Open Letter to Steve Cloobeck, Diamond Resorts International CEO

Would appreciate any and all information on how I can get out of my contract with Diamond Resort Intl. I will be 80 in 3 months, cannot not afford to continue paying the maintenance fee and just want out. Thanks

robertd992 wrote:

Would appreciate any and all information on how I can get out of my contract with Diamond Resort Intl. I will be 80 in 3 months, cannot not afford to continue paying the maintenance fee and just want out.

Contact Diamond directly at lossmitigation@diamondresorts.com. DRI has a voluntary surrender program. You must be up to date with the maintenance fees and mortgage. DRI might charge you a fee to cover closing costs of around $250.

Whatever you do, do not pay anyone a large, upfront fee to sell or "cancel" your timeshare. That's a scam.

Robertd992,

Look at recent posts in this thread, "Diamond Resorts reduces owner benefits again!"

http://www.redweek.com/forums/messages?utm_campaign=1&utm_source=forum-alert&utm_medium=email&thread_id=14638&page=last

If you live in Arizona or bought there, a recent settlement with the Arizona Attorney General may help you. File a claim with the AG if there is any possibility of that.

Steve Cloobeck has left the house. The new owners seem to be more willing to do the right thing, with all the lawsuits and complaints coming in over Diamond's business practices. Try contacting the new Consumer Advocacy Department: consumeradvocacy@diamondresorts.com.

I have had trouble getting any satisfaction from many phone calls and getting bounced around for 6 months. Without going into detail, I was promised something when I purchased more points last august, but they can't back up what they promised. Interesting that you mention a "new consumer advocacy department". Is there someone I can talk to on the telephone? do you know a phone number? Also, can you elaborate why you think the "new owners are more willing to do the right thing"?

stevenc413 wrote:

Without going into detail, I was promised something when I purchased more points last august, but they can't back up what they promised.

Unless "promised" specifically means something that you can point to that is very clearly expressed in writing within your contract, any and all other verbal statements made were just meaningless bits of noise temporarily floating around in the air. In fact, your contract itself probably states quite clearly that any and all verbal statements or assertions are NOT binding in any way and that only written contract content applies. Timeshare developer salespeople lie for a living and are very good at doing so. There is a saying that "if their lips are moving, they are lying". That saying is very true, repeatedly proven and well deserved.

Latest installment of Diamond Chronicles now available on RedWeek's blog. It provides the most comprehensive coverage of everything that appears to be percolating with Diamond right now. If you can't find it, go to home page and scroll down for blog

jeff_reports wrote:

Latest installment of Diamond Chronicles now available on RedWeek's blog. It provides the most comprehensive coverage of everything that appears to be percolating with Diamond right now. If you can't find it, go to home page and scroll down for blog

Thanks, Jeff. I always enjoy your very informative writing about the timeshare industry, whether it's on RedWeek or in articles for Timesharing Today. Not many (if any) writers have your solid background knowledge and / or razor sharp insights into the deceitful and manipulative developer practices that have contributed to the reputation that the timeshare industry "enjoys" --- and so richly deserves. Thanks for your good work and great writing.

stevenc413 wrote:

I have had trouble getting any satisfaction from many phone calls and getting bounced around for 6 months. Without going into detail, I was promised something when I purchased more points last august, but they can't back up what they promised. Interesting that you mention a "new consumer advocacy department". Is there someone I can talk to on the telephone? do you know a phone number? Also, can you elaborate why you think the "new owners are more willing to do the right thing"?

I can't find a phone number, only email. But I sent an email to ask for the phone number! I'll post it if I get it.

I think they are being forced to start righting some of the wrongs of the past because of certain legal actions and a slew of complaints. Diamond Resorts International has been bad, very bad, and now the time of reckoning has come Thus the new "Diamond Clarity" program: https://www.diamondresorts.com/diamond-clarity.

Diamond Clarity is a response to the Arizona Attorney General's "Assurance of Discontinuance" but certain aspects of Clarity are disturbing. For example, with buyer permission, the QA session will be recorded. I told the DRI PR Firm this only serves to harm the buyer. What needs to be recorded is the sales session because that is where all the "oral representations" take place. I am encouraging owners not to attend a sales presentation unless the sales agent agrees to being recorded. Without their knowledge it is illegal wiretapping and not admissible in court.

