Ari Holiday Network review: Unlimited fees 50

Same here! I've paid those suckers THOUSANDS of dollars & the fees were never ending! And the real sucker punch is I NEVER USED IT! I bought the damn thing with my ex husband when I was in my early twenties. Never knew how to use it & it was never really explained to me HOW to use it either ... even though I asked several times on the phone ... never got a straight answer! So. after they raised my fees to over $25 a month & told me the only place I could use it was at one of two places in SWITZERLAND ... I bailed. They WILL NOT get another dime out of me. It's on my credit report too ... first time THAT has happened in my life but it can just sit there. SCREW ARI! 7/11/09 - KristiPaints@yahoo.com

We bought in 1998, unaware of the whole timeshare world. It sounded good, and their "home" resorts were 2 in the Caribbean, and to in Austria. They sold to us as if we had red time (good time) but it was for every other year.

Well, one year later we found out that they dropped their Caribbean resorts, and now the home ones were only in Austria. By then we also heard of a lot more timeshare opportunities, each one much better than theirs. I kick myself each time I think of buying from them.

Anyway, we paid off our timeshare, used an exchange once or twice, but haven't used it since maybe 2001. They disappeared off the map for a few years, and when we finally found them and tried to contact them, all we got was a payment book sent to us for maintenance fees and calls from the collection agency trying to collect them. I still haven't been able to talk to the actual company, but I also am no longer interested in doing so.

I stopped using the timeshare, and will not pay for maintenance fees anymore. We don't have a deed, so they can't place a lien on anything, but it is on my credit report for one of the big three agencies. No matter--I just bought a new house with a great interest rate regardless.

ARI is welcome to "foreclose" on my "property" and sell it, but there is absolutely NO WAY they will get a penny more out of me for maintenance fees.

I am so furious with them too. We bought in 1994 and were only able to use it twice. We have faithfully paid the full amount on the coupon book each year. Today we got a notice from a collection agency, dated February 11th, stating that their efforts to contact us regarding our delinquent $60.38 fee have been unsuccessful and that our account is seriously delinquent and it appears that we may be experiencing financial difficulties. We usually receive our coupon book in January, and I must admit that I had not noticed that it had not arrived in the mail, still I think it is a bit much to go to a collection agency when at the most the bill is 11 days overdue. There doesn't seem to be anything we can do about it.

How do you get in touch with them, all I have is an address.

Is anyone interested in literally picketing outside of their offices in OakBrook Terrace? For example, picket on the evenings when they hold their sales pitches? It seems this is the only leverage we have with scoundrels like these. In addition, there's strength in numbers. If we pool our resources, I think we'd have a much better chance of getting these #$%^!@ off our backs and out of our lives

BTW: the phone number is 866.625.6388
web site is www.resortintervals.com

I am in the same boat. I purchased the alternate year timeshare like couple of other folks did here in 1995. I probably used it twice and then I started experiencing the same issues. They never had openings when we wanted and customer service was terrible. Plus they increased maintenance fees. I stopped paying them maintenance fees starting 2003 when they reduced the home network options and fees started escalating.
They have gotten on my credit report as well and I want to fight them tooth and nail on it but I don't want to pay them because they are running a fraud operation. I am willing to join any action against this company. There are probably several more like us.

Has anyone thought about contacting the Illinois Attorney General's Office. It is my understanding that in the U.S. a "membership" or "stock" or whatever the heck it is they want to call it, can be cancelled at anytime, as long as there are no outstanding fees owed, i.e. back mortgage, taxes, or maintenance fees. I know many of the resorts in the Carribbean and Mexico have had to start allowing this because of pressure from the government. There are a couple of timeshare companies out in Nevada that have done this, as well. (Perennial Vacation Club and Club QM).

Well i am glad to see more like myself having trouble with ari. i opted out in 2006, and was suppose to receive papers to fill out for that opt out. Well low and behold no papers forth coming. it is now 2010 and they are wanting more money still, but wont give me any paper work, because instead of opting you out they apply it to what is owed and send you another coupon book. I never thought to report it to the attorney general in Illinois, but as soon as i do this post i will. Its a shame that you have greedy people like this out there. So beware if it isn't in writing from ari then it wont be legit.

