Class Action Against Diamond Resorts?

My wife and I were also lied to. We were silver members and were told that by upgrading to gold

1)that our maintenance fees would be locked and never change. And although they were a higher than silver members, because of the increasing maintenance fees, within 5 years you will be paying less than what you are paying now. 2) we would get a % cash back for using our timeshare points, which we could use to pay for maintenance fees. the more you use it, the more you use your points more money you get back. 3) we could sell our membership to a 3rd party (They would get full benefits of Gold membership, not just the points) And they could easily sell it for us for more points at a profit later. 4) Using the Diamond Resorts credit card gives us 1% cash back, which we could use to pay for maintenance fees. 5)By upgrading, it would actually cost less per month because of the % cash back program

Both of us want out of this Timeshare, If there is any class action going on at the moment we would like in.

Occurred last year at Polo Towers in Las Vegas

I would be thrilled to join the fight against the lies of these people! A lie is not harmful unless it costs you money or hurts you in your life then it's a scam or fraud! I want justice here for all of us!

irenep59 wrote:

Carl, I answer your questions:

Also has anybody here heard anything of Diamond letting go of the properties in California, Arizona and Nevada to A now separate division under just Diamond resorts and not Diamond resorts international?

My answer: Diamond resorts International changed their name to Diamond Resorts, probably after shutting down all their EU sales centers.

I was told this while in Hawaii at the Royal Lahaina resort in Maui. Their people told me of the class action suite against The U.S. collections and said Owners would soon find far less options as owners of D.R.I.

My answer: This is total BS. The judge ruled in favor of the class action ban a year ago, forcing arbitration, which every attorney I know feels is pro-industry and if you lose the member pays Diamond's arbitration fees.

They tried to offer some bogus crap to get us to join the Hawaii collections (more money needed again) It is time for some serious legal actions to shut down Diamond and all fraudulent time share companies and returning money back to those who have been ripped off year after year by them.

My answer: Please join our Facebook launched by an economics professor. There are over 3,300 members going through what you went through. Our group has answered questions for 779 Diamond members. https://www.facebook.com/groups/DiamondResortsOwnersAdvocacy/

You need to file a complaint with the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. .

Is there a Class Action Suite against Diamond Resorts, we would love to get involved. They pressure you for hours until you say yes to get out of thethere. We have never used our timeshare and financially can not afford it. But they say they will buy back when you purchase it but they do not allow you to sell it back once you want to get out. They lie about a lot of the benefits they say you will have. they have several salesmen pressure us into surrendering to the sales pressures not letting you leave. I am a senior and retired and cant afford this. We just stopped paying. If there is a class action law suite we want in.

carmenb112 wrote:

They pressure you for hours until you say yes to get out of there.... They lie about a lot of the benefits they say you will have. they have several salesmen pressure us into surrendering to the sales pressures not letting you leave....If there is a class action law suite we want in.

It's not just Diamond who employ such despicable sales tactics. Almost every timeshare sales person does that.

I am sitting here at the “new members orientation” just to be told that my husband and I declined benefits on our last orientation which had to be new members orientation. It was actually a sale orientation/upgrade in our case. Now I’m been told that I lost my benefits and don’t have any of the benefits or rights as other members. I’m so upset and honestly wish I can sue them because from the beginning and each person I spoken with tell me (well, I’m different than the last person, I’ll do this and that) so each worker for Diamond blames each other, when it suppose to me a team work. I’m paying more than I was told at the beginning, get the ugliest hotel not even the main resorts.

I understand we signed a contract that precludes class action law suits. When it's been tried it has been rejected by the courts and kicked down to an arbitrator who is friendly to Diamond Resorts. You will not get a fair hearing. Now, you cannot give up legal redress when you have signed a contract that is fraudulent.

Some suggestions:

1. Record your "update" with DRI notified of your recording. Preferably via video. Most cell phones can do that. If they protest, leave. Whatever you do, don't receive your reward before the sales session. 2. Ask for a copy of the contract so you can spend time studying it. If they protest, leave. Ask for 24 hours to study it. After a two or three hours sales session you are not mentally or emotionally able to realistically consider a legal contract. 3. If they persist in trying to sell you points when you have explained you do not want it or cannot afford it, simply use the broken record (what is a record? It is a vinyl disc that is used to play music before iPods. If it had a scratch on it, the needle would jump back a few words and replay it over and over again.). An example:

You. I can't afford it. Them. But you can because Yada yada yada. You. I can't afford it. Them. Let me show you how you can. You. I can't afford it.