One very sophisticated owner who seems to know more about points than the craftiest DRI sales person launched a new Diamond Resorts Owners Advocate Facebook this past Saturday. As of this minute there are already 54 members. The goal is not to see how many hundreds of people we can get to join, but to provide a place for only owners with legitimate concerns to go. If you want to know which Diamond Resort has the best swimming pools, join a different DRI Facebook.

http://insidetimeshare.com/owners-coming-together-help/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/DiamondResortsOwnersAdvocacy/

The article above published today by Inside Timeshare explains the concept. Jeff Weir of RedWeek and Greg Crist of NTOA are already members. The other DRI FB pages try to discourage negative comments or write us off as dummies who don't know how to use points. The Mission:

We seek to provide Diamond Resort members a way to proactively address membership concerns; to advocate for timeshare reform; to obtain greater disclosure from the company; to advocate for a viable secondary market; and to educate prospective buyers.

Hello Mr Cloobeck, I just wanted to comment on seeing you on undercover boss. I was so impressed by how you could be a strong CEO with your employees. But also be forgiving and getting them back on track with second chances. I have been in the workforce for almost 30years. Raising two sons after my first marriage and never. As a woman having a understanding boss. Now in my fifties and still fighting with my last employee just to retire peacefully. It's just nice to see some employers do care:).when this does happen I am going to check out Diamonds time share, because in the past mysecond husband and my self have had two bad timeshare experience. One we bought 3 years ago and we're still trying to get something back out of it. But again just wanted to send you a pat on the back on the show.Mrs. Bailey.Smile

carolb834 wrote:

Raising two sons after my first marriage and never. As a woman having a understanding boss. Now in my fifties and still fighting with my last employee just to retire peacefully. It's just nice to see some employers do care:).when this does happen I am going to check out Diamonds time share, because in the past my second husband and my self have had two bad timeshare experience. One we bought 3 years ago and we're still trying to get something back out of it.

It sounds like you are having some financial struggles. If that is the case, why would you want to "check out Diamonds time share"? They can be costly to use and maintain.

And if you are looking to buy a timeshare, do a lot of research. You do not have to limit yourself to Diamond. There are many options out there that would probably suit your lifestyle and travel preferences better.

carolb834 wrote:

Hello Mr Cloobeck, I just wanted to comment on seeing you on undercover boss. I was so impressed by how you could be a strong CEO with your employees. But also be forgiving and getting them back on track with second chances. I have been in the workforce for almost 30years. Raising two sons after my first marriage and never. As a woman having a understanding boss. Now in my fifties and still fighting with my last employee just to retire peacefully. It's just nice to see some employers do care:).when this does happen I am going to check out Diamonds time share, because in the past mysecond husband and my self have had two bad timeshare experience. One we bought 3 years ago and we're still trying to get something back out of it. But again just wanted to send you a pat on the back on the show.Mrs. Bailey.Smile

Carolb834: I hate to disillusion you (no I don't really) but Steve Cloobeck sold Diamond resorts a few years back. He is entirely out of it now. You must have been watching a really old re-run of Undercover Boss. Also you must be really gullible to believe that what you see on that phony-baloney TV show has any relation to reality. For those of us unfortunate enough to have been suckered into buying a timeshare from one of the soldiers in Steve Cloobeck's army of lying scammers, we say good riddance to him, although we have yet to see any evidence that the deceptive and high pressure sales tactics have gone away under the new owners. Just read some of the earlier posts to this discussion and you will see the true character of Cloobeck.

Mr Cloobeck:

If I do not receive a reimbursement that was turned down from one of your resorts of my missing/stolen property. I am reporting the employees involved and you to the Financial Consumer Protection Agency. I was assured by the loss mitigation Department Ryan Klye, from Cypress Point Resort in Orlando that I would get reimbursed then I received a rejection letter.

I appreciate a prompt response concerning this matter when I stayed at this Resort for six days, and had no choice but to move to another room due to the room not being serviced with no air conditioning in Orlando .

Kind Regards, Sherry L. DeTata, MSL Law

Mr. Cloobeck has left the building but his legacy endures.

sherryd128 wrote:

Mr Cloobeck:

If I do not receive a reimbursement that was turned down from one of your resorts of my missing/stolen property. I am reporting the employees involved and you to the Financial Consumer Protection Agency. I was assured by the loss mitigation Department Ryan Klye, from Cypress Point Resort in Orlando that I would get reimbursed then I received a rejection letter.

I appreciate a prompt response concerning this matter when I stayed at this Resort for six days, and had no choice but to move to another room due to the room not being serviced with no air conditioning in Orlando .

