POINTS on 7/21/18. Salesman made FALSE CLAIMS and ASSERTIONS about the product. I have email exchanges to prove my point. What is my recourse. Need help PLEASE

You can contact the attorney general's office in the state you purchased. There are a lot more consumer protection you just have to seek it out and be persistent with owner services that you were not disclosed full truth. Good luck

I was lie to purchase a sampler when in Dec.I am an Grand Monarch owner for the last 10 yrs. I was told my Grand Monarch point would get transfer to Diamond Resort points. the sales person made his scratch sample of lies on a paper advising me that the points will be combined. Well, that was not true at all. I got charged to my credit before signing documents. Now I am stuck with a new depth.

Johana There is a team of members helping other members with regulatory filings if you feel you experienced unfair and deceptive sales practices. Our Facebook has about 2500 members who feel as you feel, all report experiencing unfair and deceptive sales practices. Often this process has led to resolutions. Diamond has helped many resolved Sampler disputes especially. This is the link to our Facebook. An economics professor launched the Facebook two years ago. https://www.facebook.com/groups/DiamondResortsOwnersAdvocacy/

We purchased our timeshare at Mystic Dunes in 1999 and truly enjoyed being owners until Diamond purchased them. We paid our taxes last November and I deposited my week through Interval International on January 9th. Today I received a postcard stating that my deposit was cancelled by my home resort (Diamond) and I was directed to call them. I called and the rude girl tells me quite nastily that I was told last year that I have to call Diamond to deposit my week so that they can make sure my taxes are paid and everything is up to date. She tells me that lots of resort owners try to deposit their week more than a year in advance fraudulently and this is why they only allow you to deposit your week through them and as a courtesy they will reach out to Interval International and get it deposited. Well, now my deposit once deposited is considered a late deposit which makes it harder to trade. Diamond sucks. I was never informed in writing nor email that I had to contact Diamond to deposit my week and Interval International doesn't have any blocks up or warnings that you need to deposit your week through Diamond. Again, Diamond sucks!

I had a timeshare before buying another that was taken over by Diamond Resorts International and Steve Cloobeck. In addition to raising the maintenance fees to ridiculous amounts, I found that Diamond had taken over my Interval International account, and all calls were directed to the Diamond Desk. Everything had to go through them, even my other property! II said there was no way out but to cancel the membership.

Welcome to corporate greed at its finest .

I would like any information I could get on the Diamond Resorts International schemes and fraudulent sales practices, I was just recently offered a 3 night 4 day stay in Las Vegas for the price of Resort fees so me and my fiance went we have to attend a 120 minute tour which ended up being about six and a half hours while we sat down to talk to the sales representative Lester, he told us to go ahead and grab some breakfast it was on the house that was the beginning of their bait and hook we talked to him briefly for about 15 minutes we were then all taken into a room we're a fast-talking gentleman ex-military told us all about timeshares in about 15 minutes, we were then escorted back out to the lobby to talk to the salesperson who told us several lies in order to get the sale he even had his manager come to verify something and she said I have the power to make you an even better deal we were given two trips 1 was a Caribbean cruise airfare included the other was a trip to Hawaii both of these are seven day trips we also had to prepay for a 2-night 3-day stay in Lake Tahoe and upon getting suckered into signing their contract I was told the only way I could do it was to apply for a new credit card Barclays Bank of Delaware. I told them there was no way that I wanted to open a new credit card the salesperson told me that he can have me removed from the Circus Circus Hotel over to the Cancun Resort in Las Vegas at no extra charge plus I would receive $200 in complementary free play at Circus Circus Casino and there would be no additional Resort fees at Cancun because I was now a member, come to find out several things I was told upon signing the contract we're not in our written contract that we went over with another person in a tiny office at the end of our stay I was told I had to pay $30 a day Resort fees but Lester would help me out and make sure they only charged me $20 a day. This all happened on January 20th 2019 I have since paid the $3,000 down payment and am now worried about the things I'm reading on this forum is it too late to get out can anyone give me any information if so I would highly appreciate it and if anyone wants to hear more of my story just let me know

That is just classic. You probably did not notice the contract clause that says you cannot rely on any statements made during the six and a half hours they were breaking you down. The recession period in Nevada is long over. I would cut my losses and not pay another cent. Don’t fall for the secondary predators who say they will get you out for a fee. I would also contact the Attorney General of the state.