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Shell Vacations Club

Shell Vacations Club review: We feel we were lied to and sucked! 90

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12:00 am EDT
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My wife and I have experienced problems with Shell. We feel we were lied to and sucked into buying a timeshare. We purchased 4500 at the Legacy in AZ. First they sit you down and tell you how the cost of hotels will go up each year. Then they tell you how your timeshare is a "great investment." The cost will save you thousands over the years. They tell you the maintenance fees will never go up. The brochure we have even says the cost of your timeshare will never go up. The sell you on good investment. We are paying $340 for the loan and $76 for the fees each month. We are paying $8.60 a day in interest alone. In the next 10 years we will be paying $50,000 to go on vacation 10 times, and that only covers the condo, not airfare etc. How is that a great investment? Then we were told that a condo is x amount of points based on the season (red, white, blue). When we booked out trip to Hawaii it was somehow "platinum season."

Another issue we have is that we were bribed into buying. "You buy now and we'll give you this, that, and another thing. One thing was a weekend in San Diego in their resort which is supposed to be on Yachts in the harbor. It ended up being a Non weekend stay at the Radisson in a poor neighborhood. The we were supposed to get 4 tickets in the suite for the AZ Diamondbacks. We got to will call to pick up the tickets and they weren't suite tickets. I called and they said that they overbooked the suite and would not compensate me.

I was told that their website would be updated were I could view points online and book things. They have not updated their website since we bought almost 2 years ago.

One last thing. They never return phone calls. I have mad 4 to them this past month and have not gotten a call back.

My wife and I are in a financial bind because of this. As you know you cannot resell these, especially owing what we owe. What can we do about this problem? I know we signed a contract, but no attorney was present. Nobody brings a lawyer to a presentation. We feel we were scammed. Thanks!

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90 comments
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Mehdi hassanzadeh
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Mar 21, 2008 5:06 pm EDT

I and my wife also got sucked into this couple years ago when we were in Hawaii. I had never heard of timeshres and the scams. We were very naive. They had assigned us a very young salesman who could not fully address my questions and finally the manager herself got into this and threw lots of incentives including 4500 free points and free stay at the resort in Hawaii and air fare bringing the total value of this whole package to almost 5000 dollars so we signed and paid 1200 dollars downpayment. We also got free tickets to the Circus and the favorite show outside town that I don't remember what it was called. We stayed another 4-5 days and got back to Canada. After few days when I had time, I looked at the packages they had given us and realized that they all had fine prints and would not worth anything unless you pay your dues for six months. I also realized that they had different type of members that they failed to disclose in their presentation. In the document I read that the premium mebers had the first say for booking and regular members came after them. Most of the members are regular members and they never talked about elite members at the presentation. I looked up in internet and the compliants and talked to friends and everybody said timeshares are mostly scam and the least is that you can never book where and when you want to get away.

When I read the contrcat, it was few days more than the seven days allowed for cancellation. I contacted them and said I wanted out and wanted my money back but no they are more stubburn than what you think. I didn't get my money back. I had paid with visa and even visa couldn't help me because there was a contract in place. Shell people kept calling me and mailing me to get me pay my monthly fees. they thretened to ruin my credit but I ignored them. Thank god I don't live in States becuse they could have ruined my credit in States which they did but it doesn't affect my credit in Canada. They tried reaching me for almost 8 months and finally gave up. It was a bitter experience but I learnt one thing-STAY AWAY FROM TIMESHARES.

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Marilyn Heil
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Feb 25, 2008 10:18 am EST

I too have been suckered by Shell vacations. The hotel is basically an upscale room similar to Motel 8. Breakfast is the same tho, free cereal and toast. I have tried to do a time share resale and was told no need to pay maintanance fees till it sells. Now they want four times the maintanance fees and has gone to collection. 2 months ago $250 now they want a thousand. I just want out. Can you give it back? I have paid $1500 in points already this year would loose that but I cant afford to just keep paying more and more for a shoddy at best place.

I just want out. Are there lawyers who handle time shares? Or represent the suckered people?

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Christopher Gonzales
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Feb 12, 2008 8:14 pm EST

I ended up cancelling. Thank God for the laws in Arizona. IF YOU LIVE IN AZ, YOU CAN CANCEL WITHIN 7 DAYS! After I started finding twice as many points for less than half the price on ebay and craiglist consistently and reading forums where people are stating that the typical resale price is only $1/ point, I cancelled. Read the last page of the contract!.. you can get out as long as you're quick! I'm relieved cause I paid the RIDICULOUS price of $5.53 per point.. I also didn't realize that you need to book 7 nights minimum if you want to book over 120 days in advance! You'll hardly get availability for 2 or 1 night stays with that rule! Too many freakin rules! If you're going to buy, do it by RESALE! I'm going to be watching ebay... cause the resort was really nice.. cannot deny that.