Kind Regards, Sherry L. DeTata, MSL Law

I am so sick of stupid people like like the person who wrote the above who are so deluded to think that Steve Clookbeck would give a rat's patootie about your problem even when he owned and ran DRI, much less now when he is completely out of the picture. Before you embarass yourself with a ridiculous and pointless post why don't you read the ones which came before? Also if you are interested in in writing to the people who actually own DRI, maybe you've heard of something called Google?

I agree that posting a incoherent, semi-literate complaint in a discussion forum to a (former) DRI CEO may provide entertainment, but is otherwise just silly and pointless.

Is it possible to end this thread since Cloobeck is not CEO? The email for the new CEO's team is: CEO@diamondresorts.com Michael Flaskey but nothing has improved under his realm. Apollo seems to be putting pressure on the company so things are only going to get worse. Consider reaching out to local and national media.

Please add me to the list of unhappy customers. My timeshare bought in 2000 Gold Key Resorts now Diamond had a feature that sold us. We lived local to our timeshare and given rights to the amenities yr round via Exclusive Charter Member certificate. Turns out the manager on duty can deny your privledges for any reason. This past weekend I went to a beach...use amenities...turned away. Came back the next day with my legal documents and was still turned away because they said I was disruptive. I was furious and they ended up calling the police inside to escort me off premises. I showed the police documents that allow me to be on property any day of year. That day parking lot was half empty and the pool by no means busy... yet the manager said because it was an "event" weekend and they were at full capacity I could not visit while guests are priority. One little man who worked there in a manager capacity kept saying, " just arrest her... can't you just arrest her." The officer said this was a civil NOT a criminal matter but he did ask that I leave and so I did. I have never been treated so horribly in all my life. I pay now $925.00 yr maintenance and paid 7975.00 for 4th week in Jan at the beach....when it is cold here....knowing my main purpose for purchase is for year round use of resort amenities IN SUMMER. So tomorrow I am going to Va Beach Circuit Court and file lawsuit! We will see if jury will be sympathetic to this and I will keep u posted. I want to be paid for the timeshare and all the maintenance fees paid to date is all. A total of 18,925.00 dollars!

davidl712 wrote:

Here is the announcement for which we have all been waiting! The lawsuit has been filed! It was filed Friday in Federal District Court in Hawaii. COPP will be mailing out a note with the lawsuit attached. It will also be going up on our website. I think that we will have DRI's attention now! What did Mr. C say? Yes, that's right, there are "10" unhappy customers. We'll see

Katherine and David: Katherine: The timeshare contract is a developer based contract and they can change anything for any reason at anytime so your attempt to file a lawsuit is useless on a change in benefits. If you think your are angry, imagine Irene Allen with 139,000 points suspended for a year for posting one rental ad on the advice of her sales agent. She must pay $2400 a month in mortgage while the account is suspended and $29,000 in maintenance fees. Two other families are affected all holding contracts that say they can rent.

If you would like to publish an article about your experience in an effort to warn consumers that many of the benefits at the time of a timeshare purchase could be taken away please find me at Inside Timeshare. We are ILX and had at least three benefits change.

David: Gold Key has a Facebook not a website. What website were you referring to? I am interacting with 17 attorneys who provide legal updates for our Advocacy Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/DiamondResortsOwnersAdvocacy/ but I was not aware of Hawaii. Polo Towers, Virginia and Ka'anapali Maui have the most complaints referred to us. I have had several members file complaints with the Hawaii Attorney General because they feel they were sold by deceit and bait and switch with programs to upgrade to get heirs released, renting opportunities, maintenance fee relief programs and upgrades so they can sell points. None of these benefits exist. The Hawaii AG has been unusually responsive. Maybe the lawsuit you referred to is the reason. Thank you for the Hawaii information. We are looking for it on Pacer.

I am going to Va Beach Circuit Court and file lawsuit! We will see if jury will be sympathetic to this and I will keep u posted. I want to be paid for the timeshare and all the maintenance fees paid to date is all. A total of 18,925.00 dollars!

davidl712 wrote: Here is the announcement for which we have all been waiting! The lawsuit has been filed! It was filed Friday in Federal District Court in Hawaii. COPP will be mailing out a note with the lawsuit attached. It will also be going up on our website. I think that we will have DRI's attention now! What did Mr. C say? Yes, that's right, there are "10" unhappy customers. We'll see

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Avatar for katheriner117 katheriner117

5 days ago

David I'm aware of COPP but I thought Poipu issues were resolved.

I want to clarify that the reason to upgrade to relieve heirs is bogus not because the benefit doesn't exist but because it already existed.