I cannot believe that I found this board and I am not alone on all of the same issues. I bought back in 1995? I wanted to get-out within five days of going to one of their fake prize/sell events. At that time, their main sales guy, Larry Jackal, agreed to see me and then instead of letting me out - he just sold me down into a every other year timeshare program. I was naive. I explained to him that I would never go to Austria and that the only resort that interested me was the one they had in Antigua. I paid maintenance fees regularly and lo and behold - I finally decide to use the timeshare and it no longer existed. I was told instead that "there were plenty of available time share resorts in the Caribbean - if I used my Interval International membership - additional costs and then got no service until I complained and they gave me a week in Orlando. After that, I used it twice - through Interval International but never received any kind of communication from ARI/Resorts Intervals. They seemed to have fallen off the map. In fact, by 2006, I had called and asked why I didn't receive any notifications from a company I bought a timeshare from - including any all important cut-off date for the year and I got some untrained girl that immediately transferred me to Alain Carr. This man was a real jerk. I began to ask him about the poor communication that caused me to lose a week and he immediately cut me off and said that I was just ticked off and wanted a week. He was extremely rude and had a real nasty tone despite his position at this company. I then decided that was unacceptable and took the time to write a lengthy letter to his boss, Mr. Tom Lupina, on 12/27/06 about my concerns of being treated like dirt eventhough I paid for this timeshare and was at the time paying maintenance fees. Guess what? No response whatsoever. I then decided to no longer pay these guys any maintenance fees until they communicated with me. Guess what - they never - ever reached out. The only thing they did when they moved their offices for a third time was get in bed with Sonnenschein Financial Services or maybe this collection agency is a shell company for ARI as they conveninetly have the same address. Sonnenschein keeps sending those stupid - you must be having financial difficulty letters to this day but no one at either company has ever stopped to ask - what seems to be the problem here. Just robocalls and snail mail litter. If anyone wants to pursue action against these thieves, let me know. They need to be tried on a federal circuit court system and not just in Illinois where they flim flammed me.

We purchased the same so called timeshare back in the early 90's. What a mistake. We cannot sell this invisible timeshare and they will not stop charging the fees. We were told if we don't pay we will be taken to collections. We only used this twice and it is not worth the time of day. If a class action lawsuit is underway I am in. I called and spoke to Alain Carr and like the above post he was a real jerk. He made me feel like a piece of dirt - could not get anyplace with this so called man. Something has to be done with these people.

The Lawsuit is still pending... check below Lawyer's website:

http://www.lawsds.com/CM/Custom/Our-Cases.asp

I checked the website but the lawsuit was not listed. Has it already been decided? I would've liked to have joined.

I too have paid ARI for years. Stopped paying them three years ago after sending them notification of cancelling "membership". Never heard anything until supposedly several hundreds of dollars behind on fees. How can you not cancel a membership. No where did it say lifetime/eternity. Then of course the robocalls & reported to credit company by Sonnenshein. The actual contract was paid off in 1997. I too would like to sue them for misrepresentation, harrassment, & no use of product. If there is a lawsuit in process please let me know ckb1926

I purchased my first timeshare at an ARI presentation in September 1993. After spending nearly 7 hours at the sales office, I finally purchased Gold Season every other year in a studio unit. Despite the promise of gifts for attending the presentation, I was told they were temorarily out-of-stock. In the 19 years which have followed, I have never received my free gifts. I went to their resort in Antigua once, and was assigned a unit which had not been renovated. I have never returned to an ARI resort, but have exchanged through Interval International. II exchanges have been adequate, but not exceptional (due to the fact that the ARI resorts in Austria do not have high trading power). When you deposit your timeshare interval with II, ARI determines which week will be registered with II. ARI can do this, because I purchased FLOAT time. So, rather than depositing prime ski season (early January), ARI usually designates a very undesirable week for exchange, reducing my exchange power.

I believe there is a clause in your agreement that says if you stop paying the most they can do you is take back your week/property. They recenlty tried to sell me into the points system. Don't do it. Read your agreement. Honestly I never planned on using the home resorts. I have only used it 3-4 times since I bought back in the beginning. I enjoyed the places we stayed but it was always in places it was easy to get. I however hate westgate resorts. They are nice but they try to sell you more itmeshares and they are rude. I am never going back to Westgate.

Like all of you, I purchased back in the early 90's, 1994. I've used the membership 2 or 3 times and paid it off. I continued to get payment books and maintenance fees went up when the resorts were improperly managed and not maintained. I stayed at the Antigua resort many years ago and it was terrible. We spent all of our time at the resort next door. I used Interval for 2 exchanges and then I started calling to cancel my membership. Like many of you, I couldn't find ARI's phone number or get in touch with a human when I did find a phone number. When I did finally talk to a person, he belittled me and was completely rude.