Eventually they will give up. Incidentally, their salesman Rick called me a liar when I told him we couldn't afford it. You may wonder why you would need to use this tactic when you can just leave. If you can leave with no hassle, then do so. But, often you will be introduced to a closer who will try to complete the sale. At this point they will offer you a deal at a lower cost. Use the broken record. They may try to get in your way to stop you from leaving ( as happened to us at Polo Towers in Las Vegas). If you are blocked in any way, make them want you to leave by saying loudly that they are trying to stop you from leaving. This will work because there will be other "updates" taking place close by.

Nelson

Telling them "I can't afford it" implies that you actually want it, but don't have the means to purchase it. It is an invitation for them to introduce other BS into the presentation. Instead just tell them "I DON'T WANT IT" and when they ask you why, just tell them "IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS". There is no valid counter argument for this. If you think you are under any kind of obligation to be polite to people who are trying to scam you, then you are a fool and maybe deserve what you get.

robertt668 wrote:

Some suggestions: 3. If they persist in trying to sell you points when you have explained you do not want it or cannot afford it, simply use the broken record (what is a record? It is a vinyl disc that is used to play music before iPods. If it had a scratch on it, the needle would jump back a few words and replay it over and over again.). An example:

You. I can't afford it. Them. But you can because Yada yada yada. You. I can't afford it. Them. Let me show you how you can. You. I can't afford it.

Eventually they will give up. Incidentally, their salesman Rick called me a liar when I told him we couldn't afford it. You may wonder why you would need to use this tactic when you can just leave. If you can leave with no hassle, then do so. But, often you will be introduced to a closer who will try to complete the sale. At this point they will offer you a deal at a lower cost. Use the broken record. They may try to get in your way to stop you from leaving ( as happened to us at Polo Towers in Las Vegas). If you are blocked in any way, make them want you to leave by saying loudly that they are trying to stop you from leaving. This will work because there will be other "updates" taking place close by.

Nelson

They have a response for every objection because they have heard them all. If you say, “I don’t want it,” they can counter with, “well, don’t you want travel, to take vacations, etc. They always start by getting you to agree that you want to travel and take vacations and have fun. But telling them you are just not interested is a good response, if you stick to it.

The best thing is to refuse any updates. After attending many, I can say it is just not worth it. Another company, not DRI, sold me once when I was determined going in to say no, but I came to my senses during the recession period and cancelled.

I hope this thread is still active! My husband and I are new to this and have been scammed. We came for an "orientation" to show us how to use the timeshare and we found out we were lied to BIG TIME! I would love to be apart of the class action. Please email me at Tosh.rene@gmail.com.

Thank you, NATOSHA

I too bought a 20k point sampler package back in 2017 for around $3500. This a few months after I bought a 4K point package for $18k. Can’t really say I was lied to but using those sampler points I have saved almost $2000 if I were to book those same rooms online or at other similar properties. Using the points is a bit of a hassle because of the limited properties and having to attend a 60 minute presentation at each stay. Either was not properly disclosed at time of signing for sampler. I have sat through a half dozen presentations for DRI in two years and can say the sale reps DO NOT tell the truth. I equate them to a used car salesperson. I guess everyone has got to eat. I too would like to sell my ownership but will try and make the best of it.

"I guess everyone has got to eat."

One doesn't have to scam and cheat people to make a living.

Ihave been lied to and coerced into spending more moneythan what I wanted to and now I have two credit cards and a contract with Diamond. When I try to talk to them about this They say they can't help me. they are all about selling you points, but when you have a problem, forget it they are not willing to help you.

Hi I saw your post on redweek about your horrible experience with Diamond. My spouse left working for Diamond because they turned so crooked. My spouse liked it at first, loved the clients & the resort & prospered. Even though my spouse eventually heard from old friends from other companies that manager Steven Ginsburg was known as “the biggest crook in timeshare”, the office was just fine at first. Btw, Steve Ginsburg is the son of Sheldon Ginsburg founder of Shell Vacations! but Shell was a company that was good to their clients!

After my spouse was there a while, a Diamond manager named Sam went to visit the Vegas office & came back with all these crooked policies. Sam actually said in a meeting, “say whatever you have to say to sell it, they won’t catch up to us for three years & we’ll be gone by then!!”. He was that openly crooked. MANY employees including HR were very upset. people quit like crazy.

