Club Navigo is a rip off

glenday2 wrote:

We decided to give it back, can't use something if our boys are overseas.

Again, you can't just decide to deed a week back to a resort unless the resort accepts it or a Quit Claim Deed. I feel your pain, but I would not have indulged in any sort of alcoholic beverage while negotiating a legally binding contract that I assume involved several thousand dollars.

glenday2 wrote:

just one question to the owner of 5 weeks and satisfied. Explain why Club Navigo/Island one is the ONLY Timeshare owners who charge over $1000.00 for yearly maintenance etc fees? No one else in the world charges such fees! Why is this?

There are many maintenance fees over $1000, especially for the higher end timeshares (Hilton, Marriott, 4 Seasons, Disney, Hyatt etc.)

they won't let you cancel but they will take it back for free, donate it to a charity

Island one is not Disneyworld, and have NEVER seen known anyone who has paid over $500.00 for yearly maintenance fees jayjay you work for the company?

trusts me we had no intentions at the time. Jayjay we have known in the past Club Navigo/Island one has their employees on here which division are you with?

I have read through a number of these posts, and agree with the majority of them. I specifically went into the time share meeting about two years ago knowing full well I had no desire to purchase a time share. My biggest issues were the annual maintenance fee being more than I'd pay for a week at a resort and not having a full week to use.

I was offered the opportunity to purchase points for every other year. This would cut down on the maintenance fee and would allow me to use my points as I saw fit and resorts are listed with points per night. They specifically advertised that you can book anything 3 nights or longer (at Club Navigo properties) if you have the points. I thought great, I have a great deal of flexibility in my vacation time. FALSE - when I tried to book later in the year, I was told only a handful of the 24 or 25 Club Navigo properties allow you to book less than a week, including ZERO outside of the US.

I was also led to believe that Club Navigo had weeks reserved at resorts and that it was subject to availability (meaning other resort owners may want that week). FALSE - when I tried to book a resort week 6 months in advance, I was told the resorts I was looking at did not have availability. I asked if I could be put on a waiting list in case someone canceled, and they indicated Club Navigo never had any of that week at that resort (in my opinion, false advertising by showing it as available in the brochure).

I was specifically told that I could exchange a number of my points through Interval International (for a fee) to book a week at any of these thousands of other resorts worldwide. FALSE - when I went to a time share meeting the following year at a different resort (where they tried to sell me more points at what they claimed to be a "better" resort") was that based on which resort you owned at and which week you owned, you only had availability to trade for certain weeks and certain resorts through Interval Internaitonal. This was never disclosed during the initial meeting.

All I'm saying is, if you're looking for a time share for a week and are satisfied with the cost and maintenance fees, go ahead and purchase one. If you have other ideas of vacations and think a time share will satisfy those for you, DON'T BELIEVE WHAT THEY TELL YOU AT THE MEETINGS and there is no way to check the facts until it's too late.

My husband and I have also been ripped off by Club Navigo. Has anyone been able to sell their timeshare from this awful company? I'm so disgusted on how bad I was fooled from the sales rep when we first purchased our timeshare. We have been owners since June 2010 and have been on 2 trips with our timeshare and have never had enough points to go on Spring Break yet. I need some advice or help with either selling this timeshare or filing a lawsuit.

kellip36 wrote:

My husband and I have also been ripped off by Club Navigo. Has anyone been able to sell their timeshare from this awful company? I'm so disgusted on how bad I was fooled from the sales rep when we first purchased our timeshare. We have been owners since June 2010 and have been on 2 trips with our timeshare and have never had enough points to go on Spring Break yet. I need some advice or help with either selling this timeshare or filing a lawsuit.

If you want to sell, please remember the cardinal rule for selling: Never, ever pay anyone a large, upfront fee to sell, rent out, or "cancel" your timeshare. That's almost always a scam.

As for filing a lawsuit, frankly I wouldn't waste my time or money doing so. Therefore, watch out for these so-called law firms that claim they're going to start some sort of lawsuit if you pay them some sort of fee.

If you want to sell or give your timeshare away, advertise it on reputable sites such as here on RedWeek (but not here in the forums), E-bay, My Resort Network, Bidshares, etc.