I recently talked to Joe at ARI, who informed me that the only way for me to disolve my relationship with ARI was to sell my membership, which makes no sense. I don't have a deed or any ownership. However, he was ready with an email and 4 attached forms within seconds of our phone call. When I emailed him back and informed him that I needed help with more information to sell my membership, nothing! Not a word! No informaiton on what type of unit I own, etc. At the time, I didn't think I had any paperwork left from way back then. However, during our recent move, I uncovered my folder including my original paperwork and contract.

I also checked out the class action lawsuit and did not see ARI listed on the law firm's website, but have a call into them. If I find anything out regarding the classaction lawsuit, I will repost here letting you all know. If nothing transpires from the law firm, I will be calling the IL Attorney Generals Office. I also found out during our recent home purchase that after non-payment of fees for the past several years, ARI has attached to my credit report. These ### need to pay up and go to jail! They are insects infecting way too many families!

Any updates on ARI & any potential lawsuits against them ?

I actually inherited my unit from an aunt & have a stock certificate for my shares in ARI no deed that I know of. Since ARI does business here, is registered as a corporation in Delaware & the property is in Austria how does any legal challenge work?

What is confusing is if these are truly "stocks " & not "deeded" property you shouldn't have to pay maintaince fees for eternity . There has to be a way to cancel or give back your stocks if you can't sell them. From what I have read some countries like Spain now limit the term of these contracts to a certain # of years . So even if you can't sell your shares or membership it has an expiration date.

Just contacted the attorney generals office in Illinois. Owned this for 17 years and now with financial difficulties and used only 5 times need to cancel membership. ARI will not respond, send certified letter stating that I wanted to cancel membership. Just letters from "sister company" Sonnenschein Financial. This is a scam they are running and need to be stopped. If more contact the Attorney General and BBB we can have a say in this scam.

All of you purchased a timeshare that was connected to Austria and the Carribean. I have to say, not one person on this complaints board mentioned how amazing Alpenland is with its gorgeous views, etc. Thats why I bought it in the 90s and I love it. In fact I am converting my studio to a 2 br. Granted economic times are hard, but did you ever think to actually use it instead of complaining like go to Austria. 2 amazing locations! I have 2 daughters and we go in summer and hope to go ski this year or next. The problem may be you focused on the trade rather than the property. I own a few timeshares. Own what you want to visit and trade when you can't! Simple!
Nancy

Nancy, you said that you are converting your unit into a 2 bedroom. We did not purchase a specific "unit"! We bought this with the sales pitch of trading to another vacation location. We did not purchase with the intent of using Austria or Carribean! We were never told that we purchased this membership for "life"! ARI will not return calls, just turned us over to their so called "collection agency"! They are very rude on the phone and really do not get any answers. Yes, I did use my "timeshare" for the reasons stated above! Do not like it and feel it was misrepresented!

I, too, have been a longtime member of ARI. Bought 1993. Back then a resort in Orlando, Fl., was in the network Actually exchanged about 10 times--Hawaii, Hilton Head, etc., and enjoyed every stay. However, times change, and I can’t use the membership anymore. I sent a registered letter to ARI in Oak Brook Terrace, IL, telling them I’m cancelling my membership, am stopping the maintenance payments and expect them to request the membership certificate from me. True to form, instead of hearing from ARI, Sonnenshein Financial is calling me to discuss my ARI account. I refuse to return their calls. I plan to write a follow-up letter to ARI, and then I’m filing a complaint with Illinois Attorney General.
Donate For A Cause won’t accept my timeshare, they told me ARI isn’t sellable. I tracked 4 recent EBay listings and 3 ended, 2 started at $1.00. The 4th listing actually sold, but it was more like a gift from the seller. All closing costs + $750 on a credit card paid by seller! I Just Want Out.

I reported them to the BBB and then filed a complaint against them with the attorney generals office in Springfield. If you go online you can print out a complaint form and send it in with any documentation that you may have. I have not heard anything as of yet. We have to stop ARI from doing this to people. Biggest mistake of our lives. We too tried to donate and they did not want it either.

Nancy: It was good to read a positive comment. I inherited use of the Alpenland from my late father's estate. Austria is one of my favorite places, however, as is common, things change. Our work and planning options preclude use of the time share, so we are looking for someone who cares about using the Austria studio (float prime season) each year. We will pay all incidental transfer fees while donating the membership to an interested party. If you know someone, contact savcocorp@gmail.com.