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Anon Y. Mous
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Feb 12, 2008 3:59 pm EST

Think of the the guy making eight figures who points at a car in a dealership and writes out a check for the whole amount on the spot without hesitation. If you don't care about the fine print, trap doors, and dog-and-pony show that hides all of the fees, etc., then by all means sign up with Shell Vacations Club. You'll be sure to get lots of great adventures in heartache. There's a reason 'timeshares' have a poor reputation--it's called Shell Vacations Club.

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Anon Y. Mous
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Feb 12, 2008 3:54 pm EST

If you're going to go timeshare, pick someone with a long-standing reputation like Marriott. When I think of Shell, I think of sleazy car salesmen. A few of them actually follow that look. Be sure you contact the Better Business Bureau of Illinois.

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Christopher Gonzales
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Feb 11, 2008 10:22 pm EST

If you're in the state of Arizona, read the document that was provided to you as required by state law. On the 2nd page it describes that you have 7 days to cancel the contract if you send a cancellation letter. I bought 1750 points yesterday, but am still unsure wether I want to cancel... only thing that makes me think about it is that I may be able to cancel and then buy for cheaper from ebay or craigslist... but I'm afraid to lose many of the lifetime benefits I recieved in this specific offer such as renting points for only $0.15. I know some of you have bad experiences as I'm reading above (much of which seems to me as a result of not understanding what was said &/or not drilling the manager's on site with every question that you SHOULD have asked until all was understood clearly + reading the contract) I spent 4 hours drilling the managers (NOT SALES PERSON WHO KNOWS LITTLE) to make sure it made sense... which if you use the process correctly and primarily use Shell's Resorts does make financial sense over a long period of time... not by as much as they claim. My only fear at this point is to not be able to get the times and destinations I really want, but I did read in the legal documentation that they are forced to regulate the balance between supply and demand and are audited. I even interviewed people that were lounging out around the place, and they were happy with their time shares. I'm pretty positive about it now, but only time will tell, I guess.

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yolanda cordova
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Jan 28, 2008 3:59 am EST

I got suckered into the same thing. I got offered a FREE 7 day trip to Mexico trip for 2 that I tried to book to later find out in fine print that it couldn't be used until after 6 months of payments had been made and all my maintenance fees for the year. After that my free trip cost me $400 plus for port fees and other unexplainable fees, what a bargain. After I told them what date I wanted I asked how to get this confirmation they told me that I could go on the Royal Carribean website and get it, well you guessed it I wasn't there and Royal had never heard of me. I called numerous times and was given a bogus reservation number that Royal didn't recognize. When I contact Shell they tell me that it is valid and that my date to sail is March 20th which is not what I had booked and they say it is. I'm sure that I don't know what date I asked for at work and that my 3 other family members have booked for on March 30 (dud)! I give them my cell number to call and they call my home number when I'm at work!What great customer service. Call again and it will take 48 hours for another agent to call you back and now it's only been 72 hours and I still haven't heard back.

STAY AWAY FROM SHELL, SAVE YOUR MONEY & PAY FOR YOUR VACATION WHEN YOU WANT TO GO.

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Kathy and Dennis Sayre
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Jan 22, 2008 8:52 am EST

Does anyone out there know what to do to get of of this mess? We are paying over $300 a montha nd $900 a year along with the down payment on a Hawaiian card of $60 a month. When we have tried to book on several occassions the places we want to go are full. This should be illegal. It has caused my fibromyalgia to go off the charts. If anyone know who to go to for California to try and get our money back we would greatly appreciate any help.

Thank you

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mike blumenthal
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Dec 11, 2007 5:30 pm EST

Thanks for the info---my wife and I got suckered into getting a free Xmas tree and $25 to go to a 90 minute 'stress-free-presentation by Shell Vacation Club this next Saturday. Since Time-Share Salesperople hagte me anyway---I call their bluff and walk away--I will show them these complaints. Shell Vacation Club points are available on Ebay between $500 and $2900---and no 17.5% interest charges. To be forewarned is to be forearmed. Mike B.

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Jeffrey Wolverski
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Sep 23, 2007 5:22 pm EDT

Unbelievable, we got hit by a "tourist trap" and promised a "bill of goods" and gifts just to spend 90 minutes, which included discounts on adventures, a free breakfast, and a "diamond card" whatever that is.
My wife and I got there early and went on a "one on one" interigation with an inviewer and when we mentioned our income, they renegotiated the gift package. They then brought in the "Big Guns" and we called their bluff. Leaving hungry we had a hard time even getting our $20 deposit back!
Rip off...stay away