Ka'anapali Beach Owners Check Here

Hello, I am a Deeded Owner from the old Embassy days. I agree that we need more owner input to protect our investment. It's too bad that Bill Burns was pressured by * * * * to cease and desist. I sent in my Proxy for Mr. Wade, Ms.Kirkpatrick and Mr.Cushnyr. I hope they get additional votes. We desperately need a Owners list to get the word out.

kristenk15 wrote:

The more we can do to restore the resort to what we actually bought will be good. These things cost money, but I'd rather have some benefits that come naturally rather than be offered $150+ to sit through an "owner update" that doesn't generate new sales. It would be interesting to see what the sales department spends, and to what extent (if any) it takes away from the truly fine aloha care that the other departments work hard to deliver. We bought three times because Embassy exceeded our expectations, it was easy to get lodging and we bought where we wanted to go. We never wanted what DRI offers, as did many others. We just want what we bought. It's an amazing resort with solidly good people working there and owning there who deserve the "relaxation simplified" that seems to elude too many people. It's really not a lot to ask and I think is do-able if we work together.

Sorry- not sure why my name didnt show up- yes this is Steve Carrozzo :-)

Anyone know the results of the election?

I was a candidate and never hear. Would be nice, wouldn't it?

bonnie217 wrote:

Anyone know the results of the election?

I agree- I suppose if we have not heard yet we were not elected? The election process does not appear very transparent...another problem with the way the board is run.

The election process is not transparent, minutes of the meetings aren't emailed out right after, and we don't know how to reach our elected members. We can't get newsletters that are specific to KBC because "updates" are the ploy to get us to a salesperson (which will never happen again with us...)

So what is the point? What do they do? My guess is the incumbents won. Last year I emailed the GM and said a thank you for putting your name out there, next time you're on property have a meal on us, here's what happened at the meeting kind of summary to candidates would be nice. Nothing.

Sorry you two. Thank you for the effort and please try again next time. Let's try and keep your names in the forefront as concerned owners willing to give us some board representation!

I am sorry we do not have more owner representation on the board as well, and the lack of communication is unacceptable. It is disappointing that the resort seems to be declining. I am not sure where all our money goes quite honestly. I have guests staying at KBC this week and they are checking out early to move to another resort due to unacceptable room accommodations. Even though the rooms are newly renovated there seems to be an odor described as mold and bug spray. They've requested a refund (which I'm certain will not be granted) and plan to file a complaint and post to TripAdvisor.

Another huge increase on our fees for 2016! I am not happy.

Disappointed by the increase but not surprised. I have been checking the website every few weeks to even see if the election results were posted. Nothing yet. I emailed Diamond twice over the last few months and received the same reply to 'check the website'. This will continue to happen as long as we have the same board making the same decisions! $1500/week is absurd for what we are receiving in return. -Steve Carrozzo

In 2013, I was scammed out $11,900 for 3,000 points I did not need because I was already a platinum owner. Now, I cannot use all the pounts I have. My dues are astronomical!!! To say the least, I am not happy and I am seaking a lawyer.

We are original owners from Embassy days and own 2 weeks deluxe ocean view. We were at KBC in August. Had to fight to get and ocean front unit even though we booked 13 months out. Eventually got what we wanted. As original owners we are just a nuisance to Diamond whose goal is to own the entire resort and of course oversell it! We found out that Diamond has been buying back any original owner resales and now owns 49% of the resort. I am trying to get my head around how they appear to be able to use 100% of the resort. Or at least nearly all the Deluxe Ocean View units. Points people can save up their points and then get upgraded which then pushes us original owners out of our rooms. Since we bought Deluxe Ocean View category has increased to Include the whole Aloha Tower. Diamond also has expanded their Hawaii Collection to include a lot more resorts so we are now battling against a lot more people just to get what we own. Diamond is like a computer virus. They infiltrate and take over unless you do what they want, e.g. Put your unit on the market so they can buy it back and make even more money. The salesman once told us that to change our weeks to points was going to cost us $30,000. Then we would not be Platinum only gold. We told him that was more than we paid for 1 week 15 years ago and by that reckoning One of our weeks would be worth $40,000 at least. Needless to say we did not buy. Diamond has taken the fun out of going to KBC. They don't even treat their own members well. We met people who own with them and were being housed in Ka'anapali Shores next door. As I said before Diamonds whole goal is to get the original owners to see for pennies on the dollar!