Thank you I appreciate your feedback. I did talk with someone today from sellmytimesharenow.com and the gentleman said that if you call Club Navigo and ask them to sell it for you they will give you sellmytimesharenow.com contact information. Is it worth trying to rent out your timeshare? I'm new to this and do many people get 'hits' on renting their timeshare?

lancec13 wrote:

kellip36 wrote:

My husband and I have also been ripped off by Club Navigo. Has anyone been able to sell their timeshare from this awful company? I'm so disgusted on how bad I was fooled from the sales rep when we first purchased our timeshare. We have been owners since June 2010 and have been on 2 trips with our timeshare and have never had enough points to go on Spring Break yet. I need some advice or help with either selling this timeshare or filing a lawsuit.

If you want to sell, please remember the cardinal rule for selling: Never, ever pay anyone a large, upfront fee to sell, rent out, or "cancel" your timeshare. That's almost always a scam.

As for filing a lawsuit, frankly I wouldn't waste my time or money doing so. Therefore, watch out for these so-called law firms that claim they're going to start some sort of lawsuit if you pay them some sort of fee.

If you want to sell or give your timeshare away, advertise it on reputable sites such as here on RedWeek (but not here in the forums), E-bay, My Resort Network, Bidshares, etc.

I'd be very careful of using sellmytimesharenow.com (SMTN). There have been several discussions on these boards (use the "Search" function to find them) as well as Timeshare Users Group (TUG) about this company. Remember not to pay anyone large upfront fee to sell your timeshare. Apparently, SMTN charges an upfront fee to sell if it deems that your timeshare is worthless.

As for renting your timeshare out, it might be worth a try. Just remember that many units that get put up for rent each week do not garner any takers. And some that do get renters might not receive enough rental income to cover the maintenance fees.

You can check your resort on RedWeek's sales and rentals to see what similar units are being offered for. You may also get similar information on TUG's Marketplace, E-Bay, My Resort Network, Craigslist, etc.

As for getting "hits" on renting, it all depends on supply and demand. Some units are more popular than others. A unit during Spring Break in Southern Florida (ie., The Keys, Fr. Lauderdale, etc.) will be more popular and get more "hits" than New England in the winter.

Yes Karen has left her name, but she has been of no help, she passes the buck as they would say. A few months ago I read my credit report and it is showing as a MORTGAGE, and not a good report. I game back my time share in 2008, SOMEHOW, they don't seem to have this, they sent it to a credit company in09 I reiterated it now belonged back to Club Navigo. Their comment: Take out a credit card and pay it off! What, The answer from Club navigo: We aren't dealing with you, you upset me. WTH? Grow up you are ruining someone's credit. Last year another credit agency contacts me and now it has gone up over 100% I contact Club Navigo, only this time I get back on redweek to see if anyone has been helped and find Karen's name and phone number, she again offers to take back my times share (which they should have had since 2008), but insists on keeping a bad mark on my credit report. This is what they call helping out? They are getting for the second time a Gold week with 3 bedrooms. I have attempted to contact them to no avail, I have sent copies showing they have contacted me to use my points, use my time, one of my reports shows paying as agreed, yet they are glad to take it back and give me a bad report when they have violated the law in so many ways I can't believe they are still in business. Federal Trade Commission states they are awaiting as many clients possible to go after this company. They are online file your reports with them. Karen seems nice enough but she ain't doing nothing just my 2 cents

your right got no where with her. Can't even get her to call back : ( shame of these rip off artist waiting on Karma to get them where it hurts.

Just curious as to what Resort you bought into? I have three time shares with Club Navigo, and did have 6 until a year ago when I sold 3. While I have had issues from time to time, I have never had any that could not be worked out if you are persistent. Squeaky wheel type of thing.

This has ranged from points not being credited to my account, to having a deed recorded wrong which needed to be redone.

All of these were worked out within a couple of months of my complaint - and in the case of the deed, by Karen.