My spouse was shocked & refused, saying “there is NO way I’m selling my soul!”, suddenly my spouse was not on the prosperous sales team anymore & was being $$ punished. Up until they went crooked at that office, My spouse had been A favorite, very well loved by clients & coworkers. At the next employment review my spouse was scolded & put on probation about dropping sales (because refused to be crooked). That very day, my spouse left the office & never returned. Other good people in the company told my spouse to take family leave (I was quite ill) so that the company could not retaliate in certain ways & my Spouse went to another company, sterling reputation had multi job offers in 2 phone calls. My spouse agonized about clients -wondered if managers may have lied to good people. It’s so dangerous for employees in this industry to speak up because of retaliation with no union recourse, that can devastate employability at all other companies. Plus they have $$ to ruin a life.

When I was healthier, I decided we could try to do something so called an entertainment/criminal lawyer I knew, jerry Mooney & asked him to please tell his class action lawyer friends they needed to GO AFTER this horrible company & protect the clients! Especially clients over age 80! It was very distressing. Mr Mooney asked us questions & then agreed & we prayed for the clients! We are unaware of what if any actions he took.

It doesn’t sound like when you dealt with Diamond you were At the same resort as my spouse and not during the time my spouse worked (spouse was there after 2014) saw that Diamond office go crooked. I guess other offices were very crooked way earlier. Very sad to know it was not just Vegas & the other office. I am so sorry. My spouse works for a VERY ethical (priceless!) high end co now that thankfully has many anti corruption policies in full force to prevent such a disgrace. My spouse still has a valid fear of being black-balled in the industry. Many crooked people from bad companies have contacts at good companies so anything could happen. And there is no recourse for employees. So we did the best we could figure out to do by trying to sic powerhouse lawyers on Diamond with NO gain, only risk to us. It never felt like enough though.

I’ve searched Diamond & have had the impression they are being taken down. They have to be. My spouse adored the clients, they were like friends. The idea that as was leaving, that office was ripping people off was so distressing...

I pray you all have some kind of vindication.

and why would you expect them to be? There's no excuse for being taken in now. Back when I bought (from ILX, which DRI later took over) in the early 90's there was no Yelp, no tripAdvisor, no RedWeek, etc. All one has to do now is google the term "Diamond Resorts Complaints" and read a few entries.

The company Diamond is using lies to sell up owners. I too was scammed by them. It is very bad when they use tactics to trick you into a program you specifically had told them you had NO use for! I lost points every damned year and refinanced my house to pay off the loan for the previous Gold level. I wanted no further points levels and had no reason to want more. I bank points every year but of course they devalue them as time goes on. It was a ploy to seniors they used on our visit. The said Diamond understood we ere struggling to even collect each year enough to pay the Maintenance fee's as we told him up front, we were even explaining we would likely be behind next month. Have we got a program for you.! We saw it as a paying forward plan where you purchase "like in bulk" the platinum level and you will have no, NONE, zilch further maintenance fee's. That is what he explained! You use the gold level points for your fun and the platinum are used to cover the maintenance fee's. As a soon to retire senior we saw this as ideal for our wants and needs till we cannot get about. Keep in mind we recognize as all of you that you do have to spend money to use these points, travel,food fuel and any other expenditures. I have been contacted by a person , last name Spade, who wants to conference call with me just need to work out a time to do so for all involved. I would advise all of you scammed in Vegas to reach out to the Las Vegas B.BB. and file complaints.

Chuck I am not trying to get out as I stand to loose a hell of a lot already paid to them. I am seeing that if they will rescind and return the money I was charged/ financed to up grade from gold (I had paid off) to platinum under false pretenses and bring back the far lower maintenance fee's It would satisfy my anger for now. I plan to stay an advocate for reason against them however as No owner should be made to pay many thousands for a weeks stay in one of the resorts they paid for big money for the points. If every owner paid a reasonable fee for maintenance (less than a grand) out there The anger would be gone. the amount is still far higher than one is charged per day at any hotel out there but there are extra costs for a resort.

I am intetested in joining a clsss action against Diamond. I have been scammed and lied to about benefits that are non-existant.

My name is Kishan Sistla and started as an owner at Monarch Grand Vacations. In 2014 DRI somehow got hold of us and we were forced into relinquishing our ownership at MGV and join DRI. Since then we went through several upgrades with FALSE representations made by their salesmen. Our annual dues went from $800 to $6,000 since 2014. We can neither sell nor give away our interest. When I wrote letters to DRI they do not reply, and simply ignore them. The aggrieved owners need to join together in some CLASS ACTION.

Yes, as an owner at DRI who has been scammed, I am waiting to see a Class Action.

Me too. I have been scammed over the years. I wish some law firm help us with Class Action.