I am glad to see that more people are starting to find this site. We are long time owners of a deeded week from the Sun Teria days. I to miss Bill B. He was an excellent communtcator, when he was on the board. I had lunch with him a long time ago and he was the first to tell me about Red Week. He also explained that as long as Diamond has a lock on the votes the way the system works, that the owners will never have adiquete representation. Hopefully, if we spread the word about this message board. More owners will find it and at least Diamond will here a loader voice from us. Now that they are a publicly traded company we may have other avenues to make our voices heard? Any ideas will be greatly appreciated.

We have a very strong group of owners of over 4500 who communicate on Facebook. It's called Diamond Resorts International Members. We discuss hot topics about our memberships. We share information about the resorts and the locations. We discuss the good, the bad and the ugly of DRI. We have points and deeded owners. We have gotten enough membership and attention that DRI recognizes our existence and has been communicating with our group. When they notice us discussing particular topics. This is a closed group. However, we do allow some upper management into the group so they can hear our voice. I welcome as many owners as possible to join us.

Thanks, I'll look it up. Roland B

I just went to "Diamond Resorts International Members" on Facebook. Membership pending. Can I email some one for a quicker response? Thanks, Roland

Some of us are original deeded owners from Embassy Vacation Resort days. We never belonged to Sunterra nor do we belong to Diamond. All we ever wanted to do was go back to the resort every year for the 2 weeks that we bought. We do not want points-period! We cannot get onto the Diamond Resorts International website because we do not own with them. We are the people that are being screwed by DRI. DRI is trying to make life uncomfortable for us because their goal is to get us to put our weeks on the market. Right now they are buying weeks that are being put in the market by people that are fed up with the maintenance fee increases. They are using something called right of first refusal. On our contract that privilege was given to Embassy Vacation Club not DRI. We have lost so many benefits that were given to us as owners. DRI seem to make their own rules for their owners that they tell the front desk take priority over original owners rights. It is sickening. As of August 2015 DRI only owns 49% of the resort. I have no idea how they manage to get all the representation on the board. My husband tried to run for the board a couple of years ago and never got any acknowledgement of his application to run.

Like you, we bought from Embassy. We also bought from Sunterra, which got us into points. So we are an anomaly in that we are deeded AND points, which drives DRI nuts. They don't want any deeded owners because we prevent them from overselling completely. And like you, we bought because this resort was the only place we wanted to go. Even though we don't trade or use the "benefits" we still have to pay club fees to access those benefits. In June we decided to go on a cruise with friends next February and thought we would use the airfare benefit - oops, can't use it after May 31. And waiting until January is too close to the February trip.

It seems that there must be something that can be filed with the State of Hawai'i attorney general regarding these deceptive practices. I believe Hawai'i made it illegal to pressure for a sale by saying "this offer goes away after today." DRI tells you the outrageous amount and then when you refuse it's "oh wait - we found this offer from XX Date that you never signed to reject - you have until the next visit to decide, which is now." And of course it's a lower offer. Getting around the law that way seems to be, well, illegal.

I think I've run for the Board every year - no acknowledgment, no outcome reported. It's a good old boys group. Whenever I walk by people who are touring I want to say "DON'T DO IT!!!!" We need an attorney to weigh in on this.

We bought under Sunterra and have walked a similar path that you have outlined. When we go for an "update" , which is ploy to sell more, the first thing they go after is getting us in the Trust and out from the Deed. That has never really been explained to me though I've asked. You have been the first to say we are preventing them from overselling but wonder if that truly is the case. My contention is a deed is a piece of the island, as small as that may be. There must be other legal ramifications behind it due to the interest on DRI's part to get it which makes me want to hang on even tighter. Generally when I go to an "update" I usually put a damper on their pitch by asking how do I get out of it. Their latest tactic is if we put it in the Trust it is easier to get rid of. Now that DRI is publically traded they have to be more forthright to the investing community which if you read some of that may get a truer picture than what they tell us on site.

Two things I would like to know: 1.) Any input by anyone on how I can sell this ownership would be appreciated. It gets pretty exhausting trying to manage this. Someday I will want out and would like to know what that mechanism is. 2.) Benefits to Deed Ownership

They seriously want you to spend more money so that you can sell it more easily? I'm guessing that works, on occasion, with people who can't think deeply.

I think the value in deed ownership is, like you said, you own a piece of the island and I'm guessing there are certain protections that go with it. I have no intention of giving that up because I believe that when I want to go to my home resort, I own a piece of it and can at least try to push them on it when I want a reservation - we bought a deed in that specific property. I may take the time to research which federal agency oversees corporate practices, as well as inquire with the Hawai'i attorney general about the pressure sales tactic. Lastly, and perhaps most delightfully, it irritates the hell out of DRI that we have a deed. Being a burr under their saddle has value.