You said that you gave the week back - didn't you get any paper work or have the transfer of the deed recorded when you did so? In Florida, you have to sign a quit claim deed and have it recorded at the county to surrender a property. You would normally have to pay the recording fee.

glenday2 wrote:

Yes Karen has left her name, but she has been of no help, she passes the buck as they would say. A few months ago I read my credit report and it is showing as a MORTGAGE, and not a good report. I game back my time share in 2008, SOMEHOW, they don't seem to have this, they sent it to a credit company in09 I reiterated it now belonged back to Club Navigo. Their comment: Take out a credit card and pay it off! What, The answer from Club navigo: We aren't dealing with you, you upset me. WTH? Grow up you are ruining someone's credit. Last year another credit agency contacts me and now it has gone up over 100% I contact Club Navigo, only this time I get back on redweek to see if anyone has been helped and find Karen's name and phone number, she again offers to take back my times share (which they should have had since 2008), but insists on keeping a bad mark on my credit report. This is what they call helping out? They are getting for the second time a Gold week with 3 bedrooms. I have attempted to contact them to no avail, I have sent copies showing they have contacted me to use my points, use my time, one of my reports shows paying as agreed, yet they are glad to take it back and give me a bad report when they have violated the law in so many ways I can't believe they are still in business. Federal Trade Commission states they are awaiting as many clients possible to go after this company. They are online file your reports with them. Karen seems nice enough but she ain't doing nothing just my 2 cents

I read your post and I am confused by your comment that you have not been able to go on Spring Break. Not sure what resort you purchased at, on in Florida or elsewhere, but all Club Navigo resorts have seasons, which determine the number of points required to stay in the same room, based on the popularity of the resort that time of year.

As an example, my 2Br in the South Tower at The Cove on Ormond Beach in Florida, requires 6000 points for a one week stay in any of the Diamond season week, but only 2400 points in the low season - same room - same resort - different demand for the room.

If you purchased a unit in low or middle season, which nearly all weeks at any resort in Florida would be in June, then you may well not have received enough points each year to ever be able to go in a high season, which Spring Break certainly is.

The possible solution to your problem would be to bank points every other year to make up enough to meet the point requirements for Spring Break. However, you will find that high season reservations are hard to come by even if you have the points. You would need to request the stay up to a year in advance.

I would be happy to try to suggest some ways to get better use out of your time share, for at least as long as you are stuck with it, should you be interested.

kellip36 wrote:

My husband and I have also been ripped off by Club Navigo. Has anyone been able to sell their timeshare from this awful company? I'm so disgusted on how bad I was fooled from the sales rep when we first purchased our timeshare. We have been owners since June 2010 and have been on 2 trips with our timeshare and have never had enough points to go on Spring Break yet. I need some advice or help with either selling this timeshare or filing a lawsuit.

I have been reading the multitude of responses you keep logging on here about Club Navigo and have noticed several things.

1) You never copy the comments you are replying to - which makes your reply meaningless and out of context. I think you may have directed a few of your comments to me, as I did own 5 weeks at one time last year. But I can't be sure since you didn't copy what your were replying to.

2) You say you were liquored up and did not realize what you were signing. You mention California, and then Florida. In California you had three days to rescind the contract and void the purchase. In Florida, I know for a fact you have 10 days to rescind a contract and void the purchase, I have used this provision twice when I read fine print that did not match what I had been told.

3) You also state that you bought a GOLD week - not sure what that is since every resort I know of in the Navigo system used Gem Stone names to differentiate the seasons of the resorts, and none I am aware of use the term GOLD. Be that as it may, you said you had a 3BR / 3Bath during Daytona. Very interesting. Only one of all the resorts Club Navigo runs in Florida even has 3 bedroom units. And that is not in Daytona, but over in Orlando. I know this for a fact, as I owned two units at that resort, worth 8000 points each per year. I owned these for several years, and NEVER had the least bit of trouble staying there. In fact I usually booked and rented out weeks to others in smaller units with the one 3Br, and used the money to pay all my fees.

4) It may not be an issue of a person being lucky - it may just be that you have to ask enough and the right questions to find out how there system works, and use it against them for your own benefit.

Last year I had no trouble securing 12 reservations spread throughout the summer, with as many as four at one time. I used two of these reservations and rented the balance, making more on rental than my combined fees of over $5500 that year. (I had 37,000 points last year. I sold three of my time shares, including all in Orlando, and now only own three, all over in the Daytona area. Now I only have 14,600 points a year.)