I've had my Alpenland Timeshare from ARI since the early 90's, also paid it off, pay the maintenance fees and regularly exchange it through Interval International or gift it for honeymoons, etc. (also on exchange). Some of the places we've gone have been Tahoe, Palm Springs, ski resorts in Denver, St. Martin (Caribbean), and Florida/Disney World. Hope to use in Mexico this year! I do agree that the company does NOT reach out to members - and do make sure I put it in the exchange before September each year! I just received a notice from Interval International that says if you deposit by Feb 15, 2015, you will get an bonus resort accommodation certificate good for an additional 7-night resort stay (on exchange)!

I cant make the payments due to financial issues. I cant sell the Austrian timeshare that I bought on eBay for 50.00. The maintence fees are piling up. They won't take it back and the a reporting me delinquent. What can i do? I need to get out of this and they told me sorry. Are they legit?

I purchase a few timeshares in 2008 when i was dumber than I am today. I visited the Austrian timeshare. It was just ok, I had a good time but it is clearly not worth the money. Times changed and I had to get out of my timeshares. I gave back my St Maarten, Canary Islands and St Augustine FL timeshares. ARI on the other hand refused to take it back. I explained that I was financially unable to use it or pay. So I stopped 3 months ago. Sonnenchein reported me delinquent on the credit report. I disputed and they put a note on my credit report, Creditor wants me to call them. I called the "Sun and Shine" rip-offs. Talked to a real a-hole who basically told me they will not take it back, that I am stuck in it for the next 60 years or I can sell or file bankruptcy. I told him I could barely scrape enough for food even though I work two jobs and have a 90000 financial aid bill that I had to use to live off when my son got sick and I supported him. This man could not have cared less about customer satisfaction. He said I am in it for the next 60 years (When the deed runs out). Not another penny will I give them. What is the worst they can do? I'll fight in court-a better use of the money in my book. I am interested in advocating for people and going after this company for their shady business practices. When this person told me that I had the option of selling it, I told him there is a flooded market of one dollar St Johann Austrian timeshares for sale and besides, I will never pass one of these scams on to an unsuspecting person the way that someone did me on an Ebay 250. purchase that feels like selling the soul to the devil.

I dug out all my paperwork to arm myself for battle. I purchased 6 timeshares in 2008. Don't know what I was thinking and never researched. Used the Austrian timeshare one time and it was just ok although my son and I did have a nice time in the Alps. Financial times got tough due to son's illness and I lived off financial aid for the year to support him. Now I am in deep debt and cannot pay timeshare maintenance costs. I contacted the others, St Marten, Canary islands, St. Augustine Fl and they let me out and took them back ARI on the other hand are a debt from the devil. This so called deed goes for 60 years. I called them and said I wanted to give it back and they said no. I stopped paying the fees for 4 months and their Sonnenchein reported me in collections for 565. but they never called or wrote to collect on it. A note on the credit report said creditor wants me to call them so I did. I left a message for their Sun and Shine sheister. The next day he called me and left a message. I called him back and he said he was a collector attempting to collect on a debt. I told him that was funny because he was really just returning my call. I told him the situation about my son and that I could barely find enough each week to grocery shop. Think he cared about that? He told me I had to the option to sell. I said the Austrian timeshares are all over the internet for a dollar - you can't give them away and the donation companies I contacted won't touch them. There is no resale value in them. He said that I could file for bankruptcy. I said, wait, let me get this straight. You are telling me I should file for bankruptcy for a 250.00 ebay purchase that I have already paid you 4000 for and only used one time? Is that what you are telling me? He said thats right. I told him that I was going to advocate for others and take this on as a cause. I said I would never sell another unsuspecting human being one of their timeshares. This is what this industry is all about. Deception and lies and it is time to take action. I filed a complaint with our Arizona Attorney General because I live here and my payment booklet has a Phoenix address. Any similar issues?

I have used the Alpenland property to buy other timeshares in Mexico and they will discount your New Mexico purchase by $14, 000 or so----after the deal is done Alpenland is returned to us because it is in Europe and they will not allow the Alpenland resort to be sold. The full equity toward the New Mexico property will stand but we are back to paying the maintenance fees. I DO NOt want to leave this timeshare to my children. I will be contacting reedhein.com a consumer protection firm---they are also timeshare exit.com. They seem legitimate and are located in Illinois.