So I have to wonder exactly what it is you purchased and are complaining about. You say you have a GOLD 3Br and Daytona (week?)

Well I am looking at the resorts that are part of Club Navigo, and I see that there is only one resort in Florida that even has 3Br units. And it is quite a distance from the activities at the Daytona 500.

Naples - only 2Br Miami - only 2Br Daytona - Studio, 1Br and 2Br Ormond Beach - Studio, 1Br and 2Br

Orlando / Bryan's Spanish Cove - only 2Br Orlando / Orbit One - only 2 Br Orlando / Parkway Int. - only 2Br Orlando / Liki Tiki - 1Br, 2Br, 2Br+( 2 -1Br unit connected) and 3Br ( A 1Br and a 2Br connected)

You will no doubt brand me as someone working for CN. But I have to wonder about the true motives of someone who seems obsessed with this, but who's story seems to be questionable and changing over time.

glenday2 wrote:

Not everyone is as lucky as you, after 911 we were in Florida, they set us up for a one night and day, got us drunk sold us a "Gold Week", never told us about the "Outrageous Maintenance fees". We asked the to rent out our 3 bedroom Gold Room, and use the money towards fees etc. This would have been feasible since my sons joined the Marines and left to fight in the war. At that time what was more important? Paying to send items to our sons or paying for a time share we would not be able to use? After a few years, and months of arguing with them and finding out they "couldn't rent our Gold Week" seriously 3 bedrooms 3 baths during Daytona? Right!, We decided to give it back, can't use something if our boys are overseas. They would not take the QCD, because it was altered. They promised to send a new one out which they never did. As far as we were concerned, they received it. It was theirs. Low and behold years later we get a call from a collection agency stating we should take out a loan to pay it off. What? It's no longer ours, A phone calls was made, first to the FTC to find out this was against the law, and second to Island one, only to find out that they would not speak to me because I offended them. Another year and half goes by with no correspondence. Mid 2012 another collection agency contacts me and the price has quadripled! Holy cow, I contact Island one/Club Navigo, again they don't want to deal with me, why I yelled at her a few years ago. OMG are you kidding me? I get back on Redweek, and find some more info contact a person whose name we have seen on here who apologizes for problems people are having and is willing to talk to people privately. RIGHT! Now they are sorry & again willing to take it back, only this time I find out they placed bad marks on my credit report, and not willing to correct it. Here is the problem: 1) when we purchased this time share they liquored us up, yes we were tipsy when we signed. In California you can not sign a legal document if you are under the influence of drugs or alcohol. What is the law in Florida? 2) they had the original QCD, they refused to have it logged in. 3) they never sent a new set out, documentation on my computer shows proof. 4) they had a collection agency violate the fair credit & collection act. 5) they were the owners 4 years ago ) They are willing again to take back this Gold Week and not clear my credit report. In return I will have lost thousands of dollars, and my record ruined. And you are saying that they have never done you wrong? Sorry, I have 20 letters here in front of my by other onwers who have said the same thing. We are awaiting FTC to act upon their complaints for the class action suit. This company takes money, QCD, ruins your credit. Yes take my Gold week back, but give me something back in return when Clearly I have been working with your for years.

Was just reading through old posts and noticed yours. Not sure if you are even signed up anymore.

If you truly do have the receipt showing the cancellation of the contract, and it is from a fax machine showing the number dialed, number sent from and date and time - that is a legally binding and enforceable document.

You should invest a few dollars in speaking with a lawyer who knows time share law, and see if you can't force them to honor the cancellation of the contract.

I cancelled two contracts out of 8 that I have signed. They can say they did not get the fax. but the law does not allow them to simply not load paper into a fax machine to avoid cancellations. Your receipt shows that the cancellation was received by their machine, and when.

Depending on what resort and what week you own, and how your deed reads; you may be able to get someone to take the week over for you.

Don't expect to get your original investment back. You basically are giving the week away to get out from under the annual fees.

Expect to pay at least part of the cost to transfer the title and contract. This is partly for your protection, in that you want to know for a fact that you are free and the new owner is on the hook for all future payments and fees.

I have purchased five weeks at various resorts from owners like you who no longer wanted their weeks. But you have to understand it is a buyers market. You are basically asking them to take over your headache.