I have the same issues and use it to exchange with Interval. I do not want the maintenance fees passed to my children. There is a law firm in Chicago that is focused on consumer protection. They might be able to help. Google reedhein.com and timeshare exit.com. I think they are related but the reviews seem legitimate

The reason why you all are having problems just as I am with ARI is because American resorts international does not buy or sell time shares anymore..that's the reason they told me why they won't take back my time share. I have files complaints with Illinois state attorney and tried to work with Alan Carr he has tried to claim because I didn't use my Antigua resort ever when we had it why am I complaining about losing it now. He said " if you want to go to Antigua so bad I'll give you a timeshare week with interval international for a week" it's the only reason I bought this time share was Caribbean resort they claim they have a right to take away a resort for their members for bad reviews, complaints about condition of time share. But not to compensate us for our loss or give us a chance to opt out instead you are locked into it for 100 years which is so unfair because if you read your contract they have the right to drop any timeshare but says also " add" but how can they do that if they no longer buy or SELL timeshares.. To me that's a breach of contract. Also they claim the reason Antigua resorts was dropped because of complaints about reviews and condition of timeshare but the real reason was because of mismanagement of funds which was brought out in lawsuit in 2002. My argument is that they lost resort from mismanagement of funds we should have had right to be compensated in either another Caribbean resort or let out of contract.. Please everyone on this web site please contact Illinois state General Lisa madigan office and file complaints and don't let up! this company needs to pay for mis leading Us Into these time shares and headache.

Is there any new information from anyone on this since the last post of July 2015? HELP! I'm in the same boat!

My husband and I have the same issue and feel so frustrated that ARI holds all the cards and we have no recourse to remove ourselves from a lifetime of maintenance fees. We had contracted a 1 bed, 1 bath unit which was demoted to an efficiency to keep our maintenance fees from increasing 76% in 1995. In 2013 they switched the system to RCI Points Network. They can do whatever they want and we have no power. I don't even get a notice for the maintenance fees anymore - only calls from their creditor.

We purchased our timeshare in February of 1994 and I have called them several times about getting rid of it. There is a clause in the contract that states "in the event of default by a member due to failure to make a payment within thirty days after the same shall become due of any assessment or an installment due pursuant to a Secured promissory Note, the Managing Agent may notify the delinquent member in writing, registered mail, return receipt requested, of such default and the amount due and if payment is not received within the next succeeding 30 days measured from the posting date of such notice, the managing agent may remove the member from the Network membership roles and thereupon said member shall forfeit all rights and privileges of the network membership, including any amounts paid toward the purchase price of the network membership and assessments, and shall immediately deliver to the managing agent his or her membership certificate assigned in blank." I have since opened a case with our states attorney office because they are moving to a points system and in order for us to take advantage of this we need to pay for an upgrade to use the points system and we are unable to use the current system because nothing is available.

We too are in the same position of not being able to get rid of our timeshares. We had one and stupid us took on a second because they offered the Antigua to us with an upgrade. Then they closed the Antigua property and we're stuck with 2 in Austria which we can via RCI.
We have been paying our maintenance fees via auto deduction for years and yet their collection agency can't keep our account straight. We've called about balances showing on our accounts because they should be -0- and they say they don't know why and they will adjust. Toni Walker in the Sonenshein office doesn't call back and late fees accumulate. I just want this headache gone. We do not have children to will these too and even if we did, I wouldn't want them to inherit this mess. We've tried to sell and have been scammed a few times by companies offering to sell timeshares. I've filed complaints with BBB but they closed the complaint because they can't get a response from them. I'm no long living in Illinois so contacting the Illinois Attorney General wouldn't help. Has anyone had success with reedhein.com and timeshare exit.com?

I bought my time share in 1996 and the next day after buying it we change our mine and didn't want it, we were told to come to there office and tell them in person that would be the only way we could out of it, well when we got there we were taken into and office and the man we talk to said we couldn't get out of it and if we didn't pay they would do something to us, we didn't know what but we felt our life was in danger so we kept it' we were strong armed, I have never used it and even try to sell it through a time share dealer which I feel it was them just taking more money from me and I paid them and never hear from them again, I have paid for the time share and am paying every month with and automatic withdraw from my account and they have been taking it out plus charging me late fee I am going to stop payment and let them have there time share back
ROBERT

Finn Law Group in Florida might help you. It will cost some money, but nothing compared to how much you will pay in maint. fees forever and ever..

Has anyone actually been able to get rid of their ARI timeshare through Finn Law group? Has any other method of getting rid of it workedD