I never paid more than the annual M&T fees for a week, plus the transfer fee to move the contract to my name at the resort. And if there was no usage left the year I purchased, I only paid $1 for the week, which is the minimum to make a legal sale in the US. I always insisted the seller pay the closing costs, and always used a bonded and insured title company for the paperwork, recording of the new deed and transfer of ownership.

The cost to you would be up to $500 to secure a title company and get the transfer completed. Research the company before you sign up with them. Maybe ask on this site if anyone has used them and what there experience was, so you know you will have a good transaction. By using their escrow service, you are assured that you lose the commitment, along with the deed. You would be out from under the obligation, and free of the ongoing expense.

Start by listing the week for sale on a site like eBay. Make sure it is viewable in the country where your time share is located, if you don't live there. Give enough details of the week and unit type for a buyer to get interested. And be sure you spell out what you will pay and what they would pay to buy and transfer the unit.

If you have usage remaining, you can offer that to the new owner, in exchange for them repaying part or all your fees to you. Just make sure that the contract shows that this usage is to be transferred, and be sure to check with the CN people to make sure what is left and what is needed to transfer the usage. That is what caused me to buy two of the weeks. I paid the fees due this year, and got last years usage along with this years, two weeks for the price of one. And in return, the people I purchased from were free and clear of the annual fees on the units.

jayjay

ericd152 wrote:

I have a contract with islandone which I need to cancel as my children are all grown up and I am paying 450 pounds per year which I need to get out of can you help me as islandone won't let me cancel

You make some rather nasty remarks about the fees, as if they are extremely unusual.

I own/ have owned, multiple time shares at multiple resorts, up to 7 weeks at one point.

EVERY one of them had fees exceeding $500 a year. In the case of the two weeks that were in high season in 3Br units, the fees were $1250 per year.

I mean really - $500 is only $72 a night on a week. How many 3, 4 or 5 star resorts do you know that can run charging only $72 a night? You pay that for a hotel room with a tiny coffee pot and dorm refrigerator. So you expect to get a two bedroom condo, maybe ocean front, with a full kitchen and lots of amenities, and pay less than $72 per night?

I am not sure where you have looked or owned. But you don't have to be a Disney to have high fees. You simply have to have a nice resort that takes good care of the place. I receive a complete breakdown of expenditures and fees charged each year from all the resort home owners associations. They explain what is being spent on repairs, upkeep and running the resort, and how they came up with the fees. If you don't like how they are running the place, you can run for the management board and have a say in the running of the resort, including replacing the management company that runs the day to day operations, if needed.

glenday2 wrote:

Island one is not Disneyworld, and have NEVER seen known anyone who has paid over $500.00 for yearly maintenance fees jayjay you work for the company?

YES! I completely agree that Club Navigo is a rip off. We bought our timeshare at Liki Tiki in 2001 while on our Honeymoon. We were sold the whole spew of timeshare BS. It was going to be such an incredible investment to pass on to our children etc. I could cry every single time our maintenance and tax bill arrives. Every year it gets higher. It started at just over $400 a year and is now at $1000 a year. You can actually rent a week for less than that. This has put so much stress on us. We have tried to exchange to go to different places and the only other place we can ever go is Daytona. The options are terrible. They make it all look fantastic and beautiful but the reality of it is that it has become pure hell. I really don't know how anyone with a conscious at all could look someone in the eye and feel ok with selling another human being who likely works hard for their money, and lie to them about the reality of timeshares.

I have tried so hard to get out of this without going into even more debt. I wish I could find a way out. We can't even stand the thought of Florida anymore.

Also, to all of you who have commented with positive reviews. Good for you if it's true. I just find it to be a little far fetched myself.

lynnc317 wrote:

I really don't know how anyone with a conscious at all could look someone in the eye and feel ok with selling another human being who likely works hard for their money, and lie to them about the reality of timeshares.

They're called 'timeshare sales people' .... old saying with the timeshare educated, "if a timeshare sales person moves their lips then they're lying".

If the only desirable exchange you can get is Daytona .... I can certainly think of worst locations to vacation .... we once owned a timeshare week in Daytona and loved going there with the drive on beach and all their is to do in the area.